You'd successfully escaped the fire nation-occupied town by the reservoir and had made it into the forest. You hadn't told your family because you don't want them involved; they could get into trouble and it's your burden to bear. You feel stupid and guilty for leaving them behind but you're tired of keeping your bending a secret. One more close call and you would've been shipped off to a fire nation prison - not that your village isn't a prison already. Your plan is to rally up as many earthbenders as you can and liberate the town for good. Won't be long before I can see my family again, you think, and mom can punish me all she wants when I get back. You smile at the thought.

The forest is relatively quiet, save the rustling leaves which keep you on your guard. For some reason, you're light on your feet, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible…something you're not used to. But you can't help it. It feels like you're being watched. Your heart starts beating harder against your chest as you tell yourself to keep it together, but you fail to calm yourself down. You'd heard stories of Fire Nation soldiers getting attacked or in these woods…by people who jump down from the trees. Of course these fears flood your mind at this very moment, only worsening your situation. You think your heart has stopped beating when you hear a boy's voice,

"Hey," he emerges from behind a tree, much to your confusion…and of course shock. The boy looks about your age, dressed in ratty clothes and random bits of armor. His thick, brown hair practically covers his eyes. "You know, it's not safe to travel alone." His voice is low and calm as he turns toward you. Without answering him, you instinctively place your hand on the hilt of the dagger attached to your belt. His brown eyes flick down to your hand, then back to your eyes. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. It's the firebenders you should be afraid of," he continues warmly when he sees you take a step back, stiff with fear. You arch an eyebrow, suddenly relieved now that you know that the two of you share a common enemy. "Name's Jet. What's yours?" You hesitate before telling him your name. "Where ya headed?" he uncrosses his arms and places them on his hips.

Shaken out of your defensive state and starting to relax, you reluctantly answer him again, beginning with a sigh, "Anywhere but here…I kinda ran away from home."

"Why?" he raises an eyebrow.

"Fire Nation."

He nods and you wonder why he doesn't inquire further, so you continue.

"I'm just…tired of living in fear. I want to be able to do this," you kick a small rock out of the ground and watch it land in your palm, "without being hauled off to prison somewhere."

Jet's face lights up with interest, "You're an earthbender?! And you've been able to keep it a secret your whole life?" Despite the fact that he keeps his voice down to a whisper, there's no hiding his sudden excitement.

Your eyebrows furrow, "Yeah, surprised?"

"No, no, it's just…I thought the soldiers took them all away already."

"I wouldn't know. No one earthbends in my town, so if there are any other benders, they've been hiding it pretty well." You can practically see the wheels turning in his mind as you speak.

"So…you said you don't have a place to stay?"

"Not yet, why?"

The corners of his mouth turn upward, "How would you like to join the Freedom Fighters?"

"The what?"

"A skilled group of fighters lead by yours truly," he points to himself with his thumb. "Whattaya say?"

"Um…" By now he's practically gained your trust, something that shocks you after such little time. But opening up to a charismatic person like him wasn't difficult. You catch the enthusiasm in his eye and you smile, he's really quite attractive. "I wouldn't exactly call myself a skilled fighter, though."

"Well, you should be able to train safely here in the forest. We'll find you a secluded spot. You in?" he offers you a hand.

You inhale and plaster a genuine, determined grin on your face, shaking his hand firmly, "I'm in." You weren't about to pass up friendship during a time of war, especially when these friends could assist you in freeing your town.

"Great. This way to your new home," the boy turns to pull back a few branches, revealing the hookswords on his back as well as a rope hidden in the leaves. "Give me your hand." He grabs the rope loop firmly, extending his other hand to you.

You place your hand in his and he pulls you toward him; you show little resistance to this gesture as you end up pressed against his chest, his arm holding your waist. "You might wanna grab on," he chuckles before you follow his directions by wrapping your arms around him. "Ready?"

"Uh…sure?-AAAHHHH….ahahaha." Your yelp turns into excited laughter as the rope jerks the two of you upward, zipping through the leaves until you land on a flat, wooden surface.

"Sorry, I just wanted it to be a surprise," Jet chuckles.

You're too taken aback by the marvel before your eyes to answer him. Levels and levels of tree houses span as far as you can see. Bridges connect each structure, and you can make out a large platform, set out in the middle of it all. Children fly past you on zip lines; every trunk and branch are put to use.

Jet obviously notices your awe and smiles, "What do you think?"

"This is amazing," you turn to face him, "You built this?"

"All of us did. Took a while," he grabs the bit of wheatgrass in his mouth, "And as we added more recruits, the hideout just grew 'n grew."

"You guys are safe here? From the Fire Nation?"

"Yup. We've kept it secret for a long time." He slowly begins to stroll across the platform. Your eyes darting here and there, taking everything in as you listen to your guide.

"Down that way, that's our food stash," Jet begins, pointing in one direction. "Fruits grow all over this forest, so between those and our stash, you won't go hungry. Here, everyone's got a job. When it comes to food, we're uh…hunter-gatherers," he chuckles. "Hm…Over that way is our armory, we stash extra weapons there. Pretty diverse collection, you should check it out when you get a chance," he brags.

You laugh and he smirks before continuing, "Now, where do we put you…?" He stops and looks around before calling out to a boy with a large pin sticking out of his topknot. "Hey Sneers!" Like a well-trained poodle-monkey, the boy drops what he's doing and approaches his leader. "Have we got any empty rooms on the girl side?"

Sneers nods, "By Nori's tent, I think," and he points in the general direction.

"Thank you," Jet replies. As if he'd just been dismissed, Sneers turns and walks away.

"Alright, _, follow me."

"Quite a system you got here, separating the boys and the girls," you remark, trying to keep a conversation going.

"We've been here a while," Jet shrugs, "Pretty organized, I guess. Gotta keep everyone in line, make sure they're not slacking. It's not always easy, but I've gotta make sure everything works smoothly."

Even more impressed than before, you realize what a large responsibility this boy carries on his shoulders, "And you're in charge of everyone?"

"That's right."

"How did you all…come together like this?"

"I started the Freedom Fighters years ago," his voice becomes cold, "See, everyone here has lost something to the Fire Nation."

When he doesn't go on, and seems distracted, you quietly ask, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" he turns his head towards you, "Oh, sorry 'bout that."

"What's wrong?" you ask, immediately realizing that it's probably too personal for him to talk about, and you hardly know him.

"Nothing, I'm fine, really," he chuckles, "Oh, here we go." He stops in front of an empty tent and pulls it open. You walk inside and wait for him to join you as you inspect it. The wooden platform is empty, but the sun finds its way inside, brightening it up just enough. "We should see to finding you a bed. Hmph…I think we have extra mattresses 'n blankets in the supply room. C'mon, you can leave your stuff in here." You set your small bag down onto the floor and exit the hut before walking with him to the supply stash.

Together, you haul your bed materials back to your tent and lay them in the middle of your new room. "Just one tip, though. Don't bring food in here 'cuz you don't wanna attract animals to your tent, especially when you're sleeping," he chuckles, and you laugh, though slightly frightened. He leans against the wall, "No, like, not big animals - we're in the trees. But the stupid kids who bring food in their tents always complain about crawly things and rodents and shit."

"Okay, got it," you giggle and find yourself staring at him. For a second you think he's staring at you too, but he blinks and raises his eyebrow at you. "Uh, so…Thanks…a lot. I really appreciate this."

Jet smirks, "Don't mention it. Thanks for deciding to join. You won't regret it." He looks away and grabs his wheat, "I've gotta go, why don't you settle in, then come find me at dinner?" You nod and watch him leave before flopping onto your new bed, placing your hands behind your head and staring at nothing, just letting your thoughts flow through your mind. His face, his smile, his eyes, his silhouette...they're already ingrained into your head. And this new life? In the trees? Where you and another boy are probably the oldest there, and you're still practically children? What am I, crazy? Guess you'll just have to find out.