Well, here go, kiddies. Chapter Twenty. Thanks to those who favored and reviewed this story--I really appreciate it. Though, I wish a few more people who review, give some feedback. I know people like this story as there are those who favor it and those three sweet girls who review every chapter, but I hear from some others too. Tell me why you like this story, where you want it to go, and so on. Anyway, sorry for sounding bratty or whiny and here is the latest segment. I hope you all enjoy. ^-^
Chapter: Twenty
||She couldn't see.
She couldn't a single thing, not even her hand in front of her face. It was too dark. She was surrounded by darkness. An abyss of never-ending black. Such scared her to the downright core. If heights scared her, endless darkness and being alone in said darkness, terrified her. However, light in the distance shined so brightly that it nearly blinded Lian. She screwed her eyes shut tightly, bringing up her arms to shield her vision.
When she could open her eyes again, all around her was white and she was no longer alone. There were two females standing in front of her. One of them, she recognized as Zuko's beautiful and kind mother, Ursa, with her tender, light eyes and silky, dark hair. The other woman she had no idea who she was, but she looked so familiar. Strangely some of the woman's features were similar to Lian's yet, her complexion was tan and her long, wavy hair was a cholocate brown. That woman was just as gorgeous and motherly looking as Ursa did.
They smiled at her.
"Lian," they said at the same time, Ursa's voice being an octave lower than the dark-skinned woman's.
"You have grown so much." Ursa commented happily.
The other woman nodded, speaking just as cheerfully, "Yes, she has. She is becoming an elegant young woman."
Were they taking to her? They couldn't have been. She wasn't, especially compared to them. Nonetheless, she sheepishly muttered, "Um…th-thank you." Then, she turned her attention to the stranger in front of her. "I'm sorry, but…who are you? I know Ursa, but I am afraid I don't know you, ma'am."
The brunette laughed, her laugh sounding like a hummingbird's wing. "She certainly is polite. You raised her well, Ursa." she spoke to the other woman.
"Thank you, but I unfortunately, didn't do as much as you think I did." Ursa's smiled faltered becoming solemn. "I'm sure many others had something to do with that."
"I suppose you're right, but you still did what you could." the other woman reassured. That made Ursa's smile grow to what it originally was.
Lian could only watch. Her question still hadn't been answered and as much as she enjoyed the two women's warmth and jovialness, she still wanted to know who that other woman was. She looked so familiar it was almost haunting.
The women must've noticed because they stopped their chattering and peered to her. "I'm sorry, my dear little Lian. I guess I'm not surprised you don't recognize me, you were just a newborn when you last saw me." the unknown woman grinned softly, her voice and icy blue eyes somber.
Softly, Lian gasped with wide eyes. Newborn? Last time they saw each other? Fid that mean--? "M-Mom?" she choked, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. There was no way. Her mother was dead. Then again, this was a dream, right? There was no way Ursa and her mother, Tsukiko could be in the same place and with her.
Seeing that she had been recognized, Tsukiko grinned, the sadness leaving her expression. "Yes, sweetheart. It's me."
Lian beamed, her tears fall—it was a dream, so showing her true emotions were okay. "Mom!" she cried, running towards the blue clad female. Yet, she ran right through. Lian looked back to see both Ursa and Tsukiko frowning, looking at her apologetically.
The youngest female sighed and hung her head, her bangs shadowing her expression. "Right. This is a dream. Nothing is real…" she whispered solemnly.
"I'm sorry, Lian." both women apologized in deep regret.
"We may not have physical bodies," Tsukiko began.
Ursa finished for her, "But we are here."
Lifting her head, Lian's brows furrowed. "I-I don't understand."
"In sense, we are here." Ursa said.
"We came to you in your dreams to speak to you on a very important matter." Tsukiko added.
"Important matter?" Lian asked quizzically. "Like what?"
"My son." answered the woman of the Fire Nation.
"Zuko?"
"Yes."
"What about him?"
"You need to help him."
"Help…him? Help Zuko? How?" How the cuss could she help Zuko?
"Yes, my son has fallen so very far off the right path and you need to help him get back onto it before it's too late." Ursa sounded so desperate, clasping her hands together.
Lian blinked, taking aback. Had she heard her right? She want her to help her son get back onto the right track of life before he became so lost that he wouldn't ever find his way back? Okay, this dream was becoming seriously too weird for her.
"Uh…I-I think you got the wrong, girl, ma'am." Lian said, holding up her hands.
Ursa saddened visibly, breaking the sixteen-year-old's heart. Tsukiko stepped in, her voice bold and confident, "You underestimate your abilities, my precious daughter."
"I don't--" Lian started to shake her head, but her mother cut her off, "Lian, you have the best of both worlds. You have the skills of a Waterbender, being able to adapt to anything and is a very balanced and level-headed young woman and you have the heart of a Firebender, being powerful and able to make your deepest desires come true following your heart and instincts. Those traits can help you do anything your heart chooses and that includes helping others find redemption and salvation. You can bring that to young Prince Zuko." Tsukiko explained firmly. Ursa nodded in agreement.
Lian frowned, glancing between their faces. They had such faith in her, so much hope that she could do what they asked. It made her feel guilty and gnaw n the inside of her cheek. Sighing, she looked away from them. "I'm sorry, but you expect too much of me. I'm just a kid. I haven't even mastered waterbending or found answers to my endless questions of my past. How do you expect me to bring someone such things when I can't even bring them to myself?" she said regrettably.
"Because Zuko will return the favor." Ursa pointed out.
"And because we believe in you. In both of you." Tsukiko added, smiling like the other woman.
"But--" Before she could finish, her world became black again.||
Gasping, Lian's eyes snapped open. She shot up and glanced around, frantically searching for her mother and Zuko's mother. Yet, they were nowhere to be found. All that was around her was her bedroom on Zuko's warship. Seeing such, the dark-haired girl sighed deeply in exasperation and she fell backwards on her bed. With a groan, she yanked her blankets over her head. She tried to go back to sleep, feeling exhausted.
Sadly, nothing goes as planned for Lian…
She heard her door open followed by footsteps followed by her blankets suddenly being yanked off her. "Hey! Do you mind!?" Lian yelled, snatching her blankets back to cover her torso, her face flushed. Yeah, she was only wearing a black skin-tight turtle neck and black spandex shorts, but that didn't make her feel any less self-conscious.
"Get up and get dressed, Lian." was all Zuko said, completely disregarding her outburst.
"Why? What time is it?" she asked, now calmer.
"Dawn."
"What?!"
"Did I stutter?"
"You have to be kidding me? Why the cuss did you wake me up this early for?" Lian exclaimed aghast. "Well, whatever it is can wait until later 'cuz I'm going back to sleep." she said, laying back down and pulling her blankets back over her body.
"Oh, no you don't!" Zuko snatched her blankets for her again. She groaned and shot him a look. "Glare all you want, but you asked me to do this."
She furrowed her brows. "What are you babbling about? I don't think I ever asked you to wake me up early in the morning." she said skeptically.
"No," he shook his head, rolling his eyes. "You asked me to teach you how to use broad swords."
Oh, right. She had asked him to do that. Nevertheless, "Okay. But how does waking me up at an unreasonable hour, and rudely I might, and teaching how to fight with Duo Swords coincide?"
"Obtaning such skills take long and vigorous hours of training."
"So?"
"Get up, Lian!"
"All right, all right," she groaned, sitting up in her bed. What happened to their agreement yesterday? What happened to the part where Zuko agreed to be nicer? Then again, she had agreed to be more compliant and she wasn't really doing that either—she was just really grumpy when she didn't get enough sleep. "I'm up. Don't throw a temper tantrum, Fire-Breath."
Zuko looked at her bemused, crossing her arms. "Good. Now, get dressed and meet me on the deck in five minutes." he ordered.
"Make it ten?"
"Lian,"
"Eight?"
"…Fine. Just get ready!"
"Okay! Sheesh!"
Just nodding, Zuko turned and started to leave her room.
"Buttmunch…" Lian mumbled under her breath.
"I heard that." Zuko said, making her jump and blush. He smirked and closed the door behind him.
Sighing deeply, the Waterbender shook her head before rising from her bed. She felt today was going to be a loooooooong day.
XXX
Eight minutes later, after she had took a quick bath and got dressed, Lian made her way to the lower deck of the ship where Zuko had told her to meet him. "I have arrived on time as you had specified, Your Highness." Lian announced dryly, approaching the young man.
He arched a brow, looking not at all amused by her wit. "Actually, you're a minute late." he commented, his arms folded over his chest—he was in normal clothes, no armor.
"What?" she jumped. "Are you serious?!"
"No," the other teenager smirked. Her jaw dropped, which made him smirk even more. "I just like seeing you sweat."
The female deadpanned, now it was her turn to not be amused. "You're a jerk."
"I thought I was a buttmunch." His eyebrow arched.
"That too."
"…You're wit is riveting."
"Ain't it?"
Rolling his ocher-colored eyes, the exiled royal shook his head. Reaching behind him, he unsheathed the two broad swords that Lian was going to be training with and that were normally displayed on his bedroom wall. "Let's just get started, shall we?"
"You got me up mad early, so I don't see why not." she shrugged.
Again, he rolled his eyes. "Anyway," he began with a clearing of his throat. "Do you know anything about swords and swordsmanship?"
"Of course."
"Enlighten me then. Tell me what knowledge you have."
"Swords are sharp and swordsmanship is fighting with swords."
Zuko deadpanned. "…I'm being serious, Lian."
"So am I." Lian admitted.
Sighing deeply in frustration, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The sad thing is that you probably are."
"Sorry. I'm from a Water Tribe. What do you expect? Women aren't trained to fight there, especially with weapons. Not to mention, Katara and I were the only Waterbenders in all of the South Pole." the dark-haired girl shrugged. "I'm pretty much lucky I can fight at all."
"If you can really call sheer luck fighting." the dark-haired boy scoffed.
Lian irked. "I'm getting better."
"True," Zuko concurred with a curt nod. She smiled, but it faltered with the next part of Zuko's sentence. "But you have a long way to go before you can call yourself a fighter, which is why along with sword training, we'll continue to be spar partners as was in our deal in order to help you improve your skills."
He gives and he takes…, Lian inwardly scowled. "Do you want those swords to become a permanent part of your body, Flame-Boy?" she growled.
"I am just being honest. Compared to me, who has had years of training, you're an amateur. Your skills are very shaky and sloppy." Her scowl deepened, but the young man continued to speak, "Though, I will not argue that you have a lot of potential. There's a lot a raw power in you and with a lot of training, we can most likely hone that power and transform you into a good fighter; an excellent Waterbender and maybe even a good swordswoman."
A smile grew on her face. "Really?" she asked hopeful.
"Yes," he nodded. "But only if you're patient and listen to my every insrtuction."
"I can do that." Lian agreed without hesitant.
"That means no talking back or sarcasm."
"…I-I can do that."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"You sure?"
"Zuko,"
"Just checking." the prince said. "Now, since you have absolutely no experience with swords, we are going to have to start with the basics. This means no swords for you."
"Then how the cuss am I supposed to learn how to use them if I don't actually use them?" pointed out the girl quizzically.
He shot her a look. "What did we just agree on?"
"Sorry." She purse her lips and motioned him to continue with the lesson.
"Anyway, as I was saying, you're not going to use the Duo Swords in the beginning. You're going to have to learn how to defend yourself from them, to get a feel how they work. Then, you'll be able to use the swords learning the three most basic moves. Next, you'll be trained in how to use the environment to advantage with the swords. Finally, then, you'll be able to spar me. All right?"
"And this training will be taking place as well as my training to become a better Waterbender?" the other adolescent inquired, genuinely curious.
"Yes."
"I'm in for hell, aren't I?"
"Pretty much."
"All right." A determined and confident expression came across her face. "Bring it on."
He smirked, pleased with her eagerness. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."
Lian smirked back.
"Let's begin."
"Let's."