Zuko woke up slowly as he saw he was in a dark room, he could feel the ground under him was dirt, dry, defiantly felt like a smaller room, it was so quiet. He tried sitting up but yelp when he felt his wrist yanked back by some kind of bind, chains. He shuffled to sit up instead and pressed his back to the wall, it seemed like they were underground.

"Azula?" He whispered not knowing if she was with him.

"Zuko? Where are you?" He let out a breath of relief.

"I'm here," he told her.

"What happened?" She asked as he could hear her getting up.

"You tell me, I blacked out," he huffed leaning his head back.

"Hama is a water bender," she gulped a little looking down.

"A southern water bender, the southern raiders," he sighed remembering. She most likely hated them for killing her people... like every nation in the world.

Azula lit a flame at the end of her foot to be able to see in the room.

Azula saw him as he had a bruise on the side of his face but they otherwise seemed unharmed.
They were obviously underground now seeing around them, with metal behind them both holding their steel chains.

They heard a metal door open and the fire went out when the door opened to reveal Hama with a torch.

"Good your awake," Hama glared down at both of them setting the torch in a holster in the wall.

"Let us go! We never harmed you!" Zuko yelled at her.

"Not you, but your people put me in a prison to rot! You deserve the same as a prince and princess you should know you take the responsibility of your people," she hissed and slid a bowl of water to each of them.

"If you know who we are then you know troops will come get us, assassins will come for you," Azula snapped at Hama who seemed unfazed.

"Your not wanted in the fire nation, no one is coming for you, you belong no where," Hama bent down next to her. Azula sneered up at her but Zuko roared fire at the old woman.

Only for her to make him scream in pain when she bended the blood in his body. Azula screamed at her to stop as Zuko was forced still until Hama let go of his body.

"I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have the fire lords children's life in my hands, I'm going to make sure this lasts me a very long time," she smiled cruelly at them.

"And if I die, there's no way you will ever leave, no one knows where you are, you'll die down here cold and starving, going straight to hell as every fire nation civilian should," hama grabbed zukos chin to make him look at her.

"No nation is innocent nor justified by its violence," Zuko said calmly ignoring the pain of her nails digging into his skin.

"That's a warning for both of you, don't try anything again," Hama slapped Azula across the face then walked out.

"Bitch!" Zuko roared with fire following as it hit the steal door when it closed.

Azula glared weakly as she struggled against the binding cuffs as she and her brother where left alone with the torch to burn for only a few hours.

"We're going to be okay, we're going to get through this together Zula," Zuko looked at her with guilt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I can't help," he whispered.

——

They didn't know how long it was when hama came back now and then, there was no time, no day, no night.

Hama would come and give them food but they always tried to fight. Zuko once broke free but now his arm is broken and still chained to the wall.

Azulas lip trembled as she watched hama leave as Zuko was on his side panting in pain, groaning every time he moved. Tears started to run down her face as Hama made eye contact with her as she left.

"I hope someone kills you! I'll see you in hell!" Azula shrieked in rage as the door was locked.

"I'm going to kill her myself that son of a bitch! I'll rip her fucking spine and shove it down her throat!"

Zuko laughed slightly at the threat not bothering to sit up, there was no point. He couldn't tell how back the break was but he knew it hurt now, throbbing behind his back as his whole arm was burning.

"I thought I softened you up to much to make threats again, why do I miss it?" Zuko rasped as he wasn't getting water daily, it was their punishment.

"Can you move your fingers?" Azula asked concerned.

"Yea can't you see them? I'm wiggling them," Zuko said simply but hissed when he actually tried.

"Your so dumb,"

"I can't feel my fingers..." he mumbled.

"Spirits she's going to cut your arm off," Azula closed her eyes but she sniffled a little shaking her head.

She never felt this way before. And Azula hated it. She hated fear.

"Ahh!" She screamed with blue fire thrashing her body back against the wall.

"We're going to die down here!" She sobbed as Zuko watched her.

"Sorry," he sighed again.

"Why?" Azula sniffled as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"It's my fault we're here, I should've just gone with you back to the palace, instead of running from a homicidal dictator of a father," he pursed his lips shaking his head.

"Well if it makes your dumb ass feel better I haven't actually felt happiness since we've been on the road," she rubbed her face on her shoulder to get rid of the wetness on her face.

"Really? You like spending time with me?" Zuko asked surprised.

"Shut up I'm just as surprised as you are," she laughed but she still wanted to cry, her voice was shaking.

"Zuzu I'm scared," Azula whimpered.

"Zuzu!" A five year old girl screamed running into her brothers bedroom during a thunderstorm and ducked when the thunder raddled the windows.

"Zula?" The seven years old sat up in his bed seeing her crouched in a ball, he slipped out of bed and ran over to her.

"It's just thunder, thunder can't hurt you when the bee bee has you," Zuko helped her off the ground and they crawled back on the bed. He wrapped his blankie around her as it covered her head.

"It's raining really loud," azula whimpered.

"What book do you want?" Zuko got out of bed again and went to the book shelf in his room.

"Do you have the story of the painted lady?" She asked curiously.

"Right here!" Zuko held the book high like it was a prize before running back and jumping on the bed.

"Snuggle?" He opened his arms for his baby sister.

"Zuzu I'm scared," Azula sniffled scooting next to him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"You can sleep here tonight, I don't mind," Zuko smiled down at her.

"Thank you.. can you read?" She asked snuggling against him.

"Yep! Mom taught me all the hard words now, I'm super good at reading," he beamed proudly.

"Yay you don't have to sound them out anymore!" Azula gasped now excited.