Avatar: The Warring Earth

Book Three—Water

By Twins of the Pen

Disclaimer: Avatar in itself belongs to Nickelodeon and Bryan Konietzko/Michael DiMartino. The only things that belong to Twins of the Pen are the original characters.

The day was beautiful. Clouds spotted the sky with grace and the late summer sun filtered through canopies of green trees below. But the wind was… violent.

With a huge intake of breath, Syaoran let it out in his movements, pinwheeling and turning as the wind carried him up, away from Tiki's swift movements below. As he came spiraling back down to the ground below, he used what was left of his air to blow it in a huge gust at the small airbender.

Bigger person equals bigger lungs, which seemed especially useful in airbending. Especially against the tiny Tiki. Syaoran picked that up real quick once they had actually started sparring together. And a gust like this one, this far into the spar, was just what he needed to win. It was enough to make Tiki fly back and onto her backside, ending the spar. Landing softly on the ground, Syaoran jogged and stood over her, a look of victory on his face. "My match again, Tiki," he declared, reaching a hand down to pull the girl back up. "I win."

Which was becoming more and more of a norm—every other day. They'd started operating on the principle of varying their morning practice times for the past couple weeks. Much to the dismay of his airbending teacher, the days Syaoran got to sleep more were the days he tended to do better than Tiki—though his victories in sparring were not limited to such days. Just more likely.

"How'd I do?" he asked, panting a little, breathless.

Tiki was equally as short for breath, and she used Syaoran's hand to pull herself up gratefully. "Really, really well," she complimented him, surprised, pleased, and a tad disgruntled all in one. She had expected him to be stuck in the confining structures of earth and firebending, unable to branch out as he endeavored to master airbending. But the Avatar had cottoned on quick to the fact that with airbending, he could improvise wildly and still come out on top. So although Syaoran seemed to not know what he was doing sometimes, he was still able to pull off some pretty slick moves. The tiny airbender grinned and patted Syaoran's shoulder. "You've excelled, Syaoran. I don't think there's anything left for me to teach you. You've successfully mastered airbending," she commended him, beaming proudly. He had come very far in the past two weeks, refining his technique while putting his own spin onto airbending. It pleased Tiki to know that her work here was done, and that if she decided to return to the airbenders, it was with the knowledge that she had given Syaoran her all. He was turning into a great Avatar right before her very eyes… and it made him all the more attractive to her.

Tiki coughed self-consciously, looking elsewhere. Those particular feelings she was working to keep under control, even now. It would not be good to distract Syaoran with things he didn't need to know about.

Normally Syaoran would have felt very triumphant right about then, but for one, he was still out of breath, so he could not express that. And two, this success meant that Tiki might leave soon. That was no reason to celebrate.

"Well, I learned what I could from this pipsqueak I know…" he poked fun at her between pants, but the line of his mouth was curved up a bit. For all the jokes and her attitude, Tiki had been a very good teacher, especially considering how long it took him to actually catch on to airbending. The Avatar knew for a fact that ZanYi would not have been so patient. He was thankful firebending was the element that resembled earthbending most closely, despite its vast differences. "So, I guess I'm supposed to start waterbending now, huh?" he mused, a bit disappointed. The last thing he wanted was for Tiki to leave; Syaoran almost cursed the fact that he had gotten good at airbending. Another one of his teachers was trying to leave once their job was done—seriously, what was with this phenomenon? Was he just a job to these women?

Syaoran knew that wasn't true, and he knew that his teammates did have other concerns aside from him and his learning. Still, it didn't mean he wasn't going to be a bit bitter about it.

Tiki ignored his jibe at her height, considering herself too mature to stoop to responding to that… although her nose did wrinkle a little. She knew he was only teasing, so she didn't mind it much.

"Yep: your last element," Tiki replied, beaming proudly once again. Her little Avatar was all grown up. "So, who are you going to choose as your waterbending teacher? You have a couple more options, unlike with airbending—sorry about that." Asking was merely a formality—Tiki suspected that Syaoran would choose Shun as his waterbending teacher, despite the awkwardness that was slowly dissipating between the two. Shun might not use his waterbending skills often in an offensive capacity, preferring his healing talents instead, but he was still really good at it. Also, he was patient: judging by how long it took Syaoran to access his airbending potential, he was going to need a patient waterbending teacher.

Syaoran put his hands on his sides. Tiki had a point: he kind of did have more options. ZanYi had been basically dumped on him for firebending, and Tiki had been the only real option for airbending. But with waterbending? There were waterbenders everywhere! Originally Ransik had volunteered himself, and the master sergeant was really good at his job, definitely. But still…

"Well, if I've got my choice, I'd have to go with Shun," he said easily. "If waterbending is anything like airbending, I'm going to need all of the patience the man's got. Somehow another military approach like ZanYi's doesn't sound appealing."

Not that the lieutenant hadn't done her job and well. ZanYi definitely knew what she was doing when she taught, despite her unorthodox methods. Just fire had been the only element so far to come to him before having to learn it. Airbending had been a horrible affair-but it was also the opposite of earthbending. He could only hope waterbending would be easier, though with his luck it would not be as natural as firebending.

"Besides, we've got to keep the team together. Keep things in the 'family'," he added, giving Tiki a particular look. The Avatar could only hope that she hadn't decided on leaving, or at least yet. If this really was the end of his airbending training, then he had to help her make the decision to stay. Rolling his shoulders back to work out the kinks, Syaoran then ushered Tiki forward, brushing past the topic. "C'mon, let's go to lunch and talk to the other two about this."

Tiki sighed quietly to herself. Syaoran almost sounded like a mob boss just then, but Tiki knew that he was referring to her indecision. He would hint every so often that she belonged with Team Avatar… with him. Tiki tried not to take it the wrong way, but her heart swelled whenever he made comments like that. It made her feel wanted, which was nice, but like Syaoran told her with the Kei situation, it wasn't enough just to want to be wanted. Tiki's mind was still undecided, as well as her heart. Either option was going to be painful for her, just in varying degrees. It was this looming decision that kept her wide-awake at night, contemplating her choices. She didn't want to spend her waking hours dwelling on it as well.

When they entered the dining hall, Tiki sent a wave over to Shun and ZanYi before grabbing a tray of food and joining them at the table. ZanYi looked calm and collected as usual, but there was a rather pleased look on Shun's face as he ate. Tiki found herself smiling in response. "You seem to be in a good mood," she teased the giant waterbender. Shun nonchalantly lifted a shoulder.

"It's a nice day."

"Because you would know that, being underground all day."

Shun furrowed his brow at the tiny airbender, but she merely giggled at him. His good mood had returned gradually with the return of ZanYi to their team—Tiki would have to be an idiot to miss that correlation. He could brush it off all he wanted, but Tiki saw right through him. It was nice to have the happy Shun back as well as ZanYi.

ZanYi gave the waterbender a look before returning to her own food. She knew exactly why he seemed to think it was a nice day. Shun made it all too obvious that he was happy she'd started eating more, even if it was just lunch or dinner—rarely was it both. And despite the fact that he was often woken in the middle of the night, Shun was a bit more chipper the next day every time he stayed the night.

Syaoran sat down with his tray of food, eagerly diving in. With increased airbending came increased appetite; Tiki was working him almost twice as hard on the days where he managed to win over a morning's sleep. But the Avatar didn't mind. "What are we talking about?" Syaoran asked, trying to catch up in-between bites.

"Just how Shun needs a life and to get out of the base more often," ZanYi quipped without looking, focused on finishing up her meal. Tiki burst into giggles; even Shun smirked at this. ZanYi making fun of him meant that she was getting better, and that was a good sign to everybody.

"So anyway," Tiki said as soon as her laughter subsided, "I believe Syaoran has successfully finished his airbending training and is ready to move on to waterbending."

"Wow. Congratulations, Avatar," Shun complimented Syaoran with a smile.

"Oh, it gets better," Tiki added. "Syaoran chose you as his waterbending teacher."

Shun swallowed too fast at this news; he had to down his glass of water to get the food down his throat so he could breathe. "M-me?" he stuttered, looking incredulously between the two youngest members of Team Avatar. "I don't know what to say…"

"How about 'training starts first thing tomorrow morning'?" Tiki suggested. Shun ignored her, choosing to focus on the Avatar.

"Syaoran, are you sure about this?" Shun wanted to know, his brows furrowing in concern. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to teach you… I just feel like there are better qualified teachers here on the base. You should have the best waterbending teacher you can find."

Tiki actually rolled her eyes at this. "You are the best, Shun… although you're adorable when you're modest," she teased him lightheartedly, making the giant waterbender blush. The tiny airbender nudged Syaoran. "Go on, convince Shun to be your waterbending teacher. It shouldn't be too hard, since he's a giant pushover."

"I can hear you, Teeks."

"But am I wrong?"

"Exactly."

Syaoran was relieved at the atmosphere. Everything was starting to feel the way it was supposed to. Team Avatar was back to being, well, Team Avatar. Tiki was happier than she's been in months, Shun was back to being cheerful, and even ZanYi seemed to be making strides to regaining her swagger. It only affirmed his decision.

"Shun, let's face it: if I suck at waterbending, I'm going to need your patience. And you're as good as they come. We've all seen you in action when it comes down to it. You're a healer, but you know how to waterbend." The Avatar actually stopped eating for a minute to level a gaze at Shun. "You know my learning style more than anyone else would because you've been there while I learned the other elements. I want you to teach me, Shun."

ZanYi looked up to shift her gaze between the Avatar and the waterbender next to her. Clearly Shun was quite embarrassed and it made her roll her eyes. "Don't be a wimp and just do it, Shun," she told him, reaching for her drink. "Syaoran's right for once so listen to him."

Shun shot a brief frown at ZanYi—he was not being a wimp!—before refocusing on Syaoran. The Avatar seemed quite adamant that Shun teach him waterbending. It was just like the time they had all asked him to stay as the healer of their group—how could he say no?

"…All right. I accept," the giant waterbender decided, causing Tiki to beam at him. He returned the smile before his mind shifted to other things, such as a training schedule, where to start, where to practice… Shun frowned. Being underground was not exactly conducive to teaching waterbending, was it? "…But I can't teach you here," Shun said, glancing about the room as if it was oppressing him with its earthy structures. "We need to go somewhere else. Somewhere with a lot of water."

"Maybe we can head back to Southern Air Island?" Tiki suggested hopefully, hoping that returning to her aunt's would help her find a middle ground in between staying with Team Avatar and helping the airbenders. But Shun shook his head.

"I was thinking one of the poles," he explained, a hand rubbing the scruff on his chin. "South, perhaps. It's a few degrees warmer than the north, on average."

ZanYi sat in silence, a look of distaste on her face. She understood Shun's reasoning—from the teaching perspective, it made perfect sense so that the Avatar would get rounded training. But that meant she had to go with them. To one of the poles, the South one apparently.

A few degrees warmer or not, it was going to be cold. Freezing. Frigid. Taking a firebender to a place like that sounded like a terrible idea to her. There's a reason it was an age-old punishment to put them in coolers: they don't deal with the cold well. ZanYi liked warm, hot even. She grew up on a tropical island. She'd been imprisoned in a freezer. Now she was going to the South Pole.

Fantastic.

Tiki also made a face. "The poles? It's going to be freezing!" she immediately complained. Shun turned an amused expression onto the tiny airbender.

"Yes, but it's a good way for Syaoran to practice with ice in his waterbending as well," he pointed out. Tiki did not look convinced.

"I may just return to Southern Air Island to avoid the frostbite," she muttered to herself, only in jest… for the most part.

The poles? Syaoran had to admit he grimaced a bit at that. It was going to be cold, no matter which pole they were at. He had imagined that they would need somewhere that was conducive to waterbending—hence somewhere with a lot of water. However, the Avatar had not expected Shun to suggest the poles. It made sense though. And if they were at the South Pole, Tiki would be close to Southern Air Island. If an emergency came up, she'd be able to go and come back…

"South Pole sounds good by me," Syaoran agreed, nodding to Shun's suggestion. He looked to Tiki, trying to contain his hope and excitement. "Think about it, Tiki: if we go to the South Pole, you could still run things if the council needs you because you're close by. But you wouldn't have to leave the team to do that. You could stay with us, even work on your airbending. I'm sure you've never worked with frozen air before…"

This could actually be the answer, the closest thing to a middle ground they could get. Syaoran just hoped that Tiki wouldn't leave. He was going to need something to keep his head on straight—it was going to be cold, which would probably push him to his limits just on that alone.

Tiki made another face, this time at Shun. "Frozen air sounds like it'll be harder to move," she grumbled, but the hopeful look in Syaoran's eyes melted her disapproval away. "But yes, it's closer to my aunt's place this way… I guess it all won't be so bad… we're still going to turn into popsicles though…"

"It won't be that bad," Shun assured Tiki with a laugh, "despite what you may think, igloos are pretty warm. With a roaring fire in the middle, it'll be as toasty as being outside on a summer's day… just with more snow."

"Igloos?" Tiki questioned; her incredulous tone made Shun laugh.

"I'm just kidding, Teeks. Of course we've upgraded to houses now—equipped with fully functional fireplaces and heating systems. You won't get frostbite, I promise."

Tiki snorted and focused on eating her salad. Shun turned then to ZanYi with a wary eye. Sure enough, the distaste on the lieutenant's face spoke volumes: ZanYi was not pleased about this course of action, and Shun knew why: firebenders did not do well in cold places. Shun placed a hand on ZanYi's shoulder, squeezing briefly. "Don't worry: I won't let you freeze," he assured her with a smile. Turning back to the table at large, the giant waterbender continued, "Before we head for either pole, though, we'll have to gather some supplies. I don't know how long we'll stay, so we'll need to get warmer clothes, a supply of food, since the water tribe of the South can be pretty scattered… we'll need a lot of equipment if we want to survive." Here, Shun frowned. "We may have to stop in Republic City to get these supplies."

Tiki glanced up sharply. "I don't want to go back there," she said immediately, looking at Shun as if he was crazy for even suggesting such a thing. "It's not safe for me there, remember? I don't want to go back." That was where her parents were killed… How could Shun ask her to return to that hateful city? She couldn't. She wouldn't.

"I know, Teeks," Shun replied, looking regretful, "but Republic City has a lot of things we may need to survive. I wouldn't ask otherwise. And it's going to be a long trip—your sky bison will have to rest eventually, don't you think?"

He had Tiki there—curse his logic. Tiki looked down at the table, the hands in her lap balling into fists. She had hoped she would never have to step foot inside that city ever again, but Shun did have a point: they needed supplies if they were going to survive on their own while Syaoran learned waterbending. Tiki did not want to go to Republic City, but it appeared she had no choice. Finally, Tiki raised her eyes to Shun's again and nodded. "As long as we're able to get in and get out," she added as a condition. Shun nodded solemnly in return.

"You have my word: we won't stay longer than we need to."

"Good," Syaoran agreed with a somber nod. There was no way he liked the idea of going back to Republic City. Tiki was wanted there, and even if the charges were in the process of being dropped on ZanYi, her face was still out there on those phony posters. Both of them were at risk if they went back, not to mention what had happened last time they were there.

Reaching over to Tiki, the Avatar gave her head a ruffle. "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen this time," he assured her before going back to his food. This time they knew what to expect waiting for them in the city, and they were stronger than they were last time—he was stronger than last time. Syaoran wasn't going to let anything touch them this time, wasn't going to let anything mess with Tiki again.

ZanYi shot Shun a look that clearly said how much she didn't necessarily love this plan of action. Going back to Republic City was risky, but it was necessary for everything they would need to make it in the South Pole. The lieutenant almost grimaced at the thought alone, despite whatever Shun may say. She hated the cold that much.

ZanYi stood, picking up her not quite empty tray of food. "I'm going to go put in our notice of departure to the general so we can get the ball moving on this. Be prepared to move out first thing tomorrow morning," she dictated, taking the lead as she was supposed to. With a brief nod to the group, the lieutenant strode off briskly to dump her tray and head out of the dining hall, presumably to settle the matter with General Chen.

"Tomorrow morning?" Tiki sighed. "Credit to ZanYi for working fast, as always." The tiny airbender got to her feet as well, her tray in her hands. "Then I'm going to go visit Bumi and make sure he's fed and rested for our long trip tomorrow. Wanna come, guys?"

"I'll pass," Shun decided, standing up. "I want to say goodbye to the waterbenders here properly before we depart tomorrow. They've all been really supportive, and I want to let them know how much I appreciate it."

Tiki nodded to Shun before turning to Syaoran. "How about you, Syaoran? Bumi gets lonely when he doesn't have company for a while, so I think your visit will please him." And Tiki wanted to be alone with Syaoran for a little while longer. But the Avatar didn't need to know that much.

Syaoran stood up too, since everyone else seemed to be getting up and leaving. He was done eating anyway, which was a good thing. As per usual, once things started happening, they happened fast. They were given just one more night before things got hectic again—not that they weren't now. With a shrug of his shoulders, he looked to Tiki. "Sure, why not?" he agreed. It's not like he had much to prepare. Most of his time on base had been spent with Tiki, though he would have to say goodbye to his mother and sister tonight. Maybe they would finally tell him where his father was…

But before he could think much more about that, with a smile, Tiki grabbed Syaoran's tray as well and hurried off to dispose of them before returning to the Avatar's side. "Let's go," she urged him, taking his hand and tugging him out of the dining hall. Shun watched them go, smiling slightly. They seemed to be getting along well nowadays, although nothing appeared to have changed in their relationship. This made Shun curious: Tiki was the type to say what was on her mind, no matter how odd it sounded. What was holding her back from telling Syaoran she liked him? The giant waterbender would have to ask the next moment he had alone with Tiki. He wanted to hear why, exactly, the tiny airbender was hiding how she felt from the Avatar when it was obvious they cared for one another… or was it only Shun who saw it? Maybe that was a conversation he would have with ZanYi when he was alone with her as well.

"Hi Bumi! Did you miss me?"

The sky bison grunted a greeting, his large tongue protruding to lick Tiki's face with an almighty slurp. Rather than grossing the tiny airbender out, it made her giggle and pat Bumi's head affectionately. "I thought so. Look, Syaoran came to visit, too. Say hello!" Bumi obligingly licked Syaoran's face as well, causing Tiki to laugh even more. "He likes you," she commented, running her fingers through the fur on Bumi's head, particularly the dark patch of fur that created his arrow.

"Charming," Syaoran agreed sardonically, the side of his face now dripping with Bumi's slobber. Using his sleeve, he wiped it all off of his face at the least, already feeling better once it was off of him. But he wasn't sour about it; he had no qualms with Bumi. "Hey there, big… furry… bison," he greeted the sky bison awkwardly, reaching up to pet the beast as well. Bumi seemed pleased with all of the attention, and he let out a friendly roar. It was enough to make the corner of his lip quirk up. "So, I guess we're hitting the skies again tomorrow morning, huh? How early do you think ZanYi will make us get up?"

"Probably before dawn," Tiki speculated. A slight frown creased her brow as she told Bumi, "I hope they're feeding you like ZanYi said. I can't have you dying of hunger in the middle of our flight tomorrow."

As if he knew she needed the reassurance, Bumi let out a huge belch. Tiki promptly covered her mouth and nose, the smell overwhelming. "Phew! What are they feeding you, garbage? Jeez!" Heedless of her discomfort, Bumi raised his head to sniff at Tiki's hair, deciding to chew on it. The tiny airbender's eyes widened, and she bopped him on the nose.

"Bumi, no! My hair is not something to eat!" she scolded the sky bison. Bumi promptly let go, and a disgusted look crossed Tiki's face as she tried to wring the sky bison spit out of her hair. "I remember when you used to chew on Mom's ponytail whenever she got too close," Tiki grumbled, "She always hated that."

At the mention of Bumi's former master, the sky bison let out a sad grunt and settled his head down on the ground. His disheartened behavior tugged at Tiki's heartstrings, and she resumed her patting of the beast's head. "I know. I miss them too."

When Tiki resumed to pet Bumi, Syaoran stopped and reached over to Tiki, slinging an arm around her shoulders and using that hand to pat her head. The Avatar knew where her thoughts were at the moment, and it was dismaying to see the memories plague Tiki like that. "Yeah, I know you miss them," Syaoran told her, his voice pensive as he thought back to the brief moments he'd even met them. If there was one thing that he could get out of those moments, it was how much they loved their daughter. And that was something that Tiki would never forget. "But hey, at least you get to have those memories, right?" he tried to cheer her up, grasping the first thought he could think of. "Let them make you laugh and enjoy them. Your parents would want you to laugh."

Tiki was someone who enjoyed the little things in life, who even in the earliest times he'd known her had found a way to laugh at anything and everything. She was finally starting to do that again, and it suited her. Syaoran didn't want that to stop. He liked it too much, liked her too much.

The airbender glanced up at Syaoran, seeing the trepidation on his face. She forced herself to smile, not wanting to worry the Avatar. "I know," she answered him, her gaze returning to Bumi, patting his head. "I try to do that. Some days are just… harder… than others." Today was an okay day for the tiny airbender, but tomorrow would be one of the hard days, given the fact that they were revisiting the city her parents had been murdered in. Had they managed to fix the island she nearly destroyed? Or had they left it in disarray, to display the destructive powers of benders, and why they should all be put down like rabid dogs? Tiki had no idea whether she wanted to cry or be furious.

"Has your mom told you where your dad is yet?" Tiki asked for a change of subject. Shima and Sora had mostly kept to themselves when they weren't spending time with Syaoran, so Tiki hadn't really gotten to know them that well. But she knew that the picture was incomplete without Syaoran's father. So where was he, and why were his whereabouts being kept quiet?

Syaoran noticed her change in topic, but nonetheless went with it. If Tiki didn't want to talk about it, that's okay. He knew that as soon as things got rough tomorrow he'd be there for her, so that was enough. Tiki would get out what she needed to get out; the Avatar could always count on that. In a way, he felt bad for Shun. He drew the short straw in the communication department; ZanYi never talked to anyone about anything.

"No," Syaoran sighed, "she hasn't." And it was rather annoying. Every time he tried to bring it up with his mother, she shut him down in some fashion, or distracted him with another topic. Shima was like ZanYi in that regard sometimes. "I'm almost starting to think I don't want to know, because clearly she's not telling me for a reason."

Which was upsetting, to say the least. He loved his mother and his sister, but it was his father that he was closest, that he actually could understand. And he was the one missing from the picture.

"My dad was sick when I escaped. Really sick," Syaoran decided to divulge, petting Bumi then. "Apparently his health hadn't been great anyway, but he hid it well enough that we didn't know until he got worse when we were sent to the camps."

Tiki peered up at Syaoran, worry evident in her stormy gaze. "Then, he might be…" Tiki stopped herself before she could finish the thought. She would not speak such an ill notion, for fear of jinxing it. Surely Syaoran's mother would have told him by now if his father was dead, wouldn't she? There really was no sense in keeping the truth from her son for very long.

Turning to fully face the Avatar, Tiki asked a new question. "What about your mother and sister? Are you okay with just leaving them behind? I can understand not wanting to drag them to the South Pole," Tiki shivered just thinking about it, "but is it all right for you to leave them behind after finding them again, after all this time?" Tiki was not judging Syaoran by any means—she just wanted to know if he would be okay with leaving his family in the care of the Resistance. Granted, there would be no safer place for Shima and Sora, but wasn't he a little anxious about being apart from them again? One never really knew how much time they had with their family, after all...

However, his answer was immediate.

"Yes."

Syaoran didn't have to think about whether this was the best decision. He'd already been thinking about it, and it was the only answer he ever came up with. "I'm going to miss them," he admitted, looking only at Bumi as he stroked his fur, "and it might be hard to leave. But nothing will be as hard as it was to leave them in the camps."

During the beginning of his Avatar training, he'd had to push it as far away as he could, just to focus. ZanYi had even exploited that love for his family to force him into catching flame. As time went by, thankfully he'd been busy enough to not have time to think about them, how much they were probably going through already, then how much worse it probably got after he'd left…

"But I know they're safe this time, mostly," he continued, "and I know I have to do this. I want to be there for them. I want to keep them safe myself. But as long as there is war, they won't be safe. So I had to leave them the first time, and I have to leave them again. Because if I want them safe in the long run, I have to do my part to end this."

That's all there was to it. Syaoran would have to put them aside again, because he had to think about the long-term effects. If he didn't stand up as Avatar and put his all into the war, then they would never be safe, no matter what he did for them personally. He wanted them to be safe and be free. There was only one way to make that feeling permanent, so Syaoran was leaving to do it.

Though Syaoran did not show it, he had a lot of weight—the weight of the world, in fact—resting on those two broadening shoulders of his. This was one of the rare glimpses Tiki received into his personal struggle. He had to leave his own family behind in order to be the hero the world needed him to be, regardless of his own feelings. The fact that he was ready to do what it took to become the Avatar had Tiki sliding her arms around his waist and hugging him, the side of her head pressed against his chest. The steady beating there of his heart always reassured her, no matter how many times she heard it.

"I know you don't hear it often, but thank you, Syaoran," Tiki said, "Thank you for doing all that you do. Thank you for being there when it counts. Thank you for being the Avatar. And thank you, most of all, for being you."

Tiki knew that being the Avatar was both a gift and a curse. While Syaoran was blessed with the power to do great things, he was also burdened with a target on his back, and targets on the heads of those he held dear. Not everyone appreciated that he existed as the Avatar, so Tiki thought he should know that he had at least one supporter who was grateful for who he was, both as the Avatar and as Syaoran.

Syaoran looked at the little airbender hugging him and he had to resist the urge to look away in embarrassment. She was right of course: he didn't hear gratitude very often. It wasn't like he sought it normally though either. As long as he did what he had to do, that was enough. But to be appreciated like this, was kind of nice—then again, it was Tiki. Tiki was always in his corner, rooting for him. Tiki was the one who always had faith in him, especially when he didn't. And it was still Tiki that never gave up on him. Syaoran couldn't lose that, even if it constantly mortified him in how she expressed it sometimes.

"Look at you, trying to be all cool," he joked instead, ruffling her hair. But, in a rare action for the Avatar, he wrapped his arms around the airbender, reciprocating the hug. "But thanks, Tiki. You helped me get my rear in gear, so the thanks goes to you too. We're a team. All of you guys have pushed me in a lot of ways, which I'm sure you guys will keep doing." There was a bit of regret and dread with that remark, but Syaoran pressed on. "But the most thanks goes to you, Tiki. Thanks for just… being Tiki."

He couldn't put it eloquently, but then again, when had he ever claimed to be eloquent. That was as good as he could put it.

Tiki's face flushed. She hadn't expected the compliment in return… but she would take what she could get. Grinning toothily up at the Avatar, she said, "I'll remember this moment when you complain about something I say or do in the future, you know. And then you'll be sorry."

This was nice, the lighthearted teasing between them. And though Tiki found herself wanting more day in and day out, she stubbornly refused to get greedy. Syaoran was her friend, and she was fine with him remaining that way. Too much in her life had changed; she didn't need anything else complicating her life right now.

Syaoran scoffed. Of course this was going to bite him in the butt later. Tiki was not going to just let this go, much to his dismay. This is why he didn't say stuff like this often either; it always came back at him somehow. But, he supposed, if it was Tiki throwing it back at him, it couldn't be too unpleasant, right? "I'm sure I will be sorry," is what the Avatar said, despite his thoughts. "I'll just have to knock it out of you somehow. I'll figure out a way." He smirked a little at that.

Detaching from her, he gave Bumi another pat before starting to walk away. "Now hurry up! We better get back in case they throw some more last minute details at us. You know we're always last to know."

"I sense bitterness," she teased, giving Bumi one last hug before trotting after the Avatar. "But you're right: if we don't ask now, chances are we won't know until too late."

Tiki had faith in the senior members of Team Avatar, to be sure. But she, like Syaoran, just wished that they left their own little world to tell her and Syaoran some things. It was a team, after all—not two shepherds leading blind sheep. Syaoran and Tiki could handle themselves; they had proven it time and time again.

This team had already changed in all the wrong ways and was just getting back to its usual routine. Maybe it was time for some good changes too.

This was it. He was going to do it this time. He wasn't going to avoid it. He was going to get the answers he wanted.

"Syaoran, are you just going to stare at the door all night or are you going to go in?"

The Avatar sighed heavily then, as if all of his determination had just seeped out of him with a few words. "I'm going in, Mom," he replied, glancing to the side of him as she came down the hall. Her brown hair was wet from a shower, but already pulled back in a sharp bun, giving the look she was sending him a severe appearance. Typical Shima. Typical Mother Wong.

Turning away from his mother's stare, Syaoran opened the door in front of him to enter his family's quarters. This room was bigger than any of the others he had seen on base, though he could be thanked for that. Nothing a little earthbending couldn't solve when all the rooms were underground.

Two beds, cleanly made. Two dressers, both essentially empty. His mother and sister were like he was when he first escaped: living off of hand-me-downs from the military. After all, it wasn't as if the concentration camps allowed for their wardrobes to come with them.

Sora was doodling on her bed, and as soon as Syaoran walked in, her eyes lit up. "Hey, Mr. Avatar! Help me out! I can't get this sky-bison to look right!" the girl ordered, and immediately Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Just because I'm the Avatar doesn't mean I'm supposed to help you make your drawings look good."

"No," his mother agreed with him, closing the door behind them both, "you're going to do that because you're her brother."

Meaning: go help his sister. Now.

Syaoran huffed but went over to sit on his sister's bed, pulling the pad of paper onto his lap. One pep talk from Tiki and he felt like he was on top of the world. Five minutes with his mother and sister, and it was back to being the low-man on the totem pole.

"So," the earthbender started, grateful in a way that he could focus his gaze on the paper instead of the faces of his kin, "Team Avatar leaves first thing in the morning."

"And we're going with you, right?" Sora prompted, crossing her arms already daring him to correct her. Which, actually, he did with ease.

"No, you're not," Syaoran shook his head, thinking about Bumi mildly as he tried to fix his sister's drawing. She really was terrible at drawing animals. "You two are going to stay in the protection of the Resistance. Soon they'll get you guys off base and somewhere else protected, but don't worry. These soldiers know what they're doing. They'll protect you guys."

He heard his mother harrumph at that. "Then why aren't they going with you? Are you even going to tell us where you're going, Syaoran?" Shima demanded, and even without looking, Syaoran knew she was giving him a scathing look, the kind she used to bully him into answers. Again: glad to be preoccupied now.

"The general knows where we're going, and the team works better as four. No more, no less," Syaoran told her again, drawing up the bison's horns. "Trust me: the less you guys know, the better."

Because people that knew fell into danger. Like how they were originally dragged into this by association with him. Like how ZanYi was tortured covering for him. The more people knew, the more danger they had to live with. Syaoran was trying to minimize that for them.

After a moment of thought, Syaoran stopped his pencil and looked up at his frowning mother, mimicking the expression. "But Mom… I need to know more. So just tell me already: what happened to Dad?"

Silence. It fell upon the room like a hammer. Sora began to shift uncomfortably beside him, and it was like his mother was plunged in ice with how still she became. This happened most times he asked, and then Shima would just deflect his question. Not this time. Syaoran had to know.

"Look, if he's dead, just tell me already!" he yelled, uncomfortable and desperate. "But you can't just avoid telling me forever!"

"We don't know."

Syaoran turned to his little sister then, and Sora, for once, had a look on her face that made her seem so small, so sad. "After you left, they kept questioning us at the camps, trying to figure out where you might have gone. Dad tried to break us all out of there."

"But he's sick!" the Avatar protested, as if he was trying to stop his father from doing it at that exact moment.

"Syaoran," Shima cut in, her voice quieter than normal, yet as serious as ever, "your father didn't care. You know that. He just wanted to make sure the rest of us got out okay."

Syaoran persisted, "So what happened?"

"We broke out," Shima answered, brown eyes tightening further, "but Sora and I were caught hiding while your father had gone to scout for food. As far as we know, the NEs didn't catch him, but…"

"But you don't know," Syaoran repeated, slumping back against the wall the bed rest against. Feeling his blood pressure rising in stress, he could hear Tiki in the back of his head telling him to just breathe. Breathe in. Breathe out. The Avatar took deep breaths. If his father wasn't caught, and there was still no word, Syaoran had to believe that he was still alive somewhere.

Syaoran hung his head, rubbing the back of it in shame and helplessness. "I'm sorry, guys… Everything you guys went through was because of me, and I couldn't help you," he grumbled, irritated with himself despite his deep cleansing breaths. "I'm the Avatar and I couldn't even help my family…"

"Syaoran Wong."

His mother's words were clipped and sharp, just as they always were before a scolding. It tore his gaze from the floor to Shima, who had stepped closer to him. At first, Syaoran thought he was in for it now, a big reprimand for how he had failed them. But instead, in a rare moment, she leaned down and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight against her shoulder.

"Syaoran, none of this is your fault," Shima continued, quiet. "It is a parent's responsibility to protect their children, and we had already messed that up when we were taken to the camps."

"Mom! No!"

"I'm not done, Syaoran," she cut him off sharply. He wisely shut up. Clearing her throat, Shima went on, "You are the Avatar now. You have a lot of responsibility to the world. But we are your family, and we are here to take care of you, just like your friends are. I don't know where your father is, but I'm certain that wherever he is, he's trying to find a way to help you. We love you, Syaoran."

In his mother's arms like this, the struggling Avatar felt like a small child again coming in from a long day in the fields. As much as it seemed as if he was belittled by his mother and sister, one thing was always certain: his family would stand by him. Which made his job all that much more important.

"Hey!"

Syaoran and Shima looked over to Sora then, who seemed to be staring in outrage at something. With a pout on her face, she proclaimed, "That sky-bison looks so much better than the rest of my drawing! Now you have to fix everything!"

Syaoran rolled his eyes and smirked a little. "Yeah, it looks like I'm going to have to."

And he was going to do it. One way or another, Syaoran Wong was going to fix everything. That was a promise.

A/N from DJ: Woot! On the road again, we go! xD Also, sorry so late again. We're doing it weekly! Just trying to figure out a new time to edit these, since now my weekends are crazier than my weeks xD Now, to the acknowledgements!

ANewbutOldGuest: Yeah, we know how fandoms roll xD And our short-term works for us, but it's kind of vague for the masses. Still, we were just flattered that you guys even considered coming together like a fandom. Just the thought alone makes our hearts soar :3 Water is full of changes and surprises, as you guys have guessed and seen, so good luck surfing the waves~ [I'm so punny xD]

Jazzyboy: Thanks so much for the Author Alert and Alert for Water! We hope this means you like our stuff and can't wait to read more! Hopefully we'll get to hear from you sometime!

HalfaLeader: Haha again, a lot is gonna happen to these characters! You've been warned! We like to dabble with serious topics and we like to treat them with the consideration they deserve, even if it's made the beginning of Water quite sad xD

Daydreamer1998: Thanks so much for the favorite on Fire~! I hope you get to make it here to Water and continue to enjoy!

Japaneserockergirl: You did it! You caught up! Congratulations! xD You're one of our longtime readers too! And Zaron did mention that he was going to have to retrain Xie Xie after the sparring match, so I guess it was all in good timing... or plotting :3

That's all for this week guys! Where will the team go next? Find out next week! See y'all!