Hey guys, here's another chapter for you guys. I know they aren't long but I am trying… Haven't gotten any feedback for the story so I guess I am doing just ok with it. I am probably going to have a few more chapters, maybe like 3 or 4 more but I'll see what I can think up. Like always, read and review.

I do not own ALTA

Aang awoke chained to a wall, it was cold and his head was throbbing. How long have I been out? Where am I?

"He is awake"

Though he could barely see, he faintly saw a disheveled women chained to the wall across from him.

"My name is Siara" the woman said with a grim smile. (If that makes sense)

"Kuzon, nice to meet you, I'd shake your hand but…."

"I know" said Siara. "I have been like this for a few days now. Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I don't know, it's all a little fuzzy, I do know that I was sitting on a hilltop when all of the sudden, I knew I wasn't alone. Before I could do anything, I lost control of my body and a few seconds later, everything wen t black."

The women nodded: "the same story as the rest of us"

Aang began to look around, finally noticing all of the grim faces that surrounded him: "how many people are down here?"

The small group around him filled him in, there were approximately 30 of them there, all of which were villagers. Aang also surmised that they were underground, possibly under a mountain due to the fact that it was much colder than it was outside, and water was dripping from the ceilings and moistening the walls. Though his own personal safety as well as the safety of the villagers worried him, he also worried for Katara and Sokka. He prayed to the spirits that they would not come after him.

Aang knew that he had to find a way out of here, but sadly he could not just bend the chains that bound him away. Though he could possibly bend a key of earth to unlock them. He quickly dismissed this idea because this would likely give away his identity to the villagers, though the prospect of dying if he did not was not appealing either. I am gonna have to wait till these people go to sleep to escape. With this resolve, he decided to find out as much as he could about the villagers superstitions on the subject of the forest spirit that was snatching all the villagers up.

Back to Katara and Sokka

Sokka decided to walk through the village today since it was so nice out. He noticed that a woman with a young child was frantic talking to what appeared to be the authorities. He decided to see what was happening.

"You have to help me Shin, my husband went out last night and hasn't come back yet!" the mother frantically continued "I know you told people not to go out after dark into the forest, but he needed to deliver supplies to my cousin who lives over the mountains, there has to be something you can do!"

The officer solemnly said: "I'm sorry Loe, I can't risk my men to go out to look for him, and you just have to pray to the spirits that he is ok. You know it is dangerous to even go out there during the day now, I'm sorry again Loe." At this, he gave her one last glance and walked away.

Loe continue to hold her baby tight as tears fell down her face. Sokka decided to ask a few questions of his own to her to try and find out if anything could be done. He didn't say it, but he was beginning to worry about Aang and this woman losing her husband and the officer saying it was not even safe to travel in the woods during the day now was a pretty scary thing.

"I'm sorry to sound like I am prying, but could you tell me a little about what is happening around here?"

"People are losing loved ones to whatever angered spirit lives in that forest. We do not know what we have done to deserve such torcher, but I do know that once you are taken, you never come back. I won't ever get to see my husband again, though I am not the only one, I doubt I will be the last. Something must be done and I do not know what. People are beginning to become frantic, terrified, and angry."

Sokka just nodded and said: "has anyone seen this spirit, maybe come into contact?"

The women rolled her eyes saying: "Old man Ding keeps saying that he "escaped from her cluches one night in the full moon, but no one believes him. To tell you the truth, everyone thinks he has lost it and become senile"

"Could you tell me where I might find him so I can make that decision for myself?"

"He is usually over at his house, about a 15 minute walk down this road from here." Said Loe.

Sokka thank her and wished her the best and made his way over to Old man Ding's home.

When Sokka knocked on the door, he noticed that his home was nothing more than an abandoned shack filled with garbage and useless trinkets. When he answered the door, Sokka was automatically repulsed by the man. He had knotted and ratty hair, missing and disgusting teeth, and dirt on nearly every portion of his face. After he recovered from the initial shock, Sokka spoke:

"I came to talk to you about your encounter with this spirit"

"That's the only thing people ever want to talk to me about these days…" said a very angered and partially delusional Ding.

"I am really sorry to bother you, but I need to hear the story, people say that you actually escaped from the spirit?" said a hopeful Sokka.

Ding sighed and allowed Sokka to enter his home. "I keep telling people, she isn't a spirit, she is a woman. A very old one at that.

"Like yourself?" Sokka added.

"I'M NOT OLD!" Ding replied

"Then why is old in your name?" replied a satisfied Sokka.

Knowing that he was defeated, Old man Ding continued. "She had white hair and dark skin, she was old but I couldn't get a very clear look at her because it was so dark out, she took control of my body and led me to the mountains, but right before I was gonna be lead to my likely death, she got distracted and believe me, I high tailed it right otta there when I got that chance. "

Sokka just sighed "Is there anything else you can tell me about your encounter with her. I mean, how do you know it wasn't a spirit impersonating a physical being. That has happened before and I know the spirits have the power to do that."

"You are right about that one young man, I guess it was just a feeling than, how has this city offended any spirits. We have not done anything wrong, I mean, the village isn't perfect but we tend to try and appease them." Said a now confused Ding.

"When did this start?" pressed Sokka.

"Around the time when the survivors of that darn failed invasion of the Northern Water Tribe came back. Just about the most fool hardy campaign I have ever heard of, we lost most of our fleet and a lot of good men for nothing!"

Sokka began to stop paying attention to Old Man Ding, connecting the now clearly visible dots in the mystery. The Ocean Spirit had gotten it's revenge during the invasion and the Moon Spirit would have no reason to attack, he knew Yue well enough to where she wouldn't try to seek out revenge on individuals regardless of their race.

Than as if a torch had been lit in his mind, it began to make sense to him. It's gotta be Hama! "Thanks Old Man Ding, I think I got the information I needed from you."

At this, he ran off back to the inn, prepared to confront Hama about the disappearances that he was sure she had to have a part in. He just hoped he wasn't too late to prevent another disappearance.