Okay, it has been some time since my last update, I think this was three weeks now, but correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, my fears have come true, I did lose motivation, but I managed to get it back. So I apologize for the wait, I'm hoping this will be worth the wait. I promise though, I won't take this long with the next chapter. Also I wanted to say thanks for the reviews and I wanted to give a shout out. One of the reviews talked about me being able to come up with this story. However I'd be lying if I said this idea came out of nowhere. I had inspiration to write thanks to reading many fanfics, but there was one story that gave me this idea. This story is inspired by The Unknowns, created by SubjectDeltabubz. So with that I thank you SDB for making that story! Anyway, let's continue on. So Benders and Non-Benders, I present to you chapter 8! Please enjoy and review! PS - I hated leaving you guys on a cliffhanger and I'm sorry for that.

It was dark, the sun had set, the moon still full and no clouds in the sky, allowing the stars to sparkle once more. There was a chill, though that is to be expected in late October, not cold enough to see your breath, so it wasn't bad. However the night was not good for the young man, who found himself cornered and fighting for his life.

Aang was thrown against the wall and landed on the ground face down and unconscious. Drake looked down at him and saw the blood coming from the back of the guys head. Letting go of the pipe, allowing it to hit the ground by his feet, Drake brushed his hands together, as though they were dirtied, and turned to his crew members.

Looking at them with disinterest he began walking away from Aang, hands in his pockets as though he were bored out of his mind. "Jeez, it's pretty sad that seven full on gang members had a hard time with some punk kid. Seriously, what the hell?" He asked, as though he expected more from his crew members, which in truth he did… sadly.

"Tsk, says the guy who had to use a steal pipe." One of them said, taunting Drake, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Drake only smiled slightly at that. "Well, he's down now, so how about you guys take care of the rest and we can get out of here." He said, referring to the unconscious guy on the ground.

One of them walked forward, past Drake and standing before the unconscious boy. He grabbed the collar of the boys shirt and lifted him up off his feet, his head laid back, allowing the blood run down his neck.

"Well, It'd be a waste to just kill him. How about we let off some steam first?" He suggested, as he clenched his fist and raised it to strike at the boy.

However, as he had his fist raised, he didn't move. He just stood there with the boy lifted in the air, like he was a statue.

"Hey, what's up? Aren't you going to hit him?" One of the members asked, as they all looked at the scene, confusion on their faces.

"I can't move." He stated, as he suddenly set the boy on the ground gently, which only further confused the others. Once done, he was launched through the air, slamming into the wall, away from Aang.

"What the fuck? Dude, what are you on right now?" Another asked, getting freaked out by these turn of events.

Suddenly, there was a chill, as everyone began to shiver slightly.

"W-What's going on?" A member wondered, as everyone was thinking the same.

The cold air around them grew even colder, when suddenly they were surrounded by what seemed to be fog, coming from the alley's leading to the streets. Though the fog was so thick, you could no longer see within the alleyways.

"W-What's with the fog?" Someone else asked, clenching his arms together in an effort to keep warm.

"It's ice-fog, which only occurs under very cold conditions." Drake stated, beginning to get a bit fearful himself, wondering how it got so cold so suddenly.

-Step

"Hey, did you guys hear that?" The guy who held Aang up asked.

-Step… -Step

Everyone was silent, listening to the sound of footsteps in the fog. Though they seem to come from all directions.

-Step… -Step… -Step…

The sound of footsteps moved closer, everyone waited, anticipating the source of those footsteps to appear, however it never came. Silence filled the area, no one dared to speak, as they waited for something, anything, to happen. They continued to look into the fog, which was now within the open alley where they stood. Preventing them from even seeing the walls around them.

They scanned the area, everyone looking in a different direction. Confused and fearful of the situation, freezing, surrounded by fog and hearing footsteps that would haunt you in nightmare's to complete silence.

That's when one of the members turned and gasped, getting everyone's attention. They all looked in the direction where the member was looking. Which is where the boy laid unconscious, with someone next to him.

Kneeling down at the boy was a woman in Victorian clothing. She looked at the boy with worry in her eyes. Reaching her hand out to caress his cheek, she felt his warmth fade, seeing the lose of blood from his head. Her worried expression changed to one of anger, but she held it back for a moment.

"Don't worry Aang, I won't allow you to die." She whispered, taking both her hands to raise his head.

"Hey, who the fuck are you!?" One of the members demanded, which caused everyone else to snap out of their shock.

However, the woman paid them no mind, her attention focused on the boy in her arms. Before anyone could move, she motioned her hand through the air, causing water to form in her palm. At this, everyone was speechless and a little intimidated, it was clear she wasn't normal.

Taking the water in her palm, she placed it on the boys head, where blood was escaping. She began to focus, causing the water to glow. Within moments, she moved her hand away, seeing the results of her efforts. Aang's wound had closed completely, his head clean of the red liquid. Her task done, her eyes filled with anger once more, as she now turned her attention to the eight humans who dared to hurt him.

They all had watched as she healed the boy, completely speechless. At this time of silence, Drake spoke. "What the hell are you?" He asked, a bit fearful. He figured she was somehow the cause of the fog and cold temperature.

However, she didn't answer him. She laid Aang down on his back, seeing he was no longer bleeding, and stood up. She didn't want to waste time, knowing Aang had other injuries. However, she wanted to deal with these humans, so they won't cause him anymore trouble.

She moved her right arm in a sweeping motion, causing the ice fog to consume the area. This resulted in blocking everyone's vision, the fog was so thick, they couldn't see each other in the small area.

Everyone freaked for a moment, until they heard Drake speak. "Keep calm, we have her outnumbered! If you can see each other, than watch the others back." He ordered, as he grabbed the pipe from earlier.

Able to find a partner, a few members were back to back in the fog, preparing to attack as soon as they saw her. It was silent, no one spoke, no footsteps were heard, not a breath was taken. They waited, heads turned in different directions, hoping to find the woman in the thick fog. The tension was high, as though they were at the bottom of the ocean, getting crushed by the pressure.

A pair stood back to back, one of the two swallowed a lump in their throat, as he looked in the fog. That's when he saw it, a shadow of the woman, her long hair and dress silhouetted in the fog. Eyes wide, heart ready to burst, the fear taking hold. He charged, calling out at her. His partner turned, only to see him disappear in the fog.

He saw her standing their, as he charged. Without thinking, he lashed out, attempting to punch her. Though as his fist made contact, the shadow disappeared.

His partner didn't move, looking in all directions. He was breathing heavily, beginning to panic. He turned his head, only to see her piercing blue eyes, before everything went dark.

Drake heard one of them call out, however silence took over once again. He ordered a roll call, however, their was only him and two others remaining. One was the guy who grabbed Aang, the other was no more. All that was heard: was a cry in the wind.

"Guys?" Drake spoke, the pipe in hand, he began to walk through the fog, hoping to find anyone. When suddenly, the fog cleared, allowing him to see down the alleyways. However, he was still struck with fear, due to what he could not see. He scanned the area, only to see that he was alone. The other gang members have vanished, as though they were never there. He turned to find Aang still on the ground and the woman stood between them.

"You're the one who hurt him." She stated, her eyes were cold as ice.

He gasped silently, shaking slightly. Whether it was the cold or the fear, he didn't know. He stood there, questions racing through his mind. Who was she? What is she? How did she know that?

As though she read his mind, her eyes pierced through his soul, fists clenched, though she did not speak. As her mind flashed back to what had happened.

Katara walked down the street, still trying to find Aang. The sun had set, and revealed the beautiful stars. Her senses returning, the moon giving her strength. She took a deep breath and that's when she caught it. Her eyes wide with shock, her heart dropped, her blood ran cold. She moved quickly, the anger building and also the fear. The fear that came with the scent of Aang's blood.

She was in the alleyway when she saw him. He was unconscious, as two gang members spoke to each other, Katara was livid. She heard one of them talk about how the other used a pipe to take Aang down. She watched as one of them grabbed Aang and lifted him up off the ground as she began to walk towards them, her arm outstretched.

She had pieced it together, that these gang members had cornered Aang, how this guy had used that pipe to bring him down. Just thinking about it made Katara's blood boil. She stared him down, the rage clear in her eyes.

Drake saw this and prepared to attack, however before he could move, she was right in front of him. Surprised, Drake swung the pipe in his hands towards her. Though this proved futile, as she caught the pipe and slammed her palm into his chest. He was sent backwards by the impact, the pipe in her hands, the air escaping his lungs as he hit the ground on his back.

Gasping for air, Drake tried to stand. His right knee on the ground and his hand trying to push him up, but it was too late. His hand was frozen to the ground his knee and left foot frozen as well. He looked to the woman, knowing this was her doing. He watched as she began to walk towards him, panic setting in upon her approach.

"S-Stop! You want that guy, right?" He asked, gesturing to the young unconscious man. "Take him, I-I'll leave! You won't see or hear from me again!" Drake begged, though the woman seemed to pay no mind as she continued to walk towards him.

"Humans, begging for there lives, hoping to be given mercy. When they themselves would not give it." She said, hauntingly, as she froze the pipe in her hands, making the end a pointy tip.

She was now in arms distance from Drake, pointing the now spear-like pipe in his face. He continued to beg, but it fell on deaf ears. She decided to freeze his mouth shut as she grabbed his free hand and drove the pipe through his palm, slamming it into the ground. His mouth frozen, only Katara could hear his muffled cries of pain. He was completely defenseless, his neck exposed.

She crouched down to his level and looked him in his eyes. "Now none of you will hurt him again." She said softly, as she bit down on his neck drinking his blood. Once done, she released his body allowing it to fall lifeless on the ground.

Katara turned and walked over to where Aang laid. She crouched down, her knee's laying on the ground next to his head. She caressed his check and smiled softly, the hatred in her eyes was replaced by a gentle warmth.

"Now, let's get you home." She said, as she stood up and looked back at the other mans body. Knowing it could mean trouble if she left it their, she would dispose of it, just like the others.

He didn't know where he was, it wasn't cold, nor warm. He couldn't see anything as he walked through the darkness. It was strange, the last thing he remembered was being in a fight. He knew he was hurt, so shouldn't he feel pain? Was he even alive or was he already gone?

He continued to walk, he didn't know where he was going. He had been walking for what seemed like ages, yet only moments had passed. He was weak, tired, barely able to stand. Even so, he carried on, staring in the dark abyss, without looking back.

That's when he felt warmth, he didn't know where it came from. It was faint, but it was enough to draw him in. He focused on that feeling, even though he could not see. It became stronger, engulfing his body, as though the sun had shined down on him.

It was there, in the distance, a small spark of light in the dark. He moved towards it, feeling as though the light was calling him. He was getting closer, but it was hard to look at. Being in the dark had caused his eyes to be sensitive to the light. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes, while trying to look within. As his eyes were now getting used to it, he began to see what was inside.

He saw; a shadow, or two shadows up against something. He tried to look closer, but the light was still too bright. He closed his eyes for a moment to regain his vision. Once he opened them, he was able to see better in the light. His eyes widened, his heart thumped in his chest, a lone tear formed and fell down his face at what he saw.

It was a beautiful scene, the soft green grass shined under the sun, a massive tree with it's leaves blowing in the wind, blue skies with a lake that mirrored the image. And sitting under the tree, a man sat their, with a woman leaning on his shoulders as they looked down reading a book. The man was fairly built, gray eyes like Aang and sported a beard, which was the only spot on his head that had hair. The woman had dark hair just like Aang's, going down to her lower back, chocolate brown eyes and a gentle smile.

"Mom… Dad…" He whispered, reaching his hand out to the light, tears running down his face. He moved towards them, the warmth taking over his body. Just when his hand nearly touched the light, it pulled away from him. Aang watched as the light moved away, becoming smaller the further it got. He panicked, feeling the warmth leave him, he gave chase.

"W-Wait! Please! Don't go!" He cried out, his arm still outstretched towards it. However, the light was too fast, he couldn't reach it. He continued to run after it, only for the light to vanish in the darkness. He fell to his hands and knees, tears falling down his face, wishing he could have held his parents once again.

Soon he began to despair, for he had lost his chance to reunite. He was alone, his parents gone, he was the only person left in this dark abyss.

"-ng" He heard, it was faint, so faint he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him.

"Aan-" He heard it again, slightly louder. What was that? Someone calling him? He raised his head, trying to find out where that voice came from.

"Aang" He heard it again, it was just a whisper, but he heard it. Someone was calling him, he didn't know who, but that voice was… familiar.

"Aang" It called out, the voice was behind him. He turned to see who it was, only to see another light, but this time, it was a person emitting the light, wearing a blue silk robe, tied at the waist. She had long dark brown hair, her skin was a dark colour and her eyes… they were blue like the ocean.

"Katara!?" He questioned, shocked to see her, as he turned his body to face her, still on his knees.

She smiled and the warmth he felt before came back, enveloping his body. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move, her gaze kept him in place.

She opened her arms out to him, as though she wanted to embrace him. "Come to me Aang." She spoke softly, a strange force bringing him to his feet.

"Katara, what are you doing here?" He asked, he couldn't believe she was here.

However, Katara's smile grew, as she shook her head. "Come to me, I'll keep you safe." She said, as he was pulled to her.

He walked towards her, his eyes questioning her own. His body moved on its own, as though she were in control of it. He moved closer, reaching his hand out to her. Her light was engulfing him, as she grabbed his hand in her own. Bringing it down to her waist, while her other hand caressed his cheek.

Aang felt her arms embrace him in a loving hug, as his own arms wrapped around her lower back. His heart was beating in sync with hers, his eyes beginning to close as he was consumed by her warm embrace. Before he shut his eyes, he heard her voice once more.

"You're safe now, my love"

He was in pain as he opened his eyes. Staring up at a ceiling, no longer in the dark, there was light. He tried to sit up, but his body was heavy, not only that, but he felt a weight on top of him. That's when he realized that he was in a bed, with a massive comforter on top of him, keeping him warm. He was able to turn his head to the side, seeing the light coming from a candle on a small table beside the bed.

"You're awake" Someone said, as he felt movement beside him.

He turned away from the candle to the other side of the bed, seeing Katara laying beside him. Her eyes meeting his own, as she smiled, making his heart flutter. Though despite her smile, her eyes were filled with concern. He quickly realized that he was back in the castle, more specifically, he was in Katara's room.

"Katara, what happened? How did I get here?" He asked, since the last thing he remembered was being in a fight. Well, besides the dream he just had, which made him sport quite the blush, remembering how it ended.

"Well, when it was time for you to return, you never did. So I went out to look for you." She began to explain, as she reached out to place her hand on his chest. This action caused Aang to blush and his heart to skip a beat.

"I was searching for you all around the village. When I found you the sun had set. I saw you outnumbered by humans, laying on the ground unconscious, you had suffered a few injuries. You had cracked ribs and your head was split open, causing you to bleed out." She continued, the memory reigniting her dark emotions. Though, she managed to calm herself.

"I dealt with them and brought you back here, healed your wounds and let you rest until you would awaken." She finished her tale, waiting to see Aang's response.

She saved him, he couldn't believe it. He thought he was a dead man, but no, she saved him. The thought alone made him smile, but than confusion took over.

"You healed me?" He asked, though not really surprised, since she's shown to have many abilities. Plus it would explain how his bite mark and scar had vanished in no time at all.

She nodded, her smile widening. "I was able to stop the bleeding and close the wound, but you'll have to rest and not strain yourself. In order to allow your body to heal naturally." She stated, rubbing her hand over his chest and his side, where he was struck.

After her explanation, Aang realized something else from her story.

"Wait, you can go outside in the sunlight?" He asked, feeling kinda dumb for not asking this question before.

"Yes, why do you ask?" She responded, slightly confused.

"Well, I thought vampire's couldn't go out during the day. Because the sunlight is painful for you." He explained, slightly worried that she'd hurt herself for his sake. He didn't want her to suffer because of him.

She looked at him with a raised brow as she answered. "The sunlight has no effect on me. The only thing that is effected during the day are my abilities. My clan is stronger at night, but weaker during the day." She explained, her smile intact. "Where did you hear that from?" She asked, curiously.

"Oh, it's just something I've read about in books of myth and legends." He answered, now questioning about how much of it was true. Though he guessed some of what he read were exaggerations.

At his answer, Katara furrowed her brows. "Aang, when was the last time someone had seen a vampire?" She asked, finding it odd that her kind seemed to be of myths and legends.

"I'm not sure, most people don't believe that vampire's even existed." He answered, as he saw her shocked expression.

She had a hard time believing what Aang had said. Her people were considered to be non-existent? Did that mean she was the last of her clan? Were they in hiding? She decided to leave these questions for another day, she just wanted to enjoy having Aang back. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat soundly, enjoying the silence.

"Thank you, by the way." He said, a bit nervously due to her physical contact with him. He couldn't help the slight blush on his face.

"For what?" She asked, her eyes closed, still listening to his heart.

"Saving my life." He said, hoping that he'll be able to repay her one day.

Raising her head to look into his eyes, she smiled. "You're welcome." She responded, as she lightly kissed his cheek. Causing his blush to worsen and looked away shyly.

Taking time to enjoy the moment, Katara decided to ask Aang about something that was troubling her.

"Aang?" She called out softly, waiting for his response.

"Yes?" He said, looking in her eyes.

"What were you dreaming about?" She asked, surprising the young man. Why did she ask that? What was he doing while he was asleep?

"W-Why do you ask?" He questioned, though that look of concern returned in her eyes, as she caressed his cheek.

"You seemed to be sad, you had this painful expression and… you were crying." She explained, laying her head back on his chest, holding him in her arms.

For a moment Aang didn't speak, he was sorting through the events of his dreams. Walking in the darkness, seeing his parents and running to them, the light disappearing, leaving him all alone and seeing Katara.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." She stated, breaking him out of his thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to pressure him.

Taking a breath, Aang was still silent. He embraced her in his arms like she did him and spoke. "It was about my parents." He said, as she looked up into his eyes.

"You're parents?" She asked, the concern shining in her eyes.

"Yeah, they're… not here… anymore." He said, looking away with a pained expression.

Seeing him like this and learning that he had no parents made her want to comfort him. She held him tighter than before, her face buried in his chest.

"When you're ready to talk, I'll be here to listen." She stated, with nothing but sincerity in her voice.

He nodded, with tears in his eyes, but refusal to let them fall. He returned the embrace, as they laid in silence.

It was strange, he barely knew Katara, yet he felt some kind of connection with her. He didn't understand it, was he developing feelings for her, that can't be right. He'd understand if it was a crush but this felt different, it felt meaningful. Thinking back on his dream, he thought of how… complete he was when being held in her embrace, even after watching his parents disappear. Even now, he felt like he was at peace, like he could die happy just being with her. What was this? They're friends, right? Why did he feel like they were more?

The more he thought about it, the less sense it made. He was so comfortable with her, but stick him with other girls and he was a nervous wreck. Having a hard time just talking to girls, let alone holding one in his arms.

Katara was content, here she was with Aang in her bed once more. Holding him close, listening to his heart beat. She could feel their connection, she knew he could feel it too. Though he wouldn't understand what it was, she didn't mind though. For now, she was fine being close to him.

Though as she laid in silence, a thought came to mind. "Aang, why didn't you come back? What were you doing across the village?" She asked, wondering why he went back on his promise to return.

Aang felt a little tense, as he realized he didn't explain what he was doing today. Nervously, he explained about how he had originally lost his job on the day they had met. Than told her about getting a new job today, in which he begins tomorrow after school.

"No! You're not going anywhere tomorrow. You nearly died and lost a great deal of blood. I won't have you strain yourself or work with humans again." She stated sitting up, looking down at him, with an unpleasant look on her face.

Aang wasn't surprised at her outburst, after all she was right. He did nearly die and right now he couldn't even stand if he tried, due to losing so much blood. However, what got him was her distaste for humans, than again, the only humans she saw since her awakening, other than himself, were bad people.

"Katara, do you hate humans?" He asked, looking up into her eyes.

"Of course I do, look what they've done! Humans cause nothing but pain and suffering! They fight and hurt others to achieve their selfish desires!" She said,without thinking, raising her voice out of anger.

"Katara, if you hate humans, does that mean you hate me?" He asked, though he knew she didn't, after all she accepted him as a friend and even saved his life.

"No! I don't hate you. I could never hate you Aang. You're not like other humans. You're a good person, you accepted me and allowed me to be your friend." She stated, her hands on his shoulders, as she moved to straddle his waist. Being careful of his torso and side, where he was struck.

"Katara, there are other good people out there besides me." He said, his eyes gentle and calm as he looked up at her. She was silent, her eyes avoiding his. He knew there was something else, this was more than just him getting attacked. Even so, he thought it wouldn't be the best time to ask about it.

"I won't go to school tomorrow." He said, regaining her attention.

"I'll stay here with you, but I do have to work, please." He asked, hoping that she'll let him go tomorrow. He didn't want to miss out on his first day of work.

She looked at him, conflicted. "I don't want anything to happen to you." She stated, leaning forward, as she caressed his cheek.

He put his hand over hers. "I promise, I'll be careful. I'll show you around town, so you can get familiar with it again." He assured her, his smile intact, making her smile again.

She was silent, giving thought to his words. "Alright, we'll spend the day together until you have to leave for work. Once you're done, come straight back, no walking in alleyways." She told him, with him nodding his agreement.

With that said and done, she placed a light kiss on his cheek and got out of bed. Walking to the other side of the room to open a door, which led to a bathroom. Unable to move, Aang laid in bed silently, looking at the ceiling. He heard the door open and looked to see Katara. However his cheeks flared, as he saw what she was wearing. It was the silk robe from his dream, tied at the waist. It revealed a little more than the dress she wore earlier. The loose sleeves covered her arms, but it revealed the top of her torso, without completely revealing her chest. The robe covered below her waist, though just enough to where her thighs were still in view. The sight made steam come out of Aang's ears, his face so hot it seemed to be on fire, he also seemed to have a hard time breathing.

Katara could only smile, as she had hoped for this kind of reaction from him. It was a shame to her that the comforter was covering him, which was a relief to the young man.

"Now, let's get some sleep." She said, returning to her place on the bed, wrapping her arms around Aang, his heart thumping in his chest.