Once the kids left on Appa, the adults and I were quickly swarmed by Fire Nation soldiers.
"You!" A soldier pointed directly at me. "Princess Azula wants you imprisoned immediately!"
Before I could react, the soldier swiftly kicked my knee, forcing me to kneel on the ground. Within moments, my hands were bound with handcuffs, leaving me feeling helpless.
"Hakoda!" I shouted, my voice filled with desperation as I struggled against the soldiers' hold.
"Hey!" Hakoda scolded one of the soldiers. "I'm the one you want, not her!"
The solider chuckled. "Oh, no. You're going as well, but Princess Azula wants this one first."
I was forcefully ushered into a hot air balloon, cringing at the soldiers' rough treatment.
As I glanced back at Hakoda, my heart ached for him and the rest of the invasion force. They were being tied down and divided into groups, their freedom slipping away. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought to keep them from falling.
The hot air balloon lifted off, propelled by the bending of a soldier. We ascended into the sky, leaving the ground behind.
After a couple of hours in the air, I couldn't help but ask, "Where are you taking me?"
"To a private institution for criminals like you!" The soldier snapped.
I winced at his harsh tone. "Why are you yelling? I just asked a question."
Minutes passed, the atmosphere growing increasingly heated. The scorching air filled my lungs, making it difficult to breathe. I coughed, gasping for some relief. "Can I have some water?"
The solider turned to me, angrily. "So you can waterbend? No!"
I stared blankly at the Fire Nation soldier. "I'm a nonbender, but okay."
The air balloon eventually landed near the edge of a Fire Nation camp. As I stepped out, several other prisoners stood nearby, all of us bound and shackled. Azula and her soldiers watched with sadistic glee.
Azula grinned wickedly as I approached. She moved closer, taunting me. So, any last words before I send you to the Boiling Rock?"
Maintaining my composure, I remained silent, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response.
"Giving me the silent treatment? That's no fun." Azula taunted. "Don't you have a message you want me to give someone? Like that boyfriend of yours with the boomerang? What's his name, Socky? Sukka?"
"Sokka."
"Whatever. I know!" Azula snarked. "I should tell him that you're desperate for him to come and rescue you! I'm sure he would, if he could. Then I could capture you both and take turns tormenting you. Doesn't that sound fun?"
"I don't need anyone to rescue me." I grimaced.
Azula placed her hand on my cheek, her sharp nails grazing my skin. "Maybe you can find a new boy toy in prison. You're pretty enough. I bet all the male inmates can't wait to get their hands on you."
I swiveled my head to the side, furious.
Azula began looking at her nails. "You'll be completely alone at the Boiling Rock. I captured all of the Kyoshi warriors, so no sisterly bonding in captivity. I want you to experience just how hard Fire Nation prison life can be, fighting your fellow prisoners for miserable scraps just to stay alive. Now you get to watch from a prison cell while the Fire Nation rolls over the other nations. I'm doing all of this especially for you because you're my favorite prisoner and you deserve the best the Fire Nation can offer its enemies."
I glared back into Azula's dead eyes, not responding.
Azula rolled her eyes at me. "I thought you would be more fun. Well, since you're no fun at all, I'll have to make my own when I track down the Avatar and his little group. Have fun cooling your heels in prison while I destroy your friends!"
You're sick," I murmured, disbelief and anger coursing through my veins.
Soon, the other prisoners and I were led onto a war balloon, our chains clinking ominously. After a few hours, we reached a ship where only prisoners were transported.
"I've heard so many stories about the Boiling Rock. People go in, but they never come out," a panicked prisoner whispered.
"I've done hard time before. I can handle it," another prisoner declared with a nonchalant demeanor.
"Not like this, you haven't. Not like this," the fearful prisoner replied, trembling with fear.
Did I make a mistake remaining back with the invasion force? Should I have gone with my friends? It appears as though Suki isn't even in here from what Azula expressed.
With chains binding us, the prisoners and I were escorted onto a gondola, guarded by three soldiers.
A guard murmured, looking at me, "Let me guess. Before seeing this place, you had dreams of escaping. Well, leave those dreams behind. No one escapes the Boiling Rock. You belong to us now."
As I stepped off the gondola, I was taken to my prison cell. The heavy door closed behind me, leaving me alone in the dimly lit room.
"Ah, the finest in Fire Nation hospitality. How fortunate I am," I said sarcastically, surveying the small and desolate cell.
Finding myself alone in the room, I closed my eyes. Doing something I hadn't practiced in a long time. "Focus together. As one."
I adapted a fighting stance and started to meditate and train in the Kyoshi Warriors style until I hit my fist against the wall.
"Ow! Hmm, is this loose?" I scraped my hands along the walls, searching for any weaknesses. "Ow, I guess not." I sighed, sitting down on the hard floor, and spotted a plant growing beneath the bed. "Huh. Is this a dumpling weed?"
Memories of younger Suki and I, gathering the Kyoshi Warriors girls to harvest dumpling weeds flooded my mind. The plants were a source of nutrition and connection to our homeland.
I picked the plant from under the bed, holding the legumes in my palm.
"This is a piece of Kyoshi Island, here at the end of the world," I murmured, lying down on the hard mattress. It felt like a sign, a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.
✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼
In the prison cafeteria, I received a tray of unappetizing green slop. As I searched for a seat, I overheard a young woman complaining about the food.
"Making us eat this slop is torture! Surely the warden doesn't want important prisoners dropping dead on his watch."
"Don't like the food?" The guard mewled. "Don't eat."
"Seriously, what animal made this?" The girl complained. "No animal with taste buds, that's for sure."
Deciding to join her, I approached the table. "Hi, I'm Venus."
She glared at me, unimpressed. "Good for you. Unless you have something edible to offer, I'm not interested."
"Well, I might," I replied.
"Well, whatcha got?" She inquired.
"Introductions first. I'm Venus. And you are...?"
"Name's Biyu. What landed you in the Fire Nation's least favorite people resort?" She asked.
"I'm friends with the Avatar, and our group invaded the royal palace. I stayed behind and ended up here," I explained.
A girl had turned around inviting herself in Biyu and I's conversation. "And I'm the leader of the Kyoshi warriors."
I couldn't contain my excitement. "Suki?!"
Azula must have miscalculated.
Suki rushed over to me, wrapping me in a tight hug and peppering my cheek with kisses. "Oh, how I've missed you."
"I missed you too," I replied, on the verge of tears. "Where are the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors?"
As she recalled the thought, Suki rolled her eyes. "I don't know, but they threw me in here because I'm their leader."
"You two know each other?" Biyu raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, we're long-time friends and part of the Kyoshi Warriors," I answered.
"The Kyoshi Warriors?" Biyu hissed. "Is that some kind of Avatar Kyoshi tribute group?"
"Sort of." Suki answered. "We're an elite group of women warriors who have devoted our lives to Avatar Kyoshi. We left our home to join the cause against the Fire Nation. And that lead us to fight Princess Azula. She won, unfortunately."
Biyu's eyes widened. "Well, that's far more impressive than how I ended up here."
"Which was?" I questioned, toying with the unappetizing slop in front of me.
"I stole things, mostly."
"Seems strange that simply being a thief would put you in a prison for the Fire Nation's most wanted." Suki remarked.
"It was more who I stole from and what it was that landed me at Boiling Rock." Biyu lightly smiled. "The last thing I stole before ending up here was the heart of this Fire Nation kid, who happened to be the son of a prominent general. The kid's mom didn't take it well that her precious baby had fallen for a known Earth Kingdom thief, so I got dumped here. I learned the hard way to never underestimate the wrath of a Fire Nation mother."
My lips formed a sympathetic pout. "Oh no, I'm sorry you lost your boyfriend-"
"He wasn't my boyfriend," Biyu quickly dismissed, "he was just some guy."
I playfully rolled my eyes, turning to Suki. "Sure."
With a gesture of goodwill, I placed some of the legumes from under the bed onto Biyu's plate, sharing what little I had.
"That's it?" Biyu questioned, eyeing the legumes.
"Hey, those plants may not look like much, but they're packed with nutrients and surprisingly tasty," Suki defended. "They'll help sustain us."
Biyu took a spoonful, murmuring, "I hope so. It's not just that this food tastes terrible, it's not enough to keep a healthy body going either. It's how the Fire Nation keeps the prisoners subdued. How can you think about causing trouble when you're half-starved all the time?"
Suki turned her head to observe the tired and emaciated inmates around us.
Standing up, Suki grabbed my wrist. "I have an idea. Come with me."
Biyu, with a spoon still in her mouth, muttered, "Can I finish my food first?"
We found ourselves in the prison courtyard, hidden from the guards' watchful eyes. Suki and I collected dumpling weeds, while Biyu kept watch. We gathered as many as we could and then retreated.
"This spot is safe from the guards' view," Biyu assured us. "Let's see what we've got."
"We found so many!" Suki exclaimed, excitement evident in her voice. "Thanks for helping, Biyu."
"Come on, let's divide them up and have a meal," Biyu suggested.
Suki reasoned, "No, we need to save half of them for planting as seeds."
I looked at Suki with disbelief. "You want to create a garden in the middle of a prison?
Suki crossed her arms, facing Biyu and me. "If we plant these seeds, we can grow more food. It could become a valuable resource for us and even be shared with the other prisoners."
"The other prisoners?" Biyu exclaimed. "Who cares about them?!"
I snickered at her response.
"I care about them." Suki remarked. "You said it yourself, the poor food makes it impossible for them to fight back against the Fire Nation. If we can get everyone better food, there's a chance for pushback against the guards. Maybe even a chance for us to escape."
Suki's last sentence piqued my interest. "Escaping, I like the sound of that. You're the boss."
✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼
Two weeks had passed, and Suki, Biyu, and I seized an opportunity to sneak away. A prisoner's complaint caught our attention.
"I gave her my best rock! And what does she do? Acts like it's not good enough for her!" the prisoner cried to a guard.
"A rock?" I whispered, astonished.
"Yeah, girls are real picky when it comes to rocks." The guard replied.
We entered the prison's laundry room, where Han, a familiar face, was waiting. "All clear, Suki. No guards expected for the rest of the afternoon."
"Thanks, Han." Suki acknowledged.
Confusion filled me as I turned to Suki. "You know this guy?"
"Uh, yeah. I've been here for a month, I've made some friends." She explained.
I raised my hands up in an apologetic manner. "My fault."
"Han helped expand the tunnel we've been working on. It's larger now, making it easier to crawl through," Suki informed us. "You did a great job, Han."
We crawled through the tunnel and emerged in a secret garden flourishing with dumpling weeds.
"Suki, how long have you been growing these?"
"About two weeks," Suki replied, a proud smile on her face.
Glaring at her, I questioned, "So while I've been trying to escape for two weeks, you've been here growing dumpling weeds?"
"This is our escape plan! We discussed this!" Suki emphasized. "You would know that these dumpling weeds are our way out of this prison, if you hadn't been moping and crying about Sokka for a week and trying to escape on your own for the other week."
My lips pouted, unamused. "And how exactly are we going to escape with dumpling weeds?"
"It'll help fuel the prisoners with nutrition so they can fight back against the guards, who have been feeding us shit!" Suki slapped her forehead in frustration. "Spirits, Venus, if you had attended at least one of the meetings I told you about, we wouldn't be discussing this, right now!"
Han cautiously approached Suki and I. "Sorry to interrupt, but the warden's coming for a surprise inspection! You need to get out of here!"
Suki, Biyu, and I crawled back to the laundry room
"It's too late, he's here! Quick, hide in the laundry!" Han urged.
"But if you get caught hiding us-"
"Just get in." I tossed Suki into the laundry bin, then crawled in after her.
Hidden beneath the clothes, I murmured, "Ugh, Fire Nation uniforms. At least they're clean."
"Shh!"
Accompanied by two guards, the warden entered. "Surprise inspection! I want to make sure everything's running to my satisfaction."
"Yes, warden. We've been working very hard." Han bowed.
"I hope you take pride in your work cleaning the uniforms of your betters. Outside these walls you were rebels and miscreants, not fit for Fire Nation society. But here you have the chance to make yourself useful. This place is your home now. No one outside this prison cares enough to rescue you, and escape is impossible. So take pride in your work at Boiling Rock prison. It's the last thing you'll ever do."
Once the warden departed, Han whispered, "Suki, Biyu, Venus, you can come out now."
Emerging from our hiding spot, I muttered, "What a piece of shit, that guy is."
"Thanks for hiding us, Han," Suki expressed her gratitude. "I know it was risky."
"The plants you've grown in that garden have been nourishing us. Covering for you was the least we could do," Han replied.
"Here, I have some vegetables to share. I wish there were more, but we have to let the plants mature," Suki offered.
Sitting on the floor with Suki, Biyu, Han, and two other inmates, we shared the legumes.
Once we were alone, Biyu expressed her amazement at how the other prisoners listened to us and risked their safety to help us. She admitted that she was used to looking out for herself but was beginning to see the value of having friends. Suki explained that it wasn't just about advantages, but about building a sense of community. Together, we would have a better chance.
After Biyu left, Suki and I were alone. "I don't trust her," I voiced my concerns.
"Venus, stop!" Suki exclaimed.
I rolled my eyes. "She's a criminal, Suki. That means she's a thief and a liar. Oh wait, she is a thief and a liar! She could be working with the guards, for all we know."
Shaking her head, Suki chuckled. "Spirits, Venus, that pretty little head of yours sure loves conjure things up."
"In all seriousness, Suki, I'm not saying she's working against us. I'm just saying, watch your back."
✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼
In the prison's cafeteria, Suki insisted that I share some vegetables with the other prisoners. However, when I handed one to Qing, a guard caught him adding it to his food and accused him of possessing contraband.
Chaos erupted as a riot ensued. The prisoners hurled the disgusting slop of food at the guards, and fights broke out all around.
Reacting swiftly, I vaulted over a table and delivered a powerful kick to the back of a guard's neck, effectively taking him down.
Qing was struggling to defend himself against another guard. "Aaagh! Leave me alone!"
Without hesitation, I rushed to his aid, taking down the guard who was about to strike Qing.
Amidst the chaos, fireballs soared over the prisoners' heads as five guards stood before us, ready to attack again.
"That was a warning shot." One of the guards bellowed. "The next one won't be."
Raising my hands in surrender, I urged the other prisoners to do the same, realizing the futility of our resistance.
"All of you will spend time in solitary as punishment for disobedience." The guard scrawled. "Take them away."
As the guards placed handcuffs on my wrists, I noticed Biyu being taken in a different direction, raising my suspicions.
Soon enough, I found myself being pushed into a cramped cell for solitary confinement. The door was slammed shut behind me.
Feeling compressed against the cell walls, I touched both sides simultaneously. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on things I loved, like Sokka and my friends. Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal two guards.
"The warden wants to see you."
Silently, the two guards escorted me to the warden's office, leaving me alone with a man seated behind his desk.
"Ah. Venus, isn't it? Leader of the famous Kyoshi Warriors, captured and personally sent to the Boiling Rock by Princess Azula."
"Um, actually, that's Suk-"
The warden interrupted me, presenting some legumes on his desk. "What do these look like to you?"
Wearing a defiant expression, I replied, "Nothing."
"Nothing, hm? To me they look like a great deal of something." He picked up one of the legumes, examining it closely. "To me, these tiny legumes look like they're the reason why my prisoners have been so willful lately." The warden pointed a finger at me. "A delicate balance is needed to maintain a prison as complicated as the Boiling Rock and it seems you are doing all you can to upset that balance."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I resorted.
Slamming his fist on the desk, the warden growled, "Stop lying to me! We found you and your friends garden. Did you really think merely growing vegetables would change things on the Boiling Rock? What did you think would happen? That the other prisoners would rise up and miraculously overthrow their captors?"
Annoyed, I replied. "It was a chance to build community, to support each other as human beings. Maybe give us the chance to escape this place."
"Escape?" The warden darkly chuckled. "Some little weeds would give you the power to fly your way out of the Fire Nation's most impenetrable prison?"
"M-maybe," I murmured to myself.
The warden smirked. "Did you know you were betrayed?"
Shocked at first, anger quickly replaced my surprise. "You're lying!"
"One of your own, one of those fellow human beings you've been risking your neck to feed, came to me and gave you up. Your garden, your secret passage through the laundry room, all your tools. All gone now. It's a common mistake coming to Boiling Rock prison and thinking you've made friends here. Friends would make surviving a lot easier. But you have no friends here. You're completely alone." Two guards come back and take me away. "At the Boiling Rock prison it's every fool for themselves. Take her back to solitary."
As the guards led me back to the small cell, I caught a glimpse of Biyu talking to some guards while wearing different clothes.
I knew it.
Once again, I was shoved into the dark confines of solitary confinement.
✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼
A week later, still confined to solitary confinement, I sit on the cold floor, feeling the weight of my isolation.
The sound of the door sliding open breaks the silence. "Get up. Your punishment is over."
With tired eyes and a heavy heart, I reluctantly rise and make my way to the courtyard, determined to find Suki and Han.
"Venus, I'm so sorry, you were right about-"
"Where's Biyu?" I interject, cutting Suki off.
Han nervously touches the back of his neck. "Uh, she's, uh, not in the general population anymore."
"She's got herself a fancy room and full privileges, including not having to eat prison slop anymore." Suki sighs.
"And I wonder what she said to get these privileges. Anyone have a guess?"
Han and Suki exchange worried glances, unable to provide an answer.
"She ratted us out!" Suki breaks down in tears. "I should have listened to you, I know you've been trying to escape for some time now, and you were really counting on these dumpling weeds-"
"It's okay," I say, forcing a smile. "All is well."
✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼
Standing alone, I patiently wait for Biyu to appear over a metal balcony. As soon as she enters a room, I swiftly climb over the balcony and ambush her from behind, pinning her to the ground.
Caught off guard, Biyu cries out, "What–? Aaagh!"
Looking down at her in a fighting stance, I growled, "Stop yelling. There are no guards here, just you and me."
"Venus?" Biyu smirked. "Oh wow, you don't look so good. Solitary's hard on a person, huh?"
"Don't pretend to care about me, you traitor," I retort, snark evident in my voice. "I knew I didn't like you from the start. You gave up the garden to the warden! I wouldn't care, but do you realize how hard Suki worked on that? She was trying to help us escape!"
"Well, yeah. A girl has to survive, you know?"
I glare at Biyu before grabbing her collar and slamming her against the railing of the metal bridge we stand on.
"No, please don't! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Biyu cried, struggling against my hold.
"Venus, don't!" Suki's voice echoed from behind me, pleading with urgency.
I released my grip on Biyu and turned to face Suki, anger still etched on my face.
"So it's like that, huh? Listen to bossy, Suki? Just wanted to scare me, huh? Coward."
Suki approached me cautiously, placing her head on my shoulder. "You did the right thing. I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess. From now on, we need to stick together, just you and me."
I nod silently, acknowledging Suki's words, as she leads me back to my cell. As I slide the door closed, I can't hold back my tears any longer.
I cried and cried my eyes out. I missed Sokka so dearly that my heart ached in pain. I missed Aang and Katara and Toph and Momo and Appa. I also missed my father and Jet so much. I was so miserable to such an extent that I even missed my mother.
I just felt so alone.
Suddenly, a ray of light catches my attention, causing me to lift my head. To my astonishment, a vision of Avatar Kyoshi stands before me.
Oh, great heavens. I'm hallucinating.
With tears in my eyes, I whispered. "Avatar Kyoshi?"
"Venus, your friends love you. They have not abandoned you. You are not alone."
Due to my constant crying, I had trouble speaking.
"How...how do you know?"
Kyoshi smiles gently before gradually fading away. I wipe the tears from my eyes, slowly sinking down against the wall, comforted by the thought that, even in the depths of my despair, I am not truly alone.