Kuei walked with a bowed head as they stepped out on the station platform and Aang came jumping down from above landing next to Zuko.

It was clear though. Even Aang could feel that some thing had happened as the air seemed tense. He opened his mouth to ask but Sokka managed to catch his eye and shake his head.

"This way please." Zuko gestured with his hand. "Your majesty."

Zukos voice was cold. And somehow it sounded like a parent being very disappointed in a child. Kueis head bowed a bit more. Seemed like he had caught the tone as well.

Strangely enough he wasn't even objecting to it and quietly walked.

By the sight of the group people gasped and moved aside to allow the Dai-Li guards room. Long Feng was firmly looking forward. The air was tense and then finally they stepped outside.

Kuei blinked as he looked up. His eyes widened. "What… What is this this place?" he asked.

"This." Zuko spoke calmly. "Is your city. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." he gestured.

Kuei was wide-eyed looking in front of himself and the others looked with him. They weren't really shocked as they saw it.

The tiny houses squeezed together, people in rags scurrying around. Even the lower ring had different sections, some nicer than others. But Zuko had obviously been choosing this train station deliberately.

Kuei looked around at the incredible number of people swarming around. Though by all times they kept at a distance to the Dai-Li not daring to even look at them.

Kuei frowned as he looked at a couple of children playing in the street. "That girl doesn't have shoes." he pointed at her. "Why doesn't she have shoes?"

Long Feng sighed. "Some parents are terrible neglectful. That is no concern of ours that some mothers can't be bothered to take care of their own children. It is the mothers fault, not yours."

"Or maybe she just can't afford shoes." Aang commented. "Or maybe that girl doesn't even have parents. There are a lot of orphans these days! War orphans."

"War… Orphans?" Kuei turned to Long Feng again.

"Sir! These people are out to poison your mind with lies to fullfill their own agenda." Long Feng said. "You do not need to listen."

Kuei frowned.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Zuko said. "We are just talking a walk. Who are you to say that the earth king can't take a walk? I mean if you have nothing to hide."

Kueis eyes widened as he looked at Zuko and then he turned to Long Feng.

Long Feng who stood firm. "There is no need for his majesty to know of these smaller inconsequential things." he said. "The matters he deals with are much more important."

"More important than his own people?" Aang asked. "What could possible be more important than the people? What is a King with no people? He's there to guide them."

"And he does!" Long Feng said. "As a glorious symbol! A sign of our great potential as a people! Your majesty." he turned to Kuei. "You know I have only ever done what I thought was best for you." he said.

Kuei looked at Long Feng as he took a long shaking breath and then he turned to Zuko. "Where to next Prince Zuko?" he asked.

"Right this way your majesty." Zuko invited with a bow and a hand gesture. He couldn't help but smile as he did so and Kuei walked with a raised head leaving Long Feng behind and they all walked with Kuei and Zuko.

Toph couldn't help herself but stick out her tongue as she passed Long Feng. "Bleeeh." she made a sound making Long Fengs eyes twitch again.

They made their way down some more cramped places, earning many strange looks around them and Kuei kept looking around. Confusing and wonder in his eyes.

"I don't understand." Kuei said. "Why don't they just move to the upper ring?" he asked.

That made the entire team avatar look at Kuei as if he was the worlds biggest idiot.

"Sir we can't just let these people move to the upper ring." Long Feng said. "look what they have done to their own home. They would just bring the same destruction to ours."

Kuei frowned deeply as the cry of a baby cut through the air and the baby kept crying and wailing.

"Would someone shut that child up?" Long Feng asked annoyed.

"Mam." A Dai-Li grabbed the woman with the baby in question. "Make your child quiet."

"I… I'm sorry." The woman cried as she looked up. "He's just hungry. He hasn't eaten all day!"

"Then feed him you ignorant woman." Long Feng seethed. "See what I mean your majesty?" he asked.

"I… I would." The woman cried. "But I don't have any food!" she said. "Please good sir! If you have a coin to spare." she swallowed.

Long Fengs eyes narrowed. "See your majesty. A woman to lazy to work. And now she cries because her lack of discipline leaves her own child hungry."

"That's enough!" Aang shouted as he stepped forward. "If you had spend just more than one single day in this ring. You would know there isn't enough food to go around and not enough jobs for everybody! You should be ashamed of yourself." he said then turned back to the woman. "Here." he found a coin in his own purse. "Go get some food."

The woman nodded as she scrambled off tears flowing down her face.

Kuei frowned. "Why?" he asked. "Why isn't there enough food to go around? I have been told we have plenty of fields between the inner and outer wall."

"Because of the war your majesty." Zuko said. "There is a war going on out there! And your people are fleeing in masses to this city! To seek the protections of the walls! The food you have is being shared between all the soldiers fighting in the war and the citizens. There isn't enough! Or well maybe there would be if you had a ration and distribution plan!"

"War… You keep bringing up that war." Kuei said. "Who would we be at war with?"

"The fire nation." Zuko spoke coldly. "I all ready told you didn't I. How I got this scar." he pointed at his own face. "I objected to my fathers plan of sacrificing fire nation soldiers in one of his attempts to conquer more Earth Kingdom land. Here's another titbit for you." he said as he stepped forward. "He went through with it. It went according to plan and he took another piece of your land."

"I…. I don't know." Kuei swallowed. "This is a lot to be asked to believe."

"LOOK AT THIS!" Zuko shouted. "I dare you to look these people in the eye! They are desperate and scared. Most doesn't even want to be here but there is no-where else to go! The fire nation has taken their homes! Their cities! Their land! And you are sitting in your palace holding birthday parties for your Pet Bear!" he said. "I would be very ashamed if I were you."

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Kuei shouted loudly and then he halted. He swallowed as he stood. Shaking.

"Sir… They wanted you to doubt yourself." Long Feng whispered. "Look at what they all ready did. You do not need to concern yourself with any of this. You wished to go to the Zoo. You may go."

"I may go?" Kuei looked at Long Feng. "How do you get to tell me where I go?" he asked. "I'm the king!"

"Yes! Of course. I didn't mean to disrespect you. Forgive me." Long Feng said holding up his hands.

Kuei hissed clearly starting to get annoyed. "Long Feng. I don't want to hear a word more out of you before I have gotten to the bottom of this." he stated. Then he hissed as he held his own forehead. "This is so confusing. How do I even know what is true?"

"If you desire my advice." Zuko said. "You asked me if I would trust my own advisors. The hard answer was no. Never trust anyone outright. And yes that also means you shouldn't trust me either. Or the Avatar. You should not be trusting us outright. Only trust what you see with your own eyes." he said. "So use those eyes and have a look!"

Kuei glanced up and was ones again faced with the poverty and thin people. You could outright see the shame rising in his eyes. And he looked like he wanted to sink into the ground and vanish.

Then he sucked in a breath. "I need to see more." he said.

Zuko nodded. "Good. I'm glad to see we may still be able to reach an understanding."

Kuei squinted his eyes. "You should know that no one has ever dared talk to me like you have today."

"Then perhaps it was about time." Zuko replied evenly.

"Has anyone ever talked that way to you? Crown Prince Zuko." Kuei asked in a dry tone.

Zuko couldn't help it. He chuckled amused. "I was lucky if a stern talking was all I got. Did you forget about this all ready?" he pointed at his scar.

Kuei looked down in shame. His small attempt to regain a bit of dignity had clearly been lost even before it started.

They kept walking. They arrived at another station where trains came from the outer wall and fresh refuges got off.

They went to the shelters where newly arrived was housed and realized newly arrived was only allowed to stay for about three weeks. Then if they hadn't found somewhere to live it was out on the street.

Kuei didn't speak much more but quietly tried to take it all in. Shame in his eyes and finally they stopped.

Kuei stood with closed eyes. Shaking lightly.

"Your majesty." Aang said as he stepped forward. "You are at war with the fire nation. We came here because we wanted to join forces."

Kuei glanced up. "Avatar Aang. This certainly proofs that things are not right in this city. But it doesn't proof we are at war. Prince Zuko said himself, I shouldn't trust anyones words. Do you have any proof?"

The team all looked at each other and then Sokka lightened up.

"Yes! Yes we do!" Sokka stated.

"We do?" Aang asked.

"Yup." Sokka smirked. "We're going to the outer wall now." he said and the others looked up.

"You don't mean?" Katara asked.

"The drill!" Toph cheered. "Brilliant Sokka! They can't have hidden that!"

There had been no stopping the King. Here they were… On the wall and the King looked down at the giant drill down below them his eyes wide.

"What happened here?" Kuei asked in a whisper.

Long Feng turned his head. At least he seemed to have realized, there was no longer any fighting this. He was not allowed to speak. Even if he tried they would silence him and it was General Sung who stepped forward.

"It was a fire nation attack your majesty." General Sung spoke. "They almost breached the wall using this. If it hadn't been for the Avatar and his companions." he halted.

Kuei swallowed and he turned to Sung. "General… Are we at war with the fire nation?"

Sungs eyes widened. "Why… Yes sir." he said. "We are."

"For how long have we been at war?" Kuei asked.

"The hundred year anniversary is later this year sir." Sung replied in a defeated tone. "Your own parents were defeated in an attack."

Kueis eyes widened. "What?" he asked.

Zuko swallowed. He honestly felt bad. "How did you think they died?" he asked Kuei.

"Assassins." Kuei said. "Opportunists. Who killed them when they were on a diplomatic journey."

"Sir…" Sung spoke quietly. "They were indeed on a diplomatic journey. They were travelling towards the fire nation to negotiate peace with fire lord Azulon. The fire nation abused their good will and ambushed them. It was fire nation soldiers who killed your parents. The plan was to lure out the earth kingdom army so they could take them and that would leave Ba Sing Se defenceless." he said. "The plan though failed as Long Feng ordered that we did not retaliate."

Kuei was shaking. He closed his eyes.

"King Kuei." Zuko spoke quietly. "Who told you it was assassins who killed your parents?"

"Long Feng." Kuei whispered quietly.

"Who told you that you shouldn't be leaving the palace?" Zuko asked again.

"Long Feng." Kuei replied.

Zuko sucked in a breath. "Who told you… That you didn't need to worry about your own citizens. That everything is all right. That the world is at peace. That you shouldn't even talk to your own generals?"

There was silence. A long silence.

Kuei closed his eyes as he looked down and then spoke. "Long Feng." he said.

There was a long stretch of silence.

Kuei was standing with a bowed head and then… A tear fell down his cheek.

"Sir." Long Feng spoke up. "I did what I had to do. To protect this city. To protect you. I have always been loyal."

"You lied to me!" Kui turned to him tears falling down his face. "I trusted you! You told me everything was fine!" he said. "You said I was doing a good job! That I was good at serving the people!"

"And I meant it!" Long Feng. "Don't forget who was there for you as you grew up. Every day I visited you. I tugged you into bed when you had nightmares for goodness sake. I just wanted to protect you."

"He wanted you to stay a child." Zuko spoke. "Forever. So he could keep the power for himself."

Kuei sniffed. "It's true." he whispered. "He was the one who would tug me into bed. The only. Sit at my side on my birthdays. Arrange the zoo keeper to come with his animals."

"You were to young." Long Feng said. "You were four when your parents died. You shouldn't have to worry about a war."

"I'm not four now am I?" Kuei asked. "Prince Zuko is younger than I am. And he has seen far more of the earth kingdom than I have! How does that make any sense?!"

Long Feng hissed. "Your majesty you don't understand! There is a delicate balance in Ba Sing Se! If you break it people will panic! Everything we worked for would be lost!"

"We?" Kuei asked. "You mean everything you have worked for! I don't even know what you have been doing. I don't even know you." he swallowed then looked down as he lifted a hand. "Take him away." he asked in a broken voice. "Long Feng is now under arrest." he swallowed. "For conspiracy against the throne."

And at ones the soldiers came and grabbed Long Feng.

"NO!" Long Feng shouted as he struggled. "Your majesty! You don't know what you're doing! You need me!"

Kuei how-ever turned away.

"Sir!" Long Feng shouted as they dragged him away. "Your majesty! KING KUEI!"

It was no use though. Long Feng was dragged away and Kuei stood with a bowed head.

"I'm sorry." Zuko whispered as he stepped up beside Kuei. "I know what it's like when the man who should have been a father to you betrays you. It hurts."

Kuei swallowed as he held a hand over his chest. Grabbing the cloth.

"I… I don't know anything." Kuei whispered. "About my own kingdom."

Zuko put a hand on his shoulder. "Then it's time to learn." he offered Kuei a smile. His first genuine smile towards the earth king.

And somehow. Kuei couldn't help but respond. Though it was a very sad smile.

"I'm going to be honest with you." Zuko said. "This wont be easy. Having an entire people rely on you is quite frankly terrifying."

Kuei glanced down. "I think I owe them to at least try."

"That's the spirit." Zuko replied in a soft smile. "And… Something else I can tell you. Ones you start standing on your own two feet. As you get stronger. You'll feel better to. A lot better." he said. "And finding people you can really trust. That's pretty amazing too." he said looking towards the horizon.

"But I can't trust anyone." Kuei said. "Not any more."

"Well." Zuko said. "We hope we will be able to earn your trust." he said in a smile. "Of course if you are willing to give us your trust. That's entirely up to you."

Kuei nodded as he swallowed. "I see." he simply said.