Chapter Text
Eyes snapped open, though his vision felt blurry.
The moment of pain he felt for a split second had vanished.
He felt none at the moment, which... which wasn't right.
For the lone man knew what was to happen as soon as he got through the unbendable metal, having made his choice.
What should have been his last choice, to protect his daughter who cried out for him after he offered three words.
"I love you."
But instead of the crushing death he expected from that platinum hand of the Colossus coming down onto the hummingbird suit he remained in, just finishing wielding open a hole...
... to be honest, as his vision seemed to clear up, Hiroshi Sato wasn't quite sure what was happening now.
Able to feel himself rise where he had been laying, still in the uniform he had wore when everything went to black, the landscape he felt was grassy.
But something about the environment around him however began to get his attention more.
That being this wasn't the Republic City he knew he was last in, dealing with the Earth Empire's attack with that damn spirit cannon.
No, this place looked... more colorful, abstract even.
Large plants grew around him, dwarfing him, the sky having a brightness on par with a neon-lit sign you'd see at a restaurant, even the grass he was on had been of a color different from the normal green.
What got Hiroshi's attention most were the sounds he heard around him.
Looking, the man was granted by a particular sight.
That of weird glowing bright pink and purple blob-looking forms rolling about, minding their own business.
Looked to be a pack of six, all of different sizes. Each making distinct cute sounds he had never heard of.
"Bwom. Bwom bwom... BWOM..."
Smart as he was, Hiroshi had never seen or heard of animals like such before.
Fluttering in the sky above him made him look up, his old eyes widening to see what seemed like an elongated bird flying across the air.
But unlike your typical beaked bird, this creature looked to have a ridged slithery looking head with multiple tentacles moving over where its mouth should be, like a squid or octopus!
The different fauna and wildlife around him was practically the final clue for Hiroshi to realize wherever he was, it wasn't Earth.
"Where... in the name of Agni... am I?" he finally asked out loud, before spotting a slow-moving... something, looked like an old wood stump, that had been walking by him with little root-like legs.
The stump, having a rather human looking face like that of an old man just stopped to turn at him, its expression about as flat as it could be before actually speaking.
"Where do ya' think, human?"
"GAHHH!" the former Equalist cried out upon hearing the thing speak, rising up from where he had been sitting and now onto his feet.
Watching the tree stump walk away, who was unbothered with the reaction it got, Hiroshi began to feel himself worry. Just wondering where it was he ended up in, swearing he should be dead.
"Did I survive? Am I in some weird dream? Have I got brain damage?" he tried to ask himself, trying not to provoke any more of the strange creatures around him.
"To answer those last two questions..."
Hearing the rather youthful sounding voice behind him, Hiroshi Sato whipped himself around on instinct, wondering what it was that spoke...
... only for, to his surprise, to see a regular human being sitting on a large boulder, seemingly having been here this whole time.
"... this ain't no dream and brain damage sure as crap wouldn't conjure up something this nice." the young scruffy-looking man before Hiroshi answered, looking to be of Fire Nation ancestry from the light skin and dark brown hair.
The guy, clad in a simple black jacket, red buttoned-up collared long sleeve shirt, black pants and shoes, looked to be in slightly overweight shape, and stood a foot shorter than his fellow human as he got off the boulder to stand before him.
Still, his bronze eyes did soften as he continued speaking to the former Engineer's.
"And I think you already know the answer to that first question."
That... It made some sense now for Hiroshi Sato, the reality of the situation coming down onto him.
"... so I did die. I'm in the Spirit World." he accepted without denial before a thought had come to mind, one of most importance. "Asami? Did she survive? Did I save her? Is she alright?"
Hearing how worried the father before him was, the younger man just held his hands out to his side.
"Relax, I wouldn't be so worried about her right now, Hiroshi." was all he provided as an answer, keeping his tone light before turning around and waving the older man over. "Come now, we gotta get moving."
Seeing who he was speaking to start walking away, Hiroshi however had to follow, managing to stop him by placing his hand on the back of his shoulder.
Though there was something else that concerned the dead man.
"Wait just a second, young man. I NEVER gave you my name."
That was true, the spirit of the young man before him wasn't going to deny that.
"You're right. But that's because I already know who you are, Hiroshi Sato." he answered, keeping things civil as he turned back to look at the older man.
"Hard to miss who you were in life, even before your affiliation with the Equalist's became public knowledge."
Hearing that did unnerve the former devotee of Amon and what he stood for, silencing him while averting his sight.
Something which the young Fire Nation man realized was a bit harsh...
... then again.
"But I'm not really one who can judge the poor choices of others, per say." the odd spirit made sure to make note, to show some respect to the regretful man before him.
Knowing SO MUCH more than he knew.
"Look, Hiroshi. I'm not here to screw with you, far from it. I was simply asked by... let's say 'certain parties' to bring you to some location here in the Spirit World." he offered, seeing his words be given thought.
"And those certain parties seek an audience with you. As for what... well, only the Spirits know, quite literally. Because if you went on your own, you'd end up lost. And there's some bad areas you DON'T want to get lost in around here. Or run into the wrong spirit."
Trying to understand the meaning, as to why he was so special and what was up with the one before him, the glasses-wearing man did have to sigh.
After all, best to have someone who actually looked to know the area.
Grabbing his glasses off his face, ready to clean them, Hiroshi wiped them with a loose bit of his shirt that poked out of the uniform he still had on before death.
"So, what does that make you, son?" he had to ask.
A question which his new acquaintance for the time being processed briefly. "Just consider me a 'Ferryman', here to bring you along to where you're needed to go. Simple as that."
A ferryman, something Hiroshi Sato had remembered having a book in his library back in his old home that told of special spirits of the same name transporting the dead along certain points.
Those that simply did as they were told of without question, just bringing their guests to their fated destination.
He was sure this young fellow wasn't an exact one, if that actually did exist.
But who was he to argue at this point as he put his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.
"Alright then, 'Ferryman', do lead the way."
Giving a thankful smile, glad to see things get off to a good start, the Ferryman led the way for Hiroshi to follow.
Just keeping to himself that he hoped the remorseful man wouldn't fail...