Hey, guys! So it's been over a year, huh? Sorry about that. A lot of stuff kept me away from this, including writers block, schoolwork, discovering reddit, and a bunch of other stuff. But here I am!

So without further delay, let's get started.

Chapter 12: The City of Omashu

The group stood speechless as they gazed at the city of Omashu, which was now decorated with Fire Nation colors and flags. Iron chimneys rose from newly-built factories, belching pillars of black smoke into the air. Metal bridges, each occupied with dozens of guards and tanks, stretched from the walls of the city across the massive gorge surrounding it, ending at the mountains.

"I can't believe it," Aang said, turning towards his companions. "I know the war has spread far, but Omashu always seemed so... untouchable."

"Up until now it was," Sokka replied. "Now Ba Sing Se is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left."

"This is horrible, but we have to move on," Katara said, moving up next to Aang.

"I'm with Katara on this one," Rin added. "They've already got all of those bridges and factories set up. It's practically Fire Nation by now."

"We're not abandoning this city," Aang declared. "I need to find Bumi."

"Aang, stop," Sokka objected. "We don't even know if King Bumi is still-"

"What?" Aang interrupted, turning to meet Sokka eye-to-eye. "If he's still what?"

"... if he's still around," Sokka finished.

"Look, Aang, I know you have your heart set on finding Bumi, but there are plenty of other earthbenders in the kingdom," Katara reminded Aang. "We can always find you another earthbending teacher."

"This isn't about finding a teacher," Aang replied. "This is about finding my friend."

I like him, the voice inside Rin's head suddenly said.

He's going to get us captured or killed, I guarantee it, Rin replied. And why are you here all of a sudden?

Well, I don't have anyone else to talk to, the voice said.

Do what you did the last 3 years you were in my body. You never talked to me before, Rin said.

"Come on, Rin!" Aang called from behind her, snapping her out of her mental conversation. Sighing, Rin followed her companions onto Appa, and they flew off towards the city.

Avoiding the detection of Fire Nation watchtowers, the group managed to fly down into the gorge below the city. They landed on a ledge in the rocky cliff surrounding the city, where large metal pipe was jutting out of the rock, closed off by a solid disk of steel. Aang was standing on top of the pipe, trying to dislodge the cover of the pipe with his staff.

"Wait, there was a secret passage into the city? Why didn't we use this last time?" Sokka asked. Before anyone could respond, Aang managed to open the pipe, answering Sokka's question with a flood of raw sewage to his face.

"Now you know," Aang said. Rin stifled a slight chuckle as Aang jumped down into the pipe, encasing himself in a bubble of air to avoid having to wade through the sewage. Katara followed, bending the sewage around her, with Rin staying close to her back so that both of them would stay dry. Rin looked back at Sokka, who was fighting his way through waves of brown, slimy water.

"Come on, Sokka," Rin said. "Stop lagging behind."

"I wouldn't be *blech* lagging behind if *hach* you would all just slow down and *gag* stop bending this sludge into my face!" Sokka replied, stopping to spit out a mouthful of sewage. As they continued onward, the pipe expanded into a large maze of tunnels, walkways, and rivers of sewage, which Rin presumed connected every house and building of Omashu. Green crystals lined the wall of the tunnel, bathing the sewer system in a dim glow.

"Okay, I think we're under the city now," Katara guessed. "Now we need to find a way to reach the surface and-"

"Hold on," Rin interrupted. "There's a place I want to go to first."

"Yeah, but we need to get above ground - oh, you mean down here?" Aang asked. "In the sewers"

"Come on, let me show you," Rin said, climbing up to a walkway on the side of the tunnel and leading the rest of the group through the tunnels.

"Ugh, this entire place stinks," Sokka complained, holding his nose as they walked.

"It's a sewer, Sokka. What did you expect?" Katara asked. "Though I'd like to get to the surface as soon as possible. I'm not sure if I can stand this smell for much longer."

"Eh, you get used to it. I did, after a few weeks," Rin said, turning into a small alcove off to the side of the tunnel, where she stopped and turned around to the group. "Welcome to my old home. Make yourself comfortable."

"You lived here?" Aang asked, looking around. The alcove was barely large enough to house a single person, with only enough space for a bedroll and some personal belongings. The floor, like the rest of the sewer system, was made of smooth, hard rock, and the only defining features of the place were a few small, wooden crates stacked up on the side of the alcove, some of which were starting to rot and crumble. Sokka peered into one of the crates and found half a dozen bottles scattered around the bottom, most of them empty.

"Yeah, I stopped by Omashu maybe... two years ago?" Rin explained, looking through the crates. "I stayed in the city for a few months before I moved on. Stole food, money, and drinks to keep myself busy. The sewers made a pretty good hiding spot, so I holed up in here. Oh, and speaking of drinks, I think this one's still good." Rin pulled a bottle from the crate, popped the cork, and started gulping down its contents, not bothering to check what those contents were.

"Whoa, don't drink that!" Katara shouted, grabbing the bottle out of Rin's hand. "Didn't you say you came here two years ago? Whatever you were drinking, it's got to have gone bad by now."

"Relax, Katara," Rin protested. "Alcohol doesn't go bad."

"Alcohol?" Katara cried. "Now I'm definitely not giving this back. You were drinking this stuff two years ago?"

"I can handle a drink or two," Rin said, trying to snatch the bottle away from Katara.

"Okay, Ms. 'wanted for public intoxication,'" Katara replied.

"Point taken," Rin admitted. "But that was my first time drinking. I don't even remember that night."

I remember it, the voice inside Rin's head said. That was a fun night! We got to do a lot of things... like romance!

Wait, what? Rin exclaimed in her mind. I didn't remember any boys that night... or the morning after, either.

Well, you met and broke up within the hour, the voice explained. It was fun, though! Definitely an experience! To be honest, I like drunk you a lot better than bitter, no-fun normal you.

Well, bitter no-fun me is what you're going to have to put up with. Rin told the voice. Also, if you're going to pop into my head this often, I'll need a name to call you by. What is it?

... sorry, the voice apologized as Rin mentally groaned. I can't -

Playing secrets again, huh? Rin paused for a moment. You know what? You've been living in my head for years, and I think you're overdue on rent. I think I deserve to know your name, out of all things.

Fine... the voice said. My name is Edea.

See, now everyone's happy. Nice to meet you, Edea. Now stay out of my head when I'm trying to talk to someone.

"Hey, Rin? You okay?" Sokka asked, snapping Rin out of her mental conversation with Edea.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Rin muttered back.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked. "Anything on your mind you need to discuss? You were kinda blanking out there."

"I'm fine," Rin insisted. "Now let's get out of this dump."

"I agree," Aang said. "We need to get up there and find Bumi."

As the group left the small alcove in the sewers, Rin paused. She looked back at the place that she, for at least a few weeks, had lived in. While it may have been dirty and cramped, she was still her home for a small period of time.

Then she turned, running to catch up with the rest of the group.

Fwooosh. Clang!

"Dammit Aang, you've got to be more careful," Rin hissed just after Aang blew off the cover to a manhole, causing it to fly into the air and crash back down to the earth. "Someone could have heard that."

"Don't worry, it's nighttime," Aang replied, peeking out of the hole before jumping up to the surface. "There's no one around here, anyways."

"Well, then I guess we're lucky. What if someone was up here? They would have heard us right away," Rin pointed out as she pulled herself up to the surface. She looked up and found herself in a side alley of the city, surrounded by large, plain stone buildings. Pillars rose out of the ground nearby, extending upwards to support the elaborate system of ramps used to relay mail, supplies, and whatever else happened to find it's way onto it, all backgrounded by the bright, starry night.

"Well, the sewers weren't as bad as I thought," Katara admitted as she climbed out of the sewers. However, right after her came the slime-drenched, sewage-covered form that Rin could barely make out as Sokka.

"Don't tell me you fell into the sewage again," Rin groaned as Katara doused Sokka with water from a nearby barrel, followed by a quick blow-dry from Aang.

"Hey, it's not my fault that-" Sokka started to say before noticing two small, purple creatures stuck to his cheeks. "Deaaagh! Get them off! They won't let go!"

As Sokka tried desperately to pull the two small creatures off of his cheeks, Aang tackled him into the alley wall before signalling him to be quiet. "Calm down. They're just purple pentapi. They wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I've found a few during my time in the sewers. They come off if you just give them a little rub," Rin explained as she and Aang detached the purple pentapi from Sokka's body, leaving lines of red sucker-marks around his face and neck. "They don't taste too good, though."

"Hey!" Rin heard someone say from behind her, and the group turned to where the voice was coming from. Approaching them from the other end of the alleyway was a group of Fire Nation soldiers. "What are you kids doing out past curfew?"

"Sorry... uh... we were just on our way home," Katara told the soldiers as the group turned and walked away, trying to avoid suspicion.

"Wait!" One of the soldiers ordered, and Rin reached back into her bag, ready to pull out her hatchet and start fighting. "What's wrong with that boy?"

"Oh, him?" Katara asked as Rin realized that the soldier was referring to the marks the pentapi left on Sokka. "He's, uh, sick. With pentapox."

"Pentapox, huh?" the soldier muttered, walking up to Sokka to investigate.

"Um... it's highly contagious," Katara warned as the soldier came closer.

"And it's painful too," Rin added, tapping Sokka's back. "Really painful."

"Ugh... it hurts, it's like I'm going to die!" Sokka moaned, stumbling towards the soldier, who backed off from the group.

"And it's deadly," Katara added. "That too."

"Hey, I think I've heard of pentapox," the soldier said, turning to one of his friends. "Didn't your cousin Chang die of it?"

"I think you're right," the other soldier replied as the group of soldiers backed away from a coughing, stumbling Sokka. "We better go wash our hands. And burn our clothes, too!"

As the soldiers ran out of the alleyway and out of sight, Aang smiled, picking up one of the pentapi that they had taken off of Sokka. "Thanks, sewer friend!"

"You've got a lot more to thank than that thing," Rin said to Aang. "It's a miracle we haven't been caught yet. Now we need to go find your friend."

The group made their way deeper into the city, quietly sneaking through alleyways and hiding from the sight of Fire Nation patrols. The streets were starting to become steeper, and the small houses and shops gradually gave way to construction projects and scaffolding. As a small patrol of soldiers passed by, the group hid behind a stack of metal beams, out of sight.

"Let's find Bumi and get out of here," Katara said. "This city is crawling with guards."

"Where would they be keeping him?" Sokka asked.

"Somewhere he can't earthbend," Aang replied, surveying the area from their hiding spot. "Somewhere made of metal."

"Looks like the Fire Nation made a lot of metal buildings when they took over," Rin pointed out, looking at the large, metal factories scattered around the city. "They might've stashed your friend in one of those."

"That's a lot of places to search," Sokka said.

"Then we should searching now," Aang replied. He walked out from their hiding spot towards a factory in the distance, but Rin pulled him back to safety.

"You have to be more careful," Rin hissed, pointing towards a road below their hiding spot, where a group of Fire Nation soldiers were escorting what looked like a noblewoman and her teenage daughter. The sight of their expensive silk robes and sparkling jewelry forced a grimace onto Rin's face, one she wiped away immediately. "You could've been spotted."

"Sorry," Aang whispered back. "I-"

"Hey, what's that?" Sokka interrupted, pointing up to a ledge above their hiding spot. Squinting her eyes slightly, Rin could make out the shape of a large figure, as well as a boulder perched precariously over the edge of the road. Suddenly, the boulder launched down from the road, careening straight towards the Fire Nation soldiers below.

"Watch out!" Aang shouted, breaking the boulder apart with a blast of wind and revealing their position to the Fire Nation soldiers below. As the Fire Nation soldiers started climbing up to the group, Rin groaned, reaching back to grab her hatchet.

"The resistance!" The noblewoman cried out, pointing up at Aang. Rin glanced down at the road below, but strangely, couldn't see the teenager that had been there before.

"No, we're not-" Aang tried to tell the woman, but was interrupted when Rin grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him away as the Fire Nation soldiers started climbing up to where they were.

"Why'd you do that?!" Rin asked Aang as they ran from the soldiers. "Now the Fire Nation knows we're here!"

"I couldn't just let them get hurt," Aang replied before speeding ahead of Rin. Looking back over her shoulder, Rin saw Katara pushing a pair of soldiers back with a stream of water. After a moment of consideration, Rin ran over, grabbing a brick sitting on the scaffolding next to her and, after ducking under a burst of flame, threw the brick at a charging soldier. Her aim struck true as the brick crashed directly into the soldier's face, knocking him to the ground.

"Come on," Rin said to Katara, leading her away before the soldiers could recover. As they ran, Rin looked down towards the city, scanning for a way out of this situation; perhaps an alleyway, a manhole into the sewers, an open building, anything.

Rin, watch out behind you! Edea warned.

I know the soldiers are behind me, that's why I'm running, Rin replied.

No, not the soldiers, I'm talking about -

Shink.

Edea's sentence was cut of by a burst of pain from Rin's shoulder, which was immediately suppressed by a rush of adrenaline. Looking back, she saw the teenage girl who had been accompanying the noblewoman, along with a small knife stuck through her shoulder. Rin ducked to the side of the road as the girl threw a flurry of knives and darts at her.

"Augh!" Rin shouted, clutching her shoulder as the pain rapidly overcame her adrenaline rush. She noticed the knife-throwing woman catching up to the group and shouted over to Aang, who had ran ahead of them. "Hey, we need some help here!"

"I'm on it!" Aang shouted back, waiting for them to catch up. After the rest of the group passed by, he blasted a section of scaffolding with air, sending it toppling to the ground and blocking off the path. Suddenly, Rin felt the ground vanish, and she, along with the rest of the group, fell into a hole in the ground, which was immediately covered up by earthbending. As the dust from their fall cleared, Rin looked around and saw dozens of people surrounding them, dressed in either civilian clothing or soldier uniforms.

"Who are you?" Sokka asked as one of the soldiers approached.

"I think that's what we should ask you," the soldier replied.

"... and so we retreated underground to hide from the Fire Nation," the soldier explained. After a minute of questioning, the soldiers revealed that they were the remains of Omashu's army, along with it's citizens, who had grouped together to form a resistance force against the Fire Nation. The head soldier that they were talking to had introduced himself as General Yung, and was explaining what had happened since Aang, Katara, and Sokka had left Omashu, before they picked up Rin from the Great Divide.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but is there anywhere we can rest for the night down here?" Sokka asked. "I'm a little tired out from being chased."

"Sure. Chang, show them to one of the empty rooms," Yung ordered another soldier, who nodded. He led the group down the hall and into an empty side room.

"Well, better get this out," Rin muttered, gritting her teeth as she pulled the knife from her shoulder. As it left the wound, blood started trickling down her back.

"That doesn't look good," Katara said, drawing water from her waterskin. "Let me heal that for you."

"Not yet," Rin replied. "I need to show you something. Sokka, you know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I remember," Sokka said. "But I think you should let Katara clean your wound, just so it won't get infected."

"That's true. Katara, can you do that?" Rin asked as Katara nodded. "But don't heal me yet. Just clean it."

"Okay..." Katara said skeptically, moving behind Rin and washing out the stab wound, including the blood that had dripped down into Rin's clothes. "But do you mind explaining why I shouldn't heal this? It won't take long, and it's not too difficult."

"Remember the tunnels we went through today?" Sokka asked. "When we all got separated after Appa got scared and slammed into a bunch of walls?"

"Yeah, I remember," Aang replied. It was only for a moment, but Rin swore that she saw blood rush to his and Katara's cheeks, blushing them red. "You and Rin ended up in the same tunnel, right?"

"That we did," Rin confirmed. "But a boulder landed on my legs during the collapse. Broke both of them."

"Wait, but..." Katara said, glancing down at Rin's legs. "That was just this afternoon, and I never healed them. How are you walking?"

"That's what I was wondering back in the tunnels," Sokka said. "I was carrying her around for half an hour, maybe an hour, and she's suddenly walking around, good as new, as if she didn't need my help at all. Even her arm was healed."

"Her arm?" Aang asked. "What happened to her arm?"

"Oh, right, my arm," Rin said. "I burned myself while trying to light a torch. Blisters and burns all the way up to my shoulder. Probably the worst pain I've ever felt, but it healed up completely, just like my leg. Speaking of burns, I think I've at least started to figure out how to firebend."

"Huh, I see what you mean by healing," Katara muttered from behind her. "The wound's already starting to close. It shouldn't take more than half an hour for it to heal completely, at this rate."

"Now, I know you all probably have questions, but trust me, I have no idea why this is happening," Rin explained.

But I'm sure you do, don't you, Edea? Rin thought, but her head remained silent and empty as she waited for an answer.

"I wonder if Bumi's with all these refugees," Aang wondered out loud. "I'm going to go look for him."

"I'll go too," Sokka said. The two boys left the room, leaving Rin and Katara alone. The two looked at each other, then glanced awkwardly around the room. Rin dug into her bag and pulled out her canteen, took a few gulps of water, and put it back before laying down on the ground, instantly regretting it when the cold rock stung up against her wound. She rolled over onto her side. Meanwhile, Katara was batting at her hair loopies with her finger, looking as bored as Rin was.

"So, what happened to you and Aang in the tunnels?" Rin asked, breaking the silence.

"Uh, nothing much," Katara replied, looking towards the doorway.

"I thought you 'let love lead the way'," Rin reminded Katara. "Something must have happened down there."

"Well, I guess you could say something happened," Katara said, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of red.

Was it looooooove? Edea suddenly asked in Rin's head.

Dammit, don't just pop up in my head like that, Rin thought. And what the hell are you talking about?

Can you ask her what I just said? Edea requested. Oh, this sounds like a romance story!

No, I won't, Rin thought. And definitely not in that sing-song teasing tone of yours.

Aw, please? Edea pleaded. It'll be fun!

Fun? We're in the middle of a military resistance base, there's no time for - ah, fuck it. You'll just keep pestering me until I do it, Rin mentally sighed before focusing her attention on Katara. "So, what really happened with you and Aang down in the tunnels? Because it wasn't 'nothing much'."

"Well, here's what happened after we got separated..."

"Wait, so you're telling me you found the tomb of Oma and Shu."

"Yes. They told us to trust in love... and that's how we found our way out."

"No, back up. You found the tomb of Oma and Shu. Two legendary and celebrated legends in the Earth Kingdom."

"Yes... Rin, where are you going with this?"

"Katara, there was probably treasure in there! Gold! Jewels! You don't bury legends without burying some sort of tribute with them! I'm just saying, we could have solved any money problem that we may have."

"I mention the tomb of Oma and Shu and the first thing you think of is looting it? It's a good thing you and Sokka ended up in the other tunnel. Besides, we have enough supplies from General Fong's outpost."

"Come on, it's not like they're going to complain. They're dead."

"Ugh, you're like Sokka, but... worse, somehow."

"And yet you still keep me around."

"Well, it was Aang's idea, not mine. Besides, it's not that we don't like having you around, it's just that your morals are kind of..."

"Off? Askew?"

"Nonexistent, actually. At least you haven't really done anything wrong while you've been traveling with us."

"That's probably because I like traveling with you guys. Our companionship is the most valuable thing I have."

"Aw, that's kinda sweet. I didn't expect that out of you, that's for sure."

"I actually meant that literally. Any sort of friendly relationship with the Avatar and his friends is going to be valuable. He's the most powerful person in the world. I'd be stupid to try and piss him off."

"Okay, that's not so sweet anymore."

"Of course, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy being with everyone. Beats being alone."

You weren't alone! I was there too!

Edea, shut up. You made me think I was alone for years, and I didn't want you here in the first place.

"We have a plan!" Rin heard Aang shout as he came into the room with Sokka.

"Plan for what?" Rin asked. "Fighting the Fire Nation?"

"Not exactly," Aang said. "We're running from it."

"Come on, we're not running," Sokka corrected him. "The citizens of Omashu are doing a tactical retreat."

"Also known as running," Rin said. "I'm fine with it. When do we leave?"

"More importantly, how do we leave?" Katara added. "Every exit to the city is heavily guarded by Fire Nation troops, and we can't just ferry everyone from the sewers with Appa. We'll get spotted."

"Easy," Sokka said with a smirk. "We're all about to have a serious case of pentapox."

"So, Sokka. How is this going to work again?" Rin asked, looking over the citizens as they pulled pentapi off each other, leaving bright red welts on their skin.

"Well, we make everyone look like they're sick, then we'll have them go onto the streets," Sokka explained. "Hopefully, if they think everyone's, they'll let us right out!"

"Well, I guess the Fire Nation wouldn't want a plague on their hands," Rin muttered. "How convincing will it be, though? We won't know if they'll fall for it."

"Don't worry, I got that all covered," Sokka replied, grinning deviously. "Remember the guard we saw earlier? He said that I looked like I had something called 'pentapox', then he ran off. If I'm right, by the time we put everything into motion, everyone will already think that there's people with pentapox in Omashu, making out escape all the more convincing!"

"Wow, looks like you've thought of everything," Rin commented. "So, when's the escape?

"Right now!" Sokka said before heading over to the crowd of sick-looking citizens. "All right, sick formation! Let's go! We're leaving this city!"

"We should head back to the sewers and leave on Appa," Rin heard Katara say as she and Aang approached her. "Sokka's going to be leading the sick march. We'll meet up outside the city."

"I'm not leaving until I find Bumi," Aang proclaimed.

"The old king?" Rin asked. "Oh yeah, he's your friend, right?"

"Yes, and that's why I can't leave him here," Aang said, opening his glider. "I'll meet back with you guys once I find him."

"Stay safe," Katara called as Aang flew away, towards the center of the city.

"Well, there he goes," Rin muttered. "Let's head down to the sewers now. We need to get out while the guards have their attention focused on the citizens."

"Yeah, let's go."

"We'll land behind those hills over there," Rin said, pointing out a clearing down below. "That's where the resistance told us to meet up."

"Got it," Katara replied, steering Appa down towards the ground. They touched down and looked back, but Sokka, along with the sick-looking citizens, had still not arrived yet.

"I guess we'll wait here," Rin said. "I'll go scout out the area. See if they're coming yet."

"Good idea," Katara replied. "I'll set up camp. It's getting dark."

Rin hopped off Appa, bending her knees as she hit the ground. She walked over to the hills that separated their landing site from the view of the city and made her way up, hoping to get a better view.

Hey, do you think Aang will find Bumi? Edea asked.

Why do you care? Rin asked back. I haven't met him, and that means neither have you.

Well, he seems like a very nice man, if he's Aang's friend, Edea told her.

Yeah, yeah, we don't know though, Rin replied, coming up to the top of the hill and overlooking Omashu. She looked around, trying to spot either Aang or the evacuating citizens.

Over there, to your right, Edea said. Rin turned and saw a small band of citizens coming around the edge of a nearby hill, heading towards where they were all told to gather.

Wait, you can see outside of what I'm seeing? Rin asked. I thought you looked through my eyes.

Nope! Edea said. In fact, Katara just finished unloading our stuff and setting up the tent.

At least that means I'm not going insane and hearing voices, Rin thought-muttered, looking back down the hill at Katara, who had indeed finished setting up the tent and was now trying to start a small campfire. It was getting dark, and the torches of the evacuated citizens made their way into the clearing. Rin could see Sokka running up and helping Katara with the fire. You could be useful after all.

Hey, I'm useful! Edea pouted. Remember what I showed you in the cave? With the torch?

Yeah, yeah, and then you didn't bother to explain WHAT I did, Rin replied. And it looks like you don't want to, either.

Hey, I made a promise, Edea said. And I won't go around breaking my promises.

Who did you promise - Rin started, then she paused. Forget it, you probably won't tell me anyways. Well, I should make you useful while you're here. Can you see Aang?

Yup! He's at the south end of the city, climbing over the wall on Flopsie, Edea told her. Rin turned and saw a large, white goat-gorilla climbing down the southern wall of Omashu, with Aang on its back. The guards were still preoccupied with the sickly-looking citizens, and were oblivious as Aang and his steed made their way beyond the bridges leading to the city and into the hills beyond, towards where everyone was waiting.

"Aang's back!" Katara shouted as Aang and Flopsie entered the clearing. Rin jogged down the hill to meet up with him as he jumped from Flopsie's back and onto the ground.

"I looked everywhere," Aang explained with a hung face. "No Bumi."

"Hey, it's a big city," Rin replied. "He could have been anywhere. For all we know, they sent him to the Fire Nation or something, and that's why you couldn't find him."

"But that's even worse!" Sokka pointed out.

"No, I have a feeling that he's there," Aang said. "I just know it."

"Well, you can go and search tomorrow," Rin said. "It's getting too dark. Do we have anything to eat?"

"Ahem."

Rin heard General Yung clearing his throat behind her, and the four of them turned to face him. "So, we did a headcount, and, uh..."

"What is it?" Katara asked. "Is someone missing?"

"No, quite the opposite," Yung replied. "We have an extra."

He pointed behind him, to where Momo was being dragged around and roughed up by a toddler boy. Unlike the other citizens that evacuated, this boy was clearly of Fire Nation descent, and was wearing red clothes as if to prove he was.

"We'll take care of him tonight, I guess," Rin said. "Unless we can find out who he belongs to, we'll just plop him somewhere back in the city tomorrow and hope a guard picks him up or something."

"With the exception of the 'we'll just plop him in some random place in the city' part, that doesn't sound like too bad of a plan," Katara said. "For now, let's prepare something to eat. I'm sure everyone's hungry."

"... and while we may be gone tonight,

we'll be back to win the fight!"

clapclapclapclapclapclapclap

Rin listened as the evacuated citizens sat in a circle around the fire, singing songs to raise their spirits. One man had even brought a sitar to strum along to the beat. While having to evacuate their supposedly impenetrable city was a harsh blow to the morale of the citizens, sharing the night around the campfire was somewhat lessening that blow. There was a pot of stew simmering over the stove in which many people had thrown a myriad of ingredients, and as a result, the stew had picked up a variety of many different flavors. Katara had taken to stirring the pot, ladeling out small scoops of stew to those who held out a bowl or cup. Meanwhile, Rin had been charged with making sure the Fire Nation toddler was okay.

"Come on, eat, you little bastard," Rin grumbled, lightly prodding the toddler's lips with a spoonful of stew, but he wouldn't budge. Instead, he turned his head away and pouted, turning his head once again when Rin moved the spoon back to his mouth. "Come on, you haven't even tasted it yet, you don't even know if it's bad or not."

"Here, let me try," Katara offered, taking the spoon from Rin. With her other hand, she lightly tickled the toddler under the chin, making him let out a small giggle. After a few moments of tickling and giggling, Katara pushed the spoon into the toddler's mouth, letting him taste the stew. He froze for a moment, then laughed, reaching for the spoon as Katara dipped it into the bowl of stew, giving him another spoonful.

"Huh, you're good with kids," Rin commented. "Better than me, at least."

"I kind of had to be," Katara explained. "I had to care for a lot of the younger kids back at the South Pole, since all of the fathers were off to war, and many of the mothers... well, the kids didn't have anyone to care for them."

"I see," Rin muttered, taking a bowl of stew herself. She lifted a spoonful, blowing off the steam before putting it in her mouth. She immediately spit it back into the bowl before fanning her tongue.

"What, is there something wrong with the stew?" Katara asked.

"Nah, ith justh too hoth," Rin replied, still fanning her exposed tongue.

"Well, it did just come from over a fire. You should have expected that," Katara said, chuckling. "Want me to cool down your stew?"

"You don't have to, I can just wait," Rin said. "So, how's the kid doing?"

"Well, he actually liked the stew a lot, so I didn't have any problems feeding him," Katara said, taking a spoonful of stew from her own bowl. "He's playing with Momo right now. I think he's good on stew."

"Yeah, 'playing'," Rin muttered, looking back at the toddler, who was sitting on Momo's back as the lemur protested furiously. Turning back to the fire, Rin took another spoonful of her stew, which had now cooled to the point where she could put it in her mouth without burning her tongue. As she swallowed, she could taste a few of the ingredients, including potatoes, carrots, beets, and a hint of pig-chicken.

Hey, isn't Aang vegetarian? Edea asked. What's he eating?

How should I know? He eats his own stuff, I guess, Rin replied.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask, Edea said.

Fine, Rin thought-muttered before turning to Katara. "Hey, there's meat in this, right? What's Aang eating?"

"We had some food from earlier that we hadn't eaten yet," Katara explained. "Some bread buns and fruit. I think he's eating that."

"I see," Rin said. I told you so.

Well, it didn't hurt to ask, Edea said.

Yeah, well it didn't hurt not to ask either, Rin replied, finishing her bowl and taking another ladle-full of stew from the pot.

Ooh, more stew! Edea exclaimed. It tastes so good!

Wait, you can taste it? Rin asked.

Of course! I'm part of you, remember? Edea reminded Rin.

So you don't see what I see, and I'm assuming you don't feel what I feel, since you didn't react when I burned my tongue, Rin said. But you taste what I taste? What about smell? What's the deal here?

I don't know, I'm a spirit, I think. I don't make the rules, Edea clarified. And actually, I feel what you feel, but pain is kind of... muted. Like, I know it's there, but it doesn't feel painful for me.

Well, isn't that just convenient for you, Rin thought-grumbled. I guess you'll be useful though, if you can think clearly while I'm in pain.

Hey, I'm more than just a tool! Edea pouted, but Rin ignored her, turning her attention towards General Yung, who had just entered the campfire circle.

"Citizens of Omashu, may I have your attention," he said, prompting the lively crowd of people to go quiet. "Thank you. As one of the many who lived most, if not all of their lives in Omashu, I know how hard it is to leave. You may have left behind your homes, your possessions, your livelihood, and many other things. And I am sorry for that."

Yung cleared his throat, then continued. "But as the General of Omashu's forces, I guarantee you that we will be back. Not as oppressed citizens of the Fire Nation, but as a formidable force, strong as the earth itself! We will come and take back the city that is rightfully ours!"

A cheer spread through the crowd of citizens, bringing the joyous mood back to the circle. Rin grinned slightly as everyone laughed and talked about what they had back in Omashu that they would take back from the Fire Nation.

"A messenger hawk!" someone called, and Rin looked up. A red hawk bearing the Fire Nation insignia flew down from the sky, dropping a scroll of parchment in General Yung's hand before flying back to Omashu. Everyone went quiet as the general opened the scroll, revealing its contents. He scanned his eyes over the parchment, reading it over before handing it to Aang, who did the same.

"We of the new Fire Nation government of Omashu... believe you have kidnapped... willing to make a trade of hostages...," Aang read, before his eyes went wide. "They think we've kidnapped the governor's son. And if we bring him back, they'll give us King Bumi!"

The next day found the four of them back in Omashu to make the trade between the governor's young son and King Bumi. They had been instructed by the message to meet at a particular set of scaffolding bordering the construction site of a Fire Nation factory, where they would make the exchange. Sokka found himself holding the toddler, trying to avoid having his cheeks pulled by the child.

"You do realize that we probably just walked into a trap, right?" Sokka asked, grimacing as the toddler drooled over his chest.

"I know, but this might be our only chance to get Bumi back," Aang replied, wrapping a cloth over his head so that he wouldn't be recognized. "And I don't want to miss that chance."

"Besides, if this is a trap, we still have a hostage," Rin pointed out.

"Quiet, someone's coming," Katara warned them. Climbing onto the scaffolding were three girls, all about Sokka's age. The one in the middle...

That's the girl we saw earlier, Edea said. The one who threw knives at you.

Yeah, I remember the knife-girl, Rin replied. What's she doing here? And the others...

The girl on the right wore Fire Nation red, with a gold-trimmed collar and a fancy flame-styled hairpin, while the girl on the left wore a more revealing pink outfit and a ponytail. They all walked with a confident air, especially the one on the right. Rin reached back, ready to pull out her hatchet if need be.

"You have my brother?" the knife-girl asked as Rin raised her eyebrows slightly.

"He's right here," Sokka replied, raising the boy up for the knife-girl to see. She nodded as a steel coffin lowered by a chain from above, holding a cackling old man who Rin presumed was King Bumi.

"Hello, everybody!" the old man called as his coffin hit the scaffolding behind the girls.

"You know, Mai, I thought just occured to me," the girl on the right said, interrupting the trade. "Do you mind?"

"Of course not, Princess Azula," the knife-girl, apparently known as Mai, replied. Rin reached into her bag, grabbing her hatchet and watching the girls carefully.

Wait, if that's Princess Azula... Edea started.

Then she's a firebender, and probably a really good one, Rin finished, before turning to the rest of her group. "I think this is a trap. Stay on your guard."

"We're trading a toddler for a king," Princess Azula continued. "A very powerful earthbending king that once ruled over a great city. For a slobbering two-year-old. Now, Mai, what do you think about that?"

"I think..." Mai started, glancing at Azula. Rin could hear a slight bit of hesitation in her voice, but that quickly faded as she produced a large throwing knife in her hand. "I think that sounds ridiculous. Deal's off."

"Well, you heard them," Rin called to the others. Mai threw the knife in her hand at Katara, who batted it out of the air with a tendril of water. "Let's get out of here!"

"I still have to save Bumi!" Aang called back as the old king's steel coffin was lifted back up the chain. Aang took flight on his glider, flying upwards as the cloth around his head fell off, revealing his tattoos. Almost immediately, Azula took to the scaffolding beside her, climbing upwards almost as quickly as Aang was flying.

"Come on, let's go! Aang will be fine!" Katara said, blocking another knife as they retreated away from the other two girls. The one in pink leapt into a hole in the scaffolding, disappearing from sight as she went to the lower level. Sokka, still holding the Fire Nation toddler, took out the bison-shaped whistle and blew hard.

Watch out! Edea called as Rin blocked an incoming knife with the flat of her hatchet.

Yeah, I can see the knives flying straight towards my face, Rin replied. Can you see Appa?

I don't - there he is! Edea shouted in her mind.

You'll have to be more specific, I'm a bit occupied -OW! Rin thought before something hit the back of her knees, destroying her stance and forcing her to kneel. Quickly pushing herself up, she saw the pink girl jumping out of a hole in the scaffolding behind her, ready to strike once again.

You could have warned me about that, Rin thought-muttered.

Hey, I didn't see her either! Edea protested. Katara and the knife-girl are fighting right now, so you should be safe from any knives, at least.

Thanks, I guess, Rin thought before raising her hatchet, ready to meet the pink-wearing girl head-on. As if on cue, the girl dashed forwards, quickly closing the gap between the two. Rin quickly slashed down with her hatchet as the distance approached zero, but instead of feeling it cut through flesh, all she felt were two hands vaulting onto her shoulders.

Behind you! Edea called, but as Rin turned around, it was already too late. She felt the girl's fingers strike at four points, one at each limb, and suddenly, her entire body went limp to the floor, her hatchet clattering to the scaffolding..

"You should loosen up a bit," the girl said with a smile before running off to help the knife-girl fight Katara. Rin moaned, the feeling in her limbs slowly returning as she gradually pushed herself back on her feet.

Thanks for the warning, Rin thought-grumbled.

Hey, it's not my fault! Edea argued. She was just too fast!

Yeah, whatever, Rin thought, grabbing her hatchet and running off towards where Katara was fighting the two girls. She arrived just in time to see the pink-wearing girl do the same pressure-point trick against Katara.

"How does it feel to lose your bending?" the knife-girl said as Katara raised her arms, futilely trying to lift the water that had splashed onto the scaffolding after the pink girl hit her pressure points. Suddenly, a boomerang flew in from overhead, forcing the two girls to dodge.

"I seem to manage!" Sokka retorted, flying in on Appa and catching the boomerang on its return trip. Appa landed in front of Rin and Katara, separating them from the other two girls, who were quickly blasted away by a gust of Appa's tail. "Hurry, climb on!"

"So that's where you were this entire time," Rin said as she hopped into the saddle, with Katara following closely behind.

"We need to find Aang and get out of here," Katara said. "Did you see him?"

"He's fighting over by the box chutes" Sokka replied before taking the reigns in his hands. "Appa, yip yip!"

As Appa went skyborne, the three looked over the city, searching for Aang. It didn't take long for them to spot spouts of blue flame rising from the box chutes, where Aang was riding the king's metal coffin down the track with the princess close behind, launching blue flame after blue flame.

"Is that... blue fire?" Katara asked as they got closer to the battle.

"We'll think about it later," Rin replied, before cupping her hands around her mouth. "Aang, let's go!"

Aang turned, acknowledging Rin's call before blocking another spout of blue flame. He quickly threw a burst of air under the king's coffin, sending it flying through the air towards Appa.

"Are you kidding me!" Rin exclaimed, bracing for the giant metal coffin to hit Appa head-on. However, it sailed overhead instead, with Aang following it down into another chute. The princess followed suit, ignoring Appa and jumping down to pursue Aang.

"Did Aang just throw a giant metal coffin at us and expect us to catch it?" Sokka asked.

"I guess he didn't have time to think that through," Katara replied. "Come on, let's go follow him."

Sokka pulled at the reigns once again, directing Appa to follow the chute downwards. Soon, they reached Aang, who was standing at the bottom of the chute alone.

"What's going on? Where's Bumi?" Katara asked as they all got off to meet him.

"And what about that firebender?" Sokka added.

"Bumi said that he wanted to stay here. The time wasn't right for him to leave," Aang explained. "And I managed to lose that girl on the way down. Actually, Bumi did."

"Well, we should get out of here," Rin told them. "We're not safe in the city."

"Wait, so I carried this brat around for nothing?" Sokka asked, pulling the Fire Nation toddler out from Appa's saddle. "What are we gonna do with him?"

"I'll bring him back where he belongs," Aang said. "He may be Fire Nation, but that doesn't mean he should be separated from his family."

"I'd argue that having a hostage would be useful, but he's more trouble than he's worth," Rin added. "We'll head on back to camp."

"I'll be sure to meet you there," Aang told them before taking the toddler and flying off towards the center of the city. Meanwhile, Rin, Sokka, and Katara climbed back onto Appa, flying back to their camp in the hills outside Omashu.

So, where are we headed next? Edea asked as they touched down and started cleaning up camp.

I... actually, I'm not sure, Rin replied before turning to Sokka. "Hey, where are we going next?"

"We need to find an earthbending teacher for Aang, so we'll be hopping from town to town," Sokka explained. "We'll probably be heading up north for now."

"Oh, okay," Rin said. That doesn't sound so bad.

It sounds great! Edea replied. Now, onward to our next adventure!

Sigh... well I guess you're one more thing I've got to put up with, Rin thought-muttered. However, she smiled, just a bit, as she packed up her stuff and got back on Appa, ready for what lied ahead.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, and if you like the story, don't hesitate to follow and/or favorite. Again, I'm sorry for being away for so long.