𝑯𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵, 𝒂: 𝒕𝒍𝒂

➳ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦: 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴

THE TEAM IS SILENT AS THEY WALK BACK TO HAMA'S INN. In the aftermath of discovering what the woman in question had done to the villagers, and her subsequent arrest, Kida figures that no one really knows what to say. Earlier, Toph and Kida were helping the villagers escape from beneath the mountain, so they only caught the tail end of the confrontation between Katara and Hama that Sokka and Aang had gone to stop. Kida isn't entirely sure what happened, but the way that Katara is sobbing softly, and the look of shame and fear that Kida recognized earlier -- one that Kida's sure she herself has worn before -- hint towards a deeper wound Katara is desperate to heal.

"I don't think I can stay here tonight," Katara whispers, just as everyone walks through the door.

"We'll pack everything and get out of here," Kida decides, placing a comforting hand on Katara's shoulder. The girl nods before walking up the stairs. Kida turns back to Aang, Toph, and Sokka. "What happened out there?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Aang admits. "Hama....she was controlling us somehow, making me and Sokka attack each other."

"That's beyond creepy," Toph adds.

Aang and Sokka exchange a nervous glance.

"That's not all," Sokka says. "Katara had to do the same thing to Hama to get her to stop. Hama called it bloodbending."

A shiver runs through Kida's body at that word. "Bloodbending," she repeats.

Sokka nods solemnly.

»»---------------------►

AS THE REST OF THE TEAM DOZES OFF ONCE APPA IS IN THE AIR, KIDA STAYS AWAKE. She had offered to steer while everyone else gets some rest, and given the night they just had, no one argued.

Kida always thought it was peaceful, flying on Appa at night. The clouds were soft and the stars bright, and tonight the moon was full, almost a sign to Kida that everything would be okay. She glances back and notices that Katara is still awake. Or, by the looks of it, was woken up by her own thoughts.

"Want to talk about it?" Kida offers, while keeping her voice low as to not disturb the others.

"No," Katara whispers. "I just want to forget the whole thing. I wish I never knew that was something I can do."

This strikes a chord, brings back memories for Kida of years spent denying, and hating, her abilities. Especially after losing Hiro, she started to wish that she was born anything else other than a firebender. She scolded herself, tried to forget, ignored the fact that she had power within her. She had nightmare after nightmare of losing her family, burning down their home with her own bare hands.

Kida realizes now that part of the problem was in her denying her ability to firebending and seeing it only for its potential for destruction. Once she started training, it became less of a fear, and more of a power. There are other things Kida is much, much more afraid of, but she decides to leave that part out.

When Kida finishes saying all of this, Katara scoffs. "So, you're saying I should practice taking control of a living being?"

"No, not really," Kida sighs. "You're a powerful waterbender Katara -- you need to own that."

"And, if I start having nightmares?" Katara's tone is confrontational as she asks this question.

"Try to think about all the good you've done with your waterbending," Kida suggests. "All the people you healed. Spirits, you're the Avatar's waterbending master. Spirits, he wouldn't be as skilled as he is now without you as a teacher. "