With Aya and Zuko
Zuko and Aya were sat in his cell and Zuko was trying to defrost his wings with his firebending. Aya was still out, but she was breathing and her shivering had stopped. Aya's wings were slowly warming up, the ice was melting and her normal color was coming back to her.
"Come on..." Zuko grunted, "Wake up." He eventually stood up and sent a fire blast at Aya's legs.
She sat up with shock and Zuko moved back at her sudden movement. Aya breathed heavily with confusion and looked around, Zuko kneeled down carefully and Aya's head turned him.
"Zuko." She croaked out and went to form fire, but nothing appeared due to her weak state. "What-where-what's going on? Where am I?"
"It's a long story." Zuko assured her and she flinched when he reached for her. "I'm here to help you."
She scoffed, "sure."
"I'm serious." Zuko told her and Aya looked into his eyes. She believed him. "Look, Sokka's here too and we are gonna save you, your father, your birth mother, and Suki. Do you trust me?"
"Last time I did, you betrayed me." Aya reasoned and Zuko looks away in shame.
"I know, and I'm ashamed of what I did." Zuko remarked, "but I'm here to help, but I can't do that if you can't trust me."
Aya was hesitant, but grabbed his hand and Zuko smiled for the first time. "Okay, but you hurt me or anyone, I will attack you."
"If I do, I deserve it." Zuko mentioned and Aya grinned, but she groaned in pain, holding her stomach. "Just lay low for a while, you're weak and need rest."
"I know." Aya sighed and Zuko grabbed her hand, trying to help her up. She stumbled a little, but was able to stand on her feet and Zuko let her hands go.
"You can stand." Zuko said and Aya began to move around. "And walk."
"I can." She smiled. "I just can't bend or probably fight."
"That's okay," Zuko assured her. "Once we get you back to Aang, you'll be fine."
Aya smiled at the thought of her boyfriend. "Hopefully. How is he?"
"He's good." Zuko said, "He just misses you a lot. He's not he's usual happy self without you."
She blushed at this and glanced back at her wings. The ice on her wings had melted almost completely, but they were droopy and weak.
"Is there anyway you could hide those?" Zuko asked and Aya nodded.
"Yeah."
Aya closed her wings and they vanished from sight.
"Now you won't be spotted." Zuko said and Aya chuckled.
"Hopefully. My hair is a give away though." Aya said, touching her dirty, brown hair with red tips. "But I'll put it up and hide the red."
"Do it fast, because we don't want to get caught." Zuko mentioned and tossed her some prisoner clothes. "Put these on to disguise yourself."
She nodded and waited for Zuko to turn. "Can you turn around..."
Zuko blushed and turned around, "sorry."
Aya quickly got changed into the prisoner clothes and put her hair up in a bun, hiding the red color in her hair.
"Okay."
Zuko turned and nodded at her presence. "Perfect. Sokka should be here soon to give us the cue."
"Got it." Aya nodded.
——
"Zuko, are in there with Aya?"
Zuko's eyes appear in the silt to see Sokka outside the door with his guard uniform on. "We're in here."
"I just got done talking to my dad and Ruka." Sokka began and Aya looked up, alarmed. "We came up with an escape plan together."
"Ruka?" Aya mumbled with a smile. "Momma?"
"What are you doing here?"
Sokka gets startled by the male voice and turns around, pulling his mask down. Two guards were standing on the staircase, staring down Sokka.
He points to the cell, acting gruff. "I was just telling this dirty lowlife what I think of him!"
"Well, you'll have to do that later." The male guard said, "he's coming with us."
"Why?" Sokka asked.
"Because we have orders straight from the warden, that's why!" The female guard snapped.
"Could I just get ten more seconds to rough him up a bit?" Sokka asked, punching his palm with fist.
"Fine, ten seconds." The female agreed.
The two guards fold their arms as Sokka enters the cell and begins to "rough up" Zuko. The female guard leans against the wall, crosses her arms and shakes her head in mock disapproval.
"Take that ... and this!" Sokka grunted as he pretended to beat up Zuko.
"Newbie." The male guard said with amusement.
A bundled-up mattress was being held up, several blows being landed to it and Sokka is seen punching the mattress which Zuko holds up; the two faking the entire scenario. Zuko shouts a few times in mock pain.
"We have a new plan, but it's gonna need a big distraction." Sokka said in a hushed voice. "Be in the yard in one hour."
Aya nodded at this and a sliver of light appears as the cell door is opened. Sokka drops the mattress, covering Aya from the guards and she curls up under the mattress to hide herself more. Sokka suddenly grabs Zuko and begins to wrestle him to look convincing as the two guards enter.
"All right, that's enough." The male guard said and separated Zuko and Sokka.
Zuko is escorted out of the cell by the guards while Sokka remains behind with Aya. Sokka takes the mattress off his sister and they immediately hug one another.
"You're okay...you're okay." Sokka smiles and Aya grins.
"I am, but I can't bend at the moment." Aya remarked as they pulled away. "I'm still pretty weak."
"Just stay by us, we're getting you out of here." Sokka declared and Aya nodded with a smile.
"Thank you."
"I'm gonna take you over to Suki." Sokka told Aya and grabbed her arms, putting them behind her.
"Okay." Aya agreed and Sokka escorts her out of the cell and they made their way toward Suki's.
——
Sokka enters Suki's cell with Aya and Suki turns to them.
"Aya." Suki smiled and hugged the young angel. "You're okay."
"I am." She smiled, warmly as Suki pulled away.
"What's going on?" Suki asked Sokka.
"I don't have much time. If I'm seen with you the guards might think something's up." Sokka began and walks over to the door, peering outside. "I just talked to my dad and Ruka."
"That's great." Suki said.
"Is my mom okay?" Aya asked Sokka.
"She's fine." Sokka assured Aya, "she's glad you're okay."
Aya smiles with relief at that.
"And we're escaping today on the gondola." Sokka continued.
"What?"
"How?"
"My dad, Ruka, and I came up with the plan together. We're gonna commandeer the gondola." Sokka began and puts a hand on one of their shoulders. "And we're gonna take a hostage with us so they won't cut the lines."
"We'll never make it onto the gondola." Aya reasoned, "there's too many guards."
"Ruka already thought of that. She said we'll need a distraction." Sokka remarked. "That's why we're gonna start a prison riot."
"Okay, let's say by some miracle this all works and we make it on the gondola." Suki mentioned. "The warden will still just cut the lines, even if we have a captive."
"Not if the warden is the captive." Sokka grinned before nearby noise occurs and he looks outside. "I have to go. I'll find you both before we start the riot." Sokka hugs the girls, before he slips out of cell.
Suki and Aya hug one another and Suki pets her hair.
"We'll get out of here."
——
Aya and Suki waited patiently for Sokka until all the cell doors opened and the prisoners were let out. Suki and Aya walked out and made their way to the prison yard to meet Zuko, Sokka, Hakoda, and Ruka.
All of the prisoners mingle in the yard while Sokka, Suki, Hakoda, Ruka, and Aya meet. Ruka embraces her daughter with joy and relief.
"My baby." Ruka smiled and pulled away, "you're okay."
Aya nodded and Hakoda hugged his daughter, "happy to see you, Aya. Glad you're okay."
Aya pulled away and turned to Sokka.
"This is it! We have to start a riot." Sokka declared.
"Okay. But how do we do that?" Suki asked.
Hakoda smiles smugly, "I'll show you." The warrior walks up to another prisoner and shoved him.
"Hey! What'd you do that for? That hurt my feelings." The prisoner remarked with zero anger.
"Aren't you mad at me?" Hakoda asked him.
"Uh, well, normally I would be, but I've been learning to control my anger." The prisoner reasoned and Aya sighed as Hakoda came back over to us.
"This isn't working." Aya said.
Suddenly, Chit Sang appears behind Sokka and puts his hand on his shoulder.
"Hey you! You're lucky I didn't rat you out, but my generosity comes with a price." Chit Sang began with a smile. "I know you're planning another escape attempt, and I want in."
"Actually, we're trying to escape right now, but we need a riot." Sokka mentioned and pointed to Chit Sang. "You wouldn't happen to know how to start one, would you?"
"A prison riot? Please." Chit Sang scoffed and grabs a prisoner and lifts him in the air, bouncing him up and down. "Hey! Riot!"
All the prisoners looked at him and a riot begins with several fire blasts going off.
"Impressive." Hakoda stated.
——
Eventually, Zuko approached the gang, slamming down another guard as the riot continued.
"Zuko! Good, we're all here. Now all we need to do is grab the warden, and get to the gondolas!" Sokka explained.
"And how do we do that?" Zuko asked.
"I'm not sure." Sokka admitted.
Zuko groans, "I thought you thought this through!"
"I thought you told me it's okay not to think everything through!" Sokka protested.
"Maybe not everything, but this is kind of important!" Zuko reasoned and Aya gets in between the boys.
"Hey, let's not lose our heads." She advised them.
"Hey, uh, fellas. I think your girlfriend's taking care of it." Chit Sang mentioned and everyone looks up to see Suki hopping across the prisoners heads, before jumping and flipping onto the tower. She easily defeats the first guard with a few quick jabs. Two more guards arrive and she ducks a fire blast and sweeps the first one, promptly dodging the second one's fire blast, and continues to climb the tower. She makes it up to the top and defeats the final guard with a sliding kick. She soon grabs the warden, threatening him with her fist in front of his face.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Suko ties the wardens hands together and used his headband as a gag. "Sorry, warden. You're my prisoner now." She slams the warden against the wall as the rest of the gang arrives; breathing heavily. "We've got the warden! Now let's get out of here!"
Aya stood there a little tired, but everyone else was exhausted from running.
"That's some girl." Hakoda mentioned.
"Tell me about it." Sokka said, proudly.
The gang proceeds to the gondola on the roof.
"We're almost there!" Aya exclaims as they run.
They were suddenly stopped by guards who launch two fire blasts at them, and Zuko shoves Sokka out of the way, before blocking the two fire blasts.
As more guards appear to help, Zuko reveals the hostage; the warden.
"Back off! We've got the warden!" Aya threatens and the guards see the warden on Chit Sang's shoulder, bound and gagged, before clearing the way. "Let's go!"
They continue along their path, cautiously watching the guards so they do not try any sudden moves. They arrive at the gondola and Suki opens the door.
"Everyone in!" Suki yelled and everyone, besides Zuko, enters the gondola.
Zuko starts the gondola and kicks the handle a few times attempting to break it. He sees the guards rushing toward him and kicks the handle again, breaking it. He jumps toward the gondola while dodging the guards fire blasts. Aya grabs Zuko's hand and helps him into the gondola.
"What are you doing?" Sokka asked Zuko.
"I'm making it so they can't stop us." Zuko answered.
"Way to think ahead." Sokka praised.
"We're on our way!" Suki mentioned.
"Wait! Who's that?!" Hakoda asked, pointing outside the gondola.
Princess Azula and Ty Lee stand at the bottom of the gondola station and all the guards bow down to the princess.
"That's a problem. It's my sister and her friend." Zuko mentioned.
Looking up at the retreating gondola, Azula suddenly snatches a pair of handcuffs from a guard's belt and runs forward. Behind her, Ty Lee jumps up and onto the cable, running along it toward the gondola. After elevating herself to the line with a fire blast, Azula uses the cuffs to attach herself to the cable and propel herself forwaard. Everyone on the gondola watch as they approach, Aya was looking very nervous.
"This is a rematch I've been waiting for." Suki says with determination.
"Me too." Zuko added and Aya pouts, folding her arms.
"And I'll stay here..." Aya sighs and Ruka rubs her arms as Sokka, Suki, and Zuko climb to the top of the gondola to fight.
The trio meets Azula and Ty Lee on the gondola. Ty Lee flips into the air and lands in front of Suki, who growls and assumes position. Azula pulls herself up onto the roof and faces Zuko and Sokka. Azula assumes a battle stance and does a slicing kick, sending blue fire, but Zuko blocks it. Ty Lee and Suki trade blows with Suki blocking Ty Lee's attempts to use chi blocking each time. Ty Lee is forced to the edge. but jumps into the gondola and comes out the other side, continuing her attacks. Zuko continues to wipe out Azula's fire blasts and Sokka draws her back to the edge with his sword. Zuko goes in for a finish, but Azula dodges Zuko's blast and stays on the gondola. She counters with a blast that goes wide, almost striking Suki and Ty Lee, who barely manage to dodge it. Meanwhile, the warden attempts to free himself while Ruka, Hakoda, Chit Sang, and Aya were distracted. A male guard from the prison watches from a telescope.
"There's the warden! I see him!" A gondola guard calls.
The warden frees himself and runs to look out of the gondola. "Cut the line!"
Chit Sang notices and grabs the warden, pulling him back in.
"He wants us to cut the line." The gondola guard tells the other guard.
"But if we cut the line, there's no way he'll survive!" The second guard reasoned.
"He knows that." The first guard remarked, lowering the telescope.
The guards stop the gondola by jamming the mechanism with metal bars and the wheel screeches as it grinds to a stop. The gondola rocks back and forth from the sudden stop and the people stop from their fight. Losing his balance, Sokka slides to the edge of the gondola, but Zuko pulls him in at the last moment. Ty Lee jumps up to the top of the wire to see what is happening, and Aya peaks her head out to see the guards trying to cut the wire.
"They're about to cut the line!" Aya yells and everyone looks back at the prison, and Azula notices another gondola approaching on the other wire, heading inbound.
The princess smirks, "Then it's time to leave." She blasts herself up. "Goodbye, Zuko." She reaches the other gondola and lands.
Ty Lee backflips to the other gondola and when she reaches it, she looks back at Sokka, Suki, and Zuko with concern, in contrast to Azula's evil smile. The other three jump back into the gondola, and Aya glares at the acrobat and princess.
"They're cutting the line! The gondola's about to go!" Zuko exclaimed and Aya turns back to everyone.
"I hope this thing floats." Hakoda mentioned and Sokka turned to his sister with an idea.
"Aya, how are your wings?"
"Uh...." Aya trailed off, nervously.
——
Startling everyone, the gondola continued forward and they all look back to see what happened. Down below, Mai was seen saving the escapees from falling.
"Who's that?" Sokka asked.
Mai continues to fight the guards and looks up at the others.
Zuko gasped in shock, "it's Mai!"
The gondola makes it to the top of the hill and everyone leaves. Chit Sang holds the warden and throws him back in when Hakoda points at it.
"Sorry, warden. Your record is officially broken." Hakoda states and the warden struggles against his bindings.
Everyone else continues to escape over the rim of the volcano.
"Well, we made it out. Now what?" Aya asked everyone, but she noticed her cousin still looking back.
"Zuko, what are you doing?" Sokka asked noticing the same thing
"My sister was on that island." Zuko remarked.
"Yeah, and she's probably right behind us, so let's not stop!" Sokka advised.
"What I mean is she must have come here somehow." Zuko continued and walks up to a large hill by the sea." There! That's our way out of here!"
Below was a large airship and Aya smiled, sighing with happiness.
"Aang, I'm coming home."
——
Nightfall; Western Air Temple
"What are you doing in this thing? What happened to the war balloon?" Katara asked Sokka and Zuko as they walked out of the airship.
"It kind of got destroyed." Zuko remarked.
"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip." Aang commented.
"Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asked with hope.
"I did. The best meat of all." Sokka said with a smile. "The meat of friendship and family."
Aya, Ruka, Suki, Hakoda, and Chit Sang all exit the airship.
Chit Sang waved, "I'm new. What's up, everybody?"
Katara tears up at the sight of her father and little sister; Aang smiles when he sees his angel.
"Dad, Aya."
"Hi, Katara." Hakoda smiles and embraces his daughter.
"Aang." Aya smiles and the couple embraces. Aang hides his face in her shoulder, tightening his grip around her waist and Aya begins to tear up.
"I'm so glad you're okay." Aang sighed softly. "I was so worried about you, Angel."
Aya blushed, "I know you were."
Katara was so confused by all this and pulled away from her father. "How are you here? What is going on? Where did you go?"
"We kind of went to a Fire Nation prison." Sokka mentions before Hakoda pulls him into an embrace with Katara. Aya pulls away from Aang and turns to her family just to have Hakoda pull her and Ruka into the hug.
"Seriously? You guys didn't find any meat?"
——
Later, after everyone was asleep, Aya was sat on the edge of the temple and her droopy and weak wings were out. Her eyes were red shot and she had tears forming as she stared down at her hands. She turned her head and gazed at her right wing with sorrow as she saw the small flaw.
She had small rip in her right wing due to the freezing temperature she was encased inside for so long.
She couldn't fix it, it was impossible.
There's no cure for a broken wing.