Extraordinary: Fanning the Flames
Summary: The word 'extra' is defined in the dictionary as something additional to what was expected. In the story we all know, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. He popped out of an iceberg, and the balance was restored, through blood and loss and trial. In this story, he has something a little… extra on his side. Zuko/OC
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must also be present. - Francis Bacon
Chapter Four: A Dark Light
"She will make it," Healer Renna said. "It is very close, nearly too much so, but she will make it."
"Thank the spirits," Kanna murmured. "Katara, go light the incense."
"Yes, Gran-Gran," Katara said, smiling. Just before she left the healer's tent, she turned her head to look at the scene behind her. Aang's sister, Akari, was lying asleep on a bed of furs by a fire. She was being fed a bowl of urchin broth, and Aang was wiping her forehead with a heated cloth. Sokka was out at the watch posts, claiming the healing tent to be a girls' zone – but then he'd been the one to give up some of his urchin ration, for Akari's broth.
Everything was going to be all right.
"Nephew," Iroh said placatingly. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a cup of tea first? This may be an important battle, or it might not be. Either way, Zuko: good, hot tea will center your inner fire, for a calm and ready spirit."
"I don't need tea right now, Uncle," Zuko said, turning away to gaze at the ever-nearing horizon.
The sky was a dark black, and the waters they sailed reflected that. They could, however, in this sea of darkness make out the white, almost ethereal outlines of snow-covered land. There was a large spread of coast, but over a frosty slope due North-East, smoke rose in grey wisps. If there were people, there might be the person he looked for. It was this direction they sailed in: Zuko staring straight into the distance, as though his single eye could make the ship travel faster; and Iroh, trying to convince the boy to rest.
"In a few moments, I will meet the Avatar," Zuko said. "I have spent three years waiting for this moment, Uncle. It's time for me to reclaim my honor."
"As you are an honorable man, Zuko, you have lost nothing," Iroh sighed. Trails of smoke breathed out of his nostrils, heating his cup of Jasmine Tea. "Still, I have high hopes for this battle. I shall stand right behind you, nephew."
"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko said. The sides of his lips pulled into a thin smile, and for the first time in a long while, he felt hope. Sure, the Avatar was bound to be powerful. But with Zuko and Iroh, Dragon General of the West? Not to mention the handicap the Avatar would have, with so many possible hostages he needed to protect, while his soldiers would not hesitate to give their lives to capture the last Airbender.
Everything from here on forward… Was going to be alright.
"Mistress Rena," her apprentice called nervously, running into the tent, "There is smoke coming near the shore. Fire-ship smoke."
"What would they be doing here?" Rena croaked. "Hakoda's fleet was to distract them in the East."
"I don't know, Mistress," she cried. "But they're here! Lady Kanna said to hide the Avatar and his sister. 'The Fire Nation cannot know they are here', she said!"
"Avatar," Rena said sharply. "You hear her." She began to bandage her patient's extremities, hoping they would stay warm enough. She would have prescribed two more hours by the fire at least, but if it also meant Firebenders…
"I won't leave you all to fight," Aang said. "I… Why would they be here?" he asked in a small voice. "Do you think… It could be because of me?"
"Perhaps," Rena sighed heavily. "It is well-known that the Fire Nation looked to hunt the Avatar. But," she said firmly, "It is no matter. Your sister needs protecting, or she'll be killed before she can warm up proper. Get her out of here."
"I… Okay," Aang gave in, looking at his still sleeping sister. "Where do we go?"
"Sata," Rena called her apprentice's attention – the poor girl had stuck her head out of the tent flap, and was watching for the enemies' landing – "Take them to the seals. Have them hide with the pups, give them some fur and blubber."
"Yes, Mistress," Sata nodded frantically. She ducked out of the tent with the speed of an Airbender, and it was only because Aang was one that he could pick Akari up and leave quickly enough to follow her.
"Stay safe," Aang called out, before exiting the tent.
"It is all we know how to do," Rena sighed to herself. She began the still-familiar process of pre-raid preparation, hiding her most valuable medicines in a box she hid under ice and dirt. The flammables she made sure were covered with retardants, but the poisons… She rubbed the powders across anything that might be picked up or stolen. The worst of it she applied to the tent flap, which you had to touch to enter the tent. All Water Tribe members were immune to them, seeing as they came from the urchins and puffer fish that made up the Southern diet, but the Fire Nation soldiers?
No, Rena thought grimly, the only way they could have built up a similar immunity was if these soldiers were descendants of those who had touched the poisons before. And that was impossible… Because none of them had survived - Rena had made sure of it.
The Fire Nation soldiers marched down the ship's ramp, those in the lead throwing fireballs into the air. Children ran through the village, and the elderly hobbled after them. At the center of the village stood one teenage boy, arms raised in a poor fighting stance, hair tied up in a parody of a proper topknot.
"Have the men search the tents," Zuko murmured to Lieutenant Jee. "Round up the people at the center of the village for questioning, but top priority is finding the Avatar."
"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Jee nodded, then set off with a grim expression.
"Do you see him, Uncle?"
"Not yet, nephew," Iroh answered. "However, I expect him to come soon. No man would let a village burn when he could stop it, especially not one taught by the Nomads."
"Then where is he?" Zuko asked quietly.
"Perhaps we have simply caught him at a bad time," Iroh chuckled. "He could be finishing up on a toilet."
Zuko paused, giving the idea some thought. "You," he pointed at the nearest soldier. "Take a few men and find out where the outer facilities are. Bathrooms, waterways, training grounds. Search for the Avatar, and bring him here if you find him."
"Yes, Prince Zuko," the man saluted. "May we take some captives for guides?"
"So long as they do not serve as distractions," Zuko said sharply. He had seen – even commanded – enough raids to know what the common man, brought up without exacting ideals of honor and morals, could do. By Agni, there were enough who had been brought up honorably that behaved like scoundrels. But he could afford to tolerate none of that today.
Today, he captured the Avatar.
"Pay attention to the path, Avatar, sir," Sata said, leading the way through the snow. "I need to get back to the village, so I won't be able to lead you back after the raid."
"Sure thing," Aang said. It was a simple enough thing to remember the path according to which direction the winds blew, and if he forgot, he could get enough air to get high up and find the village from there. "But… Will everyone be okay?"
"No," Sata answered honestly. "Raids never end with everyone being okay."
"Have they…" Aang was quiet for a moment, and the only sound was their feet sloshing against snow. "Do they do this often? The Fire Nation."
"Not lately," Sata said. "Not since the warriors left to head them off."
"That's… Why everyone here is either old or young," Aang realized, horrified. "Then… There's nobody to defend the village!"
"We have Sokka," Sata sighed. "He's Chief Hakoda's only son. He tries, of course, but…"
"He seems like a cool guy," Aang said.
"You could say that," Sata said, and if it were any other time she might have been amused. "But one teenage boy against a ship of Fire Nation soldiers?"
"What about…" Aang glanced down at Akari, who was still asleep in his arms, and whose body and face were covered with blubber. "What about two teenage boys?"
"Avatar," Sata said warily. "What…"
"Well, I'm not a teenager yet," Aang said slowly, taking a deep breath. "But-I'll-be thirteen-in-a-year-and-that's-what-counts-and-anyway-I've-gotta-go-help-Sokka-and-Katara-since-I-got-everyone-into-this-mess-so-you-take-Akari-and-hide-stay-safe-see-you-later!" With that, he (gently) pushed Akari's limp body into Sata's arms, and hit the sky with a blast of air.
Sata's hair was still blowing from the aftermath, when she looked down and realized she was now responsible for the Avatar's sister's life. Also? She was heavy, and the seal enclosure was still a good ways away. (Especially when carrying a load as heavy as she was!)
Maybe the old training grounds were a better idea?
"Take your ship and leave, Fire Nation scum," Sokka said, Adam's apple bobbing up and down in nervousness. "We don't want you here!"
"This is the only defense you have?" Zuko asked, incredulous. "We have better protection at our mock-bases."
"I'm more than enough to get rid of you," Sokka pronounced. "One Southern Warrior is worth twenty – thirty," he amended, as more troops filed out of the ship, "Thirty Fire Nation scum!"
"Are you even a Bender?" Zuko laughed.
"You don't need to do magic to fight," Sokka said fiercely. "Take this!" He threw his boomerang into the air, and the metal glinted against the winter sun. Zuko stopped laughing to hit the metal with a blast of fire, which made the boomerang fall, flaming, into the snow.
Both men stared at it for a minute, before the snow put out the flame.
"I am looking for the Avatar," Zuko said softly. All the villagers his men could find had been rounded up in a circle at the village center. He paced slowly, making eye contact with those he thought would know where the old man was. "He'd be an old man by now," he continued. "Master of the elements. The last Airbender. There is a great reward," he added, when he saw one girl in the front biting her lip, "For anyone with information. The ship has plenty of food, and medicine for the sick. The Fire Nation rewards those who help her."
"There's nobody like that here," the girl he'd seen said, voice shaking but loud.
"I saw a chi blast not far from here," Zuko said grimly, when the carrot hadn't worked. "That kind of energy could only come from the Avatar. I know he's here!" he roared, reaching for an old woman and holding her by her strange hairstyle. "He would be this old! Wrinkles on his face! Knowledge of all four elements!"
"Gran-Gran!" the girl cried out.
"Let go of Katara's Gran-Gran," a childish voice called out.
Zuko glanced around, but nobody looked like they'd spoken. And then there was a fwoosh of wind, and a boy landed in front of him. "I'm the Avatar," he said, and if he hadn't sounded so serious Zuko wouldn't have even considered believing him. Because discounting the fact that he'd appeared out of thin air – there were other ways of flying, certainly – the kid looked to be all of twelve years old. He was bald, and tattooed with the blue arrows of an Airbending Master – but his eyes were as big as his apple-red cheeks, and his face was round with childhood.
"You're the Avatar," Zuko said dryly, releasing the old woman. He absently noted the girl from earlier catch her, still glaring at him.
"Yes," the kid said, wooden staff held out in both hands. Well, they had said he'd probably be using a staff… But…
"Prove it," Zuko challenged him.
"Okay," the kid said agreeably. And then Zuko was spinning, and there was a ball of air under him and he couldn't stay balanced on top of it –
"See?" the Avatar – and Zuko could believe it now – grinned. "I'm the Avatar."
"You're a child," Zuko snarled. "I have trained, and trained, and trained to defeat a child?!"
"This is a good thing for us, Zuko," Iroh said quietly from somewhere behind him.
"You're right, Uncle," Zuko exhaled loudly. "It only means it will be easier for me to defeat you."
"What if I don't want to go with you?" the Avatar asked curiously, twirling his staff.
"Then I take you by force," Zuko said shortly. He had just gotten into the proper stance – take that Uncle – when he was cut off with a sharp blade of wind, almost literally. He managed to bend back from the attack before it cut his throat, but only just so.
"That sounds kinky," a new voice said. He glanced around, but nobody presented themselves.
"Akari?" the Avatar asked. Was that the phantom who'd almost killed him? "Where are you? I'm so glad you woke up!"
"I'm glad, too," Akari said. "But we'll talk later. Aang, we need to kill this prince."
Zuko stiffened. How did someone out in boondock, backward Southern Water Tribe land know his rank? "You think you can kill me?"
"Akari," Iroh muttered behind him. "Where have I heard that name…"
Akari didn't dodge, choosing instead to send more of those air-blades at him. At the same time, Zuko began to feel air building up in his chest. His eyes widened, and he exhaled strongly, punching out at the same time. A burst of fire came rushing at Akari, who jumped above it, hand still clenched in a fist as she narrowed her eyes. Zuko started coughing.
"What?" Aang shouted. "Akari, you can't just kill someone!"
"He would've captured you," Akari argued, even as she dodged another attack from Iroh, who had snapped out of his stupor. "And he knows where we are, now! He'll report us to the Fire Nation! They'll send a fleet of ships, is that what you want?!"
"We can evade them," Aang said stubbornly. "Just because they might cause problems doesn't mean you can kill them!"
"Nobody will be killing anyone today," Iroh said evenly. He – and Aang – had distracted Akari enough that she had fallen back, panting, unable to keep up the pressure on Zuko's lungs. The Fire Nation Prince gasped for air, while his uncle stood in a fighting stance between them.
"What do… You mean, Uncle? We must capture the Avatar," Zuko whispered.
"I remember where I have heard Akari's name," Iroh said, not taking his eyes off her. "Let us save this fight for another day, Avatar. Akari." He nodded at them. "We shall take our men and go."
"Good," Aang said, relieved. "Thanks."
Beside him, Akari narrowed her eyes, and raised her fists. It was only Iroh's well-aimed fire, shot at her feet just before the pair boarded the ship, that stopped her from trying to kill them once more.
"Damn firebenders," she cursed, leaping out of the line of fire.
After the battle, the four teens – Aang and Akari, Sokka and Katara – gathered in Gran-Gran's tent. She sipped tea as, after the necessary introductions to Akari, they discussed what had happened… And what was going to happen.
"I don't understand why you had to try to kill them," Aang said, troubled. "They didn't kill anyone. It wasn't right."
"They didn't yet," Akari sighed. She was glad he hadn't been around to see her dispatch the soldiers who had found her and Sata, curled up in the corner of the training grounds. She remembered the look on their faces, when they realized they were facing not two weak-bodied women, but a woman who could kill them before they could blink. Her lips twitched upwards, but she forced the smirk down. Not the right time, she scolded herself. "Look, Aang. I was still running around after you disappeared. I saw the beginnings of the wars. War isn't right."
"It doesn't mean you have to be like them," Aang said stubbornly.
"No, the girl's got a point, kid," Sokka spoke up from the floor, where he was sitting cross-legged. "They were Fire Nation! They kill and pillage and kidnap and, just, burn! She would've done the world a favor."
"Sokka," Katara said, shocked.
"Fire Nation killed Mom," Sokka reminded her. "And how many Waterbenders, and warriors, and fighters. Earth Country people, too!"
"I know!" Katara shouted, standing up. "I don't need reminding! But maybe killing isn't the answer."
"Katara," Gran-Gran said gently.
"Sorry, Gran-Gran," Katara muttered, sitting down again. "It's just, the war…"
"Exactly," Akari said. "The war. We need to fight it."
"What are your plans?" Gran-Gran asked seriously, turning to face her.
"I need to find my old friends," Akari said softly. "And we need to get Aang trained, of course," she added, looking at her little brother.
"Trained?" Aang asked. "I'm already a Master Airbender. Haven't I shown you my air ball?"
"In all the other elements," Akari clarified. "Starting with water, I think," glancing at Katara. "That means the North Pole."
"We could find Waterbending Masters there," Katara said softly. "I'd like that."
"You're going with them?" Sokka turned to her in surprise. "But…"
"But what?" Katara frowned. "They need us!"
"They're Master Airbenders!" Sokka protested. The siblings in question stayed silent, not wanting to get into a fight, and Gran-Gran only watched calmly. "It'll be dangerous! You can barely do water wipes!"
"Water whips!" Katara said angrily. "And that's why I need to learn! Besides," she said, glaring, "Aang is the Avatar! If we want to make a difference to this war – "
"Of course I want to make a difference to this war," Sokka scoffed. "But Dad left me in charge of the Tribe!"
"And what good did you do today?" Katara shot back. "One teenager took you apart! You couldn't stop a firebender, forget about a ship of them!"
Sokka turned white. "That was… That wasn't fair, Katara."
"Life isn't fair," Akari said softly. "I don't mean to interrupt, but… Sokka, right? You could get trained, too. There are weapons masters around the Elemental Nations."
Sokka was silent for a long time, chest heaving the only sign he was no statue. "You think?"
"Yeah," Akari said.
"So we're going to the North Pole," Aang said, trademark grin beginning to spread across his face.
"We're going to the North Pole," Akari confirmed, smiling a little. A small, desperate part of her screamed for her friends, but she squashed it down violently.
Their first priority was training Aang so he could defeat the Fire Nation. Finding her friends could be saved for, at the very least, after he'd mastered Water; there were three elements to go, after all, and they wouldn't have long. She was sure Hama and the others could help with the war, too, and it wouldn't hurt for things to go a little bit worse before she approached them…
Besides, she thought grimly, it wasn't like she had no plans for the Northern Water Kingdom. She'd learned from Kanna – and wasn't it crazy, how old she looked, how old she was, and Akari was going to be traveling with her grandchildren – that their sister Kingdom had sent little help at the beginning of the Wars, when they could have made the most difference. She'd also learned that, quite indirectly but still resulting from that, Hama had been captured and possibly killed.
Suffice to say… Akari had some whale bones to pick with the Northern Water Kingdom.
Author's Note: How was that? It's been awhile since the last update, eh? I've gone back and revised all the former chapters, and hopefully they're better now. Call for beta is still open, give me a message if you're interested.