[Fanfic] Red Sky, Black Snow
Mar. 19th, 2010 12:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
giefuTitle: Red Sky, Black Snow
Character(s) or Pairing(s): Fire Nation, Northern Water Tribe
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Summary: It had to happen sooner or later! The Siege of the North, Avartalia-style.
The Northern Water Tribe has feared this moment for so long that now it's here he down't know what to think; the black ships on the horizon fill his whole world. The day's a typhoon of meetings and councils and preparations. Arnook gives a speech in front of the whole tribe- a good one, worthy of his title as chief. But Kesuk can't help but notice how small his people seem, crouched in their walls of ice. He misses his sister. She was the fighter. The Northern Tribe had always thought himself more civilised than that. Now, as he drags his fingers across his face and the snarling mask of a wolf covers his own features, Kesuk wonders if that life had any use at all.
It doesn't take long for them to find each other. It's the first time any other nation has seen Lee since Ba Sing Se and he doesn't look good. Silence surrounds him, and he won't even acknowledge his soldiers. Dark circles under his eyes give him a half-crazed look, and there's a jerkiness to his movements, like he's not really there. Conquest has its price. Acting before the other nation can even blink, Kesuk brings his arms up and around, feeling the ice around him build into a wave that smashes the Fire Nation against a rampart and freezes him in place.
Beneath the wolf facepaint, Kesuk's eyes are feverishly bright. "You killed my sister."
Lee shakes his head, then slowly holds up his left hand, palm out, so that the Water Tribe can see where his fingers are still blackened and scarred with frostbite. "Not yet."
Kesuk can almost taste his own relief, and he's about to quiz the other nation further when at that moment that the world goes wrong. Both nations feel it, but the Northern Water Tribe gets it the hardest- a sudden sensation of pain so severe that bile rises to the back of Kesuk's throat and he falls to his knees.
"You bastard." It's impossible, this feeling. Like the universe holding its breath. "Not this…. please..."
Behind him, he can hear the rush of air as Lee heats his body enough for the ice holding him in place to melt. Seconds later, a still-warm hand grabs his wolftail and forces his head back. Kesuk's breath, already ragged, catches; the moon is bleeding red into the sky.
"The price of victory." Lee's voice is cold. "Stand up."
"I can't."
"Stand up."
Kesuk is dragged roughly to his feet by the back of his parka and some of his hair. Standing is difficult, and his eyes keep returning to the sky like fingers probing a recent wound.
"Lee, listen to me." The Northern Water Tribe tries to sound brave, but he's scared. This is balance-of-the-universe stuff, now. Before, well, it had been war. Nations could understand war. Even war that consumed the world for hundreds of years. This though- this could end everything. He wonders if the Fire Nation really knows what he's doing. Or if he even cares. "You can't believe that this is right. If the Moon Spirit dies, we all go. Not just me."
"I know that." the Fire Nation grunts, dragging his new prisoner along in the direction of the outer wall. "But this beat the alternative."
"What alternative?" Kesuk digs his feet into the snow to try and make the Fire Nation stop. Weak, dammit, he's so weak- never the good fighter, that had always been his sister-
"Killing you."
There's a long silence as one nation stares into the eyes of the other.
Is that it? Kesuk thinks. Has that moment been his world for one hundred years?
Then the colour drains out of the world and he nearly passes out. Kesuk had thought that the pain before had been unbearable: this was even worse. Dimly, he can make out the Fire Nation trying to keep him on his feet. Not that it matters any more. It's over.
Then he feels something else. Hope, and rage. The clean, freezing anger of a storm. Slowly, his vision fills with glowing blue light. He's felt this before. At the beginning, when he was young. This was the old ocean spirit, the one that flattened towns and destroyed boats, that took life without regard for who or what stood in the way. Looking down, Kesuk sees that they're standing near one of the canals that crisscross the capital. Unbeknownst to Lee, it's filling with blue light, surging like a living thing, and Kesuk can feel the power in him returning.
The Northern Water Tribe turns to the Fire Nation, and in the twilight his eyes are still blue.
"Get the hell out of my city."
Up in the sky, the moon returns.
Character(s) or Pairing(s): Fire Nation, Northern Water Tribe
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Summary: It had to happen sooner or later! The Siege of the North, Avartalia-style.
The Northern Water Tribe has feared this moment for so long that now it's here he down't know what to think; the black ships on the horizon fill his whole world. The day's a typhoon of meetings and councils and preparations. Arnook gives a speech in front of the whole tribe- a good one, worthy of his title as chief. But Kesuk can't help but notice how small his people seem, crouched in their walls of ice. He misses his sister. She was the fighter. The Northern Tribe had always thought himself more civilised than that. Now, as he drags his fingers across his face and the snarling mask of a wolf covers his own features, Kesuk wonders if that life had any use at all.
It doesn't take long for them to find each other. It's the first time any other nation has seen Lee since Ba Sing Se and he doesn't look good. Silence surrounds him, and he won't even acknowledge his soldiers. Dark circles under his eyes give him a half-crazed look, and there's a jerkiness to his movements, like he's not really there. Conquest has its price. Acting before the other nation can even blink, Kesuk brings his arms up and around, feeling the ice around him build into a wave that smashes the Fire Nation against a rampart and freezes him in place.
Beneath the wolf facepaint, Kesuk's eyes are feverishly bright. "You killed my sister."
Lee shakes his head, then slowly holds up his left hand, palm out, so that the Water Tribe can see where his fingers are still blackened and scarred with frostbite. "Not yet."
Kesuk can almost taste his own relief, and he's about to quiz the other nation further when at that moment that the world goes wrong. Both nations feel it, but the Northern Water Tribe gets it the hardest- a sudden sensation of pain so severe that bile rises to the back of Kesuk's throat and he falls to his knees.
"You bastard." It's impossible, this feeling. Like the universe holding its breath. "Not this…. please..."
Behind him, he can hear the rush of air as Lee heats his body enough for the ice holding him in place to melt. Seconds later, a still-warm hand grabs his wolftail and forces his head back. Kesuk's breath, already ragged, catches; the moon is bleeding red into the sky.
"The price of victory." Lee's voice is cold. "Stand up."
"I can't."
"Stand up."
Kesuk is dragged roughly to his feet by the back of his parka and some of his hair. Standing is difficult, and his eyes keep returning to the sky like fingers probing a recent wound.
"Lee, listen to me." The Northern Water Tribe tries to sound brave, but he's scared. This is balance-of-the-universe stuff, now. Before, well, it had been war. Nations could understand war. Even war that consumed the world for hundreds of years. This though- this could end everything. He wonders if the Fire Nation really knows what he's doing. Or if he even cares. "You can't believe that this is right. If the Moon Spirit dies, we all go. Not just me."
"I know that." the Fire Nation grunts, dragging his new prisoner along in the direction of the outer wall. "But this beat the alternative."
"What alternative?" Kesuk digs his feet into the snow to try and make the Fire Nation stop. Weak, dammit, he's so weak- never the good fighter, that had always been his sister-
"Killing you."
There's a long silence as one nation stares into the eyes of the other.
Is that it? Kesuk thinks. Has that moment been his world for one hundred years?
Then the colour drains out of the world and he nearly passes out. Kesuk had thought that the pain before had been unbearable: this was even worse. Dimly, he can make out the Fire Nation trying to keep him on his feet. Not that it matters any more. It's over.
Then he feels something else. Hope, and rage. The clean, freezing anger of a storm. Slowly, his vision fills with glowing blue light. He's felt this before. At the beginning, when he was young. This was the old ocean spirit, the one that flattened towns and destroyed boats, that took life without regard for who or what stood in the way. Looking down, Kesuk sees that they're standing near one of the canals that crisscross the capital. Unbeknownst to Lee, it's filling with blue light, surging like a living thing, and Kesuk can feel the power in him returning.
The Northern Water Tribe turns to the Fire Nation, and in the twilight his eyes are still blue.
"Get the hell out of my city."
Up in the sky, the moon returns.
