Chapter 3:Welcome to The City of Secrets
After taking a short boat ride from Kyoshi Island to Chin Village, to pick up extra supplies, the avatar starts a two-day boat ride around the vast earth kingdom and into Chameleon Bay. From there they follow up a river leading striaght to E.K. Ferry Port. After exiting the port, which is conveniently right outside Ba Sing Se, they take a train to the mighty outer wall, stopping only to get permission to enter the city by the wall's guards. Once inside the city, Kiaree, Meg, Kisu, Jeong, Haru, and an earth bending member of the White Lotus, named Shang, bored a monorail that takes them through the Lower Ring, Agrarian Zone, Middle Ring, and Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. Kiaree barely gets a glance at the Earth King Chan's palace as they wiz by and into the monorail station. From there, Jeong dismisses himself to meet with the Earth King and leaves them in Haru and Shang's care. The two men take them to a house in the Upper Ring, near the King's palace, and then leave them to unpack. Haru informs Kiaree that there will be mandatory earth bending training tomorrow, then leaves.
"Wow!" Meg exclaims, standing in the middle of their new house. "This is even bigger than the Kyoshi Warrior dojo!"
"I don't think I've been in a house this nice before," Kiaree agrees, taking Kisu out of his "required" traveling cage. He flies up to the ceiling, then out the back window. "I need to get a bigger cage," Kiaree thinks.
"Aren't you afraid he's going to fly away?" Meg asks, walking to the window.
"No, not really. He hasn't flown away before," Kiaree replies, also looking out the window. Kisu is flying around a small, private garden provided with the house. "I don't think he likes to be alone, or like, far from people. I'm not sure. I've never had a dragon before." Kiaree smirks and they both leave the window. The girls start to unpack their belongings and settle in.
"How long do you think we're going to be in Ba Sing Se?" Meg asks, hanging up her Kyoshi warriors uniform.
"Probably until I master earth bending, or maybe until the White Lotus need to leave again. If you haven't noticed, they like to keep someone around 'protecting' me constantly. It's like they think I can't take care of myself."
"Yah, I noticed," Meg says. "Why is Jeong here anyway? Shouldn't he go back to the fire nation or back to the White Lotus or something, now that Haru and Shang are with you?"
"That's what I was thinking. I'm not sure where they meet or anything," Kiaree sighs. "I'm supposed to be the avatar, but I feel like I barely know the world I'm supposed to be protecting."
"Well, that's what your avatar training should help you with, right? When you travel to learn the different styles of bending, you'll get to see the world," Meg states.
"You too," Kiaree reminds her and Meg smiles.
"Well," Meg starts, satisfied with her unpacking job, "now that that's done, let's go explore Ba Sing Se!"
After exploring and shopping, with a limited money supply provided by the White Lotus, Haru knocking angrily at their door awakens the girls the next day.
Before Kiaree can fully open the door, Haru says, "You are late to training."
"Sorry," Kiaree says, rubbing her still tired eyes. "We over slept. It won't happen again, I prom…"
"You're right it wont," Haru interrupts, then turns to leave. He sighs and says, "Be at the palace in thirty minutes. Do not be late this time." Kiaree closes the door and rushes to get ready.
"Who was that," Meg murmurs, still half asleep.
"Haru. We overslept."
"You mean you overslept," Meg smiles. "I don't have to be anywhere."
"Good," Kiaree says, pulling on traditional earth kingdom clothing as Meg starts to fall back asleep. "Then you're free to watch Kisu." The dragon lifts his head from Kiaree's bed at the sound of his name.
"Wait, what?" Meg says tiredly.
"Thanks!" Kiaree calls. She slams the door behind her, causing both Kisu and Meg to jump.
"Now, how do I get to the palace?" Kiaree thinks. She walks down a street, then another, and another. "I think I'm going the right direction."
After walking some more, Kiaree realizes that she has no idea where she is going when she reaches the wall that separates the Upper Ring and Middle Ring.
"Alright, I'm very lost," Kiaree says out loud.
"Maybe I cam help you find your way," a voice says from behind her. She spins around and faces a middle-aged man. His hair is dirty and his face unshaven, but other than that, he looks like any other Ba Sing Se citizen, dressed in everyday clothes. "If you're lost, I can help you. I know this city inside out."
"Um, yeah sure. I'm headed to the Earth King," Kiaree says warily.
"Oh, the palace isn't far from here! Follow me," the man says and starts walking down a street nearby. He turns to see if Kiaree is following and waves her forward. Cautiously, she follows.
"What's your name?" Kiaree asks, trying to make conversation.
He waits a moment, then says, "Chin." He leads her down a few more streets in the opposite direction Kiaree thought the palace was in. When they enter an ally with a dead end, Kiaree freezes.
"This isn't the way to the palace," she says.
"Hmmm," Chin says, scratching his unshaved face. "I seem to have gotten lost. Let me see if any of my buddies can help us." With that, two men walk up behind Kiaree, trapping her in the ally. A woman jumps off a building and lands next to Chin. Now she is completely surrounded, by walls and people.
"Everyone, this young lady is headed to the Earth King's palace," Chin says. "Think we can help her out?"
"That place isn't anywhere near here," a man behind Kiaree says. "Too bad. Guess she will have to hang with us for a while."
"Stay away from me," Kiaree says shakily, getting into a fighting stance. The others do the same.
"Give us whatever money you have and we won't hurt you too badly," the woman says in a nastily voice.
"I said, stay away from me!" Kiaree says and shoots fire at her. The woman easily dodges it and the four attack Kiaree. They each send a hunk of earth at her, which she jumps above and fire bends as much as she can at once. The man that spoke before grabs her from behind, but she flips over him and chi blocks him to the ground. Kiaree then lunges at Chin, but is hit by wall of earth. The woman sinks Kiaree into the ground so that only her shoulders and above are out of the ground. The three that remain standing walk to her and laugh at their success.
"The little girl thought she take all of us," Chin laughs, then bends down and takes Kiaree's face in his hand. "I don't think I caught your name sugar." His breath smells of alcohol and Kiaree starts to panic. Not really knowing what she is doing, Kiaree twists herself completely into the ground, and then shoots herself into the sky with earth bending. When she lands on the ground, Kiaree feels completely out of control of her powers and unintentionally goes into the avatar state, for the first time.
She turns to Chin's stunned face and says, "My name is Avatar Kiaree," in her powerful avatar voice, and punches the ground below her. A wave of earth throws all four of the muggers into the air and they smash into the walls around them. Kiaree feels overwhelmed with power and lifts herself high above the buildings on a pillar of earth. Still in the avatar state, she shoots fire from her fist as high in the sky as she can manage, catching the attention almost everyone on the streets of the Upper Ring. But, no longer in danger, Kiaree goes out of the avatar state, and the earth below her feet crumbles. Extremely weakened from the avatar state, she starts to fall back towards the ground. When she reaches the ground, Kiaree hits the now uneven street with a thud, and is knocked unconscious.
When Kiaree awakes, she's sitting on the floor of a room, her vision is blurred, and she can make out five people sitting same as her in a half circle, with Kiaree in the center, facing them. At first, she thinks they are the muggers, and her breathing quickens as she gets frightened. But soon her vision focuses and she sees that they are about as far from muggers as one can get. She is sitting in a room completely covered in stone, with no doors or windows. And sitting in front of her, are the past five Avatars.
"She's awake," Avatar Kyoshi says. She is one of the three avatars here that Kiaree recognizes. Along side her is a fire bender, Avatar Aang, a water bender, and Avatar Tunsun, the earth bending avatar before her.
"Hello, I am Avatar Roku," the fire bender says.
"Hey, I thought I was going to talk to her first," Avatar Tunsun complains.
The water bender punches him in the arm and says, "Big deal. It doesn't matter."
"Korra," Aang says. "You're an adult… and an Avatar. Don't you think you can make a good impression?"
"Yes," Roku agrees. "Be a role model."
"You all are scarring Kiaree," Avatar Kyoshi says and they all turn to look at her eyes, huge with fright.
"I must be hallucinating," Kiaree murmurs, getting up and walking around the room. The avatars watch as she goes to each wall and pats it. The stonewall feels solid against her hand and she slowly sinks down in a corner. "What… what happened? What's going on? Am I dead? How do I get out of here?" Kiaree asks, more to herself than anyone else.
"Come sit back down. We'll explain," Tunsun says and Kiaree obeys. She sits the way all the other avatars are sitting, with their legs crossed in a meditation pose.
"That was some fall you had," Avatar Korra says. Kiaree rubs her head, expecting to feel a bump where she hit it, but there isn't one.
"What happened to me in that ally?"
"Kiaree, have you heard of the avatar state?" Avatar Roku says. Kiaree shakes her head no.
"When an avatar is in danger, their avatar abilities usually force them into what's called the 'avatar state'," he continues.
"This is when you are at your most powerful. Before you learn to master it, you have little control over your powers when you enter the avatar state," Avatar Aang finishes. "You were in danger, so your avatar instinct was to do so."
"It felt so weird," Kiaree murmurs. "I felt so strong, like no one could beat me."
"Once you master the avatar state," Avatar Korra starts, "you will be able to willingly go in and out of it. And be able to control your powers once you're in the avatar state."
"Didn't I earth bend? How did I do that?" Kiaree asks, remembering punching the ground.
"As we said, you are at your most powerful. You can do things you didn't dream of doing without it," Avatar Tunsun says.
"Ok," Kiaree says, thinking. "So I was attacked and I went into the avatar state. I fell from something… and now I'm here. Where is here?"
"It's hard to explain," Avatar Korra says.
"Let's say you're in a sort of 'spirit limbo.' You're not in the spirit world, but also not in your world. Somewhere in between," Avatar Roku explains.
"That's why we are all able to communicate with you easily," Avatar Aang says.
"Why are you all communicating with me?" Kiaree asks.
"You had many unanswered questions," Avatar Tunsun replies.
"But now it's time for you to return to your world," Avatar Kyoshi states, who hasn't said much.
"How?"
"Meditate on it. Will yourself back to your body," Avatar Aang advises. Kiaree nods.
"And remember my advice, Kiaree. Know who you can trust," Avatar Kyoshi says, and suddenly, the stonewall behind the avatars crumbles, revealing thousands of other past avatars.
"We are all a part of you," Avatar Korra says, in a distant voice. A gust of wind causes all the avatars to disappear, leaving Kiaree facing a vast valley of smoke. She takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes. Kiaree focuses on her breathing and tries to connect it back to her real body. She feels a slight pulling sensation and when she opens her eyes, she is in another unfamiliar room.
She is staring up at a white ceiling. On the wall in front of her, there are a few medicine cabinets with the water tribe insignia carved into the front. Kiaree tries to sit up, but is restrained by stiff, white sheets. She realizes that she is on a hospital bed.
"Kiaree? You're awake?" She hears Meg ask. Kiaree pulls the sheets out from under the bed enough for her to pull her arms out and sit up. Kiaree is dizzy for a minute, but it fades. Meg and Shang are sitting in plastic chairs on the wall to her right. Kisu is sitting on Meg's lap. When he sees that Kiaree's awake, Kisu flies over and lies on the bed with Kiaree. He is already longer than she is.
"Where am I now?" Kiaree asks, tired of feeling out of place.
"You're at one of the few water tribe hospitals in Ba Sing Se. The metal bending officers found you knocked out in an ally with four other people. What happened?" Meg asks, concerned for her friends.
"Some thugs tried to mug me," Kiaree says. She giggles, but it hurts her side and her head. She reaches up and feels a bandage wrapped around a huge lump on her head.
"Then why were you unconscious?" Shang asks.
Kiaree pauses, then replies, "I went into the avatar state." Both Shang and Meg look shocked
"I've heard a little about the avatar state from the Kyoshi Warriors. And you thought you weren't fit to be the avatar," Meg smirks. Kiaree smiles and pets Kisu's head.
"The metal bending officers came because they got calls of a crazed, fire bending earth bender terrorizing the city," Shang scolds. "You can imagine how confused they were."
"Yah, I might have gone a little crazy with it," Kiaree admits.
"A healer will be in soon. They wanted to wait until you were awake to do any heavy duty healing. You should be out of here by the end of the day," Shang informs Kiaree.
"I expected Jeong and maybe even Haru to be here. He must be mad that I missed another practice."
"Well, actually," Shang starts, "they have… other things to deal with at the moment."
"What other things?" Kiaree asks, suspicious now. Meg looks at the floor.
"Some thing has come up at the palace. You see, well," Shang sighs. "The Earth King Chan has been kidnapped."
