xXTheDarkOneXx
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56 - Embers of her Warmth
🕑 Added 2024-07-08 16:24:01 +0000 UTCAt a place a little distance from the southern water tribe, near the ocean.
A small congregation of people were gathered here, both old and young.
Levi, his siblings, and Hakoda were at the front of the group, Sokka and Katara were crying nonstop with red eyes, while Hakoda only had a blank expression on his face as he looked forward.
They all watched as the wooden boat carrying a body wrapped in white bandages drifted away, getting further and further away from them, around the body were a lot of wood and sticks surrounding it from every direction.
“AHHH, MOM DON'T GO.” screamed Katara at the top of her lungs as she ran after the boat crying, almost jumping into the ocean if Levi didn't catch her.
“LET ME GO, GET AWAY.” Katara screamed as she hit and scratched Levi with her nails drawing blood from his hands, before he brought her in closer and hugged her tightly which seemed to have finally snapped her from her wild state as she hugged Levi and cried in his embrace, soaking his clothes with her non-stop tears.
Sokka was the same as he hugged Hakoda and cried silently.
Seeing the family like this the hearts of the people around couldn't help but clench.
Scenes like this had been constant since the Fire Nation attack, but just when they thought they would get a breather this happened.
Levi’s hands were clenched tightly as he hugged Katara, and watched his mother pushed away from him by the waves.
A tear drifted from his eye and fell onto the ground, he hadn't enabled Gamer’s mind, even though he wanted to, to shield himself from all this hurt and pain he was feeling but he didn't, he couldn't, the least he could do for the woman who had given him all she had was fully grieve her death.
Tenzin walked towards Levi holding a bow and an arrow in hand, he put his hand on his shoulder and spoke, “Do You want me to do it?.”
Levi didn't reply for a long while seemingly lost in thought, seeing him like that Tenzin only sighed and was about to light the arrow on fire and aim the bow before Levi stopped him.
“I'll do it master.” spoke Levi just before Tenzin fired, stopping him as he handed him the bow and arrow.
Holding the bow and arrow Levi aimed it high and was about to fire it at the boat.
Seeing this, Tenzin could only Sigh, “Ha-ah, You forgot to light it on fi…..”
Under Tenzin’s gaze and under everyone else's astonished gazes the arrow in Levi's hand lit up on its own, and not just the arrowhead, the entire arrow lit up as heat spread into the surroundings making them back up.
“Levi you…” Tenzin’s eyes opened so wide they almost popped out of his skull as he watched this sight.
Levi relaxed his grip as the arrow flew from his hand and straight into the faraway boat, landing perfectly and lighting it on fire.
That wasn't the end though, as the boat caught on fire it rapidly spread at unnatural speeds and reached into the sky before turning into a beautiful orange fire rose that opened its petals and spread its light and radiance all the way to the Levi’s location and even further to the southern water tribe direction.
The benders and soldiers immediately rushed over with anxious expressions on their faces before they were signaled to back down by Tenzin.
The rose burned big and bright as it illuminated the people, spreading its warmth over all those watching. Katara and Sokka stopped crying as they watched this marvelous scene, feeling warmth similar to their mother's spreading from that rose.
Before long the fire rose reached the end of its life as it slowly dissipated before everyone's eyes just like the life they'd just lost.
“AVATAR!”
“YOU'RE THE AVATAR.”
“YOU'RE FINALLY BACK”
“THE SPIRITS OF OUR ANCESTORS HAVEN'T ABANDON US AFTER ALL”
“THE AVATAR IS BACK”
…
…
The people around them started cheering and crying in joy, some even kneeling down towards Levi even Hakoda watched him with a complicated expression.
Feeling the gazes of the people around him Levi didn't budge even a muscle as he kept staring at the burning boat drifting far away. This was his goodbye to his mother, the only mother he ever knew in both lives.
Using limit breaker to go past his fire-bending limit, and with the assistance of ethereal force to reinforce the bow and arrow Levi achieved what should have been impossible for him. But he didn't feel any joy or happiness because of it, there was only an empty feeling inside.
‘I've never known or experienced the love of a mother until I came to this world. You took care of me and raised and loved me like nobody ever did.’
‘And in return you got this adult who's occupying what should have been your innocent son’s body.’
‘I haven't been the best son, I wish I was better
I wish I had spent more time with you, I wish I had been more open and closer to you.’
‘But I won't make the same mistake again, I'll treasure what I have left.’
‘I love you mom, Goodbye’
Tears started falling out of Levi’s face as he choked, crying in silence.
Saying his goodbyes he turned around and left, walking back into the tribe as he held his sibling's trembling hands in each hand.
***
That night
In a dimly lit room, a wooden table was in the middle surrounded by two chairs, fire burned at the side of the room, warming the place up.
A steaming teapot and two tea cups were on top of the table, Levi and Tenzin were sitting around the table as they sipped on the tea.
“Ha-ah, what a good tea I can never get used to it.” said Tenzin, sighing.
Levi only nodded, even in his current situation this tea helped him relax a little.
“That was really stupid of you boy, it's not like you.” said Tenzin as he looked at Levi, contrary to the content of his speech his tone was soft instead of hard.
Levi already knew what he was talking about, if it was like the usual and he was in a calm state of mind with Gamer’s mind active he would do things in the most practical way and avoid showing his fire-bending ability in front of the whole tribe, only telling his master, unlike what he did
But Levi didn't regret it, and if he went back in time he would make the same decision again, that was the only way he could think of to send a person like Kya away, if he could he would make it even more grand.
Seeing him silent, Tenzin couldn't help but sigh, “I did my best to keep this matter a secret but I don't know how long we can keep it under wraps, no matter what we need to start your training as soon as possible.”
Hearing him Levi couldn't help but become alert, “Is it going to be Iroh?” asked Levi, speaking for the first time his tone neutral.
Tenzin nodded his head as he replied, “Yes, we can pull some strings and disguise you as a fire nation soldier to get you under his tutelage, of course we will need to alter your appearance a little but that's not a big problem .”
Levi only nodded his head not saying anything else, nonetheless, he was satisfied with this arrangement.
Seeing him like this, Tenzin's heart tightened, “Listen here kid, death is a natural law of this world, to be born means to die, nobody can change that, we can only accept it and move forward.”
“I will die one day too, your father will die, we can only accept it and move on.” spoke Tenzin in a soft tone trying to comfort Levi.
He had been like him one day when he first lost his loved ones, but over time as he grew older and lost more people, he became numb to it, before he came to understand and accept it, now even if he died tomorrow he would welcome it with open arms.
Hearing his speech Levi could only smile bitterly, he knew that what Tenzin said didn't apply to him, this speech may have worked on anyone else, but not him.
Just by gaining states in training his normal life span will extend more and more, not to mention his bounded spirit's lifespan extension benefits, he was bound to live a very long life.
But now he doesn't know if it was a gift or a curse, eventually he will watch everyone he knew die and get forgotten by everyone around until he's the only one remaining, a relic of the past that refuses to be defeated by the passage of time.
He won't only watch Tenzin and his father die, but even Katara and Sokka, their kids and their grandkids, and everyone he may know from now on.
He didn't think about it before but now it has been weighing on his mind, nevertheless, he didn't address this issue.
“I understand master but for now I need to take some time alone and rest.” said Levi as he got up, Tenzin only nodded an affirmation as he got out.
***
Walking back home Levi removed his shoes as he walked in, he didn't hear his siblings or father at all, plus the lights were out, they were obviously sleeping.
All three of them had cried their eyes out all day that they couldn't help but crumble in exhaustion when night came.
Levi wasn't any better, reaching his room he directly fell on his bed in exhaustion but he couldn't help but start thinking.
He already had Tobirama check for any abnormalities on his mother’s body before the funeral, but everything was normal, it was a normal death.
But Levi knew that wasn't the case, deep down he knew the reason for her death, Kya was supposed to die a week ago, but he had interfered and changed that outcome, he thought that the danger was already averted by then, but who would have thought….
‘It seems some things are set in stone, if I have to use earth's terms, it is a fixed point in time.’ thought Levi with a bitter expression on his face as he fell asleep.
***
Levi suddenly woke up startled as he looked around him but he didn't see his room, looking around all he could see was a narrow tunnel made of different colored lights and in the middle of the tunnel he could see a ten-year-old boy with closed eyes, seemingly unconscious, zipping past at insane speeds.
‘Is that me? Am I dreaming?’ Levi couldn't help but wonder as he watched himself drifting forward.
Soon scenes started appearing all around this tunnel, some were blurry, but others were extremely clear.
In the first scene he saw a familiar place, a blue portal opened high up and dropped an eight-year-old into the woods.
‘This is when I first arrived in the spirit realm!’ This was the first thought that came to Levi.
On another screen he saw a medieval army surrounding a huge castle. What was worth noting was that there were wizards, knights with special abilities, strange creatures, and more mixed in.
In one of the screens he saw a scene that shook him to the core, he saw what he could only describe as Cultivators flying and fighting, destroying worlds and galaxies on a whim.
Entire worlds and universes kept flashing past him again and again. Levi had the vague feeling that as long as he stepped into any of those scenes he would be transported to their respective world.
‘This is the month I don't remember.’ he suddenly had this thought before the world in front of him shattered and he woke up.
