Dimu Song gazed around at all of the other refugees in the overly populated lower rings of Ba Sing Se. She and her family had evacuated after Fire Navy soldiers attacked their hidden, riverside village among several other towns situated northwest of the Nan Shan River. Dimu's father, Zhuang Song, along with a dozen other Earthbenders, fought back and tried to stave the Fire Nation so their families could escape; in the end, all of them were lost. Her family was devastated, especially Dimu herself, as she was very close to her father, who had taught her and her younger twin brother, Qing Yuan (or Yuan for short) Earthbending.
Painful memories came unbidden and overwhelmed Dimu's mind in the moments after she found out her beloved father had died. He was very tall for an Earthbender, weighted with many muscles, typical of Earthbending soldiers. He had rich emerald colored eyes and plain brown hair. Dimu and Yuan both had green eyes, Dimu's was a dark, forest green, while her brother possessed pale, green eyes, similar to soft green colors many upper class Earth Kingdom nobles wear. Zhuang was a majestic bender, and having mastered Earthbending at any early age, he utilized the every aspect of his bending skills to his advantage against the Fire Nation. Unfortunately, all his practice and gifts did little to save his life and the life of his fellow soldiers.
She had little time to shed a tear for the loss of her father when her family was still in danger from the Fire Nation. Hundreds were forced to flee their homes; rumors of Omashu being taken over by the Fire Nation made most hesitate about heading west. Some considered going south to Gaoling, but it could not hope to hold a quarter of the refugees, so the last great Earth Kingdom city left was the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se.
Jia Li Song, Dimu's mother, had the children gather everything they could carry and they joined one of their neighbors' wagons for the three month trek to Ba Sing Se. Following the Nan Shan River North, through the mountains, then through the treacherous deserts, Dimu's people encountered many dangers, including ambushes by the Fire Nation. Dimu's two year-old sister, Ling, suffered horrible burns on her legs from one attack that the Earthbender feared would disable her sister's ability to walk permanently. Yuan, as well as Dimu, also acquired several burn scars from trying to protect their family through out the trip. The Earthbender prayed to the spirits that her family would be safe within the legendary walls of Ba Sing Se, and hopefully start a new life, away from the tragedies of the war and her past.
The hustle and bustle of the crowded streets were hardly what Dimu had been dreaming of when she thought of the legendary Earth Kingdom city the Dragon of the West had laid siege to for some 600 days and gave up. There were so many refugees on the ferry ride over, and there were easily ten times as many on the other side. The city itself was magnificent, but the lower ring was so poverty-stricken and filthy, Dimu wondered if they would have been better off trying to find a home in Gaoling. The Earthbender pushed and shoved people out of her way so that her family could walk without worrying about being mugged. The neighbors who had let them ride in their wagon also invited Dimu's family to stay with them for a few weeks until they could find a house.
Yuan and Dimu both agreed that they would get jobs as soon as possible, so their mother could stay home and look after Ling. Hopefully the combined incomes would be enough to help them pay for the rent of whatever house they could find. When they finally arrived at the house they would be staying at, Dimu and Yuan found a suitable room that would house their family, and unpacked. As they set up the room to look somewhat reminiscent of their home by the Nan Shan River, something fell out of a bundled up blanket their mother had brought along and had refused to tell anyone of its contents. The Song family hammer that their father had carried with him into battle as his father and grandfather before him had. It was the only family heirloom that had lasted over a century of war; other heirlooms had been confiscated by Fire Nation soldiers who had attacked previous Song family members. It was made of pure metal from the earth, not smelted metal, and had a chunck of rock in it's center so it was bendable.
Dimu was shocked to see the hammer. Her mother must have taken it from her father's body among the field of slain Earthbenders. Yuan stood, staring quietly at his sister, waiting for the reaction he had waited for ever since they had left their village. Dimu's face remained paralyzed as if she did not know how to react, then, slowly she broke down into uncontrollable sobs and the neighborhood was shaken with small tremors as the Earthbender let out all of the grief she had held in to protect herself and her family during their journey north.
Yuan took his sister into his arms and rocked her gently as she released all of the emotions she was never able to express. Dimu held the Song Hammer close to her chest as her body shook and hot tears continued to stream down her face. The tremors around the neighborhood became more violent and people outside began to panic. Yuan knew of his sister's strong bond to the Earth, as he possessed the same bond. They were a trio, Yuan, Dimu, and the earth. Apart, they were weakened, but together, they were a deadly force.
"Calm down my Yin, control your breathing and steady yourself."
The Earthbender froze in her brother's arms. Yin was a nickname her parents had given her, Yang was her brother's, because the two of them were opposites and complimented each other in battle. Dimu was a tiger, Yuan was a crane. Sometimes, during training, when the stress became too much, her father would tell her to control her breathing and to steady herself like the earth. Within her mind, Dimu's Earthbending instincts kicked in, and her breathing slowed and her pulse stabilized.
The tremors subsided as Dimu became steady and her pulse matched that of the earth pulsing beneath her. She was very in tune with nature. Her mother loved to garden and her father often sculpted rocks with his Earthbending, with their combined talents, they taught their two Earthbenders how to listen and heed the earth's wisdom while bending. That was how they were able to master neutral jing.
Jia Li came into the room, anxiety etched across her face, ready to grab her children and get out of the building before it collapsed. Then she saw her daughter in her brother's arms, clutching the hammer of her late husband. She fell to her knees before her twins, tears already trailing down her cheeks at the look of sorrow written across both her children's faces. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She did not know what to say; they were not supposed to find the hammer. She had decided to give it to Dimu in the summer for her eighteenth birthday, but now she was not sure what to do.
"Dimu, I…I'm so sorry," Jia Li whispered as she hid her face in her hands, ashamed that her children had finally managed to break her into lamenting her husband before she was ready to move on.
A strong hand touched her shoulder. Jia Li glanced up and saw her son, Yuan looking at her, with all love and sympathy shining through his eyes. He was true to his name, Deep Water. Water was the symbol of wisdom, and Yuan was wise beyond his years. Dimu reached up from her fetal position in her brother's protective embrace and pulled her mother against her in a hug that let Jia Li know that her daughter had forgiven her. They remained that way for some time, Dimu wrapped in her mother and brother's warm embrace. Jia Li stroked the coppery brown hair her Earthbenders had inherited from her side of the family. Such a sight was common in the broke hearts of the Earth Kingdom, but it was rare to see a family mourning and healing together as the Song family did in the comfort of one another's arms.
