Jin and Li opened their eyes as the morning sun shone down through the window in their room. The brothers kicked the blanket off and stretched on the floor, having elected to not sleep on the bed. For as long as they could remember, they had always slept on the ground, except for whenever they were on Fire Nation ships with their father.
After getting dressed, they made their way into the common room, where Aang and Sokka were eating breakfast. The twins noted Toph and Katara's absence, and Jin wrote on the ground in order to ascertain their whereabouts. Sokka looked at the writing and explained that Katara had taken Toph on some sort of 'girl's day out'.
Jin and Li exchanged a glance; their blind companion didn't strike them as one who would willingly submit to a day of pampering and makeup. Katara was likely in for an interesting day.
The twins shrugged, and Li wrote on the ground that the two of them would take the day to explore the city. They proceeded to walk out of the house and into the bright morning. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and a few gerbil sparrows flew chirping by. There was an old man clipping away at some hedges a few houses down, and the twins felt a distinct change in his behaviour when they stepped outside. They exchanged a glance; he was probably a spy for the Dai Li.
The man back at the palace, whom Aang had identified as Long Feng, the head of the Dai Li, said that each of them would be watched constantly for any signs of dissent. Apparently, he was telling the truth. The twins stepped onto the street and started walking away from the old man; if their host wanted to spy on them, then he was more than welcome to.
The twins made their way to the monorail that led to the Middle Ring, managing to find open seats where they could sit next to each other. Just as the doors were closing, a nondescript woman entered the train car, sitting down as it started moving. She looked completely normal, and the twins would likely not have paid any attention to her if they hadn't already sensed her following them. Now that they were proficient in sensing vibrations through their feet, thus giving them greater awareness of their surroundings, the Earthbending boys realized how woefully unprepared they had been when they had fought Toph back at Earth Rumble VI.
Compared to her unique style of Earthbending, the two of them must have come across like two lumbering Badgermoles, without any sense of finesse about them.
The twins smiled at the thought, gazing out the window as the train came to a stop at the station. They stepped onto the platform, sensing that their tail was keeping a close eye on them as she meandered through the crowd. They had chosen to go to the Middle Ring for two reasons: the Upper Ring was far too affluent, and the people living there were rich, pompous nobles, while the Lower Ring consisted of thousands of refugees and the city's poor. The twins had seen their fair share of what that looked like when they had been little.
After walking for some time, they eventually came to a clothing shop. Once the task of overcoming the fact that the twins couldn't speak was dealt with, they managed to find matching outfits that they liked. While they preferred the Fire Nation uniforms that they had gotten used to over the last five years, they found the dark green shirt and pants they now wore, along with the wide-brimmed hats that covered their scruffy black hair, to be the best that they could get in the Earth Kingdom.
With that out of the way, Jin and Li made their way to a nearby restaurant for some breakfast. It had no walls, which allowed the patrons to be bathed in the bright sunlight, and the roof was supported by fairly ornate beams. They sat down at an open table, and a waitress approached them. The Earthbending boys pointed out what they wanted on the menu, and they were soon feasting on exquisite roast duck.
As Jin took a bite from his duck, he sensed small footsteps silently approaching from behind. Judging by their size, it was probably a boy around their age. The boy reached over and grabbed onto Jin's coin purse. The Earthbending boy responded by tapping his foot on the ground, causing rock to creep up around the other boy's feet and lock him in place.
He cried out in surprise, and Jin turned to look at him. He was small, with tattered clothes, and he looked like he hadn't bathed in quite some time. Jin held out his hand, and the boy's shoulders slumped in defeat before handing him his coin purse. The Earthbender stared down at the would-be-thief; he reminded Jin of when he and his brother had been orphans, living on the streets and stealing what they could in order to survive.
This boy was probably on his own, forced to steal what he could. Fate had seen fit to condemn him to this life, and Jin felt like he had to do something for him.
Glancing about, he noticed a man who appeared to possess a great deal of wealth. The Earthbender released the boy's earthen restraints before pointing the man out. The would-be-thief followed his gaze and took note of the man. Jin then turned to his brother, nodding over to the man. Li glanced behind himself before smirking and standing up. The twins had learned several things during their first years on the streets, and Li demonstrated this by deftly snatching the man's hefty coin purse before casually returning to their table. He tossed it over to Jin, who jingled the purse before handing it to the boy.
He took it in his hands, his eyes wide in shock; this was likely the most money he had ever come across. The boy looked up to Jin and smiled before running off.
Once they were done with their meal, the twins left the restaurant and continued their walk through the Middle Ring. Throngs of people were milling about, perusing the shops and restaurants or making their way towards other businesses. Eventually, after rounding a corner, the Earthbending boys stopped cold when they thought they saw a familiar face. Thinking quickly, they presented a calm outward appearance as they probed the nearby area with their sixth sense.
As far as they could tell, there were only two Dai Li agents following them, which made the task of losing them fairly easy. Jin noticed a group of three large, well-muscled men walking towards them, and he had an idea. Tapping his foot to the ground, he raised a section of earth just enough so as to cause a few people to crash into the large men. Li caught on, and he did the same trick on the other side of the street, causing even more people to crash into the men. As a ruckus started, the twins were confident that their tails were sufficiently distracted, as the crowd was in between them.
Jin and Li then ran over to the other end of the street, over to the familiar face. They turned the man over so that he was facing them…
And they became instantly crestfallen upon seeing that the man standing before them was not their father. Quickly apologizing for disturbing him, the twins stared down at the ground; in a city this size, the chances of potentially finding their father were far too large to dwell on. In that moment, the two boys felt sad and lonely, and they tightly embraced, each comforting the other.
I sat up in my bed, running a hand through my hair. I had been unable to find solace in sleep last night, and had spent the time between sundown and sunrise staring up at the ceiling. I wondered if my torment would ever end; without Takara and the twins by my side, I wasn't even sure if I should keep going or just give up. My life had been completely destroyed in the last few months, and at the moment, it seemed like it would stay that way.
Eventually, I sighed and removed the blanket before standing up. I was the only one in the bedroom, meaning that Zuko and Iroh were either in the apartment or outside. Pao had given us all the day off after the massive influx of business that we had given him, so I didn't have to worry about being late for work.
Sliding the door open, I stepped into the apartment. Zuko was sitting at the table eating breakfast, and he appeared to be the only other person present. "Where's Iroh?" I asked.
"Out" the scarred teenager grunted.
I rolled my eyes before walking over to the kitchen. I then began brewing myself a pot of jasmine tea, which had been my favourite for as long as I could remember. After starting the fire, I filled the pot and set it down on top of it. Suddenly, a memory flashed before my eyes, and I stared out the window and said "It's the anniversary". I turned to look at Zuko, and the teenager stopped eating before nodding solemnly.
I looked down at the ground, my dour mood suddenly becoming much worse. Iroh was most likely out performing a private ceremony for his son, who had died five years ago on this very day. I was one of the few people in the world who had witnessed Lu Ten's death, and had been the one to carry his body to his father; the events of that day would remain with me until the end of my days.
Once the tea was ready, I poured myself a cup before sitting across the table from Zuko, who continued to eat. "Your cousin was one of the finest men I have ever known" I said eventually, causing the teenager to look up at me.
"He was" he replied after a moment. "My family was actually happy when he was still alive; he made us all whole. After he died, nothing was ever the same".
I nodded. "I know what that's like" I said. My father and I had been deeply affected by my mother's death, and I could only imagine how Lu Ten's death had affected the royal family. Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Azula were unlike their relatives in so many ways, and I couldn't help but think that the tragic events of the Siege of Ba Sing Se had been nothing more than a convenient occurrence for them.
Zuko looked down at his food before asking "You were with him, at the end?"
"I was" I replied. "I fought alongside him when… when he died". I took a sip of tea, finding its comforting warmth very soothing amidst sad memories.
"Did he suffer?" Zuko asked. I froze, turning my gaze towards him. The teenager's eyes were filled with need; I could see that he felt the need to know. Lu Ten must have been a very important part of his life, and I was the only person who could give him the answers he was looking for. Iroh certainly wasn't going to tell him.
Eventually, I sighed before looking down at my tea. "No, he didn't suffer" I replied, giving him the answer he wanted. I took another sip of tea, letting the silence pass over a very rare moment of bonding between the two of us. A short time later, I found myself walking through the streets of the Lower Ring, wanting to become more acquainted with my new home. It was one of the less savoury places I had been to; all of the buildings were worn down with age, while the entire area of the city was packed full of refugees and the poor.
I had heard all the legends of the great city of Ba Sing Se for most of my life; tales of the famously-impenetrable city were known across the world, and its continued resistance against the might of the Fire Nation was a symbol of the Earth Kingdom's indomitable will.
Inside, however, was a far different story. From here, where the lowest classes of society lived, I saw how the great city of Ba Sing Se truly functioned; its impenetrable walls protected a class system where the rich were separated from the poor, and tradition would ensure that it would continue this way for some time.
After walking for a few hours, I heard a squawk-growl coming from nearby. Turning to my left, I started walking into a dark alley, trying to locate the source of the noise. Suddenly, I noticed a mass of striped orange on the ground. Crouching down, I saw that the source of the noise was a tiger eagle. The magnificent bird appeared to be fairly young, barely an adult, and it was huddled against a wall. It turned its feline head towards me, baring its sharp fangs as it made a threatening squawk-growl.
I stayed where I was, appraising the tiger eagle. Its right wing was crooked, and every time the bird of prey moved it, it mewled in pain. I surmised that the wing was broken, and that must have been why it was in this alley; a predator like this who couldn't fly was a target, and so it had chosen a safe place where it could hide.
I stood up and left the alley, making my way over to a nearby food cart. After purchasing some fish, I walked back into the alley. Sure enough, the tiger eagle was still there, and it growled at me as I approached.
Smirking at its show of force, I crouched down a few feet away from it before tossing one of the fish at its feet. The eagle looked down at the fish, and after giving me another threatening gaze, it bit into it, consuming what must have been a long-awaited meal. It managed to eat the flesh quickly, leaving only bones. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, I tossed another fish towards the eagle. It landed in between the two of us, and the striped orange bird looked down at it before looking up at me.
I didn't make another move, not wanting to appear threatening, and watched as the tiger eagle cautiously walked over to the fish. This encounter reminded me of when I had first met the twins in this very city; they had been distrustful, at first, and I had seen the impressive Earthbending powers of the two five year olds. I had finally gained their trust by conveying that I was not a threat, just like I was doing to this magnificent creature.
Ultimately, the tiger eagle warmed up to me enough to allow me to handle it. Tearing off the sleeve of my shirt, I wrapped it over the broken wing, eliciting a light growl of pain from my new charge. A few minutes later, I emerged from the alley with the tiger eagle perched on my arm. Its talons hurt as they lightly dug into my sleeve-covered arm, but I was no stranger to pain.
People stared as I walked along, but I ignored them. After rounding a corner, I came across a group of people surrounding a large pool. As I approached, I could see that they were lighting candles and setting them on top of the water. I walked up to a man standing at the rear and asked "Excuse me, what is everyone doing?"
The man turned to me, and after the initial shock of seeing the tiger eagle on my arm passed, he said "This is the Pool of the Lost. Most of the people in the Lower Ring have lost someone to the war, and this pool gives them a chance to mourn".
I nodded, glancing at all of the faces around me. Everyone around the pool looked tear-eyed and mournful; they were remembering those whom they had lost, and the memories were clearly painful.
"It's not my place to infringe on another man's business, but you seem like someone who's lost people" the man said.
I turned to look at him and replied "I have".
"Well, this is the perfect place for it" he said. "Just light a candle and set it afloat". I thought of my parents in that moment; while Takara and the twins were lost to me, they were still alive, my father and mother were gone from this world, never to return. After lighting a candle, I crouched down at the edge of the pool. Seeing my parents' faces in the flickering flame, I set it on top of the water, watching it float alongside dozens of others.
Whew; this took me some time to develop, but I'm pleased with the result. The Tales of Ba Sing Se don't have THAT much to do with the story, but they still needed to be shown.
As always, please review and favourite! Constructive criticism is welcome!
Next up: Lake Laogai!