Enjoy!
Since their landing in the north, the Water Tribe army met no resistance from the Earth Empire. They knew from radio reports that the fighting in the west and south was going well. The tribesmen wondered if all of Bataar's armies went west to fight. Tonraq was beginning to worry about the men become too comfortable in camp.
Because there was no fighting, they made their base miles outside of Ba Sing Se. Messages were being received as expected, just none of them included what the tribesmen should do. It left the strong chief of the Southern Tribe in his tent massaging his grayed temples. He was going through the daily reports and paused when he read one about the mishap in the southern Earth Empire.
"They're both dead," he sighed again, "Good kids too."
"Chief Tonraq?"
He looked up from his makeshift table, "Yes commander?"
"Another report from the Fire Nation, sir."
"Thank you." He said taking the message.
His blue eyes scanned through it. He hummed his disappointment. It was only informing him that the eastern invasion was being stalled again by storms. He rubbed his face again before walking out to speak with the men in the camp
"Let's bring this fight to them." One man shouted as Tonraq walked out.
"Why wait for the Fire Nation?" another spoke up.
Tonraq held his hand up at the gathering crowd, "Now, now gentlemen; we still have a plan of action to follow. If we attack Ba Sing Se without the right numbers, we could lose this and ruin our plans of trapping the Earth Empire's army between ours. Even if we haven't seen any fighting in our three months of being here, doesn't mean we won't eventually."
Nods and words of agreement travelled through the crowd. Tonraq smiled before heading back into his tent.
Within the next week, the tribesmen were finally on the move. Using lorries from the Fire Nation, they slowly made their way closer to where the walls were once standing. Overhead, they could hear the aeroplanes flying around. Bomb runs were being made on the city.
The column stopped and the tribesmen began to form their ranks. Tonraq made sure that the blue banners of the two tribes flew to avoid the pilots from attacking them.
"Now we wait for the signal."
She stood in the landing craft adjusting her platinum and leather armor. She and the others were packed in waiting to be taken ashore. Looking behind her, she could see Lieutenant Shin giving her a nervous smile. The Avatar and the lieutenant finally were given the chance to help. It took a lot of convincing but they both could not stay behind with the second front opening.
It was two weeks ago when Korra walked into the throne room with Lieutenant Shin. Shin had told her the day before that he wanted to go but was denied because of being an only son to one of the noblemen in the court. That moment was when Korra knew what she wanted. She would ask to join in the newly planned eastern front and ask to let Shin come with her as he also wanted to come. They soon walked into the palace throne room, ignoring the gazing eyes of the noblemen. The entire time, Shin was trying to get her to tell him why they were here.
She dropped to her knees and bowed before the throne, "Fire Lord Izumi, please grant me permission to join the Fire Nation army. I feel I could be of some use for the next invasion of the Earth Empire."
Mouths dropped, including Shin's at her request.
"Avatar Korra, I am not stopping you from going with the fleet if you feel healthy enough to go."
"I do not want to go as the Avatar. I want to go only as Korra. I've done enough damage to this world and its people. I just want to do something but not as the Avatar."
The Fire Lord looked at her Lieutenant, "Are you both going then?"
Shin nodded hesitantly, "I suppose I am now. With your permission, Lord Izumi, I would like to join this invasion."
The Fire Lord sighed, thinking it over. Fingers tapped on her chair as she looked them both over.
"I suppose I could commission you, Korra, but I have enough officers to lead this."
"I don't want a commission. I would like the rank of Private. I can offer healing abilities if that helps my chances."
The Fire Lord hushed everyone in the room and began to dismiss everyone until only her, the Avatar, Tenzin and Lieutenant Shin were left.
"Does this have to do with your fight with the young Bei Fong woman you had a few months ago?"
"Some of it. I hope you understand why I am asking you about this."
The Fire Lord nodded sagely, "Very well. If you believe that you are well enough then Lieutenant Shin can find a spot for the both of you. You will of course, have to attend training."
Of course, Tenzin had later voiced his concern to her as she was gathering what things she did have. While she did listen to him, she told him that she had to dismiss his wisdom this time. There would be other times to act as the Avatar and this was not one of them.
At first, she blended within the company. Most of the men were confused seeing a woman among them as the Home Guard tended to take women than the army or navy did. When the gossip spread about whom she was though, their demeanor changed. The officers, besides Shin, seemed to ease up on her training in fear of starting something with the Avatar. Naturally, she told them not to think of her as the Avatar but as a grunt with the rest of them. Her request was not always taken seriously as they were constantly asking her advice on the Earth Empire.
"Korra," she felt Shin's hand on her shoulder, "Are you ready for this? You're not going to relapse?"
The Avatar smiled as she adjusted her top knot and put her helmet on, "No turning back now, sir. I'll be fine. Are you ready?"
"I do not think I could be any more ready than I am now."
The deep humming sound of the aeroplanes passed over them. The ocean wind blew gently on the boats as they began to head to shore. The Lieutenant soon stepped up to the wall, trying to stand so the soldiers could see him.
"After our landing, we have a few miles of ground to cover before reaching the outskirts of the city. Please keep in mind when we enter that there are families still living there, but also protect yourself should their show signs of turning for the worst. Also, the Water Tribes' army should be coming in from the north-west of the city. Do not engage them as they are allies."
Korra's brow perked up at the sound of the Water Tribes.
"Let's finish this fight and meet the western force before our tribesmen friends beat us to it. Hail Fire Lord Izumi and the Fire Nation!"
"Hail!" the chorus rang out.
The other ships echoed as their own leaders spoke.
xxxx
As they reached the shore, the metalbenders began to let off their small blades at the boats. The shards began to pierce the ramps of the landing boats and some of the men.
Once their own boat's ramp drop, Shin shouted to get off the ship. Some of the first men dropped as they were hit. He pushed Korra forward as she had hesitated for a moment.
"Come on, Private. Let's go!"
She soon nodded and ran out. The wet sand under their feet began to shake as the earthbender opponents attempted to move the landing boats from the shore and into deeper water. The heavy armor started to betray the firebenders as they were pulled under the water's surface.
Frustrated at what he was seeing, the lieutenant burned the leather straps of the armor off before jumping into the water. He swam to the beach, pulling a few of his men along with him. After an order, they created a wall of fire to cover the rest of the invasion's movement. Just as they were about to continue forward, the Earth Empire soldiers began to retreat. Smoke from the west began to work its way east. The lieutenant grinned, hoping that the Water Tribes' army was the reason for the call back.
The Water Tribe attack was going well but they had to watch how much water they really used to attack. As they continued to enter deeper into the city, the resistance grew. The fighting soon became block to block, building to building. When it came to the point where the waterbenders had to search every room for the enemy, they were tired and their patience for the enemy was waning. Tonraq began to realize that this was going to take more than a day unless the Fire Nation army came. He had ordered a few of his tribesmen to take one of the lorries to a river miles away to refill it and return.
The fighting paused for a few hours as both sides recovered. The few men that could heal worked hard trying to get the rest of the injured ready to fight again.
Then the city shook.
Tonraq looked up from his map to see an inferno rise above the rooftops. He shook his head, knowing how edgy firebenders were but he was glad to know that his men were not alone in this fight.
The next few days were the same, more fighting in the streets. He forced his way into a home in the outer part of town only to find a mother cowering with her young daughter. Tonraq searched the house before returning and offering to share some water and a sweet bun from his rations with them. The mother silently thanked him as the child happily ate the bun. He smiled back before leaving.
He ran across the next street as a few of his fellow tribesmen caught up. The waterbenders were about to destroy a defensive position when they realized that the soldiers were not from the Earth Empire. The Fire Nation soldiers shouted something about uneducated savages after the attack was out of the waterbenders' power. One of the soldiers had jumped up, bending the water out of the way. The tribesmen stood there confused at what they just saw.
"What is this?" Tonraq shouted.
"Hey, you attacked us first." the bender responded pointing back.
He learned that the voice was female and it left him grinning. Now peeking from cover, he waved to let them know to advance. The firebenders approached, grinning as they finally met up with the Water Tribes.
"Arrogant again are we, huh?" Tonraq shouted at the soldier, fighting the urge to laugh.
The soldier grinned before removing her helmet, "Bad habits I suppose. I get it from you."
The jaws of the waterbenders dropped in shock. Tonraq had to look away and look back before he believed what he saw even if he had believed his ears first.
"Korra."
xxxx
As much as he hated to leave his men behind, the thought of hugging his supposedly dead daughter overtook him. He and Korra took a moment to go back into the Water Tribes' line. Lieutenant Shin allowed it, seeing how she was already rushing towards him when they spotted each other and he was not going to argue with the Avatar, no matter who she wanted to be at the time.
He was still confused when they hugged again, but it felt right. The void in his heart was filled again knowing that his daughter was alive. Korra returned his hug just as tightly.
"You are supposed to be dead."
Korra nervously chuckled, "So I've been told."
"Where have you been then?"
She paused, not sure on how to respond.
"I," she continued to search for the words she wanted to say. She turned away, "I had quit being the Avatar."
Tonraq nodded slowly, taking in her words, "I'm just glad to see you alive and well. The past two years have been painful, but let's talk of other things."
He suddenly grinned as he opened his bag. He pulled out a cloth wrapped item before handing some over to her.
"Bubblered Seal jerky." She grinned, "It's been so long."
It did not take long for them to joke around and they had to be interrupted before they separated.
The messenger ran as fast as he could. The man knew it was important as he had just received it from someone from the Earth Empire. He was breathing hard when he stopped in the prince's tent.
"Prince Iroh, I have a message from Emperor Bataar."
The prince took the letter and quickly read it. He read it again before reading it out loud.
"I wish to meet on the north side of the lake to speak of our surrender." Iroh made sure to read it again before barking orders, "Call for a ceasefire and forward this to the Fire Lord. This war seems to be ending sooner than planned! I want the best of the best of our soldiers to come to this."
Prince Iroh stepped out of his tent to look back at the city behind him. He was becoming eager to see the city rebuilt. If this meeting was not some wicked trap by Bataar, anyways.