Author's Note:This is the second to last chapter before the invasion starts. I am very excited because I have a two part, or two chapter, minisode from Zuko's perspective about everything he did, felt, and got up to during his separation from Mira. I hope you are as excited for it as I am for finally posting it. I've been working on so much of it and so many of your questions about Mira and Sadar are answered in that chapter. The invasion as it stands is close to two chapter so there are three chapters total until we get a little Zuko POV break.
I hope you enjoy these two chapters and are excited for what is to come next. I gotta get to sleep so I can do more homeschooling tomorrow!
~Chapter 6 Start~
We had traveled a far distance in just a week. It was amazing how fast flying truly was. I hadn't realized how slow sailing was. Compared to walking, sailing seemed prefered, but flying on Appa beat the pants off both of those modes of transportation. We had set up camp in a creepy looking forest that had a cave large enough to hide Appa, which was surprisngly a must. I wasn't sure why no one had ever thought to look for places someone could stash a giant air bison before, but it was to our benefit that no one did, not even Combustion man. We hadn't seen him again since we had escaped that town and had placed miles upon miles between us. The Fire Nation was a lot different from the Earth Kingdom, I mused. I wasn't used to such wet heat, even my breathing felt forced and strained. It was even worse than Toronto, something I wasn't sure was possible.
We were seated around the campfire unable to sleep, telling ghost stories amongst ourselves. It was honestly more fun than I have had since joining them to be honest. It reminded me of old camping trips with my family, a time where things were still happy, still...simple.
"Suddenly they heard something down the hall in the dark. OooooOOooOoooOo. It came into the torch light. And they knew...the blade of wing-fun was haunted! OooAAaoooOOoaaaAAooo!" Sokka narrated as he brandished his sword.
"I think I liked The Man With the Sword for a Hand better." Aang sighed.
"Water Tribe slumber parties must stink." Toph declared from where she was sprawled on her mat.
"No, wait, I've got one. And this is a true Southern Water Tribe story!" Katara spoke up.
"Is this one of those a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happened too stories?" Sokka asked.
"No, it happened to Mom." Katara responded.
We all sat up, interested now. Katara was still seated with her arms around herself as she began to animatedly narrate the story. It wasn't often Katara shared stories of her mother, but when she did we all found ourselves listening, positively captivated.
"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. '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." Katara narrated.
"Where did she go?" Sokka asked from where he was hiding behind a root.
"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." Katara finished.
I was startled by Toph gasping out loud. Letting out a small shriek I jumped causing Sokka to twist around and fall on his face.
"Ow..." Sokka grumbled as he rubbed the dirt from his face.
"Wait, guys, did you hear that?" Toph asked, "I hear people under the mountain, and they're screaming!"
"Pfft," Sokka attempted to wave off from where he was sitting next to Katara and Aang. "Nice try."
"No, I'm serious. I hear something." Toph said adamantly.
"You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories." Katara countered.
"It just...stopped." Toph replied.
"Alright, now I'm getting scared." Aang whispered as he clung to Katara.
"Only just now?" I asked, with a raised brow.
"Hello, children." A voice said.
We all began to scream, bolting to hide behind Toph as an old woman walked over to us.
"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?" She introduced herself.
I startled in recognition of the name, could this be the same Hama? But...this was the Fire Nation, Hama could be a common name here for all I knew. With a sigh I decided to keep what I knew to myself so I didn't accidentally out us as anything other than Fire Nation.
"Yes, please..." Sokka squeaked.
Still...it felt like I was missing something obvious and I couldn't shake the strange feeling I had as Hama led us out of the woods.
~Break~
The walk into town wasn't very long. Hama led us up one of the roads to a home located at the top of a hill. It was small, but cozy, surrounded by a small garden. She said it was a small inn she owned, and I could see as much from the various windows lining the upper floor. Unlocking and opening the door, she led us inside to sit at her dining room table where she began to serve us tea. Her kitchen was merged with her dining area, which was pretty common in smaller homes everywhere. She must also run it like a bed and breakfast, serving her guests meals judging by her large pantry and ice box.
"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn." Katara thanked with a small bow.
"Aren't you sweet?" Hama said as she took her seat. "You should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."
"What do you mean, disappearing?" Sokka asked, getting slightly suspicious.
"When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don't come out," Hama said with a dower expression. "Who wants more tea?"
No one answered as we gave her perplexed looks. I wasn't sure what to think of her, she couldn't be sweet Aiwon's sister, could she?
"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?" Hama offered as she took in our horrified expressions.
"Sure, sleep in a bed sounds lovely." I was the first to speak.
"Yeah, I'm tired." Katara agreed.
Hama led us upstairs and gave us each our own room. It didn't take me long to undress and slip into the night warm bed provided for me. With a smile, I snuggled into the sheets happy I wasn't sleeping on the dirt ground again.
~Break~
"So where abouts are you now?" Aang asked as soon as I opened my eyes to our spirit glen.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"What's happening now, have you hit the invasion yet?" Aang asked.
"Heh, no not yet. Guess you can't be too careful about what you tell me huh?" I asked with a soft smile.
"Can't risk changing the timeline." Aang answered back as he turned towards the pond.
I walked towards him, standing to his right as I stared at a bunch of tiny koi fish. They were a splatter of whites and blacks, some more white than others. I gaped at them, not remembering having seen them ever before.
"Where did they come from?" I asked, feeling a sense of familiarity as I knelt down and stuck my hand into the cool water.
"Those are the children of the ocean and moon spirit. They wanted to say hello to one of the people who helped them come to be." Aang smiled as he too knelt down, touching one of the larger fish with a warm smile.
"But...how?" I asked, looking at Aang for answers.
"They survived because of you, Aang, and Yue the moon spirit survived. I'm not sure if I ever told you their story, but the Ocean and Moon spirits were lovers who traveled to our world to be together. After Yue returned her life force back to the Moon spirit they had several children who they hid back in the spirit world so they could grow." Aang smiled.
"Does that mean Yue is their...mother?" I asked, not sure how I felt about that.
"No, not really. Yue only had part of the Moon Spirit's life force and that was what she returned back to the Moon spirit. A ghost of her memory remains with the Moon spirit but she is not actually the Moon spirit." Aang explained as he stood back up.
"What now?" I asked.
"Now, you make it through the invasion and I will see you again. Good luck, Mira." Aang said as he disappeared.
~Break~
I was awoken by the sun on my face and a crick in my neck. With a groan, I sat up and took a moment to process where I was. Right, I was at Hama's inn. Quickly getting dressed, I realized I wasn't the first to be awake as Katara and Aang were already eating breakfast. Huh, oatmeal, nice.
"Good morning." I greeted as I took a seat, grabbing my own bowl.
"Good morning, Mira. Did you sleep well?' Katara asked.
"Yeah, I did, how about you?" I responded, digging into my oatmeal.
"I did as well." Katara smiled as she finished her own meal.
I felt the barest hint of apple and spice. The oatmeal was filling, warm, and not too sweet which I was thankful for. Hama walked back into the room serving me a cup of tea before speaking up.
"I was thinking of going into town today for shopping, would you like to join me?" She asked.
"Sure, we could use a shopping day." I smiled.
"I agree, we just need to get Sokka and Toph up." Katara agreed.
"I'll go grab Toph if you grab Sokka?" I offered.
"Sounds like a deal." Katara smiled.
~Break~
The market was busy today, and full. It seemed despite it being a smaller town, they had a booming economy. The market was filled with people from neighboring towns who didn't have quite as expansive of a market. The Fire Nation was definitely not as landlocked as the other nations, leaving it filled with boisterous trade.
"I think I need some more sword wax..." I sighed, checking my money. "What about you, Sokka? If you need some I'll get a big container, save us a few copper pieces...Sokka?"
Sokka wasn't even listening. He was wandering beside us with a frown, holding his sword tightly as he, Toph, and Aang carried everything Katara and Hama had purchased.
"Oh." I blinked, he was off in his own world and I was talking to myself.
"This sucks! How did we get stuck being the mules?" Sokka whined.
"I'm just going to assume you need sword wax..." I sighed going to the vendor and handing over a few coins.
"I'm not a pack mule, my sword isn't meant to carry baskets." Sokka continued to whine.
"It could be worse, Sokka" Aang offered.
"How?" Sokka snarked.
"We could be captured by the Fire Nation instead?" Aang shrugged.
"No, instead we are free labour for them..." Sokka grumbled as he glowered at his sister and Hama.
"Uh...want me to help carry something?" I asked as Sokka handed me a basket.
"You won't have any ash bananas until next week?" A man complained to our left.
"Well, I have to send the boy to Hong-Wa Island to get them, and it's a two-day trip." The vendor explained.
"Oh, right. Tomorrow's the full moon." The man said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Exactly, I can't lose another delivery boy in the woods." The vendor sighed.
"People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff during full moons...this just reeks of spirit world shenanigans." Sokka frowned.
"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." Aang agreed.
"And then you two can sew up this mystery lickity-split, Avatar-style." Sokka nodded.
"Helping people, that's what we do." Aang said as he nudged my arm.
"I'm not sure it's going to be that simple...something feels...off about all of this." I sighed, taking a look around at the townsfolk.
Now that I had heard about the full moon that was all I heard anyone talk about. Guess the full moon was a big deal around here.
"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." Hama announced as she turned to us.
"This is a mysterious little town you have here." Sokka mused.
"Mysterious town for mysterious children." Hama grinned as she turned away.
"Subtle." I said in a deadpan as I shook my head at Sokka.
~Break~
"That Hama seems a little strange," Sokka said as he placed one of the baskets on the table. "Like she knows something. Or she's hiding something."
"That's ridiculous," Katara replied, placing her own basket down. "She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay. She kind of reminds me of Gran Gran."
"But what did she mean by that comment 'mysterious children'?" Sokka continued.
"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she found five strange kids camping in the woods at night? Isn't that a little mysterious?" Katara asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"The better question is why was she in the woods in the first place." I mused as I put the produce away.
"I'm going to take a look around." Sokka declared as he walked off towards the stairs.
"He's going to get us kicked out of here, isn't he?" I asked as Toph shrugged.
"We should go after him, Sokka!" Katara wanted as we followed after him. "Sokka, what are you doing? You can't just snoop around someone's house."
"It'll be fine." Sokka waved off as he reached the second floor.
"She could be home at any minute." Aang warned as Sokka opened one of the doors and checked the room.
"Yeah, I agree with them. If she catches us, what if that puts us in actual danger? Some skeletons should stay in their closets." I warned.
"That's it! Closets!" Sokka cheered as he started opening them up.
"Sokka, you're gonna get us all in trouble. And this is just plain rude." Katara continued to reason.
"I'm not finished yet. Nyeergh! Come one!" Sokka grunted as he attempted to open the closet.
He finally pulled it open as several Fire Nation puppets fell out. We all screamed as Sokka jumped back and drew his sword. The puppers were fairly rudimentary, but had several sophisticated joints for movements and they were rather large in size. While creepy they didn't really tell us anything about Hama, nor were they suspicious in the least.
"Okay, that's pretty creepy." Aang spoke first.
"Yeah...it is pretty unsettling." I grimaced.
"So she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that," Katara waved off as she closed the closet up. "Sokka, you've looked enough. Hama will be back soon."
Sokka ignored his sister as he climbed up another flight of stairs into the attic. He began pulling on a locked door as we followed him. Katara continued her attempts to dissuade him, but he was already on a roll.
"Just an ordinary puppet-loving innkeeper? Then why does she have a locked door up here?" Sokka asked, pointing towards the ominous door.
"Gee, I don't know, maybe she has valuables or likes privacy?" I asked with a shrug.
"All the way up here, though?" Sokka asked, turning back towards the door.
"She probably chose up here to keep people like you from snooping through her stuff." Katara retorted, moving to step in Sokka's way.
"We'll see. It's empty except for a little chest." Sokka said, peering through a hole in the door as Katara loomed over him.
"Maybe it's treasure!" Toph gasped.
"Sokka, what are you doing? You're breaking into a private room." Katara hissed as Sokka drew his sword.
"I have to see what's in there." Sokka defended as he continued to break the lock.
The door opened with a click. Sokka pushed it forward and we walked towards the chest. Sokka sheathed his sword and went to inspect it.
"We shouldn't be doing this." Aang whined as Sokka grabbed hold of the knob.
"I agree with Aang, this isn't right..." I whispered as I looked around the room.
"Maybe there's a key here somewhere." Sokka said as he attempted to open the chest.
"Oh, hand it over." Toph said as she removed her space rock bracelet.
She bent it into a key and inserted it into the lock. She began to attempt to twist it, bending it so it would fit. It felt like time had slowed to a full stop as we watched Toph work on the lock.
"Come on, come on!" Sokka pushed.
"This isn't as easy as it looks." Toph grunted as she worked.
"Guys, I don't know about this." Aang said as he chewed his nails.
"This is crazy. I'm leaving." Katara declared.
"Suit yourself. Do it, Toph." Sokka glared.
Toph clicked the chest open and gave a thumbs up. We all rushed over as Katara stomped out of the room. As we went to open it, Katara returned to join us, her curiosity getting the better of her at last.
"I'll tell you what's in the box." Hama spoke from behind us.
We all screamed and turned around, Sokka hid the box behind his back trying to appear inconspicuous. Hanna stepped into the room, approaching us. Sokka held out the chest in shame, handing it over. Hama took it, removing the lid and withdrawing a blue and white comb ornamental comb that reminded of a shell.
"An old comb?" Sokka asked, deflating.
"It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe." Hama explained.
I stared at her, mouth agape. Was she really Aiwon's sister? Was Hama really alive and standing before me? If so, I had to tell her that her sister had survived being taken, maybe they could find one another. The Earth Kingdom was taken over by the Fire Nation, so it wouldn't be hard for her to travel there, nor would it be weird. But before I could even think about opening my mouth, Katara stepped forward, her hand pressed against her mouth.
"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara asked, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Just like you." Hama smiled.
"How did you know?" Katara gasped.
"I heard you talking around your campfire." Hama replied.
"But why didn't you tell us?" Sokka asked.
"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." Hama said.
"Ugh...great." Aang grimaced.
"I've never had them before, are they bad?" I whispered towards Aang.
"I've never been a fan..." Aang replied back.
"I knew I felt a bond with you right away." Katara smiled.
"And I knew you were keeping a secret. So I guess we're both right." Sokka gloated.
Katara responded by punching him in the arm. I snorted finding the two siblings not only amusing, but beyond cute. They had a sweet relationship and it showed that they cared for one another.
"But, I-I'm sorry we were sneaking around." Sokka sighed.
"Apology accepted," Hama smiled as she motioned for us to follow. "Now let's get cooking."
~Break~
Hama finished serving all the food as we sat and waited. She placed a bowl before each of us, before sitting down with her own. She gave us another of her wide smiles that no longer felt suspicious and instead warm.
"I'd steer clear of the sea prunes." Aang suggested to me and Toph.
"I thought they were ocean kumquats." Toph said.
"Close enough." Aang replied.
"Who wants five-flavour soup?" Hama asked as we all raised our hands.
She used her waterbending to serve us, causing a small round of gasps to escape. I recognized the intricate swirling patterns anywhere, and my eyes snapped to watch Hamma as she watched Katara.
"You're a waterbender!" Katara exclaimed, "I've never met another waterbender from our tribe!"
"That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one." Hama admitted.
"So how did you end up here?" Sokka asked.
"I was stolen from my home. It was over sixty years ago when the raids started. I was working with my sister when the black ash began to fall. We rushed to our walls to find Fire Nation ships fast approaching. Before we knew what was happening, they had begun attacking us. Sending balls of fire screaming through the air. I fought them to the best of our abilities, but they rounded up anyone they could, capturing them in nets and dragging them away. 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. Eventually only me and my sister remained, until she too was taken. Finally, I, too, was captured. I was led away in chains. The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. They putus in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one who managed to escape." Hama explained as Katar moved to hold her shoulders.
"How did you get away? And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked.
"I'm sorry. It's too painful to talk about anymore." Hama shook her head.
"We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid." Katara admitted as she closed her eyes.
"Oh, you poor things." Hama comforted.
"I can't tell you what it means to meet you. It's an honour. You're a hero." Katara 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." Hama offered, her words reminding me of Aiwon's.
"Yes! Yes, of course! To learn about my heritage, it would mean everything to me." Katara agreed instantly.
I knew no matter what I taught her, it would never compare to learning from an actual southern waterbender who was a master in their own right, and I was nowhere close to that.
~Break~
"This has got to be the nicest natural setting in the Fire Nation." Aang declared.
"I've got to agree with you. Everywhere else is usually so barren." I agreed.
Everywhere we went was filled with lush greens, vibrant flourishing flowers, and high yielding crops that the town boasted about. The only thing that seemed to be wrong with the town was the full moon, but as far as I knew the Moon spirit was still in our world living happily with the Ocean spirit.
"I don't see anything that would make a spirit mad around here." Aang declared.
"Maybe the Moon spirit just turned mean." Toph shrugged.
"The Moon Spirit is a gentle, loving lady! She rules the sky with compassion and lunar goodness!" Sokka turned, yelling at Toph.
I blinked, confused at Sokka's outburst. I of course knew that Yue had sacrificed herself for the Moon spirit, I was there, but I had no idea why Sokka was so upset about how Toph spoke about her, even if it was a ghost of a memory like Aang said.
"I have a feeling we are missing something here." I said, leaning over to Toph.
"No kidding." She whispered back.
"Excuse me, sir. Can you tell us anything about the spirit that's been stealing people?" Aang asked, running over towards a villager who was walking by.
"Only one man ever saw it and lived, and that's old man Ding." The villager said, leaning over to talk to Aang.
"Where does old man Ding live?" Toph asked, grabbing the man's sleeve.
~Break~
We approached an old man who was working on construction after the sun had set. It was strange for sure, considering I had seen almost no one work once the light had left the sky. He was working at a fast pace, wrestling with a long wooden board and a large hammer.
"Old man Ding?" Aang asked as we walked up to him.
The man turned to us and slammed the hammer onto his thumb. I winced in sympathy as he let out a strangled groan.
"Dang blame it. What? Can't you see I'm busy? Got a full moon rising. And why does everyone call me that? I'm not that old." He snapped at us as he bent over to try and pick up a plank of wood.
"Uh...do you need any help?" I offered.
"Well, I'm young at heart," Old man Ding sighed as I helped him pick up the piece of wood. "Not ready to get snapped up by some moon monster, yet, at least."
We raised the plank against the window and I held one end as Ding held the other.
"We wanted to ask you about that." Sokka said, retrieving Ding's hammer and helping nail my end in.
"Did you get a good look at the spirit that took you?" Aang asked.
"Didn't see no spirit, just felt something come over me. Like I was possessed. Forced me to start walking toward the mountain. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't control my own limbs. It 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." Old man Ding said, telling his story.
"Why would a spirit take people to a mountain?" Sokka asked.
"Oh no!" Toph shouted, surprising us, "I did hear screams under the mountain. The missing villagers must still be there."
We all took a long look at the mountain and then each other.
"You know, a spirit may not want to take people under a mountain, but other people would." I said grimly.
~Break~
We were now racing towards the mountain through the trees. I couldn't help but be worried about Katara and Hama, but let it go knowing it was a full moon tonight. Their waterbending would be strongest tonight, it was the villagers we had to worry about right now. Judging by how dark it was getting we were running out of time to find them before whatever spirit did.
"I hear them, they're this way!" Toph directed us.
We continued running deeper into the woods looking for a cave that would lead us down below. It was fairly dark already and we were all squinting to see in what little light the full moon gave us, all besides Toph anyways.
"This is the place." Toph announced as we reached the mouth of the cave.
"I can't see anything down there." Sokka spoke.
"That's why you have me. Let's go." Toph said, grabbing Sokka's hand and jumping into the hole.
Aang and I followed after. We hit the ground quickly and I summoned some fire in my hand to help light our way. It didn't dispel all the darkness, but it helped keep us seeing folk from tripping. We rushed through, Toph directing us at each twist and turn, until we found a door built into the walls of the cave. Two torches stood outside of it to light our way. I dropped my fire as we approached, Toph placing her hands against the door. Bending it off its hinges, we rushed through to find the missing villagers chained up, several others locked up in small cramped cages. Many were dirty, emaciated, and weak, but all of them were still alive.
"We're saved!" One of them exclaimed.
"I didn't know that spirits made prisons like this." Aang gasped.
"They don't." I answered simply, rushing towards the villagers to begin freeing them.
"Who brought you here?" Aang asked the villagers.
"It was no spirit, it was a witch." One cried.
"A witch? What do you mean?" Sokka asked.
"It couldn't be..." I whispered to myself as I freed another villager.
Aiwon's words were ringing through my head. The lessons about drawing water from the plants around us, the air, and even my own sweat. The lectures about how the moon's cycle affects our power and how a full moon was when we were at our most powerful. Ding's story came next and I started to remember a small fact from school. Such a simple tiny fact I had all but forgotten it until this moment.
"Isn't...isn't the human body like 80% water?" I asked, looking warily towards Sokka.
"What did you say?" Sokka asked as he came over to me.
"The human body, it's made up of 80% water or something. In the future that's common knowledge, you don't think?" I asked.
"Ding's story," Sokka said standing up straight and looking at Aang. "Didn't he say something about not being able to control his own body?"
"Yeah, what are you getting at?" Aang asked.
"If the human body is made up of 80% water like Mira says, and every disappearance happened on a full moon, could it be possible a waterbender did this?" Sokka clarified.
"You don't think—" Aang started to say as he was cut off by a villager.
"She seems like a normal old woman, but she controls people like some dark puppet master." A villager stated as Toph freed her.
"Hama." The three of us gasped.
"Yes, the innkeeper." Another villager confirmed.
"I knew there was something creepy about her!" Sokka gloated.
"We have to stop Hama." Aang said, getting Sokka back on track.
"I'll get these people out of here. You go!" Toph ordered.
"Katara is with her, Aang. We need to hurry!" I shouted as we raced out of the cave.
~Break~
We found Katara battling Hama when we arrived. Hama was kneeling on the ground as Katara bent the water from around her to attack. It was clear that Katara had the upper hand, but for how long I wasn't sure. If Hama really could bend the water in a human's body that she could march off that many villagers without drawing any attention to herself, would Katara be able to stop her? I watched as Hama started to stand upright, her smile twisting in the moonlight as if she were enjoying what was happening. Unlike her sister, Hama was sick and twister, her experience didn't give her hope, it gave her rage.
"Katara!" I shouted as I stopped at the edge of the small clearing.
"We know what you've been doing, Hama." Sokka accused.
"Give up, you're outnumbered." Aang ordered.
Hama didn't bother turning around, continuing to stare at Katara. Standing fully she got ready to grin growing wider and wilder by the second. The moon began to shift from behind the trees illuminating her twisted features as her gaze swept across us. I could feel a shift in the power then, a tightening of an invisible line vibrating in the air.
"No," She declined, "you've outnumbered yourselves."
She raised her arms and I found myself standing rigid straight. I was no longer in control and let out a gasp. We came rushing towards Katara as she dodged us easily. I attempted to pull my limbs towards myself, but much like the puppets in her inn, I was no longer in control fighting against an invisible force lurking inside of me. The only thing that remained in my control was my voice. Perhaps she couldn't control my voice along with my body, perhaps it was too complicated, or perhaps she just didn't care.
"Hama, stop this, please!" I shouted.
Katara sent out a blast of water causing Hama to bend her own from the trees to protect herself. She continued to bend us as Sokka drew his sword, clumsily brandishing it with his arms quaking. He was fighting with all his might to stop it and I could see the sweat beginning to form as he shouted warnings towards his sister. I was pulled backwards as Hama attempted to use me to flank Katara, Aang pulling up the only remaining side. We all had Katara surrounded, Hama's echoing laughter dancing across the breeze.
"Katara, look out!" Sokka warned as he began to swing his sword. "It's like my brain has a mind of its own. Stop it, arm, stop it!"
I closed my eyes, my body moving without regard to my wishes. I gave up, knowing it was a waste of my energy and instead focused on what was happening, hoping to find a way we could help Katara. Katara drew forth more water, sending Sokka flying with a shout. Aang and I were bent to start striking Katara without our bending. It seemed that was something Hama was unable to access with her bending alone. I felt the water hilt my body and send my flying. My eyes opened just as I hit a tree, letting out the breath I was holding. I wheezed, attempting to gather my lost breath as Hama pulled my body up anyways. I gasped, choking on my breath as I attempted to gather much needed air. My gasps of air soon turned into harsh coughs as I finally filled my lungs with much needed air.
"This feels weird!" Aang shouted as he was tossed and frozen to a tree
"I'm sorry, Aang!" Katara apologized.
"It's ok!" He yelled back.
"Hama, listen to me! You need to stop!" I tried again, my voice strained from my fit of coughs.
"And why should I listen to you, hmm?" She asked, causing my body to slam into the ground so I could barely breathe once more.
"Please..." I cried, begging for her to listen. "It's Ai...won..." I tried to strangle out as the pressure on my back increased.
Hama's eyes were wild now, her arms shaking as she silenced my attempts to talk to her, convince her to stop, that she wasn't truly the last Southern waterbender. Sokka continued to attack Katara with his sword. Katara shot him away with another stream of water, freezing his hand to the tree.
"Don't hurt your friends, Katara. And don't let them hurt each other." Hama laughed.
Aang began to fly towards Sokka who had his sword pointed out. I could feel tears hitting my eyes as my vision grew blurry from the lack of air. As Hama focused on attacking Katara with Aang and Sokka her wrip on me began to loosen and I felt the rush of air hit my lungs.
"Hama, wait! You're not the only survivor, Aiwon..." I choked out, my face red and feeling hot.
"What did you say?" Hama snarled at me as she turned her head, her focus no longer on Katara but solely on me.
"She's alive, I met her..." I continued to goade as Hama's anger began to rise.
Hama stalked towards me, her fingers flexing and letting out painful sounding snaps and pops. She reached out, as if long tendrils connected us together and began to pull. My arms and legs were being wrenched from their sockets as she forced me to attempt to flex my knees and elbows the wrong way. I let out a gasp, the pain hitting my mind all at once and clouding my thoughts. The only thing I could focus on was how my voice babbled on, begging her to stop, to end it.
"No!" Katara shouted, her arms reaching out.
Hama was now standing rigid straight as we were released from her control. I felt my body slacken as the pain ended. I curled in on myself, pressing my hands into my shoulders as hard as I could just to make sure I was still intact. I slowly opened my eyes seeing Katara standing stock still and breathing heavily, Her arms were outstretched and I followed her movements to see Hama follow Katara's bending. Katara forced her to her knees as Toph and the rest of the villagers came rushing towards us. I was pulled up by Sokka who was fretting over me now. I was no worse for wear, just beyond sore. Katara had stopped Hama before she had hurt me beyond repair. The villagers bound her wrists in shackles and went to take her away. Hama was looking at me now, straight in the eyes.
"You don't deserve it," I hissed as I walked over. "But Aiwon is alive. She fled to the Earth Kingdom, you're not the only survivor. I only tell you this so you know for the rest of your miserable life you will never ever see her again, only know she is out there thinking you dead as you should have been"
With that, I turned away and left feeling no more responsibility towards that wretched person. My soul ached at my words but I felt that I couldn't turn any sort of cheek and live with myself afterwards. Hama deserved what she was getting now and Aiwon deserved to remember her sister as the kind strong woman Hama used to be, not the angry violent shell of the woman she was now.
"You're going to be locked away forever." A villager spat.
"My work is done. Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender." She ground out with a sick smile, hanging onto the only win she had this night.
Katara began to weep as Hama began to laugh. I wrapped Katara in my arms, holding her close. I rocked her back and forth, my hands rubbing circles along her back as I whispered the same words over and over again into her hair.
"You're not like her, you're never going to be like her." I whispered into her hair as she sobbed.
~Chapter 6 End~