Archive for Van

Spring 100 AG (The Blind Bandit)

*That scream will haunt me for the rest of my life.*

Goodbye, Ozai. You are a tyrant.

”Shyh! Toph! Where are you?” I walked through the woods, looking for the signal. And of course, three soldiers attacked me within seconds of me entering the woods. “Prince Eden, you are under arrest.”

I raised my hand and the first one quickly ran off, a crazed expression on his face. The other two blasted fire at me, but I dropped my wrist and they fell to the ground. Raising my arm, I threw an imaginary ball - well, not imaginary. I rolled the soldiers into a ball and threw them right out of the woods.

“Hi, Eden!” Shyh and Toph appeared out of the bushes. I was spooked, but I kept my cool. “Ready for Earth Rumble, Toph?”

Earth Rumble VI

A boy with a hat and his two friends - Water Tribe, I noticed, walked in. Wait… Water Tribe? I watched the kid blow a piece of paper into the air - and I realized. The Avatar was in town. Although I would have told Toph and Shyh, I kept my cool and walked down into the bleachers. I sat right next to Shyh, and coincidentally, the Water Tribe (siblings?) and the airbender.

“Hey! I noticed you guys were new and you remind me of someone. Could you remind me who you are?”

”I’m Sokka, she’s Katara, and he’s Aang.”

”Avatar Aang?”

”Yep.”

Well, I had to tell them. “One of the contestants is the best earthbender you will ever meet, Aang. I’ll help you in convincing her to teach you.”

”Yep,” Shyh dropped in. “Toph’s possibly the best earthbender in the whole world.”

”Alright,” said Aang. “And what bending do you use?”

”Do I have to say it?”

”Y-you’re a firebender!”

“Sokka, Katara, I’m a renegade. I never supported the Fire Nation. And now that I’m safe in saying it, Zuko-“

”YOU KNOW ZUKO?”

”Zuko is our - me and Shyh’s - cousin. So is the girl with the blue firebending - although I’m not sure you met her. And Uncle Iroh is the best person the world has ever seen.

”We’ll talk about this later. Let’s watch for Toph first.”

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO EARTH RUMBLE SIX!”

The first half of the tournament went smoothly and quickly, but the next half would be very tough. I watched Toph stride onto the stage.

”The Boulder is conflicted about fighting a young girl.”

”Sounds to me like you’re scared, Boulder!” Toph laughed.

”The Boulder’s over his conflicted feelings, and he’s ready to bury you in a rockalanche!”

”Bring it on, The Pebble!”

Toph slid to the side, quickly throwing the Boulder out of the arena with a simple stomp.

”I think she’s the one.”

”It is an honor to have you here, Avatar Aang, Katara, Sokka. And you, Eden, Shyh.”

”Thank you, Lady Beifong,” Aang responded kindly.

“So when do you expect the war to be over?”

”Well, I’d like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer,” Aang said, “but I can’t do that without finding an earthbending teacher first.” Aang’s eyes flitted between me and Toph.

”Well, Master Wu is the best teacher…”

”Mr. Beifong, could I excuse myself?” Shyh asked.

”Yes, that is fine, Shyh. Eden, go with her, if you may.”

I wouldn’t see Aang again until I was dragged to the Earth Rumble VI arena.

100 AG, Earth Rumble VI Arena

”Let him go!”

”Toph, we can’t hold them off on our own! We need an earthbender. We need you!” Katara exclaimed.

”No. My daughter is blind and helpless and fragile. She cannot help you!” Mr. Beifong angrily replied.

”No, I can.”

Toph stepped down onto the arena, and I slowly floated down, hiding my fire jets as best as I could. Shyh also stepped down, ready to attack at a minute’s notice.

Toph slid to one side, stomping and throwing the Boulder right out of the arena. Shyh and I each raised our arms, lifting two benders at a time. Fire Nation Man, the Hippo, the Gopher, and the Headhunter rose into the air. I smashed their heads together and Toph stomped the ground. Pillars rose out and they fell right out. Toph then slid to a side, escaping Xin Fu’s shot, and I held my own as he sent seven rocks flying at the three of us. Toph knocked him onto one side, and he pushed one hand into the rocks. Bad mistake. Toph simply stomped the ground, and Xin Fu flew out of the arena.

100 AG, Lao Beifong’s home

”I’m sorry, Aang. I wish I could come.”

We somberly walked out and back to the hill where Appa was, but as we approached it, Toph walked to us. “Hey, Toph! I thought you said you couldn’t come?”

”My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to explore the world!”

”Well, let’s get out of here before he changes his mind again!” exclaimed an ecstatic Sokka. We all laughed, and Aang, Katara and Sokka got on Appa. “I’d like the belt back.” Sokka dropped the belt - and it hit Toph’s head. “Ow!” “Sorry.”

“Well, Me and Shyh will see you guys soon,” I said as Toph climbed onto Appa.

100 AG, Ba Sing Se (The Crossroads of Destiny, because the other episodes are… so good)

Shyh and I followed Zuko and Azula all the way to the secret room. The Dai Li agents opened a tunnel and they slid down the tunnel. Shyh and I entered the tunnel quickly, and we hid ourselves. The Crystal Catacombs… ahh. Azula left, the trail of Dai Li agents behind her - and Katara dropped into the catacombs. Although we prepared ourselves for a heated argument, we heard nothing - and then we heard a crash. Aang, Toph and Iroh landed in the catacombs, and we slid out to reveal ourselves.

”Shyh! Eden!” they all exclaimed.

”Wait… you know Zuko?”

“Can we tell you all something? Please don’t overreact.”

”I’m actually Prince Eden of the Fire Nation. She is Princess Shyh, my sister. Our dad is Uncle’s second cousin, and his wife is a waterbender. What I mean to say is… not only are Zuko and I family, me and you are family, too. Shyh is a waterbender and I am a firebender.”

”No way.”

”Yes way.”

I engaged in a long battle of Yes way and No way with Sokka that was broken by Azula. She slid down the tunnel. I didn’t hear much, because Shyh and I hid, but I caught “Zuko, the only way we win is together.”

Iroh responded, “Zuko! Choose the way your heart desires!”

”You are free to choose.” Azula smirked.

I slid out of the cavern and shot a fire blast at Azula. She returned it with a lightning bolt - and that was the last thing I might have seen. Pain engulfed my body as my redirection failed. I crumpled to the ground. Shyh stuck her hand up, and Azula was lifted into the air, but Zuko shot a fireball at Shyh. I knew it wouldn’t end well… And I passed out.

We were on a small island, and Shyh was teaching Aang a form. Her bloodbending technique, I assume. I slowly got to my feet and staggered out of the cave. “Shyh! Aang!”

”Eden!”

”It looks like I’m fully healed. Where’s Katara? What time is it?”

”You missed the invasion… Zuko joined the team, and he and Katara are off finding the person who killed Aunt Kya.”

”Where’s Sokka?”

”Oh, he’s over there with his girlfriend Suki.”