The moment the massive rock hurtled through the air, it became abundantly clear to Shasha that she was having an extraordinarily bad day. The projectile hit her square in the chest with the precision of the spiteful universe, launching her backward. Her dramatic tumble ended with a loud splash as she landed in a shallow stream. Her immediate thought? Obviously not being able to see Armin just once before she died.
But she wasn't dying anytime soon.
Shasha's ears filled with the sound of rushing water as the world blurred. Her aching body buzzed with a strange sensation, like static crackling under her skin. At first, she chalked it up to being concussed, but then a chill seeped into her very bones. The cold wasn't just from the water—it was something deeper. Something ancient.
I can't die like this, I can't be eaten alive by some beasts, not until I get the chance to explain things to Armin.
Her internal monologue would've continued its usual whining, but an odd warmth unfurled in her chest. It was gentle at first, then surged with the force of a tidal wave. She gasped, a sharp intake of air that felt like inhaling pure energy. Her thoughts scattered, replaced by a single, overwhelming instinct:
Survive.
Above her, the chaos continued. Ping growled, pacing at the edge of the stream, his beast more majestic than any others. Daiki, ever the schemer, muttered something about 'unbalanced energies' while eyeing her like she was the main course. Meanwhile, Jin had promptly disappeared—classic centaur behavior. And the peacock? That coward had taken off into the forest, no doubt halfway to another continent by now.
But none of that mattered.
The water around Shasha began to glow faintly, a shimmering torquoise that danced like light on the ocean floor. Her body felt lighter and stronger, as if the stream itself were lifting her up. Slowly, she stood, droplets cascading from her like she'd just walked out of a dream. Her hands trembled as she raised them, and the water responded, twisting and spiraling in elegant arcs around her fingers.
Water Qi? This… this can't be real. There's no record of water being an element with Qi. This has to be a mistake.
But it wasn't. As she stared at the swirling tendrils of liquid, a memory from a dusty old book surfaced in her mind: The Fifth Element, forgotten by time and curse, yet bound to the heart of the taming world. Could it be true? Had she just stumbled into a power that even the ancient elemental tamers had dismissed as legend?
Before she could spiral too deeply into existential dread, a feral roar snapped her back to reality. Ping lunged, his massive claws extended, eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. Shasha barely had time to react, instinctively raising her hands. The water shot forward like a whip, striking the tiger mid-leap and sending him crashing into a nearby tree.
Her jaw dropped. "Did I just do that?" she thought, a mix of awe and terror flooding her mind.
"Interesting," Daiki drawled, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "It seems our little phoenix tamer has a friend that's equally intriguing." He stepped closer, his hulking form casting a shadow over the stream. "No matter. Both serve me no purpose; more precisely, serve purpose to my enemies."
Shasha's heart pounded, but the strange new power within her refused to be ignored. The water swirled around her like a living shield, responding to her every thought. She squared her shoulders, taking a shaky breath.
"Okay, Shasha. You've got ancient, forgotten magic coursing through your veins, and you're about to get squashed by a tortoise the size of a small house. No pressure."
Daiki launched his attack, summoning shards of earth that shot toward her like spears. Shasha dodged the first few clumsily, but as she moved, the water seemed to guide her, sharpening her reflexes. She retaliated with a burst of liquid that sliced through the air like a blade, shattering the incoming projectiles.
The fight became a blur of motion. Ping recovered, joining the fray with raw, animalistic fury. He swiped at her with claws that could cut through stone, but Shasha danced just out of reach, the water propelling her movements. She lashed out again, striking both Ping and Daiki in rapid succession. Each attack felt more natural, as if the water itself was teaching her how to fight.
They're going to kill me. No, I'm going to kill them. Wait, what if I don't want to kill anyone? Is it too late to negotiate? Oh, who am I kidding? They're not interested in talking.
Her thoughts spiraled as she deflected another attack, her newfound powers straining against the relentless assault. For every move she made, Daiki countered with cunning precision, while Ping's raw strength kept her on the defensive. She was outnumbered, outmatched, and yet… she wasn't losing.
Then, just as her energy began to wane, the forest came alive.
Vines erupted from the ground, thick and twisting, forming an impenetrable barrier between Shasha and her attackers. The earth trembled, and ancient trees shifted, their branches weaving together to create a protective dome. The sudden intervention left Daiki and Ping momentarily stunned, their attacks halted by the forest's unexpected ally.
"What is this?!" Daiki hissed, his composure cracked for the first time.
Shasha, breathing heavily, stumbled back into the stream. The glowing water receded, leaving her drenched but alive. She looked around in disbelief as the forest seemed to cradle her and Bao, who was still unconscious but miraculously unharmed.
"The forest… it's protecting us? Why? Does it know about the Water Qi? About me?"
The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't have answers, only more questions. But for now, she was safe. The vines tightened, pushing Daiki and Ping back, forcing them to retreat.
She sank to her knees, the adrenaline fading and exhaustion taking its place. The stream was quiet now, its gentle flow soothing her frayed nerves. She glanced at Bao, who remained blissfully unaware of the chaos he'd just slept through.
"This isn't over," Daiki growled, his voice laced with venom. Ping snarled in agreement, his eyes burning with unspoken promises of revenge. "I will not let that filthy human live. I haven't even used my powers yet." Ping growled again, his voice trembling with fury as his eyes gleamed with rage. Tigers did not take being challenged lightly.