Welcome to Gaia! ::

Zayiya strode through the palace, her violet dress swirling about her slippered feet. Compared to the dry, icy climate of the South Pole, her home was sticky, humid, and hot. It would take some time to re-acclimate, but she was willing to spend that time. It was good to be in these halls again, looking out the same windows, seeing the same art on the walls. The calls of the birds and the sights of parrot-snakes in the trees.

The eastern veranda was already occupied and she strode out. The wind tugged playfully at her auburn locks, like a child welcoming a dear companion home. She half wished to be an airbender, so she could properly welcome it.

Seated at a small table, sipping traditional Amayenese tea, was the former duke Haosheng and the duchess Veneda. Baolin's father and adoptive mother.

"My lord, my lady," she said, bowing deeply. The two inclined their heads.

"Zayiya," they replied in unison.

"How went the trade in the South Pole?" Veneda asked.

"Very well."

"And your family?" pressed Haosheng. Zayiya allowed herself a slight smirk.

"With all due respect to the water tribes, I believe I'm about as related to them as a parrot snake."

"Not entirely unlikely, actually, from what my brother told me of your dealing with that farmer's squabble last month." Haosheng remarked.

Zayiya hesitated, wishing to defend herself but knowing she could not. The farmers had deserved her tongue, and they should have been grateful she hadn't seized their waters as well.

"Has Baolin arrived home, yet?"

"I'm sorry," Veneda said, smiling sadly. "He is still in Ba Sing Se."

"I see." Zayiya inclined her head. So much for a grand homecoming. "If you will excuse me, I believe I shall go and practice my waterbending."

"So soon?" Veneda asked in feigned surprise, though there was none to be seen on her face.

"Wasn't that something you got enough of at the pole?" Haosheng chuckled.

Zayiya bowed low once more, and replied.

"Bending cannot become second nature without constant practice. Good day."

Zayiya sat in her room, bending the water in her tea absently with one hand while she read from a history scroll with the other. A series of knocks perforated the air, interrupting her concentration. She straightened, listening more intent now.

Knock. Knockknockknock. Knock. Knockknock.

"Come in, Shuro," she called, setting the scroll aside and straightening her skirt. Of course, the imminent company hardly required such care.

Shuro strolled in, still dusty from the road, clutching a letter in one hand.

"It's from Baolin," he explained, handing the letter to her. "He met a firebender in Ba Sing Se, and apparently he and the little miss got into a bit of trouble. He can explain it to you better. They're waiting in his house in the city and he hopes you can come to help him out but," here the messenger smirked. "I just think it's cause our lovely duke was getting a little lonely was all."

Zayiya scowled and bended a whip of her tea, swatting him across the head, leaving him dripping.

"All right, fine, whatever," Shuro said huffily, throwing up his hands (and tossing his newly formed mud) as he left the room. Zayiya waited until he had closed the door, then carefully opened the letter.

---

"Shuro," she said several hours later, one bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm ready to go to Ba Sing Se."

A small water tribe ship, of distinctive markings, docked at the small city of Amayen. a single person left the ship, a waterbender who had gone directly to the market, he quickly bought extra rations, paying in water tribe money, and as the merchent handed him his rations he made to leave immediately. "Hey! Where are you going in such a hurry...?" The merchent asked, stopping Taizen, who looked around a bit tired, or rather irritated that he'd been stopped. "Look, I have to catch a water tribe ship that might have passed around her a while ago. You see one...?" Taizen asked exasperated, obviously from his expression he doubted the man had seen said ship. "Hmm, now that 'ya mention it, I did see a ship a little while ago." Taizen -- who had turned to walk away, instantly wheeled around, "Really?! Where?! Where'd it go?! Did you see who was on it?!" The man looked taken aback by the extreme response, he felt like he was being interrogated for murder. "I-I-think I did, it wasn't much bigger than that thar boat of yours, i-it was just passing by, and I think it was going to the fire nation... And I was too far away to see who was on it-" "-The sails! Were they carrying the ship far? How fast was it moving?!" "I i'm not sure I just-" WAS IT MOVING FAST OR NOT?!" "YES! YES GOTDARNIT! IT WAS MOVING FAST! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE -- I SAW NOTHING ELSE!!" Taizen looked a bit shocked that the man had raised his voice, he scoffed. "Fine, but in the future, I'd reccomend you not yell at your customers, it might be bad for business..." The man looked completely and utterly offended as Taizen walked off to his boat, having gathered many stares, needless to say, not many people quite wanted to touch the subject.

(Exit Earth Kingdom; Enter Fire nation Kirou irie)