Nice To Meet You Balu

-Maya's Point of View-

I was woken up by men grabbing my wrists and pulling me out of the bed.

"Hey, what are you-hm!" I wasn't able to finish what I was saying because they covered my mouth.

I looked around the room and noticed that the lights are out. Katara and Sokka were also being dragged away but they went to a different exit. I looked at Aang who was deep in his sleep and tried yelling to wake him up but the man who was holding me had already earthbent the room's entryway.

Once the wall was up, the man lets me go.

"AANG! WAKE UP!" I shouted as I pounded on the wall, but it was too thick. Aang can't hear me.

"Calm down, I am not going to hurt you." the man said. I looked at him and realized he was the King's adviser.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

"The King would like to talk with you privately."

"Me? Why? What does he want to talk about?"

"It's best if you ask him yourself. Follow me," he said and then he walked down the hallway. I followed behind him but I was skeptical. I kept a distance from him, just in case he suddenly jumped at me.

After a few walks and turns, he stopped in front of a giant double door.

"The King is waiting for you inside. He wants to meet you alone," and then he opened the door and signed me to go inside.

I went inside the room and as soon as I got in the adviser slammed the door behind me. I looked back and then I pounded on the door.

"Hey! You can't lock me up in here!" I shouted.

"You're loud," I heard the King say. I turned around and I saw him seating on a chair behind a desk. What is with his outfit? It's so bright purple and stuff. He looks like a circus freak.

"Your Majesty," I greeted and then I bowed.

"Be at ease," he said as he unrolled a paper and read it. I looked around the room and noticed that it was filled with shelves, files, and books.

"You must be wondering why you're here..." I looked at him as he placed the paper down on his desk. The King looked at me seriously.

"Tell me young water tribe girl, what's your name?" he asked.

"Maya your highness..." I answered.

The King then thoroughly examined me before saying, "So, you came from the Southern Water Tribe ey? Tell me about your family."

I looked at him trying to figure out why he is suddenly asking me such personal questions.

"Uh... Uhm... I only live with my mother. I don't know where my father is or who he is."

Well, it's not like I can question the King. He might suddenly order my head chopped off.

"Your mother... Could it be that her name is Anika?" he suddenly asked. My eyes grew wide when I heard him say my mother's name. How did he know?

"H-how did you know?"

He smiled back at me and then he answered, "Well, that's because your mother is quite the famous one!"

Famous? Mom was a well-known person not only in the fire nation?!

"You must be confused but let's just say that I know your mother since her youthful days." the King explained. "And actually, from what I remember. Anika is from the fire nation..." he continued.

I looked at him with fear as he said, "I think you're not really a water tribe girl, but a fire nation spy..."

"No! I-I am not a spy! I'm not even their ally! I... I hate them!" I shouted.

"Hmm? You hate them? But you're one of them. You and your mother," the King said.

I suddenly remembered what Gran-Gran said...

'I don't want you to grow up hating your kind, because there is you and your mother to prove that not everyone from the fire nation is evil. That there is still hope for change.'

I slowly frowned as I thought about it again. How can I not hate the people that killed my mom? The people that harmed the village I grew up in? The people that started a war!

"Maya... Why don't you come here and sit," the King said as he signed me to seat on the chair in front of his desk. I slowly went to the chair and sat on it.

"Here... read these," the King said as he handed me two papers. I took them and I noticed that they were letters addressed to the King.

'How have you been? Any update on Anika? Write back to me, Iroh, as soon as possible. It's been years already. I'm getting more and more worried, and I think I just met her daughter. I hope to hear from you soon.'

What is this? Someone is looking for Mom?! Could it be father? It must be! It's exactly like what Mom said in her first letter. Father will definitely be looking for her!

"Your majesty, if you wouldn't mind me asking... who wrote these letters?" I asked.

"It's from my friend from the fire nation. General Iroh," the King answered.

"General Iroh?" I asked once more.

"Yes. He's quite the famous person as well like your mom," the King replied. I looked at the second letter and read from it.

'Greetings from your friend Iroh. I was supposed to meet Anika days ago but she never appeared. She has been to a lot of places for years and I was wondering if you encountered her. Just in case you see her, write back to me. She told me she has something to say. It would be great if you can help me find her. Thank you and I hope you are well.'

What? Was Mom supposed to meet him? And what was Mom supposed to say to him? Who is he? Could he be my father?!

I checked the date of the second letter I read and it was dated days after the raid in the south; days after Mom died.

And then I remembered what Mom said in her first letter to me. She was planning to leave me at the south pole and go back to the fire nation. So she was supposed to meet this man, but she never got to leave the south pole because she...

"Iroh and Anika are my fire nation friends. You can say we have a very close relationship," the King said.

"Is Iroh my father?" I asked the King as I looked at him.

"Well, I am not really sure. They never really told me Anika had a daughter, let alone who the father is," he replied.

Oh right... Mom never really told anyone about my existence. Iroh can't be my father because my real father doesn't even know I exist.

Then maybe Iroh could've been one of Mom's friends that helped her escape!

"So, tell me about your mom... How come you're in the South Pole?" the King asked.

"I don't know if you know this but my mother ran away from the fire nation," I answered.

"Hmm... I am known of the news, but it didn't say that Anika ran away, instead, it was said that she went missing."

"It's not true. According to my mother, she said that she ran away." I corrected him. Maybe the news of her missing was her way to get out of the fire nation. My mother is seriously a big liar.

"Well, then? Where is she now? Is she currently staying at the South Pole?" the King asked.

"Well, My mother... She's... She's been dead years ago." I carefully answered. I saw the King become shocked and speechless. "Back then when I was 8 years old, there was a fire nation raid in our village, and mom was killed."

"I see, fire nation killed your mother. So that's where this hatred is coming from," the King said. I looked at him sadly as I nod my head. "I'm sorry about your mother's passing..."

I slowly smiled at him as I said, "It's alright. She may have not been able to stay with me a little longer but I am fine! The people in the southern water tribe were great. Gran-Gran raised me well." I answered.

"Did your mother mention to you about her life before she got to the South Pole?" he asked.

"No... It was my grandmother who told me I was from the fire nation. Mother confessed to her, but she didn't tell her about her life in the fire nation as well." I answered.

"The water tribes must be great people considering that they didn't throw your mother away despite her being from the fire nation." the King said with a smile.

I smiled back at him as I said, "Yes... They are."

Silence filled the air before the King spoke again.

"So about the Avatar, why are you traveling with him? How did you meet him?"

"We found him frozen inside an iceberg days ago and now, we are on our journey to the north pole to help Aang master waterbending. We're finding him a waterbending master." I answered.

"Hmm... I know a waterbender at the north pole. He is called by the name Master Pakku, he's a friend of mine. One of the best benders in the world, I'm sure he will be more than willing to help the Avatar. Once you meet him, tell him my best regards." the King suggested.

Wow, seriously this king has a lot of friends from different places! How did he even get to know them?

"I will! Ugh... May I know your name, your majesty? So that I can tell Master Pakku about you."

"My name is Bumi," the King replied.

Wait... Bumi?! Bumi as in, the friend of Aang, Bumi?!

"You must be Aang's friend from 100 years ago!" I exclaimed. The King's eyes suddenly grew wide.

"Ah... So Aang has already told you guys about me?" he asked.

Suddenly the doors opened and his adviser went in and grabbed me by the arm.

"Wait! What? What's going on?"

"I'm afraid you can't reunite with your friends in the meantime." King Bumi said.

"What?! Why?"

"Oh, but you found me out! It would be no fun if Aang finds out about me as well, I wanted to have some fun first," he said.

WHAT?!

"Don't worry, Feng here won't hurt you, he's just going to keep you away. Just until Aang finishes all the three deadly tests I lined up for him." Then he signed for Feng to move me out.

"Those tests, are they really deadly?" I asked.

"Depends, if Aang doesn't end up killing himself in the process," he replied.

He's definitely a crazy King.

"Oh! By the way, you need to give me those letters back." King Bumi said as he swiped the letters out of my hands. I gave him a grumpy face and then he just shrugged at me.

Just then Feng dragged me out of the room. He was pulling me while walking. After a few minutes of walking and a few turns from one hallway to another, he stopped in front of a wall, he earth bent it open and pushed me inside.

"Don't let her meet the Avatar. Keep her as far away as possible." Feng said as he dropped me to the ground. Who is he talking to?

I tried running back to him before he can earthbent the wall back but he was too quick. I bumped my head on the wall and fell to the floor.

"UGH! Let me out of here!" I shouted as I stood up and pounded the wall. Suddenly I heard something move behind me and when I turned around I saw a half-naked guy who was also staring at me with his eyes wide open.

"AH!" both of us shouted.

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-Aang's Point of View-

I was awakened by the sound of the wall being earthbent. I looked around the room and then I noticed that everyone was gone.

"Maya? Katara? Sokka?" I shouted. I heard somebody enter the chamber so I looked back and saw that it was one of the King's soldiers.

"Where are my friends?!" I asked.

"The King will free them if you complete your challenges," he answered.

What?! They're being held captive by the King? What does he want with me really?! And what are these challenges? What if I failed to complete them? Will we be stuck here forever?!

"What if I fail?" I asked the soldier.

"The King didn't say anything about it. Come with me please." The soldier said and then he walked away from the chamber.

I followed behind him and we went back to the throne room where the King was. He was standing in the middle of the room.

"First Avatar... What do you think of my new outfit? I want your honest opinion," he asked. Ugh... It looks, not okay... He looks like a runaway circus performer.

What do I say? Should I tell him that? Would it hurt his feelings if I tell him that his outfit is too much? He does want an honest opinion though...

"I'm waiting..." the King said.

Scrap it. I'll just tell him it's fine.

"I... guess it's fine?"

"Excellent! You passed the first test!" the King exclaimed.

Wait seriously? That's one of the tests?

"Really?" I asked.

"Well, not one of the deadly tests, the real challenges are much more... challenging, " he replied.

I knew it, this King is bluffing with me.

I quickly ran and stopped in front of him.

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR CRAZY GAMES! GIVE ME MY FRIENDS BACK! WE'RE LEAVING!" I shouted right at his face.

"Oh... I thought you might refuse," he said and then suddenly a hole was made in the wall beside us, revealing Sokka, and Katara being held by two soldiers.

But wait! Where's Maya?!

"I will give your friends some special souvenirs," the King said and then the soldiers inserted a ring on Sokka and Katara's finger.

"Those delightful rings are made of pure Jennamite, also called creeping crystal. It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast. By nightfall, your friends will be completely covered in it, " the King said while looking at Sokka and Katara. "Terrible fate really. I can stop it though, but only if you cooperate," he said as he looked at me.

Just then Sokka shouted, "Ah! It's already creeping!" I looked at him and then I looked back at the King.

"I'll do what you want, but first, where is my other friend?" I asked him.

"Oh! You must be talking about Maya. Well, she found out something that wasn't supposed to be found out, so I am keeping her away."

"Tell me where she is!" I shouted.

"Relax young Avatar. You will get to see her again. Well, that is— if you pass the challenges," the King replied.

I let out a sigh before I said, "Alright. Let's get this thing over with. What is the first test?" Then suddenly, the King smiled mischievously back at me.

I hope I won't fail any of the tests. Where could Maya be? What did she find out for her to be locked up? I'm worried about her. Is she okay?

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-Maya's Point of View-

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to peek at you while you're dressing up!" I shouted as I covered my eyes with my hands.

"Ah! No, it's fine, just let me dress up first. Don't peek!" the guy shouted.

"I won't!"

I went silent for a moment while covering my eyes. The room was so quiet that I can hear the sounds of his clothes as he puts them on.

"Uhm... Are you done?" I asked.

"Yup. You can open your eyes now," he answered. I slowly lifted my hands off of my eyes and I saw in front of me a charming guy.

Oh, he's handsome, and not only that, I did get to see his upper body a while back, he's got those muscles going on.

"You must be one of the Avatar's friends. Hi, my name is Balu," he said as he reached out his hand to me.

"Maya. Nice to meet you Balu." I said as I introduce myself, and then I shook his hand.

Oh, wait, I remember now! He's the one who was always following behind the King! Are they related at some point?

"I remember you... You were the one who was always following behind King Bumi." I said.

"Ah... haha yup! I'm his grandson after all," he replied.

"You're the crazy King's grandson?"

"Hey! Grandpa Bumi is not crazy," he argued.

I crossed my arms and raised my brows.

"You need to get your eyes checked," I said.

"No! Seriously, he's not. He's actually the best grandfather, teacher, and friend I have ever had. He just thinks differently than normal people do," he explained with a little laugh in his voice.

"Alright... Alright... I won't argue with that." I said in defeat.

He smiled at me and asked, "So why were you thrown in here?"

"I don't know. For some reason, your grandfather said that I can't join my friends right now because I figured out his name." I grumbled.

He suddenly laughed and then he replied, "Ah I see... You foiled grandfather's plan."

"His plan? What's his plan?"

"Well, you see, the Avatar was Grandpa Bumi's childhood friend back in the day and it seems like the Avatar had forgotten him," he explained.

"Yeah, I know..." I replied.

"So that's why he came up with this set of challenges that will make the Avatar remember him," he continued.

"That's it? That's what the challenges are for?"

"Well... he did say that there is also a purpose for them but I can't really remember..."

I looked at him with a questioning face. He looked at me and then he said, "Well, whatever the reason is for these challenges, you still can't see them."

"So, what? You're going to keep me here in your room?" I asked with a smirk on my face.

"Well then, how about a tour around the palace?"

"No. I need to get back to my friends. We're leaving," I answered.

"Well then, you're staying here. I'm leaving the room," he said and then he earth bent my hands to the ground and opened a hole in the wall.

He started walking outside, but I shouted, "WAIT! Alright! A tour seems okay!"

He looked back at me with a smirk on his face. This guy is teasing me!

"Alright, but I need you to behave. If ever you try to run away from me you're going to be locked up in here," he warned.

I scoffed at him and then I said, "Yeah, whatever. Just, don't leave me here." I answered.

He looked at me with a dashing smile on his face. He let me loose and then we went out of his room. This earth bender... If only you weren't so handsome I would've punched you in the face.