Avatar - The Last Airbender (Storyteller Version)

Chapter 17: City of Walls and Secrets

The next morning, Aang and his friends made their way to the outer wall's monorail station. Before long, a train arrived, and Aang and his friends climbed aboard. The monorail slowly crossed an elevated track through the vast farmland inside Ba Sing Se's outer wall. After awhile, the inner wall came into view. When the monorail crossed through ti, Aang and his friends marveled at the spectacular sight ahead of them. Ba Sing Se was a vast city stretching miles into the distance. There were buildings, streets, monorail tracks, and much more besides. Of all the places the children had been to, this was the most magnificent of them all. At last, the train pulled into the Ba Sing Se monorail station, and stopped. Aang and the others disembarked, gazing at their surroundings. Strolling to the edge of the platform, Aang gazed into the distance. All he could think about was Appa, wondering how they would be able to find him in such a huge place.

AANG: I'm comin' for ya, buddy.

Katara grasped Aang's shoulder to comfort him. Toph was upset for a different reason. She wasn't so thrilled about stepping into a city.

TOPH: Just a bunch of walls and rules. You wait, you'll get sick of it in a couple of days.

Just then, a dark haired woman approached them with a wide, toothy smile.

JOO DEE: Hello, my name is Joo Dee! I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se. And you must be Sokka, Katara, and Toph!

The children were astounded. How did this woman know all their names and who Aang was? Something didn't seem quite right about Joo Dee.

JOO DEE: Welcome to our wonderful city. Shall we get started?

SOKKA: Yes. We have information about the Fire Nation army that we need to deliver to the Earth King, immediately.

JOO DEE: Great! Let's begin our tour. And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it!

SOKKA: Ugh! Maybe you missed what I said. We need to talk to the king about the war. It's important!

JOO DEE: You're in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe here.

Joo Dee brought Aang and the others to a fancy carriage pulled by a team of ostrich horses. It took them around the streets of Ba Sing Se. Every so often the carriage stopped, and Joo Dee talked about each location, ignoring the skeptical looks on her guests' faces.

JOO DEE: This is the Lower Ring.

KATARA: What's that wall for?

JOO DEE: Oh, Ba Sing Se has many walls. There are the ones outside protecting us, and the ones inside, that help maintain order. This is where our newest arrivals live, as well as our craftsman and artisans, people that work with their hands. It's so quaint and lively.

KATARA: Why do they have all these poor people blocked off in one part of the city?

AANG: (Upset, Bored) This is why I never came here before. I always heard it was so different from the way the monks taught us to live.

JOO DEE: This is the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se, home to the financial district, shops and restaurants, and the university.

SOKKA: Yeah, we met a professor from the Ba Sing Se University. He took us to an ancient underground library where we discovered information about the way that is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL FOR THE EARTH KING TO HEAR!!!!!!

JOO DEE: Isn't history fascinating? Look, here's one of the oldest buildings in the Middle Ring, Town Hall!

SOKKA: Is that woman deaf?! She only seems to hear every other word I say.