Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Emphasis" by Sleeping at Last
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Chapter 6: Avatar Katara
Though it pales in comparison to the overarching shadows,
A speck of light can reignite the sun and swallow darkness whole
"I'm so hungry I could eat Momo," Sokka groans, holding his stomach and laying on his side. Katara, watching him from the other side of the saddle, can't help but agree.
The first couple weeks had gone well. They'd used up their supplies and travelled through the Earth Kingdom looking for potential earthbending masters. The past three days, however, they haven't been able to stay for long enough in a village to look for an earthbending master or food.
"The Fire Nation is advancing faster and further than we expected," Aang says. "They're at every village we stop at!"
"I think we're going to have to risk it at the next village," Katara says. "We can't keep going for much longer like this. And even if we could, Appa needs to eat."
The flying bison growls in agreement. Aang leans down and pats him. "You're doing great, Appa," he says. "We'll get you something to eat and somewhere safe to sleep soon."
They continue flying, the kids trying to find somewhere safe to land and restock up on supplies. After a while, Aang points in the distance.
"There! A village!"
Katara and Sokka follow where his hand is pointing.
"No good," Sokka says a few seconds later. "See that Fire Nation encampment around the village?"
Katara sits back with a sigh. "We just have to keep going."
Suddenly Appa drops a few feet in the air. The kids all grab onto the saddle.
"What's going on?" Katara calls out to Aang.
"Appa's too tired! He can't keep flying!" Aang looks back with worried eyes.
"We need to land, then!"
"But what are we going to eat?" Sokka moans.
Katara shakes her head. "We'll figure it out. But let's get out of the air before we crash."
Appa lands in the forest not far from the village. Katara and Aang go through all the bags again, hoping to find some food that they missed. Sokka goes scavenging in the forest. He comes back with his bag a quarter full.
Aang excitedly jumps over to him. "What do we have to eat?" he asks.
Sokka reaches in the bag. "A round nut," he offers.
Aang wrinkles his nose.
"We have other options," Sokka says. "We also have oval-shaped nuts. And some rock-shaped nuts that might just be rocks."
Katara slumps on the ground. Her stomach is completely empty and with it, her energy. She watches Momo attempting to eat a leaf he found on the ground. Sokka chucks one of the rock nuts behind him and Momo grabs it. After a few seconds of attempting to crack it open against a rock, he gives up and lays on the ground.
Sokka stands. "I'll go out again," he says with a sigh. Before he can take a step, the entire earth quakes beneath them. It's a short but powerful pulse. They all sit up quickly.
"What was that?" Sokka cries. Another quake occurs. Momo runs and hides between Appa's front paws. Appa, too tired to move, cracks an eye before closing it again.
"It's coming from over there!" Aang points. He starts running. Katara pulls herself to her feet and follows.
"Shouldn't we run away from huge booms?" Sokka cries. "Not toward them?"
Katara ignores him. She knows what that sound is. It isn't an earthquake - it's an Earthbender. Maybe the one who will be her teacher.
Katara finds Aang hiding behind a rock ledge, staring into a shallow ravine. In the ravine, a boy about her age is moving huge rocks around.
Her eyes grow wide. "It is an Earthbender!"
"Let's go meet him!" Aang exclaims.
Sokka, who has finally caught up, puts a hand on Aang's arm. "He looks dangerous," he warns. "Let's be cautious about it."
Katara doesn't listen. She vaults over the rock ledge and into the ravine. All she can think of is how excited she is to finally start learning how to earthbend - and to finally begin her destiny as Avatar.
"Hello, there!" she calls out. "I'm Katara! What's your name?"
The boy turns. His eyes widen in alarm. The rock he's been bending crashes to the ground. Then he turns and runs away, causing an avalanche to cover his tracks.
"Hey, he's gotta be running somewhere," Aang says, walking up behind her. Katara is still staring at the place where the Earthbender had been. She doesn't understand why he ran away. She doesn't look threatening, does she?
"He's probably running to the village," Sokka says.
"And that village probably has a market," Aang adds.
"Which means food," Sokka sings. "We don't have to eat the rock nuts."
Katara is more interested in finding the boy. "Alright," she says. "Let's go."
They walk through the village, keeping their eyes peeled for the Earthbender. The smell of food from the market is irresistible, but they don't have anything to pay for it yet. And besides, Katara isn't hungry anymore. She's focused on finding the boy.
Aang gets distracted trying on hats from a vendor when Katara sees the boy disappear into a hut.
"Hey!" she calls out to Sokka and Aang. Then she follows him into the store.
He's standing in front of the counter, talking with the woman.
"Hey!" Katara calls. "Why did you run away?"
He looks shocked, then quickly covers it up. "You must have me confused with some other kid," he says.
Sokka and Aang join Katara in the store. "No, she didn't," Aang says. "We saw you earthbending."
Both the boy and the woman's eyes widen. They rush to the windows and doors, shutting the whole place up.
"They saw you doing what?" the woman exclaims as soon as they're isolated from the outside.
They boy motions with his arms. "They're crazy, Mom! I mean, look at how they're dressed."
His mother doesn't buy it. "You know how dangerous that is, Haru. You know what would happen if they caught you earthbending."
"They" must refer to the Fire Nation soldiers. Katara suddenly feels bad for acting and speaking so rashly. Before she can apologize, there's a stern knock on the door.
"Open up!"
Sokka is already at the blinds. "Fire Nation! Act natural!"
Haru's mother opens the door. The kids stage themselves around the store. The Fire Nation soldier walks in and observes the room.
"What do you want?" Haru's mother demands. "I already paid you this week."
"The tax just doubled," the soldier says with a smirk. "You wouldn't want an accident, would you?" He waves his hands and creates a ball of flames. Haru's mother steps back in shock. "Fire is sometimes so hard to control," he continues, squashing the flames.
The woman takes out her cash box. It's nearly empty. Despite that, she still pays the guard with all the money inside.
"You can keep the copper coins," he says as he walks out, carelessly tossing them to the ground. The door slams behind him. Haru's mother kneels down to pick up the coins.
"Nice guy," Sokka says wryly. "How long have they been here already?"
"Five years," she answers wearily. "Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal to fuel his ships."
"They're thugs," Haru says vehemently, staring angrily at the ground. "They steal from us. And everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it."
"Don't talk like that," his mother chides sharply.
Katara steps forward. "Haru's an Earthbender," she points out. "Why can't he help do anything?"
"Earthbending is forbidden," the woman replies firmly. "It's caused nothing but misery for this village. He must never use his abilities." She looks at her son sternly.
Katara doesn't understand. She thinks of her village and how, if they had more Waterbenders, they might have defended themselves against the Fire Nation. They would have survived the attack.
"How can you say that?" she demands. "Haru has a gift. Asking him not to earthbend is like telling me not to waterbend. It's a part of who we are."
"You don't understand."
"I understand that Haru can help you," Katara presses. She thinks of how she and Aang helped the people in the Western Air Temple. She thinks of how she helped Zuko from the Kraken and the hurricane. She thinks of how she could have helped her own people. "What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?"
"They could take Haru away. Like they took his father," Haru's mother adds darkly.
Katara can't argue against that. "I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I didn't know."
Haru's mother stands up straight. "Take them home," she instructs him. "Give them something to eat. They can stay the night in the old barn." She turns to Katara. "You can't stay here long. You'll have to leave tomorrow. Our village has seen enough pain and suffering. We can't risk any more."
Katara nods. It seems fair. "Thank you for your hospitality," she says.
Haru walks them to his home. It's on the edge of the village. Aang fetches Appa and Momo and leads them into the barn. Haru gives Appa some hay and then hands out apples and dumplings to the others.
"It isn't much," he says. "But it's all we can afford."
"We understand," Katara says.
"We're more than grateful," Sokka adds, eating his share slow and savoring it.
"I'm sorry about your dad," Aang says.
Haru nods once but doesn't say anything.
Katara follows him out of the hut while the others are finishing up.
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier," she says as they walk along a path. "I didn't know about your father. I shouldn't have assumed anything."
"It's okay," Haru says. Then the side of his mouth quirks up in a tiny smile. "It's funny, you know. The way you were talking back in the store - it reminded me of him."
She takes that as an honor. "Thanks."
"My father was very courageous. When the Fire Nation invaded our area, he and the other Earthbenders were outnumbered ten to one. But they fought back anyway."
The story is one that's all too familiar. "He sounds like a great man," she says. "I lost my father, too. The Fire Nation invaded my village without warning. They were dozens of Firebenders. My parents told me and my brother to run. They stayed behind to fight." She swallows. "Now they're all gone. Sokka and I are the only ones left."
"That's why you want to fight back so badly, isn't it?" Haru leads her up a sloping hill to the top of a plateau. "I do, too. But I can't leave my mother alone."
"Do you know where your father is?"
"After the attack, they rounded him and all the other Earthbenders up. They took them away. We haven't seen them since. If I knew where he was, I'd go after him myself." Haru kneels at the edge of the plateau. The wind blows his hair back a bit. Katara stands a few feet behind him.
"You have to hide your earthbending or they'll take you away, too."
"Yeah. Problem is, the only way I can feel close to my father is when I practice my earthbending." He spins two stones in his palm. "My father taught me everything I know." The rocks dissolve into sand and sift through the fingers of his fist before blowing away.
Katara's hand reaches up instinctively to touch the carved jade pendant on her necklace. "This is all I have left of my mom," she shares. "And all I have of my father are memories."
"It's not enough, is it?"
"No. But I would be devastated to lose it. It would be like losing her all over again. I can't imagine how hard it is for you to not earthbend."
Haru nods. "My mother means well. I know she's just looking out for me. But she's given up on ever seeing my father again. I haven't."
Katara sets a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help you find him. I promise."
He looks over at her sadly. "How? I tried following them when the trail was fresh. Now there's nothing."
"We'll find a way," she promises.
They sit on the edge of the plateau for a little longer before heading back. As they get close to one of the mines, they hear the sound of collapsing earth.
"Help!" cries a desperate voice.
Katara and Haru don't hesitate. They start running towards the mine. An old man with only a couple teeth left is laying on his stomach, a huge mass of rumble covering his back and legs. He reaches an arm out towards them.
"Help me!" he groans.
The mine continues to shake and rocks continue to pour down slowly onto the man, burying him deeper. Katara instantly leans down and starts pulling the man out by his armpits. Haru holds back the oncoming rubble.
It's useless. The man is buried too deep to be pulled out.
"It's not working!" Katara exclaims, looking over at Haru worriedly. "We have to get help!"
"There's no time! Pull harder!"
It's a lost cause and they both know it. There's only one way to save this man's life.
"Haru," Katara says. "You can help him."
He looks down at her with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "I can't."
"Please! There's no one around to see you. It's the only way." If Katara could earthbend, she wouldn't hesitate. But she can't yet, and it isn't her freedom at stake here. She can only try to convince Haru that helping is the right choice.
Haru steps out and takes an earthbending stance. He stomps a foot down, straightens his shoulders, and pushes both fists forward. The rubble blows backwards into the mine, freeing the trapped man.
Katara can't help the proud smile on her face. "You did it!"
They help the man up and take him to the village. The entire time, Katara wonders whether it was her words that inspired Haru, or whether he would have helped the man anyway. Not that she doesn't think Haru would have made the right choice without her, but because the Avatar is supposed to be inspiring. She hopes she's inspiring.
That night, when she and Sokka and Aang are snuggled into their sleeping bags in the barn, Katara is still gushing.
"It was so brave of him," she says. "In a war zone like this, it's so easy to lose sight of humanity. It's so easy to put yourself before everyone else. I'm proud of him for making the hard choice."
"I'm glad he saved the man, too," Sokka says. "But we need to get to sleep. We're leaving at dawn."
Katara doesn't want to leave. She feels like she was just connecting with Haru. He's a nice guy, and she's sure he could teach her earthbending - if it wasn't forbidden here, of course. And she really wants to help him find his father. She promises herself that the first thing she'll do when she has time is come back and help him rescue his father. She owes it to him and to this entire village.
"Can we at least sleep in for once?" she asks, not because she wants to sleep in but because she wants to have a little more time in the morning with Haru. It's not often she gets to stay in a place long enough to make friends, let alone spend some time with them.
Sokka shakes his head. "Too many Fire Nation soldiers. We've already stayed long enough. And besides, you need to find an earthbending master."
"I think Sokka is right," Aang says from on top of Appa. "I like it here, too, and I like Haru, but it's just too dangerous."
Katara sighs. "Alright. Good night."
In the morning, Katara goes out to fill their water skins from the well. She bends the water around her, then, thinking better of it, quickly fills the skins. As she turns to head back in the hut, she sees Haru's mother standing alone outside of the house.
She turns around and Katara sees tears spill over her face. In an instant Katara knows what happened.
She rushes into the barn where Sokka and Aang are loading the last of the supplies.
"They took him!" she cries. "They took Haru!"
Aang stands slowly. Around his neck, Momo also turns to face her. "What?"
"The man we saved turned him in! It's all my fault."
"Hold on," Sokka says, coming up and taking her arm gently. "When did it happen?"
"Haru's mom said they took him at midnight."
"Then it's pointless to follow him. He's long gone."
"We don't know that," Katara says, pulling away. She knows that Sokka is right, though. She just can't believe that Haru is gone. And because of her. She pressured him into earthbending. She could have saved the old man if she had tried harder. But deep down, she had wanted Haru to rise up against the Fire Nation. It was selfish of her. And now he's gone.
"I'm sorry, Katara," Aang says, walking up and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know you were his good friend."
She slides to the ground and puts her head in her hands. "I just don't know what to do," she admits. "We can't just leave his mom all alone. But we can't track him down, either."
Sokka sighs. "Okay. We'll stay a few more days, figure out something. But we gotta keep our heads down or else the Fire Nation is going to arrest us, too."
Katara knows she can't make up for being responsible for Haru's arrest, but she tries everything to help his mother. She collects roots from the field and fruits and vegetables from the bushes and plants behind the house and cooks. She runs errands in the city. She cleans up the house. She washes clothes.
Sokka joins a temporary mine crew and works throughout the day. He anonymously slides the coins he earns into the cashier box at the store. For once in his life, he doesn't complain about anything. In fact, he's oddly quiet.
Aang and Momo make some money in the village by performing tricks - without airbending, of course, because they don't want to draw too much attention. But Aang doesn't need to airbend to entertain. He uses his money to buy groceries for Haru's mother.
A week passes in this way. Katara can tell that Haru's mother is thankful for their help, but both of the women are frustrated by the situation. Katara can't stay here forever but she can't leave until she fixes the mess she started. But how can she bring Haru back when she doesn't know where he went?
While on one of her errand runs, Katara pauses to watch Aang and Momo perform. They do a pantomime comedy sketch which has observers rolling with laughter, including the Fire Nation soldiers. A decent pile of money is at Aang's feet.
Then a group of rowdy kids stop by. They yell some things at Aang. He ignores them and continues his routine. Then the leader of the kids leans down and picks up a sizeable rock from the ground.
"Catch this, baldy!" the kid yells and chucks the rock straight at Aang when he has his back turned.
"Aang! Watch out!" Katara yells. He turns just in some to rock flying right at his face. He instinctively waves his hands and uses a blast of wind to deflect the rock. It smashes harmlessly into the side of a building.
Both Aang and Katara realize his mistake at the same time. Their eyes meet across the square.
"Earthbender!" someone from the crowd shouts. The Fire Nation guards jump up and grab Aang.
"No, wait!" he protests. "I'm not an Earthbender!"
"Don't lie," one of the guards snaps. "We all saw you move that rock!"
"That wasn't earthbending!"
"Bending is forbidden here. Everyone knows that." The guards drag him away. Katara tries to follow.
"Aang!" she calls out. "Aang!"
"I'm all right, Katara!" he yells back, his voice muffled. One of the guards kicks him.
"Aang!"
She's blocked by more Fire Nation guards.
"Let me through!" she demands, pushing them. They grab her arms and hold her back.
"Sorry, missy," one of the guards says. "Your friend is a criminal."
"Take me, too!"
The guards exchange glances. "She's crazy," one of them says. "We can't have crazies roaming the streets."
"It isn't safe," the other guard agrees. They start dragging Katara in the opposite direction of the guards taking Aang. Katara struggles but the men have too strong of a grip on her. They lead her through the village and toss her in a cell. She grabs hold of the bars and watches as they walk away.
A few minutes later she slumps to the ground. What has she done? First Haru, and now Aang? This is all her fault. Not to mention Zuko, who is also in a Fire Nation prison somewhere. Everyone she cares about is being imprisoned because of her. She's a bad Avatar and a terrible friend.
She imagines small, innocent Aang being dragged away and taken to a prison with a bunch of big, scary men. She hopes that Haru watches out for him.
She's not sure how long she sits in the prison before Sokka finds her. He chats with the guards for a bit, slips them some coins, and they open the cell and release her.
"Oh, Sokka!" Katara throws her arms around her brother. "Aang was arrested, too!"
He rubs her back gently. "I know," he says calmly. "We'll figure out a way to get him back. Him and Haru. I promise."
They start walking through the village. "Wherever they're keeping the Earthbenders must be a place with no earth. Maybe it's on an island somewhere. We'll start searching. Someone somewhere has to know something. But in the meantime, we need to keep ourselves from getting arrested."
Katara suddenly stops. "I know how to save them!" she exclaims.
Sokka turns. "You do?"
"I have to get myself arrested."
"These vents are connected," Sokka explains, pointing to the vent opening at the surface of the ground. "It's how we breathe when we work in the mines. Now, help me push this boulder into place."
Sokka and Katara push a large boulder onto the vent.
"I already placed the water in that vent," Sokka says, pointing to a second vent opening a few feet from the first one. "All you have to blast the water through the vent. Fake earthbending!"
Katara takes a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready."
He looks at her with concern on his face. "Are you sure? It's a good plan, but there are lots of things that could go wrong."
"Everything has already gone wrong," Katara reminds him. "It's going to work. I can feel it."
"Okay." Sokka steps back. He glances around the mine. "They're coming! Last chance to back out."
"No way." Katara positions herself right over the clear vent. In her veins she can feel the container of water stored just under her feet. The boulder on the other vent is just a couple feel away. She's ready.
A small group of Fire Nation guards approach. Sokka pretends to shove into Katara.
"Get out of my way, pipsqueak!" he threatens in a fake deep voice.
"How dare you run into me, cretin!" Katara yells back.
"What did you call me?"
"A giant-eared cretin! Look at those things! Do animals use them for shade?"
Sokka towers over her. "You better back off!"
"No, you back off!"
"Make me!"
Katara narrows her eyes. "All right! Let's do this earthbending-style!"
She spins and lands hard, thrusting her arms forward. Underneath the ground, in the vents, the water obeys her command. A geyser blasts through the vent and lifts the boulder into the air.
The guards don't pay any attention to the water. They just see the boulder move and instantly yell, "Earthbender!"
"I'll hold her!" Sokka offers. As the guards approach, he whispers in her ear, "Good luck. Bring them home."
She nods once and then the guards are escorting her away.
Katara hopes she didn't just make a huge mistake.
They guards take her to an iron ship. Katara pretends to look sad, but inside she's quite pleased. Sokka's hunch about the prison being surrounded by water seems to prove itself true. And nowhere is Katara stronger than when surrounded by water.
The guards let her up to the deck of the ship for fresh air once during the journey. She glances up and thinks that she spotted a short glimpse of Appa flying through the clouds. Her resolve is stronger than ever.
The prison itself is a giant, anchored ship. Katara is escorted with the other prisoners on the deck of it.
"Earthbenders!" says a Fire Nation commander. "It's my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest shipyard. I am your warden. I prefer to think of you not as prisoners, but as honored guests. And I hope you come to think of me as your humble and caring host."
Katara tries not to roll her eyes. This guy is full of it. She can't wait to see the look on his face when she and the other prisoners break out of here.
"You will succeed here if you simply abide -"
The warden is cut off by one of the other Earthbenders coughing. The warden suddenly spins and sends a flame right at the man. Luckily the man leaps out of the way in time.
"What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him? Take him below!"
Then he continues his speech. "Simply treat me with the same courtesy I treat you and we'll get along famously. You will notice that this rig is made entirely of metal. You are miles away from any rock or earth. So if you have any inclinations on employing that brutal savagery that passes for bending among you people, forget them. It's impossible. Good day."
Katara and the other new prisoners are escorted through the gate, which slides shut behind them with a loud screeching sound, and into the courtyard of the prison. She's shocked at how downcast and depressed all the prisoners here appear. They just sit around and stare at the ground or at the waves in the distance. No one talks.
"Katara?"
She turns to see a familiar face. "Aang!"
She rushes over and pulls him a big hug. Behind him, Haru also stands up. She gives him a hug next. "Haru!"
"What are you doing here?" Haru asks.
"It's my fault you guys were captured," she says, looking between him and Aang. "I came to rescue you."
"So you got yourself arrested?"
"It was the only way to rescue you. I only wish I realized it before Aang was also captured."
Haru crosses his arms. "You got guts, Katara," he admits. Then he takes her arm. "Come on. There's someone I want you to meet."
The three of them walk over to another group of older Earthbenders.
"This is my father, Tyro. Dad, this is Katara."
A man with hair that is too white for his true age turns around. He's holding a bowl of food in one hand, which he sets down on the ground in front of him.
Katara bows. "It's an honor to meet you," she says.
He hands her the food bowl. "Have something to eat," he says. "It's not as bad as it looks."
Katara hopes he's being honest because it looks pretty bad. She and Haru take seats next to him. Aang keeps watch on the guards.
A man approaches. "Tyro. The prisoners are complaining that there aren't enough blankets to go around."
"I'll talk to the guards," Tyro promises him. "In the meantime, make sure that the sick and elderly are taken care of. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather."
Katara watches the man leave. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your escape plan?"
Tyro looks at her. "What?"
"You know, your plan to get everyone off the ship? Mutiny? Sabotage?"
Tyro shakes his head. "No. The plan is to survive, to wait out this war. Hope that one day some of us can get back home and forget that this ever happened."
"You sound like you've already given up," Katara realizes.
"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."
No. Katara won't accept this. She came here to rescue Haru and Aang but she's going to do a whole lot more. She's going to rescue everyone. But she can't do it alone.
Katara stands on a platform and uses a spoon to smash an empty plate. All the prisoners half-heartedly look up.
"Earthbenders!" she declares. "You don't know me, but I know you. Every child in my 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's your courage that they should truly fear because it runs deeper than any mine you've been forced to dig and any ocean that keeps you far from home! It is the strength of your hearts that make you who you are. Hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded away." She raises a fist in the air. "The time to fight back is now! Let us fight for our freedom!"
She leaves her fist hanging in the air. No one moves for a minute. Then someone coughs and everyone returns to staring at the ground or quietly slurping up their soup. Katara's hand falls.
"I don't understand," she says quietly.
Haru looks up at her. "They've lost hope, Katara," he says. "Not even strength can hold out against losing hope."
She looks at Tyro. "What can I say to make them believe me?"
He shakes his head. "Nothing short of a miracle would change their minds."
A miracle…
Katara's head snaps up. She thinks of the people at the Western Air Temple. She thinks of the people on Kyoshi Island.
Her eyes narrow. "Then it's a good thing I have a miracle," she says firmly.
Haru grabs her hand. "Katara, wait. You don't want to push the guards."
She takes her hand back. "Oh, I'm gonna push them all right," she grumbles. "I'll push them right off this rig."
"Katara!" She turns to see Aang running up. She kneels down to his level.
"What is it?"
He points to a pair of smoke stacks chugging out smoke. "Look."
"They're burning something. So what?"
Haru's eyes widen. "They're burning coal!"
Realization dawns on Katara. "And coal is earth!" She whispers something in Aang's ear. He nods and then takes off.
She stands back up on the platform. "I've got two miracles for you today, Tyro," she says.
She slaps the spoon into the plate again. "Earthbenders!"
They all look back up at her. "I've been told that it would take a miracle to inspire you. For years you have been working here day in and day out, told over and over again that you couldn't fight back. You resigned yourselves to working here until the war ended. But even in that you didn't have hope. How could you? No one can challenge the Fire Nation." She pauses dramatically and looks around, making random eye contact. "No one except the Avatar!"
"The Avatar is a myth," someone says. Murmurs of agreement run through the people.
"The Avatar is not a myth!" Katara declares.
"The Avatar disappeared!" someone else says.
"And the Avatar has returned!" Katara waves her arms. "Behold! I am Katara, the last Waterbender, and the Avatar. For many years I slept in the ice, but I have now returned to save you from your bondage!"
A blast of water from both sides of the rig accents her point. She watches as dull faces turn interested and sleepy eyes widen. The guards on the walls of the rig start racing into action.
Katara could end this all right now by herself if she wanted to. It would be so easy. A few waves of water would sweep them all away. But she doesn't need this victory. She doesn't need to prove to herself how powerful her waterbending is. This victory belongs to the Earthbenders.
"The Fire Nation has fed you the lie that there is no earth here! But there is! Rise up and fight back against your oppressors! Take your lives into your own hands! Rescue yourselves and then return to reclaim your villages!"
"Katara, stop!" Tyro begs. "You can't win!"
"He's right."
Katara turns to see the warden standing behind her. His guards file out, surrounding the platform where she stands. They all point their spears her way.
"You're one mistake away from dying where you stand," the warden continues.
Katara glances over at the vent a few feet away. Come on, Aang, she begs silently.
"You will never silence me," she threatens. As if on cue, the vent shakes and suddenly a massive geyser of coal spews out. The Earthbenders and Fire Nation guards alike jump back in shock.
It lands right between the two parties. Haru makes eye contact with Katara. He's smiling widely and his green eyes are glowing brightly.
Aang flies out of the vent a moment later, landing on top of the pile of coal. His cough interrupts the tense silence.
Katara jumps on top of the pile next to Aang. "Here's your chance, Earthbenders!" she cries. "Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!"
Haru steps forward. Tyro blocks him with an arm. The rest of the Earthbenders back away from the coal as if it's poison. Katara can't believe what she's seeing. She gave these people everything they needed and yet they still shy away. It's like they don't even want to be free.
The warden laughs deeply. "Foolish girl! You thought a few inspirational words, a ridiculous lie about being the Avatar, and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago. Oh, but you still believe in them? They're a waste of your energy, little girl. You failed."
The warden turns to walk away. Katara helps Aang to his feet and then leads him off the pile of coal.
"Come on, Aang," she says quietly. "We're leaving."
"What?" He looks around at all the people. "We're just going to leave them here?"
"You can't save people who don't want to be saved."
Katara spares one more look at Haru. He's staring at the pile of coal. Then he looks over at her.
"I'm sorry, Haru," she says. Then she turns away and starts walking.
Suddenly the warden cries out in pain. Katara whirls around to see Haru levitating a group of coal rocks over his palm, a determined look on his face. The warden is clutching his head. Then he suddenly lashes out with two bursts of fire. Haru turns away. Behind him, his father summons up a wall of coal as a shield.
"Show no mercy!" the warden cries. His Firebenders form a line and advance on the prisoners. A few more of the Earthbenders stand behind Haru and Tyro and begin bending the coal. Katara and Aang watch with wide eyes.
"For the Earth Kingdom! Attack!"
The Firebenders are wildly outnumbered. To their credit, they put up a fight. But the Earthbenders are not to be outdone. They attack with the ferocity of people who have been oppressed for far too long.
Katara and Aang rejoin the fight, and Sokka and Appa reveal themselves and swoop down to attack.
When the battle is over, the Earthbenders commandeer the ships and set off for their homes on the Earth Kingdom mainland. Appa swims alongside the biggest ship.
"I want to thank you for saving me," Haru says. "For saving us."
His father stands beside him. The image makes Katara happy.
She suddenly feels small. She reaches up and messes with the back of her braid. "All it took was a little coal," she says with a nervous laugh.
"It wasn't the coal, Katara. It was you."
He stares at her so intensely that her cheeks burn.
Tyro sets one hand on her shoulder and one hand on Haru's. "Thank you for helping me find my courage, Avatar Katara."
Avatar Katara. That's the first time she's heard that title. She thinks it sounds good. She's proud to have earned it today.
"My family and everyone here owes you so much," Tyro continues. "If you ever need our help, we will come."
"But not now," she says. "You're going home now."
"Yes." Tyro raises his hand and his voice. "We're going to take back all of our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they stepped foot on our land!"
A cheer rises up from the other Earthbenders on the other ships. In this moment, Katara's heart is full. She feels like she's really stepped up. She's really becoming the Avatar.
Haru grabs her hand. "Come with us," he urges. She stares into his bright green eyes and finds that, although she wants to say yes, she can't.
"Your mission is to take back your homeland," she says. "Mine is to help more people like you."
He watches her for a long moment. "You're really the Avatar, aren't you?"
She smiles dryly. "It appears so."
"Thank you so much for bringing my father back to me. I never thought I'd see him again. I only wish there was some way…"
She knows where he's going with it. She likes Haru, she really does. But she doesn't feel the same way he does. How can she when her heart has been broken and halfway stitched back together? She hasn't even gotten over the last boy she connected with. She's not sure she ever will.
"I know," she says softly. "But we'll see each other again. I'm sure of it."
He nods. Then he smiles a bit. "Go and save the world, Katara. And know that no matter what happens, there are people who will always believe in you."
Katara hugs him and then jumps off the ship, waterbending herself over to Appa. Once she's on the saddle Aang says, "Yip yip!" and Appa takes off, flying over the ships and the waving Earthbenders and onto the next adventure.