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♯ ❝ AND YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT HER.❞
CHAPTER TWELVE ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ACT ONE ── water 🌊 ⁺⑅

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          GETTING THROWN INTO PRISION AFTER BEING ARRESTED FOR NO REASON, WAS NOT ON HER TO DO LIST. IT SUCKED THAT THE SISUATION FRAMED HER IN THE END, and now she was stuck in a cell below the Earth Kingdom for something that wasn't her fault, and a simple misunderstanding. However, the girl wouldn't bother arguing and instead tried to call out to someone around her.

        "Hello?" (Y/N)'s voice trailed off in a sigh near to the end, leaning her forehead against the bars of the jail, trying to see if any guard was outside as she could only spot the green light coming from the crystal's on the walls.

            Her hands and feet were trapped inside the metal chains, which meant she couldn't bend herself out of the hold she was stuck in. She tried to speak once more, louder this time, "There's been a mistake! The fires weren't my fault, and neither was the fight!" She stressed annoyed, and added on quieter to herself huffing, "I can't even firebend and it's not my fault the princes is obsessed with me."

          "Save your voice." A familiar voice answered her calls from somewhere in the prison, making her head perk up confused hearing Iroh now speaking to her, as she thought he would be with Zuko, "Earth Kingdom soldiers aren't particularly tolerant, even under the best of circumstances. And these are more definitely not the best of circumstances."

         Her (E/C) eyes widen watching Iroh reveal himself out from the shadows in his cell, his chains making a clinking sound as he did move, "Uncle Iroh." She beamed at bit greeting the familiar male, to which he smiled warmly at her hearing what she called him which reminded him of his nephew.

          "It's good to see you again, young Avatar." He greeted back in a kind tone, his head bowing a bit in respect as he still wore a smile across his mouth that made his eyes crinkle a bit, and she returned it despite where they were trapped together.

          She rattled her chains a bit feeling her wrists getting uncomfortable, and furrowed her brows wondering how he ended up in prison, "What happened? Where's Zuko?" She asked carefully, a bitterness coating her words that made Iroh sigh, "Did they capture him too?"

         "I hope not. With any luck, he's probably halfway back to his ship by now." The older male answered her through a chuckle, moving his arms up a bit as his hands were bounded together by the chains, unlike were hers were stuck to the floor.

           She huffed out a long exhale which had her messy locks fly up everywhere, and off her forehead as her bangs fell back into place, "I don't know much about you two, but I'm sure he wouldn't leave his uncle behind." She said now softly to which he smiled once more at her, "However, this is all his fault. He did start to fight with me, and ran away after he caused this mess." She deadpanned at Iroh, and he chuckled.

        "That he did, and I apologies on his behalf for what happened."

         (Y/N) shakes her head at Iroh's words, as she didn't expect an apology from any of them since she didn't blame them, but was still really annoyed at what occurred, "Anyway, what do you think will happen to us?" She questioned nervously, glancing around the cell she was trapped in.

         Just then a distance male scream was heard somewhere in the palace, causing her face to pale as they both turned towards the gruesome sound.

         Iroh flickered his eyes back to the young girl, seeing how panicked she was now, "I don't know." He told her truthfully, as he knew there was no use in lying to her, "But in my experience, the earthbenders aren't exactly kind to their fallen foes."

          She swallowed the lump in her throat at his answer, and moved her shoulders down so her neck touched her back now feeling her nerves on fire. She dearly hoped the others were safe, and prayed that they were planning on saving her soon if she couldn't get out. She didn't know how long Aang could cope without her either, as they've never been away from each other sides.

          Her mind starts to drift towards memory from many years ago, where she and Aang visited the Earth Kingdom with their master, and had met up with Bumi as he wanted to show them his skills in bending. She could still hear their carefree laughter till this day, and it left a sinking hole in her heart realising Bumi must be upset with her for being gone so long.

          "There's nothing like eartbending masonry." Uncle Iroh's wise voice talking brought her back from the memory, and she opened her eyes to watch him curiously, "No seams. That's what makes their cities a wonder. Awe-inspiring palaces, gravity-defying powers." He stops in the middle of his cell with a knowing sigh, "Impenetrable prisons."

         She deadpanned at him once more hearing the last sentence, and slumped her back against the wall behind her that best she could tiredly, "Omashu is a beautiful city, I love it even more each time I visit." Her tone was bittersweet, along with having a strained smile flashed at Iroh, "I like the parts of Omashu that aren't so depressing."

        "Hmm. Cities are like people." He hummed his reply as he began to move forward to the bars blocking him from escaping, his hands still chained and wrapped together, "They always have their dark sides."

        "Seems pretty dark on all the sides these days." She mumbled to herself with a frown, knowing she was also responsible for how bad the world has become from her absence, as she was supposed to bring everyone together in peace and harmony.

         He nodded his head in agreement, standing in the middle of his cell as he looked at the young girl with a heavy burden on her shoulders, "Yeah, what happened here happened to the world over. That's what a century of war will do."

          "And a war the Fire Nation could end." (Y/N) commented bluntly now, knowing that they wouldn't stop till she was captured and eliminated, even though the world needed her and if she wasn't alive, the nations will fall to shambles like it has already.

          Iroh hummed once more which came out lowly from the back of his throat, "If it were only that simple. My brother, the Fire Lord, sees thing through one lens, victory or defeat." He began to tell her, staring at the wall across from them which was illuminated green by the crystals, "Nothing else matters." His expression drops a bit which caught her attention, wondering what occurred in his past with his family, "Not even the loved ones lost along the way."

         She tilted her head to the side thinking for a few seconds, and scanned the older male's face spotting how his eyes were a bit glossed over and looking downwards, "Is that why Zuko's so hot to catch me?" She asked curiously, "So he can win this war for his dad? Or is there something else?"

        "Zuko's victory lies not in wining the war," He reveals to her, shaking his head a bit as he glanced back up briefly as the saddened expression was now gone, "but in winning his life back."

          "Well if that's the case..." She trailed off now smiling a bit widely, rattling her chains again as she pulled on them from either side to lean her head forward, "you could show him this isn't the way. He'll listen to you." Her face shifted into a softer version, and exhaled softly, "I mean, he does owe you that much."

         The uncle's lips perked up a bit hearing her words, before moving his gaze to the side with a fond glint in them, "On the contrary, it is I who owe him." He says through a dragged out exhale, thinking back to what had happened between them and the events leading up, "Far more than I can ever repay."

          She just stared at him silently taking in his words, and wondered what he actually meant. It seemed Zuko wasn't what he presented himself to be, and under all that cold demerara, there was something softer, more caring then what he showed her. She just needed to coax it out of him, the next time they ever met.

          After a few decent minutes over comfortable silence between them, apart from the sounds around them that traveled through the hallways, guards were now showing up outside of Iroh's cell, and were unlocking his buckles to the floor. This made (Y/N) grow anxious for his safety, and tugged on her restraints, watching him getting pulled out still in hand chains.

         "Wait- where are you taking him?!" Her question came out a bit more vicious than intended, narrowed eyes locked onto the three guards outside of her cell dealing with Iroh, who slowly shakes his head at the young girl in warning.

       "To the pit." One of the guards grunted his answer, only batting a glance her way for a few seconds, as he rolls up the chains from the ground around his arms, and made sure they were secure to transport the prisoner.

        Iroh saw the confused expression on the girls face, making him open his mouth to explain what it meant, "An Earth Kingdom labor camp for prisoners of war." He began as the chains buckled in, and he was lead outside of the open cell block, "No one who's been sent there has ever been heard from again."

         Her face dropped hearing his answer, feeling her stomach churn watching Iroh now being lead out from her view towards the exist, as she hoped the older male would be alright now since she couldn't help him. Her shoulders tensed up more when a guard turned to her, and the smirk he wore creeped her out even more.

        "You... you're not as lucky. You're going to see the king."

          And with that she was being hulled off to the King. Now she was still in chains being lead through the many, green lit hallways by the guards, sweat dropping nervously wondering what was installed for her. She didn't know what to expect, as she glanced around inside the palace hall, seeing all the ancient decorations, and the dragon statues too.

          The guards around her came to a stop, which had her almost tripping over as she was stuck in the middle but just managed to gain her footing before embarrassing herself even more. She glanced out hearing incoming footsteps when she recollected herself, and blinked rapidly seeing an older man fast asleep snoring inside a chair, that was moving by a rock under it.

        "Your Highness." One of the guards greeting in respect to the snoring King, causing the others to bow their heads in sync with the one whom spoke to greet their ruler, who only woke up hearing the sound of talking, "The prisoner you requested."

          Why does it feel like everyone is looking at me... (Y/N) screamed to herself internally as the guard pointed at her, and shuffled nervously in her spot. She bowed her head a little bit when the King groaned, and started to heave himself up from his chair, now wide away from his nap.

         "She was caught fighting, destroying property." Each thing being listed was a shot to her heart, making her grumble under her breath and make a sour face at the false information, "Menacing the people. And she's an airbender just like the other one with her."

         The King was circling around her left side slowly now, causing her to stand up straight hearing the jewellery he wore dingle with each step. When he backed off a bit, two guard stepped forward to grab each of her shoulders, and she shot a scowl at the guard for mentioning her younger brother.

          "Huh?" The King was mumbling to himself making faces in thought, as he stood in front of (Y/N) scanning her figure which had her more on edge, "Lotus root, pine bark, dried jasmine." He listed out loud, everyone becoming confused by this and he turned around to his servants, "Hmm? Lotus root, pine bark, dried jasmine, scalding hot water, steeped for two minutes! Tea?" He offered the girl lastly, as one of the servant scurried off to make what he said.

         She felt like she was going to explode from how nervous she was, and gave her best smile at the King, but it came out croaked and wonky, "A-ah, yeah- Sure!" She squeaked through an airy chuckle, moving her hands around that were still chained together.

       "And you're wrong about her."

        This surprised (Y/N) when the King said that with a friendly grin across his wrinkly face, and the guard went to protest against it, "We witnessed the bending--" The King yelled over him saying wrong, causing her to gasp sharply at the loud noise, and stand up more straighter.

        "She is not just an airbender." The King exclaimed his point across, and she suddenly felt chills creeping up along her arms realising her secret was out as the King points at her proudly, "She is the master of all four elements. The savior of the world. She is the Avatar."

          And (Y/N) was right like always, he had figured it out without even a second glance. Her heart beat picked up in speed at the indistinct whispering now occurring in the room, wanting nothing more then to let the floor swallow her up hole to escape from this nightmare.

         "And she's very, very good at making me laugh." The King added up a bit teasingly which shocked those around him, as her face turned into a gaping fish look causing him to bellow out in laughter, and ends up snorting after the laughter. Now it all made sense to her hearing that sound.

          Her eyes go wide in surprise, a wide, beaming grin spreading across her mouth realising who was now in front of her, "Bumi?!" She gasped out happily, wanting to move forward to tackle him in a bear hug, but knew she couldn't at least not right now.

        "Hello, my dear (Y/N)." He greeted back just as enthusiastic as her, raising his hand to wave her a little bit as she giggled amused at the snort that followed, and shakes her head at his usual ways that haven't changed from when they were kids.

         "It's good to see you, Bumi!" She chirped now instantly relaxing at the familiar presence, but still felt uneased by the hands on her shoulders. She paused mid thought also realising something, and raised her eyebrows up at the elder man, "Uhm, not to be rude or anything- How are you still alive?"

         Bumi shrugged his shoulder with no care in the world, brushing off his robes that he wore around his figure, "Uh, clean living, the right diet, ooh and luck." He told her causally, pondering as he looked up above him, "Hard to say if it's good or back luck. But more importantly, how are you still alive? Is Aang here too I suppose? And how are you still a teenager?"

          Her (E/C) eyes followed the servant carrying the small table of tea, before glancing back to Bumi with a sheepish expression, "Aang's here with me somewhere, and it's a long story." She admitted laughing nervously, "Partially my fault too."

          He hummed interested hearing her answer, and he spotted the tea now arriving beside him, "Ooh!" He chuckles in joy reaching forward to gently grab the cup, raising it up in a cheers to her and goes to take a sip from it. And when he did, he instantly spat the substance back out, "Pine bark?!"

        Bumi threw the cup onto the floor making it smash into pieces, and (Y/N) gapes at him as he goes to scold the servant, "What idiot told you to put pine bark in it?" He grumbles waving his hand in the air, making the servant bow his head and back off away from him back towards the kitchen.

        "Uhh... you did Umi..." She spoke nervously through her teeth, using his nickname that she gave him all those years ago to help the situation, as suddenly the air in the room became even more tenser, and everyone looked mortified at the girl.

        The King turned back to her with a strict expression causing her face to pale even more then it already was, as he was humming annoyed now, "Throw her...." He trailed off for dramatic effect, before a wide smile appeared instead, and giggles like an idiot, "...a feast."

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          HAVING A MASSIVE FEAST IN THE ROYAL DINNING ROOM WASN'T WHAT SHE EXPECTED, BUT SHE ALSO WASN'T COMPLANNING ABOUT THE FREE FOOD. The room was filled with nothing but noise, everyone talking at the long table where many delicious looking foods were placed onto it for the taking. It surprised her how many people were invited, but didn't really mind either.

         "For your meal, I offer you two choices." Bumi spoke up to the girl down on the other end of the table, as two servants placed down dishes covered by something directly beside where she sat, "Short ribs from Kangaroo Island. They practically jump into your mouth!"

         (Y/N) grimaced a bit at the food reveal seeing the overly cooked meat, and strained a smile when everyone laughed with Bumi at his lame joke. She did like eating meat and it was her favourite food, but she also knew her kind were vegetations so she couldn't disrespect that either.

         "And the other, seaweed stew." Bumi offers her as the other dish was lifted up from its hotbox, and she was instantly humming at the smell of it, "Heard it really 'kelps' with your complexion." He made another pun, and everyone in the room laughed with his cackling one, "I'm good. That was a good one."

         She cleared her throat the best she could over the loud laughter from them, and flashed another awkward smile at Bumi, "They both look great, but I'll take the stew please." She calmy spoke despite how uncomfortable she was, as the King hummed at her confused, "....I don't eat meat."

        "That's right. You don't." He remembered talking to himself a bit, as the servant placed down the stew onto her plate in front of her, and he narrowed his eyes on her a bit, "Good choice."

         She paused mid movement reaching for the bowl hearing his words, her hands no longer chained as she furrowed her brows confused, "Wait. Was this a test?" She asked him baffled, placing down the spoon she had in her hand.

         "What? A test?" Bumi acted a bit innocent as he repeated her statement, shaking his head side to side and chuckles, well more like snorts and cackles at her, "No. More like a... a game." He places his chin in his palm, and stared at her more seriously now, "You always liked games, didn't you? So, frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years, huh? That must of been... nice."

          She sat up straight in the comfortable chair at that claim, narrowing her eyes back down on her old friend who sounded judgmental, and tried to keep her emotions in check, "Far from it. I dragged Aang and Appa along with me inside, it's my fault they experienced that nightmare too."

        "Ah, come on. How bad could it have been, huh?" He waved a hand around in the air, eating a piece of lettuce in his other hand as his tone was very condescending, "The world is on fire, people are dying. And you.... you got to sleep through it all."

         (Y/N) could tell Bumi was hurting from what happened, and how she left him, and everyone else alone. She didn't blame him for this, but still couldn't help her rage building up now, "All the airbenders were wiped out." She snapped a bit, before her voice dropped into a shaky one, "And I wasn't there to help any of them. Including my master, my father."

         "Oh, those monks were always a bit flighty. Am I right?" Bumi makes a worser joke now, looking to the people gathered at the table who laughed in agreement, as he copied them flying in the air with his hands.

          She clenched her jaw at this trying her best to keep calm, wishing she could feel Sokka's presence to calm her down, "It was a tragedy, Bumi." She scowled at his foolish ways, tapping her finger against the green table cloth, "And it might happen again, which is why I need to get to the Northern Water Tribe as soon as possible, which is why you need to let me go. So I can save the waterbenders."

        The King only yawed into the lettuce he had in his hand, like he had no care in the world nor listened to what she said, "'Lettuce' leave." He made a pun once more, getting up from his seat as the rest of his servants followed, "Nah, da, da, da." He motioned for them to stay seated, and started to walk on out which set the girl off.

         "Bumi! This is important." She now stood up from her chair too, raising her voice a bit at the male who's back was turned to her, and furrowed her eyebrows together softly, "I know why you're acting like this, but don't you care?"

          He inhaled sharply now turning his head to somewhat glare at her, "Care?" He repeated in an aggressive tone, throwing the piece of lettuce on the ground as he makes he way towards the girl in a hobble, "You dare tell me I should care? Have you been fighting the same fight for a century? Have you watched your whole world burn down around you? Hmm?"

         She stayed silent listening to his rant that she was sure was holding back for many years, and stared at him softly as he stopped in front of her. She would take on his pain, his words and whatever else he would throw at her, because she knew this was coming. She deserved it after leaving her best friend and the world for so long.

          "Let me tell you something, Avatar. You may be a hundred years old, but you haven't lived for a hundred years," His voice dropped into a sneering whisper, getting closer to her with each step, "especially not these hundred years."

          "You can't make me believe you've lost hope." She murmured to him softly, a glint in her eyes that was more sad then anything as she stares at what was once her best friend, someone whom she knew better then anyone other then Aang, "Not you, Umi."

         "Oh really?" He drawled out wanting to challenge his once best friend, harsh eyes looking away from her to the crowd around them at the table, "Challenge accepted." He announced making her face drop hearing it, knowing it couldn't be a good thing.

           Now Bumi was leading (Y/N) through his palace hallways away from everyone else, and it was just the two of them trailing through the many paths. She didn't know where they were going, but decided to keep quiet and follow along her old best friend, still on edge from before's declare.

        "So you wanna go north." He started to talk leading her around a corner, the hallway being lit up by the green lanterns hanging off the walls every few meters apart, "North is...." He laughs mid sentence, "...not good. There's fire all over the north."

          She twirls the bracelet around her wrist to control her anxiety, and sighs heavily through her nose, "I don't have a choice really." She admitted remembering what a certain previous Avatar told her, "It's where I need to go."

         "A word of advice. The direct path is not always the best path."

        She hummed in thought at his words not realising Bumi had stopped, as she continued to walk forward not spotting what was underneath her boots, "You mean I should take the route that doesn't?" She wondered out loud, going to step forward but was met with something stopping her from doing so.

         Green crystals were now trapping her feet on the floor, as they crept up along her legs and she panicked a bit feeling she couldn't move an inch. Bumi watched her struggling to break free, and chuckled amused, "It means you should be careful where you step."

          He then grunts moving his hand up to eartbend a rock wall between them, and blocks her off from escaping down where his end was. Her wide eyes glances up from the substance she was stuck in, and gasped seeing a lot along the pathway up ahead, "Bumi, what is this?!"

         Getting no response like she expected, her breathing picked up now getting scared about the crystals completely trapping her, which reminder her of the isolation she had for most of her life. Quickly acting, she lifted her arms up to send a massive gust of airbending to break the crystal trapping her, and smashed it into pieces everywhere.

          Her chest was moving up and down fast from how hard she was breathing, keeping her arms up in guard as she looked at the mess the crystals created. She thought she was in the clear, until many more green crystal sprouted up from the floor and completely covered her entire body.

         (Y/N) yelped startled as she was pushed back a bit, hitting the back of her head against the crystal surrounding her as she exclaimed in pain at that hit. She banged her palms onto the glass like creation, and saw how it covered the entire hallway now. She seriously wondered what Bumi's end game was with this.

         Taking a deep breath through her nose, she threw her arms down with a yell as she made all the crystals break off of her into tiny little pieces once more. In result of the massive use of her bending, she ended up crashing into the floor in the chaos and landed onto her side harshly, all the crystals scattered around her.

         She grunts softly trying to roll herself onto her other side, and placed her left palm onto the floor so she could glare up at Bumi through her messy locks, "Bumi, c'mon. What are you trying to prove?" She grunted through her clenched teeth, no longer trying to keep her cool self.

         "Prove? Eh." He made a disgusted sound, followed by his face scrunching up, "Maybe I'm trying to show you there are no easy journeys for the Avatar." He speaks to her like he was talking to a child, as she groans in pain trying to stand up, "Maybe I just wanted to play a game like we did back in the old days. And maybe I just wanted a bite of rock candy."

         He holds up a piece of the food he talked about, cackling like a mad man as she gaped at him shocked, and watched as he turned his back to her to continue walking down the hallway, eating the candy in his hand.

         ❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 4638
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
this chap is actually really long so i had to split it into two parts so the next one might not be as long or it could be longer im not sure yet lmao 😭i would of kept in one chap but it was reaching over the limit of words i like to write for one chap and i edit late a night so it wouldn't be great for me to edit so much that late cause i know i'd miss spelling mistakes AHAHHA

yeahhh no sokka scenes this chap sadly but those are coming up next i promiseee but at least there were some bonding scenes between y/n and iroh which will be very important later on in this story since zuko is the other love interest and it is a poly too with sokka so 🌝

anywaysss don't be a silent/ghost reader lovelies, i enjoy seeing your comments and it helps me stay motivated <33