At the house the gang was staying at in Ba Sing Se, Sokka was working diligently on some paintings. Several more littered the ground around him, much to the annoyance of Xia.
"Sokka, what is all this?" she questioned, kicking a piece of paper off her foot.
"Designs for the 'lost Appa' poster." Sokka answered.
She glanced at the paper she'd just pulled off of her foot, squinting at the drawing on it
"This looks nothing like Appa." she remarks.
"That's a rough draft." he brushed off. "The one I'm working on right now is my best so far."
Xia just rolled her eyes as Katara and Aang entered the house, both carrying large stacks of paper.
"We found a printer to make our posters!" Katara shared.
Aang happily showed off one of the posters, which showed a surprisingly accurate drawing of Appa. Xia beamed at it.
"Very nice." she told them. "Much better than our resident artist has been churning out."
"Hey, cut me some slack." Sokka insisted, holding up his drawing. "I've been working on my Appa all day."
He holds up the drawing he was working on, and Xia just sighed. Katara stifled a laugh, and Aang let out a sigh of his own.
"Sokka, the arrow is on Appa's head." He told him.
"This is his head. Sokka explained.
"And why are their feet coming out of his head?" Katara asked.
"Those are his horns!" Sokka exclaimed. "I haven't seen him in a while, okay?"
"I haven't seen him in longer, and even I know he doesn't look like that." Xia pointed out.
"It looks just like him to me." Toph commented as she lied on her back.
"Thank you, I worked really-" Sokka cut off at he glared at Toph. "Why do you feel the need to do that?"
"Alright, let's stick with the professional drawing and get to passing out the flyers." Katara declared.
"I'll take the lower ring." Xia offered. "I've got some friends down there I could ask. I bet they haven't been scared into silence by the Dai Li yet."
"Sounds like a good idea." Aang replied. "Let's get busy!"
…
At the tea shop, Zuko swept the floors as Iroh served tea to two of the shops many customers. As the two men sipped at their tea, they shared a nod, then stood up.
"So, you're the genius behind this incredible brew." One of the men declared, catching Iroh by surprise. "The whole city is buzzing about you! I hope Pao pays you well."
"Good tea is its own reward." Iroh replied humbly.
"But it doesn't have to be the only reward." The man insisted. "How would you like to have your own tea shop?"
Iroh nearly dropped his teapot in shock, his eyes going wide at the prospect.
"My own tea shop?" Iroh repeated. "This is a dream come true!"
Hearing Iroh's exclamation, Pao quickly ran over, desperate to keep his hands on Iroh.
"What's going on here?" Pao asked, walking up to them. "Are you trying to poach my tea-maker?"
"Sorry Pao," The man replied. "But that's business for you, am I right?"
"Mushi, if you stay, I'll make you assistant manager." Pao promised. "Wait, senior assistant manager"
"I'll provide you with a new apartment in the Upper Ring." The man countered. "The tea shop is yours to do whatever you want. Complete creative freedom."
"I even get to name the shop?" Iroh asked.
"Of course." the man confirmed.
Now, Pao was sweating like a pig, realizing how good the offer sounded.
"Uh, senior executive assistant manager?" he tried one last time.
Iroh merely handed him the teapot, bowing to the customer. Pao let out a groan of sadness, walking away with his tea pot. Iroh then turned to Zuko, who had been silently clearing tables throughout the entire conversation.
"Did you hear, nephew?" Iroh called out. "This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the Upper Ring of the city!"
"That's right, young man." The customer declared. "Your life is about to change for the better!"
"I'll try to contain my joy." Zuko spoke sarcastically before walking outside and slamming the door.
He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms irritably. He'd been in a foul mood ever since his night with Xia, and it had only gotten worse at time went on. As much as he wanted to be happy for his uncle, he just couldn't.
"Okay, just need somewhere to put these..." Xia's voice came from down a nearby alley.
Zuko walked towards the alley and saw Xia coming his way. She gasped when she saw him, immediately stashing something behind her back.
"Oh, hi!" she greeted hastily. "I didn't see you there."
Smoke began to rise behind her, no doubt her attempt to try and hide whatever it was she'd just stashed.
"What are you hiding?" Zuko asked.
"Nothing." Xia replied in a panic.
Moving faster than she thought possible, Zuko reached behind her, grabbing what she'd stashed and pulling it out. She yelped and tried to grab it, but the damage was done. Her fire had burned through most of the text and information, but the image of Appa and the words "Missing Bison" were still visible through the char.
"So, the Avatar is here?" Zuko guessed.
Xia tried to answer, but her words caught in her throat, making it impossible for her to speak.
"How long?" He asked her.
"I-"
"How long?!" He snapped.
She flinched, then let out a breath.
"Since we got here." she answered quietly. "They got here around the same time we did."
Zuko just glared at her angrily, then he turned and threw the burnt flyers into a nearby rubbish pile. She flinched again as she tried to speak.
"Zuko please, you must believe me." she begged. "I never-"
"You lied to me." He let out, cutting her off.
"I…"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Zuko questioned. "Why put on some show about the Dai Li and-"
"That part was true!" Xia insisted. "I never lied about them! I just… lied about how I got discovered."
"Were you ever going to tell me?" Zuko asked, his voice hard.
Xia's words caught once more, and it was all the answer Zuko needed. He backed away, feeling something inside him break. Tears of betrayal welled in his eyes, but he wiped them away before glaring at his twin.
"Goodbye." Zuko let out before walking off.
Xia gasped, moving to intercept him.
"Please, wait!" she begged
He grabbed her wrist and shoved her into a wall. She rebounded and stumbled back dazed. By the time she recovered, Zuko was gone. Her own eyes filled with tears as she fell to her knees.
"What have I done?" she choked.
...
Aang sat at the table in the gang's living room, resting his chin on it as Katara and Sokka played a game with element tiles. When Xia came in, Aang immediately hopped up.
"Any luck with your friends in the Lower Ring?" he asked.
Xia shuffled over to a pile of pillow in the corner, flopping face first onto them.
"No." she said miserably into the pillow.
"Are you okay?" Sokka questioned, peeking around Katara to look at her. "You seem upset."
"I'm fine." she mumbled. "Just leave me alone."
"Ok." Aang allowed. "We'll just wait for any information about Appa."
"Don't worry Aang, I'm sure someone will see your posters and leaflets and come knocking with information." Katara assured him. "We just need to be patient."
As Aang resumed his position at the table, someone knocked on the door.
"Wow, you're right!" he cheered as he hopped up. "Patience really pays off!"
Aang then raced to the door and opened it up, revealing a smiling Joo Dee.
"Joo Dee?" he questioned.
"Hello Aang, and Katara, and Sokka, and Toph, and Min." Joo Dee greeted, walking inside with that ever familiar unsettling smile.
"What happened to you?" Sokka questioned, he and his sister abandoning their game to approach the woman. "Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?"
"What?" Joo Dee let out, her smile never faltering. "Jail? Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage."
"But you disappeared at the Earth King's party." Toph spoke up, she and Xia joining the group.
"Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country." Joo Dee supplied. "It was quite relaxing."
"In the middle of a party?" Xia asked incredulously. "No way that's true."
"Besides, how do you explain the woman that they replaced you with?" Katara argued. "They brought the woman forward who her name was Joo Dee."
"I'm Joo Dee." Joo Dee insisted.
Realizing this was getting nowhere fast, Aang cut off the entire exchange.
"Why are you here?"
Joo Dee reached into her sleeve, pulling out one of Aang's leaflets.
"Dropping fliers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city." she explained. "Not without proper clearance."
She stowed the leaflet again as Sokka let out a groan.
"Again with this?" he muttered. "We can't wait around for permission for everything."
"You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters." Joo Dee went on, a menacing edge to her creepy smile.
Xia's fist clenched and she opened her mouth to argue. However, Aang beat her to it. He got up in Joo Dee's face, shouting at her in rage.
"We don't care about the rules and we're not asking permission!" he screamed as she backed down, looking somewhat fearful for her life. "We're finding Appa on our own and you should just stay out of our way!"
He then slammed the door in her face as everyone tried to process what happened.
"Okay, he beat me by like three seconds." Xia piped up.
"Yeah..." Sokka let out, "that's gonna come back to bite us in the blubber."
"I don't care." Aang announced, calming down somewhat. "From now on, we do whatever it takes to find Appa."
"Yeah, let's break some rules!" Toph cheered before using earthbending to blow out the wall on the eastern part of the house. Everyone flinched slightly as the wall came tumbling down, then Xia put a hand on her shoulder.
"While I admire your energy, I don't think you needed to destroy the house." she said quietly.
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of Dai Li agents watched the exchange from a nearby roof, slipping away to inform their leader.
...
In the Royal Palace library, Long Feng met with Joo Dee, his face unreadable, yet stern. The woman kneeled before him, her smile gone, replaced with a saddened and scared expression.
"I'm very disappointed in your work with the Avatar and his friends, Joo Dee." he scolded. "I had hoped that you would be able to control this situation."
"I am so sorry, but they don't trust me anymore." Joo Dee lamented, breaking down into sobs. "I don't think I can keep working like this!"
"Joo Dee, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." Long Feng told her.
Joo Dee's sobs suddenly cut off, her pupils dilating as she sat up straight.
"I am honored to accept his invitation." she replied emotionlessly.
"Good." he nodded. "Now go await further orders."
Joo Dee wordlessly stood up, walking out of the room. Once she was gone, Long Feng addressed the two Dai Li agents guarding the door.
"If the Avatar keeps searching for his bison, it could upset the delicate balance we've worked so hard to achieve in this city." he remarked. "It could even cost us control of the Earth King."
"Should we take care of him, sir?" One of the agents asked.
"No." Long Feng replied. "It's much too dangerous for us to confront him directly. Let's see if we can still handle this quietly."
...
Iroh happily packed up the few belongings that he had in the small apartment, smiling as he worked. When he heard the door open, he turned to greet his nephew.
"So, I was thinking about a name for my new tea shop." He began, seemingly oblivious to the bitter frown on Zuko's face. "How about 'the Jasmine Dragon'? It's dramatic, poetic, and it has a nice ring to it."
He then perked, as if remembering.
"We'll have to tell Xia about the shop." He declared. "I'm sure she'll be one of our first customers!"
Zuko snarled at that, pulling something from his shirt and slamming it on the table. Iroh glanced down, seeing one of the burnt flyers for Appa. Iroh's face fell at the sight.
"The Avatar's in Ba Sing Se." Zuko snapped. "Xia knew, and she lied to me."
Iroh sighed, ceasing his packing for a moment.
"Zuko, I thought we were past all this." he said with a shake of his head.
"You knew?" Zuko questioned, completely stunned. "Is everyone lying to me?!"
"We knew that this transition has been hard for you." Iroh told him. "We did not want to put any more stress on your shoulders."
"By what, hiding the fact that the one person who can restore me to my rightful destiny has been living in the same city as me for the past month?!" Zuko demanded.
Iroh stood up, facing his nephew.
"Listen, Zuko." Iroh insisted. "We have a chance for a new life here. If you allow yourself to go down this road, we could lose all the good things that are happening to us."
"You mean the good things that are happening to you!" Zuko shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at his uncle. "Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?!"
For emphasis, he ripped off his apron, throwing it to the ground. Iroh remained unphased by this childish action.
"There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity." Iroh said softly. "Perhaps you should take some time to think about what it is that you want from your life and why."
Zuko turned away from his uncle, walking towards his room.
"I want my destiny." he told him, closing his door a bit harder than necessary.
"What that means is up to you." Iroh replied before quietly resuming his work.
...
Out in the city, the gang got right to work putting up posters around town.
"We'll split up to cover more area." Sokka suggested. "Toph, I guess you should come with me."
Toph's face crumbled in annoyance as she turned towards Sokka.
"Why?" she snapped. "Because you think I can't put up posters on my own?!"
She snatched the brush that Sokka had been using to spread glue, slathering a long swath of it on the wall beside her. She then yanked a poster out of his grip, slamming it onto the glue. There was a beat of silence, then Xia let out a cough.
"Uh… Toph?" she began.
"It's upside down isn't it?" Toph asked.
Xia glanced at the poster, which had been pasted blank side up. Toph didn't wait for her to answer, simply holding out the glue brush sheepishly.
"I'll just go with Sokka." she announced.
With that, the group spread out the begin putting up posters. Katara found a small gathering post near a stream, putting up a poster there in hopes the foot traffic would benefit their search. As she smoothened out the paper, someone approached her from behind.
"Katara?" They called out.
Katara turned around, gasping when she laid eyes on Jet. He approached her with his usual charm and smile, placing a hand on his hip.
"I think I can help you." he told her.
Katara stared in shock for a moment, then her shock turned to anger. Summoning every ounce of water she could muster from the stream, she send the tidal wave flying at Jet. He went wide-eyed, stepping back a bit.
"Katara, I've changed!" he shouted.
The wave then hit him at full force, sending him sliding down an alley. He barely had time to recover before she slid into the opening of the alley. Pulling some of the excess water into a ball, she froze it into ice daggers and reeled her arms back.
"Tell it to some other girl, Jet!" Katara snapped.
She hurled the ice daggers at Jet, forcing him to defend himself with his hook swords. He smashed the first two, then dodged the others before he found himself with his back to a wall and nowhere to go. Seeing Katara closing in on him, he stood up straight and held out his swords.
"I didn't come here to fight!" he shouted, dropping the blades at his feet. "I'm here to help."
He then started reaching for something behind his back, setting off every red flag Katara had. She reached immediately, summoning more ice daggers and pinning Jet to the wall. About that time, the rest of the gang showed up.
"What's going on?" Sokka questioned.
"Jet?!" Xia exclaimed.
"Hey Min." Jet greeted. "I see you found your friends and made up."
"Yeah, more than I can say for you." Xia remarked. "What are you doing here?"
"Hang on, back up." Sokka insisted. "Since when are you buddy-buddy with Jet? I thought you of all people would hate his guts!"
"We met on the ferry into Ba Sing Se." Xia explained. "We liberated some food for the passengers, and he explained he was trying to start over."
"I am." Jet insisted. "I've been trying to think of a way to help you guys to make up for what I did, then I saw this."
He unrolled a piece of paper that he'd been pulling off his back, revealing it to be one of the posters.
"I want to help you find Appa." Jet insisted.
Katara's eyes narrowed in suspicion and Jet sighed.
"Look, I'll admit I was a troubled person and I let my anger get out of control, but I've put all that behind me." He told her. "Please, believe me."
"No way, Jet." Katara hissed. "I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."
"Katara, we have to give him a chance." Aang spoke up.
"And let him lead us into another one of his schemes?" Katara argued. "Not a chance."
Toph then pushed herself to the front of the group, placing her hand against the wall Jet's pinned to.
"He's not lying." she informed the group.
"How can you tell?" Sokka questioned.
"I can feel his breathing and heartbeat." she explained. "When people lie, there's a physical reaction. He's telling the truth."
"Katara, we don't have any leads." Aang told her. "If Jet can help us, we have to try."
Katara looked conflicted for a moment, then sighed.
"Fine." she relented. "But we're not letting him out of our sight."
"Fair enough." Jet agreed.
Katara then bent down and grabbed his swords, shoving them at Sokka. He looked at them, then shoved them at Xia. She glared at him, then took them for herself.
"And you're not getting those back until we get Appa." Katara added, finally melting the ice daggers pinning Jet.
...
Soon after, Jet lead the team to a dimly lit warehouse. It was huge and mostly empty, save for some scattered bags of animal feed and a few ropes.
"This is the place I heard about." Jet announced.
"Well I hate to burst your bubble, but there's nothing here." Sokka pointed out, gesturing to the vast empty space. "See, nothing."
"If this is a trap-" Katara threatened.
"I told you, I work nearby!" Jet insisted. "Two guys were talking about some giant furry creature they had, I figured it must be Appa!"
"I think it was!" Xia called out. "Look!"
She held up her hand, clutching a clump of white fur in her hands. Everyone ran over, Aang taking the clump from Xia. He ran his fingers through it, looking down sadly.
"We missed him." Aang lamented.
An old man with a broom shuffled past them, sweeping up the warehouse slowly and carefully.
"They took that big thing yesterday." he remarked, eliciting surprise from the entire group. "Shipped him out to some island. About time if you ask me. I've been cleaning up fur, and various, uhh... leavings all day."
"What island?" Aang asked. "Where's Appa?"
He zipped over to the janitor, who glanced over at Aang.
"Foreman said some rich royal type on Whale tail Island bought him up." he explained. "Guess for a zoo or such. Though, could be the meat that'd be good."
Aang gasped in horror at the thought of Appa getting eaten.
"We have to get to Whale tail Island!" he exclaimed before thinking for a moment. "Where's Whale tail Island?"
Sokka pulled out a map and searched for a moment. He then lowered it, looking dejected.
"Far." he reported. "Very far."
He set down the map, pointing to a tiny island shaped like a whale's tail fin.
"Here it is." he declared. "It's near the South Pole, almost all the way back home."
"That's not good." Xia spoke up. "It'll take weeks to get to the edge of the Earth Kingdom on foot, and then we'll have to find a boat to the island."
"I don't care." Aang replied. "We have a chance to find Appa! We have to try!"
"Must be nice to visit an island." the janitor muttered. "I haven't had a vacation for years."
"Don't you have some more hair to clean up?" Katara snapped irritably.
"Shuffle on, I get you." the old man sighed, returning to his duties. "No more need for Old Sweepy."
"Aang is right." Katara spoke up, getting back to the matter at hand. "Right now, our first concern has to be finding Appa. We can come back when we have him."
"Right, let's get moving." Sokka declared.
"I'll come with you." Jet offered.
Katara glared at him.
"We don't need your help." Katara snarled.
"Katara, ease up." Xia told her. "His lead panned out, and we could use all the help we can get."
She then handed Jet his swords back, which he slid into their sheaths.
"You're giving him back his weapons?" Katara exclaimed. "Are you nuts?"
"Why can't you trust me?" Jet asked.
Not waiting for an answer, he followed Aang, Sokka, and Xia out of the warehouse. Katara stood there glaring at him.
"Gee, I wonder." she deadpanned.
"Was this guy your boyfriend or something?" Toph asked.
Katara blushed furiously as she turned to Toph in a huff.
"What?" She exclaimed. "No!"
"I can tell you're lying." Toph told her in a singsong voice.
Katara took the opportunity to run away, catching up with the group. Toph did the same, though kept her 'boyfriend' comment to herself.
"We can take the train out to the wall but then we'll have to walk." Sokka reported.
"I know this shortcut through the southern Earth Kingdom where we can rent a boat for cheap." Xia reported. "Though considering I never returned that boat I borrowed, it may take some convincing to get another."
"Don't worry, I'm sure we can manage." Aang replied happily. "Besides, when we head back, we'll be flying again!"
"We're finally leaving Ba Sing se." Toph cheered, spreading her arms. "Worst… city… ever!"
As they walked farther down the street, two more familiar faces exited an alley. They turned towards the group, revealing themselves to be Longshot and Smellerbee. Upon seeing Jet amongst the group, they were both shocked.
"JET!" Smellerbee exclaimed.
The entire group stopped at Smellerbee ran up and hugged Jet around the stomach, Longshot in tow.
"We were so worried!" Smellerbee went on before finally releasing her leader. "How did you get away from the Dai Li?"
That threw the entire gang for a loop.
"The Dai Li?!" they exclaimed in unison.
"I don't know what she's talking about!" Jet insisted, pushing Smellerbee back.
"He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple of weeks ago." Smellerbee explained. "We saw them drag him away!"
"Why would I be arrested?" Jet argued. "I've been living peacefully in the city!"
Toph put her hand on the ground in between the two freedom fighters, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"This doesn't make any sense." She muttered. "They're both telling the truth."
"That's impossible." Katara replied.
"No, it's not!" Sokka realized. "Toph can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth. Jet's been brainwashed!"
Now all eyes were on Jet as the freedom fighter began to panic.
"That's crazy!" he tried to argue. "It can't be!"
The gang, Smellerbee, and Longshot all surrounded Jet, preventing him from running off.
...
That night, a Dai Li agent was making his rounds through the Lower Ring. As he walked, the Blue Spirit suddenly barreled past him, nearly knocking him off the road.
"Out of my way, skinny!" he shouted, never stopping.
The agent prepared to fire his rock glove, but paused as the Blue Spirit ducked into an alleyway. The agent gave chase and saw the Blue Spirit standing before him. He then fired his rock gloves at the figures chest and head. The first blow went right through him, and the second took his head clean off, revealing that it was only a straw dummy. Before the agent had a chance to properly register what had happened, a blade was pressed up against his throat by the real Blue Spirit.
"If you don't want to end up like him, you'll do what I say." He warned.
...
In a small hut that Smellerbee and Longshot had been staying in, the two of them and the gang stood in front of a seated Jet.
"The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead us, and that janitor was part of their plot, too!" Katara pieced together.
"I bet they have Appa here in the city." Aang guessed. "Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet!"
"Jet, where did they take you?" Xia asked.
"Nowhere!" Jet insisted. "I- I don't know what you're talking about!"
"We need to find a way to jog his real memories." Aang insisted.
Toph got a playful grin as she elbowed Katara.
"Maybe you should kiss him, Katara." she suggested. "That should bring something back!"
Katara turned beat red, punching Toph in the arm. This earned her a return punch before Xia physically got in between them.
"Does anyone else have any ideas?" She asked.
"I got one!" Sokka suggested.
He quickly plucked a straw from the mattress and poked into Jet's mouth. Jet sat there for a moment, then spat it out.
"I don't think it's working." He reported.
"Maybe he needs to recall something from his past." Katara suggested. "Something that evokes powerful emotions."
Xia perked up at that, glancing down at her hands.
"I think I know how to bring his memories back." she said quietly, almost fearfully.
The rest of the team turned towards her, having a good idea what she had in mind.
"Are you sure?" Aang asked. "You know how he feels about-"
"Yeah, I know." Xia interrupted. "But what choice do we have? It's the only way to save Appa."
Longshot's eyes narrowed and Smellerbee glanced at Xia nervously.
"Min, what are you thinking?" she asked.
Xia crouched down in front of Jet, extending her hand out in front of her, palm up.
"My name's not Min." she told her.
A small flame then manifested in her hand. Jet's eyes went wide and he fell out of his chair, scrambling back into the wall. Longshot's immediately reached for his bow, but Sokka intercepted him. Smellerbee went to get between Xia and Jet, but Katara quickly used the water in her water skin to freeze her feet in place.
"My name is Xia." she told them. "I am the princess of the Fire Nation, daughter of Firelord Ozai. More than that, I'm a firebender, just like the ones who destroyed your homes."
She then turned to Jet, willing the flames to grow.
"Just like the ones who murdered your parents when you were eight years old." she finished.
Sweat poured down Jet's brow as the memories came rushing back to him. A younger boy standing in the middle of his burning village, watching in horror as the Rough Rhinos tore everything apart, burning it all to ash. He let out a primal yell, lunging at Xia. She killed the flame as he pinned her to the ground, his hook swords crossed over her throat.
"Monster!" he shrieked.
The gang moved quickly to pull him off of her. Aang helped her sit up as Sokka set up Jet's chair, Toph pushing him into it. Smellerbee and Longshot were stunned, just staring at Xia.
"Jet was right..." Smellerbee whispered. "She is Fire Nation."
"In birthplace only." Xia replied. "I'm technically dead, though by now, I'm sure my father's realized I'm alive. Now, I'm just one of the most wanted traitors."
"You knew she was Fire Nation?!" Jet exclaimed. "She's the enemy!"
"She's our friend." Sokka corrected. "And from your racist speech, I'd say she managed to do what she promised."
Jet paused for a moment, though he was far from cowed.
"Look, you can hate me all you want." Xia spoke up, just sitting on the ground where Jet had left her. "But don't let that hatred stop you from doing the right thing."
"Please Jet." Aang begged. "Tell us where the Dai Li took you."
Jet took a breath and thought back, struggling to pierce the remaining fog. Images of a lake entered his mind, as well as a maze of tunnels and corridors beneath its surface. His mind then drifted back to the room with the lantern, and he quickly pulled himself back to reality.
"They took me to a headquarters under the water." Jet relayed. "Like a lake!"
"A lake?" Sokka questioned, something coming to him. "Would it happen to be Lake Laogai?"
"Yes!" Jet answered, hopping to his feet. "Lake Laogai!"
"Sokka, how'd you know?" Aang asked.
"Remember what Joo Dee said?" He replied. "She said she went on vacation to Lake Laogai. I bet she's been brainwashed as well!"
"It would explain a lot actually." Toph admitted.
"C'mon, we need to get to the lake!" Aang insisted.
...
The gang and the freedom fighters arrived at Lake Laogai, looking out at the pristine waters.
"Do you remember where the entrance is?" Sokka asked.
"The agents that took me used Earthbending to summon it above the water." Jet recalled, rubbing his head.
"Toph?" Aang asked.
Toph pointed off to her right.
"It's over there, by the shore." she reported.
Toph then walked over to the side of the shore and used her earthbending to bring up a slab of rock with an entrance at the end. She then walked to the end of the path, opening the lid as the rest of the gang came up. It revealed a long, dark tunnel underneath. Momo took one look at it and flew off, unwilling to go underground.
"So, who goes first?" Sokka questioned.
Xia went to step forward, but Jet's hook sword stopped her from doing so. She sighed, resuming her earlier position.
"I'm not your enemy, Jet." she told him.
"You're not a friend either." Jet retorted.
The rest of the gang went to argue, but Xia just held up a hand, shaking her head.
"I'll go first." Jet said, sliding into the tunnel and riding the ladder down to the bottom.
Smellerbee and Longshot followed, though they gave Xia sympathetic looks rather than the open hostility Jet displayed.
"Why'd you stop us?" Sokka questioned.
"Because my feelings aren't the issue right now." Xia answered, climbing onto the ladder. "Now c'mon. Appa's waiting for us."
She slid down the ladder as well, the rest of the gang following one by one. Once inside, they made their way down a long and ominous hallway illuminated by glowing green crystals. They kept close to the walls, ducking past the occasional Dai Li agent that would make their way across. They kept quiet as they peeked in various rooms. One sight in particular made everyone's skin crawl.
"I'm Joo Dee." a Dai Li agent prompted. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se."
"I'm Joo Dee." A room full of women with identical dresses, headpieces, and blank looks recited in perfect unison. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se."
"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order." The agent went on.
"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order." The women recited.
Katara shivered as they walked past, determined to finish their mission and get out of that horrible place.
"I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa up ahead." Jet told them. "I think it's through here."
He approached a lone door, slowly pushing it open.
...
Appa laid on the ground of his prison cell, chains anchoring each of his legs to the floor. When the door opened, he looked over sullenly, believing it to be one of his jailors. However, when he saw it was someone different, he rose to his feet, facing the door. He growled as none other than the Blue Spirit walked in.
"Expecting someone else?" He asked.
He entered the room, drawing his swords as Appa struggled to back away, snarling at his latest visitor.
...
The door Jet opened led into a massive room that was completely dark. The gang and the freedom fighters all walked in, the door slamming shut behind them as they did. The lights came on, revealing an entire legion of the Dai Li suspended from the ceiling. Across the room stood Long Feng and four other agents, much to the group's dismay.
"Fire ferrets." Xia cursed.
"You have made yourselves enemies of the state." Long Feng declared. "Take them into custody."
The Dai Li agents jumped off the ceiling and surround the two groups. Two agents fired rock gloves at them, but Toph broke them up and sent the two agents flying through the air with rock pillars. Jet ran toward the agents and broke another set of gloves with his swords before tripping another. Aang blasted two agents away via airbending while Xia smashed through another set of rock gloves, charging at the agent who threw them.
Sokka and Katara managed two destroy two Dai Li gloves, but a second pair grabbed them. They were dragged towards the responsible agents, but Toph saved them with a rock wall. The agents tried to retaliate with a dual earthbending attach, but she merely lifted herself out of the way with an earth pillar. The two agents summoned pillars of their own as two more scaled the walls on either side of Toph. Both shot horizontal pillars at her as the other two launched themselves. She avoided the first two, then jumped over the pillars.
As she shot the remaining agents back, an Earth hand grabbed her by the back of her shirt, pulling her to the ground. Jet swung and intercepted her before she hit the dirt. He landed with her as an agent shot out another rock glove. Luckily, Longshot easily shot it out of the air. Another pair of agents tried to attack Jet from behind, but Xia acted quickly.
"Look out!" she shouted.
Jet turned, just in time for her to dart in, smashing three of the rock hands. Jet smashed the fourth, glaring at her.
"I can handle myself!" he snapped.
"Never said you couldn't." Xia replied.
As the Freedom Fighters and the gang fought off the Dai Li, Long Feng took the opportunity to slip out the door. Aang noticed, using airbending to free himself from two agents.
"Long Feng's escaping!" He shouted.
"Not for long!" Both Jet and Xia shouted.
All three of them gave chase, Aang shooting the door down with earthbending as the others stayed behind to keep the Dai Li at bay. They followed Long Feng into a large room full of water pipes that fed into a canal surrounding the room. As they entered, the door was sealed shut with earthbending, Long Feng dropping down in front of it. The three turned to him, their weapons primed.
"Alright, Avatar." Long Feng spoke up. "You've caused me enough problems. This is your last chance… if you want your bison back."
"You DO have Appa!" Aang exclaimed. "I knew it!"
"Why keep Appa from us?" Xia questioned.
"A failsafe for situations such as these." Long Feng replied. "I will be more than happy to return him, if you agree to leave the city now."
"Not a chance!" Jet declared. "I've spent my life fighting against scumbags like you, and there's no way I'm going to just let you get away with this!"
"Brainwashing people, scaring them into submission, this is no way to live!" Xia proclaimed. "I thought I left all that behind when I came to the Earth Kingdom, but looking at you, all I see is the spitting image of Firelord Ozai!"
Long Feng perked up at this revelation, his eyes narrowing in contempt and anger.
"Last chance." He warned. "Leave this city, or else."
"You're in no position to make demands, Long Feng!" Aang snapped.
"Am I not?" Long Feng retorted before looking Jet square in the eyes. "Jet, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."
Jet instantly froze up, his pupils dilating upon hearing those words.
"I am honored to accept his invitation." Jet replied in a deadpan voice.
Before anyone could react, Jet turned violently on Aang and Xia, going in for the kill.
...
Back with Appa, he tried to lunge out at the Blue Spirit, but his chains prevented him from doing so.
"You're mine now." The Blue Spirit declared.
Just then, the door to the cell opened up, causing the Blue Spirit to turn in surprise. Standing in the door was none other than Iroh, a disappointed expression on his face.
"Uncle?" The Blue Spirit let out.
"So, this is the Blue Spirit." Iroh said, a note of sarcasm in his voice. "I wonder who could be behind that mask..."
The Blue Spirit sighed and removed his mask, revealing Zuko beneath.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I was about to ask you the same thing." Iroh replied, his tone betraying a hint of anger not usually seen in the peaceful old man. "What do you plan to do now that you've found the Avatar's bison? Keep him locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?"
"First I have to get it out of here." Zuko told him.
"And then what?!" Iroh snapped. "You never think these things through! You never take into account the consequences of your actions!"
"What consequences?" Zuko argued.
"The fact that by doing this, you would destroy any chance of a relationship with your sister again!" Iroh told him. "Do you honestly think she would ever trust you again after this?!"
"She already doesn't trust me!" Zuko shouted, pointing one of his swords at Appa. "She chose him! She chose the Avatar over her own brother!"
"She has made no such choice!" Iroh replied. "She kept the truth from you, yes, but only because she knew that if you learned he was here, you would throw everything away on a foolhardy mission with no hope of success!"
"It's the only chance I have to reclaim my destiny!" Zuko threw back.
"Is it your destiny," Iroh proposed, "or is it a destiny that someone else has tried to force on you?!"
"Stop it Uncle!" Zuko pleaded, turning his back to his uncle. "I have to do this!"
"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko!" Iroh yelled. "It's time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?"
Zuko let out a primal scream, throwing his swords and the Blue Spirit mask onto the ground.
...
Meanwhile, Aang and Xia did their best to dodge Jet's attacks, but the Freedom Fighters ferocity was something neither of them could handle, especially since neither wanted to hurt him. They dodged his wild attacks, both trying to reason with him.
"Jet, it's me!" Aang cried out. "It's Aang! You don't have to do this!"
"I'm afraid he no longer has a choice." Long Feng informed him.
Jet swung his swords, but Xia intercepted them, holding him back.
"Jet, listen to me." she begged. "You're stronger than this. Stronger than him!"
Xia quickly shoved him off, causing Jet to stumble before taking a fighting stance.
"Do your duty, Jet!" Long Feng ordered.
"You do what you think is best," Xia told him, "but I'm not gonna fight you."
She then tossed her swords aside, the blades spinning in the air before dropping into one of the water canals off to the side. Jet watched them fall, then looked at her.
"Remember when we first met? You told me that you wanted to protect innocent people from oppression." Xia told him. "You wanted to free the world, but if you allow yourself to be manipulated by Long Feng, then all of that will have been for nothing."
Jet was panting heavily as he moved towards her, his swords shaking. Aang went wide eyed, but Xia held up a hand, stopping him. Jet got right up in her face, his blades across her neck.
"You're more than a puppet." Xia told him. "You're Jet, Leader of the Freedom Fighters."
Upon hearing those last few words, Jet's posture straightened. Memories of his Freedom Fighters flooded back to him. All the times he helped people, from protecting the gang from the fire nation camp to liberating food for the refugees. All of it hit him all at once, breaking through his brainwashing. His eyes cleared as he stood there, reeling from the shock.
"Do it!" Long Feng ordered. "Do it now!"
Jet looked at Xia standing before him, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful. He then spun around and threw his sword at Long Feng, who dodged it and countered by uplifting a pillar right at Jet. It collided hard, shattering ribs on impact and knocking Jet to the ground. Aang gasped in horror as Xia covered her mouth.
"Jet!" she cried out.
"Foolish boy." Long Feng snarled as he escaped through a nearby pipe. "You've chosen your own demise."
As Long Feng got away, Aang and Xia ran towards Jet, who was barely conscious on the ground. He turned to them, a pained expression on his face.
"Saved by a firebender..." Jet wheezed out. "Never thought that… would happen."
"Don't talk." Aang told him. "Save your strength."
"You'll be okay." Xia insisted. "Just hang on."
The door Long Feng had sealed opened up, allowing the rest of their friends to enter. When they saw the scene before them, everyone was horrified. They gathered around Jet as Katara summoned her water from her water skin. She applied it to Jet's wound, but grimaced immediately. Retracting the water, she recorked her water skin, sadly shaking her head.
"His wounds..." Katara dreaded. "I can't heal them..."
"You guys go and find Appa." Smellerbee insisted. "We'll take care of Jet."
"We're not going to leave you." Xia insisted. "Not like this."
"There's no time." Longshot spoke up, much to everyone's surprise. "We'll take care of him. He's our leader."
Everyone stared in surprise, but snapped out of it as Jet spoke again.
"Just go..." he told them. "I'll be fine."
Reluctantly, everyone turned to go. Before Xia could, Jet weakly grabbed her hand. She looked down, watching as he nudged his hook sword towards her.
"Take them…" He insisted. "You'll need them… more than I will…"
She hesitated, then took up his sword.
"Thank you." she told him.
"I was wrong… when I said… you weren't a friend..." he wheezed. "I'm sorry… it took so long… to see it."
His grip on her loosened and his arm fell limp. Smellerbee dropped to her knees, crying heavily. Xia stood up, looking at the hook sword in her hand before tightening her grip. She ran off to catch up with her friends, pulling the second one from the wall as she did.
...
After reaching the end of the underground complex, the group finally stumbled across Appa's holding cell. By the time they got there, all that remained were the unlocked chains and large tufts of fur.
"Appa's gone!" Aang exclaimed.
"Long Feng beat us here!" Sokka declared.
Xia stepped on something and looked down, gasping when she laid eyes on the Blue Spirit mask. She picked it up, feeling a small engraving on the inside. Slipping it, she found a simple message.
I'm sorry.
Aang saw the mask, recognizing it immediately. He kept silent though as Xia tied the mask onto her belt.
"There's still time." She insisted. "If we hurry, we might be able to catch up with Appa."
...
The group emerged from the underground catacombs on the other side of the lake. Toph kicked through the door so they could climb out. As they ran, several Dai Li agents pursued them, with more pouring out of the exit.
"Think we can outrun them?" Sokka questioned.
"I don't think it's gonna matter." Aang replied, gesturing to another group of Dai Li agents in front of them, led by Long Feng.
The group in front of them lifted up a large barrier stretching from the shore line to the cliff face. The group behind them did the same, trapping the gang in a literal box. The Dai Li took positions on both the walls and prepared to strike. Just then, Momo flew down, chittering happily and excitedly.
"What is it, Momo?" Aang asked.
In response, Momo took off into the sky, disappearing from sight. Then, Appa came soaring in, roaring proudly.
"Appa!" Aang cried out.
Appa flew down and slashed through the rock walls, scattering the Dai Li agents. Aang and Toph quickly used their Earthbending to knock several more off of the cliff face and into the lake. Appa then made a quick turnaround, landing in front of Long Feng before snarling.
"I can handle you myself." Long Feng told him.
Long Feng then charged at Appa, only for Appa to grab him by the leg and throw him out into the lake. Long Feng skipped out across the water twice before finally splashing down, Appa spitting out his shoe. Everyone cheered at that.
"Yeah!" Sokka said, punching the air. "Three points for Appa!"
Aang dashed forward and leaped onto Appa's head, hugging him as hard as he could.
"I missed you, buddy." Aang let out.
Appa closed his eyes and allowed happy tears began to fall. Xia looked down at the mask on her belt, sighing in utter relief.
"Thank you, Zuko." She whispered.
The group then gathered in for a group up, relieved to finally have everyone back together.