The Niang Family

"I guess I will meet you and the others later in Syanic Earth?" Shien talked to Ritom on the phone.

"At Enshiron's Kyyrhim Bistro!" Ritom chuckled.

"Alrighty, see you later. Just don't gamble too much, please."

"No promises! Don't be late, shortie!"

"Hey! Don't call me-" Shien huffed as Ritom hung up before he could talk back.

"You awake, Mom?" Shien jumped up the stairs.

"Hmm?" Isrina opened her blue eyes. "It's time?"

Isrina yawned, resting before work at the UICA's first Syanic Earth: Year 3225 anniversary celebration later today.

"Hey, Mom!" Shien skipped to his mom's room. "Want tea before you leave? I know you enjoy my tea."

"Yes, please, my Little Chickadee."

The black-haired Shien whistled while preparing the tea in the spacious kitchen with yellow-tiled walls. Isrina yawned from her catnap, forcing herself awake. She washed her face, braided her red hair around her head, and changed her clothes.

"How are your friends?" Isrina wore an orange blouse and a beige skirt.

"They're fine! We're going to hang out later in the game!" Shien placed tea bags into a teapot of boiling water mixed with crushed spices.

"Goodness! What tea are you making this time, Shien?" Isrina sniffed the aroma as she grabbed her red UICA coat.

"It's something Nashura told me," Shien grinned. "She taught me and Enshiron tea tricks. I'm making masala chai!"

"Sounds wonderful! And thanks for getting me up."

"Of course!"

As Isrina sat on the small round table, the TV above played the news.

"How's the news?" Isrina watched.

Shien poured the teapot's elegant mixture into two cups. "Just the same politics, you know."

"I see. Still talking about us, Niangs?"

"Yep, but at least President Forroway's doing his best to defend us."

"President Forroway holds the European nations responsible for the split of the United Nations because of their appeasement towards the Kneapexist influence," A blonde female reporter spoke from the screen.

"Oh, boy," Shien placed the chai cups on the brown table. "Here we go again."

"He even declares the Niang Controversy to be unconstitutional!" An African male reporter added. "Forroway refuses to surrender the Niangs to appease Fanghui!"

"But despite his effort to protect the UICA families such as the Niangs, Supreme Herald Fanghui of the Global Federation declares the UICA responsible for sparking the rebellion in the Middle East against his regime."

"Fanghui has been antagonizing America for defending the UICA! We have a live clip of the Supreme Herald's speech coming!"

The screen transformed from the news reporting station to Fanghui's metallic palace, the Arcane Phalange that replaced Tiananmen Square. Banners decorated the steel gates with the reformed Chinese flag: a steel minotaur with the five red stars of China above.

Supreme Herald Fanghui appeared on the screen in front of a massive crowd. Fanghui's bright yellow droid bodyguard, Jin Feilong, stood alongside the White Death and Reaper Squad guards.

"Fanghui," Isrina hissed.

"Unfortunately," Shien sipped his tea.

"Hail, Fanghui!" The crowd shouted.

"Thank you all!" Fanghui saluted back. "Please! Let us begin!"

Shien and his mom observed the Supreme Herald, who wore a dark red robe. Fanghui was a tall man with a scarred face and dark red hair. His eyes gleamed with different colors as he looked at the eager crowds. His right eye was red, and his left was teal.

"As you know, the brain-dead Americans still insist that the Middle Eastern Smite was a genocide," Fanghui cleared his throat. "However, the conflict was simply another battle between us and the UICA. The UICA is a dangerous organization that chose to ally itself with the fox freak Vulpi. I tell you, fellow people, we could never accomplish peace within the Middle Eastern region without our interference."

The crowd nodded in agreement.

"America still wishes to ally itself with the UICA. It's shameful of them to work with those agents of destruction. If America continues its alliance with the UICA, we will have no choice but to prepare for a necessary invasion of America!"

The crowd's praises became roars of thunder that shook Olympus.

"I promise you all that we will accomplish world stability, justice, and peace where all other governments have failed!" Fanghui saluted.

"Hail, Fanghui! Hail-"

The screen turned off. As Isrina wept, she saw her son holding the TV remote.

"Looking at the news more won't make you feel better," Shien gave his mom a bear hug.

Isrina's tears were unstoppable waterfalls as Shien held his hardworking mom close. After her husband, Jinhai, gave his life to protect the innocent during the Middle Eastern Smite, she escaped to Europe with the survivors and hid baby Shien in a backpack.

Isrina possessed uncontrollable anger and sadness against the world. She hated Europe for allowing the Reaper Squad to roam about their countries to capture her and her only child. Isrina despised Fanghui and the Federation for murdering her family just because her husband was the only one who could beat Fanghui in a duel.

With Shien being the only family and everything Isrina has left, she swore to let no harm come to him. Isrina taught her Little Chickadee the Avian Form martial arts daily for over 15 years. There was never a day she worried about Shien's safety.

"Mom," Shien leaned his head onto hers. "Everything is going to be okay. I'm sure President Forroway will continue to help us."

"My Little Chickadee," Isrina replied. "I know. Your mom shouldn't cry."

"Mom, it's okay to cry. I mean, we all do! Every time I cried, you were there for me. I want to be here for you too, Mom. Okay? It saddens me to see you upset."

Isrina nodded as Shien gave her a napkin to wipe the endless waterfalls. While she blew her nose into the napkin, Shien grabbed his stuffed black-capped chickadee and squeezed the cute object.

Fee-bee! Fee-bee!

Isrina smiled.

"Mr. Chickadee doesn't want you to be sad!" Shien held the small, plush bird in his hand. "He wants you to be happy! Drink your tea and be happy!"

Shien then rubbed the chickadee on his mom's face. Isrina laughed and held the stuffed bird. She examined the chickadee as it brought back memories.

"You know, my Little Chickadee," Isrina pat Shien's head. "When you were still a baby, your dad and I tried to decide which stuffed bird to give you."

"Seriously?" Shien asked. "Which ones?"

"We thought of either the black-capped chickadee or the black and white warbler."

"Then, how did you all decide on the chickadee?"

"Well, in a game of Mahjong."

The two laughed as they enjoyed tea together, forgetting the complicated mayhem of politics with the taste of the creamy sweetness and the balanced dash of spiciness.

"I thought you hated gambling, Mom."

"Well, your dad couldn't stop teaching me and everyone else. I was much younger back then. I'm an old frog now."

"No, you're not! You're always pretty to me!"

"Thanks, Shien."

"You're welcome!"

As the two finished their tea, Shien smiled and took the empty cups to the kitchen sink to wash them.

"What time is it?" Shien asked.

"What time?" Isrina looked at the kitchen clock. "Time for me to go!"

Fee-bee! Fee-bee!

Isrina squeezed the chickadee one last time before putting on her red coat. After Shien placed the cups in the dishwasher, he escorted his mom to her car. The sun was setting across the serene sky as Isrina unlocked her car.

"Shien," Isrina unlocked her car. "Thank you for the tea."

"Of course!" Shien hugged his mom.

"Have a fun time with your friends. Just don't hang out too long."

"Don't worry. We won't!"

Isrina got in the car and started the engines. As she left the parking lot to turn left, she saw Shien waving to her with his radiant smile. She honked her horn and waved in response before leaving for the UICA anniversary. With the nap and quality tea time with her son, she felt energized to speak at the assembly.

"Thanks, my Little Chickadee," Isrina drove through the suburban streets.

Shien skipped into the house and grabbed his plush chickadee. He placed it in his room's desk lined with other stuffed birds he and Isrina collected: Northern cardinals, ruby-crowned kinglets, tufted titmice, white-throated sparrows, and many more.

He opened a small blue book at the center of the table. There were many photos of birds he and Isrina observed together and journaled about. Shien read the entries about their bird-watching experiences.

Shien then shuffled into his drawers to find his Syanic Earth viewer. The gray and green cybernetic color scheme and the blue visor shone as the sun's rays went through the window curtains of Shien's room.

"Alrighty, my goon squad," Shien smiled. "Time to catch up!"

He lay on his bed and placed the viewer above his eyes. It was time to enter the cybernetic domain. He closed his eyes and pressed a small switch on the visor's right side. Shien let his mind take the light-speed journey into the Syanic Earth, leaving his real-world self behind.