As I poured out a cup of tea for some of my regular customers, they sat back and enjoyed my singing as they requested songs to enjoy with their hot brew, so I obliged, singing all the songs that Mushi had taught me as well as some new ones I had learned from the bards in the city, causing an even larger crowd to be drawn in and Pao, our employer, couldn't be happier about the business he was receiving.
"Ah! So you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you." A voice said and I looked up to see a richly dressed man addressing Mushi, a cup of tea in his jewelled hand. "I hope Pao pays you well."
"Good tea is its own reward." Mushi said with a smile and I chuckled, stopping my singing so that the men could talk without being interrupted, however the rich man seemed to notice that I had halted my song for them.
"Oh no dear, please continue. You have a wonderful voice." Knowing that I should not speak to someone as official and rich as him, I merely bowed respectfully and continued my song, humming a little more quietly as I poured the tea for a lovely old lady who had taken it upon herself to bring me a treat every time she visited the shop, whether it was a pack of sweets or a pretty ribbon, she always brought something despite me insisting she shouldn't. "Now, tea doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?" The newcomer questioned Mushi who blinked in surprise.
"My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!" He beamed as Pao appeared and instantly held out an arm between Mushi and the gentleman.
"What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my tea maker?" He demanded protectively and I lifted my head, balancing the tray on my hip as I listened curiously.
"Sorry Pao, that's business for you, am I right?" The gentleman chuckled as Pao now turned desperately to Mushi.
"Mushi, if you stay, I will make you Assistant Manager. Wait, Senior Assistant manager!" He offered desperately as Mushi stroked his beard in thought.
"I'll provide you with a new apartment in the upper ring. The tea shop is yours to do whatever you want." I saw Lee lift his head slightly from where he was washing down a table. "Complete creative freedom." This seemed to instantly take Mushi's interest as his eyes brightened.
"I even get to name the shop?"
"Of course!" Mushi smiled richly as Pao clawed at his head.
"Senior Executive Assistant Manager?" He tried but Mushi merely handed the pot back over to him and Pao hung his head in defeat, shuffling away sadly.
"Did you hear nephew? Saki? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city." I gave a broad smile, my eyes glittering excitedly as I gave a twirl.
"I can't wait!" I called back however Lee made no response, so the man turned his attention to him.
"That's right young man. Your life is about to change for the better." He said, trying to stir Lee's excitement but he only answered in a grave voice.
"I'll try to contain my joy." He said before stepping outside, closing the doors behind him. I blinked then looked to Mushi in confusion but he only shook his head, signalling that I shouldn't go after him. We worked until the end of the day, whereby we handed in our notice so that we could go home to pack, ready to move to our new lives.
I was in the bedroom packing away all the clothes when I heard the door slam and Lee came striding inside with that swagger that was all his. "So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it." Mushi was saying and I kept quiet, pressing my ear to the door to listen.
"The Avatar's here in Ba-Sing Sei, and he's lost his bison." Instantly Mushi made a hushing sound and I frowned slightly. Did he not want to risk someone overhearing them? Who was the Avatar? With a sigh I heard Mushi take something, a leaflet of some sort.
"We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us." He said and I listened as Lee walked over to the window before he spun around and spoke to his uncle in an irate voice.
"Good things that are happening for you. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?" He demanded but his uncle only lowered his head.
"There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want for your life, and why." He said earnestly but Lee remained determined.
"I want my destiny." He declared morbidly before walking away again.
"What that means is up to you." He called after his nephew before there was a moment of silence. "The Tea Weevil!" He suddenly announced before scolding himself. "No, that's stupid."
"I liked the Jasmine Dragon." I announced my presence, leaning against the door and Mushi instantly threw up his hands with a sharp yell, startled by my sudden interruption.
"Saki! Ah…how is your packing coming along?" He questioned with a guilty look written all over his face, rubbing the back of his head with a smile that was obviously trying to hide something from me. My eyes slid towards where Mushi was trying to inconspicuously hide the poster behind his back.
"I'm all done. What are you trying to hide?" I asked curiously, trying to lean around to see but Mushi quickly stepped away from me so I followed him. "And who's the Avatar? Is he really in Ba-Sing Sei?" I questioned, taking a swipe at the poster but Mushi quickly held it away from me, gulping nervously as he evaded my attempts. "Come on Mushi! Stop being unfair."
"What this? Oh no this is nothing, just a silly letter from a great tea admirer…" He tried to excuse however I arched my eyebrow, knowing that he was lying.
"What's the big deal?" I questioned with a laugh, jumping to try and swipe it again. "Just let me see!" Smiling I managed to grip part of the poster and made to pull, however Mushi kept a grip on it.
"No! You can't read that, Saki stop it! LET GO!" He suddenly thundered and I blinked, flinching with hurt and instantly I let go of the poster, all fun being taken from the situation as Mushi glared at me and I stared up at him, tears filling my eyes. He's never shouted at me before. "Saki…I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" However I didn't let him finish. I bolted for the door and flung it open, slamming it shut behind me and I pressed my back against the door, letting the tears fall as I heard Lee come running back into the main room.
"What happened? I heard shouting."
"Nephew, I cannot keep doing this. She needs to know the truth." Mushi said and I quietened myself down to listen.
"What do you mean?" Lee demanded angrily as Mushi sighed.
"She tried to look at the poster, and she asked questions about the Avatar. You and I both know it's only a matter of time before all her memories return, she gets more and more of them back every day." Listening carefully I could hear Lee pacing.
"No. We can't. If she knew the truth, then she would leave and we can't let her slip away from us. She's our only chance uncle!" Instantly I frowned, wiping away my tears as I crouched at the door, listening in confusion. What were they talking about?
"I know that that is not the only reason you do not wish for her to leave, nephew. You should tell her everything. I mean it. You cannot keep concealing the truth from her. She has a right to know!" Lee growled in irritation, hammering a fist on the table.
"We just can't risk it. No. I cannot become involved that way, it would just make things way too complicated." He said and my eyes widened slightly. Become involved?! Does that mean…he cares?
"Please. I care very much for our sweet little cherry blossom, and I have never seen such happiness in a girl her age, but we cannot hide her away forever. Sooner or later, she will find out herself."
"If she's happy then what's the problem? We've given her a new life! There's nothing more she needs to know." Lee answered stubbornly and I began to think. They obviously knew more about me than what they were letting on. Maybe they saved my life on purpose, to use me for something. No, they wouldn't. Mushi and Lee are good people, I'm just reading things wrong.
"Prince Zuko…you and I both know that this is not true. She needs to know about why you need her." Prince Zuko? Where have I heard that name before? Ugh, this is all so confusing! I don't understand, what are they talking about?! After a long pause I pressed my ear to the slim crack in the door to hear Lee's quiet murmur more clearly.
"Alright. I'll tell her the truth. Tonight." Why he needs me? Now that just adds a hundred more questions to my list. "I'll go find her." Making a squeak of fear I quickly scrambled to get away, running towards the stairwell and instantly started to jump them flight at a time, having become quite adept at moving my body in an agile manner.
I escaped the building before Lee could catch up with me, running into the street and did not stop running as images and whispered words started to flash through my memory. I could see Lee's face, only his hair was different, a single ponytail with the rest of his hair shaved away, revealing his angry scar and an equally angry face as he pointed at something.
It then switched to a laughing boy, carrying a staff in his hand with a blue arrow tattooed onto his shaven head, grey eyes filled with laughter as he leaped up into the air with a gust of wind and his staff became a glider of some sort. Groaning I gripped my throbbing head, stumbling forwards through an alley as people passed me in the streets, not taking any notice. The voices wouldn't leave me alone, whispering constantly like echoes as I clamped my hands down on my ears to try and block them out.
"Hey sis, catch!"
"I warned you, there would be consequences to your actions."
"Stop taunting me!"
"I won't let you take my brother, you'll have to kill me first!" Shaking my head I whimpered, clenching my eyes tightly shut as images flickered through my mind, briefly coming to light before being snuffed out and replaced like a candle in the wind.
"You are trapped in your concern for your brother, it is all that has ever worried you and will continue to do so." I heard the voice of an old woman say in my mind and I stood up straighter, opening my eyes to look up at the sky, my orbs widening with each passing word. "Such a shame, there is so much power within you. Yes, a power that is dormant, unawake because of your rooted ground." When the pain returned, I cried out and collapsed to my knees, gripping my head once more alone in a square. "Airbender…and a powerful one too. Greater even than your brother, for your spirit is far more tuned to that around you than his ever will be. You will be a renowned master of the element of air. I see it." With that, my mind then went black, however that was not the end.
I stood alone upon a mountain, the world spinning around me before becoming still, with only clouds around me and the ground under my feet. Before me I watched as something sprouted out of the ground, a small shoot which gradually began to grow, becoming larger and larger before I was staring at a tree, turning as the branches stretched out, growing blossoms which then became peaches, the succulent fruit bursting with fresh juices. "You have been asleep a long time, little one." A somewhat familiar voice said and I spun around to see a monk sitting at the base of the tree in a meditation pose, eyes closed however he was smiling. "It was about time you woke up."
"But I'm sleeping right now, aren't I?" I questioned then had a panicked thought that maybe I'd died and was now passing on into the next life. "I'm not dead, am I?!" I squeaked but the old man chuckled and opened his eyes and instantly, I felt drawn towards them, as if they were eyes I knew better than I knew my own.
"No, of course not. However, you do not always need to be asleep to not be awake." I frowned, confused at the proverb. "Yes…that one did not make sense…forget I said that." He said before gesturing that I should approach.
"Who are you?" I asked him, stepping forwards and sat down in front of him, curious.
"You will know in time. I am from your past." Instantly I smiled with hope.
"Then you can tell me who I am! Please, you have to tell me everything, I feel so lost without my memories, I'm so confused…" The monk laughed at me and instantly I flared up defensively. "What's so funny? Hey! This is serious!" He wiped a tear away from his eye and began to quieten down, though it took a while so I glared at him indignantly.
"Oh, dear me. So this is what you would have been like had things been different." Shaking his head he then frowned. "You're quite wimpy, I think I preferred it when you were a serious child." I arched an eyebrow.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" I demanded to know. The monk looked up as a peach fell from the branch and directly into his open hand, making him smile as he began to cut it carefully into slices.
"You see, memories are what help shape a person into who they are. When I first met you, you were a serious little creature, rarely smiling and never laughing, however after some time, you loosened up a little and became much less of a bore, though you still preferred your own company." He shrugged and I just stared at him. "But now you've lost those memories, it's like you're a completely different person. All those years of loneliness and suffering haven't turned you into the miserable wretch you used to be." My face dropped into a deadpan.
"Gee. Thanks."
"You're welcome!" He trilled before eating one of the segments, taking it off the end of the small knife he had. He munched away happily and I waited for him, thinking he would continue but he didn't, so I growled at him.
"So why am I here?"
"Ah! Good question. Why are you here?" He leaned closer, peering at me closely and I just looked at him.
"I just asked you that!"
"True, but now I'm asking you!" He returned then began to hit my forehead with the palm of his hand repeatedly, knocking on my skull. "Think little one, think!"
"Hey! Stop! Stop it Gyatso!" I giggled but then froze in place, realising that I had just remembered his name. Drawing back with a soft smile, Gyatso nodded his head. I knew his name, but nothing else. Nothing else save that this man was hugely important to me. "Gyatso…you're not my father are you?" His face dropped.
"Of course not! Do I look that young?" I paused, wondering what to say and he tittered his tongue with a shake of his head. "You could have at least said yes." He muttered before sighing. "Child, I am here to grant you wisdom. You have travelled a long road with your feet firmly on the ground, but now it is time to let go. You must remember everything, as many lives now depend on you, including those who are close to your heart."
"Then tell me! Tell me things I should know and I'll try to remember them." I begged but the clouds around us began to grow dark and stormy, thunder rumbling in the distance as Gyatso began to fade away. "No! No don't go! Please don't leave me alone! I'm afraid!" I yelled, trying to grab his wrist but my hand fell straight through as if he were nothing more than a shadow.
"Sweet child, I have never left your side. You are never alone." He told me with a loving smile before he was gone and the clouds were now swirling around me with flashes of lightning, making me flinch in instinctual fear.
Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the tree and I gasped, staring as it burst into flames, roaring in my ears as the bright flames began to break off the branches, causing them to tumble and fall straight towards me just as another lightning bolt struck, aiming straight for me as I screamed and shielded my face with my arms, however before either could hit my eyes flew open and I gasped loudly, spinning around onto my back to look around me.
I had passed out in a back street and it was night time, the lamps in houses already being lit. Shivering from a cold sweat that cased my body I shook myself out of my panic and got to my feet, walking towards a fountain where I sat down at the edge and looked down at my reflection. I could still remember only a precious little, just faces and places that never seemed to link together or make any sense, however it was better than a simple cavern of darkness.
Reaching out with one finger I traced my finger over the water, distilling my reflection however when the ripples settled, another face had joined my reflection, looking directly at me. "We were worried. You've been gone for hours." Lee told me as my head snapped around and instantly I blushed and turned away again.
"I'm sorry." I told him as he took a seat on the edge of the fountain as well, his eyes trying to read my face as his was filled with a touch of concern. "You've been keeping secrets from me Lee." I revealed and he tensed slightly but said nothing. "I know who you are." His eyes widened slightly in fear as I turned to face him. "You're name isn't Lee, is it?" Finally he shook his head and looked down at the ground.
"No."
"It's Zuko." His eyes snapped towards me but I remained calm. "I heard your uncle call you prince. You're not just any rich boy from the Fire Nation. You're the Fire Lord's son, aren't you?" He continued to just stare at me, looking slightly afraid as I shifted closer. "What I don't understand is why you ran away from home. If you and your uncle are part of the royal family, then why would you leave?" Lee relaxed and exhaled softly as his eyes turned to the water, looking directly at his scar.
"My father did this to me." He revealed and I gasped softly in shock. His own father? I heard Ozai was ruthless, but to do that to your own son…he must be a monster. "I was never anything more than a disappointment to my father, nothing I ever did seemed to please him. He burned me because I had spoken out of turn during a war meeting, trying to defend the lives of new recruits as they were going to be used as a sacrificial diversion tactic." My eyes watered with tears slightly as I watched his golden eyes cloud with memory. "My uncle and I…we'd had enough." He shrugged before sighing. "Listen Saki, there's something I need to tell you. Something important."
Without thinking I leaned forwards and kissed his cheek, making him blink and stare at me in surprise as I pulled back with a deep blush. "It's okay Lee, you don't have to." I told him, giving him a soft smile. "You may be the enemy of everyone else in this kingdom, but I don't think you're who others say you are. You're special, Lee, and I don't care about who you were, just as long as you're happy now." I told him, gazing up into his golden eyes but then, feeling a little brave, I reached out and placed my hand in his, linking our fingers together. "And…I hope that I can be a part of that happiness." Losing some of my confidence I looked away, still blushing however Lee reached out and touched my face, lifting it to face him and my heart began to start skipping beats.
Lee leaned closer and I returned the movement, closing my eyes however just before our lips could make contact, Lee stopped then pulled back, letting go of my hand. "What's wrong? Lee?"
"Nothing." He said, standing up and walking away a few paces. "It's just…things are a little more complicated than they used to be."
"What's so complicated?" I questioned, standing up and wrung my wrists in front of me as I fixed my eyes on his back since he refused to turn to face me. "Listen Lee…Zuko…I like you. I really like you. A lot. I have done for a while now. How is that complicated?" He didn't answer but I saw that he hung his head a little further and suddenly it dawned on me. "Oh…I understand. It's Jin."
"No! No it's not." He answered, turning his head slightly and I frowned in confusion.
"Then what is it? I can handle rejection Lee, if you don't feel the same way then just tell me." Though this was a lie, I braced myself for the blow with closed eyes, however what came was not what I was expecting. Lee had turned around and kissed me, one hand gripping the back of my neck as his warm and soft lips tasted my own in a tender embrace before he pulled back slightly, resting his head against mine whilst my heart gave a jolt of surprise before a warm bubble rose up inside me.
"It's not that Saki, just…promise me something." He said and I nodded my head against his gently, signalling I was listening. "Promise me that no matter what, you'll remember that the guy you see now is the better side of me." As his hands rested on my waist, I paused to try and figure out what he meant but I couldn't so I just pulled him closer to me.
"Of course." I said with a smile, holding him to me as I felt a wave of tranquillity wash over me. Lee held me in his warm embrace and I started to brush my fingers through his hair as he went lax before me.
"We should head back. Uncle's getting worried about you." He murmured gently so I nodded my head again and pulled away. Lee took a large step back, shifting his weight awkwardly so I gave him a shy smile before I led the way home, Lee following me a few paces behind until finally we were back home.