I've been mulling this thought around in my head for while; and although this type of story has been used over and over again, I decided to make a story out of this.

I wanted to sit- no, what I actually wanted was to lie down on a nice, fluffy bed, but right now, I couldn't do anything but awkwardly crouch. My arms where tired painfully behind my back and around a tree, which in turn was snagged on a branch, making it impossible for me to fully slide the rope down to sit.

So here I was, crouching in the mud while it rained, head down and brown hair sticking to my face.

I heard the laughter from one of the fire nation men off to the left. I just outside of the dull glow of their camp fire as it sizzled in the rain. They had fancy tarps strung out between the trees to keep them dry; I was awarded no such luxury.

"Hey, Water nation scum!" One of them yelled at me. I didn't respond. My hands ached to move, to even twitch, to do something in the form of bending. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" The voice, whoever it was, didn't sound angry because he was laughing. It seems like someone was drinking on the clock.

I didn't lift my head, keeping it bowed and staring down at the muddy ground. If I was an Earth bender I could just use my feet and bend the earth to get out. Water bending was an element that was centered around hands.

There was a scuffling noise and I cocked my head to the sound of wet foot prints squishing towards me. I still didn't look up.

"Not as talkative as last night, eh?" I heard one of them chuckle. In a moment a hard hand clasped around my chin, yanking my head up. I stared at one of them in the face. They all looked the same to me. All of them faceless monsters in my eyes.

"When I talk to you, you look at me, do you understand?"

I said nothing. I just glared.

He hit me.

I still said nothing.

He kicked me.

I didn't even scream.

There was more laughing; the men were enjoying this. Of course they were.

They were all monsters. In no moment the drunken men where all kicking, laughing as I bled, betting on who can make me cry out first. Soon my clothes were gone, but my arms still remained tied awkwardly behind me; they knew better then to untie me

I shut my eyes as they abused me, as they used me for their own sick pleasure. The night before, I had made the mistake of edging them on, yelling and cursing, and I received this treatment for the first time since I was captured four days ago.

Tonight I would do neither. I would not curse, or yell. I would not cry and beg. I kept my mouth shut, even as I bled and hurt, as they ripped me apart and tore me down. My vow of silence was the last form of rebelliousness and dignity I had left. I wouldn't let them take it from me.

My name is Rui. I am eighteen. I am a water bender.

I am a prisoner of the Fire Nation.

"Sokka wants food. Sokka is hungry. Who am I to argue with Sokka?" I said, watching said boy jump around from bush to bush looking like an idiot. "We've been at this for hours; you're not going to catch anything. Come on, we have plenty of fruit at the temple." Katara ignored me completely and studied a idly looked around the small forest, not paying either one of us any attention.

"I'm on to something!I can smell it!"

I sighed and shook my head but followed Sokka anyways. A coupe more minutes of this and I'd forcibly drag Sokka back to camp, I mean, the sun was already going down anyway. We wouldn't be able to catch anything in the dark, plus last night's rain had washed away any possible trails.

"Really, I mean-"

"Zuko! Katara! Come here!" Sokka said, dropped his voice a few octaves. I rolled my eyes and walked up to him. Just as I opened my mouth to ask what he wanted, he pointed upwards. "Look."

I looked up to see a trail of smoke rising into the sky, not even half a mile away from us. I frowned.

"Who do you think it could be?" I said, dropping my voice even though at this distance whoever it was wouldn't be able to hear us talk regularly.

"I'm not sure; we should go check it out."

"I say we just turn around and go back to camp," Katara motioned, "Who ever they are, they're probably just passing by, settling in for the night."

"I think we should go see who it is; we should check out any one this close to our camp." Katara glared at me as I agreed with Sokka.

We walked slowly towards the smoke, making no sounds as we traversed the woods. The sun was low in the sky and giving us lots of shadows to use as cover.

Soon we could see the dull glowing of a fire, and I met eyes with Katara before her eyes hardened and she looked away. I turned toward Sokka and he nodded once. Crouching low, I inched forward through the bushes. I moved slowly, not wanting to make a noise. I felt more then heard Katara and Sokka behind me.

Just as we got to the edge of the bush separating us an them, we stopped once more, making eye contact. Sokka nodded once again and we moved around some branches to look through.

I heard Katara's hiss when we saw the assortment of men sitting around in fire nation armor.

"We need to get back to camp- now." I said, moving backwards.

"Wait, not so fast." Sokka said, reaching out to touch my chest and turn me around. "Look over there." He jerked his chin forward and I looked around.

"Oh my... she's..." Katara put a hand over her mouth. I frowned, what on earth were they talking about?

I squinted and my eyes focused on a figure, right outside the glow of the fire on the other side of camp. In that moment I wished I didn't spot her.

She was tired to a tree, arms bent at an awkward angle, half standing as she leaned against the tree.

Even from this far away I could see the dried blood in her hair. I could see the dark bruises through the holes in her clothes. I could see how weary and tired she looked.

I could see her pain.

Katara started to stand and I managed to yank my eyes away from the woman.

"What are you doing?!" I hissed, grabbing her wrist. Katara yanked her arm out of my grasp and glared at me.

"I'm not leaving her here." Was all she said before leaping forward, water already out and ready. Sokka cursed a growl out and jumped after her. I scowled at Katara a second before following; she was so stupid sometimes.

The soldiers began to shout and scrambled up from their sitting places. At least we had the element of surprise, but that didn't brighten my mood.

There were seven of them, against the three of us.

Not that I was worried, Katara was a master water bender and Sokka could easily take the men off.

But still, Katara was a fool to just jump into battle like this, or maybe I was just bitter towards her, as everything she did grated on my nerves.

When all the men were knocked out, I turned to see Katara running towards the woman tied to the tree. Sokka and I followed.

When we got there, Katara had the girls face in both her hands.

"Can you hear me?" She asked. The girl's eyes looked around, glossy and unfocused, as she tried to find whoever was speaking.

Sokka cursed and brought his sword in down on the rope, the woman falling forward into Katara's arms.

Katara stumbled, falling to her knees and clutching the girl. I kneeled down beside her as she held the girl's face in her lap. "You're gonna be alright; you're gonna be alright. We're here now." Katara seemed frantic and panicky, although Zuko knew not why.

Katara covered her hand in water and they began to glow. She started to heal the girl as best she could.

"This isn't good." She said after a couple minutes, letting her water fall away. "Her right shoulder is dislocated."

"Move aside." I said, scooting to take Katara's place. She didn't even manage a glare at me she was so horror stricken. I didn't blame her; this girl looked terrible, not to mention a broken arm was the least of her worries.

I looked her in the face, although the girl wasn't looking at me, but staring at the sky. "This is gonna hurt, okay?"

She said nothing. She didn't even look at me. I took a deep breath and took her arm in my hands as Katara sat the girl up. She slumped forward in Katara's arms

I glanced at her face once more before, in one swift move, I pulled; hard. I felt a sicking pop as the shoulder popped back into place and the even more sickening garbled yell as the girl let out a short scream.

Sokka hovered behind Katara, not knowing what to do.

"Here, give her to me." I said, not waiting for Katara's response as I scooped the girl up in my arms, my arm under her knees and the other around her back.

"We have to get back; now."

We started to run.

I slumped against the tree. Where was I? I felt cold, I felt cold and numb.

I could hear demons laughing. They hurt my ears. Now they were shouting. Why were they shouting? I wanted to lift my head up to see, but I just couldn't bring up the strength to do so. I cringed slightly at the sound of metal on metal; more shouting. I didn't like it.

Then all at once someone was touching me. They pulled my face up in their hands. They're hands were so warm; scorching against the heat of my cheeks.

Someone was talking? Who was there. It sounded garbled, but I could hear the distinct feminine pitch. Then I fell forward, my arms released all at once.

I tumbled to the ground, taking the person with me.

After that I zoned out; staring at the sky. Was it always that close? I felt like I could just reach out and touch it. My finger twitched when I tried.

A deeper toned voice spoke to me. I didn't pay any attention; I didn't want to be sane when he touched me. I didn't wanted to be in my mind when this man, just another monster, touched me.

And then I felt a sharp pang of pain in my shoulder, crying out as I did so. In that moment, that instant of pain, it seemed it cleared my thoughts slightly.

I could make sense of someone, someone big picking me up. I rested my head against their chest as he started to run.

I didn't like the pang of pain I got every time he took a step. I tried to tell him, but only managed to groan in response.

"Shh, we're gonna be there soon."

I shook against his chest, inclining my head up slightly. It took me a few long moments before my eyes focused on his face.

He glanced down at me, worry lacing his features but not missing a step in his long stride.

I smiled, reaching my hand up, touching the side of his face with the scar. I felt his grip tighten ever so slightly and ignored the pang of pain it caused on my bruised side.

"You're hurt." I whispered, my arm shaking from the strain of keeping it up. I ran my thumb along his scar before letting it fall. "You're hurt too."

And then the world went black as I fell into oblivion.

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