"Are you sure you want to go out on the full moon? It's dangerous," Zuko said as the sun was setting. We'd changed into our new earth nation clothes and I had on my Earth bracelet.

"I know," I sighed, sitting atop a rock criss cross, Zuko leaning against a tree. "But I have to know what she has to show me. I'm horrible at waterbending, I think you've already realized that," I rolled my eyes and cupped my chin in my hands, my elbows resting on the knees.

"Yeah."

"I have to do something to make my waterbending stronger."

"You don't need to make your bending stronger if you have strong firebending. That's what you're good at; keep it that way. It's only natural for you to have one element and be good at it," Zuko said wisely.

"Lower your voice," I glanced around us. "But I want both."

"You don't always get what you want, Mei. Sometimes you have to let things go for the best."

I pursed my lips. "You know I'm still going, right?" I said flatly.

"I know," he rolled his eyes, "It was worth a try."

"You tried your best." I grinned.

The corners of his lips turned up in a small smile.

"These are comfortable clothes by the way," I pointed out.

"Very."

"This is the first time you've talked this much," I laughed.

His smile disappeared. "Whatever."

"Are you going to watch me with Hama or are you going to stay here?" I asked.

"Stay here."

"Why?"

"I feel like it."

"Okay. Well, I should get going then," I stood up and jumped off the rock.

"And I should be fighting with someone." Zuko stood up.

"Fighting as in arguing or fighting as in punching and stuff?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Both maybe." Zuko shrugged, walking away.

I laughed and walked into the woods.

♋♋♋

Zuko heard stories of a weird force that came over some villagers every full moon, but they probably weren't true. He'd talked to a boy around his own age a few days ago and he'd told him about a moon spirit. Zuko had seen the moon spirit himself and he knew she was a kind girl, and she would never do something like that to anyone. So what was this 'strange force'? Ayame could take care of herself so while she was with Hama, he'd be able to keep a close eye on the villagers tonight. Zuko was going to visit that boy again and get more answers out of him. And right before Ayame left, he'd warned her.

"Oh, and Ayame," he'd called out after her, "I heard from a lot of people here that there's a mind controlling force that can control you against your will every full moon." She'd just stared at him for a second and then burst out laughing, waving her arm in the air as if to swat the idea away. Zuko had sighed in defeat, turned around and walked away.

Zuko knocked on the door of the boy's house and he'd opened the door almost immediately.

"I knew you'd come," the boy grinned. He was wearing something almost similar to Zuko but his hair was short and the front of his hair had been jelled back. His eyes were a light green and he welcomed Zuko in with a small gesture. Zuko followed him in and they walked into his kitchen, Zuko greeting his mom. His mother eyes him curiously but walked away, disappearing for the rest of the time Zuko was there.

"What's this about the mind controlling?" Zuko asked once they were sitting. The boy, who's name was Xiaoli.

"Well, it's weird. I don't really know but every full moon, a wierd trance comes over some villagers . . . not all. Now we lock ourselves up so none of us get lost or something."

"Do any disappear?" Zuko asked.

"No. But one of us . . . died. He left during a storm and a tree fell on him," Xiaoli said sadly.

"And there's no purpose to this? Nothing gets stolen?" Zuko asked, confused. Things weren't adding up.

"No. Nothing. But no one wants to leave their house and die, do they? It's scary," Xiaoli shuddered.

"Well . . . how are we going to prevent this?" Zuko asked rubbing his face.

"We don't know, but one person has seen the person who controls minds."

"Who?" Zuko asked, suddenly alert.

"His name is Ping. I can take you to him," Xiaoli offered.

"Yeah, take me," Zuko said pulling the round straw hat Mei had gotten for him lower over his face. As they left the house, Xiaoli asked Zuko one last question.

"Why do you care do much? I can tell you're not from around here."

"I have a friend . . . and she's in the woods right now. She might get hurt, and she was too stubborn to stay back," Zuko said emotionlessly.

"Whats her name?" he asked.

"Ayame."

Xiaoli nodded. "Can you earthbend?"

"No."

"I can. Maybe I can help."

"Maybe."

🔥🔥🔥

I walked through the woods, the only light leading me was the moonlight. I could already feel the power flowing through my veins. I rolled my shoulders and took a deep breath.

And then I saw her, standing where we'd met before, the full moon over her head. She was smiling, but not in a nice way. I shivered.

"Good to see you here, Mei," she said. "Are you ready?"

I nodded.

"When I was your age, the Fire Nation attacked us. The Southern Water tribe. We put up a good fight, but they kept coming at us. They never gave up. They wanted all our waterbenders and took us hostage every chance they got. Slowly, our number of waterbenders started decreasing until I was the only one left. I was outnumbered and I was forced to surrender. What I'm about to show you, I discovered in that wretched, Fire Nation 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 . . . 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. The rats that scurried across the floor of my cage, were nothing more than skins filled with liquid."

I shuddered. What was she saying?

"And I passed years developing the skills that would lead to my escape. Bloodbending . . . controlling the water in another body. Enforcing your own will over theirs."

My jaw dropped and I stared at her, shocked. I tried to understand what she was saying, but I couldn't grasp the idea. Controlling humans? Animals? Such cruelty was unheard of.

"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."

And then I realized what she was saying.

Zuko had been telling the truth.

Hama really was a witch, and she'd come here after her own pupil, that other girl, had realized what she was.

So how did she get here?

"Tell me the truth, Hama," I said calmly. "Why did you come here?"

"Ah, of course," Hama flexed her arms. "In my days at the Fire Nation, in return for my torture in the cells I used to bloodbend the villagers every full moon, sending them into a mountain and keeping them hostage. Unfortunately, the girl and her Avatar friends found them, and the girl refused to learn to bloodbend, but she was forced to after I turned her friends against eachother. And then I was thrown into jail. But as usual, I bloodbended my way out. Hah! They should learn from that."

I took a step back. "You're a monster. Zuko was right."

"Ah, Zuko. Of course. He doubted me since the beginning, I remember. So, are you up to it?"

The girl traveled with the Avatar. I'd heard of her. What was her name? I didnt remember, but she was from the Southern Water Tribe. But I wasn't like her. Sure, I hated Hama right about now, but I wasn't going to refuse to learn to bloodbend. I could use it against her.

"Yes."

♋♋♋

"Ping, there's someone here to talk to you," Xiaoli said. Ping was boarding up his windows. He was an old man and he looked slightly insane.

"Um, hi?" Zuko said. "I wanted to ask you about the 'spirit' controlling the people."

"Ah yes. It ain't no spirit, jus' sayin'," the old man chirped.

"What? You've seen it?" Zuko asked.

"Oh yes. It's aint an 'it'. It's a woman."

Zuko's jaw dropped, and so did Xiaoli's.

"I have to get in now. She'll be comin'," Ping said hurriedly.

"What does she look like?" Zuko pressed.

"She's old and creepy, and acts really nice but In truth she's a witch." Then Ping walked inside and slammed the door in their faces.

Zuko turned to Xiaoli, a darkness dawning over him. His eyes wwere wide.

"Ayame is with her right now."