"Come on Jinora, the radio show is starting!" Ikki said excitedly dragging her sister into the room where everyone was gathered together around the radio with nervous expressions. Pema and Tenzin were settled together at the head of the table next to a glowering Lin. Bumi and Kya were murmuring softly to each other about something, Ikki heard them mention the refugees several times.

Korra and Asami were sitting next to each other talking excitedly waiting for the show to start. Meelo looked upset slumped over the table, no doubt angry he'd been pulled from whatever prank he'd been planning.

"Why do I have to listen if Mako and Bolin don't?" Meelo complained.

"Mako is listening in right now with Prince Wu," Tenzin explained with a suffering expression. He'd been having this conversation with Meelon for ten minutes now.

"Besides, Bolin was interviewed for this," Bumi cut in cheerfully, "Why would he need to listen to what's already happened?"

Korra grimaced, "I wouldn't expect him to listen. A lot of the refugees I saw were in pretty bad shape. I guess most of the stories on the radio today aren't going to be happy."

"Shush! It's starting," Asami hissed as the radio show started to play.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen of Republic City!" Akita's cheerful voice came from the radio to the confusion of the people gathered in the Air Temple, "I hope you're all listening to this special radio show! We refugees understand that our words are difficult to listen to but we pray you will listen as long as you're able. So here we are, telling you our story. Coming to you live from Republic City, this is the Ba Sing Se Rose!"

Lin choked on her drink. "No way," she gasped out, "The Ba Sing Se Rose is alive? I heard she'd been killed."

"Apparently not," Tenzin murmured before Akita continued.

"This show will last for three nights as we refugees tell you our stories. And here, is our first refugee with his story."

"My name is Bolin, and I was born in Republic City. I spent over a year in one of Kuvira's prison camps and it was for one simple reason. She locked me away because I asked the wrong questions. All I did was ask about the whereabouts of a young woman who Kuvira had made disappear and for that I was sent to the camps. I spent a week crammed on a train with hundreds of refugees. We weren't given food or water, and we nearly lost the little ones to the heat. I looked after one of the children on the train, his name was Hidashi. He couldn't have been more than ten...But that doesn't matter because as soon as they took us to the camps, they took those deemed unworthy and killed them. I know this because I had to bury Hidashi in the camp."

Asami gasped in horror, hands covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Pema looked nervously towards Tenzin, "Do you think Meelo might be too young for this?" Tenzin had no response for her, but even he looked nervous.

"I was part of a team of earthbenders who dug mass graves for the bodies of those deemed unworthy to live. All children under fifteen and most of the women were killed off, along with the old and sick. I had to bury them all. Anyone who wasn't pure Earth Kingdom was in the camp. I was placed in the barracks with a group of people from all corners of the earth. They treated people like me, of mixed race, the worse. We were seen as abominations who needed to be cleansed from the world. I was forced to watch my friend's suffer for nothing more than being born. I watched a firebender lose her fingers for trying to save her father, I watched a sandbender be shot for no reason. So much death..."

The Air Temple was dead silent as they listened to Bolin's story. Tears were streaming down Asami's face as she crumpled into herself listening. Pema and the children were also crying but they just couldn't stop listening.

"My friend Fahim was killed in the camps. He was killed with nine other men because a prisoner tried to escape. That was our punishment, a failed escape led to ten dead. A success led to twenty. The commandant gathered everyone up and walked down the line choosing at random who would die. That's how we lived for a year, on the whims of a madman with a gun. But he wasn't the worst thing at the camp. No, the true monster was the doctor, Hojo."

There was a long silence as Bolin struggle to continue. It was painful to listen to, how broken down Bolin sounded while trying to tell the world about the horrors he'd faced. But somehow he managed to continue.

"Hojo wanted to understand how bending worked and he...he was ruthless when it came to finding answers. Hojo ran experiments on us while he tried to determine what exactly gave us our bending. His favorite subjects were twins, the younger the better. He would do horrible things to one of them and record what it did. And when the first twin died, he'd kill the other one and record the differences. Sometimes he'd just kill them both for the hell of it. But he had to favorite experiments that he just wouldn't kill no matter how they begged for death.

"My friend Sunki was one of them, and so was I. Hojo did things to us, he made us sick on purpose to see what would happen. The healer who checked us over after the camp said he damaged our lungs permanently with the illness. But that was just the beginning. He cut off Sunki's arm to see if she could still waterbend without it. He threw me in a freezer to see if lavabending could save me from frostbite."

The children had been taken out of the room by now. Tenzin didn't want his children to listen to the atrocities Bolin was speaking about. No one was quite sure what to do as the horrific tale continued.

"I could survive that, I was just too furious to die. Hojo wasn't done with me though. You see, he'd gotten it into his head that he could...that he could cure us. He wanted to make it so we belonged to only one nation. Hojo said he'd bring out the Fire Nation in me no matter what the cost. He tried to dye my eyes gold one day. The needle slipped though so now my right eye is ruined. I'll never be able to use it again.

"Hojo and those soldiers took everything from us," the hatred in Bolin's voice was clear to hear, "They took our families, they took our lives, our dignity and honor. But that wasn't enough for them. No, they went one step further. They took my NAME from me. It was all I had left, and they managed to take that from me as well…

"But I survived, we all did. But there are more camps in the Earth Empire, more people suffering just like we did. No one has spoken for these people since they disappeared, so now I will speak for them until they are returned home."

And that was that. Bolin's voice stopped speaking seeing how he was done for the time. A long and heavy silence fell over everyone who gathered to listen. Asami was sobbing brokenly into Korra's shoulder, the Avatar's eyes were suspiciously wet as well.

"I can't believe the kid survived that," Lin managed to murmur, her voice wooden with the horror she'd just listened to.

"It's only going to get worse," Bumi's voice was hard as he began talking, "There are two more days of this, and each one of them has their own story from the camps."

It was nighttime in the barracks, four days after Bolin had been pulled out of the freezer and dragged back to the others. Baraz had been the one to find him lying in the snow, and the firebender had kept Bolin alive through the night. It had been...uncomfortable to say the least. The two men had decided to never speak of it again. Seriously, everyone else needed to stop talking about it.

After that Bolin had been sent back to the experiment barack once Ahnah had been convinced he'd survive. It had nearly broken Bolin's heart. Kazuki had sobbed helplessly clinging to Bolin's waist. He'd had to be removed kicking and screaming by Hiroshi for Bolin to leave.

Sunki had been watching over the little ones for Bolin while he'd been away and she'd greeted him at the front of the room tearfully. "They took away some of the children last night," she whispered to Bolin, keeping her voice low not to alarm the other children. Even after all their time watching over the kids, the two adults often forgot that the children watched others disappear for quite a while.

"Who did they take?" Bolin asked her, voice low and tense.

"Amira and Miroku."

That was not good. Amira was a sixteen year old firebender and Miroku was a thirteen year old waterbender. They were the oldest after Bolin and Sunki, and the two adults relied on them to watch over the littlest children. "Did Hojo say anything about where they were going? Anything at all," Bolin demanded worry creeping down his spine.

Sunki looked nervous, the sleeve of her shirt sliding down the stump of her issuing arm. "He just said he was taking them where he took you."

Shit. That was not good. "He threw them in the freezer," Bolin whispered. His face was twisted with the horrors he'd faced inside. Hojo was going to give the children frostbite only because they were benders. There was no other reason for the children to suffer and it was barbaric. Bolin had always loved being a bender, he couldn't imagine not being connected to closely to the earth. The thought of not feeling the earth move and breathe with him seemed worse than death.

But now Bolin had to wonder. Was it more of a curse for these children to be discovered as benders? Would it be safer for them to hide their bending? Bolin had already convinced Kazuki to never show the guards his bending, all firebending lessons were done inside of the barracks under the cover of night. Baraz and Akita taught the child patiently, while Bolin and Ahnah showed him other bending styles to help round out Kazuki's education.

Bolin moved to the center of the barracks, settling down in the center of the room. A low whistle had the children gathering around him while Sunki settled gracefully by his side.

"I know you all noticed when the guards took me away, along with Amira and Miroku," Bolin informed the nervous children. No one back home would ever believe he could act so seriously as he was in that moment where he was trying to save his children, "And I know normally we don't tell you what's happening so you don't worry, but you need to know now. The doctor is looking for benders to perform his experiments on."

A series of worried whispered spread throughout the ranks of children. They were all old enough to remember the equaling movement and the fear that had surrounded it. Even the youngest ones had struggled during the aftermath of the of the movement and knew the anti-bender sentiments many now held.

"If you start to discover you can bend, there is one thing you need to do. Whatever you do, do NOT let anyone find out you are a bender," Bolin ordered, "Don't let the guards find out, or the other prisoners, or even each other. If anyone catches you bending, your life is forfeit. Do you understand?"

The children all agreed, their nervous voices echoing through the barracks. Bolin had expected them all to agree but he wasn't sure how many would listen to them. The worst part about having children in the camps was that they needed a server deterrent to change their behavior. Bolin hated to admit it, but someone would most likely need to die for them to understand how serious the situation was.

The sound of creaking metal doors opening had Bolin up and moving. He threw open the door and rushed to the point where the labs met the fence for the prison camp. Two bodies were lying in the snow, face down and unmoving. Even from here Bolin could see their black skin, broken and frozen from their time in the freezers. "No," Bolin hissed kneeling down beside the bodies.

They were the missing children, the ones who the guards had taken when Bolin had been recovering. And now they were dead. Amira's arms and legs were completely black from frostbite. The girl's eyes were frosted shut as she lay there unmoving in the snow. No doubt her ability to firebend had turned against her in the cold.

Miroku was just as frozen, but somehow the waterbender was still breathing. He was taking shallow, gasping breaths in the snow. Gently Bolin lifted him and carried the frozen boy back into the barracks. He ignored the children's terrified cries as the sight of Miroku's blackened body, instead Bolin settled down in the back corner holding the child close.

Shutting his eyes, Bolin tried to remember how he'd survived the cold winters of Republic City. All he could remember was being held closely by Mako. Mako's body, warm from the inner fire, blocking off the biting winter winds as he pressed Bolin towards alley walls to keep him dry and warm. Heat was what had saved them, the inner fire all firebenders possessed. Bolin needed that fire if he was going to save Miroku.

Cradling the unconscious boy against his chest, Bolin called to the force deep inside of him that gave him his bending. Deep inside sat a well of power, a mix of fire and earth resting against his spirit. The earth, which gave Bolin his strength even against great adversity. The fire, which lit his hope during the dark days. A beacon of light that he relied upon. It was this fire that Bolin called to, letting the warmth wash over him and slowly heat his arms and hands so he could attempt to warm Miroku.

He was focused fully in the task, there was no time to worry about anything else. He didn't care when Sunki knelt by his side in the corner. "Bolin, it isn't going to matter what you do," she whispered softly tears of regret in her voice, "He's too far gone. Miroku is going to die."

No. No, Bolin refused to accept that. Somehow this would work and he would save the boy. All he had to do was try hard enough.

"Bolin..." Jade green eyes fell to the boy cradled gently in once strong eyes. Miroku was gazing back up at Bolin, his own gaze hazy with pain. When Miroku spoke, his blue lips cracked and bled sluggish precious lifeblood, "I...I'm going to die. Aren't I?"

"No you're not," Bolin murmured, gently brushing the boy's hair from his eyes, "You'll be fine Miroku. I'm going to save you."

Miroku buried his face in Bolin's chest, his eyes fluttering shut. "I don't think you can," Miroku whispered voice breaking as he began to cough harshly, "Bolin...can you do something for me?"

"Of course, just ask and I'll do it," Bolin promised tears in his eyes.

"Can you sing to me one last time?" Miroku asked softly, "The dragon song?"

"Of course," Bolin's smile was soft as he began to sing gently. "Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Little Jackie paper loved that rascal puff, and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff. Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee..."

Sunki bowed her head and began to cry. It was the tears of the hopeless, a gentle quiet sob that left her shoulders shaking. But no noise left her, none would. It was the type of learned crying that all who were punished for mourning learned quickly.

"Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail. Jackie kept a lookout perched on puffs gigantic tail. Noble kings and princes would bow whene'are they came, pirate ships would lower their flag when puff roared out his name," Bolin sang gently, rocking Miroku gently. It was the same bobbing motion a boat would make in the water, and Bolin could only hope his song would lead Miroku somewhere better, "Oh! Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee."

The children were gathered around them, crying softly as Bolin sang. Miroku's breaths were growing more strained as he lay limp in Bolin's eyes. His eyes fell shut, head lolling to rest against Bolin's chest as his strength left him. It was only a matter time before Miroku passed away.

"Dragons live forever but not so little boys. Painted wings and giant's rings make way for other toys. One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more. And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar," Bolin's eyes slid shut. Gently he pressed his forehead to Miroku's, struggling not to cry, "His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain. Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave,

So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave."

Heavy silence fell over the barrack as Miroku's breath stuttered to a halt. Bolin's voice stopped the moment Miroku passed away, his shoulder shuddering with broken sobs as he clutched the corpse close to him. Sunki let out a cry, burying her face in Bolin's shoulder, her remaining hand clinging to his shirt sleeve.

Bolin raised his head slowly, eyes red from the tears. "Oh! Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee," Miroku asked for this song and Bolin would do everything in his power to finish it. His voice cracked over the words, but somehow Bolin managed to keep singing. "Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea.

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee..."

Bolin bowed over the corpse, sobbing brokenly over Miroku. He was too young to die. Too damn young to have been frozen to death by a madman.

Bolin woke up with a scream in the back of his throat, thrashing in the blankets. The earth was ready to go at his fingertips, ready to defend against all threats. But somehow Bolin managed to catch himself before he destroyed the room with earth. Or even worse, call the lava to his aid.

Something though had managed to catch his attention.

Maybe it was a comforting smell, or the warmth of the blankets. It could have come from the strange decorations that were half familiar around the room. But Bolin would bet that the warm body curled against his side had been the reason he hadn't trashed the room.

Powerful arms wrapped their way around Bolin's waist, pulling him back towards the comforting presence that had calmed him from his nightmares. Powerful hands that were toughened with blisters from hard work were deceptively gentle as they carded through Bolin's hair.

"Bolin, are you alright?" Iroh asked softly.

"I'm fine," Bolin mumbled pressing close to the comforting presence Iroh always gave off. Bolin would have given anything to just rest in hair arms until the end of days.

"Nightmares?"

"No...memories." Memories of a thirteen year old boy's dead gaze and frozen body. Memories of terrified children having to find their comfort in a children's song. Of the men and women sobbing brokenly as they were forced to bury the dead in mass graves where they were would be forgotten by the rest of the world.

Iroh didn't sigh when he watched Bolin fall into his dark memories. He understood it all to well, the pain that came from readjusting to normal life. Carefully Iroh reached out, cupping Bolin's cheek and tugging him back in close. "You're safe here," Iroh mumbled pressing reassuring kisses to Bolin's mouth, "You made it out of there, as did your friends, and Kazuki. You're all safe from Kuvira's reach."

"But there are so many who aren't," Bolin whimpered softly. "There are still so many who died."

"Don't think like that. You'll drive yourself insane," Iroh said sternly. He then offered Bolin a kinder smile, "Instead think about the ones who you saved, the ones who are now starting to live again. Think about Kazuki and how much he adores you."

Iroh then pressed Bolin back down into the bunk, a smug smile on his face. "Think about me, and how much I love you."

Bolin couldn't stop the bright laugh from bursting forth. It was true laughter that he hadn't felt in quite some time. The feeling made him feel warm and light as he gazed adoringly up at Iroh. "You're rather good at this," Bolin teased, a wicked grin crossing his face, "Kazuki's being watched by Baraz and Ahnah tonight..."

"Why are they watching him anyways?" Iroh asked letting Bolin pull him down.

Bolin's smile grew even brighter. "She wanted to watch Kazuki so they could get some practice," Bolin informed Iroh smugly as they both fell happily into the bunk together.

"No...she's..."

"Three months along," Bolin said excitedly. It took Iroh a long minute to think about it before he began laughing in delight at the news. The two fell together one more time that night, safe and content in the warm bunk on the Aurora.

Because this was truly great news. The refugees were healing, and soon the next generation would be joining them. Kuvira had tried. But she hadn't managed to kill them off.