He was wearing standard water tribe robes as he sat up on the bed putting his feet on the ground and looking at Levi, "You're going to be the end of me." he said between coughs.
"Wouldn't that be better than being taken out by something like old age." said Levi with a smirk making Tenzin raise a brow at him.
"Just think about it, the student you spent years teaching everything you know comes back and ends your life, it's kind of poetic if you ask me."
Hearing him, Tenzin couldn't help but feel his blood pressure rise as he wanted to get up and slap him till he started apologizing, fortunately, his better half won and he only heaved a sigh, "I thought you were with the avatar, what are you doing back here?"
"What? Can't I visit my beloved master from time to time?" said Levi with a straight face as he took a seat in front of Tenzin.
Hearing this Tenzin frowned at him but before he could say anything Levi spoke, "Ha-ah alright, alright, you never let me have any fun, I was in the spirit world being hunted by some crazed maniacs that might be from the future and after a close brush with death I came back here to take a look."
Tenzin's expression soured, he was about to get up and slap him across the face when he noticed the serious look on his face, he was stunned for a long moment before he spoke with a sigh, "Ha-ah, you're not kidding are you? You're going to be the end of me indeed, how do you even get yourself in these situations." said Tenzin, he now regretted asking in the first place.
"This time it's not my fault." said Levi defensively, feeling wronged, he wanted to say it was never his fault but he felt it would spike his master's blood pressure so high he might just drop dead right there in front of him, so he wisely chose not to.
"As long as you're alright that's all that matters." said Tenzin as he inspected Levi up and down before he started violently coughing.
Levi could only wait for his master's coughing to stop, it lasted way longer than he liked, way longer than he was comfortable with, it was too long for it to be just a common cold or sickness, he had to hold himself to not rush and support him straight, he knew his master wouldn't want that, he won't want to appear weak, he could only clench his hands tightly by his sides as he waited for the coughing to subside.
After a while to Levi's relief, the coughing finally stopped, he didn't know if he could bear it any longer, "How did you detect me anyways, I was sure I didn't make any sounds." he asked, although it was mostly to relieve the tense atmosphere than a real inquiry.
"Humph, you can't even figure that out?" said Tenzin with a tone of dissatisfaction in his voice, but Levi wasn't fazed, it was the same tone he had used with him for more than a decade of training, he was used to it by now
Pausing for a second as if daring him to retort, Tenzin finally spoke as he saw that Levi wasn't going to reply, "I felt you through the water particles in the air, think of it like this, when you were moving through them it was the same as if you had a hundred bells strapped to your body, and they were all ringing in my ear, it was impossible to miss you."
Levi had only asked the question to change the topic, but to say the answer had stunned him would be an understatement.
'That's right, Earth benders can feel movement through the ground, and even air benders can feel the shift of the air, so why can't water benders use the water particles in the air as a means to sense around them.' he felt as if a door that had once been closed in front of him had suddenly burst open.
No! It was more correct to say that he didn't even notice the existence of the door in the first place, the door was always wide open just waiting for him to turn and look at it but Levi didn't even bother.
[Ding]
[Water bending Leveled up+1]
[Water bending Leveled up+1]
[Water bending Leveled up+1]
[Water bending Leveled up+1]
….
[Water bending (active) - Level 77⇒ 89:....]
[Ding]
[Due to specific conditions being met a new ability is created]
[Water particle sense (Active) Level 89: The user can detect any moving object around him through his connection with the water particles in nature, the ability effect can be lowered or even neutralized completely in hot temperatures or if the user or other water benders extract the water particles from the air.]
Instantly his water bending shot up by 12 levels reaching level 89, his water bending was the strongest one and had the highest level so it was the hardest one to level up, even in his battle against Orionis it didn't level up, but now with just a few words from Tenzin, he gained 12 levels.
Ignoring the system notifications Levi closed his eyes, he could immediately feel Tenzin sitting in front of him, he wasn't feeling him through anything else but his water bending, he could see his shape, and even detect the slightest of movements, he could detect how how his mouth devoured water particles when he inhaled and how they came back out when he exhaled, he could feel him blinking his eyes, each blink seeming as if a giant gate was opening and closing again and again, the "sound" unmistakable, it was ringing in his senses just like Tenzin had said
He couldn't help but feel like an idiot, he had thought that with the system he had already learned everything that he could from Tenzin, that there was nothing more for him to teach him, but he was wrong, he was so wrong, and worst of all he was complacent, with his Ethereal sense he hadn't even thought of using water to sense around him, such an oversight was unforgivable.
'Even with a system there are still things one wouldn't notice or pay attention to without a mentor to guide him, I would have figured it out eventually but how long would it have taken.' thought Levi clenching his fists.
Opening his eyes Levi didn't say a word, sometimes words weren't enough to express what one wanted to say, so he only got up and cupped his fist in the palm of his hand bowing to Tenzin, just like he did when he was a little child who had just started learning water bending under him, "Thank you, master, for everything." he said, his voice cracking in the end as a tear fell from his eye, even with Gamer's mind on he couldn't hold it in.
"Humph, as long as you know, don't get all sentimental with me now, you thought you surpassed me or something like that didn't you?" said Tenzin with an annoyed tone, although he couldn't hide the smile creeping at the edge of his mouth.
Levi felt a little guilty at that, deep down, even if it was on a subconscious level, he had felt he learned everything he could from Tenzin, he still respected and loved him as his mentor but he thought he had nothing more to offer him, and today he was proven wrong.
He could only scratch his head in embarrassment. Although he wondered if Tenzin would have still sensed him if he still had his "Space shield" around him, he had removed it after explaining it to Tobirama as didn't need it any longer, the seals wouldn't have attacked him.
Sitting there Levi and Tenzin chatted for hours on end, sometimes laughing and sometimes Tenzin's annoyed voice or shout would slip out of the house, they talked about everything, they reminisced about the past, when Levi and his siblings were attacked by a polar bear, and how he had stood his ground risking his life to save them, unlocking his water bending in the process and how that had led him to Tenzin.
They talked about Levi's harsh training making Tenzin laugh in jubilation and Levi chudder and grumble, about the time he was missing for two years, stranded alone in the spirit world, and how he had to learn and survive and tackle the alien environment on his own.
They talked about his recent adventures with the avatar, Levi told him about Tala and hinted about what might have happened, making Tenzin laugh out loud.
They even talked about Tenzin's young days, days that he had never shared with him before, or with anyone else for that matter, how he grew up, about his father and mother and how they were prematurely taken from him by the war.
He talked about how he trained, and fought in the war, about the friends he made along the way, and how he had lost them all to war, about his wife dying young and leaving him with a young Kato that he struggled to raise alone and shield from the horrors of the world and war for as long as he could.
How he had met Iroh and Bumi, how he and Iroh had almost died at the hands of each other before finally becoming friends, and Tenzin introducing him to Bumi, before they were finally recruited into the white lotus together.
He told him funny stories about his father, Hakoda, when he was young, how he had always loved and chased after his mother, always trying to prove himself to her and sometimes doing stupid things and putting himself in dangerous situations just to impress her, about how his mother also liked Hakoda back but never had the courage to be honest about it, how everyone in the village could see it, except Hakoda, but everyone chose not to say anything and see how long it would take him to figure it out.
How Hakoda almost died getting stuck under the ice trying to impress his mother which made her finally get over her fears and confess to him, and how happy he was the moment she finally did, and how disappointed the villagers were that they lost their only source of entertainment at the time.
By the time they were done Tenzin looked to be ten years younger, his cheeks flushed red from laughter and his back straight, as if a burden was lifted off his shoulders.
Putting his master to bed Levi waited until he was finally asleep before he turned around thinking of the next destination to teleport to, he wanted to spend some time with his father too but he didn't dare to confront him now. If he found out he had left Katara and Sokka alone he would skin him alive, shaking his head Levi prepared to teleport somewhere else before he stopped, his ears picking up on something that made his entire body go cold.
*Ba-dum* *Ba-dum* *Ba-dum* *Ba-dum*
*Ba-dum* *Ba-dum*
*Ba-dum*
The sound of a heartbeat accelerating before becoming very faint.
….
….
….
And then….nothing!
Levi listened even closer, activating Limit breaker to pick up on even the slightest of sounds but he regretted it right away, in Limit breaker he could even pick up on the sounds of a fly's legs walking on the ground, but now he couldn't even pick up on the loud sound of the blood moving through the arteries, there was only stillness in the room he was in.
Levi stood there for a long time, refusing to believe what he knew was the truth, he didn't turn around to look, he didn't want to see, he couldn't, his master's weak and frail form lying there on the bed unmoving, he didn't want that picture burned into his memory, he didn't want to remember him like that.
So he did the only thing he could, he Teleported to Tobirama and informed him to arrange a proper funeral before Teleporting out of there not wanting to stay a second longer.
He went back to the spirit realm, to the underground cave where a pool of his blood was frozen solid, the first place that came to his mind where nobody could see the state he was currently in. Laying there on the ground with his Gamer's mind off, Acnologia's wings wrapped around him and held him tightly, his weeping echoing all around the cave, but there was nobody there to hear it.
An: I almost cried writing Tenzin and Levi reminiscing about the past, about him losing everyone in his life, about Hakoda chasing Kya and how he must now feel without her, of when Levi was weeping thousands of feet underground with no one except his loyal friend and dragon to comfort him, let's just say my emotions were all over the place.
Believe it or not, I didn't want Tenzin to go, I guess I grew attached to him as I hope some of you have, but that's what made me know it was the right time, goodbye Tenzin, you were a father, a leader, a mentor, and a friend, you're gone but you will never be forgotten.
Anyhow, as Tenzin said "Don't get all sentimental with me now.", hope you liked it, tell me what you think.
***
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