Chapter Eight:

After they had looked for Appa, they found Helena instead of Appa.

"Helena!" Aang greeted. But before Sokka could tell him that it might not be a good idea to stay long, Helena had waved back. Smiling. Both the boys ran over to her and blushed when they saw her naked. "Wheres Zuko?"

"Zuko?" She repeted. Looking around. She pointed to the top spring. They were like small pools. Like the one in that episode...with the...spirit world thing. I think that was it anyway. Anyway. She pointed to the top spring and giggled."He is funny. He is playing hide and seek!"

Sokka and Aang turned their back to Helena as Helena made her way to the top spring. She was like she was drunk. "Zuko!You're going to drown!" But he did not come out. It took her a few minutes to think up a plan. She was able to pick up the entire spring and Zuko was left where the water once was. "Come on out Zuko!" He shook his head at Helena. "Why not?"

"Just put the water down." He said lowering his hand.She dropped the water so it fell atop of her and not in the spring. He was in deep shit now.

"Come out Zukie!"

"Zukie." Aang repeted giggling. Sokka giggled too. Zuko now was really red.

"Zukie come out!" she giggled. She got away from the springs and over to where their clothes were. "I got your pants!" Sokka and Aang cracked up laughing. There is no possable way for me to discribe how embarrised Zuko was.Exactly what he was trying avoid. Once Aang and Sokka had left, Zuko still stayed in the spring. Helena walked to the spring and sat down with him. "Woh.." With that, she supported her back with the side of the spring. "Zuko..im tired..." Zuko just had to crack a smile.

"Okay." With that, he walked to their clothes and put his own on first, then walked to her and gave her, her clothes and she put them on. Zuko walked her back to the ship.


Once they got back, she lied down on his bed and slept while he went up on deck. Iroh joined his nephew on the deck.

"Did you have fun at the springs?" Iroh teased.

"W-what are you talking about?" Zuko asked him, pretending not to know what he was talking about. Iroh laughed.

"I know you went to the theraputic hotsprings with Helena." He laughed. Zuko was silent. "I can tell you really like her."

"What does it matter?" He asked, walking to the railing. "She already has a boyfriend."

"She could break up with him." Iroh pointed out. Zuko shook his head.

"She loves him far too much. Which I dont understand why, he is a total ass hole." Zuko told his uncle. He had never felt this bad before. He still loved Helena with all of his heart, but it hurt to know he had no chance.

"Prince Zuko. If you had the chance. Would you fight to get Helena?" Iroh asked him. He nodded. "Well. You could get a chance." Zuko looked at his uncle confuzed.

"What are you talking about?"

"When Helena's book was deliverd to her, it had the return address. We are getting closer to the island it came from. So im assuming that if we go there, you can get your revenge." Iroh told his nephew proudly.Zuko made a small flame on his finger and played with it bordly.

"Will it do any good? I may beat him, but Helena will probably still love him." Zuko pouted. Iroh sighed.

"Prince Zuko,Stop your whining. I seriously doubt she even loves him now." Iroh said. Mainly trying to either comfert his nephew. Or make him fight to get the one he loves to love him. He knew how lonly Zuko must be. Zuko thought about what Helena had told him.

"I just love him so despritly but I was afraid he would walk away, I felt that if I did what he said, I would somehow be able to hold onto him. I knew we were heading into all kinds of trouble but somwhere in my heart, I hoped that someone would stop me. Just recently I have been starting to see that he didn't love me. But, I was afraid to be alone" She is afraid to be by herself..Such a pretty girl shouldnt be afraid of such a thing. I've been by myself for what seems forever. But I suppose, she is diffrent than I am. If there was only a way to show her that she isnt alone.. "Well Prince Zuko?"

"What?"

"Were going to get to the island in a few weeks. What are you going to do?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Well Prince Zuko. If you don't wish to fight for her. well. I wont want to see what will happen-"

"What do you mean?"

"Prince Zuko.If he is as much of an ass as you say he is. He wont respect Helena. He'll probably put his hands on her." Iroh infasized those the most mainly because he knew how Zuko would react. He really wanted his nephew to at least be happy once in a while. But he knew that only Helena made him happy now. He saw Zuko's tiny flame get larger. Much larger. Untill it was much to big and hot for him to even bend.

"WHAT!" He exclaimed. Iroh was right, knowing that he would be able to make Zuko angry with Helena's boyfriend and then he will fight him. Iroh was so proud of himself. "If he even dares..."

"You know he would. Wouldnt you if Helena loved you and you had the chance?" Iroh asked him. Zuko was now nearly on fire.

"Of course not!" He shouted at his uncle. Although..was that how he really felt about the subject?

"But he would. Boys like him only think about one thing." His uncle teased. He wanted to get Zuko as angry as possable. Which apparently was working very well.

"I'LL KICK HIS ASS!" Zuko declaired. Iroh laughed clapping his hands together.

"Wounderful Prince Zuko!" Iroh said laughing. "Do you think you should train for a garenteed victory?"

"I dont know how strong he is, But I guess I should." With that, he shot a flame at his Uncle, who dodged it. "Lets get started!" Iroh laughed and fired a fire ball at him, he dodged it and did that one thing from the Kioshi episode. With the move that looked like he was break dancing. That was cool.. anyway. They trained the remainder of the day. Zuko had gotten alot better sence the last time he and Iroh had a match. When Zuko wasnt training or looking after Helena, he was meditating. When Helena was awake and refused to lie around the ship doing nothing at all. She was able to take a bunch of his shirts and sew them into a kamono. Mainly because she had been wearing the same clothes for days and she didnt like that very much. When she finished sewing her kamono, she made Prince Zuko leave the room while she changed into it. When he was able to walk back in, she asked how she looked. "Beautiful." He told her. She smiled and looked at her kamono. It was just the right fit. Although now Prince Zuko was nearly out of shirts, he rather liked how she looked in the kamono.The kamono itself was a cool red. Sort of in the middle between burgundy red and regular red. The large ribbon she had made was a dark red. Between burgundy red and black.It was very unique. When he had a bad day of training and got a hurt, when training ended she would tend to his wounds and mend his shirt. She had nothing else better to do anyway. She had to 'relax'. She couldnt train with them or she would be sick again. So she perfected her sewing abilitys. But when she tried her hand at cooking...

"Dinner is ready!" She announced to Prince Zuko and his uncle. They had a hard day of training and Helena wanted to make dinner. She made them a salad. It was actually beautifully made. Lettace at the bottom, she cut up apples and put them on the lettice, and a bunch of carrots were piled in the middle. White wine had been added for flavor. Prince Zuko's eyes sparkled at the dinner. He had not had a meal so carefully made in such a long time. He ate it happily. He and his uncle took a bite at the same time, it tasted worse than dirt.They froze with the forks in their mouths. Like they were stone. "How is it?" Helena asked them. The sweatdropped. Neither knew what to tell them. She was smiling so hopefully.

"Um...er.." They both said trying to think of what to tell her. She lifted her fork and took a bite herself. She had the same reaction as they did.

"Its..terrible." She sighed. She couldnt even make a simple salad. Zuko saw she was depressed so he picked up his fork again and took another bite.

"I..I like it." He lied to her. He didnt want her feelings to be hurt so he decided to finish his salad.

"I just dont know what I did wrong..I could have sworn I put in white wine.." She mumbled to herself as she walked into the kitchen. She saw that she had put vinager inside the salad and not white wine. "Oh no..I used vinager."

"Prince Zuko. His uncle whisperd to him while she was in the kitchen. "Remember your training. Dont go getting sick now."

"But she worked so hard on it." he protested just as softly as his uncle. But after he had said that, a few seconds, Helena walked back in and picked up her salad.

"Zuko. I should be the one eating this. It is my mistake." She told him. Forcing herself to eat some more.

"Helena. Its okay really.We have a cook. You dont need to-" But she interruped Zuko.

"Yes I do. Im 16 and on my island. When a girl turns 16, she must begin bridal training." She told them.Even though cooking wasnt her best ability. She had to learn. They had no idea what to say to that, so they just let her explain. "Usually, a girl begins practising bridal training when she is fourteen, but her mother is suppost to help her." Thats when Zuko and Iroh relized that it was going to be harder for Helena because she lost her mother.

"I'll help." Zuko offerd. There was a long silence as Helena nad Iroh looked at Zuko. Iroh like he was insane. His look was easily read by Zuko but not so easily by Helena. Are you insane? Iroh's look said to him. Zuko just looked at Helena and ignored Iroh.

"Really?" Helena asked. She couldnt beleive he was willing to take her cooking again.

"Sure. Uncle will be willing to help too. Right Uncle?" Zuko said. Like hell he was going to face this alone.

"er..um..sure." Iroh told her. They saw a smile spread across her face.

"Great! I'll make breakfast tomarrow" She told them smiling. She walked to Zuko's room and decided to go on to sleep. She was kind of tired. Iroh glared at Zuko.

"Its bad enough that you are threatning your own health, but did you have to drag me into it?"Iroh asked him. Zuko just bordly played with some fire he had made.

"Uncle,You saw how depressed she was. Besides, its not her fault that she is terrible. She lost her mom after all." Zuko told him. He did feel bad for Helena. It really wasnt her fault. She had no one to help her.

"Well Prince Zuko. It was a good idea actually. The more you help her, the more she will like you." Iroh pointed out. Yet, Iroh didnt want to be put in a life or death situation. "But remember your fight. You can't go getting yourself sick."

"I wont uncle. Besides, Her cooking can't kill me. Right?" Zuko pointed out. A but uneasy about his promise now. But his uncle went on to bed without awncering his question. Zuko sat alone with the ransid salad. He put it in the kitchen and walked into his room. He wasnt going to go sleep yet. He meditated. Keeping the light dim so it wouldnt wake up Helena.