Better Summary: Ba Sing Se was devastated by the Fire Nation occupation. The vast city is still recovering, but it needs help. When the Earth King decides to have the Dai Li re-instituted for that reason, many people call him insane, as the Dai Li were the reason the city fell in the first place. But is it possible that the new Dai Li could be just the kind of salvation the city needs? Or will history repeat itself and lead to the city's downfall once again? Told mostly through the eyes of two sisters who joined the Dai Li just a few weeks before the story starts.

Rated: T for mild violence and language

Note: This is a very OC-centric story. Canon characters are in the story but very rarely.

Reviews(good or bad) are always appreciated. Please share your thoughts!

Shifting Stone

Prologue

Lieutenant Tai Sen, second-in-command of the new Dai Li, established only two weeks prior, was admittedly a bit flustered. He quickly paced through the narrow halls of the headquarters building, clenching three small, tightly wrapped scrolls in his hand. The structure itself had been built only weeks before, but he had made a habit of knowing each and every hallway, doorway, and speck of dirt in the facility. It was extremely easy to get lost if you didn't know the way; each section was built almost identical to the last. Tai Sen was never really sure why it was built that way, but it was Captain Sobel's decision. And Tai Sen didn't argue with the Captain. Except for today, that is.

Tai Sen was a simple man. His face was clean shaven and the traditional black and green robes of Dai Li agent he wore were spotless. Without his uniform, he would be indistinguishable in a crowd if not for one feature; a black patch tied around his head, covering his right eye.

At last, he arrived at his destination: a pair of grey stone doors, not unlike the rest in the building, except for a tiny golden plaque on the front which read "Captain's Office."

As he rested his hand on the doorknob, it was shaking ever so slightly. A solitary bead of sweat traced a path down the side of his forehead, which he quickly wiped off with his sleeve. He had never questioned the captain's orders before, but something about the new candidates… it just didn't feel right. Maybe there was a mistake. Whatever it was, Tai Sen had to know.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and casually opened the door to Captain Sobel's office. The room mirrored most of the others in the headquarters: ten feet tall, wide, and long, bare walls, no windows, no pictures, just a few torches casting a weak glow around the room. In the center of the room was a desk. Behind the desk sat a man about fifteen years his senior, a thin, tightly braided beard running down his uniform. He was about a head shorter than the younger officer, as well as a bit stocky, but one look from his sharp, daunting eyes would deter most ordinary men.

He looked up from his work. "Lieutenant Tai Sen," he said with a surprisingly pleasant tone. "I've been expecting you. Did the Earth King approve my list of candidates?"

"Of course, Captain. Just as you requested. Thirty preliminary candidates for the new Dai Li. All passing their entrance exams in the top ninety-fifth percentile. All earthbenders. All below the age of eighteen, with a few exceptions for officers, of course." Tai Sen quickly placed the scrolls neatly at the head of the desk.

"Good. Very good indeed." Sobel slid one scroll toward himself and peruse the list of names.

Tai Sen was wondering how he would go about asking his question when Sobel asked it for him. "There is something troubling you, isn't there, Lieutenant?" he said without even glancing up from a scroll he was browsing. "Something about the list, I'm guessing?"

Tai Sen was thrown a bit off guard by the Captain's perceptiveness, but quickly shrugged it off. "Um… Yes actually, Captain. I would like you to take another look at this one in particular." He unraveled one of the untouched scrolls and smoothed it out in front of him. Captain Sobel took a quick glance at the names.

The captain grinned lightly, leaning back in his chair a bit. "I see your son made it past the prelims. Congratulations. He'll make fine agent."

"Thank you, sir. I'm honored, I truly am, but that's not the reason I'm worried. It's these two." Tai Sen extended his index and middle fingers across the page, pointing out two names:

Ren and Miyumi.

The captain's smile was immediately wiped from his face, replaced by the stern, solemn guise that the Lieutenant was used to. He sat forward, resting his chin on top of his folded hands, and shot a curious look at his lieutenant. "What's the problem with these two? They seem perfect fits to me. Both scored well above average. Both completed the required physical tests as well as earthbending test." Captain Sobel leaned even closer to Tai Sen, cocking an eyebrow. "Is it because they're sisters? Are you suspecting favoritism in my judgment?"

"Of course not, sir!" the Lieutenant barked, a little louder than intended. He quickly calmed himself and continued. "I was just a little confused, is all. Ren especially. I was the one over-seeing her test. She's a bit…coarse."

"I hope you didn't expect all the trainees to be green as grass," said Sobel. "I'm glad to have someone with experience."

Tai Sen gave him a strange look. "I wasn't aware that being arrested multiple times for street fighting qualified as experience."

The older man waved away his concern. "The point is that the girl knows how to fight. She scored highest of all the candidates in close-quarters combat, as well as showing great ability to adapt and improvise."

Tai Sen didn't seem entirely convinced. "Another thing: her earthbending. The test…"

"She passed!" Sobel blurted defensively. Tai Sen immediately tensed, standing straighter, once again thrown off-guard by the Captain's unpredictability today. Why did he feel so strongly about this? thought Tai Sen. It almost seemed like it was something personal.

"Yes, she did pass," Tai Sen continued cautiously, "But that's just it. She passed, reached the bar, met the standard. But she didn't exceed. Dai Li agents are supposed to be the best earthbenders that Ba sing Se, and the Earth Nation, has to offer."

"Maybe in the old days, Lieutenant," sighed Sobel. "But those were the days of treachery and failure. Long Feng and his predecessors chose extremely skilled benders, but skipped out on things that mattered, like loyalty, intelligence, and intuition. We don't want to be training another batch of drones, brainwashed into blindly following their orders as Long Feng had done. We want men and woman who can think for themselves, and who are loyal to their country."

Hardly seeming satisfied but seeing no point in pressing the point, Tai Sen moved on. "The other girl, Miyumi; you named as her as one of her officers because her experience in the field, correct?"

"I did. She served two years as city guard, getting glowing recommendations from her two of superiors, both citing her outstanding leadership qualities."

"But that was before the coup. During the Fire Nation's invasion, she apparently experienced some devastating emotional trauma."

Sobel shrugged. "Water under the bridge. I examined her myself, Lieutenant. She's perfect for this. As is her sister, which brings me back to my first question: what exactly is your problem with these two?"

"Well to tell you the truth, sir, I wasn't so much worried about their skill level or even the fact they're sisters than who their father is."

The room was silent for a moment, Sobel and Taisen staring each other down for a few lingering seconds. Then Sobel burst out laughing. Now it was Tai Sen's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Something is… funny, sir?"

"No, Lieutenant…. No, no," Sobel huffed in-between breaths. "It's just that I never took you as a cynical man. You always seemed so optimistic about everything."

"Sir?" asked Tai Sen, still not understanding.

"You believe evil is something hereditary then, is that it?"

Now he was completely lost. "I don't think I'm following you."

"Forgive me. I get bit too philosophical sometimes. Let me simplify: You think that because these kids," he scanned the list again for a split-second, "Ren and Miyumi, had a cold-hearted, bastard-traitor of a father, they might turn out the same way?"

"Not necessarily, sir…," Tai Sen said, shifting uneasily. "Well, maybe. Look sir, the point is, I don't think we should risk botching the entire program for two candidates. The Earth King said it himself; this is nothing but a test run. The slightest mistake, and the program will be scrapped."

The older man stared up at the lieutenant with a hard look. Tai Sen, ever the logical one, was absolutely right. The Earth King had been working for the past three years rebuilding Ba Sing Se after the devastating coup by the Dai Li and the subsequent occupation by the Fire Nation. Resources had been scarce, and still were. Destroyed sections of the city were still yet to be rebuilt and thousands of refugees were unable to return home. Despite this, the Earth King had showed incredible faith in him by even allowing the Dai Li to be reinstituted, let alone divert resources to the group.

Tai Sen spoke up again, "Sir, I would think you of all people knew how dangerous their father was. If his children are even the slightest bit like he was, it could be…disastrous."

That statement struck him harder than boulder to the face. Was he really willing to risk the program? Yes, he decided. He was done hiding in fear. That's what he'd done three years ago, what did that get him? Too many good men dead and too many bad ones got off easy. But no more. He wouldn't stand by and watch this happen again, with him sitting idle in the background. He had to make up for his past sins and the sins of the people he had once called "comrades".

Sobel let out a big sigh and stood up from his chair. He gathered all of the scrolls, rolled them up tightly and placed them side-by-side in the lower left drawer of his desk.

"Lieutenant, your concern is duly noted and I appreciate you being honest with me on the matter. That's exactly the reason I chose you as my right hand man; you keep me honest and you aren't afraid to speak your mind," he said, walking around his desk to the back of the room. As came to the door and twisted the handle, he slowly turned back to Tai Sen with a reassuring look in his eye. "But let me make myself perfectly clear; I know exactly what I'm doing."