In the north, in a small Earth Kingdom town called Ershi, Tai Lung walked alone beneath the burning sun. He had traded his familiar garb for the plain green of the countryside and wore a conical hat pulled low over his brow so that no one would take special notice. The town still belonged to the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation's reach had not quite stretched this far yet and that fact gave the place a brittle sort of quiet difference from the towns Tai Lung visited in the past.
Tai Lung had wanted to see an Earth Kingdom town untouched, at least directly, by the flames of war. He wished to watch ordinary people move through ordinary days and see how a place not yet controlled by the Fire Nation looked like. As he walked the main street, he noted at once how badly the town had been battered. Houses leaned as if tired and the faces he passed carried the small, resigned lines of hardship. From a single glance, a visitor could tell these people were having a hard time.
He wandered until he came upon the only restaurant in Ersh, a squat building with a sagging sign and a door that protested when opened with a loud creak. Tai Lung paused, weighing the decision, then stepped inside. The room smelled faintly of smoke and boiled cabbage.
Behind that counter sat an elderly man, his hands folded. A young boy, perhaps two or three years younger than Tai Lung, was wiping tables.
"Welcome," the old man said, smiling when Tai Lung approached. "You must be a traveler. It's rare for people to pass through here."
Tai Lung inclined his head. "I am travelling the Earth Kingdom," he said simply. "I wish to see the different towns and sites."
"Our town doesn't have much to offer," The old man said. "But I hope you enjoy your stay nonetheless."
"Thanks, can I get the menu?" Tai Lung said.
The old man's smile dimmed.
"We have no menu," the man said. "It has been rough around here. We serve rice and cabbage soup only."
"That's fine," Tai Lung said. "Give me a bowl of each." He reached for his coins. "How much?"
"Six copper coins," the old man answered.
Tai Lung paid, sat at a corner table, and waited. Not long after, the young man who was cleaning earlier came carrying two steaming bowls.
"Thank you" Tai Lung said quietly before starting to eat.
The boy turned to leave but paused mid–retreat, then returned, closer this time.
"My name is Tao," the boy said, voice low but earnest. "I heard from my grandpa you are a traveler. Would you mind sharing news? How is the war going?"
Tai Lung looked at him for a moment, the boy's eyes were bright with something like a promise and a stubborn grievance.
"Is there no news here?" Tai Lung asked.
Tao shook his head. "Not much reaches us."
"Not much to share, then," Tai Lung said. "Skirmishes and battles are happening all over the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation pushes forward, taking land bit by bit."
At the name of the enemy, Tao's eyes flared with the unmistakable heat of anger.
"One day I'll join the Earth Kingdom Army and help drive the Fire Nation out," he said, the words almost falling from his lips like a vow. Tai Lung noted the anger behind them but did not speak.
The old man, who had been listening with a tired look, rose from his stool and waved a hand as if to sweep the boy's words away. "Tao, enough of that talk!" he scolded gently. "I told you I won't allow you to join the war. It is not your role to fight or drive the Fire Nation away."
Tao's face hardened. "And who is supposed to do that?" he retorted. "We must fight. I must avenge my father!"
"One day the Avatar will return," the old man said. "He will come back and save the world."
Tao's reply was a blow, sudden and bitter. "You've been saying that for decades! He didn't return! You've heard the rumours, the Avatar joined the Fire Nation!"
"No," the old man argued, the despair in his voice trying to brace itself with hope. "Those are false rumours. The Avatar would never do that. I know, I know he will come back one day and save the world."
"He won't," Tao said, and the words dropped like stones. "You're waiting for nothing, all of you are, it's the reason we are like this. It's why my father died."
"You mean not resisting the Fire Nation?" Tai Lung asked suddenly.
Tao turned toward him, his fists clenched, his jaw trembling with barely restrained fury.
"For a hundred years we've been waiting for the Avatar," he said bitterly. "The Fire Nation has been taking our land piece by piece, killing our families and still, the Earth Kingdom waits. If the nations had united, they would have crushed the Fire Nation long ago. Instead, they chose to fall one by one."
The old man's hand trembled. "It is the Avatar's duty to bring balance and peace to the world," he said solemnly. "We are waiting for him to fulfill that duty."
Tao's eyes flashed. "My father was conscripted into the army to fight the Fire Nation," he said, his voice rising. "He died far away because people like you decided to wait quietly for the return of a myth!"
The old man looked as though he had been struck, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the boy's accusation. Before he could answer, Tai Lung spoke.
"He is not wrong," Tai Lung said. "If the Earth Kingdom had truly united, the Fire Nation would never have expanded this far. And if the Water Tribes had stood with them, they could have pushed the Fire Nation back to their islands. Even on the day of the comet, if the two nations had aided the Air Nomads, they might have survived the extermination."
The old man's eyes grew troubled at his words. Tao, however, looked at Tai Lung with renewed fire. "So you agree we should fight? That we should defend our homes?" he asked eagerly. "I will join the war, and one day, I'll avenge my father. I'll kill the monster with the blue flames."
Tai Lung froze. Slowly, he asked, "If you don't mind me asking… how did your father die?"
Tao's expression darkened. "My father died defending Omashu," he said, his voice shaking with rage. "The messenger told us our army fought bravely, until a monster with blue flames appeared from behind, killing everyone in front of him. The Fire Nation is nothing but a horde of monsters and murderers."
Tai Lung let out a quiet sigh, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to dim with something like regret.
"There was no battle," he said softly. "The army of Omashu, under King Bumi, laid a trap for the Fire Nation. They slaughtered five thousand soldiers, then tried to drown five thousand more. The blue-flamed monster you speak of led the rescue. Yes, he killed, but only those who stood between him and the trapped men. He did not kill more than necessary. The Fire Nation does not encourage killing without reason, but…" He paused, his voice dropping lower. "Some will, and this is war. None is innocent in it regardless of the reason behind their actions."
Tao stared at him, his face paling. "What are you saying? Are you a Fire Nation spy?"
"No," Tai Lung said simply. "I am not a spy. But that is what happened that day. I know nothing I say will ease your pain, and I cannot undo what has been done… but I am sorry for your father. Truly." He stood, his chair scraping softly against the floor. "You are right not to trust the Avatar. But don't join the war. It will only bring you suffering."
He reached into his robes and set a small pouch on the table. The sound of coins clinking echoed faintly through the quiet room. "I know this money is worth nothing compared to your father's life," Tai Lung said, "but it's all I can offer."
Tao and the old man stared at him, too stunned to speak. The young man's anger faltered, replaced by confusion.
Tai Lung turned toward the door and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Tao's voice broke the stillness. "Sir! Were you there that day? At the battle to defend Omashu?"
Tai Lung stopped at the threshold. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he turned his head slightly, his face half-shadowed beneath the brim of his hat.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I led the rescue of the Fire Nation soldiers. And I am the one who killed your father."
Both Tao and the old man stood frozen, their eyes wide, their minds refusing to accept the words.
Before either could move, the air around Tai Lung ignited in an instant, blue fire erupted around him, swirling like a living storm. The old man stumbled back, shielding Tao with an arm as the light filled the small room.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the fire vanished.
Tai Lung was gone.