Meeting Omashu's King

Ed glared at Aang while said boy was rubbing his head sheepishly as the guards took them to the palace to see the king so as to enact justice on them. He really should have known better than to join them in Aang's mad idea to ride the mail chutes but seeing as Aang had bought him some oil for his limbs (not that he told them that) he had to join Aang in his 'fun'.

As they got closer to the palace Ed studied their escort noting their formation and how they constantly looked around while they glared at them from time to time. Why am I always branded a criminal wherever I go? Ed asked himself when they entered the palace.

The palace was much more grand then the outside of the city with green crystals imbedded in the walls and a thick green carpet down the hallway that led to a throne and the King sitting on it.

The King to Ed's surprise was an ancient looking man in green robes and a strange hat. He was also hunched over but one look into his eyes told Ed there was more to him then met the eye. His eyes had a sharp look to them as he examined them while they made their way over to him. Ed also noticed how his eyes widened at seeing Aang before drifting over to him. This time his eyes narrowed at him and he held the King's gaze with his own calculating eyes.

The staring contest was broken when the guard in front of them cleared his throat to get the king's attention and started to read off the charges at them consisting of vandalism, traveling under false pretenses and malicious destruction of cabbages…

"Wait a minute are you telling me it's a crime to destroy cabbages?" Ed asked the guard while everyone stared at him varying from surprise (the guard), Anger (the cabbage merchant), worry (Sokka, Aang, Katara), and amusement (the King).

Ed raised an eyebrow at everyone's reactions while he continued, "I mean I can understand destruction of property and stuff but 'Malicious Destruction of Cabbages' come on what's next it's a crime to eat an apple punishable by death." The guard stared at him in confusion only to look at the King in shock as he started laughing.

"Haha snort haha, an interesting view there my shor…" before the king could finish Sokka and Aang tackled Ed who looked like he was about to attack the king.

"Sorry about that but are friend's a little sensitive about his height." Katara explained to the King as Sokka ended up holding his head and Aang rubbing his chest after Ed had hit both of them and was glaring at the King daring him to finish what he was about to say.

"My King what is your judgment." The guard asked when an uncomfortable silence had settled over the room. The King looked at them again his eyes lingering on Aang and Ed as he thought about what to do.

"Throw them…" everyone but Ed leaned in at the King's pause waiting for his judgment while Ed tugged on his gloves ready for anything. "…A feast!" everyone blinked in confusion as the King smiled at them and Ed's eyes narrowed at the King. He knew something was going on and he was sure the King had some sort of plan for them but then his stomach started growling at him at the word feast.

The guards although just as confused as everyone else escorted them to the dining room. Again Ed studied the room noting all possible hiding spots and potential ambushes while they walked over to a long table set in the middle of the room the King already sitting at the head even though he had been sitting at his throne as they left him. This only made Ed even more wary of the supposedly friendly King.

His suspicions vanished though at the sight in front of him after he looked at the table. Plates upon plated of food he both recognized and things he had never seen before in his life.

"Dig in." the King said while Ed scooped up several plates of food and started eating. The others ate as well but he knew he was drawing attention as everyone would stare at him as he devoured all the food in front of him so fast even Gluttony would be hard pressed to beat him.

Ed finally stopped eating after finishing is food with everyone staring at him ranging from curiosity to shock. Feeling slightly embarrassed at Ed's appetite Katara went to apologize when the King waved his hand a small smile on his face as he observed Ed from his seat at the head of the table.

"Well child…" the King saw a vein appear on Ed's forehead but continued on if at a slightly more cautious pace, "When was the last time you had something to eat for you to devour half my table?"

Ed's glare turned to a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Well I've been trying to stop myself from eating too much but a lot of people say I have the appetite of two people." Ed's sheepish grin turned into a small frown and sadness entered his eyes as he remembered all the things he did with Al during their travels.

Everyone saw the frown and the sad look in Ed's eyes but Aang and his friends didn't know how to comfort him while the King continued to study Ed as if the answer to the world's problems were written on his face.

"Interesting that's unexpected concerning how short you are I wonder why you aren't a small ball yet." At the Kings words all hell broke loose as the sadness in Ed's eyes vanished only to be replaced with a golden fire so intense it would have put the sun to shame.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD RIDE ON A FLEA!" The shout was accompanied with an angry Ed flying over the table to get at the King only to be stopped when a bunch of rock covered his legs stopping all movement.

Undeterred Ed continued to yell and insult the King making Aang, Katara, and Sokka pale while the guards moved in angry at the kids actions but the King waved them back smiling at Ed as he observed him from his seat. Out of no ware the King threw a chicken leg at Aang who acting on instinct caught it with Airbending.

"Well it seems the Avatar has graced my city." the King glared at Aang like he had wronged him in some way while Ed continued to insult the King from his spot on the table.

"Your majesty what shall we do with them?" one of the guards asked as he glared at Ed hoping to be allowed to put the boy in his place. The King observed how Aang and his friends stared at him fearfully with the occasional glance at the guards around them. Ed though wasn't looking at him or his guards with fear more of someone who is studying the layout for a fight with a trained eye.

"Throw them in the dungeon." Aang and his friends seemed to grow even more fearful and the fire in Ed's eyes grew brighter. The guards though looked confused as they looked at the King before one went up and asked.

"Um sire we don't have a dungeon anymore." The others let out a sigh of relief but Ed watched the Kings face as his grin didn't leave.

"Stick them in the repurposed cell." The guard nodded as he moved in front of the King and turned to face Aang and his friends. While everyone's attention was on the guard and said guard was blocking the Kings line of sight Ed shattered the rock covering his human leg and his Automail leg broke the rock around it. Free Ed slipped under the table and moved behind the King.

"What the? Where did he go?!" Ed smirked took them long enough, he thought as he moved to the spot where the King was standing from under the table when said table shot into the air revealing him to everyone. Wasting no time to wonder what happened to the table Ed rushed the King ready to tackle the old man to the ground and use him to keep his new allies (he didn't see them as friends yet.) from dying on him.

Sadly Ed never made it as a rock the size of his fist struck him in the back of the head and his vision went black.

Ed woke up feeling pain coursing through his head as he heard Katara and Sokka argue about something concerning the room. Shortly afterwards he noticed that the bed or whatever he was on was undeniably soft and comfy for a prison cell.

Opening his eyes Ed blinked a few time as his vision adjusted to the light and his jaw dropped as he stared at the room. A large rug covered the floor with green curtains on the walls and several comfy looking couches scattered through the room. In fact the only thing the room was missing was a door and he would have sworn it was a guest room meant for royalty.

"Well for prison cell's this ranks at the top for most comfortable I've ever been in." everyone jumped not realizing Ed had woken up and quickly brought him up to speed concurring the Kings plans for tomorrow.

"Wait a minute so the King wants to put Aang through some random tests using us as hostages to prove his innocence?" the others nodded at him making Ed think for a few seconds.

"There's more to this then were being told." Ed stated after he recalled the way the King had looked at them for most of the time most likely he already knew who they were somehow but these tests had to be fore something else other than the crimes they had committed he just didn't know what and that annoyed him.

"There's nothing we can do at the moment so we should all get some sleep and deal with whatever happens tomorrow as best as we can." Katara's words cut through his mental train of thought and he couldn't deny it was a good idea so they all went to sleep.

sorry for the long update my brother 'borrowed' my laptop without informing me and i only just got it back. sorry for the inconvenience but I'm back and i plan to finish this story.

as for everyone who is waiting for the Tophward I'm must inform you that it will be a long time coming as I'm starting in book one and plan to do the entire story so hang in their.

another thing most of this will be told via what i have Ed do so some parts will be longer than others.