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50 years after the Universe war...
"These things have been around for how many years? Yet I have not gotten the hang of them."
"I know the feeling, I’ve had the kids explain this to me and Kai."
The Avatar gave a humored chuckle, her older blue eyes watching her younger friend, by eight years as the Abbess would insist to her, try to work the piece of machinery in her hands, trying to remember which buttons did what and getting used to the size of it.
"Couldn't Mei-Shin's company make these things smaller?" Jinora asked before finding the record button on the 'Varri-corder', a name which everyone close to the creator of the device groaned at, but let it go without any real complaints.
Korra herself only gave a softened smile, remembering the day the heiress to Varrick's company was born, the odd and wily, yet well meaning inventor having rushed the president of Republic City to Air Temple Island while she and her wife were visiting, personally asking Kya to help his beloved Zhu Li "do the thing".
And hours later, Varrick and Zhu Li's daughter, Mei-Shin Snowflower Varrick was born to both parents' delight, Varrick reduced to a blubbering crying mess of emotions as he watched his wife hold their child with pride.
"I'm just glad that thing isn't the size of this room, knowing how much power it takes." She assured her friend.
Between the events of the 'Universe War', as the historians would later deem it, to the present day. So much had changed in the world as all of those considered "Team Avatar" had their whole lives ahead of them.
The Avatar, her wolf tail styled hair as silver as one of her oldest allies and friends, her age showing from the wrinkles on her face, yet still kept in as much good shape as she reasonably could, remembered all her old friends and family.
Bolin and Opal, once they were married, still lived in Republic City, going back and forth between living in their apartment and Air Temple Island where after more years, Opal, along with some others, had finally achieved the status of "Airbending Master", having created a form of airbending to effectively "Walk" on air, thanks to compressed pockets of air she bended to step on.
Her husband, while still maintaining his duty of working for President Zhu Li while she served multiple terms, had decided to follow his grandmother-in-law's footsteps and opened a school for lavabenders on a far off island near the city, taking in both those with great promise and others who simply had issues controlling the dangerous technique, all as Bolin kept his humored, yet softly matured outlook on life.
A couple years later, both Bolin and Opal would become the proud parents to triplets, one girl and two boys, all three children becoming powerful benders in their own right, with both brothers, Mako II and Mochi, being airbenders who were practically hard to separate growing up and in combat, like their uncles Wei and Wing.
Their daughter would later become known as one of the first benders to be deemed a "Dual-Bender", one who would be able to use more than one specialized technique of bending without being the Avatar, able to bend lava. She would be named after Opal's grandmother, who upon hearing the baby's name, Toph had actually cried in joy and pride, to the amusement of her daughters and son.
In fact, Opal actually went into labor and gave birth to her three kids in the middle of the anniversary party of Bolin’s older brother Mako and their friend Thuy, both celebrating six years of marriage. A story which she still loves to tell to this day.
Before then, Mako had risen up the ranks to become Police Captain over the years, being given recommendations by his superior officers. He may have picked up the behavior of a police captain, but outside of work, his newfound look on life shined out as he helped give support to organizations that help the homeless on the streets, like how he and Bolin were when they were younger.
But what he and Thuy, who would quit her job as a bar bouncer and become a librarian at the Republic City library after getting a proper education, would be most proud of was when they became parents for the first time.
Everyone welcomed the newest generation of the crew with the birth of their daughter and the newest descendant of Avatar Hiromi on her mother’s side, Ryoko. Even though they had to accept that their daughter would never know what they or anyone else looked like due to being born blind, Mako and Thuy still loved and took care of her regardless, even if she was a "little hyper moppet" as Thuy called her affectionately.
They were both also thankful when Toph, up until her passing, was always there for the blooming firebender, teaching her how to use her other senses, especially sound, to get around with ease. Not long after Ryoko’s birth did the happy parents decide to finally get married.
Eight years later, Mako and Thuy would be parents once more, to another girl who would grow up to be a non-bender named Vuong. She got her mother’s love of fighting, winning many trophies at hand-to-hand fighting tournaments, but her father’s heart and drive to protect people.
Even with one child being blind and the other not able to bend, along with both parents' busy jobs, Mako and Thuy always made sure that they were not just there for their daughters, but also had the support of their big ol' extended family.
Speaking of Mako's job, his superior, Lin Beifong had indeed given into married life, having technically retired from the RCPD after dying and come back to life during the Universe War, having proudly married her partner, Kya at the same exact time as Bolin and Opal.
A choice neither regretted as they relocated to Zaofu to be closer to Lin’s sisters family, Kya opening up a healing clinic in the city-state while the former Chief worked alongside her older brother Hattori at the animal sanctuary he opened, he himself finally being able to let go of all of the past pain and loathing with his family. Something that Toph herself was thankful for.
And then five years after they moved, both partners had decided to adopt and raise a five year old water tribe boy from the local orphanage they met named Roaluk. Even with their advancing ages, Kya and Lin cared for their new son as if he was their birth child, as did their entire family welcoming in the boy, who was proud to be called a Beifong.
Tenzin, of course with his family at his side, would keep making sure his father's dream be kept alive as more airbenders would be naturally born throughout the years, all of whom he and his fellow monks would proudly take in when they were ready at the various air temples. In his later years, Tenzin would proudly pass the title of leader to his oldest daughter, Jinora, knowing she'd help lead her fellow benders into the future.
As for the woman who'd become known as the Air Abbess, Jinora would marry her longtime boyfriend Kai and would even give birth over the years to four children, all of whom she loved as much as the next, regardless of them being able to bend or not. There was the first born Yuria who is a airbender, followed by Keno, Ataru and Eiko, with the second and fourth borns being non-benders while the third surprisingly was born an earthbender. Though that wasn’t impossible due to Kai’s own ancestry going back to various Earthbending soldiers during the hundred year war.
Jinora’s younger sister Ikki would grow up taking care of Air Temple Island and become the airbender ambassador to Republic City, still talkative and hyper, yet wiser and more profound than before, alongside her future wife and sandbending artist Shavi. Meelo himself chose a different path as following his idol, his uncle and fellow airbender, Bumi II, he would join the United Forces and through his unique methods of dealing with the enemy in non-lethal ways, would earn the ranking of Admiral, his ring tailed lemur Poki always at his side.
For little Rohan, he'd be the odd one out of Tenzin and Pema's children as unlike his siblings, he would grow up becoming a waterbender like his aunt and grandmother, yet treated as a equal by his family, becoming both a waterbending master and proudly married to the woman who would become the first ever female Chief of the South Pole, Kateri.
Finally, there was Korra's wife, Asami Sato, the woman who always kept to her heart. She'd help, with Korra's endorsement naturally, advance the world towards the future, developing brand new forms of technology and science, bringing forth brilliant minds, bender and non-bender alike, who all sought to change the world for the better, while sticking by her wife's side when trouble would arise alongside their allies.
While Korra always welcomed the help from others as the Avatar, it was seeing those beautiful green eyes of her wife that would push her into protecting and helping make the world better.
But the proudest thing Asami had helped bring into the world with her, was their daughter.
Through an adventure into the spirit world and speaking with what was known as Anka the Fertility Spirit, one that was said to have vanished thousands of years before, Korra and Asami were finally blessed with the chance of being parents once the spirit helped. They had considered adoption or the newer breakthrough known as ‘Artificial insemination’ that they had heard about during their past travels, but both had caught word of the spirit and decided to give it a shot.
To this day, Korra was proud to have gone off that gut instinct as nine months later, thanks to a part of both her and Asami's spirit merging together and planted inside Asami by Anka, Yasuko Sato II, named after her grandmother, was born.
Next to when she and Asami shared their first kiss and the day they were married, her daughter's birth was the proudest moment in Korra's life, nothing else able to compare to it as the Avatar had a new title to proudly hold, ‘Anaana’.
It was three years later when both parents found out, after spotting the young girl playing outside in the backyard of their home, that Yasuko was an airbender. Knowing this, both Korra and Asami were able to convince Jinora to be the girl's teacher, with Korra's assistance naturally.
Becoming quite possibly the third most powerful airbender behind Korra and Jinora, having unlocked through her own way the ability of flight, Yasuko would become an ambassador of peace, traveling all over the world to spread her message and becoming revered all over while also finding time to stay close to her parents and her own wife, having proposed to her partner, Toph II.
Then of course, there was the huge reveal that through a more scientific method, Yasuko and Toph were expecting, making both Korra and Asami grandmothers.
So, nine months, Koji Beifong-Sato was born, named after the first documented Sato male, himself growing up to become quite the quirky genius in his own right, just like his grandma Asami, while also being a lavabender like his mother.
But like a leaf's life cycle once it grows from a tree in the spring to when it falls from its branches in the fall, all lives must sadly end.
Mako was the first one to pass away, having given his life at age 43 to save Ryoko during a Red Lotus attack on the city, dying with a smile in the arms of his favorite girls. Thuy herself, many years later, would relocate in her final year to the Fire Blossom Temple, home of their ancestor Hiromi with Ryoko and Vuong at her side before passing away peacefully in her sleep at age 70.
Bolin had begun to develop heart problems in his later years, and even with the advancements in medicine and science, it was too late for him, yet he didn't fight back. He knew his time was close, spending one final day at age 64 with his wife, his three children, and his closest friends before passing away peacefully in his sleep, having watched a old Nuktuk mover of his with Opal at his side at their home.
Others Korra knew personally would pass away in their own ways, friends, family, allies, all of which she had to deal with, but accepted it as a way of life.
Asami's was the most painful for her when she died at 72.
In her last two years, the powerful and brilliant woman's memory seemed to have just... started slipping away.
At first, it didn't seem like much, a minor detail or two, nothing to worry about. But then it became all too apparent when one day, she had forgotten it was her and Korra's wedding anniversary, even though she had known earlier that same exact day.
Roaluk and the other doctors Korra brought in seemed to have known what it was, but didn't have an exact name for it as this was something that had been slowly increasing in recent years, especially towards those within the ages of 70 and higher. The brain cells, those that held memory and other important mental functions, would slowly be destroyed overtime until the person affected would pass away from their brain shutting down.
And in Asami's case, it was going at an advanced rate compared to others.
Korra remembered asking if there was a cure, only to feel like she had been stabbed in the heart when Roaluk sadly informed her there wasn't, even as they began looking for one in the past months. Every memory of Asami's, all her smarts, kindness, those words she'd used to sooth Korra and Yasuko after a nightmare, all were being taken away from her.
By something Korra herself couldn't stop and prevent it from happening.
Not even the spirit world would have been able to help Asami. Her wife was going to die and more than likely wouldn't remember her or their daughter when she did.
The Avatar wouldn't leave Asami's side once since then, not caring about the world's problems in her grief, choosing to let the nations deal with it, she only had one thing on her mind; To always be there for her wife with Yasuko, along with their daughter-in-law and their friends helping out whenever they could as the disease kept taking more and more of its toll on her love.
The news of Asami's illness reached all over the nations, everyone giving their support for her. Leaders, business partners, those who worked for her company, those who knew her personally, those who didn't, everyone giving their condolences to those grieving at this painful time.
Even stranger was whatever foe or those that opposed the Avatar, who would normally take the first sign of weakness as a means to attack, all withheld their plans against Korra. It was as if for those two years, they all gave her the time she needed, out of respect during her darkest time.
One day, at the Sato Mansion, as Korra opened the windows to let some light into Asami's bedroom, to look at the view of the city they lived in and its spirit portal, she heard her wife call out for her by her name.
It had been increasingly common for Asami, having been bedridden for the past few months, to call out to Korra, only to forget who she was the second the brave Water Tribe woman answered, something which Korra never got used to, crying when she was alone.
But at this moment, the way Asami sounded, it wasn't like how she was those past years, but more clear, focused, like the woman Korra loved was back just for a moment.
Korra had approached her white haired wife who looked at her, tilting her head curiously, as her wife feared the worst, only for Asami to shakenly reach up her hand to touch her love's cheek, a smile on her face at the touch.
"Korra..." Asami's voice shook, those green eyes hadn't faded away like her memory, looking into Korra's own blue ones as she sat silently.
"I'll be waiting for you..."
The Avatar wasn't sure what her wife meant, asking what she meant by that before Asami slowly leaned close and kissed those lips she loved before lying down, that wonderful smile on her face.
"Where we had our first kiss, I'll be waiting for you there... I love you Korra."
And with those words, those green eyes closed for the final time, her hand sliding off Korra's cheek as she was now still, the Avatar having watched in silence her wife's body before breaking out in tears, holding one of her hands, the other resting on the betrothal necklace she gave to her on their wedding day.
Korra remembered the funeral days later, all of those who came and mourned for her wife and Yasuko’s mother, everyone she had met and knew, all giving tribute to her.
She herself couldn't bear to give the eulogy, no matter how hard she tried, so Yasuko volunteered for her mother, the inner pain affecting her as much as she gave a sad, but beautiful speech about one of the greatest women she had ever known, next to her Anaana, and how she hoped the world would know all that Asami helped provide.
And that she, Korra and the young Koji were going to miss her so badly, and were ready to see her again in the spirit world when the time comes.
Something that Korra wished she could do at that moment, just go through the Spirit Portal… but she was in too much grief at the time, couldn’t will herself to do it.
Now, it's been almost a full year since Asami had left her life, and the Avatar was now sitting on a chair in her home as Jinora held the Varri-corder in hand, the tape within it.
"Korra? Are you okay?" Jinora had asked, just having noticed her friend seeming to be thinking of something, a lone tear leaving those old eyes, which Korra wiped away before nodding.
"Yes, I am. Tell me when you're recording, I'm ready..."
At that, the Air Abbess began to count down with her fingers in silence as she held the piece of technology before pressing record, to which Korra looked into its lens, trying to keep it together.
"Hello Yasuko, my sweet little Polar Bear pup, by the time you see this tape after Jinora gives it to you, I will have moved onto the spirit world, my time having come to an end..."
The next day...
After finishing her business with Jinora and thanking her for everything, Avatar Korra was in a village on one of the many islands near the Fire Nation, in the village of Sian-Kazu. She had slowly taken in the sight of the area.
It was one that kept mainly to itself, not as busy and booming as Capital City, with it more of a farming village as people lived their lives simply, only stopping upon seeing the Avatar walking through the streets, kindly waving to them like she knew them as someone walked alongside her.
"When did you say the tremors began?" She asked the person with her, a younger man in his twenties with a silly brimmed hat to avoid the sun's rays and a notebook in hand. He certainly seemed like someone Asami would have known working for her.
"Well, Avatar Korra..." The man began only to hear Korra give a light, earthly chuckle.
"Please, just call me Korra, Choku. I insist."
"Ah, right, apologizes Korra." The scientist known as Choku quickly said, still surprised how down to earth the Avatar was with him before he continued explaining. "Some of my team, who have been conducting research here, brought to my attention these tremors since they began last week, at first just one a day."
Korra listened to these words, taking special attention to the volcano miles away, seeming stable from first glance. "And now?" She asked Choku to which he looked at her, slightly frightened.
"Four times, in just twelve hours yesterday. And today, it's been unnaturally calm..."
"And you believe it's due to erupt soon?"
Choku nodded, looking at those same villagers they walked past, having been trying to get certain valuables and luggage before heading to the docks.
"Yes, which would be terrible for all those who live on this island as this is their home and all they have here, they make their living through farming."
"You're a local, aren't you?" Korra asked, looking at the scientist. "Wouldn't want to see your home destroyed?"
Taking off his hat, letting the hot sun's rays hit his bald head, Choku gave a slight grimace.
"My parents still live here, their home was my grandfathers, and his father's as well."
Hearing that, Korra had it figured out. "And you're wondering if little old Avatar me could try to save the village?" She asked with a playful smile to which the young man gave a goofy, yet thankful smile.
"I know you have other things to deal with, but I-"
But before Choku could finish, both they and everyone else still on the island felt the rumble, the trembling, both the Avatar and scientist turning to see the volcano and the black smoke that began to arise from it.
"It's starting." Choku realized in surprise before feeling the Avatar's hand on his chest, turning to look at her. "Korra?"
"Make sure everyone is off the island, this is going to be a big one." She answered, focus on her face as she began to make her way towards the Volcano.
"I can handle this, just get the others to safety, Choku! NOW!"
Making her way towards the large volcanic mountain, she heard the scientist go in the opposite direction and telling people to get off the island.
He was right, there were plenty of bigger things she could have dealt with instead of helping some random village on an island from a natural occurrence. But Korra was the Avatar, the bridge between both worlds, the most powerful person in the world.
She already knew what was going to happen when she had been asked to come to the island, familiar with the area.
But even with everything in her life, all she has faced, gained, lost. Korra Sato was still the Avatar, there to help save the day, regardless of the matter at hand.
She could feel the power of the volcano, feeling its vibrations, the heat getting hotter the closer she got to it up the mountain, the smoke clouding her vision, this was indeed going to be a powerful one.
But Korra wasn't worried in the slightest.
With a close of her eyes, Korra rose up her hands, feeling the earth within the volcano move along the ground under her feet, sensing all the hot lava and magma coursing through the small tunnels of earth she bended.
Yet she saw that the lava was starting to sputter high, sending forth hot chunks of earth out from the top around her, thankfully not hitting her nor going as far as the villagers homes, she had to go bigger.
Clenching her hands, she made the tunnels bigger before swinging down one of her hands, forcing the lava to move by her command, making most of the hot earth go through the tunnels which all came out from under the ocean surrounding the island.
The more power she gave towards diverting the lava intake, letting the water cool it down, the more she grunted as she kept moving her wrinkled hands, not letting up until the mountain calmed down.
And she kept at it for two hours straight, enduring all the heat, projectiles, the strain on her body, Korra did not stop until finally, the volcano had finally calmed down.
The eruption was prevented, allowing herself to give a deep breath, happy it's finally over.
Giving a quick look at herself, seeing other than her clothes may have gotten a little dirty and burnt, her skin a little redder than before, she was perfectly fine.
At that, Korra began her little trek from where she was, back to the village as she could see from far off, barely any damage other than some trees knocked down and one destroyed Satomobile truck, nothing that couldn't be fixed.
The Avatar then saw the people of the island who had gotten off coming back onto the docks from their boats, all led by Choku who was amazed at what she had just done.
"You did it, you saved the village Korra!" He said, proud to see what the Avatar had done as the people all thanked her for saving their homes.
Though Korra did give a light lopsided grin, looking back at the now dormant volcano. "Well, for the time being, I would say about another, oh, fifty, fifty five years until it'll get all fussy again."
Just as she said that, something ran through Korra's body and mind. It was an odd feeling, something which the Avatar knew what it was after a few seconds.
"And now, I can finally be with her…" She spoke rather out loud, to which Choku heard, not catching what she meant.
"I'm sorry, who?" was what the scientist was able to ask before to his surprise, the Avatar, a thankful smile on her face, fell into his arms, closing her eyes as he realized what was happening.
"Oh SHIT! SOMEONE GET A HEALER, NOW!" He yelled out, holding Korra in his arms as he felt her pulse, eyes widening as it was barely there. "KORRA! AVATAR KORRA! STAY WITH ME!"
Korra could just barely hear him, but she knew no matter what the healers would do, they wouldn't be able to save her. All the power she gave to stop that volcano, at her age, it was too much.
She was going to die...
... but she was okay with that.
She saved the village, that's all that mattered, Korra was happy that her last act was helping others out. She was the Avatar, it was her job.
"Thank you, Korra..."
That familiar voice, the old woman knew it all too well, as her vision faded as she felt her heart begin beating its final beats, she saw the glowing white spirit that she had first met many years ago, it floated in front of her, the voice speaking soft words to her.
"You have done so much in your life as Avatar, so much hardship, but so much greatness too. And it's time for you to be rewarded for protecting both worlds..."
At those words, Raava's glow began to slowly vanish from her sight, Korra knew the cycle was about to begin once more, someone from the Earth Kingdom will now become the new Avatar.
"Rest easy now child, she is waiting for you... goodbye Korra..."
Once she was gone, Korra's heart had beat its last beat as she laid on the ground of the village, surrounded by healers and the people she saved, her blue eyes closed forever with a smile on her face.
Avatar Korra Sato had just passed away at the age of 73.
Within a flash of blue light, her eyes blinked, looking around. The Water Tribe woman just remembered her heart giving out, the healers trying to save her, Raava saying goodbye.
Korra then took in her surroundings, the familiar odd colors and lights, the creatures around her, she was in the Spirit World.
"Korra..."
The former Avatar quickly spun around, knowing that distinctive voice before silently gasping at who she saw.
There was her wife, Asami Sato, standing there, no longer looking as she did back in that bed before she died. The taller woman stood there as she did before then, looking happy, right minded, her green eyes melting her soul.
"Asami..." Korra spoke out as Asami chuckled, looking around
"It's only been eight months, but it felt so much longer." Asami said as Korra just then realized where both women were, the very same location where they had their first kiss, looking around before feeling Asami's hands hold hers.
It had been only a couple months, but Korra so dearly missed holding Asami's hands as she looked at her wife, who kept that smile on her face as their faces got closer, Korra blushing like the first time they kissed as Asami smiled.
"I told you that I'd be waiting for you here."
And with that, both women closed their eyes and locked their lips, embracing the other in their arms as they felt something course through their spirits as their forms had changed from that of their older bodies, back to when they were young.
Korra was the first to notice, surprised to see herself look so youthful before swearing from far off, she spotted a familiar bald headed monk with a blue arrow on his head, smiling.
"Hey, Korra..." Asami's voice spoke into her ear, bringing the Avatar's attention back to the now also youthful looking Sato woman. "You can visit Aang later, the others are waiting for you."
Hearing this briefly confused Korra. "Others? What do you mean?"
"Mako, Bolin, Thuy. Your parents, my parents, everyone has been waiting to see you."
Feeling her spirit eyes swell up at hearing that, both lovers hands locked with each other’s before beginning things anew in the spirit world, together again...
In Gaoling at that very same moment…
At the same time Avatar Korra drew her last breath, a cry came into the world as a doctor wiped off some blood off the newborn's face.
"Congratulations Asuka, it's a girl!"
"Another girl!" The woman with light skin beamed out in happiness, having just gone through a hour of childbirth before looking to her darker skinned husband, kissing him on the cheek. "We have another girl, Bachu."
"Thank the spirits, don't think we could have handled a boy." The father said with a happy laugh.
After cutting the umbilical cord and wrapping the baby girl in a blanket, she was given to Asuka and Bachu whose blue and green eyes teared up at the bundle of joy in their arms as a ten year old girl walked in the room, her long black hair bouncing with each step as she looked at her new sister, who like her, shared the same skin tone as their father.
"Honei..." The mother began to speak, looking at her oldest daughter, who looked into the just opening sapphire blue eyes of the baby adjusting to the world with her own jade green ones.
"... Meet your new baby sister, Aila Makimura."
Within the spirit of the newborn, a familiar white glow formed, having just been in another's spirit.
"Hello Aila..." Raava welcomed the newest Avatar into the world.