The One Who Collects

Adam was laying on the desert ground, and the bright and hot sun beamed down at him. Aerin walked up to him and kicked him.

"Time to wake up, it is already the afternoon and you are still sleeping? How can you still sleep under this bright and hot sun?" Aerin asked, looking down at Adam.

"I couldn't sleep..." Adam said weakly.

"You were so excited about leaving this desert you couldn't sleep?" Aerin asked confusedly.

"No. I had to listen to something talk all night, disturbing my sleep. No matter how much I tried to make it shut up, it kept talking." Adam said while standing up. "Where are the rest?"

"Adam is hunting for some sand sharks since they normally come out at the hottest point of the day. Agate is reading books. While Aaron is helping Adam hunt sand sharks. They are looking for a strong and big sand shark to help move around the desert easily. Who was talking to you all night?" Aerin said, following behind Adam.

"My self, I was talking to myself." Adam replied. 

"You are crazy. Talking to your self all night, that crazy." Aerin said, shocked.

"I will act like I didn't hear that. Can you use earth-bending to make a window that can block the central tower window?" Adam asked. He walked into the library and walked straight to the throne room.

"Yes. Can't you do it yourself?" Adam asked, following behind Adam.

"Yes, but I have something else to do. When you are done, meet me in the throne room." Adam said while running toward the throne room.

Adam sat on and waited. After some minutes, Aerin came in.

"Why do you need the top window covering? Did you have the same idea as me? To move the library underground using sand-bending while covering that window? I knew you were smart enough to think of that. Now, when should we start?" Aerin asked while walking toward the steps. He suddenly stopped and move back. 'Won't want that happening a third time. The last time I tried climbing the steps with my newfound strength and earth bending, I could have died, if not because of Adan. That was painful. Good thing I protected my face.' He thought, stepping back and touching his face.

"Yes, we should start now. You go out of the castle and use sand-bending to pull the library underground with sand-bending, while I hold the castle together, with earth-bending from here. Tell Agate to leave the library." Adam said while thinking, 'Why didn't I think of that. I am stupid.'

"Ok, but how will you leave when it is underground?" Aerin asked.

"I will use sand-bending to move through the sand, to the surface. When you are ready, send a knowledge seeker to inform me." Adam said as he sat in a meditation position.

"Ok. I will be going now." He said as he walked out of the room.

[Why do you need him? You can just say you could move it by controlling the castle as usual. With his current earth bending, he can't move the whole castle underground you know? Or maybe he can, but It will take about 10 minutes.]

'It easier to live it like this.'

After some time, a knowledge seeker came into the library. Adam waited sometime before he felt something trying to pull the library down. He helped by using his connection to move it down. Since Aerin won't be able to do it alone. It took them three minutes to finally put the whole library, except the centra tower top window, underground. It could have taken Adam 10 to 15 seconds to put it underground but he had to move close to Aerin pace, to make it feel like he is the one moving it.

He moved toward the central tower and left through the window, he then put the fake window, which was created by Aerin, on the window and mend it with earth-bending. He helped Aerin, secretly, but the rest of the library underground. 

"We got five big sand sharks to help us move out of the desert. They were easy to tame, all I had to do is beat them. It was a glorious battle." Aaron said, walking toward Adan, Aerin, and Agate with five sand sharks 'swimming' behind him. Adan was on top of the one closer to Aaron.

"We don't need them," Adam said looking at one the sand sharks, 'Z, show me their statue.'

{

Name: Sand shark

PL: 621 [ Physical: 500 {Body: 601}{Martial art: 20} | Galdura: 0]

Abilities: Sand swimming(MAX), Heat resistance(MAX){Heat effect greatly reduced}

Age: 9 Years

Soul Statue: N/A

Body Statue: Hungry{Eat}, in pain{Stop feeling pain}, crying{calm down}

}

'Low stats compared to mine, but the sand swimming is good. Maybe I can learn it by swimming in sand. No point in it thou. The sand sharks look normal but it is actually crying? Wow, I need to learn from them how to not show too much facial expression.'

"Huh? Why?" Agate asked, walking toward a sand shark and observing it.

"We will race. First to reach the end of the desert will get to give the other four, one command each which they must do. Of course, I will only use my air bending and my body, since it wouldn't be fair if I used all my bending. Eat and rest because it will take approximately three days to reach the end of the desert from here, how I know this is none of your concern, so we will be racing for about three days. During the race, anything goes but no hitting in the balls or on the neck. When everyone is ready, we will start." Adam walked toward the sand sharks and realized them because he has no need for them.

"A race? This will be fun. I will show you guys what my muscles are capable of. I will win. I will command Aerin to scratch his face, Agate to cut off his d.i.c.k, Adam to stop using all his bending, and Adan to stop using fire-bending." Adan said loudly while laughing.

"In your dreams Aaron. I will win with only my competition being Adam." Adan said tapping Aaron's shoulder.

"We will have to wait and see. As Adam said, 'Anything goes but no hitting in the balls or on the neck.', So I can just freeze you all." Agate said while grinning.

"Like the sand sharks, I can just swim in the sand, so you guys can't touch me while I can touch you all. I will have a smooth win." Aerin said while lying on the ground. 

"You all know who is going to win, so why are we still arguing? I am going to win even if I am only going to use air bending. Now I am going to sleep so don't disturb me." Adam said, laying down on the ground. Once his head touched the ground, he fell asleep. He woke up soon after because Z kept talking.

[Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up...]

"I AM UP!" Adam shouted while sitting up.

"No one asked if you are awake. Stop talking to yourself man." Adan said, looking over to Adam from his sleeping position on a sand bed.

Adam looked around and saw everyone else sleeping under the hot sun with him. Aerin made a bed made out of hard sand for himself, Adan, Agate, and Aaron. He was the only one sleeping on the ground. "Why are you guys sleeping out here? Why don't you sleep inside the library? Also, why didn't you guys make a bed for me?" 

"You forgot that you and Aerin put the library under the sand and sleeping out here is also comfortable for me I don't know about the rest. As for your bed... Well, we didn't want to disturb your sleep and you seem to be enjoying yourself. *Yawn* Why did you wake up early?" Adan asked sleepily.

"I dreamt of someone telling me to wake up. You can go back to sleep now." Adam stood up, made a bed for himself, and laid on it. 'What do you want?'

"Weirdo." Adan said then went back to sleep.

[I want to explain the point gain system.]

'That it? That's why you woke me up? You couldn't wait till I woke to tell me?'

[I did wait till you woke up. Now you are awake, let me explain. You will gain points depending on how valuable it is to me not you. Like if you bring the sword Excalibur and I don't think it is valuable, you will get fewer points than if I think it is valuable.]

'That it? And what if you cheat me?'

[Yes and I won't cheat lower being like you.]

'Ok, can I go to sleep?'

[Yeah.]

...

..

.

[Fun fact: A woman was elected to Congress before women's suffrage. Did you ever know this?]

'I already know this. Why don't you want me to sleep?'

[When you bought the thing that increases your lifespan by a hundred years, you don't need to drink, eat, or sleep. You only need energy.]

'How do I gain energy?'

[You gain energy by eating, drinking, and sleeping. Hmm, interesting. Ok, you can go to sleep. I mean, you are going to need the energy to do my assignment.]

'OK.'

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yawn. That was a good sleep." Adam said while sitting up.

"Adam, you are finally awake. We were waiting for you to wake up for hours." Adan said. He was still laying on his sand bed.

"Damn, I wanted to slap him awake." Agata said. He was standing right next to Adam, with his hand raised.

"How long did I sleep for?" Adam said while sitting upon his bed.

"The time candle showed 3 p.m when I went to sleep. Guessing that you slept no later than me, and it is now 6 a.m the next day, you slept for fifteen hours. We didn't wake you up because Aerin said you didn't sleep last night." Agate replied, sitting on Adam's bed. "When shall we begin. I can't wait to leave you guys in my ice."

"That a bad joke. Now, we will begin on top of that sand dune. Let go." Adam said. As he walked toward the top of the dune. 

At the of the dune, they could not help but admire the sunrise. This was truly a magical moment: the intensity of everyone, the deep silence, the sand slowly changing colors, becoming brighter and brighter and the sun reaching their skin and warming their whole body…

"Beautiful. This is what is called beauty. I want to see beauty like this every day." Aerin said with his hands spread open, laughing maniacally.

[This is how he will become overly obsessed with beauty that he may even kill his wife if she becomes ugly.]

'You think so?'

[Yeah. You will see in the future.]

'That will be a problem. I don't want him trying to kill me because I am ugly or something like that.'

[That your problem.]

'I just thought of something.' He thought then said, "We should make a name for our group. What should it be?" Adam asked.

"We should be called the five great benders. It sounds cool." Agate said.

"That too straight forward and Aaron is not a bender. We should be called the five As. For our name initial. That not too straight forward." Adan said while stretching.

"We should be called The A Brothers. Now, that is better." Aerin said, jumping up and down, warming up.

"We are The A Brothers. Agate is the brain of the group. You will help with knowledge and most of the questions asked by the group will be answered by you since you are the smartest. Adan is the strategist of the group. You need to understand the nature of our team's long term goal and invents an innovative plan to achieve it. Aerin will be our tactician. You will come up with plans to carry out Adan's strategy. Aaron is the muscle of the group. Anything that needs strength will mostly be done by you. I will be the group leader. This means anything I say is final. Is that good?" Adam said while stretching.

"Yeah. You are already our leader so there is no difference, but not everything you say will be final. Sometimes we will have a vote or you will have to explain why you say what you said. That good." Adan said.

"That ok. I agree with you." Adam said.

"Yeah. We are now officially called The A Brothers. I will like to see our future." Aaron said grinning.

"There will be a rule. No betrayal will be accepted even if it is because of love. Those who betray the group will be hunted down by the rest of the group and be tortured personally by me. But this doesn't mean you can't fall in love, but you will have to put your brothers over your lover. It may be hard at first but you will quickly get used to it. Like how we don't like the desert when we first came here, but now we don't hate, at least that what I think." Adam said seriously.

[That rule is harsh. Put someone else before your lover, not anyone can do that.]

"I agree with this rule. We are all family now." Aaron said.

"Yeah, what he said." Aerin said.

"I agree too. With this rule, our group will be more stable. I also don't like betrayal. I remember that old man that betrayal me after he told me to steal something for him. I was sent to prison in the fire nation for 3 years. Those years were harsh. If I see him again, I will send him to you, Adam, so you could use him for practice." Adam said.

"I also agree. No female is going to fall in love with me because I look better than them." Agate said and whispered to Adan beside him "What do he mean torture?"

"He said he will start torturing people because it will be easier to gain information. He is crazy." Adan whispered back.

"Agate is finally accepting his appearance. Agate, do you know what is a boy-girl." Adam asked, looking toward Agate direction.

"No, I don't." Agate answered.

"A boy-girl is a boy that looks like a girl. A girl-boy is a girl that looks like a boy. From now on I will be calling you a boy-girl, Boy-girl." Adan said grinning.

"You... I don't care because when I win this race, I will just command you not to call me a boy-girl." Agate said angrily.

"We should start now." Adam said then brought out a candle and lit it, then stuck it on the sand, "When the candlelight gets blown out by the wind, the race will begin. I won't use air bending so the starting time completely random. We also have to pay careful attention because the wind can put it out anytime."

They waited while staring intensely at the candle. No one blinked because if the blink, that maybe when the candle goes out.

*WOSH*

The race has begun.

Agate froze the particles around him, utilizing it to create an ice slide which he can use to get around much faster. He also used his ice bending powers to continuously propel himself on the slide to increase his speed by placing one hand behind him to push himself along. Agate can also extend the slide while propelling himself along by freezing the particles in front of him while being on the ice slide.

Adan conjured a huge amount of flame from his legs and palm to push himself at high speeds through the air. He also covered himself in a thin layer of fire to protect himself from the G-force. He could only keep this layer of fire for 4 hours, so he has to slow down every 4 hours for 30 minutes.

Aerin covered himself with sand and dove into the sand. He then uses sand-bending to push himself forward under the sand. This allows it to move through the sand with relative ease. He sometimes leaps out of the sand to breathe, but he only does this every 3 hours, since he can hold his breath comfortably for 3 hours.

Adam controlled the air currents around his body to fly at high speed through the air which also acts as a barrier that strong enough to withstand a high-velocity impact.

With a strong stomp, Aaron blasted himself forward with his strength. 

During the first day of the race, nothing happened. They ran without disturbing each other. Adam was first, Adan was second, Agate was third, Aaron was forth, and Aerin was last. Aerin was last because it was his first time sand swimming.

During the second day, when Agate stopped to rest, Aerin came out of the sand and punched Agate on the stomach, up to the air. He then jumped up and kicked Agate on the head, down to the ground. This created an impact crater on the ground with a large amount of dust flowing around it. He did it so quickly that Agate couldn't react. As he was coming down, he landed on Agate's stomach which caused Agate to spit out a mouth full of blood. He then dove down into the sand and left. This caused Agate to not be able to be in the race for a long time.

He tried to do the same thing to Aaron but he forgot that Aaron is physically stronger than him. As he came out of the ground to punch Aaron, Aaron caught him by his head and slammed it on the ground. He picked him by his leg and threw him up in the air. Aerin became angry that Aaron messed up his face. He used sand to immobilizes Aaron and captures him. Aaron tried to struggle free, but the struggle was futile because the sand was flexible. Aerin laughed and tried to crush Aaron in the sand prison, but Aaron managed to get free at the last moment and punched him on his temple, knocking him out. Aaron checked if he was dead and when he saw he wasn't, he kept running.

While Adan was flying through the air, Aaron appeared behind him. He created a long lash of Fire, from his left foot, and brought it down on Adam. Adam dodged and sent multiple crescent-shaped constructs of solidified air toward Adan. 

Adan created a wipe of flame from his light fist to wipe the crescent-shaped air away. Adam then flew toward Adan covering his fist with air, ready to punch Adan. Adan quickly created multiple disks of fire and sent it toward Adam. Adam also sent his crescent-shaped air toward Adan fire disks. When they collided, it caused an explosion and created a small smoke cloud, covering them. Adam wanted to end it quickly, so he created massive tornadoes that surrounded both of them. Adan covered himself with fire and quickly flew backward, out of the tornado range While Adam flew out of the tornado safety. Adan flew around the tornado cursing under his breath. 

The tornado only went on for three hours but because of the tornado, a sand storm was formed. The strong dry wind blew over the desert and raised and carries along clouds of sand or dust that was so dense as to obscure the sun and reduce visibility almost to zero.

This helped Aerin because he could now swim through the sandstorm by using dust-bending and sand-bending. Even if he went on his fastest speed, he couldn't catch up to either Adan or Adam, who wasn't slowed down by the sand storm. Because of the sandstorm, Agate had to slide slower so he could freeze the sand around him as he slides. This created a path of ice inside the sandstorm for him. Aaron also didn't slow down and kept running because the sand storm didn't do much harm to him.

The sandstorm didn't end on the third day, but they all left the range of the sandstorm. No one disturbed each other except Adan that kept attacking Adam from afar since he couldn't catch up. It got annoying to Adam so he just sped up and Adan couldn't attack him anymore. Agate didn't attack Aaron but he kept putting walls of ice in front of him. Even if Aaron could just punch or run through the ice wall, it still slowed him down.

During the evening of the third day, Adam finished the race, being the first. He slumped down to the floor and slept. Twelve minutes after Adam, Adan finished the race, being second. He sat next to Adam and slept. One hour after Adan, Aerin finished the race, being third. He climbed up a tree and slept.

Three hours later, Agate finished at being fourth place. He slept next to Adan. Two seconds after Agate, Aaron finished. He slumped down to the floor and slept.

And thus they all slept.

*The next day*

"I am out. See you guys in three years. Don't forget the winning price. I have not yet thought of what you guys should do, so be happy." Adam said while giving out hug.

"Dues. We should do this race again, it was really fun even if I got the last place." Aaron said while giving out brotherly hug.

"Yeah, it was fun. I can finally use my ice slide comfortably." Agate said also given out hug.

"We will meet again and I will win the next race." Adan said, giving out hug.

"I will win next time and I will make Aaron cut off his hands." Aerin said furiously.

After they finish their good buys, Adam flew away. Aaron runs off with Aerin, who was still furious, toward Ba Sing Se. Agate uses ice slide to slide north, toward the northern tribe. And Adan flew toward the fire nation.