"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se. But the girls in the city, they look so pretty!" Zuko groaned as Korra sang along with Iroh, nodding her head along with the beat.
They neared a tea shop and Iroh dragged all of us in, stating that no tea in Ba Sing Se should go untasted by him. When they came in, they were ushered to a table near the back. Zuko pulled his hat farther down his face and slouched in his seat when he saw an old wanted poster of him on the wall.
"What can I get you today?" A girl about Zuko's age asked them with a sweet smile.
"I'll have Jasmine tea please." Iroh responded politely and nudged Katara who was staring at the girl.
"Ok. And you three?" The waitress frowned and Katara glanced down when she noticed the girl looking at her.
"All of us will have jasmine." Zuko replied in a gruff voice. He looked pointedly at Katara.
"Ok. If that's all-" The girl started.
"Wait! Ummm. I hate to pry, but, is that a Southern Water Tribe necklace?" Katar interrupted her.
The girl's eyes flashed in confusion and anger for a second but she regained her composure so quickly, they were left wondering if they really saw it. "Maybe, I don't know. My grandmother gave it to me. Why? Are you from the South?"
"Yes, actually."
The girl nodded and glanced at her one more time before walking away.
"I swear I've seen that necklace before. It looks so similar." Katara muttered to her companions.
"How could you possibly have seen this before? You've never been here." Zuko pointed out.
"I don't know. But I do know that I've seen it. I just don't remember where."
"Katara? Do you think she's part of our tribe?" Korra asked her.
"I don't know. We'll find out, ok? I promise." She smiled at Korra as the tea arrived at their table.
"Here you go." The girl came back to give them their tea when Katara jumped up and kept looking at her neck and her face, mouth gaping and eyes wide. She knocked over the tea by accident, and Katara instinctively bent it to keep it from spilling. The girl's eyes widened in horror as she saw Katara. She ran from the shop and into the street. Katara got up and ran after her.
"Wait-" Zuko jumped up, "Aaand she's gone." He sat back in the chair as people gave him and Iroh dirty looks. Iroh stood up quickly and grabbed Zuko and Korra before following the two waterbenders out of the shop.
By the time they caught up to them, Katara had pinned her in an alleyway.
"-don't want to hurt you. I just want to know where you got Hama's necklace."
The girl tried to move but was blocked by Katara. She quickly swept her legs on the ground to trip Katara, and started running when Zuko caught her and pushed her back in. Before she could do anything else, Korra made a wall surrounding them so that no one could get out. She smiled proudly at her accomplishment and the girl looked around her as finally admitted defeat and slumped against the wall.
"Fine. You win."
"What's your name?" Katara looked down on her with her guard up in case she tried fighting again.
"Anika."
"Ok, Anika. Where did you get this necklace?" Katara squatted in front of her and took the necklace in her hand without ripping it from her neck.
Anika turned her face away and grabbed the choker from Katara. Katara sneered. "Now, listen here-"
"Umm. Katara? Can I talk to you?" Katara nodded stiffly and followed Zuko farther down the alleyway. Korra stood in front of Anika, bragging about her "immaculate"(a new word she had learned from Iroh describing Zuko's perfected tea recipe), bending skills.
"What are you doing, Katara? Who's Hama and why are you acting so angry?" Zuko asked her when they were out of earshot.
Katara took a deep breath to calm herself before talking. She continued in a much softer voice. "My gran-gran used to tell me stories about her childhood friend, Hama. She was taken in one of the first Fire Nation raids on my tribe. Apparently, she was stuck in a prison for years. A terrible prison created by the Fire Nation to torture waterbenders. No one had ever escaped from that prison, but she was such a talented bender, that when she was desperate, she created a new style of waterbending. Bloodbending."
Zuko took in a sharp breath through his teeth. "Bloodbending? Is that... what it sounds like?"
Katara gave him a grim nod. "She could bend the water in people's blood and control them like a... a puppetmaster. And humans were here puppets. Especially fire benders and people of the fire nation, even civilians who did nothing wrong. Her story was told to children in the Southern Tribe. Some people considered her a hero of the water tribe, but I knew what she was. A monster."
Zuko hesitated and finally nodded. "Do what you need to. I'm here for you and I'll be fine with whatever you want to do."
Katara gave him a small smile and went back to the others. Iroh was serving Anika and Korra tea while Anika was talking to him about something. Iroh nodded and listened intently. Confused, Katara and Zuko rushed to them.
"Well, I've never tried that but I heard that rooibos is good-" Anika was saying.
"What's going on here?" Katara asked Iroh angrily.
Anika replied with a cold, annoyed tone. "I was having a civil conversation, but please, interrupt."
Katara rolled her eyes and sat down next to Iroh.
"I'll ask you one more time before I lose my temper. Where. Did. You. Get. This. Necklace?"
"OK,OK I'll tell you. But...," Anika drawled with a teasing tone. "I'll only tell you if you relax and promise NEVER to repeat this story. I've never told anyone before and I'm only telling you because you are the first Southern Water Tribe waterbender I've seen in a long time."
Katara cautiously put her water back and sat down. Anika looked at her with a wary look on her face and Katara's face mirrored hers.
"Also, after I tell you, you have to promise never to talk to me or look for me again. And no interruptions when I'm talking. OK?" Anika asked them.
"Ok." Anika nodded and started walking around and playing with the flower before starting with her story.