Miscalculation
Chapter 8: "Is this what Everyone Calls Normal?"
Yun's Tea Shop, as their place of employment was creatively named, was a clean, tidy place, wooden tables with their bench seats lined up neatly on each side of the shop. The stone floor had been recently swept while the counter and kitchen behind were well organized. Cozy lanterns hung from the ceiling and pretty paintings along with knick knack laden shelves decorated the walls. It was a simple establishment for simple folk, but at least the atmosphere was pleasant.
It was located on a busy street not far from their apartment and the cheerful green lanterns that framed the simple wooden door beckoned customers in.
"Let me get your aprons," Yun fussed as soon as they stepped across the threshold. The sun had just risen, and while Zuko and Iroh both looked fresh, Mai repeatedly yawned and leaned into Zuko, looking every bit like she might topple over. The prince brushed his lips against her temple and let her lean.
Yun returned from the back storeroom with three crisp white aprons. Mai looked at hers as though it were a pig python, but with a heavy sigh, slipped it over her head and tied it at the back. Zuko did the same and Mai couldn't help but smile. He looked so darn cute wearing it.
"Um, Yun, I hate to bother you, but I think I need more string." Iroh struggled to tie up his apron, but the length of string did not span his girth no matter how hard he pulled.
"No problem, no problem; if you make tea as well as you say, Mushi, a little extra string will be more than worth it." The shop owner shuffled back to the storeroom. "Here you go."
"Mai, dear, could you help me with this?" Iroh held out the string.
"Sure," the young woman replied. She tied the extra pieces to the original ones, making them double the length and then tied up the apron. "How's that?"
"Ah, perfect; thank you, Mai." He gave her a wide smile. "Yun, what do you think of my nephew's fiancée? Wait a few days, and I'll bet customers will come in just to see her?"
"Yes, yes, she's very lovely, but I sell tea here, and that's what my customers come for, good, hot tea. Nothing else."
"Now, Yun, you can't underestimate the power of a pretty face." Iroh put an arm around the short and skinny shop owner's shoulders. "How about I try some of that tea you've been telling me about?"
Mai gave Zuko a kick and then narrowed her eyes. "Okay, that was creepy," she whispered. "I thought I was here to serve tea like you."
"Well, you are really pretty," Zuko smiled dreamily. "I'd come here to see you."
Mai's lips twitched upward. "You look adorable in that apron, very adorable. And that's not a word I use lightly. Maybe some girls will patronize the establishment so they can lay eyes on you."
"Hmpf, I doubt that." The prince blushed and grabbed hold of Mai's hand, squeezing her fingers tightly. "Do you think tonight after work we could go out. Do you want to?"
Mai thought for a moment. "I think I can fit you in."
Iroh meanwhile had tasted and promptly spit out Yun's tea, tossing the rest of the brew out the window and onto the street, narrowly missing Jet who casually leaned against the shop, grass hanging loosely from his mouth and a scowl on his face. Iroh didn't see the Freedom Fighter. "Sorry to break this to you, Yun, but your tea is terrible. I don't know how you stay in business. We're going to have to make many, many changes around here. Let me at the back room and I'll brew up a few batches for the first customers. Oh, and if I may make another suggestion, get some pai sho boards in here. Playing a challenging game and drinking good tea is a potent combination."
Yun didn't protest. He knew his tea wasn't the best, but luckily for him, there was no competition in the neighborhood. He handed menus to Zuko and Mai, showed them where the cloths were for wiping down the tables and the trays for serving the tea. It seemed simple enough.
The shop owner put up the 'Open' sign and customers began filing in a few minutes later, single men grabbing a tea before heading off to work, single women doing the same. Mai handed out menus and took orders for one side of the shop while Zuko handled the other. It was a good system but for the constant bumping into each other as they gave their orders at the back counter.
Iroh worked away cheerfully, adding a bit of this and a bit of that to the teas, turning ordinary brews into something special. It came easy to him for he had been fiddling and experimenting with teas for years, years before he and Zuko left the Fire Nation. The looks on the customers' faces said it all; none of them had ever had tea that good. They called for second cups, running Zuko, Mai and Iroh off their feet.
Yun beamed brightly, thrilled that his customers were happy. They would tell their friends and then he would have more customers. More customers translated into more money and more money made Yun smile. His wife would be pleased too.
"Hey, Yun, where did you find the new people?" one long time frequenter of the shop shouted. "The tea is actually drinkable and the service is much better than it used to be." He eyed Mai as she walked back toward the kitchen. The girl could feel his stare boring into her back and she shuddered. Nobles, the kind of people she grew up around, never leered openly. They leered, mind you, just with more discretion. That was something Mai actually missed. Zuko's eyes appeared to be on fire as he glared at the man who only grinned back cheekily. "Don't worry, son. I'm a married man. But I can still appreciate a pretty girl. She's all yours." Red faced, Zuko merely grunted some sort of reply and removed his empty cup, bringing him a new one filled with oolong tea.
"Enjoy the tea," the prince said with little enthusiasm as he placed the cup down a bit harder than he should have. The orange liquid swayed back and forth inside the green porcelain until it finally settled and Zuko breathed a sigh of relief. He needed to watch his temper or they would all get fired. He pictured his uncle's face with that subdued disappointment in his eyes, and let his breath out carefully, gaining back some control.
"Oh, I will and I will tomorrow too." The customer was teasing now and enjoying the site of Zuko squirming.
Zuko nodded curtly. He couldn't wait to get away from the man. Once back in the kitchen, he complained to Yun. "That guy is disgusting. He keeps staring at Mai and, and, well, I don't like it."
Hands on his hips, the much shorter Yun gazed up at Zuko through raised eyebrows. "Chow is one of my best customers. He's only missed morning tea three times since I opened my shop eight years ago. Each one of those times, his wife had a baby. Do not make him angry. Just serve the tea and shut up."
Zuko's mouth hung open giving him an undignified, very un-prince-like appearance. "I'd close that if I were you," Mai whispered as she glided past carrying a tray laden with cups.
Spluttering, he gave Iroh the latest orders, leaned against the wall and fiddled with his apron. It was going to be a long day.
The fatigue they felt was different from any they had known before. Training was one thing; it was constant movement, quick, hard and then done. Working at the tea shop was moving ahead, standing and waiting, then moving again, never sitting down and never completely stretching out. Add to that the factor of demanding customers, some of them actually rude, heat, and that pervasive lower ring smell, and you had three very tired people.
"Ah, we'll have to get some actual furniture in here, won't we?" Iroh remarked as he slid down the wall nearest the door of their apartment and sat on the floor. "The floor is rather hard."
"Maybe some cushions and a table," Mai suggested.
"Yes, yes, that would work. I have a wonderful idea. You two go out for the evening, enjoy yourselves. I'll make myself some of that rice we have and a nice cup of tea. Then I'll go to sleep." Iroh's eyes were sliding shut already. "Maybe you could look for cushions. That would be good." Soft snores followed.
"Okay then," Mai drawled. "I need to wash up and change and so do you. I'm starving, Zuko."
She did the best she could with a basin full of water, washing her face and hands and running the rough green cloth down her neck. It wasn't a bath by any means, but it would have to do for now. She would mention getting an actual tub or visiting a bath house to Zuko. Yes, it would have to be a bath house. There was simply no room for a tub in the cramped apartment.
"You know," Mai began when she emerged from the bathroom, "we need some privacy curtains here so I can dress without you and Iroh turning your backs."
"Oh, yeah, we can figure something out," Zuko agreed as he took his turn at washing. Stripping his tunic and shirt off, he scrubbed his neck and underarms after cleaning his face. His ribs were still bandaged and still sore though definitely healing. Gingerly, he unwound Mai's bindings and looked at the pale bruises. Touching the ribs gently with his fingertips, the prince decided to leave them unbound for now.
They took turns changing in the tiny 'bedroom', both slipping into one of their new outfits.
"That looks good on you," Mai stated admiringly. "She put her hand on Zuko's chest and smoothed out a tiny wrinkle before running her fingers through his damp hair.
"You, you look pretty, Mai." He smiled shyly and brushed his fingers lightly across her cheek.
Mai swallowed hard, almost getting lost in Zuko's intense gaze. "You'd better grab the key from your uncle so we can lock up."
He found the key dangling from Iroh's hand, ushered Mai out onto the landing and locked the door, stuffing the key into his tunic.
"So," he shrugged as they strode through the crowded courtyard. "What do you want to eat?"
Many of the tenants were huddled about the well, a meeting spot it seemed, and stared at Mai and Zuko as they walked by, whispering theories and imagined back stories amongst themselves. It was a favorite occupation of many refugees who were established in the city already. They would observe the latest newcomers and wonder where they were from, why they had come to Ba Sing Se, what their relationships were and so on. With entertainment hard to come by and money harder still, the citizens of the lower ring had to amuse themselves somehow. Gossip was free and Zuko's scar provided lots of interesting fodder.
The young couple ignored the whispers, though Zuko, ever self conscious, tugged on his collar and looked around shiftily. "Do they have to stare?" he hissed at Mai. "It feels weird."
"Guess we're the new people, so they're curious. Who cares?" She linked her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I think I'd like dim sum. That way we don't have to decide on one thing."
Zuko was agreeable to that. "Good idea."
They left the courtyard behind and walked into the streets proper. The lower ring was bustling with activity; people shopped and ate, went to taverns, watched street performers who lived off the generosity of the city's people, or simply mingled with the crowds, eager to be among others like themselves.
Neither said much as they wandered around, trying to remember the streets they had taken so they could find their way back home. Eventually, Mai pointed out an open air restaurant that looked appealing and they found seats in a private corner.
"We'll have the dim sum," Zuko told the waiter, "and green tea."
They sat in comfortable silence until the food came, holding hands across the table and sharing amused glances as they stared at the people filing by on the street.
"So," Zuko wondered after their food arrived, "is this what everyone calls 'normal'?" He looked about the restaurant at families and other couples, all eating happily, sharing jokes or stories or simply enjoying the company of their loved ones. It was almost a foreign concept to the prince, this whole family togetherness thing, something that once his mother disappeared was ripped from him and during his banishment was not to be found. He pictured his uncle suddenly, always so kind and more a father to him than Ozai ever tried to be, offering advice and tea and time to talk. More often than not, Zuko had rejected Iroh's gestures and been cruel about it too. He made a vow then to be kinder to the people who mattered; he had failed miserably over the past few years and now wanted to set things right.
"Normal," Mai mused, her chopsticks hovering over a dumpling. "I wouldn't know."
After dinner they wandered some more, ending up at a place the people called Firelight Fountain. It sat in a square of sorts, surrounded by small apartment blocks. Other couples strolled near the gently cascading water, holding hands like Mai and Zuko did, sharing whispered exchanges and enjoying the relative quiet. Lanterns floated in the water, making it almost glow yellow, while tall lamp posts surrounded the fountain. A circle of light inside a circle of light, a simple enough concept, but it looked magical.
"It's kind of nice, isn't it?" Zuko remarked. The flames inside the lanterns called to him and his fingers twitched a bit. He hated hiding his bending. It was as much a part of him as breathing and he was proud to be a firebender despite the terrible legacy his nation had left in the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes.
"I suppose." Mai would have preferred they have the spot to themselves but that was not going to happen. "Should we go look for some cushions? The shops are still open."
Zuko shrugged. He was a little disappointed to leave the spot, but work would come early again in the morning and Mai especially needed her sleep. "Sure, we can go."
"We'll come back again, if you want. Agni knows we're going to be her for awhile." Feeling guilty for dragging her boyfriend away from all that fire, she pulled down on his sleeve and when he turned to face her, placed a sweet kiss on his lips. "I get it; we'll come again," she whispered.
By the time they made it back to the apartment, both Mai and Zuko were loaded down with cushions in greens and yellows along with a huge piece of cloth and a rope.
"Do you feel like we're being watched?" Zuko swiveled his head about and peered into corners, expecting to see Jet lunge out at them.
"Yeah, I've felt that all night. I think that Freedom Fighter freak is following us around. He said he would and he's insane enough to do it."
"Damn it," the prince cursed. "I just want to be left alone. Is that too much to ask?" He heaved a huge sigh then and waited for Mai to mount the stairs before following along behind.
Iroh heard their approach and opened the door before Zuko had a chance to dig around for the key. "Welcome back! How was your evening? Oh, look at those wonderful cushions!" He grabbed the ones that Mai held and dropped them in the main room, reaching for the others next. "There," he exclaimed as he moved them about. "Much better! Now we just need a table for the centre. And is that material for a privacy curtain? Excellent idea!" He took that from Zuko too. "You never said how your evening was."
"It was….good," Zuko answered and smiled at Mai. "We're pretty sure that Jet was following us, though."
"He can follow all he wants. But be careful what you say and what you do. There are eyes and ears everywhere. Now, despite my little nap, I feel tired. I suggest the two of you get to bed as well."
Mai couldn't help the yawn that escaped as soon as Iroh mentioned bed. The thought of another long day at the tea shop further convinced her. "I'm with him." She gave Zuko a quick peck on the cheek and headed into the tiny spot they had dubbed a bedroom.
"Goodnight," Iroh called after her. "Mai looks happy," he observed to Zuko quietly. "Good, she deserves that and so do you. Goodnight, nephew."
Zuko blew out the lantern and undressed in the dark. He stretched out on his bed roll and went over the evening in his mind. It had been good and he wanted more.
A commotion out in the courtyard woke all three of them up a bit before sunrise. Mai wiped at her eyes, irritated to be awake so early and peered out into the predawn. There were two men in dark green uniforms, the Earth Kingdom symbol in the middle of their chests, conical green hats on their heads, leading away a still struggling older man. The prisoner's hands were held tightly behind his back with what looked like small stones. The uniformed men had gloves on their hands also made from stones.
"What's going on out there?" Zuko called as he joined Mai at the window.
Mai shrugged. "Some old guy is being taken away. Who are they?" She pointed to the pair in uniform.
"I don't know, police I guess. We keep hearing people whisper about Dai Li. Everyone seems afraid of them. Maybe those guys are Dai Li."
Iroh took a peek too. They had almost cleared the courtyard and were heading out into the street. "Hmm," the tea maker thought as he pulled the end of his beard. "I think you're right, Zuko. The Dai Li are supposed to be the keepers of Ba Sing Se's cultural heritage. They have become corrupt, however, and suppress information, keeping news of the war from the people. That's why they watch new refugees especially. Any talk of the war is forbidden. Should you cause trouble, you get taken away. Any disruption or rebellion is quickly stamped out. The Dai Li want to maintain their control of the city."
"Great, creepy secret police; I didn't think this city could get any stranger," Mai drawled as she moved away from the window. She covered a huge yawn with her hand and wanted nothing more then to crawl back up onto the narrow, lumpy cot and go back to sleep.
"Where did you learn all that, Uncle?" Zuko asked curiously.
"Oh, here and there; I've talked to a lot of people in my day. Come on now, kids. Let's get dressed and ready for work. We'll buy some fruit for breakfast on the way."
Yun's customers talked in hushed tones about the man who disappeared in the early morning hours. His name was Chung and apparently he worked at a printing shop that published the occasional newsletter decrying the state of the once great city of Ba Sing Se. He didn't write the paper or read it, just worked at the shop.
"Doesn't take much," Mai muttered under her breath as she passed Zuko. She felt uneasy. If anyone ever found out they were Fire Nation, the Dai Li would come after them too.
As she passed on her orders to Iroh, Yun asked Mai to take the garbage out back. "There's a bin to put it in right behind the shop. Go through the kitchen and out the back door."
Mai sniffed at the container full of scraps and then wrinkled her nose. "Disgusting." She held it as far away from her body as possible and flung it into the bin.
When she turned around, Mai came face to face with Jet. "Don't say anything," he warned, reaching out and putting a finger against Mai's lips. In his free hand he held his hook swords, vicious looking things.
She swiped at the finger as if it were an annoying insect and shot the Freedom Fighter the iciest glare she could muster. "I'll say what I want."
"Feisty, aren't you, but I guess I already knew that. I've been watching you, all three of you, here, at your apartment, at the restaurant last night. You haven't slipped yet, but you will. How's Zuko doing?"
Rolling her eyes, Mai attempted to brush by the young man, but he grabbed hold of her arm this time and held on painfully tight. "I'd let go if I were you," she threatened.
"Oh, and what are you going to do?" Jet's smirk was infuriating. He leaned in close and Mai smelled sweat along with the remnants of breakfast on his breath.
"This," Mai said. She reached up and smacked the Freedom Fighter hard across the cheek.
He flinched and his smirk disappeared. Letting go of her arm he hissed his next words. "Like I said on the ferry, this isn't over. I will get proof that you're Fire Nation. And that will be the end of you."
Mai had one of her blades out now, something she pulled from far up inside her tunic's sleeve, a knife strapped to her upper arm. She couldn't wear her wrist holsters to work. Number one Yun didn't like weapons that people might see and number too, they would get wet in the dishwater.
"Whatever," she remarked blandly. "Spy all you want, but it's a waste of your time. Oh, and next time you touch me, I will hurt you."
She strode easily into the tea shop, back ramrod straight, black ponytail swinging, not giving the Freedom Fighter another glance.
"You'll have to work faster than that, young lady," Yun chided as soon as she entered the kitchen.
"There was a rat out by the garbage," Mai explained. "But I took care of it."
Somewhere outside Ba Sing Se
The drill was far behind them now and Azula, Ty Lee and Ayaka were back in the track machine, crisscrossing the countryside, Azula looking for any clues as to the Avatar's whereabouts.
"You're awfully quiet, Ty Lee." Azula's tone was almost threatening. "That's not like you."
"What would you like me to talk about?" the girl asked. Her hands were curled up in her lap and her head was down. She looked submissive.
"I didn't say that I wanted you to talk. It's a pleasure not to hear your constant chatter. I simply made an observation. Now, Ayaka, she never talks unless it's necessary. Economy of speech; I like that." The princess glanced over at the Bringer who sat without moving, staring straight ahead, her naginata at her side.
Ty Lee looked discreetly over at Ayaka too and shuddered. "I'll work on that."
Azula didn't reply. She went back to the window and stared out, looking for any signs of her prey. When she spotted what appeared to be very familiar looking white fur, she yanked brutally on the lever letting the engineer know to stop the vehicle. "Looks like we're taking a little ride; let's go girls. We have an Avatar to find."
After her defeat outside the walls of Ba Sing Se, the Avatar and his group had disappeared. Azula didn't know if they were in the city or outside it but her search was limited to outside, at least for now. The beast had not made an appearance during the fight, leaving the princess wondering where the great bison was. If the fur was any indication, it was somewhere nearby. And where the bison was, the Avatar was too.
The princess pushed her mongoose lizard, whipping it mercilessly and digging the heels of her boots into its sides. Ayaka rode alongside Azula, pushing her animal just as hard while Ty Lee lagged behind a bit. The acrobat thought about turning the beast around and making a run for it. But there was nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. Azula would chase her down and kill her or worse, let Ayaka have her fun. It wasn't time yet, no matter how badly Ty Lee wanted to leave the princess and her psychotic helper behind forever.
The random clumps of fur grew thicker and closer together and soon the three young women came upon the Avatar's bison in a small clearing. The little bald monk and his friends were not with the animal but it was not alone either. Five girls with painted faces and wearing green kimonos surrounded the beast, dwarfed by its great size. Azula didn't bother with talking first, but directed a blast of fire at a tree, felling it instantly. The bison roared its anger and disapproval, lunging with surprising grace toward the princess. She yanked the mongoose lizard's reins and moved out of the way with ease.
"It's very, very easy to find you, even easy enough for my brother, but surprisingly, he can't bring you in."
"The Avatar isn't here," a girl with reddish hair announced crisply. "I suggest that you leave." She took out one of two fans she carried and then held it out threateningly. "We have no business with you."
"Oh, but you're wrong," Azula countered, balancing a ball of blue in the palm of one hand. "If you're friends of the Avatar then you are enemies of mine. Ayaka, Ty Lee, attack!"
Appa roared again and moved in front of the five girls, trying to protect them. But when Azula shot another blast of fire the animal's way, it cowered down low and backed away, obviously terrified of the flames. The five warriors withdrew their katanas and assumed fighting stances.
"It's alright Appa," one of the girls cooed. "You'll be fine."
"Afraid of fire, eh," the princess declared triumphantly. "Well you should be and so should all of you girls."
"Go, Appa, go away," the red headed warrior screamed. "You can't help us. Go find Aang! Aang!" The huge creature was obviously torn between assisting his friends and leaving to find his lifetime partner. The fire that seemed to be everywhere at once, his overriding fear and the sound of the Avatar's name, however, drove him into the sky and out across the desert. He bellowed mournfully as he gazed down at the destruction below.
Azula felled another tree then and it came dangerously closed to the red headed girl. Angry, the green clad warrior threw a fan Azula's way. It hit the side of the princess's mount. Shrieking with rage the mongoose lizard charged, almost bucking its rider off. Azula was skilled though and hung on, weaving her way amongst the five girls, shooting fire everywhere. Ayaka meanwhile was playing with the girls, letting her naginata get close enough to keep them in line but not close enough to touch. She was clearly enjoying herself and it was only a prelude to what she had in mind.
Ty Lee knew that she had to fight for real this time. No matter how distracted Azula might be, she always saw everything and would know if the acrobat did not put in a real effort. So Ty Lee cart wheeled her way through the battlefield, paralyzing two girls within a matter of minutes. She felt the princess's eyes on her then and thanked Agni that she had done her 'job'.
Only three warriors were left standing. The leader glanced at her fallen comrades, big blue eyes full of concern. "What did you do to them?" she shouted angrily.
"Don't worry," Azula sneered. "They won't be able to move for a while, but they'll live. Now, tell me where the Avatar is." She brought the mongoose lizard close to the three warriors who were huddled in a tight little group now. Letting more blue fire hover over her hands she smirked at the girls and awaited an answer.
"Do you really think we would tell you even if we knew anything?" the red head asked incredulously. "Kyoshi Warriors do not betray their friends."
"Kyoshi Warriors; so that's who you are. So far, I am not impressed. Talk or I'll let Ayaka kill one of your girls. She likes to kill, very much. She's one of the Bringers of Death, Have you ever heard of them?"
"Sweet Kyoshi," one of the girls breathed. "Suki, she's a Bringer." Fear was evident on the girl's face and she reached for her leader's hand.
"It's okay, Zue, we'll be okay." Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, stared Azula right in the eye, unafraid and defiant. "We will not talk, no matter what you do." The Avatar needed to end the war and save the world. If a few Kyoshi Warriors had to die in order to keep him safe, so be it. It was hardly what she wanted but there were sacrifices in war. That she had learned over the past few weeks.
"Are you sure about that?" the princess asked with a sly sort of smile.
"Yes," Suki answered calmly.
Azula leaned back comfortably in her saddle, as if anticipating an entertaining show. "Ayaka, do your thing."
The Bringer jumped off her mongoose lizard, and approached on foot, spinning her naginata over her head. The three Kyoshi warriors spread out and with Suki's signal threw their remaining fans at the intimidating eighteen year old. She batted them away as if they were toys and continued to stalk forward. With katanas in hand, the warriors took a stand, doing their best to battle the Bringer. Suki managed to get one good jab in, wounding the Bringer's arm. The trickling blood and pain did nothing to stop Ayaka, though. The wound barely registered with her.
Another warrior circled around the back, ducking the naginata skillfully, setting her sites on the back of the Bringer's knees. But Azula was having none of that and directed a blast of fire the girl's way. She leapt sideways to avoid the flames and ended up on her behind. Before she had a chance to regain her footing, Ayaka swung her weapon, hitting Suki hard in the temple and knocking her out. The one left standing was the Bringer's chosen victim.
Ty Lee couldn't watch. She turned away, looking at the fallen warriors instead, meeting their eyes and trying to convey her sorrow at what was happening. Disbelief was apparent in their eyes. 'Why aren't you helping then, if you feel so bad?' they seemed to be saying. Ty Lee wondered that herself. Why wasn't she helping?
'I'm a coward,' the acrobat thought. 'Coward,' she repeated in her mind over and over. She had never hated herself so much.
And when the screams of the dying Kyoshi Warrior reached her ears, Ty Lee wept.
The eviscerated corpse lay in the centre of the clearing. Suki couldn't take her eyes off the body. Horror and rage warred in her eyes. Her head throbbed, but the pain wouldn't stay in its place. It traveled through her body, leaving her almost breathless with agony.
"One day you'll pay," she said brokenly to Azula. "One day."
"Perhaps," the Fire Nation princess acknowledged. "Ty Lee, use that rope we have and tie them up. I want them searched too. They might have something useful hidden inside those bulky looking kimonos."
The acrobat did as she was told, tying hands behind backs, afraid now to meet accusing eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to Suki. "I didn't want this."
She searched all four girls then and discovered papers inside each set of robes. There was makeup too, in tiny pots, along with smaller knives and everyday things like hair ties.
"Give me what you've found," Azula demanded.
"Here," Ty Lee said dully as she handed everything over.
"Oh, look girls; I think we just found our way into Ba Sing Se." With a cruel smile, she showed the passports to the defeated warriors. "When history is written, it will be said that the Kyoshi Warriors allowed Princess Azula of the Fire Nation entrance to the Earth Kingdom capitol. You've just sealed the fate of your people. How does that make you feel?"
Suki 's lip trembled and as she continued to stare at her mutilated friend, fighting hard not to show weakness, one tear made its way down her cheek.
