Sorry about the wait guys, school and groundings got in the way for a while.

As always, I only own Jade.


The next day, we land in a forest. A really, really, really, cool forest.

I was impressed. There were lots of trees with golden leaves. The trees were massive! It was like they were all connected somehow.

Sokka, Katara, and I were sitting in front of Appa. I was staring at the trees while Katara and Sokka were staring blankly ahead. They were probably thinking. "Where's Momo?" Aang asks and I look around before shrugging. The lemur was probably eating bugs or something.

We hear animal cries in the distance and decide to check it out. We head toward the noise and see two monkey creatures - I can't tell what they are exactly because I can't see them clearly - and Momo in cages way above ground. The cages are Fire Nation, I know because I saw these all the time back in the Fire Nation. "Hang on Momo!" Aang yells before airbending himself onto the branch that Momo's cage was on. He lowers the cage to the ground while Sokka and Katara open the cage to let him out.

Momo jumps out, eating leechee nuts, obviously unshaken by nearly being killed.

I wish I was as easy going as the lemur.

Sokka smacks himself and I snicker. Something tells me that Sokka is just a little stressed today. He glares at me and I smile back, he rolls his eyes before turning back around, we all look up and see the monkey creatures staring down at us sadly. "Alright, you too." Aang says before airbending himself up on the trees again.

"This is gonna take forever." Sokka says, exhasperated, before throwing his boomerang at the ropes, slashing them and making the cages fall to the ground. I flinch instinctively when the weapon comes back. Boomerangs always end up hurting me, I have a right to be somewhat fearful of them!

"That works." Aang says simply before sliding down the tree and walking toward the traps with the rest of us.

"These are Fire Nation traps, I can tell from the metal work. We better pack up camp and get moving." Sokka says while observing the traps, and I agree. Though I wouldn't cause any red flags myself, if Fire Nation saw Water Tribe and Fire Nation near each other, well... that wouldn't end well. Not to mention the Avatar is with us.

"I second that notion." I say simply instead of voicing my thoughts. We all head toward Appa before packing up our stuff and loading it onto the giant, loveable beast.

"Uh uh! No flying this time." Sokka says, moving over toward Katara and I, who were handing bags to Aang, who was strapping the packs onto the saddle. I look over at him curiously and raise my eyebrows, not knowing what caused this reaction.

"What? Why wouldn't we fly?" Aang asks as Sokka takes a sleeping bag from him and fastens it onto his own pack.

"Think about it, somehow Prince Zuko and the Fire Nation keep finding us. It's because they spot Appa, he's just too noticeable." Sokka explains and I nod thoughtfully, he kinda has a point.

"What! Appa's not too noticeable!" Katara retorts, placing her hands on her hips and facing her brother, obviously challenging him. I snicker and lean against Appa.

Might as well enjoy the show.

"He's a gigantic fluffy monster with an arrow on his head, it's kinda hard to miss him!" Sokka exclaims, pointing at Appa and almost smacking me in the face. I move out of the way just in time too, if I didn't I would have a pretty nice looking shiner by nightfall.

Appa groans loudly in protest. Poor bison, he can't help that he's like a fricken sign that points to Aang. Said boy pats Appa's head soothingly and says, "Sokka's just jealous cause he doesn't have an arrow."

To which I promptly burst out laughing. Hard.

Sokka spares a somewhat irritated gaze toward me but continues, "I know you all wanna fly but my instincts tell me we should play it safe this time and walk."

"Who made you the boss?" Katara asks him and I lean back, once again, enjoying the show.

"I'm not the boss I'm the leader." Sokka says, pointing to himself. I snicker, I can't wait to see Katara's reaction.

Katara scoffs, "you're the leader?! But your voice still cracks!" She says, gesturing the Sokka before placing her hands back on her hips.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing again. No need to upset the leader.

"I'm the oldest and I'm a warrior," I resist the urge to point out that I am one too, "so I'm the leader." Sokka exclaims, jerking his thumb toward his chest while his voice goes from high to low in a matter of seconds.

You must be a real grown up then, huh Sokka?

"If anyone's the leader it's Aang. I mean he is the avatar." I once again resist the urge to point out how dreamily she said that statement. It is kind of obvious they like each other.

"Are you kidding? He's just a goofy kid!" Sokka retorts and we all look toward Aang who is hanging from one of Appa's horns upside down. I look down and muffle my chuckles with my sleeve.

"He's right." Aang says simply. I laugh at the kid and he beams at me, I turn back to the argument taking place.

"Why do boys always think someone has to be the leader?" Katara asks me and I shrug, not knowing the answer to that question myself. "I bet you wouldn't be so bossy if you kissed a girl!" My eyes grow wide and a blush blooms on my cheeks, the reason for that, well... I don't have one. I cover my mouth with my hands to keep from laughing too hard.

"I've kissed a girl! You just haven't met her!"

For those of you who are not educated in the way males communicate, this translates to, no I haven't kissed a girl and I don't want you to know that.

Just a rough estimate.

"Who? Gran Gran? I've met Gran Gran." Katara teases with a smirk on her face and I laugh so hard there are tears streaming down my face. I fall back against Appa, still laughing like a hyena, and focus back on the argument.

"No! Besides Gran Gran!" Sokka exclaims, his voice cracking once again, raising his arms wide. My laughs have not yet died down and I do not think that they will any time soon. "Look, my instincts tell me we have a better chance of slipping through on foot. And the leader has to trust his instincts."

"Okay, we'll try it your way, Wise Leader." Katara says with a sarcastic grin and I haul myself onto my feet and grab my pack, not really caring whether we walked or flew. Either way, that argument just made my whole freakin week.

"Who knows, walking might be fun!" Aang says optimistically next to Katara and I make my way toward everyone. I tie my hair in a braid and let it fall on my right shoulder, something tells me that this walking thing will be annoying.

By annoying I mean I'll have to deal with Aang and Katara whining.

We start walking with Sokka and I in front, it's obvious that he wants to keep an eye on me so he knows I'm not a spy or some weird shit like that. The travel is strangely quiet, hopefully I won't have to deal with any whining.

"Walking stinks!" Aangs whines, not even ten seconds later. "How do people go anywhere without a flying bison?"

So close.

"Believe it or not Aang, I've walked farther than you ever have, and will, and it's not so bad." I shrug, trying not to let my annoyance seep into my voice.

"Well, I don't know Aang. Why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything." Katara says, obviously making fun of Sokka. I scowl, this will be a long walk.

"Haha, very funny." Sokka simply says, he too with a scowl.

"I'm tired of carrying this pack."Aang complains and my scowl deepens.

"You know who you should ask to carry it for a while? Sokka's instincts!" Katara says to Aang and I sigh.

Remember thhat thing about that argument making my whole week? That's the only thing keeping me from slicing those two's vocal chords.

Well, that and the fear of being on the recieving end of Sokka's boomerang.

"That's a great idea! Hey! Sokka's instincts! Would you mind -"

"Okay okay! I get it! Look guys, I'm tired too, but the important thing is that we're safe from the Fire Nation..." Sokka trails off when he leads us through a bush, right in the middle of a Fire Nation camp.

Thanks a lot, Sokka's instincts.

"So, Sokka's instincts? Got any idea how to get us out of this?" I ask him and he glares at me from the corner of his eye while staring at the troops.

"Run!" He yells and we go the way we came but a soldier sets it on fire. "We're cut off!" I unsheath my katanas and smirk at them. They seem to know what I'm thinking.

"Sokka your shirt!" Aang yells, pointing at a patch of fire that has caught on Sokka's sleeve. I wince, but at least he's wearing layers! Katara quickly extinguishes the fire with water bending and I turn back towards the soldiers.

"If you let us pass we promise not to hurt you!" Sokka yells, forcing Katara and Aang behind us and nodding at me and my swords, I nod back, already understanding the message.

Don't bend.

"What are you doing?" Katara whispers to him and I look at him as well. You just don't tell a troop of Fire benders that you won't hurt them if they do something for you. You just don't do it. I duck my head forward so my bangs cover my eyes, when it's dark my eyes look brown.

"Bluffing." He whispers back and I smirk in his direction.

"You promise not to hurt us?" One of the soldiers with an eyepatch asks cockily before a whooshing sound it heard and he falls over, revealing the arrow lodged in his back.

"Nice work Sokka! How'd you do that?" Aang asks Sokka, staring at the now dead soldier.

"Uh, instinct?" Sokka says, clearly confused as to how he made a soldier fall over.

In his dreams.

"Look!" Katara exclaims, pointing toward a boy in a tree. He was wearing clothes that look worn out to the max and was carrying dual hook swords in his belt. From down here it looks like he has spikey brown hair and tan skin. Possiby Earth Kingdom.

The boy unsheathes his hook swords and uses them to leap down from the tree, landing on two soldiers. Something tells me he does this often. He runs forward and hooks his swords onto two soldiers shoes and flipping them behind him. All the while doing a front flip inches off the ground.

"Show off." I mumble softly and I hear Sokka muffling a chuckle.

"Down you go." The boy says simply when he is done strutting his stuff. I hate this guy already.

Aang, Sokka, and Katara are staring awestruck at the fallen soldiers while I stare at the boy with an expressionless mask.

When a soldier comes up behind him he looks up and throws him aside with his swords, most likely knocking him out.

"They're in the trees!" A soldier yells and all the other soldiers look up and draw their swords. I get in a defensive position just in case anyone gets any wise ideas. A little kid drops from nowhere onto the soldier that spokes head, laughing all the while. I might like that kid.

Arrows knock all the swords out of the soldiers head and I look up to see a boy, maybe the boy I hate's age, hang upside down with a bow with three arrows in it, fire and knock some more swords out of other soldiers hands.

Impressive.

I decide to go ahead and fight, instead of standing there like a dumbass. I race forward and take on a couple soldiers in a swords fight. I maneuver my swords to knock their swords out of their hands and I knock the butts of my swords against the back of their heads, knocking them out for the count.

I look around and Dude I Hate is talking to Katara so I walk over.

"You just took out an army almost single handed!" Aang exclaims as he approaches us. I notice Sokka sulking in the back and smirk, something tells me Dude I Hate took all the credit.

Sokka scoffs and I scowl, "army! There were only like, twenty guys!"

"My name is Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters." Dude I Hate says, I roll my eyes, so he owns them? "Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak."

Aang walks up to The Duke and Pipsqueak chuckling, this can't be good. "Pipsqueak, that's a funny name." He's talking to the smaller one, though I'm not entirely sure that's Pipsqueak.

"You think my name is funny?" The big one rumbles and I cover my mouth to keep from laughing too hard.

"It's hilarious!" Aangs chirps. I bite down on my sleeve so no more than a small squeak escapes my mouth when Pipsqueak laughs loudly and knocks a chuckling Aang to the ground. Which makes him laugh harder, of course.

Sokka and I overhear Jet and Katara talking and I raise an eyebrow in Sokka direction. He just shrugs and walks away, I follow, knowing that if I hear Jet anymore today I might puke.

"Go on over there, I know you want to ask him about his swords." Sokka mumbles and I raise my eyebrow at him, he once again shrugs and I roll my eyes.

"Sokka,those moves take years of practice and disipline to perfect. Of course I like the swords but if you think I'm going to talk to that jackass you are amazingly stupid." I say simply, hook swords aren't the easiest swords to control and it's clear that Jet has skill.

I wil never admit I thought that.

Sokka gapes at me before smiling and glaring at Jet. I chuckle and continue walking with him.

"Hey Jet! These barrels are filled with blasting jelly!" The Duke calls to jet after sniffing the goop on his finger. I shiver, blasting jelly smells awful.

"That's a great score!" Jet says smoothly and I resist the urge to run over there and smack him. What can I say? I hate Pretty Boys.

"These boxes are filled with Jelly Candy!" Pipsqueak yells to Jet.

"Also good, let's not get those mixed up." Jet says cooly. I roll my eyes and Sokka glares harder. Apparently Sokka doesn't like Pretty Boys either.

"We'll get this stuff back to the hideout." The Duke says from atop a trailer that's holding the barrels and boxes along with other suppiles.

"You guys have a hideout?" Aang asks in awe and I clench my jaw.

That rhymed.

"You wanna see it?" Jet asks and Katara scooches next to him with her hands clasped together.

"Yes we wanna see it!" Katara all but begs him and I facepalm when Jet looks at her as if he is undressing her with his eyes. I may have growled, but that could've been Sokka.

We all walk to their 'hideout,' but from what I can see we are in the middle of nowhere.

"We're here!" Jet calls out to everyone, and I roll my eyes.

"Where? There's nothing here!" Sokka says, stealing the words right from my mouth.

"Hold this." Jet says simply while holding a rope with a loop at the end of it to Sokka and I.

We grab the rope and Sokka asks, "why? What's this do?"

Right after the words leave his mouth we are yanked up into the air and I yelp and hold onto the rope tighter. Sokka's free arm wraps around my waist as he screams and we hurtle to the tree. We wind up on the floor.

I am shaking and Sokka in breathing heavily, "never again." I mutter to him and he nods, we untangle ourselves from each other and stand up on the walkway, in a tree.

We are on a walkway.

On a tree.

I knew the damn trees were connected somehow.

There are little huts camoflauged on branches and I whistle. Talk about a treehouse.

I block out nearly all of Katara and Jet's conversation while watching Sokka try to see over Pipsqueak. I'm chuckling by the time I slip behind Katara and Jet, Sokka following my lead.

"Yeah! Nothings braver than a guy in a tree house!" Sokka tells him and I laugh.

Again.

I love it when I'm not the only one making fun of someone else.

"Don't pay any attention to my brother." Katara says, embarassed but not showing that she's embarrassed.

You know what I'm talking about?

"No problem, he probably had a rough day."Jet says, acting as if he and Katara were the only people capable of hearing. I clench my jaw and hold Sokka back, knowing that look on his face. The look that screams 'I am so going to punch this jerk!'

Sokka and I wander around the glorified tree house for a couple hours, eating some of the Jelly Candy along the way. I may or may not have stashed some in my food bag.

Later on, Katara and Jet say it's time for dinner, Jelly Candy does not fill people up, I know this because my stomach still feels empty. We all head toward the dining area and sit. Aang and Katara next to Jet, Sokka next to Katara, and me next to Sokka.

"We struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine." Jet speaks, loud enough for everyone to hear him. I flinch and Sokka looks at me and nods, I nod back and take a deep breath. All of the Fredom Fighters cheer loudly and I make sure my bangs cover my eyes, although they haven't moved since the battle. "I got a special joy from from the look on one soldier's face, when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog-monkey."

The Duke gets up and does a little victory dance on the table and I smile a little, because he's still a kid and he shouldn't have to do this.

"Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they're right," Jet continues his speech, eliciting multiple boos from the Fighters, "or maybe they're dead wrong!" Jet's cool, uncaring, jackass air quickly becomes cold, I recongnize it.

He wants revenge.

I wanted revenge until I figured out that revenge isn't the answer, even if you think it's the only way to get justice.

Woah, I'm deep.

All of the Freedom Fighter are cheering even louder than they were before and I suddenly fell sick.

"Jade are you okay?" Sokka asks me and I shake my head no. "Alright, let's get you out of here."

Sokka grabs my arm and leads me out of the dining area and away from the Fighters. My knees are shaking and tears are gathering in my eyes, I collapse and lean against one of the branches, taking deep breaths and feeling the cold night air wash away the clausetrphobia that was quickly encasing me.

"What was that?" Sokka asks gently, sitting cross legged in front of me.

"Nothing." I say quickly and he raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms.

"I'm not stupid Jade." Sokka says seriously and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. I know he won't give up.

I look around to make sure that no one followed us out here. Once the coast is clear I start, "ever since I ran away, people have been saying the Fire Nation as a whole is bad. I'm not saying that it's good I just," I swallow, "almost everyone in the Fire Nation wish the war never started, and that their kids and fathers and brothers would come home safe." I explain.

"What I'm saying, is that people say all of the Fire Nation is bad, almost all of the higher ups are, but most soldiers only take over towns and forrests because thats what Ozai said and if they don't do it, they have a huge chance of either being executed or banished and never seeing their families again. People will do anything if their families are dangled above their heads, which is why Fire Nation soldiers do what they do." I say, realizing tears are running down my face. I wipe them away.

"The soldiers we saw today, some of them were servants in the palace. I heard them talk about their families back in the Fire Nation and that they were going to make a run for it. Apparently, Ozai found out and took them away from their families." My speech was way longer than Jet's, and only one person heard it.

"I thought that the Fire Nation wanted all the other Nations as slaves." Sokka says softly and I shake my head.

"That's what Ozai and Zhao and a couple others want. Not the whole Nation." I explain quietly.

"Well, I guess my impression of the Fire Nation was wrong." Sokka mumbles and I chuckle.

"Little bit." I say holding my pointer finger and my thumb an inch away from each other and he laughs.

We head back to the dining room- area- place and take our seats. Something tells me that no one knew we even left.

"Hey Jet, nice speech." Katara says dreamily and I sigh.

"Thanks, by the way I was really impressed with you and Aang. That was some great bending I saw out there today. And you too Jade, you know your way around swords." I stare blankly at him and he turns back toward Aang and Katara.

"Well, he's great, he's the avatar." I facepalm and sigh, anyone heard of common sense around here? "I could use some more training."

"Avatar huh? Very nice." Jet says cooly and I take a sip of my water in order not to punch him. I just hate him, do I need a reason?

"Thanks Jet!" Aang chirps, wallowing in the praise.

Who can blame him really? He's just a kid.

"So I might know a way that you and Aang can help in our struggle." Jet says cooly and Sokka and I stand.

"No thank you." I say dully.

Sokka adds on, "unfortunately we have to leave tonight." Sokka and I start to head away agin, but Jet stops us.

"Sokka, Jade, you're kidding me! I needed you on an important mission tomorrow." Jet says with fake sincerity. I raise my eyebrow at Sokka and he shrugs before turning around. I do the same because I can't go anywhere without these guys.

"What mission?" Sokka asks and I stare challengingly at Jet. I'm already suspicious.

In the morning Sokka and I get ready for out mission. I untangle my hair from my braid and change into a short sleeved shirt with my katana swrds at my belt and my dad's dagger with them. I put my hair back into it's custom ponytail and head out of my assigned hut thing after making sure my bangs covered my eyes.

Better safe than sorry.

Sokka and I are in a branch while Jet makes bird calls in the distance. I'm sitting with my right hand on my katana and the other on the branch. I've never been a fan of heights.

Sokka puts a dagger of his own into the tree and Jet looks at us alarmed.

"What are you doing?"

"Sh, it amplifies vibrations." Sokka whispers and cups his hands around the handle and putting his ear next to it.

"Good trick." Jet replies and I roll my eyes.

What is with me and rhyming?

"Nothing yet." Sokka whispers, "wait yes! Someone approaching."

"How many?" Jet asks and I glare into the distance, seeing an older gentlemen with a cane. I narrow my eyes but I bite my tongue, Jet may be a jerk, but he's not a murderer.

"I think there's just one."

Jet makes another bird call.

"Good work Sokka, ready your weapons." Jet orders and I shake my head.

"Sokka, it's just an old man." I whisper almost silently and Sokka gets a better look at the old man.

"Wait! False alarm! He's just an old man." At the end of Sokka's warning, furious would be a gentle term when describing how I felt when Jet stood up and jumped down anyway.

Sokka and I look at eack other in alarm as Jet approaches the man. "What are you doing in our woods you leech?"

"Please sir, I'm just a traveler." The old man pleads and I hope that Jet just leaves this alone.

Instead, he knocks the old man's cane away from him with a sword and points it at the man's face.

The man backs away only to run into Pipsqueak and fall on his back. He tries to scramble away but Pipsqueak puts his massive foot on his back, preventing him from running.

"Do you like destroying towns? Do you like destroying families?" Jet asks rhetorically and I clench my jaw. "Do you?!"

"Please, let me go! Have mercy!" The man pleads, and it appears that that was the wrong thing to say.

"Does the Fire Nation let people go? Does the Fire Nation have mercy?"

By this time I'd had enough, Sokka and I had shimmied down the tree and just as Jet was about to kick the man in the neck. I draw my swords and hold them infront of the man as Sokka grabs foot with his club.

"Jet he's just an old man!" Sokka exclaim and I glare at Pipsqueak until he steps off of the man.

"He's Fire Nation! Search him!" He orders Smellerbee and Pipsqueak and they do. None too gently, but they were more controlled than Jet would've been. I keep a hawk-like eye on them.

"But he's not hurting anyone!" Sokka yells at Jet and I can't see their faces, but I can imagine that Jet's looks murderous.

"Have you forgotten that the Fire Nation killed your mother?!" Jet demands, and I straighten my back and an even deeper scowl appears on my face. "Remember why you fight!"

Low blow dude, low blow.

"We got his stuff Jet." Smellerbee says, holding up the man's bag.

I glare at her and she returns it.

Cat fight.

"This doesn't feel right!" Sokka yells at him.

"It's what has to be done, now lets get out of here." Jet orders and I growl. Smellerbee and Pipsqueak drop the man and follow after him while Sokka and I stay behind. "C'mon Sokka! Jade!" Jet growls.

I sheath my swords and help the man up. "Thank you young lady." The man says as Sokka walks away.

"Don't thank me sir." I reply before I follow Sokka back to the treehouse.

When Sokka and I got back we both sat down and leaned against one of the many branches. I was looking around at all the leaves while Sokka was looking at his feet, most likely wondering what the hell just happened.

"Sokka, Jade! Look at what The Duke gave me!" Aang yells while ziplining on one of the many ropes. He throws something on the ground next to Momo and making the poor lemur hiss and run away.

I laugh at the lemur and hold out some leechee nuts I found earlier out to him. He grabs them out of my hands and snuggles up on my shoulders, wrapping his tail around my neck.

"Hey Sokka, Jade, is Jet back?" Katara asks us innocently and my bad mood is immediately back.

"Yeah he's back, but we're leaving." Sokka says and Aang immediately gets a shocked expression on his face.

"What!" Aang asks, clearly confused. Poor kid.

"But I made him this hat!" Katara says holding a poorly made hat with a flower on it. It's better than what I could do, but still, it's poorly made.

"Your boyfriend Jet's a thug." Sokka says darkly and I nod.

"Damn right." I agree because I know that he might have killed that man if Sokka and I hadn't been there.

"What?" Katara asks indignantly and I sigh, she's already smitten with him only after one day. "No he's not."

"He's messed up Katara." Sokka says simply, and I think it's an understatement.

"He's not messed up, he's just got a different way of life. A really fun way of life!" Aang adds and I shake my head.

"Why don't you tell that to the man he nearly killed." I mutter, but only Sokka hears me.

"He beat and robbed a harmless old man!" Sokka points out, because outright telling them he nearly killed someone might be too farfetched for them to believe.

After a stony silence Katara says, "I wanna hear Jet's side of the story."

That won't end well.

In Jet's hut, "Sokka, you told them what happened but you didn't mention that the guy was Fire Nation?" Jet asks and I stare at him coldly.

"No he convienently left that part out." Katara says accusingly.

"It doesn't matter that he was Fire Nation you jackass." I say to him and he glares at me.

"Fine, but even if he was Fire Nation he was a harmless civilian." Sokka defends and I smirk slightly.

"He was an assassin Sokka." Jet says simply, stabbing one of Smellerrbee's daggers into a tree stump acting as a nightstand. "See there's a compartment for poison in the knife." He says twisting a ring at the top revealing a orange-pink liquid. "He was sent to eliminate me. You helped save my life Sokka, Jade."

Concieted much? The Fire Nation doesn't care much for boys in treehouses playing pranks. The daughter of the woman who tried to poison Ozai on the other hand?

That's much more high on their list, just saying.

"I knew there was an explanation." Katara says dreamily.

"We didn't see any knife!" Sokka says, speaking for both of us, mainly because if I get any madder then my hands will catch on fire and that will lead to my possible death by hook sword.

"That's because he was concealing it." Jet says reasonably. If I wasn't there then I would've believed him too.

"Sokka, Jade, I'm sure you just didn't notice the knife." Katara says, getsturing to Jet. I feel sick so I nod and smile pretending to accept it.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling well, I'm gonna take a walk." I say and they all nod before I walk out.

I hear Sokka yell before he joins me, walking towards the huts. "Are you packed?" He asks me once we reach his and Aang's assigned hut.

"I never unpacked." I say, looking at my bag which is still on my back.

"Good, sooner we leave the better." He replies.

"Y'know, we won't be able to get Katara and Aang to leave that easily." I say to him, he turns his head toward me as he stuffs his club into a bag.

"We have to prove that Jet isn't who he says he is." Sokka says turning towards me. "Any ideas?"

"I might have one..."

"We can't leave now with the Fire Nation about to burn down a forrest!" Katara exclaims, busting into the hut as I finish my plan, that Sokka agreed to, by the way.

"I'm sorry Katara, Jet's very smooth but we can't trust him." Sokka says with finality, putting his hands on his hips, and gesturing to and fro.

Did I just say to and fro?

Whatever.

"You know what I think? You're jealous that he's a better warrior and a better leader." Katara says turning away from us and crossing her arms.

"Katara I'm not jealous of Jet! It's just that my instincts-"

"Well my instincts tell me we need to stay here a little longer and help Jet!" Katara shouts and leaves the hut, stomping her feet. "C'mon Aang."

"Sorry Sokka. Sorry Jade." Aang says sincerely and I nod at him.

"That didn't go well." I mutter to Sokka after they leave.

"That's an understatement." He replies before turning toward me, "are we set for plan B then?"

Later that night, Sokka and I were fake sleeping when we heard Jet mutter "let's go from outside our huts. We both exit our assigned huts and nod. Looks like plan B is going to happen a little before schedule.

Sokka grabs a rope and swings onto a branch while I jump nimbly from the edge of the platform, making almost no noise other than whooshing of the air.

We see Smellerbee, Jet, Longshot, Sneers, The Duke, and Pipsqueak loading a cart full of blasting jelly.

Sokka and I share a glance, this can't be good no matter how you look at it.

We sneak among the trees, following the cart to a cliff overlooking a dam. "Now listen, you are not to blow the dam until I give the signal. If the reservior isn't full, the Fire Nation troops could survive." I look at Sokka with wide eyes and he nods in understanding.

"But what about the people in the town?" The Duke asks, jumping off the cart and looking at Jet with wide eyes. "Won't they get wiped out too?"

"Look Duke, that's the price of ridding this area of the Fire Nation." Jet replies putting his hand on The Duke's shoulder.

"Now don't blow the dam until I give the signal. Got it?" Jet orders Longshot, pointing at him. I roll my eyes through my worry for the town.

I hear steps behind us and before I can turn around Sokka and I are grabbed by hair and are hauled up. Smellerbee gets in our faces and hold a dagger to each of our necks. One of them being the one that Jet showed Katara and Aang. "Where do you think you guys are going Ponytail?" Smellerbee asks and I'm having trouble deciphering who she was talking to, me or Sokka.

When my ponytail got yanked my bangs fell from my eyes, revealing them to Smellerbee who widens her eyes and whispers, "Fire Nation."

Pipsqueak looks at me and glares menacingly while Sokka looks at me fearfully, probably hoping that they won't kill me right away.

They drag us to Jet and he says to us, "Sokka, Jade, how nice of you to join us. Nice work on keeping your Nation secret Jade."

"We heard your plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom town." Sokka says, holding his shoulder from where he landed on it from a couple seconds ago.

"I can understand trying to wipe out the troops, but drowning a whole town is a little too far, even for you." I say, glaring at him.

"Our plan is to rid the valley of the Fire Nation." Jet says, acting as if I hadn't spoken. Sokka and I stand up.

"There are people living there Jet! Mothers and fathers and children." Sokka replies, spreading his arms wide.

"We can't win without making some sacrifices."

"You lied to Aang and Katara about the forrest fire!" Sokka replies pointing at Jet and stepping closer to him.

"They don't understand the demands of war! Not like you and I do."

"I do understand. I understand that there's nothing you won't do to get what you want." Sokka scowls at him while saying this. Smellerbee steps forward and sticks one of the daggers to my back and my eyes widen.

"Sokka, I'm willing to let you become one of us. You'll be my lieutenent, if you kill that." Jet says pointing at me with the piece of grass he puts in his mouth.

"What?" He gasps, looking at me. I have my hands tied, literaly, with a knife against my back. "You're sick, she may be Fire Nation, but she's been nothing if not helpful since I met her. No, I won't do it!"

"I was hoping you'd have an open mind Sokka. I can see you've made your choice. I can't let you warn Katara and Aang, take them for a walk. A long walk." He orders after he forces Sokka back into Pipsqueak with his swords. "And Jade, I'll deal with you later."

"You can't do this!" Sokka yells furiously and I smile sadly. I'll miss the guys even if I only knew them for a few days.

"Cheer up Sokka. We're gonna win a great victory against the Fire Nation today." Jet replies coolly and I feel sick to my stomach.

Even when we're walking Smellerbee has a knife against my back. "Y'know, in most cultures it's considered rude to hold someone at knifepoint."

"Shut up." Smellerbee replies and I roll my eyes.

Seriously, I'm sick of rhyming!

"No thanks I'm good." I reply simply.

"Jade!" Sokka hisses as Smellerbee presses harder aginst my back, making me wince. "Be quiet!"

"C'mon move along." Smellerbee says, shoving Sokka and somehow keeping the dagger on my back. Also making Sokka trip.

"How can you stand by while Jet wipes out a whole town?" Sokka asks them, obviously still fuming from the conversation with Jet.

"Now listen Sokka, Jet's a great leader. We follow what he says and things always turn out okay." Pipsqueak replies with his awkwardly deep voice.

I notice the traps over by the trees and nod towards them, Sokka perks up and adds "if that's how Jet leads, the he's go a lot to learn."

Sokka and I sprint away toward the traps missing both, and I'm not sad to say that Smellerbee and Pipsqueak didn't have the same fate."While you two are up there you might want to practice your knotwork."

"For future reference, use metal when holding a firebender at knife point." I say as I hold the ash that was once rope. Sokka grins at me and I smirk as we sprint toward the town.

Once we get done, we hear Jet's little speech about how the valley will be safe without the Fire Nation. Sokka and I both roll our eyes from the sheer amount of arrogance in his voice. "It will be safe. Without you!" Sokka yells as he manuevers Appa into view while I sit on the nook in between Appa's horn and head.

It's actually quite comfortable.

"Sokka, Jade!" Katara yells once she hears us.

"We warned the villagers of your plan, just in time." Sokka says softly, while I glare holes into Jet's face.

"What?!" Jet sqwacks indignantly.

"At first they didn't believe us, the Fire Nation soldiers assumed we were spies, but one man vouched for us.. The old man you attacked. He urged them to trust us, and we got everyone out in time." Sokka explained, since I was so angry that I'm sure I'd end up having a yelling match with Jet instead of explaining anything.

"Sokka you fool! We could've freed this valley!"

"Who would be free? Everyone would be dead!" Sokka replied reasonably.

As I climbed up onto Appa's head, Jet yelled, "Sokka! You traitor!"

"No Jet, you became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people." Sokka replied sadly as I nodded in agreement.

"Katara.. Please, help me." Jet whined pitifully obviously hoping that she would fall to his feet and beg for forgiveness.

"Goodbye Jet." Katara replied and I barely held back a whoop of excitement.

"Yip yip." Sokka said as Katara climbed onto Appa's saddle. I crawled back and put my arm on her shoulder when I saw the tears in her eyes. I'm not one for physical contact, but this is a special occaison.

"Thanks." She whisppered, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Don't mention it."

When Appa was fully in the sky, Aang asked, "we thought you were going to the dam, how come you guys went to the town instead?"

"Let me guess you're instincts told you." Katara states, grinning at Sokka head and giggling when I pointed to myself.

"Hey, sometimes they're right." Sokka replied smugly, while I made mouths with my hands and made little noises with my mouth, sending Katara into a fit of giggles.

"Um, Sokka? You know we're going the wrong way right?" Aang asks and I full on laugh when I imagine his face.

"And sometimes their wrong." Sokka replies quietly, turning Appa in the other direction.


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