"Are you sure about this Sokka?" Iroh said, his face a mask of worry. Sokka nodded and handed the old general the epaulette he had found in the ashes in the factory.
"See for yourself," Sokka said as Iroh examined the small metal artifact.
"This is from Zhao's navy," Iroh conceded, "but it could be from anyone. A deserter from the Fire Nation perhaps? A war trophy brought back by a soldier of the Earth Kingdom? This alone does not prove Zhao was here." Sokka's shoulders slumped. He knew it was Zhao, somehow that slippery wolf/bat had survived the Siege of the North Pole and he was back for revenge!
"I know it's him," Sokka said with a sigh, "I don't know how he did it but he survived."
"He's dead Sokka," Katara said, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder and letting the water she was bending do its healing work. "Right Aang?"
The young Avatar had been sitting quietly the entire conversation. He hadn't even touched his honey cakes, Iroh noticed with concern. Finally, he spoke up.
"The Sea Spirit took him," Aang said, "but I don't know where. I don't think he's dead, at least not how we think of it."
"What does that mean?" Toph asked with annoyance. She hated all this spiritual mumbo-jumbo. Was the guy still kicking or not?
"Well, his spirit went somewhere, but I can't say exactly where," Aang admitted, his eyes shifting with embarrassment.
"So, it's possible," Sokka said, a fact more than a question.
"Well, no…" Aang replied after a moment, his voice was unsure, "he couldn't have come back from the other side. Not by himself anyways." The Gaang fell silent at Aang's ominous words.
"What are you talking about, Twinkletoes?" Toph huffed with impatience, "did somebody go get this guy or something?"
"No, I'm the only person who can go between this world and the spirit one at will and that's because I'm the Avatar," Aang said.
"Well if you didn't go get him then what's the problem?"
"Something on the other side might have…" he looked for the right words, "brought him back to this world." Katara shivered and Iroh nodded gravely.
"You beat him once," Zuko added, "and that was before you mastered the Avatar state. What's the big deal?"
"Nephew, do you forget your time with Admiral Zhao so quickly?" Iroh admonished, "he is treacherous and cunning. If he comes to fight it will not be on even ground. He would need something to give him an advantage before he revealed himself."
"The scroll?" Sokka offered, "whatever that is anyways?"
"What if…" Katara spoke up, clearing her throat. It had suddenly become very dry in the Jasmine Dragon. "What if it's some kind of firebending scroll? A powerful technique that he could use against Aang?"
"That makes sense," Sokka admitted, "why else would he risk blowing his cover to attack some Earth Kingdom Army warehouse if it didn't have something he needed."
"So what's taking him?" Mai asked, her voice cool and composed but Zuko knew her well enough to pick up on the uneasiness she felt. The others turned to Mai who gave them a 'you really need me to spell this out?' look before continuing, "if he has the scroll then why hasn't he made his move?"
"That is a good question," Iroh said with pride, he very much approved of his nephew's choice of girlfriend. "Perhaps he requires some special situation or occasion?"
"Like Sozin's Comet or the summer solstice?" Aang ventured.
"Exactly," Iroh said, "but I can think of no such events in the near future." He stroked his chin for emphasis.
"Maybe he's waiting for something else then," Sokka said, "could he need another scroll to...I don't know...complete the move or something?"
"That's not really how it works," Katara said.
"Maybe it's a place," Toph said standing up with excitement. The Gaang waited for her to continue and after realising she would need to explain herself, she did, "so the firebenders have the sun and comets and stuff right? And the waterbenders have the moon and the cycle of the tides? Well earthbenders don't have anything like that, our power is drawn from the earth which is everywhere. But, there are places where that power is stronger, I don't know why but that's how it is."
"But Zhao is a firebender," Katara corrected, "how would that help him?" Toph shrugged, her face falling. She everytime she had a really good idea Miss Sugar Queen always seemed to find problems with it.
"I don't know Katara," Aang said shyly, "we don't everything about bending. I mean look at Toph, she figured out how to bend metal and Iroh can bend lightning. Who's to say that Zhao hasn't found some firebending art that needs a particular place to work."
"Whatever Zhao is doing we still need to find him and stop him," Sokka stood up from the table in frustration, "and we have no idea where to look!" He paced back and forth with agitation.
The doorbell rang as someone entered the Jasmine Dragon. Iroh looked up to greet the customer but stopped when he examined the woman before him. It was a soldier of the Earth Kingdom Army and from her stance and businesslike air she was on duty. The woman came to the table where the Gaang sat and gave them a short bow before speaking.
"Sokka, Toph," she directed her pointed gaze at each in turn, "Captain Ya has asked for your presence."
"How did you know where to find us, Sergeant Mei?" Sokka greeted the woman with more hostility than he had intended. If she was offended she didn't show it.
"It is a well known fact that this establishment is frequented by Team Avatar," Sergeant Mei said but corrected herself, "er...I mean, the Avatar and his companions."
"Also we serve the best tea in the city," Iroh added with a wide smile, "what can I get you sergeant?" She politely refused with the shake of her head and another small bow.
"Another time perhaps, mister?" Sergeant Mei eyed the teashop owner appraisingly. He's cute, she thought and gave him a little smile. What could she say, she had a thing for silver foxes.
"My name is Iroh. Perhaps you would join me for tea another evening?" Iroh said to the middle aged sergeant. He had to admit she was a handsome woman, well muscled and with an assuredness that came with a long life in the military.
"Tonight?" she offered, "I have leave and I do love...tea." Iroh chuckled warmly and she relaxed a fraction.
"Wonderful," Iroh said, "it's a date."
"Ah! Uncle, pick up girls on your own time," Zuko chided his uncle and they all laughed. It felt good to get even with him after all his 'scandal' this and 'poor old heart' that which Zuko received almost daily. Iroh gave his nephew a loving look. He's is becoming more like me everyday, Iroh thought with a mix of pride and satisfaction.
"At my age, nephew, one must seize the day," Iroh gave a shy handwave which got another laugh from the Gaang and a blush from Sergeant Mei.
"Um, yes…" she said distractedly, "now, back to business. The captain has information she needs to brief you on, please come with me." Toph stood up and began walking around the table.
"Oh that's okay," Sokka stopped her, "I can handle this if you...uh...don't want to come along?" That stopped Toph cold in her tracks. What was he talking about? Did he not want to spend time with her? Was he trying to get rid of her? What was his problem?
"What are you talking about Sokka?" Katara's voice broke in, confused.
"Yeah Sokka," Toph said with as much sarcasm as she could inject into every word, "who wouldn't want to spend the day getting shot at by crazy firebenders with you?" What was her problem? Sokka thought. He was trying to give her a way out, Tui and La! After everything that had happened in the last day and night he would have thought she would have jumped at the chance to get away from him for a while.
"Good point," Sokka said out loud, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "I mean, the fireballs aren't great but the company...forget about it!"
"Come on, we don't have all day," Sergeant Mei scolded as she herded the duo towards the door. Iroh hated to see her leave, but he admitted, he did enjoy watching her go. She turned back just before they were out the door and shot him an appealing look which he returned with his smoothest smile.
"Uncle! Tisk, tisk!" Zuko said putting an arm around his uncle's shoulder, "at your age you should really try to avoid so much excitement."
"What can I say," Iroh said with a grin, "somehow excitement just finds me."
"I'm going to make some more tea," Zuko said, letting go of his uncle's shoulder, "it's been oolong time since I had some!" That was met with groans from everyone but Iroh who laughed a deep belly laugh. Zuko had even started making bad tea jokes, Iroh thought, could he be any prouder of his nephew?
"So," Sergeant Mei asked once they were on their way, "this Iroh…" she tried to be as casual as possible, "he seems like a nice guy."
"He's great," Sokka offered, glad to have something to talk about rather than suffer another silent walk with his best friend, "he's really smart and he's a great teacher!"
"Yeah," Toph added, "and he gives great advice...most of the time." Sokka gave Toph a puzzled look which she couldn't see. She could feel through her earthbending that Sokka was turned to face her as they walked.
"Oh?" Sergeant Mei said, twiddling her thumbs as they walked. Stop that! she told herself, making a conscious effort to keep her hands down by her side. "Most of the time?"
"It's nothing," Toph said with a sigh. Sergeant Mei tisked and for some reason Toph felt herself relenting. This older woman had a motherly way about her and Toph needed to get something off her chest. "He just gave me some bad advice yesterday. It was a fluke, honest. Normally, he is very wise."
"Boy trouble, eh?" Sergeant Mei said understandingly. As the Captain's aide she was used to listening to people's problems and offering just the right amount of advice and encouragement. The most important thing, she reminded herself, is to listen. Toph blushed furiously, what was she doing? Telling this stranger about her stupid crush on stupid Sokka, right in front of stupid Sokka?!
"Well, kind of…" Toph said. Sokka looked away embarrassed now but he listened intently. Was she talking about him? Boy trouble? Sokka had never been considered 'boy trouble' before. He wasn't sure how to take it. Sergeant Mei gave a noncommittal mhm and Toph continued. "I told a friend that I like him but the situation is...it's complicated." Toph was blushing but it felt so good to talk about this that she kept on going. Sokka felt his face turn beet red but he kept quiet.
"Well, does the boy like you?" Sergeant Mei asked after a pause. Toph made a strangled noise in her throat.
"He has a girlfriend," she said at last. They walked in silence for what seemed like an hour but it was really more like a few seconds.
"But…" it wasn't a question, Sergeant Mei somehow made it into a statement.
"But he likes her too," Sokka spoke up, his voice coming out uneven and flustered, "and he doesn't know what to do." Was this the boy? Sergeant Mei wondered, she had just thought they were friends from how they acted around each other. That made sense, she thought, things must have gotten complicated.
"And…" Sergeant Mei made the one word into a statement again, prompting Sokka to continue.
"He's worried that their friendship is going to change. That things will never go back to normal…" Sokka's voice was quiet and Toph's breath caught in her throat. She would never stop being his friend! Didn't that idiot understand that?
"But does he want it to 'go back to normal'?" Sergeant Mei encouraged, "wouldn't he want them to be closer than ever?"
"It's complicated," Sokka said, "maybe he's afraid that he'll hurt her just like every other girl he's been involved with." Sokka found it hard to walk, his feet feeling like lead and the afternoon sun blisteringly hot.
"But he doesn't understand that I'm tough," Toph spoke up, her voice hoarse. "I understand his history and I can take it."
"But if he leaves his girlfriend for you then what's to say he won't just fall in love with someone else?" Sokka said, still looking only at Sergeant Mei. Ah! Did he just say 'love'? he screamed in his head. Love? What are you saying 'love' for? He wished he could crawl up and die but Sergeant Mei kept him moving forward. Toph stopped breathing entirely as her head swam with a torrent of mixed feelings. Did he say 'love'? was followed by 'leave you for someone else'. She had never considered that before. What if she gave him her heart and he fell out of love with her? She had always assumed that once you were together with someone then that was it, they were yours and as long as nothing happened to break you up you would love each other forever. Could people just fall out of love? Could Sokka fall out of love with her like that?
"Does he still love his girlfriend?" Sergeant Mei asked. This was complicated, she thought, she was glad she didn't have to worry about these kinds of things. Her life had seen love and loss but as a soldier she was used to living in the now, because she never knew what another day would bring or if she would be around to see it.
"It's complicated," Sokka said, deflated. "His girlfriend before this one died and he was heartbroken. Then she came along and he loved them both. Does that make sense? How can somebody be in love with two people at once?" Sergeant Mei said nothing, waiting for the boy to continue on his own. "Is that fair to them? Don't they deserve all his love?"
"Love is meant to share," Sergeant Mei said. Truthfully this was beyond the scope of her training as confidant to her commanding officer but that kind of uncommitted kind of answer always seemed to work out. People look for the advice they want in whatever you say, she told herself. He would hear what he needed to hear and he would have to figure it out for himself. After a moment of silence Sokka grunted approvingly, he must have found the answer he was looking for. At least Sergeant Mei hoped so. Toph's heart was racing. She had no idea just how much Sokka hurt, what he had gone through. The guilt and the burden he had carried for so long must have been terrible, she thought. He was her first crush and also her best friend and that made her feel pangs of regret for what she must have been putting him through. What was he thinking about right now? Did he love her? What did love even mean to him? What did it mean to her?
Sergeant Mei watch the two of them out of the corner of her eye. She had taken an instant liking to them that morning and she hoped desperately that they would find a way to work things out. She could only hope that her council had helped not made things worse.
They arrived at Eel-Hound Company's park. Sergeant Mei led the duo to the command tent and called inside.
"Captain," she said warmly, "two kids here to see you?" There was an affirmative noise from inside the tent. Before she lifted the tentflap to let them in Sergeant Mei turned to them and pulled them both into a motherly hug. "Things are going to work out," she whispered to them, "it might seem tough now but things will get better." She released them and, straightening her uniform and coughing awkwardly, she proceeded to usher them inside. She looked up to see Sergeant He by his tent nearby. He stared stupefied that his tough as nails colleague had just hugged two kids.
"Sergeant?" He asked.
"What are you looking at?" she shouted, her stiff demeanour returning. Sergeant He muttered something and turned away embarrassed. He was really losing his touch, he thought to himself, first he gets yelled down by some little girl and now he couldn't even deal with the weird show of affection from Sergeant Mei. He needed a drink.
Sokka and Toph walked into the command tent to find Captain Ya standing and talking with another soldier, one of the men from the tavern last night.
"Ah, good to see you two," Captain Ya said, "I'm sure you remember Lieutenant Ji, he is leading our investigation." She gestured to Lieutenant Ji who offered a small bow.
"Permission to speak freely ma'am," Lieutenant Ji said and Captain Ya nodded, "I was leading the investigation. About an hour ago some spooks," he paused at the blank looks he got from Sokka and Toph, "ah...military intelligence officers, came by and shut me down. They said that we couldn't conduct our own investigation because of some bureaucratic bull-" he paused, changing what he was going to say on account of the kids present, "-stuff. Like they can do it any better."
"Tell them what you found out," Captain Ya interrupted her subordinate.
"Yes, well…" Lieutenant Ji continued, "do you kids know who guards the palace?" They shook their heads. "The King's Household Guard. They are the elite unit in charge of protecting the palace. I think you and the Avatar had a run in with them when you...uh, met with our King Kuei. They wear special uniforms that distinguish them from the common rank-and-file that allows them to traverse the palace grounds. Several such uniforms were stolen from a materiel contractor last night." He let the implication sink in.
"We believe this is related to the warehouse incident last night," Captain Ya said, "Did you learn anything this morning?" Sokka told her what they had found and what they had surmised at lunch. After he finished, Captain Ya looked at him with a new found admiration. These two might be young but they were certainly as capable, brave, and ingenious as many of her own soldiers.
"Amazing," she allowed them the compliment. "So you think that they might need to get into the palace for some special firebending purpose?"
"That's the idea," Toph said triumphantly. Finally, she thought, some recognition for her genius!
"We don't have access to the palace," Captain Ya informed them, "so that means it will be down to you two and your friends to stop the conspiracy. Whatever it is."
"You can count on us chief," Sokka said, giving the proper salute this time. He learns fast, Captain Ya thought appreciatively.
"Yeah, don't even worry about it," Toph said, pointing a thumb at her chest confidently, "they aren't going to know what hit 'em!" Captain Ya smiled at the blind earthbender.
"I'm sure they won't," she said fondly, "now get back to it!" Toph and Sokka nodded and left the command tent.
Outside the sun had become even hotter. Why couldn't it rain in this stupid city? Sokka thought ruefully.
"So what do you want to do?" Toph asked.
"We should report back to everyone," Sokka said matter-of-factly.
"No, I mean about lunch," Toph said, patting her empty belly, "we had to leave before we had anything to eat."
"You're right," Sokka admitted, his own stomach grumbling. "I could go for some meat dumplings, and some fried fish, and some tiger-sea jerky…" he was getting worked up now.
"Hold your ostrich/horses," she held out a hand. "Are you gonna stand there all day or are we going to find some place to eat?" Sokka nodded gravely. Food was serious business, after all.
After much humming and hawing from Sokka, they settled on a small noodle shop near the Eel-Hound Company's park. The shop had an order window that opened up onto the street with a few tables for patrons to sit at under the sun. Toph and Sokka ordered and then sat with their noodle bowls at an empty table.
"These smell so good," Sokka said, wafting the air to better smell his meal.
"Yeah, but they look kind of off, don't they?" Toph joked. Sokka laughed at that. It was good to hear her making jokes again. She giggled and Sokka couldn't help but stare at her pretty smile and the way her nose would crinkle when she laughed.
Toph felt Sokka's heartbeat pick up through the stone chairs and table. What was he thinking about? Was he thinking about her? she sighed deeply.
"What are you thinking about?" she said it warmly and it made Sokka's heart flutter in his chest.
"Just this pretty girl," he admitted. Toph's face took on an expression of false shock.
"Who is she? Let me at her!" Toph said, raising a fist in challenge. That got another laugh out of Sokka. Then he began eating his noodles, they were still too hot so he blew on them and made loud slurping noises, which he had assured Toph on many occasions really helped to cool the noodles down faster. Toph just sat listening to the gross eating noises that Sokka was making. Then there was a particularly loud slurp and a lip smacking sound and a piece of noodle flew across the small table and hit her right below the eye.
"Oh! Sorry," Sokka said and reached out without thinking, "let me get that off you." His fingers gently touched Toph's cheek which immediately warmed under his touch. He grabbed the noodle fragment and peeled it delicately off her face. "There," he said as he pulled his hand back, "perfect."
"Perfect?" she said with the slightest hint of embarrassment in her voice. Sokka was blushing now and he was glad she couldn't see just how comically red his face had gotten.
"Wait," he reached out and with his thumb he rubbed the flecks of soup that had been left behind on her soft cheek. "There." Toph giggled in spite of herself. Giggling? she did not giggle unless it was with evil intent! What was he doing to her?
"Thanks," she said, her voice cheerful. Did Toph just giggle? Sokka thought to himself. A month ago he wouldn't have believed it. A few days ago, if he was being totally honest. But now the thought made him giggle too. He had a stupid laugh, he thought, it was really high pitched and nasally and it made him sound like a dumb kid. He coughed with embarrassment and went back to eating his noodles. This time he was careful not to let any splash onto his friend.
Toph blew on her noodles until she was satisfied that it was cool enough for human consumption. How did he eat stuff that was so hot? she wondered. It was like he had a mouth full of leather, nothing hot or cold ever seemed to bother him. Not to mention all the gross Water Tribe food that he ate. She blushed intensely. Thinking about his mouth had made her think about his lips. She didn't know what they were like, unlike the side of his face or his nose but she wanted to. She took aim by the sound of his slurping and flung a tactical bit of noodle so that it landed right on the tip of his nose.
"Woops," she said carelessly, "let me get that for you." Before he could say anything she reached out her hand and guiding it from his eye down the side of his long wide nose she found the noodle piece. Her calloused fingers felt good on Sokka's dark skin and he swallowed reflexively. She flicked the noodle roughly off his nose deftly and her fingers lingered there for a moment. She took a deep breath and moved her fingers down from the tip of his nose to trace the side of his mouth with her finger tips. Her breath caught in her throat and her chest felt tight like it was being crushed by a hundred tons of earth. She felt his warm breath coming from his nose in short, laboured huffs. With all her willpower, she slowly withdrew her fingers from his face. "There," she managed to say despite the lump that had caught in her throat. "Perfect."
"Toph," Sokka said but he wasn't sure that any noise came out of his mouth. His head was a mess of feelings, he felt anxious, fearful, hesitant, excited, elated, and a hundred other things. Overwhelming he felt the urge to hold her hand. He reached his hand forward and gingerly touched hers before it could move back across the table. His long fingers brushed against her short ones. Her hand froze and her face became a mask of mixed emotion and shock. Well, too late stop now, he thought to himself. His fingers slid down the back of her hand, taking in the roughness and the strength of her, before settling just before her thin wrist. His palm, clammy with sweat, touched against her knuckles. He had her hand in his now. Sokka risked a breath, worried that it would break the spell of whatever was going on now between them. Toph could feel his heartbeat and his breathing through the seat and the table but most intimately through his hand. She had held his hand once before, when they hung off the edge of a Fire Nation airship, all hope lost, resigned to their fate. This was very different. She felt hope in herself, hope for the future and for them. She felt hope in him too. His heart was racing and he was barely breathing. She had never felt like this before with anyone. What was happening to her?
He felt her hand shift under his. Oh no. What had he done? His heart sank as her hand twisted out of his grasp. That was it. He had gone and ruined everything between them. Then she turned her wrist so that her palm was facing up towards his. Her calloused fingertips brushed against the heel of his palm and he felt like the lump in his throat was all that was keeping his heart from leaping out of him. Then she closed her fingers around his, her thumb rubbing gently against the backs of his fingers and their hands closed together. Ha! He wanted to jump out of his chair and dance down the street. He had never felt like this before, he didn't think something so simple as holding hands could make him feel like this. What was happening to him?
Toph held her breath, waiting for Sokka to pull his hand out of hers. Waiting for him to get up and storm off. Then he squeezed her hand in his and suddenly she knew he was there to stay. She shivered and she felt goosebumps run down her back and shoulders despite the scorching heat of the summer afternoon. Her body was hot and cold, changing with each heartbeat. She never wanted this feeling to end. Her hand and his, together. The thought made her light headed.
"I…" she had started speaking before she knew what was going on but she stopped herself.
"Me too," was his reply.
They finished eating, which was difficult with only one hand, and then decided to head back to the house to await everyone else's return later in the evening. They held hands the whole way.
"Attention passengers," a booming voice said, the sailor was up on an elevated platform, towering over the ferry passengers. "Full Moon Bay to Ba Sing Se harbour will be arriving within the hour!" The announcer was a member of the crew but Suki didn't recognize him from the rest of the journey. The walls of the mighty Earth Kingdom capital had just come into view to the passengers of the ferry as it plodded through the strait leading to the city itself. Suki breathed deep, enjoying the refreshing salty ocean spray. She had always loved the ocean, it had protected Kyoshi Island from the Hundred Year War and it gave sustenance to the islanders from food to fuel.
It had been a long journey from Kyoshi to Ba Sing Se but Suki didn't mind. She was used to hard living and she enjoyed meeting travellers and people of the Earth Kingdom on her journey. She had finally got leave to visit the Gaang, and Sokka, for a few days after the difficult work of rebuilding Kyoshi Island after the war. Soon she would need to go back, the Kyoshi Warriors served a fundamental role in the village as peacekeepers and community leaders and it was her role as their leader to help restore the small island to its prewar prosperity.
She sighed, it had been so long since she had seen Sokka. Six long weeks since she had held him in her arms, heard his bad jokes, felt his body move with hers as they sparred, and felt his lips on hers. It would be good to see him again. She played with her hair while she watched the walls of Ba Sing Se grow on the horizon. Only a few more hours now.
The ferry pulled into the artificial bay of Ba Sing Se Harbor, coming to dock along an earthen pier that jutted out into the bay. The passengers disembarked into the busy wharf district of the lower ring and Suki took her first step into the city.
"How do I get to the upper ring from here?" she asked a shirtless man with dark sun scorched skin who was working to secure a line nearby. He turned to see her and perked up at the beautiful young girl who was addressing him.
"It's down that way, miss," he said, pointing down the dock. "You just keep going uphill, you can't miss it!"
"Thank you," she waved and gave the man a smile for his trouble. The man blushed and rubbed his neck with embarrassment. Then she strode off. If she made good time she could be with Sokka tonight.
Suki made her way down the dock and into the lower ring proper. The streets were so busy here, she thought. It never ceased to amaze her that people on the Earth Kingdom mainland could live in such sprawling urban centers. She waved to people as she passed by and most waved back. There was definitely a celebratory tone in the air. The war had been over for only six weeks and yet these people believed, or at least wanted to believe, that it was really over for good.
She passed by some food stalls and her stomach grumbled fiercely so she chose one at random to have a bite. It was some unnamed little noodle shop, the kind that you ordered from the window and ate out in front. They weren't as good as home cooked but at least they were fast. She approached the counter and checked out the menu.
"What do you recommend?" she asked the old woman working behind the counter.
"Oh, they are all good," the old woman laughed warmly, "but my favorite is the elephant/koi and broccoli."
"That sounds great," Suki said, licking her lips. She hadn't realised how hungry she had been until now. She hadn't eaten anything since that morning when the ferry had set off from Full Moon Bay. The old woman handed her a bowl and utensils and Suki paid her before settling in to a table to eat. It was the late afternoon and the place was apparently popular because there were almost no free tables. She eventually settled on one that was a bit dirty but that didn't bother her much. Anything beats the Boiling Rock's cafeteria, she thought, at least there are just discarded noodles lying around here.
After she finished eating she set back off down the street. The city was laid out in a confusing way but, keeping to the dock worker's advice, she just kept moving uphill and soon she came upon a corner with taverns lining the street. Most of them had colorful names and Suki read each of them to herself. Seriously, some of these puns could have been written by Sokka himself, she thought wistfully. A man walked by her and she noticed right away that he didn't look like he belonged.
The man was tall, with a slender but wiry build and short wavy black hair. That was not what drew Suki's attention. The man wore bandages that wrapped all the way around his face and they extended from his hairline to right above his nostrils. The bandages had holes cut so that he could stills see and Suki could see his hard brown eyes underneath. His walk was Fire Nation, Suki noted, she could recognize the difference from her time in the Boiling Rock prison surrounded by Fire Nation people. The air of cheerfulness that had permeated the city was lost on this man. He walked with his eyes dead set ahead and his stride was angry and purposeful. He didn't move his neck and Suki assumed that his injuries must be severe and recent.
She didn't like the look of this guy, he had trouble written all over him and Suki took on her hunch and decided to follow him from a distance as he made his way down the busy street. She wanted to see Sokka and the Gaang but she couldn't in good conscience let this guy go do whatever it was that he planned to do. She trailed him to a small building that was marked 'Our Mother Tui Clinic' and she watched as he stood outside casing the place. What is he doing? she wondered but she kept her distance. Two men in Earth Kingdom Army uniforms came out of the clinic and walked down the street. Then the mysterious man went inside. Suki hurried to follow him in.
"The good news is you are going to live," the doctor told Bai, who lay on a cot outside the operating room. His vision was blurry and he was so tired but he stayed awake, the pain keeping him from any rest. "The road to recovery will be long but you're tough," the doctor indicated the pile of burnt and discarded Earth Kingdom soldier's armor beside the cot, "right soldier?" Bai blinked away tears and managed a gargled moan. "You're gear along with your identification tag was badly damaged so we haven't been able to report your injuries to your unit." My tag? Bai thought, just how bad were the burns that the MPs that had come to see him couldn't recognize him as the traitorous Dai Li agent wanted for questioning. "I know it will be hard but try to get some sleep," the doctor said and then he was gone, leaving Bai to lay helpless on the cot.
"Agent Bai," a cold voice called to him from just beyond his vision. The voice sent a chill down whole body despite the grievous burns. He had tasted death today and he no longer wanted to die. He wanted to live but Mister Zan was here to ensure he couldn't recover enough to be taken into custody. It was only fair, Bai thought. He had been a part of some cleaning operations in his time with the Dai Li and he understood the need for secrecy to be preserved. If military intelligence got a hold of him they would get the information out of him eventually. It was only good housekeeping. Bai began to cry softly, unable to blink the tears from his eyes. "I know you understand this isn't personal," Mister Zan came to stand over Bai and Bai noticed the bandages around his face. What was that about? he thought murkily.
"Hey! You can't be back here!" a woman's voice came from beyond Bai's vision. "Security!" Mister Zan turned around to face the voice.
Suki had shadowed the strange man as he went into a restricted hallway of the clinic. She was debating whether or not she should follow him or inform the proper authorities when she heard a woman cry out. The choice was made and Suki didn't hesitate to run into the restricted hallway.
"Hold it right there!" she called to mystery man who looked at her with a seething hatred. He didn't frighten her, she had faced down the toughest warriors the Fire Nation had ever produced and she had won. She drew her fans, holding them closed like thin bars of steel, and took up a fighting stance. "You like to dance?"
Zan watched the woman before him apprehensively. What was she holding? They looked like tiny blocks of metal but she held them by their bottom thirds so perhaps they were blades or striking instruments of some kind. Zan had not survived so long in this business by be uncautious so he threw out a fireball to test the woman's defenses.
Suki ducked the fireball, careful not to draw her fans out. She wanted the element of surprise and she wasn't going to give herself away by falling for such an obvious trick. She advanced on the firebender quickly and Zan took a step back, coming up in a low, powerful stance. He began throwing fireballs down the hallway and Suki ducked and dodged to avoid them as she closed with her opponent. When she was close she struck out with one of her fans, jabbing the metal at her opponents shoulder. He ducked at the last second and swept low, launching a wave of fire that crackled along the earth floor of the hallway. Suki dove over the wave and as her strike passed harmlessly past the firebender she bent her elbow, catching him across the chest with a stiff arm. The blow forced the air out of Zan's lungs and he staggered backward before catching himself. Before he could react, Suki cupped her wrist to catch him by the shoulder and her lead leg moved behind Zan's knee tripping him backward.
As Zan fell he threw up his free arm, trying to burn the girl off of him. She turned, using the momentum of his fall to dodge the wild flames. Zan's discipline was faltering and he knew it, he was striking out without thinking and she was controlling his body and the fight. Think, he told himself, think. As he fell toward the ground he reached around Suki's back and pulled her closer which put her off balance. Suddenly Suki was flying through the air, coming to an abrupt stop as she slammed into the hallway wall. She rolled up in time to avoid being burnt by another wave of fire that sizzled across the hallway toward her. This guy was good, Suki thought, now it's time to change up tactics. She moved at Zan and split her fans so they were fully extended as she sliced the air in front of his chest.
Fans? Zan thought, he had never seen anyone fighting with fans before but he extrapolated by the way she was moving and by their obviously sharp edges that they functioned much the same as daggers or short curved blades. That was not good. Zan took a step back, avoiding the swinging fans that cut the air before him. I've got him on the run now, Suki thought, he won't have enough time to work out a new strategy. Then he did something unexpected.
Zan knew he was going to lose if he didn't do something she couldn't see coming. He leaned back and with a forceful breath from deep in his diaphragm he breathed fire. Suki was caught by surprise, watching only Zan's arms and legs for fire attacks. She had to throw herself backward to avoid the flames that streamed from her opponent's mouth. Zan coughed out a wide gout of flame before turning on his heel and running down the hallway and disappearing. By the time Suki stood up he was gone. He got away, Suki thought with shame, how could I let him get away? A moan from the nearby cot caught her attention.
Bai had heard fighting from his cot but he couldn't turn his head to see what had happened. Zan had lost, that much was obvious from the fact that Bai was still alive. Then a young woman came into his field of vision.
"Are you alright?" she looked right into his eyes. Brave girl, Bai thought, considering how hideous my face must look. He grunted with obvious effort. "I think he was here to kill you," Suki mused, "but why is that? Who are you?" Bai could only grunt more urgently. He had to make her understand, he had to get somewhere safe. The Dai Li could rot for all he cared!
The nurse came back into the room followed by two Earth Kingdom soldiers.
"Who are you?" one of the soldiers said, taking up a low earthbending stance.
"I'm Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors," she bowed to the soldier. "I was following the attacker when he came for this man," she gestured down at Bai. The soldiers relaxed at that.
"Thanks," one said, "you risked your life to protect one of our own and that means a lot."
"Who is he?" she asked. The soldiers exchanged an uneasy glance between them. "I risked my life to save him, I have a right to know why that man attacked him."
"Come with us," the other soldier, the leader apparently, told her. "We can explain back at company headquarters." And so the the soldiers, along with Suki, took Agent Bai into custody. On the way they explained, based on where they had found him, he was probably one of the missing soldiers from the Fifth Army's Eel-Hound Company and that they were bringing him to his supposed squadmates to see if they could identify him. Sokka will have to wait a little longer, Suki thought with regret.
Sergeant Mei, just Mei now, was off duty for the evening. She was walking up to the upper ring and her chest fluttered a little with nervous anticipation. She was wearing a strapless red dress that one of the younger soldiers in the company had promised her was the latest fashion from the Fire Nation and she felt very self conscious. Her wide, bony shoulders were showing, not one of her favourite features. She had even done up her short hair into a bun for the occasion.
This is silly, she thought to herself, she was acting like it was her first harvest dance. There was something about the tea shop owner that she found very appealing and she wanted to make a good impression. Maybe it was his handsome, fatherly face. Or maybe it was his body, surprisingly muscled and toned for an older man. No, she thought, she was impressed by the way that he acted towards those kids. Maybe it was because she was at 'that' age but she found a man who was good with kids to be very attractive. She checked that her hair was behaving and satisfied that it was she entered the Jasmine Dragon.
"Ah," Iroh said warmly as she entered, "I am so glad you came." He gestured toward a table, the only one in the middle of the dining area. The others had been pushed to the walls and the sole table bore a few candles which flickered gently, lighting the large room easily. Nice touch, she admitted to herself.
"Thanks," she said, "I am too." What? she thought, could she be any more uninteresting. Say something funny! her brain told her. Iroh brought over a teapot and served Mei a cup.
"Mei is a very pretty name," Iroh said handing her the cup, which she took as their fingers touched for just a moment. "But it pales in comparison to your beauty."
"Thanks," she managed to say. My, he was a smooth talker. She found herself twiddling her thumbs in her lap. Stop that, she chided herself. She had to go on the offensive. The problem was that despite being a good listener, her conversation skills were rusty. There wasn't much time for dating during the last years of the war. And what could she even talk about? All she knew was the army and she didn't think the old tea shop owner would want to talk of battles and strategies.
"If you don't mind me asking," Iroh began, sitting across from Mei, "what is your unit?"
"Eel-Hound Company, Second Regiment, First Division of the Fifth Earth Kingdom Army," she said without hesitation, as if that would mean anything to him.
"Ah, the Fifth Army," Iroh said, thinking back, "I recall that they turned the tide during the First Invasion of Pohai."
"You know about that?" Mei was surprised. Civilians often didn't understand that the 'Army' was actually composed of many smaller semi-independent fighting forces, each with their own traditions and history.
"Yes, of course," Iroh's smile was beaming, "Eel-Hound Company was responsible for undermining the walls when the Fire Nation Navy first captured the stronghold!"
"Yeah, just for the Thirty-Third Army to go and lose it the next month!" she said with conviction, "base builders and garisonners every one! As soon as the first flaming shots started coming over the wall, suddenly the place wasn't worth holding anymore." To her surprise Iroh laughed, it was a deep rumbling laugh that was full of humor.
"Such is the way of war," he said, still chuckling softly, "these things are fluid. One victory one day does not safeguard against a defeat on the next. Nor does it make that victory any less meaningful."
"I like that," she said, giving him a warm smile. "When you put it that way, yes, we were the heroes of the First Invasion!" She struck up her best hero pose for him which earned another chuckle. A thought entered her mind then.
"Did you serve?" Mei asked, she was sure that anyone with that kind of knowledge must have been in the army, or even fought there himself. Iroh gave a deep sigh and was silent for a moment. Mei watched him with apprehension. Finally he broke the silence.
"I was leading the assault!" he said with another laugh, he spoke again when he his laughter subsided, wiping a tear from his eye, "You Eel-Hounds cost me that fortress!" Mei laughed with him.
"A wise man once told me," she said through peels of laughter, "that these things are fluid." So he was that Iroh! The Dragon of the West minding a tea shop in Ba Sing Se! The absurdity of it cause them both to laugh until their sides hurt. Finally when they had stopped laughing she asked, "So what's for dinner?" Someone else answered her, walking through the door. Iroh stood up and turned to face him. He would recognize that voice anywhere.
"I'm afraid the general has another engagement," the voice was low and broken but it was unmistakable.
"Zhao!" Iroh said, taking up a firebending stance. "I would have thought you had learned your lesson." Mei recognized the name from the briefing that afternoon. This old broken man was the one behind what was happening in the city? She stood and took a wide earthbending stance.
"Oh, I have learned," the voice was smoother but the madness that threatened to break free colored every word. "Let me show you," Zhao said and behind him entered a dozen Dai Li agents, dressed in their black Li hats and long black robes that bore the symbol of the Earth Kingdom. The agents fanned out in a line behind Zhao.
"What do you want Zhao?" Iroh said, scanning his opponents.
"I want you to come with me," Zhao said, his voice burning hot. "Come and she will live," he said gesturing at Mei.
"I'd like to see you try," Mei said, raising her arms, prepared to strike. Zhao made a subtle gesture with his hand and three of the agents shot out their earth cuffs at Mei, catching her arms and binding them. "Agh! Get off me you lousy spooks!" she cursed as they dragged her towards Zhao. It was then that Iroh struck.
He leapt between the Dai Li agents and Mei and lashed out with flaming fists. One of the agents was thrown back to collapse against a table while the other two moved to avoid the blast.
"Subdue him," Zhao said with feverish intensity, stepping back while the agents attacked Iroh. Iroh struck out quickly, moving his arms and legs constantly to avoid being shackled as the agents maneuvered around him and attacked from all sides. Another agent caught a fire blast and battered himself against a nearby wall as he was thrown through the air. One agent caught Iroh by one hand and was surprised as Iroh turned on him and breathed a breath of fire at him. That agent went down quickly, rolling around to put out the flames on his long robes.
"Enough," Zhao's voice was a whisper but it boomed loudly through the Jasmine Dragon. Two of his agents held Mei before him. "Surrender Iroh, I won't ask again." Iroh looked at Mei who gave him a defiant expression. Don't do it, she pleaded with the set of her eyes and jaw.
"Fine," Iroh said, holding his hands out to be shackled but two Dai Li agents. Another shackled his legs and another caught him around the neck, covering his mouth so he couldn't give them any more dragon fire.
"That wasn't so hard," Zhao said, then he drew a short blade and stuck it into Mei's gut. Iroh screamed into his mouth covering and thrashed about but the half dozen Dai Li agents had him held fast. The other agents dropped Mei unceremoniously to the floor and they left her while they took Iroh away into the night.
Ah! That hurts! Mei was having trouble thinking straight. Her head was dizzy and her vision was flecked with little bright sparks. Her stomach hurt worse than anything she had ever experienced, so bad that she couldn't even cry out in pain as she bled out onto the tile floor of the tea shop. She could hear the sea now. She had only seen the sea once, years ago at the First Invasion of Pohai. The fortress overlooked the sea. It had been beautiful. Tears came to Mei's eyes now but she couldn't blink. Her left leg kicked uselessly against the tile floor and she found she couldn't control it or any of her other limbs. Her vision began to darken and the sound of the sea became overwhelming.
"Uncle, I hate to disturb your date but…" Zuko came into the inn and his voice died in his throat. There had been a battle and his uncle was nowhere to be found. The woman sergeant from earlier was here. She was bleeding and she looked off vacantly at the ceiling. Her chest heaved from her laboured breathing. Zuko ran to her side. She was still alive but barely. He tore off a strip from his shirt and wrapped it hastily around her wounded midsection. He had come for some groceries he had forgot to buy and the Gaang was waiting for him to make dinner back at the house so he had taken Appa to get there faster. If he could just get her onto Appa then he could rush her back to Katara and Katara would heal her! Zuko helped Mei up into a sitting position and he felt with dread the contents of her midsection slide about inside her. She was hurt bad. Zuko had to breathe deeply to keep from panicking. If he lost his cool then she would die and with her any chance of finding his uncle.
"I've got you," Zuko said soothingly. He didn't know her name. He had learned to command soldiers on the battlefield so he tried something else, "soldier!" He shouted at her until her head turned to face him, her eyes focusing briefly before returning to look at nothing. "Hold on! You do not have my permission to die! Is that clear?" he was shouting as he carried her out the front door. She mumbled something incomprehensible. "I can't hear you, soldier!" She mumbled something stronger, her head lolling about. "Speak up, sergeant!"
"Yes, sir," she muttered, blood dripping from her mouth in thick syrupy strands that ran down onto her red dress.
"I can't hear you, sergeant!" Zuko had her onto Appa now, "Yip! Yip!" he called and Appa took off.
"Flying," she muttered in amazement, "what?"
"You're almost home," Zuko assured her, "everything is going to be fine."
Before Appa had landed Zuko was yelling down for Katara. She and Aang were sitting on the roof again, waiting for Zuko to get back with the rest of the ingredients for dinner. Aang took off and flew up to Appa as the sky bison landed in the garden with a soft earthy thud.
"It's Mei," Aang said as he scooped up Katara and flew her down to Appa's back, "she's hurt really badly!"
"Let me see," Katara said as she drew the vial of water from around her neck. It wasn't water from the Spirit Oasis but she always kept a vial on hand in case of injuries. This wasn't good. The woman was nearly dead, that much was obvious. She was muttering now, mostly unintelligible, with occasional bursts of nonsense. "Can you hear me Mei?" Katara kept her voice even with great effort.
"Off the beach," Mei said and shivered violently before becoming still again, "get off...the beach." Katara bend the water so that it hovered just over Mei's midsection. She probed into the woman's injuries with the bending. She was bleeding to death and she wouldn't last long enough for Katara to close the wounds. "These things…" Mei muttered, "are fluid."
Katara looked up at Aang and Zuko, fear and apprehension playing across their faces. She looked past them at the moon. It was full tonight. Steeling herself, Katara took a deep breath.
"Mei, this is going to hurt," she said, moving one of her hands to bend Mei's blood. The woman let out a low sigh as Katara forced the blood to thicken into clots that jammed up the internal bleeding. Now she had a fighting chance. Katara set to work using the water to close the wounds and repair the damaged tissue and after a few tense minutes Katara leaned back.
"Is she going to be okay?" Aang asked, his voice just a whisper.
"Yes," Katara said, sagging back into Appa's saddle with exhaustion. She heard sighs of relief and noticed that one sigh had been her own.
"Thank you," Zuko said, his voice a croak in his throat. He put a hand on Katara's shoulder.
Mei would live.
Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading! I hope you are still enjoying the story. So as promised there was a lot of fluff this time and even some action thrown in for good measure. Did I go overboard on the handholding scene? Am I getting carried away with the side plots and OCs? Are all the perspectives confusing?
So Suki is back in town and things are going to go from bad to worse on the awkwardness scale. Are Sokka and Toph together now? As a wise man once said, these things are fluid ;)
I hope everyone is enjoying all the OCs I'm putting into the story. Also Uncle Iroh's date!
So I think this story is going to be about 8 chapters in total. By then the plot with the scroll and Zhao will be resolved but I am going to continue the Tokka in another adventure set right after. I am enjoying the little fannon I'm building along with all the love triangles and political intrigue and stuff so I guess it will be a direct sequel? Anyways, I'll deal with that when I get to it. I just want to set a definite limit on this particular story and I am thinking in my head it would be like a two-parter episode in scope.
To Tonitokkian: Thanks! I'm glad Zhao is being a good villain and that the awkwardness is fun for everyone and not annoying :) it is going to get much more awkward before things are done.
To zulfi: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the confusion. I really wanted to explore how their friendship would kind of morph into a relationship rather than them falling in love and then everything is fine forever 'cause they are just too awkward for things to go smoothly :)
To Free-Spirited Dreamer: Thank you so much :) I was really hoping the action would come out well because there is going to be a lot more of it as the story goes on. Also I am glad you are enjoying the awkward weirdness.
