"It all starts with Hama. She was a master waterbender, but to save her tribe, she let herself be captured by the firebenders. They took her to a specially made prison to torture waterbenders. She was stuck there for years and her heart hardened as she saw her lifelong friends dying and getting murdered by the firebenders. Over time, she realized that once a month, when her bending was at the best, she could bend the water in living things. Namely, blood. By controlling the blood in an animal or human, she could control the body and make them do what she wanted them to do.
"After years and years, she was finally strong enough to control the blood in a human being. She escaped and settled down in some village in the Fire Nation and actually married one of the villagers. They had a beautiful daughter and for the next few years, everything was great. But then, Hama's husband suddenly died. The only light left in her life was her 5 year old daughter, Ima.
"But by the time Ima was seven, Hama realized that she wasn't a waterbender and never would be. In a fit of anger, Hama decided to send Ima to Ba Sing Se, where a rich couple who were unable to have children took her under their wing. But more about that later. Hama, with no one left that loved her, turned bitter and evil. She started to capture the civilians of the village every full moon. She controlled them and led them to a prison that she made to kill them.
"Now, let's get back to the daughter, Ima. Since the couple didn't have any heirs they decided that Ima should get all of their riches after they were dead. By the time they passed away, Ima was already married and with child. Two children actually. The shock of the couple's passing in an accident sent her into early labor and the younger twin, the boy, was born sickly. The girl was a picture of health. Ima turned the house she had lived in since she was seven into a private school for benders and non-benders and the twins went there.
"As they grew older, both of them started to show signs of waterbending. Ima was scared that they would find out about their lineage, so she did everything she could to keep the truth about their grandmother from them. But, when the twins turned 10, they went on a tour of the world, and when they were boarding the ship, they saw two water tribe warriors. Those two warriors took an interest to Ima's necklace. They introduced themselves as Hakoda and Bato of the Southern Wate-" Katara cut her off.
"Hakoda and Bato? Are you sure?" Katara asked sharply.
"Yes. That's how they introduced themselves to that family. And I thought I told you not to interrupt." Anika responded without turning to her.
"Hakoda was my father." Katara admitted in a soft voice.
"Oooh. That makes sense. He talked about his son and daughter a lot. Is your brother here?" Anika asked her.
Katara shook her head and swallowed. "Why do you keep talking about them in third person. You ARE the daughter of Ima, right?"
Anika pretended that she didn't hear her. "Anyway. The warriors asked if they were Southern Water Tribe, but the parents denied it. But the twins were curious and they sneaked into their room and asked the warriors to tell them stories about the South. The warriors told them about wonderous tales of waterbenders and the bravery of the warriors. They also told them about Hama. They didn't tell them about her bloodbening, but made her out to be a hero who sacrificed herself to save her tribe and escaped the prison.
"Naturally, they were angry at their mother who told them they were the only southern waterbenders. They ran away, which was really easy to do, and after a lot of inquiries, they found Hama's village. When they found out that she was their grandmother, they were overjoyed and even more angry with their mother. The twins promised themselves that they would never go back.
"Hama started training me and my brother in the southern style of waterbending.. Me and my brother loved each other a lot. But when it came to waterbending, he was always jealous of my skills."
Zuko and Katara shared a knowing look, but didn't comment on the change of perspective.
"I was a prodigy, Hama said. She told me that I would be even better than her one day. My brother grew angry and spiteful. He trained day and night to perfect his abilities while I grew overconfident in my skills. I knew that I was Hama's favorite, but so did Ezra, my brother. After a few years of intense training, he and I were on the same level. We had mastered waterbending by the time we were 13.
"Hama decided to teach us a new form of bending. One she had created. When she taught us how to bloodbend, me and my brother agreed that it was horrible and no one should have that kind of power. She told us 'Why would the spirits give us this power if they didn't want us to use it? The spirits blessed me with this power, and now, they have gifted me with two grandchildren who are master waterbenders. The spirit's will is clear. Do you really want to stand against them?' We started training that very day.
"My brother grew colder and more detached and I did too. On our 16th birthday, she decided that me and my brother should fight each other. Bloodbend each other. Even though we were growing apart, both of us refused. To help the fight along, she bloodbent Ezra and made him run towards me with a knife. I... used the power of the full moon to bloodbend Hama herself to let him go." Her voice shook, and Katara could tell she was trying not to cry. She stopped playing with the flower and fell onto the ground.
"He was so angry with me. He kept repeating that he would've been fine, and that I always stole the spotlight. I yelled at him and we got into a huge fight. He blamed me for everything that had happened in the last six years, and honestly, I blamed myself as well. I didn't let him know that, of course, and he grew angrier and angrier until he bloodbent me. He was ready to kill me, and I knew that he wanted to. He would've killed me, but I was stronger than him.
"I tried to fight back, but when I did, my control over Hama relinquished and she helped Ezra bloodbend me. Both of their eyes had a cold, empty look which I'm sure mine did too. Our souls were gone, and all that was left was bitterness and anger. And for me, fear. Apparently, Hama was right. I would become a greater bender than even her one day. Better than both of them.
"I didn't realize what I was doing until it was too late. I was blind with hatred, anger, and hurt. All the people in the world who loved me had now betrayed me. I remember everything. I wish I didn't, but I do, and with painful clarity. Sometimes the mind blocks traumatic memories and experiences to keep the person sane, but my mind seemed to think that what I did was so horrible, which it was, that I should be tortured by that memory for the rest of my life.
"The wind was blowing, but not too much. Everything seemed quiet to me, even my own screams of agony as I retreated into my own mind. I took a deep breath and somehow fought against their bending and stood up. The looks of fear on their faces... It was horrible. But I didn't see their emotions. All I saw was people who had betrayed me. My family that had tried to kill me. So I killed them."
Katara gasped and covered her mouth with her hand and Zuko's eyes narrowed as he gulped. Iroh looked at Anika with his lips pursed and Korra, sweet Korra was chasing a butterfly by trying and failing to airbend and was thankfully out of earshot, so she didn't hear anything.
"I passed out after that. From pain and exhaustion. I woke up in the village hospital the next day, and they explained how the spirit that was attacking them had killed Hama and her brother, but somehow I had gotten away. The "spirit" never bothered them again of course, but I never bothered to tell them that the real person who was terrorizing the city was Hama, because then I would have to tell them the real way they had died.
"I left that village and came back to Ba Sing Se. I looked for my parents, but when I found them, I realized that they would hate me too. I had killed my own brother and my grandmother. No matter how much of a monster Hama was, she was still my grandma, and I was worse than her. After that, I made a vow to myself that I would never waterbend again. If I did, and people found out, they could try to bloodbend themselves, and everything would be ruined. It would be better if Hama was just a rogue waterbender who got what she deserved. If they learned the truth about her death, they would know that they could bloodbend as well. They would use bloodbending as a weapon. Which is why you can NEVER tell anyone about this."
Katara nodded. "I know why you killed them. My brother. He turned into a shell of himself. I don't think I could bring myself to kill him, but I know the look you were talking about. I saw it in his eyes as we saw our best friend die. The last hope for the world. At least, that's what we thought. But we met a new hope. A young one. We can help her, and we could really use your help. Having two master waterbenders and two master firebenders helping the Avatar could change the history of the world."
"I told you. I don't waterbend anymore."
"You don't want to hurt anyone, I get that. But maybe you've heard of the evil people we're related to. My brother, Sokka, or as you and the rest of the world know him, the wolf-tail warrior."
Anika gasped and looked at her. "Princess Katara?"
Katara nodded and Anika's eyes flashed to the firebenders sitting on either side of her.
"Then you must be-"
"Crown prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and-" Zuko started, pulling his hat off his face.
"And his uncle, General Iroh." Iroh finished for him, giving Anika a small bow.
"As you can see, we need a LOT of help if we are going to beat the Fire Nation and my brother's army. So, will you help us restore balance to the world? Will you help me teach the Avatar waterbending? The three of us are the last waterbenders of the Southern Tribe and you are the last waterbender that knows the southern style of waterbending. I was taught by Master Pakku of the Northern Tribe. I would really love to know the Southern way."
Anika bowed to the three royals in front of her as the young avatar ran in front of her pretending to fly. "I can teach you and the Avatar the forms of the South and you can teach her the Northern style, but I won't waterbend. And I won't teach you how to bloodbend. It will destroy you. Believe me."
Katara nodded and Korra took down the wall surrounding them. Anika hesitated for a second before following them outside.
"Don't you have anything you want to bring? We probably won't be back for a long time." Iroh asked her.
"No. There's nothing in here that's mine." Anika took a deep breath before taking her necklace off and threw it away.
Unbeknownst to them, Sokka had been following them. He arrived in Ba Sing Se a few hours later and saw some shoddy earthbending, which wouldn't have been out of the ordinary, but something inside him told him to step into the alleyway. There, lying on the ground was a necklace that had been described to him hundreds of times. Hama's necklace.