Facing the Music:

They clambered down the stairs, pushing rocks aside and trying their best not to fall down. Their pace was frantic; Kanro's news had inspired them all. For a year and a half, everything had gone to pieces. The war had dragged on longer than they had expected and showed no sign of ending.

Until now.

When they emerged into the underground safe-house, they found it broken and crumbling. The main body of the room was largely unaffected, yet the walls around had all cracked and fallen in, covering metres of the safe-house in dirt and rubble. Kanro was brushing up in one corner, trying his best to push some dirt away but it just kept rolling back down to cover more ground. Swearing, Kanro threw the broom down in disgust and turned, smiling as he spotted the group.

"You're all safe! I won't lie, I was bloody worried for a moment there!" he said, a wide grin on his face. He clasped Mako on the arm and nodded respectfully at Lin, who acknowledged it with a nod of her own. She was still resolutely ignoring Sho-tahn, who offered her a hand. Lin simply looked away and hobbled over to a wall, where she bent an uncomfortable looking bench from the ground and sat down carefully, holding her right arm, grimacing all the while.

As Kanro greeted the others, Mako looked around. "Well, you weren't wrong. This place looks even worse than you do…" he muttered to Kanro over his shoulder, earning a hearty laugh from his old friend. Noticing a large hole at the far end, Mako frowned. "That doesn't look natural…" he commented.

"It isn't!" Kanro shouted back to him, currently performing some strange handshake with Denn.

Something shifted in the hole, moving in the dark. From the tunnel, a newcomer emerged. Standing tall, dark green tunic tattered and burnt, with the sight of them all reflected in his brilliant blue eyes, Avatar Jahn appraised the assorted group with a wary expression.

Silence.

The Avatar moved towards them, step by step, until he drew level with Mako. The Chief bowed his head respectfully, keeping his eyes to the floor. Something felt very strange here. It felt…primal. Unrefined. The usual courtesies would not do here, the Firebender felt.

"Mako," Jahn said in a croaky voice.

The Chief looked up, giving the Avatar a quick smile as he did so. He was trying to keep his emotions in check; for so long now, he'd been fighting to stay alive and now, the Avatar had returned. It felt like Korra was coming back to help him out again. He hadn't realised just how badly he'd needed this boost of hope. "Avatar Jahn. You're back," Mako pointed out.

The Avatar nodded. He leant slightly to the side, watching the group behind him with slightly distrustful eyes. Mako waved a hand casually, indicating them all. "They're friends."

"Friends? I can still fire you, Mako," Lin retorted from her bench, disgruntled at the informal title awarded to her.

Jahn's eyes fell on her. Lin did not look away; instead, she carefully climbed to her feet and lifted her chin defiantly. She still clutched her right arm, clearly in some pain.

"Lin Beifong," Jahn said in a voice that sounded as though it had not been used for over a year. "I recognise you."

"We've never met, Avatar, but I knew your past two lives. You were insufferable as both of them," Beifong said sharply, earning gasps from the other people in the room. Kanro quietly chuckled at the back of the group.

Jahn's eyes narrowed. He was quiet for a moment, before his mouth curled upwards in a slight smile. "We try," he said with some degree of irony.

"What were you doing in that hole?" Rella blurted out quickly in the brief moment of silence.

"The Avatar was just trying to stabilise this place. I asked him to clear out some debris but he seems to be making himself an escape tunnel…" Kanro explained with a slightly confused expression, tugging at his beard in thought.

"Kid's been living in the spirit world for a year and a half, expecting attacks at any second, what do you expect? Good thinking," Lin admitted begrudgingly. "Is anyone here any good at putting shoulders back into sockets? I need this arm for arresting any idiots that come my way," she muttered. Min-li rolled her eyes but pushed forward through the group, carefully edging around Jahn as though he were ready to explode.

"We have a lot to discuss, Avatar," Mako said, returning to his usual formal demeanour. "Would you like to talk somewhere privately?" he said, gesturing at the back of the room.

Jahn frowned again. He nodded at the stairs. "Outside," he croaked.

Mako looked at the others with concern. Spirits were outside. Then again, he was with the Avatar. Surely that would keep any danger away? "Outside it is," he said, gesturing with one arm.

As Jahn climbed the stairs, Mako turned quickly. He raised an eyebrow and gave a quick point with his thumb over his shoulder at Jahn, earning looks of surprise and awe from everyone else. Smiling slightly, Mako followed the Avatar up the stairs.

"Happy birthday!"

The room all cheered and burst into applause. Jinora smiled happily, blowing out the candles with a delicate display of Airbending. Tenzin clapped the loudest, a smile lighting up his face as he watched his oldest daughter look around the chamber.

The chamber was packed. Nearly every resident of their underground complex, designated the Air Sanctuary, had turned up to wish Jinora a happy birthday. The crowd all whistled and cheered, celebrating their leader's special day. Even citizens of the other nations had come along, clearly pleased to take part in some kind of event. Celebrated news was received so little lately. This gathering would almost certainly lift everyone's spirits.

Tenzin looked up as some of the lemurs flew overhead, chasing the dragonfly-bunny spirits in a playful manner. Meelo had attached little pouches of glitter and confetti to the lemurs, which billowed down on them all as they flew overhead. Tenzin thought it was actually a very nice touch. Meelo was still very much a big kid, yet he'd made leaps and bounds like Tenzin knew he would. As proud as he was of his nation, nothing could compare to how immensely proud he was of each of his family. Pema squeezed his arm tightly, a joyful tear rolling down her cheek.

Jinora was sat in the centre of the giant chamber, surrounded by her close family and friends. The Earthbenders had created tables and benches from the earth around, allowing everyone to fit in the chamber with little pushing and shoving. Kai and Ioran sat next to Jinora, with Aana next to her older brother. Simply watching Jinora and her family made Tenzin's heart swell.

Occasionally, someone came up to his daughter and wished her well, sometimes dropping off a gift. Jinora always responded with a smile and often with a hug for those she knew well. The events of the last two years seemed to vanish from her memory in this instant and Tenzin was more than pleased about it.

It had definitely been difficult. For a start, the Airbending master had to live with the knowledge that the war had started because Jahn had chosen to save him. He owed the Avatar a debt but he had no idea about how to repay it. Jahn had chosen to save Tenzin's life instead of taking Ornatok's. It was the right decision for Jahn's conscience, yet the suffering that had been caused since the war began…

It was worth it. One life hardly balances thousands, Tenzin was well aware, yet if the life in peril had been anyone else, Tenzin would have supported Jahn's decision regardless. He wasn't as responsible for this Avatar in the same way he was for Korra but that wouldn't stop him guiding where he could.

The Avatar had been gone for quite some time now, however, and nobody knew his whereabouts. Tenzin could only imagine how lonely it would be, trapped in the spirit world, surrounded by enemies at every turn. It would be enough to drive anyone mad. His father and Korra would have coped, however, so Tenzin knew Jahn would be out there. Somewhere.

"Hold everything, hold it!" came a hurried voice. Bolin came barrelling through the crowds, almost falling over his own feet as he made his way towards Jinora. He was clutching a small satchel close to his chest tightly, determined not to drop it. When he finally reached Jinora, he pulled her to her feet in a giant bear hug. The man was effectively as adorable as a young flying bison. Though he did smell a little better, Tenzin considered with a chuckle.

Jinora kissed Bolin on the cheek with a grin, taking the satchel with many grateful utterances. She peeked inside and her eyes widened in amazement. Placing the satchel down gently, his daughter pulled it open and took out two small figures. From where he was stood, off to the side a few tables away, Tenzin could barely make them out. The Airbender linked his hand with Pema's and they walked through the crowded chamber together, smiling at the people around who greeted them as they went.

"What's in the bag, sweetie?" Pema asked when they sidled up. Bolin immediately jumped forward, giving Pema a huge hug and shaking Tenzin's hand thoroughly, a sheepish smile on his face. Jinora held up two of the figures, which were about the same size as her hand. Made from glassy rock, the figures were of Tenzin and Aang. The detail was exquisite; they looked almost identical, yet different enough to tell apart. How anyone had managed to Earthbend quite that skilfully was beyond Tenzin's comprehension.

"I must say, this is incredible…" Tenzin muttered, admiring his own statue, which appeared to be of him when he was twenty years younger. The small statue of his father was just as perfect. The face was very almost as identical as the statue they had in the depths of the Sanctuary. When Bolin leant over and took out a statue of Korra, Tenzin placed his father's statue down to take a look at the new item.

"Bolin, these are perfect. Absolutely perfect. How on earth have you managed this?" Jinora said, hugging her old friend again. Bolin blushed, clearly somewhat embarrassed, yet perked up when he saw everyone's amazed expressions turned towards him. "Oh, well, you know that sculpting job I had, I actually really enjoyed it, just don't tell Mako, so basically I've been practising ever since the war began because, hey, lava is kind of my thing, you know? I just cool the lava down in exactly the right way and then adjust it until its perfect," he explained lightning-fast.

"They really are something else…" Tenzin muttered, extremely impressed. The blockhead Earthbender had finally mastered finesse. Who knew?

The chatter around was as loud as ever, bathing them all in warm, rich sounds of happiness and laughter. Certainly a welcome break from the chaos and danger outside.

"Master Tenzin? Erm, we have a situation," an Airbender said at his side, looking rather concerned.

Tenzin sighed. So much for the peace. "I'll be right there. Jinora, honey, I'll be right back," he said, giving her a quick smile. His own gift would have to wait.

He followed the Airbender through the chamber and off into a side tunnel. The Airbender seemed a little twitchy but would not explain precisely why. As they walked, Tenzin recognised the route. They were heading towards the statues. "What is it? Is it the Avatar?" he asked.

The Airbender nodded. They took another tunnel, walking in silence until Tenzin saw the reason for it. The statues of the past Avatars had been removed from the Eastern Air Temple for protection and placed within a small chamber in the depths of the Sanctuary. He'd already discussed with Jinora about monitoring them, as the eyes of the statues had begun to glow recently. It had started as just a faint glow, only dazzling if you stared directly at the lights. As they approached the doorway, however, the light was bursting between the cracks of the door and through the small holes in the earth around. The entire hallway outside was bathed in white light, forcing Tenzin to shield his eyes as they walked up.

"How long has this been happening?" he asked, edging towards the door.

"Barely half an hour. We thought it best to leave you be, but if the Avatar's returned…" the Airbender said hesitantly.

It certainly seemed that way. Tenzin didn't allow his hopes to soar, however, in case there was another explanation. As he turned the metal handle and yanked the door open, the light inside was so incredibly bright that he fell back, unable to even open his eyes.

"Shut it!" Tenzin said hurriedly, feeling around for the door with his eyes squeezed shut. He found the corner eventually and slammed it shut, blocking out most of the light. He turned his back on the room and opened his eyes, aware they were watering considerably.

"Jahn never could resist being ostentatious…" he muttered to himself. Remembering the other Airbender, he pointed down the hallway. "I hate to drag her away, but please get my daughter for me. I'm sure she'll want to know this," he asked. The Airbender nodded and sprinted off down the tunnel the way they had come. Tenzin sighed, feeling a strange bubbling sensation in his chest. It was a moment before he remembered the feeling.

Excitement.

The night air was still chilly, fresh on their faces as they looked around. To the west, the buildings were so shattered and cracked that they had a clear line of sight on the portal, far away. It shone brilliantly in the dark, a yellow-green light blooming throughout the city.

Mako smiled softly as he watched the lights spiral upwards. The swarm of spirits they had spotted earlier were nowhere to be seen. The danger had passed, small earthquake tremors aside.

Jahn stepped up next to him, just as tall as the Firebender. It seemed as though the year and a half in the spirit world had certainly been hard on the young Avatar. Not only were his clothes dirty and ripped but his face was unshaven, his hair unkempt and he seemed far thinner than Mako remembered.

"So," Mako said quietly, "You survived for a year and a half in the spirit world, where everything is currently anti-human. That's quite an achievement. "

Jahn sniffed. "I had some help," he said, gesturing with a hand. His voice was still broken; Mako reasoned he must not have spoken for quite some time.

To the side, a creature clambered up the small hill towards them. It was difficult to determine precisely what it was in the dark, yet Mako was certain he had never seen one like it. It was quite large, although smaller than Naga had been. It approached slowly, head raised proudly. Jahn took a few steps closer, placing a hand on the creature's neck, stroking it gently. "If it wasn't for Eyuta here, I wouldn't have lasted very long," Jahn said with a smile.

"What is he? She?" Mako asked, unsure of what it was. He stepped closer, lowering his head to try and get a better look at the creature.

"He's a Luxiyi. A spirit animal," Jahn said, turning his head. "Not everything in the spirit world is a spirit. There's a whole ecosystem over there, more complex than anything in our world. Luxiyi are rare even there; I'm sure there will be a few people with knowledge of them."

The Luxiyi was a strange beast. Like all animals in their world, it seemed to be a cross between animals. The Luxiyi had a body of a stag-like creature, strong and primed for stamina. The legs were similarly built; although the feet were hooved, they were large and had tiny little hooks surrounding the bottom, very probably to assist with gripping the terrain. The tail was long and very nearly horizontal, flicking to and fro like a lizard's. The neck was likewise longer and thickly built, supporting the weirdest head Mako had ever seen. It was snouted like a deer, barely containing a mouth full of sharp teeth, seemingly out of place with the friendly nose. The eyes were yellowed and had thin pupils, spinning round to observe everything within seconds. Gigantic antlers sprouted from the top of the head, creating a majestic tree of bone above the creature, under which two short ears stood alert. Its head was brown and furry, yet the fur petered out towards the neck and instead became a mane of snow white fur which ran down the back and along the tail. The rest of the animal was scaled, down to the knees, which became fur once again. Mako could just about make out a deep, dark red colour, almost brown in the dark.

"That is seriously the craziest thing I have ever seen…" Mako whispered. When he held up a hand and ignited a small flame to look at the Luxiyi better, the animal reared up in fright at the sudden fire. Mako caught a very brief glimpse of the animal before it suddenly flashed and vanished from view. Mako's eyes widened, amazed at the sudden disappearance.

Jahn chuckled. "Camouflage abilities. He's some kind of reptile crossed with a stag. He's the only thing around capable of blending in with its environment and he's far more intelligent than he looks so don't piss him off."

After a few minutes, the outline of the creature came into focus once more and after another short flash, it reappeared almost instantaneously. Sniffing the air, it pawed the ground nervously and paced around.

"So, strange spirit animals aside…how are you doing? It's been far too long since we saw you…since anyone saw you…" Mako asked, looking sideways at the Avatar.

"I'm fine," Jahn said shortly. "It's nice to be back."

The Firebender nodded. "I can imagine. If you don't mind me asking, why are you back? Why now, I mean?"

Jahn looked at the ground, frowning. "I was chasing something. I've been busy, in the spirit world, trying to find an answer. The only reason I came back at all was because the spirit I was chasing escaped through the portal."

"A spirit? I guess it could have easily come through without anyone realising; we haven't been able to efficiently monitor the portal since the spirits turned hostile," Mako replied glumly.

"I wasn't entirely sure that it had until the spirits tried to lock me out. I didn't want to use force, although they gave me little choice."

"So you're just here for a single spirit? If you find it, then what?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" Jahn snapped, turning away. He pulled himself up on a nearby brick wall, his legs dangling over the side as he watched the silent city slumber.

The Chief of Police was unsure how to respond. This Avatar was very different to the one he'd met over a year ago. He seemed far older, far more gritty and touchy. Instead of replying, Mako clambered up next to Jahn and sat with him quietly.

"Korra had a very unique way to deal with problems, didn't she?" Jahn finally said quietly.

Mako smirked. "Yeah, you could say that. She always faced any challenge head-on. Even the unimportant ones like eating competitions with my brother Bolin."

"She told me about that. It was deadly serious to her," Jahn commented.

Mako chuckled despite himself. In times as dark as these, remembering shining memories such as this were beyond treasured.

The Avatar pulled at a sleeve uncomfortably. "Listen, it's good to see you're still well Mako, but I need to leave. I've still got something to take care of and sitting around won't help anyone."

"Wait, you're not staying? We could really use your help in this war," Mako began to say but Jahn waved him away.

"I'm not fighting this war. I'm doing everything in my power to help end it, sure, but fighting isn't the way. I know the names of the culprits responsible so I'm chasing them down," the Avatar said through gritted teeth. "I've already handled many of the remaining spirit eaters that escaped into the spirit world. Ornatok remains elusive but I'll find him. He needs to pay for all the hurt he helped cause," he said angrily.

"The spirit eater? We've kept an eye out but we haven't heard anything about him yet. What about the evil spirits?" Mako asked.

"There are no evil spirits, how many times do I need to tell people that?" Jahn exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air in despair. "They're just angry and hurt. Both sides are just lashing out at each other. The only spirit I need to have a word with is Zhansha. Something made that spirit hate humans and I intend to find out why."

Mako remained silent. For once, he had no intel on any of these matters. Clearly, the Avatar had been hard at work.

"Oh, and one more thing. I've heard that there's somebody orchestrating all of this. The Red Lotus, the Spirit Eaters, the Spirit War…everything. If you can, get in touch with Grand Master Zukoh of the White Lotus. I want to know if there's any link between his traitors and the Spirit Eaters," Jahn continued, accentuating with sharp, pointing hand movements. "Beifong might know where to start with that; she can tell when people lie so use that to your advantage."

The Firebender nodded. He wasn't used to taking orders anymore but this seemed like a good exception. The idea of a mastermind behind all the events in the last two years seemed plausible. If they could retreat back to the front lines, they could start investigating there. That was what Mako did best.

Jahn shifted forwards, sliding off the wall and landing on his feet. As he dusted his tunic down, Mako followed suit. "Do your friends know you're back? I'm sure they'll all be happy you've returned, the Metalbender especially," he asked.

To his surprise, Jahn suddenly kicked out at a brick. He must have used Earthbending as the distance it flew was well beyond any normal kick, Mako thought as he watched it sail off into the dark. The Avatar was breathing deeply, clearly trying to control his anger.

"No. I don't think they'd care either way," he finally responded in an ominous voice.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get a grip, Avatar," Beifong's voice came from the building. She was just exiting the room containing the stairway, her arm now in a makeshift sling. As she approached, Eyuta suddenly stepped into view, uncloaking himself. He watched her walk past, head swaying slightly as he observed the Metalbender.

"That thing looks stupid," Lin said, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder at the Luxiyi. "You need to stop dwelling on what people say so much and look at the bigger picture," she said to Jahn as she walked up. "You've had a rough time, sure, but all of us have. Hell, I haven't arrested anyone in months. Stop moping," she finished.

"Oh, shut up Lin," Jahn responded rudely. He whistled with two fingers loudly and Eyuta came bounding across to stand by his side. Jahn vaulted up onto his back, seating himself into a makeshift saddle which Mako only just now spotted. "Mako, remember what you need to do."

Avatar Korra's old boyfriend nodded. "I will. Where will you go now?" he asked, ignoring Beifong's outraged face to the side.

Jahn looked ahead, across the city and to the mountains. "Wherever I need to," he said. Kicking Eyuta's sides lightly, the animal leapt forward and the Avatar vanished into the night.

"Damn kid doesn't know a thing about responsibility. I think I even preferred Korra," Lin mumbled angrily.

"He's getting there," Mako commented. "In fact, he's given us a job to do. You up for some travelling or would you like Sho-tahn to carry you the entire way?" he asked with a straight face.

The resulting kick in the shin was still worth it.

Master Jinora walked through the tunnel and marvelled at the tiny little lights flickering around the ceiling. Little firefly bugs of some description, lighting her way through the dark. They were beautiful, pulsing lights of yellow, purple and blue. The only thing even remotely similar had been that giant insect spirit which had chased them through the forest near the Northern Air Temple. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

"Jinora," her father called from somewhere ahead. Blinking, Jinora began to pay attention to where she was heading. She'd memorised everywhere in the Sanctuary by now and she knew where they were going. Half of her hoped that she was wrong.

The tunnel she turned into was brimming with light. Her father stood midway, in front of a door which was struggling to contain the light within. She shielded her eyes as she approached, unsure of what to make of this.

"Jinora. You know I asked you to keep an eye on the Avatar statues, in case anything happened to them," Tenzin stated. "Well, as you can see…something has happened."

He yanked the door open and the light flooded out. Inside, all the remaining Avatar statues had bright glowing eyes. Jinora nodded, pushing the door shut. As she did so, the light inside began to fade until the statues were darkened once again, just as the door closed completely.

"Avatar Jahn has returned," Tenzin said formally. "It might be time to get back out in the world and help end this war."

Jinora shook her head. "Not yet. It can't be. We're at peace here, nobody's being hurt. Can't we just stay like this, just a little while longer?"

With that statement, she was Tenzin's little girl once again, frightened and unsure. He took her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "Ah, my little girl. We've been hiding for too long. My father would never have sat quietly while there were people to help and neither would Korra have. I know it's a frightening prospect, trying to survive in a world fighting itself, but we need to help the Avatar in whatever way we can. People need to know the Air Nation is there to help."

Jinora pulled away gently. "I know. I…I've not been very good to Jahn. When I met him, I was rude because he reminded me of Korra. After a while, I came to know him and I felt as though we could be friends. He's lost so much but when he needed me, I ignored his friendship and did everything I could to get back here to my family. I put you in danger because of it. The war started because I wasn't there to help."

"That's precisely why you need to help now," Tenzin began to say, smiling. The look on Jinora's face was so guilty, however, that Tenzin stopped himself. "What is it?"

"A year and a half. Jahn's alive, yes, which is fantastic. Although, a year and a half is a long time. I didn't even try and contact him once and I could have. I easily could have. I just wanted to forget all of that, all of the responsibilities and just be with Kai, Ioran and Aana. He risked his safety so many times to make sure I was safe and I couldn't bring myself to speak to him once in all this time. How can he forgive me after that?" Jinora asked in a shaky voice, tears starting to roll down her cheek.

Tenzin placed a reassuring hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You did what you thought was best, for your family. Jahn will understand, I'm sure. You need to be brave now, Jinora, in more ways than one. Facing up to your fears is the best way to help overcome them."

Jinora sniffed and wiped away her tears with her sleeve. "I guess it's easier to put off doing the difficult task than actually facing the music. I'll try though, Dad. I'll try, as long as I know you're all safe," she said, referring to her Airbending family.

"Of course, Jinora. As long as you're alright, we'll all make sure we stay fine too," Tenzin said with a smile. He hugged her quickly again, ensuring she was over her emotional wobble. When she pulled away with fake embarrassment, the Airbending master knew his daughter was back to normal.

"We need to find him first," Jinora said, turning. They walked together, out of the tunnel, back to the party. "It might take a while, seeing as he won't know where we are. I guess I should probably go and find him."

"I think you're probably right, sweetheart," Tenzin agreed. "Although, for now, go and enjoy your party. We only get birthdays once a year, after all, and this one has been particularly taxing. If not only because Meelo has been around…" he grumbled.

Jinora laughed. "He's certainly a handful, even now," she agreed. She took her father's hand as they walked, a smile on her face. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too Jinora."