Don't own Avatar. Wish I did, but I don't. I guess I'll just have to make due with my OC's. dramatic sigh
Okay. I'm done. On with the story!
Chapter 20: Inside the Walls
It felt like we were moving, but it wasn't like any movement I was used to. It wasn't as smooth as an airship and it wasn't rocking like a boat. The only other explanation was that we were traveling on land.
Everything came back then. We had fought our way to the coast and had all made it in one piece. The people had been eager to help, giving us food and fresh changes of clothes. We were all checked over to make sure we were okay. My leg was fine, it would just be sore for a long time and I would have a limp for a while. They had also put a bandage on my chest, which was scratched and banged up after the rock crashed into me. After that they had put us on a tank from Ba Sing Se. It was the fastest mode of over-land transport. Teo and his dad had tinkered with them a bit after the war and created a version with treads. With a little help from the earthbenders here and there, we could be in Ba Sing Se by morning. Appa would be flown in later, as soon as he had some time to rest. It had taken a good deal of arguing from the twins before he finally relented and let us go without him.
I opened my eyes and looked around. It was dark, since the only windows were in the tiny room at the front where the controls were. A bit of light was shining through the door though and I could see the others.
Hakoda and Shann had been awake for a minute or two and were taking quietly. Mushi was sitting near them, listening quietly. Next to him, Reena opened her eyes and stretched. The twins were still sleeping. Kairi had her head against my left shoulder and she was out too. It was a small space, but there was enough room for us to spread out comfortably and not be in each other's way.
I shifted a bit and Kairi stirred. She opened her eyes and raised her head a bit, blinking.
"Morning," I said. She nodded and stretched her arms.
The door at the end of the tiny space opened, letting in a flood of sunlight. Reena, hit full in the face, blinked furiously. A man stuck his head through and grinned at us.
"We'll reach the outer wall soon." We nodded and he retreated into the tiny control room.
Reena woke the twins and the rest of us stood up and stretched. Once we were all fully awake, Mushi and I moved over to the door and opened it, sticking our heads into the control room.
It was fairly small. There were three men in it. One was the man who had greeted us the night before. The other two were earthbenders in case we got stuck. One of them was sitting in front of the controls. They were simple, just a few levers. There was a large window in the front and a tiny one on each side. Through it we could see the outer wall of Ba Sing Se growing steadily closer.
Finally we reached the outer wall. The huge gates opened and we went in. We went right to the transit station in the tank. There we climbed out of the tank, blinking in the sunlight. A group of earthbenders from the palace met us there and escorted us toward the train. A crowd of people was already there, waiting for a ride into the city, but they parted to let us through. They stared at us as we walked past. Their faces were blank, as if they weren't entirely sure whether they should cheer or throw things at us. We were the children of heroes, but our unplanned arrival meant that something was wrong in the Fire Nation. And with the war so close behind, that thought struck fear into several hearts.
We got onto the train and were given a compartment all to ourselves. It was strange to see it so empty. The guards took up strategic positions, as if they expected us to be attacked.
"This is really weird," Shann said, leaning forward and speaking in a low voice.
"It's like they expect us to be attacked," Reena said.
"But why would anybody in the Earth Kingdom want to hurt us?" Gyatso asked. His twin nodded.
"Not necessarily us," Hakoda said. He looked at Mushi and Kairi and I. "But you..." He let the sentence hang. Mushi nodded.
"There could be spies anywhere. We can't take any chances. Especially not you two," he said, looking at Kairi and I. We all nodded. Everyone knew what he wasn't saying. No one went anywhere alone. No important conversations were held where there was any chance of anyone overhearing them. No one we didn't already know extremely well was to be trusted. Even there, in the capital of the Earth Kingdom, even there we couldn't be sure we were safe.
- -
The train ride was a long one. We sat in the car, staring out at the farmland passing by outside the window. It was extremely beautiful. The presence of our guards, however, put a huge dampener on the mood.
After a while we got tired of the scenery and turned our attention inside the compartment. Under any other circumstances we would have been telling jokes and poking fun at each other, but the presence of the guards kept that from happening. In the end we just sat there and stared at each other.
Finally we reached the inner wall. Not long after that, the train reached its destination. We stepped out of the compartment into the crowded station, and the guards immediately formed a wall around us, separating us from the other people there. They hurried us across the platform and through the crowd. At the edge of the station was a long building with ticket windows. We entered a door and found ourselves in an empty room. At least, it would have been empty if it weren't for the people already there.
Uncle Iroh, and the Earth King.
"Uncle Iroh!" Kairi flung her arms around the old man's neck. They hugged each other tight. Then she turned to Osan and hugged him as well.
"Prince Roku!" Uncle Iroh smiled and hugged me tight. "We were afraid you might not make it."
"We almost didn't," I said.
My cousins all hugged Uncle Iroh one-by-one. Mushi just stood there, looking awkward.
The Earth King came over to me and we shook hands.
"Thank-you for letting us come here," I said. The Earth King just smiled.
"We are honored to have you." I gave him a nod of thanks. Kairi and Osan had finally let go of each other, though he still had his arm around her shoulders. The Earth King smiled at her and she smiled back. Uncle Iroh finished giving hugs and then proudly introducing all of his grandnieces and nephews. The Earth King nodded and shook hands with each of them. Then he turned to Mushi.
"And who is this young man?" he asked. Mushi shifted uncomfortably.
"This is Mushi," I said. "We might not be here if it weren't for him."
"Any friend of yours is welcome here," the Earth King said. Mushi gave him a grateful nod.
"Is there any news?" Reena asked. We all turned to Uncle Iroh. He looked grave.
"That depends on what kind of news you want. About the Fire Nation? Plenty. But about your parents?" He shook his head. "There is nothing."
Our faces fell, and so did our hearts. None of us had said it, but I know we had all been hanging onto the hope that the people in Ba Sing Se would know something. Any amount of knowledge, no matter how terrible, would have been better than the intolerable waiting to know.
"You said there was news about the Fire Nation," I said, attempting to distract the others. "What sort of news?"
It worked. They all looked up, their faces hardened again. They wanted to know. And they wanted something else to focus on besides the not knowing.
"We'll tell you everything back at the teashop," Uncle Iroh said. "The others are waiting there."
We didn't need to ask who the others were. Key members of the White Lotus and the group that had escaped the Fire Nation with Master Piandao.
"I've already set up a time for an audience tomorrow," the Earth King said. "My council will be there so we can vote on your decision. Talk things over tonight, and decide what it is you want. Tomorrow we'll decide what to do about it."
"Thank-you," I said. He nodded.
"If we hear anything about your parents, I'll send word immediately." He turned and left through a back exit, followed by a group of Dai Li agents. I hadn't even noticed them standing there until that moment.
A moment later we followed him through the door. Uncle Iroh and Osan led us through a maze of back streets. I was soon good and lost, but they knew exactly where they were going.
Finally we turned a corner and saw the Jasmine Dragon. The blinds were drawn on all the windows and there was a sign out front saying they were closed. I wondered what his customers thought about that.
Uncle Iroh opened the door and let us in. The teashop, though closed, was full of people. There were waterbenders, earthbenders, and firebenders. Master Piandao was there along with a large group of men and women, the Fire Nation refugees. Master Pakku accompanied a group of men and women from both water tribes. King Bumi was in the midst of the earthbenders. Two of them wore the uniforms of the Dai Li. Some of them were old, having fought in the war. Others were only a few years older than I was. As I looked over them all, I was somehow reminded of a war council.
Then I realized that was exactly what it was.
Uncle Iroh motioned us over to the only empty table and we sat. He headed over to another table and took a seat. Osan pulled up a chair beside Kairi.
"Good," King Bumi said. "Everyone is here. Now we can start."
The council of the White Lotus had begun.
So Zuko and the others have more or less dropped off the face of the planet. Where are they? I can't tell you. Although if anyone has any ideas, feel free to e-mail them to me. And while you're at it, you can write a review!