𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 | prince zuko

¹³

When the sound of crumbling rock sounded throughout the prison hallway, the guards hurried to investigate. A pair of guards hurried into the area and saw the crumbled stone strewn across the floor, spotting Yan not too long after. "You! What are you doing out of your cell?" one barked as he raised his fists. Intending to shoot a blast of fire at her, nothing but smoke came out of his knuckles; he even tried a second time but nothing happened.

Yan smirked and tilted her head in amusement. "Looks like you're missing something." she chuckled softly. The guards paled and raised their hands in surrender, Yan creating cuffs out of earth to pin them to the walls. She heard a crash in Iroh's cell before the door opened, said man stepping out of the room. Yan practically gawked at his muscular physique that peeked out of his robe, never thinking he could ever achieve something so... brutish.

"We only have a few minutes before the eclipse is over. Let's hurry," he ordered the teenage girl. Yan nodded and she and Iroh were hurrying down the dim hall, taking out powerless firebenders along the way. Many of the guards that tried to stop them were shocked by Iroh's newfound strength, some almost cowering at the old man whenever he approached them.

Their few minutes of non-bending firebenders ended far too soon. By the time she and Iroh reached the final level of the Capital City Prison, the eclipse had ended, which meant firebenders could now conjure up fire again. Iroh grabbed Yan and pulled her back around at the last minute as a plume of fire came flying toward her. Iroh advanced, dealing with the firebenders easily; he waved Yan over and the pair continued out of the prison.

"Follow me, we are going somewhere far from the Fire Nation. Hurry now, Yan." Iroh urged her as he looked at the sky briefly, noticing that the eclipse was ending faster than anticipated. He grabbed Yan by the wrist and ran onward, dragging her behind him. The pair continued to run away from the prison, avoiding firebenders and other soldiers who tried to stop them. After running for a while, Iroh and Yan made it to a beach where a red hot air balloon was seemingly waiting.

"You had this planned. That's how you knew when the invasion was going to happen." Yan realized as she approached the hot air balloon. Iroh nodded in confirmation and gently pushed her inside the basket, following behind her. Using his firebending, the old tea enthusiast caused the hot air balloon to take to the air and begin to drift away from the Capital City. "Where are we going now?"

Iroh looked at the teenage girl as she sat on the floor of the basket, briefly looking over his shoulder to ensure they weren't being followed. "We are going back to Ba Sing Se. I am meeting some important people there. Just hold on tight, we will be there in a few days." Iroh answered with a smile, joining Yan on the floor of the hot air balloon basket.

. . .

     Zuko stood in front of the closed door of the metal bunker his father was staying in for the duration of the eclipse. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had been at war with his mind for far too long and he finally made a decision. After writing a letter addressed to his girlfriend Mai, he knew he had to face his father next. "I'm ready to face you," he said to himself before he opened the door.

A line of guards garbed in red armor stood in front of the impromptu throne where a bearded man sat drinking tea; the Fire Lord Ozai, the most fearsome man in the world, and Zuko's father. At the sound of the door opening, Ozai looked up from his steaming teacup, his brows furrowing. "Prince Zuko... what are you doing here? Why are you here?" he asked calmly as his son entered the bunker, shutting the door behind him.

Zuko approached his father, a pair of dueling swords on his back. "I'm here to tell the truth," Zuko responded firmly, the same furrowed expression on his face as he gazed at his father.