.: Chapter 12: Ten Weeks After :.
The sun poured into the open alleyway as I strolled through the streets, enjoying my new life. I'd considered getting rid of my old armor for a while, but it held way too many memories. Besides, it was comfortable.
Too bad Smellerbee and Longshot didn't stay with me, I sighed to myself. I bet they'd love it here. There's so much freedom, and I don't even get weird looks anymore.
Something tumbled across the ground, caught by a stray breeze. I picked up the scroll of paper and studied the image printed on it. It was a missing pet ad, and the animal seemed kind of familiar. I looked at it for a while longer, but only fuzzy memories came to my mind. There was no contact information on it, either, except an address.
What if these people know me from before? I asked myself. Don't be silly. I'm not going to their house. If I see them, like this picture of their bison, I should know them. With this thought, I shoved the slip of paper into my back pocket, right below my hook swords, and continued walking. I wasn't in any particular rush – the sky was a clear blue and this section of the city was deserted.
Maybe I can go to that new tea shop; didn't someone say they had the best tea in… Don't I know her? I paused for a second, observing a girl about my age. She had dark skin and a dark brown braid that hung down the back of her blue dress. Her hands were occupied with something on the wall; I took a closer look and found she was putting up another one of the posters I had picked up off the ground.
"Katara," I called, her name springing to my memory like it had broken free of a restraint. With that name came back some unhappy memories of me, frozen to a tree as I risked the lives of innocent people. But I've put that behind me, I reassured myself. She turned around with a startled gasp and a slight blush, and I smiled at her. "I think I can help you."
Her look of surprise switched to a look of outrage in a split second. I saw her arms move up in a giant sweeping motion and the water from a nearby stream rose into the air.
"Katara, I've changed!" I shouted, but the water surrounded me and threw me into a nearby alleyway. I just barely had time to get up before she reappeared, a sphere of water swirling between her hands.
"Tell it to some other girl, Jet!" she retorted, freezing the ball into ice spikes and hurling them at me. I spun around quickly, off balance, and used my hook swords to knock them down.
"I don't want to fight you!" I announced. "I'm here to help." To prove it to her, I raised my hands above my head and let my swords clatter to the ground. She took a step towards me and stopped. I could see the indecision on her face.
I'll just show her the picture I found… the picture of Appa.
I reached behind my back to get the picture, and before I could blink, she'd pinned me to the wall with a second flurry of ice blades. I waited, passive, as she stared at me. Then her friends came rushing up behind her, including Sokka. Once upon a time, his name would have made my blood boil—but it didn't. And that was proof, to me and the world, that I really had changed. Aang was there, too, and some girl I didn't know. She was shorter than Katara and Sokka, with black hair and a fighting look about her.
"Katara, what is it?" Sokka demanded.
She glared at me. "Jet's back." They all stared at me in surprise, and I realized with a prickle of discomfort that their new companion was blind. But I saw her run in here… "We can't trust anything Jet says."
"But we don't even know why he's here," Sokka pointed out. I blinked in astonishment. I guess Sokka's changed, too.
"I don't care why he's here," Katara retorted in a hostile tone. "Whatever the reason is, it can't be good."
Wait a minute, that's not fair! "I'm here to help you find Appa!" I interjected. I opened my right hand and the paper I'd found that morning unrolled in my hand.
Aang turned to look at Katara eagerly. "Katara, we have to give him a chance."
And I have to take mine. "I swear, I've changed," I added earnestly. "I was a troubled person, and I let my anger get out of control. But I don't even have the gang now! I've put all that behind me."
"You're lying!" Katara shook her head bitterly. I stared at her for a long moment. Why won't you trust me? Then her little friend pushed right past her. She put her hands on the wall near my head, and everyone was quiet for a minute.
"He's not lying," she said eventually, and I recognized the accent and her tone. It was Earth Kingdom. They've gotten around.
"How can you tell?" Sokka asked.
"I can feel his breathing and heart beat," she announced. "When people lie, there is a physical reaction. He's telling the truth." The three of them turned to Katara, while I mused over the strange abilities of this blind little girl. Maybe she's not so helpless after all.
"Katara, we don't have any leads," Aang pleaded. "If Jet says he can take us to Appa, we have to check it out."
Katara's shoulders sagged in resignation. "All right," she sighed. She turned back to me, her finger pointed towards my head accusingly and her tone vehement. "But we're not letting you out of our sight!" She stabbed her finger at me again and then turned away, making her way out of the alley.
"Uhhh… a little help here?" I asked politely.
"Oh, right," Aang responded sheepishly. He moved his hand in a circular motion and the ice picks melted away. The other three stood around awkwardly for a moment, and then I led them out of the alleyway after Katara.
"Come on, guys!" I called back, and then turned to face their newest member. "And… uh…"
"Toph," she supplied in a monotone.
"Right," I returned before leading them down the road.
"So… where are we going?" Aang asked after a few moments. We'd caught up with Katara, who had stopped at the mouth of the alleyway, looking lost. She didn't look very happy to be with me at all.
"I have a job near this warehouse. I was walking home one day, and I heard these guys talking about something that sounds a lot like Appa. It's right… here." I found the door to the warehouse and pushed the door open. I felt my spirits sink immediately—the place was empty except for a few sacks and some rope. "This is the place I heard about," I confirmed.
"There's nothing here," Aang cried out unhappily.
"If this is a trap..." Katara growled, facing me and preparing to attack.
"I told you, I work nearby!" I reminded her. "Two guys were talking about some giant furry creature they had. I figured it must be Appa."
"He was here!" Toph called. I turned to stare at her, and found her bent over a clump of white fur. The others rushed over to her side, and Aang petted the clump of fur sadly.
"We missed him," he muttered. I heard a sweeping noise and found its source: an old man with white hair was sweeping up behind Aang.
"They took that big thing yesterday," he croaked. Aang straightened in surprise. "Shipped him out to some island," the man continued. "About time. I've been cleaning up fur and various, uh, leavings all day."
"What island?" Aang called as the man started walking away. "Where's Appa?"
"Foreman said some rich royal type on Whale Tail Island bought him up, guess for a good zoo or such." He paused for a moment. "Though the meat would be good."
"We've got to get to Whale Tail Island," Aang ordered. He turned to Sokka, who already had his nose stuck in a map. "Where's Whale Tail Island?"
"Far," Sokka informed him meekly. "Very far." He laid the map of the world on the ground to show us. "Here it is. It's near the South Pole—almost all the way back home." We kneeled around the map, and my head was buzzing. Maybe they'll let me come… I wouldn't have to fight. Finding Appa is a noble cause, after all.
"Aang," Katara said gently, "It'll take us weeks just to get to the tip of the Earth Kingdom. And then we'll need to find a boat to get to the island."
Aang stood, and I knew he was furious and excited at the same time. I'd felt that before, too. "I don't care," he snapped. "We have a chance to find Appa. We have to try."
"Must be nice to visit an island," the janitor mused as he passed by again. "I haven't had a vacation in years."
"Don't you have some more hair to clean up?" Katara snapped irritably.
"Shuffle on, I get you," the janitor mumbled. "No more need for old sweepy."
Katara turned back to Aang, completely ignoring the old man's ramblings. "You're right Aang." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder… Like a mom would to her son. She can't like him. "Right now, our first concern has to be finding Appa. We can come back when we have him."
Why are they here at all?
"All right," Sokka sighed. "Let's get moving."
"I'll come with you," I offered.
"We don't need your help," Katara shook her head firmly.
"Why won't you trust me?" I asked her forlornly. Sokka and Aang started walking away and I trailed after them, not waiting for her permission.
"Gee, I wonder!" she called from behind me. After a moment of silence, I heard Toph speak.
"Was this guy your BOYFRIEND or something?" I smiled despite myself.
"What? No!"
"I can tell you're lyyying…" Toph taunted, and my smile deepened. I like this girl.
"Come ON, guys!" Sokka called irritably from the head. "This journey's long enough already. We don't need to make it longer!" The two girls scampered up to us and squished their way to our sides. I kept pace with them the entire time we walked through the sunlit streets. Katara didn't protest.
Is she afraid of being called my ex-girlfriend again?
"We can take the train out to the wall," Sokka was saying, "but then we'll have to walk."
"Don't worry! On the way back, we'll be flying!" Aang put in cheerfully.
Toph extended her arms in an exaggerated gesture of relief. "We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se. Worst city EVER!"
I'm not so sure about that…
"Jet!" a voice hollered. Katara again… I muttered to myself, rolling my eyes. I ignored her and kept walking.
"I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore," she continued accusingly. I turned around, confused.
"I don't," I told her again. Where would she get an idea like… Two arms wrapped themselves around my waist and held me tight. I looked down to find Smellerbee clinging to me. She seemed very happy to see me, which I didn't understand at all. How did she get here? What's going on?
"We were so worried!" Smellerbee was saying. "How did you get away from the Dai Li?"
"The Dai Li!" Katara gasped.
"I don't know what she's talking about!" I protested. The entire gang stopped and came closer to us.
"He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago," Smellerbee told them. "We saw them drag him away."
Smells, I finally get them to trust me and you're going around telling lies like this? "Why would I be arrested?" I asked everyone. "I've been living peacefully in the city."
Toph knelt down between us and we waited expectantly. "This doesn't make any sense," she announced. "They're BOTH telling the truth."
"That's impossible," Katara snorted. I'm with you, okay?
"No, it's not," Sokka interrupted. "Toph can't tell who's lying because they BOTH think they're telling the truth." He pointed an accusing finger at me. "Jet's been brainwashed!"
What? "That's crazy!" I protested. "It can't be." They all circled in around me, and I backed away on instinct. Suddenly their friendly faces were cast into diabolical, slanting shadows. "Stay away from me," I commanded. They ignored me and moved closer.
"I told you guys, there is nothing wrong with me!" I snapped. The group simply stood over me in my chair and ignored me. I was seated in my apartment as they tried to figure out what was amiss… as if I didn't already know the answer.
"The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead us, and that janitor was part of their plot too," Katara decided. They all looked at me with suspicion, and I knew that no matter what I said they would never believe me.
"I bet they have Appa here in the city. Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet." Aang turned to look at me. "Where did they take you?" I stared resolutely at the floor.
"Nowhere," I insisted. "I… I don't know what you're talking about." I've been living peacefully in the city. Haven't I? I know I have! No one can brainwash me. I'm too smart to fall for that.
"We need to find a way to jog his real memories," Aang announced. I resisted the urge to glare at him. I don't have a memory problem!
"Maybe Katara could kiss him," Sokka suggested slyly. "That should bring something back."
She flushed, annoyed. "Maybe you should kiss him, Sokka."
Her brother shrugged, clearly not offended. "Hey, just an idea."
"A bad one," Aang muttered, looking extremely angry.
"Oo, wait. I got it." Sokka took a straw from my mattress and shoved it into my mouth.
I knew where he was trying to go with that, but "I don't think it's working," I said. While everyone stared, I spit it out onto the floor. How did I ever find that comforting?
"Try to think of something from your past that triggers your emotions," Toph suggested quietly.
"The Fire Nation," Smellerbee continued, her voice a hushed whisper. "Remember what they did to your family."
"Close your eyes. Picture it."
I don't want to, I don't want to.
But the pictures surfaced against my will.
"Where's my daddy?" I demanded hoarsely. "What did you do to him?"
The soldier who'd kicked at me laughed and pointed to the charred rubble that was once my home. "Your dad's in there, kid. I don't think you'll be seeing him again." Even my eight-year-old brain understood what that meant. Tears burned in my eyes – a thousand times more painful than the flames that had burned in my home. My heart seared with anger. A single scorched cherry blossom twirled through the air and landed on my sleeve. I brushed it off thoughtlessly, my body trembling.
"No!" I protested to them, my eyes firmly shut. The word did the trick, and the image dissipated. "It's too painful," I explained shakily.
"Maybe this will help," Katara murmured; she almost sounded reassuring for a moment. I felt her draw very close to my back, and heard some water swishing through the air. Then a gentle glow filled the sides of my vision, and the room slowly came into focus around me. A very cool, pleasant sensation swirled around in my mind, clearing away the fog.
I watched in amazement as the planks of the floor slowly disappeared, revealing the blue waters of a lake. It was enormous, and it seemed as though it might go on forever. Then I looked further along. I saw a man standing in the middle of the lake.
Long Feng, I remembered. Leader of the Dai Li. He was staring at me as though I were dangerous, and then we plunged into the lake together. I felt as if I were sinking through air. I emerged in a giant chamber, obviously created by Earthbenders. My vision changed again, to a much smaller room. I started to speak, to ask where I was, but I realized my mouth was bound with cloth. A man was standing in front of me, wearing green and gold and a strange hat. I panicked, and struggled to reach my sword, but my hands were tied as well. Then I saw it—the revolving yellow light. It circled my vision again and again, until it was all I could focus on.
The man was speaking now… "There is no war within the walls. Here, we are safe. Here, we are free." Slowly, slowly, his voice faded into the background. The light consumed my vision and my muscles relaxed until I was gone. My eyes fluttered shut, and suddenly there was an explosion of noise around me. I cringed, expecting an attack, but then remembered where I was.
"They took me to a headquarters under the water," I told everyone. "Like a lake."
"Wait!" Sokka cried. "Remember what Joo Dee said? She said she went on vacation to Lake Laogai!"
I jumped to my feet in excitement. "That's it! Lake Laogai."
"Let's go!" Katara announced, pulling at the sleeve of Sokka's shirt in exhilaration.
"How do we know where we're going?" Toph demanded as she followed us in our race down the road.
"Sokka has a map," I reminded her. "You saw it."
"BLIND!" she screamed at me.
"Oh, right."
We arrived at Lake Laogai after a good half hour sprint. Even after a lifetime in the trees, I could barely breathe. A giant pain ripped at my sides, and dots swam in my vision. The rest of the gang and even my Freedom Fighters were breathing hard, but I guess I'd been out of it longer than the rest of them. Every gust of breeze on my face felt like a gift.
"So," Sokka panted, "Where's this secret headquarters?"
"Under the lake… I think." Everyone looked at me sharply and I scratched my head in confusion.
Toph came to my rescue. "There's a tunnel right there near the shore," she told us. She walked away, whistling, and headed straight for the water. I had no clue what she was doing—Isn't she blind?—but before Toph actually touched the water, she jumped in an Earthbending move. A stone pathway sprung up through the water, leading to a raised circle. Toph Earthbended the disc that covered it out of the way.
Satisfied that the path was safe, I led the gang down the pathway and stared down the hole with them. It was pitch black down there, but the rungs of a ladder could be seen faintly marking the sides. Momo flew away, chattering anxiously. I didn't blame him—this place had unpleasant memories for me.
"So who goes in the dark creepy hole to the brainwashing facility first?" Sokka asked.
"Jet," Katara decided instantly. I looked at her, stung that she still wouldn't trust me, and apparently something in my face got to her. "It's just that you know the area better than we do. That's all."
"Sure it is," I muttered. I glanced back at Smellerbee, who nodded in support. Taking a deep breath, I started my descent down the ladder. My shoes made soft noises on the metal rungs, and some of them felt wobbly in the rock wall. "Come on," I called back up to everyone. "It's a little dark, but we should be okay."
"Coming down," Sokka called. I continued on the ladder, one foot after the other in monotonous rhythm.
"Heads up!" Katara's voice echoed down. I looked above me in shock—I STILL couldn't see Sokka. Just how far down is this thing?
"I'm next!" Toph asserted. About twenty steps later, Aang's voice faintly reached my ears, and he joined the ladder brigade. By the time Smells and Longshot got on, I couldn't even hear them anymore and my arms were completely numb. This entire thing is taking forever…
"Jet," Sokka shouted from above, "Smellerbee and Longshot are coming now." I paused and looked up. Sokka's outline was barely visible in the blackness. I've been slowing down? Since when?
"This is taking too long!" Toph shouted. "It'll be three days from now before we even GET to the Dai Li."
"Shhh," Katara chided, her voice slightly closer. "I'm sure Jet didn't get there any faster than we did. How else are we going to get down?"
"I have an idea," Toph returned. I could hear the smile in her voice.
"Toph, what are you—" Katara's whisper was cut off by a giant grating noise. I felt the air whistling around me, but I wasn't moving my hands. I hadn't even let go of the ladder!
"What's going on?" I shouted. No one responded, which meant that no one knew. Suddenly, the grinding noise stopped. My body tried to keep moving downwards, and my weight tugged at my arms until it hurt just to grip the rung. After a few seconds' pause, during which I froze and waited for the noise again, something crushed my head.
"Ow!" I hissed. The pressure disappeared and I looked up to see… Sokka.
"Sorry!" he apologized. "But Toph says we can go down now. I think you're right near the bottom anyway." He looked down at a point just past me, and I followed his example. Sure enough, there was the floor. The familiar strange green glow that emanated from the crystals greeted me. I released my death grip on the rungs and landed on the balls of my feet.
"What did she DO?" I breathed. Sokka landed with a thump next to me. Katara fell next. I caught her out of decency, but she pulled away from me as soon as possible. She's in my past, anyway, I thought gruffly, though her rejection still hurt.
"If you try to catch me," Toph announced, "I will attack you." She landed heavily on the ground, followed by Aang (who, of course, Airbended gracefully down), Smellerbee, and Longshot. He's quiet even when he's falling, I observed ruefully. "And in case you're curious, I simply rotated the earth chamber so that the part of the ladder that we were on was on a different part of the wall. Then, I just let us fall."
"Give us some warning next time," Katara suggested balefully.
"Come on, guys," I ordered. They fell back without a word of protest, and why should they have challenged me? I had been here before, not them. We rounded the corner of our narrow hallway and walked down a flight of stairs into the main corridors. Everywhere we looked, green crystals gave eerie light to this place. "It's all starting to come back to me," I whispered. I headed over to a nearby open door and peered inside.
It was a room full of strange women with identical smiles and identical clothing. They looked like puppets, or dolls, and it sent a shiver up my spine. In front of them stood one Dai Li agent who was grinning.
"We chose him because he has the perfect smile," Long Feng had told me as I'd been forced by this room. I moved on now with a shudder, but their peculiar voices echoed down the hall after me.
"I'm Joo Dee," the man announced. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se."
"I'm Joo Dee," the women repeated in perfect unison. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se."
"We are so lucky to have our walls to create order," he continued. I could picture the smile on his face.
"We are so lucky to have our walls to create order," they mimicked. I brushed off their voices with a shake of my head.
"I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa up ahead…" I stopped in front of a large stone door. "I think it's through here."
"How're we gonna—" Sokka began, but Toph moved forward and used Earthbending to get the job done. "Oh, right," he finished sheepishly. We entered the dark cave together, unsure of what to expect.
Something about this doesn't…
The stone door that seemed to be our only way out slammed shut. I never finished the thought.
We were plunged into pitch blackness for a split second, but then those strange crystal lights came to life again.
But how did the door… Long Feng.
I saw him standing there, looking at us without interest. The man who had taken my memory, something more precious than my family and my friends and even my Freedom Fighters. I'll destroy him.
"Now that's something different," Sokka proclaimed. He was looking up; I saw the Dai Li agents hanging from the ceiling or even gripping it with their strange rock gloves. He wants to fight us.
"You have made yourselves enemies of the state," Long Feng told us grimly. "Take them into custody."
I pulled out my hook swords and waited for the inevitable charge. I picked out two of them in the crowd and rushed. They tried to hit back with stone fists but it was useless; I knocked them clean out of the air. I slid right past the first one, my heart pounding, and tripped the second with my sword. He fell, hard, and I scrambled to my feet.
I headed towards another pair of Dai Li; they were sneaking up on Longshot while he was taking down some of their friends. I leapt on the first guy's back with a shout. He cried out in surprise and dropped. His friend turned to stare at me with hostility and grabbed the neck of my armor with a rocky fist.
"I don't need Earthbending to take care of you," he breathed. I tried to pull away, but I couldn't break free of the rock. I saw his fist whizzing through the air, aiming right for my nose. Instinctively I flinched, waiting for the pain, but it never came.
His grip loosened and I fell to the floor beside him. There was only one difference between the two of us: I was still breathing. I got to my feet again, dazed; it took my brain a second to register what I was seeing. It was an arrow, sticking out of the Dai Li's back. I looked over at Longshot and found his eyes blazing at me. Then the battle called my attention again and Iran off.
My eyes focused on Toph, maybe because I wasn't sure how she'd do in this fight. But I didn't have to worry about her, because she was Earthbending like it was nobody's business. Only two agents stood before her, and one behind her. She dispatched the two before her with blocks of stone, but the one behind her shot out a rock fist that latched onto the back of her shirt.
Oh no you don't, I shouted to myself. The rock fist was pulling her away from me and I acted fast, running and jumping into the air. For one terrifying second I thought we would collide, but I flew right behind her. I reached out with one of my swords and hooked it around her, pulling her from the stone's grip. A strange whistling noise sounded behind us, but it was cut short. On the ground next to us as we landed was Longshot with an empty bow. He'd taken out a rock fist meant to grab us.
Two more Dai Li rejoined the one that Longshot and I had foiled. They shot three stone fists at Longshot, who still didn't have his bow ready. I leapt in front of him and knocked them out of the air without a second thought.
"Thanks," Toph panted, her voice rough. I got the feeling she didn't have to thank people too often.
"No problem," I replied. I turned back to Longshot to say something, but he was already gone, fighting side by side with Smellerbee. Toph ran off, too, and I started to follow her when something stopped me cold.
"Long Feng's escaping!" Aang shouted.
He's not going to get very far, I promised, and took off after Aang. We rushed through the now-open doorway and down the hallway. I saw the tail of his outfit as it rounded a corner and led us into a room filled with open pipes. But Long Feng was nowhere to be seen. I ran into the room anyway, which went against all of my woodsy instincts.
And there was a good reason I had those instincts—Long Feng dropped from the ceiling, landing behind us with a THUMP. Once again, he sealed our exit and any hope of escape.
"Alright, Avatar," Log Feng rumbled threateningly. "You've caused me enough problems. This is your last chance, if you want your bison back."
"You DO have Appa," Aang roared. "Tell me where he is!"
"Agree to exit the city now, and I'll waive all charges against you and allow you to leave with your lost pet."
I raised my swords threateningly. "You're in no position to bargain."
You are in a position to beg for a mercy that will never come.
"Am I not?" he sniffed haughtily.
"You're DEFINITELY not," Aang asserted.
"Jet." Long Feng turned to me and I tensed. "The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." At those words, my mind went carefully and coolly blank. The only thing that remained in my head was the perfect response.
"I am honored to accept his invitation."
A cool voice entered my head. Attack.
My body responded without a second prompting. It whirled and started for Aang, slashing out towards his neck with both swords. I stared in horror and tried to shout out, but my mouth wouldn't move. My body rushed towards him again, a feral cry of anger ripping from its mouth. Aang backed away for a second time.
Coward, the cool voice hissed. He's a coward. Why are you fighting this? If you help, we can destroy him that much faster.
I don't WANT to destroy him. Long Feng's the evil one here! Attack him!
No. Don't you see? HE'S the one. HE turned Katara against you. HE made Sokka ruin your hope for the future. HE'S the reason your life was destroyed. And while he ruined everything you ever worked for, he sat there and ate your food and pretended to like you. But he doesn't. You had Katara, and he wanted her, and he destroyed you to get her. Now you're falling apart, and it's all his fault.
All… his… fault…
Hidden reserves of anger rushed up within me—I might not have had control of my body, but I could still feel. The voice in my head leaped gleefully on the anger, relishing the extra power. It renewed its attack on Aang with more force than ever, and this time I jumped on for the ride. My anger fueled the monster within, making it stronger. I tried to shout with fury at him, tell him why I was attacking, but I couldn't. Even with the rage, the voice was still in control.
And I didn't like it.
"Jet, it's me Aang!" he shouted desperately, backing away from my hook swords again. "You don't have to do this!"
I can't let this thing take control. I can take Aang on all by myself.
"I'm afraid he no longer has a choice," Long Feng told him.
More anger rushed up at HIS voice than at Aang's. I tried to use it to redirect the voice, but it didn't work.
Attack. The voice was colder than ever, as if it were upset at my resistance.
NO!
Attack, it repeated, but I kept my grip on my muscles. I felt my body breathing hard, preparing for its next move. I tried to reach out, tried to seize the muscles and keep it from assaulting my friend again.
ATTACK, the voice blared in my head. I wasn't prepared for the strength of its message, and lost everything that I had gained. My body swung back into motion and shouted in triumph. But I could tell as it ducked, weaved, and dodged as it tried to stop Aang. I could tell it was getting tired. Aang shot at me with a blast of air. My hands dragged my swords along the ground and they sparked, slowing my progress.
"Jet, I'm your friend!" Aang shouted. "Look inside your heart!"
I know! I cried out miserably. And I'm trying! Don't you understand?
"Do your duty, Jet," Long Feng commanded.
I hate you! I screamed, but my body took another step towards Aang, raising my swords as I watched from the sidelines.
I was powerless to stop it.
"He can't make you do this!" Aang gasped. "You're a Freedom Fighter!"
The voice seized for a moment as a rush of happiness and pride flooded my system. I knew its weakness then—called up every memory of my past that I could remember.
Smellerbee showed off her swords in front of her old tent, a dagger clenched in her teeth…Pipsqueak and The Duke sat together, talking…I came closer to Katara, inhaling the scent of flower petals…The Freedom Fighters cheered; we'd driven the Fire Nation out of the village at last…Smellerbee and Longshot were the only ones left after I collapsed…Lee and his Uncle were always mysterious…The passengers of the ferry stared up at me like I was a hero, but I was no hero…Long Feng's losers dragged me away and robbed me of my past…
The images started to blend together and the voice was completely paralyzed, utterly overwhelmed. Warmth settled in my chest and forced the blackness out. I shoved it in a box in the deep recesses of my mind, forever mastered and never again to be disturbed.
"Do it! Do it now!" Long Feng commanded. The hairs on my arms stood on end at his voice.
With pleasure.
I snarled and turned around, launching one of my hook swords at his head. The air screamed as the blade sliced through it, narrowly missing Long Feng. It embedded itself in the wall and Long Feng shifted. A giant dust cloud rose up, obscuring my vision. Aang's shocked and happy face disappeared. Everything disappeared, including the head of my most hated enemy.
I froze, waiting. What is he doing? By the time I figured it out, it was too late. An enormous weight crashed into my chest. My lungs spat up all the air they could hold and my body erupted in pain. I crumpled to the floor, unable to support myself. With every faint rising and falling of my chest, a stabbing hurt entered my rib cage region.
My eyes were forced to focus on the ceiling. I heard Aang try and fail to end Long Feng, but I didn't mind.
No one is going to stop him but me.
And I will never get that chance.
Aang came to my side, and I knew he was aching with the disappointment at not finding Appa. "I'm sorry, Aang," I breathed weakly. The words hurt, but the truth of them hurt more. I WAS sorry. Sorry I couldn't help him find his bison, sorry I blamed him for everything, sorry I'd taken Katara away from him when I didn't deserve her, sorry I'd sacrificed people, sorry I'd harbored hatred for so long. I was so sorry for so many things, and now when it mattered most, it hurt too much to admit.
"Don't be," he reassured me.
But I always will.
I heard the door slide open and the shocked gasps of my other friends. Their footsteps pounded towards me and they circled me. Katara fell to her knees and I stared at her out of the corner of my eyes. I never wanted to forget her. I loved her, no matter how much I pushed her aside for other things, no matter how much pain I'd caused her. I loved her, and once I finished memorizing her face, I could carry her with me forever.
"This isn't good," she murmured, turning to the others. Her hands were glowing with water, but I could feel the hurt. I could feel the pain. No water, however magical, would help me now.
"You guys go find Appa," Smellerbee whispered. "We'll take care of Jet."
"We're not going to leave you," Katara protested. For a second, I had delusions that she wanted to stay with me. But I was not her focus—it was my Freedom Fighter Smellerbee, who was going to risk everything for me.
I didn't deserve that, either.
"There's no time. Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader."
Longshot's voice shook my body to its core. I clenched my eyes for a moment, forcing the tears away. I still don't deserve this. He finally rejoins me after I realize I don't deserve it.
They were all staring across the way at Longshot, but he stared down at me. I read his eyes, and his conflicted feelings. He was still angry, but I was his leader. I read something else, too, and it hurt too much to think about.
"Don't worry, Katara," I murmured to her. I stared at her for a long moment. "I'll be fine." I smiled weakly at her and waited, perhaps in the hope that she would say something to me. Instead, she closed her eyes in obvious pain and got up, following her friends out of the room.
As Smellerbee began to weep, I heard Toph whisper something across the room. It echoed and rebounded, and eventually reached my ears.
"He's lying."
A/N: Well, I'm back! Sorry for the long delay with the story, guys. February has been a not so hot month for me. Friend drama, schoolwork piling up, family issues, economy problems... the list goes on and on. Though I can say, frankly, that nothing seems to compare to what Jet went through just now.
Anyways, here's an extra long chapter just for being so awesome. And now all that remains is the epilogue. Yup! It's almost over. Who's sad to say byebye to Jet? I am, at least. :'(