[Spirit Lights] City of Walls and Secrets

It was a cool evening in the royal gardens as Lee stared up at the night sky. In front of him was a magnificent telescope. Its outer casing was made of solid gold and sparkling emeralds encircled the ends. The small glass and mirrors which allowed the contraption to function were hard to come by, but being the Earth King had its perks. To his right an atlas of the stars lay open on a small table. It contained many maps of the night sky and showed the locations of various constellations at different times of the year.

Lee jotted down a few notes in the margins of the book before bending down to peer through the gilded lens. “I think I see the Chicken.” A small voice came from somewhere behind him and he turned to see Joo Dee approaching with a pot of tea. Lee furrowed his brow and looked up at the sky, “That’s not a Chicken, it’s a Roost-.” Joo Dee’s laughter cut through the night and he turned to see her grinning mischievously. He smiled back, realizing she had been joking. It was unusual for the hostess to act so informally around him but he decided he liked it. She was always like this on nights when he studied astrology. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe, she felt she could open up to him during an activity they both enjoyed.

“I brought you some tea, Your Highness.” She walked to the nearby gazebo and set the tray on the table. Lee nodded before turning to scribble more notes in his book. As he did his stomach let out a low growl. Joo Dee’s eyes widened, “I should have brought you a snack as well! You never eat enough.” She didn’t wait for permission before running off to find some food, leaving the King alone in the dark garden.

Suddenly, the garden was illuminated by an eerie light. Lee looked up and his heart was filled with dread as he gazed upon the heavenly lights. They shimmered back and forth in waves of blue and green. The King was momentarily transfixed on the lights. A memory snapped him back to reality and he quickly thumbed through the pages of the atlas. He found the page he was looking for and skimmed it over. Sure enough these were the Spirit Lights. That was impossible though, they only ever appeared at the poles. How can they be here in Ba Sing Se? Panic rushed in as the thought occurred to him. He must be going crazy. He clutched his chest, struggling to breathe. He needed someone else to see this, to confirm it was real. He needed help. Lee reached for his whistle and placed it near his lips. He blew out a weak little “tweee” before gasping. No one came and he let out another, louder “tweeeeee!” He collapsed to the ground staring up at the sky. As he began to lose consciousness he could see Kailì bending over him. His face showed concern as he moved his mouth soundlessly.

Lee looked around at the three strangers. He began to feel self-conscious as they continued to speak about him rather than to him. They seemed to be confused about who they were talking. “Of course I am the King.” He said feeling a little defensive. “Who are you?”

He looked around at them, noticing their strange clothes. The older man looked like a Fire nation prince. The other man was clearly from a Water tribe. The woman seemed like an Earth nation warrior. He felt a nagging sensation in his gut, like he should recognize them. Although, he was sure he had never seen their faces they seemed familiar like something from a folk tale.

The old man seemed to have something of vital importance to tell him, but the Water tribe man expressed his concern. Maybe he didn’t trust Lee. Kailì appeared by his side. His expression was full of concern as he tugged at his friend. The King’s eyes grew wide with panic as he realized his guard was right. He spoke to the three intruders, “You shouldn’t be here! How did you get past the guards?”

He looked towards the door and suddenly he was standing where Kailì had been. He looked down to see his friend sitting in the circle with the others. The guard with the greying beard now wore Lee’s silk kimono. It was the gold one with dragon embroidery and it hung oddly over the man’s muscular shoulders. Lee looked down at himself, noticing he now donned a Dai Li uniform, complete with rice hat.

He ran out into the hallway which echoed with a silence he could taste. A strange wind blew past and he backed into his room before coming back into himself. Something wasn’t right. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he hoped the strangers would explain themselves. He repeated his question and added another, “Who are you and what do you want with me?”