Chapter 5 — The Resolution of its Partial Horror

In the darkness Toph worked to repair the riverbed from where it had collapsed. Instead of its normal course down the ravine and over the waterfall near where Yue had fallen, a distance upstream it had been diverted underground with the destruction of the surface structure. It was eerie to see the volume of water flowing down into the darkness. Zuko felt tight remembering how close they had come to death. Drowning while trapped underground was one of the most disturbing ways to die. Cavers sometimes encountered it, as sudden rain on the surface, even fairly light, could cause immense changes once flowing through underground caverns. Caves were notoriously complex and unreliable. He wanted to continue checking the tunnels out but was sure Toph would never agree to it again.

She grumbled and cursed as she rebuilt the ground. "They messed everything up."

He and Sokka exchanged a look. Earlier it had been left to the wind what exactly had diverted the river but, once there at the site, the cause was obvious—an earthbender.

He and Aang stood with flames to illuminate the area. Appa was close by, if they needed to leave to the mansion suddenly, and his ears were better than theirs by animal instinct. Zuko felt safer with the bison nearby.

"That's how they were getting in and out of the seemingly closed tunnels," said Sokka. "They were earthbending. If you think about it, a firebender wouldn't have needed a torch. That explains the ash I found."

"Is there anyone here who can earthbend?"

Piandao responded, "No. My and Suki's students are all recruited from the Fire Nation, and for that not even the colonies, and I'm not aware of any of them having Earth lineage in any capacity. I've certainly never seen any of them earthbending."

Suki and Katara had been too far to have seen the river; the latter only felt the disturbance in its flow at the furthest limit of her sense. By the time they reached the site, the culprit was gone.

Zuko said, "They had to know we were going down there. Whoever did this was here, today, in earshot of us."

Aang asked, "Can we conclude the firebenders among the students are safe from suspicion?"

"No," replied Piandao. "They could be working with the earthbender. However, at least with this evidence we can make the case that Fire is not the sole perpetrator. That is better for our diplomacy but complicates our situation personally. There is another problem. I found one of the hawks missing, the one homed to Ba Sing Se."

Sokka said, "So, they're communicating with someone in the Earth Kingdom."

"We can't conclude that," Zuko said carefully. "A student might have used it."

"I don't see why they would," replied Piandao. "No one here has family or friends there."

"I'm not sure, but we should refrain from drawing a conclusion right now," said Zuko. He hoped no one noticed if his flame wavered or the nervousness he felt picking at the edges of his expression. It was obvious in hindsight that they would notice he'd sent out the hawk. He couldn't admit to it as Katara had specifically advised him not to ask Azula for her input—she would lose another piece of her faith in him—and he would look foolish in front of the investigative team, which would besmirch his title as Firelord. He was thankful for the night's shelter. Zuko wondered how old he would be by the time he stopped making mistakes. If she finds out, I'm going to lose her, the one good thing that's ever happened to me. She'll leave, and I'll never see her again.

His flame had grown higher with his anger at himself, and he inched it back down again. Aang looked over, and Zuko didn't meet his eyes.

They slept in until noon. As exhausted as they all were, no one wanted to do anything that day. Instead Piandao and Suki had their students, in turn, give a performance of their training routines, and they closed evening watching individual duels. Haoran squared off with Caishen. Each held a sword up until the starting cue, and then they began a fierce trade-off of blows, meeting parry for strike. The former refrained from using firebending, even as the latter grew more and more intense. Their duel lasted the longest of anyone, and the group watched in awe. Haoran had soft hazel eyes and his brown hair was set in a provincial-style bun with a simple wooden pin. As Caishen pressed him, he broke a sweat and his teeth grit in concentration as he struggled to keep up. Caishen had ink-black hair with parted bangs, done in a top-knot, and around his waist was a copper chain intertwined with the yellow fabric sash tying his outer jacket. His eyes were piercing, and his face still.

Piandao watched them carefully, contemplating something. Sokka looked troubled as well, enough that Suki noticed and laced her hand around his arm before herself looking back in worry at the fight. Haoran lost ground every time he supplemented his blocks with a backstep, and he had been driven to the edge of the sparring ring. Suddenly, he shifted his stance, cursed, and drove forwards, throwing himself at Caishen and taking him to the ground by his waist. The sword clattered aside. "What's your problem?" Haoran yelled, and he drew his empty fist back to strike him.

Piandao stood and shouted, "That's enough!" However, the hit landed, and Caishen's head banged to the side. He spat blood. Furious, he grabbed Haoran's collar and returned with his own punch. Sokka and Piandao rushed forward to pull the two apart from the brawl. The master dragged Haoran by the arm, leaving him staggering up to his feet to follow, and took him aside to speak privately. Caishen threw Sokka's hands away from him and began brushing himself off. As he looked back to the group, his face was tight, and he turned to stalk away, ignoring Sokka's orders to wait.

Zuko asked Suki, "What was that about?" Sokka returned to them and took a seat, looking frustrated, and began bouncing his leg.

Suki replied, "I'm not sure, but it doesn't bode well. He might be involved, or know something, given the timing."

"No," said Sokka firmly. "Haoran is a good kid. They both are."

"Then what?"

"It's not that unusual for men to fight. It's probably an argument over something dumb and will resolve by tomorrow." Despite trying to reassure them, it didn't seem like he himself believed that, and he fidgeted until getting up to find Piandao without another word.

Both the young men were placed on punitive duty and made to scrub the bathrooms and kitchen, which took them a week. Meanwhile, while Toph refused to enter the lava tunnels again, she did walk them around the area and tell them their locations, which Sokka charted onto a map, one of special complexity as the tunnels not only moved over the X and Y axes but also varied in depth along the Z. Yue remained with the Kyoshi Warriors and Suki, and began spending most of the daylight hours by the gardens, reading books with Wen. Hua had unofficially invited herself to train with Piandao's other students, and forced them to show her how to use a sword and throw a real punch. They were scared of her at first, as she was boisterous and commandeering, but in a few days she had calmed down as they permitted her to learn, and by the end she was indistinguishable from the young men.

Eight days after the incident in the lava tunnel, they were seated to lunch when informed that a group had arrived from the harbor. Yue, fearful, stood up and begged Piandao, "It's the sailing crew coming to check in with us. Please don't tell them anything about what happened. They'll ship me back to my father if they knew."

"Princess Yue, I assure you I will keep your secrets if you want me to. Let's meet them and let them know you're well." He nodded to the servant, who hastened back to the doorway to show the group in. Zuko prepared himself, thinking that the embassy they'd sent had finished their business in Caldera City with his advisors and come back to meet with him personally, and he would have to give them an address to return with for Chief Arnook. He rose and straightened his outfit.

The group entered the dining hall. They were not the sailing crew and embassy. A dozen men in black and green outfits stood in stiff form, their faces obscured by wide-brimmed hats. One in front had his face bare and addressed them. "My name is Xiao Dan. I have been ordered by the Earth King to investigate the incident of the attempted assassination on the Northern Water Tribe princess. These men are agents of the Dai Li, a group in service to the Earth King." He was around forty-five and had a refined voice, and reminded Zuko strongly of the politicians of the Fire Nation. The man's hair was tied into a ponytail, and the buttons of his outer jacket gleamed in carved jade. His left arm was bandaged, the white wraps peeking out from under his long sleeve, and he had a short-trimmed black beard.

Piandao addressed him as the others stood up to join Zuko. "I was not informed that the Dai Li were coming. Do you have an introduction note from the Earth King?" He did, and offered the slip of paper to him. Its crisply white page was stamped with his official seal. Powdered jade was added to the ink to give it an unmistakable glimmer, similar to how his father had sometimes added gold when signing something of import. Piandao continued, "In fact, I'm not sure how the Earth Kingdom became aware of this event, as we did not send you any notice."

"A concerned witness informed us, and the decision was made to add our resources into the investigation. After all, this is a matter of international concern. If the Fire Nation has resumed attacking—"

"We have done no such thing," Zuko cut in. "Yue is a personal friend of mine. I would never consent to that." As Katara stepped to his side and placed a hand at his sleeve, one of the Dai Li agents stirred, but momentarily resumed his previous stance standing with his hands behind his back obediently, and, with his face in shadow, they could not tell his reason. He wore a high collared shirt under his outer vest.

Briefly Xiao Dan looked amused, and then resettled his expression into a mask, much in the way Azula and his father often did. "Well, Firelord, if you have not consented, perhaps an actor from your Nation went ahead of their own accord to initiate it, but that matters not, in the end, as the result will be the same from our perspective. We would like permission to remain here until the matter is clarified."

Piandao replied, "While it is true that the White Lotus will gladly offer assistance towards the goal of international peace, I am not equipped here to host your party. You'll have to find lodging in the town. As you can see, I'm already hosting several guests, as well as two schools of students, and my means are at their limit. Additionally, for security reasons you will need to check in and out at the front gate, as I am having the boundaries kept under watch, and I am afraid you will not be able to come and go at any hour you please unless the guardstaff permit you in."

"That will be fine. I'll be checking in with you regularly for the status of your investigation, Master Piandao." With that finalized, he turned to leave, having the entire time ignored the presence of the Avatar, but gave a look to the member who had stepped out of line earlier. As Xiao Dan and the rest of the agents left the way they came, walking in an ordered row, that man stayed behind. Piandao glanced to Zuko, then followed after the others to see them out, leaving their group alone with the person.

The remaining man hesitated. Only when they could no longer hear Piandao and the rest of his group did he raise a hand to remove his hat. Around his wrist was tied a blue ribbon, and his hand was scarred red. He took down the hat and discarded it to the floor. "Katara," he whispered. His mid-brown hair was as unruly as before, but the wheat was gone. Across every visible part of his body he was horribly scarred in rippling burn marks long since healed. His face as well was streaked across his cheek and nose-bridge, and part of his hairline was higher than the other side, where, likely, his scalp had sustained damage that destroyed the follicles.

"Jet," she uttered, stunned. Seeing the extent he'd been injured, it looked, for a moment, like she would cry, but she steeled herself and pushed it back, leaving only anger at the surface. "Why don't you get back on that ship and leave?"

"Wait. I've spent two years trying to find you again. I thought you would be happy to see me alive." She had never told him, in the end, that she knew about the incident in the red forest and despised him for it, and he must have gone on thinking they were still romantically interested, but only temporarily separated. He began untying the ribbon from his wrist. "I've kept it safe for you. Part of it was burned, but I've had it repaired the best the artisan could. Here." He gave her a warm smile. His lips and skin were flecked in the pink of what Azula had done to him.

Katara's emotions boiled over. "You've had that this whole time? Why are you still carrying it around like we have anything to do with each other?"

"I wanted to return it to you someday." He offered it to her, holding it out with two hands like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"Go jump in the harbor."

"Katara, please," he implored, his voice pained and soft. "I came here to take you back to the Earth Kingdom. You don't have to work with that Fire monster anymore."

"I happen to be dating him."

"Is he making you say that? Katara, come with me. Here, this meant a lot to you, right?"

"I don't want it, Jet. I don't want a single thing from you."

"It's yours, so take it back. I'm not a thief."

"Why not? You're already a murderer."

"And what is he?" He jabbed a finger towards Zuko. "How many people has he killed? The Fire Nation took my parents, they took your mother, and now you're giving yourself to him of all people?"

"He's a better man than you."

"I doubt that."

Zuko doubted it as well. Despite his anger, Jet held himself back, and had refrained from raising his voice into any shout. He hadn't held back in the papermill, and he seemed, to Zuko, to have greatly matured since then. His bearing was professional and reserved, even in the unpleasant situation of having his former lover rebuke him and rebuff his lingering hopes. Katara seemed to utterly despise him and was livid. "Katara, wait," said Zuko. "He's here as a diplomat."

"I want him gone. He's a monster."

Jet seemed hurt by that, and turned his face away. He pocketed the ribbon, then fitted his hat back on, blocking out his face from further inspection. "And what about you?" he directed to Zuko. "Are you going to force me to leave?"

"You are welcome to investigate the incident as a member of Xiao Dan's party. I'm sorry this assassination attempt happened, and I want to do anything I can to rectify it. We are at peace now."

Jet waited a moment, almost like he had something more to say, but then left, walking quietly in the direction his group had gone.

She glared at his back until out of earshot, then turned to Zuko. "Why are you humoring them?"

"Because I have to, Katara."

"I don't understand that. You're the Firelord, you can just send him away. He hates the Fire Nation, he's killed innocent people just to have a chance that one of them might be Fire. Don't let him be here."

"Katara, I have to." He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "Listen, I can arrange a boat for you to take, to return to Caldera City or to go meet with my family at the training camp."

With urgency she grabbed his sleeve. "No, don't do that. I don't want to leave you, not alone near him. I don't want to see you hurt again."

"My sister was the one who nearly killed me, ultimately—not him. He's the one who spared me."

"Don't trust him, Zuko. Stay next to me."

He bent down and kissed her. With his lips to hers, she calmed herself, and her grip on his sleeve relaxed. When they parted, he said, "I can do that." Her eyes were wet, and he wondered at that, at how much she cared for him; she was the one in danger. If not Yue, then, with the attacker still loose, his next target could be Katara, and it might bring about the same end the unknown man sought.

Based on what she had told him, Zuko had long ago concluded Jet had only been using her and his proposed feelings for her were fabricated for convenience, but that judgement was cast into doubt as the young man had retained her necklace's original ribbon for two years. Given its state, with not a stain nor a thread astray other than what was inevitable from Azula's fire, he had kept it in good care the whole time. Zuko felt sorry for him to be turned away without the chance to finish his self-imposed mission. "Don't you at least want your ribbon back?"

"The one my father gave me suits me just fine."

Her brother, seeing how upset she was, refrained from commenting. She sniffled miserably, trying to keep her emotions confined internally, and took Zuko up on an offer to escort her back to their bedroom. He sat her down on the bed, and when he turned to leave, she tugged his sleeve to stay. As he ran his hand over her hair, he remembered when his own blood had stained the gemstone at her collar. From time to time he thought he could still see a trace of the blood remaining stained into the pale stone, although he couldn't say for sure. His own scars were lightened by her touch, those visible and those hidden beneath his clothing, but Jet had not received the same grace.

He was reminded how delicate she was, despite her wordless insistence to the contrary.

#

Later that evening, with Katara calmed and the Dai Li sent away to find their own accommodation in town, they gathered at a sitting room for tea, waiting to discuss the event with Master Piandao. Momo clung to Aang's shoulder and ran his paws down his ears to groom himself while Toph helped herself to snacks. Suki examined one of her fans, folding and unfolding it to inspect the mechanism for damage, then sheathed it, having found it satisfactory, and seemed not to know what to do with herself afterward. When Sokka returned from meeting with Piandao and reported that Yue was well and nothing was amiss. The Dai Li were obeying Piandao's stipulations and being respectful with the guidance provided by the student guards. "We know what that hawk was used for now," said Sokka. "Someone sent a letter to them about the incident, but who?"

Zuko minded his breathing to keep calm. He was the only one who knew that couldn't be the case, and that the hawk had taken his own letter to Azula, but couldn't admit that and so couldn't say anything to the contrary. He picked the teacup up, but it was still too hot to drink, and he stared down at the rippled surface in murky chartreuse.

"It doesn't make sense," said Sokka. "No one here has any connection to the Earth Kingdom, let alone the Dai Li."

Suki replied, "Maybe whoever is responsible sent the letter to request their help, though. After all, we know an earthbender is involved, and that would explain why they used a knife instead of firebending. After the Avatar's arrival, maybe they were calling for backup. Due to Toph's senses, they won't be able to get away with so much anymore."

Sokka looked expectantly to Zuko, but he still wasn't able to form a reply, and his mind was lost in his own mistakes. Instead, Sokka said, "King Kuei isn't our enemy. I met him at the North Pole. He knew nothing of the war until it was over, by which point his advisor was forced to reveal it to him. Apparently he's a sensitive type and they were trying to spare him from the stress. The trip to Agna Qel'a was the first time he'd even left the palace, let alone the Earth Kingdom, and he was ecstatic. He has the heart of a baby seal. He isn't in the dark anymore, and there is no way he would ever support the war beginning again. We can trust that much."

Aang agreed. "He made a promise as well that the Earth Kingdom would support peace. He signed the treaty himself."

Sokka replied, "Maybe the Dai Li will be useful and can figure something out for us."

Momo sat in the center of the table, working his way through a pear. Aang said, "Besides, Jet doesn't seem like he would ever hurt Katara. If he's with the Dai Li, maybe they aren't our enemies, after all."

"He wasn't being sincere," Katara replied sharply. "He just wants to use me for something, wants to get me to turn on Zuko to help the Dai Li destroy him, for whatever nefarious reason they've schemed up. That's what Jet does. He toys with people for his convenience, and he's only concerned with his own vendetta and satisfaction."

"Katara, we don't know that the Dai Li have any malintent," replied Zuko. "It's perfectly reasonable that they should be here to investigate." After all, they haven't been summoned by letter by the responsible party—that much is certain, even if I'm the only one aware of that. I don't know how they heard about this, but it's unlikely that they are working together. The Earth Kingdom probably has a few spies around my country, and they can keep them, what do I care. Let them see that I'm holding true to the treaty, if it makes them feel better about cooperating with me. And if I propose to Katara, they can go right ahead and tell Kuei himself. They'll be delighted.

Toph commented, "Besides which, Jet wasn't lying." She rested an elbow on the table to prop her head up and prepared to explain. "I can feel if people are lying or telling the truth through the vibrations from their breathing and heartrate. He was sincere with you. Honestly, I think he's in love with you, Katara. I don't know what he looked like, but he felt like a kicked puppy. You should at least go talk to him."

"You don't know what he's done. Jet is a monster."

"I don't think he is. Whatever his angle might be, he really cares about you."

"I don't want to hear that."

"Even if it's true?"

Katara inhaled and clenched her jaw, then refused to look at her or reply further. Toph, sensing how upset she was, refrained from pressing the issue. Suddenly Zuko found himself with his own problem. He hadn't known it was possible to sense a lie, and his heart pounded in his throat as he tried to think back to every interaction he'd had with the earthbender, trying to remember if she'd reacted, if he'd said something to cover up sending that letter to his sister; if, at the moment, she was already alerted to his guilt and was only waiting for the most painful timing to reveal it to the others, or until he'd further damned himself. The time to confess had already come and passed. Revealing it so late would only make them doubt him. He was, after all, his father's son, and not long past from when he had been their enemy. Zuko risked a glance at her, but her face was level, and she looked almost bored. He turned back to his tea.

After further discussion, they broke for the time being, and as everyone stood to leave to their own tasks Aang pulled Zuko aside and waited until they were alone. Katara, still irritated for her own reasons, had gone ahead with Suki. When the two were out of earshot, Aang asked, "Is something wrong? You seem like something is bothering you."

For a moment he considered confessing everything to Aang and asking for his help. He was gentle and intuitive, and knew Zuko's mannerisms too well to completely hide from. Katara overlooked him out of blinding trust, for the time being, although that allowance would be eroded with every mistake he continued to commit, but Aang would be understanding. Yet, it was the Avatar's job to be empathetic to every side, and Zuko didn't feel he could take advantage of that. "I'm fine, Aang. I'm just concerned about the incident. I want to clear the name of the Fire Nation and get the Dai Li off my back."

He didn't seem to believe him. He wasn't the same immature boy as when they'd met—his eyes showed it—but he didn't question him further. "Goodnight, then, Zuko."

"Goodnight, Aang. Just get some rest. We're probably all stressed."

As he moved towards the bedroom to rejoin Katara, he wondered nervously if Toph was close enough to have felt his lying heartbeat.

#

The next morning, Caishen disappeared. Piandao and Sokka went off by themselves somewhere, discussing it for a long time. That evening a package arrived for Piandao, a small wooden crate about a foot wide on any dimension. Inside was an object carefully wrapped and cushioned. It was a Buddha's hand fruit, lemon-colored with complex ginger-like structure and a strong aroma of citrus. On one finger-like extension was a ring of cast iron. Piandao pulled it off and placed it on his palm, examining it closely, then felt along the inner ring. Afterward, he passed it to Sokka, who did the same, then slipped it onto his finger and kept it. The fruit was ornamental, symbolizing prayer and luck, and its only utility was for medicinal purposes, as, after removing the thick and expansive rind along its large surface area, its volume of flesh, by contrast, was paltry. As a foodsource it was inefficient, but it had potent spirituality.

Neither would explain the event, and Caishen did not return. Haoran, his punishment term complete, examined the Buddha's hand on the altar they'd set it at, surrounded by precious beads and unlit incense. He looked at it a long moment before pulling his gaze away and leaving again wordlessly.

#

Xiao Dan: 曉丹 – cinnabar dawn. Basically Long Feng's #2 while LF remains in BSS.

Yes, the real villain all along: mathematics.