Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I played with the idea of integrating this scene with the larger story, but in the end I decided against it. The meeting wasn't in the same place or with the main character, nor was Aaryn aware of it, so I decided to put it in its own mini-interlude. I was always a fan of the White Lotus, and I want to portray them as a little more powerful and far-reaching than a simple cryptic society.

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Master Pian felt the dust that coated the streets shift slightly under his sandals. It was midday, and the sun seemed to burn in the sky, pushing an oppressive heat down into the air, making it almost difficult to breathe. The heavy shimmer seemed to hang into the air, the heat and suspended dust distorting vision and making the distance sway slightly. The dry heat evaporated any sweat that welled up within instant, making it feel oddly cooler than it actually was. One small and exceptionally dangerous blessing, the Master mused, as he took a careful sip from his water pouch. It was all too easy to lose track, and by the time you began to feel faint it may be too late.

This place was backwater, in many respects. It consisted of a single street and a great deal of farmland, and as he trudged down it towards the local tavern the local residents regarded him with suspicion. It was at a crossroads, in some aspects. Located directly between the capital city and the great shipyards where the war machine and industry was fuelled, it had a regular stream of caravans and merchants regularly which passed through without giving it a second glance. There was no reason for anybody to pause as he did and look at the houses and shop signs carefully.

Clad as he was in a plain red robe, he looked nothing like the laborers and shopkeepers, who almost all wore rough short-sleeved tunics and leggings. Some paused to watch him from the edge of shops and at the side of the street, but he ignored them. Pausing at one sign in particular, he ducked inside the door. Inside the air was cooler and seemed liberating from the horrible blanketing heat outside.

The inside of the shop was shady, with beams of light cutting through the dusty air to illuminate carefully placed shelves of plant displays. The whole layout seemed so absurdly careful that it was almost comic. It was the perfect example of organization and careful nurture, and it seemed so out of place in the haphazard nature of the village.

It was at that moment the shopkeeper bustled in from the back room. He seemed so like the store itself, somehow pulling off this organized air despite soil staining his apron. His head was bald save for a pair of gray eyebrows and a drooping mustache that seemed similar to those of a koi fish, and he smiled broadly at his apparent customer.

"Hello, hello!" he said warmly, spreading his arms wide in greeting. "It is a pleasure to welcome you into my humble flower shop. Are you looking for anything in particular?" He placed his hands into his voluminous sleeves and bowed. Pian looked about the shop, apparently searching for something. His eyes fell on a Pai-Sho table in the corner, and he smiled faintly.

"Yes, thank you. I am looking for something in particular. A white lotus plant for my niece's home."

The owner of the shop paused. "Tell me, do you play Pai-Sho?" There was a slight tug at the side of his mouth, the beginnings of a smile. Pian smiled in return. This was the man he was looking for, without a doubt.

"I certainly do. It is much more than just a game." The shopkeeper bowed again, but less this time. It was a greeting, and recognized.

"Then let us play." Gesturing towards the corner, he took a seat at one side of the circular table, while Pian took the other.

The firebending master carefully sorted through his stack, organizing it for their upcoming "game". He had no desire to meticulously sort through it each time he needed a new piece for the pattern, and he quickly ordered it correctly with an efficiency that suggested he had done it many times before. He inclined his head to indicate he was ready. The shopkeep raised one arm in an inviting gesture.

"The guest has the first move." Pian smiled, and set the white lotus tile in the exact center of the board, the little click loud in the silent confines of the shop.

The shopkeep raised one eyebrow, but it was clear he had not expected anything different. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." He withdrew his hands from his sleeves and gently clapped his hands together, before twisting them so the palms faced upwards.

"Those who do can always find a friend." Pian copied the gesture.

Nodding, the shopkeep laid one hand on his pieces. "Then let us play." What followed was an elegant and increasing rapid deployment of pieces, clicks increasing in speed as the tiles were placed on the board. Soon it became a rapid cacophony as they repeated the pattern from rote, and within thirty seconds both their tiles were exhausted. On the board in front them laid the design of the White Lotus. They both rose and bowed.

"Welcome, Brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Pian sighed faintly. It was almost awkward, to admit he needed help. He had mastered almost every Form in firebending, but theory was not his forte. In order to understand his problem, he needed someone equally skilled in both aspects, both practical and knowledgeable. As far as he was aware, there was only one member of the White Lotus with those abilities, though he did not know his identity. That was for members like this man, those who knew all the names of the order, and went where they were needed.

"I require the help of one of our number far more skilled in the firebending arts. I have encountered…an anomaly." The shopkeeper rose one of those gray eyebrows inquisitively. It was not common for a firebending master to require help except with exceptional or willful students. Even then, it would rarely warrant the attention of a Grandmaster.

"Who are you to request this?" Knowing this was yet another move in the game, Pian was not insulted, and he was careful not to show any emotion which could be misconstrued as offense at the question.

"One who has eaten the fruit, and tasted its mysteries."

The smaller man before him tilted his head. "I will contact the Grandmaster of which you speak, but speed cannot be promised. He is a busy man." Pian nodded, once. He knew but one Grandmaster of the Order by sight, and that was by virtue of meeting him during a meeting concerning the local economy. Only those of high-rank attended, and as a master Pian had automatically been granted access and the expectation that he would attend. They had, ironically enough, met coincidentally and only recognised each other as members once they began to play a recreational game of Pai-Sho. It was only later that Pian had been called aside and they had completed the vital game which completely identified themselves. He brought his attention back to the present.

"It is not urgent, yet it is still a matter which requires attention. I have heard of Our Brother's affinity with the spirits, and it may prove useful, in addition to his knowledge." The shopkeep bowed again, then paused.

"Stay for lunch, Brother. But if this anomaly warrants the attention of a Grandmaster, I suggest you hurry back." Turning to prepare and pour some tea, he smiled faintly. "I hope you enjoy Ginseng, Brother."