A Prisoner

Book 1; Chapter 2

The Boiling Rock

You leant against the cold metal wall of your cell as you listened to the guards call roll, trying to decide if you wanted to stir up trouble in the yard once the doors opened. The only place you could meditate was in the Coolers, nobody bothered you there, but they also never fed you while you were in the damned ice box. The guards never messed with you though, they knew that not even their finest benders could contain you if you started a riot, the coolers were their only option if they wanted to keep you under control. Well, that and starving you, but that's an irrelevant thought, given how before you were sent to prison, you had trained your body to go weeks without food. 

Your mind wandered to Zuko and the small kiss from five years before, your lips still tingled at the memory of how, for a moment, he had kissed you back. For the first few months of your sentence, you had foolishly believed that your parents would come visit, that Ozai would come around and taunt you, that someone would come. But, they never did; when you told the fire lord that betraying him was the greatest thing you had ever done, you honestly didn't expect being sent to prison to be such a great outcome. Sure, you were locked up for the rest of your natural life, and when you did it the food was awful, but you were completely left to your thoughts. 

Despite being a traitor, you were treated like a living legend by the guards and prisoners alike, they were terrified of you. For good reason too, you were a a terrifying force of nature.

"Alright, (Y/N), stop your freaky zoned out shit for a second." One of the guards interrupted your thoughts, "You have a visitor."

Your eyes lifted to look at the opening in the cell door, "And if I refuse to see this mysterious visitor?"

You asked, raising your eyebrow as the guard answered, "I would advise against that."

"Why?"

"It's the Dragon of the West."

"Oh?" You rose to your feet, "I'm hardly fit to be accepting visitors, but since my guest is someone from the royal family I guess this will have to do."

The door opened and Iroh stepped inside, "Thank you, I'd like us to be left alone for a while."

Iroh passed a small coin purse to the guard, who quickly pocketed what was no doubt gold coins, and left without another word. Once the door was shut you sat down on your bed, "To what to I owe this pleasure, Iroh?"

"The Avatar has returned." Iroh chose to remain standing, "And Prince Zuko is hunting him."

"You're telling me this because...?"

"Because, I also told him you are here, and he has vowed to come here to get you as soon as he has delivered the Avatar to his father and restored his honor."

You shook your head, "Why would you do that you silly, old buffoon?"

"Because, you are the only thing Zuko has left to hold onto despite his banishment."

"Banishment?"

Iroh nodded sadly, "Yes, I would give you the details, but I've had enough of telling other people's business to last a lifetime."

You narrowed your eyes at him,  "Why are you really here?"

"I want you to bust out of here." Iroh said, finally taking a seat beside you on the bed, "And find the Avatar, teach him firebending, and finally put an end to this war, so Zuko can finally make his own destiny."

"I can't escape from this place!" You gasped, "And, even if I could, I wouldn't! I can't magically set in motion Zuko making his own path, you oaf. You and I both know that that is something he has to do on his own, seeing his father getting defeated won't do that. It'll only make him angrier."

"And, you and I both know that you have no business being in here anyways." Iroh said, giving you a deadpan look, "Fine, don't teach the Avatar firebending, that's fine. That is you choice, but you are powerful enough to escape this place, and when you do: I want you to go somewhere. Somewhere you can't tell the people I sent you, and somewhere you must never speak of for the rest of your life."

You blinked, "What?"

"You want to stop the slaughter of all these innocent lives and learn your abilities are meant for more than just destruction? Go to the old Sun Warriors city."

"I haven't even agreed to-"

"(Y/N), despite what you may think, I am no idiot and that look in your eyes says that you are on board."

You pouted and rolled your eyes as the old general left your cell, leaving you to plan an escape, "Wait!"

You stopped him, "I can't escape, they haven't fed me in almost two months, I'm probably too weak to bend long enough to get out of here."

He nodded, "I will take care of that, I can't wait to hear about you escape."

He whispered back to you.