Burn Me *Prince Zuko Fanfiction*

Bloodbending

The room was cozy and warm. A large bed with two nightstands rested in the center of the room with a large red comforter. Sighing contently, I laid on the bed and closed my eyes, happy to have a comfy spot to sleep for the night. The bed shifted as Katara laid next to me. I bid her goodnight and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Hama woke us to go shopping in the town. She was a nice lady, but there was definitely something off about her. Sokka had the same feeling and began snooping around her house, looking for something incriminating. I told him to stop, especially after we found the puppets in her hall closet, but he wouldn't hear any of it. He slipped up into the attic and found a locked door. Sokka picked the lock despite my warning and ran into the room with the group.

There was a chest in the middle of the room. Toph used her space rock to create a key, but she couldn't get it to open. I rolled my eyes as they tried to pry at it. Turning on my heel to leave, I gasped as Hama stood in front of me.

"I'll tell you what's in the box," she called to the rest of them.

The group yelled in alarm. Sokka hid the chest behind his back as Hama entered the room. Hama hobbled over to them and held out her hand. Bowing his head in guilt, he handed the lady her chest. She slowly opened it and reached inside. Pulling out an old blue comb...

"An old comb?" Sokka droned in disappointment.

"It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I owned from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe," a wave of shock ran over me as I stared at the lady.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara breathed.

"Just like you." Hama smiled at the three of us as I took my place next to my siblings.

"How did you know?" I asked, shocked by her perception.

"I heard you talking around your campfire," she informed us.

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

"I wanted to surprise you. I bought all this food today so I could fix you a big, Water Tribe dinner. Of course, I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes if you stew them long enough."

My mouth watered at her words. Aang gagged beside Katara at the thought of eating sea prunes again. We apologized to the woman for snooping around her house, she accepted our apology. Katara and I followed Hama downstairs and helped her prepare the meal. It was nice cooking with the lady.

I set a bowl in front of Sokka and took my seat as Hama bent the soup out of the pot and into the place settings. I gasped as I realized what Hama was.

"You're a waterbender!" Katara and I cried out.

"We've never met another waterbender from our tribe," I told Hama.

She looked at me sadly.

"That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one. I was stolen from my home. It was over sixty years ago when the raids began. They came again and again, 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 was captured. I was led away in chains. The last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. They put us in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one who managed to escape."

I listened intently as Hama spoke. It must have been awful if it was anything like what I went through... maybe it was worse. Sokka asked her how she got away, but it was too painful for her to continue. I stood from my seat and rested my hands on the old woman's shoulders, trying to give some comfort.