"There it is." Mula stopped and peered at the beam of light shooting from the icy ground. Raava was amazed at the look of the portal through human eyes. It was like a glittering waterfall flowing towards the stars. As a spirit, she could see the spirit world passed it in a strip- never a beam of light.
"What time is the Harmonic Convergence?" Wan asked.
"When the sun in this world is directly overhead," she answered. "We won't need to enter until soon before it."
"So we camp out here tonight." He unpacked Mula slowly. Raava had avoided him as much as possible since that morning when he woke her up. Even now, as he set everything out, she distracted herself with staring at the portal or petting Mula. "Are you alright?" She turned to Wan and met his eyes for a split second before looking away.
"I'm fine."
Wan gestured to the crooked trees that surrounded them. "Well, we need some more wood. I'll be right back, okay?" She nodded and watched his back as he ventured into the forest. She sat next to Mula on one of the blankets. From the spot they were in, she could see trees all around them and the portal in a cleared out space two trees away.
"Mula, I'm actually scared," she mumbled. Mula rubbed her head against Raava's cheek. "What will happen if Wan dies?" Mula put her head down onto Raava's lap. Raava gazed up. The sun was almost completely set. Wan would have a fire in one hand when he returned. She got up and searched the camp. Some water had frozen in a suspended puddle on one of the trees and was clear enough to be a mirror. Raava was horrified at the face that stared back at her. She clenched her fist and slammed it into the ice.
"Raava, come sit by it the fire," Wan said once the wood was lit. "It's cold." When she did not move from her spot next to Mula, he went to her. "Hey, what's wrong?" She turned her head away from him, gripping her legs to her chest. "Raava?"
"Go away." Wan was taken aback. He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
"Did something happen?" he asked. That's when she burst. She turned on him.
"Yes, Wan, something happened!" she yelled. She stood up. "Look at me!" She pointed to herself. Her dress shrunk with her as she lost power and was as short as her knees. The sleeves were single strips connecting to the back and front. Her physique was so childish now that she looked much younger than what she originally had. Her short hair was cut uneven just above her shoulders. Her arms and legs were the size of the branches Wan had brought back to burn. Her curves had diminished to the way they would be on a twelve year old. And his scarf was abundantly large for her thin neck; it was slipping down her body, unable to stay on her shoulders.
"I don't see anything wrong," Wan lied, standing up with her. He realized it just made her angrier to see how short she was now. Her head reached the middle of his chest.
"Everything is wrong!" She frowned and looked at her feet. "Look at me, Wan. I'm useless in this form, and there is nothing I can do to change it."
"Hey." Wan ducked down so he could face her with her head down. "Is this about tomorrow?" He was grinning. "It will be fine."
"Wan, you have to understand-"
"Have you ever lost to him before?" he interrupted, eyebrows knitting together. She shook her head. "You're worried about dying, huh?"
"Wan, stop." He stood up straight with a sigh, his eyes sad but aware, the grin gone.
"I would die before I let anything happen to you, Raava." He clenched his fists. Raava grasped his shirt in anger and shook him.
"Don't you understand, Wan?" she urged. "Vaatu cannot kill me. I will come back in another ten thousand years. But he can kill you," she slowly released him, looking down, "and I would never see you again."
"Raava…" Wan lifted her head with his hand. What am I doing? he thought. His eyelids lowered slightly as he brushed his lips to hers. It was her that brought the full force up on his mouth. Her arms reached out and pulled him down even more. He pushed his hands into her hair, the feeling of it numbing his fingers. She gasped as his warm hands touched her neck. They slid down her back and to her waist where he gripped her and lifted her onto her toes. She brought her hands to his face as they pulled away. Wan buried his face in her neck.
"I'm not scared of dying, Wan. I'm scared of losing you."
"But, Raava, if I do die, it would be alright." His breath warmed the one side of her neck. "I was banished from my city. I don't belong in any other, and many spirits aren't very fond of a human on their land. For instance, Jaya. He was killed by the angry spirits." He lifted his head and looked her in the eye. "You say you don't care if you die, only if I do; but if you do die and I live, we won't see each other again anyway. How long would it take you to form a body again? One hundred years? A thousand? I couldn't live to that age, Raava." She raised a hand and put it over Wan's on her face, understanding what he was saying and not being able to meet his eyes because of it. "I'm sorry."
"Wan, you're strong." She looked up, hopeful. "You could defeat him."
"I can't," he whispered.
"Why not?" she shouted. Water began to sprout at the corners of her eyes. He wiped the tears away with the scarf hanging from her neck. He hugged her.
"You still can't change back into a spirit." Her eyes widened, and she remembered who she was exactly. No matter how much they spoke of the Harmonic Convergence or of spirits and Vaatu, it had slipped her mind that she herself was one. She was not human. "You can't switch out my elements. I can't defeat Vaatu with just fire. You know that." She hugged him tighter before letting go and running, tripping along the way. She ripped the scarf away from her neck as she went. He stretched a hand out to catch her, but she disappeared before he could start running himself. "Raava!" he called. He took off after her.
Raava curled up in a ball next to a large tree. She felt like a human child. "Turn back. Turn back. Turn back," she breathed. "Turn back." She rocked back and forth on her heels.
"Raava!" She heard Wan nearby. He sounded worried. "Where are you?" She shrunk more into the tree. "Raav-" A thump sounded behind her, and she realized he had slipped on ice. She automatically went to help him but stopped herself. She listened to him get up and keep going. Until his voice dissipated, she sat completely still.
"Turn back." She silently cursed herself before pushing her head into the splintering wood of the tree. "Raava, you have to change back…" She did not know how long she sat there with her head in her hands before the whispering came. It surprised her at first, but then she recognized it as something from her spirit form. The Voices of the Portals. They always spoke to her before a Harmonic Convergence, but she had forgotten this time. Slowly, she rose from the cold flooring and lingered through the trees. She passed the red sliver on the ground and Mula sleeping quietly until the light from the portal illuminated the area around her.
"Come to us, dear Spirit of Light," the Voices whispered. "It is time." Raava was clutching her dress like it could protect her.
"No, it isn't time yet," she panicked. "We still have half a day!"
"Not time for the Harmonic Convergence." The Voices drew her closer to the portal. "Time for you to return to your original form. Dearest Raava, Vaatu was stripping your power, but so was this form. You used a lot of your power just to make it. If you were to enter the field tomorrow like this, both you and the boy would perish in mere seconds. Touch the light- your light- and return." Raava stretched out her hand to the upwards stream of light protruding from the ice.
"What about Wan?" she asked.
"The boy will not survive. There is no possible way he could. Use him, Spirit of Light. Use the boy to distract Vaatu while you deliver the final blow."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "But I don't want Wan to die."
"He is human," the Voices hissed. "They have no respect. Just remember that you fight for the spirits, not for the dirty apes. You have always done it this way."
"Things change, dear ancient ones," Raava sobbed. "I have met humans that are beautiful, and I have met humans that are ugly. I cannot leave Wan- a beautiful one- to die at Vaatu's hand. He will live even if I do not. I will make sure he steps out of your light by the end of this."
"We have seen both your and Vaatu's birth. We were here before the world was built. You will not disrespect us."
"I have not meant to. If I have, I apologize."
"Touch the light, Raava. Become yourself again." Raava reached out and felt the stream move between her fingers.
"Raava!" She turned around to see Wan behind her just as light blinded them both. Raava looked up and could see the celestial events in the sky. She could not see the stars anymore. The Voices spoke to her regularly now, and she could feel the souls of spirits and humans alike throughout the world. Wan stood above her. His face was miserable as he reached down and picked her up; he cradled her in his arms. "You changed back," he stated.
"I am sorry, Wan," she said, her voice back to the ancient, echoing one. "I cannot allow you to perish because of me. I will be able to switch your elements during the Harmonic Convergence." He carefully brought her back to the fire. Mula was now awake and held Wan's scarf in her mouth. He took his teapot from the bag that usually sat on her back, and slid Raava into it. With the teapot in one hand and his scarf now in the other, he flung the fabric around his neck.
"We will defeat him, Raava. Both of us will come out of that portal," he smiled down at her, "together."