The Girl With Golden Hair

Chapter 6: The Waterbending Scroll

     I woke up in a misty mangrove, it seemed familiar like I've been here before. "How peculiar," I wandered around the humid swamp, trying to figure out where I was, I was just on the boat, nowhere near a swamp.
     "We finally meet, Ayaka." A voice sounded behind me, making me jump. Behind me was an old man with long white hair, half up, half down. He was the same man that took Aang's place in the temple, "I am Roku, the Avatar before Aang."
     I took a deep bow, "It is a pleasure, Avatar Roku. Where am I?"
     "You are in the spirit world, this is a parallel plane of existence. The spirits that live here most often embodied aspects of life. Like Tui and La, push and pull, although they reside in the human world currently. I brought you here so that I could speak with you. You see the world in unbalance. You weren't brought to this different world without reason Ayaka," He explained. "You are a guide to the one person the Avatar needs most. My great-grandson needs you."
     "Who are you referring to?" 
     "You've met him already, and you've shown him great kindness. Such kindness that change has already been embedded in him." He waved his hand over the water that surrounded our feet, and a picture shimmered on the surface.
     "Zuko?" I looked up at Roku, "Zuko's related to you?" 
     He nodded, "It's shocking right now, but there is good in him." 
     "No, I know that it's just Zuko's technically related to the one person he's trying to capture. That's... ironic. How am I supposed to help him though?" 
     "Indeed it is. You'll figure it out Ayaka, so far it's been working just be patient and don't abandon him or hope."
     I nodded, "I won't, I promise Avatar Roku."
     "It is time for you to return, I will see you again when you need it most. Good luck Ayaka." avatar Roku bowed and I returned it, and my vision went dark.
     Soft and warm was the next thing I felt in the darkness. I rolled over and opened my eyes, to the soft glow of candles next to my bed. Zuko was sitting in front of them, "Zuko? What am I doing in your room?" His head snapped in my direction, and just as quickly he was by the side of my bed. 
     "You're awake!" I made a snappy comment back and tried to sit up, a sharp pain radiated shoulder, and Zuko forced me to stop moving, "You're shoulder was injured, you're lucky it wasn't your neck."
      "I had the craziest dream." I laughed, causing more pain. I looked down to see I was only in my sports bra and the bandages ran underneath it, "What the hell! Who in their right mind?"
     "Calm down for one second, it was the nurse on board."
     I took a deep breath, "Right of course. How long was I out?" 
     "Two days."
     "Was I really out for that long? I gotta catch up on my training," I laughed a little.
      Zuko shook his head frowning, "You're not going to be able to for at least a week. You can meditate, that's it."
      I huffed, "That's so boring!"
      "You made the choice to leave the boat, this is the consequence you have to deal with. I should've never let you leave this boat," He shook his head, his frown deepened. Zuko stood up quickly and left me alone. There was nothing much I could do for the next three days but sleep, listen to music and chill with Tadashi. Zuko made me stay in his room so that I could be "supervised" in case something worsened in my condition. That boy was being strangely overprotective of me and I didn't understand why. I was fine, I get that I was hurt but I can take care of myself. Dinner was brought to me for three days until I could get up and walk to the dining hall. 
     Over the next few weeks, I had gotten better at Pai Sho, since that's all I could really do besides meditate. Iroh and I would play whenever I wasn't training with Zuko, I also learned how to make good tea. We were in the helmsman's tower with other crew, talking and laughing and Tadashi sleeping on my shoulder. "Oh dear, it seems like I lost my white lotus tile," Iroh searched his sleeves and pockets. 
     "Does that mean I'll be able to beat you?" I grinned at the old man.
     He chuckled, "Quite possibly Ayaka... Helmsman, take us to the nearest port of entry." The boat made a sharp turn. A few minutes later Zuko was in the tower.
     "What is the meaning of this mutiny? No one told you to change course!" Zuko yelled at the helmsman.
     "Actually someone did. I assure you it is of utmost importance, Prince Zuko," Iroh scratched his beard.
     Zuko looked relieved, "Is it something to do with the Avatar?" 
     "Even more urgent. It seems I have lost my lotus tile." Iroh rubbed his face in stress. 
     Zuko seemed confused by that, "Lotus tile?" 
     "For my Pai Sho game. Most people underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call." Iroh smiled and raised his brows, "Hopefully they will have the lotus tile in stock and I can get on with my life." Zuko yelled and fire came out with his heavy breath and reached the ceiling. I laughed as Iroh smiled at his nephew, "I am so lucky to have such an understanding nephew." I continued to laugh as Zuko stormed out of the room and back onto the lower deck. I calmed myself and followed him. He got back to his training with Jee, who I learned was a lieutenant and a very accomplished singer. I sat and watched him train with more advanced sets. 
     Zuko took continued for twenty more minutes until he took a break, wiping off the sweat on his face with a towel, "That's very impressive Zuko."
     I grabbed Tadashi off of my shoulder and put him in my lap, "Thanks," He said. 
     "You don't have to be short with me Zuko. I'm not the one who lost Iroh's tile," I shot back at him. 
     He took one long breath, "Sorry. The Avatar is just important to me. I need to get him before anyone else does."
     "He gives you hope, I understand Zuko. I hope one day you find a way to go home that doesn't involve hurting him." 
     "The only way I can go home is if my father finally accepts me and restores my honor," Zuko shook his head.
      "What if there was a way to go home without needing your father?" 
      "What are you suggesting?" Zuko seemed to get angry for a second.
      I opened my mouth, then closed it again and furrowed my brows, "I don't know exactly. I've never seen a problem like this. But maybe the Avatar could help you? Like not as in help you by capturing him but maybe by helping him defeat your father, you could claim the throne."
      Zuko got up, glaring down at me, "That's treason. I would never do that to my family." He stalked off to go below deck. 
                                                   ❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀☯❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀
      I joined the two firebenders on their trip to the marketplace and Zuko hadn't talked to me since our fight on the ship. Iroh gave me some gold pieces to spend, saying that I should pick up some keepsakes to remember my journey and something to do on the ship. The market was just as nice as the last market I was at, if not better. 
      The stands all were interesting in their own right, but I was drawn to one in particular, it held musical instruments. I needed a hobby anyways since reading is out the question seeing as I can't read Chinese. A flat-ish wooden instrument with metal keys sat on the wooden display, I picked it up and plucked some of the prongs. "Ah, I see you are drawn to the kalimba, you should get it." I looked over my shoulder at Iroh. 
      I smiled, "Yeah I should." 
      I got the instrument and continued shopping. There was so much it was overwhelming, I bought a couple of things, like brushes and paints. Eventually, I ran out of gold pieces and was left with some bronze coins. Walking back to the ship, I noticed a ship I hadn't seen before, a pirate stood outside beckoning passerbyers to come in and I did, "Hello little lady, please look around." I was looking around the ship, there was bunch of jewelry around one table. One necklace was fascinating, it was the yin yang symbol done with ruby and sapphire as the two colors. I knew I didn't have enough money for it I still admired it. Zuko and Iroh had entered the shop.
      "That looks nice," Zuko said.
      I nodded frowning, "Yeah I know, but I only have bronze pieces left."
      "We lost the Water Tribe girl and the little monk she was traveling with," One pirate said to the who I assumed was the captain. 
      Zuko's head turned away from the necklace,"That monk, did he have an arrow on his head?"
      We rode on Zuko's boat that launched out of the ship with the captain, the pirate ship following behind us on a river where the Avatar supposedly was camping by. I was playing with a little ball of water in the air with Tadashi on my shoulder. Zuko and the captain were speaking at the front of the boat, "Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?" 
      "We don't need to," replied Zuko, "They stole a waterbending scroll, right?" The captain hummed in agreement, "Then they'll be on the water."
      A little while later, they heard someone talking to themselves on the water, and went to go capture them. I stayed on the ship, not wanting to aid Zuko in this mission. Waiting for them to be over with, I had fallen asleep, typical me. I had awoken to be grabbed by some smelly pirate and tied up, "This is collateral," He breathed in my ear, the stench of his rotting teeth making its way to my nose. 
      "Dude brush your teeth seriously."
      I struggled as best I could but eventually was dragged to the front lines. The pirated had effectively captured Aang and Sokka, Katara was still tied to the tree and Zuko held the scroll, "Oh hey." I grinned sheepishly, "I kinda fell asleep." 
      "Untie her immediately," Zuko growled at the pirates.
      "Not until you give us the scroll." Sokka made some remarks about Aang being the Avatar and how he was much more expensive than the scroll then a huge fight broke out. Smoke bombs went off, clouding my vision and the pirate holding me, let me go. I scrambled looking for Zuko.
      "Zuko! Where are you?" Someone behind grasped my shoulders.
      "I'm right here," He leaned down next to my ear.
      "Can you please untie my hands?" He did so and told me to get out of the cloud and then returned to the fight. 
      I wasn't going to argue with that and escaped the cloud, doing pirates left and right. In the distance, I saw Aang, Katara, and Sokka by the pirate ship trying to get it unstuck and ran to their aid.
      "Let me help you! How are you doing that?" 
      Katara scoffed, "Life you would wanna help." 
      "I'm here right now aren't I?" 
      "Come in Katara, I know she's good, she helped me escape when I first got captured. Here this is how you do it." Aang showed me how to bend the water in a way to get the ship dislodged. I helped them and they hopped on the boat, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us Ayaka?" 
      I shook my head, "I wish I could but I have duties here with Zuko. I'm sorry Aang, I'll be seeing you soon I know it." I grinned and waved them goodbye. The pirates ran to the shoreline watching their boat get away, and Zuko laughed at them in the distance. 
     Zuko's ship sailed past us, filled with more pirates, "Hey! That's my boat!" He chased it down the river bank I followed slowly behind him and saw a waterfall at the end. His boat fell over the edge along with the boat Aang and his friends were on. Thankfully their bison saved them. On the flip side, Zuko was fuming, "My boat!"
      Iroh chuckled behind us, "Prince Zuko, you're really gonna get a kick out of this. That lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" Zuko roared, ripping the tile out of Iroh's hand and chucking over the cliff as well. I laughed at both of them. 
      "I guess I'll continue to beat you at Pai Sho." I grinned at Iroh.