The third and final chapter.

In the afternoon of their third day in the spirit world Asami and Iroh were once again engaged in a contemplative match of pai sho. Korra was nearby meditating, spirits using her as a perch. One of the floating flower spirits landed on her hair, looking like it belonged there. Her face of so serene in her meditative state Asami couldn't help but stealing glances, during Iroh's turns, while he was thinking.

Iroh cleared his throat, making Asami jump. "It's your turn," He indicated to the board.

"Oh, sorry…" She ducked her head, hoping to hide her blush.

The game continued, and Asami found Iroh was taking longer and longer to make his moves. She didn't realize why until she tore her eyes away from Korra for the umpteen time in the game and was surprised to see she could win in a few moves. She blinked in surprise. When did that happen? She was still in shock a few moves later when she made the winning move. Iroh laughed.

"Well done Ms. Sato. It looks like you may not need those ten years after all,"

"I wasn't expecting that." Asami said.

"I knew you had talent."

"I just got lucky,"

"What happened?"

Asami jumped at the sound of Korra's voice right over her shoulder. She hadn't noticed when she got up.

"You won! That's great!" Korra hugged Asami from behind. A blush lit up the engineer's face.

"Korra, you won't kidding when you said Asami is a fantastic pai sho player. It's been a while since I found an opponent who I've have this much fun with,"

Asami's blush only deepened.

"Asami is the smartest person I know. If she wasn't able to beat you, then no one would have,"

"I was lucky," Asami mumbled.

"Hey, you're brilliant. If I had a yuan for the every time your quick thinking or inventions saved us I'd be a rich as…well, you,"

"Don't exaggerate, Korra,"

"But it's true,"

"There is one way to prove if it was luck or not." Iroh said, "We play another game,"

"There's no chance I'll win again,"

"Don't say that. I know you can do it,"

As they started another game Korra remained where she was, sitting right behind Asami, her arms around her waist. Asami settled back into her warmth, lightly placing a hand over Korra's. She realized, in a reverse of the previous game, the time she took thinking about her moves was becoming longer each time. But it wasn't because Iroh had backed her in to a corner (at least not yet). It was because she was drowsy, Korra's embrace luring her into a cozy comfort. She wanted to focus on the game, and give it her best shot. But she also wanted to lean back into Korra and fall asleep.

Needless to say Asami didn't win that game, but she didn't mind in the slightest.

"Aww, I really though you have him on the ropes for a moment there," Korra pouted, and Asami almost swooned because how adorable she looked.

"It's okay," She said softly, resting her head against Korra's, "I don't mind losing. You can learn a lot from defeat, winning, not as much."

"Said like a true strategist," Iroh chuckled, taking up the dishes they have their tea and cake in. He stood, walking towards his shop.

"You don't want to play another game?" Asami asked.

"I believe we can call it a day for pai sho. If you don't mind I'd like to retire for the evening with my music."

That's what he said, but Iroh could tell Asami's mind was elsewhere during their game. It wasn't hard to figure out where. He whispered to the spirits to leave the avatar alone for a little while, even though he knew there was no way they'd be able to keep away for long. But they still disappeared from sight, or went inside with Iroh.

Iroh smiled as he spied the pair from his window. Korra still her hands around Asami, and they were laughing about something. He turned away to give them their privacy. Several hours later a spirit wolf came to tell him they'd fallen asleep. Iroh shook his head with a laugh as asked the spirit to see a blanket was thrown over them.

The next day spirits, including Iroh this time, were once again showing Korra and Asami a hidden gem of the spirit world. Today it was a quiet glen dotted with weeping willow trees. The trees were large, their string like limps creating numerous curtains for spirits to fly and run through. Lily like flowers dotted the bushes, ground and trees, most were bubs, or closed tightly, their milky white color a subdued tone against the green hues of the glen. A few were partly open, allowing one to peek inside and glimpse their gold and sliver hearts.

Korra perched on top a boulder, watching as Asami took in everything. Her eyes were shining, her smile unrestrained. She was surrounded by dozens of dragonfly-bunny spirits, flowers spirits and several other kinds that Korra couldn't give a name to. Even more spirits were hovering around Korra. She'd become used to at least one or two spirits using her shoulders or head as a perch, and she'd also become more aware of any smaller spirits walking around her feet.

"A lot of spirits are hanging around me this time," She mused out loud.

"Because of what you're doing avatar," Her spirit friend form the swamp said.

"Huh?" Korra pouted, "I'm not doing anything."

Iroh overheard and chuckled, "You haven't figured it out as yet,"

"What? Is it because of the extra spirit energy from the new portal."

Iroh smiled, shaking his head. "Do you remember the first time we meet, what I told you about your emotions in the spirit world?" He asked looking up at her.

"I remember, you said emotions become r…" Korra trailed off, eyes growing wide with realization, her mouth forming a small 'O'. She turned to look at Asami again. She was laughing as a dragonfly-bunny spirits flew around her, one even landing on her head, its ears flopping over her face. Korra smiled despite the sudden dryness in her mouth, "Emotions become real," She finished.

"And spirits react to emotions. That's why there are so many spirits around the two of you."

"So they're reacting to my emotions,"

"Both of your emotions. Even the avatar wouldn't be able to gather this many light spirits at once. Not unless they had a very strong provocation." Iroh said with a playfully glint in his eyes.

Korra's smile became sappy.
"You mean…" Korra didn't continue her sentence. She blinked quickly, unsure why her eyes suddenly burned. She knew how she felt about Asami, and even though Asami never voiced it, Korra was pretty sure she shared those feels. But still, hearing someone else confirm her suspicions, it made her so happy it hurt.

"Does she know how you feel?" Iroh asked.

"No…yes…I don't know, maybe." Korra sighed happily, "I think so. I think she knew before I knew. She knows I love her, there's no doubt about that. But she may not know how much so."

"And it's evident that she cares for you deeply,"

"Are we really that obvious?" Korra asked, slightly amused.

"Korra, I've known couples who were happily married for years and yet they didn't show a comparable ounce of the love that's evident between the two of you. The moment I saw the way you look at each other was clear as light to me. You're very lucky to have someone to share such a bond with. Believe me when I say a connection as deep and profound as the one you two share is rare,"
Korra blushed at his words.
"So take advice from this old man, life is too short to waste days on maybes."

Korra was quite for a second. "You're saying I should tell her," He didn't answer. She looked down only to find he'd vanished. "Iroh?" She looked around but he was not where to be seen. She laughed, "So I guess that was a yes,"

"Korra," Asami's voice drew her attention. She was beckoning her over. Without hesitation she jumped down from the rock, landing lightly on her toes. She walked over to Asami, taking her hand in hers. Asami must have seen something in the way she was looking at her because she asked, "What is it?"

"Asami…I-uh…how do I say this…I was talking to Iroh, and he said not to waste time on maybes,"

"What are you talking about?" Asami arched a questioning eyebrow.

"The spirits, they…they're drawn to me…us…"

"Korra," Asami interrupted her gently, "Just tell me what it is."

Korra took a slow breathe, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she held Asami's gaze and said "You know how much I care about you, right?"

Asami blinked in surprise, but she saw the unreserved emotion in Korra's eyes. Her own eyes soften and she nodded, "I know," She whispered softly.

"Good, because you mean everything to me." Korra reached up, tenderly stroking Asami's cheek. Asami placed her hand over Korra's weaving their fingers together.

"And you're everything to me,"

A long moment passed where everything was still, the air, the sounds, even the spirits. It was only a few seconds, but to Korra and Asami if felt much longer, like an infinite stretch of time passed in those short moments where everything fell into place. Things they knew already about the other were suddenly thrown into sharper focus and it was like reading a story for a second time and even thought the plot was the same all the words were different. Everything was different, and somehow exactly the same.

Korra was finding it hard to keep her gaze on Asami's eyes, and kept looking to her lips. And when she realized Asami's own gaze kept darting down, her heart leapt into her throat. Her body seemed to buzz in anticipation. They were close enough that their nose were brushing. Their breaths, slow and heavy, mingling in the almost nonexistent space between them. Korra looked up, through half laden eyelids and Asami sore she was about to drown in their blue depths.

Korra drew closer, hesitating just a hair breaths away, but Asami was leaning forward too and met her half way.

She sucked in breath the moment their lips touched. The kiss was soft, slow and reserved. But the emotion behind it wasn't. That was coursing and pure, surging just under the skin, flooding them with energy. It wasn't the best kiss, they were both too busy smiling to kiss very well. But with any luck, this would be the first of many. There'd be time for better kisses later, maybe even forever.

They pulled away smiling ear to ear.

"I was wondering when we were finally going to do that." Asami said with a breathy laugh.

"Sorry," Korra smirked.

"Don't be," Asami cupped Korra's face between her hands placing another soft kiss against her lips.

Lights exploded in Korra's eyes and it took her a long moment for her to realize that they won't (entirely) caused by the kiss. She pulled back to find they were surrounded by dozens of light spirits, all glowing brightly. The flowers in the glen bloomed all at once, the petals an intense white, their hearts a radiant gold and silver color, washing everything in a gentle light.
"Did you do that?" Asami asked, blinking in the light.

Korra laughed "It's probably because of us," Korra's statement earned her a befuddled frown from Asami. Korra continued, "Did I mention before that in the spirit world your emotions become real?"

"No, you didn't," Asami said slowly, "So, wait…these spirits are glowing like this…because of us?"

"Their reacting to our emotions." A faint blush colored Korra's cheek.

"Oh," Asami's tone was hushed.

"That's why they're following us around. They're attracted to us being….ya' know," Korra looked away, suddenly shy. Asami laughed lightly, kissing Korra again. The Avatar grinned against her lips. Around them the spirits glowed brighter.

"One more week,"

"If we don't show up when we said we would I'm almost certain Bolin might lead a search party for us,"

"One day then. They won't miss us for one day, and we could say we lost track of time."

"Then wouldn't the good bye party Iroh had for us last night be pointless?"

Korra hugged Asami from behind, pinning her arms to her sides, stopping the taller girl from packing. Their two weeks had flown by and today was the day they said they would return.

"Korra," Asami laughed, "Please let me go,"

"No," She replied, tucking her head between Asami's shoulder blades. Asami wiggled her arms free and resumed packing with a protesting Avatar still clinging to her. Finally with a huff she turned around in Korra's arm, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. When she pulled away she had a rueful smile on her lips.
"Trust me, I don't want this to end either. These pass two weeks have been…" She paused, contemplating her words.

"The best days of your life?" Korra suggest. Asami laughed.

"Something like that. But we both have to get back, and you know it. I have a city to rebuild and you have to help Wu with the Earth Kingdom."

Korra groaned, knowing Asami was right. She stole another kiss before releasing Asami. "I'm not happy about it though,"

Asami smirked, wrapping her arms around Korra's neck. She pecked her nose playfully, "If you help me pack I'll make it up to you when we get back home." Asami whispered in a low husky voice.
Korra's mouth became dry and her lips parted slightly. She stared at Asami for a few seconds before grabbing random items and pushing them haphazardly into her bag. Asami couldn't help but laugh as she watched.

A few hours later they were packed and ready to leave.

"You are always welcome my in shop girls," Iroh said, "Asami I'm look forward to playing you again."

"Hopefully I'll be able to pose more a challenge next time," Asami laughed.

"I'm sure you will. Korra, make sure you treat this young lady right,"

"Of course I will,"

"Take care girls. Until we meet again,"

"Thank you for everything Iroh," Asami said.

"We'll visit again soon," Korra said. They both bowed to him before Korra put her hands around Asami's waist and shifted them Republic City's portal.

Asami looked back the spirit world one last time, then turned to face Korra.
"Ready?"

"As long as you are,"

They took each other's hand, walking through the portal. Towards Republic City, their home, and start of their lives together.

I had so much fun writing this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it. And If you're sad it's over, don't worry I'm already working on more stories.

Nardragon~ until the next page.