The Flames of the past (Avatar: Zuko love story)

Chapter 14: Aye, cadet!

Mia did not know how to response. Zuko came out of the ship, and walked up to her, and sat down in front of her. He handled Iroh some tea over and thirsty Mia looked at it. Iroh brought the tea to her mouth and took a nip. "Jasmin..." She mumbled with a smile and she forgot she was bound to a tree for a few seconds. Iroh smiled and looked at her. "It must have been quite a change, living in the far north without any exotical herbs?"  Iroh asked. Mia nodded, "it was," she sighed, "but luckily they have some great fish." Iroh smiled friendly at her.
"You don't even like fish." Zuko said like he was heavily offended.

Mia looked awkwardly to the other way and her feet started to hurt, so she started to stamp a bit with her feet. "You want to sit?" Zuko asked cold. Mia nodded slowly and he got close against her to pushed the ropes down, so Mia could sit."T.. Thanks." She said quietly. She just did not know what to say. He had hurt her so, so much at Kyoshi island, but yet Iroh told her Zuko still loved her. She looked up and in a split second, she saw Ozai.

He's going to change. He has darkness inside him.He will become like Ozai, if he keeps going on like that. He will never know the difference between good and bad, he will lose his way. 

She had it a bit chilly, and she collected all her courage. "Zuko...?" She asked quietly, and the prince turned around, "what?" He asked. "It's cold." She said. "Heat yourself up then." He replied. She sighed. "My hands are bound." Zuko looked at her, and Mia knew he was thinking. "Uncle, get a blanket for my hostage." Zuko said. Iroh nod and he walked to a small ship.

Zuko wanted to walk away, but Mia whispered: "Silly isn't it? I am your hostage, while we suppost to be friends." Zuko stopped and turned around. "More than that, but you needed to walk away from me." He said.
"You have hurt me so much, back then. I will never forget those words." Mia said while she bend over.
"You always pretended to be smart. With everything! Even while you just walk randomly in while Iroh and Ozai were doing the statics for an attack, and you just moved every little piece for what would be better!" Zuko yelled, "how could you do that? You could have been killed by my dad, but no, I kept you out of trouble! I protected you! I loved you!" 

Mia looked at her feet and Zuko watched how a tear fell on the floor. "Mia..." Zuko started, but Mia interrupt. "No you are right." She cried. Zuko sacked down on his feet. "I don't want to hurt you, Mia. Please... Come home with me." Zuko said and he touched her cheek. "Only if you leave Aang alone." Mia replied. "You know I can't," Zuko replied, "I have to restore my honour." Zuko let go off Mia's cheek and he stood up. Iroh walked to Mia and covered her with the blanket. Mia raised her head and let the back of her head rest against the tree. 

~

The next day Mia got woken up by Iroh. When she opened her eyes, she saw Sokka, Katara and Aang in front of her, surrounded by the pirates. "Nice work." Zuko said.
"Aang, this is all my fault." Mia said.
"No, Mia, it isn't." Aang replied with a little smile.
"Actually it is." Sokka reminded her. Mia gave Sokka a look and wanted to say something, but Zuko was first. "Give me the boy." He said threatening. "You give us the scroll." The captain replied. "You are really gonna hang over the Avatar for a stupid piece of paper?!" Sokka asked confused. "Sokka!" Mia yelled alarmed. "Don't listen to him!" Zuko said quickly, "he's trying to turn us against eachother."

"Your friend is the Avatar?" The captain asked and he looked at Aang.
"Yep. So I guess he will fetch you more on the back market than your stupid scroll." Sokka said with a huge smile. 
"Shut up, oyu watertribe peasant!" Zuko yelled. "Guys stop it!" Mia yelled angrily and Zuko looked at her.
"Keep the scroll!" The captain yelled and he walked away. "You. Will. Regret. Of. Breaking. A. Deal. With. Me." Zuko said so cold and threatening that Mia shivered. "Attack!" Zuko yelled and the fight began. The pirates had some kind of bombs, that when you throw them on the ground, huge amounts of smoke spreads, so you cannot see anything. 

Mia tried to get herself loose, but nothing happened. Then, Momo climbed down the tree (with Aoi on his back?!) and made her lose. "Thanks Momo, I owe you a bushel of apples!" Mia said and she rubbed her wrists. Mia saw Zuko fighting with the captain and quickly she let the earth under the captain, change in mud, that she froze. Mia gave Zuko a little, awkward smile and he gave her a short nod. She saw Sokka crawling out of the fog, followed by Aang. "Run!" Sokka yelled. Katara stood in front of the pirates' boat. "Help me, so we can get out of here." She said. The four started to push. "We can't do this." Katara said sadly. "No, but three waterbenders can." Aang replied with a smile. 
So the three made some waves, and the boat came lose. 

"On board everybody!" Katara said and they climbed a board.
"Do you know where we are going?" Mia asked Sokka when he was steering it.
"If you'd speak to me with 'captain', I might." Sokka replied.
"Idiot." Mia replied. Sokka did not reply and Mia gave up.
"Do you know where we are going CAPTAIN?!" Mia asked irritated.
"Aye, cadet!" Sokka replied with a very acted, strong manly voice, "we will follow this river while we try to get rid of your hot-headed boyfriend and his pirate-friends." Sokka replied. Mia was boiling of irriated anger and when she sighed, fire came out of her mouth. 

Suddenly, Zuko's boat, taken by the pirates, was heading next to them and the pirates climbed on board. Aang made a huge wave, and succeeded to wipe one off the pirates over board. Mia made a water whip and she spanked one of the pirates overboard as well! And helped Sokka, and he threw the captain over board. The parrot of the captain was chasing, Aoi and Momo. Aoi jumped down the ship, and Momo could get the parrot down. Aoi opened his mouth and Mia got a little heart-attack when he almost burned the parrot alive. Luckily, he just blew a few feathers away, but Mia knew this would not turn out well if he's ever going to grow up. 

"Aang!" Katara yelled, and when Mia looked ahead of her, they were about to sail down a waterfall. Mia heard a shrinking sound and she covered her ears. "Aang! There's no time for flute-practicing now!" Sokka yelled. "We can stop the boat! Push and pull the water!" Mia yelled and with the three of them, they started to do that. It worked, but then they got another problem: Zuko's boat was ready to crush on the pirates boat. It did, and Aang yelled: "Jump!" They jumped, and Mia held Aoi close by her. Appa came by, and picked them up and they fell in the saddle. "I knew this wasn't a waste of money!" Aang said when he held up a flute in the form of a bison. 

~

"I am so sorry for grabbing that scroll," Mia started, "I put us all in danger." 
"It's okay." Aang and Katara replied.
"Yeah.. it is all Katara's fault anyway." Sokka said. 
"Hey!" Katara replied. "Well..." Katara said calm, "we got rid of it, who needs that scroll anyway."
"Wel, you!" Sokka replied and he held the scroll in his hands. Katara reached to it, but Sokka held it away.
"Katara... what did we learn?" Sokka asked, with a big brother attitude.
"Stealing is bad?" Katara replied carefully and she grabbed the scroll, "unless it's from pirates!" She laughed.

"And what did you learn Mia?" Sokka asked. "Aoi almost fried a parrot!" Mia said with a huge smile.
All the three were silent and they looked at each other. "Mia, do you know what that means?" Sokka asked alarmed and he grabbed her collar and pulled Mia close. "W-what?" Mia asked as if she did not know. "HE COULD BE ABLE TO MAKE FRIED CHICKEN!!!"He yelled happily and he hugged Aoi.The four started to laugh and they made their way, over the soft clouds, to the next day full of surprises.