The latest Chapter for Bumi's Story. Enjoy! :D

Chapter 3 : Confrontation

I sat on the beach, listening to the waves. My meditation was going well today; I kept thinking about what Korra had told me about Amon. How was that even possible? I was so frustrated that I kicked out at the sand, and the wind blew it into my face. I spluttered and coughed.

"So you're against me too, air?" I shouted at it, out over the bay.

I fell back onto my backside, and chewed the inside of my mouth angrily. Stupid equalists. It made me angry just thinking about them. This Amon guy didn't even remove his mask, and he took away a bender's very identity with this crazy power of his.

When I was small, my Dad had told me about it. But I really was small, and don't remember much. I closed my eyes, trying to recall him.

His face is always fuzzy in my memories, and now we were standing on the beach, somewhere near here. He's kneeling beside me, and I'm gripping my clothes, crying because of something Kya has told me. Evil sister. He's trying to explain to me that bending can't be lost, but someone had to take away your bending energy.

"It's called energy-bending," he tried to explain. "Remember the story about the Giant Lion-turtle?"

I nod, still snivelling. He tries to explain everything in terms that a four year-old can understand, but I'm too distraught to listen. It finally takes a hug to calm me down, and he sends me back to my Mother.

Now, my eyes open, and I hear Tenzin approaching from behind. Oh great, another lecture about how useless I am.

"Bumi?" his voice is gentle, and he sits next to me in the sand.

I avoid looking at him, knowing I'll just see pity in his eyes, because this energy-bending thing has shaken me up pretty badly, and I haven't even met the guy. Korra has. She's fine. She's even chasing after him. Why am I so freaked out?

My brother sighs, because though I'm in my twenties, I still act like a teenager, and he thinks this is because he hasn't been an appropriate male influence, since my Father died when I was nine.

"It's okay to be afraid," he told me, looking out at the lights of Republic City. "I am."

"I know it's okay," I tell him, bothered that we're actually having this conversation. "It doesn't change the fact that it annoys me."

A blast of air and I'm on my feet, walking away from him, hands in my pockets. It's dark now, because I've spent most of the day on the beach, and my stomach is rumbling so loudly that I worry some white-lotus guys who are on the porch, listening to a pro-bending match.

"Sorry, guys," I apologise, and they laugh and wave off my apology.

I enter the house, and he light and warmth of the place almost washes away my worries. Including myself, Tenzin, and the three kids, there's a total of eleven air-benders here. Eleven air-benders, in the world. I groan slightly at the realisation of this, and sit down in the dining table, where Pema is serving up rice and vegetables.

I'm tired, and Korra notices the black circles around my eyes. In fact, I'm so emotionally drained that I almost fall asleep in my rice.

"Bumi," Pema asks, concerned. "Are you feeling alright?"

Before I can excuse my behaviour she's behind me, a cool hand on my forehead. I jolt at her sudden appearance, and she frowns slightly, as if debating whether I'm actually ill, or just an idiot.

"You seem fine," she says. "Maybe you should get some rest."

"Yeah," I agree just to escape the stares of Korra and the children.

I don't go to my room. Well, I do, but only to pick up my glider. My mind is so troubled, and I can't even begin to think about meditation. On the roof, I pick a grain of rice from my tunic, and tighten the orange sash that goes around my torso from shoulder to hip. It's ceremonial, but Tenzin likes to see me wear it.

I flick open the glider, and sail out into the night sky. The statue of my Father is illuminated at night, and I look at it sadly. Why won't he answer me? I've tried talking to him in my meditations, but he's never there, now. When I was younger, he used to be. He used to turn up in my thoughts, glowing blue, like a ghost.

Now, I never see him. Perhaps I need to feel closer to him. And his statue would be a good place to start, right?

I landed on the rocky base that held up my Father, and sat on the huge, metal foot. I could lie along his toe-nail and not be tall enough to go from one side to the other. I smiled, and realised my cheeks hurt doing it, because I'd been so miserable all day.

"Hey Dad," I whispered. "I've been waiting to see you."

"And we've been waiting for you…" a voice, hissing and rasping, grates its way into my ears, and I feel two hands hit my shoulders, so that my arms go limp.

"Argh!" I cry out, panic causing my remaining limbs to move.

My staff. Where's my staff?

"Looking for this?" a hooded figure steps out from behind my Father's leg, twirling the staff in his hands. "Well, you'll have this returned to you, after this. But… I don't think it'll be of much use to you…"

"Lion-turtle guy?" I ask, temporarily forgetting his name. "Err- Amon?"

"Yes," he hisses the 's' in every word. "Now, sleep… Bumi…"

Two pairs hands hold me down, and I realised he's brought friends. Before he can grab me, I blow out with all my might, pushing him off of the small island. My legs bound up, and I pull myself free of the others' grip, and bound up the statue. I was so glad I used to do this for fun, because now I knew the nooks to secure my feet in as I bounced up to the top.

They were following, I could hear their feet and hands clanging on the metal down below.

A shrill whistled escaped between my lips, and I waited, praying that Oogi would hear me and rescue me from this predicament. Why do I always attract trouble?

"Ah!"

A hand clamps over my forehead, reaching my eyebrows, and pulls me down onto the metal surface. My head bangs down hard, and everything in front of my is swimming about, somewhat painfully. A masked face, dripping with water, appears, and the voice tells me something, but I'm too confused to understand…

"Get away from him!" a blast of fire, aimed directly at Amon and his cronies.

"Korra?" I moan, trying to sit up.

They flee into the darkness, with Amon promising to return. Korra and Tenzin enter my line of vision, accompanied by some of the white-lotus guards. Oogi gives out a long moan, and moves over to me, hoping to lick me out of my stupor.

"I feel awful," I groan.

"You would do," Tenzin sighs, as if I've caused him an inconvenience. "You've cut your head."

"I cut my head?" I exclaim, immediately regretting it. "Ohh…"

Tenzin shakes his head, and carries me to the Bison, with some help from Korra and the guards. I don't remember the ride home, because halfway there I black out completely.