Zuko x OC : The Phoenix Princess

Chapter 8

It was a week before Azula's trip to Ba Sing Se and a week before Aria's hopefully saccessful escape. It was around 3 in the morning and Aria couldn't sleep. All these organising and planning of her escape was taking a tall on her. Plus, the anxiety of uncertainty that came with it. Not knowing much about the situation she will be once they set sail for the earth kingdom and not knowing much about the kingdom itself, filled Aria's plans and thoughts with doubt. 

So, Aria decided to go to the beach to clear her head or to just sit there and watch the sea. Honestly, she did not know what she wanted, she just had to get out of her house. 

She ended up watching and listening to the small waves for a couple minutes. There was no wind tonight and the sea was calm. The full moon illuminating the whole beach. Before she knew what she was doing Aria felt her feet running towards the water. She run a little into the shallow waters, or more like limped, and dived in. She swam towards a high rock, which was located on the right side of the beach, a little further into the sea. She climbed up and the stared at the sea from a higher view. Then she looked down. The sea was much deeper on this side.

Without a second thought Aria took a few steps back, as much as the surface of the rock allowed her, sped up and jumped. She fell much deeper from what she expected but she let her weight to drag her down a bit more. With closed eyes, she let the silence of the ocean wash away her worries. A lot has happened in the passed few weeks. Images started appearing in her mind from the events she would rather forget. Her becoming a personal servant of the princess, the mistreatment that she had to endure, her learning that she had to accompany the princess to Ba Sing Se. All the things that could go wrong with her escape plan, the fact that she couldn't bring her mother with her to try and escape together, that she still doesn't know where her father is. And all the things she heard about Prince Zuko. Aria didn't know and couldn't understand why the facts about Zuko that she learned from Azula, bothered her so much. She told herself that it was expected from the Firelord's son but still she hated him for all the thigs he had done and so much more that she didn't learn. She hated him that he was not the kind, innocent boy she remembers and that angered her for some reason she couldn't understand either, and that angered her even more.

Letting her last bit of air escape her lungs, she opened her eyes looking up, seeing the moon from under the water along with the bubbles of air she just let go. And with that, she started kicking her legs to get to the surface. When she reached it she took a deep breath in, now finaly realising that she stayed longer under the water than she thought. After a few breaths, she swam back to the beach and laid on the sand for a few minutes to catch her breath. She once again looked at the moon and then at the stars. They were so many of them and all of them were her source of power. Now, that she thinks about it she always felt more powerful and awake at night than in the morining. It was ironic since it was known firebenders were more powerful during day time but she was not a firebender. She was phoenix firebender and there was difference between the two. With a small smile, much more relaxed body and mind, and one last look at the stars Aria started heading towards her home.  

The next morning her mother and Aria were on their way to the palace. At its gates there was a young boy talking to a guard.

"Please sir, whatever you have. Even just a loaf of bread, please" begged the boy

"Get out of here you brat. You are not allowed on these grounds" said the guard with annoyance in his voice 

"But-" the boy started but before he could continue the guard cut him of

"I said go!" the guard yelled and threw a big ball of fire towards the boy.