Hot Sands and Hard Rocks

Truth Unearthed

"I'll come with you." Jet offers.

"We don't need your help!" Katara jumps in.

"Why won't you trust me?" The boy asks, upset.

"Gee, I don't know." She responds.

Jet walks away, leaving the building.

"Was he your boyfriend or something?" Toph asks her.

"What? No!" Katara defends.

"I can tell you're lying." Teases Toph.

Katara runs off after the others.

"That's evil." I tell Toph while laughing.

She shrugs her shoulders and we keep walking.

We catch up to the rest of the group as they are thinking of the next step.

"We can take the train out to the wall, but then we'll have to walk." Sokka tells us.

"Don't worry, on the way back we'll be flying." Aang says enthusiastically.

"We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se!" Toph exclaims happily. She then throws her hands up in joy. "Worst city ever!"

"Jet!" Someone yells from behind us.

We turn and see two people. One is short with long hair, and the other is tall and has a large hat.

"I thought you didn't have your gang anymore." Katara says accusingly.

"I don't!" He says.

The smaller one throws themself on Jet, hugging him.

"We were so worried! How did you get away from the Dai Li?" They ask.

"The Dai Li!?" Katara yells.

"I don't know what she's talking about!" Jet says.

"He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago. We saw them drag him away." The girl explains.

"Why would I be arrested? I've been living peacefully in the city." Jet defends.

"This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth." Toph tells us, feeling the earth beneath them.

"That's impossible." Katara states.

"No it's not! Toph can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth." Sokka says. "Jet's been brainwashed!" He points at him.

"That's crazy! It can't be!" He looks around, and sees us surrounding him. "Stay away from me!"

                                      •••

We have Jet in a chair now, so we can talk to him. Or maybe, interrogate, I guess.

"The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead is, and that janitor was part of their plot too." Katara theorizes.

"I bet they have Appa here in the city, maybe where they took Jet. Where'd they take you?" Aang asks Jet.

"Nowhere! I- I don't know what you're talking talking about!" He responds.

"We need to find a way to jog his real memories.." Aang says.

"Maybe Katara could kiss him. That should bring something back." Sokka jokingly proposes.

"Maybe you should kiss him Sokka!" Katara replies.

"Hey, just an idea." The warrior says.

"A bad one." Aang says, scowling at him. "No one's kissing anyone."

"Too bad, that woulda been priceless to watch." I joke.

"Ooh, wait, I got it!" Sokka exclaims.

He runs over to a sleeping back and grabs something from under it. He returns to Jet and shoves a small weed into his mouth.

"I don't think it's working." Jet says, spitting out the plant.

"Try to remember something from your past that triggers your emotions." Toph tells him.

"The Fire Nation, remember what they did to your family." The new girl tells him.

"Close your eyes, picture it." Katara instructs.

He does for a second, then reopens them suddenly. He then jerks his body forward and looks down.

"No! It's too painful." He says.

"Maybe this will help." Katara tells him.

She walks behind him, and bends water on both sides of his head. The water glows bright, and then Jet speaks up after a second.

"They took me to a headquarters, under the water, like a lake." He tells us.

"Wait, remember what Joo Dee said? She said she took a vacation to Lake Laogai." Sokka realizes.

"That's it!" Jet stands up. "Lake Laogai."

"Another lead." I say.

"And this one is right, I can feel it." Aang says.

"It's too late right now, let's get some sleep." Sokka tells us, and we all agree.

                                      •••

We arrive home, but I can't stop thinking about Jet's situation while I sit down on my bed.

To lose your memories... That's heavy.. Not to mention getting accused of lying on top of it.

My door opens and I see Toph in it once again. It's becoming quite normal.

"I'm sleeping in here again." She tells me.

"Fine. But, only if you take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor." I tell her.

"What? It's your room, if I cared about a bed I'd sleep in my room." Toph argues.

"Either take the bed, or no deal." I say firmly.

"Fine, but you're not sleeping on the floor either. The bed is definitely big enough for both of us."

That doesn't sound too bad..

"Alright, sharing it is." I say.

I can't help myself from being embarrassed though.

I lay down on my side with Toph on the opposite.

"Goodnight." We both wish each other simultaneously.

That ends the chatting, and we sleep on preparation for tomorrow.