Wishfull-star: We shall see!
Shorted chapter this time. Enjoy~
In the middle of the night, Ace had a bad dream, and Thatch woke him up, being closer to his sleeping bag. He put his hand on his shoulder gently. "You okay?" he asked quietly to not wake Marco.
"Yeah. Sorry," Ace whispered back. Thatch asked if he wanted some tea, but Ace didn't want to bother him. "Okay," Thatch said, and kindly let Ace hold his hand off of his bed. They were so nice. When they woke up, Ace found he'd actually fallen asleep, which was lucky. They had breakfast, and Ace checked on the scars. They were still gone.
Marco asked if he wanted to go test it, knowing what Ace was thinking. Despite rarely smiling, to them, Ace was an open book. He liked that because he didn't need to awkwardly explain his thoughts and feelings. Ace nodded, and they bundled up and left. Ace enjoyed being warm and cozy a lot.
They walked to the edge of the city, and behind the ice wall that separated it from the tundra. Ace and his best friends climbed over the wall. Ace attempted to turn into a dragon, knowing the feeling by now. Nothing happened. He didn't feel any scales either, and lifted his many layers to see nothing there.
He smiled a bright smile, and turned around, and announced he couldn't turn into a dragon at all! His friends didn't seem so excited before they saw Ace's tears of relief and happiness. "Now you're just a normal human, Ace," Marco said, happy for him even if he thought dragon Ace was cool. "Congrats."
Ace hurried over, and they hugged them, him crying. Finally, there was nothing special about him, nothing to give reason for any negative actions. "Welcome, Perfectly Normal Ace," Thatch said with a wide grin. "C'mon, lets go get something to celebrate! We should also tell the chief." Ace nodded, and both took his hands as they walked back, Ace feeling happier and more relieved than he remembered feeling.
He'd completely left what his old life held. No more reminder of what caused his imprisonment and torture. He'd never see Azula or Ozai again, which was a completely perfect and wonderful fact. They got some sweets for Ace to eat and share, and then headed to the leader's building. When Ace explained that his dragon ability was gone, and that the markings that showed he could change had disappeared, somehow, he didn't seem surprised. Which was strange. "I think I have a feeling about where you went that you don't remember."
The three raised their brows in curiosity. "There's a forest far north from here. A strange place, though most who go inside are lost and confused and rarely come out. I think you went there, but don't remember due to the forest's properties. It's too much to be a coincidence that you went north but don't remember, only to come out normal."
Ace said, "Then I'm happy about that forest."
"You shouldn't go back. It's dangerous, and it's lucky you made it out again." Ace promised he wouldn't go. Plus, if it was super far, and he could no longer fly, he couldn't get there in the first place. Arnook nodded, and they left. Ace was glad for that forest, if that was the real catalyst for losing what made him truly unique and abnormal.
Ace was in a good mood the rest of the day. He didn't smile much, but it was clear he was in a good mood. His best friends were really happy for him, and all around he had a happy aura. People wished them good afternoon, even if it was overcast much of the day. Ace nodded back, not talking but not cowering or hiding.
Just losing the dragon side of him felt like he'd lost a huge weight that was on his shoulders.
-x-
Ace wanted to learn how to fight as he watched Marco waterbend practice with Shanks, the nicer of the two waterbending teachers. He was a nice guy. Thatch came over, with some shaved ice. Ace took one, and his older friend asked if Ace wanted to learn to fight. "Yeah. Only in self defense. In case something ever happens, now that I'm not able to fight as a dragon. Not that I had ever done that before."
He didn't sound sad or disappointed. It had been two weeks since he (probably) visited the spirit forest and lost his dragon side. He was used to it, and having lost it did not feel ike losing part of his identity. Not at all, he felt truly free. In some time in his old life, he probably was not able to be free. Even before.
Thatch said he could learn to fight with a spear or boomerang. Ace shrugged, and asked if there was any way to fight hand to hand. "Usually you'd be fighting benders, the most dangerous people. Getting so close could be near impossible," Thatch pointed out. Ace knew that was right, and nodded.
"If I could fight with a spear?"
"Sure! But I'm not good at it. We'll have to get a teacher for you," he said. Ace asked if he ever wanted to learn to fight. "Nah. I'm a cook first and foremost. Though not professional yet. But some day, I'll cook for the chief's counsel!"
Ace said, "I'll help serve, since I'm so quiet."
"Sounds like a plan!" They went to look for the leader that was a combat trainer for to be warriors. When Ace walked in, the man looked up. He was a guy with dark hair and a long, curved mustache. "Hello Roger," Thatch said with a bow, Ace quickly doing the same. "Ace would like to learn how to protect himself."
Roger smiled, and agreed to do so gladly. Ace thanked him deeply. "No problem. Teaching a new comer will be my pleasure, spreading the water tribe way to others." Ace nodded. He seemed nice. Ace was told he could start now, which he agreed to, looking forward to this, something new.
Maybe he'd actually be good at it! That would be amazing. Thatch left, though he didn't go far outside the training room. Ace chose from some weapons, but for some reason, felt he'd learned fighting before. He looked at the weapons, and handled them. But none felt familiar. Roger was patient before asking if he had a problem.
"S-Sorry," Ace said.
"Don't be sorry, take your time! Using the right weapon is important," the instructor said. Ace was glad to be alone in a session so he didn't embarrass himself or feel inferior to everyone else. Ace honestly said he felt he'd learned some type of combat before. "From before you remember?" Ace nodded.
He looked at his hands and said, "I think it was hand to hand. Something."
"You could have learned it in the Fire Nation. Perhaps before you lost your memories. If one positive thing could come from that time, it would be a fighting method." Ace didn't feel shamed by having been in the Fire Nation for fourteen years… doing something. Who knows? He sure didn't. "Why don't you try to fight how you did before? Would be best to find out what you're already capable of."
Ace thanked him, and closed his eyes, trying to picture whatever combat he had before. But all he remembered was studying the human body. Was it with a book, or a teacher? He did what he felt was natural, and shot forward, slamming his knuckles and fingers into certain points in the body, as if they had red targets on them.
Roger fell down, and Ace freaked out, asking if he was okay. "I didn't mean for that to happen!" Ace insisted, apologizing.
"Don't apologize, that is quite the way of fighting! You immobilized an enemy instantly. Who on earth taught you such a skill?" Roger asked. Ace propped him up, and said he didn't remember. He didn't even know what it was called. But another voice came in, Shanks, the waterbending teacher, answered the question for both of them. "Chi blocking. I've never come across somebody who could do it, though."
Ace asked if it was something bad, sounding ashamed. "Absolutely not. It's not the water tribe's way of fighting and combat, but that doesn't mean that isn't useful. Besides, you don't wish to work as a warrior. Chi blocking is a great way of every day self defense. It will be more helpful in self defense than any weapon."
Roger said Ace hadn't specified not wanting to fight enemies, only for his safety, though he didn't sound angry. Ace apologized for not being more clear. "That's fine. Well, for that reason, why don't we practice this chi blocking some more? Against someone stronger than you." Shanks offered to be the dummy, and Ace was hesitant. But the man said it was just fine. Chi blocking was not permanent. He'd be just fine after a few minutes.
Roger was still limp against he wall, but after about ten minutes, he stood back up, perfectly fine. It made Ace feel better that he wouldn't do something wrong, hurt somebody badly. Going against Shanks, who knew what Ace was doing, blocked every move easily. Ace wasn't fast enough or nimble enough. So, they had something he should work on outside of class.
Endurance and flexibility training. Ace would do yoga classes, and go on runs and climbs to do cardio training. Being fast enough to keep up and utilize the chi blocking. Ace was glad he was being understood and not shamed for having an odd form of fighting. One Shanks said had been practiced in mostly secret for so long. Someone went out of their way to teach Ace, and it was very useful for him.
Ace felt really happy at the end, and left with profuse "thank you"s, and promises to train himself. Thatch was talking to some passersby when Ace came out looking satisfied. His friend had heard nothing that was said inside. "How'd it go?" Ace explained everything that had happened. "Whoa, that sounds terrible to be on the other end of!"
"Yeah, but I'll only do it if someone is trying to hurt me. I don't want to be a fighter, I want to live as a normal person. Do normal things."
"You could get a job, too. Is there anything you'd want to do?" Ace shrugged. He didn't know what he was good at. If he had any talents. "We could find out. Even chi blocking could be considered a talent. You know, having the warriors know how to do that could give an upper hand in some dire situations. As a last resort."
Ace said he wasn't smart or brave enough to teach anybody anything. Plus, he wasn't very good at it. "Once you get better, then. You should teach me and Marco, too! It'll be something cool to learn for all of us together, right?" Ace smiled lightly and nodded. Marco was done with his lesson, and they found him at the bridge, sitting on it and looking at the horizon.
"Marco, you won't believe what happened with Ace." Marco was worried instantly. "No, it's good! Ace knows how to do something called 'chi blocking'. He must have learned it before and remembers it! And it's a good thing to remember." Marco was curious, and Ace simply said it seemed to make muscles grow limp. It made Roger fall down and not get up for a bit.
Marco raised his brows in surprise. "And he'd gonna do endurance training and yoga." Ace nodded. "And teach me! Wanna join in?" The blonde was more than happy to do so. The youngest hoped he did okay. The next day Ace would go running. He didn't know how hard it would be to run in such cold weather, but he had to do it regardless.
He got up early and dressed before heading to the tundra area up the long, single path, and then went on a run outside the perimeter of the city. He sprinted, his feet not slipping even though it was on icy ground. He did the run for a good half hour, breathing through a face mask so the cold didn't come directly into his lungs, which was uncomfortable.
Ace sat on the edge of the cliff, breathing heavily while taking a break before heading back down. Only a few hours later, after cooling down in the warmth of their home, he went to the class that was offered to him. They found he was very flexible, more than he expected himself to be. Like his body was super bendable and he never knew. Well, he hadn't known in the last few months.
Wow, it had only been a few months. It felt like a lifetime had passed since he was freed. He found he could not remember the face of his rescuer. He was an old fat man. But he couldn't picture his face at all. He was so scared and animalistic then that he was incapable of speaking to him, let alone thanking.
"Hey, Ace, try this!" Tama said, the youngest one in the yoga class at five. She went on a hand stand, wobbly, but impressive nonetheless. Ace didn't want to embarrass himself, but he also didn't want to upset a five year old, and seem mean or cold. Emotionally cold - everything was cold here.
So, Ace tried to do a handstand, and could do it, and walk on it. "Wow, you're so cool!"
"I didn't know I could do this," he said honestly. But he was impressed with himself for not being an embarrassment. Tama asked if he could do flips. "I'm not sure. I… could try, I guess," he mumbled uncertainly, and then bent his back in and arc to reach his arms behind him and become a bridge before clumsily kicking off with his feet and landing back, only to stumble and land on his butt.
"That was so cool!" Ace gave a shy smile, and thanked her. "I bet you could be flips and fancy moves and stuff if you practice!" Ace said it would be helpful for his way of fighting. And he now wondered how flexible he really was, and what he could do with that. He had some goal to drive for other than to heal himself. To become flexible and use it with his chi blocking.
The next day, he went on another run, but also had endurance training by walking against the blizzard winds, his body being forced back by the gales, with his muscles working to not give in. After that, he went to the courtyard, a place with benches and fountains, a nice place. He went to one corner that people weren't around.
He stretched a bit so he didn't risk pulling anything like his instructor said to strive not to do. Even though it could be healed easily with healing and only a day's worth of physical therapy, it was still better to not have it happen in the first place. After he felt stretched enough, he started with a basic handstand, staying upright and still for a few moments before he took a risk, and moved his weight into one hand.
Breathing in deeply to not lose focus, he put his other hand back down, and then did the bridge and flip. Going slow felt weird, but it helped him feel what muscles were working to do it, which areas strained a bit when in the position. Slow and steady wins the race. He continued to slowly do gymnastics, feeling he'd learned it before, or at least had seen examples of it.
He was glad nobody was watching him, probably because they had a feeling Ace would be uncomfortable. Being broken - but healing slowly - had the perk of people being considerate to his boundaries. Maybe out of pity, but it was better than being pushed to be social by everyone. He continued to practice on his own until he got hungry.
Feeling successful was a new feeling, but he'd felt it three days in a row! It was amazing! Maybe he could get better quicker now that he had some sort of goal and… talent. Something he was good at, that others weren't. He wanted to help them learn, too! Whoever taught him, he was glad for them and would spread their kindness. Though he did not remember, he could be thankful for the reason he could do something special.
After all, chi blocking was a human thing, it probably didn't have anything to do with his former dragon part.
