Zuko decided to try researching at the university again. He wanted another chance to meet with Shizue, and there was no harm in killing two birds with one stone. Perhaps she'd snap out of her weird determination to pretend they didn't know each other if he hinted that he knew about the Children of the Undying Fire. Toph offered to come with him to act as a lie detector. She had not been able to sense anything in the moving, wooden carriage the previous night, but if he could get Shizue on the ground and ask her some questions, Toph was sure she'd be able to put her sensing skills to work. Mai and Iroh also chose to join them on the outing: Iroh because he wanted to examine the archives; Mai because she was getting bored of the house and had promised that she would try her best to help Zuko.
So it was that the four of them were met by Shizue outside the house in the Upper Ring. Her blinding smile welcomed them. Zuko was conscious of being watched—no doubt there were Dai Li agents lurking around the street—so he did not push her for answers just yet and allowed himself to be ushered inside the carriage with the others and taken to the university.
Mai and Iroh caught his gaze. Both nodded to show that they had recognised her as his mother's lady-in-waiting. Of course, Shizue showed no signs of returning the acknowledgement. For whatever reason, she was set to stick to her lie that her name was Joo Dee and that she was from the Earth Kingdom.
The charade continued once they reached the university. Zuko told Shizue that he was interested in seeing the archives, particularly the sections on bending and healing. She didn't bat an eyelash. Her jaw-cracking smile remained fixed in place as she guided them through stone arches and corridors. It was frustrating, even more so because they were still being watched. Toph murmured that there were two Dai Li agents trailing them.
"We have to shake them off somehow or at least get out of earshot," Zuko said.
Shizue was suddenly at his side. "Is there something you need, Lee?"
He frowned and met her gaze. There was no recognition in her brown eyes. It was like looking at a stranger. The creepy smile didn't help.
"You really don't remember me?" he asked in a voice that he hoped was too soft for their followers to hear.
"I have always lived in Ba Sing Se. Unless you have visited the city before, it is not possible."
He clenched his jaw. "All that lying must be getting old for you."
"She's not lying," Toph said.
"What?" Zuko demanded. "Your feet must be faulty."
"My feet are not faulty. I can feel everything, and she's not lying. She genuinely believes that she was born and raised in this city."
"That's not possible."
Shizue's smile faltered at the unexpected turn of conversation. She glanced between the four and even backed up a few paces. "I am telling the truth, but why—"
Zuko moved closer. He was tired of this nonsense. "Enough with the act. The three of us all recognised you. There's no reason to keep pretending that you're not Shizue."
"My name is Joo Dee," she insisted, shaking her head. "I've never heard of this Shizue person."
"She's telling the truth," Toph confirmed.
Some of the colour drained from Zuko's face. How was this even possible? There was no way that the three of them could be mistaken. Toph had to be wrong. "You're lying," he said, taking another step towards Shizue. "You have to be lying."
He was still trying to keep his voice low, but irritation edged his tone. It was hard to be patient when so much was resting on this woman, when he knew with a hundred percent certainty that she was indeed his mother's lady-in-waiting. Of course, Shizue continued to deny the truth. She told him that he was confused, that he needed to stop with these strange questions, because she was a simple woman from Ba Sing Se named Joo Dee. She had never been to the Fire Nation. She knew nothing about him or his family.
"Now then," Shizue continued, fixing her brilliant smile back into place, "shall we continue to the archives?"
Zuko gritted his teeth. He was about to retort, but Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a silent message to remember where they were and who might be listening. The reminder was enough to make Zuko drop the matter, but only for now. He would get to the bottom of whatever was holding Shizue back from telling the truth. He also told Toph that her feet were useless.
"So much for being able to tell when someone is lying," he muttered.
Toph blew her fringe out of her face. "My feet have never been wrong. You wanted my verdict and, according to the reactions of her body and heartbeat, all I can say is that this woman believes everything she is saying. Maybe it's you who got it wrong. Have you considered that she might just look a lot like the person you knew? It's been several years since any of you last saw her."
"No," Mai said, "this is definitely the same woman. The issue is not who she is but why she's lying to us."
"I told you that she's not lying," Toph grumbled, twisting her mouth in irritation. Perhaps she took exception to having her feet's skill put into doubt.
Mai raised her eyebrow. "I'm a seven-foot turtleduck with a platypus bear for a mother."
Toph actually blinked. "You—"
"Some of us can lie without showing it in a physical reaction," Mai said dryly. "I would have never survived at Azula's side had I not learnt how to lie in a convincing manner. I'm sure Shizue is the same."
Zuko nodded. That made sense. From the sounds of things, Shizue had been protecting many secrets; she had to have her reasons now for trying to act as if there was no relationship between them. Well, if that was how she was going to be, he'd just have to force her to open up to him. He wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.
They entered the archives and were taken to the section on bending. Zuko was reluctant to come out and say anything too openly about his identity as a prince or the Children of the Undying Fire, not with potential ears listening in, but he didn't see the harm in dropping hints to remind Shizue of the past. She would make the connections. So, with the help of Iroh and Mai, he flicked through the books and scrolls to find the information he wanted. Not having the other Joo Dee breathing down his neck meant he didn't have to worry too much about the fact Shizue was glued to his side. He wanted Shizue to see what he was doing after all. Plus, Toph was able to keep track of their hidden guards. Her feet might not have worked in detecting Shizue's lies, but they did tell her that a Dai Li agent was hiding on one of the upper pillars above them while another was near the window.
Despite Zuko's efforts, he was disappointed though not surprised to find that there was nothing about the Children of the Undying Fire in any of the records being kept on display. At least not in the ones he searched. Iroh decided to take a risk and question some of the librarians about whether they had any scrolls written by an old scholar named Shang. They were directed to a librarian with a wispy grey beard, who confirmed that a few of Shang's writings had survived. It turned out that Shang had been a famous scholar who had studied the origins of bending and what he called specialised techniques. Shang had been especially interested in firebenders since they were the only type who could bend without relying on an outside source.
"Shang believed that there was much more to firebending than power and destruction," the librarian explained. "He often referred to it as the 'element of life' and theorised that, because of its internalised nature, it may have started as an entirely different form of bending before it was cultivated for war. However, his research was never completed. As far as we have been able to piece together, Shang went missing while travelling in the Fire Nation." The librarian sighed and spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Other scholars have tried to pick up his research, but with the wa—"
The librarian broke off, colour draining from his face. He cast a glance behind Zuko, who didn't need to turn to know that Shizue was standing behind him.
"I mean," the librarian continued, "our scholars are much more interested in Earth Kingdom history and concerns. Obviously."
Zuko caught Shizue's nod out of the corner of his eye. He was sure that the librarian had been about to mention the war. He was also sure the man had broken off in fear. It seemed that Shizue, like the previous Joo Dee, was being used to help monitor the people of Ba Sing Se. This had to be Long Feng's work, though he did wonder how much of her behaviour was simply following orders or because she wanted to ensure no one could dig any deeper into the Children of the Undying Fire.
"I made a promise too."
"Do not let your love for that boy get in the way of your duty."
He glanced at the woman who had helped to raise him. She smiled and asked if there was anything else he wanted to check. Zuko's spine prickled. It felt like there was something stuck in his throat. The words would not come.
"Yes, actually," Iroh said, filling the silence. He turned to the librarian. "Do you have a copy of the Fire Nation's royal line?"
"The royal line?" He shifted his gaze to Shizue. Whatever he saw in her face must have made him decide this was a harmless request. He nodded. "Wait just a moment."
Zuko watched the old man wander off through a curtain to a back room. Mai suppressed a yawn and idly flicked through one of the books. Toph seemed relaxed, but he could tell she was still keeping tabs on the Dai Li agents. Both girls were getting restless, albeit in their own way. Zuko could not blame them. He was also uneasy. Shizue had still not cracked. It made him wonder if this had been a mistake, not in regards to her identity, but in trusting that it was okay to look for information with her around.
Something was wrong. Something was seriously, seriously wrong.
Shizue flashed her trademark smile at them, or at least a "Joo Dee's" trademark smile. It was, after all, identical to the other woman's who had shared the name. "You're interested in the Fire Nation," she observed.
Zuko said nothing. It was Iroh who reminded her that he and "Lee" were both Fire Nation. It was only natural they would be interested.
Something flickered in her eyes, but her smile remained fixed in place. "Of course."
The prickle along Zuko's spine became more like an icy finger. Before he could say anything, the old librarian returned with a large, banner-like scroll, which he unrolled to reveal the royal line for the Fire Nation. At a glance, Zuko could see that it was a partial tree. For one, it didn't go back very far. Many blanks were also missing, especially for the females. Iroh's own wife had not been filled in. Instead, the tree favoured the direct male line of Fire Lords, often skipping their wives or other children. Interestingly, Zuko and Azula's names had been written into the space beneath Ozai and Ursa. It seemed that while Ba Sing Se wanted to pretend that the war didn't exist, they had cared enough to keep tabs on who might be the future Fire Lord.
Zuko turned to the librarian. "You don't have anything more complete than this?"
The man seemed a bit startled by the question, but he confessed that this was all they had. "It's been difficult to get information about the Fire Nation since the—" He broke off, casting another anxious glance at Shizue.
"War," Zuko finished for him. "I see."
The librarian looked horrified at having the "W" word mentioned.
"We're not going to find anything here, Uncle," Zuko said flatly. "Let's go."
He turned to leave. There was no point wasting time now that they knew the archive didn't have the information they needed. Plus, it was obvious Shizue wasn't going to be honest with them. The whole situation made him frustrated and on edge.
"Wait," the old librarian said, holding out his hand. "May I ask what you were looking for?"
Zuko decided to be honest. It wasn't like they had anything to lose at this point. "A princess," he admitted. "A princess whose name starts with Shu."
Shizue's smile broke. It was like glass shattering, snatching the false, fixed expression from her face. "Princess," she murmured.
Iroh and Zuko exchanged a glance. That was not a reaction they had been expecting.
Toph brushed Zuko's side. "Her heartbeat is going crazy," she said softly enough so only he could hear. "I think you finally got through to her."
"Princess," Shizue repeated. She stepped back, hands reaching for her face. "Princess. Not Shūrin. My princess ..."
Iroh's brow creased. "Shūrin?"
Shizue gasped and her eyes went wide. It was as if she had been struck with a bolt of energy: her back went rigid and beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. "It hurts," she complained. "It hurts, it hurts!"
"What's wrong with her?" Mai asked.
Zuko moved closer to Shizue. He was about to ask her what hurt when two Dai Li agents appeared. One took hold of Shizue's arm, the other blocked Zuko's path, long black plait swinging and his conical hat shadowing half his face.
"Stand back," the agent ordered.
Zuko stood his ground. "Where are you taking her?"
"Joo Dee is obviously distressed." The agent raised his head to reveal a pair of hard green eyes. "It would not be right to keep her here as your guide, wouldn't you agree?"
Zuko gritted his teeth. He could see the challenge in the other man's eyes, the taunt that dared him to contradict the statement.
"Nephew," Iroh warned.
Zuko and the Dai Li agent stared at each other. Shizue was already being shepherded off by the other man. Zuko had to act now if he wanted to stop her from being taken away. He was almost ready to do just that as well, to hell with being cautious, but Mai stepped in front of him. Her back was a wall forcing him to stand down.
"My friend is merely concerned," Mai said in a placid tone. "That woman started behaving strangely out of nowhere." A calculated pause. "Of course, you don't seem too worried. Is this something that happens to her often?"
The agent met Mai's gaze. "I don't think that is any of your business."
"Humour me." Her eyebrow rose a fraction. "Or is there a reason why you're trying to deflect our questions?"
"Of course not."
Toph tugged Zuko's hand. He glanced down to see her mouth one word:Lying.
Zuko squeezed her hand to show he understood, then let go and faced the Dai Li agent. "Then what's the problem?" he asked. "We just want to know what's wrong with Joo Dee."
"The stress of her job appears to have got to her. In Ba Sing Se, we are committed to upholding the peace. That is not always an easy task, especially with troublemakers like you." His eyes glinted. "Perhaps you would care to explain what you said to distress Joo Dee so much?"
Iroh did just that, much to the surprise of everyone. He confided that they had been looking into bending and the Fire Nation royal family. "It's to assist Avatar Aang, you see," he explained, widening his eyes in an innocent gesture. "We didn't realise it would be a problem. I do hope Joo Dee will be alright."
The agent relaxed. "Joo Dee will be fine. We will make sure she receives the treatment she needs." He clasped his hands behind his back and his mouth curved into faint smile. "Perhaps you should be more worried about your own position within the city. Friends of the Avatar or not, you have been warned what will happen if you disturb the peace."
He nodded to them in parting and left in the direction of the other agent. Zuko glared at his retreating figure. The Dai Li had definitely got bolder since Long Feng had made that threat to oust them from the city if they caused trouble. Zuko also understood that even though it appeared that he and the others had been left alone, it was far more likely that they were still being watched. No doubt the Dai Li wanted to see what they would do next.
"I don't like this," Zuko said bluntly.
Mai crossed her arms. "Don't sulk because I didn't let you take on that Dai Li agent so you could get to Shizue. You know that would have only caused more complications."
"It's not that," he said, shaking his head.
He understood why his uncle and Mai had warned him off doing anything reckless. Both knew that he had impulse control issues. Plus, he was just as aware that fighting the Dai Li in such a public place would have messed up everything. No, the issue was not that Shizue had been taken away; rather, he didn't like how the Dai Li had sprung into action to stop her, let alone the way she had behaved when her false smile had finally shattered.
"Just then, Shizue reminded me of how I was when I had amnesia," Zuko admitted. "Certain words would trigger my memories, but retrieving those memories physically hurt. She only started acting odd when she heard the word 'princess', and then she grabbed her head as if she was in pain. It can't be a coincidence."
Iroh stroked his beard. "That does make sense. It would also explain why she thinks her name is Joo Dee and that she is from Ba Sing Se."
"Right. The Dai Li must have supplied her with a fake life. For all we know, the first Joo Dee we met could be the same."
"But why?" Mai said. "It doesn't seem very reliable to rely on amnesiac women. Their memories could return at any time."
"Perhaps that's where this 'treatment' comes in," Toph mused.
Zuko glanced down at her. "What do you mean?"
"The Dai Li agent lied when he said he wasn't trying to deflect your questions, but he was telling the truth when he talked about getting Shizue treatment." Toph shrugged. "I don't know what he meant by that, but if it's true that Shizue was regaining her memories, then it's possible they have a way to counter that."
A few creases formed on Zuko's brow. "I sealed my own memories away with my bending. Perhaps the Dai Li can use a similar ability."
Iroh and Mai both agreed that this was possible, though it was obvious that the possibility had put a damper on the group. Trying to get Shizue to be honest with them had been one thing; going against the Dai Li and Long Feng in earnest, not to mention having to potentially fix Shizue's amnesia, was on a whole new playing field of complicated. Long Feng had them all under close supervision. It was not going to be easy to get close without stirring up the hornet-scorpion's nest. Plus, Zuko had no idea if there was even a way to reverse Shizue's memory loss. Not that he was willing to back down. Too much was resting on her knowledge: his mother's whereabouts, his own healing abilities.
He had to know.
"I need to meet with Shizue again," he muttered. "It's the only way we're ever going to find out the truth."
If he wasn't being monitored so closely, he would have followed the agents and found where they were keeping Shizue. The problem was that he was sure that was exactly what the Dai Li had been hoping he would do. They wanted him to give himself away. Zuko would have to be smart about this. He would have to come up with a new plan, or at least find a way to throw off the scent so they would not be alerted to what he was intending.
A faint smile curved his lips. "Tell me, did any of you happen to see a mask stall while you were shopping?"
"Sure," Toph said dryly. "I saw one on every corner."
Zuko resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm well aware you're blind, Toph." He raised his eyebrow. "Besides, aren't you the one who's always going on about how amazing you are? I was under the impression you can sense the shape of things right down to the smallest detail." His voice took on a teasing lilt. "Or are you saying one little mask stall is too difficult for you?"
Toph blew her cheeks out in a huff. "Oh, you're asking for it now, Sunshine."
He laughed and told her that she could try to take him on. Her little rocks wouldn't do much. After all, even finding one mask stall was too much for her.
"That's it!" Toph declared.
Mai let out an exaggerated sigh. "As entertaining as it would be to watch the two of you get dragged off by the Dai Li, the tediousness of having to then help you afterwards is not worth it." She stared pointedly at Zuko. "Haven't you got more important things to worry about than squabbling with this brat?"
Toph jabbed her finger in Mai's direction. "You wanna call me a brat again, Knife Girl?"
"Knife Girl?" Mai repeated.
"Welcome to the nickname club," Zuko muttered under his breath.
Mai scrunched her nose. It was obvious she was not flattered by being included into this select group of people. Iroh, on the other hand, chuckled and told them that it was nice to see them acting so lively and friendly with each other, but perhaps they should take this discussion somewhere else. "We're drawing a lot of attention," he pointed out.
Zuko noticed that they were indeed getting more than a few looks from the librarians and scholars. He blamed it on Toph's loud voice, which earned a jab to his back. Still, in silent agreement, the four left the university and found their bland-faced driver waiting for them next to the carriage. Shizue, of course, was nowhere to be seen. Zuko asked to be taken to the shopping district and then piled into the vehicle with the others. Toph had distracted him for a moment, but he was still determined to find a new mask.
"So that's why you asked about mask stalls," Iroh said, resuming the conversation. "I suppose that would be better."
Zuko nodded. "It'll be less of a risk to sneak around the Dai Li if they don't know my identity."
"I hope you don't plan on taking all the fun for yourself," Toph said. "I wanna crack some Dai Li heads too."
"I said sneak," Zuko emphasised. "I want to avoid a confrontation if I can."
Toph made a noise of disgust. "Where's the fun in that?"
"I don't want to risk Long Feng and the Dai Li catching on to what I'm doing. Not before I've had a proper chance to talk to Shizue."
What he didn't say was that there was a chance his mother was in the city, perhaps also suffering from amnesia. He didn't want to take any unnecessary risks unless he could be certain this was not the case.
Toph sighed and clasped her hands behind her head. "Fine. Do your stealth thing. But if you change your mind, I call dibs on Long Feng."
The corners of Zuko's mouth twitched, but he let the conversation drop and instead focussed on keeping an eye out for a mask stall. To his surprise, there didn't seem to be any in the Middle Ring's shopping district, at least none that would work for what he intended. Theatre shows and masked festivals were enjoyed by all ranks in the Fire Nation, and that had also seemed to be the case from what he had glimpsed of the rest of the Earth Kingdom; however, perhaps it was different in Ba Sing Se. Either that or the demand for non-elaborate, inexpensive masks just wasn't very high.
"What now?" Mai asked.
Zuko ran a hand through his ever-growing hair. All these setbacks to his plans were beginning to get on his nerves.
"Why don't we return to the house?" Iroh suggested. "It will be good to regroup with the others to see if they learnt anything as well. Plus, you can always try meeting with Shizue again tomorrow as normal."
"I suppose," Zuko mumbled.
Perhaps if he got her to come inside the house and away from prying eyes, they could try to get through whatever was wrong with her memory.
"Princess. Not Shūrin. My princess."
"Shūrin," Zuko said softly. "I wonder if that was the name of the princess Shang mentioned in his scroll."
"It does seem likely," Iroh agreed.
Which meant that Shizue knew a lot more about the Children of the Undying Fire. That was a relief. Still, it was not the unknown Shūrin that continued to tease Zuko's mind but the unnamed princess on whom Shizue had fixated.
"Not Shūrin. My princess."
His heart sped up and his mouth went dry. There was only one princess Shizue would have referred to as her own. Princess Ursa, his mother.
oOo
The room was like a prison, small and made of stone. A light spun round and round. Joo Dee—no, that was not her name. She knew she had been known as something else once. It hurt to think. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the world and the light that flickered mesmerizingly in front of her. If she didn't look at it, maybe the awful blankness wouldn't steal her mind again. Maybe she would remember.
Princess. Fire. Secrets.
The words dug into the tender shell of her mind like thorns, bleeding out memories that slipped through her gasp as fast as water in loosely cupped hands. It hurt. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt.
"Joo Dee."
She squeezed her eyes shut tighter as if hoping the darkness could block out sound as well. She didn't want to hear their voices: those smooth, insidious voices that were always there to lock her back up inside the shell of a woman she did not know.
"Open your eyes, Joo Dee."
Sweat beaded her forehead. "That's not my name," she gritted out through clenched teeth.
Hands gripped her face. She tried to twist away, but the stone cuffs holding her in place did not allow for any movement. Strong fingers prised her eyes open. A Dai Li agent stood opposite her, even as the light spun round and round between them. The glow was like a siren calling her to look. To be lulled.
"No!" she cried out, desperately trying to close her eyes against the fingers that forced her to look. "I won't—I can't—"
"Your name is Joo Dee," the man in front told her.
No!
"You were born and raised in Ba Sing Se."
No! You're wrong! I was born—I was born—
"Your mission is to preserve the peace of Ba Sing Se."
Pain lanced through her mind. Mission. Mission, mission, mission.
"My mission," she repeated, as if feeling her way around the dark.
The word almost felt like an anchor. If she could just seize hold of it, maybe—
There. It was like ripping a hole into her mind, digging with bloody hands to grab hold of memory. Fragments of images and conversations flickered in bursts of light. The island. The pale-eyed ones. The charge that had been laid on her shoulders.
"You will accompany Ursa as her lady-in-waiting."
"What happened with the Unnamed One must never be allowed to repeat. We cannot afford any mistakes this time."
"Duty always comes first."
"You know what to do, Shizue."
A shaky breath escaped her lips. Her name was—
"We're losing her, Shirong."
The man in front of her leaned closer. His eyes were like cold green gems, brighter and more mesmerising than the light that spun round and round. "Joo Dee," he said softly, "the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."
A fresh layer of calm surrounded her mind, swallowing the hole that she had created. Her pupils dilated and she stared straight ahead, even as something wet rolled down her cheeks. She didn't understand why the tears were there. Her mind was an endless blank.
"I am honoured to accept his invitation," she murmured.
The agent, Shirong, smiled and told her to watch the light. She did so until she felt drowsy and all she could hear was the smooth voice that slipped into her mind, readjusting and repainting the contents with a skilled touch. When she left the room, she thought of herself only as Joo Dee: a woman who was lucky to have been born and raised in this wonderful city; a woman who served the Earth King and would help to stop any people or rumours that might disturb the peace.
Oddly, a part of her still wanted to cry.
oOo
"What happened with Fifty Three?" Long Feng asked.
Shirong dipped his head in a bow. The two men stood inside Long Feng's office, far from prying eyes and ears.
"I was able to rewrite her memories, but she was already showing signs of agitation when I left. In truth, her resistance to the hypnosis makes it difficult to keep her under control. It might be better to discard this Joo Dee. If I push any harder, her mind will be damaged beyond repair."
Long Feng frowned. "I do not wish to discard her just yet. You said the Avatar's companions appeared to show an interest in her. I want to know why."
"My subordinates are continuing the investigation as we speak. It will not be long before we have the truth." Shirong cleared his throat. "Also, as requested, Forty Two has been successfully rehabilitated."
"Good." Long Feng's eyes glittered in the green firelight. "Inform Forty Two that she will resume her duties as a guide for the Avatar and his friends."
"And Fifty Three?"
"Keep her in Lake Laogai for now," Long Feng said, waving his hand in a careless manner. "If it's true what you say, that woman will only cause trouble if let outside again."
Shirong bowed low to show he understood and left the room. Long Feng moved to sit back down at his desk, yet there was nothing relaxed about his posture. His mind was replaying over everything that had been reported, all the things that had been said and not said. It bothered him that the one who had shown the most interest in Fifty Three was also the Fire Nation boy who travelled with the Avatar.
"Why does that boy's face seem so familiar?" he murmured.
The uncle had also stirred a hint of recognition within him, yet Long Feng had not been able to place his finger on why. He hoped the Dai Li would uncover the truth soon. There was a secret there—a big one, if his instincts were correct. He could almost taste it. Lee, Yingjie, and Fifty Three. All of them were linked somehow. He wanted to know, had to know the truth so he could put a stop to whatever it was they were trying to do.
No one was allowed to disturb the peace within his city. Whether they were common or noble, Long Feng would crush them all.
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