AN. So we're here in Chapter Eight. The aftermath of Tien's first ever training session with Tsuru'sennin! Now I'm heading into a busy weekend (first anniversary! love you, b'doodleykitten!) so probably won't be able to write much/update until the weekend is over :D Enjoy!

Chapter Eight

"T-that…could've gone better…"

Chiaotzu offered a half-hearted smile as Tien carefully leant him against the bed, neither of them strong enough to climb up onto the mattress just yet. The triclops offered no reaction, turning his back to make sure the door was shut, leaning his slight weight against it. Chiaotzu's smile fell away as he saw the barely perceptible tremors that ran through the boy's shoulders and down his arms.

"Tien?"

He tried to get up and found himself unable to. The strike (a punch? A kick?) Shen had inflicted to his face had rendered him temporarily incapacitated. He didn't have to try very hard to touch Tien's mind with his own, to feel the helplessness that filled the boy's mind. What surprised him was the rage that bubbled there, obliterating reason and rationale.

"Tien, please." He held out one hand, imploring the boy to turn around, to talk to him. "I'm…I'm sorry?"

He hadn't intended it as a question, but the soft uptilt of his voice made it so. He wasn't sure exactly why he was sorry. There were several reasons he could think of, but he couldn't articulate them properly.

"He hurt you," Tien said shortly. His hands, which had been pressed against the wooden door, tightened, his knuckles turning white. "Why did he hurt you?"

Chiaotzu slumped back against the bedpost, suddenly weary.

"Because I tried to protect you," he said. "He was trying to force his way into your mind, right?"

Tien's head dipped in a nod, hanging low. The trembling in his shoulders increased until he was almost shivering, the slight muscles jumping and twisting. Chiaotzu's heart ached at the sight of it and he cursed Kami for his own lack of strength, for his inability to get up and comfort the boy.

"I couldn't stand by. I know how it feels. I didn't think he was going to…"

He faltered to a halt, remembering the ripping, tearing pain as Shen had forced his mind open and delved inside, baring his thoughts and feelings and fears, taking the rudimentary boundaries that his telepathy had instinctively constructed and crushing them into nothing. It had taken him years to rebuild those walls, to remember that he had the right to privacy in his own mind. So long as he kept the walls strong and well maintained around a small secret part of himself Shen never even realised the boy's mind was not completely accessible to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you that it could hurt, Tien. I should have prepared you better."

Tien's muscles went lax as he sagged against the door, his forehead connecting with the wood with an audible thump. Chiaotzu winced, closing his eyes against the tears welling there.

"He didn't want me to interfere. That's why he hurt me: to punish me for protecting you."

He wiped at his eyes, angry at the tears that he felt on his cheeks, desperate to not show his weakness anymore than he already had. He clenched his eyes shut and curled up in a tight ball, pressing his eyes against his knees, hoping the extra pressure would keep further tears from forming.

Silence stretched between them, making the short distance between the bed and the door seem insurmountable. Chiaotzu searched desperately for the words that would make it better, would make the distance between them disappear. He felt as though he had betrayed Tien's trust, that the young boy would never be able to look at him again.

Then Tien sat beside him, leaning his small bald head on the telepath's shoulder, his face pointed to the floor. Chiaotzu looked up, surprised, his eyes wide. He managed to unhook a hand from his ankle and gingerly put it around the boy, who didn't respond.

"I'm sorry, little brother," Chiaotzu said softly and gently rested his cheek on the bald head of the boy beside him. "I couldn't let him hurt you."

He felt the kid's body trembling against his side, the upper arm his hand rested on cold even through the thin sleeve of his shirt.

"You can't do that again," Tien said eventually, his voice low. There was sadness in his tone but there was also fury, a flat hot note that carried further than his volume seemed to allow.

"B-but…"

"No, nii-chan. You can't. I'm going to be strong and not let him hurt me again. So don't you dare step between him and me again." Chiaotzu opened his mouth to respond but Tien spoke again, cutting him off. "If you do, I'm never going to talk to you again."

Chiaotzu closed his eyes, ducking his head again. He was ashamed that he hadn't been able to stop himself from interfering. Tien was obviously already more emotionally mature than he was. He had hoped there would be more time.

"Tien. I'm sorry. I won't do it again." He took a hesitant breath, then said, "Shen was right when he said you'd be bigger than me soon. I…I'm stuck…"

Tien looked up. Chiaotzu avoided meeting those curious eyes by tracing the grain of the wooden door with his own, following the intricate whorls.

"I'm not going to grow up, Tien. I'm stuck in this body and this time. I won't ever be big like you will. And you're going to be the strongest and the fastest student of the Crane School, I just know it. Don't forget me when you're Shen's prized student, okay?"

"I won't ever forget you," Tien said and leaned his head against the telepath's shoulder again. A small hand slipped into Chiaotzu's holding it tight. "I won't leave you behind either. You're my brother. I love you."

Chiaotzu smiled through the tears that were sliding down his cheeks. He hadn't realised he had been afraid of Tien abandoning him until the triclops had promised he wouldn't.

"I love you too, Tien." He hugged the boy closer to his side, closing his eyes. He was sorry that it had taken a frankly disastrous first training session to get to this point but he was glad that no matter what else happened they would be able to talk it through, just as they had now. It was encouraging that he would not be lost or forgotten no matter how strong Tien got.

AN. There we go! Hope you enjoyed! Next up will be Tien training with Tao Pai Pai :D We'll see how well that goes! Review if you'd like, I'll see you next time :)