AVATAR: LIGHT THE WORLD (The Illevitus Chronicles)

BOOK 1

-Air-

Chapter 10

-Mim's Temple-

"So, you two… know each other?" Shrugging her shoulders, Scar was caught in between something unexplainable, never had she'd seen Niko be so combative with anyone while sober. Except his uncle, but this was the man who saved them. "Yay. Small… world?" She awkwardly chirped.

Niko glared at the air nomad, "Your beard is super ugg…" he didn't blink at all he just kept his gaze on the air nomad.

"Woah, woah…" Scar intervened, "Where is this all coming from?" She turned to look at Mim clearing her throat, "Mim, could you leave us for a moment?" Mim bowed to them both and quietly dismissed himself from the room. Scar looked back at the Avatar with such a look of disappointment, "What the fuchsia is wrong with you?" She crossed her arms, "He just saved our lives from Voglazad! What could an air nomad have possibly done to you that you resort to such a petty child-like form?"

Niko look up at her with a bit of a stern look, "You do not know him as well as I do, Scar."

"Then tell me, what's up with him? Should we be concerned?" Scar was raising her voice slightly, "I'm your best friend, your acolyte, and I demand you tell me what is your deal with Mim?" Her tone was flat at this point.

Niko looked away, "Remember when I ran away?" Scar nodded not that he'd noticed, "I went to Republic City, became a criminal, and lived well for a while." He paused, "That wasn't the truth. I was homeless, with no one to help me, all alone in the city. A fourteen year old, with no money nor person to turn to." His eyes started welling up with tears, "Mim said he found me on day three, passed out in a dark alleyway-" he closed his eyes letting some tears break apart and coat his eyelashes, "I would later learn that wasn't the truth. He took me in and feed me, clothed me, gave me money, drugs, and before I knew it I was with him." He chuckled, "It was twisted, my fourteen year old self convinced himself that this older guy had saved me, and now it was only fair to be in a relationship with this grown man." He grit his teeth for a moment, "The drugs fueled my delusional fantasies until one day the illusion was shattered." Tears started to coat his eyelids again, "I overheard Mim talking to a few gangster buddies of his about us, the words he used to describe me broke my already stunted heart, you see Scar, when he found me he actually tricked me with a drugged tart, dragged me into the alley, and-" he trailed off his voice getting higher with every word coming from his mouth.

"That's awful Niko," she reflected on her great-aunt doing pretty much the same with him, "How did you get away?"

He didn't expect that to be the breaking point where he'd let it all out, "How?" He grinned wickedly, "I remember he gave me my drugs, it was ritual at that point to just let me take them on my own accord, as I was hooked. I excused myself to the bathroom to freshen up, and flushed the drugs. Never again… then I waited for the best moment to catch him off guard," the tears just kept rushing, "I actually felt his touch sober, and it didn't feel right at all. I was stagnant for a moment, and then when he was about to commit the act…" he wiped the tears, "I metal bended a piece of the bedframe into his left hand and it also pierced his side as well. The bed fell apart, and I ran without looking back."

Scar took a deep breath, "That's heavy, and if it's any consolation he hasn't been alone with you at any time."

Niko also took a deep breath, "I know! I would've felt the indescribable feelings again when I woke up, but he hasn't touched me."

"He won't from this point on, either," Scar looked at his casted leg, "I'll be by your side until your leg starts to heal fully," she beamed.

Niko smiled, "That's nice, but you can't possibly do that all on your own. What about bathroom breaks?"

Scar looked at him with a sigh and a shake of her head, "I'll get DeMungus in here too."

All the while, back in Republic City. Misty and Kim are hanging out in her hot tub again, "So I couldn't help but notice how affronting Dirk is towards you."

Misty just sighed as she grabbed her cocktail from the side table right behind her. After a bit of a long sip, she cleared her throat, "Dirk has been trying to get me to screw him since he started about a year ago, but he is not my type: the air headedness of that guy is just enough of a turn off." She took another prolonged sip, "Besides I've heard from around the office that he's not so gifted downstairs." She gleefully smiled and toasted to Kim, "You're pretty young still, a toast to your fertility," she was quite rosy cheeked at this point.

Kim clinked his glass with Misty, but put it down rather than take a sip, "We should probably get out of the tub, you're getting drunk pretty quickly."

Misty ignored her intern and continued to spout strange things, "I hate this job! Boss is a flamboyant freak! A lot of the people here just want to sleep with Dirk the jerk or the boss, but we all know the latter just takes the young guys, pervert."

Kim got up quickly, "Misty, you shouldn't talk about the boss like that."

Misty pulled him down to her level. They were so close facially that he could smell the booze on her breath with just a dash of hot cinnamon, "Kim, I pretty much own this place, I have built in tenure! How do you think I got this office? This hot tub? I made quite a few enemies in this business and they all couldn't keep up with me!" Misty let go of Kim's wrist, "Seriously, if I wanted too-" she finished off her glass, which was still about halfway full, in a quick swig, "I could get the boss's office when I tell him the Avatar is back!"

Kim was out of the tub drying off, "Wait, the Avatar? How do you know the Avatar?"

Misty threw her glass back the the wall. It shattered against her mini hot sand garden, "I got a lead the other day! Hey I got an idea! I become the boss with this story then you be me!"

Kim couldn't keep up with he rambling superior, "Okay Misty, sounds good," he walked over to her, she was now trying to nap on the side of the hot tub. "Let's get you in your cot!" The scrawny man tried his best to lift her out of the tub. Eventually she opened her eyes during the third attempt and just hopped out of the tub without any issue. She dried off and crashed on the cot laid out beside her desk, "Oh boy!" Kim said as he began to change.

The next three days went smoothly, Mim had scarcely been around, and when he was it was just to glance into the doorway like the creep he was. Over time DeMungus actually came in, not feeling ashamed anymore for breaking Niko's leg, on the contrary it seemed like something had changed in the disheveled man, and he'd even combed his hair and beard to boot!

He cleared his throat, "Avatar Niko," he began in a more serious tone then normal, "I humbly wish for your forgiveness in the matter of breaking of your leg the other day," he was kneeling, which was a pretty good sign of how far he'd come, he didn't even hobble into the room as he normally would.

Niko looked at DeMungus with a huge smile, "Rise up DeMungus," the man did as he was told, completely unassisted to boot, Niko was absolutely delighted, "I'm glad to call you my friend, do not worry about my leg. Believe it or not I'm actually glad one of us was conscious during the whole ordeal, in fact, you probably saved our lives since you were awake the whole time."

DeMungus's tone changed, "I'm glad to hear that, but I really did nothing. Mim saved us", those words caused a ringing to go off in Niko's ears, "carried us all here on his sky bison, and OH! I'll be right back!" He practically ran out of the room leaving the two in a state of confusion. Was it just Niko's imagination or has DeMungus lost some weight as well? The one-armed man returned into the room holding onto what appeared to be a metal glove of some kind. It was quite big too, Niko recognized it immediately, "He gave me a new hand and forearm!" DeMungus attached the glove to his stump, and immediately it started following his command as if he'd had it forever.

"That's a spirit interpretation memory standardized attachment," Niko looked at DeMungus without blinking, "Mim's smartest guys made them, they work by using the ghost limb phenomenon. They sense the energy that is radiating from the brain, apparently when we lose a limb our brain still feeds electromagnetic pulses to the area even though there is physically nothing there, and these SIMSA's, for short, take that concept and act as a replacement limb."

Scar looked at Niko with a concerned face, "It's not going to explode, is it?" Niko reassured her by shaking his head, "Well, maybe… Mim's turned a new leaf, he seems like a changed guy now, perhaps, give him a chance, huh, Niko?"

He wasn't certain of this story Mim was spinning, but he didn't have to wait for Scar to get an answer as Mim had just stepped in for the first time today. The worst part about him being here was his cologne… he hated the smell. It always reeked of his scent in any room he joined, and the resulting effect was a terrible memory would surface in Niko's mind.

"You look well rested, Niko…" Mim trailed off at the end giving the Avatar a soft smile, "I was hoping we could talk in private."

Scar stepped closer to Niko and with an authoritative tone she declared, "Anything you want to say to him you will also tell us, we are his acolytes," DeMungus looked back at Scar rather confused, "I'll let Niko tell you later."

"Okay," this new DeMungus was quite pleasant. He even glared at Mim, not knowing the full situation.

Mim looked at them all one by one not flinching nor argumentative, "I wish to teach the Avatar air-bending since I am now a fully realized master." This struck a cord within Niko, he was definitely up to something beside he already had an air master who was willing to train him. "Despite not having tattoos, I had a vision that my Master ceremony would be delayed, in order to train you what I know."

Niko crossed his arms, "That sounds convenient, you HAD a vision, and HAPPENED to find us in that bounty hunter's hand. Seems a little strange to me, Mim," he wasn't looking for lies he wanted the truth and then he got it, but from himself. What if this IS the air bending master who wrote you? His expression went glum and guilty, "DeMungus, can you remember anything regarding who wrote that letter for me?"

DeMungus scratched his beard with his new hand in deep thought, "Well an older air bender lady with tattoos handed it to me…" he struggled trying to remember more. "That's all I can really remember."

Mim smiled wickedly, "Her name is Jinora and she is my master," he sighed, "she sent me here to train you in her stead as she was taking care of affairs on Air Nomad Island for her father Tenzin."

DeMungus gasped loudly, "That lady's name was Jinora wasn't it!" He was ecstatic everything was coming back now, "I had to seek shelter from my homeland when I found the temples, air nomads, and…" His eyes shot up from looking at the ground, "this guy was there!" He pointed at Mim, "Except you had hair? What happened to your hair, baldy, answer the question!?"

Mim smiled rubbing his bald head, "I had my vision right after I was shaved in preparation to receive my air bending tattoos. My master thought it would be appropriate to train you here since this temple hasn't been used in ages; a lava bender named Ghazan destroyed the temple back when your predecessor Korra was around. Almost everything had been destroyed, except for the tower of Laghima, which is where we are now, and somehow it only seemed right that the Avatar be trained here. Given that Aang was raised here."

DeMungus not changing his demeanor, but truly wanting more from the story, "So wait, how does a single tower survive, but the rest of this placed is buried under rocks that were once on fire?"

Mim now stroked his long beard, "Call it a miracle, if you want. I tend to think that the hermit crab spiders kept this place standing, as no one is too sure, and the lava bender should've destroyed everything." He looked down to the ground as one of the aforementioned creatures had now began to rest on his sandaled foot. He picked it up carefully as the hermit crab responded with what appeared to be air, but also something sticky and definitely more solid than air. The strange goo hit DeMungus on his exposed chest, and now he was beginning began to freak out, "Calm yourself DeMungus, the air web isn't going to hurt you, in fact why not try rubbing it into your skin; I've been told it's a wonderful exfoliant, and no worries it won't be sticky afterwards." He propped the little hermit crab spider on his head.

Niko was a very uncertain about this moment. If what Mim was saying was true then maybe he did change after all, but how do you go from an air bending crime boss to an air nomad? However, if none of it was true, Mim was holding them hostage, at the very least, and unfortunately doing a good job at hiding his true self.

A few more days had passed by and Niko was slowly healing, they cast could be taken down from his hip joint to his upper left thigh, "Oh my goodness!" Niko exclaimed in delight as he began to scratch the newly exposed flesh. The smell was too putrid for Scar that she had to exit the room as DeMungus removed that portion of the cast, "It feels so good to scratch these itches… mmm…"

"Does everything that is still bound itch?" DeMungus asked as he helped Niko sit up slightly to fluff and adjust his pillows. Niko nodded, a little on edge from the areas of his leg he couldn't scratch yet.

Niko sighed as his back collapsed into the pillows behind him, "This is awful, I'm down a leg, there is a bounty hunter after us, and to top it all off my ex is keeping us hostage."

DeMungus looked at him very pointedly, "Wait, you and Mim!?" He gasped, and a very exaggerated one at that. Niko just nodded his confirmation, "So that explains the strange attitudes around Mim…" he smugly grinned at the Avatar, "So does that make you the first gay Avatar?"

Niko shot him a crooked smile, "Honestly, how did you get this far?" He chuckled, "You do know Korra and Kyoshi were both bisexual?" DeMungus blinked in utter bewilderment, "Also, I don't even know myself that well, honestly… but I've been with men and women. Actually if you had woken up in my house you probably would've met my ex-girlfriend, Ginger Sally."

"Woah! Wait what?!" DeMungus jumped back, "You dated the chief of police in Zaofu?"

Niko smacked his palm on his forehead, "So you know about my ex-girlfriend, but when it comes to the Avatar's history you have absolutely no idea." He chuckled again, "So now that I've talked a bit about myself how about you?" Niko was very intrigued to get something out of DeMungus.

DeMungus glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was nearby. Then he peeked out the doorway to make sure no one was coming. As he turned around to sit on Niko's bedside he began his tale, "I was born on a raft in the middle of the northern tribe territory. My mom was a painter from Republic City, and my dad was a criminal. When he was arrested; this was before I was born by the way, my mother fled the city in fear that the city's police would link her to my father, and she didn't want her child brought up in an orphanage as she had been. The first few days weren't bad, from what my mom would tell me, as the seas were calm. We'd made landfall about a week after I was born. The first few years of my life I was raised in the Fire Nation, then we bounced around from nation to nation. When I was twelve my mom passed away, but we were stuck on the road when she passed. I had to leave her body behind." Niko could see tears forming in DeMungus's eyes.

"I travelled on my own back to Republic City to try and find some living family, and by accident I ran into my father who disowned me as I was, in his words, 'A lumpy potato boy who would just get in the way of his organization'. This killed me, so I ran. I ran away from my only living relative. For a while I was a bum on the streets, occasionally a kind soul would take me in, feed me, cloth me, bathe me, and send me out with enough supplies to keep me going. When I turned twenty I decided to settle down in the countryside, and I met a young woman who was also not the best looker. We had a wonderful life together and for the first time ever I felt like I could call this place home. She gave me love, and in return I gave her twins. A boy and a girl. About a few weeks before all this mess started my farm was attacked by Reservist soldiers. I was just coming back from getting fresh water from the nearby stream when I smelt the smoke and could feel the heat on my body. I ran to the top of the hill to get a better look at things, and it was almost cinders and ash at that point. My whole life was taken so quickly. I ran as quickly as I could back to the smoking rubble, calling out for my wife, daughter, and son. No response from them, but I could hear the soldiers coming back now. So I hid to ambush them, after a while the smoke had dissipated and no soldiers were to be seen. I started looking for them again in the rubble, yet no sign of a body. Then I left for about a week to search abroad, and that's when I made it to the temple and met Jinora."

Niko was utterly gutted hearing all of that, "That's just- wow- I'm pretty choked up about that," he rubbed his eyes of tears then put his hand on top of DeMungus. He could feel the pain, the anguish, and all the torture he'd been put through, "DeMungus, I'd like to help you find out what happened to your family, please."

DeMungus smiled wiping his eyes with his new mechanical finger, "You don't have to do that for me. Seriously Niko, you gotta learn like four styles of bending, do some Avatar voodoo, and clear you and Scar's names in your hometown. Plus with your leg you can't do too much now anyway."

Niko rubbed DeMungus's back, "Well, I want to. You've shown nothing but loyalty to me during this trying time, and I would be honored to help you with my loyalty." Then Niko felt his body tremble, he looked up at his face, it was twisted with tears just streaming down his cheeks. Without a second though Niko reached out around DeMungus as much as he could to hug the poor sad man, "I promise you we'll find out what happened to your family, what are their names."

He sighed as the tears stopped their immense flow now forming a trickle, "Gus jr. and Mollie are my kids names," he started to laugh a little, "my wife's name is Evannia."

Niko was lightly laughing too, "Why are you laughing DeMungus?"

DeMungus stopped, "I don't know how you can't tell, but you're cupping my left manboob." Niko let go quickly, but then the two just started roaring with laughter. When they'd calmed down a bit DeMungus got up from the bedside and looked at Niko with an intense stare, "I don't know what to say, but I really appreciate you Avatar Niko. I really don't like to talk about myself, but I feel safe around you so thank you from the bottom of it!"