Wan Shi Tong sent me straight to the Spirit Oasis. This time, the height was fine—I appeared a meter above the ground—but I'll still make him pay for all my suffering. As I left the Oasis, a polar bear-dog puppy was waiting for me.
"Okay, okay, I missed you too, Balto," I said, trying to push his head away from my face. He's too fond of showing affection by licking. "How are you growing so fast? I thought I'd still be able to carry you around." Just recently, he was knee-high, and now he's already reaching my chest. "Who's the good boy who smelled me so quickly?" I started petting his belly—or rather, his massive belly, which he promptly offered.
Once, I wanted to try breeding at least one polar bear-dog hybrid in our tribe, but I never got around to it. Six months ago, on my way to the capital, I met a pregnant female on her last legs. I couldn't just walk past her. She was badly hurt, but her belly was the only unharmed spot—even unconscious, she shielded it with her paws. It was all worth it; none of her pups were injured.
With my waterbending, she recovered by the next day. Earning her trust wasn't easy, especially when her mind was focused solely on protecting her unborn pups. But persistence pays off. After a month, she only let me near her. I earned her trust by bringing her the juiciest, freshest meat. Honestly, no one else wanted to approach her—for the rest of the tribe, she was a natural enemy of our hunters.
At least no one tried to quietly get rid of her. The complaints about her presence were limited to words. People thought even earthbending-reinforced walls couldn't stop a bear-dog, but she had no intention of leaving. Maybe on the first day, she thought about it, but seeing the free food, she decided not to resist. Or maybe she was scared by the thousands of human scents around her. It seemed to me that she saw her enclosure as a form of protection.
With the arrival of Nai's—that's what I named her—puppies, the first visitors started coming. Her pups were too adorable—kids could watch their antics for hours. Some children came despite their parents' bans. Luckily, I locked the enclosure tightly when I was away, or there would've been trouble.
Time passed, and people grew accustomed to living near dangerous predators. Nai got used to being around two-legged creatures. The growing bear-dogs became everyone's favorites. They adapted to being around humans faster than anyone—probably because they'd never known any other life.
Over time, it became clear they were more dog-like. Every day, they eagerly awaited the children's arrival, melted at petting, and were well-socialized, as if they hadn't lived on the other side of the barricades for millennia. It was hard to keep them locked up, but better safe than sorry. I only took them out under my supervision until I was confident in them.
An unexpected twist was their resemblance to Naruto's Ninken from the anime. Balto, Nai's son, started following me like a shadow, recognizing me as his close friend. At first, I thought it was because of our frequent playtime, but no—he wasn't as responsive with others. Once could be a coincidence, but three times is a pattern. Balto's two sisters became shadows to Katara and Yui. Now I wonder if Korra truly tamed Naga, or if Naga herself decided to stay with her…
Just a month and a half ago, I let them roam outside the city, thinking Nai would return to her old life, away from humans. It was nice to be wrong about her. The next day, she returned to her enclosure on her own.
Lately, our bear-dogs hang around the Palace daily, waiting for their owners. None of the adults are eager to get one yet, but the younger generation is drooling over them. I think hunters or greenhouse waterbenders will be the first to get one after us. Nai's example shows how useful a bear-dog can be—she's already saved a group caught in a powerful blizzard on their way back.
"Alright, alright, let's play," I said as he pushed me toward the shore, where we usually spend our time. I think I can spare an hour for him. It's hard to resist his "beaten puppy look" when he sees me leaving. The first time I flew away, he ran through the entire city and swam kilometers after me, thinking I'd left him for good. I had to return and explain everything. It didn't go well, but he hasn't chased me since, though his eyes show how much he dislikes it.
*
Every time I return home after a long absence, the first week is dedicated entirely to my loved ones. The first few days, I share where I've been and what I've done. Everyone's eager to hear about my adventures, though I leave out details the girls and Sokka aren't ready for yet. Only Arnuk, Jun, and Kaya hear the full story. The women won't stop until they've squeezed every detail out of me. Arnuk, by duty, needs to stay informed about the Fire Nation's moves and the Earth Kingdom's affairs—he takes notes and analyzes, as anything can happen.
The girls are gradually mastering new aspects of waterbending. You'll often see them sparring with other benders, gaining experience—they already have plenty of techniques. Kaya and Jun decided to teach their daughters the basics of healing, since they snuck out without permission. Those little troublemakers tried to blame their younger friends, but a mother always knows when her child lies. This will channel their energy into something more useful.
Sokka still can't accept that we have bear-dogs and he doesn't—or so he thinks. The last puppy already claimed him when it peed on his pants… Now, the animal only pretends to be uninterested, enjoying Sokka's treats and playtime. Clever little thing. As long as he's happy, why change anything? We'll tell Sokka the truth someday, but not today…
Next, I focus on my own growth: refining mastered techniques, learning new ones, and training to open the next chakra. In my past life, I never put this much effort into anything. Here, my motivation has lasted eleven years. Maybe I just hadn't found my calling yet? Or maybe we reincarnated souls have some screws tightened, making us restless? Oh well, I'll think about that later. Right now, the Harmonic Convergence is the priority.
Overall, I agree with the Spirit. Living under Vaatu would be far worse than under Raava. I'd rather they settle their issues elsewhere. So, I'm on board with Wan Shi Tong's plan, especially since lying to him is pointless. The new order under the dark spirit would only hinder his knowledge-gathering.
The knowledge spirit has enough authority to gather all light spirits. I need to become such a figure in these seventy-seven years—someone everyone listens to. What a hassle… I thought I'd live for my own pleasure, away from big politics, closer to juicy butts, mastering the mysteries of bending. In the Northern Water Tribe, people value their relationships, and there's no dirt in the council. But the Earth and Fire Nations seem like cesspools…
Neutral territories are scarce, so we'll ignore them. That leaves the Fire and Earth Nations. The Water Tribes will follow me anyway. With my abilities, seizing power wouldn't be hard—I could quietly eliminate everyone. But I want to do it beautifully, leaving intelligent people to govern in my name. I don't want to deal with what I dislike. Better to marry into the nation's leading families, aligning our interests so they work for our common good! Yes!
The Earth Kingdom has King Kuei—a puppet ruler controlled by Long Feng, the head of the Dai Li. From the show, I know his character isn't great. Good and compassionate people never reach power. Essentially, he's a dictator—I've seen many like him on TV in my past world. His methods were effective, but he's ruthless and manipulative. Most importantly, he has no beautiful daughter—basically, he's out of luck. Kuei is neither fish nor fowl, so I'll let him live as he pleases. When I arrive in the big cities, I'll focus on the aristocrats—they have enough power and understand local customs, having lived here their whole lives.
I know the Fire Nation the least. The soldiers I've encountered were mostly from colonies or low-ranking, so they didn't know much. I should visit myself—better to see and feel it once than hear about it a hundred times. Another source is the canon, but trusting everything from the show is risky. The world has shown it's unreliable. The Fire Lord's family is my priority, specifically the women—Azula and Ursa. They've never known true happiness (to hell with Ozai). Don't worry, there's enough Yuki to go around, heh-heh.
Seventy-seven years is a long time. In my past life, I could only dream of such an age. There's no rush—plenty of solutions. Look at Roku—the powerful already want to marry into his lineage, not caring about his origins. They know a strong earthbender has a good chance of having gifted children. Money can run out, friends and family can betray, but strength—strength will always be with you. It'll help you rise from the ashes.
The Fire Nation—true enemies of men, specifically Sozin, who started the Hundred Year War. How could he destroy two Air Temples filled with women and girls? Enough jokes. Seriously, Aang will have to work hard. I want our world—er, my world—to have many airbenders. Though… maybe when I attain the highest spirit rank, I'll gain new elements. Then I'll "reluctantly" take on the burden of restoring airbender numbers. With my nature, I'll have to try even harder—who knows what element my child will have. Building air castles is so relaxing and inspiring, especially when you have the power to make your fantasies real. That's the ultimate high.
"Yuki, you promised to take us on a little trip," I heard through the water. Training underwater is ideal—it engages more muscles and develops the body harmoniously. Plus, it's the fastest way to prepare for opening a new chakra. Using waterbending's air bubble technique, you can stay underwater for hours.
"I didn't forget," I replied to Yui and Katara as I emerged from the water. "Tomorrow, pack warm clothes and extra food. We're flying to explore the Western Air Temple. Better yet, ask Kaya to pack for you—she and Sokka are coming too." In response, I heard a twin groan of disappointment. The girls wanted to feel like grown, powerful benders, free from parental control.
"Why the sour faces?" I flicked their noses. "Once you grow up, I'll take only you, and more often."
"You say that every year," my little sister pouted.
"If you grow up too fast, I won't be able to train or play with you anymore," I said, feigning thoughtfulness.
"Why do we need such dangerous trips?" Katara backpedaled immediately.
"Yeah, we've got our whole lives ahead to travel," Yui agreed. "Let's go play with the bear-dogs instead."
"Let's go, let's go," I agreed easily. I'll miss this so much. Soon, they won't fall for my words anymore.