The Avatar's Advisor (HIATUS)

Return to Omashu

Sokka shakes the boy resting in his arms. "Hey. Polu, wake up."

Polu groans and looks around. "Hm? Where am I? What's going on?" His head rolls to the side. He finally sees what his friends are looking at, and he gasps. Polu scrambles out of Sokka's arms, heart beating wildly.

The once-vibrant city of Omashu stands in front of the group, smeared with the angry colors of the Fire Nation flag.

"Bumi..." Thoughts race through Polu's mind—his brother, jailed and injured, or worse. The city in shambles, destruction as far as the eye can see.

"I can't believe it," Aang mutters. "I know the war has spread far, but Omashu always seemed... untouchable."

I've failed Bumi again. How many times am I going to fail my brother? Polu's fists clench as anger and despair clash inside him.

Sokka glances at Polu. "Up until now, it was. Now, Ba Sing Se is the only great Earth Kingdom fortress left."

Polu shakes his head. "My cousin will send backup in no time. Whoever the Earth Monarch is now, they won't stand by and let Omashu be Fire Nation property. We'll get the upper hand again."

"They've already failed the rest of the Kingdom, though," Katara reminds him. "Who's to say they won't do the same with Omashu?"

"Ba Sing Se only has so many soldiers. I'm sure the monarch has just been saving them for something like this." Polu defends whichever cousin might sit on his throne, but deep down he fears the same as his friends.

Katara sighs. "Either way, this isn't good. But we have to move on."

"No."

Polu and Aang object at the same time.

"We're not leaving my brother in that hellhole," Polu says.

Aang nods. "I'm going in to find Bumi."

"I'm going too," the prince adds. "I'm not abandoning him again."

Sokka frowns as he remembers what Polu had confided in him only minutes earlier. "Aang, Polu, stop! We don't know if Bumi's even still-" He stops when Polu whips around to glare at him.

"What?" Aang dares.

"Finish that sentence," Polu spits. "I dare you."

Aang turns to challenge Sokka. "If he's still what?"

Sokka crosses his arms. "...Around."

"I know you had your heart set on seeing Bumi," Katara butts in, "but there are other people who can teach you earthbending. Polu, surely you know someone?"

The boy deadpans at his friend. "...Katara. Can I just remind you how old I am for a second?"

Katara opens her mouth to answer, then realizes her mistake. "Right. Sorry."

"This isn't about finding a teacher," Aang counters. "This is about finding my friend."

Polu nods sternly and turns back to Omashu, already planning a way into the city.

~~~~~

The group disembarks from Appa and lands on a flat surface jutting out from the mountain that is Omashu.

"A secret passage?" Sokka shrieks. "Why didn't we use this last time?"

"Well for starters, we weren't hiding from the Fire Nation last time," Polu taunts.

Aang forces the metal seal off the opening of the pipe.

Sokka screams with disgust as sewer water shoots past him.