Love is Brightest in the Dark

Chapter 8

Lin let out a ragged breath as she was thrust back into the present, slowly opening her eyes. She glanced over at Korra and found the Avatar deep in meditation. Doing her best not to disturb her, she got to her feet and began to walk back to the estate, wiping any stray grass off herself. She felt her jaw clench as she walked with deliberation towards Su's meteorite collection, remembering the previous events that occurred the last time she was there. Without thinking, she picked up a medium size meteorite and began to transform it into various shapes, trying to enjoy the satisfaction of bending the space rock. She returned the rock to its original form, taking great care to place it back on its pedestal. Taking a deep breath, she stomped her foot angrily to produce a slap of earth which she kicked in frustration, sending it careening down the hill. She did this several more times, each time kicking the rocks with more force until the rock she was about to strike started to move as if of its own accord. Lin turned to watch as it sailed gracefully over her head before coming to rest behind her, right next to Su. "I would ask if you're okay, but it seems as if we both know the answer to that," said Su, taking a seat on the stone steps leading up to her home. She patted the empty space next to her and Lin shuffled over to sit beside her. "What's going on, Lin?" "Have you ever talked to mom about your dad?" Lin asked, keeping her eyes fixated on the ground. "What brought this on?" "It's a long story." Su let out a sigh before answering. "Have I wondered about my dad? Of course I have. And trust me, when I was a kid I tried everything to get an answer out of mom but she never wanted to talk about it. I've had to make my peace with it, Lin, because even if I did know, it wouldn't change anything. Knowing who he is won't change the fact that he wasn't there all of my life or the fact he doesn't know his grandchildren. Some things are just best left as they are. I suggest you try and make peace with that, in whatever way you can." Lin felt her eyes begin to water and without thinking, she leaned her head on her sister's shoulder. Su, although taken aback by this display of affection, instinctively placed an arm around Lin without a word. The Beifong sisters sat like that for a moment until Su began to hear the soft ping of droplets against her metal wrist cuff. She glanced over to find tears rolling down Lin's cheeks, and she tentatively began to wipe them away with a gentle hand. Lin flinched at Su's touch at first, but allowed her to dry her tears. "I know it's hard," Su in a voice just above a whisper. "And I know it hurts. Even though I have made my peace, I don't think that the hurt will ever go away entirely. But we're Beifongs, we're predisposed to handling shit- and for what it's worth, I think you're the toughest one." Lin raised her head and raised an eyebrow at Su. "Really?" "You're the chief of police, you helped the Avatar save the world, and you had to grow up with me as a sister. Not to mention you had to work with mom," said Su which made Lin smile slightly. "You were a major pain in my ass," Lin said as she gave Su a playful nudge. "I will admit, it was pretty fun for a bit. When I realized mom didn't care, it felt so freeing, at least in the beginning. After a while, though, I began to wonder what would make her care. Eventually I began doing crazy things just to see if she would even notice, which she didn't. When she sent me away to live with gran gran and pappy, I was pretty mad at her." Lin snorted. "You were mad?" "Lin," Su said as she took Lin's hands in hers. "I know we patched things up a bit the last time you were here, but I know I've never apologized properly for that day," her eyes flickered to Lin's scar. "I am truly very, very sorry. I hope you can forgive me one day for what I did to you," said Su earnestly. "It's nothing compared to the scar Fire Lord Zuko has," Lin said dryly. "I forgive you, Su," she said in a softer voice. Su's eyes brimmed with tears as she wrapped her sister in a big hug, causing Lin to shove her off. "I think that is quite enough for one day," said Lin, folding her arms and scooting away. Su gave Lin a smile before getting to her feet. "I must be off- I have a dance rehearsal soon. I'll see you at dinner?" Lin nodded and watched as her sister hurried up the steps and disappeared out of sight. Lin leaned back against the stairs, letting the morning's events sink in. She exhaled slowly and suddenly felt a rumble in her stomach. With all that had occurred that morning she realized she had entirely forgotten to eat. She stood up quickly and began to walk hastily back towards the house.