Zutara

5

Zuko's POV

We finally reached the small town of Skiiem through common boat systems instead of the Fire Navy like some nobles insisted on. We reached the dock and all stepped out and looked around. A older woman was slicing some watermelon into slices in the first kiosk. Katara starts to walk over to her with a kind smile.

"Hello Ma'am, my name is Katara, and this is my brother Sokka and my friend Zuko. Is there anything you can tell us about the disappearances of the Water Tribe people?"

She glances at Sokka and I. "They just disappeared. Always at night. Only Water Tribe members."

Katara opens her mouth to ask another question when the woman says, "I know nothing else. Trust me some of those people were my friends I would tell you."

She nods in agreement before walking away. Because of how long and tiring the trip was to get here, I could tell that they were just as exhausted as me.

Without a word I gather up some logs and sticks. I place the logs around the pile of sticks and set the sticks on fire.

I sit down on one of the logs and slowly they both join me. "I can take the night shift. If it is someone or something that targets Water Tribe people then it probably knows you're here."

Sokka shakes his head and cross his arms. "I'll never sleep with a Fire Nation man guarding me and my sister."

I raise an eyebrow as I watch the struggle for him to even stay awake. He falls backwards into the log and snores.

Katara plops down next to me and leans into me. "What do you think it is?" I shrug and grab her hand and rub her hand in silent support.

"We'll figure it out, don't worry."

She starts to go limp in my arms as she drifts asleep. She seems so at peace and so relaxed.

Then a soft whistle echoed from the forest. I reached for my swords and held Katara gently to my chest.

Sokka tossed and turned before his eyes shot open. I whispered to him, "Do you hear that?" He didn't respond.

Before I could react, Sokka turned towards me with his sword to my heart. His eyes were grey and blank instead of blue and full of emotion. I froze and felt Katara squirm a bit in discomfort. I tried to connect the dots.

Then it hit me. I smacked his sword out of his hands and lunged to cover his ears. I grabbed his head and covered them even as he tried to swing at me. Finally once he stopped fighting  his eyes faded back to its natural blue. I grab both of them and hide in the bushes and the brush.

A couple earth kingdom soldiers emerged from the forest with weapons and one with a delicate wood flute. Suddenly a little girl walks straight towards the man with the flute. Her eyes were clouded over. She seemed about five with brown eyes, dark hair and almond skin.

Katana gasps in shock as the Flute Man takes her small hand and leads her to a pond that seems to glow. He motions for her to walk into the water. She waddles into the blue water silently. Then she sobs with such sadness out of nowhere Sokka watched in shock completely taken back by the girl's tears.

That man snatches her out of the water and extracts her tears. Katara looks at the man with such fury the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Katara's POV

I watched in horror as they continued this horrible ritual. I recognized the ritual from an old story my gran gran told me.

In her time, the tribe wasn't as peaceful. When she was a little girl, times were so harsh on the tribe that they tried everything to get Tui and La to take pity. Including, sacrifices. A small cult, named the Kheda decided to take matters into their own hands.