Chapter 6: There's a Monster in Lake Logai

The days following Moro and Lee's fountain dip had triggered a real change in her no one in the neighborhood had expected to see. She started hanging around the market less and spent more time on rooftops around the Lower Ring, offering to patch roofs in exchange for gold or food.

That's why she found herself on Pao's roof with smudges of coal across her nose and forehead, a bag of tiles at her side and a farmer's tan forming on her bare shoulders. Pao had given her 20 gold pieces for the job, along with free tea and dumplings for the rest of the month, so of course she'd accepted.

It was easy money and it kept her out of the eyes of the Dai Li, everybody wins!

She sealed another tile in place with a smear of tar when something smacked her in the face. It took her a moment to regain her bearings enough to pull the piece of paper from her eyes, shaking her head and looking at the flyer crumbled in her fist.

It was a poster, specifically a poster with the words Missing Sky Bison written in thick, black letters. It even had a drawing of the animal, and judging by the arrow on the beast's forehead, it meant the Avatar was in Ba Sing Se.

Moro had never given the Avatar much thought. The rumor that he was back after a hundred years was big news in the Lower Ring, but Moro always thought it was just that, a rumor. But then more and more stories about him kept surfacing all over the Earth Kingdom, and now with the proof right in front of her face… she still didn't care all that much.

She had other things in her life worth worrying about, her mother for one, and feeding herself for another. She did however pocket the flyer, it did say a reward would be offered for the Bison's finder, maybe she'll get lucky and run into him at the market.

Moro laughed at the thought, about to return to her tiling when she spotted a familiar face on the ground.

Lee was holding a tray with two cups of tea on it, wearing a rare smile as she slid down off the roof to stand beside him. Forgetting about the flyer, Moro helped herself to the steaming oolong Mushi made, sighing gratefully after gulping down the first few sips.

The two sat against the building, Lee handing her a rag so she could wipe the grime off her face before falling into comfortable silence.

"So, some men from the Upper Ring came into the shop earlier, they said Uncle's tea is the best they've ever had." He explained, setting his empty cup back on the tray.

"Really?" people from the Upper Ring didn't come down to the Lower Ring for… well, anything. So for someone in the lap of luxury to come down for some tea means the tea is either a lie, or Grampa Mushi's.

Lee nodded, "They said they want to give him his own teashop in the Upper Ring."

Moro got up, throwing up her arms and grinning. "That's great!" chances to get out of the Lower Ring did not come often, and if anybody deserved it, it was Gramps. He was a special type of kind that didn't belong in the slums, he was even the one who suggested to Pao that she fix the roof, as a way to get her off the streets more. "Good for you for getting out of this place, just don't forget me when you become a big-shot tea master."

It was meant to be a joke, but Lee didn't seem to think it was funny. He was just staring off into space, a deep and gloomy look on his face Moro hadn't seen since she'd first met him. She nudged his arm, "Hey, what's wrong? I thought you'd be psyched to get out of here."

With how often he complained about everything in the slums, Moro thought he'd be jumping up and down cheering like a little kid.

He shook his head, "I'm happy for Uncle but…" he paused. "I just feel like the longer I stay here… I'm just living a life that isn't mine."

For a while he didn't face her, sitting in awkward silence as she tried to process what he meant. Truth be told she didn't know anything about where Lee came from or what was so bad that he needed to become a refugee in Ba Sing Se, but Moro never asked, not really caring and being grateful to know him as he already was.

However, that sad and conflicted look on his face sparked sympathy that outweighed her respect for his privacy. "What do you mean?" she asked, giving his shoulder another soft nudge, just to let him know she was still here, willing to listen.

Lee shook his head, like he was clearing his thoughts away, before he shot her a small crooked smile. "Nothing, sorry."

She scoffed playfully, getting up and not noticing the crumpled flyer fall out of her pocket. "Fine, don't tell me Sourpuss, but you better come visit me after you move up to the Earth Kingdom elite with all their finger sandwiches and… soap."

She felt pride at the laugh she got out of him, Lee getting up from the ground and dusting himself off. Moro picked up his tea tray while he swiped the discarded paper ball. She made to go inside and enjoy some more of Mushi's tea when she noticed Lee wasn't following her.

She turned around to find him frozen in place. The crumpled flyer was unfurled in his hands and he was gripping the sides of it until his knuckles were white.

He looked like he'd just been slapped in the face.

"You okay?" when he didn't answer she nudged him again. "Lee?"

Lee looked up finally, a look in his eyes Moro had never seen before. He quickly wadded the paper again and shoved it in his apron pocket, rushing back into the teashop.

"I have to go." Was all he said before he was gone, leaving Moro confused and worried.

Usually Moro wasn't so nosy as to spy on Lee once his shift ended. Usually. But his bout of weirdness had her worried; why was he so freaked out by a poster of the Avatar's bison? Did he plan on going after it for the reward? How would he even know where to start?

She felt like those questions would be answered soon, as she watched Lee come out of his apartment wearing some creepy all-black getup. His features were like steel as he strapped his swords to his back, Moro suddenly doubting the story he told her about them being just decorative.

He made his way into the street, but before he could get much further Moro stepped into the light. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Lee jumped, whipping around with his hand on the hilt of his sword. Moro arched an eyebrow, wondering if he really would have come at her with those things. He sighed when he saw it was her, his golden eyes cold.

"None of your business."

Moro scoffed, hurt. "So we're back to you not talking to me?" she moved into his path when he tried to leave, fixing his glare with one of her own.

His brow pinched angrily. "Get out of my way Moro! This is something I have to do and I'm not letting you get involved." Lee moved around her again, but she grabbed something from his back pocket, it was the flyer he'd taken from her earlier, the paper soft from so much crumpling. "Hey!" he barked, swiping for it.

She held it away from him, "The Avatar's bison? This is what you have to do?"

The scarred boy clenched his fists tightly, like he was trying desperately to hold something back from her. "You wouldn't understand."

"I would if you just told me!" she yelled, tired of him always pushing her away and hurt that he would rather face whatever he was dealing with alone than let her reach out to him.

Some friend.

He growled, pushing past her and running off into the labyrinth that was the Lower Ring. "Forget it!"

Moro scowled after him, "Fine!"

Any other sane person would forget about Lee and go home, possibly ending their friendship and moving on with their lives, but Moro was too angry to just up and leave. Who did that spoiled ass think he was anyway?! If he thought he was going to do whatever he was doing alone and push her away again he had another thing coming.

So, instead of going home, Moro climbed onto the roof and went after him, keeping a good distance so she could see him, but he couldn't see her.

He donned a blue demon mask, the same one she had picked from him and he'd gotten freaked out. He was unrecognizable when he put it on, which came in handy as he snuck up behind a Dai Li officer, holding the blade of his sword against his throat.

Moro climbed down from the roof, hiding behind a corner while Lee threatened the officer. "Where is the Avatar's bison being kept?"

She couldn't hear his response, but Lee wasn't happy with it, pressing the sword harder against his neck, a line of blood dripped down the blade. Moro almost came out from her hiding spot to stop him, but the officer beat her to it.

"He's under Lake Laogai! There… I told you, now let me go!"

A beat of silence passed, and for a moment she was genuinely afraid Lee would kill him. Thankfully, he just knocked the guy out with a whack to the back of his head. He fell like a bag of bricks and the masked boy took off again.

This time, Moro didn't follow him, because now she knew how out of her league this was. Everyone in the Lower Ring knew the rumors about Lake Laogai; people coming out as benders was a death sentence, because within the week they would disappear, and if anyone tried to fight back in the name of their missing loved ones they were taken away too. Only difference was when they came back they were… different. Not remembering anything about their loved one or even being missing. Lake Laogai was bad news and everyone in the slums knew to be afraid.

She couldn't go down there alone.

Honestly not caring if anyone saw her or not, Moro made her way back to their apartment, banging urgently on the door and hoping Old Man Mushi was around.

"Gramps! It's an emergency! Gramps!"

The old man was quick to open the door, taking in Moro's petrified state with worry in his warm amber eyes. She didn't have time to process being so scared, more concerned about finding Lee before he did something stupid. She didn't care that she was probably about to look the Dai Li dead in the face to keep her friend from taking them on and disappearing just like the others.

She didn't want them to take him away, despite how much her hands were trembling at the thought of facing the secret police.

"Moro, whatever is the matter my dear?" he asked, putting a calming hand on her back as she struggled to get her breath back, she did run all the way there after all.

Her blue and yellow eyes looked up at him, more conflicted than he'd probably ever seen her before. "It's Lee, I think he's in trouble." She explained, pulling the bison flyer out of her pocket, "I found this today, and he got all weird about it, and I just saw him in some freaky mask going after Dai Li agents trying to find the Avatar's bison!"

Mushi's face morphed into one of complete horror. He quickly ushered her inside the apartment, looking around before closing the door, as if expecting someone to be listening in. "Are you certain that is what he said he was after?"

Moro had never seen him look so serious, it was actually a bit frightening, but she nodded, "He said it was something he had to do, and then he took off."

The old man sighed, more tired in that one moment that he had ever seemed before. "I had hoped something like this wouldn't come to pass… that my nephew could find peace here, that he could be happy…" a single tear fell from his eye and Moro clenched her fists tightly, so sick of no one ever giving her any answers and leaving her in the dark.

She gently touched his shoulder, "Gramps, what is going on? Why is he so obsessed with the Avatar's bison? What aren't you telling me?"

She knew she didn't have much right to know, as she had only known them for barely two months, but she felt so connected to them in a way she hadn't felt with anyone else. Grandpa Mushi was so kind and asked for only kindness in return, and Lee was a complete sourpuss but a good person. They accepted her friendship instead of chasing her off like everybody else. They didn't treat her like a filthy street-rat undeserving of kindness, and she cared about them to the point where she didn't care how scared she was of the Dai Li.

Moro barely knew Mushi and Lee, but they were her family. She loved them.

He took her hands in his wrinkled but strong ones, seeming to contemplate something before looking into her eyes.

"Have you ever heard of the Dragon of the West?" he asked. A beat of silence passed before she shook her head, and he continued. "Many years ago when I was General of the Fire Nation army… I lost my son to a war I had foolishly believed in for so long. I thought that helping my nephew on his journey to capture the Avatar, I could help him avoid the same fate."

Moro stared, but remained silent, listening intently.

"My name isn't Mushi and I'm far from a simple Earth Kingdom refugee, neither is my nephew." He held out his open palm, a flame lighting and burning right before the girl's eyes. "I am General Iroh of the Fire Nation, and my nephew is the crown prince Zuko."

A long stretch of silence went on before either of them said anything, Moro only staring at the flame held so easily in Mushi… Iroh's hand.

She only snapped out of it when he closed his fist with a sigh, taking her hands again and giving her a pleading look.

"I've come to care a great deal for you and your mother Moro, so I must ask you to not tell a soul, as if our identities as firebenders and as Fire Nation royalty were to get out, we'd be turned over to the Fire Lord as traitors, or turned over to the Earth King as spies." He squeezed her hands firmly. "I cannot bear to lose any more of my family."

Moro took a deep breath, squeezing his hands back and smiling softly, barely feeling the sting of tears in her eyes.

"I won't tell anybody." She swore. "Actually… it's pretty funny that you guys are firebenders."

"Funny?" he asked, giving her a curious look when she pulled her hands away from his grip.

Moro nodded. "Yeah… because… I actually have something to tell you too."

Iroh hummed, intrigued. Feeling awkward, she cracked her knuckles before holding out her own open palms and taking a deep breath.

She felt her tears spill over her cheeks when her flame ignited, bright and flaring between vibrant orange and light pink. It cracked and danced unsteadily, as though the flame was every bit as unsure and afraid as she was, but blazed on anyway.

She'd lit coals with barely an ember before, but had never created a full flame before. It felt like she was breathing for the first time in her life.

It felt like a wall had fallen down inside her, and she couldn't help but cry.

Quickly getting ahold of herself, she closed her hands and the flame vanished, leaving only Iroh's astonished face looking at her in the dark apartment.

Everything's out in the open now! Well, Zuko still has to find out about Moro, but don't worry, he will! Next chapter is gonna be great! Stay tuned!