Aang smiles at Polu from his position on the uprooted tree. "How's your head doing?"
Katara turns to him. "Oh, yeah! You took a pretty brutal hit on Kyoshi, huh?"
Polu nods as he pulls the bubble of water from his skull and releases it with a splash. "I think it's finally healed. There's no more aching or ringing."
The Avatar sits up as Sokka approaches the group. "You're back! What's for dinner?"
Aang and Polu crouch between the siblings as Sokka opens his bag.
"We've got a few options. First, round nuts and some kind of oval-shaped nuts. Also some rock-shaped nuts that might just be rocks." Sokka smiles sheepishly. "Dig in."
Polu picks up an oval nut. "This is the seed for a poisonous plant." He reaches for another and rattles it near his ear. "This one isn't mature enough to eat yet."
He points to the bottom of the bag, where 'rock-shaped nuts' are piled. "And those are all certainly just rocks."
Sokka's face contorts into something between disappointment and anger. "Well, if you know so much, why don't you go hunt?"
The Advisor shrugs as he flops into the dirt. "I know a lot about plants, - and the world in general - but that doesn't mean I know how to find them. I wasn't allowed out of the house without supervision growing up, so I didn't get to explore the wilderness."
Katara sighs. They'll keep bickering if someone doesn't intervene. "Seriously, what else you got?"
Sokka attempts to find something edible in his bag when a loud boom shakes the area around the group.
Instantly, Polu is searching for the source of the noise. He picks up on vibrations and human vitals. "It's coming from over there!"
Katara and Aang take this as their signal to race forward.
Sokka throws his hands in the air as Polu groans. "Shouldn't we be running away from huge booms?"
The teens exchange a glance before following the younger. They find them crouched behind a fallen tree.
An earthbender stands on a dried-out river bed. The ground shakes as he moves boulders around.
"An earthbender," Katara murmurs.
Polu turns to the girl. "Katara, we shouldn't approach him. We don't know if he's from a village overrun by the-"
He stops as his eyes bulge from his head. What in the world is she doing?
"Hello there! I'm Katara. What's your name?"
Polu slaps a hand to his face. "Is she trying to inform the entire world of our exact location? Why is she yelling at him?"
The earthbender screams and runs, blocking his path with an avalanche.
"It was nice to meet you!" Aang calls after him.
"I just wanted to say hi." Katara frowns at the reaction of the teen.
Aang perks up. "Hey, that guy's got to be running somewhere. Maybe we're near a village. And I bet that village has a market."
"Which means no nuts for dinner!" Katara smiles broadly.
"Hey! I worked hard to get those nuts," Sokka huffs.
"I don't really think we should be heading towards a village. The world knows the Avatar is back by now, and I'm sure it won't be long before they learn of my existence, too. It's for the best if we-"
Polu's voice falters as he watches Aang ignore him and continue running in the direction the earthbender went. "Fine, ignore the person the Spirits literally gifted you for advice. See how that works out for you."
Sokka glances at him and gestures to their siblings' backs. "Believe me, I hate it too. If nothing else, we should go to protect them."
Polu groans as he falls in step beside the younger teen. "Yeah, I know."
~~~~~
The group finally reaches the Earth Kingdom village. Polu and Sokka share an exhausted expression at Aang's antics as Katara glances around for the teen from before.
"Hey!"
The boys turn around when the girl calls out.
Spirits, we cannot keep getting side-tracked. Polu groans as Katara enters the small shop.
"Uh, you must have confused me with somebody else," the teen laughs nervously.
"No, she doesn't. We saw you earthbending," Aang refutes.
The mother and son both gasp in fear. The elderly woman slams the windows and door shut. "They saw you doing what?"
"They're crazy, Mom! I mean, look at how they're dressed." The teen gestures to the group of children in front of him.
Polu sighs as he bows to the woman. "I'm sorry, ma'am. We've been struggling to find food to eat, and I think it's gone to my friends' heads. We'll be out of your hair."
Aang frowns at his friend. "No, we aren't going crazy. We saw him earthbending! These are your people we're talking about!"
The teen narrows his eyes but doesn't say anything more.
"You know how dangerous it is to earthbend. You know what would happen if they caught you."
What would happen? If who caught him? What's going on here?
"Open up!"
Sokka peeks through the blinds on the window. "Fire Nation. Act natural."
Fire Nation? They're really here? They've invaded the Earth Kingdom?!
Sokka and Haru move to examine an apple. Katara grabs a basket of fruit that she and Polu share, and Aang leans on a barrel.
The shop owner opens the door as the lid collapses and Aang is splashed with water.
Why are they here?
"What do you want? I've already paid you this week."
The soldier smirks at the woman. "The tax just doubled. We wouldn't want an accident, would we?"
A ball of fire ignites between his hands. "Fire is sometimes so hard to control."
Polu sneakily prepares water from the barrel in case of an attack. If I have to reveal myself to protect these people, so be it.
The woman notices and gives the slightest shake of her head at the teen. Polu's heart sinks at the lack of hope in her eyes as she opens a tiny chest.
Inside are a few copper, silver, and gold pieces. There aren't even six in total.
The man scowls as he picks through the meager coins. "You can keep the copper ones."
Polu clenches his fists as the soldier drops the currency onto the floor.
"Nice guy," Sokka comments when the door is closed. "How long has the Fire Nation been here?"
"Five years," the woman responds. "Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships."
Ozai? Polu's face scrunches in concentration. I suppose that makes sense. It's been a hundred years. Of course Azulon would be dead by now- that would have made him 124.
Haru's face darkens. "They're thugs. They steal from us, and everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it."
"Quiet, Haru!" His mother hisses. "Don't talk like that!"
Polu feels something in him shift. I failed my people by fleeing from Azulon.
"But Haru's an earthbender. He can help," Katara reasons.
The older woman whips to face the girl. "Earthbending is forbidden. It's caused nothing but misery for our village. He must never use his abilities."
Sounds standard for the Fire Nation, unfortunately.
Katara raises a brow. "How can you say that? Haru has a gift. Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend! It's a part of who we are."
Polu sighs and runs a hand along the back of his neck. "Surely you understand, Katara. If the Fire Nation is here, there's no way it's safe to earthbend. They're brutal and cruel people. They'll do whatever it takes to win this war."
The woman nods gratefully. "Your friend is right. You don't understand what's at stake here."
Katara's expression steels. "I understand that Haru can help you fight back. What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?"
Force you to marry someone. Force you to eliminate all hope for the world. They can easily end someone's life. There's an endless amount of things they could do.
"They could take Haru away like they took his father."
Katara and Sokka's hearts drop a bit, understanding what it is to lose a parent. Polu and Aang exchange a nervous glance.
If they've already caused this much pain in five years...
What have they done in the last hundred?
~~~~~
Haru opens the door to a circular storage unit. "My mom said you can sleep here tonight, but you should leave in the morning."
The two earthbenders make eye contact, and Polu's heart nearly stops. He knows.
"Thanks," Aang smiles. "I'll make sure Appa doesn't eat all your hay."
As he says this, the teens look over to find the bison's mouth stuffed with hay. Polu can't help a quiet chuckle.
When Katara and Haru go to leave, the earthbender gives a stiff, shallow bow and a tense glare directed at Polu. "It's been an honor."
As soon as they're gone, Sokka turns to Polu. "Okay, what was that about?"
The teen is dumbfounded. He was both respectful and hateful at the same time. I'm not sure I deserve the respect, honestly. "I'm... not sure, Sokka. My only thought would be if he knows I'm the Advisor, but I'm not sure how he'd know that to begin with."
The Water Tribe teen frowns. "It's just odd that the princess on Kyoshi looked a lot like you, and then you knew King Bumi as a 'friend'." He makes sure to add emphasis on the last word. "And now Haru, some random earthbender we've just met, is bowing to you?"
Polu crosses his arms. "Is there something you're trying to say, Sokka? I'd prefer it if you were direct with your complaints."
Sokka glares at the Advisor. "Oh, that's ironic, isn't it? You want me to be direct? Why don't you take your own advice and tell us what's going on! It's clear you're not being honest with us, and I'm sick of it!"
The boy grabs his boomerang and pokes it into the taller boy's chest. "My sister trusts you, but I don't buy whatever act you're selling. Either be honest or leave! We don't have room for secrets when we're trying to save the world."
Polu growls and leans his face dangerously close to Sokka's. "I'm trying, Ponytail. I'm sorry that you can't find it in your heart to trust me, but telling you every damn thing I've been through would take a long while."
The older teen laughs harshly. "I simply don't believe you have it in you to listen to anyone else that long."
Sokka's eye twitches. "This isn't about me! This is about the fact that we know nothing about you!"
Aang pops up between the teens and shoves them back with a light wind. "Both of you, stop it! Sokka, I don't know what's gotten into you, but he's on our side! He doesn't have to explain everything right away."
The Avatar turns to glower at his friend. "And you! You're supposed to be the one that helps hold us all together to defeat the Fire Lord! You're going to have to work things out eventually, you know."
The teens' scowls deepen but they both fall quiet. Sokka stalks to a bale of hay and curls under a blanket. Polu stomps to Appa's tail and rests against it, curling into his parka and falling asleep.
Some time later, Katara crawls under her own blanket between Appa and her brother. She relays the story of Haru and the man he saved.
Aang smiles at her from Appa's head. "You must have really inspired him."
"I guess so," she grins.
Sokka sits up from the hay. "Everyone should make like Polu and get some sleep. We're leaving at dawn."
"Dawn?" Katara turns to her brother. "Can't we sleep in for once?"
Sokka lays down with a scowl. "Absolutely not! This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover Polu and Aang are here, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Good night."
Aang frowns at Sokka's comment. They seem to hate each other, but they also both seem to want to care for one another. I just wish they'd finally start seeing eye-to-eye.
"I'd rather eat fireballs than nuts," Katara shoots at her brother.
"Good night." Sokka sends a final glare at his sister before facing the opposite wall.
They're going to be best friends one day. I'll personally make sure of it, Aang decides.
~~~~~
The next morning, Katara leaves the hut to fill a jug of water. Polu, Sokka, and Aang remain in the hut to load their things onto Appa. The two teenage boys don't speak a word to each other.
"Aang, have you seen my knife?" Polu faces his friend.
The boy shakes his head. "I don't know. Maybe Sokka can tell you."
The Advisor huffs. "Can you ask him?"
Aang frowns. "I'm busy rolling this sleeping bag, so maybe you should-"
"They took him!"
Katara you are my favorite person, Polu sighs.
"They took Haru away!"
The boys stand. "What?"
I take back what I thought. I wish she hadn't saved me with bad news.
The girl swings her arms out. "The old man turned him in to the Fire Nation."
Polu narrows his eyes. "But how did this man know that Haru is an earthbender?"
Katara's face instantly showcases her guilt as her gaze drops to the ground. "I maybe helped him save an old man by convincing him to earthbend."
The older teen feels his eyes nearly pop out of his skull. "You what? Katara, what were you thinking?"
Sokka spins to face Polu and points a finger at him. "Hey! You don't get to berate my sister!"
Polu bares his teeth. "She put Haru and all of us in danger! Even if it was with good intention, she heard Haru's mother. Earthbending is forbidden!"
Sokka runs a hand down his face. "Spirits. I hate to admit it, but you're right." The boy approaches his sister. "When did this happen?"
He wraps a comforting arm around her as she answers. "Haru's mother said they came for him at midnight."
The two oldest teens meet with steely gazes and nod stiffly.
"Then it's too late to track him. He's long gone," Sokka sighs.
"We don't need to track him."
I don't like the tone of her voice. She's got some dangerous plan.
"The Fire Nation is going to take me right to Haru," Katara states.
Aang's brows furrow in confusion. "And why would they do that?"
"Because they're going to arrest me for earthbending," the girl replies.
The boys exchange concerned glances.
"Katara, I admire your loyalty, but you're not an earthbender. If anyone should go, it's me." Polu steps next to the other waterbender.
Katara smiles mischievously. "I'm going, but so are you. We need to do this together."
I'll be surrounded by the Fire Nation. I'm not sure if I can manage that; on the other hand, I've already failed these people once. I can't fail them now, with an opportunity presenting itself so easily.
"Let's do it." Polu and Katara grab each other's arms in a firm shake, smiling determinedly.
~~~~~
Polu bends a large boulder onto an air vent.
"I thought you were crazy at first, Katara, but this might work," Sokka compliments.
"There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines. All Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent over there to this one right here," the teen continues.
"The boulder levitates and ta-da! Fake earthbending."
Polu nods. "It'll be believable to the Fire Nation soldiers, who probably don't know the first thing about the element."
Katara turns in the direction of the Avatar. "Aang, did you get all that?"
The boy's hands lazily play with a butterfly. "Sure, sure. I got it."
Polu rests his hands on his hips. "Aang, do you remember your cue?"
"Yeah, yeah, just relax. You're taking all the fun out of this," Aang replies absentmindedly.
"By 'this', do you mean intentionally being captured by an army of ruthless firebenders?" Sokka's eye twitches at the nature of the young boy.
Aang doesn't seem to notice. "Exactly. That's fun stuff."
Polu lets out a low growl. "Fun for you, maybe."
"They're coming. Get in your places," Sokka whispers. He runs to an area out of sight, provided by an entry to the mine.
Katara and Polu back away from the other, preparing themselves as three grown men round the corner.
They stomp towards each other, bumping into the other's chest and assuming aggressive stances.
"Out of my way, pipsqueak!" Polu hisses as stares down at Katara.
"How dare you call me pipsqueak, you giant-eared cretin!"
"What did you call me?" Polu lifts a chunk of stone from behind his body.
"A giant-eared cretin! Look at those things." She gestures wildly to the boy's ears. "Do herds of animals use them for shade?"
Polu growls at her and pulls himself to his full height, towering over her. "You better back off!"
Katara matches his energy and shoves herself into his face. "I will not back off! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are."
Polu lifts another chunk of earth and positions them on either side of him. "That's it! You're going down."
"I'll show you who's boss, earthbending style!" The girl shoots a fist into the air and steps into an odd stance.
Thank Spirits these aren't earthbenders. We'd just look like traveling comedians.
The boulder behind Katara doesn't budge.
"I said 'earthbending style'!" Katara exclaims louder.
Finally, on cue, Aang sends a gust of wind through the vent and under the rock. Polu bends his boulders to circle himself and Katara.
"That lemur. He's earthbending!"
They're not as terrifying when they're stupid. Polu snorts.
Sokka emerges from his hidden spot. "No, you idiot. The people are earthbending!"
The lead soldier flushes in embarrassment. "Oh. Of course."
"I'll hold them!" Sokka tightly grips Katara and Polu's arms while whispering to them. "You've got twelve hours to find Haru. We'll be right behind you."
Polu uses his growing fear of the approaching firebenders to fight off the blush from Sokka's breath against his skin.
Katara and Polu exchange frightened glances as they are lead off by the Fire Nation soldiers.
While they walk, the girl mutters a question to the older teen. "Are you going to be okay? I know you've got a whole thing with the Fire Nation."
Polu takes an agonizing breath as his gaze darts between the three adults. "It doesn't matter if I'll be okay; we're already on our way to the ship. I'll be able to hold it together long enough to get us out of there."
Katara frowns. She eyes the closest guard before lowering her voice more. "What is it with you and them, anyway? I can understand hating them, but your fear paralyzes you."
The Advisor sighs deeply. "We can talk about it later, Katara. Maybe when we're not surrounded by the people we're talking about?"
The girl narrows her eyes. "You keep saying you'll tell us later, but then you never do. I know it's probably difficult, but we can help you get through it if you just tell us what happened."
Polu finally meets Katara's stare. "Katara, you have my word: I'll tell you about my experience with the Fire Nation just as soon as we're safely away from wherever we're headed."
Katara gives the older a small smile. "Alright. I'm holding you to that, Polu."
The boy nods firmly as he continues forward.
~~~~~
Polu grows increasingly nervous as the boat sails farther from the shore. When they step onto the massive ship, his stomach churns. In front of the group of captives is an old man who oozes malice.
"Earthbenders, it is my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest shipyard." The man approaches the line of people. "I am your warden. I prefer to think of you not as prisoners, but as honored guests."
Polu does his best not to laugh. Guests? Firebenders don't know the meaning of the word hospitality; how could they possibly know about guests?
"I hope you come to think of me as your humble and caring host." The warden's eyes lock in on Polu for a moment, sending a shiver down the boy's spine.
"You will succeed here if you simply abide-"
The speech is interrupted by a man's coughs. Polu jumps as fire shoots at the feet of the guilty party. Katara sublty rests a hand on his arm.
"What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him? Take him below." The warden gestures away from the group with a scowl. "One week in solitary will improve his manners."
Solitary? For Yangchen's sake, the man is sick.
"Simply treat me with the courtesy I give you and we'll get along famously." The man smiles down at Katara before lifting his head to glare up at Polu.
"You will notice, earthbenders," the man says as he leans away, "that this rig is made entirely of metal."
He leads the group along a path through the ship. "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."
Polu clenches his fists as he watches Katara's movements. If only I was a metalbender. Then, I could connect my sensing through the water and bend the ocean floor and free everyone here.
"It is impossible."
Not if there's a tiny island around. Even that would allow me to completely destroy this thing. I'd have to time it right or I'd pass out for nothing, but it's not impossible. You're just a cocky bastard.
The earthbenders march into the open area where the guards had led them. Katara and Polu both jump as the final door closes behind them.
"I hate everything about this metal death trap," the boy hisses to his friend.
She nods in agreement.
The two walk forward in search of Haru.
"Katara?"
The girl turns to find the earthbender standing up. "Haru!"
Polu smiles softly as Katara hugs the teen.
"What are you doing here?" Haru asks.
"It's my fault you were captured. We came here to rescue you." She steps back toward Polu.
"So you got yourself arrested? And you dragged your friend into it?" Haru's face screams that he is concerned.
"Hey, I agreed to do this on my own. These are my people in here. I'm here to help all of you, and her," Polu argues.
Haru nods and bows apologetically. "I'm sorry about before, by the way. My hostility was uncalled for."
The older teen shakes his head. "No, you don't need to apologize. I did abandon the world for a century."
Katara sighs. "Haru, getting arrested was the only way to find you."
The boy smiles proudly. "You've got guts, Katara. I'll give you that." He waves the pair along as he walks away. "Come on. There's someone I want you to meet."
Haru stops a few feet away. "By the way, I didn't get your name earlier."
Polu takes a deep breath, preparing for the worst. "It's Polu."
The teen's eyes light up in recognition before smiling. "Right."
The two teens stand side by side in front of a circle of older adults.
"Katara, Polu, this is my father, Tyro." Haru gestures to the teens next to him. "Dad, this is Katara and Polu."
"It's an honor to meet you," Katara smiles as she and Polu bow.
"Have some dinner, you two." The man offers up a bowl of grey sludge.
Both teens make faces at the 'food'.
"It's not as bad as it looks," Tyro chuckles.
Katara sits and scoops a spoonful into her mouth. Polu sits next to her as she turns green. "Ew."
"It's still pretty bad, though." The adult turns to face the green-and-blue-eyed teen. "So, your name is Polu?"
Oh no. "Uh, yes," he answers nervously.
"You wouldn't happen to be-"
"Prince Polu?"
His stomach drops as one of the other adults in the circle speaks up.
"Why, you look just like him. You have King Milan and Queen Tola's eyes, and even King Bumi's curious glint. You are most certainly our missing prince."
Polu smiles sheepishly at the woman next to him. Well, so much for not telling Katara and Sokka.
"Prince Polu?" Katara raises an eyebrow at her friend. Just how much is he still keeping from us?
Polu sighs as the woman nods cheerfully. "Oh, yes. His Highness is the elder brother of King Bumi and the first son of King Milan, the true Earth King. King Rimu and his descendants are illegitimate kings."
The gray-haired woman seems to realize what she said. "No disrespect, Sire."
Polu feels a line of sweat run down his face. "No worries at all. I wasn't even aware until a week ago that my brother was alive and not Earth King."
Bumi is Polu's brother??
Polu turns to Tyro. "None of you seem upset that I'm alive- not to mention here on this boat. Shouldn't you be mad at me? Shouldn't you hate me?"
The man shakes his head, confusion evident on his face. "Not at all, Prince. What makes you think we would?"
Polu runs a hand along his neck. "Honored as I am, there's no need for titles."
The adults around him nod respectfully.
"As for your question, I just assumed everyone would believe that I abandoned the Earth Kingdom when I fled. I believed that, should I ever return to my homeland, its people would want me gone."
Tyro frowns. "It's quite the opposite, actually. When you disappeared, it was rumored that you had been killed."
Katara gasps and her hand instinctively reaches out for Polu's. The boy takes comfort in it.
"Horrible as it sounds, the Earth Kingdom was grateful you had been killed- or escaped, as it now seems. They had learned of the atrocities your father had committed, and nobody agreed with his actions at all."
Polu's eyes widen. "They... they didn't like his arrangement?"
The woman from before shakes her head. "They hated it. In fact, the people from that time ended up loathing him so much that, when King Bumi turned 18, a group of young adults got together and assassinated King Milan."
Polu's heart flutters. They killed him? In an act of vengeance? He was my father, but I don't feel bad for him.
A bald man next to the woman speaks up next. "When King Bumi told the Earth Kingdom that you hadn't been killed and, instead, had run from the Fire Nation, the people rejoyced. They formed search parties to find you and bring you home."
The teen's heart sinks and he feels Katara's grip tighten around his hand. "They never found me."
Tyro sighs and bows his head. "No. The nation gave up after a few years. It was difficult to keep hoping when there was no evidence you had survived the genocide- especially with the start of the war."
Polu sighs. "I could have prevented the war from reaching the Earth Kingdom's shores."
The woman shakes her head again. "No. You were just a child, and the Fire Nation wanted to use you to bring the most ultimate form of destruction to the world. You saved all of us by escaping."
The prince smiles sadly at her. "You think so?"
She smiles. "I know so. None of us would be alive if you didn't save us. And I'm sure, when you return to Ba Sing Se, the people will hail you as any worthy king should be."
Polu flushes as a new man approaches the group.
"Tyro, the prisoners are complaining there aren't enough blankets to go around."
The man nods. "I'll talk to the guards. In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of."
Polu smiles in admiration. That's what a true leader is like.
"The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather." Tyro crosses his arms with a decisive smile.
"If you don't mind me asking," Katara starts, "what's your escape plan?"
Polu notices the woman next to him tense. Tyro said it himself. People started losing hope at the beginning of the war. These people have none left.
"You know, the plan to get everyone off the rig?" She leans closer. "What is it? Mutiny? Sabotage?"
The older man turns to face the girl. "The plan? The plan is to survive, wait out this war, hope that one day some of us can get home and forget this ever happened."
"How can you say that? You already sound like you've given up." Katara attempts to reason with the earthbender.
Tyro sighs. "Katara, I admire your courage, and I envy your youth, but people's lives are at stake here." The man turns as his eyes close in regret.
"The warden is a ruthless man, and he won't stand for any rebellion. I'm sorry, but we're powerless."
"We'll see about that," Katara frowns. She begins to stand as a hand reaches out to her.
"Katara, you have to understand. You may have been trapped by your element all your life- even now, you are surrounded by it. Earthbenders' biggest weakness is metal, and look at what we're surrounded by."
Polu gestures around him to prove his point. "Even if there was hope for these people, what do they have to fight back? Bowls of sludge that hardly pass for edible?"
Katara rips her arm from Polu's grasp. "I don't understand you, you know that? You're supposed to be the Advisor and these people's king, but look at you! You won't even stand up for them!"
It hurts, but maybe she's right. Polu shrinks back as the girl continues to stand. Still, what can I do? Even surrounded by water, the number of firebenders here would paralyze me in fear before I can do anything.
"Earthbenders!"
Katara...