A.N. Words are mine worlds not.
Azula was tired of constant training her father was pushing to be perfect. She was also tired of all that nonsense how talented and good she was as firebender, some even called her prodigy. It was just words for her. Azula felt alone in huge palace without anything to brighten her mind and there also was no victim whom she could mess; Zuzu, her constant source of entertainment whom she liked to set on fire, acted like true failure he was and get himself banished from Fire nation with only way to return if he managed to capture the avatar. Now that Zuzu, family shame object, lost his father's grace and got him banished meant that Ozai concentrated all his attention on Azula and he pressured her even more to become perfect weapon he could use one day.
It is said that you understood what you had when you lost it. Azula could agree with that. She felt lucky that she had brother whom she could torture with her words or with her bending, but now that he was gone, she felt like heaven fall on her shoulders and routine was slowly turning her into Mai. The princess wanted adventure, a challenge to test her skills and see if what everyone said was true or just some empty words. She needed to get some time to relax from heavy training schedule she was put on or maybe run away for a while like Ty lee did, but since she was a princess it was hard to do with everyone watching her. An idea born in her mind, a real challenge; she will infiltrate into Water tribe and bring them down. Those pathetic peasants had lived long enough to be like pain in the butt for Fire nation, a small but still pain, and resisted their entire attempts to conquer them. While her grand grandpa Sozin and his son Azulon may have been great conquerors they haven't managed to conquer the tribes and that meant that no matter how all mighty and powerful they may thought to be the truth was opposite. If Azula was as cleaver and powerful as everyone stated, it should be easy job for her to prove just how awesome she was. It was also said that no firebender could survive two months in that spirits forgotten corner where tribes lived and that fueled Azula's curiosity even more. There was also avatar question. Everyone believed that the avatar is the last Airbender and is hiding somewhere, but no one managed to find him, her father and uncle spent countless years searching for him and now even her failure brother was forced to do same. What if that fool avatar had died and new avatar was born in the watertribe, what if water tribe was hiding him in that frozen city of theirs? Even if this was just silly though and there was no avatar there, the princess could still use it as way to get out of palace and see the world, but unlike like Zuzu, she could return home whatever she wanted without any consequences.
For her plan to be successful Azula needed more information about tribes and more importantly the Northern watertribe. She decided to visit captured tribe members and interrogate them and the wardens that were set to guard them. Next she needed disguise: watertribe clothing and something to darken her pale skin that was dead giveaway that she was fire nation; and of course she needed someone that could pretend to be her "father", but wouldn't be firebender. After Azula planned everything to smallest detail she represented this grand plan to her father firelord Ozai.
Firelord Ozai listed intrigued when his daughter told him about this grand idea of her, but he was worried too. Everything sounded interesting, but he was reluctant to let his daughter out, not now when she still had so much to learn, maybe a year or two, but not now, in the end he gave her week to prepare her disguise, find candidate to protect her and present him it, only then he will decide if he allowed for her to leave palace or not.
o0o0o0o
Preparation went well to get needed clothes to pass as watertribe, as for her "father" or bodyguard she choose a nonbender colonel Lee born in colonies that served under general Iroh who was loyal to royal family without question and would do anything to protect it. She even managed to procure some strange cream to darken her whole body and tousle her perfect hairs.
One thing that she failed to tell her father was that she will try to infiltrate tribe by pretending to be boy, which meant that she had to shorten her hair and put then the way tribe men used to wear.
When the firelord Ozai saw unknown boy in his throne room, first thought was that assassin got in to palace and he prepared to defend himself. Only when that tribe boy started to speak he understood that it was his daughter and he couldn't believe how much she had changed. If he couldn't recognize his daughters, them what chance did tribe stood? Ozai approved this plan. Azula was real master of disguise.
o0o0o0o
Everything should have been done secretly so Azula and Lee used secret tunnel under palace to leave for Yu Dao where they would hire ship to take them to North. The crew of ship transporting two men from palace to Yu Dao knew that asking question could mean death sentence to them so they keep their months shut. It wasn't first time when they did it, nor will it be last. When Azula and Lee arrived to Yu Dao they hired Earth kingdom ship to take them to the North.
Everything went as planned but to get out of Fire nation was just easy part. The hardest part would be to find Northern watertribe and convince them that they are not spies and that Azula or La was from watertribe. To make sure his daughter would arrive there safely; firelord Ozai temporary recalled all fire nation ship patrolling northern waters.
When the plan and reality meats the plan is the first casualty. After Azula and Lee come to their cabin, the ship captain Oh got visit from his wife and they got into quarrel so big that captains wife told him that he can stay in his ship forever and that this home is no longer his home or to put simply he was dumped. The captain was quite shocked by that and decided to sink his despair in alcohol at same time he set course to wrong direction: instead of going north, he went south.
o0o0o0o
No one noted that they were going in wrong direction nor no one suspected it. See navigation wasn't one of things Azula was taught so she had no clue where they were going, nor Lee. Finally there was change in climate as it become noticeable colder to note them that they were approaching pole, but strange feeling of doubt start to pester Azula that something bad going to happened. She has never felt it before. Something was bad, but she didn't know what it was.
The ship appeared far in the distance and started to grow bigger as time went, a fire nation warship, and soon both ship went almost near each other. It was a ship with Southern raider flag and it seed fear in Azula's mind. Weren't Southern raiders supposed to patrol South Seas? They shouldn't be this far north? Then realization dawned to Azula, how could she do this huge mistake and instead of going north, go south?
Several Fire Nation soldiers boarded Earth kingdom ship and dragged all passengers to deck to interrogate them. Without ship's crew they also found two Earth kingdom's men and young water tribe's boy.
"Bloody pirates" The soldiers whispered amongst themselves.
„Who is the captain of this ship?" asked fire navy captain, but there was no answers. Then suddenly sharp sound appeared from his ship and he saw one small boat leaving his ship. The man in that ship was smiling and casually waving like he knew those people.
"Bloody hell it's that cursed pirate Barker Oh and he stole one of our lifeboats" shouted one of fire nation sailors.
"I guess now we know who your captain was, but where were you heading? You there speak!"
"It's not your business" said Azula angry.
"I don't talk with you, boy" said captain looking directly at watertribe boy's eye and was stunned to see that that boy had burning gold eyes.
"Arrest them all." ordered captain.
Azula knew where this all was going and that reasoning with soldiers was waste of time, they knew only one language – force – so she did the only logical thing: attacked captain. And all hell broke loose. Lee tried to help her and knocked four men, but he was soon overpowered and knocked out by other sailors, but not before he took out four more. Last thing he saw was his "boy" fighting captain and his three soldiers and kicking their asses. That was until reinforcements come and some soldiers managed to get behind Azula and stab her in side. Enormous pains made Azula stop fighting and grab her side removing dagger from it before blasting to crisp that unlucky soldier, who dared to harm her. Then the pain become unbearable and she collapsed on deck.
"He is still alive. What should we do with this boy?" asked one of soldiers when he checked to see if then boy was still alive.
"Nothing! We leave him here to die. Although I feel bad, this watertribe boy was quite skilled, no one was able to resist us for long time, and he deserves to live, but you know the orders of commander: if you make child with water tribe you should find it and kill it or die trying.
Secure prisoners, move them to our ship then set this ship on fire. "
"Aye, captain."
Fire nation soldiers undocked ship and make him drift freely then with several accurate shots set it on fire. They had one nasty pirate to catch.
o0o0o0o
Azula was born lucky and even in grave situation like this her luck was smiling to her. Slowly burning ship was like beacon due to big smoke rising from it, but that smoke didn't harmed Azula and she still could breathe freely due to place where she lied unconscious. And the stream was taking ship even further south, before it was completely consumed by flames and even when there was nothing, but floating debris, Azula was floating with it too. It was like ocean itself made her stay alive and float on large piece of driftwood, long enough to be spotted and rescued.
o0o0o0o
A fleet of watertribe ships saw large smoke column rising from ocean and knowing their experience with fire nation it means something bad. They have just left their loved ones and were about to go and help Earth kingdom smash some Fire nation's scums before that black sign appeared in sky. They have to check and see if it wasn't fire nation. The village was completely defenseless now. When the watertribe ships were approaching the site the smoke was already disappeared, but later they started seeing small pieces of debris floating in cold water.
"What happened here?" asked everyone even if they already knew answer "Fire nation!"
"Looks like Fire navy destroyed Earth kingdom's trader ship, but traders never went this far south" said chief Hakoda inspecting floating pieces.
"Pirates maybe?" asked his second in command, Bato.
"Looks like we will never know that" replied chief.
Then bigger pieces start to come confirming that this was earth kingdom's ship and on one piece he saw something moving. It was severely burned shape, but chief Hakoda could notice some small patches that most likely were clothes or what was left of it confirming that it was survivor. His men haven't yet noticed floating body and Hakoda didn't have time to waste, so he jumped in to icy waters. While other tribe men thought what to do Hakoda swam to check on survivor. It looked like young watertribe boy, about same age as his daughter Katara or that's what it looked from first sign, but then he turned him on other side chief discovered that he was mistaken, it was girl who most likely tried disguise herself as boy and she had nasty wound in her side.
Everything was clear to chief now: it most likely was another bastard child of Fire nation. Born when one of Fire nation soldiers raped her mother, but the woman managed to escape Fire nation clutches seeing that girl was about his daughter's age she and her mother most likely managed to live in Earth kingdom for some time. After all southern raiders sometimes released woman in one of small islands wilderness and then hunted her for their entertainment. And sometimes one of women managed to escape, so to prevent rogues firebenders growing outside of Fire Nation, Southern raiders commander made order to kill all babies that born as result of his men having fun with sex slaves. And even if woman managed to escape and return to tribe it was very hard to raise "kids with burning eyes", because of polar nights that were blessing and curse at same time. Those kids needed sun more that anything, but there was no sun for three to five month. Most of those kids died at their first polar night and only strong and lucky ones could survive. Each polar night was like lottery, but with age chance to survive grew too. Or they could try to reach nearby islands, but Fire nation was in way and they were looking for those same kids.
And now holding this poor girl in his hands chief Hakoda couldn't think about his oldest daughter, Korra. She is child with burning eyes too. And she had grown to be quite beautiful woman and real pain in ass to his son Sokka – who is same age – mostly because she likes to chase him around frozen wasteland trying to hit him with her firebending. And that was one of reason he left his son to watch over village and to see that his daughters didn't do anything stupid. And while his oldest daughter isn't his blood – she was adopted four after her mother, who was good friend of his family, died in one of raids – he loves her like his real daughter.
Hakoda swam back to his ship and took this poor girl to local healer, Karuk, who while was non-bender like him was very good at what he did. If anyone at moment could help her it was Karuk and his herbs, so he let him do his work.
"So how is she?" asked chief when Karuk finished fixing her as best as he could.
"Bad, very bad. I fixed her wound as best as I could, but I couldn't do much about her burns. Her entire body is badly burned and is causing her more harm than that wound in her side and even if she manages to survive due to sheer luck, she will be marked for her entire life and I mean big marks. Everywhere! I suggest that you take her back to tribe so that your daughter Katara could try to fix her better. That poor girl would have greatly increased chance to survive if Katara heals her, I am powerless to do anything more than ease her pain a little." said Karuk with sad tone.
"And there is something odd about that girl. Her hair, what was left of it, is red. At first I thought it was blood mixed with ash and dirt, but later I discovered that it's her hair color. I have never heard that anyone had red hair." later added Karuk.
"Interesting… Then so we will do. My ship will take her home while you and Bato will look for more survivors or Fire navy."
o0o0o0o
After several hours lone watertribe ship docked to shore and single man jumped from it holding something wrapped with furs in his hands and run toward village. Hakoda entered village and after quick look around found what he was looking for; it was one of bigger igloo that had special purpose, hospital.
"Katara, Katara! Are you here?" shouted Hakoda looking for his daughter.
"Dad? You come back!" asked Katara with worry and excitement in her voice exiting from nearby room.
Chief laid down girl, he was caring, on bed and motioned for his daughter to come closer.
"See if you could help her. We have found her drifting in ocean after Fire navy sunk the ship she was on. Healer Karuk fixed her as best as he could, but she has nasty stab wound in her side and so many burns that we are afraid she won't survive for long."
"You aren't staying aren't you?" asked Katara forgetting her duty with some small hope that her father wouldn't leave them. Again.
"You already knew the answer. Take care of her." Hakoda answered before leaving.
o0o0o0o
Katara has unwrapped furs and was horrified by what she saw. Girl's body was badly burned red with scars and blisters big and small doting her entire body. It was as if Katara would look at charred corpse, expect that this corpse had its chest slowly rise and fall indicating that person was still alive and breathing. The damage was so severe that Katara couldn't decide what she should do first. If she favored one body place over others, burns in other places could neglect to the point that her meager healing ability would be of no use. This wasn't some minor burns, bruises or cuts she used to heal, this was big,… no this was HUGE!
o0o0o0o
It was summer one year ago. Korra was having fun with her sister Katara training. Katara would levitate small water bubbles and move them around while Korra would try to shoot those same bubbles with her firebending. Both girls were having fun until Korra slipped and shoot fireball right at Katara instead of bubbles she was bending. Katara saw it and tried to cover herself with her hands, but the fire was so hot that mittens she used to wear were instantly incinerated and burned her hand. She screamed and felt on ice squeezing her burned hands near her chest. Then she pressed her hand to ice in hope that cold of it would soothe the pain, but instead the ice melted around her hands into water and started to glow … and suddenly the pain stopped.
"Sis are you ok? I didn't want to hit you." said Korra, as she rushed forward and hugged her sister while Katara looked at her hands and couldn't believe what just happened.
"I … I don't know what happened, but I am ok, don't worry sis, it's not your fault."
"We better go see Karuk if you are truly ok, he is tribe healer after all" said Korra worried.
After her visit to healer, whom they found with chief discussing some things girls don't understood, and telling them what has happened then they were training, Karuk took Katara to healing house to confirm her story, and his theory. After they exited healing hut Katara was rather happy while Karuk showed no expression.
"Katara has rare gift to heal others like our great masters could. I suggest that she become my apprentice and healer of our tribe, I could teach her how to treat all kind of decease I know, cuts, bruises or other kind of illness." said Karuk to chief Hakoda who was standing nearby with Korra.
And so Katara started learning everything Karuk knew, but that meant that she could no longer practice bending with Korra and it was pretty boring for tribe firebender. That was until her eyes stopped near her brother, Sokka. And an evil grim appeared in her face. If everything works well they all will have training, but in different forms. So she approached her brother, who was currently doing nothing and was unaware of danger that would soon befall him.
"Hey brother I wonder how fast you could run?" said Korra with mischievous tone in her voice.
"Pretty fast, why do you ask?" answered Sokka and then looked Korra in eyes. "Korra?"
"I think we will soon see how truly fast you could run." said Korra while igniting fire in her hand.
"Korra! You wouldn't dare." screamed Sokka. He was frightened of what has got into his younger sister's mind.
"I suggest you start running now. I give you head start, use it wisely." Korra said while preparing to use what little firebending she knew. Sokka didn't need second warning and he run out of village and his sister was right behind him trying to hit him with her fire. Time passed and Sokka become very good at dodging fire blasts or running for his life, his sister's firebending ability improved too. And all this mess made a lot of work for their sister and helped her practice her healing ability. Until now.
o0o0o0o
Katara continued examine girl's body looking for parts that needed immediate attention and was interrupted when someone entered her hospital.
"Katara are you here? Some women said that dad has returned, but I couldn't find him, neither could Sokka" said familiar voice.
"Over here Korra"
Korra entered room where Katara was sitting near heavily burned body.
"WOW! Who is that?" asked Korra in horror that it may be someone she knew.
"I don't know; dad said he found her drifting in water, her ship was destroyed by fire nation and she was the sole survivor."
"So he returned! Where is he? Is he going to stay? Sokka would be very happy if he hears it."
"No Korra" said Katara sadly "he returned only to get her here so that I could try to help her, but I couldn't decide where to start. She looks so bad, that …"
"This place kind of looks dangerous" said Korra pointing at stab wound "or you could go for face. It would be big shock for her to wake up with her face twisted and scared. Believe me I would go mad instantly if something like that would happen to me and I think you too."
"Thanks sis. Could you bring some furs and bandages … oh… and watch that no one gets in especially children or Sokka. I …" replied Katara while healing unknown girl.
"Don't worry sis think of it done."
o0o0o0o
"Katara! Come home or are you going to spend night here. " asked Korra worried because if Katara decided to do something she would put all herself in it without anytime to rest or eat.
"You know that I can't leave her" said Katara gesturing to bandaged girl lying nearby "I still have so much to do."
"Ok, I will bring you some food if you are hungry and some more furs so that it wouldn't be cold here." replied Korra. Looks like Katara is about to spent several days there.
o0o0o0o
Week passed, but Katara didn't leave her place beside unknown girl doing everything she knew and her work paid off. The girl opened her eyes for first time since she was brought here and was greeted by strange view: one blue and one red eye starring at her.
"Katara wake up! Our guest just woke" said Korra while gently shaking Katara that was asleep, but you couldn't blame her, Katara spend several days without sleep and only now fell asleep now from exhaustion.
"I don't sleep, I don't sleep." said Katara when she shoot up.
Korra just giggled and waved toward "mummy". The girl just starred at her without saying anything and started to moan then she tried to move.
"Please stay still. You are safe now. No one's going to hurt you, but your injuries are still severe and could cause unbearable pain if you try to move. Do you understand?" said Katara. Her patient just nodded; apparently the pain was too much to make her speak anything intelligent.
o0o0o0o
Next day everything was going better and they finally could question their new guest or answer her questions.
"Whom we have pleasure to meet?" asked Kana, tribe's elder, or Gran Gran as everyone called her.
"I … " long pause befall unknown girl when she tried to remember who she is "I can't remember anything expect my name … La. Is it even name?"
"Pleased to meet you La. You should be proud to have the same name as all powerful ocean spirit, patron of water tribes. I see that you were touched by that same spirit and own your life to her, but only time will show if you posses any of her personality or appearance. Would you like something to eat?" said Gran gran.
"Yes please. Why I can't remember anything and how did got there"
"That's the same question we would like to ask you, but since you don't remember don't worry about it; your memory it will eventually return. All we knew is that ship you were on was most likely attacked by Fire navy and you were sole survivor. We don't know why or where you were going. Ocean brought you to our waters and our men rescued and brought you to the southern water tribe." said Gran gran and left room.
Three girls sat in silence for while until Korra decided to break silence.
"I can't notice that you have burning red hair and same color eyes. Are you a firebender?"
"I … I don't know. Why do you think I could be firebender? And who are you and why you got different colored eyes, one blue and one red?"
"Oh how silly of me. I forget to introduce myself. I am Korra and this is my sister Katara and that old woman is our grandma Kanna, but everyone here calls her Gran gran. You should be thankful that my sis good with water and spent all her time healing you."
"Thank you." said Azula or La as she was now known and tried to bow but pain disallowed it. "You are waterbender? I thought that there was no waterbenders left in south."
"Yes, I am the last one, but am not truly waterbender; I only know how to heal small wounds and there is no one to teach me." said Katara sadly.
"As of why we think you could be firebender is that you most likely are one of those children with burning eyes like me." said Korra and produced small fire in her hand. "Your mother most likely was one of our waterbender women taken from here and used as sex slave by Fire nation soldiers before she managed to escape. And sometime kids will be born that all Fire nation soldiers would search and try to kill if they saw one. They don't want rogue firebenders to grow outside of Fire nation."
La extended her bandaged hand and small red flame started to dance in her palm. "So here is only one waterbender and lot of firebenders?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, no, I am the lucky one to survive that long." replied Korra "If fire nation don't kill them then polar night or two would. Speaking of it where did you live before? Earth kingdom? I heard its beautiful there and all nights are normal there."
"Yes." replied La even if she couldn't remember anything it was the logical that she may lived in Earth kingdom "So that's why they attacked me, they wanted to kill me. What is that thing you called polar night? Is it some night beast or something?" asked La. She wanted to know what she will have to deal with.
"No silly it's just very long night. Three month without sun more or less, depending where you are will drive you crazy or make you into icicle."
"You are joking aren't you." worry was written all over La face.
"It will be your greatest test. If you could survive this thing you will survive everything." Korra answered with smile. Finally there is another firebender it will be so fun.