Path Towards Absolution

by Midnight Hour Blue

From scrutiny to heartbreaking losses after his fall from grace, Tahno contemplates ending it all 6 months after the fact. A motorcycle-bound cop thwarts his efforts when he attempts to jump into the waters of one of Republic City's river channels. An officer he's familiar with—an ex-rival from a former life. Full description inside.

13. Dissociative Spiritual Disorder

As soon as the trio reached the White Lotus's South Pole headquarters, they were shown inside immediately and led towards the head of the compound. All it took was a glance at Naga and the Spirit at Korra's polar bear dog's side to convince the sentry at the gate that the situation was urgent.

Due to the Spirit's size they all met with the head official out in the Avatar's training arena. Once the sentry got the trio and the Spirit situated with the head of that particular branch of The Order and took care of Korra's polar bear dog companion, the head official confronted the Spirit—asking what it's purpose was in coming there. The Spirit then began explaining what he knew—had learned.

A few higher ranked officials stood nearby along with Katara, the Southern Water Tribe's waterbending master. Mako, Bolin and Asami stood by on the sidelines, remaining present at the head official's request just in case they could provide crucial information.

"My territory covers much of the vastly uninhabited regions of the South Pole, a region that doesn't receive much human activity in it all that often. Due to that, I found it odd that I've recently been witnessing unusual activity taking place within it's boundaries," the Spirit stated. "Some weeks back I remember seeing a couple heavily garbed figures transporting some cargo across the tundra towards a small vessel they had parked on a secluded stretch of shore."

"Spirit—were you able to distinguish the identities of these individuals roaming through your territory—as you put it?" The head official questioned the spirit. The spirit gave him a sidelong glance with its inhuman gaze.

"They were too heavily disguised to even determine their gender," the Spirit replied, continuing. "A couple weeks after I spotted those two I noticed the young Avatar's animal companion—her polar bear dog—wandering aimlessly through my territory, as if in search of something amiss. At first I summed it up to the creature wandering off and getting lost, but as my curiosity led me to investigate the situation, I began to realize the true gravity of the situation. What those garbed figures were up to some weeks before, and why the Avatar's dog was wandering my territory as well."

"Can you tell me what it is you've learned, Spirit?" the head official asked.

"I found out that those garbed individuals—their actions—were tied into the polar bear dog's need to wander my territory—that it all tied into something that happened to Avatar Korra," the Spirit explained, it's ethereal voice rich with serious intonations. "It wasn't until recently that I learned an imposter took my form in order to terrorize one of your tribe's festivals and make threats directed towards the Avatar. I wasn't aware until recently that the ploy was all an effort to draw the young Avatar out and lure her into a trap at their own devising."

"Are you suggesting that some individual devised a plan to draw Korra away in order to do her harm?" the official inquired of the Spirit. The Spirit aimed his inhuman eyes directly into the depths of the man's gaze.

"Their intent was to separate the young Avatar's spiritual being from her physical body, which could be achieved if Avatar Korra were drawn to the Spirit World to confront the demands they made of her there through their diversion," The Spirit replied. "Another source recently brought it to my attention that the one responsible for this plot was a human hailing from one of your large human metropolises. A place he referred to as Republic City—and a man he called Hiroshi Sato."

A couple hours earlier the Spirit made his departure from the premises, insistent that he needed to reach the safety of his sanctuary before the storm set in. Mako was there when the officials showed the Spirit out, along with Bolin and Asami right beside him.

Mako stared out at the darkening horizon—knowing well that it wasn't the approach of dusk setting in. He sighed as he kept his eyes set on the sight of the approaching storm, arms resting on the railing of the lookout station by the gate.

His eyes weren't just watching the approaching storm; Mako was searching for signs of the return of Tahno, Kya, and the two White Lotus officials that made the trip with them. Concern crept into the firebender's thoughts as his mind dwelled on the ex-waterbender; even if Tahno managed to retrieve Korra from the Spirit World—she wouldn't have a body to return to, and Mako worried that the two White Lotus officials would give the ex-bender scrutiny for it—that they would believe it was a failure on his account, or proof that the ex-bender was still up to his old practices—being a cheating liar.

The firebender also couldn't quell his worry for Korra's safety; he'd been hit full-force by the news the Spirit gave the officials on Korra's whereabouts, a horrible twisting feeling forming in his gut at the knowledge that she was in more danger now then he at first perceived. Her life—directly in the grips of Hiroshi Sato while she was helpless to defend herself—

Mako couldn't dwell on that thought—he couldn't. It would drive him to hysteria if he lingered on it too long. First and foremost—the priority now was to make sure Tahno was cleared of any wrongdoing—and the possibility of a guilty conscience.

And—if Mako was right in thinking that Korra would be spiritually present with the former waterbender and his party when they returned—create a communication link to her through Tahno.

His eyes finally caught sight of movement on the horizon. Far in the distance—coming from the far reaches of the icy tundra, he spotted four forms moving closer, slowly and consistently. Mako strained his eyes to be certain of what he saw; they were the ones out there—right?

XoXoX

Hizaki's hazel eyes blazed with intensity—like none the ex-waterbender had ever seen before. She was in Tahno's face—too close for his comfort. During the whole trip, the female firebender had been drawn and serious, but now—

"I knew it was a bad idea for the Council to believe a single word you were saying!" Hizaki was practically breathing fire with each infuriated breath. The ex-bender could feel uncomfortable heat coming from each exhalation. "You were a lying cheating scumbag in the arena—and who's to say that has ever changed? You've probably been working with Hiroshi Sato all this time—sent by him to gain our trust and give us the run around while he's accomplishing his goals while we're being distracted by you!"

Tahno, meanwhile, could hear Korra's protests to the contrary. But nobody else could hear her. If only they could, he thought. If only—

"You're so proud of yourself for this accomplishment, aren't you?" The rage in Hizaki's eyes went beyond accusing; it border lined demonic. Ferocious, judgmental—"That's the nature of your kind—you filthy creatures who lack any sense of morality. Tainting our society with your filthy acts…I can't believe they put their trust in the words of a cocksucker like you!" The ex-bender flinched while she got further up in his face, her expression twisted in maniacal fury. "Now tell me—what really happened to Avatar Korra? I know you know—that you're probably partially responsible for what happened! So spill it, you little fucker, or I'm going to bea—"

"Hizaki—get a hold of yourself!" Kohan tried yanking her away from the ex-waterbender by one shoulder. The White Lotus waterbender was well build and decently strong, but the female White Lotus firebender showed that she possessed hidden strength that even he couldn't combat. She pushed him aside with a harsh shove, getting back up in the ex-bender's face with fire practically emanating from the depths of her hazel-hued irises.

"Tell me what you know right now—and I'll spare you from being taught a harsh lesson!" Hizaki's words seethed with ferocity, almost borderline hatred. She held up her fist, ready to strike. Deadly silence fell in. The incensed firebender looked ready to bring her fist down, but before she could execute the maneuver she was whipped aside by a well-formed tendril of water.

"ENOUGH!" Kya's voice roared louder than Tahno expected it to. Her usually jovial expression was twisted in anger, ocean shallows of irises darkened dangerously. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation for what's going on here—and I'm certain Tahno has nothing to do with Korra's disappearance, so stop accusing him of something he's not responsible for Hizaki! Get your anger in check; we've got a long trek back to headquarters, and there's a storm looming near that could leave us all stranded out here if we don't get back before it arrives."

Hizaki picked herself up off the compacted slush she'd been knocked down onto, facial features evidently disdainful as she shot a glare in the ex-bender's direction. But she kept quiet.

"We wouldn't want to end up stranded out here," Hizaki finally reasoned, her voice flat and devoid of emotion, conceding her contemptuous actions towards the former waterbender as she stalked off towards their campsite to get things in order. Meanwhile, Kya approached the ex-bender, her expression softening.

"We'll get everything cleared up, don't worry," Kya offered him a reassuring smile. She turned her attention towards the downed White Lotus waterbender. "Kohan—why don't you go help Hizaki pack up? Make sure she keeps that anger of hers in check." Kohan got to his feet and gave a quick nod before following up Hizaki's path.

Kya turned her attention back towards the ex-bender, smiling and giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before she went to disassemble their tents. Out of the corner of his eye, Tahno caught the young Avatar standing there, observant and a little troubled looking. She didn't say anything, but her eyes were on him, quizzical, concerned—curious—

"Two lovers, forbidden from one another—" Kya's singsong voice took Tahno from his inner mental rehashing of events from earlier. Her voice soared over the whistling gales that were starting to pick up, carrying off into the oblivious distance. "A war divides their people…and a mountain divides them apart…Built a path to be together—"

"What are you singing?" Tahno remarked irritably. The elder waterbender ceased up in mid verse, looking at him and smiling.

"A song my father used to sing for me when I was little," Kya told him. "A traveling band of nomads taught it to him and my mother while they were on their adventures during their youth. It's one of my favorites."

"Why are you singing it?" Tahno raised an eyebrow.

"It helps to lighten the mood when things get too intense," Kya responded. She continued with the verse he'd interrupted her in the middle of singing. "Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!"

"Can you quit with the noise?" Tahno acknowledged Hizaki snipping from somewhere behind them. Since the episode between he and the White Lotus firebender earlier, he'd tried hard to remain unaware of her presence. He could feel her constant, heated glare on him constantly; her extreme disdain aimed his direction. He was now aware of the fact that she was one he'd have to avoid ending up alone with, lest he face her wrath all over again. Just the thought of it made him physically shudder.

"That woman really went crazy on you," Korra spoke up from his side suddenly. The elder waterbender was caught up in a rendition of another verse of her Secret Tunnel song, seemingly absorbed up in it even as Hizaki constantly yelled at her to shut up.

Tahno turned his eyes towards her. "Yeah…she did."

"Well…um—I wanted you to know that I believe you're not involved in my body snatching," Korra went on. "I mean—I've gotta believe that since…well—Mako wouldn't have bothered borrowing you his scarf if there was even a possibility of you being responsible lingering anywhere in his mind. Him making that gesture—Mako must really trust you to hand over his scarf like that."

"Yeah…I guess he does," Tahno responded.

"Besides—Aang told me what he knew about what happened anyways, and—from what I got from him…I know you're not involved in what happened—that it's probably Hiroshi Sato's doing," Korra added. Silence fell in between the two, all the while Kya kept up with her cheerful tune. Korra's eyes were on her hands, Tahno's forced straight ahead. "Um, hey—so…pretty boy—why did she call you a—um…cocksucker, and…what did she mean by that?" Her question caused him to visibly flinch.

"Ever heard of the concept of somebody becoming romantically attracted towards somebody else of the same sex?" Tahno grated. Korra remained quiet for a long pause.

"Yeah, actually—I have," she eventually responded, lifting an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"That hotheaded firebender probably heard the rumors going around about me and one of my teammates being caught up in a relationship like that, and probably finds the concept offensive," Tahno informed her in a harsh tone just above a whisper. Korra looked at him oddly, and then broke out in laughter. "What's so funny?"

"Hard to imagine you and one of your teammates in something like that when you had those hordes of fangirls practically hanging off you," Korra responded, laughter choking up her voice still.

"Well, it's true—I was in love with my teammate, Ming," Tahno shot back.

"I wasn't disputing it—it's just that the fangirls made it harder for me to imagine it," Korra informed him. "When I think about it though—you and that earthbender teammate friend of yours seemed to give off some hints of chemistry between the two of you during our confrontation that one time at Narook's, and there were hints of it between you guys even when you were up there competing in the probending arena." There was a pause before she spoke up again. "So, what—was the whole adoration for the fangirls just a show? Do you only dig guys or something?"

"No—I don't just dig guys—I'm into chicks too," Tahno hissed in irritation. The young Avatar was grinning mischievously, humored by how her questions were tormenting him. "I'll have you know that—before the three of us got really serious with probending, there was a girl I had a thing for. Being the bastard he was though—my father chased her off."

"Huh—interesting," Korra commented. "Hey—so…if that's true—then were those private lessons you offered me some kind of come on—or am I reading too much into it?" she inquired curiously. "Should I assume you meant it literally, or take it as being innuendo for something else?"

"I don't know how you should interpret it!" Tahno snapped, frustrated. "Frankly—I don't care either way. That was a long time ago—and I'm not even the same person I was when I said that."

"So…you and your teammate Ming have a thing then? How long's that been going on?" Korra asked him.

"Had," Tahno corrected her. "Ming—he…committed suicide almost two months ago."

"Wow—I wasn't expecting that outcome," Korra responded. She turned her eyes towards him, sympathy evident in her gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that. Can I ask what happened there?"

"I'm not sure what happened there," Tahno admitted honestly. "I assumed it had to do with the loss of his bending at first, and then he goes and tells me he did it for me to protect me from something—"

"Wait, wait—hold on there…you talked to him post mortem?" Korra looked at him like he had an extra head.

"I already told you I can talk to the dead—remember?" He shot back irritably. "I wouldn't be able to talk to you right now if it weren't for that." She smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I…guess you mentioned that when you showed up in the Spirit World. Guess I forgot," Korra laughed nervously.

"Any more questions, or can we proceed our trek in silence?" Tahno asked her irritably.

"I'll be quiet for now, but eventually I want you to fill me in on all of what's been going on since I've been gone—including how you and Mako managed to patch things up with one another and all that," Korra informed him. Tahno cringed at the thought of the firebender, his insides twisting up over his conflicted feelings for him.

"Yeah—I guess I can get around to that sometime later," Tahno stated unenthusiastically. From that point Korra kept her word, and they traveled on in silence.

A half hour later, the Compound came into view ahead of them. Korra released an anxious gasp at the sight, a flood of memories overtaking her consciously.

"I wish I had my body," she murmured wistfully. "It's going to be painful not being able to confront my loved ones directly. Especially my parents—and Mako." The ex-bender felt guilty at seeing the melancholy lingering in those ocean shallows of hers.

"I'll…make certain that this isn't a permanent thing for you," Tahno informed her. "I…gave Mako my word I'd get you back to him, and—I'm going to stick by my word…no matter what."

As they got closer, Tahno spotted a few figures standing there waiting outside the gate. Anxiety built up within with each step that brought him closer to the Compound. Questions kept churning around in his thoughts: what would he tell them about Korra's actual whereabouts? Would they believe him when he told them that she was there in spirit—that something had happened to the young Avatar's physical body? Would Mako believe him—or would he react like Hizaki had and shut him out completely?

That last question tore him up inside. He couldn't stand the thought of disappointing the young firebender—or having Mako think ill of him like he had before.

Tahno was finally able to discern the identities of the individuals in the party standing at the gate waiting for them. Apparently, so had the young Avatar right by his side, because he heard her release a sobbing gasp of despair in recognition.

Mako's eyes met up with the ex-bender's, and he expressed a relieved smile. "Glad to see you guys made it back before the storm hit!"

"Just barely!" Kya shouted back. "The wind is starting to pick up."

"I have some troubling news to report," Hizaki reported to her superior and all present, tone crisp even in its serious formality. She approached the head of the organization, expression drawn into a severe frown. "The former waterbender wasn't successful in his mission."

It was out there. Tahno looked from one face to the next, apprehension building up inside that everything for him was about to be torn asunder. To his shock, however—nobody seemed surprised by the news. In fact—it looked like they were expecting it.

"Details have come to our attention recently that explains why that is," Hizaki's superior informed her. It was Hizaki's turn to be startled.

"W-what do you mean by that, s-sir?" Hizaki faltered.

"Let's get everyone inside the Compound before we go over all of the details," her superior told her. "The storm's approaching quickly, and it's better for everyone to be safe than sorry."

The members of the Order were heading inside the compound, with the exception of Hizaki, who was still frozen up in her shock. Kya remained nearby, watching the four young adults. Her eyes were specifically focused on the ex-bender as the other three—the young firebender along with his brother Bolin and Asami got closer to him.

Tahno tore his attention away from the White lotus firebender, not wanting to acknowledge her presence any longer, and focused centrally on Mako. As he, his brother and Asami drew nearer, the ex-bender could feel the anxiety building up inside. He could also hear Korra's reaction growing louder and more pronounced.

"I'm sorry," slipped from Tahno's lips before he had any control over them.

"Don't be sorry," Mako assured him as he approached. "We already know what's going on."

"Mako—" The ex-bender heard the firebender's name slip from Korra's mouth, coming off sounding mournful.

Tahno attempted to step closer, but a sudden chill running up his spine kept his feet planted in place. As the chilling sensation quickly crept further up his spine and spread outward throughout the rest of his body, he felt himself losing control over even the simplest functions. His arms and legs wouldn't budge on command, and his lips were frozen from his ability to use them. The sense crept throughout until he felt like he was fully possessed by it. His mind was screaming in panic, but he couldn't physically react. To his utter horror, he was a prisoner within his own body.

Whatever chose to take possession of him went to work trying to form words with his mouth. What came out at first sounded like incoherent utterances. Finally, whatever was using him as a vessel managed to form coherent words.

"Mako—" the ex-bender was surprised not only by the word his possessor managed to formulate with the use of his mouth, but the emotion expressed in how it was spoken, the tone of voice used to say it. The voice sounded like his, but at the same time—like somebody else's entirely.

It almost had a feminine quality to it—

Before he could even conceive it, his body was put into motion by whatever force was controlling him. His feet picked up the pace until he was practically running. He felt overwhelmed by melancholy, grief and relief—feelings that were not his own. The ex-bender didn't even know where his feet were taking him until he was practically tackling his target.

Or, more so the intended target of whatever chose to possess him. Before he knew it he was clinging to the young firebender, his arms drawing him in to a tight embrace, their lips connecting with aggressive passion. The ex-waterbender's mind was practically screaming in panic—but one corner, one pocket of his consciousness was telling him to give in. Telling him to just relax and enjoy it while it lasted.

It wasn't like he was given much of a choice anyways. Whatever took complete control over him wanted this, and he couldn't put a stop to it regardless of whether he wanted to or not.

Finally, the force that had complete control over his body released him from its grips, and he pulled himself away from the firebender in an instant. He stepped back a few more paces, his face a mixture of red from oxygen deprivation and extreme embarrassment. When the ex-bender managed to look up and make eye contact with him, he noticed that Mako was just as equally red in the face and extremely flustered.

"Sorry, I-I don't know what happened—I-it's like something took over me and—" Tahno paused when he heard an abrupt eruption of laughter. Korra was bowled over on the ice-blanketed ground, caught in an uncontrollable laughing fit. He glared in her direction, releasing an angst-filled breath. "Korra. Damn it—do you know how stupid it was to do that to me and him?"

Korra slowly recovered from her bout and looked up at him, grimacing some at the death glare he had aimed her direction. "Sorry about that. I couldn't control myself; when I saw Mako there—my instincts took over and everything got out of control from there."

"K-Korra? Korra's here?" Mako regained his composure enough to speak.

"Yeah—she's the one who took possession of me and drove me into doing that stupid act just a moment ago between the two of us," Tahno informed him. Korra was staring at him quizzically.

"I didn't think you would mind it that much—considering you like guys in that way and everything," Korra tried reasoning. Tahno rolled his eyes in response.

"Not with every one I meet—I'm much more selective than that, you know," Tahno pointed out to her. "Don't assume—it just made an ass out of you and me."

"I'll remember that for future reference," Korra stated.

"That really was Korra then that drove you to do that?" Bolin looked at the ex-bender, severely perplexed.

"Yeah—your brother's girlfriend thought it was a good idea to take control of my body and use it to get in a make out session with your brother," Tahno clarified, agitated. He tried to keep his voice even, not wanting it to betray him in that moment. He sure as hell didn't want the earthbender to know that he enjoyed kissing his older brother—and he didn't want to give Hizaki, who was still lingering nearby, a reason to criticize him like she had done earlier.

He also didn't want Korra to find that fact out either, because to learn that would probably lead to her questioning the extent of his attraction for Mako, which could even lead to him confessing everything. He didn't want that, and he was certain Mako didn't either.

Speaking of the firebender—Mako's face was still extremely red, albeit the fact that he wasn't quite as flustered as he had been a few moments before. It took a few moments for Tahno to realize the reason for that—a fact that the firebender was trying desperately to cover up.

Spirits—he wasn't kidding when he said I could get a serious rise out of him—

During that whole episode, the ex-bender hadn't noticed Kya's absence. When he thought about it though, he recalled her being summoned by somebody back into the Compound while the five of them—Korra included—were kept occupied by the Avatar's unexpected stunt. He hadn't taken the time to notice it before, but now—

"I'm sorry I have to break up whatever fun you guys are having out here," Kya spoke as she approached, her grave expression a dead giveaway.

"What's up, Kya?" Mako asked her, obviously glad for the distraction.

"First off, we need to get you all indoors before the storm hits," Kya informed him. "Even you, Hizaki," She shot a quick glance in the female White Lotus firebender's direction. "Also, reports haven't been coming in clear due to interference from the storm, but—it looks like there might be some trouble brewing back in Republic City."

"What's going on back there?" Bolin asked her.

"For the last few days the city's been ravaged by power outages. They haven't discovered the source, but—" Kya looked, troubled, up towards the tumultuous storm clouds. "After being confronted earlier by the spirit you guys brought in—the officials suspect it might be Hiroshi's doing."

"Spirit? What spirit?" Korra exclaimed, back on her feet.

"What are you talking about? What spirit?" Tahno echoed Korra aloud.

"The storm is fast approaching, and it would be best to get you kids indoors before it hits," Kya had her serious azure blues on the ex-bender. "I'll fill you in on all the details once we get inside."

"Leave that responsibility up to me, Kya. I'll fill Tahno in on what's going on. Plus—" Mako looked at the ex-bender specifically before continuing. "I know Korra's with him, and—I'd like to be the one to fill her in on the details as well."

"That's fine, I'll leave that up to you then Mako," Kya responded, brightening up some.

"Let's head in before we become casualties of the storm," Asami looked up to the churning clouds overhead with watchful eyes. They all looked to the skies, reluctantly nodding their agreement.

Korra pulled up beside Tahno as they headed in. "Hey, pretty boy—can you assure Mako that everything will be okay for me?"

Tahno nodded slightly before seeking out the firebender. "Hey, Mako—Korra wants me to assure you that everything will be fine."

Mako smiled. "Later, when we're able to—I want to have a conversation with Korra and you," he told the ex-bender. "While you were out on your trek—a few things cropped up that I think you need to be made aware of, and…I just want to talk to you…one on one."

"Okay, if we get the okay to leave the Compound at all during this storm, come by my mom's place this evening—we'll talk then," Tahno replied.

Mako nodded. "Looking forward to that."

Tahno responded with a nod. His eyes wandered towards the firebender's hand hanging conveniently by his side. They were close enough that the ex-bender could have easily reached out for it, but he reluctantly kept himself from doing so. He kept his eyes held forward and thought only about it instead.

XoXoX

Lights flickered as they made their way down the street towards the downtown district.

Shaozu, his arm around Mei Lin's shoulder, observed the goings on around them as they made their way. Police officers were busy either assuring the city's citizens that their safety was top priority or tackling criminals taking advantage of the outages. A few storefronts along the way had their windows smashed in, the contents from within spilling out onto the sidewalk.

They were within a block of the restaurant when the flickering stopped, and the power was fully restored to the city. On a few nearby street corners and inside a few shop entryways the two of them could hear people cheering.

"Looks like they might've fixed the problem," Shaozu noted while the street illumination remained stable.

"Still up for the restaurant, or do you want to go home and make another attempt at lighting the stove?" Mei Lin asked him.

"We're already almost there. Might as well continue the rest of the way," Shaozu replied, adding with an infectiously cheerful grin, "Plus—now I'm kinda looking forward to some good old home-style Fire Nation cooking."

"I'm fine with that," Mei Lin replied.

They kept going, noticing the cheerful banter going on around them, until a loud broadcasted voice stopped everyone cold in their tracks—including the former firebender and his girlfriend.

"Fair citizens of Republic City: you probably all have been wondering what has led to these massive power outages over the past few days. Rest assured—power will be restored in full shortly. First however—I have an announcement I want everyone in the city to hear."

For an instant everything fell silent. The air was then filled with the sound of confused murmurs.

"Who was that?"

"What does he mean by announcement?"

"Was it just me—or did that sound like Hiroshi Sato just now?"

Shaozu and his girlfriend glanced around at the pedestrians nearby, shops filled with people spilling out to investigate, people emerging from their homesteads out of curiosity or concern.

"What's going on?"

"Sounds like Sato's broadcasting a long-range signal throughout the city."

"How's that possible? It'd require massive speakers and a lot of power."

"How should I know? I heard what I heard!"

"Wonder what's going on?" Mei Lin said, in a wavering voice just above a whisper.

"No clue, Mei Lin," Shaozu replied.

"First: I would like to thank the city for generously supplying me with all the power I needed. I will need it in order to achieve my goal, so I greatly appreciate it."

"My goal—achieve what Amon could not. The world has been controlled for far too long now by those who possess elemental abilities over those who don't, and I believe it's time to bring forth a change."

The streets were filled with stunned silence, tensed by building panic. Before the citizens could erupt in cries of panic—the former businessman carried on.

"In three days the citizens of Republic City will be given a presentation of the plan I intend to fully enforce—and I will start my demonstration off with Avatar Korra."

"Don't think my claims too incredible. Unlike the fraud that Amon turned out to be—I have been conversing with spirits, and they have given me the divine right to accomplish the goal that Amon could not."

The air was filled with disembodied laughter before all fell silent.

Shaozu and Mei Lin observed the people around them, noticing that most were purely flabbergasted. The former firebender and his girlfriend were finding that they too were having trouble wrapping their minds around the mad former businessman's proclamation.

"Shao, um…are you still in the mood to eat out?" Mei Lin asked in a small, troubled voice. Shaozu thought over the prospect; just a few moments earlier he was ravenous, but now—

"I think I lost my appetite," Shaozu told her. "Would you be satisfied with just snacking out of the pantry for tonight? I can light some candles and we can make it a peaceful evening at home."

"I-I think I would prefer that right now," Mei Lin replied.

"Let's get back to the apartment then," Shaozu put his arm protectively around her shoulders, and they headed back the way they came as quickly as they were able to.

XoXoX

Kami's mother had sent her out on an errand to pick up a few things from a friend of theirs nearby. She was fetching supplies to help them deal with the power outages, her mother told her before she departed. Her mother's friend had fortunately kept himself well stocked with supplies just in case something like this were to happen, and he and Kami's mother had know each other a long time.

Kami walked along the streets cautiously. She was in the middle of her trek when she noticed the power sudden come back on. A wave of relief washed over, a faint smile touching the corner of her lips. It faded quickly when she heard the former businessman's announcement broadcast throughout the city.

Trouble stirred in nearby doorways and street corners. All around her, citizens who happened to be out and about at the same time as she were beginning to panic, milling about nervously as tension in the crowd rose. Kami felt the effect of their behavior on her own, making her increase the speed in her pace towards her mother's friends place to pick up the supplies.

XoXoX

The storm struck full force just before dusk set in. The Order of the White Lotus's officials managed to get the four young adults back to the comfort of their previous dwellings before it fully set in. Korra's parents awaited the two brothers' arrival, and Kya showed Asami back to her mother's place for the evening. Lin Beifong remained aboard the docked vessel along with Commander Bumi and the young General Iroh for the time being. The ex-bender accompanied the brothers for a brief time, helping Korra communicate with her parents before heading back to his mother's dwelling for the evening.

The young Avatar tagged along with Tahno as he made his trek back in the company of the elder waterbender, silence falling between the trio as they made the trip. Kya issued him a quick goodnight before heading out in the storm back towards her own dwelling, but not before speaking with Kanani for a moment, brushing her up on all of the information that had come to light recently.

After Kya left, Kanani got to work prepping the fire for dinner, arranging all the dishes and silverware out while the contents of the boiling pot cooked over the flames. Tahno parked himself in front of the fire, warming his hands up by the flames. Korra took a spot right beside him, ocean shallows concentrated on him.

"Your mother seems…pleasant," Korra commented, breaking the ex-bender's focus on the dancing flames. "What I mean is—from what I knew about you during our probending days…I would've expected your mother to be one of those stuffy upper-class ladies, not somebody as hospitable as she turned out to be."

"My father was the stuffy type. My mom's always been friendly like this. It's the way she was brought up," Tahno replied in a voice loud enough for only the young Avatar to hear.

"Why didn't you turn out more like her?" Korra asked.

Tahno bristled. "Blame my father."

After a long pause, Korra inquired curiously, "So…is your mother the waterbender then?"

"Yeah," Tahno replied. "She hails from the Swamp."

"Huh, interesting." Korra glanced quickly at Kanani, who was chopping up something at the moment. "Um, can I ask you where your father—" Just then, the air resonated with the sound of knocking at the door. Kanani set the knife on the cutting board and went to unlock it.

"Nani, look what I managed to drag in from the storm," The duo by the fire heard Unrak's voice emerging from the other side of the open door. Neither looked towards the door as they heard feet stomping snow from boots before they traveled indoors and the door was shut behind them.

"That your dad?" Korra asked the ex-bender.

"No," Tahno replied quietly. "My dad's dead. That's my mom's new husband."

"Oh." Korra fell silent.

"What a pleasant surprise," Kanani said. "Isn't it a little treacherous out there to come all this way to pay a visit?"

"The boy would've been stranded out there if I hadn't caught sight of him first," Unrak spoke. "Thankfully, firebenders are a hardy stock. They've got that fire to keep them warm in weather like this."

The ex-bender and the Avatar's attention were drawn to the entryway at the mention of a firebender. They noticed, standing beside Kanani's broad shouldered husband, one particularly familiar young firebender.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Mako spoke to the ex-bender's mother.

"No—I was just preparing dinner," Kanani told him. "If you haven't eaten you are more than welcome to join us. There's plenty to go around."

"I'd be grateful to try your cooking," Mako replied. "After walking a good long while out there in that chilling wind, I could use something to eat to heat me up."

"Tahno's by the fire if you want to join him until dinner's ready," Kanani informed him, looking towards the ex-bender with a pleasant smile. "I'm sure he's happy to see you."

"I think I'll do that," Mako replied. "Thanks for the hospitality."

"Any time," Kanani smiled warmly before returning to her previous work at the chopping board. Meanwhile, the firebender made his way towards the fire while Unrak headed back out into the storm.

"Mako," Tahno heard Korra utter. He ignored her, only paying attention to the firebender as he made his way over to the fireside. The firebender sat down beside the ex-bender.

"Settling in after your long journey?" Mako asked the ex-bender. Tahno nodded. "That's good. Is Korra present?"

"She's sitting opposite you beside me," Tahno replied.

"Good, good," Mako nodded. "So, um—Korra? How're you doing?"

"Okay under the circumstances," Korra replied.

"Fine for the moment," Tahno reinterpreted.

"Korra—" Mako's eyes wandered around a bit, not certain where to look. He settled on the ex-bender beside him. "I wanted you to know we found Naga, and…she's being looked after, so—you don't have to worry about her."

"Thank the spirits," Korra replied, relieved.

"Uh, Tahno—could we take this into the next room?" Mako asked the ex-bender. Tahno stared at him oddly, hesitantly nodding. The ex-bender got to his feet and led the way. The other two followed.

"So—why'd we need to come in here?" Tahno questioned when they had a wall between them and Kanani.

"I thought it might be better to do this privately," Mako told him, closing the door behind them. "Um…while you were off in the Spirit World trying to retrieve Korra—we…Bolin, Asami and me—had an encounter with a spirit. The Spirit that supposedly was the one that attacked the festival Korra and I attended for her birthday."

"That Spirit couldn't bother to show his ugly face and confront me—but he could bother to bug you three?" Korra exclaimed in alarm. Tahno expressed the alarm the young Avatar was exuding vocally.

"You talking about the one that lured Korra to the Spirit World in the first place?" Tahno exclaimed.

"No—that one turned out to be an imposter," Mako clarified. "The original Dark Spirit that roams these parts was kept up in his cave when his impersonator showed up. He just recently learned about the imposter, and confronted us about a few other things too."

"Like what?" Both Tahno and Korra questioned in unison.

"He's the one who brought Naga back, and informed us about Korra's body being abducted," Mako replied. A little hesitantly, he added. "Another spirit informed him about Hiroshi's plans—how he's involved in all this. The one who told him everything…Tahno—you're not going to like who it was."

Tahno gulped, a pit in his stomach forming as dread set in at the growing sense of acknowledging whom the firebender meant. "I get the very real feeling I won't."

"I know how much his presence disturbs you, but—if it weren't for him…" Mako paused a moment. "…The council would've most likely accused you of leading them on about Korra's abduction. Which would've ended up endangering Korra, and…it could've spelled disaster for you."

"Who's Mako talking about?" Korra looked at the ex-bender quizzically.

"He's referring to me." Both Korra and Tahno turned abruptly in alarm to face the culprit.

The culprit stood in the farthest corner of the room, on the fringes where the light met with the depths of the shadows, the man's presence shifting between tangibility and fading into the intangible. Recognizing the figure, the young Avatar gasped in shock while the ex-bender blanched.

"Tahno—what's up? You just went pale—er all of a sudden," Mako grabbed the ex-bender's attention.

"He just showed up," Tahno informed him, shaken.

"Amon?" Korra's shock revealed a good amount of the whites of her eyes as they widened. "What are you doing here? How'd you even get here?"

"In much the same way you did, young Avatar," Noatak—Amon, responded. "I'm here in spirit."

"You're—dead?" Korra gaped.

"Tarrlok made certain of it when he blew our escape vessel to smithereens," Noatak informed her.

"I guess that means the ex-Councilman's dead too," Korra noted.

"Been there—dealt with him too," Tahno stated while nervously eying the product of some of his worse nightmares.

"I need to have a serious discussion with the two of you, but the firebender needs to leave the room first," Noatak stated.

"Why does Mako need to leave?" Korra questioned him.

"His presence interferes with my ability to be present," Noatak told her.

"Why?"

"The chi energy coming off the living interferes with the tangible presence of the deceased," Noatak replied. "The reason it doesn't affect you, young Avatar, is because you are still alive—albeit separated from your body, and because the former waterbender here is able to see the deceased—his presence isn't a problem."

"Maybe Mako should stick around—and you should be the one to leave!" Tahno snipped at the former Equalist leader's spirit.

"Did Amon ask me to leave the room?" Mako spoke up.

"Yeah, he did, but you—" Tahno was interrupted midsentence by the firebender. Mako rested a reassuring hand on the ex-bender's shoulder, smile on his face.

"You need to hear him out, Tahno," Mako told him. "As much as you don't like it—there's some info that he knows that you—and Korra—need to hear him out on." He reached for the door. "I'll be right in the next room if you need me for anything." The ex-bender felt a blanket of chill settle in the room upon the firebender's departure. It caused him to involuntarily shudder. Meanwhile, Amon emerged from his space in the shadows towards the center of the room.

"So—what's this all about?" Korra asked.

"Whatever you've got to say, Amon—say it fast," Tahno remarked. "I'll listen—but that doesn't mean I want you hanging around any longer than you need to."

"I'll make this as brief as possible," Noatak replied. "First—I want you to assure me you'll fill the firebender in on all of this later."

"I will—just get on with it," Tahno snipped.

"I'm sure both of you are wondering why I'd even bother investing an interest in putting a stop to Hiroshi Sato's plans," Noatak began, pacing the room a bit. He looked from the ex-bender to the Avatar, continuing when neither bothered to respond. "Even though removing bending from the world was a part of my original agenda during my campaign—what Hiroshi's planning to do will have devastating consequences that I simply can't condone. I—and Tarrlok as well—also have a very…personal reason as to why we've chosen to help put a stop to Sato's plans; you see, Hiroshi has called upon the aide of several other spirits who have been spited by benders, or specifically the Avatar—past or present. Included in that group is our father—Yakone."

"Yakone—as in the crime lord that tried to gain control of Republic City during Aang's time?" Korra asked quizzically.

"One in the same," Noatak replied. "Also, something else you need to know—this group of spirits that Hiroshi's called to his aide are capable of possessing the bodies of the living and taking complete control of them. It allows Sato's cohorts the ability to move around and collect information in plain sight. Something that gives them away is a particular glint in the eyes of their possessed victims."

"I'll keep an eye out for people with unusual stares from now on," Tahno replied only half seriously. Amon looked at him sternly, but didn't speak up about it.

"What do you know about the imposter Spirit that bothered to lure me to the Spirit World?" Korra inquired. "What role does that ugly creature play in all this?"

"I know that Spirit is working with Sato, but I don't know the Spirit's actual identity," Noatak replied. "Tarrlok's back in Republic City seeing if he can find out the answer to that—amongst Sato's plans that haven't been figured out yet."

"Was that all you needed to tell us—or was there more?" Tahno spoke up irritably.

"Two more things," Amon stated. "One—you shouldn't have any more doubts regarding what I'm telling you; both Tarrlok and I have been working under the instruction of the Moon Spirit to collect information on Sato's actions and work on putting a stop to them. Two—you should also know that your boyfriend, Ming, has been involved in this from the beginning as well."

"Ming's been involved in this the whole time?" Tahno exclaimed, wide-eyed. "After he committed suicide, or—"

"That's something you will have to discuss with him when you return to Republic City," Noatak interrupted him. "I will leave you two to recuperate from your travels for the time being, but there is something the Moon Spirit wants me to inform you about. Not now though—you both need your rest." With that, the chill in the air dissipated, and Amon's apparition vanished. A moment later there was a knock at the door.

"Hey—your mom told me to tell you dinner's ready!" They both heard Mako shout through the door. The door parted, the firebender hesitantly looking inwards through a wide crack. "Are things going okay in here?"

"Yeah—the discussion just wrapped up," Tahno replied.

"Any new info?" Mako asked.

"Yeah—I'll fill you in over dinner," Tahno replied.

"Works for me." The ex-bender heard Mako's footsteps moving away from the entryway. Tahno reached for the door separating him from the main expanse where his mother was, pushed it open wide enough for him to pass through, and then made his way over to the fireside to warm his hands. A few moments later he heard Mako join him. Neither spoke as they sat there, watching the dancing firelight.

The entry door thumped open, a gush of snow and whistling gales entering, uninvited, along with the individual who originally opened the door. Unrak pressed his back hard against the wooden door, shutting it with some force. Once the door was latched, he shed his boots and walked towards where Kanani was. All the while the trio—Korra included—watched the broad-shouldered water tribesman cross the room. Unrak kept his face obscured by his coat's hood as he approached the paler waterbending woman's side. His still mittened hand raveled itself around Kanani's waist, gently pulling the woman closer to his side. Kanani released a startled gasp at the maneuver.

"Well, boys—it looks like it's rough going out there," Unrak stated. "Probably would be best if the young firebending lad stayed for the evening. It's treacherous out there, and it doesn't look like it's gonna clear up till morning at least."

"I guess—if it's that bad out…I'll stay put," Mako replied. The ex-bender watched him from the corner of his eye. "Is that going to be okay?"

"Of course," Kanani separated herself from her broad-shouldered husband, stirring the pot planted over the flames. "It would be no problem at all. I'm sure…Tahno would appreciate having your company." She flashed a knowing smile, one that made the two young men look at one another awkwardly.

"If you need anything to wear for the time being, you can borrow a few of my things," Unrak went into the room next to the ex-bender's. Meanwhile, Kanani was getting the dishes and eating utensils ready for them.

"Please, feel free to serve yourselves as much as you like," Kanani handed the ex-bender and the firebender each a dish. "It's nothing formal, but there's plenty to go around."

"And it's delicious," Unrak called from the next room over.

Korra stood over the pot, examining the contents inside. "Looks like something my mother would make me growing up. Wish I could smell and taste it—it looks good." She looked up at the ex-bender then. He showed his acknowledgement with a quick nod.

While the two young men dug the contents of the pot out and put it on their dishes, Korra parked herself by a nearby window to observe the storm. The entire scene was one big white snow-blind—solid sheets of snow flurries and sleet mingling together blanking out the entire outdoor environment. The young Avatar sighed as she rested her back sideways against the windowsill and stared out at the whiteout.

XoXoX

Rock-hard Ryo was a heavily muscular earthbending member of one of the newly established and ranking upward Triads—that is, until someone ratted out he and his fellow gangsters and they all ended up being incarcerated.

Behind bars—that was where Rock-hard Ryo was now, one amongst the many other triad gangster arraignments in the recent influx of successful arrests made against members of various Triads in the city. Ryo couldn't wrap his mind around how the police force had gotten so fortunate in making so many arrests—and his own people had unfortunately got the short end of the stick. Many of his fellow triad inmates shared the same lack of understanding; Ryo heard countless murmurs of confusion amongst his rivals and compatriots alike.

Lunch had just come to a conclusion, and many around Ryo were tense and twitchy. The levels of angst and frustration couldn't have been thicker then they were in that prison base where Ryo and his fellows were. But that was about to be interrupted with a wave of intense apprehension—and a strange array of garbed individuals taking over the premises.

At first Ryo only heard the guards shouting somewhere out of his peripheral range, and then sounds of a couple skirmishes. Lights flickered overhead, the eyes of all the inmates—including Ryo—shooting upward in alarm.

And then, the conflict came directly to them. A guard was knocked through the doorway leading between the guards' station and the main housing space for the inmates, falling into an unconscious heap at the feet of a couple of inmates. A doorway that once had a security door locked in place to keep the prisoners from escaping now stood as a gaping hole to freedom. But none of the prisoners made a bid for their freedom. Too frozen in surprise were most to even react—including Ryo.

In the next instant the doorway was occupied with the presence of one intimidating individual—the man who had played second in command to Amon during his previous occupation before his campaign crumbled. The man many had come to believe had been incapacitated sometime during Amon's last stitch efforts to flee the scene before an arrest could be made; the man simply known by the title The Lieutenant—a man with good physical prowess, bender or not. Beside him stood a gathering of his companions, garbed in similar gear to he. On his back was a battery pack, the source charging his handheld kali sticks.

"Secure the premises, make sure none of the inmates are able to retaliate—knock anyone who does out if you have to," The Lieutenant instructed one of his companions. The man took his instructions, signaling to a few of his cohorts to move out while the one in charge stayed in place.

The Lieutenant eyed the frozen gathering of prisoners with a cold, glazed stare. "Confined like so many vermin caught in a trap," he addressed them in a harsh tone. "At least the police force was able to help us out with something."

His companion he'd given orders to a few moments before came back to his side. "We've got the place secured. All accounted for guards have been knocked unconscious; the benders in the bunch tied up and locked away for the time being. The prison is now under our control."

The Lieutenant smirked. "Just like Hiroshi wanted."

All the while Rock-hard Ryo and his fellow Triad gangsters stood there, confused and a little frightened. There wasn't much any of them could do in their confined state, as the prison was a bender-proofed facility—something that played towards the advantage of the Equalist forces that had just taken it over, and a disadvantage for the bending prisoners being housed there.

"I'm going to oversee what other city citizens need to be added to the triad menagerie being housed here, so I want you and the others to get the prisoners gathered up. It's time to set Hiroshi's plan in motion—a chance for him to put his new divine gift to good use." As the Lieutenant gave the order, his eyes were staring hard at his newly attained captives, glossed over eyes manifesting hatred from within. "Time for the great cleanse to begin."

Something about the Lieutenant's words and demeanor unnerved Ryo and his companions beyond comprehension, but before any of them could retaliate, the place broke out in chaos and Ryo was knocked unconscious.

XoXoX

Kami managed to make it to her mother's friend's place without incident, knocking on the door a little bit more desperately than she initially intended. He came to the door quickly, showing her in without a second thought.

"You should probably get back home quickly," her mother's friend told her after he handed her a knapsack filled with supplies. "Things are looking a little rough out there, and I'm sure your mother would be happier if you were home before they get worse."

As she was departing, she turned and waved at her mother's friend. He waved back, closing the door behind him as she turned to make the trek home. Kami, along the way, looked to what was visible of the sky above, taking that nightfall was setting in. Street lamps were slowly flickering on, one after another, lighting the way down the boulevard.

On her way, Kami noticed that things around her were getting tenser. As the streetlights flickered on one at a time—she recalled passersby acting edgy as she walked by them. The people who happened to be out were glancing around nervously, as if expecting something to go wrong at any moment. That rose apprehension in Kami's gut, and she couldn't help feeling the same herself.

And then—hell broke loose, or something very similar. People were scrambling every which way like scattering prey trying to escape from a predator intent on the hunt. Yelling, screaming—Kami couldn't determine what for at first. Not until she saw the mecha coming her way.

Also, the streets were flooded with an opposing force—a battalion of individuals garbed in similar uniforms to those of the Equalists during Amon's occupation of the city. They were working on chasing people indoors or taking a few significant individuals in particular hostage, dragging them off while others ran. Everything around her rose to chaotic proportions, and Kami didn't know which way to go—or what to do.

At last, her mind chose to have her bolt. Her feet carried her quickly down the sidewalk, grabbing for some grip on the pavement as she readied herself for a turn at an intersection leading home. In the process, she ran right into somebody, the impact causing her to tumble towards the pavement.

Kami was frightened when she looked up at her run-in victim, frozen in place as she stared at him, wide-eyed. Staring back at her were cold, blank eyes, housed on a face that was somehow familiar. The man was garbed in Equalist attire, but there was something about him that she recognized. And then she realized what it was. The shape of his face, those pale blue eyes, the delicate mustache decorating the decently handsome features right above his lips—he was that man she discovered nearly unconscious several months back.

The man she'd rescued in the warehouse near the probending arena the day Amon's campaign fell apart. The man she'd found unconscious underneath a scattering of boards, left there in a broken shambles to die, or so she believed. The man she'd rescued with her ability to heal with her waterbending—and the very same man who departed from the hospital some months later without leaving a message or thanks.

This man now stood there, dressed as her opponent, and that added realization sent a chill through her. Would he chase her home like many of his comrades were doing with most of the others, or would he take her captive?

As she dealt with the onslaught of conflicting thoughts running through her mind, Kami remained frozen in place, staring straight at the man she'd dared to rescue some time back—wondering if the effort had been a smart one, or a choice she'd later come to regret. The shockwave of emotions from this encounter combined with the disorientation she received from her tumble to the pavement made Kami's head swim, the world swirling around her until she slumped right there—becoming an easy target for this unfortunate foe—

XoXoX

The power outages had been one thing, but this—this was something Ishio wasn't exactly prepared for.

It had been about the turn of noon when Hiroshi Sato made his proclamation to the whole metropolis. How he accomplished that feat without an extensive network of speakers or wide-range broadcasting over the radio, Ishio didn't know. He only knew the public announcement had stirred up the entire city, and the police force had to put in every effort they were able to keep the citizens of Republic City calm.

Or, at least—calm enough not to break out in mass panic.

That had been a major chore for Ishio and his comrades. Up until the light hours of day ran out they were hustling about assuring the city's residents that everything would be okay. Amon's takeover had given the people a sense of trepidation they had not tasted before—trepidation that was rising amongst the masses yet again like wildfire and was becoming difficult to extinguish.

Activity at the prison was still coming back as unusual and alarming, but Ishio wasn't exactly concerned about that right now—didn't have time to be concerned about it. His mind was focused on getting the citizens calmed down first, and then worrying about the prison later. By nightfall Ishio believed—as did the rest of the police force and the city's officials—that the city was calmed down again and things were back to normal.

That is—until their arrival. Ishio had been at headquarters when he received the news. As soon as the sun departed from the sky and evening city lights took over in it's stead, they emerged from whatever hidden depths they'd been hidden at until now.

They—referring to a long line of high-tech mecha that all of sudden surrounded the outlines of the city itself; according to his informant, they had cropped up out of nowhere—as if they had emerged from the ground itself like reanimated mechanical corpses.

Not long afterwards the city streets were filled with voices rising in screams and shouts made in panic and the sounds indicating a hostile takeover. It was at this point that Ishio managed to gather up as many officers and civilians as he was able to and took to the depths of the city's underground.

XoXoX

The hour was late, the storm in full force. Bumi stood by the railing at the bow of the ship, contemplating through his thoughts. Most of his crew was either taking shelter indoors or doing their jobs, taking their positions maneuvering the ship through the storm. The Commander was alone, watching the skies for the arrival of something.

Usually, Bumi wouldn't put his crew at risk during treacherous weather like this, but right now—he had to risk it. Before the storm hit and communication with Republic City was cut, he received word from his younger brother that there was trouble back in the city.

"Commander, a report just came in from Republic City that's urgent. Your brother wishes to speak to you."

"What's going on in Republic City? What's Tenzin got to say?"

"He believes they've discovered the source of the power outages, and the situation's grown quite serious. Hurry—I'm not sure how much longer the connection's going to hold up. With the outages ongoing in the city…the connection could be lost easily, and we might not get it back for some time."

"Lead the way then," Bumi told his communications officer, following him into the radio station aboard the ship shortly afterwards. The connection was handed over to him as he stepped inside.

"What's going on back there, Tenzin?"

"City's under attack—and Hiroshi's responsible," Tenzin's voice carried through the crackling connection, static making his voice sound echoic, but Bumi knew well it was his brother.

"Do you want me to come back there and help out?"

"No—it's better if you keep away from the city for the time being. After what happened with General Iroh's battalion during Amon's occupation, it's best not to storm the city with our ships until we can be certain the waters are clear of booby traps. While Hiroshi's been in hiding, we can't be certain he hasn't been laying traps all around Yue Bay and the city. Considering he was the mastermind behind the underwater mines last time—it's best that we don't take any chances." While Tenzin was speaking, General Iroh and Lin Beifong entered the radio operations station. Bumi watched them as they took up spots nearby, their eyes on him. "Also, I haven't seen it myself, but—there have been reports of Spirit activity out there. Until we're certain of what spirit we're dealing with and what it wants, it safe to say it's better to keep you crew away until we understand what going on better."

"What are you planning to do there, Tenzin?" Bumi asked him. Under normal circumstances his voice would have been humored, teasing even, but these were not normal circumstances.

"As soon as I'm able—I'm planning on taking my family somewhere where it's safe," Bumi barely caught Tenzin's voice above the static; the connection between them was getting worse. "I was hoping you could meet us somewhere partway. Have Pema and the children stay with mother for the time being, while I speak with The Order about what's going on here."

"I'll inform my crew to prepare to move out to sea, and try to meet you about a fourth of the way between here and there. It'll be dark out, so watch for a beacon."

"I will."

"There's a storm in progress up here right now, so Ten—be careful."

"I told you never to call me Ten," Bumi could just catch the irritation in Tenzin's voice. Bumi felt a smile faintly twist up the corner of his lips. It was momentary; Tenzin continued in a crackled, serious tone. "Look, Bumi—I need you to inform the officials there that Korra's—"

The connection had cut off at that point. All Bumi recalled hearing from that point on was dead static. He remembered Lin's voice in the background asking him about what was going on, and how he was caught in thought trying to make sense of his brother's last message before it broke off.

"Prepare to ship out from port. We're meeting up with my brother and his family, and—if we're going to make decent time in this storm—we're going to need to set out as soon as possible." Bumi turned to inform his other officers. To his old family friend, "Trouble in Republic City, Lin—and Tenzin is bringing his family here for safekeeping."

Lin approached him now, strands of her hair crystallized together by an accumulation of snowflakes. She leaned against the railing right beside him, not saying a word to the Commander.

"Have you received anything more from Tenzin?" Lin finally spoke, eyes looking out into the distant flurries.

"No, Lin—not a thing. I'm certain he's well on his way here with his family," Bumi did turn to look at the metalbender.

"Any other news from Republic City?" Lin looked at him.

"Tenzin's connection was the last I received," Bumi replied.

"I shouldn't have come on this trip," Lin stated, embittered. "I should be there for my officers."

"I'm sure they can handle themselves," Bumi grinned. "I mean—I'm sure they've absorbed some of that rock-hard personality of yours from working under you for so long."

"Funny," Lin remarked. "How long do you think it'll take Tenzin to get here?"

"Not long." Bumi replied. He looked up to the sky, wondering that very same question himself.

XoXoX

On their way home, Shaozu and his girlfriend, Mei Lin, witnessed things around them go from bad to worse.

What should have been a half hour walk at most turned into a multiple hour trip. Sidewalks were congested with crowds of citizens gathering there in confusion; groups of people standing there, not comprehending what was going on—or, if they did—feeling too apprehensive to calmly return to their dwellings like the police force was advising. Satomobiles formed a line up in never-ending traffic congestion, blocking off movement in the streets. Shaozu and his girlfriend had to maneuver through those crowds and across overwhelmingly busy streets along the way.

In the end they gave up and headed back towards the restaurant, grabbing something to eat while the crowds outside died down. The owner, a family friend of Shaozu's, led them to a table where they could be comfortable for a few hours until things blew over. They enjoyed a delicious Fire Nation cuisine dinner, staying a little longer after they finished to chat before heading out again.

Outside fewer people were roaming the streets than earlier as the two finally made their way back to the apartment. At first it appeared the trip was going to be a casual experience—until everything erupted in chaos.

The former firebender held Mei Lin's hand clasped tightly in his as they ran from the approach of massive mecha that suddenly flooded the streets, along with the Equalist garbed flood that followed suit. The two heard shouts and screaming as they took cover in an alleyway. Shaozu held Mei Lin close to him as they heard the commotion in the streets.

"We should try and run for cover, if we can't get back to the apartment," Shaozu whispered in his girlfriend's ear. She was shivering, as was he. Mei Lin looked up at him, dark green eyes shimmering as she nodded.

In an instant they were on the run again, making for their apartment more than anywhere else. Somewhere along the way the two were forcibly separated, knocked apart by the force of a collision with the opposition. Shaozu went to reach for Mei Lin's hand, but one Equalist pushed him off to the side while another grabbed Mei Lin, dragging her off while she screamed her boyfriend's name. By the time Shaozu recovered his footing, she was long out of sight.

Shaozu ran for it, searching everywhere for his girlfriend in a frantic frenzy. Everywhere he searched, there was no sign of her. He felt like he might lose his mind the longer he went without discovering Mei Lin's whereabouts. Citizens of the city and the uprising of the opposition moved about hysterically all around him, making it hard for Shaozu to maneuver and not run into somebody. In his attempt to avoid a run-in with a couple running the opposite direction from he, he inevitably ran into somebody else. While he tried to gather stability in his legs as he once again got back up on them, he looked up at the individual he'd run into. He froze like a scared prey animal, coming face to face with one of the opposition.

The Equalist man had an unconscious girl in his arms, something eerie flashing in his goggles' hidden pale blue eyes. Shaozu backed up some, expecting his fate to be similar to that unconscious girl's, when the man made a move to hand the girl to him.

"Take her and run," The man's voice was rough and conflicted. "She once did me a solid, so I'm returning the favor."

Shaozu stared at the man, scared and confused. He was frozen in place, not able to respond.

"Take her before I have a change of heart!" the man demanded, holding the girl out further to him, his voice oddly desperate. "Take her and get out of here! Hurry!"

Shaozu finally broke from his frozen stance and complied with the man's demands. Without a second thought, he took the girl from the man and made a run for it. Somewhere along the way, in his mental state of fog, he ran into a police officer. The man, an earthbender who came from the upper ranks of the police force, told him he needed to follow him—and fast. Things in the city above ground were getting chaotic, and the only safe option was to take to the underground.

Shaozu only nodded in agreement, and followed the man under the depths of the city. A pair of gray eyes witnessed it all with great relief.

XoXoX

Evening wind whipped at Tenzin's robes as he held onto the reins attached to his skybison Oogi's horns. Behind him, huddled together on the saddle perched on the great airborne beast's back, were his children and wife, Pema. Jinora and Ikki clutched tightly onto their mother's side as she cradled her infant son, Rohan in her arms. Meelo clung to her partially on the side opposite his sisters.

Their faces were drawn with solemn, serious expressions. Tenzin had to rush them out of the city quickly to get them as far from danger as he possibly could. After Amon's takeover last time, the airbending master wasn't going to chance his family's safety by lingering near danger for too long.

As Oogi had drawn them away from the city, they all had noticed the lights of action and explosions taking place in the metropolis they called their home. Tenzin's father, in collaboration with his friends and newfound family, had taken the once sparsely populated Fire Nation colonies and brought Republic City into being the crown jewel of Yue Bay, and it tore at the airbender's heart to leave it behind in the midst of falling to shambles once more.

They managed to put several hours of travelling distance between them and the city. Oogi was flying high above the far-reaching seas, an ocean that connected up eventually with the frigid waters surrounding the Southern Water Tribe. That was their destination—a place Tenzin believed his young family would be safe for the time being, where most of the rest of his living family currently was posted.

Before their departure, Tenzin managed to reach his elder brother, reporting the goings on to the highly respected Commander. Bumi promised to take his vessel out to sea some distance off shore to meet up with them—keeping a watch on the sky for his baby brother's arrival.

Tenzin knew it would take them a night's worth of travelling to reach their destination if Oogi was pressed to his furthest extents—which the skybison was more than willing to do to aide in his master's escape. The airbending master couldn't make what time it currently was, but by looking towards the sky, he knew it was well past midnight, the approach of dawn probably a few mere hours away.

Air currents picked up strength as they flew further south, gusty gales bringing in sleet drifts and a sharp, arctic chill. Tenzin looked back on his family, their faces lit by the full moon's ivory light. He noticed his two middle children shivering. He knew that as they got further south that it would get colder, and that they hadn't had time to better prepare for the frigid chill once they arrived. He felt regret about that, but what could he do about it now?

"How are you doing back there Pema? Are you and Rohan warm enough? Should I make a quick stop?" Tenzin asked his wife with obvious worried intonations. Pema looked up from her bundled infant at him and smiled.

"We're fine back here. Just—keep your eyes ahead of you so we don't run into trouble while you're distracted with your worry over me and the children," Pema assured him, her deep evergreen orbs shining with profound inner strength and determination. The warmth of her smile warmed him internally, and seemed to have the same affect on their shivering children.

"My darling Pema," Tenzin murmured heartwarmingly as he turned his attention back towards the view lying ahead of him. Somewhere, not too far off in the distance, Tenzin caught sight of a beam of light against the fathomless shaded landscape. It was probably still miles ahead of them, that beam of illumination, but it gave the airbending master much needed determination to press forward towards it—certain it was a beacon provided him by his eldest sibling, Bumi.

XoXoX

Morning greeted him with loud rapping at the entryway door.

Resonating to the very depths of his eardrums, it stirred Tahno from his dreamless slumber rather abruptly. Grumbling first, he shifted into a sitting position, observing his surroundings as coherency set in. The room was still—quiet. It appeared that the firebender was already up and about; the sheets where he slept were rumpled and empty of his presence. Korra was out of sight as well. Gathering his wits, the ex-bender rolled out from under the sheets and got up, his feet taking him towards the door.

"They came in just this morning," A voice emerged from an open crack in the front entryway. Holding the door open, Mako stood there, listening to whoever was on the other side. "I was told to summon you both once the storm let up enough."

"What's going on?" Tahno's voice caught Mako's attention. The firebender turned away from the parted entryway towards the approaching ex-bender.

"Tenzin and his family got in early this morning," Mako told him.

"What are they doing here?" Tahno questioned, stepping up to the door to address the messenger. The man on the other side of the door was Kohan, one of his White Lotus traveling companions during their trip to retrieve Korra.

"Republic City's under attack," Kohan answered. "Tenzin told me to grab you boys so he could discuss that with you, your brother and Miss Sato, as well as his plans to tackle the trouble stirring up in the city."

"Give us a few to get ready," Mako replied.

"Can do," Kohan said. The firebender headed in while the ex-bender stayed put.

"What's creating the chaos back home?" Tahno inquired, leaning against the doorframe.

"From what Tenzin stated—looks like Sato's finally come out of hiding," Kohan replied. "Tenzin made it sound pretty urgent—so you might want to go get ready yourself, Kiddo."

"Could you not call me kiddo?" Tahno snapped irritably at the White Lotus waterbender. Kohan flinched minutely, grinning sheepishly.

"Yea—I forgot you don't like that," Kohan admitted. "Get going though—and make sure spirit Korra accompanies you." Kohan stated. "I'll wait out here while you two get ready."

Tahno didn't answer. Korra had been right beside the ex-bender by the door the whole time, listening in with her arms crossed over her chest. The former waterbender brushed past her as he headed in.

XoXoX

When Tahno and Mako showed up at the compound with Kohan, Bolin and Asami were already there. The group was gathered around Tenzin, his family and their skybison, Oogi in the training arena. Korra was also present, albeit unaccounted for by most present.

Tenzin started speaking once they were all gathered. "Using an army of mecha, along with some spiritual help and the aide of his Equalist loyalists, Hiroshi managed to get the whole of Republic City under his occupation. In our hasty departure I didn't witness the initial takeover, but we did receive a telegraph communication onboard my brother's ship from an unknown source in the city earlier this morning. The report stated that members of both the Council and the police force have either fled to the city's underground or been captured by Sato's people."

"My brother Bumi is working out some sort of plan with the United Forces and representatives from the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and both Water Tribes with help from Lin and General Iroh. Meanwhile, while they're working the details of that out, we're going to handle the situation from a different angle." He looked from the two brothers to Asami and then lastly the former waterbender. "The reason I called you four in is because we have a situation involving Korra. In a few days time, Hiroshi intends to put on some kind of demonstration involving her, and—from knowledge of the previous Equalist takeover—I want the four of you to go undercover, figure out where Hiroshi's holding Korra, and then get her out before Sato can use her for his purposes."

"You three were instrumental during the Equalists' campaign defeat, and your skills and experience will certainly come in handy," Tenzin told the two brothers and Asami. He then turned his sights on Tahno, speaking directly to him. "Your ability to see and communicate with the spirits will be useful in gaining info about Hiroshi's resources. You're also our only link to Korra's spirit form, the only one who is able to communicate with and guide her until we can recover her body. Plus, Asami's training sessions should come in handy for you as well."

"We'll be heading out first thing tomorrow morning, and Oogi will provide our transportation. I want the four of you to rest up, and be ready first thing. We don't have any time to waste, and we can't allow Hiroshi the opportunity to put on his demonstration with Korra." Tenzin stopped, suddenly looking exhausted and mentally strained. "Do the four of you have any questions or anything to add?"

"Not about the mission, but—" Before Mako could say more; a voice and the sound of footsteps rushing their direction interrupted him.

"Tenzin, I just heard you and the family got in from Bumi!" Kya ran across the training arena grounds, taking her youngest brother in a rushed embrace. "What's going on? What was urgent enough to bring you here?"

"Kya, could you let me go first? You're cutting off circulation," Tenzin gasped in his sister's excruciatingly tight grip. She released him and gave her brother his space.

"Sorry about that," Kya apologized. "But Tenzin—what did bring you here? You usually only bring Pema and the kids here on holiday—or when its something urgent, and I'm pretty certain your visit here isn't vacation related."

"There's trouble in Republic City, Kya. I was just filling these four in on our return trip plans," Tenzin informed her. "I can inform you about everything you need to know once I've finished up my discussion with them. For the time being, could you help get Pema and the children comfortable? Bring them to mother's or something?"

"Yes, of course—I'd be happy to," Kya replied, displaying her trademark brilliant smile. "Meet me at mom's later when you're finished. We'll visit then."

"Thanks, Kya," Tenzin thanked her gratefully. Kya patted his shoulder in a sisterly manner before heading over to greet Pema and her nieces and nephews. Meanwhile, the airbending master brought his attention back to the four young adults in his company. "What were you going to say before we were interrupted?" He asked the firebender.

"Tahno's been receiving visits from a very particular spiritual visitor lately, and I thought we should discuss what that visitor's been telling him—and us," Mako replied. All eyes landed on the ex-bender.

"A certain ex-Equalist leader's been haunting me recently," Tahno stated. "He and his brother, the ex-Councilman, have been haunting me and telling me about Hiroshi's plans since the day the old bastard made his prison break."

"Amon and Tarrlok, I presume?" Tenzin inquired. The ex-bender nodded. "Before you two showed up, Bolin and Asami filled me in on the situation involving the imposter spirit and Amon's possession of Miss Sato, as well as the fact that you have been receiving visitations from Amon during your stay here in the Southern Water Tribe. Have you learned more info from Amon's spirit that I need to be made aware of?"

"Yeah—last night Amon informed me of a few things that are probably worth mentioning to you and everyone else I guess," Tahno replied.

"Tell me what you've found out then," Tenzin told him. "First though—is Korra here with us?"

"You believe me then, that's she's present in spirit, I mean?" Tahno asked him. "I know a few of the Order's officials don't think that my word can be trusted because of a few things from my...um—well…my past."

"You have been correct about Hiroshi's plans so far, and thankfully for your case—we've got sources to back up your claim, so yes—I do believe you," Tenzin told him. "I know from my father's accounts that it's possible for the Avatar's spirit to become separated from their physical body, and Jinora has also grown to be quite fond of you, so I have to trust in her faith in you." He smiled nervously at that before adding, "So—is Korra here with us?"

"Yeah—she's been standing right beside Mako the whole time," Tahno replied, eyes momentarily glancing in Korra's direction. She returned the gaze, lips pursed and her hands resting casually on her hips. The ex-bender then looked back in the airbending master's direction and began relaying all the information he'd learned from Noatak the previous evening, as well as during any previous confrontation with the former Equalist leader's spirit—including the theory that Koh might be involved in Hiroshi's plot. In the end the only detail he left out was about how his spirit-seeing ability was slowly depleting him of his life energy.