| abstract | - As a reward for protecting Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation attack, Avatar Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph are allowed into the city and given a house in the Upper Ring. While the others are optimistic about having reached the city, Toph is none too thrilled: apparently, she did not find the thought of "life in the big city" much to her liking. Soon after they arrive, Aang and his friends are met by Joo Dee, a woman assigned to guide them around the city. Attempts by Sokka to try to get their guide to talk about the War and a possible audience with the Earth King are invariably ignored. As they see the many sections of Ba Sing Se, Team Avatar soon finds the segregation of rich and poor people is not to their liking. Aang recalls that this was the reason that he did not visit the city in the years before his being trapped in the iceberg, as the Air Nomads taught equality for all. When a possible audience with the Earth King is finally mentioned, it is revealed that they will have to wait at least a month. It soon becomes apparent that within the walls of the city, no one wants to talk or even think about the War raging in the rest of the world. Even Aang's attempts to find Appa bear no fruit as no one seems willing to divulge any information to them, thanks to some meaningful glances from Joo Dee. A neighbor, however, reveals that conversing about the War is strictly forbidden and warns the team to steer clear of the secret police force, the Dai Li. Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh have found jobs in a tea house, where the former Fire Nation general soon becomes popular for his superior tea brews. Unknown to the two, Jet is constantly spying on them and waiting for either one to show signs of firebending despite Smellerbee telling him that all he saw was an old man with a cup of hot tea, which did not prove anything. Even if he could prove them to be firebenders, she points out that they and Longshot had agreed to start over in Ba Sing Se and change their ways. Jet counters that they will after he exposes Zuko and Iroh's true identity. In order to tempt Iroh into firebending, the ex-Freedom Fighter had stolen Iroh's spark rocks, but Iroh simply borrows a neighbor's spark rocks instead of using firebending. The next day, a notice arrives of a party being held in the palace for the King's pet bear. Katara decides it is a good way to reach the Earth King. Toph says that since the gang mostly comprises commoners, they would be spotted right away if they went to the event. In the end, Toph and Katara dress up in formal attire and head for the palace as Aang and Sokka wait. When the girls are finished getting dressed, Aang looks at Katara, blushing and complimenting on how beautiful she is. The girls are initially refused entry by a guard, who rejects even Toph's family seal, but eventually manage to go inside with the help of an official named Long Feng, who introduces himself as the culture minister and insists on accompanying them. Aang and Sokka arrive at the palace themselves and enter the side entrance as servants. All of the kids are soon discovered by Joo Dee, who appears very frightened that they have defied the orders and entered the palace. Aang is soon exposed as the Avatar, and a commotion erupts. Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Momo are soon gathered gently but forcefully by Dai Li agents. Aang himself is confronted by Long Feng, who reveals that he is in fact the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and the head of the Dai Li, and taken to a room where the others are waiting. Jet, tired of waiting, finally charges into the tea house while Iroh and Zuko are working. He accuses the two newcomers of being firebenders, stating he saw the old man heating his tea, but the skeptical customers tell him that does not prove anything since he works in a tea house. Angry that no one believes him, Jet draws his swords and advances on Iroh. Zuko, however, grabs a pair of dual broadswords from one of the customers and engages in a prolonged duel with Jet, holding his own without using his firebending. Iroh urges Jet to stop, but Jet taunts Zuko, saying, "Bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast." Zuko finally disarms his opponent of one of his swords at the cost of one of his own blades, stating Jet is the one who needs help and swings his sword at him in a way Jet barely manages to dodge in time. Jet claims the Fire Nation is trying to silence him, which only convinces Pao and his customers that the Freedom Fighter is insane. The Dai Li arrive at the scene and orders the pair to drop their weapons. Zuko complies, but Jet urges them to arrest Zuko and Iroh, restating his claim that they are firebenders. Iroh calmly states that Jet is confused and that they are merely refugees while Pao complains that Jet destroyed his shop and assaulted his employees. The customer whose swords Zuko took corroborates the story, prompting the Dai Li to order Jet to come with them. Not taking it kindly, Jet attacks the Dai Li, who quickly arrest him and lead him away; Smellerbee and Longshot watch from the crowd as their friend and leader is taken away. Later, in a darkened room, a captive Jet is subjected to a form of brainwashing. Inside Long Feng's chamber, Aang and the rest try to talk about the coming solar eclipse, but are abruptly cut off by Long Feng. To preserve the culture and utopian life within the walls of Ba Sing Se, no mention of the War is permitted. It is also revealed that Long Feng, the Earth King's secretariat, is in charge of handling day-to-day affairs in the city, including all military matters. The king himself is no more than a figurehead, a beloved icon. When Aang threatens to talk and tell everyone about the War, Long Feng threatens them with expulsion from the city. He goes on to say that if Aang persists, he may never see the missing Appa ever again. As they are dismissed, Long Feng calls in Joo Dee to accompany them. Aang stares in disbelief as they all realize that a different woman has taken the place of Joo Dee.
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