Ryu didn't bother to knock as he cracked open the door to the Chief's room.
"Hey, Chief? Me and Koji are going to see if your brother can show us some more Lavabending moves," he said as he peeked through the opening. The Fetchling was seated on his cushion in the lotus position with his eyes closed. A devilish grin spread across Ryu's face. While he was meditating, the Chief was completely vulnerable.
"Was Papa awake?" Mari asked from where she was waiting in the main living area with Koji.
"He's meditating," Ryu quickly answered as he closed the door. "I'm sure he won't mind if we go hang-out with his brother."
"As long as we leave a note," Mari added, already digging in her purse for her notepad.
A thought occurred to Koji as he watched Mari's tail weave behind her while she wrote.
"Can you do the whole separate your spirit thing like your grandpa?" he curiously asked. "I mean, since you're a Fetchling and all."
She shook her head. "No. Papa can do it because he's actually half-spirit. Otherwise, only people with high spiritual abilities, like Airbenders, can project their spirit. I've tried a few times, both with Papa and on Air Temple Island, but I don't have the same connection. Just an ordinary person," she said with a sad smile. Of course, being a Fetchling made her anything but ordinary, but not having any other abilities sometimes made it difficult to see that.
Koji turned to Ryu next. "What about you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. You're the Avatar. You have all sorts of crazy spirit powers," Koji remarked.
Ryu paused a moment. The Chief had told him his spiritual abilities were stronger than Korra's. Part of the evidence was in the visions he often had. Then, there was the incident at the oasis. Even if he wasn't really in control, it was proof of what he could do if he tried.
"That's right," Ryu confidently stated as he sat himself on the floor. "I am the Avatar. This should be easy." If the Chief could do it, he didn't see any reason why he couldn't. Plus, it would be fun to surprise the man with his spirit form once he managed to pull it off.
"Maybe we should wait until Papa is done meditating," Mari cautioned. "What if something goes wrong?"
"What could go wrong?" Ryu shrugged.
Mari placed her hands on her hips, the incredulous expression on her face relaying how the results of that statement usually didn't end well for the three teenagers.
He ignored her and Juji crawled onto his lap as he imitated the Chief's position.
Mari and Koji remained silent as they watched him. After several minutes, Koji spoke.
"Ryu?" He poked the other boy. When his friend didn't respond, he turned to Mari. "Did it work?"
"I don't know," she replied. "Papa's spirit form is blue and translucent. I didn't see anything like that. Did you?"
Koji shook his head.
"Then what happened?" Mari pondered.
When Ryu opened his eyes. The world around him had completely changed. Instead of the familiar rooms or buildings of Zaofu, he was in a large grassy field filled with unfamiliar flora. Far above him, a flock of strange creatures floated through the blue sky.
"Uhh…Maybe Mari was right…" he said to himself as he looked around the vast, foreign world.
Mako emerged from his room to find the teens quietly sitting in the living area. Although he was suspicious, their silence didn't automatically mean they were up to something. When the teens turned to him, Mari's face went aghast while Koji covered his mouth to hide a chuckle. He was confused by the odd reactions, but ignored them as he addressed his granddaughter.
"Nana sends her love," he said and gave her a horn bump. "You should call her while we're here in Zaofu."
The entire time, Koji was still chuckling. He gave the boy a skeptical look as he wondered what was so funny.
"Here, Papa." Mari reached into her purse and handed him her compact mirror. Ink doodles were all over his face and horns. No need to guess where they had come from.
"Kid!" he yelled as he set his sights on the boy seated in the middle of the room. Ryu didn't even flinch.
"I don't think he can hear you, sir," Koji stated as his snickers slowly disapaited.
Mako poked the boy with his tail. Still no response. "What's going on?"
Unsurprisingly, Mari was the one to explain, "We were talking about your spirit form Papa, and Ryu decided to try it himself. I told him we should wait for you," she finished, matter-of-factly.
A frown fell over his face. Ryu was spiritually gifted, but had zero control. The teen could get himself in big trouble. "Did either of you see anything?" If Ryu had been successful, his spirit form should be nearby, likely drawn to his friends. The other teens shook their heads and he let out a long sigh. No telling where the kid would wind-up, or if he knew how to get back.
"Did something happen to Juji?" Mari noted and picked the bird up from Ryu's lap. It was completely limp in her hands.
"Give him here," Mako stated. Mari carefully handed him the iguana parrot. Normally, the bird would lash-out or hiss at him, but it didn't move. It was still breathing but, like Ryu, it was completely inert; cut-off from any external stimuli. "Did he…?" Mako looked back down at the boy still stuck in meditation and wondered if he'd managed to drag his pet with him.
"I'm going to have to talk to Opal…" he huffed. He set the bird back on the boy's lap and headed for the exit. "Keep an eye on his body and, if anything strange happens, tell me immediately."
"Yes, Papa," Mari replied as he stepped out the door.
"What is this place?" Ryu looked around in amazement at his new surroundings. A familiar squawking soon drew his attention. "Juji?" The iguana parrot landed on his shoulder. "How did you get here?" The bird answered by snuggling into his cheek. "Well, whatever. At least you're here to keep me company."
Odd creatures leapt or flew away as he walked through the strange field. They varied in shape and size with no discernible likeness between any of them. It reminded him of the spirits he had seen in the wilds around Republic City.
"Could this be…?"
"Rava?"
Juji squawked in alarm when a large shadow fell over them. Ryu slowly turned around to see a large creature towering over him. It looked like a giant cockroach except it had two large pinchers, a long scorpion tail, and one of its six legs was missing at the knee. It glared down at him with its six bug eyes as drool dripped from its fanged mandibles.
"Hey there," Ryu cautiously said. "Is this the Spirit World?"
The scorpion roach responded by bringing its tail over its head to stab him. Ryu leapt back, avoiding the stinger, as the tail smashed into the ground.
"How about this!" Ryu punched the air to launch a fire punch. Nothing happened. "Uhhhh…"
The scorpion-roach laughed. "No bending for you little Avatar!" It launched another attack forcing him to dodge again. He couldn't fight the creature without his bending. Time to run. He dashed across the field back the way he had come with Juji flying ahead of him.
"Mako?" A wide grin spread across Bolin's face when he saw his brother. "Did something happen?" he asked through stifled chuckles. It was obvious Mako had attempted to wipe them off, but pen marks were still visible on his face.
"Is Opal here? I need her help," Mako answered, ignoring his brother's giggling.
"She's in the living room." Bolin continued to smile as he escorted Mako into the house. When she saw him, Opal's reaction was about the same as her husband's.
"I see the kids got the better of you," she smiled from where she was relaxing in an over-stuffed chair.
"One kid in particular," Mako grumbled, "which is why I'm here. The Avatar tried to project his spirit form and I think he may have ended up in the Spirit World."
"He can already do that?" Opal said, amazed to hear about the boy's aptitude.
"His spirit abilities are strong. Stronger than Korra's ever were, but he doesn't have any control," Mako explained.
"What do you need from me?" Opal asked.
"I need your help to get into the Spirit World to find him," Mako stated.
"Hold still little Avatar!" the scorpion roach roared as it chased its prey. "I just want a taste of your power."
Ryu ran as fast as he could to get away from the angry spirit. He managed to stay ahead of the large creature by weaving across the field. The entire time he kept his eyes on Juji. He didn't know if the bird knew where to go, but he followed it through the strange world anyway. Soon, Juji darted into a thicket of trees. It looked like a swamp in the middle of the grassy plain. Ryu didn't think twice and immediately plunged-in after his pet.
The scorpion roach skittered to a stop and Ryu watched from behind a tree as it paced along the perimeter.
"Come out little Avatar," it called through the trees.
From what Ryu could tell, the spirit could easily tear through the thicket to get to him. Something was holding it at bay. It marched back and forth several times before letting out an angry growl. Then, it stormed off the way it had come.
Juji alighted on his shoulder. "Whew…That was close buddy," Ryu said with a relieved sigh. With the threat averted, he took a moment to observe his new surroundings. It was a strange juxtaposition. One side was an endless sunny field, the other, an equally endless dark swamp. It was an easy decision where he'd rather be. He stepped out from his hiding spot towards the sunlit plain. The trees seemed to close around him. He took another step with a similar result. The more steps he took, the farther the field seemed to be from him.
"What gives?!" he yelled at the trees. Silence answered him. "Rotten swamp." He kicked a root and was rewarded with sore toes.
"I think I've had enough of the Spirit World," he grumbled as he rubbed his aching foot.
"Are you lost?" A suave voice came from behind him.
He quickly spun around and, for a brief moment, he thought he saw a man standing in the swamp. The sudden appearance of another person made him close his eyes in disbelief. If this really was the Spirit World—Why would another human be here? He shook the image from his head and when he opened his eyes again, the man was gone, replaced by an elegant looking spirit. It reminded him of peacock-cat except no cat. Its head bobbed on a long neck as it strode toward him on narrow legs, and a white feathered tail dragged behind it like the train of a dress.
"Young man?" the spirit pressed. Like the few other spirits Ryu had met, he was having a hard time looking it in the eyes. In his attempt to turn away, he slipped off a root and landed in the water. Fear instantly griped him. The water wasn't very deep, but the sudden plunge caused him to panic. As he struggled to escape, he sunk deeper into the mire.
The bird spirit wrapped its feathered fingers around his arm and pulled him from the muck.
"Careful," the spirit cautioned as they hefted him back onto the roots. "Let fear consume you and the swamp will swallow you whole."
"Uhh…Thanks…" he said as he wiped the mud from his clothes. That's when he noticed Juji was missing. During his unexpected dip, the bird had flown off. "Did you see where my bird went."
"I'm afraid not," the spirit replied. There was something calming about the spirit's voice. It made Ryu feel completely ease. "I can assure you however that he won't be too far."
"Why's that?"
"Because this swamp is a cage," the spirit flatly replied. "My cage to be exact."
"A cage? You mean we're stuck in here!" he spat.
"I'm afraid so," the spirit confirmed. "But perhaps we can escape together."
"How?" Something in the back of his head told him the spirit was imprisoned for a reason, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Surely this nice spirit didn't deserve to be stuck in a cage.
"I sense Rava within you which means you must be the current Avatar. With my help, I'm sure we can figure out something," the spirit responded with an assured smile.
That sounded reasonable to him. He followed the spirit deeper into the swamp while Juji squawked at him, unheard.
Mako appeared in the Spirit World next to a middle-aged woman dressed in a tight red and grey suit. She shared her father's stout structure, but had her mother's gentle face and light green eyes. Under her dark hair, a blue arrow tattoo extended down her forehead.
Although he had gone to Opal for help, she had called-in her other daughter, Una. The youngest of Bolin and Opal's children would be better suited to assist as she was more spiritually gifted than her mother.
"Looks like we made it, Uncle Tail," Una said as they looked around their new surroundings. "I will say that I am surprised you couldn't come here on your own. I always assumed that since you're half-spirit, it was easy for you."
Mako simply shrugged. "Even as a Fetchling, it's something I've never been able to do. I can't explain why."
"Interesting." She gazed at him for a moment and it made him wonder if the markings on his face had carried over onto his spirit form.
"Are you okay, Uncle?" She eventually asked. "You look sort of stressed."
"I'm fine," he hastily replied as his tail anxiously twitched behind him. "I just want to find the kid before he gets himself into trouble."
"Okay. The Spirit World has fixed points with the physical world," Una explained. "Since we left the physical world in the same area Ryu did, we shouldn't be far from where he entered."
"Ryu! Kid! Are you here?" Mako shouted across the endless field of grass in hopes he was still nearby. A sinister voice, rife with malice, answered in the teen's stead.
"Fetchling?" A giant scorpion-roach spirit suddenly manifested in front of him. It crouched on its five-and-a-half legs to scrutinize him, and he could see his nervous expression reflected in all six of its beady black eyes.
Does it remember me?
"Nasty, miserable little Fetch!" Its shrill voice was enough to make him flinch.
Definitely remembers me.
"Does this spirit know you, Uncle?" Una whispered.
"Umm…Yeah…" he replied, as he carefully backed away from the angry spirit. "It's a long story, but I will tell you that it was your Aunt Shizu who cut off its leg."
Una's gaze shifted to the severed limb.
"We should probably run?" she asked.
"We should probably run," he agreed. The spirit immediately charged after them as they turned heel and scrambled away.
Under normal circumstances, he would confront the spirit. After all, it was the one that started the conflict between them years earlier. However, since they had left their bodies back in the physical world, they didn't have access to their bending which meant they had no way to fight against the enraged spirit. The only choice was to hope they could outrun it.
It continued to screech as it chased them. "Rotten Fetch! No fire?! Can't burn me! Can't burn me this time!"
Both he and Una went tumbling when the spirit smashed its scorpion tail into the ground, barely missing them. They quickly recovered and resumed their flight until they spotted a thicket of trees in the distance.
"Can we lose it in there?" Una asked while they ran.
Something about the sudden forest sent a shiver up his fur, but he didn't see any other option.
"Let's go." Until now, he had been curbing his speed so he wouldn't over-exert himself. The last thing he needed was to collapse in the Spirit World. With the hope of escape easily within range, he decided to risk it. He rushed to Una and scooped her into his arms. With her safe in his grasp, he picked up the pace and sprinted ahead of the spirit into the trees.
Darkness enveloped them as he slid to a stop in the marshy swamp. Behind them, the spirit had stopped and was pacing outside the tree-line.
"Vile, foul Fetch! Rot in the swamp! ROT!" It screamed at the top of its voice before finally scuttling into the distance.
With the threat gone, he set Una down. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. Thank you, Uncle," she said as she brushed herself off. "You'll have to tell me sometime what you and Auntie Shizuku did to make it so angry. At least it stopped."
"I think there's a good reason for that," he said as he examined their surroundings. The trees sunk in the green-brown muck went on indefinitely. He then took several steps toward the sunny field they had just run across. The swamp closed around him and consistently kept him several steps away from the exit. Even in the Spirit World, Mako knew a prison when he saw one, and they were definitely in a prison.
Ryu followed the peacock spirit to a small, mud-caked cave buried beneath the roots of a large tree. The spirit's apparent home. When they arrived, it perched itself on a branch that was roped to a larger branch above it. It reminded Ryu of swings he had seen in bird cages. Didn't he have a pet bird? He thought he did, but it had all but faded from his memory.
The spirit grasped the ropes as it rocked back and forth.
"So, how am I supposed to get us out of here?" Ryu finally asked.
A smile spread across the spirit's face.
"As the Avatar, you have spiritual abilities far beyond those of normal humans," it replied.
"Yeah, I know that. How do you think I got here," Ryu sassed. "How does that help get us out?"
The spirit placed their feather fingers on his chest. "Rava is the spirit of light buried deep within you. It's your connection to her that allows you to bend the four elements in the physical world. Here, spiritual energy abounds. Energy that can only be manipulated by the most powerful of spirits. Or the Avatar."
"I can bend spirits?" Ryu replied incredulously.
"Put simply," the spirit answered. Suddenly, his gaze shifted off into the distance. "Seems we have more guests. Shall we go greet them?"
"Yeah, alright," Ryu casually responded as they made their way back through the swamp.
"Terrific…" Mako grumbled to himself as he thought on how they were going to escape the swampy prison.
"I imagine if this is a cage, we can't just return to our bodies and try again," Una said as she brushed her hand down the worn bark of a tree.
"Can you leave?" he asked. Her spiritual abilities were far superior to his. If she could escape, then she might be able to get him out.
She closed her eyes for several moments. "Nope. Guess not. But there has to be an exit somewhere," she mused.
"Don't count on it," he replied. "Even in the physical realm, spirits don't need doors." From his experience, spirits could simply phase through anything they found to be a hinderance. That included humans. There had to be some way out though. They couldn't be the only ones to accidentally stumble into such a trap.
His search was interrupted when two figures emerged through the trees. The first was an elegant bird spirit with white feathers and the other—
"Kid! You really are going to put me in an early grave aren't you?" he huffed when he saw the boy. "Are you okay? You're not hurt?"
"You worry too much, Chief. I'm fine," Ryu replied with a casual shrug. "I was just helping this spirit find a way out of here."
Mako took a moment to scrutinize the peacock spirit. It looked vaguely familiar.
"Now that you're here. You can help too," Ryu added. He was about to step forward when the spirit placed its wing-arm in front of the teen.
"Careful, Avatar. That's the horrible man that put me in this place," the spirit said as it directed a cold scowl at Mako.
"Wha—?" Mako was stunned by the declaration. How was he responsible for this spirit being trapped in here? He hadn't been in the Spirit World for years.
Ryu's demeanor instantly shifted as he stepped back. "You trapped him in here, Chief? Why'd you do that?" he spat angrily.
Mako hesitated a moment. The angry accusations Ryu was aiming at him were hitting hard. It was different than the boy's usual sass. It was almost like when Nagato would argue with him, and he certainly didn't want to go through that again.
"What is he talking about, Uncle?" Una interrupted.
"I don't know," he replied.
"Uncle?" the spirit echoed with a chuckle. "Certainly that disgusting thing can't possibly be your uncle, can he?"
Mako turned to his niece. "Una?"
She stepped away from him, her face contorted in disgust.
"I'm absolutely not related to that thing," she replied.
His heart sank as he watched her join the spirit beside Ryu. They were both staring at him like he was some kind of monster. The entire time the spirit looked down on him with a bemused smile across its beak.
Something wasn't right. Even if the kid was angry with him, Una would never treat him like that. He glared at the spirit that seemed content to watch him wallow in his doubt while it manipulated his family. That's when he finally realized who it was. He may not have recognized the spirit, but the smug expression on its face was unforgettable.
"You…" he growled.
Earth Kingdom capital: Ba Sing Se nearly forty-five years earlier.
"You can't do anything to me," Seiji said, the smug expression still on his beaked face. "Fetchling or no, you're still an officer of the law. You need evidence to arrest me and you haven't any."
"H, He's right, Detective," Shizuku added, swayed by the bird Fetchling's influence. "And technically he hasn't done an, anything wrong."
The only reason Seiji hadn't done anything wrong was because there were no laws against what he had done. In this case, kidnapping a spirit and using it to curse himself. Mako simply couldn't prove it since he was unable to locate the missing spirit.
"Stop that!" Mako snapped, frustrated that Seiji was using his Fetchling ability to charm his girlfriend.
"Face it. You've got nothing, and I'm going to convince the world that a Fetchling should be in control," Seiji said behind his shrewd grin.
Mako scowled. Since there was nothing else he could do, he grabbed Shizuku's hand and dragged her out of the office.
"H, He charmed me again didn't he?" Shizuku frowned once they were away from Seiji's influence.
"This is infuriating!" Mako fumed as they walked along the streets. The local citizens gave him a wide berth as they passed. "Unless we can find the spirit that he kidnapped, I can't prove his story is nonsense! And his ability to charm people into believing whatever he says, is keeping anyone from even doubting him!"
"Wh, What are we going to do?" Shizuku asked.
"I don't know yet," he answered with an angry frown. While they walked along, a bird chirping in a tree caught his attention. It also gave him an idea. "What if we can convince him to not want to be a Fetchling anymore?" he said.
"How? H, He's not going to willingly give up all that p, power," Shizuku said.
"When I was cursed, my horns and tail didn't just appear on my body," Mako replied. "It was a complete physical transformation. All the way to my bones and muscles."
"I'm n, not sure what you're getting at," Shizuku said.
"Birds have to be light in order to fly, and it's obvious Seiji used some kind of bird spirit to curse himself," Mako continued. "It has to have damaged his body like mine." He took Shizuku by the shoulders. "Bring the bear spirit. I'm going back to show Seiji how 'great' it is to be a Fetchling."
Mako was back in Seiji's office a short while later. The feathered Fetchling acknowledged him with a droll expression.
"What now, Detective? Aren't you tired of this game?" Seiji sighed.
"I'm here to show you that being a half-spirit comes with consequences," Mako stated. He carefully removed his badge and placed it on the desk. "Fetchling to Fetchling."
Seiji scowled at the badge.
"Why should I dirty my feathers? I already have the power," he said and casually threw his feet onto the desk. One was transformed into a three-toed bird's claw. It made Mako realize how much worse his possession could have been.
"Because if you can beat me, I'll leave you alone. You'll have proven you're the 'superior' Fetchling," Mako replied as he put up his fists. "I won't even use any bending."
That was enough to entice Seiji who stood from his seat.
"I'm going to enjoy this," he grinned as he brandished the talons on his left hand. He let out an avian scream, then launched himself over his desk.
Mako dodged and weaved as Seiji repeatedly slashed at him. He was deliberately staying on the defensive as he wasn't looking to hurt the other Fetchling, only prove a point. It wasn't until Seiji threw an actual punch that he found his opportunity. He leaned in just enough for the fist to hit one of his solid horns. The man screamed as his hand went limp, the finger bones most likely shattered.
"What did you do?!" the man squawked as he cradled the broken limb.
"I've been a Fetchling a lot longer than you so I know what it can do to a person," Mako explained with a sly grin. "Being cursed by a bird spirit, your bones are probably hollow twigs by now."
Seiji growled and swung his leg in a roundhouse kick. Mako blocked the attack with his shin and there was a sickening, cracking sound. As fragile as his bones were, Seiji's were obviously worse. The rogue Fetchling fell to the ground, screaming in pain, as he clutched his fractured leg.
"Ooohhh…" Mako grimaced with a smirk. "That sounded bad." He crouched down and got face-to-face with the wounded man. "Sure you still want to be a Fetchling?" he asked as he plucked a feather from Seiji's arm. Probably not as painful as having scales pulled but, from the way Seiji flinched, painful enough.
Seiji glared at Mako with a mix of anger, pain, and fear. Then, his eyes shifted to the far wall. Mako followed his gaze and went to investigate. A few well-placed knocks revealed a hollow section. Not waiting for Seiji to give him the way to enter, he rammed the wall with his horns to open it. An ugly solution, but effective. Inside the hollow was a spirit trapped in a glass tube. The spirit looked similar to a peacock and was covered in long white feathers. The same feathers Seiji was wearing. Obviously, this was the spirit the man had used for his powers. The glass case that was holding it looked very similar to the shells Varrick had invented for Kuvira to contain spirit vines. The device must have been modified to transfer spirit energy from actual spirits to humans. The case also had to be why its other half couldn't find it. It was effectively blocking any attempt to sense the spirit.
The spirit could hardly lift its head as it tried to look at him.
"Don't worry. I'm here to help," Mako said as he pulled the glass cylinder from the hollow. Like the wall, he cracked the container with his horns, although much more carefully. He didn't want to cause the spirit any more stress. As soon as it was free, it leapt straight at Seiji in a flurry of feathers. The man tried to defend himself as the spirit slashed at him with its talons, leaving bloody gashes on his arms.
The spirit had every right to be upset, but Mako couldn't let it attack the man.
"Hey! Wait!" He was about to break-up the fight when Shizuku entered with the bear spirit. The bear and bird instantly locked eyes and rushed to one another. As soon as they touched, they morphed into a tall, elegant, peacock-headed spirit. The feathers on its thick arms dragged onto the floor and merged around its back in a long bear-fur cape.
A pair of voices, one beast and one human, spoke. "We thank you Fetchling for locating our other half. We are in your debt." The spirit's gaze then turned to Seiji. "We will take him now."
"What?" Seiji blurted, his pain replaced by terror.
"I can't let you do that," Mako stated. He knew that challenging a spirit was risky, even for him, but he couldn't let them take the criminal. "He deserves to be punished, but he's still human. He has a right to a human trial."
The spirit fixed its cold gaze on him.
"Do not test us little Fetch. This one separated us. Abused us," the spirit firmly stated. "We honored your laws by coming to you for aid when we were lost. Now we expect you to honor ours and let us exact our judgment."
Mako took a moment to think it over. He knew that if the spirit got a hold of Seiji, the man would never be seen again. Spirits didn't do "justice," only vengeance. On the other hand, there were no Earth Kingdom laws that stated what Seiji did was wrong. Only in Republic City were there actually laws in-place to protect spirits. A good lawyer could easily get the man off on such a technicality. There certainly wouldn't be any human justice either.
"Alright." He relented to the spirit and stepped away from Seiji. "He's all yours."
Shizuku had been silently watching the events unfold and was surprised by Mako's decision.
"What? D, Detective. You can't…"
Her objections were interrupted when numerous spindly arms emerged from beneath the spirit's fur cloak. They latched onto Seiji and dragged him across the floor.
"No!" the terrified man screamed. He clawed at Mako's legs in a desperate attempt to save himself. "You can't let it take me!"
Mako ignored the other Fetchling and looked away as the spirit swallowed him.
"Thank you, Fetchling." The spirit graciously bowed to him before it vanished, taking Seiji with them.
"I, I can't believe you did that," Shizuku began softly after the spirit was gone. "That was a person. H, He should be going to jail."
"He kidnapped that spirit, Shizuku," Mako replied as he reclaimed his badge. "I had to make a choice."
"S, So you condemned that man to death?" She had been working with spirits long enough to know what the price was for wronging one of them.
"It's not like I wanted to!" Mako snapped. "If I'm going to be police for both humans and spirits, I have to respect the laws on both sides. That means sometimes giving-in to the demands of spirits."
Shizuku frowned. "B, But it still seems wrong."
"I know…" Mako had to agree with her. He had taken no joy in turning Seiji over to that spirit. It was the first time he'd ever had to make such a decision. Now he knew how difficult things were for Korra.
"Seiji." The name from so long ago was poison on his tongue. "You're that Fetchling from Ba Sing Se," he finished with an angry slap of his tail.
"Hardly a Fetchling anymore thanks to you," Seiji scowled. "After you let that spirit take me, they abandoned me in this prison. I pondered what further punishment they would exact on me upon their return, but I soon realized leaving me here was their punishment."
Ryu and Una continued to coldly stare at him from behind Seiji as the he spoke.
"I didn't think much of it at first, an extra feather here and there. Then, my body began to collapse. It was agonizing. Muscles and bones twisted and reformed. And all I could do was suffer as the spirit half slowly took over my body. When it was finally over, I ended up like this!" He spread his feathered arms wide. "No longer human or Fetchling."
Mako stood horrified as the implication hit him.
"It's a shame your physical body isn't here," Seiji said as he walked behind his thralls. "Guess I'll make do with how you are now. Grab him."
Mako was surprised when he had to defend himself against Una and Ryu who suddenly charged him. Seiji's ability to simply charm others had grown to entirely controlling them.
The kid he could handle since Ryu was inexperienced in hand-to-hand combat. Una was a different matter. Even without her bending, she was a skilled fighter. He did his best to keep her away without injuring her. He could easily outrun either of them, but he had to get them out of Seiji's control. Not to mention, he still couldn't escape the cage on his own.
"Kid! Una! Snap out of it!" he hollered between dodging attacks. Neither of them paid him any heed as they continued their onslaught. While he fended off the pair, an avian scream came from Seiji. He covered his ears to block the noise and that's when Ryu and Una managed to grab him. They held his arms behind his back while Una pinned his tail down with her foot.
"I've picked up a few tricks since last we faced one another," Seiji slyly grinned. The former Fetchling then grabbed a horn and Mako winced as he was pulled to his knees.
"I want you to take a good long look," Seiji stated as he forced his head to the water. The surface stilled and he could see his reflection on the small pool. "This will be the last time you ever see yourself like this." Seiji bent down to his ear. "And I am going to enjoy every agonizing minute as your body is destroyed like mine was," he smugly whispered. The spirit was suddenly screeching when something flew into his face. It took Mako a moment to realize the flurry of red and blue attacking Seiji, was Juji.
"Get off me pest!" Seiji hollered as he fought with the iguana parrot. Eventually, he managed to swat the bird off his face and into a tree trunk where it fell to the ground. Juji let out a weak gurgle as he laid stunned in the muck.
"Juji?" Ryu said when he heard his pet.
"Dare you attack me," Seiji scoffed at the bird as he straightened his own feathers.
A dark scowl covered Ryu's face. "You hurt Juji," he stated.
Seiji looked surprised that the boy was questioning him.
"It's a silly animal, nothing more," he replied, but his silver tongue no longer seemed to be working on Ryu as the boy slowly released Mako.
"What are you doing?" Seiji sputtered. "That's a bad man." He pointed a long feather back to Mako.
Ryu continued to ignore him, the anger clear on his face. That's when his eyes began to glow.
"You hurt Juji." the boy repeated. Around them the trees twisted and shifted. Mako cautiously watched as wind began to tear at the leaves.
Is the kid bending the swamp?
Seiji stumbled over a root as he backed away from Ryu. "Listen to me. We were going to escape together, remember? You were going to help me get out of this cage."
Ryu gave him a cold stare. "I'll get you out of this cage." He brought his hands together and a group of trees slid around Seiji. Panic consumed the former Fetchling as he was about to be crushed. A firm hand suddenly wrapped around Ryu's wrist.
"That's enough, Kid," Mako stated. "You don't want to cross that line."
Ryu glared at him.
"But Juji!"
"Your companion is fine," Una interrupted as she cradled the bird in her arms. To confirm it, Juji let out a squawk. Apparently, once Seiji had been attacked, he'd lost control over both Ryu and Una. Now that he knew his pet was safe, Ryu released his Avatar state and rushed to Juji who happily snuggled into the teen as he was hugged.
"Please…" Behind them, Seiji was now trapped in an even smaller cage. "Haven't I been punished long enough," the peacock spirit pleaded.
A twinge of sympathy hit Mako. If Seiji had been convicted in a human trial, he would have already served a comparable sentence for his crime. Instead, he was doomed to live out his existence in this swamp.
He turned to Ryu. "Hey, Kid. I need you to pull those trees apart."
"Pull them apart?" Ryu looked blankly at him. "Isn't he supposed to be in a cage. And he attacked Juji. I think he deserves it."
"Forty years ago he deserved to be locked-up," Mako corrected, "and you can't really fault him for what happened with Juji." After all, he knew what is was like to be on the receiving end of the bird's claws. "You need to separate those trees at the very least."
Ryu stubbornly folded his arms across his chest. "Well, I think he should stay in there."
Mako sighed as he understood Ryu's sudden attitude. "It's okay if you don't know how to do it." Ryu still didn't have any real control when it came to the Avatar state.
Ryu grumbled under his breath at being caught.
"Fine…I don't know how," he finally admitted with a huff.
Mako looked back to where Seiji was still trapped. "I guess we do this the old-fashion way." He spun around and Seiji flinched as he slapped his tail against the tree trunk. A large gash was left behind in the bark. A few more hits like that, and he would be through the tree. It was in the middle of his second strike that a voice boomed throughout the swamp.
"Who would dare destroy my swamp?!"
A large spirit peacock-headed spirit with huge bear paws appeared. It's bear fur cape dragged across the muck as it approached Mako.
He and Una immediately folded over to bow to the great spirit. Only Ryu stayed upright, something that was quickly corrected by Mako who used his tail to forced him to bow.
"What?" Ryu hissed. "Isn't the Avatar supposed to be the bridge between spirits or whatever?"
"First rule when dealing with greater spirits: even the Avatar bows," Mako explained under his breath. "Especially an angry one." Hopefully, the spirit didn't see Ryu roll his eyes like he had.
"Great spirit. We apologize for trespassing in your forest," Una began. "We were lost and trying to find a way out."
The spirit's gaze shifted to Seiji, still in his cage. "What have you been up to my Fetch?"
Seiji cowered from his captor. "They wandered in here on their own. I was going to use the Avatar to escape," he nervously answered. His blatant honesty was surprising to hear. To admit he was trying to escape the spirit's cage sounded like a grievous error. It was likely to make the spirit even angrier with him.
"The Avatar?" the spirit echoed in surprise and returned their attention back to the three others in the swamp. It locked eyes with Ryu. As Ryu stared back, he began to wobble. Mako braced his tail behind the boy to keep him from passing-out like he had back when he'd first met Spud. He still didn't understand why Ryu had such a reaction to greater spirits, but he didn't want the kid to fall into the water.
"Easy. Slowly look away," Una instructed, her voice barely audible. She had apparently noticed Ryu's precarious position as well. "The spirit is searching for Rava, your Avatar spirit. If you let them dig too deep, they can unintentionally bring her to the surface. Until you can learn how to control your spirit presence, it's best not to look them in the eyes."
"Uhh…okay…" Ryu responded as he slowly shifted his gaze to his feet.
"My apologies, Rava. My prison is not meant for you," the spirit stated.
Mako also found it strange that spirits immediately recognized Rava within Ryu and were more cordial with the boy than they had ever been with Korra.
"I will release you and your companions," the spirit finished. They waved a large paw and the trees parted revealing the grassy plain that bordered the swamp.
"Say 'thank you,' Kid," Mako whispered to the boy who had suddenly become tongue-tied.
"Umm…Thanks," Ryu simply replied.
"I do have something to say before we leave spirit," Mako interjected. "I want you to release Seiji from your prison. He doesn't need to return to the physical world, but I think he's been here long enough."
The spirit bent over to face him.
"Little Fetch. You think he's been here long enough. What makes you think you can decide his fate," the spirit stated.
"I am the one that helped reunite your two halves. I also turned him over to face spirit judgment per your request. As an officer of both human and spirit laws, I have a right to see to it that justice is done accordingly. By human laws, Seiji has paid for his crime several times over and should be released." He turned to the former Fetchling. "Besides, I don't think he'll do anything like that again." Seiji responded with a resolute nod.
A thick, bear growl came from the spirit's beak as it lorded over him, but he wouldn't back down. He was already cursed, the worst they could do to him was deny his request.
"So be it," the spirit relented. "Since you did help us become whole, we will honor your request. However, he will forever be our Fetch. That can never be undone."
Mako didn't think Seiji's transformation could be undone at this point anyway. At least he was able to free him.
"Thank you, great spirit," he replied with a polite bow. Although it wasn't the fate he'd expected for the man, at least Seiji was still alive to have some semblance of freedom.
Another wave of their paw and the trees around Seiji spread apart. He cautiously rolled to his feet and walked out of his prison.
"Am I really free?" he asked in disbelief.
"One way to know for sure," Mako replied, and lead the way out of the swamp.
They stepped out of the trees and had to shield their eyes from the sudden sun. When they looked back, the swamp was gone along with the spirit that owned it.
Seiji spread his talons in the grass. "I never dreamed I would experience anything beyond that muck ever again," he stated to Mako. "I suppose, for that, you have my thanks."
"I don't regret my decision. You did kidnap and forcibly drain that spirit," Mako replied with a twitch of his tail. "Although, knowing what I do now, I don't think I could have stopped them from taking you all those years ago anyway."
"Of that, you are correct," Seiji concurred with a ruffle of feathers. "Anyway. I believe I'll take my leave. I may not be able to return to the physical realm, but there's a whole world here to explore and I wish to spread my…wings." With one flap, he was airborne and flying off into the distance.
Mako had to agree. "I think it's time we all left."
Soon, they were back in the guest house. After Ryu regained his bearings, he had to quickly cover his mouth to stifle a chuckle.
"What's the matter, Kid?" Mako firmly stated as he stared down his nose at the boy. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No, Chief," Ryu replied through bouts of chuckling.
"Hey, you're back. Or, your spirits are back? How does that work anyway?" Koji asked. He and Mari had been waiting in the living room the entire time for their return.
"I'm not really sure I can explain it, Koji," Mako answered as he got to his feet.
"I'm glad you're all back safe," Mari added as she gave her grandfather a brief hug. "Did you really make it to the Spirit World?"
"Yeah," Ryu answered, much more excited than Mako expected. "There was this giant scorpion-roach, and a peacock, and I went into the Avatar state and made the trees move."
While the teens chatted, Una approached Mako.
"Will you walk me home, Uncle?" she asked as she wrapped her arm around his elbow.
"Uhh…Sure," he replied.
"I'm glad you're okay, Ryu," Una finished as she practically dragged Mako out the door.
Moonlight greeted them once they stepped outside.
"I didn't realize it was so late," Mako said as they started their walk.
"Time in the Spirit World can be strange," Una said. Her smile shifted to concern when she turned to him. "Are you really okay, Uncle? In the Spirit World you seemed…unnerved. Even before we found that strange spirit."
He hesitated, unsure if he wanted to share his thoughts. However, if he had to pick a family member that would understand, it would be her.
"Since I was cursed, I can count the number of times I've been in the Spirit World on one hand," he somberly explained. "Whenever I'm there, I feel…off. It's like something is tugging at me."
"Like the spirit-half is trying to come out," Una added.
He was surprised by her accurate assessment.
"If you recall, I've been studying spirits for most of my life. Mostly because of you." Her wide smile reminded him of her father. "I remember when I first met you. I was five, I think? I remember cowering behind Dad's leg when I saw your horns and tail. I thought you were a monster. He assured me everything was okay, but you dismissed it with a smile. A smile that I knew you were using to hide your sadness. A thought occurred to me then; monsters didn't get sad."
"Then, you scared me out of my skin when you suddenly hugged my tail," Mako finished.
"Monsters didn't get scared either," Una chuckled. "You were Uncle Tail after that."
"Right." A brief smile covered his face before his somber demeanor returned. "If what happened to Seiji is any indication, I might end up with more than a tail if I'm not careful," he continued. "When you two had me pinned over the water, it wasn't my face I saw in the reflection. It was an animal. A blue-muzzled beast with silver horns." He absently brushed one of his branches. What he had seen was probably why he couldn't enter the Spirit World without a gate. Subconsciously, he was blocking himself out.
"There's a simple solution of course," Una playfully mused. "Stay out of the Spirit World."
"With that kid, it's easier said than done," he grumped.
"Ryu does have a strong spiritual presence. Enough so that he dragged his animal companion with him. He's a powerful Avatar," she said. "He's lucky to have you guiding him."
"Thanks, Una." He took a moment to look around the quiet streets. "Where do you live anyway?"
"Oh, I came here on my sky bison," she casually replied. "I can call Fluffy at any time. I just wanted to talk with you."
She really was like her father. Bolin was always there too when he needed someone. Whether he knew it or not.
"Can I ask you one more question before I go?" she asked.
"Sure."
"I know you're called a Fetchling but, the way that spirit spoke today, it sounded almost derogatory. Offensive. What exactly does it mean?"
His brow furrowed as he recalled the information. "You're right that it's not meant as a compliment. The first spirit to call me Fetchling explained it once. Fetch is another word for doppelgänger. Half-spirits like myself, and formerly Seiji, are seen as twisted doppelgängers of the spirits that cursed us. Fetchlings or Fetch for short."
"If it's so offensive, then why accept it as your title?"
"Are you going to correct the spirits?"
"Good point," she smiled. She pulled out a whistle and, a short while later, a large bison, its eyes covered by thick fur, landed in front of them. She gave its head an affectionate rub before climbing onto it. "It's funny…you have spirits and you have humans. Put the two together, and both sides only see a monster."
"Except my family," he smiled. "Which is why, in that swamp, I knew you wouldn't turn your back on me. It helped me realize who Seiji really was."
"Anytime, Uncle Tail," she replied with a wink. "You and Mari both take care. Yip, yip, Fluffy."
He watched as the sky bison flew off into the night sky.
He returned to the house to find the teens watching the televiewer in the living room. Koji most likely getting his fix.
"Kid," he firmly stated as he stepped in front of the device. The other teenagers shrank to the sides for the coming lecture. Ryu responded with his usual annoyed scowl.
"What you did was today was reckless. You could have been seriously hurt by any of those spirits." Ryu lowered his eyes as he continued. "From now on, if you're going to try something like that, take Mari's advice and wait for me. I'm not an expert when it comes to spirit projection, but I can give you a good start."
"Alright, Chief," Ryu said. Then he took Juji from his shoulder. "When are you going to thank Juji?" The bird gave him an angry hiss.
"What?"
"In that swamp. I think he deserves a thank you for saving your tail from that spirit," Ryu persisted as he held the bird out to him. He wrinkled his face away from the spitting animal.
"I'm not thanking Juji," he stated. The bird attacking Seiji could just as easily been a coincidence. After all, it was obvious Juji didn't like Fetchlings, right?
"If Juji really did save you, you should thank him, Papa," Mari added. "You and Nana always tell me we should be gracious no matter what."
"Mari…You too?" He couldn't believe his granddaughter was joining Ryu's mocking. He let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. Thank you, Juji."
The bird responded with its usual squawking and snapping at him. Why did he even bother? Meanwhile, the teenagers had a good laugh at his frustrations with the pest.