Chapter 3 : Dissipating Uncertainty
Glad to have finally reached the upper level of Air Temple Island, Korra turned around to face Juicy's other four passengers. Korra could sense from Opal's pained look that she was concerned about both Korra and Asami's well-being, while Bolin simply looked on in curiosity, even though Asami had made it clear curiousity was currently not welcome. Korra asked Opal, "Can you take Bolin with you for now? I have something I need to discuss with Asami and Mako." As Opal took Bolin towards a lower level of the island, Opal smiling slightly, Korra swore she saw Opal giving her a wink. In due time, a voice she had heard all too often lately said, wondering if Opal's exposure to so many interesting characters in Zaofu would make her a good confidant.
As Bolin and Opal left earshot, and Korra was sure that she, Asami and Bolin were alone, she told Mako, "Your unspoken approval of my relationship with Asami on Juicy's back earlier made me feel a lot better. I didn't think you would be so accepting, and certainly not so fast." Mako simply looked at Korra, and quoted something he had said only a short time ago: " 'I'll follow you into battle no matter how crazy things get. I've got your back and I always will.' When I said that, I meant it," Korra blushing when he said, "I get the feeling that more happened in there than you two kissing, however."
Korra clenched her fist silently, cursing Mako's sudden flood of perception, saying with resignation - thought not with Mako, but with the world- "Mako, some things happened in there that were definitely not on any vacation plan, and I suppose you needed to know of them sooner or later." As Korra finished explaining, Mako pointed to a figure far in the distance that was approaching slowly, saying, "I wanted to give you this," handing her a pink piece of paper with a street address before saying, "Go there, later, if you get the chance. I found something weird there. I don't want to keep you from telling Katara about this any longer - I'm certainly in no position to interpret the will of Raava. Especially since it sounds like she just made a lot of other spirits mad. The spirit stuff is your job on this team, not mine." He glanced again at Katara's advancing figure, saying, "I better get out of here. Catch you later, Korra and Asami," over his shoulder as he left, following the direction that Opal and Bolin had gone.
"Oh, shoot," Asami said, turning to face the nearest bathroom, explaining, "I must have drank too much at the wedding earlier, and you know what they say about the Spirit World and bathrooms. Not that I would have gotten the chance to use one…" Asami said, walking away, "I'll be back - why don't you try stalling Katara a little bit until I get back?" Korra knew she was going to see Asami in about five minutes, but after all she had gone through today, she felt a slight pang in her chest as Asami's hand left her own. "I wonder what Asami felt when her father forced her out of the hummingbird suit…" Korra pondered sadly, wondering if Asami was more bitter than she let on - losing her father, expecting to start a new life, then… this.
Katara finally reached Korra's side at the same time Korra finished her melancholy thought. The old Master waterbender - her Sifu in this life and the previous - finally asked Korra a question after a slightly awkward pause. Katara started off, with enthusiasm, Korra seeing a slight glimmer in Katara's eyes, "So, Korra, I'm always telling you about interesting experiences in my youth, all the different kinds of things I got to do… but I have a question for you this time."
Seeing this might take some time, Korra reminded herself, "Remember what Asami said about stalling and what Raava told me about discretion." She thought up a suitably silly question Katara could be reasonably curious about, and turned to face Katara, asking, "What is it? How I got Naga?" smiling slightly. Katara must have seen that smile was not genuine, as she just said "No," smirking slightly, looking like she had no trouble seeing through Korra. Korra thought "Dang, think of something else - Asami still isn't back yet." Eventually she decided to offer something more interesting this time, hoping to stall Katara a little longer: "What it's like to be able to bend all four elements?"
Again, that same knowing, frustrating smile. Katara stated, deadpan at first, "No. I imagine it would have some… bending involved though." Korra barely contained the rising flush on her cheeks. Why did her relationship with Asami still give her this uneasy feeling? It was something much worse than the simple awkwardness she had experienced with Mako. She might never know, she thought bitterly. It reminded her of the despair she felt while recovering from Zaheer's poison, and for some reason, shame.
Mind wandering, Korra absently wondered if what Uncle Iroh had told her about same-sex relationships was a lie, and if Raava was just placating her.
What would the point of that be, exactly, Korra? Hearing Raava's voice, Korra felt a slight chill inside her skull. She still wasn't used to this more… vocal Raava.
Breaking out of her momentary funk, Korra remembered her conversation. She looked to Katara, who was tapping her fur-boot clad foot on the ground, waiting for Korra to make another guess. Korra realized that one way to throw someone off was asking them about a personal matter, so she asked Katara "What it's like to kiss a firebender?" Shifting from her impatient posture, Katara simply laughed, and chuckled "Getting closer."
This was it - Korra's chance to stall Katara. Knowing one hot button she could push, Korra innocently said "But people tell me that you and Zuko - "
Katara was obviously after some information she wanted, and fast, as she began to show obvious signs of frustration. Or was it the implication? Katara simply barked "NO!" Korra grinned, pointing at Katara, and said, "So I guess you only liked Aang then?" Katara smiled mutely, as though she were about to finish this banter completely. Katara retorted, "Yes, we both only really like people with the same first letter in their name. Aang, and…" sending Korra into a small panic, wondering why Katara was being so unusually… nosy. Korra wasn't going to be able to quell her cheeks this time.
Korra simply blushed, at such a loss for words she blurted out "Uhhhh…" - Katara really was as perceptive as Uncle Iroh had said, but Korra had never seen her so prying before. Korra added meekly, "What do you mean?" The very least she could do was stall now - no dissuading Katara's questioning until Asami came. The next thing Katara said only confirmed this. Hearing Katara say, "I saw you go in that portal. With a girl," Korra knew it was more stalling, then. Korra asked, with deliberate uncertainty "Which portal again? Because I'm pretty sure I went in two…"
Korra seemed to be getting to Katara with this meaningless banter, as Katara groaned, "The third one, you know, the one YOU created when you saved Kuvira's butt from her own weapon." Katara groaned again, this time louder, saying, "Come on, just tell me what it's like already! It's not like I'll ever get to know." Korra silently wondered why Katara was so curious about what it felt like to kiss a girl when she had been obviously in love with Aang - idle curiosity perhaps? Korra could only manage to ask Katara "What what's like?" with a palpable nervousness, her cheeks still flush.
She finally heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see Asami returning from the bathroom. Asami asked them both "What are you guys talking about?" as she approached, with what Korra could tell was feigned innocence. Korra smiled slightly while her head was turned to Asami - she had never seen Katara quite like this before, and wanted to push a bit further. Making sure that Katara could still hear, but only barely, Korra whispered to Asami, "I think Katara finally found her brother's stockpile of cactus juice." She could see Asami's eyes gleaming with mischief as well.
Apparently, Katara had had enough, and she pushed the two conspirators apart, turning to face Korra. Katara had a rather hilarious yet scary expression on her face that she had never seen before, yet was somehow familiar… from behind a sheet of ice, she could hear a muted laughter that she recognized as having once been her own. Aang? an increasingly familiar voice said that was not her own.
They live!
Shaking off this interior monologue, she heard Katara yell "I heard that!" with that same hilarious look on her face. Korra and Asami began laughing loudly.
What she recognized as Raava's voice admonished Korra, Enough messing around, Korra - we just made a very important discovery. Further unnecessary delays will only hurt you. GET ON WITH IT!
Katara, still visibly angry, now with a touch of desperation, said, "Okay, I'll just ask outright." Katara paused, clearly not entirely comfortable with what came next, asking, "What is it like to kiss another girl? We both know the South Pole isn't a good place to learn about the world…" before continuing with even more urgency, "Say it quick, before my stick-in-the-mud son or granddaughter find us!" This was obviously the point at which Raava would be disappointed if she delayed any longer, and Korra was tired of the game anyways. She said enthusiastically, "Well…" She let out a lighthearted chuckle. "For one, we didn't do the Thing. But I liked the kiss better than the one with Mako, that's for sure." Asami chimed in, with a surprised look on her face, "And I didn't have any idea what would happen in the Spirit World when we-"
Korra felt her clothes disturbed by a sudden blast of wind. And she was pretty sure she heard -
After a deafening blast of air, Tenzin and Jinora landed next to Katara, one on each side, both grinning wildly. Jinora began talking, animatedly saying "Did someone say spirit world? Can I tell you again about the time when -"
Korra found herself groaning loudly at the exact same time as Asami and Katara, producing a unified "AUUUGH" that sent hiding animals scurrying and fluttering away. Jinora went straight from a grin to talking, starting with a gloating, "So anyways, about the time I found Raava and helped save the world…" Korra thought, "Oh no you don't, you little Miss Perfect," with a sense of irony that Jinora was delaying something Raava herself found important. Korra snapped, "Come on, missy, one of us is the Avatar, and the other -" Korra couldn't tell if Jinora was just playing around, or if she had overheard more than just "Spirit World," as Jinora just continued talking, despite dirty looks from Korra, Asami and her grandmother, Jinora countering with a slight twinkle in her eye, "But I totally saved your butt during Harmonic Convergence!" Korra thought "Ah, crap! Maybe she did hear…" desperately.
Tenzin surprised her when he came to Korra's rescue, wagging his finger at Jinora, saying "Now, now, Jinora, would Grandpa Aang want you to brag?" Katara burst out laughing, Jinora only managing a dejected "… No, I guess not, dad." Korra suddenly remembered that they had both saved the other in a time of need. She smiled lightly, asking, "Plus, didn't I get you out of that freaky spirit pod where the Spirit Wilds used to be?" Jinora looked down at her feet, mumbling, "Yeah." She looked up, and with a much lighter expression on her face asked, "Even?" Korra was glad that Jinora didn't take anything personally, but nonetheless she wanted both her and Tenzin gone. Pointing at a slight male figure who was attempting to fight a kite in the distance, Korra suggested to Jinora, "Why don't you go fly a kite with Kai?"
Jinora's face lit up in an expression that caused her grandmother to smile warmly and her father to grimace. "Kai!" Jinora whipped out a very authentic-looking glider - where'd she get one of those, an Air Acolyte? - and flew off to join Kai. Tenzin, oddly enough, did not give chase. Squinting at his mother, Tenzin said, "I get the feeling you guys were not mainly talking about the spirit world. What exactly is going on here?"
Korra thought, "Oh crud, I guess he did hear! I hope Katara can think of something better than what I'm about to say…" She deliberately broke out in to a cheesy grin, and started "Well, Asami, Katara and I -" Katara interrupted her with a gloved hand in front of her face, meeting Tenzin's gaze. She grinned slightly, telling her son, "You've never been one to pick up when you're not wanted, have you, Tenzin? Let's just say it was a girl talk." Anyone else would have blushed and left, but not Tenzin. He crossed his arms, and gave his mother a withering look, saying "I don't really see what you three could possibly have to say that I cannot hear." Katara's eyes gleamed mischievously, saying, "Maybe you wouldn't WANT to hear it? That ever cross your mind?" Tenzin impatiently asked, "Oh yeah, like what?" Korra saw a grin creep onto Katara's face that would have found a better home only on a tiger shark.
Katara spun around slowly, deliberately blushing, then pointing at Tenzin. "Oh, I was just discussing with Korra and Asami the night when your father and I -"
Korra snickered when Tenzin's cheeks turned a beet purple. He blurted out, "You're right. Guh. Pema never bothers me about these things…" His gaze turned towards two smaller figures in the distance, sitting on the top of Air Temple Island, gazing at the last remnants of the sunset. Katara jabbed, "Well, I didn't exactly bother you, did I? Who bent their way up onto a ledge where someone else was having a conversation?" Tenzin was visibly irritated, though not at his mother's borderline admonishment. Turning to face Katara and composing himself, he said, "Excuse me, it appears I have another conversation to 'interrupt'." He began airbending his way to the top of the spire, towards Kai and his "wayward" daughter. If he disapproved so strongly of that relationship, Korra could hardly wait to see his reaction to her new love interest.
Katara was now wearing an expression that she had seen Kya and Bumi make many times after Tenzin left. She wiped her brow, saying "Phew, I thought they would never leave. Not sure what got into them. Maybe all that excitement with Kuvira has made them on edge. I wish he'd leave my granddaughter be, lest she be even more like him. Where were we? I believe you were saying something, Asami." Asami stopped following the movement of Tenzin, turning to Katara, saying, "Yes, I was. Anyways, after me and Korra kissed, I blacked out for a little bit. The last thing I remember was Korra's eyes glowi- " Asami paused, with a slightly concerned expression on her face, saying, "Wait. Why would she go in to the Avatar State? As a former lover to the Avatar, you wouldn't be able to tell me anything about that, would you?" Korra had no real clue herself as to why she went into the Avatar State when kissing Asami, much less why what happened afterwards occurred, so she waited for Katara's answer with baited breath.
Katara had an expression that looked like an odd combination of embarrassment and longing. She started, drawing out her response slightly, "Well… sometimes when Aang got especially excited, he would glow it up. The time after we lost Appa was no fun, I can tell you that. But that was rage." Katara shrugged awkwardly, saying through a force smile, "I can't remember anything else." Sighing, Korra said, in a serious tone, "Katara, this is important. Is there something you're not telling us? I need to know if I accidentally hurt Asami - this wasn't one of those controlled bursts I use in battle. After all, Asami and I just told you a pretty big secret, so I see no reason for you to be embarrassed. So, what are you hiding, Katara?"
Katara chuckled, the last vestiges of unease leaving her voice, with a gleam in her eyes, saying, "Well, Aang would also sometimes go into the Avatar State when he was … excited with me, shall we say." Korra blurted out, "What, just a kiss?" having a hard time believing that Aang went into the Avatar State every time he smooched Katara. Katara cryptically answered, smiling as she said, "Among other things… mostly other things." Katara raised a gloved hand to her chin, remembering aloud, "Only when he was older, though - after he gained all that height and his beard." She shrugged, continuing, "I may be no scholar, but I do know there's one thing that triggered it in Aang that you two couldn't have done… in the same way."
All of a sudden, Katara had a blank expression on her face. Katara made a low humming sound, and said "Wait a minute…" Korra realized she must have been thinking back to before Jinora and Tenzin's interruption, as Katara asked "You were in the Spirit World and not ours when this 'event' occurred, correct?" Korra immediately answered, "Well, yeah, we were in the spirit world, after all, as I said. Stupid 'vacation'… Who knows what's possible there, especially given that portal was only recently created." She did not give Katara the real reason for her added concern - Raava's increased activity, and how she had been subsumed by the Avatar State not once, but twice within the past 24 hours. Even as a child, Korra had never triggered the Avatar State like that - not even during the Red Lotus kidnapping…
Korra was not used to seeing this much worry on Katara's face. Katara murmured, "Korra, Asami, come forward, and let me feel your chi."
Asami looked a little confused, "protesting" weakly, "I don't see what this is going to do, given that I am a nonbender." Katara turned to face Asami with a warm expression, saying, "Just trust me. I can discern basic biological things about people, even if they are not benders. Korra is first anyways." Katara advanced towards Korra, and began feeling the chi in her arms and legs, as though Korra were a healing doll. She moved towards Korra's core - chest, stomach and hips - and finished by following Korra's chi lines on her head.
Korra could see some measure of relief on Katara's face, but not much. Katara explained, "You seem fine Korra, but it feels as though a lot of spiritual energy has passed through you recently. And not your own…" Katara felt Korra's arms and lips - that felt weird - again, and pursed her own, much older lips, Katara saying, "Almost as if it were heading in a specific direction. And I have never felt that much flow remnants in the mouth region before." Katara turned to Asami, asking, "You said Korra kissed you, and you passed out, correct? And her eyes were glowing as she did so?" Asami shook her head lightly, bouncing her dark hair. Katara said, looking more concerned than before, "Asami, come here. I need to feel you as well." After Asami stepped forward, Katara again felt the chi lines, this time moving from arms and legs, to Asami's head. She paused while touching the back of Asami's head and then her mouth, letting out a confused "Huh?" each time. She finally felt Asami's chest and stomach. When she got halfway to Asami's hips, Katara's face drained of blood rapidly.
"WHAT? By the Spirits! It cannot be! I need to feel that again. I swear I felt something in there, but it could have just been a bad read. It is pretty late, after all." Katara again felt Asami's stomach, moving towards her hips, and stopped at the exact same place - just below Asami's bellybutton, Korra realized in horror. She knew Katara had seen many strange things in the travels of her youth, but Katara looked completely baffled now. Katara exclaimed, "This makes no sense!" She pointed to that one specific spot, that spot Korra would rather forget. Where her uncontrolled hand had touched - pulsating with what she now knew was Raava's energy.
All of a sudden, she felt a chill in her heart. She had finally connected one of Uncle Iroh's prophecies for Asami with recent events, and she was too in shock to say anything. She could only manage to think to herself, "At least we know Asami's numbering of those transcript pages was correct…"
Katara seemed to not notice Korra's expression, but Asami did. Asami forcefully turned to Katara, who was now saying, "Asami - you say Mako broke up with you, and given recent events fully occupying you, there's no way you've done anything to conceive a child. Yet, I feel a small presence within you." Both Asami and Korra now had horrified expressions on their faces - Asami, out of surprise, and Korra, out of horror that her suspicions were being confirmed. Katara said, as Korra and Asami turned to face each other, holding hands in what was practically a vice-grip, "Korra, you yourself said that you were in the Spirit World when this occurred, you went into an uncontrolled Avatar State and that you have no idea what can happen there…"
Korra could only stare at the ground and felt as though she were about to cry more hysterically than Asami had in the Spirit World. Tears finally streaming down her face, she addressed Asami and Katara, saying, "I don't know whether to be terrified or ecstatic." Since Katara did not know anything of what happened in the Spirit World aside from Korra and Asami's kiss, she looked confused as to why Korra would be terrified - but Asami knew all too well what Korra meant. Looking to distract herself, Asami grabbed Korra's hand. Korra felt this "love" again - one of the few good things she got from the Spirit World "vacation", the way she saw it now, yet was somehow enough to override all the negatives - and felt herself stop crying. Asami asked Korra tenderly, "Do you want to try to read my belly, Korra?"
Korra smiled - there was nothing she would rather do right now. Mimicking Katara's movements, she felt her hands being guided by an unseen force as soon as she found Asami's first chi line. She felt as though she were suddenly reading the chi lines better than Katara had. Korra could tell that the life force within Asami was very small, but powerful. She could feel Asami's energy and her own within, but another as well. By the time she realized whose energy it was, it had vanished - re-settling in Korra's chest.
Korra silently wondered "Just what is your angle, Raava?" to herself. Korra told Asami and Korra about what she had felt within. Katara gave her a look mixed between confusion, anger and curiosity. Seeing the anger fade from Katara's face, Korra told her "Look, there was a lot more that happened inside that blasted place we have not told you yet. But we need somewhere safe from prying eyes. Mako already knows more than you do, aside from Asami's pregnancy, but we need an inaccessible place to talk about it. We received a warning to be discreet in the Spirit World from someone you knew well - Zuko's Uncle Iroh." Katara's face lit up with childlike glee, asking "Can you take me and Zuko to see him sometime?" Korra could only respond, "I'll try to remember that, but I get the feeling we will be busier over the next few days than we ever have before. Do you have any suggestions on a meeting place?" Korra could see the joy fade from Katara's face, who continued seriously, "I don't know of any nosy waterbenders in the general area, so why don't we meet underwater, and you can fill me in completely?"
Korra could feel another presence tugging at her mind - Raava, again? She ignored it for now, saying, "Sounds like a good idea, Katara - I can earthbend a breathing tube so a waterbending 'tunnel' or ice sphere won't give us away." Katara nodded in agreement, and shuffled off towards Tenzin's living quarters - perhaps to scold him for his meddling in her granddaughter's life? As soon as Katara left, Korra noticed they were truly alone. She told Asami what she thought the implications of the pregnancy were, its connection to Raava, and the fact that they would likely have a "Spirit Civil War" on their hands. Asami listened patiently, and when Korra was finished, she merely said, "Korra, I'm no fool - I figured out about 75% of what you said just from your look alone. I took the notes, remember?"
Korra couldn't help but blush wildly, saying, "Asami, I'm sorry if I offended you - I just didn't know if your political and business smarts would extend to Spirit World affairs, as you never had a particularly spiritual upbringing." Again, the tug… "I think Raava wants something from me - I'm going to meditate for a little bit. Watch over me please."
Asami drug one of her electrogloves out of her pack, and affixed it to her hand. Trying to not think about why Asami thought that was necessary on Air Temple Island of all places, Korra breathed in, and out, and in…
She was surprised when Raava chose to manifest herself in her chest, as she had after Zaheer helped Korra overcome her block over her near-death experience, and while Raava screamed at Long Yumao.
Suddenly, the great spirit began speaking: "Don't worry about stealth, Korra. Only you and Asami can sense me right now, through your shared bond. And don't ask me how I can apparate outside the Spirit World now, I don't have the time for unimportant explanations. Korra, you remember all the icy emotions you have been feeling, that are yours yet not wholly your own? I did not know this until today, but apparently when the Dark Avatar - Unalaq and Vaatu - waterwhipped your past lives, they did not destroy them completely. Some mortals who are especially wise, such as Iroh, live on in the Spirit World, and it appears something similar may have happened to your past lives, except they are not free - rather, entrapped in some unknown icy tomb. Even I cannot discern all of what has happened to them. Too much of Vaatu and Unalaq's residual energy clouds them - time does not pass in the Spirit World as it does on the mortal plane."
Korra interrupted the spirit, who for a change did not seem to mind, asking, "Raava, if my past lives are still in existence, does that mean we can save them? What would we do? Can we do it right now?!" The spirit seemed to know a solution to the problem, but held back, stating, "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Korra, but you have already endured much today. From what I can scry of their state, they are not going to vanish in the next five minutes." Korra felt angry, stating "I don't want to take any risks, we need to act now!" somewhat sleepily.
If the spirit had a mobile head, she would have been shaking it. "I see you are not that much different from your predecessor - Aang disregarded rest and sleep completely leading up to the Day of the Black Sun, and I can tell you're running on fumes. You're still a mortal like everyone else - get some sleep; a tired Avatar makes bad decisions and can't think straight. You don't want to start hallucinating again, do you?"
Korra felt a shiver from inside her own being, remembering her own hallucinations. At the same time, the ice-muffled voice of a middle-aged laughing at the memory of entirely different visions emanated from her chest - a voice that had once been her own.
Raava, had she possessed facial muscles, might have shown surprise. "If Aang can manage to laugh, we may have more time than my initial assessment led me to believe we did. Korra, you and Asami are to get some rest and meet me inside the Spirit World tomorrow. Don't worry - I will keep you safe, Asami. With the extra time, you are to try to extend the circle of trust you have now with Mako and Katara to others close to you. Do so as you see fit - I am in no position to give humans 'human-y' advice. Just know that I will assist in this endeavor as I can."
With that, the great white spirit disappeared back into Korra's chest, and Korra suddenly felt very tired. Mind racing, she tried to think of a place where no one would look - Tenzin's airbender artifact room. "Asami," Korra managed weakly, "I am very tired and need sleep, and I imagine you do too. I think the best place to retire would be Tenzin's artifact room - no one ever goes there." Korra blushed, this time in embarrassment over what she needed next, asking, "Asami, can you… carry me, please?"
Asami bent over, and with considerable initial effort managed to lift Korra off the ground. Asami made a motion to kiss Korra, but Korra batted at the dark hair over her face, managing to say, "N-not now, Asami. S-sleep…" Asami drew her head back, and smiled at Korra, green eyes glittering. As Korra fell asleep, she felt a blazing in her chest, and drifted away contently in Asami's arms.