Wandering Firebender

Fourty Three: 8 Minutes

Elio breathed in slowly through his nose and out from his mouth, doing his best to take in measured breaths as he hung from the ceiling bars of his prison cell. With his hands tightly wrapped around two bars, he pulled his body up again and again.

"Very good, Elio. Focus on your breathing." Iroh instructed. From the other side of the wall, Elio could just barely hear Iroh doing the same exercises.

"Three more, two more, done." Elio said to himself before letting go of the bars. He dropped down onto his feet and landed on the ground. He shook his arms to keep them loose then rotated his shoulders as he stood up straight.

"That should be enough for now. Save the rest of your strength for this afternoon." Iroh advised. Elio swallowed and nodded, resting back against the nearest wall and putting his hands on his knees.

"How sure are you that this is gonna work?" He asked.

"One can never be certain. But we are as ready as we can be." Iroh answered.

"I guess that's kinda reassuring." Elio said.

Before Iroh could say anything else, there was a pounding on his door. Elio's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed his shirt. He hurriedly slid his arms through and put it on, getting into a seated position as the guard outside shouted to him.

"Look alive, prisoner! You got a visitor!" He said before the door was opened.

A nervous pit started to well up in Elio's chest. This was a terrible time to be receiving a visit. There wasn't much time left. But when Elio saw who was coming in, his heart sank.

"Well...look at you..." She said to him with a sad, dejected tone. Elio's eyebrows furrowed and he scooted in front of the prison bars.

"No...Taiga?" He said in surprise.

"Surprised that I'm here, Elio?" She asked sarcastically, "Believe me, I am too..."

"Taiga. I-"

"You're a terrible person, you know that? Leaving us all behind like that, too much of a coward to even look us in the eye when you stab us all in the back." She said, folding her arms.

"I'm sorry, Taiga. I really am. I never wanted to hurt you." He said sincerely, trying not to look too anxious. He needed to get her to leave as soon as possible.

"Yeah? But you did it anyways knowing how it would make me feel! It's always all about you, you, you, Elio! You don't really care about anyone else!" She said spitefully.

"I do care! And y-you're right, I was selfish...but-"

"But what?!" She cut him off, raising her voice at him, "But nothing, Elio. It was slimy and you know it!"

"Taiga...this has become something bigger than you and me. I wish I could tell you in a way you'd understand..." Elio tried to express.

"Oh, I understand plenty! You're on the other side of the war now! You betrayed everyone you know and love for total strangers, you psycho!"

"Taiga..." Elio looked at her sadly. She bitterly turned her gaze away from him, fighting back her urge to get teary-eyed.

"Whatever..." She sighed. "You made your choice and now you gotta deal with it...and we gotta deal with it too, whether you intended that or not." She said sarcastically as she started walking towards the door.

"I know. And I am truly sorry, little sis." He said.

"Don't call me that!" She turned and shouted back at him. "You don't get to talk to me like we're family after what you did!"