Here's Book 2 Episode 3...Enjoy!
"I can't believe it," Aang muttered, "I know the war has spread far, but Omashu always seemed...untouchable."
He watched the city with a forlorn expression. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Up until now, it was," Sokka replied sadly, "Now Ba Sing Se is the only Earth Kingdom stronghold left."
Katara walked forward.
"This is horrible, but we have to move on," she reasoned.
Aang furrowed his brows.
"No. We're going in to find Bumi."
"Aang, stop," rebuked the Water Tribe boy, "We don't even know if Bumi's still..."
I shot a glare at Sokka. I pursed my lips.
"What?" questioned an irritated Aang, "If he's still what?"
"Around," he finished uncomfortably.
"I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people who can teach you earth bending."
"Katara's right," I said with slight regret.
"This isn't about finding a teacher," he retorted, "This is about finding my friend."
My hand rested on my necklace, and then to my bicep bracelet. The four of us headed back onto Appa. He silently flew us under the stone bridge we had walked on before. He groaned as we hopped onto a ledge. The siblings and I had put on our cloaks. Aang hopped onto a sewage pipe and began to bang at it.
"A secret passage?" exclaimed Sokka, "Why didn't we just use this last time?"
He let out a whine as the tank opened and sewage pooled out.
"Does that answer your question?" Aang quipped.
I chuckled as Aang started walking in the pipe. Katara and I quickly followed him. Sokka groaned again as he stepped in behind me. As Aang led us through, he bent the sewage away with air. Katara and I used our water bending. When we reached the top, Aang blasted the plate cover. He opened it slowly and looked around. Within moments, Aang, Katara, and I crawled out from the hole.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought," the brunette commented.
We all turned to the pipe and widened our eyes. A creature covered in sewage started walking towards us. Using water she found, Katara shot it at the figure. I chuckled as Sokka appeared in the monster's place. Aang sent an air current to dry him off. I noticed two pink critters on his face.
"What are those?" I asked.
He suddenly began to freak out. He desperately tried to pull the creatures off.
"They won't let go! Help!"
Aang tackled him into a wall, effectively quieting his yelling.
"Stop making so much noise. It's just a purple pentapuss."
Aang tickled one of the creatures. It happily detached itself from the boy. He copied Aang and pulled off the remaining two.
"Hey," a sudden voice called.
Katara and Sokka quickly hid Aang as he found a hat to hide his arrow. Once he had, the four of us smiled as the men.
"What are you kids doing out past curfew?"
"Sorry," Katara apologized, "We were just on our way home."
We quickly turned around to leave.
"Wait," the guard called, stopping us, "What's the matter with him?"
Katara spun her brother around.
"He has pentapox, sir."
He went to touch Sokka.
"Um, it's highly contagious," she improvised.
Catching on, her brother started to moan.
"Ah! It's so awful, I'm dying!"
"And deadly," I added.
Sokka continued to stagger toward the group of guards.
"Hey, I think I've heard of pentapox. Didn't your cousin, Chang, die of it?"
"We'd better go wash our hands, and burn our clothes!"
The tiny group sprinted away in fear. Once they were completely gone, Sokka stopped his acting.
"Thank you, sewer friend," Aang said.
The four of us continued to walk through the dark streets. We passed road after road. My eyes shifted from side to side, remaining on high alert. We headed toward the front of Omashu. A sudden movement of red caught the corner of my eye. I uncapped my pouch and forcefully sent a jet at the figure, continuing to freeze it. A groan signalled the person was stuck. The other three stopped to see what I was doing. I pulled up my hood to hide my face. I headed over to the bit of ice. My heart dropped to my stomach. My legs were suddenly fragile.
"What happened?" the familiar voice muttered.
Angrily, I sent another jet of water to the guard. This time, his helmet flew off as he fell into unconsciousness. I slowly walked over to him. My hand stroked his face. My heart threatened to tear me to pieces.
"Oh Orian," I barely choked out.
The sound of footsteps alerted me to my friends' approach. I heard a collective gasp.
"Isn't that-"
I nodded as my eyes continued to well up. I pulled my hood back. My shaking hands went behind my neck and removed the necklace. I slowly released Orian and laid him on the ground. I formed an ice pick, tied the necklace to it, and shot it to his side. I bit my lip, refusing to cry for a traitor.
"Ishan, where are you?" a sudden voice called.
Spooked, I grabbed the sibling's wrists and started running to a hiding spot. Aang quickly followed us. The same voice soon was frantic.
"Ishan! Wake up!"
ON THE SEAS...
"When tracking your brother and uncle, traveling with the royal procession may no longer be an option," Li uttered.
"May no longer be wise," Lo added.
"If you hope to keep the element of surprise," the two spoke in unison.
"You're right," agreed Azula, "The royal procession is dead weight. If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile, nimble. I need a small, elite team. It's time to visit some old friends."
IN OMASHU...
The four teens continued to sneak through the large city. Sokka occasionally glanced back at his hurting friend. So far, she hadn't let a single tear drop. Nahla gazed at him. After a moment, she nodded. They sprinted up a steep wall. The group of four hid behind a stack of metal as two guards passed.
"Let's find Bumi, and get out of here," urged Katara.
"Where would they be keeping him?" questioned Sokka.
"Somewhere where he can't earth bend. Somewhere made of metal," he replied.
The four continued to sprint through the cliff's tier. Below them, a group walked through the streets. A woman held a baby while a teenage girl walked next to her. Guards surrounded them.
"There really is no fathoming the depths of my hatred of this place," spoke the teen.
"Mai," chided her mother, "Your father was appointed governor. We're like royalty here. Be happy, and enjoy it."
Much farther up the mountain, a small group waited. A man in green turned slightly.
"The targets are approaching," he whispered.
"Take them out."
Back down below, Mai continued to whine.
"I thought my life was boring in the Fire Nation, but this place is unbearably bleak. Nothing ever happens."
Rocks were suddenly bent down a chute. Aang glanced up to see two large boulders. His gaze went down to where the family was walking. As the boulders passed him, he sent a strong air current, knocking them to bits. As the dust settled, Mai squinted to look upward.
"It's the resistance," her mother cried.
With a slight smirk, Mai shot several daggers from her sleeves. Aang hopped out of the way. The four teens began to sprint away, with Fire Nation guards in tow. Both Katara and Nahla stopped. They spun around and whipped them with water. They fell from the tier. Mai was in close pursuit. She shot more daggers at the pair. Katara brought up an ice shield. The pair began to sprint away. They quickly caught up to the boys. Aang stopped as he ushered them past him. He sent a large gust at a wooden structure. As the pieces began to fall, Mai shot another dagger through the small gap. Aang quickly spun his staff as it stuck to it. Right before Mai was about to throw more, the group of four were pulled underground. Mai straightened up and sighed. Below, the group of four rubbed their heads as the dust settled. A man leered over them.
ELSEWHERE...
Azula walked through a circus. She stopped as she spotted someone familiar.
"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?" she asked.
The upside-down girl grinned.
"Azula," she exclaimed.
She gracefully dismounted into a bowing position. She sprinted over and hugged the Princess.
"It is so good to see you!"
"Please, don't let me interrupt whatever it is you were doing."
Ty Lee quickly spun back into strange position. Azula continued to speak.
"Tell me, what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy for girls to end up in places like this."
Her gaze watched three men trying to get a Platypus Bear standing. As it did stand, it laid an egg.
"I have a proposition for you. I'm hunting a traitor." She glanced at her nails idly. "You remember my old fuddy-duddy uncle, don't you?"
"Oh yeah. He was so funny."
"I would be honored if you would join me on my mission."
"Oh-I-uh…would love to," Ty Lee stuttered nervously. She stood up in a single, fluid move. "But the truth is, I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!"
"I'll take your word for it. Well, I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me."
Ty Lee bowed with gratitude.
"Thank you, Azula."
The giggling girl began to stretch again.
"Of course, before I leave, I'm going to catch your show," Azula called over her shoulder as she walked away.
Ty Lee's eyes went wide. She gasped quietly in panic, accidently breaking her stance. The brunette took a breath and continued to stretch, her panicked expression changing to one of worry and trepidation.
"Uh, yeah…sure, uh…of course."
"So, is King Bumi with you guys?" Aang questioned, "Is he leading the resistance?"
"Of course not," replied a burly man. "The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city, to fight for our lives and freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered."
"What?" gasped Nahla.
"The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do. He looked me in the eye and said, 'I'm going to do nothing!' It doesn't matter now. Fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom, and freedom is worth dying for."
"Actually, there's another path to freedom," Aang spoke, "You could leave Omashu. You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation, but you're out numbered. You can't win. Now's the time to retreat so you can live to fight another day."
"You don't understand. They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at any cost!"
"I don't know, Yung. Living to fight another day is starting to sound pretty good to me," piped a second soldier.
"Yeah, I'm with the kid."
Yung turned to the people below. They whispered in agreement with Aang. He lowered his head.
"Fine, but there's thousands of citizens that need to leave. How are we going to get them all out?"
"Suckers," exclaimed Sokka.
His friends and the fighter gave him a curious look.
"You're all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox."
In the city, citizens lined up to gain their spots. Buckets of pentapuss were being used. It wasn't long before everyone had specks on their faces, arms, and necks. Sokka stepped toward them.
"The marks make ya look sick, but you gotta act sick too. Ya gotta sell it."
An old man with a cane hobbled by moaning and groaning. Sokka watched him. He swung his arm around the nearest guy.
"Now that's what I'm talkin about."
"Years of practice," replied the geaser while tapping his wooden leg.
"Okay everyone! Into sick formation," Sokka ordered.
Sokka and Nahla started following them. Katara spun around to see Aang walking toward an alley.
"Aang, what are you doing?" she asked, "Aren't you coming with us?"
"No. I'm not leaving until I find Bumi."
Momo hopped onto his shoulder and tugged at the boy's mouth.
"Sorry Momo. I'll feed ya later."
Aang hopped into the air, jumping from roof to roof.
Guards stood near the gates. They spun to the sound of sickly moans. The group continued to act as if they were dying. As they came closer, the guards huddled closer.
"Plague! Plague," one yelled.
The guards sprinted away. One on a wall banged against a metal sheet. Up in the royal building, the family came out to the balcony.
"What is going on down there?" the governor asked.
"I saw some kids yesterday who were sick with pentapox. It must've spread," the guard expressed.
"Pentapox? Hmm, I'm pretty sure I've heard of that."
"Oh, this is terrible," cried the mother.
"What should we do?"
"Drive them out of the city, but don't touch them! We have to rid this city of disease."
The guard sprinted away to follow orders. Mai held a bowl to her father.
"Fire flakes, dad?" she offered.
Her mother gasped. "Oh! How awful."
They failed to notice their son waddle inside.
Aang ran through the abandoned streets of Omashu lightly. He nimbly climbed one of the empty houses and walked along the balcony railing, arms stretched out for balance. Aang jumped from the balcony railing and landed on a flat rooftop. Aang caught sight of a large, white creature pushing a turnstile below him. He hopped down.
"Flopsie," Aang exclaimed while holding his arms out for a hug.
Flopsie stopped pushing the turnstile when he heard his name. He turned toward the Avatar, his sad expression morphing into a happy one as he hurried forward and tried to reach for his friend. Unfortunately, the chain around his neck prevented him from reaching and he gave up his attempts with a despondent whine. Aang jumped onto the large mechanism. He bent water around the chain. Using his staff, he broke the iced chain from its hold. The giant goat-gorilla made a happy noise and hugged Aang tightly, followed by a joyful lick.
"Come on, Flopsie. You gotta help me find Bumi."
He paused to jump on the animal's neck.
"Yip-yip!"
Flopsie didn't move and Aang scratched his head.
"Oh… I guess that doesn't work with you. Let's go!"
Momo chittered quietly as he flew through the city. He landed on a balcony and peaked through the window. The lemur's eyes went wide; he started to drool when he caught sight of a large bowl full of berries sitting on a table. The lemur quickly flew into the room and landed on the table. Greedily, he stuffed the berries into his mouth. He began to spit the seeds.
Tom-Tom giggled happily as he played with his stuffed bear, tossing it up into the air then catching it again. His happy giggling was cut short when he noticed a bunch of little objects on the ground. He gurgled as he began following the path they made, coming to a stop under the table. Seeing a striped rope, he crawled over and yanked on it.
Momo screeched quietly through a mouthful of berries as he was suddenly pulled off the table and onto the ground mid-bite. The lemur tried to scramble away, but only managed to pull a giggling Tom-Tom out from under table. Momo finally managed to get his tail free and he leapt out of the window and back onto the balcony railing. The lemur glanced behind him then jumped in surprise when he saw the human baby toddling towards him with his arms stretched out wide. Momo backed away from the baby. He leapt off the railing and flew away just as the baby reached out for him, causing Tom-Tom to tumble off the railing and slide down the roof.
Tom-Tom giggled happily as he slid right off the roof and into a passing mail cart full of berries, his head disappearing underneath. Momo eagerly landed on top of the pile of fruit, stuffing the berries in his mouth again. Tom-Tom emerged from under the berries, a happy giggle emitting from his mouth when he saw the same striped rope in front of him. He grabbed it gleefully before biting down on it.
Momo's eyes went wide as he dropped the berries in his hands and jumped into the air. He frantically flapped his wings in a desperate attempt to get away from the human baby that had just bit his tail. The mail chute suddenly became steeper. Momo lifted himself, as well as Tom-Tom, into the air as the cart of berries fell out from under them. Momo tried to stay in the air, but couldn't bear the weight of both himself and the baby. The two started to descend, Tom-Tom's backside dragging against the ground for a second before Momo crashed landed on the ground.
The baby giggled gleefully as he rolled across the ground, landing on top of Momo. Pinned to the ground, the lemur screeched as he clawed at the ground and tried to shake the baby off his back desperately. Tom-Tom's giggling stopped abruptly as he watched the crowd of 'sick' people suddenly shuffle past him and Momo. Momo quickly wiggled himself free. Tom-Tom got to his feet and followed the moaning crowd. He was, effectively, missed by the terrified guards.
IN THE CIRCUS...
Azula smirked as she watched two of the circus performers dressed in dragon costumes dance around the main ring. They moved aside to reveal the circus master standing in front of the ring.
"We're deeply honored to have the Fire Lord's daughter at out humble circus! Uh…tell us if there is anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable."
"I will," Azula replied from atop her throne-like seat.
She turned her attention to the circus ring where a net spanned under the tightrope high above her head, where Ty Lee was balancing on her hand on top of a thin pole that was attached to a round pot on the tightrope.
"Incredible. Do you think she'll fall?" Axils instigated.
"Of course not," the circus master replied with a sense of pride.
"Then wouldn't it make it more interesting if you removed the net?"
"Uh…the thing is…the performers-"
"You're right, you're right. That's been done," Azula paused with a dismissive wave of her hand, "I know. Set the net on fire."
"Of course, Princess," the circus master reluctantly agreed.
He gave the signal to light the net on fire. High above their heads, Ty Lee stared down at the blazing flames below her. Sweat began to trickle down her forehead, but she continued her act nonetheless.
"Brilliant, just brilliant," exclaimed the princess, "Ooh, what kind of dangerous animals do you have?"
The circus master looked up at Azula.
"Well, our circus boasts the most exotic assortment-"
"Release them all!"
The circus master's eyes widened in shock.
Aang and Flopsie walked to the camp with forlorn expressions. The Water Tribe siblings stood up and headed over. Nahla lifted her gaze. After a moment, she slid off Appa's head and joined her friends.
"We looked everywhere. No Bumi," Aang informed them.
Katara hugged the young air bender in an attempt to comfort him. Flopsie nudged Sokka as he whined. The boy turned around and hugged the animal's face. Nahla wrapped her arms around her stomach, not knowing what else to do. Yung approached them.
"We've got a problem. We just did a head count."
"Oh no. Did someone get left behind?" Katara inquired.
"No. We have an extra."
The four teens turned to see where he was pointing. Momo struggled while a tiny little baby was being dragged around. The child giggled.
The governor's wife wept as she sat on a chair on the balcony. Her daughter stood beside her. Mai stared at her upset mother for a moment. She slowly reached into her robe and pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to her mother. The governor stared out at the city, his hands gripping the railing tightly.
"So, the resistance has kidnapped my son. Everything so clever, so tricky. Just like their King Bumi," the governor ranted.
He clenched his right hand into a fist and glared out at the city as one of the guards stepped forward.
"What do you want to do, sir?"
"What an exquisite performance," Azula praised as she stood behind Ty Lee, "I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow."
Ty Lee smiled at Azula's reflection in the mirror as she hung up her headpiece.
"I'm sorry Azula, but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow."
"Really?" Azula questioned unphased.
"The universe has given me strong hints that it's time for a career change." Ty Lee stood and turned to face Azula. "I want to join you on your mission."
Azula smiled faintly in satisfaction as she looked at her friend.
The four teens, Yung, and a couple other soldiers sat around the fire. The baby waddled after a frightened Momo. He fell onto his backside in front of Sokka's club. The child began to suck on it. The teen grabbed it from him.
"No! Bad Fire Nation baby!"
The child whimpered and started to cry. Nahla raised a brow at the pair. Katara smacked her brother in the face. Sokka's hard expression melted. He handed the child his club, calming him down.
"Oh, alright."
The baby played with it as Katara watched. She bent over and hugged him.
"Oh you're so cute," she cooed.
"Sure, he's cute now," Yung interrupted, "But when he's older he'll join the Fire Nation army. You won't think he's so cute then. He'll be a killer."
Katara lifted him up.
"Does that look like the face of a killer to you?"
Yung watched on with a saddened expression. A screech caught the group's attention. They turned to see a bird on a boulder.
"A messenger hawk," Yung muttered.
Aang stood up and headed over to the bird. He opened the bottle on its back, grabbed the paper, and headed back to the fire. He unrolled it.
"It's from the Fire Nation Governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son, so he wants to make a trade: his son for King Bumi."
THAT NIGHT...
The fire just began to fizzle out. Nahla snapped her eyes open. Her body trembled with fright. Sweat covered her face. She sat up and grabbed her water pouch. She slid down Appa's back and headed away from the campsite. She bit down hard on her lip. The raven haired water bender soon came to a stop. She glanced around to see darkness. Nahla uncapped her water pouch. Her eyes clamped shut as she forced the water at the cliff side, letting out an angered groan.
Near the others, Sokka rubbed his eyes. He sat up and saw his friend was gone. Noting the pouch gone as well, he deduced she left by herself. A yell reached his ears. He hopped to the ground and headed in the direction of the yell. He immediately saw Nahla whipping the cliff side. His eyes widened greatly at the amount of anger she was showing. Slightly scared, he sprinted over to her side.
"Nahla," he called.
He gripped his friend's arms and kept them from moving. The water remained in the air as she tried to continue. Sokka brought her into a hug. The water fell, lifeless, as he did. Nahla hid her face.
"He's not worth it," Sokka spoke gently.
A few silent moments passed. Nahla took deep breaths as she calmed her anger. Another moment passed before she began to pull from Sokka's grip. Without saying a word, she replaced the water into her pouch and capped it.
"I apologize for waking you up," she spoke in a monotonous voice.
Sokka half smiled. A sense of uneasiness remained due to her tone.
"Hey, you were there for me. I thought I'd repay the favor."
Nahla started walking away.
"Goodnight Sokka."
He let out a sigh and said, "Goodnight."
THE NEXT MORNING...
Aang stood at the top of a cliff holding the sleeping child. The Avatar walked to the lower portion where his friends were waiting.
"You realize we're probably walking right into a trap," commented Sokka.
"I don't think so," Aang disagreed, "I'm sure the governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi. It's a new day. I have a good feeling about this."
Azula sat in her royal palanquin as it was carried up the stairs towards the governor of Omashu's house. Ty Lee walked beside the moving structure. At the base of the next set of stairs, Mai stood by herself as she waited. Azula smirked faintly as the palanquin bearers stopped. She climbed out. Azula and Ty Lee approached Mai.
"Please tell you're here to kill me," Mai drawled as she placed her hands together and bowed slightly.
She glanced up at the other girl, a faint smile appearing on her emotionless face. The trio giggled.
"It's great to see you, Mai," Azula said warmly.
Ty Lee rushed forward and embraced Mai.
"I thought you ran off to join the circus. You said it was your calling," she directed toward Ty Lee.
The bubbly girl stepped back with a bright smile on her face.
"Well, Azula called a little louder."
"I have a mission and I need you both," Azula cut in.
"Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place," Mai muttered.
"I apologize," the governor said respectfully as he looked up at the princess, "You've come to Omashu at a difficult time. At noon we're making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back."
"Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son, but really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?" Azula demanded as she crossed her legs. "My father has trusted you with this city and you're making a mess of things!"
The governor and his wife leaned forward, their foreheads resting against the floor as they bowed before the irritated princess. Mai and Ty Lee, who were sitting on the governor's other side, bowed as well.
"Forgive me, Princess," the governor said softly without looking up at Azula.
Azula walked between the four people and turned to look down at the governor. Ty Lee and Mai stood up.
"You stay here. Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up. And there is no more 'Omashu.' I'm renaming it in honor of my father, the city of New Ozai."
The four teens stood at the arranged place. Sokka held the child in his hands. They all waited for the other party on high alert. After some time, three girls appeared at the other end. Mai led the way. Above them, Bumi snorted as he was lowered by a crane.
"Hi everybody," he greeted from his metal box.
He landed behind the three.
"You brought my brother?" questioned Mai.
"He's here. We're ready to trade," Aang replied.
"I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me," Azula interrupted, "Do you mind?"
"Of course not, Princess Azula."
"We're trading a two year old for a king, a powerful, earth bending king? It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?"
Mai shifted her gaze to her brother.
"You're right." She walked forward. "The deal's off."
She raised her hand. Bumi was pulled back up.
"Woah! See you all later," he called.
"Bumi," yelled Aang.
The Avatar sprinted forward. Azula challenged him by shooting blue fire. Aang leapt into the air, jumped from the wooden structure, and opened his glider. His makeshift hat fell from his head. Azula's eyes widened.
"The Avatar! My lucky day."
She sprinted over to the structure and grabbed a rope as it pulled her up. Aang landed on Bumi's cage.
"Aang? Is that you? Where did you come from?"
"Hang on. We're gonna get you outta here," he replied.
He took a deep breath and began to blow ice onto the chain. Below them, Ty Lee and Mai headed toward the remaining three. Mai held her darts.
"We've gotta get the baby out of here," Katara yelled.
"Way ahead of ya," Sokka replied while holding the bison whistle.
The three sprinted toward the edge. Ty Lee jabbed Sokka's foot, sending him sliding. The teen clutched the child as they stopped just at the edge, barely safe. Ty Lee hopped out of her hole and headed toward Sokka. Katara and Nahla stopped on their tracks. Katara whipped out some water and spun around. Using the water, she pulled up boards to stop Mai's darts. She shoved them at the enemy girl. Nahla pulled out some water as well. She formed a whip and sent it at Ty Lee. Simultaneously, Nahla and Katara wrapped their water around the girl, and pulled her down. Sokka shot to his feet and slid down a ladder with the baby.
Up above, Aang continued to blow on the chain.
"Aang! Stop your blowing for a minute."
Just then, Azula shot into the air next to the pair. She extended her foot, releasing her sapphire flames.
"Now hold on just a minute!"
Aang disconnected the chain and diffused the flame. The pair began to plummet to the ground. Aang shifted Bumi's cage so that the flat side faced down. He then cushioned their fall with a bubble of air. They began to slide in a mail chute. Azula quickly followed the pair in a basket of her own. Aang laughed on top of Bumi.
"Just like old times, isn't it Bumi?"
"Aang! I need to talk to you!"
"It's good to see you too!"
Aang glanced above him to see flames being shot at him. He twirled his staff quickly, diffusing them. They stopped as the two levels drifted farther away. Aang pulled ahead just as the two chutes merged. He sent a large air current at the princess. She diffused it like a flame. Aang ducked another flame. In a rowing fashion, he began to push Bumi and himself forward. They continued to slide under an area with gate-like structures. Aang broke a few with his bending. He watched as Azula disappeared into the dust. He sighed with relief as he saw the empty box. Not a moment later did Azula jump back on top. She sent another flame, causing Aamg to duck.
Back by the others, Katara fought Mai as Nahla looked for Ty Lee. Nahla sent icicles through the wood, hoping to sniff her out. The brunette sent a whip at the dreary girl. She ducked it as she sent a dart from her ankle. Katara quickly formed a shield to defend herself. Mai began to sprint at Katara. At the same time, she bent water around Mai's arm and froze it. The Fire Nation girl tried to brake it. Behind them, Nahla spotted Ty Lee sliding up a pole. The raven haired teen sent icicles, which she avoided. The girl in pink landed punches on Nahla, and then Katara, causing them to drop their water. Ty Lee hopped back to Mai's side. Nahla stood next to Katara. The two tried to lift the water, but couldn't. Nahla rushed her hand to her fan and opened it. She maneuvered in front of Katara.
"How are you gonna fight without your bending?" taunted Mai as she pulled out a dagger.
Just as she raised to throw it, Sokka's boomerang knocked it out of her hand.
"I seem to manage," he quipped as he caught it.
He lowered Appa to the ground. The sky bison slammed his tail against the wood, causing the other non benders to fly backwards. Katara and Nahla quickly climbed onto Appa. The trio began to fly through the city.
"There's Aang," exclaimed Katara.
"We can catch him!"
Azula sent more flames at the air bender. He diffused them with his staff.
"Hang on, Bumi! Our ride's here," he called.
Azula shot a flame at Appa, lengthening the space between the friends. Appa flew back. Aang sent an air current that caused them to fly over. The siblings and Nahla reached for the cage, but were too far out of reach. The pair broke through another chute before landing in a third one. Azula was quick to catch up. She took her fire and formed it into a spinning disk. She sent it flying at the king and Avatar. Noticing, Bumi pulled his head backwards, pulling a rock formation with it. They continued to ride away. Azula, however, avoided the rock by jumping out of her crate and landing on the other side. She slowly came to a stop.
"You can earth bend? All along?" Aang asked with shock.
"Well, they didn't cover my face!"
He pulled his head back again. Aang landed passed the end of the chute as Bumi ended upright on the new formation.
"I don't understand," Aang stated in a slightly annoyed and angry tone, "Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi?"
"Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called jing. It's a choice of how you direct your energy."
"I know," Aang exclaimed with an annoyed expression as he held up two fingers, "There's positive jing when you're attacking and negative jing when you're retreating."
Bumi smiled happily at his friend.
"And neutral jing when you do nothing!"
"There are three jings?" Aang asked in shock as he held up a third finger.
"Well, technically there are eighty-five," Bumi stated idly then shook his head slightly, "But, let's just focus on the third. Neutral jing is the key to earth bending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."
"That's why you surrendered, isn't it?"
"Yes, and it's why I can't leave now," Bumi replied.
Aang turned around, his head hung low.
"I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earth bending." Aang sighed with regret.
"Your teacher will be someone who has master neutral jing," Bumi explained calmly, "You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking."
Momo landed on Aang's shoulder. The air bender looked at the lemur in surprise and happiness.
"Hey, Momo!"
"Momo's mastered a few jings himself!"
Momo let out a screech. Bumi's laughter died down as he looked at Aang fondly.
"Goodbye, Aang. I'll see you when the time is right."
He started to snort and cackle as he threw himself backwards. He rolled himself back up the mail chute. Behind Aang, Appa rose up and groaned. The three were waiting for Aang.
"So, we're tracking down your brother and Uncle, huh?" Mai questioned boredly.
Ty Lee turned slightly to face Mai.
"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?" she teased.
Mai looked away from the acrobat as a smiled played upon her normally expressionless face.
"It's not just about Zuko and Iroh anymore." Azula interrupted, "We have a third target now."
Aang peered down over the rain gutter of the governor's house, staring down at the governor and his wife while they stood on the balcony below him. They watched the dark city with sad expressions on their faces as they held each other. Aang silently landed behind them. He smiled faintly as he lifted the little baby from the make-shift sling and placed him gently on his feet. The air bender leapt back onto the roof as the baby began to waddle toward his parents.
"Tom-Tom," the governor's wife exclaimed.
She rushed over to her son and scooped him into her arms. The governor hugged the pair as well.
Just to clear up any confusion, yes, Orian and Ishan are the same person. So, thank you for taking the time to read this chapter as well. Also, thank you for having amazing patience! This semester is just ten times crazier than last semester. Anywhoosal, please continue to R&R, I really appreciate the feedback. If you have any questions or comments, I will make my best effort to reply. You guys are all awesome, and hopefully the next chapter is done quicker(fingers crossed!). Stay fantastic you amazing people!
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