A/N: Hello everyone, I am back! Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story, I've had a lot going on lately. But I'm going to try and be more consistent with publishing chapters from here on out. We're diving a little deeper into the plot now, I hope you guys enjoy!

The silence was unbearable. They had been on the move for hours, in the same direction, at the same pace, and no one said a word.

Katara cleared her throat and opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again.

This is so awkward. She thought, her frustration mounting at her two male companions. They hated each other, and definitely didn't trust each other, that part was evident. But how did they know each other? Katara wanted to ask the question but didn't want to disturb the make-shift peace they all resided in at the moment.

It was Zuko who finally spoke first.

"We're walking in circles." He grunted, stopping so abruptly that Katara collided with his back.

"Of course, we aren't." Ainslin protests, rolling his eyes. "We haven't changed directions once, there's no way we could be going in a circle."

"Well, we are." Zuko deadpans, looking up at the sun, using his hand to shield the harsh rays. "We've been walking in this valley for hours and we haven't gone anywhere."

"That's impossible," Ainslin scoffs, crossing his arms. "It probably just feels like that cause it's such a big valley."

"When did we even enter this valley?" Katara asks, suddenly becoming aware of her surroundings.

"I…Uh, I don't remember." Ainslin pulls his hair out of his topknot and scratches his scalp vigorously. "It seems like we've been in it forever."

"Hmm." Zuko grunts, turning in every direction. "Something is wrong."

"What's wrong is how hot it is." Ainslin mutters, running his large hand across his forehead then tying his hair back up. "We must be dehydrated, that's why we don't remember."

"Wait!" Katara exclaims! "I know where we are!"

Both of the men turn to her expectantly, their eyes wide with surprise.

"Well," She continues sheepishly. "I don't exactly know where we are in relation to everywhere else, but I have been through here before. I came through this same place before I made it to Ainslin's village. It was really hot, and I felt like I had been walking forever then, too."

"But you eventually made it out?" Ainslin says, visibly relieved. "Which means we aren't going in circles."

"No." Zuko breaks in, his voice rougher than usual. "We are going in circles. Either that or time has frozen. The position of the sun has not changed, which means it's still midday and we have travelled no distance."

"That's impossible." Ainslin says, "You're mistaken."

"I think Zuko's right," Katara says softly. "Can either of you remember entering the valley? Or any distinct thing that we've seen? We haven't even been talking."

Zuko sits down in the grass and drops his head into his hands, he groans loudly, but doesn't say anything. Katara sits down beside him, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be fine Zuko, we'll figure it out."

Ainslin eyes the two of them with crossed arms, before rolling his eyes again. "Don't be so dramatic," he says, but the shake in his voice betrays his confidence. "I've lived here for 5 years, and I've never heard anything about people being stuck in never-ending valleys."

"That's because they never make it out." Zuko mumbles.

"Well, let's think for a moment." Katara says, looking at Ainslin as he plops down on the grass Infront of her and Zuko. "What do we know about the world for certain? What could cause something like this?"

"Dehydration." Ainslin grumbles, leaning over to rest his chin on his hand."

"Spirits." Zuko says. "The only thing that could alter time and place or perception of time and place would be a spirit."

"Okay," Katara continues. "What would make a spirit want to do something like that? And why would it be in this valley?"

"Wait, wait, wait." Ainslin interjects, holding up his hands. "You guys don't seriously think we're stuck in a spirit trap, do you? That's ridiculous."

"Not really. It's actually the most plausible thing I could think of." Zuko, looks around at the valley, nothing but soft green and yellow grass surrounds them in every direction. No trees, no buildings, nothing of any kind that would give them a clue as to where they were. And the sky was impossibly blue, the bluest he'd ever seen it, as blue as Katara's eyes…

"Who is your father?" Katara asks suddenly, looking at Ainslin.

"Akio."

"No, I mean, who is he? What does he do?"

"He steals people." Zuko says darkly.

"Okay…that's more than enough reason for a spirit to be angry," Katara says, trying to hide her horror at Zuko's revelation.

"I suppose if anyone could enrage the spirits it would be my father," Ainslin replies sullenly. "But that doesn't help up get out of here."

"Ughhh." Katara groans, letting herself fall backwards onto the grass, spreading her limbs in starfish style. "I wish Aang was here."

"You mean the Avatar?" Ainslin asks, suddenly intrigued.

"No, her pet tiger seal," Zuko quips. "Of course, she means the Avatar."

"I've only ever encountered a few spirits." Katara continues thoughtfully. "But the Painted Lady did thank me for what I did for that village, so I maybe I can find a way to appease whatever spirit is in this valley."

Zuko looks down at Katara, his good eye wide, "I didn't know the Painted Lady was an actual spirit."

Katara blushes, "I didn't know either when I dressed up as her, but after we destroyed the factory and cleaned the river, she came to me that night when I was at the water by myself and thanked me."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side." Ainslin says, "I didn't know you had the power of spirits behind you as well."

"Okay." Zuko begins, "If it really is a spirit that's controlling this valley, then we have to find a way to make contact with it."

"Or maybe we just keep walking until we get out? That's an idea." Ainslin interjects, nervously biting his thumb nail. "Katara made it out the first time, we can too."

"Katara, made it out because the spirit let her make it out," Zuko responds, his golden eyes glaring harshly at Ainslin. "She's a lot purer of intentions than you or I, spirits are good judges of character."

"But the Firebending Masters judged you?" Katara says, turning her head to look at Zuko, "And they gave you their secrets and taught you the true meaning of firebending."

"Well, I don't think that they were technically spirits," Zuko says, scratching his head, then glancing down at Katara, a smile tugging at his lips. "But that's a fair point."

"What the hell!" Ainslin pouts, "So I'm the only one who's never seen a spirit…. Wait, are you guys saying that I'm the reason were trapped here?"

"I've considered it." Zuko says thoughtfully, "It is your father who's been doing all the horrible things here, and you have been helping him perpetrate it."

Katara sits up and glances at Ainslin. Maybe Zuko's right, maybe I have been naïve trusting Ainslin. He just seemed so nice, and he's helped me so much.

'He just wants to get in your pants.'Katara could almost hear Sokka's voice in her head. He's always convinced that everyone wants to get in her pants, of course she's never paid him any attention. But since coming to this place, she's starting to wonder if he wasn't right all along.

Katara stands up and walks a few paces away from her companions, then sits back down with her legs crossed, she rests each of her hands on her knees, palms up, and takes a deep breath before closing her eyes.

"Uhhh…Katara, what are you doing?" Ainslin asks, then immediately gets shoved by Zuko.

"Shut up," He hisses, "She's meditating."

Katara focuses on clearing her mind, waiting for the sparkling pool of water to pull her in, but it doesn't happen this time. This time she's standing at the top of a spiraling staircase, it's so dark that she can barely see the steps in-front of her, much less the bottom. She takes an uncertain step forward and is immediately pulled down the staircase. Images and videos begin playing on the walls around her, voices she recognizes and ones she doesn't. The same young man from her dream, the one with dark eyes and a bright smile – being beaten by another man, she's screaming but she can't stop it. Zuko, holding her in his arms, his face is covered in blood, but his arms feel strong and secure around her.

She suddenly comes to the bottom of the staircase, a bright red door in front of her. She hesitates for a moment, then pushes through into a hazy room, there's mirrors everywhere and she can see her reflection from every direction.

"You found me." A voice says, echoing in the room around her. "It's been a long time since anyone has tried to come here."

The voice is unfamiliar, but it resonates with Katara. It's a female voice, strong but soft.

"Where am I?" Katara asks.

"You are in Yomi." The voice says, "This is where I live, and so do all the ones who are stolen."

"People are being stolen here?"

"Yes!" The voice booms. "I created this place to keep all of those forgotten, a place where they can no longer be hurt."

"Who is stealing people?"

"This man!" An image of an middle-aged man appears in every mirror, he's tall and dark, and looks surprisingly like Ainslin. He's holding someone by the hair, and it occurs to Katara with horror that he's holding her. She's unconscious, and dirty and her shirt is missing.

He must be the one. Katara realizes, bile building up at the back of her throat. He's the reason we ended up in the well.

"He takes innocent lives and uses them for his own biding, then throws them away!" The voice is angry. Images begin flashing on the mirrors, images of small children being hurt, women being raped and beaten, men being tortured.

Tears blur Katara's vision and slide down her checks, she closes her eyes, and drops her face into her hands.

"He has hurt you child." The voice continues, "Even if you don't remember it."

Katara takes a deep breathe, then opens her eyes again. On the mirror is an image of herself, she looks the same as she did in the first image, but she is lying on a sofa. The man is talking to someone else, and Katara realizes it's the Warden that she let to burn.

"The Firelord must be disposed of." The man says, raising a cup of tea to his mouth and taking a long sip. "But don't kill him immediately, let him suffer."

"What about the girl?" The Warden asks, eyeing Katara lasciviously.

"Don't get any ideas." The man says sternly. "The girl is mine; she will stay with me."

"What did he do to me?" Katara asks.

"I don't want to hurt you, child." The voice responds, softening now.

"Show me what he did to me." Katara says, determination and anger now replacing her fear.

A new image pops up on the mirror, and image of the man, Akio, pulling Katara by her hair. She is still unconscious, and he drops her onto the ground. They're in the middle of a courtyard, it is damp and muddy and there are people all around them, dressed in ratty clothes. The people look at Katara and Akio in horror, but they make no move to stop what happens.

Aiko sits on top of Katara and grabs her breasts in each of his hands, then he looks at the crowd around him and shouts, "Everyone and everything here belongs to me! I can take what I want, I can do what I want, and anyone who tries to stop me will wish they were dead!"

He brings his mouth down to Katara, and attempts to kiss her, but he is knocked off by a young man. Akio is furious, he stands up to face the young man and Katara recognizes him, the same dark eyed young man that keeps appearing in her dreams and visions.

Akio tries to hit the boy, but he's too fast, he dodges every blow and lands a punch directly at Aiko's face, smashing his nose and spewing blood everywhere.

Akio is shouting for his guards, but no one is coming. The boy pulls a knife out of his pocket, and stabs Aiko multiple times before grabbing Katara in his arms and sprinting off.

I know him. But how, who is he? He's so familiar.

"Who are you?" Katara asks the voice.

"My name is Shibu," The voice responds. "I am the spirit of memories forgotten. I created Yomi as a place of comfort for those who are hurt here."

"You're the reason I can't remember where I am!" Katara exclaims. "It's not because I have a head injury, it's because you keep people's traumatizing memories hidden from them! But why? Why do you care about the memories of mortals?"

"It is my job to be the protector of memories forgotten, I do not keep the memories hidden, I only keep them safe."

"My friends and I are trapped in this valley, your powers are spilling into the physical world and causing a rift. How do we make it out of the valley?"

"There is someone with you in the valley who is responsible for hurting the souls of mortals, he is responsible for their lost memories. I cannot let him leave."

"Please, we're trying to stop Akio and stop him from stealing people, but we need Ainslin to help us do it. Is there any way that I can assure you I won't let him hurt anyone else?"

"Only justice will right the wrongs of the past. Only time will heal the memories of pain. I do not control the fate of things that happen, but I keep safe the things of which have been forgotten. If you want to make it out of the valley, you must take back what has been stolen."

Katara took one last look at her reflection in front of her, then turned heel and pushed back through the red door. She knew what she had to do.