Zuko x OC : The Phoenix Princess

Chapter 15

Aria was, just, staring at the soldier for a solid 2 minutes, trying to figure out who in the world he is while he was getting a beating from Suki because he tried to kiss her. Suki pushed him causing his helmet to fall and reveal his identity.

"Sokka!" exclaimed Suki and hugged him

Aria got up from her sitting spot on her bed and hugged him too. The two girls starting to ask many questions on how he got here, why is he dressed up like a guard and if the others are alright.

"Ok, ok slow down you two! I'll expalin everything if you just let me talk!" Sokka said frustrated

"Ok so, I came here to see if I could find my father and get him out. Sadly, I couldn't find him but when I was looking for him I spotted you two! So here I am! I am working on a plan to get you out of here as soon as possible" Sokka said in a more serious tone.

"That's great! But wait. How did you find this place and how did you get in?"  Aria asked

"I had help from a person you won't believe is on our side now!" Sokka said with the kind of excitement that says he knows something unbelievably amazing and them not.

Suki and Aria looked at each other with matching curious expressions. 'Who is he talking about?'.  Aria thought it might be Lia but she highly doubted it after what she told her on the ship about the whole connection thing.

"It's Zuko! He is on our side now!" Sokka exclaimed

Aria and Suki were shocked to say the least. More like Suki was shocked, Aria was both shocked and angry.

"Zuko?! After everything he did?! How could you trust him?" Aria yelled 

"I know how it seems. We were hesitant too, we still are. He still hasn't earned our full trust yet but he is getting there. I can see that he has changed" Sokka tried to explain

"Well he hasn't earned mine!" Aria said bitterly

"I know it's difficult but he is the only one who can help to get you out of here. Aria you don't have to trust Zuko but at least trust me" Sokka said looking her in the eye 

Aria sighed and with a firm 'fine', Sokka begun to expalin the plan and when they plan to start. So, the next day on clean duty they are all gathered under the big staircase 'mopping' the floors while trying to discuss when to execute the plan.

Needless to say thet Aria kept her eyes on the floor all the time. She didn't even spare a glance at Zuko, even though she knew that he was looking at her non stop. She assumed that Sokka had already informed him that she was there too. That or both Sokka and Zuko saw her and Sukki on the day they were looking for chief Hakoda. Which one was the case Aria didn't care, she just wanted to get out of here.

"So, we need someone to get in the freezers!" Sokka explained to all of them, plus the new prisoner who had just joined in. Aria remembered seeing him around but didn't pay much attention

"You get in the freezers if you firebend, so it shouldn't be that hard" the prisoner said

"Alright, I'll do it" Aria said, looking straight at Sokka, finally putting the mop to a stop 

"Absolutely not!" said Zuko, a little alarmed

"Why? Where is the problem? I can handle it!" Aria said, with an offended tone. 'Is he, seriously, underestimating me right now?' Aria thought

"I am not saying that! All I am saying is that you might get into bigger trouble because you are a phoenix firebender and you will cause us more trouble!" Zuko tried to explain

"Oh, so I am just trouble to you then!" Aria said, mind clouded with anger and hurt

"That's not what I meant! I-" Zuko begun but was interapted

"I hate to say this, but Zuko is right Aria. We can't risk you getting in more trouble. Zuko is going to go in the freezers" Sokka said a little more gently, to not upset Aria more. He knows how it feels to believe that you are just a burden to everyone else. He used to feel it with the others cause he wasn't a bender. Plus, Zuko's presence doesn't help at all.

Aria didn't say anything, giving them her silent agreement. They were right. She knew that they were right, but it just angers her the way Zuko said it. Like she is going to ruin everything and only bring trouble. She knew there was a big possibility her mind just exaggerated the whole thing, but the other side wanted to blame Zuko. Her other side told her it was his fault.

And just like that, Zuko got himslef into the freezers and the paln, officialy, begun. And that's how the next day they were set to sail on the freezer to the other side of the lake. Or so Aria thought. It seemed like the day they were ready to escape, Sokka spotted his father just as they were getting ready to leave. So, they let the other prisoners escape, the ones who randomly tugged along, and they decided to stay to help Sokka. 

And just like that, Aria found herself on her prison cell one more night, and hopefully her last, praying and trying to believe that they are going to escape, all of them, together and alive the next day, while having a really bad feeling. 

The next day, Sokka told them that he had informed his father and that they were going to try and escape the same day. But Aria's intuition is rarely wrong and that was proven later that day, when they learned that the prisoners who tried to escape with them yesterday were caught. Thankfully, they didn't reveal Sokka's identity but it still made things worse for them, since the warden gave an order to make the security more strict. 

And that's how they found themselves in the middle of a riot, following Suki, more like trying to follow her, who has taken the lead to capture the warden as their prisoner. Aria had to admit that Suki was pretty amazing, she really made this whole thing a lot more easier.

They ran to the gondola, their only way to escape from this place for good. Aria was the first one to reach it, knocking out two other guards on her way. 

"Quick get in!" she yelled at her friends while opening the door

Her heart was beating quickly against her chest, her eyes looking everywhere to see if anyone has followed them, except the few soldiers who let them pass cause they saw the warden. Her adrenaline skyrockating.

"Get in Aria" Zuko said as he reached the door, making sure the guards didn't firebend at them.

"But-" Aria didn't get to finish, as Zuko turned around and pushed her in the gondola, resulting to Aria losing her balance and falling on its ground.

Zuko saw that and it looked like he didn't mean to push her so hard, it was probably a result of the adrenaline. Whatever it was Aria did not look happy. That's when Zuko's attention went back to the guards. He closed the door and started the gondola without him inside.

"Wait wha-" Aria was cut off by the violent jolt that it did, meaning that they were moving

She got up quickly and ran to the window, her eyes searching for Zuko without realizing it herself. She saw him breaking the control system and then running towards the edge. He jumped and held Sokka's hand so he could get in.

When Aria saw him being safely drugged in the gondola, she releashed a breath she didn't realize she was holding. They were finally getting out of here.

"Oh no" Aria heard and went to the window to see what was going on, her mouth falling open in shock and frustration, because this can't be happening right now.

Azula was here.