Surely he's misheard.

"What?"

"They'll kill her," Warden Masaki repeats. "Or she, them. Either way, there will be bloodshed."

"Why?" Ozai demands.

"The remaining inmates from her cellblock view her as a traitor. She left them behind when she escaped," Masaki explains around his growing grimace, "She also killed another inmate when she left, along with a guard they favored for her kindness."

"She killed an inmate!" Ozai hisses in disbelief. He isn't surprised to hear about the guard, but for Hama to go after another waterbender... Somehow, this whole situation has managed to become that much more complicated than it already was.

"Yes," Masaki confirms, "Even if by the mercy of the spirits there are no attacks on my men, reuniting Hama with the other waterbenders would guarantee some manner of violence."

Ozai feels a headache starting to build.

How is he supposed to show mercy to a woman that will kill her own as readily as she kills enemy guards? ...and civilians, probably. Thinking back on the conditions of Hama's improvised prison, he wouldn't be surprised if there was a list as long as his arm of victims that had died while under her care. Just because he hadn't seen the bodies doesn't mean there had never been any.

Carefully banked anger flares high again. Showing mercy to Hama spits in the face of every victim left in her wake and treads callously over their suffering. He would swallow the injustice of it all in the name of peace, but now it sounds like the Water Tribe would demand Hama's blood, too. Personal request from the Moon Spirit or not, the effort to spare Hama the consequences of her own actions is becoming an increasingly intensive and ever more unpalatable project.

"I'll have to bring this to Tui's attention," Ozai decides, "I don't think he knows."

"There is one more problem with allowing her contact with the other inmates," Masaki warns.

Great. "Out with it."

"Many would reject it, because they forbid it for themselves, much as we do the Living Wick --" Ozai suppresses a shudder. Just the idea of it... "-- but there are some that might seek to learn how to bewitch the blood. Hama proved how deadly the technique is utilized by a lone bender. If there were to be a handful of them... They could slaughter everyone on this island in a single night."

Ozai pinches the bridge of his nose and, unlike the last time when he was fighting back a treacherous amusement, breathes out steam in genuine frustration.

He should have seen that particular problem coming. Hadn't he avoided calling Hama a waterbender when addressing her captives for that exact reason? Bloodbending is troublesome enough limited to one woman with a vendetta. If the only waterbenders that would deign to learn the technique are also of a character willing to violate their cultural taboos in the name of power and revenge... This either needs to be contained before the technique can spread, or they need a counter to quickly shut down new bloodbenders.

"I understand. Your office is secure for private conversation?"

"Yes, Fire Lord."

"Good. Once Tui is finished, the three of us need to speak."

"...Yes, Fire Lord."

Ozai barely registers Masaki's reply. He's already busy trying to devise a solution to the growing list of problems Hama represents. A dark part of him wonders if La would be willing to -- No. No, Tui hadn't wanted the Ocean Spirit involved when La showed up earlier, and Zhao is a still-breathing corpse because of La. That isn't a fate he's willing to inflict on anyone, regardless of their crimes. Better to keep La out of any situation that isn't already entangled with the Ocean Spirit.

"Nephew? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ozai opens his eyes to find Tui in front of him and drops his hand from where it had made a home for itself trying to halt the growing tension headache's advance. Beyond the spirit, the last handful of prisoners are being unshackled at the far end of the cellblock.

"I'm fine," Ozai assures, but apparently not well enough.

The Moon Spirit's brow furrows in concern before a cool hand is pressed lightly to Ozai's forehead. "Nausea? Lightheadedness? Headache? Difficulty breathing?" The hand is withdrawn but the spirit still asks, "Other symptoms?"

"No, I --" Ozai frowns and corrects himself, "There's a building headache, but I know what it's from. I'm fine."

"Are you certain?" Tui presses. "Agni will be justly displeased if I have allowed your reforging to weaken while I was distracted."

"I'm sure, but the warden has brought up an issue that needs to be discussed. Privately," Ozai says, "Warden Masaki, please, lead the way."

Masaki manages to hide most of his unease as he says, "If you will follow me, Fire Lord, Moon Spirit."

"Very well," Tui says with a brief glance at Masaki.

Warden Masaki leads them through a few different halls and up two flights of stairs but, overall, it is a short trip. Tui's gaze lingers on Ozai for the entirety of the journey.

"What is it that must be discussed?" the Moon Spirit asks as soon as the door to Masaki's office closes behind them. The question is technically given to the room at large but it's obvious that, after a quick scan of the room, Ozai continues to possess the bulk of the spirit's attention. "Particularly while hidden away in such confined quarters?"

Tui isn't wrong about the status of their location. The office is notably small for an officer as highly ranked as a prison warden, especially for a prison as important, if secluded, as Kitaika. A single, narrow window lets in moonlight, but it does little to ward off the claustrophobic feeling of largely unadorned steel walls and too many bookcases crammed into an already tight space.

"Please, forgive the discomfort, Great Spirit. Kitaika was not built with visitors in mind," Warden Masaki says while hurriedly lighting sconces, closing sliding shutters over their vents, and double-checking pipe covers, "The room is secure, Fire Lord."

Ozai holds back the sigh that wants to escape. "The situation surrounding Hama is more complicated than I thought when I agreed to offer her mercy. I'm not sure I'll be able to send her south with the other benders."

The furrow in Tui's brow deepens. "How so?"

"She killed another waterbender."

Tui's expression flickers through surprise before twisting with grief. The Moon Spirit is silent for a long moment before simply stating, "I see."

"I can extend mercy on behalf of the Fire Nation," Ozai says, "but I can't control what her tribe will do, or what returning her might do to the unity between the Southern Tribes." He scowls as he realizes he has somehow become responsible for preventing two potential civil wars from erupting, on top of the global war he is already attempting to end. How does he even get himself into these situations?

"No, you cannot," Tui acknowledges, "and I would not ask it of you. I will speak with the waterbenders. Perhaps they will accept my judgement as sufficient, perhaps they will not, but I will not attempt to hold you accountable for the actions of a people that do not belong to you. If the only mercy for Hama is the allowance to be judged by her own rather than by her enemies, then it is enough and I will abide by the result."

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That's a relief, but it does beg the question... "What was your judgement, Tui?" Ozai asks.

Tui blinks at him. "She abused my name and power," the spirit explains, "so I withdrew the privilege. Hama of the Southern Seas no longer carries my gift."

"You took her bending?" Ozai can't keep the shock from his voice.

Masaki makes a noise Ozai doubts was purposeful. The warden's eyes are wide and he doesn't seem to be breathing as he stares at the Moon Spirit. Ozai can't decide if the man looks more terrified or hopeful.

"Yes, though not in full," Tui says, "My gift comprises only half of a waterbender's power, and it is La's half that tethers a bender's connection to water. Hama of the Southern Seas is now push without pull, but she remains a waterbender of sorts."

And just like that, Ozai finds himself reconsidering the possibility of involving La. It would make things so much easier... Ease doesn't equal right, though. Too bad things around Hama have gotten so twisted up he's having trouble figuring out what the right thing to do is. He wishes his friends were here to offer their own perspectives.

"Can she still bloodbend?" Ozai asks.

Tui frowns. "I would not expect her to succeed if she were to attempt the feat, but I cannot say if it would be impossible for her to relearn a portion of the ability given time. While Hama will no longer receive the boon of my strength as I wax and wane, there have been masters in the past able to bend the life-waters of men and creatures without the power granted by my full phase. None have done so with a divided gift, and few that were not skilled and devoted healers, but the future holds mysteries to us all and I cannot promise Hama will not be the first to overcome such obstacles."

"Bloodbending can be achieved outside of full moon nights?" Ozai demands. It's not a comforting thought, as illustrated by Warden Masaki's paling face.

"Yes, if the waterbender possesses the skill and power for it."

That is not what Katara had told him, reticent as she had been in sharing details about the technique, but he's starting to understand how ignorant of her abilities and limitations Katara had been. Even after attaining her mastery as a waterbending warrior, she had still grown up without any daily knowledge or a single model in her village to learn from. Old guilt rears its head but Ozai pushes it aside. He's actively working to fix that problem and he has a more pressing issue in front of him that needs to be dealt with first.

If Hama is unlikely to bloodbend for the rest of her life -- as disturbing as the slim but persistent possibility that she could reclaim the ability is -- then the next most important question needs to be asked. "Could she teach others to bloodbend?"

"It would be possible, but difficult," Tui says, "Learning to bend life-waters without example or experience is no easy task. There is a reason the art has been forgotten for a millennium."

Masaki makes a choked noise. "N-not 'forgotten,' Moon Spirit Tui," the warden says, plucking up the courage to interject into the conversation, "The waterbenders I have spoken with do not call it 'bloodbending,' but they do remember the practice and not one I spoke to described the technique as anything less than forbidden. Absolutely."

"Forbidden?" Tui's face grows confused and troubled. "When did this happen? Why has a portion of our gift been cast aside as unwanted?"

Ozai shares a glance with Masaki but it's clear the other man doesn't know what to say any more than he does and the warden is twice as reluctant to try. Unfortunately, dealing with foreign powers, up to and including spirits, apparently, is the Fire Lord's responsibility. Warden Masaki has every right to cede the task to Ozai.

"It's... disconcerting, to have control of your body stripped away," Ozai explains carefully, "Especially if that control rests in the hands of someone you don't trust."

"An unpleasant abuse of our gift," Tui acknowledges, "but the corruption of power is a common occurrence with humans." Ozai wonders if the spirit's statement should be taken as a condemnation of his kind. The words say 'yes,' but the tone is closer to factual than contemptful. Either way, it's not what he needs to focus on in the current moment. "While the disgrace to my name was the reason for Hama's judgement, do not think the misuse of the powers granted her was not a factor in the severity of her punishment. I am not blind to the suffering her actions have inflicted on you and your people."

"I know, Tui. Thank you," Ozai says and takes a steadying breath, "As for why bloodbending might be forbidden... My guess is that someone else -- maybe more than one, actually -- abused bloodbending long before Hama, and the Water Tribes refused to let it happen again."

Tui looks down at his folded hands with a frown. "That is troubling," the spirit says before meeting Ozai's eyes. Grief paints the Moon Spirit's features anew. "Both that, if this event truly did happen, I missed it, and that the art has been discarded. My waterbenders once used it to great effect. Healers saved many lives, halted blood loss, set broken bones, turned inverted infants in the womb, restrained the disoriented to prevent injury. The art has been used to catch food, escape or slay predatory beasts, and rescue victims from fatal falls. I will not pretend every instance of its use was so benign. It has been used as a tool of war and bloodshed before, but that alone would not be reason enough to abandon it. The Frozen Seas are not gentle lands. Relinquishing any tool comes with a high cost. If the art has truly been forbidden rather than forgotten in both the Northern and Southern Seas..." Tui falls silent as distress creeps over his face.

"...I kept a mortal form to be close to them, but I missed this," the Moon Spirit says in a hushed, horrified voice, "What else have I missed?"

"I don't know," Ozai says, placing a hand on the distraught spirit's shoulder, "but you're aware of the situation now. That means you can start thinking about ways to resolve it. And you're here. There's nothing to stop you from speaking with the waterbenders and getting answers to your questions."

Tui sighs and covers Ozai's hand with his own. "Thank you, Nephew," the spirit says, "It would seem there is more work ahead of me than I had realized."

"I'm familiar with the feeling," Ozai says wryly.

Tui huffs a singular laugh and allows Ozai to withdraw his hand. "Yes, I suppose you are no stranger to setbacks." The Moon Spirit studies Ozai's face for an extended moment before a sad smile touches the spirit's lips. "I begin to understand Agni's confidence in your reforging."

Ozai raises his eyebrows in a silent question but Tui only shakes his head. "Another time, perhaps, young Fire Lord," Tui says.

Right. There are other things they need to take care of sooner rather than later.

"What do you want to do with Hama?" he asks. They've spent enough time dancing around the issue without reaching any conclusions. A decision needs to be made.

Tui's expression pinches. "Would it be possible to keep her from the other waterbenders for a day?" the spirit asks.

Ozai looks to Masaki.

"It can be arranged," the warden confirms.

"And you are not opposed to my continued presence as my people are prepared for their return to the Southern Seas?" Tui asks.

"Your assistance with smoothing the peaceful transfer of waterbenders to the South Pole from the Fire Nation would be welcome," Ozai replies, because he does have some experience with political maneuvering after three years on the throne.

"We are honored by your consideration," Masaki adds, regardless of what his true opinion on the matter is.

Tui nods and examines the man's office with a frown. "Do you not possess a large mirror?"

"Er... No, Great Spirit," Masaki says, "I could have one brought in, but it would be some days."

"No matter," Tui decides and approaches the office's exit, "This will do." The spirit does not open the door, instead Tui lays a hand on the steel.

Ozai and Masaki watch as the metal is polished to a mirror finish and the spirit's hand falls through the metal. Tui proceeds to step through the reflective surface and, as soon as the spirit has a foot planted on the other side, the Moon Spirit's surroundings transform into pale stone walls and white silk curtains. The ceiling seems to disappear in a gradually darkening fog full of stars and streaked through by auroras. Tui turns and holds out a hand.

"I would appreciate your assistance in returning to the mortal plane, Nephew," Tui says, "It can be a laborious process without help."

Ozai approaches the spirit world portal curiously. Can all great spirits do something like this? Tui clasps his forearm in the Water Tribe style and steps back through. The polished steel mirror reasserts itself and the connection between their worlds is sealed away once more.

Tui holds Ozai's gaze and says, "If it is agreeable to you, Fire Lord, I would request that Hama be kept secluded from the rest of my people held here until the next moonrise. I would like for them to have this night to accustom themselves with the prospect of reclaiming their freedom and returning to their homes before placing the burden of such a heavy judgement on their shoulders. Tomorrow night, with your permission, I will return here to inform my people of Hama's presence and my judgement of her. I will also tell them of what actions I know her to have taken while away from the eyes of the tribes. At that point, Hama of the Southern Seas will be subject to the will of the people to which she was born. Will you allow this, Herald of Agni?"

Ozai doesn't answer immediately, instead asking, "Warden Masaki, is there anything in the Moon Spirit's request that we would be unable to accommodate?"

"No, Fire Lord."

Ozai nods. "I will allow it. May it be done just as you have proposed," he says. It feels strange to utter something so formal in a cramped prison office rather than a throne room or court of some sort.

"Thank you," Tui says, "May I make one final request for the night?"

Ozai steels himself. "Speak it. I am listening."

The spirit smiles. "Will you join me and mine for a meal before I must return you to the palace, Nephew?"

Well, he hadn't started the day expecting to end it with a midnight snack in the heart of a prison, shared with a great spirit and hundreds of half-starved ex-prisoners while anxious, wrong-footed guards linger in the periphery. But Tui looks hopeful and there hasn't been much about this evening that Ozai has expected. He's been hours away from Caldera at this point. A few more degrees to model peace between nations for the waterbenders and prison guards would not be time ill spent.

Ozai returns the Moon Spirit's smile with a wryly amused smirk of his own and shrugs a shoulder.

"Sure."

To think, two days ago he had thought it strange for a great spirit to help him with a simple haircut. At least he can't claim his life is boring.