Zukos first target… The big factory.
The factory was massive and had to be hosting hundreds of workers. People who probably lived and slept there for months at the time since there was no greater cities around. Except the fishing village that clearly didn't host any factory workers.
But anyway that meant this place had to have its own great food supply! There was no way these people would be eating the pitiful clams and fish left in the slug no… Food would have to be transported to the factory.
Easily Zuko climbed to the roof of the factory and saw that multiple hatches were all wide open, probably in an attempt to get rid of the sweltering heat coming from inside.
Looked like this factory never stopped producing. It was running day and night… Of course it was. The fire lord would want to produce ships, tanks and everything else at as high a speed as possible. He wouldn't tolerate this factory to not produce in the night.
Inside the heat was sweltering. Even for a fire bender. Shouldn't be surprising with the molten iron ore down there.
Heated up to get rid of any impurities and thus create the pure steel they needed… And all of those impurities was dumped out into the lake outside.
Zuko swallowed as he felt the guilt overwhelm him again. He had been sailing one of the ships created from this steel. He had seen all the amazing ships and contraptions. But never had he thought much about where they came from.
Or what effect this process would have on the land itself. There had to be a better way to do this… Somehow.
Below people wearing big armour looking things which was actually designed to isolate from the heat were walking around below. Pulling in chains to left up the molten steel and pour them into moulds that would create the plates that could be cut up and bend into shape later.
Zuko only lingered for a bit until he slipped into another room. Not the functioning factory but more what looked like the sleeping quarters.
Okay… had to be somewhere nearby and… Bingo! What looked like a cafeteria and kitchen. And Zuko ran into the back storage where he true enough found what he was looking for. Mountains of food!
Quickly Zuko grabbed a bag and scooped up as much rice as he could manage to carry and lift out by himself.
This should help carry the village over for a while! Give them a better chance of survival until he could fix this!
Zuko couldn't help but grunt as he made his way back out. And then had to climb all the way back down with his big sack of rice.
Finally down at the shore Zuko found a blank he pushed out into the water to use as a raft and then used a stick to push himself out into the water and towards the village.
The minute he reached the wooden planks he jumped up with the rice. Then he jumped aside behind a pillar just as a small figure came running… Judging from the seize it would either be a child or just a smaller female. And then the figure was gone making Zuko exhale deeply as he headed to what was essentially their towns hall and put down the rice.
Zuko hesitated a bit and then found a pen and paper before writing a message.
"Those with honour will know how to share fairly among all. Do not waste my gift."
And satisfied Zuko left the note with the rice before hurrying back out and back towards the camp where Zuko quickly changed clothes. Put away his mask and hurried under his blanket as he yawned.
It was just a couple of hours till sunrise where the sun would wake him up. He better get a bit of sleep!
And a moment after Zuko was knocked out so he didn't even notice the young woman sneaking back in as well looking herself over the shoulder then exhaled relieved before Katara too returned to her sleeping bag. Sighing satisfied as she closed her eyes.
The next morning Zuko woke with the sun as usual. Smiled satiesfied as he looked around and saw that everybody was soundly a sleep.
He shook Aang awake like normal to do their morning meditation and everything seemed pretty good. It was when Zuko was busy brewing this mornings tea that suddenly a great shout sounded across the camp.
"APPAAAA!"
Zuko looked up and so did the others as Aang stood with the big bison which was laying on his side moarning deeply.
"Appa what's wrong buddy? Appa!" Aang cried as he grabbed his head. "Katara! Something is wrong with Appa!"
"Oh no." Katara gasped in an over exaggerated gasp as she stood up. "He must be sick!"
Aang gasped as he looked up with tears in his eyes. "Can't you heal him?!" he asked.
Now Zuko stood up as well as he looked at the big bison laying on his side. "Looks like indigestion to me." he commented making Kataras eyes widen.
Just then Appas mouth opened up and his tongue fell out looking purple and Aang screamed. "Then what's that then?"
"Looks to me he found a bush of Lilac berries and gouched himself." Zuko simply said. Then looked down at a turtle duck by his feed which had somehow managed to lay on its shell and now could barely move. "And he's not the only one." Zuko commented dryly as he grabbed Lin-Lins tail feathers with two fingers and lifted up the turtleduck.
The turtle duck true enough looked like he was in a food coma and his purple tongue fell out of his mouth as well. "Yeah that's lilac berries all right." Zuko rolled his eyes. "They are not poisonous. Appa and Lin-Lin just ate too much." he groaned.
"Appa!" Aang exclaimed. "I was super worried about you! And you just over ate! You… You… Air head!" he exclaimed.
"Well… It's good nothing is wrong with them right?" Katara asked. "But perhaps we should just… Stay here for a day while they recover."
"Yeah." Aang sighed. "That's probably for the better. Maybe we should go visit town again. See if they got something for animal indigestion. This can't be very comfortable for them."
"That's a great idea." Katara beamed.
"I'll just stay here." Toph pouted. "I had enough of not being able to see! Only to have to endure that horrible smell! I'll stay here and make sure our idiot animals don't start over eating again!"
"Sounds good to me." Aang grinned.
Zuko had to admit he was really happy they got to go back. He was really curious and kind of excited!
Had they gotten the rice? How happy would they be? He had done something good. And it felt really good.
The second Zuko and the others stepped unto the village you could feel the difference! People were smiling! And they were laughing as children were running around cheering and mothers were smiling warmly.
Wow… To think what difference a bit of food could do.
Sokka blinked. "What's going on? Why are people acting so different?" he asked.
"It's a miracle!" Dock exclaimed as he walked towards them with wide arms. "The painted lady has graced us with her blessings! And given us fresh food and water."
Katara blinked. "Food?"
"Water?" Zuko asked.
"Painted lady?" Aang asked.
"Yes. Yes come let me show you!" Dock beamed as he lead them to his desk and pulled out a figurine. "This is the painted lady. She is a guardian of our river and our lake!" he cried. "And tonight she re-appeared! She must have! Not only did we receive food and water. But Lani was cured from her illness. Just like that!" he gasped.
"That's wonderful." Katara smiled warmly.
"Well hopefully she'll keep sticking around." Sokka shrugged making Katara and Zuko turn to him.
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked.
"Well. If she doesn't keep coming back. Things will just go back to the way things were." Sokka said. "Water and food tends to run out super quick. And living here will make anyone sick. So that woman will probably just get sick again if the painted Lady doesn't stick around."
Zuko and Kataras eyes widened as they stood straight.
"Sorry! Mister!" Aang waved his hand. "We have an animal companion and he has indigestion. We were wondering if you had some medicine for him or something."
Dock sighed deeply. "I'm really sorry but we don't have any medicine at all! It was all confiscated by the factory!" he pointed up at the factory. "They took it for their own workers!"
"WHAT?!" Zuko shouted.
"How can they do that?!" Katara asked.
"Anything that has to do with the war always take priority." Dock sighed. "Before there was no fish left, they also took plenty of our fish."
"And… They didn't even pay?" Katara asked.
"No." Dock replied. "Why would they do that?"
"It's like Tanyis village." Zuko groaned. "The army just takes what ever they want."
"Why are everybody just letting them?!" Katara asked annoyed.
"Well the army has all the fire benders, tanks, crossbows, ships, cannons and swords." Dock commented as he counted his fingers. "We just live here!" he grinned. "It doesn't really touch the army at all if we live or die."
Zuko hissed as he squinted his eyes.
"Hey." Aang put a hand on his arm as he whispered "This isn't your fault. We all know you're not like that."
"It's like Kuei whom just didn't see it." Zuko hissed back. "Not knowing isn't an excuse! Not in situations like this!" he stated and then turned around.
"Lee!" Sokka called after him.
"I'm going back to camp!" Zuko exclaimed. "I'll see you back there all right?"
"Okay say hi to Toph from me!" Aang shouted as Zuko lifted a hand before finding a boat he could use.
That night. Zuko was back at the factory. This time trying to find the infirmary and he didn't feel guilty at all.
It wasn't stealing when it was just taking back what this factory stole!
It took a bit longer to find but finally. Zuko hit jackpot finding what looked like a small sterile infirmary and Zuko quickly headed to the medicine cabinet.
Unsurprisingly the front were covered with jaws of burn salves and bandages. Undoubtedly people getting burned by molten iron was that most frequent accidents happening around here.
Zuko shrugged as he picked up a jar and put it into his pocket. With him and Aang practising fire bending in a group with three none fire benders. You just never knew. Fire was unpredictable.
He dug deeper and finally found the fever medicines, penicillins. Common medicines but could still save lives as they prevented illness's from spiralling out of control.
Okay good! Being stocked up with what Zuko could carry he found his way back out and ones again it was back to the fishing village.
Zuko exhaled a deep sigh of relief as he managed to dump the medicines same place he had put the rice.
Just then. A sharp white light came from one of the houses and Zuko looked up… What the?
Slowly… Slowly Zuko moved forward. Tiptoing towards the old house and peered through the window and there was.
Holy Agni… There was a spirit!
Zuko couldn't believe it! But it really was.. She looked exactly like the painted figure of the painted lady and she was crouching over the sick bodies of the villages.
Then she lifted her head and Zuko gasped as he ducked… Oh no… If there was something the north pole had taught him it was to never mess around with a spirit!
The suddenly the waters rose and Zuko gasped as he jumped aside just as the ethereal spirit stood in the door. The light fabric of her hat flowing in the winds with her dress.
Arms and the visible lower part of her face painted like that statue.
… Oh… No…
Ones again the fire nation had managed to truly and utterly piss off a spirit. This was really something everybody needed to learn! Don't piss off the spirits!
And then the spirit lifted a hand, the next thing he knew a spear of ice came right towards him and Zuko jumped aside.
Shit shit shit! If he tried to jump into the muddy water he ran the risk of getting stuck and dragged down. The waters around him started to move and Zuko gasped.
Was she going to grab him? And pull him into the spirit world? Like the ocean spirit had done to Zhao!? And Desiree had done to him?!
Zuko really didn't feel like being put in a bottle again. That really wasn't on his to do list today! And then in a desperate attempt not really knowing what else to do.
Zuko launched forward and hit a surprisingly very solid form for a spirit, sending the woman down on the ground and the hat flying. And then she looked back up, a pair of wide blue fear full eyes. "Stay back!" Katara shouted holding up her hands. "I warn you!"
"Ka-Katara?!" Zuko exclaimed.
Katara halted and she squinted her eyes. "Wait…" and her eyes widened. "ZUKO?!"
And Zuko ripped off his mask revealing his face. "What… What are you doing dressed up as the painted lady?"
"What are you doing dressed like a demon?!" Katara asked as she stood up. "You scared the crap out of me! I thought the spirits had come to take revenge on me for impersonating one of them!"
"You were scared?!" Zuko asked. "I thought the painted lady was about to drag me into the spirit world!"
"Why would you…" Katara began only for Zuko to gasp as he grabbed Katara and her hat then pulled her behind a wall.
"What…" Katara began.
"Sshh." Zuko whispered. "Someone is coming."
And Katara silenced as true enough a boy came walking out, wide-eyed looking around. Then he swallowed as he turned to the lake and made a formal bow. "Thank you painted lady." he whispered making Katara smile and finally, the boy walked back to his house making Katara and Zuko exhale deeply then they turned to each other.
"I think… Let's get out of here first and then we talk." Zuko whispered.
Katara nodded. "Yeah."
In silence did they make their way to Zukos little raft and with Katara water bending they quickly managed to make the trip back to shore. From there they moved a bit in on land. But not all the way to camp and then they stepped as Katara turned to Zuko.
"So…" Katara swallowed. "I am just guessing here. The food. That was you wasn't it?"
Zuko nodded. "I took it from the factory." he admitted. "And tonight I took back some of the medicine." he said. "And I guess… You were the one to distil water and heal some of the really sick people huh."
Slowly Katara nodded.
And then… Suddenly Katara couldn't help it. She snorted. And then she laughed into her hand.
"Wh-What?" Zuko asked.
"Don't you see?" Katara asked. "This is so stupid."
Zuko bit his lip and then he couldn't help it as he started to chuckle as well.
"We both dressed up as spirits. What are the odds?!" Katara asked.
"Heh." Zuko smirked as well. "Yeah I guess that's pretty weird."
"What is that supposed to be anyway?" Katara hinted at the mask in Zukos hand.
"Oh. This is the dark water spirit." Zuko informed holding up the mask. "From… Love among Dragons."
Katara blinked.
"It's a play. A fire nation classic. I'll tell you about it later." Zuko said. "So I guess. We'll just keep quiet about this right. The both of us right?"
"Cross my heart." Katara crossed her heart. "It's our secret."
"I swear on my honour." Zuko held up a hand.
"From you. You can't really ask more than that." Katara smirked and Zuko nodded. "Come on lets get back get a bit of sleep." she whispered.
"Yeah." Zuko replied in an equal whisper and they both snook each their direction so they could change and get back to their sleeping bags to catch a bit of sleep before morning.