Avatar: The Warring Earth
Book Two—Air
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.
Tiki's eyes widened at the revelation. Anti-bending propaganda? Her parents, traitors? Bounty?
"Breathe, Teeks," Shun reminded the airbender, peering at her worriedly. Tiki did as he requested, finding the dizziness in her head lessening. How long had she been holding her breath? She did not even remember making the conscious decision to do so. Her hands went to her amulet again, staring down at the faded, familiar airbending symbol.
"…That explains some things…" Tiki acknowledged, speaking quietly to her amulet, "I always wondered… I mean, they took my parents when I was nine. And then they chased me for ten years. I didn't get it. They had the Chouko couple, the most influential airbenders of Republic City. What did they want me for…?"
And now Tiki knew the answer to a ten-year-long question. She thought she would be relieved, once she figured it out. She was not.
Dropping the amulet and meeting ZanYi's eyes once more, Tiki asked the next question to spring to her lips, "Okay, so they want to capture me to force my parents to keep doing their bidding. If we go to Republic City and I see my parents, that keeps them from serving the NEs anymore, right? Then they can escape with our help, right?"
"I'm not sure it'll be that simple, Tiki," Shun spoke up, concern causing him to frown. "It'd be very dangerous for you to be in Republic City—"
"I was talking to the tactician of the group, Shun," Tiki cut across the giant waterbender, her eyes never leaving ZanYi's. Other than his eyebrows rising, Shun gave no indication that he was offended and smartly silenced himself to let the women talk it out.
Syaoran looked shocked as well, astonished even, as she silenced Shun. The airbender was full of surprises. And despite the bombs ZanYi was dropping, she was faring pretty well. Still, he couldn't help but notice the tension Tiki still had; it showed every time she fingered the amulet she wore. This whole thing was a mess. He looked to ZanYi and from the look on her face, he knew it was about to get worse. "It's not going to be that simple, is it?" Syaoran asked the lieutenant as well. And to his dismay, she nodded.
"It is possible to get your parents out, if we play our cards right and play them smart," ZanYi told them, grim, "but our time-table doesn't work well for us. In two-weeks time, they are planning on executing your parents, to make an example out of them. They've done their damage, and now the Neo-Equalists are finishing them off as a warning to all other benders." Syaoran had trouble breathing then. This was terrible news. And ZanYi wore no kiddie gloves, putting it as bluntly as she could. The lieutenant continued, despite the pleading look Syaoran was giving her at the moment to dial it back. "With the amount of time we have to get to Republic City and get your parents out, there is no time for me to call in for back-up that would actually be helpful."
"So," Syaoran cut in dangerously, staring at the lieutenant, "we're on our own for this?"
"Exactly," ZanYi told him. "I will stay with you all until we can get Tiki's parents and get you all secure somewhere. But there will be no other military help."
Tiki's answer to this was immediate: "When can we leave?"
"Tiki," Shun ventured again, looking stern, "think about this: if we choose to take this on, you're not only risking your life, but you're risking the Avatar's life as well. It is way too dangerous for either of you to be in Republic City. There must be another way."
"You don't understand, Shun! There's a whole lot more at stake here than you realize!" Tiki hissed, turning fierce eyes onto the giant waterbender. Standing and wrenching the amulet over her head, she slammed it down on the table in-between her and Shun. Keeping his eyes the entire time, Tiki explained, "This amulet belonged once to Avatar Aang. It's a symbol of leadership in the airbending community, passed only through the main branch of Avatar Aang's descendents. The main branch acts as the leaders and spokespeople of the airbending nation, and only they can wield any kind of power, though there are fewer than a hundred airbenders in the world now. If my parents die, then the responsibilities and duties of an entire community fall on my shoudlers."
Shun's eyes widened, suddenly seeing Tiki in a whole new light. He could have guessed that Tiki was a descendant of Avatar Aang—there was not an airbender alive who was not—but he had no idea she was the daughter of the leaders of the airbending community. And, as he looked into her eyes, Shun could tell that Tiki was none too happy about this fact.
"…I'm not ready," Tiki stated bluntly, fear and desperation breaking her voice as she kept Shun's gaze, "so if my parents die, the airbending nation will fall into chaos, and eventually, ruin. We're too small a community to have any real sway in the bender nation without anyone related to a former person of power, but if my parents are killed, it'll no longer matter. No one's going to take a nineteen-year-old kid seriously, especially the child of executed traitors." Tiki was breathing hard, and tears pricked her eyes. But she refused to cry. She had to be strong now, or she would prove every criticism ever spouted about her right. Taking another deep breath, Tiki turned to ZanYi. "When can we leave?" the airbender repeated her question, slowly and deliberately. This was their only option, as far as Tiki was concerned. There was no plan B.
ZanYi stood from the table, resolute. "I will do my best to get us off the island at nightfall. It will be safer to travel under darkness than in broad daylight," she told the airbender. It was going to take just the rest of the afternoon to convince Master Fei to allow her to take one of the boats. And he couldn't know what they were up to; they'd never be allowed to leave then.
"How long will it take to get us to Republic City from here?" Syaoran ventured to ask, though his gaze barely left Tiki at all. He'd known about her family being important—the Avatar had learned that the first day in General Chen's office. But to have an entire community of benders resting on her? That was a terrifying idea. At least Tiki knew she wasn't ready for that, because Syaoran sure as heck knew that.
When he did look away from the airbender to the lieutenant, there was something that he had never seen before on ZanYi's face: understanding. It was quiet, and it was in her eyes alone. But it was there, and directed at Tiki. Syaoran thought to ZanYi's lineage, and realized perhaps the woman already had a taste of the responsibility that Tiki would be given should they fail. "A couple days," ZanYi answered Syaoran. "Once we get into the city, we'll have more time to canvas and plan. But the first obstacle we need to eliminate is getting there." And that's when ZanYi turned to Syaoran finally, looking at him solemnly. "Syaoran," the lieutenant said, "are you willing to go through with this? This is going to be fairly dangerous. It's your call."
Syaoran didn't want that responsibility, but he was going to take it this time. He manned up when ZanYi and the island needed help; now he would give it to Tiki. There was no way they could turn this down. This was a friend's parents and an entire race of benders at risk. So he answered, "Gotcha. Let's do this."
ZanYi nodded and looked at the three of them then as a group. "This will not be like previous bouts. We will be going in without a single ounce of back-up. If we fail, or if one of us falls through, we're all done for. I'm going to need all of you to do exactly as I say and when I say it. There is hardly any room for mistakes, and I plan on getting you all back out alive."
Syaoran nodded, heeding her words a second time and relief flooded Tiki once again, keeping company with the knot of anxiety that seemed permanent in her stomach. ZanYi had agreed to the rescue mission, as well as Syaoran. They were going to Republic City to save her parents.
Tiki picked up her amulet and fastened it around her neck once more, the weight of it feeling more and more like an anvil with every passing moment. If they failed to rescue her parents, they failed the one hope that the Choukos had of clearing their names, and they failed to secure the future for airbenders everywhere. There was too much at risk to disobey ZanYi's orders, so Tiki gave her own nod, consenting to the condition. "ZanYi… thank you," the tiny airbender said breathlessly; to show her gratitude, Tiki bowed to the lieutenant, something she had never done before. Once she straightened up, she noticed the look Shun was giving her, and her stomach churned.
"Tiki," Shun began as he stood up, but before he could finish his thought, Tiki again turned to ZanYi.
"If that's all, I'm going to go to my room and meditate," she told the lieutenant, striding away and up the stairs of the dining room. "I need peace of mind right now, and meditation's the only way I'm going to get it."
"Tiki!" Shun called a second time, but the tiny airbender kept going until she was out of sight. The giant waterbender sighed heavily, rubbing his scruffy chin and looking troubled. "Huh. I managed to make even Tiki mad at me. Imagine that," he said. The words would have been humorous, if Shun did not have the expression of a kicked puppy at the moment. Sure, there were times where Tiki claimed to be irritated with him, but she had never actually flat out refused to talk to him before. Was he being that callous when he suggested they try an alternative to rescuing the poor girl's parents?
"She's not mad at you, Shun," ZanYi disagreed, finally looking to the large man standing at her side.
"She's not?" Syaoran echoed in confusion, his brow scrunched up.
ZanYi shook her head. "No. What she doesn't want is Shun here trying to get her to back out of this," the lieutenant explained, almost looking at the waterbender accusingly. "Right now that girl needs support and you sat there the entire time trying to discourage her from trying to save her family. Haven't you learned that hasn't worked well for you by now?"
Syaoran had to admit that the firebender had a point there. After all, Shun had tried that route before—and it almost turned the Avatar into a crispy critter because of how irritable the lieutenant got. And, he realized, Tiki was going to be his new teacher probably after all this was over. "Dang, Shun. You really are trying to get me killed…" he muttered, but he kept his voice low after the look ZanYi gave him. Rolling her eyes, she looked back at Shun, crossing her arms.
"The point is, right now Tiki does not need you trying to discourage her. If I can treat her like an adult for five minutes, so can you."
Shun shook his head. He could not help but feel as if he was being misunderstood. "It's not about treating her like an adult," he asserted, falling back into his chair with a heavy sigh, "I'd be worried if she was fifteen or forty-five. We're underprepared and I don't like it." But then, Shun realized, it was not about whether he liked it or not. Tiki needed them now more than ever. ZanYi and Syaoran were right: Shun had to have Tiki's back like he usually did, no matter what happened.
"…Did she say she was being chased for ten years…?" the giant waterbender asked quietly, his eyes on the entrance of the dining hall. "They've been hunting her ever since she was a child?"
How did Tiki manage to smile after such trauma? She was, perhaps, the strongest out of all of them. And Shun's heart went out to her all the more for it.
"Yeah, she did…" Syaoran frowned at the thought. When he was nine, he was still happily living on the farm with his family; they were barely even aware of the war outside their lands. Yet, Tiki was already running for her life. Some things were starting to click with that tidbit—like how she still acted like a child. It got her by, and no one ever made her grow up. "Maybe this isn't a great idea," Syaoran pondered, mulling it over a bit more now that Tiki was gone. "I mean, if they've been after her that long, we'll basically be delivering her to them." That was when a small fireball zipped by his face, scorching the high back of his chair. With alarm, he looked to ZanYi, who's hand was being put out. "What was that for?" he demanded, looking at the lieutenant as if she was going to fire again.
ZanYi fixed both of the men a stern look, frowning. "You guys are missing the important parts about all of this. Tiki wants to do this. And she's willing to do it by the book. Family makes you go to any lengths you have to. Even Tiki gets that." The lieutenant put her hands on her waist, shifting her weight to one hip as her golden eyes pierced the two of them. "And if you don't think we can do this, then you're doubting yourselves, you're doubting Tiki, and you're doubting me." First to Syaoran, she said, "You're the Avatar. Buck up. You just made a volcano erupt. I'm pretty sure you can handle a hostage rescue."
And then she looked to Shun, perhaps the glint in her eye a bit harsher, a bit more betrayed. "I plan on getting us all out of this alive. Do you trust me, Shun, or not?"
Shun bristled at this accusation. He was insulted that she would even ask, because she was not asking for verification: she was asking to test him. And he didn't like it.
The giant waterbender got to his feet and loomed over ZanYi, preparing to argue against her with all he had on why this was not a good idea. He had his mouth open before he remembered that it was ZanYi he was about to have a bout with, and bouts with ZanYi never ended well. Shun let out a short huff and rubbed his forehead, giving ZanYi and exasperated look. She had him whipped without even realizing it. So unfair.
"I trust you with my life, ZanYi," he affirmed, frowning down at the infuriating woman, "but that doesn't mean I won't worry. Tiki's been through enough, and I'm afraid to put her through any more. What if we fail? Can you honestly say you'd be able to look Tiki in the eye after that?" It was certainly a possibility: no military back up? Four individuals, with one a half-baked Avatar and a sizable bounty on another? It sounded like a recipe for disaster to him. And yet, even so, what choice did they have?
ZanYi was not intimidated by Shun. His height meant nothing to the woman, so having his large frame loom over her had no effect, and neither did his words. "I know how risky this is; I know how low our chances are. The success rate for this is basically nonexistent," she told him, glaring up at the waterbender.
She was essentially a strategist for a living in addition to being a fighter. It was those things that made a soldier. As soon as ZanYi had retrieved the information from their captive, her mind had run through all of the possible scenarios. And very few of them ended well. "If we do nothing, they die. If we do something, they have a chance. If Tiki is going to end up having her world shattered, do you think it's better that she did nothing and let it happen or that she did everything within her power to save them? Which one do you think will help her sleep at night a couple years down the road? Hm?"
Syaoran watched in mild horror at the sight before him. Tiki had described it well when saying it was like a mother and father fighting. The two of them were so intent on their words, ready to duke it out almost. But at the same time, it was like he wasn't even there. They may have been fighting, but it was like everything around them didn't exist.
He didn't like that.
"I agree with ZanYi," Syaoran spoke up, trying to bring them back to a full conversation. "Tiki needs this, Shun."
But to his dismay, ZanYi's eyes never even acknowledged Syaoran, locked on the massive waterbender before her. "Shun," she started again, a little less bite to her words, "if you trust me with your life, then trust me with Tiki's. I'm not going to let anything happen to her, to Syaoran, or to you. And I'll take the blows before I don't keep my word. But at the end of all this, it's better for her to try than to sit here and do nothing."
Shun barely heard Syaoran as well; his eyes were too intent on ZanYi's, reading the emotions there. The lieutenant was not going to back down, as usual. And the frustrating part was that she had a legitimate point: if Tiki did not fight for this, she would live to regret it… if she lived through this, that is.
Which brought Shun's scrutiny to the next part of ZanYi's words: her promise to protect them. He was satisfied with her vow to keep Tiki and Syaoran out of harm's way—it's what he would have done as well—but the part about her taking hits for him just served to further rub him the wrong way. "Don't put yourself in harm's way for me, ZanYi," Shun told her, his eyes growing serious. "I know you're a capable fighter, but I can defend myself."
The thought of her jumping in front of an attack meant for him… Shun did not like that mental image. He would rather take the blow than to have ZanYi wounded from an attack that was meant for him.
ZanYi looked away from Shun for a moment, only to roll her eyes and let out her own huff of irritation. "That's not even the point of all this, Shun!" she reminded him, her fists starting to clench and unclench. Syaoran could faintly see a flame spark up every once in a while.
And he saw no end to this either. The Avatar knew ZanYi was going to win this. Despite Shun's efforts, he didn't stand a chance. But it was continuing to bother him that, even when he spoke up, neither of them even were bothering to look at him. This was no longer a discussion. This was an all out argument between only the two of them. They only had eyes for each other.
Each and every concern and ounce of jealousy Syaoran had in his body reared up in that moment at the realization. But this was not the time or place to say anything that would make this whole situation worse. So, instead, he wisely got up and left the table, leaving the dining room to return to his quarters. Syaoran doubted they would even noticed, they were so wrapped up in their debate.
In fact, ZanYi did not even realize it, she was just looking at Shun with an irritable disbelief. "The point here is that we've got to do this, one way or another, for Tiki. It's going to be hard and it's going to be dangerous. But it's my job, Shun. I fight, and I protect. It's what I do. What does it matter if I take a few hits? You have my back. Why are so adamant that I don't have yours?"
Shun actually growled. Again, she was making it out to be that he did not trust her, when that could not be farther from the truth. She wanted an answer? Fine. He would give her an answer.
"I hate it when you get hurt, ZanYi!" he burst out, glaring at the lieutenant. "Do you know how much it kills me to see you purposefully let yourself get hurt? You're so reckless! Do you ever stop to think what would happen if you sustained an injury so critical that I would not be able to save you? My healing can't bring back the dead, ZanYi! If something were to happen to you—!"
Shun stopped himself before he could say something he would not be able to take back. Startled, the giant waterbender realized that his hands were on ZanYi's face, cupping her cheeks. He removed them at once, turning his back and walking a few paces away from ZanYi, breathing hard. This was the first time he had ever actually lost his patience with her, and it scared him. She was making him crazy.
Shaking his head firmly, Shun turned to give ZanYi a weary eye. "But you're right… this isn't the point," he conceded, taking another deep breath before continuing. "Fine. You win. We'll do this your way." Shun got the heck out of there before anything else could be said or done, heading toward the beach. He desperately needed to cool off, and that was the best place to do so. Hopefully ZanYi would be appeased with his agreement and forget the way he had lost his temper. He had revealed a little too much in the heat of the moment, but not enough to change much. She would probably just shrug it off as him being a worry-wart, as usual.
But ZanYi just stared after him, for once her face a completely open slate of bewilderment. "What just happened…?" she asked, as if she herself knew the answers that she was seeking. But she didn't. And it bothered her a little. Never had the lieutenant seen Shun act like that. That wasn't irritation. That wasn't him losing patience. That had been Shun completely angry.
She lifted a hand to scratch her head, only for her fingers drop down to touch her cheek. ZanYi pulled away the hand and looked at it, as if it would reveal to her why Shun had just done that. Her cheeks still had some of the warmth from his heated hands. And that felt odd. "Just the heck is wrong with him?" ZanYi mumbled to herself again.
She didn't expect the reply.
"He cares about you, Princess."
Her golden eyes went skyward, irritated all over again. The last thing she needed at that moment was her master's input. She turned to watch Master Fei walk into the room, aggravation all over her face. "Shun cares about everyone, Sifu," she reminded him.
"Maybe," the elder agreed with a small nod. But then he smiled a bit more. "However, he also cares very much for you. Princess ZanYi, you just singlehandedly made the most patient member of your little group completely outraged. Perhaps you two aren't quite as platonic as you'd like to believe."
ZanYi frowned. "Sifu, I'm not getting into this with you right now," she growled, warning clear, "and I need a boat. The fastest one you have here on the island. And I need it by nightfall."
Master Fei frowned, but otherwise nodded. "I will make sure it is ready for your group's departure," he agreed. Taking slow steps, the firebender made his way over to his student. "Princess," he started again, lifting a hand to rest on her head, "I know what you are doing, and you must be careful. The airbenders are not the only ones at stake should you fail."
ZanYi knew exactly what he meant. "Don't worry about me, Sifu."
"Someone needs to," Master Fei insisted huffily, and the elder was starting to think he knew just the waterbender that was up for the job. But he kept that to himself. Instead, he pulled out a small gift from his robes, holding it out to the lieutenant. "Take this with you," he told her. ZanYi peered at him with a bit less aggravation and more curiosity as she took it from his hand. Unfolding the cloth, ZanYi found a thin sheet of gold, cut and shaped like a flame—a hairpiece. ZanYi gaze up at her teacher, only for him to hold up a hand to halt her words. "I know you won't wear it, but it is your birthright. And it's about time you had it."
Master Fei wrapped the woman's fingers around the hairpiece, looking only at her. "Be proud of your lineage. You're proud of your parents, and you don't even know them. They were proud of their heritage. Why can't you be?"
Looking at the golden flame in her hand, ZanYi did not answer. She did manage to wrap it back up and slip it into her pocket though, knowing her teacher would not take it back from her. ZanYi gave him a curt nod and then walked away going back to the steps. "Have the boat ready on the beach tonight. We'll be leaving then."
When ZanYi left the room, she did not go towards the bedrooms. Instead, she went the opposite direction. She was irritable, and she had to come up with a plan. It was time to pay a certain shooter another visit for more information.
Shun drummed his fingers on the railing of yet another boat. This one was a lot smaller than the one they had used to get to Roku's Island, but that's because it was a freighter. This was just a normal boat—well, sort of normal. It was quite extravagant in its furnishings, and had a royal look about it when one surveyed the vessel from the outside. As expected of Master Fei; he liked old-fashioned things.
Shun's exchange with ZanYi was still weighing heavily on his mind, worrying him. At first, the giant waterbender had been concerned that Syaoran had seen him slip in his control, but realized later that the Avatar must have left the room before then. Shun did not see him as he walked away from ZanYi to calm down. But now there was the concern over whether ZanYi had made anything out of it or not. He had not seen the lieutenant for the rest of the day, so he guessed not… but then, he had spent the rest of the day swimming, so he could not be sure. Either way, this was a very sucky situation to be in.
"What's the matter, Shun?"
Said waterbender turned at the sound of Tiki's voice to find her peering curiously at him, her head cocked to the side. A hand fiddled with the amulet that hung around her neck; it seemed to be a habit with Tiki now. Shun looked over the rail to check the waves below them.
"I'm not rocking the boat, am I?" he asked with a frown. Tiki giggled a little as she approached his side, resting with her back to the rail.
"Nah. But your face says a lot. Were you the one I heard yelling earlier?" she queried curiously. Alarmed, Shun snapped his head over to look at Tiki.
"You heard what I said?"
Tiki frowned, thrown off by Shun's urgent tone. "No," she admitted, "just an angry voice that sounded like yours. I couldn't exactly make out what you were saying… why, what did you say?"
Shun huffed in relief. "Nothing," he waved it off, ready to put the issue behind him. If Tiki was unable to hear what he had shouted, that meant Syaoran must be oblivious as well. That, at least, was comforting.
"Aww. Looks like I missed something interesting," Tiki complained with a slight pout. Shun eyed her out of the corner of his eye.
"You don't have to do that, you know."
"Do what?"
"Pretend to act normal."
Tiki turned a telltale shade of red. "Was it that obvious…?" she asked, fiddling more with the amulet as she dropped her false cheery look. Shun smiled slightly.
"Only to those who know you. And you have the same tell as ZanYi," Shun noted, nodding to Tiki's amulet.
The tiny airbender dropped the amulet and frowned up at Shun. "Seriously: were you fighting with ZanYi again?"
"Don't worry about it, Teeks," Shun insisted, his gaze returning to the dark water, "Focus instead on what we have to do."
"Are you kidding? It's all I can think about," she grumbled, looking dejected. "I was hoping you would distract me with your problems so I wouldn't have to focus on mine."
Shun smiled again. Tiki's logic was interesting, as always. "Try and get some sleep, Teeks. It's late," the giant waterbender noted. Tiki opened her mouth to tell him that she really could not fall asleep, no matter how hard she tried, but the guy seemed preoccupied already. With a slight shrug, Tiki went below deck, leaving Shun alone to his water-watching.
Passing Tiki as she went below the deck, Syaoran came up onto the deck. He looked out onto the water for a moment before Shun took all of his attention. Then he just stared and looked at the waterbender, frowning. Perhaps he was just paranoid before, now Syaoran knew he did not like the turn that ZanYi and Shun's 'friendship' was taking.
There was something more than friendship there, even he could tell. It was in the way the two locked their gazes on each other. And it was in the way that Shun had been fighting back so heatedly. The Shun he knew did not do that; the Shun he knew would politely disagree with the lieutenant. But he would not all out fight with her. And while the Avatar couldn't hear everything said earlier, he'd heard Shun's voice shouting all the way down the hall.
If normal people argued with the lieutenant, it was not of great significance to Syaoran. ZanYi had a way of ruffling just the right feathers. But it was because Shun was arguing with her over her safety—that was when it had become too much for Syaoran to just sit there. They were all going to be in danger. And yet…
"Shun," the earthbender called out, walking towards the waterbender. Syaoran stopped a few paces behind Shun, frowning as he spoke. "ZanYi says that our quarters are large enough for you this time, so go to bed." He'd only delivered the message because it was not out of avoidance on ZanYi's part. The woman seemed clearly preoccupied in one of the planning rooms, scouring over maps of Republic City. Syaoran had a feeling she was not going to be sleeping much again. "She'll be up in a bit to take watch for anything suspicious."
Shun turned to glance at Syaoran. He had heard the Avatar arrive on deck, but did not bother turning around in case it was actually ZanYi. The giant waterbender was still unsure of whether or not he wanted to see her. And apparently, she was having the same qualms, if she had sent Syaoran to deliver a message to him. Shun frowned at this, but ended up shrugging it off. He could take a hint.
"Are you going to be up here until ZanYi comes up?" Shun wanted to check, turning to fully face Syaoran. He wanted to be sure that someone would be up here, just so they weren't blind-sided by anything. The thought of leaving them vulnerable, even for just a few seconds, made him uncomfortable.
Syaoran wasn't sure how to answer that. "I suppose I could," he pondered slowly, "ZanYi ordered me to go to my own quarters after I talked to you. She wants us to rest while we can." Which meant she was not resting all night. Again. Syaoran wasn't thrilled over this fact, but he knew there was no talking the lieutenant out of it. And the last thing he wanted was to be on her bad side; Shun was example enough of what that was like. "We have another day of travel after this one," the Avatar continued. "So we can take shifts. Her plan is for us to sleep at night and be awake during the day, and then she'll take the night shifts."
"By herself?"
Shun didn't like that. ZanYi was already running on minimal sleep now, and yet she planned to stay up all night? She would be lucky if she did not pass out from exhaustion. Regretfully, he sighed. She was making him worry again, of course. So reckless. Looking up at Syaoran, he said, "That's okay. If ZanYi told you to get to bed, you should. I'll stick around until she can take over the watch, and then I'll head in too."
The giant waterbender turned to watch the waves again, though his eyes looked far away as he did so. "There's something I need to apologize for," he admitted, mostly to himself. The way he lost his temper with ZanYi was inexcusable. Granted, she had made him angry, but he still needed to apologize for yelling at her. He couldn't fault ZanYi for the way she thought; it was just the way she was wired, and Shun had no right to condemn her for it. He had to squash their beef before they went through with this dangerous rescue mission, because now was the time for them to work as a tight-knit team, more than ever.
Syaoran looked at Shun warily and cautiously. The Avatar wasn't sure if he wanted to leave the two of them together again if he could help it. The way the two had gone at it before, and how caught up they'd been… Syaoran didn't like it at all. So while he was torn between listening to ZanYi and being indignant to Shun, he knew which one he would do.
And it wasn't the one he should do.
"No," he said to Shun, walking over to the railing, "Go to bed, Shun." Syaoran surprised himself with his answer, but he couldn't shy away from it now that he'd said it. He didn't want it to look like he couldn't make decisions… even though generally, he couldn't or didn't like to. So he stuck with this one, looking at Shun a bit coldly. "I'll stay up until ZanYi can take over."
Shun blinked, surprised beyond words. First Tiki, and now Syaoran? What did he do to deserve this kind of treatment? Personally, Shun had no problem with Syaoran wanting to stay up until ZanYi arrived: as long as someone was keeping watch, the giant waterbender was happy. And he could apologize to ZanYi later, if he wanted. No, Shun's problem was with the way the Avatar was eyeing him, as if he were an enemy. Not to be trusted.
"Syaoran," Shun addressed the Avatar, frowning in concern, "what's the matter?"
Was Syaoran upset over the way he was ignored when Shun and ZanYi were arguing? That had to be it… unless…
Shun searched the Avatar's face, trying to root out the source of such a cold gaze. There was no look of betrayal there—none that Shun could see, in any case. So Syaoran didn't know. Shun was still safe, for the time being. But the Avatar was still upset about something. "If something's bothering you, you should say it," Shun encouraged, unsettled by Syaoran's demeanor. The giant waterbender would rather Syaoran get whatever problem he had with Shun out in the open so they could work through it. Things were already tense between Shun and ZanYi; he did not need the same awkwardness between him and Syaoran.
And the earthbender had several answers that ran through his mind at the question. The first answer to come to him was Shun, but that was an exaggeration. It was just the way Shun was treating ZanYi as of late. And it was enough to start making him paranoid. But Tiki had said there was nothing going on between them, and he knew they wouldn't lie to him…
At the same time, something still wasn't quite right. Things just weren't adding up perfectly when it came to the time the two spent alone. And it was enough to give Syaoran reasonable doubt.
The Avatar looked at Shun again, eyes piercing with a bit of scrutiny. At the moment, Syaoran didn't know what to believe, or how much to believe. And he didn't like it. But even he knew this was not the time to be voicing such concerns. Whatever matters he had could wait until they saved Tiki's parents. "Nothing's wrong," Syaoran ended up lying, turning away from Shun so the man wouldn't see the suspicion on his face. "You're already in trouble; I'm not. So I can wait for ZanYi."
"Well, then you don't have to wait any longer. So go to bed."
Syaoran looked to the lieutenant as she strode up on deck. He wanted to gulp, anxious that she had overhead and thought there was a problem with him and Shun, but she did not mention it at all. "You're relieved," she continued, "Now go."
But Syaoran didn't move, torn again. Last thing he wanted to do was leave the two alone together—it would only serve to feed his anxiety. But now, looking ZanYi in the face, Syaoran knew he couldn't disobey. Giving Shun one last watchful glance, he nodded to ZanYi, bade her goodnight, and walked back below the deck.
With a frown more pronounced, Shun watched him go. "That was weird…" the giant waterbender mumbled to himself, stroking his chin as he thought. The only thing he could get out of the brief conversation with Syaoran was that: one, he was lying when he said that there was nothing wrong; and two, he did not want Shun to be alone with ZanYi. Was the Avatar concerned that another argument would break out between them? Shun's gaze shifted to rest on ZanYi, and he sighed. He felt awkward being alone with her now; maybe he should have gone to bed when Syaoran suggested it. But, he had wanted to speak to her…
"ZanYi," Shun addressed her, staying where he was—he was afraid to get any closer to her—as he spoke, "I'm sorry about…earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you, and for that, I apologize." Shun, however, was only apologizing for yelling. He had meant every word he said to her, and he was not about to take them back. He would not apologize for caring about ZanYi.
ZanYi didn't move either, appraising Shun. She was choosing to ignore that whatever him and Syaoran had been talking about had not seemed friendly, as per the way the Avatar had eyed Shun as he left. The task at hand needed some solving, and the lieutenant knew that.
"I'm still trying to figure out what was wrong with you," she put bluntly, raising an eyebrow. The whole turn of their conversation just did not make sense to the lieutenant, and she refused to even consider Master Fei's answer. Walking over to the railing of the boat, she popped herself up on it, on closer eye level to Shun then. ZanYi looked right at him, perplexed and serious. "Just what was that, Shun? What was it that made you fly off the handle like that?" she questioned him, wanting to know the answer.
"You."
The word almost left Shun's lips, but he was being extra-cautious about what he said to ZanYi from now on, so he did not say it. But she was too close again.
Shun looked away from her and reminded himself to breathe. His cheeks were beginning to warm again, which was unfortunate. Now was not the time for him to be embarrassed.
"…It was the stress of the situation… I think," he tacked on, because even he was still confused on why he had lost control like that. His speech came out muffled, because a hand was over his mouth again, in his embarrassment. "I was thinking about all the things that could go wrong, and I just… snapped." Shun let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. The truth was that he was frustrated with ZanYi because she kept insisting that he did not trust her just because he did not want to go along with her plan. At the time, he believed it to be a low blow to use his faith in her in such a manner. Now, he was concerned that ZanYi really thought that way.
His own eyes pleading and earnest, Shun turned to meet ZanYi's gaze. "I do trust you," he asserted, his expression anxious, "You know that, don't you?"
"Maybe," ZanYi answered, almost exasperated all over again. She looked away from Shun from a moment, shaking her head a bit as she stared out onto the boat and beyond. "I thought I did. Now I'm not so sure," she told him honestly.
To say she wasn't bitter would be a lie. After all of Shun's coaxing and offense if she didn't trust him to have her back, it was almost a moot point if it was not returned. And it bothered the lieutenant. It bothered her quite a bit.
"You prattle on about how I should trust you, and I've kept my word, every time," ZanYi continued, a bit frustrated, "and I do trust you." But then the lieutenant looked at Shun, a bit stern. "This is not going to end well. This mission? It's almost a lost cause. I'm doing this because I know it's what Tiki needs right now. So in order for us to even get out of this, I need all of you on board. I need to know that if something goes wrong, you will have my back, and by that, I mean listening to me."
Her lips pursed and she let out a deep breath. ZanYi leaned forward more, a little bit closer to Shun. "I needed to know that if we got into a bad spot in this, that you would be able to listen to me, even if it meant taking Tiki and Syaoran and running. They are my priority, Shun. This is what I do. And after today, I don't know if I can trust you to do this."
So he had made her doubt him. Shun was not surprised. He had openly disagreed with this plan from the start, though it pained him to do so. Despite everything that was at risk—Tiki's parents, the future of airbenders everywhere—Shun was still mainly concerned with the well-being of his comrades, ZanYi especially, since it was almost a guarantee that she would be the one in most danger.
"…Maybe you can't," the giant waterbender admitted quietly, his eyes saddening. He turned away from ZanYi again to watch the waves, looking dejected. "Syaoran and Tiki are a priority. But so are you, ZanYi. If you ever ordered me to take them somewhere safe and to leave you behind…"
Shun locked gazes with ZanYi, his eyes suddenly intense. "I'm not sure I wouldn't fight with all I had to take you, too. You're one of my priorities, ZanYi."
He felt as if they were at an impasse, and it upset him. He did not like fighting with ZanYi, though they seemed to do it quite often. But he could not help how he felt, and he meant what he said: if their backs were to the wall, and ZanYi demanded that he get out of there with Syaoran and Tiki… if things were desperate enough, Shun would definitely make sure that Tiki and Syaoran were safe. But then he would double-back for ZanYi. There was no way the giant waterbender could bring himself to leave her in a situation that looked desperate. It went against both his gentle nature and his heart.
ZanYi's furrowed eyes never left Shun's, never left the intensity. But she did find herself a bit surprised again, and it showed with the eyebrow that lifted gently. And while she supposed she should have found the words touching or comforting, it only served to agitate the lieutenant.
"If you were one of my men, I would deck you for those actions and have you taken out of the op entirely," she told him with a huff.
Taking a deep breath, ZanYi trained her gaze ahead of her again, continuing to breathe with great focus. This sort of impasse truly bothered her. It meant that she couldn't be sure about Shun, that she couldn't rely on him to follow the plan to the letter. Any added variables to this rescue was also an added burden.
She looked at Shun again, remaining silent. Her dislike of this situation was clear on her face. And it was also clear that she did not like this sort of insubordination. "Look, Shun," she tried again, reaching for any other tactic she could think of, "I don't care what you promised Zaron, and I don't care if you feel like you're abandoning me by doing that, but if things go sour, you have to get the other two out of there. I will fight my way out of there.
"Syaoran is the Avatar, and Tiki will be one of the biggest hopes to the airbender community. All three of you are civilians. As a soldier, I cannot allow you all to remain in harm's way. I chose this war. You all didn't."
ZanYi's eyes bore into his, willing him to understand the very fabric of this situation. "Shun," she persisted, "if something goes wrong in there, I want to trust you to keep them safe. Because if I can't, I know you can."
Shun's brow furrowed. He saw what she was doing, and he didn't like it.
"I would never sacrifice Syaoran and Tiki's well-being," he assured her, wanting her trust, but at the same time, feeling as if he did not deserve it. "If need be, I'd get them out of whatever sticky situation we got caught in. But as soon as I was sure they were safe, I would come back immediately to make sure you were all right."
A piece of ZanYi's hair had escaped her ponytail, and kept blowing across her face. It was distracting, so Shun reached out and gently tucked the lock behind ZanYi's ear. His fingers lingered there for a moment before he remembered he was not allowed to be touching ZanYi. He let his hand drop to his side, surveying ZanYi's face.
"This has nothing to do with Zaron," he felt he had to say, though it would have been much safer for him to allow ZanYi to keep thinking that way, "I won't let you get hurt because I don't like seeing you hurt. I can compromise with you on a lot of things, ZanYi, but this is something I cannot."
Shun, unable to help himself, placed a hand on ZanYi's neck, his thumb on her cheek, to make sure she would not look away from him. He wanted her full attention, his eyes boring into hers as he said his next words, "I am not one of your men, which allows me to say this: if you tell me to leave you behind at any point, I will disobey you. And that's a promise."
Shun let go of her and gave her his back, mostly so she would not see him blushing. "I'm going to bed," he announced, "I'll probably be up early, so I can take the next watch. Good night, ZanYi."
The giant waterbender moved below deck, allowing himself to breathe only when he was safely in his quarters. He flopped down on the bed, cursing himself. He had touched her again, and probably made her angry with his insubordination. ZanYi probably was not used to people telling her straight up that they would not listen to her, and Shun felt a little guilty for probably being the first.
But he had meant every word, and hoped she would heed them. In a way, he was challenging her to make sure that he never had to make such a decision. If she was as good a strategist as she claimed to be, it shouldn't be a problem.
The day had been fairly boring and fairly tense. There was nowhere to go, confined to the ship amongst salty waves and early summer sun. There was nothing for Syaoran to wake up early for. While he was thankful that Tiki wasn't using the opportunity to annoy the mess out of him, Syaoran also found himself wishing that she would do something stupid just so that something would happen.
"And I thought the concentration camps were bad," he muttered to himself, watching the waves roll by, bored. He did not mean those words, he knew. The earthbender camps were something he would not wish upon anyone. The treatment there was horrible. And his family was still in there…
Syaoran shook the thought away. He couldn't afford to be distracted and worried about them, as much as he wanted to be. They had big things coming up: they would arrive in Republic City the next day, which would commence an operation to save all airbender-kind. No pressure.
Looking away from the water, he turned to the deck. And he finally found something interesting, at least. "Dang, Shun…" Syaoran mumbled, his voice trailing as he walked over to where the man had stood the night before. There was a sizable dent in the railing, and he wasn't sure, but Syaoran thought he could faintly see traces of it having melted as well. "I can't tell if this was you, Shun, or ZanYi's doing."
"Who did what now?"
Tiki had made her way up to the deck, after spending half the day in meditation. She had a quick meal before coming topside, simply because she was becoming too anxious all alone in her quarters. She approached closer to the spot Syaoran was observing, examining the spot with mild interest. "…Shun's strong enough to do something like that," she speculated out loud, tracing the edges of the damage to the rail, "but he can't make things melt with his hands. I think it's a safer bet to assume ZanYi did it."
Tiki's eyes moved to the water, becoming even more anxious when that was all that she could see. She had to remind herself to be strong and patient, and gripped her amulet as she wished for such virtues.
"Something must have made ZanYi mad last night," the tiny airbender concluded, only a tad curious as to what it could be. Knowing ZanYi, it could have been a bunch of things, though Tiki kind of suspected Shun may have had something to do with it…
And despite his growing infatuation for the firebender, the mere thought did make Syaoran a bit anxious. "Something… probably someone," Syaoran noted, thinking also to Shun himself. Despite his misgivings about the two of them, Syaoran had left them alone last night, since Shun seemed to want to talk things out with the lieutenant about their fight.
If this was any indication, things did not go well with said talk.
"I hope she doesn't take it out on all of us now," he grumbled, scratching the back of his messy, brown hair. The last time ZanYi had a falling out with Shun this bad, it resulted in lots of tension, injuries, and Shun being blacklisted. Syaoran looked at Tiki, anxious himself. "Do you think this fight is as bad as last time? Or do you think its worse?" he asked, trying to gauge with a second opinion. Then another thought hit him, a bit more morbid, which caused his emerald eyes to widen. "Have we even seen Shun today?"
Tiki glanced up at Syaoran's tone, and his expression amused her. She showed as much with a tiny smile. "Calm down. ZanYi wouldn't kill him," she assured the Avatar, "We're already at a disadvantage with our numbers. The lieutenant would have to be crazy to take out our only healer." Tiki pulled herself up to sit on the rail, her eyes scanning the water. Still no sign of land. "…I saw Shun a half hour ago," she eventually revealed to Syaoran, turning to look at him. "He must have just finished keeping watch, because he was heading back to his room. He looked tired."
This got Tiki wondering again about what happened between Shun and ZanYi. He had refused to tell her last night what he had been shouting about the day before, and now it seemed that he had angered ZanYi again. What was happening between those two?
"Any idea what's bugging them?" Tiki inquired, fiddling with her amulet again, "I really hope it isn't as bad as last time. Too much is at stake already." The tiny airbender's eyes tightened at this acknowledgement, her hand clutching her amulet. Was this really a good idea? Could they really save her parents?
Tiki had to hope so, or she would fall into despair before they even tried.
Syaoran almost doubted it would happen, but it was hope he could give to the airbender. "I don't know what they fought about now," he shrugged, "but Shun was supposed to be apologizing for the other day after lunch. They had fought about the plan, how to keep the two of us safe, and then about ZanYi's safety. That's when I left, and Shun blew up apparently after that."
Glancing at Tiki, he noted the way she kept fiddling with the amulet around her neck, kept looking out to the ocean. She was still anxious, still worried—and with every reason to be. But she was at least keeping herself in check, and that was a start.
"Hey, you know we're going to do our best, right, Tiki?" he checked, verifying that fact. Syaoran couldn't come out and lie to her, saying that they would definitely rescue her parents. If what ZanYi had said after Tiki left was any indication the other day, the chances were slim. But Tiki had to try. For herself.
The Avatar slumped down onto the deck, using the railing as his back support. All around him, the wind billowed against him, carrying the wafting scent of sea salt. "And we're not supposed to dock until tomorrow. But at least that gives the lieutenant and Shun another day to make-up, at least?"
Tiki's head bobbed at Syaoran's assurances.
"I know," she replied, her gray eyes not leaving the ocean. The fact that ZanYi had made sure they left immediately the night before was proof enough of that. Tiki was just worried that their best would not be good enough. Her mind must have been sensitive to the high possibility their plan could fail, for it kept considering—without her express permission—what would happen afterwards… what Tiki's role would be, and what it would mean to her people, the airbenders.
Tiki looked down to stare at the insignia on her amulet. If only she was a little more responsible… if only she had not been taken away from her parents at such an early age… if only she had not been born in the main branch of the airbender society…
After that thought, Tiki shook her head to clear it. What was done was done. She could only move forward from here… and how she would move forward would be decided once their two-week deadline was up.
"I heard him yelling," Tiki noted, turning her concerned eyes onto Syaoran. "He wouldn't tell me what they were fighting about, though. I guess Shun's upset that this plan isn't a sure-fire thing."
They all knew it, Tiki suspected: there was no guarantee that they would even make it out of Republic City alive, let alone rescue her parents from their execution. That was why it meant so much to Tiki to have Syaoran and ZanYi on her side.
"…Thank you again, for doing this," the tiny airbender said to Syaoran, her cheeks coloring. This had to be the nicest thing her comrades had ever done for her, and she was sincerely grateful beyond words.
"Don't worry about it, Tiki," Syaoran told her nonchalantly. The Avatar went to rest his head back further, his gaze floating up and seeing the flush to Tiki's cheeks. She was incredibly grateful, and it showed in her actions, like she hadn't expected it of them. And it made Syaoran sigh of exasperation. "We all know what we're getting into here. We helped ZanYi, now it's time to help you out. We're a team now. It's what we do."
Turning his stare from her cheeks to her eyes, he finished, "So stop looking like that and get used to it." Syaoran would have given her a shove of sorts, but the airbender was perched on the railing, and after her encounters with water, he thought better of it.
But Tiki's tiny smile reappeared, and her eyes warmed. "I guess so," she agreed, giggling at Syaoran's gruff tone. He was not too good with feelings other than anger, she surmised.
"It's good to hear you laugh again, Teeks."
Tiki turned to find Shun approaching them, offering her a smile. She returned it, feeling a rush of affection for the people on the boat with her. Shun may have been against the plan, and Syaoran wasn't always enthused to have her around, but what mattered to Tiki the most was the fact that they were both standing here with her now. And they would not even be on this boat if ZanYi had not immediately agreed to an attempted rescue of Tiki's parents. The tiny airbender could not ask for better teammates.
While Shun was pleased to find that Tiki's spirits were a little higher for the moment, he paused upon catching sight of Syaoran. "Hello, Avatar," Shun greeted cautiously, eyeing Syaoran as if he would explode at any minute. This did not escape Tiki's attention; as soon as the men's gazes met, the air had turned tense and awkward. It made her nervous, and she looked between Syaoran and Shun, curious and concerned.
"Um," she began, swinging her legs over the rail in preparation to jump back onto the deck, "do you two… need a minute?"
What happened to being a team? What was going on between Shun, Syaoran and ZanYi while Tiki had been wrapped up in her own problems? Had everything—everything—come out in the open while she had been mentally unavailable? What was going on?
Syaoran's jade eyes stared intently at Shun, as if trying to unravel everything he wanted to know in that one look. Sadly, he got no answers. He was no closer to figuring out the developments with ZanYi and Shun than he had been the night before. And even Shun seemed aware that he was not keen about the waterbender. However, trying at least to keep peace around Tiki, Syaoran nodded to Shun. "Hey," he responded back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tiki's confusion and tightened his lips. The airbender had enough problems at the moment for there to be more. "No, we're fine, Tiki," he told the airbender, albeit without even looking at the girl.
Rising to his feet, Syaoran dusted himself off. "I'm going to go see if ZanYi's awake yet," he told the other two, looking only at Tiki then. He moved to walk past Shun before he stopped and looked up at the massive man. He didn't know what was going on entirely, but Syaoran did know one thing.
"In case you haven't realized it, I think the lieutenant is probably mad at you," Syaoran warned him, jabbing a thumb back at the melted handrail. And with that last contribution, he made his way back below the deck, presumably to either the planning room or ZanYi's quarters.
Tiki's eyes followed Syaoran until he disappeared below deck, and then they moved to focus on Shun. "What's going on?" she asked immediately, beginning to frown. This could not happen. Her team could not fall apart on the most dangerous mission they had yet to face. "Why are Syaoran and ZanYi mad at you?"
Shun did not answer at first; he had moved closer to get a better look at the melted handrail Syaoran had gestured to. The giant waterbender sighed when he saw the damage that had been done. He already knew ZanYi would not be thrilled about his insubordination; he supposed he should be happy that she did not aim that fiery blast at him. "ZanYi and I had another disagreement that left us at an impasse," Shun explained, and then left it at that, concerning the lieutenant. "As for Syaoran… your guess is as good as mine."
Tiki took a deep breath, eyeing Shun with a pitying look. "I'm still confused on how you manage to rub everyone the wrong way when you're so nice," she remarked.
Shun grimaced. "I seem to have a penchant for it," he agreed solemnly.
"So… Syaoran doesn't know yet, then?"
Then Shun sighed heavily. "I don't think so… but he might be beginning to suspect, if his new attitude towards me is any indication."
He leaned on the railing next to Tiki, frowning at the sea. How had everything gone so downhill? Now was not the time for them to be fighting amongst themselves. It was bad enough that he and ZanYi failed to see eye-to-eye nowadays.
"…Syaoran asked me yesterday if there was anything going on between you and ZanYi," Tiki informed the giant waterbender. At his sharp look, she continued, "I told him there wasn't… but only because I believed I was telling him the truth. Now, I'm not so sure."
Shun sighed, the sound resonating deep from within him. It seemed as if he was giving everyone plenty of reasons to doubt him nowadays. "There is nothing going on between ZanYi and I," he assured the tiny airbender, almost laughing at the fact that he had uttered these words once before, but under different circumstances. Tiki remained serious as she surveyed him.
"I think you're going to have to tell Syaoran. He's already suspicious."
"He'll hate me," Shun denied, looking pained. Tiki deadpanned him an expression, the expression looking so out of place on her usually cheerful face.
"He'll hate you even more if he finds out you've been hiding your feelings from him," she pointed out, "and I can only cover for you for so long, Shun."
A corner of Shun's mouth turned down. Tiki had a point: Syaoran would be even angrier if he found out that Shun had been secretly pining after ZanYi as well, and it was not fair of him to ask Tiki to lie for him. Grumbling a little, Shun's gaze returned to Tiki.
"I'll tell him if I need to," he promised the tiny airbender, "but ZanYi will be leaving us soon, so it's a moot point right now."
Now it was Tiki's turn to sigh. Hopping down from the railing, Tiki gave him one last look and she paused to toss over her shoulder before disappearing downstairs, "Keep telling yourself that."
A/N from DJ: Phew! Okay, so I think we may have to change update day to Saturdays; work is making it harder for me to get my editing done by Fridays xP Now, hooray! We're onto Book Two: Air~ Now, this book is going to have a bit of a darker theme to it, hence the dark colors used for the cover despite Air being such a light element. I hope you all enjoy it, and it's time for our shout-outs from last week!
Batmanbane77: Wow! Just wow! It's almost like a full package! Thank-you for the Author Fave, Alert, Story Fave, and Story Alert. I assume you know this is the second book in the series, right? We didn't get to hear from you before, but I hope you enjoyed Book One: Fire! Let us know what you think of the chapters sometime, since by your standards we must be doing something right... right? xD
Hippycows: Thanks for the Favorite and Alert for Book One: Fire! That's awesome that you enjoyed it! If you made it here to read this, that means you know that Fire is completed, so I hope you keep on the lookout for Book Two: Air now!
That's all for this week! Also, I don't know if you regulars saw, but the first War vignette has been posted by us as a one-shot! I really hope you give it some love and support, because I just find these personal stories we'll be writing to be so important to these characters. If you have anything you want us to write for the next one-shot, give it a holler!
Until next weekend, see ya!