A/N: New fic that will follow an episode from ATLA from another character's perspective.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Title: Chapter 1: Imprisoned, Haru
Rating: T for language
With his feet flat against the earth, he breathed deeply, putting forth all his concentration on his surroundings—the boulders lying on the ground, the curves of the canyon's edges, and the complete solitude.
Earthbenders must be observant. An unaware earthbender is a defeated earthbender.
He deepened his knees and thrust the rock away from his body. Keeping his stance firm, he swiveled clockwise, never taking his eyes off the rock as it moved with him in a slow and steady circle. And then he dropped it.
He turned back around and picked up another rock. This time he lifted it up as high as his mere strength could carry. But then it snapped. The rock was sailing back down towards the earth and was going to crash in Haru's face. But Haru was quicker.
Earthbenders listen and wait for the right time to attack.
Haru took a deep breath, and right when any bystander would think the boulder was going to crush him, he snapped his wrist upwards, and the boulder disintegrated.
He smiled. He'd done it! He jumped and pumped one fist in the air. But he wasn't done yet.
He took a deep stance once more and rammed a boulder into the side of the canyon. It boomed! against the silent air, but Haru knew no one was around to catch him. This time, he picked up two boulders with two different hands. Splitting his mind like that was difficult, but he managed it for a while. His footing began to slip, and he was struggling with breathing. But he just wanted to see if he could—
"Hello there, I'm Katara! What's your name?"
Haru panicked and dropped both boulders just inches from his feet. He looked over his shoulder at the direction the voice came from, and he noticed a small girl standing before him.
Crap, he muttered. He made a run for it. He leaped through the canyon, using the earth to support him. Then, with just a flick of each wrist, two clusters of boulders piled into the central pass, blocking his intruder from following him. But that didn't stop him from running. The last time he'd run this fast was—never mind. Don't think about that, he reminded himself.
Once he'd made it to the edge of town, he slowed. Running in the city would look suspicious, plus he didn't have much left in him. He slumped against the side of a building and caught his breath. He couldn't go home panting. If his mom even suspected where he'd been and what he'd been doing—Haru didn't think she'd let him eat for weeks!
He steadied his breath—just how his father had taught him and straightened up. He had to think quickly. His mother was going to question where he'd been.
He could go get a bag of feed for the animals. That would be a good use of time, he supposed. The food market was on the other side of the village. But then a Fire Navy officer stole the feed from him! That's why he was coming home empty handed! He began to walk towards his house.
Haru sighed. Lying to his mother always left him feeling down. He wanted to be honest, but he didn't want to cause her unneeded worry, either. It wasn't fair to ask him not to earthbend! He'd tried for weeks, but he'd thought he was betraying his father by giving up his bending. Denying a part of himself was not something he could ever do. He refused.
And putting unnecessary worry into his mother's mind was pointless. Haru knew he was being safe. Nobody had ever seen him where the river and forest meet. It would all be fine.
…except for today… a voice in Haru's mind reminded him.
But Haru sent it away. He'd never even seen that girl before. She didn't live in his village, and he'd probably never see her again. A good thing, too. The last thing he needed was to be turned into the Fire Nation. That would break his mother's heart. He couldn't do that to her.
He hadn't realized how far he'd walked, he'd been so preoccupied. His home was just two doors away. He was able to make the distance in three long strides, and opened the door to his mother, standing behind the counter of their shop.
"Hi Mom," he greeted with a smile. Act natural, he told himself.
"Where have you been, Haru? It's getting late!" his mother told him, her voice laden with anxiety and fret.
"I–" Haru began, but his mother cut him off.
"Get started on your chores," she said sternly and turned her back to him. Haru sighed and was just reaching to pick up a broom when the door opened. Rays of golden-red light from the sunset flooded the dim room.
"Hey."
That voice…
"You're that kid. Why'd you run away before?"
Haru's voice clung to his throat. This was bad. This was very very bad. He calmed his breathing the way his father had instructed, and faced the intruder.
"Erm, you must have me confused with some other kid," he offered. Even he could tell how weak his voice sounded. He never was a good liar. And how could he not remember that girl? She was… well, memorable.
"No she doesn't," two boys had joined the girl – one bald and the other looked just like her; they must have been related—cousins or siblings maybe. The shorter, bald one had stated plainly, then added. "We saw you earthbending."
Haru's stomach flipped, and he thought he may be sick. His mother didn't skip a beat. She raced to the door and slammed it shut. She closed the blinds forcefully, and turned to her son. Haru gulped.
"They saw you doing what?" she gasped, horrified.
Haru had to think fast on his feet. "They're crazy, Mom! I mean, look at how their dressed!"
Haru wanted to punch himself in the face. What a stupid thing to say. A completely unearthbender, ridiculous thing to say.
An earthbender should not act radically or impulsively. He must plan his move, his opponent's move, and his own counter move before striking even once.
And his mother wasn't buying it. She crossed the room to go towards him.
"You know how dangerous that is! You know what would happen if they caught you earthbending!"
And at the exact mention of them, a heavy, resounding knock was heard from the other side of the thin door. "Open up!" a deep and stiff voice called.
The brother-boy intruder went to inspect. "Fire nation," he gasped. "Act natural."
Haru thought for a moment. If these three weren't Fire Nation, what on earth were they doing here? Who were these strangers?
Mother went to open the door. The soldier nearly knocked her over when he forcefully entered their shop.
"What do you want? I've already paid you this week."
That's right, Mom. Tell him.
"The tax just doubled," Haru noticed the soldier's sly smile as he spoke. "Wouldn't want an accident, would we?"
He immediately formed a fireball between his fingertips. He played with it as it flapped in his hands.
"Fire is sometimes so hard to control…"
Haru took a step back. Despite how much he wanted to spit in this coward's face, he knew who had the power. He knew he needed to be patient.
His mother offered the solider a few measly coins, and he laughed. The bastard laughed at how poor they were. It took all Haru's strength not to earthbend a rock to his face.
He left soon after, showing himself out. It was the older boy who first spoke.
"Nice guy. How long has the Fire Nation been here?"
"Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships."
Haru couldn't contain his hatred. "They're thrugs," he spat. "They steal from us, and everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it."
"Quiet, Haru. Don't talk like that," his mother warned. Haru knew she'd say that. Haru knew who had the power in this village. He just didn't like it.
"But, Haru's an earthbender. He can help!" the girl spoke, her voice full of enthusiasm.
"Earthbending is forbidden. It's caused nothing but misery for this village. He must never use his abilities," his mother ended with a fierce gaze at him. Haru turned his head. He didn't want to hear it.
"How can you say that? Haru has a gift!" the girl argued. Haru couldn't help but smile at her defiance. She reminded him of someone very special to him. "Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend. It's part of who we are!"
So that answered Haru's first question regarding these strangers: they were Water Tribe.
"You don't understand," his mother stated, helplessly. Haru agreed. Fire Nation soldiers had clearly not invaded their village yet. They had far too much hope for a war that they were rapidly losing.
"I understand that Haru can help you fight back!" the girl—Katara, was it?—argued. Haru downcast his gaze; he didn't want any part of this conversation. He'd heard it too many times already. "What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?"
Bad move, Katara, Haru wanted to say.
"They could take Haru away!" his mother shrieked. "Like they took his father."
Haru turned his back to everyone in the room. He couldn't handle this. Not today.
Earthbenders are strong. You, Haru, must be strong. For yourself and for those around you.
He could hear the girl's voice from behind him. It was softer now. Quieter and more gentle.
"I… I didn't…"
Haru crossed the room to go to his mother. He held her as she cried into his chest. "It's okay, Mom."
Haru was so focused on his mother's tears that he hadn't noticed the three strangers had let themselves out.
"I'll never earthbend again, Mom," he told her and held her tighter. "Never."
His mother pulled away, and began to wipe her eyes. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Haru." She smiled softly. "I know what earthbending meant to you and your father."
Haru offered her a small smile, too, and said, "Do you want me to make some tea?"
"No, no, I'll be fine. Best to save all the water for necessity, not pleasure. But you know what you can do?"
Haru listened for his mother's request.
"I want you to find those travelers. Invite them to spend the night. I sense they are travelling with great purpose…" her mother looked out the window as her voice trailed off. Haru wasn't quite sure what she meant by "great purpose". They just looked like random strangers to Haru; albeit they were dressed a little funky. The bald kid had tattoos all over his body. And he couldn't have been older than 10 or 12. He wasn't quite sure what a group of three kids were doing so far from their home, but he would listen to his mother and find them.
"Of course, Mom," Haru kissed his mother on the forehead and departed their home. He looked left and right, but it appeared that the three strangers had vanished. They couldn't have gotten that far, right?
He decided to walk along the markets. If they were travelling, they would need food and supplies to continue their journey. He passed the fruit stand and the bakery—not having any luck there—and then continued on to the clothing markets and the jewelry stores. He walked the length of the market twice, but found none of them. He had to think.
Eartbenders are strategical and practical. They know their strengths and weaknesses, and know how to incorporate both into battle.
Haru didn't have a hawk's eye for this task, so he decided to go back to where he had first met the trio – at the grove between the forest and the river. He broke into a sprint but without the panic-driven adrenaline to support him, it seemed like a much longer run this time. He had to slow down once he could see the trench in the distance. He made a mental note to work on his running.
He lightly jogged the rest of the way, and looked around for the three newcomers. He put himself back in the mind of his earthbending, and took stance at what he had been doing earlier that day. His back was facing the river… the voice had emerged from the forest… he turned left to look at it… right there! he pointed with his finger at a split in the trees. That must have been where the girl emerged from.
He ran into the forest, and looked left and right. If he had been travelling, he would have wanted to stay close by the river. It's an easy water source. So he headed left.
"Katara!" he called at into the solitude. There was no answer. Haru thought again. They couldn't be too far if they heard him earthbending earlier. Perhaps if he kept pressing forward, he would—
He suddenly heard laughter coming from a little to his right. He ran forward and peaked around a tree just in time to see the bald kid chasing a lemur up a tree and then the both of them tumbling back down.
"Hey there!" he called out, and the bald one looked towards him, the lemur perched oddly on his left shoulder.
"Hi!"
"Aang who are you—oh! hi, Haru!" it was Katara. She'd emerged from the trees to see Aang talking to him.
"Hey, Katara," Haru smiled weakly. He hadn't realized how awkward this would be; he'd been very rude back at his home.
"What are you doing here? Did something happen? Is anything wrong?" she sounded concerned, and Haru didn't know how to handle her worry.
"Er—no, no nothing like that. I wanted to just, erm, apologize. We didn't exactly meet under the best circumstances," Haru felt heat crawling into his cheeks, and he tried to prevent the blood flow. He didn't want them to think he was nervous.
"You want to apologize? We were the ones who followed you into your shop! You don't have anything to apologize for."
"I wasn't very polite when you first introduced yourself. You caught me off guard. Being a waterbender, you must understand the importance of hiding your bending. I was just surprised. Then back in my shop… I'm sorry for being unhospitable. I try to stop my mother from worrying about me, but I find it difficult when the only thing that would work is to quit bending," he wasn't really sure why he felt the need to explain himself.
"Anyways, I wanted to make it up to you. I'd like to offer you a place to stay for the night."
The girl opened her mouth to speak, but the bald child spoke first. He had just joined his conversation with Katara. "We appreciate the invitation, but will have to decline. See, we aren't travelling alone."
"I don't understand," Haru stated quizzically.
The young boy smirked. "Follow me," he said with a gesture of his arm—the one without the perched lemur. Haru followed him just a little deeper into the forest. After a few paces, he turned his head over his shoulder to face Haru. "I'm Aang by the way. It was nice to meet you earlier!"
"Erm, thanks. It was great meeting you, too," Haru tried to smile, but he was afraid it came out like a painful grimace.
He turned back around, and moved a low branch out of the way. Haru stepped under it, and blinked his eyes into focus. It was much brighter in this clearing by the water. The shade that the trees provided had been nice.
When he opened his eyes, he felt his head spin. Standing just 10 feet from him was a beast! A horrible, monstrous beast! It had six legs, and striped fur. Huge horns sat on its massive head, and its tail probably weighed two tons!
"Spirits!" he muttered under his breath and took two steps back. His companions, however, didn't even seem surprised. In fact upon closer inspection, Haru realized that the tan boy was pulling a rolled up sleeping bag off the beast's saddle.
Wait, saddle?
Haru's analytical mind made implausible connections. There was no way these three children had this furry monster as a pet.
"Sokka!" Katara moved past him and greeted her friend. The tan boy jumped from the sudden noise, and both of his hands spazzed. He released the sleeping bag he was tugging, and his body plummeted down the tail of the monster. He landed on the ground with his feet raised over his head, and twisted his body around so he could stand up. He looked like a caterpillar trying to stand up on its tail. He finally managed, after much strenuous effort, and he stood up to look at his sister.
"Katara! Were you trying to kill me?"
The bald one—Aang, right?—and Katara both giggled at the other. Haru felt bad, but he too found it difficult to suppress his laugh.
"I'm sorry, Sokka," Katara said through laughs. "I was just trying to get your attention."
The boy Sokka was now standing directly in front of them. He appeared to have not even noticed Haru's presence. "Well, what is it? I'm kinda tryin' to hurry here. The sun's gonna set soon."
"Haru here offered us a place to stay tonight," Katara informed him. Sokka seemed to notice Haru for the first time.
"Oh," he said and surveyed Haru. "Well, that's not gonna work. We can't leave Appa here."
"Is that Appa?" Haru asked, gesturing the gigantic beast.
"That's right," Katara smiled.
"And Appa is a…?" Haru prompted, seeing no one was keen on including him on this fact.
"A flying bison," Aang stated.
"A flying... a flying bison… right, of course," Haru muttered, mostly to himself.
"Right, so as you can see, Haru, we really appreciate your invitation, but we'll have to decline."
"Actually…" Haru began, stringing thoughts together in his head. Three pairs of beady eyes turned to him. He felt the heat crawling up his neck again, but he pressed on. "Well, you can bring Appa."
"Really?" Aang nearly yelled. He seemed so excited that his pet was included in the invitation. Haru shrugged. He knew Appa could easily fit in their barn. What did it matter?
"Yeah, of course. But we better hurry. My mother has a tendency to start worrying."
"We should take Appa," Katara suggested. "It's quicker than walking."
Haru stared at her. "Erm—" he began.
"Good idea, Katara! We'll just fly into the village crawling with Fire Nation. What an excellent plan!" the tan boy, Sokka, said with so much sarcasm in his voice that Haru wanted to say something to him. But, he bit his tongue.
"Do you have a better idea, all-knowing Sokka?" Katara shot back at him. Haru felt himself smirk.
Sokka said nothing in response. Silence lasted for an uncomfortable amount of time while the quartet thought of a solution. It was Haru who spoke first.
"There's a back way to the village. That goes through the forest. I wouldn't usually take it because…. well, nevermind. We shouldn't have any problems."
"Great! Let's go," Aang smiled.
They set off away from the river toward the back of Haru's house. The journey wasn't long, and they even made it to the house before sunset. They approached the barn.
"My mom says you can stay here tonight," Haru opened the door for his guests. Sixteen feet marched into the stable, but Haru stayed behind in the doorway.
The three expressed their gratitude, and Haru turned to leave when Katara spoke.
"My canteen! Oh no, I must have forgotten it back at camp."
"Let's go back for it," Aang piped up.
"No, it's probably not there anymore," Haru couldn't help but notice how defeated the girl looked when she said this. He felt her pain mixed with his own. So, he spoke.
"I'll go back for it. I've never seen people where you all were camped. I'm sure it's still there."
"That's very sweet of you, Haru, but I couldn't ask you to do that. And you'll have no idea where I left it," Katara told him with a sweet smile.
"Then the both of you should go back," Aang piped up. "Sokka and I will help Haru's mother around the house."
"That's very kind of you. My mother will appreciate your help," Haru smiled his gratitude.
"Well, if you're sure, Aang. Let's go," she turned to Haru, and the two descended through the forest again.
They had only just been ensconced by the trees when Haru smiled at Katara. "Do you want to see something?"
Katara, though a little stricken, nodded. He felt his own smile widen and picked up his pace. "Follow me," he said.
They walked due east, while Katara's old campsite lay south, and travelled through the dense forest silently. Then, Katara finally spoke. Her voice stumbled a bit at first, but she gained her confidence shortly after.
"I… I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't know about your father."
Haru was shocked by how she decided to start a conversation. He didn't need her apology, but he'd wanted it—something he hadn't known himself until this very moment.
"That's okay," he told her sincerely. Another silence took over, and Haru searched his mind for something to say. Something to make sure that Katara knew he wasn't lying.
"It's funny. The way you were talking back in the store… it reminded me of him."
The girl smiled softly, "Thanks."
"My father was very courageous. When the Fire Nation invaded, he and the other earthbenders were outnumbered ten to one, but they fought back anyway." Haru couldn't help the words spilling from his mouth. He loved talking about his father. Loved how proud it made him feel to call him his dad.
"He sounds like a great man."
They had just approached a clearing. Haru continued his pace forwards, but Katara stayed behind. The clearing overlooked the magnificent kingdom of Earth. You could see for miles. Haru knelt down, and stared out at the array of warm, vibrant colors that stroked the sky.
"After the attack, they rounded up my father and every other earthbender and took them away." Haru didn't take his eyes off the sunset; it burned his eyesight just enough. He was not going to cry. "We haven't seen them since."
"So that's why you hide your earthbending?" he'd hardly noticed that Katara had spoken.
"Yea." He picked up a rock from the surface of the cliff and let it roll across his hands. "The problem is the only way I can feel close to my father now is when I practice my bending. He taught me everything I know." He crushed the pebbles to a powder, and they flew away in the wind.
Silence followed Haru's words, and it left him thinking.
Earthbending requires your utmost concentration and thought, Haru.
Haru often heard his father's words inside his head when he bent the earth between his fingertips. But it'd been so long since he'd heard him say them, that the only voice he could think them in was his own. He wished he could hear his father's voice just one more time. He'd nearly forgotten the way his father looked; he knew he was balding and greying, but what about his facial features? Was his skin tanner or lighter than Haru's?
The one thing Haru could never forget is his smell. Earthy and natural—like bright green patchouli leaves embedded in the moist earth.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Katara take a seat next to him.
"See this necklace?" she asked him. He glanced over. It was an ornate design carved from… wood, perhaps? "My mother gave it to me."
"It's beautiful," he said plainly. And it certainly was; almost on par with the woman sitting before him.
"I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her."
That, Haru could understand. "It's not enough, is it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"No."
…
Haru and Katara had finally made their way to her old campsite and struggled to find her canteen of water. They did eventually find it, however, and began to walk back to his house. She turned to walk back the way they came, but Haru hesitated. He thought she hadn't noticed.
"What's the matter? Aren't you coming?"
"Um, yeah," Haru pressed forward, but Katara wasn't moving.
"Seriously, what's wrong?"
Haru had passed her up in his attempt to be nonchalant, so he had to turn around to look at her. He had never told anyone this before, but her cool, inviting eyes signaled him to go on.
"Four years ago, when my father was battling some Fire Nation soldiers, he fought them to the edge of the town. Right around here, actually. It was an epic battle. I'd never seen my father earthbend like that before. He was winning against 3, maybe 4, firebenders. But…"
Haru stopped, and Katara strode over to him. She placed an arm on his shoulder, and that was all he needed to continue the story.
"I followed them here. I wanted to watch, you know? I was just a kid… a curious kid. But the Fire Nation soldiers didn't fight fair. They ambushed him; snuck up on him from behind while his attention was on the four he was fighting. They started… kicking him. While he was laying on the ground. I'd never seen that much brutality. And all I could do was watch from behind that tree," he pointed across the field.
"I ran," he continued. "I ran as fast as my smaller legs could go. Right up this path, and up to my house to tell my mom… what I had seen…" He looked away from Katara, and up the path. Every time he came this way he relived that, and he didn't want to do it a third time that day. "I've never run that fast in my life."
"Let's walk through the village, then," Katara smiled gently and reached for his hand. Haru could do nothing with her kindness but smile his gratitude.
They walked on, through the dense trees and out into the clear canyon. Katara still had a firm hold on his hand, and he couldn't help but smile at how warm her hand felt. Really, really warm.
BOOM! "HELP!"
Haru saw the mine go up in dust.
…
"That was really brave," Katara told him on their walk back to his home.
Haru's cheeks heated up for what seemed like the tenth time this evening. "Er—thank you," he said.
"I'm serious. I think your father would be very proud."
Haru couldn't help his wide grin. He wondered if she was aware how much that really meant to him.
They'd finally reached his house, and Haru walked her all the way to the barn. He bade her goodnight, and she entered the lit barn. Haru turned away from her and walked along the dirt path to his main house.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something very special about that girl. Her eyes had a way of making you tell her everything. You could tell she listened intently when you spoke, and she deeply cared about you. It was like she was telling you, silently with just a certain glance, that it was all okay—what you were feeling, what you were seeing, and even what you were struggling with. You could sense her courage and power in her eyes. Inspirational. You could even see her pain behind them as you spoke of your own. It was amazing how much Haru knew about the stranger just from her pristine blue eyes, sparkling in contrast with her dark complexion.
He opened the door to his house and walked towards his bed. The atmosphere was cool, and for the first time that night, he realized how hungry he was. He'd forgotten to eat dinner. Not that it was the first time, but he could especially feel the agony in his stomach tonight. He felt empty and hollow. Then he realized he hadn't eaten lunch either. He'd been too busy earthbending that afternoon. Oh well, there would always be breakfast.
He pulled on his pajamas and rolled into bed. His cover wasn't really needed. Despite being winter, the Earth Kingdom was still hot, as always. He closed his eyes, but he knew sleep wouldn't come easy. His mind was too busy.
He simple could not stop thinking about that Water Tribe girl. The way she smiled; she had a special kind of smile that really resonated with you. The genuineness of the grin enticed you, making you want to lean in and observe her mouth closer—her shining white teeth that were an excellent white against darker lips. Lips that, when pulled into a wide smile, were still full and plump and…supple. Soft and colorful, and—
Knock, knock, knock
Haru sat up on his bed. Was that the door to the shop? There was only one person that would be knocking this time of night. Fire Nation.
He got up without hesitation and strode to the door. With a frown of disgust, he opened the door. Four Fire Nation soldiers stood on the opposite side along with an elderly man. The elderly man that had almost been crushed by the mine not one hour ago. Dread clung to Haru's throat like a frightened child clings to his mother. He couldn't swallow. He couldn't breathe. He could just stand.
"That's him! That's the earthbender!" Haru's mind couldn't register what the old man had said. He should have seen this coming. He should have listened to his mother. What would become of him now?
Without warning, the nearest soldier grabbed Haru by the collar. Haru let out a groan from the surprising force the solider had inflicted on his shoulder.
One of the other Fire Nation soliders linked chains around his arms, pulling them behind his back. He was sure the clinking of metal made a sound, but Haru could hear nothing but the pounding of blood in his ears. His heart was beating so fast he thought it might erupt from his chest, bursting forth into the open air.
The solider standing behind him pushed him roughly on his shoulders, making him walk. Haru obliged. If he wanted to make it out of this, he would have to be strategic. And right now, playing smart was playing by the rules.
They walked at a brisk pace—too quick for Haru and he found by the end of the road that he was out of breath. The old man had long since departed from Haru and the soldiers. He wondered what the old man had been promised. Gold, most likely. Wasn't that cute? Selling a teenage boy over for a few gold pieces, ripping his mother from the only family she had left.
Oh god, his mother! What was she going to think? She would surely assume the worst, probably guessing that Fire Nation soldiers beat and killed him. He wished the knocking would have woken her up. That way she would know he was going to be fine.
But no. If she had answered the door, the soldiers would have known that his mother must have known about his bending. Keeping an earthbender's secret is just as much a crime as being an earthbender. She'd be sent to prison, too. And probably a different one that Haru was going to—there would be no need to keep his mother from an element she cannot bend.
Yes, Haru decided it was definitely better for his mother to be kept in the dark than to risk being jailed, too. He couldn't stand to think of how his mother would suffer in both situations. At least in this one, she would have a bed and food and water. To be honest, Haru wasn't sure what he was going to receive at this prison.
He wondered where they were going to bring him. Right now they were headed southeast, towards the river. The river that Haru had first met Katara near.
Katara! What was she going to think? Would she, too, assume the soldiers had killed him? Would they somehow know that Haru had just been taken prisoner? Would she even miss him?
With a sharp pang of regret, Haru wished he had told Katara something besides "Goodnight." That could be the last word she ever heard from him. He should have told her something earnest and thoughtful: something like, "You're beautiful" or "I'm so happy you interrupted by earthbending." "You are an amazing person and please never change."
The group of Fire Nation soldiers and Haru had finally reached the river. There, a small boat was tied to the dock. How far away was this prison? Why did they have to take a boat to it? Just where were they going?
He found it best to stay quiet and stare at the back of the Fire Nation officer. His black and red uniform looked very uncomfortable. He walked with the best posture that Haru had ever seen. He realized that these soldiers were not the same soldiers that had been patrolling the town. Those thugs probably didn't have any standing with the real Fire Navy. They needed to bring out the more serious guys to transport a dangerous earthbender. Haru smirked. They were probably afraid of him.
That fact didn't brighten his spirits for long. They had finally reached the dock, and the two soldiers in front of him stepped into the huge Fire Navy boat. Haru had never seen a boat this big—not since the day that the Fire Nation invaded his village, anyway. And he'd been so young then that he couldn't remember. The men behind him pushed him onto the boat. He fell, face forwards, onto the steal deck, faceplanting the surface. The four men laughed at the "clumsy" earthbender.
"Hope you aren't scared of the water," one chided him. The others opened a chant of erroneous laugher. Harty-har-har, thought Haru, you guys are too funny.
Haru picked himself up and was again pushed forwards. The men laughed as he nearly tripped again. Haru would give anything to bend a rock to his face right now.
"Ho! Tuzan! Let's move!"
At those words, the ship began moving. Downstream, along the wide river. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since they'd left the dock, but at some point—when neither shore was visible in the widening river—the men uncuffed him. He rubbed his sore wrists. They threw him a rag and rope. He caught it in his fist.
"Put this on," the man said. Haru looked at the fabric. It had the texture of burlap. He pulled it on over his Earth Kingdom clothes and tied the fabric around his waist with the rope. They did not retie his wrists. Haru supposed there was no point—what with no earth around.
He was the only Earth Kingdomer on the ship. Well, for as far as he could see, at least. He supposed there could be some below deck, but as that was an uncertain, he felt claustrophobic. The Fire Nation didn't understand the Earth Kingdom, and they didn't care to. With only one Earth citizen aboard the ship, Haru felt alone, isolated, and scared. Really, really scared for what the future was going to bring. Just where was this ship headed?
Haru was unsure how long he'd been on the boat. The sky had already begun to lighten, though. His mother would be waking up to find his empty bed soon, and that thought depressed him. If only he could send some sign to his mother, telling her he was going to be okay and not to worry about him. But there was nothing. He wouldn't know what she was thinking, and she wouldn't know where he was.
There was nothing to do but look at the pinkish sky. The morning haze was arising, and Haru could no longer see anything in front of the ship. He hoped the Captain had better vision than he had.
But then the boat came to an abrupt stop. Haru lunged forward a bit, not expecting the jolt, and looked around. The fog was still too dense to really make out anything. Two soldiers, however, pulled him by the arms, again without explaining anything or speaking to him. They pulled him portside, and he climbed off the steamboat onto a platform. He stood alone, and the soldiers behind him walked back on to the boat. Two soldiers came to watch him from somewhere on the boat he currently stood on.
Then an older man approached him. "Hello," he greeted in a sour, pungent voice. "Welcome to my modest shipyard. I am your warden."
"Happy to be here," Haru muttered under his breath, a scowl present on his face.
"What did you say?" the warden snapped at him, his fist raised and his face aflame.
"What?" Haru said hastily, feeling ashamed of his lack of self-restraint. He needed to be patient and wait this thing out; he couldn't let his ego get in the way.
The warden, in response, crouched very near to Haru's face. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Next time you disrespect me, boy, you will show courage. You will say what you want to my face and receive your punishment willingly. Try to branch out from the coward savages of your people." His breath smelled of smoke and garlic. It repulsed Haru almost to the point of throwing up.
Haru did not reply. He continued to glare at the warden and did not bother to give him any notion that he understood what the warden had said.
"Get this filth out of my sight," he scoffed before strutting away, leaving Haru with two guards. They pushed him forwards, and he walked. He could see no earth for miles around him. From what it appeared, he would be trapped on this metal island forever. Haru couldn't believe he'd gotten himself in this situation.
He continued to push forward, the two soldiers following him, and traveled to the broad deck of the ship. They went below—via a square staircase—and Haru looked around to find an endless sea of lumps on the ground before him. There were so many that the ground was hardly visible. He was still taking it in when a voice sounded from his left, and he turned around.
"Prisoners sleep below deck from sunset to sunrise. Prisoners have a meal, and then begin their work for the day."
The man's voice reminded Haru of mud; it was sloshy and his words weren't distinct. Haru strained to understand the man without the proper enunciations.
The other, much younger man spoke the next statement:
"During the hours of night prisoners are forbidden from walking around. If you are seen upright you will be punished. No fraternizing, either. You should get your rest. Ka knows you'll need it."
The two guards laughed. The bastards laughed at the work that Haru was going to have to succumb. Laughed at the back-breaking labor that no doubt awaited him in the morning.
"Is there anything else?" Haru asked, hoping the bitter sneer in his voice was evident and yet not overdone.
"Yeah just take these and find a clean spot," the older one thrust a dirty dark green blanket at Haru, and the two men howled with laughter. Haru shot him daggers, but neither man seemed to notice. They turned and went on their way before Haru could think up a retort that would no doubt land him in trouble.
Haru found a spot in the back corner wasn't being used and stretched out his blanket. He thought it best to sleep on top the blanket than the floor. Something in the jibes that the two guards had thrown made Haru think that maybe these floors weren't very clean. So he laid on the outstretched blanket and placed his arms under his head as a sort of pillow.
He closed his eyes knowing fully well that sleep would not come. He could not get the guilt to leave his mind—Katara, his mother, even the two boys Katara had been travelling with. What were they to think?
He didn't have much time to dwell on the matter, however, because a loud banging resonated across the room. He shot up and whipped around. A continuous banging was coming from the staircase.
"Wake up, prisoners!" a booming voice sounded from that way, too.
Haru realized it was the sound of a metal pot being hit with a wooden spoon. "Time to start work! Breakfast upstairs!"
The man yelled his last words, added a few more bangs to his pot, and left the prisoners to their own. Haru watched as several tired men stood up, and he even noticed young women who pounced to their feet.
Haru did the same and followed the others up to the deck. He was greeted with a wooden bowl and found himself scared to take it. Not only dreading what the bowl held as its contents, the bowl itself seemed to look weak and breakable. Haru was nervous that just his fingers would shatter the fragile material.
But he suddenly realized he was holding up the line, so he quickly took the bowl from the guard—surprised that it did indeed hold together under the pressure of his fingers. He peered into the bowl and found a viscous liquid in the inside, grey and lumpy. He felt bile rise in his throat, but he stomached it, and looked around the deck.
Countless prisoners sat in groups, and Haru was unsure where to look. Should he sit down next to people and try to socialize with his fellow prisoners? Or should he just survive and learn the ways of the prison for himself? With an outright nod, Haru decided talking to the other prisoners was a better idea.
He walked across the deck, noticing that every other prisoner wore the same brown, burlap garment as he did. He finally found a group of young-ish people and decided to approach them. Upon closer inspection, however, he realized they were having a conversation, and Haru didn't want to disturb them. Perhaps he should press on…
He continued to walk along the deck when a finger jabbed him on the shoulder. Haru snapped his neck around.
Before his eyes was a younger man. He had short black hair, full on his head but patchy across his face. Haru stared up into his eyes. The boy was smiling at him.
"You look a little lost. Are you new?"
Haru wasn't sure how to respond, so he just nodded shortly.
"When did you get here?"
"This morning," Haru answered, finding his voice. "You?"
"2 weeks," he said shortly. "I'd like to say you get used to things, but I'm still adjusting."
"So it doesn't get much better?" Haru asked, a part of him not wanting to know the answer.
"You get to meet more people, but that's about it. It's the same routine every day though. Or it has been for the past two weeks," he was saying. Haru was disinterested, though. This news was not comforting, and he didn't particularly want to hear it.
"I'm Fu by the way," the black-haired boy said.
"Haru."
They shook hands, and the two walked along the deck. They found a place to sit, and Haru stared in disbelief as Fu slurped down all his grub.
Fu obviously caught him staring, so he took it upon himself to answer Haru's unspoken question. "You get used to the taste. Or maybe you get hungry enough to ignore it. Either way, you start eating it by the third day."
Haru slopped his grub around in his wooden bowl, and brought the dish up to his lips. He slowly tipped the bowl and allowed a dribble to pass his lips.
The sensation made him want to vomit. The grey soup was cold as ice and thick going down his throat. It was difficult enough to swallow with the taste, but the texture was near impossible.
Haru and Fu talked for a few more minutes about prison life. Although he'd only been there for two weeks, Fu already seemed to know the ins and outs of living on the rig.
"One thing you gotta make sure of is don't lose track of the days," Fu told Haru. "When the days start to blend in to each other… well, that's when you know you're never leaving."
"How do you keep track?" Haru asked.
In response, Fu held up his sleeved arm. He tugged back the dirty, grey sleeve and revealed to Haru 13 lines that he'd literally cut into his arm. Haru couldn't quite place the material that Fu must have used; it didn't leave sharp and precise cuts so he knew the tool must dull and need to be sharpened badly. If his skin was any judge of cleanliness, Haru could tell his cuts must be very dirty. Infection was a likely possibility.
"You need to clean those," were the first words out of Haru's mouth. He didn't think that Fu's cuts were in any way heroic or creative, just dumb. "They'll get infected. They'll have to remove the whole arm if it gets too bad."
"So be it!" Fu said and took a big gulp of the sludge in his wooden bowl. "There's only one way to leave this prison, and I'm gonna do it with my sanity, thank you very much."
"Well I'm not cutting into my arm to prove a point," Haru sighed. He sloshed his food around and set it aside. He'd rather starve than vomit from the food.
Feeling a need to table that particular conversation, Haru decided to ask Fu a question that had been bugging him about the nature of the prisoners here: "So is everyone here an earthbender?"
"Most are, yeah. In fact, I'd safely say I'm the only one who isn't," Fu's responded.
Haru stared at him. "Whuh? Then how'd you get here?!"
Fu motioned for Haru to get closer to his face, and said in a very soft voice, "I fucked a soldier."
Haru could feel the heat creeping into his cheeks. He withdrew his head from Fu's proximity and stared at the man before him. Fu was laughing up a storm, slapping his own knee from the hilarity of his statement. He threw his head back with his howls of laughter, and Haru suddenly felt self-conscious of the fact that he did not find this funny.
When Fu finally calmed down, Haru asked him "Are you kidding?"
"Heck to the no, my brother!"
Haru brushed his hair behind his ear, his fingers grazing his hot cheeks. He was sure that Fu could tell how embarrassed he was, but the man sitting next to him simply leaned in and whispered in Haru's ear,
"The guy was so embarrassed, he told his soldier-buddies I was an earthbender."
Haru could not smile. He found this entire conversation very disturbing.
"You have to explain this better, Fu."
"In due time, my friend, in due time."
"Well until that time comes, how about you tell me what I need to know if I'm gonna be living on this rig. What guards should I look out for? What prisoners just cause trouble?"
Fu thought for a moment before shrugging. "Well none of the prisoners cause that much trouble. Most of them are just old. I don't know how long they've been here. I haven't met a bad guy, yet though. Everyone is just looking out for themselves—trying to survive, you know? Maybe make it off this hellhole." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "well, there is one guy who isn't looking out for himself. He's the nicest one of the older men—he really looks out for everyone here, you know? I wished I got more opportunities to talk to him, but he's real quiet. Still, if you have any problems, it's him you wanna go to."
"Who is he? How do I find him?"
Fu opened his mouth, but a horn blared in the distance, muting his speech. When the alarm was over, Fu said, "That alarm means it's work time. But I'll introduce you to him at lunch, okay?"
Haru nodded shortly and glanced around. Everywhere around him prisoners were moving: they had all returned their wooden bowls to the pile and were now headed to the inside of the rig, below the deck. Haru turned to ask Fu where everyone was going, but he was gone. He seemed to have assumed Haru would know what was going on.
But not having a clue, Haru decided to follow the crowd of other prisoners below deck.
…
After hours of painstaking labor, Haru emerged above the deck again. The sun was now high in the sky, and Haru's stomach growled with hunger. He was starving; maybe lunch would be something a little more edible.
He received another wooden bowl, and walked around the deck. Fu had promised to show him this prisoner, but he was nowhere in sight. He whipped his head around, and finally a head of short, black hair stuck out from the crowd. He walked towards the figure, and pulled on his sleeve.
"Fu!" Haru said, but when the man turned around, Haru realized that he was actually a she.
The woman had large brown eyes, and she stared into Haru's. "You looking for Fu?" he asked her.
It was all Haru could do to nod.
"You new?"
Another nod.
"That explains it," she was saying. Haru stopped staring into the woman's mesmerizing doe-like eyes, listened to what she was telling him. "You want my advice? Don't go looking for Fu."
Haru raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
The woman snapped her head around. "I mean he isn't exactly a credible source of information."
Haru said nothing in response. He was very confused.
The woman stepped closer to him and muttered under her breath. "What I'm trying to tell you is he isn't all there."
Haru took a step back. "You mean he's—"
"Crazy? Pyscho? Gone? All of the above, dude. He is bonkers."
Haru shook his head fiercely. That wouldn't be right. Fu was… Fu was Fu! A little eccentric, sure, but not crazy!
"No…" Haru hadn't realized he'd said it out loud.
"Don't believe me? I'm sure he's told you he's been here two weeks? Showed you his arm with 13 slashes?"
Haru nodded, almost not wanting to know the answer to why this was important.
"He's been saying he arrived two weeks ago since I got here, and I got here 8 months ago."
Haru found it difficult to swallow, "But… the thirteen lines."
The woman shrugged, "I don't know how old those are, but believe me, he's been here longer than 13 days."
Haru couldn't find his voice. This was heavy, heavy news. His new friend seemed so relatable; he really seemed to understand Haru's anguish. Was everything that the man said a lie? What about the prisoner that everyone talked to? The one Haru was certain he could trust. Fu had never given him a name; how was he supposed to ask another prisoner if the man was real?
Knowing it was a shot in the dark, Haru found his courage to ask the woman about him.
"Who?" she responded.
"I don't know," Haru admitted. "Fu told me something about a prisoner you can talk to if you have any problems. Or if you need information. Maybe he's been here the longest?"
The woman smiled suddenly. "You mean Tyro? Yea, he exists! C'mon, I'll show you!"
Tyro…
Haru shook the hope from his head; he didn't need his subconscious to relive that experience again.
Instead, he focused on following the woman. They walked side by side, and from this angle Haru was able to notice the faintest dusting of freckles on her cheeks. She was paler that Haru would expect from a prisoner who spend most of her time outside, but he wasn't about to ask why she wasn't tan.
"I'm Simi, by the way," the woman had said. Haru met her stare and smiled back to her.
"Haru," he told her. "So is everyone here an earthbender?"
"Everyone I've met. Other than Fu who I'm sure told you the reason he's here."
"Oh, yeah," Haru could feel his cheeks heating up again.
"Yeah, well I don't know whether or not to believe him, but from the lies he's told I wouldn't be surprised if his real name was Poko or something." Simi laughed when she said this, and Haru couldn't help but join in. Her laughter wasn't overpowering or troublesome the way Fu's had been; it was good-natured and light. It was the first time Haru had smiled since he'd arrived.
"There he is," Simi said suddenly. And Haru looked around for Fu, slightly panicking. Now that he knew Fu was crazy, how was he supposed to act around him?
But he never did find Fu. Simi had stopped walking, so Haru did the same. She pointed to her left, and Haru, still trying to find Fu, followed her gaze. He searched among the faces of every man and even woman, desperately trying to find a head of black hair before it found him.
"Oh look he's coming this way," Simi said, smiling.
Haru still searched around frantically for him. "Where?" he said anxiously. "Where is he? Do you think he sees me? I don't want to talk to him!"
Haru met Simi's eyes after speaking and was surprised to find her looking very confused. "You don't want to talk to him? I thought that's why you asked me to find him?"
"I didn't say to find Fu," Haru told her, really mixed up now.
"Fu?" Simi spat with laugher. "Haha, no Haru, I found Tyro. He's almost here, now." She turned away from Haru and waved to her left. Haru followed her gaze, searching to the left. His eyes scanned the sea of prisoners, until they settled upon an elderly man moving towards them.
Haru's heart stopped.
His stomach dropped to the floor.
His voice clung to the back of his throat.
He could literally feel his blood cease flow.
His eyes burned. They ached with the ponderous water that was sure to come flooding out. He took in the sight before him, his hands shaking with fear.
The older man was balding, but he had a thick mustache and beard. He had light green eyes. The same green eyes that bade him goodnight. The very green eyes that focused on his earthbending. The green eyes that followed him from the barn to the kitchen to make sure he was doing his chores right. The eyes that loved and cherished him for thirteen years.
Haru was frozen to the spot. His body shook, and his mind was fuzzy. The older man was now standing just two feet from him, but Haru could not move a muscle.
"My son," the man stared at him, his face both sad and happy at the same time. His warm green eyes were full of love and light and yet grief. Without expecting it, Haru was immediately engulfed by the arms of the older man. His body pressed familiarly into his; his nose inhaled his scent; his ears recognized the whispers my boy, my boy…
Haru found his voice. He found his strength. He immediately entwined his arms around his father and buried his face into the crook of his neck. "Dad," he whispered, and tears began to flow from his eyes. His body shook with relief and happiness. His father was holding him.
His father was holding him.
How long had it been since he felt his father's arms around his body? How many days had passed since he heard his father's voice? How many seconds occurred between the last time identical green eyes had locked?
"My son," Haru heard the shaky voice of his father flood his ears. He'd forgotten what his voice sounded like. He'd forgotten the deep chords and the steady pace; the way he was able to motivate a crowd of earthbenders with the sheer power behind his speech.
Haru felt his knees grow weak. Though he tried to stop it, he collapsed onto the ground, his father still embracing him. Haru felt like a small boy again. It was as though the years that had gone by between the last time he'd seen his dad evaporated at once. He'd hopped from the moment his father had been captured to this hug. Suddenly, the separation had felt like a blink of the eye.
His father pulled away and wiped his tears with the back of his dirty sleeve. Haru did the same.
He stared into the familiar face of his father. Though he had deeper lines and more creases, the face was undeniably unchanged. He felt his father cup the side of his face.
"You've grown so much, my son."
Haru smiled into his father's gaze. Though it was a reminder of how many years had passed, Haru could tell that his father was proud of the man Haru had grown to be.
"I can't believe it's you," Tyro said, and once again pulled Haru into a hug. Haru wrapped his arms around his father, praying that the embrace would never end. But then…
The alarm sounded. Haru heard it somewhere in the distance but refused to notice it. He didn't want this moment to ever end.
But his father did pull away.
"I don't want you to get in trouble," he said kindly. "But I cannot dictate how happy I am. Words cannot cover it, my son."
Haru looked into his father's weary eyes and said, "I'm so happy you're here."
"As I am you," Tyro said. "But for now, we need to get back to work. Please, walk with me. We have too much to catch up on."
The father and son pair walked towards the building that housed the metalwork. Haru and his father talked while hammering, welting, and grinding the metal into place, creating weapons for the Fire Nation army.
Haru explained the situation that got him here, even mentioning Katara briefly. He told Tyro of his mother and of the town. And in return, Tyro talked to Haru about the years on the rig. Not that much changed, but Haru did learn that Fu had been here a little over a year. He'd had a bad accident while working with the hammering tool and had somehow singed 13 lines into his arm, breaking nearly every bone in his body. While his body did make a recovery, his mind was never the same. He believes he has been on the rig for only two weeks and cannot understand the passing of time.
Speaking of the passing of time, this work-session flew by much quicker. In fact, Haru was surprised to find the alarm sound so soon. He wasn't sure if it was talking to his father that sped the time up or if this work-time was indeed shorter.
Nevertheless, Haru walked out of the metalwork's building to the dusk-lit sky. The sun was setting with magnificent orange and pink hues. Tyro took his bowl for dinner and Haru his. He stared into the grey liquid, and though his stomach groaned with hunger, he found bile rising from the smell of his dinner.
Noticing Haru's reluctance, Tyro said "You need your strength, Haru. I know it is vile, but you won't last long without calories. You must eat it."
Haru looked into his father's face. The two sat down on the deck of the ship, and Haru turned his gaze to his bowl. Admitting defeat, Haru took a huge swig of the soupy substance and was even able to suppress a gag. Though it was still putrid.
Tyro's older friends gathered around Haru and his father, and he spoke to the group.
"I'd would like to introduce to you all someone very dear to me. This is my son, Haru, and he is one of the best earthbenders I have ever seen."
Haru blushed from his father's compliment and smiled at the five or six men around him. "Hello," he said.
Various greetings and introductions ensued. After hearing all the new names, Haru suddenly realized that the whole reason he'd found his father was because of Simi. And he'd never even thanked her! Haru stomached one more mouthful of grub and turned to his father.
"I've just realized I forgot to thank Simi for earlier," he said. "Excuse me," he added to everyone else.
Haru stood up, and went searching for the black-haired woman that had helped him earlier. He hadn't realized how many prisoners there were on the rig until he needed to narrow down and find this one person. His eyes scanned the heads of the various prisoners:
Long straight black hair, short grey hair, bald head, greying brown hair, long brown hair in a braid, jet-black hair in a high ponyt—
Wait, what?
Haru strutted over to the small dark girl with her long brown hair in a single braid down her back.
"Katara?" he called out.
The girl turned around, and sure enough stunning blue eyes met Haru's.
"Haru!" she cried and ran towards him.
Haru did not understand. Katara wasn't an earthbender. What was she doing here?
"What are you doing here?"
"It's my fault you were captured. I came to rescue you."
"So you got yourself arrested?"
She just shrugged, "It was the only way to find you."
Haru considered the small girl before him. That was very brave of her. And thoughtful. He suddenly realized how happy he was to see her, and his lips spread into an involuntary, wide smile.
"You've got guts, Katara, I'll give you that."
He thought he may have seen the faintest of blushes ignite across her cheeks. Something within him heated up from her look.
"Come on," he told her. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Haru led the way to the old circle he was sitting in for dinner and introduced the two people:
"Katara, this is my father, Tyro. Dad, this is Katara."
"It's an honor to meet you," Katara bowed.
Tyro offered Katara a bowl of grub and told her she should have some dinner. After a while, Katara asked,
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your escape plan?"
Haru almost choked on his breathing; he hadn't even thought to ask his father about escaping! He'd been too relieved to find him.
"Excuse me?"
"You know, the plan to get everyone off the rig? What is it? Mutiny? Sabotage?"
"The plan? The plan is to survive. Wait out this war. Hope that one day some of us can get back home and forget this ever happened."
Haru stared at his father. Those words had come from his lips, and he heard them in his voice, but Haru did not recognize the speech as his father's. It seemed so unlike him to… to… what was the word?
"How can you say that? You sound like you've already given up!"
Give up! That was the phrase. His father was no coward. He would never give up! …right?
"Katara, I admire your courage. And I envy your youth, but people's lives are at stake here. The warden is a ruthless man, and he won't stand for any rebellion. I'm sorry, but we're powerless."
Haru could sense where this conversation was going, but he was not planning on ending it. He, too, believed his father should hear whatever it was Katara was going to say. It was so unlike him to not fight back. Perhaps he'd been on the rig for too long.
Haru saw that fierce look of determination that Katara had in her eyes, and he was proud to call her his friend when she spoke. She stood on the wooden table and hit a spoon against her wooden bowl to get everyone's attention. From there, she delivered her speech.
"Earthbenders! You don't know me, but I know of you. Every child in my Water Tribe village was rocked to sleep with stories of the brave earth Kingdom, and the courageous earthbenders who guard its borders. Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless. Yes, they have taken away your ability to bend. But they can't take away your courage. And it is your courage they should truly fear! Because it runs deeper than any mine you've been forced to dig, any ocean that keeps you far from home! It is the strength of your hearts that makes you who you are. Hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded away. The time to fight back is now! I can tell you the Avatar has returned!"
The Avatar has returned… Avatar… returned… born of the Air Nomads… Avatar…
Pieces began to fall into place for Haru. He felt a smile stretch across his face as he realized who Katara must be talking about: Aang. It must have been Aang. He was the Avatar. He really was back. They hadn't lost the war!
"…courage, earthbenders. Let us fight for our freedom!"
Haru wanted to clap and cheer! Yes Karata! he wanted to cry out. But… but no one around him was clapping. Not a sole bender cheered. It was complete and utter silence. Katara took her seat back next to Haru, her expression one of confusion, hurt, and sorrow.
She seemed deep in thought, but Haru smiled at her kindly.
"I liked it," he offered her. She seemed to not fully comprehend Haru talking.
"I just don't understand," she was saying. "What did I say wrong?"
…
"Katara, stop! You can't win this fight!"
It was dawn, and Haru had awoken to find Katara and the boy Sokka huddled over a roll of parchment. His father, trying to save Katara's life no doubt, wanted her to back down. Haru stared at her bright blue eyes.
Don't back down don't back down don't back down don't back down
He repeated over and over to her in his head. He wanted to help her. He frantically looked around. What could he do?
"Listen to him well, child," the warden's voice emitted through the early morning air. "You're one mistake away from dying where you stand."
Haru wanted to punch the warden's smug expression right off his face. He couldn't contain his anger any more. He took a step forward to help Katara, but as his right foot made contact with the metal, a low rumbling erupted from the below Haru's foot. He crouched down to inspect the floor. It was coming from inside the rig.
Coal burst forth from the vent! Millions of small, black rocks spilled all over the floor. Haru looked around, awestruck and perhaps overly-excited. Earth! It was pure earth!
Haru was so mesmerized by the glorified dirt that he hardly noticed Katara climb to the top of the pile and shout to them all: "Here's your chance, earthbenders! Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!"
Yes, Katara, yes! Haru was thrilled. He took another step towards the mound of earth, but a strong, unwavering hand prevented him from going any closer. He looked into the solemn face of his father.
The warden's cold laugh sounded in the silence that followed Katara's speech.
Haru was so mad that he could hardly pay attention to whatever pointless words the warden was speaking. It was the last two that struck such a chord within Haru that he could no longer listen to rationale or to his father. You failed.
Haru struck the warden, the coal sailing from his fingertips before commonsense got to him.
An earthbender always listens to reason.
He could hear the instruction in his father's voice now, but he couldn't abide it. This needed to be done.
The warden flared his nostrils at Haru, but the look made Haru even happier. He struck a great massive wave of fire at Haru, and all Haru saw was the flash of fire and then the great wall of coal in front of his body, shielding him from the flames. He turned around; his father had joined his side. Haru was certain that, together, no firebender could defeat them. And so, they fought back.
…
"I want to thank you for saving me," he said to Katara. He wished he could convey his appreciation better; the words just didn't seem to cut it.
Haru saw the faintest impression of a blush creep into her face. His smile widened; sometimes it was a nice reminder that she could be embarrassed and flattered, too.
"All it took was a little coal," she shrugged her shoulders and said with a nonchalant tone, but Haru still noticed her complimented blush.
And she had nothing to be modest over. He had not even thought of escaping until Katara had showed her; she needed to know that.
"It wasn't the coal, Katara," he said. "It was you."
Katara smiled sweetly at his words, and he couldn't bear to take his eyes off of her. It wasn't until his father had approached that he tore himself away from her gaze.
"Thank you for helping me find my courage, Katara of the Water Tribe. My family and everyone here owes you much."
Haru nodded to his father's speech. He couldn't believe that Katara wasn't taking the credit for her feat.
With a swift change of subject, Katara offered, "So I guess you're going home now?"
Tyro smiled. "Yes. To take back my village." He raised his voice to get everyone's attention—even those not around him, "To take back all of our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot on our land."
Haru smiled. His father was so brave that Haru could do nothing else. He walked away, and Haru realized it was now or never.
"Come with us," Haru hoped it sounded more like an offer than a plead.
"I can't. Your mission is to take back your home. Ours is to get Aang to the North Pole," she denied his request. And yet Haru wasn't offended. He realized she was right; they both needed to do their part to end the war.
Haru asked Katara something he'd wanted to since she spoke out on the rig: "That's him, isn't it? The Avatar?"
She didn't respond, but there was no need. Haru knew the answer.
Knowing their time together was quickly drawing to a close, Haru knew he needed to thank her one last time.
"Katara, thank you for bringing my father back to me. I never thought I'd see him again." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "I… I only wish there was some way…"
Katara looked away from Haru, and he resisted the urge to touch her. "I know," she nearly whispered.
But she instantly whipped back around to face Haru, her eyes full of terror and pain. "My mother's necklace!" she cried. "It's gone!"
Haru stared at her bare neck; she looked naked without her signature blue choker. He had no words of consolidation to offer her; it would have been like losing his bending.
"It's probably on the rig. We should go back to look at it," he said and snatched her arm towards him. He was getting ready to walk towards the stationary rig, but Katara held back.
"No, it's…" she didn't go on, but Haru didn't let go of her hand. Her eyes were downcast, but Haru noticed the glint of her unshed tears. When she did look up at him, her eyes were glistening. "It's probably gone by now. Somewhere in the sea."
Reason told Haru to abandon the effort. Compassion told Haru to go look for the totem, wherever it may be. Wisdom told Haru it was a lost cause. Experience told Haru the necklace was long gone. Empathy told Haru that he couldn't give up the search. Innocence told Haru it was still on the rig. Feelings told Haru that he needed to look for the necklace.
But all Haru did was stand there, his mind raging with different possible actions and their outcomes. Finally, after a long silence passed, Haru did the only logical thing.
He hugged her. His longer arms embraced her slim body. He held her close, and his body was pressed against hers. He relayed all his sympathy and grief into her with just the contact of the hug. He conveyed that she was loved even if her mother's necklace was lost forever. And then the most amazing thing happened.
She hugged him back. She looped her arms under his armpits and entwined them around his back. Their embrace was silent and yet spoke so much to both parties. Haru felt Katara's emotion as if it coursed through his own veins. He understood Katara so well, and now they were both aware of it.
And then they separated. They took a step back, said their final farewells, and the two strangers departed their separate ways, both avenging the world in very different ways.
A/N: What did you think? Please let me know if this is something you're interested in! Remember to review. I AM TAKING REQUESTS and will credit you if I write it.
~The Element of Air
P.S. Follow my tumblr! Link in bio, but same as my pen name! :)