Ch 6: Full Moon
It's worldwide known that the waterbenders harvest their power from the moon which is the original waterbender. It's also known that the peak of the waterbending power is on the full moon nights, Katara is no different, while the firebenders would rise with the sun, our beautiful young woman rose with the moon and when the moon was full then she was nearly unstoppable. But, regarding all the good things that white satellite was bringing to Katara's life, there was one peculiar thing yet to be found by her that would change her life... but not in a good way like normally would. It was a night just like any other, in two days the moon would become completely full. The four friends were on a yet undone camp telling various stories to each other, some of them would make them cry from laughter and others would bring shivers down their spines. Sokka was in the middle of his story when it truly became dark just to turn out to be goofy again. "So he went to the market" Sokka was doing a grim and low voice that itself could bring a little shiver. " The sky was dark grey, filled with rainy clouds threatening to make rain over their heads very soon while preventing the sun to warm and light the dark streets. The boy walked for a few minutes until the view of the small house with a fat man at the window appeared between the other buildings. The man, when he saw the kid, smiled viciously while he would search for what he was looking for in the small table beneath the window. The boy stayed looking for it for a few moments until a terrible thought passed through his mind. It was an impossible thought but, he still looked up to the man who slowly leaned to him. "That's right, boy" the man whispered making the boy shiver "THERE'S NO MEAT!"" Sokka yelled in terror while his friends looked at eachother agreeing silently that this scary story (If you could call it that) was a complete and utter crap.
"Really, Snozzles? Really?" Toph asked, turning her head back at him.
"What? Was scary."
"No… it wasn't" The Blind Bandit continued "If that was scary then Katara's jokes are the funniest thing in the world." The couple hissed, feeling the pain of Sokka's pain.
"Hey, That's a low move! At least it was scarier than the "Terror on the glider" story of Aang.
"What do you want me to say?" Defended the young airbender. "Nothing happens in the Air Temples, we were peaceful people and, in matters of scary stories, extremely boring. The most terrifying thing that could happen there was to your glider brake in midair."
"Just excuses."
"That's it." Katara said, earning the rest's attention. "Now it's my turn, you want a scary story? I'll give you one." She quickly cleared her throat and spoke low and grim just like her brother. "Mom once told me a real story that happened with her best friend of childhood nethertheless. Her name was Nini. On one winter night, when Mom was a little girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village. It was needed several weeks to scald it back but in the end everything returned to normal… that until, some days later, Mom realized that she hadn't see her best friend since the storm night, she went to her house to check on her but, instead of the warm welcoming she usually got, she received a cold and terrifying empty house where the only thing that was moving was the fire on the fireplace that strangely was still lit and friqueling. Mom, terrified, turned around to call the men but in the moment she gave her first step she heard something besides the flickering fire and her breath, something that overtook everything else… a weep." Everyone gasped while Aang grabbed his knees and Sokka hugged Toph as if she was a fluffy platypus-bear that would protect him from every danger in the world. The earthbender fought against his hug but gave up in the end, realising that she wouldn't be able to win without shouting at him, and if she did, she would probably make Katara stop her story, and she didn't want that. Anyway, at least he was kinda comfortable and warm. "Mom slowly turned around to see nethertheless her lost friend trying to warm herself in the flickering fire." Everyone gasped again and tightened their hugs more. "She was literally blue, frozen. Her once brown hair was white as well her eyes that were green in the past. ""It's so cold." The girl weeped "Why does the fire not warm me?" Mom quickly ran outside to call everyone close enough to hear her. She told them she saw in quick words and guided inside as fast as she could though when she entered once again she had the very unwelcoming empty house waiting… Nini was gone. "Aang rapidly released his knees and grabbed the two furry creatures on his side that were playing, Aang practically squeezed the life away from Huí and Momo for a moment, until he realized what was doing to the poor creatures and loosened his hug a little but still not released them.
"Where… Where'd Nini go?" Sokka asked shakily.
"No one knows" His sister answered" Nini's family's house stands empty to this day, but, sometimes, our people can see smoke coming out of the chimney… just like little Nini is still trying to get warm." Everyone stood silent for some moments grieving the horrible fate of this poor girl. No one should die in such a painful way. That is until Toph heard something and threw Sokka away, secretelly cursing that the warmth was gone.
"Is that?" She puts her hands on the ground and starts to listen. "Guys do you hear that?" Aang leaves the two pets and hugs his girlfriend in terror who did the same to him, while that for the unhappiness to the small animals Sokka grabbed them and hugged them as strong as Aang did. "I hear people under the mountain… They're… screaming… for help."
Sokka relaxed his grip on the furry creatures. "Ha ha" He laughed sarcastically "Good one Toph."
"No I'm serious. I'm hearing something."
"You're… you're probably jumpy from the ghost stories." Katara presented shaking.
"Like I said I… They just stopped."
"Allright, now I'm scared." Aang said, tightening his grip on her girlfriend who winced but did the same.
"Hello, children" An old and sweet voice was heard alongside some branches breaking. The four kids yelled in unison and terror but stopped when the old woman started chuckling. "I'm so sorry for frightening you." She apologized, getting into the light. She was a very adorable old lady, a sweet smile with blue eyes. Her long hair was white as snow and her face was full of wrinkles from the age. She raised a hand to say hello and they noticed that she had very long nails, a little creepy but well… choices are choices."My name is Hama, and I couldn't let you children be here all alone so I came here to ask if you wanted to come with me and drink some jasmine tea with some cookies. I have a inn nearby with warm beds."
"Yes, please." Sokka said, releasing his furry friends.
…
It still took them ten minutes to reach the inn but when they arrived had the pleasant surprise of a loving and cozy inn in a small village just as it was promised to them. They entered and Katara immediately thanked the old lady while she was guiding the team to a big enough table for them. "Thanks for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn."
"Oh how sweet you are." She walks to a chair and falls to it." You know you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."
"What do you mean with disappearing?" Sokka asked as if he was a detective.
"I mean disappearing young one." She chuckled at her joke but then turned serious. "When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don't come back." She goes to her hand to a specific place on the table and then remembers that she hadn't made any tea. "Oh Hama, you old hag. Now you forget to make tea? Oh who saw you and who sees you now." She sighed and then tried to get up though Katara was faster.
"Please, I'll go. Just point me to the kitchen."
The old woman smiled and pointed her to her destination. "Thank you dear girl."
"No problem." She followed her finger and entered the kitchen to find a man with a wooden mask hiding completely his face, swiping the ground, probably an employee of Hama. He had a generic fire nation clothes with a black hood hiding the rest of his head he was a little taller than Sokka. "Hello." She said cheerfully, earning the attention of the young man who froze in place. His mask was very creative, it could be seen his right eye, that was bluer than even her own eyes, while the other one only had the carving of an eye slot as if the guy who made it stopped before it could take out that piece of wood and not only that but also had cracks passing through it being one the most captive that went to the top of the mask to the very chin passing through his left eye. It became a little awkward very quickly for the man couldn't take his eye from her. "So… uh… what's your name?" He didn't say anything, "Mine is Kata… um Sapphire." He did nothing. "Well I'll… um… make the tea and… go." She nodded and made exactly what she said she would, leaving the man behind that still didn't take his eye from her. When she got out of his sight he followed her to the door of the kitchen following every movement she did with his eye. She came and put tea in every cup on the table and then seated close to Aang who put a hand around her waist.
"So" Hama started cheerfully a few minutes later. "you want to see your rooms?"
Sokka immediately responded "Yes." making her laugh a little.
And right after, Aang asked "Do you have any room with a double bed?" earning a happy roll of eyes from his girlfriend and an annoyed grunt from Sokka.
Hamma laughed again. "Why? You have someone to share with."
"Yes." Katara responded chuckling and blushing furiously. "With me."
"It's a beautiful view to this old eyes, young love, you know?" Hama said smiling.
"Yes." Katara again "We are very much in love." As soon as she said that they heard a stick fall in the ground and when they followed the sound they saw the masked man in the door frame, frozen with his broom on the ground. He felt all the eyes on him and rapidly woke up from his trance before catching the broom and continuing his swiping but, this time, looking at Aang and, damn, if a single look could kill, Aang would be dead over one thousand times, though no one noticed this death glare because of the mask hiding his emotions.
"Sorry, I forgot to introduce you to Dazo. Dazo, come here!" He stopped swiping and looked at the old woman for a second before going to her trembling slightly. "Say hello Dazo." He raised his hand sheeply. Hama looked at him confused and made her a gesture that his throat was hurting and he couldn't talk right now. "Oh… ok. So this is Dazo, my partner and friend. Dazo, this is Sapphire, this is Kuzon and they're in love. "She chuckled while hitting his legs with her shoulder playfully. This comment made Katara and Aang blush and Dazo shiver and give Aang another hidden, hateful glare. "That one is Leen."
"Sup." She said raising her hand, not even bothering to look at him.
"And that's Wang."
"Why's the mask?" Sokka asked curiosity, making Katara call to his senses of common sense.
"So… Wang!"
"What? I was only asking."
The masked man gave a little step back while his mask went face the ground." He doesn't like to be asked about it."
"Okay, sorry man." Sokka got up and stretched a hand at him making the freeze again. He looked at his face and back at his hand before reluctantly shaking it. "So… about those rooms."
Hama laughed again. "Here. Oh and Dazo." The man that was still looking at his hand that was shaked returned the look at her. "We still have room with double beds?" He quickly looked at the couple with hands intertwined and then shook his head returning his attention to his old friend. "I'm sorry Kuzon, we don't have."
"Oh… What a shame." Though the smile he was wearing told her otherwise. She laughed and said to herself "Young love."
"Just try to be quiet, okay?"
His and Katara's eyes opened wide while a giant wave of blood flooded their cheeks."Oh no we… uh."
Hama laughed again. "Just kidding young one. Come I'll show you to your rooms."
…
It was the middle of the night, maybe three or four, and simply couldn't sleep. He knew exactly why but was afraid of changing it. He had grown closer to the warmth of her body and now just couldn't sleep without her for a reason. He could easily go to her room and sleep with her but was afraid of waking her in the process, so he decided to stay and try to sleep anyway. Passed another half an hour and he simply couldn't take it anymore. He got up off his bed, dressed his pants and grabbed the rest of his clothes, he quickly fixed the bed and went walking at the door. After giving a rapid look to see if everything was in order he got out of the room and went to her room. When he arrived he saw Dazo cleaning the floor close to her door that, when noticed him, gave a little surprise jump. "Um… is that Saphire's room?" Aang saw him sigh and heard the leather of his gloves clench when he tightened his grip on the broom. It took a few moments but in the end Dazo just nodded before continuing his work. So with a quick "Thanks." he opened the door revealing a very awake Katara.
"Aang?" She whispered when he closed the door. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you." He joked as he took out his pants and entered the bed.
"Hey who told you you could enter MY bed like that?" She chuckled.
"You."
"When?"
"Just now, when you chuckled. If you were serious you wouldn't chuckle."
She sighed and put a leg on him before her whole body. "So why are you here exactly? And no "to see you" jokes please, thank you very much."
"I already told you, I can't sleep without you now. You see what you made of me?" She laughed. "And why are You awake?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Oh, but I already know. I just want you to say it aloud."
This made her chuckle again. "Since when you become so cocky?"
"When the most beautiful girl in the world accepted my love, giving me her's." She chuckled and kissed him tenderly. "Why do you think that guy Dazo is so jealous of me?"
"He's not."
"Of course he is. He is doing the exact same thing that I did when you had your eyes on Jet."
"First, Dazo definitely is not jealous of you. And second, you never showed you were jealous of Jet."
""What is he, your boyfriend?"" He made his best Toph's voice. ""NO!"" Now Katara's ""I can see you're lying.""SHUT UP, TOPH!""Calm down Sugar Queen was only a joke.""A bad one!""He finally finished with his own voice making her gasp with realization.
"Oh-My-Spirits! You were so jealous!"
"Yup."
She starts to laugh "You were so jealous. Hahaha. You were so jealous!"
"What's so funny about that?"
"It's just that, jealousy was a thing that I never thought you would have. Let alone over me."
"I'm only jealous over the most beautiful woman in the world. She already gave me her love then you won't see me like that for a very long time… I hope."
"So you are cheesy AND cocky? What a perfect combination." She laughed.
"If my memory doesn't fail me I always was cheesy."
"Yes you were." And with that said she kissed him deeply and a few minutes later they were both sleeping.
…
"Kuzon!" A voice called. "Kuzon!" He opened his eyes to see once again the most beautiful girl in the world, he sighed and smiled, realizing that he would never but NEVER get tired of those beautiful blue orbs and that lovely smile that only made him want to kiss it without an end. So, with that thought in mind, he kissed her deeply, taking her off her guard for a moment, a moment that he used to rotate himself to be on top of her. It took a time he finally broke the kiss.
"Good morning My Angel." He greeted with a smile.
She laughed nervously and whispered to him pointing at the door with her thumb. "Kuzon, we kinda have company."
When he looked at the door, he saw the old woman smiling and her masked friend flickering a little because of the rage he was feeling right now.
"Oh." He apologized blushing astronomically. "Sorry about that."
"Don't worry Kuzon, it's always wonderful to see love like yours. It's rare, you know?. We are going to call the others. Come Dazo." She walked away but Dazo just went after a few seconds of trembling. Katara quickly closed the door and then threw herself to Aang who caught her and kissed her again.
"Yup." She said after the good morning kiss. "He's definitely jealous."
"I told ya." After a second and quicker kiss he asked. "So... why the company?"
"We are going to the market and…"
"Let me guess. I'm going too."
"Yup.
"No other option, like stay here with my forever girl?"
"You wished." She laughed. "I promised to Hama that I would go with her."
"And where am I in the middle of that promise?" He asked half joking, of course he would go with her, just wanted to see her reaction.
"You are the one who is going to help your girl with heavy, heavy bags and the one who is going to protect her from the dangers of the world."
"The duties that a boyfriend has." He sighed. "Okay I'll go BUT… "He leaned closer to her ear "I want a payment."
She chuckled "Since when did your boyfriend's duties go unrewarded?"
"Well there was this time that…"
"Okay I got it. Don't worry I'll think of something."
"You couldn't give me a little now, could you?"
"No, we have to go."
"C'mon just a little sample just to see if it's worth it going through ALL of that work."
She sighed and chuckled. "Okay but only a tiny bit." She kissed him and made sure to stay there for at least five minutes.
"Wonderful as always." He said after the long kiss. "And if this is just one tiny bit then I'm dying that this day ends." She laughed again and got off him so that he could dress himself. She opened the door to go outside and the first thing she saw was a wooden mask. Dazo was against the wall, when he saw her his eyes lit and he got up, he seemed to be about to say something but fought against it. In the end he only sighed and, while looking to the ground, made her a signal so that she would follow him but she called before he went too far.
"Um… Can it wait for a bit, I'm waiting for Aa… uh… Kuzon." This made Dazo's head go lower before he could nod. A minute passed and Aang got out of the room fully dressed and with a smile. He got that urge to kiss her cheek like normally would but fought against it. He knew would only make Dazo hate him more, if that was possible, Aang could feel the world of anger, and sometimes pain, that Dazo felt when he touched Katara and he had learned from the monks that he shouldn't do to the others what he wouldn't like that the other would to him. So he took a deep breath and instead of a big and sloppy kiss he grabbed her hand with a smile that was returned at him. They walked downstairs following Dazo and ate their breakfast with all the group while some villagers that were there started to gossip about the new arrivals. Aang after eating one cookie of his started to lean to the tea pot to fill his cup though, in matter of milliseconds, it wasn't there anymore. He started to look for it and saw that Dazo was the one taken though it wasn't for him but for The Avatar's girlfriend herself. Aang saw with awe while Dazo put the tea on her cup only, ignoring the others who were asking that it would do the same for them. "Thank you Dazo, you're very sweet." Katara could see his eye lit for a moment while he nodded and put back the teapot on the center of the table. and went to a random villager who had the hand in the air. While he was coming to attend the villager he made sure to walk through Aang and… blink at him with his only eye? "Wait, what? Is this guy trying to flirt with my girlfriend? What the heck is going on?" Aang really didn't know what to feel right now. He didn't know if he should be angry or laugh at his face but, instead of that, he simply scratched his head and grabbed the teapot to finally fill his cup.
…
They had passed their last hour on the market and Katara couldn't be more accurate on her prediction Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Dazo were filled with bags and boxes and they were simply on half of the market. Katara and Hamma were talking with an old man, if Aang had heard correctly the name was Yao, . Mr. Yao hands another bag of groceries to Katara smiling. "Thank you very much." She said before walking away with her older friend. "Mr. Yao seems to have a thing for you, Hama. Maybe we should be back later and see if he'll give us some free komodo chicken sausages."
This made Hama stop and look at her seriously. "Sapphire, are you saying that I should use my femenine charms to take advantage of that poor man?" She couldn't hold the laughter for much longer so she let it go and said. "We should definitely do that tomorrow." making Katara also laugh. While they were buying at another shop Sokka stopped outside to listen to two villagers speaking, Aang noticed that and went at him to ask what was going on but was stopped when Sokka put a finger on his lips with a "Shhh''.
"So you don't have more ash bananas? And when are they coming?"
"Next week. I have to send the boy to Hing Wa Island to get them, and it's a two day trip so…"
"But what… Oh right. Full moon. It's tomorrow right?"
"Exactly, I already lost two boys, I can't lose another."
"So it will be a bunch of sea apples please."
The man put some apples in a bag and handed it to his new owner while he would give the other money. "Here you go, good sir."
"Thanks and good luck."
"Yeah."
"People disappearing in the woods, huh? Weird stuff is happening during the full moons. This smells like Spirit world stuff."
"Yeah, agreed." Aang said. "We should take a walk around the town, maybe we can find out what have these people made to make the spirits so angry at them."
Then Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder and came closer to his ear so that only he could hear. "And then you can solve this mystery lickety-split, Avatar Style!"
Aang stretched his arms and with a proud smile he agreed "Helping people is my middle name." And with that said they returned to the group.
"What if you kids take all those things and go back to the inn? I and Dazo will stay, we still have things to do."
Sokka, before she could get away, came closer and asked her in a detective way. "You have a mysterious little town here, haven't you?"
"Mysterious town for mysterious children." She said smiling creepily just to, right after, shoot a gentle smile and walk away with a sweet chuckle leaving Sokka a little confused. Team Avatar five minutes later were once again in Hama's inn. they were unpacking the multiple bags and boxes when finally bursted what he had in his mind.
"That Hama woman seems a little strange. Not to mention the masked guy. They are hiding something."
"That's just ridiculous." The waterbender defended. "She's just a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay. She kinda reminds me of Gran-Gran. I miss her."
"And what about that Dazo guy? It's not always you find a guy who doesn't talk nor show his face."
"I have to admit that he creeps me out a little. There's something in him that… I don't know maybe is just a stupid thought."
"And now he started to flirt with you." Aang presented making her look at him disbelieved.
"What? No he isn't it."
"Maybe not, I'm not certain. But I don't like that guy. Everytime he looks at me it seems that he wants to rip my head off... one hundred times."
"Anyway." Said Sokka. "I don't like this. I'm going to look around." And walks away to the stairwell.
"Sokka!" Katara starts to follow him alongside Aang and Toph who was grabbing on his wrist. "Sokka, what are you doing?" The older brother ignores her and climbs the stairwell. "Sokka, you can't just snoop around someone's house."
"I'll be fine." He responded in hope that his sister would stop annoying him.
"Man, be reasonable. She could be here any minute." Aang tried.
"Yeah." Katara joined. "You gonna get us all in trouble and this is simply rude." Sokka just then notices a weird cupboard in the middle of the corridor.
"I'm not finished." He tries to open it but it wont go, so, with his tongue out, he pushes with all his strength making it burst open showing a bunch of wooden puppets that were shot out held only by their strings on the back of the closet. Everyone gasps and Sokka immediately takes his sword out defending himself. When everyone calmed down he put his sword back in place while Aang shivered a little.
"Okay… that's definitely very creepy."
Katara quickly closed the closet making all the effort to not touch any puppet. "So she's got a hobby, so what? I have it too. Does that mean that I'm a creepy girl?"
"No My Angel, of course not. But if your hobby was to play with those things then… yeah, probably." While the couple had their small talk, Sokka noticed a string on the ceiling. Pushing it, it showed a lille ladder that probably went to the attic. He climbed them, and to his surprise was completely empty. The only thing that could be seen was a little room with the door closed. He went at it and tried to open it though it was locked up, he then looked at the lock hole and the only thing that he could see was a pedestal with a little white and blue chest on it. "Guys!" When they heard Sokka calling, they immediately climbed the ladder and went at him. "Just an ordinary puppet-loving old innkeeper, huh? So why does she have this thing closed like this?" He asked while Aang and Katara looked through the lock hole to see what it was inside.
"Maybe to prevent guys like you do shits like this!"Her brother ignored her once again.
"How are we going to open this?"
"We don't!"
"Yeah man, I'm with her. Hama must be arriving, we're screwed if she catches us here." Aang agreed.
"Maybe there is a key around here."
"Oh shut up." Said this time Toph putting herself in front of everybody. "Let me try." She took the sky rock bracelet from her arm and bended it in a pointy thing. She, with Sokka's help, put the rock inside the lock hole. She bended the rock to fill it and then twisted to the left side earning a victorious *click* from the door.
"Good work Toph." Said Sokka getting inside alongside Aang and Katara. He opened the small chest and with a gasp took out what it was inside. "A comb?" It was a beautiful white and dark blue comb. The younger girl immediately went to the front and took the object from her brother's hand and looked at it with awe.
"It's a… It's a…"
"A Water Tribe comb." An old and raspy voice was heard scaring the kids. They looked at the door to see Dazo and Hama. She got closer and slowly took the comb from Katara's hand. "It's my most precious treasure. The only memory I have from the Southern Water Tribe." When he heard this, Dazo, who had his eye on Aang, looked at Katara in a hurry.
"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara asked with awe, almost not believing her new friend.
"Just like you." She smiled and put the comb back in place.
"How do you know?"
"I heard you on the camp." She laughed and continued. "For example, I know that Sapphire, Kuzon, Wang and Leen are not your real names. You're Katara, you're Sokka, Toph and Avatar Aang it's an honor." The woman bowed making Aang smiled and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Don't worry your secret is well guarded, Avatar Aang."
"Please, just Aang."
"You warm this old heart, Av- Aang." She returned to Katara who was still with her mouth hanging open trying to process everything. "And I knew your grandmother too, you know?"
Now Sokka. "You knew Gran-Gran?" She nodded. "But how do you know it's her?"
The old woman chuckled. "She always wanted a daughter named Katara, but I guess that she had Hakoda instead."
"You know dad?!" Katara asked now that she got out of her transe.
"No, but Kanna always wanted a son named Hakoda." She chuckled again.
"But why didn't you tell us sooner." Asked Sokka.
"I wanted to surprise you. That's why we stayed more time on the market. I wanted to make traditional stewed sea prunes. But I guess that the surprise is ruined." She sighed and then with a playful smile continued. "Well, more help for me." Everyone laughed but Dazo who was still with his eye locked on Katara and Aang who occupied by gagging with the memory of the flavor of that dish.
"Yay. More sea prunes."He sarcastically said. "I think I'll eat with Appa tonight."
They all went downstairs and Katara was hitting her shoulder on the brother's ribs so that he would apologize for what he had done. "What?" He finally asked on the tenth time he was hit.
"You have a thing to say to Hama, haven't you?"
He thought for some seconds just to whisper "What?" making her whisper back.
"Apologize, you dumbass."
"What? No, she was hiding something, so we were both right." His sister gave him a slap on the back of his neck and he then understood that didn't have any other option, so he sighed. "Okay. Hama."
"Yes, Sokka?"
"I'm sorry for sneaking around your house."
This made her chuckle. "Oh don't worry.I would do the very same thing if I were you. We are very curious by nature, you know?" They passed the next hours doing the so loved and hated dish, sometimes Hama would show Katara a few tricks of waterbending while Katara would watch it with awe and a shine in her eyes both for the trick itself and for finding another Southern waterbender. "And is how you make the water shine by itself." Hamma explained.
Katara clapped. "Was so beautiful. I never met another waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe." Dazo, who was sweeping the near ground, stopped and looked at her curious, though she never noticed.
"That's because the Fire Nation wiped us all… I was the last." Everyone that was doing their parts to help with the old lady in the dinner stopped and looked at her to hear the coming story. "Just like any other, I was stolen from my home." Dazo grunted, making her chuckle sadly "I know Dazo, but they never heard." He sighed and made a gesture saying to continue. "It was sixty years ago when raids started. They started low in the beginning but at each new raid more they were and less we became, and they never stopped. We did our best to hold them off, but our number dwindled as the raids continued. It was hard" she chuckled sadly again" and believe it was HARD" This made all of them smile sadly while she continued. "but I too was captured when they captured Kanna and threatened to take her instead of me. I gave myself to save my best friend of fate that I would have sooner or later." She sighed. "I still remember her face watching me go. But well, we were put in horrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. As far as I know I was the only one who escaped."
She stopped and even Dazo had his head down. Even after hearing this story dozens of times it was as sad as the first time. So still his head down he looked at Katara and, more determined than ever he went at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with a soft "What?" and he froze. After some seconds of awkward silence he simply lifted his other hand with the teapot as if asking if she wanted more. She smiled sadly and shook her head. While this was happening Sokka asked the old woman after a few moments of silence. "If I can ask, how did you run away? And why are you still here?"
"I'm sorry young one, but it's… hard. I'll stop now before I burst into tears." She chuckled again." Believe me, it's not pretty."
"We totally understand, we… we lost our mother in one of those raids." Katara explained while going with her hand to the neck like normally would, just then she remembered that her mother's necklace wasn't there but the one that her boyfriend made. Aang, noticing this, stopped cutting his vegetables, went to her, grabbed her hand and kissed it gently before giving her a sweet sad smile that was returned by her.
"I'm so sorry, young one." Hamma said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Some minutes passed and everything was ready for dinner. The Food was on the table and alongside Team Avatar and they're two hosts. The older waterbender started to tell her childhood friends stories making everyone laugh at her and her old friend's pranks they would cause to the village elders. "So sir Sukkiri walked to his house to find it completely overflown." Everyone laughed but Dazo who simply shook his head sighing. "Kanna and I stood the next week fixing and cleaning what we did."
"You don't know how much it means to me to know another Southern Water Tribe watertribe." Said Katara cleaning her laughing tears. "It's a giant honor, You're a hero."
"Thank you, Katara. It means a lot to meet you too. Another of my kind. So I've been thinking, I want to train you on our ways. "Katara's eyes lit while her smile grew wider. "I imagine that you never had a Southern teacher and you had to go to the North to be teached. "The younger waterbender nodded. "So you don't know our ways. You accept?"
"YES! Yes, of course I accept! Learn my heritage, the ways of my ancestors! It would be a dream!" Hama smiled.
"Perfect then. Tomorrow 2 after lunch, okay?" Katara nodded hysterically.
…
Aang entered and closed the door behind. "So " he said to the smiling waterbender on the bed. "you have a new teacher." She sighed blissfully, got out of the bed and went running at him. They both hugged and kissed each other.
"I'm so happy!" She said when the need for air was bigger. "I don't believe that Hama is a waterbender, a Southern waterbender!"
"And she's going to teach you tomorrow."
"I know, right! I'm going to learn the ways of my people - my ways! And to think that all I had to do was save a fourteen years goofball."
"I know, I know. I'm a dream-abiding." She laughed and kissed him deeply once again.
"I love you Aang."
"I lo…" When he was about to reply. They heard a loud bump in the wall, a muffled, angry grunt and then heavy steps going away coming from outside their room. The couple looked at each other confused and Aang released her to see who it was. When he opened the door, the only thing he saw was the dark walls. "Someone's there?" Silence. He gave a final look before returning inside. When he saw the confused look of his love he simply shrugged. He went to her and kissed her forehead. "I love you too. But we have to sleep, someone has to wake up early."
…
Next day, 2pm. Hama and Katara were in a flower camp in the middle of the florest. "We ,growing in the South pole, never had a problem with water because it's full of it. But there are times that we don't have direct water in the surroundings."
"I know, there was this time that we got stuck in the desert. I felt like I couldn't do anything."
"That's why you need to take water from everywhere possible."
"Not a week ago I used my sweat to break free from a wooden cell."
"Very resourceful Katara. You thought like a true waterbending master. But that's not enough. Maybe you already know this because you're the Avatar's girlfriend, but did you know that you can take water from thin air."
"Really?" The young woman gasped making the older one chuckle.
"Yes." She spun with her arm half stretched, forming droplets to form as the hand passed. In the end she gathered all the water in the tip of her right hand fingers. Katara gasped again when the teacher froze the water and threw the icicles to a nearby tree making then five very clear holes that could be seen on the other side. "You have to open your mind, Katara. There's very few things that don't have water."
…
Meanwhile the rest of the gang was doing a check up on the area, trying to find something that would piss off spirits, though, to their surprise, nothing was found. "I can't understand." Said Aang arriving again at the inn. "This must be the nicest natural setting in the Fire Nation. How can a spirit be mad at this?"
Sokka shrugged and Toph presented. "Maybe the Moon Spirit just turned mean." Aang immediately looked at Sokka and embraced himself for the incoming shitstorm.
Sokka's face turned red from anger while he shouted at Toph. "THE MOON SPIRIT IS A GENTLE, LOVING LADY! SHE RULES THE NIGHT SKY WITH KINDNESS AND... and… AND LUNAR KINDNESS!"
"Okay, okay. Gee. Calm down."
"Tipe for plan B." They went outside and asked the first person they saw. "Excuse me, sir. Can you perhaps tell us anything about the spirit that's been capturing people."
"the only man I know that saw it and lived to tell the story is Old Man Ding."
…
"You remember what I told you about the place where there is water?" Hama asked her student after two hours of training.
"That most of the places have water?"
Hama smiled. "Yes. But do you know what's the best sign of water?" The girl shook her head. "Life. Look below you. You see these flowers?"
"Yes, I noticed, they're very beautiful."
"They are called fire lilies. They just bloom a few weeks a year, but they're one of my favourites about living here. But the point is that they are filled with water lime every place with life. So remember this, where there is life there is water." Saying this, the old teacher, spun around taking the water from the flowers leaving a path of death. She holded the water in front of her into a ball before throwing it to the sky making it explode in a cloud full of snow. The snow started to fall slowly while Katara watched in awe.
"Wow! That was beautiful!" Just now she noticed the flowers. "It's a shame though. The flowers."
"A small price for our survival. We're waterbenders in a strange land. In a land where the water is scarce, in comparison to the poles. You have to do everything in your reach to survive. That's why I'm going to teach you the ultimate waterbending skill. It can only be made under the full moon light. Where our bending it's at it peak."
"Isn't that dangerous. People have been disappearing on full moon nights."
The old woman laughed. "Oh, Katara. We're gonna be two waterbending under the full moon power. Do you really think they have a chance against us?" Katara thought for a second and responded with a smile. "Find me here at night, I'll give you time to rest."
…
It took them practically all day but they finally found Old Man Ding. "Old Man Ding." Aang called the old man that was hammering some wood into the windows of his house.
The man looked beehind hinting his finger with the hammer leaving the wood plate fall. "Ah, Spiritsdammit! What do you want?! Don't you see I'm busy?! Today is the fool moon! And why the hell does everyone call me that?! I'm not that old!" The man bent down and with a loud crack he returned to the former position with a pain grunt. "Well, I'm young at heart." The trio holded their laughter while Aang and Sokka grabbed the plate and placed it in the window. "I'm not ready to be taken by a full moon monster yet. I still have many years to live."
"Can we ask you about this "full moon monster" you're talking about?" Sokka asked.
"Did you get a good look at the spirit that took you?" This time Aang.
"I saw no spirit. It was more like a feeling, like if I was being possessed. I was being forced to walk towards the mountain, into a cave. I took a last glimpse at the moon for I thought that was the last time I would see light. That until the sun came out and I became free. I went running down, never looking back to that wretched place."
"Why would some spirit take people to the mountain?" Sokka asked, making Toph realise something.
"Good question, young man." Old Man Ding said. "Now, if you excuse me." And entered his house.
"That's it!" Shouted Toph without warning. "I told you that I heard people screaming under the mountain. The missing villagers are there, it's the only logical conclusion."
"Maybe you're right, let's go!" Sokka commanded them, making them start to run at the infamous mountain.
In the middle of the way Toph stopped and felt the ground. "The screams, they're back. This way!" And started to run into a dark cave.
…
"Can you feel the power that the brings you?" Hama asked her new apprentice, showing her back. "For countless generations, it gives us waterbenders, power allowing us to do amazing and incredible things." She inhales deeply and stretches her arms which causes her veins to start showing up through her fragile skin. Katara looked disgusted by this demonstration. "I never felt more alive!"
…
"I can't see a thing!" Exclaimed Sokka.
Toph in that moment grabbed his hand. "That's why you have me. C'mon." They runned for five minutes until seeing light again. There was a a metal door and two torches. Sokka immediately released his friend's hand and grabbed the torch when she went to the door and punched it with all her strength making it fall. They heard multiple gasps and then a male voice. "PEOPLE! WE'RE SAVED!" And then a female voice sigh. "Finally." Toph immediately went to the nearest person and broke the chains in his arms.
"What kind of spirit does this?"
"There was no spirit." A woman told. "It's a witch!"
"A witch?"
"Yes!" Said the now freed man rubbing his wrists. "She seems like a sweet, gentle old lady but in the core she's just a witch, dark puppetmaster! She did this to us!"
"Sweet, gentle old lady." Muttered Sokka trying to understand the riddle. "Dark puppetm… Oh shit." He looked who appeared to have the same terrifying thought. "Hama!"
"Yes." Now another woman is hugging her crying child."The innkeeper, it's her!"
"Katara it's with her! Sokka we have to go, now!" Aang said worriedly.
Sokka nodded. "Toph can you deal with rest?"
"JUST GO DAMNIT!" And so they did.
…
"What I'm about to show you is a technique that I discovered in that cursed cell. The guards were always very careful to keep the water from us. They pipped in dry air and had us suspended away from the ground. Before giving us water, the guards, would lock our hands and feet so we couldn't bend. Any sign of resistance met with cruel retribution. Torture, death… families. I saw friends of mine die painfully in front of me." She took a deep breath and continued. "Every month the full moon came, and every month I felt the power that it gave me. I felt that I could do something to get out of there, but didn't know what. Until I realised that without water there is no life, so where is life there is water. The elephant-rats that walked by were simply skin sacks filled with water, so I begun training with them, controlling the water inside their bodys. It took me years to finally perfect this ability but, when I was ready, not even the guards managed to stop me. "She chuckled." Because they were the ones who were fighting for me. The very same guards who had me locked in that prison were the same men that took me out there. "She laughed again making a chiver surge in Katara's spine. "How ironic!... When you finally perfect this ability you'll be able to control anything and even "the woman looked at Katara from the corner of her eye" anyone."
"I… I don't know." Katara muttered unsure. "To reach the insides of one person is just so… dirty. I don't know if I want that kind of power."
"You have no choice!" Snapped the old woman turning to the younger. "The power exists and you have use this gift that the moon gives you to end this war, is your duty." The girl seemed still unsure so Hama tried another approach. "Katara, understand, they tried to wipe us all out, countless generations of culture, our culture. Think about your mother."
"Yeah, I… I know."
"Then you should understand! We're the last waterbenders of the Southern Water Tribe! We have to fight these people whenever we can, wherever they are, by any means necessary! We have to carry the vengeance of our people! OF THE HUNDREDS THEY KILLED!"
Katara was silent, the gentle lady she met was gone and gave place to this monster this wasn't right, she didn't want this power why was she…? "Spirits." She thought while all the pieces came together. It was her this whole time. Everything pointed to her. The vengeance, the people just disappearing in full moon night. It was her using her waterbending to control their blood. Using her Bloodbending. "It's you." She finally said. "You're the one behind the disappearances!"
"They locked me in a cell to rot, to be forgotten! Me and my brothers and sisters! They deserve the same fate we had! And you must continue my work!"
Katara points a finger at the former master. "I won't! I won't continue this dark work and won't let you continue to make these innocent people suffer!" In that moment she felt a thing like any other she ever felt. She felt like her hand was limp but still stiffer than ever. Soon enough that horrible feeling spreaded to the rest of her body and she didn't have any control in it.
The old woman was with her hands in front of her with a giant and vicious grin. "You should learn the technique before turning agaisn't me, don't you think?" Katara started to fight against the strange feeling but only made it worse because Hama put her on the ground laughing. "There is no way to get off my grip! I control your every muscle, every vein, every single drop of your blood! You have no power against me!"
Katara, in a strange need, looked at the moon to see, behind the monstrous old woman, no one less than her spirit friend with a sweet smile. She winked at the young waterbender before disappearing in a blink of eyes. Katara then felt more powerful than ever. "There's where you're wrong!" She said with tears of pain and betrayal falling down. She got up and the Hama gasped.
"How did you…?"
"I'm younger and stronger than you, Hama! And maybe you forgot, but I'm a waterbender too! The full moon gives as much power to me as to you! Your power is useless on me!" Katara placed herself in a fighting stance and, freezing the air, threw multiple daggers at her former friend that had to leave her bloodbending stance and defend herself by redirecting the attack. Katara made the frozen daggers return to water again and, bending more from the grass, sent it to her enemy that bent the water in a nearby tree to redirect the incoming attack once again. In turn, Katara placed her hand in front of her to defend the incoming stream, as soon as it touched the young woman's hand it exploded to the sides. This demonstration of power made Hama gasp. They didn't even have time to continue their fight before the two boys came.
"Katara!" Aang called, as soon as he saw her he smiled for a second with an urge to hug her, but he fought against it when he saw the position. So, placing himself in a similar position he said to the Puppetmaster. "It's over Hama! We know what you did and you're outnumbered!" Hama laughed and Katara's face turned to determinant rage to pure terror.
"No!" Hama laughed. "You outnumbered yourselves!" With that said, she raised her hands and the two men felt the same thing Katara did. Their whole body was limp but, at the same time, was stiffer than ever. They couldn't move on their own. Katara immediately bent the water from the grass and threw it to Hama who bent the water from a nearby vine to defend before returning to her bloodbending position. Sokka, being controlled by that dark force, drew his sword and went running at Katara.
"KATARA LOOK OUT!" He shouted, waving the sword at her. She managed to dodge the attacks and even send him away but then her boyfriend came.
"This feels weird." He said while being controlled to attack the girl. In turn, she dodged the incoming punch and froze him at the tree. earning a loud "Ow!" from the impact.
"Sorry Aang." She apologized.
"No worries." As soon as he said these words, she heard a loud snap behind her and, looking at the sound, she saw her brother with his sword ready to attack. She, with a spin dodged once again and froze his hand and sword at another tree. Feeling safe again she sighed but then the creepy laughter told her that it was not over.
"Be careful Katara. Don't hurt your friends. And don't let them hurt themselves." Saying that she stretched her arms apart, making the ice that Katara made break, and then rapidly pulled them together again. Katara gasped and, for her, the time stopped. She was seeing her brother with her sword pointing to her boyfriend ready to cut his flesh and end his life. In a second her mind was running through countless and countless answers to that problem, all of them would end in the death of someone… but one. One that ten minutes ago she promised herself would never do. But there was no option left. She raised her hands copying her former master and with only a few milímeters between the metal and the skin they stopped. Hama didn't say a word, she simply shivered and fell to her knees feeling the very same thing she had inflicted to others. Aang looked at his beloved waterbender and she was with a tear in her eyes while holding her former friend. Hama just laughed why Toph and the villagers finally arrived. "You're gonna be locked for life, witch!"
"I don't care, my work is done." She looked back at Katara, who was normal now. "Congratulations Katara. You're a bloodbender." She simply cried while the old woman was being carried away laughing.
…
They just arrived at the camp and the only thing Katara did the whole walk was grabbing Aang's hand and squishing it. "Come My Angel." He softly said. "Let us pack up the camp and go away from this wretched place." She nodded and realised his hand before starting to walk away in direction to the flower camp.
"I'm just gonna take a walk first."
"You want company?"
"No." Aang after a few seconds started to turn around but Sokka came to him. "Man, go with her."
"But she wants to be alone."
"I know and that's you're and not me. You can hide in a tree or something. It's still a full moon and Hama could escape and that guy Dazo is still out there. Who knows what he's capable of. I have a feeling that isn't over. Just go ,okay." Aang thought for a little and nodded before jumping to a tree.
Katara just arrived at the place she learned the first step for that cursed bending. That every place that has life has water. She walked to the circle of dead flowers and looked to the moon for a few minutes before shouting in pure rage and sadness. After that long shout she simply fell to her knees crying. It was ten minutes of pure phisocologic torture for Aang that only wanted to say "Fuck it." and go hug her with all his strength. He was about to do that but a voice stopped him.
"Hey, Katara." That voice. It wasn't possible. He can't be here. It's just not possible. Katara looked behind and sighed to see just Dazo. She got up, cleared her tears and sniffed with all her strength. "Oh, hey Dazo." She said turning around. "Is your throat better?" He didn't respond. "Dazo?"
"It was never bad?" That voice was terrifyingly close to his.
"So why did you never talk?" She asked, ignoring her stupid thought. He simply lowered his head making her grunt. "Dazo!"
"Because I was afraid you would recognise it."
"What… what do you mean?" "Please spirits, no. Not him."
"What I mean is…" He took a deep breath and slowly took the hood releasing a long chocolate hair. "We met some years ago." He went with his hands to the back of his head and unkoed the string that was holding the wooden mask. This made it fall on his open hand, finally showing his face. Katara gasped and went with her hands to her open mouth while the tears started to fall once again. Her eyes were filled with pure horror and fear when she gave a step back. It took a few moments but she finally managed to take her hands off her mouth and talk.
"Sol… Solum?"
