FicWad

Shui extended his palms, stepping forward as he turned his foot slightly. There was a tightness in his face as he concentrated, pulling his palm back quickly before thrusting it forward. A burst of flame tore away from him, dissipating into the morning air.

Resetting himself, he prepared to repeat the maneuver. Months ago, he had spent his mornings watching the other firebenders train, watching their movements carefully in order to better mimic them.

Frustration grew within him as he scolded himself for being unable to match their motions, unable to capture the control they had over the element. Where they unleashed flames in long impressive streams, he found himself struggling.

He shot his palm forward again, clenching his teeth as he noted the disorganized pattern of the fire before him.

"Is that really all you can do?" Yakone grinned as he stepped out from the trees, carelessly holding a fish over his shoulder.

The firebender glared, attempting to ignore him as he repeated the movement once again. His actions did little to hide his annoyance, the flame spreading even wider upon release.

"What's that?" Li Mei looked up from the campfire, her hands carefully grinding some roots and plants in a wooden bowl.

"Breakfast," he smirked as he tossed the fish down onto a cloth near the fire. "Just caught it," he bragged, anticipating expressions of gratitude.

"That's it!?" she exclaimed as she held the fish up, her eyebrow raising questioningly.

"What?"

"You really think this'll feed the four of us?!" She held the fish by the tail and mouth, her face conveying irritation.

"It's gonna have to," he shrugged as he sat, lying back against his bedroll. "That's all that was in the river."

"Liar! You're just being lazy!"

Shui smiled quietly as he repeated the movement once again.

His eyebrows furrowed as he opened an eye towards the spiteful girl. "And you could do better?"

"Absolutely!" she stood defiantly, storming off towards the river.

The waterbender watched as she disappeared behind the tree line, annoyed by her attitude. He turned his attention back towards Shui, smiling at the opportunity to antagonize.

He stepped forward again, thrusting his palm out. The flames faltered the moment they left his hand, his wrist twitching as he heard a voice call out.

"Your stance sucks."

Ignoring him, the firebender regained himself. He stepped forward again, his concentration broken as the voice rang out.

"So is not breathing while you do the moves a Fire Nation thing? Or is it a you sucking thing?"

He glared towards Yakone, his expression conveying his desire for silence.

"Ooh, scary," the upstart observed with a smug grin.

Shui regained his composure, staring forward before taking a quick step. He nearly lost his footing as he was interrupted once again.

"You suck."

"Enough!" he shouted as he turned towards the waterbender, his hands smoldering lightly.

"What? Just tryin' to help," he shrugged, his smug expression failing to mask his real intention; aggravation.

"How would you even know about firebending?" he muttered as he turned away, walking back towards his training spot.

"From watching the old man," he explained carelessly.

Shui froze, his eyes widening as the words soaked in. Turning slightly, he studied Yakone to determine whether he was lying or not.

"What?" the waterbender's eyebrow lifted curiously.

"The old man is a firebender?"

He stared, further impressed by his stupidity. "Are you serious?"

Shui's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to ascertain the truth.

"Where did you think that lightning came from when you and I were fighting?"

He recalled the scene carefully. His focus had been on his opponent; unaware as to what it was exactly that had disrupted the fight. He had given little thought to it, more concerned with his inevitable rematch with Yakone.

Lightning, however. He had heard rumors of it being an advanced form of firebending, yet had never been fortunate enough to witness it. If the old man was capable of it, it implied he was a master of the firebending discipline.

And one who has mastered such form could surely teach it.

"Where can I find him?" His tone was hurried, his body energized with excitement at the present possibility.

The waterbender shrugged, caring little for Shui's intentions. "He's probably practicing, go find him yourself."

Without hesitation he rushed into the forest, clawing at the plants before him.

Yakone watched as he disappeared into the trees, unsure as to what his hurry had been about. He glanced over his shoulder as a figure emerged from the trees.

Confidently and defiantly Li Mei passed by, soaked in river water as she held three fish over her shoulder.

"...Showoff," he muttered indignantly as he closed his eyes.

Shui stopped as he reached a clearing, the old man in its center.

Bo moved quickly, each step commanding a graceful might as he extended his hands forward rapidly, streaks of flame launching forth. He bent his frame before striking his palm back, the motion meant to evade and counter an imaginary attacker.

His pace changed, moving backwards as he quickly alternated the extension of his hands, fire tearing ahead of him in powerful streams.

Without pause he brought himself to full height, his hands lowered in front of him as he breathed deeply, his exercise complete. He stared calmly towards that which lay ahead of him, closing his eyes as he felt the wind pass, hearing the tall grass bend in its wake.

He opened his eyes slightly as a voice called out to him.

"Please!"

Bo turned his head softly towards the voice, recognizing it as Li Mei's traveling companion. Shui, the firebender who had been fighting Yakone.

"I humbly ask," he stood at attention, a nervous sweating breaking out as he stood in awe of the old exile's skill. "I humbly ask that you take me as your pupil!" He bowed deeply, closing his eyes.

The field remained silent, the trees twitching calmly in the wind. Quietly and lowly, he responded.

"Why?"

The young firebender stood, the nervous sweat only intensifying as he fumbled for the words. He had never had an instructor, resigning himself to self-study and gradual understanding. On this path he had faced many obstacles, the aggravation of each only hindering him further. The answer to this stood before him, a skilled master.

"So that I may become a powerful firebender, one capable of inspiring others as your motions have inspired me!"

There was a short pause before Bo stepped past him, staring coldly towards the forest.

"No."

Shui's eyes widened briefly, before closing. His expression held anger to it, certain that the denial had been a result of his bold and unexpected request. He had been too hasty, too forward.

He opened his eyes, staring at the ground as he felt the disappointment in himself grow.



"We're wasting time," Yakone groaned as he walked beside the old man. He looked apathetically over the rest of the marketplace, bored of the small village.

"No we're not, Kyo and Ryo need feed," Li Mei protested as she walked ahead of the two ostrich birds, holding their reins.

"I say we just let 'em starve and then eat 'em," he muttered. He took a quick step back, eyes widening as Kyo reared his head back and snapped at his arm.

Shui patted the bird's neck to calm it, paying no particular notice to the waterbender's comments. He had spent the last day angry with himself for his failure to properly request Bo's instruction.

"Don't threaten them!" Li Mei yelled back at him, aggravated by his complaining.

"Yeah yeah," Yakone muttered as he eyed the beast cautiously.

"Shui," Li Mei glanced towards him, slightly concerned as to his nature, which had taken on an untypical quiet.

"Hmm?" he glanced towards her, snapping to attention.

"Take Ryo and Kyo and find feed for them, I'll go buy some other supplies." She held out a few coins, studying him carefully.

"Right," he slid them into his pouch, taking the reins as he made his way deeper into the market.

"...Is he alright?" Li Mei watched as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Who cares?" Yakone muttered as he continued along, shrugging slightly.

Bo watched the heads of the ostrich horses as more distance came between them, recalling the image of Shui's request.

His thoughts traced gently against a distant memory of his own request to be trained at the hands of a master.

"...Hmm," he turned his attention back towards Li Mei and Yakone as the two bickered.

"As many bags of feed as this will buy," he set the coins down on the counter, tightening his grip on the reins as Ryo let out a soft chirp.

"That's not a good way to ask," the girl explained as she brushed the coins into her open palm.

"Hmm?" he glanced up at her, her response surprising him.

She was an average looking teenager, her skin tanned by labor. Her hair was tied back behind her head, a few disturbed strands hanging over her face. Her face and eyes held a look of exhaustion to them, contradicted by her eager expression. A bracelet of jade hung at her wrist, a bit too large for her.

"If you ask it like that, people might cheat you out of a bag or two. You have to ask for a real number," she explained as she began stacking bags in front of him.

"I see," he turned his attention towards the bags, not particularly caring for the point.

"Hey hey," she flicked a finger against his forehead, demanding his attention.

His eyes widened in surprise at the gesture, narrowing as a slight embarrassment came to him, assuming that she had performed the action to ridicule him.

"Don't just say 'I see,' or 'right,' or something to just brush me aside. Advice is a favor, you should appreciate it," she folded her arms, the four bags standing on the counter.

"Fine. Thank you," he grumbled as he lifted the first back, sliding it into a pouch on Ryo's side.

"I cheated you out of a bag by the way," she teased.

"What?" he glared over his shoulder.

"See? Now don't you wish you'd paid more attention?" she grinned, throwing an additional bag onto the stack. "Now you know better."

Silently, he lifted the second bag, sliding it into another pouch. As he turned to lift the third, he noticed a middle-aged woman step behind the counter.

"Thank you again, Hea. You can go now," the woman nodded.

"Thank you," Hea bowed respectfully, waving towards Shui as she hurried to the crowd. "Take care now, remember what I taught you!"

Shui watched her leave, turning his attention back towards the remaining bags of feed.

"Your daughter is very enthusiastic," he observed as he lifted another bag.

"Hmm? Ah," the old woman smiled. "Hea is not my daughter. She is helping me while my husband recovers from a sickness. But I will be sure to pass the compliment on to her," she bowed her head. "Thank you for your business."

He nodded, taking the two ostrich horses by the reins as he made his way back into the crowd to reconvene with the others.



"Took you long enough," Yakone muttered as he chewed on a roasted chicken pig leg.

Shui ignored the waterbender silently, handing the reins to Li Mei.

"You got the feed?" she stroked Kyo's neck, smiling as the beast cawed merrily.

"Yes," he answered quietly.

"Good," she nodded, his quiet perturbing her.

Bo bit into a fresh mango, smiling slightly as Ryo leaned his head in towards it expectantly. He removed a segment of it, allowing the ostrich horse a taste.

Glancing along the passing faces, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. His pace slowed as he observed the scene.

The girl with the jade bracelet stood a few feet off in a nearby restaurant, placing food in front of a table full of soldiers. She smiled, making quick and casual conversation with them before hurrying back to the kitchen.

"Hey, idiot, stop slowing down," Yakone sneered, curious as to why his insults were failing to get any rise out of his usual victim.

Returning to attention, he caught up quickly.

"Are we done yet?" the waterbender complained, tossing the bone from the roasted chicken pig aside.

"Lord Bo, does he always whine like this?" Li Mei groaned as she looked back towards the old man.

"Hmm."

"I thought so," she nodded, looking back towards the market.

"All he said was 'hmm'," Yakone protested.

Shui glanced back towards the restaurant, his attention soon returning to the path before them.

"I hear scouts spotted them early this morning," one soldier offered nervously.

"If they were spotted, we would have been organized by now," another dismissed the notion, biting into his food.

"Unless it was a recent enough discovery that they're still preparing," the third lowered his cup of tea slowly.

"You're both paranoid," the second persisted as he continued his meal.

"What are they talking about?" Hea glanced over towards them, curious as to the topic.

"There's rumor of a Fire Nation attack," the chef explained as he set down a dish in front of her.

"There is?" she took the dish carefully, making sure not to spill its contents.

"There always is," he grunted, setting down another plate. "Every month, another rumor, no attack. It's not even worth worrying over anymore."

Hea took the plate in her free hand, looking out towards the passers-by as she made her way to the patrons. She smiled as she glanced back towards the soldiers, dismissing any notion worth worrying over.



"Ah, I almost forgot!" Li Mei exclaimed as she fished through her pouch, turning back towards the village. After hours of restocking they had reached the outskirts, seeking to leave early enough that they would make good distance before camping for the night.

"What?" Yakone sighed. The village was small and remote, the atmosphere boring him entirely. Having to stay within it longer inspired disappointment.

"I need a new water skin, I was going to buy one here." She fished through her pouch quickly, searching to see if she had enough coins for it.

"Figures."

"Quiet," she insisted as she drew out the money. Glancing towards Shui, she paused. She extended her hand towards him, offering the coins.

"Hmm?" he glanced down, confused by the gesture.

"You're quicker than me; can you go get one?"

"Right," he took the coins, making his way back into the village.

"I'm worried about him. He seems out of it," she explained.

"Seems dumb as usual t'me."

"Jerk." Li Mei hoisted herself up onto Ryo, scratching the top of the beast's head.

"Witch," he muttered.

"Hmm," Bo noted.

Shui walked silently through the marketplace, searching out a vendor who would sell him the water skin. Finding what he was looking for, he approached the stand quickly.

"One water skin," he placed the coins on the counter, inserting the item into his pouch as the vendor handed it to him. Making his way back towards the edge of the village, he stopped as the vendor's voice rang out.

"Ah, Hea! You're early!"

"Yeah, the restaurant was slow today," she said happily.

He turned quickly to confirm, shocked that it was the girl with the jade bracelet yet again. Facing towards her, he studied her through curious eyes.

She waved as the vendor left the stand in her care, turning to face towards the crowd. Catching sight of him, she waved towards him with a smile.

"You again!"

"How many jobs do you have?!" He immediately regretted the boldness of the question, its tone reminding him of his failed request to Bo.

She laughed, brushing some hair out of her face. "As many as I need!"

"What do you mean?" he stepped towards her so their conversation would not carry across the entire market.

"Lady Joo's husband is sick, so I help her out in the morning. Old man Chul needs help with his restaurant after that, and then I help lady Dae with this stand while her husband's away at war."

Her tone had a peace and joy to it that inspired, yet the exhaustion in her eyes and face became even clearer to him now.

"Why would you work so many jobs?" he found the question to be more on behalf of her tired features.

Hea shrugged, still smiling. "I just help out where people need me. I can't fight in the war, and I don't know anything about medicine. If I can't protect people, I'll just try to make things easier for them!"

"...Hmm." There was something inspiring in the notion. He found himself snapped back to attention as her finger flicked against his forehead once again. He countered once again with a glare.

"Now get out of the way, you're disrupting business!" she shooed him away with both hands, smiling.

He began making his way towards the village outskirts, glancing over his shoulder at her.

"Hey!" she yelled out as she smiled. "Remember what I said about giving a real number!" She waved to him happily, the jade bracelet sliding down her arm.

Shui nodded, lifting his hand and waving once before turning his attention back to the path in front of him.

Hea continued waving, smiling as she turned her attention back to the stand. The lesson was small and perhaps trivial. Yet in helping someone ever so slightly, even a stranger, she felt a powerful joy.



"Lord Bo, do you think big sister Wen will be surprised to see us?" Li Mei smiled, holding the reins of the Kyo and Ryo as they pressed on up the gentle slope.

"Hmm," he smiled slightly, his expression slight but delivering the affirmative.

"Me too," she mused happily, confident in the progress the group had been making. Night had fallen upon them earlier, the party seeking to reach the top of the slope before making camp for the night.

"How does she understand what he's saying just from 'hmm'?" Yakone muttered towards Shui as they pressed on.

"I don't know," the firebender answered passively, his thoughts reflecting on the words of the girl with the jade bracelet.

"Right, why would I expect you to know anything?" the response was barbed, the insult intentional.

Shui issued no response, paying little attention to his tormentor.

"...Hmph," Yakone grunted, losing interest in his usual opponent.

"Ah! Finally past all the trees!" Li Mei laughed as she hurried towards the top of the hill, now visible. Kyo and Ryo followed after her, her sudden movement exciting them.

"Good," the waterbender approached the ostrich horses, preparing to make camp. The day had been boring and long. He took note of Li Mei, now frozen as she stood a few feet from him, dropping the reins from her hands as her gaze stared towards the path behind them. He turned as he opened his mouth to inquire, the words failing him completely.

Puzzled by their expressions, Shui turned towards what lay behind them, a thick patch of woods separating them from the distant village.

Flames plagued the village, smoke billowing slowly. There was no sound, no cries of soldiers. Terrifying silence stabbed down from the night sky.

He grabbed Ryo's reins, pulling the ostrich horse in the direction of the village as he kicked up onto its back. Slamming his heels into the beast's side, he lowered his body. Branches and leaves ripped and chewed at his clothing as he pressed forward, his heart pounding ferociously within his chest.

Li Mei stepped forward quickly, Bo's hand rising to stop her. He glanced back towards Yakone, his expression conveying the sincerity of his command.

"Stay," he ordered as he mounted Kyo, hurrying off into the woods.

Yakone nodded, keeping his arm in front of Li Mei to stop her from advancing.

The girl simply stood there, her hands cupped over her mouth as her eyes burned, tears trailing softly down her cheeks.

"Faster Ryo," he growled the command, the ostrich horse cawing loudly.

As the leaves whipped past him, words pounded through his mind, through his heart. Each came to him as if the person were there speaking it directly to his very spirit.

"I just help out where people need me," the tired eyes smiled eagerly, his face tightening.

"Lord Chao, lord Bo and big sister Wen tried to help. So they killed and exiled them!" The defiance in her tone made the quote louder to him as he felt a branch slam into his shoulder, doing nothing to slow his pace.

"Is it honorable to take that gift and come back at them as an enemy?" the question slammed harder against his chest as he clenched his teeth.

"If I can't protect people, I'll just try to make things easier for them!" A brief and silent image of her waving towards him as he walked away, the bracelet too big for her arm, appeared before him. He screamed at the trees ahead of him, his spirit pushing forward, burning with terror at what he rode towards.



"Fan out, search for any surviving soldiers. I don't want any surprises," a Fire Nation lieutenant spit as his soldiers saluted him. He stepped over some ashes, grimacing at what a negligible victory this would amount to.

The village was small, raided for no other reason than being in proximity of their unit. There would be no commendations for this, no recognition. In a short amount of time, his small unit had managed to completely devastate what few forces were present to oppose them.

It inspired within him a venomous disdain for the victory. There was no satisfaction in it.

"Sir!" A voice called out, demanding his attention.

He turned quickly as an ostrich horse rushed by, a figure swinging an axe out into the chest of one of the soldiers.

Another stepped in the path of the beast, crushed beneath its claws as it ignored his presence.

"Why?!" Shui screamed out from atop Ryo, bringing him around for another pass. His face tightened with rage as he glared towards the soldiers.

"Attack formation!" The lieutenant commanded, waving his hand out towards the unit. They stepped forward quickly, taking their stances. As he drew closer, they unleashed their attack.

Diving off of Ryo, he skid along the ground towards them. Lashing his axe out once again he stood as a soldier howled out in pain, having no feet to support his weight. He stepped in quickly, the axe moving without pause against the throat of the soldier closest.

A third soldier stepped in, slamming his fist into the attacker's jaw.

Shui hit the ground, drawing to his feet slowly. As he stood, his mind absorbed the massacre that lay before him.

He had visited this village only once, for what would amount to a fraction of his mortality. Yet he recognized parts of it.

A shop had been reduced to ashes; a section of ground where children played and old women gossiped had become stained with soot and blood.

His eyes strained as tears came to them.

"Why?" the inquiry was broken, stained with horror.

"Kill him," the lieutenant ordered, eyes wide in confusion at the assailant's intentions.

"Soldiers protect," he growled. "They're meant to protect, to take care of those who need help!"

"Soldiers follow orders. Whether it's to conquer or kill. That is their purpose," the lieutenant scoffed, having little respect for some upstart brat. "Kill him."

The remaining three Fire Nation soldiers stepped forward, their form something that Shui had once hoped to mimic completely.

He lowered his head, dashing forward as that hope burned away. The axe stabbed forward into a soldier's stomach, the firebender releasing it as he thrust his palm upward, an undisciplined burst of flame washing over the second soldier's face.

Heat chewed at his back as he felt flames burn away the cloth. He turned quickly, smothering the flames with the soil beneath him as the lieutenant stood over him, the remaining soldier relieved.

"A firebender?!" there was disgust in his tone as he stared down, lifting his hand as a bead of fire began growing near his palm.

"I will put you out of your misery, disgusting little trai-" the threat was broken as lightning tore through the lieutenant, launching him into a nearby wall.

The remaining soldier looked up, staring towards the source.

Bo approached slowly, his eyes glaring hatefully. In one fluid motion he began stepping forward, pushing both palms forward as a wave of flame engulfed the remaining soldier.

Shui brought himself to his feet, his back stinging as the night air scraped against it. He stared towards Bo with unspoken gratitude.

The old noble looked towards him, his attention broken as he surveyed the scene surrounding them.

The young firebender stepped forward, wincing as pain tore through his back. He stumbled slightly towards a familiar spot, recognizing what remained of the sign of the stand where he had purchased the water skin.

Bo watched, closing his eyes as he recognized the pain ringing through Shui's body.

His fingers sifted deep into the ashen soil beneath him, his teeth clenched as his face burned, tears trailing his cheeks. He could feel the soot digging beneath his fingernails, the warmth of the gray ash. Gentle flakes of soot and burnt landscape rained softly around him.

Looking up slowly, he felt a great chasm open around him. Some small part of him fought against that which his senses confirmed.

Propped against a nearby wall, Hea lay silently, her tired eyes closed peacefully as blood seeped into her robes from a wound in her side.

He had met her only once, for what would amount to only a fraction of his mortality. Yet here and now, surrounded by ash and death, he recognized the importance of her tired eyes.

He could not hear his own screams as he held her, as he stared up towards the sky. In his rage he cursed the Fire Nation, cursed the war, and cursed the Avatar for letting it happen. He cursed himself, for failure.

Silence descended up on the village for what seemed a short eternity.

"Please," he uttered to Bo, his face buried into the girl's hair.

The old man opened his eyes, the embers still falling around them like gentle snow.

"I humbly ask," his eyes were shut, his face stained with ash and tears. His back stung with each word. "I humbly ask that you take me as your pupil."

Another quiet passed between them, Bo breaking it.

"Why?"

"So that this never happens again," he whispered to the girl with the jade bracelet, promising. "So that I can help this to never happen again," each word was choked out painfully.

Bo turned towards Kyo, approaching silently. "We must leave."

There was no anger. No disappointment. There was no reaction within him as he set her gently against the wall.

He took the bracelet from her, coated with ash. Clutching it, he gave silent promise.

He made his way to Ryo, wincing as his back delivered another shot of pain.

The two rode off, the flames of the village dying out behind them.



The afternoon sun hung high above them, Shui riding atop Kyo at Li Mei's insistence. She had applied salves and bandages to his back, the initial stings having died down to a painful discomfort.

There had been silence among them, Li Mei hesitant to initiate any form of conversation.

Yakone, uncomfortable with the atmosphere, had resigned himself to an indignant and quiet manner.

Shui stared forward intensely, a jade bracelet adorning his wrist as he gripped the ostrich horse's reins.

"Here," Bo instructed simply as they reached a deep trench between two hills.

The party stopped obediently, Yakone confused by their early pause. They had spent the last few days of their journey stopping late in the evening. The sun had not even begun to set.

Li Mei disembarked from Ryo, moving to quickly set up camp. Shui handed her a bag of feed to reward the beasts for a hard day's work.

"Shui," Bo stood at the center of the trench, facing towards him.

The young firebender approached silently, watching the old man.

"Follow carefully," he stepped back into the most basic form of the firebending discipline.

His eyes grew wider as he pieced together the scene that lay before him.

Suddenly, he became very aware of the bracelet.

Shui's eyes narrowed with determined concentration as he stepped to Bo's side, copying his motions carefully.

Li Mei smiled as she watched the two, building the campfire.

Yakone smirked, folding his arms.

The two ostrich horses cawed loudly as the firebenders trained carefully in the distance.