The episode opens beneath a wide, open sky, bright and almost too peaceful. The sun hangs warm and golden, casting a calm that feels undeserved, like the world itself is pretending war doesn't exist.
Then the camera pulls back—fast—and the illusion snaps.
A red Fire Nation banner cracks sharply in the wind.
Omashu comes into view beneath it, familiar but wrong. The massive stone structures still stand, but their warmth is gone, their colors dulled under occupation. Fire Nation insignias hang where Earth Kingdom banners once stood with pride, and thin streams of smoke curl into the sky from scattered chimneys and damaged streets. The city feels quieter than it should, like something has been taken out of it.
Aang stands at the edge of the cliff, staring down. The breeze pulls at his clothes, but he barely notices.
"I can't believe it," he says quietly, the words tighter than he means them to be. "I know the war spread far, but… Omashu always felt untouchable."
Sokka stands beside him, arms folded, gaze sharp and grounded.
"It was," he says. "Until now."
He doesn't look away from the city.
"At this point, Ba Sing Se is the only major Earth Kingdom stronghold left."
Katara steps closer to Aang, her voice softer, more careful.
"This is horrible," she says, "but we have to keep moving."
Aang shakes his head before she finishes.
"No."
The word is immediate.
"I'm going in."
Sokka turns sharply. "Aang—"
"I'm finding Bumi."
Sokka's jaw tightens. "We don't even know if Bumi's still—"
Aang turns fast, cutting him off, his expression sharp enough to stop the rest of the sentence.
"Still what?"
Sokka falters. "A-around."
Katara steps in, trying to ease the tension before it breaks.
"I know you wanted Bumi to teach you," she says gently. "But there are other earthbenders."
Aang's voice lowers, but the weight behind it doesn't.
"This isn't about finding a teacher."
His eyes return to the city.
"It's about finding my friend."
—
Later, beneath the outer wall of Omashu, the three crouch in front of a hidden stone panel. The city looms above them now, closer, heavier, the distant sound of patrols echoing through the stone.
Aang presses his hands against the panel, working the mechanism.
Sokka lingers behind him, already skeptical.
"A secret passage?" he mutters. "Why didn't we use this last time?"
The stone shifts with a slow groan.
It opens.
The smell hits them first.
Then the sight.
The tunnel is completely flooded, thick sewage packed wall to wall, barely moving.
Sokka recoils instantly. "Ugh!"
Aang glances back at him, completely deadpan.
"That answer your question?"
Sokka makes a face like he's just lost all hope. "Eww!"
—
They go in anyway.
Aang leads, lifting his staff and forming a sphere of air around himself, forcing the filth aside as he moves forward. Katara follows, bending the water carefully, trying to keep it from touching them.
Sokka slips almost immediately.
Then again.
By the third time, there's a loud splash and a defeated groan as he comes up completely soaked.
When they finally climb up into the city, Katara brushes some water from her sleeve, mildly surprised.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought."
Behind her, Sokka slowly stands.
Completely covered.
Katara pauses, then flicks her wrist, sending clean water over him in a quick wash. Aang follows with a gust of air, drying him instantly.
Sokka inhales, ready to complain—
And screams.
Three purple pentapii cling to the back of his neck.
"They won't let go!" he yells, swatting uselessly. "Help!"
Aang lunges forward and presses him against the wall, hand over his mouth.
"Shh! Stop yelling," he whispers. "It's just a purple pentapus."
"Just?" Sokka squeaks.
Aang calmly rubs one of their heads.
It pops off.
Sokka stares, then shakily copies him. The second drops. Aang removes the third just as two Fire Nation guards round the corner.
They stop.
"Hey!" one snaps. "What are you kids doing out past curfew?"
Katara straightens instantly, slipping into innocence like it's second nature.
"Sorry, sir. We were just on our way home."
They turn to leave—
"Wait."
The guard points at Sokka's neck.
"What's wrong with him?"
Katara doesn't hesitate.
"Pentapox. Very contagious."
Sokka immediately leans into it, coughing weakly. "It's so bad," he groans. "I'm dying."
"And deadly," Katara adds.
The second guard recoils. "Pentapox? Didn't your cousin Chang die of that?"
The first pales. "We should wash our hands. And burn our clothes."
They run.
Aang watches them go, grinning.
"Thank you, sewer friends."
—
Far from Omashu, aboard a Fire Nation ship, Azula stands at the edge of the deck, the ocean stretching endlessly behind her. Lo and Li stand nearby, calm and composed, their voices smooth and measured.
"When tracking your brother and uncle," Li says, "traveling with the royal procession may no longer be an option."
"May no longer be wise," Lo adds.
They finish together, perfectly in sync.
"If you hope to keep the element of surprise."
Azula considers it, then nods once.
"You're right. The Royal Procession is dead weight."
Her gaze sharpens.
"If I want to catch my prey, I need to be agile. Nimble."
A faint smile curves her lips.
"I need a small, elite team."
It sharpens.
"It's time to visit some old friends."
—
Back in Omashu, twilight settles over the city, shadows stretching long across the stone. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Momo move carefully between buildings, slipping behind stacks of metal as a patrol passes.
"Let's find Bumi and get out," Katara whispers.
"Where would they keep him?" Sokka murmurs.
Aang answers without hesitation.
"Somewhere he can't earthbend."
His eyes scan the structures ahead.
"Somewhere made of metal."
They move on.
—
Not far away, Mai walks through the city beside her mother and baby brother, flanked by guards. Her expression is completely unimpressed.
"There really is no fathoming the depths of my hatred for this place," she says flatly.
Her mother sighs. "Mai, your father was appointed governor. We're practically royalty here. Try to enjoy it."
High above them, hidden among shadows, a resistance group waits at the mouth of one of Omashu's old delivery chutes.
"The targets are approaching," someone whispers.
Yung nods.
"Take them out."
Below, Mai keeps walking, bored.
"I thought my life was boring in the Fire Nation," she says, "but this is somehow worse."
She pauses slightly.
"Nothing ever happens."
Above—
Boulders are released.
They roar down the chute.
Aang sees them first.
His staff snaps upward, air bursting out in a sharp blast that shatters the rocks mid-descent. Stone scatters harmlessly across the street.
Everyone freezes.
Looks up.
"The resistance!" Michi shouts.
Mai's eyes narrow.
Then she smiles.
Her wrists flick, sending a spray of metal darts upward.
Aang moves instantly, leaping onto scaffolding, Katara and Sokka right behind him. Guards rush forward, climbing. Katara snaps a water whip around the ladder and yanks it free, sending them crashing down.
Mai doesn't slow.
She vaults upward, fluid and precise, more darts flashing from her sleeves.
Katara raises an ice shield just in time.
The darts slam into it.
Mai lands and keeps coming.
Katara retreats.
Aang steps forward, spinning his staff and collapsing the scaffolding between them.
Mai doesn't hesitate.
A throwing star cuts through the air.
Aang catches it mid-spin.
For a moment, everything holds.
Then—
The ground opens beneath them.
They drop out of sight.
The floor seals shut.
Mai walks over, looks down at the spot, waits a second, then exhales slowly.
Disappointed.
She turns away.
—
Below, in a dim underground chamber, Aang, Katara, and Sokka groan as they push themselves up. Water drips from above, echoing in the space.
Around them, Earth Kingdom fighters stand watching.
At the front—
Yung.
—
Elsewhere, the world flips upside down into a bright, chaotic circus. Azula steps into frame, inverted, approaching a girl balanced effortlessly on her index fingers.
"Ty Lee," Azula says. "Could that possibly be you?"
Ty Lee flips upright instantly, lighting up.
"Azula! It's so good to see you!"
"Please," Azula says dryly, glancing around, "don't let me interrupt your… whatever this is."
Ty Lee flips again, landing in another impossible stretch, all smiles.
Azula looks around with quiet distaste before turning back.
"I have a proposition."
Ty Lee perks up. "Ooh?"
"I'm hunting a traitor," Azula says. "You remember my uncle, don't you?"
Ty Lee smiles. "Oh yeah. He was funny."
"I would be honored if you joined me."
Ty Lee rises smoothly, but hesitates.
"I'd love to, really, but…" she blushes slightly. "I'm actually really happy here. My aura has never been pinker."
She pauses.
"And I kind of promised to meet someone on my way to the east side of the Earth Kingdom."
Azula raises a hand, stopping her, studying her for a moment before smiling again.
"Hmm. Interesting. I'll take your word for it."
She turns.
"Well. I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me."
Ty Lee bows, relief slipping through.
"Thank you, Azula."
"Of course," Azula says lightly. "Before I leave…"
She glances back.
"I'm going to catch your show."
Ty Lee freezes, her smile faltering just slightly.
"Uh… yeah… sure… uh… of course…"
The scene cuts back beneath Omashu, deep into the underground cavern where the air feels heavy and close, thick with the scent of damp stone and too many people packed into too small a space. Lanterns flicker weakly along the walls, casting uneven light across faces worn down by fear and exhaustion. Families huddle together while fighters stand watch, and the low murmur of voices carries through the cave like a constant reminder that no one here is truly at ease.
From a narrow tunnel at the far side, Aang, Katara, and Sokka step into the open. Their arrival draws attention immediately, conversations quieting as eyes turn toward them. At the center of the chamber stand three men, clearly leading what remains of Omashu's resistance, and Aang walks straight toward them without hesitation, urgency written all over him.
"So, is King Bumi with you guys?" he asks, his voice steady but searching. "Is he leading the resistance?"
The reaction is immediate, and not what he expects.
Yung's hand tightens into a fist at his side, his jaw clenching as anger flashes across his face. The question alone seems to strike something raw in him, and when he speaks, his voice comes out sharp, almost biting.
"Of course not!"
The surrounding noise dies down further, tension tightening across the room as people turn to listen.
"The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle," Yung continues, stepping forward slightly, his voice gaining weight with every word. "We were prepared to defend our city… to fight for our lives and for our freedom."
His eyes harden, frustration simmering just beneath the surface.
"But before we even had a chance…"
He exhales sharply, like the memory itself irritates him.
"King Bumi surrendered."
The camera lingers on Aang as the words settle. His posture shifts subtly, like something inside him just dropped, and his expression falters for the briefest moment. Katara glances at him from the side, her concern quiet but immediate, reading the way that hit him without needing him to say a word.
Yung doesn't stop there. His voice lowers slightly, but the intensity doesn't fade.
"The day of the invasion, I asked him what he wanted to do."
His gaze sharpens, fixed somewhere beyond the cavern, pulled back into the memory.
"He looked me in the eye and said—"
The scene shifts.
Fire rains from the sky as Omashu burns under attack, the city walls trembling under the force of impact. Yung stands beside King Bumi at the top of the wall, both of them looking down at the chaos below. The air is filled with smoke and heat, the sounds of destruction echoing from every direction.
And Bumi… is laughing.
"I'm going to do… nothing!" he declares, his grin wide, his tone completely at odds with everything happening around him.
He laughs louder, almost gleeful, as if the destruction unfolding below is part of some joke only he understands.
The moment feels wrong.
Unreal.
Then it's gone.
The cavern rushes back in as the flashback fades, and Yung stands there again, his expression hardened by the memory.
"It doesn't matter now," he says, brushing it aside with a sharp edge in his tone.
The camera shifts back to Aang, who lowers his gaze, the weight of it all settling quietly on his shoulders. He leans slightly against his staff, his earlier determination dimmed but not gone.
"Fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom," Yung continues, lifting his chin as conviction takes over where frustration was. "And freedom is worth dying for."
There's a faint smile on his face as he says it, but it isn't hopeful. It's the kind of smile that comes from someone who's already accepted that death is part of the plan.
Aang looks back up, calmer now, but no less certain.
"Actually… there's another path to freedom."
The room shifts again, attention turning back toward him.
"You could leave Omashu," he says, his tone measured, trying to reach them rather than challenge them. "You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation…"
He gestures slightly toward the fighters gathered around them.
"But you're outnumbered. You can't win."
There's no judgment in his voice, just quiet honesty.
"Now's the time to retreat, so you can live to fight another day."
Yung's expression tightens immediately, resistance flashing across his face as his hands move sharply to emphasize his point.
"You don't understand," he says, his voice rising. "They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at any cost!"
The words ripple through the crowd, but this time the reaction isn't unified. There's hesitation now, doubt creeping in where there used to be certainty.
One of the fighters speaks up, his voice softer, uncertain.
"I don't know, Yung… living to fight another day is startin' to sound pretty good to me."
Another steps forward, more confident, pointing to himself as he speaks.
"Yeah. I'm with the kid."
The murmuring grows, spreading through the cavern as people glance at each other, weighing the idea for the first time. Yung looks around at them, really seeing them now—not just soldiers, but families, civilians, people who have already lost too much.
The weight of that settles on him.
He exhales slowly, then looks back at Aang.
"Fine," he says, reluctant but practical. "But there's thousands of citizens that need to leave."
His eyes narrow slightly, challenging now.
"How're we going to get them all out?"
The question hangs in the air just long enough to feel serious.
Then the camera cuts to Sokka.
He's standing off to the side, hand pressed to his chin, eyes narrowed in exaggerated concentration. Slowly, a grin spreads across his face, like something just clicked into place.
He suddenly points at Yung.
"Suckers!"
The room goes still.
Katara raises an eyebrow, staring at him.
Everyone else follows.
Momo lets out a small, confused chirp.
Sokka blinks, realizing how that sounded, then quickly straightens, grin still firmly in place.
"You're all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox."
The plan comes together quickly after that, the cavern shifting from tension to preparation as buckets of water are brought out, filled with squirming purple pentapii. One by one, people reach in, placing the small creatures onto their skin, wincing slightly as they latch on and leave behind swollen red marks that look convincingly like infection.
The process spreads through the crowd, civilians and fighters alike covering themselves in the marks, transforming into something that looks disturbingly real.
Sokka moves through them like a director on a stage, gesturing as he talks, completely in his element now.
"The marks make ya look sick," he says, pacing slowly, eyes scanning the group, "but you gotta act sick too. You gotta sell it."
An old man hobbles into view nearby, leaning heavily on a cane, groaning dramatically as he clutches his back.
Sokka immediately points at him, grabbing the arm of the person next to him.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about."
The old man straightens just enough to grin, tapping his wooden leg with the cane.
"Years of practice."
Sokka nods in approval before clapping his hands once.
"Alright, everyone. Into sick formation."
The crowd begins to move, shambling together toward the exits of the cavern, their movements slow, uneven, convincingly miserable.
Katara steps forward to follow, but pauses when she notices Aang heading in the opposite direction. She turns toward him, confusion flickering across her face.
"Aang, what are you doing?" she asks. "Aren't you coming with us?"
Aang stops and turns back, his expression firm in a way that doesn't leave room for argument.
"No," he says simply. "I'm not leaving until I find Bumi."
There's no hesitation in it, no doubt.
Momo hops up onto his shoulder, tugging lightly at his face, but Aang gently pulls him off and sets him back down.
"Sorry, Momo," he says, softer now. "I'll feed you later."
Then he's moving again, launching himself upward with a burst of air, clearing the cavern exit and disappearing into the city above, his focus locked on one thing.
Finding Bumi.
—
At the gates of Omashu, Fire Nation soldiers stand guard, spears in hand, posture rigid as they watch the city streets.
Then they see it.
A mass of people approaching from every direction, staggering, groaning, their movements unsteady and unnatural. The sound alone is enough to make the guards hesitate, unease settling in as the crowd gets closer.
One of the civilians collapses.
Another reaches out weakly.
Sokka stumbles forward at the front, clutching his face as he lets out a long, pained groan, stretching his hands toward the guards like something out of a nightmare.
"Plague!" one of the soldiers shouts, panic breaking through.
"Plague!"
The formation breaks instantly. The guards retreat, backing away from the advancing crowd as one of them rushes to strike the alarm gong. The sound rings out sharply, echoing across the city.
The gates begin to open.
And the "sick" flood outward.
—
High above, on a balcony overlooking the chaos, Governor Ukano watches with his family, confusion and irritation mixing on his face as he tries to make sense of what he's seeing. Beside him, Michi clutches Tom-Tom close, her expression already leaning toward panic, while Mai stands nearby, calmly eating from a bowl of fire flakes, completely unfazed by everything unfolding below.
"What is going on down there?" Ukano demands.
A guard steps forward quickly, clearly shaken.
"I saw some kids yesterday who were sick with pentapox," he explains. "It must have spread!"
"Pentapox?" Ukano mutters, stroking his beard as he tries to recall the name. "Hmm… I'm pretty sure I've heard of that."
Michi gasps softly. "Oh, this is terrible."
"What should we do?" the guard asks.
Ukano straightens, decision settling in.
"Drive them out of the city," he orders, pointing toward the gates. "But don't touch them. We have to rid the city of this disease!"
The guard bows quickly and rushes off to carry out the command.
Mai casually lifts her bowl toward her father without even looking up.
"Fire flakes, Dad?"
Behind them, Michi clings tighter, horrified, while Tom-Tom quietly slips from her grasp and begins to wander off, unnoticed.
—
Through the streets above, Aang moves quickly, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with practiced ease, barely slowing as he scans the city below. His eyes move constantly, searching, focused entirely on finding any sign of Bumi.
Then he sees something that makes him stop.
A massive white figure, moving slowly through the streets.
Flopsie.
The giant goat-gorilla trudges forward, chained and weighed down, pushing a heavy mechanism with visible strain. His movements are sluggish, tired, nothing like the lively creature Aang remembers.
"Flopsie!" Aang calls out, dropping down beside him.
Flopsie turns instantly, recognition lighting up his eyes as he tries to rush forward, only for the chains to snap him back in place.
Aang is already moving, grabbing water from a nearby bowl and freezing the lock in a single motion. One quick strike from his staff shatters it, and the chains fall away.
Flopsie surges forward immediately, wrapping Aang in a massive hug, licking his face in relief and excitement.
Aang laughs despite everything, pushing lightly against him.
"Okay, okay, come on," he says, climbing onto his back. "You gotta help me find Bumi."
He pauses for a second.
"…Yip yip."
Flopsie doesn't move.
Aang blinks, then sighs lightly.
"Yeah… didn't think so."
He pats him instead.
"Let's go."
Flopsie takes off at full speed, tearing through the streets as Aang holds on, the search continuing with renewed urgency.
—
Far away, under the glow of lanterns and firelight, a circus comes alive at night, vibrant and loud in contrast to everything happening in Omashu. Performers move in bright colors, music filling the air as the ringmaster, Shuzumu, addresses the crowd with exaggerated flair.
"We're deeply honored to have the Fire Lord's daughter at our humble circus," he announces.
High above, seated in a private box, Azula watches with quiet interest, her posture perfect, her expression unreadable.
"And tell us if there is anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable."
Azula's lips curve slightly.
"I will."
Above the ring, Ty Lee balances effortlessly on a high wire, her entire body supported by one hand as she moves with impossible grace. The crowd watches in awe, but Azula's gaze sharpens with something else entirely.
"Incredible," she murmurs. "Do you think she'll fall?"
"Of course not," Shuzumu replies quickly.
Azula tilts her head slightly, considering.
"Then wouldn't it make it more interesting if you removed the net?"
Shuzumu hesitates, clearly uncomfortable.
"The performers—"
"You're right," Azula interrupts smoothly. "That's been done."
A brief pause.
Then her smile sharpens, something darker slipping through.
"I know. Set the net on fire."
Shuzumu pales but bows anyway.
"Of course, Princess."
Moments later, flames begin to consume the safety net below Ty Lee, the fire spreading quickly as she continues her act above it, her balance now the only thing keeping her from falling into the blaze.
Azula leans forward slightly, eyes bright with interest.
"Brilliant," she says softly, almost delighted. "Just brilliant."
She glances down again.
"Ooh… what kind of dangerous animals do you have?"
Shuzumu quickly tries to redirect.
"Well, our circus boasts the most exotic assortment—"
"Release them all."
The words are quiet.
But absolute.
Shuzumu freezes.
—
Far outside Omashu, in the mountains, a quiet camp has formed under the night sky. Small fires burn as people rest, the tension of escape still lingering in the air.
Aang and Flopsie arrive at the edge of the camp, slowing to a stop.
Katara and Sokka move toward him immediately, relief flickering across their faces—until they see his expression.
And just like that, they know.
He didn't find Bumi.
Aang lowers his eyes, the failure still sitting heavily on him. "We looked everywhere," he says quietly. "No Bumi."
Katara's face softens at once. She steps in and wraps her arms around him without saying anything else, letting the silence do the work. Aang leans into it just a little, the kind of tired, disappointed lean that says he had been holding himself together by force alone. Nearby, Flopsie lets out a long, miserable moan, and Sokka, after glancing over, sighs and awkwardly throws both arms around the goat-gorilla's huge face. It is not graceful, but it is sincere.
The moment does not last.
Yung approaches from the edge of the camp, his expression tense enough to make all of them look up immediately. "We've got a problem," he says. "We just did a head count."
Katara turns toward him, worry flashing across her face. "Oh no. Did someone get left behind?"
Yung shakes his head once. "No. We have an extra."
He points off to the side, and everyone follows the gesture. For a second, nobody says anything. Momo is staggering toward them with Tom-Tom clamped around his neck like a tiny, giggling parasite. The lemur looks half-offended, half-defeated, while the baby holds on with the absolute determination only a child can have. Team Avatar and Yung just stare at the sight, too caught off guard to react right away.
Back in Omashu, the mood is very different. On the governor's balcony, Michi is openly sobbing, her grief loud and helpless as it spills out into the air. Beside her, Mai reaches slowly into her robe, pulls out a handkerchief, and offers it over with the same blank expression she wears for almost everything. Ukano stands at the railing with both hands resting on the stone, staring out across the city as though sheer concentration might somehow undo what happened. Behind him are his crying wife, his uninterested daughter, and two waiting guards, all of them held in the uncomfortable stillness of a household that has suddenly realized it is not in control.
"So," Ukano says at last, his voice low and bitter, "the resistance has kidnapped my son."
His hand tightens into a fist.
"Everything so clever. So tricky. Just like their King Bumi."
One of the guards steps forward carefully. "What do you want to do, sir?"
The shot widens over the city, smoke still rising in places, the occupation still staining every street. Then the image fades from Omashu's harsh lines into something softer and darker—a bouquet of black flowers being set down on a vanity.
The camera pulls back to reveal Ty Lee's dressing room in the circus. Azula stands behind her, straight-backed and composed, while Ty Lee sits before her mirror removing pieces of her costume. Their reflections sit side by side in the glass, one smiling brightly, the other watching everything.
"What an exquisite performance," Azula says smoothly. "I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow."
Ty Lee smiles at her through the mirror. "I'm sorry, Azula, but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow."
Azula's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "Really?"
Ty Lee hangs up her tiara and rises from her seat, turning to face her fully. "The universe has given me some really strong hints that it's time for a career change." She clasps her hands behind her back, smiling in that airy, almost sing-song way of hers. "I want to join you on your mission."
For the briefest instant, something very close to satisfaction flickers across Azula's face. She would never call it happiness, not even in her own head, but there is a quiet pleasure in having one of the few people from her past step willingly back to her side.
Then that earlier detail returns to her.
That blush. That hesitation. That mention of someone in the east.
Azula studies Ty Lee more closely now, the suspicion coming in silk instead of steel.
"You don't think we might find your 'friend' on the way, do you?"
Ty Lee freezes for half a beat, then blushes immediately and looks away. "Uhhhh… no…" she says, and then, much more quietly, "yes…"
Azula hums, amused now, her sharp mind already circling the possibility. "I wonder what kind of person would attract you."
The camera settles on her pleased expression, the look of someone who has just found a new thread to pull.
Back at the refugee camp in the valley, the mood has loosened slightly around one of the fires. The gang sits with the baby, Flopsie, and a few resistance fighters while Tom-Tom continues his campaign of destruction through pure innocence. Momo darts around the campfire trying to stay out of reach, but the baby tumbles after him with relentless determination. When he lands beside Sokka's club, he picks it up happily and immediately starts sucking on the end of it.
Sokka whips around in horror and snatches it back. "No! Bad Fire Nation baby!"
Tom-Tom's face crumples, and then he starts crying.
Katara turns her head slowly toward Sokka, and before he can even defend himself she smacks him across the face. He recoils, blinking in annoyance while she plants her hands on her hips and stares him down with full older-sister-mother energy.
"Oh, all right," Sokka mutters.
He gives the club back, and Tom-Tom immediately stops crying, as if the whole thing had been a tactical maneuver. He resumes playing with it contentedly. Katara softens at once, crouching down behind him and pulling him into a little hug.
"Oooh, you're so cute," she coos, kissing him on the cheek.
Sokka looks away with the deeply offended expression of someone who knows he is losing an argument to a toddler.
From across the fire, Yung watches the scene with no trace of Katara's softness. "Sure, he's cute now," he says, "but when he's older, he'll join the Fire Nation army. You won't think he's so cute then. He'll be a killer."
Katara lifts Tom-Tom and turns him toward Yung, holding him up as if the baby's face alone should end the discussion.
"Does that look like the face of a killer to you?"
Yung stares at the baby.
His face does not move even a little.
Before Katara can argue again, a sharp cry slices through the night. Everyone looks up as a messenger hawk circles down and lands on a nearby rock. Yung rises first. "A messenger hawk!"
The canister strapped to its leg bears the Fire Nation insignia. Aang unrolls the scroll and reads quickly, his expression shifting as he goes.
"It's from the Fire Nation governor," he says. "He thinks we kidnapped his son."
That alone is enough to make everyone glance at Tom-Tom. Then Aang keeps reading, and his eyes widen.
"So… he wants to make a trade."
He looks up from the scroll.
"His son for King Bumi."
Morning comes clear and bright over the mountains around Omashu, the kind of day that seems almost mocking after the night before. Aang stands on a rise with Tom-Tom asleep against his chest, staring down at the city below. After a moment, he turns and walks down toward Katara and Sokka, who are waiting beside Appa.
Sokka folds his arms as Aang approaches. "You realize we're probably walking right into a trap."
Aang looks down at the sleeping baby in his arms and then back at the city. "I don't think so. I'm sure the governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi."
A small smile touches his face as Tom-Tom snuffles against his chest.
"It's a new day," he says. "I have a good feeling about this."
Inside Omashu, a royal palanquin is carried up the stairs toward the governor's residence, its veils shifting gently with each step. Through the fabric, Azula's silhouette can be seen sitting straight and elegant inside. At the base of the next stairway, Mai waits alone, as if boredom itself had taken human form and decided to stand perfectly still.
The palanquin stops. Azula steps out first, Ty Lee beside her, and the two walk toward Mai. Mai brings her hands together and bows slightly.
"Please tell me you're here to kill me."
For the first time in what feels like forever, a faint smile appears on her face.
Azula lets out a laugh, genuine enough to be a little surprising, and places her hands on Mai's shoulders. "It's great to see you, Mai."
Ty Lee rushes in immediately and wraps Mai in a tight hug. Mai pats her on the back with all the enthusiasm of someone enduring mild inconvenience.
"I thought you ran off and joined the circus," Mai says as Ty Lee steps back. "You said it was your calling."
Ty Lee smiles brightly. "Well, Azula called a little louder."
Azula looks between them, pleased to have them both in front of her again. "I have a mission," she says, resting a hand on each of their shoulders. "And I need you both."
Mai glances back at the palace with open distaste. "Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place."
Later, in the throne room, the Fire Nation banner hangs high above everything, red and black dominating the space like a declaration. Azula sits on Omashu's throne as if it had always belonged to her, flanked by guards, while Ukano and Michi kneel before her with Mai and Ty Lee standing nearby.
Ukano bows his head. "I apologize. You've come to Omashu at a difficult time. At noon we're making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back."
Azula crosses one leg over the other, hands clasped lightly. "Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son," she says, her sympathy so polished it barely sounds human. Then her tone changes, hardening in an instant. "But really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?"
She rises from the throne and comes down the steps toward him.
"My father trusted you with this city," she says coldly, "and you're making a mess of things."
Ukano and Michi immediately throw themselves lower, pressing forward in apology. "Forgive me, Princess."
Azula moves between them, looking down at Ukano with open contempt. "You stay here. Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up."
Her gaze shifts past them, toward the city beyond.
"And there is no more Omashu," she says. "I'm renaming it in honor of my father. The city of New Ozai."
The shot moves over the still-smoking city, over construction sites and occupation banners, until it settles on a towering statue of Ozai still wrapped in scaffolding. The structure dominates the square like an unfinished threat.
High on a broad wooden platform built around it, Aang, Katara, and Sokka stand waiting, serious and alert as three figures approach across the planks. Mai leads, with Azula and Ty Lee behind her.
A crane lowers a metal cage into view.
Inside is King Bumi, bound in metal so thoroughly that only his head is exposed.
He grins the moment he sees them.
"Hi, everybody!"
Aang's face lights up despite everything. Just seeing Bumi alive is enough to cut through some of the tension. The cage touches down behind the Fire Nation girls, chains rattling as it settles.
Mai looks at them. "You brought my brother?"
Aang shifts Tom-Tom slightly in his arms. "He's here. We're ready to trade."
Azula turns her head toward Mai. "I'm sorry," she says smoothly, "but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind?"
Mai immediately turns to her. "Of course not, Princess Azula."
Azula steps forward just enough to let the words sink in. "We're trading a two-year-old for a king." She lifts her gaze toward Bumi. "A powerful earthbending king?"
Bumi nods with cheerful agreement. "Mmm hmmm!"
Azula looks back to Mai. "It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?"
Mai considers it for only a second. Then she glances at Tom-Tom, who is perfectly content, yawning and resting his head against Sokka's shoulder.
She looks back up.
"You're right."
Azula smiles.
Mai lifts a hand toward the guards. "The deal's off."
Immediately, the chains begin to reel back in, lifting Bumi's cage away from the platform. Bumi rises with an amused sound, not even remotely alarmed.
"Whhhoa! See you all later!"
Aang's eyes widen. "Bumi!"
He takes off at once, sprinting forward with his glider ready, using airbending to launch himself into motion. Azula steps into his path and lashes out with a fierce stream of blue fire, trying to cut him off. Aang dodges by throwing himself high into the air in a leap so clean and powerful it catches her off guard.
He touches down for only a second on the scaffolding around the statue before kicking off again and snapping open his glider in midair. His hat flies loose in the movement, exposing the blue arrow on his head, and he catches the hat in his teeth rather than lose it.
Azula stares up at him, shocked.
"The Avatar."
Then her expression changes.
"My lucky day."
She runs to the pulley system controlling the lift and blasts through the rope acting as a brake. The winch spins wildly, and Azula grabs hold of the line without hesitation, letting it drag her up the scaffolding toward Bumi's rising cage.
Above, Aang lands on top of the metal prison.
Bumi blinks up at him in surprise. "Aang, is that you? Where did you come from?"
"Hang on," Aang says, already crouching near the chain. "We're gonna get you out of here."
He draws in a deep breath and blows a freezing stream of air across the chain lifting the cage. Frost begins to crawl over the metal inch by inch.
Below, the fight explodes.
Mai and Ty Lee charge forward at the same time, one all sharpened steel and cool precision, the other fast and fluid as a spring uncoiling. Katara steps into a defensive stance immediately while Sokka adjusts Tom-Tom in his arms.
"We've got to get the baby out of here!" Katara says.
Sokka grins and blows the bison whistle around his neck. "Way ahead of ya!"
Tom-Tom reaches for the whistle instantly, fascinated.
Sokka and Katara run for the edge of the platform, but before they can reach it, Ty Lee strikes from below. Her fist shoots up through one of the gaps in the boards and slams into Sokka's foot, knocking his balance out from under him. He crashes forward and slides dangerously toward the edge, clutching Tom-Tom tight against his chest the entire time.
They stop just short.
Katara wheels around just in time to see Ty Lee vaulting out from beneath the platform and racing toward them. She whips water from her pouch to intercept her, but movement flashes behind her first.
Mai.
Four knives cut through the air at Katara's face.
Katara reacts instantly, snapping her water upward and ripping several loose wooden planks into place as a shield. The knives slam into the boards with enough force to bury themselves deep. Without missing a beat, Katara hurls the planks back at Mai and turns again toward Ty Lee.
Ty Lee is almost on top of Sokka now.
Katara's water whip lashes out, coils around Ty Lee's ankle, and yanks her off her feet hard enough to slam her onto the boards. That single opening is all Sokka needs. He scrambles back up with Tom-Tom still in his arms and bolts for a nearby ladder.
Then he starts climbing down the scaffolding as fast as he can.
High above the city, Aang and Bumi are still being hauled upward, the metal cage creaking and swaying as the chain pulls them closer and closer toward the top of the scaffolding. Aang braces himself on top of the cage, cheeks puffed as he keeps blowing a stream of freezing air at the chain, trying to lock it solid before they get dragged any higher.
Bumi looks up at him from inside the metal coffin-like cage, still somehow calm despite everything. "Aang," he says, almost conversationally, "stop your blowing for a minute."
At that exact moment, the chain finally begins to frost over. Ice races across the metal links with a brittle crackling sound, and for one heartbeat it looks like Aang might actually have pulled it off cleanly.
Then there is an explosion above them.
The blast shakes the scaffolding hard enough to rattle the entire lift, and Azula bursts into view through smoke and splintered wood, propelled into the air by the force of her own movement. She twists sharply midair and lashes out with a savage kick, sending a bright plume of blue fire straight at Aang. The attack is so sudden and so fast that it nearly catches him flat-footed. He jerks around at the last second, swings his staff, and throws a hard gust of air into the oncoming flames, diverting them before they can hit.
Bumi looks up with alarm. "Now hold on just a—"
He never gets to finish.
Aang whips his staff around and smashes the frozen chain.
It shatters.
The entire cage drops.
For an instant, both of them are in freefall, the city spinning beneath them. Bumi's unfinished shout turns into a startled yell as the cage plummets straight down. Aang scrambles on top of the metal, shifting his footing and forcing the cage to tilt so the heavier end drops first, redirecting the fall just enough to keep Bumi from slamming face-first into the ground. They crash toward one of Omashu's delivery chutes at terrifying speed, and at the last possible second Aang throws a cushion of swirling air beneath them. The blast softens the impact enough that instead of splattering against stone, they slam down onto the chute and begin rocketing down it.
Above, Azula lands on the scaffolding and watches them tear away. Her face hardens immediately. Then, without hesitation, she sprints to a nearby chute, kicks herself into a transport box, and launches after them in pursuit.
Below, Aang steadies himself atop Bumi's cage as they race along the stone track. Wind tears at his clothes and hair, but despite the danger a grin breaks across his face, because the speed, the absurdity, the whole ridiculous chaos of it feels familiar in the strangest way.
"It's just like old times, isn't it, Bumi?"
Bumi does not look amused. He looks serious in a way Aang almost never sees from him. "Aang, I need to talk to you!"
Aang glances back with a grin still lingering on his face. "It's good to see you too!"
Then something flashes in the chute beside them.
Aang turns just in time to see Azula's box racing up on their left. She thrusts both hands forward and fires several tight, explosive blasts of blue fire toward them. Aang immediately spins his staff, using the circular motion to bat the attacks aside with bursts of air. The chutes curve, then merge, and suddenly Azula is directly behind them instead of beside them.
Aang thrusts his staff backward and sends a heavy gust at her, but Azula brings her arms together and cuts through the airflow with brutal force, splitting it apart rather than letting it throw her off. She answers at once with another series of fire blasts, fast and precise, forcing Aang to duck low over the top of Bumi's cage. He drops flat for a second, then pushes himself back up and jams the end of his staff against the chute like a paddle, driving them faster.
The chute ahead narrows into a covered section with wooden support arches spaced at short intervals overhead. Aang's eyes narrow. He flicks his staff upward and sends an air blade through the beams one after another. The wooden arches splinter and collapse in a chain reaction, crashing down into Azula's path. Dust erupts everywhere, swallowing her from view as the debris hammers into the chute behind them.
For one second, it works.
Aang looks back and sees nothing but dust and broken wood. He exhales in relief.
Then that relief twists into a shout.
Azula rises out of the wreckage almost like something inhuman, springing up from the box with another blast of blue flame already flying at him. Aang throws himself flat on his stomach atop the cage and the fire scorches past over his back.
Back on the large scaffold platform, the fight below is still raging. Katara and Mai circle each other in tight, dangerous motions. Katara's water whips snap through the air in quick strikes, but Mai slips and turns through them with unnerving calm, using the launcher attached to her leg to fire stiletto blades with frightening accuracy. Katara blocks by freezing part of her water into a wall of ice, the knives sinking into it with sharp little cracks.
Mai uses that one moment of cover to rush her head-on.
Katara reacts instantly, catching Mai's right arm in a ribbon of water and freezing it solid in place. Mai grits her teeth and jerks against the ice, trying to break free, but the hold is stronger than it looks.
Then Ty Lee appears behind Katara.
She springs up onto the platform in a blur, bounces forward, and strikes Katara's arms with a rapid flurry of precise jabs. Katara gasps, startled more by the speed than the pain at first, and the water she had under control drops uselessly to the floorboards with a wet splash. She reaches for it again, trying to raise it, but it barely trembles.
Mai sees the shock on her face and smirks. "How are you gonna fight without your bending?"
She pulls a sai from her robe and takes aim.
Katara freezes, stunned for half a beat, and that half beat is all Mai needs.
Then Sokka's boomerang smashes into the weapon and knocks it clean out of her hand.
Mai and Ty Lee spin around.
Appa barrels into view with Sokka perched on him.
Sokka snatches the returning boomerang out of the air with a grin. "I seem to manage!"
Appa lands between Katara and the girls with enough force to shake the scaffold. His tail whips down hard in a brutal sweep that sends both Mai and Ty Lee flying off the platform.
A moment later Sokka and Katara are crouched on Appa's head as he dives through the city's chute network below. Katara spots something to their left and points. "There's Aang!"
Sokka looks where she's pointing and leans forward immediately. "We can catch him!"
Appa growls and banks toward the next chute, angling to intercept.
Ahead of them, Azula is still hammering Aang and Bumi with blasts of blue fire. Aang turns and spins his staff in tight defensive circles, knocking each one away while the cage beneath him rattles violently down the chute. Then Appa surges up alongside them.
Aang looks over and shouts, "Hang on, Bumi! Our ride's here!"
Appa swerves hard to avoid another fire blast, then comes in closer. Aang slams the side of Bumi's cage against the wall of the chute to lever it upward, trying to tip it into range. Katara and Sokka both reach for it as it passes overhead, but it is still too high, just barely out of their grasp.
Bumi screams as the cage slips free and both he and Aang drop.
Aang twists in midair, forcing the cage horizontal again before they hit. They crash onto another chute crosswise, smash straight through it, then drop onto yet another chute below and continue sliding with Azula still relentlessly on their trail.
This time Azula changes tactics.
She brings her arms around in a tight, powerful motion and creates a spinning disk of fire, bright and shrieking with heat, then launches it down the chute after them. It tears forward, chewing up distance with terrifying speed. Bumi turns his head just enough to see it coming. His eyes narrow. He clenches his teeth.
A column of earth suddenly erupts straight up through the middle of the chute in front of them.
The fire disk slams into it instead.
Azula's eyes widen. She gasps and jumps at the last instant, launching herself out of her box before it crashes into the new obstacle and explodes into splinters. She lands in a sliding run on the chute itself, surfing down on foot for several moments before finally digging in and stopping. She can only watch with open displeasure as Aang and Bumi continue disappearing down the track.
Ahead, the chute begins to level out, and Aang stares back at Bumi in shock.
"You could earthbend? All along?"
Bumi lifts his brows as if the answer should have been obvious. "Well, they didn't cover my face."
He strains again, and another earth pillar rises up beneath them to halt their descent. The cage slams against it and ends up perched vertically atop the stone column while Aang lands on the ground below, staring up at him with a mix of disbelief, frustration, and anger that has been building all episode.
"I don't understand," Aang says, breathing hard. "Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi?"
Bumi remains calm. Completely calm.
"Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called jing. It's a choice of how you direct your energy."
Aang throws up his hand and starts counting on his fingers, clearly annoyed that he is being lectured right now. "I know. There's positive jing when you're attacking, and negative jing when you're retreating."
Bumi's face lights up.
"…And neutral jing when you do nothing!"
Aang stares at his own raised fingers, thrown off. "There are three jings?"
Bumi smiles wider. "Well, technically there are eighty-five, but let's just focus on the third."
His expression settles into something more serious, more teacher than mad king.
"Neutral jing is the key to earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."
The frustration in Aang's face begins to shift into understanding.
"That's why you surrendered," he says slowly. "Isn't it?"
Bumi nods. "Yes. And it's why I can't leave now."
Aang turns away, disappointment settling back over him. For a moment he just stands there, looking smaller than he had during the fight.
"I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earthbending."
Bumi watches him carefully. "Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jing. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking."
Right then, Momo drops out of the sky and lands on Aang's shoulders. Aang brightens immediately and reaches up toward him. "Hey, Momo!"
Bumi chuckles. "Momo's mastered a few jings himself."
Momo screeches loudly at him, as if offended by the comparison.
Bumi laughs, the wild sound of it echoing off the stone. "Goodbye, Aang. I'll see you when the time is right."
Then, without another warning, he tips the cage backward. It tumbles up the chute rather than down as Bumi earthbends from inside, riding the rock like a lunatic king returning to his throne. His laughter and snorting echo farther and farther away until only Aang and Momo are left standing there.
Later, a royal palanquin is carried out of the city, its curtains shifting in the wind while Mai and Ty Lee walk beside it. The mood is calmer now, but only on the surface.
Mai glances over. "So, we're tracking down your brother and uncle, huh?"
Ty Lee turns toward her with a teasing smile. "It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?"
Mai looks away, but a small smile betrays her.
Inside the palanquin, Azula's expression sharpens.
"It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore," she says. The tone in her voice is quieter now, but more dangerous because of it. "We have two more targets now."
Her eyes lower slightly, thoughtful and cold.
"And one of them just so happens to be with my traitors' family members."
That night, Omashu is quieter.
Aang crouches on the governor's roof, peering over the edge of the gutter into the balcony below. Ukano stands there with Michi in his arms, both of them looking out over the city with hollow, grieving expressions. Neither of them notices as Aang drops silently down behind them, sets Tom-Tom gently onto the floor, and immediately springs back up to the roof.
Tom-Tom waddles forward with a happy little sound.
The noise makes both parents turn.
Michi gasps first. "Tom-Tom!"
The governor and his wife rush forward and scoop the child into their arms, relief and joy breaking across their faces so suddenly it almost feels like the whole world softens with them. They clutch him close, talking over each other, overwhelmed and grateful and shaken all at once.
Up above, Aang watches from the roof.
He smiles quietly at the sight of the family reunited, then turns and leaps away into the night.