Song and Dance

Azula knew that smirk. She had no idea how, but from the shadowy depths of her own ruined mind came a feeling that was rock solid in its urgency: she had beaten the owner of that smirk so decisively that he should never feel safe smiling around her again.

It was a good starting point. As Meisai had taught her, back on the deck of The Hidden Gem as it sailed into The Crucible, 'Your Inner Fire is the one weapon that no one can take from you. Don't disarm yourself by letting it fade.'

"You," Azula said, her voice as cold as the cave air around her. "Long Feng."

Still sporting that smirk, the former Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se nodded. He wasn't dressed in the fancy style of the Upper Ring, but he still wore his plain robes with a certain polished confidence. "So you remember me. In a way, that's unfortunate. We didn't part on the best terms. It would have been better if we could start off fresh."

Azula frowned as she tried to recall the details of what she had been told about Long Feng after he lost his power in Ba Sing Se. The old nauseous feeling came back, dizziness and an overall feeling of ache that threatened to knock her off her feet. Azula allowed her mental focus to be deflected and breathed deeply of the underground base's dead air. She knew, in an academic sense, that Long Feng had once been the head of Ba Sing Se's old Dai Li organization, a corrupt secret police force that had locked the massive city in chains of lies and conspiracy. Aang and Sokka and the others had exposed Long Feng's evil and sent him to jail, but he had made a deal with... well, with Azula to hand the city over to the Fire Nation.

That's all anyone knew. By the time the Order of the White Lotus had liberated the city, Long Feng was long gone and no one knew how or where. It was speculated that Azula had even ordered his execution, in the days before the war ended. Members of his Dai Li- both those who stayed behind in the Earth Kingdom and a small contingent who had been transferred to the Fire Princess' direct command- had likewise vanished, but it was assumed that they had gone to ground as fugitives from both sides of the war.

Aang and Zuko had assumed. Sokka had assumed.

It all clicked in Azula's head, and although she had no memories of what she had done in her previous life, she realized that the Dai Li was not as dead as it had seemed. "And so you've been seeking revenge. All this time you've been nursing a grudge against the person I used to be, and so you struck at me on Kyoshi Island, and turned the former colonies into one giant trap designed to destroy me. You've been shaping and manipulating an entire countryside just to destroy the teenage girl who beat you."

Long Feng's eyebrows rose. "I'm afraid I owe you an apology. Perhaps Shingyung does as well. It seems we've given you the wrong impression and caused undue stress." Azula turned her head to glance at the Waterbender standing quietly behind her; she had forgotten that the other woman was even there in the hallway with her. Long Feng continued in a smooth and even tone, "You see, you're not so much a victim of our machinations as you are an unexpected complication in them. We thought you were safely out of the way on Kyoshi Island when we began, and your presence in the independent colonies now threatens to ruin everything for us."

Azula blinked at him. "Then what are you doing in the colonies? With the attacks, and the... everything!"

"I suppose I'm going to have to show it all to you," Long Feng said with a sigh. "Well, we might as well start with the evidence immediately at hand. We needed a universally reviled enemy against whom we could unite the people of the colonies, no matter their nation of descent. An icon of everything wrong with the war and the world. Naturally, we picked you. Come, I'll show you our latest batch."

Azula walked amongst the ranks of her duplicates. They were lined up in precise rows that gave her more than enough space to wander amongst them. They all remained blank-faced and unresponsive, although they had followed Long Feng's command to halt their training. More than a few were swaying slightly on their feet, and some of them were trying to ignore trembling calves. Azula recalled what Shingyung had said about their legs having been broken, and how the women were being forced to learn a fighting style based on Firebending even while they learned to walk again.

For that alone, she wanted to destroy the Waterbender. And Long Feng. But first, she needed information.

That didn't mean she couldn't accomplish something now.

"Don't make them stand," Azula said. She barked it like the orders she used to give to the Kyoshi Warriors during a mission. "They're tired and they're hurting. They can sit down and still be the little visual aid you want."

Long Feng shrugged. "As you wish. (Ahem.) Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, you will assume a comfortable position."

As one, all the women sat down and leaned to avoid putting pressure on their legs.

Well, that was one small victory. Now Azula just had to figure out what was going on and how to either dismantle or steal it. No problem. "Are they all brainwashed? How long have you... did you kidnap them?"

Shingyung stayed silent and lounged against the room's door with a small smile. She was covering the exit, most likely, in case Azula tried to run. Long Feng, however, stepped out into the midst of the duplicates, his hands clasped casually behind his back. "Yes, we kidnapped every single one of them. We started with former members of the Dai Li's Joo Dee program, since their minds would already be pliable, and we could try to use any programming that hadn't been found and purged. However, at the rate we're losing them, we've had to expand our 'recruitment.' Just like how we found the original Joo Dee women, we're taking people of the right age and height whose disappearance won't be noticed. In many cases, their lives are better now than what they left behind."

Azula looked around at the oblivious women, at the sea of topknots spread out around her. "Their faces are too similar to mine for it to be that simple." She found she was frowning heavily.

In turn, Long Feng's smirk had returned. "Simple? Far from it. The recruitment is comparatively simple, but shaping the raw material is quite complex. You've heard how we teach them to walk and fight like Firebenders who have lost their power. We've found that Waterbending healing can, when performed by an expert, accomplish many wonderful things. We do a series of traumatic surgeries on their faces, precisely destroy their existing bone structure, and then use continuous Waterbending healing to aid in the recovery and shape the bones into an imitation of your visage."

Ignoring Azula's wide eyes, Long Feng continued speaking in a light voice. "Of course, it wouldn't stand up to anyone who really knows you, but it's enough for those who saw you infrequently or at a distance, or even on a Wanted poster. And the entire procedure doesn't leave so much as a single external scar. I suppose their bones might betray evidence of our work, but it's unlikely that circumstances will ever favor that discovery."

Over on the other side of the room, Shingyung shifted in place.

Azula could only stare at Long Feng. He was mutilating these girls' faces to make them into his tools? What was done with his 'Joo Dee' program was bad enough, and Azula had personally experienced something just like that, in spirit if not actual mechanics, but this? "You're awfully forthcoming about your awfulness. And I thought Iwas a monster. At least when I hurt people, I make it clean."

"Is that so?" Long Feng's eyebrows rose mockingly. Azula managed to keep from flinching as the sight of Ozai's (father) scalded face flashed through her mind. "As for myself, I feel that the ends justify the means and this is all for the greater good, but I'm sure even Sozin thought himself justified in his actions." His gaze shifted away for her for a moment, and his hesitated before speaking again. "I suppose that in my darker hours, I've come to accept many things about myself an my work. As for why I speak so bluntly about it, I've merely decided to hold nothing back from you. I want you to believe me, and to do that, I thought it might be worthwhile to simply tell you the truth."

"The truth." Azula almost laughed out loud. "If I've learned anything from what was done to me, it's that I can't trust anything that comes out of someone's mouth. Especially someone already involved in massive conspiracies."

"Very wise." Long Feng stroked and his beard and smiled in a way that wasn't taunting or superior or smug at all. "That's why I'm going to offer you a way to verify everything I tell you, once we're done. I'm confident that once you've satisfied yourself, you'll be content to leave me alone to my work."

Azula gave a snort. "Don't hold your breath for that. You are torturing these women and using them to turn the entire world against me."

"No, I'm turning the world against Princess Azula, a facade that you've already shed most effectively, even if you have remembered your true history. And all of that hate will be allowed to die down once we've accomplished our real goal."

"Which is?"

Long Feng motioned all around him at the lounging duplicates. Amidst a sea of ruined lives, he spoke a rising tone that echoed off the dark stone walls. "I'm using a common enemy, an enemy of legend who seems to be attacking all of the major population centers in the former colonies at once, to unite these chaotic independent settlements into a single United Geniocracy. A new nation made up of people from both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, and people who never owed allegiance to either. I'm bringing together Firebenders and Earthbenders, and creating a force that will achieve the ultimate harmony. A new nation. The greatest nation."

Azula blinked at him. "United what?"

"Geniocracy. Rule will be consolidated amongst a talented few, those best able to guide the former colonies into prominence and fight off the attempts of the other nations to maintain control."

Azula had to suppress another snort. "And let me guess, you'll be the one to lead or select these 'talented few.' Why not just say you want to rule your own nation?"

"Oh, Azula." Long Feng shook his head. "Do you think I've learned nothing from my mistakes? Or perhaps you've merely been disillusioned by the actions of the Avatar and his friends."

"I have not-"

"I'm going to retire after the decision to unite the colonies into a single nation has been made. All of this work, everything I've done to shove the world into a glorious new future is because..." He held his hands out at his sides, a half-shrug to which he bent his back. "I just want a home, a safe place to live. I'm merely an organizer, someone who has facilitated communication between politicians, the wealthiest merchants, and the masters of what will soon be the most powerful force on the planet: industry. And yes, I've brought my own flair and methods to the plan, but only because manipulating populations is something I've done before. And I certainly have no desire to create Joo Dee's for the rest of my life. I'm just like you, Azula. My sense of enlightened self-interest has me working for a place where I can just be left alone."

Azula felt a shiver go up her back. How dare he? "You don't know anything about what I want! You- you're nothing a petty little dictator who will break anything just to get what he wants! Everything I've done has been in self-defense, and I don't even have anything to do with all the reasons people want to hurt me! Those memories are gone!"

"Come now, Azula. I've been making duplicates of you for too long now not to know you. Your maker and destroyer, Dong Min, shared everything with me." He began walking forward again, approaching Azula directly. She felt the urge to back up, but there was no shelter to be found in any direction. She was just as vulnerable as the duplicates sitting around her. Azula shifted into one of the defenses Meisai had taught her, one that left her body relaxed but stoked her Inner Fire by harnessing her Qi and will to fight, and waited to see if he was actually going to attack her.

Instead, he just talked as he walked, until his face was right in hers. "You were once the Fire Princess, Ozai's secret weapon. After you went insane under the pressure, you were subjected to techniques that I invented. I understand the compulsions that make you squeamish about hurting people, but they're completely artificial. You've been traipsing about, poking your nose into everything, and when people pushed back you've destroyed on a scale that no other single person in the world is capable of. That's why these duplicates keep dying on me. They're given the same urges, but not the lifetime of training that you've had. Your every action is an expression of the true Azula, even as you fight back against it."

Azula's voice emerged from a whisper. "You will tell me what was done to me. Everything. Right now."

Long Feng bowed his head. "As you wish. Let's go someplace we can talk comfortably."

The room was made of the same dark stone as the rest of the complex, lit by the same sickly green crystal, but some effort had been put into making this room more suitable for human occupation. The table in the center of the room was of the royal style, high enough that chairs were required to sit comfortably at it. A bowl of fruit rested on top of the table, while a thick rug ran underneath its legs. Long scrolls boasting paintings of glorious sunset vistas were hung on the walls, and a small babbling fountain had been carved into the wall opposite the door.

Long Feng looked quite comfortable sitting at its center. Shingyung, once again, contented herself to lean against the door.

Azula herself took a seat opposite Long Feng, and leaned heavily on the table. "Start with this Dong Min. Who is he?"

"Ah, excellent choice. Dong Min was a specialist of the mind who held a professorship at Ba Sing Se University. He worked directly with patients, talking with them to both uncover the reasons for their ailments and then help them find their way to healing. Along the way, he discovered it was possible for the human mind to trick itself, to take an outside suggestion and turn it into an artificial memory. A recollection of something that didn't really happen. On a small scale, it's quite plausible: someone mentions a detail that you don't really remember, but it fits with everything else you do recall in a specific memory and so you add it to your mental impression. What was stunning was that it could be done a much larger scale, too, with the right therapies. A person could be convinced that a loving parent had beaten them as a child, with as firm a conviction as if it really happened."

A flicker of a smile reached Long Feng's face, and he continued, "I had joined the Dai Li by the time Dong Min published his paper on the subject, and my job was to read all of the University's publications and either approve or censor them for dissemination. This particular paper caught my interest, and I contacted Dong Min about using his discovery to aid in law enforcement. As you can guess, things expanded from there."

Azula's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Indeed. You've made a science out of brainwashing women. How lovely for you."

"Oh, not just women. There were no bounds to what we could do. We even turned a young man, one of the Avatar's friends, into both a plant with false information and a secret assassin who attacked on command."

Azula leaned back in her chair. "And this is what suggested my fate to my- the Avatar and his friends? They wanted to do the same thing to me?"

Long Feng gave a little wave of his hand. "I don't know. Personally, I suspect that your brother considered you an embarrassment, but the Avatar wouldn't let him kill you. So Sokka of the Water Tribe was either put on the task or wormed his way into he matter and eventually made contact with Dong Min about his expertise. I only learned of it when I tracked down Dong Min after it all to help with my own plans. The Dai Li are gone, but I knew where the pieces of the old organization lay buried. The idea of using your identity suggested itself after Dong Min told me what he had been up to. I thought it would be quite elegant, since you no longer had any use for your name. Your being this 'Suki' was perfect, since Fire Lord Zuko couldn't produce you to dispel the rumors of your return. Then your father escaped, and created this unseemly complication for both of us."

Azula crossed her arms over her chest. "And that's it. Ozai- my father- somehow learned of what happened to me, made his own way across the world, and freed me from the programming in time to see your master plan reach its high point. All without any involvement from you."

"The other choice is to believe that I wanted you to track me down, and so I freed your father from prison, somehow convinced him to serve me, and knew you so well that I could anticipate you heading straight for the colonies and my organization after the programming was broken. Ever since I heard of your return, I've been wanting to meet with you, but only so that I could diffuse the situation myself."

Azula had to admit, it did sound rather unlikely when he put it that way. "And what's her story?" She jerked a thumb over in Shingyung's direction. "How does she fit into this?"

Finally, the Waterbender spoke up. "Oh, it was a classic case of the perfect employee finding the perfect employer. I was a servant to a colony governor who Long Feng approached with his idea of creating a new nation. My energies were inflamed by the prospect, and I knew that my Destiny had finally called to me. When my former employer refused the offer, I killed him and gave my skills and resources to Long Feng." She had been strutting forward the whole time she talked, and when she reached the table she leaned down on the edge and smiled at Azula. "I like to think I've made myself useful."

Long Feng motioned at her. "She's been a member of my brain trust, along with various power players throughout the colonies. I expect she'll go quite far after my retirement. She has her quirks, but she is an excellent administrator."

Azula shook her head. So many answers, and yet she was receiving so little real satisfaction. "How do I know I can believe any of this? I- can I talk with Dong Min?"

Long Feng's face scrunched up with a deep frown. "He... ended his own life, between your escaping Kyoshi Island and making contact with Shingyung. He was... upset about the casualties amongst the duplicates. He had hoped we could deprogram them after our work was done. He always did find working for me to be quite stressful."

"So there's nothing, then. Just your word."

Long Feng's eyebrows rose. "Oh, not at all. I have something even better. Shingyung, please give her the notes."

The Waterbender stood up, reached into her sleeve, and produced a heavy roll of papers tied with a string. She licked her lips and said, "Please do not damage these. Perhaps they will bring you peace, but it is frequently said that circumstances must get worse before they can better. If I may say, I expect that this discovery will only further plunge you into chaos, but it will still be good for you take back control of your existence."

Azula took the papers and immediately snapped the string with just the strength in her fingers. She looked at the first page, and felt her stomach lurch as she recognized what she was seeing.

It was Sokka's handwriting.

Sokka's stupid, nearly illegible brushwork.

She flipped through the papers, and sure enough, they were all written by him. She glanced through the stack, and a picture quickly formed itself about what she had just been given. She didn't even need to read everything; lines like, "Phase 3: Dong Min will end the direct hypnosis and Suki will be released into Kyoshi Island proper under Ty Lee's supervision," said it all. Sokka even kept a diary of events, listing a day number along with a description like, "Spent all day today listening to Dong Min tell Azula her name is Suki and that Azula doesn't exist. I fell asleep and dreamed the name Suki over and over. Freaky." She even found a section of papers that read like the freeform notes for plotting a novel:

'...may be too complex to keep Azula's appearance at the Serpent's Pass and then get her to the drill in time to launch the attack on the Outer Wall. Maybe I should cut Azula out entirely and let Suki save Toph? But then the Serpent's attack will just seem like random bad timing. I guess that's not completely unrealistic but I like events to fit together a little more logically than that. But then, maybe I need to get over stuff like that. Aang is always telling me that I can get too obsessed with making everything fit. Okay, so if Azula isn't at the pass, then I guess what we'll do is have Suki escort us right from the beginning instead of being a last minute rescuer...'

He-

He-

He had plotted her entire life like a children's story! All those memories, all those images she had in her head about her life as Suki, were written down right here in the exact manner that she remembered them. "They put these into my head with therapy?"

She couldn't tear her eyes off the pages to look at Long Feng's expression, but his voice burned her like a flame. "Therapy, casual conversation, hypnosis. The more detailed the memory, the harder it is. The system starts put forcing you to accept a summary of events, and then ongoing conversations add more layers of details until you forget that you never really saw any of it."

Azula flipped through more of the pages. There was even a diary entry for a time he took her out, showed her the Kyoshi Warriors' dojo for the first time, and 'revealed' how they had first met. She remembered how he started off so macho and stupid, then revealed himself to be strong enough to apologize and honor her. She remembered falling for him. And it wasn't real. It was a lie he invented, just for her.

And the writing was all so Sokka. It was his unfiltered voice. It was his unique handwriting. It was undeniably the truth.

Azula blinked back tears. "Where did you get these?"

Long Feng spoke almost gently in reply. "Fire Lord Zuko confiscated everything having to do with your... treatment... once the work was completed. After Dong Min told us about you, I arranged for some of it to be stolen. Those notes aren't complete; amidst the filthy lusts this Sokka recorded and his plans to turn you into his plaything, there are references to earlier diary entries that aren't included, from the time when he was researching ways to solve the problem you represented for your brother. I suspect that however your father learned about you, it involved the missing notes and materials. However, there are other sources of that information."

Azula nodded, and made to stand up. "Sokka himself." That was that, then. This whole time, she had fooled herself into believing that she was seeking out the truth, but she was really running from it. The only way to find peace was to confront the people she had believed were her friends and get the truth out of them. There was a good possibility that they already had a trap set for her, that if she went to any one of them she would be captured and brainwashed again, or simply killed this time. Or maybe they would just forgo the deception and turn her into a little Joo Dee that Sokka could command. If they still could, without this Dong Min. Azula felt a lump in her throat as she thought about how she had ached for Sokka to be with her back on Kyoshi Island, an ache that he had probably requested to keep her loyal when he was too busy elsewhere.

But right now, Azula didn't care about her eventual fate. She wasn't even the real Azula, not truly. She was a broken twisting of two minds that no longer existed, a lie that no one cared to believe in anymore. In a world where Long Feng was her only ally, Azula almost preferred the pain and weariness to just end. She sniffled, and willed herself to hold the tears back. She knew she would have to cry eventually, but she didn't want to do it here. She wanted that one last dignity, at least.

"Well, yes. Sokka of the Water Tribe would know." Long Feng's eyes narrowed. "And everyone involved the conspiracy. Like the Earth King."

"The Earth King?" Azula stopped mid-motion. "What do you mean?"

Long Feng nodded. "I've thought about how to help you further. The original conspirators might be your only remaining source for answers, but they're completely untrustworthy at this point. However, Dong Min was clear that the Earth King was consulted and briefed on the whole thing. He was even the one to convince Dong Min to do what Sokka was proposing. And I know him, he couldn't tell a convincing lie to save his life. If you talk to him, I'm sure you could quickly discover everything you want to know. Threaten his bear if he gives you any difficulty." His voice was casual, and his expression was blank. "We can get you into Ba Sing Se, of course."

Azula thought about it. She really did. But, in the end, as broken as she might be, she was still in charge of her own life for now, and she would not surrender that to a man like Long Feng who ground through lives in pursuit of his grand visions. Azula might have hurt people- perhaps unjustly- but she regretted it, at least.

Long Feng only regretted his own losses.

"No," Azula said. "Thank you for your help, but I can manage on my own. I'll be taking leave of you, now. Don't worry, I won't reveal what I've learned about you. I find that I really don't care." She stood up and turned towards the room's door-

A flash of purple dress consumed her vision as Shingyung, swaying hips and all, made her body an obstacle in Azula's path. "Oh, my dear princess, let us help you. We have a room for you, and you can rest your mind and body while we prepare your way into Ba Sing Se."

Azula let her voice grow hard. "I infiltrated it once before, apparently. I can do it again. Let me leave, before I decide to seek justice for your crimes."

"Azula," Long Feng said, "I really think it best if you accept our help with this."

Instantly, Azula got the sense that paranoia might just be the order of the day after all. Shifting into a Firebending stance, she barked, "I really think it best if you get out of my way."

At the table, Long Feng sighed. "I wanted to do this the peaceful way. Bring them in."

The door was yanked open, and two tall men wearing Firebender armor over green tunics pushed into the room. They immediately took Earthbending stances, but didn't attack. Azula swung to face them, intending to make the first assault, and so got a good view of Long Feng's true intentions.

Two more armored Earthbenders slid into the room, but these men were holding hostages in front of them. It took her a moment to recognize them beneath their stone gags and ragged clothing.

One of the Earthbenders held Captain Toru of The Hidden Gem.

The other held Toru's daughter, Meisai.

Both of these people, the sailors who had aided her and taught her and treated her like a friend, stared at Azula with wide eyes.

Azula's mind immediately began analyzing possibilities. Meisai was a Firebender and a trained soldier, so if Azula could get her free, she would be able to assist in taking out the Earthbenders. They would have to fight hard to beat them surrounded by stone like this, but Azula figured that they would give priority to Long Feng's safety, so if she or Meisai could grievously injure him, it might be enough of a distraction for them to get out of the room with Toru and get a head start down the hallway. Azula was fairly sure she could remember the way back out to the cave, and then they would be stranded in the middle of a mountain range with no supplies, but Azula was not going to give in to Long Feng and she was not going to let Meisai and Toru remain his captives because look at what he had done to those poor girls who now wore Azula's face and-

Even as Azula was twisting her foot to properly angle her body and bring up her fist up in what would be a precisely aimed fireball attack, she suddenly found her momentum twisted and increasing as-

As a stream of water so heavy that its impact hurt slammed into her back and exploded to wrap around her limbs.

Azula tried to tuck into a roll, but she caught a glimpse of Shingyung moving along behind her, and heard the sound of the woman exhaling deeply, and suddenly the water and Azula's wet clothes hardened into a solid mass not unlike the stone of the mountain in terms of unyielding strength.

Azula literally froze to a halt, but her mind was racing, and she realized that her face was uncovered and so she had breath enough to heat her skin and that should melt the ice enough to-

And then Shingyung streamed another heavy wave of water out of the decorative fountain on the other side of the room and dropped it on Azula's head hard enough to leave her ears ringing. "Stopping being a bad girl, Azula," Shingyung practically sang.

"Surrender," Long Feng added. "If you do, we will let your friends go. We will take you in, in comfort. We will assist you in infiltrating Ba Sing Se. Continue to resist, and we will kill Meisai. She was your Firebender master for a short time, and to endanger her life is to dishonor her teaching. Then, we will beat you. If you are still conscious and try to resist again, we will kill Captain Toru. And then we will beat you unconscious. And then you will be at our mercy, and most uncomfortable. Surrender."

Sore, dizzy, stuck to the floor, and frozen solid, Azula seized on the one sure thing she could. "Y-y-you will let them go. I am n-n-n-not surrend-d-d-dering. I-I-I am saving their l-l-lives. I w-w-will sa-a-a-ave everyone f-f-from you, and I will k-k-k-kill you." Then Azula closed her eyes and relaxed her freezing muscles.

"Semantics," she head Long Feng say. Then another blast of water slammed against Azula's head and everything went black.

Long Feng gave a long sigh and let his body fall into a slump. "It's been a while since I've had to put on a performance like that. I suppose I was out of practice, or else the Princess would have accepted my offer. Still, it seems she believed the rest, so I did well enough."

He was almost alone in the room with the fountain, now. Shingyung was guarding the unconscious Azula while she was being transported to one of the specialized treatment rooms, and the soldiers had taken Meisai back to the cells for one last temporary stay. Long Feng needed a moment to relax, as it was going to be a long night yet with Azula's treatment set to begin.

Besides, it was only polite to talk with his old friend for a moment.

"Well," Toru said with a glare, "you sure fooled me with your song and dance, there. Sounded to me like you really would have hurt my daughter if the fire princess kept fighting."

Long Feng looked up with a smile. "Toru, we know each other too well to pretend. Your daughter was in no danger. Between the Earthbenders and my pet Master Waterbender, Azula wasn't going anywhere. Your presence was simply an extra guarantee, so that we could take Azula without risking her life." His smile grew tight for a moment. "But yes, I would have really hurt your daughter if it somehow came to that. As I said, you know me well."

Toru looked out from beneath his bushy gray eyebrows. "But you're letting us go now."

"Of course. With the reward I agreed to. You never pretended to like me, even when you worked the docks in Ba Sing Se, but you must admit that I always paid you for your tips, and I always gave a fair amount."

"Aye, it was good money. As was what you paid me to keep tabs on the princess on Kyoshi Island." Toru stuck his hands in his pockets and turned away. "But this is the last time. I wouldn't have even done this much if it weren't for Meisai. She deserves to not have to worry about getting arrested every time we set into a port with Firebenders around."

Long Feng straightened, and made his voice as soothing as possible. "And her name will be cleared. Fire Lord Zuko doesn't guard his lists of deserters anywhere near as well as he does his person. I already have the people in place to take care of that little trouble for you. It won't even cost me anything."

Toru nodded heavily. "Aye, then. You should get me back to a cell now. I don't want Meisai to get suspicious."

"Believe me, old friend, there is no detail I haven't accounted for." Putting an arm around Toru's shoulders, Long Feng guided the man towards the room's door. "Tomorrow you will be freed, and then you and your daughter can live your lives free of the sordidness of your histories. Have a good night. The guard will take you to your cell."

Once he was alone, Long Feng sat down at the table again to wait. He reached over to the papers that had been scattered across the surface during Azula's fight, and assembled them back into a neat stack. He had copies of all of Sokka's notes, of course, but the originals were still valuable in their own way, as he had just proved. Not to mention that their current owner would be quite mad if they were ruined. He was fastidious about his property that way.

As if summoned by Long Feng's thoughts, the door swung open again and Dong Min himself stepped in. "She is ready to begin?" He couldn't quite keep the trembling out of his hands.

Long Feng stood up, and held out the stack of notes. "Your old patient awaits. Let's get to work on her."

TO BE CONTINUED