Chapter Text
“I still can’t believe you taught someone how to use earthsense and you’re not even an Earthbender!” Toph said, waving her bare foot in the air to demonstrate. “I still can’t get Twinkletoes to be able to feel more about the earth than just that it’s annoying when sand gets between your toes.”
“I mean, I didn’t really teach him.” Zuko protested, dipping a toe into the water and swirling it around a bit. “He already knew about it, I kinda just told him to meditate then hit the ground a lot. Wish training him could have meant less damage to my sword hilt.” He moaned.
Sokka snickered from where he was pouring over some of the maps he’d lifted from the library, one hand straying to caress the still-spotless pommel of his stupidly named sword. Which was already a much greater make than the dao that Zuko had stolen from some random Earth Kingdom bully even before he’d subjected them to hours of hitting against rock.
Zuko rolled his eyes and surveyed the area, part nervous tick, part taking in the admittedly gorgeous scenery. They had managed to find a beautiful oasis on the outskirts of the desert, one with a waterfall leading into a gorgeous pool with bits of fauna growing along the slippery rocks. Katara and Aang were practicing their waterbending, more like playing, as Toph, Zuko, and Sokka had sat on the stone. Zuko had taken a dip at first to cool a bit and wash off the grime and sweat that he’d been wearing like a second skin, but had never been a huge fan of swimming. Certainly not to the extent that Aang and Katara were, nor Uncle. The elder firebender had sequestered himself to a nearby potion of the oasis where the natural curve around the rocks led to something of a separated pool. Based on the amount of bubbles and steam, Zuko was guessing he had made it into his own little sauna.
At least, that’s what he hoped the bubbles meant.
“Still, I’m almost impressed.” Toph said, grinning. “I kinda want to meet this guy.”
Zuko was very sure that if Toph and Sensu met, they would either get on like a house in fire, or the world would split at the seems. Maybe both.
He was excited to introduce them, and hoped that he would manage to find that small, nameless town again after everything. He was about to say something to that effect when suddenly Katara shouted, “Waterbending bomb! Yeah!” She jumped into the water, making a much larger wave than someone of her size should have and both shooting Aang out of the water and splashing everyone else.
“Sure,” Sokka said as Zuko struggled to tug his rapidly-growing-and-now-shaggy hair out of his eyes. “Five thousand year old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on them.” Zuko rolled his eyes, five thousand year old was an exaggeration, and if it wasn’t then they would be nearly useless for the collection of islands and archipelagos that made up the Fire Nation.
“Sorry.” Katara said as she rung water out of her hair.
Sokka sighed heavily. “Zuko, can I get some help here? Just- dry these off?”
Zuko rose a brow. “You want fire near these five thousand year old maps?” He asked scathingly.
Sokka winced, and Katara snickered but bent the dampness out of the parchment as Aang meandered over. Uncle sighed and reluctantly pulled himself out of the water to make his way over, his skin tinged with the bit of pink that confirmed Zuko’s suspicions about the elder firebender had been doing.
“Did you figure out what route we’re going to take?” The Avatar asked. Zuko stood to look over Sokka’s shoulder as well, so that only Toph stayed on the ground. The map wasn’t for the Fire Nation, but the much more constant and enduring Earth Kingdom.
Sokka hummed, his finger running along lines on the map. “Okay, we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here.” He glanced at Iroh, and the man, with all the experience of someone used to navigating the Earth Kingdom via map with his troops, nodded in agreement. “And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass.”
“You sure that’s the best way to go?” Toph asked.
Sokka shrugged. “It’s the only way I see, you know, without Appa to fly us there.”
Zuko breathed deeply at that, trying to calm himself, but evidently not doing a good job considering the bit of flames that slipped past his nose. He was still furious with the sendbender, and he had to grit his teeth not to react worse when Katara shushed her brother.
“Katara it’s okay.” Aang said with a positivity that couldn’t be real, but was possibly necessary. For him. Zuo would keep being negative, thanks. “I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse.”
“Oh, well okay.” Katara said, glancing at Zuko. The firebender wasn’t sure what she saw in his expression, but she was still uncertain when she turned back to the airbender. “I’m glad you’re doing better.”
Sokka started rolling up his maps. “Then to Ba Sing Se we go. No more distractions.”
“Ah,” Uncle said. “I may have more information on that.” He put out a hand to stop Sokka, and used that hand to point to a spot on the map a tad to the west of Serpent’s Pass. “I have spoken with some Earth Kingdom Pai Sho friends, and the one at the misty springs oasis claimed that there was a ferry somewhere around here. I actually have friends waiting with tickets for Zuko and I at the ferry entrance. We may have to find it, as I hear it is hidden to keep from being discovered by the Fire Nation, but it should be a safer route.”
“That’s what the passports you mentioned were for.” Aang said, remembering the man’s comment several days past.
Iroh nodded. “With the prestige of both the Avatar and a Beifong, you should have no difficulty getting in. So long as one has a passport, or the correct documentation, the door is open to all refu-“
“Hello there, fellow refugees!” A new voice suddenly called.
Zuko whirled, his hands on the pommels of his Dao and ready, as always, to move. He stopped when he spotted who he yelled, blinking in surprise. “Than?”
The three newcomers seemed equally as surprised. “Lee? Mushi? What are you doing here?”
“Oh great,” Sokka mumbled very softly behind him. “Back to the name thing.”
“Uh,” Aang looked back and forth between the travelers and the firebenders. “Do you guys know each other?”
“No Aang.” Sokka said sarcastically. “They just guessed each others’ names.”
“We traveled together for a while.” Iroh said with a friendly smile. “Hello Ying, how is the little one?”
“Still kicking like an earthbending brawler.” The woman said proudly, hands rubbing along her stomach.
Than smiled at her warmly. “We are on schedule to arrive in Ba Sing Se before the birth, thanks in no small part to you. I cannot believe you beat us though, I thought you had stayed in that town for a while after we left.”
“We, uh, managed to get some expedited travel.” Zuko said awkwardly, not offering any more detail. There was an awkward pause, eventually broken by Katara.
“Great! We can travel to the ferry together! Maybe you can help us find it.”
Than nodded, smiling. “Wonderful! Any chance your map shows Full Moon bay?”
Sokka watched as a platypus bear feasted on an old man’s cabbage cart, horrified but still respectful of the amount of food the animal was able to eat at once. This line was the worst, and it moved so slow. They still were nowhere near the front. It was sobering, to see the crowds trying to get into Ba Sing Se, and this was just one day, hours after the ferries had started running. How could one town fit them all?
Suddenly, Iroh and Zuko popped up beside them, the teen looking cross, and the old man looking like someone who had just tried to argue with Zuko. Although, he was the only person who seemed to consistently win arguments with the teenager, so that was something. “What’s up?”
The old man waved his tickets. “We have spots on the next ferry out.”
“What?” Sokka exclaimed. “That’s in like ten minutes, we won’t be anywhere near the front the line by then.”
“Exactly.” Zuko growled, casting a look at Iroh that would make a non-firebender smolder. “We should trade the ticket so that we can all be together.”
“Can you do that?” Katara asked.
Iroh grimaced. “Possibly, but I doubt it would go smoothly. Ba Sing Se takes its security very seriously. I do not want to give them any reason to look at us, or at our documents, more closely.”
“I… guess that makes sense.” Aang allowed. Zuko huffed, but didn’t actually have anything to refute that. He just wanted people to know he didn’t like it. That was his ‘I’m angry that I don’t know what to yell’ huff.
“Beyond that,” Iroh began, “I have been thinking. It may be beneficial for us to come in separately. Ba Sing Se is split into three sections, the Lower Ring, the Middle Ring, and the Upper Ring. As simple refugees, my nephew and I will be routed to the Lower Ring. However, as the Avatar, you will likely be considered an honored guest and given lodging in the upper ring. While everyone is welcome in the Middle Ring, those in the Upper Ring are watched closely if they make their way down to the Lower Ring without clear reason, and those of the Lower Ring are denied entry to the Upper Ring without good reason as well. By splitting between the Rings, at least part of our group should have freedom to go wherever is needed.”
“Do you really think we need that?” Aang asked with a frown. “I thought we were just going to tell the king about the eclipse. He should be in the Upper Ring like us, right?”
“Perhaps.” Iroh said with an allowing nod. “However, the Sandbenders claimed that your bison friend was likely to be sold in Ba Sing Se. While those who could afford a Sky Bison would undoubtedly be from the Upper Ring, I have heard that the… less than legal practices are often conducted in the Lower Ring using disguises or bribes. Appa would likely be held by poachers within the Lower Ring before the sale.”
“Really?” Aang perked. “You think splitting up will help us find Appa?”
Zuko groaned, burying his face in his hands in frustration, knowing that his Uncle had convinced the Avatar to his side. Sokka had to admit, Uncle Iroh’s side was looking pretty good. If Zuko didn’t start adding actual words to his arguments, Sokka would have to slip to the old man’s side as well, as much as he hated the thought of separating again.
“Besides,” the old man grimaced. “It may be best if I do not join you in telling His Majesty of the eclipse. There are several generals within the palace that… well, that I should probably not meet face to face, as they may recognize me as the man I once was. My identity will be much safer in the Lower two rings.”
Zuko froze, and his frustrated stance melted, replaced by a determined set of his posture. Alrighty then, Iroh’s side it was. Toph probably read that and more in their stances as she nodded. “Alright then hurry up. You don’t want to get stuck with the bad seats.”
“Yeah, we’ll be okay.” Katara said with a nod. “We’ll tell the King about the eclipse, you keep an eye out for Appa.”
“We’ll all keep an eye out for Appa.” Aang corrected. “But we’ll tell you how the talk with the king went when we meet up.”
Iroh smiled, relief crinkling his wrinkled face. He did one of those small bows Zuko always did to show his appreciation. “My friend tells me of a fountain of Tui and La in the Middle District. It has a great noodle place nearby, people of every district go to try their soup. We can meet there at midday.”
Everyone looked to Zuko, though anyone well-parsed in his body language knew he gave up the fight the instant Uncle Iroh revealed that this would be safer for him. “…fine.”
The two bowed again, and Katara and Aang pulled them into hugs before allowing them to join the passengers boarding the boat.
Alright, the first difficult decision of Ba Sing Se resolved.
Hopefully this was a good omen.
Hopefully he didn’t just jinx it.