First off, I apologize for the long wait for this new chapter. There were multiple reasons for my absence from the keyboard this month, among those reasons being school, a vacation, and me trying to map out how I want to have this Fanfiction story go forward. I am grateful for your patience, and I hope that you will enjoy the new chapter I have written for you. It may be a few hundred words shorter than the rest, but it is a very important chapter to the future plot of this story. Enjoy.

The room was made of cold stone walls. Each of the walls were engraved with sharp-angled hieroglyphics, and poems written in languages long lost to the erosion that is time. The stone itself was a deep, dark nougat. A few candles were placed in cubic recesses in the walls, giving the room faint lighting. It mattered little to the men who were gathered around the round slate table in the center of the room; they had adjusted to the low lighting over the years they had spent down here. All of them, save for one, wore matching black and crimson robes, with their faces hidden away from sight with a hood. The one who stood out from the rest wore black robes with gold-looking inlays. Along the surface of the black kimono-like tunic that the man wore, if one were to look very closely, were faint hieroglyphics and markings in an aphotic crimson. The man's jet black hair was long and straight, but tied back, as most men who were native to the Water Tribes would do. Unlike most men from the Water Tribes, however, his skin was so pale that it rivaled fresh dust in its lack of color. His cheekbones were pronounce, and his chin was as well. His dark brown eyes looked as if they were calculating as they looked over the map-imbued tapestry that laid upon the surface of the slate table. The man's face revealed that his age was around his mid-twenties. His short-nailed long fingers moved over the map as he explained the future plans of the group that was gathered.

"The Dark Avatar's betrayal has surprisingly played into our favor, as most of the world leaders' attention is now focused on our southern cell," the man, who was obviously in charge, declared. "We now will now be able to perform Operation: Extinguish with more maneuverability, if we were to deploy the men from our northern cell."

"Grand Lotus, won't they be under more alert after the southern cell was just discovered?" one of the robed men asked.

"Not if we act quickly, which is acceptable, as the supermoon is almost upon us," the Grand Lotus replied, slightly annoyed by the robed man's hesitation and obvious fear.

"But Bau, we were planning on the southern cell's assistance," another one of the men pointed out.

The Grand Lotus gave a devious smirk as he overlooked the western region of the map.

"They were only there for overkill, and to send an image, we are the Red Lotus, we don't need images, the operation will be a success either way," the Grand Lotus explained. "Then we will be ready to unleash Chaos. Speaking of which, how is the serum coming along, Master Alchemist?"

The Grand Lotus turned towards one of the robed men. The man who was looked upon lowered his head to hide his fearful face.

"The serum is still under development, but our research into it should be complete within the month," the Master Alchemist replied with a trembling, old-sounding voice. "On the other hand, while our northern cell's expedition into the spirit world has helped greatly with the acquisition of the needed ingredients, we will need a second expedition into the Fog of Lost Souls, and I am uncertain if their currently available sentries could return from such a perilous journey."

The Grand Lotus grimaced. They were so close. He could almost reach it. The Grand Lotus sighed.

"We'll have to make some necessary sacrifices then."

Tahni awoke to find himself still in his little cell on the Southern Water Tribe Fleet flagship. He felt seasick. He sat up on his cot, holding his right hand to his forehead.

"You were always so easily nauseated," a voice stated.

"Get out of my head, Vaatu," Tahni murmured quietly.

"Don't speak to me out loud, silly boy, speak to me mentally," Vaatu insisted. "I can read your narrative thoughts."

"That's… kind of… creepy," Tahni stated.

"Just do it," Vaatu sighed.

Fine, Tahni thought.

"Now you're learning," Vaatu replied, his tone noticeably less aggressive.

What do you want? Tahni asked mentally.

"No need to rush now, you're going to be in here for quite a while yet," Vaatu replied, his voice possessing a slightly mocking overtone.

Tahni narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"I can assist in your escape," Vaatu offered.

Tahni's nostrils flared.

I am not going kill these people just because they're afraid of you, Tahni answered.

"Who said anything about killing? I only intend for you to hold them down with bloodbending," Vaatu defended.

This idea was almost equally offensive to Tahni.

Isn't there anyway to escape without using bloodbending, or killing?

There was an awkward silence.

"No," Vaatu finally answered.

Only a single candle gave light to the constantly rocking cell. Tahni couldn't take much more of this, he wanted to escape, but to bloodbend? And it wasn't like he trusted Vaatu all the sudden.

"It's bloodbending, or killing, and trust me, you'll have a less intense pursuit on your back if you only use bloodbending to restrain them," Vaatu continued, explaining his reasoning.

Trust you? Tahni mentally scoffed. Last time I tried to restrain someone with bloodbending, you took over my body and made me kill them.

"Only because I didn't have a way to knock them unconscious," Vaatu defended.

Tahni took a deep breath through his nostrils. When he breathed back out, the air that his nose emitted made a visible vapor.

Fine, but no killing, Tahni conceded.

"Agreed. Now are you ready to hear me out?" Vaatu asked.

I guess…

"Good. Now, they are going to try and take you off this ship at some point using a small craft, and that is when we escape."

How?

"They'll probably escort you with a few guards, and once you are far enough from this ship, you use your bloodbending to force the crew of the smaller craft to deliver you away," Vaatu continued.

I can't just control them forever.

"I know. After a while, you'll simply bloodbend them overboard."

In the middle of the sea? They could die.

"The main ship will be watching the whole thing unfold, they'll be rescued in minutes."

But if they're watching how will I-

"You know how to waterbend up a myst right? It's the sea! Just go crazy while you drive away."

Well then, I guess you've had time to think this one out.

"Compared to escaping the Tree of Time, this will be easy," Vaatu assured Tahni.

A moment of silence passed between them. While it felt like an hour to Tahni, it was possible a mere dozen minutes. He laid back down on his uncomfortable cot, and laid on his right side.

"Why are you so afraid of bloodbending or killing?" Vaatu finally asked.

Tahni shrugged.

I don't know, I guess I'm just tired of being thought of as some evil creature, Tahni admitted.

Vaatu replied, "ah, you're fearful of the legacy you're going to leave behind."

Tahni looked skeptically at the wall in front of him, as he couldn't see Vaatu physically.

"The kind legacy you leave behind is completely up to you. Will it be one of mercy, or vengeance? Peace, or war? Only you can decide this. Your past life knew this, and at least he left behind some kind of legacy."

Well, I inherited a pretty cruddy legacy from him, didn't I?

"How so?" Vaatu inquired.

I am being punished for the crimes of a past life, and I'm being blamed for a village massacre.

"The village massacre is actually kinda your fault, Tahni. After all, you were the one who led the Red Lotus to that village in the first place."

Well, aren't you making me feel better, Tahni replied, conveying sass the best he could in his mind.

"However, I wouldn't really call what you did in a past life a crime as much as a sacrifice," Vaatu stated.

Tahni was puzzled.

And why is that?

Vaatu wasn't quick to answer.

"It's late, you better attempt to get some sleep," Vaatu declared, obviously trying to change the subject.

Tahni frankly didn't care enough to argue with Vaatu, neither did he have the mere mental energy to do so either. He soon found himself asleep.