Ba Sing Se was... much dirtier than I expected.
I don't know exactly what I expected (a grand sparkling station with breathtaking gold lined arches and gleaming marble floors perhaps) but it certainly wasn't the dark, dingy station that looked exactly like the port at Full Moon Bay.
"Are you alright, Aria?" Iroh asked as we stepped into the customs line. His eyes twinkled with a concealed amusement. "You look... disillusioned."
I huffed slightly as his teasing voice. "It's just different than what I expected, I guess," I grumbled.
"We are not yet inside the main city," Iroh replied. "But do try to remember dear, you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"What are we going to do in Ba Sing Se anyway?" Zuko grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "We don't exactly have money. Or jobs. Or a place to stay."
My eyes widened. "We're not going to have to sleep on the streets, are we?!"
"Calm down, children," Iroh assured us. "Trust me, I will have it all taken care of."
"How?" Zuko asked suspiciously, but Iroh merely smiled at him serenely. I narrowed my eyes. What was that crazy old man planning anyway?
"Next!" a crabby voice called. I glanced up and gulped slightly at the chubby, glaring woman in front of us. Her beady eyes gleamed angrily from under her bushy eyebrows and the single hair protruding from the mole on her forehead quivered slightly.
I shuddered, stepping closer to Zuko.
"Where are your passports?" the lady snarled at us, and Iroh scrambled to reach for the papers in his front pocket.
"Why do the grumpiest people always become travel officers?" I muttered out of the corner of my mouth to Zuko. He didn't say anything in response, but I saw the corner of his mouth lift upward slightly.
"So," the lady said, staring at us as if we'd committed a crime. "Miss Aria, Mister Lee and Mister, uh... Mushy, is it?" I coughed into my sleeve to disguise my laugh and Zuko elbowed me lightly.
"It's pronounced Mushi," Iroh corrected her.
"You tellin' me how to do my job?" she demanded angrily, and Iroh faltered.
"Uh, no, no," he replied placatingly, stepping closer. His voice took on a low, soothing tone. "But may I say, you are like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is... intoxicating."
I clapped a hand over my mouth to stop the giggles that threatened to spill out of me while Zuko's eyes bugged out of his head. He let out the tiniest of groans and slapped a palm to his forehead so he wouldn't have to witness the scene.
The lady's cranky expression melted off her face, only to be replaced by a truly horrifying look that was evidently supposed to be alluring. She leaned forward and grinned eerily, winking at Iroh.
"Mmm, you're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, handsome," she purred. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se." She made a claw motion and meowed before quickly stamped the three documents and handing them back to Iroh, who turned to us with a large grin on his face.
"I'm going to forget I saw that," Zuko groaned, snatching his passport while I mimed a gagging motion. Iroh merely smiled and walked towards the gate, leaving Zuko and I to follow.
"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se," Iroh sang quietly. "But the girls in the city, they look so pretty!"
"I'm going to be sick," Zuko muttered and I laughed.
Jet grinned from the back of the line as he watched the Lee, Aria and their uncle walk through the gates and into the Ba Sing Se station. Twirling the piece of wheat in his mouth, he turned back to Smellerbee and Longshot.
"I think Aria and Lee would make good Freedom Fighters," he remarked. "They're just trying to find their way in the world, like us."
"You don't know anything about them, Jet," Smellerbee said, trying not to roll her eyes. Personally, she thought Jet's fascination with the pair of cousins was a little excessive. Sure, she could understand why he was interested in Aria, but Lee? Smellerbee didn't see anything remarkable about him at all.
"I know Aria's parents were killed by the Fire Nation, just like mine," Jet replied. "And I know Lee didn't get that scar from a waterbender."
"The only reason you want them to join is because you've got the hots for that girl," Smellerbee actually did roll her eyes this time. This was like that time with the Avatar's waterbending girlfriend all over again.
"So what if I do?" Jet grinned impishly at her.
"Besides, I thought we were going straight now," Smellerbee continued, ignoring Jet's remark.
"We are," Jet said. "And the new Freedom Fighters could use some guys like Aria and Lee. What do you think, Longshot?" Jet asked, turning towards their ever-silent friend.
Longshot turned his head slightly and gave Jet a meaningful look.
"I can respect that," Jet nodded.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked Zuko as we walked through the arches and into the bustling center of the station. Zuko glanced at me, and then to Iroh, who shrugged.
"I'll be waiting over there," he pointed to a sitting area against one of the pillars holding the roof up before making his way over, leaving Zuko and I standing together awkwardly near a food cart. He turned towards me, eyebrows raised questioningly.
"I, um..." I wrung my hands together and looked at the ground, suddenly unable to meet his eye. Spirits, this really shouldn't be that hard to do. "I wanted to apologize."
"To what?" Zuko asked, sounding as if he hadn't heard me, or maybe he just thought he was hearing things.
"To apologize," I repeated in a sigh. "For what I said yesterday about Jet. Um, I didn't mean it and... you were right."
"I was what?"
I glared up at him now, slightly annoyed, but stopped when I the tiniest glimmer of a smirk on his face. It was so unlike any expression I'd seen on him before that it threw me slightly.
"You were right," I said, rolling my eyes this time. "I don't trust him either, there's just something... off about him." Zuko seemed slightly stunned that I'd actually admitted this, because he stared at me in silence for a few moments before looking down.
"I guess I should apologize too then," he mumbled, sounding as if the words were difficult to say. "I didn't mean what I said either... and I'm sorry for uh... interrupting." Zuko cleared his throat and looked away.
It took me a second to understand what he was talking about.
"Oh!" My eyes widened and I blushed slightly, to my chagrin. "No, um, it's fine... I'm actually kinda glad you did." Zuko turned to look at me again, his eyes wide.
"Really?"
"Yeah," I let out a small laugh, tugging on the edge of my tunic. "Like I said... he was a bit creepy once I got to know him." Zuko gave me a shy smile and I blinked in surprise again (since when had Zuko ever done anything shy?) before returning it.
"We should probably go get Uncle," I said, nodding to where Iroh was deep in conversation with a large man with a cob of corn hanging out of his mouth. How he could talk with a cob stuffed in his face, I didn't know, but they seemed to be having a very animated discussion.
"Oh, what is he doing now?" Zuko groaned in exasperation, throwing his hands in the air and stomping over. I shook my head, smiling to myself, and followed him.
"Lee!" Iroh greeted him enthusiastically, seemingly oblivious to his stoic expression. "You should really meet Joomba here, he's actually been to-"
"That's wonderful, but we have to go Uncle," Zuko said through gritted teeth, grabbing Iroh's arm and dragging him away amid the sputtering protests of the older man. We walked over to a platform and plopped down, Zuko immediately leaning into the pole and Iroh huffing in indignation.
As I sat down, something poked me in the thigh. Frowning, I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out a small piece of crumpled paper. As I unwrapped it, I realized what it was: the address that healer Ohja had given me, of the woman who could supposedly help me learn more about chi healing.
Nervously, I reached into the front of my tunic and fingered the little pouch that hung around my neck, the pouch that Pakku had given me containing herbs from the trees in the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole.
That was such a long time ago, I mused, thinking back to the adventure at the North Pole. My fingers tightened around the pouch as the back of my neck prickled suddenly, but I dismissed the feeling.
After all, we were in Ba Sing Se now. We were safe. Weren't we?
Suddenly, a body appeared, sliding in to the space next to mine and bumping me against Zuko. Startled, I yelped and tightened my fists, relaxing only slightly when I saw it was Jet who had appeared.
"So you guys got plans once you're in the city?" he asked, his trademark smirk on his face.
Before we could answer, a cart trundled by, the man pushing it ringing his bell and shouting, "Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!"
"Ooooh!" Iroh straightened, waving the man over enthusiastically. "Jasmine, please! Aria, Lee, would you like some?"
"No thanks," I said while Zuko just fixed his Uncle with a look. The man came over and poured Iroh a cup of tea, and he lifted it to his lips eagerly only to make a face of disgust and spit it out the next second.
"Blergh!" he cried in horror. "Coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it! What a disgrace."
"Hey, can I talk to you guys for a second?" Jet asked, tilting his head away to indicate we should go somewhere more private. I exchanged a look with Zuko before getting up and following Jet, Zuko trailing behind.
"The three of us have a much better chance of making in this city if we stick together," Jet said as we walked a safe distance from Iroh, who was still moaning over his cold tea. "You guys wanna join the Freedom Fighters?"
Zuko and I exchanged another look before he spoke. "Thanks, but I don't think you want us in your gang."
"Oh, come on!" Jet insisted. "We made a great team looting that captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees."
"I said no," Zuko glared, turning and walking away without another word. Jet looked slightly confused and disappointed, but he turned to me.
"What about you, Aria?" he asked. I hesitated, but when he reached for my hand, I had to step back.
"I'm sorry, Jet," I murmured, turning to follow Zuko.
"Have it your way," he said dejectedly. As I walked away from him and back towards Iroh, I noticed the happy smile on the older man's face as he clutched his cup of steaming tea.
Wait. Steaming?
My eyes widened in panic and I glanced quickly from Iroh to Zuko back to Jet, who was watching Iroh with an expression of horrified realization. His eyes met Zuko's behind me and narrowed, fire sparking in those olive green irises and making them dance with fury the way they had in my dream.
Zuko turned back to Iroh and knocked the cup of tea out of his hand, causing it to splatter all over the floor.
"Hey!" Iroh protested.
"What are you doing firebending your tea?!" Zuko hissed in a low voice, sounding furious. "For a wise old man, that was a pretty stupid move!"
"Oh, spirits, I think he saw," I whispered frantically, glancing back at Jet, who had already disappeared. "Uncle!"
"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea," Iroh sniffed mournfully, staring at the puddle on the floor. "But it's just so sad!" I couldn't believe this.
"This is really not good," I muttered under my breath. "That guy is crazy, if he realizes that you two are - Fire Nation -" I mouthed the last two words. "- he'll come after you!"
"He has no proof," Iroh said, waving his hand dissmissively. "Do not worry."
Zuko made a noise of frustration deep in his throat and turned away from his uncle as if he could not physically look at him any longer. While I did think Zuko was being a tiny bit dramatic as usual, I also thought that Iroh was taking this situation far too lightly.
"Uncle," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I don't think you understand. Jet is legitimately enraged with anything and everything Fire Nation, and I have no doubt that even if he has the slightest reason to believe you are a firebender, he will pursue it and he will track us down and I really don't think that's part of our whole lie low plan, is it?"
I said all this in one breath, and after I'd finished both Zuko and Iroh looked at me with wide eyes. I realized then I was panting slightly with exertion.
"I think you might be overreacting a little, dear," Iroh said slowly. "You've barely met the boy."
"When we were walking, he started saying all these things," I continued, wrapping my arms around myself. "About how much he hates the Fire Nation and how you're all monsters and how he wouldn't hesitate or show mercy to anyone, and... and I just... it made me really worried, okay?"
Zuko's and Iroh's eyes had grown even wider and they glanced at each other with expressions of concern before looking back to me. Suddenly, Zuko's expression changed from concern to indignation and he crossed his arms, regarding me with a frown.
"So was this before or after you almost kissed him?"
Both mine and Iroh's jaws dropped, and even Zuko looked a little surprised at his outburst. "That is so not the issue here!" I practically screeched, my face reddening.
"Right," Zuko at least had the decency to look abashed. "I don't know what... never mind."
"Last call for Ba Sing Se!" the conductor called before I could say anything else. Iroh shot a nervous look between Zuko and I, as if he could sense the tension, and I didn't doubt he could, before he picked up his bag and walked towards the train.
Part of me felt highly offended by Zuko's remark, but the way that he looked - actually sorry, which was a shock in itself - made me brush it off and forget about it. I didn't know why he'd made a comment like that -
Jealousy, the annoying voice in the back of my head whispered.
That's ridiculous, I shot back at it. I don't even like Jet. And Zuko doesn't like me.
Sure, whatever you want to tell yourself, sweetheart, the voice said in a bored tone. The strangest thing was, I pictured Toph saying those words as I thought them, hands on her hips and staring at me with an expression of patronizing disbelief.
Shaking my head to rid myself of the thoughts, I boarded the train behind Iroh.
"Jet!" Smellerbee called as the older Freedom Fighter stalked through the station, she and Longshot hurrying to keep up with his enraged pace. "Relax! So the old guy had some hot tea, big deal!"
"He heated it himself!" Jet scowled, his fists clenched at his sides. "Those guys are firebenders."
Saying the words aloud made him feel physically ill - he felt betrayed. You barely know them, Smellerbee had said. Well, how right she had been. Although after everything: his talk with Aria, the strange kinship he'd felt with Lee, and the way they'd helped those refugees, Jet really didn't want to believe they could be firebenders.
But he couldn't ignore the proof right in front of him.
The stab of hurt he felt only served to fuel his anger. He'd been wronged by the Fire Nation far too many times, and this was just another blow to his already wounded self. He'd thought he could make a fresh start in Ba Sing Se, finally be free from the torture that plagued him, constantly following him the form of the Fire Nation.
Clearly he'd been wrong.
That's alright, Jet thought grimly as he boarded the trolley, seeing Aria, Lee and Mushi board a cart further down. If the Fire Nation refuses to leave me alone, I can handle them. But I'll make them sorry they ever came after me.
I sat down between Iroh and Zuko on one of the benches on the train, thrumming with excitement. We were so close. Security, freedom, a warm place to sleep every night - they were just within reach. I hadn't realized before we'd arrived how difficult life had been being on the run as a refugee.
And Iroh and Zuko had been doing it for weeks before I had - I don't know how they'd managed.
"Oh, what a handsome baby," Iroh spoke, leaning over to the woman on his right.
I glanced over and saw a happy looking Earth Kingdom couple, refugees like us, with the new mother holding her small child. My heart thudded in my chest and then contracted as I looked at the baby, who was sleeping peacefully in her mother's arms, her eyes fluttering slightly as she breathed deeply. She couldn't have been more than a few days old.
"Thank you," the woman said with a radiant smile, despite the weary lines etched in her face.
The trolley jolted slightly and then started to move, rolling down the tracks with the help of the earthbenders pushing behind it. I inhaled deeply, feeling the exhaustion make my bones weary, but it was so good to truly be in the Earth Kingdom again.
Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom capital. I couldn't wait to see it.
I turned around to press my nose against the window, not wanting to miss the moment we finally entered the city. I couldn't hold in the gasp that escaped me as the dark tunnel burst into a beautiful clearing, miles and miles of agrarian land, rolling hills and endless fields enclosed by mountains on all sides.
"It's huge," I breathed, unable to believe my eyes. I felt Zuko turn to look beside me, and heard his quiet intake of breath, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the spectacle in front of me.
"This isn't even the city, my dear," Iroh chuckled beside me. "This is merely the area between the Outer Wall and the Inner Wall. Trust me, Ba Sing Se is much larger than this."
"How is that even possible?" I whispered in awe. This section alone looked larger than the entirety of Omashu, and Omashu was by no means a small city.
"It's Ba Sing Se," Iroh shrugged, as if that explained everything. "The impenetrable city, city of beauty, art and culture, city of mysteries, walls and secrets."
"Walls and secrets?" I asked, turning back to Iroh.
"Aria, you must understand something," Iroh said, his face solemn now. "Just because we're in Ba Sing Se doesn't mean we're not still refugees. It is likely that we will not be permitted to leave the Lower Ring."
"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked from beside me.
"Ba Sing Se is a wonderful city, but it is also highly... constrained," Iroh replied slowly. "The Lower Ring, which is where the refugees and poorer citizens live, is walled off from the Middle and Upper Rings to preserve the cities'... cultural heritage and order."
"So they just lock up all the poor people in one place?" I asked. "That's awful." Even in Omashu we had lower income neighborhoods that were admittedly not as nice as the higher ones, but citizens were never forbidden from anywhere in the city.
Iroh shrugged. "Ba Sing Se places a great emphasis on the importance of walls. Some are to keep people out, and others are to wall people in."
I glanced back out the window as we passed through another tunnel and trundled into a small station that looked even dirtier and shabbier than the last. We shouldered our bags and exited the trolley, stepping into the bustling crowd of newly arrived refugees. Some looked ecstatic to be in Ba Sing Se, while others still wore expressions of weariness and exhaustion.
"Come on," Iroh murmured to me and Zuko. "It's getting dark. Let's find an inn to stay at for the night, and tomorrow we shall search for a permanent residence."
As I followed Iroh and Zuko down the streets of the Lower Ring, I couldn't stop looking around - there was just too much to see. I saw children dressed in dirty rags and holding ragged dolls, but they were running through the streets and laughing all the same. I saw men sitting outside shops, roaring with laughter, but one hand always rested instinctively on a sword or club at their side.
So this is Ba Sing Se, I thought as I walked through the streets. City of beauty, art and culture. But also the city of mysteries, walls, and secrets. Two sides to a coin - one bright and shiny, the other dull and rusted.
And, for who knew how long, my new home.
Kind of a short filler chapter, sorry. But there were some subtle but key moments between Zuko and Kioni, so I'm wondering if you picked up on those. ;)
Another milestone for this story I wanted to share with you guys - 100 followers! Thank you so much, this is incredible. And special thanks to those of you who have reviewed almost every chapter; I look forward to your reviews most of all. :)
Also: I have an important question for you. Zuko and Kioni... Zukioni or Kiuko? Or any other ship names you guys have come up with?
Next up: City of Walls and Secrets.