TITLE: Turning Good Out Of Evil Intent

SUMMARY: After Katara had gained the blood bender curse, she must learn to use the bending power as good. She is of course afraid to use it, she doesn't want to control another human being after all. But with the help of Aang she learns that she could use the bending as good. With the support of Aang and Sokka she begins to practice.

But than when she and Zuko go to confront the fire bender who had killed her mother. In her anger she used the blood bender to control two fire benders. Once she arrived back to the group, she swore to herself that she would never use the bending ability ever again.

Will Aang be able to get through to her and show her that blood bender isn't all evil? That at times blood bending will save lives?

CATEGORY: Angst/ Hurt/Comfort/ Drama/ Friendship/ Family/ Spiritual/ Tragedy

RATING: T

CHAPTER ONE

TRYING TO COMFORT THE NEWEST BLOOD BENDER

Katara sobbed into her arms. She couldn't believe it, she was what she never wanted to be. She was a blood bender. She never knew they existed, not until Hama. Even when Hama said that she was going to train her in the bending art, Katara had fought against her. She knew she won, that she remained innocent, until Aang and Sokka had arrived. Hama had tricked her into protecting her friends against her. As soon as she moved Aang to the tree through his blood, she became a blood bender.

She only did it to save him. But saving him made her no longer innocent. Saving him made her whom she was now, a controller over other people, complete control. Her sobs grew deeper too the point that she was chocking too breath, but she couldn't stop.

Arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a thin but board body. "It's going to be all right, Katara." Aang whispered in her ears, over and over. He rocked her back and forth, and to the side.

She pulled away quickly, falling onto her back. Staring wide eyed into his compassionate eyes, "How can you say that, Aang. How can this be all right. I'm a blood bender now. I can control other people, do you know how totally evil that is?"

"It doesn't have to be evil." Aang said putting his hand on her exposed leg. He began to slowly massage the skin. "You can use it as a good thing, Katara. You saved me and Sokka in the woods."

"Hama tricked me!" Katara shouted.

Aang nodded. "Yes she did. But, Katara you willing trusted her. You willing went with her into the woods."

"You blame me." She whispered with wide eyes.

"No, I didn't mean that." He shook his head. He leaned forward to put his arms around her.

Katara jerked away as she felt his touch. "DON'T YOU TOUCH ME. DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ME. HOW CAN YOU AFTER WHAT I HAVE BECOME!" She screamed as she tried to back away from the young Avatar. Aang kept trying to reach out for her, but all she saw was his disgust on what she had become, she started to shiver.

Sokka came rushing into the tent. He rushed over to his sister and wrapped his arms around her bringing her up to rest against his chest. He glared at Aang. How DARE he hurt his all ready fragile sister. He knew it was a bad idea for allowing Aang to come in to comfort his sister. What did the monk know about this after all? Aang's whole life had been to accept things and to forgive. But he knew what his sister was going through. He should have been the one to comfort his sister. To help her through this. He wouldn't fail her, not ever again. His father had left her in his care to protect her.

"How about you leave my sister and I, monk." He said in a soft heated voice. He pulled his sister even closer to him. He felt her arms wrap tightly around him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

Aang looked Sokka in the eyes, than looked down into Katara's. He saw that he truly wasn't needed right now. He wasn't the one to comfort Katara, no it was the job for her older brother. His heart dropped, not because this was a brother – sister moment, no he was hurt that she didn't need him to be the rock in her soul.

He didn't move. "Katara?" He softly asked with slight tears in his eyes.

Katara simply turned and buried her head into her brother's chest.

"Just go," Sokka said softly. He felt bad for his young friend, but he had to protect his sister first and for more.

Aang nodded. He reached out and put his hand on Katara's arm, "I'm here for you, Katara, whenever you are ready." Her body stiffen and shook beneath his hand. He removed it, standing too his feet. With one last look at the broken girl he turned and left the tent.

He saw that everyone was looking wide eyed at him. Longshot and Smellerbee walked off towards the woods. Zuko started towards him. Aang shot him a look and the fire prince turned and headed off. He watched as Toph simply sat back down. He walked over to the blind earth bender, "Toph, let's give Sokka and Katara some alone time. We shouldn't know what is being discussed."

Toph sighed deeply, and stood back up. "I'll see you later, Aang, I'm going to see what there is to do in the village."

"No scams. We have enough money." Aang reminded her.

Toph just silently nodded and left him. He looked back at the tent, sighing he followed his own sage advice. He went to where Momo was busy eating a mango. "Come on Momo, let's take a walk." The flying monkey followed him down the path.

INSIDE THE TENT

"Katara, it's all right now. I'm here." Sokka murmured in her ear after Aang had left them. He ran his right hand down her hair repeatedly.

She held onto him tightly as her body shook. She felt like she would never stop shaking. She suddenly realized whom was holding her. Her brother. Her own brother was holding her trying to comfort her. But how could he? After what she had become. She tried frighting out of his hold, but he just held on to her fast, tightly. Eyes wide she didn't take in his compassionate look, no all she saw on his face was revolting. She stopped fighting, "Go ahead and kill me," She breathed in and out trying to catch her breath. "I know you want to brother, now that I'm a blood bender. So, go ahead and kill me. Tell father what I became and what you had to do, to save the family." Hot steamy tears fell down her checks.

"Katara," Sokka shouted beginning to gently shake her. "I love you. I'm not going to kill you. Katara, I love you." She tried to fight him, he could see it in her eyes that she wasn't fully taking in what he truly saw. How he wished their father was there, he would have been able to get through to her.

"Come on, brother dear, kill me, take this revolting disease out of me. Protect our family and the world." Katara begged her brother.

"No," Sokka shouted in her face, he brought her to him, he wrapped his arms even more tightly around her body. He lowered his head to rest on top of her head. He started to weep along side his younger sister. The brother and sister simply lay in each other's arms weeping.

Aang quietly returned to camp four hours later, he was relieved to see that the others were still off on their own. He knew that they wouldn't return until he sent word. He looked over at the tent and the breeze opened the flap a bit. What he found sadden him. Sokka had Katara tightly in his arms, and brother and sister were asleep, but it looked like they had worn each other out, and it still looked like Katara was still deeply troubled.

He walked over to cliff and sat down. He would wait here until they came out. The tent was still far enough away, so he wouldn't hear their conversion when they awoke once more. He just had to be close to Katara. Even if he couldn't be the one to save her, like how she saved him every time his feelings over came him, and he went into the Avatar state.

Katara began to mourn, Sokka awoke quickly and looked down at his sister. Her eyes slowly opened and she blinked. He was relieved that she looked like herself once more. Not the crazed animal that had begged him to kill her. He slowly sat up, helping her up along side him. He silently pulled her into a tight hug. He was relieved that she just rested her head on his chest and accepted it. "I love you Katara." He softly said in her ear.

"I love you too, Sokka." She whispered. She finally pulled away from her brother, "Thank you."

"You are welcomed." Sokka said knowing what she was thanking him for. "Let's talk about this."

Katara sighed deeply. Taking a shaky breath she slowly nodded her head. "I'm afraid." She simply said.

"I know." Sokka simply said. His eyes happened to glance at the flapping tent flap, he saw that Aang was sitting on the cliff a good hundred feet from them. "Would you like to talk with Aang also?" He asked looking at his sister.

Katara had fear in her eyes, "He must hate me."

Sokka quickly put his right hand on her check, "He doesn't think any less of you. Matter of fact, he thinks even more of your true spirit. Of your true natural." He slowly stroked her skin. "As do I, sister, as do I."

Her eyes lowered in disbelief on what her brother said. She wanted desperately to believe him, but she couldn't. "Katara," Her brother's voice said softly in her ears. She lifted her eyes in time to feel his forehead touching hers. She just simply stared deeply into his eyes, reading the truth. "Ok," She whispered. "But, not in here. I can't bare to be in here any longer."

Sokka backed away and stood up, he leaned down and took her hand and helped his sister stand. Hand in hand the brother and sister existed the tent. They walked over and joined Aang on the cliff's edge. Katara sat in the middle of her brother and Aang. Sokka wouldn't have it any way.

"I want to apologize to you, Aang, for what I screamed earlier. I didn't mean it. I was just so afraid." Katara turned her head and looked deeply into his Grey eyes.

"I have all ready forgiven you, Katara." Aang softly said. He sighed. "Do you forgive me?"

Katara's eyes widen, "You haven't done anything wrong."

He nodded, "I allowed Hama to become close to you. I allowed you to go off alone with her."

"But, you didn't know that she was a blood bender witch." Katara's head shook, "You had no way of knowing, she was a kind grandmotherly old woman. She was a water bender."

"If you can forgive me, than why can't you forgive yourself?" Aang asked.

Katara tilted her head and sighed deeply. "It's difficult, Aang, I'm usually a good judge of character. Hama had be completely fooled." She shook her head, "She reminded me of Gran Gran."

"I thought of Gran Gran too," Sokka said. "After I learned that she was part of the water tribe." He put his hand on the small of his sister's back.

"I can't believe that I let my guard down, I mean I didn't with Zuko. Not completely in the earth kingdom's cell." Katara whispered. She shook her head, "I knew who was good and who was bad. I knew who to protect Aang from."

Aang blinked as some tears fell down his checks. "Katara you have to let this betrayal go. You have to forgive Hama. She didn't start out life as a bitter old blood bender. She started off life safe with her tribe, as one of the strongest water benders known to man kind." He said as some of his past Avatar lives memories came back to him. "She became what she became in a fire nation's prison. She was kept from water, and she was still fighting to survive. She did what she had too do."

"Sadly she became hard in that rat infested cage. That by the time she managed to free herself and the others, she no longer wanted to go back to her tribe. She wanted to take her avenge out on those whom had hurt her. Unfortunately to her that included all the innocent fire nation."

Katara's eyes narrowed. "Which Avatar's life knew this information?"

"Ruko's." Aang said.

"You are sharing this information now." Katara said in a disbelief voice.

"Ruko just told me," Aang said bowing his head. "Like I said before, can you forgive me, Katara?"

"There's nothing to forgive." Katara said.

"Yes there is, the information that I received much, much too late to protect you." Aang said looking her deeply in the eyes.

"I forgive you, Aang." She whispered. She brought her right hand and took his in her own. She held onto her life line fiercely. "It's not your fault that your past Avatars lives decided to wait till after a crises happens to give you much needed information."

"Forgive yourself, Katara, and forgive Hama. It's the only way you can move on." Aang said in his wise monk Avatar voice. "You aren't going to hurt Hama, by hating her. You will just be hurting yourself." He sighed. "You can't change the past, you just have to move on."

"I'll try." Katara promised.

Aang nodded. "Now, you must learn how to use the blood bending to your advantage."

Katara pulled her hand free. She wrapped them around her waist. "I'm never using the blood bending ever again."

"It's part of you now, Katara, you don't have a choice." Aang said wisely. "You used the blood bending to save my and Sokka's life. Learn to master it and you will be able to save more innocent lives."

"I'm afraid." Katara cried. "I'm afraid to take control of another's blood. I can't use another human being like that. It's just too cruel."

"If it's the only way to save that persons life, you'll do it." Sokka said wrapping his arm around his sister's waist and pulling her in her side. "That's the sort of person you are."

Katara laid her head on her brother's shoulders. She knew that he was right and she knew Aang was right. She had to master the blood bending art. She had to use it for good. She closed her eyes, "I'll do it." She whispered.

She felt Aang's hand on her shoulder, he squeezed it in comfort. She fell asleep fully trusting her brother, and best friend to make sure she didn't fall off the edge of the cliff.

END CHAPTER ONE