Jin and Li sat cross-legged on the floor, tossing a rock to each other. Toph was laying peacefully on the floor while Sokka was busy on his latest attempt to draw a poster featuring Appa. The twins had never before seen such raw failure when it came to drawing, and they smiled at the thought that Toph wouldn't be able to see just how bad they were.
Suddenly, Aang and Katara walked through the door. "We found a printer to make our posters" she said excitedly. The twins looked at the poster she held up, and nodded approvingly.
"Hey, I thought designing the 'Lost Appa' poster was my job" Sokka protested. "I've been working all day on my Appa". He then held up his latest attempt, and it was sorely lacking when compared to Katara's.
She couldn't help but laugh, while Aang said "Sokka, the arrow is on Appa's head".
"This is his head" the Water Tribe boy replied, pointing to a part of his drawing.
Katara leaned in close in order to examine it. "Why are feet coming out of it?" she asked, and Jin smiled humorously. Suddenly, the rock they had been throwing bounced off of his head. He turned to look angrily at Li, who bore a rather smug smile on his face; he would pay for that.
"Those are his horns!" Sokka clarified. His shoulders then slumped in defeat as he added "I haven't seen him in a while, okay?"
"It looks just like him to me" Toph said as she stared blankly towards the ceiling.
"Thank you, I worked really…" Sokka started to say, taking the compliment at face value. He then stopped as he realized that the blind girl was mocking him. "Why do you feel the need to do that?"
Jin took the rock and threw it over at Li as Katara said "Let's just stick with the professional version". Her brother angrily tore his poster into tiny little pieces.
I poured tea into a woman's cup, graciously bowing my head as she complimented the quality of the brew. The three of us were back at work after our day off, and we had all gone through a little adventure. Iroh had helped several people he had encountered before holding a private ceremony for his son, Lu Ten, and I had returned from my walk just in time to see Zuko all doled up like a porcelain doll. Iroh had explained that the teenager was going on a date, and I couldn't help but smile widely at his obvious discomfort.
Now, however, we were back to our routine, serving tea to very appreciative customers. The tiger eagle I had met yesterday was in a special cage that I had bought which was in the back room. A fearsome bird of prey would most likely scare off potential customers, so Pao had forced me to make sure that he wouldn't be a problem.
"So you're the genius behind this incredible brew" a voice said. I turned and saw a man in rich clothing walking up to Iroh alongside two others. "The whole city is buzzing about you!"
"Well, my son and I have equal credit where the brew is concerned" Iroh replied as I walked up beside him.
The man nodded to me and said "I hope Pao pays you well".
"Good tea is its own reward" Iroh replied with a smile.
"But it doesn't have to be the only reward" the man added. Judging by the gleaming rings on his fingers, expensive clothes, and his well-dressed escort, I figured him to be from the Upper Ring, and the only reason someone like him would come down here to the Lower Ring would be to acquire something he wanted brought to the Upper Ring; he wanted us to work for him. "How would you like to have your own tea shop?" he asked, confirming my theory.
"Our own tea shop?" Iroh asked incredulously. His face lit up like that of a child who had just been promised unlimited funds to buy toys; I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
All of a sudden, Pao appeared beside us faster than the Avatar's Bison being chased by Zuko. "What's going on here?" he demanded, a rather panicked expression on his face. He stepped in front of us and held his arms out protectively. "Are you trying to poach my tea-makers?"
"Sorry, Pao", the man replied, not sounding apologetic at all, "but that's business for you, am I right?"
Pao turned to us. "Mushi, Jin, if you stay, I'll… make you assistant managers. Wait! Senior assistant managers!"
The man took this in stride. "I'll provide you with a new apartment in the Upper Ring. The tea shop is yours to do whatever you want, complete creative freedom".
My eyes widened. Iroh and I exchanged stunned expressions before I asked "We even get to name the shop?"
"Of course!" At this point, the offer was far too attractive for us to turn down.
Pao, on the other hand, was not quite willing to let us go. Sweat ran down his face as his brow furrowed in panic. "Uh, senior executive assistant managers?" Iroh and I exchanged a glance, having already made our decision. We handed our tea pots to Pao before bowing to the man in front of us.
"Did you hear, nephew?" Iroh asked as Zuko walked by. "This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the Upper Ring of the city".
"That's right, young man. Your life is about to change for the better".
Zuko didn't look back as he walked towards the front door. "I'll try to contain my joy" he said sardonically.
As he stepped outside, I turned back to the man. "I have a pet bird that I'm nursing back to health. Would it be alright if I brought him into the shop with me? I don't want to leave him alone while I'm at work".
The man walked over and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "With you and your father brewing tea for me, you can bring a whole zoo if you want!"
I bowed to him in respect before walking outside. Stepping onto the street, I found Zuko leaning his back against the wall, staring down at the ground. I sighed as I closed the door, steeling myself to speak to the teenager during one of his childish sulking moods. "You should be more excited, you know. This is something your uncle has only dreamed about until now".
"Yeah, I'm sure the two of you will be very happy in your precious tea shop in the Upper Ring" Zuko replied dryly. "It's what you want, after all".
I frowned at him, crossing my arms. "I'll admit: being part owner of a tea shop of my very own is something that I never could have expected. But that doesn't matter as much as having my family be reunited. If I had Jin and Li and… Takara with me, then I couldn't care less about where I am. All that matters to me is keeping my family whole; that is all that I have ever wanted out of life".
"Me too!" Zuko spat, turning his gaze on me. "All I've ever wanted is to have my father's love and respect, and to be accepted back into my family with honour! You and uncle can be as happy as you want about this new tea shop, but that's not what I want; I want to go home, to be Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to my father's throne again".
I could see the longing in his eyes; his desires had been plain to me from the first moment I'd met him. Standing before me was a young man who wanted things to return to the way they were, before everything had gone so horribly wrong.
I sighed, looking out at the street and replying "I know what it's like to want your father's love and acceptance. I also know what it means to bleed and suffer and do things you never thought you would do in order to please him. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that the things you want, the things that you dream about and fight for with every fibre of your being, aren't what you envision. You say you want to go home; for people like us, home is where our family is, and you have to ask yourself if your father and sister are the family you want to be with".
Zuko didn't say anything, and we were both silent for a long moment. Suddenly, a sheet of paper slowly drifted down in front of us. I grabbed it out of the air, and we both examined it. My eyes widened with shock; it was a poster with a picture of the Avatar's Bison. Written on it were the words 'Looking for missing Sky Bison named Appa. If you know anything about his whereabouts, please contact Avatar Aang in the Upper Ring'.
Zuko and I exchanged a glance before looking up at the sky. We couldn't see anything, and we elected to climb onto a nearby roof. I helped the teenager up, and we both looked around before seeing several more of the posters slowly falling towards the ground.
I looked back at the poster in my hand, the first glimmer of true hope shining for the first time in a long time. When I had last seen Jin and Li, they had been traveling with the Avatar. If the Airbender was in Ba Sing Se, than the twins were, too; I would finally have them back in my arms again.
"I just finished dropping all the leaflets" Aang said as he stepped inside the house. Jin and Li looked up from the ground, where they had used their Earthbending in order to make a rudimentary Pai Sho game. "Has anyone come in with news about Appa?"
The twins shook their heads, and Katara replied "It's only been a day; just be patient".
Aang nodded, reluctantly agreeing, and just as he sat down at the table, there was a knock on the door. He bolted up instantly, the excitement in his face back. "Wow, you're right! Patience really pays off". He bolted over to the door, opening it to reveal the dazzling smile of a very familiar woman. The twins instinctively recoiled upon seeing her, and Aang asked "Joo Dee?"
"Hello, Aang and Katara and Sokka and Toph and Jin and Li" she greeted warmly.
The twins nervously slid away as she stepped inside, and Sokka asked "What happened to you? Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?"
"What, jail?" she asked incredulously. "Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage".
"But you disappeared at the Earth King's party" Toph said.
"Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country" Joo Dee replied. "It was quite relaxing".
Jin and Li exchanged dubious glances, not believing her story for a moment. "But then they replaced you with some other woman who also said her name was Joo Dee" Katara added.
"I'm Joo Dee" she replied, placing a hand on her chest for emphasis.
"Why are you here?" Aang asked, his brow furrowed in slight annoyance.
She proceeded to take something out from within her sleeve, and as the twins stood up, they could see that it was one of the posters that had put out asking for information on Appa's whereabouts. "Dropping flyers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city. Not without clearance" Joo Dee lectured.
"We can't wait around to get permission for everything" Sokka retorted.
"You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters" she repeated, her dazzling smile never faltering throughout the entire statement.
Aang's head looked just about ready to burst like a tattooed grape. "We don't care about the rules and we're not asking permission! We're finding Appa on our own and you should just stay out of our way!" Jin and Li had the deep satisfaction of seeing Joo Dee flinch in the face of Aang's outburst before the Airbender slammed the door shut.
"That might come back to bite us in the blubber" Sokka noted cautiously.
"I don't care" Aang replied. "From now on, we do whatever it takes to find Appa".
Toph raised her arms into the air excitedly. "Yeah, let's break some rules!" She then thrust her arms forward, and the front left corner of the house exploded in a cloud of dust. Jin and Li grinned mischievously to each other before following her example and creating two large rock columns that emerged from the ground and crashed through the ceiling. They then made their way outside, and the twins thought they sensed someone, or multiple someones, watching them from nearby. Turning to look at the roof of the house across the street, they saw nothing, exchanging a glance before following the others.
I folded what little clothes I owned before placing them into a small case. Iroh and I had started packing for our move, and the older man's sheer glee was palpable. The tiger eagle was perched on the edge of the window in front of me, its feline head following my hands as I packed. Zuko then walked into the apartment, and Iroh said "So we were thinking about names for our new tea shop. How about the 'Jasmine Dragon'?"
"It's dramatic, poetic, and it has a nice ring to it" I explained, having come up with the name. The tiger eagle, whom I had named 'Lihua' after my mother, made a squawk-meow noised, and I reached over and scratched the underside of its head.
"The Avatar's here in Ba Sing Se" Zuko said, handing Iroh the wanted poster. "And he's lost his Bison".
"Jin and Li were traveling with him" I added. "I was hoping that maybe I could find them, now that I know they're here in the city".
Iroh took the sheet of paper and looked at both of us. "We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us".
"Good things that are happening for you" Zuko corrected. "Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?"
"There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity" Iroh countered. "I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life, and why".
"I want my destiny" Zuko said at last, turning to look out the window. Lihua hopped onto my arm as he did so, and I gently stroked her plumage.
"What that means is up to you" I said. "It is our responsibility to make our own destinies; just make sure that it is your destiny that you are seeking, and not one that your father has imposed on you".
Zuko walked away, and Iroh suddenly cried out "The Tea Weevil!" I looked over at him, my expression conveying my dislike of the name, and he eventually said "No, that's stupid".
Jin ran the brush along the wall, putting glue where he wanted, before Li took a poster and stuck it against the stone as Katara, Sokka, and Aang did the same. Toph merely stood with her arms crossed, her usual stone-hard expression on her face. "We'll split up to cover more area" Sokka said. "Toph, I guess you should just come with me".
"Why?" the blind girl asked indignantly. "Because you think I can't put up posters on my own?" She took the brush from the Water Tribe boy and smeared some diagonally across the stone before taking a poster and sticking it backwards on the wall. There was a moment of silence before Toph said "It's upside-down, isn't it? I'll just go with Sokka".
Jin turned to Katara and wrote on the ground. She read the words and replied "Sure, you can join me if you want to". Li went with Aang, and Jin and Katara proceeded to make their way around the neighbourhood, sticking up posters everywhere they could think of.
Suddenly, a voice asked "Katara?" The Water Tribe girl gasped, and Jin turned around to see a young man around Katara's age, with a head of scruffy brown hair. His clothes were a little patchwork, but he looked like he had seen his fair share of combat. "I think I can help you". Before Jin could blink, Katara growled in rage as she summoned a massive wave of water from the nearby river. "Katara, I've changed!" the teenager cried just as the wave slammed into him, throwing him into an alley like a ragdoll.
Jin ran after his companion as she entered into a fighting stance. He did the same, not entirely sure what was going on in the moment. "Tell it to some other girl, Jet" she said coldly. She then changed some water into sharp ice projectiles before hurling them at this Jet.
He drew twin hooked swords that Jin had never seen before, managing to block a few of the ice projectiles before being knocked to the ground. "I don't want to fight you" he said, standing up. "I'm here to help". He dropped his hooked swords, and Katara paused. Jin glanced over at her before he caught sight of the teenager taking something from the back of his belt. The Earthbender reacted instantly, thrusting his arms forward and summoning several pieces of rock from the ground that struck Jet in the throat, wrists, and ankles, throwing him against the wall and locking him in place.
"Guys, what is it?" Sokka's voice asked from behind as the others joined them.
"Jet's back" she explained, her eyes never once leaving the restrained teenager. "We can't trust anything he says".
"But we don't even know why he's here" Sokka said.
"I don't care why he's here" Katara retorted. "Whatever the reason is, it can't be good".
"I'm here to help you find Appa" Jet said at last, unfurling the poster in his hand.
Jin and Li exchanged a glance as Aang said "Katara, we have to give him a chance".
"I swear I've changed. I was a troubled person, and I let my anger get out of control. But I don't even have the gang, now; I've put all that behind me".
"You're lying" Katara said.
Toph walked past her before placing a hand on the wall beside Jet. "He's not lying" she said after a moment.
"How can you tell?" Sokka asked.
"I can feel his breathing and heartbeat" the blind girl explained. "When people lie, there's a physical reaction. He's telling the truth".
"Katara", Aang said, turning to the Water Tribe girl, "we don't have any leads. If Jet says he can take us to Appa, we have to check it out".
She sighed before replying "Alright. But we're not letting you out of our sight" she warned. With that, Jin released Jet's earthen restraints, and the teenager proceeded to lead them to a large stable of some sort.
"This is the place I heard about" he said as they walked inside.
The building was empty, and there was no sign of Appa anywhere. "There's nothing here" Aang said.
"If this is a trap…" Katara said threateningly.
"I told you, I work nearby" Jet cut her off indignantly. "Two guys were talkin' about some giant furry creature they had. I figured it must be Appa".
Li spotted something on the ground. Picking it up, he knew that it was a bit of the Bison's fur. He handed it to Toph, who said "He was here!"
Aang took the fur, running his fingers along it and saying "We missed him".
"They took that big thing yesterday" an old man said as he swept the floor. "Shipped him out to some island. About time; I've been cleaning up fur and various, uh, leavings all day".
"What island?" Aang demanded. "Where's Appa?"
The old man turned to look at him. "Foreman said some rich royal type on Whaletail Island bought him up, guess for a zoo or such, though could be the meat'd be good".
"We've gotta get to Whaletail Island!" Aang said. "Where's Whaletail Island?"
"Far" Sokka said, somewhat despondently. "Very far. He laid a map of the world down on the floor. "Here it is" he said, pointing to it. "It's near the South Pole, almost all the way back home".
"Aang, it'll take us weeks just to get to the tip of the Earth Kingdom" Katara added. "And then we'll need to find a boat to get to the island".
"I don't care" Aang replied. "We have a chance to find Appa, we have to try".
"Must be nice to visit an island" the old man said. "I haven't had a vacation for years".
"Don't you have some more hair to clean up?" Katara asked, sounding a little annoyed at his presence.
"Shuffle on, I get ya" he said, understanding her meaning. "No more need for Old Sweepy".
Katara placed a hand on the Airbender's shoulder. "You're right, Aang. Right now, our first concern has to be finding Appa. We can come back when we have him".
"Alright, let's get moving" Sokka said.
Jet hurriedly walked up and said "I'll come with you".
"We don't need your help" Katara replied.
"Why won't you trust me?"
"Gee, I wonder" she said sarcastically, scowling over at him. The way they talked, the twins figured that she and Jet must have dated or something.
"Was this guy your boyfriend or something?" Toph asked, voicing their thoughts.
"What, no!" Katara replied.
"I can tell you're lying" the blind girl said smugly.
A few minutes later, they were all back on the street, walking along as the sun shone down on them. Sokka said "We can take the train out to the wall, but then we'll have to walk". He didn't sound too optimistic about the prospect of traveling like everyone else, and even the twins had to admit that they missed how quickly flying could get them places.
"Don't worry, on the way back, we'll be flying" Aang comforted.
"We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se" Toph said, the pleasure in her tone unmistakable. "Worst city ever!"
"I imagine you guys will want to stay here" Katara said to Jin and Li. "After all, your family should be in the city somewhere".
The twins' eyes widened in shock, though they projected a calm outward appearance. Before they could write anything, however, a voice called from behind "Jet!" The twins turned to see a girl around their age with paint on her face and a boy around Sokka and Katara's ages with a straw hat and a bow and quiver.
Katara angrily turned to look at Jet. "I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore".
"I don't" Jet replied as the girl ran up to him and hugged him tightly.
"We were so worried" she said. "How did you get away from the Dai Li?" Jin and Li's muscles tensed as their eyes narrowed; so this Jet couldn't be trusted, after all.
"The Dai Li?" Katara asked in shock.
"I don't know what she's talking about" Jet replied. The twins glanced at the teenager, not sure as to what he was trying to do in the moment.
"He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago" the girl explained. "We saw them drag him away".
"Why would I be arrested?" Jet asked. "I've been living peacefully in the city".
Toph crouched down and touched a hand against the ground. The twins saw her brow furrow in irritation, and she said "This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth".
"That's impossible" Katara replied.
"No, it's not" Sokka countered. "Toph can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth. Jet's been brainwashed!"
"That's crazy!" the teenager said. "It can't be! Stay away from me!" Jin tapped his foot against the ground, causing the stone at Jet's feet to lock his feet in place. They all then surrounded him before walking towards him.
I opened my eyes as I heard Zuko getting out of bed and walking outside of the bedroom. I didn't do anything, remaining perfectly still as the teenager quietly slid the door shut. I then pulled the covers off of myself before silently stepping over to the door. Pressing my ear against it, I heard some rustling noises, like he was putting on some clothes. I then heard a metal sound, and I knew that he had just equipped swords of some kind.
Once I was certain that he left the apartment, I left the bedroom, quietly sliding the door shut so as not to wake Iroh. Lihua let out a soft squawk-meow upon noting my presence, and I gently shushed her. Walking over to the window, I saw a dark shape that must have been Zuko running down the street. Petting Lihua a few times through the bars of her cage, I started to follow Zuko.
Pressing my back against a wall, I peered down the street and saw him looking about. As he turned towards me, I caught sight of the blue mask on his face. My hands clenched into fists; so he was the Blue Spirit. He was the one who had broken into the Pohuai Stronghold and freed the Avatar. Reminding myself that that wasn't the issue, I watched as he ran down an alley.
After following him for some time, I eventually heard him saying "Out of my way, skinny". Pushing off the ground with my feet, I pulled myself up onto a rooftop. Silently creeping forward, I saw Zuko push past a Dai Li agent before running into another alley.
The agent followed after him, and I saw Zuko standing on the other side, his swords drawn. The agent thrust his hand forward, and one of his rock gloves shot forward, forming into a fist and striking Zuko in the chest. He fired his other rock glove, and it struck Zuko in the head. I smirked a moment later upon seeing that 'Zuko' was nothing more than a decoy that had been filled with straw.
Zuko suddenly appeared behind the agent, holding his swords threateningly against the man's neck. "If you don't want to end up like him, you'll do what I say".
Jin and Li stood with their arms crossed as Katara said "The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead us, and that janitor was part of their plot, too".
"I bet they have Appa here in the city" Aang added. "Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet. Where did they take you?"
"Nowhere" Jet replied helplessly from where he was kneeling on the floor. "I… I don't know what you're talking about".
"We need to find a way to jog his real memories" Aang said.
"Maybe Katara could kiss him" Sokka suggested mockingly, arching an eyebrow at his sister. "That should bring something back". So she did have a thing with Jet once, the twins thought as the Water Tribe girl glared at Sokka.
"Maybe you should kiss him, Sokka" she retorted.
"Hey, just an idea". After a moment, he suddenly said, "Ooh, wait, I got it!" He crouched down and retrieved a piece of straw from the floor. He then proceeded to stick it in Jet's mouth, watching closely for any changes in the teenager's demeanor.
"I don't think it's working" he said at last, spitting the straw out.
"Try to think of something from your past that triggers your emotions" Toph suggested. Jin and Li shrugged to each other; if anything would work, then that would do it.
"The Fire Nation, remember what they did to your family?" the girl asked.
"Close your eyes" Katara instructed. "Picture it".
The twins watched as Jet closed his eyes, concentrating on whatever memory from his past would be emotional enough. He began to sweat, and his breathing steadily increased before his eyes shot open and he said "No! It's too painful".
Katara walked over to him. "Maybe this will help". She then took some water from her pouch and held some on either side of Jet's head.
Once more, he closed his eyes, and a few moments later, he said "They took me to a headquarters under the water, like a lake". Jin and Li exchanged a glance; the only lake they knew of in Ba Sing Se was Lake Laogai, so that was the most likely location.
"Wait, remember what Joo Dee said?" Sokka asked. "She said she went on vacation to Lake Laogai".
"That's it!" Jet exclaimed, standing up. "Lake Laogai".
A short time later, the group found themselves at the edge of Lake Laogai. The twins gazed out at the calm water, not seeing any indication of a hidden base. "So where's this secret headquarters?" Sokka asked.
Jet ran a hand through his hair. "Under the water, I think". Jin and Li probed their surroundings with their feet, trying to locate the Dai Li's hidden base. Near the shore to their right, the twins detected some kind of entrance.
"There's a tunnel right there, near the shore" Toph said, pointing to their right. The group walked over to where she was pointing, and the blind girl proceeded to strike a foot against the ground. A long earthen walkway emerged from the water, ending in a circular portion that looked similar to the manhole that they had used back in Omashu.
After removing the circular slab of rock, they saw that it revealed a ladder that descended deep, deep underground. Once they climbed down, the group pressed against a wall as they heard footsteps. Jet peered around the corner, and once he gave the all-clear, they walked into some kind of tunnel with numerous doors along both sides. "It's all starting to come back to me" he said as they walked along.
Jin and Li glanced into a room through a half-opened door as they walked. "I'm Joo Dee" a voice said from within. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se".
The twins could see a single Dai Li agent facing away from them towards a group of women who were dressed exactly the same as their guide. The women had different hairstyles, but they all had the same blank expression as they replied in unison "I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se".
"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order" the Dai Li agent said.
"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order" the women repeated.
The twins exchanged frightened glances before moving on, wanting to hurry up and get out of the freak show that they had just entered. "I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa up ahead" Jet said. The group eventually came to a door at the end of the tunnel, and the teenager turned to the others and said "I think it's through here".
I pressed against a wall as I continued to follow Zuko. The Dai Li agent he had captured had led him here, to an underground base beneath what the man had called 'Lake Laogai'. It was an impressive hidden base; perfect for a clandestine group like the Dai Li.
Peering around a corner, I saw Zuko opening a door, which revealed a large room that contained the Avatar's sky Bison. "Expecting someone else?" the scarred teenager asked. He drew his dual Dao swords and walked towards the large, white animal. It backed away as he approached, growling threateningly. I proceeded to walk into the room behind him, crossing my arms and saying "I don't think he was expecting you, no".
Zuko reacted with pure instinct, as he immediately swung his swords at me. With my quick reflexes, I managed to grab hold of his wrists before hurling him into a wall, eliciting a grunt. I crouched down and took hold of one of his swords just as he grabbed the other one and stood up. We each held a blade at the other, and I didn't even blink.
Jet opened the door, and everyone passed through. The chamber they were in was large and cavernous, and it might have even held Appa at one point. However, now it was empty, and the twins were tense as they gazed at their surroundings, expecting some kind of trap. A single heartbeat later, the door slid shut, and the Earthbending boys whirled around. Nothing was there, and Sokka said "Now that's somethin' different".
Jin and Li turned back around and saw several Dai Li agents holding onto the roof of the cavern, watching them intently. So that was one of the uses of their rock gloves, the twins thought to themselves as Long Feng said "You have made yourselves enemies of the state. Take them into custody".
The Dai Li agents then fell from the roof of the cavern and onto the floor in a circle surrounding them. Jin and Li pressed their backs against each other, eyeing the robed men. Suddenly, several rock gloves were fired at them. Jin made two quick punches, and the two rock gloves coming at him burst into a fine dust cloud, while Li kicked a boulder from the ground. The boulder absorbed the rock gloves, and the Earthbender punched it forward, firing it towards the Dai Li agents in front of him.
An intense skirmish then broke out, as Aang and the others dispersed as all of the Dai Li agents attacked. Jin thrust his arms upwards, summoning a rock column that launched him into the air. He somersaulted, and as he landed, he used his Bending in order to create a rolling wave of earth. The nearby Dai Li agents leaped over it, however, and they shot more rock gloves at him at the same time.
Li slid his foot backwards, and the ground that Jin was standing on slid towards him, bringing him out of danger. Li then turned around and shot several small boulders at a nearby Dai Li agent. The robed man avoided the projectiles, proceeding to run along the wall of the cavern as the Earthbending boy made several punching and thrusting motions with his arms. Various rock columns burst from the wall in the man's path, and one finally struck him and knocked him back onto the floor.
"Long Feng is escaping!" Aang suddenly cried. The twins turned and saw the man fleeing out the door. They ran over, and Jin thrust his arms forward. The door exploded, and the twins followed Aang and Jet as they ran after Long Feng.
The four of them ran into another large cavern, with water flowing into a pool that bordered it from several large pipes. As they came to the centre of the cavern, the door slammed shut. The twins turned to see Long Feng dropping onto the floor. "All right, Avatar" he said menacingly. "You've caused me enough problems; this is your last chance. If you want your Bison back".
Jin and Li narrowed their eyes at the man as Aang said "So you do have Appa. Tell me where he is!"
"Agree to exit the city now, and I'll waive all charges against you and allow you to leave with your lost pet".
"You're in no position to bargain" Jet countered, brandishing his hooked swords.
Long Feng didn't look at all concerned. "Am I not?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Definitely not!" Aang replied.
"Jet, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai". Jin and Li exchanged questioning glances; it was such an odd statement to say, especially considering that the man before them was outnumbered and outmatched.
"I am honoured to accept his invitation" Jet replied neutrally. The twins glanced over at him just as he turned and swung his hooked swords at them and Aang.
"So what's the plan?" I asked Zuko as he and I held a sword at each other. "Break into this base, somehow free a ten-ton flying animal that clearly doesn't like you, and… what? Use it as leverage to capture the Avatar?"
"This doesn't concern you" he growled from within his blue mask.
"Seeing as Jin and Li are traveling with the Avatar, it is my concern. Now, what is your plan? Do you know how you're going to take the Bison from here, how you're going to transport it through the city without getting caught, or how you're going to capture the Avatar?"
"I'll figure something out" Zuko replied. Judging by his tone, he had absolutely no idea as to what his next move was. This was one of the things that I had seen in him from day one: he let his emotions cloud his judgment and drive him into situations with no preparation.
"No, you won't" I countered, letting the frustration seep into my voice. "You never think things through! You are an angry teenager who's clinging to a dream that will never come true! You have to accept that you are never going home! The sooner you do that, the sooner you can move on!"
Zuko roared as he swung his sword at me. I ducked below it before turning around and pushing off the ground with my feet. I brought my sword down in an overhead chop, and Zuko managed to block it. We pressed our blades together, neither one of us relenting, when I saw the door sliding open to my left. We turned our heads and saw Iroh standing in the doorway. "Uncle?" Zuko asked.
"So, the Blue Spirit" he said conversationally. "I wonder who could be behind that mask". Zuko and I exchanged a glance before we took a step away from each other.
He then took his blue mask off, sighing in resignation. "Uncle, what are you doing here?"
"I was just about to ask the two of you" Iroh replied.
"I followed him" I explained. "I thought that, if he found the Avatar, I could find Jin and Li".
He nodded before turning to Zuko. "What do you plan to do now that you've found the Avatar's Bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?"
I kept my eyes on the scarred teenager as he turned to the Bison. "First I have to get it out of here". I shook my head in frustration; he would never learn.
"And then what?" Iroh shouted. I looked at him in slight shock; I had never heard him shouting like this, except for at the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. "You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!" So that was what Zuko had been doing at the North Pole, I thought to myself as I observed the exchange.
"I would've figured something out!" he replied.
"No!" Iroh countered. "If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!"
"I know my own destiny, uncle!" Zuko said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as us.
"Is it truly your own destiny?" I asked, drawing his gaze. "Or is it a destiny that someone else has given you?"
"Stop it!" he cried, dropping his sword and tightly clutching his head. "I have to do this!"
"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions: Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I know what you're going through" I said in a gentler tone. "I spent most of my life wanting to please my father. I did whatever he wanted in the hopes that he would love and accept me for who I am. I was wrong. At the North Pole, I realized that I couldn't let him dictate my own destiny. Your father doesn't love you; all he wants is power, and you'll spend the rest of your life hunting the Avatar to please a man who doesn't understand love. It's time for you to make your own path".
Zuko suddenly shouted in anger, throwing his sword and mask onto the ground. Iroh and I exchanged a glance; maybe now he could finally move on.
"Jet, it's me, Aang!" the Airbender cried as he avoided Jet's masterful attacks. "You don't have to do this!" Jin kicked a boulder from the ground before punching it at the teenager, who deftly dodged before swinging his hooked swords at him.
As Jin narrowly avoided Jet's attack, Long Feng said "I'm afraid he no longer has a choice". Jet then swung at Aang, and the bald boy used his enhanced agility in order to avoid being hit. Li took advantage of his distracted state and punched a small block of rock at the teenager. It struck him in the chest, eliciting a grunt as it sent him skidding away.
He used his hooked swords to stop, and Aang said "Jet, we're your friends. Look inside your heart". The twins could see that he was sweating profusely, and he was breathing heavily; obviously, whatever brainwashing Long Feng had used was taking its toll.
"Do your duty, Jet" he said in a commanding tone.
Jet slowly walked towards the three of them, and the twins tensed as they prepared to defend themselves. "He can't make you do this!" Aang said. "You're a Freedom Fighter".
The comment made Jet freeze, and a moment later, his eyes returned to normal as Long Feng shouted "Do it, do it now!" Jet responded by shouting as he turned around and threw one of his swords at Long Feng, who dodged before thrusting his arm forward and sending a rock pillar at the teenager. Before the twins could do anything, Jet was struck by the pillar, and their eyes widened in shock. The Earthbending boys turned to Long Feng and proceeded to fire numerous boulders at him.
He raised himself up on a rock pillar and ran out one of the large pipes on the wall. Just as Jin and Li started to pursue him, they heard Jet meekly say "I'm sorry, Aang". They turned and saw him lying on the ground as Aang crouched beside him.
"Don't be" the Airbender replied. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing the others. They all ran up and crowded around Jet, and the twins didn't have to look to know what their expressions were.
Katara took some water out of her pouch which surrounded her hands as she placed them on Jet's chest. The water started to glow, and after a moment, she stopped and said "This isn't good".
"You guys go and find Appa, we'll take care of Jet" Smellerbee said.
"We're not gonna leave you" Katara countered.
"There's no time" Longshot suddenly said, and the twins stared at him in shock. "Just go. We'll take care of him; he's our leader".
"Don't worry, Katara" Jet said, the strain in his voice evident. "I'll be fine".
The twins felt tears welling up in their eyes as they turned and walked after the others. "He's lying" Toph said quietly, and the Earthbending boys knew it to be true. They then left the cavern, and Jet, behind.
A few minutes later, they reached a door at the end of the tunnel. Toph slid it open, revealing another large cavern. Just like the one they had just left, it was empty, but what it did have was six massive manacles, lying opened on the floor. "Appa's gone!" Aang cried despondently. "Long Feng beat us here".
Jin and Li pursed their lips angrily; after everything they had just been through, they still hadn't found Appa!
"If we keep moving, maybe we can catch up with them" Sokka suggested. The group then turned around and ran, eventually making it to the surface. They emerged onto the beach of Lake Laogai, and they ran forward. Glancing back, the twins could see that they were being pursued by a large number of Dai Li agents. "You think we can outrun them?" Sokka asked.
"I don't think it's gonna matter" Aang replied. Ahead of them were Long Feng and several more Dai Li agents who were arranged in a line while some clung to the cliff. The men in front of them raised themselves up on a thick rock wall, and as the group stopped, the agents behind them did the same. Suddenly, Momo flew down onto Aang's shoulder, and he asked "What is it, Momo?"
The lemur chattered for a moment before flying upwards, towards the sun. The twins covered their eyes as they looked up at the sky, and they saw a large, familiar shape shooting down towards them. "Appa!" Aang cried excitedly. The Bison came crashing through the two rock walls, instantly demolishing them, as Aang and Toph got rid of the Dai Li agents on the cliff with their Earthbending.
Turning to their left, the twins saw Long Feng and several agents preparing for battle. Having had enough of the Dai Li, Jin and Li leaped into the air, and as they landed, they both slammed their fists against the ground, creating two massive, rolling waves of broken earth. The waves shot forward at amazing speeds, and Long Feng barely leaped over them as the rest of his agents were violently thrown backwards.
Appa then landed in front of him, and he foolishly decided to stand his ground. "I can handle you myself" he said confidently as he attacked. The Bison caught the man's foot in his mouth before throwing him onto the lake. He skipped along the surface several times before finally falling through.
With that, the group ran towards the Bison and embraced him. The twins felt relieved as they felt the ten-ton animal's soft fur rubbing against their skin. A few minutes later, they were off, and despite themselves, the Earthbending boys found themselves deeply enjoying the sensation of flying.
I helped Zuko up onto the surface of the base's entrance before doing the same with Iroh. Looking off in the distance at the setting sun, I saw a large, dark shape flying away. I could almost picture the twin Earthbenders riding the Bison, and I smiled a little.
"You did the right thing, nephew" Iroh told Zuko.
The scarred teenager took out his blue mask and looked down at it. Iroh and I placed a hand on his shoulders, and I said "It's time to move on; let it go". He looked at me for a moment before looking back at the mask. Walking over to the edge of the platform we were standing on, he dropped it into the water, and the three of us watched as it slowly sank into the depths.
So, we're approaching the climax of Book Two, and that's where things really get interesting. Also, Shan We and Takara will have more to do, so we'll be seeing them a lot more.
I see Shan We as kind of an older Zuko. The two both grew up with despicable fathers, lost their mothers at a young age, and have both had to make some very hard choices. Shan We is over a decade older than Zuko, so he has a lot more experience with those sort of tribulations, experience that he's trying to impart to Zuko. The Prince, however, is still young, and constantly being bombarded with several different ideologies and ways of life has resulted in all of his angst and anger. Shan We is astronomically more together than the teenager, and he has much greater self-control, so he's able to weather those sorts of things.
Let me know what you think through your reviews!