Hello all, it's been a while hasn't it? I apologize for the extended hiatus, and I really don't have an excuse other than being lazy and not trying to find time for writing. I would like to thank everyone for reviewing, and those who have stayed loyal to me throughout regardless of my lack of delivery. On side note, I got some really sweet private messages that really inspired me to start writing again, so thank you to all of those who sent me anything like that. Anyway, enjoy, and as always leave a review with any critiques or whatever you want to say. Thanks.
Zed awoke from a night filled with tossing and turning, a thin film of sweat covering his form. Something about the ominous silence that filled his and Shen's room during the night gave the boy an uneasy feeling. Zed let his eyes lazily drift over in the direction of Shen's bed which, to his delight, was empty. With an elongated yawn and quick stretch, the ninja was out of his bed.
The dreaded thought of his training clouded Zed's mind as he sluggishly made his way to the shower. A loud hiss of water filled the bathroom as Zed stripped himself and stepped into the flowing stream of water. The boy welcomed the warm feeling, as well as the distraction from his loathe filled mind. Zed let his hand rest on the stone wall in front of him; the liquid streams flowing down his body reminded the boy of his life before the Kinkou. Zed snapped back into reality, leaving behind the memories of his past experiences. The last drops of water hit the ground as Zed stepped outside of the shower and into the cold air. He grabbed a towel hanging to his right and quickly dried himself off before wrapping the fabric around his lower half.
Back in his room, Zed let his towel drop to the floor and quickly dressed himself in the black garb provided after his initiation. Zed began making his way to the training facility where he would no doubt encounter Shen. The boy noted the overlying emptiness throughout the compound as he traversed the halls. Eventually, Zed was standing before the facility; the sliding doors in front of him signified the point of no return. Zed could not consider the option to back down; the very thought of Shen's monotone voice questioning his lack of presence seemed a punishment most brutal. Without any further hesitation, Zed split the two doors, treading into Shen's domain.
To Zed's surprise, Shen was not deeply engaged in his training as he would have usually been; rather he was sitting in a meditative state near the middle of the room. Zed examined Shen carefully, making sure not to let his guard down even though the situation seemed so pacifistic in nature. If there was anything Zed could take from his short time at the complex, it was that he should never underestimate his situation; when everything seems right, something is bound to go wrong. Shen remained in his docile state, showing little to no acknowledgment of Zed's presence at all. Minutes passed, yet neither boy spoke a word. The day had only just begun, and Zed was already at his breaking point; his anger was present but he had no way to release it. The boy turned to door behind him in a fit of rage, about to make his exit before a familiar voice finally rang out.
"You have some… emotional stress, correct?" Shen questioned. Zed was taken aback by Shen's accusation.
"What the hell would you know about emotions…?" Zed muttered. Shen's blank stare shifted toward Zed, and it almost appeared as if Shen was attempting to examine his roommate. Zed felt a shiver of displeasure as Shen's heavy gaze weighed down upon him as if he were Atlas, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"The trained eye can see things beyond the physical form." Shen spoke softly as to not anger Zed further.
"I don't know what trick you're trying to pull, but it won't work." Zed replied in an annoyed tone. Shen finally stood from his seated state and let his gaze meet that of Zed's.
"Tricks are not my specialty, I assure you. I only worry that your demons have begun to impede upon your progress in the Kinkou." Zed could not shake the feeling that Shen's words were sincere, and this only served to further provoke him. When it became clear that Zed had no intention of forming a response, Shen once again spoke up.
"You did not come here to talk I assume? Then let us begin." With that, Shen sprang forward and threw a punch aimed for Zed's torso. The sudden actions of his counterpart caught Zed off guard, and thus the boy was barely able to catch Shen's fist milliseconds before it connected. Without hesitation, Shen attempted to sweep Zed's legs out from under him, which was narrowly avoided by a timely jump. Zed let go of Shen's fist and made an attempt at a counterattack, aiming a quick jab for the other boy's jaw; Shen gripped Zed's arm as it became fully extended and with surprising strength flipped him over so that his back was slammed against the wooden floor. Zed gasped in pain and gritted his teeth before swiftly rolling backwards away from Shen.
"You've gotten better, but your mechanics are still sloppy." Shen remarked as Zed got back on his feet.
"Quit lecturing, and show me what you've got!" Zed yelled, his voice echoing throughout the large room.
"If you insist." Shen retorted. This time it was Zed who began to charge towards Shen, the black-haired boy threw out a barrage of punches with no particular target. Shen instantly noticed that Zed's fighting style had become far more sporadic than previously. The punches were unpredictable, but held no conviction, making them close to ineffective. Realizing that his fists were proving useless, Zed used the last of his energy on a powerful kick to Shen's left side; Shen raised his arm to block the kick, he managed to catch Zed's leg, yet he couldn't help but notice the immense amount of power behind the blow. Realizing that the situation was escalating far beyond that of a normal sparring session, Shen knew he would have to end their battle in that moment. Using Zed's awkward positioning to his advantage, Shen maneuvered his way behind his clansman and locked his arm firmly around Zed's neck. Zed gasped for air, and tried to pry the crushing weight of Shen's arm off of esophagus, but to no avail.
"Once you let anger dictate your actions, you've already lost." The words were the last thing Zed heard before a veil of darkness enveloped the world around him and all consciousness was lost.
Zed could hear the faint bickering of voices surrounding him, but he was unable to make out the words. The world appeared blurry for the moment, yet he knew the area was familiar. The softness beneath him provided some comfort in his confused state, and before long the situation became clearer.
"And that's another thing! How many times have I told you to stop being so serious about training?!" A feminine voice filled the small room.
"Hey! I think he's waking up." A deeper, male voice followed. Zed, now fully aware, turned his head to the right to see Hizashi and Akali standing by his bedside. The boy rubbed his strained eyes, and looked back at the two.
"Hey, Zed, are you feeling alright?"Akali spoke quietly.
"I'm fine…" Zed replied. "How long have you both been here?"
"Only an hour or so, we only recently returned from a mission or we would have been here sooner." Akali assured the boy. Zed sat up in his bed and turned his body towards the two. He noticed Shen behind them lying in his bed.
"What exactly happened to me?" He questioned.
"Well…" Akali began.
"Shen totally choked you out, dude!" Hizashi blurted out, earning him a light punch in the arm from Akali. There was a silence in the room for a few moments as Zed gathered his thoughts.
"How did your mission go?" Zed inquired, deciding to change the subject.
"It was a piece of cake, almost too easy." Hizashi stated proudly. Akali could only roll her eyes at his cockiness.
"Will you be okay for the night?" Akali asked in a more serious tone than before.
"I'm fine…" Zed replied softly.
"Tomorrow is our day off, so we'll be back to visit when you're feeling better." Akali said. Hizashi put his hand on Akali's shoulder.
"We'd better get going, it's almost past curfew." He said, turning towards the exit.
"I'll be out in a moment." Akali replied as Hizashi left the room. She turned back to Zed, and without hesitation, kissed him on the cheek. Zed tried to hide the blush forming on his face, but the shock proved too overwhelming. Akali quickly stood up and walked to the door, turning to Shen's side of the room.
"We're going to have a long talk about this tomorrow." With that she left the room, shutting the door behind her. Shen sighed in what seemed like annoyance.
"Go back to sleep now." Shen said in a very monotone voice. The lights flickered out, and darkness fell upon Zed once again, only this time, he couldn't be more content with the situation.