Still don't own LoK or Anastasia!
"That was a little overboard," Iroh muttered in shock. "I didn't think…"
"I didn't think she would become this strong in four months, either," Zuko said gravely. "It's my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on her, but for her sister to do something like that…"
Iroh leapt down at that moment as Tatiana rushed forwards alongside Korra and Katara. He stopped cold as he saw the blood seeping angrily from the soldier's wound, and as badly as he wanted to help, he couldn't.
"What about sewing her lung shut?" Tatiana asked, and the two waterbenders looked at each other before nodding and beginning to bloodbend the blood out and away from the soldier's lung wound.
For a long time, Iroh couldn't move, rooted to the spot as he watched in horror at Tatiana having to sew the lung of his "soldier" shut. As she finished, she began sewing the tissues back together inside of the soldier's body, and finally there wasn't much of an injury visible aside from the angry gash in her back and clothes. But as Tatiana stitched this closed as well, Iroh felt a weight lift slightly off of his shoulders.
Korra and Katara were soon encased in metal from Lin's expertise of metalbending, and this gave them the privacy they needed to bandage the soldier's wound carefully. Iroh paced angrily and anxiously, his own abilities causing the fires around him to erupt from the fallen chandeliers and pieces. He had to visibly close his eyes and screw his face in pure concentration of trying to dim the flames, if only to make the soldier happy and less frightened.
After what seemed like years, the two waterbenders emerged from the metal tent. It had only been about twenty minutes, but that was more than long enough to confirm a diagnosis from two master waterbenders. They gave the others sad looks before going sadly over to Tenzin, with Korra staying just long enough to very quietly tell Iroh that she was extremely weak, and had the possibility of surviving as long as she didn't try to train until she was sure that the wound had fully healed all the way through.
"Thank you, Korra. Can you pass the message to Master Katara as well, please? Also… I'd like a word at the end of the meeting if you've got the time," Iroh said with grateful tears entering his eyes.
"Of course," Korra said calmly just before Iroh bowed and shook his head before entering the metal tent.
"General," the soldier croaked wearily, and he went over to her side and put her hand in his.
"Don't talk," he said quietly as he took off her mask. "It's alright, you won't be punished, I won't let them. They're not sure if you'll survive…"
"I'll manage," she rasped quietly as she closed her eyes and clamped down tightly on his arm in pain.
"I know why you were mad, and also why you challenged her."
"You shouldn't forgive me," she said looking at the removed mask that he'd put at his side.
"I am so sorry," Iroh murmured as he ran his fingers through her bangs, and she looked up at him lovingly. "I know why you did what you did. I don't blame you, I would have done the same."
"So sorry," she rasped, and he put a finger on her lips.
"Shh," he soothed, and she blinked up at him.
The soldier was silent as he pulled out a ring, and her eyes widened.
"I know it's sudden, but I couldn't get you out of my mind when we were separated," he admitted, and she smiled up at him and took the box with her right hand and struggled to put her left on his face. "Are you… trying to say yes?"
"Yes," she rasped, "Yes, my love."
Iroh's eyes lit up as though there were a Sozen's Comet behind each of them, and it made both of them the happiest couple in the world. Instead of leaving her to rest like most other would, Iroh decided to stake his claim on his precious phoenix. He put his lips near hers warily, and flinched in realization that she probably wouldn't want this just yet. But as the soldier put her hand on his cheek and jaw, he decided to take the risk and kiss her.
And it was completely worth it, they agreed.
"Be good, try not to make any noise, and we'll come get you when the time comes," he murmured as they broke apart. "I'll need to put the mask back on in case someone comes back in."
"Go ahead," she rasped, and he kissed her forehead gently.
The last thing he did was put the helmet back on the soldier's head and then put the box back in his pocket so as not to arouse suspicion. He gently took the chain of the necklace around her neck, and pulled it out of her clothes.
"What does this say?" he asked, and he heard her sigh.
"Together in Paris," she whispered, "My grandmamma gave it to me the night we were first attacked by Rasputin. It was our secret…"
"and this will be ours," Iroh said quietly as he slipped the necklace off of her and undid the clasp. "It's perfectly hidden."
He put the necklace back on the soldier, now with the engagement ring on it alongside the tiny little key to her music box. She put her hand on his, and began crying softly. He knelt carefully, knowing that this had probably brought back a few memories for her.
"Good or bad memories?" he asked quietly, and she took his hand.
"Good," she whimpered. "I just miss my grandmamma."
"Was there something to make the separation easier?" he murmured, and she nodded.
"A lullaby, but… I daren't try to sing it now," she breathed.
"Then simply sing it in your head and try to pretend that it is her singing," he said gently. "It works for me when I begin missing my family while I'm on the sea."
Her eyes filled with tears, comforted that he knew the pain that she was going through. Her grip loosened on his hand, and she felt her world go dark.
Yes, I know you're all dying to see who this soldier is. I've given you clues... do you think you can guess who it is?
Please review!