Chapter 19: 18. Departure

For a master of disguise and spycraft, Misha was a fairly simple woman. She was five years his senior but technically in the same generation as Aaron. Her mother, Yara, was from the Water Tribe, and she was blessed with similarly darker skin and nubile beauty.

However, what every bender that'd seen her fight loved and dreaded about Misha was her skill. If Aaron was a prodigy, she was a saint with enough Chi reserves and talent to mow down men with a single hand wave.

Despite all that talent and potential, she was a creature of habit. Finding her was as simple as scanning the tea and restaurants in the upper ring of the city.

Aaron found her playing Paisho with an Older man in a gaudy restaurant, nursing a cup of tea, half-drunk. Her lip had already parted to a white smile before he entered the establishment, which was covered from roof to floor in gold frillings, jade fixtures, and earthy greens.

"I see you've started on your path, cousin," she said, looking up at him. "You're further along than I expected." She sensed the depth of his Chi with a single look.

She wore a yellow dress that shone in the afternoon light and gestured to him to sit when she noticed he just stood there and stared.

"Come on, come on," she beamed. "Big sister Misha has missed you."

Aaron blinked and was tempted to huff or trade a barb, but he was old enough not to rise to such an obvious tease.

She snapped her fingers, and a waiter slipped over and passed him a chair to sit as he earned various looks from other patrons of the establishment.

The Old man playing her slowly regarded him with his small squinty eyes before he pronounced. "He does look like you," he laughed. "Do you also like Paisho?" he asked as he got up.

Aaron tried not to let his confusion show as he regarded the man.

"It's not my favourite."

The man laughed. "It takes time to experience the beauty of the game. I didn't get good at Paisho until I retired from the army. But enough about me. I'll leave you both.  I can sense you have much to discuss."

"Thank you, Mister Ming. You're a sweetheart," Misha waved at the man as Aaron took a seat.

"How is the city treating you?" she asked as she reset the board. Up close, Misha looked different. Plumber, more radiant. Time had changed her.

"Better than I expected. Since you last saw me, I've made great progress with the Avatar, fought the King, and gained a new peculiar companion," he said with some pride."I think you might like him."

"Mark, was it?" she mused. "The Earth King's new apprentice? I hear he's a handful."

"He is," Aaron sighed.

Looking down, Aaron saw the table already set. If he let himself, they could play on for hours, sipping tea, trading barbs and reminiscing about old times. And he'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. The past few weeks had been stressful, yet he couldn't rest now, not when he was almost at the finish line.

"A game?"

"Perhaps another time. I'm here on business, I'm afraid."

"Oh," Misha wrinkled her nose. "And here I thought you just missed me." She fussed with the tile pieces for a bit before she continued. "You know how I feel about 'business.' I chose diplomatic work for a reason."

"A reason you never shared with me," Aaron said. All he was told was that after a particularly nasty mission disrupting the supplies of Fire Nation troupes serving under General Fong, she chose to transfer to diplomatic duties.  Now, she was just a spokesperson, like many other aides of their Nation.  It was her job to petition the rich and powerful of the world to support their war efforts.

'A mission she was shit at,' he thought. The King knew more than he should have, and he could be bluffing that he knew more about Grandfather. Their official position when asked about him was no comment at all.

"I…needed a change," she said, "and I couldn't continue on after the last mission. Things changed."

"I'm sure they did, but I am stuck picking up your slack," he breathed. "But I am not here to dredge up old memories. I need your help."

"What do you need?" she said, looking up at him.

"It's Aang, Avatar Roku wants to speak to him tomorrow, and I have to talk to grandfather about my new disciple. Remember the presence you felt about a month ago? Well, he's it."

Her eyes went wide. "Oh." She stayed quiet for a long moment. "How… When…Is he a danger?"

"He's smarter than he lets on, so he could be, but he might also be our only chance to get ahead in his conflict," Aaron said truthfully.

When she gave him a puzzled look, he waved. "You'll understand later."

"So, you need me to watch the Avatar?" she said, shifting a bit in her seat.

"He leaves tonight, and he'll be travelling with some of the most elite soldiers in King Bumi's employ. You're there as backup."

"Relegated to just 'backup', huh?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"It's what we need at the moment."

She took a small sip of her tea and then spoke.

"Tell me everything."

—

The gang loaded up Appa near one of the many floating gardens in the palace foyer just after midnight. Bumi stood alongside three elite guards doling out instructions.

Aaron and Mark bid the rest of the team goodbyes as they had to explain for the umpteenth time why they had to stay and why meeting Aaron's grandfather was so important.

Just as Sokka, who stood on Appa, was about to say something halfway witty, Misha came tumbling over the Foyer's side in a gust of air and landed in front of them.

"Now, that's an entrance!" Mark clapped.

"Sorry, I am late," Misha said, patting her clothes down. She wore the traditional battle garb of the New Air Nation. Billowing grey cloak for navigating the air with a sturdy dark fireproof under armour that was slash resistant. It was made from a unique fibre blend that Grandfather apparently had discovered. She carried a long bo staff that opened up into a customary glider in her left hand and wore daggers on her hips and boot.

"You're right on time," Aaron said, stepping forward with a smile. He was glad she could set aside her own problems and show up, even after everything.

"I am Misha," She said. "And I will be your companion for this trip."

"Another Airbender." Aang lit up. "Aaron told me a lot about you, but I didn't think I'd meet someone this soon. My name is--"

"Aang," she completed with a smile that matched his. "It's the honour of a lifetime to meet the Avatar," she bowed. Aang blushed awkwardly before he reciprocated.

Sokka, who stood atop Appa's pouch, slid down and stuck a pose as he landed. "The name is Sokka," he said, offering her a hand. She took it.

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"And I am the muscle on the team. If you're any bit as good as Aaron, our trip is guaranteed to go a lot smoother."

Katara, ever eager, came up a second after. "It's great to meet another Airbender. I still had a hard time believing him when Aaron told us there were more Airbenders."

"Think of us as the dragons of the Air Nation," she said. "Everybody knows we are real, but they're still surprised when they meet us."

"That's oddly accurate," Sokka said with a thoughtful look.

"Can you tell us any more about your people?" Katara asked. "The only thing Aaron talks about is training and combat."

Misha chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll catch you all up to speed on Airbender culture on our trip." She threw Aaron a look. "I assure you not every one of us is as stiff as Aaron."

Aaron huffed. He could be loose when he wanted to be.

The kids chuckled, and Aaron kept a smile from tugging on his cheek. "Come on, Mark. We need to get going," Aaron said. "There's much to discuss before the meeting."

"Hold on now!" Bumi suddenly said at the top of his lungs. "None of you are leaving this Foyer." His eyes swept through the room and settled on Misha. "Not until somebody explains why she never returned for the rematch the promised. I've been waiting three years for our rematch at Paisho."  Bumi shook his fist at her, and Aaron tuned out the rest of the conversation.

—

A few minutes before the solstice, Aaron and Mark sat in the chamber he'd prepared, with water, incense, oils, and everything they'd needed to make their communal smoother. Most of it was for Mark's benefit. As first-time Spirit World visitors had a hard time making the jump. Yara had used the same method to guide him and Misha on their first few trips to visit their Grandfather.

"Are you ready?" Aaron asked.

"Given everything you told me, I don't think I'll ever be, but it's time, so fuck it."

With circular movements of his hands, Aaron brought the incense smoke downwards.

"Remember to take deep breaths," Aaron said, and he heard Mark hmm in acknowledgement, but he'd barely heard him speak.

Waves of spiritual energy drowned out all sound or thought. And he had to remind himself not to breathe it in and try to convert it to Chi. The human body couldn't handle it. Instead, he allowed it to carry his spiritual body.

The world inverted, and in a few short seconds, they found themselves standing in a world of deep greens and blues, purples, and clouds.

Lush grasslands stretched in every direction, mixed with strange multi-coloured jungle and a sky that was more purple than blue. They had made it to the spirit world.

"Oh wow," Mark whispered as he turned around and around. "It's like I'm living in my best and worst psychedelic trips combined."

Aaron smiled.

"It's quite something, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Mark scoffed. "And a lot more cuddly than I expected for a realm containing the most nightmarish creatures and spirits your world has to offer."

"There's no danger if you know where to step," Aaron said and then stared into the distance for a moment. "We should get going."

Mark was the most vocal he'd ever seen while they travelled to Grandfather's grove. He whispered to him each time they encountered strange creatures and even started quaking when Aaron caught two minor spirits to transport them to his grandfather Grove. He almost fell from his mount when he saw a talking radish that was as large as he was tall.

"Oh my God. That can't be where I think that is, is it?" His face had done white.

"The fog of lost souls," Aaron said. "Grandfather said it's a reminder that there are fates worse than death. All the worst souls throughout history are banished here.."

Mark's spirit slowed down as he thought out loud. "If we ever manage to catch the fire Nation Gamer off guard, this could be a tidy long-term solution. Saves me the trouble of actually fighting him," he chuckled.

"Gamer?"

"Yeah. That's what I've decided to call us, given our abilities."

"And that would mean…my world is the game?" Aaron's mount slowed as he turned to him.

"No, not really. The tournament is if we're being technical," he said hastily.

"Doesn't make it sound any more pleasant," Aaron said.

"I don't know what to tell you," Mark admitted.

They travelled silently for the rest of the way while Aaron ruminated on the implications of what Mark had said.

Was this all a game to him? Did Mark and his fire Nation counterpart think they were all Paisho tiles to be played with and sacrificed?

He almost missed the subtle shift in the environment or the silhouette of his father, Ren, waiting for them in large billowing robes. He was bald, with a slim swimmer's physique and a countenance that could freeze the hottest volcanos in the Fire Nation.

"Dismount the spirit and thank him for the help," Aaron said as he quickly climbed down from his creature. "We're here."

To his credit, Mark only sputtered in anger for a second before he met eyes with the Airbender and complied.

"Father," Aaron bowed deeply as they both approached the man.

"You're late," he said, "And Father tells me you've picked up a stray instead of guiding the Avatar."

Aaron was tempted to explain the entire ordeal to his father but decided against it.

"His name is Mark," Aaron supplied, his voice even. "And he holds great promise.

The man passed a look at Mark, who tried and fail to look him in the eye. His aura pressed down on them, even though they were in the Spirit realm.

"We shall see," Ren said.

Back to updating Y'all.

I had to take a few weeks to plan the future of the fic. We're about to dig into the real meat of it. The fights are coming, and in 30 chapters or so, we should be moving on to a new world. 

I'm partial to Naruto, but you can leave your suggestion in the comment section.

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