Disclaimer: Bryke and Nickelodeon own the Avatar franchise.

Rohan found the Society of the White Lotus to be full of surprises. Growing up, he read how it quietly recruited members from all walks of life through a simple game of Pai Sho… before they revealed themselves to help Avatar Aang end Hundred-Years' War. Working for them as an adult took him all over the world, sent on a mission to resolve several questions.

The answer to many of them walked with Rohan through Chin City's marketplace. The obvious curiosity, annoyance, and impatience were focused on the note in Rohan's hand. On it was written: 'I know your secret. Come to the market's center, or I'll tell everyone.'

"Welp, I don't see him anywhere," Mushi said after wolfing down some bread. "Could you use your Airbending for a higher view?"

"Not around here. After last night, we shouldn't attract too much attention," Rohan reasoned.

Mushi accepted it, despite his clear reservations. Rohan's cloak hid his own better. White Lotus members today were a rarity. Airbending members were the rarest. In a small place like Chin City, he was a flame in an empty ocean. Whomever sent the note had some idea of what they were doing.

With Mushi, Rohan following his thought and the narrowed streets the center. Shopkeepers and buyers stood around a statue of the city's leader from Avatar Aang's time. Rohan found a petite woman hiding among them. A long brown braid draped over one side of her red blouse, and two long straps over the other.

After adjusting her spectacles, the woman's brown eyes met Rohan's. "Ah! I was wondering when you'd show up!" she exclaimed and ran over to the two.

Rohan studied her. She may have been shorter and older than Mushi–perhaps, twenty–but she had a childish mischief akin to his older brother. Mushi never noticed and asked Rohan, "Who's she?"

One hand on her hip, the woman frowned. "You don't know? Didn't you get my message?"

"We did," Rohan answered, holding up the paper.

Mushi pointed at the young woman. "Wait, you?"

"Let me guess, you were expecting someone more intimidating?" she deadpanned and rolled her eyes after Mushi confirmed as much.

"Is there something you want from us?" Rohan asked after seeing Mushi's annoyed look. "We don't have much money on us."

"Oh, no. It's just a little photoshoot." The woman pulled her box-shaped camera from one shoulder. "It shouldn't take too much of your time. Hope you don't mind."

Rohan gestured to a confused Mushi as if to say "go with it." "Fine," Mushi said. "Is that all?"

"Well, there's something else. I got a couple things about last night. A friend of mine–"

Rohan cut her off gently. "I believe you're mistaken, miss…?"

"Riza." She pulled out a business card from her bag. "Photographer for the Chin City Chronicle."

Rohan didn't take the card. "Miss Riza, we don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you sure?"

Mushi stepped in. "Uh look, I don't know what your friend heard, but we arrived yesterday. You'd have to be pretty stupid to cause trouble after arriving at a place you don't know."

Rohan held back an ironic smile. Riza's own was too akin to the hounding horde of cameras and pens, also known as Republic City's printing press. "No, you're right. It is pretty stupid," she agreed. "No one would ever want to do that, let alone get caught."

Riza reaching her bag rang alarms in Rohan's mind. Mushi, unaware of how much he doomed them both, asked, "So, is there a reason you want us to model for you?"

"No reason. I just need a better photo of you," Riza said, unveiling what she meant.

Rohan noted Mushi's shock was tenfold of his own. Not surprising, since the two saw a picture neither knew of. A picture where Rohan stood over an unconscious Mushi in the pale moonlight.

The noon sun fell on Mushi, who asked Riza, "You were there? How…?"

She nodded. "Sure was. I couldn't get the white eyes here, but I think I could make do with–"

Mushi lunged. Rohan–cursing himself for not seeing it first–yanked on the teenager's jacket. "Not in front of so many," he whispered, and the additional crowd kept Mushi still, albeit bristling.

Riza pulled back and dangled the photo like a treat. "Nuh-uh-uh. I'm not going to make it easy. There's more where that came from. They have the eyes and all–hey!"

Twirling his wrist for a rush of air, Rohan sent the photo spiraling into his hand. He briefly caught Riza's resigned pout–another ploy, maybe–and asked, "Where are the others?"

Riza smiled. "I've left them at my office for my boss. If I don't call him by the end of today, he'll just up and print 'em. I won't have a story, but the secret will be out, and I don't think your friend won't like that very much," she explained with a nod at a fuming Mushi. "So, what will it be?"

Rohan released Mushi and felt the same resignation when the grinning Riza snatched her prize from his grasp.

Mushi's grumbling filled the next fifteen or so minutes. Rohan couldn't blame him, but the Airbender focused on Riza. If there was any place to unveil Mushi's secret, it would have been in the marketplace. Instead, she led the pair out of it.

"Just how long was I out?" Mushi whispered. "There's no way she could've taken those photos and get them ready before meeting us!"

"For several hours, and she could," Rohan whispered, recalling what the trouble the press gave him and his family back home. Riza undoubted had enough time to develop, gather, and place the photos on her desk. "So, what are you thinking about?"

"Bit obvious, don't you think? I'd say we grab the photos before anyone notices."

"I wouldn't if I were you," Riza said from ahead. "You don't want to cause a scene."

Rohan held Mushi back again. "She's right. I don't think you would like to be in prison again."

"Better than letting anyone know." Swallowing his mumble, Mushi said, "So, what's your idea?"

"We wait," Rohan suggested

"'Wait?' You helped me stop a fight on the ferry before!"

"That was different."

"Yeah right! Aren't you used to fighting? I thought you guys were soldiers, now."

"Not all Airbenders are. Especially not him," Riza said as she turned her spectacles on Rohan. "Oh, I know about you. Rohan, son of the former Grandmaster Tenzin and grandson of Avatar Aang. Republic City Times said you left the Air Temple for missionary work a few years ago. Around the same time, a few of your fellow Airbenders joined the United Republic military. Right?"

A tiny frown cracked through Rohan's façade. "You're well informed."

"It comes with the job!"

Mushi snorted but thankfully said nothing. They trailed after Riza again, the rattle of her side bag and camera guiding them. "Sorry," Mushi soon told Rohan. "I didn't mean… you know, what I said."

"It's alright," Rohan said, hoping it would dissuade Mushi from anything stupid.

"Still, I think we could take her. She's only one. With your bending and my moves, we could–"

Riza cut Mushi off. "Lay a finger on me, and you'll lose any chance of finding her. Of course, you don't want that and are going to help me find answers for… reasons." She patted her bag.

After glancing at Mushi, Rohan asked, "And how exactly do you expect us to help you?"

"Just an investigation. Oh look, we're here!"

Rohan stopped after Mushi did in front of some warehouses. "What are we doing back here?" Rohan asked Riza.

"Inspecting the scene of the crime, of course! Come on!" After slipping through the torn wire gate which Rohan flew over last night, Riza told the duo, "Don't worry, the police only did a quick look around. They're long gone!"

"You're sure?" Mushi called, his hesitation clear.

Riza paused. "Uh, let me check." After dashing in, she returned some seconds later. "Nope, not a soul! Come on!" she said and bounded across the factory grounds like a rabaroo.

Rohan walked with Mushi, the latter dragging his feet. The flashes in between warehouses made Riza easy to find. While following her, Rohan passed by his dreaded sense of déjà vu and the new sign saying, "KEEP OUT." Yet, he slowly approached the place where he fought last night.

His gaze followed the very walls he once ran up to avoid a green dagger. Rohan had to keep the same opponent away from the Shroud, more for the sake of the child's opponent. Sadly, the airheaded girl and her friend got in the way. Rohan couldn't focus on the escaping females because of the stone-faced boy's jutting rocks he passed and those white glowing eyes standing next to him–

Flash.

Rohan turned to where he once landed before the Shroud and her accomplice. In the same spot, Riza lowered her camera. "What? I said I gotta do a photoshoot. No one will believe me otherwise!"

Rohan said, "I'm uncertain if those photos will help. They may only be good for a tourist guide."

"She probably is working on one, anyway," Mushi grumbled quickly. Unlike Rohan, he was not as quick at blocking another camera flash. "Grrr, stop that!"

"Hey, it's not every day I meet someone like you. I need to capture the evidence," Riza said to Mushi, much to Rohan's ever-growing concern. "So, does anything here jog your memory?"

"You expect me to just remember?"

Riza nodded. Rohan told Mushi, "It couldn't hurt to try."

A disgruntled Mushi returned to the warehouse from last night. Rohan entered with Riza instead of crashing through the ceiling. Afternoon rays pierced the darkness to unveil old cobwebs, and one beamed diagonally from the hole Rohan fell through. He stood by, next to Riza and Mushi.

Rohan studied the remembrance in the teenager's eyes and the tiny inflection in his voice. "It was right there," Mushi said. "She was about thirteen or fourteen."

"He means the Shroud," Rohan clarified in a hushed tone.

In the faint glimmer, Riza's confusion became surprise. "Wait, the Shroud's just a kid?"

Mushi went on without noticing. "She did something to me, I think. Probably how she gave bending to those teens with her. The ones I met at the shop earlier. It… Well, I think you know the rest."

Rohan felt pity at the hint of disappointment. He put aside as Riza, never missing a beat, wrote on a notepad and asked, "Was there anyone else around?"

"There was," Rohan said. "A woman, I think. She had a mask on. It looked like some animal."

"Did it have tusks?" Though taken aback, Rohan nodded and took in Riza's scribbling. "Hmm, just like the others. Gotta be a connection. Was there anything else?"

"She had a dagger. It was glowing green."

Now, Mushi spoke up. "Wait, didn't the Shroud have one, too? I dagger, I mean. I thought I knocked it out of her hand." His words drew Rohan and Riza's gazes. "What? I remember… bits of last night. It's not all blurred! The dagger might still be around!"

"Well, I didn't see anything. Think the police has it?" Riza asked. She cursed after Rohan nodded. "Guess I'll have another run-in."

She left without another word. Mushi loudly followed her. Rohan silently did the same, but not before he spared a glance to the beam of sunlight, letting the events from last night–of the 'nonbenders' who could bend and of the girl who tried to bend Mushi–run through his mind.

AN: And that's a preview for chapter 2 of my ATLA/TLOK sequel, Avatar: Tales of Mushi. The writing may need some edits, but the finished product will hopefully turn out alright. Until then, take care.

Raika out.