When Suki regained consciousness, she looked around and gasped at what she saw. They were kneeling in a great palace hall on a path leading from the doors to a throne. On each side of the path was a great river, and seated upon the throne was a 19 year old woman wearing dark blue armor. She stood up and walked towards them. She was tall, at least 5"9, with long, shoulder length black hair. She was strikingly beautiful and her very presence commanded authority. But what was more vividly striking than her facial features were her bright, ocean blue eyes that sent a chill up Sokka's spine. Suki knew that whoever this woman was, she was dangerous. She could feel the fire benders around her tremble in fear of the woman.

"Captain! Who are these invaders?" she spoke in a dangerous voice.

"Ma'am?" said Katara, "I think you have the wrong idea about us."

She looked at Katara and smiled at her, "Oh really, WaterBender? Why do you say that?"

Katara stood staring at her. "How did you kn-…never mind. I'm Katara and this is my brother Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe. This is Toph Bei Fong from the Earth Kingdom, Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors, Zuko the Prince of the Fire Nation, and Aang the avatar."

"The avatar!" yelled the fire bending captain.

Just as he was beginning to walk forward, the woman looked at him, and Zuko could have sworn that the vivid blue color of her eyes turned to a deep blue. The captain stopped moving and stood facing them in a rigid posture. His eyes were moving around fast and Suki knew that he could not move his body.

"Welcome Avatar and friends to my little island. My name is Marina. Now may I ask you what you are doing here in the first place?" asked Marina sweetly.

"Not so fast!" Aang yelled. "If you are our friend why did you set your firebenders on us?"

"Why do you even have firebenders?" said Sokka

Marina closed her eyes and Katara suddenly felt very strange, almost as if there was another presence in her mind.

"I am a friend of Jeong Jeong the Deserter. We are organizing a coup to take down the fire lord." explained Marina. "We could use your help. But before we get into that, I want to introduce you to two close friends of mine."

At that, two people walked through the doors. A young man about sixteen years old and a woman of seventeen years of age stood before them

"These are my two water bending apprentices." Marina said proudly. "Craeus and Sya."

The two benders looked at the group of people and nodded. Marina glanced at Katara and smiled.

"I'd love for you to join me tonight for a feast where I can explain everything in more detail."

"We'd love to!" said Katara before the others could answer.


Marina threw a great feast for them that night and was deeply engaged in conversation with Katara.

"Before we continue Katara, I need to apologize to you for something." said Marina.

"What is it Marina?" Katara asked curiously.

"I was the one who caused the storm who forced you to land on the island and I was the one who trapped you with your bending water." Marina explained. "I thought you were Fire Nation spies."

"You did that? But how?" asked Katara amazed.

"I'm a waterbender, I simply mentally bended the water." said Marina.

"You can do that?" asked Katara.

"Of course." said Marina. "I learned this technique a long time ago. I meditate and using my mind, I reach out and telepathically bend any water I come in contact with. It also works with plants, air, earth, and…people. Maybe I can teach it to you sometime?"

"Really!" yelled Katara, "I'd love that."

Maina smirked, "Excellent."


After dinner, Sokka thought he might go out for a little walk and explore his surroundings. He was heading towards the beach when he saw Marina disappear into the trees. Curious, Sokka followed her into the heart of the island. He must have followed her for at least ten minutes when she stopped on another beach. Sokka gasped at what he saw.

Docked on the beach, was a Fire Nation war boat, and in front of him, was a Fire Nation admiral with at least twenty firebenders. What shocked him even further was what the admiral said.

"High General Marina, the fire lord is growing increasingly impatient at the sudden delay of the avatar's capture. You have him in your grasp, why not attack now and bring him to us?"

Marina waved her wrist and with a yell, the admiral was knocked to his knees. She curved her wrist upwards and his body became rigid and stiff. She looked at him with cold fury and spoke.

"How dare you? You, a mere admiral come into my island and tell me how to do my job! Who do you think you are? I outrank you in both authority and power! Do you not remember how you were promoted?"

The admiral winced as the memory came back. He watched as Marina took a stance and thrust her hands forward as she ripped the sweat from the previous admiral's head. Using a slashing motion, Marina sliced the top of the admiral's head off.

As the memory faded, the admiral looked up at her.

"I will never forget."

Marina smiled and released her hold over the admiral.

"Very good. You can go back to the fire lord and tell him to wait a little while longer. You see, I have befriended them. That's the key, earn their trust and when they least expect it, rip it from them and take control."

As the general spoke, the admiral felt the water in the air swirl and become bitingly cold. He was afraid of her, deathly afraid.

"Now then." Marina said, "We can continue this discussion later. For now we must greet our guest."

With that, she spun around, raised her arms, and brought them back down. Sokka jumped in fear as the tree in front of him turn completely and slammed him to the ground. Panting on the grass, Sokka felt the grass bind his legs. Using his knife, he cut himself free and began to run, dodging the vines that were swinging at his head. He had to get back, he had to warn the others.

He reached their camp but could not find his friends. This was it, he knew what he had to do.


Sokka broke through the doors and looked at Marina who was sitting on her throne.

"I know who you are! Surrender now and I won't harm you!" Sokka yelled at her.

Marina looked up and stared Sokka down. Her bright blue eyes boring into his darker ones.

"Do you really? Who am I Sokka?"

"You're a general for the Fire Nation. A dark waterbender and a witch who betrayed her homeland to help the enemy!" Sokka yelled

Marina looked at him and laughed. Not an ordinary laugh, but a chilling, evil laugh that froze the very blood in his veins.

"So you think you've got me all figured out?" Marina asked with an evil glare. "Well I can't have you running around my home acting all heroic now can I? You see I'm expecting company tonight Sokka so you can't be running amok around my entire island."

Marina then looked at him again.

"Someone could get hurt…like…your sister perhaps?"

Sokka did not hesitate any further, he grabbed his boomerang. Aiming for Marina's head, he unleashed it. Marina flipped over her throne with agility so supreme that it caused his heart to plummet. Marina lifted her arms and the water on either side of him slammed into him and knocked him back several feet. Marina smiled and leapt back over her throne and landed a few feet in front of Sokka. She stretched her arms out and moisture materialized from the air and swirled around her arms, encasing her hands in ice and forming ice claws.

Sokka drew his sword and charged at the water witch. She smiled and water bended her body to twist entirely around to avoid the sword attack. Sokka wouldn't give up, he couldn't give up, everything counted on this fight. He needed to get out and warn the others.

Sokka began to swing the sword in reckless abandon at Marina. She dodged his attacks with ease and swung her left ice hand at the sword, making his entire arm go back. Sokka rushed forward and attempted to split Marina's head in two. She used her other hand to grab the blade in action. She brought her fingers together, causing the sword to be cut in four pieces. She brought her other hand up, bending the ice back into water and struck Sokka, sending him spiraling backwards. As Sokka hit the ground, Craeus and Sya entered through the main gates. They smirked at Sokka as they looked at him with cold, uncaring eyes.

Marina walked forward, raised her right arm and twisted her wrist in a bloodbending form. Sokka felt himself being pulled to his feet and when he looked forward, he saw Marina make her fingers so stiff. At the same time, he felt himself blackout. Marina looked at the form of the southern peasant still standing but clearly unconscious. She then turned to her water bending servants.

"My dark benders…everything is going according to plan. Tonight Princess Azula will be coming to collect the avatar and end the war in the name of the Fire Nation. The only thing standing in our way is this pitiful peasant and the blind girl. Craeus, take him to the prison. Sya, you know how important it is to silence the blind earth bender…bring her to me."

With a bow, Craeus took up a bloodbending stance and began to walk Sokka to the prison. With a smile, Sya said, "I will not fail you my Mistress." And with that, she evaporated into water and disappeared.

Marina smiled, turned, and walked back to her throne. Her dark benders would not fail her, they were extremely powerful. After all…she trained them herself. But there was just one problem, they did not know how to bend icefire. A technique Marina developed herself by embracing true water bending savagery. She did not believe them worthy to learn the great bending art. Katara however…she was a different story. Katara was a true waterbending prodigy. She was worthy to learn the dark secrets of waterbending, and Marina would train her herself. She would teach it to Katara whether by her own will or by force, and for Katara's sake, she hoped it wouldn't come to that.

But Marina knew something else. She knew that Katara was loyal to her friends and would give her own life to save the avatar. She also knew that Katara was in love with the young fire bending prince, he would have to be dealt with. They were the only obstacles that stopped her from teaching Katara.

"Yes." she thought. She would teach Katara…and kill whoever got in her way.

With that thought, she held out her hand and opened it. A strange blue fire appeared in her hand and took a miniature form of the fire prince.

"Yes," she thought, "he will die."

The icefire turned to crystal and she released it from her hand. The miniature form of Zuko fell to the ground and shattered into a million pieces.

Damn Marina's a bitch ain't she? REVIEW!