CHAPTER RATING: T (Language)

Chapter 2: Prologue, Part I: The Bloodbender

*Ahem* (Avatar Roku's voice) PREVIOUSLY, ON AVATAR…

"Don't you see, Katara?" An old woman asked her while motioning to the field of fire lilies. "Everything. All life. Has water." She shifted her weight, and with a single motion, brought forth a massive amount of water from hundreds of flowers.

"It's a shame for the flowers though." Katara mourned at the now decaying fire lilies.

"Do not shed your tears for them." The old woman continued. "Never forget. Life will always find a way." She reached down at the decaying foliage, removed a seed from the middle of the flower, and let it fall to the ground. "Life always finds a way." She opened her hand, and Katara saw an orb of water form directly in her palm, letting it splash down onto the newly planted seedling.

"Hama, you created water from nothing?" Katara looked puzzled. Hama took hold of Katara's hand.

"Close your eyes." Hama instructed. "You can feel it, can't you?" Katara focused, and felt something she hadn't noticed before. "You can feel the trillions of droplets that pervade our existence. "Focus, and bring them all together."

Katara took in a deep breath, she could feel the air wrapping around her. It became heavier, gaining substance, and just like she had seen, a mass of water began to form in the palm of her hand.

"You are an excellent waterbender, Katara." Hama praised. "But there is another secret that you must learn. Meet me tonight, under the full moon. And I will enlighten you about the true power that we have." Hama bowed, and Katara returned the gesture. "Return to your friends, they will be ecstatic to hear of your new skills."

"Yes, Hama…Thank you." Katara waved goodbye as she returned to Aang, Sokka, and Toph.

…

"Wait…You what?" Sokka shot up from the bed he laid in. Katara nodded.

"Could you show me?" Aang spoke up. Katara nodded again, to his request. She held out her hand, focusing, the water droplets began to form, obeying her every command. An open smile stretched across Aang's face with glowing eyes. A fallen jaw, dragging down Sokka's expression.

Katara took hold of Aang's hand. The young Avatar felt a slight rush of heat to his face at the contact.

"I'll show you, Aang." She smiled, her own cheeks turning red. Sokka watched with a twitching eyebrow before falling back into the bed. Katara and Aang let out s whispered laugh as he turned away. "Close your eyes." Katara continued. Sokka marched his way out of the room.

"I'll go keep watch." His flat, heavy footfalls showed his mood.

"I wish I could see that." Toph laughed while waving her hand in front of her face. "But I'll catch you two later."

"Wait, Toph!" Katara stopped her.

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong with Sokka?"

"He's just a little uneasy." Toph smirked.

"About…"

"About you two." Her smirk widened. "I'll leave you in private. Good luck with your lesson." They were taken aback by her comment, but watched her leave the room.

"Okay. Let's continue." Katara took a seat down on the bed, and invited him to follow. A smile across his lips, blood rushing to his face, he followed. She took a hold of his hands, and turned his palms toward the roof. "Close your eyes, and focus."

Aang took a deep breath.

"Feel the air around you." She instructed. "You can sense it, can't you? The water in the air." She loosened the hold on his hands. "Bring it all together." Aang felt it all flow towards him. The air that flowed became heavier, just as Katara had felt. And in his palm, an orb of water formed.

…

"I-I did it!" Aang's voice pierced through the door. Toph watched Sokka cringe when he heard the cry of victory.

"Relax." Toph laughed. "They aren't doing anything. So quit making up scenarios in your head."

…

"Hey! I'm just looking out for my sister!" Sokka's voice came through the door, causing an eyebrow-raising moment for the benders in the room.

"It's nice that he's thinking of me." Katara whispered. Aang still held the orb in his hand, smiling as it spun like the Earth.

"…You did it!" Katara wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh..Sorry." Aang felt the cold fabric on Katara's clothes as the water seeped into it. He cupped his hand and began pulling the water off the blue robe.

"AH HA!~" Sokka burst through the door. "I knew you were doing something!"

"Relax, Mr. Paranoia." Katara began moving her hand, and withdrew the water herself. Sokka blushed in embarrassment. Katara looked outside and saw the sun near the horizon. "Let's get some food, Hama will be back soon, to teach me the secret technique that waterbenders can only do during a full moon."

"I'll go get the food!" Sokka walked out of the room.

"And I'll go help out Mr. Hothead." Toph followed him.

"Good job, Aang. I'm proud of you." He smiled as he heard her speak.

…

The trees swayed with the wind, as the moon lit up the night sky.

"You can feel it in the air." Hama spoke as they listened to small creatures scurrying across the forest floor. She pointed to a patch of moonlight that streamed through the canopy. Katara saw a rat that froze as Hama's hand extended.

"Y-You're…" Katara watched as Hama's fingers commanded, and the rat began moving towards her. "…Controlling it?"

"It's known as bloodbending." Hama clarified. She eased her hand, and watched the rat spring free. "In the light of the full moon." She looked up. "We have the power to control the water within anything…And anyone."

"But, this doesn't seem…right." Katara was hesitant.

"Katara, listen." She turned towards her student. "The world does not consist of Right and Wrong. Yes, a balance must be maintained. But when you need to protect those you love, you need to ask yourself. Will you refrain from using your power, just because you feel it is 'Wrong'?" She looked again towards the full moon.

"You must have the resolve to do 'wrong' for the sake of what is 'right.'"

Hama brought her hand to Katara's shoulder.

"I know that our Elders always told us to believe in ourselves, to always do right, and that there is justice in this world." She bowed her head. "But that is not true. Life is more complicated than that."

Katara nodded.

"But remember…Life will always find a way." She motioned again towards the spot light. "Very well. Let us begin." Katara closed her eyes. "Focus again, and feel the water that flows within your target." She listened. And in her ears, rang the sounds of the life around her.

Another rat that stepped into the light, froze.

"Good." Hama waved towards herself. "Now, bring it here." Katara motioned again, the rat obediently scurried towards her. "As expected, you're a natural."

Katara practiced her technique until the dawn arrived, and the moon faded from view.

"You've done well, Katara. But the secret doesn't end there."

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't need a full moon at all." Another rat scurried forth. Katara found her eye widening even further.

"Thank you for teaching me." She bowed once she regained her composure.

A/N:

PUBLISHED ON: 7/21/2014

Reformatted.