Querencia

Interlude: Lies of a Teacher

Returning to their hidden encampment, the group climbed out of the Earth Drill, where they were warmly welcomed by four happy, relieved faces. [M/n], however, stayed put in his seat, breathing through the anger bubbling up in his chest. He did not want to have this situation flipped back on him because he couldn't control his own temper.

Climbing out, he carefully stepped down onto the sand, kimono shifting slightly with the movement in a silver ripple. Khêlai shifted around, sliding against his spine and ribs for the first time in days. They were observing closely, listening, and watching.

[M/n] waited for Wu to look his way, tipping his head towards the Bounty in a silent request. Unsurprised, Wu silently pulled away from his other students to follow after his eldest. Their gazes lingered on the two, but [M/n] ignored it all, too focused on keeping his anger contained.

He led Wu down to the smallest of the training rooms, deep enough in the ship that their conversation would remain private - even if they began yelling or shouting.

Wu knew, so he began the conversation, "[M/n], you have to understand–"

"Understand? You lied to me. About everything. And what you didn't outright lie about, you lied by omission about!"

"I wanted to give you a chance to live a different life. When you woke up without your memories, I took it as a gift from my father, a chance for you to be different."

"No. You took away my choice to be different, to change myself. By not telling me anything, I became stagnant. I did not change."

"Did not change? [M/n], you-you kill people. I did not raise you to kill."

"Raise me? You didn't 'raise' me. I was your student, nothing more. My parents raised me. Underworld, Alexaires raised me more than you did. And he was an assassin. Yet when I had nightmares, he soothed them, when I became afraid, he helped me get over them," [M/n] spat. "You had every opportunity to tell me the truth. Any time I brought my memories to you, to ask why I was remembering the Serpentine War, you had the opportunity to admit the lies."

Wu shook his head, "You lost so much, not remembering seemed the better option. The option to continue living and creating new relationships. I saw what happened to you after Morro, [M/n]. You were destroyed. You lost the will to live, and nothing I did made you feel better. He was gone, and I could not help you. And then you went out and killed someone–"

"Someone? Not someone. That woman killed my family. Everyone. My grandparents, my parents, everyone. If she had known I was still alive, she would have killed me. That is why they sent me away, to make sure I would be protected when she went after them."

"You should not have killed her," Wu insisted.

"You have no right to tell me who I should or should not kill. Any right you had to tell me what to do is gone. I trusted you. Everything you told me, I trusted. And you lied, every single time. Any trust I had in you is gone."

"[M/n]–"

"I have no need for a Sensei anymore."

Wu closed his eyes, "I just wanted to protect you."

"Then you should have told the truth." [M/n] turned away. "Leave me be. I do not wish to speak to you any longer."

Wu lowered his head and quietly left.

[M/n] leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down on it to sit. Head lowered, he began to quietly weep. He missed everyone so much.

He missed his mother's stories. Missed the evenings where they made all manner of treats, ranging from ice cream to scones. Missed hearing her sing to him, whether she warned him of enemies or comforted him to sleep. Missed the warmth of her hugs and kisses.