Thanks, LittleHogwartsGirl. :D You know, I was tempted to title the last chapter "The Facestealer", but I didn't want to give away Koh's entrance—or where I was going with things.
Chapter 28. And thanks again for reading, everybody.
Chapter Twenty-Eight:
J'Accuse
The Gaang arrived at Ba Sing Se and asked to see the Earth Regent. They were allowed entrance almost at once.
Their timing was good. The Earth Regent was holding audience in the Throne Room. The Royal Guards were in their usual positions along the walls, top-tasseled helmets and all, and courtiers, nobles, and commoners milled about, waiting their turn to see the Regent. All of them bowed before the coming of the Avatar—though some of the courtiers were a little miffed at Aang jumping place in line.
"Ah, Avatar Aang." The Earth Regent smiled warmly from her moose lion chair and nodded. "It's good to see you. How is your search progressing?"
Aang bowed before the Regent, hands together, as did the rest of the Gaang. They straightened. "That's what I'm here about, your Highness." Aang stepped further forward in the cavernous Throne Room. "I couldn't find most of the people on my list. It wasn't just that they had died or moved away; their houses were there, and they weren't. Their neighbors confirmed they had seen them, just not recently. And then, when I was looking for Ty Lee of the Kyoshi Warriors, I saw her being attacked—by Earthbenders."
"Attacked? By Earthbenders? This is disturbing news."
"Indeed!" said a noble. "The Kyoshi Warriors are known for their gallant service to the Earth Kingdom. What Earthbenders would dare attack them?"
"There's more," said Aang. "We helped the Kyoshi Warriors beat off the attack. The attackers left something behind, and we found this." Aang held up a paper. "This is a copy of the list of possible Airbenders that was given to me. This is a copy of my list." That set the crowd to talking.
"It is true that we didn't keep the list under lock and key," said the Regent. "Obviously we should have, in hindsight. We will do so immediately."
"Actually, I'd like to stop the project for now, your Highness," said Aang. "I have something I'd like to try on my own—and I don't want more people to be put in danger because of me."
"Yeah," said Sokka. "No offense, your Highness, but if the people who did this could find one list, they might find any others you make, too."
"That is possible," said the Regent. "Though I shudder to think it. Who could have done such a thing?" She raised her head. "We must find out who it is. I shall bend all my power to it at once."
"That's okay, your Highness," said Toph. "We already know." She made one of her sudden no-look points. "That one."
Everyone in the hall followed her point—right to Long Feng, who was close to the Throne's stairs. He was startled, but then he laughed. "Me? Preposterous."
"Really?" Toph came closer. "I felt someone shuffling around in this part of the room, always moving around, like they're nervous." She turned to face him. "And now that I'm closer, I feel your heartbeat. Your heart's running like a rabberoo."
Long Feng frowned. "I have a presentation that I have to give to the Earth Regent this afternoon, and I'm not looking forward to it. Especially now that you've drawn everyone's attention to me. Thank you very much."
Toph came even closer. "The Earthbenders that attacked us had a particular style to their bending, a style I've felt only once before—at Lake Laogai, with the Dai Li!"
The Earth Regent was surprised. "You can feel different styles of bending? Amazing."
"Yes, your Highness." Aang nodded. "Earth, Water, and Fire all have different styles of bending within the main form. If you pay attention, you can tell them apart." His anger surged. "And the ones that attacked the Kyoshi Warriors used a style like the Dai Li did!" He pointed at Long Feng. "The group you used to be in charge of!"
"Yes, Avatar, the group I used to be in charge of." Long Feng sneered. "What proof do you have that I have anything to do with the Dai Li now?"
"We have this." Aang brandished the list of names. "No one else had any business having the list except me. But your Dai Li had it. And the list came from here."
Long Feng sniffed with disdain. "My area of authority concerns the sewers of Ba Sing Se, not your little project. I had no access to your list."
There was a brief silence. The Gaang tried to think of something else to throw at Long Feng, but that was it. Except for the copied list, as true as their proof was, it was subjective, based on guesses and feelings. They had nothing else that would decisively show that he was behind this… and he knew it.
He was going to get away with it.
Murmuring filled the hall, and anger and anxiety crossed their faces. The Earth Regent was indecisive. A small smile appeared on Long Feng's face.
"A-actually, your Highness..." A light green-clad bureaucrat off to the side timidly raised his hand. "Long Feng was looking at reports that didn't belong to him. His minder objected at first, but then he said it was all right—after a month or two."
The eyes of the Regent turned. "Long Feng?"
And the eyes of the room turned with her.
Long Feng's face registered shock—then became a mask of rage. "Fine!" He hurled his Earthbending down and blew a hole in the floor. He vanished into the hole.
"After him!" The Regent pointed at the hole. "Find him and bring him to me!" Soldiers ran for the exits. One brave soldier went down the hole—only to wind up stuck in the hole up to his shoulders.
The Regent was downcast. "I must apologize, Avatar Aang. I was the one that gave him trust again. And now yet more of your people may be dead."
"That's okay, your Highness. I think we have to believe in second chances." Aang shook his head. "I wish I'd been more careful too. I should have realized this could happen."
"Yes. Me, too." The Earth Regent raised her head. "We will deal with Long Feng. I wish you good fortune in your continued search… and my deepest apologies for what has happened."
Aang bowed. "Thank you, your Highness."
o o o
Dressed in Sanitarium browns, Azula sat in a corner of her cell, closed her eyes, and stayed that way for hours at a time. She ate, she slept, she took care of her bodily needs, but mostly she just sat. Her minders didn't know what she was doing, but she was quiet—which was a world of progress from what she had been doing. If she were meditating or just sitting there, whatever. That was fine with them.
She was indeed meditating. She was also listening.
She began to sense patterns in the daily life of the Sanitarium, times of high activity and low. She had no measure of time, so she opened her eyes occasionally and noted where the shadows were in her cell.
Then, when she had the pattern down and when she felt she was ready, she moved.
She opened her eyes. The barest hint of moonlight entered her cell. She stood and stretched luxuriously, working out the kinks. Then she closed her eyes, pushed down, and exhaled.
Her eyes snapped open. She brought her hands to midlevel.
One hand scooped down and gathered charge. The other hand went high and did the same on the return stroke. She brought her left and right fingertips together, then pointed—at the narrow windowsill.
Lightning flew into the wall, blowing apart stone. She sighed contentedly, then began again.
Guards came running to her cell. "Azula! Stop!"
She turned. "Did I give you leave to address me so?" She shot blue fire at them, and they ducked behind the corner.
"Sound the alarm! She's trying to escape!"
She turned back to them again after sending another jet of lightning into the wall. "Escape? Nonsense. I'm much better now. I'd love to stay around and chat, but I really must be going!" She gathered more lightning and hurled it at the widening window space.
The guards continued to huddle behind the corner, risking a peek now and then. Blue fire drove them back. She could see what they were doing, thanks to the mirror in the corner. A part of her chuckled at the fact that the place that had been her prison for so long now proved to be an effective fortification for her.
Eventually she widened the window enough to where she could get through. She slipped through and threw herself out. The guards entered the cell a few a moment later—and all they could do was watch a silhouetted Azula sail away into the night sky on jets of brilliant blue flame.
They looked at each other.
"Now what?"
— — —
Zuko was having an early breakfast with Mai and Iroh when a courier arrived with an urgent message. Zuko read it—and groaned. "The Earth Kingdom's moved up their Seventh Army."
"Why?" Mai asked.
"They even sent a message. They said if we don't move our southern troops back soon, then they'll do it for us."
Iroh stood. "Let me talk to them. Perhaps I can convince them to give us more time."
"Go, Uncle. Whatever you have to do. Send me word of what you find."
"Of course." Iroh bowed and left.
Zuko sighed. "Like this day could start out any worse."
"Fire Lord Zuko! Fire Lord Zuko! My lord!" Another courier came, knelt, bowed, and straightened. "Princess Azula has escaped from the Sanitarium!"
Mai looked at Zuko. "You were saying?"
