Ch 20
"And they knew. The sword of wang-fu was haunted!" Sokka exclaimed, standing up. He let out a high-pitched wail, attempting to be frightening. No-one was impressed.
"Man, water tribe slumber parties must stink." Toph said. Azula had to agree.
"I have one. And it happened to mom." Katara said.
Everyone now payed attention.
"One winter, when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later, Mom realized she hadn't seen her friend Nini since the storm. So mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home, just a fire flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, Mom stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice, "It's so cold and I can't get warm." Mom turned and saw Nini standing by the fire. She was blue, like she was frozen. Mom ran outside for help, but... when every one came back, Nini was gone." Katara said.
"Where did she go?" Sokka asked, who was now hiding behind a tree branch.
"No one knows. Nin's house stands empty to this day. But sometimes, people see smoke coming up from the chimney, like little Nini is still trying to get warm." Katara said.
Azula had to give Katara credit. That was a scary story.
"Wait, did you guys hear that? I hear people under the mountain, and they're screaming." Toph said.
"Why would anyone be under the mountain?" Ty Lee asked.
"I'm serious. I heard something." Toph said.
"Probably just jumpy from the stories." Katara said.
"It just stopped." Toph said.
"Hello, children." An unknown voice said. Everyone screamed and ran off, revealing the intruder.
"Sorry to frighten you, my name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby, why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?" Hama asked.
"Yes, please." Sokka said.
Inside the inn, everyone was gathered around a square table, drinking hot tea. Hama was telling them that recently, people were disappearing. Azula chalked it up to superstition. She never thought that people in her own country would believe such bullshit.
"So, you think any of this is true?" Azula asked.
"I don't know. Never heard of people disappearing in the middle of the night. And Toph said she heard people underneath the mountain." Aang said.
"Come on. She's just trying to pull our legs." Ty Lee said.
"I think it's bullshit." Azula said.
Next morning, they were in town getting some food. And they heard a store owner talking with a customer about the full moon, and how dangerous it was.
"Maybe we should look into this. People are disappearing during the full moon, just like Hama said." Ty Lee said.
Azula rolled her eyes, but decided to follow them in their stupid journey. Back at the house, Sokka searched for evidence that Hama was nuts. And right now, it appeared that Sokka was a little off.
"Just an empty attic? Then why is it locked?" Sokka asked.
Looking inside, they saw a small chest.
"Maybe there's treasure." Toph said.
Sokka was more than happy to break down the door and grab the chest. Toph was about to open it, when Hama appeared out of nowhere.
"An old comb?" Sokka asked, watching Hama open the chest.
"It's all I have left. From the southern water tribe." Hama said, shocking everyone.
"How did you survive this long?" Azula asked.
Hama didn't answer, but instead hosted a water tribe feast for them. Upon asking for more soup, Hama waterbent the liquid into everyone's bowls. She then told the story of her capture, and her imprisonment.
"How did you escape? And why did you stay in the fire nation?" Sokka asked. Azula was wondering that as well.
"I'm sorry. It's too painful." Hama said.
The next day, they were investigating the city. They wouldn't find anything by looking around. If it was the work of a spirit, they'd have to talk to someone who had experience with it. If there was someone who survived such an experience.
"Speak of the devil." Azula muttered, as they were talking to a witness/survivor of the attack.
"I felt like I couldn't control my own limbs." Old man ding said.
"I took one look at the moon, and then the sun rose. I got control of myself, and ran the hell out of dodge." He said.
"Why would a spirit take people to a mountain?" Sokka asked.
"I knew it! There was people under the mountain." Toph said.
Inside the mountain, Toph led them to a prison that resided inside the mountain. Dozens of the missing villagers were seen chained up.
"It was no spirit." One of the villagers said.
"Then what?" Azula asked.
"She seems like a normal old woman. But she's some dark puppet master." Another villager said.
"Hama." Sokka growled.
"You guys go ahead." Toph said, as she was freeing the prisoners.
Wasting no time, they ran towards the forest near the inn, and found Katara and Hama in combat.
"Give up, Hama! You're outnumbered." Aang said.
"No. You've just outnumbered yourselves." Hama growled. She then seized control of their bodies, and threw them at Katara like the puppet master she is.
"It's like my arm has a mind of its own!" Sokka exclaimed, as he watched his sword swing towards her sister's head. Thankfully, Katara pinned him against a tree. Aang was also dealt with, leaving Azula and Ty Lee.
Azula screamed in pain and struggled to avoid using her firebending. If Hama found out… something hard hit her head and she fell unconscious. Ty Lee had her head frozen to a tree, and Katara once again faced Hama.
"Don't hurt your friends, Katara. And don't let them hurt each other." Hama said, breaking their bonds and forcing them to run towards each other, all ready to kill each other.
"No!" Katara shouted.
Hama suddenly felt herself be controlled from the inside out, much like how she controlled her victims. She felt herself be brought to her knees, and was soon locked away in chains.
"Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender now." Hama said, laughing as she was led away.
Katara could only curl into a ball and sob.