Ideal Bondings and Meetings

Feng was a diligent study under her. She explains slowly and with clarity so 'he'd pick up better than listening to a fast-talker'.

He had to learn how to be 'delicate' in preparation which was the most difficult part for him. 'Without a delicate touch, you'll do the domino effect of wrong steps! Try again! You must be patient.' she never yells at him, just sternly chiding him. 'Think of it like this, repeat after me: 'If I can't do even this, I won't be able to master this'.' she advised. 'Its lives on the line, Feng.'

'I'm too physically strong so I'll have to adjust myself a lot...' Feng croaked out, utterly frustrated that he keeps blundering by being strong. 'Being delicate in this way is so rough and I thought soft-martial arts is tough.'

'Well, this is tougher.' She Mei giggled. 'Think of the lives you carry if you'll feed them your cooking. Picture yourself as a dangerous balance of scales.' she reminded him. 'One wrong step, one side goes lower and lower until what it supports falls. Equivalent of a patient's death. So be gentle.'

'R-right...'

'Keep practicing and reflect on your mistakes because everyone learns from mistakes.' She Mei told him. 'You're very strong, so being Gentle and Soft is a new experience in a delicate art like Medicinal Cooking.' she said. 'By your muscles alone, you started on Hard Martial Arts first that involved a lot of smashing and breaking stuff...you're in for a loooong stay.' she said with an amused smile. 'If it helps, watch me cook and watch my hands carefully, then practice.'

That and she didn't mind him staying long, he's gorgeous!

Well Feng thought, he didn't mind staying long. Because he was getting stronger in her house. She was into a healthy diet that actually strengthens you, and a diet that can turn a fifties person into looking three decades LESS and being incredibly delicious despite the 'interesting medicinal taste' was a bonus. In fact, he now deceptively looked like a yet-to-be-twenty 'young man' due to her food and medicine and she herself didn't look past high school.

She had him meet Andromeda Tonks and her godson Teddy Lupin. He could NOT believe Andromeda was near-fifty yet she doesn't look like it!

'So uh...you're actually a grandmother?' Feng asked awkwardly. This woman looked too young to end her forties. Then again...She Mei just discovered the Fountain of Youth dammit...

'Yes, but She Mei sends me things in order to pass off as Teddy's mother in school but I'm his grandma.' said Andromeda. 'My daughter and her husband are murdered when Teddy was only three months old, eerily similar to how She Mei was orphaned the same was as also a three months old baby. The difference was home life that she left Teddy's upbringing to me in fear she'd mess him up.' she said sadly.

'She ended up with horrible relatives, knowing only abuse and castigation and no human rights.' Feng's eyes widened as he looked incensed. 'She doesn't know what love is. How can you love when you don't know and unable to understand love? Heck, she never had a crush on any boy and never understood when boys are making moves on her. She also finds if foreign that kids are shown love when she never was.' she said. 'And she learned all these things way too late in life she tends to have a meltdown, hence her loner lifestyle as a self-defense mechanism. So she left Teddy to me even though Dora and Remus trusted her as their son's godmother. She entrusted him to me as I knew love, she did not.'

'Oh...then if she didn't with an upbringing to match, how can she still smile and be kind?' he blurted incredulously.

'That's a mystery when normally...abused children grow wary, distrustful and hateful of adults...' said Andromeda, shaking her head. 'Or some just break and shatter apart emotionally and psychologically...but Feng...She Mei is broken but she was kind because of sheer dumb luck. That, and a lot of people close to her parents who should have helped her failed her. She had no one who did the right thing for her for years until her godfather broke out of prison to tell her the truth she should have known. But not even he could be the adult she needed being on the run until he was murdered.' she said in dismay. 'Perhaps its because she didn't want to cause pain to anyone just by being just like those disgusting excuses of humans called her relatives.' she scowled in disgust.

'...may I have the address?' Fon's eyes darkened and he spoke just as darkly.

She Mei was incredible.

She was kind, understanding, patient and nurturing, and wise. How the hell was someone like her be borne out of a horrible home life?

'Who knows if they still live there but I can give you names and Nationality incase they moved out.' said Andromeda. 'Dursley Family, Vernon, Petunia and Dudley. British. I'd have done something myself but Teddy and She Mei needs me, I can't go to jail.' she chuckled. 'You seem to care for She Mei.'

'W-well...' Feng looked awkward now, and he was unaware he was blushing and the older woman looked amused. 'She's my teacher and unlike teachers, she was extraordinarily patient and understanding aside from being a really nice person.'

'She's a miracle, that one...look after her for me.' said Andromeda. 'She's my only family left as a distant cousin and the only decent relative I have left and Teddy my only living proof I had a daughter.' she said somberly. 'Everyone's dead or the survivors are a real piece of work its best to just leave as suffering because of them just isn't worth it.' she stated cynically. 'Blood is thicker than water my foot, she and I are living proof that lousy families do exist. I ran away from mine as her godfather had but she was too broken to do the same. You can say she was...conditioned. She didn't know anything else until I sat her down, talked to her about how wrong everything was for her. Then her meltdown ensued...and some things happened she decided she's better off alone hating everybody. I'm the only one she speaks to now and we're all each other's got.'

Silence...

When the Tonks Family left, Feng could see She Mei enjoyed herself with the child. 'Have fun, She Mei?' he asked as when the Tonks' are really gone...She Mei shook. 'She Mei?'

'I-its my first time I saw him in years...' she stammered out, clearly shaken but PROUD OF HERSELF. 'H-he's now seven...I managed to babysit him without screwing up and making him cry somehow...but it still hurts...I keep seeing them in him...' her voice cracked horribly and trying hard NOT to cry.

In a bid to comfort his much-younger mentor, his flames latched onto hers in Harmony.

She Mei is a Sky and he didn't know. She also doesn't know as she did NOT detect the Harmony that happened because she was too immersed in her 'episode'.

Then again, she was a civilian, no involvement with Mafioso beyond selling her wares and her services to anybody and aware of flames. But! How is this possible?! She's a Cloud with Sun Secondary! And now a hidden Sky?

Maybe they need a hospital visit.

'She Mei? You're a Cloud and Sun, right?' he asked her anxiously.

'Yes, why? Everyone knows what I am.' She Mei pointed out.

'I got Harmony with you...perhaps somewhere buried you're a Sky but we should see the Mafia Hospital to be sure.' said Feng. 'So buried even I wouldn't know until I bonded with you.'

But really, she's a Sky he'd be glad to be with. She was a person he would gladly protect and care for.

'Huh?! Really?!' that, was clearly news to her. 'I-I didn't know. Not even Master knows!'

'Well, I didn't either to be fair until it happened.'

xxx

Mafia Hospital...

She Mei found herself strapped to equipment while flaring her Wave Energy and there were registers on the monitor.

'Its as Feng says.' said the Doctor. 'She Mei is a powerful Cloud with a Sun Secondary. These two flames somehow smothered the budding Sky with their strength and intensity and by the looks of things, its happened much of her life, but...why do you have so many broken bonds?'

'Eh?'

'Er, she's a civilian doctor, not involved with our society whatsoever.' Feng pointed out. 'She only knows flames as convenient medical tools for first aid before chucking customers to hospital for proper work. She has no idea of the rest of the details and its significant importance to us.' the doctor looked amused while face-palming. And Feng spoke in Italian, 'And she knows that while her customers are mostly Freelancers and Mafioso, not just Civilians, she has no idea that Mafia and Flames go hand in hand. She met many Flame Users and attempts to coax her are made but its like she doesn't even notice while her flames reject them without her aware of it. She's powerful that to her subconscious, they're insignificant.'

'Izzat right? Well, I'll explain little lady so sit tight.' the doctor sat down. 'You only know of flames as convenient tools.' he asked in a deadpan.

'Well, that's how my teacher in Chinese Medicine sees it...she didn't tell me anything more about it.' said She Mei.

Qiang Ren has Mafia Ties through the Triad despite being retired and She Mei's a civilian she saw potential in. Of course she wouldn't know via withheld information.

'Talk about irresponsible...' the doctor groaned. Well, he has to be patient as job requires. Worse, Feng's Sky is a Civilian. Utterly clueless. 'Let's start with Sky as its the most important element in the Elemental Board of Dying Will Flames and the parts nobody effing told you.' he said with an eye roll. 'The Sky Flame is the most important and precious...but sadly, taken for granted and even exploited for greedy purposes.' he scowled. Feng was of the same opinion it seems by the looks on his face, she thought. 'The Sky Flame gives Elemental Harmony. What I mean by that is that they're the core, so to speak. If a Guardian Flame bonds and Harmonizes with a Sky, two things happen and beneficial to both parties.' he said. 'A Sky's Sky Flame Attribute is Harmony. They balance and equalizes a Guardian's spiritual and flame wavelengths which is healthy beneficial. In return for the balanced-out flames that they bonded with, the Sky in turn gets stronger, gaining a boost of strength from a Guardian in order to make another connection, until that Sky has a completed family of Guardian Elements.'

'Once this happens, the empowered Sky whose flames are compatible with their guardians can now enable perfect Harmonization. They are basically the home, the heart of the team, and without a Sky, other Flames cannot exist. And for us Guardians, we feel that we 'came home'. We feel grounded, welcomed and embraced closely by someone who truly gave a damn about us.' said the doctor. 'We Guardians in turn will do anything to protect the Sky and the home it provides us.'

'However, in the recent era, due to what's happening lately and due to rules we can't break, let's just say the Skies in our society became despicable.' the doctor scowled. 'The are very few Skies in our society that are proper Skies and if Feng willingly accepted a bond, he must have known you were worth it. And it helps that you innocently have no idea...and now Feng's safe from other Skies and off the market now, so to speak.' he said.

'Uhm, what happens if anything happens to a Sky along with a dead Sky with harmonized Guardians?' She Mei glanced worriedly at Feng.

'Well, we'd be thrown out of whack.' said the doctor. 'Not pleasant that the poor sods who had their Skies killed are better off Mercy-Killed.' She Mei paled. 'Well, for Guardians who've had proper, healthy and intimately-familial bonds with their Skies that is. For Guardians who despise their Skies for being exploitative bastards in general, while it hurts a bit, they're OK and can freely look for their true Sky after putting up with the Sky that forcefully-bound them to themselves...but even then we have to act fast or be snared again. Its safe to describe it as being imprisoned against your will.' he said to She Mei's horror. 'Feng's one lucky bastard.'

'We'll go next to your issue She Mei...you're a Sky so utterly thrown out-of-whack. Disharmonized enough to manifest Cloud and Sun Flames. This happens due to a Sky's environment. I will not ask personal details unless you willingly tell me your life story but whatever hell happened to you turned you out like this that your Sky is clearly battered.' he shuddered while angry at what could have possibly happened. 'I've never met anyone like you and I've dealt with many flame active patients! Then there's those broken bonds you have...you have too many beyond standard six. Then again, you didn't know and didn't realize you have many Guardians and broken bonds, and you have several mild Sky Hazing even and from diagnostics, you've been hazed many times in your youth!' Feng's face was a picture of anger, his nostrils flaring in his rage.

'Sky Hazing?!' he cried in anger. Even worse, he has no idea who to kill for this one for revenge! He could only stew in his anger and watch over his Sky from now on.

'...ever heard of murders in the UK back in the late 90s?' She Mei asked while looking pained.

'That one, nobody'd forget...its all over the news but nobody knows who dunnit.' said the doctor. 'Why?'

'Everyone who gave a damn about me are all murdered and I barely survived.' said She Mei glumly. 'All that's left are people who were nothing to write home about. They only care for me because of the benefits I would be useful about. I'm the last of my family and we're rich. Heck, I even got a very lucrative job it seems my family's destined to be lucky with money...and I'm getting pressured into accepting engagements for my money under well-written reasons that emit a foul odor as I know full well they care more for money and family influence than me being a properly-married lady and giving me a good match with a man who actually would care for me. And my own so-called friends are into this too, have you any idea how that feels?' She Mei groused out.

'Friends I knew since I was a kid, betrayed me in the worst way possible for control of me and my money!' Feng and the doctor growled in utter hostility at her pained revelation. 'So I ditched the UK, took my fortune away and lived under an alias since. And incase I die, my godson is my heir. And unlike ladies like myself, due to goddamn politics and traditions for old money like myself, boys are more protected than girls. Teddy will never endure the bullshit I have.'

'There's that...UK is still clinging to tradition and all that rot. Heck, they still have a Royal Family around even though they can't dip into politics.' the doctor snorted. 'And deaths of loved ones aside, you suffered betrayals too. That explains the Cloud Development as Clouds by nature are usually er...fiercely-independent loners. They feel more comfortable being alone until they meet a Sky worthy of them as Clouds are notoriously difficult to court, being extremely territorial and very protective of said territory.' he said.

'From your tale, your territory is your very freedom itself because everyone else tried to shackle you down and marry you for your family money not because they love you. Your Cloud is incredibly powerful and to think you used to be a Sky Primary but now Cloud became your Primary after a major Elemental Transition through undesirable events...you're a shoo-in for the Book Records about this one because you're the first patient ever, Patient Zero to have this happen.' he cringed. 'This should never have happened to you, its horrible...but with Feng harmonizing with you, and you to and with him, your Sky might be able to start recovering now that you have a proper bond. And the more guardians, the better.' the doctor advised.

'Uhm, what about Feng? How does he feel being Harmonized with me? Does he even want it? He admitted it came without warning...w-we didn't know, its non-consensual!' She Mei fretted as the two men exchanged looks before Feng broke into a smile. Yup, this was one proper Sky.

'She Mei, as the doctor says, I'm a lucky bastard.' he smiled. 'You're a Sky we'd want. You're an ideal Sky we'd gladly have fought over for, protected and nurtured. You're a rare Sky an element would be doggone lucky to have and to think I lucked out because I wanted to be your student at Chinese Medicinal Cooking!' he exclaimed. 'You protected me, I'll protect you in turn.'

'And how?! I'm only your teacher! I've never done any protecting you, in fact, YOU'RE protecting ME from some of my not-so-decent customers!' She Mei squeaked incredulously as she doesn't recall protecting Feng or anything...their time together was mostly peaceful!

'She Mei, I'm currently the strongest Storm in the world.' Feng twitched. 'You have no idea how many Skies are trying to send feelers at me in a bid to coax my flames into accepting them. Naturally, my flames refused them since one, I don't like them as they're not worth my life for as I know their reputations. Second, they're weaker than me and third, all those feelers feel like numerous molesting hands, only, they molest more than my body!' he told her in utter vexation. 'Its just a step away from Sky Hazing.'

'I felt dirty, filthy for years because of them trying to snag me as a trophy Storm!' he told her unhappily before looking relieved. 'And then I met you...and my flames chose you and suddenly, all the cloying filth I endured are instantly washed away...I was cleansed by your Sky and it helps that you're a genuinely good person unaware of how flames truly work which means you're also innocent of the nasty truth and nasty world about the society the doctor and I are in. But unless you become a mafioso, we can't tell you or we'll get in trouble with the Law. You protected me through our Bond as Guardians can only have one Sky, not multiple.'

'So my biggest safety from your society is that I'm a civilian woman?'

'Yes!' both Feng and the doctor agreed on that one.

'Uhm...OK...' She Mei looked awkward. She won't press on. Its not like she didn't have secrets...in fact, she had several. Just like they do...and they appear to have that Statute of Secrecy as well.

'You'd do best to keep her safe Feng.' said the doctor with a small smile. 'Its rare to belong to a Sky truly worthy of Guardians now.'

'Yes doctor.' Feng smiled. 'She Mei is a Sky I'm glad to be bonded to. My flames chose her in a blink before I realized that.'

'Feng...' She Mei has no idea she's bright red right now in utter embarrassment. It was just too cute.

'Well, consultation is 200 Euros.' Feng paid up and happily led his Sky away. 'Plus 300 for the Protection Fee I'll have to enforce by reporting to the Law.'

'500? That's expensive!' She Mei sputtered when they're far enough from the clinic.

'Well, its a clinic about flames and this hospital is affiliated with our society and customers here normally have fat wallets.' Feng explained.

'500 Euros is usually how much I make in a day unless I get lucky in having customers for my patchwork...and its a consultation fee here?' She Mei shuddered. 'How appalling...'

Feng chuckled. He is sooo going to have fun with life from now on!

Life with his Sky was wonderful. Feng realized that with being motivated, he began picking up quickly on her lessons...and when he learned grace and delicacy in his movements, his martial arts improved as well. He also taught her Martial Arts suited for her body as she was a flexible, speed-based, not strength and stiff-based.

For her, Martial Arts will be like 'a dance'. She only knew Tai Chi as an exercise, not for the weapon it is, he had to correct her. And as she mastered Qigong...she had no idea how lethal she could be.

But in later time, Feng slowly courted her.

For all her kindness, She Mei has no self-worth, zero confidence as a woman and believed that she only had two people left in her life. She preferred being alone than used and exploited but its clear being alone pained her at the same time and was at her happiest when Andromeda and Teddy visits. And to this day, he doesn't know her real name yet. Not even Andromeda would tell him as She Mei's paranoia levels are high.

He cursed her relatives and those who made her the way she is he will not hesitate to end their lives if he had to.

Well, courting her is a battle in itself...she really, REALLY does not notice, and only appreciates him appreciating her and being kind to her that ironically enough, there were times, she was fine with him hugging and petting her head or at time, snuggling with him on a movie night. For all her being a good teacher, she has the social maturity...of an infant. Evident in the way she treats little Teddy, she was so awkward while trying her best. She was so innocent and cute in personality.

Has she no idea what a treasure she was?

Damn the people around her.

One day, when he was 31...they have a unique guest.

'Hello,' a gentleman in a white suit with an iron mask came. 'Is Feng here young lady?'

'He just accepted a job from his family sir.' said She Mei. 'He left twenty minutes ago, you just missed him. He'll be back next month.'

'Oh dear, is that so? Then can you give this to him when he returns?' he asked, giving her an envelope. 'Its a job request.'

'OK. Its up to him though.'

'Actually, that letter is for you too, you should read it.'

'Eh...?' She Mei blinked owlishly as the man bid her farewell. "...I'll wait for Feng to come back so we can read it together." she thought as she put the envelope away...but a ton of orders came from COMSUBIN as usual and her workload made her forget about it.

Thus when X day came, she and Feng never came, prompting Luce to get everyone to pick up their...late friends.

'...I know this shop...this is where we get our required Training meds just to get results faster.' Lal commented. 'So She Mei is our Cloud?'

'Yes. She and our Storm guy are currently overloaded...its just them working together.' Luce giggled. 'They must have forgotten we're hired together by our client.'

'Muu, I can't believe we have to come and get them.' Viper complained. The shop was an interesting sight however...so many shelves of labeled plant and animal parts and minerals, some dried things even within nets hanging from the ceiling.

Inside, was a label rush and piles of carton boxes...

'Feng, She Mei, you clearly forgot about today.' Renato Sinclair informed the pair. Somehow, Feng looks too young for his age and are they working with a kid?! Sure he knows of the shop but nobody knows She Mei's age and she's young-looking for years now. As for Feng, he knows the man's age from files but he sure looked younger than he should!

'Huh? What about today?' they both asked. The other five exchanged deadpan and amused looks.

'Oh, are you from COMSUBIN?' She Mei asked Lal who was clearly in uniform. 'I know we're a bit late in shipment but the idiots responsible for delivering the jars and bottles we needed are late! They only arrived yesterday so we've been swamped with filling up our bottles! We can ship it by tonight!'

'Er, alright.' Lal sweatdropped.

'You mean its just you two in here? Why not hire more employees?' Luce asked her.

'Er, her recipes require delicacy and patience in handling during production, otherwise, careless mistakes would ruin and waste it.' said Feng. 'We can't hire just anyone who is clearly not capable of delicate prep work and doesn't have the patience of a saint in this job. We're often swamped.' he said sheepishly. 'We apologize but until we're done labeling and packaging, we'll really be late. Some things just can't be helped. It doesn't help that the Training Academy of COMSUBIN treats our wares like drinking water they run out real quick.'

'Well, shall we help them out guys?' Luce suggested. 'The medicine is done brewing, they only need fill and label it.'

'We're really doing this?' Verde raised an eyebrow.

'Well, we have to because there's no telling when we'll receive a job from our client...'

'I expect to be paid for this, I don't work for free.' Viper drawled blandly.

'Don't worry, I'll pay you guys.' She Mei smiled. 'We just need this shipment done and over with.' she promptly assigned the others to which and what to do.

When all was done, She Mei treated them out to home cooking.

Of course, like Feng, they all felt its whirlwind effects on their bodies.

Its like lethargy was banished from their bodies after finishing their meal.

'...what is this? An energy-boost food?' Verde inquired, interested.

'Its Chinese Medicinal Cooking I invented after a period of sleepless research nights.' She Mei smiled. 'Feng is my only apprentice in my art. Of course, due to its nature, the only ever oil in it are natural oils from foodstuff.'

'...how old are you?' Luce asked. Everything about the Cloud, was a mystery.

'I'm four years younger than Feng.'

'...what.' came the flat, but incredulous answer from the others.

'B-but...but...' Luce squeaked at the obvious next words.

'I look like a high schooler as Feng says, right?' She Mei giggled, clearly enjoying herself with their expressions.

'She Mei enjoys messing with people about her age.' Feng stated, amused. 'She's 29 this year.'

'29?!'

She Mei is the youngest in their group.

But their ridiculously youthfulness is a mystery still, they thought.