Dust rose like smoke from the road as my newfound company and I double-timed it toward the city, a canyon wind whistling through our ranks the only relief from the dirty haze. After I'd gotten over my shock at seeing Omashu, a bastion legendary for its resistance and tenacity, standing open for the Fire Nation, I'd raced back to Lieutenants Zophan and Kiko. I was disgusted by the eagerness in their eyes. All too soon, our superiors had roused the company to action, marching us to the gaping gates as fast as we could manage. As planned, we were to be the first ones into the city.

'What's going on here?' Surely the paltry force of primitive, first-generation tanks entrenched outside the walls hadn't taken down the gate on their own. Had they? Had Zhao miscalculated his travel time? Was the siege over already?

'But that doesn't make any sense, either. If the battle was won, there'd be a lot more troops here: supply trains, support groups, wounded men.' So what could it be? The only other remote possibility I could think of was that the king of Omashu, for some unfathomable reason, had already surrendered. I frowned. 'That's impossible. Earthbenders never surrender. So what happened here?'

I was forced to put my thoughts aside as we were called to a halt next to several of the metal behemoths I'd heard called "tanks." Our column, only four men wide, just fit on the stretch of road that led to the city, with only a few feet to spare on either side. As we'd marched, the sides had grown progressively steeper and steeper, until nothing but a sheer drop remained on our flanks. The company's captain ordered the firebender platoon to divide into squad-size elements and attach to the normal infantry platoons. Lieutenant Kiko and I were put together, while Zophan was pulled aside by the captain and asked to take control of another company's platoon. He protested hotly, citing the major's orders, but the captain's requests quickly turned to stern commands.

"Don't leave his side," he reminded Kiko angrily before storming away. Kiko just nodded and put a hand on my shoulder, indicating that it wouldn't be a problem. I brushed his hand off, saying, "I can take care of myself."

He cocked his head at me, and I guessed that he was giving me that high-and-mighty knowing smirk that all firebenders seemed to have. "You ever been in combat, Lieutenant? You ever gone one-on-one with an angry earthbender?"

"If you're trying to scare me, save it," I retorted, showing no fear. I let my chi flow down my arm and showed him the flames licking over my bare knuckles. "This'll take care of anybody, earthbender or otherwise," I promised him.

Kiko's eyes narrowed through his faceplate. "See that it does, Lieutenant." He strode a few feet away and began talking with a few other firebenders. They looked my way every now and again, but my mixed anger and nerves kept me from worrying about it overmuch.

All too soon, the order to form up and move out came. Kiko shouldered past me on his way to the front. "C'mon, killer. Benders lead the way!" A few approving yells came from the nearest skull-faced officers, while the rest of the rank-and-file just grumbled or grinned. I made my way to the head of the formation and took a few deep breaths to steady myself. I tried to tell myself that I wasn't in too much danger - I'd met earthbenders by the dozen in prisons, and I knew how to counter their attacks and bring down their defenses - but the adrenaline in my veins said otherwise.

The squad of firebenders and I, with the rest of the troops interspersed behind, made our way down the narrow cliff road toward Omashu, the tanks behind us lobbing the occasional fireball over the walls and open gate. Blackened chunks and pockmarks dotted the outer wall, making it clear that, no matter what had happened, the earthbenders hadn't surrendered without at least a good skirmish. As we got closer, I kept expecting Earth Kingdom soldiers to pop out of the ground like badgermoles, but no one appeared; not a soul could be seen.

"Keep your guard up and your eyes peeled," called the captain, who'd opted to take point. The officer's hands were as steady as his steely voice as he lead us through the open gate. "Just because they let us in doesn't mean we're welcome." Normally, I would have expected chuckles and snorts of laughter from the soldiers, but they were too focused to take much notice of anything that wasn't an immediate threat.

I passed through the gate without incident, as did the rest of the company. Thanks to my helmet's mask, I didn't have to bother hiding my gawp of amazement once we got inside; I'd never been to Omashu, and the city was even more impressive from the inside. Tall buildings of tanned stone stretched elegant green-tiled roofs skyward everywhere you looked, and wide, gently-curving avenues branched away from the main thoroughfare every few feet. Wide troughs of stone wound their way up the city-mountain, and I wondered what they were for. Beyond the front gate, a great balcony stretched out over the city, as though the gate were set into the top of the walls rather than the bottom. Some soldiers were open in their amazement, while others, mostly old veteran sergeants, merely huffed and ordered their men along.

"We're not here for sightseeing!" yelled the captain, trying to get the men back on track. "First and second platoon, we're heading straight for the palace. The rest of you, split off and secure the lower ring. Wait for reinforcements before heading further in. Let's move!" He turned and headed toward the great stone palace. Lieutenant Kiko and I followed him, along with almost a hundred men, mostly nonbenders.

"You're on point, Kuzon," Kiko said, and it took a moment to remember that that was supposed to be me. I nodded boldly and shouldered my way past the other firebenders to walk next to the captain.

We paraded ourselves up the main road toward the palace, walking uphill the whole way, passing through several more gates as we made our way toward the Upper Ring of Omashu. This march was even more nerve-wracking than the walk through the gate, as closed shutters and locked doors stared at us accusingly from either side. Every shadow could hold an angry earthbender, every doorway could lead to a room full of enemy soldiers. And like it or not, they were as much my enemy right now as they were the rest of the Fire Nation's; until I escaped, I was just another firebender working to spread the Fire Lord's fear. I hated it.

Luckily, there were only a few minor incidents. A few stone tiles fell off a roof nearby, giving a few soldiers a good clonk on the head. A cart somehow became unsecured and came barreling down the road at us before someone blew it and its cargo of cabbages sky-high. Lieutenants were constantly reminding their men to keep on their guard, and I took it as sound advice. I admired the sights as we walked, half-forgotten, century-old memories flashing behind my eyes: memories of massive stone walls, of squat yet poised stone buildings with green-tiled roofs. Memories of a gargantuan palace, the symbol of the Earth Kingdom proudly chiseled above the massive, richly-adorned doors. The images overlaid my view of Omashu, and I shook the errant thoughts of Ba Sing Se away; this was no time for reminiscing.

Finally, the palace loomed over our heads, the thick green doors open wide. A pair of palace guards flanked the doorway, staring at our ranks with open hatred. One of them came forward, removing a white handkerchief from his pocket as he did so.

"King Bumy wishes to parlay with the Fire Nation," he said brusquely, making no attempt to hide his sneer of disgust. He threw the handkerchief to the ground at the captain's feet. "He's waiting for you inside."

Next to me, the captain stooped and picked up the handkerchief. He turned it over in his hands almost delicately, then thrust it at me. "Burn it," he ordered, not taking his eyes from the earthbenders.

I was aghast. 'Did he really just tell me to burn this? It's a symbol of peace, for spirits' sake!' "Sir," I said hesitantly, "I don't think that's a good idea."

The captain stared. "Did I ask what you thought? Burn the cloth, Lieutenant."

I balled up the handkerchief in my fist and watched helplessly as I willed it into flame. The captain grinned cockily at the Earth Kingdom guards the whole time, who were beginning, if it was possible, to look even angrier. "I'll see your king now," he told them. He picked three firebenders from our ranks and beckoned them along into the palace, leaving the rest of us outside with two enemy soldiers.

Suddenly, another captain stepped up in front of the group, and I realized that this had been the plan all along. The Fire Nation was leaving nothing to chance; they were taking the city by force one way or another. "First Platoon, split into squads and search the Upper Ring. Arrest anyone on the streets and kill any enemy soldiers."

"NO!" an earthbender guard thundered. "You monsters!" Before he could do more than stomp his foot on the ground, he and his partner were blasted backward by a wall of fire to slump motionless on the street. The captain eyed the firebenders responsible with something like approval, then continued as if there'd been no interruption. "Second Platoon, go back and secure the gate to the Upper Ring. No one goes in or out if they're not wearing this uniform."

Firebenders and regular soldiers jumped to obey, not at all bothered by the unprovoked hostile takeover of a surrendering, peaceful town. Rage filled my belly, and I gritted my teeth inside my mask. 'Stop! Forget it. If you try to do anything, you'll be recognized and captured. Then all of your work, all of Shun's risks, will be for nothing.' Though I considered the reasoning sound, it still rankled with me to stand by and watch the Fire Nation ruin innocent lives.

I moved out with the rest of my fellow warriors, my senses on high alert and my reflexes primed. We spread out among the Upper Ring, patrolling empty streets. I guess Earth Kingdom citizens, contrary to popular belief, aren't as dumb as the rocks they bend, as the city looked all but deserted. Now and then, a pair of shutters would creak open a hair as someone took a peek at us, but they would close just as quickly when I turned toward the sound.

"I thought earthbenders were supposed to be all fierce and proud and unstoppable," a private jeered. "Isn't Omashu some kind of massive, unbreakable fortress?"

His fellow snorted and shouldered his spear lazily. "They all probably ran away when they heard the Fire Nation finally decided to get serious. I bet you a week's rum ration that their soldiers are halfway to Ba Sing Se with their tail between their legs. Those two guys by the palace were the only guards left in the city!"

Without thinking, I hissed, "Quiet." Maybe it was just the wind… No, there it was again! Something wasn't right...

"Hey, relax, sir," returned the man, who couldn't have been any more than twenty years old. "Like I said, these mud-grubbing cowards are long go-"

The kid didn't finish, probably because the fist-sized chunk of stone that came sailing out of a narrow alley to his left broke his lower jaw, which tends to put a damper on any conversation. In a complete disregard for military courtesy, he howled with pain right in my ear. I honestly didn't mind, though, because I was too busy shouting "AMBUSH!" to worry about making small talk.

Out of nowhere, Earth Kingdom soldiers came pouring toward us like a rockslide: muscular, bearded men clad in green and tan. Some wielded thick, ornate clubs and hammers, while others grasped pikes and spears. Most, though, just stomped and punched stone after stone into our ranks. With a roar, a lieutenant nearby tossed a double-handed fireball, and the battle was joined.

Now, normally, I tried my hardest to actively avoid brawls, battles, and the like; duels were one thing, but a real fight was too unpredictable for my taste, with too many variables. This time, though, I didn't mind so much. It gave me a convenient outlet for all the pent-up rage and pain of the last few decades, which I sorely needed.

I took off toward the nearest knot of Earth soldiers, snarling at them through my mask; out of the corner of my eye, I saw that two other firebenders followed me. A thickset soldier thrust his spear at me, but I danced around the glinting tip without breaking stride. Leaving him to deal with the two men behind me, I charged three of the soldier's fellows. One tried (wisely) to keep me at a distance with his own spear, swinging the weapon in wide arcs. I may have actually laughed out loud as I chopped it aside, sending flames licking toward his hands and sending him skipping backward out of range, cursing at his scorched digits.

Another soldier and his partner came at me as a team. One ripped two sizeable chunks of pavement out of the road and held them, floating, at chest height, while the other tried to circle around and flank me. I admired their skill, but they didn't have a chance. A spear jabbed at my back, but I twisted aside at the last moment, grasping the haft and pulling the soldier off-balance. His free arm flailed wildy as he fell heavily to the ground; the whole time, his friend was throwing rocks left and right, keeping me on my toes. I made sure the burly man stayed down with quick jabs to his neck and shoulder blades, nearly getting clobbered by a sizeable chunk of road. I dropped to the ground to avoid it and spun back to my feet, a swirl of flames knocking anyone in the immediate vicinity to the ground, their clothes smoldering.

I looked eagerly for my next opponent, my blood running hot with adrenaline and combat excitement, but was quickly stymied. Fighting in the streets was complete chaos, and the combat had quickly turned into a free-for-all. The enemy's earthbending had engulfed the entire block in a gritty haze of rock dust which, when combined with the smoke from several small fires, limited visibility to only a few dozen feet all around. Isolated pockets of soldiers still fought here and there, and I rushed to where a group of firebenders and earthbenders seemed evenly matched. 'Let's see if I can tip the scales… But which way?' I slid to a halt, mind racing to decide.

A fist-sized stone came hurtling out of the haze. It hit me square in the head, felling me like a tree and sending my helmet flying off. Pain radiated across my skull, and I wouldn't have been surprised if my brain was oozing out onto the roads of Omashu. With an effort, I heaved myself to my feet, blinking the stars from my eyes. Four earthbenders ran out of the smoke, their hands held ready in front of their chests. When they saw me, they stopped, incredulous.

"What are you looking at?" I snapped. It suddenly occurred to me that they weren't used to seeing a firebender's face, let alone a bald one with red arrow tattoos. "Don't even think-" I began testily.

"It's the Avatar!" one soldier shrieked. "And he's joined the Fire Nation!"

The pain in my head flared instantly into anger. "I'm not the damn Avatar!" I shouted at the soldiers, sending a fireball roaring down the road toward them. They raised their fists, and a knuckle of earth ground upwards to shield them from the blast. "And I'm definitely NOT with the Fire Nation!"

Growling like a beast and itching for a fight now, I looked wildly for the nearest knot of fighting and jumped headlong into the brawl. I gave no thought for who I struck; as far as I was concerned for the moment, they were all my enemies. Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom, it didn't matter. Before long, I was standing in the midst of a pile of limp bodies, panting as the nearest soldiers from both nations watched in horror and admiration. "Anybody else?" I dared them.

Distantly, I heard the blast of a horn, and the Earth Kingdom soldiers suddenly started to retreat, vanishing back into the dark alleys and hidden pathways of Omashu. As quickly as they'd attacked, they were gone, leaving roughly half a platoon of Fire Nation troops still standing. Getting over their surprise and battle-haze, soldiers began to care for their wounded and dead. Some eyed me from the corner of their vision warily.

"What in the spirits was that?" asked Lieutenant Kiko quietly as he strode over. There a few dings and dents in his armor, but he appeared unharmed. "I've never seen anything like what you just did. How-"

I was suddenly seized from behind by four burly firebenders. "Hey, what's the big idea?!" I yelled, struggling helplessly.

"What's the big idea?" The captain strode over. One of his arms was in a makeshift sling, and he didn't look happy about it. "You just incapacitated a whole squad of your own men! What the hell is wrong with you, Lieutenant?"

"Wait a minute…" Suddenly, the captain looked at me more closely. His eyes roved over the top of my shaven crown to rest on the red arrow etched into my skin. His amber eyes widened, and I cringed; he'd figured out who I really was.

Without warning, the captain thrust his good fist into my stomach. All my breath came out in a whoosh, and he hit me again, nearly making me retch all over his boots. "You're that prisoner scum that Commander Zhao's been looking for!"

"Figure that out all on your own, did you?" I muttered.

"Strip him," the captain commanded through gritted teeth. "I can't stand the sight of this filth in Fire Nation armor. Then beat him and put him with the king. We'll take him to Commander Zhao once Omashu is secure."

"I really didn't want to have to do this…" I gritted my teeth and concentrated. Flames curled off the bare tips of my fingers, and I flicked them into the faces of the men holding me. They sputtered, but their grip never slackened. Cursing, I drew a deep breath, then twisted my neck as far around as it would go and blew a massive plume of fire straight into the two men's faces. They yelped almost simultaneously and let go of my arm. Grunting with the effort, I deadened the remaining arms that held me and put their owners on the ground, senseless, with a flurry of jabs and punches that were almost too fast to see.

"You've got nowhere to go," the captain spat at me. "You're surrounded. Men, take him into custody!"

I had just enough time to unclasp the cumbersome armor on my arms and torso before a bunch of Fire Nation regulars tried to dogpile me. I disarmed the first two with a bit of difficulty, avoided the third, and stunned the fourth. The final man, armed with a sword and shield, was more wary of me, content to stand back and brandish his weapon. "Like that's going to do anything from there!" I taunted him. Despite my smart remarks, though, I knew the situation was desperate. Other patrolling squads were sure to have been drawn to the commotion of our skirmish with the earthbenders, and not even I could defeat a whole platoon by myself.

Fueled by my rising panic, my spirit side clawed and fought its way up through my consciousness unbidden. Taken off guard by how easily it surfaced, I nearly let the alien power have its way, and I could feel my muscles flexing, my bones tensing in preparation for full spirit state. An unbearable itch made itself known between my shoulder blades, and the chest of my stolen tunic started to smoke as the runes on my steel bands hissed and spat. I bore down with all my will and wrestled with it, my eyes flaring between normal human amber and fiery spirit slits painfully.

Occupied as I was, it really shouldn't have been any surprise as I was grabbed hand and foot by eight of the biggest men in the platoon. I roared and threw two of them across the road with a burst of inhuman strength, but there was no way I could win. With two men holding each of my limbs, one holding my head and neck in place, and another three with grips on various parts of my torso, I gave up wrestling with the soldiers and focused on my internal fight.

Once it'd registered that there was no point in (or possibility of) fighting my way out, my spirit side receded into the foggy depths of my head with a ghostly grumble, and I was suddenly in full control of myself again. Which didn't really help, because I was being hauled unceremoniously away back toward the palace of Omashu. My only form of consolation was that I was apparently considered dangerous enough to be escorted back by the whole platoon, and that consolation was very, very small.

If there's one thing the Fire Nation knows how to do, it's how to mistreat a prisoner. True to the captain's order, I was thoroughly beaten; I did chuckle hoarsely, though, when the first man to take a swing nearly shattered his knuckles against the steel bands on my chest. Fortunately, I think the men were still leery of me after I felled nearly fourteen firebenders and regular infantry, not to mention single-handedly turning the tide against an earthbender ambush, and so I wasn't thrashed as hard as I might have been.

That, or the captain simply didn't want to turn damaged goods over to Commander Zhao.

They threw me into unceremoniously into an empty chamber in the Earth King's palace; for supposedly being a prisoner's holding cell, it was surprisingly well-furnished. Dazed, bruised, and bleeding, I scooched up into a sitting position, then slowly stood and cursed, touching my swollen eye tenderly while I tried to ignore the pain from the rest of me. Thanks to whatever spirit-magic crap was running through my veins, I'd be right as rain in less than two days; provided, of course, that nothing was broken. I began doing an all-too-familiar mental run-through of my body, occasionally probing a problem spot with a few fingers. I spat out a mouthful of phlegm and blood and wiped my split lip carefully.

"Your mother obviously didn't teach you any manners, did she?"

Obviously, the cell wasn't empty as I'd first thought. I turned and looked at the man who was sitting unobtrusively in the corner. Judging from the mass of wrinkles on his face, his hunched, crooked posture, and a slightly impressive number of liver spots on his skin, he had to be at least as old as I was. He was clad in a massive green robe that hung off his frame. His bald pate was surrounded by a wild friz of white hair, matched by a bushy white goatee and the most impressive eyebrows I was ever likely to see again. He squinted slightly in one eye, giving his face an offset, crazy appearance. He grinned widely, and I could see a few gaps in his teeth.

"It's okay, mine didn't teach me any, either!" he hooted before gargling up his own wad of spit and hawking it onto the floor.

I looked at the slimy spot on the floor, then eyed him doubtfully. "And you would be?"

"Awww, you can't tell?" He stuck out his lip and pouted. He tried to cross his arms, but he was restrained better than I was on Zuko's ship. Steel manacles clamped around his hands, wrists, forearms, biceps, and shoulders; a similar system encumbered his legs and feet. From what I could see, the old geezer couldn't move more than a few inches in any direction. Still, the multitude of rings on his fingers and stately clothing gave me the hint.

"You're the king of Omashu?" I looked him up and down pointedly. "No wonder the Fire Nation didn't have any trouble taking the city. Its ruler is just a feeble old man."

I'd expected him to be offended, but he cackled instead and grinned even wider. "Yes, I suppose I do give off that impression, don't I?" he said mysteriously. "I'm like a good cheese: well-aged!"

I looked askance at him; clearly, my original assessment of crazy was right. "Uh-huh…."

"Like the place?" he asked, nodding at our surroundings. "It'd have been better if we were put in the newly-refurbished chamber - you can only get in through earthbending - but this one's almost as good. Can you guess what I call it?"

Crickets.

"The good chamber!" The king cackled and snorted with laughter, not sounding like royalty in the least. "Name's Bumi," the old man continued, undeterred by my distinct lack of mirth. "King Bumi, if you like being formal."

"Dao. And fine, King Bumi, then why didn't you fight the- "

"Missed your chance, though," Bumi interrupted. "I threw a little feast just a few days ago for some young friends of mine. Feasts are a good way to get called 'King' a lot."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, partly to make sure it wasn't broken and partly out of exasperation. "Look, I'll call you 'King' all you-"

"Say, hold it right there," Bumi said, narrowing his eyes and looking closely at me. "Don't move."

I grew wary; what was this crazy old king up to? "Why?" I asked, lowering my hands and forming fists. I really didn't agree with elder abuse, but I figured my situation might soon warrant a bit of force.

With no warning whatsoever, King Bumi flicked the tip of a finger, and a brick in the wall behind him shot out at me. I tried to swat it aside, but even I was too slow, and the stone smashed against the wall behind me, barely clipping the tip of my ear. "Damn. Missed," the old man grumbled, his eyes following something through the air. "Your fault."

"What was that for?" I demanded, sparks jumping between my fingers as I stepped towards the old man.

Bumi frowned, his face wrinkling even more, and flicked another finger. A ring of stone exploded up from the floor, encasing me up to my neck. "Feeling better now, are we?" he asked blithely. "I told you not to move. Now I'm going to have to listen to that cursed fly buzz around for another hour before I get another shot at him."

Being suddenly and completely immobile had my heart jumping into my throat for a moment or two, but I managed to squeak out, "You w-were… After a fly?"

"I've been after him all day. But he never lands for more than a second or two," Bumi said conversationally, as if nearly crushing people were something he did every day. Maybe it was. "Now that I get a good look at you, though, you remind me of someone…"

"I'm not the Avatar," I informed him flatly.

If the king could've moved, I think he would've snapped his fingers. "The Avatar! Yes, that's it! You look just like my old friend, Aang."

"You knew the Avatar?" I asked incredulously, fear forgotten as I groped for something more intelligent to say. "Wow. You're seriously old."

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm not that old," Bumi muttered under his breath. "Yes, I know Aang. He's the one I threw that feast for, if you were paying attention. Caught him riding the mail system, just like I taught him," he reminisced proudly, then started snorting with laughter.

My mind boggled. "HE WAS HERE?!" I demanded after finding my voice. "When? Why? Where did he go?"

Bumi opened his mouth, but voices outside the door stopped him. "Quickly!" I begged him. "How do I find Aang?" This could be my chance. If this crazy old man knew how to get to Aang, it would be a simple matter (hopefully) to escape from some incompetent Fire Nation soldiers before they gave me to Zhao. After that, all I had to do was find a road or a ship to wherever Aang was going, and, if luck was with me, I'd meet him there!

But the old man just shifted his shoulders a few degrees, which I had to take as a shrug. "He's just an airbender for now; he goes where the wind takes him. Literally!"

And that was that: King Bumi jerked his chin downwards, and I was suddenly freed again, only to be cuffed a few moments later by a trio of firebenders. Before the gag was shoved in my mouth, I cursed the old man to the ends of the earth and back, even dredging up a few good insults from my years in public prisons for him. My last image before my head was bagged was of him grinning insanely at me, calling, "Going so soon? See you later, Dao! Tell Flopsy Daddy misses him!"

If most of my dignity hadn't been stripped away long ago, I might have been offended at being slung over the back of a komodo rhino like a sack of potatoes. That being the case, though, I didn't have any convenient distractions from the fact that I was, once again, a prisoner of the Fire Nation, and that I was no closer to finding Aang than when I had started.

'If only that crazy damned king had told me where Aang went! Then everything would be fine.' In my heart, though, I knew that wasn't true. Even if I knew where he'd gone, there was no guarantee that he'd still be in the same place by the time I'd somehow found my way there. That, of course, was assuming I made my escape immediately, which was so highly doubtful as to be laughable. Bumi had been right, after all: Aang was as unpredictable and flighty as the wind.

Within my hood, I frowned as a thought came to me. 'Maybe he's been on the move for so long that he just doesn't know how to stop!' But that brought another question to my mind, one so glaringly obvious that I couldn't believe I hadn't stopped to think about it before: 'King Bumi said Aang was still young! How is that possible?!'

I struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what it could mean. Since I'd turned twelve, I'd lived a hundred years while actually aging only six or so. But I'd always put that down to my spiritual parentage, my other side that kept me from aging like a normal human. 'Could it be… Is Aang a half-spirit too?!' It would certainly make sense, his being the bridge between the worlds and all. It could be entirely possible that Avatars had always had a sleeping spirit side, though I'd never heard of one; that could be why Aang still looked twelve when he was as old as I was. I thought back to my first real encounter with Aang…

"Why exactly do I have to meet this kid?" I complain grumpily. "He's just going to stare at my tattoos and look at me weird like everyone else around here does." I scratch my bald head self-consciously, my hand running over the year-old red arrow emblazoned on my forehead.

The old monk beside me just smiles patiently, his long drooping mustache somehow making even that simple gesture seem more monk-like. "On the contrary, I think he will appreciate your unique tattoos, as well as what you did to earn them." He chuckles a little to himself, making the wooden Air Nomad symbol on his chest sway back and forth. "Aang is the Avatar, and-"

"What?" I interrupt, momentarily shocked. "Well, that explains why Monk Otengu brought me all the way from the Eastern Air Temple just to meet him... Still, haven't all the past Avatars visited the temple for meditating and talking and other boring stuff? I'll just wait to see him then."

The old monk takes my casual disrespect in stride; only the slight pursing of his lips betrays his disapproval. "You and Aang have a special connection, Dao. You were both of the same group of acolytes until you moved away."

I raise a skeptical eyebrow. "That doesn't sound special, just coincidental."

We come to the simple wooden door of Aang's room. I raise my fist to knock, but he puts a gentle hand on my shoulder and turns me to face him. "To be honest with you, Dao, Aang has been a little down in the dumps lately. Ever since they learned he was the Avatar, his friends have grown rather distant, and Aang hasn't been the same. I thought that if he saw his… a familiar face, it might cheer him up. Besides," he adds, leaning in conspiratorially, "Aang's the best prankster in the whole temple!"

I take this in, my expression softening as I look up at the earnest monk. "Well," I begin slowly, "that's different, then." I smile crookedly at him. "I'll do my best!"

The monk chuckles and pats me on the back. "I knew you could do it." So saying, he turns and knocks. A voice answers him, laced with a touch of sad boredom.

"Come in."

The monk opens the door a bit and pops his head in while I shift from foot to foot, suddenly nervous. "Monk Gyatso?" asks the voice, a tad more hopeful before lapsing back into despondency. "More Avatar stuff, right?" The voice heaves a sigh.

Gyatso opens the door fully, revealing me to the room's sole occupant while letting me get a good look at him. The room is simple, like all the monks' structures, with an alcove carved out for a thin mattress; the only other furniture in the room is a Pai Sho table. Sitting in the alcove is a twelve-year-old airbender, slumped over with his chin in his hands. He's garbed in the same traditional yellow and orange getup that I am, with the same arrows on his head, hands, and feet, albeit blue. "Actually, I brought someone you might know from a long time ago," smiles Gyatso. "Do you remember Dao?"

Aang's face lights up the instant he sees me. "Not really," he admits happily, jumping across the room with a faint whoosh. "Nice to meet you! Or, see you again, I guess." He puts his hands together and bows, smiling cheekily.

I stand blinking stupidly for a few moments, somehow surprised that the Avatar is so ordinary, so human. Then I recover my senses and bow back, smiling shyly. "Nice to see you again," I say, despite not remembering him in the least. As Monk Gyatso walks away with a satisfied grin, Aang grabs an unassuming staff from the wall. "You wanna go gliding? I'll give you a tour of the whole temple," he offers happily.

I make a face uncertainly. "Well, about that…"

I was jolted from my memories as my komodo rhino halted suddenly. The riders dismounted and dragged me off roughly. My legs were asleep and wobbly, but I managed to stand under my own power. Inspecting my surroundings suspiciously, I saw that we were in the lower ring of the city, near the still-open gate of Omashu; obviously, Zhao hadn't arrived at the city yet.

"So, what, we just wait here til His Muttonness shows up?" I grizzled.

"No." I recognized the voice a split second before Zhao's meaty fist pulverized my kidney. I dropped to my knees, my side exploding in pain. I didn't even have time to gasp before he chopped his other hand down on my shoulder.

"You should really THINK about what you SAY before you OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" Zhao spat, picking me up with one thick arm and driving punches into my torso with every word. Then he threw me off to the side, nearly sending me through a cart of cabbages. Choking on my own breath, with pain making my vision hazy and blurred, I tried to snarl at him, but all that came out was a puff of black smoke and a hacking cough. Before I could try to put up a hotter defense, the commander grabbed me again, heaving me into the air. My vision spun crazily for a moment as my head lolled.

"Did you really think you could get away from me?!" Zhao hissed furiously, shoving his face into mine. "Did you ever imagine in your wildest dreams that you could ever escape the Fire Nation?" He released me, throwing me back onto the ground, but I barely registered the impact. Leaning down, he whispered in my ear: "You thought two years with the banished prince was bad? You will spend the next hundred years rotting on my ship."

I answered the only way I could: forcing air out of my lungs, I spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm as close as I could to his boot. "We'll… see." The nearby guards grabbed me quickly, quashing any hope of setting the angry commander's sash alight.

Commander Zhao, apparently done with me, was turning to leave when the call of a messenger hawk floated over the thick walls of Omashu, followed shortly by the bird itself. Frowning severely, Commander Zhao held out his arm. The hawk alighted gently, making soft noises as Zhao popped the top of the scroll tube. He read the message hastily, turning a nasty-looking shade of red before visibly calming himself.

Replacing the message and sending the hawk back into the sky, he turned to his men and began issuing short, curt orders. "Leave a full garrison in Omashu, but have every extra man begin stocking the ships. Fresh food, water, and supplies. Take whatever you need from this pathetic city. Weigh anchor at sunset."

The firebender captain turned his masked face toward the sky, and I could almost see the wheels trying to turn in his head; it was already past midday. "But, sir, we still need-"

"Now, Captain! Unless you want to join the freak in his cell?" Zhao barked. The firebender hurriedly bowed, then ran off without another word. Turning to look at me, Zhao smiled a tight, sinister smile, like he was trying to convince himself that everything was going according to plan. "Looks like I was right, after all. You'll have plenty of time to think about how to find the Avatar while we're on blockade duty."