Disclaimer: I don't own it. It's Bryke's world, and I'm just playing in it.
This chapter starts the playing with time – main storyline events will still be the aim of every chapter, but I'm improvising on how many days they have in between events, and of course, Mingzan, because the world needs it.
And yes, I'm taking liberties with clothing. Sometimes those outfits look so damn intricate.
The cracks about P'Li were just that, jokes. Ming-Hua didn't really care – she was a bit too focused on changing the subject after Ghazan had greeted her because they had stared a bit too long into each other's eyes.
He looked just as she had remembered. His voice sounded rough from years of disuse, but its depth was still soothing to her ears. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. She heard her voice emerge and had to restrain a frown at its rasp. Hopefully that would fix itself. But now, to actually get out of the Fire Nation…
Ming-Hua didn't let her water arms go for the entire trek to the cave where Zaheer and Ghazan had made their pitch. She finally felt whole again, and she'd be damned if she gave that up.
Without her prompting, Ghazan raised a chunk of earth to form her a makeshift private stall, water barrel already in the corner. Inwardly, she smiled with gratitude. Pushing down her feelings, Ming-Hua gave a tiny nod in his direction, noticing that his eyes lingered. Once again, she felt a flood of happiness, but her face remained neutral.
As she stepped behind to wall of rock, Ghazan went to find Zaheer, needing to distract himself until she was done. Then, he vowed, he would do what he should've done thirteen years ago.
Ming-Hua sighed, almost inaudibly, in relief as she bent warm water over her grime caked body. Soon, she was bending the water away from the dirt collecting at her feet, starting a shower in earnest. A bar of soap was conveniently placed near her water barrel, allowing her to cleanse her hair and scrub away any last memory of her prison. She felt spiritual, she felt renewed…
And then she realized that she didn't have any clothes.
Clad in a towel, now soaked on its top half, she peered around the makeshift wall, hoping that there was something, anything, that she wouldn't have to physically ask Zaheer or Ghazan for help. Luckily for her, there was a pile of clothes in the corner. Ming-Hua hurriedly crept over to it, glad to find a set of her garments – Zaheer or Ghazan must've raided the prison's storage of her meager belongings. Hoping to remain unseen by either male, she rushed into the earth stall, dropping her towel in her haste. Fastening icy ends to her liquid appendages, she managed to slide into her leggings and dress, but she struggled with the dexterity needed to finish the ties to hold her outfit together. Where was P'Li when she needed her?
Swallowing her pride, she peered around the corner, trying to alert one of the men to help her. Ghazan was already there – had he been waiting for her?
"Zaheer is meditating. He says he can meet our accomplice in the Spirit World… Guess his philosophical wonderings proved useful," Ghazan spoke, his incredulity showing in his last comment.
Ming-Hua smirked; often had she and Ghazan sarcastically remarked upon Zaheer's studious tendencies. Then she remembered the task at hand. "Hey, help me out," she half-asked, half-demanded.
She had turned around expectantly, the ties of her clothing hanging for Ghazan to take.
He didn't.
Instead, she felt a rough hand on her bare back, its hard callouses making her shiver on contact. She paused and seized up – what was he doing? Ming-Hua found out when his hands gripped her hips – my now exceedingly bony hips - and twisted her around. She stepped back with consternation, only to have him mimic her movement. Her back brushed against the stone wall of the shower, and suddenly she realized his intentions in a burst of clarity.
His mouth pressed against hers, warm lips overtaking her own.
It was over in seconds. With a distinct crack, Ming-Hua slapped him away with her water. "What was that!" She hissed.
"What I've needed to do for thirteen years," Ghazan growled, the sound low and heady in his throat. He deftly bent back down and captured her mouth.
Ming-Hua's calm exterior crumbled in seconds.
Instinctively, her lips moved in response to Ghazan's. His hands were firmly grasping her hips over her clothing, which was now precariously hanging up only by the grace of her sharp shoulders. He had backed her flush against the wall, his tongue now prying for entrance. Hesitantly, she parted her lips, allowing Ghazan to continue his ministrations. Ming-Hua had to stop herself from sighing into his mouth.
Ghazan, on the other hand, he felt unstoppable. He had been with women in his teenage youth, but that had ended when he joined the Red Lotus. He did know, however, that never had he felt the undeniable spark that he had received by kissing Ming-Hua. Almost by its own accord, one hand moved off of Ming-Hua's hip to grasp her jaw, making her head tilt up and giving him more access. It was delectable, the way that they fit together, how she leant into him.
Footsteps echoed off the walls, causing Ghazan to pull away with a devilish smirk. Ming-Hua could only glare, angry that he had caught her off-guard and angry that she had enjoyed that way too much. Slowly, accusingly, she turned back around, prompting Ghazan to finally tie her dress into place.
"You know, soon P'Li will be back to help you with that, Ming-Hua."
As Ghazan pulled her hair up and fastened it into her customary style, he inwardly seethed at Zaheer. He wanted to put off P'Li's escape, not because he disliked the woman (on the contrary, everyone in the Red Lotus got along splendidly) but because he knew that having her around might hurt his chances at being able to inconspicuously help Ming-Hua.
"Good. When's the breakout?"
With a determined smile, Zaheer pointed to a nearby road. "One of our minor associates has graciously offered us passage to the Northern Water Tribe. We leave at dawn."
Ghazan frowned as he continued driving the truck deep into the tundra. Ming-Hua had steadfastly ignored him for the entire trip, answering in short, clipped tones and only when necessary. She had even listened to Zaheer preaching about Guru Laghima – Guru Laghima! – instead. He knew that she liked to bottle things up, but this was ridiculous. He had felt her respond almost as eagerly as he had initiated, even if she didn't want to admit it!
And I know that I'm a damned good kisser!
With a half-hearted sigh, he tried to focus on the upcoming mission. Maybe that would help.
It didn't help.
As they finally approached P'Li's prison, Zaheer and Ming-Hua had climbed into the back of the truck. Zaheer's arms conjured up a flurry of a snowstorm, Ming-Hua steadily bringing snow up to increase its size and voracity. When they finally met their opposition, Ghazan had taken a moment to fully stop the truck. And once again, he was distracted.
He remembered how great it was to feel earth after years of imprisonment, but seeing the ecstasy on Ming-Hua's face as she leapt into the cold, finally completely immersed in her element… Even in his irritated state of half-rejection, he cracked a smile. Dammit.
With a slightly exasperated shake of his head, his mood lifting a little, he stopped the truck and jumped out, ready for battle. A quick cursory glance told him all that he needed to know – he was going to have to deal with Lord Zuko.
Wonderful.
Meanwhile, Ming-Hua was having an unnaturally fun time dodging the attacks from the new rulers of the Northern Water Tribe. It was only through the echoes of conversation off the walls surrounding her cell from which she knew that these were Unalaq's children, that he had been defeated by the Avatar in an epic battle during Harmonic Convergence.
She continued her assault, flinging herself into the air as the twins started to shoot spikes of ice from the ground. Maneuvering was tricky, but she'd be lying to say that she wasn't enjoying herself, that she wasn't toying with them. Deciding to actually get on with what she was supposed to do, she made a sharp twist of her arms, capturing her attacker in pillars on ice whilst propelling herself upwards to help drill through the ice.
Air whooshed around her. Ming-Hua enjoyed the sensation of freefalling; it was an exhilarating experience, something that very few people were brave enough to attempt unless they were an airbender. Or me, she thought smugly.
Fluidly, without even twitching a facial muscle, she avoided a sizzling blast of fire, landing on the guard with a sickening thud while simultaneously freezing the other with an icy blast. With a practiced ease, she froze the metal of P'Li's cell, warping it beyond repair and permitting her entrance. A light grin crossed her face as she strolled into the cell, excited to see her friend.
"Ming-Hua?"
At the sound of P'Li's voice – still melodic as always – Ming-Hua paused. She felt her face crease into a frown, something she actually couldn't suppress. P'Li was huddled pitifully on the floor, chains restraining her limbs. Even though she knew the pains of prison, Ming-Hua still seethed with anger. P'Li's tattoo was covered, as expected. The cell was freezing and detrimental for a firebender, check that off. But for them to tie the giantess down like a rabid polar beardog?
How dare they treat her like that!
Water extended in thin whips, shattering the tethers. Ming-Hua played observer as P'Li finally removed her combustion cover, biting back a comment about P'Li's hair – never had Ming-Hua seen her with anything but a half-shaved head. She probably wouldn't appreciate my wonderful remarks just yet.
With P'Li hanging on to her back, secured by extra water because there was no way Ming-Hua could carry her dead weight without assistance, she started to ascend.
"We could have just taken the elevator."
Ming-Hua ignored her. How was she supposed to know where the hell the elevator was? Obviously P'Li had missed her amazing entrance.
"Showoff."
On second thought, maybe I should have made the hair comment.
Ghazan was witness to the whole battle, playing off of the high ground that the bed of the truck gave him. Internally, he grinned when Ming-Hua emerged from her hole with P'Li in tow. He saw Zuko's eyes shift upwards, so he followed, only to see the dragon blast the two women with fire. He felt his eyes widen – why wasn't Ming-Hua reacting?!
P'Li bended the fire, retaliating with her own blast.
Ghazan could have smacked himself. I am such an idiot.
Deciding that it was high time for him to defeat his opponent, he began to send more and more rocks towards the former Firelord. Jumping off of his perch on the truck, he split a rock, throwing the lighter half first as a distraction and nailing Zuko with the heavier part.
That was strangely anticlimactic. I'm disappointed, maybe age has caught up to him?
P'Li quickly finished off Tonraq, allowing the Red Lotus to pile back into the truck. Ghazan assumed the wheel, frowning when Zaheer and P'Li piled into the front section as well.
It's always in pairs, you assholes. Pairs! Me. Ming-Hua. Couples! Not making me into a literal third wheel!
He greeted P'Li warmly enough for the circumstances, noting the excessive chained collar still hanging from her neck. Ming-Hua leapt into the backseat, neatly avoiding his eyes in the rearview mirror. Guess she's still steamed. He braced himself for the lovey-dovey mush that was going to start soon. I hope Ming-Hua and I are never like this.
Ghazan paused in his thoughts. Of course, we may never get that chance if she doesn't lighten up. I know she's a closed book, but I know that she knows that I know her! I know she feels the same!
With his mental tirade of "know's" over, he found himself watching the beginning of the reunion between Zaheer and P'Li. Stuck between being upset over Ming-Hua's reluctance and irritated that the other two couldn't just wait, he decided to lash out.
"Really? Right now?!"
Sulkily, as he continued the drive back to the ferry that would take them to Republic City, he failed to notice Ming-Hua gazed approvingly at him, the end of her mouth twisting into an amused smirk.
Big thanks to Lady Elvira, you leave the best reviews, and they make me smile every time!