A/N: Hey everyone… Three notes.

First, sorry for the delay. I have been in a rough mental place the last few months… Lost a really good friend over the holidays unexpectedly… then my pet fell ill and I've been taking care of her these last few weeks… I'm trying to come back!

Second, I'm not going to do the Runaway episode since Amara kind of took over that scene at Fire Fountain City.

Finally, I'm only going to briefly touch on the The Avatar and Fire Lord episode, since that was more of a foreshadow of Aang and Zuko becoming friends and… well they already are. Anyway, we're starting things off with the episode everyone has been waiting for: "The Puppetmaster." This is part 1. I am working on part 2. I just feel bad you all have waited so long and want to give you something. I'm still here and I do want to finish this!

Thanks for reading!

Faith

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Chapter 56: Full Moon Part 1

Aang told us he needed to speak to Avatar Roku. He explained to us that his past life had visited him in a dream. Roku told him that he needed to communicate with him. Aang could no longer enter into the Avatar State since the injury he received in Ba SIng Se, so the only way he could speak to Roku was at Roku's home… during the Summer Solstice…

And the Summer Solstice was that day!

So we flew quickly to the island that Zuko directed us towards.

Roku's island… That's what Aang was calling it. Zuko gave it another name: Huǒshān. I asked him what that meant, and he explained it to me. The island was actually a volcano, and the structure erupted over a hundred years ago. There had once been a settlement. Avatar Roku and his family used to live there. He was amazed as he said all this. He couldn't believe he learned only just recently that this was where his mother's family came from. He had heard about the history of the place, but he never imagined his own ancestors were the ones from the tale.

When Toph told us upon our landing that there was a whole village buried beneath us, I asked Zuko if he knew if the villagers escaped. He told me that from what he had heard, there were no casualties.

We soon learned from Aang this was wrong though.

After waiting an hour for Avatar Roku to speak with Aang at the edge of a cliff, Aang came out of his meditative state looking bewildered. He told us all he had learned. He learned that the previous Avatar lived his younger days in the Fire Nation palace, being best friends with Fire Lord Sozin. However, when he learned he was the Avatar and being sent away to train, a rift grew between the two. Fire Lord Sozin began to expand his army and planned to invade the other nations. Avatar Roku ordered him to stop, and when Fire Lord Sozin refused the Avatar was forced to part ways. Over a hundred and twelve years ago, the volcano on the land where Roku lived erupted. He attempted to fight the magma long enough for the other villagers to escape. On the day of his death, Sozin had come to the island to help. However, after he realized Avatar Roku was the one thing standing in his way of taking over the other nations, he left Roku to die. Roku's dragon Feng died with him.

We were horrified by this news. However, Aang gave Zuko a message from Avatar Roku.

"He wanted me to tell you that he is very proud of what you have accomplished… proud of you for the path you have chosen. He said that he has heard about you from the spirit world and is glad you found your true destiny." Aang then let out a heavy breath. "He also wanted me to tell you something. He mentioned that if you want to learn more about your mom, seek out The Mother of Faces… Not really sure what that means, but I'll help you figure it out."

Zuko was puzzled after Aang's reveal. He did not know what that meant. No one else had heard of it either. Aang promised that once we defeated the Fire Lord and saved the world, he would help Zuko find the answer.

I asked Aang if there was anything else Roku told him. He just said to me that Roku wanted him to understand that there was a choice he would have to make in the future. Roku chose to spare Sozin the day he learned the Fire Lord was starting the war, and it cost the world greatly. When Aang faced Fire Lord Ozai, he would have to make that choice as well. I knew that choice would be hard for Aang… he didn't want to kill anyone. But he also didn't want anything stopping him from restoring peace.

We dwelled the rest of the day on all we had learned from Avatar Roku. Zuko was frustrated with the part of him that was related to Fire Lord Sozin. He let out a heavy breath as we were on Appa again flying to our next destination. "I just… I can't believe… I mean, I guess I can believe he would… Just… How could he let him die like that?"

I took his hand and gave it a squeeze to offer him comfort. "He was just a bad man, Zuko… He doesn't define you."

He sighed. "I know… I just can't believe that he would leave his friend like that… My great-grandfather Sozin was always made out to be this amazing leader who cared about his people. But… if he cared about his people he would've saved them all that day… He basically killed my great-grandfather Roku… So much evil in one man… Just like my father… What if I lose sight… become like them…?" He brushed his free hand against his scar.

"You won't," I promised. "Your heart is too good…"

Yuna managed to hop into his lap to comfort him, and he smiled down at her as she curled up on him. He moved his hand to brush her fur.

"Yep. Amara's right. That's not going to happen, Sparky," Toph said. "You're too head over heels for Kitten. She's made you soft."

Zuko rolled his eyes, but he didn't argue.

I smiled slightly. "Plus… Iroh's a good man. I don't think evil is passed by blood, Zuko. If that were so, I would've been more like my father and brother. I don't think our lineage defines who we become. I think that's up to us."

Sokka added, "Surprisingly, I agree with Amara."

"Surprisingly?" Katara asked.

He sighed. "I admit, growing up I had the mindset that everyone in the Fire Nation was evil. However, meeting Master Piandao… Jeong Jeong… Iroh and Zuko… and then of course Amara… I see that's wrong. You aren't evil based on where you come from. If that were true, Toph would be a money rich snob like her parents."

Toph smirked. "Good point."

Katara was stunned. "Wow… That might be the wisest thing you've ever said, Sokka."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I've offered loads of wisdom." He glanced over at Momo who was curled up beside him in the saddle. "Right, Momo?"

Momo lifted his head, stared at Sokka with big eyes, and then lowered his head again going back to his nap.

Aang spoke to Zuko from where he was guiding Appa. "You're definitely not Fire Lord Sozin, Azulon, or Ozai… You're going to be the most understanding, wisest, and caring Fire Lord that this world has seen, Zuko. I truly believe that." He glanced back at him. "The moment I saw you rush to Amara that first day I met her, I could already see the good in you."

Zuko smiled. "Thanks, Aang."

Eventually we arrived in the area of a mountainous region and landed in the wooded area to make camp. As we set up the campsite, and got our evening meal prepared, I looked over at Zuko again with concern. He was teaching Aang some more firebending moves. Aang had definitely been catching on.

I thought back to Zuko's worries earlier. I knew in my heart Zuko had nothing to worry about. If there was anyone in the Fire Nation I trusted to be Fire Lord, then it was him.

Sokka, who had been looking over his map some more, asked, "Should we be making a campfire and practicing firebending with Combustion Man after us?"

I shot fire onto the sticks, and they took light.

Katara reassured him. "I don't think he's anywhere near us. We should be okay… We haven't really left any pointers for him to follow us."

Sokka sighed. "Okay… I just don't want to have to dodge explosions again for a while."

Toph shrugged. "We'll be fine. We're in the middle of the woods. No one's going to find us here."

Later that night, once the sun had set and we had eaten our meal, we were seated around the fire telling stories. The partially full moon was above us, offering some extra light apart from the fire. For some reason, the group decided to tell scary stories. Zuko started to tell a story about a ghost he had seen in the palace. We were horrified as he told us about seeing an old woman in a white robe floating down the hall. He said it happened when he was around ten. He told us that the woman said nothing to him, and went through the wall. We all had shivers rushing through our spine.

Toph told us a scary story about feeling something approaching her when she was walking outside of her estate late one night. She could not make out what it was, even through the vibrations of the earth. It just disappeared once it got within a foot of her.

Then Sokka started to tell his own story. He began to tell about a man who lost his hand during a battle, and a few months later he died. Then a villager saw a figure of a man with a sword for a hand walking through the village late at night. The man with the sword for a hand turned to meet the villagers eyes, and then vanished.

Sokka went on to tell another story about a haunted blade. "Suddenly, they heard something down the hall in the dark. Oooh ... It came into the torchlight ... and they knew the blade of Wing Fung was haunted!" He drew his own sword out and waved it around. "Ooh-aaah!"

Zuko groaned. "Really? A haunted sword?"

Aang sighed. "I think I like "the man with a sword for a hand" better."

Toph muttered, "Water Tribe slumber parties must stink. You got any scary tales, Kitten?"

I frowned. "Not unless you want stories about my childhood…"

Toph grimaced. "Oh… right… sorry…"

Katara jumped in. "Wait! I've got one! And this is a true Southern Water Tribe story."

Sokka sighed. "Is this one of those "a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happened to" stories?"

Katara argued. "No! It happened to Mom."

We were all quiet as Katara told her tale. "One winter when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later, Mom noticed 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's tone went a pitch higher. "'It's so cold and I can't get warm!'". Her voice returned to normal while shivers raced through me. Sokka even stiffened in fear. Everyone else was listening in anticipation. "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."

Aang was hiding behind Momo's ears, shaking in fear. I was astonished by her tale. Was this really a true story?

Sokka shakily asked, "Where'd 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."

"I think I'm done with scary stories," I muttered. Yuna whined in my lap in agreement. Zuko put an arm around me to comfort me.

Toph suddenly gasped. We all jumped.

"Wait! Guys, did you hear that?" She crouched and placed her hand against the earth. "I hear people under the mountain. And they're screaming."

Sokka shakily laughed and waved his hand. "Pfft! Nice try."

Toph frowned in the fire light. "No, I'm serious. I hear something."

Katara shakily said, "You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories …"

Toph muttered, "It just ... stopped."

Aang spoke again. "All right, now I'm getting scared."

I was surprised to see that he and Katara were hugging one another now. Momo was squished between them.

A voice spoke from behind us. "Hello, children."

We all screamed and jumped up from the fire. Yuna hissed and landed on my shoulder. We turned to the sudden presence, and saw an older woman with gray hair and dark clothing.

The woman smiled at us in the fire light. "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?"

Sokka swallowed. He wanted out of the woods. "Yes, please."

Hama glanced over at Appa, Yuna, and Momo. "Of course your furry friends are welcome as well. I have a barn they can stay in."

Hama smiled and began walking away. She waited at the edge of the woods for us. We poured water over the fire and grabbed our things. As we followed her through the woods, Toph seemed uncertain about something. She was staggering behind. I fell a few steps back with Yuna still on my shoulder. "You okay?"

She answered softly, "Something about those screams through the earth… They just… seemed so real…"

I shivered. A thought came to my mind of prisoners. "Is… there possibly a prison around here? A place for war prisoners?"

Toph shrugged. "I don't know… I'll have to ask Zuko…"

I flinched. "It's probably a good idea to call him Lee while we're around this lady… We don't know if she's loyal to the Fire Lord…"

Toph nodded. "Good point. I'll mention that to the others. It's probably best if we don't use any names… At least until we know we can trust this woman."

Of course, as soon as Toph said this, Katara had already ruined the plan. "My name's Katara. This is Sokka. That's Kuzon, Toph, Liva, and Lee."

At first I was horrified when she named some of us. But I was relieved she at least covered up the names of Zuko, Aang, and I. Although, I had a feeling Sokka and Katara were not a common Fire Nation name.

"It's so nice to meet you children. May I ask why you're traveling in the woods alone? Where are your parents?"

Katara answered again with our generic response. "We're from the colonies. Just visiting the area. Trying to make it to the Fire Nation capital where some of our family is."

Hama nodded. "I see. You have a fascinating creature with you. I haven't seen a sky-bison in my lifetime. Just heard rumors."

Zuko covered for us. "Everyone says that. He is one of the last of his kind." He quickly added, "Other than the one that the Avatar had…"

Hama frowned. "Yes… I was a bit saddened to hear of the Avatar's passing…"

Aang rubbed his shoulder and made sure his headband was on correctly, trying to keep his identity concealed. His dark hair managed to hide the rest of his tattoo.

We eventually arrived in the valley of the mountain where a wooden inn stood. A barn was beside it, and Aang herded Appa inside. Once Appa was comfortable, we went inside to what was a two story inn, with what I assumed was an attic for the last floor. We sat at a very long wooden table in the dining area downstairs, just past the sitting room. Hama left to get us some tea. The table was high off the floor and had chairs. As we sat, and Hama disappeared into the kitchen, Zuko leaned forward. "No one finds this woman suspicious?"

Katara was surprised. "What do you mean?"

Zuko frowned. "It's just not usual for elderly women to be walking alone in the woods… at least not in the Fire Nation… There's just something about her that makes me nervous…"

I stroked Yuna's feathers as she was curled on my lap. "Me too…"

Toph agreed. "I'm getting some weird readings from her. She seems to be guarded when she talks to us."

Katara snapped, "Everyone stop it. Be polite. This is a kind old lady who offered us a place to stay for the night. Stop being so paranoid."

The door to the room opened, and we stopped our conversation as Hama came back into the room. She placed a cup in front of us, and then poured each of us some tea.

Katara spoke, "Thanks for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn."

Hama smiled, "Aren't you sweet?" She took a seat at the head of the table. We sipped our tea, and I was a bit relieved by the warmth and flavor. The woods had been a bit chilly once we started our ghost stories.

"You know…" Hama began. "You should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

Sokka was curious. "What do you mean "disappearing"?'"

Hama took a sip of her own tea and then set it down. "When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don't come out." We all were silent in shock. She stood, holding up the teapot again. "Who wants more tea?"

We just stared at her in silent horror. Hama noticed our concern. "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here." She put the teapot back down and clasped her hands together. "Why don't you all finish your tea, and then I'll show you to your rooms so you can get a good night's rest?"

We followed her once we were finished and made our way up some wooden stairs to the second floor. She showed us many different small rooms. Surprisingly, there was enough for each of us to have our own. Hama told us that she slept in a room downstairs on the other side of the kitchen if we needed anything. She also showed us where the washroom was and told us we were welcome to food in the kitchen if we were hungry.

Her kindness did calm my worries a little as she spoke to us and showed us around. However, at one point I caught her glare over at Zuko as he walked ahead of her into one of the rooms. She noted my eyes on her face, and she quickly tried to cover it with a smile. She showed me to my room next, probably trying to distract me from her reaction.

"You and your little friend can stay here dear. Just make sure your cat-owl doesn't scratch up the furniture."

I responded, "Yuna's a good girl. You don't need to worry about her."

She nodded. "Of course. Good night." She left me to show the others the rest of the rooms.

I grabbed Katara's arm before she walked off. "Are we sure about this…?"

Katara placed a comforting hand over my own. "There's something about her… I can't explain… but I really feel we can trust her. Don't worry. Just rest."

I sighed, and gave a small nod. I went into the room, shut the wooden door, and made my way over to the bed. Taking my boots off, I crawled onto the bed and tried to relax and sleep. Yuna curled up beside me. However, I was restless and felt nervous. Eventually, I gave up trying to sleep and went out into the dark hallway. Yuna came with me, letting me carry her in my arms. I knocked on Zuko's door softly.

He only opened it a second later, and he let out a heavy breath when he saw me. "Can't sleep either?"

I shook my head.

He nodded. "This place gives me the creeps too…"

"Can we just hang with you…?"

He gestured for me to come in, and he shut the door behind us. He moved onto the bed just enough so I had room. "Only for tonight. If your cousins find out, they'll never leave us alone together again."

"We're not alone," I argued as I got in bed with him. Yuna rested at the end of our feet. "Yuna's here."

He laughed. "Yeah. I guess that can be the excuse."

We both laid on the bed, and Zuko had an arm around me. Through the night, I was in and out of sleep. I kept hearing strange noises and wood creaking outside the door. Zuko was a bit restless too. I could tell he was in and out of sleep like I was. We were the first ones out of bed when the sun rose in the morning, both of us having gotten hardly any sleep. We silently made our way outside to the stables where Appa was. I fished out some fruit from the bag on Appa's saddle, and then I gave it to Appa. He groaned with delight. Zuko and I proceeded to find a creek nearby where I caught a fish for Yuna with my waterbending. She was thrilled with her breakfast.

When we got back, we found the group was awake and Hama had made us breakfast. Hama was not in the room. As we arrived at the table, Zuko asked, "Are we ready to head out?"

Katara protested. "Hama actually needs our help shopping today. I told her we'd go into the village to assist. It's the least we can do for her, especially for allowing us to stay the night."

I hesitated. "But… aren't we pressed for time?"

Sokka spoke after swallowing some eggs from his chopstick. "I guess one more night can't hurt…"

Aang added, "If we're going shopping, can we at least get something for Appa. I hate him being stuck eating hay."

Zuko smirked. "Amara thought about him first thing this morning. He got some grub."

I held up a moonpeach. "Brought Momo's favorite too."

Momo jumped up on the table and grabbed the fruit from me. He started to eat it with his cute little munching noises.

"You always make sure they have breakfast. What about your cousin?" Sokka whined.

Zuko scoffed. "Weren't you Mr. Fish man back at home? You can catch your own food."

Aang smirked. "Yeah. You are great at catching fish. You once said your skills were on the hook!"

Katara coughed a laugh. "That was Toph saying his skills weren't on the hook."

The door opened again and Hama stepped in with a basket. "Alright! Finish up breakfast! There's much to buy!"

We finished eating and then made our way down a path from Hama's inn towards the small village that stretched in the valley. Aang was doing what he could to hide Momo in his shirt since the little guy didn't want to be left behind. Flying-lemurs weren't as common as cat-owls in these parts.

The village had homes scattered where there was flat land available. There was an area of wooden buildings set up for shops in the village center. Katara was tied to Hama's side as the lady shopped around. I stuck with the others as we looked around other stalls. Yuna's eyes were wide as she took in the sights and sounds around us.

We caught a conversation as we were near a man selling fruit. Another male villager asked, "You won't have any ash bananas till next week?"

The shop owner shook his head. "Well, I have to send the boy to Hing Wa Island to get them, and it's a two-day trip."

The Villager frowned. "Oh, right. Tomorrow's the full moon."

The shop owner nodded. "Exactly. I can't lose another delivery boy in the woods."

Their conversation confused me. Why was the full moon such a scary thing here?

Sokka frowned and glanced over at us. He gestured for us to follow him away from the stall. We did, wondering what he needed to tell us he didn't want others to hear. He stopped and said to Aang, "People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff happening during full moons? This just reeks of Spirit World shenanigans."

Aang shrugged. "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. "And then you can sew up this little mystery lickety-split, Avatar style!"

Zuko covered his face in disbelief. "Yeah. Because that will keep Aang being alive on the down low."

"No one has to know," Aang stated. "Helping people ... that's what I do."

We walked around town a little longer, listening to the people around us. As we walked, Toph asked, "Hey, Sparky… are there any prisons near here?"

Zuko thought for a moment. "Not that I can think of… Other than a small local holding place, the closest prison is probably a good thirty miles from here."

Toph frowned. "Then I wonder why I keep hearing these voices through the mountain… I swear they're saying, 'Help… We're trapped…'"

I frowned. "Maybe it isn't a prison… Do you think a cave-in happened or something?"

"Or something…" Toph muttered.

"Maybe we should go check… make sure no one's in trouble," I spoke with concern.

"Let's talk to Katara…" Aang said. "I don't want to leave her out of the loop."

We arrived back to Katara and Hama a few moments later. Katara's basket was completely full. Hama turned to Katara, saying, "Why don't you take all those things back to the inn? I just have to run a couple more errands. I'll be back in a little while."

Sokka walked over to her with suspicion. "This is a mysterious little town you have here."

Hama smiled. "Mysterious town for mysterious children." She handed her own basket to Sokka, who took it without protest. Hama walked off then, leaving us to watch her go with uncertainty.

Sometime later, we got back to the inn and placed things on the wooden table in the kitchen.

Sokka spoke, "That Hama seems a little strange. Like she knows something, or she's hiding something."

Katara scoffed. "That's ridiculous. She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay." She frowned slightly. "She kinda reminds me of Gran-Gran."

Her words surprised me. I went to ask her in what way, wanting to know more about my grandma, but Sokka interrupted me, staying on topic.

"But what did she mean by that comment, 'mysterious children'?"

Katara looked at Sokka with frustration. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she found six strange kids camping in the woods at night? Isn't that a little mysterious?"

Sokka narrowed his eyes. He turned and left the room, saying, "I'm gonna take a look around."

We were horrified by his words. We followed him quickly through the house, while Katara shouted after him, "Sokka! Sokka, what are you doing?" Sokka went up the stairs to the second floor and started opening cabinets and rooms we hadn't been in yet. Katara snapped again as we followed him, "You can't just snoop around someone's house."

Sokka waved her off. "It'll be fine."

Zuko muttered, "Should one of us keep a lookout?"

Aang added as Sokka peered into another room, "She could be home any minute."

Katara continued to follow and snap after Sokka. "Sokka, you're gonna get us all in trouble and this is just plain rude!"

Sokka tugged on a wooden door to a cupboard. "I'm not finished yet." He tried to pull on the door, grunting from it being jammed. "Come on…"

Zuko sighed. "Well… since we're already snooping…" He stepped past me and shoved Sokka aside. He was a bit stronger than my cousin, so he grabbed the handle of the cabinet and jerked it open. As the doors came open, a bunch of faces fell out towards us. We all screamed (except for Toph who just covered her ears due to our panic) and jumped away from the objects. Yuna hissed on my shoulder. There were wooden dolls on string. Sokka had drawn his sword during our panic, and he pointed it at one of the painted wooden puppets.

Aang muttered, "Okay, that's pretty creepy."

Katara walked over and started shoving the puppets back in. She shut the door once they were back in place. "So she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that." Sokka ignored her, sheathing his sword, and heading towards the stairs that led to the attic. She snapped after him, "Sokka, you've looked enough." He started walking up the stairs and Katara followed. "Hama will be back soon."

Sokka stopped at a door at the top of the stairs. "Just an ordinary puppet-loving innkeeper, huh? Well then why does she have a locked door up here?"

A sudden thought hit me, and tried to push it away. However, the locked attic door sent my mind in a sudden direction I didn't want to go. Was someone locked inside? Was Hama keeping a prisoner here?! There was definitely something creepy about her, so it wouldn't surprise me.

Katara spoke as my mind raced. "Probably to keep people like you from snooping through her stuff!"

Sokka peeked through the keyhole. "We'll see… It's empty, except for a little chest."

My racing heart calmed. Empty… good… I liked that better.

Toph exclaimed, "Maybe it's treasure!"

Sokka grinned. He grabbed his sword again and started to pick at the lock with the sharp end.

Katara scolded him again. "Sokka, what are you doing? You're breaking into a private room!"

Zuko and I stayed at the bottom of the stairs with Aang, who was covering his face in disbelief. Yuna, who was perched on my shoulder, whined as she sensed Katara's frustration. I pet her to let her know it was okay.

Sokka snapped, "I have to see what's in there."

The door unlocked and creaked open. We all made our way inside, mainly because Katara followed. We were honestly a little scared to go against her sometimes. When we stepped into the room, we saw a small wooden chest in the center of the room. It was the only object in the room.

Sokka sheathed his sword and stepped over to the chest.

Aang finally spoke with uncertainty. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Zuko sighed. "I don't think you can stop him now, Aang. He's on a mission."

Sokka picked up the chest and tried to pry it open. The lid did not come up and he grunted as he realized it was locked. "Maybe there's a key here somewhere…"

Toph eagerly stated, "Hand it over!"

She took the chest in one hand, and removed the meteor bracelet from her arm. She used earthbending to form the space rock into the shape of a key. She stuck it in and started to fiddle with the lock.

Sokka inched closer. The rest of us were a few inches away too, curious by what would be discovered. Sokka urged, "Come on. Come on!"

Toph snapped, "This isn't as easy as it looks!"

Aang muttered, "Guys, I don't know about this …"

Katara snapped, "This is crazy! I'm leaving!"

Zuko was uncertain what to do. I was too. I was really eager to know what Hama was hiding, but I was nervous we would be caught.

Sokka shrugged. "Suit yourself! Do it, Toph!"

Katara scoffed and turned to leave. Toph clicked the key in place and the latch opened. Katara returned with sudden curiosity as we all got close to peer into the box.

Hama suddenly spoke behind us. "I'll tell you what's in the box."

We all jumped at her sudden appearance and turned to see her standing at the entrance to the attic. She was so quiet! I felt like she was scaring us on purpose.

Sokka guiltily handed her the box. She calmly lifted the lid, reached in, and pulled out a beautiful blue comb made from a whale tooth.

Sokka was bewildered. "An old comb?"

Hama gave a small smile. "It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe."

Her words stunned all of us.

Katara asked with astonishment. "You're from the Southern Water Tribe?"

Hama set the comb back in the box. "Just like you."

Katara was even more shocked. "How did you know?"

Hama smiled. "I heard you talking around your campfire."

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

Hama explained. "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."

Aang stuck his tongue out. I knew he wasn't a fan. "Great…"

Zuko looked over at him with confusion. "What's wrong with ocean kumquats?"

Aang muttered, "It's the sea prunes…"

Katara ignored their conversation and spoke to Hama. "I knew I felt a bond with you right away."

Sokka shrugged. "And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right." Katara elbowed him in the side, and he grimaced. "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around."

Hama smiled at him. "Apology accepted." She turned and started to walk away. "Now, let's get cooking!"

As the group followed, I watched them go with uncertainty. There was just something about Hama that really unsettled me. The way she kept looking at Zuko too… I really didn't like it.

Yuna gave a soft mew, sensing my hesitation as I lingered behind the others. I stroked her feathers, saying softly, "It's okay… I'm just being paranoid I'm sure… The whole assassin thing from the other day just has me on edge still… let's go eat…"

As I headed down the stairs, I felt my uncertainty grow. There was just something about this woman that seemed really dark…

Full Moon Part 2 Coming soon…