Rescue Mission

-Maya's Point of View-

I went straight to the barn to call everyone for dinner. When I got inside, I saw that Aang was playing with Momo on top of Appa, and Sokka was preparing his bed on top of a pile of hay.

"Hey guys, dinner's ready," I said as I walk towards them. I look around to check if Katara was there but I didn't see her.

"Where's Katara?" I asked. "She's probably still with that Haru guy— probably talking about bending and magic," Sokka answered.

"I wonder what's taking them so long?" Aang asked as well. "They're probably hitting on each other," Sokka answered again.

"What? Do you think Katara likes him?" Aang suddenly asked. "Oh come on Aang, I know my sister very well..." Sokka continued.

"Stop it Sokka! Don't jump to conclusions like that." I shouted at him. "Don't worry Aang, Sokka's just kidding with you," I said, and then I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, I'm not kidding alright..." Sokka butted in.

"QUIET!" I shouted and I threw a small stone at him. "Ah!" he shouted as he fell from the top of the hay to the ground.

"Let's just go inside. Dinner's waiting for us." I said to Aang and we started walking outside the barn. "Hurry up there if you want to eat!" I yelled back at Sokka.

Once we were outside the barn we suddenly saw Katara and Haru coming back from somewhere.

"Oh! There you are Katara! Where have you two been?" I asked. "Uh... nothing. We just had a walk." Haru answered, but he seemed quite suspicious.

"O-kay... By the way, dinner's ready. Your mom's waiting for us. Let's go in." I said. Sokka went outside of the barn and walked towards the house. Aang followed behind him still looking smug or something.

I started walking to the house as well with Katara and Haru tagging behind me, but I suddenly heard Haru whisper something to Katara.

"Katara, whatever you do, don't tell Mom what happened at the mine. She's going to be mad if she knew."

I wanted to ask them what that was about but I suddenly felt shy. Maybe it's a personal matter between the two of them— OH MY GOSH KATARA, DON'T TELL ME...

No... Katara won't do that! I mean... They wouldn't— THEY SHOULDN'T!

All of us went inside the house, went straight to the dining area, and had a wonderful dinner. Everyone loved the soup Sonya made. We all had some chat and then when dinner was over, I offered to help with cleaning but Haru told me that it was fine.

"The sun has already fallen, all of you should rest now, you'll be leaving tomorrow right?" Haru asked. I looked at him and then at Sonya. "Thank you for the dinner, and for everything else," I said and then I bowed down.

After that, all four of us went back inside the barn. I set my sleeping bag beside Katara. Sokka, on my left, was on top of a pile of hay, Katara on my right, and beside her was Appa where Aang was laying on top of.

Katara was holding the oil lamp which was the only light source we had. Once I was done setting up, I sat down on top of the sleeping bag. I didn't want to sleep just yet. For some reason, I'm still curious about what happened in the mine that Haru didn't want his mother to know about.

So I faced Katara and asked her, "So, you're going to tell us where Haru and you went?"

She suddenly looked at me and said, "Just somewhere nearby... we talked about his father." I squinted my eyes as I look at her with doubt.

"I heard Haru whisper something to you on the way back to the house. Something about a 'happening' in the mine? What's that about?" I asked again.

"What? You heard that?" Katara asked. "SOMETHING HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND HARU IN THE MINE?!" Aang suddenly asked.

"What? No! Nothing happened! Well, something did happen but—" Katara defended but she was cut off by Sokka.

"AHA! I knew you were both hitting on each other! Katara, you're my sister and I know how you feel but you should not be doing stuff like that." Sokka joined the conversation as well.

I suddenly saw Katara grab a pillow and she threw it onto Sokka's face. "AGH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Sokka yelled.

"Nothing happened between me and Haru!" Katara defended once more. "Then what's that all about? The thing Maya heard?" Aang asked sadly.

Katara sighs in defeat as she told us what really had happened. "Haru and I were walking back to the house when we passed by a mine that collapsed. An old man was trapped inside so Haru and I tried to get him out. But the rocks were hard to budge, the only way the man could be saved was through bending the earth out of the way." Katara explained.

"Haru didn't want to do it at first because he was afraid he'd be seen, but I told him there's no other way. So he earthbent the rocks and we saved the old man's life. We had to escort the old man back to his house as well that's why it took some time." Katara continued, and then she looked at me with her eyebrows crossed.

"When we got back home he told me not to tell her mother because— you know very well how his mother would react right?" Katara added. I awkwardly smiled at her while scratching my nape.

"Oh, so that's what happened... haha..." I awkwardly said. I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Whew! I thought something really happened." Aang said in relief. "Why would you guys think that way? Haru is such a nice guy. He's a good friend." Katara replied. "Yeah right... Everyone's a friend to you Katara. Continue doing that and surely, you'll never get yourself a boyfriend." Sokka butted in again.

Katara looked at him angrily and she just snubbed him. I looked at Katara and then I said, "Anyway, I'm just glad both you and Haru helped that old man."

"Well, Haru was the one who did most of the saving. It was so brave of him to use his earthbending when he knows very well that it's prohibited." Katara replied.

"Well, you must've really inspired him Katara. I've got to hand that to ya." Aang said. "I guess so..." Katara replied with a gentle smile on her face.

"Enough talking. Everyone should get some sleep. We're leaving at dawn." Sokka interrupted again. "Dawn?! Can't we sleep in for once?" Katara argued.

"Absolutely not! This village is crawling with fire nation troops. If they discover you're here Aang, we'll be in trouble. Not to mention that the firebending master's daughter is with us, if they find out about you Maya, I'm pretty sure they'll take you in. Let's just all agree to leave as early as we can, 'cause if not, we'll surely be eating fireballs for breakfast. Good night." Sokka argued back.

"I'd rather eat fireballs than nuts." I teased. "GOOD. NIGHT." Sokka sternly said and then he laid down covering himself with his blanket.

Aang, Katara, and I all laughed at Sokka and then Katara proceeded to blow out the fire inside the lamp. When the whole place was swallowed by the darkness, I slowly laid down and snuggled the blanket that was covering me.

I closed my eyes and tried getting some sleep, but then I felt Mom's necklace move so I held on to it. I rarely agree with Sokka but, this time I think he's right. We need to get out of this place as quickly as possible. Aang is not safe here with all these fire nation people lurking everywhere. We need to get him to the north pole without any disturbances.

------------

"Maya..."

I heard someone call out my name. I slowly opened my eyes and then I looked around to check out who it was.

"Katara? Sokka? Aang?" I called out to their names but then I saw that they were nowhere to be seen. The place they were sleeping in was empty. "Guys?!" I asked as I franticly looked around.

"Maya..."

I heard the voice again but this time it was from behind me. I turned around and I saw a lady with a red hood.

"Who are you?! Where are my friends?!" I angrily asked. "Maya... It's me!" the woman shouted as she removed the hood.

When I saw her face, my eyes grew wide and tears started falling down my cheeks.

"Mom?" I asked, still shocked and weirded out by what was happening. "My dear child..." she sweetly said with tears in her eyes.

"Mom!!" I quickly ran towards her to give her a hug but when I got close, she suddenly faded into thin air. "MOM!! WHERE ARE YOU?!" I yelled while crying.

Suddenly the barn caught on fire, and it scattered everywhere surrounding me, trapping me inside. I looked around to see if there were means of escape but it was hopeless.

I suddenly saw Mom again, she was in the middle of the fire. She was burning! "MOM! GET OUT OF THERE!" I yelled trying to get her away from the fire but she was just looking at me with a sad face.

"I love you..." was the only thing she said until she was completely devoured by the flames. "NO!!!!" I shouted once more.

Suddenly there was a very bright flash and a weird-looking spirit emerged from the flames. "Remember... Sue..." the spirit said and then it flew towards my body— it's about to tackle me!

-----------------------------

"AHH!" I shouted as I quickly sat up. Alongside this, Katara barged in through the barn's door while franticly shouting, "THEY TOOK HIM! THEY TOOK HARU AWAY!"

Aang who had just woken up was startled by Katara's news. "What?!" Aang asked. "The old man that Haru saved yesterday turned him into the fire nation! It's all my fault! I forced him into earthbending!" Katara continuously explained while panicking.

Sokka who was fully awake and ready for flight slowly walked towards his sister and tried calming her down. "Slow down Katara. When did this happen?" Sokka asked.

"Haru's mother said they came for him at midnight," Katara answered. "Then it's too late to track him, he's long gone," Sokka replied.

I slowly stood up, still catching my breath from the nightmare that I just encountered. So It was all just a dream? I took a deep breath as soon as I'd come to my senses. What was that dream about?

"We don't need to track him. The fire nation is going to take me right to Haru." Katara sternly declared.

I slowly packed my sleeping bag and carefully placed it on Appa's saddle.

"And why would they do that?" Aang asked.

Once I was done, I went towards where the three of them were talking and I stood beside Aang.

"Because they are going to arrest me for earthbending," Katara answered. "You're planning to get yourself arrested?! Well, I'm sorry to say this Katara, but I'm not agreeing to that." I strongly opposed it.

"But that's the only way we will be able to locate Haru! And by chance, we might be able to find the other prisoners— like his father!" Katara argued.

"No Katara! It's too dangerous! You don't know the fire nation. They are... ruthless." I argued back but then I stuttered at the end. Ruthless huh? I felt like I was describing myself and my mom.

"Then all the more reason to save Haru and the other earthbenders. Aang, are you with me?" Katara asked Aang while looking at him. Aang nodded to her in reply.

"Sokka?" Katara asked. Sokka looked at him with brows crossed and then he answered, "Maya's right, you're plan is dangerous..." and then he paused. "But it is the only way we can save Haru... Count me in." Sokka continued.

Katara then looked at me and then she said, "Maya... Haru and his family have been nothing but nice to us. It's time we do them a favor." I looked at Katara who was pleading for my help. All of a sudden, memories of Sonya talking about his husband and Haru played inside my head.

"Alright. I'm with you, but you have to promise me that you'll be safe!" I warned Katara. She smiled at me and then she answered, "Don't worry. I'll come back without a scratch."

"So, you said they're gonna arrest you for earthbending right?" Aang suddenly asked. "Yes," Katara answered. "And how exactly are you going to earthbend?" Aang asked once more.

"I have an idea," Sokka suddenly said, and then he huddled us in a circle. "While we were walking out of the town yesterday, we passed by the mines and I noticed that there were air shafts on the ground. I asked Haru what they were for, and he told me that he was not really sure about it, but it has something to do with the mining." Sokka explained.

"What are we gonna do with those air shafts?" I asked. "I noticed a pattern in their positions. There are two shafts that are at least 1 meter away from each other, and 2 meters away from that are another pair." Sokka continued

"If by chance the air shafts with a 1-meter distance are connected, we can use that for our strategy," Sokka added. "What strategy do you have in mind?" Katara asked this time.

"It's simple. From on top of an air shaft, we will place a boulder. On the other end, Aang will be there to blow a strong air current that will flow to the other ventilation opening, it will then levitate the boulder, and voila! Fake earthbending!" Sokka answered.

"Sokka! You're a genius!" Katara shouted. "I know, I know... We need to get this thing done now if we want to save Haru. Let's go!" Sokka said and then all of us ran to the pathway near the mines.

Once we reached the place, Katara and I looked for a pair of air shafts that are perfect for the strategy, Sokka and Aang looked for a boulder that was just the right size, not too heavy and not too light.

Sokka and Katara pushed the boulder on top of an air shaft and Aang proceeded to the other air shaft that was hidden behind a rock.

"Gotta hand it to you girls, you found a perfect pair of shafts where the other one is hidden." Sokka praised.

"Ready to test if my hypothesis is right Aang?" Sokka asked. Aang raised his thumb as a sign of approval.

"Alright! Do it!" Sokka shouted and then Aang busted a strong air current on the air shaft on his side and then a few seconds later the boulder on top of the other air shaft levitated.

"IT WORKED!" Katara shouted. "Now that's fake earthbending for you." Sokka arrogantly said. Aang stopped airbending and then he went towards us.

When everything was all set, Sokka huddled us in a circle once more and then he said, "Okay, everything is set, but there's one more thing missing."

"This plan will not work if there are no fire nation soldiers around." Sokka continued. "Should we call them in?" Aang asked. Sokka then looked firmly at me and then he said, "Maya, I need you to call in some fire nation soldiers."

I looked at him, shocked, "Me? What would I tell them?" I asked. "Here's the act. Katara and I will pretend to be fighting, you— Maya, will tell the Fire Nation soldiers that there's a ruckus going on near the mines. You have to make sure that they will follow you and that they will believe you." Sokka explained.

At first, I looked at him with doubt. Sure, send in the firebending master's daughter! I'm sure the fire nation soldiers won't notice. Plus, I'm not good at lying! How do you expect me to convince them with a lie?!

"Maya, you're the perfect person for this." Sokka pleaded. "Can't I just be the one to argue with Katara?" I asked. "Really? You? I've never seen you get mad at Katara, you might just suddenly cry mid-fight and hug her." Sokka disproves.

I heard Aang chuckle, so I looked at him with narrowed eyes. He stopped chuckling and then he awkwardly smiled at me. "Trust me, Maya, you can do this," Sokka assured and then he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I took a deep breath and answered, "Alright. I'll do it." Sokka smiled at me and then he replied, "Good. When you come back, yell 'here' when you're close. That would be our signal to start the fight."

I nodded at Sokka and then I stood up. "I'll be quick," I said, and then I ran towards the town's square.

It only took me a few minutes to get to the place. As soon as I got there I looked around searching for some fire nation soldiers. I don't know why but it's still a bit awkward for me to talk with some fire nation people.

I just hope they won't notice my mom's figure in me. I mean, I clearly remember Bumi and Sifu telling me that I look exactly like my mother. If these soldiers notice that, then Katara's not the only one being imprisoned.

Ugh! I don't want to be taken away again!

After a few minutes of searching, I finally saw three fire nation soldiers who were patrolling the market. Okay, here goes nothing...

"Kind sir! I would just like to report to you... There's been a ruckus going on near that mine!" I shouted while pointing to where Aang and the others are.

The soldier looked at me with disbelief. "What ruckus?" the one in the middle asked. "Well... Uh... I don't know, but some teenagers were fighting in there!" I answered. UGH! I'M NOT GOOD AT IMPROV! AND ESPECIALLY NOT GOOD AT LYING!

"Psh... That might just be some gang kids fighting over nothing. Don't mind them and go back home kid." the soldier said and then they started walking away from me.

Oh no... They're not buying it! I need to say something... "P-Please! You have to go there! If they're not stopped they might really destroy the mine!" I shouted. All three soldiers stopped walking to look back at me.

"It's your duty to keep the mines in good shape— right?" I asked. Yeah, that's right! Take the bait! Those mines are the reason why you fire nation punks are here anyways. You need the mine to be fully functional so that you can have fuel for whatever engines you're fueling.

The three soldiers looked at each other and then they looked at me again. "Alright kid, we're only doing this because those mines are important, now lead us the way."

I tried hiding my smile when I heard what the soldier said. "RIGHT THIS WAY!" I shouted and then I started running back to where the others were. I did it! And they also didn't mention my mother! Maybe she wasn't really that well-known?

When we were near the mine, I shouted as loud as I can, "HERE! THE FIGHT'S GOING ON NEAR HERE!"

---------------------

-Katara's Point of View-

"HERE! THE FIGHT'S GOING ON NEAR HERE!"

We heard Maya's shout from a distance and it was getting closer and closer. She did it! She was able to lure some fire nation soldiers in!

"Maya's back! Quick! Get into positions!" Sokka said and then he suddenly pushed me to the ground. What the- what was that for?!

Just then Maya together with the fire nation soldiers arrived, watching Sokka and I. "Get out of my way pipsqueak!" Sokka suddenly shouted. Oh... so we're acting this way? I slowly stood up and looked angrily at Sokka.

"How dare you call me pipsqueak you... giant eared critten!" I argued back but I paused for a split second back there. I was trying to come up with an insult for Sokka.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Sokka shouted. "A GIANT. EARED. CRITTEN! Look at those things! Do herds of animals use them for shade?!" I yelled back.

"You better back off!" Sokka shouted moving closer to my face. "Seriously, back off." he then whispered afterward.

"I WILL NOT BACK OFF! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are!" I teased more. Hey, you need to keep going Sokka!

"That's it! You're going down!" he taunted. "I'll show you who's boss! Earthbending style!" I shouted and then I tried doing an earthbending stance in front of the boulder but it didn't budge.

WHAT IS AANG DOING?! THAT WAS THE SIGNAL!

"I SAID, EARTHBENDING STYLE!" I shouted once more. This time, I guess Aang heard me because the boulder suddenly elevated.

"That lemur! It's earthbending!" One of the guards shouted. I saw that Momo was behind the boulder while racing his hands up. UGH! MOMO!

"No, you idiot! It's the girl!" Sokka shouted at the soldier. "Oh... Of course..." the soldier agreed. Did Maya get the right people? Are these guys really soldiers?

"I'LL HOLD HER!" Sokka yelled then he went closer to whisper something to me. "You've got twelve hours to find Haru. We'll be right behind you." Sokka said and then the guards took me away from him.

We walked away from the scene and when I looked back I saw Sokka, Aang, and Maya standing there looking at me.