Avatar

The Next Generation

Jet and the Freedom Fighters

Chapter One

Encounter with Fire and Rebels

Story summary: 18 years have passed since the end of the war. The Avatar was able to defeat Fire Lord Ozai, but Fire Lady Azula refuses to give up. There is now a second war, but the Fire Nation struck the first blow; by capturing the Avatar. Now a young teenager must travel across the world to save her parents, who were captured by the Fire Nation. On her way she meets up with a group called the Freedom Fighters. Can Jet be trusted? Or is he still up to his old tricks? The first installment of the 'Next Generation' series.

Author's note: Sort of an AU. Jet never died. Heck, he never left to go to Ba Sing Se. He stayed in the forest to continue bugging the Fire Nation.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Avatar, but I don't, so…yeah…

Fallen leaves crunched under the feet of a young teenage girl as she walked along a narrow forest path. It wasn't Autumn, but the leaves were always falling in this forest. Long, braided, light brown hair flowed in the wind. This traveler looked out of place in her blue and white tunic, closely resembling Water Tribe clothing.

Two more pairs of feet crunched behind her. She turned around, just to find herself face-to-face with a Fire Nation soldier riding a komodo rhino.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but this is Fire Nation territory. Do you have authority to be here?" The soldier asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was Fire territory. I'm just passing through." The teenager gave a innocent smile and raised her hands up defensively, to show she meant no harm.

"I'm afraid I'm going to need to see some papers."

"But I'll just be a day or two. Honestly, I'll be out as quick as I can…please put away that sword." She pushed away the soldiers sword with one finger. It went from pointing at her to pointing over her shoulder.

"Ma'am, you're going to have to come with us."

"Us, what do you mean us? There's only one of you…" She looked around, to find herself surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers. "…okay, then…"

A ball of flame appeared above some of the soldiers hands. "You can either come quietly, or by force." The first one said.

"Hm…can I choose not going with you at all?" With that, the teenager jumped into the air, and three shurikens appeared in her hand, as if out of nowhere. But they were an unusual color for the normal metal ones. Throwing them into the air, the shurikens cut some of the soldiers spears in half by the wood, then disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

The ninja landed on the ground in a crouched position. Five out of the eight soldiers each shot a blast of fire at her, but the ninja was just as quick, if not quicker. She stood up and, spinning in a circle, copied the fire benders movements, except shooting out water instead. It extinguished the flames coming towards her, then she started a second cycle, freezing all eight soldiers (and the komodo rhino) to the ground where they stood in a giant ice cube that encased their entire body.

"Geez, that was too easy!" The ninja exclaimed to no one in particular. "They'll make anyone a soldier these days." She picked up her bags off the ground and, humming, she began to make her way along the path again.

As soon as she was out of the circle of frozen firebenders there was a crackling of leaves above her. "Show yourself." She shouted, expecting to see more soldiers.

Instead of soldiers, two figures jumped out from the trees, one adult male, one male her age. It was obvious by the way they looked they were family. Both had tan skin and dark hair (though the older one's hair was longer and held back in a ponytail, and the younger was only shoulder length), and both had grass in their mouth. Both wore Fire Nation clothing, though it was a mixture of armor and regular clothing, making it obvious that they were not soldiers.

The ninja looked ready to defend herself, for obvious reasons. But neither had weapons out. The older one spoke first. "That was some great fighting you just did."

"Thanks." The ninja said, though she didn't put away the newly formed shurikens in her hands.

The adult eyed the shurikens in her hands. "They're made of ice. Are you a waterbender?"

"Maybe."

"Look, we're not going to hurt you." The younger said. "So if you could just put those away…" He grabbed for the shurikens, but the ninja pulled her hand away.

"It's okay, Daiyu." The older one said. "But she is right. We're not going to hurt you. My name's Jet, and this is my daughter, Daiyu."

The ninja put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Daughter? But she looks like a guy!"

Daiyu raised a fist. "Watch it, missy, or you're gonna have a black eye." Jet couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, since we're all introducing ourselves, my name's Abi." The ninja said. "And yes, I am a waterbender. Or, better yet, a waterbending ninja."

"Well, Abi, how would you like to come to our hideout?" Jet offered.

"What? Seriously, Dad? You want her to come?" Daiyu said. "But she's not a Freedom Fighter!"

"Oh, come on, Daiyu. You saw the way she beat all eight of those guards single handedly." Jet said to his daughter. "Besides, she could always become a Freedom Fighter."

Abi interrupted before Daiyu could reply. "Thanks, but I really should be going. It's almost nightfall, and I have to get through the forest before more soldiers come." Instantly, her stomach growled, giving Jet a reason.

"We have warm food and comfortable beds."

Abi mulled over this a second. "Okay, I'll come."

Jet smiled at her with warm, dark brown eyes.

"You just better not cause any trouble." Daiyu said as they started walking. "And you better not interfere with any of my training."

"Hey, I'm only staying one night." Abi shrugged.

"Speaking of which, Daiyu, Abi will be staying in your tent." Jet said.

"What?!" Daiyu exclaimed, mouth hanging agape.

Abi burst out in laughter.

A few minutes of walking and talking later…

"Well, here we are." Jet said, stopping in the middle of two trees, where a rope with a loop at the end hung, as a platypus bear trap.

"Um..there's nothing here…" Abi stated, taking hold of the rope. Instantly, she was lifted high up into the air.

Daiyu burst out in laughter. "How come that happen to everyone?!" She said, grabbing the second rope. Jet shrugged and grabbed the same rope as his daughter, and they were pulled up as well.

The two were calmly pulled up, and stopped when the reached a wooden floor suspended at least fifty feet above the ground. They looked at where the other rope should have landed Abi, to see her on the ground in crab position, pale faced. "Please warn me before that happens next time." She croaked.

Daiyu managed to stifle her laughter. "Come on, this way to my tent." She helped Abi up, then started walking away.

"Hey, wait for me!" Abi called, running after Daiyu.

Not much later…

"Interesting place you have here." Abi noted, looking at the many houses, walkways, and cords. Almost all were made of wood, and blended easily with the trees.

"Thanks. Most of this place was built before I was born." Daiyu said. "Dad was one of the people who created the Freedom Fighters, and he was made the leader."

"Wow…"

"Most of the people here were orphaned by hundred-year war. After the war ended, most left, but people like me and my dad stayed." Daiyu continued. "Now there's a another war. I don't know why the Avatar doesn't just go defeat that stupid Fire Lady."

Abi bit her lip. "He can't."

Daiyu stopped and turned around. "Why can't he?"

Abi looked down at the ground. "Because he was captured. That's what started the war."

"Oh." Daiyu turned away and continued to walk. "So, why are you traveling?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"My parents were captured at the start of the war as well." Abi said. Then she quickly added, "They were great warriors in the last one. So, I'm going to see if I can rescue them!"

"Ha! Rescue them? From a Fire Nation prison?" Daiyu snapped. "That'll be almost impossible, until the Avatar is free."

Abi bit her lip, feeling her hands curl into fists. She hid them behind her back, though.

Daiyu finally stopped at a tent-like thing, with cloth as a roof, but wood as a door and walls. "Here's my tent." She said, opening the door. Inside was two hammocks, presumably the beds, and a table in the back, with dinner already on it. "Oh, I guess we're not having a meeting tonight." She stated.

Both girls walked in, and Abi sat on the plain bed, guessing that it was the spare, since the other bed had a pillow and blanket, while hers had nothing.

Daiyu sat down at the small table. "Crap, there's only one serving of everything." She said, removing the lid. Daiyu waited a couple seconds, and, not hearing a reply, turned around to find Abi fast asleep already.