For all the dreariness of being cooped up in a metal room, Bumi was finding the stay surprisingly comfortable. Sure, his prison swayed every now and then, but the accommodations were comfortable enough, and the deposed king had grown fond of Fire Nation cuisine.
Stir-fried kai-lan with its leafiness beats boring cabbages. If Bumi wanted crunchy, he’d go for jennamite, thank you very much.
Besides the food, being cooped up in a metal box hanging in mid-air also gave Bumi a novel form of entertainment: Fire Nation gossip.
The Fire Nation occupiers made a mistake in cladding only the palace’s interior with a thinner layer of metal. It took a couple of months and no small amount of straining his chi, but the ancient king managed to reach out and subtly earthbend the chamber that held his cell, warping the metal skin in small increments each time. The new residents didn’t notice, but then again, most people rarely looked up at the bland, metallic ceiling in the first place. That his food was delivered by a pulley further helped things.
Bumi tuned the chamber to better reflect and focus the sounds coming from below him, allowing him to eavesdrop on idle conversations. And what Bumi had been hearing recently greatly amused him.
Ba Sing Se had fallen in mere days, and the Earth King was forced to abandon his throne. The Dai Li were revealed to be an organization of monsters, and the Fire Nation seemed to be on the brink of victory on the continent.
Yet, at the same time, the Fire Nation officials voiced their annoyance of the southern states Bumi had earlier unified, remaining stubbornly resistant and unbudging. Aang was also still free, and there was news of Water Tribe raiders hitting the southern Fire Nation islands.
And most importantly, Ba Sing Se had itself a new prince under the Young Dragon.
Xing had kept to his word then.
Not only did he have a knack for prediction, the kid actually had the stones to pull of the impossible.
It was a good thing Bumi took the bold promise seriously, or the Fire Nation would’ve really won by this point. Still, there was no reason to be complacent. Plans, especially long term ones, had a tendency to go off the rails at the last possible moment.
Bumi did some quick calculations in his head even as he schemed. At the fastest, official news needed to travel first from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation’s palace, and then take a few days to be spread out before it returned to the continent. The news of King Kuei now trying to keep the fight alive was fresh, so, all in all, it was…what, a couple of weeks already since Ba Sing Se fell?
Hm… The old king pondered over whether it was enough time to his reentry into the grand scheme of things. The timetable Xing gave was rather loose, but acting too early was a greater risk than acting too late. At worst, the kid said he’d send a messenger, but by then the opportunity might have turned overripe.
If only Bumi had better access to news from the outside world…
The king decided to keep observing and adjusting his mostly improvised plan accordingly, until one rather fortuitous night. Aang returned, looking no worse for wear at first, though the young airbender’s eyes betrayed a maturity that only the harshness of life could ferment.
“Bumi…I need your help.”
His voice also revealed his weariness, along with a burden of a heavy defeat.
Bumi listened intently as his friend from a century ago began to recount his adventures since they last met. It was surprising to know that Aang and his friends had found Wan Shi Tong’s library, and the revelation about the Day of the Black Sun. Bumi also felt a pang of sympathy at hearing of Appa’s kidnapping, easily imagining the tribulations such a rare and noble creature might suffer under the attention of the greedy.
Aang’s joy at recovering the air bison was muted, due to the nature of the Dai Li’s involvement. Bumi found his eye twitching in anger as he realized that the Fire Nation’s news on that matter was actually sanitized instead of exaggerated for once. The haunted look Aang held as he spoke of the tortures the Kyoshi Warriors endured was a violation too far. Worse, it was entirely plausible that the Dai Li’s army of brainwashed women went through the same ordeal.
Hopefully Xing would live up to his reputation of brutal ruthlessness when he dealt with that group.
“It’s not your fault Aang,” Bumi reassured his troubled friend who was clearly agonizing over the fact that the Kyoshi Warriors were captured and tortured because they were helping Appa. “You had no knowledge of their movements. Nobody could’ve known about what was about to happen.”
“Xing did.”
“Are you sure? By the way you put, he was furious because he found out right then, not because he already knew what was happening.”
“He knew about Appa though,” Aang protested.
Bumi raised a finger as he spoke softly. “That boy is supposed to know a lot of things, but not everything. I think, if he knew what the Kyoshi Warriors would endure, that Xing would try to prevent their fate. Just as you would, in the same circumstance.”
Aang frowned at the words, keeping silent for a few seconds before he finally spoke again.
“I…it felt good working with him, watching him destroy the Dai Li and capture the city. I almost wanted him to kill King Kuei. I actually thought of dropping him off Appa…” The young Avatar looked and sounded so lost. “I know it’s wrong, but…”
Bumi’s heart went out to Aang, and he pushed all thoughts about harvesting information for the night as he focused instead on comforting his friend through his broken innocence. The king remembered his own gradual ascension to the throne, and coming to terms with the harsher realities of life with each step.
In contrast, the Avatar was still just a boy who was suddenly forced to save the world as quickly as he could with little to no stable guidance from more experienced hands. He lacked the proper support, the proper foundation, to help him adjust to growing up amidst a war. Especially as a pacifistic Air Nomad.
A night or three of counsel was the least Bumi could offer to Aang.
Fortunately, Aang proved stronger than expected, returning on the second night more focused and determined.
“Are you sure you don’t want to get out now?” he asked, and Bumi waved off the question.
“Don’t worry about me, Aang. I’m just waiting for the right time…”
“And when’s that? I’m sure your people could really use your help.”
“They could,” Bumi agreed, nodding. “But my escape now could bring the full attention of the Fire Nation on the southern realms, at a time when they could afford to. I can stop one Fire Nation army by myself, or maybe three, but not all of them coming in from all directions.”
“Won’t it get worse later?”
He shrugged. “I highly doubt it. You see, with your help, King Kuei is alive and free to rally the states north of the Si Wong Desert.” Or at least try to. “The Fire Nation will be wary of Kuei’s influence, and their forces will be positioned to keep him hemmed in. Still, those states will recover from the defeat and hopefully reorganize.”
Bumi grinned as he puffed up his chest proudly. “On the other hand, the Fire Nation is terrified of me. If I break free, they’ll be sure to put their full might into trying to put me down again. And with the northern states weakened now, they have more armies to send down south. But if the north gets stronger again…”
“You’ll…have an easier time beating the Fire Nation back since there’ll be less of them coming down?”
“More or less,” he answered truthfully.
Aang’s face scrunched up in a deep frown as he digested the information. “I think I understand…but I still wish you could come with us, Bumi.”
“So do I, Aang. But sometimes, you just have to sit through the worst quakes for the mountain to break and reveal a new jennamite vein.”
The airbender didn’t comment on that analogy, but chose instead to switch topics. “Do you think I can trust Xing?”
Now that one was interesting. Things must have fouled up along the way for Xing to be directly involving himself in Aang’s firebending lessons. The original plan was for a candidate he was sure would be the Avatar’s friend. Someone who could, without much of Xing’s involvement, bring an end to the war the right way with Aang backing their claim to the Fire Nation throne.
Did either prince turn out to be a bust somehow, Bumi wondered?
“You have every reason to be wary of him, yet at the same time his actions also prove he’s capable of being reliable,” he cautiously offered. “He might have his own ideas for keeping King Kuei alive, or saving the moon spirit back then, but that doesn’t mean you cannot work with him. You just have to balance your suspicion with an open mind. Now, admittedly, that’s one doozy of a thing to do.”
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There was a few seconds of silence before Aang sighed. “It’d be a lot easier if he was clearly a bad guy or a friend…”
“Life would be a lot easier if all encounters were so clear,” Bumi consoled. “But then, it’d also be less interesting.”
They talked some more for two more nights before Aang had to leave. Bumi gleaned valuable information about the outside world, and in exchange gave the Avatar as much solid advice as he could, and wished him the best in his endeavors, whatever it was. Though it would be convenient, the old earthbender wasn’t that callous as to veer his friend towards unwittingly furthering his schemes. Aang had enough on his plate to be dragged into the messy schemes of Bumi and Xing.
And Xing was right, it was better for legitimacy if the Avatar was uninvolved in Omashu’s rise as the new dominant power of the Earth Kingdom…or Earth Kingdoms, if the worst came to worst.
Hopefully, when the time comes, Aang would be able to accept the end of Ba Sing Se as the seat of Earth Kingdom power.
Now, from what he learned from Aang, Bumi should only need to wait a few more days until disappointing his arrogant hosts and kicking them out. Xing should be happily enjoying Ba Sing Se, and Kuei should have had enough time to settle in.
*****
Governor Ukano of New Ozai was still savoring the heady highs of his position, even if it’s already been months since his appointment. With the crown princess wisely gifting the city to her father, the Fire Lord had declared New Ozai a royal holding, and Ukano had been honored to be promoted to oversee the city.
Administering directly under the Fire Lord’s name instead of the colonial ministry, New Ozai’s governorship was a far more prestigious position than that of possibly all of the most prosperous colonies combined - not to belittle the crown princess and her sterling work, of course. But the fact of the matter stands, the former realm of the Mad King was treated like a personal jewel of the Fire Lord himself, and Ukano had the great pleasure of tending to it.
And to add to his rise in station, his daughter Mai had been publicly sought out by the crown princess herself, as a valuable friend no less.
Thanks to all of that, Ukano had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with nobles formerly well above his station, who now sought the prestige of working in the throne’s holding, either for themselves or their relatives. Plenty of favors were traded in exchange for simple administrative duties, and Ukano found his fortunes rising steadily. As a mere governor, Ukano might not warrant significance in attending royal court, but he now had ties to a considerable number of influential courtiers who could be relied upon to tend to his interests.
Like trade route priorities between the home islands and New Ozai. It was gracious of her that the crown princess did not seem to mind focusing the trade in the region around Ukano’s city. With the way the routes were redrawn, New Ozai could afford to accommodate the budding sons and daughters of powerful merchant families who wished to extend their family’s influence on the continent.
As befitting of its status, the city was also garrisoned by forces raised purely from the home islands, instead of the princess’ colonial armies. Oh, no doubt that the latter were capable, but again, being a royal holding required appropriate special treatment. New Ozai was heavily garrisoned by forces…humbled by the North Pole expedition but returning mostly intact, but with Mad King Bumi held as hostage, Ukano did not fear his hostile Earth Kingdom neighbors too much. Their loyalty to their king was admirable, but currently a glaring weakness that was being exploited. The heavy patrols to keep out infiltrators attempting to free their king was a small price to pay for relative peace on the war-torn continent.
So it came as a terrible shock when a great tremor seemed to shake the whole city, and a pale-faced and wide-eyed guard soon came running over as Ukana was enjoying a stroll with his wife.
“Gov-governor! T-The king-”
That was all Ukano needed to feel cold terror wash down his spine. “Alert the whole garrison,” he commanded in a trembling voice, and then quickly left to find his family.
Ukano met up with Michi and Tom-Tom just in time to watch the incarceration hall of the Mad King explode outwards in a shower of rocks, bricks, Fire Nation troops. The liberated king of Omashu cackled loudly enough to be heard throughout the city.
“Squatters of Omashu! This is your last warning: Leave my city with your own legs, or I’ll send you back in paper envelopes! AHAHAHA!”
“We have to get out of here,” Michi said fearfully, and Ukano wholly agreed with his wife. They did not bother trying to salvage any of their belongings as they headed with all haste to the gates. Even with the city’s garrison rushing to contain the Mad King, there was little doubt that they’d only serve to slow down the crazed earthbender.
Ukano didn’t need to look back to see the earthbending at work. The rumbling of the ground beneath his feet and the booming explosions that followed was plenty enough clue as to what was going on. Perhaps it was a good thing that he couldn’t hear the cries of brave soldiers being crushed or swatted aside.
The family left the governor’s palace to find a tide of New Ozai’s residents streaming towards the gates and clogging all the roads and streets. A few tried climbing the walls out of panicked desperation. A few guards tried but failed to organize an orderly evacuation, but most were either busy rushing towards the Mad King or were joining the fleeing crowd.
Ukano felt a sense of impending doom as he realized that they’d never leave the city in time, his thundering heart hammering to the beat of the rumbling explosions from behind him. He looked to his equally stricken wife, who was hugging their son tightly.
“Michi, I’m-”
The apology was interrupted by a much closer explosion, and Ukano joined everyone in turning back to witness King Bumi’s arrival through the blasted remains of the palace. “Oh my, it seems you lot are in quite a jam.”
Before the governor could begin to beg for his family’s life, the Mad King stomped his leg to create earth columns shooting up into an approaching squad of soldiers, sending all of them flying away.
“Here, let me help you…clear the traffic.” King Bumi raised his arms, and with clear, trembling exertion, began to send a massive tremor that knocked everyone off their feet. The Ukano looked up, and saw the massive metal statue to Fire Lord Ozai, its installation at the pinnacle of the city only recently finished, began to tilt over.
“Spirits save us…” Michi muttered as the shadow of the great statue fell across them all the way to the gate. The Mad King gave a final huff, and the statue of the Fire Lord tipped over and began sliding down the city, briefly disappearing from sight as it tore through the buildings in its way. Paralyzed with terror, Ukano could only hold onto his wife as the cloud of debris rolled down like a volcano’s ash cloud.
The top of the statue’s head appeared as it hurtled down at them at full speed, the rumbling, tearing sound of destruction deafening even the hammering in his heart.
Ukano hugged his wife and child tightly, leaning his forehead against Michi’s as he closed his eyes.
The earth quaked heavily, and then suddenly faded to a mild tremor. Ukano couldn’t help opening his eyes, and found himself surprised to see a massive wall of dirt rising up behind King Bumi. More surprising was the statue of the Fire Lord now flying over their heads. Ukano met the gaze of the Fire Lord’s likeness for a brief moment as it shot past him, and then the whole construct crashed through the gates with such speed that it left a neat, gaping hole in its wake before jamming itself head-first into the other end of the natural ravine protecting New Ozai and creating a second bridge.
More soldiers streamed in, too stupid and brave to know fear, trying to surround the Mad King. The ancient king was panting a little, but he was far from winded. Walls of earth shot up to block fire bolts, and then rushed to the attackers with enough speed to launch them towards the broken gate.
King Bumi did not look the least impressed as he cackled at the stunned crowd. “Now, kindly leave my city, or I’ll be actually earthbending.”
Ukano, former governor of New Ozai, fled with his family and the other residents from Omashu, grateful for his and his family’s life being spared. It was only as they fled north for the safety of the colonies that fear of the Fire Lord’s inevitable wrath overtook him.