Avatar: Reborn in Ice and Blood

"Are you implying that the Fire Nation's tradition to send the children who are not predestined for other professions to the army lessens the communal feeling of philanthropic unity?", a cold, flat voice asks from the doorway. There stands Mai in her cool, detached fifteen-year-old glory.

If I hadn't been well-read in my previous life, I wouldn't have caught half of that. As it happens, I heard and understood the entirety of it after just a moment of stupefaction. "Yes. I am", something like a frown mars her delicate features, "Though I'll give you that there are societal and traditional restrictions imposed on those living in the Northern Watertribe's society."

"Such as…?"

I give her attempt at fishing a beatific smile, even though she can't see it. That mask really is inconvenient if you want to make someone else feel stupid. Now it's just me feeling stupid all by my lonesome. "Women are traditionally not part of the military forces."

Though I have a feeling that with Katara's recent successful bout of rebelliousness, others might feel it the time to change that. If not, the subject can be revisited once this entire ordeal with the Firelord wanting to destroy the entire world is over. Something has just occurred to me. If his intentions are to give the world a 'rebirth', why would he even bother with the conquering? I can understand taking cities like Omashu and Ba Sing Se. They are the ones with enough power and connections that they could threaten him even with the Comet. But the farming villages that are being terrorised? Unnecessary.

Mai's mouth has gained a displeased twist to it. Evidently, she thinks that tradition is bollocks. I agree, but I wonder if she will see that or impose her views on bigoted traditionalists upon my humble self. It seems either she is doing her best at not antagonising me after that scene earlier, or she can tell when I'm testing her. I'm not certain what I'm looking for either.

Instead of waiting for her answer silently and patiently, I get up and put the bowl of soup with the other dirty dishes. This puts my back to her. "You have healed."

I half-turn and inspect her suddenly eager stance out of the corner of my eye. Or whatever passes for eager for nobles. Although Yue was much freer in her expressions, so it might just be a thing Mai does. Her statement requires no verbal answer from me.

"I had heard", she begins cautiously, stepping fully into the room, "That only the female waterbenders are healers."

That is an interesting revelation into the insight the Fire Nation has into the inner workings of the Northern Watertribe. It is a crucial and useful detail for them to know, which is why it worries me slightly that they have discovered it. "There are those among us who believe that if it is possible for you to learn something, and you want to, you should."

"Another societal restriction that you have chosen to ignore, then?", she questions.

"Another?", I raise my brows at her, turning to look at her fully.

She crosses her arms, "One does not usually remain in the enemy stronghold after hostile negotiations."

That startles a chuckle out of me and it makes her relax slightly. "You… appear to abhor traditions", she concludes quietly.

A slow and honest smile stretches my face underneath the mask, "When they stand in the way of philanthropy."

I know in my heart that she would smile if she didn't feel that it'd mean she lost something by doing so. Instead, she shifts her shoulders into something that would be a confrontational stance, if she weren't also clasping her hands in front of her body. "Walk with me", and with that, she sweeps from the kitchen.

This should be interesting.

She navigates the palace hallways with ease that I didn't expect. But then again, she must have had little else but exploring to do before Azula and the Avatar arrived. She takes me to a room of which the doors are closed and no sounds escape from the inside. Her slanted eyes rove over my form and briefly halt on my hands that cradle her little brother to my chest.

She opens the door. Inside lies a prone figure covered in white bandages that stand out starkly against lightly tanned skin. Circus Girl.

Mai wants me to heal her friend. A friend I came very close to killing earlier. Very, very close. I turn my head to look at her. Her expression is closed off, but there are traces of worry and fear in her body language.

When I fail to address her obvious un-worded hopes, the corners of her mouth turn downwards.

"The healers say Ty Lee will never speak a word again", her voice is rough and heavy with emotion as she stares at her friend, "Her ribs will take years to fully heal, and only if she does not… partake in strenuous activities. Her stomach is bruised so badly they suspect internal bleedings. I-", she cuts herself off, reclasps her hands and takes a deep, shuddering breath, "I would formally request you to heal her. I have little to offer in return, but I shall give what I can."

"Well, isn't that touching", I drawl as my mind flits through the possibilities. I could just heal her. But I could also ask Mai to delay Azula, sabotage her hunt for the Avatar. However, Mai is fifteen and Azula is, apart from Circus Girl, her closest friend. It would put an immense burden on her shoulders. Besides, Azula is intelligent enough to realise what Mai would be doing, even if she was extremely careful about it.

I use the few seconds it takes for her to recover from her emotional… outburst and my subsequent insensitivity to move towards Circus Girl. She looks… like she's a step away from Death's door. I crouch beside her head. She's asleep. I wouldn't be surprised if they had given her poppy to dull the pain.

Coming to a decision I rise and turn towards Mai. "You will owe me a favour of equal value", I say, hand outstretched. The baby in my other arm makes a gurgling noise. It goes ignored.

Mai almost seems to rush the few steps that separate us and clenches her slender fingers around mine so strongly I almost want to clench back. "Yes", she chokes it out, undisguised relief flooding her features.

"I will leave it up to you whether you decide to inform anyone else of this little agreement", I say and she slowly loosens her grip as she nods.

I kneel beside the half-dead-looking girl on the floor. "You can stay or you can leave. I don't think this has to be voiced, but if you attempt to take the brat, there will be very little stopping me from undoing my work."

She chooses to kneel on the opposite side of her friend. I set her little brother down beside me and, surprisingly enough, he remains.

After so much time spent manipulating the water in the air, it is easy to gather enough to get to work on the Circus Girl's damaged vocal chords and whatever else I cut. It takes immense concentration to heal such delicate parts of the body, especially since I don't want to cut off her airflow. It occurs to me that Circus Girl might not appreciate waking to the feeling of someone manipulating fluids inside her throat.

"Wake her", I instruct Mai as I decide how best to go about it. Throat first, then her ribs. That is the easy decision to make.

Circus Girl wakes sluggishly from her near-comatose sleep. Mai uses soothing words and gentle fingers to keep her calm. Then, her eyes fall on me and widen in panic.

I do nothing but wait as Mai firmly restrains her without hurting her friend any further. "He's here to help. He will heal you", it does nothing to quell her panic.

The brat beside me is almost hit by a flailing leg. I decide to press it down gently while calming the flinch that almost knocks the baby on his back with a soothing hand between his tiny shoulders. Her reaction to my touch is to go unnaturally still. This would work for me, if I were trying to terrify her. But as it happens, I want to heal her. I need her throat not to close up with fear.

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Don't forget to throw some power stones :)

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