Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the last Airbender. No matter how sad that is!
~.+.~Sightless~.+.~
Uncle
I collapsed into Uncle's cell just minutes after Zhao demanded I be placed there. My feet were kicked fully into the cell and the door was slammed. My eyes weren't able to pick up the slightest bit of light coming from anywhere. I struggled to find something to place my hand on and get my bearings. My hand met cloth.
"Uncle" I said
"Zuko?" Uncle said confused his hand reaching up to grab mine resting on his chest. His hand traveled up my arm and to the back of my head reaching my top knot. After a moment he released it, pulling me into a hug instead. I didn't hug back.
"Uncle it's only been a day or two at the most!" I said pushing him away but let one of his arms still rest against me, a tether to him, mostly for his sake.
"I can't be happy to be reunited with my nephew?" Uncle asked innocently. I didn't say anything, letting the silence stretch on longer than necessary. I began to shiver. Damn the Black Cell.
"Zuko use your fire breath to stay warm." Iroh said. I closed my eyes at his words and began to breathe in a rhythmic cycle, focusing on the heat cycling through my body. When I felt the heat pulse through me I opened my mouth and let flames out. Breathing in the cool air and releasing as much heat as I could in each breath.
"Use your breath Prince Zuko not your chest." I frowned.
"I didn't use my chest."
"Firebending comes from the breathe not the muscles. If you wish to survive here without getting ill you must use your breath to keep warm."
"That's what I'm doing Uncle!" I said loudly frustrated. Suddenly Uncle's hand came to the middle of my chest.
"Do it again." He said firmly. Sighing I used my breath again, his hand monitoring me as I did it.
"That's not your limit."
"My what?"
"You can breathe in deeper than that."
"I can't Uncle."
"You always have had such bad habits." Uncle said but doesn't press the issue, removing his hand.
"Zhao's going after the Avatar." I blurted out changing the subject.
"Where did you hear that?"
"Tao and Ushi."
"Why did they tell you anything? I doubt they would take too kindly to having a firebender near them."
"Overheard"
"Of course. As for Zhao, the informant told us a while ago that Zhao is allowed to do anything he pleases with his troops as long as it helps the war effort."
"He didn't even know about the Avatar until the crew told him." I muttered "Their all probably on their way home by now."
"The Navy is a sink hole, you never get out." Uncle said "Only a few privileged people don't escape through death."
"Well they had it easy for three years! Who cares what happens to them?"
"Three years of constant travel, homesickness and chasing rumors nephew. It's a hard life."
"They could have transferred to a different ship if it was so shitty." I spat. I had never been to kind to the crew. I had my orders and they were to follow them. That was all. That is the sort of command men understand best, as much as they hated it. Even so I had never lost a man, well, until the Avatar.
"Those years really ruined your vocabulary." Uncle said amused
A loud ringing went off from outside the cell; it seemed to vibrate the ship with its loudness. Frantic shouts and running sounded along with the bell. It was definitely the attack alarm.
"Uncle they found him." I said sharply, anxiety curling in my stomach. With Zhao's resources it could only be a matter of time before the Avatar got captured!
"The avatar?"
"Yes" I hissed "He must have ran the Fire Nation blockade! Idiot"
"There must be something very important in the Fire Nation for him to go, or very wrong."
"Important or not Zhao has him in a corner." I said angrily. Twisting toward the door as if I could escape, fix this somehow before Zhao ruined it all. All I ended up doing was letting out a gasp of pain, my back shooting pain from the gash. Until then I had ignored the ache my meeting with Zhao had caused trying not to tip off Uncle.
"Zuko what's wrong?" He said franticly he his hand gripping my arm tensely with worry.
"L-let go of me I'm fine." I said cursing my voice for breaking with pain. I tried to pull my arm free but the movement only made me wince.
"Your back! How could I have forgotten that?" He said shocked, his other hand easily finding Yong's sash at my lower back and reached underneath feeling the wound in the dark space. It stung but I grit my teeth. "It's bleeding but there's nothing I can do for it." He said sadly, removing his hand.
"I'm fine"
"It could be infected for all we know."
"I've kept it clean Uncle."
"In a prison cell." He deadpanned
"Our cell isn't like yours. We had water and light." Uncle hummed in agreement. He had learned to stop nodding years ago.
The sound of boots could be heard again over head echoing through the metal. They could be advancing on him now! For once in my life I hoped the Avatar could out smart my country.
"Ugh so much noise." Uncle said loudly
"That noise is Zhao trying to capture the Avatar!" I yelled at him.
"Oh I'm sure."
"Why are you so confident? Do you know how many men he has?"
"Because if my nephew can't capture the Avatar there is no way a fool can." Uncle said smugly. I frowned, but waited, there was nothing else to do.
The loud sound continued for some time before the normal quiet of the ship returned. There were no cheers of victory and the ship veered roughly again.
~.+.~Sightless~.+.~
The days passed slowly in the Black Cell. There was no concept of time beyond occasional visit with meals of sloppy porridge and rice. Uncle tried to make conversation, but I tuned him out. After a time he settled for making random comments about the food and the constant cold.
Author's note: 1 year later I finally got something down. I'm so sorry.