"Zuko! Where have you been?!?!?" Iroh asked franticly.
"I heard a rumor about the Avatar in a nearby village… so I went looking for him." Zuko told his uncle.
"Without telling me?! And without taking any of your soldiers with you?! Into a village that we have never been to before?! What were you thinking?!?!?" Iroh asked.
"I was thinking I was going to catch the Avatar! That's what I've been trying to do for the past year and a half!!!!" Zuko screamed.
Zuko that's an Earth kingdom village! You could have been hurt… or killed!!" Iroh said.
"Uncle I can take on a few earth benders!" Zuko said.
" A few yes… but what about 10 or 20?! What if the whole village attacked you?! And not one person on this ship knew where you were! You could have been dead and we wouldn't have even known!" Iroh said.
"Uncle I'm fine!!! I didn't get killed!!! How am I ever going to capture the Avatar if you yell at me every time I do anything?!?!?" Zuko asked raising his voice a little louder. Zuko… I don't want to fight with you. But please.. Next time you go looking for the Avatar take some soldiers with you for protection. Iroh said calmly.
"I DON'T NEED PROTECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Zuko screamed at the top of his lungs. "And I don't need you bothering me while I'm trying to capture the Avatar!!!!!!!!!!! I'm almost 16 years old!!!!!!!!! Just let me decide what I do!!!!!!!!!! I don't need you any more!
Zuko went into his cabin and slammed the door. It was pretty late so he decided to go to bed. After he fell asleep he started dreaming. He dreamed he was seven years old. He was back in the fire nation at his palace playing outside. He was running in a big field when he saw this boy. The boy looked about the same age as him.
"Hi Zuko". The boy said.
"Uh… hi… who are you?" Zuko asked.
The boy looked at Zuko like he was crazy. "Don't you recognize me? Its me LuTen. Your cousin"
Zuko loolked at the boy with the same look. "If you're my cousin LuTen… then why do you look like a little kid?"
"Because I can." The boy replied.
"What"? Zuko asked.
"Never mind… so how is my dad"? Luten asked.
"What?" Zuko repeted.
"My dad. You know the one I'm letting you temporarily borrow." Luten said.
"Um…" Zuko hesitated to answer.
"… you know he is MY dad right? Not yours". Luten asked.
"Yeah I know that". Zuko replied.
"I bet you didn't know he's supposed to be dead"... Luten said quietly.
"What"?! Zuko asked.
"He died… we both did he just doesn't remember". Luten explained.
"What do you mean? He's not dead!" Zuko shouted.
"He died… but I knew you needed him so I made him go back". Luten said.
"Huh"? Zuko looked confused.
"You heard me. But you don't need him any more so… I want him back".
"What? No!" Zuko shouted.
"Yes. He's my dad… And I've let you have him for a long time. But now I want him back". Luten said.
"But… you can't take him!" Zuko screamed.
"Why not?" Luten asked.
"Because I want him…" Zuko replied.
"So do I!" Luten shot back.
"But you don't need him!" Zuko yelled.
"Neither do you!… or at least that's what you said". Lutne said.
"… I don't need him". Zuko said.
"Good. So make sure you say goodbye to him because I'm taking him tomorrow". Luten smiled.
"… No!" Zuko screamed even louder.
"What?! Yes! He's MINE!!!" Luten shouted.
"No! Please!" Zuko screamed.
Zuko started crying and LuTens expression grew darker. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take him!" Luten demanded.
"Because I said you can't!!!!" Zuko shouted.
"I should have never let you have him! He's treated you like his son all this time and you act like a jerk!" Screamed.
"I'm not going to let you take him!" Zuko screamed back.
"The truth is Zuko… your not his son… I am". Luten said and the look on his face grew more evil.
"Please don't take him!!!!" Zuko screamed with the last of his strength.
"Why shouldn't I? He's my dad and I deserve him!" Luten said.
"No! No! No!" Zuko continued screaming.
"YES!" Luten screamed in a dark voice that Zuko didn't recognize.
A huge rush of fear came over Zuko like a dark wave. But he kept thinking... kept trying to figure out a way to convence Luten not to take Iroh. And then he had an idea. "No you can't take him because…" Zuko started to say quietly.
"Because why?" Luten asked and his expression lightend up a little bit.
"Because…" Zuko continued.
"You better give me a good reason quick!" Luten demanded.
"Because…I need him…" Zuko said.
Luten looked at Zuko and smiled. "What? But Zuko your almost 16! Why would you need him?!"
Because… because I'm a stupid kid! And I'm mad because my real dad banished me! And I'll do ANYTHING to capture the Avatar! Even if its something stupid! And I could hurt myself! And I need someone to be like my dad and keep me from doing stupid stuff!
"… ok. I'll let you keep him. Just don't forget who gave him to you ok?" Luten said and smiled at his cousin.
"I will never forget you LuTen… thank you". Zuko smiled back.
The next morning Zuko woke up to someone knocking on his door.
"Zuko? Are you awake?" Iroh asked.
"Yeah…" Zuko said sleepily.
Iroh came into his room. "Zuko I want to apologize for yelling at you yesterday"
"That's ok… you don't have to apologize" Zuko said.
"Do you remember my son? Your cousin LuTen?" Iroh asked suddenly.
Zuko nodded.
"Well… I've never told you this before but… I feel responsible for his death. I should have taken better care of him… I shouldn't have let him go to Ba Sing Sae with me… And I guess I just didn't want to make the same mistake with you. And I guess that made me a little over protective so…
Zuko interrupted Iroh. "LuTen was very lucky to have a dad like you uncle… I just wish I had that same luck"
Iroh smiled. "I'm sure your father cares about you Zuko…"
"Yeah that's why he burnt half of my face off and then banished me." Zuko said sarcastically. "That's ok though… I don't need him.