A Prisoner

Book 1; Chapter 5

Reunited

You were the only person Zuko had ever known that called him that, "(Y/N)?"

"Oh my god..." Then, you were splashing through the water, clumsily running over to hug your friend, "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"You're here!" Zuko hugged you tightly, disregarding how wet you were, "Uncle told me that you were in prison."

"I escaped." You said, smiling brightly up at him when you finally pulled from the hug, "If it weren't for your uncle giving me the motivation I'd probably still be there."

"He... what?"

"It's a long story." You said dismissively, shaking your head, "Who are your friends?"

"Right." Zuko and you turned to the rest of the group, "(Y/N), these are Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Aang... the Avatar."

"Hello, I'm-" You cut yourself short when you realized what Zuko said, "But when I spoke to your uncle last you were hunting him..."

"I've had a lot of time to realize that that was not my destiny."

You smiled brightly at him, "I'm so proud of you."

Zuko blushed and offered you a small smile. Then, you turned to look at the rest of the group, "Let's take this somewhere else. Somewhere safe. I have a cave a few miles away where I've been set up for the last few days. It has a feed into an open area, for your bison."

You led them away, running your fingers through your hair. Zuko fell into step beside you, "How long have you been out?"

"Four, almost five, months." You answered, "I've been looking for him," you jerked your thumb back to point at Aang, "because I figured he would need a firebending teacher. But, he has you, and that makes me happy."

Zuko felt his face warm up, he looked at the ground, "You could probably be a better teacher than me-"

"Z, you really should learn your own worth," you said, nudging him gently, "you're a fantastic bender and an I'm sure an even better teacher."

"(Y/N)," Zuko said, "Tonight, can we talk?"

You looked up at him and gave him a smile as you nodded, "Of course, I was about to ask the same thing."

...

You all walked for about half an hour before ended up at the cave you were sheltered in, Appa gave a displeased grunt when Aang tried to tug him inside, "Come on buddy, it's okay."

"Does he not like going underground?"

You asked him, walking over. Aang shook his head, "No, he hates it."

"The cave itself really isn't a cave, it's more like an entrance that leads back to a roofless pit, it's covered by the forest canopy. If you can get him to trust you enough to walk through, it won't be very long until he reaches the other side."

He nodded and Appa growled as he reluctantly follow Aang inside; when everyone was inside the cave you took a deep breath and green fire shot from your palms, they all gasped at the sight. You shrouded the entrance of the cave with the green fire and turned to face them, "What?"

"How did you do that?"

"I've learned very much from the dragons that still exist," you began, "they showed me that fire is only an extension of life itself. This fire looks like grass from the outside and it is cold to the touch like the waters of the poles."

"Really?" The short girl with the black hair asked, at the look of her eyes, you could tell she was blind, "So, I can touch it and it won't burn me?"

"Exactly." You nodded, smiling, "Give it a go."

She stood thoughtfully for a moment before hesitantly reaching out and touching the green flames, "Wow..."

You smiled more as she ran her hand through the flames as if it were hair, "It really does feel like water."

You left her to play with the flames and the others the rest of the way through the tunnel, you tried not to blush or move closer to Zuko when your hands brushed; you noticed the way his hand lingered near yours though and you fought the urge to grab it, afraid to cross a line neither of you were ready to cross.

"So, (Y/N)," the boy named Sokka began, "why were you in prison?"

"Sokka!" The other girl, Katara, barked, "Where are your manners?"

"No, it's fine." You said to her, offering a smile, "I don't mind talking about it, it wasn't exactly a dark time in my life. I was sent to prison for betraying the fire nation at the first raid of Ba Seng Se. I was a general alongside his uncle Iroh, and when I seen all of the innocent lives I was leading to be ruined, I... well, I fought with those of the city instead of my own men."

"Woah," Sokka grinned, "you are totally hardcore!"

You laughed, shrugging, "It took me a long time to understand what was right, but when I finally did I vowed that I would walk that path for the rest of my days."

You stared at the pile of coals from the night before intensely, clenching your jaw and taking a deep breath, "But, that doesn't erase the evil I committed before I became a general; the lives I ruined, all because I didn't know any better."

"Wait, wait, wait," Katara said, looking at you with wide eyes, "general? How old are you?"

"Uh... seventeen."

"And how long were you in prison?"

"Five years...?"

"You were a general at twelve years old?!"

You nodded, "But that's the only thing noteworthy about it, that I was so young. I came from a peasant family and the only reason I was even in the military was because Ozai would have rathered have me fighting for him instead of being used against him. Unfortunately for him he forgot a very important detail: I have a brain and I can think for myself."

Katara smiled at you and nodded, "You seem like you want nothing more than for this war to be ended."

"I want this war to end and to live a long, happy life." You said, grinning impishly, "I'm not totally selfless."