Imprisoned

"You're back!" Aang exclaimed, eyes locking onto Sokka's figure. The boy leapt a few feet in the air, speeding over to him. "What's for dinner?"

At that, Azira perked up, peering down from her spot in the trees. Hunger wasn't foreign to her. Sometimes she had gone days without eating as a child. And the same thing had happened in a few tight spots with Zuko and his crew.

But she had to admit, she was getting impatient, traveling through the woods like this. Sokka knelt down, spilling out the contents of his bag. "Well there's tree nuts, rock shaped nuts-which might actually just be rocks," he started, throwing the pebble out. "Dig in!"

Azira and Katara locked eyes, the same exasperated look mirrored on their features. "Seriously, where's the rest of the food?" Katara questioned tiredly.

"Weren't there any berries?" Azira pointed out, jumping down from her place in the tree and swiping up a tree nut. She looked at it suspiciously through gray eyes.

Before Sokka could respond to that, there was a low groan within the earth, that made all of them jump. "What was that?!" Sokka asked, eyes wide as he glanced around.

Azira's gaze narrowed as the sound was heard again. "It sounds like-

"Over there!" Aang pointed.

Azira didn't get to finish her sentence, as Katara and Aang took off immediately after the sound. She knew the sound well. She had fought enough earthbenders in her time to know that it couldn't be good news.

"Wait!" Azira insisted, but they were already gone.

"Shouldn't we run away from the huge noise? Not towards it?!" Sokka demanded, trailing after the duo.

They crept up the hill, finding themselves overlooking a small divot and carved out path. A boy was there, face concentrated as he slammed a boulder again and again into the walls of the path.

"An earthbender!" Katara exclaimed in excitement.

"Let's go meet him--"Aang said, eyes wide.

"No, he could be dangerous!" Azira hissed, eyes flashing with warning at the avatar.

"Az is right, we need to approach cautiously- Sokka never got to finish his sentence.

Katara had darted out into the pathway, not a single thought in her head. "Hello there! 'm Katara! What's your name?

The boy spun in horror, eyes going wide at the sight of her. He let out a gasp, then quickly turned and sprinted the other way. The boulder dropped to the ground with a low groan and rocks caved in the path after him.

"Nice to meet you!" Aang called.

Azira just followed, a grim expression on her face, coming to a stop where her companions were. "I just wanted to say

hi, Katara said in confusion, glancing over at Azira.

The older girl let out a deep sigh, dark curls falling in front of her face. "Don't take it personally. The Fire Nation.. doesn't just have it out for waterbenders.

At that, Sokka scowled. "They're rounding up Earthbenders too?"

"Only in places where the Fire Nation has control. That's what they want. Total control." Azira said with a breath. "And earthbenders threaten that."

"Well he had to be running somewhere, Aang pointed out. "Maybe were near a village."

"I don't know." Azira said uneasily. "if he's all the way out here practicing, it might not be safe for you-"

Aang just let out an exasperated sigh, tuming to her with pleading eyes. "Azira, we're hungry. I'm hungry. Villages have markets."

"Which means no nuts for dinner." Katara added, a grin on her face as she looked pleadingly towards her.

"Hey! I worked hard to get those nuts!" Sokka snapped, folding his arms in annoyance.

Finally, Azira let outa deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. But low profile."

"Yes!" Aang zipped ahead, hurrying towards the village.

She just shook her head as she followed after them. "Nice work with the nuts." She said, glancing over at Sokka.

"Don't patronize me, please?" He begged.

"No, you worked hard. I'm being genuine." Azira reassured him. "You'll know when l'm being sarcastic."

"Noted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn't take them long to find their way to the market in the village, surveying all that it had to offer. Azira's eyes cast over the section of produce, finding mostly greens. Just then, Katara perked up, hurrying towards a shop.

"Oh don't-" Azira started.

The younger girl didn't listen, following the boy from earlier into the shop. "You must have be confused with some other kid." The boy insisted.

Reaching the group in record time, Azira agreed emphatically. "I'm sure we did, misunderstandings and such-

"Don't lie." Aang insisted, looking up at Azira with his big eyes. "We saw you earthbending!" He exclaimed.

The boy's mother inhaled sharply and she quickly shut the windows. "They saw you doing what?!" She demanded.

"No they didnt!" The boy insisted. "They're clearly crazy, I mean, look at how theyre dressed!"

"You know how dangerous it is, Haru! You know what will happen if they catch you earthbending!" Haru's mother hissed.

That was the thing. It was dangerous to be anything but a firebender right now. And honestly, there were times when Azira wished that she had been born a firebender, like her father. It would have made her life much simpler.

"We didn't see anything" Azira insisted in a cool tone, shooting a glare at Aang.

Before anyone could respond to that, there was a knock on the door. "Open up!"

"That would be the Fire Nation." Azira stated, eyes casting to the ground.

"Act natural!" Sokka hissed.

Haru's mother opened up the door, allowing the Fire Nation soldiers to enter the shop. Inside, they found the group browsing through various things. "What do you want? I've already paid you this week!" She exclaimed.

"The tax just doubled." The soldier said, eyes flashing with darkness. His hands filled with a flame and Azira held her breath, finding it hard to breathe. "And we wouldnt want an accident, would we? Fire is sometimes so hard to

control."

Azira watched with a pit growing in her stomach as Haru's mother crossed behind the counter, pulling out the remainder of her money. She put it in the man's hands and he tossed away the copper ones.

"I don't want these." He said in disqust, then strolled out of the shop.

This is what she had been fighting for. This is what she had helped to do in so many places. Spread the Fire Nation's glory and oppression in horrible ways. She wanted to throw up. She didn't have anything in her stomach to throw up, though.

"Nice guy" Sokka commented sarcastically. "How long has the Fire Nation been here?" he questioned.

"Five years. Fire Lord 0zai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships." Haru's mother answered.

Haru's eyes were cast on the ground, anger pooling in them. "They're thugs. They steal from us. And everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it

"Quiet!" His mother hissed.

"But Haru is an earthbender, he can help!" Katara pointed out.

"Katara, if the earthbenders were going to fight back, they already would have done it. Benders line up the prisons for the Fire Nation." Azira said grimly.

"He must never use his abilities!" Haru's mother said sharply.

"How can you say that?!" Katara demanded. "Asking Haru to not earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend! It's a part of who we are!"

"It's not that simple! Bending can be a death sentence!" Azira snapped. "You have no idea what the world is like!"

"She's right. you don't understand." Haru's mother said.

"Haru can help you fight back. What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?" Katara pressed.

"They could take him away! Like they took his father!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, Katara had went on a walk with Haru as the others set up camp in the barn. Azira felt Aang's stare burning into her and she glanced over at the boy, who had curiosity brimming from him.

"What do you want to ask me?

Aang relaxed at her starting the conversation. "When you were talking earlier...about it being a death sentence, whatdo you mean?"

Azira let out a deep sigh, setting her bed roll down and looking between Aang and Sokka, both who seemed intent on listening to her. She took a seat and stared at her hands for a minute.

"I didn't want to be a waterbender. Being a waterbender in the Fire Nation, I was sure I was going to be killed. My ability was abused and used by someone who I very much hope to never see again. And every time that I use it, it's a reminder that it got my mother killed" Azira admitted quietly.

"They're doing this, everywhere?" Aang asked quietly.

"Everywhere they can reach." Azira said. "It's why I had to leave. Had to join you. Because it's not right. But...l've made mistakes. I've done bad things."

"Well you're not that person anymore." Sokka insisted stubbornly, chin jutted out.

"I still am. But I'm trying to be better:" Azira amended. "I can't change the past. Just what I do from now on. I'm not trying to..stop you from being what you are, Aang. You're all so good. But I am trying to protect you all."

"You can't protect me from everything." Aang said in a quiet voice.

"That doesn't mean l can't try."

Later, when Katara returned, the sun was already dipping over the horizon. Sleeping indoors again had its perks and advantages, all of which, Azira had missed. "It was so brave of Haru to use his earthbending to help that old man" Katara said, unable to find sleep.

"It was dangerous." Azira corrected.

"Helping people isn't bad"' Aang pointed out. "You must've really inspired him." He finished, looking at Katara with a grin.

"We should get some sleep. We're leaving at dawn." Sokka said, looking annoyed at the current lack of sleep he was getting.

"Dawn? Can't we sleep in for once?" Katara whined.

"No!" Azira and Sokka said at the same time.

"This town is crawling with Fire Nation troops! If they discover you're here, or recognize Az, we'll all be eating fireballs

for breakfast." Sokka insisted. "Goodnight!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn came all too early for Azira's taste, but when the sun was up, she was up. She was methodical in her routine, quickly putting her bedroll away and making sure to double-check if she had everything they needed.

A few moments later, Katara came crashing back into the barn, no water in sight. "They took him! They took Haru away! The old man-he turned him in! it's all my fault, I forced him into earthbending-"

Azira watched as Sokka rushed to Katara side,putting is hands gently on her shoulders "Slow down .When did it happen? He asked in a firm,but gentle tone

"Haru's mother said they came for him at midnight." Katara choked out

"Then it's too late to track him. He's long gone." Azira pointed out.

"We don't need to track him. The Fire Nation is going to lead me right to Haru." Katara said, turning back towards the rising sun.

"Spirits, no." Azira snapped. "You can't be seriously-"

"They're going to arrest me for being an earthbender."

"This is the stupidest plan I've ever heard." Azira said.

Katara just scowled at her. "You would do it if it was me, right?"

There was a block of silence and Azra just let out an annoyed sound. *Well, yes! But it's not you, it's some random guy!"

"He just let us sleep in his barn and gave us food." Aang deadpanned.

Azira just looked at Sokka for backup. "Don't tell me youre going to go along with this too?"

He just frowned. "They're going to do it, with or without our help. l'd prefer to help."

Another stretch of silence. "Fine. But we leave as soon as we're done."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azira had created a low hanging cloud to mask Appa's presence as they floated beside the rig that was holding the earthbenders, and now Katara. Night had fallen and she was anxious to get Haru and get out of there.

"Your twelve hours are up! Let's go!" Sokka hissed in a whisper.

Katara just had a quilty expression on her face. "I can't."

"We don't have time for this!" Azira said.

"Im not leaving! I'm not giving up on these people!" Katara insisted.

"What do you mean you're not leaving?!" Sokka demanded in shock.

"We can't abandon these people! There has to be a way to help them!"

"Yeah, it's called defeating the Fire Lord! Azira hissed.

"No, that will take too long! These people don't have that kind of time!" Katara said in horror.

"We can't save everyone." Azira said in a steel tone, crossing her arms."We don't have to!"

"Az is right! We need to leave now!" Sokka said, watching as the lights got closer to them.

"No!" Came the emphatic reply from his younger sister.

Sokka just let out a deep sigh. " hate when you get like this. We better hide."

Azira's jaw dropped in annoyance and shock, watching as the group moved into hiding positions. The last thing she

needed was getting stuck on a Fire Nation prison, as an ex-member of the Fire Nation royal guard for the exiled Prince Zuko.

That would not end well. Not at all.

She ducked behind a long stretch of bridge, feeling the pulse of the ocean below her. She knew she could bloodbend if she needed to but-

No. she couldn't do that.

She crept over to the others, eyes set on the outlines of where they were hiding. "What's the plan then?"

"I wish I could make a hurricane." Aang admitted. "It would scare away the warden and we could just take his keys."

"He had take his keys with him." Sokka said in exasperation.

"I tried to talk the earthbenders into fighting, but it didn't work" Katara said in a glum tone.

"Some of them have been here for years. Fire Nation prisons tend to break the spirit." Azira said quietly.

"I wish there was a way to help them help themselves!" Katara added.

"There would have to be some sort of earth." Sokka pointed out. "Some rock. Something they can bend."

"But this entire place is made of metal!" Katara said.

"No, they're burning coal! Look at the smoke!" Aang pointed at the billowy clouds that were spilling from the tips of the rig. "Earth.

"So we have a plan. Let's do this." Azira said with a frown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azira could feel eyes burning into her and she glanced to the side, finding Katara scowling at her. "Something I can help you with?"

"Would you have really just left those people behind?" Katara asked, crossing her arms and looking at Azira intently.

"The sooner you learn that the only person you can rely on is yourself, the sooner you'll be safer." Azira said in an emotionless tone.

"Well that's not true" Aang piped up, glancing behind at Azira from the front of Appa. "We'd never leave you behind."

She was silent for a long minute." I know it was the right thing to do, okay? But I'm not used to doing things just because it's the right thing."

"We're all learning" Sokka said, a half-smile on his face.