Chapter 3 The King of Omashu = Old Friends
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Summer of Year 9.916 (87 AG)
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"...our traditions are not eternal, but neither is culture itself. They change and transform as time passes and new beginnings arise," she closed the book when she noticed her son only pretending to listen at this point. "Perhaps you would be more interested in our family history than a brief recapitulation of our island's concept of civilization."
Taiza was studying with his mother in their palace library. At his age, children usually played around and enjoyed themselves. But the 'Knowledge Hunger' arose in him when he turned four last year.
...
The Knowledge Hunger.
At some point, a deep craving for knowledge would arise inside them that couldn't possibly be satisfied with a hundred scrolls worth of it. They had to keep studying constantly, and it would take a very long time to fulfill that craving.
At first, he thought he could never tell anyone who he really was, not even his own mother. But he was wrong. She already knew from the beginning that Taiza had reincarnated from another world.
In the living firstborn bloodline of the Longhuo clan, a spirit's 'Blessing' is passed down in every generation without exception.
His mother had the 'Blessing of Painting Prophecies'. Every portrait she painted with her Blessing depicted glimpses into the future, and when she concentrated, she could find out the exact circumstances of the painting.
She didn't do it very often since, after every use of the spirit's Blessing, the Knowledge Hunger would arise again as the price. In fact, her last 'blessed painting' showed Taiza's true identity before he was even born.
But before the first appearance of the spirit's Blessing, the Knowledge Hunger was the prime condition.
...
"Fine," Taiza stopped smiling to please his mother and showed his open disinterest. He leaned his head on his hand while laying on his belly. "It's just... I don't know... I thought we could find out what my 'Blessing' is."
"You know, it took me three years until my first Knowledge Hunger was satisfied, and my Blessing made itself known. It won't be just one year," she explained.
"Isn't there a way to find out what it is earlier than that, Mother?" He hinted.
"No." Meaning even using her own Blessing was off the table for him. "Now," she pointed to the wall depicting the family tree, recording the names and birth/death dates of every direct Longhuo clan member. Only the head's, heir's and spouse's names were recorded on it. Other family members, like siblings or cousins were recorded within the corresponding Longhuo clan member's documents, journals, and so on, within a hidden chamber behind the family tree. "Which of our ancestors interests you today?"
Taiza sighed and looked through the names as he took a closer look along the wall. "What about Grandmother Kaliyah? How did she meet Grandfather?"
"Are you sure you want to hear their story?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's not for the faint of heart."
"Oh please, in my previous life, scary stories were popular among teenagers, and my so-called 'acquaintances' used to put me through depictions of demons, eh- dark spirits that suck out your soul or crave your blood or flesh." He crossed his arms and grinned. "I think I'm good, Mother."
She burst into laughter. Her son was sometimes more interesting than all the extensive knowledge found within the palace library combined. "As you wish, my little phoenix," she ruffled his medium-length hair and stood up, heading for the section on family history.
Taiza scanned the interior of the library again. It was truly beautiful in here. Elegant architecture and depictions of the natural spirit forms of the primordial spirits on the ceiling. He was in awe every time he entered this library. Although it was still a little weird. How the heck was a modified version of Austria's Baroque-style 'Admont Abbey Library' inside a palace reminiscent of the Japanese 'Himeji castle'? Technically, the library was underground, and the lanterns imitated soft daylight, but still...
He sighed.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a few faixies (butterfly wings and colored skin like a pixie, six-inch humanoid body like a fairy) between the shadows. They were spirits from the Realm of Chi, pretty shy spirits who maintained the enchantment engraved in this library. Within its space, parchment, scrolls, books, or any kind of 'object' could not age or wither away and stayed frozen in time. This same enchantment was applied to the Archive and the Academy Library as well.
His mother quickly found the scroll she was looking for and headed back to her son, sitting in a soft cream-colored piece of furniture with a cushioned back and armrests on each side.
"Aren't you glad we finally got this 'couch' instead of stiff chairs?" He asked, amused, as his mother relaxed on the couch again. "Personally, I think this is so much more comfortable."
Ever since Taiza learned that he could openly talk to his mother about everything, he presented her one idea after another, making their lives in the palace much more comfortable. A soft couch to relax on for the library, among many other things.
"Do you want to hear the story or not?" She asked impatiently. After all, her father's stories were her favorite, and she wanted to read this one herself.
Taiza sat straight and looked at his mother with a genuinely interested face this time.
She smiled and opened the scroll. "Eight years after the war began, the second 'Dragon Hunts' reached the ears of every corner in the Fire Nation...
...
Summer of Year 9.837 - Spring of Year 9.849 (8 AG - 20 AG)
The first known dragon hunter was Kaliyah Longhuo. She didn't just stop at one dragon. No, she conquered them one by one, and the blood of dragons marked her journey throughout the world until not many were left, earning her the title of 'Dragon Slayer'.
After many years on the war's frontline, she finally conquered the one dragon eluding her for a very long time. It was then he and his friend stumbled upon her in their travels. She was drenched in the dragon's blood and surrounded by destruction as ashes spread through the air like burning smoke.
Unlike the rumors of her title, she didn't have even the slightest glint of bloodlust in her eyes. It was like her inner strength to fight vanished after that one battle. He cared for her wounds and gained her trust...
...
"So they became friends after she killed dragons?" Taiza interrupted. "I wouldn't call it 'not for the faint of heart'." He always liked dragon-themed stories, and he seemed to have been reborn in a world where 'hunting dragons' was popular... well, as some kinda 'knowledge vampire' on top of that.
...
This world certainly was strange. Magic was called 'bending' and divided into four basic elements. Fire, air, water, and earth.
Taiza was a firebender. He already started thinking about what he could do with such an ability. There were a few hobbies he could try when he grew up a little - cooking, like in his previous life; forging unique weaponry, like a proper blacksmith; or even fire dancing. He was certainly already spoiling himself by heating his own bathwater until the temperature was just right. If it's about controlling heat, it was already his specialty, but now, he could creatively explore this world's fire-magic system.
While one could only be born with one element, there was an individual who had the power to bend all four of them. The one who fused with Raava, the primordial spirit of light... the Avatar. Unfortunately, he disappeared eighty-seven years ago, before the war rampaging outside the Great Storm Barrier began.
In a way, the Avatar was like the 'official' version of the so-called 'Spirit Masters'. Unlike them, who were incarnations of spirits, the Avatar carried a spirit within his soul. His unique spirit art would be the ability to control all four elements simultaneously, but those who truly carried spirit essence within themselves were the successors to spirits.
The Longhuo clan didn't just study and became a family of scholars, but they kept the secret true nature of the Spirit Masters safe too. They have done so for over three thousand years, and dedicated their lives to protect the world from within the shadows of history.
Spirit Masters were usually born on Dragonfire Island, so it wasn't that hard to keep track of their whereabouts. The heads and heirs of the Longhuo clan inherited an ability to recognize them, a pair of unique amber eyes that could see the flow of chi, therefore, they could easily discern Spirit Masters from ordinary humans.
...
"That's by your standards." She knocked on his forehead. "Here, death is more imminent, and danger lurks everywhere. Most nobles would faint if they heard such stories, even just in rumors."
He rubbed his forehead. "Even if you say so, I wouldn't believe it till I see it."
"Maybe I will invite our relatives when you're older. However, my uncle is one of the busiest politicians in the Fire Nation, so who knows when he'll care to show up here? I'm already bragging about what a genius my son is just to lure him to us," she proclaimed proudly. Well, they did have relatives on her deceased husband's side of the family too.
"Mother, I'm almost five, and my teeth are just growing out," Taiza deadpanned. "Who in their right mind would even believe that?"
She layed on a friendly smile as a terrifying aura surrounded her. "You dare question your mother?!"
Taiza backed away and pointed at her. "Now, you're just being mean for fun!"
...
For the first time in his long life, Taiza was actually happy. He fell in love with this new world and wanted to lead a life for himself. It wouldn't hurt to crave a life with a family of his own and long-lasting happiness. However, his heart would be decided earlier than planned, unleashing a fate greater than his original destiny in the shadows foretold...
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Winter of Year 9.928 (99 AG)
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Landing at the Kolau Mountain Range in the southwestern Earth Kingdom, a big city appeared before them, surrounded on all sides by steep canyons, in the middle of an enormous gorge. The only way to reach the city gates was the long narrow stone bridge spanning over it.
"There it is! The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!" Aang announced. "I used to always come here to visit my friend 'Bumi'."
The city's triangular shape reminded Dagaz of the ancient pyramids. Exept Kyoshi Island, the architecture and some cultures in this world were essentially all over the place and Chinesified... aside from very interesting multiple crossbreed hybrid-species.
"Wow... we don't have cities like this in the South Pole," Katara awed.
"Actually, the South Pole used to have at least one," Dagaz corrected.
She remembered what he told her at the sanctuary in the Southern Air Temple. "The capital?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"They have entire buildings here that don't melt," Sokka uttered flabbergasted.
"Well, let's go, Slowpokes!" Aang continued excitedly. "The real fun is inside the city!" He jumped down from the hill.
"Wait, Aang!" Katara called out and he halted. "It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar."
"You need a disguise," Sokka agreed.
"So, what am I supposed to do?" Aang asked rhetorically. "Grow a mustache?"
"Actually, that's not necessary." They all looked at Dagaz as he rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "The King of Omashu is sorta my uncle."
"Seriously?" Sokka raised an eyebrow.
Sai took out a plaque and layed it in Dagaz' open palm. "He was brothers-in-arms with my grandfather, and if I show them this, the guards will let us in."
"Awesome!" Aang exclaimed.
"Not so fast, Flying Monkey!" He said, sternly. "You've got to promise me this'll be your last fun-activity."
"This really is our last stop, honest."
Dagaz raised an eyebrow.
"Avatar's honor," he promised, hand to heart and open palm up high. "Then it's straight to the North Pole."
Sokka and Katara looked at each other, beginning to question just who their new friend was, easily keeping Aang in line like this.
"Also, Flying Monkey?" He raised an eyebrow.
"You can fly and possess the hyperactivity of a hog monkey. It just fits," Dagaz shrugged. It was actually just a play on airbending and how humans were evolutions of monkeys, but it didn't make much sense to such an underdeveloped era, so he explained it in a joking manner.
Aang deadpanned, not really satisfied with such a nickname.
Sokka burst into laughter. "... Flying Monkey... it really does fit."
Katara deadpanned at her brother.
...
They made their way up the path, walking closer to the city's only entrance. Sai shrunk himself to mini-size, the size of a mouster (body of a mouse, head and tail of a hamster), hid in Dagaz' hood, and jumped into the shadows of his hair.
"You guys are gonna love Omashu!" Aang boasted. "The people here are the friendliest in the world."
"ROTTEN CABBAGES?!" A gate guard exclaimed angrily. "What kinda slum do you think this is?!" He proceeded to destroy the cabbages of the cabbage merchant and earthbent his cart into the gorge.
"NO! MY CABBAGES!" He cried after his merchandise.
Aang, Katara, and Sokka gulped as they didn't see the gorge's bottom.
"Relax, I got this," Dagaz reassured, and the three kids sighed in relief. He subtly erected a barrier around his form, wearing it like armor, hands clasped around the plaque behind his back.
One of the guards came forward, threatening to crush him with a boulder. "State your business!"
"I know you're only doing an inspection, but you should seriously find out who you're messing with before you threaten them with a boulder." As he showed a friendly smile, a dark aura enveloped him.
Dread spread across the guard's face. "... t-that voice..." The other guards soon recognized him too. "... a-and that face..."
"Perhaps this will make you see a bitmoreclearly," Dagaz showed them his luxuriously decorated plaque only given to personal guests of the king.
They quickly kowtowed as if welcoming royalty. "WELCOME TO OMASHU, YOUNG MASTER!"
The earthbender forgot to remove the boulder, and it fell on Dagaz, but it bounced off him like a light gumball, following the cabbage cart into the gorge.
Aang, Katara, and Sokka's jaws dropped. First, he made the intimidating guards bow, and then the boulder just bounced off him. They promised in their hearts not to make Dagaz mad under any circumstances. At that moment, he seemed scarier than an armadillo bear's attack (large bear with a hard, segmented shell).
Dagaz glimpsed the kids' reaction from the corner of his eye and thought he might have overdone it a little, although this kind of situation with the guards was pretty normal to him. He sighed, removed his aura and barrier, and pointed with his thumb to his friends. "The gawking kids are with me. In order: Aang, Katara, and Sokka," he introduced. "So open up already."
The guards came back to their senses. "Right away, sir! OPEN THE GATES!" Three walls parted, revealing the entrance to the city. The guards stood with a respectful salute as Dagaz dragged his friends through the gate.
Katara was the first to come back to her senses. "How did you do that with the boulder? Are you an earthbender?"
Aang and Sokka snapped out of it, listening in.
"No," Dagaz refuted. "I told you, remember? I can create barriers. That was just my 'bouncy barrier'."
"Oh, I get it... cuz' everything just bounces off," Aang realized. "Nice one." He led them to the rails and they saw a long construction all over the city. "This is the Omashu delivery system," he explained to the siblings. "Miles and miles of tunes and shoots. Earthbending brings the packages up and gravity brings them down."
"Great, so they get their mail on time," Sokka commented.
"They do get their mail on time. But my friend 'Bumi' found a better use for these shoots." He grinned mischievously, remembering that time he visited a hundred years ago...
...
Fall of Year 9.828 (1 BG)
A spiky-haired kid turned around. "Look around you, what do you see?"
"Ehm... the mail system?" Aang replied as they were in front of a long slope.
"Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you gotta open your brain to the possibilities!"
"A package-sending system?" He guessed.
Bumi shook his head. "The world's BIGGEST SUPER-SLIDE!" He corrected.
"Bumi, you're a MAD genius," Aang complimented.
Bumi snorted as he laughed, and they slid down the package system.
...
At the start of the mail delivery system, Sokka and Katara got on board with Aang. "You coming, Dagaz?"
"Thanks but I'll pass, I'm gonna have a look around the city and then visit my uncle," Dagaz replied and waved. "See you later, guys. Enjoy the ride!"
Aang shrugged. "Suit yourself!" Before the siblings had the chance to decline the ride themselves, he pushed the cart down the slope. They screamed while he laughed all the way.
oOo
In Omashu, thousands of houses, hundreds of shops, restaurants, and pottery workshops were built on a number of hills. The buildings were generally made of stone and have green tilted roofs.
Dagaz came across the marketplace and found a shop selling trinkets. He picked up a simple black masquerade mask with silver lines.
The shopkeeper-lady saw him studying it. "You have a good eye, young traveler."
Dagaz looked up as he decided to buy it. "How much is it?" If he would continue to encounter Zuko and Iroh, he might need to cover up his face a little so that they wouldn't recognize him. It could turn into a disaster for his home island if anyone found out about him traveling with the Avatar.
"Six coppers."
Dagaz reached into his clothes, took out six Earth Kingdom copper pieces from his money bag, and traded them for the mask.
The shopkeeper was surprised that he would give her the money so easily and pushed three pieces back. "Here. I'll give you a discount."
"Thank you," he bowed before he accepted the three copper pieces back.
The shopkeeper found him strange. Usually, customers haggled before giving in. She guessed that the young traveler might have been from a wealthy family and didn't quite understand money's worth like every other rich-kid.
oOo
Dagaz arrived at Omashu's palace, which was built on top of the city's central mountain peak. With a flash of his plaque, he was immediately given an audience with King Bumi.
"Hello, Nephew," he greeted, sitting on his throne. "So... what do I owe this honor?"
Dagaz bowed. "Good to see you too, Uncle Bumi. I've come with a little surprise for you."
"Uuh... I love surprises," Bumi clapped like a child getting a new toy before leaning forward with his good eye. "Well, what is it?"
He chuckled. "I'm sure it'll arrive any minute... well, if he managed to destroy your city with the little stunt he's pulling right about now."
Bumi stroked his beard, guessing what Dagaz' surprise might be. It was a he, so the surprise could be a visitor. "Alright," he nodded and created an earth chair near his throne. "Come, sit down."
Servants brought a blanket and a cushion before Dagaz let himself fall into the chair. "How's the 'old-people-club' going?"
Since its founding, the Order of the White Lotus kept the identities of the Spirit Masters a secret for centuries to let them live out normal lives.
But today, only one Grand Lotus and those she trusted knew of them, Bumi among those few.
The Grand Lotus was very... unique. She was Dagaz' mother and unexpectedly, the daughter of Bumi's brother-in-arms as well as the daughter of the most terrifying woman he ever encountered.
"They're all sitting, watching, are are generally tired," Bumi replied nonchalantly. "The only one making any moves at all would be your mother."
"Aren't you doing the same?"
"I don't know what you're spouting about," he snorted.
Thanks to her father, Bumi and Dagaz' mother were very close since she was just a child. Even now, they sometimes colluded in grand schemes together, a fact Dagaz knew too well.
Dagaz felt three familiar presences moving closer. "And three, two, one."
Right on cue, soldiers entered, and the 'surprise' arrived in the very manner Dagaz 'predicted'.
...
The head of the city guard began his report. "Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, theft of public property, and malicious destruction of cabbages."
"Off with their heads!" The cabbage merchant demanded. "One head for each cabbage!"
Dagaz facepalmed. That merchant was a running gag of ATLA, and just how he could constantly revive his business was always a mystery as he didn't seem very wealthy in the first place. Wait a second... 'theft of public property'? Oh, probably the delivery cart for their joy-ride.
Aang thought Dagaz was disappointed in him for getting in trouble and looked down.
"Silence!" The guard ordered. "Only the king can pass down judgement!"
Bumi eyed the three 'juveniles' and found an Air Nomad among them. Studying his face jogged a few old memories, recognizing his old childhood friend. He gave Dagaz a look, 'this was the surprise?'
But Dagaz shrugged, grinning and putting his hands up, 'guilty as charged'. Because they knew each other so well, talking without using words was pretty easy.
"What is your judgment, Sire?" The guard inquired.
"Throw them..." On the spot, Bumi came up with a grand scheme to celebrate their reunion. "... a feast!"
The cabbage merchant facepalmed and sunk to the ground in despair while Aang, Sokka and Katara were really confused. "Huh?"
Momo didn't know what's going on either as he and Aang didn't recognize Bumi who aged after a hundred years.
...
After a long, wooden table, some chairs, and food was brought to the throne room, Dagaz started eating his skinned chicken leg. "This is delicious! You have to get your cook to write down the recipe for me later, Uncle." He didn't want to ruin Bumi's scheme to mess with Aang, so he purposely didn't call him by his name.
Seeing Dagaz eat, Sokka dug in too. He moaned in bliss. "You're right! This is great!"
Momo decided to enjoy the food too. Sai didn't have much interest in the feast and just stayed in Dagaz' shadow.
Bumi seemed enthusiastic to see his old friend again and leaned on the back of Aang's chair. "The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts, so I hope you like your chicken with no skin," he offered Aang a chicken leg.
"Thanks but I don't eat meat," Aang declined, true to his vegetarian lifestyle.
"If you're not eating, I'm gonna," Sokka just finished his own chicken leg. Bumi stuffed it into his mouth, letting him munch on it.
"Is it just me?" Katara whispered as Bumi walked back to his end of the table, next to Dagaz. "Or is this guy's crown a little crooked?" She found him strange already.
Bumi sat down. "So tell me, Young Bald One. Where are you from?"
"I'm from... Kangaroo Island!" Aang replied after thinking for a moment, unsure if he should tell him of his Avatar-identity, considering what happened to Kyoshi Island.
Of course, Bumi didn't buy his blatant lie. "Oh, Kangaroo Island, 'ey? I hear that place is really hoppin."
Only Sokka understood the joke and laughed, but it earned him weird looks from his friends. "What? It was pretty funny."
Dagaz stood up. "I'm going to get some air. I'll be back in a minute." He found it'd be best to leave now because of Bumi's 'challenges'.
Bumi waved as the soldiers let his friend's grandson pass. He then yawned. "All these good jokes are making me tired. Guess its time to hit the hay." He threw a chicken leg at Aang, who caught it with an airball.
The soldiers in the room gasped.
"There's an airbender in our presence! And not just any airbender." He leaned forward with his good eye. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Avatar?"
Aang stopped airbending and the chicken leg plummeted onto his plate. He stood up, hands in the air. "Okay, you caught me! I am the Avatar... doing my Avatar-thing... keeping the world safe. Everything checks out! No firebenders here..."
Bumi raised an eyebrow. Apparently, Dagaz didn't tell them that he was a firebender and probably didn't mention that he was from the Fire Nation either. Even if he did tell them that he was from Dragonfire Island, no one would guess that it was located in the southwestern Fire Nation these days.
"... so good work everybody. Love each other. Respect all life and don't run with your spears," Aang dragged his friends towards the exit. "We'll be leaving the city now. Well, see you next time!"
The guards blocked the way with their spears and Aang halted, looking back at the king.
"You can't keep us here!" Katara shouted. "Let us leave!"
"Lettuce leaf?" Bumi offered and bit into one.
"We're in serious trouble," Sokka whispered. "Even if he's Dagaz' uncle, this guy is nuts."
Bumi continued with his master-plan to mess with Aang. "Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."
"My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?" Mung, his royal advisor, asked.
"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. We really should number them," Bumi ranted. He turned to the three kids again and ordered, "take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!" He continued eating his lettuce leaf.
oOo
Dagaz looked over the city on the rooftop of the royal palace. He always liked to come whenever he visited. As a phoenix spirit, he was technically a bird, so he favored high places. It gave him a moment to think.
'Warriors of Kyoshi' was about Sokka learning to respect girls, so he kept his distance. This time, he had to stay away from all of them because he knew the answer to Bumi's last 'challenge'. Then again, he could just watch everything unfold if he stayed in the spiritual plane. That way, no one would even know he was there.
...
The avatar-verse was divided into the mortal world and the spirit world. And in the mortal world, a 'veil' separated the physical plane where mortals lived, and the spiritual plane, invisible to mortals, where the spirits sometimes roamed.
Even after falling into a coma, Dagaz was still powerful enough to switch between the two planes.
...
Sai sat in his lap, curiously studying his pondering face. As expected, 'that vision' was still bothering him. He snuggled up to him and purred, his calming aura giving him comfort.
The original plan was for him to appear at the very end of ATLA after everyone else was done playing out their 'role' and the Avatar defeated the Fire Lord. But when the time came, the cosmic energy of the universe gave three who were connected to it a dangerous vision...
Interrupting his thoughts, a hatch opened up and an old soldier peeked his head out. It was Mung, Bumi's royal advisor. "Young Master? I thought I might find you here. Oh, hello there, Little Sai." Mung was one of the people registered in Sai's collar, so he could see his cute appearance too.
"Mung? Is something going on?" He played dumb.
"King Bumi told me to tell you that he'll be busy with the Avatar until tomorrow," he informed. "Oh! And you're free to visit the 'archive'."
"Thanks."
The old soldier nodded with a gentle smile and closed the hatch again, leaving Dagaz alone.
Guess, Bumi didn't want him getting in the way of his 'reunion'. Well, might as well take a quick nap, and then head to the archive.
Usually, one needed an earthbender to navigate the pathways of the palace, but Dagaz could just pass through the walls as he didn't have a physical body.
Arriving in his personal guest chamber, which was decorated to his liking with the crest of the Longhuo clan and red tapestries hanging from the ceiling, he removed his gadgets and weapons, and layed down on the bed. Covered in warm sheets, he succumbed to the allure of sleep.
Sai came out of his hiding spot, returned to his normal size, and made himself comfortable on a large cushion that was prepared for Dagaz' spirit familiars.
...
Dagaz woke up around midnight. A short nap was exactly what he needed. Sai stretched his limbs, and then carried him on his back to the underground archive deep beneath the city.
He got off and found the catalog on a pedestal, decorated with the symbol of the White Lotus. It was a very thick book, and since it wasn't very organized, it could take a while to find the records of Avatar Kyoshi.
He might have only come here to pass the time, but he always liked to read more avatar-stories than what was available in his previous life.
In this world, they were called 'history', and he always found the history of the avatar-verse much more fascinating than any other world history. He was practically drawn to it, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Dagaz opened the catalog and started reading through its contents. He sighed. This archive was just as unorganized as its owner was unpredictable. Unfortunately, Bumi was the one taking care of this archive... if one could call it 'care' in the first place.
The Longhuo Palace Library was in so much better condition than this.
Dagaz finally found the location of Avatar Kyoshi's records and started reading through scroll after scroll. While immersed in his reading, he completely lost track of time and didn't realize how much time had passed.
Meanwhile, Sai made himself comfortable on a cushion and enjoyed snacks while keeping a proper distance from the books and scrolls.
oOo
["HELLO-O! Can anyone hear me?! Dagaz?! I'm stuck! HELP!"] Momo cried, his upper body stuck in an air vent.
After they were 'Imprisoned' in the 'newly refurbished chamber that was once bad', Aang tried to get Momo to crawl through the air vents to get out, but the winged lemur got stuck as he overate and got fat during the feast.
Suddenly, the earth around him moved, and he found himself in front of Bumi in his pajamas.
"Quit. That. Noise! I'm trying to sleep over here! What are you anyway?"
Surprisingly, Momo could understand what he was saying. ["You can hear me? I can understand you? How?"] Ever since he reincarnated into a winged lemur, his ears couldn't pick up the human language, and it all sounded like garbled nonsense. But thankfully, he could now talk to other animals, like Appa, and use 'spirit speech' to communicate with Dagaz. So he wasn't lonely.
"Who knows? You sound very familiar. Do I know you?"
["Right now, my name is 'Momo'. Does 'Monk Gyatso' ring a bell?"]
"Aang's mentor?" Bumi stroked his beard. "Does anyone know about this?"
["Only Dagaz, since we can actually talk to each other. Where is the anyway?"] Momo looked around.
Bumi shrugged. "If you're looking for Dagaz, he's down in the archive doing research or something. Come on."
Momo curled around Bumi's head, and they headed deep beneath the city with Bumi's earthbending. After the crazy king revealed himself to be Aang's old friend, they found Dagaz encased in a sound barrier and reading scroll after scroll, intensely immersed, and his familiar napping on a cushion on the side.
Momo felt like they shouldn't disturb him. ["Just let him be, Bumi. Youngsters are youngsters, I suppose."] He shrugged. ["Although I must admit, I've never seen anyone this immersed in studying."]
"Yes, you're right. Must be the curse."
["Curse? What curse?"]
"Originally, it was a curse... but then, it was not... anyway, it's what's keeping him alive for now..." Bumi continued to ramble.
oOo
Around noon, Dagaz and Sai headed back up. They were just in time to hear Bumi announcing the last 'challenge'.
"Answer this one question and I will set your friends free. What... is my name?" Bumi was sure Aang could remember him, now that he passed the 'three deadly challenges'.
"Hello, Uncle," Dagaz greeted. But suddenly, he was treated like a potato sack and thrown over Bumi's shoulder. He blinked. "Uhhh..."
"Shush!" Bumi hissed and turned to the airbender again. "From the looks of your friends, I'm sure you only have a few minutes." He walked ahead, back to his throne room, to give Aang some time to think.
"See ya back in the throne room!" Dagaz waved as he was oddly carried off by his uncle. He wasn't sure if he should be glad about not having to come up with another excuse or not.
"You know, I'm starting to think he's just as crazy as his uncle," Sokka commented.
"How am I supposed to know his name?" Aang asked his friends.
"Didn't he say?"
They shook their heads and Sokka slumped.
"Think about the challenges!" Katara urged. "Maybe it's some kind of riddle!"
"I've got it!" Sokka exclaimed.
"Yeah?" Aang lit up.
"He's an earthbender, right? Rocky!" Sokka guessed. "You know, because of all the rocks."
"We're gonna keep trying, but that is a good back-up," Katara said optimistically.
"Okay, so back to the challenges!" Aang returned to the topic at hand. "I got a key from a waterfall, I saved his pet, and had a duel."
"And what did you learn?"
Aang pondered. "Well... everything was different than I expected."
"And?" Katara urged as the crystal grew again.
"Well... they weren't straightforward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I normally would." Aang finally remembered his crazy friend and stated, "I know his name."
oOo
Bumi presented his nephew his luxurious purple-colored robe. "What do you think? Rha Nee designed it for me," he lifted his arms for him to see the finer patterns.
"Of course she did," Dagaz facepalmed. So much for 'where the famously unsuspecting purple robe came from'.
Rha Nee was an eccentric young seamstress on Dragonfire Island, and just like Kei Lo, a childhood friend. How she and Bumi got along swimmingly was not much of a mystery.
"Anyway, can I have copies of the scrolls on the 46th peasant uprising of Ba Sing Se?"
At that moment, Aang entered with a happy expression, followed by the crystallized Water Tribe siblings.
Momo flew onto Dagaz' shoulder, patting the side of his head. He got the feeling Momo pitied him for some reason. ["Something wrong?"] He raised an eyebrow.
["It's nothing. If you need anything, just ask."] Momo replied.
Dagaz blinked, then shook his head. He didn't even want to know what that was about.
"I solved the question the same way I solved the challenges," Aang explained. "As you said a long time ago, I had to 'open my brain to the possibilities'."
Bumi snorted as he laughed.
"Bumi, you're a mad genius." Aang threw himself into Bumi's arms, celebrating their heartfelt reunion.
"Oh, Aang. It's good to see you," Bumi rubbed his bald head. "You haven't changed a bit, literally."
"Uh, over here!" Katara urged, gaining their attention.
"A little help, please?" Sokka was alarmed by the still-growing creeping crystal already blocking his vision.
Bumi reduced the crystals to a million pieces with his earthbending and caught one of the crystal shards, "genamite is made of rock candy." He bit into it. "Delicious!"
Dagaz caught one as well, "and they make great cooking ingredients for sweet komodo chicken."
Momo began licking one of the crystals. ["They're delicious!"]
["You should really learn to hold yourself back, Momo. You'll get fat if you keep eating everything in sight."] Dagaz scolded.
Momo flinched, remembering that it was exactly what got him stuck in the air vent in the first place.
"So Dagaz' crazy uncle is your old friend 'Bumi'?" Katara asked Aang.
"Who are you calling old?" Bumi felt a little hurt, being called 'old'. A moment of silence passed as they deadpanned. "Okay, I'm old," he admitted. After all, he was a hundred and twelve years old. Unlike Aang, he didn't get encased in ice for a hundred years.
"So why do all this instead of just telling Aang who you were?" Sokka asked suspiciously.
"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people."
"Couldn't you have invited me to at least watch?" Dagaz complained.
"My kingdom, my fun," Bumi retorted. Besides, Dagaz was too busy and didn't even notice Bumi when he checked up on him last night. "We're not on Dragonfire Island, after all."
"Wait, you mean the 'forbidden isle'?" Aang asked them. "You've both been there?"
"Aang?" Katara inquired.
"It's this island no airbender is ever allowed to go to. Legend says it's the birthplace of the phoenix bird. And even if you wanna go, you can't enter because of the 'Great Storm Barrier' surrounding the island."
Dagaz sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He might as well get this over with. "Actually, it's my home island."
"And Dragonfire Island is in the Fire Nation," Bumi added.
"Wait, you're from WHERE?!" Sokka yelled.
Dagaz narrowed his eyes at his crazy uncle, an ominous aura gushing out of him. It was something he wanted to tell them himself.
Bumi felt his sharp glare. "Oh, come on now, they were going to find out you're a firebender eventually."
"He's a WHAT?!" Sokka repeated.
Bumi ignored him and turned to Aang, "you remember Kuzon, right?"
The airbender nodded.
"After you were gone, we went on a long journey together... yeah, I still can't believe he actually married that terrifying woman," Bumi ranted. "Anyway, 'Dagaz' here is his Kuzon's grandson," he revealed, pointing with his thumb at Dagaz who looked away embarrassed.
"You're Kuzon's GRANDSON?!" Aang asked surprised as he remembered his Fire Nation friend from a hundred years ago.
"Yeah... you can't really tell since I inherited my looks from my great-grandfather on my grandmother's side," Dagaz explained. He began scratching the back of his neck, still looking away with a slight blush on his cheeks. "I grew up with a lot of stories about Grandfather Kuzon. He even mentioned you in his journal a lot. So when I sensed you were back, I kinda just wanted to meet you." Although, it was his personal reason, it wasn't why he impulsively chose to join them on their journey.
"What do you mean, 'you sensed he was back'?" Sokka asked suspiciously.
Bumi answered that one. "Dagaz is connected to the cosmic energy of the universe. People like him sometimes get glimses into fate itself or feel ripples. I never had one of those before, but I'm guessing Aang caused some sort of ripple and the universe gave him a vision."
Sokka and Katara were a little confused, but glad that Dagaz wasn't a firebender chasing after Aang like Zuko.
Aang smiled. "So, where's Kuzon now?"
"He died when I was three," Dagaz looked down.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Aang gave his condolences.
"It's fine, Aang," Dagaz shrugged. "I never met him anyway." Kuzon was suffering a long-term sickness while Dagaz was too young to go out, so they never had a chance to get to know each other. "I hope you're not mad I didn't tell you sooner. It's just- after you saw what the Fire Nation did to the Air Nomads, I thought about waiting until things calmed down a bit." He genuinely thought about how, from Aang's perspective, that firebenders destroyed his home must have shocked him greatly. Realistically, he might not have let him join so soon if he revealed his true origins immediately.
"Ahem," Bumi coughed. "Before I forget. Dagaz, your mother was here before you arrived. She was very furious, I might add."
"Oh, I'm guessing you heard?" If his mother was here recently, it meant she probably told Bumi about the order to turn Omashu into another Fire Nation colony. Of course she's furious if the funny uncle she grew up with get's his city attacked.
"To the point, I am questioning the Fire Lord's sanity," Bumi deadpanned, already imagining the destruction that might follow in her wake. Luckily, it violated the will of the spirits, so he didn't actually have anything to worry so much over.
"He's been insane from the start," Dagaz clarified. Even Iroh thought Ozai lost his marbles a long time ago... and that's saying something.
The siblings looked at each other. Their friend seemed to not think very well of the Fire Lord. They supposed it was a good thing as they didn't have to worry about him somehow selling them out.
"Point taken," Bumi nodded. "Moving on," he turned to his childhood friend. "Aang, the world has changed in the hundred years you've been gone, and you have a difficult task ahead. It is the duty of the Avatar to restore peace between the four nations. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you'll think like a mad genius." He raised the corner of his mouth. He turned to Dagaz again and added, "oh, and please do tell my only grandson to visit me once in a while. I'm not getting any younger these days." Unlike him, Bumi had the short lifespan of an average human after all.
Dagaz chuckled. "Sure. Will do."
"Too bad firebending's off the table, even if you are traveling with a Master Firebender and all," Bumi mumbled.
"Huh?" Aang raised an eyebrow.
"Right, you probably don't know. Bending itself is an art only performed by the physical body but since he's stuck in that astral form of his, that'll be impossible."
Sokka burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Dagaz asked, suddenly feeling annoyed.
"... sorry, sorry, it's just- it's kinda... how should I put this? You're a firebender... who can't firebend..." He continued laughing, holding onto his stomach.
Katara nudged her stupid brother, hard.
"OW!" He rubbed his aching arm.
"Can't you be a little more sensitive, Sokka?"
"It's okay, Katara. It's not like firebending is the one thing I've been missing out on for almost five long years," Dagaz stated sarcastically as Sokka flinched from his terrifying aura and hid behind his sister. "No, I'm definitely NOT. MISSING IT. AT. ALL."
"Oh well, maybe Dagaz knows someone who knows someone when that time comes," Bumi waved off. "He has connections all over the place. Anyway, it looks like you're in good hands. You will need your friends to help you on your journey."
Momo sat down on Aang's shoulder. ["Hey! What about me, Bumi?"]
"And you'll need Momo too."
Dagaz noted Bumi being able to communicate with Momo normally but didn't say anything.
"Thank you for your wisdom, Bumi." Aang bowed, and then had a mischievous glint in his eyes. He looked from Bumi to Dagaz who stroked Sai for comfort. "But before we leave, I have a challenge for you two."
Bumi and Dagaz looked at each other, raising an eyebrow at Aang's 'challenge'. Dagaz didn't think he would even be invited to 'that challenge'.
"What about my scroll copies, Uncle Bumi?" Dagaz asked.
"I'll have them made while we're busy. The 46th peasant uprising of Ba Sing Se, right?"
"And it's aftermath please," he added.
"I'll be right back." Bumi disappeared into the ground.
"I'm sorry," Aang said.
"What for?" Dagaz asked.
"For getting into trouble yesterday. Aren't you mad at me?"
"No, I'm not," he clarified. An awkward moment of silence passed. "Hey... are we... 'okay'?"
"Yeah, but I still can't believe you're from Dragonfire Island. It's supposed to be impossible to cross the Great Storm Barrier."
"Oh, that's only true for airbenders."
"Why?"
"Supposedly, the Great Storm Barrier rejects airbenders and even attacks them for some reason." He suspected why but he didn't know if that was actually true he never saw it attacking anyone himself. Also, he never bothered to analyse the barrier as it was something that protected his home from invaders.
"Oh," Aang dejected. He felt he had to give up on ever visiting that place.
"So what kind of place is 'Dragonfire Island' anyway?" Sokka asked.
"It's kinda like Omashu and Kyoshi Island, an independent place within the four nations. Officially, it's Fire Nation. But the Fire Lord leaves us alone since warships can't navigate our waters."
"Huh?"
"Why do you think it's called 'Great Storm Barrier'? The island is surrounded by an impenetrable storm." It was this world's version of the Bermuda Triangle or a stormy 'Calm Belt' in a round form. "The only way in is to ask the inhabitants to guide you." Well, the storm's inhabitants that is.
Suddenly, Bumi came back up and announced, "I've arranged everything! Come on now, what's your 'challenge', Aang?"
...
Aang brought Dagaz and Bumi to the mail delivery system. Sai had his tounge stretched out on the side as the three 'connected through old friendships' laughed together all the way down and crash-landed into the cart of the cabbage merchant.
"MY CABBAGES!"
oOo
Author's Notice :
- Bumi is Bumi, he makes no sense at all. Like... when did he learn of Momo's name in the original series? And why was Momo suddenly so important to him during the series finale 'Sozin's Comet, Part 2 The Old Masters'? There was absolutely nothing,zero, and zilch. And finally, why didn't he leave Omashu behind during season 2? I don't need to answer that. In my story, this chapter is the answer.
- A lot of fanfics don't seem to have the guts to change anything, but a lot will be different in my 'The Clarity of Shadows' - series. And there might be consequences for Avatar Korra's era. Positive or negative, I'll leave that to my readers since I'm mostly going with my gut when writing.
- at first, I had this epic myth in mind but then I got stressed and I remembered the reason I started writing this in the first place - for FUN. A lot of things changed, and now, I'm taking my time and doing a lot of research to have everything make sense in the end. There is a reason why many things will be different.
- WARNING: Although I'm more invested in the history and culture of Avatar, this story will be my playground for writing some love-scenes... or love for that matter.
- ABOUT THE FLASHBACKS: I'm going to post those 'according to importance-level'. So they could be pretty random as it's not necessarily going to be in chronological order.
- In each chapter, I plan to reveal something. Be it Lore, powers, or relationships.
oOo
Fun Facts / Trivia :
- 'Kaliyah' is Hindi (Indian) and means 'slayer of a thousand headed dragon'.
- the mouster and the faixie are my own hybrid species
- Rha Nee is an OC, but Bumi's grandson is not. He'll show up soon enough. Warning though: Like Kei Lo, he's a canon-character of Aang's era I messed around with
- I gave that old soldier from 'King of Omashu' a proper name and position. Here comes 'Mung the royal advisor'
oOo
See ya next time, Panthosilea out
* my slower than snail-pace-slow Editor is taking too long, so I'm going to continue updating as I see fit. Even I can't wait two months or longer. I'm never going to start Book 2 at this rate (in which my currently mysterious Female Lead has a bigger role).