FicWad

"I hear he can bend blood," the first soldier noted as he followed behind the general.

"I heard he can bend lightning, a friend of mine says he saw him do it," the other stared nervously ahead.

"The release of lightning is an advanced technique of firebending," Seung corrected as he continued forward, glancing up from under the hat Xiu had made him. He had been listening to the two exchange rumors of the Demon since they had left the encampment.

"Maybe he's a firebender then," he shrugged in retort.

"No, the Demon isn't a bender of any sort," it was not the first time he had mentioned this to the two.

His report to the other generals had been successful, his victory in the valley increasing his reputation among them. Seung had little interest in this, taking deeper satisfaction in most of his men returning alive.

It had been agreed unanimously that Kano would most likely return to the valley to complete his raid of Bai-Jing, the admiral renowned for never resigning from a task until he personally felt it had been fulfilled. For that reason, Seung was assigned to remain in Bai-Jing. Small units from other Earth Kingdom units would be dispatched to replace those who had fallen.

He had visited the Earth Kingdom encampment to inform the men of his return, meeting with belated celebration of their victory over the Fire Nation. The general announced his intention to return to the temple, his men demanding that he select a small group to escort him. He assured them he would be fine, but they would permit no argument. They would not have their hero traveling alone to face the Demon, no matter the circumstances.

The result was Seung dismissing rumor after rumor concerning the Demon's capabilities.

"Maybe he can bend your mind, you know, make you think he's not a bender," the first soldier gasped slightly at the theory, a fear gripping him.

"What if he's bending our minds to make us think he helped against Kano?"

"Come on now, mindbending? It's impossible; you're getting overexcited."

"Sorry sir; just nervous."

"Yeah, I just hope the priests are alright," the second said as the temple came within view.

"I'm sure they're fine," Seung smiled as he glanced back towards him. "I've exchanged words with the Demon; I doubt he would cause them any trouble while recuperating."

The two soldiers came to a halt, their eyes going wide.

The second lifted a finger, pointing towards the temple courtyard. "Uh...Sir?"

"Hmm?" Seung turned to face the courtyard, observing what lay before him. The priests were working diligently to sweep what debris remained of what was once part of the temple interior's wall. A small patch of blood had soaked into the courtyard ground, three Fire Nation rhinoceroses drinking from pails.

"Told you he could bend blood," the first soldier leaned towards the second as he whispered, observing the small bit of it that stained the ground.

The general sighed.




"I know a shortcut," she mocked as she repeated the words, glaring as she stood knee deep in mud.

"Shut up," Shui muttered as he continued trudging through the swamp.

"It'll cut the travel time in half at least," she stressed the word "least" as she continued.

"I get it," he growled as he drew out his axe, hacking through some thick brush.

"Do you even know where we are?" she tugged at Kyo and Ryo's reins, trying to hush them as they squawked in protest at the terrain.

"At least I have us going in the right direction!" he snapped as he pressed forward.

"You don't even know that," she said quietly, her pride still sensitive from the earlier mishap.

"Look," he sighed as he turned towards her, a distance of muck separating them. "I'll admit it; we're a little lost. But we're only going to get more lost if we keep arguing with each other." His voice had a tone of aggravation to it.

"...I agree," she admit stubbornly, calming Kyo and Ryo as they squawked again.

"Fine, good, now let's go." Grumbling, he continued hacking forward with the axe, hoping the discussion would save him from her reminding him of his mistake.

"So," she trailed off, realizing she had little to speak about with Shui outside of arguing. "...You're in the Fire Nation army?" It was all she could think of to make conversation with.

"Maybe," he answered quietly. It was something that had been on his mind frequently as of late.

"What do you mean?"

"I was a messenger for the army, until I got caught near Bai-Jing. One of the soldiers there released me and told me to go straight back to the Fire Nation."

"That was kind of him," she observed as she sank a little deeper into the mud, frowning as she drew her leg out of the sinkhole.

"On the way back to the Fire Nation, I kept wondering whether I would go back to being a soldier or not," he stared forward, absentmindedly cutting through plants as he carried on. "An Earth Kingdom soldier had my life in his hands, and he let me live."

She listened as she stepped up onto a large tree root in attempt to avoid further sinkholes.

"Is it honorable to take that gift and come back at them as an enemy?" The question had been sounding within him since his release.

"Nope," she answered simply, as if the question required no consideration.

He glanced back towards her, his eyes curious as to how she came to the conclusion so fast.

"If you fall down and someone offers you their hand, it's okay to refuse them. If you want to get up on your own, I mean." She stepped down onto some moss, trying to stay atop it to avoid further mud. "But if someone offers you their hand and you try to hurt them for it; then you don't deserve to get back up."

"...Hmm," he considered the words carefully as he continued forward, tossing aside a dead branch.

"That's why I won't forgive the Fire Nation," she declared defiantly. "Lord Chao, lord Bo and big sister Wen tried to help. So they killed and exiled them!"

"Is that why you're trying to find her?"

"Kind of. When I was little, big sister Wen would come and play with me, and check on me when I was sick. So I want to check on her."

"I see," he smiled slightly, for the first time suspecting that Li Mei was not a pushy brat.

"Hey, light! There's a way out after all!" She smiled cheerily as she pointed towards the edge of the swamp, now in sight.

Shui narrowed his eyes, grumbling as he denied his brief suspicion about her. He continued hacking forward, stepping out of the mud and into the sunlight.

Kyo and Ryo cawed excitedly, becoming restless at the feel of solid ground beneath them.

Li Mei laughed, petting their necks before mounting Ryo.

"Well?" she looked towards him.

He turned his attention from the river to the girl, curiously.

"Are you ready to go?"

Shui paused for a moment, nodding as he prepared to hoist himself up onto the ostrich horse. He looked out towards the river, his eyes going wide as something caught his attention.

"What's that?" Li Mei squinted, raising her hand above her eyes to shield from the sun.

He glared as the familiar waterbender's raft traveled calmly down the river.




The three bandits kneeled before them, their wrists and ankles bound.

"Where did you come across the rhinoceroses?" Seung asked calmly.

"Like we'd ever tell you, scu..." Monta started, glaring up towards the general.

"We found them dazed following a nearby battle. We attached extra straps to them so they would be easier to ride without having to tame them," the second interrupted.

"Yeah, then we put blinders on them so they wouldn't freak out on us. Or, y'know. Freak out less on us," the third continued.

"Shut up," Monta commanded loudly.

"No; we were defeated and apprehended. Honor dictates that we cooperate."

"Yeah, the Gouishi name's already suffered enough, let's just cooperate."

"Traitors," their leader grumbled.

"I find it interesting that someone who steals from the Fire Nation and takes a priest hostage feels they have the right to call someone else 'traitor'," Seung narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Good point," the third observed.

"Mind your own business," Monta spit at Seung's feet, glaring defiantly. He fell back to the ground, squirming slightly as a ball of fire washed against the ground before him.

"Getting' tired of your tongue," Gang grunted as he stepped up, not having much patience for the one who had ordered his lady's death.

The bandit brought himself back to his knees, still gazing towards the Earth Kingdom soldiers and firebender with hatred.

"Invading this temple, attacking a noble and friend of mine, taking a priest hostage...Is there anything else I should know about?" Seung glanced down at the two who had cooperated earlier.

"Well...Wait," the third started, glancing towards the second. "Does stealing the rhinoceroses count?"

"Yes, it was stealing."

"But they belonged to the Fire Nation. Is it still stealing if we take from them?"

"It's a violation of honor," the second winced slightly as he turned, the tear in his face still fresh.

"I know that, but I'm asking if it's any different since it didn't belong to the Earth Kingdom."

"Good question," one of the soldiers mentioned to the other.

"Okay, yeah. We also stole the rhinoceroses. That counts, right?" the third looked towards Seung.

"I suspect it does, since your intention was to use them against other citizens of the Earth Kingdom," the general wagered a guess.

"I told you," the second glanced towards his associate.

"Both of you shut up," Monta hissed.

"Were there any other crimes?" Seung interrupted the discussion, hoping to bring it back to point.

"There was one," Gang said quietly as he stepped beside Seung.

"Hmm?" he turned quietly as Gang nodded his head towards the temple interior. Turning, he caught a glimpse of Xiu as she peeked out from behind the wall, blushing as he recognized her.

Her face went red as she pulled away, disappearing behind the wall. As she did, Seung caught a glimpse of the side of her face, where a cut and bruise had been imprinted.

He continued staring in her direction, his tone becoming stern yet quiet. "Who struck her?"

"The one with the foul mouth," Gang glared at Monta.

"What? The servant girl? Yeah, I hit her, so wha..." He was unable to finish the sentence, a pillar of earth rising up from the ground and slamming him in the stomach before sinking back into the courtyard.

Seung turned slowly, his eyes having a wide ferocity to them as he stared down at the bandit.

"What was...That...Fo..." Monta was launched into the air as another pillar of earth shot up into his jaw, knocking him onto his back.

The general lowered his hand as the pillar descended back into the earth.

Gang grinned, enjoying the sight of the bandit getting that which he had earned.

Monta growled lowly, looking up as four walls of earth shot up around him, locking him within a pyramid.

The two bandits stared nervously as Seung turned towards them.

"Stand them up."

The soldiers hoisted the two to their feet, the general facing towards them as his face still showed signs of anger.

"Cut them loose," he ordered calmly.

"Huh?" the third asked as he felt the rope behind him fall to the ground. He rubbed his wrists, staring at Seung with confusion.

"I do not understand," the second stood calmly.

"You kept mentioning honor," Seung looked towards the pyramid encasing Monta. "But you were in a position where your commander didn't value such."

"Yes," he nodded, wondering how the general was able to so accurately describe the situation after such a short period of observation.

"I understand the difficulty of that particular situation," he smiled softly as he considered the changes in ethics and morale the unit had seen since Dak-Ho's replacement.

"...So, wait...Where do we go from here?" the third looked towards his partner.

"To restore honor to the Gouishi name." His response was automatic, needing no time to consider.

"The next time we meet," the young general started, "I hope that it will be under better circumstances."

"I assure you it will be," he bowed deeply towards him, understanding the debt owed.

The third followed suit, bowing towards the general thankfully.

"Now, I ask that you go hide."

"Yes, sir." The second bowed again before making his way to the temple interior, hiding behind a wall as his associate followed after.

"Good call," Gang nodded in approval as he folded his arms.

"Thank you," he nodded as he took a stance, motioning his hands quickly as the walls of the pyramid disappeared into the ground. His expression was still serious and focused, an underlying anger filling his face.

"What's going on?" Monta glared up at the general, looking around for his associates.

"The village of Bai-Jing rests near here, in the Kun valley," he began explaining as he glared with disdain towards the bandit. "The woman you attacked yesterday lives within its walls, as well as this firebender," he glanced towards Gang.

Gang grinned sadistically towards Monta, attempting to intimidate as he launched a shot of fire into the air.

"It is due only to the unnatural kindness of the woman you attacked that he has not made every effort to destroy you. And from what I am told," the general continued as he lowered himself to be eye level with the bandit, "the Demon lives near there. There is a small prison in Bai-Jing. I trust you will cooperate upon being delivered?"

Monta whimpered as he recalled the towering monster, tears of fear forming in his eyes as he tried to squirm away from the general.

"Our fearless leader," the third bandit muttered from behind the wall, able to hear Monta whimper from his hiding place.

"Ssh," the second hushed.

"On a more personal note," Seung brought his hand to Monta's collar, gripping it as he pulled him close. "Should you ever lay a hand on another woman, I will find you. And any wretched fate you can imagine, I will surpass." He released Monta as he turned away, passing the two soldiers. "Please take him to Bai-Jing."

The soldier nodded, glaring towards the bandit as they lifted him, carrying him out the main temple gate.

"That was pretty impressive," Gang complimented, grinning.

"I feel I was too harsh," Seung watched as the two soldiers disappeared into the forest, Monta in tow.

"Nah, I'm surprised you didn't go farther, seeing as how he hurt your girlfriend."

Seung's eyes went wide as he almost tripped, his face taking on a sudden and intense warmth. "She's...I..."

Gang laughed boisterously as he smacked Seung's back, making his way to the temple interior.

"Why's his face so red?" the third asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why do you insist on asking me questions I have little chance of answering?"

"Force of habit," he shrugged. "So...What do we do now? I mean, what's the first honorable thing we should do?"

"Hmm," the second glanced towards the broken wall, smiling slightly. "We should repair that which we have broken."

The third blinked, then looked towards the wall. A smile crept over his face. "Yeah."




"You again!" Shui yelled out towards the raft, Li Mei chasing after Kyo as he began splashing about in the water.

"Hmm?" Yakone opened an eye, looking up towards the cloud. He glanced towards the riverbank with apathy.

Shui stood with a look of anger, the incident in the market still fresh in his mind.

The old man sat on the opposite side of the raft, admiring the other side of the river as he ignored the calling.

"Oh, hey! It's stinkbreath! How's it goin'?" the young waterbender yawned as he looked back to the sky, ignoring the disturbance.

"Don't ignore me! What are you even doing here!?"

"I don't know," Yakone smirked, shrugging as he lifted a hand, pointing to the river. "Saw a river, figured I'd stick to it. Helps me avoid swamps," he grinned.

Shui glared, spotting the verbal jab immediately. "If you're going to say something, say it to my face!"

Li Mei groaned as she pulled Kyo's reins, lifting her hands to shield herself as he shook wildly to dry. She sighed, now up to her knees in drying mud and soaked with river water.

"Why would I? You're ugly and have bad breath, I'm safer here," Yakone grinned, sensing he had the better of him.

He clenched his teeth as he walked along the river, keeping up with the raft as he placed a hand on the butt of his axe.

"I mean, not like that'd help you against me. I'd still take you without breaking a swe..." his sentence was cut off as he heard a sudden thwacking noise. He glanced up, an axe lodged into the edge of the raft near his feet. Raising an eyebrow, he looked towards the upstart. "See, now that was just stupid. Now you've got nothin' to fight me with."

"Come here and find out," he glared.

Yakone propped himself up on his elbows, studying the Earth Kingdom dork walking along the riverbank. Smirking, he stood up as he took the axe out of the edge of the raft.

"Alright, but you're gonna want this," he tossed it to the ground near him, glancing back towards the other passenger. "Hey old man, I'll be back in a bit."

"Hmm," Bo muttered as he dipped his hand into the river, sipping from it.

Li Mei tried shaking off some of the mud, grumbling as she found the strategy completely ineffective. Taking an empty sack of feed, she began wiping off some of the dirt and river water, grabbing the ostrich horses' reins before looking around for Shui.

Shui grasped the handle of the axe, tossing it behind him as the jerk waterbender stood up from the river, shaking his hair dry.

"What, no axe? Oh c'mon!" Yakone protested, folding his arms. "It's gonna be like fighting a koalter!"

"Shut up and fight me, unless you're afraid," Shui took a stance, his body tense.

"Fine, your loss. You'd better be good at bending," Yakone smirked as he shrugged, stepping back into a stance.

The two stood opposite each other for awhile, the raft passing calmly as Li Mei approached from the edge of the swamp. A fish leapt to the sky, diving back into the water with a heavy splash.

Yakone twisted his body around, his hands moving gracefully as a long whip of water shot up from the river, arching around his body as it stabbed towards the upstart.

Shui stepped in, dodging the whip before lashing his arm out. He cut it in half, the section closest to him falling to the ground as he jumped forward, kicking his leg out.

The waterbender bent backwards, taken off guard by his speed. Waving his hands in a fluid motion, the water twisted around Shui, spinning him towards the ground.

Slamming a hand into the ground, he felt his wrist strain as he spun out, sweeping his leg behind the jerk's ankle, taking his feet out from under him.

He laughed as he hit the ground, bringing a hand up over his eyes.

"What's so funny?" Shui stood, stepping back as he took another stance.

"You! You're so serious," he wiped away a tear as he continued laughing. "You're all into it when you don't have a chance!"

"From where I'm standing, you're the one losing," he narrowed his eyes.

"That's because you're an idiot," Yakone shrugged.

Shui clenched his teeth again, his body tensing.

"You don't fight a waterbender next to a large body of water," he grinned as he lifted his hands, pulling them forward.

The firebender felt a sudden shadow fall over him, turning as he witnessed a wave emerge from the river, knocking him to the ground as it washed over him.

"Idiot," Yakone continued laughing as he stood, tilting his head as he inserted a pinky into his ear, expelling some water from it.

He spit some water as he sat up, glaring hatefully towards the waterbender.

"But seriously, what made you think you could possib...Wait, what?" an eyebrow rose as he studied his opponent curiously. "Why're you steaming?"

Shui began screaming, his pitch rising as he stood, his muscles tensing as a ball of fire erupted from his fist, followed by a wave of flame from a kick.

Yakone dove back, his hands frantically throwing a splash of water up into the flames, throwing another up as he brought his arm to his eyes, the blaze missing barely.

"Now who doesn't have a chance?" Shui stood glaring over the waterbender, the remaining water becoming steam, rising quickly to the air.

"You just caught me off guard," he sneered, standing quickly. "I didn't know you were a firebender."

He answered by stepping back into a stance, his glare still strong as the steam continued rising from his skin.

The waterbender stepped back, already manipulating a nearby puddle as another whip rose up, curling around him slowly.

There was an ominous silence between them, the air still.

"Y'know," Yakone smirked. "Now that I know you're a firebender, I'm not gonna hold back."

"I won't have to hold back against you," he answered coldly.

Li Mei sighed as she came over the hill, seeing the two facing off against one another. She tugged again at Kyo and Ryo's reins, moving towards the two to break up whatever squabble Shui had caused.

Shui began moving his foot forward.

Yakone adjusted his hands, the water whip twisting.

Both were launched away from one another as lightning tore between them, an explosion rising up from the ground. Smoke billowed from the impact, bother benders hitting the ground.

"Ugh," Yakone opened an eye, the attack having knocked the wind out of him.

Shui grunted slightly, opening his eyes as he shook his head, trying to get his bearings.

Li Mei watched the smoke rise from the ground, her grip on the reins tightening as she shushed each beast, attempting to calm them. Her eyes went wide as the smoke cleared, dropping them as she took an unconscious step forward.

Within an instant she recognized his frame, her heart tightening with sadness as she noticed the bandages and burn marks littering his body.

Her mouth opened slightly as warm tears lined her cheeks, seeing within him the same kindness that had comforted her when she cried in his arms.

Bo stood on the riverbank, his old eyes growing wider as he recognized her.

She stepped forward, hurrying towards him.

He stepped between the two, stopping as she came within a few feet of him.

She trembled, crying as she looked up towards him, smiling with relieved joy.

He smiled for the first time in weeks, each scar and burn he had sustained becoming nothing in the light of the smile he had fought for.

Li Mei hugged the old soldier, her tears the opposite of what they had once been.

Bo held her as he closed his eyes.

"...Do you have any idea what that's about?" Yakone watched the two as he lay on the ground.

"None," Shui stared, an eyebrow raised, laying on the other side of the scorch mark.

"Doesn't surprise me, bad idea askin' you anything."

"What'd you say?"

"Man, you're ugly and deaf?" there was an emphasis on "and."

"You want to fight again?"

"Why, need to be reminded of why I'm better than you?"

"Jerk."

"Idiot."




"You are getting much better at this," Wen Lan complimented as she studied the board.

"You are an excellent teacher." He had much less trouble sharing compliments now.

Upon returning, there were few differences to the routine the two shared. Jung healed and exercised, both physically and mentally. Wen Lan saw to his treatment, making sure he never went so far as to open a wound, helped Min with the tea, and played Pai Sho each day with him before facing off against Chin-Hwa. They still carried on conversations and shared stories, and still blushed at one another frequently, even when the other was not in the room.

There were differences, some more noticeable than others. Each spent the day with a content smile, as if they had been privy to some wonderful secret. Their walks became more frequent as well as more comfortable. They would embrace atop the bridge, their lips meeting as their hearts fluttered.

Jung now sat facing her as he drank his tea, having no qualms with lifting his mask before her. When the two were alone, he would remove it, not wanting anything to separate him from his love's face.

Each time he lifted the mask, she admired his beauty. Within his eyes she found solace and confidence, treasuring each instant shared.

"Have you tried playing auntie Min?" she moved a piece as she asked.

"She refuses to play," he answered as he studied the board. He wore his mask for this, for possibility of someone entering the room unannounced.

"Oh? Why?"

"She says I cheat."

"You tried that move with her?" Wen Lan smiled, admiring the old woman's stubbornness.

"No, she says my mask gives me unfair advantage."

"How so?"

"She says that she can anticipate what you and Chin-Hwa will do by watching your faces."

"Ah, I see..." she smiled as she glanced at the board.

"Min claims that you touch your finger to your lip when you're preparing to move one of the more crucial pieces."

Wen Lan glanced up, blushing faintly as she took her pinky finger away from her lip. "I had no idea I did that."

He admired this as he moved a piece, looking back up towards her. "I studied my wounds, earlier today."

"Yes?" she looked over the board, making sure not to bring her pinky to her lip.

"I think I am well enough to return to the valley."

She smiled, grateful that he had healed without complication. "We shall return tomorrow, then."

"Yes," he nodded slowly.

Min stepped into the room, smiling tenderly towards the couple, completely satisfied with her handiwork.

"Wen Lan, dear? Come help me with the tea?"

"Of course, auntie Min." The young noble smiled as she stood, looking towards Jung with a sweet smile as she gave a nod, her silent reassurance that she would return soon.

He nodded in return, smiling affectionately beneath the mask.

Min winked at Jung before leaving the room, Wen Lan in tow.

Jung stood, stepping towards the pipa Xiu had left. Taking it, he sat near the wall, practicing slowly.

"Xiu tells me you used to play," Chin-Hwa smiled as he walked in.

"Lord Chin-Hwa," Jung nodded in greeting. He continued playing slowly and softly, his skill with the instrument increasing gradually.

"Ha ha, no need for formalities. Please, call me 'Chin-Hwa'," he sat near the Demon, admiring the pipa.

"...Call me 'Jung'," he offered calmly after consideration, the mask looking towards Chin-Hwa.

The old noble stared silently, his beard revealing a gradual smile as he nodded.

"Jung, do you know the song 'Autumn Smile?' It used to be very popular."

He glanced down at the pipa, his fingers tracing along the strings as he began playing the song in response, slowly.

The old noble smiled, nodding his head slowly as he admired the noise. Softly, he began singing the words.

Though both were far from flawless in their performances, the sound filled the room with a gentle comfort.




"You seem to be very content lately, my lady," Xiu smiled as she glanced over her shoulder.

Wen Lan smiled softly as she scrubbed her friend's back, her left hand on her shoulder. "I am very grateful for Jung's good health," she nodded.

"Oh? Are you sure it isn't because you're in love?" She stretched out the last word as she said it teasingly, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

"Xiu!" Wen Lan blushed a deep shade of red, lifting the nearby pail of water and dumping it over her, having finished her back.

She laughed as she stood, approaching the spring. "I'm sorry my lady, it's just that it's all over your face!"

"Perhaps it is," she trailed off, lifting a hand to her mouth as she considered the obviousness of her affection.

"It's a good thing, though." Xiu smiled.

"Yes, I agree," she smiled as she stepped up to the spring, carefully setting herself down in it as she felt the water wash over her skin. "Like what you feel, for general Seung," she smiled as she teased.

"What?!" Xiu blushed as she sat down quickly in the spring, embarrassed.

The young noble laughed, bringing some water to her face.

She sat back against the edge of the spring, smiling softly. "You know...It wasn't easy to tell at first, but...He loves you too," she closed her eyes.

Wen Lan blushed deeply, looking towards her.

"The way he stands around you. It's different from how he usually stands. Like he's nervous, but he wants to protect you no matter what," she looked towards her lady.

She smiled slowly, closing her eyes as she nodded.

"You love him too, my lady?" she tilted her head.

Softly, Wen Lan smiled as she remembered the feel of his embrace. "Yes," she answered with quiet confidence. "Very much."

"Good. When's the wedding?" She grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows again teasingly.

"The day after you and general Seung's!" she countered with another tease.

Xiu blushed, splashing some water idly as she looked up to the stars. She grinned as she admired the night sky.

Wen Lan closed her eyes, smiling and thinking of Jung as the warm water relaxed her.