Thanks for the reviews. I'm getting close to where I was before. A few more chapters to go. Thanks again for your patience everyone. I really believe this is going to help me finish this story. I am so connected again.

Chapter 54: Blood Moon

(Crystal POV)

The fire crackled illuminating the area around us as we sat by the fire. The forest surrounded us causing shadows and darkness to push against the light that danced on our forms.

Two days had passed since returning to the group after facing my mother's killer. Things had calmed greatly between Katara and I as she finally accepted why she'd been left behind while Sokka and I went to face the man who killed our mom. She understood my desire to protect her, and although she was still frustrated she didn't get a swing at Yon Rha, she forgave me and things were once more as they should be.

We were resting for the night after a day of flying in the most inconspicuous way we could. Our journey was long due to having to keep to the isolated parts of the Fire Nation so we would not be spotted. Everyone was worried that a giant flying sky-bison would earn some dangerous fireballs, and we by no means wanted to dodge firebenders for the rest of our trip.

As we sat around the fire after eating some dinner, I leaned against Zuko watching my brother with amusement as he continued with his dark tale. We'd been telling ghost stories for the last few minutes. The whole conversation started when Toph swore she heard voices in the woods. After investigating, and finding no presence, we'd all tried to laugh it off. But then the stories began.

"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall, in the dark." Sokka leaned forward so the light of the flames danced on his playful expression. "Oooh... It came into the torchlight. And they knew the blade of Wing - Fun was haunted! Aah-ah..!"

My brother's dramatic end sent both Zuko and I laughing. As we laughed, Sokka pouted from not being taken sincerely.

"It's not funny!" He snapped. "It really happened!"

Aang commented as he pet Momo, "I think I liked the one Crystal told about "the man with a sword for a hand" better."

Toph added. "Water Tribe slumber parties must stink."

"No, wait," Katara stated, leaning forward. "I've got one, and this is a true Southern Water Tribe story."

I sighed. "Is this about mom's friend, Nini?"

Katara looked at me with irritation. "Do you have to ruin all the fun?"

I held my hands up in surrender. "Hey… I didn't say anything. Tell the story. While you do, I'm going to grab some more wood. The fire is dying." Standing, I stretched and turned to leave the campsite.

"Uh, no you aren't," Zuko snapped, grabbing my arm to stop me. "You know what happens when you wander off from camp alone."

Rolling my eyes, I looked back at Zuko. "Don't tell me these stories are freaking you out, Zuko? There were more terrifying stories told by your crew."

"Great!" Aang exclaimed. "We'll hear some of those after Katara's."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "Crystal… You know what I mean. There's a crazy assassin after you."

Sokka sighed. "Well… I've heard this story so I'll go with Crys. She's right about the fire. But Zuko's right about going alone."

He stood and headed over to me. I shook my head and turned leaving the camp. As the two of us stepped into the woods, and Katara started spewing her tale about the ghost of Nini, I crossed my arms feeling slight discomfort from the darkness around us.

"You know…" I finally spoke after walking for a moment in silence and getting a good distance from camp. "We haven't seen this assassin since he first attacked me. He may have decided I wasn't worth his time and energy."

My brother knelt grabbing a large twig he almost tripped over. "The moment you let your guard down is the moment he'll get you." Sokka stood and grabbed my shoulder suddenly to stop me from advancing further. "Look… I know you're probably annoyed with our constant supervision. But we're all concerned about you after everything you've been through… Getting captured by Zuko, then shoved into Zhao's grasp, and not to mention Azula…" I cringed. "We just can't take any chances with you."

"I get it… I'm danger prone. It doesn't mean I need to be monitored every minute of the day." I ran a hand through my hair which had grown out since the day I cut it so long ago in the desert. "You all can't worry about me constantly. You have your own life."

Sokka dropped the one stick he picked up and grabbed both of my shoulders. Forcing me to face him, I could vaguely see him from the small light of the moon seeping through the trees. His eyes narrowed. "You and Katara are my life! I'm the oldest, and that means it is my job to take care of you! When you were taken by Zuko that day back at home, I failed my duty as a brother and regret every minute of it! Don't you dare say it isn't my job to worry and protect you."

The sincerity in his tone made my heart twist. "Sokka… I-"

"No. Let me finish." He pulled from me crossing his arms. "You may be stronger and wiser from the journey you have had, but no matter how many days go by you will always be my little sister. And as your older brother, I will make sure you are safe."

His final statement sent me silent. I knew even if I tried I would not be able to argue and win against him. He was my older brother, and after all I had been through he did have every right to feel how he did.

Screams suddenly sounded from the campfire, and Sokka and I gasped at the sound. Turning without hesitation, we ran back through the brush and arrived back at the group. Momo and Appa were alert from the group's cries as well, while the others had run behind Zuko as if he alone would protect them from what evil had approached.

To my astonishment, my eyes saw across the fire an elderly woman with white hair and some dark attire. She had a smile plastered on her face as she looked around at us all.

"Sorry to frighten you, my name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby. Why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?"

My heart, which had been pounding heavily, calmed as I realized there was no danger before us. Katara jumped up from where she was hiding and tried to compose herself, while Aang and Toph slowly left their hiding as well. Zuko stood and crossed his arms as he stared at the woman with suspicion.

"Can I ask why an older woman like you is out in the middle of the forest on her own?"

The group was stunned by Zuko's interrogation.

The woman only smiled at him from where she stood on the other side of the fire. "I was visiting a friend of mine and lost track of the time. I heard your voices while passing and was concerned upon hearing how young you all are."

I gave a small smile. "I can assure you, mam, we have been on our own for a while."

She met my gaze, and her eyes landed on my scar. Her attention went back to Zuko, also gazing at his scar, and I felt my stomach twist with discomfort. It was almost like she was seeing through our colonial disguises. I feared she was gathering who we really were. I was certain she'd heard of the famous Avatar and his friends.

"No matter," she calmly responded, smiling which calmed my worry. "Please feel free to stay the night. I'd be happy to accommodate your animals as well. I have a large plot where they can be comfortable."

Katara beamed. "Excellent! We'd love that!"

Aang seemed into the idea as well. "Yeah! We could definitely use a nice place to stay for a change."

Her statement about Appa and Momo sent more discomfort through me though. She clearly saw Appa and Momo were creatures not from the Fire Nation, so her composure towards the giant sky-bison and the large eared lemur was a bit suspicious to me. Any other Fire Nation citizen would've freaked out upon seeing the animals before them. This woman seemed fine with it though.

As the group packed up to follow Hama, I stepped over to Zuko who knelt by his bag shoving some clothing inside. Crouching beside him, I asked softly, "Do you feel like this woman is being a little too kind to us?"

Looking back at Hama who was speaking with my sister by the fire, Zuko muttered, "She definitely has this creepy vibe. And I swear she glared at me a few moments ago."

I frowned, glancing back at Hama who somehow caught my eye and smiled widely at me. Looking away quickly, I whispered, "Don't let your guard down."

Some time later we found ourselves in Hama's inn. She had two floors, and a large porch. From what I could see in the dark she also had a large yard where she looked to be growing some things. She first showed Aang where her empty stable area was for Appa to rest, saying he could hide him in the large wooden shack in case visitors came by. Once Appa was comfortable, she led us into her home which was warm and inviting. However, there was still an unsettled feeling in my stomach that made my thrill at being indoors dim.

Sitting at the table Hama led us to in the dining area, she left us to go prepare tea in the other room. As she was gone, Katara smiled with relief. "This is so nice. We can finally have a break from sleeping on dirt."

Aang grimaced. "I think I may still sleep outside with Appa. I feel bad leaving him out there alone."

Toph nodded. "I may do the same. This place smells like old woman."

Katara scowled and smacked Toph on the shoulder. "Don't be rude!"

A sigh escaped me as I leaned forward in my chair letting my elbows rest on the table and my chin in my hands. "This is just odd," I spoke softly, so Hama wouldn't hear. "An elderly woman walking alone in the woods… If she was visiting a friend someone should've at least escorted her home."

Sokka tapped his chin. "It is a little suspicious."

"Well how do you think she feels about us? Six teenagers with a flying-lemur and giant sky-bison in the forest alone is suspicious too."

Zuko responded to Katara. "That's what bothers me. She didn't even blink when she saw Appa… If she's Fire Nation this could be bad. For all we know she could be drugging our tea to turn us over to authorities."

My sister snapped in return. "Knock it off all of you. I spoke with her. She believed me when I told her we were returning to our families after visiting some friends afar."

Aang added. "We're only staying for one night… It can't hurt." Momo chirped on Aang's shoulder as if to agree.

A moment passed between us then, and Hama returned with some tea. Placing an empty cup in front of each of us, she poured the liquid humming softly. Aang sipped his immediately, and then indicated to the rest of us with a nod it was safe. In defeat, we all took a sip of our tea.

Katara spoke as Hama handed her a tea, not noticing the rest of the group's hesitance. "Thanks for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn."

Hama placed the empty tray and pot on the table, and took the last empty seat beside Katara. "Aren't you sweet? You know, you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

Sokka turned pale from where he sat on the other side of Zuko. "What do you mean, disappearing?"

Hama leaned forward. "When the moon turns full, people walk in, and they don't come out." A pause fell through the room as chills ran through each of us. Then Hama smiled through the heavy air, "Who wants more tea?" None of us answered as her words hovered over us. "Don't worry; you'll all be completely safe here! Why don't I show you to your rooms once you're finished with your tea, and you can get a good night's rest? I also have a few washrooms. The boys can use one and you girls can use the other. Please make yourself at home."

Once we finished our tea, Hama gave us a small tour of the house. The kitchen was filled with vegetables, fruit, and nuts. On the other side of the dining room we were in was a sitting room with a metal fireplace that had a fire still blazing. Upon seeing the fire, I immediately grew more suspicious. If Hama had really gone to visit a friend, she definitely wouldn't have left her fire for so long. From the looks of it, she was gone for only an hour if not less.

Zuko caught my gaze with the same thought.

Taking us upstairs, Hama showed us down the long hall and pointed us to each room. There was enough for us to have our own since Toph and Aang were insistent on sleeping outside. Momo decided to chill inside the room where Sokka claimed, and Aang was thrilled his buddy would have a good night companion. Hama then showed us to the washrooms, where she left us to go about her business.

As Katara and I stood in the washroom, while Toph muttered about going back outside, my sister spoke to me. "Will you please knock it off. You and Zuko are driving me crazy with your constant whispering and suspicions."

I grabbed one of the folded rags to wet in the basin. "I don't know what you want me to do… I have a hard time trusting strangers. Especially ones that could potentially be our enemy."

"She isn't," Katara firmly stated, grabbing her own rag and wetting it.

Wiping the grime off my face and skin, I shrugged. "We don't know that. We don't know anything about this woman except she has an inn and her name is Hama."

Katara turned to face me, and in the candle light I could see she wanted to scold me. However, she let out a deep sigh and turned back to wiping the dirt from her exposed skin. "I know you've been through a lot, so I can understand why you feel unsettled. But I promise, Hama is just an ordinary woman. My instinct tells me we can trust her."

Shaking my head, I put the rag down. "I just don't want us to get caught. If she figures out who we are then we'll have the Fire Lord after us in minutes."

"We won't," Katara insisted. "Hama is harmless."

I knew then that there was no way I could argue with Katara.

A deep sigh escaped me. "Fine… I'll give her a chance. But I'm not letting my guard down."

Later that night, I lay in bed tossing and turning with discomfort. Thoughts raced through me. Who was this woman really? Why was she in the woods? Why did my gut tell me not to trust her?

Somehow, through the chaotic shouting of my worries, I did fall asleep. Unfortunately my sleep was not peaceful either. In my dreams I found myself back on a ship. The ship was much like Zuko's, only darker and more cramped. Racing through the halls, I tried to find an escape but seemed to only end up deeper in the bowels of the vessel. As I turned a corner, I was horrified to see a giant three eyed man before me. He inhaled and tilted his third eye towards me. As bright light shot into my vision, I woke up in a panic. It took me a good minute to remind myself it was just a dream, and to calm the cold shivers running down my spine. My pounding heart took a little longer to calm.

Trying to gather myself from my dream, I glanced at the window near my straw bed and saw the sun was rising. Getting out of bed, I stepped over to the window and looked at the forest beyond. Hama's words about people disappearing in the forest returned to me, and the shivers followed.

A knock on the door broke me from the window, and I stepped over opening it. I was relieved to see Zuko was the one to greet me. "Hey… Hama wants to invite you to come to town with her and Katara. I guess they're going shopping." As he spoke, I realized he wore his cloak again and his hood was up.

Glancing around the hall, I saw we were alone. "Are you going too?"

He sighed. "Aang begged me to come. He doesn't want me cooped in here. Frankly, I don't mind. This place gives me the creeps. And I swear someone was walking back and forth by my room last night."

His words sent a chill through me. "I hope we move on today… I don't want to stay here another night."

He nodded, but his eyes softened when he saw my expression. "Are you okay? You look like you didn't get any sleep last night." His hand brushed my cheek softly.

I grimaced. "Is it that obvious."

He smiled weakly. "I just know you too well." He leaned forward and kissed me softly on the lips. "Go freshen up so your brother doesn't worry. I'll see you in a few."

He turned to leave, but stopped abruptly as he came face to face with Hama. We both jumped at her sudden appearance. We hadn't heard her approach. Her eyes shot between the two of us with an emotion I couldn't register. However, she grinned to disguise it. "Ah. Young love I see." She turned to walk away. "Hurry along, dears. We have to hit town before it gets too busy." As she headed away, Zuko narrowed his eyes at her back. I felt the unease in my stomach return.

A little while later we were in the small Fire Nation village resting on a large slope that overlooked a valley. We'd been in a hilly region for a while, so we weren't surprised by the layout. We were more surprised how Hama seemed to know every person in the village. As she shopped around at different stalls, Katara skipped beside her with ease. The rest of us followed with dissettlement.

"Poor Momo was pouting so hard about not being able to come," Aang muttered.

Toph shook her head. "Hama may not find it suspicious, but others in the village may be a little more questionable at a flying lemur in the Fire Nation."

Sokka added as he lugged the items Hama had shoved in his arms, "And I doubt he's that upset about it."

As the others spoke, Hama gestured for me to come over to where she stood by the stall with Katara. Deciding not to argue, I stepped over to see what she needed.

"Dear, would you be a sweetheart and take the rest of these purchases." She shoved a basket in my arms. As she did, I glanced back at the others who were listening to another stall keeper. Zuko seemed greatly disturbed, while the others looked scared.

"You sure are buying a lot of stuff," I commented.

Hama smiled her plastered smile again. "I have a lot of guests." She turned from the stall and approached the other four. Katara and I followed.

"Why don't you all take those things back to the inn? I just have to run a couple more errands. I'll be back in a little while."

Sokka stepped over to Hama with his arms crossed. "This is a mysterious little town you have here."

Hama glanced at him cryptically and smiled. "Mysterious town for mysterious children." She turned on her heel then and walked away. As she did so, we watched her go in surprise. What was up with this woman?

Eventually we arrived back at the inn, and as we crowded around the table placing down Hama's purchases, I couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Katara… I know you want to hang out with Hama a little longer, but we should probably get going. We don't want to lose time, and Aang needs to practice some more firebending. We can't do that here with Hama watching our every move."

Sokka shook his head. "That Hama seems a little strange. Like she knows something, or she's hiding something."

Katara looked at the two of us with disbelief. "That's ridiculous. You all are being foolish! She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay. She kind of reminds me of Gran-Gran."

Sokka commented. "But what did she mean by that comment, "mysterious children"?"

My sister spat sarcastically. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she found six strange kids, camping in the woods at night? Isn't that a little mysterious?

"I think she's onto us," Zuko stated. "We shouldn't stick here too long."

Toph nodded. "I'm with Sparky. This woman has been lying an awful lot since we got here."

Her reveal surprised Aang. "You really sense that?"

She rubbed her nose. "Yeah… She's full of lies. The only truth so far is her name is Hama."

Sokka scowled. "I'm gonna take a look around." He made his way out of the kitchen, and Katara gasped turning on her heel to follow. The rest of us were surprised by Sokka's precipitous nature and followed with worry.

Katara snapped as she followed him, "Sokka! Sokka, what are you doing? You can't just snoop around someone's house."

My brother ignored her and opened cabinets, doors, and drawers. "It'll be fine." He made his way upstairs and we followed him.

Worried, Aang muttered, "She could be home any minute."

He ignored Aang as he opened another drawer and Katara snapped again, "Sokka, you're gonna get us all in trouble, and this is just plain rude!"

Sokka stopped at another cabinet built into the wall and grabbed the door handle. He yanked on it trying to open it, but the door was stuck. "I'm not finished yet." He grunted trying to pull again. "Come on…"

Zuko stepped forward too and grabbed the other door hinge. The two shared a glance, and Sokka gave a nod. With a simultaneous jerk, both doors flew open and figures fell out. We all shrieked but Toph and backed away as wooden puppets came at us. Sokka had jerked out his sword ready for an attack.

Aang slowly stepped up to the puppets hanging from strings and poked one. Momo, who had cowered behind Aang's head, poked it as well. "Ok," Aang muttered. "That's pretty creepy."

Not sure what was happening, Toph asked, "What are they?"

"Freaky puppets," I answered warily.

Katara stepped forward shoving the doors closed, although she had jumped with the rest of us. "So... she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that. Sokka, you've looked enough. Hama will be back soon."

Sokka shook his head and went up some more stairs that led into a dark attic. The door before us was locked as he tried to shove it, and we saw a key hole was what kept us from access. We stood at the bottom of the stairs with uncertainty as Sokka grabbed his sword to pry the lock.

Sokka spoke as he did, "Just an ordinary, puppet-loving innkeeper, huh? Then why does she have a locked door up here?"

Katara snapped, "Probably to keep people like you from snooping through her stuff."

"We'll see," he muttered. He picked through the keyhole and described what he could see. "It's empty except for a little chest."

Toph's interest grew. "Maybe it's treasure!"

With a grimace, I crossed my arms for comfort. "Can we just leave, please… I'd rather not know what is in the chest after seeing those creepy puppets."

Sokka smiled gleefully at the thought of treasure and ignored my request. He began to pick the lock with his sword.

My sister was appalled. "Sokka, what are you doing? You're breaking into a private room!"

"I have to see what's in there," he stated, twisting the tip of his sword into the hole. A click sounded a moment later and the door opened. Sokka smiled with satisfaction and stepped inside. The others followed, while I stood by the door with worry. My ears picked up a noise downstairs, but I told myself I was probably just paranoid.

Nervous, Aang mumbled, "We shouldn't be doing this."

Zuko stepped over to the chest and knelt down. He tried to yank the wooden object open but it didn't budge. "It's locked."

Sokka looked around. "Maybe there's a key here somewhere."

Curious, Toph stepped forward, "Oh, hand it over."

Zuko did so, picking it up and giving it to Toph. She grabbed the arm band she had molded from her space earth and bent it into a key shape. Sticking the rock into the keylock, she twisted back and forth a few times.

Sokka turned eager. "Come on, come on!"

Toph snapped, "This isn't as easy it looks!"

"Guys, I don't know about this," Aang muttered.

Zuko crossed his arms. "Clearly this woman has something to hide, so I say we figure it out."

Katara scowled, "This is crazy, I'm leaving." She turned and started to walk past me.

"Suit yourself," Sokka waved her off. "Do it, Toph."

Toph gave another twist and the lock clicked. We all quickly stepped up to see what was inside. Katara got curious also and returned to see as well.

As Sokka went to slowly lift the lid, a voice spoke from behind. "I'll tell you what's in the box."

We all shouted and turned in shock to see Hama behind us. She stood at the doorway with composure, and then stepped over to us. Sokka had hid the chest behind him, but with defeat he brought it forward and handed it to her.

To all of our surprise, she lifted the lid calmly and there inside was a blue comb. My eyes widened when I saw the familiar material I hadn't seen in so long. How many months had it been since I was in the South Pole? How long had it been for Hama. My heart ached as I looked at the Water Tribe comb before me, and then I looked at the Water Tribe woman as if seeing her for the first time.

My brother seemed oblivious to what it stood for. "An old comb?

Hama grew teary eyed. "It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I owned from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe."

Katara was amazed. "You're from the Southern Water Tribe?"

She smiled at her. "Just like you."

As if the weight in the room dispersed, we all seemed to relax. All of us but Zuko.

"How did you know?"

Hama answered her. "I heard you talking around your campfire."

Curious, Sokka asked, "But why didn't you tell us?"

She looked around at us all with a smile. "I wanted to surprise you. I bought all this food today so I could fix you a big, Water Tribe dinner. Of course, I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes, if you stew them long enough."

Aang grimaced in utter disgust. "Great…"

Katara smiled. "I knew I felt a bond with you right away."

My brother huffed. "And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right." Katara punched him in the arm. He grimaced and rubbed the spot. "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around."

Hama waved him off. "Apology accepted. Now let's get cooking."

A few hours later we were gathered around the table again surrounded by Water Tribe delicacies. Toph poked at her food, while Zuko looked at it all with curiosity. He'd told me he was pretty excited to taste food from my home.

As Katara and I helped her cook in the kitchen, Hama asked us about our family. We explained to her who our family was, and she told us with teary eyes that she knew our Gran-Gran. We were amazed and excited by this reveal. She was intrigued to learn we were the current Chief of the Southern Water Tribe's children also, and that we were journeying with the Avatar to save the world. She asked about our friends, saying she didn't know much about the Avatar but from small rumors. Katara told her about Toph being Aang's earthbending teacher, and then went to mention Zuko. I quickly interjected by giving Hama a false name telling her we met him along the way in the Earth Kingdom. Katara was surprised by this lie and pulled me aside a few moments later. She asked why I wasn't telling the truth and I told her I was worried for Zuko's safety.

"Hama is sweet. She won't care about Zuk-"

I shook my head. "I don't trust her, and I think it's best to leave that part of our group a secret."

She didn't agree, but decided to do as I said. I told the others a few moments after that it was best we keep Zuko's identity to ourselves, and they thankfully agreed.

As we sat around the table then, eating our food, I was warmed by the familiar taste. While the others steered clear of the sea prunes due to Aang's distaste, I ate it with nostalgia. I missed it all so much and wished I were eating with Gran Gran. As I ate, I finally realized how homesick I truly was.

Hama placed another large bowl down suddenly with a smile. " Who wants five-flavor soup?"

We all raised our hand at the thought of more food. We had been running her errands all day and were starving. As we did so, she moved her hand over the bowl and lifted the liquid dropping it in each of our bowls. We were stunned from this reveal.

Katara beamed with delight. "You're a Waterbender! Other than Crystal, I've never met another Waterbender from our tribe!"

Hama frowned. "That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one."

By her words, I felt pain shoot through me. Images of my mother returned, and I gripped the edge of the table with pain. Zuko noticed and reached for my hand. I looked over and smiled weakly releasing my grip on the table.

No one else noticed my disturbance as Sokka asked, "So how did you end up out here?"

The woman hung her head. "I was stolen from my home. It was over sixty years ago when the raids started." Her eyes moistened as she remembered the terrible day she was torn from her home. "They came again and again, each time, rounding up more of our Waterbenders, and taking them captive."

As she told her story, I saw flashes of that horrible day they came for Katara. Zuko tightened his grip on my hand which he'd placed on his lap under the table.

"We did our best to hold them off, but our numbers dwindled as the raids continued. Finally, I too was captured. I was led away in chains. The last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." She shut her eyes as tears formed. "They put us in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one who managed to escape."

Zuko sighed beside me as he filled with guilt for the pain his people had caused. It was my turn to squeeze his hand back to comfort him.

Sokka was suspicious. "How did you get away? And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?"

Hama shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's too painful to talk about anymore."

Katara took her hand with understanding. "We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid… We almost lost Crystal too."

Hama looked over at me, and I dropped my gaze to the table. I could see her analyzing me and taking in the scar that decorated my face. "Oh, you poor things. I was curious about your scar young one… I feared it was something to do with the Fire Nation. I'm glad you survived, but I'm sorry for your loss."

Looking up, I met her gaze which was sincere. "Thank you."

Katara spoke again. "I can't tell you what it means to meet you. It's an honor. You're a hero."

Hama smiled. "I never thought I'd meet another Southern Waterbender. I'd like to teach you what I know, so you can carry on the Southern Tradition when I'm gone."

Katara beamed with delight. "Yes, yes of course! To learn about my heritage, it would mean everything to me!" She turned to me then. "Crystal! Isn't this great?!"

Her excitement forced me to smile weakly. "Sure Katara… I guess one more day couldn't hurt. But then we really need to move on."

Hama smiled. "No hurrying child. You all have journeyed for far too long. Also, the full moon will be out tomorrow evening and I want to teach you both how to use its power to your benefit."

Zuko grimaced. "We shouldn't linger that long. We're already running behind."

Aang added, "We do need to head out tomorrow."

"Nonsense!" Hama urged. "You all will have plenty of time to stop the Fire Lord. One more day won't hurt you." She stood then, and her gaze landed on Zuko. "However, I would be wary about lingering too far from the inn tomorrow since it is a full moon." She narrowed her eyes at Zuko which caused me to tighten my fist. "We wouldn't want anyone to get taken."

Later that night, I lay with Zuko on his bed listening to the wind hit the wooden pane of his window. I'd been in my room, but my nerves were on edge as I thought about my mother's death and also worried for Zuko's safety.

"I don't trust her…" Zuko whispered, in case she happened to be eavesdropping. "She keeps looking at me like she knows who I am. And Toph told me Hama is still lying about something. She can't figure out the truth, but she thinks Hama knows more about these disappearances than she is letting on."

I frowned, leaning into Zuko more as he held me closer. "The only reason I'm going with them tomorrow is to keep an eye on Hama."

He nodded. "I think the rest of us are going back to town to question others about the disappearances."

Shutting my eyes, I urged for him to be careful to which he kissed me softly on the forehead promising me he would. His warmth lulled me to sleep only a few moments later.

Early that next day, as the sun was just starting to rise, Katara and I followed Hama away from her inn to a large field that was far and hidden from any possible Fire Nation citizen that passed. As we stood in the field prepared to learn Hama's special techniques, she turned serious. It was almost like a new persona came out of her as she prepared to teach us what she knew.

"Growing up at the South Pole, Waterbenders are totally at home surrounded by snow and ice and seas. But, as you probably noticed on your travels, that isn't the case wherever you go." She looked between Katara and I to make sure we registered what she spoke.

Katara nodded. "I know, when we were stranded in the desert, I felt like there was almost nothing I could do."

I added, "Plus, water and sand don't mix well." Crossing my arms, I frowned at the memory of that horrible time stranded in the dessert. "If I hadn't run out of water I could've possibly stopped them from taking Appa."

Hama nodded. "That's why you have to learn to control water wherever it exists. Did you know you can even pull water out of thin air?" She threw her hand out and circled it in the air collecting the moisture above. Katara and I watched with amazement as she formed the gathered water into icicles. "You've got to keep an open mind, Girls. There's water in places you never think about." She let the ice melt and water dripped to the ground. She then turned and stated, "Follow me. I'll show you how you can gather even more water!"

As Hama headed down hill towards some flowers, I grabbed Katara's arm so I could speak with her privately. "How does she know all of this?"

Katara grinned. "She's a waterbender, Crystal… And she's been around much longer than the rest of us. She has had plenty of time to learn this."

I frowned. "I still don't get why she prefers to stay here in the Fire Nation. She could've gone home a long time ago."

Katara shook her head. "Stop being so paranoid." She grabbed my arm to pull me along. As we headed downhill, I stopped immediately when we arrived at the patch of flowers. Hama stood in the center surrounded by the beautiful flora that was sure to make me break out into hives or send me into another reaction. I wasn't sure how close Fire Lilies were to Peonies, but I wasn't testing it.

Katara stepped through the field not noticing I had hesitated. "Wow! These flowers are beautiful!"

Hama nodded. "They're called Fire Lilies. They only bloom a few weeks a year, but they're one of my favorite things about living here. And like all plants, and all living things, they're filled with water."

"I met a Waterbender who lived in a swamp, and could control the vines by bending the water inside," Katara commented.

Hama nodded. "You can take it even further." She went to show us what she meant but her eyes shot over to me. She noted my distance from her and Katara, and gazed at my feet which were at the edge of the field. "Are you alright dear?"

I grimaced. "Actually… I had some issues with the last flower I came into contact with, so I'm just a little leery now."

"No worries, dear."

Hama lifted her hand and spun her whole body around. As she moved, the flowers before me had their water stripped away and turned black while shriveling. Once she had a circle of darkness from the dead plants around her, she shot her hand forward and the water flew at a rock jutting from the earth slicing it into four pieces.

Katara was thrilled. "That was incredible! I didn't realize you could draw water like that!"

I frowned at the dead plants before me. "I don't know… This feels wrong… killing things just for water."

Hama shook her head. "They're just flowers. When you're a Waterbender in a strange land, you do what you must to survive. Tonight I'll teach you the ultimate technique of waterbending. It can only be done during the full moon, when you're bending as at its peak!"

My sister's excitement dropped. "But isn't that dangerous? I thought people have been disappearing around here during the full moon."

She smiled. "Oh, Katara. Two master waterbenders and your sister beneath a full moon? I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Her comment slightly offended me. I was aware I wasn't a master waterbender, but she didn't have to rub it in.

"Come now, dears. Let's get some vegetables from my garden and prepare supper to get our strength up." As she turned and walked away, I stared back at the dead flowers beneath me. Crouching, I gazed at the shriveled plant with sadness. I didn't want to touch the flowers, but seeing such pretty things dead made my heart ache. So far, Hama had a violent technique that I didn't really want to follow.

A few moments later, we were back at Hama's inn kneeling in her garden area as we picked some veggies. I remained silent as I placed another tomato in my basket. As I picked the plants, I couldn't get the image of the dead flowers out of my mind.

"Dear… Everything alright?"

Hama's question startled me. Giving a small nod, I returned to gathering the vegetables.

"Don't mind Crystal too much," Katara stated. "She's been through a lot. She was taken prisoner from the South Pole by the Fire Lord's son."

Hama gasped. "What?!"

Grimacing, I tried to brush it aside. "It was a while ago. I'm fine."

My sister frowned. "You didn't sound fine the other night. I heard you having another nightmare."

Putting me on the spot was making me slightly irritated. "I already spoke to Lee about it. No worries."

Hama took my hand in hers suddenly, saying softly, "You poor thing… locked up just like me. It's heartbreaking to know someone so young was treated with such horror."

I tried to pull from her with discomfort. "Well… I don't know about that. My captor wasn't all that bad. So I wouldn't say my situation was as harsh as-"

Her hand tightened suddenly and her eyes turned dark. As I saw the change fall over her, uncertainty welled inside me again. "Are you saying you enjoyed it? Being a prisoner to those beasts!"

Her words stunned me. I looked over to my sister who stared at Hama with equal surprise. Trying to pull from her, I stated, "Of course I didn't enjoy being a prisoner… but that doesn't mean I had it bad… The Fire Lord's son and General Iroh were kind to me. Prince Zuko is misunderstood… he was alone and just trying to go home. I just happened to become part of his quest."

Hama would not release her grip on me. "Misunderstood? My dear… those monsters filled your head with lies! Every firebender only cares about one thing, and it is themselves. I've lived amongst them for years and seen it first hand. Look at that scar on your face. The one who gave it to you only cares about his victory."

With more force, I ripped my hand from her at last. "That may be so… But the one who took me from my home cared enough about me to let me go the day I was reunited with my family, so I don't think you have room to speak of him that way."

Katara finally intervened, seeing I was about to lose my cool in defense of my fiancé and his uncle. "Hama… I think what Crystal is trying to say is that not all people from the Fire Nation are like the ones that hurt you. I thought like you too after my mom died, but I've met a lot of fire nation men and women these last few months that have shown me some are good."

Hama shook her head and turned back to her vegetables. Pulling at a root, she spoke calmly. "I see you both have been away from your home for far too long… maybe as I teach you my technique tonight you will have a change of heart."

Shaking my head, I took a step back. "I'm not going to change my mind." Turning to Katara, I said, "I think I'm going to skip the lesson tonight… you will probably have more fun without me and my opinions."

I started to walk away, but Katara grabbed my arm. "Crys! Don't be like that! Hama is teaching us waterbending tonight under the full moon. You can't miss out on this opportunity."

Grabbing her hand, I pulled her close to me so I could whisper low enough for only her to hear, "I don't think I can learn from her… Insulting Zuko just makes me angry, and I can't listen to it anymore. We're all lucky I haven't spilled who Lee really is at this moment." Pulling from her, I said so Hama could hear, "Waterbending is something I love, but I only need one teacher. If the technique is exciting enough, you can teach it to me later Katara."

Turning on my heel, I headed away from both Hama and my sister. As I headed away, I heard Hama speak once more. "You have lost your way child… Truly you have."

Stopping in my step, I looked back at her with narrowed eyes. She had her back to me still as she pulled at some weeds. Katara stood beside her with a grimace, worried I would make a retort. Instead, I stated with resolve, "You know nothing about me, Hama."

Leaving Katara and Hama at last, I made my way into the inn and headed back up to my room. Going inside, I shut the door behind me as I tried to calm my racing heart. I rarely stood up to elders with such disrespect, but something about Hama sent me over the edge. Those dead flowers… Her malice towards Zuko… Her suspicion of Lee… I couldn't find myself comfortable with her at all. I already hated the thought of her being anywhere near my sister.

Letting out a deep breath, I stepped over to the bed and sat down. As I did, I pictured the dead field before me. Waterbending wasn't made to kill. Hama was doing it all wrong.

What was this technique she so desperately wished to teach? Why was she not worried about the people disappearing in the woods? Staring out my window at the setting sun, I grew more concerned about Katara.

Maybe I should go… At least make sure Katara is safe…

Standing again, I approached my window and stopped at the glass. My eyes caught a glimpse of Katara walking alongside Hama as they discussed waterbending and the Southern Water Tribe.

Hama glanced into the woods briefly, and I saw something come across her face. Spite?

Feeling something within my gut, I exited my room. I had to look around more. There was something about Hama that unsettled me, and I had to to figure out what it was..

Walking down the hall, I approached a door that I had yet to enter. I'd passed it multiple times in the last two days, knowing it was Hama's room. Hesitating, I stared at the door latch for a moment. Then finding the courage, I grabbed the latch and opened it. As the door opened, the light from the hall spread over the made bed. Then it landed on a desk in the corner of the room.

Stepping over to the desk, I saw ink and some blank parchments. Grabbing the sliding drawer below, I pulled it out and found more parchment inside. Only these had writing on them. Pulling out a few, I read the first one on top of the pile under the light seeping through her window. As I focused on the words my blood went cold.

Gurnu : Baker's oldest son. Firebender. Midnight he throws out old bread in the cowpig sty behind his house. Perfect choice. Full Moon in four days. Next Target.

On the parchment below that one, she wrote:

Supplies for prisoners: Beans; Moon peach; Carrots.

And beneath that:

New target: Prince Zuko. Train with Katara first, and then acquire target.

My eyes widened and I put the parchments down. Going further into the drawer, I found a map of the area around us. One spot on the map was marked, and it appeared to be in the mountainous region a mile out of town. I knew then what it all meant.

Hama… she was the one kidnapping people in the dark of the night. She was somehow using her waterbending to force people into the woods and trap them in a prison somewhere. She was not what she seemed. And she was after my fiancé.

"I have to tell everyone," I whispered.

As I went to gather up the parchments, my arms stopped and so did the rest of my body. I gasped in shock as I became immobile. The blood flowing through me seemed to stop too which caused my air to fade from my lungs. As I struggled to breath, I heard Hama say behind me, "I come in to try and make amends, and I see you have discovered all my plans. Can't have that."

My eyes widened and I tried to cry out, but the blood in my lips froze causing me to let out soundless air. "It's no use. Your sister is gathering water from the well for me, so she won't hear you."

As I was frozen in place, Hama stepped beside me with her hand raised to keep her horrible action going.

"The moon is starting to rise, and with it so is my strength." She tightened her fist and my lungs tightened as she squeezed my blood against them. I gasped as my vision started to see black dots. "Have you ever heard of bloodbending, dear Crystal? It's a technique I have found useful over time. I will teach you and your sister all I know. You two will become my pupils forever. Of course, I'll have to get rid of the others somehow, but I'm sure I'll find a way. I already have plans for your boyfriend Lee." She scoffed. "Or should I just call him by his real name, Prince Zuko?"

Then and there I realized this woman had truly gone mad. Not only had she let her hatred towards the Fire Nation take over, but she was going to imprison Katara and I, thinking we'd want to be like her. And she also knew who Lee really was, and had every intention of taking him as her prisoner like the rest of her captives."

I felt my teeth grit and managed to hiss, "Leave my family and friends alone…"

My lungs tightened and my head felt light.

"You've been through so much. Falling in love with your captor just shows me you need some maternal guidance. Don't worry dear. You'll come back to your senses. And I will take good care of you and your sister." Her voice faded then and darkness came over me as my lack of oxygen knocked me unconscious.

When I came to some time later, my body felt heavy and my head felt tight. Trying to open my eyes, I slowly got control and found myself on Hama's bed on my stomach. Attempting to sit up, I found the room was dark and the moon was shining through the window. My limbs shook from the trauma they'd just faced, and my lungs hurt from whatever Hama had done inside me. Getting my breath together though, I maneuvered off the bed and got to my feet. Stumbling from a small dizzy spell, I caught myself on the bed briefly and tried to catch my breath.

Hama was most definitely with Katara, about to teach her awful technique. I had to stop her...

Regaining my senses, I stumbled to the shut door and grabbed the knob. To my horror, the door didn't budge. Peeking through a small crack in the wood, I found Hama had shoved a heavy piece of furniture in front of the door to barricade me in. With frustration, I backed up and then threw my body forward against the wooden doorframe. The furniture skid against the floorboards, but the door barely budged. My body pulsed in pain, but I knew I had to try again. However, repeating my thrust against the door, it still only moved an inch.

Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I looked around the room for anything that could help. Hama's window was too small for me to safely slip through, especially since I was on the second floor, and there was no other way out. My eyes landed then on the ink that still sat on her desk.

There's water in places you never think about…

Hama's words came to me as I stared at the liquid in the small container. Reaching my hand forward, I managed to pull the thick watery liquid out of the container. Bringing the black stream over to me, it was hard to maneuver being weighed down with the graphite mixed in, but I did my best. The full moon gave me the boost I needed to make what I was doing possible after Hama knocked me out.

Once the water was near me, I forced it down beneath the door and onto the floorboard in front of the furniture. Freezing the black liquid at the edge of the furniture to make a slick surface, I backed from the door again and shoved my weight against it once more. This time the furniture slid out, and I got the door cracked enough to slide my body through.

Once I was free from my bedroom prison, I raced down the hall and almost tripped down the stairs as panic fell over me. I knew I had to get to the field where Hama had told Katara and I she would teach us. Who knew what Hama would do to my sister when Katara refused to accept her horrible technique!

Rushing out of the inn, I raced through the grass under the light of the moon feeling my strength grow as I did. The power of the moon gave me the boost I needed to keep moving forward. Heading down the hill, I jumped over the small creek, and rushed into the forest. Following the path Hama had taken us before, I broke through the trees into the clearing.

There I saw Katara staring at Hama with horror, while the woman held her hand towards her. My sister's arm was twisted behind her, while Hama looked disappointed. "You should have learned the technique before you turned against me." She forced Katara to stand straight up into a stiff pose. "It's impossible to fight your way out of my grip. I control every muscle, every vein in your body."

Catching my breath, I shot my hand forward and took up water from the grass shooting it at Hama's arm. Freezing it midair, my ice hit her arm and knocked her concentration. She cried out in pain and Katara collapsed to the ground with a gasp. Once my sister was free, I lifted more water from the grass and shot it towards Hama. The woman caught herself this time and shot her hand my way catching my water and pushing it back. We shoved against one another's force, each of us trying to gain the upper hand.

"I see you woke from your nap," she snarled. "I was hoping my barricade would at least keep you in. I suppose you are stronger than I believed you to be. No matter… You won't stop me!"

I snapped, "Leave my family alone and I won't have to!"

I shoved my force harder, and my water approached her again.

She cackled. "You are no match for me, Crystal! From what I've gathered, your skills are far below your sister's!" She shoved the water harder and I lost my grasp. The stream came at me and I waited for the crash. It didn't come...

"You know nothing about her, Hama!" Katara had a hold of the water that had darted towards me, and she ripped it from Hama's grasp sending it falling to the ground.

Hama scowled and shot her hand at Katara again trying to control her once more. Katara froze for a moment, but the moon shone bright on her and she took a strained step forward. Hama gasped when she saw her blood bending was no longer able to control Katara.

"You're not the only one who draws power from the moon." Katara regained full control and stepped forward with narrowed eyes. "My bending is more powerful than yours, Hama. Your technique is useless on me!"

Katara yanked up more water from the field and shot it at Hama. Hama took the water with panic in her eyes and redirected the attack back towards Katara. My sister skillfully took the water again and flung it back, countering the counter-attack. While the water sailed forward, Hama extracted the water from two trees killing the giant plants. With the water, Hama created two large torrents and threw them forward. She also took Katara's attack and flung it back again. The three streams all formed one massive torrent of water and flew towards Katara with unbelievable speed. Katara stepped back and pressed her hand forward, blocking the attack. The water shot against what seemed to be a wall, and then exploded into a shower of droplets.

As water hit me, I came to my senses and joined the fight. Stepping forward, I yanked the falling water in front of me out of the air and created my own torrent shooting it at Hama. She saw my attack from the corner of her eyes and turned to stop it. As she did, Katara shot her own attack and her water managed to hit Hama while mine was blocked. The old woman was knocked off her feet into the mud.

As Hama lay on the floor, some rustling came from nearby out of the forest. Looking over, I was shocked to see Sokka, Aang, and Zuko appear.

Sokka shouted, "We know what you've been doing, Hama!"

Aang snapped, "Give up, you're outnumbered."

Zuko added, "We found the villagers you kidnapped! It's over!"

Hama was back to her feet, and sneered. "No! It isn't! You've outnumbered yourselves."

She turned to my brother, Zuko, and Aang and shot her hands at them. She grabbed up Zuko and Aang with her blood bendening, while Sokka stumbled back in shock. She started to fling them around like motionless puppets, and they both hollered in fear as they were flung towards both Katara and I. As Katara froze Aang to a tree so he didn't hit her, and I froze Zuko to another, we watched with horror as Hama turned to Sokka. My brother lost control of his body and was forced to yank out his sword. As Sokka gripped his sword unwillingly, he moved the sharp end towards Zuko.

"The enemy's son! I scored big tonight," Hama hissed, having lost all sense of sanity. "Now I can rid the world of one filth!"

My eyes widened in horror. "HAMA! NO!"

She ignored me and shot Sokka forward towards Zuko.

As Zuko's life flashed before my eyes and his, I felt pure adrenaline pour through me.

"ENOUGH!"

Shooting my hand towards Hama, I felt the liquid within her blood slow as I took control of her. As I forced her body to a still, Sokka stopped right as he was about to slice my horrified fiancé in the chest, and he dropped to the ground in shock releasing his weapon. Once Zuko was safe, I turned my attention in full to the woman before me. She stared over at Katara thinking my sister was the cause of her restraint, but when she realized that wasn't the case she looked over at me with bewilderment. "What…? You!"

Forcing her limbs back more, she gasped as she realized what I was doing. At that moment, all I felt was frustration towards this woman. She'd not only attacked me, but had tried to hurt my family and kill the love of my life.

"Ho- How are you capable of this… You're the weaker one?!" Hama managed to spit out her insult. "Yo- your sister is more experienced… How can you do this with such ease?"

"You threatened my family and tried to kill my fiancé... That's how..." My eyes burned with regret as I used the monster's technique against her. I had no choice though... I was painfully taking Hama's will away as I manipulated the blood inside her, but I knew it was the only way to end what had begun. I couldn't let her influence my little sister anymore. I couldn't let her hurt my brother, Aang, or Zuko again. I wouldn't let her hurt anyone else with her awful ability.

"I may not be a master waterbender," I spoke softly, stepping forward as I did. I pushed my hands further down and she was forced down on her knees as her blood moved with me. She stared at me with astonishment. "But I've found my strength in other ways these last few months… Being a prisoner to the Fire Nation has taught me many things… Things you will never be able to teach me or understand. The ones we view as monsters are different." Tears fell as I felt the moon's power and my hold on Hama grow. "I love Prince Zuko, and the reason I do is because he is good. Not everyone Fire Nation is a monster, Hama…" My eyes blurred. "The only monster I see right now is you."

Hama stared into my gaze for a moment, taking in all I spoke, and then a sinister smile came over her. "But I have taught you… I'd hoped your sister would be the one to carry the technique once I'm gone, but you will do as well."

Her words sent shivers down my spine. As Hama was forced to remain on her knees, villagers rushed through the edge of the forest looking furious. One man in the mob shouted, "There's the crazy woman! Get her!"

Once the villagers stepped over to Hama and got a hold of her, I released my hold on her blood setting her free. As the villagers started to drag her away, she turned her eyes my way. "Congratulations, Crystal. You are a bloodbender."

Once Hama was forced forward from the field to be locked up for her insanity, the world around us went silent. My body hadn't moved since the moment I released Hama from my hold. As silence fell, I heard the grass rustle behind me and a hand grab my shoulder.

"Crys… Are you okay?"

Katara's voice slowly brought me back to my senses.

"What was that? Did she say Bloodbender? Is that what happened," Sokka sputtered out. "She was controlling our blood! That is terrifying."

As I realized what I had done at last, more tears fell and I dropped to my knees in exhaustion. Shaking my head, I shut my eyes in agony. Hama had been using such an evil technique to do her evil works, and I had just used the same evil on her…

But… the scariest part of it all was that it came to me so simply. Usually others would need to practice such unusual bending, but when I reached out and stopped the liquid in Hama it was like second nature to me; almost like bloodbending was my destiny.

I'd always desired to be stronger, and to one day be a master waterbender… But a master bloodbender was not what I had in mind...

"I'm sorry," Katara whispered, hugging me close as I cried silent tears. "You were right about Hama… I should've listened to you."

Toph's voice spoke up from nearby. "Everyone's been freed from the cave…" She was trying to make the situation less awkward. "We should get back to Appa and leave. They know we're not from the Fire Nation, so they could come back for us too."

Aang added, "I was so worried. I thought Sokka was going to slice Zuko in two. Hama really wanted you dead!"

"Yeah… Sorry, Zuko," Sokka said. "I had no control."

"Not your fault," Zuko spoke softly. "None of us had a choice."

His last words were gestured towards me as suddenly he knelt beside me and took me from my sister's embrace. Being in his arms, I felt the guilt come over and I started apologizing through my tears.

"No… You did the right thing," he whispered. "Stop beating yourself up. You saved my life. You saved all of us."

Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed my face into his shirt. "I… I just thought you were going to die… I had to stop her. I'm sor-"

"Stop apologizing," Zuko spoke firmly, but I knew he was concerned. "It's over. It's okay."

Hugging him tighter, I felt my racing heart calm. "I… I don't know what came over me… I just had to stop her."

Sokka spoke up from where he stood beside us. "Remind me never to get on your bad side during a full moon." A smack was heard followed by my brother's yelp.

Another presence crouched beside me then, and I felt Aang's hand on my back. Looking over at him with question, he smiled at me reassuringly. "You were amazing just now, so stop beating yourself up about it… I know you don't feel great about what you did, but you will see soon you had to. When I went into the Avatar state and destroyed all of those ships at the North Pole, I felt awful for the lives I took. But then when I look back now, I realize if I hadn't done it so many more innocent people would've died. Sometimes we have to do horrible things to protect the ones we love, and in this event you had to use Hama's ability against her to save Zuko. You did the right thing, and none of us think you're a bad person for doing it."

Aang's reassurance made me feel better ever so slightly. He held his hand out to me, and I took it slowly to let him know I understood. As he helped me stand up, and Katara apologized profusely about not listening to us, I looked at the full moon with discomfort.

Never again… I would never bloodbend again.

Last thing I wanted was to take someone's free will away. I'd been restrained and confined before, and I never wanted to do that to another person. As my brother encouraged all of us to take our leave, and the group began to follow him back to Hama's inn to get our stuff, I kept my gaze on the moon above.

I'd been blessed with waterbending after my mother's death, but if the true power behind my bending ability was this awful talent to bloodbend then I didn't want it. The skill had come so easy to me, and for that I was terrified of myself. I would not let such an ability come out of me again.

"Hey," Zuko whispered, coming in my line of sight to block my gaze from the moon and bring me out of my reverie. "This changes nothing about you." His hand cupped my cheek softly. "It just shows how beautiful your heart is. You saved my life." He rested his forehead onto my own. "Thank you."

I shut my eyes, comforted by his words. "Well, there's no way I was letting you die by the blade of my brother."

Zuko held laughter in his next words. "It was sure to happen one day that he would take a swing at me." I opened my eyes with disbelief, and he smiled. "He's threatened me before that he has a sword and he isn't afraid to use it."

Shaking my head, I smiled as the guilt from earlier washed away. "He's way too protective."

Zuko kissed me on the lips to try and distract me from my regret. When he pulled away, he stated, "Clearly you are protective too from what happened today." He hugged me close, saying, "I actually thought I was a goner. Thanks to you though, I'm still in one piece."

Thinking back to how I felt when I saw his life flash before my eyes, I realized I didn't ever want to lose him. "You're too important for me to lose," I promised. "No one's hurting you if I have something to say about it."

He hugged me tighter. "Now you know how I feel. Especially with this crazy assassin trying to take you away from me."

I grimaced. "I'm sure he's given up by now. We haven't seen him in days."

Zuko pulled from me slightly, looked like he wanted to say something, but then he decided not to. He didn't want me to worry about what he was going to say.

"Come on," he whispered. "Let's get moving from this place. The farther we get, the better everyone will feel." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and began to lead me out of the field. As he did, I leaned against him with relief. I was glad he didn't see me as a monster for what I had just done. I was thankful he knew the best way to comfort me. I was elated that I had stopped Hama from taking my happiness away.

Third Person POV

A raven-eagle sat on the lower limb of a dead tree, watching as the two young teenagers left the field and disappeared into the woods together. As it perched above, a figure stepped out from behind the large shriveled plant below. His tall figure cast a long shadow across the dead grass of the field, and his three eyes followed his target and her loved one as they disappeared into the darkness of the forest. His metal boot sunk into the mud that was formed from the fight he'd seen unfold.

He could see his target had gotten more powerful in just the days he'd been attempting to follow their trail. Bloodbending was a skill he'd never seen before, but then again his ability to shoot fire from his forehead made such a skill believable. He knew then that if he wanted to acquire what he was set out to do then he was going to have to do it soon. He didn't know how much more powerful his target would get if he continued to wait.

Plus, the full moon meant that the eclipse would be arriving soon, and he had a deadline to make.

"The Fire Lord requests you retrieve his son's waterbender before the eclipse. If you do not accomplish this, your services will no longer be needed and you will be banished from Fire Nation soil," the soldier at the palace had told him the conditions of his hiring after he had met the Fire Lord.

He narrowed his two lower eyes while his third stayed wide on his forehead. He would not fail. The money was too good. The waterbender would be his by sunset tomorrow...