Aang only got a few hours of sleep in before Azula came knocking at his door at the crack of dawn.
"Aang? Aang, you decent?" asked Azula.
"Yeah? I think so." said Aang.
Azula walked in to see Aang standing in his underwear.
"I thought you said you were decent?" snapped Azula, smacking her forehead.
"Oh...I thought you said 'did I sleep good.' " said Aang yawning, and looking for his baggy red pants (part of his disguise).
"Well just get dressed and come outside, I have something important to tell you." said Azula.
Aang smiled, "Be out there in a second Azula." said Aang as he winked. Azula rolled her eyes as she walked out.
"I'll be waiting outside with the girls...don't be long Aangie." said Azula.
'Aangie?' , thought Azula, 'I...it must have slipped out...yeah, the underwear thing was too much for me...' Azula walked outside and waited with Ty Lee and Mei in silence. Thinking about what might happen in the next few minutes.
Aang finally came out in his complete disguise to face his destiny.
"Ok Aang, let me lay this out for you...you see, me and you are some of the strongest benders in all the fire nation. Its our duty to do what we can to help the fire nation win this war!" said Azula. Ty Lee and Mei both chimed in with a chorus of 'that's right.'
"So what does that mean?' said Aang.
"Well, Aang ever since that fall you haven't been yourself. I think you have completely forgotten about your duty and what it means to both of us." said Azula.
"No, no...I haven't forgotten it!" said Aang in a blatant lie, "I'll prove it when we reach the ship!" said Aang.
"Why not now Aang?' said Azula.
"How?" asked Aang.
"We can take over this town in the name of the Fire Lord! That will show me you mean business!" said Azula.
"Take it over? You mean fight these people?" said Aang as he looked around and imagined the villagers being twice as tall and scary as they really were.
"You have to Aang! Our work is so important, that I can't bring you home unless I know you are really loyal to the cause!" said Azula, sensing Aang's doubt.
"I don't know...something seems really wrong about this...so me and you are just bullies?" asked Aang, very unsure of Azula now.
"No Aang. We are doing what we must for the Fire nation. It is the Fire Nation's destiny to rule the world and we are doing our part." said Azula, fearing that a fight with the Avatar was now inevitable. She knew she would not be able to convince him. But deep down, she really didn't want to kill the kid, so she continued her persuasion.
"Well, perhaps taking over the town is too much too soon Aang...I think if we take baby steps, you'll see that were only doing what is right." said Azula. Ty Lee and Mei were both stunned. Azula had never shown this kind of patience before. Of course, she had never had to fight the Avatar as a cosequence of her actions before.
"That sounds doable Azula...all right..tell me what I got to do." said Aang. A huge feeling of relief passed over the girls. The fight had been avoided..for the moment.
Azula put her arm around Aang, "Ok, Aang, I'll tell you what you got to do" Azula looked around. It was still pretty early, so not many people were around. However, as luck would have it a large crowd of farmers walked by on their way to the field.
"You see that crowd over there? I want you to go over and pick a fight with one of them...and beat them without using your bending!" said Azula.
"That sounds kind of...dangerous...maybe instead we could have a spelling contest?" asked Aang half jokingly.
"For some reason, I don't think that was what Azula was going for Aang." said Mei.
"Please Aang, " said Azula, "Do it...for me?" she then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Aang blushed heavily and found himself suddenly invigorated with the power of 3 Aangs.
"Anything for my sweet, sweet Azula!" , said Aang who did an about face and marched straight toward the crowd. Although he became visibly less confident as he came closer to the crowd, however, he waved back at his girlfriend, and didn't want to let her down.
"Hey...uh, farmers!" said Aang. They glanced over at Aang, but didn't respond. Aang looked back at Azula and shrugged. Azula signaled with her arms for him to continue. Aang, remembered the kiss and with that gathered the audacity to pick up a rock and throw it at the crowd of farmers, striking one of them in the arm.
"Hey! Who's throwing the rocks?" shouted a farmer.
"I...ahem, I DID!" said Aang in a deep voice. The crowd turned around together and seemed to grow 12 ft tall.
"Well, little man...you going to apologize?" said one of the farmers.
"I...No! I hate you farmers, with your straw hats and your cheap sandals! You're all like, oooh, look at me, I'm a farmer with a straw hat and cheap sandals!' " said Aang flailing his arms around and shaking his hips; trying his best to get one to fight him. Azula, Ty Lee and Mei, were amazed that Aang was actually doing it.
"What? I'm not afraid of you guys. But...let's keep things fair and let me fight you one at a time!" said Aang. The farmers grumbled.
"Is this some kind of joke kid? Go home before you feel the back of my hand!" shouted one of the farmers.
"This isn't a joke...come on, lets fight one on one...you there, in the back! Let's go!" said Aang pointing to a man in the back.
The man stepped forward; As big a mountain and fearsome as a herd of charging rhinos.
"No, no, no...not you...I was pointing to the guy next to you, Gosh!...the guy with the rake!" The guy with the rake came forward, threw his rake on the ground and performed a series of martial arts moves.
Aang was about to airbend the farmer away but stopped when remembered he had to do this without bending.
He charged the farmer only to be knocked to the ground with a tremendous blow to the stomach, knocking him to the ground reeling in pain.
"Are we quite done here kid? We got a lot of work to do...go home and rest!" said the farmer as he picked up his rake.
"D--cough Done? I haven't even started yet? You think that hurt? Ha! You farmers must suffer from insanity of the brain"
said Aang as he stumbled to his feet.
The farmer was about to go back and fight Aang again. Aang knew he was no match for this guy without his bending skills...so Aang came up with a better plan. Aang whispered to the farmer with the rake.
"Look, I'm doing this to impress my girlfriend! Please take a dive, I'll give you...all my money..um, 4 copper coins?" said Aang. The farmer looked stunned for a moment, then realized that it all made sense and winked at Aang.
"Put the coins in pocket as you 'knock me down' and we got a deal." the farmer then backed up and did some more moves.
"All right Kid, here comes my strongest attack! I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice!" shouted the Farmer.
"Wow..these farmers a sensitve bunch." said Mei, "Going to kill a kid because he made fun of their hats!"
"Should we help him out Azula? " asked Ty Lee. Azula didn't know how to respond. She didn't want Aang to die now, after it seems he was willing to take steps to becoming loyal...but at the same time, she never helped anyone before and it wasn't like she was a stranger to death and pain.
"I...we, should..." said Azula trying to think of what to do.
"Say goodbye kid!" shouted the farmer as he charged towards Aang with the speed and strength of a rhino.
Azula, Ty Lee and Mei closed their eyes, not wanting to see the poor Avatar being smashed into a million pieces. But were then shocked to hear the farmers gasp in fear as the farmer with the rake lay on the ground and Aang stood victorious.
"No way! He did that without bending? The Avatar must be invicible!" shouted Ty Lee, both afraid and amazed.
"No, Ty Lee..its just the power of love" said Mei with a smirk.
"Love or not, that's power you can't ignore...and its mine." said Azula.
Aang boasted to the the farmers of his deed and made up past deeds. The farmers quaked in their boots since the farmer with the rake was the strongest among them and when Aang asked who was next, they quickly grabbed their fallen friend (who was 4 coins richer) and headed to the fields.
Aang pulled up his pants past his waist and strutted back to the girls, who were still amazed at Aang's feat. Aang was still hurting from the farmer's blow, but hid it well.
"Well, Azula, I think that proves just about everything..lets go home" said Aang.
Azula's scratched her head. She was really surprised Aang had done it and impressed by his courage and devotion to her.
"That...well, I that was hardly the severity I had originally planned Aang...but you proved yourself trustworthy for the moment. I think though that one more test is required. One that will prove loyalty undeniably.
"How am I going to do that?"
"You must-"
"Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. This is truly a fortuitous turn of events for us." said an unfamilar voice interupting Azula. A large cohort of earth kingdom soldiers had apparently found their way into the village of Sudra. A huge man in heavy armor stepped forward. He was obviously a man of some importance since his armor was ornately decorated with gold and jewels. Azula scoffed.
"Fancy uniforms don't intimadate me." said Azula, "Me and my friends will glady spill your blood on the streets of this garbage village!" Aang was surprised at Azula's harshness.
"If it is garbage, it is because you and your garbage family made it so. It is even more foul now that you are here. We are here to remedy this." said the Captain General (that's what Aang called him in his head) who unsheathed an ornate steel sword with a strange rock Handle.
Ty Lee and Mei formed up behind Azula; Aang stood there unsure what to do.
Azula was about to command Aang to attack, but realized that the Earth Kingdom soldiers would easily recognize him as the avatar should they see his airbending and possibly remind him of his true self.
"Mei, Ty Lee...keep Aang safe and don't let him fight. I will handle these Earth Scums personally." said Azula.
"Azula, there has to be at least a hundred of them!" said Ty Lee.
"Do as I say!" shouted Azula.
"What? No Azula, I can help you! Your going to get killed! If you don't trust me to fight, let me fight by myself , so that at least I know you are safe!" shouted Aang. Azula was touched by his compassion, but only shouted louder for her friends to stay back.
"Hmm? Such a noble act from such a lowly creature? I will do the world a great service by destroying you!" said the Captain General. He then signaled his troops to advance forward. In unison, the earth kingdom soldiers moved forward with their shields interlocked and swords and pikes poking forward.