chapter 5 (part 2)

Fade to new scene of a cavern. Camera pans left to reveal Aang standing on a small stone parapet with a waterfall in the background. The cavern floor is covered in stalagmites. In the upper left corner of the screen, King Bumi, the guards and the prisoners stand on a balcony. Crystal already covers the forearms of both. King Bumi laughs.)


King Bumi: It seems I've lost my lunch box key and I'm hungry.


(Cut to a close up shot of a key hanging by a long chain in the middle of the waterfall. A ladder reaches up from the ground of the cavern to about where the key dangles.)


King Bumi: Ooo, there it is. Would you mind fetching it for me?


(Aang jumps into action. Using his airbending skills he bouces from stalagmite to stalagmite. He charges into the waterfall, holding his breath, and begins to climb the ladder. The force of the water stops him from making progress, though.)


King Bumi: Ooo, climbing the ladder. No one's thought of that before.


(Aang loses his grip and is shot out of the waterfall. He is about to get impaled when he recovers and slides between two stalagmites, one foot on the side of each. He breathes a sigh of relief. He looks up at his friends and regains his determination. This time he flies up to the stalactites on the ceiling and is soon looking down at the key. He concentrates, jumps into the waterfall, and is shot right back out, managing to grab onto a stalagmite. Cut to King Bumi and the prisoners. The crystal now covers them up to the shoulder.)


King Bumi: That's right. Keep diving head in, I'm sure it'll work eventually.


(This gives Aang an idea. He breaks off the top of the stalagmite he is holding and throws it at the chain holding the key. Using his airbending skills he makes sure it breaks the chain and carries the bottom part of it along with the key up to the balcony. The tip of the stalagmite embeds itself like a spearhead into the top of the doorway. The key now dangles just over the surprised King's head.)


Aang: There, enjoy your lunch! I want my friends back, now!
King Bumi: Uh, not yet. I need help with another matter. It seems I've lost my pet Flopsy.


(Cut to a fluffy bunny sitting on a rock. The scene expands to show Aang landing in the background.)


Aang: Okay, found him!


(The view expands again to reveal Aang and the bunny in the middle of a shallow arena. King Bumi and the prisoners are at the railing around the top of the arena.)


King Bumi: Bring him to me! Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy!


(Cut to Aang and Flopsy. Behind Aang a huge monster is landing.)


Aang: Come here, Flopsy!


(Aang turns around to face the monster while the bunny squeaks and runs off. The monster crushes a huge boulder in front of Aang. He flips backwards and lands as the bunny runs by him, squealing in terror.)


Aang: Flopsy, wait! Flopsy! Flopsy!


(Aang chases the bunny while the monster chases Aang. Cut to King Bumi, who is cackling maniacally. The bunny runs into a rabbit hole in the wall of the arena. Aang slides up next to it and sticks his hand in the hole. He rummages around, but finds nothing. Meanwhile, the monster closes in. Aang has another idea. He stands up and faces the monster just as it arrives.)


Aang (to monster): Flopsy?


(The monster stops instantly and wags its tail. Flopsy picks Aang up tenderly, making gentle noises. Aang is surprised and starts screaming. He stops when Flopsy gives him a huge lick.)


Aang: Flopsy!


(He rubs Flopsy's head. Flopsy's drops Aang and scales the arena wall in response to King Bumi's o.c. whistling and kissing noises. He flops on back in front of King Bumi. Carnival music begins to play.)


King Bumi: Awww, that's a good boy! Yes, who has a soft belly?


(He begins to rub Flopsy's belly. Flopsy's left leg paws the ground in pleasure. Cut to Aang jumping up onto the railing of the arena. Sarah is in the foreground, covered from head to ankle in crystal. The carnival music stops.)


Aang: Guys, are you ok?
Sarah: Other than the crystal slowly encasing my entire body, doing great.


(Camera pans right to Sokka who is in similar straits. A new length of crystal grows on the left side of Sokka's head. He loses his balance and keels over. Cut to King Bumi rubbing Flopsy's belly.)


King Bumi: Awww, yes.
Aang (looking severe): Come on. I'm ready for the next challenge.
King Bumi: Ahh! Hahaha!


(Fade to next scene with King Bumi still laughing maniacally o.c. The new scene is of an earthbending arena. It is ill-lit and largely featureless except the dirt floor. Cut to two balconies, Aang and King Bumi on one, the prisoners, now encased in crystal except for their faces and feet, on the other.)


King Bumi: Your final test is a duel and as a special treat you may choose your opponent. Point and choose.


(Two enormous gladiator type characters show up to flank King Bumi. The champion on the left is a muscular man with a nasty smile and a huge axe. The champion on the right is a mammoth fighter whoe looks like he relies upon brute strength. Aang is terrified.)


Aang (thinking): So, you're saying whoever I point to, that's the person I get to fight?
King Bumi: Choose wisely.


(Cut to Aang's p.o.v. as the camera ranges between the King and the two champions.)


Aang: I... choose... you! (He is pointing at King Bumi.)
King Bumi: Haha! Wrong choice!


(King Bumi, with some effort, corrects his lumped posture. He dumps his robes to reveal a surprisingly muscular physique for such an old man. He is clearly formidable and Aang recoils, realizing his mistake. The King is also apparently a master earthbender, for he immediately stamps the ground, blowing Aang far out into the arena. He lands in the dust. King Bumi launches himself off the balcony and lands close to Aang. He laughs evilly as the scene cuts to commercial break.)


(Return to a long shot of the arena. Cut to King Bumi staring Aang down.)


King Bumi: You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see.
Aang: Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?
King Bumi: There are no 'take-back-sees' in my kingdom. You might need this!


(King Bumi motions to a guard who throws Aang his staff. King Bumi immediately launches several boulders at him which Aang dodges.)


King Bumi: Typical airbender tactic: avoid and evade. I'd hoped the Avatar would be less predictable.


(He launches another boulder at Aang, who dodges and launches himself into the air.)


King Bumi: Don't you have any surprises for me? Sooner or later, you'll have to strike back.


(The King launches another stone at Aang which misses, but explodes upon impacting the ceiling of the arena. The debris knocks Aang to the ground and he loses his staff as he falls. Aang gets back up as King Bumi begins walking around. With each turn he makes a huge pillar of rock block Aang's path. One of them catches Aang in the gut as it rises into the air.)


King Bumi: Oh, you'll have to be a little more creative than that!


(Aang jumps off the pillar, riding one of his famous airballs. He rides the wall of the arena and approaches the King from his right. He launches a huge gale at his opponent, who blocks it with a sheet of stone raised from the floor of the arena. Cut to the King emerging from behind the stone shield, a smile on his face. The carnival music plays again.)


King Bumi: Did someone leave the windows open? It feels a little drafty in here! (Screen zooms to a close up of the King, who drops his smile.) Are you hoping I'll catch a cold?


(Cut to Aang dropping off his airball and a quick cut back to the King, who kicks over the stone sheet and begins to raise it on earth dug out of the arena's surface. He shoots the earth underneath the stone sheet at Aang which knocks him over. The King strikes the ground with his fist, sending a shock wave through the arena surface right at Aang. The Avatar flips backwards and avoids the shock wave, but now is close to the rear wall of the arena.)


King Bumi: How are you going to going to get me from way over there?


(Aang looks determined and begins to run to his opponent. Cut to King Bumi who uses the side of his foot to dash the earth. The ground around Aang becomes quicksand and he falls in. The King raises two boulders and sends them to smash the struggling Aang. He escapes just in time as the rocks smash together. Aang jumps straight at his opponent, unleashing a blast of wind that knocks him and the stone sheet he stands upon back against the wall of the arena. The King raises one of the boulders from where he had just failed to crush Aang and pulled it back towards him at frightening speed. The Avatar sees it just in time and does a backflip that barely allows him to get up and over the flying boulder. The boulder of course moves on to almost crush the King, but he breaks it into many pieces as it reaches him. With tremendous effort, King Bumi tears the entire gate area of the arena out of the ground and holds it over his head. Aang screams in terror and begins to run in circles, creating a tornado. The King throws the massive earth mound, but the tornado grabs it and throws it back at him. As it reaches King Bumi he bisects it neatly in two. Aang appears between the rock pieces and pins the King with his staff. The King smiles and looks up. Cut to Aang who also looks up as a little piece of rock bounces off his head. Overhead hovers one of the two halves of rock, ready to crush them both.)


King Bumi: Hehe! Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart.


(The King throws the rock to the side of the arena. He then falls backwards into the floor, disappearing and leaving a Bumi shaped hole. Aang is flabbergasted.)


Aang: Huh?


(Cut to the prisoners. A hole opens up in the floor of the balcony and the King emerges, the hole closing instantly beneath him. Aang, using his staff as a helicopter blade, lands on the balcony.)


King Bumi: You've passed all my tests. Now, you must answer one question.
Aang: That's not fair! You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests.
King Bumi: Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?
Sokka: Oh come on!
King Bumi: Answer this one question and I will set your friends free. (Cut to a close up of King Bumi's face) What... is my name? (Cut to Aang, who does not have a ready answer.) From the looks of your friends, I'd say you only have a few minutes. (Exit King Bumi.)
Aang: How am I supposed to know his name?
Sarah: Think about the challenges, maybe it's some kind of riddle.
Sokka: I got it!
Aang: Yeh?
Sokka: He's an earthbender, right? Rocky! (Silence, followed by a cough in the background.) You know, because of all the rocks?
Sarah: We're gonna keep trying, but that is a good backup.
Aang: Okay, so back to the challenges. I got a key from the waterfall. I saved his pet and I had a duel.
Sarah: And what did you learn?
Aang: Well, everything was different than I expected.
Sarah (a piece of crystal growing into her cheek): And...?
Aang: Well, they weren't straightforward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I usually would. (Realization sweeping his features.) I know his name!
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2046 word count

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