pulling on your heart to push my luck

The Promise

I had all but forgotten the resentment I felt for the sheer frigidity of the South Pole. The snow was so frozen solid that not even Naga left footprints as we rode out into the empty wilderness. There was no trace of our journey, and for that I was thankful. Nobody would be able to follow us. Nobody would even think to come all the way out here looking for me.

We finally found the forest, and the faint blue glow from the portal tucked deep inside felt more unsettling than if it had been pitch dark. Naga must have sensed how eerie it was, too, because she slowed as we weaved our way through the trees, following the light glowing brighter and brighter the closer we got.

The portal was exactly as I remembered it. Tall, sheltered by twisted trees, and almost too bright to look at. I don't know how long I stood before it, turning the barrette over and over again in my pocket. I wasn't afraid of actually going to the Spirit World. I was worried that the mission might be a failure and I'd be lost there forever, which would have been a fate I was okay with if Korra's safe return hadn't hinged on all of us here in the physical realm working to rescue her.

But how lost could I possibly get? How hard would it be, really, to find the portal again? Korra once told me that there were plenty of good spirits, so long as you were good to them. Surely there would be at least one in the whole Spirit World that I'd get along with who could help me find Korra, or my way back to the portal if I needed to return.

I knew deep down, though, that I had no intention of returning to the physical world without her. I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't done everything I could to get her back. The months spent apart were grueling enough, and I told myself again and again that I would get used to it, repeating it often enough that it became a command rather than a wish–one that I couldn't obey. And I knew that I never would, either.

I clenched my fist around the barrette. I would offer it to any spirit who could help find her and bring her home safely, knowing that if it worked I would have no option but to expose myself to her, if she wasn't already aware that I had taken it. Either way, she would have found out my intentions, my suspicions, and my feelings, but I would promise to spend the rest of my life keeping her safe if she would allow it.

I took a deep breath and marched forward, only to nearly collide with a small yellow spirit as it emerged from the portal. They had four arms and walked on two legs, with little green leaves for ears that twitched as they yelped in fear, but they relaxed once they saw my face.

"Oh," they said, "it's you."

I was taken aback–I didn't recognize them at all. "Do we know each other?" I asked.

"I know you, but I don't think you know me." For someone that spoke as cryptically as an ancient spirit might, their voice sounded like that of a small child.

"Listen," I sighed, "I'm kind of in a rush right now, I need to find someone-"

"Who are you looking for?" They asked. "Maybe I can help you."

"I'm looking for the Avatar," I pulled the barrette out of my pocket and knelt down in front of them. "If you can help me find her, you can have this."

"I know the Avatar!" They exclaimed, leaf-ears perking up again. "Maybe that's why I recognize you."

"Did she tell you about me?" I asked, hoping that Korra had been staying with this spirit the whole time.

But they shook their head. "No, but she was carrying a piece of you the last time I saw her."

"Where?" I asked. " When was this?"

"Earlier this year, at the Misty Palms oasis."

"I was there, too."

"Maybe that's why I recognized you!"

"I guess so," I said, and proceeded to apologize for not having recognized them.

But they weren't offended by it. "You know me now," they said, "so you'll recognize me next time we meet."

"I'd really like that," I found myself smiling as I said it. "But seriously, I need to find Korra. Have you seen her?"

"No," they said, leaves drooping as they broke the news. "But I just felt her. A lot of us have."

"Felt her where?"

"Just here, in the portal. Anyone who leaves or enters the Spirit World feels her when they do, it's all anyone can talk about."

"Have you felt her in the Spirit World?"

"No. Just the portal."

"And nobody's seen her?"

"Nope."

I handed them the barrette. "Here, as a token of my gratitude."

But they pulled all four of their arms behind their back and shook their head. "I didn't help you find her, so I can't take it."

"I want to thank you for your help," I insisted. Even if they hadn't directed me to her, I was thankful that they hadn't taken any offense that I had failed to recognize them. I wanted to be on good terms with at least one spirit.

"You're going to save the Avatar," they stated in a way that made it seem as if I already had. "I owe you."

"What, seriously?" I scoffed, trying to cover up the fact that I'd almost just laughed. It may have been ridiculous for a spirit to feel that they owed me something after I'd gone and lost the Avatar, but I couldn't be so disrespectful.

"Yes."

"Okay," I sighed. What could I possibly need from a spirit? I had no idea what their capabilities were, what was within their jurisdiction or what might make a request completely unreasonable. I asked them to look out for her, a vague enough request that allowed them to define whatever that looked like. They were happy to oblige, and sent me on my way, bidding me good luck.

"Thank you," I said, shoving the barrette back into my pocket. "I hope we meet again."

"Me, too. I like making new friends."

"I'm thankful to have a friend like you," I said, and I meant it. I climbed back onto Naga's back, ready to leave, but my curiosity got the better of me. I twisted myself around to see that they were still standing with their arms pulled behind their back, almost as if they knew I would ask and were waiting for it to happen. "Can I ask one more question?"

"Anything."

"What piece of me was Korra carrying?"

"Nothing physical," they said. "But she was happy, and you were at the center of it."