Then & Now

Korra looked at herself in the mirror. She was trying to figure out why was it that she was forcing herself to seem like she was fine when everyone could tell that she was broken just by looking at her.

Honestly who wouldn't notice it? She even saw it; the bags under her eyes, the soulless expression on her face and even the lack of brightness in her blue eyes. She squinted them as she stared daggers at her reflection. Those eyes, that nose, the hair, her face it was all him. She couldn't help but see the reflection of the person who caused her this grief, this hurt, this pain. She was looking in the mirror at the person whose life she wanted ended most.

She yanked her dresser drawer open, pulled and scavenged around until she found what she needed. A knife. She drew it out of the drawer and gaped at it. Twisted it around in her hand and then looked back at the reflection the mirror. Something had to give.

She grabbed her hair, twisted in her hand and pulled at it as she chopped the length off. She looked back in the mirror and it was still too much. She grabbed a chunk of her hair in a fist and started to slice away at it, cutting her knuckles in the process. She continued to chop at sections after sections and did the same until she was satisfied with who she saw looking back at her.

sS5Ss

She now stood outside her parent's room a month later looking at her reflection in a window across the hall. She had really done serious damage to her hair and had to get it fixed professionally to make herself presentable. She regretted everything she did as soon as she woke up the next day because now she could slightly pass as a very pretty boy, and the boy version of herself was the exact opposite of what she was going for.

She wasn't bothered by it though. Yes, she could go without Kai referring to her as his 'twin' but other than that it was fine. She liked it and knew Asami would too.

She laughed at herself a little. She found it funny that her life has gotten so shitty that she was finding optimism out of the day because she sort of liked her hair a little bit. She sighed when she saw her smile in the window. It wasn't a sad sigh though, it was one of relief. She was starting to look more like herself again, she was starting to feel like herself again, not 100% but as good as she was going to get.

She stopped checking herself out when she heard an unusual noise. Was that her mom yelling?

"But why would you do it?" Korra heard her mother through her parent's bedroom door.

"I never intended for this to happen-

"I'm sure you didn't! But you know Amatsu has issues, you know Amatsu does-not-like-Korra!"

"I-I know that but how-how was I supposed to know that he'd try to poison Asami? Who even knew that he had poison in his possession?! Did you know he had poison just lingering around for recreational use? None of us were safe Senna."

"Tonraq, don't you dare try to turn this around as if this was inevitable. As if it was a matter of time that he would hurt someone."

"But how is this my fault! All I was trying to do was protect our daughter-

"SHE DOESN'T NEED YOUR PROTECTION!" Senna screamed at her husband and Korra could hear the silence that fell after that.

"And she hasn't for a while Tonraq." Senna continued in a softer tone seeing her words struck him. With the 20/20 hindsight he had now Tonraq realized that what he did was the most absurd thing that could have been done in that situation. He knew this was his fault. He openly gave Amatsu permission to interfere in Korra's life, he should have known the boy would run with that opportunity.

"And there I was, telling her to not be defensive. She probably sensed all of the negative energy around her." Senna said as she ran her hand over her hair.

"This is not fair." Tonraq told her as he shook his head in his hands.

"Fair?" Senna asked as she walked over and knelt in front of her husband.

"You know what's not fair, that I'm the one that has to see our daughter sitting in that infirmary room without a soul and I didn't even have anything to do with this entire situation. You know what's not fair, that if Asami doesn't pull through it's going to kill Korra. You know what's not fair, that a girl who never did anything but love your daughter has to die becau-

"Mom, I'm going to go see Katara." Korra said as she barged into the room. She was done with listening to their conversation. She couldn't believe that they were sitting there talking about how unfair their lives were.

"Korra, sweetheart, please you have to listen to me." Tonraq started with pain in his voice as he rushed over to his daughter but the sudden glowing light in her eyes stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't speak to me!" Her voice boomed before slamming the door behind her.

oO0Oo

"I'm not capable of guiding you through this world but you are capable of figuring it out on your own."

"How long will it take me?"

"In the spirit world there is no social construct such as time, just the then and the now."

"That's comforting." Asami sarcastically responded.

"You will figure it out when the universe deems you ready."

"So I'm supposed to just wander around until I find...anything." Asami said as she continued to look through the rain.

"In times of darkness, follow the light." Raava told her and Asami saw as a path of white light emerged through the darkened forest of trees.

sS5Ss

Well right now was not a time of darkness. It was sunny and hot all of the time and Asami actually missed the rain.

"This has to be the third time I've walked up this hill." Asami panted as she started to realize without that light she was beyond lost and walking around in circles.

"No it hasn't." She heard a small voice respond. She looked around wondering if it was Raava again but was startled when she saw a small yellow spirit standing behind her.

"You walked up that hill twice." The spirit said pointing over to one of the many other hills in the valley.

"It's your first time on this one." It informed her and she smiled.

"Well thank you little guy." Asami told it and it began to hover up to her.

"Are you looking for something? I can help!" The cheerful spirit told her.

"I am looking for something but I don't know what it is." Asami said and the spirit just stared at her. It needed a little more information than that to help.

"Well I was told to follow the light-

"The light! Maybe you're supposed to go over to the Southern lights. They're still waiting for the solstice to happen so they're still here in the spirit world." The spirit hastily told her.

"I'm not sure if those are the lights the other spirit was talking about." She said and the spirit just blank stared at her again.

"But the other spirit isn't here to help me, so I'll go with you." Asami said matter-of-factly and the spirit happily spun in the air.

"We can start at the Southern lights and if that doesn't work we can go over to the Northern lights." The spirit started as it began to hover over to Asami to sit on her shoulder but its happy feeling went away when it realized a force wouldn't allow it to sit. It hovered back in front of her and stared at her again.

"Are you supposed to be here?" The spirit asked her and she shrugged her shoulders. It stared at Asami again but ended up happily flipping in the air when it got an idea.

"Follow me. I know who can help you." The spirit said as it started to fly away and Asami was not going to sleep on a chance for real help. She decided to slide down the hill so she could keep up with the eager spirit.

"Hold on!" She yelled out as she ran around the new hill in front of her.

"I can't fly you know." She said as she rounded the corner but stopped when she saw another person.

"Iroh! Iroh! Iroh! Look it's a person in the spirit world." The spirit said and Asami watched as the white haired man turned around to her.

"Ah, you must be Asami Sato." The old man said with a smile.

"Wait, you know who I am?" Asami asked as she rushed over to the first person who she found that probably had real answers for her and not just riddles.

"Yes I do. The Avatar has told me much about you." Iroh continued.

"There goes that word again. What's an Avatar, is that a person, do I know it?" Asami asked and Iroh's smile disappeared. All of the spirits around them stared at Asami and then Iroh wondering what he could possibly do to help her.

"Why does everybody get quiet when I ask that?"

"So the stories I've heard are true."

"What stories? Do you know what happened to me?" Asami asked and went over to grab him but was reminded that she wasn't allowed to touch anyone as her hand froze.

"Not exactly but I know you were injured pretty badly." Iroh decided to downplay the situation to not panic the young woman.

"Why was I attacked? Am I a bad person?" She genuinely asked.

"Oh spirits no." Iroh said and she found comfort in the fact that there wasn't any hesitation in his answer.

"Unfortunately, you live in a world where it took a century for people to accept women holding weapons against each other and it might take another one for them to accept women holding hands together."

"So you're saying I held hands with another woman and was attacked for that?" Asami asked still trying to understand what happened to her and it took everything in Iroh to not sarcastically say 'pretty much' but he knew she'd probably take it literal.

"I'm assuming you're the one that was supposed to follow Raava's light." Iroh went on deciding not to answer the question.

"Yes! That was me but I got lost. Can you help me?"

Iroh laughed.

"You never get lost in the spirit world. You just end up somewhere you didn't know you were supposed to be." Iroh explained as he turned to stand beside her.

"Do you see that in the distance?" Iroh asked Asami and she squinted her eyes to look past the hills and over the forest but she saw a distant figure which had to be what he was pointing out.

"Yes, but what is that?" Asami asked

"I'm sure that's where Raava wants you to go. It will help you with your memories and help you get back to where you belong."

oO0Oo

"Fire Lord." Iroh said as he bowed to his mother.

"What is it I hear that you two were attacked earlier?" She asked and Iroh worriedly looked at his younger sister who held ice on the side of her face.

"It was all a misunderstanding that I'm in the process of fixing up now. Ursa and I were sparring because I wanted to see what the Avatar taught her and she got the best of me." Iroh blatantly lied because as of now it could mean saving his life.

"But I hear someone was arrested." She responded to her son.

"It was her friend Gei, wrong place wrong time situation. Like I said I'm fixing everything-

"Quiet." The Fire Lord silenced her son as she straightened up more in her seat to be more attentive to the situation.

"I don't need to be a Beifong to sense that you're lying." She told him and turned to her daughter who was staring at Iroh, disgusted at how easy it was for those lies to spill out of his mouth.

"Princess, what happened?" She asked her daughter. Ursa heard her but still stared at Iroh, not to scold him but to try to figure out what she wanted to say. Iroh's lies weren't going to work because she knew he was caught but she didn't know if she wanted to tell the truth either. He could really get in trouble for hitting her but then again her boyfriend was sitting in jail because of him.

"Ursa." The Fire Lord interrupted her thoughts.

"Iroh hit me when he found out-" She started but a sudden burst of, now blue, flames stopped her in the middle of her sentence as she and her brother jumped backward.

"Prince Iroh Agni the Second of your name, you did what!" She yelled as she stormed off of her throne with the blue flames still ignited behind her.

"Mother I-I know I was wrong for what I did and I apologized to the Princess." Iroh started as he bowed down before the Fire Lord.

"Apologized?! Do you know what the penalty is for touching a Princess of the Fire Nation without their consent? Let alone intentionally assaulting them!" She yelled at her son as she walked over to her daughter.

"Let me see." The Fire Lord told her daughter as she started to remove the ice from her face but Ursa backed up knowing that if her mother saw the swelling on her face her brother was not going to survive this conversation.

"Well, what about what her friend did to me, what penalty would he-she-it get?" Iroh asked and the Fire Lord turned to him confused by his excessive use of pronouns. She looked back over to her daughter who was further away from them than she once was.

"Finish your story." She told her daughter as she scolded her son.

"After Iroh uh, did that, Gei didn't like it and threw Iroh against a wall.

"Threw me against-It metal bended me against the side of the palace! Knocking me unconscious, it was a punk move I-

"Silence!" The Fire Lord shot at him, she knew he was just talking now to find some sympathy to deter her attention from the fact he laid hands on her daughter.

"What he did cannot be justified." The Fire Lord started to Ursa as she pointed at her son.

"But what do you feel caused him to put his hands on you." That was the bottom line she wanted to get to. She taught her children love and compassion especially toward each other, so to hit one another with the intention of harm was never something she ever considered allowing, accepting or even understanding in her home.

"Iroh and I were talking and it led to me having to explain to Iroh that not all men are born with male...uh parts and he found offense in that statement." Ursa explained and the Fire Lord looked at her still in confusion. Why was that topic what caused her children to turn on each other? Why was it even being discussed?

"Are you referring to transgendered people?" The Fire Lord asked her daughter.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Why were you two having a discussion about them in the first place?" She now asked walking over to her daughter and initially wondering if Ursa was the one who felt that about herself but she was quiet.

"Because her boyfriend Gei is a he-she." Iroh said now feeling safer to speak because his mother wasn't near him. She glared at Iroh for his choice of words but then back at her daughter for verification.

"Where is this Gei person at now?" Then Fire Lord asked.

"Iroh had him sent to prison." Ursa told her mother.

"A male prison?" She asked worried and Ursa nodded her head 'yes'. She couldn't speak because she felt a painful lump growing in her throat from the fear of the unknown to what could be happening to her best friend right now.

"For harming the Prince, correct?" The Fire Lord asked now walking back over to Iroh and Ursa nodded again even though her mother couldn't see her.

"So why aren't you in prison?" She asked her son who looked up at her skeptical.

"For harming the Princess." She explained to Iroh seeing the confused look on his face. He opened his mouth to speak but words couldn't come out, luckily for him something clicked in Ursa's head to save him.

"I'll pardon Iroh for his offenses only if Gei's released from prison. Immediately." The Princess chimed in. It was quiet for a few seconds as Iroh was still having a staring contest with his mother.

"If he doesn't agree to these conditions then I will seek for the Prince to be given the proper punishment for physically assaulting a Fire Nation royal." Ursa instructed and the Fire Lord smirked.

"How generous of you." The Fire Lord said as she began to walk back to her throne.

"General Iroh you will personally make sure Gei is released from prison immediately, as in as soon as you leave here and then afterwards you'll wait outside of your grandfather's headquarters until he sends for you." She ordered and then dismissed the man who did not hesitate to rush out of his mother's throne room.

"You stay." The Fire Lord told her daughter and pointed to the Princess' seat next to her throne. She didn't want to come off aggressive in their next conversation and speak down at her daughter, so instead she wanted them at, somewhat of, the same level so they could have a meaningful conversation.

Ursa walked up and felt the flames, which were turning back to a calmer red, melting her ice pack. She sat in her seat and stared at the empty room in front of them.

"So your boyfriend is transgendered?"

sS5Ss

Ursa reminisced on the entirety of her and her mother's conversation as she stood outside of her testing room. Today was the day she was finally about to take the test that was going to change her life, even more than it already had.

However her mind wasn't even on that exam. She hadn't spoken or seen Gei since she was assured that he was out of prison, nor her brother.

Her main support systems disappeared when she needed them most but unfortunately it was now or never. Things had to change now, no more waiting.

oO0Oo

"Korra!" Kya called out before the Avatar walked into Katara's healing center.

"Hi, Kya." Korra said hugging the older woman who approached her.

"Haven't been able to catch up with you since the incident." Kya said as they pulled away.

"Yeah the palace is still sort of on lockdown."

"So how is she?" Kya asked, her hands still on Korra shoulders and with a sympathetic stare. Korra felt her heart drop, reality was trying to hit her hard again but she wasn't going to let it.

"She's not doing any worse so that's good." Korra said finding the light in the dark situation.

"Well that's always good." Kya said and let one hand of her shoulders.

"I came here to see your mom so I can attempt to get my mind and all my thoughts together.

"Good. Asami is going to need the strong Korra that she left here when she gets back." Kya smiled as she rubbed Korra's shoulder and Korra smiled back and nodded before she started to part ways.

"A-and Korra." Kya called out to her before she could open the door.

"Yes?" Korra asked as she turned around with the doorknob in her hand.

"What you did, what the both of you did, it was brave. You and Asami have really opened the minds of many people in the world and I want to thank you for that." Kya started.

"Uh, no problem I guess." Korra said not sure why Kya was thanking her.

"I know it was a scary thing to do but I'm glad you guys had the courage and each other by your sides to do it. People twice your age aren't even capable of doing what you did and-" Kya was cut off by someone opening the door.

"I thought I heard you." Katara said to Korra as she stepped out.

"Hi, Master Katara. I'll be right in, just talking to Kya." Korra said with a smile.

"Really? What are you two talking about?" Katara asked.

"Uh nothing mom. Just telling Korra to keep her head up and that she'll get through this." Kya said and then waved to Korra before she walked away. Korra raised an eyebrow, she never recalled Kya to be an awkward person but that entire situation felt bizarre.

"Well now that I've scared her off you can come in." Katara said and Korra followed.

"I was wondering when you would come here." Katara said as she sat down and started to pour them both some tea.

"Katara, why weren't you at the palace? You're the best healer in the world I'm sure they could have used your expertise." Korra said deciding to bypass the small talk.

"Korra." Katara started as she passed the Avatar her tea.

"I was there." Katara assured her and Korra's face scrunched up in confusion. She didn't remember seeing her.

"You're the one who wasn't." Katara told her and Korra realized that Katara was probably right. For the first couple weeks she was so out of reality that any and everybody probably was in and out of that infirmary room without her realizing it.

"No hair, no arm sleeves today? How aren't you freezing?" Katara asked wanting to get Korra out of her thoughts but she did notice the Avatar's new hairdo and that one of Korra's arm sleeves were missing.

"My body temperature has been up lately so I've been feeling pretty hot." Korra said as she sipped her tea.

"So how are you?" Katara asked her.

"Good." She gave that generic response, not wanting to think of the actual question.

"What are you feeling right now?" Katara asked.

"Asami hasn't had any complications yet, so I'm pretty okay." Korra tried to assure her as she stared down at her tea.

"Korra." Katara said and got the Avatar to look up at her.

"What emotions are running through you at this very moment?" Katara asked and it wasn't long before the person in front of her started to break down from all of the emotions asked about hitting her hard.

"I'm upset! I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm pissed off." Korra cried and put her head on the table.

"Why are you feeling such aggressive emotions?

"Because!" Korra yelled through her tears.

"This-should not-have-happened." Kora said as she banged on the table.

"What good is it to date the Avatar when they can't even protect you? I should have been there! I should have protected her." Korra said as she started crying harder. She put the entire blame on herself. She knew Asami was unarmed, she knew Amatsu couldn't be trusted, she felt something was off yet she still let the love of her life walk off into danger without her.

"I promised to always protect her."

"Korra, I know that you understand that everything happens for a reason-

"I don't accept that." Korra cut Katara off.

"Yes, you haven't been accepting much of reality lately." Katara responded and Korra looked up at her.

"I know it's hard to give up on the people you love-

"I didn't come here for this." Korra told her as she stood up. She didn't want another person in her ear telling her she should just let Asami go. She couldn't do that.

"But sometimes." Katara said standing up after her.

"You have to for your own good." The wise master explained.

"Katara she's all I have! I can't just let her go!"

"That's the reason why you need to stop lingering on to this one moment of pain. You have to give yourself time to grieve such a great lost like this." Katara explained to her from experience because she knew had this been a few decades back Asami would have been gone day one because there wouldn't have been any machines that could help her hang on to life. Korra wasn't allowing Asami's spirit to truly rest in peace as long as she had her physical body still thriving.

"I am grieving!" Korra assured her.

"No you aren't. You're hurting." Katara corrected her.

"And what's the difference." Korra asked. Katara went and sat back down urging Korra to do the same.

"She's hanging on to you right now. The same way you're hanging on to her. She will not let go of this world until you say it's okay."

"Good, because I'm never going to let go. I'm never going to give up on her. It's never going to be okay!" Korra told herself but honestly, with everything everyone was saying, she was starting to question how long that statement was going to hold true.

"But doesn't she deserve to be at peace." Katara asked and Korra looked down at her lap.

Was she truly being selfish by not letting Asami go? She had to admit to herself that seeing Asami every day in the state she was in wasn't helping anybody, especially not Korra. However she didn't want to just let go because she wasn't sure how close Asami was to coming back. Everyone was telling her that day was never going to come but for Asami's sack Korra had to believe it would. She sighed deeply before she ran her hand through her short pixie hair. She stood up and kicked her shoes off before stepping into the healing pool.

"I need answers and once I get them maybe that will help me figure out what I have to do." Korra said as she laid in the water and closed her eyes soon starting to feel the waves of energy go over her.

oO0Oo

The heat was excruciating, the environment was blinding as if there was a sun causing it. Korra knew that it was because of her, her body temperature has been through the roof lately and the Spirit world was reflecting that. She adjusted her eyes to her new surrounding and realized she was standing in what she made out to be a meadow. The trees she saw circled around her just leaving a field of grass in the middle. She was looking around wondering why she didn't appear in front of Iroh. Iroh was the one she was channeling before she entered the Spirit World, he was the one she needed. Next to Raava he was her greatest guide.

She turned to the forest; she had to go find him or at least a spirit that knew where he was but that thought stopped her. She turned around to look at the empty meadow again. Where were all the spirits? They're usually flying or poking around everywhere but this area was strangely abandoned. Was she not supposed to find anybody?

Her thoughts were cut off by what her eyes caught as they gazed across the field one last time. This figure wasn't there before, it was no way Korra looked over it the many times she scanned the area. She started to approach the figure and realized it was a person with very long, somewhat wavy, hair. She couldn't help but think of Aang and hear him say, "When you hit your lowest point you're open to your greatest change." Well this was the lowest she was ever going to get in life and she needed some change quick. Maybe this was one of her past lives and she was finally going to reconnect with them. That would explain why she couldn't sense Raava in her, Raava must have been channeling through this Avatar.

She felt her nerves start to calm at the thought and on cue it started to cool down around her. As she approached the person a gust of wind blew past the woman and into Korra. Korra couldn't help but freeze where she stood. That sight, the sight of air blowing through the woman's hair was too familiar. The fragrance that came off of the woman added to the nostalgia. This was not one of her past lives.

"No. NO. NO!" Korra cried out as she covered her face with her hands. She didn't want to believe what she was seeing. She wanted to hold on the image that just raced through her mind of her being behind Asami as her hair blew in the wind from her speeding around the race track in one of her new models, smelling her perfume coming off of her skin. She couldn't let this new sudden reality sink in.

Korra felt a hand on her shoulder but it wasn't the feeling she was expecting, the feeling she was used to. This didn't feel like Asami.

"Avatar Korra?" The woman questioned and that voice didn't sound like Asami either. Korra removed her hands from her face to be greeted with those perfect green eyes but they weren't Asami's.

"Mrs. Sato!" Korra practically screamed at her and the woman smiled a familiar smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you." The woman said but Korra was still in shock and utter awe.

"Even nicer to put a face with a name my daughter constantly prays to me about." Yasuko told the Avatar knowing that would snap her out of her trance.

"She prays to you about me?" Korra asked because she didn't know that.

"Well she just updates me on her life and you've seemed to be at the center of it for some time now."

Korra blushed and scratched her head. Still at a lack of words.

"That's funny, you ended up in the same spot she did when she got here." Her mom said and Korra felt her legs giving out under her. That relief and happiness she felt left her as quick as it came.

"No! Don't worry because she wasn't supposed to be here." Yasuko tried to hurry and explain as she saw the skies start to slowly darken as Korra fell to the ground.

"She had to go on a journey to find herself. To find her memories. She'll be fine. She's okay." The woman assured the distressed Avatar who was clinching at the part of her shirt above her heart.

"Okay that's okay, that's good. She has to find herself." Korra said as she looked around with tears still lingering in her eyes from her earlier reaction.

"Do you know which way she went, I need to help her. When she sees-

"NO." The older woman opposed and Korra looked at her.

"Don't, if you go looking for her and find her it's a possibility she'll remember you and her spirit will feel comfortable to start settling in the Spirit World because you're here. If that happens she'll truly leave your world forever." She explained. Korra honestly had no idea what to do now. She came there to find answers; were those the answers she was supposed to get?

"She's a big girl, she'll figure it out on her own." Yasuko smiled as she placed a hand on Korra's shoulder and this time didn't feel like the last time. The smile, the twinkle in her eye, the emotion, it all reminded her of Asami. That was settling.

"I know but-

"Do you truly believe that she loves you?" Asami's mother asked and Korra nodded her head 'yes' still captivated in the moment.

"Well then you have no problem. If she truly loves you, she'll fight her way back to you. Memories or not she's still a fighter. She gets that from you."

Korra stretched back on the ground and covered her eyes with her intertwined fingers. She had to think. What was she supposed to do? Why was Mrs. Sato the one she found? What did she need from Yasuko? Or better yet what did Yasuko need from her?

Korra sprung up.

"She didn't remember you, did she?" Korra asked the woman and she smiled a smile to hide the pain and shook her head 'no'.

"So I'm sure she didn't tell you this, so I want to personally let you know that she really does miss you with everything in her." Korra assured the women.

"I know." She said in a matter-of-fact tone and Korra smiled, everything about that woman was Asami.

"How's her company been going since she's been out of commission." Her mom asked and Korra blanked stared at her for a moment. 'Oh shit!' she thought.

"My airbending Master said he'd take care of things but I hadn't really checked in on anything since this happened." Korra thought to herself but she was sure everything was running fine.

"Avatar Korra." Yasuko stated and it took Korra out of her thoughts.

"Yes ma'am?"

"I don't necessarily want to know what happened to my daughter but you have to promise me one thing." She started and Korra straightened up to be more intent.

"Love and protect her for the rest of your lives, she can't take much more let down." Mrs. Sato told the young woman knowing that her daughter had to have felt disappointed by her and her husband in those categories of love and protection.

"This incident was something that no one saw coming but I still should not have allowed it to be able to ever happen. I promise you that I will never leave your daughter in that vulnerable of a position again. I will love and protect her forever." Korra strongly convinced the woman who nodded back at her in understanding. Korra thought about what she had just said for a moment and how natural it sounded coming out.

"That's why I found you." Korra said in enlightenment leaving Yasuko very confused.

"Mrs. Sato I have to ask you something."

oO0Oo

"So Raava who exactly are you, and why are you helping me again?" Asami asked the spirit once they reconnected at their final destination.

"It's not about who I am. It's about who you are and like I said before you're connected to the person my spirit lives through."

"The Avatar right." Asami said because this Avatar person was the one that kept being brought up in all of her conversations.

"People keep bringing up this person but who are they?! Why am I so connected to them?" Asami asked in frustration because no one would answer that question.

"How about you turn around and find out." Raava told her and Asami turned as she stood in the middle of a very large tree.

"And what exactly is this place?" Asami asked and she had a genuine right to be confused.

"This is the Tree of Time it will help you with your memories. Well at least the ones you haven't suppressed."

"What memories have I suppressed?" Asami asked as she saw fragments of visions start to appear as she stepped into the tree.

"Negative ones: some of your childhood, some when you were an adult. They'll come back eventually but for now you'll see what your spirit wants you to see."

Asami nodded her head as she understood the concept for the most part and went further into the tree. She saw the images moving and the closer she got to them she could hear the commentary that went with it.

"Yikes!" Korra said as she scratched her head getting out of the car.

"Yes, yikes." Asami replied while she shook her head. She popped the hood and smoke started to pour out. Korra quickly airbended it out of their faces.

"What did I do wrong this time?" Korra asked walking up closer to Asami to see what work she had to do.

"You were clutching when you should have been accelerating like always."

"Why are those pedals so close together if it can break the car if you accidentally mix them up?" Korra criticized and Asami laughed urging Korra to playfully push her.

"Don't get mad at me O' powerful Avatar just because you can't master the art of operating a vehicle." Asami said as she went to get tools out of the trunk.

"Well maybe I need a better teacher." Korra said and Asami stopped in her tracks and turned back around to face Korra who playfully folded her arms. She walked up on the shorter woman and stood so close that there was about an inch between their faces.

"You'll never find a better teacher than me." Asami told her as she playfully narrowed her eyes.

"We'll see." Korra said as she smirked back. They've never been this close to each other and couldn't help but realize how beautiful the person in front of them were.

"Yes, we will see." Asami said as she spun back around fast enough so her hair could hit Korra in the face.

Asami turned around tuning into another memory passing by.

Asami threw her headset off as she ran up to the injured Avatar. Asami wrapped her arms tightly around Korra's neck & Korra wrapped one arm around the taller woman's waist and the other across her back leaving no space between them.

"I was just about to lead a group out to get you, how did you escape?" Asami asked while they were still in each other's embrace.

"I knew you were probably worried and I didn't want to get in trouble when I got back." Korra laughed and Asami rested her head in her neck as a tear escaped her eye. She's never been more scared and worried about Korra, or anyone for that matter, than she was just now.

Asami was cut off from that vision as another caught her eye.

"You're a princess now. Do you know how cool that is?" Asami asked as she watched Korra play around with her food as they ate at an outside restaurant.

"Not really." Korra responded and Asami sighed at her seeing Korra was in one of her moods again.

"What do you want me to say? It's like when people ask 'How does it feel to be 18' when I was just 17 an hour ago. There is no difference, I was already an important person." Korra explained to the woman sitting across from her.

"You're the only person I know that wouldn't be excited about becoming royalty." Asami told Korra as she shook her head and Korra was quiet.

"I wish I was a princess." Asami murmured before taking another bite out of her food.

"Why when you're already a queen-" Korra started genuinely and Asami looked up at her puzzlingly.

"In my eyes" Korra finished with a smile and Asami blushed and went back to her food.

"Are you flirting with me Avatar? You've been doing a lot of that lately." Asami asked softly so no one could overhear them.

"Just speaking my truths." Korra whispered back.

Another ran passed her.

"You know Bolin told me as the Avatar I should establish the real rules for this stupid game." Korra said as she watched Asami plan her next move.

"Let me guess. The new rule is when the Avatar plays they win." Asami teased because this was the fourth time she was about to win.

"No, the new rule is people can do this-." Korra said and flipped the Pai-Sho board, with the pieces still on it, off the table.

"When they're losing." Korra finished and Asami sat there with her jaw slightly dropped.

"You're very childish." Asami told her and Korra shrugged her shoulders and smirked at her.

"Pick it up." Asami ordered her.

"Tuh." Korra voiced in a 'you wish' manner.

"Pick it up!" Asami said more demanding as she leaned in toward her.

"Make. Me!" Korra said as she leaned in too making their faces inches from each other's. Asami grabbed Korra by the shoulders to initiate the playful tussle and somehow they ended up on the floor. They playfully pushed each other around until Asami rolled them over and ended up on top of the Avatar as they laughed. She could hear Korra's laugh fade away and opened her eyes to see the Avatar just staring at her. Asami blushed at the act.

"We can both pick them up." Asami said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled away from Korra. Korra watched while Asami picked up some pieces with her face still red. She felt the butterflies in her stomach to the point it was making her entire body hot. She knew it was now or never. She grabbed her best-friend's arm, stopping her from what she was doing, and scooted in closer to her. Asami turned back to her and was met with Korra's hand cupping her face.

"Can I kiss you?" Korra asked remembering the rejected feeling she received the last time she just spontaneously kissed someone, that being Mako. Asami leaned in closer to her making their noses touch in her way of saying 'yes' and soon the space between their faces was gone.

Asami realized she was starting to be spun around by these floating images.

"I'm so sorry." Korra told Asami as she carried her to the living room's couch.

"No, it's my fault. I should've jumped higher." Asami said as Korra sat her on the couch and found the nearest source of water.

"No, I need to remember you're not a bender." Korra corrected her.

"So what, I'm a non-bender. I can take care of myself." Asami said and attempted to get up from her seat but her thigh was not having it.

"Stop." Korra told her seeing her struggle and walked back over with a bowl of water. Korra knelt down in front of Asami and put the bowl of water on the floor next to her.

"Where did the rock hit you at?" Korra asked as she placed her hands on either side of Asami's right thigh and pressed her thumbs down on her leg to help her point out where the pain was.

"Ow, ow. Right there, stop." Asami told her when she started to feel the pain.

"Do you have scissors or a knife? We have to cut these pants so I can directly heal the bruising." Korra explained to her.

"Come on, I just bought these." Asami whined.

"It's either that or you have to take your pants off." Korra shot back at her and then it immediately was an awkward silence.

"Well you have to help me." Asami told her as she used her one good leg and hands to push herself in a standing position.

"Uh, okay." Korra said trying to hold her blushing in once she realized Asami chose the latter when she started unzipping her pants. Korra stood up and held a hand out for Asami to have some balance but she decided to hold on to Korra's shoulders instead. Which made the situation more awkward because now Asami was stand directly in front of Korra undressing. Asami saw how Korra was looking away and partially blushing and decided to have some fun with this situation.

"I can't do this. You pull them down while I balance myself." Asami said and Korra looked at Asami who wasn't making eye contact and decided to follow orders. She tucked her thumbs in the sides of her pants and started pushing them down.

"Ouch." Asami said when Korra's thumb rubbed against her bruise again.

"Sorry." Korra said and started to kneel down some and yanked from the bottom instead of pushing from the top. Asami lost her balance as Korra went lower and ended up falling back on the couch.

Asami watched as Korra took her boots off helping her finally get off the pants.

"That's bad." Korra said seeing the purple bruise on Asami's leg.

"This is very much worse than I thought." Asami said looking as it.

"You totally broke my thigh." Asami said as she traced the outside of the bruise. Korra started to bend the water out of the bowl.

"I'll take care of you." She told the injured woman and got on her knees in front of the couch and started to heal the injury.

"You better." Asami shot back and Korra tried to hide her smile. They sat like that for a couple seconds as Asami watched the glowing water on her leg.

"This isn't a comfortable position" Asami lied.

"Uh okay." Korra said and stopped. Asami turned her body so she could lay long ways on the couch and Korra was confused how she was going to do her job at that angle. Asami started to spread her legs some.

"Put your knee there it'll help." She said pointing at the space between her legs and Korra nodded. She put her right knee on the spot on the couch and her left leg was supported by her foot on the floor. Asami titled her head back as certain thoughts raced through her mind, she was trying to fluster Korra from this but it seemed her intentions turned back on her. She looked back up at Korra who had just turned her glance away from her.

"Why are you sweating?" Asami asked whipping the sweat off of Korra's brow.

"It's hot. I'm hot. I'm always hot in here." Korra lied and Asami went from wiping sweat to caressing her face.

"Don't be nervous." Asami said and Korra looked up to say 'at what' but was met with the beautiful woman's seductive stare. Asami grabbed Korra by her collar and pulled her down and forced their lips to crush against each other. Korra dropped the water back into the bowl and wrapped her arms around the women below her. Asami didn't hesitate to start pulling up Korra's shirt and Korra backed off some to look at Asami.

"Just let it happen." Asami told her and Korra nodded and took her shirt off herself before leaning back down.

"These are all of our first." Asami said noticing the pattern of the memories she was seeing.

"I don't like that guy." Korra argued.

"You don't even know him." Asami laughed back.

"I DON'T CARE! I don't like him." Korra yelled at her.

"Well I do!" Asami shot back defensively and Korra looked at her.

"No you don't."

"How are you going to tell me how I feel?" Asami sarcastically asked her.

"Whatever." Korra said and started to walk out of Asami's office but Asami grabbed her by the arm before she could go.

"No, say what you feel." Asami told her, Korra always did this with her. Get upset and then try to walk away from the conversation.

"It's nothing, I just don't want you with him that's all." Korra lied as she looked away from Asami.

"Why?"

"Because I told you, I don't like him, he's sketchy as hell."

"If you keep lying to me we'll never be able to get pass this." Asami told her.

Korra sighed and looked at Asami whose grip on her arm moved down to her hand. Asami had a look on her face as if she knew what Korra was going to say but it's no way she truly knew how Korra felt. Korra knew it wasn't possible that Asami even felt the same for her because while Asami was out having fun being the bachelorette of the century Korra was stuck at home in daydreams of their lips interlocking and body's rolling around and real dreams of much more.

"I don't want you with him because...I want you to be with me." Korra said and Asami had somewhat of a befuddled look on her face. Korra regretted everything.

"See, forget I said anything okay." Korra said because that wasn't the reaction she wanted but honestly what could she have expected. Hearing her say those words, that she didn't even give a second thought to before spitting out, would have left anyone shocked.

"Wait." Asami told her seeing Korra was starting to head out again because of her lack of response.

"Like I said I like him." Asami told her and Korra could feel the pain of her heart shattering, it felt like she had butterflies in her chest now but the flutters brought emotional pain as they lingered around. She should've known better. Asami was the most beautiful woman in the world and could have any guy she wanted so why would she ever settle for Korra.

"But I love you." She finished and now it was Korra's turn to look completely baffled. Her heart had just went from falling apart to swelling with joy.

"I love you too."

"I love her." Asami repeated.

"Come one we need more good adjectives Ms. CEO." Korra said as she stirred around her bowl of noodles.

"Nonsensical." Asami said as she held her pocket dictionary open in one hand and a sticky bun in the other.

"Ohh, I like that." Korra said before slurping down some noodles and then writing the word down on a piece of paper.

"And for the first one use defaming stories instead of just stories." Asami added in and Korra nodded.

"Okay so we have: To start off, I just want to make it understood that these accusations, rumors, and defaming stories are absurd, nonsensical and preposterous." Korra said as she began to read off their speech.

"Ooooh, we're going to sound very intelligent." Asami joked and Korra smiled.

"But honestly, what are the chances we even give this stupid speech ever?" Korra said stating the obvious.

"Probably 0 but who knows, the people of this world are annoying. I'd love to shut them up for once." Asami told her.

Asami felt her mind starting to catch up with the things she was seeing and hearing.

Asami watched from her seat as the Avatar stood in front of the crowd filled with reporters and the people of Republic City.

"Today I, along with the CEO of Future Industries, am here to address a topic that has been widely regarded between the both of us." She heard the Avatar say and Asami scanned the crowd to look at reactions.

"To start off, I just want to make it understood that these accusations, rumors, and defaming stories that I've seen and heard are completely absurd, nonsensical, and preposterous." She listened as Korra nailed the opening line of the speech.

"To say that she's my mistress. One-night stand or lady of the night is completely blasphemous and insulting." But then Korra froze Asami knew this was her cue. She walked over to the Avatar and saw what she knew would surface, the doubt. She's never seen Korra look this scared or afraid before. She grabbed the Avatar's hand and squeezed it, ignoring the crowd's reaction.

"You're fine." Asami reassured her girlfriend. She watched as Korra nodded and got her breathing together, it was go time again.

"Republic City's Post, was able to get something right for the first time in their lives." Korra said with her spunk back. She pulled out another paper and held it up.

"The Avatar and CEO Secret Lovers." She heard Korra read.

"But today we're here to prove you wrong." Asami told the crowd with authority.

"Today we are here to let you know, the world know, that we." Korra started.

"Are lovers. A secret no more." Asami finished.

"Lovers."

"I honestly can't think back to a time where my life didn't revolve around her; a time when I didn't...when I didn't love her."

"Korra!" Asami said to herself, finally realizing who this Avatar person was and why she was so important to her. Asami heard her voice echo and looked around as the memories in the tree started to disappear as her body was suddenly being pulled by an unknown force.

oO0Oo

Korra's eyes jolted open and she started to speak but forgot she was submerged in water.

She sprung up and climbed her way out of the pool as quickly as she could while she coughed up water and tried to get air into her lungs.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked but Korra didn't stick around to answer.

"Avatar are you okay." People said as they watched her run drenching wet through the frozen city as if someone was chasing her.

"Princess Korra." People called out seeing she was still coughing up water but Korra didn't hear them, Korra didn't want to hear them. She wanted to hold on to the voice that she heard that she honestly thought she might've made up in her head.

She burst through the palace's front doors, she bypassed the elevator and ran up the steps, skipping three at a time. Little did she know she had guards right behind her, they had no idea what she was running from or to but either way they had her back.

She knew she couldn't have made up that voice in her head it sounded too real but she was about to find out.

~SAME MOMENT~

Asami looked around in a dimly lit room she had just woke up in. She had absolutely no idea where she was or what was going on all she could do was hear a beeping noise. She looked over and saw the source of the noise, a machine with a bunch of cords attached to it as her eyes traveled along the lines of the cords she realized that they all ended up on her. She looked at the IVs on her left arm, felt the tube in her nose with her right hand and then noticed the blue arm sleeve covering her right arm. She ran her fingers across the fabric wondering where it came from and as quick as the question crossed her mind her body froze. She watched as images of Korra started to flash in her mind they all started with Korra either talking or smiling at her in different settings but would all end with a zoom in to her right arm sleeve. That was Asami's mind's way of reminding her of what it was.

Asami snapped out of the vision and saw her in the door frame. The woman who had been filling her mind in the past few moments of her life.

"Korra." Asami soft voice cracked and she watched as the woman broke down as she walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her neck and the other under her arm and squeezed in her shoulders. Asami closed her eyes as she hugged the crying woman back.

This feeling of warmth and love felt right. This felt familiar.