Legal Necessities: This plot belongs to me, not the characters or locations. Unfortunately.

Book Splitter: Tales of fun in Omashu

"Now Kana, when meeting the King and Queen of Omashu, you must remember your manners." Hariti ordered as they were walking down the palace halls.

"I know how to behave, Hariti. You can trust me." Kana said with a smile.

"Just, don't do anything I haven't taught you, it is incredibly hard to change an Earthbenders opinion once its been settled."

"I understand, but I think I can handle it." The twelve year old teased, as they came up on the large doors, leading to the throne room. Hariti blew out a breath of air, and pushed the doors open, a hand on Kana's neck to make sure it stayed bent down. The girl rolled her eyes, but didn't do anything.

"We had heard that you would arrive today, Air Nomad… And that you would bring with you… an interesting little girl."

"She doesn't look that interesting to me!" a snorting laugh came from the front of the room, causing Kana to raise her eyes. Sitting next to two adults, a boy laughed at her with a wide grin, making her lips spread up in a smile.

"Prince Bumi, that is completely rude!"

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Bumi lay in his room, bored out of his mind. Floppsie the First was sick and asleep in his mini-chamber (which had been newly refurbished). He had been strictly forbidden from Earthbending for the week, after a nasty accident involving a cabbage man, his cart, and the delivery system. There were endless possibilities with it, and he thought about testing his new idea of making a slide out of the delivery service, but quickly decided against it. What fun would that be without someone to enjoy it too?

His friends were all either busy with relatives or away. It was 'Cherry Blossom day', and most children went out of Omashu to spend with family – or had family come to them – to view the flowers.

Bumi sighed and stood up. He might as well go and bug his father to see what was up in politics. He could always get a good laugh out of stuffy old men, so he heaved a great sigh, and walked to the door. As he was about to leave his room, he heard his father talking to someone. Why would his dad's conversation lead to his room?

"Is this your son's room?" A voice- a surprisingly young voice- said.

"Yes, why don't we see if he's in? He's about your age, and I'm sure he's bored out of his mind by now." True to his words, Bumi heard his father knocking.

"Come in." he said, tying his headband on. His father entered, leading the small Water Tribe girl he had seen in the throne room a week ago with him.

"Hi." The girl said, smiling shyly. "My names Kana." She held out her hand, which Bumi shook.

"Bumi." He introduced himself, smiling slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father walking quietly away. "So, what brings you to Omashu?" He asked, leaning against the wall.

"Well, Hariti wanted me to travel around, so I can meet more people. And plus, this way I can see some Earthbending before I have to learn it." The last bit made him do a double take.

"Learn Earthbending? But, you're from the Water Tribe!"

"Yeah, I'm a Waterbender."

"You're the Avatar, aren't you?" Bumi said. As he talked, he imagined all the things one could do if they mastered all the elements. "With Waterbending, the Avatar could heal all the cuts he got from messing around no problem, then fly around, then play around with rocks, then…"

"No! Well, I am, but…I would never just mess around like that!" The look on Kana's face was hilarious, eye's wide and mouth open in silent protest. Bumi couldn't help it. He snorted; he couldn't hold back his laughter.

Kana's expression changed from one of protest to that of indignation. "What's so funny?" Shee asked, looking behind Bumi at the mirror to see if there was something on her face.

"Just a simple bore, huh?" Bumi said, as his snorts slowed to a stop. "You're a funny gal, Kana."

"Thanks?" The Avatar replied, giving him an odd look.

"So Kana, ever hear of the Omashu delivery system?"

"It's supposed to be the best in the world." Kana said with a nod.

"Well, let me show you something."

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They had spent nearly the entire year together, which surprised everyone. The two children were obviously the best of friends, and the only time Kana and Bumi weren't together figuring out a new way to get in trouble, is when she was with Hariti. Which wasn't as often as people had expected.

In fact the only time the Air Nomad had taken the slightest bit of control of the girl was when that young monk had arrived, Bumi recalled. It was a shame; Kana and Aang would have gotten along 'swimmingly'. But the past was the past, and the Water Tribe girl was set to leave tomorrow, and head towards the Fire Nation.

So Bumi opened his mind to the possibilities, and came up with a scheme that would far outshine anything Kana would do in the Fire Nation. With a snorting laugh, he banged on her door until it literally fell down, making her jump. "It's time for our finally prank!" he boomed.

"What?"

"Come with me, we're going to pull off the perfect crime!" he bellowed, grabbing Kana by the arm and pulling her after him.

"Could you please tell me what you have in mind?" she shouted in frustration, half of the time she didn't know what she was getting into until it was to late. Bumi just let out another chortle, pulling her along.

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"I still don't see why we have to do this." Kana groaned as the two kids made their way along the underground compound beneath Omashu.

"Because the only way to get people to see a problem is to make one!" Bumi chortled leading her along the dark passages.

"But doesn't this seem over the top?"

"The only thing that's over the top is the sky." He snorted in laughter. Kana sighed as they reached their destination, but shrugged as Bumi made stairs that led up to the ceiling, and followed him up them. "Ready?" he asked, and she nodded her assent. With one stomp, the roof opened up allowing a torrent of water to rush out, which Kana quickly diverted with her bending.

"I still think you're crazy for doing this." She said as they went up the dark tunnel Bumi was carving.

"Fun though, isn't it." He grinned, making her shake her head, unable to hide her own smile.

"True enough."

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Rubble shot up from the floor, Kana and Bumi crawling from the hole made. They waited in silence to see if anyone had heard the ruckus, but as they expected, no one did. Kana was starting to see why Bumi had wanted to do this; someone could easily get into his room without any trouble.

"Okay, so where is this oh so important gift?" She asked, making her Earthbending friend grin, and walk over to the closet. He went inside, coming back out after rustling around for a minute, and placed a package on his bed. Kana raised her eyebrows, but moved beside him, pulling back the rice paper.

Sitting inside was an entire outfit. There was a dress that was a dark moss green, with lighter swirls inside the corners, and a dark outline on the edges. Sitting on top of the silk outfit were two pieces of jewelry, one a necklace with a golden coin, the other a finely crafted ornate headpiece.

"I was going to give you this as a present – my parents said I could – but with what we have planned, I doubt they would still let me give these to you. They used to belong to Kyoshi, I'm sure she wouldn't if you had them." He snickered, and Kana punched him in the arm.

"Yes I'm sure she wouldn't, after all I don't mind." She giggled with him. "Okay, now can we please get on with your insane plan?"

"Yup, it's time for my 'kidnapping'!"

"Well back down into the underground." Kana groaned, folding the rice paper back over the dress, and putting it into a bag.

"We can't go back down there, that's the first place they'll look for us. The point of this was to get away free, and prove that the security is lax."

"Well than how are we escaping then?" Bumi grinned with an evil glint in his eye, and before she could even comprehend what was happening, he scooped her up into his arms, diving out the window. Kana bit back a scream as they flew towards the delivery system, landing perfectly in a speeding cart.

"This is how you make a daring escape!" the Earthbender shouted in glee as Kana finished having her mild heart attack.

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"I don't know if I should slap you, or kiss you!" Kana laughed, holding her sides tightly and leaning against a wall for support.

"You could do both." Bumi gasped, head between his knees as he tried to gulp in torrents of air to no avail.

"You're absolutely crazy." She giggled as her friend snorted in laughter. "How you managed to get all of the city guards after us proves it!"

"We had to make your last day here interesting, not to mention now I know where to heighten security." He said with a mischievous smile.

"I don't think that's going to get us out of trouble when they find us." Kana whispered, still giddy from the adrenaline that was coursing through her veins, as two guards passed the alley they had ducked into. They were still searching for the two fugitives that were on the run.

"How angry could they possibly get Kana? After all the Avatar was simply proving a point of how easy it was to do this." Her lips turned up into a smirk.

"I take it back, Bumi. You aren't crazy, you're a mad genius!"

"Hold the compliments until after we get out of the city, and stash that dress of yours." He grinned widely.

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"What is this place?" Kana gasped, staring open mouthed at everything she could see.

"It's called The Temple of Lovers. I figured it would be the perfect place to hide the dress until you can come back and get it."

"It's so beautiful here…" she whispered, still awestruck at the place.

"Ya, would you like to hear about its history?"

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Kana and Bumi sat facing the Earth King and Queen, heads bowed in respect. Hariti was standing at the doors behind them, and both knew she was glaring holes into Kana's back. It was only fair; Bumi's parents were throwing daggers at him with their eyes.

"Would you please explain to me why the two of you did this?" the king asked, control barely kept from his years of trained restraint. Kana's throat suddenly dried, and she swallowed.

"A while back Bumi came to me and expressed his worry about the security in your palace," she started slowly, "he explained that he was worried that – if they were dedicated enough – people could get into the palace, and commit crimes against the royal family."

"You mean like you did?" the queen snapped, anger seeping out of her lips with each word.

"As the Avatar, I believed it was my duty to Omashu to make absolutely certain that your family would be safe. What better way to prove you aren't safe, than by enacting the act itself?" There was a brief moment of stillness before the king burst into laughter.

"You're going to be quite the politician one day!"

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"Next time you visit, I'll have thought of a way to top what we did!" Bumi promised with a snort.

"You're going to be the death of me." Kana groaned, making him laugh even harder.

"Right now I would watch out for Hariti, it's a good thing she's an Air Nomad or she might have ripped your throat out."

"She's pretty angry, so that's still a possibility."

"Well than I'll see you in the next life, buddy." Bumi said glumly patting her back with a morose look. Kana punched him in the arm.

"Stay rockin' Bumi."

Spirits I hated this chapter. I don't know why, I just do. It feels like something's missing, but I don't know what. Oh well, the next chapter is the start of Book 2 and I can't wait to get started!