AUTHOR'S EXTREMELY TARDY NOTE: I didn't realize that it was literally the 2-year anniversary of my last update until I randomly dived into my chapter today and found my groove. It's been a tough writer's block that actually foiled at least 3 previous attempts to write this chapter in the last year alone! I am SO sorry and and grateful for all of you who've been waiting, and I is not dead. Thank you for hanging around long enough to make it to today! I hope the following chapter will be worth that horror.

Chapter 28

One last time, will you listen to your mother? Will you promise?

...Y-yes. I promise.

I'm so proud of you, my son. My wonderful Yuhan.

Of all people, Ning's face was the last to appear before Yuhan's eyes fluttered open and brought back the real, chaotic world. The sloped fabric of a white tent was looming over his head. Yuhan had no clue where he was, but his violent memories of recent events kicked in. "Bumi...gonna kill that snorting -"

"Welcome back, son. It's just me, don't worry."

A familiar voice, calling to him ever so fondly, made Yuhan's entire body go completely still, his eyes wide.

"Yuhan, my son..." There was something about the voice, a note of disbelief for having the chance to speak the name again, to address its child. "I'm so happy to see you still here in this world."

This was the one person that Yuhan couldn't face ever again. And there he was, sitting only a few feet away. Yuhan could feel the tears dripping from his chin. Everything was suddenly blurry and damp. Salty. Painful. So painful.

"Look at me, Yuhan."

Slowly but surely, he somehow managed to turn his head towards Yunxu Tsen. A glistening pair of emerald eyes that matched his own gazed back softly. Despite their smile, they were missing something - missing someone - and they carried a hollowness that he knew.

Yuhan's throat was tight, squeezing his windpipe and threatening to suffocate him. The first words finally choked out. "I'm sorry, Dad. About Mom - I'm so sorry -"

A trembling hand rested itself upon his shoulder. "You are the last person who should apologize to me. You don't have to blame yourself for anything." Yunxu chuckled softly. "And, if I remember correctly, didn't your mother also tell you not to say sorry? She sounded pretty adamant."

"Dad..." Yuhan suddenly registered the tight wooden brace bound to his father's arm, which shuddered in pain from the effort to keep its hand firmly on his shoulder. His eyes widened with horror as they gazed towards the matching brace on the other arm. "Oh, Spirits - did they also...?"

"Yuhan. I want you to listen to me right now." A new intensity filled Yunxu's eyes. His son gazed helplessly at his arm as it dangled back down to his side. "You are the only agent of the Dai Li who followed his duty to protect our city, against all odds. Do you know how proud that made me and your mother? How proud of you we've always been?"

Yuhan's broken gaze fell upon his bracelet. "But...I-I mostly just did it for -"

"For Riya. I know." Yunxu was smiling, but his voice cracked ever so slightly as the grief dampened his eyes. "Yuhan...I would have done the same for your mother. I would have fought for her until the very end."

His lower lip trembling, Yuhan's head hung as a heavy, guiltridden sob stabbed through his chest. "D-dad, you can't just...forgive me for something like -"

"Listen to me, my son." Yunxu gazed warmly into Yuhan's eyes, even as the tears streaked down both their faces. "Your mother and I shared the happiest years of our lives together, and we were blessed to have you there with us." He mustered enough strength to place one of his shaking hands over the bracelet adorning his son's wrist, who went still at his touch. "We've always wanted you to know that kind of happiness, too. It's your time now, Yuhan. You're going to fight for our city tomorrow. For Riya. No Regrets." His gaze flickered for down towards his arms, at battered remains of what had once carried the power to command the earth. Yunxu's face twisted with helpless pain as he looked away. "I wish I could fight with you, too. If only..."

"Dad." Yuhan's voice suddenly found itself, clear and determined. "I'll win the battle tomorrow. The Earth Kingdom will stand." With that, he reached out and pulled his father into a tight embrace. The latter's arms lifted a little, but dropped back down towards the ground with a shudder of pain, unable to return the gesture. "No one will hurt you or Riya ever again. I'll protect you both for as long as I live." Yuhan swallowed back the lump in his throat as his mother's proud, smiling face gazed at him from his tender memories. "I promise."

~o~o~o~

"Would you like some tea, Agent Leung?"

Hiroshu sighed as Joo Dee's unnaturally loud voice and grin attracted a couple of disturbed glances. Again. "No, I'm good." He lowered his voice for a moment. "And will you quit calling me 'Agent Leung' already? I thought I gave you an order." Hiroshu's old, twisted career was no secret, but it wasn't as if he wanted it to stay relevant. "Seriously, I am not 'Agent' anything. I got kicked out of the Dai Li. I'm stripped of my title, and that's a rule. You love rules!"

"I have not received any official confirmation of your dismissal," Joo Dee replied, chipper as ever. "I cannot acknowledge your claim as valid until then."

"I'm sitting in the middle of a third-party war base, scheduled to break every policy about keeping Ba Sing Se a peaceful utopia, and my uniform doesn't even look anything like the Dai Li. How am I not dismissed already?"

"Agent Leung, it is against policy for me to make assumptions about such affairs without proper verification."

Hiroshu slid a hand over his face. "You're hopeless as ever, Suyin." No response. "Joo Dee."

"I apologize for your discontent."

Most of the Order got the general idea of the Dai Li's twisted conversion system at this point, after enough policy-breaking lectures from Joo Dee. They didn't know the exact details of the process (nor did they really want to), but they could all agree that its victims were horribly insane.

Which included Yuhan. Without question.

Hiroshu had always spoken fondly of him; a skilled earthbender, effective combat partner, loyal to Ba Sing Se and the Earth Kingdom - best friend, even. What everyone witnessed instead was Yuhan's failed murder attempt on King Bumi, followed by equally murderous attacks on the entire scouting team before he had to be knocked out cold. Hiroshu then added "recovering conversion victim" to his description.

It was a frightening incident that could have gotten them detected by the enemy - but even so, everyone was surprised that Hiroshu had kept his distance from Yuhan since then. Sure, he'd gotten smacked across the face by a rock-solid glove, but the two of them had been patrol partners and best friends for eight years. It wasn't Yuhan's fault for having a "violent psycho episode," as referred to by many.

On the other hand, Hiroshu didn't appreciate being harassed by the rulebook psycho.

"Agent Leung, may I remind you that there have been multiple sightings of the traitor Yuhan Tsen? You are required to verify his location and take him into immediate custody." Joo Dee's voice wasn't chipper for this - it was turning into the alarm version that would start off polite but repeat itself louder and crazier the longer a serious policy was neglected. Especially when it came to treachery.

An exasperated Hiroshu decided he might as well reply more like a Dai Li agent if she wanted to play this game. "Joo Dee, do you think I haven't been investigating those sightings?" he scowled, his eyes cold and unamused. "I have no obligation to disclose my progress, nor you are entitled to dictate it. Stop making ignorant comments about my work ethic as if you're qualified to tell me how to do my job." He immediately felt guilty as he watched her lower her head in shame, but he seriously had to get her to stop. "Instead of testing my patience further, Joo Dee, I suggest you get out of my sight and go find the furthest tent possible - and stay there until you remember your place."

"Yes, sir. I apologize." The utter despair of disapproval from the Dai Li was the most genuine display of emotion he'd ever seen from Joo Dee. Hiroshu felt the heavy guilt wringing his chest as he watched her stalk out of sight. It wasn't as if Suyin could help herself. But there was no way in Koh's Realm that he could deal with two psycho conversion victims at once.

Joo Dee would go insane beyond all reason to see that Agent Tsen, the abominable traitor, wasn't being arrested and most likely need to be sedated before she got whole camp discovered. Yuhan would go insane beyond all reason and make it his life mission to murder Hiroshu for taking a random Joo Dee into camp while leaving Riya trapped in the city. Both would happen simultaneously.

He knew that he couldn't avoid Yuhan forever, though. Hiroshu definitely didn't want their last potential interaction before the end of the world to be a rock glove to the face. The issue was that he'd only been focused on the need to get his patrol partner safely to camp for the past month. After that was taken care of, he'd begun to realize how many other issues there were to sort out. Trying to explain why Suyin was hanging around him wasn't a good place to start.

~o~o~o~

"Hi, Yuhan of Na Sing Se!" With a laugh and a snort, the King of Omashu poked his head into the tent with a wide, tooth-gapped smile. "How's your head?"

"I SWEAR TO THE MOTHER OF FACES -"

"Yuhan, it's okay." Yunxu's calming voice was the only thing keeping a violent and psychotic Yuhan from lunging forward as the ground crackled sharply beneath them. "Listen to me, son. It's okay."

Iroh had also joined the two of them inside of the tent a few minutes prior, and he was currently heating a pot of Jasmine tea as Yuhan kept glaring murderously at the snickering King of Omashu.

"I hope you're not still mad at me about our field trip -"

"FIELD TRIP, my ass! I'll kill you and send you to Koh's Realm, how's that for a field -"

"- But let's not ruin a good friendship over a little cursed tunnel. I hope you'll join our humble club."

"Screw you and your crazy flower cult!"

Iroh patiently set three cups of tea onto a tray.

"Well, I'll go ahead and let our Grand Lotus - hi, Iroh!" (The old tea brewer smiled pleasantly in greeting) "- get you all settled in. Bye, everyone!" Bumi's head popped back out of the tent.

The snorting laughter faded away into the distance. Yuhan continued glaring daggers at the spot where the wrinkly face had been. "Am I the only one who sees what's wrong with him?"

"Yuhan, he's not what I'd call normal - but he's a good man. Everyone in this camp is here to help us." Yunxu smiled sympathetically as he observed his son scowling and muttering under his breath to no one in particular. He was well-informed about Yuhan's numerous trials in addition to the traumatizing conversion. "I do want to ask, though..." Yunxu turned to Iroh with a frown. "Why was my son trapped in the Lovers' Cave? I don't see how that was necessary."

"It was not my decision, Mr. Tsen," the old tea brewer replied politely. "The King of Omashu trains earthbenders in...unconventional ways." (There was another scowl from Yuhan.) "But your son is one of the strongest, most determined benders that I have ever met - the strongest there is in Ba Sing Se. Bumi would not have taken him to the source of his element if he did not believe that Yuhan could conquer the challenge."

Yuhan kept glaring towards the outside of the tent, mentally daring Bumi to come back to face his death. "Is that his excuse for making me figure out how to survive a cursed labyrinth with no earthbending intact?"

There was a twinkle in Iroh's golden eyes, as always. "I've heard that you were quite a formidable earthbender this morning. And I have just seen the ground itself tremble in fear!" He laughed pleasantly. "You have been trained by the greatest masters of your element. It is what King Bumi intended."

Yuhan looked down at all the cracks in the ground branching out from beneath him and rolled his eyes, making a quick sweeping motion with his arms to smooth them out. "I don't care. That snorting geezer basically threw me into an ocean and called it a swimming lesson!"

"My son, all that matters is that you're here now." Yunxu smiled proudly. "You beat the odds, and you're going to give the Fire Nation Koh's Realm tomorrow with those new skills."

Sighing, Yuhan looked back over and couldn't help returning the smile. "You're right, Dad. I'll just kill Bumi after the battle is over and done with." He paused for a moment. "You said that this group brought you here, right?" Yuhan turned to Iroh and suddenly felt ashamed for his consistent bashing of the flower cult. Considering how the latter was highly regarded as the Head Flower authority. "You...saved my father's life. I don't know how to thank you for that."

"I am humbled by your gracious words, Yuhan." Iroh glanced quiety at Yunxu for a moment. "But it was truly your friend Hiroshu who secured Mr. Tsen's safety. He has worked hard to keep you and your loved ones from harm."

Yuhan suddenly recalled a memory of Hiroshu - of Agent Leung - from a distant and evil place. There was red everywhere. Metal facets and flickering torches. A black sun, glowing with white edges. And...there was his bracelet, being pressed tightly into his palm as his patrol partner folded his rigid fingers over it...

"Hiroshu was the first person who told me Riya isn't gone," Yuhan mused quietly. "Does that mean he...knows where she might...?" It felt like a forbidden question to ask for some reason.

"Riya is in Ba Sing Se. That is all we know," Iroh replied softly. "She is under strict orders from Hiroshu to stay hidden from all eyes - all except for yours. You are the only one who can find her."

Yuhan's eyes widened. Riya was waiting for him, and for him alone. The entire world wasn't allowed a single glance at her until he arrived. It was a feeling like no other, a warm, glowing energy that swelled deep inside his chest. His fingers subconsciously curled around his bracelet.

"We wanted more than anything to bring her here with you, Yuhan, but her life was in great danger. Hiroshu could not risk any chances for Princess Azula to find her first." Iroh smiled somberly. "He did all that he could."

Yuhan watched his father look away, whose face was suddenly consumed by bitter hate and pure malice. Something began to crawl in his gut.

It...wasn't Riya. It took them forever to recreate her correctly - make a new memory - but they did it. And someone still died.

"The Dai Li were going to take Riya, weren't they?" Yuhan's voice was hardly audible. "But Hiroshu...he..."

I'm so sorry, Yuhan - I didn't know they would do the replacement! I-I didn't know what to do!

Yunxu could see it dawning over his son's face and squeezed his eyes shut, breathing heavily and gritting his teeth. "That lowly dog didn't lift a finger to stop the Dai Li from presenting Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation on a silver platter. He let them break my son and watched him go mad. He followed his master's orders - dragged Ning right out of our prison cell with those hideous chains they carry around in their sleeves - no goodbyes -" Yunxu cleared his throat loudly, his tortured voice barely finishing his judgment. "If he has the nerve to try playing the good guy, then he should die tomorrow protecting the Earth Kingdom. Then I might believe it."

There were no more words to be said. Yunxu's eyes grew damp when they noticed a traumatized Yuhan staring back. "I...should go to my healing session early today. Get some rest, my son." He stood up and bowed his head respectfully towards Iroh. "Thank you for the tea."

The Grand Lotus smiled warmly. "It is my pleasure, Mr. Tsen. Please feel welcome to join us for more."

The tent was utterly silent for several minutes. Iroh watched Yuhan with somber eyes, but he began to smile when the latter shakily reached towards the tray to pick up a cup of tea.

Yuhan impulsively emptied the entire first cup down his throat in one scalding gulp before saying a word. The boiling water and all the hot steam had become some crazy way to reset his senses every time he conversed with Iroh - not to mention he could use it as an excuse for any tears. Yuhan heaved several deep breaths, closed his eyes, and opened them again when the world began to stop spinning. When he looked up, Iroh was already holding out another cup of tea in offering. "Thank you..." Yuhan murmured. He couldn't think of anything else to say yet.

Iroh spoke gently as Yuhan proceeded to glug down the second steaming cup of tea. "You must have many questions right now, my young friend. I humbly ask for a moment of your time to answer them as best I can." He picked up the polished teapot from his tray and extended a hand towards Yuhan's empty cup. "May I?"

Yuhan nodded sheepishly. It always took a few tries before he could remember the concept of sipping a drink and stopping to taste it, but Iroh was gracious as usual. Yuhan's gratitude for him ran deeper than he could ever repay in this lifetime, and it was a relief to everyone that he was more agreeable and consistently sane around the old tea brewer. "I'm really grateful that my father's being looked after. As for Hiroshu...I..." Yuhan suddenly realized something. "Wait - is he no longer in the Dai Li? You're telling me he acted against them, and..."

Iroh smiled and took a long sip of tea from his own cup. "The Dai Li are masters of team combat. They were very wise to train you and Hiroshu together as ideal partners who would be aligned not only in combat, but in spirit, honor, and dedication to your duty to protect Ba Sing Se."

Yuhan was at a loss for words. He knew that Hiroshu had taken an insane risk by freeing him from prison, but he always assumed that it was as his best friend. Not as another radical who would be willing to end his alliance with the most elite earthbenders in Ba Sing Se, who held even more power and luxury than Hiroshu had already been raised with his entire life. He'd given up his rights to the finest cuisine in the Earth Kingdom to join an elderly crowd of gardeners who identified as flowers. Yuhan glanced towards Iroh's unworldly robes and remembered how his unrecognizable patrol partner and the snorting geezer from Omashu had been wearing the same outfit; dark navy, wide white sleeves, a rounded white poncho lined with petal-like accents.

"So, er... Can you tell me how is this international flower club is related, exactly?"

~o~o~o~

Hiroshu resolved to improve his patrol partner's reputation for the time being, since he couldn't figure out how to talk to him yet. He began by sharing the story of Yuhan and Riya, which became a hit faster than he expected. "You'll know it's him once you see the fancy bracelet he never takes off. It's got three ridiculously shiny beads that you can't miss," explained Hiroshu. "It was a gift from Riya, you see - sort of like a panda lily promise. He stares at it all the time in angst."

The others were listening very intently. It seemed as if they preferred to look at tomorrow in a more positive light - a hero fighting for his beloved - rather than the world potentially ending and burning them all to the ground. "Was Yuhan really the first to turn against the Dai Li?" asked one of the younger members. His voice lowered. "And is it true what they say about how he was tortured?"

Some of them had overheard the occasional group of healers talking about planned recovery efforts after battle - which included some disturbing mentions about Yuhan's experience.

Hiroshu nodded grimly. "Yeah... It's everything they say and worse." No one spoke for a good moment. "But hey, he's all fixed up now!" Hiroshu quickly added. "His head is in the game - well, for the most part - and there's no way that he'll let Riya die tomorrow."

Moshu Shi, the firebending play critic who'd ridden the ferry with Hiroshu, was also part of the circle. "Yeah, Yuhan deserves all the happiness he can get after everything he's been through. Pretty sure we're not the only ones rooting for him," he remarked. "Have you caught up with him yet?"

There was a pause. Hiroshu cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well - it's time for lunch. I'll get to it after we eat. Or you know what, actually? He'll probably be around for the food and we can all go say hi."

The others nodded along in agreement and began to share various comments about the provisions from Omashu.

"Those hanbaos are greasy as Koh's Realm, but they sure are good."

"I second that. But hold on - Hiroshu, what's that thing about a badgermole from the Lovers' Cave? Should we be worried?"

"...Oh. The badgermole. Right." Hiroshu remembered a couple of things that his patrol partner had been muttering unconsciously while being carried into camp. "You mean the one that Yuhan decided to name after a sandwich?" There was a wry chuckle. "I'm pretty sure that's just something he imagined. It's not his fault, though. Anyone would go mad in his shoes."

"Yeah. Poor fellow..."

Moshu stayed behind as the others dispersed with their commentary. "Are you actually planning to approach Yuhan anytime soon?" he asked slowly. "You've been hesitating." He'd gotten to know Hiroshu ahead of time and caught on to things quicker than the latter preferred.

Hiroshu dully gazed over. "I've gotten random death threats from Yuhan during all eight years in the Dai Li. The fact that he's starting to act on them isn't very comforting."

Moshu looked up at the sky, squinting as the hot sun cast blinding reflections off his glasses. "We could all die from Sozin's Comet tomorrow. If I were you, I'd take my chances with Yuhan."

~o~o~o~

"You are surrounded by allies, Yuhan. We have gathered here from around the world to free Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation, and we are the Order of The White Lotus."

Piandao, the kind gentleman who'd allowed Iroh and Yuhan a few nights at his residence in Shu Jing on their way to the Northern Water Tribe, was matching the former in his lotus-themed outfit. The two of them were masters of combat - Yuhan took note of the encased sword slung over Piandao's shoulder - and they had chosen to invite him, of all people, to their flower club. They were sitting across from him in the tent with Iroh's tea tray between the two parties as some kind of zen, unifying element.

Yuhan realized, embarassedly, that Ba Sing Se didn't have any allies of its own. A flower group was better than nothing. "I'm truly grateful that Ba Sing Se won't be facing Sozin's Comet alone," he began. "But...where did all of this come from?" For some reason, all he could wonder about for a moment was who'd decided to pick a lotus for a mascot. "I mean, how do connections spawn between Fire Nation nobility and some snorting geezer from Omashu -"

"King Bumi, Yuhan." Iroh smiled pleasantly and took a gracious sip of tea. Yuhan took issue with that comment.

"We apologize that your first encounter with the Order of the White Lotus was...less than ideal," Piandao commented hesitantly. (The story of Yuhan's failed murder attempt and subsequent immobilization was infamous.) "But please allow us a chance to introduce ourselves properly. We are an ancient, secret society transcending the divisions of the four nations. Our values lie in the pursuit of beauty, philosophy, and truth, and we release favoritism of any particular element."

Yuhan nodded along and sipped his own tea. So, this bunch were technically like cultural protectors themselves. Except they didn't butcher the concept like the Dai Li, who were going to let the Fire Nation reduce Ba Sing Se and all evidence of its culture to ashes tomorrow.

Iroh took a long breath before looking at Yuhan suddenly with an intensity in his golden eyes that made the latter pause. "The ancient Order is needed now for something more, and the Lotuses have answered my call. We are ready to take Ba Sing Se back from the Fire Nation, and we are ready to give back its future."

There was a profound silence in the air as Yuhan simply stared back at the two old masters. They were from the most privileged, luxurious corner of the world, and they were willing to take a stand against their own nation for his city, knowing full well that it could cost them their lives. He could never repay that kind of selflessness. His eyes began to glisten with something unfamiliar to him, a deep gratitude and a desire to live up to something he couldn't describe in words yet.

The old masters seemed to sense it. Iroh gave a little nod towards Piandao with a smile. "Will you fight with us, Yuhan?" he asked. This time, he was offering much more than tea. "Will you accept us as comrades, and let us change the fate of Ba Sing Se together?"

These honorable souls were giving his city a fighting chance. Hope was no longer just a sheer, lonely, desperate will to move forward. Yuhan wanted to be a part of this, someone with the power to bring such a thing to those who were facing the impossible. He nodded silently.

Iroh smiled wide and held out a folded set of navy and white robes. "Then will you wear this with us into battle?"

~o~o~o~

Time was going to run out before he knew it. Hiroshu had to stop avoiding Yuhan before the comet came to potentially kill them all, but he couldn't think of a single way to close the gap without setting off a deranged, psychotic fit of anger. What was going to trigger it first? Having to explain Suyin? Trying to justify why Riya was literally impossible to find and evacuate because of his own orders? How he'd let Yuhan fight the Dai Li alone and get tortured in every way while he got off scotch-free? Or how his attempt to save him ended up landing him in a cursed labyringth because he'd thought Bumi would be a safe escort?

And... Ning Tsen.

Yep. He was in for another murder attempt. Hiroshu wasn't even going to blame Yuhan for succeeding this time, if it came down to it. Morbid thoughts about how the latter would choose to go about it filled his head as he sat glumly on a moldy rock outside of his tent. His sandwhich had gone cold.

Volcano had been sitting on his shoulder the entire time and couldn't get his attention until the talons dug sharply into his shoulder and tore a few holes through the fabric of his uniform. "Awh, shucks - gimme a break," Hiroshu finally responded, raising his arm for the hawk to shuffle over to in order to spare his shoulder. The sight of Volcano cooing happily, however, made him think glumly of Yuhan's imaginary badgermole. It was probably the closest thing that his poor best friend had for any company in that cave, miserable and trying not to die alone.

"I have located the traitor Yuhan Tsen - you are within combat range!"

Oh, Dear Spirits, no.

"You are within combat range! Please engage for his immediate arrest!"

Her voice was so shrill and unnatural that a frightened Volcano flew off of his shoulder. Hiroshu could hear quiet footsteps approaching behind him, the grass rustling softly as they came closer and closer. He went completely still. He couldn't move.

"AGENT LEUNG! This is a dire emergency! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

The slow, steady footsteps travelled past him and slowly came to a stop in front of Joo Dee. Hiroshu squeezed his eyes shut.

"I, the traitor Yuhan Tsen, willingly surrender myself for immediate arrest. Agent Leung will be taking me into custody."

Hiroshu looked up with a jolt. His patrol partner was standing tall, clad in navy and white robes and bearing the colors of the Order of the White Lotus.

Yuhan turned to Hiroshu with...a smile. "I'm under arrest, right?" There was a somberness in his eyes, but they were kind and held no judgment. No murderous intent whatsoever.

It was only when he remembered about Joo Dee, who looked desperate to see this treachery crisis resolved, that Hiroshu finally managed to stutter a response. "Y-yeah. Don't worry, Joo Dee." His patrol partner's eyes were downcast at the sound of her name. "This traitor is completely in my custody," Hiroshu continued, unable to look anywhere except for his feet. " He'll cooperate, so I can take care of it myself. Go wait...anywhere else. Please."

The patrol partners were left alone in the silence. The air was completely still - not even a rustle of wind. Hiroshu's voice couldn't find itself.

Yuhan wasn't trying to kill him. He spoke first. "So...that's two Joo Dees you've saved so far. You're way ahead of me."

Hiroshu haggardly gazed back with a combination of shock and shame. "Yuhan -"

"Look." Yuhan gazed around at all the tents for a moment, then down at his bracelet. "My father and Riya... They're all I have left. I failed to protect them, but they're still living because of you." He chuckled a little, much to his patrol partner's surprise. "Shoot, I'd also be dead if it weren't for you. The way I see it, you're basically the Loudmouthed Hero in Emerald who saved my ass. Stop looking so mopey."

Hiroshu was having trouble processing it, even as Yuhan reached out and patted him casually on the shoulder. "So anyway, Iroh told me to get all the details of the battle strategy from you. Can you fill me -"

"Hey! You're Yuhan Tsen, right?"

The two of them weren't expecting such an enthusiastic group of fellow Lotuses to appear out of nowhere, but it hit Hiroshu that they'd all been a part of the storytelling circle. Yuhan's bracelet was clearly visible the moment he'd reached out for the shoulder-pat.

Moshu was the first to greet Yuhan, who was surprised that no one had a problem approaching him after he'd tried to kill any in sight upon his arrival. "It's truly an honor to meet you and to be able to fight alongside you. My name's Moshu."

The two of them exchanged courteous bows, though Yuhan still found all the surrounding enthusiasm very odd. "Er, the honor part is uneccessary, but thank you." He began to notice all the stares towards his bracelet and raised a brow.

"Hiroshu told us how you fought against the entire Dai Li and came here from across the world to save the love of your life!"

It was so sudden. "Well - yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Yuhan noticed a snorting King Bumi entering the food provision tent in the distance, and his eyes narrowed viciously. Iroh had already stopped him from at least 3 murder attempts. "Honestly, it was a lot harder to get here than it was supposed to be..." grumbled Yuhan. "But I'm not going to let Sozin's Comet take Riya from me. Nothing will." He stared intently towards his bracelet, true to Hiroshu's description. The words seemed automatic, deep and with a clarity in his determined eyes, which were the most sane that anyone had seen them so far.

"Wow...she must be a girl worth fighting for." They were really into this.

Yuhan nodded solemnly. "More than anything." He meant every word he said.

"Is she paler than the moon?"

"Does she have eyes that shine like stars?"

Well, this was becoming weird, but he began to understand why. An unamused Yuhan gazed dully towards Hiroshu, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Come on, Yuhan, tell us a little -"

"None of you are getting it right." Yuhan tightened the drawstrings on his bracelet and looked up towards the sun. "Riya's more beautiful than the moon and stars combined."

There was a chorus of whoops and whistles as he walked away, shaking his head. This was not something that Yuhan expected to make him smile, but he could feel his lips turning upwards ever so slightly. For once in his life, his love for Riya didn't sound so awful and depressing.

~o~o~o~

The night drew near. Iroh had gone to sleep before the sun even set, but many of the Lotuses couldn't find the peace of mind for slumber. They could only gaze up at the darkening sky during these last hours before it would burn crimson red. It was a quiet dread that no one dared to speak.

Hiroshu and Yuhan hadn't left the war strategy tent even once. They'd spent most of the time there familiarizing the Order of the White Lotus with Ba Sing Se's layout. A massive map was pinned to the wall, the most recent edition from the city with the Fire Nation residences included, but it no longer appeared new after being scribbed all over by the patrol partners with all the hidden passages and underground bases that only the Dai Li knew of.

The two of them were now going over a second map together, this one sporting red circles everywhere like polka dots - new additions to the underground that Yuhan had to memorize before tomorrow. "How did all these healers manage to infiltrate Ba Sing Se without being detected?" he asked incredulously. "Some of these bunkers are next to the Royal Palace!"

"Well, they had a Dai Li agent with them," Hiroshu replied matter-of-factly. The messenger hawk on his shoulder jolted a little and had to regain its balance as he shrugged. "I could throw a dance party with the entire Order and we'd still be invisible."

"Fair enough." Yuhan nodded simply without objection.

"Anyway," Hiroshu went on, scrutinizing the polka-dotted map once more. "There should be two healers and an earthbender stationed in each bunker. If you're injured or see soneone who's incapacitated, find the nearest bunker and give the signal."

"Signal?"

"Yeah - just punch the ground like it's Long Feng's face, and it'll alert the earthbender to pull you in. There won't be much time for glowy water, so get back up to the surface as soon as you're functional and don't try to patch up every wound."

"Got it." Yuhan scanned over Hiroshu for a moment, still trying to get used to his transformation into a braid-less, third-party flower cult member. "So...you've been helping the Order prepare for this battle for over a month?"

"Yep." Hiroshu scratched the back of his neck for a moment and looked away. "Honestly, that was easier than getting you back to Ba Sing Se in one piece. I am SO sorry, truly, about King Bumi."

Yuhan sighed. "Yeah, well, I'm alive and still owe that to you. At least I learned some useful earthbending in the cave - no thanks to that geezer." He gazed distantly towards the flaps of the tent's entrance. "And I also had a lot of help from my badgermole. I still need to find -"

"Your badgermole? You mean, uh... Hanbao?"

Yuhan knew that look; Hiroshu wasn't sure if his mind was entirely intact. The suspicion used to be more related to sleep-loss induced insanity, only it was much worse this time. "Well, yeah," Yuhan continued. "I told him to stay put outside the Walls and was supposed to come back for him until I got ambushed and dragged to this camp unconscious."

"Uhuh." Hiroshu nodded along, ever so slowly.

Yuhan scowled. "You don't believe me either, do you? I am not making this up!"

"...Uhuh." Hiroshu's messenger hawk, bold red and conspicuous on his shoulder, began to mimic him and slowly bobbed its head.

Yuhan's brow twitched as both parties nodded skeptically. "I swear, once this battle is over and done with, I'll make sure you're aware of Hanbao's existence once I let him eat all your precious food in front of your face!" The lack of context about Hanbao's food habits only made Hiroshu look even more sure about Yuhan's insanity. "Seriously, why won't even one person believe -"

There was a rustle of canvas as a short, round-faced old man entered the tent. "Ah - hello there, youngsters!" he greeted chipperly. His blue eyes and tanned skin indicated Water Tribe roots; Yuhan wouldn't have been able to tell which part of the world he'd come from otherwise. The elderly man proceeded to shuffle past the patrol partners and came to a stop in front of the map on the wall. "These old eyes just needed a clearer look at the big city, you know? Boy, I wish you two could lend me your young, sharp vision! Ahaha..."

Yuhan and Hiroshu exchanged dull glances for a moment. It was a grim reminder that they were relying on a camp of old geezers to prevent world destruction, who all insisted that they were capable fighters.

"Oh! You must be young Mr. Tsen," the elderly waterbender exclaimed. He'd caught sight of Yuhan's bracelet pretty quickly for someone who apparently had old, subpar vision. He paced over and bowed his head graciously before the latter could protest, his eyes twinkling much like Iroh's. "It's such an honor to meet you. I pray that you and your beloved will be reunited tomorrow and live out your days in happiness."

A redfaced Yuhan had to look away as several more romantic wishes filled the air.

"May you find her and hold her in your arms again, and never let go!" the elderly waterbender finished, smiling brightly and turning to leave the tent. "Young love is such a blessing..."

Yuhan duly noted how many people had taken to his story throughout the day. He sighed and looked over at Hiroshu. "Your gossip managed to get the entire flower club to pay attention to my love life. I shouldn't even be surprised."

"Hey, be glad that they don't think you're a violent psycho anymore."

"...Anymore?"

"Well, uh, you know the incident with my scout team and how you attacked..." Hiroshu quickly cleared his throat as an unamused Yuhan kept watching him. "ANYWAY, we're about to fight against a superpowered army of firebenders, and if they don't kill us first then the airship fleet could always finish the job. Anyone would appreciate a good love story right now."

There was loud, heavy rumble in the distance that shook the ground and made the tent shudder for a moment. Alarmed, the two patrol partners dashed out of the tent immediately alongside several others.

The first thing that Yuhan registered was how tall the Avatar's sky bison was - massive enough to block the moon from his view as everyone gathered around the new arrivals. He was frozen in time for a moment, unable to think of anything except for the bison's silhouette in the sky on that fateful night with Riya, atop the Outer Wall...

"Look, everyone - new friends!" announced King Bumi, who was leading a young and powerful group of individuals into the camp who'd hailed from all over the world. Yuhan could only keep staring.

"Let us welcome our noble companions," Piandao chimed in, smiling brightly. "Sokka and Katara of the Water Tribe. Toph Beifong. Prince Zuko. Kyoshi Warrior Suki. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

To everyone's surprise, the Avatar's comrades had arrived. The rumors of Prince Zuko's change of heart turned out to be very true. The children were so modest and waved a bit sheepishly, though Toph Beifong was confident as ever and asked if anyone had melon juice. Yuhan was grateful that they were on the same side.

"Wait..." He suddenly noticed it. "Someone's missing."

To everyone's dismay, the Avatar was nowhere to be found.

~o~o~o~

A young waterbender wandered through the camp, her heart hammering as the countless stories about a silent hero in emerald filled the air around her. She was one of the few who'd seen it in person - the lone Dai Li agent who'd fought with impossible courage to give her and Aang the chance to escape. He was still alive and ready to battle...but he'd lost so much.

...

Yuhan's eyes were glued to the giant map of Ba Sing Se inside the war strategy tent. He'd been standing here indefinitely and hardly reacted to the soft vibrations of footsteps behind him entering the tent; he simply scanned over every illustrated corner inside the walls again and again, as if it would somehow reveal Riya to him.

"You're the one who stood up to the Dai Li back in Ba Sing Se."

Brilliant...another hopeless romantic coming to wish him good luck before the end of the world. Yuhan resisted the urge to sigh.

"I saw you fight. I saw you protect me and Aang and our friends. We were only able to escape because of you."

"Wait, what?" An unprepared Yuhan turned around abruptly. His new visitor bore robes of ocean blue and white, and her long, wavy brown hair had been let down save for the bun that secured the ends of the two hair loopies that framed her face. She had sapphire blue eyes that shined with what seemed like limitless compassion. "Oh... You're Katara of the Water Tribe." That probably wasn't the greatest attempt at a greeting. "I'm Yuhan. It's an honor to meet you - properly, I mean." Yuhan scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. "My stunt back at Ba Sing Se honestly didn't make much of a difference. The Earth Kingdom fell miserably."

"I don't see it that way," Katara replied softly. "Aang and I wouldn't have made it out if you didn't fight. And Aang was...gone. He could still be gone right now, if I wasn't somewhere safe to heal him." She bowed her head humbly. "I just want to thank you, so much, for helping us." There was a long pause. "Also... Iroh told us about Riya."

Yuhan went completely still.

Katara's eyes began to glisten. "I'm going to work with the healers and do whatever it takes to help you bring back Riya. We can make her remember. We can make all the Joo Dees remember - I know we can."

Okay, now his eyes were getting teary.

"I have hope that tomorrow won't be the end, Yuhan. Find Riya and let me help her," Katara beseeched him. "Please - it's the least I can do to repay you."

Yuhan had never dared to hope this much for Riya nor thought about anything past how to keep her alive tomorrow. This warmth, this optimism and sheer compassion towards him, was overwhelming. His voice choked up in his throat and was hardly audible by the time he managed a reply. "Thank you, Katara."

The young waterbender nodded solemly, her hopeful eyes determined as she turned to leave the tent. Right as she began to pull back the flap of canvas, however, she suddenly stopped. "Can I ask you something, Yuhan?"

"Huh?" Yuhan looked back over from his map.

"Did you always know that you love Riya?"

"...Huh?" Yuhan blinked. Of all the questions that people had pestered him with about his love life, this was one that he hadn't heard yet. It felt completely out of the blue. There was something troubled in Katara's expression, however, as she waited for a response.

The question repeated itself in Yuhan's head. "Erm...do you mean 'always' as in, literally from the very beginning? Because I don't know if it counts when we first met. I was seven. Riya was five. 'Love' is a pretty big word to use for that age."

He began to observe Katara more carefully. She was seeking some kind of reassurance, it seeemed. "So you wouldn't have known that it was love, right?" she asked hesitantly. "Because you were just kids - or like siblings, maybe?"

Yuhan's brows furrowed. "It's not like that. We were ridiculously young, sure, but Riya wasn't someone I'd ever describe as a little sister or something. She was..." He remembered Afro Girl and all the times she cheered on his soccer games despite being unable to earthbend. All the times she patiently tried to help him become competent at 'woodbending.' How they would share their hopes and dreams with each other. "She was my best friend," Yuhan murmured. "And I mean that there was always just...something special that I knew I wouldn't find with anyone else. Everyone who meets us always calls us out as childhood sweethearts by default, anyway." Yuhan lifted his hand to gaze at his bracelet with a somber smile. "Or, at least...everyone used to. When Riya was still possible to meet."

Katara looked heartbroken - and even more so that Yuhan could say it plainly without having a breakdown. He'd had a lot of time to let the sadness settle in.

Yuhan cleared his throat and let his arm drop back down. "So, does any of that answer your question?"

Katara was silent.

"...You're not asking about me and Riya, are you?" Yuhan's voice grew low.

"W-what? What are you saying -"

"You're in love with Avatar Aang. You just wanted justification to pretend that you don't know."

Katara was startled and visibly jolted at the sharp words. It was frightening how confidently he could deliver them, like an absolute truth with no room for negotiation. Peace Orator's instinct.

"Does he know, Katara?"

More silence.

Yuhan spoke very stiffly. "I was there when the Avatar fell. I saw the way you held him. The look on your face wasn't hard for me to recognize." Was she seriously going to try the denial thing?

Katara looked away and fiddled uncomfortably with her hair, biting her lip for a moment. "I care a lot about Aang, and I know how he feels about me," she murmured. "But, for you to say those things... I don't know. I'm just confused."

Yuhan realized that that was all she was going to offer for a pitiful explanation and began to speak again. "I have no right to tell you how to address your feelings." There was a cold shadow of bitter regret in his voice. "After all, I never told Riya that I love her until I had to make her forget that she exists."

The horror that took hold of Katara's face made Yuhan realize how awful it was that he'd gotten used to it all. He couldn't blame this naive waterbender for having no words to reply to something so disturbing. "Anyway," he continued, "None of this will matter if Avatar Aang fails tomorrow. I just pray that we'll all be given another day with the people we love."

The silence was astonishing.

Yuhan sighed. "I don't mean to be rude. You're a kind, giving person who's helped countless people in ways that I never could." The waterbender's downcast eyes looked back up towards him. "Thank you, truly, for extending that kindness to Riya. It means everything."

Katara smiled warmly. "I'm the one who should be thanking you," she replied, her ever-compassionate eyes sincere. "Good look tomorrow, Yuhan. I know you can win."

Yuhan returned the smile and nodded. "Likewise, Katara. We'll meet halfway once all of this is over."

The waterbender of the Southern Tribe and the Agent of the Dai Li parted on friendly, yet distant terms.

~o~o~o~

Yuhan and Hiroshu didn't sleep and might as well have forgotten about its existence. They were still obsessing over the maps and all the symbolic bunkers when the sun rose, like overzealous specialists of Ba Sing Se who absolutely refused to let a single person feel lost or cornered in the city. As Dai Li agents and patrol partners, they already knew Ba Sing Se better than its own population - but it was as if they were trying to get to know it even more than they already did. Even Hiroshu sported some impressive bags under his eyes.

Everyone here was trying to protect their lame, helpless city, and every death was going to be on their conscience. Yuhan and Hiroshu knew that it wasn't realistic to keep every person alive, but they absolutely loathed the notion that anyone here would be sacrificed for the Penetrable City of Pitiful Surrenders. These allies were far more than Ba Sing Se deserved.

It was time to report to stations before they realized it. The patrol partners exited the tent after much difficulty being reassured that yes, they'd explained everything adequately. Yuhan and Hiroshu spotted most of the Lotuses gathering around the sky bison and followed along. The Avatar's comrades, the only ones not matching the rest of the Order, stood out with the bold colors of their respective nations.

Yuhan's eyes slowly travelled from team to team. There was Sokka of the Water Tribe, Kyoshi Warrior Suki, and Toph Beifong climbing onto a tall eel-hound; Sokka gave Piandao a tight embrace before his turn. People were saying that he turned out to be quite a savvy swordsman himself, but Yuhan was honestly at ease from the sight of Toph Beifong alone. It was no easy task for this group to try to stop the airship fleet, but she'd apparently taken her supernatural earthbending skills to another level and bent metal nowadays as if it were rubber. Yuhan pitied the poor souls who'd encounter her.

Next was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and Katara of the Water Tribe, currently the furthest from view since they were sitting inside the saddle of Avatar Aang's sky bison. They were going to be confronting Princess Azula at the Fire Nation Royal Palace, and it seemed a bit insane not to have more than just two people attempting it. Katara wasn't too shabby back at Ba Sing Se, though, from what Yuhan could recall. Not to mention Azula and Zuko shared the same blood, which meant that the latter's firebending couldn't be that far behind hers. Sure, Yuhan could live with this arrangement.

And finally...all around him was the Order of the White Lotus that had made this possible. Yuhan still couldn't believe it, but the best of the world was gathered here: the Avatar's comrades, the leaders of the nations, and almost every kind of bender and weaponmaster. Iroh kept reassuring everyone that Avatar Aang would do his part, as well. He was just off doing his own thing at, well, the worst possible time. Then again, the Avatar had a knack for showing up late and turning the tables completely out of the blue. Yuhan decided to just focus on his own battle responsibilities.

The Fire Nation had never dealt with anything like this before. Yuhan could finally feel it - a real, fighting chance. As he continued to gaze up at the sky bison, he suddenly noticed Katara catching his eye. They gave each other a little nod of acknowledgment, a final good luck wish with mutual respect. They were going to give today their all, and there were people who loved them still waiting.

"Today, destiny is our friend. I know it." General Iroh stood a few paces ahead of everyone as he spoke his final words of wisdom.

Yuhan believed it this time. Hiroshu was smiling confidently next to him, which wasn't that unusual given his natural spirit, but he seemed pleasantly surprised to discover his patrol partner looking so optimistic. The two of them were tasked to lead one of three massive rock platforms to the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, each of which containing a battle unit with an effective combination of skills and experience.

Given their mastery of the city, Yuhan and Hiroshu could have each steered their own platform, but it was a known fact that they were most effective as a team. "They'd be crazy not to utilize the deadliest patrol partners in Ba Sing Se, amirite?" Hiroshu remarked. He gave Volcano's feathers a last stroke before releasing the bird into the air.

"Definitely," replied Yuhan. "We've got each other's backs." The two of them watched the hawk disappear safely into the clouds.

Before they knew it, they were standing at the very front of their assigned unit. Yuhan could hear the others getting into formation behind him and feel the heavy footsteps traveling up the staircase that had been erected for non-earthbenders. He looked to his right to observe the team populating the central platform. There were only five people, but they were the most powerful fighters in the entire camp - maybe aside from the snorting geezer from Omashu, who Yuhan still refused to count as an ally and reliable earthbender. Two of the men in this team were unfamiliar to him, but he'd heard stories. Pakku, tall and stern, was a famed waterbending master from the North. The other stranger was a ragged-looking firebender named Jeong Jeong, the first deserter of the Fire Nation army who lived. In the middle of the row was Iroh, wise and noble, returning to take the Earth Kingdom capital as promised and unrolling a large, silver-white flag with the emblem of the White Lotus.

Then, the sky began to change.

The quiet blue night faded, vanishing entirely as red - overwhelming, crimson red - swept across it. Time stood still as Yuhan and Hiroshu looked up and watched the sky become possessed with fire. No one seemed to be able move a muscle, simply staring at the transformation with awe and terror.

The last of the blue was gone.

Hiroshu aligned himself next to Yuhan and took position. "I'll be freaking pissed if we die." His patrol partner was still staring at the sky. "Ready to go make sure that there's no war in Ba Sing Se?" There was a new, if not subtle determination in his voice. "We'll see to it personally this time."

Yuhan scoffed, though there was a hint of smile. "Of course I'm ready. Everyone will finally believe me once we're done." His face grew solemn as 8 years' worth of conversions flipped through his memories. "We can all throw away the glowing lanterns after today."

The five old masters on the central platform raised the banner of the White Lotus. Its bright canvas and silver embroidery stood out against the red sky and came to life in the wind.

Yuhan looked up at the flag, a smile slowly forming on his face as the brilliant white defied the fiery red world around it. "I, Agent Yuhan Tsen...officially resign as Peace Orator." Rock gloves encased his hands and secured his bracelet as he looked straight ahead at the walls of Ba Sing Se. "Watch me, Riya."

.

.

POST-CHAPTER COMMENTS:

Ohhhh yes, sh*t's getting real now, huh? I hope the buildup was as exciting as I envisioned it. I sort of took a gamble with the Katara cameo in this chapter, but I knew that she'd be the type to want to thank Yuhan sooner or later, especially after being told that he's around. The way she ungracefully handles Aang's feelings along with her own though...yeah, it hit me that he would take issue with it. Let me know if that went well xD

So anyway, hopefully this chapter cleared out all the elephants in the room (that's what made it so freaking hard at times) so that the story can proceed to Sozin's Comet at full speed! Thanks for reading!