“I can’t believe we’re about to enter Ba Sing Se,” Azula said, feeling the sway of the boat as it ferried them across the channel into the sprawling city. From the railing of the ship, she gazed up at the mindbogglingly high walls. “They defeated you here.”

  Beside her, Iroh laughed. “It wasn’t just a defeat. They utterly defeated me. Now, I‘m going to walk right in and take a tour.”

  “You’re not a tourist, you’re a refugee,” Azula said. She lowered her voice. "And a war criminal."

  “Eh, fifty steps, one hundred steps. What’s the difference?” Iroh said.

  She returned her gaze to the imposing walls. She thought of the countless Fire Nation soldiers who'd died upon them. “It was stupid to attack this city from the outside. There’s no way the Fire Nation could make it through these...things. The only way Ba Sing Se could fall would be from the inside.”

  Iroh’s smile disappeared. He opened his mouth, but he wasn’t the one who spake. A thin, good-looking young man with arched black eyebrows and a mop of dark hair stepped forward. A small stalk of wheat was in his mouth. “That’s why Ba Sing Se will never fall.” He joined them in leaning on the railing. “I’m Jet. This is Smellerbee and Longshot.” He waved to a short child with warpaint on its face and a tall, grim-faced young man.

  Azula rolled her eyes. “And I’m Slingblade and this is Potroast.” She pointed to her uncle.

  Jet didn’t laugh. Azula got the impression that he rarely ever did. “We call ourselves the Freedom Fighters. We fought against the Fire Nation.”

  “You’re just kids,” Iroh said.

  “We killed enough of them,” Smellerbee snapped. “What did you do to stop the Fire Nation?”

  Iroh raised his hands. “Fair enough. My apologies, little boy.”

  “I’m a girl!” Smellerbee said.

  “I stand corrected,” Iroh answered. “It’s a wonderful name.”

  Azula sighed out her nose. “We’re tired of the war. We want to get away.”

  “What’s your name?” Jet asked her.

  “Jade.” She sized him up. He was attractive, in a dangerous sort of way. He reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on it. “This is my Uncle Lee.”

  “Are you enjoying the trip?”

  “The food’s terrible, the beds are hard. What’s not to like? ”

  He crouched forward conspiratorially. “I happen to know the captain and his crew are eating the good stuff while the rest of us get the scraps.”

  Her mouth began to water. "So, your plan is to steal from them?"

  "And give it to the other passengers." He smiled. "I was inspired by a hero."

  "Let me guess: the Avatar?"

  Jet shook his head. "No. He's too much of a goody two-shoes. I was talking about the Red Spirit."

  Her uncle sighed at the mention of Azula's alter ego, but Azula felt a touch of pride. At least something good came of her foray into banditry.

  "What's the plan?" she asked.

  ***

  Jet’s plan was simple but effective: sneak into the crew’s quarters and steal the food. After that, Longshot would shoot an arrow with a rope into the wooden railing, and they’d slide down it. Azula had only one thing to add.

  “We should create a distraction,” she said. “Nothing to make them suspicious, but just enough to draw them away.” She tipped her head toward a mother and her newborn. “We should have them make a scene.”

  Jet nodded and grinned at her. “That’s a good idea.”

  Her heart warmed at the compliment.

  They waited until darkness fell, and they waited outside the steps to the crew’s quarters. The smell of roasted possum chicken made her mouth water again. She could almost taste it.

  “Shh.” Jet raised his finger to his lips, smirking slightly at the corner of his mouth.

  She grinned back at him and then focused on the situation at hand. Behind them, Smellerbee waited quietly.

  Right on time, the woman with her baby screamed for help. She pounded on a door on the opposite side of the quarters. In no time, the majority of the crew had left to see what all the fuss was about.

  “Go!” Jet whispered.

  They ran up the stairs into the kitchen as quickly and as quietly as they could. The roasted possum chicken hung up on hooks. Quick as lightning, Jet used his hook swords to cut them down and put them in a sack. Azula collected bowls full of rice and then covered them. Smellerbee kept watch. The refugees below would get a feast tonight.

  Smellerbee whispered. “Guards!”

  Azula heard the clomping on the steps. Diversions only lasted for so long. They ran to an outside railing. Longshot raised his bow and shot the arrow. It sank into the railing. All three of them slid down it. Longshot pulled the arrow from the railing just as the crew returned, raising their voices as they discovered the theft.

  Azula, Jet, and the others slipped back into the passenger quarters and immediately began distributing the food. The crew couldn't regain what was already in people's stomachs.

  ***

  The refugees enjoyed the first decent meal many of them had had in a long time, and Azula basked in the glow of their gratitude. It was a weird feeling, doing something nice for others and actually seeing the fruits of her labor.

  "What if they start searching for whoever did this?" Iroh asked.

  "That's the beauty of it," Jet answered. "If they start causing a ruckus, the authorities will ask why the passengers didn't have the food in the first place. It's part of our fare."

  "Brilliant!" Azula said.

  "Thank you," Jet said with his hazardous grin.

  They quieted for a moment, savoring the food.

  “A guy could get used to this,” Jet said. “Beats fighting the Fire Nation.”

  “Is that why you stopped?” Azula said.

  “I…did some bad things during this war. I lost my way, and it took a fight with the Avatar to show it.”

  “That’s admirable,” Iroh said, sitting beside them and shoveling a clump of rice into his mouth. He glanced at Azula. “We all should have a shot at redemption.”

  She thought about Aang and smiled a little. “The Avatar sure gets around.”

  “You’ve met him?” Jet said.

  “Once or twice,” Azula answered.

  When she refused to elaborate, Jet raised an arched eyebrow. “Anyway, it’s the reason I wanted to go to Ba Sing Se, to get a fresh start.”

  She crossed her arms. “What are you going to do in Ba Sing Se?”

  “I don’t know yet. I feel like you can become anything there. How about you?”

  “I have a dream!” Iroh said, putting his bowl down and gently burping.

  “Not this again,” Azula said.

  “I want to open a tea shop!”

  Jet smiled at Azula. “Maybe I’ll stop in sometime.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Something warm flooded her chest. “I’d like that.”

  ***

  Iroh wasted no time in looking for a tea shop. The very first day they arrived in the giant city, he found Pao Family Tea House, a busy tea shop in the lower ring, and applied for both of them. Before she knew it, she and Iroh were wrapped in aprons, serving customers. Iroh had to make use of extra ribbon to get the apron around his large stomach.

  She was not amazed at his tea-making abilities. The man was obsessed with the stuff, so it would stand to reason that it was excellent. She was more amazed at how naturally he took to his job. He possessed an intuitive ability to put everyone at ease. The man never met a stranger, particularly not a female one.

  “Another cup for the lovely young lady?” Iroh said to an elderly woman in a big green hat.

  She preened her white hair and smiled. “Yes, please! This tea is simply marvelous," she leaned in and placed a hand on his arm, "And so are you.”

  He grinned. “Only too happy to oblige.”

  His efforts had already had an effect. Customers packed the shop, so much so that Azula barely had any free time. She said as much when they reached their apartment after a long day’s work.

  “How do people stand this?” she said.

  Iroh was happily cooking some noodles. “There’s something peaceful about an honest day’s work…and making great tea!”

  “Not that,” Azula said, lying on a cot. “Having to work to live. You know, not having time. My life used to mean something more. I was more.”

  Iroh handed her a bowl of noodles. “And who were you before?”

  She sat up. “They used to say at school that we were…” she mouthed the rest of the words, “The Fire Nation’s greatest weapons.” She grabbed some chopsticks and began eating.

  “You’re thinking about this all wrong. This is a chance for a fresh start, to no longer be defined by who you once were.”

  She frowned. “I guess. I liked having something to live for.”

  “Look,” Iroh said, “You just need to set your sights a little lower. Why don’t you work here for a little while and do normal things a young lady your age would do?”

  “Like what?”

  Iroh chewed his noodles thoughtfully. “Like…go on a date!”

  She blinked at him. “A date? Most boys tend to be scared of me.”

  “Nonsense! You only need some practice. Why don’t you try it on that Jet boy? He’s been coming in every day just to see you, and it doesn’t seem like much scares him.””

  She furrowed her eyebrows. “I don’t know how to flirt.”

  Iroh smiled. “Brush your hair behind your ear and smile shyly.” He mimed the action. It looked ridiculous on his broad, bearded, masculine face, which made her laugh.

  He chuckled as well. "Try that.”

  As she practiced, she felt silly. She had no idea how to act demurely. She was about as shy as a gemsock bull in a china shop.

  ***

  As luck would have it, she had an opportunity the very next day. Jet sauntered in around midday, a trademark piece of wheat in his mouth.

  “Hey, Jade,” he said.

  She glanced over at her uncle across the shop. He smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

  “Hi,” she said. She tried to brush her hair behind her ear. Her hand felt stiff and unnatural. She made what she hoped was a coquettish smile. She glanced back at Iroh, who was stifling a laugh. She shot him a quick glare.

  Jet didn’t notice this interaction, thankfully. “So, what are you doing after work today?”

  “I…uh…not much.”

  “You should come with me, then. I have something to show you.”

  “Okay. I’d be glad to?” Her heart skipped a beat.

  Jet grinned. “Great! It’s a date. Oh, and wear something you can climb in.”

  ***

  Jet took them to a rickety, abandoned watchtower that rose above the outside wall.

  “You sure know how to take a girl to nice places,” Azula said wryly.

  “The Fire Nation’s outside the wall over here, and they brought a giant drill.”

  “A giant drill, you say?” Azula's ears perked up.

  Jet nodded. “It’s almost reached the wall. I heard the Avatar is going to fight it. Want to watch?”

  It would be strange to see a battle she didn’t fight in. “I guess so.”

  “Good. I know you hate the Fire Nation as much as I do.” He pointed to her eye.

  “Oh, of course,” she said, “Yes, I hate them very much.”

  Both of them were expert climbers, and in short order, they’d reached the top, where they could see over the wall. He took two telescopes out of a sack and handed one to her. She saw he was correct. A massive drill was rumbling toward the wall. Earthbenders were throwing huge boulders at it, to no avail. The rocks merely bounced off hard steel armor. A line of men had formed some trenches in front of the wall. They shot large stones up at the massive drill, trying to get it to stop, but nothing worked.

  Suddenly, two young women jumped out of the drill and attacked the earthbenders. She strained to see who they were. One threw shurikens and other projectiles at the men, striking them everywhere. The other punched and kicked them in various spots. The men collapsed, completely unable to move.

  “Mai and Ty Lee!” she whispered to herself.

  “What’d you say?” Jet said.

  “I said, uh, maybe,” Azula said quickly. “I can just make out two people who defeated the earthbenders.” At least they were still using their abilities for the glory of the Fire Nation. And where Mai and Ty Lee were, her brother wasn’t far behind.

  ***

  Zuko stood in his fighting stance on top of the rumbling drill. Across from him stood the most powerful being in the world. The pale boy had proven a difficult adversary. If only the Avatar could see reason.

  “Why do you fight us?” Zuko asked.

  “You really don't know?” Aang said. “It’s been fighting and killing all the other nations for a hundred years!”

  Zuko shook his head. “This isn’t what we wanted. This world needs guidance.”

  “This world needs balance,” Aang answered.

  “It’ll never be balanced, Aang,” Zuko said, using the Avatar’s name for the first time, “Not with those of us who have such immense power. Not with the existence of spirits.”

  “Look, are you gonna talk or are you gonna fight?” Aang growled.

  Zuko punched two fireballs at Aang. The Avatar blocked with his usual airbending defenses, but Zuko was already advancing on the boy. He jumped to within a few feet of Aang and blasted out a ring of fire.

  Aang barely blocked and was knocked back into the massive wall of Ba Sing Se. Zuko took the advantage. He came in close and pressed the Avatar’s head into the wall with his elbow. Aang drew small rocks from the wall and flung them at Zuko. Some struck Zuko's head, forcing the older boy to back away.

  Zuko made a wall of fire to shield himself, trying to give himself a few seconds to shake the stars out of his head. He rolled sideways just as the Avatar whipped a powerful stream of air from above. Azula grinned. She'd taught Aang that.

  Zuko double-kicked a huge blast of fire, and the fight went on.

  ***

  Strangely enough, Azula was rooting for the Avatar. She knew she shouldn’t. The drill was her nation’s latest attempt to conquer Ba Sing Se. The war couldn’t end without the city’s fall.

  “Come on,” she said quietly. Mai had exited out the same hatch that Zuko had and was now fighting the Avatar as well.

  Jet laughed. “I’m glad you’re just as into this as I am. The people in the city pretend there isn’t a war going on.”

  “The Dai Li,” Azula said, wincing as she thought of the city's secret police.

  Her brother hit Aang with a fireball. It had been so powerful that the Avatar rolled backward before shooting more air at Zuko.

  Jet was clearly excited by what he was watching. "My band of guerrillas fought the Fire Nation. This makes me want to start fighting them again.

  Azula glanced over at him. There was that look again! It reminded her of someone. "I thought you were looking to leave the war behind?"

  Jet jumped up, full of energy. "Want to join?”

  She shook her head. She was tired of war and killing. “I just want to keep my head down.”

  The earthbenders on top of the wall started throwing down even larger boulders.

  ***.

  “Get back, Mai!” Zuko yelled. She’d been helpful, even hitting Aang with a few knives, but she was no match for the Avatar.

  The girl refused as she dodged a massive boulder. “You need me up here.”

  “I thought I told you to take care of the rest of the Avatar’s people," Zuko said. The Avatar's people had somehow infiltrated the drill and begun attack the metal supports inside it.

  “They jumped into the slurry pipe," Mai said. "Ty Lee is taking care of them.”

  Irritation seized Zuko. Mai should've been willing to get her hands dirty, literally, in her fight against the Avatar's people, but Zuko struggled to get her to do anything she didn't want to do. It was something that both frustrated and intrigued him. She threw another couple of shurikens, keeping the Avatar on the defensive.

  Zuko spun and sent a wheel of fire at the Avatar. Aang jumped to get out of the way, which was what Zuko wanted. He landed on his feet and threw a fiery uppercut at Aang’s jaw. The Avatar twisted his staff and blew both of them away from each other.

  A boulder pounded into the metal right next to them. Zuko and Mai both leaped out of the way. The whole machine shuddered. Zuko glared at Aang. "You won't stop us."

  The Avatar made an impish grin. “I gotta try.” He stopped one of the boulders as it almost fell on top of him. It hovered just above his head, and then he earthbended it at them. Mai jumped out of the way, but he sent a powerful gust of air that knocked her off the drill.

  “Mai!” Zuko yelled. He spotted her hanging onto a small, metal bar. He turned to Aang. “You’ll pay for that.” He jumped down to rescue Mai.

  Aang found a boulder that hadn’t rolled off the drill. He cut it into a wedge and drove it into the hull of the drill. He jumped on it, arthbending it further and further into the thick steel of the drill's hull.

  “One more big hit should do it.” Aang airbended himself high into the air, and then blasted himself down toward the wedge.

  Mai and Zuko had climbed back up on top of the drill. They both rushed toward Aang.

  ***

  Azula cheered silently as her nation’s machine fractured, though she also feared for both her brother and Mai. They'd been driven back by the force of Aang’s strike on the wedge. Watery sludge had exploded out of the ruptures, making the steel extraordinarily slippery. They slid off the sides of the drill. Azula sighed with relief as they hit the ground rolling and came up unharmed. A horrible screeching sound came from the drill, and then everything ground to a halt.

  Aang was truly remarkable. Not only had he beaten her brother, but he'd stopped the Fire Nation advance. That meant she and her uncle could live in peace a while longer. Possibilities swirled in her mind. She was positively giddy.

  “Yes!” Jet said. His face was flushed, and there was a wild look in his eye, again reminding her of someone. Caught up in the moment, he hugged Azula.

  They were both shocked for a moment, and then she kissed Jet. They held the kiss for a few seconds and then separated. It took them a little while to regain their breath.

  “I, uh, I think we should go home before the Dai Li find us here,” Azula said. She hadn’t planned on kissing him, and it made her a bit flustered.

  “S-sure,” Jet said.

  ***

  At last, Azula stood outside her small apartment. “I had a good time tonight.”

  Jet nodded. “Me too.”

  Before she could think too much, she kissed him one more time, savoring the warmth of his lips. When they broke apart, she smiled. “Goodnight.”

  He bowed to her. “Goodnight, Jade.”

  She knocked on the door, and her uncle let her in. She floated into the room.

  “Did you enjoy yourself?” Iroh asked.

  She bit her lip and nodded.

  Iroh winked as he shut the door. “You look a bit flushed. Here, have some tea.” He reached for a cup on a table. “Ooh, it’s gone cold.” He heated it with his firebending and gave it to her.

  “Uncle!” Azula said, taking it. “None of that.”

  He shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry. You know I can’t stand lukewarm tea.”

  She was still lightheaded from the kiss. If she hadn't been, she would have noticed Jet's dark, rage-filled visage in the window.