**Roku. Kiyoshi Island.**
Right on the shore, the inhabitants of a small but independent island were fishing. Much water had flowed under the bridge since Unagi became more friendly, but the fishermen still hadn't stopped thanking Shizuka's man.
"Luck was on my side today! I managed to catch three koi!" said one of the fishermen, pride evident in his voice.
"You still can't compare to Gan—he's already caught five," grumbled his neighbor in another boat, who hadn't yet boasted a large catch himself, leaving him in a foul mood.
I began hearing such conversations as I approached the island. Suddenly, the head of the local waterbender queen emerged from the water, but quickly retreated, pretending she hadn't seen anything.
"I thought she liked giving me rides," I thought, feeling like her intelligence had only grown over the years. "They say suffering makes us stronger, smarter, and more resourceful." I immediately took all the credit for myself.
After Unagi disappeared, her children emerged. Spotting me, they began energetically moving their serpentine bodies, as if performing a welcoming dance.
"Oh no, not them again!" one of the fishermen said in utter despair. "They'll scare all the fish away…"
"Looks like we won't catch anything today," muttered another, already setting aside his harpoon. After all, koi fish are known for their enormous size, and they can't be caught with a simple fishing rod.
After a while, I began descending. My arrival didn't go unnoticed.
"Master Roku!"
"Haven't seen you in ages!" the men greeted me enthusiastically.
"Good day to all!" I waved back.
Soon, I had no time for conversation. The three cubs, whom I had practically raised, swam close enough to rub their slippery snouts against my body, expressing their joy. Beneath them, Unagi's head peeked out slightly, watching our warm reunion with a hint of jealousy.
"Ha-ha, I'm glad to see you too," I said, struggling to pet their shimmering scales.
"U-u-up, U-u-up," they made sounds resembling whales. It was beautiful…
I couldn't help but notice they'd grown considerably. They're definitely a third of Unagi's length now!
Missing me, they didn't want to let go, eager to show off their newfound abilities. All the cubs have a mid-level chi source, even though they're only about two years old. Their previous waterbending techniques were now far more powerful. Their ice needles resembled arrows and spears, their water stream looked like a full-fledged water beam, and the red one's exhaled steam covered a much larger area.
Most likely, they could already sink a Fire Nation cruiser each. But battleships are still beyond their reach.
In the Wan Shi Tong library, I found information about Unagi and her predecessors. It turns out there's a funny situation: though Unagi is their mother, evolutionarily, they're her ancestors. Such a rapid leap wouldn't have worked in my previous world, where species took thousands, if not millions, of years to evolve. Here, thanks to chi energies, many things become difficult but achievable.
I always thought Unagi's kind was once close to the dragon species. Her children can safely be classified as Sea Dragons, who were once the rulers of all waters. But due to a steady decline in chi saturation, they gradually lost their former form.
The library also explained how to determine their gender. Male specimens always have triangular fins at the end of their tails, while females lack them. The most skilled dragon experts could determine gender by their faces: if it's feminine, it's a female; if more angular, a male.
If that's correct, then the blue and white ones are girls, and the red one's a boy.
"Last time, I never came up with names for them. I should do it now."
"You'll be Icy," I said, petting the Sea Dragoness's snout, which was melting under my touch. "Dewdrop," I named the blue one. "And Spark," I said to the last one.
The names are horribly unoriginal, but what can I do? I'm not good at this…
While I spent time with my "children," some of the islanders gathered on the beach. Among them, I spotted two people who were especially dear to me. Immediately, I felt Suyuki's tender emotions through our bond.
Barely tearing myself away from the dragon cubs, I approached the shore. Seeing the cheerful and welcoming faces of the people greeting me, I felt a bit ashamed for not visiting the island for so long. After all, I'd had plenty of opportunities…
"Roku!" Suyuki immediately jumped into my arms, beaming.
"Look at this beauty! Where's my little Suyuki?" I scooped her up.
"It's me! It's me!" she laughed, now a grown girl.
In the time I hadn't seen her, she'd transformed remarkably. No longer a child but not yet a woman. Essentially, Katara and Yui were also rapidly becoming stunning beauties, though it wasn't as noticeable since Yuki spent almost all her time with them.
"Alright, let Mom greet her beloved too," said Shizuka, approaching in her usual Kiyoshi warrior armor.
"And who's this beauty?" I asked Suyuki loudly.
The crowd watched our reunion with smiles, chuckling at my words and actions.
"Alright, stop making everyone laugh," Shizuka smiled, closing the distance between us.
"I missed you," I whispered as we embraced tenderly.
"I somehow doubt that," she replied just as softly.
"Sorry, sorry," I began kissing her tense face, which soon relaxed. "I'll try not to disappear like that again," I said. No matter how many letters I wrote, they couldn't replace real interaction and presence.
Back home, our family gathered to prepare various dishes, sharing news and stories.
"Yes, I heard the head of the Beifong family is a man who knows words like honor and dignity," Shizuka said after I told them about meeting Toph's parents and our adventures with them.
"Hmph," Suyuki snorted, chopping vegetables even faster. "We'll see who's stronger," she muttered under her breath. Oh-ho-ho, I shouldn't have told her about Toph and her earthbending abilities…
"A month ago, we had uninvited guests," Shizuka began cautiously. At first, I didn't think much of it—there are occasional visitors, but the village isn't weak anymore. There are the Kiyoshi warriors, Shizuka, who's unlocked her chi, and Suyuki, a skilled earthbender.
"Ahem, they were from the Fire Nation," she continued quietly.
The potato in my hands crumbled into an unrecognizable shape, and irritation rose within me, though I quickly suppressed it. Since everyone was safe, there was no need to make a scene. Besides, Shizuka's an adult woman who's never given me reason to doubt her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked evenly, or tried to. No, I'll definitely punish her tonight…
"I thought you were too busy," she began, realizing she'd acted foolishly. What business could be more important than your loved ones' safety?
"Next time, write to me immediately about such things!" I demanded firmly. "And what did they want?" I asked, calming down slightly.
"It seems someone had roughed them up. They bought some healing herbs and supplies from us. As soon as everything was loaded onto their ship, they left."
"Where were Unagi and her children?" I asked. Before leaving last time, I'd torn down the Fire Nation flag in front of them several times, showing what to do if they returned. They'd even nodded their snouts…
Any damage could later be blamed on supposedly mindless water creatures that "bother" the islanders. And they'd simply retreat underwater, out of reach.
"They weren't visible," she shook her head.
The conversation dampened my mood, but it didn't last long. That night, Shizuka was especially loud. Fortunately, I'd reinforced the house's walls long ago, so minimal noise escaped.
I'd planned to stay only a couple of days, but feeling guilty, I decided to stay for two weeks. As soon as the Earth Kingdom's territory is fully secured, I'll move Shizuka and Suyuki closer to me. I've already discussed this with both of them, but they said it's better to wait. Suyuki has friends here she doesn't want to leave yet. And Shizuka needs to raise a competent successor to take over training and military affairs here.
The next morning, they dragged me out of bed and outside. Suyuki was eager to show me what she'd achieved.
"Ha!" A massive stone fist, as tall as Suyuki, struck a rock, creating numerous cracks.
For over an hour, with occasional breaks, Suyuki demonstrated her earthbending mastery. I can say she's made a significant leap forward. Not only has her chi source reached the early mid-level stage, but her techniques now look downright deadly.
She's begun developing her own style, based on Kiyoshi warrior techniques. At this rate, it's hard to say who'd win in a fight—Toph or Suyuki…
Suyuki, slightly flushed from the effort, stared at me expectantly.
"You've done well, Suyuki!" I ruffled her hair, messing up her hairstyle.
"Now I'll show you another useful technique…" While I'm here, I should teach her as much as possible.
The days fell into a routine. In the mornings, I visited the sea dragon cubs, the future rulers of the oceans. After hours of interaction—where I had to demonstrate more than talk—I learned they often hunted with their mother in deeper waters, where they could encounter strong opponents. That's likely why they weren't around when the Fire Nation arrived.
Hours of play, which I used to disguise training, helped them progress at a good pace. Given their age and consciousness, they don't yet understand not to pour all their chi into every attack. If Unagi shows some signs of intelligence, we can expect even greater heights from her children.
After lunch with the family, Suyuki and I worked on advancing her earthbending skills. I invited little Kiyoshi, who'd grown enough to participate in training. I still remember her as a tiny tot… Time flies.
Nights were no less interesting. Shizuka practically milked me dry. Maybe I should've waited a bit longer to tell her about June and her… unique traits.
This was exactly the kind of time I needed. A peaceful life, doing what I love. Yuki, as the leader of a large tribe, often faces emergencies. Wan, at the heart of intrigue, can't truly relax, not even during rare meetings with Ursa. Yo, buried in books, pushes his brain to its limits, trying to find the information we need as quickly as possible. There's a certain pressure…
"You can safely sell koi for fifty to seventy percent more!" I remembered to tell the fishermen about the prices I'd seen for their fish.
Traders, who mark up the initial purchase price three to four times, still have strong demand from buyers.
"Let them share the profits!" Only now did I realize why this situation bothered me…
Kiyoshi Island is one of my closest connections. It's like a second home to me. The local fishermen donate part of their profits to the village. I know every resident by name, and I want them to thrive.
"Too bad they won't just accept money outright," I thought. Pride.
But there are familiar traders who buy certain items here at inflated prices, later sending me the difference to cover. The key is not to do it too often or too obviously.
"What a kind person I am," I couldn't help but boast to myself.