Chapter 31 - The Survivor
The dull grunt hummed across the wooded treetop canopy as a tired sky bison snorted in growing exhaustion. Patting the crown of his friend's furry head, Aang muttered, "I know Appa. It's getting late. We should find somewhere to settle in for the night."
The airbender scanned the immediate area, barely making out the glowing of village lights in the far-off distance. The sun had already fallen low on the horizon as orange-pinkish hues filled the evening sky. A chill to the cooling night air brushed against Aang's skin and he shivered slightly. He really didn't want to have to spend another night out in the wildness, camping alone. The inviting torches of the nearby village and, more importantly, a nice warm bed were a tempting siren call.
Aang frowned as he shook his head. No, he couldn't risk heading into a Fire Nation town. Again. Not after a previous attempt nearly ended in a disaster when he didn't have enough money to pay his full bill at the cafe. Or the time before that when a young kid noticed Aang's blue airbending tattoos because the airbender's headband slipped. Or even the time when Appa thought Aang had been gone for too long and wandered close to the village outskirts.
For the millionth time, Aang wished that his friends were with him. Managing money, food, and directions was hard. Sokka usually did all this stuff and Aang never had to worry about any of it. And when there was danger around, Toph would usually be the first one to face it down.
Aang felt a pang of guilt for leaving the earthbender behind. Maybe that had been a bit hasty. But he had been frustrated with her at the time because of the unending, absolutely challenging, earthbending and metalbending training Toph had been forcing him to do. The airbender was positive that Katara wouldn't have been as demanding as a teacher with waterbending as Toph had been with earthbending. And he did need to strengthen his waterbending too after all.
At least his memories of the Water Tribe girl assured Aang of that. It had been several months since he had seen her last. But Aang never forgot her. Not really. Katara's face had been the first he had seen after emerging from that iceberg. And she had been the most beautiful girl Aang had ever seen.
Not to mention the waterbender had always been patient with him when they were traveling together. Katara never yelled at him like Toph did when he slacked off. Katara never got exasperated with him like Sokka did when he forgot something. The Water Tribe girl had always laughed at his silly jokes. And she enjoyed playing with all the animal friends that Aang brought her as well, even when Sokka got annoyed at that too.
Aang was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he jumped when he heard a loud, frantic scream rip through the otherwise calm evening. Pushing forward on the reins, Aang dipped Appa closer to the tree line, nervous that he had been spotted by a Fire Nation citizen... again. However, no arrow came whizzing by, nor any firebending.
Scanning the forest beneath him, the airbender faintly made out the sight of a Fire Nation girl being surrounded by three unsavory looking thugs. A bundle of groceries lay scattered nearby as the girl attempted to run, only to be grabbed by the arm and restrained by one of the thugs.
"Let me go!" shrieked the Fire Nation girl as she shrugged in vain to free herself.
"Not a chance, missy," replied the thug who was restraining her. "It's dangerous out here at night for a single girl to be walking around all by herself."
"Yeah," piped up a second ruffian. "Don't you know that there's sketchy-people wandering around these parts? You should stick with us. We'll keep you safe."
As the third brute moved closer, a gust of wind blew him off his feet as Aang appeared on the scene with his staff at the ready and his red Fire Nation headband secured tightly around his forehead.
"Not so fast! She doesn't want to go with you. You should just leave her alone," demanded Aang as he twisted his body to avoid a wild punch before leaping high over his attacker and landing on the man's shoulders.
Pushing this thug forward as he jumped away with a kick, Aang grinned childishly in victory when two of the ruffians collided with one another and collapsed to the ground.
Getting up, the unsavory fellow sized up the newcomer and his strange ability to dodge them. "Bah, she's got a bodyguard. This ain't worth it," decided the apparent leader of the group as he signaled for his minions to depart.
Making sure that the three thugs were actually leaving, Aang watched them for a minute as the three men ran over a hill and out of sight. The young Avatar felt some pride at just how easy that was. 'See? And Toph says that relying on only airbending is stupid,' thought Aang to himself. 'I've been getting on just fine with airbending, no problem.'
Relaxing, now that the danger had passed, Aang stood back up out of his ready stance as he lowered his staff. Gradually turning around, Aang had a goofy grin on his face as he asked, "They're gone now. Are you-"
The young Avatar didn't get to finish his sentence as a bronze pipe connected solidly with the base of his skull and Aang dropped instantly, unconscious long before he hit the ground unceremoniously, a painful bump on his head.
The Fire Nation girl removed her long, brown-haired wig as she shook her own black hair free. Securing the metal baton to a holster on her leg, the girl concealed the weapon once more within the folds of her tunic.
Looking over the fallen Avatar, Mai was unimpressed as she stated flatly, "Right where Azula said he would be traveling. And she was right about him always having to play the hero."
The three thugs returned as the weapon mistress pointed at airbender. "Bind his wrists and his ankles. Gag him and take his staff away. Let's leave before any of his friends show up."
The now revealed to be disguised Fire Nation soldiers nodded obediently as they began to comply with Mai's orders. More soldiers in standard uniform arrived with a horse wagon and a metal cage in tow.
"Is Edel going to be okay?" implored Zuko as he hovered over the thunderbird alongside Jin and Sokka.
Katara was still applying her waterbending healing over Edel's injuries. "Her wing was badly damaged from that firebender's... energy beams? Seriously, what was all that?"
"There's Fire Nation people who can shoot explosions from their minds?! How long were you going to keep that a secret?!" exclaimed Sokka as he flailed his arms about wildly. "How is that even possible?!" The Water Tribe boy immediately winced in pain as he gripped his left arm. His Sister had healed it with her bending earlier, but the limb was still exceedingly sore.
"Not everyone, just one man," answered Zuko, attempting to calm the Water Tribe boy as he reflected on their attacker. "Marok Shon, infamously known as the strongest hitman in the Fire Nation."
"We had an assassin after us?!" shrieked Sokka again in surprise.
"Not an assassin, a hitman," corrected Zuko distractedly as started to think about who could have possibly sent Marok Shon after them. It wasn't exactly difficult for the Fire Prince to realize that it was most likely Azula's doing.
"What's the difference?!" cried out Sokka, not letting this go.
Glancing back over at the Water Tribe boy, Zuko answered him directly. "An assassin is more cloak and dagger, hidden in the shadows, and most importantly, discreet. A hitman doesn't care about the method. They just need to get the job done."
"Well what does that matter?" returned Sokka. "You're splitting hairs here! Both would be trying to kill us!"
"It does matter," stressed Zuko. "It means that whoever hired and sent Marok Shon after us didn't care about keeping their identity a secret. Because they don't fear us. They just wanted us dead. Can you think of anyone like that? I'll give you one guess."
Sokka slouched back down. It didn't take long for him to put the pieces together either. "Your Sister is messed up, man."
"You all got hurt protecting me, because I was struck in the Spirit World. I should have been there sooner to help," grumbled Zuko as he clenched his fists closed, tight enough to draw a faint trickle of blood.
Katara placed her hand on the firebender's shoulder as she stood back up, finished with her healing of Edel's wing. "But you did arrive to give us the edge we needed to win, and that's what matters."
"Still, took you long enough though," interjected Sokka as he massaged his shoulder. The Water Tribe boy was clearly still frustrated at being targeted so directly.
Shaking her head at her Brother, Katara instead focused on the Fire Prince. "Edel will be okay, given time. I've healed her the best I can for now. I think she might be able to fly herself around by tomorrow. But I don't think she can carry us anywhere for at least a couple of days, until she gets her strength back."
Zuko closed his eyes. "This was my fault that Edel got hurt. Why all of you got hurt." He opened them again. "I urged us to come here. I put us in a vulnerable position and I wasn't even around for most of the fight." He sat down on a rock. "And now, we won't be able to make it to the Magma Slags in time to rescue Uncle before the Day of Black Sun."
The group was silent in response to that. The firebender was right. With Edel hurt and needing time to recover, there simply wasn't enough time to finish getting to both the Magma Slags and the invasion force rendezvous point. They had to chose which to head towards.
It was the Earth Kingdom girl who finally voiced the decision they all knew had to be made. "Then... we'll rescue him after," boasted Jin with a fist pump. "It can be the first thing we do after we end this war. If we stop the Fire Lord, then he can't issue an order to harm your Uncle."
Katara sat down next to Zuko. "Don't blame yourself. We all knew it was going to be dangerous to come to the Fire Nation. And we chose to come anyway. Because we're in this fight together."
Sokka looked at the firebender in frustration. "Was whatever you learned in your weird Spirit Trance at least worth it?"
As the three of them looked at Zuko expectantly, he answered, "I learned the true history of my great-grandfather..." The firebender looked up to meet everyone's eyes. "...Avatar Roku."
Sokka's jaw hit the ground. "Wait, wait, wait! Aren't you descended from Sozin? Wasn't Roku a good guy?"
"Zuko's a good guy too," defended Katara, sharply.
"My Mother, Ursa, she was the granddaughter of Avatar Roku. I... never knew, not until today. She never told me," stated Zuko.
"You didn't know who your own grandparents were?" asked Jin in a reasonably calm tone before Sokka could loudly exclaim the same.
"Great-grandparents, and yes, on my Mother's side," replied Zuko. "Father always controlled the information that was provided to Azula and I when we were growing up. I never stopped to think about my Mother's side of my family. I had just been told that they were just some important Fire Nation people."
"Remember how I said your Sister was messed up?" noted Sokka harshly. "Well, your Dad is just as messed up."
"There's more," began Zuko as he spent the next hour retelling what he had learned in the Spirit World.
Katara had a frown on her face as the Fire Prince concluded the story. "You mean that even after everything that Roku and Sozin went through together, even after Roku showed him mercy, Sozin just betrayed his old friend in the end like that?"
"Your family is dark, Zuko. I'm just glad that you haven't turned out like them," commented Jin.
"That's because of my Mother and my Uncle," replied Zuko. "Without them, I might have been just as lost. With them, I still almost was."
"Self-reflection is all well and good, but couldn't Avatar Roku have told you about some superweapon or something? Some weakness that we could use to defeat the Fire Lord?" asked Sokka.
"Nothing quite so fantastical," returned Zuko. "But I'm done worrying about the past. It doesn't change what we have to do now. What I have to do now. And I know what I need to know. Roku and Sozin were both Fire Nation, two sides of the same coin. And all that evil needed to triumph in the end was for good people to do nothing. Roku didn't stop Sozin when he had the opportunity to do so. Giving people a chance to change only works if they wish to change themselves. Otherwise, you only avoid the problem."
The Fire Prince looked at Katara, Sokka, and Jin. "I was fortunate enough that you all gave me that chance. But my Father..." Regret crossed the firebender's face. "My Father is not going to stop. He shares the same misguided vision as Azulon and Sozin did before him. There is no internal good and evil conflict within him anymore."
"This can't be easy for you," sympathized Katara.
"It's not, but if I only focus on what I must leave behind, then I'll never see what lies ahead," declared Zuko as he placed his hands in his pockets. His fingers brushed up against something as Zuko recalled the familiar smoothness of the flat, light blue stone residing there.
They rested on Roku Island for another day. Katara provided everyone with another healing session the next morning as Edel tested her wing with a satisfied caw. Feeling restless, Edel looked to the skies and gingerly took off. She struggled for a moment, almost crashing back onto the beach sand. For a second Zuko feared the thunderbird was going to hurt herself even more, but Edel caught herself and recovered gracefully. They watched as the large bird flew into the heavens. High above, storm clouds started to release lightning amongst themselves as they watched Edel's shadow dance with each of the varying multicolored flashes.
"Maybe she uses the lightning to heal?" pondered Katara aloud. None of them were sure, but Edel appeared to be on the road to recovery.
Walking along the beach, the group eventually found the boat that Marok Shon had used to reach the island. Zuko had surmised that the tattooed, third-eye firebender must have spotted them traveling by chance and had been close by enough to reach them by boat as they lingered on the island.
Sokka ran around the boat with a critical eye as he checked the sails, rudder, and the steering. "I can sail this no problem," he boasted with his chest puffed up. He appeared absolutely giddy about the opportunity to command the sailboat.
Plotting out a course to the nearest inhabited island, they set sail. In the skies above, Edel followed them slowly. Or at least, the faint thunderstorm in the distance always remained within view.
About halfway through the voyage, Sokka slapped his hand down on the ship's wheel that he was steering with. "I got it!"
Knowing that he was probably going to regret it later, Zuko reluctantly decided to entertain the Water Tribe boy. "Got what?"
"No one's going to believe that we defeated some crazy firebender who shoots explosions with his mind. That's simply ridiculous. But that's only an issue if we don't have a good story to share too. And for that, our villain needs a good name. Some dude named Marok Shon is lame. There's no pizzazz," explained Sokka as stopped steering the sailboat to use his arms for more important things, like waving them around excitedly as he grew more invested in his own logic. "This crazy firebender needs a better name, a more memorable name. Did he have a moniker in the Fire Nation?"
When Zuko shook his head in the negative, Sokka grinned widely. "Then, we'll call him Sparky Sparky Boom Man!" The Water Tribe boy stood there with a stupid smirk on his face, like he had just come up with the greatest nickname in the entire world.
"Sparky..." started Zuko.
"Sparky..." continued Jin.
"Boom Man?" finished Katara. The waterbender shook her head at her Brother. "That has got to be one of the worst names you have ever come up with, Sokka. And you've been pretty terrible at naming things ever since we were kids."
Sokka waved off his Sister's criticism with disinterest. "It's an attention grabber. And it explains his abilities better."
"Better to who? Three year-olds?" scoffed Zuko. "Keep thinking. Actually... why did I say that? Please just stop. And focus on steering the boat again."
"How about Combustion Man?" offered Jin thoughtfully.
"Ooh! I like that one too!" cheered Sokka in delight as he produced a notebook from his tunic pocket and quickly jotted the suggestion down.
"Jin, please don't encourage him," scolded Katara. However, it was too late as both the Water Tribe boy and Earth Kingdom girl started to excitedly exchange different ideas for a nickname for the crazy hitman that they had just fought and defeated.
"Click Click Boom Guy!"
"Ignition Man!"
"Silent but Deadly!"
"The One-Armed Idiot!"
"Sparky Kindling!"
"Twinkle Twinkle Star Guy!"
"Explosive Fool!"
"Third Eye Freak!"
"Mouth Breather Dude!"
"Terrible Goatee!"
Zuko pinched his forehead in a vain attempt to stave off the predictable headache that tended to result due to the Water Tribe boy's antics. The firebender attempted to assume control of the ship wheel since Sokka was clearly more preoccupied with coming up with random nicknames instead doing his job of sailing the boat. However, the Water Warrior noticed and kept a firm hand on the steering mechanism.
"I've still got the helm. I can do more than one thing at a time," defended Sokka. Most likely because the Water Warrior was not about to relinquish control of a boat to anyone. Piloting a ship was the one thing that Sokka knew that he knew how to do, probably even in his sleep, if he had too.
Zuko relented without too much of a fight. As long as someone was still steering the ship forward, that was good enough. Hoping to prevent another series of distracting nicknames for their latest foe, the firebender instead offered, "Those were all some... creative suggestions; however, Marok Shon doesn't really need a nickname. The fact that we managed to best the strongest and most well-known Fire Nation hitman is a pretty strong story already. You should be proud of yourselves that you all not only held him off, but you defeated him. That alone is going to send ripples across the underground criminal networks."
Sokka, Jin, and Katara did, in fact, look proud of their success in fighting and winning against such a strong opponent. It was a confidence boost that they needed to prove that their training was making them all much stronger than they were before.
And most importantly, at least as far as Zuko was concerned, the nickname conversation seemed to have been concluded. Or at least it was, until Katara decided to provide her input on the matter as she said, "You know, the more I think about it, Combustion Man isn't that bad of a nickname." Zuko simply groaned in response as Katara, Sokka, and Jin all started to laugh at the firebender's reaction.
Reaching the next island, they spent the better part of the remainder of the day walking towards the village they had seen on their map. Unfortunately, it appeared that they weren't going to make it there before nightfall. Finding a small clearing surrounded by tall trees, Zuko, Katara, Jin, and Sokka made camp in the forestry area.
Zuko got a campfire going as Sokka prepared the bedrolls and organized the travel bags. Katara and Jin worked together to see what they could make for supper in the cooking pot. They settled on a simple meal, white rice and some fish they had caught while at sea.
Well, Katara had caught most of the fish with her waterbending. Sokka claimed he would have caught more, but he had been too busy steering the boat. Zuko had flat out refused to attempt fishing himself in any sort of capacity, grumbling something about stupid fishing spears, much to both Sokka's and Jin's confusion. Katara, on the other hand, simply kept a silent laugh to herself, even when Jin attempted to get the Water Tribe girl to explain what was going on.
Eventually, as they ate under the pale moonlight of the night sky above, Jin asked, "Anyone know any good ghost stories?" When her friends gave her a bewildered look, the Earth Kingdom girl elaborated, "Haven't any of you been on a camping trip before? This place kind of reminds me of the open trails back home when we would go on cattle drives. Someone always had a good ghost story to share."
"Jin, we just fought a life and death battle the other day, and now you want to tell scary stories?" asked Sokka incredulously. "We should be focusing on more serious things."
"Pfft," spit back the Earth Kingdom girl. "It's precisely because of that fight that we need to do something that feels normal. Otherwise we'll just be a bundle of nerves all the time. And scary stories are a given during campfires."
When no one was forthcoming, Jin sulked a little. Then, she gave the rest of them a teasing grin. "I didn't realize that I was traveling with a bunch of scaredy-cat squirrels."
When Sokka started to huff and puff about how he was a brave Water Tribe warrior, not afraid of anything, Zuko cut his friend off as the firebender instead began with one of the few scary stories that he actually knew. "There was an old tavern located at a crossroads in the northern wilds of the Fire Nation. Travelers would stop there to eat and rest as it was the only inn for miles around. Years ago, there was a fight between the tavern owner and an unruly drifter that left the drifter with a severe black eye. As the drifter fainted, he was placed in one of the rooms to sleep off his drink. But in the morning, it was discovered that the man had passed away."
Jin listened with rapt attention. This was the kind of scary story she had been hoping for. Katara was interested in the scary tale as well as she scooted closer to the firebender. Sokka shivered a little, but said nothing as he didn't want to be the first to say anything.
Zuko continued. "One day, a muscular brute came to the tavern, but the tavern owner claimed that all of the rooms were full except for the one that the drifter had died in. He warned the brute the room was haunted, but the brute said, 'I am an enforcer who fights thugs every day. I ain't afraid of no ghost.' That night, as the brute was settling into bed, the sheets flew off of him and he heard an echoing voice ring out, 'I am the ghost with one black eye.'" Zuko's tone had turned creepy and he had closed his good eye, leaving only his scarred eye open as he spoke this last line. Each of his friends felt a chill run down their spines as the flames of the campfire silhouetted the Fire Prince.
Resuming his story, the Fire Prince resumed, "The brute panicked and looked for the voice's owner, but found no one. He grabbed his stuff and ran. The next day, a barmaid came and was again told that the haunted room was the only one available. The barmaid said, 'I serve drinks to some of the most violent men around. No ghost can scare me.' She took the room, but during her bath, she too heard the booming voice of the one-eyed ghost and ran away."
"The following night, a solider came to the tavern," stated Zuko. "When offered the same room, the soldier accepted. When the solider turned out the candles and got in bed, he too heard the booming voice, 'I am the ghost with one black eye!' The soldier simply turned over in his bed as he grumbled back, 'Yeah, well I'm tired, so unless you shut up, you're going to be the ghost with two black eyes.' There was utter silence afterwards and the soldier sleep through the night peacefully. Since that day, the ghost never disturbed any travelers again," he finished.
"What? Come on! That's how it ended?" whined Jin a bit disappointed at the story's conclusion. "That was good right up until the end. I was expecting the ghost to start taking people away or scaring them more!"
Zuko shrugged. "It was one of the stories I learned as a kid. Though, the more I think about it, the more I'm realizing that it might have been trying to teach kids to grow up and become brave soldiers for the Fire Nation."
"Ugh, you told us a Fire Nation propaganda story," claimed Sokka as his creeped-out factor rapidly disappeared, instead being replaced by his dislike of most things Fire Nation. Still, the knowledge did help the Water Tribe boy compose himself once more.
Jin waved off Sokka before he could expand on his rant. "Alright, well, it wasn't a bad first story, but it looks like I need to show you all how it's done." She leaned in closer over the campfire as the shadows from the flames gave her face an eerie look.
Katara shifted a little closer to Zuko as the Earth Kingdom girl began her tale. "There was a little village in the far reaches of the Earth Kingdom. The town itself was quite peaceful, but soon a strange problem occurred. Farm animals started dying off during the night, one by one, night after night. The farm owners would wake to find a dead goat, or cow, or sheep lying outside with wicked claw and slash marks littering its body."
When Sokka gulped in apprehension, Jin grinned at the reaction her introduction received. "Now at first, the villagers thought a wild wolf was probably the culprit. But upon closer inspection, the markings couldn't have been made by such a beast."
"Why not?" asked Katara as she too, began to get invested in her friend's story.
Jin stood up as she made a swiping motion with her arm. "Well, the markings couldn't have been made by a wolf, not unless that wolf could stand on its hind legs."
For his part, Zuko looked intrigued at the possibility of such a creature, though, his focus was redirected when he felt the Water Tribe girl lean her shoulder closer into him. Mustering up his courage, the Fire Prince took the chance to rest his arm over Katara's shoulder as he adjusted their sitting position so that they could sit together more comfortably.
Jin smirked at her friends' reactions; especially when the earthbender noticed Sokka holding his hand on his knee in a veiled attempt to prevent it from shaking. He was failing miserably.
The Earth Kingdom girl continued her story. "Getting fed up with the gradual loss of all of their animals, a Brother and Sister decided to investigate further and take care of the monster plaguing their town. So that night, they armed themselves with some knives from the kitchen, and kissed their Grandmother on the forehead as she sat on her favorite rocking chair by the fire. In order to cover more ground, the siblings split up as they patrolled the village, all while staying within earshot of one another. They set off, keeping a sharp eye on the shadows."
All of Jin's friends were listening with rapt attention as she concluded her tale. "They searched and they searched, but nothing seemed like it was going to happen that evening. They patrolled the entire village, twice, but found nothing or no one. Just the Brother was about to call off the hunt and return home, the Brother heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He shouted out to his Sister, but was tackled by something large and covered in fur. Sharp claws were tearing at his chest and pointed fangs were searching for his throat."
The earthbender made some chomping sounds as she stood ominously over the campfire. The red flames silhouetting the storyteller only added to the Earth Kingdom girl's story. "Luckily, the Sister heard the struggle and rushed to help, cutting off the beast's right hand with a swift stroke of her knife. The beast ran and the siblings got away. The Brother was bandaged and the townspeople hailed them both as heroes. They returned home together and said good morning to their Grandmother as each went to their separate rooms to head to bed since they had both stayed awake all night. However, either of them noticed the feral look in the old lady's eyes or her missing right hand! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!" finished Jin with a cackling laugh.
"The Grandmother was the creature?!" exclaimed Katara as she sat up in surprise, shivering a bit from unexpected fright. "That is just so wrong!"
"Y-Yeah!" agreed the far-off, shaky voice of Sokka. "Grandmothers are supposed to be kind and sweet!"
Zuko glanced over to his left to see an empty seat from where Sokka had previously been sitting. Continuing to turn, the firebender noticed Sokka up in a nearby tree branch. "Really?" the Fire Prince deadpanned towards the Water Tribe boy.
Climbing back down, Sokka defended himself with, "I was just checking out our surroundings. You can never be too safe." He promptly returned to his former seat as the girls giggled at the Water Tribe boy's attempts to deflect his unease.
Shifting the conversation back to her story, Jin laughed at her friends' protests. "That's what makes it a scary twist at the end! Plus, my Grandma loved to tell this story." Jin laughed again. "I think she just loved to creep people out and keep them wary of her."
"Your Grandmother sounds just as scary as Gran-Gran whenever I get caught sneaking snacks before dinner," concurred Sokka resting his chin in his hand as he gave a contemplative head nod. Then, he ducked as he avoided the sand that Jin earthbent at him playfully.
Getting a little excited from the tales the others had already told, Sokka walked forward. "Alright, alright. It's my turn now, and you all aren't ready for one of Sokka's frightful tales of terror."
"Can't be any scarier than any of your normal misfortunes," teased Katara as her Brother looked at her in surprise. The Water Tribe girl was clearly getting in the spirit of back and forth banter amongst the group and had been growing bolder with her comebacks towards her Brother.
Shaking it off, Sokka began his story. "A group of four friends, not that much different than our own group mind you, were traveling together when they were caught up in a rain storm while walking in the woods. They spied a cabin and knocked on the door, but no one answered. Fortunately, the door itself was open. When they entered, there was already a fire going in the main room, but when they explored the hut, there was no one home."
The Water Tribe continued his story as his friends listened. "However, they did find a mysterious sword stabbed into the floor in the center of the cabin, wrapped and bound in chains. Above it was a picture of a man named Wing Fung. It creeped them out, but the storm still raged outside. So they settled down for the night. Suddenly, they heard something down the hall in the dark. Ooh... It came into their torchlight... and they knew that the blade of Wing Fung was haunted!" Sokka drew his own meteorite sword and held it pointed to the campfire as he went, "Ooh-aah!"
A minute or two passed as Sokka continued to overexaggerate his ghost-sword sounds. Eventually, Jin piped up with the realization, "Oh, that was it, wasn't it? That was..." she trailed off, attempting to figure out some encouraging words that didn't appear to be forthcoming.
"Bad. The word you're searching for is bad," critiqued Katara harshly as she booed her Brother's attempt at telling a scary story. "Sokka just threw in a couple of things he thought might be creepy. Both Zuko's and Jin's stories were much better."
"You're a bit feisty tonight," noted Zuko as he nudged his girlfriend's shoulder.
Katara leaned onto the firebender's shoulder in a content huff. "Well, maybe it's just because I'm happy that we're all able to laugh and joke like this. It's been a stressful last couple of days. That, and Sokka's bad at telling scary stories."
Jin gave Sokka a pity smile. "Maybe scary stories just aren't a strong point of the Water Tribes. That's alright."
The Water Tribe boy rolled his eyes. "Oh sure, everyone's a critic."
Katara stood up sharply. "Hold up! Was that a dig at the Water Tribe? Because I've got a way better story to tell." She wasn't about to let her Brother's shallow attempt at a ghost story be the only representation of their Tribe's story-telling ability. They had a reputation to uphold after all. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "And this one's a true Southern Water Tribe ghost story."
Sokka sheathed his sword and sat back down. "Is this one of those 'a-friend-of-friend's-third-cousin-who-knew-some-guy-from-down-the-street-that-this-happened-to' kind of stories?" he droned unconvinced that his Sister could tell a better scary story than him.
Katara silenced her Brother with, "No, it happened to Mom."
Sokka sat up straight as his back stiffened. "Really?"
"Katara, you don't need to bring up a sad story to prove a point," attempted Zuko.
The Water Tribe girl shook her head. "I can talk about my Mother in stories without tearing up any more. And besides, this is a good one."
Approaching the campfire so that she was centered on her friends, the waterbender set the scene. "One winter, long ago, back when Mom was just a young girl about our age, a snowstorm buried the entire village for weeks. It took forever for the snows to thaw and for the villagers to dig themselves out of their huts and igloos. By the time the worst of it was over, Mom realized that she hadn't seen her friend Nini since before the storm started. So Mom and some others went to check on Nini and her family. When they got to Nini's igloo, no one was home. Just a single, solitary flame, flickering alone in the stove fire."
Zuko, Jin, and Sokka were deadly quiet, hanging on Katara's every word. "While the others went out to search nearby, Mom stayed in the house in case Nini and her family returned. While she was alone, looking out from the doorway, Mom heard her friend's voice, 'It's so cold and I can't get warm!'"
Sokka stiffed once more, but this time in absolute fear. Zuko had a tense expression on his face while Jin could feel the goosebumps on her skin. "Mom turned around and saw Nini standing awkwardly in the middle of the hut, staring blankly at the weak stove fire. Only Nini was completely blue, almost like she was frozen. Mom ran outside to find the others and get help, but by the time everyone returned, Nini was gone."
Sokka's shaky voice asked, "W-Where'd she go?"
"To this day, no one knows," answered Katara in a low, haunting tone. "Even now, Nini's house remains empty. But sometimes, on a cold day, people see smoke rising up from the chimney, almost like little Nini is still trying to get warm."
As the waterbender finished her story, there was a whooshing sound as the campfire was rapidly quenched and the immediate area was plunged into darkness. A piercing screech of sheer terror ripped across the night sky just before both Zuko and Katara started laughing together. A moment later, the firebender returned life to the campfire.
Only, Sokka wasn't anywhere to be seen. That was, until the Water Tribe boy fell out of another nearby tree when he heard the others laughing. "T-That's not funny," he managed to stutter out. "What if someone heard all the noise we're making?"
"You mean, all the noise you're making," corrected Zuko with a grin. "I didn't realize you could move that fast."
"Warriors need to be able to run fast. Let's us get to battle quicker," defended Sokka as he walked back towards the campfire.
"Oh? Was there a fight going on up in that tree there?" taunted Katara. "Just admit it, we scared you."
"Nah, I knew the story was a fake," attempted Sokka. "Zuko turning off the campfire just surprised me, you know?" Then, he thought about it for a moment. "Wait a minute, no fair working together to scare us! When did you two even come up with that?"
"We had plenty of time during your lame ghost story," answered Katara. "I came up with the story and let Zuko know when to get you all with the extra scare at the end."
"That. Was. Awesome!" cheered Jin as she jumped to her feet. She was hopping up and down on her heels. "I'm still shaking! My goosebumps have goosebumps!" The earthbender approached her female friend. "Oh, I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep easy tonight. I love it! I take back what I said before, the Water Tribes definitely know what they're doing when it comes to ghost stories."
Any further argument from Sokka faded away as he observed the Earth Kingdom girl's favorable reaction as she chatted happily with Katara. Still, he attempted to salvage what he could of his warrior pride. "Pssh, I knew that story was fake," attempted Sokka again as he wore an expression that clearly indicated that he still had doubts about that.
A whispery old voice spread across the winds from directly behind the Water Tribe boy. "Hello children."
A second high pitched squeal of alarm, a cry that Sokka would forever deny until his final days that it ever came from him, echoed across the campsite as the Water Tribe boy hightailed it straight up the nearest tree for the third time, disappearing into the leaves before anyone could move.
Zuko spun on his heels, his hand on the hilt of his Dao broadswords. Katara was at the Fire Prince's side in an instant, the cork on her waterskin already removed. Not as fast as her friends, but still willing to join in the fight, Jin shifted her stance to be ready to react with her earthbending.
"Sorry to frighten you all," spoke an elderly lady as she emerged from the shadows of the tree line. "My name is Hama. I was returning to town when I saw a light in the forest. Children such as yourselves shouldn't be out this late at night without some adult supervision. It could be dangerous."
Zuko didn't draw his weapon, but he kept his hand on the hilt nevertheless. A strange lady appearing from seemingly nowhere, in the middle of the night, randomly in the woods? Now was not the time to drop their guards.
Katara took the initiative to answer the woman. "My name is Katara. This is Zuko and Jin. And that scaredy-cat squirrel up in the tree is my Brother, Sokka."
"Brave warrior! Fearless brave warrior!" corrected Sokka as he dropped back down to the forest floor. "I was just taking the high ground. Master Piandao always says that the high ground is advantageous."
"Oh right, then why is your sword still lying next to the log you were sitting at?" smiled Katara innocently.
"I had my boomerang!" protested Sokka as he quickly picked back up his sword. "And boomerang was pivotal during our last fight!"
Hama looked amused. "You all sure are a lively brunch." She turned and gestured with her hand in a direction to the right. "I manage an inn nearby. Why don't all of you follow me there for some spiced tea and warm beds this evening? Instead of staying in this cold, dark forest."
"We don't have much money," interjected Zuko swiftly before anyone else could speak up. "We wouldn't be able to pay you for the rooms."
Hama appeared unconcerned. "Tell you what, how about you run some errands for me tomorrow and we can call it even?"
Zuko narrowed his eyes slightly. The old lady side-stepped the discussion of payment a bit too readily for his liking. "We would prefer to stay together in a single large room. We're a long way from home and we don't like to be split up."
Hama kept an easy smile on her face as she answered the Fire Prince. "A bit of an unusual request, but I do think that I can accommodate."
The firebender was running out of stalls. "Sokka eats a lot of meat. We might be putting you out if we stay."
"Zuko!" interrupted Katara as she pinched the firebender's side and he winced slightly. "You're starting to be unreasonable," the waterbender chided. Then, turning towards Hama, Katara smiled warmly, "Thank you for offering us a place at your inn for the night. We would love to accept."
The smile on the old lady's face widened.
"Hey, wait a minute, so where did we land on that whole meat situation?" asked Sokka with a hungry look on his face.
Following a quick walk later to a quaint, local inn atop a small rolling hill, the entire group found themselves seated around an oaken table as Hama poured them all warm, spiced tea. Katara took a attentive look around the humble decor of the inn as she pulled her cup of tea closer to herself and allowed it to warm both of her hands. "Thank you for allowing us to stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn."
Hama smiled as she set the teapot down. "Well, aren't you just the sweetest little thing." She walked over to the head of the table and took her own seat.
Zuko stared at the spiced tea in front of him. He really didn't want to drink it. He figured that someone should refrain from drinking an inviting beverage gifted to them from an unfamiliar lady in an unknown village at a late hour. And glancing over at Sokka and Jin, both of whom had already taken deep drinks of their spiced teas, the Fire Prince knew it would have to be him that abstained.
The aroma of the spiced tea wasn't all that inviting either, truth be told. Or maybe the tea was just fine for the average person. However, years of traveling alongside an expert connoisseur had refined the Fire Prince's palette. He rarely had the patience to focus on brewing tea himself despite his Uncle's countless attempts to teach the Fire Prince the craft. But still, Zuko did have a discerning awareness when it came to knowing if tea had been prepared properly or not, thanks to the endless lessons from a tea-loving Uncle. And this brew clearly had too many cloves added to the mixture. Some ginger and anise would help greatly in restoring an equilibrium to the drink.
Zuko paused in his thoughts as he blinked, slightly horrified. 'I'm turning into Uncle!' he distressed inwardly. He almost didn't feel the elbow he received from Katara. Glancing over at the waterbender, the Fire Prince was given a not-so-subtle hint to stop being impolite and to drink his tea.
Noticing that Hama had already taken a drink of her own tea, which had been poured from the same pot as all the other drinks and nothing seemed to happen, Zuko relented and took a small sip from his own cup. He attempted to disguise his distaste for the improperly brewed tea with a slight cough into his arm.
The distracted Fire Prince nearly missed Hama's next comment. "I'm glad I found you all when I did. People have been disappearing in those woods you all were camping out in. You really should be more careful."
Sokka set his teacup down. His face was serious. "What do you mean, 'disappearing?'"
Hama calmly took a sip of her tea. "When the moon turns full, people walk in and they... don't... come... out..."
"And no one's investigated the disappearances?" pressed Sokka with concern.
"There have been several search parties over the last several months, but no one who goes missing has ever been found. And some of the searchers themselves have even disappeared," replied Hama evenly. "Fear grips this town. No one dares to travel at night now, if they can help it."
"A real life ghost story," muttered Jin. Katara couldn't tell if her friend was captivated or in shock.
Something didn't quite add up for the Fire Prince. "Wait, then what were you doing out there in the woods at night?"
The old innkeeper pointed to the basket of various herbs on the nearby desk. "I tarried a bit longer than I had intended while I was out picking herbs. These old bones of mine don't move as fast as they used too. The sun set quicker than I expected. It was fortunate that I ran into you all when I did. There's safety in numbers after all."
Zuko didn't have any follow-on questions to Hama's reasonable answer as Katara spoke up in his place. "And we're glad that we ran into you too. I'm happy we could escort you back home to your inn. Thank you once again for offering us a place to sleep tonight."
"Thank you child. And don't worry, you all will be completely safe here," reassured Hama. "No one's gone missing from their homes fortunately." Then, she smiled slyly. "At least not yet." As the four teens passed nervous expressions across the table, Hama raised the tea kettle nonchalantly. "More tea anyone?"
No one was forthcoming as Sokka, Jin, Katara, and Zuko all had looks of varying concern and apprehension on their faces. Setting the tea kettle back down, Hama gestured upstairs. "Why don't I show you all to your shared room instead. Then, you can get a good night's rest and we can put all this scary stuff behind us."
A couple minutes later, as Zuko lay in his bed, staring at the wooden ceiling, the firebender heard a whisper from the Water Tribe boy. "This place is pretty creepy. I don't know if I'm going to be able to fall asleep here."
Zuko turned away from the worried Sokka as he kept an eye on the door to the room all four of them were sharing. The Fire Prince had selected the bed closest to the door so that he could be the first line of defense in the event someone or something attempted to enter the room. "I am sure that you will figure something out."
The firebender heard a grunt of annoyance behind him, but he wasn't really in the mood to try and reassure the Water Tribe boy. If Sokka wanted to be an actual warrior, then he would have to be able to deal with some scary stories.
Something about all this wasn't adding up. If Fire Nation citizens had been disappearing for months, then why hadn't the Fire Army arrived to investigate? Did his Father truly care so little for his own people? Zuko shook his head at the obvious answer. Some rinky-dink town in the middle of the sticks with a tiny population would barely raise the slightest concern with anyone back on the Imperial council. Trifling domestic matters rarely did.
The Fire Prince was in the dark here and he didn't like that feeling. He vaguely recalled that whenever his Sister withheld information from him, she would always taunt him by saying that what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. But Azula always lies. "What you don't know is usually what gets you into trouble, or worse," Zuko muttered to himself lowly.
The firebender heard loud, even snoring behind him. 'So much for not being able to sleep,' Zuko sighed as he knew the Water Tribe boy was not going to be useful to bounce ideas off of for now, or at least until the morning anyhow. He looked around the room. Katara and Jin had decided to share the same bed in the middle of the room. Apparently, both girls were a little more impacted by the scary stories the group had decided to tell earlier than either was willing to admit.
Laying in bed for another minute, Zuko realized that he wasn't going to get much sleep this evening. Instead, he got up and checked the window to ensure the only other possible entrance to the room was indeed locked. Then, the Fire Prince braced a wooden chair against the doorknob of the inward opening door. "Better safe, than sorry," Zuko noted softly as he positioned another chair facing the door, draping a blanket over himself as he sat down and settled into a light sleep, keeping his Dao broadswords close by.
Villagers stared as they watched two large bundles of bags and boxes walk through the village. More than once, the hapless bundles bumped into the side of a building or a horse cart or even each other. Each time the villagers winced at the sight and wondered if this was the time that a given bundle was about to come crashing down. The villagers had been disappointed thus far, but the bundles only continued to grow and bets were starting to be placed.
"I'm pretty sure that Hama is giving me all the heavy items to carry," grumbled one of the bundles to the other.
"What are you talking about? I've got plenty of heavy stuff over here too," replied the second bundle.
"Oh really? I've got a sack of rice over here," listed the first.
"I've got a bag of apples," countered the second.
"Several cuts of meat."
"A couple of loaves of bread."
"A jug of cow's milk."
"Two dozen eggs."
"Another sack of flour."
"A small bag of sugar."
"A large watermelon."
"A container of cookies." Crunch. "Maybe three-fourths a container."
The first bundle shifted as Zuko's head poked out from the side of all the heavy items. "You do realize that nothing you listed is heavier than the stuff I've got. You do realize that, right?"
"Yeah," answered Sokka as he continued to munch away on the cookie he held in his mouth. He finished the rest in a single bite. "It was just so much fun to watch you struggle. But hey, I have the bulkier and more fragile items if that makes you feel any better."
The Fire Prince could feel his arms buckling. "It does not."
Further up ahead, Katara and Jin were walking side-by-side with Hama, each carrying a small bag and chatting away merrily. "The butcher, Mr. Yao, seems to have a thing for you," observed Katara as she looked back at the elderly man selling meat. The meat vendor waved to the elderly innkeeper as the three ladies were walking away following their purchase. "Are you playing hard to get or something?" asked the waterbender.
"Or something," answered Hama with a sly smile.
"Ooh, maybe we should go back and see if he'll give us some free cuts of hippo cow steaks or some komodo rhino sausages?" suggested Jin impishly.
Hama paused as she looked at the Earth Kingdom girl, appearing serious and slightly offended at the notion. "You would have me use my feminine charms to take advantage of that poor man?" Then, she shared Jin's roguish grin. "I think the three of us are going to get along swimmingly!"
The three of them laughed loudly amongst themselves as they walked into another store. Zuko and Sokka took the opportunity to set their bags and boxes on a nearby table as they sat down to rest. They knew additional burdens undoubtedly awaited them once the girls returned.
"This is getting ridiculous," complained Sokka. "I didn't expect to spend the entire day being a pack mule."
"Hn," grunted Zuko in return. At least unlike last time he was a beast of burden carrying metal pipes up a mountainside, it didn't appear like he was going to be zapped by lightning this time.
"What do you mean you won't have any ash bananas until next week?!" The two boys lazily looked over to a nearby fruit stall with an apologetic merchant and an irate customer. "I need some to bake some banana bread for my Sister's party and you don't have any good fruit in stock."
"I'm terribly sorry sir, but I'd have to send the delivery boy to Hing Wa Island to restock and that's a two-day round trip at least," lamented the merchant.
That answer appeared to pacify the fuming customer. "Oh, that's right. There's a full moon in three days."
"Exactly. I can't afford to lose another delivery boy in the woods. I barely managed to hire this one after the last one failed to return," whispered the merchant lowly.
Zuko and Sokka looked at each other with a serious expression after they finished listening to the exchange between the merchant and his customer. "So people are disappearing in the woods and even more weird stuff is happening during full moons? Well this just stinks of Spirit World nonsense now. If Aang were here, then he could talk to whatever spirits are messing with this town and get them to stop," stated Sokka.
Zuko disagreed. "I doubt it would be that simple. If a spirit is angry enough to make people disappear, then I don't think that same spirit would return them so easily."
"Still, we need to do something," assessed Sokka as he started to think about how to proceed again.
As the Fire Prince mulled over the problem, he heard another crunch, followed by chewing sounds and crumbs falling onto the table. With an eye roll, the firebender addressed his friend, "You better not let Hama catch you with that empty cookie tin."
Sokka gave up trying to hide the small tin and just placed it within a random bag. "I'll just blame it on you," he joked. Then, the Water Tribe boy's face turned serious as he slid a newspaper across the table. "I picked this up from that newsstand over there when we walked by. You should see the front page."
Zuko lifted up the paper and froze as he read the title article. "Giant crater at Magma Slags," he read aloud.
"Yeah, apparently there was some kind of huge explosion there the other day. Lots of prisoners and guards are unaccounted for. The place is a mess. The cause is still being investigated, but they've been pulling a lot of bodies from the rubble," explained Sokka as Zuko quickly swept over the article at length. "No mention of your Uncle. Figured a high value prisoner like that would be news worthy. So he might be alright."
"Father and Azula would never permit Uncle's name or title to appear in the paper," reasoned Zuko. "Too public. It would be an embarrassment to the Royal Family." He handed the paper back to Sokka. "We might have been caught up in that explosion if we didn't go to Roku Island."
"So we're not going there anymore?" the Water Tribe boy asked.
Zuko glared at the table. Then, he shut his eyes as his body tensed. He wanted to go. He still felt he needed to go. But he didn't have a way to get there and the entire place was swarming with extra Fire Nation soldiers now. "No," the firebender declared with finality. "We're not. Edel's still healing and there are too many eyes on the Magma Slags right now. And we don't have time to sneak around. If my Uncle's still alright, then he's still a prisoner and the guards will keep him alive. There's... there's nothing we can do ourselves for him right now. Nothing other than ending this ridiculous conflict."
Sokka shared a grim look. "Fair enough." The two of them continued to sit there with sour expressions at the bad news. It seemed there was never really a shortage of bad news these days. Neither boy really felt like talking more anyhow. Sokka just continued to munch away absently on cookies while Zuko brooded silently. Eventually, the others joined them.
"I just have a couple more errands to run in town. I can manage those myself. Why don't you all take those groceries back to the inn?" proposed Hama with a smile.
"But we've been enjoying spending time with you," countered Katara.
"Really, it's no trouble," added Jin.
"No, no. Those two lads appear exhausted carrying those groceries all around town. Go on ahead, and I'll be back in a little while," rationalized Hama.
Sokka stood up from the table as he addressed Hama. "This is quite the mysterious little town you've got here. Everyone is talking in whispers and no one wants to talk about the disappearances."
"A mysterious town for mysterious children," replied Hama in a sing-song voice as she started to walk away. Sokka felt a chill run down his spine at the creepy way she said that. But he wasn't going to get answers like this.
As the teenagers walked back towards the inn, Hama paused and watched them, waving when Katara looked back to see the elderly innkeeper.
Arriving at the inn's kitchen, the four of them began unpacking groceries onto the counter. Sokka set a basket of food stuffs down with a plop. "That Hama is a little off. She's acting strange. It's almost like she knows something or she's hiding something."
Katara shot her Brother a dirty look. "You're being ridiculous. Last night, Zuko kept being rude with his excuses and demands when Hama just wanted to offer us a place to stay. And now you're starting with these probing questions of her." The waterbender put her hands on her hips as she continued to scold her Brother. "Hama is a kind, old woman who took us in and gave us a warm place to stay. End of story." She continued to unpack the bags. "In fact, she kind of reminds me of Gran-Gran."
Sokka wasn't convinced. "If that's true, then what did she mean by 'mysterious children?' She's just as untrusting of us. Me and Zuko both think that there's something that Hama's not telling us."
"Oh gee, I don't know. Maybe she's curious about the four strange kids she found camping alone in the woods at night? That's kind of mysterious." The Water Tribe girl looked at Zuko. "You know how tough it can be when people don't trust you, can't you be a little more accepting of her?"
Zuko shifted uneasily under his girlfriend's pleading look as he busied himself with unpacking more groceries. Sokka just turned his grocery bag over and spilled everything out onto the counter. "There, done. I'm going to take a look around."
Jin moved quickly to catch a can of food before it rolled onto the ground. "Whoa, that was close." Setting the can back on the counter properly, the earthbender asked the Water Tribe boy, "What's the rush?" However, Sokka was already headed towards the stairs.
Katara chased after her Brother as he quickly walked up the wooden staircase to the second floor. "Oh no you don't! Get back here." Zuko and Jin looked at each other and moved to follow. "Sokka! What are you doing?" the waterbender stressed at her Brother from the bottom of the stairs. "You can't just snoop around someone else's house."
Sokka opened a door and peeked into a room. "It will be fine. Besides, this place isn't just her house. It's an inn. Which means guests, like us. And at an inn, the guests can wander around; like I'm right doing now. It's expected."
"He does kind of have a point," Jin somewhat agreed as the three of them walked up the staircase after Sokka.
Katara gave her Earth Kingdom friend a frustrated look. "No, he's just attempting to rationalize his actions. He's being a nosy jerk, pure and simple." The waterbender continued to chase after her Brother. "Sokka! You're only going to get us all in trouble." Sokka looked into another room. "And this is just plain rude!" added the waterbender critically.
"You're worrying about getting into trouble? From an old lady we don't even know?" asked Sokka in disbelief. "What? Do you think she's going to tell Gran-Gran on us?" He looked back at his Sister. "Like Jin mentioned earlier, we just fought and won a life and death battle, I think we can handle the scolding of one little old lady."
"Sokka! That's not the point. Gran-Gran taught us better than this!" argued Katara.
The Water Tribe boy was pulling at the doors of a dusty cupboard. "I'm not finished with my search yet." He grunted in exertion. These cupboard doors didn't seem to want to open despite being ancient and unlocked. "Almost got it, come on..."
There was a creaking noise and the sound of slightly splintering wood as the cupboard doors flew open to reveal several wooden puppets dangling on loose strings. Several of the marionettes fell forward as their strings caught them and their wooden arms reached out, brushing up against the Water Tribe boy. Sokka let out a surprised yelp as he jumped back a step and drew his sword, pointing it back at the unsettling dolls.
"Okay, I'll admit that was pretty creepy," muttered Jin as she walked up to examine the marionettes.
Katara walked over and pushed the puppets back into the cabinet before closing the door carefully. She was a little weirded out too by the sight of the dolls, but her ire at her Brother won out. "So... Hama has a hobby. There's nothing weird about that. You play around with boomerangs all the time. Other people don't think that's normal."
Sokka pulled the rope on the ceiling to drop down a ladder leading up to the attic. "I'll have you know that lots of people like boomerangs. And besides, if Hama's just your regular, ordinary, puppet-loving innkeeper, then why does she keep her attic locked?" He pushed on the sealed hatch at the top of the ladder. There was a small lock on the door.
Annoyance flashed in Katara's eyes. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe to keep busybodies like you from snooping through her stuff?"
"We'll see," answered Sokka as he used his sword to pick at the lock until it gave way and fell to the ground. "Got'cha!"
"Sokka! I'm warning you! You've looked around long enough! You're taking this too far," warned Katara firmly. Her Brother scrambled up into the attic. "Sokka! You're breaking into a private room!"
Jin looked back at the staircase leading down to the lobby. "Hama's probably going to be back soon."
"I know," answered Katara as she scrambled up the ladder after her nosy Brother.
As they all piled up into the attic space, they noticed Sokka standing in front of a small chest on simple wooden column. "The room's empty. Except for this little chest," the Water Warrior stated, a tad disappointedly.
"This feels sort of wrong," spoke up Zuko for the first time. "I would hate it if someone was doing this to my stuff."
"Thank you!" exclaimed Katara. It had taken her boyfriend long enough to speak up, but at least he was in agreement with her.
Curiosity was starting to make Jin antsy. "You know, we've come this far already. We should at least see what all the fuss is about." She picked up the chest. "It's locked."
"Jin, don't you start too!" Katara was in disbelief of her Earth Kingdom friend. "We were all just having a good time shopping earlier with Hama."
Jin metalbent her space rock bracelet into a small key. "Sorry Katara, but a mystery like this is simply too much to ignore." She started to make adjustments to the key as she fit it into the lock.
"Come on, come on!" urged Sokka as he watched the Earth Kingdom girl work.
"Just give me a minute. I know I make this look easy, but it's tougher than it looks," returned Jin as she continued to pick the lock.
Katara turned to Zuko. "We should stop them." However, one look at the firebender revealed that he didn't have any real intention of doing so. Zuko was very interested as to what was in the chest as well.
"You've all gone crazy! This is crazy!" exclaimed Katara in frustration that no one was listening to her. "I'm leaving. You all can get into trouble by yourselves."
Sokka shrugged. "Suit yourself. Didn't ask for you to follow us anyway." He leaned over the shoulder of the earthbender. "Did you get it yet, Jin?
Katara turned to leave, only to stop when she heard the click of a lock being undone and the Earth Kingdom girl giving a whoop of delight in her lockpicking skills. The waterbender hated herself as she felt her body turning around to peek over the shoulders of her friends as Sokka slowly started to open the chest. She really wanted to know what was in the chest now too.
A familiar, elderly voice rang out clearly from behind the group. "I'll tell you what's in the box."
All four of them jumped at the sound of Hama at the top of the attic ladder, her head poking up through the cut-out square in the floor boards. "All you had to do was ask."
Each of them had a guilty look on their faces for the invasion of privacy. Sokka walked over to Hama as she finishing climbing up into the attic. He had the decency to keep his head held low with a bit of shame at his intrusion. He owned up to his mistake. "I led everyone else up here. I just couldn't put aside my need to find the truth." The Water Tribe boy handed Hama the small chest after taking Jin's metal key from the lock. "I'm sorry."
Hama lifted the lid of the chest slowly and pulled out... a small, blue hair comb.
Sokka looked incredibility surprised. He didn't know what he was expecting to be in the small chest, but that certainly wasn't it. "An old comb?" he muttered questioningly.
Hama set the wooden box down and cradled the comb to her chest preciously. "It is my greatest treasure. For it is the last thing I own... from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe."
The entire group was stunned silent for several minutes as they stared in wonder at the elderly lady in front of them. It didn't make any sense. What was a Southern Water Tribe woman doing in the middle of the Fire Nation?
Katara was the first one to find her voice again. "You're from the Southern Water Tribe?"
Hama slid the old comb into her apron pocket. "Just like you."
Again, the entire group was stunned once more. "How did you know?" asked the waterbender.
"It might have been a long time since I was last in the South Pole, but I'd like to think that I can still recognize a fellow Southern Water Tribesman when I see one," answered Hama coyly.
Sokka broke out of his stupor. "Wait, wait, wait. Why did you take this long to tell us?"
Hama gave him a sly smile. "You weren't exactly forthcoming with that information either."
Sokka crossed his arms as he turned his head. "We didn't know about you. And we're in unfriendly territory. It's not exactly the same thing."
"No, you're right. I suppose it's not," replied Hama. "But I was hoping to surprise you all! That's why I bought all this food today. That way I could fix you a big Water Tribe fashioned supper." She looked a bit sorrowful. "Of course, I couldn't get all the ingredients I need here." She brightened again. "But ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes if you stew them correctly."
Zuko shrugged when Sokka looked at him. "I told you," the Fire Prince said.
"I knew I felt a bond with you right way!" smiled Katara as she beamed happily towards Hama.
"And I knew she was keeping a secret! So, in a way, I guess we were both right." Sokka doubled over as Katara elbowed him hard in the stomach. "Right, right, I was in the wrong. I'm sorry for sneaking around," the Water Tribe boy wheezed.
"Apology accepted," replied Hama. "After all, it appears your Sister has the situation well in hand." She motioned back to the ladder. "Now what do you all say to lending a hand with cooking!"
Hama assigned each of them with a different task. Jin was on vegetable cutting detail while Sokka was peeling potatoes. The Water Warrior realized that he was probably being punished for snooping and wisely didn't protest when he was handed the small potato peeler tool and a mountain of potatoes. Katara was with Hama in the kitchen as the old lady demonstrated several different recipes while discussing the different local ingredients she would substitute for their normal Water Tribe ones.
Zuko walked in carrying a large pot of water he had drawn from the nearby well. 'Again. I'm almost positive that Hama is giving me the most strenuous jobs on purpose at this point,' thought the firebender to himself as he hefted the heavy pot of water onto the stove fire. The Fire Prince felt this way even more so after Hama shooed him outside with an axe to chop more firewood. He pointed to the large stacks of available wood already in the nearby bin, but Hama told him that wood was for emergencies as the door was shut in his face.
A short while later, Zuko returned with the excessively chopped firewood only to be directed by the elderly innkeeper to toss the timber onto the pile of stacked wood and to wash up for supper. The food was ready and apparently everyone was waiting on him.
"Who wants five-flavor soup?" asked Hama as the Fire Prince was the last one to take a seat at the table.
When everyone raised their hand in affirmation, Hama raised both her arms over the warm pot and used waterbending to lift a large bubble of soup, divvying it out amongst their bowls.
Katara watched in amazement as five individual lines of soup gracefully landed in each one of the bowls without spilling a drop. The Water Tribe girl had never seen anyone else waterbend before. "You're a waterbender!" she squealed in delight as Hama smiled at the young girl's excitement. "I've never met another waterbender from one of our Southern Tribes!"
Hama's smile fell slightly. "That's because the Fire Nation wiped out all the waterbenders in the Southern Tribes. Or captured them. I was the last of my generation."
Heavy looks of sadness spread across the group. "So, how did you end up here, in the Fire Nation?" asked Sokka.
Hama sat down at her seat at the table. Grimly, she answered, "I was stolen away from my home. Taken as a trophy. The final prize of the Southern Raiders." She began her tale. "It was over sixty years ago when the raids started. We repelled the first couple of them readily enough. Together, we were strong. We managed to freeze several of their ships within the ice and snow. Froze them to their metal decks."
Hama stared at her soup bowl as if envisioning the intense fighting. "But those firebenders were relentless. Time and time again, they came. Like poisonous fire vipers stinging out at our heels. And with each attack, our numbers dwindled. One by one, my friends, our waterbenders were cut down or captured; taken away, never to be seen again. We did our best. Fought as long and as hard as we could. But it was never enough. Before I knew it, I was the last one left. And then, finally, I too was captured. Led away in chains. The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribes."
Katara was standing up and rushing over to Hama before she even registered her own feet moving. The Water Tribe girl wrapped the elderly innkeeper up into a warm hug. "That was so awful. Everything that happened to you."
"When the cold snow falls and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives," recited Sokka. "Dad always told us that."
"A common saying of the Wolf Cove Tribe," recognized Hama. "My tribe. It was our mantra, one of the few things that gave us strength to keep fighting together until the end. It allowed me to be a survivor. To keep living for my tribesmen who could not."
Katara and Sokka shared another stunned look.
"One of my biggest regrets was that I never saw my best friend Kanna ever again. The last time I saw her face was when the iron hatch of the Fire Nation ship was closing shut," confessed Hama as she returned the warm embrace.
Katara pulled back from the hug, while still holding onto Hama. "Kanna? That's our Gran-Gran's name."
Now it was Hama's turn to be surprised. "Who was your Grandfather?"
"Haken," replied Sokka as his mind raced with the connection he and his Sister might have with the waterbender seated at the table with them.
A genuine smile grew on Hama's face as a single tear escaped her eyes. "So... those two finally realized their feelings for one another," she whispered happily. "Everyone in the village knew it. Everyone except for them it seemed." Hama gave a slight laugh as the old memories resurfaced. "Their awkwardness made for so many funny stories and so many suspenseful moments when it looked like they were so close to realizing it only for something silly to happen."
Zuko remained quiet during the entire exchange. This was a special moment between Southern Water Tribe generations and he dared not interrupt it. Jin didn't appear particularly keen on saying anything that would divide attention either. Neither of them continued to eat the soup in front of them. Instead, they just put down their spoons and listened carefully.
Sokka asked the next question. "If you were imprisoned in the Fire Nation, then what happened next? How did you escape? And why did you remain here? Did you try to find a way home to the South Pole? Is someone or something keeping you here?"
Hama's eyes filled with more sadness. "I was the only one to escape. Many tried... but..." her voice trailed off as her tone became downcast. "No. I'm sorry. It's too painful to keep talking about that anymore."
Katara hugged Hama again. "It's alright. We understand completely. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want too. Our Mother... we lost our Mother during a raid."
Hama returned the hug tightly as she sympathetically added, "Oh, you poor things."
"We found out who did it, a Southern Raider by the name of Yon Rha," revealed Katara. "I'm going to find him one day and make him pay."
"I have no doubt you will," replied Hama as she started to feel a close connection with the young waterbender. "I have no doubt at all."
As Katara ended the hug, she wiped a tear from her own eye. "I can't begin to tell you what it means to me to be able to meet you. It's truly an honor. You're a hero of the Southern Water Tribes."
"And I thought I was the last," returned Hama. "It fills my heart with joy to see the Fire Nation didn't win. That another waterbender was indeed born into our Southern Tribes." The elderly innkeeper's eyes brighten as if she just had a brilliant thought. "A waterbender who can carry on our traditions. Katara, if I may, I would like to teach you what I know of the Southern waterbending style. That way, you can carry on the Southern traditions when I'm gone."
Katara's response was immediate. "Yes! Yes, of course! To learn about my heritage, it would mean everything to me." This was it. Hama was the waterbending master that Katara had been searching for. And not just any waterbending master, but a master from the Southern Water Tribes, from her tribe no less. If Hama had never been captured, if she had been allowed to remain alongside Gran-Gran in the South Pole, then Hama could have around to teach Katara how to waterbend. Finally, after all this suffering, it was like they could finally make up for lost time.
Aang's screams of pain and anguish tore across the dungeon as one of his tormentors continued to tighten the steel clamp on the airbender's foot. All of Aang's limbs were securely fastened with strong rope to the wooden cross beams of an X-shaped structure. "Stop! Stop! Enough! Please!" cried out the young Avatar.
From off to the airbender's side, the lead tormentor shook his head as he calmly stated, "Tell us the truth."
"About what?!" stressed Aang as the foot clamp spun again. Instead of clarifying, the lead tormentor merely nodded to the guard at the base of the wooden post as the foot clamp was cranked once more. "I don't know what you want!" exclaimed Aang in agony.
"I want..." drew out the lead tormentor, "... the truth."
"What truth?!" shouted Aang.
"What are you doing in the Fire Nation?" demanded the lead tormentor.
"I wanted to meet up with my old friends the flying dolphin fish," lied Aang. "I used to ride around on them all the time. They're great!"
The lead tormentor rolled his eyes before gesturing for the other guard to twist the clamp again. As Aang screamed once more, the lead guard demanded, "What are you doing in the Fire Nation?"
"I'm looking for my friends!" screamed Aang loudly.
"Where are they?" came the next question.
"I don't know! That's why I'm looking for them!" cried out the airbender. Another twist of the foot clamp as more blood gushed from the top of Aang's foot.
The lead guard shifted his line of questioning. "What about your army? Where are you hiding your forces to attack us?"
"What?" replied Aang in confusion. "I don't have an army." The drill turned once again to the rhythm of increased airbender screams. "I don't have an army!" exclaimed Aang at the top of his lungs. "It's just me!"
The door to the dungeon opened as Mai entered at a brisk pace. "What is going on here? I conveyed the Fire Princess's orders directly. The Avatar is hers to interrogate."
The two guards shifted uneasily. They had been attempting to figure out something from the Avatar that would boost their standing and grant them honors and recognition.
More guards entered the dungeon from behind Mai as the weapon mistress had the two entrepreneurial guards detained. "I'll allow you two to explain to Azula yourselves why the Avatar is in a damaged state." The two guards paled.
As the foot clamp was removed from the airbender's foot, Aang attempted to at least say thank you for saving his leg only to get suddenly lightheaded. His vision swirled as darkness crept in from the edges of his eyes. Then, his head drooped and unconsciousness claimed him once again.
Mai stepped away from the Avatar, holding a single senbon needle that had been coated in a fast-acting sedative.
