Chapter 6. Ba Sing Se
Zuko had been acting so kind lately, Katara found herself thanking him...Multiple times. Most of the time, she knew he was being kind because of her leg, but other times, she wondered if he had changed. Something had obviously happened to him that gave him this happy, helpful attitude. If she was correct, he used to be a character of pure evil, always hunting the Avatar to gain his honor. But now, now he was different. It wasn't just the fact that he had cut off his ponytail (although that had something to do with it) but it was the fact that he treated Katara with such care. He made her feel like she was extremely important to him...And she wouldn't be surprised is she was.
"You ready to go?" Zuko interrupted Katara's thoughts. He strolled in with a small green bag wrapped around his shoulder. It made a small clinging sound as he walked.
Katara's heart jumped, as excitement filled her thoughts. She was going to see the city of Ba Sing Se! Not only that, but Zuko promised to let her do some shopping...For clothes. She was excited, and grateful that Zuko had made her a wonderful wheelchair, but one question lingered in her mind, and it wouldn't leave: Where did Zuko get the money to take her shopping? He obviously had some, if he promised to buy her some clothes. But she was afraid to ask him...She didn't want to do anything that might hurt his feelings. She shocked herself. Before, she wouldn't have given a second thought if she was hurting his feelings. But now, after the way he had been treating her, she felt as if she owed him the world. And somehow, she did.
"Yeah, I'm ready," She smiled at him, but only for a short moment. She didn't want to give him any ideas. He was still Zuko, nice or not.
He helped her out of her bed, being sure he balanced her steadily in his arms. He placed her gently on the wooden chair, and stepped back as he looked at her. A satisfied look took over his face. "Perfect," He grinned.
She nodded gratefully. "This is really nice," She fingered the wheelchair as Zuko walked into the other room to get something. As her fingers traced one of the arm-rests on the chair, she felt some small, thin indentations in the wood. She looked down, and saw her name carved in small letters. He has beautiful handwriting, Katara thought. She quickly looked up from the name and stopped tracing it with her fingers as Zuko re-entered with a greenish-yellow hat on his head, and a pale yellow map in his hands. He looked ready to take on Ba Sing Se.
"So nobody recognizes me too easy," He stated, motioning toward the hat.
What would happen if someone did? She asked quietly. Was Zuko really that noticeable? He did have a bad scar on his eye. But how many people could know about him? He was only a teenager...But he was a prince. Or he had been.
Zuko strolled over to her and took grasp of the wheelchair. He handed her the map of Ba Sing Se, then began to push her toward the door. The chair worked great. He had obviously put some steady work into the chair. As he opened the door to Ba Sing Se, Katara's eyes grew wide at what lay before her. There were people walking everywhere, some shopping, some tending to their whining children. Some were picking up something they had dropped, and some where bartering with others. Ba Sing Se was a busy town. As Zuko pushed her forward, she expected looks and glares from the people. But nobody bashed an eyelid at her. This was a place where a loner could come seeking refuge and quiet. And Katara respected that, as Zuko pushed her past some very strange looking people. One man had an eye-patch on, and he walked on a strange, crooked stick. Another man had a black cloak on, and he just sat against a building, basking in the hot sun.
Katara stopped watching the strangers and took in all the buildings. There were some large ones, some small ones. There were tents, and there were venders full of food. Camel-goats pushed their way through the crowds carrying loads of groceries and other sacs for their owners.
There were numerous different roads, and there was a sign above a small building that read Welcome to Ba Sing Se's market district. Enjoy your shopping. Katara then felt the urge to shop, just as Zuko had promised her. "Can we shop for my new clothes? I feel like an outsider with this blue dress on. Everybody else is wearing earth-tone colors," She couldn't help but blurt that out to Zuko. He already had a nice earth kingdom outfit on. He looked just like a normal commoner.
"Sure," Zuko replied, his tone mild. He walked her toward a vender that had some very appealing clothes hanging from it's rack. There was a kind lady who stood behind the rack.
"Hello there! You two here for a good new outfit? I've got a good selection. From yellows to browns, and greens, too." The lady smiled a smile that every shop-owner used to entice their customers.
Zuko notioned toward Katara. "She's the shopper today. I'm fine," He stated quickly, as he shuffled his feet. Katara could tell right away that he didn't like shopping. But she couldn't remember Aang or Sokka ever enjoying shopping either. She was the one who usually did the shopping.
Katara smiled at the shop-owner, who looked her up and down.
"Ah, you're a pretty thing, aren't you? And I see you've hurt yourself?" The lady looked down at Katara's leg, with a questioning look.
Zuko quickly changed the subject before she could ask any more questions. "We're just here to find some clothes...Something not too warm. It's getting pretty hot."
Katara looked up at the sky. It was as blue as she'd ever seen it, and the sun was blazing back at her. No wonder so many people had gathered in Ba Sing Se. It was the perfect day to be shopping.
The lady eyed Katara. "What's your style, honey?"
Katara shrugged. "Anything simple, but not too loose...I don't like clothes that are to loose," She stated. She had always hated it when her clothes didn't fit her. It bothered her extremely.
"Hm, I think I've got just the thing for you." The lady pulled out a green 2-piece skirt and top, which was trimmed with yellow. It looked nice. "You look like you'd fit well in this?"
Katara nodded. "I could try it," She began to hoist herself up from the chair, and Zuko immediately grabbed her shoulders, holding her up.
The lady handed Katara the outfit, and notioned toward a small yellow tent that stood alone next to her booth. "That's where you can try it on," She smiled at Zuko's caring gestures.
Katara nodded, then glanced at Zuko. "I can do it, I'm fine," She reassured him. The look of panic shot over his face, but he nodded, and let her go. As she entered the tent, she could hear the lady's voice.
"You've got yourself a beautiful young lady. Where did you meet her?" Katara strained to listen to what he would say.
"She's not exactly mine," Zuko's hoarse voice retorted. He sounded like he didn't want to talk, especially about relationships. But the shopkeeper obviously wasn't put down by the uncomfortable tone in Zuko's voice.
"Oh? Well, if I were you, I'd try my best to keep her...She's a rare gem."
Zuko didn't reply, and Katara began to wonder what he was thinking as she slipped into the skirt and shirt. She found it wasn't as hard as she had thought to get into the skirt. She fixed her hair, then stepped out of the tent, the sun hitting her face. When Zuko turned to look at her, his face turned red as he stared at her.
"Oh, I love it, I just love it!" The shop-owner exclaimed. She examined Katara with a bright smile on her face. "Aren't you just...Darling!" Katara noticed the lady's eyes glanced at Zuko in a mischievous look.
Katara blushed, giving a dainty expression. The only thing she could think to do was smile. "Thanks," She replied to the shopkeeper's kind words.
Zuko looked down at his bag of money, pulled out some gold coins, and handed them to the lady, who gratefully took them from him. "Let's go, Katara," He said in a low voice.
Katara gratefully smiled at the lady as Zuko pushed her into the dusty, dry Ba Sing Se. The town looked so busy, yet so peaceful. Katara examined 3 children playing with sticks and a small ball. They were hitting the ball around, and making gleeful noises whenever the ball would slide between their feet. She smiled. She couldn't help but hope that the small children would never have to know about the war that penetrated the outside of Ba Sing Se's mighty walls.
"Want to stop and get a drink?" Zuko's voice hovered over her head as they passed several venders. A nice drink did sound nice.
"Sure," Katara smiled. "It's a hot day."
Zuko veered toward a small building that read 'Drinks, Blends, and More'. He pushed her into the shop, and a cool fan hit her face. One of the employees smiled as they entered.
"Welcome!" A man with a beard smiled. "Here for a drink?" He motioned for Zuko and Katara toward a nice table. There was small fans that easily cooled the little restaurant off that were hung from the ceiling.
Zuko sat down in the booth as he centered Katara's chair at the table. The cold air hit Katara in the face, and she closed her eyes. But she quickly opened them when she noticed Zuko slipping out of the booth.
"Washroom," He stated. She nodded quickly with a look of understanding as he headed for a small archway that lead to the men's washroom, and he disappeared inside.
Katara looked around. The shop was filled with people. Some were sitting in groups, others alone. She noticed a nice boy sitting alone in a booth. He had short black hair, and he reminded Katara of Aang. A small sadness lurched through her, but she caught herself smiling at the boy anyways. And to her surprise, he smiled back. She waved. What a sweet boy! She then noticed he began to stand up, and he made his way to her table. She then noticed he was wearing a white apron. He must work here! Katara looked up and nodded as the boy approached her.
"Hello there, miss," He smiled respectfully toward her. He did a small bow, then looked up at her.
She smiled. "Hello, sir," She laughed. "Would you like a seat?" She motioned at the empty booth where Zuko was supposed to sit. He won't mind, she thought.
The boy eagerly sat down next to her. "My name is Lee," He looked eagerly into her eyes.
"I'm Katara, nice to meet you, Lee," Katara held her hand out for the boy to shake. He did, and he held on for a moment. How odd that he looked so much like Aang. He even gray eyes, like Aang did. But his voice wasn't the same, high-pitched voice that Aang had. It was softer. But he looked Aang's age, about 12. Or maybe a little younger.
"Is there anything I can get you? Like a drink? I work here, you know," He stated proudly.
"Ah, I think I'd like a cold smoothie...A fruit smoothie, if that's what you serve here," She smiled gently as the boy grinned.
"What's your favorite fruits, miss?" He got up out of the booth and pulled a small book out of his apron.
"I'm not sure...Could you give me a list of fruits that you serve?" Katara's eye glistened at the eager, excited look on Lee's face.
Lee flipped through his little book, then fingered a certain page. "Here it is!" He looked up at Katara for a moment, then looked back down at his book. "We serve strawberries, blueberries, oranges, papayas, watermelon, lemons, apples, kiwis, bananas..." He paused, taking a breath. A flash of amusement crossed Katara's face as a smile crept apon his. "Limes, pears, coconuts-that's my favorite-, pineapple, tangerine, starfruit, mango, and raspberry." He looked up at Katara with a pleased look on his face.
Katara put her hand on her chin and gave a bewildered look. "I can't choose!" She finally said. "What do you recommend?"
Lee jumped at the opportunity to recommend her a drink. "Coconut and banana mix is the best flavor that you'll find on our menu," He smiled at her, a wild, delicious look in his eyes. "
"I'll go with that, then." Katara saw Zuko appear from the other side of the restaurant, and he had a look of disapproval as he layed eyes on Lee. "Make 2 of those. One for me and my friend," She nodded toward Lee, who was writing down something in his book.
"Ok, 2 smoothies, coming up!" He ran toward the kitchen and into the door, with a giddy bounce in his steps.
Zuko approached, gave her a disturbed look, then sat down. "Who was that?"
She frowned. "Our waiter, nobody special," Katara could almost see a hint of jealousy in Zuko's eyes. "I ordered us coconut and banana smoothies," She quickly stated.
Zuko's face turned sour. "I hate bananas." He looked into her eyes with disgust.
"Why? They're so good!" She replied with almost a laugh. "How could someone hate bananas?"
"I hated them when I first saw them when I was younger...I never tried one, because I was served a bruised banana in my fruit salad. The servant who served it to me was banished from the palace. So I never ate one. And I don't intend to," He eyed her.
Katara stared at him in disbelief. "So you've never actually tried one? How can you make a judgment like that when you've only seen one?"
"It was black! What'd you expect me to do?" Zuko looked as if he instantly regretted asking that question.
"Eat a fresh one, that's what you should do. Give this smoothie a try!" She urged him. "Lee said it tastes great!"
Zuko's face turned into anger as he turned his gaze at the kitchen. "Lee? He better not be-"
Katara quickly interrupted him. "Lee is fine. He was just asking my order...And what do you care, anyways?"
Zuko shook his head. "You'd better be careful, Katara...Guys are eying you."
Katara hadn't noticed, but guys were eying her. A lot. She nervously adjusted herself in her seat and looked down at her hands.
Zuko glared at the group of teenagers sitting in a nearby booth. They all looked away. "Don't make eye contact with them...Don't pay them any attention, and don't-"
"You don't need to boss me around! I'm perfectly capable of dealing with guys!" She was infuriated that Zuko would treat her that way. "If I want to look at a guy in a certain way, then I can!" She purposefully turned around and flashed a girly smile at one of the teenagers who sat a short distance away. The guy smiled back, and then shot a look of defeat at Zuko.
Before Zuko could say something, Lee emerged out of the kitchen with their smoothies. He had a huge smile on his face. "Here's your drinks!" His smiled disappeared when he saw Zuko's scowl, but he quickly ignored Zuko's coldness.
Katara took her smoothie and gratefully smiled at Lee. "Thanks, Lee!" She motioned for him to sit. "Want to sit with us? You can have Zuko's drink...He doesn't like bananas," She glanced at Zuko, who looked like he was about to explode.
Lee looked at Zuko from the side of his eye and caught on to Zuko's distressed attitude. "Uh, I need to go work in the kitchen. I don't want to interrupt you and your boyfriend's time." He smiled at Katara, setting Zuko's drink onto the table.
Zuko's face had reddened considerably, but he said nothing as Lee walked away.
Katara ignored his hostile glare as she sipped the smoothie. It tasted amazing! She licked her lips, and waited for Zuko to sip his, but he sat, glaring at the group of guys who were still eying Katara. "It's really good, Zuko," She stated. "Take one sip, and I won't bother you about it anymore."
Zuko glanced down at the yellow drink that sat before him. He picked up the glass and smelled it. His expression changed from angry to annoyed. "It smells weird."
"It does not," Katara said as she licked the sweet juice off her lips. "You're just picky." She took another delightful sip of the thick smoothie, savoring the taste of the bananas and coconuts.
Zuko brought the glass to his lips, took a sip, then set the glass down. He looked shocked. "It's ok," He looked at Katara as he took another sip. She took another sip, and almost choked on her drink as she noticed the yellow mustache that had formed on his upper lip. She exploded into laughter after she finished swallowing.
"What?" Zuko's cheeks turned a bright shade of red that urged her to keep laughing more.
"You've grown a wonderful...Mustache!" She pointed at him. The laugh that blurted out as she watched him quickly wipe it away filled her with joy as she sipped her drink in a silent giggle. "It looked good," She joked.
Zuko almost smiled, but it quickly disappeared when he saw the group of teenagers laughing at him. He stood up, picked up his smoothie, and threw the thick liquid at the guy who had been smiling at Katara the most. The smoothie landed perfectly-aimed on his head, the yellow goo dripping down onto his green shirt.
The guy stood up, wiped the smoothie from his face, and glared at Zuko. "YOU PEST!" He pointed his finger at Zuko. Katara began to stand up, but quickly remembered her injured leg.
"You JERK!" Zuko pointed his finger at the guy. "You big fat JERK!" His anger spilled over as he grabbed Katara's smoothie (just as she was about to sip it) and hauled it at the teenager again, this time aiming at the guy's legs.
Katara's jaw dropped. "Zuko!" She called.
Zuko's head swerved around as his angry gaze settled on Katara's amused look. She tried to hide her amusement and push it over with anger. "What are you doing?" She folded her arms across her chest in a contempt to look in-charge.
Suddenly, a man from the kitchen emerged, his face red with fury. "What's going on here?" He stalked over to where Zuko and the teenager stood. "Who started this mess?" The man shouted as the restaurant fell silent. "Well?"
The teenager shot a glance at the man, then pointed his dripping finger at Zuko. "He did," He gave an evil glare of pure hatred.
The man stared at Zuko. "Get out of my restaurant, NOW!" Zuko didn't hesitate, but he quickly grabbed Katara's chair and rolled her out of of the air-conditioned building. The sun beat down on her face as Zuko quickly wheeled her away from the restaurant.
"Well, that was wonderful! Way to draw attention to ourselves!" Katara's voice came out angrier then she had meant to. But Zuko deserved it, after he had ruined her precious smoothie, and caused a wonderful moment to turn into a smoothie fight.
"Doesn't matter. You were drawing enough attention on your own," Zuko replied. He stopped walking and settled next to a fountain that had spouts of water coming out of a large, stone bird's beak. Zuko sat on the edge of the fountain with a frustrated look before saying, "Where do you want to go now?" He looked exhausted, as the sun's rays beat down on his red face. She could see sweat dripping off his brow, and his hands were clenched into fists.
A cool, faint breeze drifted past Katara's face, helping her to calm herself down. "We need to go back," She finally stated. "We need to talk."
He nodded with an understanding look, and pushed her through the still growing crowds of Ba Sing Se.