Hama set out the food for the children as they waited for dinner together. Aang sat between Zuko and Toph, warning them of the sea prunes he was not much of a fan of.

"Who wants five flavor soup?" Hama asked with her pot of stew. They all raised their hands, Kataras breath was taken when she saw hama bend the soup into each of their bowls.

"You're a water bender?! I've never met another bender from our tribe," Katara gasped in awe.

"That's because the fire nation wiped them all out," hama admitted with a deeply sigh.

"So how did you end up out here?" Sokka asked, there was pain on hamas face at her memories.

"I was stolen from my home," hama gulped taking a breath before telling them her past.

"It was when the raids started, they would come again and again, each time rounding up more waterbenders and taking them captive, killing some along the way... we did our best to hold them off but our numbers dwindled as the raids continued, I was the last to be captured," hama started keeping her eyes low remembering the pain of the dark history.

"I was led away in chains, they put us in terrible prisons here in the fire nation, I was the only one who managed to escape," hama pursed her lips and covered her eyes with another deep breath.

"How did you get away and why did you stay in the fire nation?" Sokka pressed but Zuko shook his head at him.

"I'm sorry, it's to painful," hama choked up a little but she didn't she'd tears.

"We completely understand, we lost our mother in a raid," Katara sympathized with the old woman as they joined hands.

"You poor things," Hama looked at her and Sokka.

They continued to talk as Katara was admiring her for being another water bender, they bonded over tradition but Sokka looked over at Zuko, Aang caught sokkas eyes and glanced at the fire bender. But they didn't bring up the guilt on zukos face as he stayed silent, not touching his food, they would talk about it the next day.

-

"Hey where's Zuko?" Aang walked outside after Katara and hama left, Sokka and Toph waited outside.

"He's not inside?" Sokka looked at him confused.

"He went into town to go send a letter," Toph picked at her ear boredly.

"How do you know?" Aang raised a brow.

"He told me," she flicked her finger.

The two boys looked at her more confused.

"What? We talk? I knew sparky before you buffoons, when he can't sleep we talk," Toph crossed her arms with a shrug.

"About what?" Sokka tilted his head to the side.

"I tell him stuff about my life being hidden, he listens, he tells me about his life about child soldier, I listen," she said simply.

"Huh... didn't realize You two were so close," Sokka said slowly.

"Oh here he comes," Toph perked up feeling his footsteps coming around the corner to the inn. Zuko turned seeing his friends and looked surprised they were all outside.

"Zuko who's your best friend?" Sokka pointed accusingly.

"Appa," Zuko frowned not understanding.

"Me too," Aang smiled.

"Who's your favorite," Toph reworded.

"Depends on the day," he raised a brow suspiciously.

"Today?" Aang asked.

"Toph," Zuko nodded.

-

"I just don't understand what this town could've done to upset the spirits?" Aang crouched down picking a flower as they walked around the town asking questions, observing the civilians, checking on their nature, it seemed like a kind calm town, normal.

"Maybe some spirits don't need reasoning to kill?" Zuko shrugged as he stood with Sokka.

"Spirits only get aggressive when their purposes are disturbed, destroyed or manipulated, otherwise they live peaceful in the spirit world, I would know," Aang explained turning back to them.

"Okay avatar know it all, then where are the missing people?" Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"We can search the forest tonight during the full moon, catch the spirit in the act," Aang offered unsure what to do either.

"And if we don't? Then we'd have to wait another month for the next full moon," Toph pointed out.

"I'm not getting kidnapped by a spirit again either," Sokka raised his hand.

Zuko and Toph were confused but Aang looked to the side only to see another civilian passing by and ran over to stop him.

"Excuse me sir can you tell us anything about the spirit that's been stealing people?" Aang waved to him to catch his attention.

"Only one man ever saw it and lived, and that's old man ding,"

"Do you know where this old man is?" Zuko stood behind Aang.

—

"Old man ding?" Aang called when they saw one of the villagers out late boarding up his own home. Aangs voice distracted the old man and caused him to hit his own thumb with the hammer.

"What? What?!" The man snapped at the kids. "Can you see I'm busy? Got a full moon rising,"

They watched him struggled to pick up a board but Zuko walked over to help the elder as he picked up the board himself to place it against the wall.

"We were wondering if you could answer some questions we have," Zuko said calmly as Sokka went to help as well to start nailing the board up for the old man, Aang held onto the other side so it was stable.

"It's about the spirit that tried to steal you," he looked at the man curiously. Old man ding scoffed shaking his head.

"Did you get a good look at the spirit?" Aang joined.

"Didnt see no spirit, just felt something come over me, like I was possessed and was forced to walk to the mountain, I couldn't event control my own limbs, taking me to a cave up there," ding explained pointed to the mountain that was high above the village.

"And when I looked at the moon for what I thought would be my last glimpse of light, the sun started the rise and I got control of myself again, I just hightailed it away from that mountain as quick as I could," he smiled proudly of his escape.

"Wait I did hear people screaming under the mountain," Toph gasped realizing. "The missing villagers must still be there,"

"We better hurry let's go," zuko nodded as Toph took the lead being able to feel where the cave may be.

"Good luck youngsters," old man ding sighed shaking his head with the full moon rising behind him.

They ran following Toph as she headed straight for the mountain, they ran through the trees turning and twisting trying to find the entrance, the cave ran deep under ground.

"It's this way," Toph turned left as they made the sharp turn getting closer to the mountain.

Toph slowed down and they soon saw a cave that was smaller but it looked deep and dark.

"I can't see anything," Sokka gulped.

"That's why you have us," Zuko opened his palm to hold a small flame to light the way. Toph grabbed Sokka to force him to follow in to the dark why Aang stayed close to Zuko for light.

They ran till zukos light revealed a metal door where Toph didn't hesitate to tear down herself and kicked it to the side while the boys followed behind, Zuko lit a few torches that where on the walls by the door for Aang and Sokka. The teenagers felt sick at the sight the fire revealed.

"Where saved," a man croaked as there was dozens of people chained down in the cavern.

"I didn't know spirits made prisons like this," Aang whispered shocked.

"Who brought you here?" Sokka looked around disturbed.

"It was no spirit, it was a witch," another prisoner breathed heavily as Zuko pulled out his knife to start picking the locked of some prisoners.

"A witch?" Zuko didn't quite understand.

"She may seem like a sweet old woman but she's like some dark craft puppet master," the woman explained but she sounded exhausted herself.

Zukos stomach dropped looking at his friends.

"Hama," Sokka breathed with wide eyes.

"Yes the inn keeper!" Another prisoner agreed.

"We have to go stop her, it's a full moon," Aang looked slightly afraid but was ready to take the old woman down.

"I'll finish getting everyone out, you go," toph grabbed her space bracelet and morphed it into a key.

Zuko bended his fire again and sprinted out of the prison with the two boys behind him. He knew Katara was with that monster.

-

"Stop, please!" Katara sobbed as she was forced to the ground, she gripped the grass as she felt the pain run through her body. Hama bended the blood in her veins against the girls will, the two last Southern water benders now enemies as Hama showed her true self.

Hama stood tall with her hands taking control, her laugh echoed in the empty woods as she looked down on the girl.

Katara felt a tear roll down her cheek but there was a power she could feel with the full moon shining down on her, mustering all her strength to over power the hate that Hama had against the world.

Katara was able to stand by herself.

"You're not the only one that draws power from the moon," katara took control of her body and was able to fight back with her own bending.

"My bending is more powerful, your technique is useless on me," she snarled taking the water out of the grass around her and shot an attack at the older bender.

The two shot attacks of their water back and forth but Katara was able to stop hama's attack completely and knock the elder down. Hama knew she wouldn't win this fight anymore. But that all changed when the other children found them.

"We know what you've been doing Hama!" Sokka yelled seeing she was on the ground.

"Give up your out numbered," aang got in a fighting stand.

"No, you out numbered yourselves," Hama grinned cruelly as her eyes landed on Zuko.

"No!" Katara gasped. Zukos eyes went wide when his body suddenly started moving against his will and grabbed his sword from his back almost swinging at Sokka and Aang who jumped away quickly.

"What the hell?" Sokka cried out confused but Katara shot water at zukos arm to freeze him against the tree while Aang went after Hama.

Hama saw the avatar on the move and Aang squeaked when she took control of his body and was tossed towards Katara. She dodged the body and froze Aang to the tree next.

"Sorry Aang!" She cried out worried.

"It's okay!" He called back with a smile.

"Katara look out!" Zuko yelled seeing Sokka was next grabbing his own sword.

"Don't hurt your friends Katara, and don't let them hurt themselves," Hama unfroze Zuko from the tree as she made him and Sokka point their swords at each other and forced them to start moving to the other swordsman with yells.

"No!" Katara shrieked.

Suddenly the two older teens were able to control themselves again, Sokka looked at his sword confused and Zuko dropped his completely. His heart sunk seeing Katara in a stance. He looked at Hama. Her body was no controlled against her will.

Hama grunted and gasped at the pain of her body moving and being forced to her knees. Katara looked at her, but looked down in shame of what she's done.

They all heard footsteps coming and saw Toph leading the prisoners from the mountain behind her, they had handcuffs with them and saw Hama was already down. They slapped the cuffs on her and started to take her away.

"She can't hurt anyone now," Aang breathed relieved as he bended himself free from the tree.

"My work here is done," Hama chimed in with a cruel smile.

"Congratulations Katara, you're a blood bender," the old woman cackled wickedly as she was taken away from them.

Her laughter echoed as Katara stood alone behind them all, her hands shaking but she couldn't breathe, disgusted at herself for what she's done. She looked at the others seeing if they judged her now, if they thought she too was a monster.

"Zuko?" Her voice was soft and quiet, but he heard his name and immediately looked back at her. Tears welded in her eyes seeing the worry on his face, not fear or disgrace. She walked over but fell to her knees shaking in sobs, Zuko caught her quickly seeing she was terrified.

"It's okay, your okay," he breathed for her only to hear, kneeling on the grass letting her cry. Sokka set his hand on his sisters shoulder as she sobbed, just as worried for her.

"Your okay Katara," Zuko sighed, relieved they all were okay.