Avatar the Last Airbender: The Admiral's Daughter Zuko and OC

The Southern Air Temple

The first thing Azari felt was pain, her head hurt and her and her wrists burned and her face felt hot and scratchy. Azari blinked open her eyes and closed them just as quickly at the sight of bright fire burning in front of her. She scrunched her eyes to see without hurting her eyes from the blinding light.

She was in a cell, most likely one of many, there were no windows, in front of her was a blazing fire, likely to keep her from waterbending.

Her father was smart, too smart sometimes, and she hated that about him. If it weren't for the fire the room would've been cold and damp, perfect for waterbending, and escaping.

Azari stood up dizzily, only to find that her hands were chained to the floor, no wonder they hurt, they were too tight on her and her wrists were starting to bruise. Azari sat back down on the ground and cried.

How could this have happened? She should have stayed with Zuko or something, now Zuko would leave and he wouldn't even know she was gone until it was too late.

And what would Zhao do to her? Keep her a prisoner forever? Kill her? Deliver her to the firelord as a gift? Or worst of all, use her to hurt Zuko? She wouldn't think about that. She couldn't think about that.

She heard a sizzle and looked up from her crying, someone had just put out the fire with sand, not water, so that they could see her. Through her tears she saw Zhao staring in at her through the bars.

"Well, you really are just like your mother, she always cried and whined about her problems instead of solving them," Zhao sneered. "You don't look like her though, you look like me."

"I look nothing like you," Azari whispered. "And I'm nothing like you either, I hate you and you will rue the day you killed my mother," Azari hissed.

"Oh but you are like me, demanding, cold, and too bold for your own good," Zhao said. "It's too bad you're a waterbender, you would have been a perfect pawn if it weren't for that. You can still be helpful to me though."

"I'm not a piece in your game Zhao, I'll never do what you want no matter what you say!" Azari yelled at him, standing up staring him in the eye.

"Maybe, maybe not," Zhao smiled at her coldly, as he lit up the fire with firebending. "Now I have a certain prince to attend to, so I must leave you to your tears," Zhao turned away from Azari and started to walk away. "Oh and Azari, straighten your hair dear, it looks awful."

Azari screamed and tried to break free of her chains so she could get him. She thrashed and struggled on the ground, she finally gave up and proceeded to ruin her hair by tearing it out and slicing it with the sharp rocks on the floor.

After about ten minutes of this Azari broke down and cried herself to sleep.

Azari was awoken by the sound of a guard banging on her cell door. She was hot and sweaty from the fire that was now put out.

As the guard opened her cell door and unchained her wrists, pulling Azari's hands behind her back and putting on cuffs instead, Azari did nothing. She was too tired, too hot, too thirsty from lack of water and the heat.

The guard grabbed Azari by the shoulder and pushed her in front of him so she had to walk. Azari's legs tried to hold up her body but it was too hard, she fell onto her side, making want to scream in frustration.

But she got back up quickly so the guard wouldn't touch her again. This time she steadied herself and forced herself to walk after the first few steps it was easier and she could walk.

Once she was out of her cell she could see where she was. She was on a ship, or at least she thought she was, her cell was in a long hallway of cells. It was darkly lit here and Azari thought she was likely the only prisoner until she saw that there were other people in the cells as she walked with the guard.

As they continued she saw more and more cells and more and more people, but few were adults, most were children or young adults who were likely captives from the earth kingdom or water tribe to be given to firelord Ozai as gifts, they would likely become slaves in the palace, or worse, left to rot here in these cells forever.

Azari just hoped that neither one of those options would be her fate.

Finally they reached a set of stairs and climbed up them, this floor was lit better, and it was filled with guards patrolling and walking about. It was like that on the third floor and the fourth. And finally they had reached the top of the ship.

When they got there, another guard was there, waiting for them. They gagged and blindfolded Azari, also chaining her ankles to each other.

Azari didn't know what to make of it, there was no chance she could escape even without all the extra precautions they were using. It was almost as if they wanted her to look like she was a captive.

They forced Azari down some stairs which were likely the way off the ship judging by how long they were. Azari was shoved forward until she was abruptly stopped. She heard muffled talking from in front of her and then shouting.

She could tell it was Zhao talking, "If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation," Azari couldn't tell who Zhao was talking to but she had a sinking cessation she knew who.

"That's not true!" shouted a voice that was all too familiar and made Azari want to cry. It was Zuko.

"You can't even protect your own crew from me," Zhao said smugly.

Zuko's voice was faulty with a hint of fear at Zhao's words, "My... what?"

On cue Azari was shoved forward, likely into a tent, judging by the feeling of soft fabric brushing her arms.

Azari heard Zuko's cry of anger and a gasp too, from who she wasn't sure.

"Azari!?" Zuko sounded surprised and angry at the same time. "You can't do that!" Zuko shouted at Zhao.

"Oh but I can and I did, she's my prisoner now and there's nothing you can do about it," Zhao said to Zuko.

So I know that this chapter bends the story a little, I've done my best not to do that so far but for this chapter it seemed necessary. Also I want to give a shoutout to everyone reading, thank you so much I appreciate all the reads, I'm glad so many people are enjoying my book! Anyway sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes!