Imprisoned

The gang was nested in a forest canopy. Katara was folding her sheet by a small waterfall. Natsu laid against a stone patio with Happy on his stomach. Next to him was Gray, he was also laying against a stone patio in nothing but his boxers. Erza assisted Katara with her sleeping bag while Wendy and Carla observed Aang teach Lucy airbending.
A few feet away, Ray was practicing with his firebending.
"Are you sure this can work?" Lucy asked.
"It should. King Bumi did say you had to learn three elements of your choosing and you chose Airbending and Waterbending. Since I'm the last Airbender, I can help teach you." Aang explained.
"Okay." Lucy nodded.
"Now, I want you to try and blow me away. Concentrate your stance and focus your mind." Aang instructed.
Lucy got into a Airbending stance that Aang showed her before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, then focusing her mind like he said. By the time wind passed her and she felt it she opened her eyes and twirls her hands around the air while still feeling the wind. Then she created and unleashed a gust of wind from her palms at Aang who was knocked into the air by the gust of wind but he created a air sphere under his feet before gently landing in the little stream as the air sphere dissipates.
"You did it Lucy!" Aang yelled.
"Sounds like you're already mastering it." Wendy noted.
"This is only my first time doing this. I still have a lot to learn about bending and getting used to it." Lucy admitted.
"You'll get the hang of it, Luce. It's okay." Gray said reassuringly.
"Yeah. I'm sure you'll be a awesome Airbender!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Aye!" Happy nodded.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Lucy. You're just starting to learn how to bend." Erza tried to cheer her up.
"She's right. Even I'm not the master of Waterbending. You still did a great job getting Aang with that gust of wind." Katara added.
"Exactly, mastering any of the four elements is not easy. I would know that personally." Ray stated, still focusing on his own practice. He was speaking from experience having spent a majority of his life continuing to improve his Firebending.
"Thanks guys." Lucy told them as they see Sokka walking up behind Katara with a small bag in his hands.
"Great! You're back! What's for dinner?" Aang asked. Sokka opened the bag and what look like nuts fall on the stone patio.
"We only got a few options. First round nuts and some oval shaped nuts, and some rock shaped nuts...that might just be rocks." Sokka tossed the rock/nut away and it landed beside Momo and Happy as everyone looked at him.
Both Steve and Natasha sighed in irritation as they sat around Sokka.
"Seriously. What else you got?" Natsu asked. Sokka looked back inside the bag hoping there was something else.
Momo and Happy were looking at the rock nut before Momo picked it up and handed it to Happy who tried to crack it open by banging it on a boulder with no effect.
"I'd rather have fish than this." Happy said as a loud rumbling noise was heard. Everyone looked in the direction the noise came from.
"What was that?" Carla asked, concerned.
"Maybe it had something to do with this rock nut." Happy suggested as he dropped the rock nut on the stone as the same rumbling noise was heard again.
"What's causing this?" Erza asked.
"Not sure, but it sounds like it's coming from the east." Ray commented. They head over to a ledge and leave Sokka behind.
"Shouldn't we run away from huge booms, not follow them?" Sokka asked.
"Shut up and follow us!" Erza ordered.
"Yes, ma'am." Sokka said as he ran over to catch up with them.
The gang peeked behind a tree root and see a young man practicing Earthbending. He was dark-skinned with long brown hair at the back, and two bangs in front. He wore a gray long sleeved shirt and pants. He also wore a green and yellow vest over his shirt and a green headband. The boy hoisted a rock in the air and pushed it into the wall.
"Whoa!" Natsu exclaimed in shock.
"An Earthbender." Katara said.
"Just like Bumi." Lucy added.
"Let's go meet him!" Aang suggested cheerfully. Steve and Natasha didn't seem on board with that idea, as the former said, "I'm not so sure that would be very wise."
"He looks dangerous. We should approach cautiously." Erza advised. Natasha agreed with her, 
"Hi there! I'm Wendy! What's your name?" Wendy asked. She had already walked out from behind their hiding spot and went to the river bed to greet the boy.
He looked at Wendy in shock and dropped the boulder before running off down the river bed.
"Wait! I didn't mean to scare you!" Wendy called out.
"She just wanted to talk to you!" Katara said as she joined Wendy but he used Earthbending to make sure they didn't follow him.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you too." Natsu muttered.
"I just wanted to say hi, feeling downcast." Wendy said, feeling downcast.
"Don't worry Wendy, I'm sure that guy's running somewhere." Aang realized.
"He might be right. We could be close to a village." Gray said.
"And if there's a village, then there has to be a marketplace." Lucy added, looking at the others.
"Which means no nuts for dinner!" Happy cheered.
"C'mon! Let's go get some real food!" Natsu said as he and Happy run through the river bed.
"Wow. They're just like Sokka." Katara said.
"Come on. Let's go." Lucy ordered as she, Aang, Katara, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Ray, Steve, Natasha and Momo follow Natsu and Happy, leaving Sokka and Erza behind.
"Hey! I worked hard to get those nuts!" Sokka yelled, complaining.
"Did you really want to have nuts for dinner?" Erza asked him.
"No I hated em too." Sokka said, groaning as the two walk behind the others.
Later that afternoon, they arrive in a village. At a marketplace Aang and Natsu were at a stall and Aang was trying on some hats.
"Nice hats." Aang said.
Steve leaned to Nat and asked, "Did you happen to notice that kid's face before he ran off."
"Trade ya for some nuts." Natsu added. Then they turn to Sokka and Happy with the hats on their heads and both of them laugh.
Wendy looks around the village and soon spots the Earthbending boy entering a shop.
"You found him?" Katara asked.
"Yes." Wendy answered.
"Let's try and talk to him again." Carla said as the three run after the boy.
The boy stood inside a long and empty room with a woman.
"Hi, mom." The boy greeted the woman who was behind a counter.
"Haru, where have you been? You're late. Get started on your chores." The woman said, scolding him. Haru was about to start his chores when Wendy and Katara entered the shop.
"Hey! You're that kid." Katara said as she saw him.
"Why did you run away earlier?" Wendy asked.
"Uh, you must have me confused with some other kid." Haru tried to convince them otherwise as everyone else entered the shop.
"No they don't. We witnessed you Earthbending." Natsu said causing his mother to gasp as she closed the door and shut the windows.
"They saw you doing what?!" She questioned, still in shock.
"They're crazy, mom. I mean look at how they're dressed." Haru said, trying to defend himself which made the gang check their clothing.
"Nothing's wrong with our cloths." Gray countered.
"Oh, really?! You're not wearing clothes!" Lucy and Aang shouted at the same time.
"AAAHHH!" Gray screamed, noticing he was in his boxers once again.
"Haru, you know how dangerous Earthbending is. You know what would happen if you get caught." Haru's mother warned him as she came closerr. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Open up." A voice ordered from outside. Lucy peeked out the window to see soldiers.
"Fire Nation!" She exclaimed.
"Act natural!" Aang instructed.
Haru's mother opened the door for the soldiers and they stepped inside. The soldiers saw everyone frozen in place and then the top of a barrel Natsu was leaning on shifts causing him to fall over while his hand went into the water of the barrel. Haru's mother then turned back to the soldiers.
"What do you want? I've already paid you this week." Haru's mother asked, upset.
"The tax just doubled. Wouldn't want a accident, would we?" The soldier asked unimpressed as he manifested fire in his hands. Natsu wanted to eat the fire, but Erza stopped him. "Fire is sometimes hard to control."
Haru's mother brought out a chest of coins from behind a desk. She then opened it and handed the money to the soldier who took them and dropped some on the ground.
"Keep the copper ones." He said, walking away smirking. The soldier didn't notice the glares the gang was giving him.
"Nice guy." Sokka said sarcastically with a raised eyebrow.
"How long has the Fire Nation been here?" Erza asked Haru's mother.
"Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships." Haru's mother answered, explaining why they came here.
"They're thugs and they steal from us. Everyone around here is too much of a coward to do anything about it." Haru commented, upset as he leaned against the counter.
"Haru, don't talk like that." His mother ordered.
"But Haru's an Earthbender. He can help." Wendy insisted, trying to spark a little hope.
"Earthbending is forbidden. It's caused nothing but misery for this village. Haru must never use his abilities." Haru's mother said as she looked to her son.
"How can you say that? Haru has a gift." Wendy replied.
"Yeah. Telling him not to Earthbend is like telling me not to Waterbend. It's part of who we are." Katara argued.
"You two don't understand." Haru's mother said, shaking her head.
"We understand Haru can help you fight back!" Katara exclaimed.
"What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?" Wendy asked.
"You're afraid of losing anyone else, aren't you?" Ray asked Haru's mother. "I can see it in your eyes."
"Yes, Haru could be taken away just like his father." She nodded, shocking Katara and Wendy. They see Haru's face and he had a pained expression. Katara and Wendy felt the same expression.
Later on as the sun set Haru led the gang to his house.
"My mom says you can sleep here tonight, but you should leave in the morning." Haru said.
"Thanks. I'll make sure Appa doesn't eat all your hay." Aang said. Sure enough, Appa was stuffing his face with the hay then stopped for a moment and looked at Aang before deciding to go back to eating the hay.
Haru, Katara, Wendy and Carla exit the barn and go for a walk. Then they arrive at the crest of a small hill that overlooked the countryside.
"We're sorry about what we said earlier." Katara apologized, feeling bad about what happened at the store.
"We didn't know about your father." Wendy also apologized.
"It's okay. It's funny. The way you two were talking back in the store. It reminded me of him." Haru said as if it really didn't bother him.
"Thanks." Katara smiled and looked down.
"My father was courageous. When the Fire Nation invaded, he and the other Earthbenders were outnumbered ten to one, but they still fought back." Haru explained.
"That's very brave and he sounds like a great man." Wendy complimented.
"After the attack, they rounded up my father and every other Earthbender and took them away. We haven't seen them since." He knelled down and sadly said.
"So that's why you hide your Earthbending." Katara deduced.
"Yeah. The problem is that the only way I can feel close to my father is now when I practice Earthbending. He taught me everything I know." Haru replied as he picked up two rocks. Letting the two stones fall into his palm, he crushed them into sand.
"You see this necklace? My mother gave it to me." Katara said, showing Haru her necklace.
"It's beautiful." Haru complimented.
"I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her." Katara looked down as she said this.
"It's not enough, is it?" Haru asked sympathetically.
"No." Katara replied.
"I had a foster mother when I was little. She raised me, loved me and taught me how to use my magic. One day, she disappeared and left me alone." Wendy explained.
"That's terrible, Wendy." Katara said.
"Do you know why she left you alone?" Haru asked.
"No." Wendy answered sadly.
Later that evening, the three walk towards an open mine entrance then they hear a loud noise and see rocks and dust coming out of the mine entrance.
"HELP!" A voice called out.
"The mine!" Haru said as he, Katara and Wendy ran toward the coal mines. There they saw a old man trapped under a pile of rubble while more sand continued to 
fall.
"Help me!" The old man begged as he held his arm out.
The ground was still shaking as more rocks fell and crushed the old man. Haru pressed his back against the rock wall and tried to keep it from falling further while Katara and Wendy tried to pull the old man out.
"It's not working!" Katara shouted, looking to Haru.
"We have to get help." Wendy said.
"There's no time. Pull harder." Haru argued as the rocks above the support beam started to give way.
"Haru, there's a way you can help." Katara said.
"I can't." Haru said with uncertainty.
"Please, there's no one around to see you! It's the only way." Wendy urged him.
Haru thought this over and then stood in front of the old man while turning to look back from the mine entrance before getting into a Earthbending stance. He pushed all the rocks back into the mine freeing the old man.
"Haru, you did it!" Katara said, amazed and proud.
"Good job." Wendy added.
Later that evening, everyone was in Haru's barn where they'll be spending the night. The gang got ready for bed and slipped into their sleeping bags.
"It was brave of Haru to use his Earthbending to save that old man." Katara said.
"You two must have really inspired him." Aang said as he laid on his stomach on Appa's head with Momo on his back.
"I guess so." Wendy said.
"Although I thought we would get in trouble for that, I knew there was no other choice and at least the old man is safe now." Carla noted.
"You two did a good job helping Haru. Let's get some sleep now. We'll be leaving at dawn." Erza instructed.
"Dawn? Can't we just sleep in for once?" Lucy asked.
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that. This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops." Erza explained.
"She's right and if they find out you two are here, Aang and Lucy, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Good night." Sokka added.
"I'd rather eat fireballs than nuts." Natsu joked with a sly grin on his face.
"Aye." Happy added. He also had a sly grin on his face.
"Good night." Sokka repeated, annoyed.
"Good night, grumpy pants." Lucy joked causing Aang, Katara, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy and Carla to laugh. Ray on the other hand was staring at the ceiling, thinking about something. Lucy then blew out the fire in their lamp.
While they were asleep, Fire Nation soldiers approached Haru's home. They knocked on the door and Haru opened it gasping when he saw Fire Nation soldiers along with the old man he, Katara and Wendy saved. The old man then pointed at Haru.
"That's him! That's the Earthbender!" The old man said with an accusing finger. The soldier pushed him out of the way. He then grabbed Haru and yanked him out of the building as Haru yelled.
The next morning, Katara and Wendy walked out of the barn to get some fresh water. She placed a bucket next to the spicket and took a stance. Reaching her mind to the water, she pulled it out of the spicket and made it circle through the air before sending it into the bucket. Wendy then picked the bucket up after Katara was finished. As they were about to head back to the barn, they saw Haru's mother in the distance and approach her. She turned to them as her eyes began to water. Wendy dropped the bucket which caused it to break as the two realized what this meant then they run as fast as they can back to the gang who was packing up to leave. When the two enter the barn, they had anguished expressions.
"They took him! They took Haru away!" Katara shouted as she ran into the barn.
"What?!" Aang and Lucy asked at the same time.
"The old man we rescued yesterday turned him into the Fire Nation! It's my fault! I forced him to Earthbend!" Wendy exclaimed as she began to cry.
"It's my fault too. I told him to Earthbend as well!" Katara said as she also started to cry.
"Alright, calm down you two." Ray instructed before untying a string and opening a bag. Both then stopped crying.
"Now, when was Haru taken?" He asked while attaching armor to his body.
"Haru's mother told us they came for him at midnight." Wendy answered.
"Okay. They're capturing Earthbenders right. Well I have a plan." Ray told them after processing everything he heard from the two.
"What do you have in mind?" Katara asked.
"The Fire Nation is going to arrest you and Wendy for fake Earthbending." He explained. "And I'm going to help lead you onboard the ship."
A few minutes later, the gang was at one of the mines and Katara, Sokka, Natsu and Erza pushing a boulder onto a air vent.
"I thought this plan was crazy at first, but I think it will work." Gray commented, following the four as they continue pushing the boulder.
"Indeed. There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines and all Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent to this one right here." Erza explained.
"The boulder levitates and ta-da! Fake Earthbending!" Sokka said with a smile on his face as he, Katara, Natsu and Erza finish pushing the boulder on top of the vent.
"Aang, did you get all that?" Katara looked over to the bigger rock and asked him.
"Yeah, I got it." Aang nonchalantly said as he sat cross-legged while he sent a small blast of air at a butterfly with Momo watching. 
"Do you even remember your cue?" Lucy asked.
"Yeah, yeah just relax. You're taking all the fun out of this." Aang answered as he continued to play with the butterfly.
"By fun, you mean intentionally getting captured by an army of ruthless Firebenders?" Gray asked.
"Yeah! That fun stuff." Aang replied as he kept it up.
"Here they come!" Wendy cried out.
"Everyone get into position!" Erza ordered.
Three Fire Nation soldiers walked down the path and see Sokka and Gray walking from the left with Ray in the back while Katara and Wendy walked from the right before Katara and Sokka bump into each other. Gray and Wendy bump into each other as well.
"Watch where you're going, pipsqueaks!" Gray ordered in a exaggerated voice.
"Yeah, are you two blind or something?!" Sokka exclaimed.
"How dare you two call us blind pipsqueaks! At least I'm not some sort of giant eared cretin!" Katara yelled back.
"Yeah! And at least I'm not a shirtless moron!" Wendy shouted.
"What did you two call us?!" Sokka asked.
"I called you a giant eared cretin and she called your friend a shirtless moron! I mean, look at your ears! Do herds of animals use them for shade?" Katara asked as she placed her hands by her ears.
"And why are you not wearing a shirt? Are you trying to burn your skin off in this heat?" Wendy asked.
"You two better back off!" Gray hollered.
"Seriously, back off." Sokka whispered to his sister.
"We will not back off!" Wendy shouted.
"That's right! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are!" Katara said.
"And I bet girls get together and make fun of how dimwitted you are for not wearing a shirt all the time!" Wendy added.
"That's it! We were gonna go easy on you two, but now you left us with no choice!" Gray yelled.
"Yeah! You two are goin down!" Sokka exclaimed.
"We'll show you guys who's boss around here!" Wendy declared.
"That's right! We'll show you Earthbending style!" Katara said as she and Wendy assumed fake Earthbending stances but the boulder was still on the vent leaving the soldiers confused.
"I said...Earthbending style." Ray elbowed Aang getting his attention as he jumped and bent air into the vent as the boulder began to rise into the air. Happy and Carla were standing behind the boulder as it rose up.
"Those cats! They're Earthbending!" One of the soldiers exclaimed in shock.
"No, you idiot! It's those girls!" Gray said.
"Oh, of course." The soldiers replied, feeling embarrassed.
The boulder then crashed to the ground as Sokka grabbed Katara while Gray grabbed Wendy.
"We'll hold them." Sokka said.
"You both have twelve hours to find Haru. We'll be right behind you." Gray whispered in Wendy's ear.
The soldiers then took Katara and Wendy away and they look back at the others watching. Happy then turned to Momo.
"Momo, you have some big ears." He said.
"And you have a big mouth, Cat." Sokka replied.
"Look who's talking." Happy retorted.
"Why you...!" Sokka growled.
"Enough! Both of you!" Erza ordered, making both shut up.
"Yes, ma'am." Sokka and Happy said at the same time.
"And Gray sure is shirtless all the time." Natsu said.
"At least I'm not a nitwit like you." Gray muttered.
"You wanna go, Ice Princess?!" Natsu demanded.
"Bring it, Flamebrain!" Gray yelled. Just then Erza grabbed both of them by the head and knocked them out.
"She's scary." Aang whispered to Lucy.
"You have no idea." Lucy sweat dropped.
Later that day, Katara and Wendy were led to a cart by the soldiers. They were wearing brown prison rags. Aang, Lucy, Sokka, Natsu, Gray and Erza were in the crowd watching them head onto the ship with Ray walking right behind them before it starts to depart.
Appa, ShineGreymon and Omnimon follow the ship through the cover of the clouds. They looked ahead to see some sort of rig in the middle of the ocean. Everyone was concerned upon seeing this.
"They'll be fine." Sokka said reassuringly.
"Yeah. Katara and Wendy know what they're doing." Gray nodded.
"I hope so." Lucy told them.
"I hope so too." Carla added.
On the rig, the prisoners were lined up to meet the warden. Wendy was a bit nervous but Katara nods addressing Wendy that everything will be alright. Wendy
nods back in agreement to Katara then they see a older man approaching the prisoners.
"Earthbenders, it is my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest ship yard. 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 if you simply abide by..." The Warden was interrupted by an old Earthbender coughing.
The warden then unleashed a flame at the old Earthbender's feet, forcing him to back away.
"What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him?!" The warden asked before he ordered. "Take him below! One week in solitary will improve his manners."
The soldiers take the coughing man away and then the warden turned to Katara and Wendy.
"Simply treat me with the courtesy I give you and we'll get along famously. 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 for bending among you people, forget them. It is impossible. Good day." 
The warden walked away and the prisoners were led through a tunnel.
Katara and Wendy were pushed into a open area of the rig. They looked around the courtyard and saw prisoners roaming around before the door behind them closed.
A soldier approached the two and removed his face plate.
"As soon as you find Haru, let me know." Ray whispered to them. He then reattached his face plate and left to keep a eye on the other prisoners.
Katara and Wendy walk past a prisoner sitting on the deck who got up and turned to see them.
"Katara? Wendy?" A surprised Haru asked.
"Haru!" Katara and Wendy exclaimed at the same time as they hug him.
"What are you two doing here?" Haru asked.
"It's our fault you were sent here." Katara explained.
"So we're gonna free you." Wendy added.
"So you both got yourselves arrested?" Haru asked again.
"It was the only way to find you." Katara replied.
"You two got guts. I'll give you that." Haru said as he placed his hands on their shoulders.
He then added, "Katara, Wendy this is my father, Tyro. Dad, these two are Katara and Wendy." Haru introduced them to a older man eating some dinner. He looked up at Katara and Wendy.
"It's an honor to meet you." Katara said with a smile on her face, bowing in respect.
"It's nice to meet you, sir." Wendy said, also bowing.
"Have some dinner, girls." Tyro said as he offered both of them bowls. They accept the offer but they're both disgusted.
"It's not as bad as it looks." Tyro assured them. Katara and Wendy took a spoonful and ate it; both were disgusted once again.
"It's still pretty bad though." Tyro said with a smile.
Another prisoner came up behind Tyro and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Tyro, the prisoners are complaining that there aren't enough blankets to go around." He said.
"I'll talk to the guards. In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather." Tyro offered.
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your escape plan?" Katara asked.
"Excuse me?" Tyro replied.
"You know, the plan to get everyone off this rig. Is it mutiny or sabotage?" Katara asked.
"The plan? The plan is to survive, wait out this war and hope that one day, some of us can go back home and forget this ever happened." Tyro answered.
"How can you say that? You sound like you've given up already." Wendy stated in disbelief.
"Katara, Wendy 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 are powerless." Tyro explained.
"We'll see about that. Come on, Wendy." A determined Katara said.
Katara and Wendy climb up onto a table and Wendy picked up a lid and spoon, then started banging on it, causing the prisoners to turn to the two girls.
"Earthbenders! You may not know us, but we know 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 it's borders." Katara began. Unbeknownst to them the Warden was listening to what she was saying.
"Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless. True, they have taken away your ability to bend, but they can't take away your courage and it's your courage the Fire Nation should truly fear because it runs deeper than any mine you've been forced to dig and any ocean that keeps you far from home." Wendy continued.
"It is the strength of your hearts that make you who you are and it's the hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded away. The time to fight back is now! I can tell you right now that the Avatar has returned!" Katara yelled.
"Not only that, but the prophesied Celestial Mage is here as well." Wendy added.
"So remember your courage, Earthbenders!" Katara exclaimed.
"Let us fight for our freedom!" Katara and Wendy finished at the same time but they see the prisoners turn away and continue what they were doing. They looked down disappointed as the warden turned and walked away from the courtyard.
Later that night, the prison's search light circled around it's tower. Outside the prison Aang and Lucy climb the edge of the rig then spot Katara and Wendy sleeping on their mats. Lucy woke them up and Katara cried out but Lucy instructed her to stay quiet. They sneak back to the side of the rig where Appa, ShineGreymon and Omnimon were waiting.
"Your twelve hours are up. Where's Haru?" Gray asked.
"We gotta get out of here." Sokka said as Aang and Lucy boarded Appa but Katara and Wendy remained still.
"We can't." Katara said.
"We don't have much time. There are guards everywhere." Carla pointed out.
"She's right. Let's go." Erza said.
"Katara, Wendy, what's wrong?" Lucy asked.
"We can't leave. Katara and I are not giving up on these people." Wendy replied.
Later on Aang, Lucy, Sokka, Natsu, Gray and Erza get off Appa who continued to float near the edge of the platform as they kneel down at the side of the rig.
"What do you two mean you're not leaving?!" Sokka asked.
"We can't just abandon these people." Katara urged.
"There has to be a way to help them." Wendy added.
"They're right. We can't just leave them here." Lucy nodded.
"Yeah. We have to find a way to help them. What do you think, Sokka? Erza?" Aang asked.
"I think you four are crazy!" Sokka answered but Erza punched him in the stomach and knocked him out.
"I can see you are determined to go through with this. We should hide." Erza said. They hide while Aang whispers something to the three floating off the side of the rig and they silently fly off before Aang joins the others.
Two soldiers were turning the corner and saw him fly off before reporting it to the warden.
"Tell me exactly what you saw." The warden said.
"Well sir, it looked like a flying bison." The first guard said.
"What?" The warden asked.
"It was a giant flying buffalo sir and it had a empty saddle." The second guard answered.
"Which was it, a bison or a buffalo?" The warden asked.
"Uh, not sure what the difference is, but that's not really the point is it sir?" The warden then grabbed him.
"I'll decide what the point is, fool!" The warden said before he threw the first guard off the rig.
"You! Wake up the captain and search the entire rig!" The warden turned to the other guard and ordered.
"Sir?" The guard said.
"What?!" The warden asked in a irritated voice.
"That was the captain you just threw overboard." The second guard replied.
"Then wake someone I haven't thrown overboard and search the rig! There's something going on here and I don't like it." The warden said.
"You really should learn to calm yourself." A voice said. It was a girl with black hair and amber eyes. She wore a black shirt with a Fire Nation symbol on it and blue shorts. She approached the warden.
"What are you doing up, Flannery? You should be asleep." The warden asked.
"I couldn't sleep because of your temper. That, and I'm not a child anymore." Flannery replied.
"If so, you can help the guards search the rig." The warden instructed.
"Fine. I'm gonna be gone by tomorrow so I don't see why not." Flannery remarked before walking away.
On a different part of the rig Aang, Lucy, Katara, Sokka, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Ray and Wendy hide among some crates.
"We don't have much time." Sokka said.
"What are we supposed to do?" Natsu asked.
"I wish I knew how to make a hurricane." Aang suggested which caused the others to look at him weirdly.
"Why a hurricane?" Lucy asked.
"To make the Warden run away so we can take his keys." Aang answered.
"Wouldn't he take his keys with him?" Gray questioned.
"I'm just tossing ideas around." Aang said, shrugging.
"I know what I can do. I could summon Taurus or Virgo or perhaps even that new Zodiac Celestial Spirit I made a contract with to bust down the door. We just need the Earthbenders to help." Lucy stated.
"Wendy and I tried talking the Earthbenders into fighting back, but it didn't work." Katara said.
"There has to be a way to help them help themselves." Wendy said.
"They need some kind of earth or rock to bend right?" Natsu asked.
"Yeah, but this place is made of metal." Katara said. Ray then noticed something in the air that would change their opinions.
"Not exactly." He pointed up to a smokestack on the ship. "See the smoke rising into the sky?"
"Yeah." Katara answered with slight confusion.
"Do you know what's producing that smoke? Well I'll tell you, it's coal." They immediately knew where he was going with this.
"Earth." Lucy said.
"Exactly." Ray nodded.
Dawn soon approached the rig and the gang returned to the courtyard looking down a vent that was capped by a grate. Katara noticed the sky was getting lighter.
"It's almost dawn!" She said.
"We're running out of time!" Wendy added.
"Are you sure this will work?" Gray asked.
"I can guarantee it." Ray nodded.
"Yeah. These vents remind me of our little trick back in the village so we're gonna do the same thing. Only on a much bigger scale." Sokka explained.
"There's a huge supply of coal at the base of the silo and the whole system is ventilated. Aang closed off all the vents except one and when he does his Airbending, the coal has only one place to go...right back here." Erza also explained.
They soon found themselves surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers who pointed their spears at the group and prisoners. Flannery was in the front.
"There are the intruders!" Flannery yelled as they got ready for a fight.
"Back off, punks!" Gray yelled, coating his fists in ice.
"We're warning you!" Sokka hollered as he pulled out his boomerang.
"Katara! Wendy! Stop! You two can't win this fight." Tyro warned the two. Katara looked at Haru's face and saw his face expressed fears for their lives.
"Listen to him well, children. You're all one mistake from dying where you stand." The warden said as he stepped forward.
The soldiers slowly approached Katara and Wendy before everyone felt a sudden vibration. Coal finally burst out of the only open air vent and poured onto the ground, which surprised the warden and the prisoners while also leaving Flannery dismayed. The Avatar then jumped out of the vent and landed on the coal pile covered in ash. He coughs a bit to relieve himself of the ash. Katara and Wendy then climb on top of the coal.
"Here's your chance, Earthbenders!" Katara shouted as she lifted some of the coal.
"Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!" Wendy hollered while taking some coal as well. Haru stepped forward a bit, but Tyro stopped him and the other prisoners stayed where they were. The warden and Flannery then laugh.
"Foolish girls! You both thought that inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago." The warden said.
"Oh? But you two still believe in them? That's so sweet of you softhearted idiots!" Flannery said as she began to laugh again. Katara and Wendy drop the coal with downcast expressions.
"You two are only wasting your energy, little girls. You both have failed." The warden said as Katara and Wendy still have downcast expressions on their faces. He and Flannery then turn and walk away before a lump of coal hit the warden in the head causing him and Flannery to turn and see Haru glaring at them while coal hovered around his hand.
The warden sent a fire blast at Haru which was blocked by a wall of white fire.
"Want to try that with me?" Ray asked, cracking his knuckles in defiance. He had opened his bag and placed his armor inside before closing it.
Then Tyro got into a Earthbending stance with a serious expression on his face.
"Show no mercy!" The warden ordered as he and the soldiers stepped forward and shot a huge stream of fire at them. Tyro, Haru and four other Earthbenders formed a wall of coal to block the flames.
"For the Earth Kingdom, attack!" Tyro slammed his palms onto the ground, creating a wall of coal that blew the Firebenders back. The warden and a few soldiers used Firebending to shield themselves while others used their arms to cover their bodies. Both sides yelled war cries as they readied themselves for a fight.
Earthbenders ran at other Fire Nation soldiers and would block before the Firebenders could strike and moving their arm out of the way, they would blast the soldiers back with a mound of coal. When the Firebenders throw a flow of fire, the Earthbenders would duck and strike with their own attack. During the fight burning coals littered the courtyard and the gang rushes forward as Firebenders attack them.
"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu gathered flames in his mouth and then released them, producing a large burst of fire.
"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy gathered and released a large quantity of air from her mouth in the form of a tornado-like attack.
Both attacks knocked the soldiers back, but more took their place charging at the group.
"Ice-Make: Floor." Gray slammed a hand on the ground, creating a slippery layer of ice on the courtyard causing the soldiers to slip and fall but they quickly get back up.
They threw their spears at the group but Erza slices through them with her sword and then knocked them out by punching both in the head.
Lucy then proceeded to pick up and throw the spearheads with small shafts still attached to it as Momo, Happy and Carla collect the spearheads being thrown by the soldiers.
Tyro and Haru worked together for this next move. Mirroring their actions, they both raise a huge amount of coal from the pile and form it into a ball. Then bringing it down together, they condensed the mound of coal into a hardened sphere. The warden kept shooting at anything that wasn't one of his soldiers. Haru and Tyro then launch the condensed ball at the door of the rig. At the same time Lucy summoned Taurus.
"Bring that door down." She ordered and Taurus charged at the door along with the condensed ball as both successfully break the door down.
"The door's open!" Lucy hollered.
"Get to the ship! We'll hold them off!" Tyro shouted.
"Don't let them escape!" The warden commanded before he and the soldiers began to barrage the exit with their flames.
Aang, Lucy, Katara, Sokka, Natsu, Gray, Erza and Wendy run to the exit but see it was blocked by a wall of flames. They turned to face the soldiers and with a nod from Aang he and Lucy swirl their hands around to produce a small tornado that they aim at the Firebenders.
"Guys, throw us some coal!" Aang shouted. Everyone started throwing coal into the top of the little whirlwind and the coal went down the wind tunnel.
"Wendy! We need your help!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Right!" Wendy nodded.
While Aang and Lucy fire coal out of their small whirlwind, Wendy sucks in air.
"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy gathered and released a large quantity of air from her mouth in the form of a tornado-like attack once again. With their combined efforts, they successfully knock the warden and his men onto the condensed ball as Haru, Tyro and the other Earthbenders lifted the warden and his men into the air and above the open ocean. The warden proceeded to look down.
"No! Please! I can't swim!" The warden begged.
"Don't worry, I hear cowards float." Tyro said before he relaxed his bending stance by waving his arms in a circle and placing both palms gently down before him. Then they fell into the ocean.
The ship was then placed under the command of the Earthbenders as they used the ship to sail away from the rig with Appa right beside it as ShineGreymon and Omnimon flew through the air. Aang, Lucy, Sokka, Natsu, Gray, Erza and Ray were on Appa while Katara and Wendy were with Haru, Tyro and the other Earthbenders on the deck of the ship. Katara and Wendy looked back at the rig hoping they would never return there again.
"I want to thank you two for saving me. For saving us in fact." Haru said.
"All it took was a little coal." Katara said modestly.
"All you guys had to do was bend the coal." Wendy added.
"It wasn't the coal. It was you two. Thank you Katara, Wendy." Haru said.
"Katara, Wendy thank you both for helping me find my courage. My family and everyone else owes you two much." Tyro said.
"So you're going home now?" Wendy asked.
"Yes. I'm going to take back my village. In fact, we'll take back ALL our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot on our land!" Tyro replied before 
shouting. The other Earthbenders cheered.
"You two wanna come with us?" Haru offered.
"Thanks, but your mission is to take back your home." Wendy said.
"Yeah. Ours is to get Aang and Lucy to the North Pole." Katara said as she looked at Aang and Lucy who were sitting on Appa's head as Aang twirled little chunks of coal around while Lucy practiced her airbending.
"That's them, isn't it? The Avatar and the Celestial Mage?" Haru asked and the two nod.
"Katara, Wendy thank you both for bringing my father back to me. I never thought I'd see him again. I wish there was some way to..." Katara cut him off.
"I know." She replied as she reached for her necklace, only to find out it wasn't around her neck. "My mother's necklace, it's gone!"
"Maybe you lost it during the fight with the Firebenders?" Wendy suggested.
"Maybe." Katara said, feeling downcast.
Back on the rig Katara's necklace was in fact still there but then it was picked up by someone, who turned out to Zuko. Aiko was by his side as they look at the sun hoping to use the necklace to hunt down Aang and Lucy.
"So she really left it here?" A voice asked. It belonged to Flannery.
"What are you doing here anyway, sis?" Aiko asked.
"To visit this rotten place, but now that I longer have to deal with that old fart of a warden anymore, it's time to get out of here like I wanted to all along." Flannery said.
"Tell me Zuko, do you have room for anyone on your little Avatar and Celestial Mage hunt?" She asked.
"I don't see why not. You can help us." Zuko said.
"You think that Water Peasant's necklace can help us?" Flannery asked.
"Whatever it takes." Zuko answered.
"Be sure not to lose it then. Come on, let's get out of here. Father is waiting for us." Aiko instructed.
"I can't wait to see him again." Flannery said.
"Then let's go." Zuko replied as the three exit the rig.