Jin looked at the key in his hand, then at Asami.
"Seriously?" he asked wordlessly. "He just gave you the key, just like that?"
He expected at least a guide to come and explain the condition of the house.
"Do you think with the house's reputation he'd risk coming himself?" Asami took the key handed over by a subordinate of the current owner of the estate next to hers. "Besides, nobody's lived there in a long time and there's nothing valuable to steal. Giving you the key to explore at your own pace is actually better, isn't it?"
She wasn't wrong, but…
"I just feel like this whole situation screams 'trap' all over it." He didn't even really need the key—he could unlock the door himself with a flick of his wrist.
The two of them walked toward the entrance of the neighboring residence, and Asami began unlocking the doors as they explored.
"Are you sure no one's lived here in two years? It doesn't look like it."
"Yes, nobody. I'm sure," Asami replied, frowning at the interior.
While many of the furnishings were eaten away, broken, or simply worn out, there wasn't the thick layer of dust or grime one would expect from a place abandoned for so long. Not even stale air—the house was well-ventilated.
Asami hated to admit it, but… this place was even cleaner than her own home!
And her father was extremely demanding with their cleaning service.
Aside from the furnishings, the only real signs the mansion was abandoned were things like an empty pantry, padlocked rooms, an overgrown garden, rusty bars, and peeling paint on the walls.
A little maintenance and the place would be ready to live in.
There weren't even cracks anywhere. Jin checked the structure and found the house not only perfectly solid but also with a couple of basements—one clearly a wine cellar, judging by the shelving.
As they continued exploring, Jin suddenly heard a familiar voice from nowhere.
"Dad?" Inkasha stepped out of one of the walls and rushed toward him with an excited look. "How did you find us?!"
"Jin?" Kyoshi passed through the same wall, pleasantly surprised.
Jin: ???
"Something wrong?" Asami noticed Jin had stopped, his expression not quite right.
Jin needed a moment to process.
"Give me a second, Asami," he raised a finger toward her before turning to Inkasha and Kyoshi. "How are you here?" he whispered.
"This is the place your daughter said could be a good hideout for us, since she once practiced her ability to interact with the material world here years ago and nobody lives here anymore," Kyoshi explained, eyeing Asami with interest. "Wow, you haven't lost your touch. She looks capable and not bad at all."
"Is she a new mom?" Inkasha asked as she circled Asami several times, inspecting her.
Asami shivered. Did the air just turn chilly?
"She's—wait, I'm not doing this," Jin refused to juggle conversations. He walked over to Asami. "Give me your hand for a moment."
Asami extended her hand, and Jin pressed his thumb against her wrist, sending a thread of chi—enough to temporarily open Asami's spiritual senses.
For Asami, it was like lifting a fine veil from her eyes, and then she saw Inkasha and Kyoshi.
"Oh… hi?"
Spirits were real. Good to know.
"Are you a new mom?" Inkasha asked curiously.
Asami was stunned. What kind of question was that?!
Were spirits always this strange?
"I suppose you could call this destiny," Jin chuckled as he took advantage of the moment to make formal introductions. "Asami, the woman beside me you'll know as Avatar Kyoshi, who also happens to be my partner. And the adorable spirit next to you is my daughter, Inkasha. Girls, this is Asami Sato. She lives in the mansion next door, and we're on our second date. As for the spirit rumors about this property, judging by what Kyoshi told me, it must've been Inkasha who started it all. So, I think I'll take the place and make it my city residence."
"This is… a lot to process," Asami pressed a hand to her forehead, her eyes darting between them. "Are you really Avatar Kyoshi? You look… different."
"Oh, Jin prefers me without the makeup, so maybe that's why you don't recognize me," Kyoshi cloaked herself in smoke and reappeared with her opera makeup, battle dress, and iron fans, striking a fighting pose.
"Okay, you're her," Asami admitted—hard not to recognize. "Alright, then… what's this about you being partners? And what about… us?" She looked at Jin with a faintly hurt expression, silently asking what their time together had really meant, however brief.
Jin was about to explain, but Kyoshi put a hand on his shoulder and spoke first.
"It's better if I explain." She shifted back into her unpainted form.
Asami listened patiently as Kyoshi recounted everything—Jin's past with Honu, Xi, and June, his meeting with Kyoshi, how their friendship grew into a relationship, the promise he had made her, and the circumstances that led to Inkasha's existence.
When Kyoshi finished, Asami leaned against a wall in silence, deep in thought.
"Maybe I overdid it?" Kyoshi asked Jin, a little worried she had said too much too soon.
"No," Jin shook his head. "If we connected, she'd learn eventually. I'd already decided to tell her at some point. You can't have a healthy relationship built on lies and secrets. That's why I said maybe it's destiny we all met here."
Jin stepped closer to Asami, who met his eyes seriously.
"Asami," he said gently, "now you can understand my situation better. If you really want to give us—a future 'us'—a chance, it won't just mean accepting my younger sister or family I haven't met yet. It'll mean accepting being a 'mom' to my daughter and having Kyoshi as a 'sister.' But if that's too much for you… I hope we can still be friends."
Asami exhaled slowly, her posture softening.
"I admit, I don't know what's more surprising—that you managed to win over Avatar Kyoshi's heart, that your earthbending brought about the birth of a new spirit, or that you've been so honest with me despite the consequences." She straightened. "But I do know this: since we met, you've never given me a reason to doubt you. And you clearly don't have ulterior motives with me, my family, or my money."
Jin hesitated on that last part—he did intend to send Hiroshi to prison, after all. Still, that was for her own good.
"Does that mean…?"
"Thank you for being honest with me." Asami stepped forward and hugged him. "Just promise me you'll keep that honesty with me, alright?"
Jin couldn't help smiling as he hugged her back.
"Promise."
It seemed he really was going to twist the original timeline completely…
"Hurray!" Inkasha hopped in circles like a sugar-high rabbit. "Now I have two moms!"
Asami and Jin broke into laughter at the spirit's outburst while Kyoshi smiled warmly.
"So… now I'll be able to see and talk to spirits?" Asami asked.
"This is just temporary," Jin explained, relieved. Her willingness to try despite the unusual circumstances meant a lot.
"That's right," Kyoshi added, stepping closer. "If you want this ability permanently, Jin will have to open your chi pathways."
"That sounds painful."
"It usually is for normal people, but Jin has his own ways," Kyoshi said, giving him a mischievous look.
Ah, now Jin understood why she phrased it that way.
Kyoshi definitely wanted to see Asami's reaction when she became a surprise bender.
Well, with the important point out of the way, there was nothing stopping him now—though he wouldn't ruin the surprise either.
"Come," Jin took Asami's hand and guided her to a chair in good condition. "Sit, it won't take long."
"Alright, do it—I'm ready!" Asami sat and shut her eyes tightly.
…
Inkasha and Kyoshi exchanged amused looks.
Why was she acting like she was at the dentist?
Jin flexed his hands, preparing to give Asami the surprise of her life—and certainly a huge surprise for Hiroshi.
…
"This feels… interesting," Asami said as she looked at herself and the others, noticing she could now see Inkasha and Kyoshi more clearly. "Somehow, I even feel more relaxed."
It was like she had always had a stuffed nose and could finally breathe clearly for the first time. Invigorating was probably the right word.
"Opening chi pathways properly has its rewards," Kyoshi remarked as Jin worked.
Asami didn't seem to catch the hidden meaning in her words.
"What kind of rewards?" she asked. "Aside from seeing spirits, I mean."
"Better memory, smoother skin, more resistance to injuries and illness…" Inkasha began listing, raising a finger for each one—and even growing more fingers as the count went up.
Asami made her stop when she had thirty-six fingers on one hand. Watching them wiggle like insect legs made her skin crawl.
"That's a lot of perks. No wonder benders are tougher than non-benders," Asami admitted, pleasantly surprised.
"Well, those are more like side effects," Inkasha clarified. "For humans, the main benefit is that open chi pathways let you bend elements. Well, one element—since you're not the Avatar. You know." She said it as if it were casual.
Asami froze, staring at her.
Kyoshi and Jin grimaced. There went the surprise.
"You mean…"
"That you're not a non-bender anymore? Yup." Inkasha nodded innocently.
Whether she was trolling or being sincere, not even Jin could tell.
Asami turned toward Jin and Kyoshi, unsure if Inkasha was joking or telling the truth.
"It's true," Kyoshi confirmed. "Though it's not something you should speak about openly." Her tone left no room for doubt. "The consequences of such knowledge would be more than problematic, as I'm sure you understand."
Asami shifted from shock to seriousness and nodded.
The fact that Jin trusted her with something like this… it meant a lot.
"So… what do I do now?" she asked, uncertain. "Wave my hands around or something?"
"I'll show you a basic move so you can experience it yourself," Kyoshi said, turning to Jin. "No offense, but I think I'll be a better teacher for her."
Jin shrugged. He figured she was right.
As a former Avatar, Kyoshi had knowledge of all four elements, while his expertise was extremely specialized in earth.
Kyoshi stood beside Asami and taught her the stance and arm movements.
Asami seemed to be the talented type—after only a few corrections, the results came quickly.
"Did I… do it?" Asami looked wide-eyed at what she'd accomplished. "I did it!"
What she managed to bend was...
To be continued in the next chapter! (￢‿￢ )
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Sorry about the language issue, I don't know what the heck is going on, but when I correct some words, sometimes the language gets reversed! Weird.