Intermission 2: Sensation

The staff stayed hidden while she was in town. An airbender not wearing one of those silly uniforms would draw too much attention. The last thing Whistler wanted was attention. The first thing she wanted was soup.

The cooks in this town couldn't make miso soup half as good as some of the back-alley chefs back in the Republic, but it was close enough. Whistler could always add the ludicrous amounts of salt on her own afterwards. It was decent, it was filling, and it was cheap, a lot of things that Whistler needed. Most of the money she'd taken from their supply cache was reserved for things other than food.

It was a strange experience, having money that was hers. She was so used to filching whatever she needed from people's pockets, or eating whatever was lying around. She'd never really had to think about things like budgets, what she could or couldn't buy.

Every now and then she saw a wallet or purse improperly secured, a tempting target for even the least skilled pickpocket. She had never felt even the slightest urge to grab at them.

It seemed that at some point she had completely abandoned the ways of the thief. While the skills remained, as her theft of radios at the North had proven, she no longer had the mentality. She did not analyze every person as a potential mark, she did not scan for escape routes and hiding places in the city streets. She was no longer a thief by nature.

A part of her almost regretted that, but not quite. As it stood, she was in a neat little comfort zone between "neutral" and "evil". Not quite a hero, but good enough to not hurt people and steal things for no reason. From now on, she would only hurt and steal with a reason.

Whistler put her hands in her own pockets and ran her fingers through the small number of coins she held there. She figured now was as good a time as any to check the headlines.

The vendor stall that supplied the town with newspapers wasn't far from the soup store, so it was a brief walk. Whistler spent most of her time in the open at one of those two locations. She paid the vendor for a single newspaper and scanned the headline.

Another bold headline about the cleanup effort in the North. The newspaper talked in terms of uncertainty, describing the battle in the North as an "unprovoked assault" by an "unknown assailant". As if the whole world didn't know who was involved.

Whistler felt no small amount of scorn for this cowardly reporting, an entire world that refused to face the facts, but in the back of her mind she understood. The people had nothing to rally around. The Energybender and his forces were focused and driven; the rest of the world could not say the same. How could they believe in an Avatar that wouldn't show his face?

With a loud crackle of stiff paper, Whistler folded the newspaper away, and returned to her place at the soup counter. She felt hungry again.

"That'll be seven yuan," The chef said.

Whistler dug into her own pocket for a moment. She looked up for a moment, and saw that fourteen yuan had been placed on the table.

"This one's on me," Moldun said. The wizened huntsman sat down next to Whistler and ordered a bowl of miso for himself as well.

"Wasn't expecting to see you again, hunter," Whistler said. She hadn't seen Moldun since they'd hunted Gaemundr together in the Spirit World. That had been more than a year ago.

"Well, I've been looking for you," Moldun said. "I owe you for the help, after all. Could've been crushed if not for you."

"So is the free soup your idea of paying it back?"

"Yes."

"You think your life is worth a bowl of soup?"

"I do not have very high self-esteem," Moldun grunted. The soup arrived. Moldun passed Whistler her bowl and dug into his own. Whistler did not start eating yet. Moldun was nearly half-done with his own bowl by the time he noticed Whistler's reluctance.

"It's already mediocre soup, it's only going to be worse if it gets cold," Moldun suggested.

"You didn't come all this way to buy me a bowl of soup," Whistler said. Her eyes narrowed. Moldun squinted right back. He tapped his fingers lazily against the counter. The two of them stared each other down as their soup got colder and colder.

"Well, you've got me," Moldun said with a shrug. "Frankly I didn't want to come at all, but since you and your buddies split up-"

There was a sound of metallic clicking for just a brief second. Moldun, his reflexes honed by working with lightning, was quick to catch Whistler's staff as it unfolded and swung towards his throat.

"You really are a feisty one, aren't you?"

"Only when people are trying to fight me," Whistler grunted. She tried to rip her staff out of his hands, but Moldun's grip was surprisingly tight.

"Then you have no reason to be feisty," Moldun snapped. After letting Whistler tug a few more times, he let her staff go and took a few steps back. He held his hands up in the air.

"You and I are on the same side, airbender."

Whistler kept her staff raised. The whole metal assembly was steady in its place: Whistler's hands weren't shaking at all. Moldun meant her no harm. Still, she kept herself ready for a fight. Her hands had been wrong before.

"You didn't find me on your own," Whistler said. "Who are you with?"

A broad smile cracked Moldun's weathered face.

"You remember what you found in my bag?"

Suda had been second guessing himself for a long time. Eventually, the doubts had faded. He was right to be worried about getting too close to strangers, but this one, well, she was different.

Every day for the past few weeks, Suda had been attending a small film festival that the city was holding. It wasn't entirely because of his interest in cinema, naturally: before every mover they ran a newsreel that talked about recent events. It was a way to keep up with current events each and every day. Except today.

Today was Kaizo day.

Just thinking about Kaizo made Suda's stomach turn. He couldn't imagine having an entire day dedicated to those garbage films. He was going to sit out this particular day of the film festival. Thankfully there had been one girl who'd gotten sick of the Kaizo flicks early on, and had left the showings early.

Suda's initial interest had just been in the content of the newsreels, but as the conversation went on and on they drifted to other topics. Soon they were talking about Suda's interest in movers, and then hers, and then their other hobbies, and then on and on until Suda wasn't even sure what they were talking about anymore. Somewhere along the way he'd picked up that her name was Yoki.

"Alright, we've been all up and down our personal lives," Yoki said, rocking forward slightly. "What do you do for a living? What's your business?"

This was where the trouble came from. Suda couldn't get too close to people without revealing potentially dangerous facts. He decided to keep it simple.

"Oh, nothing steady," Suda said. "I interned at a hospital for a while, I think that might be a career for the future."

Ever since the incident with Nura, Suda had been restraining himself, focusing his attention mostly on the people he knew he could trust. It was fun, talking to Ada, Sen, Whistler, and Ariak, but they weren't everything he needed out of life. Suda was a bit more romantically inclined, an itch that none of his teammates could exactly scratch. Yoki, however, seemed to fit Suda's romantic ideal fairly well.

"A hospital, hmm," Yoki hummed. "You seem a bit large for hospital work."

"You'd be surprised how much heavy lifting there is to be done," Suda joked. "I know I was."

Sometimes Suda's muscles still ached from all the heavy lifting he'd done back in the North. It was painful to think about, but also satisfying. He had done good work, even if only for a little while. It felt nice to make a difference in those small ways.

"You have a point. Still, I think your talents would be served better elsewhere. They're always hiring good metalbenders in Republic City, you know," Yoki said.

"Yeah, I'm actually kind of acquainted with the chief of police," Suda said awkwardly.

"Chief Dormin? He's a good guy. Takes his work very seriously."

"You know Dormin?"

"I've done a bit of travelling," Yoki admitted. "I've met a lot of people. I even met Bolin once. I could even introduce you to him, if you're such a big fan."

"I'd appreciate that, if I hadn't already met him," Suda said smugly.

"You have not met Bolin," Yoki said in disbelief. "He lives in the middle of nowhere."

"And I just happened to be nowhere," Suda said. "It's a long story."

"You're just trying to look impressive," Yoki said.

"If he was trying to look impressive, he'd flex those muscles of his," A frail old voice said. "He actually does know me."

Yoki and Suda both turned their heads immediately. Sure enough, Bolin was walking up behind them, looking around slightly disdainfully at the crowd. He hadn't changed much since the last time Suda had saw him. At his age, it was impossible to look any older.

"A film festival, and nobody recognizes me," Bolin muttered sadly. "No appreciation, I tell you."

"Bolin?"

"Hello, Yoki darling, good to see you," Bolin said with a broad smile. "How's your brother?"

"Oh, you know how he is…"

It sounded very much like Yoki didn't want to talk about her brother right now. Bolin needed an excuse for her to leave the conversation anyway. He nodded off to the side.

"Yoki, would you mind if I spoke privately with Suda here for a moment," he requested. "He and I have some catching up to do."

Yoki gave Suda a lingering look and then excused herself from the conversation. Bolin took her seat on the bench, gladly resting his tired old body. Suda tried to act like he wasn't excited. As amazing as it was to see Bolin again, it seemed odd for him to be all the way out here.

"How's our Avatar doing?"

"Uhh, I don't know what to say," Suda began awkwardly. "The last time I saw him, he was running off into the middle of the ocean."

"Ah, these things happen," Bolin said. "I once lost track of Korra for three years. It'll be alright."

"Thank you?"

"He'll show up when he needs to show up," Bolin assured Suda. "In the meantime, we get to babysit the entire world. Nothing you and I can't handle."

"Oh man, are we teaming up? Is that what's happening?"

Ever since the first day they'd met, Suda had been hoping to fight at Bolin's side. Going into battle side by side with one of the era's greatest heroes, both on and off-screen, was a dream come true.

"Yep. You, me, and a whole bunch of other old people."

"Old people?"

"Of course," Bolin said with a sly smile. "All old people know each other."

Ariak kept to himself, far on the outskirts of the city. He had set up a secluded camp in a fairly defensible copse in the woods. He went into town every day to check on the local news and restock his supplies, but for the most part he waited patiently in the woods, far from civilization.

His camp was littered with wood shavings he had yet to clean up. He had passed the time by craving away at a strong branch of wood, shaping it into a solid wooden shaft, roughly the same size as the spear he had once wielded as a Shorewatcher, the spear that Kida now wielded.

Ariak gripped the makeshift weapon tightly, and gave it a few practice thrusts. The lump of wood was hardly a proper weapon, but it felt right to have a spear back in his hands.

All his life he had been trained to use a spear, to incorporate it into his fighting style as much as he incorporated his arms and legs. He had abandoned the spear as he had abandoned the Shorewatchers, but recent events had made him question that choice. With Kida wielding his own spear against him, he would need a weapon to rival hers. He knew that he and the bloodbender would clash again. He wanted to be prepared, and that meant taking up the weapon he had once wielded as a Shorewatcher.

In the North he had made every effort to correct his past mistakes, but they were still catching up to him. Kida was still out there, spreading the dangerous art of Bloodbending in service to Sarin. She was a threat to the entire world, and Ariak was partially responsible. He would never rest easy until she had been dealt with. To fight someone as vicious as her, he would need as much power as possible. If that meant taking up the spear again, so be it.

"Catch."

In many other circumstances, Ariak might have panicked and immediately went on the attack, but he recognized that voice very well. Ariak simply turned around and caught what was thrown at him.

In contrast to the crude chunk of log that Ariak had been thrusting around just a few seconds ago, the spear now held in his hands was a work of art. The shaft was masterfully carved from the dark, sturdy lumber that could only be found in the Spirit Forests of the North. The spearhead was crafted from a shimmering steel, vaguely tinted blue by an unknown alloy. The razor-blade head of the spear did have one dull side –it could be used to strike without cutting if need be.

Ariak tested the heft of the weapon with his hands for one moment, and then looked to the source of the spear. There was only one craftsman who could create such a work of art.

"Master Yakkul."

"I thought you might need a new one after everything that happened," Yakkul said. He sat down on a rock and relaxed slightly.

"I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," Ariak said, slightly suspiciously. "How are things in the North?"

"Every one of the Energybender troops was gone within an hour after you left," Yakkul said. "The South arrived the next day, and the cleanup started. Everything's going to be fine."

"I'm glad to hear it," Ariak said. "Now. About why you're here…"

"I was one of the only members that you'd recognize on sight," Yakkul said. "You had to know you could trust us."

Ariak looked once again at the spear that Yakkul had given him. That alone would be enough to cast suspicion off of him. If you intended to fight someone, arming them beforehand was probably not a good idea.

"And who is 'us'?"

"What's why it had to be someone you trusted," Yakkul said. "Because it's a little hard to believe that we've come back from the dead."

Every day Ada strolled by the Televarrick store repeatedly, catching subtle glances at the screens displayed in the windows. The news was not frequently played on the few display pieces available; every now and then they were blocked by spectators trying to catch glimpses of a pro-bending match. Ada mixed it up some days by looking at the newspapers or the news reel that ran before movers, but for the most part the Televarricks were her source of updates on Sen's situation. Or the lack of updates, rather.

Maybe it was presumptuous of her, but she had been hoping Sen would wrap up sooner rather than later. She knew in the back of her head that Sen might need a long time to prepare; it had, after all, taken him three years to get this far.

The thought of it made her heart sink. Three years. She'd been away from home for nearly that long, never getting closer than a phone call to the people she cared about. She'd had her friends with her for the longest time, and that made it easier to bear the homesickness, but now she was alone.

She could, perhaps, return to Zaofu, but it came with a lot of risks. She had the sneaking suspicion that she was being followed even now. People were looking for her. If she tried to go back to Zaofu, she'd only be putting people she cared about in danger. She had to put their safety above her own desires.

Even as she longed for home, a part of her wished to stay away. In her isolation she had been thinking more and more about Ko Rin. About her tainted blades, and the way Ko Rin seemed to always be in the shadows. She knew so little about her own master that she couldn't even be sure what she was suspicious of, but something about Ko Rin's words and actions ran like poison through her mind.

Ada sat down on a bench on the city streets and watched the world go on around her. This was a small town, hardly a bustling one, but it had lively activity all the same. People wandered back and forth, satomobiles skittered down the streets, and life went on. The normalcy was comforting to Ada.

She stood on the precipice of the greatest change her life had ever known. Leaving Zaofu and journeying with Sen had changed her life, certainly, but it was nothing compared to what was about to come. Sen's return was going to change the world, and Ada was going to be a part of that.

The world could change as much as it wanted, Ada thought, so long as her home was still the same. As long as she had Canto and her family, she'd be just fine.

Ada folded her hands and looked at the ground. There was a line of ants crawling along the tip of her boot. She watched them skitter in a row for a while. After a moment of inane observation, another pair of feet stepped up. Ada resisted the urge to look up. The ants had stopped moving.

"And here I thought you didn't like bugs."

Ada stopped resisting the urge to look up. She hadn't heard that voice in far too long.

Ada jumped to her feet, and sparing barely a second to look Canto in the eyes, she kissed him. It was the long, passionate kind of kiss that no one would ever be able to describe properly because it was too awkward to look directly at. What other people thought of her was no concern to Ada. She had been waiting years to have Canto in her arms again.

Canto was slightly more self-conscious, because he knew they were being watched by someone very important. He enjoyed the kiss for a moment, and allowed Ada to enjoy it as well. She deserved that much. After a while, though, Canto put his hands on her waist and tried to push her back. It did not work in the slightest, as Ada was significantly stronger than Canto, but Ada eventually got the point and let him breath again.

She didn't say anything just yet. She put a gentle hand on his cheek and looked him in the eyes. Canto hadn't changed much since she'd left, and that was just fine with her. Canto looked her over, and saw so many differences. Her appearance hadn't changed, not much at least, but something was different about the way she carried herself. Ada had always been very confident, but now she had much more skill and strength to back up that ego. Canto liked it.

After sharing that brief tender moment, Canto nodded to the side. Ada glanced away from the love of her life for a moment, and what she saw made him immediately release him.

Standing tall and proud, his piercing grey eyes staring them both down from beneath thick white eyebrows, Ko Rin watched his two agents reunite. There was no smile on his face. He tilted his head slightly as he saw Ada hastily release Canto.

"I knew what I was in for when I brought him," Ko Rin said. "Do not be embarrassed."

Ada was not embarrassed, but she pretended as if she was. She saw Ko Rin, and all she could think of now was the deception with her old blades. For some reason, Ko Rin was hiding something. Ada would never be able to trust him as she once had.

"It has been a long journey, and a complicated one," Ko Rin said. "But the time is coming for this to end."

The city streets took on new activity as multiple vehicles started flooding the area. The park was quickly surrounded by the new arrivals. The doors of the myriad satomobiles opened up. Suda was the first to step out, waving to Ada cheerily. Bolin stepped out of the vehicle behind him.

"I told you splitting up was a bad idea," Suda shouted. "This lasted what, like a week?"

Ko Rin paused slightly at Suda's words and then continued onwards.

"Soon the Avatar will return. We must be ready for him."

Other doors opened, and out stepped Whistler and Ariak, flanked by Moldun and Yakkul. Then more and more of the new arrivals revealed themselves, showing faces both familiar and new. This was not the organization of Zaofu's spies that Ada had been a part of. This was something greater, something that was supposed to be dead.

"You were wiped out," Ada said incredulously.

"You cannot kill an idea," Ko Rin said. As he spoke, he was joined by his companions; the ones who had gathered Ada's friends, as well as other familiar faces. Granny Loqo, Master Jung, Detective Zas, and even more, all gathered into one place under one ancient banner.

"We stand for the ideas of philosophy, beauty, and truth," Ko Rin concluded. "We are the White Lotus."