When Hatred turned to Love (ATLA Zuko x OC)

Chapter Two - Enemies of the Past

Iris couldn't sleep. Night had fallen and the soldiers had finally got to pull the ship off the ice. She had noticed that they were moving but she didn't know where they were heading. She looked once again at the chains that were tied around her hands. She remembered when her hands were tied up like this all the time during the years she'd served in that Fire Nation prison.

She had the marks around her wrists to remind her. She had the scars around her body that marked that hideous past. Each scar held a different painful memory.

But she didn't care. She'd chosen to accept whatever was thrown at her. She embraced it to the point that she had become a mindless creature. She'd been called a murderer a thousand times. It had become her job over the years. This war had given her no choice.

Iris rested her back at the cold metallic wall. She was used to being cold. She was used to have nothing to rely on but a cold wall. Her stomach growled. She was hungry, her hands were freezing, but it didn't matter. She stopped caring about these stupid weaknesses long ago. She'd learned to take them for granted.

After some minutes the door of her cell opened and an old man walked in. He wore red clothes just like everyone in the Fire Nation did, and he had a grey beard. He was kind of familiar like she had seen that face before. Maybe long ago when she was in the Fire Nation.

The old man was holding a trace in his hands. He walked inside with a kind smile on his face.

"You know, being a prisoner, doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy your tea," he said as he placed the trace on the floor in front of her.

The trace had a bowl of rice and a cup of hot tea.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm-" he tried to say but she cut him.

"General Iroh of the Fire Nation and brother of Fire Lord Ozai. I know who you are. I'm familiar with the Fire Nation Royal family," She snapped.

Iroh chuckled "Former General," he corrected "And you are?"

"Does it matter?"

Iroh didn't answer. He pursed his lips. He knew that his brother had done terrible things to people around the world and the woman in front of him was obviously one of these people.

Her stomach growled again but she looked down on the bowl of rice and the hot tea and back up at the old man with a look of mistrust "What's in there?"

"Jasmine Tea, best tea of all-"

"What's in the tea?" Iris asked, "A pinch of Foxglove leaf, perhaps?"

Iroh chuckled again. He was kind of impressed "I see you know your way around poisonous plants,"

"Answer the question, old man,"

"I wish you no harm,"

"That's a first for a Former Fire Nation General,"

"Indeed," Iroh agreed.

She stared at him for another moment, and she cautiously leaned closer to the trace and grabbed the bowl. Her hands were still tied but the chains gave her just enough space to grab the chopsticks and a cube of rice. She kept looking at the old man as she ate, cautiously.

"I thought perhaps I could offer you a room, and treat you as our guest," Iroh suggested.

Iris laughed "I was your brother's guest too, you know..." she let her head rest back on the metal as she swallowed the rice. She stopped eating "...such a great host," she smiled ironically and her gaze drifted away from the old man "...he used to send people in my cell every day..." her head rolled to the side. The smile still on her face "...all day," she whispered. Now there was nothing but pain pictured on her face.