It's a bit later than usual, but here I am with my update. I want to thank SaoirseParisa, Wildstar93, and A Bizarre Thought for their reviews. We have more interesting developments this chapter, especially with what's going on with Bolin, the Red Lotus, and Korra's family history, so don't miss this wild ride.

And of course, I have to recognize Wildstar93 and Kelev in this chapter, as they both, along with Kelev's older daughter Hannah, celebrated birthdays in the past 2 weeks. That means Goldblaze, the cat form of Wildstar93, will appear again, and Hana (Kelev's daughter in the Avatar universe) will be mentioned again. Happy birthday to you both and hope you enjoy the present!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

To say there was anger and frustration within the Boar-Q-Pine Logistics warehouse was an understatement, and no one felt it more than Bolin. Word spread like wildfire when Opal and Kuvira returned to the warehouse to report what they saw. In mere days, Bolin went from the most cheerful person in the warehouse to the most downcast. Now, with an emergency meeting called after Varrick and Zhu Li were released from detention, Bolin was in deep trouble.

Now, he sat at the small table in Korra's former office, his lone chair on one side while three others faced him. Kuvira, Asami, and Varrick were the three facing him, while Opal stood at the corner and refused to even look at him. Yung and Toza were at the door, while Mako and Korra were at Korra's former desk. It was definitely awkward to see Korra so close to the desk that she occupied before, but it was obvious that this was not good news. "So, where's Kai?" Bolin eked out, noticing that the young air bender was missing.

"Kai is visiting Jinora, and I don't expect him back until later on," Yung responded, his face tight and emotionless, "But I think it's best if you give us some answers, Bolin. What's this about you going with Ginger to meet officials behind our backs?"

Bolin opened his mouth, but he barely got a word off before Kuvira cut in. "Bolin here was meeting with the assistant of none other than Minister Tarrlok Yakone," she explained. The metal bender went on in great detail, describing Bolin's interaction with the assistant and what Ginger subsequently revealed. "I don't know what Ginger meant by her helping Bolin more than the rest of us can, so you better come clean about what incentives she gave to you."

"If you're asking if Ginger bribed me, then the answer is no," Bolin replied, his entire body tightening while his throat ran dry, "Ginger just said that with the ongoing investigations, our warehouse might run out of business. She wanted to reach out to other sources for business, and Tarrlok Yakone was her target. I got so caught up with it that I just…"

"Did you just say Tarrlok Yakone?" Asami asked incredulously, "My father is still being held thanks to him, and don't forget about Varrick and Zhu Li. Korra and I worked our tails off just to get her foster parents out, and Mako helped as well!"

"There's got to be a logical explanation for this," Toza interjected, upset at the discovery but concerned for his foster child's plight, "Bolin, did Ginger blackmail you or something? I know Mako and I tried to warn you about her, but did Ginger try something on you to make you work for her? If it is, then we can go after her immediately and your name will be cleared."

Bolin stuttered, his head tilting back and forth. From the back, Mako also encouraged his brother. "We've always got each other's backs, and I didn't hesitate in telling you about issues I had with the chief," he reminded the earth bender, "So if you have an issue, we can help you."

"Look, it's not really blackmail," Bolin explained, his hands clenching and unclenching while his eyes stayed down, "She did say we were in trouble, but I voluntarily accepted her help. I really believed that she was able to help us, and I did meet with Tarrlok's aide more than once. That includes the time when Korra went to the police station with the testimony…"

"Wait, that's where you went?" Opal shouted from the back. Before Bolin could say more, the air bender stormed to the table. Slapping a hand on the top, the sweet and lovable Opal now took on a pose similar to her intimidating aunt. "I was telling Aunt Lin about that attack by the Triple Threats, and since you and Kai saved me, I thought you would be there to help give testimony," Opal growled in a low scary tone, "Yet instead of doing the right thing and helping us bring the Triple Threats to justice, you left with Ginger and didn't even tell us?"

"Okay, so I really messed up!" Bolin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. He glanced up at Opal, his green eyes almost tearing up. But Opal did not relent, crossing her arms and whipping her head away. "I didn't mean to do that to you, Opal. I should have been there to support you, and I have no excuse for what I've done."

"Well, thank goodness that some people have good enough testimonies, because I would have been in jail for a lot longer," Varrick snapped, "You'll be sorry that you abandoned us. When they write the history books, your name will be synonymous with betrayal!"

Bolin's eyes grew wide. Varrick wasn't serious, was he? "I never tried to backstab any of you, honest!" he shouted, flailing his arms like he was drowning. Turning to the other two at the table, he pled his case to them. "Kuvira, I always tried to follow everything you do. And Asami, I'm so grateful for every opportunity you gave us. You can't see me as malicious, right?"

"You promised to help me when I first got here, and I gave you a chance to show me your skills," Kuvria retorted, "And you repay us by going behind our backs?"

Asami placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder, to which the latter stood down. Despite the gentler tone, Asami was just as firm. "Bolin, you're a good friend to Korra and me," she stated, "I want to believe that you have the best intentions, but I seriously think you're playing for the wrong team. I care about you and your family too much to see you hurt yourself like this. You have to stop going behind our backs and under the table with Ginger, or in the end we all suffer."

"I know, I know," Bolin insisted, his hands balling into fists again, "And I'm sorry about what happened. I want to make it up to you all." He glanced up at his brother, who remained expressionless the entire time. "Mako, you believe me and will help me fix this, right?"

Mako took a deep breath, closing his eyes before exhaling again. Those few seconds were the most agonizing ones Bolin felt for as long as he could remember. "You aren't stupid, and you did what you felt was right at the time," Mako analyzed, "I want you around because you're my brother and I love you. But right now, we have to fix this mess and free Asami's father."

Bolin managed a weak smile, happy to know that at least Mako still believed in him. He was sure Toza and Yung felt the same way, and even though he wasn't here, Bolin knew Kai would support him as well. Turning to the only person who had yet to speak, he asked Korra for her opinion. "Korra, if there's one person who's been affected by this the most, it's you," he pointed out, "Are you willing to give me one more chance to make it up to you?"

Korra avoided Bolin's eye contact, all the while her body hunched over and her arms covered her torso. "It's just a lot to take in right now," Korra murmured, slightly rocking back and forth, "I'm glad Varrick and Zhu Li are freed, and that you want to make it up to us. But it really hurts when you didn't help us at the station, and you're doing shady stuff like this."

Bolin looked glum, but realized he should not press. Knowing Korra's nature, she would require time to take all this in. If Korra was not ready to reaccept him, then Bolin had to work harder to redeem himself. In the meantime, Asami made her instructions clear. "To avoid all the conflicts, Bolin will be on administrative leave for now, at least until Varrick deals with Ginger," Asami declared with a long stare at Varrick, who nodded in return.

Asami then turned to Kuvira, reassigning her to Bolin's role. "You did great with upgrading security and protocols. Since you're only here temporarily, let's have you execute those updated policies with the team. I already have the perfect person to take your previous role as the warehouse manager," Asami stated, turning to the lone water bender in the room. All eyes were now on Korra, who hesitantly lifted her head. "Korra, do you want your old job back?"

"There's only about two more weeks before you attend university," Kai observed, one eyebrow cocked at the mess of notes lying on Jinora's desk. Kai was invited to Tenzin's home again, and even knowing that there would be fireworks at the warehouse, he chose to come. Part of it was Yung's idea, as he didn't want Kai around when Bolin was being reamed out. There were more priorities for Kai right now, such as working out his future. "It's too bad I won't be joining you next year, because I would love to be in your position."

Jinora chuckled. "Don't say that Kai, because you sound like you'll never get in," she responded, shuffling some books on her bookcase. Part of the reason Jinora invited Kai here was because she did some research on assisting students with financial need. Given Kai's academics could get him in somewhere, the main part was how to beef up his non-academics in order to get financial aid. "Have you looked at how these scholarships judge your requirements? Does anything you did with the warehouse or the community count?"

"A bit, but that's not really my main concern right now," Kai murmured, flipping through a few pages of the brochure Jinora handed him earlier. It was so frustrating for Kai when he found out that his marks would have allowed him to barely make the cut for most universities, including Republic City University, but his finances just could not put him into it. It didn't help that Tarrlok's investigation pretty much froze the warehouse, meaning income was minimal for the past month or two. "What else do you think I can do to boost my chances right now?"

"It depends on the type of scholarship you're looking for, right?" Jinora pointed out, rolling her chair over to her bed, where Kai sat right now, "For example, there's a schoarlship at Republic City University that allows you to count up to three years of out-of-school experience in lieu of higher grades. All you have to do is show how you displayed leadership or service to the community. Can you think of anything in your repertoire that fits those categories?"

"Maybe, I guess," Kai replied, his voice trailing off. One thing Kai appreciated about Jinora since the Skoochy incident was that Jinora never stopped trying to reach out to him. He was initially hesitant because it almost felt like her help rendered him useless. But once Kai realized that Jinora truly cared about him and treated him as a friend, he had no qualms about it. "Thank you so much, you know," he stated, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't say that, Kai," Jinora admonished him, "Other than financially, you have every other requirement met. If taking this year off will allow you to better prepare, then I think it'll be well worth it. Besides, do you know why I feel so inspired to help you? Because you are an inspiring person, someone that I wish more people can see for who you are."

Kai lifted his head, stunned by the revelation. From beside him, Jinora gazed into him like she could see his soul. "How did I inspire you?" Kai asked, staring at those brown pools.

"Just think about this, Kai," Jinora suggested, putting away the brochure, "Who can say they overcame all the odds like you did? Your parents passed away, foster care was less-than-stellar, and you lived on the streets for a while. You were taken in by Yung and things seemed to go well, but then you're hit with more challenges. But in all this time, did you ever give up?"

Kai stuttered, his hand covering his forehead while Jinora continued. "Lots of people would have just thrown in the towel, but you kept going at it. And during all this, you never felt selfish, and you always tried to put others before you," Jinora added, reaching out and grabbing Kai's free hand, "You're thankful for everything Yung did, and you're keeping your friendship with Korra and the rest of the group. If anything, I think I should be more like you!"

"Hold on, Jinora," Kai responded, removing his hand from his forehead. Instead, he placed that hand on top of the hand Jinora placed on his free hand. "I don't think you should want to be more like me. Besides, even with a not-exciting life, you still managed to get your tattoos and will go to university soon. Isn't that something worth celebrating?"

Jinora smiled wryly while her eyes dipped lower. She and Kai had this strange view of each other, where they both thought the other was more amazing than them. Even though both sides were where they were today, it was like things would be better if they lived the other's life. Despite this, or maybe because of it, they grew closer by the day, with Jinora wanting to see Kai push himself while Kai wanting to see Jinora walk her own path. If Jinora wanted to lead the Air Nomads into the next generation by changing some long-held viewpoints, then Kai was more than happy to make that happen. "Anyway, let's get back to this, okay?" Jinora suggested.

A knock on the door interrupted Jinora's attention. She and Kai both glanced up, just in time to see Tenzin slipping into the room. "How are you doing with helping Kai, Jinora?" the vice president asked, standing at the end of the bed, "Is everything cleared up now?"

"Yes, Mr. Vice President," Kai responded, glancing up with a smile. Despite his stern reputation, Tenzin was actually quite easy to get along with. Kai could see where Jinora got her kind nature from, as Tenzin and Pema went out of their ways to assist him through these tough times. "I might have to delay my entry for a year or two, but I think it'll work out fine."

"It's good to know," Tenzin stated, pulling out an extra chair in the room and sitting on it, "I know the last couple of times you came, I didn't get a chance to really know you. I was in and out of meetings and things were a mess. Since then, two of our four comatose patients regained consciousness. Right now, I feel like things are going in the right direction. That's why Pema and I took the time to help you look for resources. It's really great that you're working so hard, Kai. I think more people can learn from the way you approach life."

Kai blushed at the comment. In the meantime, Jinora turned to her father for one more request. "If Kai isn't going to school for at least a year or two, maybe you can look into getting him all caught up with his air bending training," she proposed, "If he can add service to the Air Nomad community along with air bending training to his resume, then I think Kai will get the bursary for sure. Besides, I'm sure Kai will want his arrows soon, right?"

Tenzin and Kai glanced at each other, with Tenzin remaining expressionless. Kai was slightly taken aback, but knew Tenzin was most likely evaluating him right now. "I will have to test Kai's abilities first, just to see how far his skills are. Since he's had no formal training, we may have some work to do," Tenzin commented, "But whatever the case, I expect Kai to work hard to achieve those tattoos. Do we have an agreement here, Kai?"

Kai solemnly nodded. "I'll work as hard as I have to, Mr. Vice President," he replied with conviction. From beside him, Jinora flashed a small smile. Kai was more than happy he now had this chance, and that Jinora and her entire family had this much faith in him. Add Yung's belief and support in him since the day he was taken in, and Kai knew he could not let them down.

Just then, Tenzin's cellphone sounded off. Excusing himself for a moment, he stepped outside Jinora's room to field the call. Even though Jinora and Kai could not hear every word Tenzin spoke, they heard bits and pieces. Of particular attention were comments about the Fire Nation, the Red Lotus, and the Interpol. Was there something about the anti-terrorism campaign that suggested a breakthrough? What would be the next move for the United Republic?

Tenzin hustled as quickly as he could to the cabinet boardroom, where the cabinet once again gathered for an emergency meeting. The air bender was in the middle of a conversation with his daughter and her friend when his cellphone rang. Realizing that this involved the Red Lotus, which now appeared in the Fire Nation, Tenzin became quite concerned. How did the Red Lotus make it all the way there and how could they stop the spread?

Tenzin swiftly took his seat at the front of the table and glanced around. He found it strange that Tarrlok of all people would be seated at the back. The Minister of National Defence, which should be in charge of the military and general safety issues in the United Republic, kept his eyes on his notes and did not even bother looking up. That got Tenzin to frown, as the Red Lotus was still high on their list of priorities regarding public safety. Even if Tarrlok did not want to gain credit for himself, the least he could do was appear interested in fulfilling his role, right?

Shaking his head a few times, Tenzin cleared his throat and called the meeting to order. "Our Foreign Affairs department has an update on the Red Lotus," he stated, turning to Tonraq's top aide. Despite Tonraq's absence, his young assistant handled the matters well. "What have we found on the Red Lotus? Are they, as my assistant suggested on the phone, in the Fire Nation?"

"Yes, Mr. Vice President," Tonraq's aide responded. He adjusted his glasses before turning back to his notes, all the while the entire cabinet looked on in worry. "The Fire Nation has spotted pockets of the Red Lotus in their borders. While the sightings are not confirmed, they believe the main four of Zaheer, P'Li, Ghazan, and Ming Hua is there. Interpol did get notice of this and are investigating, but nothing concrete has surfaced yet."

"Have they engaged in any attacks or incited any riots?" Tenzin inquired, stressfully rubbing his bearded chin, "I hope we can stop them before they can start anything big. Has Interpol or Fire Nation police forces reported anything of that sort?"

"Oddly enough, no," the aide responded, which got a wave of murmurs from the cabinet. Tenzin cleared his throat again, snapping everyone back to attention before allowing the young man to continue. "In fact, we can't confirm where their exact locations are. They are moving from place to place, and no major players have been found. Only Red Lotus cells consisting of junior members are found, and none were caught doing anything illegal."

"With the threats against the United Republic still active, and the Fire Nation being both an ally and a trading partner, this cannot be good for us," Tenzin muttered. Taking a sip of water, he glanced down the long table at Tarrlok, who still tried to avoid all contact. "Tarrlok, since you are in charge of the United Republic's military, do you have anything to add to this?"

Tarrlok glanced up, his usual arrogance nowhere to be found. Tenzin narrowed his eyes at his long-time rival, wondering why his demeanor changed so drastically. "The United Forces have not been deployed to the Fire Nation yet, and we have no plans to deploy them for now," he explained, almost like he wanted to avoid releasing too many details, "Do note that we have a team of diplomats in the South Pole to discuss the situation there with Chief Unalaq. We can't afford to stretch ourselves too thin, or no one will defend the city if the Red Lotus returns."

Tenzin pursed his lips. Given how logical Tarrlok's statement sounded, it was almost unheard of. Tarrlok usually tried to be flamboyant and attention-grabbing, with his every move and decision meant to garner more support for his presidential campaign. To see Tarrlok act on the side of logic and reason seemed almost too good to be true. "Let's not let up with the Interpol then," he proposed, scribbling down some notes for himself, "Let's have Interpol work with Fire Nation police and military to hunt those guys down. Don't forget that our United Forces general, Iroh Sozin, is a Fire Nation prince, so I'm sure he's a good resource as well."

"Do we want to send members of our own police force to the Fire Nation?" Tonraq's aide asked, "Given the information we gathered from the Triple Threats investigation linking the riots to the Red Lotus, maybe some of our officers will be of help."

"Yes, that's an excellent idea," Tenzin replied. From around the table, the cabinet all murmured in agreement. "Please contact Lin and ask her to assign a few officers to assist in the Fire Nation. Interpol can really use their help with the Red Lotus there."

Turning his attention to the South Pole, Tenzin requested Tarrlok to update him once more. "We still have that diplomatic mission to keep the peace. How are we doing with reaching out to Chief Unalaq, and has there been any response?" he queried.

Again, Tarrlok looked and sounded disinterested. "We mainly spoke with Unalaq's own representatives, but nothing has been set with him so far," Tarrlok responded monotonously, "I can assure you that if there are any changes, you will be the first to know. But for now, I don't see any signs of an attack, and Unalaq isn't a threat for the moment."

This time, Tenzin's jaw hit the ground. "I don't mean to be rude, but a nation just sent its navy to the shores of another nation. They are engaging in all sorts of training exercises, all the while inciting memories of a decades-long civil war. I hardly say that's not a threat," he retorted. From around the table, the cabinet once again murmured in approval. "Do we have any plan at all for how to deal with Unalaq? It's really unlike you to come in this unprepared."

Tarrlok shot back a dark look, enough to lower the room's temperature. "I would appreciate it if our vice president allows us to do our work without questioning our integrity," he snarled, his hands involuntarily tightening, "Rest assured that I do have a plan and I will use it."

Tenzin tried not to shake his head at the irony of that remark. Considering the nonstop attacks Tarrlok launched at him throughout the years, including personal attacks against family members, Tenzin found Tarrlok quite hypocritical in his response. Still, Tenzin had a job to do here, and nothing Tarrlok said would change that. "In that case, let's come up with some plans of our own to see how we can support the Fire Nation," he suggested.

The rest of the meeting went quite smoothly, with the entire cabinet contributing and exchanging good ideas. Tenzin was able to get both Lin and Iroh on the phone lines, hearing tidbits of their operations and how they could help. Iroh had not reached out to Fire Nation military yet, but he did contact his own family members to be on the lookout for the Red Lotus. He was also open to the Interpol's Fire Nation branch working with Republic City police to exchange information and facilitate collaboration. "My sister is with the Interpol's Fire Nation branch, so she's more than willing to lend a hand," the general pointed out.

"In that case, you're in luck, because I might send a certain fire bending officer your way," Lin chimed in from the other line. Hearing that, Tenzin could not help but grin from ear to ear. It seemed like Mako was finally getting his fair shot. And given how close Tenzin grew to Kai, who was practically Mako's little brother, Tenzin truly wished those families the best.

As the meeting carried on, one person seemed particularly annoyed by the turn of events. Tarrlok kept glancing at his phone, his attention barely at the group. He scrolled through the texts section when a few messages received in the past hour or so caught his eye. Frowning at the content, he excused himself from the room. As he slipped out, he dialled the number from which the texts originated. "Unalaq, this better be good," he muttered, bringing the phone to his ear.

The atmosphere was tense in Varrick's office as Ginger was summoned for a meeting. Just as with Bolin, Varrick placed Ginger on administrative leave after an initial investigation was complete. Now, after two weeks of extensive investigations into Ginger's activities both before and after Varrick's detention, Varrick decided to resolve the matter once and for all.

And indeed, he stared right back at Ginger, who sat across the desk from Varrick. She was again staring with nonchalant eyes, her eyelids narrow while her lips etched into a frown. Varrick turned to the seat on his right, where Zhu Li's expressionless face stared right back at Ginger. From Varrick's left, Yasuko sat observing, all the while stroking a dark brown tabby tom cat. Said cat had a particularly aggressive glare at Ginger, who made some rather rude remarks to him since their last meeting. As such, the feline was sure to make Ginger regret her comments.

Oddly enough, Ginger was well aware of the cold stares from four individuals, and she made no attempt to hide her retort against at least one of those. "So Hiroshi can't be here, and Yasuko has to take care of a cat?" she demanded, shooting darts at the animal held by Yasuko.

"Yes, I'm taking care of Goldblaze for his owner again," Yasuko replied, petting the increasingly agitated feline, "But Hiroshi will be out of jail, I can feel that much. And let's hope you don't wreck the company the way you wrecked Varrick and Zhu Li when they were detained by the police," Yasuko snapped, all the while Goldblaze let out an angry hiss.

Ginger snarled at Goldblaze, who continued to glare at the actress. Meanwhile, Varrick shuffled his notes around and turned the focus back on the main issue at hand. "Ginger, from my investigation, I found that you took many actions during my detention that affected the company and its clients," he announced, "You reached out to Tarrlok's staff, gave them information that you are otherwise not authorized to give, and basically ignored all our other clients. Did you forget that you still have supervisors in this company? Even when Zhu Li and I were in jail, you had no right to do that. Why didn't you reach out to the higher-ups in the company first?"

Ginger creased her eyebrows at Varrick, causing the usually energetic man to fume. The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees with the stare-down between them, and it was not about to relax anytime soon. "I had to do whatever I can to keep this company alive, and with you and Hiroshi both being investigated, our activities are limited," Ginger explained, "With Minister Arnook and President Raiko incapacitated, the only other option is to go to the next frontrunner for president, which is Minister Yakone."

"But nobody in Future Industries or Varrick Industries gave you permission to do that," Varrick continued, glancing at his notes again, "And even then, you dragged Bolin into this. You realize that Boar-Q-Pine Logistics has a contract with Future Industries, so you just affected those guys as well. How do you possibly explain your actions now?"

"I had to get someone to help me, given the changes the warehouse went through," Ginger continued explaining, this time observing her fingernails rather than at the group. It got Zhu Li glowering at Ginger, the grip she had on her notebook slightly tightening. "I'm glad Korra was terminated, but Kuvira is too by-the-book to get things done. Since Toza and Yung are probably too stubborn to change, Opal is working with Asami more, and Kai's just an immature kid, the only choice I have left in Bolin. It's not that hard to figure out, you know."

Zhu Li shook her head in disgust at Ginger's cheap shot against Korra. "Based on what Varrick and I found out, I have to say I trust Korra in running the warehouse more than you. And I'm not saying that because she's my foster child either," the bespectacled woman dryly replied, "Korra at least follows instructions well, and her routine in doing things actually does a lot for efficiency. Your method of doing things is basically lack of transparency, a lot of conspiring, and pitting people against one another. Why in the world would you even think about doing that?"

"And let me just point out something," Yasuko interjected, shifting her arms around so she did not knock Goldblaze over. The cat now rested comfortably on her lap, and Yasuko could see Goldblaze had no intention of moving. "The board was forced to fire Korra because of what might happen to Tarrlok Yakone and his mysterious items. We got rid of Korra to protect her, and now that things are clearing up, we brought her back. However, the same can't be said of you, because instead of protecting our company, you're actively hurting it."

Yasuko and Zhu Li both glared at Ginger, who was completely nonchalant and even somewhat defiant. The two women, along with Varrick, went through all the documents Ginger had a hand in while she was here alone. The amount of correspondence with Tarrlok's office was at least a dozen pages, not to mention memos between her and Bolin. If Ginger wanted to destroy the evidence, then Varrick was truly fortunate to be released early to catch her.

"Whatever the case, the decision is final," Varrick declared. He drummed his hands on his desk, all the while relaxing his expression. "I will finalize the report and send it to the board, and they will decide if Ginger should stay or go. If Ginger stays, then everything she does will be subject to my supervision. And most likely I will recommend a period of probation where any error will subject her to review and possibly termination. I hate to sound misogynistic, but the leash on Ginger will be way shorter than the leash Goldblaze's owner puts on Goldblaze."

Ginger fumed, but did not say another word. She grabbed her belongings and headed out of Varrick's office. Meanwhile, Yasuko lifted Goldblaze and tucked him under her arm, all the while reaching for her cane with her other hand. While the group did not notice, Goldblaze looked like he was smirking when Ginger left, just to return the favour after Ginger's rudeness.

Suddenly, Varrick's office phone sounded off. Excusing himself, he picked up while Zhu Li assisted Yasuko out. "Varrick speaking, what can I help you with?" he greeted the caller.

"Varrick, this is Kya. I have something important to talk to you about," the caller stated. Varrick sat up rigidly as the physician described the updates she had regarding Buttercup and Senna, but particularly the latter. "Senna is able to say short simple sentences, and she wanted me to bring you and Zhu Li in here. It's about a matter that relates to you two in particular, and it has to be done in private. She won't elaborate, but she claims it's about a child she gave up."

Varrick's blood drained out of his face, his body slumping back to his chair. It was then that Zhu Li re-entered his office, a look of concern on her face when she saw her husband's posture. "I guess it's time, isn't it?" Varrick replied quietly, "I'll talk to Zhu Li and we'll let you know when we can come in. It looks like we'll have to address the issue soon."

Varrick finally hung up, his expression resembling someone who just took a shot to the gut. Everything around him was a blur as the industrialist considered Kya's words. This was a tidbit that he had not revealed to anyone outside Zhu Li, Senna, and Tonraq. Assuming the Minister of Foreign Affairs would wake up soon, it was only a matter of time before he got involved. By then, Varrick wondered what options he had left.

"Varrick, is everything okay?" Zhu Li's voice called. That snapped the man back to attention, as he shook his head several times to refocus. He glanced to the front, where his bespectacled wife leaned over to him. Varrick slowly moved forward and held Zhu Li's hand, to which Zhu Li responded in kind. "Who was calling and what were they saying?" she asked.

Another emergency cabinet meeting was called as more updates came out from the hospital. To prevent Tarrlok from hijacking the agenda or not paying attention, Tenzin brought both Bumi and Kya with him to the meeting. Standing at the head of the table, Tenzin took a glance to his right, where Bumi and Kya stood. Nodding to his siblings, Tenzin cleared his throat and began. "Folks, thank you for coming on such short notice," he stated, "Kya was monitoring the progress of our VIP's, and we have positive news for all four of them. Kya, if you will?"

Tenzin stepped aside and allowed his sister to take the front. Kya placed a bunch of notes on the small podium before her before taking a glance at the cabinet members. "That's correct, I have updates for both the president and Minister Arnook," she announced, reading the details from her notes. Similar to what Senna and Buttercup went through, Raiko and Tonraq were also awakening from their comas. "Of course, that will mean we must repeat what we did with their wives, which is to slowly rehabilitate them. Their brains were inactive way longer than Buttercup and Senna, meaning it'll take even longer for them to recover properly."

"What type of timeline are we looking at for recovery for those two? If the president and Minister Arnook won't recover until after his term ends, then that changes plans for what we do with foreign affairs and international trade until the election," the Minister of Finance, a short, balding man with a thin moustache pointed out.

"That's a very good point, and that's why we have to focus on their recovery," Kya answered, her hands moving in crisp gestures, "I leave the assignments of government roles to my brother, but for now we will assess how much their brains can recover from this trauma. With luck, they may both make a full recovery by the New Year."

"Do you believe either of their health records or history will affect their recovery progress?" the Minister of Health, a bespectacled woman, queried, "If the hospital will provide those for us, then it'll give us a better understanding of how to approach this."

"That will be released in due time, but let me first go over what recovery steps we intend to take with them," Kya explained, flipping her notes to the next page. Once again, she described the process for coma recovery, starting with simple things like speech, and then moving onto physical movements. Kya once again emphasized the effects of a longer coma on recovery, stating that each recovery stage would take longer than expected. "This is also why I think both Buttercup and Senna are very fortunate in that their comas are shorter, meaning their recovery times are shorter as well. Both of them are already regaining some of their speech."

Tarrlok frowned at the mention of the First Lady and the Minister's wife. He had done his best to avoid conflict, especially with what was going on between him and Unalaq. The Northern Water Tribe navy was now becoming bolder, inching closer to land and sometimes even sending troops onto shore, but so far no battles occurred. Unalaq told Tarrlok that it was a war of attrition, where he was basically daring the Southern Water Tribe, with its weaker troops and leadership, to strike first. The second they did, Unalaq would go in for the assault.

Shaking his head a few times, Tarrlok turned his focus back onto issues under his jurisdiction. "With the president now awakening, do we see a need to increase security at the hospital?" he inquired, "Don't forget that Chief Bei Fong recommended some of her officers to work with Interpol, and Iroh will head to the Fire Nation soon. If the president requires further security at this time, I don't want us to be spread too thin."

It was Tenzin who beat everyone to the punch. "You won't have to worry about that, because Lin and Iroh both reached out to me again," the air bender pointed out, flipping through his own set of notes, "Lin already chose the officers to go to the Fire Nation, and they will be informed of their assignments. Unless any of them cannot make it due to other commitments, they will be deployed shortly. As for Iroh, he said he will be fine monitoring both the Fire Nation and the United Republic. So for domestic security, everything should be fine for now."

"But that's only if there are enough troops within the United Republic to investigate any terrorist activities," Tarrlok insisted, his finger pecking on the table with every word, "If Iroh is sending troops to the Fire Nation, and there are diplomats in the Southern Water Tribe, then what will happen if the Red Lotus re-enters the United Republic?"

"That's assuming they can enter the United Republic without our border security teams spotting them. That, may I remind everyone, is Tarrlok's responsibility," Bumi replied, casting an unimpressed look at Tarrlok. Sensing Bumi had the advantage, Tarrlok laid low, allowing the heavyset air bender to continue, "We have one more interesting update domestically. A little while ago, when Senna began speaking again, she mentioned about having a daughter. This was to everyone's surprise, because none of us are aware she has a daughter. Now that her speech is slowly returning, we spoke to her again and got some clarity."

"We found out that Minister Arnook and his wife do have a daughter. She was born when the civil wars between the Water Tribes started, She was sent to live with a friend for her safety when she was a few years old," Kya explained. The physician could see the cabinet members look around in shock, some even mumbling in confusion. "A formal foster care application was made, and the family this daughter stayed with ended up raising her. Even so, Minister Arnook and Senna stayed in close touch with this couple, and the daughter does see them as her friends."

"While it is doubtful that the daughter knows Tonraq and Senna to be her biological parents, we did check all the medical reports and confirmed they are the case," Bumi added, placing some pages down on the table. The cabinet members closest to the front craned their heads, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious pages. "Both Southern Water Tribe birth records and United Republic health reports show that everything, including birthdate, genetics, and life history all match the daughter's details. And believe it or not, this daughter is a water bender who trained under my own mother, so there's a personal connection here too."

"But how do you guarantee that this individual you're talking about is who you say she is?" Tarrlok challenged, his eyes narrowing amidst the excited chatter of his fellow cabinet members, "Did you reach out to her to discuss her history? Did you bring her in for any medical tests? What features does this person have that makes you so sure she is the missing daughter?"

Bumi chuckled. "Tenzin, Kya, and I worked nonstop just to figure this out. We have an idea where she lives and what she does for a living," he stated, getting a grin out of Kya and a firm stare at Tarrlok from Tenzin, "And this daughter has a special trait that I'm sure will stand out more than any other one. Shortly after moving to Republic City, she was diagnosed with autism. Based on more recent reports, they believe she's an autistic savant. Since men are ten times more likely to have this condition than women, this pretty much seals the deal."

Tarrlok froze at that comment, suddenly getting strange flashbacks. The mysterious individual was a female water bender, knew Tonraq and Senna well, and was autistic and maybe had savant syndrome. There was only one person he knew that matched those conditions. Could it possibly be the one person who was a thorn on his side for the past year?

"It's not that we can't wake them up, Hana. It's just that things are shaky because of the long period of time they were comatose. It'll take a while before things goes back to normal," Kya stated, pressing her cellphone close to her ear. While Kya waited for her special guests, she decided to call up one of her most trusted confidants, long-time family friend and tri-racial air bender Hana. Given that Hana's mother was a nurse who worked with Kya's own mother for most of Katara's career, Kya always found it fitting that Hana followed her mother's footsteps.

"Well, let's face it. I think it runs in the generations on how our families work together. Your mother's last year as a nurse is also my first year as a doctor, and I subsequently worked with you during my training," Kya pointed out, leaning her back against the wall. In an odd twist of fate, Kya's parents babysat Hana when Hana was a toddler, and in turn Hana helped Kya when she entered the medical field. "Your mother is one of the best nurses there is, and you and I worked so well together. Should it even be a surprise that I reached out to you?"

Kya closed her eyes, focusing on Hana's every word. She mulled over the recovery stage of comas, something Hana and her mother were so proficient at. Their entire careers covered the brain, with Hana's mother always reminding everyone that it was the least understood organ in the human body. Knowing what was going on inside the brain would be crucial to the recovery.

Kya glanced over and realized that her special guests just exited the elevator. "I'll talk to you later, Hana. I have to deal with some people first," the physician stated, ending the call before pocketing her cellphone. Straightening her lab coat, Kya strode towards the threesome now marching her way. "Varrick, Zhu Li, thank you for coming. And of course, I'm glad Korra can make it as well," Kya greeted the group, gesturing at the water bender.

"Yes, of course I'll be here!" Korra declared, bouncing on the balls of her feet again. Ever since Varrick and Zhu Li told her that they should visit Senna, Korra had been giddy all day. "Is Senna talking right now? Is she feeling good enough for us to see her?"

Kya gave Varrick and Zhu Li a look, to which the couple stared back anxiously. Kya knew what this was all about, and took the chance to manage Korra's expectations. "Korra, you know that Varrick and Zhu Li won't do anything to hurt you, right?" she asked.

Korra gave Kya a confused look. Varrick and Zhu Li said the same thing to her in the car, so why was Kya repeating it? "You guys are really scaring me now," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck, "Why are you so worried about hurting me when I'm visiting a friend?"

"What we're trying to say is that Senna might tell you something that will surprise you," Zhu Li chimed in, placing a hand on Korra's elbow. Korra turned around, now shooting Zhu Li with a confused stare. "It has to do with some history our families have together. Even though we never told you about it, we didn't hide it for the purposes of harming you."

Korra continued to crease her eyebrows, to which Kya led the group into Senna's room. "Senna is doing better day by day, but she's still very easily fatigued," Kya pointed out, "You can talk to her for a bit, but I don't recommend staying for too long."

Indeed, Senna was seated in a wheelchair currently facing the window. Her back was towards the group, but Kya took the initiative to turn the wheelchair around. "Senna, you have visitors," she announced, "Buttercup Raiko is at therapy today, so the room is all yours."

Korra beamed when she saw Senna facing her. "I'm so glad you're alright," she called out, rushing in and giving the smaller woman a tight embrace. Despite her lack of energy, Senna tried her best to reciprocate. "Are you doing okay? The Red Lotus didn't do any permanent damage to you, did they? Boy, I really hope they get arrested soon!"

Senna managed a small smile before releasing Korra. She gestured to the lone chair at the small table in the room, to which Korra plopped herself down on. Rolling herself over, she stared Korra right in the eye before beginning, "Korra, I'm so glad you can visit me. I really thought I won't make it, so that's why I asked you to come when I started recovering."

"Well, I'm happy you thought of me, but those guys kept talking weird all day," Korra replied, tilting her head at Varrick and Zhu Li. The couple was at the side of the table, their eyes going back and forth between the two. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Korra, do you know about the history of the civil wars between the Water Tribes?" Senna asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "You know that Varrick and Zhu Li took you to Republic City as a guest of war. But do you know the story behind that?"

Korra nodded, her excitement all but gone by now. Varrick and Zhu Li told this story to Korra countless times now. Korra was taken to the United Republic as a guest of war, along with scores of other children who were fleeing the violence. While many returned to their families when the violence died down, Korra ended up staying here indefinitely. "It was something about my autism that required a structured routine or something like that," she trailed off, looking at her foster parents for assistance, "And because of that, I ended up staying permanently."

"But you never really found out what happened to your parents, did you?" Senna queried, leaning her head closer to Korra. Despite her gentle blue eyes, Korra ended up turning away from Senna. "Do you want to know who they are and where they are now?"

Varrick cleared his throat and interjected then. "It was a promise I made to your birth parents after your autism diagnosis," he described, "You required structure and routine, and the war was still ongoing. We decided the best thing to do is to keep you in Republic City for your personal growth. And when you grow up, we'll eventually re-introduce you to them."

"Your birth parents ended up changing the agreement after seeing how well you were doing here. By the time the war calmed down a bit, they also moved to Republic City and came back into your life," Zhu Li explained, "But we then agreed that you will only know about their identities if something drastic happened. And given the terrorist attacks and four people being put into a coma, we figure now is the right time to reveal their identities."

Korra's eyes grew wide, suddenly realizing the pieces of the puzzle coming together. She slowly turned back to Senna, who coughed a couple of times before sitting straighter. "Korra, your biological parents are Tonraq and me," she declared, "I'm so sorry that you have to find out under this circumstance. I hope you can accept me as your biological mother."

Korra's mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out of it. Why did no one tell her about Tonraq and Senna, even when they were so close to her? She always thought they were close friends, but how could it be that they were her actual parents? And who had the crazy idea of not telling her until they were close to death? Did they want Korra to lose Tonraq and Senna before figuring out the truth? Before long, Korra lowered her head into a pair of shaking hands, the fingers wrapping around her temples like a pythonaconda.

From around her, Korra could hear Varrick and Zhu Li describe not wanting Korra to be taken away from her structure and routine, which aided greatly in her progress. They also stated that Tonraq and Senna had to sacrifice so hard to let this happen, and Senna added that Varrick and Zhu Li always kept her in the loop. But by now, Korra could not hear another word, with every sentence resembled a slab of ice slamming into her head. It was like someone had blocked Korra's chi, stopping her from water bending those offending slabs of ice away before they hit.

As Korra rubbed her throbbing temples, she could hear the slurred words of Varrick and Zhu Li, some of which were directed at and calling to her. However, Korra could not register any of that, her head pounding too much to absorb those words. Inside, Korra didn't know whether she should be grateful that she was finally reunited with her biological family, or upset that this information was kept from her for so many years. While Varrick and Zhu Li discussed more with Senna, Korra slowly stood from her chair and uneasily stumbled out of the room.

And here is a shorter list of my inspirations, as I didn't take too much out of canon or real life, but I still made enough significant references to those:

1.) SaoirseParisa deserves a lot of credit for editing the final scene of this chapter. We discussed how Korra would react when the big reveal occurred. We decided that it's best to focus on how Korra feels at the time, and then worry about her analyzing the whole event later on. This is to ensure that there is adequate attention paid to how an autistic reacts to a big change like that. So many thanks to SaoirseParisa for the input and I hope this scene works out.

2.) The scholarships and bursaries Kai and Jinora talked about are based on ones that I've seen in Canada. Some universities in Canada, particularly those with graduate programs (law, medicine, etc.), may count out-of-school experience as a factor in accepting students. One university in my province counts up to 3 years of that, and allows those with lower scores to get in. I figure that Kai isn't a poor student, but his financial status just doesn't allow him the same number of resources as someone like Jinora. As such, while he'll barely get in, he'll also be the first to get cut, hence they have to use other factors like out-of-school experience to keep him in university.

3.) The "guests of war" reference returns again, where Korra's stay in Republic City became permanent due to the war. Basically speaking, Varrick and Zhu Li sponsored a refugee into Republic City, and that refugee is Korra. While Tonraq and Senna didn't give up parental rights, they also decided that Korra will primarily live with Varrick and Zhu Li, just to create a stable environment for Korra. Most children require routine and stability, but especially so for Korra due to her autism. And since Korra moved to Republic City when she was so young, she has little to no memory of Tonraq and Senna as her parents, and has always seen them as close friends.

4.) Varrick's correlation of Bolin with betrayal is a modified version of his line in "The Battle of Zaofu" in Book 4 when he equated betrayal with Zhu Li. Kuvira's comment about giving Bolin a chance only to have Bolin betray her is a modified version of her line in "Operation Beifong" in Book 4 when she said the same thing about Zhu Li. The cabinet sending a team to the Fire Nation to chase down the Red Lotus is similar to "The Ultimatum" in Book 3 when Zuko mentioned returning to the Fire Nation for the same reason. And Korra visiting Senna while Senna is in a wheelchair recovering from her coma is a reversal of the scene in "Korra Alone" in Book 4 where Senna sat with Korra while Korra was in a wheelchair recovering from mercury poisoning.

And how's this for a reveal? Senna confessed to Korra that she and Tonraq are Korra's parents, the Red Lotus may be in the Fire Nation, and Unalaq is becoming increasingly bolder at the South Pole. What will happen when these things are all mixed together? And how will Korra react knowing she has other family? Read on next time if you want to find out!