Chapter 10: The Waterbending Scroll

I attentively follow after Zuko. I know he's mad at me, I think I know why too, but I'm honestly not sure he knows. Zuko goes back to Iroh's side, arms folded across his chest unhappily.

"I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace." Iroh told us.

"It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!" Zuko shouted with unnecessary rage. For some reason I don't think he was just talking about Iroh.

"Quite the contrary." Iroh tries to lighten the mood, "I always say the only thing better than finding something you were looking for, is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" Now I see the parade of Fire Nation soldiers carrying armloads of merchandise. One of them carries a brass musical instrument.

"You bought a sumki horn!" I exclaim, temporarily excited despite the glare I receive from Zuko.

"For music night on the ship. You know about the sumki horn?" Iroh asks. I blush in embarrassment.

"Not really, I just know about it from the stories I've heard, but I know how to play instruments that look kind of similar, so I always wanted to try it."

"Then I'll be delighted to hear you play"

"Can we just go already?" Zuko said besides us, sounding annoyed. We only manage to walk a few feet before Iroh sees the pirate ship.

"This place looks promising!" He exclaims.

We entered the pirate ship and Iroh immediately found the creepy, ruby eyed, monkey statue.

"Ooo! That is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?" I rolled my eyes at him, I don't even like to shop this much, and I'm a girl. I actually looked around at the stolen booty which is mostly old vases and rugs that looked like they belong in Aladdin. I was examining a beautifully ornate red box when one of the pirates came over to talk to me.

"You have quite the eye, miss. That piece is said to hold the Heart of the Fire Nation, the most beautiful ruby necklace in the world. I can give you quite the offer for it." He smiled widely, showing his gapped smile.

"Let me guess, no one's been able to open it yet?" I say, trying and failing to open it myself.

"Yes, but it might open for someone with such pretty hair." His stare lingered a little too much on my hair for comfort.

"No thanks." I tried to move around the smelly pirate but he stepped in front of me.

"Just a moment, uh… miss. Where did you get such light-colored hair?" This time he looked at more than just my hair.

"Born with it." I tried swerving around, but he stopped me again.

"Wait! Maybe we can work out a trade, uh…" He pointed to the golden fans attached to my hip, "What shiny fans you have there."

"The better to smack you with." I followed through with a demonstration. Before he had time to react Zuko intervened.

"Come on, Lucy. We're going to work with the pirates to find the Avatar." He said curtly and then turned around giving me the cold shoulder. I hurried to match his step.

"Zuko don't be mad at me. In case you wanted to know, it didn't mean anything."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said without looking at me. "If you really think I care what you do then you're wrong."

"Then why can't you look me in the eye?! What am I still doing here?!" He roughly grabbed me by the shoulders, glaring into my eyes.

"The only thing I care about is capturing the Avatar, Okay? You're only dead weight." He whispered.

"Well… Fine then, you can capture the Aang without me!" I stormed down the plank of the pirate ship.

Walking down the market place, I begin to think of how Zuko must feel. I realize I don't know how he really feels about me. Did I betray him? A part of me feels like it does. I shake my head in disgust; he shouldn't have said that to me if he didn't mean it. I grip my head to sooth the coming headache.

"God I miss Scarlett."

"Sorry I'm not Scarlett, but maybe I can help with whatever's bothering you." I turn around to find Shan. "Why were you with that Fire Nation guy anyway?" He asked with an innocent curiosity, not at all angry or disgusted.

"They're not all bad you know." He stepped closer towards me, I didn't move.

"I wouldn't but I'll take your word for it."

"You're really nice Shan." So much nicer than Zuko, at least with the way he's being right now.

"Thank you." Shan stepped closer to me, this time I stepped backwards. I can't afford to develop feelings for this guy. I know the future of this world; I have to stay with Zuko.

"I have to go Shan." And like that I bolted back the way I came.

"Lucy!" Uncle shouted as I passed him.

"Uncle?" I went up and hugged him, "Uncle! Why aren't you with Zuko?"

"I just came out to beg for you to come back."

"Beg?"

"In my experience that's usually how you get a woman to forgive you." I gave a short laugh.

"Trust me Uncle, you're not the one who has to beg."

At dusk we left on a small cutter craft. I didn't want to go, but Uncle convinced me to. The Pirate Captain is aboard our ship; luckily he's the only pirate.

"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?" The Captain asks.

"We don't need to stop." Zuko said confidently. "They stole a waterbending scroll, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Then they'll be on the water."

It gets late. I start to tire.

"You should talk to Zuko." Uncle advises.

"Why? He's the one with the bad attitude. I tried to explain what happened, but he wouldn't listen."

"Try to understand Lucy, that Zuko doesn't understand his own feelings sometimes. He still has some growing up to do."

"Don't I know it." I snort. "I'm going to bed, Uncle. Wake me when you hear Katara."

"Stupid!" The sound of Katara's frustrated attempts woke me up before Uncle did. The cutter craft is quickly docked and the pirates plus Zuko hurry off. After groggily getting up, I sneak off the boat and hide in the bushes. I don't want Katara or the others to know I'm here.

I step on a stray twig, it makes that cracking sound that makes me cringe, but I don't think anyone else noticed.

I watch as Katara runs straight into Zuko, and he traps her between his arms and his body. My eyes widen, I may not remember every detail of this episode, but I'm pretty sure he didn't do that.

"I'll save you from the pirates." He says real close to her face, but still loud enough so that I can hear it. Does he know I'm here?

Zuko and one of his soldiers bind Katara to the trunk of a small tree, her hands behind the trunk. She is surrounded.

"Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you or your brother."

"Go jump in the river!"

"Try to understand," Zuko tries reasoning with her, but he also sounds different, his voice is more husky, " I need to capture him to restore something I've lost. My honor." As he says this, he walks behind the tree, still managing to get too close to her as he whispers into her ear. "Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost." His lips are almost touching Katara's ear, yet he still manages to look in my direction. So he does know I'm watching, and he's trying to make me jealous! How dare he! Anyway, Zuko brings out Katara's necklace, gentling resting it on her neck.

"My mother's necklace! How did you get that?" She's shocked.

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering." He jabs as he walks away with her choker. "Tell me where he is."

"No!"

"Enough of this necklace garbage. You promised the scroll!" The Pirate Captain complains.

"I wonder how much money this is worth?" Zuko asks, taking out the scroll and producing fire beneath it. The pirates gasp; some even cry 'no'. "A lot, apparently. Now you help me find what I want, you'll get this back and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet back here."

"Fine." The captain sullenly agrees. The pirates disperse into the woods, searching for Aang.

At dawn the pirates return with Aang and Sokka tied up. They stare down Zuko and his men who have the scroll. Katara's tied to the tree in between and Iroh stands next to her.

"Nice work." Zuko comments.

"Aang, this is all my fault." Katara apologizes.

"No, Katara it isn't." Aang tries to reassure her.

"Yeah, it kind of is."Iroh crushes Aang's attempts.

"Give me the boy." Zuko addresses the pirates.

"You give us the scroll." The pirates demand in return.

"You're really gonna hand over the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment!?" Sokka interjects.

"Don't listen to him!" Zuko says, pointing at Sokka, "He's trying to turn us against each other."

"Your friend is the Avatar?" The Pirate Captain asks.

"Sure is, and I'll bet he'll fetch a lot more on the black market then that fancy scroll."

"Shut your mouth, you water tribe peasant!" I have to physically stop myself from laughing; I didn't remember him calling Sokka that.

"Yeah, Sokka, you really should shut your mouth..." Aang says, not catching onto Sokka's plan yet.

"I'm just sayin'," Sokka says to the pirates, "it's bad business sense. Just imagine how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for life!"

"Keep the scroll! We can buy a hundred with the reward we will get for the kid." The pirate Captain points to Zuko. The pirates begin to walk away with Aang and Sokka.

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" Cue a torrent from Zuko and his guards, bathing the ground beneath the pirates in flames. This is the catalyst to utter chaos and I can't tell what's happening, especially when smoke bombs go off. In the confusion I sneak over to where Katara is and untie her.

"Lucy!" Katara says in a shocked whisper. I can see from her expression that she doesn't know what to feel about me, since she's not sure what side I'm on.

"Don't worry Katara I'm on the Avatar's side." I say in complete honesty, hoping to assure her. "Come on Katara let's get that ship in the water." I say pointing to the pirate ship. We rush over to it. I halt when I hear Zuko fighting with the Pirate Captain across the smoke, I want to go over there and help him, but I can't. He'd probably become more upset with me if I did anyway.

"Lucy what are you doing? Come on!" Katara says, bringing me out of my trance. Zuko can take care of himself. When I get to the boat Katara is already trying to push the boat off the beach.

"It won't budge. Lucy, help me?"

"I don't think two girls can push this thing back… but I think two waterbenders could." Katara smiles at me. Then we proceed to bend the river back and forth. From behind we can hear Aang and Sokka running toward us.

"Katara! You're okay!" Aang says happily. Just as the two boys reach us, the water level raises around the prow just enough to let the ship float.

"Everybody in!" Katara orders. Aang is the last to get on before me, he turns around half up the ladder when he notices I'm not climbing up.

"Aren't you coming with us?" He asks.

"No."

"Why not?" He sounds perplexed. I want to say it's because I don't want to make Zuko any angrier than he is now, but I don't want them to start questioning my relationship with him. So what do I say?

"We all have our destiny Avatar, right now mine is here." Yeah, that sounds good. I start to turn back, but then I remember my new necklace. "Aang wait! I want you to have this." I take off the air nomad necklace and throw it up into Aang's waiting hand.

I run back to Zuko before Aang has a chance to say anything. He's still fighting the Pirate Captain. I open one of my fans and use it to slice between them, stopping there duel. I feel like a referee.

"Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?" Iroh says coming from the other side.

"We have no time for your proverbs, Uncle!" Zuko says, roaring to keep dueling. I wonder if this was his way of venting out his frustration.

"It's no proverb." Iroh points to the pirate ship going down river.

"Bleeding hog-monkeys!" The Pirate Captain runs after his ship, although I don't know how he intends to catch it.

"Haha!" Zuko laughs at the pirate. Even though the sound was short, even though I know he's upset with me, the rare and beautiful sound of his laugh still makes my heart stop.

"Hey! That's my boat!" Zuko stops laughing as he sees his ship, loaded with pirates, following the Avatar.

"Maybe it should be a proverb." Iroh says, scratching his chin.

"Come on, Uncle!" Zuko says running after his ship for some reason, and just as I thought he forgot about me or just didn't care about me, he calls out. "Lucy, hurry up!" I smile, calmly walking towards Zuko.

There's no need for me to rush, I know what happens next. The Gaang fights the pirates and the pirates get their soggy butts kicked. They all finally notice the waterfall at the end of the river; the gang almost successfully keep themselves from falling off the edge of the waterfall with waterbending, but then the pirates crash into their boat with Zuko's little cutter ship. By this time Zuko and Iroh noticed the waterfall too and are running to the river bank. Appa saves the day by catching the Gaang on his back and they fly safely away.

"My boat!" Zuko exclaims, looking over the edge of the waterfall at the pirates who went down with his little ship.

"Hehe, Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this." Iroh laughs after regaining his breathe, "The missing lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" Uncle takes out the lotus tile with a huge smile on his face, one that forces me to smile too. I almost smack my forehead though, because I forgot Uncle had the lotus tile all along. And I went through all that trouble…

Zuko on the other hand is not as amused. He's seething, but trying to control his anger. Then he snatches the tile lightning fast, throwing it as far as he can over the waterfall. Uncle's smiling face instantly dropped; he couldn't believe Zuko did that.

"Oh Uncle, I just remembered!" I said as Zuko stalks back towards the town. "I did find a lotus tile in the market." I fished the tile out of my pocket. "Here!"

"Oh thank you Lucy! But really you should keep it; I think you might find more use for it later." He winked at me, before turning around to follow Zuko.