~~~~~~~~~~~~~*`~~: Chapter Seventeen: ~~`*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Snow-fire and Appa aren't that noticeable." Ally argued, after packing up camp. Not too long ago the group had stumbled across fire nation traps that had ensnared two hog monkeys and Momo, so now as a precaution they were moving on to avoid an unnecessary encounter with fire nation soldiers. Sokka wants them to walk, too walk! As though they were land bound, beaten by gravity!
"They are gigantic fluffy monsters with an arrow on their heads, it's kind of hard to miss them!"
Appa groaned while Snow-fire growled, Ally patted snow-fires nose, "Sokka's just jealous 'because he doesn't have an arrow." Aang said. Ally laughed.
"I know you all want to fly," Sokka said, "but my instincts tell me we should play it safe and walk."
"Who made you the boss." Katara asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sokka buffed out his chest, "I'm not the boss, - I'm the leader."
"If anyone's the leader, it's Aang. I mean, he is the Avatar." Katara said, "Or if not him then Ally, – she has experience in being a leader, she lead the last air benders to safety after all."
Ally and Aang looked at each other with frowns at the thought of 'leader' even though Ally had lead 'the last air benders to safety' as Katara put it; she had help from her fellow master air benders.
"Why do boys always think someone has to be the leader? I bet you wouldn't be so bossy if you kissed a girl." Katara continued.
Ally stood between the two water tribe siblings before Sokka could get in a retort. "Alright that's enough sibling rivalry to last a week." She said firmly. "Will try Sokka's way, but-" Ally said interrupting what Sokka was going to say. "Don't be surprised if we run into a bunch of fire benders. If that happens then we get bragging rights."
"Who knows, walking might be fun." Aang said, now carrying a back pack.
He handed a back pack to Ally and she resigned herself to putting it on. "Doubt it." Ally muttered.
"Walking stinks!" Aang complained, kicking a rock. "How do people go anywhere without a flying bison?"
"Oh I get along well with a flying Ermine-wolf." Ally said, emphasising the word 'flying' - Just to get on Sokka's nerves.
"I don't know Aang. Why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything." Katara said smiling.
"I'm tired of carrying this pack." Aang and Ally said.
"You know who you should ask to carry it for a while?" Katara said slyly, "Sokka's Instincts!"
Ally grinned, "That's a great idea!"
"Hey, Sokka's Instincts," Aang began, calling to Sokka who was in front. "Would you mind-"
"All right, all right," Sokka said looking back at them. "I'm tired too but the important thing is that" He pushed a bush out of the way. "Were safe from the fire nation…" he looked in front of him.
Ally looked around the stunned camp of fire benders, "Bragging rights." She whispered to Sokka.
They tried running but were cut off when the bushes behind them caught alight. Ally shrugged off her back pack and slipped into a fighting stance, bringing out her new fans and flipped them open, they made a noise that sounded like unsheathing swords.
Ally blinked at the noise, awesome. Ally glowered as the fire soldiers came closer, she moved her fans threateningly, ready to flip and take them all out with a blast of air, then the captain of the marry band of flame tossers collapsed.
Ally looked up and saw a boy about Sokka's age dressed from neck to toe in dark green clothing. What little armour he had, shoulder caps and hip covers were mismatched. His shaggy mane of brown hair framed his face, there was a twig held between his teeth.
Ally watched as he dropped from the tree and easily brung down two soldiers with his two shuang gous'. "Down you go." He said self assuredly.
Ally nodded to him in thanks before lunging forwards into battle, she kicked off from a soldier's chest, knocking the wind out of him while doing so, then slashed her fans diagonally downwards, resulting in seven soldiers to get blasted into nearby trees, three of which got knocked unconscious, the four remaining stood up, Ally landed not too far from them and the soldiers began to approach her slowly, she invited them with a finger.
They charged, waving their swords. Ally weaved around them and their weapons easily and suddenly they were whack by a really large log, Ally looked at the large person who had thrown it, he was gigantic…. she grinned, "Thanks!" She flipped away from a bunch of Fireballs and created an air funnel with her fans, then folding them yet not putting them away she lashed out at the fire bender then latching the air to him, spinning him around in the dirt and straight into other soldiers.
Ally leaned backwards as a sudden flurry of blades threatened to cut her in to ribbons, an arrow came out of no where and knocked the blades away, Ally smiled at the soldier then ducked down and swept him off his feet then pushed him away with a blast of air from her foot. Ally looked around, then heard a snap of a twig behind her, Ally instantly swang her leg up and around towards the person behind her, the fire soldier went flying as a burst of air from her foot connected with his torso.
Ally looked around at the now fire soldier free camp, Ally looked on as the rebels investigated the fire nation camp.
The group soon learned that the rebels had named themselves 'Freedom fighters' and the leader was named Jet, Katara was quite taken with him, and Ally could see why; tall, confident and a strong personality, a good fighter too.
There hide out was even cooler, hidden in the canopy, with many bridges and ropes to slide across, it was beautiful and really was a work of a true craftsmen. "Nice," Ally said appreciatively to The Duke, he nodded. "Listen thanks for saving us, I have to admit we would have been in serious trouble if you guys hadn't dropped in."
Duke laughed whole heartedly, "Believe me it was our pleasure. I enjoyed fighting those leeches. After all they put us – the whole world – through, well if feels good to mess any way we can with them."
Ally gave a half hearted smile, "I know what you mean, but it's just hard when you beliefs go against fighting." Remembering what the temples taught made her sigh, "At times I feel as though I've betrayed those beliefs, I fight with positive Jing more then negative." A sudden memory flash of her killing Monk Afiko made her visibly flinch.
Pipsqueak placed his large hand onto Ally's shoulder, "You fought well, and from what I could tell you didn't bruise any of them, well… only their egos." He laughed.
Ally chuckled weakly, that's what Tom or Koiki might have said if they were here.
She smiled around the place and watched as Aang leaped around the canopy like an existed ermine-wolf cub.
Up ahead Katara was talking to Jet with a bunch of his followers, Ally could hear snatches of the conversation, like how a nearby earth kingdom was over run by the fire nation, and how the freedom fighters were doing anything they could to mess with the soldiers.
As Katara and Jet stopped and she and the others walked on Ally could still hear them as the wind blew in her direction. "Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever." Jet said. Ally bowed her head, the day the fire nation attacked the temples changed her forever too.
"Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation." Katara's words whispered through the air.
Ally stiffened, she hadn't known that. She sighed quietly as two silent tears rolled down from her stormy orbs, mourning the worlds lost loved ones that the war had taken away so brutally. She allowed her long dark brown fringe to fall across her face like a curtain, giving her self privacy to shed the anguish her heart felt.
"Have you been crying?" Aang asked in concern yet slightly disbelieving. Ally didn't blame him, she never cried in front of anyone, and if she was up set she'd normally just walk away. She didn't like to feel vulnerable in public, even before the war.
Ally gave him a reassuring smile, "It was just an emotional release." She waved off, her stormy eyes ringed with irritated red, "really Aang, it really is nothing to worry about." She and Aang began to walk across a winding bridge towards where the food was being served.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Aang asked again, his large gray eyes filled with nothing but worry for his friend.
Ally let out a small breath of laughter and put an arm around Aang's shoulders. "Aang, I feeling alright now, honestly," she said in complete, whole-hearted earnest. "Some times when things get too hard I start to lock away my feelings just to keep on going and be strong for others, I haven't had a good long cry in ages and considering all that's happened…." Her voice trailed off, "Well, I'm kind of like a storm cloud in that way," she tried to explain, "I collect as much water as I can, then when I get sensitive to something I release the rain until I'm dry and refreshed."
"Is it some kind of girl thing?" Aang asked scratching his head.
Ally playfully gave him a light push, "That's for girls to know and boys wonder."
Aang laughed, "Common, we don't want to be late." His stomach rumbled in agreement. Aang paused and Ally looked at his stomach, they looked at each other and bust out with raucous laughter. What seemed like ages they retained their bearings'.
"Common then Aang, lets not keep that empty stomach of yours waiting," Ally grinned, "Race ya!"
Aang beat her; of course, he had always been a faster runner then her.
Ally sat down in between Aang and the Duke. Ally nodded to Katara with a smile when her water tribe friend expressed her concern, noticing Ally's irritated red eyes.
Ally began to eat a few strawberries when Jet stood up, "Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine," he said, much to the cheers of his supporters, "and we gained four new friends along the way," he waved his hand to Katara, Sokka, Aang and Ally, his followers applauded them. Ally and Aang waved while Katara blushed, Sokka did nothing. "I got a special joy from the look on one soldier's face, when the Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey."
Duke got up from beside Ally and got onto the table; Ally applauded him along with the rest of the freedom fighters as he did a walk of victory, and then patted him on the back when he sat down beside her. "Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees…" said Jet candidly, "Maybe their right," his followers 'booed' at that statement, "Or maybe, their dead wrong!" his followers cheered.
Ally nodded, admiring Jets words that had an obvious effect on the rebels. Jet got down from the table and sat down in between Sokka and Katara, "Nice speech Jet," Katara complemented.
"Yeah Jet, with that speech you could inspire even a cowered to fight a whole army of fire benders."
Jet's self assured grin widened, "Thanks Katara, Ally. By the way I was really impressed with you, Ally and Aang. That was some great bending I saw out there." He said to Katara.
Katara looked embarrassed, "Well, Aang and Ally are great. He's the Avatar and Ally's a master. I could use some more training."
"Avatar? Master air bender?" said Jet impressed and inclined his head in approval, "Very nice."
Ally bowed her head while Aang said his thanks, Ally turned back to her food of nuts, berries and vegetables. She payed only half attention to Sokka's and Jet's conversation, talking idly with Sneers and the Duke, Long-Shot just listened occasionally he nodded or just looked at Ally, conveying his feelings about the topic they were discussing through his dark eyes.
Ally awoke the next morning and for once didn't feel the need to get up right away, she laid down on Snow-fire's head, that had to be one of the best nights she had, no visions, no nightmares, and no thoughts of the fire nation soldiers finding her and her friends; she just stayed there listening to the birds fluttering through the forest, the sound of the freedom fighters walking around.
"Look out below!" said a voice above her, Ally threw an air ball to stop a wooden bucket from falling on her head, she couldn't stop the water it was carrying however, it splashed into her face, Snow-fire jerked her head away and Ally held on while the large Ermine-wolf shook her head and growled. Ally stood up and jumped onto a nearby branch.
A face with the face painting of a lion tiger peered down at her through orange, red and yellow foliage.
The face had large green eyes, small freckles speckled across the boy's nose and cheeks and he was wearing a costume of a lion tiger, his wild hair sandy blond, like a mane. He jumped down and was looking sheepish, he was short, up to her shoulders and looked around nine years old, and had broadswords slung across his back, "I am so sorry, I was carrying it and suddenly this winged lemur-"
Ally laughed, drying herself with air bending, "It's okay, look every things fine." She handed him the now empty bucket. "You'll need to refill the bucket though."
The boy nodded, "I'm Tig, short for Tiger."
Ally smiled at him, "Names Ally, common – it was partly my fault you lost the water, I'll accompany you to the river."
"Thanks." Tig said. "Is Ally your nick name; meaning loyal friend?" he asked as they landed on the ground.
"No, it's my real name." Ally smiled, "Though that's why I like my name, it keeps me from straying of the right path; I try to up hold my names honour."
Tig nodded, "The freedom fighters called me Tiger because of my stealth ability and how I wield my swords, I kinda' just took the name into stride."
Ally nodded, "It suites you, with the face paint and all."
Tig grinned and they arrived at the river and Tig scooped up the water in the bucket. Ally took it off him, "my lemur, my fault." She said before he could protest.
He laughed, "Thanks again."
Ally smiled and they walked back to the hideout. Ally set the bucket down next to the 'kitchen'
Ally yawned and Tig grinned with embarrassment, "I stayed up late." Ally explained to him, "and I was already awake." She said with a mock stern voice, "So don't go feeling guilty."
"Hey, Tig!" the Duke called, walking up to them, "hey Ally."
"Hi." The two chorused.
"Tig, Jet's gonna' be back any second, you reckon you could keep guard on the northern side for me? Sting is watching at the moment but she needs to get supplies by midday, and I need to do a few things before Jet gets back."
"Sure thing the Duke." Tig nodded, "Cya later Ally!"
"Cya, Tig!" Ally called after him as he jumped off the platform they were on and with amazing stealth was gone from sight within seconds.
The Duke ran off to do what he needed to get done.
Sokka was in a contemplative mood when he returned from his mission with Jet, Ally found him sitting on the edge of a platform with a frown, completely ignoring Aang as Momo started throwing blasting pellets at his feet.
"Was' up?" Ally asked sitting next to him, petting Nyx who was lazing around on her shoulder. Neo perched on her lap and cuddled up against Ally like a cat.
"Jets a thug," Sokka said.
Ally blinked. "What? No, he's not," Katara's voice came from behind them.
"He beat and robbed a harmless old man!" Sokka said standing up, and looking at his sister, "his messed up Katara!"
Ally looked at Aang; they made eye contact, pairs of innocent silver and stormy blue orbs echoing slightly disbelieving bewilderment.
"I wanna' hear Jet's side of the story." Katara said angrily.
"Fine!" said Sokka when it was revealed that the 'harmless old man' was fire nation, Ally however hadn't picked a side yet; she kept it in her heart that not all the Fire Nation people was bad. "But even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian."
"He was an assassin, Sokka." Jet said, that caught Ally's attention. Ally watched with narrowed eyes as Jet pulled out a knife and plunged it into a block of wood. "See? He was sent to eliminate me, you helped save my life, Sokka."
"I didn't see any knife!" Sokka said.
"That's because he was concealing it." Jet said.
"There was no knife! I'm going back to the hut and packing my things." Sokka said. "We're leaving." He stalked out of the room.
Ally sighed, "Tell me you guys aren't leaving yet." Jet said, "I really need your help."
"What do you need us to do?" Ally asked.
"Well, I need Katara and Aang. You see, the Fire Nation is planning on burning down our forest. If you both use water bending to fill the reservoir, we could fight the fires. But if you leave now, they'll destroy the whole valley, along with this hide out." Jet said. "If that happens the Freedom Fighters will be homeless and we'll never win the towns freedom."
Katara nodded, "Common guys we need to tell Sokka we're staying."
They turned to go but Jet called Ally back, "Ally, I heard that you became friends with Tig this morning." Ally nodded, "Well Tig and his group are going on a scouting mission in a few hours, we found a fire nation camp site just two miles north from here, if you fly them there on your Ermine-wolf then you'd be back in half the time."
"Sounds good," Ally nodded.
"They leave in two hours. I'll tell your friends that you're on the mission. Oh, and you'll need this -" Jet held up an outfit made out of black feathers. It was then Ally noticed that if she wore it she'd look like a black falcon but without the tail, beak and talons. "I thought you might say yes to the mission so I got this made for you. In Tig's group they dress up as spirits of the forest so they scare the soldiers. They decided your spirit should be an air spirit since you control the element." Ally smiled and took the black costume, "Oh and you'll need this mask to go with it." He threw her the mask and Ally looked at it, the mask was decorated in the traditional arrow on the forehead, there were two fangs and large eye holes. It would scare fire nation soldiers out of their wits if she swooped down from the trees and attacked them in the getup.
"Thanks Jet." Ally smiled.
The costume was so fitting around her body that it felt like a second skin; it was nerve racking to have her body figure so out there; she was use to loose flowing clothing, not the skin tight costume she was wearing now.
The feathers were actually just covering her torso (which Ally silently thought made her bosom look like large coconuts.) and arms which looked like wings since there was a leathery, feather covered fabric connected to her arms and the side of her waist, her legs had tight black leggings and her boots were like her old ones but black and behind the boots were long feathers that started from behind the ankles then up to the lip of her boots. Her platted hair was tied up in a bun and under a hood that framed her face in a tight embrace.
At first she was concerned about the animals that were used to make the costume but Tig assured her no animal was killed or injured to make the costumes.
That was a huge relief.
She walked through the hideout and felt a lot of eyes turn to her, even some boys had the guts to wolf whistle - they were sent a stern, bone numbing glare from Ally.
She learnt that glare from Sister Iio when they had once gone to an earth kingdom village and a few drunken earth kingdom towns folks whistled at the wise nun. She had sent them running with her firm, bone chilling glare.
Sister Iio winked at an amazed six year old Ally, whose large eyes looked amazed. "If boys give you trouble just do what I did, my young pupil. Never fails." Her first air bending tutor smiled, "Just don't tell the other Sisters I taught you that glare." She laughed, sounding like gentle wind chimes.
Ally's heart ached at the thought of her first Air Bending master was gone.
She put the mask on tightly and spread her arms out; the wings were obviously attached to her arms. She wondered if they were meant for flying or not – too late, she had already stepped off the ledge and pushed her arms down, she shot upwards and instinctively tilted her left arm down to dodge a large branch.
This was easy! Ally laughed behind her mask, it was like flying with her glider. She descended through the under bush and landed at the meeting point where Snow-fire was ready.
"whoa!" came a voice. Ally saw Tig and three of his friends coming over to her. Tig obviously was in his Lion Tiger costume, his broadswords slung over his back. "I don't know if the Fire Nation would swoon or flirt if they saw you."
"Ha, ha," Ally said cynically.
Tig put his clawed, gloved hands up in a sign of peaceful surrender, "Relax Ally, you look good, scary but attractive. You look like a vengeance spirit for the Air Nomads."
"A good combination." Said a twelve year old boy dressed in a Saber-tooth moose-lion get up, a Nunchaku tied to his belt. "Names Fang."
"Ally," she smiled though her mask shaking Fangs hand.
"I'm Foxy," A girl around ten wearing a Fox Antelope costume a Katana slung over her back. "And welcome to the Spirit Team, you'll need a nickname though."
"N'Gale? Short for Nightingale?" said a boy dressed like a Boar-q-pine, he was the shortest out of the group and looked to be nine years old; same age as Tig. "Yo' sweet stuff, I'm Spike."
"I like that name." Ally nodded, though slightly disturbed by Spike's flirting nature, and given how skin tight her costume was... She shifted uncomfortably.
"That name it is then." Tig said, "Now let's go, I want to be back before the fires start."
Ally, a. k. a; N'Gale, dodged another ball of fire that came hurtling up to her. She took a deep breath then blew out hard, blasting her opponent away. She landed easily and kicked up the dust around her then slipped away as the other Spirit Team hid in the shadows.
"Where – where'd the spirits go?" asked a soldier, stumbling backwards.
"This place is haunted!"
"Ahhhhh!" shouted one as Tig tripped him over then jumped back into the tees, the dust cloud started to settle, to show the soldiers their knocked out comrade.
"Let's get out of here!"
Ally grinned behind her mask as the soldiers turned tail and abandoned their camp site. The Spirit Team jumped down from the trees.
"Look at all this stuff!" Spike beamed, finding barrels of blasting jelly and sinister looking weapons.
"Jet's not going to be happy to see you leave N'Gale!" Tig laughed, throwing her an apple. "You had those Fire Nation soldiers running for the hills!"
"Nice one." Foxy said, punching Ally lightly after she sheathed her Katana. "Common girl, lets not leave the boys to do the heavy lifting all by themselves."
"Sorry Snow-fire." Ally whispered, knowing the Ermine-wolf's hatred for carrying heavy things. "I owe you a large bag of leechy nuts."
Snow-fire growled, as the last of the fire Nations camp supplies stocked up onto her saddle, and then she took off, flying low towards the Hide Out. Ally laughed as Foxy put on a fire nation helmet and began to act stupid and mock the fire lord.
"– yeah, his probably scratching his buttocks at this very moment," Foxy said in a towns idiot kind of tone.
Fang chuckled, "You're so immature."
"Like you're any better!" Foxy, Tig and Spike laughed in union.
Ally laughed at their antics then the laughter on her face froze as she spotted the scene of destruction, the dam had broken and the village no longer existed. "Oh spirits." Tig said looking horrified.
"How…" Fang muttered.
"That's not…" Spike said, looking down at the scene.
"All those people," Foxy whispered shaking her head, "This isn't possible that damn was built ten years ago, it was still new. It had to be sabotaged!" She roared. "Bloody fire nation! I'll kill them!" she yanked the fire nation head gear off and threw it into the air and sliced it in two with a strike of her Katana.
Ally took her mask off and bowed her head in grief and anger at the betrayal, "This isn't fire nation's style. Jet did this."
"How dare you accuse Jet of this!" Foxy roared, pointing her sword at Ally, who stared calmly at the Fox Antelope clayed rebel.
Snow-fire growled.
"Jet used Aang and Katara to bend more water into the reservoir, he knew." Ally said with an eerie silent calm; however her stormy blue eyes held untold fury, like a furious storm cloud. "He manipulated them."
"Don't say another word against Jet! –" Foxy said, waving her sword threateningly.
"I will say what I want against that two headed rat viper!" Ally roared standing up.
Foxy lunged forward with a savage cry of rage, Ally prepared to side step it but suddenly Fang held her in place, Ally couldn't shake him off in time; Foxy's sword slid through Ally's stomach with a sickening noise of metal through flesh.