Chapter 16. Reunion [FIXED]
Home was good. For several days in a row, all I did was rest and spend time with Yui. As thanks for her pardon, she asked me to start teaching her waterbending. I didn't tell her I was already planning to begin her training soon.
Yui's talent in waterbending was colossal—not as strong as mine, but definitely several times better than that of ordinary waterbenders. Technically, she could have started training on her own, but to make our time more efficient, we decided to practice together. It was also a great opportunity for her to spend more time with me.
After our conversation about our spiritual connection, Yui, with my permission and under my guidance, began experimenting with it. During her research, she discovered that when her chi was low, she could borrow mine as long as I wasn't too far away. This meant she could train until she dropped, but overusing bending was still harmful. My chi, being of higher quality, would destabilize her own if used for too long. However, in small doses, it would benefit her—her chi would gradually try to match mine.
Another feature of our connection was its gradual development. Last week, when she couldn't find me, Yui tried to reach out emotionally or locate me, which didn't work due to the distance. But it led to an unexpected result. When we both focused on the connection, we could communicate telepathically, emphasizing words and sentences with emotions. This made our communication just as effective as a regular conversation.
A thought crossed my mind: What if I shared a part of my chi with someone else? Would it turn an ordinary person into a bender? Would it awaken their gift?
In Yui's case, many factors played a role. We're close relatives, our chi isn't too different, and she was an infant when it happened, meaning her chi was malleable. Most importantly, all her ancestors were from the Water Tribe, while my chi is a mix of neutral and water. I doubt giving a part of my chi to a Fire Nation native would awaken waterbending in them. It's worth considering—I'm willing to go without waterbending if it strengthens those around me. Hmm, I could give a piece of my chi to Kanna. After all, she gave birth to Katara, who's a bender, so she's close to awakening her gift.
There've been no irreversible consequences since Yui's birth. I didn't give her a piece of my soul—if I had, things would've been worse. At the time, my chi sources were stabilizing, but my actions delayed the process by another year. I probably shared a fragment of my waterbending gift, which took about a year to fully restore. Back then, my sources weren't even activated. Now, with a mid-level spirit rank and activated sources, the recovery should take much less time. It's a worthwhile trade, but I need to open my first chakra to avoid being completely defenseless if I decide to do this.
I discussed my schedule for visiting the Southern Water Tribe with my parents. They asked me to stay home this month, but starting next month, I'll visit the other pole at least a few times a month—probably a day or two each week. I could go more often, but it's better to limit myself to leave time for bending and my bloodbending experiments, which I want to start next month.
Today, I need to finish everything, as I'm heading to the South Pole tomorrow. I should also remember to bring some wildlife with me. Over time, I'll reduce the energy consumption so I can protect not just myself during the transition.