ATLA Book 4: Ashes

Who Said Shopping Was Boring?

Although Zuko hadn't announced his presence as they traveled through Harbor City, he hadn't tried to hide it either. The reactions that he received from people, if and when they had realized who he was, had been wide and varied. Many of the citizens had been respectful and kind to him and his friends, and even showed their relief and gratitude concerning his coronation announcement. There had been some, however, who had still looked at him with distrust and even disdain in their eyes, and while this disappointed Zuko, he still tried to respect them and their opinions. Unlike his father or sister, he didn't believe it was a crime if someone didn't like him.

There had been one particular incident, though, that stuck in Zuko's mind. Zuko, Katara, and Suki had stepped into a smaller shop along the street, to buy some of Sokka's fire gummies, when a middle-aged man with dark hair and grey eyes had come out to meet them. The man had seemed normal enough, but there was something in the way his eyes had darted around and gauged things that had made Zuko a little wary. When the shopkeeper had noticed Zuko's scar, there had been such dislike in his features that it had bordered on hatred. Needless to say, they had left the shop in a hurry, and Zuko had practically felt the man's eyes boring into him as he walked out of the door.

Something about the whole encounter still bothered Zuko, and he tried to tell himself it wasn't just because the man didn't like him. He had gotten that reaction hundreds of times while he was banished, and he had gotten used to dealing with it, in a way. No, this instance was different. It was almost like there had been something shady or suspicious about the man, something that gave Zuko an off feeling about him. But then, that shouldn't have surprised him. This was Harbor City, after all. He hadn't lied to the others when he had told them it could get very grimy and rough here.

An outburst of giggling brought Zuko's attention back to the fore, and when he looked up to see the source, he found several girls staring at him. They quickly looked away, but not before either smiling shyly at him or erupting into more giggles, which only served to confound Zuko even further. These kinds of stares and reactions were something that Zuko was not used to dealing with, and quite frankly, he didn't know what to do about it.

At the moment, he was standing in the front room of a nice-enough looking clothing shop, with the food and ingredients they needed in a sack tied and slung across his back. Suki and Katara had gone into the back room to try on some clothes on, which left Zuko all alone in the front. Normally, he wouldn't have minded this, except that the front room of this particular shop happened to be filled with several girls and woman of various ages, all of which were surreptitiously staring at him. Whether they were staring at him because he was the only man in the place, or because they had found out he was the Fire Prince, he wasn't sure. Either way, it was making him extremely uncomfortable, and Zuko was itching to leave the place. Katara and Suki should have been finished by now. What in Agni's name is taking them so long?

He had just decided to go ask the shopkeeper where they could be, when a group of girls around his age started walking towards him, their attention focused on him. Zuko tried to ignore them, in the hopes they that they would walk by him, but he had no such luck.

One of the three girls, who had long, black hair, offered him a small smile, and bowed her head in greeting, "Prince Zuko...may we ask you something?"

Zuko's mind had already worked out a few escape scenarios, most of which either involved running or diving under nearby tables, but seeing as how that would be seen as either cowardly or just plain rude, he reluctantly decided to hold his ground, for the moment.

"Uh, sure. I guess."

For some strange reason, this response produced a burst of giggles from all three girls. Zuko had to struggle to suppress a groan. Once they had collected themselves, they then took turns asking him questions, in very rushed and high-pitched voices.