Braya : The Lost Guardian

Desperation

Everyone sat in the living room of the air temple describing everything they saw to Toph. Aang and Toph asked several questions about the way they looked and the fighting style each one had. Bumi started getting angry with Toph. Reliving what happened over and over made him sick. He blamed himself for what happened to Braya, if he had just let them take him, she would be home right now.

"I need you to think as hard as you can about what the man looked like. Color of hair, length, height, weight, anything at all you can think of," Aang said to the group.

"Could you give it a rest dad? We told you what we know," Bumi said getting up to leave.

"Where are you going Bumi? We still have questions to ask you," Toph said.

"I am done with this. How does this help Braya? We are all weak and exhausted, we need to go to bed and start fresh in the morning,"

"Start fresh in the morning? Your sister is out there by herself with an extremely dangerous man. Bumi she can't even defend herself!" Aang said furious with his son.

"I wouldn't say she is defenseless dad. Braya was fighting better than all of us, without bending," Tenzin said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she makes it back to us by morning."

"What do you mean she was fighting better than all of you?" Aang turned to Toph. Did you get her training, behind our back?

"Yes, I did," Toph said truthfully.

"When was she training?" Sokka said.

"I started taking her after the fight she had at school. We trained every night starting at ten until early morning."

"Well, it was good training because she was taking out guys left and right. I'm not worried about her I'm going to bed," Bumi said, once again trying to leave.

"Sit down now," Katara said sternly to Bumi. She walked over to Toph who was being lectured by Aang for going behind his back. She gave Aang a look, silently communicating for him to shut up. She wrapped Toph up in a tight hug. "Toph, you have always been the mother that Braya needed when I fell short. I told her no. I put her in great danger, because I was afraid she would get hurt in training, but you did the right thing for her. Thank you. Anything that will help her during this time is good. Now, Bumi sit your ass down. Toph, they need to know more about who we are dealing with." Toph stood paralyzed. She couldn't believe what she had just heard come from Katara. She stuffed her feelings to the side and looked at the group.

"This man is dangerous. For the last four years he has kidnapped and killed more than fifty non-benders. We have no idea where they are or who they work for, but we do believe we know why they are doing it. There is a rumor that they are looking for the Guardian. They take non-benders hoping to torture them to the point their powers come to the surface. We had one victim who lived long enough to tell us they were after the Guardian, and another a few years later who was completely brain washed. The second didn't live very long either, but all sense of reality was gone. Every day we don't find Braya will be another day she is tortured, another day her sanity is tested, another day closer to us losing her forever. So, we need all the help we can get because right now we have nothing."

Bumi sat down and Toph continued with the questions. Once she had asked everything she could she gave them permission to go to bed. She told Aang if he needed her he could find her at the station and started towards the door. "Mom wait," Lin called to her mother.

"What is it, Lin?"

"I want you to give me a job at the station. I can be an assistant or whatever, I just need a job," Lin said.

"Why would you give up going to the academy to be an assistant?" Toph said, questioning her daughter.

"With everything going on I need to be here. I can't afford to go."

"Everything going on is exactly why I need you to go. I need new eyes, someone who is just as driven as I am. Listen let me talk to the instructor. I personally trained her, maybe I can work something out, so we get you hired on sooner rather than later. Don't give up on this Lin, not only for yourself, but for Braya. She needs you now more than ever," Toph said putting her hand on Lin's shoulder. Lin nodded.

Toph left and Lin started walking to her room. As she was walking back, she heard crying coming from one of the empty rooms in the house. Lin slowly opened the door to find Su sitting on the bed in tears. "Oh, Lin. I'm sorry I was just taking a minute for myself." Lin walked over and sat next to Su. She grabbed her hand and held it in both of hers. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't gotten captured, Braya would be here. I always try helping and I just make everything worse. Now, the one person who always supported me is gone and it's all my fault. She is suffering because I am weak. How will I live with myself if something happens to her?" Suyin cried to Lin.

"It's not all your fault. You fought for the people you cared for. I know Braya always took care of you when I didn't. She was more of a sister to you than I ever was and I'm sorry for that. If you need support, I will be right here for you Su, and nothing is going to happen to her." Lin hugged Su and left the room.

Lin's own guilt was taking over. The last thing she said to Braya was she wasn't ready for the world to know about them, that her career was more important than a relationship. She hated herself for saying those things. She took her for granted and would never forgive herself for that. Lin laid down on her bed and cried until she finally fell asleep.

The next morning Lin was woken up by Toph. "Lin, wake up," Toph said nudging Lin awake.

"What's going on mom?"

"I talked to the instructor at the academy. She said she would allow you to come take the test to see if you pass. You would bypass all the schooling and I have a detective position opening that I could hire you for," Toph said excitedly.

"When do I leave?"

"Now." Lin got out of bed and packed. She walked out of her room with Toph and stopped in the kitchen to say her goodbyes. Kya walked up to Lin, hugged her, and wished her luck. Su gave Lin the Beifong nod that represented good luck. Usually, the Beifong ladies would do this when they didn't want to cry but wanted you to know they were rooting for you.

Bumi had also said his goodbyes to everyone. He wanted to stay more than anything, but he had signed a contract with the United Nations. Today was the day he was to ship out. He held back tears as he looked for Braya's face to say goodbye but knowing he wouldn't find it. He made his dad promise he would find her, so when he got back, he could tell her about his adventures.

Aang and Katara were calmly trying to gather as much information as possible for Toph. They didn't want emotion to get in the way of helping, so they remained as calm as possible. Still having Braya in harms way was driving Katara crazy. She had to stop helping because she couldn't focus long enough to be useful. The baby Toph had brought her all those years ago was gone. What if she never got to see her again? She thought of the Dai Li she had fought as a child in the war. How they would brain wash people to believe anything they wanted. She knew a common brain washing trick was to tell the victim their loved ones were dead, making it easier to break them down. She worried for Braya but put all her trust in Toph to find her. She knew the whole family would stop at nothing to find her.