"I missed you more than you'll ever know, buddy" Aang said as he gripped onto Appa's massive forehead. Jin and Li couldn't help but smile; in the time they had traveled with the Airbender, they had really come to respect him, and they saw him as a friend. Having the Bison back was a source for celebration.
"Look, we escaped from the Dai Li, we got Appa back… I'm telling you, we should go to the Earth King now and tell him our plan. We're on a roll". The twins exchanged a glance; they had experienced a fair amount of luck lately.
"One good hour after weeks of trouble isn't much of a roll" Katara countered.
"We can build on it" Sokka said optimistically. "If we want to invade the Fire Nation when the eclipse happens, we need the Earth King's support".
"What makes you think we'll get it?" Toph asked. "I don't know if you've noticed, but things don't usually go that smoothly for our little gang".
"I know" Sokka replied. "But I've got a good feeling about this. This time'll be different".
Jin tapped the Water Tribe boy on the shoulder before crouching down and writing on the ground. Katara read the words and nodded before turning to her brother. "They're right, Sokka; Long Feng is in control of the city. His conspiracy with the Dai Li is too powerful. I think we should just keep flying and leave this horrible place behind us".
"I'm with sweetness" Toph agreed. "I've seen enough of Ba Sing Se. And I can't even see!"
Just then, Aang glided over to where they were standing. "But now that we have Appa back, there's nothing stopping us from telling the Earth King the truth. About the conspiracy and the war".
"See, Aang's with me" Sokka said, wrapping an arm around the Airbender's shoulders. "It's the whole reason we came here in the first place; we have to try".
Jin and Li nodded to each other as Katara held her chin in thought. "Well, I guess if the Earth King knew the truth, things could change".
Toph stood up and crossed her arms. "I don't trust the new positive Sokka". She then pointed an accusatory finger at him and shouted "Long Feng brainwashed you, didn't he!" The twins turned to their left, and their eyes widened upon seeing several green-sailed ships off in the distance.
"That's probably the Dai Li searching for us. So?" Sokka said, turning expectantly to Katara.
"Let's fly" she said resolutely.
Jin and Li grinned to each other; the Earth King's Royal Earthbender Guards were said to be some of the finest Earthbending soldiers in the world, and the boys were very much eager to test their mettle against the best their countrymen could field.
A short time later, the group held on for dear life as Appa flew towards the very centre of Ba Sing Se. The twins tightly gripped the Bison's fur on either side of Toph, who asked "Can we please buy a new saddle? Riding bareback is terrifying!" The twins both placed a comforting hand on the blind girl's shoulders, though they were just as terrified as she was.
They started descending as they came closer to the palace complex. "There it is" Sokka said. "That whole thing is the palace. The Earth King's chamber should be in the centre".
"We have to be careful" Katara cautioned. "Long Feng's probably warned the King that we're coming".
"Why would you assume that?" Sokka asked. "If you ask me, I think we're just gonna sail right…" He was cut off as a massive boulder shot past Appa, nearly hitting him. The others let out a brief scream of surprise as the Bison flew through a dust cloud.
"What was that?" Toph demanded.
"Surface-to-air rocks!" Sokka replied. Down below, arranged in a line, were several pairs of Royal Earthbender guards standing in circular, man-made pits. They raised conical boulders from the ground before launching them up towards Appa. Jin and Li stood up and grabbed onto each of the Bison's horns as a pair of boulders came at them from either direction. The boys punched the boulders, and they exploded into fine dust clouds that hindered their vision for a moment.
After splitting a boulder in half, Aang leaped downwards, towards a large number of Royal Earthbender Guards in formation. As he landed, he struck his staff against the ground, and a wave of broken earth shot forward, knocking all of the Earthbenders aside.
Appa then touched down on the ground, facing down the Earthbender mounted on an ostrich horse. The Bison growled, and the horse knocked its rider onto the ground before running away in fear.
The group then leaped down off of Appa, proceeding to push on in front of him. They soon encountered a row of Royal Earthbending Guards on either side. They kicked cube-shaped rocks from the ground before bombarding the group with them. Jin and Li pressed their backs against Toph and Aang, and the four of them proceeded to block the cubes as they came at them with their Bending. They slowly advanced, with the four Earthbenders providing cover while Sokka and Katara took out the Royal Earthbenders with their boomerang and Waterbending, respectively.
"Sorry!" the Water Tribe girl said as she knocked to men back with a water whip. The twins then saw a group of Earthbenders charging towards them. Jin kicked a large boulder from the ground before clapping his hands together. The boulder fractured into countless small rocks the size of his head, and Li made several punching motions, firing a veritable barrage of rocks at the men in front of them.
The Royal Earthbenders didn't stand a chance, and those that weren't directly struck by a rock ran away. The twins smirked as they ran forward.
"Sorry, we just need to get through to see the Earth King" Katara apologized.
Suddenly, two very large shadows eclipsed the group, and the twins looked up to see two massive Badgermole statues plummeting towards them. Reacting instinctively, they drew up a thick rock barrier in order to shield the group. They strained to keep it intact as the equivalent of small mountains crashed against it, and the ground shook as the fragments crashed onto the ground.
Lowering the barrier, the twins pushed forward as Katara single-handedly took down at least a dozen men with her Waterbending. She threw them down into the moat below, and Aang followed up by freezing them in place.
Looking up, Jin and Li narrowed their eyes as they beheld a horde of Royal Earthbending guards charging down the palace stairs towards them. Toph calmly stepped forward as boulders rained down around her, holding her arms up. She then brought them down, and the stairs folded into themselves, creating a ramp which the Earthbenders promptly slid down. She and Aang then created a rock platform, sliding it up the ramp as several men slid past them.
"Seriously, we're actually on your guys' side!" Sokka insisted, and the twins exchanged a glance; they didn't think the Earth King would see it that way.
The platform then came to the top, and the group advanced. Aang and Toph summoned two flat rock walls on either side and threw them forward, taking out more Royal Earthbending guards. The twins ran forward ahead of the others into the palace, and they soon came to a large, square chamber with corridors leading away on every wall.
Yet more Earthbenders came at them, and Jin and Li punched their fists against the ground, summoning rock pillars that sent each of their opponents crashing into the ceiling. "Toph, which way to the Earth King?" Sokka asked.
"How should I know?" she asked in turn. "I'm still voting we leave Ba Sing Se".
Jin and Li panted slightly as they relaxed, having finally dealt with the remaining Royal Earthbending guards. Wiping their hands, they turned to look at the wall of rubble they had inadvertently created during the course of the battle. Sokka climbed on top of it and said "Now that's an impressive door. It's gotta go somewhere".
The twins carried themselves up on rock pillars in the blink of an eye before stepping onto the top of the rubble next to the Water Tribe boy. They gave him friendly smiles as they hopped down onto the floor.
"Showoffs" he grumbled before joining them. He then charged at the door, shouting heroically as he pushed off the floor and aimed a kick at the massive double doors. His foot pinged off the doors before he fell onto his back. As he attempted to push them open, Aang suddenly appeared and created a massive blast of air that knocked the doors off their hinges, knocking Sokka in between them. "A little warning next time?" he asked irritably, rubbing his head.
The group then made their way towards the large, ornate throne in the middle of a massive, cavern-like chamber with pillars running all throughout. Several Dai Li agents were standing in front of the throne, and on it sat a fairly young-looking man in ornate green and gold robes with a beaded necklace, glasses, and a green cap. Beside him sat a large, brown creature dressed in similarly-ornate robes and cap, and the twins recognized it as the King's 'bear' from the party. On the other side was Long Feng, and he glared at the group as the Dai Li agents entered into fighting stances.
"We need to talk to you" Aang said.
"They're here to overthrow you" Long Feng countered, turning to the King.
"No, we're on your side" Sokka said. "We're here to help".
"You have to trust us" Katara added.
The King stood up, looking at them with a steely gaze. "You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, break down my fancy door, and you expect me to trust you?"
"He has a good point" Toph said quietly, and the twins agreed with their blind companion.
"If you're on my side, then drop your weapons and stand down" the King commanded.
The twins exchanged a glance before they looked at the others. Sighing, they eased their stances, clasping their hands behind their backs. "See, we're friends, your Earthiness" Aang said, laughing nervously. The King did not look amused, and after Long Feng gave the signal, the Dai Li agents each shot a rock glove forward. Jin and Li felt their wrists being bound, and they glared at the pompous men standing before them.
"Detain the assailants" Long Feng commanded. The Dai Li agents slid forward, and the twins could see that, in addition to their gloves, they also had rock shoes as well. So that must have been how they were able to cling onto walls.
"But we dropped our weapons" Sokka said. "We're your allies!"
"Make sure the Avatar and his friends never see daylight again" Long Feng commanded, a smug smirk on his face.
The King turned to him in surprise. "The Avatar? You're the Avatar?"
"Uh, no, him" Sokka replied, jerking his head in Aang's direction.
"What does it matter, your highness?" Long Feng asked. "They're enemies of the state".
The King seemed to be swayed by those words, and the twins hardly seemed surprised; given his relative youth, and sheltered life, it came as no great surprise that he would trust the words of his supposedly-loyal servant. "Perhaps you're right". Just then, the King's 'bear' lumbered over to where Aang was standing to Li's left, and the bulky, brown-furred creature licked the Airbender's face. "Though Bosco seems to like him" the King added. "I'll hear what he has to say".
Aang stepped forward as Long Feng scowled. "Well, sir, there's a war going on right now. For the past 100 years, in fact. The Dai Li's kept it secret from you. It's a conspiracy to control the city and to control you".
"A secret war?" the King asked incredulously. "That's crazy!"
"Completely" Long Feng agreed.
"Long Feng didn't want us to tell you", Aang continued, so he stole our sky Bison to blackmail us. And blackmail is the least of his crimes. He brainwashed our friend!"
"All lies" the manipulative man told the King. "I've never even seen a sky Bison, your majesty. Frankly, I thought they were extinct".
"Your claim is difficult to believe" the other man said, sitting back down on the throne. "Even from an Avatar". Long Feng whispered some words to him, and after a moment, he said "I have to trust my advisor".
Jin and Li clenched their teeth in frustration as the Dai Li agents restraining them started to lead them away. "Wait!" Sokka called. "I can prove he's lying! Long Feng said he's never seen a sky Bison. Ask him to lift his robe".
"What?" he asked incredulously. "I am not disrobing!"
Aang proceeded to blow some wind towards the man, and his robes lifted all the way up, revealing the bite marks on his leg. "Right there!" the Airbender cried. "Appa bit him!"
"Never met a sky Bison, huh?" Sokka asked smugly, and the twins exchanged a smirk.
"That happens to be a large birthmark" Long Feng replied, putting his robe back in place. "Thanks for showing everyone".
"Well, I suppose there's no way to prove where those marks came from" the King said. Sokka and Aang exchanged devious grins, and a few minutes later, Appa was brought into the throne room. Aang pointed to the Bison's teeth, which were an exact match to the injury on Long Feng's leg. "Yep, that pretty much proves it" the King said after examining the bite mark. The group raised their fists in the air triumphantly, until their mood was deflated when the King said "But it doesn't prove this crazy conspiracy theory". The twins and the others slumped in defeat. "Though, I suppose this matter is worth looking into". Jin and Li exchanged a glance; at least that was something.
I followed Iroh and Zuko back to our Lower Ring apartment, closing the door behind me. After what had happened back in the Dai Li's secret base, we were all ready for some rest. Zuko in particular looked very haggard and slouched.
"You did the right thing" Iroh said. "Letting the Avatar's Bison go free".
"I don't feel right" Zuko said wearily, placing a hand on his forehead. He then stumbled a little before collapsing, causing a jar to fall to the floor and shatter. Lihua let out a squawk-growl from within her cage, flapping her good wing in slight annoyance.
"Zuko!" Iroh cried as he and I hurried over to the scarred teenager.
I turned him over and pressed my hand against his forehead. "He's burning up" I said, turning to see Iroh's worried expression.
"Let's get him onto his bed" the older man said. I took Zuko in my arms and carried him into the bedroom, gingerly placing him onto his bed as Iroh retrieved a wet cloth. I kneeled beside Zuko as he groaned. His face was glistening with sweat, and he looked to be in a lot of discomfort. "You're burning up" Iroh said as he applied the wet cloth to the teenager's forehead. "You have an intense fever. This will help you cool down".
"So thirsty" Zuko rasped.
"I have some clean water" I said, using a ladle to take some water from a bucket. "Stay under the blankets. Sweat this out". I held the back of his head with my hand as I held the ladle to his lips. He took it from me and drank the water in a single gulp before grabbing the bucket and drinking all of the water. He then threw the bucket away, proceeding to curl up under the covers.
Iroh and I exchanged a glance before we stood up and silently walked out of the bedroom. I slid the door shut before asking "Do you know what's wrong with him?"
The older man sighed. "I fear that this is a sickness of the soul, and not the body".
"What do you mean?" I asked, cocking my head slightly.
"I believe that Zuko is experiencing a… change of a sort" Iroh replied. "Releasing the Avatar's Bison was so contrary to what he believes in that it triggered an internal crisis. Zuko is now at war with himself, and his fever is only a physical manifestation of that conflict".
I glanced back at the bedroom door. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Wait, and hope that my nephew emerges as a better person".
Jin and Li could only stare as the train ran along the track. The Earth King had agreed to see evidence that the Dai Li had been conspiring to cover up the Great War's existence from him, and so the group was taking him to see evidence of the Dai Li's conspiracy. He was surrounded by several Royal Earthbender Guards, who all looked slightly bruised from the battle, and the passengers stared at him with wide-eyed shock.
"So this is what a train is like" the King said. "I didn't realize it would be this… public".
"So you've never been outside the Upper Ring before?" Katara asked.
"I've never been outside the palace" the King corrected. He pointed out the window. "Now that's the way to travel". Jin and Li peered through the window, and saw Aang riding on Appa alongside the train. "So, may I ask where we're going?" The twins turned and saw that the King was looking at them.
Jin nudged Sokka with his elbow, and the Water Tribe boy said "Underneath Lake Laogai, your kingliness. To the Dai Li's secret headquarters. You're about to see where all the brainwashing and conspiring took place". The group then came to the shores of the lake, directly in front of where the secret entrance was located.
Toph struck her foot against the ground, and the walkway leading to the circular platform rose up… and it was all demolished. "It's gone!" the blind girl exclaimed as Jin and Li exchanged a glance.
"Oh, don't tell me…" Sokka said despondently. "That's okay; still got my positive attitude".
"The Dai Li must have known we were coming and destroyed the evidence" Katara explained.
The King frowned, not appearing to believe her. "Hmm, that seems awfully convenient".
"Hey, if anything, this proves the conspiracy exists even more" Sokka said optimistically, but judging by the King's demeanor, the twins knew that it was in vain.
"Long Feng was right; this was a waste of time. If you'll excuse me, I'm going back to the palace". The twins exchanged nervous glances, knowing that their options were limited. They were just as invested in eliminating the Dai Li as a threat as the rest of the group; the Earthbending boys couldn't well remain in a hostile city while they looked for their father, and, on the slim chance that he was in the city, then they needed to be able to look for him unimpeded. Suddenly, they got an idea, and Jin tugged on Katara's sleeve before writing on the ground.
She read what he wrote, and her eyes widened excitedly. "The wall!" she exclaimed, turning to Sokka. "They'll never be able to cover that up in time".
"Oh, yeah" Aang said before hopping off towards the King. "If you come with us to the Outer Wall, we can prove to you that the secret war is real".
"No Earth King has ever been to the Outer Wall" he replied. "I don't have any more time for this nonsense".
The twins slumped their shoulders in defeat just as Sokka said "If you come with us, this time you can ride on Appa". The King turned to them and smirked eagerly. A short time later, they were riding the Bison as he flew high above the city, the wind brushing past them as the monarch screamed in fear.
"First time flying" Toph asked. Jin and Li exchanged a smirk, having been reminded of their first time flying after joining Aang and the others.
"It's both thrilling and terrifying" the King replied.
"Yeah, I hate it, too" the blind girl said.
The King turned to gaze out at the horizon. "I have to be honest with you: part of me really hopes that what you're telling me about this war… isn't true".
"I wish it wasn't" Aang said, and the twins sighed. They concurred on the subject, but unfortunately, the war was going on, and they wanted it to end just like everyone else in the Earth Kingdom. Their father was of like mind, having raised them with the belief that this war should end.
For some time, they flew over the Agrarian Zone, the largest area of the city, and the twins gazed out and the endless fields of crops passing below them. The astronomical amount of food produced here was one of Ba Sing Se's greatest assets whenever it came under siege, which allowed it to feed its citizens while never having to open its walls.
"It's still there!" Aang cried, drawing the twins' gazes forward. They flew over the Outer Wall of the city and beheld the titanic Fire Nation drill, still lodged where it had bored through the wall when they had stopped it. The ruined machine was still covered in a light layer of slurry, which by this time had hardened, and a thick wall had been erected around it, cutting off the breach.
"What is that?" the King asked in an astonished tone.
"It's a drill" Sokka explained. "A giant drill, made by the Fire Nation, to break through your walls".
Appa circled around the ruined drill before coming to land on the top of the wall. The King peered down from the wall's edge, a haunted expression on his face. "I can't believe I never knew" he said, hanging his head. This must have been very hard for him, to realize that he had been duped about something this massive for his entire life.
"I can explain this, your majesty" Long Feng's annoyingly-familiar voice said. Turning to their right, the twins saw him being raised up on a slab of rock that joined with the floor alongside two Dai Li agents. "This is nothing more than… a construction project".
Jin and Li frowned as Katara asked sarcastically "Really? Then perhaps you could explain why there is a Fire Nation insignia on your 'construction project'".
After a moment, Long Feng answered "Well, it's imported, of course. You know you can't trust domestic machinery". He glanced at each of them as a heavy silence fell. "Surely you don't believe these children instead of your most loyal attendant?"
For a long moment, the King was silent. Eventually, he said "Dai Li, arrest Long Feng. I want him to stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom". Jin and Li grinned widely as they had the distinct pleasure of seeing Long Feng's expression becoming completely shocked.
The two Dai Li agents restrained him, and he said "You can't arrest me. You all need me more than you know!"
As he was taken away, Sokka said "Looks like Long Feng is long gone! Ha! Oh, yeah, I've been waitin' to use that one".
Later, as the sun set and the land was blanketed in darkness, the group was back in the palace, standing before the Earth King's throne. "I want to thank you, young heroes", he said as he sat down, "for opening my eyes. All this time, what I thought was a great metropolis was a city of fools. And that makes me the King Fool". At his feet, Bosco rumbled. "We're at war with the Fire Nation" he continued, holding his head in shame.
"That's why we came to Ba Sing Se, your highness" Sokka explained. "Because we think you could help us end the war".
"We don't have much time" Aang added. "There's a comet coming this summer. It's energy will give the Firebenders unbelievable strength. They'll be unstoppable".
"But there is hope: before the comet comes, we have a window of opportunity. A solar eclipse is coming; the sun will be entirely blocked out by the moon, and the Firebenders will be helpless".
"What are you suggesting, Sokka?" the King asked.
"That's the day we need to invade the Fire Nation" the Water Tribe boy replied. "The Day of Black Sun".
The King looked apprehensive. "I don't know. That would require moving troops out of Ba Sing Se. We'd be completely vulnerable".
"You're already vulnerable" Sokka countered. "The Fire Nation won't stop until Ba Sing Se falls. You can either sit back and wait for that to happen, or take the offensive and give yourself a fighting chance".
The King held his chin in thought, and the twins exchanged a glance. It was an odd feeling, helping to plan the downfall of the Fire Nation. Even though they had been raised in its customs, they had never actually been there, having spent the last five years on ships and in military encampments. Their father was a citizen of the Fire Nation, but he wanted the war to end, and so did they. Despite working against the culture they had been raised in, they knew in their hearts that he would approve.
"Very well" the King said at last. "You have my support".
The twins and the others embraced excitedly; finally, after everything they had endured, things were finally starting to look up. "Your majesty" a voice greeted, and the twins turned to see a man in an ornate Earth Kingdom uniform and green cape approaching the throne. "I apologize for the interruption".
"This is General How" the King said as the man bowed in respect. "He's the leader of the Council of Five, my highest-ranking generals".
"We searched Long Feng's office" the General said. "I think we found something that will interest everybody". He led them through the palace to where Long Feng's office was. It was a large chamber, lit with a green fireplace and flanked by bookshelves on every wall. General How had one of the Royal Earthbender Guards carry a box over to the King, who sat at Long Feng's desk. "There are secret files on everyone in Ba Sing Se" he explained. "Including you kids".
"Secret files?" Aang asked.
"Toph Beifong" the King read before handing a scroll over to Katara.
The Water Tribe girl unfurled it before saying "It's a letter from your mom. Your mom's here in the city. And she wants to see you".
The blind girl's milky eyes widened with shock. "Long Feng intercepted our letters from home? That's just sad".
"Aang" the King said, handing a scroll to the Airbender.
"This scroll was attached to the horn of your Bison when the Dai Li captured it" General How explained.
"It's from the Eastern Air Temple" Aang said.
As he read over its contents, Katara asked "Is there anything for the rest of us, by chance?"
The King searched through the box before replying "I'm afraid not".
The Water Tribe siblings hung their heads, and the twins exchanged a glance. They knew there would be nothing for them, and it was better that way; they didn't need the others finding out their secret, not when everything else was going so well. "But there is an intelligence report that might interest you" General How said, handing a scroll to Katara.
"A small fleet of Water Tribe ships?" she asked, reading it over.
"What?" Sokka asked excitedly. "That could be dad!"
"Protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay? Led by Hakoda? It is dad!" The two of them embraced excitedly, and the twins couldn't help but smile a little. Katara and Sokka were their friends, and they were happy that they had received this news. On the other hand, mention of fathers shattered their happy mood, although they were careful to not show it.
"You should know this is not a natural sickness" Iroh said as he poured three cups of tea. "But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea".
I held Zuko's head up as Iroh held a cup to the teenager's lips. After he took a sip, he croaked "What, what's happening?"
"Your critical decision, what you did beneath that lake, it was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body". As he spoke, I stood up and walked over to Lihua's cage. The tiger eagle gazed at me with her grey eyes, and as I reached through the bars of her cage to gently stroke the underside of her chin, she let out a pleased squawk-purring noise.
"What's that mean?" Zuko asked, proceeding to cough a little.
"You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew" Iroh explained. "It will not be a pleasant experience. But when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be". I smiled at his fatherly concern, but that only reminded me of Jin and Li. I turned and gazed out at the night sky, wondering if they were here in the city, and if they were alright.
"I can't believe it" Aang said as they all sat in a circle on the floor. "There's a man living at the Eastern Air Temple. He says he's a guru".
"What's a guru?" Sokka asked. "Some kind of poisonous blowfish?"
"No, a spiritual expert" Aang replied. "He wants to help me take the next step in the Avatar journey. He says he can teach me to control the Avatar State".
"And I can't believe we know where our dad is now" Katara said.
"I know what you mean" Toph replied. "My mom's in the city, and from her letter, it sounds like she finally understands me". Jin placed a hand on the blind girl's shoulder, glad that her parents' realization made her happy.
"This is all such big news" Sokka said. "Where do we even start?"
"I hate to say it, but… we have to split up" Katara said at last. The twins looked at her in surprise.
"Split up?" Aang asked, sounding just as shocked as they were. "We just got Appa and got the family back together. Now you want us to separate?"
"You have to meet this guru, Aang" Katara replied. "If we're gonna invade the Fire Nation, you need to be ready".
"Well, if I'm going to the Eastern Air Temple, Appa and I can drop you off at Chameleon Bay to see your dad".
"Someone has to stay here with the Earth King and help him plan for the invasion" Sokka reminded the group. "I guess that's me".
"No, Sokka" Katara said, standing up. "I know how badly you want to help dad. You go to Chameleon Bay; I'll stay here with the King".
Sokka practically hit the ceiling with joy. "You… are… the… nicest… sister… ever!" He then excitedly kissed her on the cheek.
"Easy there, big brother" she said, pushing him away. "Though you're right; I am".
"All right, it sounds like we all have plans!" Aang said as he stood up. Suddenly, he looked like he was struck by something, and he turned to look down at the twins. "What about you guys?"
Jin and Li exchanged a glance as Katara asked "Do you guys have any idea about where your family is?"
Jin shook his head, and Li wrote on the ground, expressing the herculean task of locating a specific individual in a city as large as Ba Sing Se. The Earthbending boys had absolutely no idea where their father might be, or if he was even in the city. He glanced at Toph before looking over to Jin, who nodded. Li then wrote that they were willing to accompany the blind girl to see her parents. "Are you sure?" Sokka asked after reading what he wrote.
"What's going on?" Toph spoke up.
"Jin and Li were just offering to come with you" Katara explained.
The blind girl turned towards them. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't know how it would go, since you can't talk, and I don't know how to read or write".
"Well, think of it this way" Sokka said. "Since they can't talk, you can talk about whatever you want, without having them talk about what they want".
"Alright!" Toph exclaimed, raising her fist into the air. "I'm up for that".
Jin and Li turned to look at each other and shrugged. A short time later, they were all gathered in front of the palace, ready to embark on their separate journeys. The Earth King walked down the stairs towards them, and when he was close enough, said "Aang and Sokka, I wish you a good journey. Ba Sing Se owes you its thanks. We look forward to your safe return".
The group bowed to him in respect just as one of the Royal Earthbending Guards approached. "Your Majesty, there are four female warriors here to see you. They're from the island of Kyoshi".
"That's Suki!" Sokka cried as he started to climb up onto Appa's head. He then lost his grip and fell onto the ground.
"You know these warriors?" the King asked.
"Oh, yeah" Sokka replied. "The Kyoshi Warriors are a skilled group of fighters. Trustworthy, too. They're good friends of ours".
"Then we shall welcome them as honoured guests" the King said.
He then walked away, his entourage in tow, and the twins and Toph turned to look at the others. "We're really gonna miss you guys" she said, speaking for the three of them.
"Me, too" Katara replied as she and Aang embraced them in a tight hug. Out of the corner of his eye, Jin noticed that Sokka was pointedly standing with his arms crossed. Getting the others' attention, he jerked his head in the Water Tribe boy's direction.
They all proceeded to tightly embrace him. "Great, that's enough. Okay, we love each other. Seriously" he said, patting their heads.
Jin and Li waved to him and Aang as Appa launched himself into the air. Within moments, they were nothing more than a speck off in the distance, and after another group hug, Katara walked back into the palace. "Alright, are you two ready to get going?" Toph asked, rubbing her hands together excitedly. They both nodded, and with that, they were on their way. As promised, she talked throughout their entire journey, going on about different Earthbending moves she had learned to her most notable fights in the Earth Rumble tournaments and just about everything in her life. She was using this opportunity to talk about herself to its fullest extent, and by the time she had finished explaining that she had adopted different Earthbending moves into her own style, just like the twins did, they had arrived at their destination.
The three of them came to the front door of a very fine-looking house in the Upper Ring. Toph raised her hand to knock, but stopped short, looking down at the ground. Jin and Li exchanged a glance before they both put a comforting hand on her shoulders, letting her know that they were there for her. She smiled at them before sighing.
Knocking on the door, she found that it was open. "Hello, mom?" she asked as they peered inside. The twins followed her inside as she asked "Anyone home?" The house appeared to be empty, and there were no other people in sight. As they came to the centre of the room, the twins' eyes widened with shock as they sensed something. They barely managed to look over to each other before a large, metal cage closed around them, sealing the three of them inside. "Hey!" Toph exclaimed. "Who do you think you're dealing with?"
"One loudmouthed little brat who strayed too far from home and twin Earthbenders who betrayed their own people before deserting from the Fire Nation army" a familiar voice replied from outside the cage. Jin and Li exchanged panicked expressions as they realized that they had been captured by Xin Fu.
I held my head high as I followed the three girls in front of me. We were flanked by a row of Royal Earthbenders on either side as we approached the foot of the stairs leading into the Earth King's palace, where the King himself stood on a platform.
Despite my demeanor, I was sick to my stomach. I still hardly believed that we had encountered Suki and the others in the forest, and the encounter was burned into my memory. I had wanted to help my fellow Kyoshi Warriors, but before I knew what was happening, the battle was over, and I couldn't do anything without receiving some kind of punishment from Azula. I couldn't bear to look at Suki and the others, but the Fire Nation Princess had made me look at each of them as they were taken away by Firebenders.
Then, the four of us had dressed ourselves in their kimonos, and I was the one who had had to apply the face paint to each of us. I hadn't worn my traditional warrior garb in some time; the material felt the same, and my hair was now tied into a bun with chopsticks, like it had been ever since my father had allowed me to become a Kyoshi Warrior, but it wasn't the same. I felt… dirty, like I didn't deserve to wear the garb of Avatar Kyoshi.
The sick feeling in my stomach continued to gnaw at me from the inside as the Earth King held his arms out and proclaimed "In our hour of need, it is with the highest honour that I welcome our esteemed allies, the Kyoshi Warriors".
We bowed before him, and Azula, in front, said "We are the Earth King's humble servants". I barely managed to suppress a disgusted scowl.
Oh mon dieu! Things are really starting to heat up! I imagine our groups will converge in due time.
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