I couldn't think of a good name for the child until it hit me. Quite figuratively. It didn't actually HIT me in the head :)
Chapter Two: Ri Len
His black hair was flat on his head, his amber eyes piercing through the crowd of people. Zuko felt a sickness in his stomach, another sign of major guilt of betraying his Uncle Iroh.
He started to feel some regret. Regaining honor didn't feel as...glorious as he thought it would be. Azula had barely cared about him, sending him out on errands and such. Like today.
"Zuzu, could you get me something? Here's the list." Azula shoved the list towards Zuko.
Scratch that. Zuko really regretted his choice. Unfortunately, he couldn't get himself out of this hole. He couldn't even get near Uncle Iroh and even if he could, Iroh would give him the cold shoulder.
So now here he was, in a small bazaar, looking for the items on the list. The first item was...
Polish for Mai. She needs it for her weapons. Azula's handwriting was neat and perfect.
Zuko hadn't seen Mai or Ty Lee in years, but wasn't exactly ecstatic when he found out they were her henchwomen. Mai was still weird and Ty Lee...was still bubbly and naive.
Zuko looked around for polish but anything involving cleaning supplies and utensils were closed.
Ugh.
He moved on to the next item: I want an apple. Dark red, no bruises, perfect. If it's light red, there will be dire consequences.
"She's crazier than I thought," he muttered, looking for a dark red apple. It must've been out of season because there were only light red apples.
"You have any dark red apples?" Zuko asked a fruit merchant. The man looked at him and roared in laughter.
"Dark red? Hahaha! You're serious, right?" he said through laughing.
"I take that as a no," Zuko replied and left the merchant.
Azula must've known this...she's just toying with me now. The next item will probably be dragon teeth or something impossible to obtain.
The next item was a...a...-
"S-sorry sir! I am really, really sorry!" apologized a small boy.
Zuko didn't even realize someone bumped into him until he saw the small boy. His yellow eyes were showing sadness and his tustled brown-black hair hid his other eye.
Zuko stared at the boy.
Yellow eyes? Weird.
"Um...I lost my way home. Can you help me? Please?" he begged.
Zuko was about to push the kid away, and say he had things to do but this little boy looked up at him like he was his brother. Zuko hadn't seen that face in a very long time, or ever. Azula didn't ever look up to him.
"...Okay. Is it close? I have to do some important things," Zuko asked, still reluctant about helping this little boy.
He smiled and took his arm.
"I think it's over there but I don't wanna get lost!" he said, pulling the young man's arm and finding his way out of the crowd.
--
It was nearing late afternoon and Zuko and the boy were in the shabby, broke down part of Ba Sing Se. He knew this part of Ba Sing Se was dangerous and didn't want to be there too long.
"Hey! Wow, it's my house! Thanks!" he said with glee as he knocked on the door. A woman with a small frame and her brown hair in a messy bun appeared.
"Oh! You! What did I tell you about coming home late!" she raised her finger at the young boy.
"Sorry Mom. But then this guy agreed to help me! See?" he pointed to Zuko besides him, feeling rather awkward.
She inhaled sharply, but then calmed down.
"Well...thank you, kind young man. Do you want dinner? I am cooking fish," she coaxed him.
Zuko quickly shook his head.
"...I can't. I'm very busy, and I have to go," he refused.
She looked at him.
"Surely you must be a little hungry? I want to thank you for helping my son find his home."
His stomach grumbled, and even though Zuko's brain was telling him to not accept, his stomach won.
"I'll stay ten minutes."
The little boy smiled with glee.
"Come in! I'll give you a tour of my house!" he said with glee, leading the black haired youth around the tiny apartment.
The woman bit her lip. His yellow eyes were bothering her, eyes that were familiar to her.
--
"Hey, what's your name?" The little boy asked Zuko at the small wooden table. His mother had placed the fish on the table, the aroma made everyone's stomachs grumble.
Zuko didn't answer at first and then lied,
"Li."
He smiled.
"That's a good name. My name's Ri Len. My mom's name is Tsuchiko!" Ri Len said.
Tsuchiko looked at Ri Len but didn't say anything and let it go.
"So...Li, what brings a young man like you to Ba Sing Se?" she asked, looking at Zuko when she asked him.
He lied again.
"To start over."
I could taste the irony in that, Zuko thought, his explanation was plain and common, but Tsuchiko nodded and gave him some more water to drink.
"So did we, right Mom?" Ri Len agreed. Tsuchiko nodded.
"Yes. We did. All we can afford right now is this small shack...but if I get that promotion..." Tsuchiko hoped.
Ri Len finished his dinner and yelled,
"Watch this, Li!" he grabbed his plate and held it near Zuko.
Zuko looked at what Ri Len was about to do. Tsuchiko snapped out of her daydream and knew what Ri Len was about to do and tried to stop him.
"RI LEN!" she roared, but she yelled too late. Ri Len was grinning.
Zuko spat out his water in astonishment and Tsuchiko froze, her expression in utter distress.
Ri Len had set the plate on fire.
--
Oooh, left you at a cliffhanger! You'll just have to sit tight until I update it!