Beginnings II

Up and up and up the portal rises, a golden pillar of light interwoven with two luminous strands. They walk toward it slowly, reluctantly, prolonging the moment of arrival, the moment of departure. At the portal's base gathers an assembly of smaller spirits; overhead flies a dragon. The backdrop is forest and mountain, darkened by a sky filled with storm clouds rolling east. Soon it will rain. But they will not be here for that.

"You ready?" Korra says.

"Of course."

"Strange new world out there."

Asami smiles. "I'm ready."

They step into the portal holding hands. The light is bright enough to make them squint, growing brighter, brighter, forcing them to close their eyes. Soon there will come the pull, and when they open their eyes the world will be changed, with all the burdens that come with it. But in those scant few seconds, bathed in the warmness of the light and holding each other's hand, they are still here, in this world, captured between reverie and reality, a world of perpetual twilight and kaleidoscope skies, of blood dragon trees and gentle waterfalls and rain that can start as suddenly as a heartbeat, of green clouds, of harsh summits, of moonlight flowers, of tree hollows, of a great glass bird and a white beach and an ocean stretching onward endlessly, endlessly, endlessly.

The dream is ending. A new one awaits.

A/N: That's the end. I honestly never expected to finish this, but this is as good a point as any to stop. In all likelihood this is the last thing I will ever write for Korra. I've already written 4(!) fics, more than for any other fandom, and with the show ending (what an ending it was!) it's time to move on. Thanks to all my readers!