"Suddenly they heard something down the hall in the dark." Sokka whispered. He made small, ghost noises. "It came into the torchlight. And they knew. The blade of Wing Fan was haunted!" He stood, holding his sword out, pointing it at the fire. He made a loud noise for dramatic effect.

"I think I liked 'the man with the hand for a sword' better." Aang admitted.

You chuckled, shaking your head. "Sokka, I love you, but you're not a scary-story teller." You told him, as he sat down, resting his head in his hands.

"Watertribe summer parties must stink." Toph mused.

"No, wait! I've got one." Katara piped up. "And this is a true Southern Watertribe story."

You smiled. "I've never heard any stories from the Southern Watertribe."

"Is this one of those 'a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happened to' stories?" Sokka asked, sticking his sword in the ground.

"No. It happened to Mom."

Sokka became serious suddenly, sitting up straight.

Aang sat up as well, frowning.

"One winter, when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks." Katara began. "A month later, Mom realized she hadn't seen her friend, Nini, since the storm. So, Mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home. Just a fire, flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, Mom stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice." She pitched her voice slightly higher. "It's so cold. And I can't get warm."

Sokka hugged his knees closer to his chest.

Your eyes were wide.

"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 grabbed Momo's ears, wrapping them around his head for comfort.

"Where'd she go?" Sokka asked timidly from his hiding spot behind a tree root.

"No one knows. Nini's house stands empty to this day. But sometimes people see smoke coming up from the chimney. Like little Nini is still trying to get warm."

"Wait. Guys, did you hear that?" Toph asked after a few moments of tense silence.

Everyone but Toph grabbed onto each other.

"I hear people under the mountain. And they're screaming."

Sokka pulled away. "Pfft. Nice try."

"No, I'm serious." Toph insisted. "I hear something."

"You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories." Katara tried to reason.

"It just stopped."

"Alright. Now I'm getting scared." Aang murmured.

"Hello, children." An unfamiliar voice spoke.

You all yelled, rushing on the other side of the fire to hug Toph.

A figure stepped into the firelight, revealing an elderly woman. "I'm sorry to frighten you." She spoke. "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 spice tea and warm beds?"

"Yes, please." Sokka said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight." Katara said as Hama poured some water into Katara's cup. "You have a lovely inn."

"Aren't you sweet?" She sat down at the head of the table, opposite you, and a serious frown formed on her face. "You know, you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

"Disappearing?" You echoed.

"What do you mean, disappearing?" Sokka asked, turning to the woman.

"When the moon turns full, people walk in… and they don't come out." She informed darkly. She stood suddenly, holding up the pot. "Who wants more tea?" Hama's gaze raked over everyone's alarmed faces. "Don't worry. You will all be completely safe here. Why don't I show you to your rooms, and you can get a good night's rest?"

You swallowed nervously as she led you all to your rooms. You entered yours, lying in bed, with the blanket pulled up to your nose. "I hate this place." You mumbled. You heard a knocking on your window and sat bolt upright, drawing your water, only to see that it was a tree branch. You groaned, returning your water to the canteen and leaning up against the headboard.

Katara entered your room the next morning. "We're going shopping for food." She informed, smiling. Her smile turned into a frown and she tilted her head when she saw the state you were in. "Are you alright?"

"No." You grumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't get any sleep last night." You informed, fixing your hair so that you looked somewhat presentable.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She told you. "Come on out when you're ready. I have to get Sokka up." She said, walking out.

"Good luck with that!" You called after her.

"Exactly. I can't lose another delivery boy in the woods." You heard a shop owner tell a customer.

"What is with this place?" You mumbled.

"People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff happening during full moons? This just reeks of spirit-world shenanigans." Sokka replied.

"I bet if we took a little walk around town, we can find out what these people did to the environment to make the spirits mad." Aang guessed.

"But the environment looks fine to me." You piped up, adjusting the basket of food in your arms. "What would the spirits be mad about?"

"That's what I want to find out."

"And then you can sew up this little mystery licitly-split, Avatar style." Sokka told him.

"Helping people. That's what I do." Aang replied, grinning.

"Why don't you all take those things back to the inn?" Hama suggested, turning to face everyone. "I just have to run a couple more errands. I'll be back in a little while."

Sokka walked forward, bending over slightly so that he was eye-level with her. "This is a mysterious town you have, here." He noted.

"Mysterious town for mysterious children." She replied, smiling.

"That Hama seems a little strange." Sokka admitted, placing a basket on the table.

"Ya think?" You replied, sitting the basket you were carrying next to his.

"She knows something. Or she's hiding something." Sokka suggested.

"That's ridiculous. She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay." Katara reminded, pulling out some items from a basket. "She kind of reminds me of Gran-gran."

"But what did she mean about 'mysterious children'?" You asked.

"Gee, I don't know." Katara replied, a hint of sass in her voice. "Maybe because she found five strange kids camping in the woods at night?"

"How are we strange?" You questioned. "To anyone that doesn't actually know us, anyway."

"I'm going to take a look around." Sokka informed, walking away.

"I'll go with you." You offered, following him as he journeyed upstairs.

"Sokka. Y/n. What are you doing? You can't just snoop around someone's house." Katara hissed.

"It'll be fine." Sokka replied, looking in a room.

"Besides, she invited us. We're allowed to look around." You reasoned.

"She could be home any minute." Aang warned as he, Katara and Toph came upstairs.

"Guys, you're going to get us all in trouble." Katara informed. "And this is just plain rude."

"We're not finished yet." Sokka insisted, trying to pull open what looked like cupboard doors. "Come on!" He fell backwards as the doors finally opened. Several puppets leaned out, hanging from their wires.

You let out a horrified yell.

Sokka drew his sword, pointing it at them.

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

"So, she's got a hobby." Katara tried to reason, shutting the doors. "There's nothing weird about that."

You looked at her, dumbfounded. Was she for real? "Sure, nothing weird about having hobbies. But collecting creepy puppets as a hobby counts as weird."

Katara clenched her fists as Sokka continued walking away. "Sokka, you've looked enough. Hama will be back, soon."

You followed Sokka up into the attic.

He turned to face the steps as the others followed. "Just an ordinary, puppet-loving innkeeper, huh? Then why does she have a locked door up here?" He questioned, gesturing to the wood behind him.

"Probably to keep people like you from snooping through her stuff!" Katara chastised quietly.

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

"Maybe it's treasure!" Toph suggested.

Sokka grinned, pulling out his sword and attempting to pick the lock.

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

"I have to see what's in there." The door opened suddenly, and Sokka sheathed his sword, walking in.

You all followed.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Aang mumbled.

Sokka picked up the little chest, but it didn't open. "Maybe there's a key here, somewhere."

"Oh! Hand it over!" Toph requested.

Sokka handed her the chest.

Toph took off her space-bracelet and formed it into a key. She began to work the lock.

"Come on, come on!"

"This isn't as easy as it looks." Toph informed, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Guys, I don't know about this." Aang muttered, chewing on his nails.

"This is crazy. I'm leaving." Katara informed.

"Suit yourself." Sokka said. He turned. "Do it, Toph."

Katara began to walk away, but rushed over to see when Toph gave a thumbs-up.

"I'll tell you what's in the box."

You all, except Toph, yelled, turning to face Hama who was standing in the doorway.

She walked forward and Sokka sheepishly handed her the box. She reached in, and your heart raced.

"An old comb?" Sokka whined, seeing the small object.

"It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Watertribe." She informed.

Everyone's jaws dropped open.

"You're from the Southern Watertribe?" Katara asked in disbelief.

"Just like you."

"How did you know?"

"I heard you talking around your campfire."

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

"I wanted to surprise you. I bought all this food today because I wanted to fix you a big watertribe 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 in displeasure. "Great." He grumbled sarcastically.

"I knew I felt a bond with you right away." Katara told Hama with a smile.

"And, I knew you were keeping a secret." Sokka added. He crossed his arms, leaning towards his sister. "So, I guess we're both right."

Katara hit his arm.

"But, I'm sorry we were sneaking around." Sokka said after grunting in pain.

"Apology accepted." Hama spoke with a smile. "Now let's get cooking."

"Who wants five-flavor soup?!" Hama asked.

Everyone raised their hands.

Hama lifted her hand, shooting soup into everyone's bowls.

You stared down at yours in surprise.

"You're a waterbender!" Katara exclaimed happily. "I've never met another waterbender from our tribe!"

"That's because the firenation wiped them all out." Hama said sadly. "I was the last one."

"So how did you end up out here?" Sokka questioned.

"I was stolen from my home. It was over sixty years ago when the raid had started. Each time rounding up more of our waterbenders and taking them captive. We did our best to hold them off. But our numbers dwindled as the raids continued. Finally, I, too, was captured. I was led away in chains. The last waterbender of the Southern Watertribe."

Katara walked over, placing a comforting arm around Hama's shoulders.

"They put us in terrible prisons here in the firenation. I was the only one who managed to escape."

"How… did you escape?" You questioned.

"Yeah. And why did you stay in the firenation?" Sokka added.

"I'm sorry." Hama shook her head. "It's too painful to talk about any more."

"We completely understand." Katara assured softly. "We lost our mother in a raid."

"Oh, you poor things."

"I can't tell you what it means to meet you. It's an honor. You're a hero."

"I never thought I'd meet another Southern waterbender." Hama informed, placing her hand over Katara's. "I want to teach you what I know, so that you can carry on the Southern tradition when I'm gone."

Katara pulled away, clasping her hands together. "Yes! Of course! To learn about my heritage… would mean everything to me." She informed, bowing.

Hama smiled. She stood. "Let's get started right away, then."

Katara excitedly followed her.

Sokka turned to you. "Don't you want to go with them? Maybe you could learn something, too."

Hama stopped, turning around. She looked at you. "Are you also a waterbender?"

You nodded. "From the Northern Watertribe."

Hama smiled. "You can join us, then."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"I'd be happy to teach both of you."

"Growing up in the South Pole, or the North Pole, waterbenders are totally at home surrounded by snow and ice and seas. But as you probably noticed on your travels, that isn't the case wherever you go." Hama spoke as she led you and Katara into the field.

"I know. When we were stranded in the desert, I felt like there was almost nothing I could do." Katara admitted.

"That's why you have to learn to control water wherever it exists."

"I've even used my own sweat for waterbending."

"That's very resourceful, Katara." Hama praised. "You're thinking like a true master. But did you know that you can even pull water out of thin air?" She moved her hand before holding it out, revealing water on her fingertips. She turned the water into ice. "You've got to keep an open mind. There's water in places you never think about." She shot the ice into a tree.

You cocked an eyebrow.

"Wow. These flowers are beautiful." Katara noted as you all walked into a valley full of flowers.

"They're called fire lilies." Hama informed. "They only bloom a few weeks a year, but they're one of my favorite things about living here. And like all plants, and all living things-"

Your eyebrows furrowed.

"-They're full of water."

"We once met a waterbender who lived in the swamp and could control the vines by bending the water inside." You added.

"You can take it even further." Hama said darkly. She moved around, drawing the water out of the surrounding lilies and turning them black. She shot the water at a nearby rock, breaking it.

"That was incredible!" Katara exclaimed. "It's a shame about the lilies, though." She muttered, looking down at them sadly.

"They're just flowers." Hama reasoned. "When you're a waterbender in a strange land, you do what you must to survive. Tonight I'll teach you both the ultimate technique of waterbending." She informed, wrapping an arm around each of you.

"It's tonight the full moon?" You questioned. "That's not safe."

"It can only be done during the full moon. When your bending is at its peak." Hama explained.

"Haven't people been disappearing?" Katara asked. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Oh, Katara. Three waterbenders under a full moon? I don't think we have anything to worry about." She insisted, walking away.

"Can you feel the power the full moon brings?" Hama asked, stopping in the woods as she took in a deep breath, as if absorbing the moonlight. "For generations it has blessed waterbenders with its glow, allowing us to do incredible things." She looked up at the moon, extending her arms on either side of her. "I've never felt more alive."

A cat-owl hooted, flying passed you.

You flinched slightly.

"What I'm about to show you both, I discovered in that wretched firenation prison. The guards were always careful to keep any water away from us. They piped in dry air and had us suspended away from the ground before giving us any water. They would bind our hands and feet so we couldn't bend. Any sign of trouble was met with cruel retribution." She paused. "And yet each month I felt the full moon enriching me with its energy. There had to be something I could do to escape. Then, I realized that where there is life, there is water."

Your expression shifted into a mix of curiosity and alarm.

"The rats that scurried across the floor of my cage were nothing more than just skins filled with liquid. And I passed years developing the skill that would lead to my escape. Bloodbending."

Your eyes shot open wide with horror and your jaw dropped.

"Controlling the water in another body. Enforcing your own will over theirs. Once I had mastered the rats, I was ready for the men. And during the next full moon, I walked free for the first time in decades. My cell unlocked by the very guards assigned to keep me in. Once you perfect this technique, you can control anything. Or anyone."

"But, to reach inside someone and control them? I don't know if I want that kind of power." Katara admitted.

"The choice is not yours. The power exists. And it's your duty to use the gifts given to you to win this war. Katara, they tried to wipe us out. Our entire culture. Your mother!"

"I know."

Hama turned to you. "I'm sure you lost someone, too."

You nodded. "My brother."

"Everyone's lost someone because of this war." Hama told Katara, turning back to her. "You should understand what I'm talking about. You and I are the last waterbenders from the South Tribe. We have to fight these people whenever we can. Wherever they are… by any means necessary."

"It's you. You're the one making people disappear at night during the full moon!" Katara accused.

"They threw me in prison to rot. Along with my brothers and sisters. They deserve the same. You must carry on my work."

"I won't!" Katara shouted. "I won't use bloodbending, and I won't allow you to keep terrorizing this town!" She declared, pointing at Hama. Her arm suddenly twisted. She let out a holler.

"You should have learned the technique before you turned against me!" Hama shouted, pinning Katara's arms to her sides. "It's impossible to fight your way out of my grip! I control every muscle, every vein in your body!" She turned to you. "Are you also going to fight me?"

You quickly and wordlessly shook your head.

"Then watch and learn." She moved her arms, flinging Katara from side to side. She brought her down to her knees.

"Stop! Please." Katara pleaded, her eyes watering as she looked up at the woman.

You stared at her, eyes wide, unsure of what to do.

Katara suddenly began to stand. "You're not the only one who draws power from the moon. My bending is more powerful than yours, Hama. Your technique is useless on me!" She shouted, getting into a fighting stance. She quickly drew water from the ground, sending it towards Hama.

Hama sent it back, also drawing water from two trees behind her and shooting that towards Katara as well.

Katara planted herself, blocking it with her hand.

Hama's eyes widened in horror.

Katara sent two sections towards the woman, spinning her and knocking her over.

Sokka and Aang suddenly ran forward, coming down from the mountain and towards Hama's back.

Your eyes widened.

"We know what you've been doing, Hama!" Sokka spat.

"Give up! You're outnumbered!" Aang insisted.

"No." Hama said, standing. "You've outnumbered yourselves." She lifted her hand, sending Sokka and Aang towards Katara.

They yelled.

Katara dodged, sending more water at Hama.

Hama drew more water from a tree, spinning it around herself.

Katara's attack was ineffective.

"Katara, look out!" Sokka yelled.

You both turned, seeing him draw his sword.

He moved towards his sister, slashing at her. "It's like my brain has a mind of its own!" He continued to move towards her. "Stop it arm, stop it!"

Katara drew more water from the ground, redirecting Sokka as gently as she could.

"This feels weird!" Aang yelled, coming up on Katara's other side.

Katara sent water at Aang, freezing him to a tree. "I'm sorry, Aang!"

"It's okay!"

Sokka was back.

Katara shot at him, freezing his wrist to another tree.

"Don't hurt your friends, Katara." Hama warned.

Sokka and Aang suddenly shot forwards, coming at either side of Katara.

You lifted your hands.

Sokka and Aang stopped. They looked down at their hands and arms, finding that they could move them, again.

Your face settled into a frown.

Sokka, Aang and Katara turned to you as Hama's arms were pinned to her sides.

You moved your hands down, Hama falling to her knees.

Toph and the lost villagers emerged.

"There she is!" One of them shouted, latching handcuffs on Hama. "You're going to be locked away forever."

"My work here is done." Hama said as two guards led her away. She looked over her shoulder. "Congratulations, Y/n. You're a bloodbender now." She laughed as she was led away.

Your eyes narrowed as you watched her back.

"Are you guys alright?" Katara questioned, looking over at Aang and Sokka.

"We're okay."

You looked down at your hand before clenching it.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked softly, placing a hand on your shoulder.

You looked over at her, dropping your hand to your side. "I guess so."