Chapter 6 — Yet the Enchainment of Past and Future
Toph glared. Not directly at anyone, perhaps, but she was glaring. In the yard she stood next to Sokka with a bold-faced frown of disapproval waiting for the four Dai Li to return. They had entered a tunnel, two going one direction and two the other. As it turned out, all of them were earthbenders, all but Jet, who had been recruited after demonstrating his skills against Azula. They had dragged him half-dead to the second best healer in the city (Katara, at that time, was obviously the best, in her own opinion) and stitched him up. After six months in physical therapy he was back to old form and welcomed the chance to have stable employment. His entire crew had been able to move to a better apartment in the Middle Ring. After all, she thought, he was the perfect candidate for them between his unrestrained hatred of Fire and his lack of family to hold him back.
Katara was also glaring. Jet stood across from her, opposite the entry hole from their group, waiting for his comrades to return. His hat obscured his face, but he still wore her ribbon on his left wrist, and she finally understood the reason for his high collar. She hadn't spoken to him since, and wished her brother would stop asking him questions out of curiosity. "So," began Sokka again, "You're not the standard police, not with the military, and not only royal guards. What exactly do you guys do all day? In Ba Sing Se, I mean."
Katara elbowed her brother in the ribs. He flinched and stepped out of her range. Jet answered, with a voice unnaturally polite, "The city is a big place. We handle things the regular police cannot, and also special projects for matters concerning the Earth Kingdom."
Sokka replied, "Yeah, but what do you really do on a daily basis? Just wait around for some royalty to be almost-assassinated?"
Katara slipped out a stream of water from her pouch, formed it into an ice-elbow, and rammed it into her brother's ribs. He yelped, began another step, then gave up and stayed in place while rubbing his side.
"There's always something. And if not, we train. I'm not a bender, so I have to train double to keep up."
Toph began tapping her foot.
After another twenty minutes of her torture, the Dai Li emerged and reported that the tunnel was empty in both directions, but there were connections to other tunnels, which they had not explored. "Due to the extent and complexity of the systems, it will be impossible to explore all of them, but we understand the situation well enough. These would make a convenient means of moving undetected."
Katara reminded them, "For an earthbender."
An agent admitted, "Yes, perhaps an earthbender. After all, Fire has made many colonies on our land, and partially interbred with the native population. Now that they've opened the world to such arrangements, there could be earthbenders who are not loyal to the Earth King."
It was phrased as if they were trying to blame Zuko. He bit his tongue, but Katara was standing close enough to him to feel the increase in his bodyheat from anger. They concluded the day's work and the agents and Jet stalked away back towards the town. Once they were gone, Toph let out what she'd been suppressing. "And why didn't they get drowned? They go in and nothing happens, but I go in and someone decides I ought to swim my way through!"
Zuko replied, "There might be too many people around for the culprit to have risked it now."
She huffed. "They had no problem trying to kill the Avatar. A bunch of rock-jumping hat-heads are more of a threat than us? I'll pummel them all into flat toads."
"Toph," said Zuko. "You're from the Earth Kingdom and I'm sure your father is well-connected. What do the Dai Li really do?"
"They keep tabs on everyone. And I mean it—everyone. There isn't one coin that changes hands they don't know about. Tax fraud, corruption, organized crime, but also attempted coups or political revolutions, subversive discourse at the university, books that disparage the king, that's all in their purview."
"So our issue at hand really does fall under their expertise."
"All I know is my father hates dealing with them. He keeps his business very, very clean to avoid getting a knock on the door from their ilk. Sometimes, people who cross them simply disappear and their family never sees them again. It isn't a good thing to have them here. And now even assassins don't bother trying to kill them." She kicked at the ground and put a small crater in it. "I'm going to find that River-whisperer and put him through a rock." Katara tried to picture what she could have meant by that, and came up with a toothpick inserted into a dumpling.
They still hadn't mentioned to the Dai Li about the incident with the waterbending illustrations and letter, and she wasn't going to. Next they'd be blaming not just Zuko but her father and Chief Arnook as well. It seemed like they were fishing for a way to pin it on someone it would be beneficial for them to destroy, rather than find out the truth, and she didn't like how they worked.
One week after the Dai Li arrived, they announced by messenger that they had come to a resolution with the case and were announcing it in the town. Piandao stood up so roughly his chair toppled backwards, and he slammed his hands on the table. "They most certainly have not. Sokka, they're up to something. Be on guard." His pupil nodded. "Avatar Aang, you as well. If anything goes wrong, you are the only one who can mediate. I've been watching them every step they've set on my property and they have not found any conclusive evidence, much less resolved it."
Zuko asked, "Then what are they up to?"
"Trouble."
Hua and a group of Piandao's students had come in, finished with their practice, and she came over to them inquiring what was going on, sensing how distressed they were. They gave her the summary, "The Dai Li believe they have solved the case and are having a public announcement in the town." She thanked them and left, but returned not long later with Yue and Wen, who wanted to attend the meeting. The embassy and her sailing crew had returned from Caldera City and were lodging in Shu Jing proper at the inn, and she wanted to check in with them. It was agreed upon, though he warned her, "Be cautious. Something isn't right."
As it turned out, the only ones who had been informed on short notice were they in the mansion, whereas the town was well prepared ahead of time. A stage had been set at the town square with a gathering area in front of it, and a curtain of rough canvas had been thrown up to frame the prospective speakers for visibility and a more official appearance, which waved in an increasingly hostile breeze as the sky clouded over. The stage was a simple raised platform of bamboo-wood, which Piandao said the town kept in storage for such events. Often the curtain was used to give performers privacy to complete their set-up, and it had been erected by habit. The crowd was thick. With Yue's sailing crew there, Earth and Water were also represented as visible by their clothing, though most were Fire Nation.
Xiao Dan approached them and led them to the side. "Firelord Zuko, Princess Yue, if you would come on stage as well, please, as your national representatives." Aang moved forward. "With respect, Avatar, you no longer have a nation to represent." Katara had an impulse to punch him, but Aang stepped back passively to wait with her. Zuko stepped forward to follow him, paused, then turned back to her. He brushed a finger along her cheek, then leaned down to kiss her softly. Over too soon, he parted from her and took his place on stage next to Yue. They moved behind the curtain at Toph's prompt, to be as close as possible to them but remain unseen by the crowd. The Dai Li waited at the other end of the stage, down at the side out of the way, and she couldn't tell if Jet was among them.
Zuko had worn his formal outfit, and the flame ornament gleamed gold in his hair. The day was partially overcast, but, as the sun shifted through the clouds, the metal lit brilliantly. Yue, finding her casual outfit of a blouse and skirt lacking, had changed into a silk ruqun belted at her waist with a white sash, its skirt in sky blue. It was equally as luxurious as Zuko's outfit but the color scheme the complete opposite. As they stood beside each other they were in stark contrast. Her hair was still undone and fell loose around her shoulders, and her neck was noticeably bare.
Xiao Dan announced himself and them, then began by pulling out a sheet of paper. Zuko was trying to keep his gaze at the crowd, appropriately, but looked curious about the paper. Katara peeked around the curtain at them, hoping not to be noticed by the crowd. Suki and her brother stood nearby with the curtain to their backs enjoying the privacy. Toph sat on a wooden crate she'd misappropriated from a nearby business, nearby Aang, but kept one foot planted on the ground to keep watch.
The man's tone of speech was well-rehearsed, formal and polite but still quite persuasive. If he had said that the grass was blue, the listener would turn his eyes down to look. Katara watched him for a moment, but had a firm dislike of him. He was cold and slimy, like something brought up out of the sea. She watched Zuko instead. Yue looked like a patch of snow beside a river, but Zuko was candlelight.
"I'm going to read to you a letter we have found in the course of our investigation. I will read it in full, so please wait until the end to voice any comments," he said, and took a pause. Something was off, and her stomach pulsed. She looked to Sokka, but he was not alarmed, and his ears were keen to listen passively. The man began reading.
"I need assistance but don't have anyone to turn to. I don't want to keep burdening our uncle, and cannot reveal any extent of weakness to others, but I know you will understand my purpose in writing. While it is true we've had our disagreements, we both have a common goal of seeking the best for our nation; therefore, Azula, I'm requesting your help." As he read, Zuko had flinched and stepped back, frozen in dread. "Someone has tried to kill Princess Yue, here in the Fire Nation, and I don't want this to turn into a new war, yet I don't know how I can hide the event. I don't want the world to lose their faith in my rule, nor doubt my dedication to global peace, but this event has put everything at risk. How should I proceed?"
Xiao Dan dropped the paper to his side and faced the audience. "The note was signed as 'Firelord Zuko.' Indeed, an attempt had been made on Princess Yue's life, here at Master Piandao's property just three weeks ago. In fact, that is why we were here, as information and resolution alike have not been forthcoming while the Firelord took up at the academy's campus. He sent this letter to his sister in her prison cell in Ba Sing Se, seeking her advice on how to proceed covering up his murder attempt, or, perhaps, how to finish it."
Yue began to tremble, and turned to Zuko accusatively, clutching her hands to her chest. Zuko shouted, "It's not true, Xiao Dan is lying! He's trying to frame me!"
Katara could count her heartbeats. The first murmurs in the crowd sounded out, and then it gradually drew to alarm. Zuko continued his defence, yelling, "The letter is fake—I didn't write that. I have nothing to do with my sister anymore and I'm certainly not taking orders from her." He punctuated his words with passionate gestures, which leaked into flames at his fingertips as he swept his arm.
She turned to her brother and the group, all of whom were wide eyed, and they pushed to the other side of the curtain to intervene. Toph stood up and said, "He's lying." Everyone stopped, uncertain, and looked back to her. "I can sense it. Zuko is lying."
On stage, subject to all eyes, Zuko stood alone and continued to angrily deny the accusations, but in his fervency and desperate insistence it only sounded like the denial of a guilty man. Physically he was becoming more unsteady, and he spun, looking between Xiao Dan and the crowd, all of whom watched him in horror. He was wide-eyed and breathing roughly, and began pointing at the Dai Li and shouting that they were traitors framing him. The crowd did not take well to the statement, and no one defended him, but they drew into a murmur and then outrage.
Yue moved towards him and tried to say something, her hand extended forward in a plea, but her voice was too quiet and was drowned out by the audience, who began shouting further questions at the Firelord, offended both by his demeanor and lack of explanation. Before she could step towards him, the Dai Li got between Yue and Zuko and ushered her off the stage as if protecting her. Zuko had fists curled in flame and kept shouting that it wasn't true. He had not made a move towards attacking her, but that wouldn't be how the audience would see it from their angle, as they saw only him losing his self-control.
At the edge of the stage, Sokka asked her, "Katara, you're the closest to Zuko. What do you think?"
Meanwhile, Toph repeated, stunned, with one hand on the stage beside her to establish sense, "He really is lying."
"No, no way," said her brother. "Katara, come on. He can't be… Right?"
She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. The man on stage wasn't the Zuko she knew. If she admitted it, he resembled his father. "I trust him. Even if he's lying, I trust him." Resolute, she leapt onto the stage and ran to him.
He wheeled around, perhaps thinking she was a Dai Li coming to subdue him, and his fist was wrapped in flame as he swung it around to strike her. His eyes were wild. At the last moment he saw it was her and pulled back, letting the fire damper out, and she threw herself into his chest.
The crowd didn't know how to take it, and Zuko was brought to calm. The audience quieted down as they conferred amongst themselves what it meant. Her friends were inching out, wary of the Dai Li and distracted by what was happening with Yue, and whether they would need to intervene, whether the Dai Li were only protecting her or if they meant to abduct her. During that pause, when they should have made a statement to take charge of the situation, when the Avatar should have asserted himself to mediate, Aang was too concerned with the safety of Yue and worry for his firebending teacher, and they missed their only chance. The crowd began the next breath roaring, "She's a witch, the waterbender can manipulate people."
"She can grab your blood and pull you around like a puppet. Look at what she just did to the Firelord!"
Horror flooded her mind. She separated from Zuko and stepped forward to face the crowd, dizzy and feeling as if a sharp light were shining heavy upon her shoulders, trying to defend herself and gesturing, "That isn't true. I've never used bloodbending on anyone!" She realized, after shouting that, that she was acting just as Zuko previously had, and she was already caught in the Dai Li's web.
"Bloodbending?"
"She called it bloodbending. That wasn't written anywhere in the letter."
"She knows about it. She's even named it, for Agni's sake, she's guilty. The letter was true." The man held up a leaflet—several others also had copies. Each was four pages thick and they were folded together, an exact replica of the note she'd received.
Katara backstepped, muttering, "No, no. I didn't. I wouldn't…" How could they know about the letter? "Zuko, what's going on? Zuko?"
He was still, staring at the crowd, with acknowledgment passing through his expression. "It's over."
"Zuko, what do you mean? We can still explain it. Zuko!"
The first rock was thrown. It slammed into the back of her head and she fell forward until caught in his arms, stunned by the force and pain. On reflex she pressed a hand to her scalp, and when she pulled it back her palm was bloody.
"The witch is controlling the Firelord!"
She froze up. Zuko pulled her to him while a loud noise extended behind her. Toph was lifting a wall of stone to protect them from a wave of projectiles they were throwing. Aang had been, at that time, running forward to get between them to mediate, but was halted by the stone barrier. Sokka leapt on stage and shouted, "It's too late for that. Aang, come on, we need to get out of here. Piandao will know what to do."
They began running. As they were in the Fire Nation, many of the crowd were firebenders, and bolts of flame began to slam into the stone or curve above it. The curtain went up in flames as they dodged around it. Her hand was in Zuko's as they raced breathless, seeking shelter, and the riot took the city. Their group dove into an alley and tried to get out of sight. Toph led them, able to feel out a course, and Sokka kept nearby her, wary for whatever she could not see. They were heading in the opposite direction from the mansion but could not double back, and the scene behind them rose into a commotion. Jolts of fire rose into the air, and the few town guards who existed did not seem to be able to stop it, though she wondered if even they weren't joining.
They paused at the edge of town, unsure of how to proceed. Sokka looked behind them. "Suki?" Katara looked back, but she was not with them. "Suki!" he shouted.
"Wait," said Aang. "Everyone will hear."
"I can't leave her. Aang, come with me, we're going to look for her. Toph, take Zuko and Katara and get out of here. If the crowd finds them now, they'll be torn limb from limb. Take cover somewhere until we can stop the riot."
"We should help," she said. Zuko was out of it, in a state of shock, and didn't meet anyone's eyes or say anything.
"No. You need to get out of here," said Aang. "I'll take care of it for now. We'll meet at the campus later."
Sokka said, "We can't reason with the crowd when they're this far gone. You two need to not be here. I'll see you soon, Sis." He and Aang left to find her, and the three proceeded alone.
If Zuko was blindsided to the point of indecision, Katara felt so just as much. They let Toph lead them out of the boundary of Shu Jing, and they slid down a hillside destroying the grass beneath their feet, sinking into the empty countryside in silence. Tears stung her eyes, and she gripped Zuko's arm to not stumble.
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Zuko tried to keep putting one leg in front of the other. He felt more weary than he ever had, even while wandering burned and starving. In less than two years he'd lost everything. It would be the shortest term of any Firelord in all of history. His eyes burned, and throbbing pulsed behind his eardrums.
Katara's hand slipped from his. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Please, don't leave me," and reached for her.
She had paused to wipe dirt and tears from her face, and, when finished, looked to him and retook his hand. Her palm was warm, soft, and her fingers pressed his reassuringly. He smiled, but couldn't hold the expression up, and set his jaw again.
Toph had paused to wait for them. She hadn't said anything since Aang and Sokka had left. Zuko felt like a worthless burden, and entertained leaving the two and turning back to face the crowd alone. Doing so would mean, however, leaving Katara's grasp, and he couldn't separate from her after all, so they continued hiking through the low rolling hills, broken like torn-up paving tile after an earthquake. The town was no longer in sight.
The temperature was dropping into evening, and crickets surrounded them, keeping a perimeter of silence with chirping only in the distance. Their clothing was grass-stained and powdered over in kicked-up dust. She made no earthbending movements, not wanting to announce their location to pursuers, and they proceeded quietly as the sun descended. It had been over an hour. He was desperate to know what was going on, but possibilities only brought nausea to contemplate, and the words repeated in his mind, 'It's over. Everything is over.'
They settled down into a covered overhang in a hillside, sheltered by hanging roots and wild grass. Katara's continued presence at his side was miraculous.
