Every day brings new experiences, whether positive or negative. After my collision with the barrier to the spirit world, I certainly didn't expect to wake up on an improvised bed made of various animal furs. They created a kind of ethereal softness, and I made a mental note to ask my hospitable hosts what kind of animals had such soft fur.
Checking my body for any injuries, I noticed my chi sources looked unusually sluggish. The chi flowing into them seemed to be reviving the sources themselves rather than filling my reserves.
At the moment of impact with the barrier, I felt my substantial bending reserves dissipate in mere seconds. After the shock, guided by my instincts, I rushed toward the direction where I sensed the energy of the human world.
Now it's clear why I couldn't pass through the barrier. If I were a spirit, it would have let me in easily, but I wouldn't have been able to return to the human world. The barrier prevents spirits from entering the human world and vice versa—a clever protective mechanism.
The next realization was that my spirit and body were no longer separate entities; they had become an inseparable whole. This duality confused the barrier, and I could feel its defenses stretching under my pressure. A bit more force, and I might have broken through. But in my case, "a bit more" would require the power of a higher spirit, and without the resources to achieve that rank in the spirit world, it's a long road ahead.
Rummaging through my memories from my past life, I recalled everything related to the Avatar. I found a mention of the solstices: in the Avatar world, during the winter and summer solstices, the connection between the human and spirit worlds weakens. This should theoretically allow me to enter with the strength of a mid-level spirit. I'll need to ask knowledgeable people for the exact dates—it's one of my best options.
Deciding to check where I was, I tried to open my eyes. Even this seemingly ordinary action required considerable effort. After all, I'd never fully drained both my chi sources before, and just as I'd feared, even lifting my eyelids felt like a trial. It took several minutes of channeling life energy through my body before I could move.
My eyes took in the sight of a traditional water tribe dwelling—an igloo. Despite its small size, it was cozy. Sitting up slightly, I saw a small pot simmering with something resembling fish stew mixed with unfamiliar spices. As the aromatic scent hit my nose, I felt a ravenous hunger, and my stomach growled loudly, as if begging for food. I wondered how long I'd slept.
At that moment, the children who would one day shape the world's destiny—or at least help shape it—entered the igloo. They were clearly meant to be central characters here.
Recognizing Sokka and Katara was easy; they were exact copies of their portrayals in the series. Katara, a cute girl, was drowning in a blue fur coat that was several sizes too big for her. With her childish chubbiness, she reached the peak of my personal adorability scale—Yue level, which says a lot. Behind her, Sokka carried a bucket of water, already sporting his signature nonchalant expression, even as a child.
Last to enter the igloo was an older version of Katara.
To confirm her identity, I glanced back and forth between young Katara and her adult self, noticing some differences. I remembered Kanna, Sokka and Katara's grandmother, from the animated series, and her appearance didn't align with what I saw here. There were some similarities, but that's where they ended.
What shocked me? This woman—I couldn't call her a girl—had a very graceful figure, which even her thick winter clothing couldn't hide. Her full chest was at least a size C, and her round hips were outlined by her fur coat. All this was complemented by a face resembling Katara's, though with a less round head shape. Hakoda was truly lucky to have such a treasure—he must have been kissed by fortune itself.
She seemed around 21 or 22 years old. In the Water Tribe, girls marry at 16, and since Sokka looked about five, Kanna was much younger here than her counterpart in the series.
As my eyes wandered over Kanna's beautiful features, my mind raced to analyze and connect the facts. Kanna was too young here—I wouldn't have given her more than twenty years. This was already a major deviation from the canon.
Next, the portal had dropped me at the South Pole, which made sense. Portals to the spirit world are located at the South and North Poles. There's also the Foggy Swamp, but when I tried to exit the space between worlds, my goal was to reach the human world. I hadn't even considered where I'd end up. Of course, it would have been nice to appear near the Spirit Oasis, but meeting the series' main characters—especially their young mother—was even better. Hmm, my thoughts keep wandering.
At that moment, Kanna noticed I was awake. I hoped I hadn't been staring too obviously.
"Are you alright?" Kanna asked worriedly. "My children found you unconscious near our tribe. I'm Kanna, and these are my son Sokka and daughter Katara."
"Nothing serious, just a bit weak, but I think it'll pass in a day or two. Thank you for your care," I replied gratefully. "My name is Yuki, and I'm from the Northern Water Tribe."
"Don't be too formal with him, Mom. He looks really suspicious," Sokka interjected with a "warrior-like" stance, glaring at me unfriendly. "And how can you prove you're from the Northern Water Tribe? We haven't seen anyone from there in a long time."
"Sokka, don't be rude to someone you just met," Kanna said, and Sokka's glare softened slightly. "Apologies for his words. Outsiders aren't usually very friendly to us," she added with a strained smile—a subtle way of referring to the Fire Nation, which still visited with bad intentions.
Their mother wasn't naive. When my gaze stopped wandering over her figure, I looked into her eyes. Despite her genuine kindness toward me, there was a hint of caution, and her hand in her coat pocket seemed to be holding something.
Katara, meanwhile, had been peeking curiously from behind her mother's back. Whenever I looked at her, she'd quickly hide. Some people were shy as children.
"Let's talk after we eat. You must be hungry too, after two days in bed," Kanna said. As soon as she mentioned food, my stomach let out a loud growl, louder than I'd expected. It lightened the mood. Katara giggled, Kanna smiled as she served the food, and Sokka relaxed his "warrior" stance slightly.
At the start of the meal, a small problem arose. Moving my arm was difficult, and by the time the spoon reached my mouth, it had lost ninety percent of its contents. Kanna had to help me eat. I felt a bit embarrassed, especially when the children started watching me, but my empty stomach dictated its terms.
I was truly ashamed when I ate more than everyone else combined. This food might have been meant to last them several days, and I'd eaten like there was no tomorrow.
As soon as I regain my strength, I'll repay them tenfold.
After the delicious meal, we had a conversation where we took turns sharing about ourselves. As the dialogue progressed, the ice melted. After all, only someone who's lived with the Water Tribe their entire life would know so many of their traditions and customs.
By evening, toward the end of our conversation, we noticed Sokka was already fast asleep, and Katara, who'd been sitting between me and Kanna, had her head resting on my lap, clutching my waist tightly. Kanna looked at us as if remembering something from the past and remained still for several minutes. I think I understand why.
"She used to fall asleep like that on Hakoda's lap," Kanna confirmed my thoughts.
From her story, I learned that the Fire Nation saw no point in leaving the able-bodied population alone. Almost all the men were either taken to prison or executed on the spot for resisting. Two years ago, adult men were still with them, but it didn't last. A month later, two Fire Nation ships arrived, demanding they hand over a waterbender, claiming they knew one was there. They do this every few years to ensure the Southern Water Tribe's extinction. If there's no waterbender, they simply choose a random person to provoke the tribe into attacking.
That time, they encountered overly arrogant soldiers who wanted to take half the able-bodied men. Knowing the Fire Nation warriors might not stop there, the people decided to fight back. They won, but at a terrible cost. Only a few men survived, and they were left disabled for life. There were too many firebenders among the attackers, and it was already a miracle that the simple hunters, slightly outnumbering their opponents, managed to win. That's what it means to fight for your home and loved ones.
So, only women, children, elders, disabled people, and a few teenagers remained in the tribe. Sokka and Katara hadn't even had a chance to get to know their father well; they were only three or two years old at the time. It's very sad. I hope I can figure out how to use the portal. This tribe needs help—they wouldn't survive another Fire Nation raid.
This world has differences, and that's a fact. I need to be ready for unexpected twists.
As for me, I shared about my life at the North Pole, without focusing too much on any one thing. I think there'll be time to get to know each other better. I decided not to mention my mysterious arrival here—I couldn't reveal my true nature or blame everything on Tui and La, though I had considered it.
*
The next two days, I had to stay in bed. My weakness was fading too slowly. Only by the end of the second day could I eat and move on my own. It seems I spoiled someone's mood, at least Katara looked disappointed. On the second day, while Kanna was busy, Katara offered to feed me, delighted to take care of me. We grew much closer during this time. I must admit, I started to feel like part of their family, or close to it, in just two days.
Katara was curious about the new face and wanted to hear about life in my tribe. Once she stopped being shy, she became even more inquisitive than Yue. Sokka was always nearby too, supposedly protecting his sister, but Katara and I could tell he was just as engrossed in my stories.
For someone who's read an entire library of water tribe tales, where authors spend at least half the book recounting their adventures, inventing stories for children is easy.
That's how we entertained the children, keeping them indoors for two whole days.