Chapter 17
Title: Spirit Categories
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Azula POV.
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Timeline: 98 AG (25th Of March) (At the Abbey - After the Cranefish Flew away)
'That was definitely Lady Tienhai,' I think. There is no mistaking it. That feeling she gave off—definitely the same feeling that Grandpa Roku was giving at his temple when I met him. 'I think she's asking me to follow her.' I look towards where she was headed and realize it's towards the old ruins of Tienhaishi.
'Alright, if she wants to meet me, guess there is no need to delay visiting her then.' Besides, I don't have anything better to do at the moment.
I get up from the seat I'm at before going to find Kuzon. I see him conversing with some of the nuns and get a mischievous idea. 'Hehe~'
I get close behind him before raising my voice suddenly.
"Wow~ the big bad Kuzon, warrior captain of the frontlines, is seen flirting with religious nuns of the Abbey~ Didn't see that one coming~"
Of course, I had already heard from afar that he wasn't flirting, simply asking about the regions around here to better understand his current position. But as his best friend~ I am obligated to tease him! —it's written in the script— so I'm only following the rules here~
Kuzon suddenly jumps back and turns around, his ears going beet red from embarrassment.
"THIS IS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I WAS JUST ASKING ABOUT THE REGION AND STUFF!!" He panics, giving me more ammo.
"Hooooo~ other stuff, ey~? Alright, if you don't wanna share, I won't be pressing you for it. Your life is your own to do with as you like after all."
I dismiss it with a wave of my hand. Kuzon, having by now calmed down and realized there is no escaping this predicament, just sighs in defeat and asks, "What do you want, Azula?"
He asks, making me straighten too and let go of my playful facade. "I will be away for a few hours. I'm just here to inform you in case the others ask—where are Mai and Ty Lee anyway?" I ask and mumble the last part.
Kuzon, having heard, answers me.
"They were headed out into the forest a few minutes ago. You just missed them actually."
He informs me. I shrug. 'Guess I got too engrossed into the story to notice.'
"Alright then, I'm off for now. Inform them when they're back. Oh, and—"
I smirk, "Good luck with your catch~"
I await no longer for his answer and bolt out of the Abbey while laughing maniacally.
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The Ruins of Tienhaishi were near the —future named— Yue Bay shores. It's not that far away from the Abbey, honestly, just a few minutes' walk.
As I get near the ruined city, the feeling in my chest—the feeling of home—gets intensified. I still don't understand the reason for this feeling. Maybe I'll ask Lady Tienhai when I meet her—or maybe General Old Iron, I don't know.
I follow my spiritual perception, getting a feel for the area as I'm traversing the streets of the ruined city.
'There are still faint traces of elemental particles left around the city.' This is mind-blowing for me, because according to the book and my meta knowledge of this world, Avatar Yangchen and General Old Iron fought here five generations ago!
For there to still be traces of elemental particles around here, their fight must have been devastating, to say the least.
I get closer to the spirit I'm sensing within the city. As I move closer and closer to the heart of the city, the concentration of those elemental particles becomes a little stronger, indicating that the strongest blows were exchanged around here.
My mind automatically starts making a picture of the fight in my head as I'm moving closer to the heart of the city.
Once I'm there, I see a cranefish perched at the top of a ruined palace roof. The cranefish looks my way as she sees me approach, before she flaps her wings and descends before me.
Once before me, her real height becomes apparent. This cranefish is much larger than average ones. I myself am currently 5 feet (152.4 cm) at 12. That is a little tall for my current age, I know, but I wanted to have the original Azula's height when I ascended, so I molded my body to that height.
Anyways, once the cranefish is before me, she tilts her head. Her beady black eyes—but somewhat intelligent-looking visage—eyes me up and down before she lets out her voice.
KRRRRAAA—wooooo!
Her sound is like the wail of a crane's low trumpet mixed with a whale-like moan. But it isn't the wail of the cranefish that has me in a trance—it's the voice I'm able to hear in my head when she wails.
'Greetings, fellow spirit.'
Her voice is gentle, inviting, and soothing, conveying her curiosity about me. I first stare at her for a second, trying to understand how she was able to speak with me in my mind without words by simply calling to me like that
Having not found the reason, I reply to her, all of the thinking having taken me less than a second. "Oh, greetings," I say openly, not sure if she'll understand. "Can you understand what I'm saying while I'm talking like this?"
I ask her, and the cranefish's head bobs in confirmation.
She cries out once more, then her words get to my mind again.
'Yes, I quite understand you. You are very young right now, so you may not know this, but spirits have "millions" of ways to communicate with each other. I'm simply using one where it's easiest for you to understand me.'
Yeah. My mind is blown. Millions of ways?! How is that possible???
"How is that possible?" I ask her, and she answers.
'There are a great many things that are possible in this world, my dear. You just have to be creative enough~' Her amusement is clear to me.
sigh, deciding to leave my future self to ponder these things later, and continue on with the conversation.
"So, why did you want to meet me? Oh, my name is Azula, by the way." I introduce myself while asking what she wanted.
The cranefish lets out a softer cry this time, and her presence settles around me like a calm tide.
'Oh, nothing much. I simply felt an ancient spirit walking around these regions and decided to see you for myself. My name is Lady Tienhai, by the way. It is nice to meet you.' Her words make me frown slightly.
"Wait—what do you mean by ancient spirit? What does that term mean exactly?" I ask, now genuinely confused.
The cranefish freezes for a moment, her emotions rippling outward in surprise.
'…This has never occurred before.'
Her confusion leaks clearly into my mind.
'An ancient spirit who does not know she is one? This is quite unprecedented. Dear, do you know if you have recently been corrupted? Perhaps that is the reason you do not remember?' Lady Tienhai's thoughts spiral a little, clearly going off the rails.
Okay, so I know exactly what she means by corruption. She's talking about when a spirit gets influenced by negative emotions, becomes a dark spirit, and starts attacking those around it. And I also know for a fact that I didn't become corrupted.
"No, I didn't become corrupted. Maybe it's because of my origin or something." I say out loud.
The cranefish tilts her head. 'Your origin?'
Then, before I can elaborate, another realization hits her.
'Oh! So it was you!' Now I'm the confused one. 'Nearly a month ago, I felt something from the western side of the world. It was an encompassing feeling—a warm and transformative kind of presence. I suppose it was you who ascended.'
She floats closer now, her massive form moving with surprising grace. 'But now that I see you face to face… yes, I can tell.' Her gaze sharpens. 'You are quite unusual for a spirit. You still possess the mortal flesh that you occupied before your ascension. That alone is not unheard of—others have done so in the past. But you are very different from them, aren't you?'
Her tone shifts from curiosity to certainty.
'Azula, it seems that you have not only possessed your mortal body… but that your spirit is trying to merge with it.'
That makes me blink. "What does that mean? I mean—what does it matter if my physical being is merging with my spiritual one?"
Inside, I groan. 'Sensei! Why did you have to disappear on me at a time like this?!'
I've tried every method I know to call for my Master since the day I ascended, and nothing has worked. If she were here, I wouldn't be standing around clueless in front of another spirit right now.
Lady Tienhai answers my question. 'To spiritualize is to leave behind one's mortal flesh and become an intangible being. Mortal bending cannot affect us in that state. But your spiritualization is… different.' She circles me slowly, her massive form casting a long shadow over the broken stones.
'Your spirit wishes to remain a spirit, yet also carry your mortal form with it.' That doesn't answer my question at all
"Why though? And what's going to happen? Am I gonna explode or something?!" I panic slightly, my hands clenching at my sides.
'I do not know,' she admits. 'But I sense no malice in it. In fact… I believe it will not be a bad thing.' Her presence softens, a calm warmth brushing against my emotions.
'You should rely on your emotions more now, Azula. Spirits are creatures of emotion far more than mortals are. Our emotions shape us, guide us, and bind us to our concepts.' I nod slowly.
"Understood. Start feeling more. Got it."
Internally though, 'WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!'
"Anyway," I say quickly, trying to move on, "about that ancient spirit thing you mentioned earlier." Lady Tienhai's head dips in acknowledgment.
'Yes. I suppose you never learned these instinctively due to your unusual ascension. There are five tiers by which spirits are categorized. Let us begin from the weakest.'
I glance around before sitting down on a nearby rock, giving her my full attention.
'First are the fragmented spirits, often referred to as corrupted ones—' "I know what corruption is," I interrupt quickly. "Can we skip that part?"
She pauses, then agrees. 'Very well. Corrupted spirits are considered the fifth category, but they cannot be ranked by strength. Any spirit, regardless of tier, may fall into corruption.'
She continues. 'Next are the lesser, or minor, spirits. They are unnamed wanderers, bound to small existences. Their intelligence is limited, much like animals in the physical world.'
I nod along. 'Above them are the greater, or aspect, spirits—sometimes called middle-tier spirits. They embody minor concepts and rule over specific domains. Their influence weakens beyond those areas, but they may freely interact with humans.'
'Then there are the ancient, or higher, spirits.'
She looks directly at me. 'That is your category.' I straighten slightly. 'Ancient spirits are not bound to a single location. They wield influence freely and govern major concepts.'
She pauses deliberately. 'For example: the great ancient spirits Tui and La. They embody the Moon and the Ocean—two of the major concepts that govern this world.'
She studies me. 'Which brings me to ask… what concept do you govern, Azula?' I tilt my head. "Honestly? I don't know."
Fire doesn't feel like a major concept. Not like the moon. Not like the ocean. "Let's continue for now," I say. "I'll figure it out later."
She accepts that without argument. 'Very well. Then we move to the final tier.'
Her tone grows heavier. 'The last category is known as the 'Primordial Ones'. Spirits who govern over primordial aspects of existence. To this day, only two spirits have ever occupied this tier.'
I nod. "Raava and Vaatu." 'Correct,' she confirms. 'The spirits of balance and chaos. Light and darkness.' She explains further, her emotions darkening. 'When chaos reigns in the world, Vaatu grows stronger, plunging the era into disorder. It is his existence that gave rise to the concept of corrupted spirits.'
I frown slightly. "Then Raava grows stronger when balance exists."
'Yes,' Lady Tienhai agrees. 'Yet even the Primordial Ones are not fully in control of the concepts they embody. Balance and chaos are as ancient as time itself.' Silence settles between us as I absorb everything.
Eventually, I exhale. "…Thank you. I didn't know about the tiers part. "
I rise to my feet and bow respectfully. "How may I repay you?" Lady Tienhai bristles immediately, wings flaring.
'I did not teach you to gain something in return! Who do you take me for? I am Lady Tienhai, great spirit of the shores of the Mo Ce Sea! I don't help others, expecting something in return! '
I can't help but laugh. "Wow. The great spirit of the shores of Mo Ce Sea, Reduced to a grumpy old nanny?"
She sends me a sharp huff of indignation. Still smiling, I soften my tone. "Alright then. Not a debt. A favor between friends. What do you want, Lady Tienhai?"
She hesitates, her emotions swirling.
Then, quietly— '…Will you bring Old Iron to me?'
Her plea hangs in the air, heavy with centuries of regret. The sea breeze stirs the dust around us, but Lady Tienhai remains perfectly still, as if afraid that even the slightest movement might shatter the courage it took her to ask.
I blink once, then nod.
"That shouldn't be too hard. I'll do it." Her emotions surge immediately—relief, hope, and something painfully close to guilt.
'You would do this… for me?'
I shrug. "You taught me a lot today. Besides, I don't really like unfinished business." I pause, then tilt my head.
"Where can I find him?"
Lady Tienhai turns her massive head toward the horizon and lifts her beak, pointing toward a small island in the distance, barely visible past the haze. 'That island,' she conveys, 'Two centuries ago, that is where I last sensed him.'
I follow her direction, seeing the island that would later become a major place in the future. The Air Temple, the place that becomes Tenzin's future home.
"Alright," I say. "That's a start." I step back and roll my shoulders, already preparing to leave.
'Be careful,' Lady Tienhai says, her worry brushing against my emotions.
I glance back at her and grin. "Don't worry, I don't plan on disappearing from the story this early."
That earns me a faint ripple of amusement. I take a few steps away from her, then stop.
"Oh—and Lady Tienhai?" She focuses on me.
"When i bring him here, you'd better be ready to face him properly. No running away this time."
Her emotions stiffen, then steady. 'I will.' I nod to her before getting into a stance
my feet, one slightly forward, and draw my hands back behind me, palms angled downward.
Blue flames ignite beneath my soles, then along my hands, warm and responsive. I increase their intensity, and the ground cracks softly beneath the sudden force.
In an instant, I launch upward, the ruins shrinking beneath me as the wind roars past.
The sea stretches endlessly ahead, the distant island growing larger with every passing second.
As I fly, I close my eyes for just a moment and let my senses expand. Taking a deep breath of this fresh air 'this is life', I think, seeing my destination up ahead
'Let's see where destiny will take me this time' i smirk, soaring towards the Island
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Author's note/ so, this episode was kinda of a info dump. Here we learn that spirits are categorized into 5 different tiers, we have:
Primordial (Raava and Vaatu)
Higher or Ancient Spirits (Azula, Tui and La, Mother Of All Faces,Wan Shi Tong)
Greater or aspect spirits or Middle Tier (Hei Bai, Painted Lady, or Lady Tienhai)
Obviously within these categories there are gaps to the strength within between spirit, but we're not gonna dive into those too much
Next we have lesser or minor spirits (the spirit hordes we saw in Legend Of Korra)
And lastly we have the fragmented or corrupted spirits (spirits who gets negative feels~ (´༎ຶ ͜ʖ ༎ຶ `)♡ )
A little explanation here at the end, and so that it. Thank you guys for reading my chaps and supporting me with powerstones
Next chapter we'll see where General Old Iron is and what his answer will be to go in meeting his long lost friend
𝓣𝓸𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓸~