Chapter Twelve

" Wonderful meeting you out here, little Prince." Celia mused, jumping down off the landing and punching a bounty hunter that was about to tackle her to the ground. He felland startedtwitching. Zuko snorted as if that was supposed to impress him.

" What do you want?" He asked, Captain Lao stepped out from behind Celia, and waved his cloak away revealing a worn hand.

" Why do you ask such pointless questions, Prince Zuko?" Lao said lightly, he narrowed his eyes. " The girl." He gestured towards Yumi who was unconscious. Zuko moved to the side.

" Forget it. She's for my use." Zuko concluded. Celia burst out laughing.

" What does that mean! That has some negative connotations…" She giggled, Lao shook his head.

" Anyway, " He said, coughing. " It's no use to protect her, and there's no point."

" Says you." Zuko shot back.

" Tell me, Prince, what do you have to gain from protecting the girl? Your father won't like this-" Lao said, but was interrupted.

" Yeah! Our Lord gave us direct orders to bring that girl to him!" Celia persisted, Lao put a hand on her shoulder to silence her. She took a step back and let Lao continue.

" As my comrade has mentioned," He said, glancing at Celia, who recoiled a little. " We do have direct orders from your father to capture the girl, now what do you possibly have to gain by disobeying him?" Lao said, more forcefully.

" Nothing, nothing at all. You didn't think I'd let you two jokers take this valuable girl in yourselves, did I?" A devilish grin appeared on Zukos' face as he outstretched his palm. Lao eyes widened and he jumped out of the way as a jet of fire shot out of Zukos' hand and was heading towards the two.

" Get down, Celia!" Lao yelled from the side, Celia ducked right before the blast hit her.

" Sirs! I am here!" Mayuko appeared from the top of the hill, saluting and tripping.

" Fool…" Lao whispered, as immediately Zuko spun around and lurched his foot out, fire spurting and knocking Mayuko down.

Explosions were heard from behind them as Admiral Zhao and a few others were in the midst of a battle with the bounty hunters. The surrounding houses had imploded and sent Lao, Celia and Zuko flying to the side. The smoke was so thick you couldn't peer through it. Zuko pawed around the ground for Yumis' figure, this was his chance to get out of here. Uncle will be okay for now. He needed to get to safety, he knew Yumi was burned badly and she would need to be treated. He saw her shadow five feet away, he reached out but then stopped, his hand hovering.

" What am I doing?" He asked himself bringing his hand back and standing up. She means nothing to me. Nothing. I should be focusing on capturing the Avatar, not letting her tag along with me…what am I doing…?

The smoke was beginning to dissipate as Yumi could be seen now, her eyes squeezed shut, she would mumble every so often. Zuko stared at her, he tilted his head, confused.

" This is stupid…" He muttered, turning and walking out of sight, shaking Yumi out of his head. Zuko's eyes widened as a memory ran through his mind.

It was dark outside and the fire crackled and sputtered, green brush surrounded Yumi and Zuko. Uncle had gone to check on things with the men, leaving Zuko alone with the annoying girl. He sat with his back turned to Yumi and the fire, Yumi was sitting on her knees watching the fire burn. She had a smile on her face.

" It's pretty, isn't it?" She asked Zuko, but she didn't take her eyes off the flames. Zuko glanced at her.

" No."

" What do you mean, no? It's beautiful, it's like Mother Nature's way of entertaining us." Yumi breathed.

" What are you saying?" Zuko asked, fingering a leaf. Yumi stood up and sat next to him. Zuko slid a few feet away, if this bothered Yumi she didn't say anything because she cupped her hands and brought them in front of her. She opened them up and a little fireball danced in her palm. Zuko turned around and looked at the fire.

" So what? Any weakling can do that." He said, lighting the leaf on fire and watching it slip through his fingers. Yumi closed her hand and the fire went out, she put her hands in her lap and looked at Zuko.

" It reminds me of magic, you know?" Yumi whispered.

" Not really." Zuko answered, looking away.

" I guess that's just me, then."

Zuko looked at her. " Magic. Don't be ridiculous." He replied, ending the conversation.

Zuko shook the memory away and glanced at Yumi who was coming to. " Oh, Agni." He sighed and rushed towards her. He picked her up and darted away just as the dust settled.

The next morning was a complete blur to Yumi, she remembered being hit by a hunter, then feeling a lot of pressure on her arm for some reason. She was fully conscious by midday and stirred on a bed of leaves, she sat up and looked around.

" Oh no, I've been captured!" She screamed, throwing her arms up and then screaming again, because her shoulder burned, literally.

" Way to re injure your shoulder, idiot." Zuko said, he was hunched over a lake, splashing about with his hands. Yumi didn't know what to say, so a small squeaking sound escaped her lips instead. Zuko stood up and held in his right hand a wet cloth that he had just soaked in the river. He threw it at Yumi, she held her hand up to catch it, but it flew past her and smacked her in the face.

Zuko rolled his eyes and sat a few steps away, Yumi felt dizzy as she put her hand to her head. She winced. " My head hurts, " She narrowed her eyes at Zuko. " Did you hit me again?"

" Quiet."

" I want to know if you hit me!"

" I didn't, alright? You hit your head when you fell on the ground." Zuko snapped. Yumi put her hand down.

" That's all you had to say." She smiled and looked at her shoulder. " Oh no! What happened to me? You did this, didn't you?" She asked, more forcefully. Zuko didn't turn around.

" No, of course I didn't. Don't you remember being hit by that bounty hunter?" He asked, Yumi thought with her hand poised under her chin.

" Oh, right." She answered happily remembering, Zuko exhaled. " Did you bandage this?" Yumi asked, pointing at herself.

" Yeah." He replied, glancing back and looking for her reaction.

" It's kind of bad."

" Your lucky I did it at all!" He yelled, Yumi didn't flinch but picked at the wrapping.

" Sorry, but maybe if you wrapped it a little tighter I wouldn't be able to feel the burning sensations as much." She described, Zuko just narrowed his eyes at her and turned back around to face the lake. They both sat there in awkward silence for quite awhile before Zuko stood up suddenly and started to walk away. Yumi lowered her eyebrows.

" Where are you off to, Prince Zuko?"She asked, standing up. Zuko stopped.

" What do you think?"

" Well, I…um…is this a trick question, because I'm not very good at guessing games." Yumi said, Zuko ignored this and continued.

" My sole mission is to find the Avatar and bring him to my father to regain my honor." He explained, his tone low.

" H-how will that help you regain your honor?" She had been wondering why Prince Zuko wanted to capture the Avatar so badly.

" I don't have to answer your questions."

" Oh, come on."

" No."

" What do you have to lose from telling sweet, innocent me?" She asked, tilting her head and grinning. Zuko cleared his throat.

" I'm going to choose to ignore the 'sweet and innocent' part."

" Oh, well be that way."

" I will."

" Fine."

" Fine!" Zuko cried, obviously frustrated. Yumi turned on her heel and ran in the opposite direction, the young prince lifted his chin. " Keep running and you'll make your injury worse, moron!" He yelled at her running figure. Yumi was a distance away and didn't hear his comment.

She clung to a tree trunk as she wheezed and panted, she slid down and sat between the enormous roots that protruded out of the ground.

" …That…hurt…" She mumbled, rubbing her shoulder, then screamed. " Ow! Blisters!" She let go of her shoulder and let her hands fall onto her lap. " Prince Zuko?" She asked softly, looking up at the thick trees above her, poking through the leaves was sunlight that made her squint.

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Chapter 12. There. Hmm, I wonder…?