Enveloped in cosmic energy from the spirit portal, they couldn't tell if it was their own excitement or the spirit energy that pulsed through their bodies. Korra finally felt a sense of balance in her own heart at this moment. She was holding the most important person in her life and they were going to go on a vacation together.

Asami was stunned; she had never felt these sensations before. Her non-bender body felt alive and rejuvenated in the portal. Her pulse quickened and nerves were revived. The thoughts racing through her head in the milliseconds of being transported were amplified and she felt like she could act any impulse. Gazing into Korra's eyes, the love she felt in her heart and relief built up to a point in which she could no longer hold it in. As the heavenly glow gradually enveloped them, they didn't even notice. They were too blissfully happy and feeding off of each other's energy.

In a flash, they were transported into the mysterious land. Then a flying group of sparkling purple birdflutters circled them once before proceeding on their way to the rolling hills of green grass. Asami looked up. She was welcomed by the vastest and clearest of powder blue skies. A lightly floral and sweet breeze caressed their hair. Fields of flowers lined the hills. Cascading waterfalls fell from the mountain peaks. Birdflies fluttered by Asami and one of them delicately landed on her arm. It flapped its wings twice, leaving a trail of sparking dust on her Future Industries sleeve, and flew away. Asami marveled at the beauty surrounding her.

Spirit animals from all around came to greet and welcome them. They formed a half circle around the happy couple. The spirit animals were happy and rejuvenated by the Avatar's immense positive energy. As the couple took a step forward, flowers bloomed beneath their feet. "Oh my!" Asami gasped as she was in awe at this sight. Korra left out a slight chuckle. Remembering how Uncle Iroh told her that the Avatar's emotions are magnified in the spirit world, she was going to show her love every way possible. She knew her emotions were mirrored in the spirit world. She was empowered with this thought. I'm going to finally show her how much she means to me… She deserves it.

"Welcome to the spirit world!" a friendly little spirit animal called from below. It was the same spirit that led Korra into the swamp.

"It's great to see you, little one!" Korra kneeled down to talk to the little spirit.

"And you finally brought Asami here! I can feel the awesome energy radiating from you two!" the spirit exclaimed.

Korra and Asami glanced at each other, their cheeks slightly experiencing a rush of heat.

"Everyone in the spirit world thinks Asami has been so nice in making sure that Republic City was spirit-friendly. I hope you enjoy your stay in the spirit world, Asami and Korra!" The other spirit animals hoorah-ed and shouted approving calls to commend the engineer.

Korra looked appreciatingly at Asami. Asami returned a smile and nod. She was in love with the most spiritual being in the universe. How could she not respect the spirit world?

"Come on, there's someone I want you to meet," Korra lead her through the crowd of smiling spirit animals. They parted the way for the couple.

As they ran through the soft grass, they left a trail of blooming flowers and the sun's rays lit their path. It seemed like a dream. As Asami watched the Avatar lead the way, she had to reaffirm that she was awake. She slightly squeezed Korra's hand to remind herself that she could feel. Yup, she was awake.

They traveled across creeks with dragon fish that leaped out of the water as they crossed over. They gently cleared a forest of hanging flowers. Asami was surprised when one of the buds came to life and a small creature inside waved at her.

A wide, open space of grass and a picnic table with three cups of tea and a teapot appeared through the brush. A mist cleared. A smiling Uncle Iroh greeted them both.

"It is the greatest pleasure to see you, Avatar Korra and Miss Sato." Uncle Iroh bowed, beaming with a jolly smile.

They bowed in response and Asami added,

"Uncle Iroh, I'm honored to meet you. I've heard so many good things about you. And please, call me Asami."

Uncle Iroh was already charmed with Asami's gracefulness. "Please have a cup of tea. I brewed my best batch of tea leaves for this occasion."

They talked over the calming, soothing tea. Asami was infatuated with Uncle Iroh's history. She asked questions about his battles and integration with the spirit world. She wanted to know how he had become so spiritual. Uncle Iroh could feel the young woman's enthusiasm with the spirit world and approved of her. Korra couldn't help but adoringly smile at Asami's excitement and fell more in love with her as Asami got excited over the conversation.

"How did you learn to integrate your body into the spirit world?" Asami asked.

"People say I'm very spiritual, but I say: lots of meditation... And tea. Although, everyone's energy is different. I think you'll figure out how yourself, Asami. You're well on your way." Uncle Iroh winked at her.

Korra knew that Asami was fascinated with spirits. From the beginning of her city planning with the vines to the hummingbird suits, Korra knew that Asami would want to talk to Iroh about being one with the spirit world.

Asami smiled at the fact that the old man anticipated her intentions. Korra brought up how Asami designed hummingbird suits in the final battle with kuvira. He was impressed. They continued telling him about the battle. And, unintentionally they were complimenting each other on their mental synchrony in the battle.

"Then, I noticed Asami was leading the mecha suit closer and closer to the bridge above the Republic City River. She instantly gave me the idea!" Korra exclaimed.

"Oh, I was just hoping you'd be able to use the water in some way," Asami tried to brush off the recognition, but that was her intention to lead Korra to use the water. "You actually had a great idea to freeze the mecha suit."

They spent the entire afternoon with the jolly old man and the sun was just about to set. Uncle Iroh was touched to see the love between them. He saw how the Avatar doted after Asami's every word and laugh.

"Korra and Asami, it really warms my heart like the warmest cup of tea on a cold winter day to see you two. Now, I know you two have a lot planned for your stay, so I must let you two enjoy the best of the spirit world has to offer."

"Korra hasn't told me anything actually. She wants the day to be full of surprises." Asami pouted at Korra. She was thrilled by the idea when Korra mentioned it while they were packing, but she was also so accustomed to having a plan for everything since she started working. Korra shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Ah, I'm sure it will be wonderful. Life is a surprise, isn't it? That's why it is a gift. May your lives be filled with gifts! And Asami, always feel welcome to come visit the spirit world!" He faded away with a jolly laugh into the mist.

"Ready for what's next?" Korra said excitedly. Asami turned towards Korra.

"I kind of just want to sit here and soak in all of this," Asami slowly lowered herself to the ground underneath an orange red willow-maple tree. "The sky, and everything is so beautiful." She lowered herself down. She positioned herself with her arms propping her up behind her and one leg bent. Korra joined her on the ground. Asami just really wanted Korra to make a move. Before she could think about how to make one herself, she stopped. Off in the distance, Asami saw a man. He looked vaguely familiar.

Immediately, she shot up and stepped in front of Korra to protect her. "Korra! It's Zaheer!" She pointed at him. A dread overcame her that one of Korras enemies would ruin their vacation together, but she was ready to fight him if need be.

"It's okay, Asami," Korra couldn't help but chuckle. "He's in the spirit world meditating a lot. I run into him occasionally."

The engineer turned and gave Korra a confused look. "He won't hurt us," Korra reassured. Asami was still skeptical. She watched as Zaheer slowly paced around under a tree and settled into a meditative pose. Then, she felt Korra reach for her hand and pull her down into her lap.

She fell hard against Korra but Korra didn't flinch a bit. Asami laughed as she felt the Avatar's warm body so close to her. "Alright, I'm just worried that's all." She held onto the Avatar's strong shoulders and traced her collar with one hand.

"You've been worried too long, Asami. I really need to make it up to you." Korra's wide eyes were irresistibly beautiful.

"Being here, together, is everything," Asami replied as she gently stroked Korra's neck with her finger. "It's a great way to celebrate getting Republic City back on track after fighting Kuvira. We can finally just unwind, you know?" Asami gave her a suggestive look. The spirit world seemed to have an effect on her, whether the flowers were releasing aphrodisiacs or she was just genuinely loving every moment, it didn't matter to her. After Zhu Li and Varrick's wedding, Team Avatar spent entire days and nights rebuilding and re-planning Republic City. Korra and Asami wanted to get most of the work done before their vacation.

They were so close to each other. Asami was just bit taller since she was being propped up by Korra's strong legs. However, both were unsure to take the next step. Korra was enraptured with Asami's fragrant perfume. Holding Asami always felt so right in her arms. Asami's lips were perfectly aligned with Korra's. They had waited four years before they even held each other's hands. But they were ready. They leaned into each other. Korra's arms holding Asami at the middle of her back, Asami pulling Korra closer-

"Hello, Avatar Korra!" A spirit animal called from the tree branch above. They both looked up, a little disappointed.

"Oh, hey there!" Korra replied a little embarrassed. It was the same spirit animal from before. Its plump yellow body rested easy on the thick tree trunk.

"The love pool is ready! Just wanted to let you know!" It said chippidly.

"Oh, thanks!" Korra replied. Her surprise was revealed and she tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"You're welcome. I even made the water warmer for your lady!"

"Okay! That's great! Thanks!" Korra said a little hurriedly.

" and I added more pet-"

"OK! Let's not give the SURPRISE away!" Korra tried to say firmly through her nervous smile.

"Oh! Oops! I'll see you two love spirits tomorrow then!" The plump yellow creature flew away with a gleeful smile.

Asami raised her eyebrow. "A love pool?" She thought it had a funny name.

"Heh, heh..." Korra was blushing slightly. Asami smiled and rubbed her nose against Korra's. "Well, let's go before the water gets cold, then," Asami said.

"Whoa!" Asami yelped as Korra completely lifted her from the ground, princess style.

"Hold on!" Korra transported them to the "love pool" in a quick time jump. Asami was shocked at how the landscape seemed to move but they didn't have to move an inch. The sky faded from a fiery orange to a vast nightsky with streaks of silver, sapphire blue, and gray. These glowing streaks danced in the sky similar to those seen in the Southern Water Tribe. Asami turned her head to see a sparkling body of water with scattered lilyrose petals and paradise flowers. The pond reflected two moons glowing in the black diamond sky. A tall, gentle cascading waterfall gushed into the main pool in one corner that was surrounded by a curtain of tall grass. It was secluded and romantic. Floating glowing spirit embers spotted the night air and provided some light.

Asami brought her hand to her mouth. "It's amazing, Korra! Did you design this?"

"Yeah, but I had some help," Korra said proudly. "And I hope you're hungry!"

She carried Asami to a nearby tree with hanging flowers. With one hand holding Asami, the Avatar gently moved aside the curtain of hanging flowers to reveal a dining table lit by glowingflies as a centerpiece. Spirits were still buzzing around setting the utensils and dusting off the chairs. One of the spirits pulled a chair from the table. "Your dinner awaits, Miss Sato," it announced. Asami lovingly looked at Korra and Korra blushed slightly. She slowly set the beautiful woman down.

They enjoyed a meal of their favorite dishes. And, they talked about the city, Team Avatar, and Bolin and Opal's engagement. As they took their last bite of the dessert, Asami felt like the entire meal was familiar. "Tastes just like Kwong's!" Asami exclaimed.

"I had to make a few requests," Korra said with a wave of her hand.

"Aren't they renovating right now? I wanted to take you there, but they said their kitchen was impacted by Kuvira's mecha suit."

"Well, we can still go when they open! I know a great chef who Su hired. He told me he knows all of Kwong's recipes."

"How? They're heavily guarded secret family recipes."

"Oh, I'm not sure..." The fact that the chef was an ex-con gave Korra an idea of how he might have obtained the recipes. The thought made Korra laugh.

"Want to tell me what's making you laugh?" Asami said as she took another sip of her bubbling glass drink. Korra explained everything and she told Asami that she had to go through cooking lessons to figure out how to make this meal work. Touched by Korra's tremendous effort, Asami reached for the Avatar's hand.

"It's only day one and it's amazing. I love everything. No matter what happens it's always the best being with you." Asami held Korra's hand across the table. Asami suddenly had an idea.

"Now, the last one to the 'love pool' has to be the water tiger on a lily pad! " Asami shot up from the dining table and dashed out.

Korra was taken by surprise. "I haven't played that game since - ever!"

She ran out to follow but Asami was nowhere to be seen. "Hold on, I need to find my swimming suit!" Korra walked over to her backpack. She was going through her bag when she realized Asami hadn't touched hers.

"I forgot my swimming suit!" Asami's voice called from a distance.

"Oh!" Korra realized Asami must be hiding because she must have stripped down without getting her swimsuit out. "I'll help you find it. I thought when we were packing I saw you pack one." She reached for Asami's backpack and sat on the floor to thoroughly search. Then, a dark figure appeared before her with a giant lily pad wrapped around it. Korra looked up to see Asami had her hair down. Her bare shoulders glowed in the moon light. One hand held the lily pad clipped at her chest and the other hand was doing the characteristic hair flip.

They both blushed. Korra could hear her heart drumming. Her mouth had fallen agape. Asami giggled at the sight. "I guess you're going to be the water tiger?" She said suggestively.

Well, this was not the children's game she had in mind. Korra gathered herself and stood up. Asami was watching her every move. Korra marveled at Asami's slender yet toned arms. Asami took a single finger and traced it along Korra's cheek, down her chest, circled around her steel like abdomen, and hooked onto her pants.

Asami blushed at the thought of going any further. She licked her lips before saying, "I'll see you in the water." She pivoted and her hair whipped the air behind her. The Avatar gulped as her heart raced through her chest.

She started removing her clothes as she watched Asami approach the shore. Asami watched Korra from the corner of her eye. Asami stopped at the edge, captured by the beauty of the scene before her. She saw her reflection and the lily pad wrapped around her slender figure. Then, something came tackling into her from behind. "Tiger coming through!" Korra shouted before both of them crashed into the water with a loud splash.

The water was warm and soothing, unlike the pool at the Sato mansion. Asami instantly knew the water was just a foot shorter than her. Asami gasped for air as she came up and smoothed her hair. Her hair wasn't wet. "Oh my gosh!" She didn't believe it, so she stroked her hair a couple of times. It was magical water.

"If you keep doing those hair flips you'll make even the spirits fall in love with you." Korra's voice came from behind Asami. Asami quickly turned to find her lover. Right when she turned around she fell into the Avatar's arms. Their wet skin against each other excited their sensations. With only the moons in sky and the glowing golden spirit embers, it was enough romance to melt the coldest of hearts.

The lily pad surfaced. Korra and Asami laughed at the bent lily pad. "Mm, what a lucky plant," Korra said suggestively. Asami smiled seductively.

"I'm not sure if you know how to play the game, Avatar Korra." Asami said stroking Korra's hair.

"Well, then teach me." Korra responded as she eyed Asami's lips.

"Maybe, later..." Asami desired something else more.

They were as intimately close as they could be. Their hearts were beating together. All they could hear was the waterfall gushing nearby. Asami held Korra's face with her hands as their foreheads touched. She wrapped her legs around Korra. Korra held her up with her strong arms.

"Is the spirit world always this beautiful?" Asami asked with awe as she gazed into the Avatar's eyes and twirled with her short soft hair.

Korra averted her eyes. The spirit world had its good and bad sides so she had to be honest. Then, she looked at Asami again.

"Only when I'm with you."

Overwhelmed with love, Asami passionately kissed the Avatar and Korra returned it even more. They were both surprised at their pillow soft lips against each other. Asami expertly caressed the Avatar's lips and worked her into wanting more. It had been suppressed all this time.

"I love you, Asami," Korra said between kisses.

"I love you, Korra," Asami replied breathlessly.