Chapter 9
Festivals And Late Night Murders
In the Underground Treasury of Mt. Mahaku's Kingdom
"God it's so boring," replied a newbie guard.
"Bit your tongue," barked a older guard, "And stand up straight, we are here to protect the vaults, not goof around."
The two guards were seen standing in front of a large, stone cut vault 2,000 ft underground, just below the marketplace. It was late, probably around 8:21 pm at night, when they began their shift. It was quiet and the only entrance and exit were the tunnels on both the left and right side of the vault that would be pitch black if not for their lanterns. The Treasury was completed cut out from stone and earth, a feat created by the talent earthbenders of the village, mostly Toph Bei Fong.
"It's just money."
"Not in this vault."
"What's so important in this one vault that needs guarding 24/7/."
"That is classified."
"Again, what is so..."
The guard was never able to finish his sentence when a huge explosion just when off infront of their eyes, blinding them, then killed him. Blood, broken bones and shredded organs where splatted against the wall, a grotesque sight to anyone with a weak stomach.
Three feminine shadows emerged from the smoke all staring at the dead guards, the middle one chuckling darkly sending shivers down anyone's back while the figure on her left just stared blankly at the execution and the one on the right was trying not to throw up.
"EWWWW!" shrieked the figure on the right, "Did we have to kill them? Why couldn't we just knock them out, much less gory."
"But not as effective," replied the middle figure, "This will show that pesky little earthbender that I'm not to be made of fool of. Mai, Ty Lee, open the vault."
"Got it."
...
Dinner was really...akward. Toph sat in between Zuko and Iroh, red in the face, while Aang sat on the other side of the table between Katara and Sokka, a weird dreaming look on his face. On the shorter sides of the table sat Jin and Lin, wrapped in bandages and covered in wounds, on the other side was Aunt Wu and Meng.
"Wow," said Jin, "You can total feel the awkwardness in the air."
"Shut up," replied her twin, rubbing her sore arm.
"How did you get covered in these cuts?" asked Aunt Wu to the twins, "I though you said you were going to take a break from training."
The twins turn to Toph but kept their mouth shut. Toph kept thing back the kiss...that embarrassing, can't-get-out-of-head kiss. It was her first kiss too. Twinkletoe had this weird dreamy, smitten-like grin on his face ever since they got back from training and Toph didn't want to know why. No one asked, not Katara, not Sokka, not Zuko or Iroh, no one asked how was training and she was grateful for that.
"So how was training," asked Katara.
Toph growled. She takes it back.
"Fine. Period. End of story."
"Hey, Toph, you gonna eat that?" nagged Sokka, pointing at Toph uneaten chicken-pig steak.
Toph just pushed the plate to infront Sokka who started ripping piece by piece, greedly. Katara slapped her forehead in embarrassment at her brother. Iroh pour a cup of Jasmine tea from a small green teapot and handed it to Toph, 'calms the nerves' he said. Toph took a gulp of the sweet tasting tea, wanting anything to sooth her rapidly beating heart.
"Sooooo..." began Meng, "Aang, are you going to the Moon Festival tonight?"
"Moon festival?" said Aang, popping out of La-La Land, "Whats the Moon Festival?"
"It's a harvest festival where families come to the Market Place and celebrate our bountiful crops," explained Aunt Wu, "We play games, eat Mooncakes under the night sky, lighting laterns, burning incense, barbecuing meat..."
"Yes!"
"Sokka, shush!"
"There's also the Element Dragon dances," added Jin, "Me, Lin and Toph are going to be part of the Earth dance, right after the Water Dragon dance, and right before the Fire then Air dance."
"I didn't know you dance, Toph," replied Iroh.
"I don't."
"Liar!" yelled the twins.
"Why I oughta...!"
DING-DONG
The ten guest turn their heads towards the door. Getting up her seat, Toph made her way towards the door. Opening the door, three guards stood nervously on Aunt Wu's porch. Toph reconized the tallest one as Kai, a high ranking guard and solider for the king. He had short, messy, brown hair that was covered with conical straw hat, strong brown eyes, tan skin and stood 6 ft tall. He wore a guard uniform which consisted of a green changshan over a faded yellow pants. Toph felt shaking vibrations from all the guard which confused her since guards, especially Kai who would was more composed than the other guards even in the toughest situations.
"Hey Kai," replied Toph, "What'cha doing out here so late? We were almost going out to the festival."
"Miss Bei Fong, Miss Lin and Miss Jin Wong" replied Kai
The twins giggled, "Hi Kai."
"Hello. Would you three please step outside for a moment. I...we would like to talk to you in private."
"Uh...ok. I'll be back guys."
Open the door a bit wider, Toph, Jin and Lin walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving behind her confused friends except for Iroh and Aunt Wu who were busy sipping tea.
"Who was that?" asked Katara.
"That's Kai," replied Meng, "He one of the king's soliders and guards. Kai comes from a long line of proud soliders, guards and warriors and his just turn 27 a week ago. He not a bender but he just as stong and powerful. He came in the other day asking for Aunt Wu's for predictions. He asked if he was going to marry the girl he has a crush on."
"Really?" asked Zuko, "Who's the girl?"
"Toph."
Aang, who was drinking tea, spat it out in shock. Zuko growled in annoyance as Aang's tea fell on his face, Sokka began to laugh loudly and Katara wiped away the tea and spit from his face.
"How can he like Toph?" asked Aang, waving his hands up and down, "He's 13 years older than she is! 13 years apart! 13 LONG YEARS APART!"
"It's one of the many confustions and mysteries of love," replied Aunt Wu, "But I told Kai that he was going to marry a non-bender that he would love more than Toph and have two children."
"Oh, ok," said Aang in relief.
"Kai probably asking Toph if she could do some repairs to the our own Earth Rumble IX tournament or to teach some of his friends' kids..."
"WHAT!"
Toph's scream literally shook the entire house, toppling over teapot, plates, and several paintings hanging from the wall. Aang, Meng, Zuko, Sokka, and Katara turn towards the door that Toph just left throught while Aunt Wu and Iroh picked up the shattered porcelain of the teapot and cups. The five teenagers made their way towards the door and opened it to see an angry Toph, the the three guards, on their knees, bowing down in shame and fear and the twins a good five feet away, Jin hiding behind Lin.
"HOW ON EARTH COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN! HOW COULD THIS BE HAPPENING! YOU LET THOSES BITCHES GET DOWN THEIR AND STEAL IT! DO HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HORRIBLE THIS! 'HORRIBLE' CAN NOT EVEN DESCRIBE WHAT THIS MEAN!"
"Miss Bei Fong," started Kai, "Were sorry. They were ambushed, killed and they took it while other guards were send to investigate the explosion."
"YOU SEND A ROOKIE GUARD ALONG WITH HUIAN! HUIAN IS LIKE A EMOTIONLESS BODY WITH NO REAL TRAINING TO DEFEND HIMSELF OR ANOTHER PLUS HE THE GUYS AN IDIOT AND YOU PUT HIM WITH A ROOKIE! ARE YOU PEOPLE NUTS? WHY DID YOU PUT THEM IN CHARGE OF THE SAFE! I TOLD YOU THAT ROOKIES ARE NEVER ALLOWED DOWN THERE! YOU DISOBEY MY ORDERS AND LOOK WHAT HAPPEN! IF YOUR GONNA LET ANYONE GUARD THAT SAFE, THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST HAND YOURSELF OVER TO THE FIRENATION!"
"Toph!" yelled Lin, "Get a grip on yourself and calm, the heck, down!"
"Oh, dear Kyoshi," murmed Toph, burying her face in her hands then rising her head up and straightening herself out, "Take me there."
"What's going on," asked Katara.
Toph jumped. She completely forgot that her yelling meant that everyone within a twenty mile radius could hear here and that the fact that half of Aunt Wu's house was made of wood kinda fuzzed up her vibrations so she couldn't see her friends spying on her.
"Uh...it's nothing just some problems at the bank," replied Toph, trying to act calm despite the burning fear in the pit of her stomach.
"Toph, you were screaming at the top of your lungs," answered Katara.
"So?"
"So...you don't scream like that unless something is terrible wrong or Sokka went through your duffle bag again."
"It's fine! Go back and finish your dinner, I'll meet you at the festival later."
"But Toph..."
"But nothing! I'll be back."
Turning around, Toph, the twins, Kai and the two other guards earthbended a circle around then 'till they all fell underground and the earth closed behind them.
...
"I gonna be sick," murmed a green looking Jin.
"Puke on me and your be in the healer's room for the next three months," threaten Lin.
"Quiet!" hissed Toph, "Both of you! It's just blood."
"Easy for you to say! You can't see! And it's not just blood, it's organs and guts and brain and muscle and...oh spirits!"
Jin ended up puking right were she stood, sending Lin to run towards the unside of the crime scene. Toph sighed and careful walked towards the open vault, avoiding the spilled organs on the floor. The vault lock was cut off through-and-through using sharp object, a small but powerful drill or a ridiculously powerful shuriken that could cut metal.
"How long ago did they break in?"
"About two hours ago, Miss Bei Fong," answered Kai
"And you didn't find them."
"No. Sorry."
Toph sighed and walked inside the vault. The vault's interior was 6 by 6 ft of hard stone, a tiny room if your were keeping money. But this vault didn't keep money, it kept something much more valuable than money and gems. But the problem was it was empty. Toph slammed her head against the stone wall.
They were soooo screwed.
...
"Two lotus seed mooncakes," asked Aang, handing the vender a few gold coins.
"Good taste, very sweet but expensive, the best mooncakes here," replied the vender in a deep Asian accent, fishing out two, steaming hot mooncakes, "Here you are."
"Thanks!"
Grabbing the two mooncakes, Aang walked toward the group, stuffing his moon cake in his mouth enjoying the soft, tasty pastry. Zuko and Iroh wore chinese straw hat to cover their face from the public, Sokka was chewing on a piece of well cooked meat while Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko's arm and point at various shops and stands.
"Mmm, this is soooo good."
"Sokka, can you please close your mouth when your eating, you getting your saliva and chewed up meat piece all over my clothing."
Aang stood a few feet away from Sokka's open mouth, looking around the town center for Toph and the twins. It has been three hours into the festival and the dragon dance had already started. Hundreds of dancers dressed in the colors of the four nation, red for fire, green for earth, blue for water, and white for air. The men and boys with there decorative kung fu shirts and pants, stood under giant elemental dragon costumes supporting it and dancing under it while the womens and girls, dressed in long sleeved blouses and long skirts, held long sticks the supported thinner, tinier dragons which bobbed up and down as they danced and twirled. Three substitute dancers had taken the place of Toph, Jin, and Lin.
"It's a shame Toph and her friends aren't here," replied Iroh, taking a sip of his tea, "She would have been beautiful out there."
Yeah, Aang agreed in his head, She would have been beautiful.
"That sweet of you to say but I rather not have pervs staring at me all the time."
Aang spung around and almost bumped into Toph. She was dresses in a breath-taking green dragon dress that reached towards her ankles with long sleeves with a spiral-like floral design. She wore her hair down and had a straw hat covering her face like Zuko and Iroh. Behind her were the twins in knee-length, short-sleeve black chinese dresses with green obi and straw hats as well plus matching sandels.
"Toph, Lin, Jin, what are you doing here shouldn't you be in the parade?" asked Katara.
"We know..." began Lin.
"...but we can't," ended Jin.
"Why not?"
"...come," replied Toph in a darken tone and pulling the straw hat over her face.
Turning one-eighty degree, Toph started walking throught the crowds with her friends at her heels. She focus on the ground, making sure not one person was following her. She couldn't let anyone follow her. She already lost one of them, she couldn't afford to lose the other one, too.
"Toph, where are we going?"
"..."
"Toph? Are you listening?"
Toph didn't reply, just keep trudging forward through the crowds, and into the forest; her sole-less fancy shoes had long lost their shine and sparkle while trugging through the muck and gunk of the earth floor which was just fine with Toph, much more comfortable. Finally, after about ten minutes of walking, the noise of the festival had died down completely and the was replaced with the hoots of cat-owls and the tiny lights of fireflies.
The blind earthbender and the earthbending twins stopped in front of a small creek with low hung trees covering the moon and the sky. Turning to her friends she took and deep breathe and pointed towards the trees, signaling the Lin and Jin to stand guard.
"Okay, I guess I should tell you why where here," answered Toph, removing the straw hat from her head.
"That would be nice seeing on how you ignored us on the way here," replied an irritated Katara.
"Now, now," answered Iroh trying to calm down the waterbender, "I'm sure there is a good reason why Miss Bei Fong brought us here."
Taking in another deep breathe, Toph began: "Two years, I came to Makapu Village after I left Bai Sing Se and when I came here, Aunt Wu took me in and I work under her as her assistant and became a second daughter to her. Seven months after I arrived, King Huo-Jiang had invited me to the palace and ask me to create the most intricate and complex underground system in order to house the village's treasure, money, weapon vault's and other valuables."
"The caves that we train in this morning!" shouted Aang, realizing that the tunnels that they were in was the Underground Treasury.
"Yes, but don't worry, the tunnels we trained in this morning were nothing more than a misleading tunnels made to fool trespassers and thieves trying to find the vaults. About two to three weeks we capture about a dozen theives, none of which were successful in stealing anything. Anyway, this afternoon Kai, one the king's guard and soilder had informed me that one of the guards had sold us out to Azula and lead her to one of the vault in whiich she killed two of our guards."
"What!" shouted Zuko, "Azula killed someone! That just proves she'd gone psycho."
"What she steal?" ask Sokka, "I didn't think money was that important to her."
"She didn't steal any money or weapons. They stole something more valuable," turned around, Toph let a low whistle.
"What are you..."
Two large shadows emerged behind the group, low growls came with it. Turning around, the gang came face to face with a pair of huge leering eyes of a 55ft long dragon. The first dragon was male, different shades of red from head to tail with tall, curled horn standing proudly on the top of his head. Mouth open, the dragon showed off his massive incisors including a foul dragon breathe odor. He hand an enraged look painted on his face as he looked down on the group of people that came into his lands, opening his wings making him look even more larger than he is.
The second dragon had a much calmer look on its and very much female. Unlike the male dragon, she had smaller horn on her head, was colored in shades of blue and had smaller incisors. Her body was built like a serpent and thus had smaller wingspans then the male dragon and preferred to lay on the ground.
Jumping back in shock, Sokka tried to pull out his boomerang, Katara and Aang took a few steps back and Zuko just stared in shock to see living, breathing dragon. Iroh, however, stood silently.
"Sokka, no!" screamed Toph, grabing his boomerang and tossing it over her shoulder, "Don't hurt them."
"This is impossible," whispered Zuko before turning to Iroh, "Uncle, didn't you say that you killed all the dragons in the world?"
"I lied to protect them," replied Iroh, petting the head of one the dragons.
"They have been under the protect of the Queen when she found them a little bit off the border of the kingdom. She and the king had choice a selected group of people to guard and protect them. I, of course, was choosen to be the caretaker of them. And, for the next few months, everything was fine and nothing was amis, however, about three months ago, Longwei, the male dragon, had Lanying, the female dragon, conceive a dragon egg in which I found out about the same time she had it. That what was in the vault, that's what Azula had took."
"But I thought a dragon's egg was to be protected by the father?" asked Zuko.
"It was, that's one of the reason I created the tunnels, not only to safeguard the treasures of the kingdom but to act as a home for Longwei and Lanying could live in secrecy. The only reason they left the tunnel is because they had to hunt for food, they won't accept any for we give them and since their so big, they can only hunt at night so they can avoid any villagers seeing them. We can't have them roaming around the fields in daylight, someone would see them, cause a panic throughout the entire kingdom and then the firenation would find out that there are two surviving dragon and capture them and drag them back to the Lord Sozin and find out the secrets of true firebending," answered Toph.
"Secret of firebending?" said Aang.
"Dragon were the original firebenders of the world and from their uses and technique, humans were able to learn how to firebend as well. Just as Badgermole are the original earthbenders, dragons where the true creaters of fire and firebending."
"That's amazing, Toph," replied Aang, "I'd learn from the monk but the sky bisons were the original airbenders. Maybe Appa can give me a lesson sometime."
"So Azula stole their egg," said Iroh, "The outcome will not be pleasant."
"If the firenation gets a hold of that dragon, we're dead meat!" yelled Sokka, "That's it Game over, man! We're doomed! We're..."
Katara had to slap him just to shut him up.
"Thanks. Needed that," answered Sokka, rubbing his sore cheek.
"You know what's bad," asked Toph, eyes darken, "What Longwei rampage is gonna do to the entire village if he doesn't have his egg."
...
In Makapu Palace
In the center of the Palace was the throne room of the King and Queen of the Makapu Village turned kingdom. Lavishly decorated with gold, jade, emeralds and semi-precious metals, just completely spoiled that would make anyone's head spin from just one glance.
It's was Prince Junjie entire lifestyle.
He was the king's and queen's only son and future heir to the throne. He was born from high noble blood, was a sweet talker and very good looking with tan skin, dark green eyes and shaggy black hair. He was tall for his age with an athletic built, clearly the object of ever girl's affection. All except for one blind earthbender.
Lounging around his father's throne, which was absolutely forbidden by his father, he stared at 12 Dai Li soilders kneeling in front of him, silent and unmoving. He wanted to do something, anything, just to get rid of the boredom he was having. Just then, the doors that led to the room bursted open revealing a blood covered Azula, Mai and Ty Lee.
"We're back!" shrieked Ty Lee, holding up the dark red dragon egg, "And we got the egg!"
"Why are you three covered in blood?" asked the prince.
"'Cause Azula thought it was necessary to murder the two guards that were watching it," answered Mai, muttering curses under her breathe.
"What! The reason I gave you the information about the egg is so you can get it without trouble," shouted Junjie, standing up straight, "Not to murder to idiot guards and get evidence all over the place!"
"Don't get high and mighty with me Princy," replied Azula, "Our deal was you tell me what I want to know and have you made king of this tiny kingdom before your by your 15th birthday."
"And my parents?" asked the prince, raising one of his eyebrows.
"Assassinated," answered the Firenation princess curtly.
"Good. Oh! And one more thing."
"Yes?"
"I want a queen."
"Don't look at me," scolded Mai.
"I have someone else in mind," chirpped Ty Lee, walking on her hands around the the kneeling Dai Li soliders.
"I didn't mean you people," sneered Junjie, "I meant I want you to get me this girl from my kingdom to have her as my queen. I also have to ask the Dai Li to brainwash her which should pose as a challenge."
"We already have what we want," snapped Azula, "Why would me and my girls go out and chase some girl your gaga over. What do we have to gain from it?"
"How about the avatar that your so bent over backwords to get. She is his friend and his teacher."
"You mean the pretty waterbender girl?" asked Ty Lee, cartwheeling behind Azula.
"No the other one," said Junjie, "I want Toph Bei Fong."