The war balloon landed in the outpost of the desert and with great reluctance, they entered the barren sand pit. They walked on for a day and they soon began to grow desperate for the endless ocean of sand to end.
"Ugghhh! Why did I ever want to join this stupid group!" yelled Alyssandra suddenly.
"I was just thinking the same thing," muttered Katara bitterly.
"What was that?" asked Alyssandra in an angry voice.
"All you've done so far is complain and be rude to everyone! Why don't you just leave?" yelled Katara.
"Because I have nowhere else to go!" yelled Alyssandra.
"Hey can we argue about this later?" asked Sokka.
"Stay out of this!" yelled Katara and Alyssandra at the same time.
"Look." said Suki in shock.
They turned and saw a huge sand storm rushing at them.
"Run!" screamed Sokka.
"Where to?" asked Zuko as huge sand tornados appeared in the sky and towered before them.
The Gang huddled together as the storm settled. Rubbing their eyes, they looked out and saw that there were hundreds of soldiers made of sand.
"Wasn't that one of Sadira's moves?" asked Suki.
"Indeed it was." said a voice that they recognized.
The Gang turned around and saw the three witches of the sand approach them, flanked by at least twenty other sandbenders.
"Come, we have much to discuss." said one of them.
The Gang followed them deep into the desert and gasped as the sand opened and revealed an alabaster staircase. They followed it and they found themselves in a large palace under the sand. They walked into a large courtyard and they sat on the benches when one of the witches spoke.
"We helped you to defeat the water witch and end the war but you were caught trespassing on our land. Explain yourself!"
"We need to travel through your lands to reach Serpent's Pass. Our war balloon is too large to land on the narrow mountains of the path." explained Zuko.
"Why do you seek the Serpent's Pass?"
"Because Marina is trying to take over the world and she's almost winning. Their's a sword that can help us rid Marina of her powers and it's buried in a giant temple that's underwater in the Pass." explained Suki.
As her friends were speaking, Katara's head began to ache. Her vision swam and the surrounding world around her melted to leave her in what appeared to be a world of darkness. Katara looked around but she could not see anything in the overwhelming blackness. Katara screamed as the shadow spiraled and took hold of her.
"Someone help me!" she screamed into the darkness as she gasped when the area around her was flooded in green light and Marina appeared.
"No one's coming Katara, no one cares." said Marina with a smirk on her face as she raised her arm and Katara was pulled into the darkness and it closed around her.
"Katara!" screamed Zuko as he watched his fiancé collapse to the floor.
In alarm, the Gang stood up as Zuko ran to her as fast as he could. Zuko began to panic, Katara was not breathing and a look of extreme horror was on her face.
"Katara, please wake up." Zuko pleaded with tears in his eyes.
"No, I'm not gonna lose her." he said as he desperately pounded on her chest.
"Please…don't leave me." choked Zuko as a tear fell from his eyes and landed on her lips.
Zuko gazed at his beloved's face in shock as she opened her eyes and began to cry. Breathing a sigh of relief, Zuko pulled Katara to him and embraced her tightly.
"Zuko…" Katara whispered as she soaked his shirt as tears spilled from her eyes. Katara winced in pain as Zuko pressed her tighter to him and her chest and arms began to ache.
"I'm here…I'm here." he whispered, holding her tighter.
"What happened?" demanded Sokka.
"Hold out your arms." commanded one of the witches.
Obeying, Katara lifted her sleeves and the Gang gasped at what they saw.
Like a snake that was winding its way up her arm, there were rope burns that were burned into her skin, she looked at her legs and they were there also.
"What are these? They were not here this morning." wondered Zuko aloud as he examined her arms.
Wincing in pain from his touch, Katara placed a hand on her chest.
"Remove your shirt." commanded the other witch.
"My shirt…I don't think-"
"She is not removing her shirt!" yelled Zuko.
"You will allow her to do so if you care for her." said the final witch.
With reluctance, Katara removed her shirt and they all gasped when they saw that Katara's chest was severely bruised.
"What is that?" asked Zuko as he felt bile rise to his throat.
"It's as I feared." said one of the witches, fear evident in her voice.
"What?" asked Alyssandra.
"The water witch's power over you is growing."
The firebenders gazed at the air in fear as it swirled around and Marina stood before them. She pointed her hand at her copy and it exploded in water droplets.
"You are back Your Majesty. Did your mission prove successful?" asked one of the guards around her.
Marina looked at the guard with a smile on her face, "Indeed it did." said Marina.
"What was it?" he asked.
"Just look and see." said Marina as she raised her trident in the air and it began to glow.
Light erupted from its tips and opened a glowing green portal. The guards watched in amazement as light flooded the room as four glowing green orbs flew from the portal and floated in midair. The orbs took the outline of four people and Marina pointed her trident at them.
Four beams of light erupted from the tips and hit each of the glowing outlines. The guards screamed as the entire trident glowed green and light hit four guards. The four guards' skin wrinkled and aged and their bodies fell to the floor and died. Light flew from the dead guards and swirled around the trident before flowing to the glowing outlines. The other guards watched with renewed awe as the light became brighter and flooded the entire room. Within seconds, the light dimmed and vanished, leaving four people standing in the center of the room.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." said Marina as she lowered her trident.
The guards' jaws dropped when their eyes landed on the four people. In the center of the room stood Avatar Kuruk, Avatar Kyoshi, Avatar Roku, and Avatar Aang.
"What is this sorcery?" whispered one of the guards in fear.
"I have given back your life and your powers, you are now ready to serve me." said Marina.
"Not so fast, you promised us gifts in return for our service." said Kuruk quickly.
Marina smiled at them, "Of course, how could I forget."
She raised her trident and Sozin, Ta Min, Kuruk's wife, Monk Gyatso, Mira, and Katara appeared along side of Marina. Kyoshi smiled as green light encased her body and a strange feeling pulsed through her body, she had never felt younger.
"Step forward and claim your rewards. Before you lies the things you yearn and crave for," said Marina as they all walked forwards, "and your greatest weaknesses."
The avatars gasped in surprise as the forms of Ta Min, Monk Gyatso, Mira, Sozin, Katara, and Kuruk's wife vanished in water and the feeling in Kyoshi's body disappeared.
"Treachery!" yelled Roku as he took a bending stance. The other avatars followed and they prepared to kill the witch.
Smiling, Marina's trident glowed green and her eyes shone brightly. Green lightning crackled around them and they were all knocked backwards. They all stood up and gasped as green light shined over their bodies and they were unable to move.
"What's happening?" screamed Aang.
"The product of your greatest mistake." said Marina with a smile on her face, "By giving into your earthly attachments and your weaknesses you have sold your soul to me. All that was needed was for you to offer it to me willingly. Your souls now belong to me, and you now live to serve me."
No!" screamed Kyoshi.
"Yes," said Marina as she pointed her trident at them and the light in their bodies flowed into their eyes and their entire bodies glowed green.
"I have promised you an unlimited supply of power, greater than you have ever known. And you shall receive it, but you will use that power…for me." said Marina in a cold voice as a flash of light surrounded the whole room and the avatars stood with glowing green eyes.
"Bow before your mistress." commanded Marina, eyes flashing. In unison, the four avatars bowed.
"We're here to serve you Mistress." said Roku in a monotonous voice.
K, here's where it gets darker for our little gang...Read and Review!!