You guys make me feel popular! I know you've all been bugging the hell out of me for this chapter, some even threatening with waterbending lol, so here it is! Two chapters in one day. Impressed? Thought so. Read!
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"This is where you lived?"
"Yep! It's incredible, isn't it?"
"It's a giant treehouse! I love it here!"
Jet smiled as he hoisted himself onto the walkway with his package slung over his shoulder. He walked into the nearest house and set it down on the bed in the corner before walking back out and locking the door. He led Mai to another house using the 'sky wires' (A/N: I have no idea what those things are called lol). They swung across them to another tree and he led Mai into a slightly bigger house.
"This is great. I have never seen anything like this before. Thanks for letting me stay here."
"No problem. If you need anything, just whistle!"
With that, he was back out the door, leaving her to her things. Her room was cozy enough, but she only had with her what she was wearing. She looked through the drawers and found some girls' clothes that might fit her, but they were so.. colorful. She figured they would have to do until she could scrape up some money to get some real clothes. I wonder what there is to do around here, she thought.
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Iroh was the first one up in the palace that morning. He went to the council chamber for the meeting but was surprised to find his nephew was not there. He made up some excuse for him in case something was wrong and after the meeting, he made his way down to Zuko's room. His heart jumped when he saw the dagger sticking out of the door and it almost stopped as he saw was was under it. He pulled out the familiar dagger. It belonged to his son, Lu Ten, before he died. He grabbed the note underneath it before it fell to the floor and read it.
Uncle Iroh-
The traitor Jet is alive and I fear for Katara. If I really do have to leave this letter, then he already has kidnapped her. Don't worry about me, but prepare some men. I will write whenever I find out where he is taking her and I will protect her to the best of my abilities. Keep an eye out for messenger birds.
Tell Kana and Hakoda to watch the children just a little longer and double security on them. At this moment, I don't know if Jet is taking anyone else with him or not. He may be taking Mai or letting her free. If she is free, she will be sure to come after them again.
I will return with her soon. Inform the council of the situation immediately, but tell them not to worry. Bring Kiatoh with you when you come, I trust him. Take care of things for me until I get back, including Lu Ten's dagger.
Zuko/Blue Spirit
Iroh grasped the letter and dagger as he ran down the hall to tell everyone what was going on.
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Spirit was amazed at the sight before him. He watched as the two were swooped up into the trees with the large brown bag and climbed up the one nearest to him. Now he realized why this was probably the best rebel group during the war. They could never be found because the trees hid their surprisingly large hideout. It was perfect. He watched as Jet left the bag in one of the houses and helped Mai across to another one. Spirit leapt from tree to tree trying to get to the one Jet had just come from, hoping that the contents of the package were not harmed.
"No problem. If you need anything, just whistle!"
Spirit hid as Jet made his way back to the house he was at. He opened the door and shut it behind him. Spirit made his way underneath a small window and listened in.
"Katara, wake up." He heard some rustling noises, then a loud smack.
"Jet, you asshole! Where am I!"
Spirit smiled as he realized what Katara had just done, but he didn't know Jet and what he would do in response. "You're safe with me, safe from the Fire Nation."
"Safe from the Fire Nation! I am part of the Fire Nation! In case you haven't noticed, I rule the place more than Lord Zuko does!"
Spirit cocked his head, but kept listening.
"Katara, Katara. I know what happened. You were kidnapped and forced to become his bride and bear his children, right? I can see why he would, you're more beautiful than I remember. Do you want me to kill him? I can."
"No, I don't want you to kill him! Where did you hear this load of crap! Zuko joined with us and helped us fight Ozai and end the war. He and I got married of our own free will because we love each other. I love my children more than my life and I want to go back!"
"You're so confused! They've obviously brainwashed you, Katara. I'm so sorry. Maybe I can help you remember what really happened."
Smack!
Spirit winced at the sound. His cheek must be extremely red, that one echoed through the trees, he thought.
"You bastard, if you ever try that again I swear I'll-"
"You'll what? There's no water here, Katara. You can't beat me."
"I don't need water to fight you."
Spirit smiled at the memory of those words. It seemed like forever ago when she had been saying that exact thing to him.
"You're so pretty when you're mad."
Smack!
"Jet-"
Smack!
He heard a loud bang and knew something was wrong.
"I don't want to hurt you, Katara. You made me do this. If you just cooperate-"
"I'll never cooperate with you, you monster!"
"That hurts. I'm sorry I have to keep you locked away, but it's for you own good."
"He'll find me and rescue me, I know he will."
"There's a reason this hideout hasn't been discovered by Fire Nation scum, Katara. They won't find you. I wouldn't bother with that window over there. If you fall from that, you'll die."
With that, he heard Jet leave and hid again before Jet came around and saw him. He saw him stop and look down, smiling. He watched Jet jump down, using his hooks to lessen his blow as he fell to the ground. He didn't care what was going on down there, he had to get Katara out. He crept back up to the window and got as close as he could.
"Katara, are you okay?"
He could hear rustling as she got out of her bed. "Zuko? Is that you?"
"No, it's the Blue Spirit. I've come to save you. Don't mention my name around these people, please. It'll be more of a drive to kill me if they find out."
"Okay, what're you going to do?"
"First, he's going to back away slowly."
The Blue Spirit looked to where the voice had come from. Mai was standing just a few feet from him, ready with a bow and arrow that Jet had given her. They hadn't managed to get her darts back before they left, another thing that upset her besides the clothes situation.
"Mai?" Katara called from inside the small house.
"That's right. Looks like your precious saviour isn't going to be able to save you this time."
As quick as lightening, Spirit had his swords drawn. Mai let the arrow go, but he chopped it up into five different pieces before it even got close.
"Just tell me who you are so I'll know who I'm turning in to the proper authorities."
"In case you haven't noticed, all his wanted posters are gone!" Katara yelled through her little window.
Spirit merely nodded at the comment, grinning behind his mask. Mai was caught offguard when he used the butt of his sword to knock her off the walkway and down through the trees. She came flying back up seconds later in Jet's arms. Trailing behind him were more men that he didn't know. One big man in particular caught his attention, but he didn't know why. Mai tossed the bow and arrows to a tall, skinny one with a hat as she landed on a nearby walkway. They tried to surround him, but Spirit just leapt into the trees, using his swords to help him climb.
He had to get back to the town and fast. He felt something tug at his foot and looked down to see Jet's hook had him. He quickly shook it off and jumped, landing on a branch of the tree beside him. He continued to jump down until he got to the ground, then started running down the path towards the town. He wasn't sure what would happen to Katara if he left her there, but he had to write to Iroh. He needed help, as much as he hated to admit it.
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"Who was he and why was he here?"
"He's the Blue Spirit and he's my guardian spirit. He's a master of the twin dao and has never been defeated. He even played a role in bringing your new girlfriend down when she attacked my babies."
"New girlfriend? Katara, you know you're the only girl for me."
"I'll never be your girl, Jet. Zuko will be here soon, that must be the reason Spirit left me here. He's going to warn him and then he'll come and kill you and anyone who stands in his way. He loves me that much."
"He's only protecting his interests. He doesn't want you to get away."
"You're so in denial! You can't stand to see that I'm happy with him and I love him instead of you."
"We can change that with time."
"No, we can't! Get away from me!"
Smack!
"Will you stop doing that?"
"If you'll stop trying to kiss me, I will!"
"Don't make me tie you up, Katara."
She growled out loud. "Jet, you are so infuriating! Let me GO!"
"I'll have people standing outside the door to make sure you don't get away. Not that you could anyway. I don't think you could get out that window. Even if you do, it's still a long way to the ground," He smirked as he walked out the door.
She laid back in her bed, well, it was more like a cot really. A danky old cot with a tattered blanket to sleep with. How exciting. If there was any part of her that was ready to forgive him before, it was completely gone now. She hated him almost more than she hated Mai. Maybe she hated them on the same level now. She wasn't completely sure.
She heard the noise in front of her door fade away and she knew Jet was gone, leaving just her and her guard. She knocked on the door, hoping to get a conversation of some kind started with whoever was there. "Hey, will you talk to me? I'm bored."
She heard a grunt, but no one talked. She was about to ask again when he finally said, "I'm not supposed to talk to you."
"Why not? It's not like you're telling me how to escape or anything. I'm just making small talk because there's nothing to do in here. What's your name?"
"Pipsqueak."
"Oh, it's you! I remember you from last time! How've you been?"
"Good I guess. I saw your friend, Aang."
"You did? Is he okay?"
"Yes, he looked okay. He had a little girl in green with him. I think she was blind."
"Yeah, she is. She's an earthbender named Toph, and she's Aang's girlfriend."
"That's good for him."
Katara sat down next to the door. "So, what did Aang say when he came here?"
"He said that the war is over now and there's no more reason to have the Freedom Fighters because of it. He said this place is just a big treehouse now instead of a base. I left for a little while to see my home town, but there was nothing there for me so I came back."
"But why are you helping hold me hostage?"
"Jet said you were in danger and he was protecting you. He said some man in a blue mask was coming to kidnap you."
Katara's shocked face went unnoticed by the man on the other side of the door. "He said what? That man is not going to kidnap me, he's coming to save me from Jet! I'm in here against my will, Jet is the one who kidnapped me! He knocked me out and took me from my home and my family, including my two children. Please, you have to help me get out of here, Pipsqueak! You're the good one, I know it!" A tear made its way down her cheek as she yelled her heart out through the door. She wasn't even sure if he was still listening, but she could only hope. He was nice to her last time and she knew that if anyone would help her, it would be him.
She held her face in her hands and continued to cry next to the door. She brought her legs up to her chest and folded her arms on top of them and cried into them. There was a noise at the door and she quickly got up and ran to her bed to pretend like she was asleep. She couldn't let them see her cry.
"Are you okay?"
She looked up to see Pipsqueak peaking in at her. She sat up on her elbow. It was getting dark outside and she was getting hungry, but company was good right about now, especially since it was wanted company.
"No, I'm not. I want to go home. Jet is.. way out of his mind. He.. hit me earlier today." The shocked expression was enough to tell her that he was completely against the abuse of women. "Will you help me get away from him?" she whispered.
"Can you stay until first light? It would be easier to see where you're going then."
Katara smiled at him. She knew he was the good one and grateful to Jet for that much. "Thank you so much. Um, is he planning on feeding me tonight?"
"He'll be back soon with food. I should shut the door now."
Katara nodded and he shut the door, the only light was coming from the moon through the small window. She looked up at it and prayed.
Yue, help me out of this. Tell Sokka where I am, I know he'll come for me.
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Sokka jumped out of his bed. They were already on the ship on their way to the Earth Kingdom after Sokka told them he knew where Jet's hideout was. They didn't even wait for Zuko's letter before leaving. Iroh trusted that he knew where he was going and they left as soon as Sokka read the letter Zuko left. He didn't care that he was on crutches, he had to do something to save his sister.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Ty Lee. I.. just had a nightmare."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No. I just need some air. I'll be back in a little bit."
He stood up and grabbed his crutches and walked out the door. Ty Lee watched him worriedly. He struggled up the stairs but made it to the deck okay. He looked up at the moon as a tear made it down his cheek.
Was that real, Yue? Please tell me that was real so I know she's okay. I'm coming as fast as I can, Katara. Hold on.
He stayed out on the deck for a little while longer, taking in the dream. Katara was safe, but alone. Most of that was from his dream, but part of that was his brotherly instinct. He hated that they wouldn't be there for a few days, but he knew that he couldn't do anything about it. They left as soon as they could.
"Are you okay?"
Sokka turned around to see Kiatoh approaching him. "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I just couldn't sleep."
"Same here. Do you think she's okay?"
"I know she is, for now anyway. I guess brotherly instinct is a good thing to have at times like this."
Kiatoh laughed, "I guess so."
They stood there in silence for a few minutes, watching the water rush beneath them and the moon watch over them. Finally, Sokka spoke up. "Do you think there's any way at all to get there faster?"
"This is the fastest ship we had in the harbor. With a little luck, we should be there tomorrow."
"Really? That fast? I thought it would be at least a couple more days."
"Again, fastest ship in the harbor. They've been working on it since before Fire Lord Zuko took the throne."
"I guess that's one good thing Ozai started," Sokka said, barely speaking above a whisper. He sighed and manuevered his crutches around to start back downstairs. "Goodnight, Kiatoh."
"Night, Sokka. Get some rest this time. We have a big day ahead of us."
"Okay."
When he got back to his room, Ty Lee had already fallen back asleep. He propped his crutches against the wall and scooted himself back into his bed. His mind was wondering through what would happen the next day and wandered right into sleep.
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"How can you not have messenger birds? How do you keep in contact with people?"
"I'm sorry, sir. We just don't have them!"
"Do you even know who I am?"
"No sir, I don't. Should I?"
"Yes, you should! I am Firelord Zuko! This is a big town and you don't have any freaking messenger birds!"
The man looked shocked, but still had his doubts. "How am I supposed to know you're the firelord if you're dressed in common clothes?"
Zuko was starting to get aggravated. "Nevermind, I'll go somewhere else. You people are too uncivilized for me, I'll find someone in this dirt hole who has a messenger bird."
"Why do you need one so badly, if I might ask?"
"My wife is in trouble. You know, Fire Lady Katara?"
"Katara's the Fire Lady? Is this the same Katara, the waterbender? How did that happen?"
Zuko lifted an eyebrow at him. "It depends, who are you and how do you know her?"
"My name is Haru. I met her a long while back when my town was occupied by Fire Nation soldiers. She followed me onto some rig and inspired all the prisoner earthbenders from my village to fight back. I haven't seen her since. It probably doesn't help that I moved."
"I remember that day. That's the day I found her necklace on that rig. You don't know a guy named Jet, do you?"
"I only know that he's a guy that lives in the woods around here somewhere. Some people say he's psycho or something-"
"That's because he is!"
Haru cocked his head at the firelord. "Is something wrong?"
Zuko sighed. He needed help now. "Can you help me get her back?"
He understood now what Zuko was asking and immediately agreed. "Where does he have her?"
"In these woods, but it's quite a way in and they have people watching the roads through the woods all the time. That's what Katara tells me anyway."
"Do you need a place to stay for the night?"
Zuko peaked out the door. "There's not much night left."
"You need all the rest you can get before going out there. Especially if he knows who you are."
"He doesn't. This is who he's looking for." Zuko pulled the blue mask out, but Haru didn't looked surprised.
"We're going after her in the morning, first light. We will get her back, I promise."
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Sorry to leave you with another cliffhanger.. kinda, but you were all begging me to finish this one tonight and it's all I could get in before I passed out! How'd you like the newfriend Zuko made?I hope you like it, tomorrow I'll start on the next one. Right now I'm going to bed. You know the deal, R&R!
Jenn