A/N: Wow, what a great response for the first chapter! Thanks everyone! I said I would post quickly, and I intend to. Hopefully I'll finish writing this weekend and can post a lot more. Thanks everyone and don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar

Chapter 2

Aya woke with a headache. With shock, she realized she couldn't 'see' anything. No vibrations came to her at all. She was blind, like she had been throughout most of the North Pole. She started breathing quickly, feeling around with her hands, but only felt wood.

"Aya, calm down," Kana said from her right. "We're here. But…they took Hakoda."

Aya heard her friend start to sob and took a deep breath to calm down. "Hakoda will be fine," Aya said in as strong of a voice as she could muster. She continued to feel around and just felt a wood floor that led to wooden bars. Moving around the edge, she determined the size of her cell was about six by six. "Kana, it'll be ok. Can you describe the area to me? I don't hear Iroh or Kuzon."

"They're…" Kana started before she sobbed.

"It's ok," Aya said reaching out towards Kana. "I'm here. Describe the room and where you are first."

She heard Kana sniff and nod. "We're along the back wall," Kana said, holding back tears by the sound of her voice. "I'm in the middle of a metal cage, two feet away from your wooden one. The wall is about five feet behind us and its stone. Then about ten feet on your left and my right, the side walls are there. The door is about thirty feet in front of us, and its metal. There's…there are three pillars between us and the door and the guys…"

Kana started to cry again and Aya reached towards her friend, trying to close the gap between them and comfort Kana. "It's ok," Aya said, putting her hand onto the stone floor between them. Her bending was starting to come back, but it was really fuzzy. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't feel the guys. Just Kana. Kana reached her hand out to Aya and grabbed it. Aya squeezed her friend's hand, letting her know she was there and understood.

"Kuzon and Iroh, their hands are held up by chains connected to the pillars," Kana said, crying. "Iroh's on the left, Kuzon on the right. They're both out, and their feet are chained as well. They're forced to stand. Aya, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Aya stated firmly, tapping the ground with her other hand, trying to see her brother and friend with her returning earthbending. "They darted us, and took away our bending, but mine's coming back. Like what Ty Lee can do." She heard Kana nod and her friend's crying lessened. "I can feel Iroh and Kuzon now, and it doesn't look good. We can't let them dart Iroh again."

"Can you get out of there?" Kana asked.

"No," Aya replied, feeling for her jewelry. Her ring and necklace were gone, as well as her meteorite bracelet and the knife her father had given her. She tapped the floor again and tried shifting the metal in Kana's cage. "I may be able to get you out," she whispered to her friend.

"I'm not leaving without you," Kana stated defiantly and Aya was about to retort, but the door opened. Both girls let go of each other and scooted to the back of their cells.

Aya heard four men enter the room, another person being dragged. Kana had backed up even further as the door to her cell was opened and the dragged person thrown into the metal cell.

"Hakoda!" Kana cried. "Are you all right?"

Aya heard her friend go to Hakoda, helping him, but Aya kept her concentration on the men and the lock of the metal cage, noticing how it went together. She noticed Hakoda acting limp and unresponsive, but by the sounds he gave off, she knew he was awake and ok, if exhausted.

"What did you do to him?" Aya asked the men, standing and scowling at them.

"Be careful, or we'll do it to you," an older man sneered by the door. Aya just frowned and stood tall, which wasn't much since she was still the shortest of her friends. The two who had hauled Hakoda in went to Kuzon and Iroh, and it sounded like they were trying to force water on the two.

"Wait, please," Aya said. "Let me tend to them. Please, you'll hurt them."

"We don't need them injured," a young man said and it sounded as if he were only a little older than Aya.

"She's dangerous," the eldest sneered.

"She doesn't have her bending back. She'll promise to be a good girl, won't you?" the young man said, walking closer to Aya.

Aya nodded, letting tears come to her eyes as she appealed to the young man. "Yes, I promise I'll be good, and that I won't escape. Please, just let me tend to my brother. He doesn't deal well with drugs. Please."

She put on her best sad face and knew Kana was watching her.

"Fine, she's your responsibility," the eldest sneered. The young man approached the wooden cell and opened the door. He surprised Aya by grabbing her arm and hauling her out.

"No funny stuff," he muttered to her and she nodded, playing the scared innocent. "The water is there," he said, moving his arm to point.

"I can't see that," she said, faking a scared voice. "I'm blind."

The young man sighed and hauled her over to the water, picking it up and shoving it into her hand before pushing her towards her brother and Kuzon. She fell onto her hands and knees and heard Kana call out. Aya could barely feel the pillars and moved towards them slowly, feeling the way with her hands until she reached Kuzon. She felt her way up Kuzon's leg and knew he was awake and probably enjoying it.

"Act drugged," she whispered to Kuzon as she tipped the water skin to his mouth gently. While she was giving him water, she shifted her feet slightly, bending the metal manacles so that they were unlocked but still appeared locked. Once Kuzon was ok, she made her way to Iroh and almost cried for real as she felt his weak heartbeat. She knew he never did well with drugs and they had probably overdosed him because he was a firebender.

"Iroh, please be ok," she said, tipping the water skin to his mouth gently. He drank a little, and Aya was able to bend the manacles. She let the water skin drop once he was done and felt her brother's head, sure there was something else wrong with him. She let out a small sob when she felt a bloody wound on the back of Iroh's head.

The young man pulled her away and she reached for Iroh. "No, he's hurt. Please, let me care for him."

"No, Princess," the eldest said in a slimy voice that made Aya's skin crawl. She felt the young man who was holding her arm tense and was sure he was studying her. "No more. Jet, throw her back in and then we'll dart these two again."

"No, you can't!" Aya cried as she was dragged back to the wooden cell by the young man. "You can't drug him again! He doesn't do well with drugs. You might kill him!"

"Perhaps the girl is right. We should wait until he comes to," the young man said, pausing outside the wooden cell.

"I said put her away. We'll drug him, it's the only way to stay safe with a firebender," the eldest said.

Aya could feel the young man hesitate and she turned pleading eyes to him, but wasn't sure what effect it had. He was angry, and she wasn't sure who he was angry at. He shoved her into the wooden cell and locked it before she heard him stalk up to the older man.

"We need them alive and well," the young man stated angrily as Aya tried to feel for the darts.

"Yes, but firebenders are dangerous, they need to be subdued. These are the children of the people who ruined your father's life, Jet. You know what needs to be done."

"Fine, drug them," the young man said with a scowl. "But it'll be on your head, Long Feng. Not mine."

Aya almost gasped as she recognized the older man's name, but she had finally located the darts before the other two men brought up blow tubes and shot the darts at Kuzon and Iroh. Kana led out a sob and turned away as both boys flinched from the darts, but Aya worked hard to keep the smile off of her face. The darts had hit, but they hadn't released their toxin. The men stalked out and she thought the young man stopped and looked back at her before he closed the door behind him.

"Ok, Hakoda, it's clear," Aya said, placing a hand on the ground outside her cell. She concentrated and quickly bent the lock of Hakoda and Kana's cell open as Hakoda got up, hugging his sister.

"What's going on, what happened?" Kana asked.

"They questioned me," Hakoda said and it sounded as if he were sore. "The drug didn't affect me like it did you guys cause I can't bend. Aya, what now?"

"You guys get out," Aya said. "The door's open and Iroh and Kuzon are free. I stopped the darts and I think I can get you guys out. The Duke is behind us and just took out a guard."

Kana and Hakoda exited their cell and hurried to Kuzon and Iroh, helping them out of their open manacles. Aya felt her heart break as Iroh sagged into Hakoda, but she knew the drug would wear off soon. She placed both hands on the ground and put all her concentration into creating an exit. Smiling, she felt The Duke doing the same thing. She knew his secret, that he was an earthbender, but not very strong at it. So, he relied on hand to hand and weapons and only earthbended when it was absolutely necessary.

"We have to get you out, too," Hakoda said, walking up to Aya's wooden cell.

"No," Aya stated. "The guards are coming back. Go on, get out of here, and I'll distract them." She heard Hakoda start to object and frowned. "There's no time. Iroh's more important than me and I can take care of myself. There's your opening, I'll make sure they don't follow."

"Aya's right," Iroh said in a weak voice, though it sounded as if he didn't approve.

Aya nodded and smiled at her brother and friends, moving so that she could squeeze her feet through the wooden bars and place them on the floor. With a few nudges, she had opened a hole in the back wall towards The Duke and created a way out.

"Go," Aya told her friends and they hurried out. She felt The Duke join them as she started closing up the hole in the wall and two guards and the young man came in at that time.

"Stop them!" one of the guards yelled and Aya heard and felt several darts heading towards the hole she had created. With a shift of her hand, she sent a tremor to destabilize the men and continued to cut off the path to her brother and friends. She felt metal coming towards her and tried to stop it before it hit her, but couldn't. Strangely, she thought she heard the young man call out at the same time and it sounded like he was worried.

XXXXX

"Stop!" Jet yelled when he saw the Dai Li turn the blow tube towards the girl, but the man paid him no heed and Jet could only watch as the dart hit the girl and she fell over. Jet rounded on the men, fuming. "What do you think you're doing?!" He yelled at them. "I wanted the girl unharmed!"

"But sir," the Dai Li said. "She was aiding the others. We had to take her out before she attacked us."

"Fine, go after the others, but I don't want them harmed," Jet growled and the two Dai Li bowed and started earthbending through the wall. Jet stalked over to the girl and looked down at her. She was actually kind of pretty, with long, black hair, porcelain skin and the fine silk clothes any noblewoman would wear. He noticed that though her red dress fell to her calves, she had black pants on underneath the dress. He could only wonder why an earthbender was in Fire Nation clothing and why she claimed the firebender as her brother. Jet had wondered which of the two young men had been her brother, but he had seen the way she cared for the firebender. She also had a slight resemblance to the firebender while the other one looked similar to the water tribe siblings.

He walked over to the manacles that had held the two boys and noticed the metal was still whole and it looked as if it had been unlocked, though he knew it hadn't been. Walking over to the metal cell, he found the lock the same way, though some of the metal was bent oddly, looking like it had been bent by a heavy tool…or an earthbender. Could the girl bend metal? Jet had heard the rumors of a few earthbenders able to bend metal. Could this girl be one of them? He was distracted from his observations as the girl moaned and turned. He walked back over to look at her. The girl was a mystery.

Jet also wondered why Long Feng had called her a princess and wondered who the captives were. It had been Long Feng's idea to kidnap the teens heading through and ransom them for much needed medicines and supplies, but Jet had not known who the targets were. Only that their parents had ruined his father's life and had been partly responsible for his parents death and his fugitive status, according to Long Feng. The girl turned, mumbling something and Jet knew he couldn't leave her in the wooden cell. She had proven that she could still bend anything around her and she was dangerous. He wondered why she had been left behind and opened her cell, moving into it to scoop her up into his arms.

"No, Iroh…" she said, turning her head as he walked out of the cell with her in his arms. Jet was surprised at how light she was and carried her out quickly and towards his room.

"Hey, Jet!" he heard behind him as he walked down the hallway. Jet didn't stop, but he slowed until Chan hurried up to walk alongside him. Jet glanced at the fifteen year old boy walking next to him as his friend eyed the girl in his arms.

"Who's that?" Chan asked.

"She's a prisoner," Jet said. "One of the nobles Long Feng captured." He saw Chan questioning him with green eyes and continued. "This girl helped the others escape and the Dai Li darted her. It's too dangerous to keep her in the cell."

"Whatcha gonna do?" Chan asked.

"Put her in my room where I can keep an eye on her. I don't want her hurt, and it seems she can bend metal," Jet said.

Chan's jaw dropped and he continued to follow Jet, opening the door for the older teen. Jet nodded once and laid the girl on his bed. He quickly started grabbing the few things he had in his room that were metal and stone. His daggers, the hooked swords that had been his father's, a few cups and then the dagger the girl had been carrying. Placing as many of his weapons on him as he could, as well as the girls' dagger, he moved the cups away from the bed and handed Chan the extra four daggers before motioning the younger teen to follow him to the other end of the room from the girl.

"I need you to do something for me," Jet said quietly and Chan nodded enthusiastically. Jet smiled slightly, knowing his friend would do anything he asked. "I need you to find out who are captives were. And why Long Feng went after these people. Use Jade as well, she's great at persuasion. Also, send out some of our people to look for the escaped nobles."

Chan nodded and exited the room, taking the extra daggers. Jet turned back to the girl and saw the dart in her side. He pulled it out and noticed that some of the sedative was still in the capsule. This posed a new set of questions. Did the darts fail or did the girl somehow stop them? He would just have to wait to find out. Grabbing a chair, Jet moved to sit next to the girl and watch her, determined to wait for her to wake up so he could get some answers.

Watching the girl sleep, he thought over what had happened that day. He and his band of Freedom Fighters had helped Long Feng and his group of Dai Li and mercenaries attack the trade caravan. The plan had been to take the guards unawares and steal supplies and capture the nobles riding along with the caravan. Jet was surprised that firebenders were working along with earthbenders to protect the caravan, and that there were more guards than expected. But then the signal had come that the nobles had been captured and Jet had called for a retreat. Word had come an hour after the captives were secured that the man was waking up. He had gone to question him while Long Feng moved to question the water tribe warrior. The man had appeared to be about thirty, tall, with dark hair, and dark eyes that seemed shocked to see Jet. No matter what questions Jet had, the man remained silent. Jet had refused to frighten the man into submission, knowing by his stance that it wouldn't work. Frustrated that he couldn't get anything out of the man, Jet had turned to leave and the man had spoken out.

"Don't let Long Feng hurt them," the man had said and Jet stopped at the door, turning back to study the man. The man had leaned forward and was pleading with his eyes.

"What?" Jet asked the man.

"Don't let Long Feng hurt them. They're my charges. Especially watch over the girls. Promise me that you'll watch over them."

"I won't let him hurt them," Jet stated and saw the man nod and smile slightly. Jet had then exited and found the Dai Li beating the water tribe boy.

"Stop it!" Jet yelled at them, glaring at Long Feng when the boy collapsed onto the floor. "We need them whole, not beaten. You said so yourself."

"That I did," Long Feng stated with a small smiled which disgusted Jet, motioning for the two Dai Li to carry the boy towards the other cells. "The ladies have awakened, we should question them."

Jet just growled deep in his throat and followed the Dai Li into the cell room. He was shocked to find the two other boys still unconscious, and the firebender didn't look like he was doing well. Jet had been moved by the blind girl's plea to care for her brother and friend, but now, looking back, he knew that he had been foolish. She had obviously had her bending back and had opened the boys' manacles while she tended to them. Jet turned to look at the girl and saw her turn slightly, still drugged. A knock sounded and Jet rose, heading to his door to find Long Feng with two Dai Li looking very displeased.

"I heard they got away," Long Feng sneered.

"All but the earthbender," Jet said with a frown. "My people are looking for them, and your men darted the girl before I could question her."

"She's dangerous," Long Feng stated. "You saw that when she helped the others escape. She's the niece of the dreaded Azula."

Jet was shocked, but kept his face stern, not letting emotion show as he narrowed his eyes at Long Feng. "Who is she? Who were the others?"

"Just as I said. She's a princess of the Fire Nation, and we had the crown prince along with their friends. Don't concern yourself with them, Jet. Let me handle this girl, and we'll still get the ransom."

"No," Jet stated. "I'll handle the girl. I think she'll cooperate. You handle the ransom as we agreed on and we'll try and find the others, but it may be too late."

Long Feng frowned, but Jet kept his stance solid. They both knew that though Long Feng could defeat Jet in earthbending, Jet had more than just earthbending at his disposal and his people outnumbered Long Feng's nearly three to one.

"Very well," Long Feng said with a frown. "I will go and tend to my part of the deal. But be careful of her."

"I will," Jet stated and watched Long Feng walk away before he returned to the girl's side. Chan came back in after a bit and told him that there was no sign of the others before exiting again. After another half hour, the girl started to awaken.

"Ow, major headache," she said, lifting a hand to her head as her eyes fluttered open. Jet watched her and noticed that her eyes were a milky green and never focused. He hadn't had much of a chance to look into her eyes when he had pulled her out of her cell to tend to the two young men. She started feeling around with her hands, and Jet watched as fear started to creep into her features.

"You're in my room," Jet said and noticed she jumped slightly at the sound of his voice before she frowned in his direction.

"Who are you and why am I here?" she asked with a stubborn tone.

Jet was shocked at the gumption of the girl and frowned back. "I'm the one who will ask the questions."

She sat up and her frown got larger. "Well, I'm not talking until I get some answers."

"No, you're my prisoner, and I want to know who you are and how you were able to bend. You shouldn't have been able to bend for another hour."

"You don't know who I am?" she asked, her face falling in astonishment before her frown returned. "If you don't know, why did you capture us and how did you know exactly how to cage us?!"

"I didn't, Long Feng did," Jet remarked with a scowl. "Now, answer my questions!"

"No! Not until you tell me who you are and why I'm here!" she retorted, her voice rising in anger.

"Fine," Jet growled. "I'm Jet, leader of the Freedom Fighters and you're my captive. You'll be ransomed for medicine and supplies. Now, who are you?!"

Her face fell again and she sagged slightly. "You're not Jet," she said in a soft tone. "My parents thought he died."

"He did, nine years ago," Jet remarked. "I was named after my father. Now, answer!"

She brought her face up towards his and Jet was startled by how soft and sad her expression was. "I'm sorry, about your dad. I'm Aya."

She turned silent and appeared to be thinking, but Jet still wanted answers. "Who were the others?"

Aya sighed. "The two who were in the metal cell were Prince Hakoda and Princess Kana, children to Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe and Suki, commander of the Kyoshi Warriors." Jet grew apprehensive as Aya continued. "The guy on the right of the pillars was Kuzon, son of Avatar Aang and Princess Katara, and then you had my brother, Prince Iroh of the Fire Nation."

She was starting to frown at him again and Jet took a deep breath. "Then you are a princess," he said and Aya nodded.

"Iroh can't take drugs well! That other dart could have killed him! How could you have sanctioned it?!"

"I didn't!" Jet yelled back at the girl. "Long Feng did! Firebenders are dangerous and deadly. Drugging is the only way to keep them in line!"

"He would have cooperated if you had asked! We all would have! Why not just ask for the medicines?"

"I don't need charity, especially from the child and niece of a traitor!"

"What?" Aya asked, stopping before she shouted back. "My father is no traitor!"

"He's a firebender, and his sister, Azula, definitely was a traitor! She led the attack that killed my parents and ruined my life!"

"Azula attacked us too!" Aya cried, standing finally and poking her finger into Jet's chest. "She almost caught my brother, friends, and I in the North Pole, eight years ago! The only reason we made it was because a warrior saved us!"

He watched as she seemed to get a faraway look in her eyes and she sat down again.

"I hope Iroh's ok," she whispered to herself.

Jet sighed and grabbed a cup and a special water skin. He poured one glass and held it out to her.

"My people are looking for them," Jet said, "but there's no sign of them. They're probably in Ba Sing Sae by now. Drink this."

She looked scared for a second and drew away from him. "What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's a drug that will stop your bending. It won't knock you out like the dart did, just inhibit your bending for 12 hours."

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"It's either this or back to the wooden cage," Jet said, frowning.

"You don't understand, do you?" she asked him, anger coming back into her tone. "I'm blind! I can only get around by seeing through earthbending. I'd rather feel the stone and not be able to bend it than be truly blind."

Jet scowled. The girl was stubborn and frustrating. "No, I won't let you be mercy to the whims of Long Feng." He noticed that she shivered slightly at the name of the earthbender.

"No, I won't drink it. And since you think I'm dangerous, why are you even working with him? He's the dangerous one! He betrayed the Earth King to Azula before the hundred year war ended. He's the reason Ba Sing Sae fell to her!"

"What?!" Jet roared and he thought he saw Aya smirk a little. "He's a fugitive, like me. He's an earthbender, why would he betray his people to the Fire Nation?!"

"Ask him," Aya sighed. "But I'm an earthbender and I'm the daughter of the Fire Lord and an earthbender. Think that over."

Jet scowled. "You're getting off the subject. Drink this. You'll still be able to feel the earth, it just won't respond to you." She shook her head again. "I'll drink it too," Jet told her. She was startled and seemed to be studying him.

"I knew it, you're an earthbender too," Aya said.

"Yes, though not as good as you, apparently. We'll drink it together," he said, pouring himself a glass. He saw her hesitate. "It's either this or the wooden cage suspended in the air."

She frowned, but nodded, holding her hand out. Jet placed the first glass in her hand and watched as she took a deep breath before she started drinking. He noticed her pause and knew she was waiting for him. He nodded and started drinking. The drink was bitter, no matter what he had done to sweeten the drink. Only sugar could really help, but sugar was a luxury that he and his people couldn't afford. He watched as Aya stuck her tongue out and shook her head once she was finished and he took her glass, handing her a water skin.

"Its regular water, to help wash out the taste," Jet said when she hesitated with the water skin. He watched her take a sip and then a larger swig before she handed it back to him. He took a sip of water and moved it to the post by the door.

"So…what now?" she asked him.

"Now, you rest. We'll be moving tonight and I have a few things I need to take care of. There will be guards outside of my door when I'm not here, so no trouble."

She frowned but nodded, turning her face towards him. "I already promised I wouldn't escape, and I won't. At least not from you. Long Feng I would escape from."

He had to smile at that and nodded, leaving the room and motioning the first person he saw to come to him.

"Yes, Jet?" Jun asked, sheathing the dagger she had been sharpening as she hurried to him. Jet eyed the thirteen year old girl and smiled. She was a strong warrior and had proven she could take care of herself and others in the four years since she had joined Jet and his gang.

"Get Chan, Yin and Yang and come back here. I have some missions for you."

"Yes sir!" Jun said with a grin and mock salute before she hurried off. Jet smiled back at her and watched her hurry off. Jun, like him and everyone else in their gang, was an orphan. Forced out of society by the war, poverty, famine, or something else they didn't talk about. Jet had helped them find each other and cared for them. Just as his father had once done during the hundred year war. Jun shortly returned with Chan and the sixteen year old twins, Yin and Yang. Jun was tall and lanky, being in-between growth spurts while Chan was becoming broad shouldered and the twins were exact copies of each other. They were big guys, but everyone who knew them knew that they were gentle and kind unless their friends and new found 'family' was threatened. The only way anyone could tell them apart was their eyes. Yin had bright green eyes while Yang had dark blue eyes. Jet often wondered if one of their parents was from the water tribe, but knew that he had to get down to business.

"What's up, Jet?" Yin asked.

"I need you guys for a special mission," Jet said, surveying the four before him. "Chan, did you find anything?"

"The kids we captured were all royalty, and it seems Long Feng has a grudge against their parents, but I'm still working on why."

Jet nodded. "Keep working on that. Jun, tell the Freedom Fighters we're heading out tonight. This place isn't safe since most of them escaped. We'll be heading to the tree house. If Long Feng or his Dai Li ask what's going on, tell him we're heading to my father's home and I'll be in contact with him shortly. You two can go now."

Jun nodded and sped off, Chan walking more sedately behind her. Once Jet was alone with the twins, he turned to them. "I have a special mission for you two. The last captive will be staying in my room. I don't want any Dai Li or Long Feng to enter this room. The girl is a strong earthbender, but she's taken Forkroot nectar. If there's any trouble, send for me."

Both twins nodded and Yang opened his mouth. "Where are you going, Jet?"

"To try and find out the truth," Jet remarked before he started stalking off towards the mess hall to talk with a few of Long Feng's mercenaries.