"I've checked all the shops on this pier not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace!" Iroh said disappointed.

"It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!" Zuko snapped back.

I stood next to Zuko chuckling. God he's a goof.

"Quite the contrary... I always say the only thing better then finding something you were looking for is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" Iroh smiled brightly as the fire nation soildiers carried piles upon piles of things Iroh bought back to the ship.

"You bought a sonki horn?" Zuko questioned.

"For music night on the ship! Now if we only had some woodwinds..."

We began to walk and Zuko turned to me

"Did you get anything (Y/N)?"

"Oh just this..." I held up a golden ring with a dark jade crystal on my hand "I thought it looked pretty..."

Zuko blushed slightly brushing back his ponytail
"It's ok...I guess"

Suddenly Iroh turned towards a large ship acting as a store
"Oh! This place looks promising!"

Zuko and I looked at eachother shugging before following Iroh into the shop. He almost immediately ran over to a small stone statue covered in red glinting gems of a monkey like creature.

"Oh that is handsome! Wouldn't this look magnificent in the gally?" Iroh beamed.

I quietly nodded and Zuko just continued to look annoyed.

Two pirates stood at the counter discussing something
"We lost the water tribe girl.. and the little bald monk she was traveling with" one of them said immediately grabbing Zuko's attention.

"This monk did he have an arrow on his head?" He sneered
Oh great here we go again...

We found ourselves teamed up with the pirates to search for the avatar together using their ship. Athough they weren't even aware this "monk" was the avatar... they just wanted some waterbending scroll back that the Avatar's crew had stolen. I stood looking out to the river glistening with a fresh daylight while Zuko talked with the ship's captain.
"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?"

"We don't need to stop... they stole a waterbending scroll right?" Zuko replied.

"Mhm" the pirate confirmed.

"Then they'll be on the water..."

The day turned to night and we heard a voice that we recognized. It was the Avatar's waterbending friend who I think is named Katara. We all nodded at eachother and quietly took the ship to the side of the river. We disembarked and one of the pirates grabbed Katara

"Let go of me!" She argued hitting the pirate with a wave of water. Katara stumbled back as the pirate let go and she landed in Zuko's grasp.

"I'll save you from the pirates.." Zuko smirked then comanding the soldiers to tie her to a tree.

I stood guard, taking out a sword in case she tried to escape. In my back pocket lied the waterbending scroll Zuko gave to me for safekeeping.

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

"Go jump in the river!" Katara retorted.

I neared her knowing how much finding the avatar meant to Zuko... I better try to threaten her so I said,
"Do as he says water girl... I won't hesitate to make you wish you drowned in that river.."

Katara just stared and me coldly... okay so that didn't work.

"Try to understand I need to capture him to restore something I've lost... my honor.. perhaps in exchange I could restore something you've lost"

Zuko then held up her necklace to her neck. I had to admit I was a tiny bit jealous. Zuko and her were getting really close.. like uncomfortably close and I just stood there... watching, like an idiot. Gosh I'm such a third wheel sometimes... I zoomed back to reality

"My mother's necklace!" Katara exclaimed "how did you get that?"

"I didn't steal it if that's what you're wondering...Tell me where he is..."

"No!" Katara shouted.

"Enough of this necklace garbage! You promised a scroll" the pirate captain said sternly.

"(Y/N)" Zuko motioned to me and I handed him the scroll.

"I wonder how much this is worth..." Zuko said holding up a flame to the scroll. The pirates began to look panicked.

"A lot apparently..now you help me find what I want and you'll get this back and everyone goes home happy" Zuko said smiling devilishly, "search the woods for the boy and meet back here"

"Fine.." the pirate captain agreed walking away

"Nice work (Y/N).." Zuko said
"You too Zuko very... convincing" I kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Nice work..." Zuko said nearing the pirates with the scroll. They had captured the avatar and finally all this could be over.

"Aang this is all my fault" Katara stated still tied to her tree

"No Katara it isn't" the avatar said

"Yeah it kinda is..." Iroh added causing me to chuckle under my breath

"Give me the boy" Zuko comanded

"You give us the scroll"

"You're really going to hand over the avatar for a stupid piece of parchment?" The Avatar's other friend (who was the waterbender Katara's brother) questioned

"Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against eachother!" Zuko snapped

"Your friend is the avatar?" The pirate questioned confused

"Sure is! And I'll bet he'll fetch a lot more on the black market then that fancy scroll" The watertribe boy replied.

Zuko and I stiffened

"Shut your mouth you watertribe peasant!" Zuko exclaimed

"Yeah Sokka you really should shut your mouth..." the Avatar said worried

"I'm just saying it's bad buiness sense.. just imagine how much the firelord would pay for the avatar you guys would be set for life!" Sokka said trying to convince the pirates

"Keep the scroll... we can buy a hundred with the reward we'll get for the kid" the captain said beginning to walk away. Zuko eyes narrowed

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me" Zuko, the soldiers, and I kicked a flurry of fire at the pirates. One of the pirates threw smoke bombs making the air covered with a thick haze.

"(Y/N) stay back" Zuko comanded in the heat of the battle

"I can do this... my bending is getting better"

"That was an order"

"And this is a battle" I said throwing a flame defending Zuko from an incoming attack.

Suddenly the scroll was snatched from Zuko by the pirates.

"Dammit..." I said softly under my breath. We continued to fight and the avatar was nowhere to be seen.
Iroh interrupted the fight between Zuko and the pirate captain

"are you so busy fighting you can not see your own ship has set sail!"

"We have no time for your proverbs uncle!"

"It's no proverb" Iroh replied pointing at the ship sailing away. Shoot.

"Bleeding hawk-monkeys!" The pirate exclaimed rushing away.

Zuko laughed at the man before he realized the pirates had taken his ship.

"Hey! Thats my boat!" Zuko rushed toward it. Iroh and I looked at eachother

"Maybe it should be a proverb..."

I smiled politely

"Come on you two!" Zuko ordered
We all rushed to the edge of the river which led to a waterfall. Both our ship and the pirate's ship came tumbling down the fall.

"My boat!" Zuko yelled as the boat floated out of his sight.

Iroh panted from the run and then said "Prince Zuko you're really going to get a kick out of this... the lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" Iroh beamed holding up the tile.

I laughed as Zuko steamed with anger. He took the tile and threw it into the water which was probably fair...

"There there..." I said patting Zuko on the back.

"If she wasn't here I would kill you.." Zuko grumbled death starring at Iroh.

"Which is why I'm so glad she is!" Iroh said smiling and putting his arm around us both. I was right, this misadventure was entertaining.