Balance | Old Version

Chapter 16

Elua's POV.

We were packing up camp, Sokka had just handed me the last bag when Katara came running into the barn. I look at her worriedly as I see the tears rolling down her face.
"Katara?" I ask. Aang and Sokka follow my gaze.
"They took him! They took Haru away!" Katara says distraught as we all walk over to.
"What?" Aang asks in shock.
"The old man turned him into the Fire Nation," Katara states. "It's all my fault, I forced him into earthbending," She says sadly.
"Slow down, Katara, when did this happen?" Sokka asks as he puts his arm around her shoulder and holds her hand in legitimate concern.

"Haru's mother said they came for him at midnight," Katara says as she begins to calm down.
"Then it's too late to track him, he's long gone," Sokka tells her sadly. I think for a moment, there had to be a way to find him. After a few moments, I get an idea.
"We don't need to track him. The Fire Nation is going to take us right to Haru." I tell them, they all look at me confused, but Katara seems to get what I'm saying.
"...And why would they do that?" Aang asks me confused.
"Because they're going to arrest us for earthbending."

Later.

We all stand outside as Sokka and I roll two boulders on top of two air gates.
"I thought you were crazy at first, Elua, but this might work," Sokka says, seeming impressed with me. "There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines, all Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent to this one right here. The boulders levitate and, tada! Fake earthbending." He says as we finish putting the boulders on the vents.

"Aang, did you get that?" Katara asks Aang, who is sitting a little was away from us.
"Sure, I got it," Aang says unconvincingly.
"Do you remember your cue?" I ask him.
"Yeah, yeah, just relax. You're taking all the fun out of this." He states. I look at him with a frown.
"By 'this' do you mean intentionally getting captured by an army of ruthless firebenders?" Sokka asks him.

"Exactly! That's fun stuff." Aang says smiling. We see a few Fire Nation soldiers beginning to walk towards us, and suddenly I become a little nervous.
"Here they come, get in your places!" Sokka says as Aang walks over to the other vent, out of the soldier's view. "Get out of my way, pipsqueak!" Sokka shouts in an exaggerated tone.
"How dare you call me 'pipsqueak' you giant-eared cretin!" Katara shouts, also in an exaggerated tone.

"What did you call me?" Sokka shouts.
"A giant-eared cretin! Look at those things. Do herds of animals use them for shade?" Katara asks in a fake mean tone.
"You better back off!" Sokka yells. "Seriously – back off." He says in a normal tone, covering his mouth with his hand.
"She will not back off! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are!" I shout, obviously not meaning that.

"That's it, you're going down!" Sokka yells at us.
"We'll show you who's boss!" I shout back.
"Earthbending style!" Katara shouts as we both take an earthbending stance, I actually earthbend one of the boulders, but nothing happens to Katara's boulder. "I said 'earthbending style!'" She shouts again, and this time the boulder floats into the air, making it look like she is earthbending.
"That lemur! It's earthbending!" One of the soldiers says, I frown in confusion.

I look over and see Momo is behind the boulder making it look like he's the one earthbending.
"No, you idiot! It's the girls!" Sokka shouts pointing at us.
"Oh, of course." The soldier says embarrassed. Katara's boulder drops to the ground and I allow mine to too as Sokka walks over to us.
"I'll hold them!" Sokka says as he puts his hand on our shoulders. "You've both got 12 hours to find Haru, we'll be right behind you." He whispers to us. The soldiers walk over to us and take Katara and I to wherever Haru is.

Later.

Katara and I were taken to village's port where a Fire Navy ship is docked behind us, we both wear a brown cloth over our clothes. We are standing in a line with other prisoners around us.
"Earthbenders, it is my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest shipyard," The Warden says as he stands in front of us. "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. You will succeed here if you simply abide-" He is interrupted by a prisoner, who begins to cough.

The Warden's face hardens instantly, he suddenly leaps away from the prisoner line up, turns and firebends a huge gout of flame at the coughing prisoner making the targeted man jump backward in fear.
"What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him!? Take him below!" The Warden orders a few guards. They obey, they grab the man and begin to drag him away. "One week in solitary will improve his manners." The Warden states. He puts his face up to Katara's but. is still speaking to the rest of us.

"Simply treat me with the courtesy I give you and we'll get along famously," The Warden states. "You will notice earthbenders, that this rig is made entirely of metal. You are miles away from any rock or earth, so if you have any illusions about employing that brutish savagery that passes for bending among you people, forget them. It is impossible," He says as he steps away from everyone.

"Good day."

Later.

Two soldiers throw Katara and I into an open area of the ship, we look around and see a bunch of people, some sickly and others were healthy. We walk by a prisoner and see it's Haru, he looks up at us, a shocked expression washes over him.
"Katara, Elua?" Haru asks us in surprise.
"Haru!" Katara says as she runs over and hugs him.
"What are you doing here? " Haru asks us.
"It's my fault you were captured. I came to rescue you and Elua wanted to help." Katara explains.

"So, you got yourself arrested?" Haru asks surprised.
"It was the only way to find you," I state.
"You both got guts, I'll give you that," Haru says smiling at us. "Come one, there's someone I want you to meet," He tells us as we walk over to an older man.
"This is my father, Tyro. Dad, this is Katara and Elua." Haru introduces us.
"It's an honor to meet you." Katara and I say as we bow to him.

"Have some dinner," Tyro says as he hands us both a bowl of something. Katara looks at it in disgust.
"It's not as bad as it looks," Tyro tells her.
"Ah!" Katara exclaims in disgust as she takes a bite.
"It's still pretty bad though," Tyro says laughing.
"I'm not that hungry anyway," I say setting the bowl down. A prisoner walks over to us and puts a hand on Tyro's shoulder.
"Tyro, the prisoners are complaining there aren't enough blankets to go around," The prisoner tells Tyro, a sad look on his face.

"I'll talk to the guards. In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of," Tyro tells him. "The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather," He states, the man nods and walks away.
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your escape plan?" Katara asks them.
"Excuse me?" Tyro asks in confusion.
"You know, the plan to get everyone off the rig? What is it? Mutiny? Sabotage?" Katara asks.
"The plan? The plan is to survive, wait out this war," Tyro states.

"I hope that one day some of us can get back home and forget this ever happened." He explains I look at him shocked, that seems...terrible.
"How can you say that? You sound like you've already given up." Katara states.
"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." Tyro says sadly.
"We'll see about that," Katara says standing up. I quickly grab her arm.

"What are you doing?" I ask her worriedly.
"You'll see." She says as she gets out of my grip and walks over to a small raised area in the middle of the deck. "Earthbenders! You don't know me, but I know of you. Every child of my water tribe village was rocked to sleep with stories of the brave Earth Kingdom and the courageous earthbenders who guard its borders," Katara begins to say.

"Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless. Yes, they have taken away your ability to bend, but they can't take away your courage and it is your courage they should truly fear! Because it runs deeper than any mine you've been forced to dig, any ocean that keeps you far from home. It is the strength of your hearts that make you who you are, hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded away. The time to fight back is now!" She shouts to them, everyone looks up at her.

"I can tell you the Avatar has returned! So remember your courage, earthbenders, let us fight for our freedom!" Katara shouts with a look of determination. Everyone stays silent for a few moments and then goes back to their conversations. Katara's expression weakens, I sigh as I quickly walk over to her and she steps down from where she stood. I look out at all the people.
"This is all my fault," I say as I look down in sadness.
"How is it your fault?" She asks me in confusion.

"If I had stopped Aang from running away and not have followed him, we could have stopped the war before it had even started. Then they wouldn't be here." I tell her looking back at all the prisoners.
"Maybe, but then Sokka and I would have never met you and Aang," She says smiling, trying to cheer me up. I look at her and smile back.
"Yeah, I guess that's a pretty good plus side."