Chapter Two: Omashu, again?
A few days of traveling had passed since the four of them had left Kyoshi Island, and Aki had been unusually quiet and withdrawn. She had been trying to deal with having to leave Jin so soon, but doing nothing but sleeping, eating, and flying on Appa wasn't helping distract her from the pain.
When Aang announced that their next destination would be Omashu, Aki immediately perked up. She had been there six or seven months ago, right before she went to visit Kyoshi Island, and had helped the king there with a disease that was affecting the crops of the nearby farmers. She had loved the city and wanted more time to explore it, but White Lotus duty called and she had to leave. The flower-haired girl was excited to go back and finally see the city, but she wasn't exactly prepared for what they had to do to get in.
The group made it to the base of the hills that Omashu sat in, and they paused to take in the scenery. Aang was at the head of the group, leading the others to the city.
He paused and spread out his arms as though he was going to hug the picturesque scene and yelled, "The Earth Kingdom City of Omashu! I used to always come here to visit my friend Bumi."
When she heard that familiar name, Aki immediately perked up but stayed silent, just admiring the view.
"Wow, we don't have cities like this in the South Pole," said Katara, voice full of amazement at the sight of the city.
"They have buildings here that don't melt." Sokka looked and sounded slightly stunned.
Aang turned back to them. "Well, let's go, slowpokes! The real fun is inside the city!"
He took off, using his airbending to propel him through the sky, but stopped when Katara moved forward and said, "Wait, Aang. It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar."
"You need a disguise," Sokka added.
The younger boy looked up in confusion. "So, what am I supposed to do, grow a mustache?"
Aki snorted when Aang and Sokka tried to make the younger boy look old with some of Appa's fur. She knew that she could just walk into the city, but it was much more fun to watch them fool around and she wanted to see if they could actually pass Aang off as an old man, which she thought was just absolutely ridiculous.
"Ugh, this is so itchy." Aang scratched his head where there was a fake wig on. He turned to Appa, whose fur made up the wig. "How do you live in this stuff?"
Appa just blew air out his nose at Aang and Sokka said, "Great! Now you look just like my grandfather."
"Technically, Aang is 112 years old," Katara replied.
"I'm sorry, he's how old?" Aki asked. Logically, she knew that he had to be pretty old, but 112 years seemed ridiculous.
"112, he got stuck in an iceberg for 100 years when he was twelve," Sokka explained.
After he assumed the stature of an old man, Aang twirled his staff to get their attention. "Now, let's get to skipping, young whippersnappers! The big city awaits."
Aang had assigned her the role of Katara and Sokka's 'mother' and she went along with it, draping a piece of cloth over her hair and wrapping one end around her neck to create a sort of headscarf and also hide the flowers in her hair, which were certain to draw attention if they weren't hidden. She also knew that the guards would recognize her instantly if they saw the flowers, so it was best to keep them hidden to save their cover. She knew if the plan failed, she could just reveal herself and get the group into the city, but she just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see them attempt to get in this way.
As the group approached the gates of the city, Aang kept telling them small stories about Omashu and how much he loved it.
"You guys are gonna love Omashu. The people here are the friendliest in the world!"
As soon as he said that, they overheard a guard yelling at an older man. "Rotten cabbages? What kind of slum do you think this is?!"
The guard then ripped the cabbage apart and threw the cart full of cabbages off the bridge with earthbending, which prompted the other man to yell, "No, my cabbages!"
Aki anxiously tugged on her scarf while Aang mumbled, "Just keep smiling."
He approached the guards and the group followed in suit. The mean guard lifted a boulder over Aang's head. "State your business."
Aang rushed up to the guard and poked his chest while speaking in an old man's voice. "My business is my business, young man, and none of yours! I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!"
The other three just stared helplessly as they watched him yell at the guard, and Aki kept tugging her scarf, ready to take it off if this didn't work.
To their surprise, the guard relented. "Settle down, old-timer. Just tell me who you are."
"Name's Bonzoo Pippenpadlopsicopolis the third," Aand replied. He pointed back at the others and said, "The one with the scarf is my daughter-in-law, and those two are my grandkids."
Katara walked up and waved. "Hi, June Pippenpadlopsicopolis. Nice to meet you."
The guard pointed at her. "You seem like a responsible young lady. See that your grandfather stays out of trouble. Enjoy Omashu"
"We will!" Katara replied. The gates were opened for the group and they started to make their way in when the guard stopped Sokka.
"Wait a minute!" He grabbed Sokka's shoulder and the others looked back with slight fear slapped across their faces. To their relief, he simply said, "You're a strong young boy. Show some respect for the elderly and carry your grandfather's bag."
"Good idea!" Aang gave Sokka a smug look and threw him his bag.
As they walked in, the gates closed behind them. Although she had already seen the city, it still left her as breathless as the first time she walked through those gates. While she looked and admired the city, Aang pointed out the chutes that ran throughout the city.
"This is the Omashu delivery system; miles and miles of tubes and chutes. Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down."
Sokka looked underwhelmed. "Great, so they get their mail on time."
"They do get their mail on time, but my friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes."
The look on Aang's face looked much too similar to Suki's mischievous face and Aki knew she needed to be skeptical about whatever happened next, but she was still unprepared for what Aang had them do.
Aki sat in the back of the cart, clutching Sokka with Kiki safely tucked between them and squeezing her eyes shut. She had not gotten used to heights at all yet and she was still absolutely terrified of them. Somehow, Aang convinced the others to get in it and ride the chutes like a slide. Aki knew it was that innocent smile he does with his big grey eyes that just pulled at her heartstrings and made her give in, but she was still confused about how Katara and Sokka got roped into it as well.
"One ride," Aang promised. "Then we're off to the North Pole, airbender's honor."
"This sounded like fun at first, but now that I'm here, I'm having second thought!" Katara screamed that last bit as Aang pushed the cart off down the chute.
Aki kept her eyes shut, feeling the wind rush through her long dark hair, hoping it would be over soon. She heard Aang laughing and was happy he was having fun, but the pit in her stomach just got worse when she tried to look through just one eye and saw how high up they were and immediately shut it again. She felt Sokka pull her down to duck in the cart and she complied, unsure as to why but she felt a little safer doing so. Later, she would find out that she was almost impaled by spears and was about to scold Aang for doing something so dangerous, but one look at his sad face immediately shut her up.
Suddenly, she felt the cart shift and then the odd weightless feeling of falling. She buried her face in Sokka's parka and clung to him, while Kiki buried herself in her robe. She screamed with the rest of them as she felt the cart land on something, she thought it might have been a roof, and then slide down, hitting a few more things before getting back on the chutes.
"Aang, do something!" Katara screamed.
"Yeah! Good idea! That will make us go even faster!" Aang yelled back in reply. Aki felt a rush of wind from him airbending, then felt even sicker as the cart sped up.
She heard the others scream and felt the cart hit something, then it shot back into the air and Aki fell out of it. She clutched Kiki to her chest and screamed until she felt a gust of air scoop her up and put her back in the cart. She was sure they landed on another roof, and the cart continued its path of destruction throughout the city until it landed on a cart of cabbages and the four piled onto each other. Aki rolled onto the ground into a fetal position, eye squeezed shut and still cradling Kiki.
She heard Aang say, "Two cabbages, please," in a sheepish voice, then was poked by what felt like a boot. She tried to swat it away but felt a hand grab hers.
"Hey, Aki, it's okay. It's just me, I'm going to help you up," Sokka said in a soft, comforting voice. She finally opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to focus them on the boy in front of her. She gripped his hand and he helped her sit up, then she pushed him out of the way so she wouldn't get her vomit on him. After throwing up, Sokka helped her stand up and kept an arm around her while the group was escorted to the palace by the guards.
The throne room was tinted a familiar shade of green to Aki by the crystal lights that hung on the wall. As they walked up to King Bumi, Aki saw a glint of recognition in his eyes when he saw both her and Aang and she smiled softly. She was still holding Kiki, who was wiggling and trying to run out of her arms so she could see Bumi, but Aki didn't want to blow her cover yet so she just held the ferret tightly.
The four of them kneeled in front of King Bumi as a guard addressed him. "Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages."
The cabbage man from earlier was there too, and angrily yelled, "Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!"
Aki looked at him, her expression full of shock and concern. She doubted that a cart of cabbages was worth four executions and she was worried for that man and his attachment to cabbages.
"Silence!" the guard yelled at him. "Only the king can pass down judgment. What is your judgment, sire?"
Aki felt the anxiety of the younger kids radiate off of them as they waited for King Bumi to speak. She knew he was up to something, but she couldn't figure out what it was just yet, so she sat back and waited for him to speak.
"Hmm…" Bumi mumbled. "Throw them… a feast!"
Those three words shocked everyone in the room but Aki, who figured it was just part of his plan. The younger kids, guards, and cabbage man let out various sounds of disappointment and confusion and Aki just studied King Bumi's face, hoping to find some kind of clue.
The four were sat at the opposite end of the table from King Bumi. Aki had finally taken off her headscarf, which somehow survived the chutes ordeal, revealing the flowers in her hair. She noticed Bumi wave a guard over to whisper something in his ear, then sent him off. Momo and Kiki were happily stuffing themselves with good food, while the others were starting to add food to their own plates.
Bumi walked over to their side of the table and put his hands on the backs of Katara and Sokka's chairs. "The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts. So, I hope you like your chicken with no skin."
He picked the piece of chicken off Aang's plate and held it in front of his face to try and entice him, but Aang simply said, "Thanks, but I don't eat meat."
"How about you? I bet you like meat," Bumi said to Sokka, then shoved the drumstick in Sokka's mouth and walked to his side of the table and sat down. "So tell me, young bald one, where are you from?"
Aki stayed silent and picked at her dinner, still feeling a bit sick from vomiting earlier, while she watched this interaction go down. She figured out that Bumi was testing Aang, but for what, she wasn't sure yet. So, she observed.
Aang hesitated, then replied, "I'm from Kangaroo Island."
"Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh?" Bumi said. "I hear that place is really hopping!"
Only Sokka laughed at that joke, but Aki giggled quietly. He calmed his laughing down and looked at the other two. "What? It was a funny joke."
King Bumi yawned loudly. "All these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay."
With that last word, Bumi threw another piece of chicken across the table, targeting Aang. Aki sat back, knowing it was just another test, but Sokka and Katara looked concerned. Fortunately, Aang caught it with his airbending before it smacked him right in the face, which made the guards in the room gasp.
"There's an airbender in our presence and not just any airbender," said Bumi. "The Avatar! Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pippenpadlopsicopolis?"
King Bumi said that name so seriously that Aki actually snorted, but tried to cover it up with a cough. Aang quickly pulled his arms behind him and let the chicken fall on his plate, a fearful expression creeping onto his face.
Aang stood up and put his hands in the air. "Okay, you caught me. I'm the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out, no firebenders here. So, good work, everybody. Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!"
With those last words, Aang wrapped his arms around Sokka and Katara, slowly walking back to try and get out of the room. Aki remained seated, but turned around and watched them attempt to leave. Before the trio could walk through the door, their path was blocked by two guards.
"You can't keep us here," Katara said sternly. "Let us leave!"
"Lettuce leaf?" King Bumi held up a lettuce leaf then took a bite of it and Aki laughed again.
King Bumi sat up and addressed the group. "Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."
The guard standing next to Bumi leaned down and asked, "My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?"
"The newly-refurbished chamber."
"Wait. Which one are we talking about?"
"The one that used to be the bad chamber… until the recent refurbishing, that is. Of course, we've been calling it the new chamber, but we really should number them. Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad! And leave Akina here, I need to have a word with her."
Aki watched as her friends were led out of the dining room, and as soon as she was certain they were out of earshot, she turned back to the king. "I assume you have some kind of plan for Aang?"
He nodded. "We were friends before he went missing, I know he doesn't recognize me now, but I think he can figure it out with what I have planned. And it's nice to see you again, Akina."
"It's nice to see you too, King Bumi. How are the crops doing?" she responded with a smile.
"They're doing much better after you helped us out. Would you like some tea while we talk about what I have planned for Aang?"
She nodded. "That would be lovely."
After a few cups of jasmine tea, Aki's absolute favorite, King Bumi had finished explaining what he was doing and they decided to retire for the night. He had placed her back in the room she had stayed in during her last visit to Omashu, and they exchanged good nights and parted ways.
As soon as Aki had walked into the room, Kiki leaped off her shoulder and flopped onto the bed which made Aki smile.
"Yes, Kiki, you are a very talented acrobat," she said as she got ready for bed. Kiki chittered in response.
Soon, she was laying in the bed and curled up with Kiki, who immediately passed out as soon as Aki laid down. Unfortunately for Aki, her thoughts were racing too quickly for her to sleep.
They started with how she would act during the tasks tomorrow. She wasn't allowed to leave Bumi's side or speak to the others, just in case something slipped, so she had to already be partially encased in the rock crystal they would use on Sokka and Katara. Aki felt bad for having to lie to them, but she knew that this would be a learning moment for Aang that he needed, so she went along with it.
Eventually, her thoughts shifted from the events of the future to the empty space in the bed next to her. It wasn't too long ago that it didn't bother her, but now, she had Jin. Life wasn't right without Jin. She knew that she needed to be with Aang on his quest, but it still hurt to be so far apart from her girlfriend after spending almost every day together for four months. She decided to write Jin a letter at their next stop, giving her updates and letting her know that she was okay. Aki realized that she also needed to send Dao a letter to let him know that she was traveling with the Avatar and would be unavailable to work on any White Lotus assignments for the time being.
She was nervous about not being able to do missions for the White Lotus for a while because she had already taken a break after living on Kyoshi Island for a few months with Jin. The White Lotus would be understanding because she is traveling with the Avatar, but nonetheless, there was still a small voice in the back of her head telling her that she would lose her status as a Junior Grand Master. Eventually, her anxieties quieted down and she was able to sleep, dreaming only of being with her girlfriend.
Aki had been woken up early by one of the servants, and as soon as she got dressed, she was escorted out of her room and to the throne room. She was given the crystal ring, and Bumi made it grow so her torso and arms were trapped. Once that was completed, she was hidden behind one of the walls and waited to hear Aang arrive. Once he did a length of cloth was tied around her mouth so she couldn't speak and the wall was pulled down. A guard whispered an apology in her ear and pushed her forward so she would be in Aang's eyesight.
"I will give your friends some special souvenirs, those delightful rings are made of pure genomite, which is also known as creeping crystal," said Bumi. He pointed at Aki, already partially covered in it, and continued. "It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast. By nightfall, your friends will be completely covered in it. You can see young Akina's ring has already gotten a head start, and it's just a terrible fate, really. I can stop it, but only if you cooperate."
"Agh! It's already creeping!" Sokka cried out and Aki whipped her head to look at him.
Aang looked at the siblings, then locked eyes with Aki. She nodded at him to show that she was okay, and he turned to face King Bumi. "I'll do what you want."
They had been taken to an underground cavern, and Aki was not happy about it in the slightest. No sun, no plants? She hated all of it and definitely felt weaker without the sun. The creeping crystal had grown to her mid-thigh, and she noticed that it started growing up Katara and Sokka's hands as well.
Bumi laughed as they entered the cavern. "It seems I've lost my lunchbox key, and I'm hungry. Oh, there it is! Would you mind fetching it for me?"
Aki took a closer look and realized that the key was hanging from a chain in the waterfall that came down in the middle of the cavern. She watched as Aang made his way across the stalactites on the floor of the cavern using airbending to propel himself, and she was very impressed. Despite only being twelve, the kid had already mastered airbending. It helped that she's also never seen an airbender before she met him, but she was still impressed about just how young he was.
They watched as Aang entered the waterfall and attempted to climb the ladder, but the force of the water was just shoving him back down.
"Oh, climbing the ladder! No one's thought of that before," commented Bumi, his voice just dripping with sarcasm.
Aang was thrown from the ladder but caught himself between two stalactites. Aki heard Katara let out a sigh of relief. After recovering, Aang decided to approach the key from above, but as he dove into the water, it forced him straight down.
"That's right, keep diving head in. I'm sure it'll work eventually," King Bumi said as he watched with anticipation.
Aki could see Aang figuring out what he needed to do and smiled, although no one could see it due to the cloth around her mouth. Aang broke off one of the stalactite points and threw it, then used a gust of air to propel it through the chain of the key, then it landed in the wall above Bumi's head.
"There! Enjoy your lunch!" Aang yelled. "I want my friends back now!"
Bumi shrugged. "Not yet. I need help with another matter. It seems I've lost my pet, Flopsy."
Aki rolled her eyes, knowing exactly the animal he was talking about.
The group moved outside, much to Aki's excitement, and Aang was shown a pit with a bunny in it. He jumped in and moved towards the rabbit.
"Okay, I found it!"
"Bring him to me. Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy," the king replied.
The crystal made its way past Aki's knees, and onto Katara and Sokka's torso. It was getting heavy on Aki and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to stand up for much longer. The fear of getting completely encased in the crystal also lingered in the back of her mind, as she was not a fan of enclosed spaces.
Aang approached the rabbit with his hands ready to grab it. "Come here, Flopsy."
Suddenly, a large animal climbed down and landed behind Aang. The kid laughed anxiously and looked over his shoulder. The creature snarled and tried to grab him, but Aang quickly jumped out of reach.
The bunny ran past Aang and he ran after it shouting, "Flopsy, wait! Flopsy!"
The creature started chasing Aang, and Bumi laughed while everyone watched. As they ran around the enclosure, the rabbit dove into a hole and left Aang alone with the creature.
"Wait a minute," he said, finally putting the pieces together. He sat up and looked at the animal running toward him. "Flopsy?"
Flopsy immediately stopped and picked Aang up, giving him lots of kisses before Bumi called him over with a whistle. Flopsy climbed up the side of the enclosure and laid down, belly up, in front of Bumi.
"That's a good boy," he said, petting Flopsy's stomach. "Yes! Who has a soft belly?!"
Aang hopped up to where Aki, Katara, and Sokka were standing. "Guys, are you okay?"
"Other than the crystal slowing encasing my body? Doing great!" Katara replied cheekily.
One side of Sokka's crystal grew taller and threw off his balance, causing him to fall over. Aki would have laughed if she had seen it, but her crystal had just grown over her face so now she couldn't see anything. She was a bit disappointed by this because she really wanted to see the fight that would happen next. It was hard to hear what was going on around her, but she assumed the next challenge was about to start because she had felt herself being escorted to a different room, although escorted is a bit of a stretch, since she couldn't really walk. A guard basically lifted her up on a rock platform with earthbending and carried her down to wherever the rest of the group was going.
She heard a bit of commotion, but couldn't make out any actual words or phrases, so she just hung out in her crystal cocoon and listened to the random thuds and thwacks of what she assumed was the fight between Aang and King Bumi. About ten minutes had passed before she heard someone speaking near her again, and she had once again been moved to another room. She heard some more discussion and the genomite that was trapping her had finally been broken off. The cloth around her mouth had been untied and she sank to the floor, happy to finally sit down after a long day of just standing.
"Genomite is made of rock candy. Delicious!" Bumi caught a piece of the genomite and took a bite of it, and Aki was happily nibbling on it as well.
"So, this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?" Katara asked while Sokka helped Aki stand up again and she leaned heavily on him, exhausted from barely seeing the sun at all that day.
"Who are you calling old?" said Bumi, then he saw the pointed look Aki was giving him. "Okay, I'm old."
Sokka tightened his grip on Aki, confusion falling over his face. "Why did you do all this instead of just telling Aang who you were?"
"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people," Bumi responded with a laugh. He turned to face Aang and continued. "But I do have a reason. Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years you've been gone. It's the duty of the Avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn, you must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius."
Aang smiled and bowed to his old friend, then Bumi looked at the other three teenagers and smiled. "It looks like you're in good hands, especially with young Akina in your group. You'll need your friends to help you defeat the Fire Nation. And you'll need Momo and Kiki too."
Aki smiled as Kiki climbed into her robe and Momo landed on Aang's head. "It was good to see you again, King Bumi. Even if I couldn't see for most of the day."
He laughed. "It was good to see you too, Akina. I'm sure we'll meet again soon."
"Wait, you know Aki?" Aang asked.
"Remember how I told you about the trips I would take to help restore nature around the world?" Aki asked. Aang nodded. "I came to Omashu about six months ago to help KIng Bumi with a disease that was affecting crops in surrounding farms. Bumi actually knows the man who raised me, Dao, so we ended up talking about him and some other things that weren't just about plants."
"She is a very kind young woman, you're lucky to be in her company. I hope that you can teach her as much as she will teach you," Bumi said.
Aang nodded and smiled. "Thank you for your wisdom. But before we leave, I have a challenge for you."
Aki stood at the gates of the city with Sokka and Katara while they watched Bumi and Aang slide down the mail chutes, and cringed when she heard the crash.
"I'm glad Aang found one of his old friends, it must be hard knowing that almost everyone he loved isn't around anymore," Katara said softly.
"I couldn't imagine life without Dao, but…" Aki trailed off.
Sokka poked her shoulder. "But what, flower power?"
"Flower power?" Aki tilted her head in confusion.
"You have crazy plant powers and flowers in your hair, so- Flower power."
She giggled. "I like it, I don't think I've ever had a nickname beyond Aki before. Well, just as long as I've been Akina, I guess."
"That's right, you lost your memories around twelve, didn't you?" Katara asked. She put a hand on Aki's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly.
"Mhm, the only family I have now is Dao, Kiki, and Jin."
"Don't be stupid, flower power, we're your family now too," Sokka said.
Katara pulled the two of them into a hug. "He's right, Aki. You've got us now, okay?"
She nodded tearfully and hugged them as tightly as she could. "Thank you, I don't think I've ever had younger siblings before. If I did, I don't remember them-"
Aang ran over to them. "What's going on here? Did I miss something?"
The trio pulled apart and Sokka said, "Aki tried to say she didn't have family outside of her teacher and Kiki, so we had to make sure she knows that we're family too."
Aang tackled Aki in a hug. "Of course you're family, you're already like an older sister to me!"
She squeezed him tightly then let go. "Come on, you little rascals. I think we need to get back to Appa and keep traveling, right?"
The other three nodded and the group walked back to Appa, then packed up their things and took off. Aki chose to lay down against the side of the saddle so that she couldn't see how high up they were, and Kiki curled up right next to her. Still tired from a day of no sunlight, she fell asleep with a smile on her face, happy to be with her family.
AN: Oh wow, first author's note! Hi, uh- I've been hyperfixated on this OC so y'all have gotten 3 chapters in 3 days. I think this is currently a 33 page Google Doc? I have the whole plot planned out, but I'm just writing as I go because unfortunately, I am an adult with a job and college summer courses, so updates might be a little sparse after Wednesday (May 26th) when classes startup. I hope you're enjoying the story!