Chapter Seven
Settling down to camp for the night near a stream of fresh water, Azula and Katara were readying their sleeping gear while Aang lounged about, all waiting for Sokka and Zuko to return with any food they could find, as they needed to supplement their supplies that they had received from Bumi. The teenaged boys came walking back to the, each carrying a sack.
"Great, you guys are back!" Aang excitingly said. "What's for dinner?"
"We've got a few options," Sokka said as he took a knew. "First, round nuts," he said, retrieving a round object, "and some kind of oval shaped nuts, and some rock shaped nuts…," he said as he realized he did in fact picked up a rock, which he tossed over his shoulder, causing Momo to examine it. "There might just be rocks in here. Dig in!" Zuko dug through his sack, which carried the same questionable nuts as Sokka's sack.
"Is that the best you survivalist can do?" Azula said with sarcasm.
"Seriously, what else you guys got?" Katara asked.
Sokka and Zuko peered into their sacks while Momo continued his examination of the 'nut' he picked up. He tapped it on a nearby stone to no effect. He cocked his arms back and slammed it into the stone…
Precisely as a huge, large, and startling noise disrupted the forest's calm.
"What the hell that was that?" Zuko said, causing Aang to grimace.
"What is with everyone's need to swear?" he asked.
He would not get his answer as a more powerful noise erupted from the forest. Momo, believing he was the cause after dropping the 'nut' on the stone precisely with the noise, jumped away in fear.
"It's coming from that direction," Azula told everyone as she got up to find the source of the noise. Katara and Aang jumped up to follow her, leaving a frantic Sokka and Zuko.
"Shouldn't we run away from huge booms – not toward them?" he asked before getting up with Zuko to catch up with the others. They all took cover behind a fallen tree and look down a near dry riverbed, where a young earthbender was practicing his technique.
"An earthbender!" Katara said as she noticed that he was about the same age as her.
"Let's go meet him!" Aang said, excited to meet another earthbender.
"He looks dangerous," Sokka said cautiously, "so we better approach cautiously."
"Or we just avoid him all together," Azula added, still very wary about meeting people who are not fond of Fire Nationals.
Katara, ignoring their warnings, shouted to the earthbender, "Hello there, I'm Katara! And this is Aang!" The airbender waved at the earthbender, who stopped bending and looked at the group in surprise.
Feeling optimistic that another Earth Kingdom citizen would enjoy meeting him, Zuko shouted, "And I'm Zuko!" He earned a nasty glare from Azula.
The earthbender, looking quite fearful, took off running down the riverbed, bending a pile of rocks into the riverbed to block anyone from pursuing him.
"It was nice to meet you!" Aang shouted, hoping it would make the earthbender consider they were not a threat.
"We just wanted to say 'hi'," Katara said, sad that someone thought of her as a threat.
Aang perked up at a realization. "Hey, that guy's gotta be running to somewhere, maybe to his village. And I bet that village has a market!"
Katara perked up at that idea. "Which means no nuts for dinner!" She and Aang took off running in the direction of the earthbender.
"Hey!" Sokka shouted in annoyance. "Zuko and I worked hard for those nuts!" Momo flew passed him, chirping and causing Sokka to look downcast. "Yeh, I hate 'em too." He began to follow the others, also looking forward to an actual meal.
Zuko also began walking quickly after the others, though he felt a sharp thump to the back of his head, courtesy of Azula. "What was that for?" he asked slighted.
"Why are you so eager to expose us?" Azula asked with a scowl.
"I'm not trying to expose us," Zuko said defensively. "I thought he looked friendly."
"Well sometimes the friendliest looking people will be the most dangerous people," Azula warned.
Zuko shook his head in frustration. "I think after the Earth Kingdom people we've met, it's possible he can be our friend too."
"The people we've met haven't been harmed by the Fire Nation," Azula argued. "He and his village probably have Dum-Dum."
The angry tension in Zuko's face released in disappointment and shame. "I didn't think about that…," he said sheepishly.
"Of course you didn't," Azula said bitterly. "You're forgetting our nation started a war, and not everyone is going to believe we don't stand with them. So would you please try not to get us killed."
"I know that," Zuko grunted in frustration, "but as long as we don't give any indications to who we are, they'll have no reason to suspect. Isn't that enough for you?"
"Didn't you hear that crazy Omashu King?" Azula said, growing frustrated at her brother's desire to meet people. "He knew exactly who we were at a glance."
"He's was around before the war began!" Zuko shouted. "He probably knew people from the Fire Nation just like Aang!"
Azula rolled her eyes at her brother's logic. "No, it's because he was aware of our descriptions and names."
"Meaning?" Zuko asked.
"Meaning there's wanted posters of us Dum-Dum," Azula said with certainty.
Zuko froze and horrifying realization came over him. "And that means Aang is wanted too," he concluded.
"Yes, and he's going to be loved by all but our own people," Azula said bitterly. "But us Zuzu? We're dead people walking if we brag about who we really are. So keep your mouth shut." Zuko nodded and resumed walking with his sister as they both felt that most people would hate them for events beyond their control.
The gang continued in the direction of the earthbender, which led them to a coal mining village. After locating the market, Aang traded some nuts for a hat, which would help conceal his airbending tattoos and hopefully his Avatar identity. Katara though, searched for the earthbender and managed to spot him right before he walked into a store.
"Hey!" Katara shouted as she ran toward the store, but the earthbender did not step back outside because it sounded like to Katara he was being reprimanded by his mother. She opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey, you are that kid! Why did you run away before?"
The boy turned around and his eyes widen as he recognized Katara from the riverbed. "Uh," he began nervously, "you must have me confused with some other kid." Aang, Sokka, Azula, and Zuko entered the store behind Katara, causing the kid to become more anxious as they all saw him earthbending.
"No she doesn't," Aang said in support of Katara's statement, "we all saw you earthbending."
The earthbender began to anxiously breath while his mother gasped and ran to close all the windows and the front door. She turned to her son and said in a berating tone, "They saw you doing what?"
"They're crazy mom!" the earthbender said. "I mean, look at how their dressed." Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Zuko looked at their clothes with befuddled looks, though Azula looked at the earthbender with an irritated gaze.
The mother marched up to her son and looked at him with both a mixed look of irritation and disappointment. "You know how dangerous that is! You know what would happen it they caught you earthbending!"
Azula furrowed her brow. "Who's they?" she asked.
Before she could get her answer, there was a heavy banging on the door. "Open up!" a man's voice shouted from the other side.
Sokka parted the window blinds to identify who it was that was demanding to come inside.
"Fire Nations soldiers!" he whispered. "Act natural!" Sokka went over to where the earthbender was standing and picked up some fruit as to ask about the quality of it. Katara and Aang began pursing the dried meats, much to the latter's disdain. Azula and Zuko though, went toward the back of the store to examine the cooking utensils where their backs would be toward the soldiers. Hopefully, they would not recognize either of them as the Fire Lord's children.
"What do you want?" the mother asked, slighted by the soldiers' presence. "I've already paid you this week lieutenant."
"The captain just ordered the taxed to be doubled," the lieutenant replied coldly. "We wouldn't want an accident now, would we?" He produced a fireball in his hands and smiled cruelly, causing everyone to look at him nervously. "Fire can be so hard to control sometimes," he finished while playing with the fireball. Azula and Zuko looked at the soldier with angry glares, knowing men like this is the cause of so much pain.
All because of their father and forefathers. And they knew if their mother did not take them away when she did, they would surely would have used their firebending for cruel and selfish reasons.
The mother's expression changed from defiance to fearful resignation. She went to behind the counter to retrieve a small chest and placed it on the table. The lieutenant approached just as she opened it to reveal a handful of coins. She took most of them out and hands them to him. The lieutenant scowled and dumped the smaller coins onto the ground.
"You can keep the copper ones," he said in a condescending tone. He marched out with his men while the earthbender closed the door behind them, an enraged expression on his face.
"He seemed like a nice guy," Sokka sarcastically remarked. "How long has the Fire Nation been here?"
"Five years," the mother said after picking up the coins. "Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships."
"Without any kind of compensation I'm sure," Zuko said as he and Azula closed the distance between them and the others to converse more quietly.
"They're all thugs," the earthbender said bitterly, "they makes us dig for their coal, then they steal from us. And everyone around here is too much of a coward to do a damn thing about it."
"Quiet, Haru," the mother calmly urged. "Please don't talk like that." She breathed deeply and turned to the gang. "Please forgive him, he's angry for more than just one reason. My name is Ran, the town's storekeeper."
"It's quite all right," Katara empathetically said. "But Haru's an earthbender, he can help."
"Earthbending is forbidden," Ran replied. "When the Fire Nation first arrived, the earthbenders fought back and brought great misery for our village. He can never use his abilities."
"How can you say that?" Zuko said, feeling slighted that a bender is denied using their gift. "Haru has a gift. Asking him not to earthbend is like…," he paused, almost incriminating himself as a firebender, forcing him to change his train of thought and continued, "demanding a painter not to paint. His gift is a part of who he is." Azula took noticed at how Zuko was quick to catch himself from making a mistake and corrected his choice of words, and felt rather proud of him for it. But she would never admit that to him.
"I understand that," Ran said sadly. "But a painter's gift can't hurt the Fire Nation, but Haru's gift can."
"We understand that Haru can help you fight back," Katara continued. "What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?"
"That could take Haru away from me!" Ran exclaimed sadly. "Like they took his father Tyro away from us…"
No one in the gang tried to press any further, seeing the pain sadness in Ran, and the enraged furrowed brow of Haru. Katara and Sokka especially felt their pain, having lost their mother. Azula and Zuko felt angry and ashamed that it was their family that was ultimately responsible for this.
And Aang felt guilty that he ran away rather than face his destiny as the Avatar.
Despite having every right to send them on their way, Ran decided to allow the gang to stay the night in her barn, including Appa.
"My mom said you can sleep here for the night," Haru told them as he led the group inside, "but you should leave in the morning."
"Thanks," Aang said sincerely. "I'll make sure Appa doesn't eat all your hay." On cue, the bison looked over at the group with a mouth full of hay, though he resumed chewing without shame.
"It's alright," Haru said with a small smile, though he sounded bitter. "The Fire Nation took everyone's farm animals, so we don't have much use for the hay."
Aang grimaced, having an idea why the farm animals were taken, but he said nothing of it. He walked over to Sokka and Azula, who were trying to prevent Appa from eating the hay that would serve as their impromptu beds, much to Aang's amusement. Haru left the barn, but Katara and Zuko decided to follow him.
"We're really sorry about what we said earlier," Zuko said to him.
"Yeah, we didn't know about your father," Katara added.
"It's okay," Haru replied. "My father was a courageous man," Haru continued. "When the Fire Nation attacked, he rallied all the earthbenders in the region. They were outnumbered ten to one, but they still fought back." He paused for a moment before adding, "The way you two spoke earlier, it reminded me of him." Katara and Zuko smiled, humbled that they were compared to a great man.
"He sounds like a true leader," Zuko commented.
"After the attack," Haru continued, "the soldiers rounded up my father and every other earthbender and took them away. We haven't seen them since."
"So, that's why your mom forbids you from earthbending," Katara said in understanding.
"Yeah," Haru said sadly as he walked up to the crest of a hill overlooking the village. He knelt down and picked up a couple of small stones, twirling them with his hand. "I understand why she forbids me, but the only way I can feel close to my father now is when I practice my bending." He crushed the stones with his hands, then allows the breeze to sweep the dust away. "My father taught me everything I know."
Zuko looked away, feeling envious that his actual father Ozai looked down on him so much that he was willing to kill his own son in his sleep. Yet Zuko also thought of Hakoda, who could not teach Zuko firebending like Tyro taught Haru earthbending, but instead more than made up for it by teaching Zuko how to a capable and honorable man.
Katara knelt down next to Haru and pointed to her necklace. "See this necklace? It belonged to my mother."
"It's beautiful," Haru said he admired the necklace.
"I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid on my village," Katara said as she sadly and bitterly remembered that day. "This necklace is all I have left of her."
"It's not enough, is it?" Haru asked.
"No," Katara said sadly.
Zuko overheard all of this, and though he knew he was not truly at fault for Kya's death, he felt responsible for it in some way. He did not know how yet, but he was determined to find a way to make things right in the world.
Wanting to clear their minds, the three teenagers decided to take a walk near the mines, where Haru explained how his fellow villagers made a meager living by digging for the Fire Nation, much to the chagrin of Zuko. When they passed one of the last mines, they hear a loud booming sound followed by rocks and dust being kicked up from the mine.
"Help!" an elderly sounding miner screamed. "Help!"
"The mine!" Haru shouted as he, Katara, and Zuko took off running toward the mine, which was blocked by falling rocks and the old miner was almost buried by the cave in.
"Help me!" he shouted toward the teenagers. Haru and Zuko braced themselves against the collapsing frame of the mine's entrance, while Katara attempted to pull the miner free.
"I'm not doing anything," Katara grunted as she struggled to pull the man free to avail. "We have to get more help."
"We don't have time," Haru groaned as he tried to hold the earth up without his bending. "Pull harder!"
"Haru," Zuko said, "you know you're the best person in the region who can help him." Zuko groaned as he tried to hold up the earth, but he also groaned for feeling like a hypocrite for asking Haru to expose himself as a bender when Zuko had just as much reason to hide his own bending.
"I can't…," Haru regretfully said, indecision dominating his face.
"Please, Haru," Katara pleaded, "there's no one else around to see you, and it's the only way."
Haru sighed deeply, knowing his new friends were correct. "Zuko, hold onto him with Katara." Zuko complied while Haru moved to face the mine. Concentrating and with quick movement of his hands and feet, the pushed the obstruction of rock deep back into the mine, freeing the old man.
"Haru, you did it!" Katara shouted before checking over the old miner for injuries, to which she found only minor ones. Haru and Zuko carried the old man back to the village herbalist, though he showed no signs of gratitude for the teenagers, particularly Haru.
After the sun set and the gang got ready for bed, Katara could not stop talking about the event. "It was so brave of Haru to use his earthbending to help that old man."
"I feel like a total jerk for asking him to expose himself as a bender," Zuko said as he sat with his knees to his chest.
"From the sound of it," Aang said to cheer him up, "it was the only way to save that miner. You two must have really inspired him."
"Yeah," Zuko said thoughtfully, though another thought came to mind. "But that miner was rather ungrateful for Haru saving his life."
"He's probably in shock from being almost buried alive," Katara said as she laid down. "I'm sure he'll give Haru his gratitude when he calms down."
"Or maybe that old man was unsure how to feel about an earthbender saving his life," Azula said thoughtfully, "given how earthbenders brought much suffering to this village."
"You don't think that old man would turn Haru over to the Fire Nation," Katara asked in shock, "do you?"
"It's possible," Azula said as she laid down. "He's probably more afraid of the Fire Nation than some young earthbender."
"Well, I think the old man is just in shock," Katara said stubbornly.
Before Azula could say anything else, Sokka held up his hands and said firmly, "Alright everyone, that's enough. We all need to get some sleep because we're leaving at dawn."
Katara groaned as she changed her focus on the subject. "Dawn? Can't we sleep in for once?"
"Absolutely not!" Sokka said as he laid down on his hay bed. "This village is crawling with Fire Nation soldiers. If they find out the Avatar and the Fire Lord's kids are here, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast."
"Which means Zuko and I have to take the largest share of them," Azula added. "So we are leaving at dawn. Now go to sleep everyone."
"I much rather eat fireballs than nuts," Katara teased her brother with a sly smile.
"Good night, everyone," Sokka said firmly before rolling over onto his side to sleep.
Katara and Aang laugh while Zuko sighed and laid down. Katara blew out the lamp, firmly believing that the old man is genuinely appreciative of what Haru did for him, despite any ill feelings the miner might have about earthbenders.
Though she had no idea how wrong she was, when a patrol of Fire Nation soldiers marched onto the farm in the middle of the night. When they knocked on the door, it was Haru who answered with sleepy eyes and unaware who was there.
"That's him!" the old man shouted with an accusatory finger pointed at Haru. "That's the damn earthbender!" he finished with a disgusted voice.
The soldiers quickly grabbed Haru, taking advantage of his drowsiness and placed heavy bindings on his wrist to prevent him from earthbending. Ran heard the commotion and ran to the door just in time to see her son being led away by the soldiers.
She collapsed in the doorway while dry heaving overtook her, unable to scream for them to stop.
Or to alert the gang to what just happened.
Ture to their word, Azula and Sokka woke everyone just before dawn, though Aang and Zuko was slow to get up, much to the irritation of Azula. Katara though was quick to pack away her belongings and head out to Ran's well to fill up a ceramic jug with water. Instead of using the pump, she used her waterbending to pull the water from the underground well, significantly speeding up the process. As she stood up to return to the barn, she noticed Ran looking out over the farm. She turned and Katara noticed she was crying. At first she did not understand why, but then it hit her.
The miner did turn Haru into the Fire Nation.
Katara dropped her water jug and sprinted over to Ran. "When did they take him?"
"La-last night," Ran croaked. "I-I don't know how they found out, but they did." Ran broke down crying and Katara did what she could to comfort her, knowing it was all her fault.
And she had to make it right.
"Don't worry, Ran," Katara told her. "We'll get him back." Ran looked at her and saw the determination. She hugged Katara tightly, both grateful and worried for Katara and her friends.
After Ran began walking slowly back to her house, Katara sprinted back to the barn, bursting in and shouting, "They took him! They took Haru away!"
"What?" Aang asked. "Who took him away?"
"The Fire Nation, Airhead," Azula told him. "Who else would take him?" Aang grimaced as he realized how he was living up to Azula's name for him.
"It was that old man who turned him in," Katara said as she tore at her hair in anguish.
"It's our fault," Zuko said in guilt as he smacked his head. "If we didn't force him into earthbending, he'd still be here right now."
"And an old man wouldn't," Aang told him. "Haru did the right thing."
"And now who knows what's happening to him now!" Katara shouted.
"Calm down, Katara," Sokka calmly told her as he put his arm around her and held her hand in concern, "when did this happen?"
"Ran said they came for him at midnight," Katara told him as she stopped pulling at her hair.
Sokka let go of her hand and looked out the barn door over the horizon. "Then it's too late to track him, he's long gone by now."
"We don't need to track him," Katara said as an idea came to mind. "The Fire Nation is going to take me right to Haru."
Aang rose an eyebrow in confusion. "And why would they do that?"
"Because they're going to arrest me for earthbending," Katara replied with determination.
"And they're going to arrest me too," Zuko said with an equal amount of determination. "I'm just as responsible for this."
"You two are crazy!" Sokka shouted. "How is the Fire Nation going to arrest you for earthbending, when you aren't earthbenders?"
"Well they may not have to be earthbenders to be arrested," Azula said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?" Aang asked.
"Well they were there when that old man was being buried alive," Azula explained, "and they told Haru he needed to use his earthbending."
"What are you getting at Azula?" Zuko asked.
"I think she's saying that we'll be arrested for knowing Haru is an earthbender," Katara said as she caught on, "and not reporting him."
"The term is called, 'aiding and abetting,' and the punishment can be just as severe as the crime committed to the person in question," Azula explained.
"So we don't need to figure out a way to fake earthbending," Zuko said as he realized how simpler Azula's plan was. She truly was the smartest one around.
"But that doesn't sound as fun as fake earthbending!" Aang protested, causing Azula to roll her eyes.
"What difference does it make which plan we pick?" Sokka exclaimed. "This is too risky either way."
"Sokka, we have to help Haru," Katara told him. "And we'll be helping the other earthbenders too."
"Which means more allies to fight against the Fire Nation," Zuko told him, much to his own reluctance to have more people fight his own countrymen. But he understood the necessity.
"So all you two have to do is find the old man and have him accuse you for aiding and abetting Haru," Azula told them. "It's that simple."
"Why are you going along with this plan?!" Sokka shouted at Azula in exasperation. Azula scowled at him for his rudeness.
"Because if we don't help them, they're going to off and do it anyway," Azula told him. "So we might as well as help them Sucker."
Sokka groaned in anger. He turned to Katara and Zuko. "Alright, you two go get arrested. You've got twelve hours to find Haru, so we'll be right behind you. And just for the record, I hate this plan."
Katara and Zuko began walking through the village, asking for Haru and trying not to look for the old man, but they still kept an eye out for him. Most of the villagers asked responded with downcast looks and mumbled answers, though a few responded with some scorn, grateful that the earthbender was gone. Knowing it was fruitless to argue with them, and understanding the pain the villagers held, Katara and Zuko kept moving through the village, hoping to get caught.
Outside the village, Azula, Aang, and Sokka kept watch over the village, waiting for the plan to go through. Aang groaned in boredom. "Ugh, faking earthbending would've been more fun."
"More like logistically complicated," Azula pointed out while she kept a close watch on her friend and brother.
"Complicate how?" Aang asked, not sure what would be so difficult faking earthbending.
"Have you learned to earthbend yet?" Azula responded.
"Uh, no," Aang said.
"Exactly," Azula sternly replied. "Now focus on-," she paused as she spotted something happening down in the village. "Get Appa ready, Airhead."
"What, why?" Aang whined, before Azula shot him a dirty sideways glance. Aang looked down toward the village and saw what was happening too. "Oh! I'll get Appa!"
While Katara was questioning a young miner, from the corner of his eye, Zuko saw someone quickly get up and leave. He turned to see who it was, and he soon got his answer.
"That's them!" the old man Haru rescued. "They were the ones who knew about the earthbender!" Fire Nation soldiers marched past him and toward the teenagers. Katara grabbed Zuko and began running.
"What are you doing?!" he asked.
"We have to make this look good!" she shouted. She led them down an alleyway, right toward where she saw a pervious squad of soldiers.
"Stop them!" the leader of the first group shouted. The second group heard this and began closing in toward the teenagers, who were trapped in the alleyway. Ignoring the instinct to fight, Katara and Zuko put their hands above their heads, allowing the soldiers to lead them away to a docked ship.
Seeing all of this, Azula instructed Aang to follow the ship that just departed. Aang complied but looked incredibly nervous.
"They'll be fine, Aang," Sokka said as he noticed the concerned look on the airbender. "They know what they're doing."
"You mean Katara knows what she's doing," Azula corrected.
"Zuko knows what's at stake and he won't expose himself," Sokka defended.
Usually Azula would retort by providing an example of how clueless Zuko can be sometimes, but she did not have the stomach to do it this time. "I know," she said shyly.
Sokka was taken aback a bit but Azula's reaction. He cannot recall a time where Azula showed any kind of vulnerability, especially when it comes to facing danger. Sokka was not one to give into superstitions, but if Azula was openly showing any measure of concern during a mission, it meant it was far more dangerous than he thought.
Which made him all the more determined to keep everyone in the gang safe.
The ship docked alongside an offshore rig used to replenish and repair Fire Navy ships. Katara and Zuko took glances whenever they could, finding the rig rather foreboding. Dozens of Earth Kingdom citizens dressed in rags ferrying supplies into several other docked ships. They were careful not to move their sight from the deck too much, for they and the other new prisoners were ordered to keep their eyes to the deck or face harsh repercussions. A handful of the new prisoners were earthbenders in hiding, but most of the others were imprisoned for the same crime as Katara and Zuko, while a few were imprisoned for petty crimes.
When the prisoners were ordered to stop, an old man in a Fire Navy uniform approached them. He disguised his scorn with an act comparable to welcoming guest into his home. "Earthbenders and friends, welcome aboard my modest shipyard. I am your warden. I prefer to think of you not as prisoners, but as honored guests," he said with cruel sarcasm, "and I hope in time you come to think of me as your humble and caring host. You will succeed here if you simply-."
He was interrupted when one of the prisoners began to cough. The warden's expression changed into rage and disgust. He sent a burst of fire at the prisoner's feet, causing him to collapse in fear.
"What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him?!" the warden shouted. "Take him below!" Two guards grabbed the man and led him away. "One week in solitary will improve his manners." Zuko scowled slightly, angry at a naval officer of his birth nation would be so cruel when they claim to be honorable. "Simply treat me with courtesy I give you," the warden continued, "and we'll get along famously. You will notice earthbenders, that my rig is made entirely of metal. You are miles away from any rock or earth, so if you have any illusion about employing that brutish savagery that passes for bending among you people, forget them. It is impossible for you to bend here. Good day." The warden stopped before Katara, who looked up at him with a blank expression. The warden smirked cruelly before walking away, giving Katara a disturbingly sick feeling that he had rather impure thoughts.
It only made Katara more determined to free all the prisoners. And seeing the way warden just acted toward Katara, it made Zuko just as determined.
Given how it was late in the day, with light fading, the new prisoners were let into the workers' quarters. It was awful to look at for Katara and Zuko because prisoners all around them appeared hopeless, while others were ghastly sick from infected wounds. Seeing the wounds made Katara wish she had some way to heal them, but she had no supplies to do so along with little knowledge. Her only hope was to free them.
"Katara?" she heard a familiar voice call out. "Zuko?" Katara and Zuko turned toward the source of the voice and confirmed the owner.
"Haru!" Katara said as she ran up to him to hug him. Zuko followed her and shook Haru's hand.
"What are you two doing here?" the earthbender asked.
"It's our fault you were captured," Katara told him. "We came to rescue you and the others."
"But why?" Haru asked. "Why risk your lives for me?"
"We're honor bound to free you," Zuko said with a hint of pride, though he held back from saying he was honor bound to help everyone here. "Getting arrested was the only way to find you."
"So you two got yourselves arrested for me," Haru said while shaking his head. He smiled and said, "You two got some guts. Come on, there's someone I want you to meet." Haru led them through the quarters, till they came across a group of men, one of which had a resemblance to Haru. "Katara, Zuko, this my father, Tyro. Dad, this is Katara and Zuko."
Tyro turned and faced the newcomers, taking in their ragged appearance, though he noted they did not quite looked like Earth Kingdom citizens. But to him it did not matter because they were prisoners just as much as him.
"It's an honor to meet you," Katara said as she bowed along with Zuko.
Tyro smiled and held out two bowls of soup for them. "Have some dinner, please."
Katara and Zuko took the bowls from Tyro but looked at the bowls in disgust. "Eruhh!" Katara said to emphasize her disgust.
"It's not as bad as it looks," Tyro said as confidently as he could. Katara and Zuko sat down and ate a spoonful of the 'soup', but their disgusted expression increased at the awful taste; Zuko gagged as he tried to keep it down.
"It's still pretty bad though," Tyro said with an apologetic smile. Another prisoner drew his attention by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Tyro, many of the prisoners are complaining there aren't enough blankets to go around," the man said with a concerned and desperate look.
"I'll talk to the guards, see if they have any blankets to spare," Tyro replied, trying to hide his doubt about receiving what they need. "In the meantime, make sure the sick and elderly are taken care of first and second. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather." The other prisoner nodded somberly, knowing Tyro will follow through, yet believed that it would be a fruitless effort. He walked away to ensure Tyro's directions were followed.
"If you don't mind me asking," Katara began after the other man walked away, "what's your escape plan?"
"Excuse me?" Tyro asked with suspicion, wondering what she and her companion had for intentions.
"You know, the plan to get everyone off this rig?" Katara specified. "What is it? Mutiny? Sabotage?"
"The plan?" Tyro asked with skepticism. "The plan is to survive and wait out this war. Hope that one day some of us can get back home and forget this nightmare ever happened."
"How can you say that?" Katara asked, aghast that this is not the man that she imagined. "You sound like you've already given up."
"The Fire Nation won't let anyone off this rig," Zuko said with certainty. "Even when this war ends, they'll keep using it to enforce their rule."
"And what makes you so certain they'll keep using this rig when they win this war?" Tyro asked, wondering why Zuko seem so certain of his explanation.
"Because…," Zuko began, hesitating to tell the truth, but remembered what Azula told him, that he cannot just tell people or hit at what or who he was. "Because keeping this rig in operation would help the Fire Nation maintain their rule over the war. Even you can see that and that's why you have to fight back. It's to help save the world."
Tyro breathed deeply to keep his emotions in check, not out of anger, but out of inspiration. "Katara, Zuko, 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 rebellion of any kind. I'm terribly sorry, but we're powerless."
Zuko was at a loss, understanding that the warden was indeed a ruthless man, having memories of the same ruthlessness he witness back in the Fire Nation.
But Katara was not dissuaded by the situation. She stood up with a grim determined look and said, "We'll see about that."
Katara stood up onto a small, raised platform and banged a lid from a pot with her spoon to call everyone's attention. "Earthbenders!" she began impassioned. "You don't me, but I know of you. Every child in my home of the Southern Water Tribe was rocked to sleep with stories of the brave and heroic earthbenders who guard the borders of the Earth Kingdom. Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless. They may have taken your ability to bend but they can never take your courage and it is your courage they should truly be afraid of! Your courage 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 make you who each of you are, hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has been eroded away. The time to fight back is now! I can testify that the Avatar has returned! So remember your courage and strength, earthbenders! Let us fight for our freedom!"
Zuko was incredibly moved by Katara's speech. He even if he had to fight his own countrymen, he would do so gladly by her side with Azula, Sokka, and of course, Aang.
But when he looked around to see the other prisoners' reaction to Katara's speech, he felt let down that they were nowhere near as moved as he was. In fact, they looked like they were ashamed of themselves.
So that's how bad my nation has become, he thought to himself in shame and anger. They've even took people's hopes away from them.
Katara stepped down from the platform in defeat, sadden that the earthbenders' courage and strength were taken way, contrary to what she was told as a child.
Up in one of the towers, the warden smirked at how the teenage girl was determined to spur a rebellion. He thought about taking her away to make an example of her but decided that it would be best to break her down first before taking what he believed was rightfully his.
Much later into the night, Azula, much to her insistence, snuck aboard the rig alone to find Katara and Zuko. She found the two sleeping in the prisoners' quarters. She shook the former awake, who silently woke up, but when Azula woke up Zuko, he sprang up with a haggard breath. Azula was quick to silence him with a harsh 'shh'. After calming down, he and Katara followed Azula back to where Aang and Sokka were waiting with Appa and Momo. Sokka sighed to see his sister and best friend were okay.
"Your twelve hours are up, where's Haru?" he inquired. "We've got to get out of here."
"I can't leave," Katara replied.
"Me neither," Zuko added.
"We don't have time to argue," Azula hissed. "Guards are everywhere and they're going to spot us sooner than later. Now get on the bison."
"We're not leaving," Zuko reaffirmed, much to Azula's ire.
"Katara, what's wrong?" Aang asked, feeling that she was the driving force for their refusal to leave.
"We're not leaving just yet," Katara replied. "We're not giving up on these people."
"What the hell do you mean you're not leaving?!" Sokka squealed in a hushed tone.
"We can't abandon these people," Katara told him. "There has to be a way to help them."
"She's right Sokka," Aang agreed. "I'm the Avatar and it's my job to help these people."
Sokka growled before saying, "I hate it when people self-righteous at inconvenient times." He looked at Azula. "What do you think?"
"I think the best way to help these people is the win the war," Azula said, knowing she was obligated to help these people, but felt that doing it now would only do more harm than good.
"That would take too long," Zuko objected. "The time to help these people is now."
"But how are we going to do that Zuzu?" Azula asked. "Have you come up with a brilliant plan already?"
"No, but you know just as well as I do we're honor bound to help these people now," Zuko told her.
Azula sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't get use to winning arguments with me Zuzu. Or you'll really pay the price for it one day." Zuko smiled at his sister's acceptance of this rescue operation while Sokka's jaw dropped at how the most logical person he knew agreed to go along with an incredibly illogical plan.
"Fine," he said in frustrated defeat. "Let's get this over with." The four teenagers moved quietly to find a better place to plan while Aang whispered to Appa to find a safe place to hide; Appa complied and flew off silently.
But a guard spotted something large flying through the sky and there was enough light to see something resembling a saddle on it. "Look!" he said to his partner, who just managed to catch a glimpse of it before it disappeared into the darkness. "We have to tell the warden," the first guard said.
"Tell me exactly what you saw," the warden demanded after being informed that there was suspicious activity happening around the rig.
"As I said, sir, it looked like a flying bison," the guard reported.
"What?" the warden asked.
"It was a giant flying buffalo sir, with an empty saddle," the second guard said.
"Which was it?" the warden asked impatiently. "A buffalo, or a bison?"
"Uh, I'm not sure what the difference is, but our point is that there's something abnormal going on around the rig," the first guard replied.
"Well if that's the case, then alert the sergeant of the watch, fool!" the warden replied angerly. "Why do you waste my time?!" The guards bowed quickly and ran away to comply with the warden's order, while he scowled at what trouble could be brewing on his rig.
Finding cover behind some crates, Aang and Momo peeked over the edge of one to confirm the coast was clear. They ducked behind the crate and Aang nodded to imply they were safe, while Momo nodded in imitation of his owner.
"We don't have much time," Sokka said impatiently. "What are we gonna do?"
"I wish I knew how to make a hurricane," Aang suggested, while the teenagers looked at him with unhappiness at his idea. "The warden would run away, and then we'd steal his keys!"
"Wouldn't he just take his keys with him?" Sokka asked, unconvinced that the security of this rig was left to the simplicity of keys.
"I'm just tossing ideas around," Aang said defensively.
"Start tossing better ones," Azula told him.
"Katara tried to inspire the earthbenders into fighting back," Zuko told them. "As great as her speech was, their will to fight has been broken."
"If we find a way to help them help themselves," Katara stated, "that just would inspire them to fight back at last."
"For that they'd need some kind of earth, or some rock," Sokka pointed out. "Something they can bend and use to fight back."
"But this entire rig is made of metal," Katara said as she rapped her knuckles against the deck.
"If only some of them were metalbenders," Aang said wishfully. "Then being on this metal only monster wouldn't matter."
Azula breathed deeply to concentrate. She looked up into the night sky and spotted something that indicated what they needed. "No, this monster isn't only metal. Look at the smoke," she said while pointing where it was originating, making everyone look. "They're burning a huge deposit of coal at the base of the silo to power this rig. That's where we get the earthbenders their means to help themselves."
"But how do we get the coal out here for the earthbenders to use?" Zuko asked.
"The ventilation system," Sokka said as an idea came to mind. "Back at the village, I saw the mines had several vents to allow air to flow through them. Aang can close off all the vents except one and when he does his airbending, the coal has only one place to go – right to back to the main deck." He turned to look at Aang. "Think you can do it?"
"Sure, but how do I know which vents to close?" Aang replied.
"There was a vent cover on the main deck," Katara told him. "You can start there."
"So the plan is for me to crawl around a hot and dirty ventilation system for coal, just to figure out how to blow it back onto the main deck?" Aang asked.
"It's the perfect plan for you," Azula stated, implying that Aang love doing dirty work.
"And a fun one!" Aang enthusiastically said to everyone's surprise. "Where's this vent?"
Katara led Aang and the others to the vent, where it was pried open to allow Aang and Momo to slip in. "How long do you think it will take him?" Zuko asked after the airbender disappeared.
"As long as he needs I guess," Sokka said, hopeful that Aang would not be too long.
But as the hours came and went, the night sky turned to dawn, the teenagers realized the complexity of the rig. Azula groaned and said, "That Airhead better not have gotten himself killed in there." She glared at the vent, hoping in her way that she was wrong and Aang was okay.
"Don't worry Azula," Katara tried to reassure her best friend. "I know he's okay and that he'll pull through for us."
"Right," Azula said skeptically. "But the longer we stay out here in the open-."
"There's the intruders!" a guard shouted from a tower, as enough sunlight was present to allow the guards to adequately see.
"We'll get spotted," Azula said as she drew her boomerang. Sokka followed suit while Zuko pulled out his twin machetes; Katara removed the cap from her water pouch.
"Stay back!" Sokka shouted to the guards as they moved to surround them. "I'm warning you!"
The prisoners, rudely awoken by the guards to begin their tasks, saw was happening and gathered behind the guards to see who was trying to resist the guards. Tyro saw it was Katara and Zuko, along with another boy and girl, that was causing trouble. "Katara and Zuko," Tyro began to shout, "stop this madness right now! You can't win this fight!" Haru stood next to his father, horrified to what could happen to his friends.
"Listen to him well, children," the Warden said as he marched up to them. "You're all one mistake away from dying where you stand." He eyed the intruders and began to wonder where the girl came from, since she bore a resemblance to something, or perhaps someone, he cannot recall in that moment. It did not matter, because he will find out soon enough.
As the guards closed in, there was faint vibrations moving through the metal, which became stronger and stronger. Suddenly, a massive gust of air shot out of the vent the gang was protecting, followed by black dust and pebbles, then their prize emerged. Tens of thousands of pieces of coal shot out the vent, falling to a loose circle around it. Several guards were pelted by the coal, causing them to back away. Aang flew out of the vent followed by Momo and they land in front of their friends, coughing and causing the dust to fall away from them. Katara, thrilled that she and others gave what the earthbenders desperately needed, ran up to the coal and held a piece of it in the air in a triumphant posture.
"Here's your chance, earthbenders!" Katara shouted. "Take it! Your fate is back in your hands!"
Inspired by her, Haru began walking forward, but his father stopped him out of fear. Against Katara's expectations, the prisoners shirk backwards as if the coal was poison, choosing fear over freedom. Katara determined expression turned into disappointment as she saw the earthbenders refuse to fight back.
The warden began to laugh loudly. "Foolish girl!" he shouted at her. "You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank and hopeless faces. I've broken their spirits, took their will to fight, and turned them into nothing more than inexpensive labor for the Fire Nation. And yet you still believe in them? How sweet. They were a waste of your energy, little girl. You've failed." He turned to leave the new prisoners to his guards. "Get these prisoners to work. And have that foolish girl delivered to my quarters."
But just a few short moments after speaking those words, a large piece of coal smashed into the back of his head, drawing some blood. The warden turned to see who was the one who dared hurt him, intending to make an example of them out of rage.
Haru stood there defiantly while twirling pieces of coal with his earthbending, having enough of this twisted and sick warden and his guards. The warden launched a fire blast at the young man, but it was stopped by a wall of coal. The warden looked and saw that it was Tyro who bent that coal and wore a defiant face that dwarf his son's own defiance.
The warden's guards joined him to form a firing line. "Show no mercy!" he ordered, while he and the guards unleash a wall of flames. Tyro, Haru, and three earthbenders block it with a huge wall a coal, using it to absorb the flames.
"For the Earth Kingdom, ATTACK!" Tyro roared. He slammed the palms of his fists on the deck, sending the wall of coal flying toward the Fire Nation line. Several of the guards managed to defect some of the rocks with condensed flames, but a few were hit quite harshly and fell. More earthbenders continued the assault, causing more firebenders to fall, yet more guards arrived to restore order to the rig. The gang joined the earthbenders' rebellion, Katara and Aang fighting off the firebenders with their respective elements, where the firebenders had no idea how to fight against due to lack of training regarding water and airbending, while Momo flew about to distract the guards to open them to attacks. Sokka, Azula, and Zuko used their weapons to focus on the Fire Nation soldiers who were nonbenders, as there was more of them.
A lot more of them.
Enough to start pushing back the earthbenders. Tyro and Haru worked together to mash together a large pile of coal into a boulder, then launched it into the massive gate leading to the ships. A large enough hole was created, allowing everyone the chance to escape.
"Get to the ships!" Tyro shouted as he returned to the fight with his son. "We'll hold them off!" He, Haru, and a few earthbenders along with Katara and Aang continued to hold off the soldiers, but it became apparent they could not do it long enough to buy enough time for everyone to escape.
Sokka, Zuko, and Azula fell back behind the earthbenders when it became overwhelming for them to fight. Zuko frowned deeply as an earthbender took a hit to his arm from a firebender, causing his arm to be slightly burned.
"Azula, we need to do more than what we're doing with our weapons," he said as he sheathed his machetes.
Azula looked at him indignant. "Are you insane?" she hissed. "If we show who we really are, we're dead."
"We don't have a choice," Zuko said. "You can run if you want, but I'm helping them with my firebending." He began running toward the fight, leaving a fuming Azula behind because her brother just insulted her by implying she was being a coward.
Azula scowled deeply before sheathing her boomerang. She began running and caught up to Zuko, and together, they defected several fire blasts and launched several of their own toward the warden and his guards, much to the shock of everyone.
"They're firebenders?!" Haru shouted in shock and anger. Sokka came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes, but they're on our side!" he shouted at Haru. "Just look!" Haru watched as Azula and Zuko were forcing the firebenders back despite being outnumbered, a clear sign that the fire siblings were superior to the guards and even the warden.
"But why are they on our side?" Haru asked but his father placed his hand on his shoulder.
"We'll find out later son," Tyro said before running over to the new defeated warden with Haru, where Azula stood over him triumphant. Tyro and Haru bent the coal surrounding the warden and his defeated guards to create a platform to carry the warden and his men over to the water.
The warden realized their intentions and pleaded, "No, please! I can't swim!"
"Don't worry," Tyro sarcastically reassured, "I hear cowards float."
"And if they don't," Azula added, "cruel men like you deserve to drown." She smirked as Tyro and Haru let go of the coal, causing the warden and his men to fall into the ocean. Tyro turned and eyed Azula and Zuko.
"Let's get going," Tyro said. "The ships are not going to wait forever."
After commandeering the ships, the earthbenders made course for the mainland. Katara, Azula, and Zuko stood before the earthbenders, with Tyro and Haru being the most predominant figures judging them. Aang and Sokka were on Appa as he swam nearby, the former two nervous something bad will happen.
"Look, we know what you're going to say," Azula said, knowing the worst is going to happen to them.
"That you're firebenders," Haru said with a hint of anger, "and that we should punish you for what your nation has done."
Zuko's throat tighten at that. "Basically yeah."
"But you all saw that they helped us," Katara defended. "Surely you realized that they aren't the same as the firebenders you've met."
"But how can we trust-?" Haru said before Tyro interrupted him.
"She's right son," Tyro said to Haru's surprise. "These two risked their lives, even their honor, for us as much as Katara did. How they became allies with Katara is none of our business. We owe them that much."
Haru looked away for a moment, knowing his father was right. "Yeah they did. Thank you Azula, Zuko. And especially you Katara, for saving me. Saving all of us."
"All it took was a lot of coal," Katara said embarrassed, "which was Azula's idea actually." She hoped that giving Azula the credit for the plan would help ease the tension, which appeared to work.
"Well, I really have to thank you Azula," Haru said with a smile to her, causing her to relax a bit. "But it wasn't just the coal, it was really you Katara."
"Me?" Katara said, taken aback by the amount of praise she was receiving.
"Yes, Katara of the Water Tribe, you," Tyro reaffirmed. "You help me, us, find our courage. My family and everyone here, owes you and your friends much."
"So, are you going home now?" Zuko asked, relieved that people directly affected by the Fire Nation can forgive him and Azula and see them as allies.
"Yes, to take back our village," Tyro declared. "To take back ALL of our villages! Those of the Fire Nation who stand against us will regret the day they set foot on our land!" All of the former prisoners began shouting in agreement, eager to take their homes back.
Katara smiled at how everyone cheered at the anticipation to taking their homes back. "Come with us. All of you," she heard Haru say to her, Azula, and Zuko.
"We can't," Katara told him. "Your mission is to back your home. Ours is to get Aang to the North Pole."
"Assuming he'd let us," Azula added, knowing there was going to be more distractions along the way. "Or anyone else for that matter," she said while looking at Katara and Zuko, implying they were the reason for this delay in their trip. They ignored her, believing Azula knew it was the right thing to help these people.
Haru looked over at Aang, who was playing with Momo and a chunk of coal. "That's him isn't it? The Avatar. Katara, I can't express how much I'm thankful for bringing my father back to me. I honestly thought I'd never see him again. I only wish there was some way I can return the same favor."
"I know," Katara said sadly before reaching for her mother's necklace…
Only to find it gone. Her eyes widen in panic. "My mother's necklace! It's gone!" She began looking around frantically to no avail.
Colonel Mongke searched the deck of the rig that suffered the prisoner rebellion. After interrogating the surviving guards and ordering them to be pressed ganged into his ship's company, he found a blue necklace on the deck and knelt down to pick it up.
He recognized it as the necklace the Water Tribe girl wore. Feeling that it would be a worthy trophy, he pocketed it, determined to gloat that it was his trophy now when he tracked the brats down.