Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. This story is a continuation on my own terms and what I believe could happen. Thank you for reading so far and I'll keep typing. This is for you, Avatar! I hope to see other similar works in the near future.
Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings.
Book 4
Air
Chapter four:
Buried Deep
Ba Sing Se, New Bei Fong Estate
It was midweek and Toph was getting excited, asking a friendly servant to help fancy her up a bit. She had been given many comforts—and an equal amount of limitations. Her parents had followed her escapades, hearing stories of the "Blind Bandit". Some stories had caused fainting spells and trauma. In a way, they were afraid for their daughter.
But all that had changed when they had found their little girl on the doorstep of their old house, surrounded by friends. They dropped to their knees in front of their daughter, reaching out, taking her into their arms.
Toph felt her cheeks flush when her parents had thrown their arms around her. She hugged them back, nestling her head on the side of her father's. Tears streamed down their cheeks. When she tried to speak, to apologize for all the pain she had put them through, Toph's voice cracked and it only made her cry more.
They were a family again.
Her father no longer hid her daughter from the world, instead, he held her on his shoulders, telling everyone that her daughter had helped in saving the world. (Though, most of the people's reactions were: "You had a daughter?")
But like all parents that loved their children, they had restrictions.
The new estate they had built here in Ba Sing Se was made from earth, but tiled with wood boards from floor to ceiling. No Earthbending was allowed in the house and this made sure of that. She was allowed to go out of the house, but her parents had to be told firston where she was going and who she was going to meet with. If her parents didn't like her company, she was not allowed to see them.
The new rules suited Toph more than her old life with her parents and she enjoyed it happily. Her parents continued living the life of the fortunate and wealthy, seeking out the best of everything. They had started their new life here working as advisers to the Earth King, who had returned after his long absence.
But despite all the new comforts in her life, Toph was still desperate for friends.
And it was because of this particular reason why Toph anticipated for each midweek day.
Her father caught sight of her slowly coming down the wooden stairs, taking hold of the railings as only a blind girl would. "Why, you look exceptionally beautiful today…" he said. "You don't usually like wearing sophisticated clothes. Is there any particular reason…a boy, I presume?"
Toph had the grace to blush. "Oh…No… I just wanted to get prepared for this afternoon."
Her father smiled. "Ah. Yes. I remember now. Today is our 'tea day'. That old man did make wonderful tea."
Since her parents had only wanted the best of everything, that included the best tea. It wasn't hard to find the best tea in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. It was supposedly hard to rent the entire tea shop for an entire day once a week. But Toph had recommended the tea shop and her parents loved the tea. So, in the end, every week, on midday, Iroh would welcome them to his shop and serve tea to them, playing the Sunghi horn as a profitable bonus.
"Is our carriage ready to leave?" Toph asked.
"I'm sorry, but we're not going to the Jasmine Dragon today," said her father. "The old man said that he had closed the shop for today. He stated no reason but promised to offer a longer stay for the same price the next time we visit."
"Oh…"
Her father instantly saw her daughter's face fall. It was clear that she was terribly disappointed. "I suppose…" he said, trying to cheer her up. "If you want to go out for a stroll, I can arrange it…"
But Toph was already on her way up, dangerously taking two stair steps at a time. "It's okay… I'll be fine…"
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o0o
.
When Toph shut the door to her room, she realized her feet were trembling. She couldn't stop it no matter how hard she forced herself to stop. It spread throughout her body like a disease, going up her legs and onto her hands. She had never felt so alone and isolated from her friends than ever before. She rattled.
There's only one way Iroh would ever stop a tea party… Something bad must have happened to him… He could have been attacked… He could have been captured…
Toph fumbled through her belongings, shaking on every thought. She found what she was looking for: her meteor fragment.
I have to hurry… I'm the only one who knows what happened to him… Iroh has to be rescued…
Toph hated her inability to "see" in her room. When she had been brought to her new house, the darkness was an agony with every step. Where was she going? What did she hit? Toph was experiencing all those feelings again, but now they were doubled with her need to get out of the house undetected.
I can't let them know I'm leaving! I can't! If they find me, they will stop me and I'm powerless to fight back… They'll think I'm crazy… But they don't know what happened to Iroh… They just don't know!
Toph's foot hit an uneven plank of wood and she fell to the floor. She hit her knee and it throbbed in a rhythmic painful manner. But she didn't stay down for long. She stood up and felt for the nearest wooden wall. Once she found it, she threw the meteor fragment on the wall, making a splat. She pulled her hand back and punched it.
The punch resonated throughout the whole house.
Toph felt the meteor fragment on the wall. The thing didn't break through the wood like she hoped for.
So she punched again. And again. And again. Her teeth were mashed together. Her feet still trembled on the floor. Her nerves were shot.
I have to get out of here… Who knows how much time Iroh has left…? What if I'm too late? But I won't be… But what if…
Smash. Crunch. Bam. Slam.
Then that means I'm too late to save Iroh… That means he's dead…
Toph stopped, resting her bruised knuckles on her knees. She was still surrounded in blackness, punching the only thing she could see.
NO! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!
Toph drove her fist straight through the meteor fragment and snapped the wood into bristles. When she had pulled her fist back, the wood fell to the floor, exposing the earthen structure behind it. Toph placed her hand on its rough surface.
She stepped back and extended her arms forward. In blinding speed, Toph crossed her arms on her chest, pulling the earth behind the wooden wall. The wood in front of her snapped and a cylindrical earth shape had moved forward.
"HA!"
Toph thrust the earth back out, breaking it into pieces and making a large hole that was big enough for her to go through.
Someone was banging on her door.
"Toph! What's going on! Open this door this instant!" shouted her father.
Toph jumped out of the hole and landed on the ground, creating a large crater. In quick succession, Toph drove herself forward, riding on an earth wave. She smashed her way through the estate walls and into the city streets.
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o0o
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Ba Sing Se, the Grand Palace
The Grand Palace was no longer filled with people wearing green. It was now a place filled with all sorts of cultures and representatives from different nations. Two esteemed guests were here to visit the Earth King today. One was Chief Arnook in blue from the Northern Water Tribe. The other was War Minister Qin, now a Fire Nation delegate.
All these important people were gathered to discuss about helping one another and fixing torn areas of the world. An assembly had been called and it had been decided that Chief Arnook would supply food, water, and the other necessities to the people whose lives have been wrecked. The Earth King would provide houses to those that had been stripped of them during the war. Fire Nation delegate Qin would be the one to move Chief Arnook's supplies throughout the Earth Kingdom using the Fire Nation's vast fleet of ships.
After the meeting, the three of them walked down the halls, continuing their conversation.
"So it's settled then," said Chief Arnook. "Fire Navy ships will come to the Northern Water Tribe and deliver all our supplies to those who need it."
The Fire delegate nodded. "My ship and I will accompany you to the North Pole when you return to your homeland. I will inspect the supplies first before I send in the rest of the ships."
Chief Arnook smiled. "I tell you now, Qin, you'll love the North Pole. Have you ever been there?"
The Fire delegate smiled. "I've heard of it, Chief."
The Earth King smiled at their banter. "I'm still surprised that they sent you here. No one told us you were coming. The messenger hawk arrived late. And I thought the Fire Lord would be the one to represent his country."
Qin held his head high. "Fire Lord Zuko has many responsibilities as of the moment. There are a lot of concerns and problems in the Fire Nation alone. I'm sorry if we were not able to tell you in advance."
The Earth King joyfully patted the man on the back. "It's okay. Now, would you like to take up that earlier offer of mine…to tour the Upper Ring that is? I'd recommend taking a ride on the monorail, but I dare say to take it when no one wants to ride. It's too public for my taste."
Qin smiled and politely refused. "I have some important matters to attend to, your Highness."
The Earth King nodded. "Of course. I understand completely."
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o0o
.
The Fire emissary walked to an isolated area, at the corner of one side of the palace. This was a blind spot, where shadows compiled themselves over one area and concealed anyone within it. When Fire delegate Qin stepped into the blind spot, no one could see him and so, he disappeared.
The man tapped his foot on the floor.
Suddenly, rushing air from underneath pushed his robes up. A nauseating feeling crept up his stomach, making it seem as if his gut had flipped. The floor beneath him was going down and he was going down along with it.
Qin was now belowground, still moving down. He could see the old ruins of Ba Sing Se. There was a waterfall and a small canal. The cavern was lit by fluorescent rocks on the ground, walls, and ceilings.
Finally, he came to the end of his ride and he was on the cavern floor surrounded by four men in green and white robes. They wore flattened cone hats that concealed their eyes.
Dai Li agents.
"There is a message for you, sir," said one of them.
Qin smiled. "Is it from him?"
The Dai Li agent nodded.
Qin opened the message quickly, scanning through the words. By the time he finished reading the note, he was smiling. "Are the rest of the agents in position throughout Ba Sing Se?"
"Yes sir."
This made Qin smile all the more. "Alright. We do not begin until we get the other message. And there is still one more person needed for our act. You know where his cell is. Lead me to him."
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o0o
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Long Feng woke up when someone banged on the metal door of his cell. A visitor was a surprise. A lot of things surprised him nowadays. Food was a surprise. Either you got a lot of it or you got none of it. And who knows? The food tasted like unwashed dresses anyways. And why were prison cells so dark? Some other lights would be nice. One time, it was so dark that Long Feng bit what he though was a dark and long sausage and realized that it was actually his long braided hair.
"…Should I stop you from babbling, or do you want to continue?" said Qin.
Long Feng looked at the man's face through the bars. "I wasn't babbling…"
Qin smiled. "Oh, but you were…something about eating your own hair…"
Long Feng stood up and gazed at the man through the bars, recalling the conversation. "You're Fire Nation. Hmmm… The war is over and you're making small talk with a prisoner. I expect an ulterior motive…"
Qin laughed. "They told me you were deductive. And that wit of yours could get you in chains."
Long Feng stepped forward. "Who told you?"
And in that instant, he saw the Dai Li agents standing beside Qin. A smile grew on his face. "So you do have an ulterior motive… Did that Fire Nation brat come back here to deliver my agents?"
"The Princess isn't quite…well, Mister Feng." And he signaled to an agent. "As for you, well…we're letting you out."
A Dai Li agent reached and unlocked the cell. Long Feng stepped out, dazed by the light. Another agent took hold of his cuffs and took them off. Long Feng rubbed his wrists. "What is it this time? I'm assuming you're working with someone else. I doubt a person like you could be the mastermind behind this thing you're doing. Your pointy face tells me that you are mentally incapable of anything at all."
Qin snapped. "HOW DARE YOU—!!" And then, he exhaled and inhaled. "I can throw you back in, Long Feng."
Long Feng smiled. "But you won't, now would you?"
The Fire Emissary exhaled. "No. Not of this moment."
The two of them started walking down the hallway, heading back to the cavern. Qin initiated the conversation. Treason was their topic. And it wasn't just treason against one nation, but treason at a large scale—a treason with a magnitude that could consume the world.
"What you're asking of me…?" said Long Feng. "I've never done anything like it before—and to the entire Ba Sing Se… It would be easier if the Earth King didn't have much power now, but it's just too hard, even with the Dai Li at my disposal…"
Qin nodded. "I understand. But it won't be just the Dai Li under your disposal. The one who sent me will deliver other troops…troops with a little bit more precision. That precision is something we'll need for our agendas."
Long Feng gave Qin a questioning glance. "And I doubt you'll be here to oversee this entire operation, am I right?"
"Yes. I have other important matters… I've been recently tasked by the Earth King and a Northern Water Tribe chieftain to head north and gather supplies for the homeless," Qin said lightly.
Long Feng chuckled. "Another ulterior motive. Very good. I believe we are people of the same goals, Minister Qin, destined for greater things in life."
The two looked at each other and shook hands.
Qin stopped for a second. "And another thing. The Earth King has new advisers. You have to take them out quietly. I know that is your specialty, but their family concerns me. The guards won't do much of a battle, but the daughter is a formidable opponent."
Long Feng nodded. "Then this situation will require me to play a black card."
.
o0o
Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Jasmine Dragon
BOOM!!
Toph ran through the new entrance she had made on the tea shop. Her feet bombarded the ground. She shouted.
"IROH! IROH! I've come to rescue you!"
An old man hurried through the shop's kitchen with nothing but a towel around his hips. He dripped water all over the floor and he looked just as frantic and rattled as Toph. He too was shouting: "WHAT? WHAT? AM I IN TROUBLE? WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?"
Toph was too shaken to "see" or hear him. She felt him coming towards her and she acted. "Get away from me!" And she slammed her feet on the ground.
Iroh shouted too late. "Hey! Wait—!"
But the rest of his protests were pulled away by the wind as he flew right into the shop's roof. When the smoke cleared, Iroh's towel was the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground—and exposing the rest of him.
"Wait!" He shouted once more. "Can't you see me?"
Toph stepped back, listening to the voice. She could see him and she realized her mistake. "I'm blind…"
Iroh wiped his forehead. "Whew! Thank goodne—whoa!"
And Iroh fell to the ground, towel still in place.
Toph helped him back up. "I'm really sorry…"
Iroh got back up. He took one look at the girl and smiled. "Generally, when someone smashes into a tea shop, they demand money. But I can see that this is an exceptional case. This time, you need tea…"
.
o0o
.
Toph sat quietly in the tea shop's kitchen, hugging her legs. A mat was laid on the floor. This place was Iroh's bedroom. And on the windowpane was a little flower in a fitting vase. All her emotions were mixing now. The one that stood out the most was guilt—a lot of guilt. When Iroh came back, he was fully clothed and he carried two warm glasses of tea on a tray.
Iroh glanced at the fancy gown that she was wearing. It had been soiled everywhere. "You must have run away from a fancy dress party… It looks good on you, but you have dust and sand everywhere…"
Toph was still sullen. "Why did you cancel our tea party…?"
Iroh rubbed his tummy slowly. "I wasn't feeling so good. Making tea when you don't feel so good is a bad sign… I could accidentally spill something into the tea and—"
Toph raised her hand. She thought twice about the tea in her hand. "I get the picture…"
Iroh rubbed his beard and imagined what Toph's life had been like these past few days. He knew her parents well and they were one of his best customers. They were a wealthy family known throughout the Earth Kingdom. "Sometimes, when we have everything, we think of the things we lack… Or the things we let go…"
Toph buried her head on her knees, listening.
"I can only imagine what it's like to miss your friends. It is a pain that shakes the soul. I cannot ease such pain with words or tea. But I have a token. A friend of yours left this in the shop.
Toph felt a piece of paper being placed on her hands. "I can't read it."
"You don't need to read it," smiled Iroh. "You can already feel your friend's strokes on the paper. When your friend made that drawing, he did not mean to leave a piece of himself behind. But he did. And now, it is yours to keep.
Toph sipped the tea. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. You said earlier that you got the picture. I think this is most appropriate…"
Toph rubbed her hand on the rough surface of the paper. It was Sokka's hand, no doubt. And just knowing that made her feel good and her feet no longer shook. A piece of her friend… A gentle peace went over her. She could not see what was on the paper but she could feel it.
"Yes… I do get the picture…"
.
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Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Ruins of old Ba Sing Se
It was a flower today.
Smellerbee and Longshot had once again sneaked past the royal guards of the palace and went down the tunnel that led all the way to the underground ruins of old Ba Sing Se. They too had their midweek ritual. Longshot led the way, making sure that no one saw them—because if anyone saw them down here, they would be imprisoned. Smellerbee had her weapons drawn, checking behind in case someone had spotted them. But now, they were breathing easily. They were only cautious when they were above ground, where royal guards patrolled everywhere. But now that they were below, they could relax. Ever since the Dai Li had been taken by the Fire Nation, no one patrolled the old ruins anymore—even when the Fire Nation occupied Ba Sing Se for a short period of time.
Longshot moved into a run with Smellerbee right behind him. They still had much ground to cover if they wanted to make it all the way to the area underneath Lake Laogai.
When they finally arrived, Smellerbee pushed open the door to the abandoned cavern.
And there was Jet.
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o0o
.
Smellerbee held tight on the stem of the flower, nearly crushing it. A soft hand was placed on her shoulder. Smellerbee looked up and saw the strong face of Longshot. He nodded once and Smellerbee nodded back. Both of them stepped into the hollow cavern, making clear that they had filled it with their presence.
It was always like this every week. During the first few weeks, it was pain. After that, it was just tears. And after that, it was silence. But they continued with the ritual.
It became obvious that they should leave Jet in the middle of the underground Dai Li headquarters. This was where Jet had triumphed as a Freedom Fighter, striking the very heart of the enemy that had claimed Ba Sing Se. He had won here and this was his place to rest.
There was no great ceremony made for Jet—no big flowery grave. Just a mound of earth lay on the top of his body and a large epitaph placed on it.
.
.
JET
A Freedom Fighter…still fighting…
Victorious to the end.
.
.
All the tears had been spent on the days that followed after his demise. Now, they only said short words and gave small items.
Today, it was a flower.
"I found this among the weeds in an old farmer patch… It's still beautiful despite all the things that told it to die…" spoke Smellerbee. "The flower watched its family die, and it carried on, showing everything else that it could still be beautiful… Just like you, Jet… Just like you…"
Smellerbee turned to Longshot. He knelt down and placed a firm hand on the mound—his sign of grief. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
Longshot looked at Smellerbee, motioning for them to leave. Smellerbee took a hint and stood up. The two walked out the cavern without taking another last look or saying any "goodbyes". This was how they did it. Tokens and short words—all before they would leave. Smellerbee was the first out the door.
Then, Longshot stopped her.
"What?"
Longshot crossed his finger over his mouth. Smellerbee kept quiet and listened.
There were voices—other voices.
Someone else was down here.
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o0o
.
Long Feng threw all his hatred back at the Dai Li agents, sending them flying through the air. He did it one by one, all in fast sequence. The Earthbenders had no time to counter-attack and they left themselves completely vulnerable. Long Feng's eyes were rabid. "That's what you get for switching sides!"
Those that landed first were ready to fight back, but they didn't. It wasn't there place. It looked like a sign of compassion, but no. These people were restraining themselves from attacking, knowing that fighting back would only worsen the task that was set for them—making the difficult impossible.
Long Feng laughed. "It's always good to let off some steam after spending a few months in a dark prison cell. Now… back to business…
"Minister Qin has told me all about the plan to overrun the capital. He has told me that everything is in place and all they need is a signal. But he also told me that in order to reach the Earth King, we must first take out the Earth King's new advisers. Stealth is our essence and no one must ever know anything that happens to them. If word breaks out that someone is dead, it will pull back our plans. So, if anyone witnesses the ambush, never hesitate to do everything necessary to make sure that rumors never catch on. Elimination is our only option."
.
o0o
.
Longshot and Smellerbee were listening by the doors. A short tap on Smellerbee's shoulder told her that they should keep going.
When they were finally far enough, she spoke. "We're the only ones that know about this," she said to Longshot. "What do we do?"
Longshot kept his eyes forward. "We need the others."
Smellerbee nodded. "And once we find them, what do we do? And what about the Earth King's advisers?"
Longshot was silent. For a while, Smellerbee thought Longshot was conveying a message to her. Then, she realized that there was nothing on his face. There were no expressions. Longshot didn't have an answer.
.
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Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, New Bei Fong Estate
"You don't understand!" shouted Toph's father to the guard. "We have to find her! It's already nightfall! Who knows what could happen to her?"
"Uh huh…" said the guard as he nodded and started writing that down on a piece of paper. "And where do you think she went?"
"I don't know! Isn't that part of your job? You're the one who should find her!"
"Yes, yes…" he slurred, taking more notes on the paper.
Toph's mother poked her head out of the door. "She's here…"
Toph's father was relieved. "Is she?"
"She's in her room."
The father turned back to the guard. "Your services are no longer required."
The guard nodded. "Do I still get paid?"
The door slammed in his face.
"Hello…?"
The man shrugged and walked away.
.
o0o
.
Toph's father climbed up the stairs in a hurry. He had to see it with his own eyes. He would give Toph the scolding of a lifetime. You could tell by the look on his face. His feet also made noisy sounds on the wood.
But when he came upon her room, he stopped immediately.
Toph was already sleeping on her bed, not bothering to change her fancy little dress before sleeping. Her face was peaceful and a small smile was on her face. His rush to see her nearly made hade her rouse from her sleep. He stepped back, closing the wooden door. The light from outside shrunk as the door close. Her father saw something nailed to the wall beside her bed. A piece of paper with a drawing of some sort. It was a horrible drawing, probably made by Toph herself.
And on it where her friends.
Somehow, she had managed to gather all her friends in her room.
Her father believed that she would sleep peacefully tonight.
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Thanks for those who have read thus far. I'm keeping it coming. Reviews are good and I thank those who have reviewed. Ron Mangley, I am going to keep the story truthful to the plot and the title of the series, don't worry. How I'll do that can only be told as the story continues. But I thank you and the others for your praises.
The next story returns us back to General Shinu and the preparations being made. I'll see if I can cut Aang in.
Reviews. Flames. Anything would be nice. The fifth chapter will be pretty substantial and if I can get the plot right, it'll be to my taste. Oh! And tell me if there are typos… I'll need to edit them as the story progresses...
Thank you all.