CHAPTER 27: INVITATIONS, INFILTRATIONS, AND INTRODUCTIONS (PART 3)
(Disclaimer: Avatar The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OC's)
(PLEASE READ: THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO "SHUJINKO: THE FOURTH MEMBER", BUT A DIFFERENT STORY WITH SHUJINKO AS THE MAIN CHARACTER. THIS STORY WILL NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT WHATSOEVER IN "SHUJINKO SHIPPUDEN". I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO SHUJINKO'S ORIGINAL STORY)
Summary: One night, a stranger breaks into Shujinko's house and tries to steal one of the most mystical objects in the history of the Ozuma clan: The Eye of Kazemaru. When Shujinko tries to stop him, the two of them activate an ancient and forgotten power of the gem by accident, which sends them to another dimension where a certain bald-headed monk has to master the four elements in order to defeat the evil Fire Lord. What kind of impact will Shujinko's presence have in the Avatar universe? Who is this stranger and what does he want? Get ready for one wild space-time adventure
'Why isn't the Earth King here? And where's everybody?'
Those were the two questions that Aang frantically asked himself, having finished his sixth walk around the palace in search of his friends. He had lost track of Katara and Toph ever since the latter got in trouble with one of the guests, a lady who was way too interested in learning who she was. It got to the point where the lady grabbed the earthbender by the arm and spoke to her in a non-too-cordial manner, to which Aang felt he had no choice but to intercede before things got any more out of hand.
What the monk did next was not something he was particularly proud of. While no one was looking, he blew a strong breeze out of his mouth, shifting its trajectory just enough for the concentrated streak of air to make an arc and subsequently infiltrate the lady's dress, lifting her long skirt. The poor woman's open drawers got exposed as a result. Not only that, but in her panic and confusion, she fell down on the floor and ended up exhibiting even more of her underwear to the aghast public, something that Aang hadn't planned at all. Nevertheless, the distraction served its purpose and Toph was able to get out of there.
Not wanting to get caught, the Avatar and the waterbender fled the scene as well, splitting up in the process in order to attract less attention. Following his escape, Aang waited for things to cool off first before going back to the dining hall. He was still clueless as to what Shujinko and Sokka were up to or if they had even managed to sneak into the palace, but what worried him more was the fact that he couldn't find Katara anywhere upon his return.
A full hour had passed since then, and the girl from the Southern Water Tribe remained as elusive as ever. As if that wasn't bad enough, he hadn't seen any of the other members of Team Avatar either, and the Earth King had yet to show his face despite him being the host of the event,
'What am I supposed to do? If something bad happened to Katara or Toph, I can't stay here doing nothing. But if I run off now, I might miss my chance to meet the Earth King, and it's not like I know my way around here. Plus, there are guards and Dai Li agents everywhere. They might kick me out of the party if they find me sauntering about the palace. I'm not even sure if they're in any real trouble, and if they're not, I'd just be risking everything for nothing,' Aang thought as he approached one of the tables and fixed himself a plate of food, not really caring for what he got. He wasn't feeling hungry at the moment, but at least it gave him something to do other than walking. '… But if something did happen, then…'
Before a single grain of rice could touch his plate, the young monk saw two people sitting in the background that he hadn't noticed before. The two of them were engrossed in conversation, keeping themselves away from the public in favor of some privacy. His eyes went from slightly narrowed to fully open when he realized they were Shujinko and Katara. Once he got past the initial surprise, Aang let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling immensely glad to see them there.
Putting his food down, he began to walk along the table over to where they were, eager to learn what they'd been up to… until he noticed something that made him stop and observe.
Far from the typical no-nonsense attitude he exhibited during situations like the present one, the Chūnin appeared to be relaxed and at ease, enjoying himself as words left his mouth. He was even smiling at the waterbender as they chatted, and while Shujinko smiling was by no means a rare event, he certainly didn't do it as often as the other members of Team Avatar did. If Aang were to guess, the Ozuma seemed to be telling Katara a funny story or a personal anecdote as he was the one doing most of the talking, occasionally making gestures with his hands to represent or emphasize something he had said.
Shujinko's behavior towards Katara, while unexpected given the circumstances, wasn't enough on its own to make the airbender feel anything other than a mild level of ambivalent surprise. However, he couldn't say the same about Katara's behavior towards Shujinko, for that certainly was bothering him. The girl from the Southern Water Tribe listened to the Chūnin's every word with utmost interest with her gaze steadily fixed on him, an endearing smile on her lips. She was sitting with most of her body facing towards Shujinko, leaning closer to him without her even realizing it.
The scene soon became that much harder to watch when the Ozuma said something that made Katara laugh, which earned him a playful slap on the leg. Instead of ending the physical contact immediately after the slap as one would expect, Aang clearly saw her hand linger on Shujinko's lap for a few more seconds before letting go, as if the whole thing had been nothing but an excuse to touch him. At no point did the golden-eyed boy show any signs of discomfort whatsoever and continued talking to Katara without a care in the world, still retaining the waterbender's full attention.
Suddenly, several of the Avatar's emotions awakened at once, sending the boy into a trance-like state that made him forget about the Earth King and anything related to him. The noisy chatter from the guests around him was reduced to a minor distraction as envy, sadness, incertitude, and shame invaded the heart of the poor monk.
Aang knew perfectly well what sort of feelings he had for the waterbender. It was no coincidence that he melted inside every time he caught sight of her gorgeous smile, or that he always felt vulnerable whenever she stared at him with those cobalt blue eyes of hers, or that seeing her in danger pushed him to do whatever was necessary to protect her. With the exception of Gyatso, the monk who was once his mentor and guardian, he'd never met someone as caring, kind, and compassionate as her before, with an inner beauty that matched her outer one. The violence, the pressure, the danger, everything was easier to bear with Katara by his side, and if she asked him to, Aang would stay by hers for the rest of his life.
That was why he was having such a hard time watching them like this, as well as why it elicited so many contradictory emotions in him. He could understand why Shujinko attracted so much attention from those around him without meaning to. If anything, it was pretty much impossible not to pay him attention, for the things he was able to do when answering the call to action were, for lack of a better term, otherworldly. Make living copies of himself? Wield wind semi-similarly to how an airbender controled air? A unique power derived from his bloodline that enhanced his already fascinating abilities? Only a person of unsound mind would feel indifference towards all of that stuff.
What was the problem, then? The problem was that Shujinko wasn't doing anything noteworthy right now, anything to evoke shock and awe, anything that could be considered out of the ordinary… And yet, Katara was still captivated by the Chūnin, looking at Shujinko the way Aang wished to be looked by her. He'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't have the slightest desire to walk up to the brown-haired boy and tell him to knock it off already.
Aang was aware of how foolish that notion was and he had enough sense not to attempt such an inexcusably stupid, immature action. Objectively, Shujinko wasn't doing anything wrong, suspicious, or inappropriate. It wasn't as if he was kissing Katara (Aang had to push that image out of his head as soon as it began to take shape), and most importantly, the airbender had no right to go around treating people like that, less so when it came to those he was closest to.
He wanted… No, he needed to believe that nothing romantic was going on between them. Those two were good friends to each other and good friends to him. Aang liked them both (albeit not in the same way) and, from the bottom of his heart, he wished for them to be happy… Yet, in spite of all the guilt it caused the airbender and how much of a hypocrite it made him, Shujinko and Katara finding happiness together was a line he prayed would not be crossed. Just thinking about it made Aang feel rotten inside, to the point where he no longer knew which of his emotions was the predominant one: His jealousy or the shame that feeling said jealousy caused him.
"Pardon me, sir. Would you care to try one of our spicy pickled kelps?" a busboy asked from behind, though the Avatar barely registered his presence and didn't even bother to look at him, his eyes still fixated on the girl from the Southern Water Tribe and the boy from the Hidden Leaf Village.
"No, thanks,"
…
"Sir, please give them a chance. You will find these delicacies to be quite… eerh, delicate,"
Irked by the busboy's insistence, Aang spared him a glance over his shoulder to tell him he wasn't interested, only to be greeted by a familiar face. "S-Sokka!?" he nearly shouted, to which the son of Hakoda quickly shushed him.
"Keep your voice down, buddy. You're not supposed to know the name of a lowly busboy like myself," he reminded him, looking around to check if anyone had heard them. Sokka then grabbed a jug from the table and slowly started pouring its content into several empty cups, pretending to be busy in order to keep up appearances. "Man, working as a busboy sucks big time. Guests keep calling me every two minutes, and I can't say 'no' to any of them. They all look the same as well, so I have no idea who am I supposed to keep an eye on. Anyway, that's enough about me. What about you? Any luck with the Earth King?"
"N-No, not at a-all," the Avatar stuttered, his tongue twisted into several knots.
Sokka furrowed his brow at him, not only due to how nervous his friend had gotten all of a sudden but also due to the answer itself. "Really? 'Cuz I saw you from a distance and it looked like you were staring. I thought maybe you'd spotted the king or somebody who could be him. That's why I approached you in the first place,"
In an instant, all of the young monk's previous emotions blended together, turning into one big pile of steaming embarrassment that scorched his cheeks red. Without thinking, he stepped slightly to his left in order to block Sokka's line of vision and prevent him from noticing Shujinko and Katara in the background. It was a stupid move made out of pure instinct, but right now, Aang was willing to do just about anything to avoid exposing himself. The last thing he needed was for Sokka to catch wind of the feelings he had for his sister and make the rest of the gang aware of them. "O-Oh, that? Well, I… I was just distracted,"
"Distracted?"
"Yeah, by… a girl. A very pretty one," Aang told the first lie his brain was able to formulate under pressure, which ended up being a slightly less precise version of the truth rather than a falsehood. This would eventually dawn on the Avatar later on, but for now, maintaining eye contact was the only thought inside his head. He could feel a bead of sweat trickling down his temple, and he couldn't stop the lump that formed in his throat when Sokka placed both hands on his shoulders, bringing the airbender closer to him until the two boys were face to face with one another.
"Listen, Aang. I'm a guy too, so I get it. Truly, I do. The majority of the people here are middle-aged men. You obviously don't wanna ignore the first attractive chick you've seen all night, but still, y'gotta stay focused," the son of Hakoda said in a tone of solemn understanding, followed by him flashing a smirk of complicity at the monk. "Besides, if you're gonna check a girl out, you need to be less obvious about it. They might think you're a creep if they see you standing there like a statue,"
Aang tried to laugh it off, but the nervousness in his voice only exposed how uncomfortable he truly was. He felt like an idiot for getting caught off-guard in such a way, and he was an even bigger idiot for allowing his emotions to strike him dumb to the point of blindsiding him. He was going to have to process what happened to him once he had some time and privacy. In the meantime, it seemed as though he had lucked out and that's what mattered most. "Anyways, what do we do now? I don't see the Earth King anywhere. What if he never shows up?" he asked, wanting to redirect the conversation as soon as possible.
Pondering over their dilemma, Sokka adopted a less jovial expression. "All we can do now is wait. The night is still young, so let's not lose our cool. It's not like we have a detailed step-by-step plan to stick to,"
Aang gave him a nod of understanding, trying to get in touch with his optimistic self. This was hardly the first time things hadn't been as easy as they'd hoped, and while no groundbreaking progress had been made, no major setbacks had been suffered either. Besides, no matter how many mishaps, complications, and accidents they dealt with along the road (all of which they were almost comically prone to), Team Avatar was able to accomplish whatever goal they had in mind… eventually… one way or another… in most occasions… Okay, maybe their track record wasn't devoid of blunders, some of them more egregious than others, but they were still here, weren't they? As long as they didn't do anything stupid, and perhaps with a little bit of luck on their side, the airbender should have no motive to believe they would return from this empty-handed.
Embracing this line of thinking helped the Avatar begin to see the glass half full, a sensation that lasted until he spotted two ladies behind Sokka approaching their direction. One of them was the guest who made a ruckus harassing Toph, and the other woman was none other than Lady Loony in the flesh: Joo Dee.
"There he is!" the lady exclaimed while pointing a bony finger at the monk, whose skin had turned pale from discomfort. "He's one of the two youngsters who were with that lying child before she ran off!"
As if on cue, the artists stopped playing their instruments, allowing an orchestra of whispers and murmurs from the guests to replace the sound of their music. Joo Dee made her way towards the pair of teens, and though her presence at the party was indeed unexpected, Aang and Sokka were considerably more surprised by the look of unhinged panic on her face, being the first time they'd ever seen her express genuine human emotion. "What are you doing? Why are you here?"
"The Earth King invited us to this party and we accepted his invitation. What's the big deal?" Aang replied, but Joo Dee ignored his question and moved closer to them, pushing the two boys against the table at their backs.
"The Royal Palace is not a place you should be in," she said as she grabbed Sokka by the forearm. "Come with me. We must leave at once,"
At this point, Aang and Sokka were being stared at by pretty much the entire list of guests. Their cover was blown, the jig was up and the Cat Owl was out of the bag, so Sokka came to the conclusion that keeping up the façade was futile. Aside from that, he was also sick and tired of Joo Dee's incessant meddling. "We're not going anywhere until we see King Kuei. So please, turn around and get lost already," he snapped, jerking his arm away from Joo Dee's grasp and shoving her hand aside when she reached for a second time.
"What's going on?" Katara asked as she and Shujinko joined them, having watched the scene unfold from a distance. Just like Sokka, the Ozuma understood that Joo Dee being there complicated everything, though he wanted to believe they could still achieve the end goal of their little operation despite being publicly identified and exposed… not that he felt terribly confident about their chances, though. "What are you doing here, Joo Dee? How did you find us?"
"This is not the time to be asking questions! I beg of you, please abandon the palace and return home. Do as I say and all may be forgiven,"
Despite how off-putting it was to see Joo Dee in such an emotional state, Shujinko paid no heed to her distress and shook his head in refusal. "Sorry, but that's not happening. We didn't go through all this trouble just to be told 'no'. Forget the nice house, the delicious food, and the fancy clothes; what we're truly owed is an audience with the Earth King, and we're not leaving until he gives us one. He can go back to wasting his time however he likes after he hears us out,"
"You do not understand! If you stay, we will all be in great danger!"
"Danger? What's that supposed to-" To the surprise of everyone else, Shujinko stopped mid-sentence for no apparent motive, his golden eyes widening. In a few seconds, the look on his face went from expressing alert to asperity and grimness, as if he'd just been offended in a particularly nasty way. "… Tch. It's them, of course," he muttered.
Katara opened her mouth to ask the Chūnin what was wrong, but doing so became unnecessary as the members of Team Avatar soon found themselves surrounded by a number of easily-recognizable earthbenders who formed a tight circle around the teenagers, making it impossible for them to escape without the use of violence. Joo Dee was the only person to not get trapped inside the human barrier of Dai Li agents, yet for whatever reason, she was visibly more terrified than any of the young adventurers, looking like she was about to fly into a hysterical frenzy. The sudden appearance of Ba Sing Se's cultural guardians not only silenced the entire dining hall, but also murdered whatever remained of the party's festive mood as the guests stepped away from them, not wanting to get involved in Dai Li affairs even by accident.
Before any of them were given the chance to talk, the Dai Li agent standing in front of Aang spoke first, keeping his eyes hidden under the brim of his hat. "Avatar Aang, you and your friends are to come with us. Minister Long Feng requests your presence in his study," he said before sticking his right hand out of the left sleeve of his tunic, revealing a feminine headpiece that the gang instantly recognized. "It would be most unwise to keep him and your other companion waiting,"
|Meanwhile, Lower Ring|
Pao was in the best mood of his life as he sat in his small office next to the kitchen, counting his earnings from previous days and placing the money inside small leather bags with latches, giggling like a child each time he heard the coins jingle.
A candid and welcoming ambiance was present as people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds enjoyed their night at the Pao Family Tea Shop. The humble establishment had become the talk of the whole city after rumors of its massive improvement in product quality got spread around. Citizens kept talking about a new employee who worked at an unexceptional tea shop and who was introducing the tongues of Ba Sing Se to the most divine of concoctions. At first, the general public was very skeptical, believing such claims to be as vapid and insipid as the tea that Pao prepared, but instead of fading away, the gossiping only increased over time, as did the number of fascinated clients who had once been doubters.
"My goodness, they weren't kidding. This is the best tea I've ever had in all forty-one years of my life," said one of the customers, an off-duty patrolman. His shift had ended an hour ago, but he was still wearing his uniform and carrying his duty weapons around as going home and changing clothes would've taken too much of his time. "Hey old timer, how can ya' make something that tastes this good? Is it a family recipe or somethin'? Come on, what's the secret?"
Iroh, who was handing out menus close to his table, gave his client a short bow and a smile of appreciation. "You flatter me, good sir, but I'm afraid there is no secret. Only patience, dedication, and most importantly, lots of love,"
The patrolman chuckled. "Guess I'll have to take your word for it. Oh, and while we're at it, can ya' get me another cup, please? Same tea as before,"
"Not a problem. Let me go check if there are any-
BAAM
Several cups were dropped and numerous gasps were uttered when a young man kicked the entrance doors open. He walked a few steps forward, his face twisted into a furious scowl that, just like the pair of hook swords he was holding, promised nothing but violence. Zuko, who was sweeping the kitchen floor when the stranger barged in, threw the broom aside and turned around to face him. His second reaction was to stare in surprise, for the man standing by the entrance was no stranger at all, or at least he wasn't a stranger to him and his uncle.
"What's going on?" Pao asked, having rushed out of his office after hearing the commotion. "You, young man, what do you think you're doing? If you wish to order something, you must wait in line like everyone else! And no armed civilians are allowed inside the shop!"
"This farce has gone on long enough. It ends tonight," Jet declared, pointing his swords at the banished prince and the Dragon of the West. "Everybody, listen to me! This fat old man and his mopey nephew have been lying to you this whole time! They're not war refugees. They're not even from the Earth Kingdom for that matter; THEY'RE FIREBENDERS!"
Zuko's heart skipped a beat as everyone's eyes turned towards them. Dozens of questions sprung into his mind at once, the most prominent one being how the heck did Jet figure out their true identity. He hadn't seen him at all since their arrival to Ba Sing Se, and if Iroh had encountered Jet once or more after that day, Zuko was certain his uncle would've told him about it. If that wasn't enough, both of them hadn't done anything to draw suspicion or attention upon themselves other than the great success Iroh's tea was having.
Before he could refute or deny anything, the patrolman spoke up. "Son, have ya' lost yer' marbles or something? Ya' can't just go around throwin' accusations like that. Public disturbance is a serious violation in this city, in case ya' weren't told,"
"You ain't fooling me. I know what I saw. I saw the old man heating his tea!"
"Course' ya' did; he's a damn tea-maker who works in a damn tea shop. What's so alarming 'bout it?
That single rebuttal turned the tables on Jet, who couldn't find the words to explain what he meant, less so when everyone customer in the shop was staring at him as if he were a madman. "No, that's not what I… Look, you gotta believe me! I know these two; we were on the same ferry together all the way from Full Moon Bay! I'm not making this up. They're here to destroy your homes as they did mine. Stop them now before it's too late!"
"That does it. I'm placing ya' under arrest," the patrolman said as he got up from his table and held firm the scabbard clipped to his belt, letting him know he wasn't messing around. "Drop 'em swords now, boy. Nice and easy. No one needs to get hurt,"
"You're placing me under arrest? These two bastards are the ones who should get arrested!" Jet exclaimed, completely beside himself. Most of the customers had exited the shop by now, except for a few bystanders who were either too scared to move a muscle or too intrigued to leave now. Noticing this, Jet waved his hook swords and started walking towards the kitchen, intending to spill Fire Nation blood. "You want proof that they're firebenders? Fine, I'll prove it to you here and now. Just wait until they start burning everything around them. That's the only thing firebenders know how to do, especially when they're being attacked,"
Faster than the patrolman could react, Zuko snuck up behind him and got ahold of his broadswords, separating the blades with ease. He then took a single step forward and assumed a flawless combat stance, holding one of the swords over his head while keeping the other one just below the waist, having learned that form from the living legend himself, master Piandao.
"I don't know who or what you think I am, but if you're looking for a fight, then go ahead and make a move. I'll show you how it's done,"
|Long Feng's Study|
Long Feng poured himself a cup of tea without extending the same courtesy to the five teenagers he had in front of him, not that any of them were feeling particularly thirsty. After taking a prolonged sip of the hot beverage, Long Feng left the cup on the desk and went back to staring at them with the same unperturbed gaze from before. "My name is Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of State and Administrator in Chief. You may think of me as His Majesty's right-hand man, and as such, I possess the authority to speak on his behalf,"
Shujinko remained silent, as did the rest of Team Avatar. He remembered seeing Long Feng strolling about in the palace grounds during his reconnaissance operation with Sokka, and while he was able to infer that said man was important based on his looks back then, he didn't imagine Long Feng would be so high up in the political chain of command. It seemed as though this guy was a second Earth King or something like that, basically another Feudal Lord if the Ozuma had to guess. The Earth Kingdom's form of government was considerably more complex than the feudal system of the shinobi world, so it wasn't easy for Shujinko to keep track of all the titles, positions, and institutions he kept coming across.
"As you can imagine, I am in charge of overseeing a great many deal of governmental affairs, including who gets invited to social gatherings such as the one that is being hosted today. I know for a fact none of you were invited, and yet here you are, blatantly trespassing on royal grounds. May I ask what is it that drove the five of you to commit an offense of this magnitude?"
"We didn't mean to cause any trouble, Mister Feng. Let me explain," the airbender said, proceeding to remove the turban that covered the arrow tattoo on his forehead. At this point, there was no reason for him to hide his identity, plus the itching on his scalp had grown unbearable. "My name is Aang. I'm the Avatar, and these are my friends. We're here because there's vital information that the Earth King needs to be made aware of. I promise you, this might be the most important thing His Majesty will ever hear,"
Sokka nodded in agreement. "Yup, and for the record, we were indeed invited, so no crimes were committed... Okay, maybe only three of us got invited, but trust me, we all have a good reason for coming to this party. You see, we've been trying to get an audience with the king ever since we got here, but we couldn't wait six to eight weeks to hear back from the Court of Public Petitions. Therefore, we had no choice but to take the initiative and skip the middle man,"
"As far as I am concerned, you did have a choice. You could've exercised patience and gone through the established process for these sorts of matters like a respectful guest and orderly citizen would do," Long Feng retorted as he left the teacup aside and leaned forward, resting his chin atop his intertwined fingers. "Make no mistake: You are not entitled to preferential treatment on account of being the Avatar or a friend of his. Whatever concern you wish to share with King Kuei, you must follow our rules and show deference to our laws instead of relying on nepotism to get what you want,"
Shujinko decided it was his turn to speak. "Is it nepotism if our efforts are meant to end the war with the Fire Nation once and for all?"
"The war with the Fire Nation…" Long Feng's tone was one of pristine apathy, as if he was reacting to the punch line of a joke he'd already heard a million times so, the Chūnin couldn't help but notice a hint of malice in his eyes. "If that is what you intend to discuss with His Majesty, then I regret to inform you that is not how it works. You see, the Earth King is a very busy man. As Grand Secretariat of State and Administrator in Chief, it is my duty to lift as much weight off His Majesty's shoulders as I can so that he may rule efficiently and undisturbed. To put it simply, the king has no time to get involved in political squabbles and martial trivialities, nor is he interested in dealing with them, which is why I handle these issues along with a handful of others in his place,"
As if on cue, the eyes of all five teenagers went wide simultaneously, mimicking each other's expression nigh flawlessly. The only one who had a slightly different reaction was Shujinko, whose facial tic prompted him to blink several consecutive times while his brain tried to digest the absurdity of what he'd just heard. "Mister Feng, forgive me for saying this, but that's absolutely ridiculous," the Ozuma said, speaking his mind without filter. "Political squabbles? Martial trivialities? This is the war we're talking about. Dealing with this conflict should be at the very top of King Kuei's list of priorities. What else could be more important than stopping the Fire Nation?"
Learning about King Kuei's lack of involvement in the war was disconcerting to everybody on Team Avatar, but Shujinko was particularly baffled. As a shinobi, he couldn't fathom the idea of a ruler, be it a king, an emperor, or a Feudal Lord, not being interested in an ongoing military campaign his own country was participating in. Even if they only played a passive role in a war, staying well informed of its development was the bare minimum that was expected of them. The fact that the Earth King couldn't even be bothered to do that was, at best, grossly negligent on his behalf, and at worst, delusional.
It was then Toph's turn to give voice to her thoughts. "And what's that crap about the Earth King not having enough time? If he can find the time to throw birthday parties for his pet bear, surely he can lend us his attention for an hour or so. What even is supposed to be his job, anyway? What does he do all day if he's not worried about the war?"
"Ever since the crown was first laid on his head, King Kuei has devoted his life to ensure the preservation of Ba Sing Se's cultural heritage, and shall continue to do so until the last moment of his reign," was Long Feng's response, to which the Chūnin furrowed his brow. The man sitting in front of him was certainly able to forge words like silver, almost as if he was reading off a hidden script or something. "His Excellency is solely responsible for maintaining our people's values, our social identity, and our long-standing way of life. The vast majority of his duties relate to issuing decrees on such matters. Meanwhile, I administrate the rest of the capital's resources, including our armed forces,"
"So the Earth King has no real power, then," the waterbender of the group somberly concluded. "He's just a figurehead, a king in name only,"
"I would abstain from making such impudent remarks about His Highness if I were you, young lady. King Kuei is a deity to his people, a symbol of unity and tradition. To belittle him is to belittle everything this city stands for,"
Frustrated by the confusing turns the discussion had taken, Sokka decided to intervene, hoping to steer the conversation in a more productive direction. "Alright, we get it, the Earth King is magnificent and we should all kiss the ground he walks on. We didn't come all this way to argue otherwise. Just hear us out for a minute: In a few weeks' time, there's gonna be an eclipse, one that will-!"
The son of Hakoda was interrupted by a quick, yet firm slap to the belly, courtesy of the Chūnin standing next to him. Sokka opened his mouth to protest, but a warning look from his friend made him desist. The Ozuma then turned his attention back to Long Feng and glared kunais at him with an openly hostile expression on his face. "Everything this city stands for?" Shujinko repeated, his tone dripping with derision. "Does that include threatening the masses into silence? Is that part of Ba Sing Se's culture as well?"
"Ignorant outsiders like you have no place criticizing the laws that keep the heart of our kingdom beating. For the sake of you and your friends, I will attribute this to your juvenile naiveté and explain to you that which you fail to comprehend," Long Feng said as he got up and abandoned his desk, positioning himself right in front of Team Avatar. "Indeed, it is the strict policy of Ba Sing Se that the war not be mentioned within the walls. If word got around about what the Fire Nation is and has been doing, citizens would be thrown into a state of fear and hysteria. Our economy would be ruined and the social stability we currently enjoy would perish in the blink of an eye. In silencing talk of conflict, Ba Sing Se remains a placid, orderly utopia. Generations will grow blissfully unaware of the grim reality the rest of the kingdom has to live in and peace shall remain intact,"
"There's nothing peaceful about intimidating people and blinding them with lies!" Aang finally snapped, taking two steps forward in Long Feng's direction. "What you're doing is evil. The citizens of Ba Sing Se deserve to be told the truth and no one should be punished for speaking about the war. No matter what it takes, I'll make sure everyone knows what's going on outside these walls, and neither you nor the Earth King will stop me!"
Aang's declaration did away with whatever chance of reasoning with Long Feng they had. Out of the corner of his eye, the Ozuma spotted the pair of Dai Li agents by the entrance adopting a subtle attacking stance with both hands held next to their left hip, almost as if they were about to draw an invisible sword. He reached for his kunai out of instinct, only to remember all of his shinobi equipment was at home. He then stopped to think about the consequences they would suffer should they actually engage in combat right there and then. After a few seconds of critical analysis, the realization struck him like a punch from Tsunade Senju.
Unless they took Long Feng hostage, they would have to fight their way out of the palace without the use of tools such as Aang's staff or Shujinko's smoke bombs, just to name a few. They would then have to escape Ba Sing Se that same night, and even if they somehow managed to make it that far, they'd be declared as traitors of the highest order (not unrightfully so). Such disastrous ramifications would only ensure one thing, and that was that the Earth King would never, EVER be willing to listen to anything Team Avatar had to say, for no explanation or justification would excuse committing a crime of that caliber. They would lose all hope of getting his support, and without the Earth Kingdom to back them up, the war against the Fire Nation might very well be lost.
In short, if any of them so much as laid a finger on one of the Dai Li agents that were present, or worse, Long Feng himself, Team Avatar would be thoroughly, royally, utterly, and completely screwed.
After what felt like an eternity, the Grand Secretariat of State and Administrator in Chief finally broke the silence. "Up until today, you have been treated as guests of honor, but I no longer see any reason to consider you as such. You are still permitted to stay in the capital, but starting tomorrow, my agents will keep track of your every move. Nothing you do will escape their eyes and ears, and if you mention the war to anyone, you will be expelled from this city at once and be branded public enemies of the Earth Kingdom,"
Instead of cursing his luck or starting an argument, Shujinko actually drew a sigh of relief. No, these weren't good news at all. If anything, things had just gotten considerably more complicated, but at least, at least they weren't going to have to fight their way out of this one and face the dire consequences that would've resulted from it. The worst possible scenario for them seemed to have been avoided, yet it was no cause for celebration either, much less when Long Feng decided to add the cherry on top of the crap cake he was serving them.
"Also, I am well aware that you are looking for that companion of yours, a flying, burly creature. What was it again? Ah, yes, a Sky Bison. It would be quite a shame if you never got to see your pet again. Wouldn't you agree, my esteemed Avatar?"
Long Feng's words felt like a stab to the gut, and no member of Team Avatar was in greater shock than the Avatar himself. Once the initial sensation of surprise began to wear off, Aang's fists began to tremble with ire, for he realized he was staring at the man who was keeping Appa away from them. Before he could respond to Long Feng, either verbally or physically, he felt a hand grabbing his clothes from behind and pulling him back, refusing to let go of the airbender.
"Aang, if you touch that man, it's over for us and Appa," Shujinko warned the monk, holding him tightly by the collar of his robes while trying to employ a tone of voice that was both firm and conciliatory. "Please, I know how you feel, but don't throw it all away for one angry mistake,"
While not in the wrong, Toph, Sokka, and Katara, couldn't help but feel as though the Chūnin was being a little excessive in his reaction as the Avatar had yet to do anything. That was until they remembered how Aang reacted upon encountering the sandbenders who captured Appa in the desert and how quickly things got out of control. They realized that by pre-emptively restraining Aang and talking sense into him, Shujinko was trying to stave off a possible disaster from unfolding, for it was well known among them how volatile the airbender could get once he entered the Avatar State and this was the worst place for something like that to happen.
Thanks to the Ozuma's quick action, Aang's self-restraint, or a combination of both, calmness prevailed in the end. The airbender took a deep breath and exhaled before giving Shujinko a curt nod, his hands still balled into fists. Shujinko complied and unhanded his friend, though he remained alert in case Aang's emotions got the better of him. Long Feng smirked coldly as if trying to rock the already shaky boat, taking pleasure in knowing that he had the upper hand. "Now that we are all on the same page, it is time for you to leave. However, no responsible adult would send away five minors this late at night without proper supervision, so I have arranged an escort to drop you off at your house. Joo Dee, you may come in,"
The doors opened and a woman walked in, along with an eerie feeling that made the room temperature drop. Despite not being able to see, Toph immediately realized something was wrong upon sensing the slightest variation in her friends' heartbeat rhythms, indicating surprise laced with a hint of fear. Her suspicions were soon confirmed by Katara. "Wait, who are you?"
"I am Joo Dee, your designated escort. It is my great honor to serve you," the woman, a complete and utter stranger to them, replied. She wore an identical outfit as the individual she was claiming to be and had the exact same mannerisms and facial expressions, including the unsettling smile, but that was as far as the similarities between them went.
"You're… But… Huh? What happened to Joo Dee? The one from before?" a baffled Sokka asked.
"I do not know what you are referring to. I am Joo Dee," the stranger insisted, trying to come off as sweet and innocent, but making everyone else more nervous instead. "Come with me, please. You will be taken to your domicile right away,"
Team Avatar followed the female impersonator outside the room, walking in a single file like orderly troops following their drill sergeant. No one spoke a word on their way out, not even a yawn, a cough, or a clearing of the throat. It wasn't that they had nothing to discuss. Quite the opposite in fact, but their brains had yet to fully assimilate the reality of the messed up situation they were in, and of course, they couldn't forget about Long Feng's threat. The man allegedly had eyes and ears everywhere, and now that their names were at the top of his watch list, speaking freely at any place at any time was no longer a luxury they could afford.
'How ironic,' Shujinko thought as he stepped outside the Royal Palace and made his way to the carriage that awaited them, feeling almost like a criminal getting inside a prison wagon. 'We traveled to Ba Sing Se hoping to meet the Earth King and make him our ally. Instead, we met the man who's truly in control of everything and made him our enemy. This whole city is just one big sham contained within walls, and the people here are forced to go along with it like actors held at arrow point. Nothing but lies and deceit…'
…
'… At least I'm not a stranger to lies and deceit,'
|40 minutes later, Golden Dream District|
After enduring the longest, quietest, most awkward ride of their lives, the members of Team Avatar were finally dropped off at their place of residence. Joo Dee's replacement waved them goodbye, a gesture that no one bothered to return as the carriage drove off. It had been a long night, and although they hadn't performed any physically demanding actions such as running or fighting, learning about the Earth King's lack of involvement in the war and Long Feng's stranglehold on Ba Sing Se had left them mentally fatigued, made worse by the fact that they had yet to discuss any of it despite being of paramount importance. All they wanted was to go to bed and address everything tomorrow.
"Hold on,"
Everyone turned around to see Toph digging her foot into the ground with a stomp after stepping on the path of rocks that led to the entrance of the house. "What is it, Toph?" Katara asked.
"I'm sensing five people inside the house right now," the Blind Bandit warned her friends. "All of them are gathered in the lounging room. They must be waiting for us,"
Aang stared at her wide-eyed. "Dai Li agents?"
"I can't tell for sure. Whoever they are, they seem to be wearing armor, so they could be just regular guards," Toph replied while lifting her foot off the ground. "In any case, be ready. We might have a fight on our hands after all,"
The Ozuma furrowed his brow, making a brief assessment of the situation. Considering everything that had happened tonight, it was more than fair to assume that this was an ambush ordered by Long Feng, if not directly orchestrated by him. Perhaps the king's right-hand man had seconds thoughts about letting them stay in the city even under the surveillance of the Dai Li, or maybe he never had any intentions of putting up with them in the first place, deeming Team Avatar too much of a risk and wanting to get rid of them at the earliest chance. It certainly felt like something a scheming weasel like him would do, and it wasn't like he didn't have a good reason for it.
"Katara, Sokka, Toph, the three of you stay here," Shujinko commanded. "Aang and I will handle this,"
"Are you joking? The last time I had any fun was when we stopped that drill. There's no way I'm letting this opportunity go," the earthbender of the group protested. "It's no skin off my nose if you wanna sideline Boomerang Boy and Sugar Queen, but why don't I get to enjoy some action?"
"Sokka's weapons are in his room and Katara has no water to bend. As for you, Toph, I'm sure you could mop the floor with whoever's inside, but we don't wanna alert anyone and your Earthbending is about as subtle as a bag of hammers. This is a job that requires discretion. Besides, should anything happen to us, we need you to be our backup,"
That last comment made the Blind Bandit scoff. "Riiiight, because clearly you and Aang need backup to take down five guys. What a cheap excuse that is," In spite of her discontent, Toph abstained from throwing a fit as her two friends got into a crouching position and started making their way across the garden, with Aang following Shujinko from behind.
As they approached the entrance, the golden-eyed boy paid close attention to Aang's movements and was satisfied with his choice of partner. The airbender was most deserving of his nickname 'Twinkletoes'. Whether it was due to natural talent, his Airbending training, or a combination of both, Aang knew how to lower his center of gravity and how to correctly distribute his weight in each step, which allowed him to move silently while also maintaining a steady pace.
However, the Avatar was more impressed with Shujinko than he was with him. The streets were quiet and the distance between the two of them was a short one, yet Aang was still unable to hear anything other than his own footsteps. On the other hand, the Ozuma not only moved relatively quickly, but he did so without producing a single noise, almost as if the sound around him was muted. It made him wonder how long it must've taken the Chūnin to acquire that level of proficiency and how much stealthier ninjas with more experience than him could possibly be.
Soon enough, they reached the front porch. According to Toph, only five people were inside, probably earthbenders or individuals who knew how to wield a weapon with skill. Nothing too dangerous by the brown-haired teen's standards, less when Aang was there to help him out, but being cautious was always a necessity, never an indulgence. The Chūnin wanted to take a peek inside first before doing anything, but the windows were closed and the door made a creaking noise whenever it opened. With this in mind, Shujinko gestured the Avatar to look at him and began to communicate through sign language.
"I. Go. Up. Roof," Every silent word was articulated slowly and accompanied by hand motions to make sure that Aang got the message right. "You. Stay. Here,"
The airbender nodded in understanding, but just then, they heard a voice coming from the lounging room. "Good grief, what's taking them so long to enter their own home?" a man complained out loud before letting out a sigh of frustration, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching their position. "These kids better not have left. If so, who knows when-Daaah!"
Change of plans. As soon as the door opened, Shujinko pushed the man back inside and tackled him to the ground, forcing him to face the floor. Sitting on top of his back, he then immediately took hold of the intruder's right wrist and put him in a simple, yet effective joint lock in which he could easily dislocate his shoulder blade if sufficient pressure was applied. All of this happened so fast that Aang could barely react to it despite being right there.
"Owww! Mercy, mercy!"
Having wrestled the first housebreaker into submission, the Ozuma focused his gaze on the other four who remained in the lounging room. All of them, including the one he was currently restraining, were adult men wearing armor underneath their ragged cloaks. To his surprise, several lanterns had been lit and placed around the room, providing enough light for the Chūnin to make out their faces without much difficulty. "Hey you, stop it!" one of them cried.
"Stay right there. You make one move, I'll fracture his shoulder in three different places," Shujinko replied menacingly. He was mostly bluffing about the extent of the damage his joint lock would cause as he had never used it on another person before, but he was confident it would still be pretty damn painful for his victim if he ended up going through with it. Meanwhile, the rest of Team Avatar gathered behind him. "Who are you? What are you doing in our house?"
"Please, don't do anything rash. This isn't what it looks like. We mean you no harm!"
"Is that so? Well, I do, so answer me or I'll start with this guy,"
Just to let them know he wasn't messing around, the golden-eyed boy began to make good on his threat by slowly stretching the stranger's limb, but Katara interrupted him before he could inflict any serious amount of pain. "Wait, Shujinko!" she yelled, grabbing the Chūnin by the forearm to make him stop. "This man… He seems familiar. Haven't we met him before somewhere?"
Frowning, the Ozuma ended the joint lock and pulled on the man's cloak, forcing him to turn around while still keeping him pinned to the floor. The light from the lanterns didn't reach the entrance, so Shujinko had to narrow his eyes and hold the stranger's head close to him in order to get a good look at his face. Shockingly enough, his hair and facial features did ring a bell, a loud one at that. "Oh, for the love of… Do you still not recognize me? Frankly, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, young one,"
…
"… General Sung?" The sheer puzzlement in Shujinko's voice was palpable, so much so that you could almost smell it in the air. The other member of Team Avatar were equally confused by this disconcerting turn of events, asking themselves what could possibly explain the presence of the army general in their domicile at this late an hour and under such, for lack of a better term, self-incriminating circumstances.
"Indeed, it is I. Now, if it's not much to ask, would you be so kind as to get off me?" Still very much bemused, Shujinko obliged and offered his hand to Sung, but the old timer refused the help and got up on his own, mumbling and grumbling as he did so. "Assaulted and held down by a mere boy. How humiliating! A man of my age and station shouldn't have to put up with that sort of indignity. What would my troops think of me if they saw this? My reputation would be dragged through the mud and then torn to shreds!"
"Let it go, Sung. However hostile the boy's reaction was, you cannot blame him for it," said one of the intruders, a man with black hair, green eyes, and mildly dark skin. He bore a chinstrap goatee shaped like a duck's tail, sharp and robust. His strapping physique, coupled with the deepness of his voice, gave him an air of authority that was almost intimidating, which was why Aang gulped when the man's gaze landed on him. "Judging by that arrow tattoo on your forehead, I presume you are the fabled Avatar I've heard so much about,"
"Y-Yes sir, that's me. My name is Aang,"
"It's an honor to meet you, Avatar Aang. Please, forgive us for sneaking into your home and giving all of you such an unpleasant surprise. Believe me when I say it's far from what we would've preferred, but clandestineness affords us protection. You will soon understand what I'm referring to, but first, allow us to introduce ourselves. These men here are the generals of the Earth Kingdom Army: General Yiwen, General Duanmu, General Khièu, and I believe you're already acquainted with General Sung. As for myself, my name is How, High General of the Earth Kingdom Army. Together, we form the Council of Five, and we'd like to have a few words with you,"
Aaaaaaaaand that was chapter 27. Hope you all liked it.
As promised, this chapter came out faster than they usually do (check the previous chapter if you wanna know why).
There's one specific point I'd like to discuss at length right off the bat, that being how Aang perceives the nature of the relationship between Shujinko and Katara. Let's get started, shall we?
While I'm not saying this story offers a flawless representation of Aang, I like to think I've done a good enough job portraying most aspects of his character so far, if not all of them. Most of the time, I don't find myself struggling to determine what things he'd realistically say, think, or do. However, there are instances in which getting his reactions right can be complicated as I feel it could go one way or the other. This scene is a prime example of that.
Aang is only 12-13 years old. Moreover, in the show, he never had any real competition as far as winning Katara's affection goes (Jet doesn't count since although Katara had a huge crush on him, said crush ended the same episode it started). These are the two most important things I kept in mind while writing his POV scene. I believe that Aang is quite mature in some aspects, yet lacks maturity in others, which is not only perfectly normal but also expected of a boy his age. Therefore, as someone who still has a lot of growing up to do, I believe that watching Shujinko and Katara having what could be called a" bonding moment" in private would evoke emotions within Aang such as frustration, jealousy, and insecurity, as well as other such as guilt and a bit of self-loathing.
He knows these emotions aren't fair to either Shujinko or Katara, but he can't help what he feels, and he berates himself for it. I'm sure many of us can relate to that. Aang's self-doubt is particularly highlighted here, for he can't tell for sure what's going on between them. Do they both like each other? Could they simply be growing closer as friends? Is the feeling mutual or one-sided? These questions serve only to feed his insecurities, and he's forced to keep all of this bottled up inside of him.
All of this is just to say that love and romance can be difficult, especially when there's friendship involved, and ESPECIALLY when you're a young teenager without access to parental wisdom or older sibling advice.
Moving on, we have Team Avatar being introduced to the Council of Five way earlier than in canon, and under very different circumstances as well. In order to set him apart from his fellow generals, I decided to make General How "High General", basically the top dog of the Earth Kingdom army. He's easily the most outspoken member of the Council of Five and he's the only one who has that "I'm in charge" vibe, though maybe that's just because three of the five generals don't have more than one line of dialogue (I was surprised to learn that they actually have names in the first place) and General Sung was a useless buffoon in the show.
I won't lie to you; the next installment will contain some more exposition / info-dump dialogue at the very beginning, as you can tell by how this chapter ended. However, once we get past the first scene, the story will finally move forward once again after being somewhat stuck for three chapters straight. In my defense, the Ba Sing Se conspiracy is the most (pardon the redundancy) conspiratorial part in A:TLA, so to speak. Couple that with my penchant for extensive writing and we get three chapters of almost nothing but "blah bah" as a result. It might be relevant "blah blah", but it still slows everything down for too long, which is neither ideal nor what I want to have in any of my fics.
Speaking of the next installment, I honestly don't know when it'll be ready, and don't be surprised if it takes me a while to get it done. Not only will I spend most of February away from my computer, but I also want to make time for my other stories as I haven't been giving them half the attention I give to this one. I sincerely hope you can understand my position and sympathize with me on this.
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Peace!