Okay, wow. It's been a very long time since I actually posted a fic. At least two years I think. And in that time I've written just about a dozen other fanfictions that likely will never be published. Either because they're not done or I just don't want to. To publish all that I've written would probably take a couple weeks. Good to check in though!

"Shadow of Fire" is a rewrite of Avatar: A New Element. However, while Daiyu does have very similar powers to Legion, she is also incredibly different. Far more human I think; more realistic.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender in any sense of the word. I'm merely a fan who likes to write up stories based around 'what if' scenarios. However, I DO own Daiyu and Enlai, and any abilities or theories related to them. PLEASE for the love of all that is unholy, reach out to me if you have any desire to use these powers or theories for your own OC.

WARNING: There is the occasional mention of the First Avatar, Avatar Wan, and Raava. If you haven't watched Legend of Korra, firstly I suggest you do it. Secondly, you are in luck because neither play a massive role but are mentioned.

Now, without further ado, please enjoy! :)

Chapter 1- Strange Girl

"Push Ying!" the midwife commanded as she kneeled, sweat collected upon her forehead and shoulders tense. She had been working at the task for a merely half an hour but it was intense and she was determined to do her job justice. The blood she occasionally swiped away continued to pool from the groaning mother, causing the cave to smell of iron and salt. "There you go! Finally I can see the head! Keep pushing child!" wrinkled hands pushed aside flesh and dabbed so that her hazed eyes could see better. Around them fire flickered and danced, the shadows shuddered twitching as though wincing with each powerful heave of the expecting mother.

Draped in bloodied blankets, dark tresses plastered to her red face by sweat and tears, the woman thrust forward with all her might, pushing out that which she had been proudly carrying for the last nine months. In her hand she grasped a rugged palm, squeezing with each push as though doing so would turn his might into her own. She had been so excitedly waiting for this day, yet she only wished for it to be over. Ying wanted nothing more than to hold her child at long last. The golden hue of her eyes gleamed with an exhaustion she barely pushed through. The encouragement he gave her was, sadly, not as powerful as one would hope.

He watched closely, searching waiting for the result he wanted more than anything. "More Ying. Just one more push," he urged, "The head is out, all you need to do is-"

The powerful wailing cry made him pause, his heart lifting. Surely something as tiny as that but with lungs like those, the child would be the son he had always wanted. The boy he would raise to be a powerful firebender that would loyally serve their Lord and find high standing in the ranks bringing honor his family. The babe would be a noble child, one that would grow to be handsome and brilliant, capable of stealing even the hearts of high standing maidens. And then finally he, Xing Li, would be able to live a life he so deserved. His son would-

"A girl!" the doctor cried as he continued to wash the babe with clean warm linens, "Sir Xing Li, it's a girl," a lovely little thing, the tuft of ink striking against her white flesh. He smiled to the man, "Would you like to hold her?"

She was so tired. So very exhausted, a sensation which hit her the instant she felt the large bundle of life sip from her womanhood with a fight thought impossible to win. Blearily she searched for the source of the crying, its ringing wails telling her that the little one was healthy and strong. She couldn't have been more proud, though she knew her husband would be disappointed. He had always wanted their first to be a son. It was the only reason he had agreed to her begging for a child. With an aching heart, she tiredly wondered what would happen to the nameless babe. Reaching forward a tired hand, she called, but did not register just why the world was growing more dark. The lack of vision she chalked up to exhaustion, but she did not take note of why suddenly she was cold, or perhaps why she had lost all sense of feeling in her lower half.

A girl. His child that he watched grow within his wife's womb was not the son he had been hoping for, but rather a little girl that he would have no choice but to marry off one day. He didn't have the money for such actions; not with the debts of his gambling growing by the month. He had only agreed to a child in hopes that a son would bring him honor.

"Doctor, I can't stop the blood!"

All attention fell from the newborn to Ying, the doctor barking orders, urging the midwife to step aside and for fresh rags and water so that he could work. For someone to hold fire over his head so that he could see better. Xing Li did nothing to listen to the panic as he stared at the swaddled girl, watching as her eyes wandered the world around her, never once finding his. He studied her, searching for a reason to keep her among the many to give her away. Namely because she was female, and he only ever wanted to raise a boy for an heir. As he continued to watch, her legs weakly kicking and shifting through instinct alone testing what it was she could do. Never once did she look at him, even as he wiggled a finger in front of her face. The haze he came to realize, was not just some mark of being newly freed from the womb.

His daughter was blind.

Blinder than a wolf-bat, Xing Li realized what this meant for him. Not only was she not male but she was even further defective. His fire colored eyes narrowed, hard as a frown marred his face turning handsome weathered features to a frightening mask. Xing Li ignored the cries for more bandaging and worries of how the blood did not stop. He did though look back, finding his exhausted lover still and pale on the bed. Like a beautifully warped painting, she was motionless. Dead. Xing Li knew right then what had to be done. Resolved, he left unnoticed- completely and utterly irresponsible the medicine workers were, letting him get away so easily- and made way for the forest that lined the small town in which he lived.

The baby began to cry again, clearly hungry. Though he ignored her cries and thought only of what he would have to do next in order to reach his goal. Find a new wife, and find a new place to live. He would have to start from the very beginning, though he knew he wasn't getting any younger meaning he would have to act quickly. Even then he wouldn't be guaranteed a boy, as the chances of one or the other were half and half as luck would have it. This was his third time trying again; as a man in his forties, he would have to work harder than last time. He had been with Ying for six years. He wondered if he would be able to move the process along faster than before.

But first, to get rid of a burden he never fully wanted in the first place.

Instead of putting her on the water, he placed her at the base of a tree. The shadows of the waning sun seemed to hug and caress her as she wiggled in the grass, not understanding the cold sensation that was clearly not her mother's embrace. She screamed shrill, scaring away birds and other small critters. She knew nothing but this, and did not even realize that the man that had sired her walked away without a single thought. Not even one of luck. He cared not if someone found her and raised her worthless self into some pitiful village girl, or if she was eaten by a starved beast.

The babe may have been unable to watch him go, but that did not mean that he left unseen. The onyx gaze that followed him went unnoticed, its owner only stepping forth soundlessly from its hiding place once the man was completely out of sight. The wolf that strode slowly forward was clearly old, its pace careful and its joints stiff with constant use. Tail low but ears perked, its hulking body did not move the grass nor stir the bushes it swept through towards the wriggling mass of frustration. Shadows seemed to dance as its fur, strands twisting and flowing with little thought, like hair in water. Light did not seem to cast over it like it would with a normal body. The wolf Spirit stopped, sniffing at the strange little bundle. Wheezing the gasps came and went, the wolf had seen many human babies in its time, and could tell that it was recently birthed.

Why had the human male left her behind, the wolf wondered? It saw nothing wrong with the child though clearly it could not see. As the little girl wriggled and screamed, she soon came to notice that she was no longer alone. It was not warm, but even colder than before. However despite this she felt at ease. In an instinctive level she no longer felt in danger though when her stomach gurgled the crying resumed. Ears fell flat on the old wolf Spirit's head, glittering black orbs squinting as the sound hurt its poor senses. But over the screaming it could hear the approach of more humans. It looked down at the babe that reached, and found locks of shadow, holding on with a vice's grip. The wolf could feel the yearning in the girl. A desire to survive even as young as she was. It was not a conscious thought, but mere instinct that drove the little one forward.

The Spirit knew this feeling well, only wishing that it too had longer to live. Here, an idea came to mind. Tilting its head the wolf lowered its nose to the babe, her grip never once releasing as she flailed and demanded attention and love and food. Mostly food. It made the old wolf chuckle a gasping laugh. He remembered well what it was to be young and demanding of the world. It gave him an idea, one that would allow him to live in a way and permit her to take the world by the reigns. He much liked the idea of one last hurrah.

Placing a cold black nose to her forehead, he searched for her chi, finding it wild and of course without control. The surprising note however was that earth and fire seemed to war within her. A mere note of her heritage that he found interesting during this time and age. A dark glowing emitted from where he touched her, swallowing them whole for a few short seconds. Then, his world went blank.

As the little nameless girl continued to fuss and kick about, another figure came. This time, it was human; it was not the man that left her and it was not her mother. Weathered old hands gathered her up carefully, bringing a new sensation to her tender naked body. "What are you doing here of all places little one?" a woman spoke softly, "You're so cold little one; clearly someone left you here to die." She saw no one, and the footsteps she saw she knew through skill and experience were old. Pursing old lips she sighed, "Well, let's get you back home. I'm not going to stand by while a potentially great person dies before they can even begin to live. Such a pretty little lady." She talked over the momentary silence as the little girl wondered just who it was warming her, soothing her. The world was bright and new and interesting; no longer was she surrounded by dark nothingness and sounds.

"Daiyu(black jade), bring Enlai(favor coming) and come eat!" a young man's voice called from a small farmer's home. There, in its doorway, stood a young Earth Nation man who looked to be in his late teens. Body hard from caring for the herds and crops at his father's side, he stood tall and alert. "Daiyu, Enlai!" he rallied, "You won't eat if you don't come now!" Though he spoke stern his green eyes shone like the gentle caress of spring. A smile spread across his face when he spotted her.

A girl hardly over the age of seven sprinted across the field, bounding around fence posts that would soon corral a herd of ostrich-horses that would be broken and sold to the army. Onyx locks streamed behind her as her lanky disproportionate legs stretched across the distance, emeralds sitting in her face bright with laughter. Clothing nothing but a battered dress and barefooted she raced against a creature most would flee from. Her pale flesh covered in a healthy layer of dust and muck. A beast at least ten times her size and more than a dozen times physically stronger. The sun seemed to fall into its frame as it swept across the grass without a sound or a trail left in its wake. It ran deliberately slow, humoring the young farm girl as they raced for the teen that called them.

Realizing just how close she was to her goal too late, she was too busy laughing at something only she found funny, the brakes never met their mark. She slammed full tilt into the young man who grunted and stumbled back from the force. Tiny she was, but she felt like a brick wall right then. Missing teeth but grinning, the girl beamed, "What's for dinner Gin? Oh I hope it's soup!" Why she wanted soup on such a warm day was unknown to all, but the young man shook his head.

"Just come along will you? Wash your face." Raising a hand to rest it on the wolf creature's nose he promised, "I'll be right back with your dinner fella." Enlai huffed, eyes of abyss watching curiously as he sat and finally laid down in wait. An ear flicked when the girl giggled, hearing the sarcastic thought that passed through a bond only they shared. Warmth stirred in the beast's heart, watching as she retreated for the evening; he would join her when bedtime came.

The family sitting around a small battered kitchen table consisted of another girl, an older man and his aged wife both of which sat waiting. While normally all women served the table before sitting themselves, this family seemed out of the ordinary. Perhaps this was why they housed themselves on land far from the furthest village. The elderly woman was withered though one would have called her breathtaking in her youth. Long silvery hair coupled with wrinkles and blinded eyes made her up for the most part. Daiyu always insisted that the dear old woman could see things that normal people could not- that with her normal vision gone she had gained something far better. No one else understood, but humored her all the same. The man seemed slightly younger but no less roughened by the years his brown hair once dark turned to a mousy color and his green eyes having lost their luster.

As Daiyu came trotting into the room with a clean pale face, the young woman offered a kind expression to her. Not as fully as her brother or as the two elders that asked her if she and Enlai had fun wandering the nearby forest, but all the same with warmth. This one had tan colored tresses kept in a careful bun her clothing though dusty kept far cleaner than the little girl's. Daiyu, knowing the drill well helped to set the table as best as she could. Setting up plates and the lighter of simple platters down on the wooden surface. Once all was in place she sat.

"Could you please pass the dumplings?" the old woman requested of the girl, pointing to a rather large bowl filled to the brim as she set up her plate. It was obvious that the container would be heavy for the child, and the elder seemed to glow with a form of mischief.

Seeing this look in the woman's eyes, the older girl moved to stand. "Here, Mother, let me. It's too heavy for Daiyu; she'll spill it."

"I'm okay Sen!" the child assured with a grin that, whether she knew it or not, seemed far too contagious for its own good.

Sen carefully shook her head, "No. It's not safe. Mother you know she shouldn't bend at the table anyways; you're just encouraging bad habits."

"Nonsense Sen!" the man spoke, voice boisterous despite time having weathered it, "This helps practice control after all. She won't drop it. Will you kid?"

"Can we not go through this again?" Gin requested lightly coming to Sen's rescue. Exchanging an understanding look with his sister, he insisted, "She can practice with something smaller." Sen's thankful smile wilted. She should have known. "Daiyu try passing the bread instead first."

"It's okay!" the child smiled proud. She loved showing what she could do; it was always rewarding to see the proud smiles of her relatives, even if her ability was not common. She always felt at ease when using her power, and though she knew she was not that strong she also realized that with each moment of practice she became even better. "I've got it Sen, Gin. Watch this!"

Standing to her feet the girl took a stance once may mistake for a waterbender's. Widely placed feet and hands raised arms relaxed. Shifting her weight, she concentrated, hands making motions that only she could understand the purpose of. She stared at nothing but her quarry, knowing well what would happen next. Most would be unable to explain it. Slowly, ever so carefully, shadows all around the room began to quiver. As though the light that created them had shifted or grown stronger. They shifted and twitched like living things before quite suddenly they began to gather together. Not only this, but they hovered as though on their own. A black tendril of the unknown twisted as she changed the positioning of her waving arms carefully. One tendril became two, each wrapping around the container for dumplings and the other for bread. Both came down onto the table harder than she had anticipated but when little Daiyu saw no glass broken she took the small victory.

Her family too, and soon they began to eat.

Time seemed to fast forward after this point.

She remembered well laying her head down for sleep, the sensation as though becoming heavier caressed its way into her. She was not bothered however, knowing the cause. As Enlai came to her, his shadowy fame sweeping through the room like a breeze, he settled down like a blanket across her body. And then, strangely enough, he sank into her like water would for parched earth.

When next she woke it was not to the morning sun filtering through her window illuminating walls and greeting her with the new day. Instead it was to a scream, shrill and horrified. Then she smelled smoke. Eyes snapping wide open, she searched her small room. No smoke. But she still smelled it. She heard voices. Curt and commanding. More importantly, unknown. She heard a second scream, the same as before and jumped to her feet.

What was going on? Who was in their home? Enlai though unseen urged her to remain careful; to stay in her room and instead crawl under the bed where she could hide safe from danger. Or perhaps jump from her second story window to the ground where the shadowy figure would catch her before she could hurt herself. Then they could flee and never look back. She was more important to him than the family that raised her as their own. On the other hand little Daiyu was more worried about those same people, knowing that her father was aged and her beloved brother while strong could only take on so many at once. He was a farm boy, not some seasoned warrior. Sen was a girl who preferred to do garden work and clean the house; she had no chance of protecting herself. But Daiyu….She could bend something she was told had never been bent before, and on top of this she had Enlai to help.

Ignoring her counterpart and his warning cries completely, she opened the door that by some luck was unaffected by the fire that sat consuming their home somewhere. "Mama, Papa! Gin! Sen!" She called rushing down the hall feet hammering on the wood as she nearly fell down the stairs trying to find the source of the scream. She stopped however, her own cry of terror ripping from her lips without her consent. Around her she saw the origin of fire, smoke finally registering to her eyes and lungs. Coughing harshly as contaminated air entered without permission she continued to look and watch. There were five men, all dressed in Fire Nation armor and each bearing flames at one thing or another. In front of her lay the bleeding bodies of her parents, Liing and Yong. A couple that could have just left her to die or thrown her in an orphanage when she was nothing but a babe. Instead they took her, and raised her for seven years.

To the side there was Sen. She lay there motionless, but the tears in her eyes spoke of life. A sixth man kneeled above her, taking on an unholy action Daiyu barely understood at her young age. And just across from her dead parents was her brother. Bearing a sword that had never been touched and clashing with one of the firebenders. Gin's spring colored eyes turned to find her as he struggled under the force that was the attacker. The soldiers had come in the middle of the night demanding taxes that had never even been introduced to them until right then. Denial brought about the fight immediately. His father had taken a blast of fire for him, getting struck directly in the face and chest point black. His mother, though Gin tried to guard her, died by blade crying over her husband. Sen had tried her best to run, knowing she had no chance to defend herself and that she would just get in Gin's way. This battle was swiftly lost.

And then there was Daiyu, arriving at the worst of times, late as always. He told himself that he would somehow beat and kill six powerful enemies and flee with her before she could see the truth herself. He failed. "Daiyu! Run!"

"Oh, lookie what we have here!" A nameless soldier cooed, realizing that there was someone still alive. "Pretty little girl you are," he approached her cowering frame, her wide green eyes like two tainted jewels. "And your name is Daiyu? What a nice ring to it." He reached forward, gloved hand grasping her chin. "Would you like to come with me and keep me company?"

"Don't touch her!" Gin screamed, bearing teeth as finally he pushed through the weight battling against him. The blade rarely used cut through armor deeply, felling his enemy in a waterfall of blood. He was soon however over taken by two of the remaining warriors. Disarmed and pinned to the ground. the soldier that had taken interest in Daiyu turned, clearly displeased. Daiyu stumbled back, but fell on her rear fear too heavy to allow her to move. Enlai urged her to run, to scramble away and leave Gin to die. She did not hear him. Heart hammering in her ears she barely heard the soldier taunt her beloved big brother.

He sneered, picking up the farmboy's chin with the tip of his metallic boot. "Oh, she's especially precious to you, isn't she?" A slow dark chuckle, "Well, don't you worry, I'll take good care of her once you're gone."

"No!" was abruptly met with boot to face blood flying from split lips and broken teeth.

"You don't get to decide," the lead soldier snapped, removing his helmet at last to reveal a middle aged face and eyes the color of fire. Hair cropped short to his skull and burn scars around his neck as though a chain had been warmed then wrapped there. "That pretty little thing, your precious Daiyu, is going to make an excellent slave. What kind exactly, well that depends on the future now doesn't it?" Dark chuckles echoed like the dancing flames around them, amused as he watched the once kind gaze turn to wrath and venom. "Oh, you really don't like that. Well, we're done dealing with you. The house should collapse soon so….," the blade that had slain one of the soldiers was gripped by the seasoned soldier. Swung with brutish power, he admired the simple murder weapon. It was nothing special, just something that would get the job done. A shame. He looked behind him, finding the girl frozen in place. Then turned back to Gin and promptly thrust the blade through the young man's back digging into the wood under his chest.

She did not have the ability to scream, but instead found herself looking as pained, dulling light green eyes. The soot covered face marred by a blooming bruise and blood only made it more evident that the fight before had been short and painful. She should have listened to Enlai and stayed in her room or fled by herself. However she had investigated, and paid the price dearly. Gin tried to smile, realizing that his beloved sibling would likely begin to blame herself. He knew she hadn't known the truth when she came running down; there was no way she could. He believed it was his fault for being unable to actually protect his family as a young man of the house should.

"Daiyu….I need you to listen very carefully," it was a whisper, one which the girl hardly registered, "This….This was not your fault. The only ones at fault are these firebenders. And I know when you're older you may be angry, but first you have to promise me that you'll live that long. Run away now. Bring forth Enlai and run and don't look back. Understood? With Enlai, they wouldn't be able to catch you. And as long as you get out of here alive, I'll be able to rest in peace."

"Gin….No….Gin I can't leave you!"

The laughter of the men around her hurt her ears. "Aw, hear that boys?" the leader snickered, "She can't leave her beloved big brother!"

"Such a brave girl!" Another chortled. "I wish my wife loved me that much." Another chorus of barking laughter.

"Daiyu, now! Go!"

She, realizing that Gin knew better than she, stood on shaky legs taking slow steps back. "Hey now look what you've done," a third cried, pulling the blade from Gin's back, "You're scaring her way big brother! That's no fun!" The spring green eyes and soot covered face went rolling, blade that had only been used that night easily cleaving through muscle and nerve and flesh. She did not hear herself scream. She did not see the shadows around her bubble and shudder like boiling water. She did not see Enlai falling from her pours like sweat, rising from her shadow as though it were a pool and taking ground next to her with a snarl on his wolven face. She did not see him lunge blood thirsty. She did not see the shadows follow her desire to make it all end, rising tall and creating tendrils and blades that acted on their own. She did see the men fall, the blood fly, and the shadows become the cause of a new blood bath.

However, after this her mind shut down, and all was dark.

The young woman shot straight up, gasping and eyes wide as sweat poured down her face. The coolness of the tree's shadow reminded her where she was as she desperately tried to calm herself. Heart hammering in her chest, tears streaming in her face as her mind forced her to see Gin's headless body and the last loving smile he had given her. Fingers dug into dirt twisting their way through grass as she slowly, carefully, regained her composure. Next to her was a wolf clearly unlike any other. A being made of shadows, pools of abyss staring at her as she brought her breathing back to a calm state. The nightmare always came on its anniversary. For the last eleven years it's haunted her. She did not need the dream to remind her of course.

"You had been sleeping well until a few minutes ago," the wolf spirit chimed, "Your recovery rate has gotten faster again."

It was a voice only she heard; one that sat in her head and either angered or soothed her. At the moment, it did neither. "I've grown used to it somehow," standing, the woman made for the river she slept near, and wet her throat to ease it after the strangled scream that had nearly ripped from her.

Looking in her reflection, she no longer saw a seven year old girl covered in mud and dirt and who knew what else. Instead she saw the rippling reflection of a young woman. Long wavy black tresses kept in an intricate braid, pale skin as light as the moon, and large green eyes like emeralds. She dressed in a half shirt due to the summer's heat, the cloth a light orange paired with dark red men's pants that held tight to her waist and ankles but were otherwise baggy; a sash kept these pants on. She was barefoot, and wore nothing on her hands showing that her nails were in fact claws, if she smiled one would see long fangs instead of canines.

Such was the result of Enlai the Shadow Spirit merging himself with her as a newborn to keep them both alive. In exchange, she had gained powers that normal humans, even benders, could not understand truly. Enlai had told her that because he merged with her instead of the other way around, she had gained what was once his command over shadows.. She could bend them to her will like any other bender could, but she found recently that she could also sink into them as one would water. Additionally the Spirit Wolf used her shadow to form his body when not residing within her; how this latter part worked she still did not fully understand- something to do with the fact that there was nothing but shadows within the body as there was no light there, or something. She merely accepted it as it was. A neat and useful trick.

A sigh came forth, though her state of thoughtlessness was broken when she heard the sound of a broken twig. Reacting more than thinking, she spun, pulling a shadow from nearby to do her bidding. It shot forward in the form of a pike, pointing from the intruder's shadow and barely stopping before his throat. A pair of brown eyes gazed on with shock, poofy short brown locks dusted a wrinkled forehead as calloused hands raised in harmlessness. A piece of wheat dangled from his lips; he wore a blue and brown ensamble; hook swords sat diagonal to one another on his back.

"Woah, easy there killer," he smiled reassuringly, "It's just me."

As soon as she saw the grass hanging from his mouth she realized her mistake; she was happy she didn't kill him. "Jet, you know better than to sneak up on me like that." The shadow fell away, shrinking down as though nothing had happened. "You need something?"

He honestly didn't think he could sneak up on her like that. She was always so alert even when she seemed relaxed. "Sorry, sorry. It won't happen again. Anyways, I just thought I would come and get you for dinner. Oh, and we have some interesting guests today."

Here she tilted her head. Guests? The Freedom Fighters didn't have guests. Just an honorary member- her- who refused to go on missions in fear of outright killing any soldier they came upon and instead watched the base. If they had guests that meant they really were interesting. Grinning, excited now, she threw an arm over his shoulders. She was a little taller than him, though she was sure he'd be taller than her by the time he was done growing. "Do tell."

"Careful, he might become too happy if you stay that close to him," Enlai honestly did not like it when other people touched Daiyu. Then again, he didn't very much like other people either. Jet, though they had known him for five years, was still someone he was getting used to. Playing on the young man's crush made sure Daiyu stepped away; she didn't think of the boy that way after all.

"Hush you," but she removed her arm all the same. To the young man that could not hear the spirit, she smiled as though nothing had happened. "So, what kind of interesting guests do we have with us tonight?"

Jet liked to think of himself as sly like a fox-rabbit, knowing well that the woman at his side both loved and hated surprises. If she knew one was keeping something a secret she only wanted to know what it was even more. This time would be no different. "Oh you know. Just some people that aren't from around here."

"Okay…..So….Where are they from then?"

"You'll have to wait and see," her pouting glare was adorable.

They walked in comfortable silence. Though they were already within a forest of tall and mighty trees, the deeper they walked the taller the trees got. Trunks became wider and branches far higher. Too high to jump up to for any human, they housed leaves that echoed the woman's irises seeming to glitter with what was left of the morning's dew in sunlight that gently filtered its way to the ground. Around them was birdsong, in the distance a deer-elk grazed its way along only lifting its head to watch as the duo passed keeping a wary eye especially on the female's furry companion. Eventually, when strategically hidden ropes were spotted, they stopped. Above head was what could be compared to a very small village.

Above them by at least one hundred feet were platforms made of the surrounding wood varying in size and height depending on utility. Connecting them to travel up were hanging ropes much like the ones at ground level, which operated on a pulley system. To travel down, ziplines were used while rope bridges connected platforms at the same height. This was a place with no name and was little known. A little utopia the Freedom Fighters proudly called home.

Jet took one rope, foot positioned comfortably in the single loop at its end. As he pushed down on it, the system hauled him upwards leaving Daiyu and Enlai behind. While the spirit merged human was stronger than most, and she could jump rather high, not even she could leap more than fifty feet into the air without help. She needed not ask as Enlai acted inhabit alone. As a being made of shadows himself, he could change his shape and size however he pleased. He rose to his back paws, body becoming thin and long as he reached for the sky. Soon he himself was a shadowy tendril that wrapped around his partner's waist and hauled her to the desired platform.

Thanks to the young talented cooks among their crew there was almost always a feast to be had. However tonight seemed to be special. She landed lightly, the living abyss that was Enlai took on a smaller version of his original form: he trotted confidently along at her side. Though he did not need to or have the desire to eat, the food always smelled wonderful. Out of the two of them he was the first to notice their guests. And just how important the one was. A shiver ran down his spine, in his core something snarled though he knew it was not the boy's fault. It merely had to do with Enlai's own origin and the true source of the other's power.

Jet turned and smiled to her as she arrived, seeing more than hearing her nimble stride across the planks. "There you are. Daiyu, I want you to meet our guests. Aang, Katara, her brother Sokka and Momo," each gestured in kind smiling as they did so. "Guys this is Daiyu and her companion Enlai. They're honorary Freedom Fighters that watch the base while the majority of us are gone on missions."

The boy she assumed to be Water Tribe like the girl, balked. "Wait, this one girl is left to protect the whole base with that thing?"

"May I bite his arm off?"

She shook her head and laughed silently. Katara too seemed rather insulted. Though she also didn't seem all too surprised at what he said. Daiyu didn't know much about either Water Tribe herself, but stories from Enlai suggested that men held higher ranks for their people. So maybe he's naturally sexist? "What's that supposed to mean, Sokka?" Blue eyes glared hard hands on her blue clad hips.

The boy with the arrows agreed. He felt somehow different to the green eyed girl. Ethereal kind of like Enlai in a way. But she said nothing of it. "Yea, I've met plenty of girls that can kick my butt. Daiyu here is probably just like them."

"I don't want to sound rude or anything". He defended, "It's just that if she stays here then she must not be much of a fighter. And I kind of find that strange to leave her all alone to protect their home is all."

Jet smirked, teasing, "Why don't you spar with her then? But fair warning, she can wipe the floor with us all one handed all by herself. And Enlai? He's not your ordinary wolf let's leave it at that."

But the stubborn teen shook his head, "I still don't believe it." While most would take it as an insult and move to prove themselves, Daiyu liked being underestimated. It gave her an additional edge.

Raising her hands she grinned flashing sharp canines; a suddenly feral expression. "Believe what you want. Because I believe it's time to eat not bicker". she left it at that and instead picked a spot around the massive dinner table. Jet instantly took to her side settling down as his followers filed onto the platform each laughing at one thing or another as they took their seats.

Once all was quiet Jet stood and spoke. It was an almost ritualistic speech given each return- slightly different each time- from a successful mission. "Today we successfully took down a camp of Fire Nation scum! I especially enjoyed it when The Duke jumped down and rode a soldier like a hogmonkey," the roaring cheers encouraged the small former thief to take a strut around a bread bowl on the table. "The Fire Nation thinks that they don't have to worry about a bunch of kids in the trees...Maybe they're right," all around him shout, though Ket swore a certain someone threw a foul curse into the throng. The mere thought of being seen as nothing but a weak child again instantly brought a flash of anger to the forefront. "Or maybe they're dead wrong." When the cheers erupted again he stepped down, thanking Katara for her beaming praise. "You two were impressive on the battlefield too. Nice bending skills," he told the arrowhead boy and blue eyed girl.

Daiyu almost barked when she saw the girl blush. Did she have no suitors back home? Or did she just see Jet as particularly sly? "Well…Thanks. Aang's a given. He's the Avatar. Me? I need more practice."

"The Avatar was said to be dead," Enlai echoed her thoughts, not that anyone but her could hear him. "That is why he feels different from normal humans. There is an unnatural light to him."

"That's why he seemed…Strange to me," it made sense at that point. "I'm sure you get this a lot but you're the Avatar? What happened in the last century? Where have you been holed away?"

Frown tilting his lips gray eyes took on a guilty hue. As though all the problems in the world were his doing. "I was frozen in an iceberg."

"Sokka and I found him only a few weeks ago," Katara offered him a reassuring smile and a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, good morning champ!" Daiyu chimed playfully grin bright. She did not blame the boy for the war as some might. Nor did she blame him for the loss of her family. That one was on her alone. She needed to stop swelling and thing of the positive. A difficult task but as she refocused she found it to be easier with each passing moment.

He had been expecting her to start yelling for some reason. But as she smiled brightly at him, the young teen felt at ease once more. From stormy to shining bright his eyes glowed. "Yea...Hehe good morning."

Jet placed an arm around the young woman's shoulders. "Daiyu is our residential ray of light. But anyways, I thought of a way you two could help us with a mission. Are you interested?" This was news to her. A mission again so soon? Not bothered too deeply, she listened curiously.

However something must have happened between Sokka and Jet, for the Water Tribe boy shook his head curtly. He wanted nothing more to do with them it seemed. "Thanks, but no thanks. We have to leave tonight." As though to make a point he stood, passing the others as they stayed where they were.

"But Sokka, I needed you on a mission too," the Freedom Fighters leader insisted. Two missions then? Something didn't feel right to her. Enlai shifted in her lap, their eyes meeting warily. Never had Jet done back-to-back missions so quickly. Nor had he done missions where there were two teams taking on different groups. Too high risk. And he was right. What changed? What's happened to make him make such risky measures? Though they had been searching, the Fire Nation soldiers still failed to find their base thanks to the spirit merged teen. What other threat could there be?

All the same, this stopped Sokka, "What kind of mission?"

"We need to scout the woods for any Fire Nation intruders. More camps even. I can't leave that kind of job on just Daiyu, that wouldn't be fair."

"...Fine. I'll help you with the mission. But then we're leaving." It was as though he had reluctantly given to the temptation and returned to his spot.

"Now there's a team player," she praised all the same. Sokka rolled his eyes and glowered, but she paid it no mind. She wanted to see him in action. See what a friend of the Avatar himself could do. He was not a bender by what she's heard from them, so he had to have some skill in hand to hand combat. She would adore sparring with him; Jet had long since gotten predictable and Enlai didn't find as much joy in it as she did. Called it a 'pup's game'.

As Smellerbee and Long Shot kindly showed their guests to the few extra bunks they had, Daiyu and Enlai walked with Jet alone. He was obviously tired after a long day's work; gathering up a team, planning a raid and making sure everyone came home okay. Then going out of his way to find her for dinner and even entertain guests. He had been a very busy leader. It was a comfortable silence, one gained after years of gaining trust and watching one another's backs. But as curiosity grew, she could not keep her mouth shut. Where had the ideas for these missions come about? Why were they in such rapid succession? And why did they require the Avatar and his friends of all people? She was a bender, why couldn't he ask her for anything he needed?

"So, tell me about these missions. Shall I come with you?"

"No!" this took her by surprise as he jumped, catching himself, "I mean...No, that's fine. We might run into a Fire Nation camp again. And since you can't really hold back I don't want you to dirty your hands with their blood. Would you mind staying with Katara and Aang while Sokka comes with us?"

There is was. That strange feeling of unease. At her side Enlai was silent, but she could tell that he had either predicted something or knew what was going on. There were times when he wanted her to learn on her own; it annoyed her to no end. She did not like this sensation, and not being in the know. However she trusted Jet, and she knew Enlai would not guide her into something she could not handle. "I can do that," she agreed.

At last they were at his hut. Having taken ropes and the occasional bridge they found themselves at the highest point of the base. Just below the very top of the forest's canopy, his home was the largest- a gift from those that had built it for him. Its exterior was no different from the average hut, however the inside featured a bed that could fit two people comfortably and a place at which he could keep things organized for the Fighters. The places they had struck, the places where there were new camps, and so on. She followed him into his sleeping quarters with little thought, though had no intention of staying. She merely wanted the conversation to continue.

Jet smiled to the young woman in front of him. He could arguably call her his closest friend. he would do literally anything for her. "Thank you. I can't have them getting bored or feeling neglected. Even I know that guests are important. Especially when one of them is the Avatar of all people."

She agreed. "How did you find them anyways? Were they lost or something?"

"Kind of," he shrugged, "They were arguing about Sokka being the leader of their little group, and wandered accidentally into a Fire Nation camp. I wasn't going to just stand by and watch them get hurt by being outnumbered, and the soldiers were distracted so we took that chance to strike. I only found out who Aang really was when you did."

"What do you need their help for by the way? I could help with that; I'm a bender too." She could not hide the slight tone of jealousy. He never asked her for help when it came to bending. Not on a mission at least and while it didn't insult her normally this time it somewhat did. Aang and Katara were complete strangers and yet he went to them first.

He shook his head, "Not with waterbending you can't. You told me it doesn't work that way with your kind of bending."

He was right. "Well- no- but still you could have asked. I can still pick up and put down water, just not as efficiently as them."

"And that's what I need. Efficiency. Look, it's by no means a jab at you. They just so happen to be waterbenders and we need this mission done quickly. I'm sorry if it hurt your feelings. You know I would never intentionally hurt you". He reached for her forearm, grasping it firmly. Daring to step closer he looked up. She was only a few inches taller than him. "You know that right? I would never try to hurt you."

Why was he suddenly getting sentimental? Brows furrowed and rather confused, she nodded. As though to ease the searching gaze, she then offered a warm smile and placed a clawed hand on his shoulder. "I know you wouldn't. You're not that kind of person."

As though relief washed him free of any worries, he brightened. And realizing that he still held on, released her swiftly. His ears felt warm, heart swiftly beating in his chest. Finally letting her go, he smiled, "Good. I just wanted to make sure." He wasn't certain if he should have pulled her closer, hugged her, or simply let her go. Much to his surprise, she made the decision. Her frame was colder than his as always, but it was still soft with an unknown almost hypnotic scent coming from it. She seemed to envelope him in an intoxicating embrace, one which brought all his muscles to relaxation and his mind to a smooth numbness. He had just enough of a mind to wrap his arms around her frame, and hold tight for a moment before she let him go.

"I trust you, Jet," she smiled, kind and meaningful. She wanted him to understand she meant the words by their very definition. He was the first person besides Enlai that she trusted ever since her family was murdered. While she did not believe that he couldn't do anything wrong, she did believe that everything and anything he did had some sort of reason behind it. He was young, but she felt that he had a sound head on his shoulders. This said she turned with a bidding wave, deciding that it would be best that she too went to bed. Unlike the Freedom Fighters however, she did not have a hut to sleep in. She very much preferred not having a roof over her head for that matter. Whether it was from her childhood or the fact that she had been living in such a way for so long, it mattered not. She had a preferred tree branch, and swiftly nestled down. Enlai curled into her lap, tail covering his snout and ears perked.

"I have a bad feeling, Little Wolf," his deep voice echoed within the cage that was her skull. "Something doesn't feel right."

Laying her head against the rough bark, she sighed running her fingers through shadowy tresses. "I trust Jet," she repeated, "Even if what he does isn't exactly ideal, I know that he never intends for it to mean anything cruel. It'll work out. You'll see."

She found herself alone with Aang, while Katara had gone off to do something on her own. Jet had told her to entertain them both, but she could not force the Water Tribe girl to stay with her if she had no desire to. She was giving the young Avatar a more in depth tour of their hideout. She knew he would tell no one, nor would he use the information to his sole advantage. He was a pure being. The light energy that came off of him in waves as nearly blinding. But it was also welcome. It was mid-morning, and they were nearly done the tour when finally the young teen burst with a rally of questions. Not about the places he had seen, but rather about her.

"So…..Where are you from, Daiyu? Do you have any family? Are you a bender? If so what element do you bend? Is Enlai really a spirit?"

She laughed. The boy six years her junior had the same energy and curiosity she had when she was little. "I grew up on a farm far from any towns. The closest place you might know about would be Omashu. I am in fact a bender, but what my element is, is a secret. Enlai is a spirit. He's a Shadow Wolf Spirit to be precise. He and I are bound in a way no one else could imagine".

"What do you mean by that?"

"Did the monks not teach him about spirits and their abilities?" Enlai wondered aloud, "Even as young as he is, he should know".

"You don't know about spirits, Aang? You're an Air Nomad and the Avatar after all".

Shaking his head, gray eyes turned stormy, "Truth is, I ran away as soon as I found out about being the Avatar. I left everyone behind," everyone. It still rode heavily on his little shoulders. But when a hand was placed on one, he found a warm smile. It was a reassuring; it reminded him almost of Katara when she comforted him. Shaking off the dread he continued, "By that point, we had only just learned about spirits and their world. I don't really know how to communicate with them or anything if that's what you're asking".

Before Enlai could demand it of her, she decided that it would be best if he better understood. "Spirits are beings from the Spirit World. They are typically associated with some piece of nature and are normally immortal unless something happens to take that away. Enlai is a Shadow Wolf Spirit that was dying when he found me as an abandoned baby. He merged with me to keep us both alive. Normally he's the size of a platypus-bear but right now that's not the case".

Aang was astounded. He never knew that spirits could do something like merge with a living person. Grinning to the little wolf that trotted on the woman's other side he thanked him from the bottom of his heart. He did not know Daiyu all that well, but he liked her and that was all that mattered to him. "Thank you Mr. Enlai for saving Daiyu's life! If you hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten to meet someone so nice!"

"This child wouldn't know a selfish act even if it hit him in the face. Would he?" why was the boy so pleased to find a stranger lived because of him? It made little sense- no rhyme nor reason. "Quick, Daiyu slap him in the face".

She laughed, barking once and grinning wide at the cynical joke. "He may be old but he's not experienced. Go easy on him won't you?"

"No".

"What's…...So funny?"

"Oh nothing," she assured, "Just that Enlai doesn't like being called 'mister'. He says it makes him feel old. Be between you and me, he's a geezer". Here she laughed again, deliberately over her wolf partner's snappish curses about how bad a lie that was and that he really wasn't that old compared to many others. Some would even call him a pup. Aang's curiously lost face only made her laugh harder. "Don't worry about it Aang, he'll be fine".

Before the two could continue, the light atmosphere smacked into the chaotic air of a fight between siblings. Almost red in the face with what looked like anger, Sokka confronted his younger sibling. "Your boyfriend is a thug, Katara. He ambushed a harmless old man!"

Daiyu took this as an insult to herself though it had nothing to do with her. She felt a dark acid lace her tongue and spark at her fingers. This boy knew Jet for a day and he thought he had the right to name-call? "He's not a thug," she swiftly interjected cutting the young waterbender off like hacking off a limb. "Come, we'll hear his side of whatever story you've come up with. Then you'll see you've jumped to conclusions".

"You're the one jumping!" Sokka whirled but followed all the same. Grasping onto ropes and working hard to keep up with her long strides. "Do you have any idea what your apparently 'good' leader is up to?"

"No, but I know his intentions are good. Now shut up and get your facts in order," she snapped in kind. She did not take well to anyone insulting those she held dear. She had half a mind to back hand the boy's mouth right off his face. He didn't need lips. Not right then at least. Knocking swiftly twice she entered Jet's familiar abode, finding him carving a piece of wood at ease. His head shot up from his work, a small smile flitting across his face as he spotted her. The surprise was very welcome in his book.

Patting a spot next to him, he urged that she sit though he did hear less familiar footsteps follow her inside. He was hoping she just wanted to be with him. Unfortunately it seemed she had an agenda. "I wasn't expecting visitors. What can I do you for?" he cannot control the ever so slight tenseness of his hands or the narrowing of his eyes upon spotting the Water Tribe boy. "...He told you about the attack, didn't he? I can only imagine that's why you all look so upset".

Katara nodded. She tried her best to remain calm, but she was frustrated. How could Sokka just jump to conclusions like he did? "We want to hear your side of the story about earlier today with the old man," she confirmed.

"He didn't tell you that even though he was old, he was of Fire Nation?"

Fire Nation. Even old soldiers were dangerous. She was certain that if they had come upon the Dragon of the West, even in his advanced age he would win the fight. "No". Clipped and dark.

"He was a harmless old man!" Sokka cried, huffing. Why was no one listening to him? Oh, right. Because Jet the pretty boy had Katara and this Daiyu girl wrapped around his little fingers. That was why.

Standing, Jet opened a drawer in his desk. From it, he pulled then a blade twisted and curved like a snake's winding body. The dagger's tip found home in the stump he had been carving over, right next to the little figurine he had been working on. "He was an assassin Sokka. See there's a compartment for poison; he was sent to destroy me". Pulling the vile free of its hiding place within the handle of the weapon, he glared at the poisonous liquid. Daiyu wasn't certain if assassins were truly after him; even with the damage the Fighters had done to the enemy troops, it still wasn't enough to draw attention to them. Not really. But if the old man did have that dagger, then he was in fact some form of assassin or murderer in general. It was a well cared for blade; normal civilians didn't have that kind of weaponry. "You saved my life today, Sokka".

The brother scoffed, "I didn't see any knife".

"That's because you were too busy arguing with me".

"Whatever," he was tired of this back and forth argument that clearly he was losing. "We're leaving and I'm going to go pack my bags". He turned and stormed from the little building. Daiyu's gut twisted. Not all seemed quite right. However, as always she trusted Jet.

As he watched Sokka leave, Jet turned pleading eyes to Katara and Aang. Then they met just Katara's gaze. His shoulders slumped slightly and his lips almost pouting. Daiyu thought the sight was quite a surprise; she'd never seen such a look from him. "Don't tell me you guys are leaving too. I could really use your help".

"Not to be rude but, can't Daiyu help you too?"

"Her bending isn't suited for this kind of work," he flashed her an apologetic smile. "What do you say? Will you stay and at least lend a hand?"

The two exchanged a short, worried look. Katara kindly requested, "What do you need our help with?"

This was exactly wanted. What he needed, in order to meet his goal. Because of these two, he would reach it even sooner than he had imagined. "The Fire Nation soldiers in that town I told you about earlier are planning to burn this forest down. If we don't stop them, the whol valley is doomed".

Here Daiyu interjected, "When were you going to tell me about this?"

"At dinner actually".

"Then set me loose," for the first time since their arrival, young Aang and Katara watched as her face turned dark. A shadow of anger washed over her expression, the air seemed to grow cold as her voice lowered. "I'll end every last one of them before they can even blink. If they think they can burn down my home again, they have another thing coming". Blood lust boiled in her veins, muscles tensed in preparation to leave the instant he let her. Claws dipped into the harmless fabric of his bed, creating holes.

She was truly frightening. The keen desire to fight and shed blood was obvious, almost poisonous to look at. He knew she was itching to leave. Like a hound held by the collar yearning to hunt down the quarry. "I can't do that Daiyu. You made me promise not to let you do something like that ever again. Remember?"

She remembered all too well. The pools of blood she had created in her wake. The terror on his face and the crimson that painted her. Enlai had been beaming, proud of the hunt. When it was over, she was ashamed. She hated the Fire Nation as much as the next rebel, but had no desire to kill like she had. Sighing, she looked away only catching the uncertain gazes of the kids before her. It was difficult, culling the lust that set her nerves on end. She supposed it was a side effect of merging with Enlai, but did not bother to investigate.

"I remember," she eventually whispered. Forcing muscles to relax. "Thank you".

Jet nodded, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. Back on subject he redirected the conversation, "Anyways, if you can waterbend the reservoir full, then we can use that to put out the fires". When the two exchanged another glance, and then gave their consent he grinned. "Wonderful! We'll start first thing tomorrow". Realizing they were dismissed, they left with short waves and careful glances to the black haired woman. They knew not what drove her to such hatred, but they shivered upon recalling it. Katara hadn't seen anything like that since her dad. And Aang….Something in his core whimpered whispering warnings to stay away.

She had slept longer than she had expected to, but the rest was fitful. Stretching long and luxuriously, she found it strange that she heard no shouting kids. No footsteps dashing back and forth or cries of mock battle. There was no smell of fresh food cooked readily by fire. In fact, the harder she listened, the quieter she realized the forest was. Disturbed, she swung herself to the ground, a tendril of black allowing her to avoid any and all injury. Enlai shifted uneasily, muttering words of worry and wonder. Neither of them could tell what exactly was going on however whatever it was, the ill intent frightened away any animals that normally swarmed the area.

"Can you follow Jet's scent at all? I can't catch it," she turned her gaze to the massive shadowy figure at her side.

Focusing, the spirit paused. It was only a moment before he found the boy. Though the scent of stress and water disturbed him. "Something is wrong," three dreaded words, "Get on my back".

She did not hesitate, leaping onto his being wrapping her legs around him as best she could. Hands tangled into shadow tinted tendrils as she leaned low against him to make travel easiest. Wind whipped at her hair and clothing as they travelled closer to the ravine. With each bounding stride he made, her stomach flipped and flopped more with unease. Smoothly did she transition with him from around trees and bramble, sensing where he would step before he actually went through with it. Eyes forward though made teary because of the speed, she took in the scene before her. Barely did she manage not to fly off Enlai's back as he skidded to a stop.

The geysers that often burst and spilled into the river leaked slowly, milked of water which shifted and charged against the high built dam. it struggled against the sloshing waves of the current, leaking in one place or another but never truly giving way. At the bottom of what would be a plummeting waterfall was a town. How they lived at ease despite knowing about the weak dam, she did not know. Standing not far from the river, her back to the water was Katara. She seemed to have taken on a beginner's offensive stance. Jet however was on the defense. Disappointment flowed from every posture of every part of his body. What was he so displeased about?

"I would do something like that, Katara," he seemed to be explaining something. It also looked like he was blind to her arrival even as she jumped from Enlai's back and approached quietly. "Just think about what they did to your mother. To my village. You can't even begin to fathom what they did to Daiyu. We can't let them do anything like that ever again!"

"But there are innocent people down there! Mothers, fathers and children!" Katara threw back herself. She didn't seem to notice the newcomer either.

"Without sacrifices, there can be no victory Katara. This is the only way".

Aang too stood on the offensive. But rather than hurt and betrayed he looked worried beyond belief. What about the villagers? What had them so worried about a town that had sat there for decades without a care in the world? "I've got to get my glider and warn the villagers!" True, his little extending wooden stick device was in fact with Jet. The Avatar lunged, but the leader retreated skilfully into a tree, "I'm not going to fight you, Jet!"

Skilled with rare hook swords, the tan skinned boy lashed forward taking the glider with him as he retreated. "You're going to have to get your glider back!" It came as a determined growl, switching from defensive to offensive in a second. So wrapped up in the situation at hand no one seemed to actually realize that Daiyu and Enlai were there.

Dismounting and running forward she called to the young waterbender, "What the hell is going on?" Retaliation was to bring forth a readied whip of water hands positioned carefully and pupils bright with adrenaline. The elder female skidded to a stop, holding up peaceful hands. "Woah, easy! I don't want to fight!"

She did not listen, "You're here to help Jet aren't you?"

"Only if I have to!"

"I should have known. If Jet's like this then you probably are too! You even said that you can't hold back when it comes to the Fire Nation! Jet talked about getting blood on your hands!" Blind with anger she lashed out. Her movements were skillful for someone who apparently needed more practice- which while true it was noticeable that she had talent. The whip of water did her bidding, extending and sloshing dangerously to her newly titled enemy. Daiyu jumped to the side, carefully dodging all that she could in one leap.

"Idiot, he said he didn't want blood on my hands! I don't know anything about what has you so upset. So please stop; I don't want to have to hurt you!" Daiyu skidded backwards as she dodged once more, finding a paw at her back to keep her from stumbling. Exchanging a look with the wolf, he nodded and sat down. This was a fight that did not require the both of them. At the moment his girl was on the defensive and not even retaliating. If she wanted to, she could easily wipe the ground with Katara's body. "Please, I don't know anything. What is going on?"

She didn't know anything? Seeing the look in those green eyes, the defensive stance and the way she protected herself Katara wondered. Was she telling the truth? She was close to Jet, so she could have been putting on a front. Waiting for her to let down her guard so she could strike fast and hard. But Jet had said that Daiyu was strong, so that meant that if she really did want to hurt Katara the fight would already be over. Right? She carefully noted that Enlai, who she saw with Daiyu at all times, still hadn't even moved to attack. This said, she paused. She did not continue her onslaught but she did keep herself prepared.

"Jet's planning on drowning everyone in the valley just to get rid of the firebenders. That's why he needed Aang and I to fill up the reservoir. And that's why you've all been collecting that blasting jelly!" Looking over her shoulder she bit her lip. She knew not when the dam would blow but she knew someone would have to warn the villagers and try to evacuate them all in time. Where was Sokka for that matter? What was just as bad as now she did not know what Daiyu would do. Would she side with Jet? Or would she side with her and Aang?

He was planning on drowning everyone? Everyone? Innocent men and women and children. The pets and the various little crops. Buildings would be utterly destroyed; there would be no survivors. She cared not if the soldiers died a painful death, but those that were not connected to them, those that had no choice but to house and feed the occupants of their homes, they did not deserve that. This was why Jet had not told her the full truth. He had mentioned not wanting to get blood on her hands, this was why. She was hurt. Utterly and completely hurt that he would not talk to her about his plans. Though she knew why, it didn't injure her trust in him any less. Jet would never do something so cruel to her intentionally; he kept secrets as to keep her safe. But the more she thought about the loss of those innocent people- they who were kind to her the few times she stopped into town, they who were strong and dealt with such harsh lives day in and day out without a word of complaint even if it was out of fear- the sorrow mixed with anger.

Jet should have trusted her. He should have talked with her, and listened to what she had to say. She was all for drowning soldiers, so bursting the dam was a good idea. But she could have evacuated the civilians before hand while the others set up. Why couldn't he have just tried communicating his intentions? Jaw clenched and hands balled into fists, she felt more than saw the shadows around her shiver. Cold determination washed through her veins. On her heel she spun, pivoting and mounting a ready Enlai. Looking down at the baffled girl she held out a hand to haul her up.

"Come on. We're going to put a stop to Jet and his stupid idea".

"What? I've never ridden- Ah!"

"Just shut up and grab on!" The taller woman gripped the girl's clothes, claws tearing holes in fabric as she easily yanked her onto Enlai's back. "Hold on tight and clench your thighs as tight as possible". It was all the warning Katara got before Enlai took off like a lightning strike.

"Just what do you plan on doing when we get there?" it was a simple task for him to smell the trail the boys left behind. They were not all too far away either.

"Simple. Talk to Jet and get him to stop this idea of his. Then I'll beat the tar out of him," she grumbled low, lips pulling back into a silent snarl. How could that idiot do something like this? The level of stupidity and lack of trust baffled her. She had known him for five damn years and yet he still didn't want to talk to her about the biggest plan he had come up with to date? She wouldn't have denied him the thought, nor worried about collateral damage. Homes could be rebuilt and crops planted again. Lives once lost were gone for eternity. She held on tight as the massive beast under her dug his claws into the soft forest floor tearing up grass and stone as he came to a sudden halt. Just in time to watch Aang fall from a tree with a groan. Katara rushed to his side immediately, while Jet landed with the grace of a cat.

Instantly his eyes fell to someone he had been hoping to see after all was said and done. His heart froze when he saw the expression on her face. Menacing and dark, hurt and angry and confused and- there was so much flickering through those eyes of hers. No matter how hard she tried they always gave her away. Carefully he lowered his swords as Katara tended to the buised Avatar. "Daiyu…..What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd bring you lunch," she sarcastically snapped.

Slowly she approached him, and he dared not to move knowing very well that retreating was not an option. His face blanched as she came closer, hands clenched so tightly into fists that her claws pierced her skin and blood was left in her wake. Before he could throw up his arms to block her knuckles kissed his cheek with enough force to knock him off his feet and send him tumbling. Recovering swiftly with wide eyes he put a hand to his cheek. She had never touched him with such utter disdain before.

"No. I thought I would check on you and the others since I knew you were working hard. But also it was strange that the entire camp was quiet. No one to be found. Now I know why," she snapped, "How dare you try to kill all those innocent civilians!"

His jaw flared with pain as he spoke, stepping forward and trying to make her understand. "Please, Daiyu you have to see it my way. This was the only way it could be done! The only way to make sure that we have a victory; without sacrifices there can be no-"

"We could have found a way around killing the villagers though!" She shouted back, throwing a fist at nothing but the air. Next to her a shadow shifted violently, rose into a pike and stabbed through innocent bark that groaned and bled. She cared not. "You could have talked to me! I could have evacuated them in no time!"

Jet shook his head. "You need to see it my way. Please understand, I didn't want to hurt you and that's why I didn't say anything". She needed to understand. He wanted her to side with him, not the damned villagers or the thrice damned soldiers of all people. He did not understand why she couldn't accept that sometimes sacrifices needed to be made. He looked to the ground, finding the glider at her feet. He needed that. "Please, let me have that glider and I'll show you that my way is the right way".

She shook her head, "No, Jet. You need to get your head out of your ass and focus. This is not the way to do things".

He resolved himself. Truly he believed if he could just show her the results, she would side with him again. She would admit that he was right and put her full trust in him again. She would hug him and then he would finally tell her all of the other things he didn't have the guts to tell her before. "I'll make you understand then". He lunged.

She was taken aback, but if there was one thing she knew it was to never hesitate in a fight. She ordered that Enlai stay where he was, knowing well that even though Jet was strong she could take him. Fingers hooked and claws bared, she ducked under the swinging hook blades skillfully handled by the young warrior. Claws made for battle carefully ground their way down the side of the nearest blade making certain that she was safe. She retaliated using her other hand as she spun to slash at his chest and cut through cloth or damage armor. He retreated immediately, so she advanced. The battle was like a dance between two professional partners; one stepped forward and the other back, turning and twisting mirroring the other perfectly. However she soon found an opening.

Taking hold of his wrist she drew him close, kneeing him in the gut and letting him fall. Instead Jet gathered his footing and retaliated aiming for her chest hook blades singing through the air as she ducked low strands of hair sliced as they failed to follow quickly enough. A pick shaped kick barely missed his chin, while a spin allowed her to dodge the swords again. She somersaulted out of the way of a stabbing blade and instead lashed out with a foot. This caused him to crash to the ground jarring his shoulder. Taking her chance, she scrambled on top of him. Locked his ankles in place and pinned his hands above his head. Sweat beaded upon their foreheads as they caught their breath, staring scornfully into one another's eyes.

"You're not blowing up that damned dam," she panted.

Any other time he would have very much enjoyed having her straddle his hips and her face close to his own. However cher claws dipped into the flesh at his wrists causing first blood out of the entire fight. Then, he whistled. A bird's call that he knew she recognized as a signal to anyone that was listening.

"What did you just signal?" She ground out.

There was a dark sort of victory in his eyes, "I gave Longshot the signal to-," the explosion answered the rest of the question. He watched as her face became palid, eyes widening to the size of dinner saucers and her hold on him slack. He took this chance to reverse their positions, taking the top as he stared down at her. It really was a shame they couldn't be in any other situation like this.

She screamed, a battle cry that shocked his ears and gave her plenty of time to once more turn the tables. She stood, and this time showed the ignorant just what she could do. Settling into a wide stance not unsimilar from a waterbender's, she called to the shadows around her, demanding that they do her bidding. They had no choice but to obey as from even her own shadow tendrils of physical black flowed like water, shooting forward faster than Jet had time to react. Daiyu's shadow tendrils wrapped around his wrist and waist, picking him up and then throwing him against the nearest tree. From there, her movements took on sharper and shorter attributes, the tendrils separated into small floating balls of black before morphing into needles. As she swung her hands down as though to slam them onto a table they shot forth pinning the young man to the ground. If he moved the blades would cut him to ribbons.

"What have you done?" Grave and low, she stood above him, disappointment glowing in emerald irises.

He returned her gaze, hurt that she would deny him. Disappointed that she would not even try to see things his way. "I've done the right thing".

"You say that like you didn't just kill dozens of innocent people!" she urged. Why could he not get that through his thick skull?

"You just became like the Fire Nation, Jet," Aang spoke at last. Here he thought this one was a good person.

"Actually…..He didn't," the sudden arrival of a new person to the chaos made all heads turn. There, he sat on an air bison's head reigns in hand.

"He didn't?" Katara voiced their confused thoughts.

He scrambled down from the furry horned beast carefully landing on steady feet as he approached the group proudly. He looked like the cat that finally caught the mouse. "I went to the village to warn the people there. At first they didn't believe me and the Fire Nation soldiers there though i was some sort of spy. But someone stood up for me: the old man you attacked, Jet. He urged the others to believe me, and we got everyone out of there just in time".

The leader of the Freedom Fighters struggled, disappointed and astounded at the news. It ruined all his hard work. "No! Sokka, you idiot!" As he wiggled, the spikes of black stood their ground, going so far as to cut his flesh where he touched them. He felt the sensation of a menacing gaze hone in on him again. It was not a look he was used to from her, and one he never thought he would see in the first place. Those beautiful emeralds that smiled at him merely the night before tried to put him six feet under with just one look. "Daiyu….?"

She shook her head, glare turning to disappointment and hurt. He was the first person she had trusted since her family had been murdered. They watched one another's backs for five long years, and grew closer. Alone they were each a force not to be messed with. Together they were like an unstoppable storm. She had never felt such a connection with anyone other than Enlai. She had adored him for years, calling him her closest friend. And then he went and stomped all over their bond as though it was nothing but trash. She wanted to scream and thrash him around, demand to know why he had planned for something so terrible in the first place. And to get the others involved too? That was the cherry on top of the terrible tasting cake.

"Part of me wonders how I could have given my trust to someone like yourself," she rumbled low watching as his face blanched. "Part of me says that I should just turn around and leave you there for the others to find and forget about you".

"You should, Little Wolf. It would be best; he's not worthy of being a part of your life". Enlai gladly interjected.

Forget about him? Throw the memories they made together away? Never again think about all that they had succeeded in doing? He remembered well that when they had first met she was almost constantly ready to tear off his head. The only reason she had agreed to somewhat joining the Freedom Fighters was because of what they did to any surrounding camps; she stayed for what they stood for. As the years passed, the two of them grew closer. His heart sank into an icy abyss. For a moment, he felt as though his parents had died again. Except this time, one of the most important people in his current life rejected him. He did not know what to do with that.

Lifting his head to better see her as she stood at his feet, his hands clenched into determined fists. "Daiyu…...Please….I can fix this. I won't mess up again. Just...Please, please, don't go. I'll make it up to you. Just promise me you'll stay. Here. With me".

She shook her head, frown tainting her lips as she knelt by his head a rough hand on his cheek. His eyes she noted were starting to look red; he looked ready to cry. Seeing him like this, in a state she had never witnessed before, struck her to the core. She knew there was good in him. She could feel it. She had seen it. It was then that a part of her wanted to stay and feed that goodness, watch it grow into something proper. However, she did not feel right for the job. Their similar hatred for the Fire Nation was fed through them being together- this was just a thought, but one that made sense at the time. She could not stay; she would have to leave her home again.

As the darkness fell like so much ash, releasing him upon her mere mental command, she placed a feather light kiss to his cheek. She felt more than saw him freeze in place, but paid it no mind. If only for the fact that she was sorry things had to be this way, she offered him one last kind smile before leaving him to lay there stunned. She said no words, knowing that her actions had gotten the point across well enough, and walked towards the Avatar and his friends.

Here her smile was almost wary, "I hate to ask this, but would it be alright with you if Enlai and I were to tag along for a little bit? I can carry my own weight and I'll help you in any way I can; I just need a new way of life right now. And I'll admit, I may not stay with you all throughout your travels. But I'll fight and work with you loyally for our time together".

The three exchanged a look of thoughtfulness, as though assessing her words. When finally they looked back to her it was with welcoming smiles. "You're welcome for as long as you want to stay," Aang waved a hand towards his bison".

"Heck, we might make better company than certain people at this point," Sokka sarcastically jabbed at the now kneeling leader.

"It would be nice having another girl on board," Katara agreed kindly.

However there was one person who didn't agree. Jet stepped forth, gripping at her half shirt's hem and pulling. "You don't seriously plan on joining them, do you? Daiyu, please…."

Again she shook her head and turned, placing both hands on his face this time. Holding her friend tenderly, the disbelief in his heart showed easily in his gaze. "There is good in you Jet. Proper, logical, good. But I don't think my 'a good Fire Nation soldier is a dead one' type of creed is going to help you grow as a person. If we meet on later in life, I hope to see that you've changed for the better. Take care of yourself for me, will you?" She left him speechless.

And as the lot of them took to settling in Appa's broad saddle, Jet heard the excited question, "So just what was that black stuff you were bending earlier?" Chimed a curious airbender.