Aang had to admit it felt strange to be finally leaving the Southern Water Tribe. It felt like they had been there for longer than just three months, and yet at the same time, it felt like they had only just arrived. While he wasn't going to miss the constant ice and snow, he was definitely going to miss the friends he had made here.
After everyone had returned to the village following the battle, tensions had still been high. While some villagers had taken Hakoda, Sokka, and Katara's side with their opinions of Iroh and Zuko, many more had sided with Gilak and Thod. Eventually, things had come to a head, and Gilak had demanded that Iroh and Zuko leave before sundown the following day or he and Thod would "take matters into their own hands".
While Hakoda had attempted to argue against this, Iroh and Zuko had been more than happy to comply. Of course, Aang had agreed to this as well, as not only did he not want to be separated from his companions, but he knew that it was time for him to be on his way to the Northern Water Tribe now that the Southern Raiders were no longer a threat.
As he finished packing his sleeping bag into Appa's saddle, he stood and surveyed the battlefield in front of him. Several of the villagers who had not fought in the battle were cleaning up the remains of the Southern Raiders who had been killed, while a handful of village elders were gathering the bodies of the few Southern Water Tribe warriors who had lost their lives to prepare them for burial ceremonies.
Aang squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the sting of tears beginning to form. Before the battle, he had naively hoped that there would be no casualties. He now knew how foolish that mindset was. The world was at war; it was likely that many more people would lose their lives before it ended.
Which was exactly why he needed to get to the North Pole as soon as possible. The sooner he mastered the elements, the sooner he could make things right and restore balance.
Appa brayed sadly, interrupting his thoughts. He jumped down onto the snowy ground and turned to face the bison, sighing as he petted his muzzle. "I know, buddy. I'm gonna miss everyone too."
"We're ready to go," Zuko said from behind him, and Aang turned to face his friend, who was followed by Iroh. The Fire Prince still looked quite miserable; he had been feeling extremely guilty ever since the battle, and it was obvious that he had gotten very little sleep.
"Hey, cheer up, hotman," Aang said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "You did the right thing yesterday."
"I knew it wasn't gonna be easy," Zuko sighed. "I guess I should be happy that Gilak and Thod aren't actively trying to murder us right now."
"I'm proud of you, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, patting his nephew on the back. "It is always best to learn from one's mistakes when they occur, and to seek to restore honor."
Zuko groaned. "Can we just… stop talking about it and get out of here already?"
"Well, I'd like to at least say goodbye to Hakoda, Katara, and Sokka," Aang replied. "Don't you?"
Zuko's eyes widened slightly, and he looked down guiltily again. "I do… but I haven't talked to any of them directly since… what happened after the battle last night."
Aang and Iroh shared a glance.
"Nephew, they defended us from Gilak and Thod," Iroh reminded him. "I think the least we can do is thank them and give them a proper goodbye."
Zuko raised his head and met his uncle's gaze with an uncertain expression, then sighed. "Okay. Let's go."
As the trio made their way back to the village, to Aang's surprise, the gates opened to reveal Hakoda, Bato, Sokka, and Katara, who walked over to meet them.
"We were just coming back to say goodbye," Aang said. "Thank you so much for your hospitality, Hakoda. And for trusting me about my vision."
Hakoda held up his hand. "It is us who should be thanking you , Aang. Without you…" He then turned to Iroh and Zuko. "Without all of you, the Southern Water Tribe would have been completely wiped out."
Iroh and Zuko both bowed respectfully to the chief. "It was our honor," Iroh replied. "And it was the least we could do to make amends for the decades of suffering our family and nation have caused."
"And again, I'm truly sorry about keeping our identities secret," Zuko said solemnly, keeping his eyes on the ground as the two rose from their bow. He flinched, however, when Hakoda's strong hand clapped him on his shoulder, and looked up into the chief's blue eyes.
"You're a good kid, Zuko. It takes a lot of guts to betray the Fire Nation."
"Especially when your father is the Fire Lord himself," Bato added.
Hakoda nodded. "And you risked your life to protect my kids. No matter what the others think, I won't forget that."
Zuko stared back at the man, wide-eyed. "I– thank you," he managed to stutter.
Hakoda smiled, then stepped back, while Sokka and Katara stepped forward.
"I guess this is goodbye, huh?" Aang asked with a sad smile.
"Actually…" Sokka said, looking back to his dad and Bato, who both nodded. "We want to go with you. To the North Pole."
Aang and Zuko turned to one another, mouths gaping in surprise.
"I still need a waterbending teacher, too," Katara added. "Dad wasn't thrilled with the idea at first, but Sokka and Gran-Gran helped convince him. I want to learn how to use the gifts I've been given, and I want to help as many people as I can. I can't do that sitting here at home."
"Wait," Aang said, blinking several times, and turned to Hakoda. "You're going to fight in the war?"
"You three have inspired us. And we're not the only ones," Bato replied.
"I'm fairly certain you've even managed to inspire Gilak, though he probably doesn't want to admit it," Hakoda chuckled, then sighed. "It's time the Southern Water Tribe reconnected with the rest of the world. I'm planning on having a meeting within the next few days to discuss it formally with the rest of the tribe. I'd like to organize a fleet to help the Earth Kingdom with the war effort."
"That's great!" Aang replied happily. "But what about the village? If all the warriors leave, then who will protect it?"
"Thod, Miki, and Katjuk have expressed interest in taking on that role," Hakoda replied. "They did an excellent job of protecting the village from the Raiders yesterday. And several of the villagers who did not fight in the battle have expressed interest in learning chi-blocking. We'll make sure they can defend themselves while we're gone."
"Hopefully, we won't be getting any more visits from the Southern Raiders again anytime soon," Bato added. "I'd like to think we showed them not to mess with the Southern Water Tribe, at least for a little bit. Surely Fire Lord Ozai has better things to do than waste more of his troops on us."
Aang nodded; he hoped that Bato was right. "What about you, Sokka?" he asked, turning to the Water Tribe boy. "Aren't you gonna go with your dad?"
Sokka sighed and folded his arms. "He said I'm still too young to go with them," he replied, giving his father a side eye. "But he doesn't have a problem with me going with you guys. Someone's gotta keep an eye on my baby sister, after all." He then daintily patted Katara's head with a patronizing expression, and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, let's get going, then!" Aang said excitedly, he and Zuko both sharing a smile. "The North Pole awaits!"
Over the course of the next two weeks, the group traveled northeast until they reached the Earth Kingdom mainland. The journey so far had been an incredibly familiar one, particularly for Zuko. He had been experiencing increasingly frequent bouts of deja vu the longer they traveled, and was currently finding himself thinking about the person he had been the last time he had traveled through the Earth Kingdom as he stared down at the seemingly endless expanse of the Kolau mountain range below.
It was the afternoon of the start of their third week since leaving the South Pole, and spring was now in full bloom, to Zuko's relief. Their goal for the day was to reach the city of Omashu before nightfall, where they would hopefully be able to rest for a few days at an inn and restock on supplies.
He was slightly nervous, as this would be his first time entering an Earth Kingdom city. Up until now, they had managed to avoid major settlements. His main concern was that the city had possibly been taken over or infiltrated by the Fire Nation, and he did not know how widespread knowledge of his and Iroh's betrayal had become since they had last encountered Zhao on the winter solstice. He did have to admit, however, that he was looking forward to sleeping in an inn and not the wilderness for the first time in weeks.
Suddenly, Sokka gasped, spooking him, and he whipped around.
"What is it, Sokka?" Katara said, looking just as alarmed as Zuko felt.
"Is everything okay back there?" Aang called over his shoulder.
"Are… are we under attack?" Iroh sputtered groggily as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, having been startled awake from his nap.
Wide-eyed, a slightly guilty-looking Sokka shook his head, causing everyone to sigh in exasperation. "Sorry… I just realized something."
"...What did you realize, Sokka?" Katara asked with a sigh.
"I figured out why Aang calls Zuko 'hot guy' or whatever. It's because he's a firebender."
Zuko immediately felt his face begin to burn, while Katara and Aang both snickered at Sokka's use of the wrong term. "It's hotman!" he groaned. "One word!"
"Wow," Katara remarked sarcastically. "Great deduction skills there, brother."
Sokka frowned at his sister for a moment before turning back to Zuko. "You know, I'm kind of surprised we didn't figure out you were from the Fire Nation earlier. Your angry personality makes so much sense now."
"I don't have an angry personality!" Zuko shot back.
"You're not exactly helping your case right now," Sokka said, shaking his head.
"That's enough, boys," Iroh interrupted. "I think we're all a little stressed from flying for so long."
Zuko groaned again and turned back around to face the ocean, folding his arms and willing his face to cool down. "Are we almost there?" he asked for what was probably the twentieth time that day.
"Actually, we are!" Aang replied happily.
Not a moment later, they soared over a misty ridge, and it was then that Zuko caught sight of a large, pyramid-shaped structure in the distance. It looked like a mountain, but something about it seemed… man-made.
Aang landed Appa at the base of a small hill, and the group dismounted, following the Avatar to its peak.
"The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!" Aang announced enthusiastically, spreading his arms as he turned around to present the view behind him. "I used to always come here to visit my friend Bumi."
"Wow. We don't have buildings like this in the South Pole!" Katara gasped in awe.
"They have buildings here that don't melt!" Sokka exclaimed, eyes wide.
Zuko couldn't help but be impressed at the sight of the great city as well. He had learned about the many impenetrable cities of the Earth Kingdom at the Royal Fire Academy, though it was primarily through a negative lens. His textbooks and teachers had painted the citizens of the Earth Kingdom as brutish ruffians whose stubbornness was a major reason why the Fire Nation had not yet been able to truly gain the upper hand in the war. However, looking at Omashu now, he did not see anything "brutish" about it; in fact, the design of the city was an architectural marvel. He wondered if it had truly been carved from a mountain.
"Uncle, have you been here before?" Zuko asked, turning to Iroh.
"Been here before?" Katara repeated, brow furrowed in confusion.
"Oh… uh," Zuko stuttered, realizing that the Water Tribe siblings did not exactly know the extent to which his uncle had been involved in the war in the Earth Kingdom.
"No," Iroh replied simply, seeming unbothered by the question. "Ba Sing Se was our priority; my troops were never stationed this far south."
"Wait a minute," Sokka said. "You attacked the Earth Kingdom capital?" He raised an eyebrow, and he and Katara shared a look.
Iroh cleared his throat awkwardly. "If it makes you feel any better, we didn't succeed. And I'm not going to try again."
Zuko sighed and smacked his forehead with his palm. For a wise old man, his uncle sure could be obtuse sometimes.
"Let's go, slow pokes! The real fun's inside the city!" Aang interjected, waving his arm behind him and airbending himself off the top of the hill, landing gently on the slope below.
"Wait, Aang!" Katara called out. "This is a big city! It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar!"
"You need a disguise," Sokka said.
Aang slumped his shoulders slightly, and looked at Iroh and Zuko. "What about them?"
"I'm gonna wear my bamboo hat," Zuko replied, pulling the hat onto his head from where it had been resting on his back. "And uncle's going to wear his hood. Where's your bamboo hat?"
Aang pursed his lips into a thin line and folded his arms behind his back. "I… may have… lost it at some point."
"...Of course you did," Zuko sighed, pinching his nose bridge. "I don't even know why I asked."
"Well, what else am I supposed to do? Grow a mustache?" Aang asked, folding his arms.
"Hey, that gives me an idea!" Sokka chimed in with a grin, looking at Appa.
A few bison-brushings later, Aang's new disguise was complete—though he didn't appear thrilled about it.
"Ugh. This is so itchy," the Avatar complained, scratching his head and upper lip, which were now covered with a large amount of Appa's shedded fur "How do you live in this stuff?" he asked the bison, who simply turned to him and snorted.
"Great!" Sokka said. "Now you look even older than Iroh! No offense," he quickly added, turning to the old man with an awkward chuckle.
"None taken," Iroh replied kindly.
"Technically, Aang is over a hundred years old," Katara added.
Zuko, however, eyed Aang with a wary expression. "This has got to be the worst disguise I've ever seen."
"Well, it's better than nothing, isn't it?" Aang said, whipping out his staff and spinning it dramatically before placing it on the ground and hunching over in an imitation of an old man. "Now let's get to skippin', young whipper-snappers. The big city awaits!"
The group followed Aang, who was walking just a little bit too speedily for an old person, up the zigzag path leading to the city gates.
"You guys are going to love Omashu," Aang whispered over his shoulder. "The people here are the friendliest in the world."
"Rotten cabbages?!" an angry voice rang out, startling the airbender and causing him to whip back around. "What kind of slum do you think this is?!"
Zuko peered over Sokka's shoulder to see an Earth Kingdom guard addressing a man who appeared to be a produce vendor. The guard violently crushed a cabbage that he was holding in his hand, smacked two more cabbages out of the vendor's hands, and with one swift move, earthbent a large rock violently upwards from beneath the cart, which catapulted it into the air and over the edge of the path into the gorge below.
"No! My cabbages!" the vendor cried out as he watched his cart fall.
Aang, Sokka, and Katara all watched the cart as well, equally in shock, while Zuko and Iroh shared an uneasy glance.
"Just keep smiling," Aang said quietly through gritted teeth as he turned back around and began to walk towards the guard, who was accompanied by two other sentries. However, before he could step any closer, the earthbender guard lifted a boulder from the ground and swung it over to levitate it above Aang's head.
Zuko immediately felt a spike of mixed anger and fear, instinctually taking a step forward. However, Iroh grabbed his wrist firmly to keep him in place.
"State your business," the guard demanded aggressively.
Suddenly, Aang shot forward to where he was now standing directly in front of the earthbender, pointing a finger directly at the man's nose.
"My business is my business, young man," Aang said in his old man voice, and the shocked guard dropped his boulder, causing Katara and Sokka, who were right behind it, to jump from the impact. "And none of yours! I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!"
Zuko watched this interaction with a gaping jaw. This was Aang's master plan to get them into the city? We're so dead.
However, to Zuko's further shock and confusion, the guard actually seemed to soften somewhat. "Settle down, old timer! Just tell me who you are."
"Name's Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis, the Third," Aang replied. "These two are my grandkids, and the grumpy one is my nephew."
He gestured behind him at Sokka and Katara, and Sokka yanked Zuko forward, putting his arm around his shoulder and grinning widely
"June Pippinpaddleopsicopolis," Katara said, stepping forward and waving politely. "Nice to meet you."
The guard surveyed the trio for a moment, then finally noticed Iroh, who was standing behind them. "Who's this?"
"My younger brother, Mushi Pippinpaddleopsicopolis," Aang replied without skipping a beat, and Iroh stepped forward with a polite smile and bow. "Now that I've introduced you to my entire family, will you let us in? I've been out on my feet all day, and dag-nabbit I just wanna sit down and have a nice cup of tea!"
The guard stroked his beard for another moment, then singled out Katara. "You seem like a responsible young lady. See that your family stays out of trouble." He stepped aside, gesturing to the gate as it began to open. "Enjoy Omashu!"
"We will!" Katara replied lightly, and before Zuko even had time to process what had just happened, they were entering the city.
"This is the Omashu delivery system," Aang explained excitedly as he gazed up at the grandeur of the city, which looked relatively unchanged from the last time he had been there. "Miles and miles of tubes and chutes. Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down."
"Great," Sokka said, sarcasm evident in his voice. "So they get their mail on time."
"They do get their mail on time," Aang replied, turning around and smirking mischievously. "But my friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes."
He suddenly found himself recalling a memory from nearly a century ago.
Look around you! Bumi had exclaimed, hopping around to face Aang with an excited expression on his face after the latter had followed him onto a balcony overlooking the city. What do you see?
Um… the mail system? Aang had guessed in confusion. Bumi had always been an eccentric person, and Aang had often found it difficult to understand how the boy's thought processes worked.
Instead of seeing what they want you to see, Bumi had replied, leaning forward. You got to open your brain to the possibilities.
A package-sending system? Aang had tried again, at a loss.
The world's greatest superslide! Bumi had proclaimed with a wide smile on his eccentric face, which Aang had returned.
Bumi, you're a mad genius!
Aang remembered the distinct sound of Bumi's snorting laugh in response, and the two had spent the entire rest of that day riding every chute they could find, much to the guards' annoyance. It had been one of the most fun days Aang had had in his entire life.
He sighed as his mind returned to the present. Bumi was most likely… gone now. Just like all the rest of his friends, and everyone else he knew from back then. Somehow, it still felt like it was only a year ago, and yet it also felt like it actually had been nearly a hundred years.
"Are you okay, Aang?" Zuko asked concernedly, clearly noticing that something was off. The Fire Prince really did seem to know him well.
"Yeah… I was just thinking about Bumi. We used to ride these chutes all over the city."
"You must miss him," Iroh said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah…" Aang replied. "Which is one of the reasons I wanted to come here."
"I thought we came here to rest, get supplies, and be on our way," Sokka said, and winced when Katara elbowed him. "What?"
"Aang, why don't you show us how you and Bumi used to use the chutes?" Katara asked kindly.
Aang smiled, perking back up again. "Okay! Follow me, everyone."
"Nope. I'm not gonna do it," Zuko proclaimed, stepping backwards and waving his hands in front of him. The drop was a lot steeper than it had looked from the ground. "I'm staying here with uncle."
"Come on, Zuko!" Aang replied, looking back at him over his shoulder from where he sat at the front of the cart, which was tipping precariously, Momo peeking out of his wig. "It's so much fun!"
"Um, I'm kind of with Zuko on this one," Katara said uneasily from where she and Sokka sat in the cart behind Aang. "It sounded like fun at first, but now that I'm here, I'm starting to have second tho–"
Before she could finish her sentence, Zuko watched wide-eyed as the cart tipped over the edge of the drop, and the trio zipped off down the chute.
Somehow, he had a feeling that nothing good was going to come of this. "Do you think they'll be okay?" he asked Iroh.
Iroh shrugged. "It seems like Aang has done this before."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Suddenly, there was a sound of a crash several streets over, and Zuko and Iroh immediately exchanged a worried glance. They both knew there was a high likelihood as to who had been the source of the noise.
As quickly as they could, they raced down the grid-like streets of the city. Eventually, Zuko spotted a place where the tiles of a roof had been scraped off by something large.
"Excuse me," Iroh called out to several frazzled-looking bystanders. "Did anyone here see a rogue chute cart pass through here?"
One confused-looking woman simply pointed downhill, and Zuko and Iroh continued their chase.
They spent a significant amount of time following several more trails of damage until at last they finally rounded a corner and found the site where the cart had finally landed, where it seemed to have completely crushed a cabbage stand. However, neither Sokka, Katara, nor Aang were anywhere to be seen.
"Where could they have gone?" Zuko asked, surveying the area with increasing worry.
"They can't have gone far," Iroh replied, also surveying their surroundings, albeit with a much calmer demeanor. "Good afternoon, ma'am," he began politely, walking towards an elderly woman who was sweeping the area in front of her fruit stand.
"Oh, hello! Were you interested in some produce?"
"Actually, I was hoping you could tell me about what just happened here," he gestured behind him with his thumb towards the destroyed cabbage cart. "My nephew and I heard a loud crash a few minutes ago, and we thought it may have been a Fire Nation attack!"
The old woman's eyes widened. "No, thank goodness! It was three children who seemed to have thought it was a good idea to ride the mail carts." She shook her head with a disappointed look. "Young people these days…"
"Did you see where they went?" Zuko interjected.
"Well, of course the guards came to take them away," the old woman replied.
"They got arrested?" Zuko exclaimed anxiously. "Are they in prison?"
The old woman shook her head. "They'll probably be assigned a few hours of manual labor as punishment, at most."
Zuko breathed a sigh of relief, though he still wasn't able to relax fully. The old woman had said "three children", meaning that Aang's disguise had likely blown off in the process of their ride. What would happen if the guards found out that he was the Avatar? Surely they wouldn't try to harm him—they weren't in the Fire Nation, after all.
"Are those kids friends of yours?" the old woman asked, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow. "If so, I would caution you against hanging around delinquents like that."
"Oh, I'll make my nephew stays away from that crowd from now on," Iroh replied with a chuckle, patting Zuko heartily on the back. "Thank you very much for the information."
When they returned to the alleyway that they had come from, Zuko sighed and pressed his palms onto his forehead. "What are we going to do now, uncle?" he groaned. "Do we need to try to… I don't know, bust them out?"
Iroh, who was currently chewing a bite of an apple he had bought from the old woman, swallowed before answering. "I think that for now, we should just wait."
"Wait?" Zuko repeated. "So we're just not going to do anything?"
"You heard what the woman said. They'll be assigned a few hours of manual labor, and then they'll be let go."
"But what if they find out that Aang's the Avatar?"
Iroh bit his lip. "...Well, there's not much we can do either way, Zuko. This is a major Earth Kingdom city—we can't just break in. It would be far too dangerous. We could try to request an audience with the king if they aren't released by tomorrow."
"And if that doesn't work?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Zuko furrowed his brow and blinked several times, baffled by how limited their options were in this situation. The longer they waited, the more risk his friends were of being in danger. But if they went to the king himself, he and Iroh risked getting recognized and arrested as well. Busting everyone out really did seem like the best option, and yet it was also the most risky one.
"Don't worry, nephew," Iroh said, patting his shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. "I'm sure they'll be alright. Aang knows how to handle himself."
"Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages," the guard captain announced as Aang, Katara, and Sokka were pushed to their knees in front of the King of Omashu. "They originally arrived with two others in their party, but we have not yet been able to locate them."
"Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!" the cabbage merchant proclaimed from the side of the room, and Aang raised an eyebrow.
"Silence!" the captain snapped at the merchant. "Only the king can pass down judgment. What is your judgment, sire?"
Aang's gaze moved to the king, who was an eccentrically-dressed, extremely elderly-looking man. The king's eyes narrowed as he studied the trio for several long moments.
"Throw them…" the king began, raising his hand, and Aang braced himself to prepare for the worst. "A feast!"
This unexpected reply elicited an exasperated response from the guard captain, and Katara looked at Aang quizzically, while a wide grin appeared on Sokka's face.
They were soon led to a great dining table, which was indeed covered with what appeared to be the finest dishes in the Earth Kingdom.
"The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts," the king said, leaning over Aang's shoulder to grab the bone of chicken that was sitting on the plate in front of him. "So I hope you like your chicken with no skin."
"Thanks, but I don't eat meat," Aang replied politely.
The old man said nothing, and turned to Sokka. "How about you? I bet you like meat." He shoved the chicken leg into Sokka's mouth before walking over to his seat across the table from them.
"Is it just me, or is this guy's crown a little crooked?" Katara whispered, making a twirling motion with her index finger next to her head.
Before Aang had the chance to respond, the king spoke again. "So tell me, young bald one. Where are you from?" he asked as he sat down in his chair.
"I'm from… Kangaroo Island!" he replied quickly. He had to admit that it did not feel great to be the one lying about his identity this time, though he now definitely understood Zuko's reasoning for it.
"Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hopping!"
There was an awkward moment of silence, which was eventually broken by a cough from one of the guards. Eventually, Sokka began to laugh heartily, and Katara and Aang both looked at him.
"What? It was pretty funny…" Sokka said, laughter fading as he noticed that nobody else was laughing with him.
"Well, all these good jokes are making me tired," the king said, stretching his arms with a yawn. "Guess it's time to hit the hay."
Suddenly, the old man reached to his left and flung an object directly at Aang. Instinctually, Aang caught the object—another chicken wing—with airbending, and several of the surrounding guards gasped in surprise.
"There's an airbender in our presence," the king announced with a smirk. "And not just any airbender. The Avatar!"
Aang quickly dropped the chicken leg onto his plate.
"Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pippinpaddleopsicopolis?" the king demanded.
Aang realized that his only option at this point was to try and talk his way out of this situation. "Okay, you caught me. I'm the Avatar. Doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out. No firebenders here," he said, peeking under the table. "So, good work, everybody!" He pulled Katara and Sokka close to him, and began to back towards the exit. "Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!"
Unfortunately, he turned his head to see that the guards were blocking the exit with their spears. Of course that wasn't going to work, he groaned internally.
"You can't keep us here!" Katara demanded, stepping forward. "Let us leave!"
The king picked up a lettuce leaf from his plate and raised an eyebrow. "Lettuce leaf?"
"We're in serious trouble," Sokka whispered to the side. "This guy is nuts. "
"Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges," the king proclaimed. "But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."
"My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?" the chamberlain asked.
"The newly refurbished chamber," the king replied.
"Wait, which one are we talking about?" the chamberlain asked again, looking confused.
"The one that used to be the bad chamber, until the recent refurbishing, that is. Of course, we've been calling it the 'new' chamber, but we really should number them… Uh, take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!"
Two guards led the trio down a long hallway and stopped at what looked like a dead end and stomped their feet. Suddenly, a section of the wall cracked down, revealing another chamber, which they were shoved into, and the hole was promptly sealed behind them.
"This is a prison cell? But it's so nice," Katara remarked as they surveyed the door-less room, which was lit softly by the green light of the crystal sconces on the walls. There were three beds with expensive-looking green drapes hanging overhead, and on a table in the center of the room sat a bowl of fruit.
"He did say it was newly refurbished," Aang said, holding his arm out to let Momo crawl down onto the nearest bed and over to the fruit bowl.
"Nice or not, we're prisoners," Sokka said.
Aang sat down on one of the beds and chewed on his lip as he tapped his finger on his staff. "Well, all I have to do is complete these challenges, and then we're free, right? I wonder what they're gonna be."
"We're not sticking around to find out," Katara countered determinedly. "There's got to be some way out of here."
"The air vents!" Aang said, spotting a hole in the wall.
Katara and Sokka shared a skeptical look.
"If you think we're going to fit through there, you're crazier than that king," Sokka said.
"We can't, but Momo can!" He leaned over where the lemur was currently lazily licking a half-eaten apple he had gotten from the fruit bowl on one of the beds. "Momo, I need you to find Zuko and Iroh and bust us outta here!
The lemur looked up at him and cocked his head with a confused-sounding chitter. Aang scooped him up and hefted him to the vent, attempting to push him into it.
"Go on, boy, get Zuko and Iroh!"
"They probably don't even know where we are," Sokka said, plopping down onto one of the beds.
"Sokka's right, Aang," Katara added. "And didn't the guard captain say they're still looking for them? It could be really dangerous if this crazy king guy captured them and found out that they're from the Fire Nation…"
Aang slumped his shoulders and stopped trying to fit Momo into the vent. He hadn't even considered that. Suddenly, another idea popped into his head. "I'm an earthbender! I could bust us out."
"Aang…" Katara said apprehensively. "Have you even tried earthbending yet?"
"It definitely looked like he was earthbending when he was in that freaky glowing state at the battle a few weeks ago," Sokka pointed out.
Aang sighed and shook his head. "The thing is… this is really hard to explain, but I'm not controlling myself when I'm in the Avatar State, and when I get out of it I don't usually remember what I did. So to answer your question, Katara… no, but it wouldn't hurt to try, right?"
"I don't know, Aang," Katara replied. "You could hurt yourself if you try to bend for the first time without a teacher."
"We don't really have any other options at this point," Aang said, standing up. "I'm gonna try it. Stand back."
Katara and Sokka did as they were told and moved to the wall opposite of the one Aang was planning on attempting to earthbend.
Aang took a deep breath, settled into his usual defensive stance, and punched forward with a yell, squeezing his eyes closed. When he opened them, however, the wall still appeared completely intact. He punched several more times, trying as many movements as he could think of, but none of them were successful.
"Aang, buddy… I think you should take a break," Sokka said.
"But I can do it!" Aang replied in exasperation. "I'm the Avatar, I should be able to do it!"
"It's okay, Aang. There's no point in exhausting yourself now," Katara said, walking back over to him and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You should get some rest. Looks like you'll need it for tomorrow."
Zuko found himself unable to sleep that night, despite it being the first time in weeks that he was actually able to spend the night indoors on a real bed. He stared up at the stone ceiling of the inn room he and Iroh had rented, unable to shake the feeling that his friends were in danger and needed help now.
There has to be some way we can get them out of there, he thought.
Suddenly, he sat straight up.
That's it!
He scrambled over to his bag and fished out his Blue Spirit mask. He gave Iroh a guilty glance as he watched the old man continue snoring. He would probably not want Zuko to make such a rash decision, nor for him to do something this dangerous on his own. However, he did not want to have to sit and have another argument with his uncle about needing to be patient, so he picked up his broadswords and quietly left the room.
He stepped out into the street, which was just barely lit by the faint blue light of early dawn. This was good news for him, as he would have a much easier time with this mission if he could manage to get into the palace before sunrise. He secured the Blue Spirit mask onto his face, placed his broadsword scabbard over his shoulder, and began to deftly weave his way through the city alleyways, sticking to the shadows as closely as possible.
Eventually, he spotted two guards chatting, and stayed in place so he could listen for any information that might help him get into the palace.
"I'm telling you, he's the real deal," one of the guards said. "I saw him airbending."
"Then the rumors really are true?" the other guard replied. "But he's just a kid! How can he be the Avatar?"
"Beats me," the first guard replied. "What I don't get is what the king's playing at. The Avatar has returned. He's here, in our city, and he's keeping him prisoner? And King Bumi's still got us on the lookout for his other two companions who entered the city with him."
There was Zuko's confirmation: Aang was in danger.
"You know how the king is," the second guard replied. "Just like with all of the other confusing things he's done, it will all make sense in time. I hope."
The first guard yawned heavily. "All I'm gonna say is I'm glad it's time for a shift change. It's been an exhausting night."
Shift change, Zuko repeated internally, realizing that these two guards must be on the way to the palace, or at the very least, the general vicinity. He decided that it would be a good idea to continue shadowing them, as it was likely that they would be his ticket inside.
Thankfully, his suspicions were confirmed when the guards eventually led him directly to the large, multi-tiered palace. He squinted in confusion, however, when he watched the guards walk directly up to a blank stone wall.
What are they…?
The two guards stomped in unison and made a pushing motion towards the ground with their hands, and a hole appeared in the wall. They stepped forward, then turned around and immediately closed the hole behind them.
Can't get in this way without earthbending, Zuko thought to himself. I need to find another way in…
As quickly as he could, he circled the rest of the palace, but strangely, was unable to find any doors. The only openings he was able to find were small vents and grated windows that he definitely would not be able to open easily or quietly.
"Can only earthbenders get in and out of here?" he murmured to himself.
Unfortunately, it seemed this was likely the case. He was going to have to get creative with how to get in.
Luckily, he soon caught sight of a cart being pulled by two ostrich-horses approaching another blank stone wall. He would have to act fast, or he might not get another chance before the sun rose.
Just as he had done at Pohuai Stronghold, he very carefully managed to sneak his way into the back of the covered part of the cart. When the cart presumably reached the wall, Zuko braced himself to make a quick disappearance, expecting to hear the guards announce an inspection of the cart. However, no one spoke; he heard the cracking sound of earthbending, and the cart continued forward, causing him to release the breath he had been holding.
I'm on my way, guys. Just hold on a bit longer.
Aang was awoken from his deep sleep by a loud crunching sound behind him. He quickly sat up and whipped his head around the dimly lit room, realizing in a panic that Katara and Sokka were not in their beds.
"Sokka? Katara?" he asked, then turned to face the guard that had opened the wall. "Where are my friends?"
"The king will free them if you complete your challenges," the guard replied.
"And if I fail?" Aang asked.
"He didn't say. Your staff, please."
Aang glared at the guard, lifted his staff off the ground with his foot, and tossed it to the man.
Before long, Aang found himself once again in the large green throne room. To his frustration, Katara and Sokka were nowhere to be seen, though the old king, now dressed in vibrant purple robes, was standing in front of the throne with a serious expression.
"First, Avatar," the king began, spreading his arms. "What do you think of my new outfit? I want your honest opinion."
Aang blinked several times in confusion as he stared blankly at the old man.
"I'm waiting."
Aang scratched the back of his head. "I… guess it's fine."
"Excellent!" the king replied happily. "You passed the first test."
"Really?" Aang replied, perking up. Maybe this wasn't going to be too difficult after all.
"Well, not one of the deadly tests," the king replied, waving his finger from side to side. "The real challenges are much more, uh, challenging."
Something about the king's flippant attitude caused Aang to experience a small spark of anger, and he dashed forward with airbending, coming to a stop directly in front of the old man.
"I don't have time for your crazy games! Give me my friends back! We're leaving!" he demanded.
"Oh, I thought you might refuse," the king replied with a sly smile, and a wall opened to Aang's right, revealing Sokka and Katara, who were accompanied by two guards. "So I will give your friends some special souvenirs."
Aang watched helplessly as the guards forced two small crystalline rings onto each of the siblings' index fingers.
"Those delightful rings are made of pure jennamite, also known as creeping crystal. It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast," the king explained. "By nightfall your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible thing, really. I can stop it, but only if you cooperate."
"Ah! It's already creeping!" Sokka exclaimed, and Aang saw the ring on his finger grow in size.
Gripping his fists tightly at his side, he took a deep breath. He didn't have a choice at this point. "I'll do what you want," he finally replied.
The king smiled.
Zuko tried to remind himself to stay calm as he continued to wander through the labyrinthine hallways of the palace. It felt like he had been here for hours. One thing that he had definitely failed to consider was that his friends could be located in a hidden cell or room that could only be accessed by earthbending.
Eventually, he found himself in a rather large hallway, presumably leading to the throne room. He didn't want to have to go that direction, as he would be very exposed, but he couldn't stand another minute being trapped in the maze of hallways again.
Maybe I can find some sort of clue in there, he thought to himself.
He waited for three more guards to pass before moving forward, praying to the spirits that he would not immediately be spotted as soon as he entered the throne room. He poked his head around the entryway to the room, and upon seeing that it was empty, quickly rounded the corner, slipping behind one of the decorative green tapestries that lined both sides of the room, which seemed to lead to another hallway running parallel to the main chamber.
Okay. Now where do I go?
"What has the king got him doing now?"
"Got him trying to wrangle that pet of his, last I heard."
"Wonder how he'll tackle that one. Flopsie's quite the beast."
"He's the Avatar. He'll be fine."
"What about those friends of his? Are they helping him?"
"Nope. Jennamite."
"Ah."
Zuko froze when he heard the voices of the guards coming from the main entrance of the throne room, feeling a spike of panic. Aang was being forced to fight a dangerous beast somewhere in this spirits-forsaken place. He needed to find out where he was, and quickly. There looked to be one opening at the end of the hallway he was currently in, and he had no idea where it led, but it looked like to be his only way forward.
"Hey, what was that?"
"What was what?"
"Did you see something move? Over there, behind the tapestry."
As Zuko dashed through the doorway, he found that it led to a narrow spiral staircase. Seeing as he couldn't go back the way he came, he continued on, running his hand down the wall to keep himself steady as he descended.
"So I was like, 'You took a job in Gaoling?' And she was like 'Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you sooner'."
Monkey feathers! Zuko cursed internally as he heard the voice of yet another guard further down the stairway.
"I just can't believe that she would keep that from me, you know? It's not like Gaoling is that far away, we could make long-distance work…"
Beginning to panic, he immediately turned back around to ascend the stairs. However, he got no more than ten steps when he heard the voices of the first two guards.
"I told you, I saw someone."
"You're being paranoid. There's loads of guards in this palace, you know that."
"But what if one of those kids somehow escaped?"
"They're with King Bumi right now, and you know they can't get far with the jennamite."
Zuko suddenly found himself face-to-face with the first two guards, who both stared at him silently with bewildered expressions.
"What the–?!" he heard the guard behind him exclaim.
He would not be able to use his broadswords effectively in such a cramped space—that was for certain―and using firebending was far too risky.
Lowering his head in defeat, he slowly raised his arms.
Just one more test, Aang told himself, taking a deep breath. One more test, and we can get out of here…
Thankfully, he had managed to solve the king's first two tests with relatively little difficulty, though he was still finding it vexing that the king was seemingly using him to complete his daily chores in various dangerous ways. The fact that his friends' lives were in danger did not help either. He just hoped that Iroh and Zuko were okay.
"Your final test is a duel," the king said as he led Aang out onto a balcony overlooking a large underground arena. Aang glanced to his left, and he saw that Katara and Sokka were standing on a smaller balcony with a lone guard, now nearly completely covered in jennamite crystals. "And as a special treat, you may choose your opponent."
"Sire!"
The king frowned and turned around, where the captain of the guard stood, and Aang cocked his head in curiosity. "What is it now? Can't you see we're about to start the final challenge?"
"We apprehended an intruder, your highness. We presented him to the guards who were manning the gate yesterday, and they recognized him as one of the Avatar's companions."
The captain gestured to the balcony on the right, where two guards walked a scowling Zuko forward, his hands restrained behind his back.
Oh no, Aang thought, a feeling of dread washing over him. Zuko, what did you do?
"Ah. Another one of your friends, I see," the king replied with a smirk. "Looks like he's just in time to watch you complete the final test!"
"Let the Avatar go," Zuko demanded. "You can't keep him trapped here."
"And I won't," the king said. "As long as he completes this test." He then turned back to Aang. "So, Avatar. As I said earlier. You may choose your opponent."
Two men walked forward, standing on either side of the king, both looking equally scary and violent.
"Point and choose."
Aang's gaze moved between the two men with uncertainty. "So ... you're saying whoever I point to, that's the person I get to fight?"
"Choose wisely," the king responded, staring at him with an intense gaze.
It was then that Aang came to a realization. If he could choose anyone... "I … choose … you!" he said, pointing directly at the king.
However, to Aang's dismay, the king cackled.
"Wrong choice!" the old man replied, clenching his fists and slowly straightening his hunched back with a series of audible cracks. He then whipped off his purple robes to reveal that he was, in actuality, bafflingly well-built for such an old man.
The king stomped hard onto the ground, and Aang was shot into the air by a powerful blast of earthbending from underneath his feet, sending him flying into the arena below.
"Aang!" he heard Zuko cry out as he tumbled and skidded to a stop on the arena ground.
He scrambled to his feet and brushed the dirt from his robes. "I'm okay! Don't do anything rash!" he yelled back to Zuko in response. The last thing he wanted was for the Fire Prince to try firebending in an effort to save him—things could go from bad to worse if that happened.
The king then jumped from the balcony and landed solidly in front of Aang, causing the ground to tremble, and he looked defiantly up at the old man.
"You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see," he proclaimed.
"Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?" Aang asked, pointing back towards the balcony.
"There are no take-backsies in my kingdom," the old man replied. "You might need this."
He then pointed to the guard standing next to Katara and Sokka, who tossed Aang's staff down to him.
As soon as Aang caught his staff in his hands, the king began to hurl rocks directly towards him, which Aang quickly dodged.
"Typical airbender tactic: avoid and evade," the king taunted. "I hoped the Avatar would be less predictable."
Don't let him get to you, Aang told himself, though the comment about airbenders did indeed strike a nerve. He continued to dodge the king's attacks; hopefully, he could eventually tire the old man out.
"Don't you have any surprises for me? Sooner or later you'll have to strike back!"
Aang jumped into the air to avoid another attack, twirling his staff above his head to keep himself into the air. However, the king sent a large boulder flying into the ceiling, causing smaller rocks to rain down on him, sending him back to the ground, where his staff was knocked out of his hands.
The king then made several quick steps, shooting large spikes of earth from the ground, which Aang narrowly dodged before forming his air scooter. He rode the scooter along the arena wall for momentum, then leapt into the air, whipping a powerful air blast directly at the old man. However, the king quickly earthbent a large slab in front of him, which blocked the blast.
"Did someone leave the windows open?" the king asked, peeking out from behind the slab of earth. "It feels a little drafty in here. Are you hoping I'll catch a cold?"
He continued to assault Aang with more earthbending attacks, pushing him further back towards the opposite end of the arena, where he managed to grab his staff again.
"How are you going to get me from way over there?" the old man called out.
Aang made several more unsuccessful attempts to attack the king before he was nearly slammed between two large boulders. Unable to control his anger any longer, he whipped another powerful blast of air towards the old man with his staff with a yell, which pushed the king back into the wall underneath the balcony.
The king smirked and made a pulling motion with his arms, and Aang just barely managed to leap out of the way of a large boulder flying at him from behind. The boulder continued to fly forward, crashing into the king, who instantly pulverized it to sand as it hit his body.
Grunting, the king crouched into a horse stance, stomping his feet firmly into the ground, and Aang gaped in horror as the wall surrounding the center balcony began to crack as it was pulled from the wall.
Thinking quickly, he began to run in circles, creating a powerful cyclone. The king heaved the balcony in his direction, but Aang's cyclone was powerful enough to pick it up and hurl it back towards the old man, who just barely managed to split it down the middle before it hit him.
Seeing that his opponent was now vulnerable, Aang rushed forward again, coming to a stop with his staff pointed directly at the king, who was holding his arms up in a gesture of surrender.
Aang smirked, but the king chuckled, and his eyes darted up. Thoroughly confused, Aang winced when something small and hard landed on his head, and looked up to see another giant boulder hovering above both of them.
The king laughed heartily. "Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart."
He then tossed the boulder aside, and promptly disappeared into the ground, popping back up at one of the undamaged balconies where Katara, Sokka, and Zuko were now standing, and Aang followed him with airbending. The Water Tribe siblings were now almost completely encased in jennamite, while Zuko looked absolutely livid.
"You've passed all my tests," the king said. "Now, you must answer one question."
"That's not fair!" Aang exclaimed angrily. "You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests."
"Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?" the old man replied.
"Oh, come on! " Sokka groaned.
"Answer this one question and I will set your friends free. What ... is my name?"
Aang stared back at the king in utter confusion.
"From the looks of your friends, I'd say you only have a few minutes."
The king then left the four friends, seemingly to allow them to confer with one another.
"How am I supposed to know his name?" Aang groaned.
"Forget this," Zuko growled quietly. "If I could just…" he grunted as he attempted to pull his arms free from his restraints. "...get these things off, we could fight him together and force him to free Sokka and Katara."
"Zuko, no offense, but even if you could get out of those restraints, fighting the king again is a terrible idea," Aang replied. "Everyone would just get hurt."
"Think about the challenges. Maybe it's some kind of riddle," Katara posited, sounding anxious.
"I got it!" Sokka exclaimed.
"Yeah?" Aang replied hopefully.
"He's an earthbender, right? Rocky."
There was an awkward moment of silence, and Zuko hung his head in exasperation.
"You know, because of all the rocks."
"We're going to keep trying, but that is a good back-up!" Katara replied.
"Okay. So back to the challenges," Aang said. "I got a key from the waterfall, I saved his pet, and I had a duel."
"And what did you learn?" Katara asked.
"Well, everything was different than I expected."
A portion of the jennamite crystal expanded next to Katara's face, causing her to wince in fear. "And?"
"Well, they weren't straight forward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I usually would…"
Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you got to open your brain to the possibilities.
Aang's eyes suddenly widened in realization, and he grinned. How had he not seen it before?
"I know his name."
"I solved the question the same way I solved the challenges," Aang said, addressing the fully-dressed king when they had returned to the throne room. "As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities."
The king responded with a very familiar snorting laugh. It filled Aang with a warmth he had not felt in some time, and he felt tears begin to form in his eyes as he grinned in return.
"Bumi, you're a mad genius," he said as he ran forward, embracing his old friend heartily.
He sniffed as he felt the tears running down his face, using his sleeve to wipe them from his cheeks. Bumi was the first—and so far, only person he had known from his old life who was still around. It felt so strange to know that this powerful elderly king was the same quirky kid Aang had been best friends with so long ago, and yet not long ago at all at the same time.
"Oh Aang, it's good to see you," Bumi replied warmly, patting him on the head. "You haven't changed a bit." He pulled back from the hug and raised an eyebrow as he studied Aang for a moment. "Well, maybe you're a bit taller than the last time we met. And your voice is a bit less squeaky."
"I am almost thirteen now," Aang replied with a laugh.
"Aang," Zuko interrupted loudly, and he turned to see the Fire Prince using his head to gesture to Sokka and Katara.
"Over here!" Katara cried out anxiously; only her face was visible, as the rest of the jennamite had encased her body.
"Little help?" Sokka added, only his mouth showing.
Bumi lifted his hand and made a pulling motion towards himself, and the jennamite shattered into several small pieces, revealing the unharmed pair of Water Tribe siblings.
"Jennamite is made of rock candy," Bumi said, catching one of the crystal pieces and taking a bite out of it. "Delicious!"
"Hello? What about me?" Zuko asked, eyebrow visibly twitching in annoyance.
Bumi made a small motion with his hand, and Zuko's restraints melted into sand, causing him to study his wrists in surprise.
"So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?" Katara asked.
"Who are you calling old?" Bumi replied with a frown. "...Okay, I'm old."
"King Bumi," the captain of the guard interrupted, entering the throne room. "A man has just turned himself in to us. He claims to be the Dragon of the West, brother to Fire Lord Ozai. He asks that you let the Avatar and his friends go in exchange for taking him prisoner."
Aang's eyes widened, and he, Zuko, Sokka, and Katara shared equally astonished expressions. Iroh was willing to give himself up to save them?
Aang looked back to Bumi, who raised an eyebrow.
"He's with me," Aang said quickly, and yanked Zuko forward. "This is his nephew, former Crown Prince Zuko. They've both renounced all ties to the Fire Nation and the royal family, and they're completely on our side now. I swear on my arrows it's true."
Bumi blinked several times, and another awkward silence permeated the air, only broken by the sound of a faint cough from somewhere else in the room.
"Well, why didn't you say so?" Bumi finally replied with a grin. "Bring him in, then."
Not a moment later, Iroh was led into the room, accompanied by four nervous-looking guards, his hands restrained by the same earthen cuffs that had been used for Zuko. Strangely, Iroh appeared completely calm.
"The great General Iroh," Bumi announced, spreading his arms wide. "The man who managed to tear down the impenetrable walls of Ba Sing Se."
"Former general," Iroh corrected with a polite smile. His gaze moved to Aang and his companions, and his eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, presumably from seeing that they were unharmed and unrestrained.
Bumi made another small motion with his hand, and Iroh's restraints melted into sand.
"What exactly is going on here?" Iroh asked, looking back and forth at the king and Aang.
"It's okay, uncle," Zuko said with a sigh. "The king of Omashu is Aang's old friend Bumi."
"Ahh," Iroh replied, nodding in understanding. "So he wasn't actually keeping you trapped here as prisoners."
"Oh, he was keeping us trapped here as prisoners," Sokka replied, then turned to Bumi. "Speaking of which, why did you do all of this instead of just telling Aang who you were?"
"Yeah, and why did you fight him?" Zuko demanded. "He could have gotten hurt, or worse!"
"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people," Bumi replied with a small snorting chuckle. "But I do have a reason," he continued, his tone and expression shifting to one of seriousness as he turned to face Aang. "Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. As I'm sure you've already seen, the world has changed in the near century that 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."
Aang smiled at his old friend, then bowed respectfully towards him.
"And it looks like you're in good hands," Bumi said, gesturing to his companions. "You'll need your friends to help you defeat the Fire Nation. And you'll need Momo, too," he added as the lemur crawled up onto Aang's shoulder.
"We're actually on our way to the North Pole right now," Katara said. "Aang and I are going to learn waterbending there."
"Excellent," Bumi replied, smiling warmly. "You are free to stay in the city and rest as long as you like, and I'd be happy to give you any supplies you need for the rest of your journey. And Aang—when you're ready to learn earthbending, you'll know where to find me," he finished with a wink.
"Thanks, Bumi," Aang replied happily. "But before we do anything else, I have a challenge for you."
Bumi smiled back at him and chuckled, seeming to know exactly what he was thinking. "To the chutes!" he declared.
