"Isn't this great? Now the group is back together!" Sokka said as he patted Appa's leg. "This calls for a celebration! You know how we should celebrate? Hopping on our big furry friend and flying straight to the Earth King."
"After we've angered and kicked the butt of the man who's pulling the strings of Ba Sing Se?" Katara said. "Sokka, Long Feng and his Dai Li agents are going to have Ba Sing Se and the Earth King's palace even more tightly-secured now that we've thwarted their plans."
"I have a good feeling about this! Besides, if we want any chance of taking down the Fire Nation during the solar eclipse, we'll need the Earth King's support."
"I hope I'm not the only one who's noticed this, but things don't always seem to go smoothly or as planned for our ragtag group," Toph said. "I say we blow this conspiring, messed-up popsicle stand."
"I agree with Toph," Katara said.
"Well, I don't agree with either of you!" Sokka said. "This is the reason why we came to Ba Sing Se, before we lost Appa. Ashe, Aang, back me up!"
"All our efforts to get here would be wasted," Aang said. "We have Appa back, so getting into the palace grounds should be easier. We can't leave without at least trying."
"Because of Long Feng, the Earth King has no clue as to what's going on outside the city. If the Earth King knew, then maybe he can finally take action and change the city."
Katara folded her arms. "You have a good point…"
"You might want to switch to our side soon," Sokka said. He pointed into the lake. A small fleet of ship glided across the surface. "The Dai Li's looking for us."
Katara uncrossed her arms and nodded. "All right. Let's try."
"Oh, man, did I miss this!" Aang said over the screaming wind in our ears. "How are you guys holding up?"
"I hope the next purchase we make is for a new saddle!" Toph cried before burying her face in Appa's fur again. Without a saddle, we rode bareback. We clung to his fur while Aang rode at his regular seat on Appa's head.
Over by Lake Laogai, as we climbed onto Appa, cloud began to roll over the sky. By the time we flew to Ba Sing Se, the Earth King's palace within our sights, the layer of clouds engulfed the sky and darkened the land. It wasn't the greatest omen.
"We have to be careful. Long Feng's probably warned the Earth King about us coming," Katara said. "We can't expect smooth flying from here to the palace."
"Maybe we got here before Long Fe-AHHH!" Sokka screamed as Appa lurched to the side to dodge a flying boulder. "Okay, I definitely believe you!"
"What the heck was that?!" Toph said.
"It's the Royal Guard!" I said. Rows of earthbending soldiers covered the palace grounds, each equipped with a never-ending supply of boulders to hurl at us.
Aang, completely silent, seemed to be focused on something that was two steps ahead. A boulder flew towards us from the side. Instead of dodging, Aang thrust his hand out and caused the rock to crumble. He stood on his feet and swung his staff at another hurtling rock, slicing it perfectly in half. He leaped off Appa and slammed his staff into the ground. The earth erupted underneath him, traveling towards the soldiers like a tidal wave and throwing them aside. Appa landed, and we jumped off. We ran down the cobblestone path. Pillars lined the ends of the path, as well as more soldiers. Sokka, Katara, and I stood close to Appa as Aang and Toph deflected the chunks of rock the soldiers threw at us. While they were defenseless, Katara and I, her on the left and I on the right, swatted the soldiers with water whips.
"We're really sorry!" Katara cried as we passed.
We arrived at the moat just before the stairs to the palace. Soldiers lined the other side of the moat, and more stood on a layer of stairs above. The ones on the stairs used their earthbending to lift the two large badgermole statues behind them. They cast them down towards us. Toph and Aang created a dome of earth around us. The statues hit, the crash leaving me with ringing ears. I shook my head, and I sprinted out of the dome and towards the soldiers. They hurled rocks at me, and I lurched forward in a somersault as they passed over my head. I landed on my feet and continued running. I snapped my wrists, the tips of my fingers pointing towards the soldiers, and threw my arms into the air. The water from the moat below exploded into the air like a sudden tsunami wave. With a grunt, I thrust my arms down, crossing them over each other. The water fell and consumed the soldiers. As they lay on the ground, soaked to the bone, I jumped over the moat. Using a small bit of water to carry me the rest of the way, I landed on one knee and thrust my hand into the ground. The water froze. The ice spread as far as the water had gone and pinned the wet soldiers to the ground. My friends joined my side. I stood, and we hurried towards the stairs.
At the base of the steps, the soldiers above threw rocks down. More soldiers filed out of the palace and began their trek down the stairs. Toph stood in front of us and lifted her hands. The ground rumbled. She stomped her feet together and tucked her arms against her sides. The stairs flattened into a slide. The soldiers lost their footing and began their long tumble. Aang and Toph created an elevator with the ground and brought us to the entrance to the palace.
At the front room, there were several doors and hallways leading to other parts of the palace.
"Any idea where to go?!" Sokka said, looking around as Aang and Toph fought against the soldiers that trickled into the room.
"How about that door?" I called over the crash of smashing rocks. I pointed straight ahead, past the unconscious earthbending soldiers, to a pair of large, fancy doors.
"That looks promising!"
We hurried to the doors. Aang and Toph, using their air- and earthbending, blew the doors open. They fell against the ground with a crash that shook the ground. We ran into the room and stood before the Earth King, our weapons drawn. Long Feng's eyes widened, quickly overcome with hatred, as a line of Dai Li agents stood before the Earth King, poised to attack.
The Earth King was a young man, somewhere in his late 20's, with light green eyes and long, black hair tied back in a low braid. A pair of small glasses sat on his nose, and he wore a deep frown.
"We need to talk to you," Aang said.
"And why would I want to do that?" the Earth King said. "After everything you've done- breaking into my palace, taking down my guards, and ruining my nice decorations- you think I'd so willingly listen to what you have to say?"
"We're wouldn't have needed to do this if we weren't denied an audience from everyone in the city!" Sokka said. "We're not your enemy. We have valuable information that you need to hear."
"Do not heed them, Your Honor," Long Feng said. "They are here to overthrow you."
The Earth King watched us. "If you claim to not be enemies, then drop your weapons and stand down."
We looked between each other and, silently, we dropped our weapons and withdrew our bending. Immediately following, the Dai Li agents standing before us thrust their palms towards us. The layer of rock covering their hands flew towards us and grabbed our arms, jerking them behind us and cuffing us.
"Detain the Avatar and his friends," Long Feng said. The Earth King's ears perked.
"The Avatar?" The Earth King said.
"Uh, yes, sir," Aang said. He used his bending to lift the rocks off his hands, wave, and cuff himself again.
"What does it matter who he is? He and his wretched friends are enemies of the state," Long Feng said.
The Earth King stood. "I'll hear what he has to say."
"Thank you, Your Earthiness." Aang stepped in front of us. "For the past one hundred years, a war has been going on between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. The Dai Li has kept it a secret from you, as a conspiracy to control you and the city. Long Feng didn't want us to tell you about it, so he stole our air bison to try and blackmail us. He also brainwashed our friend!"
Long Feng turned to the Earth King: "All lies. I've never even seen an air bison before, Your Grace. I thought they were extinct."
The Earth King sat back in his throne. "I find your claims hard to believe. Unless you have any proof…"
"Wait!" Sokka cried. "I can prove it! Have Long Feng lift his robes."
"Excuse me?" Long Feng said. "I am not disrobing!"
"Fine, then." Sokka looked to Aang, who gave him a smile. Aang inhaled deeply and spewed a gust of wind at Long Feng. The wind swept under his robes and lifted them over his head. A large, red bite mark sat on his left leg. "See that? Our air bison bit him there."
"That is a birthmark," Long Feng said. He peeled his robes off his face and patted them back down.
"I'm sorry, but unless you can prove that's a bite mark, I can't help you," the Earth King said.
"We can," Aang said.
Appa stepped forward, a grumble in his throat. He opened his mouth. Aang pointed to Appa's large teeth, which perfectly matched the size and shape of the mark on Long Feng's leg.
"That looks like proof to me," the Earth King said. He stood again. "But it still doesn't prove these conspiracies you claim. However… it's worth looking into. Release the Avatar and his friends."
We looked between each other in excitement. Long Feng, however, seemed very reluctant with ordering his agents to let us go.
The citizens aboard the train gave us bewildered stares. Or, rather, they gave the Earth King bewildered stares. He and a few soldiers were the only ones standing on the train.
"I've never taken a train before," the Earth King commented. "I had no idea it was this… public."
"You've never been outside the upper ring?" Katara said.
"I've never been outside the palace walls." The Earth King spoke with a smile, but it made Katara knit her eyebrows. "Now… may I ask where it is we're going?"
"We're taking you to Lake Laogai. That's where the Dai Li's headquarters is. It's where all the brainwashing and conspiracies take place," Sokka said.
The train stopped at the station, and we got off. We walked the rest of the way, back to the shore of Lake Laogai. Toph approached the edge and performed the same move she did the first time to bring up the tunnel into Lake Laogai. The walkway emerged, but it was shattered. The tunnel at the end was gone.
"That doesn't look like a tunnel to me," the Earth King said.
"The Dai Li must have known we'd take you here and destroyed it," Katara said.
The Earth King grasped his hands behind his back. "Awfully convenient, don't you think? I let you bring me out of the palace so you could prove yourself. You're not doing a very good job at it."
As I stared at the broken tunnel, a burst of realization electrified my brain. I stood straighter and whirled around.
"Wait, Your Highness!" I said. "The Fire Nation constructed a drill meant to break through Ba Sing Se's wall. Princess Azula was there, overseeing the project. A few weeks ago, they almost succeeded. I guarantee it's still there. We can take you to the Outer Wall and show you."
"No Earth King has ever been to the Outer Wall," the Earth King said. "Give me one good reason why I should go with you."
"You said we could provide proof. This could be our proof!"
The Earth King looked at us skeptically.
"If you come with us, I'll let you ride on Appa," Aang said.
The Earth King straightened as he looked at Appa, who grazed from a small field nearby. He looked at us curiously as weeds and dirt hung from his teeth. The Earth King smiled.
"Very well," he said.
As we rode through the air on Appa's back, the screaming wind was almost drowned out completely by the screams of the Earth King.
"Are you all right?" Katara called.
"Never better! I'm terrified, but… this is absolutely thrilling!" the Earth King said. His excitement faded. "I must be honest with you. What you've told me so far, about the war… part of me hopes that it's not true."
"I wish it wasn't," Aang said, his back to us.
As we flew over the farming acres in the lower ring, the Outer Wall came into view. We flew over to the other side.
"Look," I said.
The drill was still there. The soldiers had surrounded it with a wall of boulders to block it in. Slimy mud water still stained the wall, the drill, and the ground around it. Soldiers below trudged through it, the water up to their ankles.
"That's… the drill?" the Earth King said. "And they almost got into the city."
"Yes. If we hadn't stopped it, it would have been just like the Dragon of the West and the six hundred-day Siege of Ba Sing Se… which also happened during the war, during your reign," I said. "Except this time, they would have succeeded."
The Earth King stared baffled at the drill. We rode down to the top of the wall. The Earth King placed his hands on the stone and looked over.
"I had… no idea…" the Earth King said.
"I can explain, Your Majesty." We turned to Long Feng, who climbed to the wall via an elevator controlled by two Dai Li agents. "This drill is part of a construction project. There were some technical difficulties, however, and the machine malfunctioned."
"Why does your 'construction project' have a giant Fire Nation insignia on the back?" Katara said.
"It's imported, of course. You can't trust domestic machinery," Long Feng said.
"The Fire Nation is the most technological nation in the world. The chance of their inventions failing is very slim," I said. "Isn't it convenient that the drill happened to break while the Avatar was in town?"
Long Feng turned to the Earth King. "Are you really going to believe these children over me? Your loyal secretariat who has been by your side nearly your entire life?"
We looked to the Earth King, but his eyes never left Long Feng. His eyes squinted, and his eyebrows knit.
"Dai Li," the Earth King ordered, "arrest Long Feng. I want him to stand trial for his crimes against the Earth Kingdom."
Our jaws dropped as we looked to Long Feng, who wore a look of astonishment. The agents behind Long Feng thrust out their arms and clamped metal cuffs on Long Feng's wrists.
"You can't do this! You need me more than you know! Without me, you are hopeless!" Long Feng cried as the Dai Li agents took him away.
Once he was out of our sights, a wave of relief crashed over us. It felt like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders.
That night, back at the Earth King's palace, we stood before the Earth King in the throne room. He leaned against the armrests of his throne wearily. He looked deflated. His pet bear, Bosco, snapped at his feet.
"Thank you, Avatar and friends, for opening my eyes and showing me the truth," the Earth King said. "All this time, I believed Ba Sing Se to be a perfect, impenetrable metropolis. I believed that everything was just and balanced… but how wrong I was. It was merely a city of smoke and mirrors, and the ones producing those were right under my nose…" The Earth King buried his face in his hand. "We're at war… with the Fire Nation…"
"That's why we came to Ba Sing Se, Your Highness," Sokka said. "We discovered information about the Fire Nation that we believe will give us an advantage in the war."
"A comet is supposed to arrive this summer, which will give firebenders, including the Fire Lord, unbelievable strength," Aang said. "But we've discovered that very soon, a solar eclipse will come and block out the sun. The Fire Nation will be completely powerless. It is then that we can make our move."
The Earth King straightened his posture. "I don't know," he said. "That would require moving troops out of Ba Sing Se. We'd be completely vulnerable."
"You're already vulnerable. Look how much Long Feng and the Dai Li have corrupted the city," Sokka said. "Meanwhile, the Fire Nation will not stop until Ba Sing Se falls. You're the Earth King. You're the one who's supposed to make decisions that will ultimately protect and better the people. Are you going to sit back and let this impenetrable city succumb, or will you join us in this fight?"
The Earth King cupped his chin in his hand. We watched him in breathless anticipation. He closed his eyes and smiled.
"Very well," he said. "You have my support."
We looked between each other with wide smiles. We cheered and scrunched together in a group hug.
Footsteps approached from behind us. An Earth Kingdom general walked down the path to the throne and stood next to us.
"Your Majesty," he said. He knelt and bowed close to the ground.
"General How," the Earth King said, "what is it?"
"We've finished investigating Long Feng's office." General How lifted his head. "We've found something that I think will interest everyone."
We perked at the news. General How stood, and we followed him to Long Feng's office. The Earth King sat at the desk while we stood in a line on the side. General How brought in a box and set it before the Earth King.
"The Dai Li have kept secret records of everyone in Ba Sing Se, including you kids," General How said.
The Earth King opened the box. A few scrolls were inside. He picked one up.
"For Toph Beifong," he read. He passed it to Katara, who opened it.
"It's from your mother," Katara said. "She's here in the city. She wants to see you."
Toph's face showed surprise for a moment before it morphed into disgust. "Long Feng intercepted our letters from home? Next, you're going to tell me that he eats baby koalaotters every night for dinner."
"For Aang." The Earth King handed a scroll to Aang.
"This scroll was found attached to the horn of your bison when the Dai Li captured him," General How said.
Aang unrolled the letter. "It's from the Eastern Air Temple. There's a guru there. He says he can teach me to control the Avatar State."
Katara placed her hand on the table. "Is… there a letter for us three?"
The Earth King sifted through the scrolls. "I'm afraid not."
"Oh…"
"There is, however," General How said, "an intelligence report that you may be interested in looking at."
General How handed the report to Katara. She opened it, and Sokka and I peered over her shoulders.
"A small fleet of Water Tribe ships protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay…" Katara said. "Led by Hakoda!"
"Dad?!" Sokka cried. "No way!"
General How and the Earth King left to give us some privacy. We sat in a circle on the green rug in the center of the room.
"So… what now?" Aang said.
"I think… we should split up," Katara said.
"Split up? We just got the group back together. Why do you want us to separate?"
"There are so many important things going on. Aang, you have to see the guru; there's no doubt about that. If we're going to invade the Fire Nation, you need to be ready and have the Avatar State under control. Toph hasn't seen her mother since she joined our group, and we haven't seen our father in years."
Aang sighed. "Well… Chameleon Bay is on the way to the Eastern Air Temple. Appa and I can drop you off."
"Someone has to stay behind help the Earth King plan the invasion," Sokka said.
I looked between the Water Tribe siblings. "I'll stay," I said. They looked at me in surprise.
"Are you sure?" Katara said.
"Guys, this is your father we're talking about. As much as I want to see him, I won't deprive either of his real children of this opportunity." I smiled. "Besides, I know more about the Fire Nation than both of you."
Aang looked between us all. "I guess it's settled. We all know our paths."
"Tell us lots of voodoo stories when you get back, Twinkle Toes," Toph said.
We said our goodbyes, which consisted of a long group hug, and Toph and I watched Appa fly away with Aang, Katara, and Sokka.
"Do you need any help with where you're going?" I said.
"No, thanks. I'll be fine. Katara gave me some pretty clear instructions," Toph said. "Are you okay with plotting an invasion against your own people?"
I stared into Toph's cloudy eyes. It was something that never crossed my mind. I sighed.
"I'm planning this because I want the Fire Nation to be the people I've envisioned since I was young: warm and inviting, not cruel and deceitful. The Fire Lord is at the root of it all," I said. "Once this war is over, once Ozai's reign has ended, this world will become a much better place. Someone much more deserving of the throne- someone kind, compassionate, and wise- will rise and lead the Fire Nation into an era of true honor and glory."
"Honor and glory, huh?" Toph nudged my side. "There's that Fire Nation side. Every time you mention 'honor,' you remind me of Zuko. And I've never even properly met the guy!"
I laughed and placed my hand on Toph's shoulder. "I'll see you around. Let me know how it goes with your mom. Are you nervous?"
"A little, but based off the letter, I think she's finally starting to understand me," Toph said. "See you later, Princess."
We waved to each other as Toph headed for the stairs. Once her head disappeared under the crest of the view, I lowered my arm. I slid my hand into my pocket and touched my headpiece nestled inside. Momo landed on my shoulder.
"All right, Momo," I said, scratching his ears. "Let's go plan a war."