"Avani?"

She felt a hand on the covers over her legs, gently shaking her. The girl, still half asleep, moaned in response. She opened her eyes, glanced at her mother and quickly closed them again. "Go away."

"Come on, child. Wake up. You're watching your brother today. Something he needs help with." Avani rolled out of bed and faced the woman. What ever her brother needed, couldn't it wait a few hours? And she didn't like being told what she was to do, although she had grown more than used to it.

"Help? What does that little dirt dabbing flea ba-" she trailed off at the sight of her mother's face. She was clearly not amused.

"I'm going to overlook that last comment. Today, you two are making necklaces. His request."

"Necklaces? Wow, andI thought I had a little brother…" She was appalled, of all the crazy, boyish things her brother likes to do; she couldn't imagine why he would want to do something so girly.

"Avani! That is enough." Her mother snapped, throwing a pile of clothes on her bed. She sounded more on edge than normal, which was saying something. "Now put these on and get down there! Not another complaint or you'll regret it." She slammed the door on her way out.

"I'm sure I will." Avani muttered under her breath, pulling a shirt over her head.

Her face was flustered. She despised her family- her brother, unable to do anything on his own. Her mother, constantly nagging and pushing her to get married, drilling ridiculous love stories into her head. They don't understand me she thought. Ever since her father left, her mother was sour and rude. She hadn't ever been the kindest woman in the village, but she grew bitter over the years. She showed mercy to Avani's brother, though. He was called Junior, because his father named him after himself, and their mother couldn't bear to say and hear it daily. Junior was a spitting image of his father. And not only that, he had the same spirit for adventure. And his eyes. He had his father's eyes. The eyes that her mother had fallen in love with, and the eyes that looked her in the face as he opened the door and walked out of her life. The eyes she hasn't seen in nearly seven years. Her mother was the same.

Just as she began heading for the steps, something in the window caught her eye. Getting closer, she could see that a figure was darting across yard behind her house. Before he stepped into the concealment of the trees, she got a thorough look at him, and easily recognized him from wanted posters hung up throughout her division of The Earth Kingdom. He was the leader of a group of trouble-causing teenagers who stopped at nothing to counterattack the Fire Nation. His name was Jan or Jen or something like that. He was tall and dark skinned, adorned in strange but cool looking armor with a what appears to be a wheat stalk between his lips. Avani guessed he was a few years older than herself. There was hate written on his face. She had no personal affliction with the Fire Nation, but she knew they were terrorists. And they were known for returning little pieces of that terror. Her mother had warned her to stay away from the Freedom Boys, as they were called, so by nature was more curious than she was about most things.

She watched the boy as he disappeared into the thick forest. For a fleeting instant, which actually lasted much longer than a few seconds, she yearned to join him. She desperately wanted someone she could relate to. She wanted something to fight for something. To live for something. Telling herself that she had stalled long enough, she traipsed down the stairs, where a young boy was perched at a table, waiting for her.

"Bees! Bees!" the child proclaimed happily, shoving a handful of beads in her face with one hand, while simultaneously wiping snot from his nose with the other. Avani rolled her eyes and grimaced. She could tell it was going to long day.

"They're called beads, Junior." She sighed. Lets get this over with she added to herself as she took the seat next to him.

The next few hours passed with surprisingly little annoyance on her brother's behalf. He listened patiently to her makeshift instruction on stringing the glass balls on the braided wire. She told him of patterns and designs he could make, and about bracelets. He especially liked them. And he learned quickly. Extremely out of character, Avani noted. He wasn't normally satisfied with sitting for an extended amount of time. She can't recall him ever being so cooperative.

She watched her brother's fingers skillfully design a bracelet using silver, purple, and green beads. Avani noticed the colors her brother chose were favorites. She really loved silver. When he was done, Junior carefully slipped the string around Avani's wrist and tied it with a double knot.

"For my sissy." He explained patting her hand with a big large smile, though it was sort of obvious. Avani felt an unusual rush of affection for Junior pour through her, and couldn't resist smiling back at him.

"Thanks." Was all she could think to say. But it was enough.

The newfound coexistence between the two ended with Junior's next move.

The boy snatched the few remaining beads from the table, and sniffed them.

"These smell funny." He remarked.

"Fascinating discovery, Junior."

The child observed the glinting orbs for a few seconds more, before sticking them up nose. Avani gasped.

"Smellerbees!" Junior cried joyfully, giggling rather loudly. His sister was disgusted.

"Junior! What on earth. Get those things out of your nose now!" She screamed. He obliged.

"As you wish, Smellerbee."

"Don't call me that."

"Okay Smellerbee!" She should have seen that coming.

"Smellerbee?" he asked seriously. Avani sighed.

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

"So make some noodles."

"We don't have any fresh water."

"So get some."

"But Smellerbee!" The child wailed "the bucket's heavy and I'm tired." She opens her mouth to respond when-

"Avani." Comes her mother's strict voice, from a few rooms away. Avani sighed again. Junior smirked.

"Fine. I'll… be back." She tells him.

As she trudges down the hill to the Pump, the busy chatter of her active village fills her ears.

Home. Although it feels more like prison she thinks as she reaches the Pump. She catches sight of the Freedom Fighter's leader again, and his name comes to her. Jet.

Then she notices something. Something isn't right. It takes her until she's halfway back up to notice the eerie silence that hadn't been there seconds ago. Something is out of place, but she can't put her finger on it. Then there's something. Some noise. Not talk though, sort of a rustling sound that's unfamiliar to Avani.

Climbing up the remainder of the hill, she sees exactly what it is.

It should have registered to her- where there are Freedom Fighters, there's Fire Nation.