Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my OC.
The Six Rules:
Rule Number One: Alec won't warn the Gaang about things in advance or solve their problems for them, with a few rare exceptions.
Rule Number Two: Only Alec has the right to tell people his true origins, and he will mostly limit this to group members. He will tell new group members his secret as soon as they join the Gaang.
Rule Number Three: There are some changes Alec wants to make, and he will use his knowledge of the future to make those changes.
Rule Number Four: Sometimes, to make a change, Alec will act in a way that doesn't make sense. If that's necessary, he'll tell the Gaang "I need you to absolutely trust me." After he says that, the Gaang has to either do whatever he asks or leave him to do what he needs to do.
Rule Number Five: After a change happens, Alec will tell the Gaang what happened in the original story, in the interest of transparency.
Rule Number Six: If a major change happens that Alec doesn't expect, the Gaang will have a meeting ASAP. In this meeting, Alec will break Rule One and tell them all relevant information that will help them figure out how to respond to the change.
Chapter 29:
City of Walls and Secrets
Mai POV
Last night was interesting, to say the least. After Alec and Ty Lee left to talk, the rest of them explained what they called 'the soulmate thing'. That was a surprise, but Toph, the little lie detector, was adamant that Alec wasn't lying about it. I was of two minds about it. On the one hand, Ty Lee was one of a small handful of people I cared about, and I wanted her to be happy. On the other hand, I didn't want Alec to act like he was entitled to her just because a spirit said so. Luckily, years of sitting through boring parties and watching people taught me how to read people to an extent. Ty Lee was better at it, but I was no slouch. I would keep my eye on Alec, until I was certain of his intentions.
After a quick breakfast, General Sung met us and announced that someone would be waiting for us at the monorail station in the Inner Wall. I saw Alec stiffen briefly when he heard that. Interesting. What was he nervous about?
We decided to take the train. Appa would fly overhead until Aang called for him. I was glad that we wouldn't be flying most of the way. I learned the hard way that flying made my stomach lurch. We made our way to the station at the Outer Wall. I was impressed by the architecture. I hadn't seen many cities outside the Fire Nation besides Omashu, and the different style was interesting to look at. It wasn't inferior, like the Fire Nation claimed it was, just different in style. Ty Lee was right, the Fire Nation schools were lying about the Earth Kingdom.
We didn't have to wait long at the station. Soon after we arrived, a train pulled up to the station. It was made of stone, with paper windows. We boarded and took seats. Suki and Sokka sat together, holding hands. Toph sat next to them. The earthbender had Momo sitting in her lap. I sat next to her. Across from me, Ty Lee sat, smiling happily while holding hands with Alec. Next to them, Katara sat next to Aang. Strangely, they were looking at Sokka and Suki, and they each stole glances at the other, but they made no move to touch each other. So that was it, huh? They liked each other, but were too scared to make a move. Other than us, our train cart was empty.
When the train left the station, Ty Lee immediately stared out the window, looking out at the landscape below. "I've never seen so much farmland!" She gushed.
"The area between the Outer Wall and the Inner Wall is called the Agrarian Zone." Toph said. "It's all farmland."
"It's the reason Ba Sing Se has held out this long." Alec added.
Katara looked at him. "What do you mean?"
I looked at her. "Most cities have their farms outside any defenses." I explained. "So, if a city is held under siege, that almost always means that its food supply will run out. A smart attacker will wait until the city is starving, then attack or tell the city to surrender."
"But because Ba Sing Se's food is inside the walls, that won't work." Alec elaborated. "It's how they held on for six hundred days against the Dragon of the West."
I nodded. "Did you have any military training?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No, but I played a lot of strategy games." He replied.
Katara looked out the window. "Look, the Inner Wall!" She exclaimed excitedly. I glanced outside and saw it. I had to admit, the Walls of Ba Sing Se were impressive. "I can't believe we finally made it to Ba Sing Se in one piece." She continued.
"Hey, don't jinx it!" Sokka warned, holding his arm out in a 'stop' gesture. "We can still be attacked by some giant exploding Fire Nation spoon. Or find out the city's been submerged in an ocean full of killer shrimp!"
I looked at him with complete disbelief. This guy was the strategist? Ty Lee giggled. Toph raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how you come up with that shit, Snoozles." She shook her head.
Katara frowned. "Language." So, Katara had a bit of a mom complex. Well, it could be worse. It seemed like it came from a place of genuine care and concern.
Alec rolled his eyes. "Sokka, the Fire Nation doesn't have exploding spoons. Plus, we've already seen the three most dangerous sea monsters in the world. Killer shrimp sound easy to deal with by comparison." He pointed out.
"I'm just saying." Sokka argued. "Weird stuff happens to us." The door to our cabin opened, and a fat man sucking on a corncob walked over and sat between Sokka and Toph. That was random.
Katara tried to distract us. "So, how big is Ba Sing Se, anyway?" She wondered.
"It's biggest city in the world." Alec replied. "Both in landmass and population."
The train drove through a tunnel. When we emerged out the other side, we saw that Alec wasn't exaggerating. There were buildings as far as the eye could see. I couldn't even see the end of the city on the horizon.
"Wow!" Ty Lee gasped in awe.
"It's amazing!" Suki agreed.
"Just how big is it?" Katara wondered.
"Before the monorail was built, it would take you two days to get from one end of the city to the other by carriage." Toph replied. "That should give you an idea."
The train came to a stop at the station, and we got off as soon as the door opened. As soon as Toph left the train, she sighed. "Back in the city, great." She complained.
"What's the problem? It's amazing!" Sokka argued excitedly.
"It's just a bunch of walls and rules." Toph refuted, scratching Momo's head. "You wait, you'll get sick of it in a couple of days."
I raised an eyebrow. "You've been here before?"
She nodded. "Yeah, my parents dragged me here to attend parties with the rest of the nobles. That's the only time they ever took me outside the estate." She explained. She huffed. "They wouldn't let anyone in Gaoling know I existed, but dragging me to a party in the big city was fine."
Right, I remembered reading that Toph was a noble by birth. She certainly didn't act like one. That was a good thing, in my book. With a few notable exceptions, nobles were a bunch of annoying, fake, kiss-ups.
Alec turned around slowly and looked back at the train as it left the station. I followed his gaze. When the train left, we saw a woman on the other side, who stepped forward to approach us. I noticed Alec tense up. Strangely, Ty Lee did, too. I kept my guard up. Ty Lee usually had good instincts.
I looked at the woman. She wore a long yellowish-green silk dress, with a dark green scarf around her neck. Her black hair was mostly straight, and she wore a rectangular headdress. The strange thing about her was her smile. It was impossibly big. Ty Lee had a big smile, but it looked natural on her. This woman's smile, by contrast, seemed fake. At first glance, she seemed like a vapid tour guide putting on a happy face when she hated her job. But, if that was the case, what was making Alec and Ty Lee so uneasy?
The woman approached us. "Hello!" She greeted. "My name is Joo Dee! I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se." She looked at each of us in order. "And you must be Sokka, Suki, Katara, Toph, Mai, Ty Lee and Alec! Welcome to our wonderful city! Shall we get started?"
Sokka nodded firmly. "Yes, we have information about the Fire Nation army that we need to deliver to the Earth King, immediately." He replied.
"Great!" Joo Dee said, her smile not faltering. "Let's begin our tour. And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it!" She turned and began walking away.
That was bizarre. What was going on here? Joo Dee's tone of voice didn't match the urgency of the situation.
Sokka seemed confused and annoyed by her response. "Maybe you missed what I said." He tried again. "We need to talk to the King about the war. It's important." He insisted.
Joo Dee turned to him, still smiling. "You're in Ba Sing Se now." She replied. "Everyone is safe here."
I kept my expression neutral, but a quick glance around the group told me everyone was shocked by her words, and the tone of voice combined with the creepy smile made it even more unsettling. Alec was also creeped out, but to a lesser degree. It was like he saw this coming, but it disturbed him nonetheless.
Joo Dee led us to a large carriage that had enough space for all of us. After we started moving, she began playing the part of the tour guide, but I had a hunch what her real purpose was. "This is the Lower Ring." Joo Dee announced.
I looked out the window. The Lower Ring was poor. I saw row after row of tiny houses and apartments squeezed together. A lot of the buildings looked old and decrepit. Outside the buildings, I saw a lot of people. All of them wore worn-out clothes. Not a single person was fat. I saw that most of them carried knives, usually hidden in their belts or up their sleeves. I'd learned to spot concealed weapons when I started practicing with blades. I could tell that very few of these people were experts. They were probably desperate for a way to protect themselves.
"What's that wall for?" Katara inquired. Sure enough, we were headed for another wall. Apparently the city had more than just the Outer Wall and the Inner Wall.
"Oh, Ba Sing Se has many walls!" Joo Dee smiled. "There are the ones outside, protecting us, and the ones inside, that help maintain order." She indicated the outside. "This is where our newest arrivals live, as well as our craftsman and artisans, people that work with their hands. It's so quaint and lively!"
So that's what was going on here. Ba Sing Se was divided up much like the Fire Nation Capital. The Lower Ring was like a poorer version of Harbor City. All the poor people and the workers lived there, so they wouldn't offend the nobles with their presence. I shared a look with Ty Lee. I knew she noticed the similarities, too.
"Why do they have all these poor people blocked off in one part of the city?" Katara inquired nervously.
"Because if the upper class doesn't see poverty and suffering, it doesn't exist." Alec replied with a hint of venom in his voice. He knew it, too.
Katara looked confused and outraged. "Something doesn't go away just because you don't see it!"
Alec scoffed. "As far as the rich are concerned, if they can live in luxury, everything else must be fine."
"This is why I never came here before." Aang said, sounding upset. "I always heard it was so different from the way the monks taught us to live."
That raised an interesting question in my mind. What were the Air Nomads like when they were around? Knowing that Alec told us the truth about how the war started, I had to assume everything I'd been taught about other nations was a lie. What were those other nations really like? I couldn't wonder about that now. I kept my thoughts focused on Joo Dee. I had a fairly good idea what she was up to. She was here to make sure we didn't upset the balance of power. The question is, what does that have to do with the war?
We went through a tunnel in the wall. We emerged in a much nicer area. The buildings were more spaced out, and all of them looked to be in good condition, at least from the outside. Also, the people wore clothes that were actually in decent shape. There were even trees, shrubs, and a few canals. The sharp contrast to the poverty of the Lower Ring was staggering. Granted, there was a difference between the simple houses of Harbor City and the large houses of Royal Caldera City, but this was a much more stark contrast, and this was the ring where the middle class lived.
"This is the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se." Joo Dee announced. "Home to the financial district, shops and restaurants, and the university."
Sokka perked up. "Yeah, we met a professor from the Ba Sing Se University. He took us to an ancient underground library where we discovered information about the war that is…" He leaned towards Joo Dee, his patience running out. "Absolutely crucial for the King to hear!"
Joo Dee just smiled. "Isn't history fascinating?" She deflected. She pointed out the window. "Look, here's one of the oldest buildings in the Middle Ring, Town Hall!" She got out of the carriage to attend to some business in the Town Hall.
Sokka looked at the retreating tour guide with disbelief. "Is that woman deaf?" He asked. "She only seems to hear every other word I say."
Toph crossed her arms. "It's called being handled." She said grumpily. "Get used to it. Spirits, I forgot how much all the rules of high society fucking suck."
Katara gave her a look. "Language." She chided.
Ty Lee giggled and looked at me. "Hey Mai, remember all those parties we had to go to when we were kids?"
I nodded. Those were awful. Toph perked up. "You too?" She asked.
Ty Lee nodded. "Uh huh. They were always so boring. So many rules." She sat up straight and took on a lecturing tone. "Always walk straight and directly to your destination."
Toph smirked. "Sit up straight, don't slouch."
I allowed myself to grin. "Don't speak unless spoken to. And only respond in polite ways."
"Don't laugh louder than a whisper." Ty Lee continued.
"Don't stuff your face, even if you're starving." Toph added. "Spirits forbid you gain more weight than a stick!" She said in mock horror.
"As a girl, you must be delicate and let men do things for you." I snorted. "You could cause a scene if you try to do things for yourself."
The rest of the group laughed. Alec looked around at us. "It sounds like a whole lot of theatre." He noticed.
I nodded. "That's exactly what it is. An act. Most of those idiots are so sensitive that someone saying the wrong thing to them at the wrong time could bring their whole world crashing down."
Joo Dee returned after a few minutes. The carriage moved through another tunnel, and our surroundings changed yet again. The houses were extravagant, and spaced widely apart. "The Upper Ring is home to our most important citizens." Joo Dee announced. "Your house is not too far from here!"
A few minutes later, we passed by an enormous wall with a fancy gate. Katara looked at it. "What's inside that wall?" She asked.
I noticed three men in wide-brimmed hats and dark green robes standing at the gate. They gave us suspicious looks. "And who are the mean-looking guys in robes?" Sokka asked.
"Inside is the Royal Palace. Those men are agents of the Dai Li, the cultural authority of Ba Sing Se. They are the guardians of all our traditions!" Joo Dee explained. Something about that sounded sinister. I wondered what traditions they were guarding, and what they would do to guard them.
"Can we see the King now?" Aang asked impatiently.
Joo Dee laughed. "Oh no! One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King!"
So that was their game, huh? I knew they were keeping us from the King, but I couldn't figure out why. I needed answers. And I would make Alec give them to me when I got a chance.
Alec POV
I thought Joo Dee was creepy in the cartoon, but seeing that unnatural smile in person was even more disturbing. I could tell that Ty Lee was creeped out, too. She was holding tightly to my hand, and not in an affectionate way, but more like I was a security blanket. I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I don't think it worked. I was getting frustrated. Knowing that the real power in this city insisted on keeping his head in the sand while the rest of the world suffered was grating on my patience.
The carriage stopped, and Joo Dee got out. She led us to a large house. Interestingly, it looked different than the one in the original story. It had a gold roof and a patio, like in the show, but this house was a lot bigger. They probably took us to a different house. I guess that made sense. In the show, they needed a house for four people. In this timeline, they needed a house for eight. "Here we are!" Joo Dee announced. "Your new home!"
A messenger ran up and handed Joo Dee a scroll. She opened it and then turned her attention back to us. "More good news!" She announced. "Your request for an audience with the Earth King is being processed, and should be put through in about a month! Much more quickly than usual!"
Sokka looked like he was about to lose it. "A month?!"
"Six to eight weeks, actually." Joo Dee corrected, not easing Sokka's concerns.
We entered the house. It was an amazing house, I had to admit. It had a full kitchen with wood burning stoves and even an oven. The sitting room had a variety of luxurious furniture. A doorway in the back of the sitting room led to a dining room containing a long wooden table with ten exquisitely crafted chairs. Twin hallways on either side of the sitting room led to five bedrooms each. Every two adjacent bedrooms shared a bathroom, while each bedroom at the end of the hall had a private ensuite bathroom. The bathrooms had something I hadn't seen in this world before: indoor plumbing. That was something I'd sorely missed from my world. The toilets were extremely old-school, with a pull chain and a tank attached to the ceiling. Also, the bathtubs only had one faucet, and a wood-burning stove underneath. I figured you were supposed to light the stove to warm the water. Each room had a wooden wardrobe full of a variety of clothes for both men and women, in a bunch of different sizes. That was good news for Mai and Ty Lee, considering they had to leave all their spare clothes behind when they defected.
The house even had a basement, which was used to store dry food, and some kind of room attached that was full of ice and frozen meat. I guess this was the Avatar world's version of meat storage. At least Sokka wouldn't starve to death.
The house had a massive backyard. Aang beamed when he saw it. "This is perfect for Appa!" He exclaimed happily, before taking out his whistle and blowing it.
Joo Dee's smile faltered briefly. "Appa?" She inquired.
I smirked. Appa flew down from the sky a few minutes later and landed in the backyard. I turned to Joo Dee. "He was flying around above the clouds while we were on the tour." I explained.
"I see." Joo Dee replied uncertainly. "Well, I suppose if he stays in the garden, it will be alright." Her creepy smile returned. "So, do you like your home? I think you will enjoy it here."
Sokka moved to open his mouth, but Mai tapped him on the shoulder. Sokka turned to look at her. She gave him a look and shook her head, telling him to keep quiet. I took the opportunity. "Yes, I think we will." I said as diplomatically as I could. "Are we free to explore on our own?" I inquired.
Joo Dee kept that creepy smile on her face and bowed. "I'll be happy to escort you anywhere you'd like to go."
Toph narrowed her sightless eyes. "We don't need a babysitter." She said grumpily. She tried to walk to the door, but Joo Dee stepped in front of her.
"Oh, I won't get in the way." Joo Dee tried to brush it off, while doing just the opposite.
I wasn't sure what made me snap. Maybe it was the fake smile. Maybe it was the fact that they were essentially trying to bribe us. Maybe a bit of both.
But one thing was certain: I'd had it with this motherfuckin' woman in this motherfuckin' house!
I walked up to her and looked at her angrily. "If everyone is safe in Ba Sing Se, then we should be safe on our own." I growled. "I know what you're up to, so listen carefully. Tell your master that we won't make any trouble, but stop following us around, and leave!" I finished with a shout. Joo Dee's smile disappeared and was replaced with genuine fear. Fuck! I said way too much! This could come back to bite me, big time.
Joo Dee left the house as fast as she could. As soon as she was gone, I turned to the confused and suspicious members of the Gaang. I looked at Toph. "Toph, is anyone listening in on us?" I asked.
Toph stomped her foot and concentrated. "No." She said after a few seconds. "We're fine."
I nodded and walked to the sitting room. I sat down on one of the sofas and put my head in my hands. This was bad. I noticed everyone giving me worried looks.
"What's going on in this city?" Mai asked sharply.
"A lot." I admitted. "You're going to have to be a little more specific."
She sat on the sofa across from me and stared me down. "Why are they not going to let us speak to the King?" She elaborated.
The others took seats around the sitting room. Sokka and Suki sat together on a loveseat to my left. Aang and Katara took individual chairs to my right. Toph popped down next to Mai and put her feet up on a small side table. Ty Lee sat next to me. "At least not for six to eight weeks." Katara added, annoyed.
Mai shook her head. "They'll keep us here for eight weeks, then they'll say something came up and tell us it'll be another three weeks." She said. "Then another three. And so on. They'll keep going until we give up and leave." She looked me in the eye. "My dad's a politician. I know how these things work. If they wanted us to see the King, they would make time for us. Especially because Aang's the Avatar." She narrowed her eyes. "So talk. What's going on here?" She demanded.
Ty Lee poked me on the shoulder. I looked into her eyes. She was scared. "That woman's aura…it wasn't normal." She whispered.
Aang looked at her curiously. "In what way?" He asked.
Ty Lee shook her head. "Her aura is suppressed. It's like she's bottling up her emotions." She swallowed. "Azula did that a lot, since her mom disappeared. But this was different. Most auras flow like a river, and are more or less active depending on their emotional states. Her aura looked like it had something in it that didn't belong, like a dam that could block the river, or like a…" She trailed off, unable to articulate properly what she saw.
"Like a switch?" I guessed.
Ty Lee nodded. "Exactly. What's up with that? I've never seen that in anyone before."
Everyone was giving me expectant looks. I weighed my options. I still didn't have a plan on how to deal with this city, considering my original plan died with Jet. Eventually, I decided letting everyone know what was going on and letting the chips fall where they may was better than letting them stumble around in the dark in Avatar North Korea.
"Alright." I said after taking a deep breath. "I'll tell you what's going on." I laced my fingers in front of my face to keep them from shaking.
I looked around at the group and repeated the words that I had used back in my world as a sarcastic retort to obvious lies. It had been funny back then. Now that I was in this world, those words, and what they represented, terrified me.
"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."
Everyone looked at me with a mixture of shock and confusion. Except for Mai. She gave a small nod, as if I confirmed some suspicion that she already had. "You don't seem surprised." I said to her.
She looked me in the eye. "I'm not." She replied. "If someone came to Royal Caldera City saying they had important information about the war, they'd be taken to meet with a general immediately. If the information was good, they might end up in front of the Fire Lord the same day." She shook her head. "Joo Dee pretended not to hear us. It's obvious that they're covering up the war."
Huh. Mai always struck me as the type of person who didn't care much about anything. I guess not caring and not noticing were two different things. I nodded. "Yeah, they are."
"But why?" Katara asked, genuinely confused. "Why would the Earth King ignore the war?"
I sighed. "Because he doesn't know the war exists."
"How?!" Sokka exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "How could he not know?!"
I gave him a glare. "Sit down, and lower your voice, Sokka." I said. "Toph said she doesn't sense anyone eavesdropping, but if you shout loud enough, it won't matter."
Sokka blinked. Suki grabbed his arm gently. He relaxed and sat back down. I took a breath. "The reason he doesn't know is because it was kept from him." I explained. "Earth King Kuei took the throne when he was four, and he's never been outside the palace. It was pretty easy for the real person in power to keep him in the dark."
Toph frowned in anger. "It sounds like what my parents were doing to me." She said.
I nodded. "You're not that far off. Except your parents were trying to protect you, even though they were really stupid about it. Kuei's being isolated by people who want to control the city."
Suki gave me a look. "So, who's really in charge?" She asked.
"The one with all the power is a man named Long Feng. He's the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, and the head of the Dai Li." I said. "He also gives orders to the Council of Five, the Earth King's generals."
Sokka looked thoughtful. "Look, I know this is bad, and this city seems terrible, but if this Long Feng guy is in charge, why don't we just tell him about the eclipse and ask for the military's help?"
"Long Feng won't listen, Sokka." I said, shaking my head. "He's extremely overconfident, and would rather rule over his own little fantasy utopia where war doesn't exist than help us. He thinks he's preventing the city from falling into chaos." I scoffed. "That protection won't do the people much good if the Fire Nation breaks through the wall."
"Wait, he's keeping the war from everyone? Not just the King?" Aang asked.
"It's more like he's keeping Kuei in the dark, and threatening everyone else to keep their mouths shut." I corrected. "People who speak about the war get arrested by the Dai Li. Then they get brainwashed to make them stay quiet."
Ty Lee looked at me fearfully. "Brainwashed?"
"The Dai Li have a way to alter or control someone's mind." I said. "They can rewrite a person's mind to make them believe what they want them to believe, or forget things that they want them to forget." I swallowed. "They can hypnotize the people they've brainwashed by saying a specific phrase, and make them obey any command."
Ty Lee's eyes widened in horror and realization. "Is that what happened to Joo Dee?"
I nodded. "Yeah. The Dai Li have a group of women that they've brainwashed. They all answer to the name 'Joo Dee', and are supposed to be guides for important guests to make sure they behave." I replied.
Eyes widened across the room. "That's horrible." Katara whispered.
"It might be even worse." I said grimly.
Suki gave me a look. "What do you mean?"
I gave her a look. "All the Joo Dees are women, and the Dai Li, the ones that can make the Joo Dees do anything they want and make them forget they did it, are all men." I said. "Draw your own conclusions."
Suki looked disgusted. Toph growled. Mai narrowed her eyes sharply. Katara looked like she would be sick. Ty Lee shuddered. Aang gripped his staff tightly. Sokka tensed up. "They can't do that to us, can they?" Sokka asked.
I shook my head. "No, the process takes a while to do. If any one of us disappeared for that length of time, the rest of us would tear the city apart and find them before the Dai Li could finish the job." I said. "But, just in case, if any one of us disappears, there are caverns underneath Lake Laogai. That's where the brainwashing happens."
Toph tilted her head. "Why don't we just go there, wreck everything, find evidence, come back, and show the Earth King?" She asked.
"Because I don't have a plausible reason to be there." I replied, frustrated with myself. "Every time I've used my knowledge to my advantage, I've had a reasonable explanation for how I knew something without having to tell others the truth about me. I don't have that here. I had a plan, but that went up in smoke when I killed Jet!" I started ranting, but made sure to keep my voice down. "That dumb fucking hothead would have gotten his stupid ass arrested and brainwashed, then I could've found him in the city, undone the brainwashing, then we'd have an excuse to go to the lake! Jet could have just walked away after we left him in the forest, but no! He had to try to fucking kill me, leaving me no choice! Stupid fucking idiot ruined my plan!"
A puff of smoke billowed out of my mouth. Ty Lee grabbed my arm gently. She looked me in the eyes. "It's okay." She said soothingly. "It's okay. You'll think of something. I know you will." She gave me a small smile.
I calmed down and returned the smile. "Thanks." I whispered to her. I turned to the rest of the group. "I'm sorry I lost my temper." I apologized.
"It's okay." Sokka said. "But what do we do now?"
I thought for a minute. "I think we should stay in the city." I said. "The Fire Nation only had one drill, I don't think they can attack the city in force anytime soon. We should be safe from them here. This is a great place for us to train." I narrowed my eyes. "Although…"
"Although what?" Mai asked.
"All of you should be fine, but I can't train out in the open." I said. "Firebending in the middle of the city would definitely spread a panic, and get us in trouble with the Dai Li."
Toph tapped her foot on the ground, trying to think of a solution. Suddenly, she perked up. "I've got it!" She cheered, jumping up from her seat. "Follow me!" She ran off down the stairs to the basement.
I looked at everyone. They seemed just as confused as I was. I shrugged and stood up to follow her.
We all made our way to the basement. We found Toph holding her hand against one of the walls. She grinned at us. "I felt something about fifty feet through here." She said. "I think it has everything we're looking for." She stomped and pushed through the wall, creating a tunnel with a slight downward slope. I saw a faint green glow at the other side. We went through the tunnel. The other side took my breath away. It was a large cavern, with several large natural pillars holding it up. Several crude stone houses built by earthbenders lined the walls. A large river flowed through the center of the cavern. Many green crystals glowed around the cavern, providing light.
"Wow!" Ty Lee breathed.
"Impressive." Mai admitted in her normal stoic manner.
"What is this place?" Aang asked.
"It's part of the Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se." I realized. "Before the city was built, a bunch of earthbenders carved out a settlement underground. When the city was built, they abandoned this place, but it's still mostly intact."
Toph grinned. "I felt these caves when we entered the Upper Ring." She said. "I noticed that this one isn't connected to the others. That gives us plenty of privacy."
Katara nodded with approval. "Plenty of water for waterbending. This whole place is made of earth. And there isn't anything that Alec can burn by accident."
"It's perfect." I agreed. "We can resume our training starting tomorrow. It's getting pretty close to dinner time." I turned to Ty Lee, suddenly struck by an idea. "May I take you out to dinner tonight?" I asked hopefully.
She smiled and nodded. "Yes!"
We unpacked all our stuff from Appa and set up in different rooms. Aang took the large bedroom in one hall. Katara, Sokka, Suki and Toph took the other rooms in that hallway. I noticed, with some amusement, that Sokka's bedroom was right next to Suki's, meaning that they shared a bathroom. I was very glad I took the opposite hall, along with Mai and Ty Lee. Mai and Ty Lee took adjacent rooms, while mine was one of the smaller ones across from Ty Lee. I was washing my hands in the bathroom when I heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." I announced.
The door opened, revealing Mai. She had a neutral expression on her face, but I could guess what she was here for.
I turned to her. "Is this the part where you tell me you'll kill me if I hurt her?" I snarked.
"Yes." She said, completely serious. "She's my best friend, and one of the few people I care about. You'd better treat her well."
I nodded. "I'll never hurt her." I said firmly. "I can promise you that."
She narrowed her eyes. "We'll see." She turned and left, closing the bathroom door behind her.
Ty Lee POV
I was getting ready in the bathroom I shared with Mai when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" I said cheerfully.
The door opened. I saw Toph enter and close the door behind her. "Can we talk?" She asked. I could tell by her aura that she was mostly calm, but a little wary.
I turned to her and nodded. "Sure. What's up?"
She crossed her arms. "Look, I'm going to ask you straight up. Do you like Hand Slicer?"
I blushed. "Yes." I whispered.
Toph nodded. "Good." She sighed. "Listen, he's the first friend I've ever had. He's helped me through some shit. Do me a favor: If you think it's not working out between you two, don't string him along. Lying to him will hurt worse than being honest."
I nodded. "I understand." I smiled at her. "He's lucky to have a friend like you, Toph."
She smiled. "Thanks, Kitten."
Alec and I left the house together. The rest of the group decided to eat at home. Once we got to the street, I turned to him. "So, where are we going?" I asked.
Alec shrugged. "Joo Dee said that the restaurants are in the Middle Ring." He said. "Seems like a good place to start."
I nodded and we walked to the tunnel connecting the Upper and Middle Rings. The sun was starting to set, and I was getting hungry. On the way, we made small talk. Once we got to a row of restaurants, we started looking for something that wowed us. I almost missed it, but when I looked in the window of a certain restaurant, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks. Alec noticed me pause. "What is it?" He asked.
I pointed through the window. There, in the display, was something I hadn't eaten since I left the Fire Nation. Alec did a double-take when he saw it. "Is that…" He whispered.
"Cake!" I gushed excitedly. It was a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. My favorite dessert in the world. I turned my gaze to Alec. He was wide-eyed and drooling. "You like cake, too?" I asked.
He turned to me and nodded. "I love cake!" He said with a smile. "Do you want to eat here?" He asked.
I nodded so fast I nearly got whiplash. "Yes!"
We entered the restaurant, which, appropriately enough, was called 'The Bakery'. It looked like a nice restaurant. It had quite a few tapestries with the green colors of the Earth Kingdom. Several wooden tables sat in the middle of the restaurant, and I noticed that the chairs were padded. Definitely a sign of luxury. Booths lined the walls of the restaurant, with paper windows providing light, but also giving the diners privacy. Candles on the tables provided light. The restaurant was about three-quarters full, so we wouldn't have to wait to be seated.
When we walked in, a short, balding man wearing green robes and a kind smile walked up to us and bowed. "Welcome to The Bakery." He greeted. Alec and I returned the bow. "My name is Bang. Is it your first time here?" He asked.
Alec nodded and gave me a glance. "It's our first time, and also our first date." He answered, a little shy.
Bang smiled brightly and clapped his hands together. "Wonderful!" He said happily. "I'll get you seated."
Bang led us to a booth in the corner. Unlike the other booths, the corner booths had circular tables in them, allowing diners to sit closer together if they wanted to. Something I wanted to take advantage of. They also provided plenty of privacy to talk. Alec and I ended up at about a ninety degree angle from each other. I felt his knees brush against mine. He noticed, too, and gave me a shy smile. He probably didn't have much experience dating. To be fair, I had no experience dating at all.
Bang gave us menus and we ordered our dinner. Alec and I gave each other looks. "So," He began. "What should we talk about?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. Anything sounds good."
A flash of inspiration crossed his face. "I have an idea." He said. "How about I ask you a question, you answer, and then you ask me a question, and I answer?"
I nodded. "Sounds like fun!" I agreed. "What do you want to know?"
"How long were you in the circus?" He asked.
"Almost three years." I replied. "I graduated school when I was eleven, and I ran away from home a few weeks after…" I swallowed. "After Zuko got banished." I finished sadly. Alec looked down. The real story that he told Mai and me about how Zuko got banished was horrible, but I suspected from the way his aura was acting up that the details were even worse than what he told us.
I decided to change the subject and ask my question. "Did you know I would be there on the day we first met?" I asked.
He chuckled and shook his head. "No." He answered. "I wasn't expecting to meet you until Omashu." He laughed. "It's really funny in hindsight. There we were in a cave. I'm didn't expect to meet anyone I recognized. Then you took off your cloak, and I nearly had a panic attack. I thought Azula was after us early, or something."
I noticed a shift in his aura when he mentioned Azula's name. I noticed instead of being afraid of her, he felt…pity? That was strange. Before I could say anything, the food arrived. We had each ordered a plate of dumplings. They were amazing! I hadn't had food this good since I left the Fire Nation.
We spent a few minutes eating in silence, before he asked his next question. "What did they teach you in school about the other nations?"
I thought about it. "Well, they taught us that the Earth Kingdom was a bunch of savages who lived in mud huts, and the King was so incompetent he couldn't run his whole kingdom, so…" I trailed off.
"So, naturally, the Fire Nation had to run it for them, out of the kindness of their hearts." He finished, his voice so sarcastic he could give Mai a run for her money. "And the Water Tribe?" He prompted.
I frowned. "They said that they can't farm anything there, and they're so bad at hunting that they can't get enough food, so they sometimes eat their own people when they run out of meat. Also, women are treated like slaves and can't say no when a man proposes marriage." I added.
He snorted. "Okay, that's not true. Well, the part about women is true, but only in the Northern Water Tribe." He shook his head. "They also only let female waterbenders up there learn healing, not combat. We made them make an exception for Katara, but she was the first." He huffed angrily. "That's a really stupid practice. I mean, I've met the Moon Spirit. She's female! How can they restrict women from learning everything they can about waterbending when the first waterbender is female?!" He softened his tone. "Sorry." He apologized.
I shook my head. "Don't be." I assured him. "I'd be angry, too."
He chuckled bitterly. "Though, the fact that the Fire Nation is complaining about women being forced into marriage is pretty hypocritical, considering Ozai." I saw his aura flash red with anger for a second.
I tilted my head curiously. "What are you talking about?" I asked.
He blinked and shook his head. "I'll tell you that story another time." He said. "What did they say about the Air Nomads?" He asked.
I swallowed. "They said they were a bunch of flighty warmongers who raised their kids communally because they didn't care enough to take care of their own children." I said.
He frowned. "The Air Nomads did raise their kids in communes, but I always got the impression that they thought of it as one big family." He said. "And again, the Fire Nation criticizing people for not caring about their kids is pretty hypocritical, considering Ozai."
I looked at him. "Are you talking about Zuko?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Not just Zuko." He replied. "Azula too."
I saw his aura change again when he mentioned her. "How do you feel about Azula?" I asked.
He took a deep breath and was quiet for a few minutes. Then he spoke. "Despite everything she's done, I feel sorry for her." He said quietly. "I think she just wants Ozai to love her, but Ozai doesn't love anyone, and he never will."
"I see." I replied. That must have been one of the reasons he missed on purpose with the lightning. I'd always been jealous of Azula. She had everything she wanted. Or at least, I thought she did. It sounded like she could never get the thing she wanted most. That made me feel sad for her.
We finished our dinner, and Bang came up and took our plates. "Would you care to order some dessert?" He asked.
I nodded excitedly. "That cake in the window looks amazing!"
Alec grinned. "I agree. Could you please bring us one piece, each?" He asked politely.
Bang smiled and nodded, walking to the kitchen. He returned shortly with two pieces of mouth-watering cake. We ate it enthusiastically. The cake was amazing. It was perfectly moist and fluffy. And the frosting…dear spirits, the frosting. Perfectly sweet, just thick enough, and it melted in my mouth. I had the biggest smile on my face while I ate it. Alec was happy and he looked…nostalgic, almost. Maybe they had cake in his world, and he'd missed it. After we finished our cake, Alec gave me a curious look.
"I think it's my turn to ask a question." He said. His eyes flashed with amusement. "When did you start liking me?"
I blushed. I thought about it before I answered. "Well, I think there was something there after we first met." I said. I couldn't help but notice we were drifting closer together. "You see, I always liked getting attention." I admitted. "That's kind of why I left home to join the circus. I grew up with six identical sisters and I wanted to be my own person." I felt our knees brush together. "I liked the attention I got when I performed, and the attention I got when boys stared at me." I couldn't keep my eyes off him. "But the attention I got from you felt different, and better." I continued, my voice growing quiet. "You listened to me when I talked about things. All the other boys I met just stared at me and flirted. I hadn't really had a real conversation in a long time. It felt…nice." I continued. "It made me so sad when I saw that poster, but when I decided to defect, even though I should have been afraid, I felt…happy, because it meant I would get to be closer to you." I finished.
He had a small smile on his face, and took my hand in his. There was one question I needed him to answer. "When did you start liking me?" I asked.
His smile grew. "I think it also started when we met." He chuckled briefly. "It's funny, when you took off your cloak in that cave, I was scared for a few seconds, but then I couldn't stop staring because you were so beautiful." His voice grew quiet. "But there was more to it than that. You were so happy and upbeat that it made me feel better about all the stuff I had going on in my life." He said. "I found myself thinking about you at random times, for no reason. When I met you again in Omashu, I felt so guilty that I made you sad. When I learned you were my soulmate, I didn't know what to think at first, but now that we're here I…I…" He trailed off. He was staring at me, and I noticed how close we were.
"What is it?" I whispered. I noticed his aura. Magenta. Affection. And judging by the intensity, a lot of affection.
He bit his lip nervously. "May I kiss you?" He asked with a whisper. I felt my heart flutter. I could tell by the way he asked that he'd wanted to ask that question all night.
"Yes." I breathed.
He moved his hand slowly up my arm, and cupped my cheek gently. His skin was so warm. Probably a firebender thing. Almost instinctively, I nuzzled into his hand. We leaned closer together. I felt our breath mix. My eyes fluttered shut.
Then our lips brushed together. The tingling I felt on my lips was indescribably good. I sighed into the kiss. He gently increased the pressure, and ran his tongue along my bottom lip, asking for permission. I let my lips part and allowed him inside. The tips of our tongues touched, and it increased the tingling even more. I pushed my body closer to his, and put a hand on the back of his neck, deepening our kiss. Our lips massaged each other with the perfect amount of pressure. Slowly, the intensity decreased, and we slowed down. Eventually, we broke apart. We pulled back and stared into each other's eyes.
"Wow." He whispered. I gave a small giggle. I heard someone clearing their throat nearby. We both turned and saw Bang, standing there with the bill. He had a kind smile on his face. I blushed, and Alec seemed a little flustered.
Bang smiled widely at us. "I just wanted to know if you were ready for the bill?" He inquired politely.
Alec stammered a little. "Uh sure." Clearly, he was embarrassed about being seen.
Bang held out a hand in a placating gesture. "Don't be embarrassed. My wife and I had our first date at that very table."
Alec's tension disappeared. "Really?" He asked.
He nodded. "I used to work at this restaurant. The original owner had no children and he left it to me in his will. My wife Iva runs the kitchen. She baked the cake." He explained. "It's sort of become our tradition to let couples on their first date sit at that table. We want them to have the same luck and happiness we did."
That was so cute! Alec bowed politely. "Thank you for your kindness." He took the bill and pulled out a coin pouch from his pocket, nearly bursting with money. He paid Bang and left a generous tip.
We left the restaurant and made our way back to the house.
Katara POV
I sat near one of the front windows of the house, staring out into the night. "What are you doing?" I heard an amused voice ask from behind me. I turned and saw Suki. She changed into a set of casual green clothes, and wasn't wearing her warrior makeup. She was giving me a mischievous smile.
"I'm waiting to make sure they get back safely." I said defensively.
Suki chuckled and shook her head. "Right. Because a firebender that can fly and a girl that took down a platoon need babysitters." She said sarcastically. Was Sokka rubbing off on her? "Be honest. You want the juicy details."
I blushed. She caught me. "How did you know?" I asked sheepishly.
Suki shrugged. "It wasn't that hard to figure out." She said. "Sokka told me that you two were the only people your age in your village until Alec showed up. He also told me that there wasn't much to do around the village except chores. Then you joined up with three boys on a worldwide adventure and didn't have another girl to talk to about boys, romance, or other things." She suggested with a wink.
"I had Toph." I tried to argue, ignoring her suggestive tone as much as I could.
Suki gave me a flat look. "We both know Toph's not interested in talking about that stuff." She pointed out.
I sighed. "Alright, yes. You're right." I admitted. "Are you happy now?"
She smiled. "I'm not judging you, I'm curious, too." She said shamelessly. She looked out the window and noticed something. "They're coming." She said with a hint of urgency.
She ran up beside me to look out the window. There were no lights on in the house, so nobody outside would be able to see inside. We saw Alec and Ty Lee approaching, walking hand-in-hand. Ty Lee had a huge smile on her face. Alec looked happier than I'd ever seen him. They stopped a few feet in front of the door and turned to face each other. Alec took her hands in his.
"Did you have a good time?" Alec asked Ty Lee.
She nodded. "I loved it!" She said brightly.
Alec's smile grew. "Me too." He agreed. He bit his lip nervously. "Do you want to do it again sometime?" He asked.
"I'd like that." Ty Lee answered softly.
Alec worried his lip between his teeth again. I was surprised he didn't draw blood. "Then…if you want to do this again…" He began haltingly, before he took a deep breath. "Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked shyly.
Suki looked at me. "Wow!" She mouthed. I had to agree. Those two were adorable together.
"Yes." Ty Lee answered, her voice so soft we could barely hear her.
I saw them lean closer towards each other. Ty Lee let go of his hands and wrapped them gently around his neck. Alec responded by putting his hands on her waist. I had flashbacks to the Cave of Two Lovers that made me blush. I saw Alec's eyes close (I couldn't see Ty Lee's face from this angle), and they kissed. I felt a little guilty watching them, but then again, he watched me and Aang kiss in that cave. Spirits, that kiss felt amazing. I heard the door slide open before Suki and I could hide.
Alec and Ty Lee walked in, but they noticed the two of us blushing almost immediately. Alec narrowed his eyes. Ty Lee giggled. "Were you spying on us?" He asked. He sounded more amused than angry.
I shook my head and said "No." At the same time, Suki nodded and said "Yes."
He wasn't angry. He just rolled his eyes. "Figures." He said. "I'm going to go get some sleep." He turned to Ty Lee and squeezed her hand affectionately. "Good night." He whispered.
"Good night." She replied.
Ty Lee POV
I entered my room and nearly squealed with delight. I went to get a match to light the candle, but before I could, a familiar voice nearly made me jump out of my skin.
"How did it go?" I turned and saw Mai leaning against the wardrobe.
"Mai!" I gasped. "Could you at least light a candle if you're going to do that?"
She shrugged. "Sorry." She said, clearly not sorry. "I just wanted to know how it went."
I smiled fondly. "We had an amazing dinner, he asked me to be his girlfriend, I said yes." I touched a finger to my lips, trying to remember the sensation. "And we kissed. Twice." I said.
Mai nodded. "Good. Now I don't have to cut his throat."
My eyes widened. "Mai!" I gasped, mortified.
"What?" She countered. "I said 'I don't have to'." She pointed out, as if that made it okay. "Look, I just wanted to make sure he treated you well. He did, so he's okay unless he convinces me otherwise." She said.
I smiled. "Thanks…I guess." I said. How do you respond when your best friend says she won't cut your new boyfriend's throat?
Katara POV
The next morning, I woke up first. That was a rare event. Usually Alec was the earliest riser. I was about to start on breakfast when I heard a knock at the door. Who could that be? Was Joo Dee back? I shuddered thinking about what was really going on with that woman. I went over to the door and slid it open.
On the other side was a man. He looked to be in his forties. The top of his head was bald, but the rest of his black hair was woven into a braid that ran down his back. He had a thin mustache and a small patch of facial hair on his chin. His outfit was that of a noble. It was dark green, almost black, with gold trimming. Something about this man seemed dangerous. He had a smile on his face that I think was supposed to be friendly, but it made me feel wary.
"Good morning." He said, his voice low and smooth. "I'm looking for a young man named Alec. Is he here?" He asked.
My instincts were telling me to refuse him, but something about him made me think it would be very dangerous to say no to him. I nodded. "I'll go get him."
He gave me a polite bow. "Thank you."
I shut the door and ran to Alec's room. I didn't bother to knock before I threw open the door. He was still asleep. I shook him awake.
"What is it?" He asked groggily.
"There's a man at the door asking for you." I hissed urgently.
He sat up. The tiredness vanished from his eyes. He looked at me. "Forties, mostly bald, braid, dark robes with gold accents?" He asked seriously.
I blinked. "Yes, why?"
He shook his head. "Fuck." He muttered. I didn't correct him this time. He looked me in the eye. "It's Long Feng." He explained. My eyes widened. "I'll go talk to him in the dining room. You go around, wake everyone else up, and do what you do best." He instructed.
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'what I do best'?" I asked.
He smirked. "Eavesdrop."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Ha. Ha."
Alec POV
I shouldn't have been that surprised by this turn of events. Me and my stupid fucking mouth. I needed to play this carefully. I walked slowly through the sitting room, trying to gather my thoughts and put on a neutral face. I needed every bit of acting chops that my high school drama classes taught me. I slid open the front door. There he stood. Long Feng. The real power in Ba Sing Se, and number three on my 'I could kill you and not lose a wink of sleep' list. I gave a polite bow. "Good morning." I said. "Did you want to speak to me?"
Long Feng gave a curt nod. "Indeed." He said. "We have much to discuss, you and I."
Well, that didn't sound good. I led Long Feng into the dining room. I sat on one end of the table. He sat across from me. "So," I began. "What do you want to talk about mister…" I let it trail off, prompting him to introduce himself.
"My name is Long Feng." He answered. "I am the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, and the head of the Dai Li."
I nodded. "I see." I replied. "So, what do you wish to discuss?"
He narrowed his eyes. "You made quite an impression on Joo Dee yesterday." He said.
Okay, so that's why he was here. Now how could I play this? An idea occurred to me. I rubbed the back of my head, pretending to feel guilty. "I'm sorry about that." I said. "I was frustrated."
Long Feng raised an eyebrow. "Frustrated?" He repeated.
I nodded. "You see, my companions and I have faced life-threatening situations on a regular basis. Joo Dee insisting on following us around like a babysitter, especially considering we brought down that massive drill only a day before, felt a little insulting." I said. I looked up at Long Feng. "Could you please apologize to her on my behalf?"
I wanted to make Long Feng think I was angry just because Joo Dee treated us like children, and hopefully not think I knew what was really going on in this city. Long Feng narrowed his eyes. "I'm well aware of you and your companions' exploits." He said. "As well as the fact that two of them are Fire Nation." He gave a mocking smile. "Honestly, red clothes, and Fire Nation names? It wasn't hard to figure out."
Dammit. Looks like my original plan wouldn't work. Time to improvise. "Yeah, those two defected." I admitted. "But like I told Joo Dee, we won't cause any trouble." I narrowed my eyes. "What else do you know?" I asked.
Long Feng looked me in the eye. "I'm aware that you're a firebender, and you have a large bounty on your head from the Fire Nation." He answered.
I wanted to throw him off-balance. "Did you come to cash in?" I asked with a smirk.
Long Feng ignored the jab. "I'm more curious as to how you knew Joo Dee's purpose." He said. "Where were you born?"
Where was he going with this? "A hut in the middle of nowhere." I lied.
"And who was your mother?" He inquired.
What did that have to do with anything? "A good woman." I answered evasively. "Why?"
Long Feng smiled sinisterly. "I suspect there's more to this story than that. I believe that your mother was a Joo Dee, or a former Joo Dee, that somehow ended up with a firebender. I suspect you know how this city works, and what happens to those who cause unrest."
My eyes widened. He thought my mother was an escaped Joo Dee?! Wait…I could use that. I made it look like I was scared, and barely keeping it together. "Perhaps." I said, adding a few shakes to my voice. "But I also know what's going on outside these walls. You think you can keep this war quiet, but the Fire Nation almost won twice in the last five years." I said. "You got lucky against the Dragon of the West, and you were lucky we showed up two days ago."
Long Feng narrowed his eyes. "The Dai Li would have stopped the drill before it breached the Inner Wall." He insisted. "And as for the Dragon of the West, he was outmatched, both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table by General How of the Council of Five." He stood up. "Ba Sing Se is a peaceful, orderly utopia, the last one on Earth." He continued. "Until now, you've been treated as an honored guest, but if any of the news I told you gets out, there will be dire consequences." He gave me a sinister smile. "We won't force Joo Dee to follow you around, considering the unpleasant memories it probably brings up for you." He said, almost mocking. "But remember, I have eyes everywhere."
With that, he left the dining room, and the house. A massive grin broke out on my face. I walked into that conversation scared, but I walked out with a plausible backstory, and a plan. Everyone else ran into the dining room a few seconds after Long Feng left.
Ty Lee took my hand. "Are you okay?" She asked.
I nodded, still grinning like a loon. "Toph, are we being eavesdropped on?" I asked.
Toph stomped her foot and waited for a few seconds. "No." She said.
"Perfect." I said. I started laughing. It started out as a chuckle, but it soon turned into full blown, tears-in-my-eyes laughter. I stopped after a minute or so, and I noticed everyone staring at me, clearly concerned.
"Sorry." I apologized. "It's just so funny! I'd been wracking my brain for a plan ever since Jet died, and then Long Feng came in and gave me an idea." I said.
"Wait." Sokka said with wide eyes. "You have a plan?" He said.
I nodded. "Yep!" I said happily. My stomach growled. "But first, can we have breakfast?" I said.
We ate a quick breakfast. Eggs, fruit and nuts for Aang, eggs and wooly pig bacon for the rest of us. After we finished, Sokka turned to me. "So, what's your plan?" He asked.
I grinned. "I need you to absolutely trust me." I said. "I'm gonna go get some people. They can help us."
Aang looked at me. "What do you need us to do?" He asked.
"I need Toph, Mai and Ty Lee to come with me." I said, standing up. "The rest of you need to wait here."
Ty Lee stood up and moved to follow me. Toph got out of her seat. "Sure, I'm bored sitting around anyway." The earthbender said.
Mai stayed seated and raised an eyebrow. "Why me?" She asked.
"You might help put them at ease." I answered.
Sokka snorted, and Mai gave him a withering glare, shutting him up. She stood up. "Fine. I'll come with you." She agreed.
The four of us walked towards the front door. I opened it. "Alec!" Suki called out from the dining room. I turned. "Is there anything else we can do besides wait here?" She asked.
I thought about it. "Just don't attack our guests when we get back." I replied.
That confused the people staying behind. "Why would we attack?" Aang asked. "Who are you bringing?"
I smirked. "Your firebending teacher." I said. With that, I closed the door behind me.
AN: Next time. Tears. A lot of them.
