Hi there and thanks for deciding to read my story! I first wrote this back in 2012 and published it on DeviantART (under the title Aftermath). Now, I want to finish what I started, making changes to the original as I go. Enjoy!

It was dark. The only source of light coming from the faint glow of a lamp hidden from view, heavy steps echoing off the dank walls. The girl watched silently in the corner of her cell, the light shining across her dark face, as the guards did their rounds. A few moments passed and the hall was quiet once more. Lying still on the cold stone floor, she waiting a couple more minutes before letting the tension leave her body.

Taking a deep breath, the young girl pulled herself up, wincing as her muscles fought against her. Staring blankly past the bars of her prison, she relished the calm silence around her. No shouting. No clamor of armor. None of the harassment. As the time passed, she shifted her gaze down to her battered body. The multicolored bruises on her wrists; knife marks, new and old, marred her once smooth skin. Checking herself over, she found new cuts with no recollection of how they got there.

"Hmph, must've blacked-out again." She muttered and smirked, "I'm sure she enjoyed that..."

Slowly, the girl twirled her arm in the air. Little droplets formed around her, growing bigger quickly thanks to the humidity of the room. Once she had enough, the cell lit up in a dazzling blue light as the waterbender quickly healed as many of the wounds as she could.

Moving from one cut to the other, she bit her lip to keep herself quiet as they stitched themselves back together. The last thing she wanted was a guard to catch her. They don't take it well when the 'filthy savage' uses her forbidden power. She made that mistake not long after being captured. Because of the effect healing has on the water, a guard noticed and made sure the waterbender wouldn't do it again. Weeks went by before she dared to try again.

Wounds partially healed, the sound of metal shoes began to echoed into her cell. Quickly, the bender pulled the water from her arm and drank it. There was a saltiness to it, not horrible, but chances were it would be days before she could drink again.

The battered girl struggled to stand, gripping the wall to stabilize herself as the outline of Fire Nation soldiers appeared in the doorway. Hatred filled her when the light lit their skullmasks—that blank stare, the eyes nothing more than a black pit. After three months of looking into those eyes, with nothing looking back, it was very unnerving.

As hard as she tried, the waterbender did her best to look strong in their presence. That image faulting when her knees buckled underneath her, swaying for a couple of seconds before the guard grabbed her thin arm, half dragging her out

"That time is it?" she asked, with no reply.

They proceeded to put iron cuffs on her. Leading the way out, she followed the twists and turns of the hall she had taken so many times in her three months there, until they reached their destination. Before them were a twin set of iron door, plainly decorated. Two more soldiers stood guard at the entrance. As the party moved forward, the soldiers opened the doors.

It took the bender a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. For the size of the room, there were only four torches, one in each corner; making it very hard to see anything. Soon, she was standing between the familiar pillars. The ones that restrained the girl to the pleasure of her tormentor. Secured to the chains that hung from them, the firebenders pulled, raising the small form until her feet were a couple of inches off the ground. And there they left her.

"When can I expect my visitor?" she asked.

Like lightning, the taller of the two soldiers spun around; flames surrounding his fist.

"AHHH!" the young bender cried out.

Turning her head away, she strained against her binds as the fire burned her side. Bellowing laughter echoed through the room as the firebender left, followed by a metallic boom of the iron doors closing. Despite the noise of the heavy doors, the firebender's taunting laugh echoed in her head. She panted at the pain coursing through her body. The smell of burning flesh and cotton filled her lungs.

A small flash caught her eye. Taking deep breaths, the injured girl focused on the far side of the room. She could heard the sound of chains and grunting.

"W-who's...there..?" she called out.

Seconds passed. Then suddenly, a small orb of fire appeared, revealing the figure of a man. He seemed to be in a similar predicament as her, his arms chained and collared.

"Hello...!" she panted, cringing at the fresh wound.

The man lifted his head and looked in her direction. In the glow of the flames, she saw that he was kneeling, his toned body flexing against the chains. Searching his face, golden eyes sparkled in the light of the fire; his skin was like porcelain...but the left side of his face was marred by an old injury—

"ZUKO!?"

Hearing his name, he looked closer at the girl. Her long dark hair was a tangled messy, as if it hadn't been washed in a very long time. Her chocolate skin covered in scars, leaving faint marks behind. The clothes she wore were dirty and in ruins, but appeared to have been blue at one time.

Ocean blue eyes looked into his golden ones and they lit up in recognition, "Katara, is that you?"

All thoughts of the pain left her at the sight of a friendly face. She smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Yeah, it's me. Wha-what are you doing here?" She paused, "I...I thought you were dead..."

Zuko stared at the waterbender. He couldn't believe that he was talking to her, it's been so long since he's talked to someone. He was no longer alone. He was about to speak when the sound of light footsteps echoed from behind him.

"Well, well...I see that my two favorite prisoners are getting along."

There was a quick movement―a crack of lightning―a powerful bright light hit the chains that held Zuko; causing his body to tense up, fighting back a scream. Laughter once more filled the room as his torturer stepped into the light.

"Now, let the fun begin."

Thanks for reading til the end! I hope you enjoyed it and come back, I'm in the middle of reviewing my other chapters and then will start writing the rest. Feedback is welcomed, it's been years since I had any