The dungeon was dark and damp.
The small cell in which she was held was windowless, the heavy steel door far too strong for her to even break down. She was tired and aching, hungry and frightened. Of all things she had experienced during this war, this was the worst. Even this topped the loss of her mother. This terrifying experience was unlike anything she'd ever faced before; starvation, torture, and constant fear. Never knowing if she was to die or to live.
After Aang had fallen to Ozai, everything had changed. With his life fled any hope the world had to end the war and trump the Fire Nation. She and the others had tried, had tried their best to keep on fighting, but then they'd suffered yet another loss and were separated. That had been months ago. She had lived on the run for awhile, hidden away by some still loyal to the deceased Avatar's cause. She had no contact with anyone she knew or loved- in truth, she didn't even know if they lived or had died. She missed them. She missed all of them.
Not long after fleeing the Earth Kingdom, she'd been caught; trapped in the middle of the night by a dozen Fire Nation soldiers. She'd fought her hardest to escape, breaking her own vow to never again blood bend, but she'd been overpowered and taken back to the Fire Nation. She'd been thrown into a prison there, left to rot for a week before she'd been taken to the palace, cleaned up by a maid, freshly dressed, and then had been put into the presence of the Fire Lord. He had told her to plead for her life, to swear a vow to him and to the Fire Nation in turn he would spare her life. She had spit at his feet.
And so, that was how she ended up where she was. A cold, dark cell that was hardly big enough to fit the pallet she tried to sleep upon each night. She glanced over to the wall, then to the other, and then to the door, a heavy sigh escaping her. Her ability to bend had fled weeks ago, too weak was she anymore; they hardly fed her and inflicted various tortures against her whenever they saw fit. She had to wonder though if life on the outside was any better. She wondered where her friends were.
It was late into the night and she could not sleep.
She had tossed and turned for hours, the pallet even more uncomfortable than usual; she'd finally given up and instead lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Then there came an unusual sound, footsteps… Quiet footsteps. Ones that made it seem like the person did not want to be heard. She sat up, sapphire hues turning towards the door, waiting with baited breath for what was to come next. Silence. She continued to stare ahead, wondering for a moment if her hazy mind had merely imagined the footsteps. Click. The sound of a
key in the lock and she heard the unmistakable creaking of the hinges as the door slowly opened.
The person stood in the doorway, the light streaming in around them; a blue mask covered their face but she could tell the person was a male from his height and build. She blinked and scooted back on her cot, fear rising within her- was this another Fire Nation soldier sent to harm her?
"Katara?"
The syllables of her name… The pitch in the voice… Even after so many months it was familiar to her. Her heart leapt inside her chest and for the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope. But she dared not let it ignite, for fear of being wrong, and so she remained deadly still on the pallet, eyes remaining focused on the masked man. "Katara…" Again, softer this time, and he took a few tentative steps into the room.
He could not believe his eyes; there she was, with those penetrating blue eyes and her long, dark curls. Zuko could see how sunken her cheeks had become, how her clothes hung from her frame, how frightened she looked. His heart was breaking within his very chest. It took every ounce of his self control to keep from rushing to her side and taking her into his arms. But he knew that would not help her right then, she was frightened and malnourished and certainly injured. She would need time. Would need him. "It's okay.." He murmured softly, holding out a hand to her, glancing one time behind his shoulder, ever alert for any sounds
that he'd perhaps been noticed. "I'm here to help you. It's going to be okay." He raised his hands then and lifted the mask, revealing to her his still familiar features. His amber-colored hues found hers and she closed her eyes for a moment, a slow smile spreading over her features. She opened her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but found she could not speak.
A shiver ran the length of her spine and Katara sucked in a deep breath; she could still hardly believe it, that he was here, that he was going to save her. Without thinking anymore about it, she reached out a hand, slipping it into his; she could feel the warmth of his skin through the leather gloves he had pulled over his hands, could feel the flutter of his pulse as her fingertips brushed across his wrist. He gently pulled her up from the cot and into his arms, embracing her as gently as he could, careful so did not further injure her. Her face buried into his chest and he reached a hand up, placing it against the back of her head as he held on to her a little bit tighter. "I can't believe it." She murmured, her voice hoarse and muffled against his chest.
He pushed her back, to hold her at arm's length, now able to inspect her a little more closely. He had felt how thin she was through her clothing, but now that she was right before his eyes he could really see. Her hair had grown longer, falling to her hips in knots. She was frail and bags marred her skin beneath both of her still beautiful blue eyes. Her left cheek was bruised and there was a cut above her right temple; he took hold of her arm, lifting it as so he could inspect it; it was covered in scrapes and burns, as was her other arm. He was certain that had he inspected the rest of her body, it too would be battered and bruised. He felt his temper rising like the tide and he swallowed it down. "I'm getting you out of here." He knew she would be unable to run, unable to fight, but he hoped their escape would be simple. Luckily, he knew this palace like the back of his hand, despite the many years it had been since living there. Turning around, he knelt down, gesturing for her to climb up. When she didn't move, he looked over his shoulder to offer her an encouraging smile. "It's okay, Katara… Climb up."
She did as she was told, climbing up onto his back as she had done hundreds of times growing up with both Sokka and her father. He slid his arms under her legs and once he felt she was stable and in place, he stood and before exiting he returned his mask to its proper place over his face. With careful steps, he left the cell, allowing the door to quietly close behind them. Katara hardly dared to breathe as he took off at a slow run, as he had to adjust to running with someone upon his back. But it took barely no time at all for him to pick up speed and he rounded a corner, amber eyes narrowed into slits behind his mask. He could hear voices in the distance and so he side-stepped into a thankfully empty room to his left. He stepped sideways, pressing himself against the wall, keeping his arms locked tightly beneath Katara's legs to keep her from slipping down his back. They both held their breath as the pair of Fire Nation soldiers walked by, deep in conversation about the Fire Lord's most recent outburst. "…Fire to all the curtains…" The one was saying as they rounded the very corner that he and Katara had just come around. His heart skipped a beat and he could only pray that they were not on their way to check in upon her. When their footsteps had died away, he returned to the hall and took off at a run once more.
They came to the end of the hall and Katara wondered if perhaps he'd taken a wrong turn, for they were at a dead end. She opened her mouth but was cut off as he held a finger to his mouth, a gesture for her to remain quiet. To her shock, there was a noise to their left and she froze, her heart pounding hard inside her chest. The statue of an old Fire Lord was inching sideways, revealing to them an opening to what she could only assume was a corridor of some kind. Then a face appeared and she could not help but to gasp at who it was: Iroh! He gestured for them to slip inside and once they had, he returned the statue to it's place, casting them into total darkness.
A moment later a flame flickered to life and Zuko turned to his uncle, who held a small flame within his palm, giving them just enough life to see. "It's safe," Iroh said, pointing down the corridor. His eyes flicked to Katara and then back to his nephew, keeping his face passive, though the young woman's appearance certainly was distressing. "They are all most distracted with the council meeting." They had chosen this very day to break into the palace and rescue Katara because of that very council meeting, one that his father was hoping to use to coerce the Earth Kingdom into rallying to his side. "But we most go quickly." With Iroh leading the way, they raced down the passage, until in the distance they could see a glimmer of light. Extinguishing his flame, Iroh pushed a rock from the opening, and sunlight spilled in. Katara closed her eyes against it, hissing softly in pain at the brightness. How long had it been since she'd last seen the light of the sun?
"Let's get her back." Zuko nodded and allowed for his uncle to lead the way through the trees, towards the place that they called home. Katara felt the relief spreading through her and she buried her face into his shoulder, comforted by the warmth of his body and the strength of his arms. It took no time at all before she drifted off, sleep overcoming her.
Finally, she could sleep.
[ x x x ]
She woke in a strange place, but no stranger than the place she'd been waking up in for months. It was a real bed she slept in, with a blanket and even a pillow. It all began to come back then, how the masked figure had appeared before her, how it had been Zuko beneath it. How he had come for her… How he had saved her. Reaching her hands up, she ran them over her face, eyes fluttering closed for several more seconds before she finally made the attempt to sit up.
Her body ached the same as it had in the dungeon and she felt a weight on her legs; looking down, she found the source to be Zuko's sleeping frame, draped over her legs as if he had been there all night long. But at her movements, he was waking, flying up closer to her head, dragging the chair along with him. Gently, he pushed her back against her pillows, knowing she was still too weak to be sitting up like that. "Katara! You're awake!" He looked as if he'd not slept in days, his eyes tired and his jaw line covered with stubble. "How do you feel? Do you need anything?"
At his question, she realized she was incredibly thirsty. "Water," she whispered, her parched throat giving her voice a hoarse quality. He rose instantly, reaching for the jug of water on the bedside table. Pouring out a little into a cup, he put one hand behind her head, the other held the cup to her dry lips. Carefully he tipped the cup back, allowing a little of the water to drip into her mouth. Giving her time to swallow the first gulp, he gave her another and then drew the cup away, setting it back onto the table. "How long…?" The words died on her lips and she watched his face darken slightly, unaware that he was flooded with the memory of finding her in that dungeon. Of how angry yet relieved he had been.
"It's been a few days since we got here…" He said softly, his eyes finding hers; she felt her heart skip a beat and she reached out a hand, sliding it over his that lay on his lap. She gave it a squeeze and he knew that wasn't the answer she was looking for. "Six, I think…" He looked away, unable to face her as the realization of how long she'd been locked away dawned upon her. Six months was a long time. A very long time.
"Wow…" She murmured, drawing her hand away then, absently rubbing it with her other. "I can't believe you found me… How…?" He looked back to her then and after a moment, began to recount to her how he'd come to find her. "When we all got separated… I came back here, I came looking for my uncle." He could still remember the exact moment he and his uncle had been reunited, how Iroh had cried, thinking his nephew had been lost in the most recent of fights. "He was here in the Fire Nation, hiding out here in this place." He gestured around them, indicating there was more beyond the four walls that confined them. "It's a tea shop." A low chuckle escaped him and to his surprise (and delight) she smiled, the brightest smile he'd seen since laying eyes upon her.
"But… How are you not found out? Surely he's recognized by soldiers?"
Zuko shook his head, golden eyes flashing slightly. "No, not out here… We're in the poorest part of the nation. There's no one here to recognize him. And no one here that even if they did they would turn him in." Ah, well that explained it. Of course the poorest people in the Nation would stand by the old general and the one-time prince. Well, he was still a prince by blood, but Katara had to wonder if he'd ever go by that title again. She felt herself growing weary though she longed to remain awake, to even rise from her bed and stretch her legs. She had been trapped in that dungeon for far too long. Zuko must have noticed that she looked tired because he was rising up, drawing the blanket a little further up her frame. "You should rest…" He poured her another small glass of water, helping her to slowly drink it down. "I'll come back later, but for now you need to rest." She gave a little nod and watched him as he walked across the room, pausing with his hand on the doorknob to turn back to look at her. "Sleep well." He watched as her face blossomed with another smile and she nodded, settling back against the pillows, her lids sweeping closed over her blue eyes within seconds. Zuko turned back to the door then and exited the room, leaving the door open a crack.
"She woke?" Iroh's voice drew him from his thoughts as he entered the main living area of the cottage; his tea shop was closed for the evening and so Iroh was home, waiting for news on the young woman and hoping it would be good. She had been in bad shape when Zuko had rescued her, but she was strong-willed and despite her injuries, his nephew believed she would live. It had been days since they'd brought her from the palace and she had not once woken. Iroh worried she would not wake. Zuko dropped down onto an empty chair and ran a hand over his tired features, giving a single, silent nod. "Incredible." Iroh muttered, shaking his head incredulously. "She's got a long way to go, nephew. She will need your help." Zuko turned his eyes to him then and he nodded again. "Go, go and get some rest yourself. I will look after her should she wake again." For a moment, Zuko remained in his place on the chair, eyes darting to the door that led into Katara's room. "She needs you to be well rested, Zuko." Iroh urged softly and those words seemed to do the trick, because it was then that Zuko rose up and came to stand at his beside him for a long moment. Zuko's hand enclosed over his shoulder and their eyes met in a silent exchange. Then he was gone, disappearing behind the door of his own room, the one directly next to Katara's,
As he climbed into his bed, he came to realize just how tired he was; he had spent four long nights at her bedside, as well as the four nights it had taken to travel to and from the palace. He pulled up his blanket and rolled onto his side, so he faced the wall that separated his and Katara's rooms. Zuko hoped she was sleeping and sleeping well; as he himself drifted off, he thought of her, of the way her eyes still shined as they had back then. He vowed to himself then that he'd never allow that shine to disappear. And just like that, he was asleep, lost to another world entirely.