Sibling Rivalry

Chapter 19 REWRITE

The discussion with her parents had gone smoother than she thought it would, though, it probably also had to do with other factors such as her brother's easy way with words and the fact she had displaced several of the resident's homes just from her anxiety alone. She made it up to them as best as she could though. She molded the earth around her to make them new homes. They would have to refurnish and make new memories but their residents had homes and dwellings to call their own once more.

When speaking with her parents, it was strictly a family only conversation, with the Five away from the family's matters at hand. At first, Po had led the conversation saying that Lily would not be taking over in six months on her eighteenth birthday nor would she be getting married. At first, her mother protested but Po didn't let her get too far with them before letting his sister express her desires. She did want to become chief and lead the village that raised her and protected her but that she wasn't ready yet to take on the title of chief. Her father had given her a concerning look of his own that made her feel guilty for asking him of this. No, notifying him of this change in plans. After some deliberation, her parents had finally relented. Though, not without some concerns of their own.

"Where will you go? Do you really expect to go off without letting us know where you are? What if you leave and we never see you again?" Her mother had demanded. Before Lily could argue, Po stepped in.

"She'll stay with me."

"What?"

"Lily will stay with me in the Valley of Peace until she's ready to go off and see more."

"Why can't she stay with you the entire time?"

"I'm the Dragon Warrior. I will have to go off on missions from time to time. Saving China is a part of my job description."

"She should be with someone at all times!"

"Mom, I'm not a child!" Lily fumed.

"She will be. As long as she's in the Valley of Peace, she can stay with my dad in his noodle shop or she can stay in the Jade Palace with the other masters and I. When we're away, she will be with Master Shifu."

"How about when she decides to leave the Valley of Peace?"

"By the time she decides to leave the Valley of Peace, she will have the tools and skills needed to navigate on her own."

"What if she gets in trouble?"

"Again, she will have the skills needed to get herself out of trouble. Whatever mess she finds herself in, she will manage to get herself out. The Furious Five and I will make sure of it. We will teach her everything she needs to know to be on her own outside of Pandania. You have my word."

Their father agreed with the arrangement, their mother dissented, but begrudgingly agreed to let Lily leave so long as she was with her brother for the next few to several months at least.

That evening, Po found Lily sitting on the roof looking out over the small refuge, noticing her tense expression.

"Nervous about leaving?"

"No." He gave her a look.

"I'm not nervous about leaving. Really. I just..I'm elated I'm finally going to be beyond these mountains for once in my life. I'm also disappointed that Mom isn't happy for me. She just doesn't get me. Why, why can't she be happy for me?" Lily seethed.

"She's just worried." Lily gave him a look of her own.

"Mom has spent twenty-some years longing to be safe, especially when Dad and her were separated after Shen's attack. She's spent your entire life making sure she doesn't lose you. She worries because she doesn't want everything to happen all over again. Besides, it takes time to move through these things."

"How much time?"

"Time. It took time for my dad to come to terms with me as the Dragon Warrior. To this day, he still doesn't want me to go off on missions and face very real, very possible danger. It took time for him, it will take time for Mom to come to terms with this. It won't be easy. It won't be overnight. It will just take time." The young sow huffed at this.

"Time needs to move faster." The boar smiled at this.

"It will. It always does."

The following night, Lily went to the lake in the south, waiting. After some time, a young boar joined her.
"Hey," Zulan greeted.

"Hey," Lily acknowledged.

"I heard your folks are letting you go to the Valley of Peace with your brother. Are you excited?" She smiled genuinely.

"I am. I really am." A pause stretched between them before the young sow broke it. "I have a question." He waited for her, sending her nervousness and reluctance. "Who am I to you?" He shifted to face her directly.

"You are Verdana, Lily. You are my best friend."

"..Just your best friend?" It was his turn to pause. "I know you put in an offer with the Matchmaker. I broke down after we met with her..my folks picked you." He opened his mouth, only to close it. "Were you ever my real friend? Or did you just decide to be my friend hoping to be with the next chief or be the next chief?"

"You are genuinely my best friend Lily. No, I never decided to be your friend to try and sneak my way onto the council."

"Why should I believe you? You didn't even talk to me about it. If you were my best friend, why didn't you talk to me before putting in an offer with the matchmaker?"

"It wasn't a ruse. You are my closest friend. Over the past few months, I heard the arrogant whispers of boars who were going to the Matchmaker with their families, making immense offers for your hand, haughtily talking about how they were be the next chief, their lines would have the next heir, and worse yet," he swallowed and looked away with disgust for a moment before speaking, "how they saw you as an object, a prize, a vessel for their carnal desires. I couldn't even think of you spending your life with boars so selfish. So I threw in my offer, thinking that you'd see my name and we'd just talk. I didn't put my name into the matchmaking ring to try to wrangle you into a marriage. I put in the offer so you wouldn't feel cornered and take an offer from a selfish and haughty man who didn't deserve you or the position beside you. I understand what being chief means to you. I never wanted to make you feel trapped or cornered. I always thought we'd have a conversation. I went about this all wrong. I should've just talked with you from the start. I'm so sorry Lily."

The silence stretched into several minutes as Zulan waited for her to respond.

"You should've talked to me first."

"You're right. I should have."

"I already knew what many of them think of me. As a means to get power. As a way for their cubs and eventually them to gain influence. I'm not a fool."

"I never said you were."

"My mom was so pleased you were in the list of interested suitors."

"Your mom was pleased you had suitors." She gave him a look, yet she knew he was right.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked, looking out at the dark lake.

"We..choose to be honest with the other. No matter what."

"That sounds like a big ask."

"You've always been honest with me," he reminded her.

"You chose not to be," she countered.

"Once." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Though it was a pretty big 'once.'" He reached his paw out, turning her face to look at him, taking one of her paws in his.

"I, Tung, Zulan, promise to be completely honest with you Verdana, Lily. I vow to be a true friend to you by never keeping the truth from you, even by omission. I offer my honesty and my loyalty to you. On my honor, this promise is mine to bear, from this moment forward."

"I, Verdana, Lily, promise to always be honest with you, even when it hurts. I vow to be authentic and truthful with you from this moment forward. I, too, offer my honesty and loyalty to you. On my honor, this vow is mine to bear, from this day on."

Zulan smirked at her. "Your honor? That isn't worth much, I hear." Immediately, she struck his shoulder. "Ow!"

"Try again."

"My best friend is a very honorable noble lady," he said, rubbing his shoulder. She laughed.

"Damn straight."