The Stone Cold Bender *ATLA Fanfic*

*Chapter 8*Saved... Kinda*

TW/Panic Attack, I'm not good at writing what it feels like to experience one but I tried. 
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We've been travelling on armored ostrich horses for hours, the sun had long vanished and replaced with the moon and stars. Iroh was chained to prevent bending. I only have my wrists and ankles tide with rope. 

"Are we there yet?" I ask for the hundredth time since being captured. I hoped that maybe they would let me go. If not, at least I get to annoy them. 

"For the last time, no we aren't!" The man seated in front of me on the ostrich horse, exclaims frustrated. 

"Where are you taking us?" Iroh questions from the animal he's on the back of. "We're taking you to face justice." One of the men reply.

"Right." I say rolling my eyes. "But where specifically?" Iroh presses ignoring my comment. 

The same man replies. "A place you're quite familiar with actually. You once lead a sedge to it for 600 days but would not yield to you." 

'600 days? Damn, that's a lot of days.' My mind comments helpfully. 

"Ah, the great city of Ba Sing Se." Iroh reminisced. 

"It was greater than you were, apparently."

"I acknowledge my defeat at Ba Sing Se." The old man states. "After 600 days away from home, my men were tired, and I was tired." He then yawns. "And I'm still tired." The old man leans against his captor before falling back off the ostrich horse. 

I simply blink at the old man. "Iroh, you good?" I question concerned. 

Three men get off their rides and pick up the tired Iroh. As they lead him back to a ride, he looks back. Looking behind them I see on of his sandals on the ground, presumingly to leave a trail for the hot-headed prince. 

I smirk in Iroh's direction as he does the same. 

'Now to get back to annoying them.'

"I'm huuuungry!" I wine, a wide grin painting my lips. 

I complain about being hungry and asking if we where there yet until dawn. By the time the sun had shown itself over the horizon, I had been gagged with a cloth. Apparently, they had had enough of my talking. 

As I am pouting about not being able to talk, I hear Iroh gasp. Lazily turning my head to face the old man, only for my eyes to widen in shock. Flying past us is a translucent blue Chinese dragon with an also transparent blue Aang riding it. 

As the young Avatar and I make eye contact, recognition flashes across his features. But before he could say anything, he continued speeding past. 

"What's the problem?" One of our captors ask. Iroh simply says "Nothing." Still staring in the direction of Aang and the dragon had gone. 'Okay, so only the crazy old man and I saw that.. am I crazy?'

"Actually, there is a bit of a problem. My old joints are feeling sore and achy, and these shackles are too loose." Iroh complains. 

"Too loose?" The man questions. 

Iroh nods. "That's right. The cuffs are loose, and they jangle around and bump my wrists. It would help me if you would tighten them so they wouldn't shake around so much." He offers a kind smile. 

"Very well. Corporal, tighten the prisoner's handcuffs." 

Without another word, we stop. The Corporal gets of his ostrich horse to tighten Iroh's cuff. Only for Iroh to heat up the metal and burn the man's hand. As he holds his hand screaming in pain, Iroh begins hopping and shoots fire at the others from his feet. 

I am knocked off the ostrich horse as it panics. Looking around as I try to untie my legs, I see Iroh rolling off the side of the cliff. 'That stupid old man.' 

"You stay with the girl; we'll get the dragon." The captain says to a man before he and two other men jumped off the cliff. The man left with me grabs me off the ground and throws me onto an ostrich horse. 

"Dammit." I grumble through the cloth. 

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By now the sun has set and the sky is pain in beautiful purples and blues. But the beauty of the unpolluted sky is ruined by the situation we're in. 

"These dangerous hands must be crushed." 

Yeah, Iroh's hands are about to be crushed by a boulder.... Hopefully Zuko doesn't blame me and therefore kill me. I am seated on the ground by a solider.

Iroh's chained arms are laid across a boulder. One of the men gets into a stance and stomps the ground. As he raised his fist a boulder emerges from the earth and floats above Iroh's hands. I panic as he brings his fist down, making the boulder fall. My eyes shut immediately not wanting to watch and my tied hands mange to cover my ears as I ball myself up laying on my side. 

'I'm such a wimp. I'm so useless, I couldn't stop this. It's my fault!' My breathing quickens as tears come to my eyes, clouding the emerald green with a gray mist. 

'It's my fault
It's my fault'

My body is shaking uncontrollably as the tears turn into full on sobs. The force of my sobs forcing the gag out off my mouth.

'It's my fault
It's my fault
It's my fault
It's my fault'

It becomes difficult to breath as tears stain my face. All sound turns into static buzz. I wrap my arms around myself to try and bring comfort or warmth I haven't had since waking up in this world. (At the time I wasn't there enough to realize I had broken my ropes in my moment of panic.)

'It's my fault
I want to go home
It's my fault
It's my fault
I miss my mom
It's my fault
It's my fault
IT'S MY FAULT!'

"-im....Ki-...Kim." 

My head snaps up to the source of the voice. Kneeling before me is Iroh with kind but concerned eyes and a gentle smile.

"It's okay Kim. You're okay, I'm okay. Everything is okay." He says in a calm tone as he wipes tears off my cheek. "Now, let's get you back to the ship."

As he moves to untie my ankles, I see Zuko standing off to the side looking at me with annoyance and something else, pity, concern, disgust, who knows. Beside him is his rhino creature. 

"Can you walk?" Iroh asks helping me stand. "Y-yeah, I'll be fine." I get out as I rub my tear-stained face with a strained smile. 

As we move closer to the prince, I see that he has Chip on his shoulder, snuggling against his neck. "Awe, did princy make a friend?" I tease trying to get Iroh to stop fussing over me. 

"The stupid bird assisted me in finding you." Having heard Zuko's response, Chip flies to my head and puffs his feathers up in offence. 

I sniffle a giggle as I speak to the prince. "I think Chip is gonna hold that against you." 

"Chip?" He raises an eyebrow in confusion. 

"Oh right, I should probably give you an introduction, huh?" I ask with an eyebrow raised, smirking. "This little fella is Chip!" I say gesturing to the chickadee sitting on my head. "He's been on the ship with me, I'm kinda surprised you guys didn't notice him." 

"The crew just thought that you were crazy, talking to yourself. But no, you're just crazy for talking to an animal." Zuko says as he jumps onto the rhino beast. 

"Bully." I pout making Iroh laugh. "Don't laugh at my misery!"

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1256 words

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.
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Psycho_Innocent out!

08/31/2021