Chap. 17

A Pair of New Arrivals Part 2

"OK, now if we just stay quiet, we should be able to move though the camp without causing a ruckus." Luz whispered to Jet, as they moved towards the campsite.

"I hope so. This thing is a nightmare in this heat." Jet muttered, as he shifted again under the cloak. After Trueno had explained the situation with Jet and the Warriors to Luz, the fox had first cursed their misfortunes, then come up with a plan to move them all through the camp without a fuss, at least until they could get all this sorted out. To do that, Jet had borrowed Trueno's cloak and hat and wrapped himself in it. It was not a comfortable option in the humid temperatures, but it was better then Jet being recognized, by one person in particular.

"Are you sure she's not around?" Trueno whispered, as the group entered the campsite.

"Positive. Katara went off to show some of the other Waterbenders what she's learned." The fox whispered back. "She'll likely be a while; I don't think there were any Masters in the Southern Tribe before. And most of the soldiers are off training or gathering kindling."

"Oh good." Trueno whispered back.

"What about Sokka?" Suki asked suddenly.

"He's off gathering kindling." Luz answered. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Suki breathed a sigh of relief, as Luz shook her head in exasperation. How could it be that getting new troops could bring so much hassle with it? Katara and Jet was a nightmare in itself, but with the new problems with Suki and Sokka…. Luz didn't even want to think about that. And then there was just the problem of Jet himself. Here was a boy with a fanatical hatred of Firebenders, who had volunteered to be part of an Army that included Firebenders. Trueno had reassured her that Jet fully understood what he was getting into, but Luz just didn't know. She wanted to believe that Jet could get past his hatreds, but saying and doing are two different things, and Jet had not yet demonstrated his new found attitudes. And if his old ones resurfaced….

Sometimes, I wish I was still dead. The fox thought grimly, as the group continued to trudge their way through the camp. Luz lead them through quickly and quietly, eventually reaching a large tent in the center of the camp.

"This is the main war-tent. Oscuridad and the generals spend most of their time here, and it's also where the council meets." Luz explained. Pulling back the main door, she looked inside and said, "Honey, you in here? I'm in the mood for sex."

A millisecond later, a black, furry head poked out of the entrance and said, "Really? You never want to in the middle….. Oh. Hi, Treuno."

"Hi bro. Shall I do the whipped motion now or later?" the ram said with a chuckle.

"When will you stop doing that? Other people could've been in there." Oscuridad said as he trudged out of the tent.

"When you stop falling for it. And it was too quiet for a lot of people to be in there. " Luz answered with a grin. "Hey speaking of that, didn't you and Aang leave for firewood?"

"Yeah, but we found something a lot better." The bat explained. "Luz, we met this family on the western side of the island that farm it for the Fire Lord. Apparently, they hate the Fire Lord as much as we do, and they agreed to help us out. They're going to talk to the other farmers and get them to supply us with food. But better then that, they were housing Guru Pathnik! Aang and I just teleported back to start his Avatar training and to talk it over with the generals and representatives."

"Are you sure about this?" Luz asked. "Won't the Fire Lord notice if we take his food?"

"I thought of that too, but Arik said that they could deal with it. So it looks like we won't have to worry about food anymore."

"Honey, that's great!" Luz said. "What did the generals say?"

"They were reluctant at first." Osc said. "But I told them I didn't sense any lies from them, and they believed it. So it looks like food won't be a problem anymore."

"Wow, and all I did was find Trueno and the warriors." Luz said

Shaking his head, Oscuridad gently kissed his wife on the check and turned to look at his brother and those the ram had brought with him.

"Well done, Trueno." Oscuridad said, as he walked up to Suki. Taking the warrior's hand, he said, "It's good to see you again Suki. I'm glad you and the warriors decided to come."

"It was our honor." Suki replied. "Any chance to rid the world of the Fire Lord is one worth taking. And to be part of something like this…"

"I'm gad to hear it." Oscuriadad said, as he turned his gaze over to the group. But as he looked, his eyes began to narrow.

"Trueno, I seem to recognize these people." The bat said slowly. If memory serves, they were part of the Freedom Fighters. Did you make a detour?"

"No Osc, I found them at the ferry." The ram replied quickly. "They said that they were willing to turn over a new leaf. I wouldn't have brought them here if I believed otherwise."

"They told me their story. I think they deserve a chance." Luz said. "We can't judge them on their past alone."

Oscuridad nodded, then his gaze fell to the figure dressed in Trueno's cloak and hat. The bat stared at this figure long and hard, his gaze seeming to cut through the disguise. Trueno and the others held their breath, as they waited for some sign of what was going through the bat's mind.

"You might have fooled someone else True, but you should've known better then to try to fool me." Osc said suddenly. Reaching up, he suddenly knocked the hat off the figure's head, revealing Jet's face to one and all.

"There is no illusion I cannot see through." The bat hissed as he leaned in close to Jet.

"Osc, I can explain…" Trueno began.

"Save it." Oscuridad snapped. Looking straight at Jet, he asked, "So, are you the one who wants to turn over a new leaf?"

"Yes." Jet replied.

"You know Jet, I find that a bit hard to swallow." The bat said. "After all, I've been alive for a long time, and I've yet to see a leopard change his spots. So tell me why you're really here. Did you hear about us, and decide you wanted a direct shot at the Fire Nation? Is that it? Did you want to make the people here suffer the same way you did?"

"Stop it!" Suki cried out, leaping in front of Jet. "I brought him here all right? And I did it because I believe in him! You haven't been with him for the last three months. He's not the person you knew anymore!"

"Apparently not." Oscuridad said. "But I'm curious Suki, just what has he done to earn this glowing recommendation from you? You are aware of what he's done? How he tried to….."

"I know. And it doesn't matter." Suki said.

The bat was silent a moment, then watched as Jet gently pushed Suki aside and stepped up to Oscuridad.

"I've accepted what I've done. But if you want to stay in the past, that's fine. I'm trying to move forward."

Osc raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything else, another voice suddenly rang out. "Trueno! You're back! And Suki! It's great to see you both!"

At the sound of that voice, Luz and Trueno grimaced, and Jet tried his hardest to be invisible as Katara walked into view. But her happy jaunt quickly slowed into a walk, then into immobility as she saw the person that Oscuridad was talking to. The Freedom Fighter stared look back at the Waterbender with eyes that he hoped look apologetic. But as Luz looked over at Katara, and saw her eyes fill with an all too familiar emotion that did not bode well for Jet. And she also noticed the waterskin that hung at Katara's side……

"You think we got enough?" Sokka asked, as he carried his load of wood.

"If you didn't, I know I did." Hierro answered, his six bundles under his arms.

"Sure, gloat that you have extra appendages." Sokka muttered.

"You know, I could find some magic to get you some of your own." Hierro said with a grin.

"Thanks, but I'd rather have a magic that could get Trueno back here faster."

"You really want to see Suki again don't you?" Hierro asked.

"Is it that obvious?"

"It's the last thing you talk about each night and the first when you wake up." The spider replied.

"Wow, I guess I have been a little overeager." Sokka said. "It's just that, while I haven't seen her in a long time, and I've missed her, and…."

"And you want to make up for Yue." Hierro said suddenly.

Sokka stopped in his tracks and turned to face the spider. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so blunt." Hierro said. "But well, you took what happened with Yue pretty hard. You were assigned to protect her, and even if what happened wasn't your fault, you blamed yourself."

"She wasn't supposed to…"

"No, Sokka she was." Hierro said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "There was nothing you could do. There was nothing anyone could do. Fate is fate, and when it happens, no power on Earth can change it, not even the Avatar or the Elementals. You can't blame yourself for it, and you can't change it with Suki."

"I know that." Sokka said. "And I don't want to change it. I care about Suki, and I want to protect her. I'd feel the same way even if Yue was with us."

Hierro looked at the boy a moment, then nodded. "All right Sokka. If that's what you say, then I believe you. I'm just trying to help."

Sokka nodded, then turned back towards the camp. Hierro sighed, and then followed him. But as the duo approached the camp, they suddenly heard a scream of fury from the campsite. They halted in their tracks and glanced at each other in confusion and worry. A second later, they heard another yell and then a huge stream of water shot from the camp, dragging a figure along with it.

"What in the name of heaven?" Hierro said.

"I think Katara is having a bad day." Sokka said, as he dropped his load of wood and ran into the camp, Hierro following suit. The duo raced towards the figure only to se the water stream rise up again and slam him into a nearby tree. They halted in their tracks, just in time to see Katara burst out of the camp, her face a mask of rage.

"Oh, she's having a very day." Hierro said, as the young Waterbender somehow drew more water out of her skin and began to form ice crystals in the air. But before she could finish, a silver-garbed form leapt out from the side and tackled Katara to the ground.

"Knock it off Katara!" Trueno yelled, as he wrestled with the girl. "Killing him won't solve anything!"

But Katara was not within reasoning. With another scream, she suddenly bucked hard and tossed Trueno off. Quickly leaping back to her feet, Katara reformed her ice crystals and prepared to hurl them towards the figure.

"Katara STOP!" Sokka yelled, as Katara hurled the crystals through the air. Hierro slid in front of the figure and held out his hands, already beginning to reform them into shields. But the action was not needed. Just before the ice crystals came into contact with the spider, they suddenly halted in the air, and melted away.

"Huh?" Hierro said, looking down at the spots of water on the ground. Katara looked on in confusion as well, as Oscuridad and the others came onto the scene.

"What happened here?" the bat asked, looking from his brother to Katara.

"You tell me." Sokka asked. "We just came in and found this craziness happening. Katara, what were you thinking? You can't just go and attack someone like that!"

"My thoughts exactly." Said a voice from the side. Everyone turned to see the figure of Agua emerge from the side.

"Well, that explains that." Oscuridad said.

"Katara, may I ask why you were trying to kill that person?" Agua asked.

"I wasn't trying to kill him, I was…"

"You were shooting icicles at his head. I'd say that counts. Look, I know things went badly between you two, but….."

"He doesn't belong here, and you know it!"

"Will someone tell me what in the name of God is going on here?" Hierro asked.

"Ask Trueno." Katara snapped as she got to her feet. "He brought him here."

"He brought who here?" Hierro asked, turning to see the figure behind him. Sokka followed his gaze, only to gasp in shock.

"Jet?"

"Suddenly, it all makes sense." The spider said.

"Trueno, what possessed you to bring him here?" Sokka asked.

"Actually, I don't think I should tell you." The ram answered.

Sokka gaped at him a moment, but that gape turned into a smile when Suki suddenly pushed her way to the front. Suki took a look at the scene, and suddenly started running over to where Sokka stood. But to his surprise, she ran past him and towards the prone figure of Jet. Grasping him gently, she pulled him to his feet, and began to look him over, a look of strange tenderness in her eyes. Sokka watched in utter puzzlement as Trueno looked away, unable to watch. Because a moment later, Sokka's look of confusion was replaced by something else entirely, as Jet embraced Suki tightly, said a few words of reassurance, and gently kissed her on the cheek.