1. Chapter 1

"Avani?"

She felt a hand on the covers over her legs, gently shaking her. The girl, still half asleep, moaned in response. She opened her eyes, glanced at her mother and quickly closed them again. "_Go away."_

"Come on, child. Wake up. You're watching your brother today. Something he needs help with." Avani rolled out of bed and faced the woman. What ever her brother needed, couldn't it wait a few hours? And she didn't like being told what she was to do, although she had grown more than used to it.

"Help? What does that little dirt dabbing flea ba-" she trailed off at the sight of her mother's face. She was clearly not amused.

"I'm going to overlook that last comment. Today, you two are making necklaces. His request."

"_Necklaces? _Wow, andI thought I had a little brother…" She was appalled, of all the crazy, boyish things her brother likes to do; she couldn't imagine why he would want to do something so girly.

"Avani! That is enough." Her mother snapped, throwing a pile of clothes on her bed. She sounded more on edge than normal, which was saying something. "Now put these on and get down there! Not another complaint or you'll regret it." She slammed the door on her way out.

"I'm_ sure_ I will." Avani muttered under her breath, pulling a shirt over her head.

Her face was flustered. She despised her family- her brother, unable to do anything on his own. Her mother, constantly nagging and pushing her to get married, drilling ridiculous love stories into her head. _They don't understand me _she thought. Ever since her father left, her mother was sour and rude. She hadn't ever been the kindest woman in the village, but she grew bitter over the years. She showed mercy to Avani's brother, though. He was called Junior, because his father named him after himself, and their mother couldn't bear to say and hear it daily. Junior was a spitting image of his father. And not only that, he had the same spirit for adventure. And his eyes. He had his father's eyes. The eyes that her mother had fallen in love with, and the eyes that looked her in the face as he opened the door and walked out of her life. The eyes she hasn't seen in nearly seven years. Her mother was the same.

Just as she began heading for the steps, something in the window caught her eye. Getting closer, she could see that a figure was darting across yard behind her house. Before he stepped into the concealment of the trees, she got a thorough look at him, and easily recognized him from wanted posters hung up throughout her division of The Earth Kingdom. He was the leader of a group of trouble-causing teenagers who stopped at nothing to counterattack the Fire Nation. His name was Jan or Jen or something like that. He was tall and dark skinned, adorned in strange but cool looking armor with a what appears to be a wheat stalk between his lips. Avani guessed he was a few years older than herself. There was hate written on his face. She had no personal affliction with the Fire Nation, but she knew they were terrorists. And they were known for returning little pieces of that terror. Her mother had warned her to stay away from the Freedom Boys, as they were called, so by nature was more curious than she was about most things.

She watched the boy as he disappeared into the thick forest. For a fleeting instant, which actually lasted much longer than a few seconds, she yearned to join him. She desperately wanted someone she could relate to. She wanted something to fight for something. To_ live_ for something. Telling herself that she had stalled long enough, she traipsed down the stairs, where a young boy was perched at a table, waiting for her.

"Bees! Bees!" the child proclaimed happily, shoving a handful of beads in her face with one hand, while simultaneously wiping snot from his nose with the other. Avani rolled her eyes and grimaced. She could tell it was going to long day.

"They're called _beads, _Junior." She sighed. _Lets get this over with_ she added to herself as she took the seat next to him.

The next few hours passed with surprisingly little annoyance on her brother's behalf. He listened patiently to her makeshift instruction on stringing the glass balls on the braided wire. She told him of patterns and designs he could make, and about bracelets. He especially liked them. And he learned quickly. Extremely out of character, Avani noted. He wasn't normally satisfied with sitting for an extended amount of time. She can't recall him ever being so cooperative.

She watched her brother's fingers skillfully design a bracelet using silver, purple, and green beads. Avani noticed the colors her brother chose were favorites. She really loved silver. When he was done, Junior carefully slipped the string around Avani's wrist and tied it with a double knot.

"For my sissy." He explained patting her hand with a big large smile, though it was sort of obvious. Avani felt an unusual rush of affection for Junior pour through her, and couldn't resist smiling back at him.

"Thanks." Was all she could think to say. But it was enough.

The newfound coexistence between the two ended with Junior's next move.

The boy snatched the few remaining beads from the table, and sniffed them.

"These smell funny." He remarked.

"Fascinating discovery, Junior."

The child observed the glinting orbs for a few seconds more, before sticking them up nose. Avani gasped.

"Smellerbees!" Junior cried joyfully, giggling rather loudly. His sister was disgusted.

"Junior! What on earth. Get those things out of your nose _now!" _She screamed. He obliged.

"As you wish, Smellerbee."

"_Don't _call me that."

"Okay Smellerbee!" She should have seen that coming.

"Smellerbee?" he asked seriously. Avani sighed.

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

"So make some noodles."

"We don't have any fresh water."

"So get some."

"But _Smellerbee!" _The child wailed "the bucket's _heavy_ and I'm_ tired."_ She opens her mouth to respond when-

"Avani." Comes her mother's strict voice, from a few rooms away. Avani sighed again. Junior smirked.

"Fine. I'll… be back." She tells him.

As she trudges down the hill to the Pump, the busy chatter of her active village fills her ears.

Home. _Although it feels more like prison _she thinks as she reaches the Pump. She catches sight of the Freedom Fighter's leader again, and his name comes to her. _Jet._

Then she notices something. Something isn't right. It takes her until she's halfway back up to notice the eerie silence that hadn't been there seconds ago. Something is out of place, but she can't put her finger on it. Then there's something. Some noise. Not talk though, sort of a rustling sound that's unfamiliar to Avani.

Climbing up the remainder of the hill, she sees exactly what it is.

It should have registered to her- where there are Freedom Fighters, there's Fire Nation.


	2. Chapter 2

I heard the fire before I smelled it. And I smelled it before I saw it. The village was black, surrounded by reddish light.

At first, I thought nothing of it. It was a dream, surely. Only it wasn't going away. I pinched my arm. It hurt. Have I ever smelled fire before? No, I don't think so. But this couldn't be real. Surely not. Junior's bracelet was around my wrist. Uh-oh.

Those were my last thoughts before I passed out from the smoke.

When I woke up, the sky was darkening. Strange, it had been bright and sunny a few seconds ago. I felt the thumping sensation of being carried, and sure enough, opened my eyes to find I was staring into someone's dark hair. I could feel something metallic around me, but weren't my clothes made of cotton? I couldn't see beyond a few feet, with the fading light and the head in my immediate vision and the surrounding trees and all.

_Surrounding trees? _

Okay, so someone was taking me into the forest. To do what? Rape me? Kill me? This was everything my mother had told me to stay away from. Yet I wasn't afraid. Didn't sense I was in danger. Why wasn't I running away? Kicking this person and getting the hell out of wherever I am?

Oh, that's right. I have no idea where I am. Or when I am. I'm on the back of a stranger and might have just seen my entire village engulfed in flames. Not exactly my typical day. But being carried felt nice. Although the smell of smoke was all over me. I tried to sweep my hair out of my eyes and found out why. My tips of my clothes were burnt. Black as charcoal. They hadn't actually been on fire, seeing as the ends weren't singed or anything, but I'd been near enough to one to have the evidence on my shirt. Then it actually sunk in.

I was alone. My family was gone. Dead. My village was gone. Everyone was dead. I had never visited or even been in contact with any of my relatives. I wasn't sure I had any. And I was being carried away from the demolished remains of everything I knew to be home. It didn't exist anymore. My mother had somehow managed to be somewhat wealthy, but I'm sure whatever we had was now destroyed. so I had nothing. But then I had to smile.

I remembered the bracelet Junior had given me. It was still there. And it was all I had left of them. Silver, purple and green, repeated in alternating patterns. Why those colors though? I wasn't sure. Maybe Junior just liked them. No wait. I liked them. They were my favorites. I think.. that would make since, right? Except right now, nothing made since.

And we stopped. Finally. I looked up to see- _whoa. _I always noticed that the trees on the edge of the forest, beside our backyard, were abnormally large. They paled in comparison to what was in front of me. Someone could carve a ship out of these trees.

"Home sweet home." Someone behind me whispered. _Home? _People, whoever they were, actually live here? I wondered if I would be living here, too. I felt wind on my face, and the force of gravity on the top of my head. The treetops were getting closer. What's going on? Oh. We were going up. Up into the trees. I've climbed a few before, but I've never been more than thirty feet up. These probably topped a hundred.

I felt hands on my side. I was being lifted off of the mystery person's back and onto solid floor. Tree houses. Fantastic. The cool air felt nice against my face, though.

"Do you know why you're here?" a male voice asked. Probably to me. I opened my eyes, which were too cloudy to see detail, but I made out at least three silhouettes hovering over me.

"So you can kill me?" was my honest answer. Apparently not the right one, because the next thing I heard was laughter.

"No." the same voice responded, sounding serious. I liked their voice. "You're here because you lost your family today. You're here so can recover, and then-"

"I have no where to go." I croaked, knowing what he was going to say next. "I don't think I have any aunts or uncles. So I'll be on the streets."

"Is she serious?" someone else asked the voice I'd been talking to. He faced them. "Smoke poisoning can cause temporary craziness." I decided not to mention that I'd already gone through that.

"I carried her here. Usually they talk some gibberish, but from her, nothing. She's serious, Sneers. What do we do?"

"You're asking _us? _There's nothing we can. She's accepted her fate. Street light ain't that bad."

"Yeah it is." The others, I was still unable to distinguish how many there were, rose to their feet and left. So he turned back to me "Who are you?"

Me. What was my name again? Oh yeah..

"Smellerbee." Wait, no. That was wrong. Or.. was it? I had a distinct memory of Junior calling me that, but it didn't seem right.

"Smellerbee. Maybe you do have smoke poisoning.. no matter. Smellerbee it is."

"Who are _you?" _

"The name's Jet." He sounded proud. Jet. Jetjetjet. Something sounded familiar in that name. Did I know him? No. no I don't think so. But I've heard it before. That I knew.

"I've heard of you" I breathed, closing my eyes tightly.

"I don't doubt it. The Freedom Fighters are notorious around the Fire Nation Colonies."

Freedom Fighters. Of course. Jet was their leader. I've seen his face on fliers, with a decent bounty listed beneath it. And what else had he said? Fire Nation colonies? Did I live in one of those? But-

"I'm not Fire Nation. Am I?"

"No, no no. If you were I would have left you unconscious. You live close to a Fire Nation colony. Too close. They burned down your village. You were carrying a bucket a water, which is why you alone made it out. Your story is actually similar to mine. Only they actually took time to kill everyone individually." He rambled.

"So… I'm not Fire Nation?"

"Nope. Earth Kingdom."

"Okay. Good. Wait, you said I was carrying water? Why would I be…." I trailed off, trying to remember. I had been asked to get it. So someone could… "Junior's soup." It was more of a gasp that actual words.

"What?" Jet asked.

"Junior. I had a brother named Junior. And he was hungry, so my mom sent me to collect water, so he could make soup. Or no, noodles. Same thing, really." And then I realized what I had actually said.

"So you're saying-"

"I'm saying if my brother weren't too lazy to have gotten the water, I would be the one charred right now."

"I guess you can thank him for your life." Jet offered. At that, I opened my eyes to glare at him.

I could see again, crystal clear. The first thing I noticed was that Jet had a sprig of wheat lodged in his mouth. The wanted poster artist did a pretty spot-on job. He looked exactly like the drawings. I was going to respond with something, but I settled with intensely staring at him. And he stared back. Only, his eyes were understanding. Friendly even. It was then that I realized he sounded like he legitimately cared about me during our conversation. Nothing like the description of this boy from my mother- a thieving, murderous, rebel.

"Are you really a criminal?" I could that he understood what I was asking- if he really deserved to be labeled as such. Because I needed to be sure. Jet shrugged.

"We do what we have to to survive." He answered. "and if that means giving those Fire Nation soldiers some…. distractions, then so be it."

I nodded. But I had one more question, for now anyway.

"So… can I join you all?"

Jet laughed.

"You want to be a Freedom Fighter?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you so much to everyone who favorited/ subscribed to this! You guys are the best**__.__** I really enjoy writing this so I cranked out another chapter. **__**Lol who needs sleep?**_

_**Summary: Jet's a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving overemotional speeches about the Freedom Fighters. **_

"Well, yeah. Becau-" he didn't let me finish.

"What do you think... what do think your mother would say, if she knew?" A test, of course.

"She would disown me. In a second." And it was true. She would.

Jet grinned. "Then welcome to club, Smellerbee." He stood up, pulled me to my feet and gave me a bone-crunching hug in one swift motion. In another, we were sitting on the floor again, backs against the massive tree trunk, looking out into the setting sun. I sighed.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Last night. Not even twenty four hours ago, I was at home. In my bed. With my mom and my brother. Well, they weren't _in _my bed, but they were there. This morning, they were there. They were alive. Now they're all dead. My world is destroyed." I felt tears in my eyes. I should wipe them away, but I couldn't. Screw pride-my family had died today; I think that had won me the right to cry a little. And so I did. I sobbed until my eyes hurt, and then I sobbed some more. I felt Jet's arm around my shoulder, to comfort me. Which it did. By the time I breath and see almost normally again, I felt a little better. I had never had a good cry before. My mom used to say there's a first time for everything. But I still needed to get some more out, so I kept on.

"And here I am, thinking I hate my family. Thinking my brother is annoying and stupid and mother is rude and pushy. And I'm only now appreciating them, once they're not here to appreciate." I leaned on Jet and cried into his shoulder. I was thankful he removed his armor.

"Y'know, if it's any consolation, I lost my parents to the Fire Nation like you did." I hadn't known that. I guess I never paid much thought to his parents, someone like Jet just wouldn't have parents. I suppose I had been right. "I was eight years old. And I had no idea where I was going to go, or how I was going to survive. It's a miracle I did, actually. I was alone, until I found people like me. People the Fire Nation had robbed. And we're on a mission, a mission that will free the world from the Fire Nation's tyranny. Which, incase you were wondering, is the reason were called the Freedom Fighters." He added the last part to be funny, which it was, I thought.

"Wait, you said it was a miracle that you survived? How _did _you survive?" I asked.

He then pulled two matching swords from a scabbard slung around his shoulder. I shivered.

"These were my father's." He explained. "When they attacked my neighbors in our old division, they looted the houses. I guess they passed over these because they assumed they were inadequate." I hadn't noticed before that the tip of the blades were rounded into a curve. "But these things," Jet raised one up, and brought it down quickly on the wooden tree house floor, leaving a hole and a few inches of jagged, splintered wood. "are deadly." I shivered again. He noticed, and frowned.

"Are you… sure you're cut out for this?" he asked

No. I wasn't. Not at all. "Of course I am, Jet. The Fire Nation took my village. They're making us suffer. Its time they do the same." The way he talked had already begun to rub off on me. I couldn't decide if I had a problem with that or not.

"Well, yeah, that's the name of the game. But it's not some kind of paradise, Smellerbee."

"I know, I know. Its just…I want to be like you." I finally admitted. And I did. Jet was strong and brave and fearless. I admired that about him. I envied it. I had expected him to take what I said as a compliment, but instead he acted as if I just slapped him across the face.

"Listen Smellerbee, I know I don't know much about you. Maybe I don't know much about anything. But I do know that you do _not _want to be like me. There's a reason your mom would freak out if she knew you were with us. I know me. You.. you just don't." Jet raised his hands a little and glared at them. "Trust me, kiddo, you don't want to know where these have been….what they've done. And I wish I could forget. Of course, some of them had deserved to die. Like you said, they needed to suffer as we suffered. But others…. Sacrifices had to be made. Lives had to be lost. Because of us. We're not as great as you think. We don't regret what we've done, no. I mean, it's for the greater good. Everyone's benefit. But we feel some remorse. Some 'dang, those people didn't deserve that' here and there. But these things are necessary. You can't take down a fleet of soldiers without throwing a few innocent bystanders into the mix. People who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their lives weren't ours to end, but we did it anyway."

"Jet, if it hadn't been for you, I'd be dead. If the fire didn't spread and get me first, I'd have suffocated under the smoke. Or if I had come to in time, I would be broke and homeless. You saved my life, and I want to help you. Even if that means….. even if that means killing people, then that's the way it's going to be. I won't forget what they did to me, what they did to all those people. What they did to you, even. Especially you. We'll fight. We'll make them pay." Had I ever said anything like that? I couldn't imagine. Speeches weren't really my thing, but Jet seemed to like it. I noticed a few other boys somewhere around mine or Jet's age, close to us. Looking at me, studying me. I noticed one wasn't as menacing looking as the others. His gaze was soft. I made a note to myself to stay away from him.

"Boys, meet our new recruit. Has no memory of her name, so she calls herself Smellerbee." Their faces were shock-stricken at _new recruit. _Glad to see they're taking the news nicely.

"Jet. Be reasonable. We've never had a girl in the hive before." Came a particularly deep voice. Did he really just refer to the Freedom Fighters as a 'hive'? Like they, like _we,_ are some kind of bees? But maybe they did that. This was going to take some getting used to.

"Then she's a first, Pipsqueak. Like it or not, she's one of us now. Her family was killed by the Fire Nation. I can tell she wants revenge. She'll help us, guys. Either way, she stays."

I smiled to myself. No one had ever spoken of me like that.

"Alright then, if your mind's made." The one that had been called Pipsqueak began "But you know she'll have to learn a few things." Jet nodded.

"What?" I asked, turning to him "I thought I was joining an army, not a school."

He only laughed. "Every good soldier attends boot camp." He responded smoothly.

Good answer. "Fine. Whatever. So when is this school in session?"

"I'm in no hurry. None of us are. So, whenever you would like it to be."

"Excellent. We start at dawn." Jet smiled.

The other Freedom Fighters may not have been rushed, but I was. I had a task in front of me. Something that I'm sure will surpass the difficulty of anything I've ever done in my entire life. I, a little girl, had to prove to dozens of older boys that I could fight. That I was worth their time and trouble. But there was just one little teeny-tiny kind of huge problem.

I couldn't.

Suddenly, I was aware of how painfully heavy my eyelids were becoming. It had been an incredibly long drama-filled day. Life as I had always known it had died it the flames. The one that had been of blood attachments. The one of labor and force. Gone. But I wasn't alone. Far from it. Out of the ashes, my new life was born. The one of friendships and trouble. The life of murder and theft. _No. _Isn't like that. More like…more like payback. My new life was devoted to revenge. I looked around me. The boys were asleep. Jet and I were still siting shoulder to shoulder, but he was focused on something I couldn't see. So this was it. This was my new home. These boys- the Freedom Fighters- they were my family now. Pipsqueak began to snore. This was definitely going to take some getting used to. But I let myself curl up on my side, facing away from everyone, close my eyes, and drift into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I woke up, I was surrounded by darkness. I literally couldn't see anything. I briefly wondered some nonsense that what if I had gone blind or if the sun had disappeared and some other things along those lines. I got up from some sort of soft furniture, reached out in front of me and found…. Fabric. I pulled it and light illuminated the space. It was a window. I was in a room. I didn't know tree houses had rooms. Unless… unless they were carved into the tree. My hand traced the window frame. Wooden. The jagged edges suggested it had been hastily cut after the room had been carved out. I could only guess how long that must have taken.

Then another thing hit me. Someone had picked me and brought me here. Most likely Jet, but I smiled all the same at the thought of my new family beginning to warm up to me. My first day as a Freedom Fighter, and it was make-or-break. No pressure, Smellerbee. It didn't even bother me that I couldn't remember my own name. It was a relic of my former life. I wasn't whoever I had been anymore. I was Smellerbee.

The door to my room was thick and heavy, yet another reminder. I wasn't like the rest of them. I was weak. I decided to let the door shut itself, slamming loudly as I walked down the hall, which was actually just wooden floorboards arranged into a path. Nevertheless, it led me to where I wanted to go.

"Good morning, Jet." I greeted the Freedom Fighter, as I approached him and the others. Surely this was their 'cafeteria'. Tables with chairs, a counter-looking pedestal, and of course, all the Freedom Fighters. I only had one brother, but I knew boys were drawn to food the way moths are drawn to light. And of course they would be here, it was breakfast time. One of them brought out a large bowl piled high with biscuits. The boys swarmed it and each grabbed handfuls. I had to laugh. Boys will be boys. I waited until they were seated to grab one for myself, before finding Jets table and filling the vacant seat next to him. I recognized a few faces from last night. Before they accepted me, Jet was going to be like an older brother-body guard, and I was going to trail after him like a lost puppy. Because that's what I was.

I decided to push my gloomy thought aside and concentrate on my breakfast. It was warm and it smelled good. Surprising, because I couldn't imagine a bunch of teenaged male rebels would be very good cooks. But then, what was I thinking? Of course the boys didn't bake these, they were stolen. I was eating time, effort, and expenses meant for someone else. I think that made it taste better.

Then Jet spoke up. "So kiddo." I guess I would have to accept my fate that that was to be my nickname. "Today you'll get firsthand experience of the life a Freedom Fighter. We'll teach you to steal, to work, to fight. You say you want to be one of us?" I nodded, though it was meant as a rhetorical question. "Then one of us you'll be. But you'll have to earn your keep. And dance for your dinner."

"I'm not a very good dancer, Jet." I joked. The boys grinned.

"Okay, wise girl, if you want to get technical. You'll have to take food from somewhere. Enough for all of us." At this, I quirked an eyebrow.

"I thought you guys were every-man-for-himself?" What Jet had said and how the boys acted made it seem that way. But they shook their heads.

"Of course not. We look after each other. Have each other's backs. You know the old saying, "the family that kills Fire Nation soldiers together, stays together." I laughed and stood up.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get started."

I took a step forward without looking and crashed into someone. I recognized him as the soft-gazed guy from last night.

"Oh I'm sorry!" I breathed smiling. Hoping the kid had a sense of humor. Instead he turned and stalked off in silence. Ouch.

"What's _his _problem?" I asked Jet as I reclaimed my spot at his right.

"Who, him? Don't take it personal. He's like that. He doesn't talk, so get used to it."

"Oh. What's his name?" If they were going to my brothers from here on out, I had better get memorizing.

"We call him Longshot."

_**So I suck at cliffhangers. Oh well. I hope you all liked this, please review? I'm sure there are tons of mistakes because its like 3 am and I'm tired~ Also, to those who've read The Cycle Continues, I can't decide to add to it or not. Thoughts? **_

_**And before you all say Smellerbee's personality is out of character, keep in mind this takes place a while before they meet the Avatar. She'll change. Character development takes time, yo. **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated sooner, I had a whole chapter and I scrapped it. This chapter is super long btdubs. Anyways, reviews are lovely and your all's favorites/subscription are awesome. **

**This first part is Jet, just to establish…. Some things~ **

I could see it. He likes her. Most of the guys do, and the ones who're still on the fence will come around soon enough, but Longshot _likes her _likes her. In all of the Freedom Fighter's previous interaction with girls, (which would be primarily _my _interaction with girls) he's never shown any interest in them the way the other guys did. He didn't hardly look at any of them, and he would smile a lot after they were gone. But now she's here, and he can hardly take his eyes off of her.

When the group of us was returning home yesterday after I saved Smellerbee, Longshot kept giving me these strange looks. After about an hour of walking, he made a gesture that I knew was him offering to carry her. I just told him I was fine, and he backed off. I didn't think anything of it more than that he was only attempting to be helpful, until Sneers suggested we dump her on the streets. Longshot looked visibly upset, which is rare for him because he usually doesn't show much emotion, and was shaking his head, when he's never been involved with newcomers. Throughout my and Smellerbee's talk, the guys looked at her as if she were some disgusting insect that needed to be destroyed without hesitation. Except Longshot, who had something of fascination in his eyes.

After she fell asleep, I saw him bringing her to his room. At first I was alerted. _He was bringing her to his room._ I didn't think Longshot was the kind of person to do something like that, so I was two seconds away from barging in there and asking what the hell was wrong with him. But it turned out he was letting her sleep in his bed, while he took the floor where she had been. And he smiled the whole way there and back. That was when I confirmed it. He liked her. This morning, he kept stealing glances her way at breakfast, thinking no one would notice. But I catch everything. She rose from her seat about a second after he did. I'm guessing that Longshot thought Smellerbee had seen him staring at her, so he boosted out of there. And now she thinks he hates her. The irony is adorable. She had hoped he would laugh it off, and they would become friends. But Longshot keeps to himself. He always has.

When I first found him, he was all alone. When I asked if he was okay, he shook his head. I told him to follow me back to the hideout. When I asked his name, he shook his head again. Longshot was a true mystery. To our surprise, he nodded when I asked if he had any talents. He found one of our bows and an arrow, and pointed to a sparrowkeet at least a hundred feet away. He strung the bow, drew back and released it. The bird fell to the ground. For that reason, he earned the name Longshot.

"Do you like it here?" I asked him after a week had passed.

"Yes." That was the only time I've ever heard him speak, and it's been more than half a year.

But as he grew more comfortable with us, he revealed he had another way of communication. Longshot does this thing where he looks at you, and you can hear it almost like he's talking. He says he's been able to do that for years, and lost the need and want to talk. We don't push him to, either, although it doesn't work for everyone. If I thought he was a mystery once, I had no idea. But Longshot's a cool guy, and he delivers when we're under attack.

I can tell she's strong, but she doesn't know it. She's scared and alone, and she needs someone to be there for her. He's afraid of her. it makes since, when I you like someone, there's a lengthy stage where you're terrified of them. But he his levels of strength and stability would correspond famously with hers. I like the idea of Smellerbee and Longshot.

* * *

After breakfast, the Freedom Fighters assigned me to kitchen cleanup. Easy enough, I though. While the majority of the food they steal has already been prepared, they had to cook sometimes, they explained. So I was expecting a few pots and pans with some smudges. Could I have been more wrong? I don't think so. What I found a tree stump counter piled high with bowls, pans, kettles, plates, pans, and skillets. They were covered in thick, slimy muck, uneaten food, ancient sauce, and to my horror, smelly, furry mold. And all I had to work with was a large tub of water and a sponge. These boys were cruel.

"Jet!" I screamed as I walked out "How many times have you cleaned these things?"

"Uh.. I don't know. Rufio, have we ever washed the dishes?" he asked a boy who looked to be about the same age as him.

"Nope." Was his short and simple answer.

"Sorry Smellerbee." Jet didn't sound very convincing.

"Yeah, stuff your sorries in a sack, Jet." He laughed as I resumed my post. This was disgusting, and it would most likely take the majority of the day. Last night Jet had said I would get "firsthand experience of what being a Freedom Fighter was like". _You're hilarious, Jet _I said to myself as I began scrubbing through a pot's layers of grime.

Before long, I was approached by a boy who appeared far too young to be a Freedom Fighter. He looked at me for a few moments, with an expression of confused amusement.

"Can I help you?" I finally asked.

"No. I can help you, though." I raised my eyebrows. "Jet sent me to help you." He clarified.

"Ah, okay. And your name is?"

"The Duke."

He seemed nice enough. And if he was going to help me, he was my new best friend. After establishing that was to be addressed as 'The Duke' at all times, instead of just simply 'Duke', we spent a few dish washing hours discussing everything from the freakishly huge trees to our favorite colors. I finally asked him about his life before he joined the Freedom Fighters, and found our backgrounds were surprisingly similar.

"I don't remember much of it." He told me. "But someone saved me and brought me here. They were going to take me to a village so I could be adopted, but I guess they liked my company, because I've been here ever since. What's your story?"

That's the thing about the Freedom Fighters. They all have stories. "I had a brother. And a mother." I started, shaky. "I don't remember my dad. I guess he died or something. In fact, I don't remember much about anything. The Fire Nation burned down my village, and I was the only survivor."

"You don't remember… anything?" The boy whispered.

"Some, but not much. I passed out from the smoke, and I guess I hit my head pretty hard. I remember my brother making me this bracelet-" I held up my arm- "the day of the fire. That's how I knew my favorite colors. I remember a big house. And my mother, how she was angry all the time. That's it."

The Duke frowned. After thinking for a few moments, he smirked.

"What do you think of Longshot?" The question caught me off guard.

"Longshot? I think he's a jerk." I soon as I answered, I regretted it. He frowned again, and looked legitimately upset.

"Longshot was the one who saved me. He vouched for me, so that I could make it in the group. He protested when the others wanted to give me up. He's like an older brother to me."

_Well done Smellerbee. _"I guess I just don't know him." I retorted. Longshot? A life-saving hero guy? It didn't fit. How could he have gotten so upset if all I did was bump into him? Maybe he does has something against me, I am a girl after all. Whatever. Boys are complicated. And stupid. Especially stupid. A semi-awkward silence fell over us. We said nothing more.

While gross, the job gave me time to think. The fire had been yesterday, somewhere between five and seven. Surely people knew about it by now, and surely they would be talking about it. An entire village destroyed and all it's inhabitants murdered sounds like it had the potential to be the subject of a few people's conversations. I needed to know what they saying. There was only one place I could go. I needed to visit the market.

After we freed the last dish of stubborn, caked on grease, it was only about midday. Excellent.

"Jet-" I began when I located him "I want to go into town." He nodded.

"Perfect. You'll get your first lesson on stealing." That wasn't what I meant..

"No. Well, yeah okay, but I need to find out what the people know about the fire." Jet contemplated this for a few seconds.

"We can do both, kiddo. It's not like we have a schedule to keep to." Oh. Duh.

A half hour later, me, Jet, Sneers, Longshot, The Duke were making our way to the division's Town Square. I had been told that the Freedom Fighter base was nearly a two hour's walk from where I used to live. The Square was an three quarters of an hour in their direction, so we had more than an hour's journey ahead of us. I wasn't much a fan of walking long distances, but the desperate want to discover what had been discovered took over. We were about five minutes in when I felt Longshot's eyes on me.

I snapped my head to the right, and he looked away swiftly.

What's his _problem? _I asked myself. This guy was seriously starting to get on my nerves, regardless of what The Duke had said. He wouldn't look at me, still fixed on what lay ahead of us.

Fine, if he wants to be rude, he can go right ahead. It's kind of ironic, though. I thought he was going to be my friend, and now it seemed we wouldn't ever talk.

Finally, we made it the vast collection of shops and street carts. I'd visited the marketplace a few times with Junior, to buy groceries or candy or tea for mom. This time I was here to steal. To eavesdrop. I felt uneasy, I didn't think I should be doing this, but I _wanted_ to. I was changing, and I liked it. I was no longer the pushover daughter of a wealthy single mother. I was a Freedom Fighter. I was a fugitive.

Jet paused. Longshot stopped walking so suddenly, I walked right into him and almost fell. I heard him laughing quietly. _So that's how It's gonna be then, Mr. life saver._ I exhaled sharply and turned to The Duke, who was observing the scene cautiously. I shot him a look as if to say _see what I mean? _ Thankfully, Jet came to my rescue.

"Smellerbee, you want to hear news of the fire. There's a merchant at the end of the alley who sells ladies hats. If anyone knows anything, it's her. The Duke, you should go with her. Sneers, Longshot, and I are going to locate some food. We'll be over there-" Jet pointed to the left- "find us when you're done. Good luck." With that, he boys made their way down the road to a store that had a sign advertising apples.

"Apples?" I asked when they were out of earshot.

"We took a vote a few months ago, and apples were the favorite food, so we take them the most. Of course we get other stuff, but back at home there's a lot of apples."

"Huh. I would expect a group of boys to want chicken or something. I think that was my brother's preference. He ate a lot of it."

The Duke shrugged as we started down the alley. "Jet's allergic." I dropped the topic, admiring the Freedom Fighters even more so.

I guess that was thing about them, with what The Duke had told me earlier about the others, they were all indescribably strange and incredibly unique. Back at home, everyone was the same. Same interests, same hobbies, same habits. I was having a hard time keeping up with all this alien diversity. Have I mentioned that the Freedom Fighters would take some getting used to?

The Duke and I waited at the Hat Lady's booth for more than twenty minutes, trying to look interested and indecisive as we scanned through the selection. We caught every word the woman said, informing some girl about herbal soaps, comparing and contrasting different varieties of hair ribbons, warning a customer of the tunneling badger moles, but nothing about a fire.

We walked away, I was crushed. Maybe the subject had been tabooed, but I doubted it. There was the possibility that word hadn't gotten out, though I doubted that harder. Old ladies like to gossip, don't they? They always have. They _should. _But the women at the marketplace were tight lipped. No news, just advice. Whatever.

While I had been pondering to myself, The Duke managed to find Jet and the others and lead us to them. They were still outside the apple shop, waiting for who I assumed to be The Duke and myself. When we caught up to the group, Longshot and I focusing on not making eye contact, Jet informed us to his plan in a hushed whisper.

"What're we going to say?" I asked the child next to me. He shrugged.

"Ask him about the fire." And so I did. For the next two minutes I stalled the shop owner, badgering for information on an event he knew nothing of. I felt uneasy again, and I pitied the poor man. He really didn't deserve the forceful interrogation he was receiving at my hand. Until, that is, a bird call that I had told was the signal rang through the air. _Time to go. _

"Well thanks anyway!" I smiled brightly at the man as we made our way out the door. I look of deep confusion crossed his face, as I had just accused him of a Fire Nation spy.

When we rejoined the group, Sneers was cradling a bundle of apples. I raised my eyebrows.

"We're not bad people, Smellerbee. We don't want to take too much from one place, so we ration out our rounds. We should go." And they simultaneously turned in the direction we came. Jet showed no interest when he asked what I'd heard, and no enthusiasm apologizing after I said 'nothing.'

We continued this, day after day. Sneers was the first to quit, with others following him. On the sixth, when I prepped for the journey, all I saw was Longshot. _No no no no no. _But I had a good feeling about today. By sundown, I would know. I was sure. And I wanted to know more than I didn't want to travel over two hours there and back with Longshot. We walked without talking, since he doesn't talk. And if he did, it wouldn't be to me.

When we reached Hat Lady's station, her eyes widened briefly in recognition, before continuing her story.

-"Whole village was on aflame. Everyone was gone. There's a headliner for you."

I knew it. She was telling someone about the fire! Instead of being annoyed that the news took so long to spread, I was elated that people would now know. They would know that the Fire Nation aren't mere bullies, they're cold blooded murderers.

Or at least that was where I thought the conversation was headed, until it shifted drastically of course with the next woman's input.

"Can you even believe that? The General takes interest in their land, so the people burn down their homes and leave!"

_What. _

"One girl ran away, though. She was upset her people were cooperating, she didn't want to leave. So she took off."

"Yeah, I heard that, too. What was her name again? Asami?"

"Avani, I think. Yeah, that's it."

Avani. The name is strikingly familiar. We must have been friends, I was glad she got away.

"That's right, Kansu's girl."

The name hit me like a thousand shards of glass. Kansu. Junior. Dad. Kansu was my father. The girl who got away's name was Avani. The name rung a huge bell because it had been mine. And like that, it all shot back to me. All the lost pieces of my past life. My parents, seemingly happy together. Junior taking his first steps, saying his first words. Dad strutting out of our house, the tears streaming down my mother's face. Wringing out clothes before hanging them on the line. Watching flames wreak havoc on the world I grew up in.

My old life, the one I had lost, was back. I had two lives, two names, two identities. Humans can't do that, can they? I can't be Avani and Smellerbee, but there's no way I can go back now. And what was that she'd said? About the General and the people leaving? So the Fire Nation had created a passable cover story. I finally looked to Longshot to see his eyes on mine, watching me figure out what he already had. He knew. I knew. In his eyes I saw the confused terror that I knew were in mine too. I couldn't be two people, so what could I do? I went with the only option that presented itself.

I ran.

**I still suck at cliffhangers. **

**Am I rushing this? I hope not. Hope you liked this chapter c:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Suuuuper sorry I haven't updated in forever, the past few weeks I've gone on vacation, went to church camp and freshman orientation. But anyhow, here's the next chapter. I wrote it in Smellerbee's point of view, and I kinda hated it, so I rewrote it in Longshot and it's made me start to love his character. Please review! Enjoy~ **

Smellerbee and I were making our way to the vendor's wagon. By the looks of their expressions, she was engaged in a serious conversation, thankfully. I don't think I could stand another afternoon of girly beauty tips.

"When the Law Enforcement reached it, it was too late. The whole village was aflame. Everyone was gone. There's a headliner for you."

It took me a second to process what she said. I felt sick. Disgusted. Hundreds of people burned to the ground, and this woman's only opinion was that it made for interesting gossip. These people were like the ones in the house I ran from- no compassion. No sympathy. Over the last week I've compiled a list- snide comments, passive remarks, judgmental glances- from the people around the marketplace. If there's one thing that's scarred me, it's selfishness.

Wait, was I hearing correctly? Oh. It made sense. The Fire Nation needed time to think up a plausible disguise. It was common knowledge that Earth Kingdom citizens are prideful and stubborn, and demolishing a village so the Fire Nation couldn't get their filthy paws on it was all too believable.

The woman said that only one girl escaped. Smellerbee, of course. But looking at her I saw she didn't understand yet, poor girl. I could tell the gears were turning in her head, attempting to put two and two together, but she was coming up short. Avani. I had to smile. Her name was beautiful, and it fit her perfectly. She didn't recognize that either. I wanted to break the distance between us, and hug her or something, but she would most likely tear my head off. I kept my position.

"…Kansu's girl."

That must have been her father's name. It was clear to her now. Her eyes flashed. A range of varying expression sprawled across her face. Fear and anger, mostly. Now I didn't understand. She had her name back. Her memory. All was well, no? No. She lost it. She panicked. Without a second thought, she bailed. Before I knew what I was doing, I was bolting after her.

However, I only got a few yards before I tripped on something, stumbled, and slammed my right side into a tree. My cutoffs were torn from the hem to just below my knee, but other than a few disoriented seconds I was unscathed. There was a rather impressive piece of broken glass protruding from my shoe, which I presume is what I tripped on. If being a Freedom Fighter has taught me anything, it's that unlikely things come in handy. So I pocketed the shard and was on my way.

With the forest being impossibly vast and all, there were millions of places she could've been. But I didn't think she was in search of a hiding place. I started down the path we took a week ago, only heading in the opposite direction. The winding trail that led to Smellerbee's village, vaporized to charcoal.

When I made it to the grassy hill we recovered her from, the scene was altered. The ground had been tampered with. Where there had once been the weak and primitive wooden gate circling the edge, there was now a deep ditch, filled with burnt wood, with more of it scattered throughout the village. False evidence. On the opposite end of where I was, the circle ditch opened up, and a dirt trail led from it into the woods. Overkill, in my opinion, but I had to give the Fire Nation props. The image concocted was a believable one. I felt a wave of pure, undiluted hatred pulse through me. _Damn Fire Nation. _

I still needed to find Smellerbee.

"What are you doing here?" a question came from behind me.

_Or not. _

"Looking for you." I responded as I whipped around the face her. She was sitting with her knees bent upward, staring off into nowhere with empty eyes.

"Well you found me, congrats. Now scram."

_Ouch. _

"C'mon then." I offered a hand I knew she wouldn't take.

"No. I'm not going back. I'm staying here."

_Was she serious? _

"You just found a new home- people who care for you and think of you as family- and you're giving it all up for _this?_" I gestured to the burned village in front of us. Something softened in her face. Something returned in her eyes.

"You guys…care for me?"

I nodded.

"Think of me as family?"

I nodded once more, trying not to smile.

"Oh."

I took a seat next to her, but still reasonably distant. "We've all gone through this. We all know our real names. Our pasts. And it scarring. It's hard to give up all you know, but it gets better. And, no offense but you really don't have another option."

She knew I was right. She raised her eyebrows, silently asking the one question I was trying to avoid. I sighed.

"It's Albin." I began slowly. "My name's Albin. When I was twelve, I went hunting with my father. He was attacked and killed by a Fire Nation soldier. I ran away. I found a new home, but the people were unbearable, so it wasn't long before I ran away again, to a forest much like this one. I camped out by a river, but that night it rained and overflowed, and I got pulled into it. I washed up on land, with no idea where I was. Then Jet found me, and the rest is history." I felt like a weight had lifted from my shoulders. I'd never recounted the events leading to up to my joining the Freedom Fighters. I was relieved that someone else knew.

"The Duke told me you saved him. Is that true?"

Now there was a story I didn't care to retell. I nodded.

"What was your first home like?" Of course the questions wouldn't stop.

"Wonderful." I smiled, remembering. "My father and grandmother took excellent care of me. He had been teaching me the ways of archery since I was really little, and I was great at it. I was eligible to join the foraging team when I was ten. I had two sisters, one older and one younger. We got along fairly well. Things were great."

"So… how come you never came home, after… your dad left?"

"It's alright. He didn't leave, he was murdered. And I never went home because…. Because I felt like I couldn't go back. All the other men in the unit were killed, and I alone survived. I couldn't face the others. And, I don't know, I guess I thought they had no use for me anymore. So when I dipped in those trees, I didn't look back."

"What about your mother?" She asked cautiously. I shook my head.

"Nah. She died when I was six."

She gasped. "I'm so sorry." What could I do? I shrugged, hoping the armada of questions had passed. I hated talking so much, but it was making Smellerbee feel better. Then she dived into her home life. She spoke of her mother, how she was controlling and forceful at times, but had a heart of gold at others. She mentioned a brother, and told of some of their adventures the two had when they were younger. And then her father, who couldn't have been more perfect. "Except for that tiny little detail where he walked out of our lives and never returned. But other than that…" I laughed. She took time with her story, leaving nothing out, and of course pelting me with questions along the way. But it eased her mind. She wasn't tensed up, she wasn't emotionless. She was healing.

"Last question- Jet said you didn't like talking, like, _ever_. So why are you talking to me now?"

I contemplated for a moment, trying to decide how to put in words.

"Because you need me to." I answered truthfully.

"Oh. I guess so. Th..thank you."

Was I blushing? Surely not. Longshot doesn't blush. But my cheeks felt hot.

"It's getting dark. We should go." I rose to my feet and took a few paces down the trail. Smellerbee didn't budge.

"I…..can't."

"Yes. You can. No one but you and I know."

"It's not about them. It's me." Girls are so overdramatic. But an idea sparked in my mind. I tore at the rip on the hem on my shorts, until it was clean off, leaving me with a good sized strip of blue fabric.

"Turn around and close your eyes." I knew she didn't know what I was doing, but she obliged. When her back was to me, I positioned the fabric from her forehead and traveled back, tying it around her hair, a makeshift headband. I pulled the blade of glass out of my pocket, and gathered her long, thick hair in my hands.

"What are you-"

"You'll see."

At home, the elderly women would sharpen rocks for hours, and when they were done, the women used the rocks to cut people's hair. I figured a piece of glass would work the same, only I had no knowledge as to what I was doing. But if my plan was to be complete, I had to do it. So I hacked at her hair with the glass, and low and behold, it cut. Pretty evenly, If I say so myself.

"What did you-"

"Cut your hair." As if she couldn't tell. I remembered how meticulously my sisters styled theirs, and hoped to the heavens Smellerbee wasn't like that. I wouldn't know what to do if she began foaming at the mouth. Luckily, she was cool with it, and she understood.

"So I'll look different." She breathed.

"Yeah" I answered, though I knew it wasn't a question.

"How about new clothes?" I offered. Girls like clothes, right?

"Why?"

" When I first joined the Freedom Fighters, I got a uniform. You need one, too." She was still wearing the dress from the day we found her, and not we like we cared, but it looked fairly grungy. Couldn't be comfortable.

"O-Okay."

_Come on. _I was tired of talking.

"Did you just-"

_Get used to it_

She laughed and nodded. We walked the way to the marketplace in silence. The two of us had gone from enemies to something of friends in one death and sorrow-filled conversation. Huh.

"So…. Where are we going?" she asked when we reached the sea of shops and pushcart vendors. I nodded to a large wooden building a few stores away.

"Uhhhh Longshot…?"

I grinned. She was adorable. The place was old, and it showed. The wood was unpainted and faded. It looked like a gust of wind could just about knock it over, but it was stock-full of treasures.

_It's where all the Freedom Fighters got their armor. _I explained when we made eye contact. She still looked skeptical, but upon opening the door she saw what I knew- an endless collection of weapons, clothes, shields, armor, boots, and everything in between.

The armor was in the front, so we filed through that selection first. She hovered over a full chest cover. It was a few inches wide, and was complete with shoulder straps. It appeared to be her size. She looked back at me, eyebrows raised, asking for permission.

_Try it on _

And she did. And it fit, almost perfectly. I tapped her shoulder, saying silently that she needed protection there, too. She mused around with a few shoulder pads before choosing one that fit like a glove. She looked at me again.

_Onto the clothes. _

She nodded.

Much to my delight, Smellerbee wasn't much of a fashion fanatic. She picked out a simple, skin tight black shirt, a matching pair of pants, and something that resembled a blue skirt. Out of habit, or to see if she was missing something, she turned to me.

_You can…uh… go try it on. Back there. _I pointed to the crude fitting rooms on the far side of the store. She nodded, and was off. I looked around for a little while she was gone, to check that I'd remembered everything. I've never seen her in action, so 'warrior tape' as we called it, could be added if necessary. The boots she was wearing were reasonably Freedom Fighteresque.

She returned smiling triumphantly, adorned in the new outfit. With the new clothes and haircut, she looked…. Different. She looked like a Freedom Fighter, but deeper than that.

She was intimidating.

This was going to be great.

_Let's go home._

We paid for everything with a few coins I nicked from a multitude of shopkeepers within the past week, and departed.

"You look like a new person, you know." And she did.

"Good. Just… Longshot, do me a favor, kay?"

"Of course." I answered too quickly.

"Don't… don't tell them."

"Tell who what?"

"The others. About who I was and everything."

'_Who I was' _she's been saying that sort of thing all day, as if she's died and become a new person.

Then it struck me. In her eyes, she had. She desperately didn't want to remember her old life, I got the feeling that there was more of a reason than deceased family attachments. Let me reiterate- girls. Are. Complicated. But it was her deal, and I knew if she stumbled, she would be able to catch herself. I hadn't believed so all through the week, but now I saw it. Smellerbee was strong.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

She looked grateful. I hated talking.

When we finally reached the ropes to our hideout, night had already fallen. It was dark. When our feet hit the landing, Jet was waiting for us. Confusion flashed across his face at the sight of Smellerbee, but he quickly recovered.

"New costume, eh? I like it."

"Thanks."

Then he smirked mischievously. " So" he began in a taunting tone "you two were gone a while. I assume you had fun?"

_Jet, shut the hell up. _

He laughed for a while, trying to calm himself. Becoming serious, leader Jet.

"I take it you found out about the fire, then?"

Uh oh.

"Yeah. Nothing that I didn't already know." Smellerbee lied, retorting before I could. He nodded, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. He stared at her for a good ten seconds, before nodding again. Jet can be a major creep sometimes.

"You're ready." He finally told her.

"For what?"

"Training."

"Jet, you said that a week ago and I washed dishes for four hours." The three of us laughed in unison.

"Well yeah, that's what we do with new guys. And, uh, girls. You've been doing an assortment of chores and dirty jobs and the gross things we're too lazy to do. 'Cause that's the treatment of a newcomer. We were testing you, to see if you could earn your keep, and kiddo, you passed. So tomorrow starts the fun stuff. Combat lessons, self-defense, agility… just basic training. We know you're new, so we'll go easy on you. No big deal, I promise. So get ready."

She nodded as Jet stalked off. When Jet first gave her a newcomer speech, she appeared apprehensive. Nervous. Not anymore. Jet was right- she was ready. Or at least, she was confident.

Three days ago, she was assigned to her own room, and I got mine back. Before we turned in, she faced me, landing her hand on my shoulder.

"Longshot. Thank you."

I smiled and nodded like an idiot. My neck was hot.

I was screwed. I… I liked her. And I was worried about her, too. The Freedom Fighters go easy on no one, first day or not.

Smellerbee had no idea what she was getting into.

**Have some developing Smellershot feels**


End file.
