Avatar: The Warring Earth
Book One—Fire
By Twins of the Pen
Disclaimer: Avatar in itself belongs to Nickelodeon and Bryan Konietzko/Michael DiMartino. The only things that belong to Twins of the Pen are the original characters.
Shun opened his eyes.
It was pitch dark in Team Avatar's quarters. He could hear slow, even breathing from across the room where Syaoran and Tiki slept. Shun, on the other hand, was finding himself restless. He had slept on and off all day, and now found himself wide-awake in the middle of the night. Now he was wishing he had waited to crash after nightfall. Sighing quietly, he got up from his cot, stretched as high as he could—which wasn't too high—and padded silently out of the room, being extra careful not to hit his head on the door frame on the way out.
The base was so quiet it was eerie. Shun knew for a fact that there were still people awake—ZanYi's cot was still empty when he left—but everyone else had turned in for the night, some early in preparation for an early start the next day. Shun felt his way down the dark hall until he reached the loading bay, where one or two lights were still on. From there, the giant waterbender headed straight for his beloved motorcycle, which was miraculously left untouched in the raid the day before.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Shun spoke to the bike, smirking as he knelt down and ran a hand across the flouncy lettering that read 'Ai' on the side of the motorcycle. His smirk faded soon after when he pulled his hand away to reveal a light coating of dust.
"Sorry I haven't had time to spend with you, Ai. Things have been busy here. You understand, right? I know you're used to having me all to yourself, but I have responsibilities now. We'll go out soon, I promise. Just the two of us."
Did Shun feel a little silly talking to an inanimate object? Yes. But there was no one around, so why should he care? Besides, he and Ai shared this strong bond that could not be broken by anything, even if she was just a motorcycle in the eyes of others. Shun didn't expect other people to understand anyway.
Considering the hour it was, not many were expected to be up and about. However, one that was still up was ZanYi. True to form, the meeting had lasted quite late into the night, resulting in meager rations for dinner and a growing migraine. So when she heard a voice speaking in the dimly lit loading bay, she ambled over to find the source.
Discovering Shun talking to his motorcycle was not exactly what she'd envisioned. She stopped to lean her shoulder and hip into the doorway, crossing her arms as she gazed on silently. Tiki had made several jokes before about Ai being akin to Shun's girlfriend, but ZanYi was beginning to think Shun was starting to believe it.
"I think that concussion messed with your head," the lieutenant eventually conjectured, making herself known to the waterbender. She looked on with a neutral expression, unable to smirk at him. Even if she weren't still holding a grudge against him for making deals with Zaron, she no longer had any patience by then. Spending hours around a table debating military strategies with a brother she was upset with, an earthbender who thought he always knew better, and a peanut gallery of others who remained silent, ZanYi was thoroughly spent.
Shun had not been aware of anyone else's presence. So when ZanYi's voice cut through the semi-darkness, he jumped, nearly knocking Ai over. He caught and steadied the bike just in time, however, and then stood up to turn and face the lieutenant.
ZanYi looked exhausted. Her face was haggard, and there were dark circles under her eyes, almost as if she had recently suffered from a broken nose. Clearly it was way past time for her to get some sleep. So why was she still awake and talking to him?
"Good evening, Lieutenant… or should I say good morning?" Shun mused, ignoring her jibe that questioned his sanity. ZanYi was one of the people he expected not to be able to understand his relationship with Ai. Stepping closer to her, the giant waterbender placed a hand lightly on the top part of the doorway, critical eyes studying the lieutenant's face. She looked even worse up close.
"Rather than worrying about me, shouldn't you get some rest?" Shun's tone was playful, but his eyes were serious. It had been a long day for all of them, but ZanYi especially. He had to admire the simple fact that she was still able to stand up at this point.
ZanYi managed a scoff. "Well, I was going to when I heard a voice in here," she told Shun, looking up as his face loomed overhead of her. "We're in the middle of a war. I would not be worthy of my title if I just ignored anything out of the ordinary." And hearing voices in the loading bay at such an obscene time was certainly out of the ordinary after a day like today.
While his height was formidable, the lieutenant was not intimidated, despite many who probably would be in that circumstance. In fact, she was only supported by the mere instance that she was still able to surprise him in such a state. And for someone who had gotten quite the head wound that dawn, he himself seemed to be getting by quite swimmingly.
"What are you doing up, Shun?" she demanded of him, her eyes beginning to narrow a little and her head continuing to throb. "You shouldn't be up and you shouldn't be in here right now."
Shun slowly raised his eyebrows. He had never specifically been told he was not allowed in the loading bay after hours… or was that one of those unspoken rules that went along with being in the Resistance? Moreover, what was she so concerned about? Did she suspect him of mischief, when that was so clearly Tiki's department?
"I couldn't sleep," he answered her question slowly, as if trying to gauge her reaction to every word he spoke. "I've been asleep all day, so now I'm wide-awake. Rather than wake Tiki and Syaoran, I came in here to visit Ai. I didn't know it was against the rules to be in here late at night."
Shun matched the lieutenant's expression. It was like he was a child being scolded for a wrongdoing he didn't commit all over again. Did the Tsong siblings enjoy prosecuting him or something?
"You're cranky," he noted, knowing fully well that such a comment would probably get him in trouble. But he wasn't going to stand there and be snarled at for the second time that night. Whereas ZanYi needed sleep, he had just woken up, and rather than being well rested, it made his usually enduring patience run thinner than usual.
"And you're a pain in my side," ZanYi returned, unfazed. She did not care whether he was offended or bothered by her comment. She was normally quite blunt anyway, but she held no feeling back. Exhausted physically and mentally, ZanYi had nothing left to give but that.
She grumbled as she rubbed her temple, bothered. "There are no regulations against you being in here," she informed him, "but curfew for those without clearance is enforced. We can't have you guys running off wherever you'd like in the middle of a war zone. If you're unaccounted for during a raid or ambush, that's your life and my head at risk."
None of the other members of Team Avatar were military, which made them her responsible in the eyes of the Resistance. And with everything going on, plus training the Avatar, ZanYi did not need more trouble being handed to her.
Shun's frown deepened. How could she still have so much fire in her after everything she had gone through today? The woman was relentless.
"I understand that," he said evenly, though on the inside, he was actually having to fight for patience. Something like this had never happened before, so it was throwing him for a loop. ZanYi was really pushing it. "There is, however, no need for you to speak to me like that."
Shun understood that ZanYi was tired, and that his midnight wanderings could very well get her into trouble. But there was absolutely no reason for her to condescend him, and he didn't appreciate it at all.
"Seeing as how we're about the same age, I would appreciate it if you treated me as such and stopped looking down on me," Shun quirked a brow sarcastically, "figuratively, anyway."
ZanYi had quirked her brow at him as well, knowing full well that Shun's height is something she would never achieve. She had to stifle a yawn, because that was the absolute wrong time to be showing any sort of weakness.
"Shun," she said, closing her eyes for a brief moment, as if that would rest them, "if I took age into consideration with everything I do, I wouldn't be where I am today." ZanYi would not be an Agni Kai; she would not be a lieutenant; she would not even be respected the way she is.
"You're a talented healer," ZanYi conceded, looking back to the waterbender with tired, but determined eyes, "and I'd wager to say better than any of the healers I've come into contact with yet. But I can't make any exceptions."
Her soldiers respected her. Other regiments as well. But to say there wasn't a line of people that did not think she deserved to be where she was would be an utter lie. That earthbender Zaron was forced to work with was just one of many.
Shun blinked. This was one of those rare instances where ZanYi actually complimented him. Sure, Shun had been gratified many times for his healing talents, but to actually hear such compliments from a woman like ZanYi… well, in normal circumstances, Shun would be flattered beyond words. But she still wasn't getting what he was saying.
"ZanYi," Shun groaned with a slight shake of his head, "I'm not working under you. I'm working with you. Despite what you may think, there is a difference."
Releasing the top of the doorway, Shun moved past the lieutenant and started down the hall. He had just taken a few steps before he paused again, contemplating his next words before he spoke them.
"I'm not an official part of the Resistance," Shun acknowledged out loud, looking down at his feet as he spoke. "But I do want this war to end as badly as you do."
Images of his family and a small, dark room he was kept in after he was ripped away from them flashed through Shun's mind. When he turned to look at ZanYi, there was a fire in his eyes that could almost rival her own. "And I want our side to win," he continued with conviction. Heading back over to the lieutenant, the giant waterbender allowed a half-smile to form on his lips as he gazed down at her.
"So would it kill you to have a little faith in me?" he entreated, the humor returning to his voice. "I trust you to know what you're doing, and I know for a fact that you're good at what you do. I may not know how everything works around here, but I know enough to help keep Tiki out of trouble and to help you avoid further trouble with your superiors."
Daringly, Shun rested one of his large hands on ZanYi's shoulder.
"I've got your back, ZanYi," he said quietly, his eyes solemn. "Don't forget that."
ZanYi's gaze fluttered from the hand that rested on her shoulder and back up to Shun's face. And despite his words of assurance, she still had to sit on his words before speaking. She knew the difference between them working together and him working under her; the lieutenant understood that difference quite plainly.
What Shun did not seem to understand was that the difference did not matter to those who were waiting to watch her fall. To see her comply with anyone not her superior, or particularly any outsider, was just an excuse to poke at her title. This was a rough world that had been chosen for her, and she had to stand her own in it.
However, she had no energy and felt no need to try and explain any of that to him. ZanYi could only take his words and then add a pinch of her world logic to them. She dredged up a deep sigh as she rested her gaze once more, the world starting to get foggier and foggier. When the lieutenant stared up to him once more, her eyes, despite their weariness, still held sparks.
"Do you have my back because of my brother? Because if that's your reason, I want no part in this."
Shun had been expecting this question. And the fact that she asked it made him smile, just a little bit. He would never go so far as to say he understood ZanYi Tsong, but he felt that he was getting somewhere, at least.
"I told you already: even if your brother hadn't asked, I would have done my best to have your back." Shun quoted himself, word for word, on purpose, and his smile broadened as he finished with the last sentence. "It's in my nature, as I'm sure you've realized by now."
He may have said it before, but that didn't make it any easier for ZanYi to swallow. After all, it was difficult to when Shun had not started this approach until after they had arrived in Omashu, which is when she would bet the deal had taken place.
So instead, the lieutenant stared at him, analyzed him, searched every bit of his face. What she was looking for was sincerity, honesty. ZanYi found both of them there.
Ignoring his broadening smile, she finally relented. "Fine," she resigned, grudge in her voice still. "Do not make me regret this, Shun Jiang."
Shun's smile turned wry at this warning.
"I'm sure you'll make me pay dearly if you do," he replied. He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze before dropping his hand and jerking his head back toward the hall. "Come on, bed time. No offense, but you look like a zombie."
She looked as if she were going to pass out as well, but Shun kept that observation to himself, certain that the lieutenant would not appreciate him insinuating weakness on her part.
It was certainly past time to rest, and ZanYi had no doubt that she probably looked just as Shun said. The last full rest she'd had was their first night in Omashu, and since then she had trained the Agni-Kais, suffered third degree burns, saved the Avatar and his gang from an ambush, commenced a rescue mission to save her brother, slept a few hours before executing an assault on the palace, taken over Omashu, trained with the Avatar, resolved a conflict with said brother, and attended another tactical meeting that had lasted hours.
The lieutenant started reeling at just the thought. So when she moved to push off of the doorframe, ZanYi found herself a bit uneasy on her feet, falling forward a bit. Reaching out a hand that collided square with Shun's chest, she stopped herself from completely falling into him. She had to grip onto his shirt to steady herself on her feet.
"Sorry," ZanYi excused herself quietly, pushing away from him. Continuing down the hallway, ZanYi walked slowly and purposefully, though not without a few minor stumbles along the way.
Shun watched her progress, at war with himself.
On the one hand, the fact that she stumbled every now and then bothered him. ZanYi clearly was too tired to walk, but was forcing herself to do so anyway. Team Avatar's room wasn't that far away from the loading bay, but it was still a pretty good distance.
And yet, on the other hand, Shun had just made a big deal about trusting her to be able to handle herself. She was 'The Lieutenant', and therefore had to be stronger than anyone else to do her job efficiently. She could not show weakness to the people that worked below her, or she would lose their respect.
…But, then again… there was no one else around…
Shun sighed. There was a very high chance that he would be overstepping his boundaries as well as snapping any patience ZanYi had left, if any. But even so, wasn't now as good a time as any to show that he had her back, no matter what?
It was with that thought firmly rooted in his mind that Shun came up behind ZanYi and swept her up into his arms in one graceful motion. If only he could be this smooth all the time.
"Please don't fight me on this," he asked ZanYi, making it a request rather than a demand as he stared straight ahead, his eyes squinting in the darkness. "You're tired, and this will get you to sleep faster. Besides, I don't want you falling and hurting yourself. Goodness knows you don't need another injury, let alone a head-related one. I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but they're not fun."
Shun waited until the darkness of the hallway fully engulfed them, and he could no longer see ZanYi, before he spoke again. "And it's just me," he pointed out, grinning in the dark, "I won't tell anyone about this if you won't."
Shun was even willing to pretend the whole event never even happened the next morning, if it would make ZanYi feel better. He just hoped she wouldn't be too irritated with him. He was, after all, only trying to help.
ZanYi, however, did not particularly care for Shun's helping hand. And it did, in fact, push what little patience she had left. And when he had scooped her up, she was in utter disbelief. It was not because he had been able to pull off such a feat; Shun was a large, grown man, despite that ZanYi was not a tiny woman herself. No. It was because Shun seemed to think of this as helping her that she had a hard time.
"I can't believe this…" the lieutenant grumbled to herself in the dark. Not even her brother dared to try such a thing, not since they were children. And yet Shun thought just because she relented a little that he could do whatever he saw fit?
And, to make matters worse, he seemed quite content doing this. ZanYi could practically hear the smile in his voice, as if Shun saw no problem with this. Lighting one of her hands ablaze, she looked up in the near darkness to see him smiling just as she'd thought. And it made her frown all the more.
"Shun," she said in a low voice, warning dripping from every inch of it, "put me down now or I will burn you." One warning. That was all he was going to be given, the most courtesy she was willing to extend him.
Shun looked down at ZanYi, his expression speculative.
Of course she was angry that he was manhandling her, but all he had been expecting was an angry word or two. He didn't expect her to actually threaten him and mean it. And she did mean it: he could see it in her eyes.
For a brief moment, Shun considered telling her to go ahead and burn him. He didn't want to put her down, because she looked like she was about to drop, despite her fiery threat. And she seemed to be forgetting he was a healer and that a burn—no matter how severe—was no problem for him.
But Shun knew this was much more than threatened physical abuse—he was injuring the lieutenant's pride. It just occurred to him, and he could have kicked himself for not thinking about it before he acted. Usually he was more sensitive than that.
"Okay, okay," he placated with a sigh, letting ZanYi down onto her feet. "I'm sorry. Next time I won't help unless you ask me to."
'Which will probably never happen,' Shun noted to himself, but that was not the point.
ZanYi was fine once he put her down. She kept that hand lit by her side, now using it as a light and not a threat. "I appreciate your concern, Shun, but I am fine," she told him, looking directly at him as she spoke. Granted, it was the sentiment that she appreciated, not the act. However, she figured that message had already been conveyed.
As she started walking away, she took care to watch her step in the dim hallway. It seemed even her flame was waning, not as bright and vibrant. "I have two legs and neither are crippled. Therefore, unless I cannot move on my own, don't try that stunt again."
Hearing her words, she grumbled, knowing this was exactly what they had just been arguing about. And while age was not a factor to her, support was, and sadly the large waterbender was proving to be quite capable in that regard. So it was with great difficulty that she added through tight teeth, "Please."
Shun smiled. It appeared they were getting somewhere after all.
"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, showing her the respect she deserved, since she was consenting to do the same. It appeared it cost her a great effort, but Shun could appreciate the fact that she was trying.
When Syaoran arose the next morning, it was not rude. In fact, it was quiet, peaceful. It was enough to concern him so he rose slowly, trying to prepare for anything. He could see lights in the hallway, so he knew it was day. Which puzzled him further.
Looking across to the door, he sought the body that lay there. His feet quiet on the floor, Syaoran crept over, finding ZanYi still peacefully asleep as she rested on her back, her chest falling with every exhale. This was getting utterly bizarre—Syaoran was then prompted to pinch himself several times. When that had no effect, the Avatar realized he was not dreaming.
Closer, Syaoran peered. Even as he stood over her, the lieutenant was not disturbed. Her dark hair sprawled about her pillow, her lips slightly parted as she slept. This was the first time he could recall actually seeing the woman asleep, and it certainly made her look different. Pretty, in a way. Syaoran blushed as he stepped back. None of those observations resolved the main issue.
It was morning. And ZanYi was not yet awake.
"I think the lieutenant is broken."
Tiki peered around Syaoran, seeing the evidence for herself.
"In a coma, more like," she suggested, sneaking around Syaoran to poke ZanYi. Her finger was an inch away from the lieutenant's cheek when her hand was caught by a hand the size of a dinner plate.
"Let her sleep," said Shun, pulling Tiki back by the collar of her tank top. "She's had an exhausting week."
"What, and we haven't?" Tiki questioned, turning around to pout at Shun. "If the lieutenant gets to sleep in, why can't we?"
Shun quirked an eyebrow at the tiny airbender. "Did anyone force you to get up this morning?" he queried. Tiki turned a tell-tale shade of red.
"Not the point!" she attempted to assert, but Shun was already smiling.
"C'mon," he said, grabbing Tiki and carrying her under his arm. "Let's go to breakfast so we don't disturb ZanYi."
"Won't she be mad if someone doesn't bother to wake her up?"
"Not as mad as she might be if someone does wake her up."
"Touche, Tall One."
Syaoran watched as Shun carried Tiki out of the room, leaving the room quiet and only lit by the hall lights through the cracked door. However, instead of following, Syaoran stood back by her cot again, gazing down at her.
Since she was not yelling at him or anyone else at the current moment, for once he could truly look at her. Her personality spoke volumes, akin to the fire that is her element. But her appearance spoke the same of her. Her pale skin was visible, even in the dark, her raven hair blending into the darkness. And since she was not yelling, her face was softer. In all honesty, she looked utterly different from the woman she was normally, a totally different side of her.
And Syaoran was realizing he liked that side perhaps as much as he admired her fighting spirit. He reached down to push back a strand of hair that had fallen across her face.
Just as he did that, however, those eyes opened with a blaze. And then the rest of her followed. With a loud shout, ZanYi whirled from her bed, fists and legs fired up, as bright as ever. Syaoran would have found that rather attractive as well, the way the fire enveloped her, but he was too busy avoiding the flames.
With a yelp, Syaoran fell back onto his rear. He was surprised, yes. Scared? Yes. And now he was in pain as some of the fire seared his arm. "Ow!" he cried out, but he could not say more as the lieutenant stood over him, fists at the ready and her glare trained on him.
Her shoulders rose and fell with her heavy breaths, even more hair falling around her face. But the fire went out of ZanYi's eyes when she realized who it was that she had just attacked.
"Syaoran?" she spoke aloud, as if verifying what her arisen eyes seemed to find. Syaoran nodded vigorously and ZanYi relented her fighting posture to cross her arms. "What the heck do you think you were doing?"
"Uh…" Syaoran could not find the words at first, unable to voice the trance he had previously found himself in. So instead, he suggested weakly, "Waking you up?"
She seemed disbelieving, but she looked at the hallway and then ruffled through the duffel under her cot. Finding a timepiece, she swore. Looking back to Syaoran, ZanYi ordered, "Go get Shun to heal that burn on your arm, get breakfast, and tell the Agni-Kais training will be starting late today."
He needed not to be told twice. Syaoran was on his feet quickly and slipped out of the room, following after Shun and Tiki.
"All I'm saying," Tiki was saying as Syaoran approached them on the way to the mess hall, "is that being underground all the time may not be the best idea. I mean, what about mole people? And I heard that some serial killers like to lure their victims underground before killing them in the most brutal way possible!"
"First of all, Teeks, mole people do not exist," Shun denied, looking amused, "and second of all, I have never heard of an underground serial killer."
"Just because you've never heard of them doesn't mean they don't exist!" Tiki burst out. Out of the corner of her eye, Tiki saw Syaoran approach and turned to him eagerly. "Syaoran, will you please tell Shun that—what happened to you?!"
The shock in Tiki's tone made Shun turn around. His ice blue eyes widened as he took in the burn on Syaoran's arm, and then narrowed in understanding. "You woke ZanYi up, didn't you?" he asked shrewdly, bending water out of his canteen to cover Syaoran's fresh burn. He had expected to have breakfast before having to heal any burns, but it turned out that every day held surprises for him.
Syaoran allowed Shun to work over his fresh burn as he mumbled, "I didn't mean to…" He did, however, make a note not to do such a thing ever again. Syaoran could not, under any circumstances, allow himself to believe that the lieutenant was a normal woman. Despite anything Shun may say otherwise, it was just not true. "I did not expect her to jump out of bed and attack like a whirlwind of fire."
"She's a military officer. You should have expected it. How would you feel if you suddenly woke up to a shadow looming over you?" Shun reasoned. He finished healing the fresh burn in record time and was bending the healing water back into his canteen when Tiki piped up.
"I think you may have been lucky to get away with just a burn," she said, standing on tiptoe to inspect the rest of him. "And how did you wake her up without meaning to? Did you cough too loudly or something?"
Syaoran coughed at that, choking on the very air he was breathing. He was not going to explain this to anyone, let alone Tiki. That was just asking for embarrassment and unneeded attention. "Something like that, and I guess it disturbed her," Syaoran said plainly, avoiding all details. He looked at Shun, weighing the man's previous advice again. "I still don't get how you get along with her, even when she's mad at you," he marveled again.
"It's all about choosing your battles, Syaoran," Shun said sagely, clapping a hand on Syaoran's newly healed shoulder. Tiki frowned at the pair of them, feeling as if she was missing something. But, for the life of her, she could not figure out what.
"Are we getting breakfast, or our we waiting for ZanYi to come and fireblast Syaoran some more for waking her up?" she asked.
"I vote breakfast," Shun said, grinning.
Syaoran eagerly agreed, walking with them as they tread towards the mess hall. It was another building, directly next to the one that they used as the barracks. As usual, a small fuss was made as they entered; between the Avatar, an airbender, and a guy as big as Shun, a commotion was always made. Once they were seated with their meals, he noticed the Agni-Kais shooting them various looks.
"They're probably wondering about the lieutenant," Syaoran said, and he knew that part of his orders from her were to pass on word to her soldiers about training. However, the last thing he wanted to do was stand in front of a horde of firebenders and relay the news. It took several minutes and a lot of courage for him to stand up and look over at the AKs. Before he could even utter a word to them, another voice spoke up.
"Training will begin shortly after breakfast," ZanYi declared as she strode into the hall. Syaoran turned and saw that she was much more put together than previously, much more the rigid lieutenant that he was familiar with. Fruit on her tray, she sat down among Syaoran and his comrades, the rest of the AKs now focusing back on their food.
Syaoran sat back down and looked at the lieutenant, feeling a bit awkward inside. "Um, good morning, Lieutenant Tsong."
"Morning, Syaoran," ZanYi replied shortly, putting more effort into eating. First and foremost, she was upset with herself for oversleeping. Tired or not, there was no allowance for such an undisciplined act. Second, considering the meager portions she'd had time to eat the day before, ZanYi was starving.
"What did Syaoran do to wake you up?" Tiki asked immediately, "Shun told us we shouldn't, but Syaoran said he did on accident, but he won't tell us—"
Shun promptly shoved an apple into Tiki's mouth, effectively shutting her up.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, Teeks," he chided, putting his fork down on his already clean plate. "How did you sleep, ZanYi?" Shun asked casually, ignoring Tiki's spitting out apple peels everywhere.
ZanYi observed Tiki with disgust on her face as she watched the bits of apple fly. As she did so, Syaoran sent Shun a grateful look. When the lieutenant looked to Shun, she managed a simple, "Fine," in reply. And she had slept fine. Quite well, actually. But she had woken up late on a training day, and that was inexcusable in her book. Looking over to Syaoran, ZanYi said, "Thank-you for waking me, though I do apologize for your burn. Was Shun able to patch you up?"
Finding her to actually be speaking to him, Syaoran sat up a bit straighter. "Yeah, he did," he told her, "but I am really sorry to have woken you up—"
"I can sleep when I'm dead," ZanYi interrupted without skipping a beat. Syaoran was a bit taken aback by it, but then again, he felt as if he should not be surprised. She seemed very intent on getting started with the day, the way she was taking down her food. "Right now, it is more important to work on your training and keep the AKs on their toes."
"How can you sleep when you're—?" Tiki began, looking confused by the lieutenant's logic. A glance at Shun's raised eyebrows, however, goaded her into silently nibbling on her piece of toast.
"So it's back to business as usual, then?" Shun wanted to check, his chin in his hand as he looked away. After all the excitement in the past day, it almost seemed normal. Shun welcomed normal. In fact, the weather today was perfect for a ride out on his motorcycle, and he was looking forward to it.
"You looking for Sikka, Shun?" Tiki asked, her kitty grin in place as she elbowed the giant waterbender. Shun turned to give the tiny airbender an exasperated look.
"Will you get off that already? I'm telling you there's nothing—"
"Good morning, Shun."
Shun forced himself to stop talking, almost cleaving his tongue in half with his teeth. Wincing, he turned to find Sikka smiling brightly at him. "Hey, Sikka. How are you?"
"I'm well. Did you enjoy the cookies?"
"They were delicious."
"I'm glad," Sikka replied, her smile brightening. "Well, I just came over to say hi. Um, have a good day, and I'll see you later."
As Sikka walked away, Tiki turned to Shun as her feline smirk grew. "You were saying?"
ZanYi's gaze went from Sikka's retreating form to Shun. Then her brows rose and she smirked. Snickering, the lieutenant advised, "Better not let Ransik see that." It was none of her business what went on with Sikka and Ransik; in her opinion, they were as bad at realizing each other's feelings as teenagers. But ZanYi was not going to encourage Shun either. After all, she actually happened to like the other two waterbenders.
Dropping her spoon on her tray, she then went back to topic. "But yes, it's going to be back to business as usual. We are slated to leave Omashu in a few days' time."
Syaoran found this to be reassuring, now that the threat of combat was over with. Not that he minded helping; he was the Avatar, and Syaoran thought this was part of the job description—even if he didn't feel all that helpful, honestly. But to say it did not terrify him would be a lie. "So, when we leave Omashu, you will be leaving with us?" he daringly asked.
ZanYi nodded. "My work with the AKs is done here, now that we've taken back the city. They will be traveling back with us at the end of the week when we return to base." However, she did not know who was being sent in to replace them, for surely firepower would be needed to enforce the city's walls until all of the enemy forces have given up on the city.
And that was when her morning got even worse.
"Oh, so the princess has decided to join us this morning. We should feel honored."
ZanYi had to hold back the string of utterances that the new voice brought out of her. Flames danced at her hands in her irritation, but she forced them down. Standing, she turned to find a man, close to her brother in stature and age. His jet-black hair was pulled back, his beard shapely, but his eyes stared long and hard at ZanYi, a sneer on his lips.
"Lieutenant Zhao," she greeted with a tight expression on her face, and a forced smirk. "I wasn't expecting to see you."
The man's sneer widened as he gazed down at ZanYi. "I suppose you missed our arrival this morning. A princess needs her beauty sleep, from what I hear."
"Which is so sad, because surely you need it more than I do."
The two lieutenants stared at each other, their gazes locked in a stalemate. ZanYi did not think things could get worse on such a simple morning. And then they send her Lieutenant Zhao. She could only hope she was going to get through the next couple days without receiving a dishonorable discharge for murder.
Tiki watched the exchange avidly, her fork missing her mouth as she chewed on air. The tiny airbender thought that all firebenders respected the lieutenant because she was, well, The Lieutenant. But it seemed that ZanYi was not the only firebending lieutenant around. Tiki had only heard of one Zhao before, and that was back in the time of her great-great-grandfather. However, it was pretty obvious that General Zhao's legacy of ruthlessness lived on.
The sound of Shun's canteen top popping off made Tiki look at him. The giant waterbender's expression appeared calm enough, but his eyes were sharp on the pair of lieutenants, and a hand was casually resting on his canteen. Shun was prepared as always just in case a fight broke out… and it looked very much like it was about to. The rest of the mess hall seemed to recognize that as well. The room started getting quieter, but the most noticeable difference was that all of the AKs had risen to their feet, looking at Zhao darkly. Syaoran made another mental note not to cross them, because the look on their faces screamed for a fight.
Zhao seemed quite aware of this and said nothing as his gaze surveyed the room, soldier to soldier. Then they fell on the group behind ZanYi. "So, is this your new little posse? Full of misfits, I could only guess."
Syaoran took offense to that and officially did not like this guy either, his eyes narrowing. "Actually, this would be Team Avatar," he said, looking up at the firebender. Zhao looked at him with one brow up, amused more than anything.
"Aw, such a cute name. And you would be…?"
"The Avatar."
Zhao surveyed him even more closely then, and Syaoran felt as if the man was shooting fire from his eyes at him. Something inside him stirred—the part that wasn't worried he was about to get scorched—but then Syaoran saw ZanYi subtly hold a halting hand down to him with a stare warning him to stand down.
She looked at the lieutenant before her next. "I think it's time for you to go and address your own unit, Zhao," she cautioned him with stern eyes, but her lips tilted upwards. "Unless you want a repeat of last time we crossed paths."
This seemed to spark something in Zhao and he glared darkly at ZanYi, who gladly returned the favor. He looked around once more before settling back on her. "We'll just have to catch up later then, Princess," he seemed to concede. Lieutenant Zhao gave her one more derogatory sneer before turning heel and ambling out of the building. And it took a few minutes, but eventually even the AKs sat back down and returned to their meals.
ZanYi took her seat as well, but fire still flittered from finger to finger.
"Well," Tiki began, letting her fork clatter against her plate, "that man was pleasant."
"A real sweetheart," Shun agreed, watching Lieutenant Zhao leave. He capped his canteen again once the unpleasant man exited the building.
"So what happened the last time you two met?" Tiki wanted to know, watching ZanYi eagerly. "Please tell me you kicked his butt into next week and that's why he's so bitter."
Shun smirked, silently agreeing with Tiki's words.
Syaoran leaned forward on his elbows, eager to hear the answer as well. ZanYi smirked briefly at their interest, enough to ease her from playing with the fire in her hands. "The last time we saw each other," she said slowly, "he tried to privately confront me about my promotion, which resulted in an Agni-Kai that left him in the medical ward for a couple days."
Letting out a low exhale, Syaoran looked back to the doorway Lieutenant Zhao had just exited out of. "Dang, no wonder all of the AKs were on edge," he remarked and ZanYi nodded in agreement.
"Lieutenant Zhao is not one who takes lightly to being scorned or overlooked."
"He sounds petty," Shun criticized him. Tiki blinked up at him.
"It's unusual for you to insult anyone, Shun," she noted, her gray eyes large as she surveyed him. Shun, realizing she was right, ran a hand over his mouth and stubbly chin.
"You're right, I'm sorry," he apologized to the table at large. The giant waterbender was not exactly sure what came over him; it was rare that he ever felt hostility towards anyone who did not warrant it. It was just… something about the way Lieutenant Zhao called ZanYi 'Princess' rubbed him the wrong way. He didn't like it, and he didn't like Zhao.
"Don't be," ZanYi told him, waving it off with a hand. Syaoran nodded.
"The guy looks like he deserves it," Syaoran noted and ZanYi smirked.
"Something like that." ZanYi then sighed, ending the sound with a small growl. "However, it seems him and his troop were sent as the AKs replacements here in Omashu, so we're going to have to make the best of it for the week. And this is your warning now," the lieutenant stood up a bit straighter and looked each of the three individually in the eyes as she spoke her cautionary tale, "Do not confront him and do not start anything. If there's a problem, come to me."
The last thing she wanted was any of them in an altercation with the bitter man. They should all know playing with fire was not a smart thing to do. Syaoran knew that definitely, and despite his outlook on the man, he was smart enough to want to heed it. So he nodded.
"Not even a few harmless pranks?" Tiki asked, dismay etched into her features. She understood that this Zhao guy was probably dangerous, but what was wrong with poking some fun at him every now and then?
Shun reached over and ruffled Tiki's hair.
"Teeks, for once, do as you're told," he urged her. Tiki pouted, but she nodded. Shun, however, could distinguish the words 'no fun' from the airbender as she mumbled under her breath. Syaoran certainly hoped Tiki would listen for once. From what he just saw and what his teacher was saying, Lieutenant Zhao was not a man to be crossing. And he knew as well as everyone else at that table that something Tiki excelled at was crossing people. But between him and Shun, hopefully they could avoid a confrontation.
His jade eyes watched the rigid gait of ZanYi. She had already seemed to be in a less pleasant mood, but now it seemed downright irritable. He could only hope that they would be able to survive the passing week with the two lieutenants at the same camp.
But even Syaoran knew by this point that was hoping for too much.
Tiki waited around the corner for the approaching Lieutenant Zhao, silently fuming.
She didn't care what ZanYi said anymore about not confronting this guy: she had been crossed by him for the last time. There was only so many times in so many days that she could hear the words "You're in the way, Pipsqueak!" without snapping!
So as the 'admirable' Lieutenant Zhao was heading her way, she had rigged one of the oldest pranks in the book: there was a bucket of water held up by a rope she was clinging to, as well as a second bucket of flour held up by a heavy rock nearby. As soon as Zhao walked under her buckets, Tiki was going to unleash her very own brand of 'pipsqueak' fury on him. It had taken her an effort to shake Shun to do this, so she was going to make the most of what little alone time she had.
"Any second now…" Tiki murmured to herself, clutching the rope tightly. It was taking most of her strength not to go airborne from the weight of the bucket, but it was better than the heavier bucket of flour she had held down by a rock.
She could hear the heavy footsteps come down the hall. Singularly, Lieutenant Zhao was making his way towards the trap, completely unawares. Just as he was about to turn the corner, it all came apart.
When the water soaked him, Zhao froze unhappily, dampened. That was not a pleasant feeling for any firebender. But the flour that coated him soon after was what shifted the unhappiness to rage. Whiter than white, he rounded the corner and found the little airbender. His eyes grew wide with anger.
"What do you think you're doing, runt?" he roared. Without any hesitation, he launched a load of fire at Tiki's feet, just the first warning shot.
Tiki jumped, letting out a yelp. She summoned a small air tornado and blew Zhao back a couple feet. "Can't you take a joke?" she protested, stomping her foot in irritation. "And you had it coming! If I've told you once, I've told you a gazillion times: my name is NOT Pipsqueak!" Tiki took a defensive position, ready to bend at a moment's notice. It may have just been an inkling, but the tiny airbender was beginning to feel as if she had just gotten in way over her head.
Lieutenant Zhao, however, did not find any amusement in her jokes. As if he cared what her name was or her motives. With a dark look on his face, he let out a monstrous sound. With swift movements, the man sent a large slice of flames down the hall, and he proceeded after it.
Coming up to Tiki, he grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up, hand pulled back in flames. "Now listen here, Pipsqueak," he said lowly, a slow sneer spreading across his mouth. "Don't ever try that again, or I will personally ensure that you spend the rest of your days burned beyond recognition." He dropped the airbender on her behind, and with one last menacing look, Lieutenant Zhao continued on his way, leaving Tiki behind alone.
Tiki was breathing heavily, her small chest heaving. That had been way too close. All that over a little flour? Tiki thought it was an improvement, considering the scowl that seemed permanent on his features…
"Teeks."
Tiki froze. The voice that said her name was familiar—and there was only one person who called her 'Teeks'—but there was a certain way the voice sounded that made her feel… uneasy.
The tiny airbender dared to look behind her, and instantly regretted it: Shun was looking down on her with a smile so bright it was blinding. There was also a telltale vein pulsing in his temple. Tiki gulped. "Uh… H-hey, Shun. Uh, how long have you been—?"
"Just long enough to see that you directly disobeyed ZanYi's orders," Shun answered before Tiki could finish asking, and she paled. She was in deep trouble.
"Shun," Tiki began, but with a speed Tiki had no idea he possessed, Shun swooped her up by the back of her collar and tossed her over his shoulder.
"Let's go see Lieutenant Tsong, shall we?" he asked her as he looked over his shoulder, still smiling brightly. Tiki's look of horror did nothing to deter him as he strode off down the hall.
"Shun, are you trying to get me killed?!"
"You almost got yourself killed, Teeks. Personally, I think a nice, long scolding from Lieutenant Tsong will do you good."
"That's the same as getting me killed!"
"Oh, look at that: you get your death wish after all."
Tiki shut her mouth, shivering. Shun was angry with her, and soon, ZanYi would be too. Maybe she really should have thought things through before she decided to take matters into her own hands.
When the duo barged into her temporary office, ZanYi looked up from her work with mild surprise on her face. However, when she noted Shun's odd disposition and Tiki slung over his shoulder, quivering, ZanYi sighed. Looking to the two officers flanking her over her work, she said, "We'll continue this later. You are dismissed."
Once the two soldiers had left the room, ZanYi stood, and put her hands on her sides. Her lips were pursed and her expression speculative.
"Do I want to know what happened?" she asked carefully, looking from Shun to Tiki.
As an answer, Shun placed Tiki on the only other chair in ZanYi's office. Tiki made to get up, but Shun held her down with a firm hand.
"Go on, Tiki," Shun urged the tiny airbender, "tell the lieutenant what you've been up to."
"Um," Tiki began with a pleading look up at Shun. When Shun kept his face impassive, Tiki sighed in defeat. "I… kind of… covered Lieutenant Zhao in flour," she said in a rush, as if getting the confession out quickly would lessen her punishment. Her gray eyes squeezed shut, bracing herself for the angry tirade that was sure to be ZanYi's wrath.
"You did what?"
ZanYi's eyes went from Tiki, to Shun, and back. And considering the guilty look on the airbender's face, plus the expression of severity on Shun's, the lieutenant knew it was true. And that was not fantastic news.
The woman strode from her desk to her window and was silent for a few minutes. When she turned back to Tiki, her expression was grave. "I told you—ordered you not to cross him," she reminded harshly. ZanYi slammed her hands down on her desk, gaze trained on Tiki. "Do you realize what could have happened? Lieutenant Zhao is dangerous and deadly. Not everyone has the patience of Shun or the control of myself."
ZanYi walked around the desk to lean against the front of it, crossing her arms. "I'm glad to see you're not burned anywhere, so he must have been in a better mood. But do not, and I will repeat, do not go near him again. He will hurt you, Tiki, and have no qualms about it. I can only do so much."
Tiki groaned and hid her face in her hands.
"I know, I'm sorry," she apologized, her voice muffled through her fingers. "It's just… it seemed funny at the time—"
"Lots of things always seem like good ideas in the moment," Shun said quietly. "What you need to realize, Tiki, is that people tell you to do certain things because they're looking out for your well-being—not to be killjoys."
Tiki squirmed uncomfortably. It was bad enough getting scolded by ZanYi, but Shun's quiet reproving of her was even worse. It made her feel like she used to while being scolded by her parents: that she should have known better and was behaving childishly. It was the worst feeling ever knowing that people who expected better of her were disappointed in her.
ZanYi looked at the younger female with careful amber eyes. She knew the airbender's temperament and the lieutenant should have expected this to happen, despite her warning. "Just stay clear of Lieutenant Zhao for a couple more days. We're halfway through and then hopefully you won't ever have to deal with him again, Tiki."
A knock came on the door and it slowly creaked open, Syaoran peeking his head inside. "Hey, I'm here for training…" His announcement trailed as he found Shun and Tiki in the room, the latter of the two looking very uncharacteristically down. "What happened?"
"Lieutenant Zhao," ZanYi answered simply, and Syaoran frowned. He had hoped things would not get worse than they already were—tensions had already been running high for the last few days. "Syaoran," she beckoned and his attention snapped back to her, "why don't you walk with Tiki back to the barracks?"
"Sure..." Syaoran nodded, the word drawn out slowly as he looked then to Tiki, "Let's go, Tiki."
Tiki slid off the chair, eyes on the ground as she followed Syaoran out of the room. She could not have been happier to leave the oppressive room, but the long walk back to the barracks seemed like a walk of shame to her.
Shun began to follow before it occurred to him that ZanYi may have wanted to talk to him alone. He turned to her, looking sheepish.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have let her out of my sight. She said she had to use the bathroom so I let her go… but when she didn't come back after a few minutes, I went looking for her. I showed up just in time to see the flour fly… and to see Zhao threaten her."
Shun looked down and was surprised to find that his fists were clenched. He loosened them immediately and took a deep, even breath. Now was not the time to get angry, especially after ZanYi had just told Tiki off for harassing Zhao. Shun needed his patience now more than ever.
"No, I understand, Shun," ZanYi surprisingly said, exhaling in frustration. "Tiki is… Tiki." And while that sounded redundant, it was explanation enough for the two of them. She unwrapped her arms and sat her hands at the edge of her desk, holding herself against it.
"Flour…" she repeated, a tiny smirk on the corner of her lips. ZanYi would have loved to see the state of Zhao as it all hit him. She let out a brief snicker now that the airebender was gone and would not get the wrong idea. Looking back to Shun, she sobered and inquired, "What did Zhao say to her?"
ZanYi's voice was tense, and her face was serious. She had to know what exactly he said. While Tiki was not an AK, and ZanYi was not particularly fond of her, the girl was hers. And as long as Team Avatar was under her responsibility, she was not about to let anyone touch them, and especially not Zhao.
Shun's expression darkened.
"He told her that if she ever pulled a stunt like that again, that he'd burn her beyond recognition." The words left a foul taste in his mouth, and he spat them out as if the horrible taste would leave his mouth along with the words. It was all he had not go after Zhao after he threatened to burn Tiki's skin off. Starting a fight with a lieutenant that had yet to actually do anything would not have been a smart idea.
This served not to help ZanYi's mood at all. In fact, it served to infuriate her. She slammed a fist against the desk. ZanYi could not even verbalize what she was thinking at that moment.
Zhao had openly threatened one of her own—a little girl. Tiki may be a troublemaker, but her prank was relatively harmless. It was enough to warrant yelling at her, not to threaten to burn her alive.
"I need you to watch out for the other two. Leave Zhao to me."
"Of course," Shun agreed. He hesitated a moment before adding, "but if he tries anything against Syaoran or Tiki, I do have permission to defend them to the best of my ability without repercussions, don't I?"
Shun did not like the thought of having to be inactive while Lieutenant Zhao was around, but at the same time, he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for ZanYi. He felt better asking for her permission to act rather than having to apologize for his actions later.
"If he tries anything, absolutely."
There was no hesitation in ZanYi's voice. She was quite confident that Shun would be able to do that too. The man seemed to have quite the protective streak, which the lieutenant knew from personal experience. "But hopefully you won't have to," ZanYi continued, pushing off of her desk. She quickly started putting things away on her desk, straightening up. Slipping her military jacket on, she looked to Shun, a convicted fire in her gaze. "I'm going to make sure of that."
Shun's eyebrows raised. "Now?" he questioned, recognizing that look in her eyes. Trouble was brewing; he could sense it. "You're not going to challenge him alone, are you?"
Shun had faith in ZanYi's fighting abilities, but he could not deny that he was worried for her. He would feel a lot better if she had Zaron going with her, or even one of the AKs. Anyone was better than her challenging a volatile lieutenant—who clearly had a problem with her already—on her own.
"Of course I am," ZanYi told him, as if that were obvious. "No one messes with any member of my team, and that includes Lieutenant Zhao. I fight my own battles." She looked at Shun, and she was already getting a sense of what was going through his head, just by looking at the expression on his face. "Is there a problem with that, Shun Jiang?"
A corner of Shun's mouth turned down. He knew she was challenging him, and he didn't like it because that forced him in between a rock and a hard place. If he went with her, it meant he was infringing upon her authority, but if he didn't, it meant there was a good chance ZanYi was going to get hurt. Badly, if Lieutenant Zhao's attitude was any indication.
"I don't know about this, ZanYi," he began, rubbing his chin as he thought. "I've seen you in action, and I know you can fight…but Zhao is malicious. I don't—" Shun paused, troubled, and then sighed. This was not going to get him anywhere. "If you get hurt," Shun qualified, "will you please come to me as soon as possible? I can ask this much of you, can't I?"
ZanYi watched the man as he came up with his final verdict. She'd also watched him struggle through to the decision. So when he made that one request of her, ZanYi complied. "I will," she said to him. "Not that it's going to happen though." The firebender smirked as she went to the door. Hand on the knob, ZanYi turned back to Shun, full of confidence, fuel, and fire. "Just trust me to take care of this. I've dealt with Zhao before, and I'll do it again."
At her brimming confidence, Shun just had to smile. Typical ZanYi. How could he not believe that she would excel in everything she did?
"I do. Trust you, that is," he told her, covering her hand with his as he twisted the doorknob for her and opened the door. "After you," he said, gesturing to the hall with a flourish. He just prayed that, the next time he saw her, her battle scars would not be too heavy… even if she was victorious.
A/N from DJ: Things are about to get heated up in here! Next chapter is going to be a hot one. Like my puns? I certainly do xD Also, Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I, for one, am a huge fan of the holiday, because it's a day to put aside and remind yourself and others how much you love the people in your life. So, as an appreciation to you readers, we decided to update today instead of tomorrow! I know it's not much, but it's what we can do~ And now, as we move onward to the responses:
Japaneserockergirl: We like to have a mix of funny and drama, so I'm glad you're finding it as amusing as we did! As for the love triangles... this group knows how to make things messy xP Then again, as you'll see throughout, nothing this group does is ever simple and clean xD
Wiechcheu1925: So good to hear from you, and you bring up a point we knew someone was bound to bring up eventually. To say that Syaoran is the main character would be inaccurate; he's a main character. Of course, in the actual series, the Avatar is the focal point of the show. However, we are writers who love the supporting cast and want to explore this realm from so many viewpoints. "The Warring Earth" is a planned series, consisting of four books. Each book has a different focus, and you get to learn and understand each of the characters a bit more, why they are who they are and what they will become. This isn't just a story about an Avatar; this is the story of four people thrown together and how they become a team and a family. So yes, Syaoran doesn't have much focus right now, and other characters will dominate parts sometimes. But that's because this story is one about relationships, through love, family, friendship, and teamwork. I know this probably isn't the answer you were seeking, but I hope that you will still stay with us on this journey, because I can assure you, the best is yet to come.
Mz. Jinky: I see the Tiki-bias showing! That's awesome, because she's quite the character. All I will say on that homefront is that Tiki has a lot in store for her as the story progresses, and your wait will be worth it :]
Phew! I wrote a lot xP So, that's all for now. Read. Laugh. Enjoy. Review. The usual. Can't wait to hear from you all again and we'll see you next Friday!