Hey guys, new chapter. After I post this, I'm going to re-read this story, just because i have to see where I'm going with it. Anyway, lots of stuff happening in this chapter :D. Hope you like it. Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own.
"This move I'm going to show you, I was forced to learn." Katara was sitting on the snowy ground in the training area, across from Naoki. Sokka, Aang, Toph, Suki and Zuko were sitting a few feet away, speculating; Kaskae was playing with Momo and Aang. "I'm sure you've noticed while your travels with my Dad, there's not a lot of water around to bend."
Naoki nodded. "I once used fog for my bending, but that was just to fight off a platypus bear."
"I once used my own sweat." Katara shrugged, but she could see the other's recoiled away in disgust. "Not only can you use fog and sweat, but you can even pull water out of thin air," To demonstrate, Katara waved her hand in the air, and water followed her fingers.
Naoki repeated the move, but came up with less water than her teacher. "That's pretty useful, but. . .why are you teaching me these methods now? I thought I'd learn it later in my lessons."
"It comes in handy when you're trapped in the middle of a desert." Katara glanced towards her brother.
Sokka noticed and remembered. "Hey! That's not my fault! Momo was the one to spill it all, and I was thirsty, what did you expect?"
"Well we certainly didn't expect you to drink juice from a random cactus." Toph commented.
"It was quenchable!"
Katara rolled her eyes. "Anyway, these methods will help you with the technique I'm about to show you. It involves drawing water from the last place you'd expect."
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "You said you were forced to learn this technique? What do you mean by that?"
Katara took a deep breath. "There was an old woman from our tribe, a waterbender like us. She was stolen 60 years ago from a Fire Nation raid, that was the last waterbender out tribe has seen, until I was born." Zuko listened carefully to this story, he hasn't heard it before and he finds it interesting. "While she was in prison, during a full moon she discovered the art of bloodbending. Where there is life, there is water. Controlling the water in another body. Enforcing your own will over theirs. We have to fight these people whenever we can. Wherever they are, with any means necessary!"
Sokka's hand on her shoulder brought her back to her senses. "You're turning into Hama again, just calm down," He knelt down next to Katara, and felt her forehead. "take a breather."
Katara closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Hama's influence still haunts me, I guess. You don't have to learn this if you don't want to."
Naoki disagreed. "It's important, and even though I don't like it, I have to know this incase of an emergency."
Katara stood and fixed Naoki a good waterbending stance. "Relax your own muscles so you can control someone else's." Then Katara shrunk into her own stance. "Feel the blood in your veins, feel them rush to your head, to your heart, and down to your feet. Close your eyes, and search for other sources of water, search for the blood of another life. Feel how their blood runs up and down their body, through skin and flesh, feel their heart beating."
Naoki's closed eyes tightened, her fingers shaking. "I feel, something, but I'm not sure if it's safe-"
"I would demonstrate myself, but I'm not going to practice on you." Katara said, shaking her head.
"I'll do it." Zuko declared, walking over to the girls.
"No, I can't-" Zuko silenced Katara with a kiss.
"Just do it, I volunteer." Zuko removed his parka and put distance between him and Katara, who was standing still as stone. "I won't be hurt Katara, relax."
Slowly, but surely, Katara got into her stance. "If you start to feel pain, let me know and I'll stop immediately."
Zuko only smirked. "Just remember who you're talking to."
Katara silently smiled, but barely. She began waving her arms up, then stretching them out towards Zuko. Closing her eyes, Katara searched for his blood, his heart; soon she found it, and began to slowly move his body against his will.
Zuko felt stiff, he felt controlled. His left foot stepped forward-out of his command-and his right foot repeated the same. Step after step, he was soon standing before Katara, who's face was screwed into concentration. His knees gave out, his head fell forward, his hands ready to catch it. He was soon bowing to Katara, on his knees, in the traditional Fire Nation greeting to the Fire Lord.
All control over his body went away in a matter of seconds, and he slowly lifted his head to see Katara looking away in pain. Tears flooded her eyes, overflowing at the edges, then forming a waterfall down her cheeks.
Zuko wrapped his arms around her small form. "It's alright Katara, I'm safe, and I'm not hurt."
Naoki looked really unsure. "I'm not sure if my bending is strong enough to do that." It wasn't even a full moon.
"Waterbenders can only perform this tactic during a full moon, when our bending is at it's peak." Katara explained, her head still resting over Zuko's chest.
"Then how come you can do it?" Suki asked. Her and the others joined closer into the conversation.
A new voice spoke. "Because she's a master," Pakku walked up, Kana's arm wrapped around his. "she's definitely better than me." He smiled.
Everyone knew Katara was the best waterbender in history, she's the only one-besides the inventor herself-who knows how to bloodbend, the most difficult waterbending move you can learn.
Katara mastered it in a few weeks.
The entire tribe was in hectic. Everyone was preparing for the wedding, even the Gaang, but for a whole different reason. The ceremony takes place in the center of the tribe, where Hakoda and Sakida will 'exchange their vows' in three days.
Three days.
Katara was training and practicing the best she could, but it wasn't enough. She couldn't get her mind off the words of the spirits. How are they supposed to help her? Isn't spirit world junk saved for the Avatar? The real person who should restore balance to the South Pole? Not Katara?
She didn't argue, she wanted that woman to die in her arms, no matter how cruel it sounds.
Taking Kaskae for a walk, Katara pondered in her own thoughts, her own mind. Naoki has improved her bending a lot, she's thankful Katara was the one to teach her, and no one else. Naoki wanted to fight for the man she fell in love with, she wanted revenge just as much as Katara.
"Katara!" Naoki called out, running to catch up with her newest friend. Naoki and Katara were like best friends now, even though Naoki is Hakoda's real girlfriend.
"Hey!" Katara smiled. "Where are you heading?"
Naoki shook her head. "Anywhere beside's the town square."
"Ah, wedding preparations?"
"Yes! It's either 'Chief Hakoda ordered this, not that!' or 'Sakida said if you don't complete this task she'll bite your head off!'" Naoki made a chomping noise with her mouth.
Katara gasped. "Sakida said that?"
Naoki shrugged. "In my mind she did." Katara laughed. They walked until they reached far enough from the tribe, where no one could see nor hear them.
"I can't wait to get Hakoda back." Naoki said, kicking some snow.
"You and me both." Katara replied, looking out into the clear sky.
Silence, they just waltzed right through it. The wind gently blew against their bodies, shifting strands of hair into their faces.
"Hello ladies," A familiar, too familiar voice interrupted their peace. Whipping the snow into water, the two women turned around and drifted into their defensive positions.
Sakida.
"What are you doing here?" Naoki demanded, not bothering to be sweet about anything.
"What do you want?" Katara continued, placing herself between Sakida and Naoki.
Sakida only examined her fingernails. "What? I can't talk to my soon-to-be stepdaughter?" Katara frowned, becoming more suspicious. "I can't just say hi, or ask for some help with the wedding?"
Katara didn't reply. "What do you really want?" Kaskae was trying his best at growling, but he's still a pup, and he sounds like he's chewing on Zuko's boots.
Sakida's arms fell to her sides. "Do you really have to ask? After all I've done to you, to the both of you; you wish to ask what I want." Her voice dropped, and so did her face.
Lifting her arms, Sakida commanded that strange purple liquid out of the ground, and around the two benders and the mutt. The liquid stretched out and surrounded them, growing taller and beginning to freeze.
"What are you doing?" Katara screamed. "Get down!" Katara grabbed Kaskae and Naoki and ducked low, huddling close together.
"Say goodbye to your last glance at light, you'll never see it again." Sakida commanded the snow below them to drop, and hearing the girls screams, Sakida smiled evilly.
The purple liquid froze around them, but didn't make contact, it just surrounded them like a cage underground. Katara got the last look at Sakida, only to glare at her, and spit in her direction.
The purple cage was sealed underground, and Sakida fixed the snow so it was perfectly normal again.
Then she proceeded on her merry little way back to the tribe.
Hope you liked it. Now before you review about the flaws, just know that I know Katara wouldn't bloodbend Zuko even if she was forced to. Katara knows what is at stake, and what needs to be taught and done for them to defeat Sakida. (I almost typed Zuko :P) So that's why I had Katara crying after she finished bloodbending. If you have any other questions, please private message me. I'd love to hear them.
Please Review
~EZ17