Parallels and Perpendiculars, Part 1

Ba Sing Se did not see many ships, compared to some. For such a large city, it engaged in a proportionally low amount of trade, a legacy of its isolationist policies during the war with the Fire Nation. Certainly, even during the hundred-year conflict, it had still imported a certain amount of food and materials, but the city had never depended on that trade. The Fire Nation had been all too keen to interrupt as many supply lines to the Earth Kingdom's capital as it could, and Ba Sing Se's masters quickly figured that the city's survival depended strongly on its self-reliance. To become too dependent on outside connections, even in good times, was to risk the bad times being very bad times. So, sometimes, the Lower Ring had to make do with food at which that even farm animals might have turned their noses; it was better than not having any food at all.

Additionally, Ba Sing Se itself was not situated close enough to a sea to draw the attention of most sailors. There was a chain of rivers that led from the coast up to the city, but that meant sailing upriver quite a distance until reaching Full Moon Bay, and during the war much of the city's bayside docks had been devoted to the ferries that brought new crowds of refugees and immigrants every day. As with the wider trade, more ships had begun arriving since the rise of Fire Lord Zuko and the return of a kind of peace to the world, but most sailors still preferred more accessible ports that weren't so concerned with law, order, and bureaucracy.

The Hidden Gem, however, had been to Ba Sing Se before, and so its captain knew the true danger those ports represented. Meisai found her Father at his regular station at the ship's wheel, and took a moment to look ahead at the nearing pier. "That's a lot of guards. I've never seen so many on a single dock. Even the Kyoshi Warriors are more relaxed." Naturally, the reference made her mind flash over to memories of the woman who claimed to be Suki, and now was known as Azula. Meisai had come to Ba Sing Se for her, and now she had to hope she could find the Princess before it was too late. (Too late for what?)

Father sighed as he turned the wheel to get the ship on a better approach angle. "It's not an unusual sight for Ba Sing Se's docks, just for this day and age. Back during the war, the Dai Li- the supposed 'cultural authority' of the city- used to come out in force to watch any trade ships, especially if the Fire Nation was acting frisky over at the Wall. The Dai Li made sure that we- all us sailors- didn't bring dangerous news from the outside, or proscribed cargo, or... well, any people who didn't have the proper passports and permissions. I never liked being under their eyes."

"Hm." Meisai didn't like the sound of that. She could normally take or leave Ba Sing Se, as there were plenty of ports in the world more welcoming to business, but none of those ports would be any help to her today. There was a chance of trouble if the city had a lot of practice at keeping a close eye on visitors, and was on high alert for reasons that just might be related to Meisai's reason for being here. But what were the odds that Azula was involved some kind of trouble that had the whole city up in arms?

Pretty good, actually.

"I'll go supervise our new crew while we dock," Meisai said, and put the matter out of her mind for now. They had to get into the city first, and then there would be time to be properly paranoid.

The Chubang Mountains did not see many birds, compared to some. The surrounding land was rocky and barren, and few of the animal residents had bothered to make the ascent over the ages, even those with wings. However, the Chubangs' most recent immigrants brought with them a small and very specialized avian population. The practice of using Messenger Hawks had been limited mostly to the Fire Nation during the war, but the people who laired within these mountains had learned the benefits of multiculturalism. One such hawk raced through the air towards one specific mountain, and eventually stooped into a seemingly innocuous cave. Within, a collection of wooden perches were set up, with only half of them currently occupied. The new arrival had no sooner found itself a perch when a man emerged from the depths of the cave to check the tube strapped to the hawk's back.

The scroll in the tube was coded, of course, but a set of characters at the top of the paper told the man all he needed to know: This was news from Ba Sing Se, and it was for Long Feng's personal attention.

Sadly, the characters did not say whether the news was good, or the unfortunate alternative.

The Upper Ring café of the Jasmine Dragon did not see much intrigue, compared to some. It was a popular social node in the most exclusive neighborhood in the world, which normally would have made it a playground of scheming for the wealthy locals, but it was also a favorite watering hole of the City Watch, thanks to the more modestly priced teas that Iroh kept in a small, innocuous corner of the menu. That kept the drama down. Also, the Jasmine Dragon's true owner- an Upper Ring investor from an old, respected, and very rich family- always paid the taxes on time, along with all the traditional bribes, so the government itself had no reason to make trouble. Iroh's personal history represented another possible source of danger, of course, but he had so far managed to hide behind the name of "Mushi," along with a handy recent history of having ascended out of the Lower Ring from amongst the refugees of the war.

And then there was the White Lotus.

Not too long ago, it had been an organization devoted solely to the unrestricted flow of learning and the rich game of Pai Sho. As the war went on, the notion of the "unrestricted flow of learning" was stretched to include any communication that crossed borders to the possible detriment of one or more of the counties in question. In the Fire Nation, the White Lotus network had developed into a kind of anti-propaganda rebel organization. The portion of the network in the Earth Kingdom had sometimes aided in military communication, but more often was used to personally assist refugees who were either members of the White Lotus or friends of those who were. The Northern Water Tribe had simply used its network to keep track of what was going on in the outside world without drawing attention to itself.

Then, in the final season of the hundred-year conflict, Iroh had sent calls for favors out to all three nations, and briefly turned the White Lotus into an elite military force that had liberated Ba Sing Se from the greatest military in the world. That left the question of what, exactly, the White Lotus wanted to be in the new world order. Would it go back to being a secret organization of philosophers and game enthusiasts, or would it wield the power it had accidentally accumulated over its existence? Iroh didn't know how things would develop, but in the meantime, he had no compunctions about using the organization for his own purposes. He was a Grand Lotus, after all, and despite now being retired from the military and living as a simple tea-brewer, he still somehow found himself balancing the fate of the world on his finger time and time again.

Iroh was serving some cups of a nice but inexpensive jasmine tea to a table full of off-duty soldiers when a young man in one the restaurant's uniforms slipped into the main dining hall from the rear and made an innocuous motion. Iroh caught it out of the corner of his eye and nodded in reply, and then turned his attention back to his customers. "I hope you enjoy, my friends. If you need anything, just get Jin's attention. She knows to take care of whatever you want." Giving the men a relaxed smile, he retreated back towards his 'employee.'

Really, his spy.

"Grand Lotus," the man said with a bow once he and Iroh were in one of the unoccupied private serving rooms.

"What news?"

"Mostly the same from the guards, I'm sorry to say. Their search for the Earth King's killer continues unabated. They're checking everyone who tries to leave the city, no matter how much it slows things down. They have made one addition to their methods, though." He reached into his sleeve, and removed a rolled-up piece of paper. It was quickly unfurled, and Iroh found himself staring at a face that sometimes haunted his nightmares.

It was an ink drawing of Azula.

"The guards are now showing this around, looking for this woman. They're not trying to hide the fact that she must be the assassin."

Iroh nodded, and took the paper. He had seen this before. This exact sketch. Zuko had distributed it after Kyoshi Island had burned, when he put out a bounty on his returned sister. Was there any limit to the unfortunate repercussions of this scheme of his and Sokka's? "I want to know how the search goes, especially if she is caught. Also, I think it's time to start putting pressure on our... extra special contacts here in the city. There may not be much of a Fire Nation preference yet, even in the Lower Ring, but if Azula seeks help getting out of the city, it's likely she'll talk to her fellow Firebenders."

The man bowed, and left without another word. He was an especially useful servant, and not just for his ability to manage and cultivate information. He never asked Iroh the reasons behind his interests, content to occupy his mind with more abstract philosophical matters. He also appreciated a good cup of tea, but Iroh did not have the time right now to indulge that shared habit.

Speaking of which, it was time for Iroh to deal with his own pressing business. He and his niece had to make a decision about her fate.

The master of the Hidden Gem was, of course, Meisai's father, the respectable and trustworthy Captain Toru. She served as his first mate, and for the journey to Ba Sing Se they had hired the five-man crew of the Rough Rhino deserters, for a total of seven people manning the ship. For a vessel of the Hidden Gem's size, this was a little light, but not unreasonable. At most, the ship had boasted a crew of double that.

That's why, with no less than twenty-one of Ba Sing Se's uniformed guards standing on the Hidden Gem's deck, things were a little crowded. Although none of them wore armor, their uniforms, hats, and most especially the dual dao swords strapped to their sides gave them a very official presence. The soldiers had gathered right on the edge of the pier while the ship had coasted into place, and even as Ogodei had leaped down and wrapped a rope around the mooring post, the guards were already bringing a ramp over to facilitate a boarding action. Mongke tensed like he was preparing to offer some fiery resistance and the other Rhinos had clearly been looking to him to lead the way, but then Meisai had stepped out and waved her hands. "All right, let's all relax, huh? This is Ba Sing Se, they need a squad just to stamp all the customs forms, yeah? We don't have any cargo, so this will be over fast, and then we can go do our shopping. Nice and calm, everyone." Fortunately, that had seemed to do the trick. Either Meisai had good leadership skills, or the Rhinos were going to see if she was discovered as a Firebender first before deciding whether to attack.

The soldiers had arranged themselves across the deck, swords left in their sheaths, and watched while their commander stepped up to Father. The man nodded and said, "Welcome to Ba Sing Se. Papers, please." Father produced his documentation without a word, and when the commander saw the stamped sheet that proved that the Hidden Gem had been to Ba Sing Se before, he added, "Ah, welcome back. Apologies for the forwardness of the boarding, but we're currently dealing with a special security situation."

Father smiled and nodded like he did for every customs inspector. "That's quite all right, sir. We understand the need for law and order. Is there any way we can make things go easier? We don't have any cargo yet, we're here on a purchasing expedition."

The commanding soldier handed the papers back. "Your cooperation is appreciated. I'm going to have to station several guards in front of your ship, and anyone who boards will have to show official identification. You are not allowed to accept passengers leaving the city at this time. Also, we must do thorough inspections of any cargo you wish to bring aboard. As you might suspect, we are looking for a fugitive, and nothing will stop us in killing or apprehending her."

"Her?"

"Yes. Clearly, you have not heard the news. The 52nd Earth King is dead." The soldier's face twisted like he had bitten into the foulest food. "His assassin is still at large."

Meisai's blood chilled, but as much as she wanted to ignore the suspicions infesting her mind, she found herself saying, "And you know who did it?"

The commander's face grew very, very hard. "We do. He was assassinated by that dragon-licker, Azula. The Fire Princess! She must hate this city more than anything."

Meisai's stomach dropped out from within her.

Uncle Iroh had given Azula his second-floor bedroom for her use and refuge while he managed his teashop below, and while she was quite appreciative that she wasn't locked in the supply basement again, she was suspicious that it was only because her uncle actually needed the stockroom during business hours and found little point in denying her access to windows. Both the City Watch and the armored soldiers from the Royal Palace were still out in force, and as much as she would have liked to to try to escape, it was simply impossible for her right now.

Azula wasn't one to waste time, though, nor did she like dwelling on what was impossible. She was in the middle of a series of Firebending drills when there was a knock on the bedroom door. "I'm decent," she called without breaking her form.

The door quickly opened and closed just a crack, and somehow as a result Uncle Iroh's whole form had transported into the room. He took a moment to watch as Azula drew her body up into a loose stance she was trying out for the first time, and said, "That's an unusual Firebending form, there."

"Yes, it probably is." Azula very pointedly didn't say anything more. She had no desire to share her reasoning about this little project, especially considering the disagreement she and her uncle were currently having. Deciding that she was finished with her practice for now, she relaxed and sat turned to face her guest and host. "Have you come around to my way of thinking, yet?"

Uncle Iroh sat down in a chair on the far side of the room, but ignored her taunt. "Speaking of Firebending, we've discussed your recent journeys, but you never explained how you got your Flame back after the Avatar took it from you."

Azula went over to take a seat on her the room's bed. "That would be because I have no idea whatsoever. When I was Suki, I didn't even suspect that I was a Firebender. Ozai... er, my father... when he forced me to become Azula again, I just spontaneously started Firebending. I don't even really know what the Avatar did to me; I just know that everyone with an interest is always surprised to see me with my Fire."

"Hmmm, very strange." Uncle Iroh stroked his beard. "Aang used the same power on you as he did on Ozai, but he said he changed his technique. My brother... for all his faults, he was a man of great strengths. Physically, he was one of the greatest Firebenders in the world. He was a true master of the martial art, and I dare say that even without his Firebending he would have been a fatal opponent to nearly everyone who might have challenged him. What Aang engaged in was very much a duel of wills, of Qi, and in that way it was a contest of brute strength. To win, Aang had no choice but to win completely, like being forced to hit someone hard enough to permanently cripple them in order to break through their defenses."

Iroh shifted his gaze over to the window, to the sun visible in the cloudless sky. "For you, strength was not required. Nor did Aang wish to disable your body so completely. Even now, Ozai's body reflects the trauma of the blow to his Qi. Aang wanted a technique for the power that would truly do nothing more than remove Bending, leaving the Bender otherwise healthy. Perhaps that technique is not irreversible, or he did not complete what he started. Qi is a matter of the Spirit, and is touched by much in our lives. Our age, our health, our mindset, our everyday actions. Perhaps you healed yourself, without even realizing it."

Azula thought back to how her Firebending had weakened during her time in Yang, and what she had to experience to get the unique blue color back in her flames. She managed to avoid flinching when the memories of The Victim's- Mianju's- burned face flashed through her mind. "Perhaps." Then she thought of the light in the darkness that had saved her from fully falling to Long Feng's programming, and the feeling like a warm hand that allowed her to fight off the knife that she had been forced to hold to her own throat. "Yes, perhaps."

When she didn't say anything more, Uncle Iroh cleared his throat and produced a rolled paper from his sleeve. "Here, the guards are all now armed with this sketch. They know it was you who killed the King, and they're making sure that the citizenry will recognize you."

"Well, we expected eventually." Azula unrolled the sheet and looked at what the world imagined when its people spoke her name. The drawing was done in black ink, probably professionally printed from an original, and was a very good likeness. "You're right. This makes my hair look perfectly black."

"I doubt that will make for the foundation of an effective disguise, though."

"No, you're right." Putting the paper aside, she looked back over at her uncle and quirked an eyebrow. "So we're coming down to it. Either you help me get out of the city, or I'll still be stuck here until Zuko and Aang arrive."

Finally having come back to their old argument, Uncle Iroh sighed and leaned forward in his seat. "Niece, I truly believe that your best option is to turn yourself in. Yes, your safety would be in question in the hands of the City Watch or (Spirits forbid) the Palace Guard. But Zuko will protect your life while you're under his arrest, and the Avatar can likely arrange the Water Tribes to take custody of you while the details are worked out. Your information about Long Feng will be very valuable, and I have no doubt that Ba Sing Se will eventually admit that getting the true culprit is more important than taking revenge against you."

Azula resisted the urge to add her own sigh to the conversation. "I have doubts where you don't, apparently. And you haven't been out this storm that's overtaking the world. Long Feng's reach is too great! I don't care if you stick me in an igloo guarded by the White Lotus, Long Feng will manage to get an agent to me. I think I proved that effectively enough when he got me to the Earth King. And even if you can fight him off, you'll never capture him. He probably has sources all over the city. We agreed the other night that he probably got Ozai out of jail and to Kyoshi Island, so he must have agents in the Fire Nation, too. If we're going to catch him, I'm going to have to go out and do it myself, on a battleground he hasn't already prepared."

"And why does it have to be you?" Uncle Iroh folded his arms over his belly. "I know the sweet call of revenge, Niece, but it is not worth burning the world to attain. I stared that decision in the face when... when I lost..." Azula looked away so that she couldn't see him, and tried to tell herself that he might be faking the catch in his voice to manipulate her. The stories she had been told of her old life were very clear; he loved Zuko, not her, and that could drive him to do hard things. Finally, Uncle Iroh mastered himself and continued, "I chose to end the Siege and avoid further bloodshed, instead of chasing the revenge I wanted at first. Remember your own responsibilities."

"That's what I'm trying to do!" Azula stood up off the bed, and motioned at her own face. "This whole thing is about me! If anyone else goes after Long Feng, he'll be smart and fade away, and next time you'll be even less aware of him than you were a month ago! But if I go after him, we'll have a chance. He's made any army of duplicates of me! He lured me out to turn me into his tool! He tried his hardest to kill me once the job was done! If I'm out there in the world, drawing his attention, I can lure him into a proper trap. And that's when I'll kill him." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had said too much.

Uncle Iroh's face set, and he gave a single shake of his head. "I see more harm coming of this plan than good."

This time, Azula indulged in a sigh. She flopped back onto the bed and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Were we ever on the same side?" He raised his eyebrows at that, and so Azula clarified, "When I had my memories, I mean. The original me. Were we always enemies, or was there a time- just once, even- when we agreed on something and worked together?"

A ghost of a smile nearly touched Uncle Iroh's face. "We never really understood each other. Before your mother disappeared, before... I ended the Siege... I was not especially close to you or Zuko. I loved you both, of course, and watched you grow up whenever I was living in the palace. At the very least, I knew you both well enough to see your strengths and weaknesses, but I was content to be on the periphery of your lives. The most I did was try to help you make up for your blind spots, little things like giving Zuko a present of a knife to stoke his courage, and you a doll to inspire empathy for people."

He sharpened his gaze, and their eyes met with an intensity that Azula could feel in her Inner Fire. "I succeeded with Zuko, and failed with you. When I returned to the Fire Nation, your mother was gone, and your father had fully claimed his ownership of you. He assigned you teachers- a pair of very sharp sisters named Li and Lo who had once been political opponents of mine- and made it clear that he would allow no one to 'taint' his daughter. He set you against Zuko to further sharpen your claws, and it was all I could do to support your brother as the rest of his family became hostile to him."

His voice was as warm as ever, but Azula could sense the cold dust on his words. These were words that had never been spoken before, a subject that may as well have been forbidden for all that it had seen the light of day before now. She nodded and said, "So you never even made an attempt to save me."

"Yes." He did not relinquish her gaze. "I made a strategic decision, the first since I retired as a General. I could not understand you; you seemed to lack even the most basic empathy and the most natural inclination to understand the pain of others. Even when I burned my way across the Earth Kingdom, I was sorry that people had to suffer for what I thought was a righteous cause. I could rationalize that it was for the greater good, but I still felt a pain in my heart when I saw soldiers lose friends on the battlefield. It was only after my own loss that I realized the nothing is worth that price. You, on the other hand... you did not display that same capacity."

Azula had to admit, that sounded very in-character for what she had been told of herself, but it's not like the accounts couldn't be biased. "Assuming what you say is true, that still doesn't rule out trying to give me a sense of honor."

"True, but I reasoned that the effort it would take to overcome the obstacle of your cruelty would at the very least destroy me, never mind leave your brother beyond my attention. I chose to put my efforts where they would do the most good. In choosing your brother, I seemed to make an enemy of you, but whether that was because I protected him from you or took him away from you, I cannot say. All I know is that you took your cues from your father, and his disdain for me meant that you would have opposed me in every way you could get away with. So I made the strategic choice." He finally lowered his eyes, and shifted in his seat. "In time, I came to see Zuko like a son. He reminded me of what I had with Lu Ten. It is possible that at times I defended him... from you... more vigorously than was justified."

Azula appreciated the admission. That was the true danger of conflict, wasn't it? Even if you fought for the right side- if such a thing even existed- you still had to fight with all your strength in order to win, and that could leave you too weak to know when to stop fighting. She was well aware that she herself might have already crossed that line back on Kyoshi Island. She could not dare to consider that she might have passed the point of no return before that, that the woman she was now never even had a chance. "You said I had no empathy, but... but I hurt when I think of Kyoshi Island, of Yang, of the Earth King. But how do I know I can trust it? I didn't feel anything while I was under Long Feng's spell. How do I know which one is more real?"

Uncle Iroh stood up and walked over to her. He laid his hands on her shoulders, and at this range she could smell the tea and spice that always clung to him. She could count the hairs on his chin. "I don't know the answer," he said, "but I wish I could believe in you."

Azula nodded. "I wish I could believe in me, too. Good thing there are so many lies to choose from."

Yeh-Lu had been among both the most and least recognizable people in the Fire Army, and not just because he was a Rough Rhino. In his distinctive black suit of heavy, face-concealing armor, he was an intimidating figure who didn't have to utter a word to make an impression. Of course, the suit had a practical purpose, too, with Yeh-Lu being the Rough Rhino's explosive expert; it made sense to cover every inch of your body in solid sheets of metal when you handled bombs every minute of every day. Outside the armor, though, Yeh-Lu had the kind of face that no one ever noticed, plain enough to be forgettable as soon as it was out of sight. The Rough Rhinos hadn't encountered many situations where they had to go undercover, but whenever they did, Yeh-Lu was their natural point-man.

Thus, he was the ideal person to leave the Hidden Gem and take a long walk through the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se.

Once the city's soldiers had disembarked and settled into regular guard details, the Hidden Gem's crew had met out of sight and hearing in the empty cargo hold. "It's sure as ash time that you two told us what is really going on here," Mongke had growled to Captain Toru and Meisai.

The father-daughter team remained silent, and so Vachir had helped things along from his position leaning against the wall: "We are skeptical that our presence here has nothing to do this supposed trouble with Princess Azula."

The Rough Rhinos had all turned practiced piercing stares at their employers after that, and finally Meisai let out a heavy breath and threw her arms into the air. "Fine. You're right. We came to help her."

Mongke didn't let up. He kept his glare going and took a step towards Meisai with practiced aggression. "You're involved in a plot to assassinate the Earth King, and now you've dragged us all into the volcano with you?! Maybe we should go out to those soldiers right now and-"

"No!" Meisai shook her head vigorously. "We had no idea what was going on here, I swear by Inner Fire! Father and I encountered Azula accidentally, and helped her out. She and I... became friends. We were all captured by this Earthbender rebel group in the colonies, and once they got what they wanted out of Azula they let me and my father go. We heard they were sending the Princess to Ba Sing Se, so we decided to come try to rescue her. I swear, this whole thing with the Earth King is as new to us as it is to you, but I bet it has something to do with why we were all victimized!"

The conversation had gone in circles for a while after that, with Mongke pounding Meisai on each point of her story and getting a strange tale of Kyoshi Island and blue fires in return, until Kahchi finally got to the heart of the matter. Tugging the long tail of his beard, he said, "We've heard of the Kyoshi Island incident. And rumor has said that Azula has been very active since then in the colonies, but I can't think why she would suddenly come to turn the whole Earth Kingdom against her. So assuming we believe you, what exactly are you proposing now? If we leave without any cargo, we'll look suspicious. And we Rhinos still need the replacement part for our steamer. But getting involved with Azula is likely even more dangerous. She's not known as the Mad Banisher for nothing, never mind the current trouble."

Ogodei grunted. "Being us is dangerous. And she is still Fire Nation Royalty. Not saying that's a deal-maker, but I shed no tears for the Earth King. Back in the war, we'd be throwing her a parade for killing him."

Meisai added, "I'm sure that whatever happened, Azula didn't want to get involved in any this. That's why Father and I were kidnapped, because the creepy guy with the deep voice wanted Azula to come here and she refused. We were being used as leverage against her. She's just like all of us, just looking to get her life back. But I'm sure a group as decorated as the Rough Rhinos never did anything shady just to survive."

Mongke stretched his neck and spoke in an annoyed growl. "I was loyal to the Fire Nation and the Burning Throne for most of my life, but as long as Zuko rules, you're right, my main concern is keeping myself alive. Why should I stick my neck out for the Mad Banisher?"

Meisai had turned and gave Mongke a glare that lowered the temperature in the hold. "Because we may call her 'the Mad Banisher,' but that soldier called her a dragon-licker. Are you going to leave a woman of the Homeland at the mercy of someone who says something like that? If I didn't have the bigger picture in mind, I would have burned his tongue out myself."

That had been enough, at least, to get Mongke to agree to dispatch Yeh-Lu to see what he could find out in the city. Yeh-Lu already had a passport that looked legitimate at a glance, and had simply said to the guards that he was the Hidden Gem's 'purchasing agent' going out to look for prospective cargo. Now he just had to find something useful in this sculpted sprawl of a city, but that wouldn't be much of a problem. Yeh-Lu and the Rough Rhinos had connections, after all, even in the heart of the Earth Kingdom. All the deserters who had survived in the colonies since the war ended shared a connection, and that wasn't a metaphor. He just had to find the proper signs.

As he walked and looked around for the desired clue, Yeh-Lu reflected that he couldn't say he liked Ba Sing Se's Lower Ring. Staring down some armed men who were eyeing him with more than casual interest, he thought (not for the first time) that anyone who fought to preserve this way of life over the comfortable existence the Fire Nation had offered in the colonies was insane. Sure, the mud-pups were perhaps not as well off as their Fire Nation betters, but they still lived more civilized existences than the people in this cesspool of a city.

Generally speaking, of course.

Finally, Yeh-Lu spotted what he was looking for. It was simply a stall on the side of the road where a vendor was selling spits of roast meat covered in sharp-smelling moruga sauce, but the two important things were that it was a bit of transplanted Fire Nation culture in the heart of the Earth Kingdom, and the big sign that listed the prices of the food also sported an innocuous, seemingly purely decorative sigil that didn't exist in any official alphabet. Confirming the symbol with one last glance, Yeh-Lu approached the cook and said, "White smoke."

The other man immediately shifted his eyes to make sure that no one was paying them any attention. Finally, he replied, "Black smoke."

"Wet wood."

"Coal." The cook licked his lips. "First time I met a stranger here who knew the code. It's a long way from the colonies."

Yeh-Lu was in no mood for pleasantries. "I need to speak the Dragon."

"Ash." The cook paled slightly. "What makes you think I can get you to him? He's no deserter. How do you even know about him?"

"I don't think you can get me to him. But you know others of... our national persuasion, and if you think the Dragon isn't keeping tabs on you lot, then it's no wonder we lost the war. All you need to do pass the word to your friends about me. I'll be back later with a partner, and by then you'll have at least a message for us. Tell all your trustworthy friends- friends that share our background- that some old 'roughies' are town, and have heard of the Dragon's current troubles. It will work its way up and he'll figure out the rest."

Without even waiting for a reply, Yeh-Lu turned around and stalked back to the Hidden Gem. Sure enough, when he returned several hours later with Meisai in tow, the cook had a stack of papers that he handed over without a word before going back to hawking his roasts. In the bundle were travel permits for a one-time trip to the Upper Ring, and formal documentation for a business appointment with the manager of the Jasmine Dragon, a man named Mushi.

It was good to have friends, even for criminals and fugitives. Especially for criminals and fugitives.

Long Feng read the note from Ba Sing Se three times before he allowed himself to react. It hardly merited such attention, being so short, but he needed to internalize the full impact of the news. The coded letter had come by express hawk, and the contents had started with such grand promise. "Earth King confirmed dead," the first line read, and Long Feng had nodded with warm satisfaction. He had watched the monarch born under the name Kuei grow up, ruling Ba Sing Se in the boy's stead until he was of age, and then carefully ensconcing him away from any real news or influence after he was crowned. The boy was, frankly, a moron, and just like his father could not be trusted with the fate of a city like Ba Sing Se during the most trying times the world had ever known.

For all those years, Long Feng had bravely taken control of the greatest city in the world, doing things that changed him irrevocably for the worse, and then the world repaid him by making him a reviled fugitive. Yes, he took no pleasure in arranging the Earth King's death, but it was a necessary part of his grand plan, and he took satisfaction in it being a well-orchestrated act of justice and general benevolence. Soon, Long Feng would bring justice and benevolence to the rest of the world. It was a world sorely in need of a strong guiding hand, and that was well worth whatever sacrifices. Whatever sacrifices. And if some of that justice was also the same thing as revenge against his enemies, well, Long Feng was a big believer in efficiency.

Then he read the second line of the note: "Azula escaped and unaccounted for."

And in that moment, Long Feng knew fear.

She should be dead! She was the key to everything, and all of Long Feng's plans hinged on her bloody body being found at the scene of the Earth King's assassination. It should have been impossible, she should be his powerless pawn in both life and death, slain by her own hand, but somehow she had managed to defy his expectations once again.

Well, this is why the world needed people like Long Feng. Control and order were nice things, but you needed a capable mind with the right level of ruthlessness to deal with the messiness of life.

It was time to start exploring other options.

TO BE CONTINUED