A/N: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon. Not me. I felt like a dive into fantasy for a bit. It is also partially a reimagination of the series in the vein of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, with an OC being the Rationalist of Aang's group. It cuts out the cartoony elements obviously, along with adopting a more realistic timeline of events, and will deal with the reality of a war. Enjoy.
Chapter 1
City of Omashu
Earth Kingdom
23rd Day, 2nd Lunar Month, 99 ASC (After Sozin's Comet)
The sword sliced through the air, heading straight for Captain Ye's neck. Without even thinking, Ye turned his left wrist, flipping his bladed staff upward. The centre of the other blade collided with the end of Ye's with a metallic clang that echoed off the stone walls. Then Ye brought the other side of the staff down, and his opponent nimbly dodged backwards whilst fending off the strike. He pressed the attack, spinning his staff so quickly it was near a blur to the untrained eye. His heart pounding faster against his ribs, Ye whipped his staff up and over, intending to strike his foe's forehead.
The sword came up, blocking the strike, then pressed forward, sending Ye stumbling back a few steps. Ye knew his foe well and therefore was acutely aware how difficult a victory would be. The two warriors circled each other, staring face-to-face only a body length apart. Ye held his staff at an angle, his left hand gripping it tightly at chest level, his right hand's grip light and ready to snap the weapon in any direction for defense.
His opponent had his blade ready and angled across his own chest. Again, his foe swung at his left side. Again, Ye blocked the strike with ease, and his opponent whipped the sword to probe his right side defense as fast as striking snake. Ye dodged by a swift step backwards, whipping the staff's right blade to deflect and in the same movement redirect the momentum, whilst the left blade swung around, angling into his foe's neck.
It forced his opponent to retreat with a backwards roll, opening up the space between them again. Ye had no intention of allowing that breathing room, so charged forward, surging the left blade of his staff. Probing. His foe was already on his feet and parrying. Ye pushed on the sword on the moment of impact, snapping his leg up for a kick aimed at his opponent's opposite leg. The foe deflected the kick with his own leg, and snapped his out of position sword forward to attack Ye's face with the hilt.
He ducked his head and brought the staff up to stop the blow. They were still very close and none of their blades were of use here, so Ye brought his knee up into his foe's groin. That area was well armored of course, but Ye's main interest was in putting some distance between them, and all men, even women, would back off instinctively after receiving such a blow, regardless of actual damage.
Again, the pair faced off. Ye's foe came from the right, swinging the sword in a tight arc, leaving him very little time to parry. In one fluid motion, he swung the staff up to block the strike and bring his foe's sword down.
His foe smiled. "Well done, Ye. You're back to fighting form."
"Thank you Captain," he carefully stepped back, remaining in horse stance. He would not relax until Captain 1ST Rank Wu Jing had sheathed that beautiful sword.
Wu Jing grinned in appreciation at the sight of his vigilance. "Good to see that the boring garrison duty hasn't dulled you."
Ye had to stop himself from rolling his eyes in annoyance. The Captain knew full well that guarding the border of occupied Fire Nation territory was no picnic, especially near the Pass of Yu Mei which led to one of the largest coal mines in the northern territories, coal which the Fire Nation would love to get their greedy hands on to further fuel their war machine.
Ye had been sent as part of a contingent of troops from Omashu to reinforce the lines there, and had spent the last three months driving back the Fire Nation to the old defense lines. It had infuriated Ye that they had not further pressed their advantage, instead the order had come through to simply man the old fortifications, with expert Earthbenders building new ones and to hold the line. He had been so astonished at the order that he had not been mindful of his position and cover, and that was all it had taken for a lucky Firebender to send him to the healing tent with heavy burns on his left arm. The only reason he hadn't lost it, was the sheer luck that King Bumi had also sent along a few Healers from the Water Tribe contigent in the city.
They both bowed to each other and headed out of the tiered dueling arena towards the City Guard Headquarters. It was a beautiful sunny day outside, the streets filled with people pretty much going about their daily lives, merchants shouting about their wares, the grinding sound of stone on stone that resonated occasionally as the city wide sloping delivery system, operated by Earthbenders, continued it's never ending work. Added to the view beyond the city walls of the surrounding mountains it was very picturesque, and very difficult to believe that there was a War going on.
He and the Captain had barely walked into the tall imposing building, bedecked in the light brown and green heraldry of the Earth Kingdom, when they were intercepted by a young Guardsman.
"Captains!" the young man bowed, his uniform of green and yellow resplendent and perfect as it should be. "Message from the Palace, there is an urgent summons for Captain 3rd Rank Ye. He is to report to King Bumi at once."
"Thank you, Guardsman," Ye replied. The young man bowed again and sped off into the direction of the barracks. "Wonder what the King wants?"
"He can't want you to resume your place as part of his bodyguard, surely? Your talent is wasted in the city."
"I agree, but if the King commands…" Ye shrugged helplessly before executing a quarter bow to his superior. "If you will excuse me, Captain. I must clean up."
"Good luck, my friend," Wu Jing abandoned formality and clasped his childhood friend's forearm.
"Thanks."
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It had taken him twenty minutes to clean up and put on a fresh forest green uniform and armor. He did not bring his staff, as the current Palace Guard wouldn't allow it, even if he had counted himself among their number in the past. He emerged from the Headquarters and begun the upward journey to the Palace.
Omashu was a city of up hills. If you wanted to go anywhere important, you had to walk up the steep streets that in some cases neared fifty degree inclines. Going back down to the Merchant quarters and other districts was almost just as perilous if not more so. It made assaulting the city a very tough prospect. Though, the citizens of Omashu could boast that they were fittest in the entire Earth Kingdom, if not the world. He was halfway to his destination when a strange sight greeted him, a collection of masons and Earthbenders were working repairing a number of roofs that looked like they had been mangled by a stone cart passing over the tiles. There was no way that a cart could normally jump the raised tracks that ran like veins throughout the city, unless an Earthbender managing the system somewhere had seriously bungled the job. Perhaps some young Earthbender had decided to take a cart for a joyride, which happened occasionally…though the punishment usually discouraged the young ones from trying.
He walked up the expansive steps to the main palace doors. Of course, there were actually no wooden doors on the palace exterior. It would be child's play for a skilled Firebender to blast such doors with intense flame and reduce it to ashes in minutes. So the doors were actually created on command out of the palace walls by the two Earthbenders on either side of the steps. Men he recognized, Li and Xe. They bowed to him in greeting before gesturing with clenched fists at the palace. The walls rumbled and came alive, and a perfect stone door formed, which swung open to admit him into the palace.
He traced the familiar path to the Throne room, noting how the décor had changed. King Bumi was the very definition of eccentric, and it showed in his palace. The King would often stroll about and bend the various statues and relief sculptures into strange poses, often he would even change them entirely into truly bizarre shapes. Ye had often kept himself busy in some of his boring duties in the Palace by simply trying to imagine different creatures and images in the shapes. The sculptures were remarkably like clouds in that fashion.
Again, there were no doors to the Throne Room, and this time a contingent of four benders stood guard and regulated access. They let Ye in only after checking to make sure he had no weapons. He tolerated the paranoia, as ever the Fire Nation sought to weaken from within if it couldn't conquer from without. Their spycraft was surprisingly good for a Nation who historically preferred brute force and power in all its affairs.
Ye entered the long throne room, it was remarkably ordinary as the King didn't like to expose any diplomatic visitors overly much to his eccentricity; a long green carpet leading all the way up to the throne, alcoves along the walls which housed Earth Kingdom heraldry, high windows which let in light during the day, and green prism crystals for illumination during the evening. King Bumi's high backed stone throne was perfectly formed, and two guards armed with pole axes always flanked him on either side. The King himself looked rather distracted, his wild white hair sticking up in all directions, and he tugged on his chin beard in his own version of deep contemplation – which was rather a disturbing sight given the King's lazy left eye and manic looking right eye. He was dressed in flowing robes of golden crested emerald green and a cap on top his head with long feathers elaborately weaved into looking like horns. Each finger adorned with a different color precious stone set in rings.
Ye stopped three body lengths away from the throne and knelt. "Your Majesty, I have come as summoned."
King Bumi was silent for a long few moments. "Eh? Oh, Captain Ye! Good to see you again."
"And you, your Majesty."
"Healing well?"
"I am mostly fully recovered, majesty. The fitness in my arm is all that remains to mend."
"Good. Very good. I want you take a place at my side tomorrow."
Ye felt his stomach sinking. "I'm rejoining the Palace Guard, my Liege?"
"Very briefly. You will be reassigned thereafter."
"May I enquire as to my new duties then?"
"You may as well hear it from me, as it's probably all over the palace by now. The Avatar arrived in Omashu today," the King said significantly. Ye promptly froze on the spot, his mind awhirl with astonishment. A careful look at the King's green eyes showed he was being uncommonly serious.
"The Avatar?" The one person in the world who could control and master all four elements, who was a bridge between mankind and the spirit world, the Avatar who had also mysteriously vanished more than a hundred years ago.
"One and the same," confirmed the King, "and it's the missing Avatar Aang, who hasn't aged a day apparently, since I last saw him."
Ye tried to pick his jaw up from the floor. "How is that possible?"
"Who knows with Avatars…but I will ask his companions, two young ones from the southern Water Tribe to judge from their clothing, perhaps they have a clue to this mystery."
"Interesting," Ye mused, "my new duties are related to the Avatar?"
"Yes Captain, all will be explained in due time, but first it's been decided to test him before he is sent on his way. I want you to accompany me as I administer these tests."
"Very well, your Majesty."
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A rumbling reverberated throughout the circular room deep within the bowels of the Omashu Palace. The young thirteen year old boy sleeping on the three beds slowly opened his eyes, trying to dispel the fog of sleep. He was dressed in light brown pants tucked into dark brown leggings and shoes, with similar matching tunic and an earthy brown over vest that stretched to his elbows. His most eye catching features, that set him apart from the norm, was his bald head and a thick blue ornate tattoo in the shape of an arrow that started on his forehead, snaked over his head and down his back. The edges of similar arrow tattoos on the back of his hands were visible as well.
Aang blinked as his vision cleared, and the first realization that hammered into his brain was that he was alone. The other two beds in the room, which had contained his friends Katara and Sokka was empty.
"Sokka, Katara!" He whirled on his bed to regard the sight of an Omashu guard standing beyond the opening to the room. "Where are my friends?"
"The King will free them if you complete the challenges," the guard replied.
Aang hated to ask it but he had to know, "And…if I fail?" He got up from the bed.
"He didn't say, your staff please."
Aang hooked his toe under his ornate glider staff, kicked it up and caught it in the same motion, twirling it, before throwing it at the guard. He was escorted out and joined by another guard who led them out of the labyrinthine corridors on this level of Omashu Palace. They were led onto a stone platform, which was bended to ascend to a higher level and into the more common areas of the palace. They emerged into a long arched corridor where the King of Omashu stood waiting.
"Good morning, Avatar," the King smirked and gestured to himself, "I'm sure we're all eager to get started. So first, what do you think of my outfit? I want your honest opinion." The King was wearing a truly outrageous ornate purple robe with furred edges and white purple under-robe that completely hid his feet and trailed along the ground. Aang was momentarily stupefied at the question, and one of his guard escorts coughed in a suspicious manner. "I'm waiting."
Aang smiled uncertainly and replied in his best convincing manner, "I guess…its fine."
"Excellent," the King gestured grandly in appreciation. "You've passed the first test."
"Really?"
"Well, it's not one of the deadly tests," the King temporized. "The real challenges are much more…well…challenging."
Aang lost his patience at this moment and with a twist of will towards the air behind him, shot forward with extreme speed as the air pushed on his back. The backblast jostled the guards but Aang stopped a mere body length from the King. The air rushed back into equilibrium, which merely rustled the robes of the King. "I don't have time for your crazy games! Give me my friends back! We're leaving."
"Oh, I thought you might refuse. So I've decided to give your friends some special souvenirs." The King snapped his fingers to the wall on the left. The stone retreated into the floor to reveal another corridor and halfway down that was Sokka and Katara, both were in the clutches of yet more guards. Katara's blue robe jostled as she tried to escape but she just didn't have the strength, neither did her elder brother, Sokka.
Each guard rather roughly held out his friend's arms and put some form of crystal ring on their forefingers. "Those rings," the King pointed out with a smirk, "are made from pure genimite. Also known as creeping crystal. It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast, by nightfall your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible fate really. I can stop it, but only if you cooperate."
Aang watched in horror as his friends were released. They both tried to get the crystal rings off, but no amount of effort worked, and already the crystal rings was slightly larger than before.
"Aaah," Sokka yelped, "it's already creeping."
Aang frowned in anger, there was no choice. "Fine, I'll do what you want."
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Captain Ye stood behind the two Water Tribe teenagers on the balcony in one of the secret caves underneath Omashu. It was here that melting snow runoff was channeled into a powerful waterfall. Most of the runoff was actually stopped in the higher levels to supply the city with drinking water, but the King had personally earthbent channels so the remaining water went into this cave for his own use. The cave floor and ceiling was filled with sharp stalactites and stalagmites, with the only flat ground being the starting position for this little challenge on the far side of the cave.
Ye remembered a long time ago when the King had decided to foist this test on him. It had not been easy at all, and he had done it as a young adult, let alone a thirteen year old. King Bumi stood nearest the railing and spoke quite normally to the Avatar, having no need to raise his voice due to the sound echoing all over the cave.
The King cackled in satisfaction. "It seems I've lost my lunchbox key and I'm hungry." He pointed a gnarled finger to the waterfall; a chain was hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the falling maelstrom of water. A mere length below that a ladder started and was anchored into the floor. "Oooh, there it is. Would you mind fetching it for me?"
The Avatar narrowed his eyes in determination before leaping of the starting point with the aid of a burst of air, jumping from stalagmite to stalagmite, flipping occasionally to push off with his hand and somersaulting, keeping his momentum going. It was an impressive display of acrobatics that only an Airbender could achieve. He surged from the stalagmite narrowing his small frame and shooting into the stream of water. Ye could see he had created an Air shield ahead of him, and was walking up the large stalagmite that led to the ladder. But the young Avatar had underestimated just how powerful that water was, and it was wearing on his shield.
"Oooh, climbing the ladder, no one's tried that before," the King commented sarcastically.
The young Airbender had barely gotten his hand on the first rung of the ladder before the shield failed and he was flung out of control by the powerful current. He quickly twirled in the air and went into a split between two stalagmites and desperately tried to stop himself from being impaled on another. He managed…just.
Ye breathed a silent sigh of relief, as did the two teenagers.
The next strategy the Avatar tried was to attack the problem from above. He jumped and propelled himself to hold on to the stalactites, and after carefully gauging his flight, fell and airbent into the waterfall to try and grab the key as he went down. He missed though and was again spat out by the current to crash into a stalagmite sideways, desperately grabbing a hold to stop himself sinking.
"That's right, keep diving head in," advised the King in jest, "I'm sure it'll work eventually."
The Avatar then seemed to notice something about the stalagmite he was clinging to and gave a beady eye to the key he needed to get. He sunk a bit more and then with a grunt of effort, aided by airbending, broke a piece of the sharp rock off, and jumped on top of the now flat perch he had created for himself. Another grunt of effort sent the improvised rock missile flying towards the chain, and it was followed by an airwave that increased its speed to a frightening velocity that even an Earthbender would struggle to match.
The chain was snapped instantly and snagged by the missile. Ye flinched as the missile impaled itself above their heads and dangled the key right in front of the King, who looked rather stupefied for a brief moment.
"There!" snapped the Avatar. "Enjoy your lunch. I want my friends back, now!"
"Uh-uh," the King admonished with a raised finger. "Not yet, I need help with another matter." The King put a mock sad expression on his face. "It seems I've lost my pet Flopsie."
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In yet another large domed chamber, this one with a flat pit, was a small, very cute, white animal with large ears that fell beyond its own body. The Avatar landed behind it with triumph. "Okay, found him."
"Bring him to me," the King demanded, whose voice turned cutesy. "Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsie." Ye struggled to master the impulse to laugh at the King's antics.
"Here Flopsie," the Avatar grinned, thinking this was going to be easy, as he snuck up to the small animal, totally oblivious to the huge animal sneaking up on his rear. It was only when the large animal that towered over the Avatar landed with a crash that he turned around. The small rabbit retreated with a squeak of fear, whilst the Avatar smiled at the huge Gorilla Goat that was eyeing him eagerly. It brought its huge hands together in a flash and tried to grab him.
Avatar Aang shot himself up into the air out of reach and flipped away, chasing after the small rabbit, whilst in turn being chased by the Gorilla goat.
"Flopsie wait!" The small long eared rabbit was too fast and disappeared into a small hole. The Avatar tried desperately to reach it, but the Gorilla goat was fast as well, mostly due to its huge strides. A notion seemed to strike him and he whirled to face the goat. "Flopsie?"
Just before the goat would've crashed into the Avatar it came to a dead stop and whined, wagging its tail. It gently picked up the Avatar, who was nevertheless startled, until it sloppily and eagerly licked him. "Flopsie!"
The King whistled and the Gorilla goat whirled, dropping the Avatar to come running toward them. Ye flinched as the goat climbed over the lip of the pit and promptly rolled over to have its belly scratched. In the past, he and the rest of the palace guard had often entertained the creature when the King was too busy otherwise. It was not an experience he wished to repeat.
By now the Avatar's two friends had most of their bodies encased in crystal, only their feet and head were visible. Aang noticed this and hurried over to the King to interrupt his petting session with Flopsie.
"Come on, I'm ready for the next challenge."
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Ye found himself having to carry both crystal encased children to the King's personal Earthbending Arena. It was largely featureless with only a single tier of stands around it and a single balcony looking over it with the symbol of the Earth Kingdom inscribed above.
"You kids okay?" he asked as he put them on down on their feet with a view of the arena.
"Other than the crystal slowly encasing my entire body, doing great," commented the girl sarcastically. Only their faces and feet were visible now.
"You've got the Avatar in your corner," Ye pointed out. "It's extremely unlikely that you will die."
"Aang's not exactly a fully trained Avatar," the older boy said.
"All Avatars have determination and they don't know how to quit," Ye retorted.
Avatar Aang stood on the edge of the balcony, looking out over the flat arena, which only the occasional rock sticking out of the floor. King Bumi appeared and cackled in a rather evil fashion. "Your final test is a duel and as a special treat you may choose your opponent. Point and choose."
Two huge gladiators appeared to flank the King. Ye coughed to hide his laugh. The muscular man with a perpetually nasty smile and a huge axe was known as Shanyan Ma. The champion on the right was a mammoth fighter who was armed with a double sided spear. He was called Renshu Chen and was an Earthbender as well, though not the most skilled in Omashu. The two men often dueled in exhibition matches whose main focus was more to demonstrate flashy elaborate moves that entertained a crowd than a serious fight.
The small Avatar was clearly intimidated. "So, you're saying whoever I point to, that's the person I get to fight?"
"Choose wisely," the old King admonished with a smirk.
"I choose…you," the Avatar's finger pointed at the King himself.
"Haha! Wrong choice."
King Bumi, with some effort, corrected his lumped posture and swiftly dumped his robes to reveal a surprisingly muscular physique for a man of his age. It was both a natural consequence of being an Earthbender. Benders aged much more slowly than non-benders, the King probably had another forty years of life left, and their physique were generally developed in line with their element, with Earthbenders being the most muscular. Bumi was now only dressed in formfitting green shorts and his foot stamped on the earth.
The Avatar's eyes widened in astonishment as the earth beneath him shot up under his feet and catapulted him into the arena. Bumi followed immediately and settled into a strong horse stance with eagerness. The King rarely got the opportunity to stretch his bending muscles.
Aang had recovered and the two opponents now stood on either ends of the arena.
"You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see."
Aang smiled sheepishly, "Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?"
"There are no take-back-sees' in my kingdom. You might need this!"
The King gestured to Ye, who promptly threw the Airbender staff down towards the Avatar.
The instant it was within Aang's hands the King stamped his foot and a heavy rock raised into the air, a striking gesture followed, and the rock was shot with great speed towards the Avatar. Aang nimbly dodged it, but the King didn't let up and sent one rock after the other zooming downrange. The Avatar was hard pressed to dodge them all, but he barely managed.
"Typical Airbender tactic: avoid and evade. I'd hoped the Avatar would be less predictable," the King criticized. Another large boulder was launched at Aang forcing him to dodge and jump high into the air. "Don't you have any surprises for me? Sooner or later, you'll have to strike back."
The King launched another stone, but this one purposefully missed the Avatar and hit the ceiling, causing numerous dust and debris to fall on top of Aang. He coughed and fell to the floor rather messily and in the process lost his staff. He hurriedly got up grabbing his lost weapon, but the King was already attacking by stomping his feet as he walked; stone pillars erupted from the ground, blocking Aang's path and eventually he failed to dodge, receiving a blow to the gut. "Oh, you'll have to be a little more creative than that!"
Aang jumped off the pillar, twisting his hands and a ball of swirling air formed under him, picking up dust as it went. He rode it much like an Ostrich horse, but at great speed and even zoomed along the sides of the arena to avoid earthbending strikes from below. This gave him an opening on the King to launch a huge gale. It was easily blocked though when the King simply raised a thick earth shield.
The King emerged from behind it. "Did someone leave the windows open? It feels a little drafty in here! Are you hoping I'll catch a cold?"
Aang dropped off his airball, but the King had already kicked over the stone shield and began to raise it on earth dug out of the arena's surface. He shot the earth underneath the stone shield at Aang which knocked him over. The King followed it up with a fist smashing into the earth, sending a shockwave through the arena surface. The Avatar nimbly recovered and did a back flip to avoid the wave, landing close to the rear wall of the arena.
The King shook his head in wonder, "How are you going to going to get me from way over there?"
The Avatar frowned with determination and sprinted forward to his opponent. King Bumi smirked and used the side of his foot to dash the earth. The ground around Aang instantly became quicksand causing him to sink hip deep into arena floor. The King raised two boulders and sent them to smash the Avatar from two sides. Aang struggled to escape, but managed just in time with a concentrated air burst as the rocks smashed together.
Aang jumped straight at his opponent, unleashing a blast of wind that knocked the King and the stone sheet he stood upon back against the wall of the arena. The King raised one of the boulders from where he had just failed to crush Aang and pulled it back towards him at frightening speed. The Avatar saw it just in time and did a backflip that barely allowed him to get up and over the flying boulder.
This surprised the King as the boulder moved on to almost crush him, but he slapped his hands together and broke it into many pieces just as it reached him.
With tremendous effort, King Bumi tore a section of gate area of the arena out of the ground and held it over his head. Aang screamed in terror and began to run in circles, quickly creating a tornado. The King threw the massive earth mound forward, but the tornado grabbed it easily and threw it right back at him. As it reached King Bumi he bisected it neatly in two.
Aang appeared almost out of nowhere between the rock pieces and pinned the King with his staff. The King smiled and looked up. The Avatar also looked up as a little piece of rock bounced off his head. Overhead hovered one of the two halves of rock, ready to crush them both.
"Hehe! Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart." The King threw the huge rock to the side of the arena where it landed with a loud crash. Next he simply fell backwards and the earth opened to swallow him whole. The Avatar was flabbergasted for a moment at the strange move, but understood once he saw movement on the balcony overhead as the King twirled up, out of the floor.
Aang promptly span his staff into a fast blur so that the air carried him up to the balcony as well.
The King grinned now with a pleasant expression on his face. "You've passed all my tests. Now, you must answer one question."
"That's not fair!" The Avatar was indignant. "You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests."
"Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?
"Oh come on!"
"Answer this one question and I will set your friends free. What is my name?" The King eyed the two crystal encased teens, whose faces were all that was left exposed. "From the looks of your friends, I'd say you only have a few minutes." Ye brought over the King's robes and a towel as the Avatar and his two friends hurriedly tried to figure out what the name of the King actually was. Sokka's suggestion of 'Rocky' was rather unimaginative.
"I've got it! I know who you are!" The Avatar declared with triumph, smiling at the King. "As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities." King Bumi laughed and snorted something he had stopped doing by the end of his childhood, as it wouldn't be seemly for a King to laugh in such a manner at a diplomatic function. "Bumi, you're a mad genius!" The Avatar rushed forward and Ye's heart shot in his throat as his trained instincts screamed at him to stop Aang. He mastered the impulse though as the two childhood friends embraced enthusiastically.
"Oh, Aang. It's good to see you. You haven't changed a bit. Literally." The King ruffled the Avatar's smooth head affectionately.
"Uh! I hate to interrupt…" Katara mentioned uncomfortably.
"A bit of help please…" Only Sokka's mouth was visible at this point.
The King broke his hug from Aang and gave a simple pulling gesture. The genimite crystal shattered into pieces and fell off the two teenagers. The King caught a piece of crystal and bit into it with relish.
"Genimite is made of rock candy. Delicious!"
"So this crazy king is your old friend, Bumi?" Katara asked in wonder
"Who are you calling old?" The King thought about it. "Okay, I'm old."
"Why did you do all this instead of just telling Aang who you were?" Sokka asked reasonably.
"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people," the King laughed, "but I do have a reason. Let's get out of here and I'll explain."
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Aang looked around at the much emptier Throne Room, which no longer held the large feast table where they had first dined with Bumi. His now old childhood friend walked to his Throne and seated himself with a groan.
"I really wish I was a young man again, I'll be feeling that duel for a week," Bumi sighed. "Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years you've been gone and not for the better. I assume you know what fate befell the Air Nomads?"
Aang bowed his head, feeling the pain and burning in his heart at the mere mention of his slain people.
"We told him as much as we knew," Katara spoke for her friend. "And we went to the Southern Air Temple."
"That can't have been easy to see," Bumi said sadly. Aang wiped his eyes of the silent tears he had shed and focused on what his friend was saying. "But you are alive Aang, which by itself is a huge blow against the Fire Nation's plans. Your duty now, as the Avatar, is to restore balance to the world by mastering the four elements and defeating Fire Lord Ozai. That is me talking to you as the King of Omashu, but as your friend…kick that mad man's butt!"
"I will." Aang clasped his hands together and bowed.
"You'll need your friends to help defeat the Fire Nation. But I'll also do everything in my power to help you on your journey." Bumi clapped his hands twice. A tall man walked into the Throne room, dressed in simple light brown open cut robes with pants, tunic, and rough shoes. He carried a large backpack and walked with a simple wooden staff that was as tall as he was. His face was hidden by a wide rimmed bamboo hat and long black hair hung from within it. He raised his head and Aang recognized him as one of the guards that had escorted him to the challenges.
"Say hello to your new bodyguard Aang," Bumi smirked. "His name is Captain Ye Haowen."
Aang blinked in astonishment as the Captain walked forward and knelt on one knee. "I am honored to be pledged to your service, Avatar Aang."
"Uh, Bumi," Aang clutched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I can take care of myself, as can Sokka and Kataara."
"Of course you can," agreed Bumi. "So can I, then why do you think I keep these lummocks around me?" He gestured to the other guards in the room.
"You're the King?"
"No, because even I can be outnumbered and I don't have eyes on the back of my head," Bumi tapped the area in question. "The Captain knows the enemy and has fought the Fire Nation for the last fifteen years. He's a Master with that staff of his and is pretty fair with a bow too. He's also carrying enough money to feed and supply you for a year."
"Wow, thanks Bumi. Can he teach me Earthbending too?"
"I'm not an Earthbender, Avatar Aang," Captain Ye answered.
Aang sighed in disappointment.
"In any event, your first element to master is Water, Earth and then Fire. There is a good reason for that order," Bumi shook his head, and then smirked. "The Captain will also help you in many other ways, which he will explain as time goes by. Now, remember when you face Ozai…think like a mad genius!"
"Thank you for your wisdom and gifts. But before we leave, I have a challenge for you!"
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Ye stood next to Sokka and Katara on the palace steps, and they watched with amusement and a hint of trepidation at the sight of the King and Aang barreling down the delivery system in a stone cart with exhilaration.
"Only King Bumi," Ye sighed with fond exasperation. He turned to the two teenagers, suddenly serious. "What arts of defense are you proficient in?"
"I'm a Waterbender Captain, though I still haven't found a Master to teach me properly. That's one of the reasons why I'm going with Aang to the North Pole," Katara explained.
Sokka looked uncomfortable. "I'm not a Bender, but my dad taught me to fight with a machete and a boomerang."
"Hmmm, it seems I already have another job on my plate," Ye mused. "Oh, and don't call me Captain…only Ye. Before we leave, I'm going to take you to the Merchant quarter, get you each a basic pair of swords, which I will be training you both in."
"Really?" Sokka's eyes went wide with excitement. "But what about Aang?"
"He has his staff; I'll train him in the advanced forms for it that I know. I'm sure he has a few things to teach me as well."
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Aang looked back as the gigantic stone doors of the Omashu city were bent to become part of a single solid featureless wall. He felt rather sad as it happened, it would've been so nice just to spend a week or so with his old friend, but time and his conscience wouldn't allow it. Every day delayed in mastering the elements was another day of war in which a lot of people were dying. He turned around and hurried along the expansive bridge to catch up with his friends and their newest companion. They were busy hauling a cart of purchased supplies up the trail to where Appa was waiting.
Aang was curious as to how his new 'bodyguard' would react to Appa. Their other animal companion, Momo, had already approved of their new addition and had claimed a perch on the tall Earth Kingdom warrior's shoulder.
"Your Flying Lemur is a spirited little one," commented Ye with a smile as he fed Momo a berry, while pulling the cart along with a rope.
"That's Momo," agreed Kataara with a nod, adjusting the strap of her new sword awkwardly so that it fit better.
Sokka was pushing the cart from behind, and he occasionally slipped as he was constantly trying to look at his sword that was sheathed across his back. Aang didn't know how to feel about the weapons, it was good that they had them if they were attacked, but only when both his friends were reasonably proficient in wielding them. Right now, the swords were as much a danger to their owners as they were to any enemy. Aang was thankful though that Ye would be a rather strict Master in his instruction to Katara and Sokka.
"You are never to draw these swords unless you are practicing with me. You are never to use them in battle until I say you are ready. The mere presence of a sword is provocative, and if I say you leave them in your packs, you will leave them in your packs." This was his foreboding instructions as they had bought the swords from an Armorer in the Merchant quarter.
Aang sped up a bit to walk next to Ye, they were nearing Appa's location.
They turned off the path and it became a struggle to pull the cart. They walked around a couple of large bushes and the large white furred form of Appa came into view.
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The Sky Bison was the height of two men put together in its resting position, its six thick furred legs tucked in under its body. It's large horned head that was patterned with a thick arrow similar in shape to Aang's on its forehead pointed directly between two beady black eyes and its wet snout. The brown arrow line ran along is back all the way to the end of its large flat paddle tail, and a large round saddle that could easily accommodate fifteen people was harnessed on its back. The ten ton animal raised its head as it approach and sniffed the air.
"You're amazing," Ye shook his head, carefully approaching the front of the huge animal. "I learned about Sky Bisons in school, mostly legends but…"
"Appa, this is Ye, he's going to be joining us to help and protect us," Aang said, whilst stroking the soft fur of his friend.
Appa turned to face Ye.
Ye met the large eyes in front of him unflinchingly, and couldn't help but smile with exhilaration. Appa grunted in a comforting rumble and opened his huge mouth to give a very wet lick that covered Ye from nearly head to toe in the Bison's saliva.
The teenagers all laughed at the sight.
"Appa likes you too it seems," Aang laughed.
"Yes, it's nice to meet you too, my new big friend," Ye sighed with amusement and pulled out a cloth to wipe his face clean. "We've got a bit of extra weight for you to carry today including me. But I'll be sure to scout for forage for you, as it seems you don't eat meat judging from your teeth."
Appa grumbled in agreement.
"Good. Aang, I just want to make it clear here that you are the Avatar. I will advise you and make suggestions, but you are the one who must choose our course. Oh, and do remember that if I'm to be your bodyguard that you notify me before you fly off anywhere with that glider. So that if you land in trouble we know where to fly and get you out of it."
"Okay," the Avatar agreed easily with big grin.
"I can already foresee that my time with you will be as interesting as my days in King Bumi's guard," the warrior sighed with a mild smile, "well, let's get these supplies loaded, it's a long way to the North Pole."
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