Authors Note: I've been waiting to write these next two chapters for forever! They're one of the original ideas I had when first coming up with this story!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar world, that is all owned by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

Chapter 21

Past Faces

A dark night in the desert, eerily silent. Wind blowing sand across the dunes. A single metal base stood above the waste. Lording over the desert. A single Dai Li agent patrolled the exterior. Guarding a solid door that led inside. They played with their collar as the sand stood still. A breeze almost blowing their hat off. The wind picked up, so the agent further secured their hat. They grew concerned as the wind seemed to swell in intensity. Having to look away to avoid the incoming grains of sand.

The wind was naturally turning into a storm. They tried to enter the building, only to find the door jammed. Growling, the agent reached for a radio on their hip. Only to be suddenly blinded by a flash of light. Cursing, the agent dropped the radio to the ground, which the storm flung away in the distance. The agent lost their balance, and was grappled by the sand and quickly submerged underground. The sand parted to reveal the agent out cold.

Wind storm subsiding, Wikilow, Elsi, Arlo and Gon, a sand bender emerged.

Rushing to the door, Wikilow easily unlocked it, allowing them entry.

An hour later, the group was abandoning a decimated base through the desert. Unconscious Dai Li agent lined up in front of the ruins. The night was blind to their activities.

"How'd the mission go?" Yulan nonchalantly asked as they returned. Having been gone for a couple days.

"The mission was a success." Wikilow reported.

"Yeah, nothing went wrong." Elsi corroborated, stretching her arms.

"Good to hear." Yulan praised, quickly preparing something before walking off with the trio and Gale. "Oh, Weird hair! We finished the reactor while you were gone. Should be good to go in two weeks." She informed.

"…Awesome!" Arlo cheered with only a slightly strained smile.

"You guys got back just in time! We got guests coming in a few hours!" Yulan announced, awkwardly chuckling at their surprised reactions. "Sorry, we got the news after you left." She went, tapping her goggles.

"Who's coming?" Elsi curiously asked after wrangling Gale from pestering a random passerby.

"A lot of my relatives, our relatives, the Beifongs!" Yulan explained, shooting a glance at Wikilow. "They were really insistent on meeting you, when the news got to them, that well, Avatar, you know?" She gestured, the stoic young man nodding.

"It is not wise for important figures to come." Wikilow criticized, causing Yulan's face to fall.

"…We know, unfortunately. That's why there're people who aren't coming." The female engineer sighed.

"I apologize for upsetting you." The Avatar said.

"You didn't, B…Buddy." Yulan rebutted, perking up. "But it should be fun! Can't wait for you to meet the rest of the family!" She enthusiastically continued.

"Yeah, should be real cool goggle girl." Arlo teases to which said goggle girl huffed. "Who else is coming then? President? Fire Lord?" He joked, a small skip in his step.

"No one that important weird hair. Though maybe a circus clown might show up." She shot back without missing a beat. Arlo mimed an over dramatic stab wound to his heart. "Few friends from Republic City are showing up. Getting some more help with the tech. Oh! And Jinora's coming!" Yulan announced, listing the visitors off.

Arlo's eye twitched.

"…Air Acolytes?" He asked after subtly composing himself.

"Yeah, it's freaky annoying finding time to get them here. But, with the Dai Li preoccupied with what we're doing, we got time!" Yulan affirmed, enunciating her last words.

"…Cool." The fire bender replied with a wide smile. Wikilow and Elsi noticed his discreet change in demeanour, but did not push the issue in front of Yulan. With that, they left to prepare for their guests' arrival.

Hours later, the four sat above one of the tunnels in the main cave. The Resistance in a larger frenzy than usual down below. Arlo spent the time engrossed in a new game he had made. Some sort of shooting mode. The fire bender's focus was entirely on the handheld device. Elsi made small chat with an excited Yulan, who regaled the group with fond tales of the Beifong family. Wikilow watched the exchange in silence.

The various fighters were ushered away from the cave's centre. Looking on in eager anticipation. The ground shook, rumbling as it cracked open. Two metal trucks were pulled upwards and out of the hole. Which closed itself in turn.

From inside the truck, the door was ripped open in surprising speed. A youthful elderly woman revealing herself to be the culprit.

"HELLO!" She shouted, as the Resistance cheered.

"Great Grandma Opal!" Yulan excitedly yelled back, racing down to greet the elder. Wikilow, Elsi, and Arlo following behind. Though the cirque dragged his feet across the ground. Yulan gave Opal Beifong a large hug which was returned. Another older gentleman around Opal's age exited the truck. A long curly white beard that curled at his feet. "Great Grandpa Bolin!" Yulan exclaimed, giving him a hug as well.

"Yulan! It's been ages since we last saw you! You're almost engine-nearing my height!" Bolin joked, laughing a boisterous laugh. The others around him forced a chuckle out. Arlo sweat dropped at the pun.

The fire bender moved to introduce himself to the Beifong elders. However, two more people emerged from the truck. An extremely old man, far older then Bolin and a hunched back, eyes wrinkled up into thin slits. He was supported by a younger, but still old woman. With long grey curls flowing behind her back.

The two were dressed in traditional air nomad attire.

Arlo's eye twitched again.

He rapidly blinked, fighting himself to keep his eye open to no avail. The fire bender agitatedly rubbed at it, trying to make the eye cooperate. It was no use, the eyelids continuing to incessantly jerk up and down. The sight was extremely odd to the people nearby. Desperate, Arlo began hitting the socket with his hand. Finally, his two friends confronted him.

"Arlo, are you okay?" Elsi quietly whispered, turning away from the reunion.

"I'm-I'm fine! Don't worry about it!" Arlo quickly refuted, still rapidly blinking.

"Y…you don't look fine, Arlo. You should really get your eye checked." The air bender suggested, concerned for their friend. Wikilow was already prepared to do so, raising his arm-

"I said I'm fine!" Arlo uncharacteristically snapped, before instantly backing down. "I'll go look at it right now actually, away! Have fun guys! It's fine!" He abruptly decided, hurriedly retreating, still holding his eye.

"Arlo!" Elsi called out, but was lost in the sea of voices. "Oh! He's already gone!" She dejectedly noted, sighing. "Come on, let's go find him." Elsi tried to say, rushing off. Before he could follow however, Wikilow felt a burly arm wrap around his shoulders. Darting his eyes, he saw the identity as Bolin Beifong.

'OI! You're the new Avatar, right?" Bolin energetically shouted. Opal gently chiding him beside the two.

"…Correct. I am Avatar Wikilow." The young man confirmed with a straight face, fixing his hat that the impact had shifted. The two blinked at him before softly chuckling to themselves.

"Man… you really are nothing like Korra." Bolin quietly stated, a sad but accepting smile. The elder released the Avatar, who promptly corrected his posture. Wikilow tilted his head.

"I apologize if my lack of character disappoints you." Wikilow dryly went, but was soon interrupted by the elders.

"What no! We're not disappointed at all!" Bolin quickly reassured, surprisingly agile for his age.

"We were already prepared for this. It's just…" Opal started.

"Really weird, really, super duper, weird." Bolin finished for her.

"I see…" Wikilow noted, curtly nodding.

"But forget that! We're still family after all, eh!" Bolin cheered, shooting his fist into the air, Opal clapping besides him. Wikilow nodded again, face indifferent. But the two elders didn't seem to mind. The couple left to talk with Yulan more, giving him the opportunity to catch up with Elsi and locate Arlo. However, the two dressed in air nomad attire approached him.

"Hello there, young man." The woman warmly greeted, guiding the older gentlemen along. Wikilow stared at her for a moment, before recognition from his files kicked in.

"Master Jinora." The Avatar respectfully acknowledged.

"I shouldn't be surprised you know who I am." Jinora replied with a chuckle.

"You are an important figure in Republic City. It could only be assumed." Wikilow went. The air bending master nodded, studying him a moment longer before the older man wheezed.

"Hello…" He rasped, in an old croaking voice. There was a familiar warmth in the elder's small eyes that Wikilow couldn't identify. The old master used a curved wooden cane. Taking a shaky step toward him, he tapped the cane near Wikilow's foot. The old master looked up, his senile appearance crumbling away like dust in the wind. Revealing the wise soul that was Tenzin.

"Hello, Avatar…" Tenzin whispered, wondrously. Reliving more then a hundred years worth of memories.

"Dad." Jinora chuckled, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Master Tenzin." Wikilow stated, tilting his head at the elder's behaviour. Tenzin's cheeks widened at his words. Proceeding to step back once more. Jinora then turned to him, thoughtful.

"There is much I wish to discuss with you. If you have time, Wikilow I believe?" The master asked, to which he confirmed. Before that, from over her should Wikilow could see one last figure exit the truck. Which was promptly moved away from the cave's centre. It was another old woman, with long black and grey hair. Vibrant green eyes. The woman approached them.

"Hey." She said to Wikilow, a passionate spark in her eyes.

"Hello." He said in turn, studying her face for an identity. After some time, Wikilow recalled that he had met the woman in Republic City. When he had been fetching items for Arlo's circus. However, he couldn't place a name and so tilted his head. A flash of hurt and sympathy passed over the woman and Jinora's faces.

"Asami Sato." The woman introduced herself with a small grin, shaking his hand. He seldom recognized the name at least, from various files from the Dai Li. Though he had never viewed a photo of her before.

"It is an honour to meet you, Mrs. Sato. I am Avatar Wikilow… we met in Republic City." Wikilow stated, making Asami's eyes widen.

"Oh? You remember such a small meeting?" The former CEO inquired.

"I have an efficient memory." The Avatar explained.

"Really?" Asami went, laughing to herself. "I've heard quite a lot of things about you." She said more seriously.

"I see." Wikilow stated.

Asami was silent for a few seconds, shuffling around in her large coat. Before she put her hands together.

"I have something to give you. From Avatar Korra. Could we go somewhere private?" She quietly requested. Wikilow blinked, instead looking around for Elsi or Arlo.

"I apologize, but I can not fulfill your request at this time. I need to find my, friends." He turned down with a shake of his head. Asami nodded, understanding.

"Elsi, and Arlo, yes?" Jinora inquired, though there was something off about her voice. Something akin to regret.

"Correct." He affirmed, stepping back to search for the two. However, he didn't need to. As the air bender soon returned, pushing her way through the crowd toward them. "Did you locate Arlo?" Wikilow questioned. To which Elsi sadly shook her head.

"I couldn't find him. Thought I'd ask around." She explained. Elsi moved to continue, but paused upon seeing the elders. "Wait, Master Tenzin, Jinora, and Asami Sato?" The young woman gaped in awe. Elsi looked from them to Wikilow, taking a large step back. "Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt!" She apologized with a respectful bow.

"You weren't interrupting anything, dear." Asami assured. "We can talk later, go find your friend." She then told Wikilow. Elsi blinked at her words, before rapidly shaking her head.

"No, no no! Please carry on. I'll go find, Arlo!" Elsi insisted. The Avatar tilted his head, before nodding.

"That is a reasonable method of operation." He stated. "Mrs. Sato, I can show you somewhere private." Wikilow told the old woman, who after a moment of hesitation, agreed. As they walked off, Elsi had a small, animated talk with the air bending masters before they too left elsewhere. Gale flew down, though their report was rather lacklustre on Arlo's location. With a sigh she began asking around for an idea where the fire bender was.

"Is something going on with Weird Hair?" Yulan prodded upon being asked.

"He… kind of ran off. Do you have any idea where he is?" Elsi explained.

"Err, best guess would be the workshop. But I doubt he's there as everyone's out here." Yulan replied.

"Oh, I'll go check it out, thanks Yulan." Elsi said, running off toward the workshop. Yulan watched the air bender leave, contemplating.

Wikilow led Asami through the cool winding tunnels. The crowd slowly thinning out the farther they walked. Occasionally, they would stop for Asami to talk with someone. The old woman was surprisingly youthful for her former CEO, whose son ran Future industries by that point, talked with Wikilow about the Resistance. Eventually the two wandered into a small cave, which was luckily empty.

"What is it that Avatar Korra asked you to give me?" Wikilow inquired.

"Well, I heard you reconnected with your past lives before Korra." Asami began, to which he nodded at. "Well, even though that probably makes most of this mute. Avatar Korra wrote this for her successor, you." The elder explained, pulling out a thick, well kept journal from her coat. Wikilow silently took it, flipping through the pages. "It's not completely useless. Has some stuff from people, other then Korra in there." Asami added, as he quickly began flipping through the journal.

"I see…" Wikilow said after a short pause, storing the journal away. "My predecessor must have trusted you greatly to watch over it." He went, watching her crinkled face morph into confusion.

"I would think so… we loved each other after all…" Asami whispered, wiping a small tear from her eye. Wikilow blinked, tilting his head.

"I was not aware Avatar Korra had a significant other." He stated.

"You didn't?" The elder gasped, face falling.

"I was told my predecessor hadn't a need for such a thing. But, I assume this was incorrect." The young man questioned.

"Of course it was a lie!" Asami instantly answered, muttering a curse under her breath. She drew in a deep breath, cooling down. "…Anyways, I hope that you get something out of this…" She finished with an encouraging smile, age showing.

"…Thank you." Wikilow said to her.

"No thank you, Wikilow. I'm just glad I got to meet you…" Asami warmly stated, giving a tiny bow before exiting the cave, leaving him alone. He blinked, just standing there for a minute. Before taking the journal out and beginning to read.

Yulan entered the workshop, finding only a few of the engineering team present.

"Did Weird Hair come over?" She asked one of the guys.

"Elsi already came over and asked that. Is something wrong?" They inquired.

"Just trying to find the clown." Yulan explained, playing it off as nothing. They nodded at her answer.

"Got it, he actually did come in about an hour ago. But he didn't stay long. Rolled one of the other reactors away to work on it before the tunnels filled up." The engineer reported. Yulan hummed, thanking them before exiting the workshop.

"Okay… where is he?" She wondered, aimlessly wandering through the tunnels. Yulan tapped her goggles as she pondered his whereabouts. Soon, the engineer had travelled to the farthest tunnels of the cave system. Sighing, Yulan moved to head back but a small rumble beneath made her pause. Waiting, another small rumble along with a faint echo came forth from the ground. Curiously, Yulan crouched down and put her head against the stone. She could hear the constant banging and whirring of machinery.

"What?" Yulan muttered, getting up and dusting herself off. "Could he be in the testing area?" She thought, already moving toward said area. The testing areas were deep underground the base, and much farther out. As such, the long winding route down to it was extremely inconspicuous. And not many went down except the engineering team.

The sound grew louder as she descended the tunnels. Tweaks and clicks echoing off the walls. A thin drip light illuminated the path.

Eventually, she entered the large cave that served as the testing area. Arlo being nowhere to be found. Yet the sound persisted throughout the cave. Yulan tapped her goggles, before feeling something hit her head. Picking the fallen object, a small screw off the ground. She looked up at the wooden frame above, finally finding the fire bender.

Arlo had thrown himself into meticulous work on a reactor. Movements quick and precise yet fast paced. Losing himself in the mechanics.

What had been striking was the pair of oversized goggles pressed against his face. Looking extremely out of place on the ex cirque.

"Weird Hair!" Yulan yelled from below the platform, racing up to join the alarmed young man.

"Hey, Yulan…" Arlo greeted, forcing a smile on his face as he worked. "What brings you down here?" He asked, trying to act casual.

"I could ask the same to you, Weird hair. Your friends have been looking for you." Yulan explained. "What's going on with you?" She then questioned, a serious look in her eyes.

"Nothing." Arlo lied, not looking at her.

"Yeah right it's nothing." Yulan scoffed, crossing her arms. "What's with the goggles?" She asked, poking the strap on the back of his head.

"Sheesh, I know I look ridiculous!" Arlo tried to joke, but her expression went unchanged.

"You're darn right that you do… take them off, Arlo." Yulan ordered, pointing at the goggles.

"I kind of need them right now, working, you know? Actually, I'll probably be at this all day, so-" Arlo tried to excuse but she interrupted him.

"Goggles. Off." Yulan repeated. The fire bender paused to stare at her, yet she remained unmoving. With a loud sigh he ripped the goggles from his head, shaking some hair from his face. His left eye, which was coloured golden was incessantly twitching, almost closed.

"Happy?" Arlo sarcastically muttered, turning. Though his form shook, preventing him from making any progress on the reactor. The fire bender lifted a hand to his forehead, grunting. "…Before you ask if I'm okay, I'm completely fine and happy!" Arlo quickly added, as he roughly punched his trembling arm.

"I find that hard to believe." Yulan objected, biting her lip as she tried to find the words to say. "I'm not the right person for this…" She thought.

"Can you just leave me alone for a bit. Just don't want to deal with some stuff right now." Arlo muttered, hands limp.

"…Okay, I'll just go tell Elsi and Wikilow-" Yulan quietly replied but was cut off.

"NO! Do not tell them!" Arlo loudly objected, cutting the air with his hand. "Especially not them!" He clarified, eyes desperate.

"Then can you at least talk about this? Not with me, probably shouldn't be me, but someone?" Yulan unsurely asked, thinking it was the right thing to say.

"Absolutely not…" Arlo instantly turned down, before visibly retreating into himself. Taking a deep breath he continued. "I don't need to say anything. Because I'm fine, honest." He tried to lie, attempting to force his left eye open to no avail.

"Please don't say such an obvious lie, Arlo." Yulan retorted.

"It's not a lie! It's not a lie…" The fire bender quietly repeated, leaning against a wooden beam.

"Listen-" Yulan tried.

"It doesn't matter okay! It's over and done with!" Arlo snapped, though it might've been more toward himself then her. Yulan opened her mouth to speak. But he wasn't listening anymore. Arlo was muttering things to himself, as if trying to convince himself of something. "It doesn't matter… it doesn't matter… doesn't… as long as they're happy… it doesn't matter… happy…" Arlo stammered, holding his head, salt wetting his cheeks.

The curtains of the cirque's facade had closed.

"Monkey feathers!" Arlo cursed, before muffling himself through a breakdown. His eye continued to act erratically. Yulan hesitantly watched a moment longer, before stepping forward and shaking the fire bender.

"Kyoshi come on! You're an adult aren't you! Act like one!" She shouted, wrestling him by the shoulders. He paid no mind to her actions. "What's going on with him?" Yulan frantically thought.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Arlo had begun saying on repeat, definitely not talking to her. Yulan nervously glanced behind her, dragging her hands over her face.

"Okay… I won't tell anyone. We can just sit here or something, and talk, just talk!" She quickly reassured, pulling him out from the meltdown. As Arlo calmed himself down, she collapsed against the opposing wall. The fire bender sniffled, offering a hushed apology before falling silent. His goggles lay abandoned below the wooden frame. The reactor whirs and hums filling the silence. Yulan was unsure of what to say or do, desperately wanting to leave and find someone else to handle it. But did not want Arlo freaking out. So, she decided to prod him again.

"…Do… do you want to talk?" Yulan reattempted.

"I… I don't want to ruin…" Arlo denied with a shake of his head, mumbling the last word so softly she couldn't hear.

"Ruin what?" Yulan questioned.

"…Me." Arlo answered after a long pause, avoiding eye contact. The fire bender seemed to have an inward debate over whether to talk or not. Eyes going from himself, Yulan and the reactor. He pulled at his white stripe and felt his twitching eye. Finally, his face settled. Mind becoming lost in the past as he began retelling his story.

Authors Note: First segment is mainly there to illustrate what the Resistance is doing regarding action. As the next few chapters don't have much physical combat or action. I realize it was pretty coincidental how Yulan found Arlo. Last segment also somehow got darker then I planned, didn't initially plan a breakdown. Next chapter will start off with some backstory.