We made a little camp around a nearby forest. Katara, Aang and I were on a raised, grassy plateau. While Sokka was out and about, scavenging for food.
Momo screeches and lands on the plateau as Sokka approaches.
"Great, you're back!" Aang enthusiastically says. "What's for dinner?"
The four of us huddle together as Sokka begins digging out nuts from his sack. "We've got a few options. First; round nuts. And some kind of oval shaped nuts? And some rock-shaped nuts, that might just be rocks." He says tossing it out the bag. "Dig in."
Aang and Katara look at each other then back at Sokka.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely not eating rock nuts."
"Oh," Sokka darts his eyes at me. "You can talk?"
Katara intervenes. "Venus is right. Seriously, what else you got?"
Suddenly, the entire earth quakes. "What was that?"
The quake continues. "It's coming from over there." Aang says pointing to a direction as he and Katara sprint off.
"Shouldn't we run away from huge booms? Not toward them?" Sokka sulks.
I follow the younger kids, while Sokka is close behind me. We hid behind a fallen tree and spy on a young guy bending boulders into the air and punching them into the side of the ravine.
"An earthbender." Katara breathes out.
"Let's go meet him!" Aang exclaims.
"He looks dangerous, so we better approach cautiously." Sokka chimps in.
Suddenly, Katara is a few feet in front of us, excitedly addressing the earthbender. "Hello, there! I'm Katara. What's your name?"
The young boy gasps in surprise, dropping the boulder he was bending to the ground. He flees quickly, bringing down an avalanche of boulders with his bending to block his exit.
We walk over to Katara. "Nice to meet you!" Aang shouts.
"Well, that was rude." I lowly voice.
"I just wanted to say hi." Katara shrugs.
I think for a minute. "Wait, that guy's gotta be running somewhere. Maybe we're near a village."
"And I bet that village has a market." Aang finishes.
"Which means no nuts for dinner!" Katara excitedly jumps.
"Hey," Sokka shouts as we run after the boy. "I worked hard to get those nuts."
We eventually found the village. Katara and I stroll through the mining village's streets, while Aang speaks with a shopkeeper under a terrace.
Katara grasps my arm. "Hey, it's him." She says pointing to the earthbender, who had just entered a shop. "Let's go!"
"Katara, we don't know him." I object but she pulls me in with her.
We enter the shop's front door, somewhat startling the boy. "Hey! You're that kid. Why did you run away before?"
I felt so embarrassed, we are literally harassing him.
The boy turns around as he observe our faces. "Uh..you must have me confused with some other kid."
Aang and Sokka enter the shop. "No, she doesn't. We saw you earthbending."
The boy and a woman beside him gasp in horror at this announcement being revealed and both the door and window to the small shop are promptly slammed shut.
"They saw you doing what?!" The women scolds.
"They're crazy, Mom! I mean, look at how they're dressed."
I analyze my uniform. Is he for real, right now?
"You know how dangerous that is! You know what would happen if they caught you earthbending!"
Suddenly, there is a heavy knock on the door. "Open up!"
Sokka peaks through the window's blinds. "Fire Nation! Act natural!"
The boy's mother opens the door, allowing the Fire Nation guard to walk inside. He stares awkwardly at the five children in front of him.
"What do you want?" The mother says annoyed. "I've already paid you this week!"
"The tax just doubled." The firebender arrogantly says. "And we wouldn't want an accident, would we?" He creates a ball of fire between his hands, making everyone slightly back away. "Fire is sometimes so hard to control."
My jaw clenches as my teeth grind together. I slowly pull out my fans and take a step forward, but the earthbender wraps his hand around my wrist, holding me in place.
I huff, putting my fans back in place. I hated this, watching no good people, threaten innocent citizens.
The mother and the tax collector approach the store's counter, where she opens a small chest and passes a meager handful of Earth Kingdom currency to the tax collector.
The boy and I lean against the counter, staring with contempt toward the Fire Nation man.
"You can keep the copper ones." The collector says walking away, dropping four copper pieces to the floor and exits.
I roll my eyes. "Nice guy."
"How long has the Fire Nation been here?" Sokka asks.
"Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships." The mother answers as she picks up her coppers from the floor
"They're thugs." The boy grunts next to me. "They steal from us. And everyone here's too much of a pussy to do anything about it."
"Quiet, Haru!" His mom angrily says. "Don't talk like that!"
I raise an eyebrow. "But isn't Haru an earthbender? He can help."
"Earthbending is forbidden. It's caused nothing but misery for this village!" Haru's mother says, casting a meaningful glance towards her son. "He must never use his abilities."
"How can you say that?" Katara wheezed out. "Haru has a gift! Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend. It's a part of who we are."
"You don't understand." The mother smears.
"I understand that Haru can help you fight back. What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?" Katara asks with question.
"They could take Haru away! Like they took his father." The women silently weeps.
I glance over at Haru as he slowly looks away from me with a scrawl on his face.
✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼
Late that evening, Haru leads us to a farmland and a barn. We all stand inside the barn. "My mom said you can sleep here tonight. But you should leave in the morning."
"Thanks." Aang chirps. "I'll make sure Appa doesn't eat all your hay."
I look over at Haru. "Do you have a washroom, I can use?"
"Yeah, follow me,"
I hear Sokka let out a large sigh but I ignored it.
I follow Haru out of the barn. "So...what's with the face paint? Are you like in a gang?" Haru sniffles a laugh.
I cheekily smile. "I'm part of an elite group of women called the Kyoshi Warriors."
"Oh, I've heard of them! I remember there used to be a bunch of older women, who were in my village, but a lot of them died fighting in the war." Haru sadly says.
"Yeah." I sulk, remembering all the older women who used to be with us back on Kyoshi island.
"Is that why you were so quick to want to attack that firebender?"
"I guess."
Haru leads me to bathroom. "I'll wait for you out here."
I grasp Haru's shoulder. "Actually can you stay with me?"
Haru's face reddens. "Uh...in the bathroom?"
I laugh. "I'm not using the bathroom, I just needed to get this makeup off. I've been wearing it for days now. You don't have a mirror, so I can't see well. Sorry, I should have clarified better." I explain giving him a towel.
I sit on the base of the sink as Haru opens the pipe wetting the cloth. "What's your name?"
"Venus."
Haru gently strokes my face. I laugh from his gentleness.
"It's okay to scrub harder."
Haru smiles. "Sorry, I didn't want to hurt you."
After fifteen minutes, my makeup was completely off. I stared down at my lap. No other outsider but the Kyoshi Warriors and Jet and his freedom fighters had seen me without my Kyoshi warrior makeup.
Haru's eyes widen as he gulps.
"Are you okay?" I ask, a bit nervous.
"Venus.." he gushes. "You are beautiful."
I give him a half smile. "Thanks."
"I'm serious." He barks. "What's up with you hiding your identity? It does seem like you need to be wearing your uniform, you aren't with your girls."
I shrug. "Oh, I don't know. I'm just a bit insecure sometimes. I don't want others around me to think that I'm weak or vulnerable just because of my looks. I want to be taken seriously as a girl. And that is how it is. When people see me, I'm a Kyoshi warrior, but when they don't see me without my makeup, I'm just plain ol innocent pretty girl."
"Venus, trust me. I know how hard that can be, hiding your true identity. But you can't hide yourself under makeup. You need to show that yes, you are a Kyoshi warrior, but Venus is too."
I take out my makeup set and begin repainting my face. "You should use your own advice."
Haru chuckles as he helps me with my makeup. "So I've been told."
An hour later, we exit the bathroom and walk into the woods as the sun is setting.
"I'm sorry about Katara earlier, she can be too much at times." I smile. "But she means well."
Haru sighs. "That's okay. It's funny, the way she was talking back in the store. It reminded me of my father."
"I'll make sure to tell her that." I softly smile without my teeth.
Soon, Katara comes running towards Haru and I. "Oh, I've been looking for you two everywhere. Haru, I just wanted to say sorry. I didn't know about your father."
I smirk. "Haru says you remind him of his father."
"Really?" Katara gasps excitedly.
She's cute.
"My father was very courageous. When the Fire Nation invaded, he and the other earthbenders were outnumbered ten to one. But they fought back anyway."
We approach the top of a steep cliff, gazing out to the setting sun beyond.
"I should head back to the barn. I've been gone for a while. And I'm exhausted.
"Oh," Haru sighs. "No problem." He leans in to give me a hug.
I embrace the hug but soon let go. "See you later, Katara."
After getting lost in the woods, I eventually made my way back to the barn.
When I approached the door, Sokka was standing there with his arms crossed. "And where have you been?"
I scrunch my face as my nose wrinkles. "Places,"
"With that illegal earthbender?!"
I tilt my head. "What's your problem?"
"My problem is you telling all your secrets to him and not me." Sokka whines.
I blankly stare up at Sokka. "You think I was spilling all my secrets to Haru, when I just met him today? Sokka, you're delirious." I respond, hopping on Appa and making myself cozy for bed.
"Can you blame me?!" Sokka freaks. "You were out with him for hours, now he's tryna shag my sister."
I look over at Aang, who was looking a bit uncomfortable from Sokka and I's fight.
"Sokka, please. Shut up and go to sleep."
"Not so shy anymore, did you get your alcohol?"
My heart skips a beat; as angry tears stream down my face.
I jump off Appa and storm directly to Sokka. "What is wrong with you? Are you seriously mad I didn't want to tell you about my addictions just yet? Well, since you want the whole story, listen. My mother was a crazy prostitute, who was addicted to everything. She stopped once she meet my father, but soon after my father died from fighting in the war, she went back to her old ways. She would have men entering the house everyday and they would come into my room and touch me very inappropriately. So yeah, maybe, I'm a little messed up, but it's not my fault!"
Sokka's eyes tremble as his arm reaches out to comfort me.
I smack his hand away from me. "Don't touch me."
I crawl back ontoAppa and rest my eyes, crying myself to sleep.
The next morning, it took me a while to get up, but I had gotten up when Katara came screaming that the Fire Nation had taken Haru.
She explained to me eveything that had happened after I left.
Katara and I made a plan on getting ourselves
captured, so we could bust Haru out of prison.
After, a difficult try of earthbending with the help of Aang and Sokka. Katara and I managed to get arrested and were now heading to the prison.
While we were being boarded, Katara began speaking. "Venus. Sokka told me everything about last night."
I groan placing my face in my hands. "You must think I'm insane, don't you?"
"Not at all. Venus, a lot of us cope differently when difficult obstacles come into our lives. I know my whole world crashed down, when my mother died, I had to take the responsibility of taking care of Sokka at times because my dad was also out in war. I grew up a little fast. I don't know what you're going through, but I'll try my best to help you. Sokka and Aang also. We're all family now."
"Thanks." I breathe out at Katara's heartfelt confession. "But your brother is still a dick."
Katara sniffles a laugh. "He really is but that means he cares about you. He has a weird way of showing it, but whatever he says that is really mean, try not to take it too personally, Sokka's always the first person to get hurt, so he tries to hurt the other person before they can get to him. He's trying."
"But it's really not as easy as you think, I have trust issues men are-"
"Stop talking!" A guard shouts threatening me with his stick. I flip the stick with my foot, causing the firebender and his stick to fall over into the ocean.
The rest of the guards quickly stand next to me, making sure I don't make another move.
After the barge arrives, seven prisoners, including Katara and I, lined up on the deck of the prison. Spear-wielding guards stand at either side. A prison warden approaches.
"Earthbenders." The warden smugly says. "It is 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." He continues pacing nonchalantly. "You will succeed here, if you simply abide-"
The warden pauses, suddenly interrupted by a prisoner in line coughing. With no forewarning, the warden leaps into the air and aims a blast of fire at the prisoner's legs in anger. The prisoner cowers away for safety as the warden stands defiantly toward the man.
"What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him?!" The Warden angrily says. "Take him below!" He swings his arms as some guards escort the man away. "One week in solitary will improve his manners. Simply treat me with the courtesy that I give you and we'll get along famously."
The warden approaches me, kneeling to stare into my obstinate expression. I cross my arms, scowling coarsely at the man. "A Kyoshi Warrior?" he spat. "I thought you girls couldn't earthbend?"
"I'll earthbend your whole-"
"V. Stop!" Katara harshly hisses.
I close my mouth as the warden smiles. He then takes us prisoners on a tour of the facility.
"You will notice, earthbenders, that this rig is made entirely of metal. You are miles away from any rock or earth."
Katara pauses, glancing over the expansive ocean to the land far away.
"So, if you have any illusions about employing that brutish savagery that passes for bending among you people forget them. It is impossible. Good day."
A guard escorts the prisoners into the prison courtyard. Katara and I enter last as the metal gates close behind us.
Among many earthbender prisoners, above the courtyard, a watchman and the warden monitor the scene.
I walk ahead of Katara as I begin to observe the deck.
"Venus?"
I turn my head to notice Haru. "Haru!" I gasp, running over to him, excitedly hugging him.
"Katara, over here! Look who I found." She immediately comes joining in on the hug.
"What are you girls doing here?" Haru asks happily but confused.
"It's my fault you were captured. I came to rescue you." Katara replies. "With the help of Venus."
I give Haru a little salute with my index and pointer finger.
"So you guys got yourselves arrested?"
"It was the only way to find you." Katara honestly answers.
I place my elbow on Katara's shoulder as I lean. "It was all her plan."
Haru crossed his arms happily. "You've got guts, Katara. I'll give you that." He then places his hand on Katara's available shoulder. "Come on. There's someone I want you guys to meet."
The three of us approach a handsome muscular, gray-bearded man eating dinner amongst other prisoners. "This is my father, Tyro." The older man looks up. "Dad. This is Katara and Venus."
Katara and I both slightly bow. "It's an honor to meet you."
Tyro hands a bowl to me. "Have some dinner," I look at the slop and pass it over to Katara.
Katara accepts the bowl, but grimaces. "It's not as bad as it looks." Tyro says. Katara tries a spoonful, but becomes further disgusted. Tyro finds humor in this with a small chuckle. "It's still pretty bad though."
A prisoner walks up and lays a hand on Tyro's shoulder. "Tyro. The prisoners are complaining there aren't enough blankets to go around."
"I'll talk to the guards." He replies. "In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather."
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your escape plan?" Katara immediately asks.
I groan, sulking my head in Haru's shoulder. She is way too straightforward.
Tyro raises an eyebrow at Katara. "Excuse me?"
"You know," Katara continues. "The plan to get everyone off the rig? What is it? Mutiny, sabotage?"
"The plan? The plan is to survive. Wait out this war. Hope that one day some of us can get back home and forget this ever happened."
I squeeze my eyes shut. Oh my spirits, I'm going to be here forever. Where are Sokka and Aang? The twelve hours are almost up.
Katara is shocked. "How can you say that? You sound like you've already given up!"
"Katara," Tyro lightly shakes his head. "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."
Katara stands up and carries a trash can lid and a ladle, climbing on top of a wooden table. From there, she bangs the ladle against the lid to draw attention.
"Earthbenders! You don't know me, but I know of you. Every child in my Water Tribe 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 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! I can tell you the Avatar has returned! So remember your courage earthbenders," Katara shouts clearly. "Let us fight for our freedom!"
Katara's speech is met with utter silence and a small cough.
"Yes! Katara!" I clapped, but Haru took my hand, slowly placing it in my lap, while shaking his head for me to be quiet.
Later that night, I was sitting with Haru and his father. While Katara was speaking to Aang and Sokka, who had arrived to come get us, but she had told me we were not leaving until all the prisoners have escaped, so I shouldn't bother coming with her.
"You know you look very familiar,"
My eyebrows slowly frown. "Do I? I'm not from around here."
Tyro studies my face as he hums.
"Dad, stop. You're being weird." Haru murmurs.
"I'm sorry. You just look so damn fam-" Tyro then pauses. "The eyes. Are...are you.. Holo's daughter?"
My slender eyes widen in disbelief. "H-how do you know my father's name?"
"Your father and I were good friends. He left my village to be with the love of his life, but he still continued to fight in the war. But unfortunately, he had passed from it." Tyro strong voice says. "I would often try to visit you and your mother, but she always shut me out."
"Was he a good man, my father? I don't remember much of him."
"The best man there ever was. He would be proud of the women you have become."
I bit my bottom lip, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. No, he wouldn't.
"I see why you and my son are good friends." Tyro chuckles.
I peer over to Haru, who had had his arm around me the entire time.
✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼
At dawn, I wake up to Katara and Sokka being surrounded by a decent amount of firebenders.
"Katara, stop!" Tyro roughly says. "You can't win this fight!"
The warden approaches. "Listen to him well, child. You're one mistake away from dying where you stand."
I squint my eyes at the warden as I slowly make my way towards the siblings, ready to fight with them, when the ventilation shaft bursts off its hinges as an immense blast of coal soars into the air, crashing down into a gathered pile.
Everyone present is silent, staring in stark surprise at this turn of events. Aang leaps out from the barren ventilation shaft, landing atop the coal pile and coughing, covered in soot and dirt. Momo follows him.
Katara runs up to the coal, turning to face the earthbenders. "Here's your chance, earthbenders! Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!"
Haru bolts ahead without hesitation, prepared to bend the waiting coal as a weapon, but Tyro throws his hand up, bracing his son's chest to halt his advance.
The warden bursts out into highly amused laughter "Foolish girl. You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago."
Katara's expression dims as she does as instructed, stare at the forlorn prisoners. "Oh, but you still believe in them. How sweet. They're a waste of your energy little girl. You failed."
I look over at Haru as he sends me a wink. I smirk at him as he stands defiantly levitating three pieces of coal above his hand, he throws it at the warden.
The warden sends a blast of fire toward Haru, but the fire is blocked, as Tyro raises a wall of coal in his defense.
The guards line up and prepare for battle. "Show no mercy!" The guards send a blast of fire as one toward the rebelling prisoners.
Sokka runs over to me, panting. "V-Venus, I'm s-so sorry about everything. I-"
I cut him. "Now is not the time to talk about this, but right now, do you have my fans?"
Sokka immediately pulls out my war fans from his pockets.
"Thanks." I grab my fans, leaping in on the fight.
The earthbenders work together to haul a sizable mass of coal to block the fire. "For the Earth Kingdom, attack!"
Slamming the coal to the ground; chunks of rock assault the guards. The battle immediately flares, prisoners ducking blasts of fire and countering with fists of coal.
Katara and Aang, chase after Sokka and I as we snaps soldiers spears in two with our weapons, tossing the broken shafts to Momo overhead.
Momo continues to collect other pieces of broken spears that are thrown up to him.
I then slide in front of Sokka and knock down a soldier, he stood back up, but I close my fan and began to hit the end of the fan to his clavicle, while punching him. His body begins to give out as I drop kick him into the sea.
Sokka's eyes widen as he grabs my arm. "Okay, Kyoshi Warrior. Easy down."
Aang enerates an air funnel and holds it between his hands; to Katara, Sokka, and I. "Guys! Throw me some coal!"
We drop heaps of coal into his funnel, firing the material rapidly at the warden and his fellow benders, knocking them to the ground.
Following this, Tyro and two other earthbenders work together to lift coal beneath these adversaries, moving them away from the rig and over the ocean.
"No," the warden pleads. "I can't swim."
"Don't worry. I hear cowards float." Tyro says dropping the remaining benders into the ocean.
All the prisoners were now on the barge headed to their homes.
While Aang, Sokka and I were strolling in the ocean beside them on Appa.
"V. I'm genuinely really sorry, about everything that has happened between us these past few days. I don't want you to be mad at me."
I only sigh in response; my eyes drift off to Tyro loud voice on the ship.
"Yes. To take back my village." Tyro voice suddenly raises. "To take back all of our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot on our land!" The crowd cheers at Tyro's bravado.
I wave at Katara and Haru, who were staring down at us. "Bye Haru, I'll miss you!"
Haru smiles. "We'll meet again."
Katara begins to panic as Appa approaches closer to the ship. "My mother's necklace, it's gone."