"So, Mr. Lee, Miss Kya, and Mr. ummm ... Mushy, is it?"
"It's pronounced Mushi."
"You telling me how to do my job?" The ticket lady said. I sighed and intertwined mine and Zuko's hands.
"Uh, no, no. But may I just say you're like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating." Iroh flirted.
"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, handsome. Raorr! Welcome to Ba Sing Se." She stamps our tickets.
"I'm going to forget I saw that." Zuko said with pure disgust as he grabs our tickets. I giggled and shook my head.
"It's cute. Maybe he will did love here."
"Gross!" I smiled and hugged my prince.
"Not gross." I laughed as we sat down at train station with the three Freedom Fighters. I sat atop Zuko's lap with Iroh beside us. Jet approaches and sits on the opposite side of Zuko.
"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?"
"Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!"
"Ooh! Jasmine please." The tea seller pours tea into a leaf cup for Iroh. Iroh sips the tea, but soon grimaces at its repulsive taste.
"Blaugh! Ugh, coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it! What a disgrace!"
"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Zuko frowned and tapped my lower back. I stood up and then sat on his spot as he stood and walked away.
"Mushi!" I said loudly as Zuko, approach us, glances over his shoulder at Jet, who narrows his eyes and walks away. Angrily, he knocks the tea cup out of Iroh's hand.
"Hey!"
"What are you doing firebending your tea? For a wise, old man, that was a pretty stupid move!"
"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but ..." The cup is now overturned in a puddle. "it's just so sad!" I frowned and shook my head as Zuko sits beside me.
Soon we boarded the train, finding ourselves next to a family with an infant. My eyes grow with adoration as I smiled at the baby. Iroh and Zuko both look at me before following my gaze.
"What a beautiful baby." I said reaching down and gently touching the infant's blanket. "They look so content. I can tell you're an amazing mother."
"Thank you."
*short skip*
"I just want our place to look nice, in case someone brings home a lady friend!" Iroh said holding a floral arrangement.
"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here. Hai and I will make a life when she's ready and the war is over." I blushed and looked up at him.
"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not. Now come on, I found us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon!"
Later as we arriveda small tea shop in the Lower Ring. I stood beside Zuko and Iroh as they spoke with the shop's owner. I had to wrap the apron strings around to the front as they were to long to tie in the back.
"Well, you certainly look like official tea servers. How do you feel?" Pao said. Iroh still desperately attempts to tie the string behind his back, but his effort is in vain.
"Ridiculous." Zuko said.
"Bored."
"Uh, does this possibly come in a larger size?"
"I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait!" Pao pours some tea in three cups, hands them to us, and heads to the back of the shop. Iroh takes a sip from his cup, but his face contorts in disgust.
"Blech! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"
"Uncle, that's what all tea is." I snorted and shook my head.
"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?! We'll have to make some major changes around here."
*short skip*
"Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh said as I laid on the bed, Zuko beside me.
"We've been working in a tea shop all day! I'm sick of tea!" I yawned and closed my eyes tiredly.
"Sick of tea?" That's like being sick of breathing!" He rummages through the cupboard beneath the counter, where he is standing. "Have you seen the spark rocks to heat up the water?"
"No." Zuko replied annoyed.
"It's okay. I borrowed our neighbors'. Such kind people." I sighed and rolled over and cuddled against Zuko.
The next morning...
"This is the best tea in the city!"
"The secret ingredient is love." I heard Iroh say as he waves a hand through the steam coming from the teapot and walks toward the back of the shop where the owner is, while Zuko gives him a disgusted look.
I jumped as the door as it is suddenly slammed open by Jet; he enters. He looks at me, then Zuko and yells.
"I'm tired of waiting! These three are firebenders!" Jet unsheathes his hook swords and swings one at me, seeing as I'm the closest to him. I screamed and used the tray I carried to block it. "I know they're firebenders, I saw the old man heating his tea!"
"He works in a tea shop. Leave the poor girl alone." He moved his hooks and I fell back, feigning a weak and scared lookZ
"He's a firebender! I'm telling you!"
"Drop your swords, boy. Nice and easy." A man said standing up behind me.
"You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do." Jet slowly walks toward Zuko and Iroh with his swords. Just as one of the customers is about to draw his swords, Zuko steps in front and grabs them instead.
"You want a show? I'll give you a show!" Zuko takes the customer's broadswords and enters a fighting stance. He pulls a table in front of him with his foot and kicks it at Jet, who slices the table with his swords and jumps over it. As he lands, he swings both hook swords at the Fire Nation prince, who deflects the attack and jumps backward on to another table, which is sliced in half by Jet, swinging one sword through the middle of the table.
"Are you okay?" An older women said helping me stand. I nodded slightly continuing to watch as Zuko steps onto one half of the table and balances on one foot. Jet continues his attack by cutting the legs on the half of the table Zuko is standing on.
"Kya." Pao said approaching me. He noticed I kept my eyes on Zuko as he quickly jumps up, and as he lands, he swings both broadswords at Jet's feet, and Jet somersaults away and lands in a crouching position before charging forward at Zuko again. Zuko swings both of his swords at Jet.
"They're married." Iroh said pulling the worried Pao back. "Lee will defend her and then check on her. Don't worry about it."
"Oh." Pao replied as Zuko bursts out through the door and tumbles onto the street. Jet runs after him and strikes at Zuko with both swords. Zuko defends the strike and both combatants lock swords. I ran outside now holding a tea pot. I went behind Jet and smashed the pot on his back. He turned towards me quickly and kicked me away.
"You must be getting tired of using those swords. Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me?" He said turning his attention back at Zuko.
"Leave him alone!" I yelled. I clutched my stomach and frowned. Surprisingly he used full force when he kicked me. Zuko glanced at me slightly with a frown as I stood up. Someone behind me helping me.
"Please, son, you're confused! You don't know what you're doing!" Iroh said as the two kept fighting. Zuko swings at Jet, but Jet stops Zuko's broadsword with the ends of his hook swords, spins around and deflects it to the side. Zuko spins with his swords and tries to counterattack, but Jet hooks the ends of his swords together and begins to swing them at Zuko in large circular motions. Zuko retreats back a few steps to defend himself.
"Bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast right now." As Jet swings at Zuko's feet, Zuko stabs one of his broadswords through the hilt, pinning it to the ground. Jet looks at it with annoyance before focusing back on Zuko.
"You're the one who needs help."
Both the combatants lose a sword, and continue fighting with only one. He turns in a circle and tries to swipe at Zuko, but Zuko quickly advances and swings his sword at Jet. Jet pulls his attack just in time to bend backward and avoid Zuko's blade, cutting the straw sticking out of Jet's mouth in half. Jet regains balance, and jumps backward onto the edge of a well.
"You see that?! The Fire Nation is trying to silence me. It'll never happen." I looked at the person beside me and noticed clean looking man. A dai li agent another one beside him.
"Drop your weapons." Zuko and Jet step away and face each other. Zuko lowers his sword, as Jet points at the three of us.
"Arrest them! They're firebenders!" Jet said while pointing. I clutched my stomach and then went to Zuko quickly. He dropped the sword completely and then put his arms loosely around my waist.
"This poor boy is confused. We're just simple refugees."
"This young man wrecked my tea shop, and assaulted my employees!"
"It's true, sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city."
"Oh, ho, ho. That's very sweet."The two Dai Li agents walk up to Jet, who looks at them angrily.
"Come with us, son." Jet swings his hook sword at the agent, who catches the sword with his rock gloves. The guard disarms Jet, and both guards pull the boy's arms behind his back, binding his wrists together using their rock gloves' stones. As the guards drag Jet away toward a wagon designed for holding captured criminals.
"You don't understand! They're Fire Nation! You have to believe me!"
"Are you okay?" Zuko asked. I leaned into him as the pain soared through my stomach.
"It actually hurts a lot." I mumbled. He picked me up and carried me away from the tea shop.
"Take care of Kya!" Iroh said as Zuko walked.