After the three got off of the monorail, Zuko, Iroh and Zeraphina settled in the the area near the first wall of Ba Sing Se. The area behind the first wall was reserved for refugees and the lower class residents of Ba Sing Se. In Zeraphina's opinion, it was disgusting, not because of the people, but because of how Ba Sing Se treated these people. It was cruel, and no fair to those who wanted a better life and protection from the dangers of the war.
One of the refugee organizers assigned them a small apartment in the lower regions of the outer wall. They were given a small apartment only meant for two, but with the way the world was beating down the low and weak was the way people thought was needed to survive.
When they finally got to their assigned apartment, it was even smaller than how it looked on the outside.
"How are we supposed to live in this dump?" Zuko growled as he glanced at their new small apartment.
"My Prince, it is only for a short while." Zeraphina said, "I don't think that we'll be here for very long."
"What makes you say that, dear?" Iroh asked, placing his hand on her shoulder, "Did you have another dream about the future?"
"Not of the close future, but my dreams show that we will not end up staying here in the lower ring for long." Zeraphina smiled and Zuko thought that he would listen to her this time. He listened to her about him getting his throne back. Her dreams were the only thing keeping his hopes up.
"Now them, why don't we go see if any of the shops are open to a little bit of bargaining." Iroh said and dragged the two teens out to do a little bit of shopping.
~~~~~
It took a few days to get completely settled into their new home, though Zuko was very much against staying in that place for too long. He would mainly wander around the town until sunset when he could come home to the dinner that Zeraphina cooked. He wouldn't admit it, but it was the best thing about his day to come to apartment where she was waiting with dinner.
One day, while Zeraphina was at the apartment cleaning, Zuko and Iroh were out in the town, Iroh holding a large pot of beautiful yellow-gold flowers still fresh.
Zuko glared at his uncle as he carried the flowers.
"What? I thought we should have something to brighten up our new place." Iroh said, "Besides, I thought that she would prefer something alive in the home, you know, to make her feel more comfortable. Or if someone decides to bring home a lady friend. Or perhaps if Zeraphina decides to bring home a lovely young man."
Zuko didn't say anything about the flowers, since he knew that Zeraphina was just staying in the apartment not only to take care of it, but because of her hair. The roots were growing back and she couldn't find anymore hair coloring just yet.
"This city is a prison." Zuko answered harshly, "I don't want to make a life here."
"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not." Iroh advised, "Now come on, I found the three of us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon."
"The three of us? You mean Zera will be working there, too? What about--"
"Don't worry my nephew, I found the right kind of hair coloring for her today for a cheap price. It won't last as long, but it will stay for long enough."
Zuko sighed, knowing that he didn't have much of a choice. They went back to the apartment where Zeraphina was busy sweeping the dust covered floors.
"Welcome back you two." She smiled and greeted them, "You guys find anything interesting?"
"Why yes." Iroh said showing off his flowers, "I found these wonderful flowers to brighten up the place."
"Master, they look wonderful." Zeraphina took the pot and placed it on the table, "And they smell very sweet. Nice choice."
"Why thank you." Iroh then pulled out a small can of black hair oil, "And this is for you. To touch up those roots of yours."
Zeraphina smiled and took the can, carefully rubbing some of the hair oil on her roots to conceal the bright red color.
"Now then, once you're ready my dear, we should get going so we can start our new jobs."
"New jobs for all of us, Master?" Zeraphina questioned.
"Yes, I found us jobs in a small tea shop nearby, and we start soon. So we should hurry."
Zuko groaned as he stood up from the hard bed in the corner and followed Zeraphina and Iroh to their new place of employment.
~~~~~
They arrived at Pao's tea shop, meeting the manager of the shop and getting set for their new jobs.
"Well, you three certainly look like tea shop workers. How do you feel?" Pao asked.
"Ridiculous." Zuko answered, receiving a good elbow to the side by Zeraphina.
"I apologize for Lee, he can be a bit.... difficult from time to time." She giggled.
"Uh, does this possibly come in a larger size?" Iroh asked as he struggled to tie his apron on.
"I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait." The manager poured a few cups of tea and went to the back of the store to get the string after handing the cups to the three of them.
Iroh was quick to take a sip from the teacup, but his eyes widened and he immediately spat it out with a look of disgust in his eyes.
"This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!" He shouted.
"Uncle, that's what all tea is." Zuko said.
"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?!" Iroh gasped, "We'll have to make some major changes around here."
Iroh grabbed the teapot and rushed to the window, dumping all of it out like it was dirty water. Zeraphina sighed and walked to the kitchen in the back, surveying the area with a careful eye. It was dirty and there was hardly anything to use to make food or tea for that matter. But, there were a few things that she could use.
"Perfect." She whispered and smiled, grabbing a clean bowl and adding a few things into it. After about an hour, the manager smelled something wonderful coming from the kitchen.
"What is that heavenly smell?" He said, bringing attention to Iroh and Zuko who followed him into the kitchen. They saw Zeraphina pulling out what seemed to be tarts out of the oven.
"Mingxia, what have you made?" Pao asked.
"It's an old recipe my mother taught me what I was a little girl. I hope you don't mind, but I thought that tea should be served with something sweet."
Pao took one of the tarts from the pan and took a bite, his eyes widening at the delicious taste of the tart.
"Of course, not at all! These are incredible! Please, make as many as you want." Pao said.
Iroh and Zuko watched as Zeraphina continued to make those tarts, but Zuko was more focused on her smile as she made the tarts. She never really smiled that brightly, not since they were little kids. It was nice to see her like that.
~~~~~
It didn't take long for the tea shop to become a greater success than ever though imaginable. Everyone in the lower ring knew about the wonderful tea and the amazing sweets that the tea shop made. Every night the tea shop was filled to the brim with happy customers.
"This is the best tea in the city." One of the customers said as Iroh poured him another cup.
"The secret ingredient is love." Iroh said.
"Let's not forget about passion, Uncle Mushi." Zeraphina chuckled, holding a tray of her latest batch of tarts, "Your tarts, sir."
"Why thank you, young lady." the other customer said, "I just can't get over these tarts of yours. They're sweet but they don't overpower any of the tea we drink. I don't suppose you wouldn't mind giving me the recipe so my wife can make them at home for me would you?"
Zeraphina shook her head, "No, sorry sir but I can't do that. It's a family recipe."
The men pouted but Zeraphina just laughed again. Zuko shook his head and groaned in disgust at the sight of the two men talking so casually with Zeraphina.
Pao looked out at all of his happy customers and turned to Iroh with a smile, "I think you are due for a raise." He praised his newest employee.
All of a sudden, a familiar face came bursting through the door with a hate filled expression and fire in his eyes.
"I'm tired of waiting." Jet growled pointing to Zuko and Iroh, "These two men are firebenders!
Jet pulled out his hook swords threateningly. Zeraphina walked over to Zuko and kept a hand on his shoulder.
"Try to stay calm, my Prince." She whispered to him, "Do not let the fire run amuck."
The people in the shop looked at Jet like he was a madman.
"I know they're firebenders!" Jet shouted, "I saw the old man heating his tea."
"He works in a tea shop." One of the customers said.
"He's a firebender, I'm telling you! And I bet they kidnapped Mingxia as well." Jet turned to Mingxia, "Mingxia, come here. I can keep you safe."
"What I need to be safe from is you, Jet." She said.
"Drop your swords, boy." Another customer said, standing up with another man from the same table, "Nice and easy."
Jet ignored the men and slowly walked over towards Iroh and Zuko, the latter making sure that Zeraphina was hidden behind him just in case things got ugly.
"You'll have to defend yourself." Jet pointed a hook sword at Iroh and Zuko, "Then everyone will know. Go head, show them what you can do."
Zuko pushed Zeraphina's hand from his shoulder and walked towards Jet, grabbing the swords on one of the customers side.
"You want a show, I'll give you a show."
Zuko kicked a table at Jet, but he jumped over it and attacked him. Zuko blocked Jet's sword with his before before leaping onto one of the other tables. They engaged in a sword fight until they eventually taking it outside into the streets so no one inside would get hurt.
"You must be getting tired of using those swords." Jet smirked, "Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me?"
"Please son, you're confused." Iroh said as he and Zeraphina rushed to the door and watched the fight, "You don't know what you're doing."
"This is going too far, Jet. Just drop the swords and we can talk this out." Zeraphina tried to reason.
"I bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast right now." Jet ignored them and continued to battle Jet.
Zuko managed to pin down one of Jet's swords to the ground, "You're the one who needs help."
Jet escaped the sword's grip on his own blade and jumped onto the edge of a nearby well.
"You see that?" Jet announced to the crowd surrounding them, "The Fire Nation is trying to silence me and stop me from saving an innocent girl from their brainwashing. It'll never happen."
Jet attacked Zuko again and again, the fight never ceasing, until Zuko was caught off guard by one of Jet's attacks to the back. Zeraphina didn't know what she was doing until she did it. She rushed to take the hit for Zuko, the hooked blade cutting her arm deeply.
"Mingxia!" Zuko and Iroh shouted out her fake name. Jet was stunned seeing what he did, the blood dripping a little from the hook of his blade. Zeraphina fell to the ground holding her hand over the open wound, biting her tongue to keep the tears from running down her cheeks.
"Mingxia, are you all right?" Iroh asked as he rushed to her side.
"Yes, I'm all right. It's just a little scratch, nothing more."
Before anyone else could do anything else, two men dressed in black and green robes and strange hats showed up through the crowd.
"Drop your weapons." One of the men ordered Jet.
"Arrest them. They're firebenders." Jet shouted gesturing to Zuko and Iroh.
"This poor boy's confused." Iroh said, "We're just simple refugees."
Poa pointed at Jet with a glare in his eyes, "This young man just wrecked my tea shop and assaulted my employees! Just look what he did to Mingxia!"
"It's true sir." One of the customers said, "We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker and injured the best sweets maker in the city."
"Oh, that's very sweet." Iroh blushed, but Zeraphina continued to glare at Jet.
"The two robbed men approached Jet, "Come with us, son."
Jet swung his sword at one of the men, who caught it and then disarmed the young man.
"You don't understand, they're Fire Nation! You have the believe me." Jet shouted as he was dragged away. He was then loaded into a cart and taken away from the scene.
Deep down inside, Zeraphina could feel the pain Jet felt, and she felt sorry for him. But the way those men in black were taking Jet away, a shiver ran down her spine.
"Are you all right?" Zuko asked, taking her away from her thoughts.
"I'll be fine, it'll heal soon." Zeraphina said, "For now, we should get going." She turned to the shop owner, "Mr. Pao, I know that we haven't been working here for too long, but could we perhaps have tomorrow off? This has been a long night."
"Of course. Take the day tomorrow."
"Thank you. Lee, Uncle, let's get going."
Zeraphina walked away from the crowd still holding her wound.
"This city truly is a prison." She thought.
"Child, do your best to stay away from those men in black robes."
"What do you mean?"
"They are called the Dai Lee. Terrible people who use force with their earthbending to create a farce peace. However, they are incredible cruel and take alliance with those with the most power."
"So who has the most power in this city?"
"It is said to be the King of Ba Sing Se. But for the past hundred years before you were born, Ba Sing Se has become weak, forcing the people to live a lie without knowledge of the war. This beautiful city is nothing but a wonderfully decorated cage."
"It's just the same as me in the Fire Nation. A beautiful nation turned into my comfy cage."
"That place is no longer your cage. You escaped the day the Prince was exiled."
"I am still under their control. So long as this brand is still on my chest."
The voice didn't say anything because it knew how Zeraphina felt. That mark on her chest, one branded on her by the coward in a false crown. But this city could change her, make her feel free for the first time in over ten years.