They walked into Ba Sing Se a few hours later. Niamoto navigated the roads like she was a native. Zuko and Iroh followed her the whole time. She turned and walked into a shop. There was a middle aged woman behind the desk. She looked up and when she saw Niamoto she got a surprised look in her face.
"Niamoto?" she whispered.
Niamoto nodded her head. "Yes mother." She said. She started to get up when another person walked in the door.
He turned to Niamoto and said. "You haven't been here in five years. Why now?"
"I was exiled, Taom" She said without giving it a second thought. "And these two men need a hot meal."
"Of course and what are their names." Said Niamoto's mother
"Biran." said Zuko.
"Garcia." said Iroh. Their fake names rolled off their tongues like their real ones. They had sat down and Niamoto had started cooking when there was a knock at the door. Zuko and Iroh tipped their heads down so no one would see their faces and Niamoto kept her back to the door as Taom answered the door.
Two earth kingdom soldiers were at the door. "A fire nation tank approaches. Stay inside until the fighting is done." One said and then they left.
"You three need to get to the forest." Taom said. "Niamoto why do you think there is only one."
"First no I am not going in a forest. Second it's Azula and her two friends from school." Niamoto replied.
"Ah yes the circus star and the governor's daughter. Why won't you go in the forest?" Zuko replied.
"I had a bad experience." She said opening a secret back door. "Wait just at the edge someone will come get you when this is over."
"You're such a scardy cat. No ones afraid of the forest." Azula said, lighting a fire ball in her hand. Niamoto's eyes held back tears. Azula tossed the fire ball in front of her. She scrambled backwards, but Azula kept throwing more. Niamoto stood up to fight back when two more faces appeared. Then she turned around and ran wiping tears from her eyes.
Azula had it coming now. She would be the best. She would train all night and day if she had to. Azula has a weakness and she would find it.
Niamoto chuckled at how confident she'd been. If Azula had a weakness it was never going to be found. One good thing had come out of that. Her fire bending style was much different from most. It was more like she was bending water. She actually controlled it, rather than just shooting it.
"I'm going to go get a bag of sugar." Taom said. He walked out side the wall of the city. He grabbed the bag and was about to head back in when he saw fire nation approaching. He ducked behind a barrel just as they got into earshot.
"Don't worry Azula I've got names and descriptions of every one who came into the city in the past three days." Said one of the three
"Do you think they used their real name? No you have to search the city. I will search the wood." Said another apparently their leader, Azula.