Chapter Text
After the tour of Ba Sing Se from Joo Dee we were invited to the Earth King’s party tonight. While getting ready the only thought on my mind was the poverty ridden lower ring. The refugees in need of water, food, shelter, all while we’re here living it up in the upper ring. We get to go to a party, where there's plenty to go around and even more to spare. The night goes by quickly. But towards the end of it I ask for food to be packed up because I would love to enjoy it back at our home while we stay here and the servants comply with mounds of food.
“Oooo, we get to enjoy this back at the house.” Sokka say
“No, this is for me.” I snap back
“What?!?! You can’t eat all of that.” He says louder than I would have liked
“It’s not for me” I snark in a whisper
The silence hangs in between us. He wants to say more but he knows not to.
The party will go late into the night but Toph says the Avatar needs his rest as they will begin his earthbending training within the city tomorrow. They leave the party a bit earlier than Sokka and I. He’s in the hallway having drunk himself into a somber mood with cactus juice. When we’re alone heading back to our home.
“I know I can’t stop you, just be safe and don’t get caught.” Sokka says.
“Thank Sokka,for understanding.” I truly mean that, he’s always been a supportive older brother.
“It’s who you are, I shouldn’t deny that from you.” he says earnestly.
When everyone goes to sleep, I prepare myself. Back when Aang, Sokka and I were training him in waterbending. We encountered a small fishing village in the fire nation. There I learned about the painted lady, even pretended to be her. I kept the clothes, hat and veil I used back then. She was a river spirit of the Jang Hui Village on the water, she would heal the sick and protect them from any dangers. Aang and I even destroyed the Fire Nation factory that had turned their beautiful village into a mud bank. But we changed all of that. Now it was time for the Painted Lady to return. With my makeup and clothes on, I head over to the lower ring. I handed out the food. It’s nowhere near enough to feed everyone I come across. There are thousands here that need help. Many women and children live on the streets as they can’t afford housing and they have no way to make money. I walk the streets creating a mist as I go to create my cover. I found an orphanage just down the road from a market. The siege ended 6 years ago but its scars run deep here.
While I’ve run out of food for the evening, I can still try to sneak in and heal some of the children inside. I peek through the window to find that this room is the play area for the children. I check the other side to see if this is the children or the matron’s room. Lucky for me it is neither, it looks like the kitchen.
Perfect! This is where I will drop off food tomorrow night!
I open the window by freezing some water to unlock the latch. Once inside I locate the children upstairs. They’re at least 30 children in this one room alone, all girls.
There must be a boys room too! I might be their only chance of getting better.
I get to work scanning them to see who needs my attention the most. I found her, she’s smaller than most of them but it’s hard to tell since I don’t know their age. While it doesn't snow here, winter is in full effect. The homes don’t have a way to heat themselves and the windows cannot be blocked off. They don’t have enough blankets to keep themselves warm at night. This place could use some cariboufox pelts to keep warm but I have none to offer and no way of getting them here. I warm the water in my hands, I can feel the heaviness of her chest. She must be sick with a cold. It takes me a few minutes but I finally make some progress. I work for the next hour quietly weaving through the sleeping girls. I want to keep working but if I don’t leave soon I’ll be caught at sunrise.
I return to our house in the upper ring hoping no one has spotted me. If I get caught there's no telling what will happen to me or us. This city has its secrets and I’m one of them now. As I remove the red makeup from my face the tiredness sets in. We’ve been moving all day and now that I’ve slowed down it has finally set in. I’m hoping to sleep in and avoid Aang and Toph’s earthbending training. They’ll be practicing right outside my window though. Regardless I drift to sleep and do not wake up easily to their sounds of rock crashing together.
Each night is the same as before. At first I would sneak some food before the servant came and took it away. But then I followed them one evening to see where they would place the excess food. Of course it gets thrown away.
That food could be used to help the people of the lower ring but I guess the doesn’t hold the illusion of There is no war in Ba Sing Se.
Sneaking from the upper ring down to the lower ring wasn’t an easy task. I have to travel about 30 miles each night to make it to the lower ring’s edge. If I waited too long I would miss the last train down there. Of course I have to sneak on top of the train to make it there. The railway is the quickest way, I would take Appa if I could but Aang can’t find out. It would compromise his position with trying to meet the Earth King. Plus they don’t allow any flying within the city walls.
The air was cold tonight, the coldest it had been since we were close to the North Pole. I'm worried about all of the women and children without a home tonight. They'll have no way of keeping warm and I have no way of bringing them warmth. When I arrive, I notice a small group of men guiding the homeless to their small section. Some of them are wearing red.
Are they Fire Nation citizens living out here in Ba Sing Se?
Right outside is a mural……of……me? It's me as the Painted Lady, they have offerings of fruit and trinkets, candles and incense on the wall. Inside their little home there's a courtyard with a fire, a big one with one of them seemingly controlling it. Definitely Fire Nation but they're feeding the people they’re housing and doing their best to keep them warm. I leave some food right out the corridor entrance, then send a wisp of mist to let them know I have come. I head down the street towards the orphanage I found the first night but the sight of a fire stops me. An elderly couple is asleep beside it, I'm tempted to stop it but they need the warmth and it doesn't seem like it's over-built. Just enough wood to last for an hour or two at most. I can see the woman’s arm is in bad shape, she’s covered in sores. I tend to her wounds, it’s easier when they’re asleep. They tend not to resist flow within themselves. I look to the fire one last time before moving along.
Tonight would need to be quick, Aang asked me to help find out who’s following him around. I do wish I could enjoy the cold air a little bit longer. It reminds me of home, how far I am and the uncertainty of how much longer until I can return. I want to tell GranGran the adventures we’ve been on, I want her stewed sea prunes, I want to see the lights dance across the night sky. But I’m needed here, to help end this war. I reach the train tracks; I freeze water on the rails and skate across them until I reach our home away from home. I slip in through the window, and finish my night the same as before but tonight dreams of going home fill my sleep.
The day went less than perfect. I lost Aang in the process of keeping Joo Dee distracted long enough for him to get away but then I couldn’t get away as easily. And that’s when I saw him…..Jet! Of course even here in Ba Sing Se he’s still up to his old tricks, carrying his swords around. They planned to attack the same group of people I ran into last night. They’re blaming a fire on them. By the time I make it back home Aang is already there, he’s furious with me, well Aang version of it. He’s mad but he doesn’t talk down to me just emphasized how much he needed me to deter Joo Dee as she caught him shortly after and brought him back here. I sulk back to my room, only returning when dinner is being served. Sokka and Toph are talking about their day. They went to a tea room and performed haiku together on stage.
“Sokka was really able to keep up?” I asked genuinely curious
“Yeah, it surprised me too! After he caught on he was counting with his hands.” Toph stated
“I really had no clue what was going on. But the cheers were helpful.” Sokka said
“I bet you can’t do one right now.” I teased him
“Oh, Little Sister. You might call me a meathead. But I have insight.” Sokka said with rhythm
“Ok fine, you can count your syllables.” holding my hands up in defeat
He boasted his head up, proud of what he’s done.
“I can catch on.”
Aang is quiet this evening, he’s barely touched his food or engaged in our conversation.
“Aang, I’m really sorry about earlier. I tried to get away but I lost you quickly and well I saw Jet’s here.” I explained
“Jet is here? That’s not going to help my position with Long Feng. We cannot be associated with him.” Aang said with a seriousness
“I know but we wouldn’t want him to do what he did in Omashu here. That would also not end well for us as I did help him back then.” I say trying to get to see my point, that Jet could cause damage because he is still up to his old tricks.
“Why would Jet even come to this city? Wasn’t he hell bent on defending Omashu against the Fire Nation?” Sokka chimes in
“I don’t know. Just wanted everyone to be aware that he’s here.” I respond
“Sorry but who’s Jet?” Toph interjects
We explain to Toph our adventure in Omashu.
“Is that the guy Katara has a crush on?” Toph said
“What! NO!!!!” I’m blushing
Sokka is laughing “You guys were pretty flirty on that cart.”
Aang has that wide look in his eyes again and his lips form a tight line.
“I didn’t have a crush on Jet!” I explain
“Sure you didn’t, sweetness.” Toph says
I’m so flustered at this point I just go to my room. I have more important things to deal with anyways. I couldn’t tell them Jet was planning to attack Fire Nation refugees here in the city. What would Sokka think? What would any of them think? This was my fear talking but then again, we did help that Fire Nation Village before and they were onboard. Except this is Ba Sing Se where the war doesn’t exist and the Avatar has to appease Long Feng to get an audience with the king. They might view this act differently and expect me to see how it’s not the same.
I get ready just like every night before. I haven’t taken a single night off since we arrived in the city. It feels good to help people in need, my skills finally have a purpose besides teaching the Avatar and defending us while we are traveling. I’ve gained a confidence I’ve never had before, a real sense of my identity because I can finally embody who I am. I make the long journey to the lower ring hoping I’m not too late.