What's really sad about these edits is I realize it has been a very long time since I've read any of these chapters. Feels good to be reconnected with this story.

Chapter 35: The Search

The rumble of the monorail kept me awake as I looked out the glass windows down at the agrarian section of Ba Sing Se. It had been an early morning for us, but the General wanted us comfortable in the city as soon as possible. His generosity was in gratitude for our ability to take down the machine when none of his men were successful in their attempt. He had told us he even sent word to the Earth King's advisor that the Avatar and his companions had arrived at Ba Sing Se.

We had a brief breakfast, thanked the General for his hospitality, and then followed an Earth Kingdom soldier around the barracks and down some stairs. We eventually ended up walking through a side door that led into the monorail station. The Earth Kingdom soldier gave us a personal escort to the monorail, bumping us to the front of the line which irritated people who had been waiting for their turn. I mouthed my apologies as we walked past them into the just arrived monorail.

Once we were on board, the soldier informed us that our escort would meet us at the Lower Ring station with transportation. As I took a seat on a stone bench beside Sokka, I wondered what transportation he could possibly mean.

Katara was turned around completely in her seat, pressing her face to the glass of the monorail so she could look out. "Look, the inner wall! I can't believe we finally made it to Ba Sing Se in one piece."

Sokka looked over at her. "Hey don't jinx it! We could 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."

Toph, who looked uncomfortable, asked, "You been hitting the cactus juice again?"

Sokka grimaced. "I'm just sayin', weird stuff happens to us."

Nodding, I added, "Yeah… It's not every day we have to fight off sea monsters."

Aang tried to lighten the mood. "We're safe in Ba Sing Se. And better yet, we're one step closer to ending the war and finding Appa."

The thought of Appa made me frown. Looking down at my lap, I pictured the big guy in my head. He was probably cold, scared, and so alone. There was no telling what his captors were doing to him. The possibilities were too horrible for me to bear.

"Don't worry you two… we'll find Appa," Katara suddenly encouraged. Glancing over at Aang, I saw he looked as dismayed as myself.

Aang's optimism was fading. "It's such a big city."

Sokka tried to cheer him up. "He's a giant bison. Where could someone possibly hide him?"

Crossing my arms, I answered, "Wherever he is, I'm going to find him… I owe him that much." Momo crawled onto my lap suddenly and nudged my elbow with his nose. I smiled weakly and scratched behind his ear. He purred, shutting his eyes. "Don't worry Momo… Appa will be with us soon…"

"Crys… Please don't be rash and go off on your own once we get to the city," Katara begged. "You're prone to danger lately."

Toph smirked. "I doubt Princess is going to make it far with you and Sokka constantly hovering over her. You two haven't stopped worrying about her since we grabbed her from Zuko a few weeks ago."

Katara defended her overprotective nature. "Do you blame us? Whenever Sokka and I leave her she gets into crazy situations."

Running a hand through my hair, I stated, "This is coming from the kids who rode on canyon-crawlers to get out of the Great Divide."

Aang beamed. "Now that was a fun time right there."

The monorail began to slow in pace a few minutes later, and eventually our ride stopped at the station in the lower ring. As we emerged and began to make our way to the edge of the platform and onto the streets of Ba Sing Se, I was bewildered by the amount of people around us. But my bewilderment had more to do with the number of poor and homeless in the area. The lower ring was definitely a sad sight to see.

Toph sighed heavily. "Back in the city… Great…"

Sokka was looking around us at the buildings, crowds, and food in excitement. "What's the problem? It's amazing!"

Toph crossed her arms. "Just a bunch of walls and rules… You wait… You'll get sick of it in a couple of days."

My steps faltered as Toph spoke because something caught my eye. An elderly woman sat on the ground against a building. Her wrinkly hands worked on what appeared to be a doll made out of straw. Her gray hair and hazy eyes made me immediately think about my Gran Gran. A feeling of homesickness hit me, and I realized then just how long it had been since I'd been at the South Pole. We were in a huge city made of wooden buildings, and everything around us was unfamiliar.

"Crys…?" Katara had stopped walking when she saw I'd come to a halt in my step.

Meeting her eyes, I grimaced. "Sorry… I'm just taking in everything… it's a bit overwhelming."

She nodded. "Well try to keep up… This is a big city… We need to stick together."

Nodding, I continued to walk behind the group. I didn't make it far though. A woman with long dark hair, a thin frame, and unfocused eyes stepped over to us making us come to a halt. She wore a long green and tan robe. Her smile seemed painted on her face and greatly unsettled me.

"Hello! My name is Joo Dee. I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se. And you must be Sokka, Katara, Crystal, and Toph. Welcome to our wonderful city! Shall we get started?"

Sokka got down to business. "Yes! We have information about the Fire Nation army that we need to deliver to the Earth King immediately."

The woman acted as if she hadn't heard a word from my brother's mouth. "Great, let's begin our tour. And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it." She turned around and started to walk away.

Sokka raced after the woman and stepped beside her. "Augh! Maybe you missed what I said. We need to talk to the King about the war, it's important."

Joo Dee stopped at a carriage that was attached to two ostrich horses. When I saw the animals, I immediately thought about Zan and wondered what had happened to my good ostrich-horse pal. I hadn't seen him since I joined my family.

"You're in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe here," Joo Dee spoke. Toph sighed heavily, while Sokka's jaw dropped in disbelief.

As the group moved forward to board the carriage, I stared at the animals again and let out a heavy breath. I really missed my beaked friend… and I really missed Appa…

Katara looked over at me with worry. "You okay?"

I crossed my arms. "Just a lot on my mind." I glanced back at the animals. "There was an ostrich-horse we traveled with for a little bit. I named him, Zan. I guess with Appa being missing, I'm thinking about him too. The last time I saw him was before I escaped Zuko and found Toph."

Katara placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine. Just like I'm sure Appa's fine." She took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Come on. Sokka looks antsy."

I nodded, squeezing her hand back.

As we got into the carriage, I glanced at Joo Dee again with that same unsettled feeling. Her eyes remained widely unfocused, and the smile on her face seemed permanent as she sat across from me. It really creeped me out.

Eventually, the carriage took off once we were seated, and the four of us stared out the window while Toph sat and listened. Joo Dee began to give us a tour of the poor scene before us.

"This is the Lower Ring."

Katara frowned. "What's that wall for?" She gestured towards the one off in the distance that we were beginning to approach.

Joo Dee answered as if she were given a script. "Oh… Ba Sing Se has many walls. There are the ones outside protecting us, and the one's inside that help maintain order. 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."

My eyes glanced at the woman in front of me a bit perturbed. "Maintain order… You mean segregate…"

She ignored me as if she didn't know how to respond or was not allowed to. I whispered to Katara, "What's up with this lady?"

She nudged me in the side. "Don't be rude."

Joo Dee just continued to smile.

We suddenly rode past an alley, where two men stood in the shadows conversing with swords in their hands. They looked over at us as we passed, and glared as if we were scum and not themselves.

Joo Dee maintained composure as she too noticed the creepy men. "You do want to watch your step though."

Katara asked out of curiosity, "Why do they have all these poor people blocked off in one part of the city?"

Aang frowned and looked dismayed. "This is why I never came here before. I always heard it was so different from the way the monks taught us to live."

Joo Dee tried to cheer us up with her creepy unemotional voice. "The different sections keep order to our city. We do not block off people, but ensure unity."

"You say that as if these people are barbarians and will destroy the city."

She smiled at me in a way that sent shivers down my spine. Her pupils were dilated as if she weren't herself. "Destruction in the city is not allowed. Such actions are stopped immediately."

The carriage came to a stop, and a guard looked in at us through the window. Joo Dee held up a wooden board with a golden symbol painted on it, and the man nodded shouting orders. The carriage moved forward then, and I heard the rumble of stone as the gate in front of us lowered to let us pass into the next ring.

Immediately I could see a difference in the Middle Ring. The houses and shops were much nicer, and people were much better dressed. There were no homeless or poor to be found as we rode through.

Joo Dee spoke once more as we continued our tour. "This is the middle ring of Ba Sing Se, home to the financial district, shops and restaurants, and the university."

Sokka looked at Joo Dee who sat beside him. "Yeah, we met a Professor from Ba Sing Se University. He took us to an ancient underground library where we discovered information about the war that is absolutely crucial for the King to hear!" He leaned close to Joo Dee's face to try to emphasize his point.

The woman just stared at him blankly and cheerfully. "Isn't history fascinating?!" She pointed out a window at a building we were passing made of stone. "Look, here's one of the oldest buildings in the middle ring, Town Hall."

She suddenly exited the carriage wanting us to follow. Katara and Aang did so, while Sokka, Toph, and I lingered in disbelief.

"Is that woman deaf!" Sokka was appalled. "She only seems to hear every other word I say."

Toph scowled. "It's called 'being handled.' Get used to it."

After another half-hour of touring the Middle Ring, we passed another gate into the final ring of Ba Sing Se. This ring was widespread, with large homes and beautiful gardens. There were fountains, well-dressed men and women, and fine statues of different Earth Kingdom men and women.

Joo Dee spoke up again. "The Upper Ring is home to our most important citizens. Your house is not too far from here." As she spoke, we suddenly passed by a huge stone wall that had an enormous building behind it. There was a large wooden gateway where men in dark green robes and wide-brimmed hats stood. They looked as creepy as Joo Dee. As we passed by, the three men eyed us from beneath their brimmed hats.

Katara asked out of curiosity, "What's inside that wall?"

Sokka added, "And who are the mean looking guys in robes?"

Joo Dee calmly answered, "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."

Aang sounded hopeful. "Can we see the King now?"

Joo Dee was horrified. "Oh, no! One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King. We must keep some sense of order and decorum." The carriage stopped in front of the palace gate though. "However, I will pass the message that you desire an audience." She got out of the carriage and walked up to the Dai Li men at the gate.

As she conversed with them, I could no longer keep my silence. "Does anyone else sense something is off with this woman…? I feel like she doesn't have a mind of her own…"

"She's just doing her job," Katara spoke. "She probably was told by the General to make us happy. She doesn't want us to worry about things I suppose."

I looked over at the men Joo Dee spoke to. One of them was eying us as if to make sure we stayed put.

Toph spoke up. "I do admit… This woman does have a strange heartbeat…"

Aang shook his head. "I'm sure there's nothing strange… She's just doing her job like Katara said…"

Joo Dee headed back towards us with her creepy smile, and I saw the Dai Li men watch her go with narrowed eyes. When she got back in the carriage, she said nothing about her conversation and the carriage moved on. Sokka tried to ask, but Joo Dee pointed at a fountain and told us about its history as if he hadn't spoken.

Finally, the carriage reached the end of our journey through the Upper Ring. A nice sized wooden house stood on a platform, painted in elegant colors with a patch of flowers around the border of the lawn. The grass was trimmed and finely maintained, and the windows to the building were open letting in fresh air. Joo Dee stepped out of the stopped carriage, and we followed her up to the front of the house.

Joo Dee beamed and turned to us. "Here we are. Your new home!" A young man raced over suddenly, handing Joo Dee a scroll. He then raced off back in the direction he came. We watched the interaction with bewilderment. "More good news," she spoke to us. "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 was baffled. "A month!"

She nodded with a smile. "Six to eight weeks, actually." She turned and started to head to our new home as if what she spoke was the best thing in the world. I knew this was an issue though. With Sozin's comet and the eclipse, we couldn't spare six to eight weeks.

When we all got into the building a few minutes later, Joo Dee showed us around the small but quaint home. There were three bedrooms with sliding doors, and a kitchen on an elevated platform. The kitchen came with a nicely polished low table with silk cushions around it. There was a cupboard where Joo Dee showed us a complete stock of food. She told us that they would bring us more food every five days, but if we needed anything she was sure to get it for us.

When the tour was over, we returned to the main room where cushions were sprawled across the floor for lounging.

Joo Dee smiled at us all. "Isn't it nice? I think you will really enjoy it here."

Sokka scowled. "I think we'd enjoy it more if we weren't staying so long. Can't we see the King any sooner?"

Her expression remained the same. "The Earth King is very busy running the finest city in the world, but he will see you as soon as time permits."

Aang sighed. "If we are going to be here for a month, we should spend our time looking for Appa."

Joo Dee beamed. "Excellent idea! I'll be happy to escort you anywhere you would like to go." She pulled out some wooden passes from a pocket on her dress. "Here are passes for each of you. They allow you to go to any ring you desire. Of course, I recommend staying in the Upper or Middle Ring… Shall we head out?"

Taking a pass from her, I stared down at the symbol engraved in the board. It was the image of a bear with the word "pass" carved below.

Toph snatched her own pass from the woman. "We don't need a babysitter."

Joo Dee seemed to panic when she saw Toph start to leave. She quickly stepped in her path. "Oh, I won't get in the way. And to leave you alone would make me a bad host. Where shall we start?"

I rolled my eyes. Looking over at Aang, Katara, and Sokka, I said, "I'll meet you all back here tonight… I'm going to search on my own."

Katara protested. "Didn't we just get done telling you to stay with us? You shouldn't go wandering around the city on your own."

"No way am I letting you go off into the city and get into trouble." Sokka crossed his arms. "You're sticking with us, Crys!"

Aang walked over and handed me some coins as Sokka spoke. He smiled weakly with understanding. "Don't get too turned around. It's a big city."

Sokka protested, and Katara snapped at Aang. Joo Dee whined about my plans.

"You must not walk around the city without an escort, Miss. There are dangerous people around every corner."

Turning without acknowledgment of Joo Dee's words, I said to Toph as I passed her, "You all have fun with your lovely host."

"Only reason I'm not going with you is because I'm not letting this creepy chick be alone with Aang," Toph commented low enough for only myself to hear.

I nodded. "Keep an eye on each other." As I made to step out of the building, a hand grabbed my arm. I looked back at Sokka with disbelief. "Stop worrying! It's not like I'm sneaking onboard a Fire Nation ship or something. I'm just walking around."

He tightened his grip for a second, but then let out a heavy sigh and released. "Fine… I'll let you go… Just take Momo with you. I don't want you going completely alone…"

Momo hopped on my shoulder at my brother's request. "Alright… Momo will keep me safe. I promise."

With that said, I left the group continuing to ignore Joo Dee's eager pleas and made my way through the city. As time went on, and I got into the crowded parts of the Upper Ring, I began to ask whoever I came into contact with about Appa. As I asked, no one seemed to know what I was talking about.

"A giant bison…? I thought those were extinct!"

"I don't know nothing about no air creature."

"I'm sorry dear… I haven't seen such a creature in my life."

The responses I received were the same in the Upper and Middle rings. No one seemed to have seen or heard about Appa, which greatly dismayed myself and Momo. The more we asked, the more who shook their heads or shrugged made me lose hope. If no one had seen Appa, then that meant he may not even be in the city. We're we searching for a lost cause?

After two hours of asking around nonstop, I eventually made it into the Lower Ring. Once I did so, I could immediately see a change in culture and life. People were in much duller clothing than the other two rings, and they were also much paler and unhealthy. Stopping at a stall that looked to have semi-decent fruit, I bought two and handed one to Momo. We both took a break off the main road on a damp crate in an alley. As I bit into the side of my mango that wasn't rotting, I looked over at Momo who seemed content with his own.

"Don't worry, Momo… I haven't given up… We'll keep asking around…" I pet him on the ear, and he continued to eat his fruit. "We'll find him..."

"Hey! Off dat crate!" A hoarse but deep voice shouted at me from the other end of the alley. He'd come out of a door and stomped towards me. I quickly jumped off, and Momo hopped on my shoulder in fear.

"Sorry… It was empty so I…"

The fifty-some-year-old man stopped in front of me with a scowl, clearly not concerned about the crate and just being a jerk. "You gonna pay me for that der mango?"

I was amazed. I looked down at the mango in my hand which I had already paid for. "Uh… No. I bought this down the road a little ways."

He sneered. "Kids like you lie all the time." He grabbed my hand causing me to drop the fruit. "Give me your coins, or I'll hand ya over to the Dai Li!"

My eyes searched around the alley, and I saw a bucket of water not too far. Momo hissed at the man and scratched at the hand that restrained my wrist. The man didn't flinch as he reached for the pouch by my side that I'd put the coins Aang gave me in.

I scowled and pulled water from the bucket into the air with my free hand. Then I shot the water at the man from behind and wrapped the liquid around his waist. Tightening the molecules that flowed around him, he gasped as he was suddenly lifted into the air. He released my hand as he struggled to escape my watery restraint.

"'Ey! Put me down!"

Momo had jumped off my shoulder onto the ground beside me and looked up at the floating man with curiosity.

"I will when you learn some manners!" I narrowed my eyes at him. "I've been through too much these last few weeks. The last thing I need is some damn ruffian trying to rob me for sitting on a stupid wooden box!"

"Alright!" The man kicked and flailed his arms and legs. The water tightened around his waist and lifted him higher. "Okay! I'm sorry! Please! I'm scared of heights!"

Dropping the man back on the ground, he quickly recovered by getting to his feet and taking off back towards the door he'd come from. He darted inside, slamming the door behind. I let out a heavy breath as I picked up Momo. He clung to my shirt and licked me on the chin to let me know he was okay.

"Come on… Let's keep searching…" Momo squeaked and crawled back up to my shoulder perching there like before. I rubbed my wrist which pulsed from the man's tight grip.

"Katara?"

A voice I didn't recognize suddenly spoke from behind me. At the name of my sister, I turned to the sudden presence in surprise. A tall lean dude with shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes stood at the end of the alley. His eyes were wide, and I assumed he had witnessed my bending. When he saw my face, and quickly realized I was not Katara, he looked embarrassed.

"Sorry… I… I thought you were someone else… From the back you look like a waterbending gal I used to know."

As he spoke, I tried to register who he could possibly be from the tales my family had related to me. Then as I took in his clothing which looked self-sown and like armor from the forest, I realized just who. Momo's growl only clarified my assumption.

Narrowing my eyes, I said, "Jet."

His eyes widened when I spoke. He then took in my appearance, and realization hit him when he saw Momo. "Hey… You're Sokka and Katara's sister, aren't you?" He took a few steps towards me, and I picked up the water I'd used on the man holding it threateningly in front of me. He stopped walking in shock.

"Yeah. I am… And I know all about you! Are you here to try and kill more innocent people?"

He held up his hands defensively. "Okay… I can see you heard about that. I promise I'm not that guy anymore… I came to Ba Sing Se for a second chance."

I scoffed. "You probably came here because the townspeople ran you and your followers out of the forest."

He grimaced. "Yeah... The townspeople were looking for us. It was only a matter of time before we were caught, so the group split up. I made some kids return to their villages, and others I left in the care of my best freedom fighters. Long Shot and Smellerbee decided to stick with me."

"Do you blame the townspeople? I'd want to do the same if you destroyed my village."

He narrowed his eyes. "Hey! I was only trying to eliminate the enemy. I was foolish to try and take out other people to do so I admit, but the Fire Nation needs to go down! You were their prisoner, weren't you? You know how evil they can be!"

I dropped my water, and then crossed my arms. "You've got it wrong, Jet. Not everyone from the Fire Nation is evil." I looked him up and down. "You, on the other hand, are no good samaritan."

He stepped closer, his hands tight as he tried to control his temper. "Wow… You know… You really remind me of your sister when you say that. You have her foolish spirit as well."

I growled. "Don't talk about my sister like that!"

He stepped closer. Momo hissed. "Your sister froze me to a tree because she didn't understand what my true intentions were that day. I was doing the world a favor, and she turned her back on me. Your brother got in the way too. They all ruined my plans, and then we were forced to run. They ruined it all."

I defended my family. "You got a taste of your own medicine! You not only destroyed a whole town but you beat up an old man! I heard about that story too!"

He smirked suddenly. "Yeah… Definitely Sokka's twin. You both are blind to the true enemy."

"I know who the enemy is…" I sighed. "You're the blind one to see that all Fire Nation people are bad. There are some good ones out there."

There was a slight pause. Then Jet's eyes narrowed with knowing. "Ah… I see… Your captor was a young prince right?" He leaned forward. "Don't tell me you fell in love with the bastard?"

Anger flared inside me. "Don't call him that!" My hand snapped up to slap him, but he grabbed it to stop me. As his hand clenched my already sore wrist, Momo tried to smack his head with his paw.

Jet dodged, and then pulled me forward. "So I'm right… You fell for the enemy and have betrayed your own!"

"From what I see," I snapped, trying to pull from his grip. "Zuko's a much better man than you'll ever be."

He growled. "You're crazy! You've got some crazy psychotic attachment to your captor now?!"

"That's none of your business! So let me go!"

He went to say something else but was cut off.

"Jet! There you are!"

A high-toned voice called from behind Jet, and he looked back to see who it was. He let out a heavy breath. "Yeah… Sorry Smellerbee. Got a little side tracked." He let me go then and backed away from me. His eyes were narrowed as he spoke to me once more. "You take care of yourself, Crystal… We wouldn't want you falling into the Fire Nation's hands again."

I watched him walk off with the short girl at the end of the alley feeling my blood boil. Taking a few deep breaths though, I shut my eyes to calm down. Just wait until I told Sokka and Katara who I ran into.

Another hour passed, and I'd shaken off the Jet thing. My wrist was sore, but my focus had returned to my mission at hand. As I asked around some more and received no progress, I began to feel completely dismayed.

"I don't get it… Appa was being taken to be traded in Ba Sing Se… He should've been here."

Running a hand through my hair, I stopped walking and looked down at the ground. When I did, something caught my eye. Caught in a crack in the dirt, and shaking with the breeze, were a few strands of long white hair. Kneeling down, I grabbed the strands and managed to pull them loose from the opening in the dirt. Momo hopped down and sniffed the fur in my hand. He then jumped up and down, chattering with excitement to tell me what I already guessed.

Appa's fur was in my grasp. Momo's acute sense of smell confirmed it. "Appa…" Tears filled my eyes, and I clenched the fur tight. "I'm going to find you buddy… I promise…"

As it got dark, I returned back to the Upper Ring and managed to find my way to the place we were staying at. When I arrived, I saw disappointed faces. They were relieved when I walked in with Momo, and asked how my search went. I told them about my run in with Jet, and they were horrified.

Katara snapped, "You should've kicked him in the place that hurts!"

Aang and Sokka cringed at her words. Toph laughed.

"Also… I found something…"

Aang's ears perked up. Momo chattered again with thrill. Opening the coin pouch, I pulled out the strands of fur. Aang's eyes widened, and he rushed forward grabbing them from my hand. He examined Appa's fur with shock, then pain, and finally with tears. "Appa… He is here…"

I told them where I found the fur, and they decided that they would search the Lower Ring to see if they could find more clues towards Appa's whereabouts. Later that night as I lay beside Katara to sleep, I clutched my necklace and felt a twinge in my chest.

"So I'm right… You fell for the enemy and have betrayed your own!"

Shutting my eyes, I rolled over and pulled my blanket close to my chin to try and block out Jet's words.

Zuko… I missed Zuko so much… Being with Jet today, and the way he held my hand so rough and tight, made me remember my first encounters with Zuko. My wrist tingled at the memory of Zuko's warm hand wrapped around it. He had been so rough at first, but then slowly he showed his soft side. I wanted to see him again. He'd know how to comfort me about Appa. He'd probably tell me to stop blaming myself. He would hug me close to try and make me forget.

As much as I loved my family, I wanted to see him again… I wanted to be with him once more…

Five more days passed, and there was still no new information about Appa. Joo Dee was absolutely no help, and frankly, her presence irritated me whenever she came around. She also constantly informed us that the Earth King was still too busy to see us. I doubted that very seriously though. While the others moped about and thought the worst, I tried to look over a map of Ba Sing Se to plot out my next search area. There was a place in the Lower Ring that I hadn't gone to yet. There was a collection of shops there, so I hoped they would perhaps know something about big purchases that may have happened in the last few weeks.

"I've got it!" Katara suddenly rushed into the room. She had gone out for a walk to stretch her legs. "I know how we're gonna see the Earth King!"

Looking over at her from where I was kneeling on the floor, I saw her holding a piece of paper.

Toph lounged nearby, opened her eyes staring at nothing, and asked, "How are we supposed to do that? 'One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King'." She was mimicking Joo Dee.

Katara smiled. "The King is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear."

Aang, who was lounging too, sat up and asked, "You mean Platypus-Bear?"

Katara looked down at the paper. "No, it just says "Bear"."

Sokka tried. "Certainly you mean his pet Skunk-Bear."

Toph said. "Or his Armadillo-Bear."

Aang added, "Gopher-Bear?"

Katara shook her head. "Just..."Bear"."

Toph sighed. "This place is weird."

A brief pause fell over the room. I smiled slightly at the awkward air. Katara spoke again a second later. "The palace will be packed. We can sneak in with the crowd."

Toph sighed. "Won't work."

"Why not?"

Toph turned her head towards my sister. "Well, no offense to you simple country folk, but a real society crowd would spot you from a mile away. You've got no manners." She proceeded to turn on her side, pick up a pastry from a bowl, and take a bite.

Katara placed her hands on her hips."Excuse me? I've got no manners? You're not exactly lady fancy fingers."

Toph burped as if to prove Katara's point for her. "I learned proper society behavior and chose to leave it. You never learned anything. And frankly, it's a little too late."

Sokka jumped up from where he was seated. "Ah-Ha, but you learned it. You could teach us."

Aang nodded, getting to his feet as well. "Yeah, I'm mastering every element. How hard could manners be…" He walked over to a window and wrapped a curtain around him to demonstrate. I watched with amusement. His tone turned deep as he mocked the rich. "Good evening, Mr. Sokka Watertribe. Ms. Katara and Ms. Crystal Watertribe. Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty, your Momo-ness." Momo got in the curtain beside Aang playing along. I giggled at their nonsense.

Sokka grabbed another curtain to also mimic the rich. "Avatar Aang, how you do go on."

They both bowed at one another simultaneously and knocked one another's heads in the process falling backward. I laughed and quickly covered my mouth to stifle it.

Toph sighed. "Katara and Crystal might be able to pull it off, but you two would be lucky to pass as busboys."

Rubbing his head, Sokka whined, "But I feel so fancy."

Toph sighed again, standing from her place on the floor. "Alright Sugarqueen and Princess. Let's go find us some outfits at the shop nearby."

Her words caused me to wince. "Um… I can't… I've made plans tonight."

Everyone was surprised. Sokka panicked. "What? With who? Is it a guy! Are you seeing someone! We've only been here for five days!"

"Sokka! Chill out!" I stood from where I knelt beside my map. "I'm going to search for Appa again."

Katara frowned. "Crys… You've been searching for him endlessly since we got here… You should take one night to rest."

"Going to a party won't be a rest, Katara. I'll rest the day I find Appa." Walking over to the low table, I grabbed my coin bag from the surface and placed it in the pocket of my new trousers. "I won't stop until I find him."

As I went towards the door, Aang intercepted my path. "Crys… I think Katara may be right… I want to find Appa more than anything, but I also know my limits. You haven't taken any time for yourself since we got here… You look paler than usual… I can see you're tired too."

I grimaced. "I know my limits… I walked barefoot through the snow for a good two hours and survived an explosion set by pirates… A walk around the city won't kill me."

"It's not you walking we're worried about," Sokka suddenly said. "It's your exhaustion…"

"I'll be fine," I promised, looking around the room at them all. "You all just focus on getting to the Earth king. I'll focus on my health."

With that, I left the group once more to make my way again to the Lower Ring. As I headed out, I let out a heavy breath of relief. I hadn't felt in the mood to play dress up, and the last thing I wanted was to go to a party tonight. As much as I was tempted to stay and see what came to pass, I decided the last thing I needed to think about was what color dress to wear to go undercover.

Eventually, I made it back to the Lower Ring where I once again saw the same crowd of poor and mistreated men and women. As I started to maneuver my way in and out through the crowd, I followed the map I had memorized in my head. When I reached the shop district, the sun was already starting to lower.

I quickly began to confront the men and women around me asking if anyone had heard of a giant creature with six legs and an arrow on his body. Most of the people I asked just broke out into laughter. Others looked at me like I was insane. However, by the time the sun was starting to set, I came upon another shopkeeper who was closing up for the night. When I asked the man about Appa, his eyes widened.

"A giant bison…" The thirty-some-year-old man looked around, and then opened his shop door gesturing for me to come in. My heart thudded as hope surged through me. Stepping inside, I found the shopkeeper light a few candles around the shop with a match. He then sat at one of the tables he served people bread at. "Sorry for the secrecy…" He spoke softly as if to not be heard by others. "There are people in this city who shouldn't hear what I'm about to tell you…" He gestured to the chair in front of him.

I stepped over to him and sat down with shaking limbs. The man had shaggy brown hair and some stub on his chin. His clothes were a bit torn and faded. I felt I could trust him though.

"The bison… Yo-you know something about Appa?"

The man nodded. "It was about a week ago. I was taking out some old bread from the shop that night to deliver to a homeless man I'm good friends with. When I was headed around the corner, I saw a giant beast with six legs and a long tail. I quickly went behind some crates and peeked over to watch. The creature looked tired and beaten… That wasn't all I saw though… He was confronted by someone, and I could tell quickly it was one of the Dai Li agents… The man stamped his foot down, and the next thing I knew him and the bison were both gone. The whole thing happened so fast, I thought I was seeing things…" The man cut off when he saw the tears of anger pouring down my face.

"The Dai Li…" My hands tightened into fists. "Those monsters have Appa…"

The man looked at me with sorry eyes. "If they do have him, kid, there's no possible way you can get him back. Those people are an elite and skilled group of fighters. They're trained to protect the Earth King and keep order in the city… You'll be arrested if you try to-"

Standing, I hung my head and grit my teeth. My blood was boiling, and I felt the heat of my body make me dizzy. My heart pounded heavily in my ears. "I'll take whatever risk I have to… I will get Appa back…" Tears fell, and I quickly tried to wipe them away. Calming down, I said to the man with a weak smile, "Sorry… You have no clue how long I've been looking for answers." Bowing to him with gratitude, I said, "Thank you for your help… You've given me so much." Pulling out a few coins, I placed them on the table. "I'm truly grateful for the information."

Turning, I went to leave feeling my heart pound in my ears. "Hey… Perhaps I should get you a drink before you go… You don't look well…"

Grabbing the door frame to steady myself, I smiled back at him with reassurance. "I'm fine… Thank you… I should be getting back to my family though before they worry."

He nodded slowly. "Alright… Be careful…"

Leaving his shop, I walked for a moment and then stopped. Looking up at the darkening sky, I felt more rage boil through me. "So… The Dai Li's not what they seem after all…"

Turning, I went to head back to my family but stopped just as a kid ran past me with his other friends. "Come on! The fight's over here!"

At the boy's words, I heard shouts and gasps in the distance. Turning my head, I saw a crowd was gathered by another shop a few buildings down. Curiosity got the best of me, and I headed down the path towards the gathered crowd who were making cries of horror and comments of interest.

"You must be getting tired of using those swords! Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me!"

The voice that spoke made my eyes widen in disbelief. Jet?! What was he doing here?

Rushing over to the crowd, I tried to maneuver through and broke to the front. I saw him standing in the open space of the audience. His eyes were wild, and glaring daggers at his opponent. He'd officially gone insane. Looking over at who he was confronting, I felt my breathing catch.

"Please son," Iroh's familiar voice suddenly said. "You're confused. You don't know what you're doing!"

Zuko lunged forward with a sword just as Jet did the same with his hook swords. Their weapons crashed together sending sparks. As Zuko fought, I was frozen in shock by his presence before me. They were in Ba Sing Se… Zuko and Iroh had made it after all…

His hair was so much longer and framed his face so well. He looked healthy physically, and I could see the same fighting spirit I'd grown to know so well had not left him. He looked stronger than I remembered. I stood still in shock, unable to believe he had been here this whole time… I'd been so anxious to find Appa, I never even imagined Zuko might be so near…

Zuko swung at Jet hard suddenly, but Jet caught Zuko's sword with the ends of his hook swords. He proceeded to spin around and deflect Zuko's attack to the side. Zuko spun with him and tried to counter his abrupt attack, but Jet hooked the ends of his swords together and began to move them towards Zuko in large circular motions. Zuko retreated back a few steps to avoid the blade, and stumbled slightly in the process.

Jet smirked and glanced over at Iroh. Iroh stood watching the scene from the doorway of a shop with horror. I was so relieved to see him alive and healthy after Azula's attack. My healing had worked.

Jet glanced back at Zuko with a sneer. "Bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast right now."

As Jet continued to swing at Zuko's feet, Zuko stabbed one of Jet's broadswords through the hilt, pinning it to the ground. Jet was shocked and let go of the sword before focusing back on Zuko.

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "You're the one who needs help."

They were both down to one sword now. Jet backed up and turned in a circle to hit Zuko. Zuko advanced and swung his sword at Jet in a horizontal motion, just missing his face by an inch. He stumbled back from Zuko in shock, and quickly regained himself. As this happened, I could no longer stand around and watch the scene in silence. Looking over at the side of the building, I saw a trough of water for animals and quickly lifted the liquid into the air. People gasped beside me when they saw my actions.

Jet snapped, "You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me. It'll never happen!" He jumped up and kicked at Zuko's chest. The blow sent him flying back and landing on the ground hard.

Rage filled me as I saw Jet hurt Zuko. "Hey, Jet! It's not the Fire Nation you need to worry about!" I stepped into the clearing and shot my water straight at him. He gasped when my harsh blow sent him stumbling back and crashing to the ground.

He looked at his new attacker with bewilderment. I rushed in between him and Zuko lifting the water back in the air. Jet's eyes narrowed. "You!" He quickly scrambled to his feet and picked up his sword. "What are you doing?! You really are insane defending these people!"

"No! You're insane!" I felt my blood pound in my ears. "You're the one attacking innocent people out on the streets!"

"They're Fire Nation!" Jet pointed a sword at Zuko who was behind me still on the ground. "They're the enemy! Open your eyes! You're no different than your family!"

"And you're no different than the enemy. Heroes don't try to kill people!"

My words caused Jet to turn irate. He growled and shouted, "Don't compare me to those murderers!" He raced forward suddenly and went to swing his sword at me. I dropped my water down on his body and forced him to fall to the ground once again.

Freezing him to the dirt, I snapped, "You need some help! You've lost it!"

He was on his stomach, but his hand still gripped his sword. Since I'd only frozen his torso to the ground, he took the chance to hook his sword around my ankle. I gasped as I was yanked off my feet and landed back on the ground. My head made contact with the dirt, blurring my vision briefly. The sound of ice cracking was heard a second later, and I was greeted as my vision cleared up with a hook sword to my face.

"You should've stayed out of this," he hissed. "Now I'll add another scar to that face!" He lifted his sword to bring it down. I waited for the pain, but it never came.

Jet's sword was stopped by Zuko's once more, and Jet was forced back as Zuko pushed against his attack. As Jet stumbled to get some distance, I tried to recover from the pain I felt.

"Drop your weapons!"

A deep voice with an authoritative tone sounded in the distance. My eyes had cleared up, and I could see a man in a green robe with a circular brimmed hat. He walked forward with two other men flanked behind him in similar robes. My eyes widened when I recognized who they were.

The Dai Li…

Jet pointed his sword at Zuko, who had dropped his own obediently. "Arrest them! They're Firebenders! And that girl is their accomplice!"

Iroh defended himself and Zuko's identity. "This poor boy is confused. We're just simple refugees."

Another older man walked forward and pointed at Jet. "This young man wrecked my tea shop and assaulted my employees.

An Earth Kingdom officer stepped out of the crowd. "It's true sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city."

The two men managed to grab Jet and disarm him, while the third opened the door to a wagon that I'd been too pained to notice. As they forced the kicking and screaming young man into the wagon, I managed to get to my feet. My vision blurred, but thoughts immediately clouded my mind of Appa. My heart pounded heavily as I moved my limbs towards the men who were locking Jet up inside the wagon. Adrenaline pumped through me as I desperately tried to get the answers I sought.

"Wait! I have to ask you… I need to know if you've seen a bison… He's the Avata-"

The strong man in the green robe turned towards me and grabbed my shoulder to cut me off. "It's alright now, miss…" His grip tightened on my shoulder threateningly to silence me. "You need to return home before your friends worry... You've been through a lot tonight. The Dai Li will handle this." Without another word, the man got into the wagon with the other three. The door shut, and the wagon took off causing a cloud of dirt to rise up between myself and the answers I needed.

The Dai Li had Appa though… The man's evasion of my question and his threatening grip confirmed it.

"Alright, everyone… Nothing to see here," the owner of the tea shop suddenly spoke. "The shop will be closing early as repairs need to be made."

My heart thudded in my ears, and I felt the pain on the back of my skull intensify. My vision blurred as my body hit exhaustion. I hadn't slept more than four hours the night before, and I ate only lunch that day. I'd walked for hours across the city searching for answers.

Sokka, Aang, and Katara had been right… I was overdoing it… But I was so close… I knew who had Appa… I had to find him…

My legs gave out on me suddenly, and I began to feel as though the world was spinning. Arms caught me before I could completely crash to the dirt. As I rested on my knees, hot tears slid down my cheeks.

"Lee… I'll handle helping with the shop. You get her back to the apartment," Iroh's voice spoke from somewhere behind me. "She needs to lay down for a bit… She hit her head pretty hard."

"Yeah…" Zuko whispered in my ear. "I'll do that…"

Iroh added, "I'll get a message to her family somehow… I assume they're in the city…"

"Okay…" Zuko brushed a strand of hair from my cheek behind my ear. "Come on Crystal."

"No…" I shook my head weakly. "I have to find Appa… I need to-"

"Crys…" Zuko cut me off with his soft tone. "Quiet…" He pressed a warm finger to my cheek brushing a tear. "You're hurt… You need to rest."

I shook my head. "No… Appa…"

"Is she alright… Do you need me to go get a doctor?" A woman's soft tone spoke from somewhere nearby.

Zuko stood, forcing me to stand as well. I fell into his body unable to hold my balance. "Thank you, but I've got her… She just needs some rest… I'm a friend of hers. I'll handle it." I shut my eyes as Zuko spoke, so tired but glad to hear his voice. His arm suddenly hooked under my knees, and his other went behind my back. He lifted me up then, and as my feet left the earth I felt my consciousness fade.

"I've got you, Crys..."

Zuko's warm arms helped me forget the pain, and I let my exhaustion take me away.

Third Person POV (Three hours later…)

"The Dai Li make me sick!" Sokka stormed into the home they were staying in and plopped down on one of the many cushions. Katara and Toph followed him into the house a second later, both of them dressed in elegant floral gowns with makeup painting their faces. Aang and Momo came in behind them, and they both looked greatly dismayed. "They have to be brainwashing people or something! That chick was not Joo Dee, and there's no way they can silence a whole city about war without controlling people!"

"Sokka! Calm down!" Katara wiped her face with her dress sleeve and then undid the pins in her hair. "There's nothing we can do about it right now… We need to keep our cool and think about this rationally…"

Aang nodded. "Katara's right… The Dai Li are creepy and up to something, but what Long Feng told us tonight was true… We need to just focus on finding Appa… Crystal finding his fur confirms that he's here somewhere. We'll figure out the Earth King later."

Toph spoke up suddenly with concern. "Hey… Speaking of Princess… Shouldn't she be back by now? It's past midnight…"

Sokka sat up with surprise. "What… She's not back…" He looked around the building, and then stood heading to the room his sisters were staying in. He peeked in and then turned to the group with worry. "You're right! She should be back by now!" He rushed over to the table in the kitchen and grabbed his boomerang. "I'm going out to look for her! She could be in danger, or hurt, or-"

"I'm sure she's fine…" Aang said, although he didn't sound confident. "I mean… She probably just lost track of time and is-"

A knock on the door suddenly sounded, and Toph went over to see who it was. A young man stood on the porch, and he had a scroll in his hand. "I have a message for the Avatar and his friends," he said between breaths and handed the item over.

Toph took it. "Who's it from?"

The guy answered, "Joo Dee requested you receive the message. I was not given any other information. Good night." He turned and left the porch without another word. Toph shut the door, and handed the scroll over to Katara. She opened it and looked at the contents. Relief flooded through her at what was written.

"Sokka. You can put the boomerang down. Crystal's fine… She had a letter written for her it seems. Says she lost track of time and decided to get a room in the Lower Ring for the night. She wants us not to worry."

"How do we know that's really from Crystal?" Sokka narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Could be the Dai Li for all we know!"

"I doubt it. The name of the inn is on the paper. I don't think the Dai Li would leave us with a location if they were keeping her from us," Katara said. She handed the note to Sokka. "She's fine… I'm sure she'll be back sometime tomorrow. If she isn't we'll head to the Lower Ring and get her."

Sokka read the note himself and then sighed. "Fine…" He rolled the scroll back up. "I knew letting her go off alone was a bad idea though…"

Toph shook her head. "Princess won't stop until she finds Appa… You know she blames herself too much for him getting taken…"

Katara frowned. "She's always blamed herself for everything… She puts too much on her shoulders… She has since she was young..."

Aang was surprised. "What do you mean?"

She walked across the room to a bowl of water, and picked up the rag inside wiping her face. "She blames herself for mom's death, and dad leaving us…" She looked at Aang with pain. "That's how she's always been… Adding Appa to the list doesn't surprise me."

A brief pause fell over the room. "Well…" Toph spoke up suddenly. "Let's all get some rest so she doesn't add more blame to her chest. If she finds out we're worrying about her like this, she'll only add this to her list of guilt too."

Aang nodded. "Yeah… Crys knows what she's doing. She'll be fine… Let's go to bed… I'm sure she'll be back before we know it."

"And besides… Princess isn't sleeping on the streets or something. She's in an inn, so she'll be fine alone for one night," Toph reassured.

Sokka frowned, placing his boomerang back on the table. "I just hope she didn't overdo it today… She's been too focused on Appa this week and hasn't thought about her own health…"

Katara walked over to Sokka and placed a hand on his tense shoulder. "I'm sure she's finally getting some rest… If she made her way back tonight there's no telling what might have happened to her. She made a wise choice staying at the inn. She'll make her way back tomorrow."

"Yeah… I know… I just worry about her…"

Katara hung her head at her brother's words. "I know… I do too…"