D/C: I own nothing.

Ginkgo Biloba Tea

The benefits of drinking this tea includes, improved thinking, memory and social behavior. May alleviate anxiety and improve vision by keeping one's eyesight for longer. Not for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or have thin blood. It will interact with other medications.

Zuko, Iroh, and Jee, all dressed in modest Earth Kingdom traveling clothing, that signified they were well off, but not enough to have anything to give them a second glance. They were talking to the guards that were posted at the front gate. The paperwork was in order and they were not bringing in anything that was against the laws.

The gates are opened for them and Zuko swore he heard a familiar voice. Resisting the urge to turn around as he was wearing a straw hat that had fabric wrapped around it to hide his more notable features…

Once they were given the okay to get through, they made their way in when he heard very familiar voices. He turned around in time to see Aang, who looked to be wearing a disguise out of Appa's fur and calling Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis the Third. Zuko regretted turning around as he made eye contact with Sokka right before the gate closed breaking eye contact.

Taking in a deep breath to ward of the rising anger that seemed to grow within him. It was like the universe and spirit world is out to get him. Why couldn't he just go somewhere and not somehow feel like he can't even take a single step there without running into the Avatar.

WHO HE WAS SUPPOSED TO CHASE AFTER!

NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!

Not the other way around…

At this point, Jee had to wrap his arm Zuko's shoulders to make sure he did not stray away or bump into the wrong person. "What's wrong, kid?"

"I just saw the avatar…" Zuko muttered under his breath.

Jee looked back, by now there were many people walking around that obscured the view all the way back of the front gate, he saw Sokka and Katara walking through the gate with a badly disguised…Avatar. Oh. "You have shitty luck. It seemed like the universe is telling you to train the avatar."

"Tell me again, why you are here again?" Zuko questioned the Captain of his ship. "In another lifetime, you'd be dead by now."

"You value me far too much to have me dead." Jee jested. "That and you'd be dead without me out in sea."

"….Touché."

-.-

"Of course, Zuko would love to ride down the chutes!" Iroh pushed Zuko towards Aang, Katara, and Sokka's direction. Jee had taken the cases of tea related items from him before he also pushed the gob smacked former prince into the hands of the Avatar.

Iroh and Jee watched as Aang and Sokka carry away the ever sputtering Zuko to their misadventures.

"He's going to hate us for doing this to him." Jee commented offhandedly, before he continue on with the much needing shopping.

"Long as he gets it into his mind, that teaching the Avatar is possibly his destiny… that or the fact he needs friends his own age." Iroh chuckled before he followed Jee back to the market. Maybe he'll find a new Pai Sho board…

-.-

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" Zuko said under his breath, as he, Sokka, Katara, and Aang, had managed to get in one of the earth crate. How they managed to squeeze into said crate, he does not know, and he is debating if he should try to escape… again.

Oh, cruel irony…

"Here… we… GO!" Aang yelled out, using air bending to push the cart forward. Causing everyone to start screaming in either shock, laughter or whatever else. All Zuko knew was that, the moment that a package of spears started to follow them, he clung onto Sokka screaming at Aang to move faster.

-.-

"Did you meet up with your contact?" Jee asked Iroh, as they made their way through the market area into a quieter area of the market. Both of them were carrying many bags or had them strapped to their persons at this point.

"I did, he made mention of a minor settlement in the western Earth Kingdom, near the Mo Ce Sea shoreline…" Iroh hummed lowly, he pulled on his beard deep in thought. Thinking over what his friend had told him about the mining village. He would have to talk to his nephew… is that screaming he's hearing.

Iroh and Jee looking around as the sound of screaming became louder and louder. They looked up into the sky to see… a crate that held the Avatar, two water tribesmen, and Zuko… that is soaring through the sky. The create landed right on top of a cabbage merchant's cart.

"MY CABBAGES!"

Jee's mouth went agape at the scene before him, especially when the four were quickly surrounded by guards and were promptly taken away. To be punished by the King of Omashu. He and Iroh slowly walked away before running off before attention could be brought upon themselves.

"What are we going to do?" Jee hissed out at Iroh, who is still making a double check nothing had fell during the run.

"Nothing. We simply wait until they come out of there." Iroh laughed easily, causing Jee to rub the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"For all we know, Zuko could be sent to his death if we don't do anything." Jee continued to press.

"The King won't allow that to happen."

-.-

'I'm going to die today… It would be Uncle and Jee's fault. Death via growing and glowing rock.' Zuko thought to himself as he watched the 'creeping crystal' began to encase his finger. He looked over the balcony to see Aang staring at the waterfall, trying to figure out how to retrieve the key. 'Air bending isn't going to work along with diving right into it, the force of the water is too strong…'

Zuko attempted to ignore the ever growing feeling of the jennamite growing over his hand now. By the time Aang managed to retrieve the key, the jennamite managed to grow up his, Katara, and Sokka's arms. When the second challenge was called out to begin, the crystal's growth started to speed up to the point, it encased the three from their necks all the way to their knees, showing no sign of stopping any time soon.

Zuko took in another deep breath, quickly regretting his action as the jennamite grew in that exact moment, halting his movement. His breaths are now shorter, and he really started to feel claustrophobic. Oh, he's going to give Uncle and Jee a piece of his mind once he gets out of this situation. He better get out of this alive, so that could very well happen.

When the second challenge started, Zuko really wondered about the King of Omashu, Mad Genius Bumi. Spirits, why would the king have Aang look for the king's lost pet, Flopsie? Yeah, catching a rabbit, could be a hassle but… the rabbit isn't Flopsie.

Flopsie is the giant goat gorilla.

Well, at least it was amusing to see Aang being chased around by the real Flopsie. A tamed, goat gorilla, now that's a sight to see. Zuko watched as Aang 'returned' Flopsie back to Bumi before demanding for the final challenge to begin.

Zuko truly wondered if any of the challenges have any meaning to them. He, of course, have heard the rumors and did some investigating on the city, along with it's king. None of them made sense, let alone the reason why King Bumi has Aang doing this challenges. So when the last challenge came to be, he, Katara, and Sokka were completely covered them except for portions of their faces and their feet.

When Aang was told he had to pick an opponent to fight and picked Bumi to fight against, Zuko knew the twelve(one hundred and twelve) year old was screwed. Bumi is a master Earth Bender and Aang picked him to fight against. What did catch the fire bender's attention was how the old King kept goading at Aang for him to fight. It reminded him one of the many time Sokka will try to get him fight against the water tribesmen.

"Excuse me?" Zuko managed to call out, catching one of the guard's attention. "How old… is the King?"

"One hundred and twelve." The guard responded, with an eyebrow raised.

"Katara, what was the name of Aang's old friend he mentioned earlier?" Zuko asked out.

"Bumi? What does that hav-"

"BUMI?"

The fight stopped as Aang stared at the old king, who in turn, began to laugh.

"Well, it seems like the fire ferret is out of the bag. Right, Aang?" Bumi laughed at his friend's gob smacked expression.

Zuko and the others were quickly friend from their growing prison and were taken down to were Aang and King Bumi are having a touching reunion.

"How did you know this will get him so stop?" Sokka loudly whispered to Zuko, pulled at his arm repeatedly.

Zuko rolled his eyes and yanked his arm away from Sokka. "I didn't. I just started to think why the old King of Omashu would be so interested in the Avatar. Who is just as old…? That and I've visited the city many times to know the King is known to be… eccentric."

"So this crazy king, is your old friend Bumi?" Katara asked once they made their way to Aang and Bumi.

"Who are you calling old!"

Pause.

"Okay, I'm old." Bumi conceded.

"Why did you do all of this, instead of telling Aang who you where?" Sokka asked, with an obvious raised eyebrow at Bumi.

"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people." Bumi stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

The only one that seemed to agree to this is Zuko, who shrugged and nodded for Bumi's reason. This earned him a glare from Katara and a snort from Sokka.

"See, he get's it." Bumi snorted at Zuko's attitude. He then turned his attention back at Aang. "Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the last hundred years, you've been gone. It's the duty of the avatar to restore balance to the world…. By defeating Fire Lord Ozai."

At the mention of his father, Zuko saw King Bumi a pointed look before paying attention back at Aang. Zuko felt his mouth go dry and his stomach had dropped massively at that small action. The only one that took note of his change of behavior was Sokka, but he waved him off before trying to regain his bearings once more.

"-and it looks like your in good hands. You'll need your friends to defeat the Fire Nation." Bumi continued on to say, he smiled when Momo climbs on Aang. "And you'll need Momo, too."

"Thank you for your wisdom, but before we leave, I have a challenge for you." Aang said to Bumi, causing the others to look at him in dismay at the possibility of another challenge.

-.-

Zuko pulled on Iroh and Jee's clothing, leading them out of the Market section of the city. He had just left the palace and just wanted to leave. All he knew was that King Bumi knew who he is and has yet to do anything about it. This had the warning bells to ring excessively in his mind that kept telling him to ditch the city and never return. Ever again.

"Why the hurry, Dear Nephew?" Iroh laughed, wondering why Zuko is in such a hurry.

"What happened in there, anyway, kid?" Jee asked, trying to get Zuko to talk.

"He knows about me." Zuko finally said but did not stopped trying to get them to leave Omashu. "He knows about me. I don't want to be here any-"

Suddenly, right in front of them, Iroh and Jee felt like Deja vu happened again at the sight of another crate landing right on top of a cabbage stall which caused the seller to cry out. "My cabbages!"

TBC.

R/R.