Uzume hardly got any rest. While Toph was refreshed and bouncing off the walls, Uzume sulked the entire time they waited for Sokka to get up.

The group was walking in town, Katara and Hama ahead of them when they overheard a merchant and a customer speaking about delivery boys being lost in the woods.

"People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff during full moons... this just reeks of spirit world shenanigans." Sokka turned to Aang who nodded his head.

"I bet if we take a little walk around town, we'll find out what these people did to the environment to make the spirits mad."

"And then you can sew up this little mystery, lickety-split, Avatar-style."

"Helping people...that's what I do." Aang smiled and put his hands on his hips. Hama stopped ahead of them and turned to Katara, "Why don't you all take those things back to the inn? I just have to run a couple more errands. I'll be back in a little while."

Sokka got into Hama's face, "This is a mysterious little town you have here." Uzume rolled her eyes at Sokka's accusatory tone.

Hama smiled at Sokka unbothered, "Mysterious town for mysterious children."

The group walked back to the inn and were now in the kitchen, putting away the food.

"That Hama seems a little strange. Like she knows something, or she's hiding something." Sokka said, leaning on the table instead of helping the kids put stuff away.

Katara crossed her arms, "That's ridiculous. She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay. She kind of reminds me of Gran-Gran."

Sokka furrowed his eyebrows, "But what did she mean by that comment, "mysterious children"?"

Uzume turned to the boy, frustrated that he wasn't helping them, "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she found four strange kids, camping in the woods at night? Isn't that a little mysterious?"

Sokka shook his head, "I'm gonna take a look around." He walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs, Katara, Aang, and Toph following. Uzume looked at the group, shocked, holding a basket of apples in her hands.

"Guys, really?" She groaned and set down the apples, following the group.

"Sokka! Sokka, what are you doing? You can't just snoop around someone's house."

"It'll be fine." Sokka shrugged off Katara's concerns.

"She could be home any minute." Aang reasoned while Sokka snooped through rooms.

"Sokka, you're gonna get us all in trouble, and this is just plain rude."

Sokka stopped in front of a cabinet in the wall and tried to open it.

"I'm not finished yet." Sokka grunted as he tried to pull open the cabinet. Uzume sighed and shoved him aside. She grabbed the handle with one hand and yanked at the cabinet, several puppets falling out.

They, minus Toph who can't see, jumped back in fright.

"Ok, that's pretty creepy."

Katara closed the door, "So... she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that. Sokka, you've looked enough. Hama will be back soon." She tried to reason with her friends. Sokka ignored her and continued towards the attic. He tries to open the door but it's locked.

"Just an ordinary, puppet-loving innkeeper, huh? Then why does she have a locked door up here?"

"Probably to keep people like you from snooping through her stuff."

"We'll see." He peers into the keyhole, "It's empty except for a little chest."

"Maybe it's treasure." Toph said excited.

"Maybe I can break the doorknob and get us in?" Uzume tried to suggest helpfully. The group, excluding Toph who stared straight ahead, turned to Uzume with unimpressed faces. Uzume blushed in embarrassment, "Or, maybe not."

Sokka withdrew his sword and began to pick the lock with it.

Katara looked at her brother, unpleased, "Sokka, what are you doing? You're breaking into a private room."

"I have to see what's in there." The door clicked open and he pushed it wide open, revealing the chest he was talking about.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Aang spoke up from beside Katara.

Sokka reached for the chest and let out a grunt since it was also locked.

"Maybe there's a key here somewhere."

"Maybe I can smash it open-"

"Oh, hand it over." Toph interrupted Uzume's suggestion. She took off her armband and bended it into a key.

"Come on, come on!" Sokka said eagerly, anxious they'd get caught

"This isn't as easy as it looks." Uzume snorted at Toph's wording since... she's blind.

"Guys, I don't know about this."

"This is crazy, I'm leaving." Katara and Aang said, filling the role as group parents.

"Suit yourself. Do it, Toph."

The chest clicks open and Uzume and Sokka mushed their cheeks against Toph's to get a good view at what was inside.

"I'll tell you what's in the box."

All of them yell in fear at the new voice. Sokka, Uzume, and Toph comedically hug each other while the other two people in their group calmed down. Sokka quickly hid the chest behind Uzume's back and then turned towards the door.

Hama approached Sokka and held her hand out for him to place the chest in it. He guiltily hands it over and Hama unlocks it. Hama reaches in and Uzume shoves Sokka to get a better view at:

"An old comb?" Sokka's shoulders sag.

"It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I owned from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe." At Hama's words, Katara jumped in excitement.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Just like you." Hama smiled.

"How did you know?"

Hama shrugged, "I heard you talking around your campfire."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Sokka asked, weary of the old lady.

"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." Katara grins widely at the news while Aang grimaces at the thought of sea prunes. Uzume felt a shudder run up her spine while she thought about ocean kumquats, a food that, while Ty Lee loved, she hated.

"I knew I felt a bond with you right away."

"And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right." Sokka cut in smugly, which earned a punch from Katara, "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around.

Hama smiled at the siblings and wrapped her arms around them, "Apology accepted. Now let's get cooking." And they walked out of the basement, leaving behind the 3 non-water tribe members. Uzume narrowed her eyes at the old lady. Hama reminded her of a scary story Azula once told her about a waterbender bending people's blood to escape.

She shook her head at the silly thoughts. Azula just wanted to scare her at the age of ten and Hama's just a sweet old lady.

That night they all sat together while Hama placed bowls in front of them.

"I'd steer clear of the sea prunes." Aang whispered to Toph.

"I thought they were ocean kumquats." Toph whispered back. Uzume shuddered, "Both are bad."

Aang nodded in agreement, "Close enough."

"Who wants five-flavor soup?" Hama asked. Everyone raised their hands and suddenly, she bended soup into their bowls. However, she decided to serve Uzume separately. They all looked at her amazed, minus Toph who stared blankly ahead.

"You're a Waterbender! I've never met another Waterbender from our tribe." Katara was practically vibrating with excitement. Uzume raised an eyebrow, never seeing Katara this excited before, and ate her soup.

Hama, however, didn't match the girls excitement, "That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one." She looked down sadly.

"So how did you end up out here?"

Hama sighed, "I was stolen from my home. It was over 60 years ago when the raids started. 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 too was captured. I was led away in chains. The last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." Katara placed a consoling hand on Hama's shoulder.

"They put us in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one who managed to escape." Uzume dropped her spoon with a clatter and looked at Hama with wide eyes. Hama was the waterbender from Azula's story.

They met eyes and Hama glared at her. It was at this moment that Uzume wished Toph wasn't blind. No one noticed Hama's glare but if Toph could see, she would definitely notice.

"How did you get away? And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?"

Hama dropped her glare and avoided answering, "I'm sorry. It's too painful to talk about anymore."

"We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid."

Hama patted Katara's hands, "Oh, you poor things."

After Hama offered to teach Katara, Uzume had excused herself from dinner. She was starting to feel ill and her head pounded.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Toph asked her roommate. Uzume let out a noise of disagreement, "If I'm sick I don't want you to catch it. You'll have to sleep alone tonight. Sorry Toph."

Uzume made her way to her room, vision blurry. The second her head hit the pillow, she was knocked out.

-

whats wrong with uzume lmao