The Girl Who Could Do It All

Fuck off Jerry.

Isa POV

The Dai Li agent leads me into the ship, and down towards the cells. Iroh fallows behind me with his guard, and I try to say something when my vision goes blurry, and I feel my feet give out. I fall face first into the metal floor, my blood pooling around me.

"Isa!" I hear Irohs call like a buzz in my ear before I pass out.

"Ugh" I groan, slowly opening my eyes. I look around the cell I am in, and everything comes back. I start shaking violently, tears brimming my eyes as I remember Aangs death. His fall plays in my head over and over and I place a right hand over my hand, my fingers digging into my skin as I try to silence my sobs. I hear someone approaching my cell and I try to stop crying, stray tears still falling down my face as I get up from the metal slab I was laying on, using the wall for support at I stand up, noticing how there are bandages all over my body.

The door opens and I make eye contact with Zuko. My eyes widen and he looks at me with pity, and possibly regret.

"I didn't know you were awake" he mumbles and I look down at the metal floor, thoughts and feelings swirling in my head "how are you feeling?" He asks and I close my eyes, my hair covering my face as I start crying again. Zuko walks up to me and I put my arm out in warning with a wince, not wanting him to get close. I shake my head, my eyes shut so tight that I can see colours dancing in the dark void "Isa..." I hear Zuko sigh and I open my eyes, looking up at him.

"I-" I try to speak but there is a block on my throat and everything hurts "it hurts so much" I sob, falling to my knees. I hadn't even realised how much Aang had meant to me. How much his kind eyes and soft smiles impacted me. How much I would miss his lighthearted jokes. Zuko kneels next to me. Unsure of whether he can hug me or not and I stay close to the wall.

"I'm sorry" he says and I shake my head, sorry won't bring him back "I'm sorry" he tries again "for standing and watching as Azula... killed him. It wasn't my intention. I didn't want a child dead Isa" he tries to explain, to place the blame elsewhere. Somewhere in the bottom of my heart I had already forgiven him, somewhere deep where my raw emotions lay I wish I could hug him and say it's fine. I'm fine. But this isn't fine. And I'm not fine.

"Just go away Zuko" I beg in between sobs and he sighs, standing up and leaving the cell, shutting the door behind him.

The tears didn't stop. I either sob or sleep. I sometimes feel Zuko standing outside my cell, possibly regretting every life decision that has led up to this. Or maybe he's just sad. I don't know. All I know is that I'm so confused about everything. Do I hate him? Does he deserve forgiveness?

I know the feeling of longing. Of sitting in a room waiting to be noticed, praised, loved. The feeling of being held. A person you look up to so much looking at you like you mean something.

I feel Zuko walk down the stairs and I sigh, sitting up in the corner of the room that I had stuffed myself in. Zuko steps into the room, a frown etched onto his handsome face.

"Every time you walk in here I debate whether I should kill you or not" I tilt my head looking at him. His frown deepens and he takes a seat on the edge of the slab of metal that is supposed to be the bed.

"So why don't you kill me?" Zuko asks, sounding as hopeless and tired as he looks. We continue looking at each other, our gaze not wavering.

"I'm not sure to be honest" I confess "I've been sitting here and thinking, thoughts running over an over in my head. Yet nothing makes sense"

"Do you... do you think you'll be able to forgive me?" Zuko asks getting a small glint in his eyes and I chuckle darkly.

"I hoped you would be better then this Zuko" I evade the question "you know, when I was yelling at you about your dad before you ran out and freed Appa, I had confessed to Iroh that I would do anything to get my father to love me" Zukos face painfully twists at the mention of Iroh "and yet I am sitting here, in front of you, judging you for something I never had the guts to do. Pleasing my father" I shake my head "such a wild concept"