AANG
There's a knock on the door. Aang sure hopes it's not Ju Di again, they didn't put up more Wanted Posters of Appa, so he doesn't get why they should have to talk to her again. It's not that Aang didn't consider it, but he doesn't know what would happen if they did. He wants to. Because he doesn't know how to best look for Appa in a city this big without help.
He misses Appa. He's the last piece of home Aang has, aside from his glider and that's just not the same.
Sokka goes to open the door because it's his turn.
"Hello, Sokka," Aang knows that voice. He's missed that voice.
"You- Kaito!" Aang can hear the gape in Sokka's voice and jumps up to greet their friend.
If Kaito's here-
Aang bursts into the entrance hall to see Kaito and Sokka hugging. He's prepared to attach himself to both of them when they let go of each other. Kaito catches Aang, spins him. It makes him laugh because it feels funny when he's not bending, to fly like this.
He's set down too soon, but Aang can see Kaito smile at him this way, eyes warm and crinkling in the corners. "Hello, Aang."
They step inside and move to the living room where there is only Momo because Katara and Toph are having a girls' day or whatever.
"How come you're here already?" Sokka asks, "I was sure that it takes more than a bit over two months to get here from Omashu."
Aang remembers him saying something like that. Vaguely. Maybe. He wasn't listening much, he realises guiltily. He was just so worried about Appa…
"It does, but I took a boat, so that cut the journey more than in half. There was a storm and it pushed us straight into Chamaeleon Bay. Here," Kaito answers, and produces a sealed scroll. Aang has seen one just like it before. Shame washes over him again. "This is for you and Katara from your father. He's doing well. He got along with Pakku, did you know? Which is probably good if Pakku is asking your grandmother for her hand in marriage again."
Sokka says "Thanks," and his voice is full of emotion. It's homesickness, Aang realises now. Because he sounds the same way, all choked up, when it comes to Appa these days.
Kaito also takes out a folded piece of paper. "I also found this," he unfolds it. it's one of the flyers. "That's how I got your address. You really need to be more careful next time with letting people know where you are. But anyway, the Ju Di division was trying to get rid of them all. We managed to save some and we're keeping them circulating, so don't worry, it wasn't for nothing. We're going to find Appa."
Relief washes through Aang. That's good. That's something. Kaito always manages something.
"The Ju Di division?" Sokka asks after sending Aang a smile.
"They're part of the Dai Li. That's the not-so-secret police here. They control the information flow and they arrest people who make too much trouble, like mentioning the war, the Fire Nation or the Avatar. Then the arrested people come back, and it's like they're different people who don't remember a thing about any of that," Aang feels a shiver go down his spine.
"Yeah. It's messed up. But a few allies and I are working on spreading more information and getting people access to better education. A lot of the people in the lower ring can't read. We've set up four schools so far, one of them for adults. It's hard to keep the Dai Li away, but we've managed. And we're also working on a plan to make sure the Dai Li can't brainwash people any more… Did you know that there was a new Fire Nation attack on the wall just a few days ago?"
Aang pauses to take in all the new information. Schools? That's great!
"Yeah, we were watching the whole thing from on top of the wall," Sokka confesses. "Wait a minute, you were there, weren't you?"
Kaito chuckles. "Ah, you got me."
"It looked. Really bloody down there," Aang says. He can't help himself. It's. He doesn't like it. Was that what the temples looked like? All that red. Visible from even so high up.
"It was," Kaito says, frowning. "Better out there than in here. I don't even want to imagine the death count if they had gotten through the wall."
"Yeah…" Sokka says.
They're all silent for a few more moments. That's war. Is that what Omashu looked like? After Aang left with Sokka, Katara, Appa and Momo?
Then Sokka asks: "So the Dai Li is brainwashing people. How do we stop them? Do you think they know where Appa is?"
"Well. We know where their base is, more or less. But we need a few more earthbenders to help us go up against the Dai Li. If we're going to fight them underground, then I want allies with me who can use the place to their advantage just as well. I don't know how the brainwashing works exactly. But… I figure just taking down the leaders has to be enough until the entire organisation can be dismantled. The Earthking isn't going to be much help. My contacts at the University said he's more of a… puppet king than anything. And if there is an organisation that knows where Appa is in this city, it's the Dai Li."
"Sounds like we've got some recruiting to do," Sokka says. "Since one does not simply pop in to see the Earthking."
"Where do we start?" Aang asks, ignoring Sokka's mockery of Ju Di. If he can motivate people to help because he's the Avatar, then he's going to use that.
"Let me introduce you to my allies first. We're negotiating with a few others and I need to consult Dionu and Yranna before we do something drastic, like use your influence. I need to know if that's going to pull with the people we want on side."
"Sounds complicated," Aang says.
"Yeah," Kaito laughs, and only he really laughs in the face of such problems. Aang certainly doesn't. "Politics always is. Especially when you're trying to move things in a more democratic direction at the same time."
Toph would scoff at that. But she'd understand what was going on anyway. The Airnomads never had such complicated relationships as the people here. He feels a pang of homesickness again. It scrapes against his lungs.
"Democratic?" Sokka asks. Aang focusses back on the conversation.
"That's when the ruling class is everyone, not just someone who was born in a palace. People make their own decisions and vote on important issues. For that to work well, you need a more than decent education system and an easy way to vote. Where it's also not just the majority vote that wins, but on important issues, it has to be three thirds. It would also have multiple representatives for each district in the rings. As for how things work out when there aren't so many people who can be exploited anymore, I'm curious to see what systems will be set up, so that we can still feed the population and provide the means for education at the same time…"
Kaito sighs, and then he grins at Sokka and Aang who're looking pretty dumbstruck. Kaito is doing all that? But… that sounds a lot like the Airnomads did things. Everyone got a say, and everyone looked out for the others.
"Anyway, I think I can bring you by Dionu's bakery tomorrow, if you're free. We could look at the school then, too."
Aang nods, that sounds good. He's curious to meet the people who are helping Kaito.
"So do you want to show me how well your facebending's been coming along?"
...
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