Avatar Diary— Broken Bender
A/N: The avatar diary is a series of side quests attained by Avatar Aang while his separation with Nik and others alongside Sokka. I like, nay, idolize Avatar the Last Airbender too much to not develop the main characters in a way that they are not only relevant to this AU but as a whole, too. At least, this is what I hope. And, the Avatar Diary is something that will allow me to keep a good hold of a plot instead of giving Aang's journey only one paragraph when his actions might also inadvertently affect Nik. The operative word being 'might.' And I know many hate on Sokka but I actually liked him. He's that funny character in every cn who happens to be fat but not here, he is the real charm lord who attracted not only Suki and Yue, but possibly toph too later down the line.
Anyway, pushing aside Sokka's godly powers that rival God Ussop, the reason I want to develop these characters, especially Sokka, is that I have a desire to make many characters interact with other verses. For instance, I want to be able to write about Nik and Sokka going in another world, say, reverend insanity (of course, I won't do that. Just an example) and not be strangled by relatively low development in his own arc where I am most likely to write about him.
I understand that this may make this fanfic longer than EHG, but hey, if I was just planning on doing the same thing then I might have just continued that one.
***
Appa's growl that always seemed to blow against the whipping wind woke Sokka up first thing in the morning. Looking at his waist, the youth untied the rope that connected him to Appa's enormous saddle as he looked to his side— Tom-Tom snoring while clutching his package and his waist similarly tied.
It has been two days since their escape from Omashu and even with Tom-Tom, their pace didn't change that much. With Katara and Suki, the advocates of timely rest, no longer present, to save time, Sokka devised the idea to tie themselves to Appa and sleep while Appa continued to fly for as long as he could.
It was dawn by now and looking forward, he saw Momo silently seated a bit away from him and gazing in his direction without blinking.
"What?" Sokka scowled, not particularly fond of the creature since he has been troublesome.
*Krrt* Momo tilted his head, letting out an incomprehensible chattering sound before suddenly jumping and flying out of the way.
*Quack*
*Quack*
Sokka suddenly felt something hit the back of his head, causing him to scream with sudden fright. After all, he had yet to regain his wits. His scream woke Tom-Tom and Aang.
"What— I promise I wasn't sleeping..." Aang mumbled, his eyes barely open.
*Flap* *Flap*
As if punishing him right then and there for the lie, many wings slapped his bald head and even Tom-Tom cried out in shock.
*Grrragghhhh*
Appa roared, his body finally losing balance as a flock of turtle ducks flew past them without any intention of diverting from their path. With the shake of Appa's body, Tom-Tom suddenly felt weightless as Appa descended yet instead of landing back on Appa's waist, the boy was flung back by the whipping wind with only the rope connecting him.
"Whooooo-hooooooo!" He instantly laughed, enjoying the dilemma instead of crying for his life. Arms spread, he called out, "Sokka, look! I'm flying!"
"Aang, get us down," Sokka called out while quickly pulling Tom-Tom up.
Appa finally landed gently, Momo on top of his head already.
"A little warning would have been nice!" Sokka snorted as Tom-Tom and Aang glanced at one another.
"Sokka... Momo doesn't talk," Tom pointed out the obvious, making the youth sigh as he rolled down Appa's flat and wide tail, "I know," he replied after standing up, "But I swear, I feel like the emergency food understands everything we're saying."
*Kreeee*
Momo screeched, confirming the fact that he could indeed understand some things if not everything. After all, he took offense at being called emergency food every time.
"Let's calm down. Momo, just apologize for pranking Sokka and he will also stop calling you names," Aang stepped in before looking a bit confused, "Am I really... trying to convince a human and an animal?"
"Kyoshi did it," Sokka shrugged, recalling the heroic woman in Aang, "But that wasn't much of a negotiation... she just stated her terms."
"Who's Kyoshi?" Tom questioned, eliciting Sokka to recount the tale as he emphasized the fact that Aang had turned into a woman, making Tom-Tom laugh hard at this. Pouting, Aang changed the direction of the conversation, "Anyway, how long till we reach Shifu Colony?"
Sokka fished out a rolled-up map from under his tunic and hummed thoughtfully after unfurling it.
"We've crossed eight days' worth of travel in a matter of two days. I guess that overworking ourselves was a bit beneficial since we now have a leg up on the Fire Nation... and even if we take a break now, we will still reach Shifu Colony by afternoon."
The trio broke into a smile at the thought of their exhausting journey coming to a temporary end. After all, they have been trying to move as quickly as possible so that they can regroup with the other three.
After the short rest, the group covered the last leg of the journey and finally faced their first hurdle to the quest of meeting with Aang's possible waterbending master.
"Wait! You must pay a toll of three phoenix marks or coins of other nations of equivalent value to enter the colony!" The guards wore dark green armors with their hair tied back using a brown band. Their earthen, somewhat tanned skin tone suggested their heritage and the act of bending a rock slab to cover the entrance of the Shifu Colony covered by well-carved walls was simply a dead giveaway.
"Um..." the trio looked at each other.
"Or," Sokka suddenly smiled, patting Appa's furry head, "We could give you a ride to the skies for three whole minutes! This is a rare—"
"We know what's a Sky Bison, fool! Three phoenix marks, no more, no less!"
One of them growled, making the trio flinch.
"Wait... have you seen other Sky Bisons?" Aang suddenly questioned. He had his head covered by a conical straw hat as he walked with the wooden staff in his hands.
"Of course, haven't you seen the Amazing Circus? The Tamer caught the whole flock of them after the war. Man, I wish their tour brings them back to our colony," One of the three guards manning the entrance of the colony reminisced with a sigh.
Aang nodded after hearing this. He then looked at Appa, hope slowly filtering into his eyes. Only this news was worthwhile to have traveled for so long but their objective was much greater than just this.
"How much with the Earth Kingdom Copper?" Sokka inquired with a groan.
"4 for the two of the kids and 5 for you," the guard snorted in return.
"Why 5?" Sokka scoffed.
"Because I don't like your attitude! Either pay or piss off!"
Sokka glared at the guard, stubbornly standing his ground.
---
The chatter of the market of the Shifu Colony filtered in as Tom-Tom had his hands behind his head. If one looked carefully enough, they would be able to make out a metal gear wrapped around his arms under his sleeves that seemed to act as a holster for sharp needles.
"Come on, Sokka, don't be such a pooper! So what if you paid 5 coins? We have plenty!" He grinned but his words only made Sokka's shoulder slouch further.
"What do you know... I'm the immigrant that was discriminated against..." he mumbled, crestfallen. They had successfully, and surprisingly easily, entered the Shifu Colony with a multi-purpose stable prepared for various mounts though not as accommodating to a Sky Bison but they had to make do with that. Momo, on the other hand, continued to stay atop Aang's shoulders.
"So, where do we find this master?" Aang looked back.
"Why're you asking me?" Sokka shrugged but when he found Tom-Tom and Aang continue to look at him, his expression turned strange as he muttered, "Well, obviously, Bumi didn't tell us a lot about this master aside from the fact that he escaped getting captured by the end of the war... so let's start inquiring if someone settled into the Colony more recently. Look for blue eyes."
With the approach set up, the trio began to move as Sokka took out the round tile within his pouch once again. Bumi deliberately handed them the white lotus tile of the board game Pai Sho but Sokka had yet to find its use.
They walked aimlessly. It was already a bit past noon and interested in trying out the local dishes, the trio entered a small cozy tavern with a wonderful stench of alcohol almost dripping even during the broad daylight that caused a pleasant scowl to appear over the trio's expressions.
"Hmm?" A robust man behind the corner looked at the arrival and his gaze was instantly attracted to Momo who chittered by Aang's head.
"Oi, you three!" Called out, the trio looked at the man, possibly the owner of the tavern, and walked up to him. The man began by introducing himself as the owner and then finally gazed at Momo, "What's that on your shoulder, boy?"
"Oh, this?" Aang looked to his side, petting Momo's head as his large furry ears drooped down for the moment, "Momo, meet owner. Mr. Owner, this is Momo."
"I will give you 20 Phoenix Marks for the meat," the man did not care at all and proceeded to shock the three arrivals.
Yet, before Tom-Tom or Aang could refute, Sokka spoke up, "Not only 20 Phoenix Marks, but also some information. Say, have you encountered a strange man who settled here recently? Blue eyes, probably old? Could be a bit grumpy, too."
Sokka tried to characterize how he would act generally if he had not only lost a battle, but also a war and had to escape while leaving the fate of his tribe unknown. After all, he is a chieftain, too.
---
"Huff! Huff!"
Three youths and a winged lemur rushed through the streets of Shifu Colony with a burly man chasing after them, "Hey! Get back here!"
"Why'd you have to lie?!" Tom shouted, his breathing already rushed as the four misfits turned into narrower streets without any destination in mind.
"It's called a hustle! Always wanted to do one," Sokka chuckled, equally breathless. Aang, meanwhile, continued to provide back-up by sneaking a few airbending tricks to make sure that they do lose their chase.
After a few minutes, Sokka and the others recollected their breaths by a narrow alley as he began chuckling once again, "Want me to pay 5 coins, eh? That'll show them!"
"Show who?" Aang questioned.
"The Colony," the youth shrugged, more childish than the children themselves at times.
"At least, we have a lead," Sokka soon stood straight. They had skedaddled out of the tavern the moment they got what they were looking for. A supposedly cynical old man with mysterious origins but being able to support himself nonetheless and different from others, he had blue eyes, a feature present more in the northern and southern regions than the continental earth kingdom.
The trio began to explore the colony soon enough.
"Hey, Aang! Check this out! This whistle looks like Appa!"
Tom-Tom suddenly stopped in front of a stall opened by a thinly mustached middle-aged man who only glanced at the trio warily for a moment and then continued to adjust a few items, however, his body was tense should these kids try and steal his trinkets.
"Whoa..." Aang looked at the whistle, "Um, how much for this whistle?"
"Seven marks," the man replied with Aang grinning, "How about... three earth kingdom coins?" He exclaimed, spreading out his fingers with three coins held within the index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers.
Giving the Avatar a sidelong glance, the man scoffed, "No bargaining. Seven marks or 9 Earth Kingdom copper."
Tom-Tom suddenly looked at Sokka, gesturing him with eyes towards the whistle.
Glaring back at the boy, Sokka simply stated with his gaze— I'm not stealing!
Tom replied— But it's your thing.
Sokka— No, it's not!
"Hey, where did you find this whistle?" Aang sighed, taking out the coins as he reminisced about how easy it was to bargain back a few dozen years ago.
"You mean this Sky Bison whistle? It's a commodity needed by every owner of a Sky Bison although their rarity is too high and only a few are known to me who own a sky bison," the merchant finally explained once Aang purchased the whistle. This only made Aang more excited.
He wasn't alone.
Appa wasn't alone in this world! The thought excited Aang and reignited his hope for trying to find other Airbenders who may have survived the genocide.
After purchasing the whistle, Aang and others inquired about the location of the clue Sokka had gathered and finally found a small, slightly worn earthen house with a plain wooden door hinged for the entrance. Holding the metal loop of a handle, Sokka knocked on the door a few times until it was finally opened.
What came to their view was a white-haired old man with a hairline almost close to his neck. His facial hair was neatly trimmed and a natural scowl was present on his face.
However, his striking pale blue eyes made the trio feel as if they were onto something.
"What?" The man demanded as Aang was about to take his hat off only for Sokka to grumble to and press his hand on top of Aang's head to keet the hat on, "Um, would you happen to know why we're sent here?"
Sokka took a chance, taking out the white lotus tile from his pouch. The old man's gaze turned strict.
"Do you think this is a pawn shop?" The man glowered, waving his hand. Surprising the trio and Momo who astutely flew in time, a bucket behind the man flew towards him. It was ice, Aang recognized. The old man controlled ice and the moment he held the bucket, it turned into water and he splashed it on the trio on his doorstep.
The surrounding civilians weren't surprised, as if used to the eccentric nature of the man but the trio, especially Aang, felt the pressure of water way more than it should be, causing the hat on his head to slip down.
"Hmph, get inside!"
The old man finally snorted, bringing the trio in as Momo flew inside, too. Dry.
The moment they stepped in, the water on Sokka, Aang, and Tom-Tom was pulled and turned into a ball before being pushed inside the bucket once again.
"Now, boy, tell me. Where do an Avatar and his band of misfits find interest in a plain white lotus tile of Pai Sho?"
Seeing his identity already exposed, Aang cusped his fist and bowed in a greeting.
"Greetings, Sir. We were asked to find you by an old friend. His name is Bumi, and he's—"
"I know who King Bumi is," the man interrupted with a snort, "And you, boy, are a fool to reveal who led you here so easily. But you mentioned Bumi as an old friend... so the spirits stated correctly, the Avatar did escape the harsh bellows of war. Although, I cannot say the same for your tribe."
"Hey, that's rude!" Tom-Tom clenched his fist, already informed of Aang and his past during the journey.
"Rudeness is a skill you better learn fast," The man glared at Tom-Tom, making him flinch, "As for you. I will train you to save the world—" just before he could complete, Sokka pulled Aang back.
"Alright, I think you misunderstood our intentions. Aang is just here to learn waterbending."
"I will teach him that. I'm the strongest waterbender of the northern tribe to escape the prison. I have remained still just for this moment— to fulfill my destiny of passing on the ancient tradition of waterbending to the avatar so that he can—"
"Nope. Just the waterbending," Sokka interrupted again, this time a bit coldly as his biting words made the old man finally observe the youth in front of him.
Seeing Sokka stand protectively in front of them, Aang and Tom-Tom couldn't help but feel a bit reassured.
"You do not understand a thing, child."
"It's Chieftain, for you."
"A chief?" hints of ridicule phased through the eyes of the old man, "You?"
"At least, I'm not trying to burden a friend of mine to save the world we lost in the first place. Trust me, you do not want to make that mistake again." Sokka's shoulders tensed unnaturally. After his capture in Omashu, he had gotten notably serious and cautious in things that mattered. Though shameful, Sokka felt grateful deep down, too.
He learned a lesson and things didn't end too badly. That's what most can only hope for and he didn't want to be a burden again. Not only a physical one but also a mental one, causing him to become not only the silent leader of the group but also a bit similar to their guardian.
His words finally made the old man's expression freeze up in shock before cold fury overtook his expression.
"What did you say?"
"I said, instead of just being a teacher and saying cryptic statements of destiny, use your strength for something more. You may be a master waterbender but just the fact that you want a 12-year-old boy to shoulder failures of our ancestors for more than a hundred years is plain ridiculous and... makes you seem broken in more ways than one—"
Before Sokka could add, the water of bucket flung out towards him in a form of a whip and he reacted just as quickly, smashing his bony club belted to his waist against the whip of water, causing him to retreat by a few steps.
"Hey!" Aang exclaimed, stabbing his staff with a small pulse of air suddenly pushing the old man back while Tom-Tom panicked, aiming at the man and launching a series of needed.
The sound of the sharp needles felt the coldest to the old man and he hurriedly raised a small wall of water that froze into a chunk of ice, blocking the series of needles as the old man broke out in a cold sweat while gazing at the ordinary dark-haired boy.
"I will forgive your insolence, boy—"
Before the old man could continue, this time, Sokka attacked. Rushing forward while knowing full well how hard it must be for the man to not hurt the Avatar and use bending in a closed space. Sokka, however, had no such concerns. He threw his boomerang while jumping on top of the wall of ice, bringing the club straight down on the waterbender's face.
"Wait!"
Aang appeared between them, pushing his hands towards both of them and flinging them aside with a burst of wind that ruined the interior of the home, too.
"Ugh... What gives?" Sokka groaned, rubbing his head and sitting up. Tom-Tom helping him up with a newfound respect for the feeling of protectiveness and caring Sokka had displayed was...
'A bit like mom and Mai...' Tom-Tom thought inwardly.
Meanwhile, Aang looked at the old man, "We did not mean to offend you, sir. And my friend, Sokka, did not mean to insult you. It's just..."
"Oh, I did!" Sokka snorted.
"I will beat the hide out of you... what's your name?" The man questioned.
"Sokka. You?"
"Pakku."
"Well, I will mop the floor with your face one of these days for trying to pin your leathery and weary baggage on Aang."
"And I will beat you until you learn how a true Chieftain acts and fights. You, too, the boy with the needles."
"Tom-Tom."
"That's ridiculous. I will call you Tom only once."
"Eh?" Aang looked surprised. He didn't know the conflict could resolve so easily.
"No need to be surprised, Avatar. Just conversing with spirits for years can do that to a person— break them. There are many mischievous ones out there... And as Sokka said, I had lost sight of myself after losing and hiding. Maybe that's what Bumi and... 'he' wanted... to make me realize that not everything has ended.
I may be a broken bender, but Avatar, you brought me hope. And you two, too. Thank you.
I will be happy to only teach you Waterbending."
---
"I heard you have a clue," Mai looked at Bumi calmly. Her stoic gaze fell on the old and 'weak' man but she couldn't be fooled by the display.
Bumi currently wore a set of magenta robes and a hat with purple feathers sticking out. Seeing Mai, he cackled.
The prisoners were safely taken away and with the Fire Lord's mediation, Bumi reclaimed Omashu under the authority of the Phoenix King. However, the fact that the Phoenix King intended to use various hypnotic tricks was now also discreetly known to the Fire Lord.
Including the prisoners was, of course, Ukano, who had lost himself.
Mai and Michi, on the other hand, had planned to leave for Fire Nation with the Fire Lord given that they were acquaintances but Tom-Tom's timely escapade caused the worried Michi to stay. Mai, meanwhile, began to visit the throne room of Omashu and silently stare at Bumi until he agreed to help her find clues on Avatar's tracks, not revealing that he was the one who gave them Pakku's location in the first place.
How was he supposed to know Tom-Tom would escape?
Anyway, Bumi luckily found a rather great opportunity.
"*Khnnk* Do you like my robes?" He inquired with a quirky grin, causing Mai to shrug, "I hate bright colors."
"Oh, then here you go."
Bumi waved his earthen arm and an attendant of his delivered Mai a letter.
Frowning, Mai opened the letter.
— Hey, Sokka. It's me... It feels a little weird being away from you but don't think of it as a praise and let it get to your head! I don't miss you, but you provided enough entertainment.
Anyway, Nik and Suki are well. I am, too. Hope... you are, too... and don't let the stuff we experienced that day affect you too much. Still, I hope we meet again soon. We have a few surprises, hehe.
Nik has been training a bit. I am, too. Actually, we went through a bit of trouble in the Chay Thang Colony but it's all over now. Meanwhile, Nik is trying to fill your role. He makes some weird jokes but it's not too bad.
Well... just wanted to check if everything was fine. See you soon and hope we meet before Makapu Village... and... fine, I miss you, too.
Your only, chore-ridden sister—
Mai slowly rolled up the letter and glanced at Bumi, "My mother will be safe here."
"Of course!"
With that, the gloomy woman left and Bumi broke into snorts of chuckles, "I really like magenta... so that was the wrong answer."
His smile turned sly.
He just loved screwing with people.
***
Shout-out to Muhammad Sharif II!
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