Fatherhood:

"Are you sure you won't stay?" Tilia asked, looking saddened.

Kazon shook his head slowly. "I can't. My family need me now. I need to say goodbye properly," he said resolutely.

Jahn walked over, just catching the very end of the conversation. "Don't be too sad Tilia; we're going with him."

"What!?" both Kazon and Tilia said in unison, looking surprised. Jahn smiled in response.

"I've talked with Asami; she'll keep an eye on the portal. I've also asked Lin to do something for me up in Taku, so everyone will be busy here. What I haven't had chance to really discuss is my encounter with Ornatok," Jahn said awkwardly.

Tilia didn't look impressed. "What, the one where you upped and left us on your giant deer thing?"

Jahn looked the ground and shifted his feet in embarrassment. "Yeah that one. Anyway," he said, looking up, "I defeated Ornatok but let him go; we couldn't have carried him the whole way anyway."

"That explains the general lack of a bloodthirsty Waterbender in our midst then," Tilia replied, smiling slyly.

The Avatar gritted his teeth to prevent him saying anything sharp in response. Eventually, he took a deep breath and carried on talking in a normal voice. "Like I was saying, we can catch him once the war is over. That aside, he mentioned something which is actually a big help to us; my father is headed for the Fire Nation. I can only assume he's travelling by ship so we might be able to catch up if we travel with Kazon and the Firelord."

Kazon nodded. "That's a good idea. It'll be a far more pleasant journey with you all here," he said, smiling for the first time in days. "What about Eyuta? Is he coming with us?"

Jahn pulled a face. "Nah, he hates flying. He's staying here for a while with the Sky Bison; they seem to get along and he's more than capable of looking after himself. I'll miss him though," he replied.

They'd been at the URFE for two whole days now, which made Jahn concerned; his father could even be at the Fire Nation by now. Asami had given her blessing for them to leave as soon as possible as the spirit portal remained resolutely locked.

"You think your dad's going to be using the cannon in the Fire Nation?" Tilia asked quietly as they walked towards the Eastern edge of the encampment.

Jahn shrugged. "He won't be using it anywhere once we get to him."

"What will you say when you meet?" Tilia asked. Jahn shrugged again and remained silent on the matter. She shot Kazon a look but he simply pulled a face in response, showing his uncertainty.

"Where're Anik and Jinora?" Kazon asked at last, trying to change the topic.

Jahn scratched at his unruly hair, irritated by a fly that kept buzzing round his head. "No idea. I guess they're saying bye to their significant others. Kuan and Kai aren't coming with us on this one."

Tilia smiled slightly. "It'll be like the old Team Avatar, back together again."

"Plus the Firelord," Jahn pointed out. "Not quite the same."

"Very true," Tilia agreed. "It's not exactly a happy occasion this time either."

"At least Vehrin isn't flying around and the Red Lotus and Spirit Eaters are disbanded. Silver linings," Jahn replied lightly.

"Vehrin?" Kazon asked, frowning.

"Long story, I'll tell you all about it sometime," Jahn said over his shoulder as he led the way.

The airships were tethered down by huge metal chains, controlled by the Metalbenders of the United Republic Freedom Encampment. One such airship was being prepped for launch as a horde of people surrounded it at its base.

"Want any help?" Jahn called over to a Metalbender, who appeared to be struggling with bending the chain.

Tilia openly laughed loudly at his comment, making many heads turn to look in their direction. The short, red haired girl wiped a tear from her eye, laughing again as she spotted Jahn's confused face. "You-metalbending-help-good joke…" she gasped between laughs.

Jahn looked at Kazon with an eyebrow raised, totally unimpressed. Shaking his head, the Avatar turned around and left the poor Metalbender where he stood, unsure of whether help was incoming or not. Kazon followed him quickly, clearly eager to be on the airship, leaving Tilia to regain her composure.

"Hey guys! This thing is the fanciest one they have! Nothing compared to what we flew on when we went to the Northern Tribe though!" Anik shouted from the doorway, waving wildly.

"How does he stay so happy all the time?" Kazon asked with a slight smirk, clearly amused by Anik's childlike reaction to their transport.

"I've no idea," Jahn admitted, "though sometimes I think we could all be a bit more like him," he said, climbing the ramp up the doorway. "That being said, this is not one of those times. Get on the damn airship Anik!" he said loudly, pushing Anik back through the doorway.

"Right. The Avatar has asked us to go up to that muddy hovel Taku and retrieve something from his house. He also asks that a certain lady friend be brought down to the encampment; apparently he has some stern words for her," Beifong said to her team, who looked at her with less than pleased expressions. "I agree with him; she stepped over a line pretty boldly so I need a word too."

Mako wiped his forehead with a handkerchief lightly. "Uh, Chief, don't you think we're a little busy for this? I mean, what if something happens when we're up in the mountains and we're too late getting back?"

"What lady friend?" Auri asked curiously. "I thought Jahn was with Tilia."

"Actually, they're on a break at the moment. It's a shame, they're ideal for each other, don't you think?" Renn asked, earning a fervent nod from Auri.

"Shut it!" Beifong shouted loudly. "I can't be done with all this relationship drivel. You've actually got a point Mako, which is why I'll be staying here. You'll be going up there with Auri and another member of the…" Lin paused as she sighed audibly, "B-Team," she finished reluctantly.

"Hey, remember Lin, just because we're called the B-Team doesn't make us the B-team!" Auri said happily, earning a glare from Beifong.

"Actually, the other team has the Avatar, the leader of the Air Nation, the Fire Nation heir, the son of the Northern Water Tribe Chief of Police and the best friend of the President, so…" Mako replied, counting them off on his fingers.

"Oh whatever," Lin snapped, waving her hand in disgust. "Whatever we are, we're going to be spread thin. The Avatar has tasked us with this, President Sato is asking some of us to fortify the camp and obviously the other member is due to arrive any minute…" she said, looking down at her minute watch on her wrist, courtesy of Future Industries. It didn't even have a scratch on it, despite the ongoing war.

"Chief, that's not exactly what I meant. I actually have plans later today; it's actually my birthday tomorrow so I was going to invite you all to a meal…" Mako began to say before Lin looked at him, cutting him off.

"I'm sorry Mako, but we've got jobs to do. We'll do something for your birthday but this is a priority," Lin said softly, dangerously close to actual human emotion.

A gust of wind suddenly pushed through the tent opening and brought goosebumps to their legs. Beifong nodded, as though she'd expected the wind to do exactly as she'd expected.

"Erm, Chief, if Auri and Mako are the only ones going to Taku, why are we here?" Renn asked, looking at Mako's small team from the Future Industries raid.

Lin shrugged. "I don't know, you all just turned up. You can leave," she said indifferently, earning groans from the group, who started to skulk out of tent grumpily.

"So who's coming with us?" Auri asked, a smile on her face.

Beifong smirked slightly. "Well here's an early birthday present Mako, you soppy idiot. I had him drafted from the Eastern Air Temple; I thought you could do with some cheering up after the portal incident," she said, nodding to the entrance of the tent. "Just don't let him talk to me or I might end up punching him in the face…"

A figure flew through the fabric so fast that his feet tripped over each other and he fell onto the ground heavily, grunting. Mako rushed forward to help him up, only to stop with an amazed expression as Bolin clambered to his feet. "Hey bro! Didn't think I was going to miss your birthday right?" the Earthbender asked with a huge grin on his face as he clasped Mako in a tight bearhug.

"Get your brotherly bonding over and done with already," Lin said almost immediately. "You're heading to Taku within the hour. Bolin, get yourself a quick wash. You smell just like the Sky Bison you flew in on," she said, wrinkling her nose in a disgusted expression, much to Bolin's delight.

The ocean flew by as the airship soared through the clouds, undeterred by the unstable air currents. It sliced its way towards the Fire Nation rapidly, though any spirit intervention would completely halt them in their tracks.

"It's a good thing we haven't seen any spirits," Anik said lazily, picking at his teeth with a toothpick.

"Why are you even doing that? You haven't eaten anything," Tilia remarked, bewildered.

Anik shrugged. "Makes me feel like I'm travelling like royalty."

"Well you're travelling with royalty, if that assists in your pursuit of comfort," came a voice behind him. Anik sat up on the small sofa quickly, alarmed. Kazon walked over, smiling slightly.

"Please, don't get up on my account. It looks like you're getting a bit of a belly on you there Anik," the Firebender noted, nodding at Anik's gut. When the Waterbender leapt to his feet, panicking and patting his stomach, the others all laughed.

"That's one way to get him up," Jahn said with a grin.

Kazon smiled. "I aim to please. I just wanted you all to know that I'm going to spend some time talking with Zukoh and Akirai; if you need me, please wait until I'm done," he said, asking for their respectfulness, his attitude shifting to sombre.

They all nodded, except Jinora, who stood up from her chair. "Kazon, I'll join you. I can make sure their spirits are at rest."

Jahn immediately expected Kazon to decline her offer but after a moment, the Fire Nation heir nodded. "That would be appreciated. Thank you."

"You can do that?" Tilia asked Jinora, impressed at the slightly older woman.

The Airbender nodded. "They're not the same as spirits from the spirit world, though I can faintly detect…well…something. If they had unfinished business, I can just tell."

"How?" Anik asked, looking up from patting his stomach down.

Jinora shrugged. "I can't explain it. There's just some kind of spiritual energy around them and I can understand it somehow, just like how Waterbenders can detect pain in someone's body through the water."

"Oh sure, makes sense…" Anik said, sitting back down.

Tilia looked over at him, clearly not understanding any of the conversation. Jahn sat by her and shrugged slightly when she looked sideways at him. As Earthbenders, they didn't quite fully understand the Airbender ways. Jahn could Airbend, yet he certainly wasn't an Air Nomad by any means.

As the pair turned to leave, Jahn stretched up slightly, trying to project his voice. "Jinora!" he called. When she turned, he scratched his head awkwardly and said, "When we get back, can you do the same for…my mother…please?"

She nodded with a smile and turned back to Kazon. Jahn was certainly far more mature than when she'd first met him, yet his love for his mother was still apparent. He'd been far too busy to visit her grave and she was sad that he had to put his duties first, when all he really wanted was to speak with his mother quietly. After everything he'd been through, he deserved that.

Kazon was quiet as they descended through the airship. Zukoh and Akirai had been placed in two makeshift coffins in private lower quarters; it was this room that they entered with a royal salute from two Phoenix Talons. The door closed quietly behind them as Kazon sat down in the only chair in the room, right between the two coffins which had been placed on low tables.

"Hey," Kazon said softly. "I miss you both," he said with such heartfelt sincerity that it brought a lump to Jinora's throat. Her own thoughts turned towards Aana, Kai, Ioran and the rest of her family, though she forced herself to listen to Kazon. "We're flying you both home now. We thought you'd like that. Even you, Akirai, you grumpy old thing," he said with a sad chuckle. "You'd have hated that and I'm sure you still do. Zukoh…my brother…thank you for always looking out for me. You listened when I said that Kairna wasn't to be trusted and you always listened when I had any advice, no matter how hard it was to hear. I know you chose the White Lotus, but I know you'd have made a wise, compassionate and kind leader of the Fire Nation. You showed those qualities to me every day. Both of you did and I miss you both…so much…" he said in a wobbly voice, head bowed.

"Kazon," Jinora whispered softly. "That was beautiful. Do I have your permission to begin?" she asked cautiously. When Kazon nodded, not looking round, she closed her eyes and placed her hands together.

Before she could sense anything, the airship tannoy blared outside loudly, sounding even in their chamber. "We are approaching the Fire Nation! Only an hour to go folks!" the pilot said down the speakers.

Jinora sighed, focusing once again. She heard Kazon stand up, pushing the chair back, though she heard a clattering sound which grew nearer. Opening her eyes slowly, she spotted his daughter's bracelet lying on the floor by her feet, having rolled from where Kazon had accidentally dropped it.

"Oh, Kazon, you dropped th-" she begun to say, taking the bracelet in one hand. As soon as she touched the metal, she felt her spiritual energies fly unbidden from her body, whipping her away to a different location.

Sights, sounds and feelings all rushed to another place; she found herself floating, ethereal, looking down on a small crowd of people on the docks. Fire Nation ships bobbed in the ocean lazily as, out to sea, a United Republic airship slowly came into view.

A man looked at the airship quickly, pushing a small girl gently towards the boats as an older gentleman cleared a path. Jinora floated closer, curious. Something felt wrong. The man seemed serious, a face she almost recognised, though he was treating the girl quite well. As her thoughts turned to why her astral projection had brought her here, she caught the faint sounds of the man speaking.

"Come on Akemi, a little further now, hurry up please."

Jinora's shock at the revelation made her feel faint; her astral projection flickered and vanished as she felt herself drawn back into her body. Her eyes snapped open, gasping as Kazon frowned.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked.

Jinora looked up, still in shock. "Kazon…I saw your daughter. She's at the port ahead."

Kazon stood in silence, his mouth agape, disbelieving. "You-what? Akemi?"

The Airbender nodded, her face still surprised at the entire ordeal. "I touched her necklace again and I-she's down there, I know. You need to get off this ship and get her!" she said, her eyes becoming hopeful, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Kazon placed his face in his hands. "I…what if you're wrong? I need to be there for my father and say goodbye to Zukoh and Akirai. If you're wrong, I've just left them all behind for no reason. Plus, my father won't just stop an airship on a hunch; this is a burial ship."

Jinora walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm not wrong Kazon. I know you want to say the perfect goodbye to your family but the only way you can do that is to make their sacrifice worthwhile. If you say goodbye now, with heartfelt emotion, they'd be pleased that you were choosing to find your daughter."

Kazon let his hands drop, his face distraught. "Akirai said I needed to find her. She wanted me to."

"Honour her by finding your daughter," Jinora said resolutely.

Kazon froze, torn between decisions. Jinora knew precisely how much he needed to choose the right decision; he was a broken man underneath that royal exterior. His family was shattered and his whole life was without meaning; becoming the true and only heir to the Fire Nation throne must be a startling realisation that reality had finally descended.

The Fire Prince turned round to the two coffins, placing a hand on each as he sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry that I can't be there to see you put to rest. Please forgive me. I love you Zukoh. I love you Akirai. I never told you both that nearly as much as I should have. I hope you'll still accept it if I tell you every day from now on. And when I get my daughter back, I'll tell her the stories of her great Uncle Zukoh and Great-Aunt Akirai and what they sacrificed to help mend this broken world."

Jinora smiled sadly as he turned back to her, a sorrowful expression on his face. "Ok," he said at last, nodding. "But only because you said so. I trust you all, you know that."

"Come on Kazon, let's get the others quickly. We'll find Akemi and you'll have a family once again," she said, hugging him quickly. The Fire Prince patted her on the back twice as thanks, glad of her friendship. Sometimes it took someone a little closer to his age to understand; Jahn and Tilia were still almost children and Anik certainly acted like it most of the time.

"How're we going to get down there?" Kazon asked as they exited the chamber, ignoring the Phoenix Talon salute on either side.

Jinora grinned slyly. "I know you don't like flying anymore so you won't like this part…"

Rizem glanced up at the airship, which approached quickly. It had adjusted its course slightly; the flying behemoth now headed straight for them. The townsfolk around were all pointing and gawping; they hadn't seen an intact airship for months. Rizem simply gritted his teeth and pointed at the boat they were heading for. It sat in the ocean alone, along a short pier which led further out to sea. "That's ours," he pointed out to his uncle who nodded in response.

"Looks like a floating piece of cra-cra-crab hunting ship…" his uncle said lamely, fully aware of Akemi listening in. She carried a small satchel with her, clutching it tightly, which was full of her toys and clothes. Her eyes were wide as she gazed at everyone and took in all the colours of the sky and sea. Her face lit up when she saw the boat, pulling a small boat toy from her bag. "Are we going on that?" she asked in wonder.

Rizem nodded, though the look he gave his uncle was less reassuring. His uncle nodded, his hooded robe rustling in the breeze, as he walked down the pier and stepped onto the boat, checking it for any stray passengers. When nobody was found, he started the engine and jumped off, back onto the pier, hurrying back to them. "Quick, before anyone sees us!" he said in a hushed voice.

"Where are we going?" Akemi asked as she approached the boat, Rizem close behind.

"To see your family again, little one. It's time you returned home."

The townsfolk around roared as the airship soared overhead, not slowing down. It was enormous, casting a huge shadow on them all as it passed by. Rizem watched it closely, ensuring he didn't let his guard down, just in case he-

Something fell from the airship, breaking away from a hatch underneath. Within a second, another shape followed it, followed by another and another and another. The figures fell rapidly, aiming directly for them. Rizem stepped backwards quickly, pulling Akemi with him carefully. Escaping was an urgent priority now, though he had no wish to harm the young girl.

The first figure approached the docks, still freefalling quickly. It span around so it was falling vertically; fire burst from its feet, slowing the figure's fall until it landed gently on the singed docks. Behind, an Airbender landed gracefully with a blast of air; a Firebender touched down by her side with another jet of flame beneath his feet. The ocean below rose up between the docks, creating two enormous water spouts which caught the last two figures, submerging them but placing them feet-down on the docks as the water retreated back into the sea.

"Bloody hell, why are we the only ones wet?" the Water Tribe man asked, complaining as he shook his silver hair.

Rizem stood, watching them as he placed one hand on Akemi's shoulder and slowly moved the other to the knife on his belt, keeping it hidden. The group was a diverse one and looked quite impressive standing before him, minus the drenched Waterbender and short red-haired woman, who shifted awkwardly.

The Fire Nation man gasped as he noticed Akemi. RIzem frowned; he knew Prince Kazon by reputation and from his reports. He'd hoped for more time before he found Akemi, though he could use it to his advantage. He nodded to his uncle, who melted back into the townsfolk all gathered around. The spirits would be inbound soon.

His gaze turned to the young man stood at the front of his team. Jahn's face was hard to read, though he could see anger in his eyes, along with some fear. Good. If his emotions got the better of him, Rizem could be on the boat and out to see before he could give chase.

"Hello son," he said to Jahn, lifting his chin up.

Jahn's fist curled. "Rizem."

"You look well. Your mother did a good job raising you."

The other fist curled. "She did. Though I spent years looking after her when she became ill."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"No you're not."

Rizem frowned. "Jahn, whatever you must think of me, you need to know that I always loved you and Saraa with all my heart. You were only little when she became ill and I'm sorry that you were burdened with that responsibility on my account," he said sincerely, still keeping a firm grasp on Akemi.

Jahn nodded repeatedly, looking up at the sky and down at the docks, trying to keep his emotions in line. "But you still ran away. You still left us. Why?"

"I spent years searching for a way to heal your mother. She deteriorated gradually, though she was still my wife that I'd fallen in love with. I found the cause of her illness but when I returned home with a possible cure, I found a surprise. Everything I've done is because of that day. When everything is over and the world is at peace, I'll explain it all to you. I think perhaps you're here for someone else, however," he said, nodding down at Akemi.

"Let the girl go and give up. You can't outrun us in that boat," Jahn said, pointing at it.

Rizem shrugged. "I can try," he said, looking at them all. His eyes came to rest on Anik and immediately narrowed, staring at the Waterbender. "You!-" he gasped until Kazon stepped forward.

"Please," Kazon said from behind the Avatar, "Just let her go. I haven't seen her in years. She doesn't even know who I am!"

Rizem shrugged. "I've brought here her so that you two can finally meet. I'm doing a good thing here," he said with a slight smile. "You two deserve to be a family again. Kairna took that away from you but I shall give it back."

Kazon's face contorted in anger. "Kairna!? So it WAS her! She stole my baby and came back to our home pretending to be sorry for my loss!" he yelled angrily. Akemi backed away slightly, clearly frightened.

"Kazon, no! You're scaring her!" Tilia said, grabbing his arm quickly.

The Fire Prince inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry Akemi," he said kindly to the frightened girl.

"Enough chitchat. I need to be away; you can have your daughter when my backup arrives," Rizem said, withdrawing the knife from his belt.

"Don't hurt her!" Jahn said urgently, stepping forward involuntarily.

Rizem shook his head. "I'd never hurt a child Jahn. I'm hurt you think that low of me."

"Yet you butcher spirits and hurt anyone else in your way. Small comfort," Jahn spat.

His father scratched one eyebrow with the very tip of his knife gently. "Well people keep getting in the way and spirits…well, spirits have a special place in my heart. I'm only doing this to rid our world of their evil. I know you wouldn't understand Jahn, being the Avatar and all, though this will help you and your reincarnations for years to come. I promise."

"You promised me you'd always be there for me. When I was little. Your promises mean nothing to us. Hand over Akemi without a scratch on her head or you'll pay. You have no idea what I'm capable of," Jahn said angrily.

"Actually, I do. I've had my intelligence monitor you for years. My son, the Avatar. Prince Kazon of the Fire Nation. Jinora of the Air Nomads, son of Tenzin. Anik of the Northern Water Tribe. Tilia of Republic City. A close group. All willing to fight to reunite a family. How sweet. As I said, we'll talk again Jahn, when I've helped make the world a better place," Rizem said, raising his knife into the sky.

Far behind them, somewhere in the town, a gigantic fireball roared into the sky, exploding loudly and showering the air with sparks. As soon as the group turned to look, Rizem pushed Akemi forward slightly and turned, running for the boat as dark spirits began to emerge from the ocean, clambering up onto the docks. The townsfolk all began to scream and claw their way through one another in their desperation to reach the town.

Jahn turned back to his father, alarmed at the sudden appearance of the spirits. They swarmed the docks, shoving people aside, yet didn't seem to be really harming anyone; instead, they seemed desperate to reach their Team. Jahn and Kazon sprinted forwards as the others helped people out of the way with their bending. Kazon dived for Akemi and brought her down to the wooden ground, keeping her safe as the spirits trampled overhead. Jahn simply brushed the spirits aside with Airbending, fighting through their numbers as he fought his way to the boat.

He broke free of the spirit masses, gasping as he watched the boat race out to the open ocean. It would be easy to follow him, though he remembered Tilia's reaction to when he chased after Ornatok. If it hadn't been for Eyuta, he'd have died there, lying in the dirt. He needed his team and Rizem couldn't travel far now they'd found him.

The Avatar raced back down the pier, clearing a path through the swarm. He found Kazon lay over Akemi, occasionally punching up with a blast of fire, though the spirits didn't seem to be after them. Jahn stood over them, Airbending a sphere around to allow them to clamber to their feet. "Kazon, get Akemi up into the village! I'll stop these!"

"What about your father?" Kazon shouted through the hurricane-force winds, clutching Akemi's hand. The little girl seemed frightened but stared down the spirits with a steely glare startling similar to Akirai's.

"We can deal with him later! Get her and the others to safety! GO!" he yelled back, waving him on. As Kazon started to move, Jahn bent the air into a huge slice of wind that knocked many spirits aside, allowing Kazon to run with Akemi up to where the docks meet the village.

Jahn sighed, surrounded by heaving spirits, as he braced himself. He'd need Raava's power to subdue them and he hoped that these spirits would fear Raava just like the Republic City spirits did.

His feet left the docks as a whirlwind swirled beneath his feet. He held a fireball in one hand and water from the ocean swirled around his other arm as his eyes began to glow, channelling Raava's immense energies.

"I need your help Raava," Jahn thought internally, hoping she would hear him.

He felt a flicker of thought that was not his own. "I am with you Jahn. For now until the end of time."

He gazed down upon the spirits, thoughts calm and collected. "SPIRITS," he said loudly in a voice containing all the past Avatars and Raava's own. "BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE OR SUFFER OUR WRATH!"

They all turned as one, gazing up at him in surprise. Jahn pointed at the ocean, frowning. "BACK TO THE OCEAN. TELL WAN SHI TONG TO STOP SENDING SPIRITS TO HINDER US. IF THE OWL DOESN'T, WE'LL COME FOR HIM NEXT!"

The spirits all rustled and began to slink backwards, diving back into the ocean as Jahn watched. He was more than thankful that he didn't have to fight them; clearly Raava's reputation quelled all potential enemies.

When the last spirit had vanished back beneath the waves, Jahn landed softly on the docks, his eyes fading. "Thank you Raava," he whispered.

"You are welcome Jahn. Wan Shi Tong has overstepped his authority, though these spirits were a combination of his followers and the spirit Zhansha's," Raava replied.

"We'll have to do something about them once I find my father," Jahn agreed as he watched his friends approach unharmed.

"I'm glad to see you're all alright," he said honestly as they neared. Only Kazon wasn't here; he was still up near the village boundary, kneeling on the ground and talking to Akemi gently, who grasped her bag.

"Jahn, your father. Where's he going?" Jinora asked, pointing out at the ocean where the boat was now just a speck on the horizon.

"I honestly don't know," the Avatar replied. "But we're going after him."

Tilia walked up, looking out at the ocean. As Jinora and Anik started discussing potentially modes of transportation home, the Metalbender turned to look at Jahn. "You let him get away to make sure Kazon and his daughter were safe," she said. It wasn't a question.

When Jahn shrugged, Tilia smiled cheekily. "I thought so. You came back for us this time. Maybe there's hope for you yet," she said with a grin, pulling him close and planting a kiss on his lips.

Jahn's brain went numb. He could feel her lips on his, warm and soft, and when she released him, he smiled goofily. "Maybe there's hope for us too?" he asked.

Tilia smiled, blushing slightly. "Yeah, maybe. Come on, we need a quick chat before you run off after your dad," she said with a wink, nodding at the village and skipped away down the pier, leaving Jahn stood grinning like an idiot by the sea.

"This is the place?" Mako asked.

"Erm, maybe? Yeah, I could see the Avatar growing up here. It feels a little like home, don't you think?" Bolin replied, angling his head to try and get a better look at Jahn's old home.

"Home was Republic City for you guys, right? How's this like Republic City?" Auri asked, completely bewildered.

"No, I just mean that it has that nice earthy kind of smell to it, y'know? See, take a big breath in through your nose!" Bolin said, demonstrating and sighing with a big 'ahhh'.

Auri shook her head, smiling. "So where does this traitor girl live?"

Mako frowned. "Auri, you can't call her that. Kuvu and Saall made a mistake and they need to answer for it, yes, but please don't be horrible when you arrest them. They've done their part to help the city after all."

"Yessiree Cap'n my Cap'n!" Auri said with a grin, taking off into the air with her wingsuit.

"I'm not a sailor!" Mako shouted up after her, noticing a local villager giving him a strange look. "Oh, um, there was a….oh never mind," he said, deflating slightly. "Come on Bolin. We're looking for a small lockbox," he said as he pushed the door open.

Bolin glanced around. "Not too bad. What's even in this box anyway?" he asked, lifting up a teapot and shaking it.

Mako shrugged. "No idea bro. Jahn said it belonged to his father and so it might have some answers in it."

"Well I haven't found the box but I found something to open it with!" Bolin said in a happy tone, holding up a small crowbar.

"Aha!" Mako said, retrieving a small box from a set of drawers. Looking at the crowbar in Bolin's hands, he pulled a face. "Maybe a little small for that, don't you think?"

"Nah give it here, it'll be fine!" Bolin replied happily. As he tried to pry it open, Mako peered around the small house. "So how is everything with Tenzin and the Airbenders?"

"Oh…eesh this is hard…they've setup in the Eastern Temple and the spirits seem to be staying away so…yeah all good," Bolin said between attempts. The box wasn't opening, however, so he threw it over to Mako, who lunged clumsily and it fell to the floor.

"Great throw…" Mako started to say as the box hit the floor. A small click resonated around the room and the box flew open on a hinge, sending papers flying out.

"Oops," Bolin said sheepishly. He bent down to retrieve the nearest paper and as he stood back up, he looked at it closely. "Hey, look, family photo! Look at baby Jahn! I guess that's his dad; he doesn't really look evil. And there's his older sister too, aww they're both so cute…" he crooned, tickling the photo with one finger.

Mako span round, alarmed. "What? Bolin give me that," he said, taking it from his brother.

"Hey, sheesh, what's the big deal?" Bolin said, offended.

Mako looked up, his mouth agape in amazement. "Jahn thinks he's an only sibling. He doesn't know about her. He doesn't know he has a sister," he said, mirroring Bolin's own look of shock.

((Dun dun duuuuun! Anyway, not long till the finale now! Also, in case anyone is interested, i'll soon be updating my profile picture as one of my good friends is doing a really cool drawing of Eyuta; feel free to download a copy if you like it!))