It was only a few days after the incidents inside Ba Sing Se. Azula and her team had made it into the city. The day before, they had captured two earth benders from the city. They had taken them prisoner. From those two they got their clothes, which they slightly altered and hair styles changed. Now they were inside the city, looking for a certain boy with an arrow on his head.
"Split up," Azula commanded. "We will cover more ground. Meet back here at dusk. If you see or hear anything that could lead to us finding the Avatar, it will benefit you greatly to tell it." The other girls nodded, understanding that she meant business. And with that they parted company, intent on finding their prey.
---
Business at the tea shop was busy, as usual. It was about twelve o'clock and the lunch crowd was in. Many had brought food from other shops and bakeries, but a few simply had the tea that was served to them. Sure, there were a few other things on the menu, but no one went to the best tea shop in Ba Sing Se for the food.
Zuko was in a somewhat happy mood. Despite his leaving Jen on the date, she had come the next day, still happy. It was obvious that she understood, and that it was okay. He remembered the night and smiled happily to himself.
He was interrupted as yet another cricket chirped loudly on the counter. He sighed with annoyance and squashed it with a gloved hand. He then disposed of the bug and continued serving eager customers.
---
As Azula made her way through the city, she felt somewhat awkward. She was used to the way it was in the Fire Nation, when wherever she went she was greeted and people bowed low to her. However, here in Ba Sing Se, few had even heard of her. Those who had would never recognize her in her new clothes. As she walked, no one seemed to notice here at all.
As she was walking, one rude man bumped her to the side, causing her to stumble. She regained her balance in an instant, and looked at the man with a stare of silent hatred. The man didn't even acknowledge her, and kept on walking. She ran up to him and tapped him impatiently on the back.
He turned around, mad with annoyance. "What do you want, you little peasant?" He was obviously a man of high social status in Ba Sing Se. "You knocked me over," she replied. The man laughed and continued walking down the road.
Azula had to hold herself back from shooting a fire ball at the man. What arrogance, she thought. Insulting me, calling me a lowly peasant. She made a mental note to hunt him down and eliminate him when the time came.
---
Back at the tea shop, it was more packed than ever. So many people were showing up. It was amazing that the small shop cold hold so many. But the customers didn't mind the small size and continued to consume the tea.
As Zuko was walking towards a table of three, he heard a distinct crunching noise under his foot. Darn it, another blasted cricket. Those things were so annoying. They seemed to pop up wherever he went.
After a moment or two, he continued on his way and laid the tray on the table. The group sitting there thanked him and he walked away. A few seconds later, a loud noise behind him caused him to jerk around to see what it was. There was a shriek from one of the girls sitting at the table, and a man was standing up pointing to his tea.
"There's a cricket in my tea!" he shouted to no one in particular. He yelled it again, making sure no one was unaware. He then ran out the door of the shop, yelling his news to people as he went.
---
Azula continued to walk for a while, still steamed at the man from before. She thought of all the things she would do to him when the Fire Nation finally invaded (successfully, that is). Since the incident, her anger had steadily increased. Now, she was quite literally ready to kill.
As she walked, she heard a man yell out something loudly. She walked silently over to the source of the sound, ready to investigate. Many others had also heard the yell and were hurrying toward the source. It must be nothing, she thought. Probably some idiot stubbed his toe. However, never hurt to investigate.
The man was yelling something stupid, she soon found out. It was something about a bug in his tea or something. Nothing worth noting. However, she then heard something that caught her attention.
"It was that kid with the face! He was the one that served us our tea! It must have been him!" Azula hurried over at the mention of the "kid with the face". She asked him what he meant by this. "Some boy about your age with this mark on his face. I know it was him! You can't trust children around food!"
She quickly tuned him out and went to the window of the shop. Then her thoughts we confirmed. She had not found the Avatar, but something of almost equal value. Her family. Zuko and Iroh. Unsuspecting, and ready to be taken.
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Thank you for R+Ring. It gave me more initiative to go on. I should be able to update often, and I'll try to make the next chapter a bit longer. But I am glad to finally put the crickets into the story line. Foreshadowing rocks.