I grin as I look at Omashu. It'd been a while since I've been here before the hundred year long nap. I'm excited to see it again. Aang holds his hands above his head as we all look at it.
"The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!" he exclaims, turning his head to smile at me. "We used to always come here to visit our friend, Bumi." My smile turns sad as I think of Bumi. He was actually the only person Aang and I ever told about me. He's long dead by now and the thought of that kills me. He was a crazy genius and sometimes the crazy part out weighed the genius part, but I loved him almost as much as I love Aang.
"Wow! We don't have cities like this in the South Pole," Katara says in amazement.
"They have buildings here that don't melt," Sokka says.
"So did every other place we've been to so far," I answer.
"Let's go, slowpokes!" Aang says excitedly. "The real fun is inside the city!" He takes off down the hill, but Katara calls after him.
"It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar."
"You need a disguise," Sokka agrees. "Both of you." I bristle at that.
"People know that the Avatar is a boy, not a girl. I'll be fine. Gloves and a headband to cover my tattoos and I'll be good."
"And what am I supposed to do? Grow a mustache?" Aang asks. I glance from him to Appa and smirk.
I chuckle as we walk the path to Omashu. Aang looks ridiculous in Appa's fur and I love it. We nearly to the gate and am practically bouncing in excitement.
"You guys are gonna love Omashu," Aang says. "The people here are the friendliest in the world."
"Rotten cabbages?" We look ahead of us at where a cabbage merchant is trying to get into Omashu. "What kind of slum do you think this is?!" the guard asks. He crushes the cabbage in his hands, slaps the one the merchant had been holding out of his hands and kicks the ground so that the earth juts up under the merchant's cart and it goes flying over the edge of the path into the dark abyss below.
"No! My cabbages!" the man wails. I hold back my snort at the anguish in his voice.
"I think they've had an attitude adjustment since we've last been here," I mutter to Aang. "And not in a good way."
"Just keep smiling," Aang says and we all smile as we walk up to the guards. The one that had destroyed the merchants cabbages lifts a bolder over Aang's head and I tense, ready to attack.
"State your business," he demands. Aang speed runs over to him in an instant.
"My business is my business, young man, and none of yours." The bolder falls to the ground as the guard stairs at Aang. Aang thrusts his finger in the guards face as he continues to rant. "I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!" I refrain from slapping my forehead, but just barely.
"Settle down, old timer," the guard says. "Just tell me who you are."
"Name's Bonzoo Pippenpadlopsicopolis the third and these are my grandchildren." Katara walks forward and I follow her.
"Hi," she greets. "June Pippenpadlopsicopolis. Nice to meet you." I wrap an arm around Aang and grab his shoulder closest to me with my other hand.
"I'm Kiki. I apologize for my grandfather's behavior. He's a little . . ." I lean back out of Aang's view and bring my hand up to swirl my finger next to my head and cross my eyes. The two guards behind the one we'd been talking to laugh and try to cover it up by coughing.
YOU ARE READING
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Double Trouble
同人小說What if Aang had a twin? And what if she had secretly also been an Avatar? Well, that's exactly who Ling is. The twin sister to Aang who has hidden her Avatar abilities from the monks ever since she sent a rock flying at Aang's head when they were l...
