1. Prologue

**Hey! I thought of this a couple days ago. I'm just telling you now that there is going to be twist and turns. Also, this is a Zuko/OC story. Sorry about any spelling, grammar, etc. mistakes. Comment if you want! **

She could feel the breeze in her long dark hair. The air smelled of pine and bark and very faintly of ash and smoke. The breeze was light almost a whisper, but still very there. She could feel the bark at her back, rough and chipping, and it kept her grounded, reminded her of the situation.

She leaned against the bark at her back and looked down at the fire nation soldiers surrounding a fire and setting up camp. They were so oblivious to their surroundings; maybe it was because they were hiding in the branches of tall pine trees and not on the ground. At any other time, years before, she would've thought that climbing up in trees was crazing and you would never catch her doing such a thing. She had quickly gotten over her fear of heights when she joined the freedom fighters.

She looked to her side and saw Longshot looking down at the camp as well, his hat shading his face. He stood against a tree a few feet away from her. She always thought there was something mysterious about Longshot, maybe it was the way he looked when like he was always calm. She turned her gaze to the other side and saw Jet who was too staring at the Fire Nation camp with disdain and hate. She could always she the emotion in Jet's eyes even when he wasn't looking directly at her. Unlike Longshot, Jet turned his head toward her, as if sensing her stare, and smiled at her before winking. He grinned before turning back toward the camp.

She gave him a smile after he looked back at the camp. The pine tree's leaves shaded as cover for them.

"Ok I get it. Look guys I'm tired too, but the important thing is that we are safe from the fire nation."

As soon as they heard voices everyone's stance changed, tightening and stiffing. She saw Longshot out of the corner of her eye take out an arrow out of his quiver and slid it into its place in the bow. She took out the dagger from its sheath and turned it around in her grip.

Three people immerged from the bushes. Two of them-a boy and a girl-looked similar and wore blue. She could tell they were from a Water Tribe by the light blue covering every bit of skin except their faces –as if it was below freezing-and by the blueness of their eyes. They were definitely from a Water Tribe and possibly related. The third wore yellow, red, and brown robes and clothes. He was rather small, but looked strong and had an arrow occupying his head along with a Lemur nestled against it. She knew immediately that he was the Avatar.

She thought about the irony of the situation for them.

The Fire Nation soldiers immediately took notice and crowded around the group.

"Run!" The Water Tribe boy yelled they took off their sleeping bags and possessions, hurriedly.

Longshot slid against the back of the tree until he was sitting on a branch, his legs swinging over, and his bow and arrow still pulled into position in his hands.

The Fire Nation soldiers ran and crowded around them, one shooting fire from his palm. It hit the bushes behind them and the three leapt away from it.

"We're cut off." The older boy said, oblivious to his burning sleeve.

"Sokka, your shirt!" The younger boy said as he pointed.

Sure enough his shirt sleeve was set on fire. He cringed away from it and yelled before his assumed sister bended water onto it.

They backed up against the fire as the Fire Nation soldiers drew closer looking rather furious.

The Avatar and the girl took a fighting stance while the older assumed brother stood in front of them creating a barrier.

"If you let us pass we promise not to hurt you." Sokka said boldly.

She shifted against the tree until her back was no longer touching it. She twirled the dagger in her hand.

The younger girl said something to him that couldn't be heard to anyone else except him, looking rather incredulous before her brother whispered something uncertain to her.

"_You _promise not to hurt _us_?" The leader said looking amused.

Just then Longshot released the arrow and watched as it glided through the air and struck down the leader.

"Nice work Sokka. How'd you do it?"

"Uh...Instinct?" Sokka said looking both uncertain and with pride.

The waterbender looked up into the trees and spotted Jet.

"Look!" The waterbender said as she pointed up at a figure standing on a tree branch, smiling.

Jet reached in the back of his belt and pulled back with two long swords, curved at the end. He dropped down the back of the tree branch only to be caught be his curved swords before he swung himself off and landed on two soldiers. He continued to dodge and thrash the soldiers with his curved swords.

"They're in the trees!" One solider pointed out observantly.

She walked to the edge of the tree and jumped off, flipping herself in the air, clutching the dagger's hilt in her hand. She landed on a soldier's back, bending her knees so she wouldn't lose balance. Immediately after she landed she tossed the dagger at a soldier who was trying to throw The Duke off of his back. She faced straight ahead and caught a glimpse of one solider coming toward her and there was another behind her-she could feel it. She pushed off of the soldier's back just in time for the soldier's expected soldiers to fall into each other instead of tackling her.

She landed beside the pile of soldiers. She glanced around and saw arrows and the rest of the Freedom Fighters flying out of the trees.

Longshot was at her back and she could feel his quiver against her back. She really wished she would've brought her bow and quiver full of arrows with her.

Longshot was often her ally in battle, always at her back. It was easier for them. Longshot was an archer and she threw daggers. If Longshot didn't grab an arrow fast enough she would throw a dagger at the enemy in front of him. Is she didn't see the enemy Long shot would take care of it. She was also an Archer, but sometimes she left it to the professional, Longshot.

Other times Jet was her ally in battle as well.

She tugged an arrow from Longshot's quiver and stabbed a soldier with a sword at neck range; all he would have to do was follow through with the swing. The soldier's eyes went wide before he staggered away, holding his wounded stomach.

She saw another soldier creeping up behind the Water Tribe boy. She grabbed another arrow from Longshot's quiver and through it at the soldier's back. He arched and fell to the ground, crawling away, just as Sokka turned around and looked at her.

"Aw! I was going to get that one!" Sokka yelled in frustration.

"Right, because you have eyes in the back of your head!" She said back at him and smiled when he looked even more frustrated.

She turned her head forward and saw a bright flame pushing toward her. She ducked the fire along with Longshot before she titled her head back and bent her back so Longshot could see. Longshot peered over the bent body and shot the firbender in the shoulder.

He cringed and staggered out of the bushes. Longshot stood up and offered a hand. She smiled at him before taking the hand.

"Thanks." She said to him. He nodded before she set out to find her dagger.

She walked toward the fire and found her dagger laying a couple feet away, halfway doused with blood. She picked it up and wiped the blood on her red and dark brown leather armor.

She walked over to a smooth long rock and sat down on it before stretching one leg out and pulling up the cuff of her boot.

"My name is Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters: Sneers," They saw a tall, slightly chubby person with tan skin and green and yellow armor, "Longshot," They saw a tall, slim, pale boy with blue and white armor, and a bow and quiver full of arrows at his back, " Smellerbee, "Indicating a short pale girl with brown ruffled hair and thin red, blue, and brown armor, holding two swords crossed and wearing a brown headband with red paint in streaks on her face, " The Duke, "Indicating a small young boy wearing green, yellow, and brown armor with a yellow circular hat tapered at the end and a long wooden staff, " Pipsqueak, "Indicating a rather tall and round boy with yellow, green, blue, and red armor, " and Madeline." He indicated toward a girl with long dark red and brown leather armor. She was tall, slender, and lithe and had long dark black hair against her pale skin. She was currently hunched over her legs, putting a dagger into her boot.

A short moment later when she was finished she glanced at them and leaned back against the bark at her back. Her eyes were dim amber with flecks of light brown in them.

"Hey. Feel free to call me Maddy."

"Actually, "She said as she turned her head toward them." I'd prefer it if you called me by that. Jet is still the only one who calls me 'Madeline' and I think it's just to irritate me." She said as she narrowed her eyes on Jet.

Jet laughed.

"Well it is your name, isn't it?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that I want anyone to call me by it. I mean the name Madeline is so stupid." She said as she pulled something that was small, long and wooden out of her pocket and reached to the back of her hair before sticking it in the middle and twirling the hair around it around. She stuck the wooden stick further in her hair once she was finished putting it up.

She pushed herself off of the bark at her back and the rock underneath her. She walked with a panther's grace toward them.

"Just call me Maddy and ignore Jet."

"Hey!"

She rolled her eyes and smiled at them.

"I'm Katara and this is my brother Sokka and our friend Aang." She said with a small smile.

"You are a waterbender, correct?"

"You're good, really good." She said once she got a nod from Katara.

Katara smiled at the praise, her blue eyes glistening.

She turned toward Sokka who had his arms crossed over his chest. He looked rather funny when he was pouty and frustrated. He looked everywhere but her.

"Sokka, I think I remember you." She said as she thought it over and Sokka looked at her with a raised eyebrow and looked thoroughly confused because he knew he had never seen her before.

Her eyes beamed with realization.

"Oh, yeah! I remember now. I remember you from when I saved your life back there a few minutes ago!" She said with a grin.

His rage was back and he was glaring at her.

"I…You didn't...Why…I didn't need your help." He finally managed to get out.

"Right, because you could see that soldier at your back." She said with amusement.

Before Sokka could lash out, well try to, Jet intervened thinking that this wouldn't be the best idea for their first meeting.

"Haha. How about we try to get along with people we've just met, Madeline?" He said more than asked as he put a hand on her back.

"I just wanted a 'Thank You', but I guess that's too much to ask around here. Anyway, you're Aang, correct?" She said recalling when she had heard Katara call him earlier.

Aang nodded with an easy smile.

"Well there's no need to tell you how amazing you are." She said with a glittery smile.

Aang colored a slight crimson underneath the praise and Madeline felt the hand on her back press harder.

"Um...Thank you." He said when he turned his head up and lost some of the color.

Aang wasn't sure if anyone else noticed the burning glare that Jet was sending him, but he did.

"No problem. Well, I'm going to go help the other Freedom Fighters. Nice meeting you all." She said as she slipped out of Jet's grasp and walked toward the camp.

Jet looked at Madeline's back as she walked away and sighed.


	2. Mistaken For One Of Them

_Chapter 1__  
>Mistaken For One of Them<br>_

Madeline walked the cool grounds. The endless array of pine trees surrounding the camp, hiding it, protecting them. She had learned long ago that no matter how hard you strive to make yourself or others safe, you never can. Nothing is ever safe. People will try to convince you otherwise. They'll fill your head with this ridiculous belief that the world is a safe place when really they are frightened at the things that occur in said 'prefect world'. This lie, this concept and belief is meant to protect…..in the teller's eyes. It's meant to protect their young, their family and friends from the truth that the world isn't safe, that monstrous things happen every day right outside their door. She didn't know what was worse in that situation knowing the truth and having to live with that notion every day or not knowing and being oblivious to the world around you.

She could relate to being in a world of lies. She, herself was lying to the people she cared about. Living with the guilt and swallowing the bile that rose from her stomach was something that she never thought she would ever get used to. Maybe she deserved it.

She trudged through the open space of the now empty Fire Nation camp. The rest of the Freedom Fighters had left a little over an hour before to their hideout along with the Avatar, Katara, and Sokka. She had made an accuse to them about wanting to stay behind. No one questioned her about her intentions; the Freedom Fighters had been through this situation before and knew that it was best to leave her alone; the Avatar and Water Tribe siblings looked almost confused and uncertain as if they didn't really understand, but they left anyway.

In a way she liked being alone. She had gotten accustomed to the notion long before. She couldn't quite decide which was better lying to people you care about or being alone.

The loneliness had chained her to the ground, reality. Lying was chained to reality until the ends were faded together and it was almost impossible to tell what was real and what wasn't. Chained to that was self-loathing. She hated herself, her lies, and the mask she wore around everyone.

The only way she could stand herself, survive, was to wear a mask that covered up every emotion she really felt and hide it away in the creases of her real self. She didn't let anyone know how she really felt, just like she would probably never dispatch the lies and tell them all the truth about her. In her eyes showing how she really felt would lead to a breakdown, a crumbling of the walls she spent years building up; It would lead to weakness and she couldn't have that with the way things had already been.

When she was alone she could let down those walls, scream at the sky and cry until every last tortured tear fell, she could hate herself a little more. She was only human and holding everything pent up inside for so long could become a little much to handle.

Then when she was done she would wipe away herself, her emotions, and plaster on her mask. She would leave and act like nothing ever happened.

She currently had her hands dug into the abnormally wet dirt of the ground. She stared at it as if it was interesting or maybe she was looking past the wet dirt to something only she knew, her secrets, her own world where everything truthful flowed around her, memories of who she used to be.

She bit back the rest of her tears and pulled herself up from the ground. She roughly wiped away the traces of tears, emotions, and herself and plastered her mask on.

She walked away from the deserted camp and into the scattered forest of trees. The breeze filtered through the forest, making the trees tremble. She looked up at the sun that was now fully seated high in the clouds and shining its glory.

She had been at the empty Fire Nation camp alone for hours. The sun had fallen and the moon had risen and yet still she did not move away from the camp. Only when the sun had dawned and reached its peak in the sky did she leave the camp. She deserved the loneliness and guilt that taunted her, she always thought she did.

The Freedom Fighters were used to it. They were used to her staying behind or leaving for hours and days at a time before coming back. They didn't worry as much as they used to because they knew that no matter how many hours, days, or weeks she left for she would always come back in the end.

The Freedom Fighters understood Madeline in a way. They understood that she had been through a lot. Her parents had died when she was twelve when the Fire Nation swept over her town. She managed to run away from the burning town glowing with embers. Her father had insisted that she leave the burning house and that he would be there in a moment after he got her mother. The house collapsed on her parents and she fled, ran and ran, cried and cried, until she couldn't run or cry anymore. She lived amongst people she never knew, taught herself how to defend, and lived with the loneliness that came with her.

Two years after the raid, two long years spent alone, she meet the Freedom Fighters, well actually she met Jet first.

She had been wandering in the deep forest alone next to some Earth Kingdoms and town. She had just left Ba Sing Se, a city protected by a wall of lies, never to acknowledge the war or anything to do with it. The city seemed odd and when she tried to confront people about the war soldiers, the Dai Li, tried to stop her, silence her, so she managed to flee the town and made her way around. Wandering a forest _alone_ wasn't exactly the best idea and she figured that out when out of nowhere a Fire Nation solider walked out of the bushes and spotted her. He then tried to attack her with swords-not fire, which she was grateful for-and she defended the best she could, but soon two more had appeared. As if the spirits could hear her, a tan boy with red, blue, and brown armor jumped out of a tree and fought alongside. He was very good with his curved swords and she wondered who exactly this boy was. Once the rest of the soldiers were either unconscious or left he turned toward her and looked at her. He noted that she almost certainly didn't have a family to go to and she was great with weapons so he asked her if she would like to join the Freedom Fighters. He explained who they were and showed her their camp. She knew that she would have to lie to him and every one of the Freedom Fighters, her secret could never be known. She figured at the time that it was better to lie and be around people then to be alone and live with herself.

She had joined them and fed them lie after lie. Masking her emotions was the only way to live. The story she told them about how her parents died wasn't true, she was a lie. The only thing that was remotely true was when she told them she just came from Ba Sing Se and had spent two years alone. That might have been the only truthful thing she had ever told them.

In a way the Freedom Fighters understood Madeline, but they didn't understand the _real _her. They knew what she had told them and nothing else.

She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself and her thoughts from getting close to anything that was remotely _her_. She smoothed her thoughts and emotions away and readjusted the mask, making sure nothing of her real self could seep out.

Maybe she was trying to protect herself from other people's words on whom she really was or maybe she was protecting everyone else.

She turned her head down and let the self-loathing wash over her.

"I don't think you understand! Innocent people's lives are at stake! "That voice, Sokka's voice could be clearly heard from where she stood, only a couple pine trees away.

Maybe by instinct or some other form curiosity she hid behind a tree truck. The truck was thick and scratched harmlessly at her hands. It formed a protective shield ahead of her.

She peeked around the tree, her blood running cold with Sokka's indication. Innocent people's lives at stake? She could only hope that what Sokka was saying, what he was indicating wasn't true.

But when had hope ever helped her?

She peeked around the bend of the tree and snuck a glance from where the voice had appeared to come from. She saw Sokka's hands bound behind his back looking angry and almost…..hopeless.

That look made her hope disintegrated and all doubt left her. It was true. Innocent people's lives were at stake.

Smellerbee and Pipsqueak trailed behind him with looks of intent. Smellerbee roughly shoved Sokka and he stumbled along looking utterly miserable.

"Maybe you do and that's the problem." He mumbled to no one in particular.

He was once again roughly shoved by an annoyed Smellerbee. She wasn't exactly patient at that moment.

"Come on. Move it!" Smellerbee said with impatience.

"How can you stand by and let Jet destroy that town including the innocent people that live in it." Sokka grumbled incredously.

When she heard that, that one indication, intention, anger seeped from her mask. She clutched her hand and tried not to run after Jet and shred him into millions of pieces with her dagger.

"Jet is a great leader. We always do what he says and everything turns out fine." Pipsqueak said in a low, knowing voice. Maybe he was remembering something, memories of past victories.

But it wasn't going to be fine. He was going to murder innocent people, families and friends, and they, the Freedom Fighters, were willing to let that happen, they were willing to help, except for her.

White-hot anger flashed in her eyes and jolted through every nerve, shattering her mask and any self-control she possessed. At that moment she couldn't care less if her mask had been broken into millions of tiny pieces like the remains of shattered glass.

She walked out from beneath the tree and closely intercepted their path. She wound up standing maybe a foot away from Sokka who wore a look of curiosity.

Smellerbee and Pipsqueak looked surprised, but when they saw her expression they looked thoroughly confused. They both noticed that something was a bit…off about their friend.

"Is it true?" She seethed between gritted teeth, her daggers at her ready.

She searched over Smellerbee's and Pipsqueak's face for any indication to say so otherwise. She was secretly daring them to say so otherwise. They said nothing.

She turned her heated gaze on Sokka.

"Is it true, Sokka? What you said, is it true?" She asked with a slight softness. She wasn't mad at Sokka and therefore wouldn't inflict any harm whether with daggers or words.

"Of course, he is going to do that! He had the rest of the Freedom Fighters working to set up explosives! He's going to flood the entire town, but…"His words softened when realization dawned on him," you didn't know that…Did you?"

Jet told her that they were planning to save the nearby Earth Kingdom town, but she wasn't aware of how far he would go to 'save' the Earth Kingdom. Maybe, it was because she hadn't been around all the time.

She had always trusted Jet ever since he allied her in their first battle together and he had practically saved her ass. She always thought Jet was a great leader, knew how to stand up for himself and defend his beliefs. But she knew that something was…..off about his beliefs. She always thought Jet was a little rough around the edges, but now she was thinking that maybe he was a 'little' more than rough around the edges.

She gritted her teeth and the daggers in both hands.

"No, I wasn't aware." She seethed with anger and there was something else…..hurt.

She stared at the ground, letting the indications seep into her. Maybe she should have seen this coming, the lies. What goes around comes around, right?

She flicked her gaze up to the two Freedom Fighters. She held the gaze for a while, sadness seeping in every corner of her being. She knew being lied to, or in this case not being told _everything _which is almost the same, and then finding out the truth hurt, but she didn't realize how much. The people she thought she could trust lied to her and for whatever reason. But this wasn't about a lie to cover up a person; no it was about a lie that had people's lives at stake, something she would never do. She would never get people's lives involved with herself and her lies.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked softly.

The grips on her daggers were as soft as her voice.

They stared back at her with mixed emotions: knowing, sadness, apologetic, and confusion.

"You haven't been around that much-"Smellerbee started.

"But I've been around long enough for Jet to feed me some bullshit about 'saving' an Earth Kingdom town, right?" She was aware of her watery eyes, but she didn't try to wipe the evidence away. This was the most emotion, _her _emotion, that she shown them in a while. They might as well she her for who she really is, emotion and all.

"I…We meant to tell you, but Jet-"

"I honestly don't care for Jet's opinions at the moment. If he didn't want to tell me his plan for some dam reason that I don't know about that's fine. But, you, Bee and you, Pipe, could have told me. The rest of Freedom Fighters could have told me. I needed to know what his plan was. And you know what I think hurts the most? It's not the fact that you all kept something hidden from me, but that fact that I had to find out the truth from some Water Tribe boy who I don't even know!" She said as calmly as she could.

_This is what happens when you lie to people, they hurt you. This is what happens when you trust people._

"I.I…W…We're sorry." Smellerbee said looking apologetic.

Instinct was back and she gripped the daggers in her hands just as all the sadness in her boiled up into anger.

"I don't want your apologizes." She said and in one fluid moment she threw a dagger a Smellerbee's shoulder with no intention of harming her. The dagger, perfectly aimed for her intention, skimmed her shoulder and pinned the loose fabric to the tree, which Smellerbee was unaware that she was standing only an inch or so in front of.

Smellerbee gaped at her in shock of what just occurred.

Sokka didn't know what just happened, but decided not to take any chances. He spotted several traps made for animals lying against the ground and ran to them with an idea, Pipsqueak following quickly after.

She then threw two more daggers at her wrists, pinning the loose fabric on her arm to the tree, rendering her remote…at least for a little while.

Loose tears fell from her eyes and she had no desire to wipe them. She smiled at Bee, but it didn't touch her eyes and it was bitter.

_I deserve this, to get hurt. I deserve it all because it's my entire fault. _

Bee looked stunned which then melted into apologetic. She made no move to try to dispatch herself from the daggers or struggle. She remained calm and accepting, something she didn't do very often or at all in that case.

Madeline straightened her stance so she was no longer in one and gave a tight nod at Bee.

She heard a loud, low ruffled yell.

She turned around and saw Pipsqueak in an animal trap high above. If she hadn't been the way she was she would've laughed.

She ran up to Sokka who was struggling with the bindings around his wrist, standing feet away from where the trap had been before it caught its prey. At any other time she would've praised him, but at the current moment she had to save that village.

She tugged at the bindings around Sokka's wrists; making him struggle even more considering he couldn't see who was behind him.

"Stop squirming, it's me," She said it as if he would know who she was, like he could trust her and in a way she hoped he did.

He visibly relaxed, his shoulders slumping at little, and all visible signs of tension left.

She smiled inwardly and grabbed both of his wrists. They didn't have time for her to try and untie the knot because they had a village to save and let's face it Smellerbee's knots were always the trickiest.

She pulled a curved dagger out of her boot, holding the mesh of wrists in one hand, before she slipped the tip underneath the rope bindings.

At the feel of cold steel against his skin he instinctively tensed. He reminded himself of who it was, this Freedom Fighter who knew what was right and what was wrong, who was willing to stand up for her beliefs even if that meant turning on her friends. Even though he didn't fully know her or anything about her really, he knew enough to know that she was on his side.

With a small flick of her wrist the blade cut easily through the binding. It fell away, letting the wind carry it like a careless autumn leaf.

Sokka pulled his free wrists to his front with a triumphant sigh. He rubbed his raw wrists and turned toward her. He narrowed his eyes on the dagger.

"How many daggers do you have?" He asked.

She grinned and for once the sadness and bitterness of the situation left her. The grin melted into a smile.

"I don't think we have time for that right now. We kind of got a village to save, remember?" She said once her smile dulled.

Sokka nodded without any hesitation. For a short moment he looked at her, really _looked _at _her _and he saw someone almost completely different from the girl who did save his ass multiple times, although he wouldn't actually admit the last part. There was something there that hadn't been before, a sort of emotional and caring normalcy that hadn't been before or maybe it had and he wasn't looking.

"Come on!" She said as she started running back to the Freedom Fighters' hideout.

Sokka followed shortly.

She knew they had to somehow stop Jet from flooding the city. That was a next to impossible plan to accomplish since Jet was apparently in crazy-mode. Jet was a very persistent and determined person. He always got what he wanted, usually by his own will, and who he wanted. Jet was just _that _person. They were somehow going to have to intercept Jet's plan, which wouldn't work, unfortunately.

"What's the plan?" Sokka asked while running.

"Aren't you the idea guy? That's what Katara told me, anyway." She said remembering a brief conversation with the Waterbender.

"So she does admit it!"

"Sokka we don't have time for this right now! Hurry up, think of something fast!" She yelled trying not to stumble over the various amounts of twigs scattered across the forest ground.

"We can't try to tell Jet to stop this because I tried and it didn't work out so well! I think he's crazy!"

"I know _that!_"

"What if we try to…..to...um...Oh! What if we try to tell the townspeople Jet's plan and evacuate!" Sokka said slightly breathless from running.

That thought had crossed over her mind a couple times, but she realized that it wouldn't work because of one thing: transportation. By the time they reached the town it would be too late and Jet would've won.

"I've considered that, but by the time we reach the town it would be flooded." She said, huffing and feeling utterly hopeless. She felt as if she was trapped in cage with her feet and hands bound in a pitch black room.

"Not if we don't run." Madeline turned toward Sokka to make sure he wasn't going crazy on her because honestly one crazy-Jet was enough for her. He looked as if he knew something she didn't, like he was hiding something. She never liked it when people hid secrets from her as she did to others.

"What do you me-"

"Appa! Appa!" Sokka yelled through cupped hands as he stopped running, Madeline doing so as well.

She furrowed her brows in confusion as she looked up at the sky. The blueness of the sky dotted by clouds and she wondered for the briefest second what lie, if anything, beyond it. It was a ridiculous thought and seemed to come out of nowhere.

She looked down and frowned at the ridiculousness of her thought. A small shadow casted its way a few feet from where she stood at the spot that she had been currently looking at, intercepting her thoughts. The shadow wasn't shaped in a particular way and it just looked like a mesh of a rather small area of darkness. The shadow widened with each passing second and the shape began to clear. It looked to be some sort of animal with horns.

She flicked her gaze up to the sky when she heard a loud roar. She saw a rather large flying bison with an arrow descending down its forehead gliding down towards them.

She had been somewhat-kind-of-but-not-really aware that the Avatar had a flying bison. She had heard murmurs and whispers from the other Freedom Fighters, but she just passed it off as gossip or rumors.

"Haha! Yeah!" Sokka laughed as he through a victorious fist-pump.

Her confused face broke out into a smile. Things didn't seem so hopeless after all.

The bison was huge and fluffy and licked Sokka when he patted it.

"Haha! Good Appa!" Sokka really loved Aang's bison right now, no matter how much saliva he had on him at the moment.

Sokka quickly went around to the side of the bison and scrambled up the bison.

"Come one, we have a village to save." Sokka said.

She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs and shock from her head, before she climbed on the bison as well.

"Yip-yip!" Sokka said as he flicked the reins.

OoooO

The wind fell abnormally upward as Appa glided down to their destination. The trees appearing taller and taller the farther down they went as if trapping them in the forest.

After they managed not to stumble off of Appa, Sokka told him to wait.

In the middle of the forest was a thick slit of land the held an Earth Kingdom town. It sat on packed dirt and had walls made of the same substance as a barrier, a thin form of protection. The town seemed calm and normal and oblivious to what was going to happen.

They ran down the dirt-packed slope of the hill and passed the barrier into the town.

The town was considerably small and had houses and stands here and there, scattered. A group of young children ran through the streets chasing after a ball. The stands that offered various foods were off to the side. There owner's hawking their wares. Houses made of stone were scattered aimlessly.

"How do we get everyone's attention, th-"Sokka started.

"Everyone, listen up!" Sokka turned his head to see stone steps leading up to platform where Madeline was standing. A stone arch was behind her, centered by a large bell.

A few curious people looked and when they realized it was only a teenager, a girl around fifteen, they turned back to their previous states.

"Listen up people, if you value your lives!" Madeline shouted. People's head snapped to her attention.

Sokka walked by her side as a group of soldiers appeared in the crowd looking at her suspiciously.

She took a deep breath.

"Everyone here is in danger. A group of people, known as the Freedom Fighters, are threatening this town. They are going to try and flood the city." She said loud enough so everyone one could hear her.

A few people had come from the houses to see what all the fuss was about and some were just looking out the window-space.

She heard a few laughs and looks of uncertainty.

"I'm serious."

"And how do these so called 'Freedom Fighters' expect to that? There is neither a lake nor river in sight." A voice said from somewhere in the crowd.

She heard a few agreements in the crowd.

"They had some benders pull water out from holes in the ground just up the road. They have explosives bound to the barrier that separates you from it."

"Why would anyone want to flood this village? We didn't do anything!" An older voice yelled.

"They hate the Fire Nation and anything to do with it. They're planning to rid this town of them and they're going to do it at any cost, including risking and killing the lives of innocent people, of you people. You have to believe me-us." She said looking over the crowd.

They held looks of uncertainty, as if she was wasting their time, and some were amused. She searched over the crowd trying to see if she could find anyone that believed her. Every face looked the same and everyone was telling her the same thing: _Why should we believe you? _

Her throat tightened, involuntary.

"Wait!" A hoarse voice said.

All eyes flicked across the crowd, trying to find the voice's owner.

An old man stepped in front of the crowd, standing on one step. He wore a red robe and held a cane in one hand.

Sokka recognized him from that day when he went on a 'mission' with Jet and some of the other Freedom Fighters. They had stolen his things and left him there. He still felt some guilt about leaving him there as well. It's not that he thinks that he is like Jet in a way that their beliefs match. No, because he doesn't. It's just that he thinks he could've helped him up or something else.

"This young man and his friend are telling the truth." The man said once he had regained his breath.

The crowd broke out into murmurs.

"The other day these-what did you call them?" He asked before he turned around for an answer.

"Freedom Fighters."

"These Freedom Fighters swung out of the trees like a group of lemur-monkeys and took my things just because I'm Fire Nation. This young man stood up for me and told them they were wrong, not everyone from the Fire Nation is bad. I would stake my life on what these two say."

The crowd suddenly didn't look so doubtful anymore.

"Are you sure?" A solider asked with a stern voice.

"I'm positive. You have to believe there words. Listen to what they have to say."

The crowd's eyes turned on them, waiting to be told.

"We need to evacuate the town before it's too late. We'll evacuate up the hill." He pointed to the side of them.

The crowd was obedient and began to gather people up the hill with lanterns. Scared and sadness was written across every face as the evacuated.

Sokka and Madeline thanked the old man before ushering the rest up the hill.

Tensions were high as they waited for the city to flood. Some were still doubtful about it. Some looked on the edge of doubtful and believing, but everyone was hoping that what both the teenagers and the man weren't going to happen.

Mother's held their young close, hoping to comfort and reassure them.

The barrier exploded shedding tons of shattered brick and earth. Black smoke admitted from it for a second until water streamed through the town and tore at the houses and stands.

The water streamed slowly passed them, carrying wood and stone, all that was left of the destroyed town.

A young girl rushed down to the river and picked up a drenched doll, hugging it to her chest.

After a few short moments various amounts of people came and thanked them.

"You should find your sister and Aang and leave." She said as she looked out at the river.

"Why did you do it?" Sokka said avoiding her previous say.

She blinked and then turned her head toward him, their eyes locking.

"Why did you unbind me? Why did you help save the town? Why did you turn on your friends?"

They were just questions and yet they seemed like more. The more she said the more she would revel about herself. He had already seen underneath the mask and that was more than anyone seen of her in a while. She didn't know how much she wanted to know.

She blinked at him before turning her gaze on the river. It seemed calm, taking the remains of the city with it.

She took a deep breath and wished she could be as calm as that river. She was practically seething with anger for Jet and the other Freedom Fighters even though she did well to hide it.

"I'm not like them. I never have been." She stated simply as if it answered every question, which it did.

Sokka knew that she was different from the rest of the Freedom Fighters, unlike them she didn't rely on Jet and his words. She had her own opinions and stood up for them, for what was right.

He didn't push her for more answers because she had answered them all with those two simple sentences.

She turned her head toward him, eyes locking, and gave a small smile.

"Go leave with your sister and friend. I'll take care of Jet and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, don't worry. Good luck on your journey." She said softly.

Sokka nodded and returned the smile before calling Appa to him. He flicked the reins once he had gotten on the bison and said 'Yip-yip'.

She watched as they glided through the sky.

All she had to do now was deal with Jet.

* * *

><p><strong>This is longer than the prologue which I found to be funny. The song that goes with this fanfic story is '<em>Time Is Running Out' <em>by _Muse._ It took me some time to write this chapter so be kind, please. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this story so far!~ Sorry about any spelling, grammar, etc. mistakes! Comment if you want :D**


	3. No, You're Wrong I've Never Been One

AN: The song I was listening to when I typed/wrote this was '_The Kill' _by _30 Seconds to Mars._

_Chapter 2  
><em>_No, You're Wrong. I've Never Been One. _

She felt the evening, dying breeze wind through her hair. She could feel the bark at her back, even underneath the leather armor and clothes she had. She looked out at the fading sun drawing the last of its light with it like a dying breath, slow and thorough. The sun was visible through the slits in the tree, a mixture of yellow and orange, the sky around stripped with pink and purple. It looked calm and serene even though it was slowly falling; dying in a way, but it knew that it wouldn't stay under for very long, it would shine once again.

She took a deep shaking breath, trying to calm herself, trying to get some control over her emotions and herself. Nothing seemed to be working, unfortunately. Ever since her 'mask' had been shattered quite thoroughly and she let her emotions and herself flow freely in what must have been years-excruciating years- they didn't seem to want to leave. She couldn't force her mask over herself anymore. She knew what it felt like when she had the mask on, like she was slowly suffocating herself and she didn't want to go back to that, to lie anymore. The mask was important, it held everything she felt in, and it worked for those three and half-years that she was alone, even with the Freedom Fighters she seemed alone. It worked to hold everything in because it she couldn't harm people with the truth about her…She couldn't let people harm her. Now it seemed like just another mistake added to a list of them. A part of her died with it, with every mistake she ever made. She had lost a part of herself, but, she thought as she touched the chain around her neck, the only thing she allowed herself to bring out of her past with her, it wasn't the first time.

She bit her lip, trying not to shatter any self-control she had at the moment and thought about what was important right now. She couldn't do this when she was thinking about her past; it would just lead to a disaster.

She closed her eyes, still clutching the necklace loosely hanging around her throat, and took a long deep breath. _This is what is important __**now. **__Don't think about anything else._ She repeated those words several times in her head, trying to convince herself of it. She tried again to relax the part of her mind that was looking into her past of regrets; she didn't _need_ this right now. She didn't need more guilt to eat herself up, she had enough already.

She pushed back every thought that wasn't relevant to what she had _planned _to do, but couldn't do in this state. She clutched the jewel at the end of the long chain tighter and took more deep breaths. She wasn't so certain she could do this anymore. It was already hard to confront someone you put all your trust into and now she had to do it with her mask shattered and her taunting past. It wasn't going to be easy. Hell, nothing ever was in her life. This was just one more thing to add, now.

She took one last thorough breath before slipping her necklace back underneath her shirt, the chain only visible. She gathered all the self-control she could get, turned around and pushed the worn tent flap open.

Jet sat on the edge of his stuffed mattress that lay on old crates. He rested his elbows on his thighs, one hand in his hair and the other resting on the other thigh. His hair was a mess and he had dark circles under his eyes. She would've guessed he hadn't slept since the Freedom Fighters attempted to 'save' an Earth Kingdom, a week before.

The first few days after she and Sokka had actually saved the Earth Kingdom town she couldn't bring herself to be near Jet or any of the Freedom Fighters. She got a sickening feeling in her stomach whenever she did. It was too hard to be near people you put your trust in for so long and have it thrown back in your face. She should've expected this to happen. She should've known that trusting people, especially people who you only know lies about you, was a mistake. Trust is weakness.

After she past those first few days she talked with Smellerbee and Longshot. They both agreed on one thing: This time Jet had gone too far. Jet was a great leader or once she had thought so and she knew that he hated the Fire Nation and loved to see them burn with the same misery and hurt as he had endured. She knew that, but she was never there because of Jet's ideas and perspective; she was there because for once she wouldn't be alone.

But to risk the lives of innocent people was something she couldn't simply stand by and watch or help to accomplish. No, she wasn't like that.

She took a deep breath and waited. Jet looked like that 'incident' affected him as it did everyone else but in a different way. She couldn't tell which way that was. Was he feeling guilty? What about angry? Maybe he was feeling hate or confusion at his own actions? All she knew was that at least it was affecting him. At least he had some humane normalcy in him. Maybe that was enough to try to persuade him.

She took another deep breath and wondered if Jet even knew she was in here.

"Jet, I think we should talk." She said simply.

He didn't acknowledge her presence by turning his head and looking in her eyes. He did move, but it was so subtle and small that anyone who had just met Jet or only had known him for a short period of time wouldn't notice. She had known him for a little less than a year and a half though and it was enough to catch the small gesture: a twitch of his hand. He only did that when he was excited or to replace a wince so that it didn't show on his face.

She doubted he was excited.

"Jet?" She knew he was listening, but she wanted to acknowledgement from him. She wanted him to talk.

"Are you going to call me a monster, as well?" He said with a bitter tone.

"What?"

"I'm not a monster the _Fire Nation_ is." He spat with disgust.

"Jet what are you talking about?"

In one swift movement he stood up and stared at her with blazing eyes. It was slightly intimidating and scary sight.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" He said as he walked toward her, their eyes still locked.

"Jet, what are you talking about?" She didn't even know where this had come from. She was confused and scared simultaneously, but she couldn't bring herself to leave. She needed to talk to him, to confront him, and maybe persuade him. But she wasn't so sure about her plan now.

"Do you?" He said once he was standing in front of her.

"Jet, I...I...Wha…Wher..."

There are things you expect in life. Some are more obvious than others. But she definitely didn't expect Jet to kiss her.

When she had first met Jet she had developed a crush on him. Over the course of a few months she realized that it had just been a crush and that Jet was absolutely better to think of a friend, an ally, and nothing else. It wasn't the fact that she knew that Jet got whoever he wanted and then left them when he was done. No, it was simply that she didn't have any feelings toward him anymore. She had laughed a couple of times when she remembered that she had actually had a crush on him at one time.

Kissing Jet wasn't very pleasant….at all. His lips were chapped and the kiss was even rougher. It just didn't feel right. He had one hand pressing against her back, crushing their bodies together.

For a moment she was frozen, overwhelmed with shock and then she realized that Jet was kissing her and that set her off.

She pushed Jet away with her hands on his chest.

"Jet!"

He made a disgruntled sound and tried to kiss her again. She _really _didn't want Jet to kiss her again.

She pressed her hands harder to his chest, trying to keep some reasonable distant between them.

"Jet! No!" She yelled and she saw that Jet wasn't resisting anymore.

He stared at her eyes as if trying to see past them. Maybe he was looking for answers to some of the questions he had.

"Jet, you aren't a monster. You just…you've been through a lot and I get it. I do, but killing innocent people isn't the way to go." She said softly.

Jet eyes seemed to snap back out of staring into her soul. He closed them tightly for a second before he opened them, revealing a burning gaze.

"Have you forgotten what the Fire Nation did to your parents?" He asked with anger.

_Yes, because it was a lie._

"No, I haven't, but you have to understand that risking th-"

"No! The Fire Nation is scum and they deserve to die and burn in hell. I'll be glad to help them on the way and if that means that they take a few innocent people with them than so be it!" He yelled.

Her eyes pricked with tears and all the softness she held a few seconds ago boiled into anger.

"You don't mean that."

"I do."

She pressed her lips in a thin line, her gaze as cold as ice.

"You're a Freedom Fighter and we fight the Fi-"

"Don't call me that." She said as cold as her gaze.

He stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"What?"

"Don't you _dare _call me a _Freedom Fighter_."

He stood frozen with disbelief, his eyes flicking through her's, as if trying to see if she was joking. I mean she had to be….right?

"You are one." He said hoping that she wouldn't catch the way his voice wavered at the end.

"No, you're wrong. I've never been one. I don't believe in taking innocent people's life just because there in the same place as a person from Fire Nation. I don't believe in killing the Fire Nation or taking their things just to satisfy my hate for them. Some of them and it might be hard to hear, but some people from the Fire Nation aren't evil, like that old man who got his things stolen from you. You know what? I helped Sokka evacuate the village and that man whose things you took, vouched for us when the rest of the town didn't believe us. "She said seething anger.

Jet's face looked disbelieving and contorted. He stood frozen with wide eyes. He knew she was telling the truth by the look in her eyes, but it was still hard to take in.

She gave him a bitter smile before walking toward the tent flap that acted as a door.

She paused at the 'door', her hand of the material ready to push it aside, but she felt as if there was one more thing to say to him.

"Maybe you should try to see how this affects other people and not just yourself for once." She said before pushing the cloth aside and leaving the tent.

OoooO

The bag slung on her shoulder was light, only holding what was necessary to get by. The soft leather strap rubbed against the leather of her armor. It shifted and rubbed, but if she felt it she ignored it. She instead focused her thoughts on what she was doing, the current situation.

She twirled the dagger in her hand, the hilt made of some simple black soild material. It looked ordinary and it was. It was just another dagger that could belong to everyone, except it wasn't. There, on the center of the hilt, was a small 'x' with what appeared to be a flames coming from it. Every dagger she ever had or got, meaning stole; she would carve that symbol, the symbol she made up, into the hilt. It was something that she just did. She didn't know why she did it, but she did.

She bit her lip as she looked over the tent that used to belong to her. It wasn't a home, this wasn't her home and it never had been. She only had one home and she hadn't been there in about three in a half years. At that thought a sense of longing wretched at her heart, one that always seemed to be there.

She pushed it back and scanned her eyes over the bed that was just another bed. It never really belonged to her; it never really had a sense of home.

She gnawed on her bottom lip and she twirled the dagger further in her hands. It seemed to be a nervous habit of her's.

She pressed her lips together and slid her dagger in her boot. She righted herself and gave one last look over the tent, taking in the place and filing away in her mind.

Memories can be either a blessing or a curse. For this particular situation, joining and then leaving the Freedom Fighters, it could be either one, depending on which way you looked at it.

She learned that it was better to be alone so that you didn't have to lie to their face. It was easier and somehow more difficult at the same time.

She jerked the leather strap of the bag on her shoulder show it wouldn't slip off and then turned away.

The sun had barely dawned none of the Freedom Fighters would be awake. It would be too hard to say goodbye to them.

She walked on the wooden walkways, creaking with each step she took. She passed tent after tent, some housing Freedom Fighters and other's spare in case of a newcomer.

She stopped in front of one particular one. It was Smellerbee's and Longshot's tent. She looked at it for a long moment with sad eyes. Pulling a dagger out of her pocket, she thought that she would miss them the most. She twirled the dagger in her hand for a moment before pinning a loose piece of material to the thick, tall, pine truck beside it with the blade.

She dropped her hand and gave a sad smile before jumping out of the hideout and onto the forest grass.

If they were as close to her as she thought, they would know what it meant.

* * *

><p><strong>This was a very fast update! I wanted to get this chapter out, though. If you are wondering what the dagger in the tree truck was about it's her way of saying 'Goodbye'. I usually listen to a song when I write, but I pick one that I think with set the right 'mood' for that particular chapter before I begin to write it. So I'll make sure to post it at the top, like I did here, if you want to listen to it. Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this story so far! I love my reviewers, they are amazing:D I love you if you read this story and don't review as well :D Sorry about any spelling, grammar, etc. mistakes! Review if you like and tell me what you like about this story :D<strong>


	4. Conflicted Exile

AN: When something is in italics it's the person's _thoughts_, but when something is in italics and bold it's their _**subconscious**_.

_Chapter 3  
>Conflicted Exile<em>

Smellerbee awoke to the Sun seeping through the thin material of the tent. It casted a soft glow throughout the small area. She rubbed her eyes with her fists, trying to remove the sleep from her eyes. She casted a glance to her side where Longshot was curled up at and gave a small smile. She scanned her eyes over the tent, rather out of habit than suspicious, and gave a tried yawn. When her eyes reached a 'corner' near the 'door' she saw that it was bunched up and pulled to one particular spot and pinned there with an object that she couldn't see.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she looked slower over the folded material, trying to capture anything that she might have missed. She saw a harsh sliver glint between one of the folds.

_No. It couldn't be. _She got up the tiredness weighing down her movements before she walked out of the tent and around to the corner where the fabric was pinned. There sat a dagger in its wake, glinting.

She touched the hilt carefully; afraid of what it could be, of what it could mean. She hesitantly pulled the dagger out of tree truck that it was buried in. The fabric fell back to its original place.

She shakily flipped the dagger over and gazed over the hilt, hoping not to find _that _symbol. In the center was a carved 'x' with flames coming out of it.

She heard the sound of material being pushed aside and then Longshot was standing next to her with a curious look. He scanned his eyes over the hilt hoping to find whatever it was that was making the girl sad. His eyes locked on the symbol.

Smellerbee glanced up at him.

"She's gone…a-and she isn't coming back this time."

OoooO

She gently twirled the dagger on the wooden table, the tip of the blade buried in the wood. The blade gave off a sliver glint. She wasn't particularly aware that she was doing that, it was more of an absent habit that she had developed. She twirled the dagger, the blade giving off a cold glint while her mind wandered.

She thought about the Freedom Fighters that she had left. She no longer felt she had any right to call herself one, not anymore-not ever. Even when she was with them she couldn't bring herself to call herself one. She flinched every time everyone did. It just reminded herself of the lies she buried herself in. No one really knew her, no one except…..people from her past. People's names who haven't been said from her mouth in a little over three years. People who she couldn't bear to think about and yet the images of their faces rushed through her head, antagonizing.

She had left them….all of them.

She couldn't stop the thoughts that stabbed at her mind, memories and _what if's. _Her mask had long been destroyed and she couldn't put it back up, her emotions and _herself _were fighting because they finally got to breath and they didn't plan on ever going back to being suffocated by that 'mask' again.

So she had to deal with the haunting past and her thoughts all the time. Fantastic.

No matter how much she tried not to think about who she left and what she caused she just couldn't do it. Her memories finally budged the dam that she had up and now they were freely flowing through her. She couldn't have felt worse.

_**It hurts, right? To know that you've left the people you love the most. That's all you do is leave people and cause them pain. How can you live with yourself? You lie every day and push back the truth for what? So you can 'protect' them from the truth or is it really so they won't hurt you.**_

_Shut up._

_**You can't escape it you know.**_ The images of her past flashed before her eyes: her mother, father, and….her best friend. _**You left them all. How does that make you feel? It hurts right? To know that you hurt them as well.**_

_I deserve it._

_**Maybe that's one thing we can mutually agree on.**_

She sighed and blinked bringing herself back to the world around her and pulling herself out of her thoughts. She glanced at the dagger in her hand. It seemed so cold and menacing, but also, in an odd way, it seemed kind of beautiful. It was in a way that it could 'defend' itself and was wielded by its master and was loyal to that person. In an odd way she supposed it was.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a person; well actually she saw the person's legs. They were just standing there, frozen to the ground. After a few short moments she carefully flicked her eyes up at the person. He was a boy a couple of years younger than her, maybe a little more than half her age. He looked a little small and lanky with tan skin and messy obsidian hair. He looked shocked. She looked at him then at where his line-of-sight was and saw that he was staring at her dagger.

_Oh._ She realized that the fact she had taken her dagger out _and _had been twirling it carelessly while staring out into nothingness, visibly, could be possibly a little scary. Maybe he thought she was some sort of killer, a hunter or something of that sort.

She slowly took the dagger off the table while watching him before slipping it into her pocket. She watched as he blinked at her, no longer with shock or any emotion.

"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't scare you. I was just thinking about something and I hadn't realized that I had taken this out. I don't intend to harm anyone. Sorry about that." She said carefully.

He was young and with being young comes innocence that doesn't always last. He looked like he was between those borders.

He flicked his eyes up to her's and narrowed them before tilting his head to one side, as if he was trying to match her face to a familiar one.

His eyes widen in recognition.

"Hey, you're the one that save my town!"

She thought he looked familiar. That town that she 'saved' had been completely destroyed. Some people stayed behind after the water cleared to rebuild and other's went over to an almost nearby town to live there. She moved with them, wanting to get away from the memory of betrayal.

"You could say that." She said simply.

He walked the last few step until he reached the empty chair that was opposite of Madeline. He carefully sat down with an optimistic smile. She tried to smile back, but it came by weak.

Suddenly, after only seconds, he's smile dulled until it was a frown.

"What?" She asked wondering why he was staring and frowning at her.

"You look sad. What's wrong?" He asked gently.

She exhaled a breath. So it could even be visible, the fact that she was self-loathing at the moment. That was fantastic.

"It's complicated." She decided.

"How come?" He asked.

Obviously this kid was persistent.

"Well, when I went to 'save' your town I had to turn my back on my 'friends'."

"Oh. Why?"

"Let's just say that they weren't exactly agreeing on my intentions."

"What about that guy who was with you. Isn't he your friend?"

She pressed her lips together. Sokka wasn't really a friend, maybe an ally or someone they had mutual agreeing on.

"I don't know if you would call him a 'friend' per say, but he did help me so I suppose he's rather an ally."

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"He came with his sister and….the Avatar. They had to leave for some training."

"Oh."

"Yeah." She said as she pulled back into thought. She dwelled more into her thoughts that only caused more pain and self-loathing, but what was she to do? Absolutely nothing, that's what. If her subconscious was trying to show all the people she hurt and left then she was going to let it. She was going to take every blow and not even defend herself because she knew that she deserved it.

She felt something warm press to the front of her hand. She almost jumped out of her seat at the unexpected touch. She casted a glance at the young boys hand on hers and then at him. He was smiling at her with something similar to acknowledge, wisdom….understanding.

She was thoroughly confused at that moment. She couldn't understand why he was smiling with something akin to understandment and why he was touching her. Not that the touching wasn't okay with her. It had been years, a little over three, since she had last had a hug or any other comforting gesture. That was probably why it was so unexpected to her and why she reacted the way she did.

"You'll get through it, trust me." He said with a small squeeze of his hand.

Before she could fully process what it was that he was referring to he got up, slipped his hand from her's, and left, leaving her completely and utterly confused.

She watched as he left wondering what the hell he was talking about. He couldn't have been talking about betraying the _Freedom Fighters _or not leaving with the Avatar and the two Water Tribe siblings or at least she didn't think he was. There was something in he's eyes, besides the look of weariness from the war and having seen too much of it for his age, that told her that he understood something about her. Not many people talked to her let alone understood her.

She pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head, trying to remove the mental cobwebs from her head. She reached forward and grabbed the previously forgotten teacup and drank the last of it. It was Jasmine tea, her favorite. She put the cup down and reached in her pocket before putting a coin on the table. She slung her pack onto one shoulder and walked away from the teashop, leaving behind and dragging old memories from her mind.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter is relatively short, but I'm almost done with the next chapter which I hope to post by tomorrow! I listened to a lot of songs so that's why I didn't put them up. Anyway, please review! I hope you are enjoying the story so far!<strong>


	5. Undesired Telling

_Chapter 4  
>Undesired Telling<em>

The Earth Kingdom always had a sense of warmth to it. It was hard to pinpoint what exactly gave off the sense of warmth that flowed through every town of the Earth Kingdom. Maybe it was people, with their optimism and friendliness, or maybe it was the Sun that glared down with heat that reminded her of her own home. Maybe, just maybe, it was the sense of hope that floated through each town. Whatever the source of the warmth was it was something you couldn't find in any other place except one claimed Earth Kingdom territory.

She shuffled around in her bed, the sheets thrown off. Sleep never came as easy she would like it to and when sleep did finally render her it never lasted long. She always wound up watching the sun fall far below the hills and take the last of the light with it before she could feel the pleasantness of sleep haze over her. When she would awake the Sun would've nearly dawned. It would be far too early for anyone to be up and doing their daily activities. She had almost gotten used to the lack of sleep. _Almost_.

She sighed and turned over until she was looking out the one window in the room. She knew she wouldn't be getting any further sleep. She never got more than a few hours.

The window was a small square cut in the packed dirt of the room she was staying in. She could see the sky brighten as the Sun peaked out of the hills. She could feel the soft breeze drift through the window that only came in the early morning. She breathed in the scent. She contented herself to look out the window and simply watch as the Sun rose. She had done that many times before when sleep no longer seemed to want to come to her, which was almost every day. It wasn't something that she ever could forget. Just as the Sun had been promised to rise again when it fell she was promised another day, another chance.

OoooO

She grabbed the bag that loomed in loneliness at an empty corner. She slung it over her shoulder, feeling it nestle there as she had done many times before, like a permanent spot on her shoulder reserved for the strap. She glanced the room over. It was just another room, just another place she couldn't call home.

Her gaze landed on the window. She looked past it and at the Sun seeping into the sky. She could feel the heat even from inside, the breeze no longer sweeping through the room. It reminded her of her own home, the heat, but it was always warmer than this. Still it was heat. She thought about how the heat was always around where she lived and seeped into her house. It was a pleasant heat that she never had to adjust to because it seemed as though she was already used to.

She pressed her lips tightly together and pressed forward.

The door opened much easier than she thought it would, the unneeded force she exerted on it made the door hit the wall. She winced and carefully shut the door, trying to avoid any more damage.

She took the stairs two at a time. She wasn't in any particular rush. She was just…frustrated. Memories of times when she would sit down, a tree at her back and watch the Sun rise or fall. When her father would pick her up and hug her, when she would smile at her best-friend. When life wasn't so difficult and lying hadn't become that life. There also wasn't any self-loathing, maybe self-consciousness, but definitely not any self-hate.

She pressed her lips tightly together and shouldered the door of the apartment.

The Sun was bright and glared down at her. The slight pleasant breeze that had been there hours before had died out. By now the town was lively with children playing and merchants hawking their wares. Laughter and chatter could be heard throughout the town. At least some people where happy.

That's the thing about the Earth Kingdom. People in the Earth Kingdom where generally happy all the time. They never let the thought of the century-long war weigh them down. They were always….warm. Well, most of them were. They always had one thing, that most had lost to the war…hope.

She wasn't from the Earth Kingdom, however. She wasn't happy she hated herself. She let the thought of the war anger her. She wasn't warm and she didn't have hope, at least….not anymore.

All she could do with hope is ask for forgiveness from the people she loved.

But that was a foolish thought and she knew it.

She knew that she would never again see her family. She never thought that one had to be blood-related to be a part of a family. They just had to have love for the people and in return get the same love. She had considered friends to be family and people her parents knew that she had been introduced to when she was first born and knew her whole life to all be family.

She used to have a family, a somewhat large family, but now they lay in the past along with the memories she forced away.

She bit her lip trying not to chock on her own thoughts and tears. She hated moments like these. When memories rushed through her mind and reminded her of the life she used to know. When things weren't so complicated and when lying wasn't a part of her life.

She turned her head down and pressed her lips together, bitterly. She wasn't even sure where she was going anymore. But it didn't matter because she was leaving and that was enough. There was one thing she could never run from and that was her past life.

She rubbed, furiously with her sleeve. She was still wearing her armor and clothes from when she was a _Freedom Fighter. _The clothes and leather armor were dark red and brown, just as they always have been.

She rubbed again over her tear-stained eyes.

Then she collided with something. The object was soft and warm and definitely not a door…again as she had expected. The object was slightly taller than her and a person.

She pulled back and pulled her arm away, ready to apologize.

She saw an older, slightly plump lady. She had grey eyes and grey hair streaked with white. Her face was slightly wrinkled, but held wisdom. She had her hands still braced in front of her.

She gave a soft laugh.

"My, my even I was expecting that." She said with a smile, pulling her hands away.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was walking." Madeline mumbled and tried to return the smile.

The elder woman's smile dropped and she looked worried.

"Are you alright, child?" She asked as she reached a hand out to touch her arm and bring attention to herself.

No. She wasn't alright. She felt as if everything was crashing down on her and the memories of the past were slowly suffocating her. She hated herself and the lies that she told. It wasn't right.

Before she could respond and tell the kind lady that she was fine, a lie, she spoke up.

"You look terrible. Come with me." She said as she softly grabbed her hand and led her away from the crowd.

It took her a few moments to process what was going on. She was being taken somewhere by a person she didn't know. But when she did realize what was happening she was already there.

She stood in front of a shaded porch, the soft wood under her feet and shading it. The building was large and a combination of stone and wood.

She was ushered in through two doors made of a soft material.

The woman let go off her arm and went to a corner that held a stove top and a kettle.

The room was made of wood. In the center of the room were pillows on the ground and a fire in the middle. There were four soft wooden posts outlining a square around the center. The corners were mostly empty but some held drawers.

She knew that the elder woman had good intentions and couldn't harm her, but still she didn't know her. Instinctively, she lifted her hand and rested it over the hilt of her dagger. Her fingers curled around it. She wouldn't harm the kind woman, at least not if she wasn't in any potential danger first. Which she knew there was probably no chance that she would ever be in any danger.

By the fire there was a small, low table that held what appeared to be bones.

Suddenly the doors burst open and interrupted her train of thought. She turned around to see a younger girl with tan skin. Her dark hair was thickly braided and she wore pink robes. She was smiling, warmly, and looked slightly embarrassed, although, Madeline couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

She bowed her head, apologetically, to both of them. A slight pink colored her cheeks.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I heard you come in and I wasn't sure where you were, but I see you're seeing someone. Sorry, Aunt Wu." She said looking thoroughly embarrassed.

Madeline heard a soft laugh behind her.

"It's alright, Meng. Is there something you wanted?"

"Oh, no. I just wanted to see if you were here or if you were still out." She said and smiled sheepishly.

"Well now you know." Aunt Wu said with a small smile.

"Yeah, guess so. Umm...Well bye then." She said gently and gave a small wave toward Madeline.

She in return gave small upward twitch of her lips.

Seeing Meng made her realize that her previous notion was quiet ridiculous. Okay so she wasn't in any potential danger and wasn't going to be killed. Well, that was nice to know. She had heard of Aunt Wu before through Earth Kingdom murmurs. She appeared to be quiet an excellent fortuneteller or so she heard. Madeline didn't exactly believe in people who could tell your future. It just seemed like a…long shot. Well, so much for trying no to remember her past.

She thought about the misty forest during the raining season and how it seemed to glimmer in the morning when the Sun had just began to dawn. She thought about the Freedom Fighters who put as much trust in her as she did in them. She thought about the quiet Longshot. He didn't talk very much, but when he did it was always comforting. He would joke around even though his face was almost always expressionless. She remembered the first time he _smiled _at her. It took her a moment to unfreeze the shock, but afterward they both laughed. He was more of a best-friend and ally than she had had in a while. She thought about Smellerbee. She was really caring and funny underneath her hard exterior. She was always one to break the tense atmosphere with a joke. She had bonded with the girl and thought of her as the sister she never had. She thought about Jet. Jet was…..Jet was cunning and charming. He was a great leader even though he seemed…broken with anger and hate.

_Oh Jet. I'm so sorry._

She no longer held any romantic feelings toward Jet. But she still deeply cared for him. She still thought about him as a best-friend and ally.

But she just felt betrayed and….conflicted with herself.

"Come and sit child." Aunt Wu said.

She blinked away the haze and glanced at the fortuneteller who now sat in front of the fire with two cups and a pot of tea. She looked generally worried for her.

She took hesitant steps forward. Her instinct was telling her to go the other direction and leave here, but for some reason she couldn't.

She tentatively sat down, the whole time watching the elder woman. It was more out of habit than suspicion. People didn't pay her any attention, passing her off as a fifteen year old girl and nothing more. She wasn't used to…kindness. She wasn't used to people _caring _about her. The Freedom Fighters cared for her, but most of the time they let her be whenever she was upset or anger or wanted to be alone. So that was a lot of time. Her family, friends and people she knew her whole life, were the only people who cared for her. Three years ago.

She gently took the cup that was handed to her. It smelled of Jasmine tea.

Aunt Wu was sitting next her looking at the fire.

She was having tea with a person she had only heard of.

She took a tentative sip, her eyes still glued to Aunt Wu and the fire. She couldn't understand why she was being so nice to her. Most people would've ignored her and passed her by.

Moments of silence drifted through the room. Aunt Wu contented herself to stare at the fire while Madeline stared at her. She was confused.

"Why?" Madeline said after a moment.

"Pardon?" Aunt Wu said her eyes still on the fire.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Aunt Wu looked amused.

"I had a predication." She said before flicking her eyes toward the fifteen year old girl.

A fortuneteller having a predication, well that's unpredictable.

Before she could ask the elder to elaborate she spoke first.

"I predicted that I would meet a young girl with amber eyes who was conflicted with herself."

"I am _NOT _conflicted with myself." She knew she was, but she didn't care to admit it to a stranger, much less a fortuneteller.

Aunt Wu gave her an amused look.

"Are you sure? You know you can only lie to yourself so many times and for so long."

At the mention of lying she flinched. She hoped Aunt Wu hadn't seen her.

Aunt Wu gave her a pointed look, looking thoroughly amused at her denial.

She huffed. "Fine, so let's say for the purpose of this conversation I am conflicted with myself. What does that have to do with anything?" She asked, trying to resist the temptation to roll her eyes.

_She's being nice. Don't be rude._

"I predicted that she would be conflicted with herself and" She said as she touched her fingers to Madeline's temples," My, my, someone has a complicated past." She said as she dropped her fingers.

At the mention of her past she squirmed and pressed her lips tightly together. Guilt ran through her veins. She didn't like it when people brought up questions of her past.

She couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Listen you can pretend that you aren't conflicted with yourself or cross out your complicated past, but you and I both know you have questions." Aunt Wu said seriously.

She opened her mouth to deny that accusations, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't bring herself to lie anymore. She already had enough pent up guilt and anger at herself. She didn't want to add to that pile.

She closed her mouth and stared at the fortuneteller. Did she know about her past? Could she help her understand the unexplainable in her life?

It didn't matter because she didn't like it when people looked into her past and gave her broken promises.

She set the teacup down in front of her and stood up. Aunt Wu stared at the fire.

"Thank you for the tea, Aunt Wu." _But I don't want any of your answers. _She turned away from the elder lady and walked toward the door. She slid it open, easily, but paused when she heard the previously silent fortuneteller speak.

"An autumn leaf can only on its branch for so long." Aunt Wu said gently, her eyes following the flicker of the flame.

The words were followed by a silent moment and then the sound of the door being shut.

Aunt Wu didn't worry, she would be back. She just knew it.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, I feel sooo bad right now! I know most people are like what's her secret? And just when you thought you were getting some answers she leaves. I'm sorry, but I promise everything will be explained in the further chapters. School has started for me sooo, sadly, the chapters won't be update as frequently as they have been :( Oh, if you're wondering about what Aunt Wu said, it doesn't mean that Madeline will die. I read over it and realized that it sounded like it did, but don't worry it means something different. Anyway, comment if you want!<strong>


	6. That Feeling

_Chapter 6  
>That Feeling<em>

She had this strange feeling prickling at the back of her neck. It wasn't one she was used to. The familiar feeling of looking over her shoulder out of suspicion had always been present since she left her home. If anything the feeling only got stronger. But this was…completely different. It wasn't something she had ever felt. It was like a sort of chill that ran up her spine and struck her heart urging her somewhere she didn't know. She felt as if she should be somewhere else but where she was, a small Earth Kingdom town. She felt a sense of wrongness at where she was, like she didn't belong there. But, honestly, she never thought she belonged anywhere.

There was this coldness that crept up her back, awakening her previously numb skin. Numbness came with wearing her 'mask'. It helped replace every emotion and thought until they faded into oblivion and numbness seeped into her mind and body. She had grown accustomed to it. But ever since she had shattered her mask, just as her trust in the Freedom Fighters her thoughts and emotions flowed freely through her. The numbness, though, never seemed to leave. Maybe it was clinging to the remains of her past, taking away some of the pain.

She felt out of place but she had to remind herself she was in Earth Kingdom territory. Of course she stuck out like fire in a patch of roses. One was beautiful and the other only caused destruction. She wasn't from the Earth Kingdom. She didn't have the appearance of them. Their eyes that held determination colored with national warmth. Their skin tanned and smiles as warm as the Kingdom itself and as fierce as the raging war. She had eyes that held numbness colored burning amber. Her skin was paled and her smiles were dead. The people from the Earth Kingdom seemed so alive compared to her.

Truth be told, she felt dead as well.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the familiar scene: crowded people, owners hawking their wares, buildings made of earth and stone. It was all familiar to her, but it wasn't home.

Her home held warmth, like the Earth Kingdom but in a different way. The heat, that felt like an eternal summer occupied the whole land. It was a scorching heat and yet everyone there, everyone who could call it home, was used to it, welcomed it because to them it was _natural. _

She missed the warmth there, but more so she just missed being warm.

The prickling feeling resumed, nagging at her mind. She didn't know if it was just instinct or maybe something else. Maybe Aunt Wu was messing with her.

She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. She didn't know where she was going. One side of her was walking forward, for some place to sleep but the other side was pulling her backwards, telling her the more steps she walked in that direction, the farther away she was going to get.

The night loomed over, spotted with stars and a full moon. It brushed the town over with light.

Her movements were becoming hesitant and sluggish, courteous of her 'instinct' and lack of sleep. She chewed her bottom lip. Maybe, the feeling was there because she hadn't slept in a few days. Maybe she was going crazy.

Yeah, it was definitely lack of sleep.

She glanced around for a place to rest. She hadn't slept in days. The dark circles under her eyes were proof of her lack of sleep. Concentrating on anything was becoming harder as well as trying to force away memories. She was struggling to keep moving.

Aunt Wu's words kept haunting her:

_"An autumn leaf can only hold itself on its branch for so long."_

What did that mean? Was she going to die? At this point, death probably would be the best for her. Those words sounded like….something someone she used to know would say.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mental cobwebs as she opened the door to a building made of smooth stone.

After she paid the owner she ran upstairs to a room. She just wanted to go to sleep and hopefully wake up in the morning to figure out all _this _was just a dream. That she hadn't really left everyone and everything she knew behind.

But she knew that this was all very real.

She slumped down on the bed, tossing her shoes off. She glanced out the window, questioning herself. She was confused and conflicted. Nothing in her life made any sense anymore. She couldn't deny that. But she refused to go to Aunt Wu.

Who did she think she was, telling her that she was _conflicted _with herself? She knew _that_. And she knew that it was becoming more obvious. So what? Everyone gets conflicted and confused once in a while and she certainly didn't need the fortuneteller's help or predications. She didn't need her _answers. _She was able to survive three and a half years on her own without answers. She didn't need them now. She doubted Aunt Wu had real 'answers' for her. Maybe they were just hollow. Maybe no one had the truth for her.

She sighed and fell on the bed before closing her eyes and hoping to catch some sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>I updated quicker that I thought I would! School has started for me so my updates will be slower, sorry! I was able to update today because I had to stay home from school because of some back problems. Anyway, please comment! <strong>


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