The ice spear streaked across the sky, heading straight for its target, a sand ship carrying Kuei, who was mulling over everything that had gone wrong with his plan, after being launched with such force that it broke the sound barrier.
Unable to discuss these matters with the Dai Li, he decided to reflect on them. Perhaps he could speak of them with the leader of the Red Lotus, one of the few people he considered his equal because of their ideals and strength.
'It seems there's still something amiss with the Dai Li's mental control. No matter how many adjustments are made, that balance between mental flexibility and absolute loyalty still hasn't been found.' King Kuei reflected, glancing sideways at one of the Dai Li who remained kneeling before him. His gaze was fixed on the floor of the sand-filled boat; he dared not lift his head.
'Could the foundation be flawed?" Could the hypnotism technique be defective? Should I delve deeper into the brain and consciousness? If I want to solve this problem, it seems that I must go to its direct root.' A terrifying idea was taking shape in Kuei's mind: something that would cause great harm and change many things. However, he could not bring it to fruition because his attention was drawn to something approaching him.
"Watch out!" Shouted one of the Dai Li. He used earthbending on the sand, turning it into a pile of stones. With the help of his allies, he stacked the stones into a wall. However, the projectile had a target in its sights.
The ice spear pierced the hastily created defense, further weakening the already compromised structure. The ice shattered into large chunks that fell onto the sand ship.
The vehicle they were riding in was crushed by the falling ice, destroying its structure. Those near the oasis drew attention because it isn't every day that you see ice falling from the sky at sonic speeds.
However, others saw an opportunity. What if they placed these chunks of ice in the spring where the spiritual ice had been? What better sales pitch could there be than the reappearance of this marvel that literally fell from the sky?
Thus, Kuei watched as people began carrying the enormous ice fragments with grim expressions on their faces. He was angry but also frightened. The idea that had just emerged in his mind was extinguished and could not be recovered. He was so consumed by rage that he didn't realize he had missed a turning point in his life.
"How could the Sage Shisui have done such a thing?" the king asked himself in a low voice, doubting everything. His heart felt as if it were about to leap out of his mouth because he had come very close to death.
One of the largest fragments had fallen beside him, and splinters of the ship's wood had struck his face. His earth armor protected him, so he was unharmed. Had he not been wearing it, he would have ended up with a disfigured face, even if he had survived.
"Should we retaliate, Your Majesty?" asked a Dai Li. Kuei frowned upon hearing this because he wanted to say yes, but knew he was incapable of facing Shisui and the others head-on without resorting to tricks.
"No! Hurry, let's return to Ba Sing Se! Now!" the king shouted, somewhat agitated. This caused the Dai Li to freeze for a moment before nodding and getting to work.
Meanwhile, Kuei stood silently, watching the crowd carry away the ice and unsure how to take this turn of events. At least he had survived, which was what mattered. However, his hatred for Shisui had grown even stronger.
How he hated the Sage!
...
"Do you think your attack will reach him? He must be really far away by now," Zuko said, placing a hand on Shisui's shoulder. Shisui was exhausted from expending so much energy on that throw.
"I don't know! I left a tracking device on him, so it should hit. Though I don't expect it to hurt them. The spear won't withstand traveling at such speeds for so long. It'll lose its structure because I can't constantly reinforce it," the Sage replied with a big smile. Though he was still angry, he was now in a better mood.
His actions served as a kind of release, but his true revenge would come when he could strike Kuei again without fear.
"Shisui! Um... thanks," said Aang, appearing beside Shisui and causing him to look over. Shisui was still smiling and even wrapped his arm around the Avatar's neck.
"You're my friend! I care about Appa, too. How could I let a bunch of spineless bastards hurt him?" The Sage replied effusively, earning him a roar of appreciation from Appa, who walked slowly toward him.
Appa stared at Shisui, then licked him, making the human burst out laughing despite being covered in saliva. He stepped away from his friends and hugged the flying bison as tightly as he could.
"I love you too, my great friend," Shisui murmured as he sank deeper into Appa's thick fur. He felt quite comfortable there, and, in fact, his negative emotions began to fade.
"Azula, be careful. Appa's going to steal your husband," Ty Lee joked. The princess slapped her on the back of the neck. Mai covered her mouth reflexively, as if they'd done it many times before.
"But seriously, I'd like to see how that attack turned out," Suki remarked, fanning herself with one of her tools. The desert heat was quite harsh and intense.
"We can ask him when we get to Ba Sing Se. How dare that guy plan something like that?" Sokka complained, kicking one of the explosives destroyed by Shisui. He felt uncomfortable with the situation.
Fortunately, they were prepared for this situation; had they been caught off guard or had fewer people to rely on at the time of the incident, things could have turned out very tragically.
"Seriously, doesn't this justify our action? Like that time," said Petra, glancing sideways at Azula. She had her head down, resting her chin in her hands, deep in thought.
"Who knows what those guys want? Sometimes I don't understand them. But those questions will be answered in the future," the princess replied after thinking about it for a moment. She didn't quite believe that this was simply a ploy to provoke them or a display of superiority. No one would be that foolish, right?
"I have an idea. What if that king just wanted to meet Shisui and put himself on his level? It seems like he has some inferiority complex," Katara commented. She had been silent, thinking about everything that had happened.
"Oh, of course he does, and a very serious one at that. He said some really weird things to me down there. He ruined my visit to Wan Shin Tong. I don't think he'll let us go back. Although the professor stayed inside...well, he's an adult. He can decide where to stay," replied Shisui. He climbed onto Appa's head and raised his arms toward the sun as if he wanted to embrace it.
"The guy really believed every bit of nonsense he told me at that moment! If he'd told me he wanted to be king of the world, at least I would have accepted it," said the Sage, making a legendary gesture that none of his friends understood. No one bothered to ask, though; they'd seen him do similar things in the past, like strike completely impractical yet fabulous poses.
"The best part was that he was scared. I could feel his heartbeat. It sounded like a drum at one of those festivals," said Toph as she sat comfortably in the sand, adjusting her seismic sense to it.
She had done this with other types of sand before, but it was always good to practice and improve. She trained her Earthbending whenever she could, wanting to integrate it more deeply into her life rather than just using it as a crutch for her partially resolved disability.
She wanted to reach Shisui's level; he seemed to Waterbend with every movement of his body and in every moment of his life. She was impressed by the artistic performance she had missed at the South Pole and wanted to be able to do those things herself in the future.
Now, nothing could stop her from learning to play instruments! Toph had a silly smile on her face as she perceived the world in two different ways and picked up more details about what was happening around her.
"By the way, Azula, can you help me wash my hair?" Shisui asked suddenly. The general conversation stopped abruptly, and everyone turned to look at him. Even Toph focused her attention on him.
"Bro, you're a waterbender, THE WATERBENDER. You're the one everyone thinks of when they see a puddle of rainwater. And you still can't even wash your own hair!?" Zuko exclaimed, pointing at his best friend, who hopped down from Appa and landed next to the prince.
"It's a skill I haven't mastered for some reason. I really can't wash my hair," the Sage replied with a big smile as he reached up to his head and removed the golden ribbon that held his ponytail in place.
His long hair cascaded down, reaching all the way to his lower back. Perhaps because of the good mood he'd gained thanks to Appa, the Sage began shaking his head wildly.
"Ah, I'm so jealous! Just look at him. He's doing that to show off!" Ty Lee grumbled. Shisui gave her a mischievous smile and tossed his hair with his hand.
"Can't you just waterbend and wet your hair?" You could even add a little soap," Sokka remarked in disbelief. Was what those two were saying true? Could a waterbender really not wash their hair?
"No, not really. Besides, why would I miss the chance to be in the bathroom with this beauty?" Shisui moved closer to Azula, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her close.
"Hehehe, you deserve a little extra pampering this time. How about I put your hair in two pigtails?" Azula asked, her expression completely serious, though her cheeks were slightly flushed from the intimate gesture.
"Huh? Shisui with pigtails? Do it!" Petra exclaimed. Her green eyes shone brightly as she and Ty Lee approached the couple. They started a discussion with Azula about how she should style Shisui's pigtails and whether she should add more.
"Girls! What are you waiting for? Come on over here! We don't always have hair this perfect to decorate!" Ty Lee called out to the others, causing Katara to glance at Suki, who shrugged.
"Ohohoho! I knew that's why it took you so long to say that. I have a hairstyle I'd like to try on Shisui first. Maybe I can try it too!" Toph said as she got up from the ground and approached them without hesitation.
Meanwhile, knowing that she'd be dragged along by Ty Lee if she didn't move, Mai approached as well. However, her posture couldn't hide the gleam of interest in her eyes. She had ideas to try out on Shisui's hair, too!
Seeing that they were the only ones left, Katara and Suki approached the Sage. They surrounded him, playing with a strand of his long hair and preventing him from escaping. He couldn't have done anything anyway. Azula was clinging tightly to him, and he didn't dare be rough with her. He became a plaything in the hands of her friends, who chatted among themselves about how to style his hair.
Shisui peered through the cracks at the outside and saw Zuko, Sokka, and Aang standing together and watching the scene unfold. He didn't have to speak; his golden eyes conveyed all he wanted to say, but his friends looked away.
Would they mess with the girls who were so excited right now? None of the three was foolish, naïve, or eager to die enough to do something so stupid! Thus, the sage understood that having such perfect hair was a blessing and a curse.
Still, he loved his perfect hair all the same!