Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender in any shape or form.
Zuko was happy.
The sun was shining brightly, they recently moved into their new apartment in the Upper Ring, and he was free from the horrible fever. He was proud for his uncle's new tea shop—they weren't living in the slums anymore and for once he felt peaceful in his new life.
It also helps that he was going to see the young woman who keeps invading his mind again.
Although they had just departed yesterday, she was going to the grand opening of their tea house to see them. Ameya was going to see him and Zuko could not stop the silly smile from emerging on his lips at that thought.
"You seem happy," Iroh's voice broke through his thoughts and the young man only smiled sheepishly in response. "Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."
The elder did not miss the sudden change in his nephew's demeanor since the breakthrough of his fever. This was the most relaxed he had seen the banished prince in for three years—even when he had the Avatar in his grasp, Zuko was always anxious and impatient.
Iroh could not help but wonder if it had to do with the blue eyed thief they once held in custody. He knew for a fact now that it has to be—she had stayed dutifully by Zuko's side when he had been bedridden and only left once he was well. He was there when Ameya had said she would visit again and he saw the way Zuko had smiled at her then—content and hopeful.
Iroh had hoped with all his heart for this peaceful time to stay—for a new life in Ba Sing Se.
"It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop. Things are looking up, Uncle." Zuko replied cheerfully, sitting down on their dining table and looking out into the bright blue sky.
Iroh could only smile in response at his positive behavior.
Ameya entered the Upper Ring in casual Earth Kingdom clothes. It was not as elegant as the robes she wore during her visit to the Lower Ring but it was nice enough for her to blend in. She was not surprised to see how different the rings were compared to each other—it was almost like a completely different city from the one she had been living in.
The Middle Ring was nice—it had trees and streams with a large variety of buildings. The Upper Ring on the other hand seems to have expanded on that but much grander—more elegant. There were a variety of shrubbery and colorful buildings, some shops had statues stationed outside and Ameya thought she saw some decorations were pure gold.
She walked leisurely around, observing the lush vegetation and the blasé residents along the way. Ameya didn't think it was possible for civilians to walk around with so much expensive jewelry and lavish robes as she saw while in the Upper Ring.
It was almost tempting to try and steal something with how open the rich were in their wealth but she held back. She could not afford to jeopardize the new life she had created here.
She made her way to a jewelry shop in the Upper Ring. Ameya had already gone through most of the shops in the Middle Ring for any type of clues relating to the small jewel she kept hidden but no one was able to provide her sufficient answers besides admiring the beauty of it. She was certain the Upper Ring must know something with how cherished their materialistic love were.
Ameya passed by various of shops designed to pamper the wealth, high class clothing stores, and something called 'Fancy Lady Day Spa' and wondered how these people can live so comfortably with war threatening their livelihood beyond the walls. It was different from how she had grown up as—how she survived through the Fire Nation attacks and felt bitter to the clueless civilians. They did not know how blessed they were to be in the safe confines of Ba Sing Se while others struggled to even flee to the Lower Ring.
She snapped out of her thoughts once she arrived at a building larger than the house she had stayed in with the sign 'Emerald Jewels' hanging in the front and walked in. Brilliant, colorful jewels were left out hanging on display behind glass cases and some even had prices with so many zeros on them she could not count with one hand. Ameya was never one for jewelry—she only saw it as a way for coins, but she had to admit, some of them were well made.
"Welcome!" An excited voice boomed from behind a counter and the young woman turned towards the shopkeeper's direction, smiling kindly at the mustached man. "Interested in some accessories, lovely lady?"
"I was hoping you may help me," Ameya smiled pleasantly, pulling out the ring from her ribbon. "I found this in the streets earlier but I did not recognize the marksmanship on it. I want to return it to the owner as soon as possible."
The older man took the ring carefully, pulling out a magnifying glass to study it over. His eyes scanned over the trinket in wonder, nodding to himself then back to the young woman who was waiting patiently.
"Well I have not seen this symbol for many years. Let me see if I have a record of it," he disappeared into the back room, leaving Ameya alone in the front. She absentmindedly glanced over the shining necklaces and bracelets, wondering how easy it would be to just nab one while he was gone.
She quickly reprimanded herself. She can't be having these thoughts anymore.
The owner returned shortly with a thick book in his hand and she smiled at his returning, keeping an eye on the ring in his hand. He set the book in front of them and flipped through the pages, looking between the ring and symbols on the parchment.
"Hmm…ah! Here it is. The insignia matches the one of the Jia De house but I'm afraid you won't be able to return this anytime soon."
Ameya furrowed her brows curiously. "Why not?"
"The house disbanded over a decade ago," he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, "Now where did you get this ring again?"
Her hands reached out to snatch the ring back, brushing a strand of hair away from her face in mock confidence and smiled at the man.
"Like I said, I found it. Maybe someone may still be at their old estate…do you happen to know where it is?"
The shopkeeper glance her over and with a shrug; he gave her directions to the Jia De estate. Ameya thanked him kindly, walking away with practiced, smooth strides before making her way to the other side of the city.
Why did someone send her a ring that belonged to a house abandoned? It seemed to still be recognizable in the Lower Ring and yet the shopkeeper had said it had been disbanded. What was the reason for that—why does she have it now?
Who sent it to her?
It took a while before Ameya made it in front of a rundown building that looked like it had seen better days. She didn't doubt the estate to be grand back in its prime but the years had worn down the paint and structure of the walls surrounding the house.
She raised a hand to knock on the wooden door, calling for someone to answer but to no avail. The door was locked from the other side and even after waiting and calling for at least ten minutes, no one answered.
She glanced around, noticing the lack of civilians in this part of the city and circled the building. If lucky, she might be able to scale the wall and hop in with no notice. The trees growing around the area were still maintained, probably to keep up the beautiful image of the Upper Ring, and she climbed onto one easily.
There were no signs of life beyond the courthouse. There were barrens of dirt stretched within—so different from the bountiful plants just outside their wall. She hopped in once she was certain no one was around and landed on the earth softly.
It really did look as abandoned it appeared. There were a few roof tiles fallen to the ground and the green paint had faded almost nonexistent on the pillars. She ignored the cobwebs and insects underneath the stairs and examined the entrances of the house.
Ameya was lucky to find a window unlocked on the side of the building. She opened it quietly, sneaking into the estate just like how she had done plenty of times before and closed the window behind her. It was dark within the house but the light shining through the paper windows were bright enough to see the décor.
It was just like any other rich nobles home she seen before—but maybe a little emptier. She imagined the home to once be furnished with elegant wooden furniture, beautiful drapes that once hanged on the windows were now set aside on the floor, and a thin layer of dust floated within the building. She felt a small sense of emptiness at the barren household and walked along the hallway.
Her quiet footsteps echoed through the empty house on the creaky boards. She walked past the kitchen, dining room, a few empty storage rooms, and more before she made it to the main room where chairs were set up against the wall to welcome guests from the entrance.
Ameya surveyed the room, noticing very few furniture to be in this area as well then turned towards the wall. A cream color cloth had covered a giant painting on the wall and she looked at it curiously, making her way to wall. Her fingers brushed upon the soft fabric and with a gentle pull, the fabric fell from the painting.
Dust clouded up the room as soon as she removed the curtain and she coughed quietly, waving her hands in front of her. Once the dust cleared, she focused on the large painting of who was once head of the Jia De household.
Olive green eyes stared straight ahead and dark brown hair was pulled back in an elegant braid. The woman was sitting down confidently in traditional Earth Kingdom colors and robe. Although the colors had faded considerably, Ameya recognized the high cheekbones of Lu Jie and her wily smile.
Her head spun.
Why was the lady in the painting Lu Jie? Why did Lu Jie never mention her family in Ba Sing Se? Why was the Jia De house disbanded? Who got a hold of the ring—and who sent it to her?
Was Lu Jie—still alive?
Ameya was too shocked to register footsteps approaching the main gate. She was too distracted to notice the main entrance door to open until it was too late, casting bright light to shine through the house and she whirled around quickly.
Three Dai Li agents greeted her with a stern gaze; the one in the front was practically glaring at her under his helmet. She froze, heart rate accelerating at getting caught in the abandoned estate.
"Why are you here?" The leader demanded sharply.
She faltered. Being apprehended by the Dai Li would definitely end her peaceful life in the city. She did not uncover the truth yet—she could not rot in cell in the Earth Kingdom capital—she knew for a fact she would not be able to escape. Her head came up with multiple lies to answer his question but none guaranteed her safety.
One thing she knew for certain was this estate once belonged to Lu Jie. Ameya could not reveal personal ties to the woman—not yet. There was no one she could trust but herself.
"I guess you caught me," she raised her hand up peacefully, "I was hoping to steal some trinkets from here but it looks like all there were are dust bunnies and outdated wood."
She will play innocent for now—well as innocent she can be. A lowly thief is not an uncommon act for her; she was raised as one. It would be best to see how the situation plays out now.
The Dai Li leader narrowed his dark eyes on her and with a nod of his head, an agent from the back stepped up to arrest her. Ameya tensed as they held her arms back but she was not ushered away, forced on her knees instead to kneel in front of the leader.
"We received a report that someone was looking for the Jia De household…a young woman with blue eyes and black hair," he studied her closely and his hand reached out to the ribbon around her neck, pulling it loose to reveal the ring she had hoped to keep hidden. "The question is, why and how do you have this ring?"
"I found it," she answered quickly, focusing at the jewel in his hand. "So it's mine now."
The Dai Li leader grabbed her chin, pulling her to look at him in the eye and she could not resist the glare from emerging. She hate treating to roughly, disliked being touched and disabled no matter how much of an act it may be.
"The Jia De has been disbanded for twelve years now and all of their personal possessions have been detained. There is no reason for their family ring to fall into your hands—now tell me, thief, how did you get this ring?"
Her brows furrowed in confusion and she wish she knew who sent that to her as well. But it appears nothing Ameya says will get through to them—especially if they can see through her lies. She wanted answers though and this Dai Li agent seems more than willing to talk. If she can play her cards right, maybe she will get some answers herself.
"Why did the Jia De household disband? You didn't murder the head, did you?" She accused pointedly.
"You're in no position to talk."
"Then you're not getting the answers you want."
His arm rose immediately and Ameya steeled herself for the impact. However, no pain came except the breeze from his sleeve as he lowered his hand swiftly. The Dai Li leader glared at her; it would disgraceful to harm an imprisoned woman.
"The Jia De had been conspiring against the will of the Earth Kingdom. We, the Dai Li, the keepers of peace, will eliminate all threats."
Ameya could not believe it. She could not imagine Lu Jie as someone to overthrow the government so she took his words with little grain of salt. They had probably suspected her to be a threat to them as well—especially if she had been poking around the estate.
But why did her ring still granted her clearance to the Middle Ring even though she belonged to the Upper Ring? Did no one else in the city know of the conspiracy? Or was the ring just bait? But they should have no idea on how to reach her.
"So the jewelry shopkeeper reported me as soon as he saw the ring," she stated.
"As far as they know, the Jia De disbanded because their wealth ran out and the head disappeared. Some may still recognize the symbol in the Lower Rings but no one from the household would be foolish enough to return." He smirked at her then, "I'm glad someone has. Long Feng would be pleased by your arrival. Now, I will ask one last time: where did you get the ring?"
She was hoisted on her feet again and all Ameya could do was smile pleasantly at the Dai Li leader.
"I found it."
She kicked behind her fiercely, making impact with one of her capturer's leg and the hold on her wrist loosened. Her arms reached out to steal the ribbon and ring back from the leader and ran straight to the entrance.
Ameya cannot get caught now. She knew too much—she was certain they would not keep her in a simple prison cell. Her head still spun with unanswered questions and even with the new tidbits of information, it only arose more questions.
The earth rumbled behind her and she turned around to see the agents chase her. One of them had earthbended a trail heading straight in her direction and another moved to shoot out a glove made of rocks. She made a beeline to the entrance, dodging left and right quickly and rounded the corner of the outer wall surrounding the estate.
The wall crumbled and rock scattered in front of her, one of the agents blasted through it just to cut her off and the other ones were right on her tail. Ameya gasped as the ground beneath her opened up and she fell downwards into the earth.
Ameya's hand reached out to the dirt, trying to ease her fall but her body rolled roughly against the path. A sharp pain hit the back of her head and her vision began to fade, her world enveloping in darkness.
"Are you happy, Ameya?"
The eleven year old looked up at the beautiful lady, nodding her head with a shy smile on her pale lips. The child twirled around in an elegant yellow robe decorated with green trim and gold embroidery, posing just as Lu Jie had shown her before and giggled to herself.
"Yes I am. Thank you for having this made for me, Lady Lu Jie." She bowed politely to the older woman but she merely patted the young girl's head, a kind smile on her painted lips.
"Nonsense. I was younger than you when I had my first robe made. It makes you feel different, doesn't it?" She eyed the younger girl playfully and her olive eyes shifted to her husband walking by. "Xiao, look! Doesn't Ameya look adorable?"
The elder man turned to look at the two girls and the corner of his lips twitched upwards. He looked the younger child over and although it was a well made outfit, it was unfit for fighting. He voiced his opinion openly.
"She won't be able to maneuver easily in it."
Lu Jie shot him an exaggerated look. "Not everything has to be related to dueling," she grimaced, "Ameya shouldn't have to grow up learning swordsmanship."
"I don't mind, Lady Lu Jie," the child piped up.
Her olive eyes softened at her and smiled once more. "Just know you're never alone. You'll find allies in unexpected place."
She sneaked a glance at Xiao and the man pulled out a small Pai Sho tile. He handed the small chip to Ameya and she took it with dainty fingers, rolling the tile over to observe the white lotus mark.
"But I won't be alone—I have Master Xiao and Lady Lu Jie."
At that time, she did not understand why the smile they sent her looked so painful. Ameya wished there was a way to know when the peaceful times were going to end, then—maybe then she could prevent the tragedy that was bound to occur or at least cherish the moment longer.
But instead, she fell asleep peacefully that night, unaware of the conversation the two adults had in her absence.
"I'm scared, Xiao. What if the Dai Li were to invade here one day? What if the Fire Nation decides to come one day? I want a peaceful life—I want Ameya to grow up without fear. I don't want our past to haunt her."
"The Dai Li would never leave the capital; we are too far from it and the Fire Nation would not roam these areas. It will be alright, Lu Jie. I know you've come to care for Ameya but she must grow on her own too."
"I don't like it. I don't want her to be dragged into this war. If we were back in Ba Sing Se—I could do more than just have robes made for her."
"But we're not. The government has turned corrupt and the moment they caught whiff of the White Lotus movement, Long Feng snuffed us out. The Jia De household may be gone but we still have brethrens in the city—that I believe." A pause. "I can never apologize enough for dragging you into this…you would still be treated like royalty if I never told you about our society."
"The White Lotus transcends the four nations…bonding together to seek philosophy, beauty, and truth. I think that's a wonderful cause and I never once regretted leaving the capital." Lu Jie pressed her lips to his, "Especially if it was for you."
Zuko watched the night sky with distracted gold eyes, barely focusing on sweeping the floor of their tea shop. The grand opening of the Jasmine Dragon had been successful; there was barely time for him to take a break at the nonstop orders. He was glad they were able to hire a few other workers to help out but throughout all the faces he's seen, Zuko did not recognize one with blue eyes and black hair.
Ameya did not come today. She said she would visit them during the opening of the tea house and yet—she did not. He briefly wondered if she had simply forgotten and a small part of him grew anxious at her disappearance.
Did she run away? Did she get lost?
Was she safe?
He didn't care if she shows up late—he would like to see her at least once. A figure walked into the entrance of the tea house and Zuko looked up, disappointment filled him when it was an older man that arrived and not the young thief.
"A message from the Royal Palace." The messenger delivered a scroll to Iroh and walked away.
Iroh unraveled the scroll excitedly, reading over the contents on the parchment and his amber eyes light up in happiness.
"I...I can't believe it!"
"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko appeared next to him curiously.
"Great news! We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!" Iroh ran off to prepare for his tea and Zuko smiled at his uncle's back happily.
At least things were still going smoothly for them. He continued to sweep the floor of the shop and hoped that Ameya would at least arrive tomorrow before they leave for the Royal Palace.
Author's Notes:
Brief explanation in case you did not catch onto the hints in this chapter: Lu Jie and Xiao were part of the White Lotus but after discovering the corrupted government, they tried to reason with others but end up being hunted by the Dai Li. Lu Jie's house, the Jia De, were abolished and they escaped. The one who sent the ring to Ameya was an unknown White Lotus member seeking help—thinking the ring would reach Lu Jie or Xiao.
Well—next chapter would be 'The Crossroads of Destiny'…
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! I had a nice day and delicious cake.
Reviews are always loved! I hope you're all ready for the next update!