Fiery and Forbidden (a Zuko love story): 1
"I can't believe we're on the streets begging for food" Zuko muttered to his Uncle Iroh.
"Zuko, we are no longer royalty. We are now humble peasants who depend on the kindness of others. There is no shame in that." Iroh whispered back.
"Then why do I feel so humiliated?" Zuko said, lowering his head.
It was a beutiful fall day in the city of Denang. The sun was shining through the leaves, partially shading the two travelers. A hat lay before them with a few copper pieces inside it. After a full day, the two travelers barely had enough to buy a loaf of bread. Just then, a grungy man walked by.
"So ya needs some monay, huh? I'm willin' ta pay a full gold piece fer a good performance." he said, holding out the coin.
"Like I said, humiliating." Zuko muttered.
"Now Zuko, that is no way to treat a charitable man." Iroh stood and belted out a full chorus of "the girl from Ba Sing Se" as Zuko lowered his head even further.
The man, on the other hand, laughed "how about a little dancing to go along with that?" he said taking out his swords. Zuko started bracing himself for a fight, clutching at his own swords while not wanting to cause a scene. The man slashed one of his swords along the ground which made Iroh jump. The man continued the movement, laughing meniacly, as Iroh continued singing in a somewhat nervous tone.
"...As I went to war,
I came to love
the girl from Ba Sing Se!"
Just as Zuko was about to get up, he heard a voice.
"Wait! Stop!"
A girl was running toward them, coming to a screeching halt two feet away from the man and Iroh. Apparently, she was just as surprised by her outburst as any of the three men were.
Nonetheless, she said "please, you musn't mistreat the poor. Put away your swords...please."
"Oh yeah?" said the man "and who's gonna make me?"
Surprisingly, the girl bowed low "please, i only ask that you put away your sword and carry on your way. there is no need for this kind of--!"
Just then, the man struck the girl in the side with the hilt of one of his swords, making her fall to the ground cringing. Zuko jumped to his feet and removed his sword. The man eyed the boy menacingly until a soft voice came from the ground.
"please" the girl was now on her knees, face in the dirt, in a bowing position. "please, i dont mean to cause trouble. Just leave...please."
The man looked indignantly at the girl for a second, but then turned on his heel and started walking away. "Too bad, i guess ya dirty beggars just lost a gold piece."
Zuko watched him leave, and sat back down once he was out of sight. Iroh bent to the girl.
"you shouldn't move. That blow was in a sensitive area, who knows what damage that man did."
"It's okay. I-I feel fine." the girl rose back onto her knees in a sitting position, a thin trickle of blood leaking from her mouth.
The boys' eyes widened. "You need to go see a doctor! You could have internal bleeding!" Iroh cried.
"N-No, I really am fine." she said, wiping the blood away, "But that man offered you a gold piece, didn't he? I'm sorry, I just kind of acted without thinking. Here-"
She handed a small pouch to Iroh.
"That probably doesn't have the same amount as a gold piece, but there ought to be a couple of silver coins in there. Im sorry...again" the girl rose to her feet and started walking off.
Zuko looked at the back of the girl. She had dark hair, like everyone else, but her skin was lighter than the other Earth Kingdom citizens. Also, he didn't get a good look at her eyes, but he could swear that they were black--a sure sign of fire nation blood. She wore earth kingdom clothes though. (use your imagination). A strange feature was her hair. It was black and gleaming, but it was cut very short and untidy. (think of something like Faye's hair from cowboy bebop, but black and with a poorer cut). Nonetheless, Zuko noticed, she was beutiful.
"Did that girl just give us all her money?" Iroh asked suddenly. Zuko tore his attention away from the girl (who was now about fifty yards away) and shrugged to his uncle.
"That girl should be more concerned about herself" Iroh continued "but we can't give the money back now. She's too far away and she didn't give us any of her information."
"...Not even her name" Zuko whispered to himself. He shook his head and slouched further. "I shouldn't trouble myself with such nonsense."