I

The first time Lance bend the water, he was five, and the adults weren't paying attention to him. Dad and his older brothers were arguing intensely among themselves, too softly to understand,

though from time to time he distinguished war and raid from what they said.

Veronica and Rebecca did girlish things, trying to get him involved to keep him from getting

bored, but they too were weird, Veronica looked at dad, her lips tightened in a thin line.

Rebecca's hands were shaking, her expression funny.

I'm bored, Lance thought, with all the innocence of a child who didn't understand the gravity of the war.

He played with the snow, trying to make a snowman. He couldn't get the shape he wanted, and after his last try, he got irritated.

He began to mess with the snow out of boredom. It was at that moment that the snow began to do strange things, becoming water and moving in circles.

Lance found it funny. His sisters didn't.

"Lance!" Veronica screamed, and the water stopped moving. He pouted, "It was fun. You made it stop."

There was a glint of something in his sister's eyes, her lip quivering. There was a sudden silence in the igloo, and everyone was staring at him.

Dad seemed to have swallowed a toad, and Marco had to help him sit down. Lance didn't understand why they were all so strange.

"Did I do something bad?"

Veronica shook her head, "No, it's a very special thing. You surprised us, that's all. Nobody can do what you can do."

The boy felt his chest swell with pride. He was the youngest, and everyone had something to do for the tribe except him. He liked having something unique.

But no one seemed happy.

Rebecca said, "Mom was like you. She was a waterbender."

Lance frowned. They never talked about mom. It was an absence he was used to, and he didn't miss her. You could not miss someone you had never known.

Dad had once told him that mom was with Tui and La and that she was watching over them all. Lance asked him if she would come back, and Dad didn't answer.

"Am I like her?"

"Yes, you are very special. But you can't show it to anyone."

"Why?"

He didn't understand, if he had something special, why couldn't he show it to others too? How would he contribute to the life of the tribe?

Veronica explained, "There are some bad people who would hurt you if they knew. That's why you don't have to show it."

"Oh..."

"You have to promise it, Lance. You must never use it in front of a stranger." "But can I with you?"

"Yes, with me you can. But you have to promise me, Lance."

Lance nodded hesitantly, "I promise."

Immediately, everyone was relieved. And if in the following days Veronica or Marco were always close to him to make sure he didn't use his bending accidentally, Lance didn't worry much.

He had just discovered he was special, he didn't care about anything else.

But a year later the snow turned black, and Rebecca burned alive to protect him. After, he understand what special really means.

II

"It's your fault," Keith growled, trying to free his hands from the handcuffs the pirates had put on him.

From a certain point of view, Keith was right: they wouldn't be in that situation if Lance hadn't stolen the waterbending scrolls from the fricking pirates.

But was it stealing when he only took back something that had been taken from his tribe? Lance was righting a wrong, that's it.

"These guys were Fire Nation riders," he said, trying to concentrate. He was sweaty. In the Earth Kingdom, it was much warmer than at home. This was an opportunity. He could use the sweat, cool it, and try to freeze the cuffs. Hopefully. - They had something that didn't belong to them. "

"And you thought it was a good idea to steal from thieves? You put Shiro in danger! "

"Shiro is the Avatar. It won't take him much to put these guys in their place."

Keith looked like he was about to breathe fire, "Shiro can't solve all problems. He can't even solve his problems. "

Good observation. Rebecca told him stories about the Avatar, the most powerful bender in

existence. Shiro wasn't the hero of the stories, he was just a traumatized young man who wanted to go home, but who instead found the fate of the world on his shoulders.

Lance could hear the handcuffs creak. Maybe he was succeeding.

"Unfortunately that's what he was born for. He was born to solve problems. It's in the job description!"

"He shouldn't worry about everything if at least you didn't suck with your bending!"

Oh, he didn't have to say that.

Lance clenched his jaw, "It's easy for you to talk. You are a firebending prodigy. It has been taught to you correctly since you were six. Well, guess what, not everyone has had this privilege. I was the last waterbender of my tribe, you of the Fire Nation took them all away. "

" Them all?"

"Yes, and no one has ever returned. Everything I know about my bending, I have learned by myself. So sorry if I have a style too sloppy for your sensibility, I'm lucky to have one! "

Since they clashed months ago in the Pohuai Stronghold, Lance saw something other than anger in the firebender's expression: he saw shame.

"I ... I hadn't thought of that."

"Veronica and I set out to go to the North Pole to find me a teacher - and to ask for the help of their sister tribe. It was their last hope. Veronica was convinced that the Northern tribe could be dealt with, and Lance trusted his sister's judgment. - Only there I will be safe without fear that ash will fall from the sky and the Fire Nation will attack. "

"No place is safe. Not as long as Zarkon is alive. "

"Zarkon will lose."

Keith frowned, "How do you know?"

"The Avatar is back, and he's going to kick his ass."

Before Keith could say anything, Lance finally broke the cuffs and freed himself. Keith was wide-eyed, "How did you do it? You didn't have water with you. " "Sweat is water, dude. And I can bend it. As you can see, I can be very creative. " Keith was too surprised - or disgusted, who knows. - to say anything.

III

The North Pole was everything Lance imagined and more. When he arrived, he was speechless in front of the beauty of the place.

There were buildings carved from ice with a delicate touch, cool water flowed around every corner.

It was beautiful and rich, everything that home wasn't. And if Lance felt a little envious to see what his tribe might have been without the war, it was no one's business.

Lance had ideas for when he would come home, when the war was over. The South Pole could have matched his sister tribe.

But all that beauty took a back seat. Now Lance was furious.

"Pakku! If you are a real man, come face me!" he yelled, with Veronica behind him, proud as ever.

Hunk looked like he was about to pass out, Allura and Pidge were more exasperated than anything else, and Keith looked at him with something akin to respect. And Shiro... Shiro just seemed grateful that he stopped the training.

Pakku didn't seem worried, "The pupil who believes he can challenge the master. How much presumption. "

Lance didn't have time for that shit, "Allow my sister to join the warriors, and me to take healing lessons."

Water could heal. He didn't know. He didn't know a lot about his bending. Lance wanted to

learn everything and fuck gender roles. He wanted to be also a healer. He was tired of not knowing what he could do with his bending.

Veronica deserved to learn new fighting techniques. Chief Arnock should have listened to her, not dismissed her with leading a tribe is not a woman's business. What did he know? Since dad, Marco and Rafael had gone to war, Veronica had been the true chief tribe for years. They had survived thanks to her.

Women could lead. Women could fight. And Lance will make Pakku and chief Arnook regret what they said.

"These traditions are useless! The war changed everything! " he yelled.

"I don't see why we should change too."

"Because it's time to do it! You didn't even want to watch her fight. She come here to ask help for our tribe!"

"It would have been a ridiculous sight. Women are too weak to fight... "

A block of ice hit Pakku in the face. No one had ever seen Lance move his hands, he was too fast.

"He just..." Keith began.

"Did he just hit a waterbending master with a block of ice big enough to kill him? "Pidge finished.

Veronica smiled as if he had given her a new sword, "Yes, he did. My little brother is a force to be reckoned with! "

After that, Pakku no longer made the mistake of underestimating Lance.

IV

Ba Sing Se had fallen, Lotor had managed to do what his father had not been able to do in thirty years of war.

And they couldn't do something: Ba Sing Se had fallen, and the Avatar was dying in Keith's arms.

"No! It can't happen ... " the firebender screamed, clutching stronger, as if he were to keep him a little longer in the world of the living.

As if that were enough to prevent the only hope in the world from dying and condemning everyone to burn.

Blue flew as fast as possible, but there was little he could do.

Pidge turned to Allura, her voice raw with fear. "Do something! This is spiritual stuff! You air nomads are good with these things! "

Allura gave the reins of the bison to Veronica, and approached Shiro. She put her hand on his face, and her expression did not bode well.

Lance felt his stomach tighten. If the Avatar dies, if the cycle is interrupted, it will all be over. No new Avatars, no one capable of stopping Zarkon and the Fire Nation.

He couldn't stand and watch without doing something.

"Allura, let me try."

The airbender looked at him skeptically, "Lance, you haven't trained long in the healing arts. There is little you can do. "

He already knew it: in a few months, the best he had done was to heal wounds and burns. Nothing so serious.

He wasn't prepared. But he couldn't bear to be idle. He said, "Let me give it a try. Only one. I don't want to leave any stone unturned. "

Allura still looked reluctant, but eventually, she gave in, "Okay. Do it. Maybe you will be able to keep Shiro alive a little longer ... "

Her voice trailed off, and he saw the pain in her eyes. If it was bad for them, it had to be worse for her: she had already seen an Avatar die without being able to prevent it. And now death could be definitive.

Lance moved carefully and placed both hands on Shiro's chest. The Avatar's eyes flashed, his mouth open in a soundless scream.

He felt his heart rate slow down, and he panicked.

What is the name of Tui and La could he do? He was not a teacher. He had never cured something so bad.

"I will fail ... I will fail ..."

He gave a fleeting glance at Keith, who was staring at him, eyes red from crying. In his eyes, there was a silent plea for help. He was so desperate that Lance, of all people, was his last hope.

The waterbender didn't want to disappoint him.

He still had some water left from the Oasis of the Spirits. It was too little, and he wasn't sure it was enough.

It was worth a try.

The next five minutes were the most hellish of his life. Lance put all his energy and effort into bringing Shiro back.

The water in his hands shone with white light, and he felt the sweat descend on his forehead. The wound closed, but Shiro still showed no signs of life.

Then, as if by a miracle of the spirits, Shiro began to breathe again, his eyes returned to normal. He was not conscious for long, but he was safe. He muttered a name Lance couldn't hear, and then closed his eyes, dropping his head to the side.

Keith wept in relief as Pidge said, "It's not possible. He was dead. "

"You're right. - Allura stammered, clutching the stick - His spirit was leaving. There was no more hope. Lance has worked a miracle."

Lance was too tired to be pleased with their astonishment, "It's thanks to the water of the Oasis of the Spirits. Without it, I don't think I could have done much."

Keith wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, "Who cares how you did it? You saved him. It was amazing!"

Damn, he'll never get used to Keith's compliments. The firebender never said anything he didn't mean, and that made his compliments rarer, but true.

Allura nodded and looked at Shiro, and stroked his hair, "You didn't only save Shiro's life tonight. You saved the world. "

Ah, just so that no pressure is felt on a guy.

Too bad he couldn't enjoy the moment: Lance passed out. Keith was the one who grabbed him before the waterbender hit his head on Blue's saddle.

"Oh, so you care about me ..."

He didn't see Keith's blush, nor did he hear what the other said. Lance fell asleep, the fate of the world momentarily saved.

V

The moon was full that night. It was the night all the Waterbenders were in full power. And Lance needed power.

Hama laughed, "Poor kid. Convinced that he can fight against a master and be at her level. How pathetic are you? "

He was very pathetic, he already knew thanks a lot, but he had seen what was hiding in the mountain. He had seen the corpses, and the few people who were still alive, too shocked to be lucid, but who had managed to tell the horror they had suffered.

And Lance wouldn't allow this to continue. It was true, Hama had a right to be angry: she was torn from her house, and was held captive for most of her life.

But the culprit was Zarkon, not a village of innocent people whose only fault was that they were born in the Fire Nation.

"This is madness!"

"This is justice!" Hama said, and sent a jet of water at him. Lance didn't even think of deflecting it, but he created a shield of water that repelled it.

For a brief moment, he thought he saw panic in the mad old woman's eyes, but it was a brief moment.

She laughed, "You've learned, haven't you? But now I want to see if you can resist this! "

Panic made its way through him as his body no longer responded to him. Lance began to writhe, his arms behind his back and the sensation of something crushing his lungs.

Hama laughed, laughed as if another murder didn't matter.

"You had so much potential ... what a shame to have to kill you."

"Let him go!"

Lance's eyes widened. Keith.

The firebender launched a barrage of fireballs at Hama, but the woman easily extinguished them.

Hama grinned, "Come to save your friend? What honorable behavior of you, boy. Tell me, how would it feel to see his crushed brain end up at your feet. "

"You won't dare," Keith growled.

Hama replied, "I have already done this to guys younger than him. Age won't stop me. I learned that pity is a useless thing. "

Out of the corner of his eye, Lance saw Veronica sneaking around in the bush, like a wolf waiting to swoop down on her prey.

She was silent, but Hama still anticipated her attack, disarming her with a jet of water.

"Let me show you some respect."

Keith didn't even get a chance to light a fire, and his body began to move without his will, and so did Veronica.

Lance saw them at Hama's mercy, with no possibility of escape. The woman walked over to Keith, "Mhm... yeah, I think you'll be the first. I'll choke you in your blood, and it'll be slow. "

Lance couldn't let her hurt him.

Lance tried to rebel, but his body didn't respond. He couldn't move his hands, it was useless.

Blood is only denser than water. But a waterbender can manipulate it at will.

Hama's words still rang in his mind. Hama controlled his body. But nothing stopped Lance from regaining control in the same way.

He prayed to the moon to give him the power and to help him. He closed his eyes and felt the blood rushing through his veins. He regained control of it with great effort, and as Hama was about to put a hand on Keith's face, he shot her an arrow of water that pierced her arm.

The woman screamed and held the injured limb against her chest. The terror had returned to her gaze.

"It is not possible. You couldn't get out of my control. "

"There are many things you did not foresee ..."

Lance had regained control of his body. To win that fight, he had to play dirty. And he had had a teacher for that.

Hama began to writhe like a broken puppet, breathless. She lost control over Keith and Veronica, who fell to the ground, breathing hard.

Lance was relieved to see them well, but he couldn't be distracted, not now that he was using the most monstrous technique he had ever learned.

Did that mean he was a monster too?

Better. Only a monster could fight against another monster.

Hama yelled, "You can't use bloodbendig. It took me over thirty years to learn!"

"Tonight there is a full moon. Everything is possible."

The woman tried to free herself, Lance felt her willpower trying to win control. He won't let her hurt people again.

He broke both of her arms, her screams of pain so excruciating it made him close his eyes. Hama fell to her knees, and even though she was injured, unable to use her bending, she laughed, "You're a wicked thing like me, baby. I understood it immediately. "

"He is not like you - Keith intervened - The only monster I see here is you."

"As in the stories, the heroes have come to defeat the monster. You won't kill me, I know. You consider yourselves superior. "

Lance was too emotionally drained to feel sorry for this woman. He coldly told her, "We won't kill you, it's true. But I think your friends from the Fire Nation will be happy to see you again."

The panic he saw on her face was almost worth it.

After, on Blue's back, Keith said to him, "You know you're not like her, don't you?"

"Of course I know. I wouldn't kidnap teenagers to take revenge on a mad Emperor. "

"No, I'm serious. You are much better. You are... you are a good person. "

And that, said by a master of speech like Keith, was almost an admission of esteem. Lance felt heartened, and leaned against the other, "Can I fall asleep on you?"

"Um... yes. I'll take care of you. " And he believed him.

1

"You're a goddamn idiot," Lance growled as he tried to heal Keith's wound. Provoke Lotor and become target. During the Zarkon's Comet, when the fire of the firebenders was more powerful.

What a stupid idea. As well as having the big final battle when their enemy was ahead. But that was either allowing Zarkon to burn the world. There weren't many alternatives.

Keith, on the other hand, would just have to stick to the plan. But no, he had put a target on him and had been left to burn to allow Lance to block the mad prince and use bloodbending on him.

Lotor was knocked out, but Keith was not in good shape. His neck and chest had a single, large burn, bloody and black flesh.

The stench of burning flesh brought back bad memories, and he had to keep himself from throwing up. Keith needed him, this was no time for traumatic flashbacks.

"You could have died, do you realize that?" the waterbender continued to yell at him as the burn slowly began to heal.

Keith smiled wearily, "You are the greatest waterbender that ever lived. I knew I had my back covered. "

Lance blushed, "You're still an idiot. If Shiro manages to kill Zarkon ... " "Will you take me to the South Pole to see the penguins?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. It depends if you won't try to get yourself killed anymore. " "Mhm ... so ... is this a date?"

Lance almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, "Only you can try to flirt while you're risking your life."

" It's working?"

How had he been afraid of this boy once? He was an idiot. Lance sighed, "Yeah, I think it's working."