An Echo of Legends: An ATLA Mystery Story (on hiatus)

Chapter 5: Lin

Lin stepped onto the rocky beach of Air Temple Island with some hesitation. It was just her, her mother, Sokka and Suki today, along with a few officers, for the initial investigation. Aang and Katara, Tenzin and Kya were off training. She could still smell the smoke of the explosion from the previous night, and ash still littered the sand. 

"We'll start by finding where the explosion happened," Toph instructed, "Lin, come with me, and stay close." Lin nodded. She was overjoyed to be helping her mother. They walked inward, towards the main buildings. On the outside, they looked fine, and Toph and Lin were able to go around them without incident. It wasn't until they reached an inner courtyard that they encountered some problems. The old stone wall seemed to have caved in on itself, and chunks of rubble blocked the way forward. 

"Let's clear a path," Toph muttered. Together, they earthbent the debris away, and saw a stain of soot and dust on the cobblestones. An odd gray powder was pouring out of a wooden box, that seemed oddly familiar. Toph closed her eyes, and seemed to sense the surroundings with her bare feet. 

"This is it," she said, "Everything stems from this site. Snoozles, get over here!" she barked the last part, and Sokka and Suki came running. 

"This is definitely it," Suki said with decision. Sokka scooped some of the powder into a vial and placed it into a bag. 

"Maybe it was blasting powder," he said with uncertainty, "But that would have to react to heat."

"Look at this," Suki revealed a mechanical device that was inside the wooden box, "Maybe it was remotely detonated."

"But how would something like this get on the island in the first place?" That was when Lin remembered where she had seen the box before. 

"It was on the boat!" she blurted out, "On our way over here, on the day of the explosion, I saw that same box!"

"What?!" Toph said, "I don't remember putting anything like that on the boat, unless," she paused, deep in thought, "Officer Nakamura sailed us over here that day. He might have something to do with this. I'll get a warrant, and we can search his office and his apartment as soon as possible. For now, let's finish the search of the island."

"So that's it!?" Lin protested, "Shouldn't we investigate now? We don't have time to lose!"

"Lin, I'm the police chief," Toph sighed, "I can't just go around breaking the rules, even as much as I want to. Go back to the boat, we're almost done here." Lin sighed and did as she was told. She could talk all she wanted, but ultimately, her mother knew best.

~~~ 

"Your mom is crazy!" Kya said as they sat in Toph's apartment. Tenzin was counting the seconds go by on Lin's grandparents' clock, waiting for their parents to get back in a couple of hours,"I say we go investigate his office right now."

"Mom would kill me," Lin said. 

"Yeah, and we'll get caught," Tenzin said. 

"Well, if you two won't go, then I will," Kya stood up and went to grab her water skin from the kitchen table. 

"Wait," Tenzin whined, "Kyaaa."

"Are you coming or not?" Lin only hesitated for a moment before saying, 

"Fine. I'm coming."

"Lin-" 

"Tenzin, be quiet," Lin said, "Come if you want, if not, cover for us when my mom gets back." Tenzin frowned. The only thing worse than going with them, Lin knew, would be to face their parents instead. 

"Okay," he said after a moment of thought, "I'll go." 

Lin was recognized immediately as they walked into the police station. 

"I'm getting something for my mom at her office," she said, with all the authority she could muster, and she hurried Kya and Tenzin down the hallway, past the room with all the radios, the file room, until eventually it was just offices.

"Nope, nope, no- here it is." They stood in front of the office labeled "Officer Nakamura". Lin knocked, but there was no answer. 

"Maybe we should go," Tenzin suggested. 

"Wait," Lin tried to open it, but it was locked, "Okay, maybe we should go," she admitted. 

"Not a chance." Kya stepped forward and bent a globule of water from her waterskin. She slowly, precisely maneuvered the water into the lock. Her muscles were tensed in concentration, and a bead of sweat had formed on her brow. Then she exhaled. The room seemed to chill a degree or two as the water froze. There was a soft, nearly imperceptible click, and the door swung open.

"How-"

"Water expands when it freezes," Kya said with a smirk, "Sokka taught me that." They filed inside the neatly organized office, shutting the door behind them. There were two file cabinets, a desk, and a window. 

"So... what are we looking for, exactly?" Tenzin asked. 

"I don't know. Something... incriminating?" Lin said with uncertainty. Kya began searching through the filing cabinets, while Lin looked in the desk drawers. Tenzin mostly stood around awkwardly next to the door, paranoid. 

"There isn't much here," Kya said, "Just police reports, boring stuff." Lin wasn't so sure. In the third drawer down, she saw an envelope labeled, letter of resignation. 

"This has to count for something," she slipped it into her bag, and saw something else, hanging on the wall. It was a small calendar. 

"Guys," Tenzin said anxiously, "I hear footsteps." He was right. They grew louder echoing in the hallway. 

"The window," Kya said quickly. She undid the latch and climbed out. It was a short fall, maybe three feet. Tenzin followed, using airbending to break his fall. The footsteps grew closer. Lin grabbed the journal and jumped, headfirst, through the window, just as the door swung open. She landed in the alley behind the police station, feeling the odd cushion of  Tenzin's airbending. They ran to the main street, so as not to be seen. Only then did Kya say, 

"Well, let's see the calendar, Lin."

"Right, the calendar." Lin flipped through it. Kya and Tenzin crowded around her.

"It's mostly blank," Kya observed with disappointment. 

"Stay positive, drink more water, enjoy nature," Tenzin said, "That seems like good advice."

"But it doesn't help us," Lin said, "Wait, meeting at Kwong's Cuisine, seven pm, Friday," She looked at them, "That's only in a few days. It can't just be a coincidence that it's after the explosion, and he was about to tender his resignation." 

"I think we should tell your mom," Tenzin said. Kya nodded. 

~~~

"I can't believe you did this," Toph sighed back at the apartment. Tenzin and Kya were getting lectured by their parents in the other room. "I expected better from you, Lin." 

"I- I wanted to- Sorry," she said, "I just didn't want to waste time."  

"Well, now that we have the obligatory lecture over," Toph said, "I'm actually glad that you did that."

"Really?"

"Yes, honestly, I envy you sometimes, following the rules is exhausting." She thought for a moment, "Kwong's Cuisine, Friday," she repeated. 

"Yeah." 

"Well," Toph smiled, "It looks like we have a lead."

~~~

Thanks for Reading!