The next morning, refreshed and energized, I set out to explore the island. At first, it was awkward being the center of attention for the island's female population, from teenagers to more mature women. Some of them sent me clear signals without a hint of shyness. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded spending some steamy nights with these women, but as long as a certain part of my body isn't calling the shots, I can still think with my head. My body isn't ready yet, not by a long shot.
Chi offers countless advantages, but whether it can temporarily render the body infertile is still a question. I'm too young to have children, especially since I'm not even close to being an adult myself. The entire human world, and even the spirit world, awaits me. Though, anything can happen. Soon, my body will crave intimacy, and without protection, having kids is only a matter of time. Alright, better not dwell on that for now.
First, I decided to test if riding a giant koi fish was as fun as Aang's experience. The unoccupied villagers, mostly kids, followed me to the beach, trying to talk me out of it. They said I'd only provoke Unagi. I didn't tell them that was exactly my plan—I wanted to see this sea serpent with my own eyes.
The first few minutes of riding were thrilling, though the koi's speed was slower than my flying platform. Its movements were unpredictable—it could suddenly dive underwater or leap out. Once the initial excitement faded, I started scanning the water for any suspicious movements. I splashed around for another four minutes to ensure I caught the big serpent's attention.
Unagi's arrival was dramatic—a massive creature surging from the water with a deafening roar. From the beach, I heard children's screams, one of which sounded familiar.
"Everything's fine, Suyuki!" I shouted to the worried girl still trying to reach me.
My focus then shifted entirely to the king of these waters, who was already aiming his jaws at me. I propelled myself upward with waterbending, latched onto his head, and grabbed his whiskers. Using waterbending, I steered him away from the shore—destruction wasn't my goal.
Keeping him moving in one direction was tough. He was too heavy, and his body was incredibly slippery. I had to freeze my hands to his whiskers.
Up close, I probed him with bloodbending. The result was expected: Unagi barely used waterbending, likely just for better movement. His main ability was purely physiological—he stored water inside himself and released it under high pressure. I figured his ancestor must have been a powerful spirit, but his descendants adapted to the human world's weaker energy. This serpent had endurance; while I studied him, he tried everything to shake me off, even rubbing his head against a rock.
Once I finished, I decided to have some fun. Thankfully, there was no animal protection organization here, because riding Unagi was far more enjoyable than the koi. I let him go only when he calmly stood in the water, exhausted from entertaining me.
"Alright, keep protecting Kyoshi Island. I won't bother you again," I said, patting his head. He gave me a resentful look, as if saying, "Get away from me, you monster."
As I returned to the beach, the villagers ran out, looking a bit shell-shocked. A stranger had "abused" their protector. Only the kids stared at me with stars in their eyes.
"I want a turn too! Let me ride!" declared a small girl missing some teeth.
"No!" I didn't even respond before an older woman dragged her away.
"But Moooom, you saw how cool he was, and Unagi was so scared!" the girl whined as she was led back to the village. I quietly slipped away, noticing the other girls' looks that said, "I could ride too, you know."
*
The smooth, flowing movements of the young, beautiful warriors resembled waterbending. Their simple warm-up was mesmerizing. Avatar Kyoshi was a genius—creating such a beautiful style without sacrificing deadliness.
Now I understood how she lived to 230 years. This combat style, which harnessed chi, seemed to purify or enhance it, benefiting the warriors' bodies. Even I learned something new. She must have had more advanced techniques in her arsenal—this was just the basics.
They let me watch their training without hesitation after my Unagi stunt. Even the slowest villagers realized if I'd wanted to cause trouble, I would have by now. Impressed by my display, the girls tried to be more provocative during their exercises, though their tight kimonos and iron armor made it less enjoyable. Still, their effort was commendable—great fanservice.
I even trained under their guidance. The style wasn't complex for a well-trained body, but directing chi with those movements was harder. They'd been practicing since childhood, while I had to guide my chi manually. After one attempt, my back was drenched in sweat—not from weakness, but from my chi carving new paths. Truly, the ways of bending are mysterious. I never expected such a treasure on this small island. There's a small temple dedicated to Avatar Kyoshi here, holding her few belongings. I'd love to take a look—maybe there's something interesting.
That evening, Shizuka and Suyuki approached my hut, seeming uneasy. They stood at the door for over five minutes without knocking, piquing my curiosity.
"Come in, don't just stand there," I said, my curiosity getting the better of me.
A smile appeared on my face as, at my invitation, mother and daughter let out adorable squeaks, completely lost in themselves.
"Yuki, we need to talk seriously," Shizuka said, taking the bull by the horns, her determination clear. I wanted to respond with a dumb joke, but the mood didn't allow it.
I nodded seriously, inviting her to continue.
"You're a bender, right? Silly question, sorry," she started awkwardly. After a deep breath, she continued calmly, "Can you tell if my girl will be a bender? I know abilities show up early, but Suyuki's growing, and there's no sign."
"Suyuki, come here," I said, extending my hand. She glanced at her mom, who gave a nervous but encouraging smile.
As I took her hand, I scanned her chi and its connection to her spirit. The gift was there, dormant, with a good chance of awakening later.
At Shizuka's hopeful look, I shook my head. It was painful to see such a strong woman slump to the floor in despair. Suyuki was more concerned about her mother than the bending. She had her priorities straight—family first.
But judging someone based on one side of their story is wrong. There are always reasons. And it's clear Shizuka adores Suyuki.
"Want to talk about it?" I asked casually after bringing freshly brewed green tea—they have it here! Another reason to return.
"Yeah… not much to say, honestly," she said with a crooked smile. "In short, Avatar Kyoshi is my ancestor."
*Sounds of my tea spluttering*—I almost choked, and they laughed. "Can you tell me the long version?!" My reaction seemed to lift their spirits.
"Avatar Kyoshi had a daughter, Koko, who ruled the island after her. Koko had children, and so on. Basically, Koko is my great-great-great-grandmother—or great-great-great-great… you get it," she finished, as Suyuki giggled.
"Okay, that's clear. But why such a reaction to Suyuki not having bending?" I asked, already guessing the answer.
"After Kyoshi, no one in our family became a bender," she continued, a bit sadly. "But each generation tried to reclaim it. Even I grew up hearing stories of my ancestor's power. It hurt realizing my weakness compared to the rest of the world. After Kyoshi's death, our island was attacked more often. Everyone thought she'd left something behind, so we had to shed blood. Even my mother hoped her granddaughter would have the gift," she paused to adjust the sleeping Suyuki, "Logically, I knew Suyuki wouldn't be a bender, but my heart clung to hope," Shizuka said, almost self-deprecatingly.
After checking for eavesdroppers, I considered helping them. Suyuki's gift was under a weak lock—opening her first chakra might break it, but could she handle it? Even I almost gave up. I'm not too worried about the method spreading—it was once public, but weak-willed people went mad at the first chakra, so it faded. And Shizuka doesn't seem the type to share secrets.
"I know a method to awaken bending," I said softly, surrounding Suyuki with a water shield—just in case.
"Seriously?!" Shizuka whispered loudly, leaning over me, her chest inches from my face. "Yuki, snap out of it! And I think you're drooling," my body, are you with me or against me?!
"Yes, it's true, but there are risks," I explained everything I'd experienced opening my own chakra. Afterward, her enthusiasm dimmed—no mother wants to risk her child's safety.
"I've decided! I'll open my first chakra first, to understand what it's like. Don't look at me like that—I trust you, but I'd want to experience it myself. Enhancing my abilities increases my chances against a bender. In a fight, every little bit helps," she said, rubbing a bruise I'd forgotten about. "If it's as you described, I'll never let Suyuki go through it. It's logical, no room for argument. And I'm an adult—I can make my own decisions."
"Alright, it's late. Tomorrow, I'll tell you how to prepare and open it," I said, yawning. "Now, take off your clothes."
My mind, already halfway to bed, blurted out something stupid. I meant to say, "Let me heal your bruise, show me the injured area," but it came out… well, it came out great, because Shizuka's reaction was priceless. Someone get me a camera.
She blushed and started undressing.
"Let's do this in another room. I don't want to wake Suyuki. And please be gentle—I've only done this once," she whispered, turning away and untying her belt.
"Wait, I didn't mean it like that!" I said, snapping back to reality. "I just wanted to heal your bruise. There it is. Now, tell me why you're so determined."
"…I don't know. You healed my childhood friends, helped me get stronger, gave my daughter a chance to become a bender, and now you're healing me without asking for anything," she listed my actions after a minute of deep breaths, counting on her fingers. "It's more than enough. You've given so much."
"Is that all? Those are your reasons?" I asked, finishing the healing and running my hand along her delicate neck.
"I like you, and I wanted to be with you! You made a poor woman confess. Happy now?!" she said, more defensively.
"Very happy," I said seriously.
Seeming at a loss for words, she quickly but carefully picked up the sleeping Suyuki.
"You're unbearable," she whispered in my ear, so as not to wake Suyuki. "I'll come by tomorrow at nine. Thanks for everything." She gave me a quick peck on the lips and left.