Embers: Chapter Twenty-Three, Part I
Mar. 13th, 2026 08:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
masterghandalfMG’s Note: First off, I’d like to apologize to everyone for missing out on last week’s post. Fortunately, I am fine, but my computer was in the shop! Fortunately, it’s all fixed now. Check out this post for more details.
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
MG: Well, everyone, it’s time to continue our journey through Vathara’s Embers! Last time, Vathara really hates Katara, is really racist against the Water Tribes, and Zuko turns out to have been binding people to him with loyalty all across the city without his knowledge, so in general… yikes. Today, we’ll see if that trend of “yikes” continues, as the rest of the Gaang return to Ba Sing Se and try to figure out what’s going on. Joining us today will be Aang and Toph!
Chapter 23
"Let me get this straight." Toph gave herself a little shake to get rid of the dust from her... mishap, with moving earth and two smarty-pants boys sneaking up on her with a flying bison. Totally not fair.
MG: All of which, uh, Vathara gives us no context for at all, so if you haven’t been keeping both this exact moment from early in “Crossroads of Destiny” and everyone’s subplots from “The Guru” in your heads the whole time – well, I guess you’re just out of luck, then! *muttering* See, scenes like this are why I just can’t take the “ignore canon and take the fic on its own terms” defense seriously, because so much of it relies on being familiar with the specific details of the canon to make basic narrative sense.
Toph: And, wait a minute, did Vathara just completely skip over me inventing metalbending? Come on – I thought she like me, at least! You had one job, Vathara!
Stations of the Canon: 42
"Aang had a spooky spirit vision that Katara's in trouble, so we're going to run right into Ba Sing Se after her?" She cracked her knuckles. "Aang, you get Appa down right now."
Aang: …why do I think I’m about to get lectured?
Toph: You’ve been paying attention?
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 33
"Hey!" Sokka protested. "Zuko's got my-"
"I heard it the first time, Snoozles!" I just don't believe it, Toph thought. There's got to be a good reason.
MG: I mean, Zuko thought he had a good reason, but… yeah, he pretty much kidnapped her. And in any case, he definitely does have her, regardless of his motivation, so Aang’s vision was accurate!
"I need to talk to you guys, and I'm not doing it where I can't see you."
"But Katara's in trouble!" Aang protested.
"Hate to burst your bubble, Twinkletoes, but you got that vision when, exactly? If she's in trouble, she's been there a while. A few more minutes? Probably not going to make much difference."
Aang: I mean, I didn’t know when the vision was – for all I knew it was in the future and I could’ve saved Katara if I got back to Ba Sing Se in time!
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 34
Toph pointed toward Sokka. More or less. "But it could make a heck of a lot of difference to us. You don't just jump into the ring in a rumble. You take a minute, you plan, and then you bust some heads."
MG: I mean, on the one hand, there’s a whole deal about waiting and listening for the opportune moment being key in earthbending, and that Toph in particular being so good at it is why it was so important Aang get her, specifically, as his teacher… but it’s still Vathara using Toph to lecture her friends, so I can’t really appreciate it.
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 35
"She's got a point," Sokka admitted reluctantly. "Appa could probably use a break, anyway. We've been flying all night."
"But it's Katara!" Aang objected.
"And I know my sister," Sokka said practically. "She'd hate it if we got hurt just because we didn't take a minute to put together a good plan. And this is Zuko. He may not have been up to beating all of us, even before Toph joined up. But you know he's not going to make this easy. And if he's working with Azula..."
Sokka let the words trail off, probably shaking his head. If she could only see. "This is why I need you guys to land!" Toph said, exasperated. "Where'd you get this crazy idea Zuko's working with Azula?"
"Well-" Aang started.
"On the ground, Twinkletoes!"
MG: *sigh* See what I mean? Toph is right, Aang and Sokka are wrong, take forty or so…
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 36
He Has Much to Learn: 76
Grumbling under his breath, Aang set them down.
Land, Toph thought gratefully, wiggling bare toes in grassy herbs. Stepping carefully, to avoid a patch of thorny bramble; she might not be able to see the thorns, but they grabbed into earth with a pattern of fine roots she'd been able to recognize for years. "Okay. How'd you get Azula out of seeing Zuko hit Katara?"
"Because after he hit her, he touched her head - and she just fell over!" Aang said impatiently. "Just like Ty Lee!"
Toph: *shrugs* I mean, you’re wrong there, Twinkletoes, but thinking of the only other person you know with an ability like that makes sense, so I can’t really blame you for it? Well, I can’t. The version of me in the story probably isn’t going to be so nice.
Toph felt Sokka's heart jump. "He hit her in the head?" Sokka asked. "You didn't say that before."
"Head, chest, what does it matter?" Aang grumbled.
Aang: Hey, I’m right here, and I’m not dumb! I know why head injuries are bad, thank you!
"Then I guess Zuko knows something Ty Lee doesn't," Sokka frowned. "When she hit me in the head, all she got was bent fingers."
Toph: …way I heard Snoozles tell that, Ty Lee tried to punch him in the front of the skull. No wonder it didn’t work – that’s the hardest part on him!
"Or he doesn't know anything about what Ty Lee does," Toph put in. Careful, Toph, she cautioned herself. You tell them the straight truth, and they'll listen about as much as they did to Zuko's note. So... bend it a little. "Look, I didn't want to mention this because I didn't want to get you guys upset... my parents? They're merchants. Really, really powerful merchants. Which means they deal with trade all over the world." She paused. "Even the Fire Nation."
MG: In other words, they’re war profiteers. And either Vathara doesn’t realize that’s the clear implication of what she’s written or she doesn’t realize why it’s bad (honestly, my money’s on the latter) because the fic never really grapples with the implications of this at all.
"Whaaat?" Sokka yelped. Hand fishing for Boomerang with the speed of pure reflex.
"Sokka, calm down!" Aang held out empty hands, warding off the anger. "That's the way things used to be. The nations are separate, but people visited each other. I used to visit Bumi all the time. Even the monks brought fruit we picked at the temple to the Earth Kingdom to trade for rice noodles, and things that didn't grow that good on a mountain."
"Yeah, but- now?"
Toph: Yeah, when the Air Nomads were still around the war hadn’t started yet! Now, I can’t promise you dad never did business with the Fire Nation – but if he did, he sure didn’t advertise it! Because after they’d been trying to take over the world for the last hundred years, people really didn’t like the Fire Nation! Even the Earth Rumbles had one competitor dress up like he was from the Fire Nation – what did happen to Fire Nation Man, anyway? – just so the rest of us could have a bad guy we could all beat up! And that didn’t even make sense! I can sure tell you my dad wasn’t having Mai or Ty Lee’s dads over for tea and business deals.
"I'm not saying it's a good thing," Toph said bluntly. "I'm just saying, they do. So I know some stuff about the Fire Nation." Some of which I just got from Zuko, but... keep going. "Ty Lee's a chi-blocker. That means she's not supposed to be outside the Fire Nation while there's a war on."
MG: And again, despite some of it being from Zuko, we’re still supposed to take Toph’s claims that spying on her dad’s business meetings makes her more worldly and knowledgeable about the war than people who’ve been living it at face value. And, well, especially considering this fic’s general elitism, that bugs me, a lot.
Divine Right to Rule: 68
Sokka snorted. "Yeah, well, looks like Azula didn't get that messenger hawk-"
"Zuko's been exiled three years."
Silence. Toph felt the two boys look at each other. "You already told us that," Aang said, puzzled.
"But we didn't think about it," Sokka admitted, unhappy. "You're saying Zuko can't know what Ty Lee does. Or they'd never have kicked him out."
"They probably would have stuck him in prison, or marooned him on some island even the sea vultures wouldn't land on," Toph nodded. "He sure wouldn't be running around loose."
MG: …except that per this very fic Ty Lee had been using Zuko as a training dummy at Azula’s urging for years, apparently. And there’s certainly no indication he didn’t know what she could do from the show itself. So all I can say is… huh? EDIT: On second thought, the wording has tripped me up here – it was making it sound like he couldn’t know about the technique, when I think the intended reading is that he couldn’t know how to do it. Which makes more sense. Though that brings us back to the frankly absurd level of secrecy the Fire Nation has around chi-blocking in Embers-verse, which is to the point that they could barely even use one of their most dangerous resources when they need them if they actually followed those rules.
"Ty Lee could have taught him," Aang pointed out. "I can learn other bending styles, he could- Sokka?"
The Water Tribe boy was shaking his head. "Told you. Ty Lee hits you in the head, all she does is hurt her hand."
Toph: …and it’s obviously impossible they were using different but related techniques you just mixed up? Especially since Aang didn’t actually see Ty Lee hit Sokka in the head…
He eyed Toph. "But you didn't think Zuko was working with Azula even before that. Why? She's his sister."
Aang: Well, the last time we saw them before this, they sure weren’t getting along?
"She wants to be the heir," Toph said bluntly.
"Yeah. We get that-"
"No, you don't," Toph bit out. "This isn't want to like, I want the last berry-cake. This is, cut off my own hand to get this."
Azula: *sticking her head in* Maybe my off-hand. I need the other one.
"Eww." Sokka shuddered.
"I don't get it," Aang said after a moment, patting Appa's side for comfort. "Why does it matter so much? The monks said your body was the house of your spirit, and you should always honor that. Why would you hurt yourself just for a title?"
Aang: …seriously? I’d been to the Fire Nation! Sozin was already Fire Lord then, in fact, and had been for decades! I know how powerful a Fire Lord is and why someone might want it! Why does Vathara think I’m so dumb?
MG: …do you want the short version or the long?
He Has Much to Learn: 76
"Were the temple elders just a title?" Toph shot back.
Aang: …yeah, but there were five of them and they usually made decisions as a group, so it wasn’t really the same thing? And I don’t think anyone was killing for that. At least not recently?
"They were going to take you away from Gyatso; that's why Katara said you ran away. And I don't blame you one bit. Anyone who tried to take me away from you guys, I'd squash him."
Toph: Funny how this version of me doesn’t even seem to like the rest of you and would much rather be with Zuko, then!
She slapped her palm with a fist. "But they thought they could do it, because they were the elders. It's not the title Crazy Blue Fire wants, Aang. It's the power. Some people... they're just like that. They're scary to be in the ring with. They don't just fight a good fight and learn from it. They do anything to win. Even cozying up to you for months, so they can jump you when you finally turn your back."
MG: …I’m kind of wondering when Toph fought someone like that, actually? At least from what we see, the Earth Rumble contestants were mostly pretty friendly with each other outside the ring. They only attacked Toph and Aang in “The Blind Bandit” because the Boulder misunderstood what he saw when Aang used airbending on Toph and thought they were cheating. And when the Boulder and the Hippo joined up with the invasion force in Book Three, they didn’t seem to have any lasting enmity with Toph even then. Maybe she fought someone like that in a previous round of the tournament and they just never came up in the show? *shrugs*
Toph puffed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "The Fire Lord's heir has a lot of power. Azula wants it. She's not going to help Zuko. Ever."
"So Zuko just wants to catch me for the power." Aang's shoulders slumped.
"No, he doesn't," Toph shook her head. Uh-oh. "I mean, I don't think so. The scary people, the ones who'll put a boulder in your back? They don't care about people. Zuko cares about Uncle. A lot."
MG: Doesn’t mean he’s not ambitious. And frankly, canon!Zuko mostly just wanted his honor and to have his father’s love and respect, but Embers!Zuko makes it plain he really does (or did, since his current status disqualifies him) want the throne. For an ostensibly altruistic reason (to keep Azula off it, and to help people more generally) but he definitely intended to be Fire Lord one day and saw catching Aang as his ticket to getting that.
"You're not making sense," Aang groaned. "If Zuko doesn't want to be the heir, why doesn't he just quit chasing us?"
"First off? He's got orders," Toph said practically. "Nobody in the Fire Nation disobeys the Fire Lord.
All Sporkers: *grind teeth angrily*
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 39 (adding some more points for this whole conversation)
And reason number two? If he quits, Azula is the heir. You think she scares us? You have no clue how much she scares Zuko."
MG: See what I mean? Zuko may not want the throne for selfish reasons (supposedly) but Vathara has made it very plain he does want it, as Toph acknowledges here.
She shrugged. "Sokka, I know this is gonna be creepy. But just for a minute? Try to pretend you're Zuko."
"That is creepy," Sokka shuddered again. "Grr, argh, honor?"
"Just shut up and listen," Toph scowled.
Aang: …so why did you ask Sokka to do it when you didn’t actually want him to?
"Think of it like - like the Fire Nation was your village. You'd be chief if your father died, right?"
"Well... yeah, maybe someday. Not soon."
MG: I mean, Vathara is going to eventually acknowledge it’s more complicated than that (basically, as Hakoda’s son Sokka would be favored to succeed him, but he’d still have to prove himself in his own right, an interpretation I largely agree with) but… close enough.
"So, think of your village," Toph forged on. "Only instead of Katara for your sister, you've got Azula. And if you don't pull off something impossible, Azula's going to be ruling your village. How do you feel about it? Not-" She waved her hands before he could talk. "Not what you'd do. How do you feel?"
There was a long, uneasy silence. "Scared," Sokka whispered at last. "I'd be... really scared."
"Zuko's scared," Toph said quietly. "He's scared all the time. You guys think he's an angry jerk? He is. But he's angry because he's scared.
Aang: …I thought he was angry because his own father burned, disowned and banished him? I mean, that’d make me pretty angry in Zuko’s shoes…
MG: Yeah, but we’ve got to hit on “Zuko totally had noble and selfless reasons for chasing you” and his actual motivation doesn’t work with that, so…
Prince Stuko: 124
For his people. His people, Sokka. Just like you're scared for the Water Tribe. And you know what? I don't blame him." She pointed toward Aang. "I'm on your side, Twinkletoes. I want the war over, and I want the balance back. But I don't care that you're the Avatar. You're my friend. I'm going to be there for you all the way.
Toph: I’m Aang’s friend! This version of me… I’m hedging my bets.
But you know Zuko. If he hit Katara when you weren't even there to catch - does that sound like one of his plans? Or does it sound like maybe we need to find something out before we crash the palace?"
Aang: Or he saw Katara an panicked, which… I think is basically what happened?
Prince Stuko: 126
She crossed her arms. "'Cause if you want to listen before you move, I think I know where we can go to start asking."
"Wait a minute," Sokka said thoughtfully. "How do you know that? We just figured out it probably wasn't Ty Lee-"
"My parents saw a lot of healers." Toph waved a hand in front of blind eyes. "They know how to put people out, too."
"...You think Zuko's been training with a healer?" Aang said at last.
MG: …okay, this seems like kind of a stretch, even if Toph actually does know Zuko is working with Amaya.
He wants to believe it, Toph realized, surprised. He wants to believe Zuko would do something that's not evil.
Toph: Yeah, Twinkletoes always wants to see the good in people, even his enemies. I figured that out within like, a day of meeting him. Why am I acting like it’s so surprising now?
"I think whatever he's up to, Zuko's not stupid. What if Azula caught them again, when Katara wasn't there? He almost lost Uncle. He's not going to do that again." She angled a blind glance Sokka's way. "And in Ba Sing Se? Anybody who heals is going to have to have a license. On record, where people can look it up."
"People, huh?" Sokka smirked. "I guess that leaves it up to us."
Toph grinned. "Not exactly."
Toph: …and the Dai Li are going to just let us wander into their archives and start looking up healers while they’re in the middle of a coup after we imprisoned their leader? Yeah, right!
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 42 (a few more points for the conversation as a whole)
-
Shift can't be over soon enough, Huojin thought. He wet his brush in ink to mark a few last, neat formal characters, finishing a report that explained exactly why someone had thought balancing on top of a lightpost was a good idea,
Aang: Sounds like it could be fun to me!
and the resulting injuries and arrests: one set of busted ribs, someone else's busted arm, and a warehouse crew hopefully now sobering up in the general disorderly cell. I need to get home.
He wasn't quite sure what he'd do at home, given what he'd heard. But with the feeling out on the streets... he wanted to hold his family. And not let go for a while.
We need to figure out what we're going to do.
He and Luli had discussed it. Hashed what they knew of the general's plan over and over again. And decided... well, that they couldn't decide yet.
Huojin knew what he wanted to do. Whether or not it was the right thing for his family... he didn't know. He just didn't.
Loyalty isn't easy, Meixiang had told him. It can break your heart.
Toph: Hey, here’s a thought, maybe you shouldn’t let magic loyalty run your life like this? Sure sounds like more trouble than it’s worth to me!
She'd sat him down for a good talking-to, not long after that hair-raising potluck. Filled him in on a few things he would have grown up knowing, if he'd grown up... somewhere else.
It was a heck of an eye-opener.
"Lee is a great name, and a firebender," Meixiang had said, after a few minutes circling around the point. "And he's sixteen. That's about the right age, in human terms, for a young dragon to strike out for his own territory. Or so my grandfather said."
MG: *sigh* Of course he is.
Divine Right to Rule: 69
The Superior Element: 66
The Ultimate Firebenders: 24
"A young what?" Huojin had exclaimed in disbelief. Bad enough he had spirits on his beat. Dragons?
"All children of fire are children of dragons," Meixiang answered simply. "Where did you think gold eyes came from? No other nation has them. Ever."
Aang: And Water Tribe people usually have bright blue eyes, and Earth Kingdom people usually have green eyes, and Air Nomads usually have grey eyes – what's the big deal?
MG: Well, gold eyes of the sort a lot of (but not all!) Fire Nation characters have don’t normally occur in earth humans... but that’s not really a reason they should stand out as especially unusual in-universe, where gold eyes are just… a known thing some people have. And not everyone has their nation’s stereotypical eye color in any case, though it’s common.
"You're serious," he said, after a long moment of shock. "You really think that some of your ancestors were..." He flapped his hands.
"Large, predatory, wise creatures, with fire breath and far too many teeth?" For once, Meixiang looked almost as impish as Luli. "Tell me it doesn't explain Lee."
Toph: Trust me, with Zuko’s history and his messed-up family, he doesn’t need to be part dragon to explain why he’s the way he is.
"Nothing explains Lee," Huojin said frankly.
Toph: ...are I going to have to start repeating myself here?
"So he's got a temper that should've gone to a dillo-lion. What's that got to do with me?"
"Dragons live in clans, just as we do. And those of lesser power seek those that are greater. They help defend the clan's territory, so all of them can hold more than just a strong dragon alone. And in return, the leader helps protect them." She had given him a sober look. "That's part of us, just as much as the eyes and the temper. You're a dragon's kin, and though you're not alone, you're not in the safety of a clan. And here is Lee. A strong firebender, who's already bled for your children." She'd spread her hands.
Divine Right to Rule: 70
Elemental Determinism: 58
Prince Stuko: 127
The Ultimate Firebenders: 25
"Your loyalty is your choice. But I thought someone should warn you that you will want to follow Lee. Whether or not it's wise."
Aang: Wait a minute... loyalty is a choice, but it’s a choice that someone can force you to make if they’re strong enough or have done enough for you? Because that... doesn’t realy sound like much of a choice, does it?
And if that didn't send chills down a sane man's spine, nothing would.
Toph: At least someone around here has figured that out! Get out of here while you still can, Huojin!
Which was why he was talking everything over with Luli. She might look like pure bounce and happiness, but his wife had a patient ability to poke at things from every angle, trained by long years coaxing beauty out of solid rock. If she thought Mushi's plan was a good idea...
Toph: ...or you could walk right into the dragon’s den. Literally. Guess that’s that, then.
I want to go. I really, really do. It's wild and crazy and risky - and they're going to need some Guards, to keep people behaving long enough to start working together. "We're all in this together" has a nasty tendency to go south the first time somebody swipes a bigger piece of fruit-tart than the next guy.
Aang: Haven’t you just been saying that people with really strong loyalty powers can make you want to follow them? Have you stopped to think that maybe that’s what’s happening now?
It'd be a challenge. One heck of a challenge. And damned if that didn't hook him just as much as that odd pull to follow Lee.
Toph: Sorry, Twinkletoes. Sounds like he knows, he just doesn’t care. Guess that’s that for Huojin, then. I’d feel sorry for him but we tried to warn him...
Divine Right to Rule: 71
Prince Stuko: 128
And he'd told Luli that. All of it. Laid it out as blunt as he could; that something in him had about as much common sense as one of the cackling idiots rumor said surfed the mail chutes of Omashu, and she shouldn't trust it one inch.
Luli had looked at him a long moment; then smiled, and kissed him... and that was way too distracting to be thinking about in the station, even if he was almost off-duty-
Toph: Hey, lady, your husband just told you he can’t trust his own mind right now! That’s not helping!
Something thumped in the street outside. Big. Heavy enough to shake the building. Mad earthbender? Huojin wondered, as the whole station broke off whatever they were doing to grab for weapons and whistles filled with pepper sand. Just in case.
There was a massive, animal groan outside.
Aang: *sighs* Here we go...
...Oh no. Huojn capped his ink, and glanced furtively over the rest of his fellow Guards, all just going off shift, or coming on. Maybe if I sneak out onto the roof, nobody will-
MG: Am I the only one who thinks it’s very telling that this is the reaction one of Vathara’s major OCs has to the Avatar showing up on their metaphorical doorstep.
"Huojin!"
Busted. "Yes, Captain?" Huojin said politely, trying to look alert and attentive and not trying to sneak out early at all, honest.
Like a scowling mountain, Captain An Lu-shan walked toward Huojin's desk from the front of the room, a trio of too-familiar kids trailing in his wake. "You brought 'em in the first time. Handle this."
MG: Huojin’s boss, Captain An Lu-shan, is actually going to be a fairly major character going forward, even getting his own subplot for a while… at least until it just sort of peters out with no real resolution of any kind, that is. *sighs* Mostly because Vathara is going to be setting up a whole lot of characters and plot threads in Ba Sing Se that I think she’s just going to kind of… forget about roughly two thirds of the way through the fic. But we’ll deal with that when we get there. Also, am I the only one who thinks it’s a bit weird to name a city guard officer after a notorious rebel general? Maybe Vathara was trying to be ironic?
And maybe there was a hint of apology under salt-and-pepper brows; everybody in the station knew what a narrow shave Luli and his kids had had. But somebody had to do it.
Aang: *shocked* What, did they think I’d hurt Huojin and Luli and their kids? I’d never!
Toph: *patting Aang’s arm* We know, Twinkletoes… but by this point I think we also know this fic’s never going to give you a fair hearing.
Huojin looked at blue and yellow and orange, and stifled a deep sigh. "Yes, sir."
And then green pushed her way through, and held out a hand, grinning. "Hey."
"Good morning, Miss Toph." Huojin smiled and shook it, suddenly feeling a little better about this mess.
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 43
"I see your friends caught up to you." He let go, and looked into eyes of worried, angry blue and gray. "How would you like to take this up onto the roof? It's quieter up there." With a lot less witnesses.
MG: I think “a lot fewer witnesses” would flow better, actually.
"Good idea," Sokka said thoughtfully. "Appa gets kind of worried if we're gone too long."
If I'd been caught by the Dai Li? Huojin thought, leading them upstairs past curious eyes. Worried wouldn't even begin to cover it.
Aang: I mean, he was kidnapped, escaped, met the Guru, got captured by the Dai Li, and then locked up underground for weeks – can you blame him?
"You stalled us."
Given those were Sokka's first words out on the roof, Huojin revised his opinion of how things were going to go right back down. "Damn right I did," he said bluntly. Trying not to eye the ten-ton furry beast craning his head to look up at them with a whuffle that blew Huojin's queue of hair back. "You want to know why?"
Toph: ‘Cause you’re one of Vathara’s faves and we’re not, except for me, and I wasn’t there? That sounds about right?
"Actually... yeah," Sokka admitted, waving Aang silent when the airbender looked like he wanted to explode. "We're Team Avatar. We can handle whole Fire Navy fleets coming after us. And you're just a regular guy."
Aang: …uh, Sokka? That’s because we can actually fight the Fire Nation. I don’t really like Huojin, but I don’t want to hurt him, either!
Team Avatar? Huojin thought incredulously. I take it back. This is why Lee's so snarly.
Toph: Oh, yeah, Zuko just absolutely got bent out of shape by the team name Sokka wanted us to use in one battle, where Zuko wasn’t even there, and we never used again because we thought it was kind of dumb, too?
MG: And while, again, the novel line didn’t get started until years after this fic ended, the books do make it pretty clear that while “Team Avatar” is a term of Sokka’s coinage (and, as Toph already noted, not one they usually used to refer to themselves!) and later used separately by Korra and her friends, historically “companions of the Avatar” was very much a known and respected, if informal, position, and being friends with an Avatar was considered a fast ride into being a major player in world events and getting your name in the history books. Hells, Jianzhu basically built himself into the true power in the Earth Kingdom during The Rise of Kyoshi purely on the back of him having been one of Kuruk’s closest friends (and later, Yun’s teacher when everyone thought Yun was the Avatar), which is a lot more extreme than anything anyone in the Gaang has done, in the fic or in canon. So maybe Huojin should stop to consider he’s not dealing with jumped-up kids with delusions of grandeur, but people who can reasonably expect to be treated with some respect?
He Has Much to Learn: 77 (for the portrayal of the Gaang as immature and annoying)
"Maybe I'm just one guy, but I like to think I'm a good friend. Lee was risking his life to give Toph a hand. Least I could do was make sure a bunch of kids didn't smash his plan to little pieces."
Toph: And of course “Lee” and I just know best and everyone else should sit tight and stay out of our way even if something involves them too, huh?
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 44
Prince Stuko: 129
"It worked, too," Toph grinned.
"Kids?" Aang and Sokka yelped as one.
"I'm a warrior!" Sokka protested, voice almost cracking.
Aang: *raises his hand* Uh… I never minded being called a kid?
He Has Much to Learn: 78
"Maybe you are," Huojin said honestly, "but your little sister? And the Avatar?" He shook his head. "Aang, I've got a daughter your age. What kind of father would I be if I let a twelve-year-old boy run smack into the Dai Li?"
Aang: …well, you apparently don’t have much trouble working for the Dai Li or letting your “good friend” Zuko pal around with some of them, so I’m kind of getting mixed messages here?
Aang was staring at him like he'd turned purple and started spouting bad poetry. "But... I'm the Avatar."
"Right. From what people tell me, you're the bridge between our world and the spirits," Huojin nodded. "So you're a really, really, really powerful bender. Got it. But you're twelve. I don't know who you've been dealing with... no, actually, I know about some of the people you've been dealing with, I've heard a lot about the Council of Five, not much of it good. But any sane, responsible parent? They wouldn't be asking you to save the world. They'd be figuring out ways to hide you, so you get a chance to grow up."
Aang: *shocked* That ship sailed a long time ago! When the Fire Nation killed my people and I got stuck in an iceberg for a hundred years! And then Roku told me about the Comet and how I had to stop Ozai before he could use it to win the war! I’m sorry I’m not Zuko but I kind of had important things I had to do! Look, I get that Vathara really doesn’t want to have to deal with or acknowledge any of that, but it’s the truth
He Has Much to Learn: 79
He shrugged. "I hate the war. But we've been fighting it for almost a century. We can keep fighting another few years, if that means we can finally stop it."
"...But I have to defeat the Fire Lord before the end of this summer," Aang said in a small voice. "Roku said Sozin's Comet is coming."
He did not just say what I think he did. "What?" Huojin croaked.
Toph: …yeah, buddy, maybe you shouldn’t have started being all judgy before you knew all the facts. Also, that Comet comes back every hundred years, pretty regularly. Guess they’re not big on astronomy in Ba Sing Se, huh?
"It's this huge thing up in the sky-" Sokka started.
"I know what it is," Huojin managed. Though I haven't heard anything about it in decades. Oh, Agni... "You're sure?"
"Sure as spirit messages from dead Avatars get," Sokka said practically. "You know what it is? We'd never heard of it."
MG: Not sure if this is meant to be a “the Gaang are dumb kids” moment or a “Water Tribes suck” moment, though honestly I’m not that surprised the Southern Tribe wasn’t keeping track of comets – they were mostly focused on just staying alive.
"I had a weird childhood," Huojin said wryly. Dug into memory for things a child of six had barely understood. "Oh, this is... not good."
"Not good how?" Toph pounced.
"You know what a waterbender can do on a full moon?" Huojin said bluntly. "Imagine a firebender a hundred times stronger."
The kids blanched.
Aang: …we knew that. Roku explained that to me. That’s why we knew it was a big deal, remember?
He Has Much to Learn: 80
Yeah. I'd kind of like to faint, too. "I knew you were in trouble," Huojin said honestly, looking directly at Aang. "I had no idea it was this bad. Is there anybody you can trust to help?"
Toph: Oh, now he’s friendly. But why’s he acting like the Comet was just our problem? It was everybody’s problem! It was kind of a big deal!
He glanced at Sokka. "I'm not talking about the generals. They keep Ba Sing Se safe, sure. But they think about the city, not the world. Armies and weapons and tactics, not people. Are there any grownups you know who would listen, and help? Help, not tell you what to do. Because... well, I'm just a Guard, what do I know about fighting a war? But I work the ghost watch. Kamuiy, I know. So I've got a funny feeling that saving the world isn't just stopping the war."
MG: In other words, Vathara is not-so-subtly holding up a “hint, hint” sign about what the real conflict of this fic is going to be and waving it at us. And, okay, I’m going to save more of this for the reveal of who the fic’s biggest bad is, but something that’s always bugged me about Embers is how I feel it ends up decentering the Fire Nation and Ozai as the main threats in favor of a much broader, older conflict about spirits and dragons. I think it can’t help but cheapen the Fire Nation as villains and remove at least some of the onus for starting this mess from them (admittedly, Vathara might think those are good things…). It’s also something I very deliberately wanted to avoid doing in my own A:TLA fics way back when, when I introduced a spirit big bad for my Azula fics, so maybe it’s just a bit close to home. Anyway, stick a pin in this, because we’re coming back to it later.
He shrugged, and looked back at Aang. "If you're the Avatar, if you're really the guy who's supposed to bring balance back to the world - who do you trust to help you do it?"
Aang swallowed. "...I don't know."
Aang: Uh… my friends? Bumi? Chief Arnook and Pakku, maybe? A bunch of other people we met along the way but didn’t bring with us? If you mean “in Ba Sing Se,” not having anyone we could trust was kind of our problem!
"My dad," Sokka said firmly. "He's a good guy. I wasn't there long enough to hear the whole story, but Bato said something about a Fire Nation ship that didn't try to take prisoners-"
Uh-oh, Huojin winced.
Toph: What, are we insulting the Fire Nation’s honor or something here? We’re at war, get over it!
"-They just threw out life-rafts and kept going," Sokka finished. "So... if Toph's right, and we need to stop everybody fighting - I think my dad would listen."
"If I'm right?" Toph rolled her eyes.
Toph: Yeah, this is Embers, I’m always right, duh!
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 45
"Hey, even the Earth Rumble champion can miss something- Wait a minute!" Sokka shot Huojin a suspicious glance. "You're stalling us again!"
All Sporkers: *facepalm*
"What? Since when?" Huojin said, startled. And more than a little aggravated. "You're not just here about the bison?"
"No! We're here about my sister!"
"What about Katara?" Will not strangle teenager for mangled priorities, Huojin thought wryly. Oma and Shu know, I pulled some bone-headed stunts when I was fifteen.
Aang: …I mean, you’re the one who got us talking about that without trying to figure out why we were here in the first place, so it’s kind of on you?
"She's in trouble!" Aang insisted. As if he had doubted the boy.
Toph: …you’ve not given us a lot of reason to make us think you’re taking us seriously, let’s be real here.
"The Fire Nation has her!"
"In the middle of Ba Sing Se?" Huojin said, startled. Held up a hand before the protests could break out. "We'll tell the captain, he can get word to the Army, we'll get people moving. Where? How? What do you know?"
"...I saw it in a vision," Aang admitted.
For a moment, Huojin had to just stare. "Oh, the captain's going to love this one," he groaned.
MG: *snorts* Okay, now I’m just reminded of a bit in one of Elaine Cunnighan’s Forgotten Realms books (specifically my personal favorite trilogy of hers, Counselors and Kings) where the main characters are reminded that “hallucination induced by evil fairies” is not, in fact, admissible testimony in a court of law.
"Look, Aang saw what he saw!" Sokka said angrily.
"I never said he didn't," Huojin shot back. "I'm just saying it sounds crazy. I wouldn't believe it, if I hadn't seen some really weird stuff over the years." He shook himself. "Okay. Vision. Any details? Names, places... anything that can mark it in one of the Rings? At the Wall? Ba Sing Se's a big place."
"It's Zuko," Sokka said practically. "She could be anywhere by now. Just look for the angry jerk with the big scar." He gestured toward his left eye.
...Nah. Coincidence.
All Sporkers: *facepalm again*
"Hate to break it to you, but between the refugees and the veterans? There's a lot of people with scars," Huojin pointed out. Though most of them know they'd better stick to the Lower Ring. And Amaya said the Avatar's people were up in the Upper Ring. "Any other ways to pick him out? Young, old, what? Who is this guy? I didn't think anybody from the Fire Nation could sneak into Ba Sing Se." Not without Amaya's contacts knowing about it, anyway.
Toph: …seriously, you’re really going to make us drag this out, aren’t you?
"You don't know Prince Ponytail," Sokka snorted. "He got into the middle of the North Pole once."
...Oh, no way. Because it really couldn't be. Lots of Fire Nation soldiers had attacked, right? And he knew Lee. Scarred and a great name, sure. Prince? The kid wasn't nearly arrogant enough for that. "Sounds serious," Huojin nodded. "You've met this guy before? How many troops is he going to have with him?"
Both boys looked taken aback at the thought. As well they should; if one Fire Nation infiltrator could make it inside, odds were there were more-
"Probably just Uncle," Toph said candidly. "They're fugitives. Something about General Iroh wrecking the whole North Pole invasion, by trying to save the Moon Spirit."
For a moment, nothing in Huojin's brain seemed to work. Fugitives... Moon... invasion fleet...
Urk.
No help for it. Next time he got hold of Lee, he had to strangle the kid. Just a little.
Toph: But he won’t. Because Vathara likes him, and loves Zuko, so of course he has to love Zuko too…
As if you could, the more practical side of him snarked.
MG: Okay, from another author I’d be inclined to take this as “Huojin couldn’t beat Zuko in a fight,” which is fair. In this fic... it almost makes me think it’s more like “Huojin is bound to Zuko by loyalty and literally can’t commit violence against him.” Whether that’s the intention or not… yikes.
Prince Stuko: 130
Huojin told it to shut up, and took a deep breath. "You think the Dragon of the West is in Ba Sing Se?"
Well. He did say he was retired.
"If Zuko's here? Iroh's around somewhere," Sokka said practically. "But he's got a trick we've never seen from a firebender, so... Toph says you keep records of healers?"
A healing firebender. Oh Agni, they know what they're looking for.
Toph: At this point you’re just trying to make us sound like the bad guys, huh?
"Or we could just talk to Amaya," Aang put in. "She seemed to know... something about the Fire Nation-"
Aang: Or we could not talk to Amaya! Less Amaya is good, actually!
"Huojin knows Lee's Fire Nation, Twinkletoes," Toph interrupted.
Sokka whipped his head around. "You said nobody could sneak in!"
"He didn't sneak," Huojin shrugged. "He came in on a ferry a month or so back, just like all the other refugees. Amaya took him on, and he's been working with her since. Quiet kid. No trouble." Except for wrecking teashops, freezing noble kids, and breaking into Dai Li headquarters... laughing hysterically is not going to help.
Toph: *glances back over the rest of the fic* Yeah, he’s totally been living quietly, all right.
"But they're both gone. You'll have to try someone else." He gave the kids a sober look, hating what he was about to say would do to boys as... inexperienced as these, in what people did to stay in power. "They're gone. And so are the Wens."
"What?" Aang gasped.
"Luli and my daughters got out in time," Huojin said, trying not to let the banked anger seep into his voice. It wasn't easy. These were kids, just kids... but damn it, hadn't they seen what happened in Ba Sing Se? "If they hadn't, I think I'd really hate you right now." He made himself shrug. "That's the way it is here. Cross Long Feng, and you'd better hope you can dig a hole and pull it in after you."
"But the Earth King had Long Feng arrested," Sokka protested.
"Yeah?" Huojin raised a brow. "By who?"
MG: Hrrrm. On the one hand, yes, this is a mistake the Gaang made in the show as well, but in their defense the Earth King and the Generals seemed to have assumed the Dai Li had decided to switch sides and throw Long Feng under the bus too. And the way it’s framed still makes it sound like we’re positioning this as “the Gaang are naïve kids who don’t know what they’re doing,” possibly just because of what a running theme that’s been in general.
He Has Much to Learn: 81
From the uneasy looks, he already knew. Obviously, have to mince it up into little words, Huojin snarled silently. "Long Feng's ruled the Dai Li for twenty years. The last message Amaya got out, before that notice of a spiritual pilgrimage went up on her door... he still does." He looked away from the airbender, trying not to yield to the temper that wanted to break something. "You know, I know they chose to help you. Tingzhe. Meixiang. Amaya. Even Lee - and Lee was a wreck over that mess. I know why they did it, and I know they knew what they were risking. But they're gone. They're all gone, and if the Dai Li haven't caught them, they're running for their lives." He dusted off his hands, deliberately. "So if you want to put a missing persons report out on Katara, we can do that. You want to report there are Fire Nation infiltrators in the city? We'll do that too. But if you want to talk to city healers to find a fugitive firebender, you can read our records down in the station, in plain sight, so nobody in the Dai Li thinks they wanted to talk to you."
Gray eyes narrowed at him. "You said you wanted to help!"
Exactly when did I say that, kid?
Toph: Well, the sooner you help us the sooner we’re out of your hair, and if you try to force us to leave… well, good luck with that.
"Like you helped the Wens?" Huojin said flatly.
Aang: I mostly remember the Wens lecturing us and treating us like a bunch of stupid babies, actually…
"Meixiang told Luli about that. When she woke my wife up and told her to get our girls out." He looked straight at Toph; she might be blind, but the girl could read people better than a lot of Guards he'd met. "Tingzhe knows a lot of old secrets about the city. And Lee's one tough kid." But you know that already, don't you? You knew all along. "I hope they're okay. But the Dai Li... no one's ever brought them down."
MG: The Dai Li are also not eternal. They’re much younger as an institution than the Earth Kingdom as a whole, and per both this fic and canon it took them a while to build their power to its current level. So maybe don’t assume that just because something hasn’t been done, it can’t be?
He Has Much to Learn: 82
Aang's hands gripped his airstaff, as he looked down, torn. Sokka frowned, eyes lifted as if seeing the outline of something blaze to life on the horizon.
Hello. I think I heard somebody's brain crank into gear.
MG: …and here we get to “Sokka is the only one of the original three Gaang members Vathara kind of likes, so he gets a bone thrown his way every now and again.” Fun!
"Forget the healers," Sokka said abruptly. "We need to head for the palace."
"We can't just forget about Katara!" Aang exclaimed.
"We're not going to," the Water Tribe boy said bluntly. "Remember what Toph said; think like Zuko. He wants to capture you. He's not going to hurt her, not if she's the bait. He'll use her to get to you - and that means he's got to let us know where she is. When he springs his trap, then we trap him." Sokka nodded to himself. "And the best way to do that is make sure everybody knows where you are. If we're shaking up the palace dragging Dai Li out of the walls, we'll kill two sea vultures with one boomerang."
"Right!" Aang brightened. "And if they're still working for Long Feng, we can make him tell us where they took everybody!" He dashed off the edge of the roof, and floated down; Sokka smacked himself in the forehead, and went for the stairs.
He Has Much to Learn: 84
"They're wrong," Huojin said in an undertone, before Toph could follow. "Lee's not trying to catch anyone."
Toph: …great. Now the kids have been shooed out so the adults can talk, my favorite thing in the world. *beat* Except now I’m one of the adults in the room, how did that happen?
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 46
"But Katara knows what he looks like," Toph said, just as quiet. "And she hates him...
MG: *insert obligatory reminder that at this equivalent point in the show, after her initial anger at Zuko passed Katara legitimately tried to extend a hand of friendship to him, and he responded with betrayal*
and he knows it. If they ran into each other, she wouldn't stop until the whole city knew where he and Uncle were. And then what?" She shook her head. "I don't think he'd hurt her. Not really. But the spirits don't seem to want to clue Aang in that gee, Zuko really doesn't want to die."
Aang: …I know Zuko doesn’t want to die? I kind of assume most people don’t want to die? But, uh, for someone who really doesn’t want do die Zuko sure did have a habit of putting himself in some really dangerous situations…
Which was just what would happen, if someone believed that Lee was... well, what he was. What a mess. "A prince." Huojin shook his head. "I chewed him out... told him when he was whining..."
Toph: Yeah, yeah, you chewed out royalty, clearly that’s the big deal here. He’s the same kid today he was yesterday, you know! A fancy title doesn’t change who you are!
Divine Right to Rule: 72
"He was happy." Toph gave him a wry grin. "He really was. He likes you." A lift of her hands, and stone rose to a platform she stepped onto from the roof. A push, and it sank back down, letting her step onto Appa's back.
A prince. Squinting his eyes against the gale as they took off, Huojin waited for his brain to stop whirling. No wonder he didn't know how to talk to normal people-
MG: And once again, I am glad that Vathara acknowledges that, as depicted in the show, Zuko (and Azula, though we don’t see it as much) really doesn’t know how to handle regular social interaction. Unfortunately, it’s kind of outweighed by all the harping on about all the other ways Zuko is *special* that she does…
"As my brother's loyalty is beyond question, Fire Lord Ozai neglected to see that I appeared," Mushi's voice echoed in memory.
Okay, that did it. If he ever caught up with Mushi again? He needed to glare at the man.
Toph: Yeah. That’ll show him.
He didn't lie. Exactly. Came right to the knife edge of it, but I don't think he ever lied-
More fragments of other conversations floated up; about Agni Kais, and honor... and just what the Fire Lord had done.
Lee's the Fire Lord's son.
Oh Agni. No wonder that kid is so messed up.
MG: Kind of a flippant way of putting it, but in general… yeah.
And if that hadn't been a lousy enough break from the spirits, now the Avatar's little bunch of heroes was about to set off a city-wide search for Prince Zuko. When Lee was already underground, literally, because something was wrong.
Aang: Uh, literally everything we’ve seen has made us think Zuko is the bad guy here? And it’s not like you were trying very hard to change our minds! I guess standing there lecturing us is more important than trying to actually convince us we’re wrong, huh?
Toph: …welcome to the club, Twinkletoes.
Not if I can help it.
Huojin frowned, considering that fiery impulse.
Elemental Determinism: 59
Sure, well and good to think that. But would pitting himself against the Avatar - the so-called balance of the world - actually do any good?
Yeah. It might.
MG: But clearly “trying to explain to the Avatar why he’s going after the wrong person, or asking his friend, who already believes you, to do the same” is just a bridge too far, huh?
Granted he'd only met the airbender twice, but he knew a fair amount about people. Aang was the flightiest person he'd ever met, including one wild-haired older gentleman convinced he could train lizard-birds to deliver the mail.
Aang: Uh, the Fire Nation trains messenger hawks. Is using lizard-birds really all that weird? Is there something about lizard birds that makes them especially bad as mail carriers?
On top of that, Aang seemed to automatically assume people were going to help him. No matter what it cost them.
MG: …that’s because Aang is the Avatar. He’s the highest spiritual authority, technically speaking, in a world where people clearly take that stuff seriously. Practically speaking, he’s also the world’s best hope for defeating the Fire Nation and ending the war, something most people definitely want to do. Yeah, I wonder if there’s a reason most people are pretty eager to help him? And, come on, Aang’s idealistic but he’s not that naïve. He’s met plenty of people by this point who mean him ill or just aren’t very pleasant or interested in helping him, even discounting the Fire Nation. I also can’t help but notice that when people want to help Zuko as soon as they learn that he’s a great name, this is only ever depicted as natural and proper… is that a double standard I’m sensing?
He Has Much to Learn: 86
Which means he probably thinks this problem is solved. And he'll just flutter on to the next one. Huojin grinned darkly.
Report Katara missing? Sure, he could do that. Start a massive manhunt just because a flutter-brained boy had a vision?
I don't think so.
Toph: “Flutter-brained” or not, Aang is the Avatar. Weird stuff happens around him. You’d think a guy who supposedly encounters spirits and stuff on his patrols would be a little more understanding about that!
He might not know this Prince Ponytail Sokka had sneered at. But he knew Lee. The awkward, patient, stubborn healer who'd done his best to stitch parts of the Lower Ring together. The same Lower Ring that hadn't seen one tattooed inch of the Avatar until he needed something.
Aang: Gee, maybe it’s like the Dai Li were watching our every movement for a while there or something!
MG: More to the point, is Huojin trying to paint Zuko like he’s made himself into some beloved pillar of the community or something? Because… based on what we’ve seen so far in the fic, I don’t really see it? His interaction with his and Amaya’s patients has always been framed strictly as business; he’s not been going out of his way to heal people off the clock. He’s also, separately, been tutoring Jinhai with the Wens. And he’s friends with Huojin, who introduced him to Amaya, and Amaya put him in touch with the Wens, and that’s basically been his entire social circle in Ba Sing Se. That’s two families (three counting Amaya as a “family”) who already knew each other (and the Wens don’t even live in the Lower Ring! Tingzhe is a reasonably well-off and respected academic; they’re Middle Ring people!). Aside from fighting the spirit, which most people don’t know about, I’m just sort of left puzzling over what, exactly, Zuko has done to make the Lower Ring better. Even if we just restrict ourselves to taking “stitched together” literally and assume Huojin is referring to Zuko’s work as a healer… he’s mostly just been doing his job, not going out of his way to help people otherwise.
And again, in canon at this point the Gaang had actively infiltrated Lake Laogai, fought their way out, invaded the Earth King’s palace, and overthrown (albeit not as conclusively as they could have hoped…) Long Feng. If they’ve been totally ineffective so far in this fic, with all their achievements either glossed over or written out… it’s because Vathara has been making sure to write them that way. Which is just blatant stacking of the deck in favor of her preferred characters.
He Has Much to Learn: 87
Prince Stuko: 131
I want to follow Lee. Not just because I want to. Because - damn it, when you're out on the street, and the chips are down, you need somebody you can trust at your back.
Toph: Which is kind of what I’d expect someone who’d been mind controlled and didn’t realize it to say!
MG: Yeah, it’s kind of hard to take this at face value when we’ve literally just learned that Zuko has powers that make people want to follow him, and he’s been using them unconsciously the whole time.
Prince Stuko: 132
He might have to trust Aang with the world. The world was a big place; there had to be a limit to how much any one bender could mess with it. But trust a boy Lim's age with something as fragile as a human life?
Aang: Uh, the world is kind of full of human lives, actually? And, hello, monk here! I’ve actually taken vows not to take lives! I don’t think Zuko has…
I hope Sokka's dad can help you out, Aang. But he's not here, so I'm going to have to do what your father should have done. I have to say no.
Toph: Great. So you’ve actively not helping, in the middle of a crisis affecting the whole city, with people potentially in danger including some you’re supposed to actually care about, in order to… teach Twinkletoes a lesson about how you can’t always get what you want? What kind of sense does that make?
MG: And the bit about “having to do what Aang’s father should have done” kind of hits a bit differently knowing where the fic is going, because it’s kind of hard to shake the thought that the Air Nomads not raising their children in nuclear families is, maybe not at the root of why Vathara dislikes them so much, but definitely a big part of it? There’s some stuff on this front that makes me really, really uncomfortable we’re going to eventually get to, everyone. Just wanted to say that up front.
Oddly lighthearted, Huojin headed down the stairs.
MG: And this is where we’re splitting the chapter! Honestly, this one isn’t as bad as the last couple of chapters we’ve gotten, but it’s still pretty frustrating, mostly because it’s yet more “the Gaang are dumb kids who do dumb things and need Vathara’s faves to straighten them out,” and especially in Huojin’s scene it feels like this is coming at the expense of him, you know, actually doing his job and helping people because apparently teaching Aang a lesson is more important. It just… gets wearying after a while, you know? Anyway, not a lot more to say here that we haven’t already been over, and that’s all for today! Next time, alas, we’re going to be checking back in on Katara and Zuko… and we’re going to get to a very long and detailed AN which is going to include, at last, the Saga of Fred. You have been warned. Sorry again for the delay, and we’ll see you then! Our counts stand at:
Beware the Sugar Queen: 77
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 46
The Deadly Depths: 31
Detached from Reality: 14
Divine Right to Rule: 72
Elemental Determinism: 59
He Has Much to Learn: 87
Prince Stuko: 132
Protectors of our Cultural Heritage: 53
The Real Victims: 47
Roads to Nowhere: 1
Simple Rubes from the Water Tribes: 57
Stations of the Canon: 42
The Superior Element: 66
True Guardians of Balance: 4
The Ultimate Firebenders: 25
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2; previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
MG: Well, everyone, it’s time to continue our journey through Vathara’s Embers! Last time, Vathara really hates Katara, is really racist against the Water Tribes, and Zuko turns out to have been binding people to him with loyalty all across the city without his knowledge, so in general… yikes. Today, we’ll see if that trend of “yikes” continues, as the rest of the Gaang return to Ba Sing Se and try to figure out what’s going on. Joining us today will be Aang and Toph!
Chapter 23
"Let me get this straight." Toph gave herself a little shake to get rid of the dust from her... mishap, with moving earth and two smarty-pants boys sneaking up on her with a flying bison. Totally not fair.
MG: All of which, uh, Vathara gives us no context for at all, so if you haven’t been keeping both this exact moment from early in “Crossroads of Destiny” and everyone’s subplots from “The Guru” in your heads the whole time – well, I guess you’re just out of luck, then! *muttering* See, scenes like this are why I just can’t take the “ignore canon and take the fic on its own terms” defense seriously, because so much of it relies on being familiar with the specific details of the canon to make basic narrative sense.
Toph: And, wait a minute, did Vathara just completely skip over me inventing metalbending? Come on – I thought she like me, at least! You had one job, Vathara!
Stations of the Canon: 42
"Aang had a spooky spirit vision that Katara's in trouble, so we're going to run right into Ba Sing Se after her?" She cracked her knuckles. "Aang, you get Appa down right now."
Aang: …why do I think I’m about to get lectured?
Toph: You’ve been paying attention?
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 33
"Hey!" Sokka protested. "Zuko's got my-"
"I heard it the first time, Snoozles!" I just don't believe it, Toph thought. There's got to be a good reason.
MG: I mean, Zuko thought he had a good reason, but… yeah, he pretty much kidnapped her. And in any case, he definitely does have her, regardless of his motivation, so Aang’s vision was accurate!
"I need to talk to you guys, and I'm not doing it where I can't see you."
"But Katara's in trouble!" Aang protested.
"Hate to burst your bubble, Twinkletoes, but you got that vision when, exactly? If she's in trouble, she's been there a while. A few more minutes? Probably not going to make much difference."
Aang: I mean, I didn’t know when the vision was – for all I knew it was in the future and I could’ve saved Katara if I got back to Ba Sing Se in time!
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 34
Toph pointed toward Sokka. More or less. "But it could make a heck of a lot of difference to us. You don't just jump into the ring in a rumble. You take a minute, you plan, and then you bust some heads."
MG: I mean, on the one hand, there’s a whole deal about waiting and listening for the opportune moment being key in earthbending, and that Toph in particular being so good at it is why it was so important Aang get her, specifically, as his teacher… but it’s still Vathara using Toph to lecture her friends, so I can’t really appreciate it.
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 35
"She's got a point," Sokka admitted reluctantly. "Appa could probably use a break, anyway. We've been flying all night."
"But it's Katara!" Aang objected.
"And I know my sister," Sokka said practically. "She'd hate it if we got hurt just because we didn't take a minute to put together a good plan. And this is Zuko. He may not have been up to beating all of us, even before Toph joined up. But you know he's not going to make this easy. And if he's working with Azula..."
Sokka let the words trail off, probably shaking his head. If she could only see. "This is why I need you guys to land!" Toph said, exasperated. "Where'd you get this crazy idea Zuko's working with Azula?"
"Well-" Aang started.
"On the ground, Twinkletoes!"
MG: *sigh* See what I mean? Toph is right, Aang and Sokka are wrong, take forty or so…
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 36
He Has Much to Learn: 76
Grumbling under his breath, Aang set them down.
Land, Toph thought gratefully, wiggling bare toes in grassy herbs. Stepping carefully, to avoid a patch of thorny bramble; she might not be able to see the thorns, but they grabbed into earth with a pattern of fine roots she'd been able to recognize for years. "Okay. How'd you get Azula out of seeing Zuko hit Katara?"
"Because after he hit her, he touched her head - and she just fell over!" Aang said impatiently. "Just like Ty Lee!"
Toph: *shrugs* I mean, you’re wrong there, Twinkletoes, but thinking of the only other person you know with an ability like that makes sense, so I can’t really blame you for it? Well, I can’t. The version of me in the story probably isn’t going to be so nice.
Toph felt Sokka's heart jump. "He hit her in the head?" Sokka asked. "You didn't say that before."
"Head, chest, what does it matter?" Aang grumbled.
Aang: Hey, I’m right here, and I’m not dumb! I know why head injuries are bad, thank you!
"Then I guess Zuko knows something Ty Lee doesn't," Sokka frowned. "When she hit me in the head, all she got was bent fingers."
Toph: …way I heard Snoozles tell that, Ty Lee tried to punch him in the front of the skull. No wonder it didn’t work – that’s the hardest part on him!
"Or he doesn't know anything about what Ty Lee does," Toph put in. Careful, Toph, she cautioned herself. You tell them the straight truth, and they'll listen about as much as they did to Zuko's note. So... bend it a little. "Look, I didn't want to mention this because I didn't want to get you guys upset... my parents? They're merchants. Really, really powerful merchants. Which means they deal with trade all over the world." She paused. "Even the Fire Nation."
MG: In other words, they’re war profiteers. And either Vathara doesn’t realize that’s the clear implication of what she’s written or she doesn’t realize why it’s bad (honestly, my money’s on the latter) because the fic never really grapples with the implications of this at all.
"Whaaat?" Sokka yelped. Hand fishing for Boomerang with the speed of pure reflex.
"Sokka, calm down!" Aang held out empty hands, warding off the anger. "That's the way things used to be. The nations are separate, but people visited each other. I used to visit Bumi all the time. Even the monks brought fruit we picked at the temple to the Earth Kingdom to trade for rice noodles, and things that didn't grow that good on a mountain."
"Yeah, but- now?"
Toph: Yeah, when the Air Nomads were still around the war hadn’t started yet! Now, I can’t promise you dad never did business with the Fire Nation – but if he did, he sure didn’t advertise it! Because after they’d been trying to take over the world for the last hundred years, people really didn’t like the Fire Nation! Even the Earth Rumbles had one competitor dress up like he was from the Fire Nation – what did happen to Fire Nation Man, anyway? – just so the rest of us could have a bad guy we could all beat up! And that didn’t even make sense! I can sure tell you my dad wasn’t having Mai or Ty Lee’s dads over for tea and business deals.
"I'm not saying it's a good thing," Toph said bluntly. "I'm just saying, they do. So I know some stuff about the Fire Nation." Some of which I just got from Zuko, but... keep going. "Ty Lee's a chi-blocker. That means she's not supposed to be outside the Fire Nation while there's a war on."
MG: And again, despite some of it being from Zuko, we’re still supposed to take Toph’s claims that spying on her dad’s business meetings makes her more worldly and knowledgeable about the war than people who’ve been living it at face value. And, well, especially considering this fic’s general elitism, that bugs me, a lot.
Divine Right to Rule: 68
Sokka snorted. "Yeah, well, looks like Azula didn't get that messenger hawk-"
"Zuko's been exiled three years."
Silence. Toph felt the two boys look at each other. "You already told us that," Aang said, puzzled.
"But we didn't think about it," Sokka admitted, unhappy. "You're saying Zuko can't know what Ty Lee does. Or they'd never have kicked him out."
"They probably would have stuck him in prison, or marooned him on some island even the sea vultures wouldn't land on," Toph nodded. "He sure wouldn't be running around loose."
MG: …except that per this very fic Ty Lee had been using Zuko as a training dummy at Azula’s urging for years, apparently. And there’s certainly no indication he didn’t know what she could do from the show itself. So all I can say is… huh? EDIT: On second thought, the wording has tripped me up here – it was making it sound like he couldn’t know about the technique, when I think the intended reading is that he couldn’t know how to do it. Which makes more sense. Though that brings us back to the frankly absurd level of secrecy the Fire Nation has around chi-blocking in Embers-verse, which is to the point that they could barely even use one of their most dangerous resources when they need them if they actually followed those rules.
"Ty Lee could have taught him," Aang pointed out. "I can learn other bending styles, he could- Sokka?"
The Water Tribe boy was shaking his head. "Told you. Ty Lee hits you in the head, all she does is hurt her hand."
Toph: …and it’s obviously impossible they were using different but related techniques you just mixed up? Especially since Aang didn’t actually see Ty Lee hit Sokka in the head…
He eyed Toph. "But you didn't think Zuko was working with Azula even before that. Why? She's his sister."
Aang: Well, the last time we saw them before this, they sure weren’t getting along?
"She wants to be the heir," Toph said bluntly.
"Yeah. We get that-"
"No, you don't," Toph bit out. "This isn't want to like, I want the last berry-cake. This is, cut off my own hand to get this."
Azula: *sticking her head in* Maybe my off-hand. I need the other one.
"Eww." Sokka shuddered.
"I don't get it," Aang said after a moment, patting Appa's side for comfort. "Why does it matter so much? The monks said your body was the house of your spirit, and you should always honor that. Why would you hurt yourself just for a title?"
Aang: …seriously? I’d been to the Fire Nation! Sozin was already Fire Lord then, in fact, and had been for decades! I know how powerful a Fire Lord is and why someone might want it! Why does Vathara think I’m so dumb?
MG: …do you want the short version or the long?
He Has Much to Learn: 76
"Were the temple elders just a title?" Toph shot back.
Aang: …yeah, but there were five of them and they usually made decisions as a group, so it wasn’t really the same thing? And I don’t think anyone was killing for that. At least not recently?
"They were going to take you away from Gyatso; that's why Katara said you ran away. And I don't blame you one bit. Anyone who tried to take me away from you guys, I'd squash him."
Toph: Funny how this version of me doesn’t even seem to like the rest of you and would much rather be with Zuko, then!
She slapped her palm with a fist. "But they thought they could do it, because they were the elders. It's not the title Crazy Blue Fire wants, Aang. It's the power. Some people... they're just like that. They're scary to be in the ring with. They don't just fight a good fight and learn from it. They do anything to win. Even cozying up to you for months, so they can jump you when you finally turn your back."
MG: …I’m kind of wondering when Toph fought someone like that, actually? At least from what we see, the Earth Rumble contestants were mostly pretty friendly with each other outside the ring. They only attacked Toph and Aang in “The Blind Bandit” because the Boulder misunderstood what he saw when Aang used airbending on Toph and thought they were cheating. And when the Boulder and the Hippo joined up with the invasion force in Book Three, they didn’t seem to have any lasting enmity with Toph even then. Maybe she fought someone like that in a previous round of the tournament and they just never came up in the show? *shrugs*
Toph puffed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "The Fire Lord's heir has a lot of power. Azula wants it. She's not going to help Zuko. Ever."
"So Zuko just wants to catch me for the power." Aang's shoulders slumped.
"No, he doesn't," Toph shook her head. Uh-oh. "I mean, I don't think so. The scary people, the ones who'll put a boulder in your back? They don't care about people. Zuko cares about Uncle. A lot."
MG: Doesn’t mean he’s not ambitious. And frankly, canon!Zuko mostly just wanted his honor and to have his father’s love and respect, but Embers!Zuko makes it plain he really does (or did, since his current status disqualifies him) want the throne. For an ostensibly altruistic reason (to keep Azula off it, and to help people more generally) but he definitely intended to be Fire Lord one day and saw catching Aang as his ticket to getting that.
"You're not making sense," Aang groaned. "If Zuko doesn't want to be the heir, why doesn't he just quit chasing us?"
"First off? He's got orders," Toph said practically. "Nobody in the Fire Nation disobeys the Fire Lord.
All Sporkers: *grind teeth angrily*
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 39 (adding some more points for this whole conversation)
And reason number two? If he quits, Azula is the heir. You think she scares us? You have no clue how much she scares Zuko."
MG: See what I mean? Zuko may not want the throne for selfish reasons (supposedly) but Vathara has made it very plain he does want it, as Toph acknowledges here.
She shrugged. "Sokka, I know this is gonna be creepy. But just for a minute? Try to pretend you're Zuko."
"That is creepy," Sokka shuddered again. "Grr, argh, honor?"
"Just shut up and listen," Toph scowled.
Aang: …so why did you ask Sokka to do it when you didn’t actually want him to?
"Think of it like - like the Fire Nation was your village. You'd be chief if your father died, right?"
"Well... yeah, maybe someday. Not soon."
MG: I mean, Vathara is going to eventually acknowledge it’s more complicated than that (basically, as Hakoda’s son Sokka would be favored to succeed him, but he’d still have to prove himself in his own right, an interpretation I largely agree with) but… close enough.
"So, think of your village," Toph forged on. "Only instead of Katara for your sister, you've got Azula. And if you don't pull off something impossible, Azula's going to be ruling your village. How do you feel about it? Not-" She waved her hands before he could talk. "Not what you'd do. How do you feel?"
There was a long, uneasy silence. "Scared," Sokka whispered at last. "I'd be... really scared."
"Zuko's scared," Toph said quietly. "He's scared all the time. You guys think he's an angry jerk? He is. But he's angry because he's scared.
Aang: …I thought he was angry because his own father burned, disowned and banished him? I mean, that’d make me pretty angry in Zuko’s shoes…
MG: Yeah, but we’ve got to hit on “Zuko totally had noble and selfless reasons for chasing you” and his actual motivation doesn’t work with that, so…
Prince Stuko: 124
For his people. His people, Sokka. Just like you're scared for the Water Tribe. And you know what? I don't blame him." She pointed toward Aang. "I'm on your side, Twinkletoes. I want the war over, and I want the balance back. But I don't care that you're the Avatar. You're my friend. I'm going to be there for you all the way.
Toph: I’m Aang’s friend! This version of me… I’m hedging my bets.
But you know Zuko. If he hit Katara when you weren't even there to catch - does that sound like one of his plans? Or does it sound like maybe we need to find something out before we crash the palace?"
Aang: Or he saw Katara an panicked, which… I think is basically what happened?
Prince Stuko: 126
She crossed her arms. "'Cause if you want to listen before you move, I think I know where we can go to start asking."
"Wait a minute," Sokka said thoughtfully. "How do you know that? We just figured out it probably wasn't Ty Lee-"
"My parents saw a lot of healers." Toph waved a hand in front of blind eyes. "They know how to put people out, too."
"...You think Zuko's been training with a healer?" Aang said at last.
MG: …okay, this seems like kind of a stretch, even if Toph actually does know Zuko is working with Amaya.
He wants to believe it, Toph realized, surprised. He wants to believe Zuko would do something that's not evil.
Toph: Yeah, Twinkletoes always wants to see the good in people, even his enemies. I figured that out within like, a day of meeting him. Why am I acting like it’s so surprising now?
"I think whatever he's up to, Zuko's not stupid. What if Azula caught them again, when Katara wasn't there? He almost lost Uncle. He's not going to do that again." She angled a blind glance Sokka's way. "And in Ba Sing Se? Anybody who heals is going to have to have a license. On record, where people can look it up."
"People, huh?" Sokka smirked. "I guess that leaves it up to us."
Toph grinned. "Not exactly."
Toph: …and the Dai Li are going to just let us wander into their archives and start looking up healers while they’re in the middle of a coup after we imprisoned their leader? Yeah, right!
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 42 (a few more points for the conversation as a whole)
-
Shift can't be over soon enough, Huojin thought. He wet his brush in ink to mark a few last, neat formal characters, finishing a report that explained exactly why someone had thought balancing on top of a lightpost was a good idea,
Aang: Sounds like it could be fun to me!
and the resulting injuries and arrests: one set of busted ribs, someone else's busted arm, and a warehouse crew hopefully now sobering up in the general disorderly cell. I need to get home.
He wasn't quite sure what he'd do at home, given what he'd heard. But with the feeling out on the streets... he wanted to hold his family. And not let go for a while.
We need to figure out what we're going to do.
He and Luli had discussed it. Hashed what they knew of the general's plan over and over again. And decided... well, that they couldn't decide yet.
Huojin knew what he wanted to do. Whether or not it was the right thing for his family... he didn't know. He just didn't.
Loyalty isn't easy, Meixiang had told him. It can break your heart.
Toph: Hey, here’s a thought, maybe you shouldn’t let magic loyalty run your life like this? Sure sounds like more trouble than it’s worth to me!
She'd sat him down for a good talking-to, not long after that hair-raising potluck. Filled him in on a few things he would have grown up knowing, if he'd grown up... somewhere else.
It was a heck of an eye-opener.
"Lee is a great name, and a firebender," Meixiang had said, after a few minutes circling around the point. "And he's sixteen. That's about the right age, in human terms, for a young dragon to strike out for his own territory. Or so my grandfather said."
MG: *sigh* Of course he is.
Divine Right to Rule: 69
The Superior Element: 66
The Ultimate Firebenders: 24
"A young what?" Huojin had exclaimed in disbelief. Bad enough he had spirits on his beat. Dragons?
"All children of fire are children of dragons," Meixiang answered simply. "Where did you think gold eyes came from? No other nation has them. Ever."
Aang: And Water Tribe people usually have bright blue eyes, and Earth Kingdom people usually have green eyes, and Air Nomads usually have grey eyes – what's the big deal?
MG: Well, gold eyes of the sort a lot of (but not all!) Fire Nation characters have don’t normally occur in earth humans... but that’s not really a reason they should stand out as especially unusual in-universe, where gold eyes are just… a known thing some people have. And not everyone has their nation’s stereotypical eye color in any case, though it’s common.
"You're serious," he said, after a long moment of shock. "You really think that some of your ancestors were..." He flapped his hands.
"Large, predatory, wise creatures, with fire breath and far too many teeth?" For once, Meixiang looked almost as impish as Luli. "Tell me it doesn't explain Lee."
Toph: Trust me, with Zuko’s history and his messed-up family, he doesn’t need to be part dragon to explain why he’s the way he is.
"Nothing explains Lee," Huojin said frankly.
Toph: ...are I going to have to start repeating myself here?
"So he's got a temper that should've gone to a dillo-lion. What's that got to do with me?"
"Dragons live in clans, just as we do. And those of lesser power seek those that are greater. They help defend the clan's territory, so all of them can hold more than just a strong dragon alone. And in return, the leader helps protect them." She had given him a sober look. "That's part of us, just as much as the eyes and the temper. You're a dragon's kin, and though you're not alone, you're not in the safety of a clan. And here is Lee. A strong firebender, who's already bled for your children." She'd spread her hands.
Divine Right to Rule: 70
Elemental Determinism: 58
Prince Stuko: 127
The Ultimate Firebenders: 25
"Your loyalty is your choice. But I thought someone should warn you that you will want to follow Lee. Whether or not it's wise."
Aang: Wait a minute... loyalty is a choice, but it’s a choice that someone can force you to make if they’re strong enough or have done enough for you? Because that... doesn’t realy sound like much of a choice, does it?
And if that didn't send chills down a sane man's spine, nothing would.
Toph: At least someone around here has figured that out! Get out of here while you still can, Huojin!
Which was why he was talking everything over with Luli. She might look like pure bounce and happiness, but his wife had a patient ability to poke at things from every angle, trained by long years coaxing beauty out of solid rock. If she thought Mushi's plan was a good idea...
Toph: ...or you could walk right into the dragon’s den. Literally. Guess that’s that, then.
I want to go. I really, really do. It's wild and crazy and risky - and they're going to need some Guards, to keep people behaving long enough to start working together. "We're all in this together" has a nasty tendency to go south the first time somebody swipes a bigger piece of fruit-tart than the next guy.
Aang: Haven’t you just been saying that people with really strong loyalty powers can make you want to follow them? Have you stopped to think that maybe that’s what’s happening now?
It'd be a challenge. One heck of a challenge. And damned if that didn't hook him just as much as that odd pull to follow Lee.
Toph: Sorry, Twinkletoes. Sounds like he knows, he just doesn’t care. Guess that’s that for Huojin, then. I’d feel sorry for him but we tried to warn him...
Divine Right to Rule: 71
Prince Stuko: 128
And he'd told Luli that. All of it. Laid it out as blunt as he could; that something in him had about as much common sense as one of the cackling idiots rumor said surfed the mail chutes of Omashu, and she shouldn't trust it one inch.
Luli had looked at him a long moment; then smiled, and kissed him... and that was way too distracting to be thinking about in the station, even if he was almost off-duty-
Toph: Hey, lady, your husband just told you he can’t trust his own mind right now! That’s not helping!
Something thumped in the street outside. Big. Heavy enough to shake the building. Mad earthbender? Huojin wondered, as the whole station broke off whatever they were doing to grab for weapons and whistles filled with pepper sand. Just in case.
There was a massive, animal groan outside.
Aang: *sighs* Here we go...
...Oh no. Huojn capped his ink, and glanced furtively over the rest of his fellow Guards, all just going off shift, or coming on. Maybe if I sneak out onto the roof, nobody will-
MG: Am I the only one who thinks it’s very telling that this is the reaction one of Vathara’s major OCs has to the Avatar showing up on their metaphorical doorstep.
"Huojin!"
Busted. "Yes, Captain?" Huojin said politely, trying to look alert and attentive and not trying to sneak out early at all, honest.
Like a scowling mountain, Captain An Lu-shan walked toward Huojin's desk from the front of the room, a trio of too-familiar kids trailing in his wake. "You brought 'em in the first time. Handle this."
MG: Huojin’s boss, Captain An Lu-shan, is actually going to be a fairly major character going forward, even getting his own subplot for a while… at least until it just sort of peters out with no real resolution of any kind, that is. *sighs* Mostly because Vathara is going to be setting up a whole lot of characters and plot threads in Ba Sing Se that I think she’s just going to kind of… forget about roughly two thirds of the way through the fic. But we’ll deal with that when we get there. Also, am I the only one who thinks it’s a bit weird to name a city guard officer after a notorious rebel general? Maybe Vathara was trying to be ironic?
And maybe there was a hint of apology under salt-and-pepper brows; everybody in the station knew what a narrow shave Luli and his kids had had. But somebody had to do it.
Aang: *shocked* What, did they think I’d hurt Huojin and Luli and their kids? I’d never!
Toph: *patting Aang’s arm* We know, Twinkletoes… but by this point I think we also know this fic’s never going to give you a fair hearing.
Huojin looked at blue and yellow and orange, and stifled a deep sigh. "Yes, sir."
And then green pushed her way through, and held out a hand, grinning. "Hey."
"Good morning, Miss Toph." Huojin smiled and shook it, suddenly feeling a little better about this mess.
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 43
"I see your friends caught up to you." He let go, and looked into eyes of worried, angry blue and gray. "How would you like to take this up onto the roof? It's quieter up there." With a lot less witnesses.
MG: I think “a lot fewer witnesses” would flow better, actually.
"Good idea," Sokka said thoughtfully. "Appa gets kind of worried if we're gone too long."
If I'd been caught by the Dai Li? Huojin thought, leading them upstairs past curious eyes. Worried wouldn't even begin to cover it.
Aang: I mean, he was kidnapped, escaped, met the Guru, got captured by the Dai Li, and then locked up underground for weeks – can you blame him?
"You stalled us."
Given those were Sokka's first words out on the roof, Huojin revised his opinion of how things were going to go right back down. "Damn right I did," he said bluntly. Trying not to eye the ten-ton furry beast craning his head to look up at them with a whuffle that blew Huojin's queue of hair back. "You want to know why?"
Toph: ‘Cause you’re one of Vathara’s faves and we’re not, except for me, and I wasn’t there? That sounds about right?
"Actually... yeah," Sokka admitted, waving Aang silent when the airbender looked like he wanted to explode. "We're Team Avatar. We can handle whole Fire Navy fleets coming after us. And you're just a regular guy."
Aang: …uh, Sokka? That’s because we can actually fight the Fire Nation. I don’t really like Huojin, but I don’t want to hurt him, either!
Team Avatar? Huojin thought incredulously. I take it back. This is why Lee's so snarly.
Toph: Oh, yeah, Zuko just absolutely got bent out of shape by the team name Sokka wanted us to use in one battle, where Zuko wasn’t even there, and we never used again because we thought it was kind of dumb, too?
MG: And while, again, the novel line didn’t get started until years after this fic ended, the books do make it pretty clear that while “Team Avatar” is a term of Sokka’s coinage (and, as Toph already noted, not one they usually used to refer to themselves!) and later used separately by Korra and her friends, historically “companions of the Avatar” was very much a known and respected, if informal, position, and being friends with an Avatar was considered a fast ride into being a major player in world events and getting your name in the history books. Hells, Jianzhu basically built himself into the true power in the Earth Kingdom during The Rise of Kyoshi purely on the back of him having been one of Kuruk’s closest friends (and later, Yun’s teacher when everyone thought Yun was the Avatar), which is a lot more extreme than anything anyone in the Gaang has done, in the fic or in canon. So maybe Huojin should stop to consider he’s not dealing with jumped-up kids with delusions of grandeur, but people who can reasonably expect to be treated with some respect?
He Has Much to Learn: 77 (for the portrayal of the Gaang as immature and annoying)
"Maybe I'm just one guy, but I like to think I'm a good friend. Lee was risking his life to give Toph a hand. Least I could do was make sure a bunch of kids didn't smash his plan to little pieces."
Toph: And of course “Lee” and I just know best and everyone else should sit tight and stay out of our way even if something involves them too, huh?
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 44
Prince Stuko: 129
"It worked, too," Toph grinned.
"Kids?" Aang and Sokka yelped as one.
"I'm a warrior!" Sokka protested, voice almost cracking.
Aang: *raises his hand* Uh… I never minded being called a kid?
He Has Much to Learn: 78
"Maybe you are," Huojin said honestly, "but your little sister? And the Avatar?" He shook his head. "Aang, I've got a daughter your age. What kind of father would I be if I let a twelve-year-old boy run smack into the Dai Li?"
Aang: …well, you apparently don’t have much trouble working for the Dai Li or letting your “good friend” Zuko pal around with some of them, so I’m kind of getting mixed messages here?
Aang was staring at him like he'd turned purple and started spouting bad poetry. "But... I'm the Avatar."
"Right. From what people tell me, you're the bridge between our world and the spirits," Huojin nodded. "So you're a really, really, really powerful bender. Got it. But you're twelve. I don't know who you've been dealing with... no, actually, I know about some of the people you've been dealing with, I've heard a lot about the Council of Five, not much of it good. But any sane, responsible parent? They wouldn't be asking you to save the world. They'd be figuring out ways to hide you, so you get a chance to grow up."
Aang: *shocked* That ship sailed a long time ago! When the Fire Nation killed my people and I got stuck in an iceberg for a hundred years! And then Roku told me about the Comet and how I had to stop Ozai before he could use it to win the war! I’m sorry I’m not Zuko but I kind of had important things I had to do! Look, I get that Vathara really doesn’t want to have to deal with or acknowledge any of that, but it’s the truth
He Has Much to Learn: 79
He shrugged. "I hate the war. But we've been fighting it for almost a century. We can keep fighting another few years, if that means we can finally stop it."
"...But I have to defeat the Fire Lord before the end of this summer," Aang said in a small voice. "Roku said Sozin's Comet is coming."
He did not just say what I think he did. "What?" Huojin croaked.
Toph: …yeah, buddy, maybe you shouldn’t have started being all judgy before you knew all the facts. Also, that Comet comes back every hundred years, pretty regularly. Guess they’re not big on astronomy in Ba Sing Se, huh?
"It's this huge thing up in the sky-" Sokka started.
"I know what it is," Huojin managed. Though I haven't heard anything about it in decades. Oh, Agni... "You're sure?"
"Sure as spirit messages from dead Avatars get," Sokka said practically. "You know what it is? We'd never heard of it."
MG: Not sure if this is meant to be a “the Gaang are dumb kids” moment or a “Water Tribes suck” moment, though honestly I’m not that surprised the Southern Tribe wasn’t keeping track of comets – they were mostly focused on just staying alive.
"I had a weird childhood," Huojin said wryly. Dug into memory for things a child of six had barely understood. "Oh, this is... not good."
"Not good how?" Toph pounced.
"You know what a waterbender can do on a full moon?" Huojin said bluntly. "Imagine a firebender a hundred times stronger."
The kids blanched.
Aang: …we knew that. Roku explained that to me. That’s why we knew it was a big deal, remember?
He Has Much to Learn: 80
Yeah. I'd kind of like to faint, too. "I knew you were in trouble," Huojin said honestly, looking directly at Aang. "I had no idea it was this bad. Is there anybody you can trust to help?"
Toph: Oh, now he’s friendly. But why’s he acting like the Comet was just our problem? It was everybody’s problem! It was kind of a big deal!
He glanced at Sokka. "I'm not talking about the generals. They keep Ba Sing Se safe, sure. But they think about the city, not the world. Armies and weapons and tactics, not people. Are there any grownups you know who would listen, and help? Help, not tell you what to do. Because... well, I'm just a Guard, what do I know about fighting a war? But I work the ghost watch. Kamuiy, I know. So I've got a funny feeling that saving the world isn't just stopping the war."
MG: In other words, Vathara is not-so-subtly holding up a “hint, hint” sign about what the real conflict of this fic is going to be and waving it at us. And, okay, I’m going to save more of this for the reveal of who the fic’s biggest bad is, but something that’s always bugged me about Embers is how I feel it ends up decentering the Fire Nation and Ozai as the main threats in favor of a much broader, older conflict about spirits and dragons. I think it can’t help but cheapen the Fire Nation as villains and remove at least some of the onus for starting this mess from them (admittedly, Vathara might think those are good things…). It’s also something I very deliberately wanted to avoid doing in my own A:TLA fics way back when, when I introduced a spirit big bad for my Azula fics, so maybe it’s just a bit close to home. Anyway, stick a pin in this, because we’re coming back to it later.
He shrugged, and looked back at Aang. "If you're the Avatar, if you're really the guy who's supposed to bring balance back to the world - who do you trust to help you do it?"
Aang swallowed. "...I don't know."
Aang: Uh… my friends? Bumi? Chief Arnook and Pakku, maybe? A bunch of other people we met along the way but didn’t bring with us? If you mean “in Ba Sing Se,” not having anyone we could trust was kind of our problem!
"My dad," Sokka said firmly. "He's a good guy. I wasn't there long enough to hear the whole story, but Bato said something about a Fire Nation ship that didn't try to take prisoners-"
Uh-oh, Huojin winced.
Toph: What, are we insulting the Fire Nation’s honor or something here? We’re at war, get over it!
"-They just threw out life-rafts and kept going," Sokka finished. "So... if Toph's right, and we need to stop everybody fighting - I think my dad would listen."
"If I'm right?" Toph rolled her eyes.
Toph: Yeah, this is Embers, I’m always right, duh!
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 45
"Hey, even the Earth Rumble champion can miss something- Wait a minute!" Sokka shot Huojin a suspicious glance. "You're stalling us again!"
All Sporkers: *facepalm*
"What? Since when?" Huojin said, startled. And more than a little aggravated. "You're not just here about the bison?"
"No! We're here about my sister!"
"What about Katara?" Will not strangle teenager for mangled priorities, Huojin thought wryly. Oma and Shu know, I pulled some bone-headed stunts when I was fifteen.
Aang: …I mean, you’re the one who got us talking about that without trying to figure out why we were here in the first place, so it’s kind of on you?
"She's in trouble!" Aang insisted. As if he had doubted the boy.
Toph: …you’ve not given us a lot of reason to make us think you’re taking us seriously, let’s be real here.
"The Fire Nation has her!"
"In the middle of Ba Sing Se?" Huojin said, startled. Held up a hand before the protests could break out. "We'll tell the captain, he can get word to the Army, we'll get people moving. Where? How? What do you know?"
"...I saw it in a vision," Aang admitted.
For a moment, Huojin had to just stare. "Oh, the captain's going to love this one," he groaned.
MG: *snorts* Okay, now I’m just reminded of a bit in one of Elaine Cunnighan’s Forgotten Realms books (specifically my personal favorite trilogy of hers, Counselors and Kings) where the main characters are reminded that “hallucination induced by evil fairies” is not, in fact, admissible testimony in a court of law.
"Look, Aang saw what he saw!" Sokka said angrily.
"I never said he didn't," Huojin shot back. "I'm just saying it sounds crazy. I wouldn't believe it, if I hadn't seen some really weird stuff over the years." He shook himself. "Okay. Vision. Any details? Names, places... anything that can mark it in one of the Rings? At the Wall? Ba Sing Se's a big place."
"It's Zuko," Sokka said practically. "She could be anywhere by now. Just look for the angry jerk with the big scar." He gestured toward his left eye.
...Nah. Coincidence.
All Sporkers: *facepalm again*
"Hate to break it to you, but between the refugees and the veterans? There's a lot of people with scars," Huojin pointed out. Though most of them know they'd better stick to the Lower Ring. And Amaya said the Avatar's people were up in the Upper Ring. "Any other ways to pick him out? Young, old, what? Who is this guy? I didn't think anybody from the Fire Nation could sneak into Ba Sing Se." Not without Amaya's contacts knowing about it, anyway.
Toph: …seriously, you’re really going to make us drag this out, aren’t you?
"You don't know Prince Ponytail," Sokka snorted. "He got into the middle of the North Pole once."
...Oh, no way. Because it really couldn't be. Lots of Fire Nation soldiers had attacked, right? And he knew Lee. Scarred and a great name, sure. Prince? The kid wasn't nearly arrogant enough for that. "Sounds serious," Huojin nodded. "You've met this guy before? How many troops is he going to have with him?"
Both boys looked taken aback at the thought. As well they should; if one Fire Nation infiltrator could make it inside, odds were there were more-
"Probably just Uncle," Toph said candidly. "They're fugitives. Something about General Iroh wrecking the whole North Pole invasion, by trying to save the Moon Spirit."
For a moment, nothing in Huojin's brain seemed to work. Fugitives... Moon... invasion fleet...
Urk.
No help for it. Next time he got hold of Lee, he had to strangle the kid. Just a little.
Toph: But he won’t. Because Vathara likes him, and loves Zuko, so of course he has to love Zuko too…
As if you could, the more practical side of him snarked.
MG: Okay, from another author I’d be inclined to take this as “Huojin couldn’t beat Zuko in a fight,” which is fair. In this fic... it almost makes me think it’s more like “Huojin is bound to Zuko by loyalty and literally can’t commit violence against him.” Whether that’s the intention or not… yikes.
Prince Stuko: 130
Huojin told it to shut up, and took a deep breath. "You think the Dragon of the West is in Ba Sing Se?"
Well. He did say he was retired.
"If Zuko's here? Iroh's around somewhere," Sokka said practically. "But he's got a trick we've never seen from a firebender, so... Toph says you keep records of healers?"
A healing firebender. Oh Agni, they know what they're looking for.
Toph: At this point you’re just trying to make us sound like the bad guys, huh?
"Or we could just talk to Amaya," Aang put in. "She seemed to know... something about the Fire Nation-"
Aang: Or we could not talk to Amaya! Less Amaya is good, actually!
"Huojin knows Lee's Fire Nation, Twinkletoes," Toph interrupted.
Sokka whipped his head around. "You said nobody could sneak in!"
"He didn't sneak," Huojin shrugged. "He came in on a ferry a month or so back, just like all the other refugees. Amaya took him on, and he's been working with her since. Quiet kid. No trouble." Except for wrecking teashops, freezing noble kids, and breaking into Dai Li headquarters... laughing hysterically is not going to help.
Toph: *glances back over the rest of the fic* Yeah, he’s totally been living quietly, all right.
"But they're both gone. You'll have to try someone else." He gave the kids a sober look, hating what he was about to say would do to boys as... inexperienced as these, in what people did to stay in power. "They're gone. And so are the Wens."
"What?" Aang gasped.
"Luli and my daughters got out in time," Huojin said, trying not to let the banked anger seep into his voice. It wasn't easy. These were kids, just kids... but damn it, hadn't they seen what happened in Ba Sing Se? "If they hadn't, I think I'd really hate you right now." He made himself shrug. "That's the way it is here. Cross Long Feng, and you'd better hope you can dig a hole and pull it in after you."
"But the Earth King had Long Feng arrested," Sokka protested.
"Yeah?" Huojin raised a brow. "By who?"
MG: Hrrrm. On the one hand, yes, this is a mistake the Gaang made in the show as well, but in their defense the Earth King and the Generals seemed to have assumed the Dai Li had decided to switch sides and throw Long Feng under the bus too. And the way it’s framed still makes it sound like we’re positioning this as “the Gaang are naïve kids who don’t know what they’re doing,” possibly just because of what a running theme that’s been in general.
He Has Much to Learn: 81
From the uneasy looks, he already knew. Obviously, have to mince it up into little words, Huojin snarled silently. "Long Feng's ruled the Dai Li for twenty years. The last message Amaya got out, before that notice of a spiritual pilgrimage went up on her door... he still does." He looked away from the airbender, trying not to yield to the temper that wanted to break something. "You know, I know they chose to help you. Tingzhe. Meixiang. Amaya. Even Lee - and Lee was a wreck over that mess. I know why they did it, and I know they knew what they were risking. But they're gone. They're all gone, and if the Dai Li haven't caught them, they're running for their lives." He dusted off his hands, deliberately. "So if you want to put a missing persons report out on Katara, we can do that. You want to report there are Fire Nation infiltrators in the city? We'll do that too. But if you want to talk to city healers to find a fugitive firebender, you can read our records down in the station, in plain sight, so nobody in the Dai Li thinks they wanted to talk to you."
Gray eyes narrowed at him. "You said you wanted to help!"
Exactly when did I say that, kid?
Toph: Well, the sooner you help us the sooner we’re out of your hair, and if you try to force us to leave… well, good luck with that.
"Like you helped the Wens?" Huojin said flatly.
Aang: I mostly remember the Wens lecturing us and treating us like a bunch of stupid babies, actually…
"Meixiang told Luli about that. When she woke my wife up and told her to get our girls out." He looked straight at Toph; she might be blind, but the girl could read people better than a lot of Guards he'd met. "Tingzhe knows a lot of old secrets about the city. And Lee's one tough kid." But you know that already, don't you? You knew all along. "I hope they're okay. But the Dai Li... no one's ever brought them down."
MG: The Dai Li are also not eternal. They’re much younger as an institution than the Earth Kingdom as a whole, and per both this fic and canon it took them a while to build their power to its current level. So maybe don’t assume that just because something hasn’t been done, it can’t be?
He Has Much to Learn: 82
Aang's hands gripped his airstaff, as he looked down, torn. Sokka frowned, eyes lifted as if seeing the outline of something blaze to life on the horizon.
Hello. I think I heard somebody's brain crank into gear.
MG: …and here we get to “Sokka is the only one of the original three Gaang members Vathara kind of likes, so he gets a bone thrown his way every now and again.” Fun!
"Forget the healers," Sokka said abruptly. "We need to head for the palace."
"We can't just forget about Katara!" Aang exclaimed.
"We're not going to," the Water Tribe boy said bluntly. "Remember what Toph said; think like Zuko. He wants to capture you. He's not going to hurt her, not if she's the bait. He'll use her to get to you - and that means he's got to let us know where she is. When he springs his trap, then we trap him." Sokka nodded to himself. "And the best way to do that is make sure everybody knows where you are. If we're shaking up the palace dragging Dai Li out of the walls, we'll kill two sea vultures with one boomerang."
"Right!" Aang brightened. "And if they're still working for Long Feng, we can make him tell us where they took everybody!" He dashed off the edge of the roof, and floated down; Sokka smacked himself in the forehead, and went for the stairs.
He Has Much to Learn: 84
"They're wrong," Huojin said in an undertone, before Toph could follow. "Lee's not trying to catch anyone."
Toph: …great. Now the kids have been shooed out so the adults can talk, my favorite thing in the world. *beat* Except now I’m one of the adults in the room, how did that happen?
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 46
"But Katara knows what he looks like," Toph said, just as quiet. "And she hates him...
MG: *insert obligatory reminder that at this equivalent point in the show, after her initial anger at Zuko passed Katara legitimately tried to extend a hand of friendship to him, and he responded with betrayal*
and he knows it. If they ran into each other, she wouldn't stop until the whole city knew where he and Uncle were. And then what?" She shook her head. "I don't think he'd hurt her. Not really. But the spirits don't seem to want to clue Aang in that gee, Zuko really doesn't want to die."
Aang: …I know Zuko doesn’t want to die? I kind of assume most people don’t want to die? But, uh, for someone who really doesn’t want do die Zuko sure did have a habit of putting himself in some really dangerous situations…
Which was just what would happen, if someone believed that Lee was... well, what he was. What a mess. "A prince." Huojin shook his head. "I chewed him out... told him when he was whining..."
Toph: Yeah, yeah, you chewed out royalty, clearly that’s the big deal here. He’s the same kid today he was yesterday, you know! A fancy title doesn’t change who you are!
Divine Right to Rule: 72
"He was happy." Toph gave him a wry grin. "He really was. He likes you." A lift of her hands, and stone rose to a platform she stepped onto from the roof. A push, and it sank back down, letting her step onto Appa's back.
A prince. Squinting his eyes against the gale as they took off, Huojin waited for his brain to stop whirling. No wonder he didn't know how to talk to normal people-
MG: And once again, I am glad that Vathara acknowledges that, as depicted in the show, Zuko (and Azula, though we don’t see it as much) really doesn’t know how to handle regular social interaction. Unfortunately, it’s kind of outweighed by all the harping on about all the other ways Zuko is *special* that she does…
"As my brother's loyalty is beyond question, Fire Lord Ozai neglected to see that I appeared," Mushi's voice echoed in memory.
Okay, that did it. If he ever caught up with Mushi again? He needed to glare at the man.
Toph: Yeah. That’ll show him.
He didn't lie. Exactly. Came right to the knife edge of it, but I don't think he ever lied-
More fragments of other conversations floated up; about Agni Kais, and honor... and just what the Fire Lord had done.
Lee's the Fire Lord's son.
Oh Agni. No wonder that kid is so messed up.
MG: Kind of a flippant way of putting it, but in general… yeah.
And if that hadn't been a lousy enough break from the spirits, now the Avatar's little bunch of heroes was about to set off a city-wide search for Prince Zuko. When Lee was already underground, literally, because something was wrong.
Aang: Uh, literally everything we’ve seen has made us think Zuko is the bad guy here? And it’s not like you were trying very hard to change our minds! I guess standing there lecturing us is more important than trying to actually convince us we’re wrong, huh?
Toph: …welcome to the club, Twinkletoes.
Not if I can help it.
Huojin frowned, considering that fiery impulse.
Elemental Determinism: 59
Sure, well and good to think that. But would pitting himself against the Avatar - the so-called balance of the world - actually do any good?
Yeah. It might.
MG: But clearly “trying to explain to the Avatar why he’s going after the wrong person, or asking his friend, who already believes you, to do the same” is just a bridge too far, huh?
Granted he'd only met the airbender twice, but he knew a fair amount about people. Aang was the flightiest person he'd ever met, including one wild-haired older gentleman convinced he could train lizard-birds to deliver the mail.
Aang: Uh, the Fire Nation trains messenger hawks. Is using lizard-birds really all that weird? Is there something about lizard birds that makes them especially bad as mail carriers?
On top of that, Aang seemed to automatically assume people were going to help him. No matter what it cost them.
MG: …that’s because Aang is the Avatar. He’s the highest spiritual authority, technically speaking, in a world where people clearly take that stuff seriously. Practically speaking, he’s also the world’s best hope for defeating the Fire Nation and ending the war, something most people definitely want to do. Yeah, I wonder if there’s a reason most people are pretty eager to help him? And, come on, Aang’s idealistic but he’s not that naïve. He’s met plenty of people by this point who mean him ill or just aren’t very pleasant or interested in helping him, even discounting the Fire Nation. I also can’t help but notice that when people want to help Zuko as soon as they learn that he’s a great name, this is only ever depicted as natural and proper… is that a double standard I’m sensing?
He Has Much to Learn: 86
Which means he probably thinks this problem is solved. And he'll just flutter on to the next one. Huojin grinned darkly.
Report Katara missing? Sure, he could do that. Start a massive manhunt just because a flutter-brained boy had a vision?
I don't think so.
Toph: “Flutter-brained” or not, Aang is the Avatar. Weird stuff happens around him. You’d think a guy who supposedly encounters spirits and stuff on his patrols would be a little more understanding about that!
He might not know this Prince Ponytail Sokka had sneered at. But he knew Lee. The awkward, patient, stubborn healer who'd done his best to stitch parts of the Lower Ring together. The same Lower Ring that hadn't seen one tattooed inch of the Avatar until he needed something.
Aang: Gee, maybe it’s like the Dai Li were watching our every movement for a while there or something!
MG: More to the point, is Huojin trying to paint Zuko like he’s made himself into some beloved pillar of the community or something? Because… based on what we’ve seen so far in the fic, I don’t really see it? His interaction with his and Amaya’s patients has always been framed strictly as business; he’s not been going out of his way to heal people off the clock. He’s also, separately, been tutoring Jinhai with the Wens. And he’s friends with Huojin, who introduced him to Amaya, and Amaya put him in touch with the Wens, and that’s basically been his entire social circle in Ba Sing Se. That’s two families (three counting Amaya as a “family”) who already knew each other (and the Wens don’t even live in the Lower Ring! Tingzhe is a reasonably well-off and respected academic; they’re Middle Ring people!). Aside from fighting the spirit, which most people don’t know about, I’m just sort of left puzzling over what, exactly, Zuko has done to make the Lower Ring better. Even if we just restrict ourselves to taking “stitched together” literally and assume Huojin is referring to Zuko’s work as a healer… he’s mostly just been doing his job, not going out of his way to help people otherwise.
And again, in canon at this point the Gaang had actively infiltrated Lake Laogai, fought their way out, invaded the Earth King’s palace, and overthrown (albeit not as conclusively as they could have hoped…) Long Feng. If they’ve been totally ineffective so far in this fic, with all their achievements either glossed over or written out… it’s because Vathara has been making sure to write them that way. Which is just blatant stacking of the deck in favor of her preferred characters.
He Has Much to Learn: 87
Prince Stuko: 131
I want to follow Lee. Not just because I want to. Because - damn it, when you're out on the street, and the chips are down, you need somebody you can trust at your back.
Toph: Which is kind of what I’d expect someone who’d been mind controlled and didn’t realize it to say!
MG: Yeah, it’s kind of hard to take this at face value when we’ve literally just learned that Zuko has powers that make people want to follow him, and he’s been using them unconsciously the whole time.
Prince Stuko: 132
He might have to trust Aang with the world. The world was a big place; there had to be a limit to how much any one bender could mess with it. But trust a boy Lim's age with something as fragile as a human life?
Aang: Uh, the world is kind of full of human lives, actually? And, hello, monk here! I’ve actually taken vows not to take lives! I don’t think Zuko has…
I hope Sokka's dad can help you out, Aang. But he's not here, so I'm going to have to do what your father should have done. I have to say no.
Toph: Great. So you’ve actively not helping, in the middle of a crisis affecting the whole city, with people potentially in danger including some you’re supposed to actually care about, in order to… teach Twinkletoes a lesson about how you can’t always get what you want? What kind of sense does that make?
MG: And the bit about “having to do what Aang’s father should have done” kind of hits a bit differently knowing where the fic is going, because it’s kind of hard to shake the thought that the Air Nomads not raising their children in nuclear families is, maybe not at the root of why Vathara dislikes them so much, but definitely a big part of it? There’s some stuff on this front that makes me really, really uncomfortable we’re going to eventually get to, everyone. Just wanted to say that up front.
Oddly lighthearted, Huojin headed down the stairs.
MG: And this is where we’re splitting the chapter! Honestly, this one isn’t as bad as the last couple of chapters we’ve gotten, but it’s still pretty frustrating, mostly because it’s yet more “the Gaang are dumb kids who do dumb things and need Vathara’s faves to straighten them out,” and especially in Huojin’s scene it feels like this is coming at the expense of him, you know, actually doing his job and helping people because apparently teaching Aang a lesson is more important. It just… gets wearying after a while, you know? Anyway, not a lot more to say here that we haven’t already been over, and that’s all for today! Next time, alas, we’re going to be checking back in on Katara and Zuko… and we’re going to get to a very long and detailed AN which is going to include, at last, the Saga of Fred. You have been warned. Sorry again for the delay, and we’ll see you then! Our counts stand at:
Beware the Sugar Queen: 77
The Blind Bandit Wins Again: 46
The Deadly Depths: 31
Detached from Reality: 14
Divine Right to Rule: 72
Elemental Determinism: 59
He Has Much to Learn: 87
Prince Stuko: 132
Protectors of our Cultural Heritage: 53
The Real Victims: 47
Roads to Nowhere: 1
Simple Rubes from the Water Tribes: 57
Stations of the Canon: 42
The Superior Element: 66
True Guardians of Balance: 4
The Ultimate Firebenders: 25
