Chapter One Hundred and Twenty

Their rest that night, in Kyoshi Village, was… not the best.

Mina was okay with it, but, well, Denki wasn't.

Not 'cause Sparky was being snooty, but, well, normally he glomped onto her pretty tightly when he slept. He held her normally, but she could tell when he was actually asleep because his normal embrace got… well, a bit much. Like he was scared she'd leave if he didn't, which was just silly.

He hadn't been going to sleep as much as he was passing out, ever since, well ever since the end of camp, but she would be there for him, holding him right back, and, when he called out for her, voice desperate, she'd murmur to him that she was there, reassuring him that everything was okay, stroking his arm, and that helped.

He never said anything about it, so she was pretty sure he didn't even realize he was doing it, and, well, she wasn't going to bring it up, she was just very, very glad she'd decided to come with him on this kinda bonkers adventure.

Mina just needed to figure out how to get YaoMomo involved because, if she was being honest, sometimes it felt like she wasn't enough to handle this.

But this time, he was… worse.

He didn't spark, not that she'd hold it against him if he did, but while he was out like a light, his grip was just short of too tight, and, every time something outside made too much noise, some part of him would flash into lightning, not shocking her, but, if she didn't trust him, she probs would've been worried.

Instead, she just held him tighter, and promised him everything was okay, until she, too, fell asleep.

Waking up, Denki had gotten up first, and popped back Home for a few minutes to make breakfast for them, the boy still visibly tired, if you knew what to look for, but better than he'd been last night, and, when Suki dropped by with a second breakfast, Mina had, after a moment's consideration, invited her in. The local girl brought pseudo-danishes, which had been set aside for Aang if he'd stayed a bit longer, and, watching her try the food that Denki had prepared was hilarious.

She liked the bacon and eggs, but seeing her painted face screw up trying the Natto sent Mina into gales of laughter, as Sparky went, "I know, right?"

Also, giving the girl a sip of both of their 'Mobster' energy drinks was amusing, Denki going with a 'Javalicious, while she was drinking the far superior 'Mangosplosion'.

Promising Denki that they'd go Home after this, he argued that, if she needed to, they could stay another day, which was sweet, but no, and also, confirmed to her that, while she was gonna try to push for her boyfriend to maybe try going back home, she needed to figure out a way to sleep over at his place, because, if he was this bad here, where he wasn't sure if it was dangerous, back in Musutafu, where he knew All-for-One's people were out there…

He might try if she asked, but she wouldn't.

As for their guide, well, Mina had gotten the explanation from Denki. Apparently she would've normally ended up with Sokka, the boy the Avatar was with, the one who wasn't greedy, so her boyfriend had mentally discounted the not-Ninja, just like he did for, say, Ochaco, because her and Midoriya were, like, totes a thing, and while Pinky could understand with those two, because they were both super-dorks, and, like, super adorbs, from the way the brunette was glancing at Sparky, he might've been being a bit too hasty.

They'd be leaving, and probably never see her again, so it wasn't that big a deal, but it still made her giggle to herself as they followed her out, after Mina stepped out to use the restroom, popping back right away for a mo' just to see Suki's reaction, which, yes, was hilarious, and then after some freshening up it was time to get some Waterbending lessons!

Instead of going to the shore, they actually went to a nearby lake, because 'Bending near the Unagi, especially for a beginner, is not advised'. And while Denki could absolutely smack around the sea-serpent, doing so without splattering it all over the bay would be a lot harder, and Mina was confident in her chances, but there was no reason to be rude about it.

The old guy, Yoshimi, was there to teach her, while some of the other sages were there too, though, they looked to Denki, unsure.

"Don't mind me, I'll just be waiting over here," Sparky said. "You hung out while I tried to figure out Firebending, I don't mind doing the same, Pinky. Might trade some pointers with Suki."

"Thanks, Hun, you're the best!" Mina grinned. "Don't do anything I wouldn't?"

Quirking an eyebrow, he quipped, "Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down?" and it was good that he was cracking jokes, as he turned to the Kyoshi Warrior, and asked, "So, your combat style, it's water based?"

"Water based?" the brunette questioned, unsure.

"Yeah, all about deflection and redirection, flowing, like water," the blonde explained.

"Oh, I, I suppose it is, but we also have joint locks. Would that be Earth?" Suki questioned, the two heading over to the side, as Mina, skating forward on a bit of acid, hit the edge of the lake, upper her flow to create enough buoyancy to slide right across it, before turning and asking Yoshimi, "So, Waterbending! Explain it like I'm five, please, 'cause all I know is it has to do with water, and flow. Oooh! How do you do Ice? Haven't figured out that yet!"

Blinking a little owlishly, the older man nodded, walking forward as well, with an odd sort of swagger that turned the water under his feet to ice, letting him stand opposite her on the surface of the lake. "To begin with, you must understand that water is change. It is motion. While it can rest, that is only when hemmed in, and, in its natural state, it is ever moving, ever flowing, even when restrained. When you Bend," he stated, lifting a hand, a long tendril of water lifting up, like Mina had figured out, detaching to form a strand that flowed around his arm, "you must always, in some part, be in motion." The strand circled in on itself, rising up his limb, tightening until it formed a sphere over his hand that seemed still, but, looking at it closely, no, the surface was solid, but the insides were slowly spinning, "even if it does not appear that way."

Copying his motion, Mina picked up the strand, and copied him, the water dropping before she could start to circle it. Frowning, she tried it again, but bigger, but that didn't work either. Making her motion more expansive, she concentrated, grabbing the same amount of water she had the first time, and that worked, getting it to circle her hand, though she had to kinda swing it back and forth, like a hula hoop, which, actually, really worked, the flow stabilizing until, unlike a circling strand, she made it into a ring.

Concentrating, she worked it up her arm, turning it faster, tighter, and faster, and tighter, and, yeah, in a lot of ways it was just like moving her acid with her Quirk, and trying to grab hold of it as it was spinning it-

Zip-Crack!

Went flying off, at speed, right for Suki!

But Denki, who had been keeping an eye on her, moved, grabbing the girl by the edge of her armor and pulling, the high-pressure stream of water blasting right past where she'd been a moment ago, and hitting a tree, blasting off a bit of bark.

"Thanks, Sparky!" Mina called, a little chagrined. "My bad!"

Giving her a thumbs up, he turned to continue talking to Suki, as if nothing had happened, the girl, breathing a little hard, focusing on him, though the not-ninja was now keeping an eye on the pink-haired woman, which, yeah, understandable.

"So, uh, don't get it going and try and grab it," Mina stated.

"… Yes. That would be best," Yoshimi noted dryly. "It appears that while you are starting to travel the path of understanding, your strength is that of someone who has already strode it. Likely due to your nature as a Spirit, and the… substance you create."

"Oh, you mean my Acid?" she questioned, and laughed as the older man's eyes widened, his gaze dropping down to look at the substance billowing around her feet. "Oh, like, don't worry. It's super weak, kinda like vinegar. I only use the stuff that eats through stone when I need it!"

"Mina… Ashido," he stated, making the connection. "I believe I understand now. Please, follow me," he directed, leaving the pond, and she followed, summoning Sparky's phone to open a gate and dump her Acid through it, since the gate-room was self-cleaning. "Take a seat, and we shall meditate, to feel the motion of the water within our bodies, and then work from there."

"Oh, the Firebender we met that helped Sparky had him do the same thing, only, like, with a candle!" the Heroine smiled, sitting down, legs crossed.

The sage nodded, "Yes, unlike Firebenders, which need an external focus, their element not naturally a part of themselves, those of us blessed by the Moon need only ourselves. Now, breathe deeply, and focus on your heartbeat. The constant push and pull of the blood in your veins is an earthly reflection of the push and pull of the Moon and Ocean, as regular as the tides, though, quite thankfully, much faster."

Working with her, it was a bit like dancing, really, only the beat came from herself, which meant she could control it, in a way, and, once she had it, the Sage had her stand, then move with it, keeping in time, never stopping, constantly shifting position. They had forms for it, but, Yoshimi admitted, they were more for children to get used to such motions, which came naturally to a 'Spirit' such as her.

When, really, that'd be the ballet lessons, though she much preferred break-dancing, and, adding a bit of her acid to the mix, it started to swirl around her without her having to really do anything, everything just… flowing.

Once she got that, she went to do some basic Waterbending moves, and realized what she'd done wrong, going way too hard to begin with, something she had in common with Sparky. And for break-dancing you couldn't hesitate, you just needed to go for it, and be able to roll out of it if you made a mistake, stopping part-way once you started the move one of the worst things you could do.

And, yeah, with Waterbending you weren't supposed to stop either, unlike with Firebending where you could totes do that, but starting soft was also fine, because if you messed up, you wouldn't faceplant, you'd just splash a bit. But going super hard you could work to flow out of it, and turn into sweet moves, as the power moves when she danced were where it got really crazy.

Only, power moves with Waterbending cut down trees.

So, work her way up to that!

And, glancing over to Denki, he was fighting, no, he was sparring with the Suki, his jacket hanging on a branch, working with her, going back and forth without his Quirk, picking up and messing with her style, and, like, totes using that 'Talent' of his, which, she didn't mind, because while it was like, hundo-p cheating, if it helped keep him alive, she was all for it!

He was stopping, explaining things, trying it out on her, having her try it out on him, and going with what worked, while just shrugging when something didn't and continuing on. Also, not gonna lie, him going all 'instructor' was super-hot. Like, he was pretty smokin' normally, but when he got all Sensei-Sparky, with that commanding voice, and the feeling when he got super focused on you, watching you, as if you were the only thing in the world that mattered-

"Ms. Ashido?" her current teacher questioned, and the horned, and horny, girl paused, looking around, and, wait, she'd turned her water to mist? Like, how?

"I, uh, sorry, teach!" she grimaced, Focus Mina! Gathering up the mist around her, and trying to be calm, it kinda fell out into water once more, and she went back to trying to do what he said, as he walked her through move after move.

And some of it was good, actually getting her to try some stuff that were mistakes that newbies normally made, to show why they didn't work, like trying to just pull the water up, cause you could kinda do it, but when your momentum ran out you started straining, and it was your Chi that was, but you kinda felt in the muscles too, and you could pull out of it, but you needed to bunch up and go, because slow and steady was apparently an Earthbender thing, which she could see.

Other stuff, well, it was kinda bullshit, like how you 'couldn't waterbend over your head', when she had yesterday, it's just you couldn't hold it there, needing to sort of toss it, while they had the workaround of kind of tilting yourself over, so over you wasn't over you, which worked too! And Sparky did say styles were more like suggestions, which she was keeping track of.

It was kinda like working with Bentonita, during Mina's internships, where they just kinda threw stuff around to see what stuck, 'cause while their Quirks were kinda the same, they weren't really the same. Only, now she had the same Quirk as all the other Waterbenders, so it was the same, but, well, everyone had the same body, but good luck trying to make one style of dancing for everyone, so Mina figured it was kinda like that?

Then they moved on to ice, which, like, was super easy, and Sparky had been close, because you didn't need to be, like, stern with it, you kinda just 'chilled out', but, like, on command. Well technically you "Embodied the stillness of winter, when all things come to a stop," but same diff. Though, also, trying to freeze too much, too fast could really mess you up, as it kinda stopped your heart if you weren't careful, cause the beat of the water froze, and so did your own, which is why it was waaaaay, better to make an ice surfboard than to try and freeze a wave.

Other way around, she kinda already had, Yoshimi turning it into a metaphor for spring, but she thought of it more like breakdancing, where you kicked yourself out of a freeze, like an L kick, or a Hollowback, and started spinning around once more! Freezing water wasn't like starting a freeze in dancing, though, because for those you needed to tense up all your muscles, and that was too much, like, 'energy' for making ice, which is what was tripping her up.

Aaand speaking of tripping up, she glanced over to see that Sparky was showing the other girls his moves, and they were, like, totally flirting with him, but he wasn't noticing at all. Nope, he just glanced over to her, so she makes a thumbs up out of ice by freezing her Acid, which made him smile the way he only really did for her, and sometimes Mei and Yaomomo, and that was just… d'aawwww!

Also, that was how you made mist, cause when your heart went all bam bam bam, well, that energy went into your Bending!

Okay, it was more than that, but that kind of allover warmth, where your heart sped up, was what got it started, but the Sages could kind of do it without someone as cute as her boyfriend smiling at them, poor them, though that was more of a 'practice' thing, and she'd kinda stumbled across the way you started with that.

Breaking for lunch, the Kyoshi Warriors brought some stuff, and Denki, at her suggestion, grabbed sodas from Home, which everyone got a kick out of, carbonation kind of a thing here, from when they made some kinds of booze, but not to that level, the sages waxin' all poetic over the 'effervescent spiritual drink', though they had made sure to triple check that they didn't owe anything for it, and probably would've asked a fourth time, if Sparky hadn't started to get annoyed at them.

So, like, from what she could get gifts from Spirits came with… strings, and the fact that theirs didn't, well, the sages probably would've called BS on the entire 'Spirit' thing if she wasn't, you know, pink. Mina wasn't stupid, she knew this was gonna be a problem, later on, but for now it was kinda fun.

After that, she went back to Waterbending practice, and the sages brought over a CPR dummy, only, it wasn't for CPR, it was for healing.

Which was really frikken hard!

The first step, where she could gather up the water, and put her Chi into it, wasn't that bad, but everything afterwards?

She had to kind of… soak the dummy, which caused it to start to glow, but, unlike using her Quirk, or dancing, this was… different. And, if she was being honest, she didn't really like it. But healing was, like, super important, and while most Pros weren't healers, that was 'cause you only got the one Quirk, or maybe two, like for Shoto, and if you were good at healing you normally weren't good at fighting.

But Mina could now do both!

Well, she could do both once she figured out how to do it!

"We should take a break," Koori, the sage who was best at healing, suggested, while Yoshimi hung back.

"I've almost got it…" Pinky argued, but… "Nevermind. I don't got it. Uh, what am I doin' wrong?"

The older woman chose her words carefully. "I am not sure how old you are, but your nature seems to be… young."

"Pretend I'm a teenager," 'cause I am, Mina grinned.

Nodding, the sage stated, "In that case, I think you are being too… aggressive. Too… forceful. When you Waterbend, that can be a strength, as you do so with purpose, but to heal, that strength… It would rip someone apart from the inside, though I am sure you would stop before that point. If one's patient is injured badly, fast healing can save their life, or if, spirits forgive, you find yourself on a battlefield, and you must heal many at once, saving who you can, but that healing must be done with purpose, but without haste. For this, though, first starting out, we must go slowly. Water flows, yes, and can freeze, but it permeates everything as it slowly saturates whatever it flows upon."

For a half-second, Mina wanted to point out that getting soaked with water could actually dry your skin out, but that was more Sparky's jam, so she just nodded, and thought of it like water splashing on the ground or something, and just kind of let it… go.

Which wasn't really fast, but maybe she needed to start slow, and so kind of just let it rest, kinda like a spa treatment!

Actually, thinking about that really helped, 'cause you needed to let that rest happen ta let whatever you were using do its job, so…

The dummy finally lit up, and she could feel the water spreading throughout it, which was weird, but also felt… okay? Well, not okay, one arm felt super wonky, and, looking up, Mina was about to ask, but Koori was already nodding.

"Very good," the woman nodded. "And, yes, we have set this tool to have damage already. The blockages, the feeling of stagnation, those are how injuries feel. Soak them with your Chi, push, but gently, until it flows as it should."

And Mina did, but it was… not easy. Like, she could tell it was just bits of wood that'd been flipped around, but the flows all kind of ran into each other, but messing with one too much made it go bad in a different way. Part of her wished that she could get Sparky to help, since this kinda thing reminded her a bit of the stuff that he and Mei made, when he tried to explain them, but another part kinda wanted to do this herself.

Or, was she going about this wrong?

"Do you do it all at once, or, just, like, pick a spot and work out from that?" the Heroine asked, her question surprising her teacher, who pulled back, not, like, offended, but like Mina had just said something really dumb.

So, normal for me, the girl thought, well aware that she was only doing as well in class as she was 'cause of her boyfriend's and girl friend's, and maybe one day girlfriend's, tutoring.

"To try and encompass an entire person's flow at once, it… it would be a feat that only the Avatar could accomplish," Koori stated. "Perhaps, as a Spirit…"

"Nah, it's super hard for me too!" Mina smiled, relieved, and so, instead of trying to keep, like, all those plates spinning, just said fuck it and let them handle themselves, and went even softer, just kind of… poking the flows, a little here, a little there, watching as each bit kind of spilled into the others, in a way that her Quirk just didn't work like, until, finally, she leaned back, and blinked, as, wait, it was sunset already?

And she felt beat, just, completely pooped.

Like first day of Camp tired.

"Here ya go, Pinky," Denki smiled, giving her a bottle of the Not-Pocari his Home made, which was nice and ice cold, and she practically guzzled down, soaked with sweat, despite the fact that she's been doing nothing but kneeling on the ground, which still had snow on it!

"Thanks, hun!" she smiled. "I, I think I'm pretty much done for the day. So, uh, go say goodbye to the girls? And, didjya have fun?"

Pausing to consider that, a couple of the Kyoshi Warriors, half of whom had snuck up behind him watching, looked offended, one opening her mouth to talk before another clapped her hand over the black-haired girl's mouth, but after a moment Denki nodded. "I… did," he stated, sounding a little surprised. "It was good to just do something… normal. Well, normal-ish. Instead of Firebending, or Quirk practice, or dealing with Aang and the others. Thanks."

"No problemo!" Mina grinned not having meant for it to happen, but she'd hundo-p accept credit! "But I am gonna look forward to sleeping in our bed."

"Oh, absolutely," he agreed instantly, causing her to laugh. "But, yeah. You learn anything?"

Seeing the sages now get offended, the dark-eyed girl quickly answered. "Oh, yeah, tons! And a lot of stuff to work on for later! Who knows, we might run into more Waterbenders than we thought along the way!"

"I've heard there's 'Swampbenders' in the Earthkingdom," he offered. "They live in a place that's kinda like Okinawa, only, you know, not an island. But from what I know Aang's not gonna run into them until next year. Also, their style is very different. But…" the blond glanced over to the sages, "I didn't know they existed, so who knows!"

"That's the spirit!" Mina grinned, giving her boyfriend a thumbs up, then at his dry look, realized her own pun, and almost snorted, "Lol, Spirit!"

"Yep," he chuckled, nodding, and turned around, the Kyoshi Warriors all suddenly pretending that they weren't eavesdropping, while Suki waited for him as he walked back to her, and Mina winked at the brunette, before she turned back to her sensei-for-the-day.

"So, is it supposed to be that tiring, or, like, was I doing it wrong?" the Heroine checked.

Koori shook her head, "No, you were doing it correctly, and the speed you learn is… exceptional. Though you are, as you say, a 'teenager', and most of us started learning when we were far younger, and then there is your… nature," she noted, which was obviously her trying to be 'delicate', but Mina nodded her head, getting that. Hesitating, the older woman stated, with a look towards, Denki, "Waterbending can, unfortunately, only heal one's flesh. As for… Mr. Kaminari… were he an Umibozu, that would be a mortal wound, though we thankfully have not had to deal with a Sea Priest in many years."

"I, you know, he," Mina questioned, sitting up straight, having known something was wrong, but-

But Koori stiffened, quickly bringing her hand sup, and lowering her gaze as she replied, "I apologize, Spirit, that was… impolite."

"No, it's fine, but, what's wrong!?" Mina pressed. "He's been getting better, but, but I don't know what to do!"

Denki, hearing her, glanced over, hands flashing to electric claws in concern, but she waved him away, and, after a moment, he turned, and went back to talking to Suki, who'd also looked over.

But, maybe that bit had been too much, or maybe she wasn't going to get answers to her questions to begin with, because Koori shook her head again. "If, if he was better, then… I am sorry, Ms. Ashido, but wounds such as that, it is all we can do to see to them, to make them comfortable in their last moments. Waterbending is a gift from the Spirits, but healing is a mortal's art, and… it has been an honor to teach you, but I cannot help you do what you wish. Please, do not try and force me to do what I cannot do."

And now the woman sounded terrified, of her, and, shiiiit, Mina had started Aciding without realizing she had, which she hadn't for years, the grass she was standing on just gone, the dirt vaporizing a little, and, opening a portal, she tossed the acid through it, and winced at the sizzle it made when it hit the ground, the sound cutting off when the Gate closed.

"It's… it's fine. Sorry, Koori. Didn't mean to scare ya, I, I just wish I could help, ya'know?" the horned girl asked helplessly.

"It. It is fine," the woman stated. "You said you were departing. Perhaps you should do so soon."

Oh, wow, that… okay.

Standing, Mina nodded. "If that's what you want, then I will. Also, seriously, thanks a ton," she emphasized, "I'm, I'm not sure I'd've been able to figure this out myself, and, like, it'll absolutely let me save other people."

And the woman didn't say anything else, just nodding, Yoshimi watching, and Mina felt something prod at her defenses, clearly coming from the sages, which, okay, yeah, she def needed to go before Sparky felt that, and lost his shit.

She just wished she knew what she'd done wrong, because, the cold shoulder?

Kinda felt a bit much.

Walking over to Denki, who was chatting with Suki, who'd seen them both lose it a little and didn't suddenly decide she had to go, they both said their goodbyes, Mina promising that, next time they met, she'd also like to 'trade some pointers' with the girl, and also show her some sick dance moves, cause, with how the not-a-ninja could go, she could bust some sick spins, with the right beat.

Taking a half step towards them, Suki started to lift a hand to shake, but then paused, unsure, which Denki completely misinterpreted, giving her one of his bear hugs, which were all big, and strong, and warm, and safe feeling. Letting the girl go, the brunette was almost blushing through her makeup, so Mina, unable to resist, leaned in and wished her goodbye French style, with a "Choi!" and kissing her on each cheek, the Kyoshi Warrior's eyes going wide.

"Seeya later!" Mina cheered, opening the portal, and walking with Denki through it, back Home.

And it felt good to be Home.

Letting out a sigh herself, the Waterbender could see the tension ease from her companion's shoulders, and pulled him towards the stairs, asking, "So, Sparky, the 'sages' were new?"

"Yeah," he nodded, brows knitting. "They could've been there originally, their reasoning was sound, but… well, it's got some interesting implications."

"Like?" Mina prodded, when Denki stopped there.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized. "It's, Katara's entire deal was that she has no one to train her. But, well, a short trip away were people who could train her. So…"

"Why didn't they," she completed.

Waving back towards the Gateroom, as they ascended the stairs, he added, "Exactly. Now, that entire 'elemental separation' thing, yeah, that's… actually a serious concern, and, from the fact that they were concerned, is a new enough phenomenon that it suggests that previous Avatars actually would've pulled some serious bullshit, even if Aang, if he's like how I remember him being, and he seems to be, wouldn't."

Shaking his head, he continued, "And now I'm not sure if that's what's different, or, if, like, for instance, like with Armor Warrior, Bentonita, or Miriko. In that, er, view of things I had before the Entrance Exam, they existed, the plot just didn't cover them, because Midoriya was off interning with Grand Torino, one of All Might's old mentors, instead. Still doesn't seem enough to be worthy of an entire Tier Jump, but… but I'm kinda glad something happened, ya'know?"

"Totes," she nodded. "So, dinner?"

"Dinner," he agreed, taking point in the kitchen, as she moved around him, reminding her, a little bit of both her lesson and the sparring he'd done with Suki, making sure to move closely around him.

Sparky was confused, at first, until he realized what she was doing, and then, a little haltingly at first, but started to gain more confidence in his steps, and while he was technically 'leading', by being the one that was, you know, doing the cooking, she, by moving around him, kinda riffing off his actions, was the one who was making the entire thing work.

By the time they were done, and everything was plated, he was smiling, laughing to himself, still tired, but not tense at all. Over dinner, they talked, her about what she'd learned, and him about his 'practice' with Suki, though she had to bite her lip, because he truly had no idea that all those girls were flirting with him, instead focusing on how the same principles that handled their Waterbending manifested themselves in hand-to-hand combat.

"So, you've really got enough, and weren't just being nice?" he finally questioned, as they did dishes, her washing them with her Bending, and him trying to use his own to dry them, both of them getting a bit soaked in the process.

"Oh, yeah, and hearing what Mr. Iroh says will help too!" the Waterbender nodded. "Only thing I can't really practice is healing, since, unless I've got a special doohickey, which requires a healer to 'set up' to begin with, or someone's injured, I can't really do anything."

And then, without missing a beat, Denki grabbed a knife, spinning it about, to rest the blade against the skin of his arm. "If you need a practice dummy, Pinky, that's no big," he offered, as if it were obvious.

Freezing, Mina stomped on her first response, which, well, was to yell at him not to do that, because, like, seriously, what the friggen hell!? But, no, no it was a sweet offer, in an absolutely psycho way, so she grimaced, responding, "Uh, thanks for the offer, Sparky, but no."

Then, looking hurt, the boy asked, "Why not? If you need to learn-"

"No!" she snapped, and he flinched, making her kick herself, because, right, better wasn't okay. And the thought that she didn't like seeing him hurt didn't even occur to him, even though she knew he'd wreck anyone that suggested she get hurt.

But… But he didn't value his own pain like he valued hers, and… she wasn't really sure how to convince him he was wrong.

"I, what?" he sputtered, on the back foot. "I, Mina?"

Think like he does, she told herself, because, while she wanted to tell him why, she was worried that he wouldn't understand, or, worse, tell her that her reason didn't matter, and… and she wasn't sure how she'd be able to take that. So, put her view down, flip it, and reverse it, so… "You heal!" she blurted out, not really sure where she was going with this.

But, thankfully, Sparky kind of had her back here too, in a weird way, as he frowned, "I mean everyone… No, you mean my Quirk. I mean, that's what makes doing this safe, but…" Slapping his forehead, with the hand not holding the knife, he exclaimed, "Wait! No! You'd only learn how to heal a regenerator! Not how to heal normal people! I'm sorry, Mina, you're absolutely right!" he smiled. "And you think you can't keep up with Mei and I!" he paused, starting to frown at that, before, thinking about it as he put the knife down, he laughed, and shook his head. "Right that's… not a problem now."

That wasn't what she'd meant at all, but if it kept her boyfriend from filleting himself just to help, she was all for it!

"Exactly," she nodded seriously, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart, as seeing him do that was… not okay. "Now, I'm gonna go freshen up in the guest shower, 'cause we both stink, and if we shower together we're not getting anything done," she teased. "Then, Movie Night?"

"Movie Night," he nodded. "And… Pinky?"

"Yeah, Sparky?" she asked, hiding her worry.

Working his jaw, he suggested. "Let's… Let's try going back, well, not home, because this is Home, but, back to our original world. Just for a day."

She froze, as that was… well she wasn't an expert but that seemed big. "You sure?"

"Fuck no," he sighed, explosively, "But, but if it's too much, we can out, and just kind of… put things on pause." And, under his breath, so soft she could barely hear it, he muttered, "And if I don't try now, I might never."

Moving forward, she hugged him tightly for a moment, "Then we'll try it. Together."

Pulling away, she ordered, "But now! Shower! See you down in… thirty?"

"I'll make the popcorn," he grinned, leaning in to kiss her, before striding off for the stairs, leaving her alone.

"… ohhh, maaaannnn, I've got noooo idea what I'm doooooiiiiinnngg!" she groaned, sagging against the counter. Because this was nuts, all of this was nuts, and she couldn't talk to anyone about it!

Like, she super wanted to dish with YaoMomo, even if she'd have to leave out, like, most of it, but she promised herself she'd go with him, and oh brother did her boyfriend need her, which was, like, really nice but really scary all at the same time, and was kinda a lot for a girl, ya know?

And, heading off to the main shower like she said she would, the water felt nice, but she'd long ago learned that all she really needed to do was make some really strong acid, kinda scrub with it, and then, boom, clean!

Though, given just how strong she could make her acid, she knew that if there wasn't some serious weirdness going on with this place, she probably would've burned through the pipes. Or the tiles. Or at least the plasticy stuff that went between the tiles. And being able to feel the moon rising in the distance was kinda nice too.

Focus!

Spoiler: Music

So… Sparky was hurt.

She kinda already knew that.

He was hurt in a way that more experienced Waterbenders could tell at a glance.

Huh, wonder if Mr. Iroh can too?

The 'sages' said that Waterbending couldn't heal the kind of hurt Sparky was.

Which was… uggggghhhh.

Only… Sparky had been clear that Bending was really freakin' complicated, which, hoo boy, understatement of the year, my man.

So, so maybe they were wrong.

After all, they were wrong about some other stuff.

So… so what if Sparky's boss, 'C', had sent them here because here was where Sparky could be healed?

And, and in that case, she'd figure out how to do it!

Because, god-dammnit, she was gonna take care of her man, or her name wasn't Mina Ashido!

Music – Focus! – MHA OST 6 - A power meant for saving

AN: The first trip elsewhere comes to a close, as it's time to check back with the others! As usual, the next four chapters are up on and Subscribestar!