They were always protected by their parents. But at the same time because of this protection the were called weak by others. The kids of team Avatar just want everyone to know are a good enough to carry the title 'children of team avatar' and most importantly they want their parents to know it.
An new enemy or is it an old one has emerged and when their parents are unable to step in it will be up to Tenzin, Bumi, Lin, Kya, Piandao and Ursa to take on this enemy. Will they truly live up to their parents mantle?
Note- We know all of Aang and Katara's kids and Lin of course. But we never found out the name of Zuko's daughter or if Sokka had any kids. In my story Zuko's daughter's name Ursa 'cause I think that is what Zuko would have named her. And Sokka has one son who I named Piandao after Master Piandao, Sokka's sword master.
Aang was looking through the stack of reports that came to him daily. Most were on the same subject, the triad wars. In Republic City there was an inter-gang war taking place. It started out as a simple dispute. Not even worth of calling a cop over but the past three weeks it had grown, to the point Toph and her men were becoming strained (not that she would ever say it out loud).
"This is getting crazy. The triads have all but taken over downtown and are using it like a war ground. Plus Toph won't admit she needs help." Aang said, frowning at the paper. Katara looked up from her book.
"Aang you know how Toph can be." She said.
"But while she is being a rock head, people are being put at risk."
"You know better than that. If it was a matter of innocent people being put at risk, she would ask for help, rock head or not."
"You're right, I guess."
Aang sighed and put in the piece of paper down. He picked up another expecting to see more on the triads but this one was different. The look on his face changed from exhausted to concern. Katara noticed the change instantly.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Another report about a disappearing bender. This time from the fire nation. Just like the others no evidence. They seemed to vanish."
"Fire nation this time. There were already reports of water benders in the North Pole and earth benders in Omashu."
"There is no evidence saying they are connected." Aang rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
"That doesn't mean to say they aren't related."
"Is it just me or does this remind you…" The rest of his sentence was cut off by a loud crash.
"What did Bumi break this time?" Aang and Katara stood up and walked into the courtyard. Bumi was standing next to a broken water pot, receiving a scolding from an air nomad. Aang groaned.
"I swear that boy couldn't move faster if he was an air bender." He said.
"I blame you." Katara said matter of factly.
"Me?"
"Yes you. You were the one who wanted to name him Bumi. He inherited his name sake's personality."
"You didn't have to agree you know." Aang mumbled. Katara shot him a look but didn't say anything.
"Bumi, must you always be so hyper." She said.
"Sorry mom, but I can't help it. It's in my genes."
"Bumi, not even you father was this carefree. You're thirteen now could you try and be a little more responsible?"
"I could try." He said.
"Will you try?" Aang asked.
"Now that is an altogether different question." Bumi grinned. Both his parents sighed.
"Fine, could you do me a favor?" Aang asked.
"Anything. What is it?" Bumi asked. Aang went back into the room and quickly wrote something on two scraps of paper.
"I want you to take these to two messenger hawks and send one to Uncle Sokka and the other to Toph.
"You remember Toph can't read right. You know…" Bumi waved his hands in front of his eyes.
"Yes, Bumi. I am aware. I'm sure someone will read it for her. Now go." He handed his son the papers and sent him off.
"Sokka and Toph. You're calling a meeting?" Katara looked at Aang with one eyebrow raised.
"I don't like these disappearances. We need to do something."
After Bumi had sent the messages he went looking for his siblings. He found Tenzin meditating in the pavilion.
"Ziny, wake up. Something is happening." He said knocking his brother's head.
"I'm not sleeping Bumi and can you not call me Ziny."
"Come on let's find Kya."
"I was meditating."
"Oh, well it's good you're finished now. Let's go."
Tenzin sighed and stood up, knowing it was useless to try and reason with his brother. They found Kya reading under a tree. Bumi took away the scroll.
"If you don't want to end up as an ice sculpture I would suggest you give that back." She said.
"Dad sent for Uncle Sokka and Toph." Bumi said.
"What? When?" Kya asked, her interest peaked.
"Just now. I just send the two messenger hawks, not before I read the notes however." He grinned.
"What did they say?"
"Not much. Just asking them to come as soon as possible. There is something going on."
"It is probably about the triad wars." Tenzin said.
"The triads have been fighting for weeks. They've already have at least three dozen meetings on the subject. It must be something else." Bumi said.
"Well if he saw the need to call both of them right way it must be serious." Kya said.
"So we're going to listen in when they come, right?" Bumi said.
"But what if we get caught." Tenzin asked.
"What if? There is a what if in your sentence? You know Toph isn't going to let us get anywhere near that meeting." Kya said
"Oh, don't worry…I have a plan."
"That little brother that is when I worry most. If you want to do some hair brained scheme, go ahead but I don't want to be a part of it." Kya stood up grabbed her scroll from Bumi. She stopped and not turning around said, "But if you do find out anything, you will tell me."
"Maybe….for a price." Bumi grinned at his sisters back. She turned her head so he could see just one of her eyes.
"A price…how about I will not pound you." She said coldly. She continued on her way.
"Right ….that sounds good." Bumi said, "So what about you Ziny. You in?"
"Bumi, I don't know if we should."
"Ahh, come on."
"No. I won't. The last time I got caught up in one of your schemes I got grounded for three weeks."
"So what? That is nowhere near my worst punishment." Bumi was jumping up and down on the spot. "Plus I know this will work."
"That's what you said about the time you tried to ride the Unagi. Remember how well that turned out?" Bumi didn't answer. He just grinned.
Toph and Sokka got off the boat, with Lin and Piandao in tow.
"Why do you think he asked to come right away?" Toph asked.
"How should I know? But It must be serious."
"Hey dad, if there is anything I can help…."
"No Piandao, I only brought you because you kept asking so many times. This doesn't concern you. Why don't you and Lin go find your cousins?"
"But…."
"No. Go, now." Sokka pointed towards the pavilion. Piandao stomped off, Lin ran after him.
"Didn't have to be so rough. Kid just wants some action." Toph said.
"You know how it is." Sokka said. Toph nodded after a moment of two.
"Yeah, Lin is getting more and more like me every day. A little too much like me. She keeps getting into fights with other kids at school."
"Same thing with Piandao." Sokka waved to Aang and Katara who had just emerged from the temple.
"I glad you both came." Aang said walking up to them. "There's been another report of missing benders. From the fire nation this time."
"More! This is getting weird. Maybe we should have someone look into this." Sokka rubbed his chin.
"Not really an option. What would people think if we sent a task force to investigate cases that have no evidence behind them? Especially since we're already stretched with the triad wars as is." Toph said, then she put up a hand making the rest of them stop. "Bumi is hiding in the rafters, probably trying to listen in on our conversation."
"Let's go down by the beach." Katara suggested. The four of them turned and walked down the steps towards the beach. Once on the sand Toph, with a solid kick to the ground made four simple seats out of the sand. They sat down, looking at the water.
"Is it me or do these disappearances remind you two of 'that' time?" Sokka asked looking at Aang and Katara. They both nodded.
"That's why I asked both of you to come." Aang said.
"Wait you're talking about her, aren't you?" Toph asked.
"Yeah, you won't with us then, but it was defiantly one of our toughest battles." Sokka said.
"I bet it would have been different if I was there."
"If you had discovered metal bending at the time, you could have wrapped up that whole episode in five minutes." Katara said.
"But, it can't be her. Not now. It's been what…twenty, twenty five years almost." Sokka said, adding on his fingers.
"Well, you all never found out what happened to the ma…" Toph stopped mid sentence and punched the ground. A section of the cliff came down, bring Piandao and Bumi with it.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Katara looked at the two of them.
"Come on. Maybe we can help." Bumi said jumping up.
"No. This is not something you all should concern yourselves in." Aang said.
"But Uncle Aang…."
"No. Piandao you know it's not safe for kids." Sokka said.
"Not safe for kids! When you were younger than me you wanted to go fight in the war." Piandao yelled.
"And my father told me no. Just like I'm telling you." Sokka said standing up.
"Yeah, at first. But after you found Uncle Aang you still went off your own." Piandao
"But, it's not fair. You all fought when you were just kids. Like us. You managed to end the war." Bumi said.
"That's right we did end the war. No one knows better that we do the hardships of battle, which is why we don't want you kids to have to go through what we did. Any of you." Toph said, she pointed to the top of the cliff as she said the last part. Lin, Tenzin and Kya froze.
"No, Bumi is right." Kya said suddenly. "What's the point of you all training us if we never use what you teach us"
"We don't want to see you all get hurt." Aang said looking at his daughter.
"But, if you trained us then we can't get hurt. We're your kids, but what do we have to show for it?" Lin said jumping down the cliff. She landed making the sand explode around her. She stood facing her mother. "If you trained me, truly trained me then there is nothing that can move me." Lin said holding her head high.
"She really is your daughter Toph." Sokka said.
"Look we understand how you all feel but, this isn't something kids should do." Katara said.
"We could say the same about you." Kya said, climbing down the cliff. "Was it safe when the three of you set out on your own to help dad learn to bend the elements?" She looked at her parents and Uncle.
"Was it something for a kid to do when left your parents to teach Uncle Aang earthbending?" Lin said to her mother.
"It couldn't have been safe to try and take out the drill all on your own." Piandao said.
"What about the day of black sun? Charging the fire nation place. That's wasn't safe at all." Bumi said.
"And Dad when you faced the Fire Lord Ozai alone, was that something any kid would have done?" Tenzin spoke up for the first time. He jumped down from the cliff and landed with a blast of air next to his siblings.
"How can we call ourselves the children of Avatar Aang, who mastered the elements in the space of a few months…." Tenzin said.
"The kids of Master Katara, the first female student of Master Paku and his best student….." Kya said.
"The son of Sokka, mastermind of team avatar…." Piandao said.
"Daughter of Toph, the greatest earthbender who ever lived…" Lin said.
"How can we be your kids if we never do anything more exciting than picking fights at school or making a few craters when we spar?" Bumi said. The kids stared down their parents. The adults shared a look.
"Listen, I know all the things we did sound amazing but there were many times when we almost didn't make it." Sokka said.
"This is not up for discussion. This doesn't concern you." Aang said.
"But dad, you just said…you can't send out a task force because your stretched too thin with the triad war. We can be your task force." Bumi said.
"NO!" A blast of wind hit the kids and they stumbled backwards.
"Aang…" Katara said. She put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry you all, but this is the end of the discussion." Aang said looking at them.
"This isn't fair…"
"Bumi enough." Aang said. The kids didn't say anything again. They all turned on their heels and walked back up the stairs to the temple. Aang sighed and fell back into his seat.
"That was not fun." Toph said.
"Who would have guesses ending the war would have been the easy part of our lives?" Katara said.
"I know, taking out the airship fleet was nothing compared to being a parent." Sokka said.
"But we still have the matter of the disappearing benders to discuss." Aang said.
"What is there to discuss? Even if we wanted to do something all our hands are tied." Sokka said.
"We just simply don't have the man power for this. If there was more evidence I might have been able to do something." Toph said.
"Yeah, it isn't like the old days when we could jump on Appa and take off." Katara said.
"But we can't just let this go. It was only by chance we managed to stop 'her' the last time." Aang said.
"Yeah, if Katara hadn't insisted we free…." Sokka started.
"You know she was letting the fire nation keep her prisoner. Even if we didn't free her she would still gotten out." Katara shot back.
"Please you two, don't start. If we truly think it is her what are we going to do about it." Toph said.
"That's the problem, we don't know it is her." Sokka said.
"Even if it was her. We would have hard time convincing anyone about it. You all took her out before she managed to do any real damage. It would be hard to prove it is her because so few people knew was even a treat." Toph said.
"Disappearances aren't enough we need more." Aang said. They were all quite for a while.
Katara sighed. "I'm sorry I can't discuss this right now. I still feel horrible about the kids." She said.
"Yeah. I feel we were too hard on them." Sokka said. "You can't blame them. They just want to make us proud."
"We should do something to make it up to them." Aang said.
"Well….." Toph started.
The others looked at her. The look on her face told them what she was thinking.
"Oh no. No. No. No. I won't hear it." Katara said.
"You think of something then."
Katara didn't reply.
"They are ready. They are our kids after all." Toph said. The four of them shared a look.
"We must be insane to do this." Aang said.
Who is behind the disappearances? (leave a review if you think know who it is)
What will the Kids do now? And what does Team Avatar have planned?
Nardragon~until the next page.