AN. It has been a while, huh!? I've not been well :( Sadly the plague that infiltrated my ward has also infected me and I've been curled up in bed for the past couple of days. Misery! Torment, I say! Now my hubby is home though and is taking care of me so I have the strength to post again :) Please to enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen

Chiaotzu's head snapped to the side as he was slapped hard across the face, the force of the strike pushing him from the training area. He landed on the grass surrounding the stone slabs, the breath whooshing from his lungs. He struggled to his feet, trying to get the appropriate amount of air back into his lungs, not the tiny amount that seemed to scream in and out of his throat. His eyes narrowed as he looked up into the ring. Tao Pai Pai was standing there, a smug smirk on his face.

"You're getting better, Chiaotzu."

"T-thank you, Master." He bowed awkwardly, holding onto his stomach with one hand. He had gotten better at standing up to Tao's strikes. When he had enough time to prepare for them he could very almost remain standing. The bukujutsu helped significantly with this; if he felt that his balance was failing he would take off and hover in the air, assuming he was given enough warning.

"Oh, it seems Tienshinhan has returned."

Chiaotzu's stomach dropped through the floor and he whirled around. He saw a brief flash of green and heard the sound of the door slamming shut.

"Hmm…" Tao sounded disappointed, a sound that made Chiaotzu's gut twist into a tight knot. "I need to speak to my brother. Training is finished for today. Dismissed."

Chiaotzu bent in a bow, then walked to the dormitory, anxiety roiling in him. He hesitated outside their room then, knowing that Tien could feel his presence, opened the door.

"Tien?"

The triclops was hovering in front of the window, his legs crossed. He was trying to meditate, but his body was tense and his muscles trembling. His voice when he spoke was low and furious.

"Go away, Chiaotzu."

Chiaotzu did not go away. He stepped into the room and carefully closed the door behind him. He leaned against the heavy wood frame, his hands behind his back, looking up at the floating teenager in the middle of the room.

Tien had been sent off on his first assassination contract. Though Chiaotzu had tried to convince Shen to send him as well the Crane Hermit had decided that Tien had to do it alone. He had been gone for just over a week and it had apparently not gone well.

"I said go!"

He flinched at Tien's shout, almost cowering against the door. Tien's voice had cracked on the last word and Chiaotzu could hear what he would sound like as an adult, one full of rage and venom, and it hurt his heart in a way he didn't understand.

"I can't go, Tien, you know that."

The teenager's muscles tensed up further, his shoulders drawing up and his head ducking down. Chiaotzu knew he should have felt frightened. Tien was much, much stronger than him, and in his state of emotional turmoil could easily lash out, seriously injuring the small telepath. However he found that fright didn't factor into his emotions at all; he felt sorrow and distress and even a low twinge of anger, but no fear. He had raised the triclops from a baby after all. He loved him, it was as simple as that.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Tien."

Tien's shoulders started shuddering, and with a start Chiaotzu realised it wasn't with rage but with with barely suppressed sobs. The triclops was crying, his breath ragged as he tried to control his emotions. Chiaotzu scrambled up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged and looking up at Tien. His eyes were clenched tightly shut, tears streaming down his face, his teeth digging deep into his bottom lip. Blood was starting to form there, pooling around the sharp edges of his teeth, and Chiaotzu put up one hand to gently rest on his knee.

"I couldn't do it."

Tien's voice was warped and thick through his tears and Chiaotzu thought he was probably the only person who could distinguish the words. His teeth had left deep indents on his lower lip, blood smearing on his chin. Chiaotzu hesitated, then lifted himself up so he was more on the teen's level.

Tien didn't look at him. His entire attention was focused on his clenched fists it seemed. Chiaotzu stood in mid-air and put his hand on the triclops' shoulder, trying to soothe.

"What happened?"

Tien shook his head, one fist lifting and unfurling to wave the boy away. Chiaotzu didn't flinch, even as Tien's palm swept close to his face.

Please, Tien, he tried again, thinking maybe that if Tien didn't have to say it aloud he would find it a little easier. Sure enough, Tien managed to compose his face slightly and though his mental voice was strained it transmitted clearly.

He asked me to kill someone but when I got there I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill her, Chiaotzu. She begged for her life and I couldn't take it away.

Chiaotzu nodded. He felt an odd sense of pride at the triclops' words. Though he had been cruel and borderline sadistic during tournaments, shattering bones and finishing fighting careers he still had a conscious buried deep in there. A spark of fear then lit up his nerve endings, making his hand clasp hard on Tien's shoulder.

Master Shen was not going to be pleased.

It's okay, Tien, Chiaotzu thought, forcing his hand to relax and his voice to be soothing. It's not something that should be easy.

Tien went lax, his hands relaxing in his lap and his shoulders slumping. He turned and grabbed Chiaotzu, pulling the boy close to him and burying his face into his narrow chest. His tears immediately soaked through Chiaotzu's shirt, and the boy put his short white arms around the triclops' shoulders, hugging him as best he could.

"Master Shen will be so disappointed! He's been saying this whole time what a great assassin I'll be, and how everyone will cower at my strength. And in tournaments, against other fighters, they do and it feels great, I feel powerful. But against that girl, that untrained kid, it didn't feel good at all."

Chiaotzu closed his eyes. He had hoped that Tien wouldn't have to suffer that feeling, the horror of facing a completely untrained opponent, someone who was helpless against his power, knowing that he had to end their life.

Tien's sobs eventually tapered off and he lifted his head, one hand releasing Chiaotzu to rub hard over his cheeks. He looked up and shock filled his eyes.

"Chiaotzu…you're…"

Chiaotzu lifted one hand and gingerly touched the skin beside his eye. His fingertips came away stained red with blood and he flushed as he pushed down harder. He hadn't even felt the cut when it happened; he had thought the worst he would come away with was a black eye.

"Master Tao was training me…"

Tien's tear-streaked face became very still and he gently pulled Chiaotzu's hand away to examine the cut more closely.

"It's too close to your eye, Chiaotzu. A millimetre closer and you could have lost it." He pulled the sleeve of his surcoat over his hand and used it to put pressure on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Chiaotzu flinched away and the triclops put one hand on his shoulder to keep him still.

"I'm sorry, Tien," Chiaotzu said softly, vaguely aware of tears in his eyes. Tien was focused on stemming the flow of blood and couldn't quite meet the telepath's gaze. "I didn't know how protect you…Master wanted to train you to be an assassin…and I didn't know how to stop him…"

"You've assassinated people before, haven't you?" Tien asked. The telepath bit his lip and would've lowered his head if Tien wasn't keeping it steady.

"Yes." He lifted his hand and rested it gently on Tien's cheek, wiping away the tears that were still there. "It's never easy, Tien. Master says it's easy, but I've never…I can't…" He faltered and shrugged. "Master Shen has always been very disappointed in me in that regard."

Tien sighed softly, pulling his surcoat away and examining the cut beside Chiaotzu's eye. He was clearly happy with it now because he released his hold of the boy's shoulder.

"I'm going to be a great assassin one day," he said shortly, either not seeing or ignoring the flinch that crossed Chiaotzu's features. "I'm going to be a better assassin than Tao Pai Pai-sama. Master Shen is going to be so proud of me."

Chiaotzu could only nod dumbly, his skin cold and his stomach twisted. He had hoped that the actual experience of facing someone with the intent of ending their life would show Tien that this life was not something to strive for. Unfortunately it looked as though Master Shen's influence ran deep, and the triclops was just more determined to prove that he was indeed the star pupil of the Tsuru'sennin. He could only hope that path would be worth it.

AN. Okay, I'm getting close to the end of this story I think. Maybe three or so more chapters? I'll see, I might get to where I think the end is and then just continue on, not able to help myself! I'm not very good at endings XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, please leave a review, and I'll see you next chapter :)