Real Love: Katara and Zuko

-Katara-

Damn it. 

I pressed my knees against my chin, huddling against the wall of my cell. Frosty air blew through the barred window, keeping the room a freezing temperature of -15 degrees. I blew on my hands, trying to get some of the blood to flow back into my numb fingers but they were frozen solid. 

If only stupid Zuko hadn't decided to be all hero again and try and fight those bandits, I wouldn't be stuck in this stupid cell.

I don't really remember what happened, only waking up on the cold floor of this room, my whole body bloody and swollen from the arrow wound. There must have been some sort of poison, but it could't have been lethal, or else I'd be dead. 

I ripped off the sleeve of my tunic and tried to wrap it around the wound, but my hands were shaking so bad that I just gave up. My dress is tattered and bloody, the entire bottom almost completely gone, the temperature is dropping by the minute, and I'm already beginning to feel my entire body go numb. 

"D-D-Don't wor-ry K-Kat-tara," I said out loud, my voice quivering. "S-someone's-s g-g-going to-o com-me for you-u." 

Another episode of breathtaking shivering took over my body, and I fell to my side, writhing on the floor. Tears filled my eyes, and I tried to hold them in, but it was no use. 

"H-hey? I-is someone ther-re?" I weak voice called. I numbly turned my head to the side, scanning the room for any sign of life. It was hard to see, especially with my vision becoming cloudy. Dusty light shone through the bars on my open window, casting a dim light on the room. Across from my cell was another, the light shining a dim shadow on what must have been a...child.

"W-who ar-re y-you?" I stuttered, sitting up and dragging myself to the bars. I reached out to grasp one of the metal poles when the child's voice stopped me.

"Don't touch that!" She yelled, falling over in a coughing fit after using to much of her voice. I drew my hands away quickly, folding them into my tunic to try and provide some warmth.

"You'r-re han-nds-s wi-ill free-eze if-f you touch those b-bars. They'll-l g-get st-tuck." She whispered after her coughing had ended. The child crawled across the ground, finally resting right in front of the bars. I rubbed my eyes, hoping to clear them, which did little to no good, but it allowed me to make out the face of the child. She had wild, unkempt chocolaty brown hair that was covered in a layer of frost, wild brown eyes, and blackened parts of her skin, probably from frostbite. Unlike me, she had a big fluffy coat and large puffy pants, as well as a frayed blanket that she kept wrapped around her face. 

"Y-you ar-re very y-young-g." I coughed, trying not to let my sadness show. Why was such a young girl locked up in a horrid place like this? What on earth could she have possibly done. 

"I'm-m f-fiv-ve years-s old-d!" She huffed in protest, but her eyes were filled with sadness. "When-n I was-s thr-ree y-years-s old-d, my daddy-y h-had a big-g debt-t. He-e didn't have enough m-m-money, so he-e was-s put-t i-in prison. Af-fter he-e died in-n prison-n, they took me-e and m-my-y momm-my instead, but now that-t shes-s dead-d, I'm stuck in-n here-e for fif-fty mo-ore years." She whispered, her big eyes filled with tears. My heart was overcome with compassion, and I wished I could hold her. Such a young child...how is this even legal?!

"How on eart-th is this LEGAL?" I yelled, fury filling my frozen veins. 

"It shouldn't-t be-e, bu-ut I guess it is-s."

"What's-s yo-our name?" I asked.

"Zunie." She said back.

"W-wow, that's a prett-ty name." I smiled, sucking in my breath as burst of cold air hit me in the back. "I-it reminds me-e of someone-e I kno-ow. He-e's part of-f the reason-n I'm in here-e."