A/N: This was written for an atlaland writing challenge- Shades of Grey. I won't go into TOO much detail on that so as to not spoil anything but, anyways, it had to be OC-centered and, this is. When I first started writing this, it became longer and longer- too long for the word maximum so I had to shorten it to an extent but I continued writing it and will be posting multiple chapters for it. This story means a lot to me; I've had quite some fun writing it and I hope that you, too, will enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. The original characters shown here of my own creation for the Avatar universe.

Warnings: An OC fic with implied OC pairings in the future. Takes place before the season one finale and continues just as the show does. (This will become evident later on).

The Moonbeam's Warm Embrace
Chapter One: The Story-Teller
By: Nuit Songeur

Push and pull. Weaving in and out, up and down. Delicate tendrils twisting, doing their work. A small glow, a sigh, and then it was complete.

Kaya smiled and dropped her hands that had been previously hovering over the left side of the man's chest.

"All done," she told him. "That Earthbender got you pretty hard." The Fire Nation soldier began gathering his clothes, scoffing.

"He got lucky, is all. Thank you, though," he added, turning back toward her.

"You are most welcome. If you feel any pain or are having trouble breathing, don't hesitate to come back and see me."

"Will do, Kaya," he said rising. She stood up as well and he bowed his head toward her. She reached up on her toes, for he was quite tall, and kissed his forehead. Once he had been granted Kaya's Kiss, he exited the room. She stared after him.

It was a small superstition her patients had, believing that if she kissed them then it would protect them from any recurring injury. Kaya wasn't quite so sure if she believed it herself but, nonetheless, she humored them. Sometimes, that false sense of security was what one needed to speed the healing process.

That being the last of her patients for the day, Kaya exited the room as well, ducking underneath a tent flap and traversed her way through the camp toward the dining tent, where they were handing out rations of the night's meal. Fire Nation soldiers were going here and there. None of them eyed her Water Tribe garments with suspicion anymore. Seven long years of being captive had done their job.

She was their healer, possessing the powers of Waterbending to do so. And they were her men, her soldiers. She protected them and healed them when sick or wounded. They depended on her and she had learned to depend on them. It was a mutual understanding and trust.

Kaya sighed as she stepped in line, bowl in hand as she awaited her helping of gruel. She remembered a time, when she was ten or so, when she lived with her family, her people of the Northern Water Tribe. But that was a long time ago. Her home now was the fleet of naval ships that docked at this port, her family the men around her.

They were all men, too. She had not a mentor to teach her the ways of a woman. So he had no idea of how to respond when the eyes of some of the men started trailing down her slight frame, except to blush and turn away. They started doing that just last year. The year she turned sixteen, a proper age for marriage, had she been in the North Pole.

It was darkening. Kaya had been sitting on the ground near the bonfire, distracted by her own thoughts, when suddenly one of the soldiers dropped himself right in front of her. She gave a start of surprise and looked up to see who had accompanied her. It was a soldier named Lee.

"What are you thinking about, Kaya?" Lee asked. Two other soldiers joined them, forming a small semi-circle.

"Just thinking… I could have been someone's wife by now if…" Kaya did not finish the statement, knowing they all grew wary whenever she talked of the Water Tribe and their customs. They all feared she might grow too homesick and turn on them. But whether they feared that because they needed her or because they learned to trust her so much it would feel like a betrayal, she had no idea. She saw, glancing from underneath her lashes, as Lee's eyes flashed briefly. But the expression was gone before she could read it.

"Arranged?" he asked, curiosity seeping into his voice. Kaya looked up at him, expression serious.

"Yes. Very rare is it for a woman to have a choice in such an arrangement…" Kaya trailed off, thinking hard. Such details of her old life became fuzzy at times for her to remember. Lee barked a small, humorless laugh.

"Ha! At least you're not shackled by that custom any more," he assured her. Kaya attempted a half-smile for his benefit.

"You have no need to worry of losing me, Lee," she assured him. "My duty is here, healing the soldiers. I do believe, if not for me, half of the men here would be dead." There was a chuckle, but it was not from Lee. Instead, it was the one sitting to his left. Kaya turned her gaze onto him, seeing it was Captain Tzko. The firelight glinted in such a way to where it only illuminated half his face. Kaya turned away from him, embarrassed to find herself blushing.

"A captain should not sit on the ground with us lesser beings," she told him, teasingly, once she felt brave enough to face him again. She saw his ember eyes glowing as they stared at her. His lips gave way to a smile.

"I find myself to be in good company," Captain Tzko said. "I humble myself in your presence, Kaya, for you are correct: without you, half of us would be dead."

"I am flattered." A few minutes of silence pursued.

"Tell us a story, Kaya," Lee prompted, never one to enjoy moments of silence. And she did. Kaya told him the story of Yang falling in love with Yin.

I hope you enjoyed! Be sure- there's definitely more to come; I have most of it written up. Please subscribe if you liked it and, most of all, review!

-NuitSongeur