Summary Notes: On the way towards Ba Sing Se, Sokka is supposedly killed by Azula in an attempt to protect his friends. Left for dead, he is eventually found by passing fire nation troops who decide to bring him back to the Fire Nation as a servant. Once there, he manages to escape custody and eventually finds himself on the run.
Chapter 1: Just Let Go
Sokka stumbled into a secluded but cozy looking inn as he stepped out of the heavy, torrential downpour just outside. It had been raining all day, but thankfully, that was just what he needed to cover his tracks. The young man sighed heavily as he looked around the bar of the inn. He didn't spot anybody in it which he found strange, but nevertheless, he walked over towards the counter and rang the bell on it.
Upon hearing the sound, a elderly woman came out from a door around the corner and eyed him curiously. "A guest? I haven't had any in quite a while. What brings you to my inn on this rainy night?" the woman asked inquisitively as she stepped behind the counter and crossed her arms.
The southern water tribesman didn't know what to say as he awkwardly stared at the woman. She eyed him curiously awaiting a response. During this time, Sokka took in her appearance. She was very unusual looking for somebody living in the Fire nation.
After the long awkward silence the woman coughed, "Excuse me young man, but are you going to answer my question or just stare at me all night?"
Drawn from his thoughts, Sokka chuckled embarrassedly as he rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry…it's just you look strange. Err, that is to say…I mean you really stand out."
An amused grin graced her features as she smiled, "Oh?"
"Not that I mean it in a bad way," Sokka embarrassedly rambled in an attempt to salvage the situation.
"Don't be shy, why don't you start by telling me your name," the woman asked.
Sokka was silent for a moment but decided it would be best to change the subject, "You don't really seem like you're from around here."
The woman raised a brow and laughed at his comment, "That is a rather odd thing for a random traveler to say. Where do you think I'm from?"
"I don't know…anyways, can I buy a room for the night?" Sokka asked hoping to keep as low a profile as possible to avoid further suspicion. The woman grinned maliciously at him and nodded, "Of course good sir…you are welcome to stay in one of the rooms. Although to be quite honest, I am rather surprised to have any guests around here lately."
"Why aren't you getting any business?" Sokka asked cautiously eyeing the woman suspiciously. His look did not go unnoticed by the woman. She smiled at his demeanor and motioned for him to sit down at the bar.
Sokka reluctantly sat down but kept his gaze intently on the woman awaiting her response. She poured some tea and sat next to him as she began to speak again, "Well, there's a lot of rumors going around that this forest next to the inn is haunted. There have supposedly been several disappearances from the nearby village to add to it. To put it simply, people are afraid to come anywhere near this forest or the mountain."
Sokka thought briefly about what the woman said and did recall hearing some gossip from passing travelers that spirits and demons haunted the mountains to the south.
"Well…what do you think about all of that?" Sokka asked the woman hoping to unveil the mystery behind the wicked aura she seemed to radiate. She shrugged amused, "I think that they're all full of it. Superstitious riff raff and tall tales all of it. If this place was truly haunted, don't you think I would be the first person to know about it?"
"I suppose you would…" Sokka answered as he looked at his tea cup. The woman gave him a mysterious gaze as he nervously avoided conversation.
All of a sudden, Sokka felt extremely uncomfortable as the woman pulled off his coat and traveling pack. She carried them upstairs and left Sokka alone. He felt terrified as he heard the slow creaks of the inn and the heavy thunderstorm raging outside.
'Maybe people are scared of this place because of this creepy ass woman…I have to get out here!' Sokka thought desperately as he stood up. He anxiously reached for his belongings but then realized that the woman had taken them upstairs.
His heart began to pound faster and faster as he knew he couldn't leave without his pack. After a long minute of terrified anxiousness, Sokka walked upstairs and slowly came around the corner of an opened door. He saw the old woman laying several blankets and pillows over a medium sized bed.
She saw the boy turn the corner and smiled at him, "You never did tell me your name."
Sokka nervously looked around the room as he answered, "Umm…my name is Sokka."
"Sokka? What a strange name…" the woman said coolly. Sokka's blood turned to ice as the woman placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, "My name is Hama. Nice to meet you Sokka."
After awkwardly shaking hands, Sokka pulled some money out of his pockets and handed it to her, "Here's all I have. It's enough right?"
Hama looked at the money in his hand and took it, "This will cover it."
He cautiously smiled as he rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I've had a pretty long day, I guess I should get some sleep."
"Not one much for conversation are you? No, you seem like a man on the run. Well, Sokka, where are you headed if you don't mind me asking?" Hama questioned him.
"Umm…I was on my way to the eastern port. I am moving out to the colonies with my family," He made up on the spot.
She shook her head and smirked, "You're a terrible liar."
"What makes you say that?" The boy asked nervously.
"Blue eyes, tan skin, and a water bending scroll…you are not from the fire nation, Sokka," Hama stated calmly as she held a scroll up to him. He recognized it as the one that used to belong to Katara. After the events in the north pole, he kept it in the hopes that he could pick up on his sister's abilities, but so far he hadn't been very successful.
He wasn't really sure if he was even capable of becoming a water bender like his sister. Sokka remembered his father once telling him that some people were born with it and that others weren't. As much as he enjoyed being a warrior, he felt almost useless compared to Aang, Katara, or Toph at times.
He had hoped that since his sister was a water bender that maybe he had it in him to be one as well. Sokka stood fearfully silent as the woman stared at him creepily.
His eyes went wide in horror as the woman began to speak again, "Blue eyes are a trait most commonly associated with the natives of the northern and southern water tribes. Which one do you hail from?"
Sokka timidly answered, "I'm…from the Southern water tribe. My father is Hakodo the leader of our village."
"So you're Kya's son then?" Hama asked amazedly.
Sokka was shocked that this woman knew his mother's name but could only nod in response.
"How do you know my mother?" Sokka asked. The older woman smiled at him and laughed, "She was my student…I taught her many of the ancient secrets of the Southern Water Tribe."
"WHAT?! So that means that you're from the southern water tribe too?!" Sokka exclaimed in relief. Hama nodded at his question. Afterwards, Hama sat down on the bed and motioned for Sokka to sit beside her. He did as he was told and watched the woman curiously.
She sighed as she looked down, "Yes…I was once Kya's instructor and a powerful water bender. I taught her the old ways of the true Southern Water Tribe. I haven't seen her in over twenty years…since I was taken prisoner."
"You probably won't ever again…she's dead," Sokka said sadly. Upon hearing this, Hama's eyes lit up with curiosity "Is she now? Kya is truly dead?" Sokka felt a bit uneasy from her lack of emotion.
Sokka nodded slowly, "I don't like to think about it…but the fire nation came to our village and tried to take her away since she was the last water bender. She refused and was killed by the leader of the men there."
"Kya was a very powerful water bender. There's no way they would have simply killed her without some kind of army." Hama said distantly. Sokka studied her face for a moment and could see some sort of emotion in her eyes. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't grief as her demeanor remained completely passive.
"My mother was a water bender, but I never saw her do any of the fancy stuff the northern water tribe masters do. Come to think of it, why is the southern water tribe so underdeveloped compared to the north? " Sokka inquired changing the subject.
"The history between our two tribes is ancient. Long ago we were all one tribe who lived in the north pole." The woman explained.
Sokka raised a brow, "So what happened then? How did we separate?"
The woman frowned, "Well, the first leader of the Southern Water tribe was Skjal Blue Wolf. He was the leader of the Bloodmoon Clan. They were our ancient ancestors. The old tales say that he was exiled along with his followers from the Northern water tribe. Though this was over a thousand years ago. He was said to have been the most powerful water bender that ever lived. Well that is if you exclude the previous Avatars."
"So he colonized the south pole then? Why don't we have any cities like the Northern tribe does?" Sokka shifted back and forth anxiously.
Hama smiled wickedly, "Oh we did have a city…or should I say we still do."
"Really? So where is it exactly? I've never seen any kind of city in the south pole."
Hama looked down, "Sadly its location was lost to me after I spent so many years in prison. Although, Azure City is quite a sight to see. I haven't laid eyes upon it ever since Kya's father sent me to track her down."
"Her father? So my mom ran away from the city? Why? Come to think of it, why haven't they helped in the war?"
"Probably because they don't care. Azure City is impenetrable, and unknown. The king could care less if the occasional border village like yours gets attacked." Hama concluded.
"The king sounds like a nice guy," Sokka stated sarcastically.
Hama laughed at his joke and added, "It must run in your family because King Sokyo Blue Wolf is Kya's father and your grandfather."
"Woah woah hold on a second! Did you just say I am a descendant of this Blue Wolf guy?!" Sokka demanded disbelievingly. Hama nodded her head in response, "Yes, your mother was the princess of Azure City, but she abandoned the Bloodmoon Clan and ran away from home."
This caused the warrior to shake his head, "So…my mom's royalty but she ran away? Why didn't she want to stay in the city? Why didn't she ever tell us about that place?"
Hama sighed as she shook her head, "I have no idea. I got overwhelmed and captured by a Fire Nation raid before I could locate her. I had a suspicion she was hiding in one of the border villages. Although I never got to prove it…until just now."
"So she ran away and met my dad…" Sokka trailed off.
Hama shrugged, "I don't know the rest of the story. I find it very unusual that somebody as powerful as her was killed by simple fire nation raiders…was no one else in your village there to witness the event?"
Sokka sighed as he looked away, "Nobody saw anything…I just wish there was something I could have done. Sometimes I feel so powerless. I mean my sister is the water bender in our family…she's the one who made a difference in all of our travels so far. I'm just a warrior…a lousy one at that."
"You're not a bender?" Hama asked incredulously. Sokka shook his head, "No…I am not."
She shook her head confused, "You're Kya's son and the descendant of the Blue Wolf line. How can you not waterbend?"
He shrugged, "I always thought that stuff was kind of creepy. Mom never really taught Katara either. She sort of just learned it on her own."
"Very strange indeed…" Hama said distantly. Sokka got the impression she knew way more than she was letting on but kept his mouth shut.
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Sokka finally spoke again, "You really think I can waterbend?"
She nodded, "Of course I do. I am surprised your mother never taught you. I suppose she wanted her children to be normal instead of benders."
"Maybe she had her reasons. I can't imagine any group with 'blood' in its name that is considered good," Sokka joked.
The woman nodded in agreement, "Maybe she did it for your own protection…still though, these kind of abilities normally manifest on their own. Have you ever tried water bending before?"
"I don't know…I guess I never really learned. Katara is the one who always found it so fascinating. I just tried to be like my dad. He is a warrior," Sokka explained.
The woman thought for a moment, "Well I don't see why you can't be both."
"So you really don't know where this Azure City is? Why didn't you keep looking for it?" Sokka demanded.
Hama sighed, "I didn't really want to say this, but the King would probably execute me for returning without Kya after all of these years. Failure and weakness is not tolerated within the clan."
"I think I can see why mom left now…they sound kind of bad. Although where could they possibly be in the South pole? It seems kind of hard to miss a city," Sokka stated skeptically.
Hama sighed at his words, "All I remember is that the city is past the Skylight glaciers somewhere. You must be a water bender to even reach it."
This caught the water tribesman's attention, "My grangran always told us never to go there. She said that it was haunted by spirits and demons. Even my dad was afraid of that place. I thought it was superstitious nonsense, but my father made me promise to stay away from it."
"Most likely it was a scheme devised by your mother to keep you away from the city."
Sokka crossed his arms, "Why didn't the King send anybody else to track down my mom after you failed to report back after all those years?"
"You're pretty sharp, Sokka…I honestly do not know the answer to that question sadly."
"So if I'm royalty…could I go there and get training?" Sokka asked hopefully.
Hama shook her head, "I would advise against that. At least until you learn more about the art of Southern water bending."
"There's a big story about this place…maybe I'll get my friends to check it out with me once I regroup with them." Sokka commented.
She cocked her head, "So tell me about these friends of yours and where you are actually heading?"
"Well…my sister and I kind of found the Avatar trapped in an iceberg and we've been traveling with him ever since," Sokka answered. Hama's eyes widened in surprise, "The Avatar? He's alive?"
Sokka nodded, "Yes, his name is Aang and he's a twelve year old air bender."
The woman's excitement quickly died down, "Oh, so he's just a kid? So I'm guessing he doesn't even know the other elements yet?"
"He knows water and earth bending now, but Aang still needs a fire bending teacher."
"So is that why you're in the fire nation then?" Hama questioned inquisitively.
Sokka sighed, "Well it's a long story. We were heading to Ba Sing Se to see the Earth King when we were attacked by Princess Azula and her friends. They've been hunting us."
Hama huffed at the name, "So, Ozai's got his royal brat chasing you kids then? Interesting."
"Yeah, and I was injured in the attack and I woke up in some Fire Nation prison boat on my way over here. I eventually managed to escape, but I'm guessing my friends probably think I'm dead," the water tribesman explained.
She shook her head in disappointment, "You need to learn water bending, Sokka. You wouldn't have been captured if you were trained."
"Well who the hell is going to train me? Hell, I don't even know if I can waterbend yet anyways!?" the boy asked frustrated.
"I could train you. I could teach you what I taught your mother. Although, it would mean not being able to return to your friends for a while," Hama responded. Her eyes had a glowing anticipation about them as she eagerly awaited his answer.
After a long silence the teenager finally shrugged, "Well if you think I'm some kind of water bending prince then by all means teach me what you know."
"Believe me, you are. Kya possessed the hidden power of the royal family. Unfortunately, I don't have the bloodline to master it like you do."
"Well here's another problem…I don't really have enough money to stay here," Sokka trailed off.
She smiled, "Don't worry about that. In fact this room is yours for as long as you want to stay. I owe hospitality to any member of my tribe."
"Well thanks then. I guess it would probably be in everybody's best interest if I learned how to waterbend before going back to them. All I want to know is what's the catch?" Sokka asked.
"All I ask though is a single favor in return," Hama smiled sinisterly.
"What favor would that be?" Sokka crossed his arms.
"Promise you will learn everything I have to teach and use it for the glory of our people," Hama answered.
"I can do that," Sokka stated in hopeful agreement.
She eyed him sternly, "You promise? You swear? I have your word?"
"Yes, I will learn everything you have to teach," he confirmed excitedly. Hama smiled wickedly at his answer.
Without another word the creepy woman left the room leaving Sokka alone to ponder. 'So I am royalty? Well at least that crazy Fire nation princess can't call me a peasant anymore. I sure hope I can learn water bending.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next day, Sokka was awoken before sunrise with a bucket of water splashing him in bed. He immediately jumped up in panic, "What the hell?!"
"Good morning, Sokka, it's time for your first day of training. I woke you up bright and early so we can get a headstart on it," She stated excitedly.
The water tribesman did not share her enthusiasm as he groaned, "I'm soaking wet and the sun isn't even up yet!"
Much to his surprise and relief, Hama pulled the water off of him and the bed into a small little orb rotating around her fingertip. He watched in awe as it turned to ice, back to water, and then disperse into the air.
"Wow…that's a fancy trick," He laughed.
"I'm glad you think so, because today you're going to learn about the basics of water bending. Meet me downstairs for breakfast and we will begin training afterwards," she responded.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After an awkwardly silent breakfast, the two were outside behind the inn standing right next to a small river. Hama turned to face him, "Forget everything you have ever heard or seen about water bending from your sister, or the sister tribe. Today you learn the Southern Water Tribe's way."
Sokka sighed, "How are they any different? Isn't water bending just water bending?"
"That is like saying two fighting styles with swords are completely the same. The Northern tribe focuses more on a defensive balanced stance called Open Palm, while the Southern tribe focuses on the stronger and more aggressive style, Closed Fist. Both styles originate from the duality of our belief system. The Northern Tribe believes more in peace and harmony while our tribe is more warlike focusing on combat and domination. This difference of opinions and styles is what led to the eventual schism," Hama explained.
Sokka soaked in her words with complete fascination and remained silent waiting for her to continue. After a brief moment she did, "Closed Fist is similar to the way fire benders manipulate fire. It is harnessed from emotion. Rage is the most common one used within this style. It is very powerful, but extremely difficult to use practically. Novices of this style tend to fight like careless berserkers, but the true masters find a way to harness their rage and control it."
"So I have to be mad to use this style?" Sokka asked.
Hama nodded, "In a manner of speaking. Water is emotion, life, the embodiment of change and desire…you must look deep within yourself and discover what things you feel strongest about. Imagine the man who killed your mother, imagine the firelord himself burning down your village. Imagine your father, all alone on a battlefield, helpless with nobody to save him in sight. How does that makes you feel?"
Sokka closed his eyes and pictured what the woman described. At first he attempted to shield himself from the emotion with humor, "Doesn't Ozai have better things to do like plot world domination?"
"You shield your emotions well, Sokka…perhaps that is why you are not the water bender and your sister is," Hama noted.
He didn't know why, but this comment infuriated him. Sokka had never been jealous or spiteful of Katara's water bending, but something about the way Hama compared them brought a surge of emotions through him. Hama quickly took notice of this.
"Your sister is a water bender and your friend is the avatar…I imagine you must feel pretty useless in real battles don't you? Watching them fight fire benders while you stand on the sidelines…having them abandon you because you were just a liability to begin with," Hama venomously prodded.
"SHUT UP!" Sokka roared unable to contain his emotions any longer. Hama simply stood there and smiled at him as he panted heavily searing in anger. She looked towards the nearby river and could see slight fluctuations in the flow between each of Sokka's breaths.
"What's wrong, Sokka? You're not angry are you? All I said was you are weak," Hama continued hoping to draw out even more of his emotion. Sokka could barely describe what he was feeling at the moment.
This was the first time he had ever been this angry since his mother died. His mind was swirling like a storm.
"You don't even know me or my friends! I am not a liability! I've been there with them ever since we started this journey! I am not weak!" Sokka shouted at the woman as he reached for his club. He didn't know what possessed him to do this however.
"Oh? What are you going to do with that thing, Sokka? Uselessly swing it at me?" Hama laughed. Finally, his rage completely exploded out of him, "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The water from the river rose and shot out in all directions from Sokka's display. Afterwards he fell to his knees and was panting so heavily he could barely breathe. Several tears ran down his face as he shamefully looked away from the old woman.
"See what you just did, Sokka?" she asked.
"I don't care!" he shouted without even thinking. After a brief moment the scene began to register in his mind. "Did I just waterbend?" he asked in disbelief still shaking with emotion.
Hama nodded at him, "The reason you were never able to waterbend before is because you have suppressed your emotions for too long. You can no longer pretend they are not there. I imagine your sister must be very emotional to have developed the ability on her own."
Sokka was finally beginning to calm down and thought for a moment, "I guess that makes sense to me…"
"As you can see, rage is powerful, so is fear, and doubt. You cannot dismiss these emotions anymore, because they are a part of who you are. If you truly wish to become a water bender you must harness them and use them as a reminder every hour of every day as to why you're here," she offered Sokka a hand up which the warrior took.
"How can I feel like this all the time though…it's just too much to bear?" Sokka asked.
To be a true master of Closed Fist, you must master your emotions and find the perfect balance between rage and serenity. Achieving purpose, working towards a goal…these are things that help one to succeed in this endeavor. Turn your rage into passion, turn your fear into strength, turn your doubt into ambition."
"How though? Why not simply balance all of my emotions like the Northern tribe does?" he asked.
Hama scoffed at him, "They are too passive and orderly. Why impose a restriction on the art of water bending when the art itself is chaotic by its very nature. Water is the element of passion and change. Believe me, our way is superior."
"So where do we go from here then?" he asked finally calm once more.
She smiled, "I want you to remind yourself of your previous failures and use them as motivation to better yourself. For now, we will go over the basic stances.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In the weeks that followed, Hama taught a large variety of water bending techniques to Sokka. The young water tribesman picked up on the ability surprisingly quick, despite his skepticism and overall disposition towards bending originally.
The young man couldn't help but feel strange as the weeks rolled by with his new master. The older woman was very mysterious and in some ways she was kind of spiteful. Sokka both feared and respected the way she commanded the element of water. That being said, the breakthroughs he made over the past few weeks were solid proof that she was right about the superiority of the Southern Tribe's style.
Unlike the traditional training that water benders undergo in the northern water tribe, Hama's training was far different than what Sokka had seen Aang and Katara practice. Hama taught him that water was present wherever there was life. It could be found in plants, in the air, and even in one's own body.
She taught the boy how to pull water out of the air and how to make ice claws, but one of the most interesting things that Hama taught Sokka was the art of healing and knowledge of the human body. She thoroughly explained that an adept understanding of the human body is another important requirement of being a master water bender.
After a long eight weeks of training, Sokka finally felt like it was time for him to move on. He missed his friends and family and had begun to grow nervous that the fire nation would eventually find him. This fear was implanted by Hama's stories of what the fire nation did to water bender prisoners.
Sokka walked downstairs from his permanent room in the inn to be greeted by Hama sitting a table. Next to her was an empty seat with a full plate of food on the table. Next to his plate, Sokka spotted a cup of his favorite tea that the woman only made for him on rare occasions.
She called it Moon Tea. Sokka took his seat and began to eat his food. On his plate was a delicious portion of fish and beef as well as several fruits and vegetables. His master stressed the importance of a diverse diet. Sokka couldn't help but agree at her tastes.
"How long have you been living here now, Sokka? Seven, eight weeks?" Hama asked curiously. Sokka shrugged at her question, "Something like that…I can't help but think that I've been here for too long. I mean lately I can't stop worrying about my friends. I hope they made it to Ba Sing Se."
Hama visibly frowned at that statement and looked down with a dejected look on her face, "So you want to go look for them now?"
The boy shook his head, "I need to go help my friends and my father. They are in the earth kingdom. I can't stay here forever…not with this war going on."
Hama smiled at his answer and stood up, "Please stay one more night. I have several parting gifts for you."
The Water tribesman was uncertain what Hama's "gifts" would be, but he figured one more night wouldn't kill him.
Sokka spent the rest of the day in the nearby village with Hama.
In the village, Sokka heard many strange rumors about a mysterious witch who would abduct people at night, and of a sickening smell of blood that seemed to come from the mountain pass. The more he lived here, the more Sokka began to worry that Hama was somehow more than she appeared to be.
Although his intense focus on his training had kept him distracted from the troubles, Sokka had a really bad feeling about Hama the longer he spent time at the inn. As the weeks had passed, she seemed to be manipulating his morality.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Later that night, Hama asked Sokka to go on a walk with her. He reluctantly agreed, but was sure to hide his suspicion. After a brief walk up the trail through the forest, the two were now getting closer towards the haunted mountain. "So…why exactly are we walking out here in the middle of the night?" Sokka asked cautiously as he looked around.
Hama looked at him and laughed, "Don't tell me you're afraid now Sokka. I thought you weren't superstitious."
"I'm not, but I am cautious. Something is definitely wrong with this forest. Is that why we're walking? To investigate this?" he queried.
The woman shrugged, "Something like that. I just wanted to show you the greatest power of water bending since it is a full moon tonight."
Sokka looked up into the night sky and gazed at the moon. He couldn't help but feel nostalgic of Yue when he gazed at it, but it also gave him a surging boost of adrenaline. He silently followed Hama up the mountain pass until finally they reached a cave.
Before she entered, Hama stopped and turned to face him, "Before we go in, Sokka…I just want to say that I'm proud of all you accomplished over these past two months. After tonight, you will know the true power of the Southern Water tribe."
The water tribesman felt extremely uneasy from the cold and distant tone that Hama was using. She turned and continued walking leaving him at the entrance. Sokka stood there momentarily contemplating whether or not it would be in his best interest to leave.
He thought hard for a moment as he looked back up at the moon, 'If I had been stronger, maybe you would still be here Yue. C'mon, Sokka, don't be afraid. If I ever want to make everybody proud, then I have to do this!'
Finally, the boy decided to enter the cave. He felt somewhat odd as he entered the pitch black darkness now shrouded from the moon's light. It seemed almost symbolic that maybe following Hama out of a desire for power was going to lead him astray.
Nevertheless, he stuck by his choice and carried on until finally he came upon a well lit hallway. Lamps lined the walls of this underground hallway which caused Sokka to feel extremely nervous as he started piecing parts of the mystery behind Hama together.
'No…she's the witch that the town is talking about! Oh no why the hell did I come here?!' The water tribesman panicked. Before he had a chance to turn around, Hama placed a hand on his shoulder from behind and laughed, "Did you get lost, Sokka?"
Swallowing the lump in his throat, the boy turned to face her fearfully, "What the hell is this cave? Are you the witch the townspeople keep talking about?!"
Hama looked slightly angry at Sokka's accusation, "I am a member of your tribe, Sokka. You have nothing to fear from me. However, these fire nation villagers on the other hand have everything to fear!"
"So you've been kidnapping villagers?! How, and why?" Sokka asked hysterically as he backed away. Hama silently smiled as she followed him. It wasn't long before he was running full speed to escape her, but upon turning the corner, he met a dead end.
"What the hell?!" Sokka's eyes widened as he lost all control over his body. His muscles strained rendering him unable to move. He could hear Hama's voice laughing, "You can't out run me, Sokka. I'm a blood bender."
She forced Sokka to his knees in front of her and grinned sickeningly, "I did kidnap the villagers. They make excellent test subjects for my blood bending."
"Blood bending?! Are you serious?! Is that why I can't move?!" Sokka questioned fearfully. The woman nodded.
"This is sick! Let me go, Hama!" Sokka demanded hoping to cover up his fear. The woman shook her head, "You see how I have you in the palm of my hand? I can make you do anything."
Suddenly, the boy felt himself twisting and moving in awkward positions before hitting the ceiling.
"It wouldn't matter if you were the Firelord himself, there is only one defense against blood bending, Sokka…" Hama whispered in his ear. Her hot breath made him shiver uncontrollably as he was forced back to his knees.
"What kind of sick power is this? Where in the world did you learn about this blood bending Hama?" Sokka questioned desperately.
She grinned, "The Bloodmoon Clan of course… Any skilled water bender has the ability to perform this technique during a full moon, but those of the royal family can do it whenever they please. Your mother ran away after I taught it to her."
The water tribesman struggled with all his might to break free, but was unsuccessful as Hama held him in place.
"This is unnatural and evil! You can't do this to me!" he shouted.
She laughed at him, "Why not? Who says I can't? Here is your final lesson, Sokka…there are two kinds of people in this world. You can either be prey, or a predator. You are a wolf, Sokka, it's time for you to unleash the beast within!"
Sokka shook violently as he attempted to break the grip, "ARGH! Let me go, Hama! I thought we were friends!"
"Oh, we still are. This is simply the way blood bending is properly taught. You must learn how it affects your own body and feel the pressure in your veins surge as I bend you. There's only one way to free yourself…you have to blood bend, Sokka," The woman said almost casually.
He was barely able to move his legs before Hama tightened her blood grip on him, "Do it Sokka, you have the ability to break free whenever you want. All you have to do is let go."
"N-NEVER!" he shouted in defiance. He barely moved his body as his muscles strained heavily.
She shook her head in irritation, "DO IT! Or I'll make you kill the villagers myself!"
The boy was in a serious moral dilemma because he knew that this form of bending was sick and evil. He mustered his remaining willpower to resist as Hama started to twist and smash him against the walls.
"DO IT, SOKKA!" she commanded angrily. The boy was now covered in bruises and had bloody cuts covering most of his body.
He coughed heavily, "How does this make you any better than the Firelord himself? I could agree with you on closed fist, but this goes too far! Aang and Katara would hate me for this!"
"You fool, you don't even understand what I offer. You don't need your little friends, you don't need the Avatar or some rag tag coalition either. With blood bending, you have the power to surpass them, maybe even defeat the Firelord yourself," Hama ranted.
Sokka shook his head, "If it's so powerful, then why haven't you done it?!"
"I'm not a member of the royal family…I can only blood bend on full moons. You on the other hand can do it anytime you please. All you have to do is let go, Sokka. Let go of your petty morals and remember why you wanted to become a water bender in the first place. Embrace the inner truths of Closed Fist," Her words sank deep causing the water tribesman to stop struggling for a moment.
"When those fire nation men came to our village, mom didn't even fight. She just let the leader of those troops kill her. She never taught water bending to Katara or myself because she probably feared us having this power," Sokka realized stating his epiphany aloud.
Hama sighed, "You see where that got her right? Dead and forgotten. She was a complete waste of potential and life. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that you turned out to be the same. Well, at least I can always find that sister of yours…maybe she'll be willing to do what is necessary."
"IF YOU GO ANYWHERE NEAR KATARA I WILL KILL YOU!" Sokka shouted in pure rage. He managed to break free of Hama's blood grip and reached for her. To his own horror, he realized that he was choking her halfway across the hallway with blood bending.
Hama managed to break free of his grip and started to laugh maniacally, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! My work is finally complete! Congratulations Sokka! You're now a blood bender!"
The water tribesman covered his face and backed into a nearby wall sliding down to the ground. He rocked back and forth with panicking denial.
"No matter what happens now, you will never forget this, Sokka…" Hama chuckled sadistically as Sokka began to quietly sob.
"I didn't want this…I just wanted to help my friends," Sokka muttered in denial.
Hama shook her head in amusement, "There's one last thing I neglected to mention…the reason your mother died is because I helped the Southern Raiders kill her. Held her in place long enough for them to strike her down. It serves the bitch right for ruining my life! She had everything…and threw it all away! It's her fault I was captured and imprisoned, and it's her fault that I can no longer go home!"
"WHAT?!" Sokka screamed in bloodlust as he began to smash her against the walls with blood bending. His grip was so hard that the blood within Hama's body began to compress painfully throughout her entire bloodstream.
"Why did you train me then if you hate her?! What kind of sick person are you?!" he demanded.
She smiled, "It was her dying wish for her children to never become blood benders…I ruined it HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Do our tribe proud my prince!"
Much to Sokka's complete and utter horror, the woman broke free of his grip and formed an ice claw over her finger. With one simple motion she slit her throat and fell over dead. Sokka was in such a whirlwind of emotions that he couldn't even fathom the situation. Without even another glance, he ran as fast as he could. It wasn't long before he made it outside of the cave.
He felt nothing but horror as the sight of Hama killing herself replayed over and over in his mind like a broken record. Sokka was completely overwhelmed and didn't know what to do, so he just kept on running. He just ran and ran and ran.
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Well people I hope you enjoyed this little fic so far. I know it's pretty gruesome there near the end of the chapter. I realize I may have gotten a few things off canonically but hopefully it didn't bother you. Let me know what you think about it so far. I may or may not continue it.