Zuko sat up straight. "Not another nightmare," he whispered to himself. He had not had a good night's rest in weeks. He woke up in the middle of every night, like tonight, after dreaming of Azula finding him and taking him to their father as a prisoner. He knew it was unlikely for someone to find just one person in Ba Sing Se, the biggest city in the Earth Kingdom, but not impossible. Especially for Azula, the most murderous and vile person alive. He tried to shake the thought from his mind. Looking out the window, he saw what a beautiful and peaceful night it was. He forgot for a brief moment that he was being hunted like an animal by his own sister as he gazed up at the night sky, mesmerized. As silently as possible, he crept out of his room and, after making sure that his uncle was asleep, he walked outside. There were still people out and about but it was nothing compared to the hustle and bustle of the day.
As the firebender made his way around the tea shop, he found himself soothed and as peaceful as the skies above him. He went slowly back to his room and lied down on his bed. Within minutes, he was asleep. But this time he slept with the thought of the heavens above him and what wonders it held just beyond his reach. Tranquil and happy, he slept the whole night through without another thought of his sister.
"Good morning, Prin- I mean 'Lee,'" Iroh said to him when he awoke the next morning. "Did you sleep well?"
"Actually, yes," Zuko answered. "For the first time, it seems."
"I'm glad to hear it," the old man said cheerfully. "You'll need to be well rested for today. I'm told we're going to have more customers than usual." Zuko didn't pay much attention to Iroh's words. He was to busy getting things ready for a day of making tea for thirsty customers. He really didn't want to spend much time in Ba Sing Se. If anyone found out they were fire nation, everyone in the whole city would hunt them don't and turn them in or worse. He wanted to get out of that city as soon as possible. But until he could, he and his uncle were stuck in that tea shop. And although he didn't want to say it or even think it, he was almost okay with staying there for a little while.
"Could I have another jasmine tea?" a customer asked.
"Of course, coming right up," he said. He prepared the tea and handed it to the customer. The customer handed him some money and then thanked him. He put the money away and looked at his uncle. He was always so easy going. He almost never lost his temper. How does he do it? Zuko thought.
The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. There were a few more customers than usual, as Iroh had said. That night, when he was sure that Iroh was asleep, he walked around outside. But this time, instead of watching the sky, he went to a fountain and watched the water until he was too tired to stay out a moment longer. He went back to bed and slept without any thought of his persuers, who were closer than he knew.
A messenger hawk swooped down from the vast night sky and landed on Azula's outstreched forearm. She detached the message and sent the hawk away. "Mai, Ty Lee, listen to this," she said. "'Azula, you are to come meet me in the Fire Nation immediately. It is an urgent matter of the utmost importance. Your father, Fire Lord Ozai.' Do you girls have any idea of where to go now that I have to leave you?"
"Wherever Mai is going!" Ty Lee answered excitedly.
"I guess I'm with 'Chipper', here," Mai said.
"You're already here in the Earth Kingdom. You may as well continue searching for my dimwitted uncle and Scarface. Don't look for the Avatar. If you find him, though, capture him and send your location to me. I want to destroy him myself," Azula told them.
"Okay,Azula!" Ty Lee said with enthusiasm.
"I'm with stupid," Mai said.
"I'll go to my father and then I'll meet up with you to search for the fugitives again," Azula said. "Now go!"
Mai and Ty Lee headed off. Ty Lee started blathering on about vacation time and how they could visit all of the funnest places first. But Mai's mind wasn't on vacation planning or following Azula's orders to hunt down fugitives. She was thinking of someone she had met many years before. He was very special to her, but he had gone away and she had not seen him ever since. As Ty Lee talked on and on and on about trivial matters, Mai wondered if she would ever find him again. If so where, why, and for how long? What had happened to him? Why had he left without saying goodbye to her? These questions and others kept coming into her mind ever since he had left and would not stop, she knew, until she found him and asked him directly.
"Mai? Mai? Are you alright? You look kinda like you're a little, I dunno, sad maybe?" Ty Lee said.
Startled, Mai looked at her and said, " What? Am I ever sad?"
"No, I guess not. Just for second there, your face kinda looked as though you were going to cry. But you don't show emotion like that, do ya?" Ty Lee answered.
"Whatever," Mai said. "So, where are we going?"
"We're headed for Ba Sing Se," Ty Lee answered.
"What? Why?"
"I thought I just told you," she sighed. "We're going to get business out of the way."
"I still don't understand."
"These fugitives are kinda like refugees, right? And the safest place for refugees in the Earth Kingdom is..."
"Ba Sing Se. But it could take months to find them in there," Mai knew of the city's size.
"We just have to search for a little while that way we can go have fun and say that we questioned someone who said they were in Ba Sing Se and that's why we went. Even though we're really going because they have really cheap food and stuff that we can buy there."
"But we look like fire nation. They'll figure out who we are right away. We'll need disguises."
"Gotcha covered. We'll wear these," Ty Lee said and she held up two Earth Kingdom style dresses.
"I don't even want to know," Mai said as she put hers on. She had no idea that the boy she was hoping to find was inside that city, working in a tea shop.
"I still think that its just magic water," Sokka mumbled after Aang and Katara had bended the water from a rainwater barrel onto him. The two laughed. Lately, they had been attacking Sokka with a number of practical jokes. Toph had played a role in some, but it was mostly Aang and Katara. Sokka didn't think that it was funny. "That wasn't very funny you guys!" he shouted.
"Actually, I thought it was hilarious," Aang said before he and Katara bursted into another fit of laughter.
"What's going on guys?" Toph said. She had been Earthbending a sandsculpture of Momo.
"They attacked me with magic water!" Sokka shouted.
"Hey, that is funny!" she joined Aang and Katara and they all laughed as Sokka went inside to dry off. After a few hours of joking about the various practical jokes, Sokka was dry and the others had laughed themselves out. It was almost dinner time and Sokka let everyone know.
"C'mon guys, I'm hungrier than a platypus bear," he complained.
"Hey, why don't we go out for dinner tonight?" Aang suggested.
"That's a great idea," Katara said. "We haven't been to any restaurants here. I think it'd be a lot of fun. What do you think, Toph?"
"Sounds good to me," Toph answered.
"I just want some food," Sokka groaned. They got their money and left. They hadn't seen much of the city after dark and it was a pleasant experience for all. They looked around until Katara spotted a restaurant that seemed to stand out from the rest.
"Hey, that place looks good," she said as she went inside. The others followed. "You guys sit here and I'll go get an idea of the foods they serve." After a few minutes, she returned to them.
"So is there any food?" Sokka asked.
"Hold on, and try not to be drooling when we get our food. It's pretty weird," Katara said.
"But we didn't tell you what we wanted," Toph pointed out.
"You didn't have to. They only serve one dish,"Katara explained. "'Roast turkeyduck.' It sounded like something we'd like to eat so I told them that we'd like three."
"Do they have anything else at all?" Aang asked.
"Sorry. I did see a tea shop that looked promising though," said Katara. "Maybe you'd like to go there."
"Yeah, that sounds great. Anyone interested in coming with me?" he asked.
"Not me," Toph said. "I don't really like tea."
"I need food not leaf juice," Sokka said.
"I'll go with you, Aang. I'm sure my turkeyduck won't go to waste if Sokka's around," Katara laughed. They told their friends when they would return, then departed. Aang looked up at the beautiful waterbender. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Oh how he longed to tell her how he felt, but alas he could not. If she did not return his feelings, their friendship would be ruined forever. What if she did return his feelings? Aang began feeling more and more confused so he decided to try and think about other things.
"Katara?" he asked.
"Yes, Aang?" she replied.
"Have you ever been inside this tea shop?"
"No, I just passed by it while I was walking one day. I don't really know if their tea is any good or not," she sort of frowned for a moment then laughingly said, "I guess we're about to find out." They walked into the shop and found a table. Katara walked up to the counter to order some tea for them both. "Excuse me, sir," she said.
"Can I help y-" the young man stopped short when he realized who he was talking to.
Zuko?!?! Katara screamed in her mind.
Things had gone pretty slowly for Zuko. He woke up that morning feeling relaxed and refreshed. He walked out of his room and saw Iroh making himself a pot of tea. "Good morning, Lee," he said. "You slept well again, right?"
"Yeah," Zuko said.
"That's good news because something tells me you'll need it," Iroh said. Zuko smiled and got ready to work in the tea shop. Things went rather smoothly. No complaints from the customers or his employer. For the first time in a long time Zuko actually felt his life begin to lighten. He was almost happy that they were in Ba Sing Se. Azula wouldn't find him, she had no idea where to look. His day was the best ever until that evening.
He was happily serving customers and laughing at his uncle's jokes when they walked in. They chose a table and one of them came up to the counter.
"Excuse me, sir," she said.
"Can I help y-" he stopped short. The girl he was talking to, the one right in front of his face, was the girl who had been traveling with the Avatar. Quickly, he grabbed her hands and pulled her around to his side of the counter then took her to his room and locked the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"What are you doing here?" she shot back.
"Listen to me, you can't tell anyone who I am."
"Why should I do anything you say? You tried to kill my best friend and me!"
"Calm down. I'm not like that anymore. I don't want you or your friend I just want you to leave."
"I don't, can't, won't trust you."
"I'm not after you anymore. I just want to stay alive and hidden from Azula. She'll kill me if she finds me."
"Are you sure you're not going to take Aang home to daddy so he can kill him?" Katara was unsure of what to do. She was starting to consider just doing what Zuko said. But she did not want him to know.
"Yes, but hurry before I change my mind or my uncle sees him." As soon as he said that Katara walked briskly out of the room and grabbed Aang by the hand to quickly get him out of that tea shop.
"Katara what's going on?" Aang asked, puzzled.
"Zuko's in there," she whispered. "He told me to get you out of there before he decided to go back to chasing after you."
"But I don't underst-Katara, duck!" Aang pushed Katara down on the hard, rocky road with such force that it nearly broke her wrist when she landed. She looked up to ask him why he had done that when she looked up at him and saw why. A short blade had inserted itself into his left shoulder. Katara watched in horror as the blade that was meant for her caused the world's only hope, her best friend, to be in agony and pain. Tears strolled down her cheeks as she crawled over to him. Oh, Aang, what have you done? she thought.