Wishfull-star: \(≧▽≦)/
Ace took a deep breath, and bowed to his opponent. Shanks was there, going to use his waterbending to stop Ace from blocking his chi. At least, attempting to. Shanks was very talented as a waterbender, having been a direct pupil from Pakku, once the most talented waterbending master.
Ace sprinted, and was able to get close, but was forced back again, only to flip out of the way of a piece of ice trying to trap him. He kept his movements unpredictable as best as he could, breathing smoothly after weeks of training. That was mostly what he did, training. So he could move on with his chi blocking, and help people learn once he was adequate enough to do it on his own.
He was close enough after ducking and sliding on the ground to hit one arm pressure point, but then he was frozen in ice. Shanks lost mobility in his left arm, and smiled at Ace's progress. He was released from the ice, and both bowed to one another. He was a bit frustrated, though. "You're improving well considering there is no real instructor to go through it with you. You're basing it all on a feeling, some sort of teaching you can't even remember."
"I just wish I could get it better. I want to be useful here."
"Why do you think you aren't useful?" Shanks asked with a thoughtful face on. "And what do you consider 'useful'?"
Ace sat down and said, "I just… don't do anything that could be of use to everyone. I like living leisurely, and speaking my mind, but I think I'd benefit from doing something for others. I'm just not good with people as much as I want to be. Useful would be helping somebody or something," Ace explained with a sad voice. Disappointed in himself.
Shanks kindly said, "'Useful' does not mean being a 'working' person. Not everyone has a task only for them. Useful could just be bringing joy to others. You've done that with Thatch and Marco, who were sad and empty before you arrived." Ace knew why, their dad had just passed, and then they found Ace and he made them feel better. Thatch had told him not long ago.
"And you are being useful now by doing your best to get to the point where you can help others. So technically, this time for learning yourself, no matter how long it takes, is being useful, but just not in use yet." Shanks was smiling at him reassuringly. Ace thanked him. "And in my opinion, you are blossoming quite well here." The teen blushed. "Now, I have another class to teach. I want you to come back tomorrow at the same time."
"Okay. I'll come back. And get better…"
"Say it with conviction!"
"I'll get better." It wasn firm, but it also wasn't meek and uncertain. He would get better. Because he had to, for himself especially. He walked to the wall, and stood and watched the waterbenders learn.
He looked to the side when the princess approached, surprising him. "I always wished I could waterbend, but it never came to me. Watching others do it, truthfully, it sometimes makes me a bit jealous." Ace was surprised she was talking to him at all, and even more so why she was saying something so personal. "Will you come with me somewhere? I'd like to show you a place."
Ace was baffled, but didn't refuse. He and the princess walked through the city, to near the back wall that was below the tundra. "Father has spoken of your chi blocking. It's interesting, and I think many would be very happy to learn it. Non-benders especially. Sometimes they feel hopeless, relying on objects alone, and not their own bodies."
"Don't waterbenders need water? Firebenders and air benders don't need anything," Ace said quietly, hesitantly, not knowing if he could speak. Princess Yue said that there was water all around them, if there was a bender skillful enough to summon it. Water in the air, the plants. That was true.
It was quiet but not awkward, Yue leading him to a wall with a circular, wooden door. Walking inside, it lead to a beautiful cove area. It had a pond and a grassy area with some trees. It was beautiful, and so peaceful. "This is the spirit oasis. The most spiritual place in the north pole."
"Even more than the forest?"
"Yes, because this place holds the most important spirits waterbenders need." They walked to the pond, and Ace saw two koi fish, one white and the other black. They swam in a circle, constant. "The moon and ocean spirits."
Ace thought they were very pretty, and asked if there were spirits that were solid. He thought they lived in the spirit world. "The moon and ocean spirits gave up their immortality to come to our world in the beginning. They must be kept very safe." There had been guards in front of the wooden entrance, and it was a very secluded area that was hard to reach any other way unless you dropped down a high point above, or through the designated entrance, which was also hidden.
"Can I ask you to go into the pond?"
"I- I don't want to mess them up, though," he said uncertainly. "And… why? I'm not even a waterbender, or from here."
"You went into the spirit forest and came back alive. It's selfish of me, but I'd like to know if you were touched by spirits. I was as well. The moon spirit gave me life." Ace was hesitant, but didn't refuse. He walked into the pond, taking off his thicker clothes. The pond was warm and soothing.
When he went in all the way, the white koi fish moved and started circling him. The ocean spirit continued to swim in its loop alone. Ace stayed very still, not wanting to risk hurting the moon spirit koi. Princess Yue was silent behind him, and he looked to see her expression of wonder, not just that kind smile.
"What's it doing?" Ace asked. The koi slowly swam away to resume its circle with the ocean spirit, seemingly in an endless loop.
She said, "You've been touched by a spirit, too. You don't remember anything of the forest?" she asked, sounding excited. Ace was hung up on being touched by a spirit. If it had happened before, then it made sense he didn't know. But he had no idea what spirit would have touched him. He wasn't really that special. Well, maybe a dragon spirit gave him that power? After all, he had no idea why he had been that way.
But Ace replied that he didn't remember anything about the trip the spirit forest. She looked a bit disappointed, and Ace felt guilty and apologized for disappointing her. "It is not your fault you don't remember. It has to be the forest's doing, not your own." Ace nodded. He said he didn't remember a lot of things. "Most of that is for the best."
"Yeah. It is," he agreed. As he was started to come out, the moon spirit swam after him and curled his leg remaining in the water. He didn't move, really being careful to not touch it. But then it touched him, and he started to faintly glow a light yellow. He immediately got out of the pond, uncomfortable with glowing.
But it faded after a bit. "What spirit does that?" he asked. "What if it's a bad spirit?" He was worried.
"If it was a bad spirit, I do not think the moon spirit would have approached you. I'm sorry, I did this for selfish reasons. I didn't mean to scare or confuse you." She sounded ashamed. Ace hadn't really wanted to know something like this. He wanted to be a normal person. Ace still didn't remember anything of the spirit forest. Maybe he was touched by the spirit and it was the one to take away his dragon powers.
Ace simply said, "Well, I don't think it really changes anything when I don't know what it is." She smiled, glad he wasn't angry with her. He looked back at the fish, and honestly said he didn't want to know any more about himself. And she swore to not tell anybody else. It was between the two of them.
She gave him permission to come to the spirit oasis if he ever wished, and that she would tell that to father, but not about him being touched in some way by a spirit. "Thanks." He probably wouldn't come back. Well, if he was ever upset, he could relax there, perhaps. Watching the spirits circle themselves was calming and cathartic.
Ace went home after she went to the palace, and once he got home, what just happened faded out of his mind, washed away to nothing, so he didn't recall learning about being circled by the moon spirit, or the glowing. He was now unaware of that, and was back to being a normal person.
The moment he forgot, his body relaxed.
The next day Yue came up to him and apologized about what happened at the oasis, and asked if he was okay. "What do you mean?" She was surprised by this, and quietly said they had gone to the pond the day before. "We did? I don't remember that… Did I forget something again?" The princess was shocked, but then smiled and said she was mistaken. "Oh, okay…"
"Good afternoon, Ace," she said, and left. Ace looked at Thatch, who had been there, and looked questioning. Ace had no idea and shrugged. Well Yue didn't seem to upset about whatever happened, and it couldn't have been a big deal with Ace didn't remember. So he wasn't that worried over it, though he was a bit annoyed he forgot something again.
He wondered if there was something wrong with him. If he had a memory disability, or something. He didn't remember a lot of things. At least none really impacted his daily life. He didn't think much of the spirit forest, which was a blank, and hadn't remembered a thing from his time before.
The teen was glad for that. He liked living in the now, and his life now was wonderful, full of kind people and a relaxing atmosphere. Not long later, he went to practice with Marco, a good waterbender who helped Ace prepare for fighting a much better waterbender master. He was excited with Ace's progress, slow though it may be.
Learning chi blocking, or at least getting better at figuring it out, made him happy. He had a future purpose, and knew what he wanted to do in life. At least for the time being. That dream may change. Maybe it wasn't a dream, but a goal he strived for and would do what he could to reach it and maybe even go beyond, if he was able.
-x-
Ace flipped out of the way of the ice, and slid behind Shanks, kicking off his newest ice, cutting through his water shot at Ace by flipping through it so it didn't easily solidify, and slammed his knuckles into each pressure point rendering his bending null and having him collapse to the icy ground. Ace bowed, and the group that had been watching cheered for him.
Ace helped Shanks, who was overjoyed with Ace finally beating him. "Next step: fighting multiple opponents." The 18 year old nodded sharply. He enjoyed improving, and by the next day, he was working with groups now. All waterbenders. He failed spectacularly, but continued to try and try and try, hurting his ankles and wrists in the effort to dodge all of the water attacks and get behind them.
Marco scolded him while healing his bruised and sore joints. "Don't overdo it in practice, Ace," he said sternly. Still the older brother at 20. It had been three months since he arrived, but his birthday had passed. Somehow, he remembered his age. Ace nodded, and then Marco smiled, proud of Ace greatly. Ace enjoyed praise, but he still blushed and couldn't help it.
Ace's hair was a little longer, so he had more beads. It made him feel welcome, just feeling them nudge against his face when he did physical exertion.
By now Ace was incredibly flexible and light on his feet, but he still had a long way to go with using that skill surrounded by enemies. He couldn't just move fast, he had to know were to move fast, what to do with his body. But he felt he could do it, no matter if it took awhile.
-x-
"Stop overworking yourself and creating something I can't heal, Ace," Marco said angrily. Ace was in the bed at home, sick with a fever. He felt crappy, and apologized. But then Marco smiled at him with teeth showing. "You didn't apologize for being a burden, even though I'm here, taking care of you."
Ace smiled weakly, very tired. Marco touched his cheek and told him to get some rest. Resting was the best way to heal an injury that could not be healed with conventional waterbending. Ace sunk into the pillow, Marco laying another blanket down to keep Ace warm since it was especially cold out right now.
It was winter, and nearing the winter solstice. They were getting celebration tools together for the festival celebrating it. Ace had never been to one, at least not in the Northern Water Tribe. So he was excited. Now he just had to heal to get better faster so he could take part and have fun with everyone.
Closing his eyes, the teen drifted to sleep.
"I don't like this."
"He's right, though. It's for what's best for everybody. He knows what he's talking about."
"But I like it here, and I've never hurt any humans. Even if they are frustrating by throwing fire around like barbarians-"
"If we go, then the humans have no reason to harm the world anymore. Stinky is right, we need to go."
"Well, whether he approves or not, I'm coming back one day. Maybe a long time from now. Gotta make sure no stupid humans are better at fire than I am."
"Do what you want. By then, Stinky won't be around to stop you, anyways."
"True. Well… let's go I guess. Bye bye, human world. Not the last you've seen of me."
"Ace wake up, Thatch made food." Ace was disoriented, but opened his eyes. He sat up and was propped against the wall the side of the bed was leaning against, and yawned. He had a weird dream. Thatch had made soup, with seaweed biscuits and everything! He ate it gratefully, and then took some sleeping herbs and went back to bed to get better.
He was currently in Marco's bed, giving Ace the warmer and more comfortable one while he was sick. It wasn't from a contagious cold, but from overworking his mind and body. But he'd be back in shape in no time! And then he'd get better at his multiple chi blocking dodging. He wished he could try with other types of benders, too.
But he wasn't planning on going to war with the Fire Nation, so he didn't need to know how to bend against them. He wouldn't ever leave the north pole again, this was his now permanent residence. He could never return to the Fire Nation. Even if he healed mentally here, he could never handle going back. Ace knew that deep in himself.
He felt much better the next morning, and went out for a trip around the canals with Thatch. "I had a weird dream," Ace said when they were leisurely riding the boat through the water ways. Thatch asked if it was about the chicken-frog/human hybrid. "No!" That dream had been embarrassing to talk about and Thatch still thought it was funny. "It was mostly just voices, I couldn't see anything.
"Somebody was talking to me about something I didn't want to do. Going someplace I didn't want to, and my voice was cranky about it. Someone named Stinky was moving me somewhere. And I disliked humans and talked about throwing fire around. It was super weird," Ace said lightly.
"Hmm. That is kind of weird. Well, you were a dragon for two years, and humans did hurt you, so it would make sense that you hated them some time in your second life," Thatch said reasonably. Ace thought that was a good point. "I'm glad you're feeling better." The youngest nodded happily. He was glad, too.
Thatch ruffled his hair, and Ace didn't tense anymore when his friends gave him physical affection. He didn't like it from others much, but they didn't try. Marco had forbade Ace from exercising that day so he could make sure he was better. It frustrated Ace, though, because he wanted to improve. Seeing progress was validating to the insecure teen.
He felt useful when he did better, and felt people believed him. They encouraged him, from a distance, but it still felt like he belonged there, despite not being born there, and having lighter skin. At least he had blue eyes like they did. And he got to wear the beads in his hair, too!
