Bumi

Everything had gone to shit, just like that time he tried to get a mate for Floopy but that time it was literal, at least here Bumi just had to worry about not being burnt, Bumi looked at his left arm that was full of blisters and was a tad different in shade, or rather more burnt than he was right now. He had miscalculated the importance of this ships and the temperament of Ozai's subordinates.

Bumi thought that they wouldn't be brave enough to fight him without Ozai, that and he was counting on the girl to leave her father behind to advance her own position. Iroh had told him that his niece was a ball of anger and ambition, someone who wouldn't hesitate to leave behind her family if it benefitted her but it looked like the girl either had more love or more fear of Ozai than either Iroh or Bumi anticipated.

He looked down at the broken body of the soldier that he had just killed and grimaced, Bumi was very angry after discovering that the men he had taken on this little expedition had all died and discharged his anger on the first soldier he caught and now Bumi remembered why he always contained himself as he looked at the broken body of the man whose four limbs and head were
turned the wrong way.

The worst part was that he was still alive and suffering, Bumi sighed and approached the broken form of his enemy before delivering a mercy kill though he doubted the boy whose head he just crushed to a pulp beneath his feet saw what he did as mercy.

War really did make monsters out of men.

Bumi looked down at his burning city, at the broken bodies of his people, and realized that even though they could still fight the city was lost. Sure they could rebuild but as long as the Fire Nation controlled the sky they could bomb it again and despite what the stereotype indicated, the people of the earth kingdoms didn't like living underground, not because of fear or something stupid like lack of food, the problem was that people tended to lose their minds if they spent too much time underground and without sunlight.

There were examples of such a thing all over the Earth Kingdoms, towns, and cities that decided the world was too chaotic to continue living on the surface and went hiding underground only for someone to discover a generation or two later that everyone had lost their heads both metaphorically and sometimes literally. Bumi looked in the distance at the setting Sun, it was an apt metaphor and he knew what he had to do.

Bumi needed to call for a retreat, he would fight to give his people enough time to escape and then he would escape as well. Hopefully, he would still have enough energy to move after what he was planning to do. The rest of the airships were restarting the bombardment of his city and he couldn't allow it to continue.

Separated as he might be from the earth, as tired as he was, Bumi knew the earth here better than anyone else and could command it better than anyone else. Bumi would show the Fire Nation why Bumi had ruled for so long and why he was considered the strongest earthbender alive.

With his senses, he reached down into the earth, he felt the slow rumble of the world, the way the earth shifted within itself, Bumi felt every crevice on the ground directly beneath the ship he was standing on then, he pulled.

Slowly the world began to quake, it was a small thing, barely noticeable thanks to the bombs that continued to fall but as he poured more effort that soon changed, Bumi had sweat dripping down his face, his teeth felt like they would break as ground them together, his arms and legs felt the weight of the world and his body threatened to crumble under the pressure but he wouldn't give up, not when his people needed him, not when their lives depended on him.

Bumi wouldn't give up.

He was a king.

Bumi struggled against an invisible force but finally, he was able to raise his arms in a sharp movement that almost made him fall but that went unnoticed when the world began to tremble from the ground giant spikes burst forth violently throwing dirt and dust into the air, they were aimed at each of the ships even the one he was standing on and each one hit the mark, metal screeched as it fought the earth but like all things it fell against the greatest power in the world.

Bumi did his best to remain standing but he was breathing heavily and there were spots in his visions from behind him the sound of a hatch opening drew his attention and he saw the fear-stricken face of the princess as she noticed what he had done.

Then the explosions started and Bumi laughed.

For the first time in their life, those who sought to conquer with fire and ash discovered what it felt like to burn, then something unexpected happened the dust that had flown into the air started igniting like it was oil or gunpowder from fireworks and Bumi realized that perhaps he made a mistake as the air became wreathed in fire, fire that was fast approaching his location.

"Well girlie, I guess you guys won" Bumi jumped from the airship without fear, the earth would never hurt him "Everyone! We're leaving you know the plan!"

His men heard him despite all the explosions happening around and those who didn't quickly followed the lead of the ones who were close enough to understand him, soon his army started going underground to get the supplies and the civilians far away from this place, worst come to worst Bumi could always build another city, sure making new borders would be a pain but better than having a nomadic people (Bumi gave a silent apology to Aang in his mind at that) he had nothing against the lifestyle but it was not for him.

Bumi was about to become a stain on the ground but he made a ramp to bleed off the momentum he was carrying and after skidding close to the whole where Ozai had fallen into, he took a look inside and soon had to get his head out of the way from a bolt of lighting, there was a very angry Fire Lord halfway on the way out of the whole but Bumi wouldn't have an opportunity like this one again.

"You know kid, you really made a mess of things but hey! You won! Technically anyway since I'm retreating instead of doing one of the suicidal charges your army is so fond of" Bumi was speaking casually but every time he thought about the look on Ozai's face he chuckled "it's a good thing you have lots of soldiers cause the ones you brought are kind of dead, but you sure showed me how to fight like a pro, anyway, enjoy your crumbling city and don't forget to write!"

Bumi dodged another lighting bolt and let out one final laugh as he heard Ozai curse him, the kid was even more foul-mouthed than Bumi!

The king then opened up a path underground, despite their loss and the people that weren't here with them anymore his soldiers were cheering.

"The true king of the earth!"

"The world shaker!"

"To king Bumi the one who strikes the sky itself!"

Bumi basked in the cheers for a few moments before getting to what was important "Stop the chatter and start to move, our people need to see the sun and we have to guide them to a new place, after what I did Ozai will try to follow us and while we can defend ourselves just fine I'm not planning on letting that up jumped candle lighter to kill anyone else, now move!"

"Yes!" the soldiers soon had a rolling wave of earth moving the supplies while to the side another group started making a path for the rest of the people, Bumi stayed back to see that every last one of the came with him, no one would be left behind even if he had to carry them himself.

For several hours the evacuation continued and towards the end, he saw a family having trouble waking up their child, Bumi walked slowly towards them he sent a silent prayer to the spirits as he did until he stopped just shy of the boy that wouldn't wake up.

"Your majesty! Sorry for making you wait but he isn't waking up" there were tears in the man's eyes and he could see the desperation of the man's wife as well as the reddened eyes as she shook the child that wouldn't wake up "Chen! Please wake up! We're the last ones, you can't sleep anymore!"

The boy didn't move.

There was not even a scratch on him, nothing to worry about, nor any indication of why he wasn't waking up, but Bumi knew why.

The kid was dead, probably from inhaling smoke, it was an insidious way to die, you just fell asleep and never woke up again.

"Chen! Please!" the woman started sobbing. It broke Bumi's heart to see it, he placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, we have to go."

"No! I won't leave him!" the woman clung to the child as if her life depended on it "Chen! Mommy is here baby and she won't ever let you go!"

Bumi sighed and looked over to his soldiers and he nodded, the earthbenders didn't waste any time and grabbed the woman "We have to go" Bumi repeated as she struggled to free herself while her husband just looked over his dead son.

"No! He's just sleeping!" they started dragging her away "No! No! Don't leave him behind! Chen!"

Despite the woman's pleas Bumi's soldiers followed orders and kept leading her away through the tunnel.

"He looks so peaceful," the Father of the child said as he passed his hand through the child's hair "Can you bury him, please?"

Bumi nodded and slowly and very respectfully dug a grave for the kid which he lowered him into.

"Child of the earth, inheritor of its will, today you return to it. Let the spirits guide your path until you once more stand on solid ground, one life ends and another begins, one day we will all meet again but until that day-"

"Let the earth keep you safe" the father finished the prayer and rose from the ground as Bumi closed the grave, there was a terrible fire burning in the eyes of the man, more terrible than the flames he had seen from Ozai and Bumi knew that until the day the man died, he would never stop fighting.


Author note: for some reason i'm far better at writing the situations that happen because of the SI's interferance than the protagonists POV (at least i think so), so a heavy chapter, death is rough and it sure is a heavy contrast to see the glory and misery war gives people. On another note what do you think about the prayer? was it too much? there aren't examples of prayers in the show (not ones that i can remember) so i went with my gut for it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you want to see more check out my Pareon.

Also something unrelated, i would like to thank the person that gave me a dollar on Ko-Fi, you really made my day, I don't know if you want me to put your name anywhere or not since i normally keep such things private for my Patrons and don't put their names on any chapter but i hope this message reaches you. You're awesome.