ATLA Little Bender

The Deserters Arc-4

A storm pounded against the earth. Water splashing as a flurry of soldiers surrounded her. Zhao held them at a distance, making sure she wouldn't have a single chance of escape as they all fawned and worried over her. Some cheered at finally being able to bring her back to the Fire Nation. Others declared glory to her for surviving, and others, glory for themselves.

Those celebrated Zhao, herself, themselves, and the Fire Nation.

The joy turned to rage at her wounds.

"Admiral," A voice came from her right, she'd kept still in Zhao's grasp. Doing her best to breathe through her mouth to smell her blood than his sweat. "Who did this to her?"

Elaria stiffened but forced herself to go limp just as quickly. "The deserters, those savages have lost all humanity," Zhao growled.

The soldier sighed heavily. Zhao continued, "They will suffer ten times every wound they inflicted on her, we'll bring them back through the streets of the capital so that everyone will be able to decide their justice"

"Of course, Admiral," The soldier agreed readily. "Then the Avatar?"

"He'll suffer worse for the insult to the Fire Nation,"

Elaria screeched, "Please, I need rest," She huffed, allowing blood to dribble down her chin. The men came to their senses. Quickly a shuffle occurred as they placed her in a room, resting on the bed. She had a medic, a switch of clothes, Zhao's, and lay in his room.

The only person near the same stature as her would be her betrothed, Admiral Zhao. For that, she could only communicate with him.

Elaria hated the way the bed felt underneath her. It was like she'd be consumed by it. There was a nasty sense of deja vu. How many times had she been separated from the group?

In Zhao's sense, she was a spoil of war. Or his ticket to power.

"I'll fight you," Elaria told him, "Every single day, every minute, hour, second, I'll fight you and make sure you suffer each second you're near,"

Zhao huffed, "Don't worry My Lady, there exists Mistresses for a reason, I'll only need two things from you, an heir and a spare, I'll keep you chained if I have to," He shrugged, "The poor Regina who buckled under the weight of war, her duties, family, and trauma. After all, you've been kidnapped repeatedly, by the number one enemy of the Fire Nation no less,"

Elaria snapped at him, huffing a gust of wind, despite her lung's protests, that forced Zhao to collide with the wall face first. Zhao moved to hit her but held back seconds before his hand met her cheek.

"I'm not happy to marry a filthy air-bending breed, a deserter no less, but know this, you will submit or suffer submission," The man growled in her face.

Her eyes widened at the words before they narrowed, "I am not a deserter,"

"You've abandoned everything," Zhao told her, "Your nation, culture, even fire bending,"

"I never was a fire bender,"

"You never were worthy enough, you'll lead us to destruction, regardless of what everyone wishes to believe. Only I can bring glory, and only I shall," his voice slithered into her ears. Cunning and snake-like.

They rampaged against her dying light. Warring with the fears she buried amongst everything else life demanded. It was as though each day claimed more and more of her. Killing whatever had been there before.

You are a deserter. Elaria Regina. The Firelord that sent the Fire Nation to destruction. The Airbender on the throne.

A myriad of voices, hushed and crude whispers.

I am human.

You are not.

Deserter

Abdicator

Firelord

Airbender

Non-bender.

There's no choice. She realized. The voices murmured their lullaby until they spread a numbing iciness.

A knock on the door brought Zhao away from her. "Admiral! We have sight of them!"

Zhao glanced down at her. Elaria met his eyes. Satisfied with whatever he saw in her empty mask he left the Regina in place. Back straight, poised, elegant and still. With dried remnants of blood decorating her purple bruises against her sweating skin, clothes too large and vile, and her hair loosened and messy.

Elaria felt that sour disgust from earlier once more.

Deserter.

It wasn't until sometime later that fate had decided for her. She had reverted inwards, a doll that soldiers admired in some sick way. They revered her as though she were a saint, something unreachable. Untouchable. Despite the bruises on her skin from her fiancé.

Three of them had surrounded her in her room as she remained quiet. Guards. Her breathing was overshadowed by the commotion outside the ship. The surrounding navy Zhao had brought with him had moved unanimously and attacked the deserters.

In the back of her head, she could only think of Aang, Sokka, and Katara.

A lurch in the ship nearly threw her off the bed. Elaria for the first time met the gaze of a soldier, he answered her silent question, "I'm uncertain Your Highness, I shall check right now,"

Just as soon as he left, he scrambled back in, "We need to move now!" He yelled at the other guards, the two followed quickly, positioning her in the center as they followed her pace out of the ship.

Meeting daylight Elaria glanced over the next ship and saw walls of fire, Zhao screaming in rage, fireballs and-

Aang.

Unbeknownst to her, she'd have watched the fight if it hadn't been for her guards grabbing her and throwing her off the ship with them. In their place, the deck of the ship had erupted in flames.

"Ahoy! I'm Admiral Zhao! I don't know why, but I thought you'd be better than Zuko."

Sounds of fire cutting through the air.

"Sloppy. Very sloppy."

Elaria would have screamed at the irritation of the water on her burn if it hadn't been for the cooling sensation. Red surrounded the water her.

She felt cold. The burning wound felt cold.

"Regina!" Voices echoed.

"Nowhere to run now, you little smart mouth!"

"You'e lo-t -is battl-."

To her left the boat she was on sunk, consumed by flames. She was pulled away by a surge of arms.

"-Jeong said- no restraint..."

Aang's voice panicking, "-ria!"

Elaria allowed herself to be consumed by the cool sensation. The arms that carried her to shore had been clawed away and replaced with a more familiar embrace. She could catch a familiar scent being washed away by the river with the smell of copper and iron.

It's Aang. Elaria's mind supplied.

He felt warm to her.