now or never || an atla fanfic

𝔞 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔢𝔰𝔠𝔞𝔭𝔢

Moonlight gleamed down on the village, spots of light peeking through the gaps of trees. Another perfectly full moon tonight, blessing the world with her propitious glow.

Amongst the trees, two female waterbenders faced each other with matching steely gazes, one more filled with contempt than the other, one with more determination than the other.

A face born out of the grayest gardens of misery.

Another framed with the pearlescent prowess of royalty.

They'd felt a connection between them, being the last waterbenders of the Southern Tribe, living under the fear of the Fire Nation, and defying a repressive tradition with their own morals.

And yet that is exactly what drove them apart. An elderly woman, so full of hatred and contempt to weaponize her own gift to hurt others. And a princess, who sharpened her gifts to protect herself and others.

The irony was palpable to the princess, who sought to end this fight and eliminate any further spread of this dark craft beyond the two of them. They were fighting against each other when they could have been fighting alongside each other in this mess of a war.

One raised her hands, the grass beneath them turning a shriveled brown as she sent a hurtling veil with blades of ice careening through the space between them.

The other dodged the attack with unnerving agility, turning the daggers of ice right back at the other in a reciprocated attack.

It was attack after attack, water extracted from the very being of nature that surrounded them. She was in her own element, determined to put an end to this once and for all, until the trees around them wilted and the grass beneath them shriveled.

They'd both had enough with simple waterbending, though. It wasn't long before one tapped into the power of the full moon, giving rise to the darker subset of bloodbending.

Her fingers tingle with the sensation, grappling with the newfound sense of power as the others limbs begin to move of their own accord, against her owner's will and succumbing to hers.

Her weary knees gave way to the dried grass, but her eyes gleamed with anything but surrender.

And yet she didn't break. Bloodbending was a craft forced on her--on the both of them--hardening their hearts in a world torn apart by war. But she was far stronger now.

"This isn't over--" she gasped.

The other moved a finger slightly, systematically rendering the other unconscious as her body collapsed to the floor.

"Yes it is. The job is finally done."

- ♚ -

"Tell me some good news, please," Aang said frantically, ignoring the pain weighing on his heart. He didn't have the capacity to reveal Zuko's supposed betrayal to the rest of the group yet.

"Uh well the Fire Nation's imperial army blew up all our submarines and the other army ships we took to get here--" Sokka started, extending a hand to help Aang onto the sky bison.

"I said good news," Aang reiterated, moving to ensure the straps of Appa's saddle and armor were secured tight. They were staying in a hidden alcove near the palace, but the second they took off, he could expect an avalanche of flaming rocks hurtling at them.

"We're all alive?" Toph offered.

Aang let out an exasperated sigh, quickly taking Sokka's hand and climbing onto Appa where Toph and Suki were already sitting. They all wore matching uneasy expressions, glancing around each other. Even Toph sat uncharacteristically silent and still.