I do not own anything A:TLA, sadly. Short first chapter. Please enjoy and review if you like!
Zuko was almost back from the market where his uncle had asked him to buy something for dinner. Everything here was dirty, and he still had a hard time eating the food in the lower ring. The meat was a brown-gray color that made his hunger disappear.
The lower ring of Ba Sing Se was crowded, dirty, and loud. People were constantly out; either betting on street games or begging for money. People called to each other from out of windows and down the streets. But not to him. No one knew his face here. He was thankful for that. They were safe, for now. But this was not where he wanted to make his life.
Down the street he noticed a girl staring at him. My scar, he thought, people notice that. They did. He got asked once or twice about it. People assumed it was from a raid, or from defending his village. They believed Zuko had fought back against a firebender. And they were wrong. He didn't, and that's why he was here.
The girl was gone. And he was a faceless person in the crowd again. The basket he was carrying was beginning to get heavy in his hands. All he wanted was to be home. Not home, he told himself, in the apartment. It is not our home. He turned a corner and caught sight of the girl again. She was standing by a fruit cart, staring at him again. He tried not to pay attention as he passed her. Her brown eyes followed him as he walked down the street. He noticed her follow behind him as he walked. At the end of the road, he turned right down the main street of the lower ring. The tea shop was on this street, and the apartment on another side road.
He stopped briefly at a stall to buy some new spark rocks. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the girl walk by and turn down a narrow alley. He paid the merchant and continued towards home. As he passed the alley the girl turned down, a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him around the corner. He dropped the basket and responded by pinning the girl to the wall, holding her hand to her back.
"You shouldn't grab strangers" Zuko said. He turned her to face him and took a step back, pulling his knife out. "What do you want? My money? My food?"
"No, please, I'm sorry," she said, collecting herself, "I just needed to know if I was right."
"Right about what?" Zuko looked at her, trying to read her face. He wasn't very good at it.
"About you," She put the heel of her hand against her fist and bowed, "Prince Zuko, it is an honor."
Zuko's eyes widened in shock. He didn't understand. He took another step back, still holding up the knife. "You're confused," he said, "My name is Li." He stared at her and she stated back. Her eyes were shining, she looked like she was overcome with joy.
"My name is Anji," she whispered, "but I've been using the name Yin. There are so many Yins in the city. No one thinks twice of it. That's why you chose Li, right?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Zuko was beginning to feel angry. "My name is Li. My uncle and I agree refugees."
"So am I."
Zuko lowered his knife slightly, and bent down to pick up the food that had fallen. She leaned over to help but he raised his knife again and she backed away. Straightening, he looked at her again.
"Whatever you believe, whoever you think I am, you're mistaken."
Zuko turned and walked back onto the main road. He passed the tea shop and turned right down the road to his apartment. The girl wasn't following him. For the first time in this city, he was afraid of being found out. Ba Sing Se was the last safe place for him and his uncle. He couldn't lose that because of some crazy person who knew who he was.
She knew. How did she know?
He walked into their apartment and began to put away the food he has bought. His uncle walked out of the bedroom to help him. He was humming an old Earth Kingdom song he must have learned while trying to conquer this city all those years ago. He was always fond of the old Earth Kingdom tunes/
He must have looked troubled, because his uncle spoke. "You look more forlorn than usual," Iroh said with a concerned look on his face, "Everything go okay at the market?"
"It was fine there, but, Uncle," Zuko turned to look his uncle in the eyes, "Do you think there are other Fire Nation citizens living here in Ba Sing Se?"
"I believe that is a possibility," Iroh said, putting away a bag of rice, "Something tells me you already know the answer to your question."
"Someone recognized me," Zuko said angrily, "They called me Prince Zuko. They know. And that's a problem"
"Yes, that could be a problem," Iroh said. He looked deep in thought and stroked his beard. Zuko decided that he needed to take care of this. Soon. No one could know who he really was. No one could know that they were here within the walls.
He would make sure no one did.
