Sooo I could spend hours apologizing for abandoning this story but I got busy with college and lost interest, but my interest has been temporarily rekindled! Thank you reviewers your insight is much appreciated!
"Here let me heal you", Korra helped Iroh sit down on a stool. She gathered some water from a nearby pot and began running the glowing liquid up and down his forearm where a huge burn mark was.
The rest of them huddled around the remaining General of the fleet. Nikkota stood a little farther off, not yet able to take all the past events in. She was tired, and her skin was scorching hot from the lingering heat of the flames, or maybe it was just the memory of them. The last she saw of Hoshi, flying across the bau of the ship and into the water, Leah lying unconscious on the deck, the images made her shudder.
"We were prepared for the Mechatanks and Airships, but not for these new high-speed aircraft", The General finally managed to speak up, wincing slightly as Korra moved her hands across his wound.
"I know", the Avatar answered, "Everytime we think we have a leg up on them they're one step ahead of us".
Nikkota sighed and quietly excused herself from the group as they continued to talk about their next step. She wound her way through the camp full of make-shift tents and cabins, looking pitifully down at the remnants of sane people in Republic City. There were children, old people, sick and starving, benders and non-benders all just wanting to stay out of the way and live their life.
One man she noticed had a bad gash in his leg that was poorly wrapped with cut up cloth. He was sitting at the edge of a fire, roasting some kind of meat over the open flame. His sad, wizened eyes looked up at her, glinting off the orange flames, "Hungry little lady?"
She shook her head then forced a smile, "I'm fine thanks, but you seem to have a bad cut on your leg".
The man looked down at his appendage like he didn't know it was there, "Ah yes, cut it up trying to fix the ventilation. Ya see I was a mechanic for Sato before all this went down, so I'm the only one that knows how to make things run here!" He grumbled as he picked at the meat, "People would have a heat stroke if it weren't for me".
The Lieutenant knelt down, "I can heal it for you if you'd like?"
He looked at her uncertainly then nodded and unwrapped the bady medicated cut. Nikkota summoned some water from a leaking pipe. It wasn't clean, but it was better than what he had. She closed her eyes, focused on the soothing sound and feeling of water, relaxed, and the water began to glow. Healing had been the hardest part for Nikkota to learn back at the Academy. To heal a waterbender had to have his or her mind at its purest and most peaceful. You had to 'see' the healing qualities of water and use that to locate the damaged energy in a body.
Working her hands diligently the wound slowly closed as much as she could make it before she wrapped it up again. Her mind felt clearer, less foggy and less riddled with concerns of the days events.
"Thank you", Nikkota said basically without thinking.
"Well I should be thanking you little lady!", he walked around on his leg some, "This feels fantastic!"
"Well...I..nevermind. You're welcome", as she waved goodbye a little girl ran up to the old man and jumped in his lap, nearly toppling him over.
"Daddy your legs all better!" she cried happily.
Nikkota frowned and kept walking down the sewage tunnels until she came to the exit. It was late and the moon had already risen high in the sky and reflected off the black surface of the sea like a ghostly mist. She leaned against the tunnel wall, watching the waves crash into eachother and the seagulls periodically dive down to catch their evening meal. The wind was cool with a hint of salt that stuck to her skin, eventually the lullabye of the ocean was too much and she dove down into its depths.
She wound her arms, propelling herself deeper past fish and every obstacle until everything was black and not even the moons bright light could penetrate her wall of darkness. There, where every noise of the sea was amplified and the worries of the world above forgotten she floated.
This.
This was a place where she could feel the safest. This was where she would go as a little girl to escape her fathers regime and skip out on bending practice. She could feel the sense of belonging tingle every hair on her body as the currents of the water put pressure on her skin, cooling her, soothing her. In her mind here, she could imagine her past without the smells and sounds of the present interrupting her. Could picture what she imagined her mother to look like while she held her as a baby next to her smiling father. She imagined a woman with raven black hair, pale skin and gray eyes, a woman of fire nation descent that gave Nikko her hair color and personality. Here...time froze.
Five minutes passed and her air was up. She surfaced with a propelled kick that gave her enough boost to send her leaping out of the water and to the entrance where she nearly toppled over Asami.
"Whoa!" The girl leaped out of the way obviously suprised at how fast Nikko came jetting out of the water.
The Lieutenant bended the water out of her tattered Equalist clothes, "Sorry, I had to take a breather. What's up?"
Nikkota had to admit when she first saw Asami she automatically thought of her old nemisis Julee. The two were practically twins as far as their build and long, shiny black hair went. Other than that their personalities were quite different. In the little time she had gotten to know Asami she figured out that the girl was actually kind for a spoiled, rich daughter of Hiroshi Sato. Not that it meant anything now.
"Oh, the General, Iroh, wanted to see you", she thumbed in the direction of the camp. "He was looking for you earlier, but you disappeared, everyone was worried".
Nikkota smacked her forehead. She should have let someone know where she went, especially when Equalist could pop up out of nowhere and capture you. "I'm so sorry I just...had to get out and get some air".
Asami shrugged, "I know what you mean". Her bright green eyes danced over the harbor, "This is all kind of crazy. I can't believe my father...".
"I'm really sorry", Nikkota put a hand on her shoulder, "Perhaps when we run into him again you can try to talk some sense into Hiroshi".
"I think we're past talking", she bit back, but then her voice softened. "But thanks, I know this isn't easy for you either. Your dad was..I mean is a good man. We'll find a way to get his bending back".
"Yeah", she whispered hopelessly then cleared her throat, "I guess I better go see what the General wants".
.
.
.
.
He was sitting on a mat in front of a candle when she walked in. With his legs crossed and chest moving slowly up and down the flame shrunk and expanded with every breath he took. In this abandoned room of the sewers it was peacefully quiet and warm, a good place for a firebender to meditate. She watched him for a few moments. His jacket was hung up against the wall leaving him in what was left of his gray undershirt and white pants. The flame light flickered against his pale skin, giving him the appearance of a spirit in the evening twilight.
When she realized how creepy she must appear she tapped on the metal door with a knuckle.
"Nikko", Iroh jumped up rather quickly, "You just ran off after we discussed our plans".
She waved his worries away, "I needed some air. Asami said you needed something?" She was eager to get to the point and leave. The way the dirty shirt clung to his muscles was starting to stir up old habits in her mind. He'd be so much easier to hate if he wasn't so damn good looking.
Her General just sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "I just wanted to see how you were doing. Korra told me you were almost captured by Equalist".
"Almost", she amended, "Korra and Mako saved me before they could".
He shook his head and began pacing, "I knew I shouldn't have sent you alone it' was too dangerous-".
"Really General?" The starkness of her tone suprised him, but Nikkota couldn't help the anger welling up in her voice at him. She threw her hand out in the direction of the sea, "We just lost ten ships. Ten ships with dozens of good people on them about to get their bending taken away and locked up! And you're here concerned about me? What is this some kind of sick game of yours? You reel me in, you throw me out. You reel me in, you throw me out. Is that it?!" By now she was breathing heavily and her shoulders heaved up and down at him.
He stared at her as if he was seeing a stranger, and suprisingly it was painful to her. She began to wonder after a few seconds of silence if she had gone too far. He turned his back to her, sighing once again. "You honestly think I don't care about what happened to them? You think that a second has gone by where I don't question my role as their leader?" The flame of the candle flickered wildly.
Nikkota pinched the bridge of her nose, "No, I didn't mean-"
"-No I knew what you meant", he replied with a hard edge to his voice scattering cinders everywhere. "What happened out there was my fault, and nothing changes that. I can't do anything for those men and women. Not until Bumi shows up and the Avatar retakes the city".
The two stood feet apart, each staring at their own spot on the ground.
"It wasn't all your fault Iroh. I had a job to do, and I failed at it when I blew my cover".
He stood closer to her now, close enough make her nervous of what was going on in that head of his. A warm, missed hand wrapped around her arm, "Let's not talk about that anymore. Not tonight".
Nikkotas gray eyes tilted downward, staring at the cracked ground where mold grew like a disease through the cracks. "Did you find time to write out my transfer letter?"
As if the words had hit him like a wall of bricks he removed his hand and stepped back, "You're still doing that?"
"Yes", was her choked reply. "It needs to be done. You know it and I know it".
"Why?" He asked desperatly, clenching both of her forearms in his hands. "You can't just leave again".
"Why so you can just toss me away again when you get embarrassed?" She hissed back, "Because that's how it always works in case you haven't noticed Iroh. That's how it was two years ago and thats how it was back on the ship when I was about to spill my feelings out and you just slammed that 'I'm too good for you' door on my face again!"
He opened his mouth, but stopped himself and took a deep breath, "You honestly think that's how I see you? As not being good enough for me?"
She thrust her hands up in exasperation and turned to leave, "Why are we even discussing this? There's a war to fight and the last thing we need to be discussing is our relationship issues". When Nikkota reached the handle and had the door open a few inches Iroh was there and slammed it back shut, locking it in the process.
The fury on his face was enough to frighten an angry komodo rhino, "No. We're discussing this. Now".
"General, I-"
"That's an order Lieutenant", he interupted with a hard edge to his voice, causing her to move back from the door, "Sit down. If we let this get in the way then there's not telling how it will effect us tomorrow".
Her smoldering gray eyes burned into his, and if she had such powers , would have set him on fire. Her challenging stare lasted only a few seconds before Nikkota collapsed on the floor against the opposite wall, "Yes, sir".
"Good", he sat crosslegged a few feet in front of her.
It was quiet for a few moments, too quiet for the tense situation at hand. "Well we're here, talking, so what?"
Iroh bit his inner cheek as he conjured up the right words to say, "What happened two years ago", his voce had taken on a softer tone, "And what happened on the ship, I didn't do it because you're not good enough".
Moments ticked by.
"I know", Nikkota whispered, surprising the General.
"You know?" he asked incredulously, "Then why did you-"
"Because I hate it. I hate that I've madly fell for you, and I hate that I can't seem to detach myself from you. Even when I hate you so much". Her eyes finally met his, open and forthcoming, "It's not your fault I'm not nobility. You made it perfectly clear years ago that we could never be together in the long run".
When he said nothing she continued, "I asked for a transfer because it would be too painful when the day came you had to take your mothers place and assume the throne. You'd have to find a noble wife". Nikkota let loose a sob but swallowed to try to contain it, "After what happened before graduation, I thought I've moved past all this. But the moment I was assigned to your ship I knew I wouldn't be strong enough too...".
"Stop", he said rather curtly.
She perked up her head and furrowed her brows, "What?"
"Stop doing this to yourself, blaming yourself. None of this is your fault". Iroh tilted his face into the shadows as he relaxed his arms on his knees.
Nikkota cocked her head to the side, trying to see past this barrier he has thrown up, "Is there something you need to tell me Iroh?"
Iroh took a deep breath, preparing himself to break the promise he made two years ago, and told her the story.
Haha a little teaser for you guys;)