Disclaimer- I don't own Dragon ball Z or Avatar-The Last Airbender
Chapter 5-
It was just another day of traveling for the gang. This time, they had decided to take a trip to a certain place that Aang and Gohan used to visit a hundred years ago: the City of Omashu. The Avatar led the group onto a hill where they could see the city in the distance. "The Earth kingdom city of Omashu!" announced Aang as the group stared at the city. "Gohan and I used to come here all the time to visit our friend Bumi."
"The city's still as magnificent as ever! Nice to know that it hasn't changed much in the last century!" said Gohan.
"Wow! We don't have cities like this in the South Pole," said an astonished Katara.
"They have buildings that don't melt," said Sokka in awe.
"That's because they're made of stone instead of ice," said Gohan.
"Well let's go, slowpokes! The real fun is inside the city!" said Aang as he jumped a few feet forward. "Wait Aang!" called Katara to the young monk. "It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar." "You need a disguise," agreed Sokka. "So what am I supposed to do? Grow a mustache?" asked the confused Airbender. "I think you'd have better luck growing hair, or at least wearing a wig..." suggested Gohan as he looked at the sky bison. Pretty soon, Aang was wearing a wig and a fake mustache made from Appa's fur. "Ugh, it's so itchy! How do you live in this stuff?!" Aang asked the bison, who blew air in his face as a response.
"Great! Now you look just like my grandfather," joked Sokka.
"Technically, Aang and Gohan are a hundred and fourteen years old," said Katara.
"Heh heh! I bet no one will recognize you if you act like our grandfather," chuckled Gohan.
The Airbender then picked up his staff and twirled it around before he hunched over and said, "Now let's get skipping, young whippersnappers! The big city awaits!" before he walked away, leaving his friends with looks of concern. The four teens crossed the passageway toward the city gates. "You guys are going to love Omashu!" said Aang to the water tribe siblings. "The people here are the friendliest in the world!" The gang suddenly stopped when they heard shouting; they looked ahead and saw three guards dealing with a local cabbage merchant at the gate. "Rotten cabbages! What kind of slum do you think this is?!" asked the head guard as he squashed the cabbage in his hand; he then used his earthbending to launch the cart of cabbages off the mountain.
"My cabbages!" cried the merchant.
The gang watched as the cart fell all the way to the bottom and shattered. "Guess the people in the city grew less nice over the last century," said Gohan. "Just keep smiling," said Aang nervously. The four continued to approach the gate, and upon reaching it, the head guard suddenly raised a boulder over Aang's head and said, "State your business!" Aang zoomed up to the guard and jabbed a finger to his face. "My business is my business, young man, and none of yours!" yelled Aang in an old man voice as the boulder fell to the ground. "I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and counter your backside!" Sokka had a weird look on his face, Katara shook her head in disbelief, and Gohan was struggling not to laugh at his brother's performance.
"Settle down old timer, just tell me who you are," said the guard.
"Name's Bonzo Pippinpaddle Lopsacopplis...the third! And these are my grandkids," Aang introduced himself and his friends.
Katara and Gohan soon stepped forward and introduced themselves. "Hi. June Pippinpaddle Lopsacopplis, nice to meet you," said Katara.
"And I'm Shen Pippinpaddle Lopsacopplis," said Gohan.
The guard stroked his beard as he examined the group. "You two seem like responsible young adults. See to it that your grandfather stays out of trouble, enjoy Omashu!" said the guard as he allowed them to pass. "We will," assured Katara. As the group approached the gate, the guard looked at Sokka before saying, "Wait a minute!" He grabbed Sokka's shoulder, stopping the gang and making them turn around. "You're a strong young boy, show some respect for the elderly and carry your grandfather's bag!" ordered the guard to Sokka.
"Good idea!" agreed Aang as he tossed his bag to Sokka.
The guards opened the gate, revealing the city to the gang; the water tribe siblings stared in awe while Aang and Gohan smiled. As the four entered the city, Momo's ears stuck out from the top of Aang's wig, which caused the guard who was watching to put on a confused look as the gate closed. The four observed the city's magnificence. They saw various people, buildings, and slides with things riding down them. "This is the Omashu delivery system," explained Gohan. "Miles and miles of tubes and chutes," They watched as the city's earthbenders directed the crates of supplies through the system. "Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down," Gohan continued to explain.
"Great, so they get their mail on time," said an uninterested Sokka.
"They do get their mail on time, but our friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes," said Aang as he smiled wickedly.
Flashback- Aang and Gohan were standing with a spiky brown haired kid that wore a headband, a yellow sleeveless top, green wristbands and a belt, and brown pants. The boy turned to his friends and asked,"Look around you, what do you see?"
"Tubes and chutes?" asked Gohan.
"Um, the mail system?" asked Aang.
"Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you gotta open your brain to the possiblities," advised Bumi.
The boys looked at each other and before saying with uncertainty, "The package sending system?"
"The world's greatest super slide!" announced Bumi.
"I didn't even think of that possiblity, that's brillant!" said Gohan.
"Bumi, you're a mad genius!" said Aang which made Bumi laugh crazily while snorting. Pretty soon the three boys were in a crate cheering and laughing as they rode down the delivery system. Flashback ends
The gang was soon all in one crate with Aang in front, Gohan behind him, then Katara, and finally Sokka bringing up the rear as they prepared to ride the super slide. "One ride, then it's off to the North Pole. Airbender's honor," promised Aang. "What are we waiting for? Let's do it!" said Gohan. "This sounded like fun at first, but now that I'm here, I'm starting to have second THOOOOUGHTS!" cried Katara seconds before they were sent down the chute. Aang and Gohan were cheering and laughing while the water tribe siblings had strange looks on their faces as the four slid down the mail system. The four were then sliding next to a chute that had a crate of spears riding down it. The slides suddenly mixed with the gang in front and the spears close behind them. Sokka ducked to avoid the spears and Katara leaned forward.
"I'm on it!" said Aang.
He then shifted the crate until it fell off the chute and slid off a rooftop toward Omashu's combat training school. "Men, you'll be going off to combat soon!" said the instructor. "It's important to be prepared for anything!" The gang suddenly bounced off the floor in front of the instructor. They knocked over a crate which hit another crate of food on the system before they landed back on the slide.
"Aang, do something! Use your airbending!" yelled Katara.
"Yeah, good idea! That'll make us go even faster!" said Aang. He then waved his arms, creating a force of wind that pushed their crate faster down the slide. As they continued to slide, they saw a crate of supplies in their path; they screamed in fear of crashing into it. An Earthbender pushed the crate away, giving the gang clear passage. They sighed in relief seconds before another crate appeared and they screamed again. The four teens collided with the crate and were sent flying out of their crate and into the air. Acting fast, the Avatar used his airbending to turn their crate over as the gang landed in it and started sliding down rooftops. Inside a random house, a civilian was busy painting a large vase while whistling. The gang burst through the window, smashed the vase, and fell out the other window.
"Sorry!" cried Aang to the civilian.
They rode through another home and left with a cat-like creature fighting with Momo on Aang's wig. The lemur eventually knocked the creature off seconds before the gang fell off a building. Down below, the cabbage merchant was admiring his cabbages when he heard a noise and looked up. He backed away as the gang fell on top of his cart and squashed his vegetables. "My cabbages!" cried the merchant before he yelled, "You're gonna pay for this!" to the four tangled teens. The guards soon gathered around the dazed teens. "Two cabbages please," said Aang sheepishly.
"Yeah, we're in trouble, bro," said Gohan.
The gang was soon arrested and brought to the Omashu king's palace. The king was a very old man who wore a green robe that covered his whole body aside from his face. He sat at his throne with one guard on his right and left side. Standing right next to his throne was another old man who was his advisor. He had a turtle shell on his back and was holding a purple staff. He also had a full mustache and beard and wore a pair of sun shades. When the gang was presented to him, they all had looks of shame on their faces. The King suddenly held a look of surprise when he saw Aang and Gohan.
"Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages," explained the guard.
"Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!" demanded the merchant.
"Silence! Only the king can pass down judgement!" said the guard before he asked the king, "What is your judgement, sire?"
The old king squinted as he observed the four teens. He looked at Sokka, who making tiny noises with his lips, then at Katara, who tried to pull off a look of innocence, then at Aang, who still had his shameful look, and finally at Gohan, who was a bit nervous about what their sentence would be. The king continued to stare at Aang and Gohan, which made Aang look away and whistle while Gohan thought, "Why is he staring at us?"
Finally the king gave his judgement. "Throw them... a feast!" The guards and the merchant groaned while the Airbender and the Waterbender looked at each other in confusion. Sokka smiled a little while Gohan had his mouth open in surprise. "Did he say feast?!" asked the Energy bender.
The gang suddenly found themselves sitting next to each other at a table filled with a lot of food. Momo had already started digging in while the king spoke to the four teens. "The people of my city have gotten fat from too many feasts, so I hope you like your chicken with no skin," he said to Aang. "Thanks, but I don't eat meat," explained Aang. "How about you? I bet you like meat," said the king as he shoved a drumstick into Sokka's mouth; the water tribesman happily started munching on it. The king then turned to Gohan, who was enjoying the feast as he stuffed his face with many plates of food from the table. "Well, I'm glad to see someone is enjoying this feast," said the old king as he patted Gohan's head and went to sit down.
"Is it just me or is this guy's crown a little crooked?" Katara whispered to Aang.
"So tell me young bald one, where are you from?" asked the king.
Aang thought for a moment and replied, "I'm from Kangaroo Island."
"Oh Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hopping!" joked the king. For a moment no one did anything until Sokka started laughing which made his companions look at him. "What? It was pretty funny," said the water tribesman. The king yawned and said, "Well all these good jokes are making me tired, guess it's time to hit the hay." The king suddenly tossed a drumstick at Aang; instinctively the Airbender caught it in an air sphere, which made all the guards gasp. "There's an Airbender in our presence, and not just any Airbender, the Avatar!" announced the king. Aang quickly put his arms down and his meat fell to his plate. "Now what do you have to say for yourself, Mr.Pippinpaddle Lopsacopplis?!" asked the king.
With his identity as the Avatar now exposed, Aang got up and said, "Okay, you caught me. I'm the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out." He then peeked under the table as he said, "No Firebenders here." The Avatar continued to talk as he gathered his companions and tried to leave smoothly. "So good work everybody, we love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!"
Before the gang could walk out the door, the guards crossed their spears, which blocked their exit. "You can't keep us here, let us leave!" Katara demanded to the king. "Lettuce leaf?" asked the King as he pulled one from his plate and ate it.
"We're in serious trouble, this guy is nuts," Sokka whispered to his friends.
"You were laughing at his jokes a few minutes ago," Gohan whispered back.
"That one was funny, this isn't," replied Sokka.
"Tomorrow the Avatar and his brother will face three challenges-" said the King in a stern voice which made Aang look on in worry while Gohan wondered, "How did he know we were brothers?!" "-but for now, the guards will show you to your chamber." "My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?" asked the guard next to the King. "The newly refurbished chamber," replied the King.
"Wait, which one are we talking about?" asked the confused guard.
"The one that used to be the bad chamber," replied the King, "until the recent refurbishing. Of course we've been calling it the new chamber but we really should number them." He then returned his attention back to the guards that were taking the gang away and ordered, "Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!" He then picked up another lettuce leaf and ate it while his advisor came up to him and asked, "Are you sure they're ready for this?"
"Nope," replied the King.
"So why test them at all?" asked the advisor.
"To see if they're ready or not," said the King.
"How do you think they'll do?" asked the advisor.
"Terrible, but that's just my opinion," said the King.
"You're still very mad," said the advisor.
"True, but who's completely sane in this world?" asked the King as he ate another leaf.
Back with the gang, the guards had taken them to a nice looking room that had four beds before leaving them in a sealed room. "This is a prison cell?" asked the Waterbender. "But it's so nice."
"He did say it was newly refurbished," said Aang.
"Nice or not, we're prisoners," said Sokka.
"Feels more like we're guests than prisoners here," said Gohan.
"I wonder what these challenges are gonna be?" said the monk nervously. "Why'd he say the both of us will face some challenges?" asked Gohan. "Well, we're not sticking around to find out," said Katara. "There's gotta be a way out of here." "It doesn't look like there is; there's no doors or windows unless you're an Earthbender," said Gohan. "Which we aren't," said Sokka. "The air vent!" cried the Airbender as he pointed toward a small circle in the wall. The three looked at each other before looking back at the Avatar.
"If you think we're gonna fit through there, you're crazier than that King," said Sokka.
"We can't, but Momo can," said Aang as he pointed to the pet lemur, who was laying on the bed with a big gut full of food while licking an apple. "Momo, I need you to find Appa and Icarus and bust us out of here," Aang instructed the lemur. He then picked up the small pet and hoisted him into the air vent. Half of Momo's body made it through before he got stuck. Aang repeatedly tried to push Momo through the air vent but to no avail. "Go on boy, get Appa!" said Aang as he pushed one last time before looking down sadly.
"Eh, how were Appa and Icarus supposed to save us anyway?" asked Sokka.
"Appa is a ten ton flying bison, and Icarus is a smart dragon. I'm sure they could figure something out," said Aang as he left the lemur in the air vent.
"Yeah, don't underestimate an animal's intelligence," said Gohan as he went over to the vent and pulled Momo free.
"Well, no point in arguing about it now," said Katara as she climbed into one of the beds. "Get some rest guys, looks like you'll need it for tomorrow." Gohan and Aang were soon in their own beds waiting to fall asleep before facing tomorrow's challenges. The next morning, Aang and Gohan were still sleeping soundly when an Earth guard opened the door, which woke them up. "Katara? Sokka?" called Aang as he saw that his friends were gone.
"Where are our friends?" asked Gohan to the guard.
"The King will free them if you complete your challenges," replied the guard.
"And if we fail?" asked Aang.
"He didn't say. Your staff and sword please?" asked the guard as he held out his hand. Aang picked up his staff and twirled it around before tossing it to the guard while Gohan removed his sheathed blade and handed it to the guard. The boys were then led to the King, who was wearing a different robe than yesterday. "First boys, what do you think of my new outfit? I want your honest opinion," said the King. For a moment, none of the boys had an answer as they observed the King's clothing.
"I'm waiting," said the King.
"I guess it's..." began Gohan before he got stumped and looked toward Aang.
"Fine?" asked Aang as he scratched his head.
"Excellent! You've passed the first test!" said the King.
"Really?" asked the boys.
"Well, not one of the deadly tests," the King corrected himself. "The real challenges are much more... challenging."
Now annoyed, the boys ran up to the King. "We don't have time for your crazy games!" Aang shouted at the King. "Give us back our friends, we're leaving!" "Oh, my advisor warned me that you might refuse, so he told me it would be best to give your friends some special souvenirs," said the King. The water tribe siblings suddenly appeared while two guards held out their wrists and the old advisor stood behind them. "Those delightful rings are made of pure genimite, also known as creeping crystals," said the King as the guards placed the rings on the water siblings' fingers. The rings then shrank down until they were too tight to remove. "It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast," the King continued to explain as the water tribe siblings tried to remove the rings.
"By nightfall, your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible fate, really; I can stop it, but only if the two of you cooperate," warned the King.
"I suggest you cooperate, the crystals have already started to grow," said the advisor.
"Ah! He's right, it's already creeping!" gasped Sokka as the ring started growing on his finger.
Gohan clenched his fist as he looked toward Aang and nodded slowly. They both looked at the King and said, "We'll do what you want," which made him smirk. A few minutes later, Aang was standing on a ledge in a cave full of stalagmites and stalactites while there was a large waterfall in the center of the cave. The King, the advisor, and a few guards were watching from a balcony along with Aang and Gohan's friends. The King laughed a bit as he looked back at the Water Tribe siblings, whose hands were now covered in crystals.
"It seems I've lost my lunchbox key and I'm hungry!" the King called out to Aang. Looking into the waterfall, they could see the key hanging from a chain in the center of the waterfall. "Oh, there it is! Would you mind fetching it for me?!" asked the King.
With a look of determination, Aang started hopping across stalagmites toward the waterfall. When he made it to the waterfall, he jumped inside and grabbed onto the ladder. The Avatar held his breath as he tried to climb further up the ladder, but the pressure from the pouring cascade was too great. "Ooh, climbing the ladder. No one's thought of that before," said the King sarcastically. Eventually Aang was forced to let go, almost falling onto the pointy stalagmites which would have impaled him, but he managed to save himself by doing a full split in between two stalagmites. The Avatar sighed in relief before looking at his friends, who smiled to see that he was alright. Aang then jumped upward onto the stalactites. He stopped in between two and looked through the cascade at the key. He then jumped at the waterfall in a diving position while spiraling. He dove into the waterfall only to be washed out again and ended up crashing into a stalagmite. He almost fell onto the tip of another one, but he quickly grabbed onto the one he crashed into.
"That's right, keep diving head in. I'm sure it will work eventually," the King said again sarcastically.
"Come on Aang, you can do it!" urged Gohan.
The Airbender looked toward the water as he seemed to have thought of something. He snapped off the pointy half of the stalagmite and stood on the bottom half. He then tossed the stalagmite at the waterfall before creating a wind blade and sending it at the waterfall. The two objects flew toward the waterfall at a high speed; the wind blade cut off the lower part of the chain with the key while the stalagmite caught it and flew all the way to the balcony. It stopped at the top wall which made the key dangle just above the king's head.
"Well played," said the old Advisor.
"There, enjoy your lunch!" yelled Aang. "I want my friends back now!"
"Not yet, I need help with another matter," said the King. "It seems I've lost my dear pet, Flopsy."
"Are you kidding?!" asked Gohan.
Soon, everyone was moved to a different place. It was some sort of playpen that was a giant hole and inside was a small, white rabbit-like creature. It sat on a rock, completely unaware that Aang had just appeared behind it. "Ok, found him!" said Aang. "Bring him to me!" ordered the King. "Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy!" "Come here, Flopsy," said Aang as he carefully approached the creature. A giant beast suddenly appeared behind the young monk. Aang turned around and laughed nervously at the beast while the rabbit hopped away.
"Is that a Gorilla Goat?!" asked Gohan.
The Gorilla Goat made an attempt to grab Aang, but he quickly backflipped away. When he noticed the rabbit running off, he called, "Flopsy, wait! Flopsy!" and chased after it. The beast soon pursued Aang while the King laughed as he watched. "Flopsy!" yelled Aang as he continued to chase the critter while the beast chased him. Aang eventually tried to grab the rabbit but it escaped into a rabbit hole before he could get it. As he struggled to grab the critter, he stopped and thought for a moment as he said, "Wait a minute." The monk stood up and faced the charging Gorilla Goat with one question: "Flopsy?" The beast immediately stopped in front of Aang while wagging its tail and pulled him into a big hug. It happily licked while Aang exclaimed, "Flopsy!" and petted its head.
The King then whistled to Flopsy, who let go of Aang and ran up to meet the King. Flopsy laid down on his back while the King said, "Aww, that's a good boy. Yes, who has a soft belly?" as he rubbed Flopsy's stomach, which made him stamp his foot with joy. The Avatar climbed out of the playpen, where he was met by his brother. "Nice work, bro," said Gohan.
"Thanks, Gohan," said Aang before he turned to the water tribe siblings and asked, "Guys, are you ok?!"
"Other than the crystal slowly encasing my entire body, doing great," replied Katara.
"You look like you're wearing a dress of crystals," commented Gohan.
Just then, the crystals that covered Sokka grew some more on one side, unbalancing him and making him fall over. "Hey, how come he didn't place a creepy crystal ring on Gohan?!" asked Sokka.
"Because he wants me to take the last challenge with Aang," explained Gohan as he helped Sokka up. "Up until, now he's only made Aang do the challenges, but the last one must be so tough it'll take us both to complete."
"That's well deduced, boy," said the old advisor.
Aang then walked over toward the King and Flopsy and said, "Come on! I'm ready for the next challenge!" which made the King grin wickedly while laughing.
The gang was soon moved to a large arena made completely out of earth. The water tribe siblings stood on a balcony with two guards while Aang and Gohan stood with the King and his advisor on another. "Your final test is a duel. As you already know, you and your brother will participate in this challenge," explained the King. "And as a special treat, you may both choose your opponents." A man with two swords on his back, a spear in his hand, a metal claw hand, and a scar over his left eye soon appeared. Aang looked a little scared while Gohan grew determined. Next, a giant man with a big axe came out. Both warriors stood next to the King and his advisor.
"Point and choose," instructed the King.
"So you're saying whoever we point to, they're the people we get to fight?" asked Aang.
"Choose wisely," warned the King.
"How about I take the guy with the ax and you take the one with the scar?" Gohan asked Aang.
Aang thought about it for a moment and said, "I have a better idea, bro." He then moved his hand to choose their opponents as he said, "We...choose...you two." His finger landed on the King and his advisor. The old men smirked as the King said, "Wrong choice!" The King suddenly stood up straight and removed his robe, revealing his very muscular body. The teens stared at the King with wide eyes and hanging jaws. Soon after, the old advisor took off his shirt and his muscles started to expand until he was twice the size of the King.
"What the what?!" exclaimed Gohan.
With a mighty stomp from the King, the ground split and a small chunk of rock launched Aang onto the arena. "Aang!" cried Gohan. He then turned toward the old men, only to discover the old advisor was standing right in front of him. "Whoa!" said Gohan before he was palm striked into the arena next to Aang. The boys looked up just as the old men jumped onto the arena. "Well, now we've got a real challenge, bro; this was a good idea," said Gohan sarcasticlly.
"You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see!" said the King. "And my advisor is one of the greatest Energy benders in existence!"
"Let this be a lesson boys, don't judge a book by its cover!" said the advisor.
"Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?" asked Aang.
"There are no take backsies in my kingdom," replied the King. "You might need these!" The boys' weapons were tossed to them by the guards. The King pulled three chunks of earth out of the ground and hurled them at the boys, who quickly evaded all three. "Typical Airbender tactic, avoid and evade. I'd hoped the Avatar would be less predictable!" said the King as he launched another rock at the brothers, causing them to seperate. Gohan drew his sword and rushed at the earthbender, but he was cut off by the advisor, who knocked him back with his rod. Aang jumped into the air as he dodged another attack from the King. "Don't you have any surprises for me?!" asked the King. "Sooner or later you'll have to strike back!" The King launched another rock at the Avatar that was dodged, but it smashed into the ceiling and caused some rocks to descend on Aang, which knocked him to the ground and separated him from his staff.
Gohan soon got up and saw his brother was down. He ran to his aid but he was once again cut off by his own opponent's attack. The advisor tried to smash Gohan's head with his rod but the spiky haired teen quickly avoided him. Gohan then jumped into the air and swung his blade at the old energy bender, who blocked the assualt by turning his weapon horizontally. "He managed to counter my strike with that stick?! Guess he's not just an old man after all!" thought Gohan as he swung again. The young fighter continued to swing his weapon at his opponent but the advisor managed to block them all. Eventually the advisor used his stick to knock Gohan's sword out of his hand and pushed him away by jabbing his stomach. Gohan slid on his back before he stood up and grasped his gut.
"Well, without your sword, you seem to be at a disadvantage!" said the King.
"We'll see about that!" challenged Gohan.
He then fired a ki attack that had great force, but the advisor twirled his stick, allowing him to maintain his position. Gohan growled as the King taunted, "What's wrong? Giving up already?! Is this really the best you can do?!" "I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I CAN DO!" yelled Gohan angrily as he charged at the old energy bender. The young fighter attempted to strike his opponent with multiple blows but he blocked all of them with his turtle staff.
Back with Aang, he soon got up and ran toward the King, who started creating earth spikes from the ground. Aang avoided most of them but got hit by the last one. "Ah, you'll have to be a little more creative than that!" said the King. Aang came down riding on his air scooter; he rode up the wall and sent an airbending strike at his opponent, but he managed to block the strong gale blast with a rock wall. "Did someone leave the windows open? It feels a little drafty in here!" said the King. "Are you hoping I'll catch a cold?!" The King sent a rock wave at Aang; he jumped to dodge it but was knocked down by it anyway. The old Earthbender sent another attack, which the Avatar dodged by bouncing off the ground, then the wall, before he grabbed his staff.
"How are going to get me from way over there?!" asked the King.
Accepting the challenge, Aang started running toward the crazy Earthbender at a high speed. Meanwhile, Gohan was throwing punches and kicks at the old energy bender. Eventually the advisor kicked Gohan away; the spiky haired teen quickly countered by firing a ki blast at his opponent. The old fighter grabbed the blast with one hand and threw it back at Gohan, who was too surprised to avoid it so he blocked it. Getting angry, Gohan fired his own gale force attacks, which the advisor dodged by jumping into the air. The young fighter immediately jumped after him but was blasted away by a blue ki beam from the old advisor.
"Your anger can make you stronger, but if you lose control of it, your actions become too predictable!" warned the advisor.
"How's this for predictable?!" cried Gohan as he started spinning his entire body around. The constant rotation turned him into a small orange tornado that was advancing on the advisor. The old energy bender put down his stick and positioned his hands toward the tornado; it rotated against his palms until it slowed down to the point where the advisor managed to grab Gohan's wrist and fling him across the arena. Gohan quickly landed on his feet at the spot where his sword was; he picked it up just in time to turn it horizontally and block an energy blast from the advisor with it. The spiky haired swordsman rushed at his opponent with his blade drawn but the advisor simply blocked it with his stick.
"You need to relax in a fight, boy, let your instincts take over and guide you to victory," advised the old fighter before he pushed Gohan away. The young energy bender was about to charge again but he stopped to think for a moment. "He's right, I can't let my anger get the best of me! I need to focus on what I'm doing and that's fighting!" thought Gohan. He sheathed his sword as he closed his eyes for a second while taking a deep breath. His eyes suddenly shot open, now filled with new determination. The young fighter began rotating his entire body while approaching the advisor, who postioned his hands toward the tornado again. However, this time when the tornado hit the old man's hands, it immediately slowed down and it was Gohan who grabbed the advisor's wrist. The young energy bender smirked as he tossed his opponent into the arena wall. The advisor crashed into the wall and stuck there; he looked up in time to see Gohan coming at him with the intent of kicking him.
The impact from Gohan's attack caused a dust cloud to burst around him and the advisor. When it cleared, Gohan saw the advisor blocking his kick with both hands. He then jumped away and fired a Masenko while the advisor countered with his own ki blast.
Back with the Avatar, the King softened the ground which turned it into quicksand, causing Aang to stop running and sink to his waist. The earthbender then sent two huge stones, one from the left and one from the right, at the airbender, who was struggling to escape his ground restrains. When he noticed the two flying rocks, Aang quickly swirled and airbent himself above the rocks just before they could crush him with their collision. For a second nothing happened, but Aang soon jumped out and with a mighty yell, he nailed the King with a gale force strike that knocked him into the areana wall. The King countered by bending a large rock at Aang from behind. The young monk quickly jumped and backflipped, just barely clearing the boulder, which meant it was now coming at the King. The old earthbender crossed his arms to defend himself, causing the boulder to disintegrate into dust.
Returning to Gohan, he and the advisor were firing energy blasts at each other. Eventually Gohan managed to fire a stronger blast that the old fighter couldn't counter with a simple ki blast, so he was forced to block it. When the smoke cleared, the advisor looked in time to see Gohan thrust his palm forward, which created an invisible strike that nailed the advisor in the chest and pushed him back a bit. The old energy bender then stabbed his stick into the dirt and clapped his hands together as he channeled ki into his hands.
His hands began to spark with yellow electricity as he slowly separated them. He then fired an electric ki blast at the spiky haired teen, who jumped into the air to dodge it. However, this left him open for the second electric ki blast that the old man threw at him. Instictively, Gohan pulled out his sword and positioned it in front of himself horizontally. The blast hit the blade and was suddenly absorbed into it; Gohan's sword sparked as the energy swam through it.
Gohan swung his sword with all his might, creating a yellow curved ki attack that flew at the advisor. Acting quick, the advisor placed his hands forward and caught the redirected attack before tossing it aside. Gohan smirked as he maintained his position in the air, which the advisor noticed. "TRY THIS BOY!" cried the old fighter as he cupped his hands together and focused his energy into them. "KA...ME...HA...ME...HA!" shouted the advisor as he fired a blue beam at the young energy bender. Gohan just smiled as he swung his sword at the beam, slicing it in half, and making it sail past him without harming him.
He then smirked as he said, "My turn, gramps!" as he threw his sword into the air and placed his hands above his head while conducting ki into them. He then yelled, "MASENKO...HA!" as he fired a gold beam at the old fighter.
The advisor used his hands to push against the blast and direct it upward. Now that his opponent's guard was down, Gohan caught his weapon and charged at the old ki user with a skull bash attack. The advisor quickly crossed his arms and blocked Gohan's assault; the young reacted quicker by immediately kicking his opponent away and charging at him with his sword drawn.
Meanwhile, the King attempted one last attack; with all his might, he separated the large part of the balcony from the wall. Aang quickly ran around in a circle while airbending, making a strong dust tornado. The old earthbender threw the large rock at the airbender but the tornado caught it and threw it back at him. The King clapped his hands together and split the rock apart; the Avatar suddenly jumped and pointed his staff at him preventing him from making another move. The King held up his hands as he looked behind him to see his advisor pushed back a few inches behind himself while Gohan pointed his sword at the old fighter so that he wouldn't try anything. The old men looked up and grinned which confused the boys until a pebble fell on Aang's head. The brothers looked up and saw a large rock hovering above their heads; its only support was the King's eartbending. The battle ended in a stalemate.
"Well done boys, you fight with much fire in your hearts!" complimented the King.
"Your skills are impressive, your intelligence is adequate, and your determination is most admirable!" said the advisor.
The King tossed the rock aside before sinking underground while his advisor disappeared. The old men reappeared on the balcony with Katara and Sokka just before Aang and Gohan climbed up.
"You've passed all my tests," said the King. "Now you both must answer one final question."
"That's not fair! You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests!" argued Aang.
"Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?" asked the King.
"Oh, come on!" complained Sokka.
"It's true! Those tests' purposes were meant to teach you something," said the advisor.
"Like what?" asked Gohan.
His question was ignored as the King spoke again. "Answer this one question and I will set your friends free," promised the King. "What... is my name?" The boys looked worried about having to answer that question. "By the looks of your friends I'd say you both only have a few minutes," said the King as he and his advisor walked away, leaving the teens alone. "How are we supposed to know his name?" asked Aang to his friends. "Think about the challenges, maybe it's some kind of riddle!" advised Katara.
"Yeah, the answer is in the tests somehow," agreed Gohan.
Sokka thought for a moment before he said, "I got it!"
"Yeah?" asked Aang.
"He's an earthbender, right? Rocky!" replied Sokka. No one found it funny. "You know, because of all the rocks."
"Not funny, man!" said Gohan.
"We're gonna keep trying but that is a good backup!" said Katara.
"Ok, so back to the challenges!" said Aang. "I got a key from a waterfall, I saved his pet, and my brother and I had a duel!"
"And what did you learn?" asked Katara.
"Well, everything was different than I expected," said Aang.
"Nothing was simple, it was all new to us," said Gohan.
"And?!" urged Katara as the crystal around her grew.
"Well, they weren't straightforward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I usually would," said Aang.
"Yeah, like looking at things from a different angle, like looking at a new perspective, like..." said Gohan as he thought deeply for a moment. "I know his name!" said the brothers at the same time. Soon the gang was back in the throne room where Aang and Gohan spoke to the King. "We solved the question the same way I solved the challenges," explained Aang. "As you told us a long time ago," said Gohan before both boys said, "We had to open our brains to the possiblities!" The King started laughing crazily while snorting. "I can't believe it was you the whole time!" said Gohan. "Bumi, you're a mad genius!" said Aang.
The boys then ran up and hugged their long lost friend. "Aw Aang, Gohan, it's good to see you both," said Bumi as he embraced the boys. "You guys haven't changed a bit, literally." Just then the water tribe siblings approached the three friends, almost completely covered in crystals.
"Uh, over here!" called Katara.
"Little help!" said Sokka.
King Bumi pulled his arm back and the crystals around the water tribe siblings burst off their bodies completely. "Genimite is made of rock candy," said Bumi as he grabbed one and ate it. "Delicious." "So Bumi, who's the old man with the turtle shell?" asked Gohan as he ate some rock candy. "Aang, Gohan, this is my advisor, Master Roshi," said Bumi as he introduced Roshi to his friends. "He's an old energy bender who has helped me a lot in this war. He's not a bad advisor, but he can be... a little naughty with the ladies."
"It's an honor to meet you, master Roshi," said Gohan as he bowed to the turtle master.
"It's an honor to meet you, young man, Bumi's told me so much about you two," said Roshi as he bowed back.
"So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?" asked Katara.
"Who you calling old?" asked Bumi before admitting it. "Ok, I'm old."
"Why did you do all this, instead of telling Aang and Gohan who you were?" asked Sokka.
"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people," chuckled Bumi. "But I do have a reason." He then turned to Aang and Gohan as he said, "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 before bowing to Bumi. The crazy King then turned to Gohan and said, "Don't think you're getting away scot-free Gohan, more energy benders are popping up ever since they were wiped out many millienia ago. Which means it's your destiny to guide them and reintroduce them to the world so that people may view energy as an element again. I know you'll do well." Gohan also smiled as he bowed.
"And it looks like you're both in good hands, you'll need your friends' help to complete your destinies," said Roshi. Momo suddenly jumped onto Aang's shoulder. "And you'll need Momo too," said Bumi.
"Thank you both for your wisdom, but before we go..." Gohan started to say.
"We have a challenge for you, Bumi," Aang finished saying.
The three old friends were soon in a cart riding down the world's greatest super slide. They laughed and cheered as they relived the good old days, until they crashed into the cabbage merchant's cabbage cart.
"MY CABBAGES!" cried the merchant.
A/N: Ok! Finally done with this chapter, good thing too cause now my hands are sore from typing. Sorry to keep all my readers waiting and posting a new story before this chapter, don't worry though, I said I wouldn't stop writing this fanfic and I won't! I've got big ideas. Sorry if some of you were expecting Gohan to partake in his own challenges but I couldn't think of any good onesband the duel between him and Roshi was meant to be more like a training session for him. That's all for now! Keep reading my stories and please send your reviews! TTFN, AntiHero out!