19
Hoshiko gazed out the window of the earth train she and the others were riding on, her tail swinging back and forth happily, her ears standing straight up, and her pupils wide in excitement. She had a giddy smile on her face as she sat on her knees in between Katara and Aang.
Sokka smirked, "I thought you said you were a cat, not a dog." Hoshiko turned her head to glare at him.
"Watch it, boomerang boy." She growled, "Cat or dog, I can still kick your ass." Sokka grinned nervously, and backed off as Hoshiko turned her attention back to the window, "Look, the inner wall!" She said, pointing to it as the train came closer. Everyone but Toph, who seemed content petting Momo in her lap, looked out the window to see the approaching wall.
"I can't believe we finally made it to Ba-Sing-Se in one piece." Katara said, Hoshiko nodded in agreement.
"Hey, don't jinx it!" Sokka said quickly, "We could still be attacked by some giant, exploding Fire Nation spoon! Or, find out the city's been submerged in an ocean full of killer shrimp."
"You been hitting the cactus juice again?" Toph asked.
"I'm just saying, weird stuff happens to us." Sokka said.
"That's true." Hoshiko said, turning around so she could sit down on the bench. She looked over at Aang, and saw a sad expression on his face, "Don't worry, Aang. We'll find him."
"It's such a big city…" Aang said.
"He's a giant bison!" Sokka said, walking over to them, "Where could someone possibly hide him?" He went in between the two of them to stick his head out the window. They went through the tunnel that led them to the city, and they all gawked at the sight of it. Ba-Sing-Se was an ocean of houses and buildings that stretched on for miles. They all clustered together, reminding Hoshiko almost of a huge valley, only this one was made from green and brown rooftops instead of grass. "Oh."
"Amazing…" Hoshiko gawked.
The earth train pulled up at the station, and they walked off it.
Toph sighed, "Back in the city. Great."
"What's the problem?" Sokka asked, "It's amazing!"
"Just a bunch of walls and rules." Toph said miserably, "You wait. You'll get sick of it in a couple of days." Hoshiko looked over at Aang, who pulled out a bison-shaped whistle. He put it to his lips and blew it.
"I'm coming for you buddy." He said, looking out at the city. Katara looked at him sadly and walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "He's here, I can feel it."
Everyone looked over at the train as it began to leave the station, and they noticed someone on the other side. Hoshiko's eyes widened at the figure, seeing her have an almost unholy smile on her face. She shuddered violently as she walked over to them.
"Hello," She said, "My name is Joo Dee. I have been given the great honor of showing the avatar around Ba-Sing-Se." She smiled that creepy smile at Aang, before turning to everyone else, "And you must be Sokka, Katara, Hoshiko, and Toph. Welcome to our wonderful city. Shall we get started?"
"Yes. We have information about the Fire Nation army that we need to deliver to the Earth King immediately." Sokka said.
"Great!" Joo Dee said in a cheery voice, "Let's begin our tour. And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it." Sokka gave her back an odd look as she walked away, then came up behind her.
"Maybe you missed what I said." Sokka said to her, "We need to talk to the king about the war. It's important."
"You're in Ba-Sing-Se now." Joo Dee said, "Everyone is safe here." Sokka gave her a disbelieving look as she walked away, "This way, please."
"Is it just me," Hoshiko began, "Or is anyone else getting the willies from her?" Aang and Toph raised their hands, "Okay, good."
The group rode along in a carriage through the city. Hoshiko quirked an eyebrow at the walls surrounding the houses that she knew weren't part of the inner wall.
"This is the lower ring." Joo Dee said, gesturing to all the homes.
"What's that wall for?" Hoshiko asked.
"Oh, Ba-Sing-Se has many walls." Joo Dee said, "There are the ones outside, protecting us. And the ones inside that help maintain order. This is where our newest arrivals live, as well as our craftsmen, and artisans; People that work with their hands. It's so quaint and lively." Katara gazed out the window to where they saw a man holding up a very large sword and presenting it to another, he noticed their stares and glared at them. Katara winced, "You do want to watch your step, though."
"Why do they have all these poor people blocked off in one part of the city?" Katara asked, looking around.
"This is why I never came here before." Aang said, "I always heard it was so different from the way the monks taught us to live." Hoshiko gazed around the people, noticing something very significant.
"Aren't there any Shinjuns in the city?" She asked, "I haven't seen one since we came here."
"Oh, no." Joo Dee said, "All Shinjuns are in the encampment on the other side of the outer wall. You are currently the only Shinjun within Ba-Sing-Se's walls."
Hoshiko sent her a pointed stare, "Aren't the other Shinjuns allowed in Ba-Sing-Se?"
"No, Shinjuns cause far too much trouble to help Ba-Sing-Se maintain order." Joo Dee said.
"What?!" Hoshiko exclaimed.
"Now you've done it." Sokka said.
"As a group, Shinjuns are a very dangerous people." Joo Dee said, ignoring how Hoshiko seethed, "You are allowed within the walls because you alone are not very dangerous."
"Who decided this?" Hoshiko demanded.
"The Earth King manages all decrees towards the public." Joo Dee said.
"I can't wait to see the Earth King, then." Hoshiko grumbled, "Give him a piece of my mind…"
"This is the middle ring of Ba-Sing-Se." Joo Dee said as the carriage moved into a slightly fancier looking part of town than the lower ring, "Home to the financial district, shops and restaurants, and the university."
"Yeah, we met a professor from Ba-Sing-Se University." Sokka said, "He took us to an ancient underground library, where we discovered information about the war that is absolutely crucial for the king to hear!" He got in her face pointedly, Hoshiko noticed how she kept smiling that incredibly creepy smile.
"Isn't history fascinating?" Joo Dee said, she pointed to a building as they passed it, "Look! Here's one of the oldest buildings in the middle ring! Town hall." She had the cart stop and she stepped out, not noticing how everyone else stayed in.
"Is that woman deaf?" Sokka asked, "She only seems to hear every other word I say."
"It's called 'being handled.'" Toph said, crossing her arms, "Get used to it."
"The upper ring is home to our most important citizens." Joo Dee said, "Your house is not too far from here." Hoshiko looked out at all the extravagant buildings and gates that were part of the upper ring. She looked up as they passed a huge burgundy wall, as did everyone else.
"What's inside that wall?" Katara asked, Hoshiko looked and saw three men in green robes standing at the entrance, they sent cold stares at the carriage as they passed by.
"And who are those mean looking guys in robes?" Sokka asked.
"Inside is the royal palace." Joo Dee said, "Those men are agents of the Dai Lee, the cultural authority of Ba-Sing-Se."
"Cultural authority?" Hoshiko asked, "What's that mean?"
"They are the guardians of all our traditions." Joo Dee explained.
"Can we see the king now?" Aang asked.
"Oh, no!" Joo Dee laughed, "One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King!" Aang groaned and hung his head in frustration.
"Here we are! Your new home!" Joo Dee said, bringing them to a small, but lovely looking house with an orange roof and stone walls. Joo Dee looked over as a man came running towards her, bowing when he handed her a scroll. She opened it up and looked at the message written on it, "More good news! Your request for an audience with the Earth King is being processed, and should be put through in about a month! Much more quickly than usual."
"A month?!" Sokka asked in shock.
"Six to eight weeks, actually." Joo Dee said, giving them a small giggle. The group gawked at her as she started to walk up the stairs to the house, "Shall we take a look at your new home?" Not knowing what else to do, they followed her up the stairs into the house. "Isn't it nice? I think you'll really enjoy it here."
"I think we'd enjoy it more if we weren't staying so long." Sokka said, "Can't we see the king any sooner?"
"The Earth King is very busy running the finest city in the world." Joo Dee said, "But he will see you as soon as time permits." Sokka scowled at her answer.
"If we're going to be here for a month," Aang said, "We should spend our time looking for Appa."
"I'd be happy to escort you anywhere you'd like to go." Joo Dee said with her creepy smile and a bow.
"We don't need a babysitter." Toph said, walking towards the door.
"Oh, I won't get in the way." Joo Dee said, stepping in front of Toph's path, "And to leave you alone would make me a bad host. Where shall we start?"
"…Somewhere with animals?" Katara suggested.
"Like, where, a pet shop?" Hoshiko asked.
Aang shrugged, "Couldn't hurt."
Their first stop was at a local pet shop in the lower ring. It was filled with pets of mainly avian descent, a few reptiles, and a few cats and dogs. Hoshiko looked over when she heard a cat owl yowl at something, and she saw Momo fly away from its food dish.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't heard anything about a flying bison." The shop owner said, "I didn't even know there were any."
"If someone wanted to sell a stolen animal without anyone knowing, where would they go?" Aang asked.
"Where's the black market?" Sokka demanded, "Who runs it? Come on, you know!"
"Uh…" The owner began to sweat and looked at Joo Dee, who stood silently behind the group with her wide, creepy smile. She slowly shook her head at him, and he gulped, turning his attention back to Sokka, "That would be illegal." The group heard loud chirps and squeals, and the owner frowned, "You'll have to leave now. Your lemur is harassing my sparrowkeets."
Hoshiko looked over at Momo, who was stealing from the sparrowkeets' food dish. She reached over and picked him up by the scruff of his neck, following the others as they walked out of the store.
"So, where do we go now?" Toph asked.
"What about the university?" Katara suggested, "If we're looking for information, that'd be a good place to go. They have a library."
"Then to the university we shall go!" Joo Dee said cheerily, leading them to the carriage.
Hoshiko looked down at the young student Sokka had decided would give them answers about the sand benders who took Appa.
"Hmm… I've never seen any sand benders or nomads around here." He said, "You should ask Professor Xei, he teaches the class on desert cultures."
"Right…" Hoshiko said with a roll of her eyes, "And which one of your professors could we ask about the war with the Fire Nation?" She noticed the student began to sweat, turning his gaze to Joo Dee, who slowly shook her head at him. Sokka noticed this movement and glared at her, and she quickly stopped.
"I-I don't know." The student stuttered, "I'm not a political science student, I have to get to class." He quickly stood up and walked away, his arms full of scrolls.
Standing on the stairs outside their house, the five kids looked at Joo Dee as she sat in the carriage, preparing to leave.
"Well, I'm sorry no one has seen your bison." She said, Hoshiko thought she didn't look very sorry at all with that creepy smile, "Why don't you go get some rest? Someone will be over with dinner, later." They watched her carriage leave, and Hoshiko sighed.
"Now what?" She asked, turning to the others. She noticed Sokka's gaze was fixed on the house across the street, where Hoshiko saw a man hide behind his door when he looked at them through a window.
"Hey, come with me." He said, they followed him over to the house and knocked on the door. It was opened by an old man dressed in official-looking Earth Kingdom garments. He smiled at them.
"You're the avatar." He said, looking at Aang, "I heard you were in town. I'm Pong."
"Nice to meet you, Pong." Aang said.
"So, Pong," Sokka said, "What's going on with this city? Why is everyone here so scared to talk about the war?"
"War? Scared?" Pong repeated nervously, his eyes shifting, "What do you mean?"
"I can feel you shaking." Toph said bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Look, I'm just a minor government official." Pong said, sticking his head out of the door and looking around, "I've waited three years to get this house. I don't want to get into trouble."
"Get in trouble with who?" Katara asked. Pong quickly shushed her.
"Listen, you can't mention the war here." He said quickly, "And whatever you do, stay away from the Dai Lee." He slammed the door shut, leaving them outside.
The next morning, everyone sat around the house, having already sent away Joo Dee for the day. Toph was taking advantage of the sweet pastries next to her, eating away. Aang was sulking, sitting down on a railing. Sokka was sitting with his feet up against a wall, his back on the floor. Hoshiko was passing time by playing with Momo, wiggling her fingers near his stomach and pulling them away as soon as he tried to grab them. Her tail swinging back and forth as she did.
"I've got it!" Katara said, running in, holding a pile of papers, "I know how we're gonna see the Earth King!"
"How are we supposed to do that?" Toph asked, she put on a fake smile and said in an imitation of Joo Dee, "One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King!"
"The king is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear!" Katara said, looking at the papers in her hands.
"You mean… Platypus bear?" Aang asked, Katara looked over the papers again.
"No. It just says 'bear'…" She said.
"Certainly, you mean his pet skunk bear." Sokka said.
"Or his armadillo bear." Toph said.
"Gopher bear?" Hoshiko asked, taking her attention away from the lemur.
"Just… bear." Katara said with a shrug. There was a beat of silence among the group.
"This place is weird." Toph said.
"The palace will be packed." Katara continued, "We can sneak in with the crowd!"
"Won't work." Toph said, leaning back against the pillows.
"Why not?" Katara asked.
"Well, no offense to you simple country folk," Toph began, reaching for another pastry, "But a real society crowd would spot you a mile away. You've got no manners." She took a huge bite out of the pastry.
"Excuse me?" Katara scoffed, "I've got no manners? You're not exactly Lady Fancy Fingers."
Toph let out a small belch, "I learned proper society behavior and chose to leave it." She said, tossing the pastry away and Momo jumped up to catch it, then ran away with it and hid under the carpet, "You never learned anything. And, frankly, it's a little too late."
"Ah-ha! But you learned it!" Sokka said, "You could teach us!"
"Yeah, I'm mastering every element," Aang said, "How hard can manners be?" He stood up and pulled a curtain down, wrapping it around his shoulders like a cape. He stood up straight, pretending to be an aristocrat. "Good evening Mister Sokka Water Tribe," Sokka smirked at his stuffy greeting, "Miss Katara Water Tribe," Katara smiled in mirth, "Lady Hoshiko of the Shinjun Tribe," Hoshiko snickered behind her hand, "Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty." Momo stuck his head up from underneath the carpet when his name was mentioned, "Your Momo-ness." Hoshiko laughed aloud when he bowed to Aang. Sokka stood up and pulled down another curtain, wrapping it around his shoulders like Aang did.
"Avatar Aang, how you do go on." Sokka said in a phony-fancy voice. Aang bowed to him, and Sokka bowed deeper back to him, Aang bowed deeper than he did, and Sokka bowed so far down, his face was touching his knees. They bowed again, and hit their heads against each other's and fell over. Hoshiko laughed at their expense.
"Katara and Hoshiko might be able to pull it off," Toph said, standing up, "But you two would be lucky to pass as bus boys."
"But I feel so fancy." Sokka said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"You sure don't look like it." Hoshiko said with a smirk, Sokka scowled at her. Toph gestured for her to stand up.
"Come on," She said, "We got some fancyin' up to do with you two." Hoshiko stood and followed Toph as they left the room.
"Ow!"
"I'm sorry!"
"You trying to rip it out?"
"Well, if you just held still-!"
"That's kind of difficult when you're pulling it every direction possible!" Hoshiko snapped to Katara as she tried to style her hair. Earlier, they had gone out and gotten the proper clothes to wear to the King's party.
"Well, if your hair wasn't so short, it might be easier to style!" Katara snapped back, clenching her black hair in her hands. Hoshiko sighed and looked back to the vanity sitting in front of her.
"It's not my fault my hair doesn't grow fast." She grumbled, grimacing when Katara tried to pull it up.
"I know, I know…" Katara muttered, she sighed in exasperation and released Hoshiko's abused locks, "I just can't get it to do anything."
"You could just pin it up like I suggested the first time." Hoshiko said pointedly.
"Fine." Katara said, reaching over to the vanity desk and pulling off the brush and a small, white hairclip. She gently brushed it up, and Hoshiko sighed in relief at the painlessness of it. "What do you think the king will look like?"
"Well, King Kuei's only been on the throne since he was our age." Hoshiko said, looking at her through the vanity mirror, "And that was a while ago, so I assume he's somewhere in his late twenties, early thirties. It shouldn't be too hard to spot him out of the crowd."
"I guess." Katara said, clipping Hoshiko's hair up, "There. That's one task accomplished. Now we just have to work on hiding your ears."
"Whoa, what?" Hoshiko demanded, her hands instantly going to cover her ears in protection, "When did I agree to this?"
"Hoshiko, you heard what Joo Dee said," Toph said, pulling the sleeves of the dress up, "There aren't any Shinjuns in the city. If you show up with your ears up, people will get suspicious." Hoshiko scowled.
"Fine." She said, turning around and letting Katara do the work she needed to hide her ears. She saw her reach for another pair of clips, "This isn't going to hurt, is it?"
Katara paused, thinking for a moment. "I hope not." She said, "Put your ears down." Hoshiko did so and grimaced when Katara clipped her ears to her hair. "There, that should do it."
"Great." Hoshiko groaned as Katara set the finishing piece on her hair to make her look like any other aristocratic woman and putting a white flower in her hair.
"Now, we need to do the make-up." Katara said, Hoshiko sighed.
"Oh, it's gonna be a long night…"
It was dark by the time the girls had finished getting ready, Hoshiko walked to the main room of the house before Katara or Toph, wearing an elegant purple and white dress. Her tail was hidden as a black belt around her waist, and her ears stayed down from the clips. She noticed the room was silent and she looked to see Aang and Sokka gaping at her. She frowned and turned to them, planting her hands on her hips.
"What?" She asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Hoshiko?" Aang asked in shock, his eyes widening.
"Duh, who else?" Hoshiko asked, crossing her arms.
"You look… different." Sokka said, for lack of a better word, "Like… human."
Hoshiko groaned, "I know. Apparently, I have to hide the fact that I'm a Shinjun, or people will get suspicious. It sucks."
"You make a pretty hot human…" Sokka said, Hoshiko looked at him in shock, and his face flushed, "Did I just say that out loud?" Hoshiko and Aang nodded slowly. Sokka cleared his throat and looked away, "Well… You do. Just saying."
"Oh…" Hoshiko murmured, thankful that the make-up she was wearing could cover up the blush she was already wearing, "Thanks, Sokka."
"Yeah." Sokka said shortly, he turned back to Aang, "So, where were we?"
"Oh, right." Aang said, the two raised their fists and began to play 'Earth, water, fire'.
"1, 2, 3,"
"Fire!" Sokka said, opening his palm and wiggling his fingers.
"Earth!" Aang said, showing his fist. Sokka groaned at his defeat and Aang raised his arms in victory. Sokka grimaced as Aang leaned forwards and flicked his forehead. The doors to the room next to them opened and showed Toph and Katara, fully dressed in their fancy clothes. Katara wore a green dress, and Toph wore a white one. They both hid their faces behind their fans, then giggled.
"Wow, you look beautiful." Aang said, a small blush on his cheeks as he stared dreamily at Katara. Sokka noticed this and reached out, flicking Aang's forehead. Katara opened her mouth to say something, but Toph put her fan out over her mouth, making sure she didn't.
"Don't talk to the commoners, Katara." She said, "First rule of society." Hoshiko smirked and walked with the two girls as they began to leave.
"We'll get into the party, then find a way to let you in through the side gate." Katara said to Aang and Sokka as she walked out the door. Hoshiko smiled at the two, waving.
"Later, boys!" She said cheerily, following Katara out.
The girls waited patiently in line as they moved with the people to get inside. When they came up to the guard at the front, he said "Invitations, please."
"I think this will do." Toph said, pulling out her Bei-Fong passport.
"No entry without an invitation." The guard said stiffly, "Step out of line, please."
"Look," Toph began angrily, "The Pangs and the Yum-sun-hons are waiting in there for us. I'm gonna have to tell them who didn't let me in."
"Step out of line, please." The guard repeated, pointing them away. They moved out of line, a little downcast since they couldn't get in. Hoshiko looked up and saw a man in green robes stepping out of an ornate-looking carriage. She smirked as a plan came to mind, and she put her hands on Katara and Toph's shoulders.
"Follow my lead." She whispered to them as she pushed them toward the man. "Excuse me, sir?" She called to him, getting his attention. The man looked to be somewhere between his early and mid-forties, with the noble Earth Kingdom style braid on his head, and a small moustache and goatee. He looked over at them as Hoshiko bowed respectfully, "I'm so sorry to bother you, but could you help us? My little sister here lost our invitations," She leaned up and whispered, "She's blind." She pulled back and put her hand on Katara's shoulder, "Could you help us inside? It's not very often we get to see our cousins and our aunt and uncle, and I'm sure they're very worried about us."
The man smiled kindly, "I am honored." He said, "Please come with me." They followed him over to the guard, and he bowed to the man, allowing him and the girls through. As they passed by the guard, Katara, Toph, and Hoshiko all made faces at his back as they walked into the main hall.
It was extravagant, with all kinds of different green lanterns hanging from the ceiling on long lines. Hoshiko saw the hall was filled with hundreds of people of aristocracy, with the clothes and stiff upper lips to prove it. In the middle of the hall was a long table covered in the finest and most expensive food that Hoshiko had ever seen, and at the end of it sat a big, brown bear with a green shirt and a hat tied onto its head. It ate every piece of meat that it saw, and she felt a good amount of pity for the two men sitting next to it. After all, the bear was taking all the good stuff.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The man said, gazing around at the hall's decorations, "By the way, I'm Long Feng. I'm a cultural minister to the king."
"Uh, I'm Xiao Mao." Hoshiko gestured to herself, "And this is my cousin, Quoi Mei, and my sister… Dung." Toph scowled and yanked at the clip on her ear, making her wince.
"Now, where is your family?" Long Feng asked, looking around the room, "I'd love to meet them."
"Uh, I don't see them right now," Katara said, looking around like he had, "But I'm sure we'll find them soon." Hoshiko took Toph's arm and they began to walk away from him, "Thanks for all your help." They went further into the hall, looking around for the side gate to try and find a way to sneak in Aang and Sokka, but were surprised when Long Feng suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Don't worry," He said comfortingly, "As your escort, it would be dishonorable to abandon you ladies without finding your family first." He turned around and gestured for them to follow him, "We'll keep looking."
The three of them spent the rest of their time trying to ditch Long Feng so they could find Aang and Sokka, but it never seemed successful…
Aang looked around the grand hall, he and Sokka dressed in busboy uniforms (Which they had used to sneak in). Aang carried a pot of tea for everyone, and Sokka carried around a tray of crab puffs. Once Aang had finished topping someone off, he looked over at Sokka.
"Where are the girls?" He asked him quietly.
"Forget about them," Sokka said, "Just keep an eye out for the king." He looked at Momo's tail (Who was hiding under Aang's hat, and his tail was used for fake hair) as it went up.
"I don't know what he looks like." Aang said worriedly. Sokka glared at Momo's wagging tail.
"You know," He reached up and grabbed it, squishing it painfully and pushing it back down, "Royal, flowing robe, fancy jewelry." Aang looked around at the crowd again.
"That could be anyone." He said, seeing everyone dressed in royal, flowing robes and wearing fancy jewelry.
"Another crab puff, please." A familiar voice said. The two boys turned, Sokka presenting her with the crab puffs, and saw Toph.
"You found us!" Aang said happily.
"I'd know your little footsteps anywhere, Twinkle Toes." Toph said, taking a crab puff from the tray and eating it. Katara and Hoshiko quickly walked up next to her.
"Thanks for letting us in." Sokka said sarcastically to them.
"Sorry," Hoshiko said quickly, "But the guy who escorted us in will not let us out of his sight!"
"What guy?" Sokka asked, looking behind them. Hoshiko turned as well, and saw no one. Hoshiko did the same and saw that Long Feng had disappeared. She hummed thoughtfully, uneasy at his sudden absence.
"What are you doing here?" The five of them looked over and saw Joo Dee coming towards them, looking worried, but still having that smile on her face, "You have to leave immediately, or we'll all be in terrible trouble!" She went to push Sokka away, but he stopped her by placing the tray between them.
"Not until we see the king!" He said determinedly.
"You don't understand." Joo Dee said quickly, "You must go!" She pushed Sokka, making him stumble back and hit Aang, which caused the tea from the pot to splash out and onto some poor woman, who screamed. She glared at Aang and he grimaced.
"Sorry!" Aang said quickly, "Don't shout!" He lifted up his arms and legs to give the woman a quick air bending blow-dry. When she was dry, her clothes stuck in that windblown position, as did her hair, and ruined make-up. He smiled apologetically at her state.
"The avatar!" The woman gasped, "I didn't know the avatar would be here!" People began to take notice of Aang, amazed that the avatar had come to a party for a pet bear. Hoshiko looked over at Joo Dee, and saw her creepy smile finally fall. She couldn't help but grin at the unhappy look on her face. Aang blushed at the attention, and waved awkwardly at the people.
Sokka slid up next to him and whispered in his ear, "You keep their attention while I look for the king."
"Watch this everybody!" Aang said, jumping out of the busboy uniform and landing on the table. Everyone watched in awe as he bent up the drinks from different cups and created a watery ball of multiple colors, making it spin around above his head as he did a hand-stand trick on the table. Everyone 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed appreciatively and applauded his talent. Even the king's bear was getting into it. All the while, Sokka was scurrying around the room, looking for whoever could be the Earth King.
After a few minutes, a loud gong was heard over and over as some majestic music played. Hoshiko looked over at where a group of Dai Lee soldiers was carrying the king's palanquin over to the head of the table, where many people were already sitting. Hoshiko tried to see his face, but instead, could only see his silhouette. He was hiding behind a veil that went all the way around the palanquin.
"Aang!" Sokka hissed, "The Earth King!" Aang looked over and saw the palanquin. He stopped spinning the giant water ball and put the drinks back in the cups before bending up an air scooter and riding it, heading for the head of the table.
"Greetings, your majesty!" He said cheerily, as many people moved food and drinks out of Aang's way as he traveled up to the head.
Sokka watched as the soldiers suddenly began to move the palanquin away from the table. Determined to get his chance to speak to the king, Sokka began running towards it. He was stopped by two Dai Lee soldiers, who grabbed his arms tightly and held his hands together with earthy handcuffs. Sokka squirmed the entire time, demanding that they let him go. Another Dai Lee soldier, who was hiding behind some of the building's walls, threw out their hands towards Toph. Their earth gloves kept going, and one hand went around Toph's mouth, while the other pulled her back to the soldier, who dragged her away. Two other guards did the same to Katara and Hoshiko. By the time Aang had reached the head of the table, they had disappeared from the room, and a man came out from behind the soldiers to speak to him.
"Avatar, it is a great honor to meet you." He said, bowing towards Aang, "I am Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of Ba-Sing-Se and head of the Dai Lee. I'd like to talk to you. Your friends will be waiting for us in the library." He walked towards the library and Aang, confused about the situation, followed him.
Long Feng sat before the five kids in the library, all of them freed from the bonds the Dai Lee had previously held them in.
"Why won't you let us talk to the king?" Sokka demanded, "We have information that could defeat the Fire Nation!"
"The Earth King has no time to get involved with political squabbles and the day-to-day minutia of military activities." Long Feng answered.
"This could be the most important thing he's ever heard!" Aang said.
"What's 'most important' to his royal majesty is maintaining the cultural heritage of Ba-Sing-Se." Long Feng said, "All his duties relate to issuing decrees on such matters. It's my job to oversee the rest of the city's resources, including the military." He said the last sentence with an arrogant smirk on his face.
"So the king is just a figurehead…" Katara murmured in shock.
"He's your puppet!" Toph snapped.
"Oh, no! No!" Long Feng said, "His majesty is an icon! A god to his people. He can't sully his hands with the hourly changes of an endless war!"
"But we found out about a solar eclipse that will leave the Fire Nation defenseless!" Sokka said, "You could lead an invasion-!"
"Enough!" Long Feng said, abruptly standing up, "I don't want to hear your ridiculous plan!" Sokka looked at him in surprise at his sudden refusal, "It is the strict policy of Ba-Sing-Se that the war not be mentioned within the walls. Constant news of an escalating war would throw the citizens of Ba-Sing-Se into a state of panic. Our economy would be ruined. Our peaceful way of life, our traditions, would disappear. In silence, in talk of conflict, Ba-Sing-Se would remain a peaceful, orderly utopia. The last one on earth." He grinned when he said this.
"You can't keep the truth from everyone in the entire city! From all those people!" Hoshiko said, "They have to know!"
"I'll tell them!" Aang said, stepping forward, "I'll make sure everyone knows!"
"Until now, you've been treated as our honored guest," Long Feng said, stepping towards Aang, "But from now on, you will be watched every moment by Dai Lee agents. If you mention the war to anyone, you will be expelled from the city." He turned around and walked back to his seat, but didn't sit down. "I understand you've been looking for your bison." He turned his head to Aang when he said this, "It would be quite a shame if you were not able to complete your quest." Everyone glared at him, thinking He knows something! Long Feng sat down again, "Now Joo Dee will show you home." The doors opened and a woman walked into the room, bowing to them.
"Come with me, please." She said in a respectable tone. Everyone gawked at the woman.
"What happened to Joo Dee?" Katara said, gaping at the woman. She was dressed in Joo Dee's clothes, with the same hair style and make up, but it was not the Joo Dee they met. The Joo Dee they met had long, brown hair and dark brown eyes. This Joo Dee had short black hair with squinty, light brown eyes, and was a good inch shorter than the other Joo Dee.
"I'm Joo Dee." The woman said, wearing the same smile as the other Joo Dee, "I'll be your host as long as you're in our wonderful city."
Hoshiko felt chills run down her spine.