(A/N: Hasn't been spellchecked/grammer-checked yet)

In the scorching heat of the unrelenting sun, Jeon Wonwoo struggles against the weight of two guards. It's fruitless of course, with his hands confined tightly behind his now aching back and element restricting cuffs clasped tightly around his wrists. Still he wouldn't stand by defenseless while he was attacked by another bitter earth bender, yet again. Two long weeks sailing from the Fire Nation, and he couldn't think of a day where a fight hadn't broken out, more often than not between him and some vengeful earth bender. Whatever hope he had of blending in with his fellow fire benders had disappeared upon receiving the heated, hateful glares of almost the entire ship upon boarding. He supposed no one could really forget him, but how could they? He had failed his own people and aided in the destruction of the Earth Kingdom. He figured those major things called for a black eye and a bloody nose or two.

Still, that didn't make it any less annoying. Briefly, he wondered how Jihoon and Seungkwan were faring. He considered himself the lucky one among the trio, as with the extent of their crimes, he was sure the others wouldn't see the light of day for quite some time and when they did- He shivers at the mere thought. But Jihoon had saved his life and, he thinks as he eyes his assailant, an earth bender with a crazed look in his eyes who had most likely just broken Wonwoo's nose, struggling against his own set of guards, it was only right for him to return the favor.

With that in mind Wonwoo stops struggling altogether, surprising the guards who almost drop him. He holds his head up high in efforts to slow the steady flow of blood from his nose. However, his assailant considers it an act of pride (and maybe it is, Wonwoo thinks) glare venomous once more as he struggles harder against the guards, as well as everyone else on board. The ship erupts in shouting and yelling once more, and before Wonwoo can even blink a full out brawl breaks out.

He's only slightly surprised when the two guards restraining him go down first. But he doesn't really have time to dwell on it as the mass of bodies increases, beating each other brutally despite the cuffs restraining them. Though he'd never admit it, Wonwoo himself couldn't do much without his bending ability. It was the worst kind of weakness and he wasn't really surprised when his former enemies exploited it. Still, his reflexes were quick and that was enough to allow him to maneuver through the crowd without much trouble. He's just staggering toward the stairs leading to the deck when a hand reaches out, grasping his shoulder firmly. Wonwoo jumps, whipping around ready to strike only to restrain himself when he notices the red and burgundy attires.

Before him stood three fire benders Wonwoo recognized from Jihoon's personal set of bodyguards. How they had ended up on the same ship as him with such personal ties to Jihoon, he didn't know, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. The knowing tilt to their gazes spoke volumes and all it took was for Wonwoo to nod his head once before trio were breezing past him up the stairs, heading towards the deck. Wonwoo himself hooked a right down a lone corridor. They were going to take over the ship.

At the end of the hall, Wonwoo pauses in front of a large wooden door, the captain's quarters. Mustering up as much strength as possible, he kicks out his leg, surprised when the hinges loosen almost immediately. Leaning heavily against the wall when he staggers back, Wonwoo wastes no time in rushing forward, knocking the door open with the rest of his body weight. What greets him is the eery darkness and apparent emptiness of the captain's room, but Wonwoo is still very much on his guard as he enters cautiously. The room is sparsely decorated save a bed, a desk, and a few paintings. He spots the set of keys strewn across the bare desk and hesitates, the effortlessness of it all puzzling him momentarily. But a particularly close shout startles him back into action. He wastes no time then, gripping the key specifically for the element restricting cuffs, and unlocking them with surprising ease. The regular cuffs follow shortly after and for the first time in two weeks, Wonwoo can actually feel his hands. With the faint numbness receding, he slips the keys into his pocket before hurrying back into the corridor.

One of the guards stands at the end, waiting for him, clothing torn and face bruised, bearing a malicious glare. He rushes forward, ready to restrain Wonwoo once more, and the dark haired boy can only hope the restricting cuff don't have any lasting effects as he s his hands out. Luck seems to be on his side and he watches with a sudden spark of hope as a gust of flames emerges, illuminating the dimly lit hallway. The guard ducks into one of the closest rooms to avoid the flames last minute while Wonwoo hurries past, heading up the stairs toward the deck.

The deck is even more chaotic than upstairs and Wonwoo narrowly avoids a particularly powerful punch upon entering the area. It's unclear who has the upper hand so Wonwoo wastes no time in slipping through the crowd, spotting his fellow fire benders in the fray. Despite their restrictions, they seemed to be doing well in holding the guards off, but the looks they gave him had Wonwoo swallowing thickly. They trusted them again and this time, he could only hope he wouldn't fail them. With that in mind he ascends the stairs leading him to the helm with sudden urgency. He glances out into the open sea, trying to ignore the dread creeping into the pit of his gut. They were too close to the Earth Kingdom. Still, he had to do something, so he turns the wheel in the opposite direction, the ship slowly following.

He breathes a sigh of relief then, slouching against the wheel slightly. Just as he straightens, ready to aid his fellow benders, Wonwoo jolts, freezing up as he drops to his knees. He clenches his teeth tightly as the shock jolts him, strength leaving his body as well as his awareness. It's only when his knees finally give out and he falls back onto the floor, vision blurring does he find the ship's captain staring down at him. If looks could kill, the man's glare would kill Wonwoo quicker than the electricity lining his blade. Then there were the black spots forming rapidly, deterring his vision, the former Fire Nation general, current captain's words becoming a faint blur as Wonwoo struggled to maintain consciousness.

The remainder of the trip is spent in a blur of drifting in and out of consciousness. When he does awake fully, it's to a bucket of ice cold water being splashed in his face, jolting him further into awareness. The cool liquid drips down his face, a faint red color from mixing with the blood from his nose. Wonwoo can only so much as blink blearily before he's being hauled up once more, but this time what greets him is the massive wall of the Earth Kingdom, half destroyed, revealing the ruined kingdom. As they begin descending the boat, Wonwoo manages to glance back only to find his fellow fire benders subdued once more, standing in lines of twos, while the formerly imprisoned earth benders were already running off of the ship, happily reunited with their homeland.

The last time Wonwoo had set foot on this land it was to burn it down, and they had almost succeeded, except Jihoon had been too merciful and Seungcheol had taken that same mercy and used it to defeat him. Wonwoo cringes just thinking about it. He wasn't a coward, but he didn't exactly want to face the Earth King again. Whereas the Air Kingdom was more peaceful and the Water Kingdom was more sensible, there was something about earth benders in general that rubbed him the wrong way. But he supposes the thought is not his to bear since his kingdom had betrayed them all. Still, he knew better. Even after everything was rebuilt, after all of the treaties had been drawn, there would be no peace, not while he was in chains, Seungwkan and Jihoon were locked away, and Seungcheol was still hurt. There would be no peace.

He doesn't realize they've entered the kingdom yet until he feels a sharp pain in his shoulder. The guards hoisting him by his arms laugh as they watch the rock fall to the ground. Wonwoo definitely wasn't expecting his welcome to be a warm one, but the various pairs of eyes glaring down at him and the rock were a little unexpected, particularly since it came from a rather sweet looking elderly woman. He figures looks really can be deceiving.

They stop in the middle of what he recognizes as the market district. The guards force him to his knees and when he glances up, he finds himself unable to look away. Flanked by multiple bodyguards is none other than the Earth King himself, Choi Seungcheol. He looked slightly thinner than the last time Wonwoo had seen him, with deep tear troughs under hardened eyes. Vaguely, Wonwoo was glad the war and bitter feud hadn't only taken it's toll on just Jihoon. The first thing Seungcheol does upon approaching is acknowledge his fellow earth benders, former prisoners of war, motioning toward his kingdom with open arms.

“Welcome home” He says, voice thick with an undecipherable emotion. They crowd surrounding them erupts in cheers while the earth benders bow low to their leader, eyes laden with tears as they thank him for saving them before they disappear into the crowd in search of their families.

It's like clock work, how the smile disappears from Seungcheol's face into something more aloof and cold. Wonwoo shivers from the intensity of it, but even he finds himself unable to look away. The ship captain takes this moment to hurry forward, speaking loudly but at a pace too rapid for Wonwoo to quite comprehend. Seungcheol's facial expression gives nothing away however, and when the captain has seemingly finished his rant, Wonwoo is just as confused as everyone else in the small pause that ensues. The Earth King appears contemplative before turning and motioning for one of the many people flanking him.

A tall, brunet boy steps forward, nodding intently at his leader. Wonwoo watches wearily as the brunet approaches, blinking rapidly in surprise when the boy yanks him forward, gripping the back of his shirt as he pulls him along. Wonwoo purposefully avoids Seungcheol's gaze as they pass the elder. But he's already more than sure that the Earth King has recognized him by now. It's when he and the boy round a corner into a more abandoned district when Wonwoo pushes the boy away, balancing himself on a nearby building as the boy whips around to glare at him.

“I can walk.” He sneers. The boy pauses then, seemingly taken back by his sudden change in attitude, before his glare returns full force.

“Then by all means, be my guest.”

Rolling his eyes at the brunet, Wonwoo hesitates before pushing away from the wall, taking a few wobbly steps before all but tumbling over. Luckily the other boy reaches his arm out just in time, tugging him close before he can fall. He doesn't need to look up to know that the boy is smirking down at him. He's not quite sure what disturbs him more, the strange air of familiarity about the boy or the faint blush covering his cheeks from his embarrassment.

He's relived when they begin walking once more. But all too soon they reach their destination. In a barren district, along the destroyed area of the Great Earth Kingdom wall. Wonwoo stares at the rubble before turning to the brunet with a questioning gaze.

“This is where you'll be working, everyday, until the entire wall is fixed and rebuilt.” The boy answers simply before turning to walk away, but not before adding, “By the way, I'm Mingyu.”

“Wait!-” Wonwoo calls quickly after his retreating form only to find himself stuttering in embarrassment when it turned out Mingyu wasn't leaving, but in fact seating himself in one of the chairs he hadn't noticed before, “What about-”

Mingyu takes in the fire benders blood stained skin and clothing with mild interest. Wonwoo only turns to glance at the wall before he finds himself soaked head to toe in iced cold water once more. He briefly wondered if that was the Earth Kingdom's solution to everything. Laughter catches his attention and he can only glare under soaked bangs at Mingyu's grinning face.

“There! Now get to work!” The brunet calls, a wooden bucket clutched loosely in his hand.

Wonwoo can only do as told, and as he moves to maneuver the first of the rubble, his mind can't help but wonder to Jihoon and Seungkwan and hope that they were faring much better.