A/N: AntiHero here! I know it's been a while since I've worked on this story. It's just that I work on multiple stories one after another and it takes a while for me to finish and post them since I don't have my own computer and there's very little internet where I work. But I manage and now here's the next chapter of Five Elements! Just a heads up, I skipped the Cave of Two Lovers episode since I never really liked it. There too much talk about love and not enough action or fighting for me, so I'm just going straight to the Omashu chapter. Sorry to those who liked the Two Lovers episode, but this is my story and that's how I do things! Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer – I own nothing
Chapter 21 – Return to Omashu
After getting through the Labyrinth of the two founders of Omashu, the Gang rode their flying beasts toward the city. They landed beside a hill not too far from the city and began climbing to the top. "Well, the journey was long and annoying," Sokka stated to his companions, "but now you get to what it's really about, the destination. I present to you, the Earth Kingdom City of O—oh no." When they made it to the top, they gasped when they saw the great Earth city now bore the symbol of the Fire Nation. The city that was once colored by a strong shade of light brown was now black and surrounded by smoke that escaped from inside.
"I can't believe it," Aang said. "I know the war was spreading far, but Omashu always seemed… untouchable."
"Up until now, it was," Sokka said as he crossed his arms. "Now Ba Sing Se is the only Earth Kingdom Stronghold left."
"How could this have happened?" Gohan wondered.
"I know it's horrible, but we have to move on," Katara reasoned.
"No!" Aang said sharply as he stepped forward. "We're going in to find Bumi!"
"Aang, stop," Sokka argued. "We don't even know if Bumi's still…"
"What? Still what?" Aang challenged as he faced the Tribesman.
"Around," Sokka answered while looking away.
"I think you meant to say alive," Gohan said bluntly. "Which is all the more reason why we need to go in and find out what happened to this city and if we can save it."
"Exactly, and the first step is to find Bumi," the Avatar agreed with his brother.
"Aang, I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people who can teach you Earthbending," Katara reasoned.
"This isn't about finding a teacher," Aang assured them. "This is about finding my friend."
"Our friend," the Z Fighter corrected as he stood beside the monk. "Now let's go find him!"
The Gang directed their flying beasts to a sewer tunnel under the city. Aang and Gohan were trying to pry it open while their friends were watching. "A secret passage? Why didn't we just use this the last time?" Sokka questioned. The sewer cap flew open and large chunks of slime spilled out, making him gag.
"Does that answer your question?" Aang retorted. Gohan entered the sewage pipe, followed by Aang, Katara, and finally Sokka. As they climbed up the sewer, Gohan used an energy blast to clear a path for himself, Aang created an air sphere to blow the sludge around him, Katara used her waterbending to bend the sludge away, and Sokka, being a nonbender, was continuously hit with slime waves. By nighttime, the four teens eventually made it to the top. Aang lifted the cover and glanced around to make sure the coast was clear; seeing it was, he then jumped out with Gohan, Katara, and Momo following after.
"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought," Katara said.
Sokka then climbed out covered in slime; he started walking toward his companions like some sludge monster. Katara spotted a barrel of water and used it to wash all the slime off her brother before Aang slapped him with a gust of wind to dry him off. Sokka stood there looking ungrateful when he suddenly felt something sucking on his face. "AAAH!" he screamed as he grabbed the two tiny creatures stuck to his cheeks and tried to pulled them off, but to no avail. "They won't let go! Help!" He continued to scream frantically before Aang tackled him into a wall.
"Stop shouting, it's just a purple pentapus," he told Sokka. The monk then tickled one of the creatures and it released the Tribesman's left cheek, but left behind a few spot marks. Sokka did the same to the one on his right cheek. Aang then removed the last one on his friend's neck when the teens heard someone shout, "Hey!" and spotted three fire soldiers coming toward them with spears. Aang's friends stood in front of him, blocking the soldiers' view long enough for him to tie a bandana around his forehead to hide his arrow and for Gohan to put his hood over his head. The four teens smiled innocently at the guards. "What are you kids doing out past curfew?" one of the soldiers questioned.
"Sorry, we were just on our way home," Katara lied, and the four teens quickly turned to leave before there could be trouble. However, the guard then noticed the spots on Sokka's neck.
"Wait, what's the matter with him?" he asked, making the teens turn around.
"Um, he has… Pentapox, sir," the Waterbender answered. The lead guard went up to touch Sokka's face, but Katara warned him against it. "Um, it's highly contagious." The soldier retracted his hand; Sokka then got an idea and began to act ill.
"Oh, so awful, I'm dying," he groaned while slowly moving closer to the soldiers.
"A-and deadly," Katara played along.
The soldiers began to back away in fright. "Wait, I think I've heard of Pentapox; didn't your cousin Chang die of it?" the guard asked his comrade. "We better go wash our hands…" Sokka started coughing on the soldiers. "…and burn our clothes!" The fire guards quickly ran away in fear.
"Thank you, sewer friend," Aang said to the small creature.
At a Fire Nation port, Princess Azula's ship was docked. While her men were stocking up on more supplies, the Firebending prodigy and her Energybending companion were on the ship having counseling with Azula's advisors. Ozai's daughter sat in her carriage with her friend leaning against it with her arms crossed as they both listened to the twin elderly women. "When tracking your brother and uncle, traveling with the royal proficient may not be an option," Lo said.
"May also no longer be wise," Li stated.
"If you hope to keep the element of surprise," they finished together.
"You're right, the royal procession is dead weight," the Fire Princess agreed. "If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile, nimble. I need a small elite team."
"You've already got one member on your team," Bulla spoke up. "The two of us together could make a force to be reckoned with."
"True, but you remember what happened during our first encounter with our targets," Azula reminded her. "You and Trunks were evenly matched before he got the jump on you, and although I bested Zuko, it's clear that Iroh is still the legendary Firebender who conquered even a dragon. Our chances against all three are almost slim, so we'll need more fighters if we want to succeed in our mission."
"What are you suggesting?" Bulla inquired.
"I think it's time to visit some old friends," Azula answered.
In Omashu, the gang was sneaking through the city streets in search of the missing king; they climbed onto higher ground before hiding behind planks of wood from fire soldiers. "Let's find Bumi and get out of here," Katara whispered.
"Where would they be keeping him?" Sokka asked.
"Somewhere he can't earthbend, somewhere made of metal," Aang responded as he looked around. "Gohan, do you think you can sense Bumi's energy?"
"I've been trying since we entered the city, but I don't sense him at all," Gohan said. "He must be very inactive if his Ki is too low for me to trace." The four then ran for cover beside the mail sending system.
Down below, a woman holding a baby was walking toward the mail system with her daughter and a few guards holding torches. The teenage girl's face was very gloomy as she spoke out loud. "There really is no fathoming the depths of my hatred for this place."
"Mai, your father was appointed governor here," the woman said to her daughter. "We're like royalty here. Be happy, and enjoy it."
As the group walked closer to the mail slide, a squad of Earth soldiers was watching them from the top; one of the soldiers turned to the leader and reported, "The targets are approaching." "Take them out," the head guard ordered.
"I thought my life was boring in the Fire Nation, but this place is unbearably bleak," the girl named Mai continued to complain. "Nothing ever happens." On top of the system, the Earthbender clapped his hands together, sending two large boulders hurtling toward the fire colonials. The Gang heard a rumbling noise and spotted the rocks sliding down toward the targets. Acting on instinct, Gohan fired a Ki blast at the boulders, destroying them instantly and creating a dust cloud. The explosion, however, caught the attention of the very people he just saved, and they didn't look grateful. Mai glared at the Z Fighter as he glanced down and muttered, "Not good."
"The resistance!" Mai's mother cried as she pointed at the boy. Mai immediately attacked by throwing many knives at the Energybender; Gohan quickly pulled out his sword and deflected the flying daggers before jumping back and fleeing with his friends. The guards climbed after them but were immediately knocked off by Katara's water whip. Mai climbed up and fired another set of knives at the Waterbender but they were blocked by her ice wall. Mai continued to pursue the Gang when they passed by a construction sight, where Aang stayed behind and used his airbending to bring down the wood structure and block the knife thrower's path. At the last second, Mai tossed a knife that bounced off the wall and flew toward the Avatar. Aang blocked it with his staff before Mai threw more knives, only for her to miss her targets as the floor opened up and swallowed the before closing. The teenager simply sighed before walking away.
Underground, the four travelers were shaking off their soreness from the fall when they soon found themselves surrounded by the citizens and soldiers of Omashu. Master Roshi stepped out of the crowd and smiled at the Gang. "Hello children, welcome back to Omashu," he greeted.
The next morning, the princesses of the Fire Nation were passing through some sort of circus; they then spotted a girl about their age standing on her index fingers. She had long brown in a long braid and brown eyes to match. She wore a pink top that stopped above her stomach, a red skirt over pink pants, brown shoes, and red wristbands. "Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?" Azula asked the girl.
"Azula! Bulla!" the girl named Ty Lee cried as she recognized her friends.
"Hey girl, long time no see," Bulla greeted.
The acrobat got on her feet, spun around, and bowed to the princesses before running to hug them. "It's so good to see you both," she said joyfully.
"Please, don't let us interrupt your… whatever it is you were doing," Azula insisted with uncertainty. Ty Lee then got on her elbows and started flexing her legs.
"Mind if I join you?" the blue haired girl asked.
The acrobat smiled. "Sure, I missed my acrobat partner," Ty Lee said. Bulla then got into the same position as her while Azula just watched.
"Tell me, what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here?" the princess questioned. "Certainly our parents didn't send you to the royal fire academy for girls to end up in… places like this." She glanced to the side where she saw a Platypus Bear laying an egg, her face showing slight disgust. "We have a proposition for you; we're hunting a few traitors. You remember my old fuddy duddy uncle, right?"
"Oh yeah, he was so funny," Ty Lee giggled.
"Well, we're supposed to track him down and capture him, along with our brothers," Bulla explained.
"Really?" the acrobat questioned.
"We would be honored if you joined us on our mission," Azula stated.
"Oh, I, uh, would love to," Ty Lee replied, feeling a bit nervous as she got on her feet. "But the truth is, I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!"
"We can see that," Bulla noted.
"Well, I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me," the princess said.
Ty Lee looked surprised at first but then bowed graciously. "Thank you, Azula." The acrobat went back to doing her exercises as the Fire Princess began to leave.
"Of course before we leave, we're going to catch your show," Azula suddenly added, making Ty Lee gasp.
"Uh, yeah, sure, of course," she replied nervously.
Princess Bulla got up and said, "Don't worry, Ty, Azula just has a… unique way of asking for help. Let's just hope tonight's show will be the only time we'll be attending." She then left to catch up with her fellow princess.
Underground, the Gang had just spoken to the resistance. The Avatar then asked, "So is King Bumi with you guys?" Everyone then glanced at the monk in sadness and shame. "Is he leading the resistance?"
"Of course not!" the Earth General replied. "The day of the invasion, we prepared ourselves for battle. We were ready to defend our city and fight for our lives and our freedom. But before we even had a chance… King Bumi surrendered." The Airbender and Energybender's faces changed to downcast expressions as the general continued to explain. "The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do. He looked me in the eye and said…"
Flashback- Fireballs were raining down on the city of Omashu as the Fire Nation attacked. King Bumi and the General watched the attacks from on top of the city wall. "I'm going to do… nothing," the King said simply before laughing like a maniac.
"Doesn't matter now. Fighting the Fire Nation is our only path to freedom," the General said. "And freedom is worth dying for!"
"Actually, there's another kind of freedom," Aang suggested. "You could leave Omashu. You're directing all of your energy to fight the Fire Nation, but you're outnumbered. You can't win. Now's the time to retreat so you can live to fight another day."
"You don't understand. They've taken our home, so we have to fight them at any cost!" the General argued.
"I don't know, Yao, living to fight another day is starting to sound pretty good to me," one of the soldiers said to the General.
"Yeah, I'm with the kid," another soldier agreed.
General Yao turned to his people who, where mumbling about escaping the city; eventually they all agreed that was the best choice, getting the General to realize it as well. "Fine. But there's thousands of citizens that need to leave; how are we gonna get them all out?"
Sokka thought for a moment before answering, "Suckers!" Everyone just stared at the smiling Tribesman, looking baffled. "You're all about to come down with a nasty case of Pentapox," he clarified. The next morning, the citizens collected as many pentapusses as possible and put them in buckets of water. One by one, each resident of Omashu placed the little suckers on their bodies, and after a few minutes of their sucking, they removed them, leaving tiny red spots on themselves. When all of the people had spots, Sokka came up to instruct them on his plan. "Now the marks make you look sick, but you gotta act sick to sell it." An elderly man with a cane walked past them while groaning in pain. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Sokka said encouragingly.
"Years of practice," the old man responded.
"Okay everyone, into sick formation!" Sokka ordered as the townspeople gathered together. Katara was about to follow them when she noticed her friends weren't by her side. She looked back and saw Aang leaving.
"Aang, what are you doing? Aren't you coming with us?" she asked the monk.
"No, I'm not leaving until I find Bumi," Aang told her. Momo then jumped onto his shoulder and pulled on his lips. "Sorry Momo, I'll feed you later," he told the lemur while putting him down. Aang then left, hopping from roof to roof in search of his old friend.
"What about you, Gohan?" the Waterbender inquired.
"Roshi wants to train me outside the city, so we'll be waiting for you guys there," he answered before leaving to meet with the old fighter.
Moments later, many Fire Nation soldiers were standing guard with their weapons ready when they heard a strange moaning noise. They eventually spotted several of the city's people coming toward them and looking very ill. Everywhere the guards turned they saw sick citizens approaching them; the soldiers stepped back each time the contaminated people got closer to them. "PLAGUE! PLAGUE!" one of the soldiers cried before they all dropped their spears and ran inside. A fire guard then sounded the alarm, and the Governor appeared on his mansion's balcony with his wife, teenage daughter, and baby son. "What is going on down there?" the Governor questioned.
"I saw some kids yesterday who were sick with Pentapox. It must have spread!" the guard informed him.
"Pentapox! I'm pretty sure I've heard of that," the Governor mused.
"What should we do?" the guard asked.
"Drive them out of the city... but don't touch them! We have to rid the city of this disease!" the Governor ordered; the guard bowed before leaving to do his job.
"Fire Flakes, Dad?" Mai offered to her father.
"How awful!" Mai's mother gasped while embracing her spouse. While the grown ups were looking out the balcony, the baby boy started wondering off into the house.
Elsewhere, Aang continued to search the city for his old friend. He jumped onto a rooftop, where he spotted a familiar Gorilla goat pushing a turnstile with a chain that was attached to a millstone around his neck. The monk jumped down and called, "Flopsie!" getting the beast's attention. The Gorilla goat ran to hug the Airbender, but was stopped due to the chain's length. The creature groaned as it struggled to reach Aang. The boy jumped onto the millstone and used the water from Bumi's pet's bowl to freeze the chain before shattering it. Flopsie hugged the monk and licked his cheek, making him laugh. "Come on, Flopsie, you gotta help me find Bumi," the Avatar said as he climbed onto the beast's back. "Yip, yip!" he commanded, but the Gorilla goat didn't respond. "Oh... I guess that doesn't work with you like it does with Appa. Let's go!" Flopsie then started running through the city in search of the king.
Late at night, the fire circus was having a show. It began with people dancing around in dragon costumes before the Ring Master started to speak. "We're deeply honored to have the Fire Lord's daughter at our humble circus!" He then turned to Azula and Bulla, who were sitting in a high box with two guards beside it. "Tell us if there is anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable," he told the Fire Princess.
"I will," she assured.
"This'll be a show no one will forget," Bulla thought.
Ty Lee's performance soon began. With her left hand, she stood on top of a short stick that was on a small tent which was balanced on a high wire. The acrobat demonstrated incredible balance and skill as she switched her left hand and for her right one with ease while stretching her legs in the air. "Incredible. Do you think she'll fall?" Azula inquired.
"Of course not," the Ring Master replied confidently.
"Then wouldn't it make it more interesting if you removed the net?" the Princess stated.
Feeling a little worried, the Ring Master tried to explain, "Uh... the thing is... the performers..." but Azula interrupted him.
"You're right, you're right. That's been done," Azula dismissed before making another request. "I know. Set the net on fire."
"Of course, Princess," the Master complied. He shot a fireball at the net, and the flames spread over the net in seconds. Ty Lee's face had a frown on it as she started sweating from heat of the flames, but she kept her balance. Princess Azula watched in amusement while the Circus Master and the other Princess were looking edgy.
"Brilliant, just brilliant," Azula commented before asking, "Oooo, what kind of dangerous animals do you have?"
"Well, our circus holds the most exotic assortment..." the Ring Master started to answer before he was cut off.
"Release them all!" Azula ordered, shocking the Ring Master.
"Come on, girl, hang in there!" Bulla thought. Ty Lee's face was now full of fear as the entire circus was soon full of exotic animals running wild. Smoke went into the sky as the cries of the animals filled the night.
At the camp outside the city, the Son of Goku was having a training session with the invincible old master. Normally, Gohan wouldn't have much of a problem battling against Roshi, but during this session, Gohan was tasked with wearing an eighty kilo turtle shell on his back, so as a result the younger fighter wasn't as strong or fast as usual.
Gohan swung his sword with great force but the old master easily blocked it with his staff. Roshi pushed the boy back and jabbed him in the chest with the top of his stick. Gohan fell on his back, or at least on the shell he was wearing, as Roshi placed his weapon into the ground and jumped into the air right above him; he then cupped his hand together and chanted, "Kamehameha!" and fired his signature destructive turtle shock wave at the boy. Gohan quickly rolled out of the way and got on his feet. He then fired numerous Ki blasts at his mentor, who deflected them with his staff. "You know I met your sister on our journey to the North Pole, Master Roshi," Gohan told him.
"So I've heard, she told me that you also fought against one of my students in the letter she sent me," Roshi responded.
"Wait a minute, Gramps is your student?!" Gohan questioned. "But he's an old man already!"
"Yeah, so?" Roshi asked.
"O… k," Gohan said as he thought, "Just how old is this fighter?"
"I commend you for putting up a good fight against my oldest pupil," the Turtle Hermit complimented him. "Gohan told me that your skills reminded him of your father."
"Yeah well, I try," Gohan said sheepishly before he realized something. "Wait, did you just call your student Gohan?!"
The old Martial Artist nodded. "Yup, Baba's champion is named Gohan, just like you. In fact, that's where you got your name from."
"Heh, guess I've got more than one legacy to uphold," the Z Fighter chuckled. "Alright, let's continue training!"
"Nah, how about we take a break for now," the old Master suggested. "Let's join up with the townspeople while you try to get used to that shell on your back." Gohan bowed humbly and the two warriors made their way over to the campfire where the citizens were taking refuge. Gohan regrouped with his companions as they waited for the Avatar to return, hopefully with the city's King. After a few minutes, the Airbender and the Gorilla goat appeared in the camp with depressed looks on their faces. The rest of the Gang quickly approached them.
"We looked everywhere…no Bumi," Aang said in sadness. Katara hugged the monk to comfort him while Sokka embraced the Gorilla goat. The leader of the resistance then came up to the Gang and the King's advisor.
"We've got a problem. We just did a head count," he reported.
"Oh no, did someone get left behind?" Katara asked.
"No, we have an extra," he corrected as he pointed to his left, where Momo was walking while the Governor's son was holding him tightly, thus being dragged in the process. The four teens simply stared at the child with blank expressions. (A/N: I'm not gonna bother writing the scene when Tom-Tom ended up outside the city 'cause it seems like a waste of time to me.)
At the Governor's home, Mai, her parents, and two fire guards were standing at the balcony in sorrow after finding out that little Tom-Tom was missing. The Governor's wife was weeping as her daughter handed her a tissue. The Governor rested on the balcony, looking distressed. "So, the resistance has kidnapped my son," the Governor deduced. "Everything so clever, so tricky, just like their King Bumi."
"What do you want to do, sir?" one of the guards questioned, and the Governor looked out into the night sky as he made his decision.
At the Fire circus, a bouquet of black roses was placed on a table. Ty Lee sat at her dressing table (somehow still alive and unharmed) in front of a mirror with her Princess friends standing behind her. "What an exquisite performance. I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow," Azula said to the acrobat.
"I'm sorry, Azula, but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow," Ty Lee stated with a smile.
"Really?" the Princess inquired.
"The universe has given me strong hints that it's time for a career change," Ty Lee explained as she removed her tiara and hung it up.
"Yeah, the universe gave you those hints," Bulla thought.
The acrobat then faced her friends and declared, "I wish to join you both on your mission." The daughter of Ozai smirked, clearly glad that she had gotten her way.
Back at the Earth camp, the Gang was sitting around the fire with their beasts, the resistance leader, and the Governor's son. They watched as Tom-Tom continued to chase the Lemur bat until it stumbled upon Sokka's war club; he picked it up and began sucking on it. The Tribesman confiscated it and exclaimed, "No! Bad Fire Nation baby!" The toddler started to wail, earning Sokka a slap to the face from his younger sister. "Oh... alright," Sokka gave in as he handed his weapon back to the child.
Tom-Tom resumed playing with the club and the Waterbender embraced him while saying, "Ooo, you're so cute!"
"Sure he's cute now, but when he's older, he'll join the Fire Nation army," the General spoke. "You won't think he's so cute then. He'll be a killer."
"Does that look like the face of a killer to you?" the Water Tribe girl asked as she held up the child to the General, who didn't respond but gave a serious face
"Hopefully this war will be over before he can be aware of it," Gohan mused. "I wonder if that's how all villains start out? Small, adorable, and innocent. And if so, what causes them to change?"
Just then, a red-feathered bird with a small case that held the Fire Nation insignia landed beside the camp, alerting the Gang and the Omashu General. "A Messenger Hawk!" Yao exclaimed. The Avatar approached the bird and pulled out the letter from the bird's case and read it to his friends. "It's from the Fire Nation governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son. So... he wants to make a trade: his son... for King Bumi." The young Monk's face was full of shock from the message.
The next morning, the Avatar stood on the mountains with the Governor's son asleep in his arms. He then approached his friends and sky bison. "You realize we're probably walking right into a trap?" Sokka questioned.
"I don't think so. I'm sure the Governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi," Aang assured his companions. "It's a new day, I have a good feeling about this."
"Let's hope you're right, bro," Gohan said as he dropped the shell and placed his sword on his back.
Inside the city, about six Fire Soldiers were lifting Princess Azula's carriage and walking toward the Governor's mansion with Princess Bulla and Ty Lee trailing close behind. Mai stood at the steps with a bored look; the soldiers placed the carriage down and the Fire Princess stepped out. The three teenage girls approached the Governor's daughter, who bowed to the Fire Lord's daughter. "Please tell me you're here to kill me," Mai pleaded in a dull tone. She then smiled and the four girls laughed at her joke.
"It's great to see you, Mai," Azula greeted as she embraced Mai.
"Hey there, Bulla. Still acting as Azula's little tag-along?" Mai teased.
"Hey! I'm the Sapphire Shadow, don't forget it!" Bulla retorted before hugging her friend.
Ty Lee then hugged the knife thrower, which she accepted but still expressed her wonder. "I thought you ran off and joined the circus? You said it was your calling."
"Well, Azula called a little louder!" the acrobat replied.
"That's one way of putting it," Bulla muttered.
"We have a mission and we need you both," Azula told her friends.
"Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place," Mai immediately accepted.
Moments later, the girls were inside the mansion. Princess Azula was sitting in the Governor's chair with two guards at her right and left sides. The Governor and his wife were kneeling on floor pillows before the Fire Princess while Bulla, Mai, and Ty Lee were kneeling right beside them. "I apologize, you've come to Omashu at a difficult time," the Governor explained. "At noon, we're making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back."
"Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son, but really, what did you expect when you let all of the citizens leave?" Azula questioned criticizingly. The Princess then stood up, looking displeased. "My father has trusted you with this city and you're making a mess of things!"
"Forgive us, Princess," the Governor pleaded as he and his wife bowed humbly.
Azula stepped off the throne and walked toward the married couple. "You stay here. Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up," she told them harshly while her teammates stood up. "And there is no more 'Omashu.' I'm renaming it in honor of my father, the City of New Ozai." As she spoke, a construction design of a giant statue of Fire Lord Ozai was being built.
When the day struck noon, the Gang was waiting at the construction site for the Governor and King Bumi; the four teens had serious looks on their faces while Sokka held Tom-Tom as they waited. Pretty soon, Azula and her team appeared on the construction site. Gohan raised an eyebrow at the four girls approaching. "The girl up front was the one who attacked us the night we got here," he thought. "That girl on the left looks familiar, and the blue-haired one reminds me of Trunks. And the pretty one on the right, I've seen her somewhere before, but where?" The Z Fighter gazed at the acrobat as he observed her beauty, blushing a bit.
Bumi's laughter was heard from the top of the construction frame, where a crane lowered the King down. "Hi, everybody!" the crazy King greeted. Aang smiled at the sight of his old friend as Bumi was placed on the ground behind the girls. "You brought my brother?" Mai questioned.
"He's here. We're ready to trade," Aang declared as the Governor's son played with Sokka.
"I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind?" the Sapphire Princess asked.
"Of course not, Princess Azula," Mai replied.
"We're trading a two year-old for a king. A powerful, Earthbending king," Azula stated, and Bumi nodded to the Princess. "It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?" Mai looked over to the Gang and Tom-Tom, showing no sign of concern for her younger brother.
Gohan heard the conversation with his good hearing and noticed Mai's look. "Guys, be ready! Things are about to get serious," he whispered as he gripped his sword.
"You're right," Mai agreed; she then stepped forward and announced, "The deal's off!" She raised her hand, gesturing the crane to take Bumi back up.
"Whhhoa! See you all later!" the King of Omashu laughed.
"Bumi!" Aang cried. The Avatar rushed to save his old friend, and Azula immediately went on the offensive by throwing a large blue fireball. The monk jumped over it and bounced of the construction frame before opening his glider to fly upward. Unfortunately, the bandana around his forehead came loose. Aang tried to grab it with his teeth, but it was too late; his arrow tattoo was exposed, revealing his identity to the Fire Nation girls.
"That's…" Bulla started to say.
"The Avatar!" Azula exclaimed as she watched Aang fly toward the Omashu King. "My lucky day!" She smirked before running over to the construction frame. She grabbed onto one of the chains of the winch and cut the other one with her fire, pulling her upward.
Aang landed right on Bumi's box, surprising the old Earthbender. "Aang, is that you? Where did you come from?" Bumi questioned the Airbender.
"Hang on! We're gonna get you out of here," Aang promised him. He took a big breath and started blowing air onto the chain on Bumi's box, slowly encasing it in ice.
Down below, Azula's comrades were advancing on Aang's friends. Mai pulled out a few daggers and Bulla fired multiple Ki attacks at the Gang, but Gohan quickly deflected them. "Things are starting to get out of hand!" Gohan alerted.
"We've got to get the baby out of here!" Katara stated as she took her stance.
Sokka was currently blowing the Bison whistle. "Way ahead of you!" he said before Tom-Tom took it and started blowing it. Gohan charged at the Sapphire Shadow while the Water Tribe siblings ran to the edge of the Platform. Before he could make it, though, the Tribesman was struck in the sole of his foot by the acrobat. Sokka was knocked off his feet and sent sliding toward the edge of the platform; he held the baby protectively as they stopped just before they could fall off. Ty Lee then jumped onto the platform and ran toward Sokka, while Katara brought her water out just as Mai threw three knives at her. The Waterbender slashed the platform, causing three planks of wood to fly in front of her and block the flying blades. She tossed the planks at Mai and used her water to grab Ty Lee's ankle, tripping her and allowing Sokka to escape the construction.
With Aang, the monk was still blowing ice onto the chain while Bumi was trying to speak to him. "Aang, stop your blowing for a minute!" The Avatar finally stopped freezing the chain when the Fire Princess jumped out of the construction frame; she fired another blue fireball from her foot. "Now hold on just a… duahhh!" The King was interrupted when Aang deflected the attack and severed the ice chain, sending him and Bumi plummeting downward. The box turned horizontally in the air and Aang stood on top as he created an air pillow below them; the two bounced off it and began sliding down the Omashu mail system. Azula watched her target get away before jumping into an empty crate and sliding after them.
"Just like old times, isn't it, Bumi?" Aang laughed.
"Aang, I need to talk to you!" Bumi shouted over the wind.
"It's good to see you, too!" Aang replied, having misheard his friend. The Airbender then spotted Azula on the chute above them. She fired many fire attacks but Aang blocked them with his staff. The two slides then crossed together with Aang in the lead and Azula in pursuit. The monk sent an air blast at the Princess but she split it apart with her hands and smirked as she continued to attack with fire. The chase led them to a slide that had several arches over it, so Aang created a wind blade that severed them, causing them to collapse as Azula's crate passed through. When it made it past the dust, Aang sighed in relief when he saw the crate was empty, but the Princess suddenly jumped out from inside the box, surprising Aang, who ducked to evade another fire attack.
Back at the construction area, Gohan and Bulla were locked in combat. The black-haired fighter threw a punch at the blue-haired princess, but she blocked it and kicked him in the face. She then tried to elbow bash him but he dodged it and palm struck her. Gohan then backed away and pulled out his sword before pointing it at his opponent; in response, Bulla stretched out her right hand and formed a Ki blade. "Wow, cool," an awestruck Gohan muttered before he blocked a strike from Bulla. The two were engaged in a sword fight. They slashed at each other repeatedly until Bulla managed to knock Gohan's blade out of his hand and into the air. Although he was unharmed, Gohan took the offensive by skull bashing Bulla before blasting her away with a kiai.
The Sapphire Shadow glared at the son of Goku as he charged to strike her again, and the two were trading blows again. However, Gohan was so focused on his fight that his senses didn't alert him of the acrobat's presence from behind him. Gohan threw a right hook at Bulla but she quickly dodged and grabbed his right arm; she held him in place allowing Ty Lee to jab his right arm a few times and then his left arm as he winced in pain. Gohan instinctively grabbed the acrobat's wrist and tossed her to one of the holes in the platform, where she fell down. He then kicked Bulla in the gut, forcing her to let him go so that he could back away from her. The Z Fighter raised his hands above his head and cried, "Masenko…ha!" but when he thrust his hands forward, not even a speck of energy came out of his hands. "What the? Why can't I fire my attack?!" Gohan thought as he evaded Bulla's assault. "It feels like I'm channeling energy through my body, but when it gets to my arms, something blocks it off!" He attempted to fire an energy blast again, only to get the same result.
"I gotta say, you're pretty good; not many are able to hold their own against me," Bulla stated. "But you've got no chance at beating me now! An Energybender who can't bend energy won't last long."
"Who says I need my arms to bend?" Gohan asked before he roared, "Masenko…ha!" firing the demon flash attack from his mouth. Bulla quickly crossed her arms to block the blast; the beam collided with her and she slid a few feet away from the black-haired boy. "Ok, now I'm mad!" she growled as she stood back up. She then rushed at the son of Goku with her right fist enhanced with Ki; she struck him in the gut many times before blasting him away. Gohan skidded across the floor as his blade hit the ground; he tried to channel and release his Ki but found that he was unable to do that now. "What did those girls do to me?!" he thought. "Their blows are somehow blocking the Ki inside me!" With no more time to think, Gohan grabbed his sword and braced himself as Bulla rushed at him with her energy blade.
With Katara, the knife thrower continued to toss daggers at the Waterbender, who easily deflected them with her bending. Katara then threw a water attack at Mai, but she bent backwards to avoid it while throwing another knife from the gadget on her ankle. Katara blocked it with an ice wall and Mai ran toward her, but Katara quickly launched a water arm that grabbed Mai's right arm and encased it in ice. Mai attempted to break it with her left hand but it was a futile. While this was going on, Ty Lee came back up the platform and snuck up behind the Water Tribe girl. Katara was unaware of the acrobat's presence until her arms were jabbed a few times. The ice under Katara's control suddenly melted and fell to the ground, freeing the knife thrower. Gohan was then knocked toward his friend just as Princess Bulla rejoined hers; Katara motioned her arms to bend the water, but it didn't respond. "How are the both of you gonna fight us without your bending?" Mai questioned as she brought out a three-bladed knife.
Gohan got up and held his sword horizontally as he stood defensively in front of Katara. Mai held the knife she was about to throw, but something struck her hand, knocking the blade away. "I seem to manage!" Sokka yelled as he appeared on Appa. He caught his boomerang and landed on the platform in front of his companions, allowing the Sky Bison to slam his tail on the ground, creating a giant gust of wind that blew all three girls off the construction site. The three teens were soon soaring through the air on Appa; they sailed over the mail slide in search of their friends. "There's Aang!" Katara cried as she pointed to where she saw the Avatar.
"We can catch him!" Sokka said. He steered the bison toward the slide, where Princess Azula shot more fire blasts at the monk and he continued to deflect them. "Hang on, Bumi! Our ride's here!" Aang told the King when he saw his friends coming. Azula shot a blast at Appa, only to miss as the bison swerved out of the way, before firing another at Aang; he deflected it and launched both himself and Bumi into the air. Unfortunately, they sailed right over the three teens, who were unable to grab Bumi's box, and plummeted right onto another slide. Azula continued to pursue them as she created a fire pinwheel and tossed it at her enemies. As it came closer, Bumi saw the attack and raised his head, creating a large rock that caused the fire attack to dissipate. The daughter of Ozai jumped out of her box just as it crashed into the rock; she stopped on the slide and watched as her prey escaped with an unsatisfied look on her face.
"You could earthbend?! All along?!" a surprised Aang asked the Earthbender as they continued down the slide.
"Well, they didn't cover my face," Bumi replied. He then lifted his head again as they reached the end of the slide, and another rock came up from the ground, getting Bumi's box to stand upward as Aang jumped off and faced the King.
"I don't understand. Why didn't you free yourself?! Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded?! What's the matter with you, Bumi?!" Aang questioned the King furiously.
"Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting called jin," Bumi started to say. "It's a choice of how you direct your energy."
"I know! There's positive jin when you're attacking and negative jin when you're retreating," Aang stated while holding up two fingers.
"And neutral jin, when you do nothing!" Bumi said.
"There are three jins?" Aang inquired as he brought up a third finger.
"Well, technically there are eighty five. But let's just focus on the third," Bumi suggested before he continued explaining. "Neutral jin is the key to Earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."
"That's why you surrendered, isn't it?" Aang asked as he began to understand.
"Yes, and this is also why I can't leave now," Bumi said.
Aang then turned away from the King of Omashu and looked down sadly. "I guess I need to find someone else to teach me Earthbending," he said morosely, stating the obvious.
"Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jin," the old Earth master advised the monk. "You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking."
The Lemur bat suddenly landed on Aang's shoulder. "Hey, Momo!" Aang greeted his pet.
"Momo's mastered a few jins himself!" Bumi said, and the Lemur screeched in response. "Goodbye, Aang. I'll see you and Gohan when the time is right." Laughing maniacally, the crazy King then fell on his back and used his Earthbending to move the rock up the slide while pushing his box as well. The Avatar stood at the slide and watched his old friend leave just as his travel companions appeared behind him on Appa and Icarus, the latter having been picked up from the campsite.
Elsewhere, Princess Azula was being lifted in her carriage through the city while her teammates were trailing behind her. "So, we're tracking down your brothers and Uncle, huh?" Mai asked after she and Ty Lee were briefed about the mission.
"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?" the acrobat teased her friend. Mai turned away and smiled, slightly embarrassed. "I wonder how they've changed, especially Trunks."
"It's not just Zuko, Iroh, and Trunks anymore. We have a fourth target now," Azula stated with determination.
"Hey Bulla, what did you think of that spiky-haired boy from earlier?" Ty Lee inquired curiously.
"Hmm, he seemed familiar to me," Bulla answered. "I remember Brody saying there was an Energy bender who was incredibly strong. If that was him, then we can't let our guard down around him or the Avatar."
"Well, I think he's cute!" Ty Lee said, smiling a bit wider.
Late at night, Aang and Gohan had snuck back into Omashu with baby Tom-Tom. They hid on the roof and looked down to see the Governor and his wife holding each other in sorrow for their son. The Airbender quietly landed on the balcony behind them and placed Tom-Tom on the floor; he jumped back onto the roof just as Mai's parents looked behind and saw their child walking toward them. "Tom-Tom!" Mai's mother exclaimed happily as the parents embraced the boy. The brothers smiled at the family before leaving.
A/N: Done! Now onto the next chapter! Can't wait till I get to the really exciting parts; you'll love what I do there! Thank you to those who favorited, followed, and reviewed this story; stay tuned! BBFN AntiHero out!