Chapter 2: The Tournament

"Greetings adventurers!" King Bumi addressed the lively crowd gathered in the palace courtyard. "Whether you're here to test your mettle, indulge your curiosity, satisfy your wanderlust, make new friends, or simply have a good time, the kingdom of Omashu welcomes you."

"Wow, he's ancient," Mai muttered.

"Seriously," Zuko whispered back.

Ty Lee giggled. "But kinda cute, right?"

Mai and Zuko exchanged sincerely puzzled, judgmental stares, while Ty Lee shrugged, unfazed.

Azula paid them no mind. Her sharp eyes raked through the crowd, mentally sizing up her competition. The courtyard was packed with over one hundred adventurers, all decorated in armor, cloaks, and robes. Banners bearing Omashu's crest flapped in the breeze; the hum of excitement was almost palpable.

"I'm going to cut right to the chase," Bumi continued, grinning mischievously. "Three challenges await you, each more grueling than the last. The first will be a test of power – "

"I've got this one," Toph said smugly, cracking her knuckles.

" – the second, a test of wisdom – "

"I've got this one," Sokka, cut in, pointing his thumb at his chest.

" – and the third and final, a test of courage – "

"I've got this one," Katara and Aang said simultaneously before glancing at each other and bursting into laughter.

"Many of you stand before me," Bumi went on, "so in order to keep things fair and efficient, you'll be divided into heats based on age group."

Azula smirked. This cut her competition considerably.

"Now, for your very first task…" Bumi's crafty grin softened into something more jovial. "…you are to come up with a unique team name! My waitstaff will be coming around with parchment and quills – write down your team name and the names, ages, and classes of your four party members. Don't be afraid to get creative!"

The crowd erupted into excited chatter, adventurers huddling together to brainstorm ideas.

"Once you've turned in your parchment," Bumi announced over the noise, "we'll take a short break to determine which teams will compete in which heats. So don't wander far!"


One of the waitstaff approached with parchment and quill in hand.

"Thank you, I'll take that," Katara said, smiling as she grabbed the writing implements. "What?" she asked, noticing her team was staring at her. "I have the neatest handwriting."

"You don't know that," Toph countered, crossing her arms. "You've never even seen me write!"

Katara froze, her face falling. "Oh, I – "

"I'm just messing with you, Sugar Queen!" Toph cackled, waving her hand theatrically in front of her face. "I can't read or write! I'm blind, remember?"

Katara sighed as Aang and Sokka broke into laughter.

"Okay, so what should our team name be?" Katara asked, eager to move on.

"I don't know," Aang said thoughtfully, "but Toph's pretty good at naming stuff. I mean, she's already given all of us nicknames."

"How about the Wind Breakers?" Toph suggested with a wide grin, Aang and Sokka now doubling over with laughter.

"Not happening," Katara said firmly. "Sokka, you have a knack for… quirky names. What do you think we should be called?"

"How about…" Sokka pulled out his boomerang. "…the Boomeraang Squad! See, it's good because it's got 'Aang' in it. Boomeraang."

"I kind of like that one," Aang admitted with a flattered smile.

Katara groaned. "Next."

"The Aang Gang?"

"Sokka…"

"The Fearsome Foursome?"

"You're crazy," Toph said dismissively, blushing faintly at the unintended suggestive language.

"Why?" Sokka shot back. "We're fearsome!"

"All these teams are fearsome in their own ways," Katara argued. "We need something that sets us apart."

"I got it!" Sokka exclaimed. "We're…" He struck a heroic pose. "…Team Sage!"

Aang tilted his head. "Simple and to the point."

"We are the only team that has the Sage," Katara added.

"Yeah!" Toph said, punching the air. "And it'll sound awesome when they announce it. 'Here comes Team Sage!'" She smirked. "Totally intimidating."

"Well then, from here on out, we are…" Sokka struck another dramatic pose. "Team Sage!"


On the other side of the courtyard, Azula stared at the blank page before her.

"Oh my goodness, what should we pick?!" Ty Lee exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "Ooh, I know, I know – the Hot Potatoes! No, wait – The Firing Squad! No, too dark. How about… the Boiling Royals?"

Mai arched an eyebrow and exchanged a disapproving look with Zuko and Azula. "Try again," she said flatly.

"Okay, okay, let me think." Ty Lee paused, but only for a moment before perking up again. "Ah, I got it!" Before anyone could react, she snatched the parchment and quill from Azula's hands.

"Hey!" Azula snapped, eyes narrowing. "Are you out of your mind?! Hand that back before you humiliate us all!"

"Don't worry!" Ty Lee said brightly. "You're gonna love this."

Zuko shrugged. "Too late now."

Azula huffed, folding her arms as Ty Lee scribbled furiously.

"Okay, here we are!" Ty Lee said proudly, spinning the parchment around to show the others. Across the top, in her frilly handwriting, was written: "Twin Flames."

Azula blinked. "You know what… I don't hate this."

"Me neither – " Zuko started.

"I never cared," Mai interrupted dryly.

" – though I don't love the romantic implication," Zuko finished, frowning slightly.

"Well, you and Mai are romantically involved!" Ty Lee chimed in. "And besides, they say 'twin flames' share the same soul. You and Azula might not share a soul, but you shared a womb for nine months. Close enough!"

"I guess…" Zuko muttered.

"And Azula is my twin flame!" she teased, playfully throwing her arms around the sorcerer and giving her a squeeze.

"All right, all right," Azula said, laughing despite herself. "Down girl."


"Thank you for your patience," King Bumi said, attempting to regain focus from the crowd. Those in front started to quiet down, but the back kept chattering.

"Silence!" he ordered. When the noise persisted, his lips curved into a sly grin. Gripping his gold-and-emerald staff, he bellowed, "Cadumassia!"

An enormous boulder plummeted from the sky, slamming into the ground behind him with a thunderous boom. The earth rattled, and conversations ceased instantly.

"Cool," Toph smirked, rubbing her hands together.

"All right, now that I have your attention," Bumi continued, "I'm going to introduce your teams, starting with our youngest cohort of brave adventurers. And let me tell you, this is a star-studded group. When I call your team name, please step forward. In no particular order – just kidding, it's alphabetical – let's welcome the Earthlings!"

A hodgepodge group of Earth Kingdom teens separated themselves from the crowd. There was nothing remarkable about them except that one of them sat in a seriously decked out wheelchair.

"The Fire Starters!"

A gang of Fire Nation women, sporting piercings, tattoos, and edgy haircuts, strode to the front. Their cold, unflinching stares gave off a clear message: "Don't mess with us."

"They look mean," Ty Lee murmured, inching closer to Mai.

"The Freedom Fighters!"

A scrappy team of what appeared to be rogues joined the others. One member was huge, towering over the group, another rivaled Toph for being the shortest adventurer, and the one who seemed to be their leader casually chewed on a blade of wheatgrass.

"Ooh, he's cute," Katara whispered.

Aang and Sokka exchanged scowls.

"I know, right?" Toph added mockingly. "What a stud."

Katara beamed, thinking she'd found a moment to bond with the earth sorcerer. But her smile faded when she realized Toph, unable to see the boy, was teasing her.

"The Kyoshi Warriors!"

Four young women dressed in identical makeup and armor walked in perfect synchronization to the front.

"The Lunar Knights! And yes, we have some royalty in our midst. Welcome, Princess Yue, to the kingdom of Omashu."

The white-haired princess gracefully stepped forward, flanked by her polished team of Northern Water Tribe warriors.

"Wow," Sokka breathed. "A royal princess."

"She's beautiful," Katara added.

Aang shrugged. "She's all right, I guess."

"The Party Boys!"

Four noble-looking Fire Nation men, all grinning smugly, strutted forward.

Mai wrinkled her nose. "I can smell their daddies' money from here."

"You come from money too," Azula pointed out.

"Yeah, but I don't flaunt it."

"Team Sage!"

Azula's stomach dropped. "Sage?!" she hissed. "Did he just say 'Sage'?! That can't be – "

"You heard right, folks!" Bumi declared. "We are lucky to have the one and only Sage join the tournament."

The crowd roared with cheers as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph stepped forward.

Azula's gold eyes widened. She recognized Aang immediately from a portrait she'd studied in school. "No way, that's actually him! This is completely unfair!" she fumed. "How can they allow the Sage to compete?!"

"It's okay, Azula," Zuko said, trying to calm her. "Our team is strong."

"But he's the Sage," she groaned.

"Sage, schmage," Ty Lee waved off, her eyes sparkling as they landed on a different member of the Sage's team. "Check out the warrior with the muscles! Total hottie."

Azula sighed, rolling her eyes, though even she had to admit that Ty Lee wasn't entirely wrong.

"And finally, let's hear it for the Twin Flames! We have even more royalty entering the race. Welcome Prince Zuko and Princess Azula of the Fire Nation!"

"Whoa, another princess," Sokka whispered in admiration. "She's – "

As Azula, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee stepped forward, Azula cast a sharp, icy glare at Team Sage.

" – kinda scary!" he finished.

"Now that we've announced all eight teams in our youngest heat, here's how it's going to work," Bumi said. "For each challenge, your team will face off against another, chosen at random. This is a single elimination tournament – lose, and you're out. Yes, sadly this means that many of you will not get to participate in all three challenges. In fact, only two teams will advance to the final test of courage." He grinned. "Good luck, everyone! Now, let's move on to the next heat."


"Well, what should we do now?" Ty Lee asked, practically bouncing with excitement. "I can't wait to explore the city!"

"Shouldn't we listen to the other teams' introductions?" Zuko countered, crossing his arms.

"Bumi said we don't have to stick around…"

"I know, but it feels wrong to leave."

"I think we should check in at the inn," Mai chimed in. "This whole day has been exhausting. Let's unpack and nap." She glanced over at Azula whose crafty expression let her know she had other ideas for the group. With a sharp sigh, Mai added, "And now Azula is going to tell us what we're actually doing."

"Obviously," Azula stated with a self-satisfied smirk. "I think we should use this 'free time' to the fullest by collecting intel – I mean, socializing in a completely friendly and inconspicuous way – with the other teams. Anything we learn could be used to our advantage."

"As much as I hate talking to people I don't know," Zuko grumbled, "that's actually not a bad idea."

"Sounds fun to me!" Ty Lee beamed. "I can't wait to get to know everyone. But, uh… please don't make me talk to the Fire Starters – they really freak me out!"

"I'll talk to them," Mai said with a shrug. "They look kind of cool."

"Great! Let's split up," Azula declared. "We'll each talk to two teams and gather as much information as possible. Then we'll regroup to compare notes."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "I know you know that math doesn't add up."

She smiled innocently before dropping the act. "Okay fine. You three will each talk to two teams, and I'll introduce myself to Team Sage."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ty Lee asked with a nervous grimace. "We don't want to get off on the wrong foot."

"Don't you worry," Azula said with a wave of her hand. "I'll be perfectly civil."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


"Okay, for my first impressions," Sokka began, leaning forward like a general addressing his troops, "The Earthlings don't look like they pose a threat – "

"You're not just saying that because of the boy in the wheelchair, are you?!" Katara gasped. "Because that would be pretty – "

"No, of course not! I have no idea what skillset he brings. They just… all seem really nice, like they're here to make friends or something."

"Sure, sure," Toph teased. "Nice save, Snoozles."

"Anyway," Sokka pressed on, ignoring her, "the Party Boys? Total non-contenders. They don't seem like they'll take anything seriously. I mean, it's in the name. Now, the Fire Starters – they look more intimidating, but looks can be deceiving."

"Yeah," Aang chimed in, smiling. "Maybe they're just putting up a tough exterior to scare their opponents, but on the inside, they're all warm and gooey."

"Gross," Toph groaned.

"The Kyoshi Warriors…" Sokka stole a glance toward the fan-wielding team. "…now they seem like they're here to compete. They're going to give us a real run for our money."

"But we didn't pay anything to be here," Aang said, earning a giggle from Katara.

Sokka sighed. "Anyway, I can't put my finger on it, but the Freedom Fighters give me a bad vibe, especially the guy with the grass in his mouth. He looks way too cocky for his own good."

"He looks confident," Katara corrected. "And you're probably just jealous because he's insanely handsome."

"Is he really that good-looking?" Aang asked, his voice pitching slightly higher.

"Yeah, I think Snoozles looks way hotter than grass-guy," Toph sneered.

"Thank you – oh, I see what you did there," Sokka grumbled. "Moving on. Now, the last two teams may have royalty in them, but we shouldn't let that rattle us. The Lunar Knights don't seem particularly well-rounded, and – "

"Hey, Sokka," Aang interrupted, his smile stiffening as he noticed one of their opponents approaching. "Maybe we should save this for later."

" – just let me finish my thought," Sokka continued, undeterred. "And the Twin Flames, well particularly the princess, seem kinda – "

"Sokka, shut up and turn around," Katara hissed through her teeth.

Sokka spun around, his heart lurching as he came face-to-face with the Fire Nation princess. "Ah!" he yelped, nearly tripping over his feet.

"Please, don't let me interrupt," Azula said smoothly, her tone laced with mock courtesy. "The Twin Flames, particularly the princess, seem kinda what?"

Sokka froze, scrambling to recover. "Kinda… um… fiery? Yeah, fiery. Lots of fire and stuff. You know, very… fiery."

Azula tilted her head, her golden eyes narrowing as her lips curved into a faint smile. "Fiery, hm? Yes, I'm sure that's how you were going to finish that sentence." Her gaze swept over the rest of the group. "Is your warrior always this jumpy?"

"Only around girls he finds attractive," Katara replied, grinning mischievously.

"What?! Why would you – that's not – I don't – I mean, I don't not – " Sokka stammered, his face burning. "I'm just gonna shut up now."

Azula's smile widened, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm Princess Azula, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Azula!" Aang said brightly. "I'm Aang. And this is Katara, Toph, and Sokka." He gestured to his other teammates in turn.

"How lovely," Azula replied smoothly, her gaze flicking to each of them before settling on Aang. "Though I must admit, I'm rather surprised we're meeting under these circumstances, great Sage Aang."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, frowning slightly.

"Oh, I just would have imagined that the Sage, master of all four elements with all the power of a cleric and sorcerer combined, would have more important duties than playing games in a tournament," she said, feigning innocence.

"Well, that's probably true!" Aang admitted with a sheepish grin. "But King Bumi personally invited me."

Azula raised an eyebrow, her smile thinning. "I see. How clever of him. Perhaps King Bumi thought the tournament needed a certain edge or notoriety, or perhaps he thought it would be more amusing if one team had an unfair advantage."

"What's wrong, Princess?" Toph cut in, smirking. "Afraid of a little competition?"

"Toph!" Katara snapped, shooting her a look.

"Hah," Azula said dismissively, her composure unshaken. "Quite the opposite, in fact. If anything, my team is even more motivated now to see this through. I have no doubt our two teams will meet in the final challenge."

"That's if we don't eliminate your team first," Sokka blurted, his courage returning.

Azula turned back to him, her gaze piercing. "Bring it on, ponytail."

"It's a warrior's wolf-tail!"

"If you say so," she snickered, turning on her heel and sauntering away.

"What a jerk," Katara muttered.

"I like her," Toph declared, grinning. "She's got moxie!"

"She's definitely confident," Aang agreed, trying to stay neutral. "But yeah, she seems a little… arrogant."

"Did I look cool in front of her?" Sokka asked suddenly.

Aang hesitated. "Uhhh…"

Katara grimaced, shaking her head.

"Nah, man," Toph said bluntly. "You blew it."

"Damn it."


"So, what have we learned?" Azula asked, her tone sharp as the group gathered in the inn.

"Ooh, me first!" Ty Lee exclaimed, throwing her arm up as if answering a question in class. "So, I talked to the Earthlings, and they were super, super nice. They've got an earth sorcerer named Haru, who's also sooo dreamy, a ranger named Teo – he's the one in the wheelchair – and he's also a cutie, a thief named Jin, and an earth cleric named Song. Oh! And guess what?! Jin and Song both said that they thought Zuko was totally handsome!"

Azula immediately recoiled in disgust. "They did?!"

"They… they did?" Zuko asked, his cheeks reddening considerably.

"Don't let it go to your head," Mai said flatly before placing a gentle hand on his cheek.

"Yeah! And then I talked to the Kyoshi Warriors," Ty Lee continued, "and they were so cool! Their leader, Suki, is tough as nails but also super nice. They're an all-girl team of badass warriors – they remind me of my sisters! I really clicked with them, in fact, I think we're all going to grab a meal together sometime!"

"Thanks, Ty," Azula said. "So the Earthlings seem harmless, but their friendly personalities could be a front. And the Kyoshi Warriors… competent, but I wonder how far they'll get without any diversity on their team. Hmm. Okay, Zuzu, you're next."

"Yeah, sure," Zuko said, scratching the back of his neck. "I talked to the Lunar Knights first, since I figured I should introduce myself to Princess Yue. She's really kind and compassionate, and – "

"Do I need to worry about another woman stealing you away?" Mai interjected, her voice laced with mock annoyance.

"Not at all," Zuko chuckled. "Anyway, she's a water cleric. The rest of her team are warriors. Their leader is… Hahn, I think? I don't remember the other two guys' names…"

"Too busy staring at Yue's beautiful blue eyes?" Ty Lee teased with a sly grin.

Mai shot her a playful, yet menacing, glare.

Zuko pressed on. "Then I talked to the Freedom Fighters. They're a team of three rogues and a warrior from the Earth Kingdom. Smellerbee, the only girl on their team, is a thief. Longshot is a ranger, Pipsqueak – you know, the giant guy - is a warrior, and their leader, Jet, is also a thief. And I think he tried to recruit me? Though, it was very confusing, I mean, Bumi said we had to compete in parties of four, so…"

Azula raised an eyebrow. "Recruit you? How?"

"I don't remember his exact words, but he asked if I 'played for both teams' or something."

Ty Lee burst into laughter. "Zuko! He was totally hitting on you!"

"What?! No, he wasn't!" Zuko sputtered, his face practically glowing. "Mai, is that true?"

Mai smirked. "Yeah, pretty much. Don't you get it? Playing for both teams?"

Zuko buried his face in his hands.

"Why does everyone always hit on Zuko?!" Azula groaned, rolling her eyes. "Anyway. Mai, what did you learn?"

"Not much," Mai shrugged. "I talked to the Fire Starters. They were pretty cool, though they seem kind of unstable. They're all fire sorcerers. Their leader's name is Zirin."

"All fire sorcerers?" Azula repeated, smirking. "I bet I could take all of them at once."

"I bet you could too!" Ty Lee chirped.

"As for the Party Boys," Mai continued, "they're just here for fun and to see what the fuss is about. I didn't really learn anything about them because they were flirting with me too much – I just had to walk away from them."

"What?!" Zuko exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. "They flirted with you?! Oh, they're gonna be sorry."

Mai tilted her head, unfazed. "Come on, you got hit on too, remember?"

"By Jet! That doesn't count!"

"Are you kidding?" Ty Lee countered, grinning. "Jet's super hot! If anything, it counts double!"

Ignoring Zuko's indignant groan, Mai carried on. "Anyway, I think their leader's name is Chan, and their second-in-command is Ruon-Jian, but I didn't catch the other two. Judging by their weapons and armor, they're a mix of warriors and martial artists.

"So no real threat to us," Azula concluded with a self-assured nod. "Great."

"The only real threat," Ty Lee teased, "is that everyone keeps making moves on the two taken people on our team! When's it going to be our turn?" She turned to Azula, feigning a pout. "It's not fair."

"We're not here to date, Ty," Azula chuckled. "We're here to win. Now here's what I learned about Team Sage…"