Chapter 4: Hello!

Zuko rolled in his bed, trying to avoid the sunlight that creeped through the window and across his room. His eyes squinted at the sight of light. He felt the layers of skin around his eye, where a burn mark lay, rub against each other. Long, uncut bangs hung over his eyes. He pulled the thin sheet that covered him over his head.

Mornings irritated him immensely. Four years ago, the shades would be drawn, and he would be pleasantly awoken by a servant. He was the Fire Nation prince, then, and was on top of the world. Now he was a lowly tea server in Pao's Family Tea Shop, and slept in the back room where customers couldn't see him. An annoying life, indeed, compared to being royalty a mere few years before.

"Time to wake up, Zuko!" Iroh announced, opening the paper screen that kept Zuko away from the rest of the world.

"Why do we have to serve tea to peasants?" Zuko complained, groaning as he sat up. White sheets fell from him and landed softly on the wooden floor boards. Iroh shook his head.

"Zuko," he said, taking a wise tone, "They're no different from us. We are all people. It is vital you understand that, you know. It is like-"

"I know, alright?" Zuko quickly interrupted, wanting to avoid hearing his Uncle lecture him even more. Iroh gave a look of sadness. He never could get Zuko to be kind to him in the morning. Zuko looked down at the ground.

"Sorry," he said quickly, "I'll be out in a minute."

"Good," Iroh said, "We'll be opening shop in around ten minutes."

Iroh shut the screen door and walked away to open the tea shop. Zuko slowly picked himself up, reaching forward for his uniform designated for being a waiter. He changed into the traditional green and gold clothing that was a customary fashion in Ba Sing Se, unlike the dark, heavy red colors of the Fire Nation. After adjusting his pants around his waist and slipping on his shoes, he turned and opened the screen door to wait on customers.

"Zuko," Iroh called from the kitchen as Zuko sat on a nearby chair, waiting for customers to arrive, "I need you to go outside and see if the local messengers have dropped off the sacks of tea we needed."

Zuko stood up, happy that he could finally go outside for a change.

"I'll be back in a second," he replied, pushing through the doors of the shop. Outside,the sun shined over Ba Sing Se as it slowly rose in the sky. The morning was crisp and cool, with a small breeze coming from the west. Everything seemed perfectly fine, as if nothing could disrupt his day.

He stopped. In front of him, a girl was slumped over on the tiled road next to the river that filtered out into the sewers. Half of her body floated in the water, while her upper torso and arms rested on the road. Zuko rushed forward and knelt beside her, giving a small shove on her shoulder.

"Hey," he said quickly, "We can't be having people sleep on the side of the road and swimming in the river!

The woman emitted a groan.

"Go away," she murmured, a slight smile across her face, "It's too late..."

Zuko turned. His Uncle stepped out onto the porch.

"Zuko, is the tea there?"

Iroh paused, noticing the woman lying on the ground. He quickly walked forward. Zuko stood up.

"Uncle, this woman needs a doctor."

Iroh bent down on one knee, examining the woman's injuries.

"I wouldn't say it's that serious," he started, "But it's best we take her in the house to treat these wounds. Take her inside while I cook some medicine in the kitchen."

"How is that supposed to work?" Zuko objected. Iroh gave a small grin.

"Don't worry, it just will." Iroh began walking towards the restaurant, while Zuko glared at him in frustration and indignation. He sighed, and reluctantly picked up the woman.

"You know," he sighed, trying to pick up the stranger out of the river, "You're a lot heavier than you look. I mean, I wake up, and all I want is to make tea..." He paused.

Did I just say I wanted to make tea? Zuko thought. Well, Uncle must be so proud. If he could read minds, that is.

Zuko finally dragged the unexpected visitor into the shop, and eventually into the back room where, only a few hours before, he rested in a habitual peace. He laid the woman's body beside his bed.

"Um," he started, "I'm...going to get some towels. Or something that can dry you off, because I don't exactly want whatever is on you to get on my bed. Is that okay?"

The woman groaned in response. Zuko's eyes shifted to the door.

"I think you're bleeding out...so I'm gonna just get those towels."

He hurriedly stepped out of the room while the woman remained silent. Down the short hall, in the kitchen, he could hear Iroh calling to him.

"Zuko!" he called, "I finished the first part of the herbs! Give them to our guest."

"Uncle," Zuko replied, holding various kitchen rags, "She's less of a guest and more of a random vagrant."

"Don't be so judgmental," Iroh frowned, lifting a pot of boiling water, its contents indecipherable, "You're no better than her, now are you?"

Zuko grabbed the pot, trying to balance it on top of the heaps of cloth.

"Actually," he started, struggling against the hot steam from the pot, "I am much better than that."

Zuko stumbled into his room, placing the pot on a set of drawers while he dropped the towels all over the floor. He paused. His eyes slowly moved towards the side of the room, where he noticed the tip of a blade, its metal giving a shiny glint of light.

"Don't you move."

Kurai grasped the blade with one hand and held her stomach with the other. Blood was seeping through the crevices between her fingers. She maintained a steely glare.

"I...know you from somewhere," she began, "But, I don't know if I can trust you. You're not one of them are you? The Dai Li?"

Zuko answered plainly, his eyebrows raised in annoyance.

"No," he said, "But my name is Li." He turned, and began walking towards Kurai. She protruded the blade outwards, trying to intimidate Zuko.

"Stay away!" she commanded, but Zuko ignored her, and snatched the knife from her fingers. He placed it in his back pocket, and pointed to the set of drawers.

"In there," he said, "I have blades you couldn't even imagine. Don't think that a tiny knife like that is going to scare me."

Kurai blinked. No one before had taken her weapons from her so quickly, and with so little effort. She smirked.

"Very clever," she lauded, "But I don't need that much help. Not from you anyway."

Zuko abruptly sat down in front of Kurai.

"Are you insane?" he asked. Kurai was appalled by the question.

"Insane?" she exclaimed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, when I first met you, you were pretty bubbly and...weird, to say the least. And yet right now you've somehow morphed into a horrible assassin."

Kurai gave a look of disgust.

"First, I am not an assassin," she declared, "And secondly, I don't need to answer to you. I have matters to attend to, and I don't need your help."

She slowly stood up, and began to shuffle towards the door. However, after only a few steps, she collapsed onto the floor. Zuko smirked.

"It sure does seem that you need my help," he remarked. Kurai gritted her teeth.

"Don't try to seem so smart," she said, rolling onto her back, "All I need is a few days time, and I'll be back on my feet."

A silence began to fill the room. Kurai stared at the ceiling. The plain, white, unassuming ceiling that hovered over the tea shop, herself, and every human being who had ever once entered. A ceiling that gave shelter, even if that shelter was perhaps undeserved.

"You know," she started, keeping her eyes locked above, "I do remember you. I met you the other day, right?"

Zuko nodded. He rested his chin upon his hand.

"I just don't understand," he said, "Why would you be targeted by the Dai Li? You're a street performer."

"I'm not just a street performer," Kurai replied, " I have debts that need to be...paid. And let's just say that I didn't want to...you know."

"I know what?"

"Well..."

A loud clammer interrupted Kurai from going on. Zuko stood up.

"Uncle," he called, "What are you doing?"

The sound of pots and dishes repeatedly clashing against each other was the only answer he needed. He glanced towards Kurai, the pot on the set of drawers, then at the door to the room.

"I'll be back," he stated, "Just use the herbs in that pot and, um, they should help heal you, I guess."

With that, Zuko bolted out, with the sound of Kurai yelling at him.

"Oh yes," she bellowed, "I'll just stand up and grab it! I'll just grab it, then fall over, because you forgot that I can't walk!"

The sound of silence was the only response she received. That, and the ever present sound of pots falling over a sink. She crossed her arms in frustration.

You know, she thought to herself, I don't understand why I liked him at first.

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Sorry this chapter is so short. I haven't been on Fanfiction for a while, so I just cranked this out today. It's kind of been hard with school and a really busy schedule. However, I'm back, and I'm going to really try focusing on this story. Till next time! (Also, I'm really sorry for having it been updated so oddly, my computer's been acting strange recently.)