Avatar The Last Airbender: "Touched By Fire And Earth" (Toph Beifong)

S2 Ep14: City Of Walls And Secrets

As I sat in the train car, I leaned back against the seat and gazed out the window. The sight of a few deer peacefully grazing on the grass outside struck me as strangely beautiful.

Katara's voice broke through my thoughts, I turned to see what she was referring to and took in the sight of the wall surrounding Ba Sing Se. Its vastness was truly impressive. A smile crossed Katara's face as she expressed her disbelief that we had arrived in one piece. Her voice carried a sense of relief.

Sokka, ever the worrier, piped up from his seat. "Hey, let's not jinx it," he cautioned. "We could still be attacked by some colossal, explosive Fire Nation spoon or find out that the entire city has been submerged in an ocean filled with killer shrimp."

Toph couldn't help but tease him. "Have you been hitting the cactus juice again?" she chimed in sarcastically.

I couldn't help but chuckle at their banter. "What's the worst that could happen, Sokka?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Just as we settled into our conversation, a peculiar-looking man suddenly plopped himself down between Sokka and Toph. I tried my best to ignore his presence, but as the train entered Ba Sing Se and the city came into view, I couldn't help but take in the sights.

When it was time to disembark, I found myself lacking enthusiasm for the city. I knew we had come here with a purpose.

to find Appa and inform the Earth King about the upcoming Eclipse. However, Ba Sing Se had never quite appealed to me.

"Ah, back in the city. Great," Toph remarked, her tone laced with dissatisfaction.

Sokka tilted his head, curious. "What's the problem? It's amazing here."

Toph sighed and stroked Momo's head. "Just a bunch of walls and rules. You wait, you'll get sick of it in a couple of days."

I walked alongside Toph and chimed in, "For the record, I agree with you on that."

As we made our way, I noticed Aang using the Bison whistle, attempting to catch Appa's attention or at least let him know we were there. As the train car departed, I glanced back and saw someone standing there, their mouth stretched wide open in a deeply unsettling smile.

She approached us, her hands clasped behind her back, wearing a disconcertingly wide smile. "Hello, my name is Joo Dee," she introduced herself cheerfully. "I have been given the great honour of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se."

"And you must be Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Scorpion," she addressed the rest of us, her gaze lingering on my costume with a hint of something unsettling in her eyes. I felt a strong sense of caution and decided not to trust her so easily.

"We appreciate the welcome, but we have urgent information about the Fire Nation Army that we need to deliver to the Earth King immediately," Sokka interjected, emphasizing the gravity of our mission.

"Oh, that's great!" Joo Dee responded, completely disregarding Sokka's urgency. "Let's begin our tour first, and then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it."

Despite her dismissive response, I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something off about Joo Dee. We would need to stay vigilant and cautious during our time in Ba Sing Se.

Sokka glanced at us, and I shrugged before stepping forward to address Joo Dee directly. "No offense, but we didn't come here for sightseeing. As my friend said, we have urgent matters to discuss with the King regarding the war. It's of utmost importance."

Joo Dee remained standing there, her unnerving smile unwavering. "You're in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe here," she replied, her response sounding oddly detached from our concerns. I instinctively took a step back, re-joining the others.