when fire meets air

Chapter 13: Zuko

It had been six years.
Six fucking years that he had been imprisoned in that god forsaken earth prison.
And for what?
A stupid misunderstanding?

For sure he thought that Aang would set it straight, that the high and mighty avatar was on his side.
Because why wouldnt he be on his side?
They had been through so much together, had so many different fights, shared a variety of laughs and smiles and had even shared a kiss...
It was a mistake.
He had seen him at his worst, self loathing and shivering in the bottom of a cave, his body burned and his eyes wild.

But that was six years ago, and things had changed.

He was no longer a self destructive, emotionally distraught child. He had grown from the age of 16 to the age of 22, and at this point, he believed hed seen it all...

He'd watched people beaten to death with fists and sticks; he had seen suicides that would make even the most conditioned war veteran lose their lunch. He had witnessed, and had been subject to, slurs and curses and fists connecting with flesh and hate.

Zuko had a target placed on his back the moment he walked into that prison.

He was the traitor, seen that way by both sides. The criminals from the earth kingdom thought of him as a lying bastard, a person who had earned the friendship of the person meant to save them and then betrayed them for a psychotic family member. They hated him, sure, but they were no where near as cruel as the fire nation prisoners. To them, he was the traitor prince, the reason as to why their "great nation" was left to fester in the ashes.

And even though they both hated each other, they had a mutual loathing for him, and now he woke up most nights screaming.

It was hard the first couple weeks, he knew he didn't belong there and was vocal about it; he yelled to the guards to get the avatar, he pleaded to them that he must have a visitor, he became so desperate that he even tried bribing guards with... favours, just so they would send a letter to his friends.

After a month, he got in a fight. And it was a big one. Fists flew, elements danced, and Zuko truly realized that no matter how strong he was, he was just a child.

A child surrounded by men who took everything from him until his innocence had been so shattered that he didn't even bother to pick up the pieces.

From then on out, he kept his head down. He didn't talk unless he was spoken to, he didn't leave his room unless forced to...

But after two years of waiting, his patience diminished, and so did his restraint.

He was older now, 18 and stronger. He took to training, day in and out, like his uncle had done. Zuko did this until he was ready, and then he left his room.

He approached the biggest man in the yard, the one that had grabbed his hair and spat on his scar as he hurt him, and with a single blow, and a very sharp toothbrush, he ended him.

And, well, if the target wasn't big enough...

Around the fourth year, Zuko was put in isolation.
The guards didn't trust him around the other inmates anymore. Whether it be because he was a danger to them, or they were a danger to him, they didn't think it was best to have him in with the other inmates anymore.

It was probably the right decision, considering he had deceivingly seduced and killed two of the other men that had hurt him when he was just a child.

After six years of festering in a prison, he had accepted that he wouldn't get out. He had decided that staying in a cage, with no social interaction was best for him. He knew that no one would want to hear his screaming as he woke up in cold sweats from memories that would simply not disappear.

But then the guards came to the door. They stood in silence, but it wasnt a silence he was used to. This one was a sad one, a forgiving one... They placed a pile of clean, fire nation robes on the floor, and closed the door. Without a word, he got dressed, pulling the red fabric over his scarred skin.
When he was ready, they came in, and a guard who had been at the prison for as long as he had cleared his throat.
"We have received word from the Avatar. It seems that there was a misunderstanding with your arrest. You are to be set free."

Zuko didn't know whether to be grateful or angry. But he just nodded, and followed the guards out in silence. He kept his eyes glued to the floor as he walked down the hall of the prison, the boo-ing and catcalling and slurs from the other inmates becoming a background buzz that he would never have to listen to again.

Soon, they reached the front gates of the prison, and Zuko was sent into a room to freshen up. The water was actually warm, the air wasn't stale, and the constant fear of needing to watch his back wasn't present. He showered, trying to clean himself of this wretched place but he knew that it would take a lot more than water to cleanse him of the atrocities he had seen.
And then, for the first time in six years, he looked in the mirror.
He didn't recognize the face that stared back at him.
His eyes were older, more worn and there was a certain sort if light that was missing. His skin was more scarred, white lines littering his now broad shoulders, a small blemish cutting down his lips. His hair was longer, but he knew that already, it reached his collar bone, though he kept it tied back at most points.
He didn't want to give anyone something to grab at.

Once he was done, he joined the guards, who gave him a meek smile before opening the doors to the outside world.

And at the base of the stairs was a boy he never thought he would see again. Well, he was more of a man now, but to him he would always remain a child. His eyes were more calm, his face a little less round, and he had grown at least a small bit taller. But he was still the same person he had once knew, with his head still shaved and his arrow shown proudly on his forehead. He didn't look like him as much, but he was still the person who had stolen his heart all those years ago. The person who he had cared for, but who had betrayed him. When he spoke, his voice was lower and more... calm.

"Hello Zuko..."

SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE, IVE BEEN SO DAMN BUSY WITH THE BREAK!!! But hey, at least Zuko is out now!! Let's see where this broken boy shall go!!!

Anyway, thank you guys so much for getting this shitty little story to 19.1K!!!!! I never thought any of my writing would be this much appreciated!!!

Keep on pushing those vote buttons and I'll try to get you updated next monday, but no promises!! And check out my art Instagram maraagainstsociety!!!

Love you all!!

Dylan ♡♡♡