The fire was engulfing the edge of the forest and Jet, coughing violently from the frequent waves of black smoke, stumbled through the flames in desperation to reach the village. His face was streaked with soot and he had barely escaped being burnt alive; but right now his thought was on anything but himself. Dark forms rode through the streets on horseback and Jet could see the edges of blades glimmering in the light from the fire.

The air was ripped with screams and dogs were howling; he could see men break down doors with flames raging around their fists and spreading from buildings. All of them wore horned helmets that had a distinct resemblance of the devil and drove the thought of demons into Jet's mind. Terrified that hell had broken loose in the world he ran through the streets, shouting a short prayer of thanksgiving that an elder had taught him.

He heard a man laugh and felt a stabbing, sudden pain in his arm. He howled and went down as the devil stood over him, the fire flaming up his arms and engulfing his horned mask.

A boulder came suddenly from the side and slammed into his armor; the man was thrown back with several cracked ribs and lay motionless on the ground. The Earthbender helped Jet to his feet and pushed him in the direction of the woods before he confronted another Fire Nation soldier.

But it was too little, too late; the fire glowed in his eyes and the man fell, dead and cold, his face blackened and horribly disfigured.

The Fire Nation - which was now how Jet knew them, in their immortal masks, their faces distorted by the raging firelight - turned on him but he heard a spear drive into his side. The soldier vomited blood and doubled over to the earth, and Jet was picked up by a pair of strong arms.

"Don't worry Jet, we'll get you out, we won't let the Fire Nation hurt you - "

It was the voice of Tavi, the father of one of his friends; a voice that was cut short as an arrow found his back and he toppled over, rolling Jet into the grass.

He cried, helpless, crawling towards the woods, rent with grief. Then the face of his mother flashed into his mind and he turned back to face his home, which stood several feet away and was not yet burning. Strengthened by the sight of his home he pushed himself to his feet and ran to the doorway, where his father met him, blade in hand.

"Jet! Get out of here! Where's your mother! Jet, go!"

He felt another pair of arms around him and recognized the embrace of his mother. The hellish fires disappeared briefly as she ran him into the woods and placed him next to a large, hollow tree that Jet vaguely remembered using as a hide-and-seek spot.

"Stay here, do you understand?"

"Mom -"

"Do not go anywhere! Do not come near town until I come for you! Do you understand?"

She did not see him nod, but she did not need to. In a moment she was gone and Jet sat, patiently, for the span of a few seconds. Then the horrifying sounds of destruction became unbearable and he crawled forth into the thicket, desperate to find his parents.

The shadows in the bushes clouded around Jet in camouflage, embracing, him, protecting him. They seeped greedily into his eyes and gripped the delicate hue, twisting it to a darker shade that matched the deadly night. The same darkness glittered over his mother's tears as she looked up, sobbing, from the bloody form of his father. The same darkness that flashed in the man's face as he grinned, the sword raised so eagerly in his fist.

And slowly the same darkness crept upon Jet, sinking into the frail make-up of his terror-ridden body, darkening his wide eyes that danced with flame and the reflection of a falling blade.


Fire Nation.

I was...I was...

I was angry. I was so, so angry...

I sat there inside the tree as the search parties passed me. The shadows were my friends then. They were the only thing that did not disappear in bloody streams, did not grow horns and laugh, drunk with death...did not light up the sky in flames of complete desolation...

My eyes used to be bright, translucent green. Green eyes that laughed with the boys as we skipped stones in the river, eyes that darted around corners when we took candy from carts without paying, eyes that could elude suspicion and cover fear, eyes that tricked and deceived and confused, eyes that were innocent, unknowing of pain...of despair...of rage.

It rent my body like claws, like the teeth of hounds. I wanted to rip their throats out with my own teeth, I wanted them to suffer, suffer as I suffered...I wanted...revenge...

My eyes...they had been so bright. The fury...the hatred...it swirled in my heart, mysoul,consuming, perverting, twisting...until my gaze went entirely dark.

I would destroy them...every...last...one of them...

The way they destroyed me.