Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "You're Not the Only One" by Lukas Graham
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Author's Note: Fun fact: I had to separate each of the books in different documents because somewhere around Book 4 my google drive started crashing every time I tried to load it because the file was so long. It also took foreverrrrr to load
Chapter 9: The Rebels
The people we have given trust
End up corrupt and rotten
They start with great ideals
But on the way that's all forgotten
"Where's Momo?" Aang asks.
They're all sitting down in the forest, taking a short break. The solar eclipse - or the Day the Fires Went Out - is coming up soon. They have just enough time for Zuko and Katara to go to the Sun Warrior ruins to (hopefully) get Zuko's bending back and then they have to gather their allies for the invasion of the Fire Nation. Sokka's just finishing up his plans and his messenger hawk is getting a good workout flying to and from their various friends all over the world.
"I think I saw him run that way," Sokka says, pointing ahead of them without looking up from his map.
A loud, terrified squawk sounds their way. Aang springs to his feet. "That didn't sound so good. I'm going to go check up on him."
Katara follows him. "I'm coming, too."
She hates sitting. Breaks are the worst parts of her days now. If she sits, she overthinks everything. She can't fathom that in two weeks everything might be over - in two weeks she might have killed the Fire Lord and ended the war.
The worst part isn't even the final battle itself. It's what comes after. She's known since the past Avatar, Saura, spoke to her that her duty was to master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord. But what happens next? No one has told her anything.
She's kept busy so far, but what happens when she doesn't have an all time consuming mission? What will she do? Where will she go?
"He's up there!" Aang points. Katara glances up and sees the winged lemur hanging in a cage high above the forest ground. "Hang on, Momo!"
Aang flies up and releases Momo down slowly. Katara opens the cage and lets him out. He runs away from the cage immediately, a bright red fruit in his mouth.
Two more animals are still hanging in cages. Aang jumps around the branches and releases them as well. Katara shades her eyes with a hand and watches him.
Aang springs back down as the other animals run away. Katara examines the traps. "Hey, Sokka!" she calls. "Get over here!"
He and the others join them. "What's this?" Suki asks.
"Momo was caught in one of these cages with two other poor animals," Aang explains while Sokka and Zuko examine the traps.
"These are Fire Nation," Sokka says, looking up. "I can tell from the metal work."
Katara glances at Zuko, who nods in agreement. "Alright. We need to keep moving. Who knows when they're going to come back to check on these?" She glances around at the others. "Is everyone ready?"
They all nod. Sokka frowns, deep in thought. "I think we need to continue on foot," he says.
"Why? What's wrong with Appa?" Aang complains.
"He's a giant fluffy animal in the sky! He's noticeable."
Aang opens his mouth, but Zuko beats him. "He's got a point. All the other flying bisons stay at the Air Temples. And everyone knows that where Appa is, the Avatar is, too."
"I don't mind walking," Toph says, smiling happily.
Aang shrugs. "Walking might be fun," he admits.
An hour later, the mood is completely different - at least for Aang. "Walking stinks," he complains. "What do people without flying bisons do?"
"Only people with twinkle toes have issues with walking," Toph says, and everyone laughs.
"The important thing is that the Fire Nation won't find us," Sokka says, pushing between two bushes and into a clearing - filled with Fire Nation tents, supplies, and soldiers.
"They won't find us, huh?" Toph asks as the soldiers cry out and grab their weapons.
"Alright," Suki says, brandishing her fans. "There's not that many of them. Everyone ready?"
Zuko pulls out his swords. Toph sinks into her bending stance. Sokka pulls out his boomerang. Aang twirls his staff in front of himself, and Katara opens her water skins.
Suddenly a Fire Nation Soldier falls to his face.
"What was that?" Sokka asks, glancing around.
"Up there!" Katara says, looking at a figure moving expertly in the branches. The figure swings down and lands on soldiers, knocking them down. Then he moves forward and uses two hooked tools to pull the legs out from under two more. He blocks a swing from a sword and smashes the edge of his weapon into the soldier's side, sending him staggering backwards.
"They're in the trees!" a soldier yells out before another figure drops on him. More figures drop down, quickly knocking out or scaring away all the Fire Nation soldiers.
Katara and the others watch in a mix of awe, respect, and confusion.
One soldier near them starts charging them, aiming right for Katara. Zuko steps forward to block the man with his swords, but right before the soldier gets into reach the first figure swings into him, knocking him to the side. The figure - that Katara can now clearly see in a boy about her age - stops right in front of her. "Hey."
"Uh, hi."
He glances at Zuko, who's staring at him. "Gotta be quicker next time."
Aang steps forward, his mouth dropped in awe. "You just took out a whole army almost single-handedly!"
"There were only twenty soldiers," Zuko says, rolling his eyes.
The boy holds up his curved weapons threateningly at him. "You're Fire Nation too. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't do the same to you."
Katara steps forward, putting out a hand gently to hold Zuko back. "My name is Katara. We're not actually Fire Nation. Well, most of us aren't. These are just disguises so we can blend in - although, it doesn't always work."
"If you're not Fire Nation, then who are you?"
"I'm the Avatar."
The boy drops his weapons immediately. "I'm Jet," he says, moving the straw piece between his lips to the other side of his mouth. "And these are my freedom fighters." He gestures to the other figures - all kids about the same age as their group. "Smears, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak."
Aang bounds right up to the smallest one. "Your name is Pipsqueak? That's funny!"
The big guy next to the small kid narrows his eyes. "You think my name is funny?"
"I think it's hilarious!"
Pipsqueak hesitates before laughing, a booming sound that seems to echo in the clearing.
Jet nods to his gang, who are going through the supplies and tents. "You guys want to give us a hand? We're pillaging the supplies and looking for any confidential information."
"Pillaging is always fun," Toph says, instantly going to help.
"I suppose we have some time," Sokka grudgingly says.
The others split off, going to help in various places. Katara starts going through a crate of blankets when she senses that someone is close to her. She straightens up and turns to see Jet hanging just a little bit close. "Can I help you?"
He grins. "I just wanted to say thank you. We've been waiting for an opportunity to ambush those guys all morning. And then you guys stumbled in."
"We're usually not so careless," Katara says, returning to her work.
"It only takes one mistake," Jet remarks. He leans down and goes through a box next to hers. "Let me help you."
"Hey, Jet!" the Duke calls out. "These barrels are filled with blasting jelly."
Jet's smile widens. "That's a great score."
"And these boxes are filled with jelly candy!" Pipsqueak announces, lifting a crate almost as big as Aang.
"Also a great score. But let's not get those mixed up."
Katara watches the way he easily communicates with and leads his group. She's a bit impressed, if she has to be honest. In her group - Team Avatar, as Sokka and Aang like to call it - they don't really have a leader. They just discuss things and make group decisions. Sokka usually makes the plans, but if someone has an objection he can usually work around it. Sometimes she wonders if they'd be a bit more efficient if she took charge.
But she also knows that what they have works for them. So why bother changing it?
"Should we take these to the hide-out?" of the others asks.
"You guys have a hide-out?" Aang asks with wide eyes.
"You want to see it?" Jet asks.
"Sure!"
"We're here," Jet announces. They all look around. It looks like just another part of the forest.
"Where is it?" Sokka demands. "There's nothing here."
"Hold this," Jet instructs, handing him a blue cord.
"What's thi- Aaahhh!"
Katara watches, very much amused, as Sokka flies up into the treetops and disappears behind a bunch of leaves. Jet offers the rope to Aang.
"I'll just fly up myself," Aang says, shooting up into the air.
Suki and Toph go up next and then Zuko, who glances back at Katara with a bit of concern in his eyes. But Katara just nods at him.
All the others go up until it's just Jet and Katara. He takes the rope and then holds out his hand. "Come with me."
She knows she should say that she can get up on her own but she just takes his hand. He wraps his arm around her and they float up, much slowly than Sokka had ascended. She wonders if Jet had done that on purpose.
They break through the leaves and land on a wooden gangway that wraps around the tree trunk. Aang whizzes past them, holding onto a rope. "This place is great!"
Little tents are nestled into the nooks of the branches and rope zip lines and wooden bridges connect the branches, making one large hide-out inside the canopy of the tree. Katara has to admit that she's a bit impressed by the place.
"There you are," Zuko says, walking over to her, a scowl on his face. She smiles at him.
"Isn't this place beautiful?"
He shrugs, glancing around. "It's okay."
"Oh, it's definitely better than okay," Jet argues, walking past them. "It's beautiful, and most importantly, the Fire Nation can't find us here."
"They would love to find you, wouldn't they, Jet?" Smellerbee says, riding a zip line over to them and dropping onto the gangway.
"It's not going to happen," Jet says confidently.
"Why does the Fire Nation want to find you?" Katara asks.
"I guess you could say I've been causing them a little trouble." He laughs shortly. "See, they took over a nearby Earth Kingdom town a few years back."
"We've been ambushing their troops, cutting off their supply lines, and anything else we can do to mess with them," Pipsqueak continues.
"One day, we'll drive the Fire Nation out for good and free that town," Jet finishes, glancing over at Katara. She looks away, not sure how she feels about the way he's looking at him.
"That's pretty brave," Katara says, trying to keep her voice neutral.
"Yeah, nothing braver than a boy in a treehouse," Zuko mutters. Katara hits his arm.
"Don't pay any attention to him," she tells Jet. "He's always grouchy." She smiles at Zuko, who crosses his arms and deepens his scowl. But luckily he doesn't say anything more. "So, you all live here?"
"That's right. Longshot over there - his town got burned down by the Fire Nation. And we found the Duke trying to steal our food. I don't think he ever really had a home."
Katara stares at Jet. "What about you?" she asks.
He pauses. "Fire Nation killed my parents," he says quietly. "I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever."
Katara knows how he feels. She still sees her parents' deaths in her head when she sleeps at night sometimes. She remembers how much she hated the Fire Nation - how she lashed out at Zuko and his soldiers when she first found out, almost killing them.
"Sokka and I lost our parents to the Fire Nation, too," she admits.
"I'm so sorry, Katara." Jet sets a hand on her arm. She lets it sit there a moment before shaking him off gently.
"That's why I'm doing something about it." She lifts her chin. "I'm going to kill the Fire Lord and end this war. No one else should lose their parents or their family." She's careful not to look over at Zuko when she says that.
Jet nods tightly. "I'm glad we see it the same way."
They're invited to stay for a banquet and the night, so - after triple checking the schedule - Sokka says that they have enough time. The freedom fighters set up a nice table and lay out the scavenged food. Jet sits at the head of the table and stands up to make a toast.
"Today we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine," he says, holding up a cup. The others follow, cheering loudly. Katara glances across the table at Zuko, who hesitates before slowly putting up his own. "I got a special joy at the look at one soldier's face when the Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey.
"Now, the Fire Nation doesn't think they have to worry about a couple kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they're right - " The kids boo. "Or maybe they're dead wrong." The charming smile drops from his face. Katara gets a bad feeling when she sees the intensity in his expression.
The kids cheer. Jet waits until they quiet down before continuing. "Today we have a guest of honor - the Avatar. Tonight we're celebrating her, but tomorrow we could be celebrating the end of the Fire Nation!"
Another cheer. Katara smiles uneasily as Jet takes a seat. Earlier he had insisted she sit by him, and she'd agreed as to not be rude. But she still trades a glance with Zuko before turning back to their host.
"That was a nice speech, Jet," she says.
"Thanks. By the way, I was really impressed with you. That was some great bending I saw out there today."
He's talking about her and Toph's earthbending practice sessions. They had gone out and done some exercises while waiting to eat. Although her earthbending is getting pretty good, Toph still has a few moves for her to master before she gets caught up in learning firebending.
"Thanks. Toph's the one that's the master, though. I still have some practice to do."
"Hm." Jet sets down his cup. "The Avatar can control all four of the elements, right?"
"Once she learns them, yes. I've only learned water and earth. Aang's a great Airbender, though, and you saw Toph earlier."
She purposely doesn't mention Zuko. For one because, as they agreed earlier, they want to keep his identity secret for as long as possible. She believes that Jet's heart is in the right place but she's afraid his hatred for the Fire Nation might cause him to make some rash decisions. Besides, Zuko's Firebending doesn't work right now she there's no point in mentioning it.
Jet nods. "Well, I know a way you guys might be able to help our cause," he says.
"Unfortunately we have to leave tomorrow morning," Sokka interrupts.
Jet sighs. "Sokka, please. I needed you on an important mission tomorrow."
Katara watches as Sokka mulls it over. She could almost facepalm right now. Jet's a good leader because he's good at reading people. There's nothing Sokka likes more than to be needed for something important, and Jet's figured that out already. Sokka only hesitates a second.
"What mission?"
After the feast, the kids retreat to their own tents. Katara and Zuko sit on the edge of the wooden gangway.
"I don't like Jet," Zuko says quietly.
Katara smirks. "You don't like him because he's giving me so much attention," she accuses lightly. "You're jealous."
"That's part of it," he admits. "But I also have a bad feeling about him."
"We're only going to stay for a day longer and then we're out of here," Katara promises. "You only have to deal with him for a few hours more. Can you do that?"
He sighs. "I suppose."
"Good." She leans over and kisses him. "We should be getting to bed soon. We have to help Jet out tomorrow and then we're off again."
Jet kneels on the tree branch, keeping an eye out on the forest below. He whistles a message to his fighters, stationed in nearby trees.
Sokka stabs his knife into the tree bark and listens. "It amplifies the vibrations," he explains. "Someone's coming!"
"How many?"
"Just one, I think."
Jet whistles another message to his fighters. "Good work, Sokka. Ready your weapon."
Sokka pulls his knife out of the tree. The figure comes into view, walking on the forest path below them - an old man with a staff.
"Wait!" Sokka calls out softly. "It's a false alarm. It's just an old man."
But Jet jump down just the same, his two rod weapons at his side. "What are you doing in our forest, leech?" he demands. Sokka glances to the other tree, where Suki is perched. She looks equally concerned.
"Please, sir," the old man says. "I'm just a traveller."
Jet knocks away the man's staff. The old man stumbles back, right into Pipsqueak's chest. He bounces off and falls backward onto the ground.
Jet stands over him menacingly. "Do you like destroying towns? Do you like destroying families? Do you?"
"N-no, please," the man trembles. "Let me go. H-have mercy."
"Does the Fire Nation let people go?" Jet leans down. "Does the Fire Nation have mercy?"
Jet's winds his leg back to kick. Sokka and Suki act at once, jumping down and grabbing his shoulders, holding him back.
"Jet, let him go. He's just an old man!"
Jet throws them off. "He's Fire Nation. Search him!" he orders his freedom fighters.
"But he's not hurting anyone," Suki pleads.
"Have you forgotten that the Fire Nation killed your parents?" Jet asks Sokka. He turns to Suki. "Have you forgotten that they kidnapped your warriors? Remember why you fight!"
"We got his stuff, Jet!" Smellerbee calls out.
"This doesn't feel right," Sokka insists.
"It's what has to be done." Jet shoulders past Sokka. "Now let's get out of here."
Back at the hide-out, Aang is having a blast, zip lining around and throwing rocks that explode on the ground. Toph is sitting against the tree trunk, mumbling about how this is almost as bad as flying. Katara and Zuko are hanging out.
Suki and Sokka go over to them immediately. "Jet's a thug," Sokka warns.
Katara frowns. "What do you mean?"
"He beat up and robbed a harmless old man," Suki explains. "He's messed up."
"He's not messed up, he just has a different way of life!" Aang calls out as he speeds by. "It's fun!"
"I told you I had a bad feeling about him," Zuko says.
Katara frowns and crosses her arms. "I want to hear his side of the story."
Katara and Sokka go over to his tent. Katara explains the problem and Jet listens quietly. When she's done, he remains calm.
"Sokka told you the story, but he didn't mention that the man was Fire Nation?" he asks.
Katara glances over at her brother. "No, he didn't."
"Even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian," Sokka insists.
"He was an assassin, Sokka," Jet says, stabbing a knife into a tree stump. "See? There's a compartment for poison here, in the knife handle." He unspins a circle and reveals a vial of orange liquid. "He was sent to eliminate me. You helped save my life, Sokka."
"See? There's an explanation," Katara says. Sokka still has his eyes narrowed.
"I didn't see any knife."
"That's because he was concealing it."
"See, Sokka, I'm sure you just didn't notice the knife." Katara lays her hand on his arm.
"There was no knife," Sokka repeats, shaking her off. "I'm going back and packing my things. We're leaving."
"Tell me you aren't leaving yet," Jet says as soon as Sokka is gone. "I really need your help."
"What do you need help with?"
"The Fire Nation is planning on burning down our forest. If you use your waterbending to fill the reservoir, we can fight the fires. But if you leave now, they'll destroy the whole valley."
Katara hesitates. She understands the concerns of the others. Even she felt a little strange during Jet's speech last night. But she can't abandon people who need help. So what if Jet is a little messed up? It took her time to get over her parents' deaths, too. He's just taking longer.
Besides, everything worked out in that village on the river and the others had been encouraging her to leave there, too. She'll be open and honest about what she's doing and they'll be gone after this afternoon. No one will ever have to see Jet again.
"I'll help you," she promises.
Jet and two of his fighters disappear during lunch. Sokka follows them, not trusting them one bit. His sister is carried away by Jet's charms, but he won't be.
He ducks behind trees, following them out of the forest and to the reservoir. They have a covered cart with them. He doesn't know what's in the cart, but he's hoping they'll abandon it long enough for him to catch a peak.
They stop at a plateau overlooking the reservoir. It's uphill from the village, a dam holding back the water from flooding the town. Only a small river flows down.
"Now listen," Jet instructs his fighters. "You're not to blow the dam until I give the signal. If the reservoir isn't full, the Fire Nation troops could survive."
"But what about the people in the town?" the Duke asks. "Won't they get wiped out, too?"
"Look, Duke, that's the price of ridding this area of the Fire Nation."
Sokka narrows his eyes. He knew Jet was up to something horrible. But this bad? Destroying an entire town to take out a few dozen soldiers? He wasn't expecting that. He has to tell Katara.
Suddenly the bushes rustle and he's grabbed by his hair, pulled out of his hiding spot. Pipsqueak is holding him up. Smellerbee holds up a knife to his throat. "Where do you think you're going, Ponytail?"
"Sokka," Jet greets him as Pipsqueak drags him over. "I'm glad you've decided to join us."
Sokka struggles to no avail. "I heard your plan to destroy the town," he says.
"My plan is to rid the valley of the Fire Nation," Jet replies calmly.
"There are people living there! Mothers and fathers and children."
"We can't win without making some sacrifices."
Sacrifices? What does Jet know about sacrifices? "Some sacrifices are necessary, yes, but only if the people themselves make it willingly! Those town people have no idea."
Jet scoffs. "Who makes sacrifices willingly?"
"Zuko sacrificed himself to free Katara from prison. Katara sacrificed herself to save him from being killed. Lots of people are willing to make sacrifices. Apparently the only sacrifice you're willing to make is other people."
"Zuko?" Jet chews on his piece of straw. "Oh, the grumpy guy. I knew he looked familiar." He gestures to his fighters. "Make sure you capture him, too. He can drown with his people."
Sokka's eyes widen. He made a huge mistake revealing Zuko's identity. "But he's on our side," he pleads. "Katara needs him to learn Firebending!"
"Katara is strong enough on her own. Besides, I'm not passing up the opportunity to directly strike at the Fire Lord by killing his own son."
"The Fire Lord doesn't care about his son." Sokka strains harder against Pipsqueak. "Jet, listen. You have to stop this. This is crazy!"
"This is war. I thought you'd understand."
"I do understand. I understand there's nothing you won't do to get what you want! Including lying to my sister!"
Jet sighs. "I was really hoping you'd have an open mind. But I can see you've made your choice. I can't let you warn the others. Take him for a walk! A long walk."
"You can't do this!" Sokka struggles again, but they're holding him too tightly.
"Cheer up, Sokka. We're going to win a huge victory against the Fire Nation today."
Katara follows Jet along the riverbank. The others are packing up, getting ready to move on. Katara agreed to help Jet quickly while the others prepare to go.
"I'm sorry if my brother's been a little hostile," Katara says as they walk. "He has trust issues sometimes."
"Don't worry. He already apologized."
Katara frowns. "Really? Sokka apologized?"
"Yeah, I was surprised, too. I got the sense that maybe you talked to him or something."
Out of all the sketchy things Jet has said or done, this has to top them. "I just told him that I was going to help you with this and then we'd go."
Jet shrugs. "Well, whatever the case, he's helping. He's actually on a scouting mission with Pipsqueak and Smellerbee. That's why he's been gone all afternoon."
She isn't sure if he's telling the truth or not, but the only way to be sure is to get this over with and find Sokka. She opens her mouth to ask him how much further when suddenly a geyer shoots up in front of her.
Jet turns. "We're here," he says. "Underground water is trying to escape from those vents. I need you to help it along."
Katara feels the water flowing under the ground and bends it up and out. It takes a minute to coax it to the surface but when it breaks, it flows. Jet grins. "Great job! This river empties into the reservoir. Just a few more vents and it will be full."
She follows him to the next one. Jet watches and when she's finished, he nods. "Alright. You got the hang of it. I'm going to leave you here to finish while I check up on the reservoir."
She feels suspicious, but nods. "I'll meet you over there when I'm done."
Jet presses his lips together. "Actually, uh, it's better if we meet back up at the hide-out. Is that alright?"
Now she's definitely suspicious, but she keeps up the act. "Yeah, no problem. See you soon."
"Bye, Katara."
Katara works quickly, venting out all of the water. When it's flowing in a deep stream, she stops and surveys her work. "Yeah, that's definitely enough."
She can't shake the bad feeling in her gut so instead of heading back to the hide-out, she makes her way to the reservoir. Jet said not to meet her there but she thinks he's hiding something.
She hides out far enough away that no one will notice her but close enough that she can see what's going on. She watches as Jet and his fighters unload a cart along the base of the dam. She squints to try to get a better view of what they're unloading, and suddenly she gasps.
It's the red boxes that they stole from the Fire Nation - the blasting jelly.
It all clicks into place. Jet is going to blow up the dam and drown the town.
"He wouldn't do that," she says aloud. She stands, getting ready to sprint back to the hide-out to warn the others, when she hears a voice behind her.
"I would."
She whirls to see Jet standing in her way. He has his hook weapons out and brandished.
"But- why?"
"You would do it too if you just stopped the think," he says, always the smooth talker. "Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. To your people. We can't let them do that to anyone else ever again."
She shakes her head. "This isn't the answer."
"I want you to understand me, Katara." Jet steps closer, lowering his weapons. "I thought your brother would understand, but -"
Her heart rate instantly accelerates. "Where's Sokka?"
Jet takes another step closer, puts his hand around her face. "Katara -"
She blasts him backwards with a whip of water. "Don't touch me! Now tell me, where's my brother?"
He climbs to his feet slowly. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Katara."
"Why? You're not in any position to negotiate! You're not a threat to me, Jet!"
He cocks his head. "Look over at the dam."
She crosses her arms. "I'm not falling for any of your tricks."
Jet sighs and walks over to the edge of the bluff. "Look. Right in the middle."
Katara slowly moves, not taking her eyes off him. But when she finally does, her heart skips a beat.
Zuko is tied up right between the barrels of blasting jelly on the bottom of the dam.
"My fighters are just waiting for my signal to blast the dam. Now, we can work out a deal where you get your brother back or I can have them blast the dam right now."
Katara feels tears sting her eyes. "I want my brother and Zuko back."
Jet steps forward. "What happened to you, Katara? He's Fire Nation! And not just any Fire Nation, but the son of the Fire Lord! He is responsible for your parents' deaths. He has to die so that we can win this war."
She shakes her head. "You're sick, Jet. He's the only hope we have of winning this war. Without his training and his inside knowledge of the Fire Nation, we're not going to win. And without him in power once the war is over, we'll just be plunged right back into another war. We need him."
"He's manipulating you, Katara. That's what he wants you to think! But as soon as he has a clear shot, he'll kill you and all our hopes to win will be destroyed!"
"You're the only one that's manipulating anyone, Jet." She bends her water out and lets it surround her for a moment. "I'm not letting you trick anyone else." She whips the water out, wrapping it around him and throwing him against a nearby tree. Then she turns the water to ice, trapping him.
"You would choose the life of a Fire Nation prince over that of the world?" Jet scoffs. "You're the traitor, Katara, not me."
Then he begins to whistle. It takes Katara a minute to understand what he's doing. "No!"
"Too late."
She runs to the edge of the bluff. She doesn't have enough time to see Zuko one last time before the entire dam blows. Water rushes down the river, speeding towards the town. Katara falls to her knees, feeling as though she's been stabbed in the chest.
"No," she whispers.
Suddenly the ground shakes. Katara staggers to her feet. She slides down the plateau and run along the side of the river. About a hundred yards before the entrance to the town, a huge stone dam is newly erected, holding the water back. Even as the water builds along the riverbanks and sloshes out, earth walls are being created around it.
"Katara!" a familiar voice yells. "Help me out!"
Katara slides into a bending stance, summoning up earthen slabs from the ground and creating a barrier to hold the river in. Toph does the same on the other side. They run along the riverbank quickly, working as fast as they can.
Finally the water is contained inside a new, long reservoir. A little bit leaks into the town, but it's no worse than a few wet shoes. Katara and Toph meet up together in the middle.
"Jet lied to us," she gasps out, still exhausted from the frantic running and bending. "He lied to me."
"We know," Toph says, patting her arm. "Sokka saw Jet and the others planting the explosives earlier. They tried to take him captive but he broke free and ran back to the hide-out to warn us."
"They - they took Zuko, too. He was tied to the dam between the explosives and -" her voice cracks.
"That was Suki's job," Toph explains. "She was supposed to get him out before the explosion. We're all supposed to meet up outside the town. Sokka has all the supplies loaded on Appa. Aang was distracting the rest of Jet's friends. Let's go before they realize what happened."
Katara and Toph run around to the far side of the town. They spot Appa and run towards him. Sokka, Suki, and Zuko are waiting for them. Katara runs straight to Zuko and hugs him, holding him tightly. She really thought that she had lost him.
"Hey," he says, brushing the hair out of her face. "I'm okay. Suki got me out at the last second."
Katara takes a deep breath and addresses everyone. "I'm so sorry, guys," she says. "This was all my fault. I got carried away with Jet's enthusiasm and I ignored my gut instincts - and all of yours, too. I just wanted to believe in his cause and help people. And as a result, some of you were hurt or almost died."
"It's okay, Katara," Aang says. "I got carried away, too." He casts one last mournful glance over at Jet's forest.
"We forgive you," Suki says. She smiles at Katara. "You have such a good heart that it's hard for you to see the bad in people."
Katara thinks of her experience with the Guru and opening up the chakras. "I have a confession to make," she says. "I'm not as good as everyone thinks."
"What do you mean?" Sokka asks. "You're the most compassionate person I've ever met."
"Yeah," Toph agrees. "I mean, you've put up with Sokka for sixteen years."
"Hey!"
She breathes in and exhales, not quite ready to reveal her secret but knowing it has to come out. Truth eventually, inevitably, comes to light. She'd rather this one be revealed on her terms. "I have a special power in addition to my waterbending. It's like Toph's metalbending, only much, much darker. I...I can control people's bodies by bending the blood inside of them."
Everyone stares at her in shock. She forges on before she can lose her courage. "I've only used it once and it was so horrible that I never want to do it again. But in case I ever have to bloodbend for some reason, I'd rather you guys hear it now rather than be surprised later."
Nobody says anything for a long time. Finally Sokka makes a vague motion. "We should get moving before Jet and the others come after us," he says mutely. Everyone climbs onto Appa and they take off, flying away from Jet's valley.
Katara sits alone in the back. She has her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin rests on her knees. She was expecting everyone's reactions to be cold, but she was hoping they'd reassure her that she's not some dark, evil person.
Maybe it will just take them a bit of time.
Zuko crawls over and wraps his arm around her shoulders. She leans into his side, grateful that at least one person here doesn't totally hate her right now.
"You're not upset?" she whispers.
"We all have our dark sides. That's why the others are quiet - they're thinking of their own dark sides and wondering if they have the courage to confess like you did."
She looks over at him. "What about you?"
He grimaces. "Everyone has already seen or heard of my dark side. I don't have any more secrets."
She's almost glad to hear him say that. She's tired of secrets and lies and manipulation. There will always be Jets in the world, but she doesn't have to surround herself with people like that.
Katara loves her little family. She wouldn't trade any of them for the world.