Saito was packing his bags onto a horse. It was just the crack of dawn and he wanted to get a head start. In his heart he wanted to say goodbye to all of his friends, especially Toph, but he was afraid of how she would answer. Besides, "duty calls", "no rest for the wicked" and all that. He was to go to Omashu ahead of the Kanto diplomatic missions to setup security. He was to rendezvous with other Kazekage who are in the King Bumi's palace and deliver dispatches to them.

"Saito Asano?" said a voice behind him. Saito turned to see a chauffeur with two Pygmy Air Bison. Saito remembered seeing Pygmy Air Bison as a small child. They were bred to be a size of a horse, making them more nimble and faster than their behemoth cousins. Like all Air Bison, the pygmy breed is very rare out in the wild and are considered extinct as a species; making them very rare and very valuable.

"Yes?"

"Princess Iroha sends her respects and has asked me to give you her personal Air Bison. She also wishes you good luck in Omashu."

Saito's eyes widened in confusion and came over to examine the animals, evidently very well groomed and cared for.

"Please give her ladyship my thanks. I will look after them as though they were my own children."

The chauffeur curtly bowed, turned, and walked away. As Saito was repacking and re-saddling, he saw the gaang walk over to the stables.

"Hey Sai! We heard that you were going to Omashu!" said Aang.

Saito was struck dumbfounded, no one was supposed to know about it. First Iroha and now the gaang? Who else knows?

"Yes. I'm going to Omashu...and I must ask that you don't tell anyone else."

"Why?"

"Because," Saito lowered his voice. "I'm carrying dispatches, I don't want anyone to know that."

"Maybe I can go with you," Toph suggested.

"No. I'll be going by Air Bison, I'm not sure if you'll be able to handle it."

"These are Air Bison?" asked Suki excitedly.

"They're so small," said Katara. "I thought that all Air Bison are supposed to be as big as Appa."

"They're Pygmy Air Bison. Born and bred in Kanto."

"Can I go with you?" asked Toph.

"I said no."

"Well, I was planning on going on home. Back to the family estate. I'm starting to get home sick."

"...All right. But I warn you, it's not like riding a horse or a horse ostrich. And you can't ride a Pygmy Air Bison like you would on top of Appa."

"So it's like riding a flying horse. What's the big deal?"

Turned out it was a big deal. Saito had to spend the whole morning teaching Toph how to stay on top of a Pygmy Air Bison without falling off.

"I think I got the hang of it!" Toph said before nearly falling off, Saito caught her and helped her regain her balance.

"I think that this is a bad idea."

"No, I can do it!...I just want to go with you that's all."

"I...feel the same way. I could tie you to the saddle, and I'll tie your bison to mine. How's that?"

The idea of being tied to a saddle and letting herself be led by someone else was not that appealing to Toph.

"Can I just ride with you?"

"Or we can do that instead."

Meanwhile, at the Earth King's throne room. Kuei had summoned his Ten Attendants, who are equivalent to a president's cabinet who help run the country. The Ten Attendants have been serving the king as long as for the Council of Five. "The Council of Five will protect and defend the Earth Kingdom. While the ministers will serve the king and administrate His Rule." This was the logic of the first Earth King of Ba Sing Se who appointed his cabinet. When Kuei was crowned king as a boy, it was the Ten Attendants who ran the country for him.

Long Feng was their leader at the time. Before, Long Feng was in the army, and had been leapfrogged through the ranks as he distinguished himself as a talented officer. Long Feng had a promising career until he was wounded in battle. He recovered, but instead of resuming his duties at the frontlines he was transferred to Ba Sing Se, where he worked under the Council of Five. During his stint in Ba Sing Se, he transferred to the Ministry of Culture and joined the secretive Dai Li. Shortly afterward he was made Minister of Culture, which made him one of the King's Ten Attendants.

Before Long Feng came along, the Ten Attendants did whatever they wanted, and kept the whole war secret from the king from the start. Instead they lived a lavish lifestyle that was second only to the king, and often at the expense of the army and the people. They ignored the requests of the Council of Five for more funds for the war effort, and instead used the king's treasury for their personal extravagance. Ironically, Long Feng was able to change this, which was all planned by the Council of Five. And with the full approval of the Dai Li who all swore an oath of allegiance to serve the king. Long Feng with the help of the Dai Li ended the corruption and made the order the king's secret police, at least during his tenure. The original Ten Attendants were arrested and were replaced by Long Feng after showing damning evidence to the king of their treachery.

But instead of ending the elaborate deception on the king, he continued it by appointing new ministers. The new ministers laid low and did what they were told, until Long Feng's treason and his eventual exile. Afterwards it was business as usual in its more subtle ways.

"All rise, and bow!" cried the king's herald. "To His Royal Majesty, King Kuei presides over The Royal Court!"

Kuei walked to his throne, taking long and deliberate strides, all the while the Ten Attendants bowed to him as he passed. When he sat down, the Attendants went to their knees and touched their head to the ground before him.

"Rise," ordered Kuei and the Ten Attendants obeyed. "Herald, what is the first business of today?"

"His Majesty is to discuss the world situation, in regards to the Harmony Restoration Movement."

"Ah yes. Minister Li Su."

"Your Majesty," the Attendant bowed. "The Harmony Restoration Movement will be the country's greatest triumph, and its greatest challenge. We have huge war debts that we must overcome and a country to rebuild. But more ominously, we have potential new enemies."

Kuei frowned.

"Who?"

"The Air Nomads sire."

"Why?"

"They oppose the Harmony Restoration Movement because they do not wish to be a part of Your Majesty's Dominion, despite His lawful claim over them."

"I do not want to force them to accept my rule."

"...Your Majesty is so kind hearted. But this should not be the attitude that you should have as a king, or as an emperor. Otherwise people will take advantage of you, just as that villainous snake, Long Feng had done to you."

"Where is Long Feng now?"

"He is still at large Your Highness. But we will apprehend him. But as for the Air Nomads, it would only be a matter of time before we bring them to heel. We have the Avatar and the monk council on our side. We have legal right on our side."

"But if they still resist?"

"We will make them bow to your rule."

"If not then?"

"Then they are traitors Your Majesty. And they deserve the fate of traitors."

An awkward silence pervaded over the court.

"I will not spill the blood of innocents," Kuei said softly.

"They have already begun to usurp Your Majesty's authority," another Attendant interjected. "They have sent envoys to the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, and to each other Air Nomad kingdoms to declare themselves independent from the Earth Kingdom. And King Bumi has accepted their proposal as well. And they did it all without telling their Avatar or their council."

"The Fire Nation? If they're involved, this is a serious matter. My grandfather, my father and I, have been the Emperor of the Air Nomads for almost a hundred years. And they have flourished under the dominion and never once have they complained... But perhaps we could make this amicable. What do you think?"

"Do that and everyone will simply walk all over you," a minister spoke loudly.

Kuei frowned but allowed the outspoken minister continue.

"I did not spend a lifetime serving the Earth Kingdom, only to see His Majesty surrender his ancestors' legacy. Once you allow even one country break away, you will see five more threaten to do the same."

"Do not speak to His Majesty in that tone," Li Su protested.

"I will speak my mind! This...boy, have yet to prove himself to me, and will never be fit to rule this country, if he lets himself be pushed around by the likes of some vagabond nomads! Who are nothing but thugs and brigands!"

Kuei rose to his feet and the Ten Attendants kneeled before him.

"I was played for a fool by Long Feng. I will not allow myself or the Earth Kingdom be pushed around. Not by the Fire Nation or anyone. The Earth Kingdom will be great once again and I will crush anyone who dares stand in my way..."

Later after the meeting with the Earth King, the Ten Attendants were enjoying dinner at one of the ministers' extravagant estate.

"It seems that we have the king riled up," said Li Su. "Give him a little push and that young pup will go the way he is pointed."

"Yes," agreed the outspoken minister. "If we keep the nomads as a huge problem in the mind of Kuei, then he may ignore everything else."

"And what of the people?" asked a weasel faced minister.

"The people are always complaining. Give them a scapegoat, or a simple explanation or two, and they'll be satisfied."

"For now," said a young minister.

"I say," said a handsome minister. "If we make the nomads everyone's problem, then they'll be more likely to ignore some of theirs and the country's."

"It's worth a try. What do you think General Fong?" asked Li Su.

"I think it's a good idea. It's about time that the world realize that the nomads are a bunch of vermin. And it'll help them keep their minds off of their empty stomachs. We can also use the nomad countries as an external threat to validate spending more money on the military."

"But that's against the terms of the Harmony Restoration Movement. The Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom are to reduce the size of their armies. Our country cannot afford to spend more on the military."

"The peace accords are in a way, becoming a detriment to the country's security," Fong replied. "Reducing the size of the army is the last thing that the king should do. Once the Fire Nation leaves from its conquered territories, it would be up to our army to keep order. In fact, there are highwaymen and deserters, prowling the roads just a few miles away from the gates of Ba Sing Se."

"Shouldn't the solution to our problems comes down to economics?" asked the young minister.

"Not just economics lord minister. But also security. We need to secure new markets for our goods. The colonies and the nomad countries will be a good start, and we already subjugated a good number of the nomads. Keep it up and we will have the economic strength to rival the Fire Nation."

"But the Fire Nation is the most technologically advanced country in the world."

"Indeed they are. One of their workers can do the work of ten of ours. But they only have just over one and a half million workers. But the Earth Kingdom can have twenty times that number. And they will all buy goods from the Earth Kingdom, not the Fire Nation. Once we deny the Fire Nation of their colonies, we can simply watch the Fire Nation go bankrupt after they realize that they have no one left to trade with."

"Ha, ha, ha! I had no idea that the general knows so much about economics as well as the martial arts!" said the outspoken minister.

"A good strategist, must consider all of the variables in developing a strategy." Fong smirked.

"Then I propose a toast! To success of this strategy, and the revival of the Earth Kingdom! For the Earth Kingdom."

"For the Earth Kingdom!" everyone shouted, but a good number of them thought aside to themselves 'for me and the Earth Kingdom.'