It was only once he entered the grand establishment that Bumi realized he might not have planned things thoroughly. Here he was, standing in the opulent lobby of white and black marble, glossy hardwood furniture, and gilded traceries, where only people of a certain class loitered.

The ambitiously named Intercontinental Hotel of Ba Sing Se, the first of its kind, lived up to its hype in Bumi’s eyes. One of the many brainchilds of the Scorpion Prince, the luxury accommodation it and its branches made the most premium inns look feel like shanty towns. The South Pole’s capital, Wolf Cove, didn’t even have a mansion to match this lobby’s grandeur.

It was only after a few seconds of gaped staring that the young man returned to his senses, and in his embarrassment noticed a well-dressed hotel staff patiently standing before him. The sharpness of his suit, along with his pose, made Bumi feel like he was facing a noble.

“Might I help you, sir?” The tone the man used was smooth and welcoming, without a hint of judgment or disdain that Bumi was sure he’d regard for a poorly dressed youth like himself. But no, the sharply dressed man simply stood there like the most patient man in the world, as if Bumi’s needs was the most important thing instead of the scores of more richly dressed people around.

“I, uh… I’d like to book a room?” Bumi withdrew a small slip of paper from his satchel and offered it to the man, who took it and regarded the paper with a growing frown. His voice managed to turn cold simply by enunciating each word a little slower than before.

“If I might ask, sir, where did you procure this?”

Bumi couldn’t help but gulp nervously, noticing several men and women emerging from the shadows hugging the lobby’s walls. “It’s my father’s,” he quickly explained. “I mean, it was given to my father by Prince Xing. I-I’m Bumi, son of Avatar Aang.”

Immediately the growing chill was banished, and the man immediately bowed in apology to Bumi. “Ah, my apologies for my rudeness. Will your esteemed father be joining us?”

It took some effort to hide the awkwardness from the answer. “Ah, no. No, I’m here on my own.”

”I see. Please, follow me. Do you have any personal belongings that would need transporting?”

“Oh, no. Nope.” Bumi patted the satchel hugging his chest. “I’ve got all I need here.”

“Very good, sir. This way, sir.”

Bumi was ushered into what he thought was a rather tight room, but when it shuddered and began moving, he realized he was riding an elevator. It was a mildly disconcerting ascent, but seeing his escort unperturbed helped allay his concerns about the whole thing suddenly dropping to a freefall.

Intellectually, Bumi understood the whole thing about big wheels and cables and such, but electricity was still a new notion across the world, and even in the Fire Nation and Omashu there were stories of fires from exploding electric candles, or electric carriages stopping and sliding uncontrollably downhill after something ‘shorted’, or even some teahouse patrons killed due to bad wiring and a water boiler somehow. Only in Ba Sing Se, the birthplace of power generation, were such stories largely absent, but that didn’t stop Bumi’s gut from bracing itself for a sudden lurch.

They reached what must be the top floor, and Bumi’s jaw hung dumbly as he was introduced to a room that could easily rival Fire Lord Zuko’s own residence. Sure, the whole suite could easily fit into his palatial bedroom, but the luxury exuded more than matched the Fire Nation’s royal decor. The suite was almost disgustingly tidy in how it presented itself, and the way glossy silk, soft wool, unblemished stone surfaces and red-brown hardwood furnished the place made Bumi feel like he was a pauper defiling a royal’s residence with his presence.

“Enjoy your stay, Master Bumi. If you have any needs, please press that button over there, and one of my colleagues will promptly arrive to offer aid.”

“Oh, uh…thanks. Thank you.”

And with that, the man smoothly slipped out of the suite, the door closing after him with a soft click, and Bumi was left alone to marvel at his accommodations for a while longer.

The awe didn’t really go away, but it receded enough for his priorities to assert itself. Bumi groaned as he remembered why he was in Ba Sing Se, and the sinful comfort of the soft cushions did nothing against the dread that quickly welled up in him.

He’d managed to make it to Ba Sing Se. Now what?

As it turned out, the decision was made for him later as evening wore on. A weird ringing came from each room, and it took Bumi a while to figure out that he had to press a button to get it to stop. Then Bumi was started by a voice coming out of the brass cone placed above said button.

“Master Bumi? I am most sorry to disturb you, but Prince Xing has extended an invitation to the royal palace at your earliest convenience,” the slightly garbled voice of a woman politely informed.

“Oh. Uh. Okay, thanks.”

And then Bumi almost drowned himself in the oversized bathtub bended out of a single slab of translucent obsidian as he rushed to clean himself and make himself presentable. He snapped a masterfully carved whalebone comb trying to get the mop that was his hair in order, and almost tore a seam in his pants from the uncontrolled rush of getting ready.

There was a heavy feeling of self-consciousness as he exited the elevator and walked through the lobby. It heightened when Bumi saw a small hill rise up from one of the plush seats and turn to him. There was a sense of familiarity to the slightly graying man looming over Bumi, which he only recalled after he introduced himself.

“Ah, you’re down faster than expected. I’m Kai, Colonel of the Royal Guard.”

Right, this was the giant that served with the Scorpion Prince. There were plays about him and his wife, which all focused in some ways around the violent loyalty they held for each other and the regiment they served in. Many liked to emphasize the giant of a man sneaking undetected into enemy camps to wring heads off necks with one hand. It was hyperbole, of course; the talented murderers of the notorious 11th were known to be more efficient, and just slit throats.

Not that it offered Bumi any comfort.

“Are you headed straight for the palace, or do you need a guide to the rest of the city first?”

Bumi stared blankly at the famed colonel before managing a single nod. “Er, palace please?”

He didn’t register the journey after that. It finally hit him like a cabbage cart that his impulsive decision might have plunged him into an environment that was way, way over his head. There was an overwhelming pressure here that was absent from getting lost in Omashu or Agna Qel’a. There was none of the friendly deference here, nobody so much as looked his way. Ba Sing Se and its bustle and grandeur made Bumi feel small and insignificant.

Was this why his parents avoided coming here?

Bumi snapped out of his thoughts to find himself walking up the stairs to the royal palace. Colonel Kai was still beside him, and a small group of guards in their imposing chainmail-veiled helms now escorted them. It had been a decade at least since Ba Sing Se got involved in an overt fight, but these men and women carried a casual air of lethality to them that made Bumi seriously worry for his life.

Bumi distracted himself by turning his attention to the palace looming before him. It was supposed to be smaller than its previous incarnation as the seat of power for the now defunct Earth Kingdom, but that was only on paper. Even shrunken down as it was now, the main palace looked like it could comfortably swallow up an Air Temple.

“The stairs used to go on for much longer,” Colonel Kai suddenly spoke up, probably noticing Bumi staring. “Xi- Prince Xing decided to knock out about two-thirds of it by lowering the palace complex to make everyone’s life easier. Those administrative blocks there and there used to be part of the palace complex, and that garden used to be an interior one. The prince decided to renovate for efficiency’s sake, otherwise we’d be using tanks to patrol the whole interior. The Earth Kingdom sure loved their dead spaces and hollow displays…”

Before the history tour could really begin, they reached the palace’s main entrance. The massive black and gold doors were wide open, and contrary to popular myth, Bumi couldn’t spy a single scorpion skittering across its surface, nor any signs of leather that were supposed to be the flayed remains of those that dared cross the royal family of Ba Sing Se. The doors were still impressive slabs of metal though, so maybe the bit about them being made out of an old warship’s hull - the previous Fire Lord’s flagship in particular - could be true.

“This way, lad.” Bumi’s legs moved independently of his enraptured thoughts, taking into the heart of insidious intrigue and enigmatic villainy. There were no hanging cages holding decayed remains, no walls of skulls or fingers, no floorboards etched with the names of the humiliated dead.

Instead, the palace interior looked clean and rather plain, with only the colors in the walls and pillars and windows offering any sense of decoration. Omashu had at least a sculpture or ten and some curtains, and the Fire Lord’s palace had its tea tables and dragon statues.

The great hall of Ba Sing Se was barren, though as they neared the rather plain thrones Bumi did notice the six massive pillars surrounding them. The six great columns were supposed to be each carved from a single slab of granite, and each were named after one of the six brave bodyguards of Princess Azula who gave their lives to allow her escape from her father’s court. The surfaces of the structures were smooth and clean though, so probably the part about blood sacrifices and horrid rituals were untrue.

“No, there’s nobody buried under them,” came a voice from Bumi’s side, and he turned to see a smirking man clothed in rich silk of red, black and gold. “The naming part’s true, but I didn’t get the spirits of the deceased to haunt each pillar. I wish I had that power, though.”

Bumi immediately bowed before the Scorpion Prince. “Y-Your highness.”

Prince Xing’s reply was dismissive in a friendly way. “Rise and skip the formalities, young Bumi. Otherwise I’d have to put out a whole bloody welcoming ceremony for the son of the Avatar and we’d all be wasting time.”

“Yes sir.” Bumi quickly obeyed, and his head bobbed a bit too quickly.

The Scorpion Prince regarded him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, before breaking into a satisfied smile for some reason. The shuffle of cloth marked the departure of Colonel Kai and the guards.

“So, what brings you down here? If I remember right, Katara’s made it a point to avoid bringing any of her kids to Ba Sing Se if she could help it. Yet, here you are, using your father’s working invitation to boot.”

The words were delivered plainly and without judgement, which made a different kind of nervousness bloomed in Bumi, and he found himself shrinking back a bit even as his feet shuffled about. “Uh…I…”

“Do your parents know you’re here, Bumi?”

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“Uh, yes?”

Prince Xing let out a soft sigh before shaking his head. “Are you here with their permission?”

Bumi’s gulp echoed a little in the great hall, and the Scorpion Prince sighed again.

“Please, before one or both of your parents storm my city accusing me of kidnapping you or something, please tell me why you’re here, Bumi.”

The son of the Avatar flinched from the suddenly cold look the prince leveled at him, and nervousness melted before fear.

“Ihada-”

The prince cut him short with a raise of his hand. “Calm yourself, and then try again. Whether you’re in trouble or not depends, but no harm will befall you. By me and my city, at least.”

Bumi gulped again and forced himself to slow his thoughts down, and then carefully let out the words. “I…I had a…disagreement with my parents.”

“Figures…” Prince Xing muttered, and then urged him to continue with a shallow nod.

“I felt…I didn’t know what to do after that, so I came to Ba Sing Se.”

Bumi grimaced from the stare he received, and the prince was very, very still. “You’ve left quite a lot of details out there. What was your disagreement about?”

This time it was a lot harder to form an explanation. It took several tries before he could force out a sentence.

“I…I’m not a bender.” Bumi closed his eyes tightly as the insecurity and impotence burst into his heart out of nowhere, as if accidentally summoned. He remembered his outburst, his parents’ concerned looks, their comforting words that instead stung with its implications.

“My parents, they…they say it’s alright, bu-but I…I feel so…” Bumi drew in a strangled breath before expelling the last word out. “Useless.”

Compared to his sister and brother - the former a waterbender, the latter an airbender - Bumi felt utterly out of place within his own family. He hated being literally powerless, but he hated more the patient, reassuring looks his parents gave him. A part of his mind gnawed at the very real possibility that they were forcing themselves to keep loving him after Tenzin showed off his airbending. That they were convincing themselves to put up with Bumi, to accept him as he uselessly was, only because he was their child.

Their mistake.

Before his thoughts could slip into a depressive spiral, Prince Xing’s voice rang out and dragged his attention back to the present. “So why here?” he asked softly, both in volume and tone.

The answer left Bumi’s mouth before his mind could properly register the question. “Because I want to be useful.”

The prince’s right eyebrow immediately went up. “How so?”

“Because…because this is the place where opportunities are seized,” came the memorized answer, one lifted from the promotional leaflets. “There is so much here I can try to do, find what I’m good at-”

“And it’s the one place where your parents aren’t keen on visiting?” the prince suddenly cut in, the underlying truth making Bumi wince before he reluctantly nodded.

Prince Xing let out another, heavier sigh at that. “What is with the youth these days and running away?”

“Well, to give them credit,” came a razor-smooth voice from behind a pillar, and Princess Azula stepped into view with a wry smirk, “they’re doing it at an older age compared to us.”

“Yes, but we were running from assassination attempts or poor battles,” her husband responded drily. “Bumi, you remember my dear wife, I hope?”

He answered by bowing to the First Princess, and then bowing again and again as the Second and Third Princesses also appeared from behind the other pillars. They were hiding out of view? Why?

Then Bumi’s eyes almost boggled when figures slipped out from behind the four thrones, and the royal children made their appearances. The mix of grins and sympathetic looks from them didn’t fully register to the stunned Bumi.

“My apologies,” Prince Xing offered, sounding anything but, “I merely thought this would be an opportune lesson for my children to observe.”

Lesson? What lesson?

“It’s a shame though, father,” Asuka, the eldest daughter, older than Bumi by a year or two or so, spoke up. Even in her casual tone, the authority and presence she inherited from First Princess Azula was ever present. “We were expecting intrigue, but instead were audience to family drama.”

Bumi had the honor to meet the whole royal family a few times, when they visited the Air Temples, Wolf’s Cove or Agna Qel’a. He also had the unique experience of feeling a crush bloom and almost immediately have it snuffed out as the young princess had noticed his stare and discreetly but firmly cleared things up with him.

“Better a minor event than a major one,” came the only other daughter of the Scorpion Prince. Where Asuka had a sharp in her commanding tone, Kachiko was firmly smooth in hers. Princess Suki’s daughter carried herself far less rigidly than her sister, but under the naturally alluring grace was a girl who knew how people regarded her and expertly knew how to use it to her ends. And where Asuka had efficiently snuffed out Bumi’s nascent infatuation, Kachiko had teased it out a little before cruelly nipping it down to the root.

Bumi learned the words ‘castration’ and ‘flaying’ that day, and he woke up clutching his groin for several nights after the encounter with Kachiko.

“It might be true, dear sisters, but please do not dismiss our honored guest’s experience,” came the silky smooth words from the oldest son of the royal family. Bayushi offered Bumi a smile, as if to make up for a perceived insult from his sisters. “The burden of expectations weighs differently from person to person after all.”

Bayushi was Kachiko’s older blood brother, and had similar natural charisma and charm that she did. He was always friendly, always smiling, but his smooth words and overly calm disposition unnerved even Bumi’s parents. According to Uncle Sokka, the boy was a distilled politician which was a surprise coming from Princess Suki, whatever that meant.

That being said, the prince always knew how to hold a conversation, and in Bumi’s few interactions with him, the guy was never dismissive or disinterested.

Well, at least he never seemed that way, anyway.

The youngest of the siblings then chipped in, smiling brightly as if to make up for his brothers’ and sisters’ lack of cheer. “Yeah, after all, we’ve seen a similar thing happen already, right?” Ty Fong said, glancing briefly at Princess Azula’s son, Shinji, who was clearly uncomfortable about the attention shifted his way. “Their motivations might be different, but the outcome is the same: the need to spread their wings away from perceived restraints, however real they might be.”

“Irrational and selfish, but understandable,” his older blood brother, Subudei, stated with a curt nod. The two sons of Princess Ty Lee were stark contrasts with each other; the younger was a sincerely cheery and emotive boy, while the older was curtly blunt and reserved. Unsurprisingly, Ty Fong was noted to be quite a budding artist and playwright, while Subudei had gained renown in updating Omashu’s transport layout to accommodate the rail network at a young age, and was supposedly responsible for arranging Ba Sing Se’s trade routes.

Both were honest in their own ways though, and Bumi still considered them to be good acquaintances.

With the six siblings were the two goddaughters of Prince Xing, observing silently as they usually did in formal environments. Auntie Toph left Lin and Suyin in his care for some reason that escaped and highly irritated Bumi’s mother, but it couldn’t be denied that the education and upbringing they gained from the Scorpion’s Den was invaluable.

While they seemed quiet and clung to the shadows in public outings, Bumi had seen them smile and laugh and joke in more private functions, even when their mother wasn’t around. Lin was a bit more taciturn, like a mix between Asuka and Subudei, while Suyin seemed to pick up Princess Ty Lee’s more carefree air. Regardless, they were noted to be as thoroughly educated as the royal siblings, who in turn were notoriously protective of the two sisters.

To treat the goddaughters of the Prince of Ba Sing Se as anything but a member of the royal family was deemed a slight by his six children, to the point where there were rumors of offending nobles being made missing. Bumi recalled the harsh stares leveled at Uncle Sokka that one time where Lin and Suyin were seated away from the six siblings, only for all of them to apologize profusely when it was clarified that they would be seated with Auntie Toph and her parents.

Uncle Sokka and Auntie Yue found the whole thing heartening and amusing at least. Bumi’s parents were mildly concerned, but refrained from commenting.

Prince Xing’s words refocused Bumi back to the present. “So, now that we’ve established that this is not an extremely major incident in the making, tell me, Bumi, what exactly do you wish to do now that you’re in Ba Sing Se?”

Bumi’s eyes darted away from the prince’s intense stare, flickering between the expectant looks of Princesses Azula, Suki, and Ty Lee, and then to the eight teens around his age studying him like some sort of specimen. “I…I don’t know…?”

The heavy stare lifted, and Prince Xing nodded with satisfaction. “Honesty is good. We can work with this.” He then stepped back and turned to his children. “Kids, ideas?”

“Are you seeking to explore the arts or sciences?” Asuka not so much queried but demanded, but Subudei cut in, his head already shaking.

“Master Bumi is not inclined to either, at least not according to reports.”

“Reports?” Bumi couldn’t help echoing, and the boy nodded curtly.

“You are the son of Avatar Aang, and therefore a prominent figure worth noting. Naturally I’ve made sure to be thorough in my notes.”

Well, that was…flattering?

“Back to the point,” Ty Fong added, “Bumi- we can call you Bumi, right? Cool. Bumi is still seeking out his niche, so he should explore what niches there are in the first place.”

“A general education?” Shinji asked, sounding far more solid now that he was joining in on the brainstorming and no longer worrying about whatever attention he was getting earlier. “Maybe we can narrow it down to more pragmatic options?”

Asuka gave a firm nod. “Good point. If he were looking for scholarly or artistic pursuits, he wouldn’t be here.” It took a lot of effort for Bumi to stand his ground when Asuka’s attention narrowed on him with a frown. “How are you with more practical engineering?”

“I, uh…”

“The son of the Avatar and head of the reformed Air Monks stands to gain much with a solid foundation in construction and logistics to help literally rebuild the Air Temples,” Bayushi mused, rubbing his chin idly as he spoke. “But, and I mean this as no insult, Bumi does not seem the type who fits in that calling, at least for the moment.”

“Agreed,” chimed Subudei.

Kachiko’s stare was equally unnerving as Asuka’s, except that she was smirking which made Bumi feel like prey. “If we’re using that angle, then it is best to temper him, with discipline or ordeal.”

“Well, that leaves only one option then,” Ty Fong declared with a grin, and the siblings nodded along with finality. “How good are you with fighting, Bumi?”

Bumi blinked, and he was about to formulate a reply when Ty Fong suddenly darted forwards, and he had to twist away as the other boy’s fist suddenly shot at him. Then a knee came shooting up, which Bumi had to leap away from, and then a series of kicks which he mostly blocked except for the last one, which he caught Ty Fong’s foot by crossing his forearms.

Before he could ask why he was being assaulted, Kachiko spoke up. “A decent duelist. He’ll make a good warrior?”

“That is a good starting point,” Subudei agreed. “Just as Asuka looks out for us, you will look after your siblings. Practical…and honorable. If that matters.”

“If not for him personally, at least it’ll matter to the other states,” Bayushi added with a disturbing grin. “The Avatar is a much celebrated figure, but that doesn’t fully discount him from intrigue…”

Bumi could only guess why the atmosphere in the great hall suddenly dropped to a bone-tingling cold for a few brief seconds.

Kachiko nodded firmly after that. “You will learn to protect your family, Bumi,” she proclaimed with certainty. “And you’ll do it so well that none will dare to even consider marking your family as opportune targets.”

Wait, what?!

“It’s just a possibility,” Shinji explained with a shrug, noticing his reaction. “The porcupython needs to devour a few puma-goats before they learn to leave its nest alone, and all that.”

Bumi couldn’t fathom the horror of what was being suggested. “You mean there’s people targeting my family?”

Princess Azula shrugged at that. “They used to, but not so much nowadays.” Then she broke into a grin. “Maybe when you’re older, we could elaborate on why your father had the Southern Air Temple rebuilt near Wolf’s Cove.”

That promise, along with the revelation, instantly made Bumi’s mind up. “Then I want to learn how to fight,” he resolutely declared.

“All well and good,” Suyin suddenly remarked just as the mood became stirring, “but there is a fact that remains to be addressed…”

Lin stepped in to finish for her sister. “Lady Katara would not allow her son to remain here for long, if at all.”

And Bumi’s shoulders slumped at that most obvious fact.

Bayushi hummed with an annoyed grimace. “And the optics of it wouldn’t be good for us…”

“Yeah,” Kachiko said with a wry smirk. “The Earth States not with Omashu already don’t like us as is, no need to give them another reason.”

“Then it is simple,” Subudei offered. “His education will be conducted back in his home. We will suggest the tutors-”

Shinji cut in before Bumi could. “Uh, I really don’t think Lady Katara’s gonna accept any of our recommendations, brother.”

“True.”

“Surely we can call on the Kyoshi Warriors?” Ty Fong asked, glancing over to Princess Suki as he did.

Bumi then noticed that the princess - all three princesses actually, and even Prince Xing, were standing back and proudly observing the whole scene, and seemed content to continue to let their children handle the decision making.

Not waiting for her parents’ reply, Asuka opined, “the Kyoshi Warriors are the best option, considering their affiliations with the Avatar. Their defensive fighting techniques and honorable reputation would help too.”

“We can’t propose anyone from their chapter here, of course,” Ty Fong quickly added, making all siblings nod at the obvious statement.

“Of course. We’ll have to arrange for a mentor or two from Kyoshi Island… And make it clear to Lady Katara that they are indeed from the island and not…tainted by connection to us.”

“And offering to set this all up might potentially help mend bridges, or at least lay the foundation for such a thing,” Kachiko stated. “Of course…”

“It’s assuming she would accept to listen to such a proposal in the first place,” Ty Fong finished glumly.

Bumi found himself turning to Subudei, who seemed far from perturbed compared to his brother. “Then we convince her.”

“And how do we do that?” Shinji asked.

Lin was the one who answered, surprisingly, stepping forwards with a triumphant look in her eyes. “We ask my mother to do it for us.”

Immediately the six siblings gave a soft ‘ohh’ as if they’d missed something blatantly obvious. Ty Fong actually smacked a palm against his forehead.

“Auntie Toph would be far more amenable to such an idea for Bumi,” Asuka muttered in agreement.

“And she is Lady Katara’s peer,” Bayushi added with a smirk. “And she can be…willfully convincing.”

Suyin chuckled at that, while Lin shared in the boy’s smirk. “Yeah, she can be. With her help, Lady Katara might be convinced-”

“Almost certainly,” Subudei corrected.

“Okay, almost certainly be convinced to get Bumi trained by Kyoshi Warriors.” Suyin then focused a bright smile at Bumi, who was so focused on keeping track of the ideas bouncing about that he got caught off-guard by the sudden focused attention. “So, whatcha think, Bumi?”

After hearing all of that, he could really only give one answer: “Uh…it’s…a good idea?”

“Great!”

All eight children turned to the Prince and Princesses of Ba Sing Se, and Asuka was the one to speak to the smiling adults on their (and Bumi’s) behalf. “Does our proposal warrant some merit, dear father and mothers?”

“I think-”

And then guards came marching hastily in, ruining the moment. Bumi almost yelled in frustration from the aborted anticipation.

“Your highnesses,” a guard reported as he saluted sharply. “The Avatar wishes for an audience as soon as convenient.”

Bumi exchanged looks with the other eight teens, before turning his attention to a grinning Prince Xing, who picked off from his interrupted sentence.

“I think…we might as well just give it a shot and see how it goes. I’ll trust you eight to do the talking?”

The children and godchildren of the Scorpion Prince puffed up with pride and nodded.

“Good. I’ll buy you some time for a decent presentation. Bumi, come, you’ll have to do the talking first, I’m afraid. Try to get it to your father that I did not, in fact, brainwash you or coerce you into coming here. Before he can level the accusations, preferably.”

Bumi gulped, and followed along to the palace’s entrance, leaving the ruling Princesses and their children behind. Even as he felt immense gratitude for their courtesy and aid, the boy couldn’t help but agree with Uncle Sokka’s statement:

The royal family of Ba Sing Se was a scary one, even as friends.