With another chapter comes another milestone; this story is now in the fifties! In all honesty, when I first started writing this fic I never would've thought that I'd make it this far, since I usually give up writing a story a few chapters in. But I'm glad I haven't given up on this story, since I thoroughly enjoy writing it and I hope you guys enjoy reading it too. On another note, I posted a companion piece for this story on my one-shot collection, Everything in Between so go and check it out there and tell me what you think. Anyways, this chapter takes place directly after the last one, but by the time it's finished it'll be during the time of the Guru.
Companionship in Confinement
Once the initial shock of the realisation of where I had ended up subsided, I quickly snapped myself back into reality. Of all the places I'd end up, I never would've expected myself to end up in the Boiling Rock. In all honesty, I thought that I was being held in some dungeon in an unknown destination. Yet all along, I'd merely been held captive in a small prison with a much greater threat around me. Any hope I had of breaking free from my prison was diminished at the realisation of where I was, since there would be no escaping this place.
While I had never been to the Boiling Rock before, I had certainly heard enough to know what it was like. Since the prison itself was created under Fire Lord Ozai's reign, it was a modern, state of the art facility with its walls being extremely thick and made from the most up to date indestructible metal. The Boiling Rock was infamous to Fire Nation citizens, since if there was ever a place you didn't want to end up in, the Boiling Rock was it. Only because the prison was notorious for being tough on its inmates that include all sorts of people like thieves, traitors and prisoners of war and was only reserved for the most dangerous of criminals. So in a way, it was the perfect place for me yet at the same time, the worst place for me.
Due to the Boiling Rock's infamy, nobody had ever dared to escape from it and even if they tried, they wouldn't get far since the place was inescapable. The prison itself was on an island in the middle of a volcano surrounded by the Boiling Lake. Swimming across the lake would be the stupidest idea anyone could think of, since you would probably end up getting burned alive. So the only foreseeable way on or off the island were the two gondolas that travelled in separate directions but those were constantly guarded by firebenders making it impossible to reach them. As much as it pained me to say it, I was stuck here because whether I liked it or not, there was no way on or off the island.
Sighing, I glanced around the prison yard that I had found myself in. Based on the fact that this was our 'exercise hour' I figured that I was supposed to get around and do something, but I wasn't sure what. However, one of the guards mistook my confusion as laziness.
"What are you doing, standing around and doing nothing? We don't give you exercise time for nothing so move your miserable legs around you lazy scum!" they shouted.
Not wanting to get into any more trouble, I turned my attention to where some of the other prisoners were, who used axes to smash large pieces of rocks into smaller sizes. Since I wasn't really in any physical condition to do any vigorous movement, I decided that would be easy enough for me to do.
However, I clearly underestimated just how weak I currently was since I even struggled picking up the axe on its own. Months ago I'd easily be able to do something as simple like this without any problems. The pain spread throughout my back and my shoulders to my arms and hands, which were all covered in scars from the beatings that I had received. I hated that they were on display for everyone to see and that I was appearing so weak in front of everyone. Weakness was one thing that I wasn't fond of, and I especially didn't like experiencing it.
It took everything in me to do the easiest of all tasks, and that on its own made me realise just how weakened I was. Based on the severity of the injuries that I had sustained, I figured that it would take me a long time before I would fully recover and be able to perform everyday tasks like I used to. As much as I had tried to deny the state that my body was in, I couldn't deny it now when it was right in front of me.
Slowly, I got into a rhythm that wasn't too vigorous which made it easier for me to move around. Although I wasn't making as much process as I would've wanted to, I was still playing my part in working around this area. Everyone seemed to do it at their own pace and kept to themselves, so I was glad that I wouldn't have to interact with anyone. No doubt anyone who even bothered to interact with me wouldn't have anything polite to say, given my current standing with the Fire Nation.
With every movement that I made, the more pain spread throughout my body. This would have to be the most physical activity that I'd done since my imprisonment, and it was clearly taking its toll on my body. Any thoughts of strength that I had left were squashed since I could barely do the easiest of tasks, which made me more annoyed than ever. But it wasn't like there was anything I could do to change anything, and it wasn't like I didn't deserve this either.
It's funny because just yesterday I thought I was doomed to spend the rest of my life rotting away in my cell, only now that's changed to being condemned to slavery for the rest of my life. In a way, it was what I deserved after everything that I had done, and the way that I had treated people in the past. Before I thought that my karma was over, only now I see that it was just beginning. I had a decade of karma to get through, since for the last ten years I'd been nothing but a merciless bitch.
"Hey, you," a voice called out to me.
Turning around, I saw a man glaring at me. Based on the fact that he was in the same prison clothes as the others, I assumed that he was a prisoner as well.
"Why don't you do us all a favour and pick up the pace? We've all be working hard so you have no right to slack off, you treacherous bitch," they yelled.
Surprised at him referring to me as a treacherous bitch, I narrowed my eyes at him with distaste. While I might have committed treason in his eyes, I'm sure that's morally better compared to whatever he must've done to wound up here since after all, only the most dangerous criminals got shipped to the Boiling Rock.
He seemed to notice my confusion, "Yeah, that's right. We know who you are and what you've done. You used to be a legend, only now you're a worthless piece of nothing."
Worthless piece of nothing.
Those words on their own were like the daggers that they used to slice my wrists open. Refusing to give the man satisfaction of my emotions, I simply turned around and went back to my work. Since he knew of my status of a traitor in the Fire Nation, there was no doubt that everyone else would know who I was and what I had done. So, I'd probably be in for an unpleasant stay at the Boiling Rock, not that it wasn't already.
Knowing that there was no use in fighting the reality of my situation, I knew that I was better off just sitting back and taking it as it came. Before I would've held onto hope that I would one day be free of this prison, only now I had no hope left whatsoever. It was ironic, since I had a lot more hope when I was locked up in my cell but only now that I had an ounce of the freedom that I desired did my hope seem so far away. My days probably wouldn't be any better than what they were before and I was already expecting a whole other level of misery, so despite that I didn't want to, I might as well get used to it.
~*•°•*~
In the days that followed my initial transfer, I found myself in a stable routine. We were only allowed out of our cells four times a day; first for breakfast, then for exercise followed by lunch, after that was cleaning time and lastly, dinner. From what I had heard, we were only allowed to shower once a week which was hardly sanitary in my eyes. But then again, we were prisoners and in the guards eyes we didn't deserve the simplest of luxuries. And if I didn't think that I'd be treated like a slave before, than I definitely did now as we were expected to cook and prepare every meal for the guards. After that, we'd be forced to be fed with whatever was left of their scraps.
Everyone at the Boiling Rock seemed to know who I was and what I'd done, since every time I passed anyone I was given scornful looks and the occasional snotty remark. No doubt whoever was behind this establishment was trying to make my life as miserable as it could possibly be, and they were certainly succeeding.
The one good thing about my movement was the fact that I didn't receive any private visitors anymore, but it didn't change the fact that I could see them everywhere I went, mocking me with their very existence. Even though their faces had been covered every time they tormented me, I recognised their voices, their movements and anything that you could recognise about a person to identify them. Out in public, they hardly acknowledged me and treated me like any other prisoner. But when I was on my own, that was a different story.
Currently, I was out for my daily cleaning time. Given that my cell was right at the highest part of the prison and they just loved making things difficult me, I had to walk all the way to the bottom floor which made me more exhausted than I already was. Every time I went around anyone else, I made sure to act exactly how I would if I was still hunting the Avatar by keeping to myself and ignoring anyone who thought to approach my. But of course, things didn't always go how I wanted them to.
Despite how hard I tried to make myself seem non-existent to everyone else, I could still feel the scornful looks that were sent my way with every turn and every move I made. In all honesty, I shouldn't be surprised that I'd be treated this way considering how the Fire Nation viewed treachery. Not surprisingly enough, treachery was considered a worse crime than murder. Even people that I knew as murderers were looking at me as though I was beneath them for Agni's sake. Which in a way, I was.
They still had their pride and dignity intact, while mine had been mercilessly snuffed out. Sure, they had been branded as murderers which in some eyes would be seen as immoral, but murder wasn't cowardice like treachery was. In everyone's eyes including my own, I was worse than a murderer. Like a spineless fool, I had allowed them to take whatever strength I had left which reduced me to nothing, just like what I was and all I ever would be.
Up above me, I could see the man who had first come to greet me after I had awoken from my unconscious state. Based on the way he was dressed compared to the other guards and how they acted towards him, I assumed that he was the Warden, which meant that he'd have the power to tell them to do whatever he wanted them to do to me. That thought on its own was enough to send shivers down my spine, knowing that he could have them do whatever he wanted without breaking a sweat or even having to worry about the consequences. He seemed to catch my lingered gaze at him and gave me a disdainful smirk before walking away, much to my relief.
However, my relief was short lived as I soon found myself surrounded the other prisoners who were on cleaning duty. Most of the time, everyone kept to themselves since I assumed that acting out in any way would result in serious punishment. But when it came to me, I had a feeling that I would be the rare exception for any kind of abuse, which sure enough, I was.
"Watch where you're going, scum," a man spat as he forcefully shoved me aside, when I wasn't even anywhere near him.
It seemed as though people were practically looking for any reason to belittle me, even if they had to make it up on their own. The old me would've relished in having that sort of impact on anyone, but now I just wanted them to leave me in peace since I had already suffered enough in this wretched place.
"Give her a break, man. I mean, she's hardly in any position to do anything given how worthless and pathetic she is," another man commented.
Choosing to ignore their bating, I simply kept my head down as I continued to mop the floor. Although I hated doing this type of slave work, I found that it was actually good for me to stretch out my muscles and do something with them, considering I'd been confined to a small cell for the past month. And the quicker I got enough strength back, the better off I'd be. Part of me seriously doubted if I'd ever be fully okay again, since I'd already sustained enough injuries for a lifetime.
To add more insult to injury, another one of the prisoners who walked past me decided that I'd be a good spitting target as they spat right at me before muttering something inaudible under their breath. No doubt it was probably something rude against me. Knowing that I was in no position to react, I kept my head down and continued doing my work at my own pace.
But these people just couldn't seem to get off my back, since I could literally feel someone watching me. At first, I just ignored them in the hopes that they would go away. But when I could still feel their gaze lingering on me, I decided to turn around to see just who was finding me so fascinating. Not one, but three men were standing behind me and I could practically see them assessing me. They then shared a look with one another before slowly approaching me, each with unreadable looks on their faces.
The closer they got to me, the more uncomfortable I felt. Slowly, I stepped backwards so that they would take the hint and just leave me alone. My retreating found me in the middle of one big hallway, with almost nobody around and I then realised that I'd made a mistake in leaving and that I should've just stayed where I was. At least then I would have witnesses.
"Tell me, bitch. What does it feel to have everything, only to loose it all in the blink of an eye?" the guy in the middle asked.
The guy on the right scoffed, "Like she'd respond to you. You know she doesn't talk, right? Ironic considering her mouth is what got her here in the first place."
The guy on the left nodded, "You know what they say about what you say coming back to bite you. It's sad, really. You used to be one of the pride of the Fire Nation, now you're just a worthless, pathetic piece of nothing."
Was this their version of a pep talk or what? They were only telling me what I already knew. Yes, I knew that I had lost everything in the blink of an eye. Yes, I did get myself into this mess. And yes, I know that I'm a worthless piece of nothing. I've had it said to me enough times already.
"You should know, girlie, that we don't take too kindly to traitors around here. You're not wanted here, just like you're not wanted anywhere in life," the guy on the right hissed.
Suddenly, I was grabbed by my throat and slammed against the wall. Since I was already in enough pain, I struggled as I was dangled above the ground with my body slammed against the wall.
"Now, we're going to show you who's really in charge around here," the guy in the middle smirked as he ran his hand up the side of my face, much to my discomfort.
For a moment, it felt like they were marvelling at the site of me completely at their mercy, which I pretty much was. My body was too weak to defend myself and even if I tried to call out for help, it wasn't like anybody would help me. They would just look the other way and let them have their way with me like everyone else. At that moment, I expected them to do something horrible to me but before they could even get another feel of me, there was another voice that echoed throughout the hall.
"Just what do you lot think you're doing?"
Turning my eyes, I was surprised to see another man standing at the end of the hall. To my surprise, he was dressed in prisoner clothes so he had to have been one of us as well. His form was rather large, and I just knew that if he was to have his way with me that I would not last long given my current state.
"Ah, Chit Sang. How nice of you to stop by. We were just showing this bitch who's in charge around here. Care to join us?" the one on the left drawled.
"No," the man – Chit Sang, replied.
That caught me by surprise and it seemed to catch the three men by surprise as well since they all turned to look at each other in confusion. Quite frankly, I was just glad that I wouldn't have anybody else to treat me like their personal punching bag.
"Do you have any other plans for her?" the one on the left asked.
Chit Sang shook his head, "Nope. Now, why don't you lot scurry off and let me take care of here."
"Go for it, man," the one on the right smirked.
Any likeliness that I had for this man was quickly snapped away at that. It wasn't long before the three stooges left the corridor which left me and the large man alone. Part of me was glad that whatever I was about to be put through that it would only be at the hands of one man instead of three.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to you," Chit Sang reassured me. "You just have to give the impression that I did do something to you so that they back off."
Raising my eyebrows in confusion, I wondered what on earth had warranted this change of events. Just moments ago I was expected to be beaten again, only now it looked like I'd be spared. But I still didn't quite understand what was going on around here.
Noticing my confusion, Chit Sang explained, "I'm kind of like the top dog around here. The other prisoners respect my word and my authority more than they respect most guards. If I seemed to have taken an interest in you, they'll bug off and leave you alone. Cause what's mine is mine."
Even though his explanation was somewhat understandable, it still baffled me just how cool he was being about the entire situation. He didn't even seem interested one bit to do anything to me, which was strange given every experience that I'd had here.
"Listen, I know who you are. We all do. Every prisoner was made aware of who you were and what you'd done. As you've probably figured out, treachery isn't a good crime to commit in the Fire Nation. Some people even see it worse than murder, which is exactly what brought me here in the first place," Chit Sang clarified.
Although I'd only met the guy just a few moments ago, he didn't exactly seem like the murderous type. Most murders commonly have no empathy for anyone, and he seemed to have empathy towards me for whatever reason.
"It was just my luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time all those years ago. Sure, I'd had a few run-ins with the law before and didn't exactly have a squeaky-clean record but I'd never killed anyone. They just believed I did when they saw me at the crime scene and that was enough to throw me in here. But it's alright, since the guy I supposedly killed was some big mafia guy who'd done a lot of wrong, so that's why these guys respect me so much," Chit Sang elaborated.
Well that made more sense. Yet at the same time, it didn't. You'd think that with the Fire Nation having more prisoners than anywhere in the world that they would be more careful about who they put in there, but I guess not since they so carelessly threw Chit Sang in here when he was innocent. At least that's what he said he was, since for all I knew he could be some psychotic murder. It seemed as though I'd lost my ability to read people as well as I did before, which was a let down for me.
"If you ever run into trouble and I'm around, just give me a look and I'll step in to make them know that you're mine. Once everybody knows that, they'll leave you alone," Chit Sang offered.
"W-why?" I finally found my voice.
Chit Sang turned to me in surprise, "Oh, so you really do speak? The guards had told us that you'd gone mute and hadn't said a word since you got here. Not that I can blame you for that. Anyways, you're just a kid. You've probably been through more than most people could go through in a lifetime. Nobody deserves that shit, not even you."
"You don't know me," I muttered.
"True, I don't. But you're still a kid and one of the youngest prisoners in this place. You don't deserve that," Chit Sang insisted.
"Easy for you to say," I murmured.
Chit Sang sighed, "I've gotta go, kid. I'm due back in my cell soon and if I don't get there in time the guards will have my head. That's also something I should tell you; never do even the simplest thing wrong since they'll look for any reason to throw you into the cooler. Watch out for yourself."
With that, Chit Sang turned and left me standing in the corridor, somewhat baffled by the interaction that had just taken place. For someone who was supposed to be a prisoner, he treated me far better in a few moments than what most people had in my entire life. It seemed as though he didn't want anything from me either, which was a surprise since in my experience most people always want something in return for anything.
At the same time, I was grateful for him for stepping in and stopping something that could've made me feel even worse than what I already did. Despite that, I was still wary of him since it wasn't like anyone to go out of their way for me and for nothing in return. While he had saved me from trouble, he'd come off more mysterious than anything and that made me wary of him even more. In the meantime, I figured that I might as well get back to what I was supposed to be doing since I couldn't afford getting into anymore trouble than what I already had.
~*•°•*~
After my first introduction with Chit Sang, my prison stay became somewhat more bearable. Just like he had said they would, people got the impression that I was with him and stayed clear of my way. Although there were still the few people who would fire snarky remarks my way and shoot dirty looks at me, they mostly just did it when nobody else was ever around. At one point, I passed Chit Sang in the courtyard who gave me a look of understanding that I returned.
Currently, I was sitting in the kitchen room after we finished preparing yet another meal for the guards. The prisoners were always left with what was left of their meals, which was hardly ever much. From what I had heard, we got one good day of food at least once a week. It seemed as though they were trying to keep us weak enough so that we wouldn't be able to try anything but not weak enough so that we'd die.
Unlike everyone else, I just sat on my own since I knew that they wouldn't want anything to do with me, just like I wouldn't want anything to do with them. Technically, I was supposed to eat meals with everyone else but the guards hardly paid attention to us while we ate. In a way, that was my way of staying true to what little control of myself that I had left. It might not have been much, but it was enough for me.
Looking back, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that I'd end up the way I did. I'd always had a bit of a rebellious streak in me. Even back when I was at the Tatakai Stronghold I never followed the rules to their exact order, much to Daisuke's annoyance which now served him right. Now that I was a prisoner, I was in no position to rebel otherwise things would only get worse for me and I certainly couldn't afford any more trouble.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of someone approaching me. Assuming that they were just here to mock me, I simply turned the other way and ignored them. To my surprise, they didn't have anything to say. They just sat down next to me and ate what was left of their food. When nothing came from her, I turned my eyes to see just who I was dealing with.
Sitting next to me was another girl and even more to my surprise, she seemed to be around my age as well. Getting a closer look of her, I saw that she had short auburn hair with blue eyes and light skin. Just based on the look on her face, I assumed that she wasn't Fire Nation. You could tell based on the way she looked at the others that she hated anything and everything about being here, just like any non-Fire Nation citizen would. Plus, the Fire Nation wasn't known for imprisoning young people, so I assumed that she had to have been a prisoner of war.
"Hey," she acknowledged me after a brief silence.
Deciding not to speak to her, I simply acknowledged her presence in a silent way. She didn't seem too fazed by my reaction, which made me wonder if she knew who I was just like everyone else did.
"Long days, right?" she asked in an attempt to make conversation with me.
Shrugging, I simply turned my attention back to my food as I slowly fed myself, hoping that she wouldn't try to talk to me if I was eating. As much as she didn't seem like a threat, I still didn't want anything to do with her.
The girl sighed, "You're actually the first person that I've seen around here that seems close to my age. Every other person is way too older than me for me to approach them. Of course, I've only been here for a few days. This is day number three for me. What about you?"
Adding up the math in my head, I remembered that I'd so far spent forty-seven days in this wasteland. To respond to her, I put up four fingers on one hand before adding another three on the other to answer her question.
"Oh, you don't talk, don't you? Can't say I blame you," the girl muttered bitterly. "As much as I'd love to give everyone here the silent treatment, I refuse to let the Fire Nation take away the last thing I have in my voice."
So, she wasn't Fire Nation after all. It was nice to see that I hadn't completely lost my ability to read people. At that revelation, I couldn't help but wonder what someone like her had done to end up somewhere like this. Surely the Earth Kingdom wouldn't put a young girl like her in their army.
Hearing the echoing sound that meant our time in here was up, I simply got back up and left the girl on her own. Since she didn't make any move to follow me, I assumed that all she was looking for was someone to vent her frustration out on. If I was in any position to do so, I'd do the same. But I wasn't and I was alone in here, just like I'd always been in life.
~*•°•*~
Hours passed before I was let outside again, and this time it was for my daily exercise. Even though my body had somewhat recovered since I had been given an ounce of freedom, I was still pretty weak so I had resigned myself to smashing rocks open with an axe. It was definitely good for my upper body strength, which I now lacked for obvious reasons.
It seemed as though everyone treated exercise time like it was gold, since people always appeared to be in a different state when we were allowed out here. That was probably because it was the closest thing we got to freedom in this wretched place. As much as I tried to distance myself from the reality of my situation, I slowly found myself growing accustomed to my new life here. It was something that I might as well do anyways, since I was going to be spending the rest of my life here.
Someone else seemed to have joined me at my side as I was working away and I did what I always did whenever people approached me; I ignored them. That was, until I recognised her as the same girl from earlier. Silence fell over us as we worked away in sync until she finally acknowledged me again.
"Since we're both around the same age, we might as well stick together if we want to make it through this," the girl suggested."
Ignoring her, I maintained my focus on the task at hand. While she might be offering me some form of friendship now, I reminded myself that if this was in the outside world, she probably wouldn't want anything to do with me. I was Fire Nation, she was Earth Kingdom. There was no way we'd ever become friends.
The girl sighed, "You're not much of a talker, are you?"
Hadn't she figured that out already? Practically everyone around here knew that I didn't talk, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise to her. Unless she really didn't know who I was and what I'd done. That would explain why she was even approaching me like this in the first place.
"Anyways, my name is Suki. I'd ask you what your name is but you probably wouldn't give it to me anyways," the girl, Suki said.
Before I could even stop myself, I found my voice betraying my resistance, "Abby. My name is Abby."
Suki's eyes widened at my sudden voice. Inwardly, I couldn't help but smirk knowing that such a simple gesture had got such a reaction from her. All I did was speak, it wasn't like I did something incredible.
"Sorry, you caught me off guard there. Anyways, Abby, what are you in for? I wouldn't think that the Fire Nation would imprison someone as young as you are. You couldn't be any more older than I am," Suki noted.
"Guess," I muttered, wondering how long it would take her to figure out who I really was and what I'd done.
"Hmm, con artist?" Suki asked.
Shaking my head, I urged her to keep guessing. In a way, I was kind of a con artist but that wasn't the reason why I was behind bars. Suki would have to figure that out on her own.
"Robber?" Suki suggested.
Again, I shook my head.
"What about an assassin?"
Well, I kind of was an assassin but that wasn't why I was here.
"Prisoner of war?"
Close enough, but no. So, I shook my head.
"How about… bounty hunter?" Suki suggested.
"Treachery," I stated. Suki gave me a confused look, so I clarified it for her. "I'm here for treachery. I betrayed my country, so they put me in here."
"Oh," Suki murmured. "You know, I wouldn't have guessed that."
"What about you?" I asked, suddenly curious. "What did you do to get thrown in here?"
"Nothing," Suki murmured bitterly. "I was just doing the right thing and helping a friend of mine. They'd lost something and I was trying to return it to them, but then she showed up. We fought, and I lost. So, she threw me in here."
"Who?" I asked.
"The Fire Nation Princess," Suki replied.
My eyes widened as I realised she was referring to Azula. I mean, there were hardly many princesses in the Fire Nation so it had to be Azula. Suddenly, I found myself admiring this girl in a new light. We certainly had more in common than I ever thought we would, since Azula was to blame for both of our imprisonments.
"Oh," I said. "Yeah, Princess Azula isn't one for being nice to anyone, only if they serve a purpose to her."
"You say that like you know her," Suki pointed out.
"You could say that she and I go back a fair bit," I admitted. Which was the truth, since I'd unfortunately known Azula for years.
"Well, I'd only just met her and she already decided that she wanted to kill me only because I was trying to help the Avatar," Suki said.
"You know the Avatar?" I asked, somewhat shocked.
Suki nodded, "Yeah. My homeplace is named after a previous life of his. He visited us a while back and he inspired my team to make a difference in the world."
"Past life?" I repeated before it dawned on me as to where she was from. "You're from Kyoshi Island, aren't you? And your team is the Kyoshi Warriors."
Suki nodded, "Yes, I am. And yes, they are. How would you know that?"
"Well, I like to know stuff," I murmured. Again, that was true. For a brief time I'd studied the past few Avatar's and learned of Kyoshi Island and the Kyoshi Warriors.
"I can only hope that Appa made it away safely, and that he got reunited with Aang to make this worth it," Suki said.
"Appa? I repeated before I remembered where I heard that name from before. "The Avatar's bison?"
"Yeah…" Suki trailed off before glancing at me. "How would you know that?"
"I guess you could say… I'm acquainted with the Avatar…" I trailed off, unsure of how to tell her that I'd try to kill them numerous times before.
"Wait a minute… Your name is Abby. Where have I heard that name before?" Suki wondered before it hit her. "You're that crazy firebender chick, aren't you?"
"Hey, I prefer to think of myself as a former crazy firebender chick," I snapped.
"Why am I just realising this now? It should've been obvious when you said your name was Abby. You're insane! I can't believe that I even thought to befriend you," Suki ranted.
I narrowed my eyes, "You still wanted to befriend me, even when there was a higher chance that I was Fire Nation? And for the record, I said I was in here for treachery, which I am. Which means that I hold no more allegiance to the Fire Nation."
"Oh," Suki murmured. "C-can I ask why you, you know, turned?"
"I guess when you're forced to experience life outside of the Fire Nation you get to see things in a new life, which I did. It made me rethink everything I ever knew before I ultimately made my decision," I answered.
"Sorry I called you an insane, crazy firebender chick," Suki apologised. "You know, when they told me about you they made you seem like you were the worst person on the planet. Even worse than Zuko."
I shrugged, "Can't say I blame them for thinking that. I was pretty terrible. I mean, I tried to kill them more than once."
"Yeah, they mentioned that. What does surprise me though is that they made you seem like an insane person. Now, you hardly seem insane at all," Suki pointed out.
"Truth be told, I was insane for a short period of time. I was fighting against a lot of things, mainly the truth that I had tried so hard to deny before I finally open my eyes and realised what a bitch I was," I explained.
"You can't be that bad if you realised your mistakes," Suki reasoned.
"Trust me, I'm that bad," I argued.
"Well, since you're a traitor now you could come with me when I get out of here," Suki suggested.
I scoffed, "You say that like we're going to escape. Cause that's the only way we're getting out of here, sweetheart."
Suki stared off into the distance, "There's someone coming for me, I just know it. He'll come get me out of here and even if he might disagree with it, I'll convince him to let you join them."
"Sounds like you've got yourself a night in shining armour," I muttered.
"Yeah, I do…" Suki trailed off dreamily. "He's the bravest person that I've ever met. At first, I didn't like him because he was kind of a sexist pig but he showed me just what kind of person he could be in a few days after knowing him. It was hard to see him go the first time and even harder to walk away the second time. But I know he's out there, and that he's going to bust me out."
"As much as your courage is admirable, it's also blind faith. The Boiling Rock is the highest security prison in the Fire Nation. It's inescapable," I argued.
"But he is the smartest person that I've ever met. Plus, it helps that he's travelling with the Avatar," Suki added.
My eyes widened as I realised who she was referring to, "You mean that irritating boy with the ridiculous ponytail that could rival Prince Hotheads?"
"His name is Sokka," Suki stated.
"I know his name," I scoffed. "You really expect him to save you when he's out there trying to save the world?"
"Sokka wouldn't just leave me here to rot. He might not know where I am now, but he'll soon find out that I'm here. Then he'll bust me out. Just you wait," Suki proclaimed.
"If you say so," I murmured.
"I know so," Suki declared.
"Well, that's good for you but I'm stuck here, so if you knew what was good for you you'd just sit back and forget I existed," I suggested.
Suki narrowed her eyes, "Like I said, I could convince them to let you join them. I'm sure they'd need someone to teach Aang firebending and you'd be the perfect candidate. You are a master, after all."
"A master who has lost everything she's ever had. No matter how hard you try to convince him or even them, they'd just be more than happy to leave me behind to suffer. Not that I wouldn't deserve it," I spat.
"Don't say that," Suki murmured.
"I can, because it's the truth. Listen, when your Loverboy shows up you can run off with him and be happy together and leave me here without a second thought. All I'd do is get in the way of everything just like I always do so please, do me a favour and spare me from your thoughts," I snapped.
Leaving Suki somewhat gobsmacked, I simply stood up and moved across to another part of the prison yard to complete my exercise time. Not to my surprise, Suki didn't follow me and I was glad that she didn't. If she did make any move to approach me again, I'd just have to ignore her and hope that she'd take the hint to leave me alone.
In the span of two days, I'd already found myself breaking my own promises that I'd made to myself which was to never get myself attached to anyone. I'd already unwittingly done that with Chit Sang and now, with Suki. No matter how hard they tried to get me on their side, I'd do my best to keep them away. After all, I didn't deserve any form of care from anyone, and I'd make sure that they realised that.
So, Abby's met Chit Sang and Suki all in one chapter. Since this chapter took place sometime after Appa's Lost Days and Azula would be in Ba Sing Se by now, it would make sense for Suki to get thrown into prison so quickly. As for Chit Sang, he's going to play a bit of a different role in this story. Instead of being like he was in the show, he's kind of gonna be like a guider for Abby and help her out when she needs it. You'll see just how in future chapters, so stay tuned and review for more :).
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Arwen347: If I were you, I wouldn't get your hopes up so much for Abby now. Just like you, I was hyped to write this chapter since it's the starting point of getting things back into the main story again.
Mogor: From the beginning, I knew that Abby was going to end up in the Boiling Rock and I was just itching to write this chapter. I've already answered your question on Suki in this chapter, but you'll have to wait and see for Sokka and Zuko.
Just Some Guest: Now that Abby knows for sure where she is, it's definitely going to change how she views her time in prison. As for the Boiling Rock, it's really going to open more directions for Abby to go in which I can't wait to happen.
