we all want love/we all want honor

Part 11: nobody knows that she's a lonely girl (and it's a lonely world)

"She got both feet on the ground, and she's burning it down."

- Alicia Keys, "Girl on Fire"

For the record, Aang had told them the swamp was important. When the Avatar said stuff like that, people were supposed to listen. But Sokka and Katara had been so insistent, Aang had allowed himself to go against his better judgement and ignore that persistent feeling telling him to land.

Bad move. He shouldn't have even been surprised by that tornado. Gyatso had trained him better than to ignore a spiritual calling like that.

And now the three of them were lost, stuck without Appa and Momo. At least they had each other.

Until they were forcibly dragged apart by vines.

So now he was wandering the swamp, searching for Appa, Momo, Katara, and Sokka, all while trying to figure out why it was so important for him to be here. Which was when he heard the giggling.

He turned around in time to see a flash of white disappear behind a tree.

"Hello?" Aang called. There was no reply, just more laughter. He followed the sound, and spotted a little girl in a white dress. She was playing with some kind of weird animal- it looked like a pig with wings. That's no pigchicken...

"Who are you?" The girl turned in his direction and waved, then ran off. Her pig flew away.

What on earth...? Pigs can't fly. That's ridiculous.

"Hey! Come back!"

As he got closer, he realized that there was something really familiar about the strange girl. But he didn't think he'd ever met her before.

"Who are you?" Aang said again, running towards her... and right into Katara.

(Once he realized it had been a vision, he wondered if the girl was someone he'd known in a past life... but something about that didn't feel right.)

The plantbender explained how the swamp showed people visions of people they'd loved and lost.

"What about my vision?" Aang asked. "The girl I saw... she looked familiar, but she definitely isn't someone I loved, or lost."

"You're the Avatar, you tell me," the sage older man said.

Aang considered everything he'd learned today.

"Well, if we're all branches of the same tree... then maybe she's a person someone else has loved and lost? Or will lose?"

"Could be," the man (they really had to get his name) said, shrugging.

"But who? And why did I need to see it?" He stared up into the tree, as though he might find his answer somewhere amongst the branches.

"I dunno, kid. The swamp is a mysterious place. Even if it doesn't make sense now, it'll all work out some day."

Aang nodded. That sounded like something Gyatso would say. Today, think about what it is you can do today. Don't borrow tomorrow's troubles.

Even so, the image of that tiny girl, and the sound of her laughter, stayed with him.

After the disaster that was Chin Village and Avatar Day, Sokka decided they should look for an earthbending teacher somewhere a little more friendly.

"Ooh, how about here?" He pointed to a spot on the map that looked like it was only a day or two away.

"Gao...ling," Aang said, reading the name aloud. He shrugged. Gaoling, huh? Sounded as good a place as any.

(That map had all Fire Nation colonies, territories, and other places that were friendly towards them (and therefore, not friendly towards the Avatar) clearly labeled.)

(Unfortunately, it was ten years old.)

There was something weird about this place. People in town were looking at them kind of strangely, and whenever they passed a house that had people outside, the people quickly went inside and shut the door behind them.

"Do you guys get the feeling that we're being watched?" Katara asked nervously. Sokka considered this.

"I think she's right. Aang, what do you say we get out of here?"

But Aang wasn't listening.

"Aang?" Katara asked, as he started walking away from them, towards a large building that looked like some sort of mansion.

"Guys, this is it!" He pointed at the emblem on the gate. "That's the flying boar from my vision! I think I was meant to come here. Maybe whoever lives here knows something about that girl!"

"I don't know about this, buddy," Sokka said. "Whoever lives here is probably someone important. We wouldn't want to bother them."

"Yeah, but I'm the Avatar," Aang said. He raised his hand to knock, then paused. "Actually, why don't you guys explore a little, maybe find out what's going on in this place."

"Wait, you're going in alone?" Katara gaped at him.

"Don't worry, Katara," Aang said. "I'll be fine. I feel like this is something I'm meant to do."

"And I feel like this is a crazy plan that's going to get us all killed," Sokka said, "But no, go ahead, follow some crazy sign from a swamp-induced hallucination, go right ahead."

"Thanks, Sokka!" Aang said, and knocked on the door.

"What? No that was meant to be sarcasm! Aang-"

Katara grabbed her brother's arm and dragged him away.

"Come on, Sokka. Why don't we go shopping?"

The servant who opened the gate looked up and down the street before quickly waving him inside.

"Don't just stand there, we don't want to attract any attention, come in, come in!"

Aang wrinkled his nose, but followed the tall man inside.

"Lord Beifong, you have a visitor," Aang heard the man say.

"A visitor? We don't get too many of those," a second voice said. "Who is it?"

"I'm not sure sir, I didn't get his name, I just brought him inside before anyone could make trouble."

"Very good, bring him here then."

The servant waved him into the parlor, where a kindly-looking man with a mustache sat, sipping tea.

"Greetings, young man, I am Lao Beifong," he said. "Who are you, and what brings you to my home?"

Aang paused, unsure of where to start. I had a vision in a swamp that led me to you didn't sound like a very good conversation starter.

"It's good to meet you, sir," he said instead. Then he pulled off his hat, revealing his arrow. "My name is Aang, and I'm the Avatar."

He was invited to stay for lunch.

"Avatar Aang, I must admit that I don't quite understand why you decided to come to Gaoling, of all places," Lao said. "it's not exactly safe for someone like you."

"What are you talking about?" Aang looked up from his rice.

"You... don't know?" The lord looked sad. "I'm ashamed to admit that, several years ago, I agreed to an alliance with the Fire Nation. They have several soldiers stationed in town right now. If they were to discover your presence here..."

"WHAT?!" Aang stared at the man. He seemed so nice. "Why would you do that?"

"At the time, there seemed like little other option," Lao said. "They were coming, the only question was whether they would burn the town to the ground or let us live in peace. I chose the decision that would allow my people to live."

Aang considered this, and then nodded.

"When people are relying on you, you do what you have to do to keep them safe," he said. "I don't like it, but I can understand where you're coming from. But if that's the case, why are you treating me so nicely? Won't you be in trouble if the Fire Nation finds out I was here?"

"I made my deal with Fire Lord Azulon, the current Fire Lord's predecessor," Lao explained. Azulon... why does that sound familiar? "I wouldn't say that he was kinder than Ozai, but he was certainly more reasonable. We had an agreement, and he kept his word. Ozai, however, has not."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked.

"I would rather not discuss the details, but suffice it to say I entrusted Fire Lord Azulon with something important to me, and Fire Lord Ozai did not take care of h- it," the older man explained, scowling. "There's nothing I can do to stop him, but I am happy to help you with whatever you need. So, tell me, what brings you here?"

"Honestly, Lord Beifong, it's kind of a crazy story," Aang said. "I had a vision of a child, playing with a flying boar, and when I saw the sign on your gate, I thought it might have something to do with you. Do you have any kids?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Lao said. He rang a little bell, and the servant returned. "Fa, please bring Ling from the nursery."

The servant, Fa, left, and returned a few minutes later with a small child, one who looked a lot like the girl in his vision. The kid was about five or six years old, with pale skin, black hair, and a face resembling that of the girl from the vision. There was just one problem.

"I'm sorry," Aang said, shaking his head, "It's not him. I don't suppose you have a daughter?"

Lao froze.

"What did you say?" He waved his hand, shooing Fa and Ling away.

"Well, your son- Ling, did you say his name is- looks exactly like the kid I saw in my vision, except the person I saw was definitely a girl," Aang said. "Maybe she's a relative? Her skin was a little paler than his, and she was wearing a white dress with a pink flower, and her eyes-"

Her eyes.

They'd been clouded over.

"Spirits, it was her," Aang breathed. He'd only seen her face a couple times, and never close enough to get a good look at her, but now that he compared the face from his vision to the one from the boat, and the giggle he'd heard in the swamp to the laughter he'd sensed in the voice of a tiny girl wearing a mask, he could see that they were the same. "The Blind Bandit."

"Did you just say... I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong," Lao said. "I thought I heard-"

"That's what she was talking about. She was saying that she's not fire, she's earth," Aang said, his eyes continuing to widen. "Lord Beifong, do you know anything about Prince Zuko? Or do you have any blind-"

"Get out." Lao's voice was cold, but Aang could hear the rage simmering underneath.

"What-"

"I welcome you into my home, at great personal risk," the man said, standing up, "And you mock me by insulting the memory of my beloved daughter."

"So you do have a daughter!" Aang hopped out of his seat in excitement. "Maybe it is-"

"My daughter is dead," Lao hissed. "She's gone, and it's all the fault of that prince and his father. Now, I would like you to leave."

"But-"

"Avatar Aang," Lao said, pointing to the door, "If you are not out of this house this instant, I will have Fa call for those soldiers I mentioned were stationed in town."

What neither of them realized was that someone else was listening to their conversation.

(Ling Beifong may not have been an earthbender, but that didn't make him useless. As soon as he heard his father order their guest to leave, he ran out the back door and snuck out through the garden gate.)

As soon as Aang walked out of the front gate, Katara and Sokka were on top of him.

"Aang, we gotta go, this place is swarming with Fire Nation soldiers," Sokka said.

"I heard," Aang said, looking back at the mansion sadly.

"Did you figure out what your vision meant?" Katara asked as they hurriedly walked through town, trying not to attract too much attention.

("Stupid, outdated map," Sokka muttered.)

"Yeah, I think so," Aang said. "But I don't think I was able to do much. Lord Beifong didn't seem interested in listening to what I had to say."

"At least you tried," Katara said. "You can't help everyone, Aang. I'm sorry."

"I know," he said, sighing.

What happened here? Why is Lao so convinced that his daughter is dead?

They'd reached the edge of town. and were approaching the area they'd hidden Appa, when a pale-skinned woman in fancy clothing ran up to them.

"Stop!"

Katara reached for her waterskin, but Aang shook his head.

"Wait," he said, and she lowered her hand.

"Who are you?" Aang asked.

"My name is Poppy," the woman said. "I'm Ling's mother."

"Oh!" Katara didn't recognize either of those names, but they clearly meant something to Aang.

"My son- Ling, he said," Poppy huffed, clearly out of breath from running after them. "He said he heard you telling Lao that you knew something about Toph-"

"Toph?" Aang asked, looking confused.

"My daughter," Poppy said. "Please, do you know what happened to her?"

"I'm not sure," Aang replied. "The last time I saw her-"

"You saw her?" Poppy's eyes widened, brimming with tears. "You mean, she's alive? Do you know where she is? Please, if you know something, tell me."

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen her in months," Aang said. "I don't have any idea where she might be now."

"But you did see her?" Poppy asked. At Aang's nod, she let out a sigh of relief, and tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you, Avatar. You can't understand what that means to me."

"I think I have some idea," Aang said, smiling sadly, and Katara thought of all the people he'd lost, people he knew he'd never see again.

"If you don't mind, could you tell me where you last saw her?" Poppy begged.

"It was a few months ago, up north, near Taku, but I don't think she's there anymore," Aang's smile turned mischievous. "She saved my life."

"Really?" Poppy said, wiping her eyes, as her brow furrowed in disbelief.

"I swear on Kyoshi's name," Aang said. "If not for her, I would not be here now."

When they were finally able to leave, Aang promising a grateful Poppy that he would try to send her a message if he saw her daughter again, Sokka and Katara were quiet for a long time.

"Aang," she said, finally, "Did you really see that woman's daughter? This isn't like the Zhangs and the Gan Jins, is it?"

"Of course not," Aang replied. "It was the girl from my vision. I finally remembered when I'd seen her before."

"And when was that?" Katara asked.

"Like I told Poppy," Aang turned to look at her, his face framed by the light of the setting sun, "she saved my life."

"They can see the flame that's in her eyes."

- Alicia Keys, "Girl on Fire"