As Zuko and Mai went to speak to the Fire Nation commander, Aang had hidden just outside the camp with Katara and Toph, waiting for any sign of trouble to storm the place.
Sokka and Suki, meanwhile, had gone to beat up some Fire Nation guards in the town. Sokka had decided that even if the liberation of Kyoshi Island was going to be achieved peacefully, and with any luck it would be, the people would still like some moral victory.
After a while, Aang saw Zuko and Mai emerge from a tent with the Commander, who began shouting at his men. Zuko turned to Aang's hiding spot and gave him a signal. So it was to be peaceful after all.
Just as he was mulling the news over, Aang felt faint. Suddenly, he was in the Spirit World again, and Roku stood in front of him.
"Roku? What's happening?"
"I'm afraid our trip through the Avatar's memories is not done yet."
"But you already told me about Sozin, did you do anything else that I should know about?"
"No, I didn't."
And Roku's form began to change. His robes changed colour, he grew much taller, his beard disappeared, his white hair changed to brown and his Fire Prince's headpiece was replaced by a large golden headdress.
"I did." Avatar Kyoshi said.
And Aang awoke with a start. The first thing he saw was the concerned faces of Katara and Toph hovering over him.
"Are you OK?" Katara asked anxiously. "You appeared to faint just now."
"I received another vision from the past Avatars."
"Another one?"
"Do you remember our visit to Chin village?"
"All too well."
"What happened?" Asked Toph. This had been before she joined them.
"We went to a village where they hated the Avatar because one of my past lives had killed their leader to stop him conquering her home. I was put on trial, found guilty when the past life turned up and admitted it, and only saved from being boiled in oil when the village got attacked and I had to save them".
"Oh." Toph clearly had not been expecting that level of detail. "What about it?"
"That past life was the same one who made this island, and now she wants me to go through her memories like Roku did."
"Let's wait until the Fire Nation has left before we do this though. We don't want you in the Spirit world if we have to fight!"
A couple of hours passed, and soon the Fire Navy had packed up their camp onto the ship and sailed for the south. They had dispatched messenger hawks to the rest of the fleet to meet them there. As the ship receded into the distance, the seven members of Team Avatar stood and watched.
"You did a good job," Aang told Mai and Zuko.
"Through talking," Katara scoffed, taking the opportunity to talk down their achievement. "You haven't actually fought any Firebenders yet."
"That was Sokka's plan, not mine."
So when are we getting out of here?" Mai asked.
"Not for a while yet. I just received another vision. I need to speak to my past lives again."
"But first, we should celebrate. We just liberated this place almost without violence!" Sokka shouted enthusiastically. "Tonight, we feast!"
"Of course you want to celebrate with food," Katara said.
"Hey, I like what I like."
And so they walked back into town, where they were greeted with a massive cheer. Aang saw someone push his way to the front of the crowd, look around to make sure enough attention was on him, and then make himself foam at the mouth until he collapsed.
"Does he always do that?" He asked Suki.
"Yes." Suki looked embarrassed, which Aang put down to not liking how he was representing her home."
Meanwhile Zuko was looking around almost with wonder. "They're cheering for us. After what I did last time I was here, they're cheering."
"Of course. You ordered the Fire Nation away and they went. You freed these people."
The leader of the village, Oyaji, pushed his way to the front of the crowd and began to make a speech.
"For 100 years, Kyoshi Island has stayed out of this war. That changed when the Fire Nation attacked us recently. Ever since, we have been living under occupation, but now we are free again to live our lives. And it is all thanks to these seven. We owe them our freedom, even if two of them are Fire Nation."
Mai and Zuko exchanged a look, but said nothing.
"So it's time for a celebration! Tonight there will be a big feast, right here!"
"Get in!" Sokka exclaimed.
As the group dispersed, Aang realised that he had a couple of hours before the feast. "Is it OK if I go and see Kyoshi now?" He asked.
"As long as you hurry up. We can't celebrate without the Avatar there." Sokka replied.
Aang walked over to the statue of Kyoshi and sat down underneath it. He closed his eyes, and soon enough was back on the cliff in the spirit world. He was sure that it hadn't taken as long this time.
This time, standing beside him were two Avatars. Both Roku and Kyoshi stood overlooking the spirit forest.
"Hello Aang," Kyoshi greeted him.
"Will this take long? Only there's a party in an hour..."
"No, don't worry. I lived for 240 years, and I don't intend to show you all of them." Kyoshi chuckled.
The scene changed. The three Avatars stood in a hallway, surrounded by armed men. "Who are these people?" Aang asked.
"Daofei." Kyoshi responded. "Armed bandits who plagued the Earth Kingdom in my time. With my predecessor's stint being so short, and it taking so long to find me, there was plenty of time for them to flourish."
"They weren't such a problem for me though," Roku put in.
Suddenly, the doorway at the end of the hall burst open, and two figures began blazing a trail of destruction down it. The larger figure was recognisably Kyoshi herself. Aang could see her trademark makeup and headdress. The other figure was a Firebender, with dark hair and wearing full body armour. Aang watched Kyoshi blast a bandit through a wall with fan-assisted airbending while her companion sent a fire blast at two more.
"Who's that?"
"That's Rangi. My partner," Kyoshi said wistfully.
"After a stint in the Fire Nation early in my career as the Avatar strewn with diplomatic incidents, I decided I wasn't brave enough for politics and took a new approach. I would be the last resort, to be called in when all other methods had failed."
And suddenly they were back in Ba Sing Se, standing in the Upper ring in the shadow of the Earth King's Palace. They were surrounded by an angry mob, one that was in the process of smashing up anything they could get their hands on. The three of them watched a statue topple over and smash to pieces on the ground.
"And all other methods failed in Ba Sing Se, when dissatisfaction with the rule of the Earth King boiled over into armed insurrection. Not being able to force or talk the rebels into backing down, the Earth King, who was not as kind-hearted as the one you know, sent for me."
They watched as Kyoshi, who was much older than she had been in the hallway, walked into the Earth King's palace- alone.
"Where's Rangi?"
Kyoshi's face darkened. "I don't want to talk about it."
Aang did not pursue the line of questioning.
"I had already defeated Chin the Conqueror, a story with which you are familiar, and he had been fighting against the Earth King, so perhaps Wu-Lun thought I could be persuaded to side with him and crush the rebellion. He thought wrong."
As Kyoshi entered the throne room, she was greeted by the Earth King, sat on his throne. Aang recognised the same hard stare that Kuei, this man's descendant, would one day give him on his face.
"Avatar Kyoshi. We are honoured by your arrival." He said stiffly.
"What do you need?" She asked.
"Surely you can see. My city is in flames, and it is my own people who are doing it. They are burning buildings, smashing statues, and ripping artworks. They are causing mayhem and they need to be stopped. You are the Avatar, you have the power to crush this easily."
Kyoshi considered. "I do. But I won't."
"What?"
"You heard me. These people have legitimate grievances against you that must be listened to. And I will not crush a rebellion of people fighting for their rights on behalf of a tyrant."
"What did you just call me?" The Earth King's voice suddenly became very dangerous. "You should have a care, Avatar, of who you talk to."
"So should you," Kyoshi replied.
This was the final straw. The Earth King stood up in his chair, pointed at Kyoshi, and screamed at his guards to get her.
Kyoshi sighed, and pulled out one of her war-fans, almost leisurely. "I really wish people wouldn't do that."
And she brought the fan down hard on the floor.
The earth ruptured, and a shockwave of marble rippled out from where the Avatar was standing. Those earthbenders standing on the floor were thrown backwards against the wall and knocked out, while those who happened to be in mid-air were dispatched with a blast of wind.
The Earth King sat down in shock, having watched his elite Palace Guard be dispatched by one person in a matter of seconds.
Kyoshi marched up to the Earth King and hit him with her fan, before levelling it at him. She made perfectly clear that any attempts to do anything stupid would be punished.
"Now, you will listen to me. I will sort this out, but you will have to compromise. We will find a way to stop the destruction of the statues, and the mob violence, but you will have to agree to stop being such a tyrant."
The Earth King could only nod meekly.
"The Earth King did indeed agree to stop being such a tyrant, and the burnings and smashings stopped. And I also established an organisation to protect the cultural heritage of the city for future generations."
At these words, Aang got a bad feeling in his stomach. "What was the name of this organisation?" He asked, sure he already knew the answer.
"The organisation was called the Dai Li."
"You founded the Dai Li?"
"Yes, but they weren't corrupt then! What they have become still haunts me to this day,especially what they did while you were unconscious."
"When Firelord Ozai breached the defenses of Ba Sing Se, it was the Dai Li who let him through the walls." Roku said.
"The Dai Li did that? But why? Surely they wanted to see the city survive as much as anyone else?"
"We don't know why they did it, only that they did. It is up to you to undo Roku's mistakes by ending the war, but also to undo mine. Destroy the Dai Li, Aang."
Aang could only nod, the enormity of the revelations Kyoshi had just dropped on him weighing on him enormously.
Aang woke up. Fortunately, judging by the fact people were setting up tables nearby, he would be in time for the celebration. But first he needed to talk to the others.