Title: Lost In Delirium

Chapter 1: Comfortable Prisoner

Azula smiled sadistically at the broken girl before her. Zuko, to her left froze when he saw who the soldiers had captured. Both Mai and Ty Lee had the same expressions. Fancy that, the ever powerful Earth Bender was captured, her condition leaving much to be desired. The Fire Nation Prince couldn't believe it and he stared with a mixture of shock and horror at her beaten body.

Her whole body was bloody and dirty. Her clothes were torn and her small form hung limply in the two guards' arms. This was a very different image to the girl they all knew four years ago. She was no longer that spunky, feisty girl but someone totally defeated and hurt. He could see the dullness her eyes had taken on. No longer the blind yet bright, minted orbs she usually possessed.

The island they were on, was where the army was being assembled. Azula had refused to take her brother back to her father, insisting that he not know of Zuko's whereabouts and ordering him to serve by her side. She commanded her own army and for that, Lord Ozai had built up a fortress for her on the Island of Kali which stood as a barrier between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, giving her much access to both nations which she would soon rule over.

Her eyes glinted darkly at the Earth Bender who had grown little since they last saw each other at the battle during the Eclipse. She was a little taller, no doubt reaching her maximum height and her green eyes were heavy lidded, almost closed with fatigue and exhaustion. In the princess' eyes, it was a beautiful sight. Absolutely lovely to see such pain and defeat.

"Well, well, well. It seems that Toph Bei Phong, the Blind Bandit has finally fallen. And I thought you would have been one of the last." Azula's voice was mocking and it cut like a knife through the thin barrier that Toph had tried to reconstruct around her mind.

The girl didn't say anything, her faint breathing seemed to grow fainter. "What's wrong, little one? Fire burnt your tongue?"

"Show some respect!" One of the guards shook her roughly and a faint whimper escaped her lips. Azula almost didn't hear it.

"Hm, don't worry Major Ling, she's just a little tired." The Fire Princess stepped forward and placed a finger under Toph's chin, forcing her face up, "It's a good thing you can't see; this place would reduce you to tears." She stepped back, looking at her two friends. "Mai, Ty Lee, see that she gets cleaned up. And don't forget the Depression Chain, we can't have our little Earth Bender causing havoc on my new fortress can we?"

The girls nodded and Zuko watched as Toph was carried away with them. "What do you plan on doing with her, sister?" Although he had a feeling he already knew the answer but hoped it was anything but.

The girl smirked. "Bait of course. She apparently saved her friends before our soldiers could capture them at the Magnite Caves. She was taken instead. There was no way she could have escaped but I'll say that she did a lot of damage to that group."

The prince nodded and kept silent. That was all he could do around her, all he wanted to do. By doing this, he'd learned more about her and her ways. He knew her character as well as keeping his own quiet. He cast one last look at the room that the blind girl disappeared through before nodding to his sister and leaving.

--

Everything around her felt fuzzy. She couldn't seem to feel anything. Her head was heavy and her body seemed to float. Her hands were aware of a smooth surface and she could feel the earth in it. It was ceramic. A bathtub. But as she tried to bend it, a sharp pain shot up through her body and she groaned in pain.

"Don't bother, the chain around your neck stops you from bending." Came a dry voice, one that she remembered all too well. It was Mai. That cold, heartless bitch, Toph recalled with a sense of anger.

She soon began to regain feeling and she was aware of warmth and steam. Her whole body was soaked in warm water and she let out a deep sigh. She flicked her fingers in the liquid and felt the sting of it in her cuts. Then she remembered everything. Being ambushed in the caves, sending her friends below the earth and fighting with the soldiers until everything went blank.

She gasped, sitting up suddenly, her eyes wide and water cascading down her head and upper body. But as she did so, her muscles resisted and ached. "Ow." Hissing in pain, she leaned back down and concentrated. She was in a room with tiled walls and floor. There were two women including Mai and the other one she immediately recognized as Ty Lee.

It must have been the wash room. She heard the almost sympathetic voice of Ty Lee say close to her right, "Sigh, you'd best not move for the while. You'll only hurt yourself more."

"What am I doing here?" She asked, as roughly as she could.

Mai rolled her eyes and told her boredly, "Apparently Azula's gone soft on you. She doesn't see any reason to kill you because of the chain. But I personally think she's got something else in store for you."

"You're done, come out and get your clothes on." Ty Lee stepped forward, there seemed to be something very soft and slippery in her hands.

Toph sunk deeper into the scented water. "No. I can dress myself."

"Don't make me come in and get y-"

"Just try it circus freak." Her voice was weak but deadly and she could almost see the look of annoyance on the girl's face.

With two quick movements from Ty Lee, Toph felt her body go limp as she was picked up, out of the water by a newcomer. "Let go of me! Don't touch me you pigs!" She screamed, trying her best to move her arms or legs at least but she couldn't feel anything.

"Relax, Hothead, it's nothing we haven't seen before." Came Mai's bored tone through the screaming and the shouting.

Once the girl was forced unceremoniously into her new clothes, her feeling was given back and she fell loftily onto the floor. "What did you do to me?" She snarled, glaring at Ty Lee. The girl merely shrugged and said bubbly,

"Nothing special, but there's more where that came from if you don't behave. And I normally don't like hurting people unless I really have to."

The taller girl stood up from her chair and picked the captive up by her arm, dragging her out of the steamy room and into the cooler air. "C'mon, I'll take you to your new room which you'll either find a great comfort or a total prison. Your choice."

Toph had barely enough strength to walk so she held back and just followed, aware of Ty Lee's presence all the while. They were her enemies. It was no use trying to be kind. It wouldn't work on her.

--

"Uncle, she's here." Came the whispered voice of Zuko, through the tiny peephole.

He heard a shuffling until he his uncle's genuinely interested voice was clear. "Who?"

The scarred boy checked for anyone along the deserted hallway and said quietly, "Your friend, the one who stays with the Avatar. The Earth Bender."

There was a short silence. "Toph. Oh dear. I was always worried for that one. One so kind and caring deserves nothing like the treatment Azula is going to give her."

Zuko sighed, closing his eyes and leaning against the door. He knew the fondness his uncle had for the girl and he deserved to know about her. Zuko didn't care much for her but his uncle did. He felt guilty. He had abandoned life with his uncle for life with his sister who didn't give two flames about him.

"What would you have me do?" He asked, his tone willing and strong.

Iroh smiled sadly at his nephew. The guilt that burdened him still hadn't left, and wouldn't leave unless someone got through to him. Placing his hand over his heart, he told the young boy, "Watch over her. Don't let Azula hurt her. If she does, tend to her. She may seem strong, but even the strongest rock can crumble and fall when beaten over the edge."

Zuko nodded, his long hair having grown back and into its original style slicing the air as he heard movement. "I have to go. I'll bring you some food later." After a moment, he added, "And some tea."

A deep satisfied laugh erupted. "You do that, and make it ginseng, I have a feeling my body needs some cleansing."

And the boy was off.

--

"Ouch! I may be weak but I'm not numb!" Came the annoyed voice of the Earth Bender as her hair was brushed and pulled by the servant woman who just looked at her without caring.

"Maybe this is Azula's new form of torture. Head mutilation by hairbrush." Sarcasm dripped heavily from Mai's husky voice. Ty Lee giggled and watched on.

Toph was at a loss here. She was supposed to be a captive. But a room had been set up for her, as well as clothes and servants. As if her questions were about to be answered, the door was opened and the guards called out clearly, "Princess Azula."

The servants stood and bowed and were ushered to leave. The Princess nodded towards her friends and they left without a word. And it was now just her, and the woman who put her here. The room was silent, the only sound being the breathing from both girls and the dripping of water from Toph's hair.

"I see you're cleaned up. You'll probably want to know why you're here in a more...desirable state. The answer's simple; I want a fair fight in the end when your friends come after you. It'll be no fun at all if they arrive to save you and you're too weak and rotten. But there's another reason too, my father knows of your capture. He wants to see you...unharmed unfortunately. I don't know when he'll be here, probably within the next month or so." Azula was quick and to the point and Toph stood there in silence, her hands clenched and her head aching.

She didn't want to be here, at least give her some pride. But she thought to herself, 'It's better than rotting and not being able to help. I'll just have to do my best and find out as much of this place as possible.'

The smaller girl unclenched her fists and tilted her chin up defiantly. "It seems I'm going to be here for a while, but I will make one thing clear; I will get out of here. Way before you or anyone of your soldiers realise and when I come back to kill you, you'll be sorry."

Azula smirked, and though Toph couldn't see it, she felt it and she knew it. "We'll see little one. But in the meantime, you'd better rest and get those wounds cleared first. I don't fancy fighting scarred people." Her voice was thick with spite and at that moment, Toph knew who she was talking about, Zuko. She had felt his presence earlier and knew he was still with his sister. The idiot.

"Goodnight, little one. Eat, sleep, get ready to die within the next few months. And you can wonder around my fortress if you so wish, every place, except my room, is welcome for you to explore. You won't find any escape routes that easily." She walked out, leaving the blind girl seething and trembling with anger.

As soon as the door was closed, she ran to where the bed was, knelt beside it on the floor and screamed loudly into the pillow, burying her head in the soft cotton. She was panting by the time she'd finished and her whole form just gave way. She didn't even notice Mai and Ty Lee, watching her from the door.

"She's tired isn't she? I wish she'd just stop being so stubborn." the sweeter one of the two said, cocking her head to the side and looking at the girl sympathetically.

Mai just raised a brow and stated, "Since when did you take a liking to that thing?"

The brown haired girl looked up at her friend and her lips turned upward slightly. "She's interesting. I mean, I know we'll end up killing her, but she could try and be civil for now. We are aren't we?"

The girl had a fair point and Mai turned to look at the sleeping form of the girl with green unseeing eyes. "Hm. We'll try tomorrow morning. You're tired. Go to bed."

In truth, they were both tired, it had been a long day and this was the only one time really that Mai had shown some kindness in a while and she was glad no one was here to see it except for Ty Lee. She wasn't sure of Azula's plans but whatever they were, they could wait and as they both turned to leave, the gold eyed girl turned to look back at the sleeping girl, allowing a small ounce of sympathy into her features before she left.

She was so keen on getting rest that she didn't notice the door open and close again behind her. Zuko stepped into the dark room all clad in black. He put out all the fires so that only the light from the moon streamed in. He crouched down next to the sleeping form and lifted her weightless body onto the bed with ease.

"I'm doing this for Iroh. Not you." He whispered haughtily before sitting in the shadows and watching her.

He didn't realise she was awake until she turned over, her green eyes wide in the silvery light of the moon, unshed tears threatening to spill. Or perhaps it was just a trick of the light. Toph wouldn't cry, of that much he knew.

"Get out of here," she whispered ghostly, her fingers trembling as she tried to move them. But they hurt. A wry smirk made its way onto the boy's lips as he watched her pathetic attempt at bravado.

"I don't think so."

"Where is Iroh?" she interrupted, more forcefully, her body curling into a ball.

His mouth turned down at the corners. "Maybe you should be more worried about yourself than him. You're going to die soon."

The dry chuckle that sprung from her lips made him raise a brow in intrigue. "So everyone keeps saying. Hasn't happened yet, so until then…"

Zuko found himself unable to say anything. He despised her on principle. From her silver tongue to her brashness and confidence that bordered on stupidity. She was strong, that much was certain. But she was breaking. And she wasn't going to last very long if she kept this up. Maybe it was better that way. Let her die without much torture. It would be more humane on Azula's part. That woman was as sadistic as they came.

Then again…

He watched her 'watch' him. She was tense, and in his mind he thought how that wasn't going to help with her recovery. Not that he cared. Iroh said nothing about helping her escape, only making sure she didn't die a horrible death. He could try feeding her poison, it would be painless and quick and she wouldn't know what hit her. But that would bring suspicion upon himself.

Well, his whole mission was half-assed anyway. Just make sure she didn't suffer and Iroh would be fine. But deep in the boy's mind, he knew Iroh secretly wanted him to help her escape. He hated that his uncle had such expectations of him. He would betray his own Nation a million times over and still the old fool wouldn't be content.

Her hoarse voice broke him out of his musings.

"Having an internal conflict there?" There was a trace of sarcasm in her tone and it annoyed him further. Her next words made him had to refrain from spitting out a spiteful comment. "It's a little late to regret joining your psycho sister, Prince. I hope you live a long life knowing how you could have done the right thing but chose stupidity instead."

"Shut up, Earth Bender," he spat, standing up and scowling over her pathetic form. She was as good as gone. "You're lucky I don't kill you here."

Toph snorted. "No," she said slyly, "I'm lucky that Azula and your father want me alive."

He smirked. "So you're already heeding to their wishes."

"Not a chance. I'll get out of here. And when I do, I'll make sure you and your screwed up family are sent to the seventh level of hell." The lightness in her tone unnerved him somewhat. How could someone who was as battered as herself still have a spine of steel?

He smiled darkly and he knew she could feel the temperature drop. She tensed, her face becoming guarded as she waited for him to speak.

"I'll just have to melt that spine of steel. And when I do," he revelled in feeling her cringe and draw back in fear, "you'll see just how painful life can be." He sat back in his seat, watching as she turned away from him, shivering despite the blanket he placed over her earlier.

Screw Iroh and his will to do good.

Screw Azula and wanting her alive and healthy.

He was going to break her. Whatever it took, he was going to hurt her. Then maybe she'd see what sort of life he had lived. What sort of pain he had felt.

He'd show her what true pain felt like.

A/N: Yes, I'm rewriting. This will be a million times better than the original. Ugh, I'm so glad I decided to do this. Hopefully all chapters will be rewritten and posted by middle of November. And then I just have to finish it…and start my new Toko fic :)

Please review!

Peace out!
Rex