Hei Bai couldn't believe his eyes; He'd found him. After over a hundred years of waiting, of hoping, he'd returned. The entirety of the spirit world felt joy as Hei Bai brought the little one through the veil.

He was the one, their Little Prince, named Ayaan. All spirits know this name, just as they knew every other name he ever bore. It was a lullaby all those who respect and love the ancient spirits know. They sing it in hopes their beloved child can hear it.

"Our son of the ocean; Born by moon's light," Now in the safety of his spiritual domain, he could hear his fellows singing in joy. "Eternal soul, eternally loved..."

Even after all of this time, they would remember his presence. That scent, like fresh rainfall and flowing rivers, forever marked his identity. Lights danced in the darkened sky, vibrant as the stars as Hei Bai pressed on. "To be held close, to be kept safe; Our son, our pride."

But he was weak and hurting. Something had injured him. How dare they? Hei Bai was flooded with righteous anger once more. But he couldn't let it show again, not yet, not now. His little prince needed peace, calm, and gentleness. So he found a place to rest in his domain, his favorite spot.

The breeze caressed the child's skin, tracing the scar that even marred his spiritual form. The scar on his spirit was reflected on his mortal skin, affecting how it healed. A spiritual injury was different from a normal wound. Much more devastating, a saddening outrage. But in every life, there was a betrayal, in every life there were demons who sought out their prince for his gift.

The spirits in his glades continued to sing to the sleeping prince, his troubled form easing, "Still tides, calm storms, let our child to sleep..."

The black and white beast held Ayaan close, emitting his spiritual light. It fed into the ailing youth, blocking away his nightmares. The panda wanted him to rest well, doing what he could to ease the pain his scars caused him. All of the spirits knew of them, hated them, and wished they could take them from him.

But only the root of his blessing, his forebears, could truly mend what was broken. It is why they called to him constantly. Every night, they sang the song which the spirits surrounded them now repeated. "Our child of the Moon, our prince of the Sea. To watch over forevermore, until the day we meet..."

The demons were thieves, monsters. The spirit world abhorred the Asrani, passionately. They were abominations that spat on the concept of life and balance—a mockery of who they used to be. They could not be allowed to live, to breathe the same air as their prince.

They'd hurt him too much, and here his spirit was, marred and weary. Even this life wasn't spared from their influence. If only they weren't masters of being hidden, staying just beyond spiritual reach. The righteously furious would have long snuffed their existence. But nay... with the gates closed, only the truly powerful can enter the mortal world.

There were too few, however, and too many rules restricted them. Hei Bai felt his anger at humans grow. How could the great light spirit bond with them? It made her judgment meld with their own, breaking one of the first promises they'd made to the ancient entities of balance.

To protect and nurture their blessed, the only embodiment of their love.

So the spirits gave their mortal counterparts, the Asrar, their gifts to help. It only added that they were already set on protecting this child, almost religiously. They kept their bloodline strong and made sure their faith was unshaken. The spirits, whenever possible, enabled those who carried their will to banish the demons from the living and spiritual worlds.

Those who succumb to the temptation of the demonic are cursed as dead among the living. If they had spiritual blood within them, the curse was even more potent and cruel. How dare they betray their oath? How dare they believe peace will await them afterwards? They were always hungry, never satisfied, an eternal torture that would only get worse, eroding their mind until nothing was left.

But the encounters their poor prince had before they could reach him already wounded him. Pieces of their Little Prince were missing. His spirit was broken and his blessing was corrupted. The Ocean and Moon call endlessly, wishing to mend him. But he was driven far from them, his pieces scattered across the world.

The blessing and soul, once broken, are like glass. The cracks remain even if they try to fuse together again. Hei Bai could see the fissures in the blessed child's form, things no human would notice. The poor child most likely didn't even know he was broken, only feeling the steady deepening disconnect.

But no matter how scarred, they would always love their little prince. All those who know him do. He was back to live another life. He'd been born again. The spirits had feared he was truly gone from the world after the last, a failure to protect him they could never forgive themselves for.

But now, Hei Bai had him in his paws. He fed him the soothing spiritual light, using it to mend the 'cracks' in his soul from his most recent demonic encounter. The Asrar had done well to mitigate the damage when it happened. If they hadn't, he would no longer be the kind and peaceful child they knew.

The blessed child was born from yin and yang, a created gray that symbolized balance given life. But the damage split his spiritual form apart. The mortal shell was in his paws, while his spiritual essence was broken and scattered in places unknown. They were trapped in their own anguish, steeping in their darkness until they were twisted into something else.

Even his mortal form, small in Hei Bai's paws, was showing signs of corruption. He could see it the moment their eyes met in that village. At that moment, the panda's rage meant nothing. He needed to get the prince where he could rest.

So, with desperate haste, Hei Bai took Little Prince with him. He ignored the light spirit born again as a new human. Hai Bai was too angry with humans to listen to this new Avatar properly. The fact they'd allowed the little prince harm again added to his defiance. Right now, the only bridge connected to their worlds didn't matter.

Only Ayaan.

The Little Prince was weak. Much weaker than he'd ever been before. The beloved cub needed healing. Hei Bai could only do so much, but he'd do it all. He could not relieve the cause of his instability as he wished he could. But for now, it was enough.

Amid flowing rivers and tall grass, in the most dense part of his bamboo grove, Hei Bai held on to Ayaan. The other, smaller spirits continued to sing the lullaby as he nuzzled and licked the cub, cuddling the little prince as close as possible.

To his delight, the child laughed in his sleep, absorbing the light unconsciously. His breathing steadied, and the nightmares he'd been having stopped. Hei Bai was happy he was able to help.

He was sorry he couldn't before then.

Until he reached the great Yin and Yang far to the north, this would have to do. Little Prince is special. He is not just a blessed child. He is the blessed child. He was the first ever born, the last remaining. They needed to know that he was here, that he was coming there soon.

So Hei Bai, with a silent roar, sent out a message. He disrupted the skies in his domain, blasting his spiritual power out into the yawning night. He called out to another spirit, one he knew would be able to aid him further. It would take a minute for the message to reach her, but she would hear it.

Until then, He could let the humans have peace for a bit. He would continue to cuddle the child, content for the first time since his forests were burned. The spirit panda had priorities.

.

.

When Ayaan woke up again, he was confused. No, he was downright bewildered. His last memory was getting snatched up by a twinkly-eyed fluff beast. But, that couldn't be right. That had to be a trippy, wild dream he'd had because of his chronic inability to have a peaceful night's rest.

But the more he looked around, the less he believed it was a dream. He had no idea where he was. Lights danced softly in the strange night sky, which was covered in a cool, humid mist. The ambiance, a song of natural sounds, lulled him into a strange sense of... peace. It was peaceful. Joyful, even.

That couldn't be right. He'd just been battling (kind of) a spirit monster in a ruined town, right? Aang was doing an awful job at being the Avatar (understandably since he's a kid with no training whatsoever), so he and Sokka went out to help him. Preferably, to escape because who was fighting a spirit monster? Not him with his replacement of a spear.

So... he didn't get eaten, then? Some of the aunties in the town thought their loved ones had been eaten. If he got back, he could at least assure them they had not. He could, for some reason, tell that Hei Bai hadn't eaten anyone. Do spirits even need to eat?

He was surrounded by softness, more proof this was not a dream. He did get snatched up by a happy panda (no idea where that word came from) and it was cuddling him.

'Did I... get kidnapped by a spirit?'

He remembered vaguely that Aang tried to reach for him. He'd never seen the kid that scared before, and he felt bad about it. He didn't mean to become a casualty of his efforts. Aang didn't make it to him, but at least it hadn't taken Sokka.

Ayaan wouldn't have been able to take the stress if that happened. On top of everything else, losing any of his siblings probably would have broken him. He felt at ease that it had been him and not them.

That brought him back to the present oddness. He should be scared right now. He should be kicking and screaming, forcing his way free. But... he didn't feel the need to do that at all. Nope. Everything in him was screaming that he was safe safe safe. It was an overwhelming sense of tranquility he hadn't felt before.

All week, no, since the Asrani incident, he'd felt like he was drowning. How ironic, for a waterbender to feel like he was drowning. Little things added to the bigger traumas he already had, and he'd been spiralling without anything to hold on to.

His mind was a turbulent sea, and he'd been on a sinking raft full of holes.

But suddenly, the seas calmed, and the raft was no longer a beaten mess of broken wood. Not entirely. He could traverse the water without battling the vicious current, he could come up and finally rest on the small reprieve. He could breathe. He could breathe.

How long had he not taken a breath?

"Grrr..." A rumble could be felt all around him as the fluff growled softly. The panda kneaded him with his massive paws, nuzzling him with his snout. His granite eyes sparkled, the spirit obviously happy to see him awake.

"Uh... Hi?" Ayaan didn't exactly know what to do. Though he didn't really need to do anything. He was licked immediately upon greeting the panda, the spirit elated. The teen was disgusted and delighted at the affection, as he was anytime it happened. He bent the saliva off of him easily enough, but halted when he did.

That... didn't feel like his usual waterbending.

No, he'd just done something different. But it felt more natural. Why had it felt more natural if he'd never manipulated his element like that before? Why had he suddenly done it differently? Instead of guiding the water off of him, he commanded it off. It obeyed his will without resistance.

"Huh." He couldn't answer the why. So, he let it go for now. It had something to do with wherever Hei Bai had taken him, certainly. But Ayaan wasn't the type to dwell on things he couldn't answer... unless they bothered him to that extent.

The spirit hugged him, as if proud, and roared lightly into the air. The lights and swinging leaves around them danced a little faster. Everything around him exuded a sense of glee he wasn't used to. But... he didn't mind it. Why didn't he mind it? This should be raising flags. He should be concerned and asking questions, but internally he had all of his answers.

Hei Bai was a spirit that meant him no harm. He was surrounded by other spirits that also meant him no harm. This place felt familiar even though he'd never been here before, and that had something to do with his elusive title of "Blessed Child". Even now, he could hear the spirit singing that. They were singing his lullaby, which he heard almost every night since he was born.

The scent of fresh water amid a forest of healthy bamboo stalks. The echo of leftover rain dripping from vibrant leaves. Clear air not filled with the lingering wisps of smoke. He was somewhere so wholly different from where he'd originally been it was jarring. But it wasn't a bad sense of displacement. If anything, he felt like he was in a second home.

That is where the question 'why' rang in his head. Why did it feel like home if he'd never been here?

Hei Bai, somehow sensing that his mind was wandering, nuzzled him more.

"Ha—no, stop—haha! That tickles!" Hei Bai was too busy nuzzling him to hear what he was saying. To the spirit panda, Ayaan was a cub needing affection. And so, the cub was getting affection, period. "Hei Bai!"

The boy was cuddled, snuggled, and hugged until all apprehension left him. Satisfied the cub was feeling better, Hei Bai reluctantly decided to put Ayaan down. He rested on his stomach, languidly laying atop his chosen rock as Ayaan decided to rest on his side, absentmindedly petting his fur.

"Why... did you bring me here, Hei Bai?" Was the first real question he asked the panda. If it was a fluke before when he heard him, now was the time to test it.

Hei Bai had only huffed, but Ayaan could understand what the huff meant. It was like his ears filtered the sound, making them words he could interpret, "Little Prince hurting. Brought here. Feel better."

Again, Ayaan had to blink. "I was?"

"Yes. Spirit broken. Demon's fault." The panda growled, anger briefly shifting his form before calming again.

"What does that mean? How do I fix it?" Ayaan asked intently. His instincts told him this had something to do with the disconnect. It was related to his fluctuating emotions and rage.

"Pieces missing. Need to find. Need to mend."

"Find? Pieces?" Ayaan was once again completely lost. What did that mean? "Mend?" Mend what?

"She will explain." Hei Bai chirped and yipped.

"Who is 'she'?"

"Little Prince will know." Was all the spirit huffed. Ayaan took a breath to retain his patience. Of course, cryptic riddles. He'd figure it out eventually. He understood some things take time. He was patient, he could wait.

"It wasn't them, by the way. That village you're attacking." Ayaan attempted to explain. Now that he had Hei Bai in a mood willing to listen, he'd at least attempt what Aang kinda failed at. "It was another group that passed through who burned your home. Soldiers from a place known as the Fire Nation."

"Fire Nation?" There was a bite in the growl. Hei Bai's form glitched into the monstrous visage for a single moment.

"Yeah. There's a war going on. Has been for a while... Though that's probably a blink compared to you, isn't it." Ayaan started. "We're trying to end it. I'm sorry we couldn't protect your home."

"Not Little Prince's fault. Humans are humans. Anger at humans only."

Well, he did his best. Everything else he'd leave up to Aang. He was sure the little Airbender would figure something out. Hei Bai wasn't a mindless monster as was originally thought. He had reason, even if some transcend human understanding.

'If they have reason, they can be reasoned with.'

Now, a question he'd had for a while, "How come you refer to me as Little Prince? I'm not royalty." He'd had more than enough of 'royalty' chasing them. Seriously, when will that kid give up? "I come from a little village in the South Pole. I mean, I'm a chief, but only temporarily."

"Spirit. Mortal. Lines blurred. You are sacred."

Before he could ask what that meant, rocks suddenly made a path through the pond. Fog cleared at its end, leading through dense shrubs and trees. Hei Bai, gently getting up on his paws, nudged Ayaan forward. He was a dwarf in comparison to the massive spirit.

"Follow path. She waits."

"Who is 'she'?" He asked again, but Hei Bai only answered the same way. That he'd know. "Where am I going? I need to return to Aang, Sokka, and Katara soon. They'll be worried about me."

He had no idea how right that was.

Hei Bai gave him a lick on his cheek, nudging him again. He didn't interpret it as words, but still felt the assurance that everything would be fine. As much as Hei Bai wanted to keep him there, he knew he had a mission in the mortal domain. If he didn't do so, his wounds would never truly heal. Hei Bai wanted the little prince to feel better. So, he needed to let him go back. He would bring him back when his business here was done.

"Thank you, Hei Bai." Ayaan, sensing the answer, smiled for the first time in a while. It was a free, easy smile he didn't think he could make anymore. After another generous show of affection from the giant panda spirit, he followed the path.

When he got back, he'd be sure to plant a whole lot more seeds for Hei Bai's forests.

He walked effortlessly on the rock path, glancing at the clear waters on either side. Seeing his reflection for the first time in what felt like a while, he was a little shocked. His hair had grown out, a lot. He... was sure it hadn't been that long before he'd been brought here. Did whatever Hei Bai do to help him grow out his hair as a result?

He didn't mind. He'd need Katara to help him put it up, though. He knew how eager she'd been to do his hair. But that would be when he wasn't angry at her. For now, she'd have to suffer a bit.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a certain sound. A song of sorts, echoing on the wind. He'd heard it before in his youth, leading a calf back to her family. His steps quickened, pushing through the lingering thicket of leaves and branches.

Just as he did, he came to a clearing, a lake surrounded by cliffs and small mountains. The sky was a clear night, the reflection of the many stars glistening on the pristine waters. Or at least, they would be, if something much brighter and bigger weren't before them.

A pod of orcas were waiting for him, swimming through the air as if it were the sea. They were luminous, stars twinkling within their being as they continued their dance. They twisted and swayed in the air gracefully despite their enormous size. They sang in joy and welcome, swimming down to greet him one by one.

Among the pod were two much larger than the others. The smaller one came down, swimming around him and singing. There was something familiar about this particular Orca, and he struggled to figure out what it was. That was, until he saw her fin. A white mark, like a scar, went across the back of it. He'd known a calf that had that same injury.

Hei Bai was right. He really did know them. It was the very same calf he saved, somehow in a spiritual form. She'd grown just like her mother, larger than life. Though still having room to grow more, she was already bigger than the rest of her pod.

Well, all except one. The same being whose tooth became an important part of his spear. The spiritual mother orca looked at him with warm, gentle eyes. Clicking to him in greeting, she came down from the starlit sky in a single, graceful motion. There was wisdom and longing in her gaze, and just like with Hei Bai, Ayaan could understand what it meant.

Though unlike with Hei Bai, he knew exactly who this spirit was to him.

"It's nice to see you again, too, Belinay."

Belinay, one of the oldest servants of the ocean, and Ayaan's spiritual guide.