Previously, on Fire and Earth…
Jin gestured to the parchment, and the Water Tribe girl handed it over to him. The Earthbender wrote a few more lines on the parchment before handing it back. Her expression became sullen as she read "He says that they were taken from their homes when they were little. They were stolen by a Firebender named Shan We and forced to serve him".
"Hey, I know that guy!" The Avatar spoke up. "He's the one who captured me when you guys were sick, and he was there at the Spirit Oasis; he was Zhao's son".
The twins looked down at the planks despondently as the Water Tribe girl kept reading. "They've been his prisoners for five years now, and they haven't seen their families in all that time".
After a moment, the Avatar said to the Water Tribe warriors and Waterbenders "It's alright; they're just victims like the rest of us".
The warriors raised their spears, and the Waterbenders eased their stances. "What should we do with them?" the old man asked.
The Avatar glanced at his companions before looking back at Jin and Li. "Do you know where your family is? Maybe we can take you to them".
Jin shared a neutral glance with Li before gesturing to the parchment. He wrote a few more lines before handing it to the Water Tribe girl. "He says that their village is probably abandoned by now, but they have relatives in Omashu".
"Hey, that's where we're going!" the Avatar said, looking as if he were seized by inspiration. "Why don't you come with us?"
"OMASHU" Sokka said, dragging out every syllable.
"Sokka's right" Katara agreed. "We need to find King Bumi so Aang can learn Earthbending somewhere safe, and we need to get Jin and Li to their relatives".
The twins cast a surreptitious glance at one another; their story would only hold until they reached Omashu, and then they would have to decide on what their next move would be. The boys had no idea where their father might be, or even if he was still alive, but the hope that they might see him again kept them going.
She slapped me across the face, and I felt the sting of her sharpened fingernails rake my cheek. I then felt the blood slowly trickle down from the wounds as she said "That was some quality fighting, for a mere peasant".
I glared down at the Princess and growled "I won't tell you anything!"
"Oh, you will" she replied coldly, holding two fingers in front of her face. A small, blue flame extended from them, bathing her in haunting light. "You'll tell me a great many things". The smile she bore chilled me to my very bones.
"I can't believe it" Aang said, gazing out at the city of Omashu. "I know the war has spread far, but Omashu always seemed… untouchable".
"Up until now, it was" Sokka said solemnly. "Now Ba Sing Se is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left".
Katara walked over to Jin and Li, placing a comforting hand on their shoulders and saying "This is horrible. You guys must be feeling terrible right now". The twins nodded solemnly, casting a surreptitious glance at each other.
"I have to go find Bumi" Aang said, stepping towards the edge of the cliff.
"Aang, stop!" Sokka said. "We don't even know if Bumi's still…"
"What? If he's still what?" the bald boy demanded.
Sokka pointedly looked away from Aang, and the twins exchanged a glance. "…around" the Water Tribe boy replied.
"I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people who can teach you Earthbending" Katara said. Naturally, everyone's heads turned to the twins. Jin crouched down low and wrote on the ground that they would be happy to do it.
"This isn't about finding a teacher" Aang said resolutely. "This is about finding my friend. And Jin and Li's relatives".
Soon enough, Appa carried them to a sewer grate that emptied out into the gorge surrounding the mountain city. The twins couldn't tell whether it was the same one they had used to sneak into the city last time, but it was exactly the same as before, so they knew what to expect.
"A secret passage?" Sokka asked. "Why didn't we just use this last time?" Aang answered his question by opening the grate, allowing the toxic sludge that was either black or vomit-coloured empty into the gorge.
They then started to make the slog up the tunnel. Unlike before, the twins were in the presence of Benders who could be useful in this situation. Aang used his Airbending to clear the way ahead of him, with Jin and Li staying close behind, and Katara used her Waterbending to ensure that the sewage didn't touch her and Momo.
That left Sokka, who was left to push on with all the garbage and sludge the people of Omashu had to offer washing over him.
They soon reached a hole opening into one of the city's streets, and Jin and Li were helped up by Katara and Aang, all of whom were untouched by the sewage. "That wasn't as bad as I thought" Katara said, and the twins were lucky to come out clean this time. Suddenly, something covered in sludge emerged from the hole, emitting tortured moans. Katara used water from a nearby barrel to wash Sokka clean, and Aang used his Airbending in order to dry him off.
The Water Tribe boy stood still for a moment, before noticing the small, purple creatures latched onto his cheeks. He let out a comical scream of terror, trying desperately to pry them off of his face. "They won't let go!" he cried. "Help!"
Jin slapped Sokka across the face to cure him of his hysteria, while Li proceeded to rub the small purple creatures on the heads.
They released their hold on his face, and Aang said "It's just a purple pentapus". As Li removed the small, docile creatures, they came off with a pop, just as they had during their previous visit.
"Hey!" a voice called from nearby. The group turned to see a group of Fire Nation soldiers approaching, and Aang quickly covered up his forehead tattoo. "What are you kids doing out past curfew?"
"Sorry" Katara apologized, sounding very apologetic. "We were just on our way home".
They then turned around and started walking, until the soldier said "Wait! What's the matter with him?" The twins looked over at Sokka, and saw the dots on his face from where the pentapods had formerly been latched on.
"Uh… he has Pentapox, sir!" Katara said, thinking on her feet. As the soldier reached out to touch him, she said "Um, it's highly contagious".
Sokka took the hint, and much to the twins' amusement, he started dramatically groaning and shambling over towards the soldiers. "Oh it's so awful! I'm dying!"
The soldiers nervously backed away. "Hey, I think I've heard of Pentapox!" one of them said. "Didn't your cousin Chang die of it? We better go wash our hands. And burn our clothes!" They then ran away as fast as they could, proving, once again, that the Avatar and his friends were some of the most ingenious people the twins had ever met.
I glared at the back of Azula's head as she sat in her ornate palanquin while her guards bowed low to her. It had been a few days since my capture, and from the first minute, I preferred being Shan We's prisoner.
Azula was the most ruthless, conniving, deceitful, manipulative, and self-centred person I have ever known. She demanded nothing less than absolute obedience from those around her, and she dealt harshly with anything that could be perceived as weakness or disobedience. I was treated as a new plaything for the psychotic teenager.
After interrogating me for a few days, she knew everything I knew about the location of her brother, her uncle, and Shan We, which was nothing. I had no idea where they were, and I had absolutely no idea where they might go.
With that fact firmly established, Azula had settled for tormenting me on a fairly regular basis. When I had first met Shan We, I considered him to be no more than a murderous Firebender, one who burned everything that got in his way. After getting to know him, however, I had discovered that he was a kind, honourable man, one who valued family above all else. He was a far better person than this Fire Nation Princess ever could be.
Suddenly, the sound of one of Azula's twin, elderly advisors broke me out of my memories of the last few days. They disturbed me on a different level: while they weren't as openly psychotic as Azula, they only fed her over-inflated ego and inherent sense of superiority, which made them no better than her. "When tracking your brother and uncle, traveling with the Royal Procession may no longer be an option" one of them said.
"May no longer be wise" the other one added.
They then both said in unison "If you hope to keep the element of surprise".
"You're right" Azula agreed. "The Royal Procession is dead weight. If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile, nimble. I need a small, elite team. It's time to visit some old friends". She then stood up and walked out of the palanquin, slowly making her way towards me. "But first, what to do with you".
I didn't reply as I gazed into the teenager's amber eyes with my best defiant stare.
Azula smirked, looking at me like a viper would look at its prey. "Back when you helped those three traitors escape, you showed some marginal talent. Let's see what you can do".
She then snapped her fingers, and the Firebender who roughly held my arm proceeded to pull me over to the centre of the deck, stepping back after he did so. A number of the specially-armoured Firebenders then gathered in a circle around me, their stances indicating that they were getting ready for a fight. My hands were still restrained by manacles behind my back, and it was obvious what Azula intended.
"Begin" she said nonchalantly, sounding a little bored and apathetic.
One of the Firebenders then rushed me, shooting a small fire blast towards me. I spun out of the way, letting my instincts take over. I charged him, dodging each of his fire attacks until I was right in front of him. Easily manoeuvring away from his attacks, I proceeded to strike him in the side of the head with a spinning kick, knocking him to the floor.
I then leaped into the air, bending my legs and managing to get my restrained arms in front of me.
I barely landed when, this time, two Firebenders attacked me. Using my agility, I was able to dodge most of their attacks before making my way over to the one on my right. With my hands, I pushed his head down before striking it with my knee and sweeping his feet out from under him.
I charged the other Firebender as the first fell onto his back, and I had no trouble with dispatching him. With a simple kick to the groin, he was down.
Then, three Firebenders attacked, and I inwardly groaned. I couldn't keep this up forever, but as long as I was able, I would bruise every single Firebender that got in my way. Two of the trio rushed me from both sides, and I reacted by leaping into the air and kicking them both in the face. They went down, and as the third Firebender attacked me, I tried to remember my training with Suki about using my opponent's momentum against him.
Ducking a punch, I struck the back of his head with my manacled hands before crouching low and sweeping his legs out from under him. He fell onto the deck with a crash, and suddenly, four Firebenders were on me.
After what seemed like an eternity, I looked over to where Azula was sitting; she was watching with an unreadable expression, and I would rather not imagine what she was thinking. In that moment, I made my decision. I kicked the closest Firebender in the gut, causing him to hunch over. I nimbly rolled over his back before leaping off the deck, using the Firebenders' helmets as footholds. I pushed off a helmet, leaping through the air towards Azula.
Before I came close, she pointed two fingers at me, and I suddenly felt an electric jolt shocking my body.
I cried out in pain as I fell onto the deck, feeling my limbs frozen from the sharp lightning bolt. If it had been as devastating as the bolt Iroh had redirected from before I had been captured, then I would be dead right now, so it must have been of a lesser intensity. That didn't stop it from hurting.
Rough hands suddenly pulled me onto my feet, and I saw Azula slowly walking towards me, her clawed hands clasped behind her back. She didn't say a word as she stared at me with those amber eyes of hers. I stared back, breathing heavily from the gauntlet I had just faced, as the Fire Nation Princess slapped me across the face. I felt the painful sting on my cheek, as well as blood trickling down my skin.
Azula roughly grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her. "I hope you won't try something like that again" she said conversationally. "Otherwise, I'll be forced to give you more… reminders". She then lightly dragged a sharpened fingernail over my other cheek, over the four scars that were left from when she had slapped me before.
Azula smiled deeply. "You and I are going on a little trip".
The twins followed Aang, Sokka, and Katara as they hid behind some metal girders. A few Firebending soldiers walked by, and Katara quietly said "Let's find Bumi and Jin and Li's relatives and get out of here".
"Where would they be keeping Bumi?" Sokka asked.
"Somewhere he can't Earthbend" Aang replied. "Somewhere made of metal". The twins shuddered at the thought; being trapped in a place where they couldn't Bend was not something that appealed to them; the boys had already gone through that at the North Pole, and they weren't eager to repeat such an experience.
The group then started walking, keeping weather eyes out for any soldiers. Down below, they could see a family walking with an escort. Suddenly, a great commotion was heard from above, and the twins saw two boulders tumbling down towards the family.
Planting their feet firmly on the ground, they punched the boulders, shattering them into dust clouds and drawing the family's gaze. "The Resistance!" a woman holding a baby cried.
Barely half a heartbeat later, a teenage girl standing beside the woman thrust her arms towards them and sent several small shuriken shooting through the air. Jin and Li barely raised a rock wall in time to deflect the projectiles before Sokka cried "Come on!" The group started running as the black-haired girl and some of the soldiers started running after them. Katara stopped and used the water from her pouch to whip the soldiers off of the ledge, and the teenage girl threw more shuriken at her.
Jin slid his foot to the right, causing the ground at Katara's feet to move her out of the way, while Li kicked a man-sized boulder in front of him. The boulder absorbed the shuriken, and Li proceeded to punch it towards their pursuer.
She easily dodged out of the way, and Katara suddenly grabbed Li's arm as they kept running away. Suddenly, the ground beneath the group's feet slid open, and they fell through it, landing on hard ground. The rock above them was sealed, and the twins looked up, into the face of a bearded man in ragged Earth Kingdom clothes.
I followed Azula as she entered the circus, looking around at the tents and the various performers. We'd come here in order to recruit one of Azula's old friends as part of her 'elite team'; I had a hard time seeing how a circus performer could be useful.
The Fire Nation Princess had had me change into semi-stylish Fire Nation apparel, as she 'wouldn't be seen in public with a poorly-dressed peasant'. It was demeaning, being her little plaything, but the matching scars on my cheeks reminded me that I had to do whatever she told me to do, which meant that I had to endure being her plaything for now.
We came over to a teenage girl around Azula's age, dressed in pink and standing on her head. "Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?"
"Azula!" the other girl said perkily before getting on her feet. She then ran up and embraced the Fire Nation Princess in a hug, saying "It is so good to see you! Who's your friend? She's pretty".
"She's part of my entourage" Azula replied, smirking over at me.
The girl in pink offered her hand to me. "Hi, I'm Ty Lee!" I stared down at the hand; this girl's perkiness was very off-putting, and if she greeted Azula like an old friend, then there had to be something wrong with her.
I then glanced over at Azula, who gave me a firm stare and commanded "Tell her your name".
I pursed my lips before taking Ty Lee's hand. "I'm Takara".
Ty Lee smiled. "I have a feeling we'll become best friends!" I seriously doubted that.
"Please, don't let me interrupt your… whatever it is you were doing" Azula said, motioning to where Ty Lee was formerly performing a handstand. The girl in pink then demonstrated her flexibility by contorting her feet onto her hands as Azula asked "What is the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Surely our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy for girls to end up in places like this".
So that was it, I thought to myself; they were old school friends. Nearby, some of the circus staff were trying to wrangle a large platypus bear, and it suddenly laid a speckled egg.
"I have a proposition for you" Azula said, drawing my attention back to Ty Lee. "I'm hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy-duddy uncle, don't you?"
"Oh, yeah. He was so funny…"
"I would be honoured if you would join me on my mission" Azula said, cutting her off.
Ty Lee suddenly started looking around awkwardly. "Oh, I, uh… would love to". She then stood up and continued. "But the truth is I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker".
"I'll take your word for it" Azula said, holding a hand up. "Well, I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me". Her voice was dripping with false sincerity, and I rolled my eyes at her little display.
"Thank you, Azula" Ty Lee said, apparently taking the Fire Nation Princess at her word.
Azula then started walking away, and I followed her. She suddenly stopped and called back to her pink friend "Of course, before I leave, I'm going to catch your show". I could see Ty Lee suddenly struggling to find her balance as she lifted one leg impossibly high.
"Uh, yeah, sure" she said awkwardly. "Of course".
The twins glanced around their surroundings as they were led through a tunnel. The people who had saved them from the very dour-looking teenage girl had turned out to be the Resistance, the former guards and citizens of Omashu who wanted to take back their home.
"So, is King Bumi with you guys?" Aang asked as they were brought to a large cavern which housed several hundred people. Most of them looked very hungry and tired, and the twins exchanged a glance. "Is he leading the Resistance?"
All heads turned to Aang, and the twins could sense the discomfort the question brought. "Of course not" the bearded man, who'd identified himself as Captain Yung, replied bitterly. "The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city, to fight for our lives and our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi… surrendered. The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do. He looked me in the eye and said 'I'm going to do nothing!'".
The twins looked around at the tired faces, and they could see that the subject was a tender one. Having your leader meekly surrender to the Fire Nation would create some bitterness.
"It doesn't matter now" Captain Yung continued. "Fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom. And freedom is worth dying for". Jin and Li exchanged a glance; they were Earthbenders, just like these people, and though they were raised in Fire Nation customs, they had the same unconquerable spirit that these people did.
"Actually", Aang said, "there's another path to freedom. You could leave Omashu. You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation, but you're outnumbered. You can't win. Now is the time to retreat so you can live to fight another day".
"You don't understand" Captain Yung said. "They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at any cost!"
"I don't know, Yung" one of the Earthbenders said. "Living to fight another day is starting to sound pretty good to me".
"Yeah, I'm with the kid" another said.
The crowd started murmuring, and the twins could sense that they were all starting to see Aang's suggestion as being very attractive. They found arms being wrapped around their shoulders, and the boys looked up to see Katara. "Do you guys see your relatives here?"
Jin and Li exchanged a glance before gazing out at the crowd. They made a show of looking at the faces of everyone present, and after a few moments, they shook their heads.
"What's this, now?" one of the Earthbenders asked from beside them.
"Jin and Li were prisoners of the Fire Nation" Katara explained. "We're trying to help them find some of their family here in Omashu, but they don't see them here".
"Well, when word of the Fire Nation army approach came, a lot of our people left in order to make their way to Ba Sing Se" the Earthbender said. "Maybe they went with them".
Jin crouched down and wrote on the ground, agreeing to the suggestion. "Well, if they did, then they're safe for now" Katara said at last.
"Fine" Captain Yung said bitterly, agreeing to Aang's idea. "But there's thousands of citizens that need to leave. How are we gonna get them all out?"
"Suckers!" Sokka cried, drawing everyone's gaze. "You're all about to come down with a nasty case of Pentapox".
A short time later, Jin and Li were applying the small purple pentapods onto their arms and faces before taking them off, leaving a series of spots all over their skin. The citizens and guards of Omashu were doing the same, and they all soon looked like a hoard of infected people.
"The marks make you look sick, but you gotta act sick, too!" Sokka said from in front of the crowd. "You gotta sell it". An old man then walked by, leaning on a wooden cane and groaning. "Now that's what I'm talking about".
"Years of practice" the old man said, tapping his wooden leg.
"Okay, everyone, into sick formation!"
As everyone started moving out, Katara asked "Aang, what are you doing? Aren't you coming with us?"
The twins turned to look at their tattooed companion, who replied "No. I'm not leaving until I find Bumi". Momo then leaped onto Aang's shoulder, but the boy picked the lemur up and put him down. "Sorry, Momo, I'll feed you later". The lemur then hopped onto Jin's shoulder, and the boy gave his brother a neutral expression before they joined the others.
I stood behind Azula as the circus master started the show. "We're deeply honoured to have the Fire Lord's daughter at our humble circus" he said. "And tell us if there's anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable".
Knowing Azula, something will probably wind up dead by the show's end, I thought to myself. "I will" she said, and her tone didn't dissuade me from my assumption. The show then started, with Ty Lee performing rather fantastic feats of acrobatics. "Incredible" Azula noted. "Do you think she'll fall?"
"Of course not" the circus master replied confidently.
"Then wouldn't it make it more interesting if you removed the net?" she asked, and my eyes flashed up to Ty Lee. To think that they were friends.
"Uh, the thing is…" the circus master replied, treading carefully. "The performers…"
"You're right, you're right" Azula said after a moment. "That's been done. I know. Set the net on fire".
"Of course, Princess". The older man then used his Firebending to set the net ablaze, and I could see Ty Lee starting to sweat from atop the wire.
"Brilliant" Azula complimented at the morbid display. "Just brilliant. Ooh! What kind of dangerous animals do you have?"
"Well, our circus boasts the most exotic assortment of…" the circus master started to reply.
"Release them all!" Azula commanded. I then watched as every kind of dangerous animal one could think of was released into the tent; clearly, when the daughter of the Fire Lord wanted something of someone, she got it. Later, I followed Azula into Ty Lee's tent, and the Fire Nation Princess dropped a bouquet of black flowers onto the other girl's vanity. "What an exquisite performance. I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow".
I glared at the back of Azula's head; this psychotic little teenager manipulated people into getting what she wanted as masterfully as a painter would create a stunning portrait.
"I'm sorry, Azula", Ty Lee apologized, "but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow".
"Really?"
"The universe is giving me strong hints that it's time for a career change" Ty Lee explained. "I want to join you on your mission".
I could practically feel Azula's delight.
Jin and Li watched as the Fire Nation baby slowly waddled after a distressed Momo, cooing during the pursuit. The infant circled the campfire after the escaping lemur before stopping in front of Jin. Its eyes opened wide with discovery as it started to climb onto the boy's lap, reaching out and touching his face.
Jin tried to manoeuvre his head out of the way, but the baby was relentless. He turned to the right and gave his brother a deadpan expression as the baby grasped at his nose. Then, he lifted the baby off of his lap and onto the ground, next to Sokka's club.
The baby picked up the weapon, gnawing on it for a moment until Sokka snatched it away. "No! Bad Fire Nation baby!" The baby started to cry, and the twins smirked as Katara slapped her brother in the face. He sighed in resignation and said "Oh, all right" as he handed the club back to the baby, who instantly stopped crying.
Katara then leaned down and said in that voice people used when talking to infants "Oh, you're so cute!"
"Sure, he's cute now", Captain Yung said. "But when he's older, he'll join the Fire Nation army. 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?" Katara countered, holding the baby up to the bearded Earthbender.
Suddenly, a squawk came from above, and the twins saw that it was a messenger hawk. The bird swooped down before landing near the fire. Aang took the scroll out of the cylinder on its back and read aloud. "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 following morning, Jin and Li stood next to Sokka and Katara as Aang walked over to them with the governor's baby in his arms. "You realize we're probably walking right into a trap" he said evenly.
"I don't think so" Aang countered. "I'm sure the governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi. It's a new day. I have a good feeling about this".
Omashu was nothing like I remembered it.
The city was now in the hands of the Fire Nation, and it had a decidedly different look. Smoke belched forth from several different locations, much of the stone was in the process of being plated over with metal, and the Fire Nation banner hung almost everywhere I looked.
I walked behind Azula as some of her Royal Procession carried her via palanquin. The spoiled little Princess couldn't even be bothered to walk. Beside me was Ty Lee, whose eternal perkiness was really starting to get annoying.
However, as we approached a very dour-looking black-haired girl, I decided that maybe Ty Lee wasn't so bad. The three of us walked over to the girl, who bowed to Azula and said in a very monotone voice "Please tell me you're here to kill me". She then looked up at Azula, and the two chuckled.
"It's great to see you, Mai" the Fire Nation Princess greeted as she hugged the other girl.
Ty Lee then hugged her, and 'Mai' said "I thought you ran off and joined the circus. You said it was your calling".
Ty Lee broke the hug and, with a smile, replied "Well, Azula called a little louder".
Mai then turned to look at me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as she appraised me with a neutral face that would easily put Shan We's to shame. The reminder of the tea-loving Firebender brought a slight ache inside, but that was gone as Mai asked in her monotone voice "And who might this be?"
Azula turned to regard me. "She was a former travelling companion of some traitors. I had her come along; she might prove useful". Mai didn't look convinced, and the Fire Nation Princess continued. "I have a mission, and I need you both".
"Count me in" Mai said. "Anything to get me out of this place".
We then made our way to the Fire Nation governor of Omashu, Mai's father, who said "I apologize. You've come to Omashu at a difficult time" as he and his wife got on their knees before Azula, who sat in his chair. "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" Azula replied, not sounding sorry in the least. "But really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?" She then stood up and glared down at the man. "My father has trusted you with this city, and you're making a mess of things".
"Forgive me, Princess" the governor said, prostrating himself before Azula.
"You stay here" she said as she started to walk out. "Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up. And there is no more Omashu. I am renaming it in honour of my father. The city of New Ozai!"
Soon enough, we made our way to the site of a massive construction project. Within the scaffolding, I could see a massive statue of a man in rich robes with a goatee who I took to be the Fire Lord. I walked behind Mai, flanked by Azula and Ty Lee, as we walked onto the large platform overlooking the rest of the city. On the other side, I could see the Avatar standing with two children dressed in Water Tribe clothing, as well as two boys with identical faces.
Jin and Li! What were they doing here?
I felt my mouth drop open in shock before I quickly closed it, glancing at the three girls in front of me. There was no telling what might happen to me if they knew I had some connection to the Avatar or his companions. Suddenly, I heard a mad cackle coming from above, and looked to see a very old-looking man in a metal coffin. Only his face was visible, and he continued his cackling as he said "Hi, everybody!"
"You brought my brother?" Mai asked.
"He's here" the Avatar replied, referring to the small baby in the Water Tribe boy's arms. "We're ready to trade".
"I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me" Azula cut in. "Do you mind?"
"Of course not, Princess Azula" Mai replied, letting the other girl step in front of her.
"We're trading a two-year old for a King, a powerful, Earthbending King". The old man nodded, and Azula continued. "It just doesn't seem like a fair trade. Does it?"
Mai looked back at the Avatar. "You're right" she said eventually. "The deal's off!" The old man's metal coffin was then raised up on its chain, and my mouth opened in shock again. She was seriously not going to get her brother back? How heartless was this girl?
"Whoa!" the old man cried giddily. "See you all later!"
"Bumi!" the Avatar cried before rushing towards us.
Jin and Li were shocked upon recognizing the fourth person on the other side of the platform. She was dressed differently, but she still looked the same, and the twins had seen her without her face paint before, so they knew that it was Takara. Why she was with the colourful band of Fire Nation girls was beyond them, and before they knew it, chaos erupted.
Aang rushed towards the girls with unbelievable speed, and the girl in ornate Fire Nation clothing shot blue flames at him. Their father had told them stories about Princess Azula, about the fact that she was the only other Firebender in the Fire Nation who used blue flames and about her almost utter insanity.
As Aang flew upwards on his glider, Princess Azula chased after him, leaving Takara and the other two girls for them, Sokka, and Katara to deal with.
"We've gotta get the baby out of here!" Katara cried as she entered into a ready stance.
"Way ahead of you" Sokka said, blowing on the Bison whistle Aang used. They then ran back the way they came, away from the girls, when Sokka suddenly cried out in surprise before falling down. The girl in pink suddenly emerged from a hole in the platform, and Katara used her Waterbending to trip her.
Jin and Li turned to see Takara and the black-haired girl from before charging towards them. The twins readied for battle; despite the distinct lack of earth around them, they were still fairly capable hand-to-hand fighters.
Suddenly, the twins caught sight of Aang riding King Bumi's metal coffin down a delivery chute, with Princess Azula hot on their heels. Jin nodded to Li, and the latter proceeded to run off the edge of the platform, leaping down in order to lend assistance to Aang and leaving the former to help Katara.
Before he knew it, Takara was suddenly in front of Jin. The Earthbender let his instincts take over as he dodged the Kyoshi Warrior's attacks, which had improved markedly since her arrival on their father's ship. He could tell that she was purposely slower than she could have been; he'd seen her fight, and he knew that she was holding back for appearance's sake. What surprised him was the matching set of four scars on both cheeks. Remembering the tendencies of Princess Azula, Jin found another reason to hate the teenager.
"Watch out!" Katara cried, and Jin saw her preparing to attack the Kyoshi Warrior. He tried to shake his head and get the Waterbending Master to stop, but in the heat of battle, she didn't notice him. Her attention was focused on the woman attacking him.
Almost too quick to see, Takara was struck in the side by a stream of water which sent her sliding off the edge of the platform. Luckily, the black-haired girl from before managed to pull her back up, leaving Jin to retreat next to Katara.
The black-haired girl then hurled more of her shuriken at them. Where was she holding all of those things?
"Here!" Katara said as she ripped a board from beneath them and tossed it over to Jin. The Earthbender held it in front of him, barely managing to block the tiny projectiles that would have struck him. Glancing to his left, he saw Katara drawing up some water in front of herself and freezing it into ice, trapping the shuriken aimed at her.
Down below, Li landed in one of the delivery chutes, using his Earthbending to raise up a cart-sized chunk of rock. He then shot it forward, carrying him down the chute and after Princess Azula.
The teenage girl was shooting blue fire blasts down at Aang, and Li doubled his pace. When he was close enough, he ripped a fist-sized chunk of rock from his ride before shooting it at Azula. The rock shot through the air before striking her in the hand just as she was about to attack Aang yet again, causing her blue flame to extend harmlessly into the air. The Fire Nation Princess snapped her head around and caught sight of Li. The glare she sent him made his bones quiver.
The chute the two of them were on descended, eventually joining up with Aang's. Li, Aang, and Princess Azula proceeded to engage in a two-on-one duel.
I watched as one of the twins and the Water Tribe girl blocked a volley of Mai's shuriken. The two of them were putting up a good fight, and while the Earthbending boy knew I was holding back, his companion didn't.
She melted her ice barrier into water and proceeded to send it towards us. Before I could react, the water split into two streams, and once it enveloped our arms, it froze.
Mai and I tried hacking at the ice, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, Ty Lee emerged from a hole in the platform, sneaking up behind the Water Tribe girl. The girl in pink quickly jabbed the girl in blue in several different places, and the ice around mine and Mai's arms miraculously melted back into water. The Water Tribe girl tried to Bend the water, but it only quivered slightly.
The Earthbending boy took notice of his companion's distress, and proceeded to rip a few chunks of stone from the foot of the massive statue. Before he could do anything with them, however, Ty Lee jabbed him in the same places she had with the Water Tribe girl, and the rocks suddenly fell onto the platform.
"How are you gonna fight without your Bending?" Mai asked them in her monotone voice as Ty Lee joined us. The black-haired girl drew a shuriken, and just as she was about to throw it, something came spinning through the air and struck her hand, knocking the projectile out of her grip.
"I seem to manage!" a voice replied from above. The other girls and I looked up and saw the Water Tribe boy riding a massive, six-legged flying Bison.
The gargantuan animal landed in between us and the two Benders, and it proceeded to give a mighty flap with its large, flat tail, creating a massive gust of wind that sent the three of us flying through the air.
Li dodged another blue fire blast, feeling the heat against his skin as it shot past him. Suddenly, Jin, Sokka, and Katara appeared atop Appa. The large, white Bison flew beside the delivery chute, and Li watched as Aang used his Airbending to launch himself and the old man's metal coffin off of the chute.
They flew through the air over Appa, plummeting down onto a lower chute. Soon enough, Azula caught up with them, with Li hot on her trail.
Suddenly, just as Azula sent a spinning wheel of blue flames towards Aang, a large rock emerged from the chute, dispelling the flames. Princess Azula's cart smashed into it, creating a large dust cloud that obscured Li's view of the chute. Thrusting his arms upwards, he caused a large rock to emerge from the chute directly beneath his cart-sized ride, launching it into the air over the Fire Nation Princess.
The Earthbender soared through the air, eventually spotting Aang and the old man in the metal coffin. Pushing off his ride, Li somersaulted in the air before landing more or less gracefully beside Aang.
"Hey!" the bald boy greeted. "Thanks for the help!"
Li bowed his head before turning to the old man, whose metal coffin was propped up on some rocks. He crouched down and wrote on the ground, asking about what just happened.
"Bumi can Earthbend with just his face" Aang replied, eliciting wide-eyed surprise from Li. He then turned to the old man and said "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?!"
"Listen to me, Aang" Bumi said, sounding more serious than before. "There are options in fighting called 'Jing'. It's a choice of how you direct your energy".
"I know!" Aang replied, sounding frustrated. "There's Positive Jing when you're attacking, and Negative Jing when you're retreating".
Li observed the discussion with his arms crossed. He'd never heard of these 'Jings' before, but he was familiar with the basic concepts, if he understood them properly. "And Neutral Jing: when you do nothing" Bumi added.
Aang looked utterly flabbergasted. "There are three Jings?"
"Well, technically, there are 85" Bumi replied. "But let's just focus on the third. Neutral Jing 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.
"Yes, and it's why I can't leave now".
Aang's shoulders slumped in defeat as he gazed at the city. "I guess I need to find someone else to teach me Earthbending". After a moment, he turned to Li and said "Hey! Maybe I could learn from you and your brother; you're pretty powerful Earthbenders".
Li crouched down and started to write on the ground when Bumi shook his head. "Your teacher will be someone who has mastered Neutral Jing" he explained. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking".
Just then, Momo flew down onto Aang's shoulder, and the Airbender chuckled before saying "Hey, Momo".
"Momo's mastered a few Jings himself" Bumi said, causing Li to look questioningly at the lemur. "Goodbye, Aang. I'll see you when the time is right". His face then tensed, and his metal coffin fell onto the chute before it was pushed back up by a rock. Bumi cackled the whole way, until the sound was gone.
Li stepped over to Aang, placing a hand on the bald boy's shoulder and smiling encouragingly. Appa then appeared nearby, with the others on his saddle.
"So, we're tracking your brother, your uncle, and Shan We, huh?" Mai asked, her tone flat and emotionless as always.
"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?" Ty Lee asked from beside the black-haired girl. I saw Mai's lips curl into what might have otherwise have been considered a smile, had it not been on her face, as Ty Lee added "And I'm looking forward to seeing Shan We! I hear he's incredibly handsome!"
I involuntarily blushed at the thought of the Firebender, wondering where he was right now. The slight embarrassment gave way to shame; the twins had shown me nothing but kindness, and had even disobeyed their father's command in order to help me keep Prince Zuko from capturing the Avatar. Even though I had held back during the battle, I still felt guilty for fighting them at all.
"It's not just Zuko, Iroh, and Shan We anymore" Azula said from within her palanquin. "We have a fourth target now".
Once I knew that no one was glancing my way, I reached into my sleeve and pulled out the White Lotus tile Shan We had given me before I had been captured. I rolled it in between my fingers, allowing myself to smile as memories of my conversations with the tea-loving Firebender back aboard his ship.
Suddenly, Ty Lee's perky voice asked from beside me "What's that?"
I flinched a little before glancing at her. She bore a smile on her face, as she always did, and l held the tile in my palm. "Oh, it's a… Pai Sho tile I found a little while back".
"Neat" the teenager said.
After a moment, a memory from the battle flashed before my eyes. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Sure!" she replied, clasping her hands behind her back.
"What was that thing you did back on the platform? It was like you took away their Bending with just a few quick jabs".
"Oh ya, it's called 'Chi Blocking'" she replied perkily.
"Chi Blocking? I've never heard about such a thing".
"Yeah, it's really rare" Ty Lee agreed.
"Do you think you could… teach it to me?" I asked, somewhat hesitantly.
"Sure!" She then wrapped an arm around my shoulders and smiled. "See? I knew we'd become friends. We're already bonding!"
I surreptitiously glanced over at Azula, who looked so superior as some of her Royal Procession carried her palanquin. "Sure, bonding" I said a little distractedly.
Well, there you have it. No Shan We, unfortunately, but we did meet with Azula's crew. *Shudders* That bunch has always given me the heeby-jeebies.
Please review and favourite!