Chapter 263: Freedom to Feel and Indulge
"What do you mean he isn't coming back? I answered correctly!" Azula snarls.
Sokka and Azula tackled every riddle for hours to bring their friends and family from their comatose state. Ty Lee soon discovered them on the hill before leading others alongside the unconscious Nik. But Regret pulled the rug off them at the last juncture.
"Yes, you did. Well done." Regret's face is still not visible, but his chortle annoys Sokka and Azula. However, the rest of the group who woke from Regret's manipulative world holds complicated emotions toward the Primordial Spirit. Katara holds her grudges but continues to sneak glances at her mother to talk instead. Her priority isn't to give into her petty feuds but to talk with her mother.
After rescuing Nik, of course.
"But what if the other party refuses to leave?" Regret questions.
"Impossible!" Suki narrows her eyes.
Forced to be the most level-headed in this situation, Sokka raises his voice, "Did Nik explicitly tell you he does not want to leave?"
"No, he did not say anything. As he is now, Nik is squatting in the realm he shouldn't be in and using his freedom... to take mine hostage. A bitter turn of events, if I may add."
"What is he doing?" Ursa questions quickly.
"It is his secret."
"We will solve another riddle for an answer."
Regret stares at the group before stating in a cold tone.
"No. Nik's regrets are his to share. What I will say, however, is that Nik is in a deeply indifferent condition." Turning his face to gaze at the setting sun as dusk sets in, Regret proposes, "If I were you, I'd pray that a distant sibling of mine, Indifference, doesn't approach us. He will grant you no riddles and afford you no breather."
---
Freedom is a paradox. So, Mokshi's existence is contradictory to its origin. It chose to seek other worlds by restricting itself to a fleshy body of a traveler. Nothing can be more contradictory than this.
For instance, Mokshi is allowing Nik to satiate his hatred. Nik may be unable to do anything about Regret, but Mokshi has many options in this spiritual state. Instead of freeing Nik from his hatred, Mokshi wrestles away Regret's control in this particular plane of reality and allows Nik to slaughter the triplets in several manners!
In reality, Nik chose to feel his fingers dig into their soft flesh and draw their last breaths using fiery brands, toe-cutters, flays, and many more methods used on him by them!
And... Mokshi simply respected those choices.
Now, Mokshi is free to bring Nik out, but why would it?
All of it boils down to how Nik has nurtured their relationship. Their initial relationship was that of mutual benefits. If Nik survives and leaves, Mokshi will enjoy the sights of other worlds, and Nik will be passively benefited from its very existence. That's why Mokshi used to urge Nik to leave this world as soon as possible once they survived their encounter with Koh.
But Mokshi does not pester Nik now.
Nik will depart when he wishes to. He did not have a choice in bonding with the spirit, but eventually, the Primordial Spirit of Freedom came to acknowledge others' freedom of choice. And similar to Nik's effort in trying to communicate with the spirit better, Mokshi decides to indulge Nik's hatred.
For once, Mokshi makes an effort aside for some well-timed warnings. And there is a reason why they don't communicate all that much.
Apart from the minimal boost in its host's chi and spirit, Mokshi realizes how weak Nik is to communicate with itself and wield its strength. And that's saying something when Mokshi alone is one of the weaker Primordials due to its contradictory nature, unlike Ra and Raat.
But while Mokshi believed its efforts to be secretive and not rest on its host's consciousness, it quakes in surprise within Nik once he looks at the bloody pile of flesh in front of his bed with a soft, desolate look.
"Thanks for letting me vent, pal."
---
It's the same situation with Zhao all over again.
Nik enjoyed the first few moments of killing the triplets. After having his ass handed down by this world's Esta, he only kept his efforts on the triplets.
As much as he hated Esta, truthfully... he was kind of over her for many weeks now. It did not reduce his dislike for the woman, but Nik simply understood that as helpless as he was, he had no freedom. And when he did have the freedom, he chose to rebel! That's a fucking win in his books.
But the triplets?
Oh, they were his suppressed memories brought back like a tide when Regret set them loose!
Esta was his trainer. His body never received any damage from that woman, but these three?
Nik went as far as branding every inch of their bodies with red-hot brands until no spot was left untouched. It was gruesome. He melted their lips shut before doing the same to their other orifices, including stuff down below. He only melted their eyes in the last moment before they suffocated to death.
And this was merely one example.
He has been treated too poorly in the past. Most of the stuff is something he would never like to think about—but Nik wasn't kind to his enemies.
A lesson taught to him by Zhao.
His choice of weapon demonstrates his nature too well—a sturdy stick.
A tool that doesn't kill accidentally, but one of the most gruesome ways to end a life nonetheless.
Seeing their spread corpses in front of him, their once beautiful skin stripped off their bodies, Nik exhales heavily and sets his knife on the nearest bench.
Blood drips from his dainty hands.
His body was still thin and effeminate before he began working out in the World of Spirits.
Nik finally acknowledges the... friend assisting him all this time.
It wasn't hard to feel Mokshi's presence. He used the same method of connection of the heart-mind-spirit taught by Dhi to communicate with Mokshi, so he could sense its movement from the very first moment.
"Thanks for letting me vent, pal."
He feels the spirit's surprise rather expressively, causing him to wipe his hands with a towel and chuckle.
"Don't act so surprised now. You're acting like a child caught doing a crime."
He then picks another towel to wipe his face and brush his hair back slickly.
"Can you... hear me well?"
"Surprisingly, I can. For the first time, your voice doesn't feel broken or cut."
Mokshi grows silent before mustering.
"I'm glad. And your mind? Do you feel... yourself?"
"It's the same situation as Zhoa all over again. No matter if you serve it hot or cold, revenge is not satiating at all. But if you're asking about the acts I performed here, I believe in the simple rule of thumb—Once a killer, always a killer. Not like I will ever need to hide anything from you."
"Your trust will not be broken."
"I'm surprised you didn't wear my ear off about leaving this world the moment we started conversing."
Nik wraps the corpses in the bedsheet as he hears Mokshi's reply.
"I would like you to take your time. If it ends up with me being stranded again, I will accept it as a consequence of my choice."
Nik stills and questions.
"Your choice? When did my choice end up being yours?"
"When I decided to trust you a bit more... just a few moments ago, once you let go of your hatred and regrets. I should warn you this spiritual growth will reflect positively in your... status, was it?"
Nik smiles slightly and calmly asserts his approval without saying anything.
"What are you doing?" Mokshi inquires, already knowing the answer. "If you wish to leave, dying at Esta's hand is not the only way out."
"Oh, even better. I won't have to see her ugly mug again!" Nik sighs in relief. He didn't change at all. Maybe that, in itself, is something wrong. But in the grand scheme of things, despite feeling empty, Nik refused to feel sour about the triplets.
It wasn't like they were hurting him accidentally.
The bitches strode into a whorehouse to hurt while parading in charmingly cruel innocence!
"Before we leave... I must caution you. I believe you won't hear from me this well for some time."
Nik frowns and sits on the springy bed.
"Why?"
"When we communicate, it is a transfer of spirit. You can communicate with me because my capacity is vast, but the opposite is inaccurate. This event should assist your growth, but it's simply a drop in the vast ocean."
"So I have a long way to go, huh?"
"Very long."
"I'll miss your voice as clear as it is now." Nik smiles and lies on the bed, not minding his back getting covered by the blood.
"I suppose this is where I suggest you leave this world as quickly as possible. But—"
"Yeah, I feel you loud and clear, Mokshi."
"Mokshi is what you have heard from others. All spirits have true names. Mine is ---."
"I didn't catch that."
"I know," Mokshi whispers as Nik's vision changes, and he finds himself in the dark world with Regret awaiting his presence.
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
Unlike Katara and others who chose to prioritize their relationship with their loved ones over petty feuds, Nik had nothing else.
Their regrets are for them to solve. He cannot mediate in everything, even if one may assume he has the emotional capacity to do so in the first place.
But Regret?
Oh, Nik felt more 'light' than ever as he accepts Mokshi's words for truth in the sensation that he is closer to the spirit. It is an achievement several months of meditation and communication would fail to achieve.
It's spiritual growth.
And he must show his appreciation to Regret if his wicked smirk represented anything.
He finally has something from Mokshi aside from a passive Paradox implied to have averted some type of crisis during his evolution in the form of some Bloodline Shackles.
"Is that mischief I sense?" Regret chuckles as if facing a toddler, and he may as well be right to have such a reaction. Nik couldn't hope to be anything more than a toddler in front of a primordial spirit.
"Spirits like you and Reaper won't have such effects on me ever again."
Nik exhales as his sclera turns into a sharp violet glow that covers the rest of his eyes, creating a shimmering violet mist around his body that doesn't seem to be affected by the abysmal darkness of regret.
He feels his chi reserves dropping to half as his spirit forcibly rips through this prison.
One of Mokshi's energybending skills it comprehended while getting devoured by Koh one odd day. True, alone, Mokshi is rather weak in comparison to other spirits.
But with a host that isn't bound by the same rules as spirits, their strength shines brighter.
Nik's eyes snap open as he bounces up before whipping his head around. His heart settles once he sees everyone circling around him and watching him intently. Their expressions are shrouded by the shadow cast through a bonfire not far from them, and he soon notices something strange in the darkness of the night.
"Aang? Why does your head have another head? And... where's Regret? I'm not done with it."
Aang glances at the seven identical faces with an extraordinary look of fear before muttering under his breath, "Regret... left. He was quite vocal about being weak in the material world and something about not meeting you after you woke up. However, Regret did invite you to the spirit realm if you wish to speak with him."
Knowing full well that the Primordials have more restrictions on them in the material world than a regular spirit, Nik huffs and looks around again. Expression of relief and awe is present in everyone.
"What?" Nik raises an eyebrow.
And then he, too, looks down on his body and sees his body bonebending in a miraculous erection.
"Let's just call it a hate boner and leave it at that."
---
Nik chose to accompany Aang for the rest of the night and chatted with Hina and Niwan about various things. Aang eventually awoke from his spiral of regret once he rationalized there was nothing he could have done in this or the other life. His awakening meant the awakening of other stormbenders.
One thing that surprised Nik was the respect the Aang had managed to attain from the third of this radical group before introducing the basic airbending culture that was bastardized by the Fire Nation.
And as expected, this temple had a rich pool of information, including some niche bending techniques that may be useful later.
But he did not plan to let his friend sleep anytime soon.
Knowing that he won't stay on this island or this world for long, Nik relishes every chance he can to practice his airbending from a true master.
But before that, he releases Ignit for Aang to admire.
"Woah!"
And as Aang admires the beautiful lizard who sticks her head up proudly while unfurling her leathery wings, Nik glances at his stats.
[Name: Nik Faran
Age: 20 (92)
Code: GC—EHG—98034
Authority Rank: 1 (28.2→28.9/100)
Paradise: Transmigration
Title: Transmigration Intern
Bloodline: Twilight Spirit (Uncommon)
Physique: 6.9
Mental: 8.1→8.3
Energy: 67.7→98]
[Stats are relative to the most common species in the Multiverse—Humanoid Homo Sapien.]
Since his energybending skill was a manipulation of his existing strength, Nik did not gain a new skill. But that didn't matter.
All he needs to do now is train with Aang and help Ignit with the Avatar's and Appa's assistance to fly. His little beast needs to take on the air, and the more help he can get from Aang, the better.
As he made up his mind, he did not intervene with the outcome of other families. They would surely need their time to converse on some difficult topics, and his poorly timed puns may not be the best solution to the situation.
So, as Nik and Aang avoided some heavy topics from those around them, including Hina and Niwan, who would surely have their own regrets, the duo trained and laughed to their heart's content.
There was one wrinkle, however.
Nik had to explain the situation briefly to other girls as he let Suki, Yue, and other girls inside his space. He did not mind sharing a room with the Ty Siblings and told them the truth off-handedly just so they can discuss everything at once.
But boy Zuko was smug!
He had enough foresight not to hang out with Nik on another island, and it paid out better than he could have ever imagined!
---
"I'm sorry. As much as I may have said I understood what you're going through, I simply had no idea." Katara opens with an apology while averting her gaze from her mother. "And the idea of... sharing Nik with you freaked me out for all the wrong reasons. I felt that I would be no better than Azula. No, I felt... I would become like Azula."
"Katara..." Kya sighs softly.
"I shouldn't even be here in Sokka's stead just because I'm a girl. No. Both of us didn't have to be here."
Rena interjects with a deadpan as she works her jaw.
"May I leave?"
Kya smiles wryly at her supposed daughter-in-law and nods.
"Hmm, I hope you two sort it out. Really. If it isn't clear already, you are my mother in a sense. So, I would have liked to help you find a reliable mate eventually. If possible, from the Nothern Tribe."
"Leave."
Katara retorts flatly as Rena flashes a light-hearted grin and leaves the room, possibly to deliver Sokka a beating since he sent her into this precarious situation in the first place.
"Katara, the only reason I was toying with the idea was just to tease you. That's all."
"You're lying... I could feel it in that world, too. That's the reason I got so worked up. That's why I feel worked up now."
Kya lowers her gaze and stares at her table.
"Ursa and I spoke. I... truly am lost myself. I suppose I was drawn to the only option. No, that's a lie. This world is filled with others. He wasn't my only option..."
Her voice gets weaker, and she admits.
"He was my choice since he saved me."
Katara purses her lips as an uncomfortable feeling rouses from her heart.
It was nothing like jealousy or anything else but genuine discomfort. A part of her mused about how things could turn out, and the other part felt insecure about how they will see each other later. It's a surprise how Mai, Toph, and Azula managed such a relationship while still behaving like daughters outside closed doors.
"Mom... do you remember how you acted like Ursa?"
"I do. I suppose I'm used to living long lives in other spiritual realms."
Katara licks her teeth behind her shut lips with a ponderous look.
"What if... Azula and Ursa visited Nik one of these days?" The waterbender suggests. "Azula and Ursa are comfortable, right?"
Kya stares at her daughter in disbelief. But... she cannot lie.
Azula and Ursa are indeed more comfortable... roles.
---
"Oh! I almost forgot how Jin simply gave up on the first try and got caught!"
"Hey, I was spooked!" Jin retorts opposite to Azula as she stuffs her face and feeds her stress away.
"Spooked? You've started to spar with us! Nothing should faze you!" Azula shoots back.
Meanwhile, Zuko and Ursa ate their food calmly.
Azula sensibly steered clear of 'Zuzu' since he didn't even get caught in this mess while Ursa had nothing to speak. She had a clear mind, and she was happy to not unload the emotional mess about the fact that Azula was the one who ended her life multiple times in a different realm. Then again, if Azula even dares pull such a stunt in this world, Ursa will be ready with some form of ammunition in her hand. Maybe a slipper, or a rolling pin.
"By the way, Zuzu, what kind of picture did you see about Mother. Describe it for us!"
Zuko coughs and chokes on his food as he would rather never remember such a picture, meanwhile, Ursa quietly smacks the back of her Princess' head with a fond smile of her own and continues to eat peacefully.
---
As fate would have it, the 'talk' between the Ty-Siblings was even shorter as Ty Lee quickly led her sisters around to meet with everyone. Aside from June's rather heavy-handed compliments, they were breezed by many topics cheerfully as they got a chance to question others about Nik's truth.
"Oh, that? Yeah, I'm leaving." June replies carefreely. "Nothing left to tie me here anyway."
"Of course, we are leaving." Poppy smiles and welcomes the group while Toph walks out of her bath stark naked.
"Are we leaving already? That's quick. Didn't Nik say he'd ask other's tribe to follow along?"
Poppy rolls her eyes and groans.
"Your towel, Toph."
"Where is it?"
"You know where!"
"Heh, my eyes say something else." She shrugs and finds her clothes instead, making Poppy stomp her way loudly with a clear intention of what's to come. Only then, Toph rushes back into the bathroom.
"I apologize. Toph really likes you and wanted to meet your sisters." Poppy looks at the group of girls before questioning.
"Ty Lee?"
"Here~!" Ty Lee giggles and works her way out from the crowd.
"Hey, don't go yet! Better yet, just leave that Ty Woo here! I hear good things about her from Azula and Nik!" Toph's hurried voice echoes from the bath as Ty Woo smirks.
"That's me, bitches. Ah, respectfully, of course." She nods at Poppy while others shrug and leave.
Now that they had cleared the air between them, they weren't all that 'broken' by Nik's revelation. Instead, they discussed making a choice after looking around and seeing if they have any future here. After all, Ty Lee wants to stay with Nik for a period, which makes her sisters want to stay closer, too.
And the fact that Nik can identify them separately only worked in both parties' favor.
After the new group began to slightly settle in, they expected Nik to return.
It was a dangerous day for everyone, so they wished to meet with Nik and maybe... 'chat.' But he never did return. Instead, he messaged that he would be training for the entire night.
Something the girls had to reluctantly appreciate.
June, Toph, and their new addition, Ty Woo, didn't.
***
Alternate Title: Nik Got the Power of Friendship; Foreshadowing Bleach?; Regret's No Longer Present... Ironic; Ignit's New Admirer; Aang's Bald Head Has Another Bald Head; Mother and Daughter's Negotiations; Clear Communication; Sokka Sent Rena as a Proxy—His Genius Continues to Astound the World; Ty Woo Fitting Like a Glove. Coincidence? I Think Not!; Taking Their Time to Make a Decision; June, Toph, and Ty Woo—Entrepreneur of the Menace Faction in the Harem
***
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