Wooot update!
Yeah... You know how I said there would be action? Err... There's a little PLOT, if that counts.
Let's be fair. This is a long chapter. And I can't write anymore because I have my end-of-term finals for university, so it was either having this now, or waiting til the end of the month and getting another two or three thousand words added.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
"You sure this is the place?"
"Positive." The four teenagers stared at the large tea shop across the square, trying to keep themselves as inconspicuous as possible. "Jasmine is Mushi's favourite tea; it makes sense to name the shop after it. Besides, it's the only one that's opened up recently, dummy."
"Yeah, yeah." Jiro rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Okay. You got an hour. Meet us back right here, and don't you dare be late."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Jin smiled. "What are you guys going to do while you wait?"
"Ah, you know, wander around, petty theft, check out the noblemen's daughters, just harmless fun." Her brother teased. "Just go and get your lover-boy."
"Oh, whatever." Jin made a sound of disgust, turning away from the boys. She stroked her hair for what felt like the fiftieth time, making sure that it wasn't too wild, and began threading her way through the scattered crowd of people. She hadn't been in the upper ring for two and a half years – she'd forgotten just how different it was. So much more open, and airy, without the noise, the smells the claustrophobic closeness, of the lower ring. Personally, she found it a little unnerving – and her anxiety was only heightened as she looked at the fine robes and elaborate headdresses of the noblewomen around her. How can I compete...
All right. She watched as a nobleman and his wife stepped into the shop, the two greeting girls bowing to meet them. Zuko sure is keeping respectable company now... She cast another despairing look down at her dress. I should have just sneaked in and changed! I look like such a fool! Calling in on such a fine shop wearing rags...
I can't afford to dodder around at the entrance. Jin took a breath, trying to steel herself. I don't have all day. Straightening herself, the girl climbed the wide stone stairs, passing through the threshold of the tea shop.
"May we help you?" It was the girl on the left who spoke, the arched eyebrow on a pale-painted face looking unnatural against her pretty features. Jin froze, and forced a smile, eyeing the well-polished girls' robe. I probably washed that...
"No thanks, I'm okay." Jin stepped completely into the tea shop, mouth falling open. Wow. It was easily the most luxurious room she'd ever been in, with a high beamed ceiling, ornate windows, and a thick rug draped across the pristine tiles. She felt more out of place than ever as she stared at the customers, sipping the tea delicately through pursed lips. Tea she enjoyed a couple of weeks ago for less than a quarter of the current price.
There he is. Zuko's back was to her, clutching a tray of empty china mugs. Jin couldn't see his face, but would recognize that untidy mop of dark hair – so strikingly different than the long braid and shaved hairline of every other man - anywhere.
"Lee." Her voice was weaker than she would have liked, but it was enough. Not recognizing who spoke, Zuko turned, thinking at first it was one of the girls who stood in the doorway. When he saw that it was Jin who stood before him, a nervous smile on her face, Zuko gasped, the tray slipping from his hands, crashing loudly to the floor. Painfully aware that the entire store was now looking at her, Jin blinked, keeping the smile on her face. Zuko looked positively stunned, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. He looked so cute, that Jin's tiny, nervous smile dissolved, and she burst into giggles, hiding her mouth behind a hand.
"Wh-Wh..." He stammered, watching dumbly as Jin crouched down, picking up the shards of china and placing them on the tray.
"I went to Pao's after I finished work." Zuko was still for a moment before recognition dawned, and he joined the girl, picking up the broken pieces. Jin noticed his hands were trembling slightly. "He said that you and your uncle opened up a new shop in the upper ring." She took the tray and straightened up, feeling much, much more relaxed. After seeing Zuko's nervous reaction, it was actually hard not to. I think he's happy to see me... Or is he just stunned? "So... I snuck in here with some friends and tried to find you."
"O-Oh." Zuko's voice sounded strangled.
"You look like possum-cat cornered by a dog." Jin teased, setting the tray down on an empty table. "Say something, Lee."
"I-I..." Zuko swallowed, trying again. "I... Didn't... th-think I'd see you..."
"I'll take that as a you're glad to see me." Something in Jin's stomach flipped. What do you mean... Does he not wanna speak to me again? He can't... "Look, can we talk?" She lowered her voice. "It's important."
"Yeah..." Zuko took her hand, the girl noticing his palms were sweating, and began leading her through the shop. Aware that they were still given confused looks by the fine patrons, Jin kept her eyes fixed on Zuko, a blush rising. He led her through a wide doorway and into the back kitchen, where Iroh, bent over a pot of tea, looked up.
"Jin!" He beamed, positively delighted to see her. "What a pleasant surprise!"
"Mr. Mushi." She gave a short bow, Zuko still clinging to her hand. "It's great to see a store finally befitting your wonderful tea."
"Thank you Jin." He watched as Zuko opened the door leading to the tiny back courtyard. It wasn't much by upper ring standards, just a bench against the high stone wall, which was thick with vines and creepers. A tiny pond, not six feet across, lay in the middle, three koi fish darting in amongst the weed. Jin thought it was the most peaceful little site, and inwardly resolved that, one day, she would have a something identical in her own back yard.
"I know you didn't expect this." She murmured as Zuko closed the door, staring at his back. "I didn't mean to surprise you, but-"
"I meant what I said, Jin." He mumbled. "You don't want to get yourself tangled up in someone like me. You'll only get hurt. You can't-"
"Do you like me?" She cut over him, hands on her hips. Zuko paused.
"What...?"
"You heard." Jin said firmly. "Do you like me?" Zuko turned around slowly, but still couldn't look the girl in the eye. "Zuko?"
"Yes. Of course." He murmured. "A lot. But Jin-"
"Well, that's good to know." She cut over the teenager, walking towards him. "Zuko..." She grabbed his hands. He tensed, but eventually relaxed. "It's my decision whether or not I want to jeopardize my relationship with my friends and family. Which, by the way, isn't going to happen if I'm dating you. I'm not going to tell them, and I hardly think you will-"
"These things come out-"'
"-If you're not careful." Jin finished abruptly. "Can I continue?" Zuko bit his lip, and nodded. "So that's not what the problem is here." She took a deep breath. "You're afraid because you still have secrets." She felt his hands tighten, and his jaw set. "There's still some things that you think are so awful you could never bring yourself to admit." The way he kept his gaze firmly out of her field of vision was self-explanatory. She took a breath. "Don't you, Prince Zuko?" He froze, eyes locked with Jin, hands so tense that his nails dug painfully into her skin.
"Wh... H-ho... D..." Zuko tried to speak, but all that issued from his lips were garbled fragments of words. Jin gently disentangled one hand from his, placing her fingertips against his shaking lips.
"A new woman started working with me a couple of days ago." She said gently, hoping her words would soothe the horror so evident in his eyes. "Cila. You may remember her little boy Li. You saved him from a group of Earth Kingdom thugs." Recognition dawning, Zuko nodded. "She spoke of you. You had the same name and age... Making the connection wasn't hard." She removed her hand from his mouth, resting her fingers on his wrist, but didn't allow him to continue. "I had to know... I only learned a little from Cila, and I knew I could never ask you, so I asked around. People are informative if you go to the right place at the right time."
"O-Oh..." Zuko said rather lamely, his gaze sliding away from Jin, and into the pond.
"Yeah. I'm so sorry Zuko..."
"Me too."
"You never let me finish." Jin sighed. "I'm sorry that you've had to go through what you did." She gently took his chin. "Look at me." With a sigh, he obeyed. "But listen to me. It hadn't made me like you any less."
"R-Really?" His voice was painfully hoarse, and he tried to clear his throat, not removing his gaze from Jin's eyes.
"'Course not silly." She smiled. "Zuko, I don't care if you're the Prince of the Fire Nation or a dirty thief or anything in between. I care about you as a person." She shook her head. "That concept is so foreign to you, isn't it?"
"I... K-Kinda, yeah..." Zuko was still trying to get his head around it. She knows... And doesn't care... How? If she knew what I'd done, then she wouldn't feel like that. She didn't get all the facts. Someone lied to her. They must have... "But... what I've done..."
"Hasn't been pretty." Jin winced. "I know. The hunt for the Avatar, the villages you burned down... And the North Pole."
"Then how?" Zuko was baffled. "How... If you know what I've done, how many people I've hurt, how can you like me? How can you want to keep seeing me? How can-"
"Look, can you just shut up?" Jin's smile widened. "I don't care, you idiot. You've got a confused past. Who doesn't? You committed evil deeds because you were desperate to regain your fathers' affection. Believe me, I get it. Look, doesn't your Uncle love you, despite everything?"
"Yes, but... That's different." Zuko shook his head. "He's family. He's always been on my side. He's Fire Nation, like me. He understands."
"And I don't?" Jin sighed. "Okay, I'll admit, I freaked when I first found out. But it was just the shock. And hearing all those horrible stories from the refugee's about the carnage that they're wreaking on the land-"
"Which I contributed to!"
"Okay, seriously, Shut up." She wanted to hit him. "I'm trying to tell you that I'm not holding a grudge against you for what you've done in the past. I'm trying to tell you that I care about you, Zuko. I'm trying to tell you that race and status doesn't matter a damn to me."
"Because you don't understand-"
"I do understand!" Jin cut in. "Zuko, stop being a prat and listen to me! I wanna be with you. You're gorgeous, sweet, adorably awkward, and a hundred other names that would probably bore you. You're so unlike everybody else. And that's not because you're a Prince with a dark past, it's because you're... You." She sighed. "I'm not explaining myself well at all..." Jin disentangled her hands from Zuko's, biting a thumbnail. "Look. Let me try again. You're so tangled up in who you should be and who you want to be that you don't realise that you're such a catch that your flaws are... insignificant in comparison."
"You... Think that?" Of course he'd be confused. "R-Really?" The look of bewilderment on his face was actually saddening to the girl.
"Zuko, aside from your Uncle, when was the last time anyone ever said anything nice to you?" Oh, the poor thing... No wonder he's being so thick. Zuko lowered his gaze, giving a weak shrug.
"I don't know... My mother? I can't remember... Wh-" Zuko blinked as Jin wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace. "What are you doing..."
"Hugging you, silly." Her voice was muffled slightly by his clothing. "Just shut up and hug me back."
"... You like telling me to shut up." Zuko felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips, despite himself. Increasingly conscious of a warm feeling rising in his stomach, the teenager obediently wrapped his arms about her waist loosely, still feeling a little uncertain.
"Because you have a habit of saying stupid things." Jin sighed. "I mean, here I am, trying to complement you, and you're putting yourself down." It was... Sad.
"... Yeah." Zuko mumbled as Jin pulled back. "I know... I guess everyone else is wearing off on me."
"Then don't let them." Jin argued. "Look." She took his hands. "Who gives a crap what other people think? I learned a long time ago that agonizing over what other people think is only going to cause you pain. You have to keep your head up and turn the other cheek."
"I do that." Zuko muttered. "Trust me, I don't care about what people think."
"Then why is your self-esteem in the bottom of your shoes, hm?" Jin tightened her gentle grasp. "Because secure people usually don't contradict someone if they're trying to compliment them."
"Yeah, well." Zuko yanked his hands free, walking past Jin and pausing beside the little pond. "It's not that simple."
"Then tell me." Jin pleaded. "Tell what it is that's eating you away like this. Open up. I'm not going to think any less of you, Zuko. I lo-" She caught herself just in time, eyes widening. "I really care about you." Jin rushed out, acutely aware of her heart doing flip-flops in her chest.
"I know." Zuko raked his fingers through his hair, tugging on the ends a little. He'd noticed the catch in her words, and had a strong suspicion of what it was that almost slipped out. "I kind of figured that out when you went through all this trouble to track me down."
"So you'll tell me?" She said hopefully, stepping forward, and taking one hand. He turned to her wordlessly, staring at her for a few seconds, before shifting his gaze back to the koi pond. Jin deflated, but when she felt his fingers curl around hers, her heart skipped a beat. She tentatively rested her head on his shoulder, staring as a silvered koi threaded itself through the weed. "The fish are pretty."
"We didn't have fish." Zuko's voice was soft, the tone suggesting that he had drifted into a vague memory. "We had turtleducks." Jin craned her neck slightly, looking up at the teenager, noticing that, although his eyes were on the koi, his mind behind them was long gone. "I fed them with Mum. They used to eat bread straight from her hand."
"Wow. I couldn't do that." Jin murmured. "They'd probably get scared... Or I wouldn't be patient enough..."
"I hope they're all right." Zuko mumbled. "Azula probably did something horrible to them after I left..."
"Azula?" She tried the name out on her tongue. Jin felt Zuko tense further. "Sibling?"
"Little sister." Zuko stepped away from the girl, walking towards the wooden bench. Jin watched as he sat down, resting his forehead on clasped hands. "She's better than me in every way. That's why my father liked her and hated me."
"I'm sure he didn't hate you." Jin took a seat next to Zuko, a hand on his shoulder. "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"
"Is it?" Zuko looked up at her. "He did this." He gestured at his scar, before returning his gaze to the cobblestones, Jin frozen.
"What?" She breathed, aghast. How could anyone... "When? How? Wh-Why?"
"So you didn't hear everything?" Zuko murmured. "Maybe it's not very public knowledge." He heaved a long sigh, leaning against the stone wall, neck craned up to stare at the sky. "It was part of my punishment." There was a low, bitter tone to his voice, sharper than Jin had ever heard him speak. "To make sure I never forgot."
"O-Oh..." Jin kept her eyes on her lap, unable to bear looking at it. That's just sick... No wonder Zuko's a mess, with a monster like that for a father... "What..." She swallowed, trying to approach the subject as tactfully as she could. "What did..."
"I do?" Zuko kept his gaze heavenward. "To deserve torture and exile at thirteen years old?"
"Yeah." It must have been really really bad... "The... person I spoke to... Thought you killed someone." She gave a quick peek, out of the corner of her eye to judge his reaction.
"I almost wish." His tone was cold. "If I had, it wouldn't have been so bad." Jin's eyes widened. "You want to know what I did?" She nodded emphatically. "I spoke out of turn at a war meeting. I protested that it was unfair to send a division of new recruits against a troop of veteran earth-benders to create a diversion."
"A-and?" She breathed, shocked. Of course that's unfair? I know I have no knowledge of war, but even I know that's sick and wrong...
"And nothing." Zuko closed his eyes, sighing. "That was enough to enrage my rather. He takes respect very, very seriously. He ordered me to fight him, and when I refused..." The teenager trailed off. The conclusion was obvious.
"That's..." Jin shook her head. "What kind of sick bastard would do that?"
"I know." Zuko sat forward, head bowed. "You know what's so pathetic?"
"No?" Jin squeaked, scooting closer to the teenager, hand on his shoulder tightening.
"All these years..." His voice was shaking. "I thought I deserved it."
"What?" Jin gasped. "How could you ever think that? Nobody deserves that. Nobody. Especially when they're just a kid! No wonder you're a mess." The last sentence was an afterthought, one she didn't mean to utter aloud, but she did, much to her mortification. "I-I mean, I-"
"It's okay." Zuko sighed. "You're right. I am a bit of a mess. But I'm better. Trust me, I'm a lot better."
"I noticed you were happier today." Jin noted with a small smile. "But Zuko... please don't think that I'm on this crusade to try and fix your broken heart and teach you how to love again or anything pathetic like that. I'm not. I swear. I mean. It sucks, so much, and I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, but I-"
"I understand." Zuko nodded. "You wanted to know. I would too. I guess it's a pretty interesting story."
"I won't ever bring it up. I swear." Jin promised. "Unless you want to, I mean... But, I'm not saying you have to, or... Ugh." She wrinkled her nose. "Sorry. That sounded really bad." Zuko bit back a smile. "Um... Look..." She tried again, the teenager straightening up, turning to regard her. "I... Well... So... Does this mean that we're back on?" She rushed out, aware of her face flaming in an embarrassing blush.
"... Yeah." Zuko's lips twitched, he was trying to hide the same nervous smile that the girl was wearing. "Jin, you..." He trailed off, staring down at his interwoven fingers. With a sigh, he lifted his head, staring at the girl in the unbound hair and ragged dress, who had risked her very liberty just to find and talk to him. Who knew, everything, and didn't care.
She loved him.
Even if she had kept her mouth shut, not let that one half-word slip, Zuko still would have figured it out. Well, perhaps, if his self-confidence was a little stronger. After all, nobody would have gone through so much effort, covered up a secret so big, if they didn't, right?
"Yeah?" She curled her toes inside her worn shoes, the seams falling apart, her face heating in a blush. Zuko broke into a wide smile, and shook his head, chuckling to himself. "What?" Jin challenged indignantly, but the features were pulled taut with joy, not anger.
"... I don't even know." Zuko confessed. "You're... Really something. You know that?"
"I've heard." She shrugged, the smile fixed on her face. "Liang, A boy I went out with for a couple of months last year said I was as cheap as dirt and twice as filthy." Zuko's eyes widened, and Jin chuckled, shaking her head.
"Why... Why would anyone say that?" Zuko demanded. "What kind of person is that disrespectful?"
"Oh, everyone here." Jin said mildly. "I was angry at first when he said that... Now I laugh. It's the sort of label that you can apply to almost everyone in the lower ring. I'm sure even you've heard things about the girls in Ba Sing Se, Zuko."
"Not..." He paused with a frown, his mind drifting back to a warm afternoon in a tiny coastal village... When he was a vagrant, a wanderer. But the girls in the city... they look so pretty... They kiss so sweet... "But that was just a stupid song."
"Still." Jin shrugged. "I've done things that I'm not proud of. I mean, who hasn't, right?" She looked oddly downcast, so much so, that Zuko shuffled over a little to the left, one arm draped around her thinly clothed shoulders.
"What's in the past can't be changed." Zuko murmured. "Agni, I wish it could. I thought you were the one who said it was the here and now that mattered." Jin leaned into the boy's shoulder. "Hm?"
"I know." Jin mumbled. "It's hard to do that when you damn parents hold it against you, though."
"I'm sure they only care." Zuko pointed out.
"I know they do, and it's sweet, but, forcing me to come home straight after work and do chores all afternoon and evening is a little on the strict side." Zuko snickered. "What?" She insisted in a huff, frowning.
"Sorry." Zuko straightened his face. "I tried to imagine my father grounding me and giving me chores." His features gave way to the smile again. "Or sending me to my room. I know I shouldn't laugh, but it's a somewhat funny thought."
"I'm sure you've been scolded before though. What about your Uncle, he's been looking after you, right?" She enjoyed this. Simple, pleasant banter, about him, his life. And he did with a smile on his face. Jin knew, from the relaxed look on Zuko's face, how comfortable he was with her. We're going to be fine...
"You kidding?" Zuko raised an eyebrow. "I'm – I was – a Prince. Uncle Iroh was a General. I'm a hell of a lot younger but I outranked him. He legally couldn't scold me." Although he has done it since... "But I listen to his advice, of course. I'm not a complete spoiled brat." Anymore.
Uncle Iroh. General Iroh. The Dragon of the West. Jin kept her face calm. That... Makes sense. Mr. Mushi is the same man that tried to invade my city seven years ago. I take it along with Zuko he's a different person... Of course he is. He's the nicest, wisest old man I've ever met. To hold it against him would be like begrudging Zuko for his past wrongdoings. She'd never do it. Any more secrets I should know about, Zuko? She thought, fighting back a sigh. Secretly, she was amazed her hair hadn't gone grey with the stress and shock of this. But... She gently nuzzled Zuko's neck, a hand on his knee. The teenage boy let out a strangled gasp at the contact, his blush returning. It's so worth it.
"Calm down." She giggled, Zuko's hand closing over hers. "I mean... It's not like we're kissing or anything."
"I-I guess..." Zuko was still red-faced. What's her definition of 'anything'...
"Oh, you're so cute!" Jin burst out giggling. "Have you even spoken to another girl before?"
"Well..." Zuko shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "I mean... Aside from my sisters' friends in childhood... The water-tribe girl I used to run into on the hunt for Aang... Jun the bounty hunter, and a peasant girl I stole an ostrich-horse from... No, not really." Jin burst out laughing, shaking her head. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing." She struggled to keep a straight face. "I think it's... Cute." A smile escaped. "So I was the first girl you kissed?" Zuko gave an uncomfortable nod. "Little old Jin, the first girl that big bad Prince Zuko ever kissed."
"Oh, shut up." Zuko muttered, but he threaded his fingers between the girls', their hands clasped tight. "Running around with girls was never a priority. I've had a lot of other stuff on my mind."
"I know, I know. But hey, it could be worse. While you've been roaming the world in a fancy ship, I've been working my butt off in a sweaty laundry and spending my nights at sleazy taverns." Jin wrinkled her nose.
"... I wish it sounded as luxurious as you insinuated." Zuko stood up, his hand still tangled with hers. "I was also trapped on a raft for weeks without food, had a bunch of pirates try to blow me up, almost froze to death, had my own sister attack me, and spent a good month wandering the countryside broke and hungry."
"Okay... Yeah, that's not good." Jin agreed, standing up. "But you're in Ba Sing Se now. And you have a good job and a nice place to live, I assume." The boy nodded. "Exactly. It's not all bad, is it?"
"No." Zuko agreed with a smile as he stared at the girl who was in love with him. "Things are definitely looking up."
"Your Highness, I have the..." Katara trailed off, frowning. "Plans..."
The throne room was empty.
"Hello?" Her voice rebounding off the impossibly high walls, Katara took a couple of steps into the chamber. "Anyone?" Nope... Momo chirped loudly, the lemur still perched on her shoulder. He's probably having something to eat... Katara shrugged and turned, planning on heading for the Kings' private dining hall. However, there was a girl she'd never met before, standing a little way back in the expansive corridor, in the armoured dress and elaborate make-up of the Kiyoshi warriors. "Oh, hi!" Katara beamed. It wasn't Suki, she could tell by the long braid that was pinned behind her head, but at least it was a friend.
"Hey Katara!" The girl ran towards her, a smile plastered on her face. "I heard you were around here... Have you seen Sokka about? Suki's dying to see him."
"No, he's gone to see our father in Chameleon Bay. He'll be back in a week." Katara explained. "But have you seen the Earth King? I have these plans for the invasion that he needs to approve."
"No, I haven't sorry." The Kiyoshi Warrior smiled again, standing six feet away from Katara. Momo gave a soft chirp, lightly gliding the short distance and landing on her shoulder, sniffing the girls' ear curiously. She gave the lemur a somewhat nervous look. "I'll help you find him if you want."
"Thanks!" Katara started to walk, Momo joining her, and the other girl falling in step. "These are really important... I have to find him quickly."
"No problem." They turned down a side corridor, away from the gaze of the Earth Kingdom guards that sporadically flanked the walls. "So how do you like Ba Sing Se?"
"A lot more now Long Feng is gone." Katara admitted. "And the Earth King is talking to us. We're not going to be here for much longer, though. Aang and Sokka aren't in the city, but when they get back, we're probably going to leave, and prepare for the invasion."
"Oh, right. When is the eclipse happening again?" The girl inquired curiously, her large, rounded eyes fixed firmly on Katara.
"Two months from today." Katara replied, clutching the papers tightly in her left hand. "Are you and the other Kiyoshi warriors going to join?"
"Oh, my friends and I will be fighting in the invasion." There was something odd to her tone, so strange and chilling, that Katara stopped in her walk, turning to stare at the girl. She smiled, but it somehow wasn't the same beam that she gave off before. Katara frowned, her right thumb at the cap on her water skin.
Ty Lee struck.
"How do you like your white jade tea, Jin?"
He was so lovely. Jin smiled as the elderly man bustled in the back room, slaving over four pots of tea at the same time. It was so hard to imagine that this was the great General Iroh, the hardened war hero who besieged her city for six hundred long days, a period she could still remember – if a little vaguely.
"It's great." She set down the gold rimmed mug. "Jasmine is still my favourite, but this is a very close second. I could really get addicted to this."
"Unfortunately, the leaves of the white jade are too rare for any tea shop in the Lower Ring." Iroh set the steaming pot of lychee down upon an ornately carved tray with two matching cups. "Such a shame, as it really is delectable."
"Mmm, I know." Jin drained her cup, looking sorrowfully at the dregs. "Damn, that really is nice..." She straightened up, flashing the elderly man a smile. "Wish we had it readily available in my neighbourhood."
"Then I'll tell you what." Iroh opened a drawer, rifling around the contents. "Take some home with you." Jin blinked as he set the small paper-wrapped package down before her. "We won't miss it here."
"Oh, no, I couldn't." Jin pushed it away. "I'm not going to take your tea leaves, Mr. Mushi."
"It's not taking them." Iroh insisted, taking her wrist and placing the wrapped tea leaves in her palm. "I am giving them to you. Think of it as a thank-you gift."
"A-A thank-you gift?" Jin frowned, but nevertheless slipped the tea leaves inside her dress. "What did I do?"
"My nephew is... Having a tough time right now." Iroh busied himself with the teapots again. "He's just trying to find his way. And I do believe that you are having a positive impact on him."
"Oh, I know." Jin murmured, watching Zuko work through the wide internal window. "Actually, I kind of know everything." Iroh stilled at the stove, turning to look at the girl.
"Everything?" He asked carefully, keeping an eye on the slowly steaming teapot.
"Everything, General Iroh." Jin traced a finger around the rim of the cup, the man frozen. "The bending I figured out on my own, that was why I broke it off with him at first. I was scared. But eventually, I came to my senses and realised that it really wasn't that bad." She laughed quietly. "Then I found out his real identity from a woman who met him while he was on the run."
"Really?" Iroh unscrewed the earthenware jar of green tea, extracting a scoopful of the loose leaves. "Who?"
"Cila." Jin replied. "Did you know her?" She looked over at Iroh, who shook his head. "Really? But it was so sweet, what he did for her and her son..." Jin sighed. "Ask him about it later on."
"I must." Iroh came and sat down at the small table opposite Jin, a thoughtful look on his face. "And you are okay with this?" Iroh looked over at Zuko, who was actually talking with a customer, a smile on his face. No wonder he came out of the back garden looking so extremely relieved.
"Of course I am." Jin leaned back in her chair. "I mean, it was a bit of a shock, but it's not the end of the world. And after hearing the whole story, you can't help but feel for him..." She shook her head. "It's wrong. What happened... It's really, really wrong."
"There are a great many things going on right now that are wrong, Jin." Iroh pointed out, standing back up again to attend to the tea. "Unfortunately, my nephew seems to be at the centre of an awful lot of them. Needless to say, he is not taking it well."
"Who would?" Jin rested her chin on a clenched fist. "I think that to come through everything and still be ready to have a new life like this, you would have to be really strong. I couldn't do it."
"You would be amazed at how strong the human spirit really is, Jin." Iroh noted, serving up another pot of tea. "When I lost my son and my throne in one stroke, I thought that everything was over, I thought that there was no point in going on. That is how Zuko felt when he realised that there was no longer anything he could do to clear his name."
"You lost your son?" Jin murmured. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She watched Iroh busy himself with the green tea. "When... When did it happen?"
"Seven years ago." Iroh said quietly. "In the siege of this very city."
"O-Oh..." Jin looked down at her empty teacup pointedly. "I'm still sorry." She added after a moment of silence. "Even if someone's the enemy, it doesn't mean they deserve to die. Nobody does. That's what's so sad about this war. So many people are dying on both sides..."
"In a perfect Utopia, we would have no war." Zuko, who walked into the back room with a tray loaded with cups, raised an eyebrow. "Hello, my nephew." Jin gave Zuko a soft smile.
"Ba Sing Se is called a Utopia by some." Jin pointed out, sounding a little bitter. "We're supposed to have the perfect balance and flawless social order." She shook her head. "A Utopia can't exist. It can't be real."
"So then, how you want us to live in a world of total peace?" Zuko rolled up his sleeves, listening to his Uncle talk.
"You tell me, Uncle." Zuko looked over at the man. "How do you and Aang intend to do it?"
"What do you mean?" Jin asked, picking up her teacup, and taking it over to the sink. "Why does General Iroh have to do it?"
"Well, if by some amazing, barely-fathomable chance, the Avatar actually manages to defeat my father and sister in time, who do you think would take the throne?"
"Wow, really?" Jin turned to Iroh. "That is so awesome! So, you'll be royalty again, hm, Zuko?" She nudged the teenager playfully, Zuko scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah, I guess." He frowned, watching Iroh. The elderly man had fallen silent, keeping his eyes fixed on the tea.
"Wow... That has to be so exciting." Jin murmured.
"I try not to think about either scenario." Zuko muttered, looking around before leaning over the lukewarm water, gently blowing, too lazy to heat fresh water manually. Jin watched as he did so, fascinated. Heating water without needing to create a fire. That would be so useful...
"Either?"
"You know, if the Avatar loses, and my father crushes the Earth Kingdom once and for all." Zuko mumbled, unable to look Jin in the eye.
"But... That's not going to happen." Jin's eyes widened. "You can't let it."
"It's not like I have a personal choice in it." Zuko pointed out. "I can't exactly go join the Avatar and his band of merry misfits and help him in his quest."
"No, but..."
"I have some faith in Aang, Jin. Just not much. Look, try not to think about the end of the war." He stepped back from the sink, pulling down his sleeves. "It's depressing."
"I guess..." Jin crossed her arms. "But... Don't you feel like you have to do something?"
"Every time I tried to do something, someone attempted to attack or kill me." Zuko muttered darkly. "Uncle was the one who said there was nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity."
"I did." Iroh agreed. "And it is very true." He set the pot of green tea down with two cups. "Quan, the green is ready!" Iroh called, walking the tray across the room, where the serving boy waited.
"Excellent." He took the tray. "Oh, and... a couple of the customers are complaining about a group of scruffy boys standing in the square... Apparently they're watching the shop."
"What?" Jin darted to the window, peering past Quan into the outside square. "Yes, that's just my twin and his friends. I thought it would be." She winced. "I must have misjudged the time... I'm so sorry." Jin turned to Zuko. "I have to go." She apologized. "It was really good to see you again." Iroh tactfully busied himself at the stove.
"It was." Zuko agreed, twisting his fingers in the hem of his sleeves. "And... I'm glad we cleared the air."
"Me too." Jin agreed. "I'm sorry that I was a bit pig-headed... Typical earthbender stubbornness, I know..."
"It's okay, don't apologise." Zuko said firmly. "Look... I was er, wondering, do you want to do something... Together?" Jin bit hard on her tongue to fight back a giggle, but her grin reached almost from ear to ear. "Perhaps... Soon?"
"I would love to do that." Jin managed to regain control of her laughter. "Tonight? I'm not busy. Are you?" Zuko shook his head. "Great. Eight. At the Firelight Fountain. And I swear I'll look more decent than this."
"What... Jin, you are decent. I-I mean, more than just decent." He cleared his throat. "It takes more than a nice dress and hairstyle to look pretty." Jin raised an eyebrow. "Wait! No, that came out wrong. I mean, you don't need that stuff to be pretty... You know, because you already are..." Jin's smile widened to an almost impossible width, and she embraced the teenager tightly.
"... I'll see you tonight." Jin stepped back, taking his hands for a moment. "I look forward to it, Zuko." She leaned forward, her lips brushing his, just for a moment. Zuko's breath died in his throat, painfully aware of the blood rushing to his cheeks. "Bye..." She gave a small wave and a smile, before withdrawing from the room, Zuko watching as she made her way from the tea shop, and outside, his fingertips resting on his lips.
"Well," Iroh turned around, positively beaming. "I-"
"Shut up." Zuko's face flushed even further, the teenager refusing to look his uncle in the eye. "I know what you're going to say. So shut up." He pointedly snatched up the tray of hastily prepared tea, hands slightly trembling, while Iroh convulsed in silent laughter.
Azula didn't like this.
Ty Lee watched anxiously as the young Princess read over the plans, her golden eyes slowly widening. Her teeth were gritted, she noticed, knuckles white.
"What does it say?" Mai had to ask, leaning against the bedpost with her arms crossed. Perched on the small stool beside the mirror, Azula slowly lowered the scroll, a calculating look on her face.
"The Earth King and his Council of Five plan to extract their entire army from Ba Sing Se." She reported crisply, rolling up the scroll. "And use sheer force to break past the Great Gates of Azulon, smash through the capital, and attack the palace and secure the royal city in the precise moment of the eclipse, when our Royal Guard and elite benders would be rendered completely helpless." Ty Lee gasped, a hand over her mouth, Mai's eyes widening. "It's a very good thing that by this time tomorrow, the city will be under my command." She narrowed her eyes. "Seizing power just became much, much more critical."
"What about the Avatar?" Ty Lee inquired, casting a nervous eye to the closed door.
"What about her?" Mai jerked her head in the direction of Ty Lee's bed, where Katara lay, paralysed and gagged.
"Don't worry girls, I have a solution to both problems." Azula said, tapping the rolled-up scroll against an outstretched palm. "With the water-tribe girl in our custody, it's only a matter of time before the Avatar comes looking for her. And we'll be waiting, won't we?"
"But you can't face him in the palace, Azula." Mai pointed out. "Not before the coup at least. Our cover will be blown for sure."
"I've thought of that." Azula smiled. "Don't worry. I heard from the Earth King that the Avatar and the peasant girls' brother would be gone for a week. The Palace, Ba Sing Se, and the Earth Kingdom will be ours well before then. We'll have the Dai Li on our side. Crushing the Avatar and his pathetic friends will be easier than swatting a spider-fly." Azula stood up, setting the scroll down on the vanity, and slowly walked to the large round window, where the late afternoon sun streamed through. She glared down in contempt at the palace grounds, where she could count half a dozen or so of the filthy Earth Kingdom peasants scuttling about, engaged in their own petty business. "We'll be on a ship home within the end of the month girls, with victory over not just the Avatar, but of the entire Earth Kingdom!" On the bed, Katara heard everything, her stomach churning. No. They can't be planning this! They can't get away with this! Aang and the others will stop them, they will! Azula's never beaten us yet. And she won't.
"What about Zuko?" Mai asked carefully, watching Azula freeze. "And your Uncle?"
"Ugh, those two." Azula spat with obvious contempt. "Yes, Father did order me to capture those miserable traitors to ensure they received just punishment." She smiled. "He can't wait to give the both of them the slow, agonizing death they both deserve." Mai's stomach clenched, and she tried to keep her face expressionless, but Ty Lee saw her hands tighten into fists in an attempt to stop them shaking.
"Isn't that a bit much?" She ventured nervously, keeping her eye on Azula's prone form. The Princess frowned, but didn't turn to regard her companion. "I mean... Isn't life imprisonment enough, or something?"
"If Father is feeling generous enough, the most they can hope for is that their deaths will be relatively swift." She sneered, knowing of her long-lived affection. "But it is pointless to muse on it, Mai. We don't have them. And besides, I don't care about them anymore. They are probably wandering the wilderness, scratching out a pathetic existence. They're not a threat to us any longer – not that they ever really were." She turned away from the window. "Let's take this one step at a time. Firstly, we need to conceal the girl. Ty Lee, how long does the paralysis last?"
"I was kind of gentle." The girl admitted. "It'll wear off in about six hours."
"All right." Azula frowned. "Leave her here for now. We can't risk anyone seeing us with her like this; it will arise to compromising questions. I predict that the Dai Li will intrude on us in the middle of the night, and drag me down to be interrogated by Long Feng. Due to his imprisonment, he'll be anxious to regain his control over the Dai Li and use me to do it. Once the Dai Li are working for me, we can lock her up where she won't be a problem." Katara blinked rapidly, her eyes stinging. They can't do this... They just can't! "Until tonight, we must act as though nothing is amiss. Ty Lee, how many people saw you with the peasant?"
"Just the six palace guards that are outside the main throne room." Ty Lee reported. "And that was before she knew it was me."
"All right." Azula nodded. "They rotate the guards every six hours, so in one hour, the three of us can return to the throne room and it will not look suspicious." The other two nodded. "We must remain in here until then."
"Fine by me." Mai collapsed on her bed with a sigh. "I need a rest. Conquering the Earth Kingdom can take a lot out of you."
"The real work hasn't begun yet, Mai." Azula's shoes clicked on the stone floor as she walked across the room, pausing beside Ty Lee's bed. "We still need to put our plan into action."
"We can handle it." Ty Lee said confidently, falling back onto her hands, balancing carefully.
"I know you can, Ty Lee." Azula gave a small, rare smile. "That is why I trust the pair of you." She cast a disdainful glare towards Katara, who closed her eyes, forcing down the very real need to vomit. "We'll achieve in the space of days what my brother and Uncle failed to accomplish after years of struggle." Azula narrowed her eyes.
No... Katara tried to calm herself down, tried to relax, but it was futile. Despite the paralysis, her heart was racing, a sour taste rising in her mouth. They can't do this... Aang has to stop them, somehow!
How...
They'll be walking into a trap when they come to rescue me! This is all a trap... And they're going to gain control of the Dai Li... How can Aang win? Maybe if he manages to control the Avatar state with this Guru, he might have a chance... Her eyes stung. Aang, please. Please, don't come for me. I'm begging you... Don't walk into Azula's trap. What am I doing? Katara would have shaken her head, if she could move it. It's not like he can hear me... He's the Avatar, but even he can't sense things like this.
"Don't worry, peasant." Azula murmured, examining a fingernail. "There's a wing of cells underneath the Fire Nation palace specially built for people like you. Of course, they've been empty for years." Katara's mouth was dry, her heart thudding. No... She doesn't mean... "At least you'll live..." She smirked.
"For now."
ZOMG CLIFFY!
Kind of.
Now, I've actually been thinking, and I would actually like to do a rewrite of the beginning of the story. Particularly the first two chapters. After all, it's the first thing new readers read, and tif it's poor quality, then they tend to be put off. When I started four months ago (Just four months? Jaysus) I was new to the pairing, the genre (Yes, I'm an ex-yaoi... Shoot me.) and the fandom as a whole. And it sucks, I know. This isn't just because someone (I CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME! I AM SO SO SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME!) did point my suckyness out - I've been thinking it for a while now.
But, if I do, you peeps have to swear to review. Because, I mean, that would just be unfair if you didn't.
If you want me to or not, just tell me in your review. I have my last exam on the 22nd so I would have an update by the end of the month, I swears. And I would try to get the rewrite out really really fast, so it wont slow the progression of the storyline toooo much.
As an interesting side note, this brings my total word count (Three pennames, spanning five-and-a-half years... Yes, I am aware how geeky that is) on this site past the 1 million word count!
I need a life. I know. :3
R&R!