No one knew what to expect from the tournament. None of them had ever attended one except for Barley. His dad had taken him once when he was too young to remember it.

They walked into the arena. In the center of the huge space was a large ring surrounded by metal ropes. Stone seats lined the walls.

Barley talked to the woman at the door to sign Ian up, while the others went to their seats and Ian went to the ring. She stared at him like he was crazy.

"You want to sign him up for the tournament?" she asked, pointing her pen at Ian.

"Yup."

"You can, but I don't recommend it. He'll be against some of the biggest, strongest competitors in the Earth Kingdom. And he's…weak."

"He is not!" Barley insisted. "He'll be fine. Don't judge his abilities until you've seen him in action."

She shrugged and wrote Ian's name down.

Barley went to the audience and sat down next to Alberto. He noticed a vendor was giving out free food. He nudged Alberto and pointed. Alberto had spoken to him last night about impressing a girl, and Barley had recommended food. He hadn't said who the girl was, but Barley had a feeling he knew.

Alberto went over and got two bags of roasted nuts and some mooncakes. He came back and sat down next to Violet.

"I didn't know what you wanted, so…" He awkwardly held out the food.

Violet looked surprised. "Oh, thank you." She smiled, and Alberto thought he maybe saw her blush. "That's very nice of you."

Ian looked around the ring, a knot forming in his stomach. He suddenly wanted to run outside and throw up. Soon, he'd be in a fight with a professional fighter. He couldn't imagine lasting longer than a few seconds in the ring. Why had he agreed to do this?

The announcer entered the ring and rang the large gong in the center. "All right, people! The moment you've been waiting for! Meet your fighters!"

There was a deafening roar as the audience cheered.

"In one corner, we have Ian the Magnificent!"

Ian cringed. He knew he shouldn't have let Barley sign him up.

"And in the other corner…"

The ground shook as Ian's opponent jumped into the ring. A woman at least seven feet tall, with rippling muscles. Her body was caked with dirt and mud. She grinned at Ian, and he noticed her crooked teeth were extremely sharp. Around her waist was a long chain with something attached to it. Ian's heart stopped as he realized what it was. Human teeth.

"Miss Fritter, also known as Crazy Eight!"

Miss Fritter shook the chain at him. "Get ready to join my collection, beanstalk!"

Ian could almost hear the whoosh as every ounce of courage left his body. He turned to the announcer and yelled, "I've changed my mind! Get me out of here!"

"Too late!" The announcer banged the gong again. Miss Fritter let out a primal roar and kicked several boulders at Ian's head. Ian screamed. He quickly constructed a shield of rocks around himself. The boulders crashed into it.

She continued to kick and punch rocks at him. The shield shook under the constant assault. Violet and Alberto watched with wide eyes. Luca had his head down and his hands over his eyes.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea," Barley said, biting his nails. The shield looked ready to break any second.

Inside, Ian was beginning to sweat. It was taking every ounce of his strength just to keep the shield up. He couldn't even begin to think about attacking or trying to come up with a plan.

Finally, the shield broke. A large rock smashed Ian in the face. The audience gasped.

"Ian!" Barley screamed.

The next thing Ian knew, he was on the floor. His head was spinning. His face had gone numb. He felt his face, and his hand came away red. He didn't think he'd lost any teeth, but he couldn't tell.

He could picture Barley's horrified face. He could only imagine how hard it was for him to just sit there while his little brother was getting beaten up. Barley had always done everything he could to protect Ian, and this was the first time he hadn't been able to step in.

Ian forced himself to sit up. A huge boulder was sliding toward him, ready to slam into him. He screamed and rolled out of the way. Miss Fritter stomped her foot, and the ground beneath him shot up, flinging him into the air.

He slammed into the ground. He built another shield around himself. He could hear the audience booing him. He knew it wasn't very interesting for them to watch him hide for the whole fight. He needed to try attacking her, but he didn't know how to do that when he was too busy trying to avoid her.

Don't be shy! You have to face your opponents head-on!

He took a shaky breath. It was time to stop hiding. That was the only way he would win this.

He stood up straighter and brought his legs closer together, planting his feet firmly on the ground. He closed his eyes and tried to engage his seismic sense. His heart was pounding, and he took another breath to calm himself. No fear. He had to be brave and direct. And steady as a rock.

Like Barley had always been. His older brother had always been a constant presence in his life that he could rely on. Especially the past few years.

Pulsing vibrations came from all around him, through his feet and into the rest of his body. Miss Fritter was behind him.

He blew the shield apart and flung all the rocks at her. She just laughed as they hit her in the face.

"Is that all you've got?"

"No." He raised his hand, ripping up a large chunk of earth, and hit her in the stomach with it.

In response, she tore up half the stage and hurled it at him. His heart rate spiked, and he wanted to hide again. But he forced himself to stay calm. He took control of the massive projectile and threw it back at her. She grunted as it buried her.

The audience cheered loudly. Ian tore up more of the stage and kicked it on top of the pile, working on pure adrenaline.

The rocks flew in all directions as she punched through them. Ian covered his face, shielding it from the debris. He hadn't expected her to escape that. How could he keep her down for ten whole seconds?

He looked around, and his eyes landed on the ropes. Maybe he didn't need to knock her out. He just needed to knock her out of the ring.

He stamped the ground and raised up the ground beneath her, sending her high up into the air on a column of stone. She gasped as she looked down. Ian quickly knocked out a large chunk of the column at the bottom, and the column toppled over. She crashed down outside the ring.

The announcer banged the gong again. "And the winner is Ian the Magnificent!"

The audience burst into wild applause. As the adrenaline wore off, Ian suddenly felt every ache and bruise on his body. He wanted to drop to the floor and just lay there for hours.

Miss Fritter jumped back into the ring and walked over to him. Ian was afraid she was going to be upset, but instead, she just laughed good-naturedly. "Not bad, beanstalk." She spat a tooth into her palm and handed it to him. "Here. You earned it."

"Uh, thanks." He didn't really want it, but he appreciated the gesture.

"Now, the next competitor…the Underminer!"

The ground rumbled. A short, stocky man with a long nose and buck teeth burst out of the ground, piloting a large stone machine. "Behold the Underminer! I am always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me!"

Ian sighed. Right, this was a tournament. So he would have to fight his way through several competitors to win.

"Now, let the next round be…" The announcer trailed away and looked out at the audience. Ian followed his gaze, and his heart dropped.

Fire Nation soldiers were marching through the audience, obviously looking for Violet and her friends. He could see Barley leading the others through the seats toward the ring.

The stage shook as someone jumped down behind Ian. Waternoose and Randall.

Ian raised his hand to earthbend the ground they were standing on. Before he could, a large boulder came from behind him and hit Randall on the head.

"Leave him alone!" Miss Fritter yelled. She stood in front of Ian. "I've got your back, kid. Run."

Barley ran over, followed by the others. "Ian, we've gotta go!"

"But we didn't get the money," Ian protested. He didn't come all this way and put his body and life at risk in a fight for nothing.

"Pretty sure the tournament's canceled anyway, 'cause of, you know, the Fire Nation attacking," Barley said. He grabbed Ian and slung him over his shoulder as they bolted from the arena. Ian watched as Miss Fritter fought off Waternoose and Randall, sinking Randall into the ground and attacking Waternoose with a mountain of boulders.

Then they were out of the arena and running across the grassy hills. They stopped when they felt like they were far enough away. They looked behind them. It didn't seem like Waternoose and Randall were chasing them.

"Well, what now?" Ian asked. "We didn't get the money! All we got was a tooth!" He couldn't believe this. The canyon, the fight, it was all for no reason.

"I guess we'll have to walk," Barley said, either purposely or inadvertently ignoring Ian's complaints.

"I'm fine with that. I didn't really want to walk all the way back anyway," Luca admitted.

"Okay, but where are we going?" Ian asked.

Violet looked around. "I bet he's going to Ba Sing Se. What better place to find a skilled bender?"

"Ba Sing Se?" Ian said. It looked like he and Barley would be going there sooner than they'd thought.

Barley looked at their map. They needed to walk east to reach Ba Sing Se. After Luca healed Ian's fight injuries, they set off.

Barley and Ian walked side by side. They didn't talk, but they knew they were both thinking the same thing: would their mother be there?

Three years ago, Laurel had gone to Ba Sing Se on business, to sell some goods there. And that was the last time they'd seen her.

The first few weeks on their own had been the worst days of Ian's life. He remembered miserably lying in Laurel's bed all day, fearing the worst, just playing his worries on a loop while Barley was out doing odd jobs to keep food on the table. His mind had become a prison, one he couldn't metalbend his way out of. His emotions felt like a heavy weight on his chest, making it impossible to do anything except lie there.

He'd slowly come out of that dark place as time went on. Barley's earthbending lessons had helped. As much as Ian didn't really care for training, the distraction, along with Barley's companionship and the simple act of going outside, had helped him considerably. He wondered if Barley had known that when he'd suggested it.

One of his biggest fears that still plagued him from time to time, besides Laurel being dead, was that she had simply abandoned them. What if she was living a happier life without them? What if they made the journey to Ba Sing Se and found her, but she wasn't happy to see them? Just thinking about it made him want to die. He wasn't sure he could go on if it were true.

In his heart, he knew she would never leave them like that. Barley had gotten his caring and fiercely protective nature from her. She would rather die than let any harm come to her sons. But why hadn't she come home, then?

Moonwind's words echoed in his head: You'll find an answer you've been long-seeking, but it won't be what you thought. He was positive that this was about their mother, but what did it mean? Did it mean she was dead, or that she definitely wasn't, since that possibility was always on their minds? And if she wasn't, then where was she?

He supposed they were one step closer to finding out.

~~~~

Buzz and Woody walked north. Buzz led the way with a map. Woody just followed, looking around at the Earth Kingdom he'd never taken the time to explore. It was very peaceful, even with the impending threat of Syndrome's arrival.

Suddenly, a voice behind them spoke. "Woody? Is that you?"

Woody's jaw dropped when he saw who was speaking to him. Even through the heavy makeup, he recognized her immediately. "Bo?"

She smiled at him, and his heart fluttered. She was with a group of several other young women, but in that moment, his eyes saw only her.

"You…you look incredible," he stammered, then panicked. Maybe that was inappropriate, since they weren't dating anymore.

She just laughed. "Thanks." She played with the brim of his hat. "You look the same. Still as handsome as I remember."

The girls behind her tittered. Woody's face was burning. He couldn't tell if she was making fun of him, or if she was being serious.

"So what have you been up to?" Buzz asked. "What's with the new outfit?"

"I wandered around for a few months, then met these girls," Bo said. "Woody, Buzz, meet the Red Panda Warriors."

"We protect Red Panda Island, the home of Avatar Sun Yee," Mei said. "I mean, we did, until…"

"The Fire Nation came and burned it all down!" Abby shouted, stamping her foot. "Our sacred temple, it's all gone, thanks to those sick bastards!"

"So now we're heading to Ba Sing Se for refuge," Bo said.

"So are we!" Buzz said. "Maybe we should all go together."

"That's a great idea," Mei said.

Woody didn't know how he felt about this. On the one hand, it really was nice to see Bo again, and this journey would give them a chance to talk and get closure, or maybe even reconnect in some way. On the other hand, this whole reunion was nothing like he had imagined, and he wasn't sure he wanted to air out all their relationship details in front of Buzz and the girls.

They walked in awkward silence for several miles. Buzz chatted with the Red Panda Warriors, but Bo and Woody didn't say a single word to anyone. Woody was afraid to bring any attention to himself, afraid that it would make the others curious about his relationship with Bo. He didn't think he would be able to close that gate once it was open.

Buzz announced that they were entering the city of Omashu.

"I've heard of this place," Mei said. "Legend says the city was founded by two lovers, Ember and Wade. He was from the Northern Water Tribe, while she was from the Fire Nation. Their families and communities didn't approve of their relationship, so they ran away and founded this city where they could live together. And now it's a lasting tribute to their enduring love!" She sighed. "It's so romantic!"

Woody also sighed, but for a different reason. Of course they were entering a city of love, right as he was seeing his ex for the first time in years. That was just his luck.

They stopped when they saw three people—two men and a preteen boy—and a dog standing by the city's gates. The people were all carrying shoddy stringed instruments. It looked like they had made the instruments themselves out of garbage.

The boy waved at them. "Hola! What brings you to Omashu?"

"We're just passing through to get to Ba Sing Se," Woody said.

A man in a ragged vest and broken suspenders spoke. "Hey, we know a shortcut!" Something in his mouth gleamed, and Woody realized he had a gold tooth.

"A shortcut?" Woody asked skeptically.

The man nodded. "Come on, we'll show you."

The musicians led Buzz, Woody, and the Red Panda Warriors down a steep hill and out toward the mountains.

"I'm Héctor, by the way," the man said. "This is Chicharrón and my nephew Miguel."

Miguel patted the dog. "And this is Dante." Dante licked his hand.

"Nice to meet you all," Woody said uneasily. "So, um, where are we going, exactly?"

"There's a secret tunnel under the city," Héctor said. "That'll get us there quick, and without the Fire Nation seeing us. And we won't have to take the deadly Serpent's Pass."

"There's an old story about it," Miguel said. "And a song!" He strummed his instrument. "Two lovers, forbidden from one another. The war divides their people and the mountain divides them apart. Built a path to be together!"

"Ember and Wade!" Mei said.

"Yeah," Héctor said. He strummed his instrument. "Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel!"

They approached a large cave. Woody didn't like the look of it at all. The darkness seemed to be calling them, as if it were trying to lure them.

Miguel read some words carved into the side of the cave. "There's a whole maze of tunnels down there. You have to believe in love, and you'll make it out. Otherwise, you'll be trapped forever and die!"

Woody turned around. "Yeah, we're not doing this."

"Woody, wait." Buzz grabbed his arm. "I mean, it sounds like a good way to avoid the Fire Nation soldiers. I think we should give it a try."

"We have to believe in love?" Woody asked doubtfully. He wasn't sure if he could do that.

"We can do it," Buzz said. He lowered his voice. "Woody, I know after the breakup, you kind of lost faith in romantic love. But you're still one of the most loving people I know. Loyal and caring to all of your friends and family. You always have been, and that hasn't changed."

Woody nodded reluctantly. "Okay." He wasn't sure if he trusted these random strangers, but he trusted Buzz. "Thanks, Buzz."

Woody immediately felt his blood pressure rise as they entered the cave. Héctor lit a torch. They had three torches. Woody didn't know how long they would last.

Miguel and Héctor played and sang as they walked. "Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel!"

Woody looked up at the ceiling, trying to ignore his oncoming headache. Bits of rocks and dirt kept falling from the ceiling, which made him nervous. What if the cave collapsed while they were in here? Being buried alive sounded like the worst thing ever.

"Are any of you earthbenders?" he asked.

"Nope. Just music-benders," Héctor joked.

"Oh." So they would be no help in a cave-in, then.

They walked for what felt like hours, hitting dead end after dead end. Héctor insisted they would get out, but Woody could tell even he was getting nervous. Dante was getting agitated, whining and pacing around. Miguel kept petting him and murmuring, "Calmate," but it didn't seem to be helping.

Woody let himself fall to the back of the group. It was less crowded, and that made it easier to breathe and stay calm. And the singing was quieter back here, too, which was nice.

"We're really lost, huh?" Bo was suddenly beside him.

"Yeah, I don't think these guys know what they're doing at all," Woody said. Why had he let himself get talked into coming here?

There was a flurry of movement ahead of them. A swarm of black creatures flew down the tunnel. Bats.

Dante yelped and bolted, his claws scraping the ground. Miguel chased him. "Dante!"

"Miguel!" Héctor ran after Miguel, followed by Chicharrón. The Red Panda Warriors ran after them. Woody tried to follow, but the flood of bats kept pushing him back.

The cave shook as the bats bumped into the walls and ceiling. Debris flew everywhere, clouding Woody's view.

"Watch out!" Bo pushed Woody to the ground as the cave collapsed. A huge dust cloud rose up. Woody squeezed his eyes shut as huge rocks crashed down around him. This was it. This was how he was going to die, crushed to death, miles underground, that stupid secret tunnel song stuck in his head.

Finally, the chaos settled. Woody opened his eyes. To his surprise, Bo was pressed up next to him. She had her arms locked around him, trying to shield him. He hadn't realized anyone was here with him.

They awkwardly untangled themselves and looked around. It was very dark, almost pitch-black. Woody spotted one of the torches lying on the ground. He picked it up and lit it.

"There's a side tunnel down here," Bo said. "Let's go. Maybe it'll get us out of here."

He followed her through the small opening and into a low tunnel. It was barely tall enough for them to stand. He could almost feel the walls closing in on them.

He decided to make small talk, to take his mind off his panic. He asked her questions about her new life, watching her expression as she responded. She seemed to glow when talking about her travels and her time with the Red Panda Warriors.

"So, are you happy?" he asked, a little surprised by his own question. He hadn't expected to ask that. It had just come out.

"Yeah, I am," she said.

"Good. I'm glad." And he was. He had always hoped that wherever she was, she was living her dream life, even if it was without him. "It sounds like you have everything you ever wanted."

Bo looked down at the ground. "Almost."

"Almost?"

"Yes, I wanted freedom and travel, and adventure, but…I wanted them with you," she said. "Not on my own."

He felt his breath catch in his throat. There were a million things he wanted to say, but he didn't even know where to start.

She put up her hand as if to say, "It's okay. You don't need to say anything." She kept her eyes on the ground. "I know it's selfish. I understand that I can't have it all. I had to make a choice, and I did. And it hurt both of us, a lot. But I think in the end, it was for the best."

"Bo, I…"

"That's not to say I don't have regrets," she added. "I wish I hadn't sprung it on you like I did. I know it blindsided you. And I'm sorry about that. I truly am."

He nodded. He wanted to let out all the feelings he'd been holding in for the past few years, all the hurt and doubt and pain, but he wasn't here to bog her down in his self-pity. The past was the past. She had accepted it, and so should he.

They walked down the tunnel in silence.

~~~~

Buzz's voice rang through the tunnel, clear and assertive. "Is everyone okay?"

"Sí."

"Yeah."

"I think so."

"I'm good."

Buzz looked around, trying to do a head count. "Woody? Where's Woody?"

"Bo's not here either," Mei said.

Buzz groaned. This was a nightmare. They shouldn't have come.

Miguel finally succeeded in calming Dante. "They'll be okay. And so will we, if we let love lead the way. Right?"

"Right," Héctor said.

"You're sure about that?" Buzz snapped. Their advice hadn't exactly proven useful so far. All they'd done was nearly get everyone buried underground.

"Maybe we just need to play una canción de amor," Héctor said.

"Good idea!" Miguel said. He strummed his instrument and started singing a cheesy love song. Buzz wanted to roll his eyes but he refrained.

They walked until they reached a wall. Another dead end. But this one seemed different. Buzz put his hand on the wall. It was a lot thinner than the others, and he could see faint cracks in it.

"This wall is weak," he said. "Maybe we can break it down somehow."

"I'll get it!" One of the Red Panda Warriors leapt forward, her long red braid flying behind her. She kicked the wall repeatedly until it broke, revealing another tunnel behind it. She stood back to admire her work.

Buzz stared. He'd never seen such athleticism and power mixed with such grace and beauty.

She saw him looking and grinned at him. "Well, let's go." She went down the tunnel. He followed, trying to think of something to say but feeling too tongue-tied to even make a coherent sentence. What had gotten into him? He was usually more self-possessed.

He cleared his throat. "Ma'am…that was…you're…amazing." He wiped his brow. Was it hot in here? Had the Fire Nation caught up to them?

She smiled. "Well, aren't you the sweetest! And call me Jessie."

"I'm Buzz. Buzz Lightyear."

"Bo's told us about you," Jessie said. "She says you're the smartest guy she knows. I've wanted to meet you."

Buzz could hear Miguel and Héctor continuing to sing behind them. Suddenly, the song didn't seem so cheesy.

~~~~

Woody looked around nervously. The torch was almost out.

At least the tunnel was opening up now. They entered a large cavern. A stone sarcophagus sat in the middle of the space. Next to the sarcophagus was a statue of a couple kissing.

"A tomb," Bo said. "Hey, there's something written here."

Woody approached the sarcophagus and read the inscription written on it. "Here lies two lovers, Ember Lumen and Wade Ripple, who let their love guide them through all obstacles. Love is brightest in the dark."

Woody and Bo looked at the statue. The two lovers were locked in a passionate embrace, their lips pressed together. Woody could almost feel their love coming through the statue.

"Maybe…maybe we should kiss," Bo said, a pink blush spreading across her cheeks.

Woody's face went bright red. "What?"

"I mean, we don't have to," Bo said hastily, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just thought maybe…since the statue…"

"Would it even work?" Woody asked. "I mean…do we still…Do you still…"

Bo looked at him. "What?"

"Never mind."

"Do I still love you? Is that what you were going to say?" The distress in her tone shocked him. She almost sounded angry, or offended that he could think that. "Of course I still love you! I never stopped. Me leaving had nothing to do with you, Woody, it was everything else. I already told you, I wanted you to come with me."

"I'm sorry, Bo. I didn't mean—"

Before he could finish, she threw herself at him and kissed him. Just then, the torch burned out, plunging the cave into darkness. Woody didn't care. He closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of her mouth on his. Even after all this time, her lips still felt like home, as if they were made for his.

When they pulled away, the cave was lit by a pale green light. A line of small crystals on the ceiling were glowing, leading out of the tomb.

"Those must be showing us the way out!" Bo said.

Hand-in-hand, they followed the crystals until they saw another, brighter light. Daylight. They ran toward it and stepped outside. Woody wanted to shout with joy as sunlight and wind caressed his face.

To his relief, Buzz and the others were there, standing by another exit. Buzz saw him and ran over. "Woody! You're okay!"

"Better than okay," Woody said with a grin. Buzz smiled as he noticed that he was holding hands with Bo.

"I see you've met Jessie," Bo said.

"What?" Buzz said. "How did you—"

Bo giggled and pointed to the lipstick stain on his cheek. "That's her shade of red."

Buzz blushed as Woody started laughing.

Héctor beckoned them over and pointed at the large walled city just up ahead. "We made it! Welcome, amigos, to Ba Sing Se!"