(A/N)- *sneaks in and revives fic*

HAPPY NEW YEAR, my resolution is to update much more frequently on this baby. I've set a daily word goal of 150 words, on anything currently in-progress, and it seems to be working out really well. We'll see if I can keep up this pace.

Disclaimer: As per tradition it is my duty to inform you, in humorous fashion, that I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender and make no profit off this fanfiction.

Crazy

Flopsy was bouncing happily around the pen, giving licks to a giggling Angka. He watched nervously from the balcony, still not entirely sure the giant... whatever it was wasn't going to turn around and bite her head off.

Sokki was busy dunking her head in a bowl of water, complaining all the while about sugar rock particles stuck in her hair. And the old Earth King was just cackle-snorting and taking large bites out of leaves of lettuce.

...It had been a weird couple of days.

Katar rubbed the hand where the creeping crystal ring had been attached. Even though he and Sokki had apparently never actually been in any real danger, he couldn't shake the creepy feeling of having been helpless, again, unable to aid Angka as she faced the mad king's trials.

It was starting to become a bad habit. Katar had thought his waterbending skill would be progressing faster with all the work and effort he'd been throwing into it. But he still wasn't strong enough to be any good in a fight.

Katar peeked over at Bumi. He was wearing his robes again, hunched over, the silken fabric hiding the sinewy muscles beneath.

For an old man he was surprisingly cut.

"Are you staring at me, young man?"

Bumi's voice alerted Katar to the fact that he was gawking a little too obviously. Facing forward quickly, Katar blurted out a nervous, "No sir!"

"Well why not? I think I happen to be very interesting," demanded Bumi, in a tone of voice that made Katar very confused as to whether or not the man was joking.

"Uh..."

Bumi's wrinkled face broke into a grin and he let out one of his distinctive cackles. "Heh heh. You should see the look on your face."

One of the king's trim arms landed around Katar's shoulders, and Katar was almost bowled over by the strength of the gesture.

"Don't worry about it, kid. I know I'm funny-looking."

Katar gave a strained smile, uncomfortably glancing around to see if there was a way to extricate himself from this conversation.

The king's aids were standing silent off in the corners and Sokki was muttering as she wiped her mouth. No help there.

Angka was still playing with Flopsy. Katar swallowed as he watched her, sliding a look towards Bumi. His mind replayed the battle the Earth King had given her, how relentless and powerful his attacks were, how amazingly strong he'd revealed himself to be.

"So... you're pretty good at fighting," he said, and then immediately flinched at how awkward he sounded.

"Pretty good!" Bumi guffawed. His eyes sobered and he poked a stern finger into Katar's collar. "I'm one of the best, and don't you forget it!"

Clamping down on his nervousness at the man's intense stare, Katar pressed forward. "You wouldn't happen to have any advice for a novice self-taught waterbender-in-training would you?"

The grin returned to Bumi's face. "Nope!" he said. "'fraid not! Waterbending's not my area of expertise. I know someone though. A master at the North Pole." He turned away, stroking his beard, his eyes scrunching in confusion. "Now what was his name?" he wondered aloud.

"I just hoped... I mean... I'm trying to get better at..." Katar stumbled over his words for a moment or two, then just gave up and finished, "Never mind. It's not important." Clearing his throat, he put his hands on the rails and changed the subject. "I still can't believe you were friends with Angka a hundred years ago," he marveled. "Is she still pretty much the same as you remember or...?"

Bumi smiled fondly. "Hasn't changed a bit." He pulled another lettuce leaf out from his sleeve, waving it around as he spoke. "Oh the stories I could tell! Wild rascals we were, always getting up to something or another. You know she had quite the little crush on me when we were younger..."

Katar had a brief moment of irrational internal panic. "Uh... she did?" he squeaked.

"Kidding!" Bumi cackled, dissolving into a fresh burst of hacking laughter. "I'm just kidding! Nah, I was never her type. Thicker than thieves we were, but not much into that icky mushy stuff."

"Oh good..." Katar breathed to himself.

A hand fell on his shoulder and Katar found himself turned to face Bumi, the old king's expression stone-cold serious, burning with conviction.

"You take care of her now, you hear?" he said. "Angka's plenty capable of handling herself, but there's a lot of people out there that don't want it known that the Avatar has returned." The fingers tightened on his shoulder. "She's going to need friends she can count on these coming days. Friends she can trust. Can you be that for her, sonny?"

His nerves were fluttering, but he straightened up a bit and answered at once, "I will."

"That's the spirit!" Bumi crowed, grin stretching his face again. He offered something out to Katar. "Rock candy?"

Katar grimaced down at the greenish gem-like treat. "I'll pass."

Bumi shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, biting off a large chunk and then whistling to Flopsy and tossing the pet the rest.

(A/N)- Katar and Sokki meet Angka's childhood and are not entirely sure they like him. Bumi trolls Katar and charges him with protecting the Avatar. Guess he better hurry up and get good at waterbending, lol.

Bumi was a ton of fun to write. And of course it's always a blast to have Katar being super awkward.

Hoping to update again in a couple weeks. Please leave a review if you enjoyed.