It took us a few minutes to find them.
Quietly signaling to us, Toph slowly made her way toward the two with a smirk on her face.
Dressed as busboys, Aang and Sokka were busy catering to the guests around them when Toph cleared her throat as soon as she got close enough.
"Another crab puff, please," Toph said, adopting the exaggeratedly refined tone of a high-society guest.
Surprised to hear a familiar voice, Aang looked over happily.
"You found us!"
"I'd know your little footsteps anywhere, Twinkle Toes."
She smiled behind the fan covering her mouth.
Presenting her with a tray filled with pastries, Sokka glanced at the three of us.
"Thanks for letting us in!" he said sarcastically, a tight smile on his face.
I shrugged before crossing my arms.
"I told you two to wait with Katara and Toph while I went to get your invitations."
"Oh, here are the invitations, by the way."
I handed them over to the two.
"What the—lower servants?!"
"It's cheaper this way."
We had barely started looking around for the Earth King when frantic footsteps approached our group.
We turned to see who was responsible.
"What are you doing here?!"
Joo Dee whispered anxiously, a crack appearing in her usual composed expression as she darted her eyes around like a terrified mouse.
"You have to leave immediately, or we'll be in terrible trouble!"
She tried to usher all of us toward a side entrance of the hall, but Sokka stepped in front of her, blocking her path with his tray.
"Not until we see the king."
Sweat poured down Joo Dee's face as she gave him a desperate look.
"You don't understand. You must go."
As she tried to push Sokka aside, I moved behind him and firmly planted my feet, bracing an arm against his back to keep him in place.
"Relax. I've got the invitations right here."
I flashed one of the invitations at her, causing a flicker of confusion to cross her face.
She snatched the small golden sheet from my hand and examined the engravings detailing the party.
"B-But I didn't give you this invitation...?"
Meanwhile, I shot a glance toward Katara.
She immediately understood my silent message.
Catching the others' attention, the four of them slowly began slipping away from our group, heading deeper into the palace in search of the Earth King while I kept Joo Dee distracted.
That was when a flying glove of rock suddenly wrapped around me, restraining me before yanking me away.
============================================
The moment the library door swung shut, Sokka, now out of his busboy disguise, walked up to the man responsible for having us kidnapped.
"Why don't you let us talk to your King? We have information that could defeat the Fire Nation!"
Seated on the bench before us, the head of the Dai Li, Long Feng, sighed.
"The Earth King has no time to get involved with political squabbles and the day-to-day minutiae of military affairs."
"But this could be the most important thing he's ever heard!" Aang pleaded with the powerful man before us. If only we could convince him...
"What's most important to his royal majesty is maintaining the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. All his duties relate to issuing decrees on such matters. It's my job to oversee the rest of the city's resources, including the military."
"A job that you're apparently not doing so well at—" Toph muttered irritably, only for me to cover her mouth with my hand as Long Feng's gaze briefly settled on her.
"So... the king is just a figurehead?" Katara whispered, finally understanding the meaning behind his words.
"He's your puppet!" She grabbed my hand and pulled it aside before yelling at him.
"Oh, no, no!" Long Feng raised his hands in surrender, immediately dismissing the accusation. "His Majesty is an icon, a god to his people. He can't sully his hands with the hourly changes of an endless war."
"But we found out about a solar eclipse that will leave the Fire Nation defenseless. You could lead an invasion..."
That seemed to strike a nerve. Long Feng abruptly stood, annoyance filling his expression.
"Enough! I don't want to hear your ridiculous plan."
Crossing his arms behind his back, he turned toward the firepit, which spewed green, royal flames.
"It is the strict policy of Ba Sing Se that the War not be mentioned within these walls."
"Our economy would be ruined. Our peaceful way of life—our traditions—would disappear."
"In silencing talk of conflict, Ba Sing Se remains a peaceful, orderly utopia: the last one on Earth."
... The way he spoke—I could feel the conviction behind every word. Long Feng wholeheartedly believed that this was the best course of action for his country.
"You can't keep the truth from all these people. They have to know."
Katara tried to argue, but Aang cut her off as he stepped forward, pointing a finger at the administrative leader.
"I'll tell them! I'll make sure everyone knows!"
A brief silence fell over the library.
Long Feng took a slow, heavy breath.
"Until now, you've been treated as our honored guest."
He turned around and bent slightly to meet Aang's furious glare.
"But from now on, you will be watched every moment by Dai Li agents. If you mention the War to anyone, you will be expelled from the city."
Seeing that even the threat wasn't enough to deter the Avatar, he turned his back once more.
"I understand you've been looking for your bison."
He tilted his head slightly, watching the surprise and hope that flashed across Aang's face.
"It would be quite a shame if you were unable to complete your quest."
A second was all it took for Aang to process his words.
Hope shifted to fear. Fear shifted to anger.
Yet Long Feng seemed completely unfazed as he returned to his seat.
"Now, Joo Dee will show you to your home."
The doors to the library swung open.
A figure quickly jogged inside and stopped before us.
Goosebumps spread across my body as my eyes flickered over her face, body, and posture.
Something was wrong.
"Come with me, please."
"W-What happened to Joo Dee?"
Katara could only stare in shock, her hands flying to her mouth.
"I'm Joo Dee."
The newly arrived woman smiled.
Her facial structure was completely different. Her features were different. Even her posture wasn't slightly off.
Yet she smiled as though she were the exact same woman we'd spoken to only minutes ago.
"I'll be your host for as long as you're in our wonderful city."
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