Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Water, earth, fire, air… Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But, when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years passed and the new Avatar, and air-bender named Aang, was discovered. Now travelling by his side are Katara and Sokka of the southern water tribe, the blind earth-bender, Toph, and Ashlynn: an ex-member of the Fire Nation, and Prince Zuko's lifelong companion…
After flying around for at least a quarter of an hour, Aang landed Appa atop a small portion of land that was stranded amidst Lake Laogai. It was far off from shore- a place where they could hide in secret for a number of minutes while they decided what to do next.
Ashlynn stared up at Sokka as he slid off a small rock and slowly paced over to his companions. Aang was several feet away, giving all the love and attention that he was capable of to the newly discovered Appa. Appa was more than thoroughly pleased to be with Aang and Momo once again, and even Sokka's level of optimism had seemingly gone up. Sokka turned to look at Ashlynn and Katara and said, "First, we escape from the Dai Li, and then we get Appa back. We're on a roll! I really think we should take this luck of ours, and use it to its full advantage."
"What are you suggesting?" Ashlynn inquired curiously. She brushed a few strands of hair from her face as a small breeze rolled by. It felt nice, especially beneath the blazing hot sun. She stared up at Sokka from her sitting position, and he smiled back down at her.
Sokka turned his attention towards Katara as he responded, "I mean that we should go and talk to the Earth King now. No permission granted by Joo Dee. Let's just walk on in there, and tell him what's up."
Katara frowned at Sokka, expressing her doubts instantly. "I wouldn't consider a single hour after weeks of trouble 'good luck'. It's likely we'd just end up right where we started again. I don't think we'll get anywhere, Sokka," she protested instantly. All-the-while, her frown never left her face.
"Come on, Katara! If we want to invade the Fire Nation, we need support from the Earth King. It's better to try and maybe succeed, than to give up and never get anywhere at all," Sokka spat as he tried his hardest to make his point. Katara rolled her eyes at him, and looked down at Ashlynn. Ashlynn shrugged back up at her, refusing to get involved in their argument.
However, that hardly prevented Toph from doing so. She interrupted the both of them and pondered aloud, "What makes you think we'd even get the support of the Earth King in the first place? I don't know if you've noticed or not, but things don't generally go that smoothly for us."
Sokka inhaled deeply, getting twice as frustrated. Yet, he maintained a smile, and grinned at his companions. He shrugged and responded, "I have a good feeling about this, though. This time it will be different." His smiles slowly dropped, however, as Katara's frown and impatience doubled in apparent size.
"Sokka, you're not thinking reasonably here! Long Feng has taken over the entire city! The conspiracy he's built with the Dai Li is far too powerful, especially for a group that's as small as ours. I think we should keep on flying away, and leave this horrible city behind us," Katara argued, and finally turned her stern gaze away from her brother. Sokka had grown a frown now, too, and his hope was beginning to falter. Ashlynn stood up, then, and stood by Sokka's side. At first, he smiled at her, but when she still said nothing he dropped his grin.
"I agree with Katara. I've had enough of this stupid place," Toph muttered bitterly. She kicked at the dirt below her, and crossed her arms over her chest. Katara smiled at Toph, and shot Sokka a triumphant glance.
Suddenly, Aang hopped in and landed beside Sokka and Ashlynn. Sokka grinned once more, excited that Aang was swift to join his side on the matter. "Now that we have Appa, though, there's nothing stopping us from revealing the entire conspiracy and the war!" Aang declared.
Then, Ashlynn finally decided to speak up. "Think about it, Katara, if the Earth King knew the truth it's possible things could change. Perhaps we could even re-conquer Ba Sing Se in his name, or something." Katara opened her mouth to protest, but then stopped abruptly. She pondered Ashlynn's point of view for a moment, and then finally nodded in agreement. She stepped over the invisible boundary line between the two opposing sides, and left Toph to be the last one on the other side.
Toph exhaled in annoyance, but she said nothing. She stepped over the invisible line, and stood by Katara's side. She frowned, crossed her arms, but still said nothing. Sokka smiled triumphantly, and gave a silent cheer. However, his sudden streak of happiness didn't last long, for several ships were spotted upon the lake in the distance. "That must be the Dai Li. They're more than likely searching for us. So, what's the plan?" Ashlynn asked, and looked at the companions that surrounded her.
When no one responded after a moment, Katara declared, "Let's fly."
"We really need to buy a new saddle. Flying bareback is terrifying!" Toph screamed over the winds that were rushing past the group.
They were soaring high above Ba Sing Se atop Appa, and were forced to grip the thick hair upon his back, for they no longer had a saddle to be seated in. Toph seemed to be the only one who was having trouble, however, for she continued to cry out in fear the more Appa flew onward. The palace lay directly before them, and there was no turning back now. Ashlynn peered down at the palace below them, and swiftly anticipated oncoming attacks. It was hard to see, however, for the sky had become grey with large clouds that covered the entire city. Yet, it had not begun to rain yet.
"We have to be careful. Long Feng has probably warned the King that we're coming," Katara shouted to the rest of the group. Ashlynn squinted as she tried to survey any oncoming attacks, but to no avail. Not only was it hard to see, but they were so high up that everything below them appeared to be at minimal size.
"Don't assume that Katara! We'll probably have some real smooth sailing. Don't worry!" Sokka yelled back, continuing to express his optimism.
"Look out!" Ashlynn cried suddenly as a large boulder flew right at them with colossal speed. Aang swiftly swerved Appa to the side, just barely avoiding a head-on collision with the rock. "What was that?" Toph shrieked as she held onto Appa for dear life. Aang continued to veer Appa in all directions as he evaded more and more oncoming boulders.
"We're being attacked!" Ashlynn responded. She screamed again as another rock soared right over her head. "More incoming!" she shouted and pointed downwards at the palace. Aang then turned Appa downhill, right in the direction of the palace. Ashlynn screamed and buried her face in Appa's fur as another rock came right at them. However, no contact was made, and Ashlynn peered around her again just in time to see hundreds of pieces of rock fly right over them. Clearly, Aang had used his own bending powers to prevent the rock from hitting them.
Then, Aang leapt from Appa and landed hard on the ground below them. Ashlynn watched as the earth rumbled, and rose up beneath the mass of the Earth Kingdom soldiers. They all shouted and yelled as they were thrown far away from the fight scene, with no way of quickly re-joining the battle. Then, Appa landed directly behind Aang, and the remainder of the team leapt from his back and landed beside Aang. Ashlynn held out her staff before her, and prepared to fight.
Aang and Toph took the lead, and provided a shield from the oncoming assaults. As the two of them blocked smaller boulders from the front, Ashlynn and Appa guarded the back. Katara took up knocking over each soldier they passed with a large water-whip. Soon, they neared the large staircase the stretched upwards to the palace.
When they were near the base of the stairs, several soldiers worked together to bend earthen statues over to Aang's group. The shadows instantly swallowed the entire perimeter of the team as they loomed over their heads and quickly closed in on them. Ashlynn instinctively created a bubble of air around her companions to shield them, though she doubted it would withstand something the size of the statues. However, Aang and Toph reassured their protection by creating a larger, earth-made shell about them. The rock surrounding them cracked slightly in multiple places as the statues collided with it, but the team was left entirely intact.
Then, Katara took the lead as she ran out from their cover. She dashed across the bridge that hovered over a flowing river directly before the palace. As she approached the other side, she bended water from the river and used it to sweep the soldiers off their feet and throw them into the water below. When all the nearby soldiers had been tossed into the stream, she used her bending to turn the water into thin ice, immediately immobilizing the soldiers temporarily.
The rest of the team swiftly approached the large staircase, where an onslaught of many more soldiers was beginning to pour down from. Toph stood at the base of the staircase, and raised her arms far up above her head. After a moment she curled her arms inwards and Ashlynn watched as the stairs instantly became flat. The soldiers tripped, and slipped, and fell on their bottoms, and began to slide down towards the bottom, for they no longer had a flat and safe place to stand upon. With Aang's help, Toph bended a secure slab of rock beneath them and began to hoist their group up to the front of the palace. All the while, soldiers plummeted behind them.
When they reached the top, more soldiers came at them from the sides. However, they were hardly a match for two master earth-benders, for Toph and Aang quickly dispatched them. Sokka pointed ahead of them, and Ashlynn saw that he was motioning them into the palace, which was now directly before them. The doors stood wide open, and Ashlynn figured that was because soldiers were continuously exiting through them. Before more soldiers could assault them, the group ran directly into the palace.
Once they were inside, Sokka looked about them for an indicator of where the King would be. Many doors surrounded them, but even more soldiers were filing into the entrance hall from every direction. "Toph, which way is it to the Earth King?" Sokka questioned, assuming Toph would have a definite answer since she was capable of viewing the entire interior of the palace through her feet.
"How should I know?" Toph shouted back as she rapidly disposed of another wave of soldiers. Sokka sighed, at a loss of what to do next.
"Just keep heading into the interior of the palace. Sokka, you check the rooms, we'll cover you," Ashlynn suggested. Sokka furrowed his eyebrows, and nodded at her. He ran forward while Toph and Aang used their earth bending to shake off any oncoming soldiers. Ashlynn and Katara covered the rear and sides of the group. Meanwhile, Appa burst down any doors or walls or remaining soldiers that stood in their way.
Eventually, enough destruction was caused that the result was a lack of soldiers that pursued them. They began to flee, and surrender. Appa burst down a final wall, leaving a cloud of dust and dirt in his wake. When the dust cleared, Sokka scrambled up over the rubble, and declared confidently, "That's got to be the Earth King's door!" Ashlynn looked over the mess and at the door he was indicating towards. Sure enough, it was enormous in size and decorated fashionably. She instantly agreed with Sokka's assumptions.
Sokka ran over to it, and frowned as he began to fully realize just how sizeable the door really was. The handles stretched far above his head, so high, in fact, that he was unable to reach it. He shoved his full weight against the door, but failed to cause any movement at all. Aang flew in next to him, and swung his glider about him. In doing so, he released an enormous gust of air that was powerful enough to not only open the giant door, but to actually knock it clear off its hinges.
Inside, the Earth King sat comfortably upon his thrown. At his side stood Long Feng, and before him stood several Dai Li agents. The team ran in the room, and readied their weapons as they prepared to be assaulted and captured by the agents. Long Feng appeared furious, and stepped in front of the King protectively.
The King was scrawny, and looked rather young. A small pair of glasses sat atop his nose, and his robes flowed about him. The large bear that they'd seen before lay by his sad, motionless. It appeared that the new disturbance had hardly made an effect on the animal.
The Dai Li prepared to strike as the team ran forward. They halted several yards away, and Aang shouted, "We need to talk to you."
Long Feng frowned and turned back to face his King. "They're here to over-throw you," he accused harshly. Ashlynn began to feel tense as doubts began to fill her mind. Long Feng had known the King probably for the duration of the King's life. The King had never met Aang or his companions. The chances of him trusting, or listening to them, especially after they near destroyed his palace, were highly unlikely. She relaxed her muscles, and ditched her hostile stance.
"We're not here to over-throw you, your Majesty. We're on your side!" Sokka pleaded.
"You have to trust us," Katara begged. Her eyes grew wide with fear and doubt, but she kept her hope alive, regardless.
The King stood up, then, and was filled with contempt as he frowned down upon the group. "You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, and break down my fancy door… And you expect me to trust you?" he cried out in disbelief and annoyance. Ashlynn bit her lip and silently prayed for their luck to increase once more. The King pondered for a moment and then said, "If you are on my side, as you say, then drop your weapons and stand down!"
Ashlynn, along with her other companions, look at Aang. He sighed, and dropped his staff before his feet. Ashlynn did the same, and Sokka laid is weapon down as well. Toph dropped the clump of earth that floated before her, and allowed it to become one with the ground once more. Katara allowed her water to flow back into her pouch, and then she set her pouch down as well.
As soon as all their weapons were away from their hands, Long Feng ordered the Dai Li to arrest them. Chunks of earth formed into the shape of fists were cast out before them. They wrapped about their wrists, acting as a bond to keep their hands behind their backs. Ashlynn tried her hardest to break the earth free of its grasp about her wrists, but to no avail. She groaned as the earth pinched at her skin, and she could feel the slow loss of circulation begin to take over.
"Detain the assailants," Long Feng commanded. The earth King said nothing as the Dai Li agents swiftly sped towards the group. Ashlynn gulped as she felt one step behind her, and hover over her as he took a hold of the earth the bound her hands together. "Make sure the Avatar and his friends never see daylight again," Long Feng sneered.
"The Avatar?" the King questioned finally. He stared curiously at Aang, and for once he didn't appear to be so hostile. At last, there was a gleam of hope, for it was apparent that Long Feng didn't have entire control over the Earth King. "You're the Avatar?" he asked.
"Why does it matter, your Highness? They're enemies of the state," Long Feng growled. The King looked off to the side and frowned as he pondered Long Feng's accusation. He wanted to argue, and pursue his curiosities. But Long Feng's fist held a greater rule over the King.
"Bosco likes them," the King smiled as he watched his bear walk over to Aang. The bear sniffed Aang, and then licked his arm harmlessly. Aang giggled, and the King nodded. "I'll hear what they have to say," he saved, and waved towards the Dai Li. Following his unsaid orders, they released the bonds from the team. Ashlynn rubbed her wrists as she tried to regain some circulation. She frowned as the agents walked by her, but they made no eye contact in return.
Aang stepped forward, but was careful to not get too close to the King, in case he decided to place the bonds upon them again. "Sir, there's been a war going on. It's been apart of this world for one hundred years, to be exact. The Dai Li has kept it secret from you all this time. It's a conspiracy to keep control over the city, and to have control over you," Aang explained slowly and calmly.
"Secret war? That's crazy!" the King spat, disagreeing with Aang's tale instantly.
"Long Feng didn't want us to tell you. He stole my sky bison in means of blackmailing us. Although, that's the least of his crimes. He brainwashed our friend as well," Aang accused, but it appeared to have no effect on Long Feng.
Long Feng turned to his King and muttered, "These are all lies. I've never even seen a sky bison, your Majesty. In fact, I thought they were extinct."
The King sighed and sat down upon his throne. He thought for a moment before saying, "Your claim is difficult to believe, even if it's coming from the Avatar." Long Feng knelt down and murmured something into the King's ear, though it was too quiet for anyone else to hear. However, when he was finished, the King said, "I have to trust my advisor."
The Dai Li ran behind the group once again, and replaced their bonds. Without a single word, they spun them about, and began to escort them away from the King. Sokka, however, struggled as he shouted back to the King, "Wait! I can prove he's lying." The Dai Li allowed Sokka to turn around and face the King. "Long Feng said he's never seen a sky bison, right? Well, ask him to lift his robes!"
"What? I am not disrobing!" Long Feng retorted. He looked back at the King, who glowered down at Sokka. He looked up at his advisor for a moment, and then motioned for him to lift his robes. He stared at the King disbelievingly, and scowled as he curled up the ends of his robe.
"There! Appa bit him," Aang shouted when the red bite mark that stretched about Long Feng's shin became visible.
"This here happens to be a very large birth mark that I've been reluctant to show anyone. As you can imagine, it's rather embarrassing," Long Feng said as he hurriedly dropped the hem of his robes, concealing the mark.
"Your Highness, my sky bison is just outside this door. May I bring him in so you can compare his teeth with the mark?" Aang requested. The Earth King looked from his advisor to Aang, and nodded after a moment of pondering. Aang turned around, and walked towards the door. Throughout the way, he was escorted by one of the Dai Li agents; so that they'd be sure he would not try and escape.
A moment later Aang reentered the room with Appa behind him. The King motioned for the Dai Li agents to release the bonds once more, so that they might show them Appa's teeth without him having to touch the bison himself. Ashlynn trailed next to Aang, but left her staff behind her with Sokka and Katara. She had no desire to cause any alarm to the King.
Appa, Aang, and Ashlynn stopped several feet away from the King. Together, Aang and Ashlynn prodded Appa until he reluctantly opened his large mouth and exposed his row of teeth. Ashlynn motioned towards Long Feng, and he rolled his eyes as he curled up the hem of his robes again. The King was silent as he looked back and forth between Appa's teeth, and the mark on Long Feng's robes.
"That pretty much proves it," he said after a moment. Appa shut his mouth tight, and Aang permitted him to retreat to Sokka's side. "Though, it doesn't prove this theory about the conspiracy you have." Ashlynn's hopes dropped as she heard him say this. They were so close, and yet to falter now would be such a loss and disappointment. She perked up, however, as he said, "But it's a serious issue, if what you say is true. I suppose it's worth looking into."
Angrier than ever, Long Feng dismissed himself from the room. The King, along with Aang and his companions, watched curiously as the Dai Li followed closely behind him, leaving their King unattended. When they'd left the room the King turned back to them, and with a smile he asked, "So, where do we go first?"
"So, this is what being on a train is like," the King said aloud as he stared outside the windows within the public train of Ba Sing Se. The people around him stared at him and his guards incredulously. It was obvious he'd never been this far from his natural home within the confinements of the city, and the people were in shock to actually be graced with their King's noble presence.
"That's the way to travel!" the King exclaimed, and pointed towards Appa. Aang flew atop his furry friend outside the train, following them closely as they made their way to the destination. The King grinned broadly as he watched the bison soar back and forth through the air, and Ashlynn couldn't help but smile. It was good for the King to get outside the palace, and see the joys that the real world could bring one person.
"So, where exactly are we going?" the King asked when Appa flew out of sight. He looked down at Sokka specifically, whom was sitting with the remainder of his companions upon the seats within the train.
"We're going underneath Lake Laogai," Sokka responded after a moment, and looked away from the King.
"It's the Dai Li's secret headquarters," Ashlynn followed, hoping it wasn't wrong to speak out of turn. The King didn't seem to mind; instead, he appeared intrigued. "It's where all the brainwashing has occurred," she explained further. The King looked away from her, and she gazed up at him as he frowned with frustration.
Lake Laogai loomed before them. The sun reflected off of its silent waters onto the faces of the group that stood before it. It seemed to be such a harmless lake, just like any other ordinary lake in the world. It was a shame that it had been utilized in helping commit the crimes that the Dai Li had.
Toph stepped forward, and searched about her for where the entrance beneath the lake had been. She walked slightly to the left, and her companions followed her. The King watched her with such interest and intensity that it was almost as if he expected her to transform into a kind of creature. Instead, she merely stopped the ground with a foot, and shot her arms out before her. A bridge of earth with an entrance at its end should have risen before them. However, all that was before them was broken rocks.
"It's gone!" Toph cried out.
"Don't tell me…" Ashlynn muttered as she pondered what could have possibly happened. The only explanation was that the Dai Li, having anticipated their next move, had gone to the lake before they had. Having had the time, they covered up any evidence that the group could have used against them.
Almost as if she had been reading Ashlynn's mind, Katara turned to the King and said, "The Dai Li must've known we were coming. So, they destroyed all the evidence."
"That seems awfully convenient," the King said as he frowned with doubt an annoyance. "Long Feng was right. This was a waste of my time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my palace," he stated sternly as he turned away from the group.
"Wait, the wall! There's no way they can cover that up in time," Katara exclaimed.
Excitedly, Aang rushed after the King. He stopped before him, preventing him from walking any further. The King looked as though he were about to slap him, but that didn't stop Aang. "If you'll come with us to the outer wall, I can prove to you that the war is real!" Aang told the King.
Appalled, the King retorted, "No Earth King has ever been to the outer wall! I don't have any more time to deal with this nonsense." He trotted away from Aang without another word, and all the Avatar could do was watch him walk away, hopeless.
"Wait! If you come with us… This time you can ride on Appa," Sokka bribed. The Earth King stopped dead in tracks, and grinned back at Sokka.
Appa flew a lot slower than normal, now that he was carrying extra weight. Not only did he have to carry Aang and all his companions, but now he had to carry the Earth King as well as his guards. Ashlynn offered to fly around with her glider, and Aang agreed to join her. Although they were likely the two lightest members of the team, after Toph, it did help to loosen the burden that Appa had to bear.
Appa followed closely behind the two air benders, and all Ashlynn could hear over the winds were the cries of the Earth King. He sounded both scared, and thrilled. She laughed every time the King's cries carried over the winds. Sure, it was dangerous riding Appa bare-back, but she also knew it had to provide at least some fun.
However, his cries stopped as they neared the outer wall. Aang motioned for Ashlynn to return to Appa, and so she allowed the winds to carry her back upon the bison's back. Aang perched himself atop Appa's head, and waited for them to come within sight of the drill.
"What is that?" the King gasped as he saw the large, mechanized drill that jutted out from the bottom of the wall of Ba Sing Se.
"It's a drill, your Highness. It was made by the Fire Nation, and was designed to break through your walls," Sokka explained bitterly. There was no need to sugarcoat it for the King.
When the King had had a good sized view of the drill, Aang landed Appa atop the outer wall, directly above the drill. The King gaped down at it in shock, and was at a loss for words. Ashlynn bit her lip, and remained silent just as her friends were. There were no words that could comfort the King for the moment.
"I can't believe I never knew…" the King murmured to himself. He quivered slightly, and Ashlynn wondered if he were going to start crying.
However, all was interrupted as a familiar voice came from behind them. "I can explain this, your Majesty," Long Feng said calmly as he stepped from the nearby elevator and paced towards the group. "All this is… Is a construction project!" Long Feng exclaimed, and motioned over at the drill.
This time, Katara stepped forward. "Perhaps you'd care to explain why there's a Fire Nation insignia plastered atop your 'construction project'," she spat, and glared up at Long Feng. Even the Earth King frowned upon him, now.
"It's important! You know you can't trust domestic machinery," he quickly lied. This time, however, he began to lose his nerve. Ashlynn sneered at him as she realized he was finally beginning to break, and that the King was at last leaving his side. "Surely you don't believe these children, over your most loyal attendant!" Long Feng shouted at the King furiously.
"Dai Li!" the King shouted, and both Sokka and Ashlynn jumped in surprise at the sudden livid tone his voice beheld. "Arrest Long Feng- I want him to stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom," the King commanded confidently. This sudden demand shocked not only Long Feng, but Aang and the Dai Li as well. No one had expected the King to query such a punishment.
Since Long Feng was an earth bender, he was captured in metal cuffs instead of earthen ones. Long Feng protested as the Dai Li dragged him away, but not once did the King lift a single finger to help him out, or grant him release.
It was late at night, and the moon hovered high above Ba Sing Se. Aang, Ashlynn, and the rest of the company had personally escorted the King back to his palace. Now, he sat upon his throne, with his loyal subjects before him.
"I want to thank each and every one of you for opening my eyes. All this time, I thought Ba Sing Se to be a great metropolis. But really, it's only a city of fools. In essence, that makes me the King of fools. We're at war with the Fire Nation, and I never had a clue!" the King mumbled with disbelief and stress.
"That's why we came to Ba Sing Se, your Highness," Ashlynn declared, hoping to bring the King out of his astonished state of mind. If they could give him a shred of hope, perhaps he'd agree to help them. The King looked up at them, and it was evident he needed that shred of hope.
Sokka stepped forward as he prepared to back up Ashlynn's claim. "We think you can help us, and the war," he exclaimed.
Next, Aang stepped forward. "We don't have much time. This summer, a comet is arriving. It's energy will give fire benders unbelievable strength. They'll be unstoppable," Aang expressed. The King's hope began to falter even more as Aang told him this.
"There is hope, though! Before that comet arrives there's a single window of opportunity," Sokka illustrated for the King.
"A solar eclipse is coming, your Highness. The sun will be entirely blocked out by the moon, and all fire benders will be helpless," Ashlynn clarified finally. The King frowned down at them, confused yet curious.
"What exactly are you suggesting?" he questioned.
"That's the day we need to invade the Fire Nation- The day of black sun," Sokka declared.
The Earth King gaped at them in awe. Clearly, he doubted their efforts would make it far. "I don't know… That would require moving the troops out of Ba Sing Se. We'd be entirely vulnerable!"
"You're already vulnerable! The Fire Nation isn't going to stop until this city falls. You can either sit around and wait for that to happen, because it will, or take the offensive and give yourself a fighting chance!" Sokka affirmed. He stared up at the King as he waited, with hope, for his response.
The King pondered long and hard for a moment, and then smiled down at the group. "Very well- you have my support," he agreed. He grinned even broader as the company cheered, having finally reached their goal after a long and treacherous journey.
Their moment of small celebration was interrupted as another man stepped into the room and walked down the long hall towards the King's throne. He knelt down on one knee beside the group as he paid his respects to his King. "I'm sorry for the interruption, your Highness," he apologized.
The King motioned for him to stand up as he introduced him as 'General How'. "This is the leader of the Council of Five. They are my highest ranking generals."
General How stood up as he said, "We searched Long Feng's office. We found something that will interest everybody." The King raised his eyebrows, and then nodded his head, granting the General permission to bring in what it is they'd found. So, he turned and left the room for a moment. However, minutes later he returned with a second man that carried a large and decorative box with him.
"This box has secret files on everyone in Ba Sing Se, including you kids," the General explained as he set the box down on a nearby table. The King stood up from his throne, and followed the group over to the table. The General opened it, and pulled out a scroll. "Toph Bei Fong," he read aloud. Katara took the scroll from him, since Toph was unable to read.
She stretched out the scroll and began to read its contents. "It's a letter from your mom," she said after a moment of reading. "Your mom's here in the city, and she wants to see you," she explained further.
When Katara finished reading, the General pulled a scroll that was addressed to Aang. "It was attached to the horn of your bison when the Dai Li captured him," the General explained. Aang took it curiously, and began to read his as well.
"It's from the Eastern Air Temple," he grinned as he read through it. Its contents interested Ashlynn, but she remained silent as she waited for them to continue searching through the inside of the box.
"Is there anything for Sokka and I?" Katara questioned excitedly.
"I'm afraid not, but this one's addressed to Ashlynn here," the King said, and pulled a small card from the box. Ashlynn raised an eyebrow, wondering who would possibly send her a letter of any sort.
She stepped to the side and blocked out the sounds of the group for a moment. True, she felt sorry for Katara and Sokka, because that was their one chance of possibly receiving news of their father. However, she was far more interested in the small card she had. It was fancy and decorative, and she opened it up. She frowned as it read
The Jasmine Dragon welcome you to its grand opening within the upper ring of Ba Sing Se.
Present this card and receive a free cup of tea.
Signed,
'The Finest Tea Brewer in Ba Sing Se'
On the back of the small card there was a small set of directions that described to her how to get to The Jasmine Dragon. Disappointed, she stuffed the small card into one of her pockets and returned to her companion's side.
"Ashlynn, you wouldn't believe it!" Sokka exclaimed as she neared them again. She gasped as he swiftly wrapped his arms about her waist and embraced her in a sudden hug. Before she could react, he kissed the side of her head and released her from his hold. "Look!" he cried excitedly, and shoved a paper into her hands. She gazed down at it, and read the letter. After a moment she realized it was a report of some sort.
"What is this?" she questioned, wondering why he had become so excited.
"Read who it's lead by!" he nearly squealed. She looked down at the report, and read the words that said 'Lead by Hakoda'. She looked back up at Sokka and waited for an explanation. "Hakoda is my father!" he squeaked as he grinned broadly at her. She smiled back at him, happier than ever for him. She wrapped his arms about his neck and returned the hug. In return, he squeezed her tightly, and after a moment they broke apart. "What did your letter say?" he questioned after he'd calmed himself down.
"Just some silly invitation to a tea shop," she shrugged. "What about Aang?" she questioned, desiring to quench her curiosity about Aang's scroll that came from the eastern air temple.
"Oh, it's from a Guru. He wants to help Aang take the 'next step in the Avatar journey'. Basically, he wants to help teach Aang how to control the Avatar state," he explained.
"That's great!" Ashlynn replied, and Sokka nodded. If Aang could control the Avatar state, he'd be that much more powerful. "All of this is such big news, where do we even start?" Ashlynn questioned as she looked over at Aang, Katara, and Toph. They'd left Ashlynn and Sokka alone, but clearly a lot had happened in the several moments that Ashlynn had stepped to the side. She looked up at Sokka as she waited for an explanation.
"Well… Katara suggested that we all split up," Sokka muttered and his smile began to falter. Ashlynn glowered up at him as she waited for him to explain further. "Well, each of us has so much to get done. Aang needs to see that Guru, and Katara and I want to go see our dad. Toph's mom is in the city, too. We can't do it all and prepare to invade the Fire Nation at the same time."
"I guess… Aang does need to be ready… But, how long will we all be apart?" Ashlynn asked gloomily as she stared up at Sokka.
"Well, Katara offered to stay here and help the King out. You'll still be in the same city as her and Toph. It won't be all bad," he smiled reassuringly at Ashlynn.
"But… How long will you, and I, and Aang be apart?" she asked, growing more miserable by the second. The thought of their happy group being separated for a long time was heartrending to her. They were the closest thing she'd ever had to a family, and she had no desire to be apart from her family. Whatever the Jasmine Dragon held in store for her couldn't be as wonderful as the little family she was now apart of. In addition, she suddenly felt a strong attachment towards Sokka, and didn't want to see him go. She felt her face heat up as she held back tears, and she looked away from Sokka.
Sokka frowned down at her, but was interrupted as Aang, Katara, and Toph finally approached them. "The King's given us a room in the palace to stay in for the night. We'll leave tomorrow," Katara said. Ashlynn nodded at her, but said nothing. A guard advanced towards them a moment later, and offered to escort them to their quarters. They bid the King good night, and followed the guard.
Ashlynn found herself unable to sleep, even after hours of trying. The familiar snores of her friends filled the room, and she listened to them contentedly, knowing she wouldn't hear them for some time. Finally, she decided she was far too restless, and she rose from her bed. There was a balcony outside their room, and she moved to go sit upon its edge.
The balcony gave a grand view of the upper ring of the city. Somewhere, the tea shop she'd been invited to lay there. The moon hovered high above her, and she gazed up at it. For the first time in a long time, she recalled her experience at the Northern Water Tribe, and thought of Princess Yue as she stared up at the moon. Without her, the moon would be inexistent. She secretly wished that she could do something as noble as the Princess of the Moon had.
She looked down at the ground that lay below her, and swayed her legs back and forth vertically, allowing them to catch some of the cool night air. She grasped the balconies' edge tightly, making sure she wouldn't fall to certain death. She laughed at herself, pondering why she should worry. Even if she did fall, she could just air-bend herself to safety. Then, she relaxed, and took in the fullness of the view and the smell of the nearby flowers.
"Ash?"
It took all of her strength to not fall off the edge as she jumped in surprise at the sound of Sokka's voice. She swiftly brought herself back over the edge of the balcony, and avoided eye contact with Sokka, who stood several feet away from her. "Did I wake you?" she asked quietly, and he shook his head. She turned away from him, and leaned over the balcony and continued to stare out at Ba Sing Se. After a moment, Sokka joined her.
"Why can't you sleep?" he asked her solemnly.
Ashlynn remained silent for a moment, and didn't look over at Sokka. Then, she replied, "You guys are the closest thing I have to a family. Now… I'm losing it for a while. I don't mean to sound selfish… I'm just… Sad, I guess."
Then, she felt Sokka wrap his arms around her and kiss the side of her head softly. She made no movement as he responded, "It won't be for long, I promise." Then, she remained in his embrace in silence, and he never failed to remove his arms from about her until she was ready to get a little more sleep.
The next morning, the team stood outside the palace. Aang and Sokka climbed upon Appa after a bitter farewell. The King himself came to wish them good luck, and bid them each his own goodbye. One of his guards announced that three soldiers, all women, had come to their aid from the island of Kioshi.
"That's probably Suki," Sokka explained to the King. "They're well trained warriors, and would be a great asset to our efforts. You can trust her."
The King nodded in thanks and gratitude. Then, he turned, with his guards, and left the team to finish off their goodbyes. They watched the King until he was well out of sight.
"I'm really going to miss you guys," Toph said as she stood by Appa.
"You still have Katara and Ashlynn in the city if you need them," Aang explained. Toph nodded, and smiled in Katara and Ashlynn's direction. "We'll be back soon," Aang said as he looked down at Katara. She nodded, and waved up at Aang and her brother. Aang yelled, "Yip-yip!" and then they were off.
Ashlynn watched as Sokka swiftly zoomed out of sight upon Appa's back, and she bit her lip to keep from crying. She grabbed the invitation to the tea shop from within the confinements of her clothes, and looked at the directions provided. She looked up towards the horizon, in the direction of where the tea shop was.
"I guess I'll see you guys around," she said somberly. Katara and Toph nodded, and went their separate ways. Ashlynn inhaled deeply, and back to walk slowly towards The Jasmine Dragon.