Yay, another Zutara! This one is from Zuko's POV. Sorry if my updates for this one are slower, life has just got hetic, what with the stupid state-issued standardized testing and my grandfather in the hostipital. But, hey, that's middle school for ya.

I have captured the Waterbender, the girl that traveled with the Avatar. She had stolen a scroll from pirates and they had struck a deal with my uncle and myself. I would help them find the girl and they would get the scroll. Though I would have rather avoided helping criminals, it seemed the perfect way to capture the girl as bait for the Avatar.

She is not being cooperative. The girl refuses to tell us where her companions are. "Try to understand," I say is a whisper. "I need the Avatar to restore something I've lost. My honor. Perhaps is exchange I could restore something to you." I pull out the necklace I found lying on the abandoned prison ship a few weeks ago.

"My mother's necklace!" she gasps. "Where did you get it?"

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering," I reply, putting the necklace back.

Prince Zuko woke up with a start. A bad idea, as he rocked the small raft he and his uncle had been forced to use in order to follow the Avatar. The movement woke his uncle.

"Prince Zuko, is something the matter?" The Fire Prince shook his head.

"No, Uncle," he lied, not wanting to make his uncle worry. "Something startled me." Iroh shrugged and rolled back over, falling back asleep in seconds. Zuko rolled his eyes, knowing that his uncle's snores would keep him awake, like they had for the past week and a half. It was had been during the few hours of sleep the Prince got in the course of that week and a half that these dreams had been occurring. They alternated between the scene with the pirates and the fight the girl and he had at the North Pole. In each incident, Zuko had known that he could have, and ought to have, hurt the girl in worse ways. (Other than tying her up and taking the Avatar from the oasis after soundly defeating her.) But, for some unknown reason, he hadn't.

Of course, it could be that he was too honorable to maim a helpless person, even a Waterbender. Or it could be that, if he harmed the girl, the Avatar's Spirit would merely give the young Airbender enough power to kill Zuko. But for whatever reason, those particular scenes were bothering the prince, and he intended to find out why.

Break

The prince led his uncle through the woods. "Prince Zuko," he uncle panted, "why did you abandon the raft?"

"Because, Uncle, there is no possible way to catch that giant monster with a small raft. We have a better chance on foot."

"Yes, but the raft was much more comfortable," Iroh pointed out.

"I don't care," Zuko replied. "I need to capture the Avatar."

"And you think that you will have a better chance on foot?" The prince didn't reply. "Prince Zuko, the raft was faster than walking!"

"Uncle, do you have to yell?" Zuko asked, turning around. "I'm trying to concentrate." His uncle lapsed into silence.

Zuko's thoughts went back to trying to figure out where the Avatar would be next. He had to master Earthbending, that Zuko knew. But which city would he go to learn it?

There were three main choices. Ba Sing Se, Omashu, and Hua. Ba Sing Se was under siege by the Fire Nation, so Zuko doubted the Avatar would go there. Omashu was too far away, which left…

"Hua."

"What was that, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked.

"The Avatar must be going to Hua. Ba Sing Se is under siege and Omashu is too far for the Avatar to travel there quickly. Hua is the only choice."

"Perhaps. Or you could just follow the bison he rides," Iroh said, nonchalantly.

"What?"

"The bison. It is overhead as we speak."

Zuko fought to keep his temper in check. "How long have you known this, Uncle?"

"Ten seconds, actually." But he was speaking to open air. Zuko had run off, determined to find where the Avatar would camp. Iroh shrugged and continued at his rather slow pace, knowing that, sooner or later, his nephew would tire and wait for him.

Iroh was wrong, in a sense. When Zuko spotted the Avatar, adrenaline coursed through his veins, giving him the energy to run a hundred yards and not even tire. In fact, he ran a hundred yards before he saw the bison descend. Slowing his pace considerably, Zuko hid behind a tree.

"I think it's safe to stop for the night," the Avatar was saying. "I don't think anyone could have caught up with us, since Zuko's stuck on a raft. And I think Zhao got taken by the Ocean Spirit, but I'm not sure."

"How can you not be sure?" the Water Tribe boy exclaimed. "You were possessed by the Ocean Spirit!"

"It left me after I chased the other ships out to sea, Sokka," the Avatar explained. "I don't remember what happened afterwards."

"He's right," the Waterbender said, dropping a load of wood next to the boy. "Now, who's going to light the fire?"

Both the girl and the Avatar turned to the other boy. "What?" he asked. "Are you telling me to start the fire?"

"No," the girl said. "We're making you. Either that or you go hungry." The boy instantly attempted to start the fire.

"You know something, Katara? I think the Waterbending has messed with your head," the boy called over his shoulder as the girl dug out some food.

"Hey, at least I wasn't dumb enough to insult the Warriors of Kyoshi!"

The boy groaned. "Not that again! Haven't I already apologized? Besides, who's the one that nearly got us captured by pirates?"

"You were the one that nearly got us killed by Fire Nation soldiers, and then almost got yourself murdered by Jet!" the girl exclaimed. "Not to mention you nearly drowned in that storm."

"Guys, guys," the Avatar said, stepping between the two. "Remember what happened in the canyon? Let's not start another 100 years feud." The two others looked at him, then shrugged. Everyone returned to what each had been doing.

Just as Zuko was about to attack, he heard his uncle's rather loud voice, asking why he hadn't waited for him. Zuko winced as he heard the three younger teens jump up. "Was that necessary, Uncle?" Zuko asked through gritted teeth.

He didn't have time to say more, as a huge ball of air knocked him off his feet. Swearing, the prince stood up, returning the blast with one of his own. Everyone but the girl dodged it. The girl wasn't burned, but the force of the blast stunned her and threw her off her feet. Knowing that he either had to take her or lose an advantage and probably be captured himself, Zuko grabbed the girl, blasting a particularly dry tree, setting the grove aflame.

They were a few yard out of the grove when Zuko stopped. Turning to his uncle, who had followed Zuko out with speed that belied his age, the prince said, "We should split up. If the Avatar somehow puts out that fire, they'll be after us. You head straight for the raft. I'll take the girl and go a longer route."

"But, Prince Zuko-"

"No, Uncle. I'll be fine," Zuko said, not as harsh as his order had been. "Trust me." He set off in a different direction from his uncle.

It was no picnic to carry the girl, who had been knocked unconscious. Zuko winced as every step was louder than he would have wished. Stupid peasant, allowing herself to be stunned by a simple concussion blast, he thought.

You blasted her.

Inwardly, Zuko rolled his eyes. His conscience was always acting up when he didn't want it to. It was his conscience that had given him the scar.

So lost in his thoughts was Zuko that he didn't hear the man drop from the tree behind him. By the time he did, it was too late. The man stuffed a cloth coated with sleeping herbs over Zuko's nose and mouth. Zuko opened his mouth to cry out, but the herbs took hold of his senses. The last thing he saw was a group of men dressed in colors from every nation surrounding him and the girl.