𝑴𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑨𝑰𝑵𝑺 || 𝑨𝒂𝒏𝒈 (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 2)

Return to Omashu*

This couldn't be real. Jade could hardly bare to keep looking -- but at the same time, she couldn't look away. Seeing a Fire Nation banner on the gates of Omashu just had to be a nightmare.

"I can't believe it." Aang turned to face his friends. "I know the War has spread far, but Omashu always seemed...untouchable."

"Up until now, it was." Sokka crossed his arms. "Now Ba Sing Se is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left."

Sitting next to Jade's feet, Miko glanced up at her with a whine of concern. Unable to look away from her home, Jade stayed quiet.

"This is horrible..." Katara stepped up to Aang's side. "But we have to move on."

"No. I'm going in to find Bumi."

"Aang, stop." Sokka protested. "We don't even know if Bumi's still..."

Jade turned to him. Her voice was quieter than she meant it to be. "If he's still what?"

He hesitated visibly. But, in the face of Jade's gaze, he couldn't seem to make himself say it. He just looked away.

"Aang, I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people who can teach you earthbending." Katara reasoned. "And Jade -- "

Jade shook her head. "I can't just walk away from this. I grew up there. The people I love are in there. I have to know if they're okay." She glanced down. "Even if it means going by myself."

When she turned to walk down the hill, Sokka called out. "Jade, wait!" She paused. "What are you going to do? Waltz up to those gates and ask the Fire Nation soldiers to let you see your friends?"

She didn't turn back around. She didn't reply, either.

But when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she glanced up to see Katara. "If you're going in there, then we're not letting you do it alone."

Stepping up, Aang nodded. "We'll find them."

Of course, Jade already knew they wouldn't let her go in there by herself. But that didn't make her appreciate it any less.

~㊏~

They couldn't go in through the gates. Instead, Aang had Appa take them down below the city. He hovered next to a drain pipe as Sokka, Katara, and Jade pulled on their black cloaks. They watched Aang pry the pipe's cover off with his staff.

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

The cover finally popped off. Appa was quick to fly out of the way when thick green sewage spilled out. Jumping back, Sokka grimaced.

"Ugh!"

"Does that answer your question?"

He jumped into the pipe. With Miko tucked into the front of her cloak, Jade was first to follow him. Climbing inside, she grimaced at the sewer water under her feet. The smell was awful, and it took all she had not to gag -- she couldn't just not breathe it in. She heard Sokka complaining and groaning somewhere behind her as he followed.

The higher they climbed, the more the water level rose. Aang, Katara, and Jade were lucky enough to have their bending to help them. Miko was safe in Jade's cloak and even Momo was keeping dry and clean on Katara's shoulder. Only Sokka was getting the short end of the stick. Jade hadn't glanced back yet, but she could hear him spitting and gagging behind her and Katara.

That had to suck.

The sky was dark by the time they reached the end of the pipe. Aang blew a gust of wind at the manhole cover to break its seal. He pushed it up to check that the coast was clear. And when he saw that it was, he hopped out before grabbing Jade's hand to pull her up after him. With her head still poking out of Jade's cloak, Miko barked happily at the fresh air.