Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "No Light, No Light" by Florence and the Machine
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Author's Note: Big Katara chapter today! And on Monday, the spotlight moves to Sokka and Suki
Chapter 11 - The Puppetmaster
But would you leave me
If I told you what I've done
And would you leave me
If I told you what I've become
"Wake up, Katara. It's time."
Katara gets up slowly, not sure what's going on for a minute. She rubs her eyes and tries to think back.
Then she remembers: Hama is going to teach her the ultimate waterbending technique. And, using it, they're going to escape.
She stands quickly, her sleepiness disappearing. "I'm ready," she says.
"Good." Hama stands across from her in the other cell. She holds her hand together. "Breathe deeply, Katara. Feel the power of the full moon."
She does as the old woman says. She can feel the blood in her veins thrumming with extra energy.
"I feel so strong."
"For generations the moon has blessed Waterbenders with its glow." Hama stretches out her arms and Katara is shocked to see the veins in her arms popping out. "Allowing us to do incredible things." She smiles serenely. "I've never felt more alive."
Katara has to agree. And it's not just the full moon. Being here, with Hama, with another Waterbender, defying the Fire Nation at its very heart - Katara feels more awake than she's felt since waking up from the ice.
"What I'm about to show you is something I've discovered in my time in this wretched prison. It's kept me sane. Given me something to work on.
"Each month I felt this power, the power of the full moon. I knew there had to be something I could do to escape. And then, one day, I realized: where there is life, there is also water."
A rat scurries past. Hama grins. "The rats here are nothing more than skins filled with liquid." She reaches her hand out and the rat squeals as it suddenly goes still. Then she flicks her hand and the rat dances along with the motions of her fingers.
"I've spent years developing the skill that will lead us to escape." She pauses for a long moment. Katara can barely take her eyes off the rat to look at Hama. "Bloodbending. It's simply controlling the water in another's body. Enforcing your own will over theirs. Now that I've mastered the rats, I'm ready for men."
Katara is shocked. She doesn't know what to say. Every cell in her body is screaming that this is evil, manipulative, wrong. She knows her parents wouldn't approve. She knows how dark this art of bloodbending is.
But is it more evil than being locked up down here to rot? Is it more evil than being manipulated by the Fire Lord himself?
She remembers Hama's words from earlier: "When you're a Waterbender in a foreign land, you do what you must to survive." She agreed with those words. She still thinks they're true.
And this might be their only way to escape.
Katara has to escape. She's the Avatar. She has to save the world. She can't do that if she's locked down here and no one knows. She has to escape.
So even though she knows it's wrong, she doesn't stop Hama. She asks for instruction.
"How can I learn to do this?"
Hama points to the rat. "Start with it. Focus on the water. I think you will find it easy."
Katara closes her eyes and does what Hama says. She imagines the rat running in circles. She imagines the water inside the rat moving in circles. She creates the bending motions to manipulate the water. And when she opens her eyes, she's happy to see the rat running in circles.
"Excellent job, young Katara. You are very strong." Hama smiles warmly at her. "Once you perfect this technique, you can control anything. Or anyone. We are escaping tonight. Our cells will be unlocked by the very same guards who locked us up in here. We will walk free."
"But there are no guards around," Katara says. She wants to escape. She really does. But to reach into someone and control them? She's not sure she wants that kind of power.
"That's why I couldn't escape alone. But with two of us, we can lure the guards in." Hama reaches out and takes Katara's hands gently in her own. "Are you ready, dear?"
Katara swallows. She doesn't want to do this. It feels so wrong. But she has to escape. "Yes."
"Have strength. This whole nightmare will be over soon."
Hama retreats back into the dark part of her cell. "Call out for the guards. Tell them there's something wrong with me."
Katara takes a deep breath. It's hard for her to force the words out of her mouth. "Guards! Guards! Come quick! I think the other woman is dying!"
The door slams open and the sound of their footsteps echoes down the hall. Katara holds the edge of her bars tightly, pretending to look worried. "She hasn't woken up hours," she tells the pair when they get close.
They fumble for their keys. Suddenly they jerk still. Shock crosses their face. Then, moving almost robotically, their hands take their keys and unlock the cells. As Hama emerges from the darkness, rage on her face, she throws the guards back against the opposite wall. They fall to the floor and lay there motionless.
Katara stares. She didn't think people would actually get hurt. She's starting to like this idea less and less. Her uneasiness grows.
"Come, Katara. Those are only the first two."
"Did you kill them?" she asks quietly.
"No. They're only unconscious. I had to," Hama explains, her voice softening. "Otherwise they would have followed us and raised the alarm. Now, come."
Katara reluctantly accepts it and follows Hama up the stairs. They travel level to level, Hama bloodbending the guards. Katara follows. She feels so incredibly guilty.
Somehow, on one of the levels, a guard manages to raise an alarm. Within seconds they're surrounded by a dozen Fire Nation men.
"Now, Katara!" Hama cries. "Now we get our revenge!"
The Fire Nation guards begin bending. Katara reaches out and moves their arms by tiny fractions so that the fire blows harmlessly past her and Hama. It frustrates the soldiers to no end. She doesn't like using the power, but she supposes that, in small ways, for good reasons, it's okay.
Then she hears a cry of pain. She looks over and sees that Hama is drastically bending the soldiers, twisting their arms in unnatural ways until their bones snap. Then she forces them on their knees and shoves their foreheads into the ground.
"Hama!" she cries. "That's enough!"
The old woman has a crazy look in her eyes. "For over fifty years I have rotted in that prison cell! I haven't seen the sun or a tree or the stars. I ate the same bland bread and had to drink water out of their hands! It was humiliating! I couldn't clean myself or comb my hair! All because I could control water! This is my revenge!"
"Stop it! The one you're mad at is the Fire Lord, not these men. They're just doing their job."
"Every man has a choice to follow orders or not. These men chose wrongly."
Katara shakes her head. This is too far. This is sick. They aren't even escaping anymore; Hama is simply torturing these men.
"I can't let you do this. Stop or else I'll stop you."
Hama whirls around. "You'll stop me?" she cackles. "What a sweet sentiment. It's a shame you aren't able to carry on our culture's traditions."
"These aren't our traditions! You aren't from my tribe. You're a twisted, crazy old lady!"
Suddenly Katara's arm is jerked. She can't control it. She cries out in frustration as she tries to fight Hama's control. It's no use. Hama bloodbends both of her arms to straighten stiffly at her sides.
"You should have perfected the technique before challenging me! It's impossible to fight your way out of my grip. I control every muscle, every vein, in your body."
She forces Katara to rush one way, then another way, and then back; and then Katara's knees go out and she is forced to kneel before Hama.
"Stop!" she cries. "Please."
Hama laughs evilly. "I gave you the chance to join me. You refused. Perhaps after you've rotted in a cell here for fifty years you'll understand."
Katara closes her eyes. She thinks of her brother. She thinks of her parents. She thinks of her tribe. This is not their legacy. Hama is not their legacy.
But she is.
Katara is the Avatar. She is a master Waterbender. She's at the peak of her power. She had weeks of practicing with Zuko on the ship before coming here. Hama did nothing but bloodbend rats for years. And Katara draws just as much power from the moon as the old lady.
Katara stands. Hama's control over her body falls away. Katara rises and faces the old witch.
"I'm stronger than you," she declares. "You have no power over me."
She reaches down and grabs the canteen from a guard at her feet. She pours the water out and bends it, sending it shooting towards Hama. The old woman catches it, bends in around herself, and sends it flying back. Katara shoots out a hand and the water explodes harmlessly into the air.
Hama watches, stunned. Katara narrows her eyes. She jumps up, twists her arms, and sends the water spiraling towards Hama. The old woman is knocked off her feet with a cry.
Hama climbs to her feet slowly.
"Give up," Katara warns. "Walk out of here right now and I'll let you go."
Hama grins. "I think not."
She raises her arms and the guards suddenly lurch to their feet. They draw their weapons and start advancing clumsily towards Katara.
Katara grabs another canteen and uses the water to shove the guards away. As they advance she kicks them and uses a bit of water to shove them against the wall, where the water solidifies into ice and holds them securely.
"It would be a shame if all the guards decided to kill themselves, now wouldn't it?" Hama asks. She waves her arms and the ice melts, freeing the guards. Then she claps her hands and they start flying towards each other, weapons outstretched.
"No!"
Katara raises her arms. The guards suddenly freeze before falling to the ground. Hama looks shocked. She struggles to move her body, but Katara has her held fast. She slowly manipulates her into kneeling on the ground.
The guards regain themselves. Katara holds Hama down until the guards clasp iron shackles around her wrists. As they lead her away, she hears one say, "She's too dangerous to be left alive."
And then, right before Hama disappears out of sight, she hears her say, "Well done, Katara. You're a bloodbender." An insane cackle follows and gradually fades away.
She falls to her knees. Her arms are shaking. She feels so empty inside. What has she done?
She barely notices the guards slapping shackles around her own wrists and escorting her back down to her cell. She barely hears the clang of the door as it shuts behind her. She can barely feel the chill of her cell and the emptiness of loneliness setting in.
What has she become?
It's not just the bloodbending. It's everything that has happened since Katara woke up from the ice. She's tried her best to be trusting and compassionate, like her parents taught her. But what has it gotten her? She was betrayed by the boy she started to get feelings for and was manipulated by someone who should have been family.
Her parents told her that loving and being kind and trusting were good qualities, not weakness. But all those things have brought her so far is pain and suffering.
Katara can't help the tears that build up and flow down her face. She's only sixteen years old. She shouldn't have to be dealing with all of this. It's not fair.
She wishes she hadn't woken up from the ice at all.
Zuko stands under the full moon. It's their last night on Ember Island. Tomorrow they're going back to the palace. Tomorrow he has to start pretending to be the perfect prince again.
Yesterday was fun. They creamed some kids at volleyball, crashed a party, and got real with each other. Zuko felt like he belonged. He was a jerk at times, yeah, but by the end of the night, everyone had worked everything out.
He knows everything is going to change again when they go back to the palace. Mai will go back to being the perfect, obedient daughter. Azula will lose any signs of caring about them. Zuko will either repress his anger or take it out on others. Only Ty Lee will remain unchanged. She has no one to impress. She's lucky.
The more he thinks about it, the more he dreads going back home. He dreads being the perfect son. He dreads sitting in war meetings and trying to keep a straight face while they talk about destroying entire cities. He dreads having to be waited on every minute of every day by servants who never leave his presence. He dreads fancy balls and dinners. He dreads having to keep the truth about how he feels inside.
He never thought that he'd think this, but he misses the days aboard his ship. Especially the ones right before Azula's visit. He misses Iroh's confusing proverbs and he misses training with Katara.
Earlier in the day, he and the girls had gone to see a play by the Ember Island Players. (Not Love Amongst Dragons - he's seen that play a million times as a kid and it only seems to get worse every time). He doesn't remember the name, but it was about a princess who gave up her throne for a poor man that she loved. She was happier poor with him than rich in the palace. Until the famine came and they starved to death because they had no money, that is. (Because Ozai would never approve of nor support a play with themes where love wins out over duty to country).
The performance of the play hadn't been good, of course. The Ember Island Players aren't known for being good. They're known for being entertaining. And it was entertaining - at least, for Azula and Mai. Ty Lee was enjoying it until everyone died. Zuko couldn't help but draw parallels to his own life, which hit way too close to home.
"I can't believe they all died!" Ty Lee had said, wiping away tears on her sleeve. "Why couldn't they just be happy together?"
"It's what they deserved," Azula declared. "Only a fool would give up power for love."
"I would never give up my luxurious life for a boy," Mai said. She had wrapped her arm around Zuko's. "That's why I'm with Zuko."
He knows she was being sarcastic, but he also thinks she was telling a little bit of truth. He doesn't think Mai would ever consider being with someone not from a rich family. It's just too ingrained in her. She wouldn't know how to survive without her money - or, rather, she wouldn't want to survive without her money.
The girls had stared at him, waiting for his review. "Uh, the girl who played the princess was pretty," he finally said, earning a slap from Mai. He deserved it.
The truth is, he couldn't reveal what he was really thinking. When he watched the production, he just thought of how he was becoming happy in those weeks when Katara had joined him on the ship. He was becoming so happy that he was about to let his old life and his throne go. If Azula hadn't visited, Katara would be with her brother now and he and Iroh would be living in some Earth Kingdom city now. He would have given up his seat at his father's right hand side.
Would he have been happier? That's the question he keeps asking himself. If he had let Katara go, would he be happier now?
He thinks he would be. That's the biggest truth he's learned on Ember Island.
He hears footsteps approaching behind him. Mai sits next to him on the dock and wraps a blanket around his shoulders before leaning against him.
"Azula and Ty Lee are still arguing about that stupid play," she says with a sigh. "It wasn't even a real story."
"What would you have done if I never came back?" he asks suddenly. "If I never found the Avatar."
"I imagine I would have waited a few years then married whoever offered me the best life," she replies without hesitation. "Why?"
He shakes his head. "I've been thinking about how different my life would be. I can't picture it."
"Then don't. It doesn't matter. You did capture the Avatar, and you're here now."
She's right, he supposes. The what-ifs don't matter. He made his choice. Now he has to move on.
But what if he could fix his mistake? It's not too late to help Katara. He could break her out of prison. She could go on and achieve her destiny of defeated the Fire Lord and saving the world. He'd be giving up his destiny, of course. He'd have to flee from the Fire Nation. He wouldn't be welcomed anywhere. Not even Katara would forgive him after what he did to her. She'd just run without looking back.
No. It's too late. There's no fixing the damage he's caused. He's just going through a phase. In a few months he won't even think about her anymore. He won't think about his guilt. Maybe he'll even start thinking like Azula and then he won't have to pretend to be the perfect prince. He will be the perfect prince.
"You're thinking about the play, aren't you?" Mai accuses.
"Yeah."
She sighs. "It's just a dumb show. A princess wouldn't even have the chance to meet a poor man. And why would she pick the one poor man when she has dozens of rich men to choose from?"
Zuko thinks about how every time he goes to the beach a dozen girls are not so subtly watching him and shooting Mai jealous looks. A lot of those girls are daughters of nobles and generals.
"Maybe she doesn't like any of those noble men. Maybe they're all shallow and wouldn't like the real her."
Mai turns and looks at him. "I already told you, Zuko. I care about the real you. I waited for you."
But he didn't wait for her.