Katara said, "The one you met is the imposter, Aang is the real Avatar."
The chief replied, "The Avatar we met was an honorable man with unheard power. It is clear to me that you are an imposter."
Aang said quickly, "I can prove it to you. I mastered airbending and can show you that I can bend water a little. I still need to learn to master the four elements."
The chief frowned, clearly not believing him, then said, "Bring a jar of water. If he can't bend it, he and his companions will be fed to the fish." One of the Kyoshi warriors left while the others remained focused on the trio.
Shortly after, the girl returned with a jar of water and put it in front of Aang, while two more Kyoshi warriors freed Aang but were clearly on guard for any sudden movement. Aang moved to show them he could lift the water and move it in the air, which left the Kyoshi warriors and chief shocked.
The chief spoke, "How could this be? He can bend water and air! He is the real Avatar!" The rest of the Kyoshi warriors stood there shocked as well.
Sokka spoke with a conceited tone, "We told you he is the Avatar, and it looks like you are easy to trick."
All the girls stared at him dangerously, clearly not happy with his words. The chief said, "Free them." The girls freed the group, but when it came to Sokka, they were clearly reluctant to let him go.
The chief spoke again, "This village is under Fire Nation control. Please leave, Avatar. We are not going to let the Fire Nation know of your arrival."
The group were taken aback again, and Aang said, "How could you be under Fire Nation control?"
The chief replied, "The Fire Nation came years ago, led by the Fire Avatar. They defeated our warriors and declared this island their territory. They didn't kill or harm anyone, just a simple agreement to not hurt the Fire Nation people and interests in return for our cooperation. The Fire Avatar even helped us solve our famine problem without asking anything in return."
Katara spoke, "The Fire Avatar? Does the Fire Nation have a person walking around calling himself the Avatar? And why would he help you?"
The chief replied, "It is not that simple. When the Fire Avatar came by, he didn't claim himself to be an Avatar or anything special, just a Fire Nation Captain. He carried himself with honor and pride, he made sure no harm was brought to us and as I said he solved the famine problem. Later on when we heard of the stories, we believed it. We believed he helped the island because he was the new Avatar"
The chief continued, "What truly set him apart from the rest was his terrifying blue flame, a flame unlike anything we have seen or heard of. He wielded lightning that could defeat a giant sea monster. Even without bending, he is still unmatched. When he came here, he defeated all of our Kyoshi warriors without bending and unarmed."
One of the girls added, "He went easy on us. We saw him later destroy rocks with his bare hands."
The chief nodded at that and said, "When he came here, he was probably your age, Avatar. It was until later we heard the stories of the Fire Avatar, a bender so powerful that he is a one-man army. He could defeat earth armies on his own."
Sokka said, "There is no way the Fire Nation has a bender like that."
The chief replied, "They do, and he is the real deal, the most powerful bender in the entire Fire Nation and probably in history. It is why everyone believes he is the Avatar, the Avatar who uses fire only."
The chief said calmly, "Please leave this island. We don't want to be dragged into the war. And we owe the Fire Avatar a great debt for helping us"
The trio looked at each other with troubled and confused faces.
——————
Aang and the rest of his group left Kyoshi Island immediately. They still couldn't believe what they had heard about the so-called Fire Avatar, a bender so powerful that everyone believed him to be the real Avatar. The fact that he acted with honor and had even saved a village made it feel even more unreal.
Aang decided their next destination would be Omashu, where he used to visit his friend Bumi and play with the world's greatest slide, the mail system. The result, however, was Aang and his group causing damage and disturbance throughout the city, which eventually led them to be dragged before the King of Omashu.
The king quickly figured out that Aang was the Avatar and decided to test him. He gave Aang three deadly challenges to save Katara and Sokka. After Aang succeeded, the King gave him one last challenge: to say his name. Aang, thinking hard, realized the truth. The King was none other than his old friend Bumi.
Now the group stood in the throne room, speaking to Bumi. Bumi laughed and said that messing with people was pretty fun, but he still had a good reason. The world had changed too much in a hundred years, and it needed balance. His tone grew serious as he focused on Aang and said, "You have a difficult task ahead of you. You must learn all four elements to defeat the Fire Lord and bring balance."
Aang nodded at that, but Bumi's face turned grim. "Defeating the Fire Lord won't be easy," he said. "And he might not even be your greatest obstacle. Among the Fire Nation's ranks, there is a literal monster… a firebender unlike any other."
Aang asked, "Is it the imposter people are calling the Fire Avatar?"
Bumi nodded gravely. "You have seen my hands and body. They're full of burn marks. I received them when I met that monster. I was lucky to survive him. If not for his sense of honor and pride, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you."
Aang's eyes widened with fear. "Is he really that strong? Stronger than the Fire Lord?"
Bumi nodded again. "After my defeat, I began investigating him. I found out that he once had a duel with Fire Lord Ozai. The Fire Lord was losing… while that monster wasn't even bending. And once he did firebend, the Fire Lord was nearly killed."
Aang paled at the thought. Bumi placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to scare you, Aang. You are the Avatar. Once you master all four elements, I know you can defeat that monster. But before then, you must avoid him at all costs. Before you are ready… if you hear the name Tai Lung, just run."
Aang was stunned. His heart pounded as he asked, "This Tai Lung… how does he look?"
Bumi thought for a moment and described him: his golden eyes, black hair tied into a ponytail, sharp young features, and that he was only sixteen years old.
Aang swallowed hard, and so did Katara and Sokka. Bumi noticed the change in their expressions. He blinked, then asked slowly, "You met him, didn't you?"
Aang nodded.
——————
After Aang and his two friends left, Bumi sat alone in the throne room, his gaze drifting to his burned hand. The scars had long since healed, but the memory of how he got them never faded. He was surprised to hear that Aang had already met Tai Lung and even more surprised that Tai Lung hadn't tried to fight him.
It wasn't clear why Tai Lung had chosen not to capture or test the boy. But in Bumi's mind, the answer was simple enough: Tai Lung most likely wanted to face the Avatar at his full strength, not a child who only knew how to bend air.
In Bumi's eyes, that was the best possible outcome for now. Aang needed time to grow, to learn, and to become a proper Avatar. Whatever Tai Lung's reasons were, the result was the same, it had allowed Aang to walk away safely, and perhaps, for the foreseeable future, things would remain that way.
Bumi's mind drifted back to the day he had first met Tai Lung. That day still burned vividly in his memory. In his long life, he had faced countless opponents, but Tai Lung was different. He was a monster unlike any bender Bumi had ever seen. In truth, when the rumors spread claiming Tai Lung was the Avatar, Bumi had believed them.
Bumi sighed, leaning back on his throne. He was glad to see Aang again after so long, safe, alive, and still with the spark of his youth intact. And most of all, he was glad that the worst had not come to pass. The Fire Nation didn't have the Avatar on their side.