AN: Decided to set a minimum 400 word per day quota for writing this thing.
Now for the obligatory legal info: I do not own Halo, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or associated characters and properties.
Omashu Shenanigans
The group had landed in a mountain range, with Aang claiming to want to show them something. In the distance, Neil could see what looked like a very conical city.
"The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu," the young Avatar proclaimed as the group got off of Appa. "I used to always come here to visit my friend Bumi," he reminisced.
"Wow, we don't have cities like this in the South Pole!" Katara said in amazement.
"They have buildings here that don't melt!" Sokka said in equal astonishment.
"...this is ant-sized compared to Havenwinter," Neil remarked with a complete lack of enthusiasm. In fact, most cities back on Ballast, his homeworld, dwarfed Omashu. The teenagers turned to him as if he'd just said the Avatar was as important as pocket lint. "Points for the architecture, though," he added quickly.
"Well, let's go, slowpokes! The real fun is inside the city!" Aang excitedly said before leaping ahead.
"Wait, Aang!" Katara called out, causing the boy to stop. "It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar, and Neil will draw too much attention in his armor," she pointed out.
"She's right," Hieu agreed. He might be able to somewhat believably pass off his armor as something he put together, but Neil knew his armor was simply too advanced-looking to not draw every eye in the city.
"You need disguises," Sokka stated.
"So, what am I supposed to do, grow a mustache?" Aang sarcastically asked.
Suddenly, a lightbulb was lit in Neil's brain.
Aang now had a 'mustache,' and 'hair' to go along with it, courtesy of the local flying bison and Neil's brain.
"Oh, this is so itchy," the boy groaned. "How do you live in this stuff?" Appa turned to him in annoyance before grunting.
Neil and Hieu, meanwhile, had made ghillie suits out of surrounding brush to help cover their armor, and they both had satchels on their shoulders, containing their respective helmets. The super soldiers had agreed that wearing them would draw too much attention. The Bandit was staying behind for the same reason.
"Great! Now you look just like my grandfather," Sokka remarked.
"Technically, Aang is a hundred-and-twelve years old," Katara pointed out.
The boy in question kicked his staff off the ground and twirled it about before assuming a hunchbacked pose. "Now let's get to skipping, young whippersnappers!" he said, imitating an elderly man. "The big city awaits!"
Mediocre city, more like, Neil thought to himself.
The group hiked along a narrow path on a cliff towards the city gates. As they approached, Aang spoke up.
"You guys are gonna love Omashu," he said excitedly. "The people here are the friendliest in the world." As he said that, however, the group saw some Earth Kingdom guards inspecting what appeared to be a merchant with a cart full of cabbages. By the sound of things, the guards were not happy.
"Rotten cabbages?! What kind of slum do you think this is?!" one of the guards furiously questioned. The guard crushed one of the vegetables in his hands before earthbending the cart off the cliff in a rather dramatic fashion.
"NO! MY CABBAGES!" the merchant yelled as his livelihood vanished over the edge.
"'Friendliest in the world,' huh?" Neil sarcastically asked.
"Just keep smiling," Aang nervously said. Katara giggled in equal nervousness as the group pressed forward.
As they approached the guards, one of them earthbent a boulder over Aang's head. "State your business," he ordered.
Aang, in response, got up in the guard's face and said in faux irritation, "My business is my business, young man, and none of yours!" The boy jabbed a finger into the guard's chest for emphasis. "I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!" Behind him, Sokka and Katara were somewhat disturbed by Aang's antics.
The guard dropped the boulder in surprise. "Settle down, old timer," he said before the boy could continue. "Just tell me who you are."
Hieu spoke up before Aang had a chance to embarrass himself any further. "I apologize for Lobi's attitude. As for our business, me and my companion were hired to ensure that he and his grandchildren made it here safely."
"Hi, I'm June," Katara said as she walked up to the guard.
The guard cupped his chin briefly before speaking up again. "You seem like a responsible young lady," he said. "See that your grandfather stays out of trouble," he ordered. "Enjoy Omashu."
"We will!" Katara assured the guard as the group walked forward.
"Wait a minute!" the guard exclaimed suddenly, causing the group to freeze. He put a hand on Sokka's shoulder.
"You're a strong young boy. Show some respect for the elderly, and carry your grandfather's bag!" the guard ordered irately.
"Good idea!" Aang agreed as he tossed his satchel to Sokka.
The wall that served as the gate split open, layer by layer, causing everyone but Aang to gasp in amazement.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Neil decided to make a good last impression as they entered the city. "You'd make a good drill instructor," Neil joked as he passed the guard, eliciting a small grin.
As the rowdy old man, his grandchildren, and mercenary bodyguards entered Omashu, Ling swore he saw what appeared to be giant animal ears sticking out of the old man's hair as the gates closed.
The first thing Hieu saw in the city were slides. Lots and lots of slides.
"This is the Omashu Delivery System - miles and miles of tubes and chutes!" Aang explained happily. "Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down."
"Great, so they get their mail on time," Sokka deadpanned.
"They do get their mail on time," Aang replied. "But my friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes," he continued with a smirk.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hieu saw Neil lean towards him, before whispering, "Reckless idea in three, two, one…"
Roughly 100 years ago
Aang was on a balcony with his friend, Bumi.
"Look around you," Bumi said as he turned to face Aang. "What do you see?"
"Um… the mail system?" Aang asked in confusion. Bumi only had a mischievous smile on his face.
"Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you've gotta open your brain to the possibilities," the Earth Kingdom boy cryptically replied.
"A package-sending system?"
"The world's greatest super-slide!" Bumi finally proclaimed. Aang mirrored his friend's smile.
"Bumi, you're a mad genius," he said in anticipation.
Present day
Aang, Sokka, and Katara neared the slide in one of the mail tubs. Hieu and Neil, being too large to fit and thinking this was a stupid idea, had decided to follow the kids from down on the ground, getting a head start to make sure they didn't lose track of their younger companions.
"One ride, then we're off to the North Pole. Airbender's honor," Aang promised. The tub creaked under them.
Katara was anxious. "This sounded like fun at first, but now that I'm here, I'm starting to have second THOUGHTS-" She screamed the last word out as the tub finally tipped over the edge.
Aang laughed in enjoyment as they gained speed, with Katara still screaming in terror and Sokka trying his hardest not to. As they neared another chute, they passed a load of spears next to them. The problem with this was that the chutes merged, and when they did so, the pointy sticks were right behind the kids and gaining. Sokka ducked to avoid being impaled, and Katara leaned forward. Aang noticed the spears.
"I'm on it!" the boy yelled, swerving the tub through the side of the chute.
Neil saw the kids crash through the barrier as he sprinted to follow them, and inwardly started a tally of possible charges as he and Hieu changed direction.
One count of property damage, he thought with a sigh.
The kids slid on a roof, crashed through Earth Kingdom boot camp, and knocked over a crate of pumpkins on the mail system, before finally getting on another chute.
Make that four, Neil thought as they yet again redirected to follow.
Katara was terrified. "Aang, do something! Use your airbending!" she yelled, hoping he would slow them down.
Aang, however, seemed to have the opposite in mind. "Yeah! Good idea! That'll make us go even faster!" he yelled back, before using his airbending to accelerate the tub.
"Oh, come on!" Neil groaned as he and Hieu sped up their sprint.
As the kids neared a mail depot, they spotted a tub ahead of them, and collectively screamed.
The tub ahead was directed away by an earthbender, and they sighed in relief.
Yet another tub appeared, however, causing them to scream yet again, before impacting it and going through a wall. The force caused them to be thrown from their own tub.
Thinking quickly, Aang used his airbending to get them all back in, before sliding on more roofs. They went through a house and smashed a pot as it was being painted, with Aang yelling, "SORRY!"
The group slid through another building, managing to pick up a cat that Momo thankfully scared away, before sliding through a railing and falling on top of a familiar merchant's cart. Aang's disguise was ruined by the fall.
"MY CABBAGES! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!" the merchant yelled as Earth Kingdom soldiers approached. Neil and Hieu arrived moments later, panting from how fast they had to go to keep up.
"That's ten… maybe twelve… counts of… property damage?" Neil said breathlessly.
"Two cabbages, please?" Aang said nervously.
The Earth Kingdom soldiers were not amused. "You three are under arrest for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages," one said, before turning to Hieu and Neil. "And you two are under arrest for directly aiding them."
Hieu and Neil raised their hands in surrender, before the older of the two said, "I told them it was a bad idea."
The five were escorted to the palace, where the king of the city was on his throne. He was old. Very old. His crown had a pair of massive horns that pointed backwards, and his eyes were slightly different shades of green. He made an expression that seemed to indicate some sense of recognition, something that Hieu filed away in his mind for later.
As the group went to their knees, one of the guards spoke up. "Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages, and the adults were arrested for aiding and abetting their endeavors."
"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! ONE FOR EACH HEAD OF CABBAGE!" the merchant cried out.
"Silence!" the guard called, reminding the merchant of his place in the legal food chain. "Only the king can pass down judgment." He turned to the king, and asked, "What is your judgment, sire?"
The king pondered for a few moments as he looked at the five. Sokka made unamused buzzing noises. Katara had an innocent smile. Aang had a shameful expression. Neil laughed nervously. Hieu showed no emotion. Aang accidentally made eye contact with the king, and whistled in an attempt to distract himself.
It seemed the king made up his mind. "Throw them…" The group looked at the king, anxious about their punishment. "...a feast!"
The guard gasped in astonishment, and the merchant palmed his face in irritation. Meanwhile, the group looked at each other in confusion.
A table chock-full of food was ahead of the five. Hieu and Neil were sitting on rocks due to their weight, while the kids were in normal chairs.
"The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts," the king chuckled. "So I hope you like your chicken with no skin."
Aang looked up at the king. "Thanks, but I don't eat meat," he replied.
Meanwhile, Neil was enjoying himself. "Beats rations," he complimented after swallowing a bite. Hieu was more subdued as he ate, but Katara could see that he too enjoyed actual food. If what she'd been told was true, it was better than foraging for food on an alien planet.
The king turned to Sokka. "How about you? I bet you like meat," he said, stuffing the chicken leg in the teen's mouth before he could respond. As he removed the food and took an actual bite, it seemed her brother liked the taste.
Katara turned to Aang. "Is it just me, or is this guy's crown a little crooked?" she whispered, twirling a finger by her head in emphasis.
The king reached his throne. "So, tell me, young bald one, where are you from?" he asked.
"I'm from… Kangaroo Island," the boy responded, pausing for a second to come up with a location.
"Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh?" the king asked as he leaned forward. "I hear that place is really hopping." Katara only heard a single cough in the background.
"Cue the crickets," Neil quipped.
Sokka suddenly started laughing. When the others turned to him, he stopped. "What? It was pretty funny," he defended.
The king yawned. "All these good jokes are making me tired," he said tiredly. "Guess it's time to hit the hay."
He suddenly threw a chicken leg at Aang, which he caught with airbending. The guards gasped.
"There's an airbender in our presence, and not just any airbender…" the king said, any trace of tiredness vanishing from his voice. "...the Avatar." Aang dropped the chicken in surprise. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Lobi?"
"Okay, you caught me," Aang said as he stood. "I'm the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out." He peeked under the tablecloth. "No firebenders here. So, good work everybody." He began to take his friends to the exit. "Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!" The guards crossed said spears to block their exit.
Katara looked at the king. "You can't keep us here. Let us leave!" she demanded.
"Lettuce leaf?" the king asked as he picked one up and took a bite.
Neil leaned towards the rest of them. "I could learn a thing or two from this guy," he whispered in slight amusement.
Sokka, however, had a less optimistic view. "We're in serious trouble," he said. "This guy is nuts."
"Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges," the king spoke up. "But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."
One of the guards leaned towards the king. "My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?" he asked.
"The newly refurbished chamber," the king answered.
"Wait, which one are we talking about?"
"The one that used to be the bad chamber, until the recent refurbishing, that is," the king confirmed. "Of course, we've been calling it the new chamber, but we really should number them, uh…"
The guards began escorting the five out of the throne room. "Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!" the king ordered.
The group entered the chamber through a hole created by the guards' earthbending.
"This is a prison cell?" Katara asked in confusion. "But it's so nice."
"He did say it was refurbished," Hieu responded.
Again, Sokka wasn't optimistic. "Nice or not, we're prisoners," he reminded them.
Aang was nervous about what the next day would hold. "I wonder what these challenges are gonna be," he said anxiously.
"We're not sticking around to find out," Katara answered. "There's gotta be some way out of here."
As she said that, Aang spotted a vent in a nearby wall. "The air vents!" he exclaimed, pointing at one.
Neil was skeptical. "You guys aren't getting through there, let alone Hieu and I," he pointed out.
"We can't, but Momo can," Aang said.
As it turned out, the lemur had made some substantial gains in circumference during the feast, and was laying on the bed and licking a half-eaten apple. Aang paid little attention to that fact. "Momo, I need you to find Appa and bust us out of here," the boy said, picking up the lemur.
Aang then attempted to shove Momo through the vent, but the lemur's lower half was too wide to fit. "Go on boy," the young Avatar groaned. "Get Appa!" He eventually realized the futility of the act.
"Eh, how was Appa supposed to save us, anyway?" Sokka asked as he laid on his bed.
"Appa is a ten ton flying bison. I think he could figure something out," Aang responded.
Katara spoke up. "Well, no point arguing about it now," she said as she got in bed. "Get some rest, Aang. Looks like you'll need it for tomorrow."
As the boy laid in his bed, he noticed Neil and Hieu were leaned up against the wall. Neil slept peacefully, a small smile on his face. Hieu, however, twitched every so often, as if he was in the middle of a particularly bad dream. Aang eventually closed his eyes and dozed off.
Aang awoke to a rumbling noise. Looking around, he saw that his friends had vanished.
"Sokka?" he asked, hoping this was some kind of trick. "Katara? Hieu? Neil?" He turned to see a guard by a hole in the wall. "Where are my friends?" he questioned.
"The king will free them if you complete your challenges," the guard responded.
"And if I fail?" Aang asked.
"He didn't say," the guard answered. He extended a hand. "Your staff, please?" Aang kicked the staff off the ground and twirled it for a second before reluctantly tossing it to the guard.
Aang was in the throne room once more. The king was standing ahead of him, wearing a purple outfit.
"First, Avatar…" the king said. "...what do you think of my new outfit? I want your honest opinion." Somebody coughed in the background. "I'm waiting."
Aang scratched his head. "I… guess it's fine," he eventually answered.
"Excellent," the king replied, spreading his arms. "You've passed the first test."
"Really?" Aang asked excitedly.
"Well…" the king began. "...not one of the deadly tests. The real challenges are much more, uh… challenging."
Aang had had enough. He used airbending to get himself within a few feet of the king. "I don't have time for your crazy games!" he aggressively said. "Give me my friends back. We're leaving."
The king only had a smile. "Oh, I thought you might refuse…" he said as a wall opened to the side. Aang saw Sokka and Katara's wrists held by some guards, and Neil and Hieu were enveloped in rocks, leaving only their hands exposed. "...so I will give your friends some special souvenirs." Aang watched as the guards put crystal rings on his friend's fingers. When they did, Neil and Hieu were released. "Those delightful rings are made of pure jennamite, also known as creeping crystal." The rings glowed slightly, and the boy watched his friends struggle to remove the rings. "It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast. By nightfall, your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible fate, really. I can stop it, but only if you cooperate."
Sokka's ring glowed slightly as it already started expanding. "It's already creeping!" he cried out.
Neil's ring grew too. "Boot camp didn't cover magic rocks," he anxiously said. He suddenly made a fist, before smashing it against the wall. A massive spider web crack appeared in the wall, but the ring was unscathed. "Eh, it was worth a shot," he shrugged.
Aang turned back to the king. "I'll do what you want," he reluctantly complied. A smile appeared on the king's face.
The first deadly challenge was in a cave. The king and Aang's friends were in a booth above the ground, while the Avatar himself was down below on a ledge. Speaking of his friends, the crystals had already grown to their wrists.
"It seems I've lost my lunchbox key, and I'm hungry," the king called from the booth. The key in question could be seen hanging from a chain in the middle of a waterfall. "Oh, there it is!" he said in feigned surprise. "Would you mind fetching it for me?"
Aang hopped off his ledge, bouncing across the tips of the stalagmites as he advanced towards the waterfall. Diving in near the bottom, he ran up a stalagmite to get to the key, grabbing onto a ladder. He tried to raise a hand to grab the next rung, but the force of the water pushed him out. He barely caught himself between two stalagmites, eliciting a sigh of relief. Aang then saw his friends smiling encouragingly from the booth.
Deciding to switch tactics, he jumped up to the stalactites, eventually perching himself between a pair. He then leaped towards the waterfall, using his airbending to gain a speed boost. Again, however, the waterfall was too strong, forcing him out the bottom and causing the boy to slam against a stalagmite. When he began to fall, he quickly caught himself.
"That's right, keep diving head in!" the king taunted. "I'm sure it will work eventually."
Aang then got an idea. He tore the top off of the stalagmite he was on, perched himself on its former mount, and threw it like a javelin towards the chain the key was on, using his airbending to speed it up. It caught the chain, tearing it in half and pinning the part with the key above the king's head, dangling in front of his face.
"There, enjoy your lunch!" Aang yelled. "I want my friends back, NOW!"
"Uh, not yet," the king replied, causing Aang's friends to look at the old man with disgruntled expressions. "I need help with another matter. It seems I've lost my pet, Flopsy."
Aang had found a small rabbit in the pit where the next challenge was. "Okay, found him!" he called to the king.
"Bring him to me!" the king called back. "Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy!"
Aang crept up on the rabbit. "Come here, Flopsy," he said. Suddenly, a thud could be heard from behind. Turning, the boy saw a goat-gorilla looming over him. He nervously laughed. The momentary distraction gave the rabbit an opportunity to escape.
The goat-gorilla smashed its front paws together, intending to crush Aang, but the boy leapt away just in the nick of time. Quickly looking around, he saw the rabbit running away. Giving chase, Aang called, "Flopsy, wait!" The gorilla chased the boy in turn. "Flopsy!" The king could be heard laughing maniacally.
As the rabbit neared a hole in a wall, Aang slid to catch it, but the small mammal stayed out of the boy's grasp. He then had an idea. A crazy idea, but an idea nonetheless. "Wait a minute," he said to himself. Turning to the charging gorilla, he quietly said, "Flopsy?"
Just before the gorilla reached him, he stopped, wagging his tail. He then picked Aang up in his arms and gave an affectionate lick. "Flopsy!" the boy said happily as he patted the goat-gorilla's head.
Suddenly, a whistle was heard. Dropping Aang, Flopsy quickly headed towards the booth where the king was. The goat-gorilla climbed in and quickly laid on his back.
"Oh, that's a good boy," the king said happily as he began to rub Flopsy's exposed stomach. "Yes, who has a soft belly?"
Aang jumped into the booth. By now, his friends were mostly covered in jennamite, with only their heads and legs exposed. "Guys, are you okay?" he asked in concern.
"Other than the crystal slowly encasing my entire body? Doing great," Katara sarcastically said.
"About what I said earlier, no amount of boot camp could have prepared me for this," Neil remarked.
Meanwhile, Sokka's crystal grew again, throwing off his balance and causing him to tip onto his side.
Aang turned to the king as he finished spoiling Flopsy. "Come on, I'm ready for the next challenge," the boy proclaimed. The king only gave another laugh.
They were in a massive room with an arena at the bottom, which was covered with rocks. It was easily as wide as Zuko's ship, and just as long. Aang heard Hieu say something about it being able to fit a 'winter class prowler,' whatever that was.
"Your final test is a duel," the king announced. "And, as a special treat, you may choose your opponent." At this, two men emerged from the shadows.
One had a battle axe, a bare chest, and gold bear pauldrons, while the other wore black, had a spear with a curved tip, and a bandolier. "Point and choose," the king said.
"So you're saying, whoever I point to, that's the person I get to fight?" Aang questioned.
"Choose wisely," the king reminded.
Aang knew who he wanted his opponent to be. "I choose…" He pointed at the king. "...you."
The king only laughed. "Wrong choice," he eagerly replied. He flexed his knuckles, before straightening his back and getting rid of the purple outfit. He was surprisingly muscular, had large amounts of armpit hair, and now only wore green shorts. As Aang backed away slightly in fear, he heard Neil say something about his day only getting weirder by the hour.
The king suddenly stomped his foot on the ground, using earthbending to send Aang flying into the arena. The boy landed on his back before rolling back in a slight daze.
The king jumped in and landed in front of Aang, laughing maniacally. "You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see!" he proclaimed.
Aang stood up. "Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?" he asked, gesturing to the booth.
"There are no take-backsies in my kingdom," the king responded, before gesturing to the booth. "You might need this!" A guard tossed Aang his staff, which he caught.
The king suddenly lifted several boulders from the ground, before throwing them at Aang. The boy dodged the first, deflected the second, and jumped the third.
"Typical airbender tactic - avoid and evade," the king taunted. "I'd hoped the Avatar would be less predictable!" He suddenly threw another rock at Aang, who leaped into the air to dodge. "Don't you have any surprises for me? Sooner or later, you'll have to strike back!" he reminded as Aang twirled his staff to hover. He then kicked yet another rock, this time into the ceiling, showering Aang with debris and causing him to fall.
Aang then decided to rush the king, who stepped back and forth to cause rocks to shoot up from the ground. The boy dodged the obstacles, before getting caught by one as it shot up.
"Oh, you'll have to be a little more creative than that!" the king said as Aang landed on an air-scooter. The boy dodged as another rock appeared, riding on the wall and tossing a wave of air at the king, who put up a barrier to protect himself.
"Did someone leave the windows open?" the king mockingly asked. "It feels a little drafty in here." His expression then turned serious. "Are you hoping I'll catch a cold?"
The king then pushed the barrier over, sending it on a wave of rock towards Aang. When the boy tried to jump over the wave, it instead smacked him out of the air, sending him tumbling. The king then slammed a fist into the ground, sending a line of rock towards Aang, who dodged into the air. As the boy landed a short distance from the king, he grabbed his staff.
"How are you going to get me from way over there?" the king taunted. Determined to win, Aang used his airbending to rush towards the king, who turned the ground beneath the boy to sand. As Aang got stuck, the king sent two massive boulders towards Aang, who used airbending to send himself into the air to dodge. He then leaped over the boulders and used his staff to send a wave of air towards the king, knocking him back towards the far wall.
The king pulled another boulder towards Aang, who barely managed to leap over it. Realizing the boulder was now heading towards him, the king turned it to sand as it impacted, sending him sliding back slightly. Then, with a huge grunt of effort, the king tore the center booth out of the wall, suspending it over his head.
Aang screamed in fright, before quickly running in faster and faster circles, creating a massive whirlwind that sucked in dust from all over the room. As the king threw the booth at the boy, the whirlwind instead flung it back at him. The king split it in half, only for Aang to land in front of him, pointing his staff at the king's throat. The boy had a confident smirk, but then a pebble fell on his head. He then realized the king had a boulder suspended over both of them.
The king smirked, and offered a slight chuckle. "Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart," he complimented. He then threw the boulder to the side, before falling backwards and sinking into the ground, to Aang's confusion. He then reappeared in the booth where his friends were, with Aang leaping up to follow him. By now, their heads were covered as well.
"You've passed all my tests," the king said. "Now, you must answer one question."
"That's not fair!" Aang retorted angrily. "You said you would release my friends if I finish your tests!"
"Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?" the king replied with a smirk.
"Oh, come on!" Sokka said impatiently.
The king gestured at Aang's friends. "Answer this one question and I will set your friends free: What… is my name?" Aang looked at the king in confusion. "From the looks of your friends, I'd say you only have a few minutes," the king said as he walked away.
Aang looked at his friends. "How am I supposed to know his name?" he asked.
"Think about the challenges," Katara said. "Maybe it's some kind of riddle?"
"I got it!" Sokka said suddenly. Everyone looked towards him.
"Yeah?" Aang said excitedly.
"He's an earthbender, right? Rocky!" Only a cough could be heard in the background. "You know, because of all the rocks!"
Neil turned to look at Sokka disbelievingly. "Are you kidding me? I'm gonna suffocate to death because a teenager picked the most generic name possible," he said sardonically.
"We're gonna keep trying, but that is a good backup," Katara interrupted.
"No, it's not," Hieu said.
Aang began thinking again. "Okay, so back to the challenges," he said. "I got a key from a waterfall, I saved his pet, and I had a duel."
"And what did you learn?" Katara asked.
"Well, everything was different than I expected," Aang realized.
"And…?" Katara's crystal grew slightly.
"Well…" Aang cupped his chin. "They weren't straightforward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I usually would." Aang suddenly seemed to have an idea.
"I know his name."
They were back in the throne room, and the king was clothed again.
"I solved the question the same way I solved the challenges," Aang said. "As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities." The king began laughing. "Bumi, you're a mad genius." Aang rushed forward and caught the king in a hug.
"Oh, Aang, it's good to see you," Bumi said. "You haven't changed a bit, literally."
Aang's friends walked forward. "Uh, over here!" Katara called, interrupting their reunion.
"Little help?" Sokka asked.
Bumi pulled a fist back, shattering the crystal around Katara, Sokka, Neil, and Hieu, before grabbing a piece. "Jennamite is made of rock candy," he said before taking a bite. "Delicious!"
"I thought I saw recognition on your face during the feast," Hieu recalled.
"So, this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?" Katara questioned in confusion.
"Who you calling old?" Bumi asked in slight irritation. "Okay, I'm old," he eventually admitted.
"Why did you do all of this instead of just telling Aang who you were?" Sokka asked.
"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people," Bumi replied with a brief laugh. "But I do have a reason." He turned to his old friend.
"Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years you've been gone. It's the duty of the Avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius!" A small smile appeared on Aang's face as he bowed. "And it looks like you're in good hands. You'll need your friends to help you defeat the Fire Nation." Momo flew up onto Aang's shoulder. "And you'll need Momo, too."
"Thank you for your wisdom," Aang replied with gratitude. "But before we leave, I have a challenge for you."
"Oh no," Neil said quietly.
Bumi and Aang were racing down the chutes in a tub, just like the old days. They cheered as they sped along, eventually crashing somewhere near the wall.
"MY CABBAGES!" an increasingly familiar merchant wailed.
Academy
January 9th, 2560
Local time 1629
The Banished were here.
A whole fleet of Banished ships had come into the system, annihilated the defense fleet, and was now bearing down on the Academy's location. Every Spartan, ODST, and Marine was doing their best to fortify the place, but everyone knew they would only be delaying the inevitable. The ongoing infection only made the situation worse.
"Get the comms dish back on our side, whatever it takes!" Commander Agryna ordered the techs in the command center. She turned to the intercom. "Fireteams Eagle, Cobra, and Apollo, reinforce the north landing pad! Komodo, get the east anti-air network going! Prince, same with the west network!"
She heard a ping in her helmet's short-range comms. Answering it, she heard from a Marine squad sent to act as early warning. "Commander, we've spotted a flight of dropships to our northwest. Around twenty Phantoms, two have Wraiths. ETA, roughly fifteen mikes."
"So they're sending in tanks on the first wave," Agryna mumbled to herself. Turning back to the intercom, she called out, "The first wave will be here in fifteen minutes! Get to your stations!"
Suddenly, everything in the command center went dark. As the red emergency lights came on, every screen in the room flashed the Banished emblem, and an ominous, familiar laugh echoed through the room.
"Ah, the true spirit of the Spartans," Iratus began through the intercom, his voice echoing through the facility. Agryna could almost hear the sneer in his words. "Fighting on, even when victory cannot be found. Keep dreaming. It will be all the more satisfying to watch your hope crumble."
The screens then returned to normal, and as the normal white lights came back to life, Agryna took charge. "What's the status of the dish?" she demanded.
"The AI's are working on it, but right now, it's looking like we won't be able to send a distress call until tomorrow," a tech answered worriedly.
"We don't have until tomorrow. Keep trying," Agryna directed.
Next chapter: Spark of Hope
AN: Chapter 6 is done and dusted.
I had planned to take some inspiration from RabbiSlimThot's Solace in the Stars (good Star Wars/Avatar fanfic by the way, even if it is a grammatically correct rewrite of an already existing one) for the duel by having Neil and Hieu spice things up, but that was cut before it could go anywhere.
Also, the Banished are preparing to invade the Academy. I plan to revisit the coming invasion in the next three chapters, so don't worry about me forgetting them.
I also planned to have Neil and Hieu come up with a way to take off their armor in the beginning of this chapter, but that was cut as well for narrative reasons.
Anyway, follow, fave, and review. Especially that last one, I want to know how I can write better.
This is Believer218, signing off.
Edit: Formatting and slight errors corrected