Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Water, earth, fire, air… Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But, when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years passed and the new Avatar, and air-bender named Aang, was discovered. Now travelling by his side are Katara and Sokka of the southern water tribe, the blind earth-bender, Toph, and Ashlynn: an ex-member of the Fire Nation, and Prince Zuko's lifelong companion…
Ashlynn smiled down at the paper before her as she admired her newest piece of art. She grasped its sides and held it upward so she could see each line better. She felt her back stretch as she propped herself up onto her elbows, and let her feet wiggle in the air behind her. "Look, Sokka," she pestered triumphantly, and tilted her picture of Appa so Sokka could see it.
Sokka wrinkled his nose and furrowed his eyebrows as he surveyed the picture. He looked down at his own, and then back at Ashlynn's, and scowled as he crumpled his paper and tossed it to the side. "Since you're quite the artist, why don't you do all the drawing? That way I can spend my time relaxing," he said as he watched Ashlynn withdraw the paper from him.
"Your art looks fine," Ashlynn lied as her eyes scanned the various papers strewn across the floor. She placed her paper neatly by its side, and then rolled over onto her back and let out a small stretch. "It doesn't have to look perfect you know. Just so long as people can tell it's a massive, furry bison with an arrow on its head," she said as she watched Sokka grasp another sheet of paper and begin to scribble on it.
The front door swung open, and Aang and Katara stepped through with grins on their faces. Ashlynn rolled over onto her stomach and grasped a nearby pillow to rest her arms and head on as she stared up at Aang and Katara, awaiting their verdict. Sokka paid them no attention as he continued to furiously draw more lines and circle on the piece of paper before him.
"We found a printer to make our posters," Katara announced as she held out a picture before them. It had a near flawless drawing of Appa on it, with a small description of him below. Ashlynn frowned as she looked down at the picture she'd worked so hard to draw, and began to compare it with the picture Katara had produced. She folded her picture neatly and tucked it beneath her pillow, unwilling to compete with the more professional picture.
"I thought designing the posters was the job for Ash and I? We've been working all day on it!" Sokka argued. He lifted up his newest 'masterpiece' and displayed it before his companions in an attempt to gather their favor and compliments. He glanced at Ashlynn and gave her a small wink. She shook her head in disbelief, and shoved her picture further underneath the pillow.
"Sokka, I know you might not remember much about the flying bison we've been travelling with for months, but you should at least remember that the arrow is on his head," Aang fumed as he shot down any hope Sokka had of getting his picture to be the one that they'd hang up around town.
"That is his head, Aang," Sokka frowned as he looked down at his paper. He withdrew his paper slightly as Katara stepped forward to get a better look of his picture.
Katara snorted before she asked, "Why are feet coming out of his head?" She grasped the paper, but Sokka quickly pulled it from her hand. She took a step back, and continued to chuckle lightly.
"Those are his horns," Sokka defended instantly. He brought his paper into his lap, and looked down at it. Ashlynn felt sorry for him as she watched his face fall slightly. "I haven't seen him in a while, okay?"
"It looks just like him to me," Toph spoke suddenly. She hadn't taken a moment to look in Sokka's direction, but instead had stayed perfectly still as she rested upon her back and stared up at the ceiling above her. Ashlynn couldn't help but laugh, since Toph couldn't see the picture at all, due to her blindness.
Sokka recognized her sarcasm after a moment too. He scowled at Toph as he demanded, "Why do you feel the need to do that?"
"Let's just stick with the professional picture," Katara suggested. She jumped away from Sokka as he spontaneously tore his picture out of frustration. He glared up at his sister, and she returned an innocent smile and a small wave.
Ashlynn stood up and began to pick up all the stray sheets of paper, and all the scattered pieces of what was once a full paper. She crumpled them all into a ball, and tossed it into their designated garbage bin. She turned around to face her companions and said, "Alright, let's get started."
Ashlynn spent the afternoon flying around parts of Ba Sing Se on her glider with Aang. Together, they dropped hundreds of posters of Appa down into the city below. When people walked the streets, they'd see Appa's face peering up at them from the ground below.
Ashlynn watched as a breeze carried one poster across all the buildings, off into the distance. She smiled lightly as she realized the wind could help carry the posters all over Ba Sing Se. She brought her head forward, and felt the wind, and began to wait patiently for it to grow a little stronger. When she felt the speed of the winds pick up, she dropped the papers behind her. She turned her glider over and laid her back against it. Then, she curled her legs inwards and shot them back out instantly, and sent a stronger gust of air after the papers. She grinned as she watched the air hit the papers with such force that they were carried well out of sight.
When she and Aang had run empty of their posters, they flew back to their home in the upper ring. Aang could barely contain his excitement as he burst through the door and interrupted the game that Katara and Sokka were playing. They jumped in unison, slightly startled at Aang's noisy entrance. Ashlynn landed outside the door, and folded her glider as she followed Aang inside. She swept a few beads of sweat from her forehead, and collapsed on the nearest couch, dropping her glider to the floor in front of her.
"We dropped our posters all over town! Has anyone come with news about Appa?" Aang exclaimed enthusiastically as he sprinted over to Katara and Sokka. He sat down beside them, eager and excited like a puppy that was about to bed fed a treat. Katara sighed as she said, "It's only been a day Aang. Be more patient." Aang sulked as she rested his head on the table in disappointment.
Ashlynn was feeling slightly impatient about Appa as well, but she knew it'd take more than a day to find him, even with the papers out. She kicked her moccasins off, and curled up on the couch. Her eyes shot towards the door as she heard a rapid knock coming from outside. Aang, thinking it was someone who had news of Appa, immediately sped towards the door.
Ashlynn groaned with disgust as she recognized Joo Dee at the door. She had thought that Joo Dee was gone for good, and had been replaced with a different woman named Joo Dee. Instead, the same, gleeful woman stood in the doorway and grinned down at Aang.
"Joo Dee?" Aang questioned curiously. Sokka and Katara glanced at one another worriedly, and stood up to take up a spot behind Aang and hear what Joo Dee had to say. Toph walked over to the door as well.
"Hello Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Ashlynn," Joo Dee smiled, and gave a small wave over in Ashlynn's direction. Ashlynn's companions peered over their shoulders to acknowledge Ashlynn's presence. She gave a light wave, and listened intently at what Joo Dee had to say.
"I thought you were in jail?" Sokka questioned. Joo Dee giggled as she said, "Jail? Of course not!"
"That doesn't make sense; you disappeared after the Earth King's party," Toph reminded her. Joo Dee shook her head, and corrected Toph, "No no- I simply took a short vacation at Lake Laogai. It's out in the country, and it was quite relaxing."
Ashlynn felt there was something that Joo Dee wasn't telling them, or perhaps she was exaggerating the truth. Even if she had vacationed to a lake, that wouldn't explain why she had been replaced with another woman with the name Joo Dee. Ashlynn figured it was too significant to be coincidental. She got up from her couch and approached Joo Dee, and said, "They replaced you with another woman named Joo Dee. Why?"
Joo Dee looked taken aback, but maintained her fake smile as she countered, "I'm Joo Dee." Ashlynn sighed at her revealing of the obvious.
"More importantly- why are you here?" Aang interrupted. Joo Dee turned to Aang and handed him one of his posters of Appa. "Dropping and hanging up posters is not permitted within the city unless you have proper clearance," Joo Dee declared.
"Look, we can't wait around to get permission for every little thing we do," Sokka argued.
"You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters," Joo Dee said, never failing to drop her smile. Ashlynn took a step back as she watched Aang step directly in front of Joo Dee. Now, he was angry enough that steam could've been coming from his ears.
"We don't care about your rules, and we're not asking permission!" Aang fumed, and Joo Dee took a step back. She'd finally managed to lose her goofy grin, and she was clearly at a loss for words. Aang continued to rage upon her, "We're finding Appa on our own and you should just stay out of our way!" When Joo Dee had finally stepped out of the doorway, Aang furiously slammed the door in her face and balled his hands into fists as he tried to calm down.
"That might come back to haunt us you know," Sokka contemplated aloud.
"I don't care. From now on we're doing whatever it takes to find Appa," Aang declared, still angered by Joo Dee's attempts to make their search for Appa a futile one. Toph cheered, more eager than ever to break all and any rule of Ba Sing Se.
Ashlynn contained her protests, and felt her temples pound with stress as she spun around to fetch her pack and her glider. She swung her bag over one shoulder, and grasped her glider with her free hand. She rubbed her palms against her temples, and then her ears, in an attempt to rid herself of the incessant pounding. When she'd managed to suppress the pain momentarily, she trailed after her companions as they departed from their home.
"We should split up to cover more areas. Toph, you can come with me. Ashlynn, you go with Katara. I'll take the right half of this area; you two can take the left half. Aang can cover any extra ground on his glider," Sokka declared as he divided the posters of Appa evenly between the three groups. Their next idea was to plaster the posters to every wall in sight, rather than just dropping them down below.
Ashlynn split her stack in half and gave the second half to Katara. They waved goodbye to their other companions, and began to hang the posters upon every empty wall that they passed.
The roads were unusually empty, especially for it being midday. Yet, Ashlynn was grateful for the peace and quiet. No one could interrupt her as she worked to glue every poster upon every wall. She found herself keeping track of how many she'd hung up, and on what color each wall was. Ba Sing Se didn't have a lot of color, but it at least had various shades of white, light brown, and green. Most of the walls were dirty from old age, and some had cracks in them. Ashlynn pondered silently as to why no earth benders had taken the time to tidy up its own buildings.
The sky was free of clouds, and the sun beat down heavily on the necks of Ashlynn and Katara. Despite how long they'd been away from either of the poles, Katara had still failed to grow accustomed to the direct heat of the sun. Ashlynn suspected it was because she'd grown up in the South Pole all her life. Ashlynn, however, enjoyed the feeling of her skin absorbing the heat. It gave her a warm feeling that helped keep her sane and comfortable.
Ashlynn glanced over at Katara as she hung up a single poster upon a white wall on one side of the courtyard they were in. She swept the sweat from her forehead, and pressed the edges of the picture roughly against the wall, and then stepped back to admire her work. When she was satisfied that it wouldn't fall, she began to move further down the wall to place her next picture up.
Then, a familiar voice spoke from behind them, "Katara, Ashlynn!"
Ashlynn spun around at the same time as Katara did, and was more than surprised to see Jet standing several feet away from them. He approached them without hesitation, and it seemed as though he were almost eager to see them again. Ashlynn scowled at Jet as he came closer as she recalled the far-off memories that entailed his irrational behavior in their previous encounters. "Jet, what do you want?" Ashlynn snarled.
"I think I can help you two," Jet responded coolly. He stopped three feet away from them, and flipped his hair back in a less-than-humble way. The breeze rustled through his thick brown hair, and carried a slight stench over to Ashlynn's nostrils that were somehow unfamiliar. She'd grown used to the smells of Ba Sing Se, but the aroma he carried about him caused her to think he hadn't been in the city for long.
Jet jumped a step back as Katara suddenly charged forward at him, throwing her arms up and casting bucketfuls of water in Jet's direction. Ashlynn's eyes darted to the side as she watched the nearby water being sucked dry from the wooden barrels, and instead flew directly at Jet. "Katara, I've changed!" Jet cried out, but it didn't save him from the massive wave that soon crashed directly into his chest.
"I'll go find the others- keep him at bay!" Ashlynn yelled to Katara. Katara nodded, and ran after Jet to get in closer range of him. Ashlynn turned back down the nearest alleyway, and began to run towards Sokka's designated portion of the city.
"Sokka!" Ashlynn shouted out as she ran through different courtyards, peering down every alleyway she saw. She stopped suddenly when she spied Toph down one alleyway. "Toph!" Ashlynn said, and ran to meet up with her. She slowed down when she neared her friend and asked, "Where's Sokka?"
"What's going on?" came Sokka's voice as he exited from the building on Ashlynn's left side. He wiped his palms against his pants, and Ashlynn noticed that he hadn't anymore posters. Thus, it was more than okay to drag him back to his sister.
"Follow me," Ashlynn responded, and ran back up the alleyway. She made a sharp turn, and then continued to guide Sokka and Toph back to Katara. After several moments, Aang landed beside them and shut the wings of his glider. Ashlynn ignored his questions as she hurriedly guided them back to where she'd last seen Katara.
"Katara?" Ashlynn hollered when she reentered the courtyard. She heard Katara's voice from a distance say, "Over here!" After determining the direction of her voice, Ashlynn guided her companions to a nearby alleyway where Katara had Jet pinned against the furthest wall. Katara stood several feet from him, but used her bending to keep several icicles wedged into the edges of his clothing, and jammed against the stone wall.
"What's going on?" Aang questioned as he and the others caught up to Ashlynn.
"Jet's back," Katara growled as she kept a stern focus on Jet. Jet remained silent as Sokka and Aang averted their gaze to look upon Jet. Ashlynn eyed him up and down as well, and moved in closer to pick up his weapons that lay beside him in the dirt. She tossed them next to Katara, and took a few steps back. That way, if he tried to retaliate, he'd have to resort to hand-to-hand combat.
"We can't trust anything he has to say to us!" Katara shouted, still determined to keep her eyes locked upon Jet's face. She kept her arms out before her aggressively, ready to bend more water at him if he tried to attack or escape.
"Katara, we don't even know why he's here," Sokka groaned as he loosened his posture. He lowered his weapon, and waited for Katara to let Jet go.
"I don't care why he's here. Whatever the reason is, it can't be good," Katara argued. Ashlynn figured that Katara's motives for being so hostile were justified because of their past experiences with Jet. However, Ashlynn was still curious as to what it was that Jet wanted, and she wished Katara would let him speak.
"I'm here to help you find Appa!" Jet interrupted. Ashlynn shot a glance in Aang's direction to gauge his opinions about Jet before he responded. She knew he was desperate to find Appa, and thus would take any risks and trust anyone that could provide him with information, no matter how small.
"Katara, we have to give him a chance!" Aang implored. Katara tensed up, and began to mull over Aang's request. Ashlynn placed a hand on Aang's shoulder in means of comfort as they awaited a verdict from Katara.
"I swear to you, I've changed! I admit, I was a troubled person, and I let my anger get out of control. I've put everything behind me now, though. I don't even have the gang anymore!" Jet exclaimed as he patiently waited for Katara to release him from his icy bonds. Ashlynn removed her hand from Aang's shoulder, and took a step forward to be beside Katara. She tilted her head and stared into Katara's eyes pleadingly. Katara shot her one glance, and then ignored her, and returned her gaze to Jet.
"You're lying!" Katara shouted after a moment of contemplation. She jabbed the air with one finger in Jet's direction to emphasize her accusations. Ashlynn shook her head disappointedly, and stepped away from Katara. She looked at the dirt below her and muttered, "What if he's not, Katara? This could be the only lead we'll get in finding Appa."
Katara remained silent and instead watched as Toph walked before her, and up to Jet. She quivered for a moment, suspicious that Toph would set Jet free. She balled her hands into fists, prepared to strike if Jet fought or tried to flee. However, Toph merely placed a single palm against the cold stone beside Jet. After a few moments she said, "He's not lying."
"How can you tell?" Sokka questioned, and walked towards Toph. He stood beside her, and placed a hand on the wall too. Yet, it didn't appear to make him feel any different about Jet was saying. He removed his hand from the wall and looked down at Toph.
"I can feel his breathing and heartbeat," Toph responded. She let her arm fall back to her side, and she turned to face Katara. "When people lie, there's a physical reaction. He's telling the truth," she stated.
Aang stepped in front of Katara, and turned to face her directly. His stern gaze bored upwards into her eyes, and he proclaimed, "Katara- we don't have any leads! If Jet says he can take us to Appa, we have to give him the benefit of the doubt."
Katara sighed dejectedly, and looked past Aang and at the ground. She thought about the situation for a single moment, and then looked up at Ashlynn as she approached Katara cautiously. Katara frowned and said, "Alright, as long as we don't let him out of our sight." Ashlynn nodded in agreement, and gave her a small smile. Katara maintained her frown as she lifted a single arm and turned the icicles into pure water. The water instantly soaked Jet's clothes, and he shook the stray droplets from his hands.
"I work at this store not far from here. I heard two guys talking about a large, white animal that they were keeping in the shelter next door. It's fairly large- large enough to hold Appa. I know that's where they're keeping him," Jet declared confidently. He stepped towards the group, and Katara instinctively took a step back. The rest of the group, however, remained where they stood.
"Alright, take us there, then," Ashlynn requested. Jet smiled lightly, and nodded. He took a position at the head of the group, and guided them out the alleyway. Katara took the rear of the line, however, so that she was as far away from Jet as she could get.
"This is the place," Jet announced as they approached a decaying building made of weakened wood. It looked as though it'd collapse at any given moment. It smelled of hay, and of pigs and other farm-animals. Yet, it did look large enough to hold Appa, although no sounds that the sky-bison would make were emitting from the barn.
Jet opened the doors, and stepped inside. Ashlynn followed him closely behind, and scanned the barn instantly for Appa. She was disappointed to find that it was entirely empty, aside a single old man who was raking away the bundles of stray hay that were scattered around the interior. Not a single animal was to be found inside the shelter.
"There's nothing here," Aang complained as he walked around the shed. He kicked up some pieces of hay in frustration, and turned around to face Jet. He frowned, and waited for Jet to explain himself.
"If this is a trap…" Katara began to accuse. Jet quickly interjected, "I already told you- I work nearby! I overheard two guys talking about a giant furry creature they had. I assumed it was Appa."
Ashlynn blocked out their voices as they continued to bicker, and she began to kick at the hay as well. As she kicked a bundle of hay, a clump of white hair became visible through the straw. She grasped a handful of it, and ran her fingers through it. There was no denying that it was Appa's fur. She turned around and exclaimed, "Appa was here!" Aang quickly bounded to her side and tugged the hair from her hands. He felt it for a moment, and then smiled as he realized it was a small piece of Appa that was left behind.
"They took that big thing yesterday," the old man grumbled as he swept more hay out of the center of the barn. The whole team turned around to listen to the elder man. He cleared his throat and said, "They took him out to some island. 'Bout time too; I've been cleaning up fur and various, er, 'leavings' all day."
Aang dashed over to aged man and rapidly asked, "What island? Where's Appa?" Aang tugged on the man's sleeve impatiently. The man shouldered him off and turned around slowly as he tried to recall the name of the island that Appa had been sent to. He pressed a washcloth to his head and said, "Some rich folk bought him for a zoo or somethin'. I think it was on some sort called 'Whale Tail Island."
"Sokka get the map," Ashlynn urged, and nudged Sokka's arm. She peered over his shoulder as he withdrew his map from the bag he had. He unraveled the map and began to scan it for 'Whale Tail Island'. "Ah, there!" Ashlynn pointed out after a moment, and stuck a finger on top of a small shred of land near the bottom of the map. She and Sokka groaned in unison as they realized it was all the way back towards the South Pole.
"Where's Whale Tail Island?" Aang inquired, and he looked over at Ashlynn and Sokka hopefully. Sokka sat down on the stone floor and spread the map out for all of them to see. Aang excitedly sat down and looked at the map as he waited for someone to point out the island.
"It's pretty far, Aang," Ashlynn answered reluctantly. However, it seemed like Aang didn't care what the distance was. All that mattered to him was getting Appa back, no matter what it took or how long it took to do it.
"Very far," Sokka said. He pointed at the island and said, "It's right here, almost all the way back to the South Pole."
"Aang, listen to reason. It'd take us weeks just to reach the tip of the Earth Kingdom on foot," Katara pleaded. She stared up at Aang as he got up from the floor and then she said, "Then we'll need to find a boat that'd be willing to take us to that island. For all we know, Appa could move before we get there."
"I don't care," Aang retorted. He avoided eyed contact with Katara as he declared, "We have a chance to find Appa. It's our first and only lead! We have to take this opportunity and try to get him back."
Ashlynn stood up next and nodded at Aang. He raised his eyebrows as he listened for her comments. "Aang's right. Our first priority needs to be finding Appa. We've all seen what it's like without him. We might have to wait several weeks before being with him again, but it's better than never seeing him again. We can come back to Ba Sing Se once we have him back," Ashlynn affirmed. Aang relaxed slightly, and smiled at her thankfully. She winked at him in return, and turned around to wait for a response from the rest of the group.
"We'd better get moving then," Sokka said as he stood up. Katara and Toph swiftly followed his example. Jet ran up beside them, eager to become a part of the team. "I'll help," he offered cheerfully.
"We don't need your help!" Katara snarled. Ashlynn rolled her eyes and followed Sokka out of the shelter, leaving Jet and Katara to sort out their bickering. Toph was left in the midst of it.
The streets of the marketplace were a lot busier than they had been earlier in the day. People all around were bargaining for various foods, clothes, and work tools. The sun had travelled high into the sky, and many people had taken refuge in the shade. Ashlynn wove in and out of the groups of people that littered the streets, trying her best to keep up with Sokka and the rest of the group.
"We can at least take the train to the outer wall, but from there on we're going to have to walk," Sokka shouted to his companions, trying to beat the incessant chattering of the groups of people around them. Ashlynn apologized to several people as she bumped into them, still trailing at the rear of her party. After a moment of walking, however, Sokka turned down a path that was nearly empty. The sounds of the crowds were soon left behind.
"Look at the bright side. We get to fly on our way back here!" Aang exclaimed cheerfully. Ashlynn ran up beside Sokka as soon as the crowds disappeared, and walked at the same speed as he. The rest of the group trailed behind them. Toph commented, "We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se- Worst city ever!"
Seconds after Toph's comment, another girl's voice was heard from behind, "Jet!"
Katara, Ashlynn, and Jet all turned around together in one swift motion. Smeller Bee and Long Shot had just departed the alleyway that the group had just passed by. Ashlynn was more than surprised to see them, since Jet had announced that he didn't travel with his old companions anymore.
Katara was having the same thoughts. "I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore?" Katara spat, and she placed her hands upon her hips. Her eyes bore into Jet as she watched him stared back at Smeller Bee and Long Shot. Apparently, he was just as shocked to see them, too.
"I don't!" he stammered. He remained still, petrified, as Smeller Bee and Long Shot ran over to greet him. "We were so worried!" Smeller Bee cried quietly as she threw her arms about Jet. He tried to move away from her, but was unsuccessful. Instead, he simply did not return the gesture. After an awkward moment, she pulled away from him.
"How did you get away from the Dai Li?" she asked worriedly. Her eyes popped as everyone around her went into a state of chaos and confusion. Jet took several steps back, insisting he didn't know what she was talking about. Katara, Ashlynn, and Sokka all began to shout, demanding to know what Smeller Bee was talking about. Aang remained silent, but stepped forward to look at Jet better, waiting patiently for an explanation. Toph, however, knelt upon the ground and placed a single palm on the floor.
Smeller Bee ignored Toph as she said, "You got arrested by the Dai Li a few weeks ago! How did you get away?"
Jet was genuinely confused and terrified. Ashlynn halted her questions, and tried to hush Katara and Sokka too. When they stopped shouting, Jet spoke again. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would I be arrested? I've been living peacefully in the city!" he argued.
"This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth," Toph muttered. She kept her palm upon the dirt for another moment as she tried to figure out how it was that both of them could be telling the truth. Utterly stumped, she stood back up and paced away from them. "I can't figure it out. How can they both be honest? That's impossible," she murmured to the group as she went to stand on the outskirts of the team.
"It's not impossible. You can't tell who is lying because they both think they're telling the truth. What I believe is that Jet's been brainwashed!" Sokka declared. Ashlynn gasped as she realized how much it made sense. They'd encountered the Dai Li and Long Feng before. Based on the previous encounter with the Dai Li, Ashlynn could see how possible it was for them to have brainwashed Jet. Perhaps that's what they'd done to Joo Dee as well.
"That's crazy!" Jet shouted back. He took a step back from the group, and Ashlynn got the feeling he was going to try and run for it. The best thing to do would be to take him somewhere safe, and try to jog his memories. She motioned for Katara to take one side, and for Sokka to take the other. They spread out around him as they tried to calm him down. Ashlynn closed in on him first, and grasped his left hand.
He jumped, and tugged his hand free of hers. "Jet, it's going to be okay. We're here to help," she pleaded. She grasped his arm, and Katara approached him next. She placed a hand on his shoulder. One by one, everyone neared him, and placed a comforting hand upon his shoulders or arms. Once they had managed to calm him down, they made the decision to guide him to a safer place where they could talk more about Jet's past.
Sokka and Aang explored the buildings nearby for a place where they could talk privately with Jet. If he had been brain-washed by the Dai Li, then it was important that they weren't discovered by them. If they were, then it was likely they'd end up in the same boat as Jet. They could try and fight, but it was probable that they'd be swiftly outmatched and outnumbered.
A decent momentary hiding spot was found after several minutes of searching. The team piled in, and lit a small fire to provide a little bit of light. Jet collapsed in a wooden chair, and stared up at his companions. His face illustrated every bit of confusion that he was feeling. Ashlynn shivered as she tried to imagine what it'd be like if she were the one that had been brain-washed. Would she even remember who Katara, Aang, Sokka, or Zuko were?
"I think the Dai Li sent Jet to mislead us. That way, we wouldn't find Appa. We'd just leave the city and stop giving them trouble," Katara announced after a moment. She was frustrated, and bitter. She'd had the final straw with Ba Sing Se. All she wanted was some answers, and to get Appa back so they could leave as soon as time permitted.
"Then it only makes sense for that janitor in that barn to be part of the plot. They were trying to guide us away from Ba Sing Se. Not just outside the walls, but months away instead. They were making an attempt to keep us away for good. It's a good thing Jet's friends came along," Ashlynn explained, and nodded in gratitude towards Smeller Bee and Long Shot. They respectfully bowed their heads slightly in return.
"Well if Appa isn't on that island, then he's got to be here in the city. Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet?" Aang questioned. He looked between Katara and Sokka, and then turned his gaze towards Jet. Jet stared up at him silently, still hopelessly lost. "Where did they take you?" Aang demanded.
Jet shrugged in response and cried, "No where! I honestly don't know what you're talking about." He lowered his head and stared down at the dirt. Ashlynn pursed her lips as she tried to think of a solution. She knelt down beside Jet and placed a hand on his knee. He avoided eye contact, and tried to shrug himself away. He gave up after a moment, however.
"We need to find a way to jog his memory," Ashlynn said. She turned slightly to face the group, but stayed by Jet's side. She looked up at each of her friends in turn, waiting for a suggestion. If they could make him remember his past, maybe he could remember where the Dai Li had taken him.
"Maybe Katara should kiss him. I bet that would jog his memory," Sokka teased. He chuckled lightly to himself, and then flinched as Katara shot him a death glare. He shrugged back at her and smiled. When she didn't drop her angry stare, he let his smile falter, and he turned back towards Jet. Ashlynn shook her head at Sokka, and tried to think of a way that would genuinely work.
"I think he should try to remember something that triggers his emotions. Maybe that would give him the push he needed to remember everything that happened," Toph suggested.
"Jet, remember the fire nation! Remember what they did to your family," Smeller Bee insisted. She sat down beside Ashlynn, and stared up at Jet too, pleadingly. Jet stared back down at her for a moment, and then shook his head. He looked up at Katara and Sokka, desperate for an answer, a way out.
"Jet, close your eyes. Try to picture it. Picture your family, picture the fire nation," Katara muttered. Jet inhaled deeply, exhaled lightly, and then shut his eyes tightly. After a moment, sweat began to form on his forehead. His eyebrows twitched, and his body began to shake lightly. Katara ran to his side as well, and tried to comfort him. The memories were painful, but it was the only way to get him to remember.
"No!" Jet screamed. He jumped as he was startled back into reality. Katara stepped away, and Ashlynn withdrew her hand from Jet's knee. Smeller Bee remained where she was, and continued to try and comfort him. "It's too painful," Jet murmured, and cleared some sweat from his forehead.
Katara stepped behind Jet and said, "Maybe this will help." She bended the water from her water pouch, and let the water cover her hands, as if they were gloves. The clear water began to light up, and they glowed as if they were the stars in the night sky. Katara placed her hands at Jet's temples, and used the healing water that wrapped about her hands to soothe Jet's mind. She massaged the sides of his head as he tried to recall the memories of his past once again.
"I think I remember!" Jet said suddenly. Katara pulled her hands away from his head for a moment as she listened to Jet. "They took me to some sort of headquarters under the water. I think it was some kind of lake," Jet exclaimed. He leaned forward in his chair, and Ashlynn stood up. She looked up at Katara, and then back at Sokka. There was something familiar about his mentioning of the lake.
"Wait! Remember what Joo Dee said?" Sokka asked. Katara shook her head at him, and Toph frowned instantly. Any mentioning of Joo Dee was sure to irritate Toph. Ashlynn thought hard for a moment, and then gasped.
"Oh! She said she went on vacation to Lake Laogai," she exclaimed. Sokka nodded at her, and glanced over at Jet. Jet jumped up after a second and declared, "That's it! That's where they took me, to Lake Laogai!"
"Do you know where it is? The lake I mean. Can you take us there?" Ashlynn inquired. Jet nodded confidently. There was no doubting that he'd regained his full memory, now.
"It's best we save this search for tomorrow morning. It's still dark out, and who knows what could be in that lake. We could have a fair share of fighting to do. We need to rest up," Sokka said sternly. Aang pondered this for a moment, and then made the executive decision to have the group sleep for the remainder of the evening.
Thus, the party set up their blankets and sleeping rugs upon the wooden floor of the hut they were hiding in. They let the small fire burn out, and soon each fell into a small and short-lived slumber.
"Where exactly is these so-called secret headquarters, anyways?" Sokka inquired as he gazed out at the lake.
It was early in the morning, and the sun was just barely peeking over the distant hills. A massive lake lay before the group, yet that's all that was ahead of them. There were no signs of anything different, or unique- no nearby disturbances. Ashlynn frowned, doubting Jet's sense of direction. Sure, maybe it was the right lake, but maybe it wasn't the lake where the Dai Li took people to get brainwashed. Ashlynn signed with uncertainty, and waited for something to happen.
"It's underneath the water, I think," Jet said, and scratched his head lightly in confusion as he tried to recall where the headquarters were.
Suddenly, Toph pointed off to the side and exclaimed, "There's a tunnel there off the shore." She turned, and walked towards where her feet were sensing the tunnel within the ground. Using her earth bending prowess, she lifted the ground from underneath the water, revealing a small earthen bridge that led to a hole that was blocked by another slab of rock. Toph paced over to it, and slid the stone off the opening and into the water. Ashlynn, and the rest of the team, ran over to Toph so that they could peer down the hole.
Sure enough, there was a dark tunnel extending downwards, with a ladder running up along one side for support and easier access. There was no doubt in Ashlynn's mind now that this was the place they had been searching for. Now, all they had to do was pray that Appa was, in fact, being hidden within its confinements.
Ashlynn and Aang air bended their way down the tunnel first, while the others slowly climbed down the ladder. The tunnel appeared to go on for miles, but it took the air benders only a few minutes to swoop down onto the floor below. They landed quietly, and peered around one wall to search for any Dai Li agents that might be keeping guard. They silently signaled for their companions to scurry up next to them. When everyone had reached the bottom, they awaited for the coast to be clear. Jet took the lead when it was safe for them to continue.
"It's all starting to come back to me," he muttered. He halted suddenly, and then tip-toed to a door that was slightly ajar. He glanced inside, shuddered, and continued on his way. The rest of the group hurried after him, shooting a quick glance into the room that he had swiftly surveyed. Inside, there was a single Dai Li agent, and many women that were clad in the same garments as Joo Dee. Ashlynn shuddered, too, as she realized the agent was brain washing an entire program into every one of the women.
"I think there may be a cell large enough to hold Appa," Jet exclaimed when they were out of earshot range of the room with the Joo Dee look-alikes. Aang ran up to Jet's side, growing more and more eager and restless. After several more minutes of walking, Jet turned and stood in front of a metal doorway. "I think it might be through here," he proposed. Without hesitation, Aang stepped forward and burst the door open. They each, in turn, stepped inside.
Much to their disappointment, the room was completely empty. Aang sighed with exasperation and hopelessness as he glanced about the dark and empty room. No giant, furry friend of theirs was there to greet them. However, someone else had apparently come to greet them, for the door shut behind them suddenly. The group spun around, and Ashlynn's heart skipped a single beat as she recognized Long Feng and several Dai Li agents at his side. She heard movement elsewhere in the room, and she looked up at the ceiling. Sokka did too, and announced, "Well, that's something different." Ashlynn gasped as she realized that dozens of Dai Li agents were hanging above them, waiting for an order to strike. She began to feel skeptical about their imminent escape.
"You have made yourselves enemy of the state. Take them into custody," Long Feng demanded. The agents fell from the ceiling, and landed in a large circle that surrounded the group. Jet readied his weapons, and stared at his enemies as he waited for their assault. Ashlynn held her glider out in front of her as well. Then, two Dai Li agents shot forth clumps of earth that were shaped like hands. They were built for binding the hands of their hostages instantly, but it was no match for Toph. She stepped forward, and deflected the earth with her own bending. Then, she caused the ground beneath the two agents to rise upwards, and they were forced to jump away.
Then, the majority of the agents made it a point to knock Toph off her feet first. Jet charged at another agent, and his companions helped him. Ashlynn stepped by Sokka's side, and he nodded to her in reassurance. When another pair of earthen hands flew towards them, Sokka chopped at one of them with his machete, causing it to crumple into a hundred little dirt pieces. Ashlynn swiped her staff at the other one, cutting it in half instantly. Together, they charged at the agent that was focusing them.
"Long Feng is escaping!" Aang cried out suddenly. Ashlynn turned from her opponent just in time to see Long Feng dart out the door, with Aang and Jet closely behind him.
While she was taken off-guard, an agent swiftly bended a large mass of earth upwards and shot it out at Ashlynn. She was struck in the gut before she had a chance to react, and she fell backwards onto her bottom. The urge to vomit hit her almost instantly as she felt the muscles in her waist and stomach contract with pain, but she forced it inwards. She gasped and rolled away when an agent stepped aside her, and she groaned as her gut hurt more. Then, Sokka's boomerang flew in and crashed into the side of the agents head. Ashlynn took the opportunity to stand up and run back to Sokka's side.
"Come on!" Sokka cried loudly and motioned his sister, Smellerbee, Long Shot, and Toph over to him. He grasped Ashlynn's wrist, and dragged her towards an exit. He shouted, "We need to catch up with Aang and Jet!" Katara, Toph, and the remaining Freedom Fighters nodded as they charged after him. Conveniently, Toph bended a large portion of the earthen wall that lay before them out of the way to make their access to an exit a bit simpler. When they had each crossed over the 'doorway', Toph replaced the wall back into its original spot to slow down the agents slightly.
"They're down here!" Toph shouted, and ran ahead of the group. She stepped up to a nearby wall, and raised her arms out before her. She thrust her hands down in front of her, and the wall dropped instantly. Ashlynn and Katara gasped as they surveyed the scene before them.
A single, large stone loomed over Jet, who was collapsed upon the floor with his arms and legs sprawled and twisted about him. Long Feng disappeared as soon as they entered the room, and Aang turned away from his enemy to see who had come into the dark, earthen span. He collapsed beside Jet, at an utter loss of what to do next. Ashlynn was the first to run forward, and the rest of the group hastily followed her. She clasped a hand over her mouth as she closed in on Jet and Aang, wishing to keep her cries silent.
Jet's body was bruised and mangled, and he hardly budged an inch. Aang had teared up, and his face was quivering in multiple places. Ashlynn was stunned as she watched Jet try and move, or at least produce a smile when he saw that all of his companions had come for him. Sokka, Toph, and Long Shot bowed their heads in respect, but looked away from Jet. Katara and Smeller Bee, however, collapsed beside him. Smeller Bee took on of Jet's hands into her own, while Katara began to try healing his wounds with her water-healing powers.
"This isn't good…" Katara muttered, and looked back at Aang and Sokka.
Smeller Bee wiped a single tear from one eye and said, "You guys go ahead and find Appa. Long Shot and I can take care of Jet." She smiled lightly at Katara in reassurance.
Katara shook her head immediately and demanded, "No! We're not going to leave you."
Then, an unfamiliar voice spoke and said, "There's no time- Just go. Jet's our leader; we'll take care of him." Ashlynn looked in the direction the voice was coming from, and realized it was Long Shot. She couldn't remember him ever speaking until now; he had always spoken with hand and facial gestures.
"Don't worry about me, Katara. I'll be fine," Jet struggled to say. Everyone looked back down at Jet, in awe that he'd mustered the strength to utter a few words. Ashlynn felt a tear run down her face, and she swept it away as Sokka wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She looked away from him, but still he didn't remove his comforting arm. Katara stood up, tears streaming down her face too, and nodded confidently at Jet. Without another word, she walked away from the group. Sokka removed his arm, and pressed his hand against Ashlynn's back and urged her onward. She slowly paced after Katara, who was also being followed by Aang and Toph. Behind her, she could hear Smeller Bee crying in mourning.
Toph took the lead, since she was capable of easily taking down any earthen walls that lay in their path. She bended one wall down, and the group stepped inside.
Inside, several chains were bolted to the floor. They had cuffs large enough to wrap around a giant beast's leg- a leg like Appa's. However, the chains, and cellar, were entirely empty. Aang exclaimed, "Appa's gone! Long Feng beat us here."
After several moments of silence Sokka suggested, "If we hurry out of here maybe we can catch up with him." Aang nodded in agreement, and they each turned to Toph. She sighed, knowing she was likely the only one who would be able to find their way out of such a maze, and once again took the head of the group. However, she only stepped several feet closer to a single wall, and ushered her team over to her. They all ran over to her, and stood directly by her side.
Then, she bended the floor beneath them up to the ceiling above them, and created and earthly bubble about them. She kept the small and confined room carefully protected as they continued to rise higher and higher. Then, she stopped, and created a small doorway before them. She kicked it down, and the individuals were instantly greeted by the sun that had been absent from their lives for several hours. She jumped out of the doorway, and landed on the shore of the lake. Her companions jumped after her.
Ashlynn blinked several times as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the sunlight. Once she could see again, she cried out and pointed off to her right. In the distance, multiple Dai Li agents were hurriedly running towards them. "We need to get out of here, now!" she shouted to her friends. Thus, they instantly began to run to the left.
"Think we can outrun them?" Aang asked as he continued to glance back at the agents, who were slowly gaining on them.
"I don't think it's going to matter," Sokka responded, and pointed ahead of him. Ashlynn groaned as she saw more Dai Li agents rushing towards them, preparing to block off any escape routes for the group.
Sure enough, when they close in on the Dai Li agents they created a large, dirt wall to prevent them from continuing onward. Behind them, the other group of agents did the same. Thus, they were boxed off by two walls, the mountainside, and the lake. Long Feng was perched atop one wall, prepared to strike when necessary. Then, suddenly, a familiar roar was heard from above.
Ashlynn shielded her eyes, and looked up towards the sun. Her face grew a large grin as she recognized their furry friend, Appa, flying right towards them. Aang cried out, "Appa!" as he swooped downwards to save the day. He burst through each of the Dai Li's walls, and sent them tumbling over into the water of the lake. While they were caught off guard, Aang and Toph earth-bended the remaining Dai Li agents off the mountainside and into the water, until the only remaining member was Long Feng.
Appa plunged downwards towards the group, and landed protectively in front of them, blocking off Long Feng's access to the group. Appa growled defensively, and continued to shield his companions. Long Feng spat and said, "I can take care of you myself!" He charged at Appa, and raised a single foot to bend rocks after Appa. However, Appa simply took Long Feng's leg into his mouth, bit down hard enough to pick him up, and thrust him outwards into the lake, far away from the entire group. A loud splash was seen, and they did not see Long Feng rise up above the surface.
Ashlynn cheered with the rest of the group as they commended Appa's rescue. Appa turned to look at his friends and family, and they each charged after him. Aang hopped up onto Appa's furry head, while the rest of the group piled on top of him as well. Ashlynn felt her face swell up with happiness as several tears sped down her face. "We missed you, Appa," she whispered to the furry beast.
Then, they all clambered on top of Appa, eager to go on another flight with him. They huddled closely, hugging one another in unison, as Appa flew off towards the sunset. Ashlynn and Katara tried to hold back their tears as they remembered Jet and his bravery. Ashlynn said a silent prayer for Jet and the other Freedom Fighters, and then huddled her face into Sokka's chest. He instinctively wrapped his arm about her, but said nothing.
Appa roared lightly with happiness, glad that he had become one with his companions once again.