𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 | zuko

11: BURNS

I hadn't seen guards in Fire Nation uniforms for a week.  I was glad to not see them, because they had made me afraid.  Afraid the war was never going to end, and that Ba Sing Se would be under the Fire Nation's control forever.  There was barely anything that gave me hope.  

And I was afraid still, sometimes flinching when one walked past.  Kyra was the only one who repeatedly noticed it.  I knew she was watching out for me.  Because she remembered what one did to me.

I had been walking to the market one morning, and of course, the soldiers marched in their organized formations, making sure nothing was out of order.  But this particular morning, something seemed to be too expensive, or something was stolen, I can't remember.  But a fight broke out between a young merchant and a customer.  They were wrestling on the ground, and everyone was gasping, and worrying, because this would surely bring the attention of the soldiers.

Five came running over, and one immediately blasted fire into the air with his fist, threatening others.

"What's this about?" he said, in a deep voice.

No one answered.

"I asked you a question!" he said to the few people in the market, including me, who was standing just by the stand where the fight broke out. 

"You!" he said, pointing to me.  "Girl.  What's this about."

"I'm not sure, sir, I wasn't really --"

"Alright then," he said.  He faced the men on the ground.  "Get up!" he yelled.  The two young men stumbled forward, afraid.

"I am trying to keep order in this filthy city, and you go ahead and break out a fight?"

The two men looked down.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!  We're in charge now.  You have no right to go and fight over some petty price of a mango.  I could care less!"

"Sir, we --" said one man.

"I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK!" said the soldier, scaring everyone a step back, and making the young man who had interrupted stumble over.

"That's right!" he yelled.  "Be afraid!"  He faced the man who had stumbled over.  "You're coming with me," he said to him.  The man winced as he forced him up, and two other soldiers started to drag him away.  But I stepped forward, and done something I definitely regret doing today.

"Sir, I-- it was only a small fight, why do you have to take him away?" I asked.  Reluctantly.

"You dare question me, girl?" said the man forcefully, grabbing my wrist.

"I --"

"Your rights to speak freely in this city have been revoked! How dare you speak against me?"

As he spoke, getting angrier, the hand on my wrist became warmer, and warmer, until it was too hot to bare.  I wasn't listening to the words he said to the crowds and me anymore, all I felt was searing pain.  It was still getting hotter.  It was burning.  I knew it.  It would leave a mark all around my wrist.  I think I had been crying.  

Then he finally dropped it, and I laid on the ground, my senses back in order and my eyes not squinting in pain anymore.  My skin was burnt, I could feel it now.

"Let that be a warning!" said the guard, and he and his soldiers marched off with the man I had tried to stand up for.

I could feel that my breathing was shaky.  People were scared to come and help me, but they did look worried, from what I could see.  But it was as if I couldn't get up -- the burn had left my whole left side full of pain, even if it was only my wrist he had burned.  His whole hand had felt like a hot iron.  My head finally processed the event, and I was left feeling numb, tears flowing, trying to sit up.

"Jin! Jin!  Dear spirits, Jin!" said a voice, as it rushed into the market from a side street.

I made a noise to let the familiar voice know I was okay.

"Jin, oh Jin, what happened?"

I couldn't speak.  I didn't want to.

"I'll take you home, Jin, let's go.  Come on, Kyra, help me carry her home."

Kyra had been standing by a building, in shock of my condition.  I had been sitting on the ground, one arm burnt, tears flowing down my face.  It had only been a minute or two since the guards left.

"Yes, mother," said Kyra quietly, carefully taking my right side and hoisting me up on her shoulders.  They took me the way I had came from my house, avoiding any people's questions and stares.

Kyra's mother opened the door, to an aghast look of my mother.

"What's -- Jin!" Mother's voice became quavering as Kyra and her mother laid me on the couch.  Grandfather came out of the kitchen.

"They're monsters," he muttered, as all the others fussed over getting me bandaged.  I only heard him, tuned everything else out.  "We have to win this war, Jin," he said.  He knew I heard him.  "We have to."

I winced again as mother started to wound the bandages.

"Sorry, darling, too tight?" I didn't respond, but she went looser anyway.

Kyra's mother went to get my father from Pao's Tea Shop, which was where the resistance met.  He came to comfort me, and had a little medical training, as his father was a doctor.  He looked at my wrist and told me I would be alright, but it would leave a permanent burn.  He asked me to tell him the story.  I took my time with it.  It was hard to remember at the moment.  So much had happened in only a couple minutes.

They all stayed with me.  For hours and hours.  I didn't even ask for anything, they just brought me stuff.  Tea, food, blankets, bandages.  It got dark, and they still hadn't left yet.  Because I was still afraid.  Kyra's dad came along as well, and brought a new glass vase with him. 

 I'd always liked his creations.  They cheered me up when I was sad, always.  But I couldn't be cheered up that day.  

"You're going to be okay, Jin," whispered Kyra, as she sat next to me on the couch.  It was pitch black outside, and everyone else looked to be sleeping.  "Everyone's here.  We'll keep you safe.  No one's ever going to to that to you again."

"No," I said to her, extremely shakily.  "They won't."

I haven't talked to you on this story yet, but it's extremely special to me.  a flashback chapter for y'all, about the burn on Jin's wrist.  

ik it's sad, I'm sorry.  don't worry, the next chapter is soft.