Ziggy's Corner: You all wanted it, you all fare getting it! The sequel to Kiss and Tell! This story is called Innocence Before Shadows. This is just going to be the first chapter, just to see how well it does. Hehehehehe I am really evil.
Prince Zuko sat across the bar, his eyes watching his little sister smirk at him and walk up to him, her fingers running through her hair. "Hello brother dearest!"
Zuko felt his muscles tighten, but he managed to smile. "Must be hard on you not being able to take me out here," he said, mentioning the rules of the bar, rules even the Fire Nation was forced to accept.
"I could say the same thing about you," Azula cooed. She leaned in and gently scrapped her nails against his palm, taking satisfaction at his pain. How she loved to torture him, to drive him crazy. One time when they were real little, around eight and ten, she "convinced" him to go into her room to play. There she had Ty Lee use her nerve attack so he could be motionless, and they "played" interrogate the Earth Kingdom spy, using both dental as well as tickle torture for nearly five hours straight.
Zuko shrugged and looked away, drinking his ale. Azula frowned, and inched nearer to him. "It must be eating away at you," she said softly. "Me being this close, and there's nothing you can do about it?" Still he ignored her.
There weren't many people in the tavern, just under twenty of them, or so, not counting Zuko, his uncle, his baby sister, and her two friends. Mei and Ty Lee compared to his sister, weren't too bad, though during the "interrogation game" Ty Lee had shown a sadistic side that no one seemed to know she had, herself included. It was the only time she'd allowed herself to go that far, and probably one of the reasons she decided to go the circus after she graduated. Zuko knew Mei had a crush on him, and there was a part of him that liked her too, though liking her was as far as it went for him.
"What do you want?" He finally barked, watching his uncle as the old man kept a close eye on the evil, demented girl.
Azula sighed and rested her head on his chest, pressing herself onto his lap. "Just to get closer to you… big brother."
"So I can tell you secrets you'll use against me later, right?" Zuko said, trying to pry her loss. She clung to him even tighter, and "muttered in safety" as her brother "protected" her.
"You wouldn't be so cold, dear brother if you had the love of the right woman," she cooed again. At this Zuko knocked her off his lap in disgust. Azula looked shocked, but chuckled. "Now brother, I know your twisted, but I didn't mean me! Ew."
"It was nice talking to you," Zuko said, turning his back on her.
"Just ignore her, Zuko, the girl was dropped too many times on her head," Iroh instructed.
"Oh come on, relax," Azula said with a laugh. "Look I only came over to play match maker. Mei says she's been thinking of you a lot lately, and…,"
"AZULA!" Mei cried, leaping from her seat. Besides her Ty Lee giggled.
"Just give her a kiss! Make her first time special!" Azula continued, ignoring her friend's embarrassment.
Zuko turned to look at the girl and scowled. "You really are sick, you know that Azula?"
"He wouldn't be my first anyway," Mei barked, stomping up to the other girl, and pointing at Zuko. There was a bit of disappointment in her voice at the announcement, but it was so strong there was no doubt it was factual."
"Oh, I know," Ty Lee chirped. "Let's all talk about the first time we got a kiss!"
"Yes, and then we can all go and have our hair and nails done!" Iroh cackled playfully. There was an odd silence in the room, and the old man looked over at an excitedly nodding Ty Lee. "I was kidding about the hair and nails you know."
Ty Lee blinked and blushed, "Oh, yeah I know!" Her blush grew and she slinked under her table.
"Sorry, not interested," the prince said.
"So let's make a game of it," Azula insisted. "You'll talk about the first time you got kissed, and I won't hunt you for a week!"
"And again, no," Zuko said. "My love life is not for public display, Azula."
"Perhaps you've never been kissed?" Azula egged.
"I've been kissed, and I have kissed, but it's none of your business," Zuko growled.
"Ty Lee could go first!" Azula continued with her barrage.
The girl "eeppped" and hid further under the table. Iroh stood up and walked to the young teenage tormentor. "Make it two weeks and you have yourself a deal, but Zuko doesn't have to say anything, and I'll go first."
"Well, there's a ten on the yuck factor," Azula shivered, thinking of her old, fuddy duddy uncle's lips on another woman.
However; Ty Lee had perked back up, and even Mei seemed interested in the story. Azula knew when she was beat. "All right, fine, you can go first, uncle," she fought very hard not to shiver, "but ZuZu has to say something. Maybe not all the details, perhaps not a name, but a few things."
Zuko also knew when he was beat, but he wasn't about to let the possibility slip, "Two in a half weeks," he barked. His sister tried to out stare him. "And I'll go after uncle." He smirked. "But you have to go after me."
"Fine," she said, right before Zuko was about turn away from her. She turned to her uncle and shivered. "Okay, fine, go ahead and tell your story."
This was a short one, I know! I just want to see how many reviews I get. Next time I'll give you all Iroh's story, and the beginning of Zuko's so that's four chapters right there. Read and Review!