- Third POV -
"Help me!" Shouts the old man. Haru quickly braces his back against the mine entrance and Katara pulls the old man.
"Ugh! It's not working! We have to get help!" Exclaims Katara.
"There's not time, pull harder!" Argues Haru.
"Haru. There's a way you can help him" Suggests Katara, Haru looks away guilty.
"I can't" Mumbles Haru.
"Please, there's no one around to see you. It's the only way!" Pleads Katara. Haru leaps away from the falling debris, spinning back to face it as he assumes an earthbending stance. With a sudden and strong move, he blasts all the rocks down the tunnel, freeing the old man.
"Haru! You did it!" Beams Katara excited. The two take place beside the old man and help him walk away from the mine.
❀❀❀
Inside of the barn Katara's sitting next to Mizuki in her bedroll with a lamp in her lap. Sokka is lying on a square bale of hay with his blanket over him and Aang is sprawled out on Appa's head with Momo laying on his back.
"It was so brave of Haru to use his earthbending to help that old man" Says Katara with a look of admiration on her face.
"You must have really inspired him" Replies Aang.
"I guess so" Answers Katara. Mizuki starts to yawn.
"Everyone should get some sleep, we're leaving at dawn" Demands Sokka.
"Dawn?! Can't we sleep in for once?" Protests Katara.
"Absolutely not! This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover that Aang and Mizuki are here we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Goodnight." Says Sokka in a commanding tone. Mizuki shrugs and lays down, falling asleep almost immediately.
"I'd rather eat fireballs than nuts" Chuckles Katara with a smirk on her face.
"Goodnight!" Snaps Sokka. Katara and Aang share a few chuckles with each other before Katara blows out the lamplight to get some rest. Somewhere in the mining village there's a Fire Nation troop marching on a mission through the dead of the night. A man in the lead of the troop raps on a wooden door. Haru answers the door, suddenly gasping in shock as he sees the troops.
"That's him! The earthbender!" Shouts the old man that Haru had saved earlier as he points accusingly at Haru. The leader of the Fire Nation troop shoves the old man out of the way and approaches Haru. Haru screams as the man forces Haru into his grip and hauls him away.
<time skip, the next morning>
Katara carries a jar outside of the barn. She sets it down beside a water pump and proceeds to waterbend, drawing water out of the spigot and into the waiting pot. Mizuki approaches Katara with another empty jar, for her to fill it. Katara picks the empty jar up but suddenly spots Haru's mother standing alone, gazing towards the distant ocean. Mizuki notices this too and curiously walks towards the woman. Haru's mother slowly turns around, laying a tearful gaze upon Katara and Mizuki. The girls realize that Haru had been taken away by the Fire Nation, out of shock Katara drops the empty pot and it shatters to pieces at her feet. Mizuki gulps, trying to hold her tears back. Then she turns around to face Katara, they give each other a concerned look and start rushing towards the barn where Sokka and Aang where.
"They took him! They took Haru away!" Shouts Katara emotionally as she enters the barn along with Mizuki.
"What?" Asks Aang surprised.
YOU ARE READING
The dualbender (atla) book 1
Fantasy[completed] [currently under editing] Mizuki is a girl who lost her parents to the Fire Nation when she was twelve. After two years of hiding, escaping and trying to survive she found the Avatar with some help of the two Water Tribe siblings. She de...
