(Note) This one was fun to write. It really was, but I have to say that it was difficult work as well. I think it was worth it. Read, and you decide for yourself. Also, check out my new poll. It directly affects this story. It's simple: Do you, my readers, want The Day of Black Sun posted as two seperate chapters, or as one long 'movie length' chapter?

Adversus solem ne loquitor.

Eight The Puppetmaster

The gang was sitting around a campfire, trees around them rustling in the wind. Sokka was gesturing wildly.

"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall, in the dark. Oooh...It came into the torchlight. And they knew the blade of Wing - Fun was haunted! Aah-ah..." He waved his sword around in front of his face.

Aang shook his head. "I think I liked "the man with a sword for a hand" better."

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

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

Zuko looked at her. "Is this one of those 'a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happened to' stories?"

Katara smiled grimly. "No, it happened to my Mom." Everyone turned to her, curious.

Now that she had everyone's attention, Katara began. "One winter, when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later, Mom realized she hadn't seen her friend Nini since the storm. So mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home, just a fire flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, Mom stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice…"

Katara mimicked a little girl's voice. "'It's so cold and I can't get warm.' Mom turned and saw Nini standing by the fire. She was blue, like she was frozen. Mom ran outside for help, but…when everyone came back, Nini was gone."

Sokka whimpered from his spot behind a tree. "W…where did she go?"

Katara shrugged. "No one knows. Nini's house stands empty to this day. But sometimes, people see smoke coming up from the chimney, like little Nini is still trying to get warm."

Toph gasped, and placed her hand on the ground. "Wait. Guys, did you hear that? I hear people under the mountain, and they're screaming!"

At this the others cried out, startled by the ghost stories. Sokka snorted when he regained his composure.

"Nice try." He commented.

Toph shook her head. "No, really! I'm being serious."

Katara laughed weakly. "You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories."

"It's gone. I can't hear it anymore." Toph continued.

Aang grabbed Momo, twisting the lemur's ears in nervousness. "Now I'm getting scared."

An old woman appeared from the shadows. "Hello, children." Aang and Sokka screamed very unmanly screams, and hid behind a tree.

"Sorry to frighten you." The old woman said. "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."

Sokka was the first to respond. "Yes, please."

Hama poured them all tea. "Thanks for letting us stay here tonight." Katara spoke up.

"Aren't you sweet? You know, you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in." Hama told them.

Sokka swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Hama spoke, her tone ominous. "When the moon turns full, people walk in, and they don't walk out." She smiled cheerily. "Who wants more tea?" At the expression on the gang's faces, she smiled again. "Don't worry; you'll all be completely safe here. Why don't I show you to your rooms, and you can get a good night's rest?"

Sokka changed out of his clothes, and crossed over to his bed. He shook his head at Momo, who was already passed out of the floor.

As he laid down, he could hear trees creaking outside, scraping against the wood of the walls. He sighed, and closed his eyes.

A high-pitched squeak brought him straight up in bed, sword in hand. Momo woke up, and burrowed under the covers.

Sokka looked wildly around before sheathing his sword. Momo chirped, and Sokka nodded.

"I know, Momo. This place is creepy. I don't think I can get to sleep."

Moments later, he was off in dreamland, snoring so loud Momo squeezed under the door to get away.

Zuko yawned, and opened his eyes, yelping in shock at the old face peering into his own. That is not what I need to see in the morning.

Hama smiled widely as she straightened back up. "Wakey-wakey. Time to go shopping."

Zuko sat up, and sighed at the sight of Katara already dressed and ready to go. She smiled. "Come on, hurry up."

Zuko hated shopping. He hated it very much. Especially when he played the part of pack mule. Right now, he was loaded down with all the packages Hama and Katara had bought, and they were still not done.

As they walked away from a merchant, Katara laughed. "You know that Mr. Yao seemed to have thing for you. Maybe we should back and see if we can get some free Komodo sausages."

Hama managed to look offended. "You would have me use my feminine charms to take advantage of that poor man?" She smiled. "I think you and I will get along swimmingly."

Katara laughed again, and looked back at Zuko. He managed a smile, thinking there was no point in ruining Katara's mood.

"You won't have any ash bananas till next week?" A man asked a merchant, incredulous.

"Well, I have to send the boy to Hing-Wa Island to get them, and it's a two-day trip." The merchant said simply.

His customer's eyes widened. "Oh, right, tomorrow's the full moon."

The merchant nodded. "Right. I can't lose another delivery boy in the woods."

Aang, Sokka, and Toph stood nearby listening. Satisfied, they walked off. "People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff during full moons…this just reeks of spirit world shenanigans." Sokka commented, patting Aang's bald head.

Aang grinned. "I bet if we take a little walk around town, we'll find out what these people did to the environment to make the spirits mad."

Sokka nodded sagely, and gestured. "And then you can sew up this little mystery, lickety-split, Avatar-style."

Aang posed. "Helping people…its what I do."

"You two are dorks." Toph declared.

Hama turned to the kids. "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 peered at her. "This is a mysterious little town you have here." He said.

Hama smiled wildly. "Mysterious town for mysterious children." She walked off, and Sokka stared after her for a moment, suspicious.

Zuko set the groceries on the table, trying to ignore Sokka, who was arguing with Katara.

"Something about that Hama seems strange." Sokka repeated. "Like she knows something, or is hiding something."

Katara sighed. "She's a nice old lady who took us in and gave us a place to stay." Katara smiled. "She kind of reminds me of Gran Gran."

Sokka pointed at his sister. "What did she mean by the comment about mysterious children?"

"Oh, enough!" Zuko snapped. "Sokka, she found five strange kids camping in the woods at night…no parents. Isn't that even a little mysterious?"

Sokka stared at his sister and Zuko. Defeated, he turned to the stairs. "I'm gonna look around."

He ran up the stairs, the others following. "What are you doing!" Katara hissed. "You can't just snoop around someone's house!"

"She could be back any minute." Aang stared out a window, watching for the old innkeeper.

"You're gonna get us in trouble…" Katara said nervously. "And this is just plain rude."

Sokka stopped in front of a cabinet. "Hey…" He grabbed the handles, and pulled. "Its stuck…or something." He grunted, pulling as hard as he could, and the door flew open, dozens of marionettes falling out.

"Okay, that's pretty creepy." Zuko admitted.

"She's got a hobby. So what?" Katara shut the doors. "Let's go back to the kitchen, Sokka."

Ignoring her, Sokka went to the attic, but it was locked. "Just an ordinary, puppet-loving innkeeper, huh?" Sokka demanded wildly. "Then why does she have a locked door here, huh?"

Katara replied angrily. "Probably to keep people like you from snooping in her things!"

Sokka peered into the keyhole. "It's empty except for a small chest."

Toph grinned. "Maybe its treasure!"

Sokka pulled his sword, and used the tip to pick the lock. "Breaking into a private room." He muttered. "I feel so alive!"

"Hurry up, Snoozles!" Toph urged. "I want to know what's in there!"

The door swung open, and Katara shook her head. "I can't be a part of this."

Sokka, Aang, and Toph rushed into the room. Sokka picked up the chest, and tried to pry it open. "It's locked."

"There must be a key somewhere." Aang suggested.

Toph snorted. "Give it here!" She took the box, and removed her meteor bracelet. Tapping the lock, she smiled, and the rock formed a key. She began to work the lock, changing the key as needed,

"Come on, come on!" Sokka pleaded.

"This isn't as easy as it looks!" Toph snapped, and then the lid popped open. Everyone, Katara and Zuko included crowded around the box.

"What is it?" Toph demanded.

"I'll tell you what's in the box." Hama said, and they all jumped guiltily. Sokka dropped the box, and Hama picked it up. She removed a carved blue comb made out of bone.

"An old comb?" Sokka asked, disappointed.

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

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara asked, stunned. Hama smiled sweetly at her. "Just like you." She said, replacing the comb. Her smiled widened at Katara's confusion.

"How did you know?" Katara asked.

Hama set the small chest down, and took Katara's hands. "I heard you talking around your campfire."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Sokka demanded.

Hama faced him, her smile fading slightly. "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."

"Great." Aang muttered, grimacing.

"I knew I felt a bond with you right away." Katara told the old woman.

Sokka grinned smugly. "And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right." He cringed when Katara punched him in the arm. "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around."

Hama looked pleased. "Apology accepted. Now let's get cooking."

"Here, buddy!" Aang tossed a cabbage to Appa from his spot by the door, and then ran off, ready for his own supper.

Momo dropped in front of the bison, scolding, and Appa spat out the cabbage. Satisfied, Momo grabbed the vegetable and flew off.

Aang leaned toward Toph and Zuko. "I'd steer clear of the sea prunes."

"I thought they were ocean kumquats?" Toph asked.

Aang shrugged. "Close enough."

The stew was done, and Hama set bowls in front of her guests. "Who wants five-flavor soup?"

Gratefully, everyone raised their hands. Hama smiled. Placing the pot in the middle of the table, she bent the liquid up, and into each bowl.

Katara looked at her happily. "You're a waterbender! I've never met another waterbender from our tribe!"

Hama replied, saddened. "That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out."

Sokka slurped his soup. "So, how'd you wind up here?"

Hama closed her eyes. "I was stolen from my home. It was over sixty years ago when the raids first started. They came again and again, each time, rounding up more of our Waterbenders, and taking them captive. We did our best to hold them off, but our numbers dwindled as the raids continued." Hama took a deep, shaky breath. "Finally, I too was captured. I was led away in chains. The last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. They put us in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one who managed to escape."

Sokka swallowed the last of his food. "How did you get away?" A thought occurred to him. "And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?"

Hama shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's too painful to talk about any more."

Katara looked down, picking at her food. "We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid."

Hama patted her hand. "You poor dears."

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

Hama smiled softly. "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."

"Yes, yes of course! To learn about my heritage, it would mean everything to me." Katara exclaimed excitedly.

"Growing up at the South Pole, Waterbenders are totally at home surrounded by snow and ice and seas." Hama said. She and Katara were walking outside the village, crossing a rocky landscape. "But, as you probably noticed on your travels, that isn't the case wherever you go."

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

Hama nodded. "That's why you have to learn to control water wherever it exists."

"I've even used my own sweat for waterbending!" Katara told the older bender enthusiastically.

"That's good, Katara. You're thinking like a true master." Hama replied. "But did you know you can even pull water out of thin air? You've got to keep an open mind, Katara There's water in places normally don't think of."

She moved her arm in a wide arc, and held her hand in front of Katara's face. Her fingers were covering with water. Hama thrust her hand, and the water froze into ice darts, impaling a tree.

Katara watched, amazed.

Aang stared down the valley, impressed by the scenery. "This has gotta be the nicest natural setting in the Fire Nation. I don't see anything that would make a spirit mad around here."

Toph sat on a rock, yawning. "Maybe the moon spirit just turned mean."

Sokka, frozen in the act of sniffing some yellow flowers spun around, brandishing the bouquet like his sword. His eyes bulged as he shouted at the blind girl. "The moon spirit is a gentle, loving lady! She rules the sky with compassion and…lunar goodness!"

A traveler was passing by, crossing over to the other side of the road at Sokka's tirade.

"Excuse me, sir. Can you tell us anything about the spirit that's been stealing people?" Aang called after him. The man slowed, considering.

"Only one man ever saw it and lived, and that's Old Man Ding." He told them, stopping fully.

"Where does Old Man Ding live?" Toph asked.

Katara and Hama walked through a large field filled with exotic red flowers and was dotted with boulders. Katara could see the mountain Aang had wanted to search in the distance. She knelt. "These flowers are beautiful."

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

Katara smiled, turning to her new 'teacher.' "I met a Waterbender who lived in a swamp, and could control the vines by bending the water inside."

Hama smiled coldly. "You can take it even further. " She moved her hands, spinning in a circle, and water ripped from the flowers formed around her. Finishing her circle, Hama slashed into a boulder with her jet of water. The boulder fell apart in four neat pieces.

Katara looked down at the wide, blackened patch around Hama. "That was amazing, but its shame about those lilies." She commented sadly.

Hama waved her hand dismissively. "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 your bending is at its peak."

Katara started, alarmed. "But isn't that dangerous? I thought people have been disappearing around here during the full moon."

Hama laughed, and led Katara toward the woods. "Oh, Katara. Two master Waterbenders beneath a full moon? I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Aang led Toph and Sokka through the town, following the instructions the traveler had given them. They spotted a thin old man getting ready to hammer a nail into a board covering his window.

"Old Man Ding?" Aang asked, startling the old man who smashed his thumb.

Old Man Ding dropped his hammer, shouting. "Eeh, yeow! Aw, dang blame it! What?" He faced the three young people. "Can't you see I'm busy? Got a full moon rising."

Old Man Ding stopped ranting. "And why does everyone call me that? I'm not that old." He bent down to pick up the fairly small board he'd dropped, but couldn't. The old man sighed. "Well, at least I'm young at heart. Not ready to get snapped up by some moon monster, yet, at least."

As Aang helped place the board, Sokka picked up the hammer and nail. He tapped the nail in place before smashing it home. "We wanted to ask you about that."

"Did you get a good look at the spirit that took you?" Aang asked.

Ding shook his head. "Didn't see no spirit. Just felt something come over me, like I was possessed. Forced me to start walking toward the mountain." He pointed at the mountain that silently rose over the town. "I tried to fight it, but I couldn't control my own limbs. Just about had me into a cave up there. And I looked up at the moon, for what I thought would be my last glimpse of light. But then, the sun started to rise. And I got control of myself again! I just high-tailed it away from that mountain as quick as I could!" The old man punctuated his story with some fairly odd gestures.

"Why would a spirit want to take people to a mountain?" Sokka wondered, setting the hammer in Ding's toolbox.

Toph, who had been listening quietly, suddenly moaned, startling her friends. "Oh, no! I did hear people screaming under the mountain. The missing villagers must still be there!"

Aang and Sokka turned toward the mountain.

Zuko frowned as he followed the other three. "This had better be worth waking me up." He told them. "Anything yet?"

Toph knelt, and laid a hand on the ground. "I can hear them, they're this way." She ran off, leading the boys farther and farther up the mountain.

"Where's Katara?" Zuko asked.

"She's with Hama." Sokka replied. "They should be fine."

The moon was rising, and with it, the odd rush Katara had experienced each time it had grown full.

Hama reached up to the sky, her skin seeming to rustle under her robes. She took a deep, excited breath. "Can you feel the extreme power the moon brings? For generations, she has blessed us waterbenders with her power, making us capable of incredible accomplishments."

Hama let the pale light wash over her, and she smiled. "I've never felt more alive." She turned to Katara.

"This is the place." Toph announced, stopping in front of a cave.

"I can't see anything down there." Sokka replied. Toph grabbed his hand, and dragged him after her, Zuko and Aang following.

"That's why you got me and Sparky." She led them down the darkness, a flame Zuko held in his palm lighting up the immediate area.

After some time, the path began to brighten, and they came across a large steel doorway lit with two torches.

Toph felt it, then planted her feet, punching the door with both fists. It buckled, flying off the hinges, and the earthbender cracked her knuckles, and led the way through.

The torches Sokka and Aang brought in revealed a terrible place. Dozens of people were chained up, in varying states of health.

"We're saved!" One man cried out, tears in his eyes. Toph immediately began undoing locks.

"I didn't know spirits made prisons like this." Aang helped set the first man down.

A woman scoffed. "Spirits, hah! It was her, that old witch with the inn."

"Hama?" Zuko asked softly.

The woman nodded. "Yeah, her, she did it." Zuko dropped his torch, and ran out of the prison.

"Where are you…" Sokka shook his head. "Let's get these people out, then go find Katara and Hama. That old lady has a lot to answer for."

"What I'm about to show you, I discovered in that wretched, Fire Nation prison. The guards were always careful to keep any water away from us. They piped in dry air, and had us suspended away from the ground." Hama and Katara stood in a wide clearing lit with pale light.

"Before giving us any water, they would bind our hands and feet so we couldn't bend. Any sign of trouble was met with cruel retribution." Hama clenched her fists angrily.

"And yet, each month, I felt the full moon enriching me with its energy. There had to be something I could do to escape." Hama smiled thinly. "Then I realized that where there is life, there is water. The rats that scurried across the floor of my cage, were nothing more than skins filled with liquid, and I passed years developing the skills that would lead to my escape." Hama reached out to the moon again. "Bloodbending. Controlling the water in another body, enforcing your own will over theirs. Once I had mastered the rats, I was ready for the men."

Katara stared at the old woman in horror as she finished her tale. "During the next full moon, I walked free for the first time in decades, my cell unlocked by the very guards assigned to keep me in. Once you perfect this technique, you can control anything…or anyone."

Katara shifted nervously, uncomfortable. "But, to reach inside someone and control them? I don't know if I want that kind of power."

Hama glared. "The choice is not yours. The power exists…and it's your duty to use the gifts you've been given to win this war. Katara, they tried to wipe us out, our entire culture…your mother! You should understand what I'm talking about! We're the last Waterbenders of the Southern Tribe. We have to fight these people whenever we can. Wherever they are, with any means necessary!"

Katara stepped back, realizing the truth. "It's you. You're the one who's making people disappear during the full moons."

Hama snarled at her. "They threw me in prison to rot, along with my brothers and sisters. They deserve the same. You must carry on my work!"

"I won't! I won't use bloodbending, and I won't allow you to keep terrorizing this town!" Katara replied defiantly. She cried out as her arm twisted to the side, wrenching painfully behind her back.

"You should have learned the technique before you turned against me." Hama eye's glinted cruelly. "It's impossible to fight your way out of my grip. I control every muscle, every vein in your body."

She tortured Katara, forcing her to move into agonizing positions, toying with her like a puppet. Hama forced Katara to her knees, laughing harshly.

"Please…stop!" Katara groaned, tears of pain in her eyes. She clenched the grass under her hands, trying to fight through the pain…and then it cleared as fire poured along the ground.

Hama danced back from the flames, and Zuko entered the clearing. "Are you all right, Katara?"

Katara felt the moon's power rush through her, and the girl looked at the older waterbender, anger in her eyes. "I'm fine."

She rose as the old woman stared in mute shock. Katara readied herself to fight. "You aren't the only one who draws power from the moon. My bending is more powerful than yours!" Katara spoke to Zuko. "This is my fight."

Katara raised her arms, bending the water from the grass beneath her into a spiraling ring. She sprang forward, spinning, and the water rushed toward Hama.

The old woman bent the attack, rolling with it and sending it back to Katara with even more force.

Katara caught the water, and again it darted between the two waterbenders. Hama quickly bent the water from two trees, and unleashed two torrents of water before countering Katara's attack.

All three roaring, rushing attacks merged, a massive ball of turbulent water rushing for Katara. Katara planted her foot the way Toph had shown her, palms outstretched, and the water abruptly stopped, dissipating into a surge of droplets that hung in the air.

Fear and shock openly stood out on Hama's face, and Katara attacked again, dashing forward and bringing her hands together.

The water coalesced into two different waves, both striking the old woman, sending her spinning like a top.

She slowly rose, casting a glance at Zuko, who stood off the side, intently watching. She grinned, the hate and evil in her eyes making the action sinister. "You are powerful. A true master, Katara." Hama laughed, her voice echoing. "But still a young fool!"

Zuko cried out as he lost control of his body. "You should have finished me!" Hama shouted.

Zuko's hands slowly reached for the broadswords, the firebender's face flushed with rage as he tried to stop. He drew his swords, and his body hovered, rushing toward Katara. His hands slashed wickedly at the waterbender, who managed to duck.

Cringing, Katara drew more water, and pushed Zuko back, freezing him to a tree. "Sorry, Zuko!"

He panted, shivering. "Do what you have to."

Hama cackled. "Don't hurt your boyfriend, dear!" The ice around Zuko melted, and his body jerked again. "And don't let him hurt himself!"

Zuko dropped both broadswords, and in a flash, his hands pulled his dagger free, the blade sinking deeply into his shoulder.

His cry of pain carried through the woods, and the blade slid free, this time aimed for his good eye. It stopped just before piercing Zuko's eye, and the firebender slumped to the ground.

Zuko looked at Hama, who was twitching, face clouded with rage. Anxiously, Zuko turned to Katara, whose arms were outstretched, her face shocked before it dawned with terrible realization. She brought her hands down, bringing Hama to her knees.

Hama struggled to get up, but angry voices were coming. Hama faced Katara, a smug grin on her face as the mob of prisoners, led by Aang, Toph, and Sokka, arrived.

Hama was soon bound in the same chains she had used on the townspeople. "You're going to be locked away forever." A former prisoner growled.

As she was led away, Hama faced a still numb Katara. "My work is done. Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender." Her evil laughter followed her as the villagers led Hama away.

Those words cut through the younger woman. Katara weakly sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Zuko knelt next to her, and Katara latched on to him, crying into his unwounded shoulder.

Next time on Avatar: Chapter Nine "Nightmares and Daydreams." The impending invasion has Aang unraveling. Zuko leaves the group, sharing a secret with Katara that could effect the world. And why the hell is Aang hallucinating wedding piictures?