Avatar Katara

The City of Walls and Secrets

Two earthbenders pushed the monorail car forward. Katara looked out the window and leaned back in her seat. "I can't believe we're finally going to Ba Sing Se!"

"Hey, don't jinx it," Sokka hissed. "We could still be attacked by a giant exploding Fire Nation spoon! Or find out that the city's been submerged in an ocean full of killer shrimp!"

Toph raised an eyebrow. "You've been hitting the cactus juice again?"

"Hey, I'm just saying. Weird stuff happens to us."

A man with a vacant expression shoved his way into a seat between Sokka and Toph, chewing some strange yellow plant.

"Don't worry," Katara promised. "We'll find Sang."

"It's such a big city."

Sokka scoffed. "He's a giant flying bison. Where could someone possibly find him?" Then he saw Ba Sing Se.

Enormous wasn't a big enough word to describe the city. Buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. She could just barely make out a wall in the distance, and then more buildings beyond that. Finally, the car came to a stop, and the team disembarked.

Toph sighed. "Back in the city. Great."

"What's wrong with the city?" Sokka asked.

Toph shrugged. "It's just a bunch of walls and rules. Just wait. You'll get sick of it in a few days."

Rina looked over the edge of a terrace and into the city. She blew her bison whistle. "Just wait for it, buddy. I'm coming for you."

She turned back to the monorail track. The cars sped by, revealing a woman with long dark hair and a light yellow dress. She approached them with an unnaturally wide smile on her face.

"Hello, my name is Joo Dee. I have been given the honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se. And you must be Sokka, Rina, and Toph. Welcome to our wonderful city! Shall we get started?"

Sokka was practically jumping up and down. "Yes! We've got important information about the war, and we need to talk to the Earth King immediately!"

"Great, let's begin our tour! And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it!"

"Maybe you missed what I said. I have information about the war. It's important."

Joo Dee's smile widened. "You're in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe here."

---

An ostrich horse pulled the ornate carriage through Ba Sing Se. Katara winced as she saw the rundown buildings and grimy streets. So much for a utopia.

"This is the Lower Ring," Joo Dee explained.

Rina squinted. "What's that wall for?"

"Oh, Ba Sing Se has many walls. There are the ones outside protecting us, and the ones inside that maintain order. This is where our newest arrivals live, along with our craftsmen and artisans. People that work with their hands. It's so quaint and lively!"

A man held a knife to another man's throat. Joo Dee winced when she saw that. "You do want to watch your step, though."

Katara looked out the window. Then she caught sight of a familiar scarred face standing outside a tea shop. She just barely managed to catch the name of the shop before the carriage passed by.

What would Zuko be doing at a tea shop?

Rina had a different question. "Why would you block off all the poor people in one part of the city?"