Chapter 3: A Sword and a Teapot

Moro hadn't touched her cup of jasmine tea for hours, the steam billowing upwards until the tea cooled, now and forgotten as she stared at the two behind the work counter. Pao's place had gotten significantly busier since Mushi and Lee arrived, the old man's skills with tea unmatched by anyone in the Lower Ring, and the shop was now teeming with business. Honestly, Moro should be happy her new friends were doing so well, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

The boy that had pinned her to a wall and screamed in her face was obviously cracked in the head, but his words struck a nerve in her that she couldn't stop thinking about.

They can't be firebenders… can they? They're refugees so they might not even be from the Earth Kingdom… but what would two firebenders be doing fleeing their country anyway? It doesn't make any sense but…

Small things started to catch her attention; the way Lee would get overly frustrated when the spark rocks wouldn't work, or how Mushi had no trouble touching the bellies of hot teapots that would otherwise burn a normal person's hands. Then there was Lee's burn scar, and sure, tons of people had scars from all sorts of things, heck, Moro probably had at least two on each arm and leg, but there was also the fact that both Old Man Mushi and Lee had almost molten amber eyes. Lee's like liquid gold and Mushi's like forged copper, you didn't see those colors around most of the Earth Kingdom.

Could they really be like me? Hiding?

Iroh had always said that Ba Sing Se had the most beautiful women in the world, and their new friend Moro was no exception. She was a delightful girl whose odd eye color and free-running personality made her quite the unique beauty, so he couldn't blame his nephew for not knowing how to properly speak to her.

The boy was currently pouring tea, unaware of how Moro sat nearby staring at him. "Such a polite young lady, and very pretty." He waggled his eyebrows, Zuko's back to him but a groan escaping him anyway. He knew exactly who his uncle was talking about.

"She's annoying," he barked, "We talked once and now she's following us around like a stray cat!"

Iroh shrugged, filling a tray with teacups, "Those who extend a friendly hand aren't always hiding a knife in the other, nephew."

"I don't need friends." He snapped back in his typical frowning fashion.

Iroh just shrugged, bringing more tea to the lovely customers in the shop, but noticing Moro haven't even have touched her own cup. She just kept staring at the table or at Zuko in particular, a thoughtful yet troubled look on her face.

How peculiar.

"Friendship finds us whether we're looking for it or not, but I'm not the one always thinking about a girl I apparently don't like." He didn't give his nephew the chance to deny it, though his angry growl was evidence enough of that.

Perhaps Zuko was right and nothing would come of his and Moro's unconventional friendship, but even still something about the young girl that gave him a good feeling; something was familiar about her that he couldn't place. The shape of her face, the confidence in her stride, even the small upturn of her eyes that made it seem like she was always smiling, all made him feel as though he'd seen her before.

"This is the best tea in the city!" one of Pao's patrons praised, making the old man blush.

"The secret ingredient is love," he smiled, spotting Moro seated on the opposite side of the shop, far away from all the guards and Dai Li officers. Iroh walked towards her, placing a new hot cup of jasmine tea in front of her, but the girl seemed so lost in thought that she didn't even notice his presence. "Tea is said to not only heal the body, but the mind as well, everything alright?"

She took the cup, smiling as it warmed her hands, "Yeah, just thinking…"

Iroh watched her drum her fingers against the table, her eyes trained on them like they were the most perplexing thing in the world. He placed a hand on her shoulder, her blue and yellow eyes looking up at him, blinking like a curious cat, trying to figure something out. He hadn't known her very long, but he could tell she was a good person, despite how often she ran away from authorities.

The corners of her mouth turned downward, "Are you…"

"I'm tired of waiting! Those two are firebenders!"

Iroh was quite used to the look of pure fear, but was surprised to find Moro not afraid of him, but rather everyone around her. She looked in that moment like she wanted nothing more than to disappear or be anywhere else at the mere mention of firebenders. Her fingers turned white around the teacup, and Iroh stepped in front of her instinctively.

The young man who had accused them so brazenly swung his swords threateningly towards them, not attacking, but barely holding back. "I know they're firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!"

The guards he was yelling towards only looked at each other, confusion displayed on their features. "He works in a tea shop." One said.

The boy growled like a wolf defending his territory. "He's a firebender! They all are! I'm telling you!"

Iroh heard the smallest gasp escape Moro's lips, she inched herself further behind him away from the officer's eyes, as though she were more afraid of them than the clearly unwell boy before them. The old man did not move, shielding her from the younger man's accusations.

The Dai Li officers rose, hands hovering over their own swords. "Drop your swords boy." He said steadily, as though approaching a snake taught and ready to strike. "Nice and easy."

He ignored them, twirling his blades and pointing them towards Iroh and Zuko, bloodlust shining in his dark eyes. "You'll have to defend yourself, come on… show me what you can do!" he was obviously trying to bait them, and Iroh was not so naïve, but he could not always say the same of his nephew.

Zuko, still safely under the guise of Lee, quickly grabbed the sword from one of the guards' belt. "You want a show?!" he separated the blades, a sword gripped tightly in each hand as the boys stared each other down, both of them daring the other to attack first. "I'll give you a show!"

A beat of silence passed between them, before the boy lunged for Zuko, but he quickly hooked his foot around the leg of a table and blocked the other boy's path, his hook-edged swords plunging into the wood rather than him. The young man growled loudly, plunging his sword deeper into the table, splitting it in half as he charged again.

Zuko blocked him with his own swords, swiping at his feet, but the boy flipped backwards to avoid him. They swung and blocked and parried each strike and slash the other dealt them, the duo locked in a dance of death that could only end badly.

People scattered, desperate to get out of their way as the unwell boy threw another table towards his nephew, it slammed him against the wall forming cracks in the stone. The breath knocked out of him, Zuko didn't have enough time to block the other boy's oncoming attack, his legs slamming into his stomach and knocking him through the wall into the street with a vicious crash.

Iroh wasn't quick enough to stop Moro from breaking off a table leg and running out after his nephew.

"You must be getting tired… why not firebend at me?!" the boy roared, his eyes wild with fury. The old man stepped out, holding his hands up and speaking softly to the young boy.

"Please son, you're confused… you don't know what you're doing." He pleaded.

Zuko tried to stand, still weakened from being thrown through a wall, but was barely to his feet as the boy stalked towards him, raising his swords over his head to bring them down on the other boy. Zuko would have blocked him, but the other boy was stopped when almost out of nowhere Moro blocked his sword with a severed table leg.

She grunted and hissed as he snarled and swung at her, but she ducked, coming back up to hit him square in the face with the table leg, knocking him back long enough for Zuko to get up and run back into his fight. "Get out of my way!" he barked at her, and she seemed happy to oblige, stepping back out of the way.

The boy wiped blood from his lip, glaring at them both with unbridled hatred. "Protecting your accomplice I see… bet you wish he'd help you out with a fire blast huh?"

Moro and Zuko both growled, him raising his swords to stand between her and their attacker. "You're the one who needs help!" he arched his sword and swung it down, the boy avoiding getting permanently blinded by only an inch, but Moro was just as quick, ducking down again to slam her weapon against the boy's legs. He howled in pain and dropped to his knees, trying still to slice at the girl but she darted away.

He pointed his sword at the pair accusingly, "The Fire Nation is trying to silence me!" he cried to the newly formed crowd of onlookers, "It'll never happen!"

Seemingly in cinque, Zuko and Moro came at him from both sides, but since her makeshift club was only wood, the boy easily broke the table leg in half, rendering her only defense against him useless. Zuko locked him in a parry, distracting him hopefully long enough for the girl to make her getaway, but as she ran away, the boy broke free of their standoff and hooked one of his curved swords around her ankle.

He yanked as hard as he could, his blade cutting into her skin with an ugly slice as she fell into the dirt with a cry. The boy then pulled her back, her nails digging into the ground but only leaving claw marks as she was dragged beneath him.

"Now you can't run away!" he shouted, twirling his sword and bringing it down to stab into her chest.

"Moro!" Zuko acted without thinking, dropping his swords and tackling the boy off of her.

They wrestled in the dirt, Zuko throwing a punch and landing it right in his cheek, adding a bruise to go with the split lip Moro gave him. The boy scratched at his eyes, flipping them over and gripping his remaining sword with white knuckles. He pressed it into Zuko's neck with the intent to slit his throat.

"Lee!" he heard Moro's voice, losing sight of her for only a moment before she returned, holding a teapot?

The shattering of porcelain echoed through the crowd as the odd-eyed girl smashed one of Pao's teapots over the rampaging boy's head.

He twitched before collapsing next to Zuko, knocked out, Moro clutching the bamboo handle of the ruined teapot like a vice. The two stared at each other, panting, not saying anything until more Dai Li guards showed up.

"Drop your weapons!" like a switch was flipped Moro dropped the teapot handle, and Zuko shakily got to his feet brushing the dust off his robe. The boy on the ground then groaned, holding the back of his head as he slowly came back to his senses. "What happened here?" the guard demanded, Moro's obvious flinch not going unnoticed by Zuko.

"This poor boy is confused," Iroh explained, "My nephew and I are simple refugees and this young lady is our kind neighbor."

She didn't meet the officers' eyes, staring down at her feet and trying to be as still as possible. It almost looked like she was trying to be invisible, a vast difference from the warm and talkative girl Zuko had met a few days ago.

Was she… afraid of the Dai Li?

Pao stormed out of his shop squawking like an angry turtleduck. "This young man wrecked my shop and assaulted my employees and one of my customers!"

"It's true sir!" the officer from earlier spoke up. "We saw it all, this kid attacked the finest tea-maker in the city!"

Iroh blushed, suddenly bashful. "Oh, that's very sweet." He chuckled.

The guards exchanged a nod before grabbing the boy by his arms and attempting to drag him away. It must have been bad timing or maybe just karma, but the boy woke from his concussed daze to find himself being arrested.

"No!" he yelled, struggling fruitlessly. "They're firebenders! You have to believe me!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as he was dragged away by the Dai Li. Once they were gone, Zuko saw Moro sigh deeply, as if she had been previously holding her breath.

She nudged the remains of the shattered teapot with her foot, looking apologetic. "Sorry about the teapot Gramps," she said, rubbing her arm where a bruise was starting to form from landing in the dirt.

Iroh took her hand and gave it a comforting pat, her crooked smile starting to come back.

"Think nothing of it my dear," he said before reaching into his apron pocket. "But do take this, it's a coupon for a free cup of tea, I hope this unfortunate event won't deter you from our company… I know my nephew loves having you around!"

Zuko growled, making an X with his arms and scowling, but Moro just laughed, her frightened and small demeanor gone as if it had never been there.

Great. He thought sarcastically. She's back to normal…

His uncle left to discuss some things with Pao, leaving the two teens alone. A beat of silence passed between them before Zuko felt his gut drop at the sight of Moro's catlike smirk. "Did you tackle that guy for me?" she teased.

He ground his teeth in irritation, fighting back against the heat he felt in his cheeks. "No… Shut up!" she giggled again, clearly not believing him. He crossed his arms and turned away from her, "Besides, I had it under control, I didn't need your help!"

She scoffed, "Oh yeah, getting thrown through a wall is always a sign of victory." He whipped his head around to glare at her, only to see that annoying smirk still on her face.

Honestly, why him?! Why did he always end up with weirdos and crazy people getting attached to him and following him around? He didn't even know this girl, yet she was trailing behind him trying to be his friend like a hungry stray. Annoying!

But… she did help him out when she didn't have to. He probably would have gotten his head chopped off by that lunatic if she didn't charge in raising a table leg like an idiot. She could've gotten hurt! Then he probably would've had to firebend to protect her! How stupid was she?! Stupid enough to run into a fight to help you, he thought, a pout forming on his face.

Zuko groaned loudly, still not facing Moro but feeling her teasing grin aimed at his back.

"Thank you."

"Hm?" she hummed. "Couldn't quite hear you…"

"I'm not saying it again!"

He heard her snicker, then scowled as he felt her sling her arm over his shoulder and wink at him. "You're welcome! Guess this means we're even now, huh?"

Never in his life had someone annoyed Zuko so much, maybe Azula on a bad day, but never to this degree. He wanted to yell, firebend, and smash his head through a wall whenever Moro was around. No matter how many times he told her to get lost, she'd just laugh and come right back. His uncle told him that's what friends do, but Zuko was not interested in being anybody's friend.

Moro nudged him in the side before throwing up a peace-sign, "I'll see you later!" she said before running off again, Zuko watching her disappear down an alleyway with a frown.

His uncle appeared by his side, also watching her leave before he lightly nudged him with his elbow, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning. "What?!" he barked, choosing to ignore how hot brightly he blushed.

"Nothing, nothing…" Iroh raised his hands and began to walk back to their apartment, smirking all the while.

Zuko rolled his eyes, but waited until his uncle was further ahead of him before glancing over his shoulder at where Moro disappeared to. He shook his head, she's an irritating street-rat, nothing more. He told himself, following his uncle and trying to banish the strange girl from his mind.

Neither Zuko, nor Iroh, noticed the remnants of smoke vanishing from the burnt handle of the broken teapot as they walked away.

So the fight with Jet was a bit different this time around, but we got some cute chemistry between Zuko and Moro! He doesn't consider them friends yet, but he doesn't want to admit he likes her company either. Oh Zuko you emotionally constipated cutie you... anyway, enjoy! Ciao!