(A/N Hey all! I'm not dead! lol
So sorry I've been gone so long, I've had a lot going on, as I know others have experienced as well.
This story remains my procrastination piece...I get lost in here when I'm avoiding other pieces that I have little to no inspiration for at a given time.
That being said, the Siege of the North is lasting much longer than anticipated...but that's fine, whatever. When have I ever controlled where a story actually goes. So far this whole piece has ended up exploring Pirate!Zuko's interactions with Katara, but I'm fairly certain the next arc will be more based on Toph...but again, when have I actually had control of where my stories go.
Anyway, this remains a little for-fun piece and I hope y'all enjoy!)
Aang was unsure how he could hear such a loud roaring and such still silence at the same time. How he could see such pure darkness around him, while still pinpointing every fish within the depths. But that was just it…this wasn't him. These weren't his senses.
He refocused, trying to take a breath, but there was no breath to take, no lungs to fill. No face to showcase his momentary panic. La had taken Aang's own body as his own, using him as a bridge to enter the physical world. And now, Aang was within La's domain. It was…eerie. And massive. And difficult to focus.
Mentally taking a breath, Aang considered what was around him. Too many coasts. Too many trenches. Too much information.
Another pause to settle himself, and he focused on the cold. Imagining ice and cold and home; he found the North Pole.
His attention was immediately caught by his corporeal body and the devastation La was raining down on the Imperial Navy through him. Aang was a pacifist; La was not.
Destroyed ships polluted Aang's heart while little lives bobbed once, twice, and extinguished. The waves responded to his anguish. He felt responsible. He should have asked what La intended! Roku was so obviously wary of Aang's answer and this was why! He had said anything, but not this.
More debris. More dead. But also two ignored. He could feel the children of water on two of the ships. Realization dawned on him that those must be Zuko's ships.
He missed breathing. He'd be hyperventilating and grabbing at nonexistent hair as he tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he noticed the currents and how they responded to him. The currents that were running under and around the broken fleet. Pointedly ignoring the monster La had created, Aang pulled the debris, the bodies, towards the ice shelf.
Gently as he could, he split the currents around the pirate ships to keep from disturbing their positions too much and causing them peril. Slowly, so slowly, the casualties made their way to the ships. Too many were dead already, broken as they hit the water or drowned as the water sucked them down for a moment too long. If they weren't already dead they were dying, too cold and hypothermic in the frigid waters even as he tried to push and pull them to help.
Assuming the pirates would help.
Finally, finally, the port-most ship fished the first survivor out of the water. Frantically, they began pulling out every body they could see.
Relief set Aang at ease in the still waters below, because even as La finished demolishing the fleet in the roaring waters overhead he was able to save some and in times of war some had to mean something.
.
Chief Arnook was…numb. Frankly, Katara was shaken and in shock if she was being honest. The others were too. Sokka hadn't spoken since Yue entered the oasis pool. He'd grabbed a stray spear and marched out to the thick of the battle without a word. Zuko seemed at a loss. One moment he'd be scowling and toeing Zhao's dead body, the next he'd be pacing through the other fallen Fire Nation soldiers tying the survivors up. All his anxious activity was only broken by half formed questions that he'd cut off before she could grasp what he was trying to determine.
The battle was obviously over. From the noises they heard the Fire Nation was retreating and only attacking in retaliation as the tribesmen instigated.
Katara was still trying to wrap her head around everything she'd seen. Aang hadn't even left the Avatar State; had simply stood up, still glowing, and marched into the water. Only to emerge within a crush of water with the head of a disfigured coi. It was a monstrous form, but Katara knew the real monster was Zhao. His dying laughter would haunt her, she already knew. And then Yue, sweet dutiful Yue, had sacrificed herself only moments after standing up to her father for the first time in her life. It was heartbreaking, but she lived on…in a way.
A part of Katara wanted to go out and fight. She wanted to avenge Yue. But another voice, a disquiet in her soul, told her to fight now would be to court disaster. So, much like Zuko, she stayed busy. She started by healing Chief Arnook of his few wounds he'd received before his sprint to the oasis. Then she healed each tied soldier in turn. She could see a few minor burns on Zuko's knuckles and itched to pin him down to heal him too.
With a huff, she turned to the wall surrounding them. Aang would return in his own time, so she needed to keep busy now.
Marching over to Zuko she braced herself for a confrontation.
"May I heal you?" He startled at her question and she hesitantly tacted on a "Captain," at the end of the question. His lip quirked for a heartbeat before he held up his first hand for her.
He scrutinized her as she worked, probably still forming those questions he was having trouble asking. She moved to his second hand, and he showed obvious surprise at the clear skin on his first.
"Thank you," came his unexpected gratitude. She shrugged.
"I'm not too proud to say I likely owe you my life. Zhao brought one too many of them for Sokka and I to deal with." She shrugged again and lifted some more water to her hand. "Not to mention I still haven't made up for my accusations before. Do you have any other injuries?"
"I already forgave you for that," he said with a pinched expression. She just gestured to his body, silently asking about injuries again.
Zuko took a moment to stretch his fingers out and roll his shoulders around before giving her a negative response. Fiddling with the water over her fingers Katara scrutinized the scar on his face, and more specifically the eyelid that barely opened.
"May I look at your scar?"
He flinched. She understood, a scar like that had to be a sore subject especially considering he'd said the Fire Lord himself had given it to him.
"You can't heal a scar."
"No…" she ventured slowly, "but I might be able to ease the stiff skin keeping your eye from opening. I'm not…sure, but if you'd let me, I'd like to try."
His eyes ran down her face as he continued to study her.
"I would…like that. But right now…" His eyes strayed back out to the slowing battle.
"I'm waiting for Aang to return…" She clenched her fist, unsure how to explain her restlessness.
"What was that?"
"I don't know," she shook her head, still baffled.
After another moment's hesitation, Zuko nodded with a light puff of steam from his nose.
"Go ahead. But when you finish, I should find my people."
She nodded and the water began to glow amidst her fingers.
He flinched as her hand came up to hover over his face, only the water making contact. She could feel his nerves; how they were damaged and some even dead. His tissue built up too thick and bunched in some places. How deep the injury had been. How far it had reached past the areas that had scarred visibly.
She let the water soothe. Slowly she redirected how the tissue grew. She breathed light life into the dead nerves and healed the damaged ones. Streaming the water with his chi, she checked the eye itself. Not much work to do there, but she thought his vision would be a touch clearer when she was finished.
She could feel the moon, Yue, descending the sky when she finally decided she was finished, unsure how much time had really passed. Discarding the water, she tried to ignore the slight disappointment when she saw him unobstructed again. She knew there would be no visible change, but she was used to just wiping away injuries like mud. No matter how little change she saw though, it was clear Zuko noticed one.
His eyes widened, almost evenly, and he examined the world around him as if he'd just woken there after years of slumber.
"Thank you," he whispered, voice thick.
She just smiled at him before stretching and yawning. Taking a look around, she noticed the chief sitting with Aang's unconscious body. Even from across the pool, she could see Aang's chest rise and fall, so she wasn't too worried about him. He had to be fine. Arnook still had a placid, hollow look on his face.
"I'm headed for the healing tents," she told Zuko as she walked over to the oblivious duo. Zuko followed her and picked up Aang before she could, so she helped Arnook stand up and began leading them to the doorway. "Perhaps when everything is settled you could tell me about An Yu?"
She glanced at him and a sad expression crossed his face. He slowly nodded and told her he'd find her after speaking with his people.
.
Aseri and Don were guiding Fire Nation soldiers to makeshift brigs across the battleground alongside several waterbenders. Marines and firebenders alike were bound, hands behind their backs and about ten fit in each barred ice pit the waterbenders had raised. Zuko didn't even need to say anything, just glared at the pair and nodded his head towards Aseri's bleeding shoulder. She sighed and nodded and followed the same path he'd taken to get to them.
Don gave him a tired look, and then they headed to the next set of felled bodies to check for pulses.
.
Aseri didn't like leaving Don's side. He wasn't handling…things well. But she trusted Zuko to notice in time and keep an eye on the waterbender.
Entering the healers' tent, she tried to blend into the shadows like her captain was so adept at doing. There were far worse injuries to be treated. She noticed all the healers were women, which was kind of odd, but she hadn't seen a lot of women in battle either. After a short while of observing, one of the healers caught her eye with a fierce scowl. If looks could kill this girl would be able to take on the entire Fire Nation. Without saying a word she pointed sharply to a nearby seat and Aseri sheepishly sat down and removed her pauldron.
"You're one of the pirates, right?" the healer asked. It was only at her voice did Aseri realize this was the girl who'd faced down the captain in the throne room.
"I am," she replied slowly, watching the girl's tired face while she quickly cleaned the open shoulder wound and drew water to heal her.
"Thank you. I mean it. My brother and I would have-" she cut herself off and took a breath before making eye contact again. "Things here would have been much worse off without you and your captain. Thank you."
Aseri gave the girl a smile and rolled her shoulder, testing the freshly mended skin. "Always glad to land a blow against Ozai." The healer gave a small smile. "How can I help here? Don't have any standing orders from the captain, so you might as well make use of me."
.
Zuko was glad for the survivors. Chief Arnook had made no promises on how many would survive but it seemed to be that just under half of the felled red soldiers littering the battleground still had a pulse. About fifty, maybe sixty, Fire Nation warriors. This was good; he'd bet at least thirty of them would join his band…in time. What posed a problem was transporting and housing them as they made their decision.
He needed to show them. Introduce them to the world outside Ozai's shadow. Prove their loyalties only ran one way.
But he couldn't take any more than sixty potentially dangerous "more-or-less prisoners" onto three ships outfitted for supply runs. Really, he shouldn't take more than 45, as 15 in the brig was already asking for trouble, and he wouldn't be able to keep all the firebenders isolated as was their usual practice.
Now, here he was, on an almost clear battlefield with 57 Fire Nation captives that he was responsible for. The tribesmen had suffered casualties, but even without the Avatar's monster, it was clear who the victors of the battle would have been. Zhao's gambit for the moon was the only reason the Fire Nation had stood a chance.
Sighing, he eyed Don again. He was still obviously shaken at the moon's absence. At her death. At least once every minute he would flex his fingers, pulling small streams up from the frozen ground, just to drop them again and continue his work.
"You should talk to them?" Zuko drew his attention.
"Wha?"
Nodding over to a group of benders who were doing similar small acts of reassurance, Zuko continued. "You should go over. Introduce yourself. Tell them about the Swamp."
"Ah…" Don shuffled his foot in the snow.
"It'll be good for you," he pushed.
"Mmm," Don lumbered over to the group slowly and awkwardly introduced himself.
Alone now, Zuko strode over to one of the pits and began pacing. He had to get his thoughts in order. Confronting Zhao had distracted him from his main objective, and now he was a mess trying to think through all the things that needed done. He was letting himself get overwhelmed, and that was unacceptable.
Clamping down on his emotions, he slowed his pacing and eyed a path twining though the ice pits. He could observe the prisoners, and their injuries, while still actively trying to ground himself.
First, he needed to get the supplies from his ship to the tribesmen. His word was his bond and he intended to honor his bargain with the chieftain.
Second, he needed to see if he could treat these men without creating conflict with the Northerners. The ships may have supplies enough to handle them, but he'd have to make sure he didn't cut into the Northerner's promised supplies. Not to mention it would be easier if the waterbending healers offered their help for the more gravely wounded.
He needed to deal with the Avatar and his friends too. That was a little more ambiguous. His people wanted to help the Avatar. That's why he was here now. But he had no intentions of allowing the boy within his fleet. He was a literal child, and while he may inspire hope from afar, Zuko had no notion to adhere to a child's whims or crush his people's hopes by showcasing the kid. So, he needed to mark himself an ally without offering any hospitality.
Looking up from his brooding, he noticed a fair skinned sailor being led by several tribesmen warriors.
"Jee," he greeted with a smile, easing the escort. "I was just considering how best to move the supplies. You're ahead of me, as ever." Zuko didn't want to consider why that made Jee cringe.
"Yes, Captain. The supplies are being loaded into the longboats as we speak, but it will likely take three trips."
"Three?" Zuko asked with a raised brow.
Clearing his throat and not meeting his eye, Jee continued. "Yessir. Half of our longboats have been recommissioned after the… the…" He waved his hand through the air and glanced out to the open water, smoke still hanging in the air.
Zuko took a steadying breath to stem his temper.
"Casualties?"
"We've fished about a hundred and fifty marines from the waters. Most of them were already dead. The general is planning en mass last rites as we speak. The survivors are mostly fighting hypothermia."
Mind reeling, Zuko tried to catch up to what his second was talking about.
"You fished them… Survivor's from the Avatar's attack?"
"Yes, Captain."
A breath left him. He wasn't sure if it was a sigh of relief that someone could survive that, or if it was mounting pressure as numbers were added to his already existing problem.
"C'mon, Jee," he beckoned, rising. "We've got more negotiations to work through."
.
The chief was right where Zuko expected him: staring off into the void in the middle of the healers' tent as the world continued turning around him. His daughter was gone, and yet his tribe still looked to him for guidance. Uncle would be able to handle this better than him. Uncle, sadly, had felt this very same pain.
After a long look at the unresponsive chief, Zuko looked for any elder guiding the healers. She wasn't hard to find, but he was surprised to see Aseri taking orders from her and bustling around the injured as if she belonged.
Gently, Zuko stopped the elderly woman, Jee right on his heels.
"Young man," she started in a no nonsense tone.
"I only need to know the chief's second," he cut her off in what was hopefully a kind voice. Her brow furrowed for a moment before he nodded his head at the grieving father. She offered a sympathetic humph before returning her narrowed gaze to Zuko.
"You're the one with supplies?"
"I am."
"What is the agreed upon price?"
"We didn't agree yet, though I now know what I'd like to ask for."
Her gaze narrowed further.
"That one," she pointed sharply at a healer on the other side of the tent, "takes no direction from anyone. She has marched to her own drum since the day I met her and I hate to say it, but is one of the most naturally gifted healers I have ever seen. But when I tell her to rest, she offers some excuse to put it off. She's going to hurt herself and she's no use to all these injured passed out and depleted of chi."
He watched as the girl turned from the bed she was at to the one right beside, not even taking a moment to center herself.
"And…?"
"I will ensure you have what you need in exchange for the relief you supply if you can get her to rest. The others all listen and we've already set a shift rotation between us. She is trying to help but mainly just being disruptive and I want her out of my tent."
"If I take a skilled healer out of this tent, I'm going to lead them to the prisoners," he warned. "I'm hoping to recruit some of them and staving off unnecessary death would be the first part of doing so."
She scrutinized him for a moment before nodding.
"To heal is always a good thing, regardless of borders and politics. Make her rest, then take her to those who need her."
"And, why do you think I can make her rest when she doesn't listen to a village elder?"
"I don't care if you throw her over your shoulder and drug her. I just said 'make her rest.'"
He laughed as she grinned and bustled away to the work he'd kept her from already. Turning, he found the girl's frame again and couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him as he realized the problematic healer was Katara. He'd only really interacted with her three times, (the Blue Spirit didn't count) but regardless, he found the elder's description of her fitting.
Telling Jee to have the supplies run up the channel to the throne room for distribution, he steeled himself to capture his quarry.
