Having finished all my planned tasks, I decided to focus on my journey back to the North Pole. After all, I was already starting to miss my parents and little sister.
Approaching the place where I had tumbled out at night, I began immersing myself in that incomprehensible space between worlds. Already there, I started trying to sense echoes of other places that were "connected" to the human plane. After some time, I found two such sources — one of them was almost identical to the South Pole's energy signature, where the water element predominantly prevailed. Most likely, this was my tribe's territory, somewhere near the Spirit Oasis.
The other, giving a very weak response, was more like someone had formed this passage by simply forcing their considerable power through the barriers on both sides.
Probably the Valley of Forgetfulness, where the Mother of Faces supposedly often visits, helping fulfill the requests of people who wander there seeking to change their face. Sometimes, along with the face, she could take away past memories at people's request. I think she created such a breach in the defenses — this is really within an ancient spirit's power. Better not to go there without clear necessity, who knows how she differs from her prototype in the comics. There she never harmed people, but here I've already seen differences from what was shown on screen. [ image ]

So I have an idea of how to reach the place I need without effort. But I'll only try this plan in practice tomorrow, right after I properly say goodbye to the entire tribe. Then I can try to get home with a clear conscience.
The next day, every villager came out to see me off... Many children had tears in their eyes, none of them wanted to let me go. As soon as I informed Kya's family of my departure, Katara wouldn't leave my side from early morning, I had to carry her in my arms, otherwise she threatened to grab onto my leg and walk around like that.
During those few hours, I heard tearful pleas from Katara, persistent requests for me to stay, bargaining attempts where she promised to be very obedient, there were even threats to ignore me. Honestly, while all this was happening, I often caught myself thinking "come on, stay just a little longer," but I had to drive these thoughts away with incredible willpower. If I stay "just a bit more" now, then again, and again — this could really drag on for a long time. I had to calm these tantrums each time, and each time I solemnly promised her I'd return soon.
Kya seemed to have become even more beautiful and younger these past days — apparently it's true what they say, that when there's a man, well almost a man, a woman blossoms. Especially one whose actions give a sense of security, when children are fed, clothed and happy, then she feels quite satisfied with life.
During the time we spent together, I was able to roughly assess her character. I won't pretend to be a psychologist, I'll just say what I see. Kya was quite a calm girl who, despite her young age, already possessed some wisdom and a sense of tact. When I couldn't give truthful answers to some of her questions, seeing this, she easily dropped topics that were uncomfortable for me. Moreover, she was very attentive — sitting with the children for long periods, we sometimes even forgot to eat, and that's when she showed her foresight, setting the table with already prepared food. I think I could continue this list for a long time, most likely all men in love are ready to attribute qualities that aren't even there...
"Maybe you'll stay for a few more days after all?" Kya asked after our morning tea together, when the children were still sleeping.
"I'd really like to, but I can't. My family is waiting for me there," I said with a heavy sigh. "You know there's a good chance I'll return soon, and if I can figure out the mechanism of travel, then I'll be able to come to you whenever I want."
"Yes, it's just hard to believe that you can somehow get from one point in the world to another," — though, in my opinion, somewhat strange logic, local people live side by side with bending, incomprehensible animals, spirits, and still some things seem impossible to the people here.
"Katara will miss you terribly, it seems today she won't let you go at all," she said with a chuckle. "As soon as you woke up yesterday, she spent all her time only with you, even forgot about me," — this was said with a certain degree of jealousy.
"I didn't do it on purpose," was all I could say awkwardly. "You've probably already guessed that Katara is a potential waterbender?" I finished in a serious tone.
"Yes," — it was clear this didn't make her too happy. In this tribe, being born a waterbender isn't a gift, but a curse. "Sometimes I'm plagued by nightmares where firebenders attack the village to take my girl away," — as she spoke, her body began to shake. Moving closer, I put my arm around her, trying to give some support. "It seems only since your appearance these bad dreams no longer bother me," she whispered, not trying to pull away but instead leaning closer to me. "Promise me you'll return as soon as possible," she said, looking into my eyes.
How can you not return when someone looks at you so touchingly? And seeing her so defenseless, I could only nod affirmatively.
So we sat in comfortable silence for another good half hour, until we were interrupted by the sleepy faces of Sokka and Katara.
I'll have to study the mysteries of healing, waterbending, and life energy itself with doubled effort... I don't really want to let Kya go. At first glance, I really liked her, and to be honest, initially it was because of her gorgeous figure and beautiful face, but getting to know her better, simple sympathy began to flow into something more complex.
I even started having thoughts like: "In the near future, I want to become someone she can rely on."
In the evening, at the place of my appearance, I was saying goodbye to already "living" people who had begun to value every moment of their lives. It was very joyful to be involved in such positive changes — after all, a person should be able not only to destroy, but also to create.
After wiping Katara's tears one last time and handing her to her mother, who was also trying to hide her sad look from me, I entered that very space... with a small polar rodent.
Why do I need it? I want to check if I can transport living beings this way. For starters, small creatures that like to eat the tribe's supplies will do.
Already there, I began implementing my plan. As it seems to me, there's no such concept as distance here. This place is more like Wan Shi Tong's Library, where you need to recreate your own path through the power of thought and spending your energy.
Walking in one direction, I began concentrating on the material plane's energy, while focusing attention on the heightened background with water energy. As I moved, energy began consuming at simply frantic rates, while I had to cover the rodent with it too, who began literally withering when we started walking in this space. [ image ]

As it seems to me, not having enough of its own energy, such a walk began draining its life energy, which it also couldn't boast much of. After walking what I estimated to be several hundred meters, I began sensing my approach to the needed place. Catching my breath, I began tumbling out of this space between worlds.
As soon as I blinked, the same view of the Spirit Oasis opened before me. Then, noticing my empty hands, I could see how the former rodent, having turned into some semblance of a mummy, crumbled to dust in my hands, which was immediately carried away by a small breeze...
Good thing I didn't immediately try to take a human with me — the same thing could have happened to me if I didn't have a large energy reserve. It seems when I first tried to crawl into the Spirit World, I walked right on a knife's edge. If I didn't have two sources, I would have appeared at the Southern Tribe as the same dust. Brr, I shuddered at such prospects.
Well, you need to note and firmly remember your mistakes, but not live by them!
After greeting the Moon and Ocean spirits, who didn't even pay attention to me, I walked quickly toward the Chief's Palace. And as I approached, people who caught my eye continued looking at me in some disbelief. Sensing trouble with my rear end, I quickened my pace, almost breaking into a light run.
Entering our living room, I was met by an oppressive atmosphere — the kind you could cut with a knife. The grim faces of Arnook and June only complemented the already not-too-joyful picture for me. But the entire effect created by my parents was ruined by Yue, who threw herself into my arms with moisture in her eyes. My parents, seeing that all the atmosphere they'd created was spoiled, just shook their heads and also went to hug.
After such a warm greeting, a serious conversation began.
"Son, your mother and I know that you're very responsible and mature beyond your years, but everything has its limits," father began speaking, with mother's agreeing nods.
"I hope you realize how much you made your mother and me worry?"
"Yes, I understand everything," — even if I were the strongest bender in the world, parents are parents, and they'll try to take care of you as long as possible, and I created this situation myself.
"Good, then as a good son to your parents, are you ready to tell us at least some of your secrets? We've long suspected that you're hiding something from us, but hoped that over time you'd share some mysteries with us yourself," — how awkward, I thought my parents had enough of their own ideas about me, and wouldn't bring up these questions anymore...
I think I should tell them about the portals connecting the two poles. After all, if I want to continue disappearing to another place without hindrance, they should know where and what I'm doing. How difficult — I need to come up with a more or less believable story about my knowledge of the portals themselves, spirits, and everything else that connects it all.
"Even as a child, knowledge of certain things seemed to surface in my head from nowhere — these could be some places in our world that really exist, different waterbending techniques, and even some events from history," I began my story with a sigh, where most of it consisted of lies. I promise to reveal most of the truth to them when I'm ready. "That's how I learned there are portals to the spirit world, where practicing your bending for just one day achieves the same result you'd get from weeks of training in the real world," — of course, if you absorb spirits' residual energy. "So I got fired up with the idea of getting to such a place. From the same knowledge, I learned about portals to the spirit world. My other peculiarity is understanding spirits themselves — that day I really talked with Tui and La, who also helped me with waterbending. They, by the way, asked not to bother them too much," — maybe I can get away with changing the subject...
"Son, we thought you were much more sensible. Seeing so many risks, you still decided to go who knows where," — father and mother looked very displeased, if not angry at me for my recklessness. As for my revelations about spirits and knowledge, the reaction wasn't so stormy — they'd been thinking about something similar themselves.
Then I told them in more detail about what didn't work out for me and how I subsequently ended up at the Southern Water Tribe.
When I mentioned the current state of the Southern Water Tribe, my parents looked truly enraged. Father still remembered how his father and his advisors had to make the difficult decision not to interfere in the Southern Tribe's war with the Fire Nation. Spreading their already small forces to two different ends of the world would mean putting the entire water nation's existence in question.
Learning that I could travel there and back freely, father immediately gave permission for my trips to our southern brothers and sisters, only asking me to be more careful, and if the situation became critical, to leave immediately... He wasn't ready to lose his son at the other end of the earth.
We finished only late at night. Little Yue had already fallen asleep in my arms an hour after my arrival. My parents say she couldn't find peace, even searched the entire city looking for me. I really made her worry — after all, I'd never left her for such a long period before. I need to figure out how to make up for my guilt, but all that tomorrow. Right now I just want to get to bed.
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