The Avatar's Master

31. Inner Demons

Note: I changed my mind and decided to add another chapter! But I'll release the next and final chapters together.

Also, warning: This gets dark and creepy toward the end.

***

The spirit portal formed a double helix, illuminating the sky. Bumi and Opal looked from the dark forest below to the portal over yonder.

"What do we do?" Kai called out to the folks who had not fallen or jumped from the skybisons.

"We can't just leave Kuvira and Bae here." Opal leaned over to scan the forest below for signs of them, a futile gesture.

"Not all of us. We've got to get to Tenzin and the others ASAP," Bumi said. He turned to listen to a suggestion from BumJun that only he could understand and reported back to the rest. "BumJun says we have to hurry because the landscape is constantly shifting. And our distress is irritating the spirits."

"Fine, you all go. I'm staying here and waiting for them," Opal said.

"But Opal," Kai said. "What if –"

"I don't care!" Opal gripped Juicy's reigns tightly. She realized her own distress and took a deep breath.

BumJun made another inscrutable sound.

"BumJun says we have to go. Their best hope is if a spirit guide finds them and leads them to the Republic City portal," Bumi translated. He turned to BumJun. "Wow, you're quite eloquent in the Spirit World."

BumJun bowed, his massive ears fluttering as he hovered next to Moo.

"Opal, we've got to go. She'll find a way – she's Kuvira," Kai said.

They all gave each other a knowing look.

"She is and she will," Opal closed her eyes and made a wordless wish; her intention emanated into the Spirit World like a siren, and the right spirits heard. When Opal opened her eyes, she said "let's go," and they went.

*

The forest was cold and shrouded, the trees forming a vast web of connections through its roots and the soil and the fungi. At first glance the forest seemed spiritless, but in a blink, life or something like it teemed everywhere.

"Bae? Bae?" Kuvira called, walking around. She tried not to disturb the spirits, but with her gross body clunking and stinking about the place, it was nearly impossible.

"You mean the other smelly human?" A high-pitched voice called.

"Who said that?" Kuvira said, spinning around before finally looking down.

"Me," a mushroom spirit replied.

Kuvira knelt to mushroom head level. "Have you seen the smelly human you speak of? And if so, can you please point me in the right direction?"

"Well I don't have hands, so I can't point. But she's over there." The mushroom motioned with its eyes and Kuvira turned to find Bae wandering, muttering to herself.

"Where are you, my love? I know I heard your voice. I'm here now. You can show yourself," Bae said, feeling around aimlessly in the dark.

Kuvira approached and grabbed Bae's hand. "I'm here."

Bae looked at Kuvira and her eyes began to water. "Finally, you made it. "I found you, I --- ahh!" Bae unfastened her hand from Kuvira's and backed away, running deeper into the forest.