Who is Veda? You can read the story, and you will know if you want to see her look at my Deviantart Account. ^^
Book 1.10: Jet and Veda
Water.
Earth.
Fire.
Air.
Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony.
Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Only the Avatar and Daimon, masters of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed them most, they vanished.
A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar and Daimon, an airbender named Aang and an earthbender named Hua.
And although his airbending and her earthbending skills are great they have a lot to learn before they're ready to save anyone.
But I believe Aang and Hua can save the world.
After a nice breakfast, it was time for team Avatar-Daimon to hit the road again.
Only someone was missing…
"Where's Momo?", asked Aang his friends, hoping they had seen where the lemur had flown off.
It was like he heard them since Momo's screeches echoed through the forest.
"Jaiyi, girl, find Momo!", command Hua her ninetails.
Not wasting time Jaiyi did as she was told, finding Momo's smell and leading the humans.
They found the poor lemur and two hog monkeys in cage traps hanging by rope on tree limbs.
Aang uses his airbending to fly to the top of the tree, jumping from trunk to trunk to get higher. He finds the traps' mechanisms, undoes them, and carefully lowers Momo to the ground where Hua, Katara and Sokka are waiting. They open the trap together and the lemur runs out with one of the lychee nuts in his mouth.
The watertribe siblings and the Daimon look on as Momo gets on his hind legs and eats it as though nothing has happened.
Jaiyi sist down beside him and licks his head, which makes Momo purr.
Sokka grunts in frustration and facepalms.
When Aang lands, he looks up to see the other two animals seemingly crying out to him for help.
So he jumps up to them, but Sokka say how this will take forever and just uses his boomerang to cut the hog monkey free.
While the free animals run off into the forest, Team Avatar-Daimon study the trap together.
"These are Fire Nation traps.", concludes Sokka. "You can tell from the metalwork. We'd better pack up camp and get moving."
They return to their camp. Gathering their things they begin to pack them onto Appa's saddle.
Suddenly Sokka proclaims: "Uh-uh! No flying this time."
The others are confused.
"What? Why wouldn't we fly?", wonders Aang.
"Think about it: Somehow Prince Zuko and the Fire Nation keep finding us. It's because they spot Appa, he's just too noticeable."
"What? Appa's not too noticeable!", comes Katara to the bison defense.
"He's a gigantic fluffy monster with an arrow on his head! It's kinda hard to miss him!"
Appa seems offended, which makes Aang coo at him how Sokka was just jealous he doesn't have an arrow.
"Well, then we can all ride on Jaiyi. Four humans and our supplies are nothing for her.", offers Hua, as her Kyuubi yips in agreement.
But Sokka shakes his head.
"No, same problem with Appa. When Jaiyi is in her big form you can't miss her, when she is little you could confuse her for a normal fox cub…I mean till you see the tails."
This makes everyone deadpan at Sokka. He really doesn't want to make their journey comfortable for them.
"I know you all wanna fly or ride, but my instincts tell me we should play it safe this time and walk.", explains Sokka.
"Instincts?", mumbles Hua confused, while Katara leans forward to her brother: "Who made you the boss?"
"I'm not the boss, I'm the leader."
"Since when and where was I when this was decided?", questions Hua, getting more confused by the second.
What's up with Sokka all of a sudden?
"I agree with Hua, you're the leader? But your voice still cracks!", sass Katara her brother.
"I'm the oldest, and I'm a warrior!", retorts Sokka. "So I'm the leader!"
"If anyone's are our leaders, it's Aang and Hua. I mean, he is the Avatar and she is the Daimon."
"Are you kidding? He's just a goofy kid! And she is just a little girl."
"I'm not that little!", mumbles Hua angrily, while Aang proves Sokka's point hanging upside-down from Appa's right horn with feet sticking out in the air and agreeing.
"Why do boys always think someone has to be the leader?", ponders Katara. "I bet you wouldn't be so bossy if you kissed a girl."
This makes Hua snort, which in turn makes Sokka blush embarrassed.
Great, even the youngest laughs at him!
"I've kissed a girl, you just haven't met her.", defends the water tribe boy his manly honour.
"Who? Gran-Gran? I've met Gran-Gran.", roasts his sister further.
Now Hua has picked up Jaiyi and hides her laughing face in the pelt of her ninetails.
She can't!
Katara was just too good at dishing out!
Angry Sokka throws his arms into the air. Katara's sass and Hua's laughter go on his nerves and hurt his manly ego.
"No! Besides Gran-Gran. Look, my instincts tell me we have a better chance of slipping through on foot, and a leader has to trust his instincts."
"Okay, we'll try it your way, oh wise leader.", says Katara sarcastically.
"Oh guide us, wise leader.", can't Hua help herself to add.
The girls laugh together, as Sokka sends them an offended look.
Why were girls such smart-asses?
Now Aang steps over, wearing a backpack. Momo is sitting on the top.
Always the optimist he says that walking might be fun.
Words he would soon regret.
"Walking stinks!", decides the Avatar. "How do people go anywhere without a flying bison or a kyuubi?"
"Well I don't know, Aang.", answer him Katara "Why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything."
"Yes, our wise leader will lead us to the holy land of the Nothern Water Tribe on foot.", adds Hua cheeky.
Jaiyi, who walks beside her, laughs her fox laugh.
"Ha ha, very funny, guys.", deadpans Sokka.
Ungrateful brats! He was just looking out for them and this was the thanks?!
"I'm tired of carrying this pack.", complains the Avatar.
"You know who you should ask to carry it for a while?", begins Katara.
"Oh, oh, let me guess!", calls Hua, raising her hand like in school. "Sokka's instincts?"
"Right on, Hua!"
"That's a great idea.", agrees Aang. "Hey, Sokka's instincts, would you mind–"
Annoyed Sokka calls out: "Okay, okay, I get it! Look, guys, I'm tired too. But the important thing is that we're safe from the Fire ... Nation."
He trails off because they stepped right into a big camp of Fire Nations Soldiers.
"Sokka, your instincts, suck!", hisses Hua.
The oldest tells them all to run, but a Fire Nation soldier blocks them off by setting the bushes behind them on fire.
The four go into battle positions.
Seems like the only way to get out of this mess was by fighting.
"If you let us pass, we promise not to hurt you.", tells Sokka the soldiers with fake bravado.
His sister asked what he was doing and admitted he was just bluffing.
A Firebender with an eyepatch laughs at them.
"You, promise not to hurt us?"
A whooshing sound was heard and the soldier was knocked out by an unseen tranquillizer dart on his back.
"Nice work, Sokka!", praises Aang. "How'd you do that?"
"Uh, instinct?"
That's when Katara draws their attention to a nearby tree. On it, a young man tosses his blowpipe and unsheathes two hook swords. He jumps and takes down two soldiers on landing. He runs forward and takes down two more using his hook swords.
"Down you go."
Katara looks amazed, Hua admiring, Aang shocked, and Sokka confused.
Another soldier charges at Jet, but he is defeated. Then a soldier points out how more people are in the tree, but it's too late.
A young boy lands on top of the soldier and turns his helmet around to blind him, before riding him around while laughing. Another boy launches arrows at the soldiers while more boys and girls come out of the trees.
Hua, Aang and Katara aid them in fighting the soldiers with their primary bendings.
Sokka holds up his boomerang and yells as one approaches him, but stops when the young man with the hook swords takes him down first.
The watertribe boy bemoans that he was his, but the young man just says he has to be faster next time.
Sokka looks dismayed and a huge boy falls out of the trees and easily takes down two soldiers as the hook sword boy skilfully takes down one more, causing this soldier's spear to hit another soldier, who was going to battle Sokka, in the head, making that soldier also fall down.
Again no points for Sokka.
Currently, Hua was launching rocks at two soldiers, as she felt that someone was approaching.
Another Soldier!
Before she can react, a pretty girl, not older than herself, attacks the soldier with her whip. She bonds him in it and throws him against a tree, knocking him out cold.
The Daimon's mouth claps open and a hot blush forms on her cheeks.
This was one of the hottest things she had ever seen!
She feels all tingly inside, it only gets worse as the pretty girls walk over to her.
"Hi.", the pretty girl greets. She has beautiful grey eyes, and mid-length black hair and wears a green kimono-styled top with bandages, brown pants and black boots.
"Hello.", croaks Hua nervous out.
"Your earthbending is amazing.", praises her pretty girl. "I'm Veda and who are you cutie?"
Being called cutie by this beautiful Veda makes Hua's brain short-circuit.
The last time she felt this way was 100 years ago when she had a crush on her neighbor Ai. The one who had also stolen her first kiss.
So she does something, which will make her wish to die on the spot.
Babbling nonsense.
"Me, me, Hua, I mean-I'm Hua. Hua, like, like flower. Only flower, just flower not any specific kind of flower, I don't know why my parents didn't specify. Sakura or Sayuri would have been nice, they are specify flowers. You know? Sakura is cherry blossom and Sayuri Lily. But, but, I think you know that…"
Amused Veda wipes away some ash from her cheek and Hua swerves she will melt.
"You are a cutie pie, Hua. Don't be nervous, I don't bite…unless you want me to."
Then Veda winks.
And Hua makes a sound like a dying whale.
Oh Spirits, kill her now!
"Veda, are you done flirting?", calls over the hook sword boy, who was standing beside an equally besotted Katara.
"Sure, Jet.", calls Veda back, but stays beside Hua, winking at her again.
The now-known Jet shakes bemused his head and then starts to introduce himself and his friends: "My name is Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters. Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, Veda, The Duke, and Pipsqueak."
The Daimon has trouble following along with how Aang tells Pipsqueak how his name is funny, only to be revealed that the biggest boy was named so and not the little one. It seems like Aang will get hit, but Pipssqueak laughs and pats him friendly on the back though the hit is hard enough to knock Aang flat on the ground.
The Duke stops laughing and looks down at Aang sprawled on the ground before his feet, face flat in the dirt, though when Aang raises his head and continues laughing, so does The Duke.
The Freedom Fighters ransack the camp, while Sokka looks on a little uncomfortable.
Katara thanks Jet for his help and Hua and Veda are talking with each other.
Well, Veda talks and Hua babbles nonsense, however, the other girl doesn't seem to mind.
Aang watches how both his female friends seem cosy with their new friends and…well…he feels strangely strange.
Does it make sense?
Seeing Katara with Jet was not making him feel funny, but Hua and Veda made his stomach twist.
He didn't get it.
What was up with him?
Why was there a voice in his head, who practically growled mine, stay away.
Aang doesn't have this kind of feeling for Hua, they were friends, also he liked Katara.
But this strange voice in him or let's say a thousand voices in him hissed and snarled.
Mine!
Soulmate!
My Yang!
Stay away from them!
To think he shakes fast his head. This was all so confusing.
Were these voices of his past lives, where he and Hua were couples?
It made the most sense.
Nonetheless, he never reacted like that…
Maybe because someone was showing interest in Hua and he saw it?
And his past lives didn't like that?
Well, he would ignore it!
He liked Katara, he knew she was his forever girl, and his past lives should get used to the Daimon having another partner.
There!
That's when Aang hears how The Duke tells Jet how they will bring the things from the ransacked camp to their hide-out.
So his little episode was forgotten as he asked excitedly if they had a hideout.
Jet offers them to show it and both Katara and Hua yell how they want to see it.
So they follow the Freedom Fighter for a while through the forest, till they stop.
"We're here.", proclaims Jet.
Confused Sokka says that nothing is there, so Jet gives him a rope and the watertribe boy pulled up into the branches.
Jet offers one to Aang, but he uses his airbending to climb the tree.
"Now you Hua.", calls her Jet.
A bit nervous the Daimon steps forward, as she feels a hand on her shoulder.
Veda.
"The first time can be a bit wild, want to travel with me?", she asked with a pretty smile.
Not trusting her voice, Hua nods.
So Veda wraps an arm around her hips, while Hua wraps her arms around the other girl's shoulder, as the Freedom Fighter girl grips the rope.
They get pulled up and all seems to go in slow motion.
Romantic light shines down on them, making Veda look like a goddess, which turns Hua into a pepperoni.
When she feels Veda's hand and where she is holding on, Hua swerves it burning her.
She never wants to let go of the other girl.
Sadly they land on a wooden platform.
For a second Hua admired the awesome hideout of the Freedom Fighter, which was a couple of treehouses, connected with zip lines as Veda whispered in her air: "Hey, you wanna ditch the other till dinner? I want to show you my favourite place."
Butterflies are in Hua's stomach and she nods in agreement.
Giving her a pretty smile Veda takes her hand, Hua may or not may make again a dying whale sound, and leads her to her favourite place.
On the way there they talk.
Veda tells her how she came to the Freedom Fighter. She and Jet were neighbour, as one day the Fire Nation burned down the village, killing their parents. She would be dead too, if Jet hadn't saved her that night.
He was eight and she was six.
"I'm so sorry, Veda.", tells her Hua, squeezing her hand. "I wish I could do more to help you with your pain."
"It's okay Hua. Even if I miss my family I have a new family in Jet and the Freedom Fighter. Jet is like my big brother, I would do anything for him."
Suddenly Hua Daimon-Radar goes off. How Veda said she would do anything for Jet…it has a dark note in it.
Hua can't think anymore as Veda leads her to a platform, from where you can see all the forest.
"It's so beautiful!", shouts Hua.
"I love it here.", confesses Veda, sitting down. "You can see anything from her and when the stars are out it's quite romantic."
This makes Hua blush again, as she sits down beside Veda. The other girl grips her hand caressing it.
"It's even better when you share it with someone.", whispered the Freedom Fighter in her ear, making Hua shiver.
Then she feels a little kiss on her cheek.
Surprised she gasp and looks with wide eyes at Veda.
The other girl has a cheeky smile, which makes Hua's stomach do somersaults.
"I know we just met, but you are so sweet Hua, I could eat you up."
"Then do it.", whispers Hua back, she feels the attraction too and wants to bathe in it.
With another grin, Veda kisses her on the mouth.
And for a long time, both girls don't say anything, getting lost in each other.
It's now dinner time in the Freedom Fighter hide-out.
Hua sits beside Veda and Katara as she enjoys her meal with her friends, new friends and…girlfriend?
She and Veda didn't really specify what they were after their romantic escape, they just enjoyed each other.
Maybe they didn't need a label.
Just being together was nice.
For however long it may be.
Jet stands on the table raising his glass and starts his speech: "Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine."
Everyone cheers.
Katara, Hua and Aang smile while Sokka cops an attitude and a scowling face.
"I got a special joy from the look on one soldier's face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey."
The Duke, without his helmet, climbs up the table. He marches on the table with his arms in the air.
"Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they're right."
A very loud and long boo is heard all around.
"Or maybe ... they're dead wrong."
Loud and long cheering happens.
"Hey, Jet, nice speech.", praise Katara with twinkling eyes.
"Thanks.", says Jet as he sits down beside her. "By the way, I was really impressed with you, Hua and Aang. That was some great bending I saw out there today."
"Well, they are great. He's the Avatar and she's the Daimon. I could use some more training.", admins Katara blushing.
"Avatar, Daimon huh? Very nice."
"Thanks, Jet.", chorus Aang and Hua together.
"So I might know a way that you, Hua and Aang can help in our struggle."
That's when Sokka states: "Unfortunately, we have to leave tonight."
Both Katara and Hua looked devastated, they didn't want to leave Jet and Veda already and Aang pounts, he liked it here!
Fortunately for them, Jet has a mission for Sokka, which makes him curious.
They will stay another day.
Puh, thank the spirits.
After dinner and dishes were finished, Veda showed the girls of Team Avatar-Daimon where they could get cleaned up.
With a blown kiss to Hua the Freedom Fighter girl left them.
Like a besotted fool, Hua waved at her till she was away.
"Ah is someone in love?", cooed Katara at her best friend, as she started to undress.
Hua follows her and blushes to her breast.
"Not love, but hard crushing. I love girls who can kick my ass.", she confesses. "Also what is with you and Jet?"
With a washcloth, Katara starts to clean herself and starts blushing too.
"I like him, alright, but we only talked. That hickey on your breast tells me another story.", says Katara with a grin.
Shocked Hua looked down and there it was.
A hickey.
Okay, she and Veda got a bit wild.
"We may have gotten carried away.", she admins to her best friend and starts to clean herself too.
This makes Katara frown a bit.
"Hua, please don't take this bad, but aren't you both only twelve? I don't think you should be doing that already."
It takes the Daimon a second before she understands what Katara is implying. She turns crimson red.
"No, no, Katara, we didn't do anything like that, we are just a bit handsy, Nothing more."
"Oh.", makes Katara the sound long and then grins cheeky. "So like did you touch her breasts or something?!"
For that Hua throws a towel at her face.
"None of your business."
"So you did cup a feel!"
"I never knew you could be this pervy!"
"I'm not pervy, just couriers and worried for my best friend."
Together the girls laugh and change the subject.
After they were done washing, it was time for bed.
The next day Katara and Hua made presents for their crushes, while they waited for them to return with Sokka from their mission.
Katara made Jet a hat and Hua made for Veda a necklace.
Aang was somewhere goofing off with The Duke if they understood correctly.
They hear how Aang talks to Sokka and little explosion.
Ah, so they probably returned.
The girls walk up to Sokka and Aang.
"Hey, Sokka.", greets Katara. "Are Jet and Veda back?"
Her brother was sitting with his back to the trunk and staring at the ground, glaring.
Whatever happened now?
"Yeah, they're back. But we're leaving.", decides Sokka.
"What?", shouts Aang disappointed.
The girls are right with him.
"But I made him this hat.", whines Katara.
Hua whines too: "I made Veda this necklace."
"Your boyfriend Jet and your girlfriend Veda are thugs.", makes Sokka clear.
Of course, Katara and Hua are shocked and won't believe it.
Sokka insists that the Freedom Fighters are messed up, while Aang takes partei for them and says to Sokka they just have a different kind of life.
"They beat and robbed a harmless old man!", shouts Sokka angrily.
Why won't they understand?
Stupid Jet and stupid Veda with their stupid charming personalities.
Katara and Hua felt for it, hook, line and sinker!
His sister crosses her arms and demands that they talk with Jet and Veda about it, she wants to hear their side of the story.
Meanwhile, Hua's bad feelings about Veda from yesterday's return.
Could she really misunderstand Veda's true self?
Her Daimon-Radar had tried to warn her…but she couldn't believe how the girl who was so sweet to her, had such a side on her.
Her stomach in a twist she followed the other to Jet cabin.
To their luck, Veda was there too.
Both seemed to talk in secret.
This didn't help the doubt which was forming in Hua.
Not wasting time Katara asked them about the mission they had with Sokka and what happened. Did they really beat up and robbed an old man?
"Sokka, you told them what happened, but you didn't mention that the guy was Fire Nation?", asked Jet back.
Veda stood beside him, emotionless, even as Hua tried to look into her grey eyes.
It was like the other girl closed her off.
The Daimon didn't like it.
"No, he conveniently left that part out.", huffed Katara at her brother.
He groaned. "Fine! But even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian!"
"He was an assassin, Sokka.", corrected him Jet.
The leader of the Freedom Fighter pulls out a knife and thrusts it into a nearby stump. It is a sinister-looking curved blade. There are four spikes evenly spaced along the grip, with enough space for fingers to go between them. There is a ring on the butt of the knife.
"See? There's a compartment for poison in the knife."
He pulls on the ring and removes a small glass tube filled with red liquid.
"He was sent to eliminate me. You helped save my life, Sokka."
Relieved Katara says she knows there was an explanation, but Sokka insists that he didn't see a knife.
Jet rebukes that the man hid it and Katara agrees.
The watertribe boy makes clear how he was sure there was no knife and they would go now!
Dramatically he leaves Jet cabin.
"Tell me you guys aren't leaving yet.", turns Jet to the remaining three. "I really need your help."
Aang asks what they can do.
Jet explains how the Fire Nation plans to burn down the whole forest and them with it, however, if the three use their waterbending to fill the reservoir they could put the fire out.
"Please, you would do us a great favour.", begs them Veda and bows.
Still, she won't look at Hua.
She doesn't like it.
"We will talk with Sokka and then tell you what we decide.", the Daimon tells Jet and Veda.
She takes Katara and Aang by the hands and walks with them to their cabin.
Sokka was already packing their things.
"We can't leave now with the Fire Nation about to burn down a forest!", was the first thing Katara said to her brother.
"I'm sorry, Katara. Jet's very smooth and his lackey like Veda do anything for him, we can't trust them.", answered Sokka calmly.
"You know what I think? You're jealous that he's a better warrior and a better leader!", accuses him Katara.
"Katara, I'm not jealous of Jet. It's just that my instinct–"
"Well, my instincts tell me we need to stay here a little longer and help Jet. Come on, Aang and Hua."
The Avatar say sorry and leaves with Katara.
Hua stays a moment longer, unsure and then tells Sokka: "Find evidence."
Surprised Sokka looks up.
"I don't want to believe that Veda is so heartless, but my instincts, my Daimon ones are haywire, but without proof, it's only a feeling. So look for one. I hope you are wrong though, I really like Veda."
With that, she follows after Katara and Aang.
The next day Jet leads the three benders to the damn upriver along its west bank. Geysires are everywhere.
"Jet, I'm sorry about how Sokka's been acting.", apologies Katara.
"No worries, he already apologized.", says Jet.
This shocks the other three and they look at each other.
Sokka?
Apologizing?
"Yeah, I was surprised too.", admins the Freedom Fighter. "I got the sense that maybe you talked to him or something."
"Yeah, I did.", confirms the watertribe girl.
"I guess something you said got through to him. Anyhow, he went out on a scouting mission with Pipsqueak, Veda and Smellerbee."
"I'm glad he cooled off. He's so stubborn sometimes."
Meanwhile, Hua can't help but bite her lips nervous. Her Daimon-Radar was going crazy, something was wrong, but she couldn't pinpoint what.
Also, she said to Sokka he should look for proof, maybe he found nothing and that's why he said sorry.
Or…she doesn't want to think about the other possibility.
They are now walking in the gully, beside the 'river'. Aang pauses after noticing something strange and is launched into the air by a blast from the geyser he is standing on.
"All right, we're here. Underground water's trying to escape through these vents. I need you guys to help it along.", explains Jet.
Unsure Katara tells him she never benden water she can't see and doesn't know if she can do it.
However Jet was right behind her putting his hands on her shoulder and encouraging her.
A bit sad he was left out Aang asks what about him.
"I know the Avatar can do this, just like the Daimon."
Jet sends Hua a smile and she has trouble copying him.
Her brain tells her to listen to her instincts, but her heart wants to believe that Jet and mostly of course Veda are good people.
With a heavy heart, she joins Aang and Katara at one of many Geysir in the gully. While Jet looks on, they bend the water up. After a few minutes, a stream of water emerges from the hole. They pull it to their height and send it toward the river where it continues to flow like a waterfall. The water quickly joins the river.
Jet congratulated them on a job well done and informed them with another few more Geysir the reservoir would be full.
Excited Aang points at the next Geysier.
The benders walk up to it, as Jet tells them he has some business to attend to and will see them later.
Katara says they would join in at the reservoir, but Jet says it's better to meet up in the hide-out.
So he leaves them at their bending.
Since they are three waterbenders they finish pretty soon.
"I bet that's enough, and I'm not just saying that to be lazy.", states Aang, as the three look at all the streaming water fountains.
"Let's catch up with Jet at the reservoir.", announced Katara.
"Didn't he say we should meet at the hide-out?", points Hua out.
"Well, we finished early. I'm sure he'll be happy to see us."
Well, nothing to say against it.
So they make their way over.
They reach the edge of the cliff.
At the base of the dam, they see, four of Jet's people unloading barrels from the wagon and arranging them.
"What are they doing?", wonders Katara.
Surprised Aang notes that these are the blasting jelly barrels the Freedom Fighter got from the Fire Nation.
Before Katara can say anything Hua lets out such a dirty curse, that both she and Aang gasp surprised.
They didn't know Hua could curse like that.
"They gonna blow up the dam!", screams Hua, tears springing into her eyes. "Oh, why didn't I listen to my Daimon Instincts? I felt the darkness in both Jet and Veda, I'm the worst Daimon ever!"
"No, Jet wouldn't do it, calm down Hua.", said Katara, wrapping an arm around the distressed girl.
"He would and he is! Katara stop lying to yourself."
"I've gotta stop him.", tells them Aang.
The Avatar opens his glider but before he can reach the edge, Jet crosses his path from behind and snatches the glider. Aang is left wobbling precariously on the edge and uses airbending to get himself back on stable footing.
"Yes, I would.", confessed Jet the true.
Now Hua has to hold Katara by her shoulders.
"Jet, why?"
"Katara, you would too if you just stopped to think. Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. We can't let them do that to anyone else ever again."
"This isn't the answer!"
"I want you to understand me, Katara. I thought your brother would understand, but–"
"Where's Sokka?"
Tears fall from her eyes, as Jet reaches out and touches her face.
"Katara."
She lowers her head, and with an angry shout, sends Jet flying with the water from her waterskin. She draws it back into the skin when she's done.
Faster then he can react, Jet gets enclosed into a coffin of stone plates, only his face free.
Hua looks at him in anger, her eyes switch from her natural green to her bright orange ones in Daimon State.
"You disgust me!", she shouts with a thousand voices. "You and Veda are terrible people who act like heroes! You would-be murderers!"
A birdcall is heard.
Katara and Aang are startled, Hua gets out of Daimon State and looks to the valley beyond where it's coming from.
Jet gives an answering birdcall.
"What are you doing?", demands Katara to know.
"You're too late.", the leader of the Freedom Fighter simply states.
Horrified Katara and Hua shout No.
The centre of the dam explodes in a cloud of smoke and fire.
Katara, Hua and Aang watch a massive wall of water go to the town the water rushes through the open gate, as a cresting wave dwarfs it. The wall and gate are swallowed as the wave strikes the town.
"All those people …", cries Katara and turns full hatred towards Jet. "Jet, you monster!"
"This was a victory, Katara. Remember that. The Fire Nation is gone and this valley will be safe."
"It will be safe, without you.", they hear suddenly Sokka's voice.
He appears on Appa, with Jaiyi and Momo on the saddle.
His sister and friends are so glad to see him.
Sokka explains how he managed to warn the village in time, so no one died.
Of course, Jet was angry.
This was his chance to ride and free the valley from the Fire Nation and Sokka thwarted him.
Hua shakes her head in disgust at Jet's madness and earthbends herself on Appa's saddle. Jaiyi jumps in her arms, licking her cheeks. She hugs her ninetails tight.
"Who would be free?", asked Sokka rhetoric "Everyone would be dead."
"You traitor!"
"No, Jet. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people."
Jet begs Katara to help him, but she just says goodbye to him.
Hua earthbends her best friend into the saddle and Jaiyi gives now Katara licks.
Both girls smile at the ninetails in thanks.
With a Yip-Yip from Sokka, Appa flies away from Jet.
They are soaring through the sky for a while till Aang says to Sokka: "We hoped you were going to the dam. How come you went to the town instead?"
"Let me guess, your instincts told you.", speculated Katara.
"Hey, sometimes they're right.", says Sokka with a shoulder shrug.
"Mmh, you do know we are flying in the wrong direction?", asks Hua with a little smile.
"And sometimes they're wrong.", admits Sokka and stears them back on the right course.
Late at night while anyone was sleeping Hua looked at the moon and cried silent tears.
She didn't see Veda, so she couldn't tell her how disgusted and disappointed she was in her.
Veda seemed so good, so perfect…in the future Hua decided to listen to her instincts more.
For Sokka, it worked as it showed.
That's when she hears how someone stands up and walks over to her.
Without a word a warm hand grips her and she squeezes back.
The black-haired girl lays her head on Katara's shoulder and the older girl her over the younger.
The two don't need words to understand each other.
They have both crushed on people who in the end were terrible.
In the future, they will be more careful with their hearts.
But for now, they were happy they had each other.
And this was enough.