"Su is right! You will always be a bitter, lonely woman," Korra said scathingly to Lin's back, while Lin just stood there, as she was been judged by the arrogant teenager, who knew nothing about anything.

A bitter, lonely woman. It stung. Here she was, at her so called sister's mansion, been rotten mouthed by a kid who wouldn't understand the rift in her family. Once again, Lin was been told that she was the problem. Lin had had enough. She felt so alone as the bitter tears started to flow. Why would she put up with any of these? Why would she? Wanting to free herself from all the stress and pressure, Lin silently sat down on the floor and started concentrating on the sturdy earth underneath.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Lin did not show up at breakfast next morning. Others expected that much from the stubborn chief. When she was absent for lunch too, Korra thought aloud that she must be sulking in her room. Su said that Lin was been a baby, and she had always been. Mako tried to talk to Lin, but his knocks on the door went unanswered. Su snapped when Lin did not show up for dinner as well.

"That does it," She said, standing up from the dining table. "I'm gonna put an end to this."

Opal did not look up from her chair. She was still so upset about Lin's harsh 'get out'. But she was starting to feel worried about her aunt too. So, Su checking up on Lin was, in a way, a good idea.

Korra followed Su out of the dining hall. "Su, you should probably let her be," She suggested. "Lin yelled at me for trying to 'fix her family'."

But Su wasn't listening. She marched right in to Lin's quarters and banged on the door.

"Lin," Su yelled. "Stop being ridiculous and open this door right now!"

Su was not surprised when her call went unanswered. As a kid, she had witnessed Toph bang loudly on Lin's door on quite a few occasions, each time the banging leading to broken locks and shouting matches. Lin was not just going to open the door for her, and Su knew it.

"You open this door right now, or I'm coming in anyways," Su yelled again as Korra cringed at her suddenly shrill voice.

There was no answer. Lin remained immune to the threats. Su used her seismic sense to check if Lin was in, and she was. Lin was sitting on the floor few feet away from the entrance, quite still, her back turned towards the door.

"She's such a child," Su muttered under her breath and used the makeshift blade from her wrist plate to break the wooden lock on the door. Korra peeped in to the room from behind Su's shoulder.

"Lin if you have something to say to me, you could now," Su shouted, entering the quarters. "You had no right to yell at my daughter like that." She closed the distance between Lin and herself in few long steps, while Korra stood back, not wanting to meddle in the family business. "Why don't you just say what you have to say rather than sulking in your room like a brooding teenager?"

Lin just sat there, completely ignoring Su. She didn't bother even to look up.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," Su shouted again, this time grabbing Lin's shoulder and spinning her around. To Su's surprise, Lin did not protest, but her body did not cooperate either. Her posture was rigid and she wasn't awake. With the force of Su's hand, Lin's body flopped on to the floor with a dull thud.

A flabbergasted Su watched as Lin lay motionless on the floor in an awkward position. Korra, who witnessed all this from the door, ran to Lin's side and held her up. "What's wrong with her?" She asked, summoning a handful of water from the jug on the table nearby and checking Lin's condition.

"I- She just collapsed," Su stuttered. "I didn't- not this time- She just collapsed."

"Su, calm down," Korra said, trying to stand up supporting Lin's weight. "Help me get her on to the sofa." Su, her hands shaking, grabbed Lin's legs and together they heaved Lin's unresponsive self on to the comfortable sofa.

"She's alright," Korra frowned, checking Lin's pulse. She patted Lin's face few times. "Lin? Can you hear me? Lin?" But Lin continued to be motionless. Korra looked up at Su. "She's dehydrated, but otherwise okay."

"Then why isn't she awake?" Su stammered yet again, grabbing Lin by both the shoulders and shaking her. Lin's head lolled as Su shook her but she did not wake. "We need to take her to a hospital."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The telephone in the radio room of Northern Air Temple ranged loudly. Tenzin was the one to answer. He heard Korra's voice over the receiver, "Tenzin?"

"Korra. Good to hear from you" He said fondly. "How's the search for air benders going? How's everyone?"

"We found an air bender in Zaofu, who turned out to be Lin's niece" Korra replied.

"That's wonderful," Tenzin sounded delighted. "is Su there? Oh and how's Lin?"

"That's why I'm calling Tenzin," Korra muttered. "Lin was so against coming to Zaofu, and now-"

"Lin went to meet Su with you? Willingly?" Tenzin wondered.

"Well, it wasn't the most gracious reunion," Korra sighed. "We have a bit of a problem here Tenzin. It's Lin. Lin was so bitter towards Su the entire time, and she yelled at Su's daughter for trying to talk to her. I might have called her a 'bitter lonely woman', and a day after that, we found her asleep in her quarters, and she wouldn't wake. She's been attended to by Zaofu's doctors, but they cannot seem to wake her. It's been two days." Korra went on without giving Tenzin a chance to interject. She felt guilty about calling the Chief a bitter loner. What if those were the last words she spoke to Lin. Nobody deserved that.

Korra heard Tenzin's panicked voice over the receiver. "Korra listen, you have no idea about what happened between Lin and Su. It's not a simple sibling fight. You shouldn't have called her that."

Korra sighed. "I know, it's just-," but Tenzin cut her off. "You have a bigger problem now. Is Su there? If so, put me on speakers."

Korra did as she was told. "Okay Tenzin, you are on speakers." She said, exchanging a glance with Su.

"Listen, both of you," Tenzin sounded worried. "See, about 30 years ago, we found Lin, just like you described, in her apartment. It was the time Lin and Su fought, and Su was sent away. Lin wasn't talking to anyone, and avoiding everyone. It was Toph who found Lin sitting very still in her apartment. When she couldn't wake Lin up, she called my dad for help"

"What was wrong?" Korra asked. "She was unconscious?"

"Not quiet" Tenzin went on. "According to dad, Lin had meditated and crossed over to spirit world. She has this uncanny ability to detach herself from everything and everyone, given that she really wants to do so. I never quiet understood it."

Korra felt her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Su gasped loudly. But Tenzin wasn't finished yet. "Korra you have to go find her. Last time, Aang went to find her and he had to persuade her to come back to the material world. My mother had Lin in the healing pond for four days until her spirit returned. We almost lost her that time."

Su felt her knees give away, and she collapsed on to a chair nearby. "I never knew," Korra heard her mumble. "Mom never told me."

"Listen Korra, you need to hurry," Tenzin said, ignoring Su's voice. "There is no time for us to go through the portals. You'll have to meditate your way in to the spirit world. Find Lin and bring her back before it's too late. The body cannot prevail without the spirit much longer." His own voice trembled at the last words. "Please Korra," he added desperately.

"I don't know if she'd want to see me right now," korra said worriedly. "What can I say to bring her back?"

This time it was Su who answered. "You have to!" She pleaded. "You did it once Korra, I know you can do it again. Please! I cannot go through this again, I want to talk to her and properly apologize. I want to tell her how sorry I am. Please."

Korra was staring at Su's glistering eyes. It was unsettling, as unsettling as seeing Lin on a hospital bed, completely still and statue like. "I'll do my best," Korra replied, standing up. "Just keep her stable and hydrated."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Opal and Su watched as Korra sat, cross legged, on the edge of Lin's hospital bed and stared at Lin's sleeping form. She focused on Lin's peaceful face for few minutes and engraved an image in her mind, on which she started to meditate. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't on the hospital bed anymore. She stood in front of General Iroh's teashop, the Jasmine Dragon.

"I was expecting you, Avatar Korra," Iroh said, emerging from the thin mist that surrounded them. Korra bowed low. "Good to see you General Iroh! I'm here to-"

"I know why you are here Korra," Iroh smiled. "Come with me, she's inside."

Korra nervously followed Iroh in to the teashop, hoping to see Lin, scowling at her from a chair. All she saw was a child on the floor, doodling all over the floorboards with a piece of chalk. "General Iroh, I'm looking for Lin Beifong," Korra said, observing the small girl. She had black curly hair and a Perl-white skin. Korra sensed something familiar about this little bundle of joy, but couldn't quite figure it out. "She crossed over to spirit world; I'm here to take her back."

"You found her," Iroh said, gesturing towards the kid on the floor. Korra's eyes popped out their sockets. "You mean to tell me, that- this sweet little girl is Lin?" She asked, walking towards the toddler and sitting beside her.

"The one and only!" Iroh chuckled. "Lin, there is someone here to see you," He said to the small girl, who looked up and gave him an adorable grin. "Lin, this is Korra," Iroh introduced them. "She's here to take you home."

"Lin stay," toddler exclaimed, looking at Iroh, and then she turned to face Korra. "Iroh is nice. Lin's not sad here," with that she turned back to her doodle. Korra was at a loss of words. She'd have reasoned with the Chief Beifong she knew. How to take this toddler back to the material world, she did not know.

Thinking of something to say, Korra closely observed the child's doodles. "Who's that?" She asked, pointing at a figure she drew. It had bared teeth and was holding some sort of a blade. "Su," Lin replied curtly, not looking up at Korra. "Was she rude to you?" Korra asked again, placing her index finger under Lin's chin and making her look up.

Lin gave Korra an inquisitive look before she edged away from Korra. She did not answer Korra's question as she went back to drawing a large badgermole on the floorboard.

"Lin," Korra tried yet again. "Su is very sorry. She wants you to come back." This time, Lin stood up dropping her chalk, and ran towards Iroh. She clumped herself to his leg. "Lin's not going," She said, more to Iroh than to Korra. "Korra rude too"

Korra stood up as well, scratching her head with embarrassment. "I'm sorry I yelled at you Lin," she said, walking towards Lin and kneeling in front of her. "I was wrong, and I won't yell at you again."

Lin gave Korra a glare that was too intimidating to belong to a three year old spirit. "Lin won't go," she said firmly. "Korra go back. Lin is not angry with Korra. But Lin won't go."

Korra stared at the little girl for a moment. Then she looked up at Iroh's solemn face. "Help me?"

Iroh knelt down as well. "Lin, are you angry with Su?" He asked, at which Lin looked away. "Could you tell us why?" Iroh prompted, placing his hand on Lin's back in a protective manner. Lin pouted, considering it for a moment. She looked at Iroh and gave Korra a sideway glance. "Lin don't like to talk about it," she said in a small voice. "But Lin will show you."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Opal, who sat by Lin's headboard, observed Lin's solemn face. The two vicious scars stood out so vividly against the paler skin, and Opal couldn't help but trace them lightly with her fingertips. Su, who was sitting right next to Opal, sighed loudly and stopped her daughter's hand. "She doesn't let anyone touch those," Su whispered, as if she was afraid Lin'd hear them.

"How did it happen?" Opal asked curiously. "She must have been seriously injured. It's a miracle that her eye was spared."

Su sighed yet again. She had shared so many stories about Lin with her daughter, but this was a tale she never dared telling. May be it was time. "I happened." She mumbled, her eyes never leaving Lin's scarred face.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The piece of chalk on the flow started to draw a scene on the floor boards where Korra and Iroh stood. Lin had her eyes closed and her tiny fists were balled as she concentrated hard. The chalk doodles on the floor were turning out to be perfect images of Lin and Su, on a street, and they were animated.

"Su?" the chalk Lin called, horrified, as a chalk Su, got out of a vehicle, which looked like a getaway car.

"So, you're robbing stores with the Terra Triad now?" chalk Lin shouted from the floorboard, punching the car in anger, at the chalk Su, who hesitantly replied. "I didn't steal anything. I just drove the car. I owed my friends a favor. It's not a big deal. "

"I'm not letting you get away with this." chalk Lin growled, to which the chalk Su laughed, rather arrogantly. "Oh, what are you going to do, Officer? Arrest me?" she asked, and started to walk away.

"Don't even think about taking one more step!" shouted Lin from the floor board, to which the chalk Su momentarily stopped, but ignored her and kept walking. Enraged, the chalk Lin sent one of her cables at her sister, and it caught her wrist. Su broke free with her knife and sent the cables back at Lin.

Korra watched in horror, as the scene in front of them turned bloody. Little Lin took a step back, looking away from the floor.

"Lin won't go," the toddler said in a small voice, flexing her hands and the animated scene on the floorboard vanished.

Korra, turned to look at the toddler. Her head was turned down and there were two scars across her right cheek, vividly red against her Perl-white skin. She looked like she might cry. Without thinking, Korra pulled the toddler in to a tight hug. "I'm so sorry Lin!" She mumbled in the toddler's ear. "I didn't know. That was harsh!"

Lin wriggled free from Korra's hold, and took Iroh's hand. "Now, will Korra let Lin stay?"

Iroh knelt down and leveled his eyes with Lin's. "Korra says your sister is sorry about what happened," he said softly. "She wants to talk to you, she wants to apologize. You should give her a chance."

"Lin had enough," the toddler said backing away from Iroh as well. "Lin don't want Su's sorry."

"Lin, listen to me. If you stay, you'll die," Korra said, edging forward to take Lin's hands in hers. "It's not your time yet. We want you back. Su wants you back. Tenzin wants you back."

The toddler blinked at Korra. "So?" She asked in a challenging manner. Despite the gravity of the situation, Korra burst out laughing. "I do see the makings of Chief Beifong in this little cute brat," she said to Iroh.

"So, don't you want to see them again Lin?" Iroh joined the chat with a suppressed laugh. "It is best that you go back and talk to Su about what happened. It will heal you Lin," He said wisely. "It will make the pain go away."

"Then Lin can come back here?" Lin asked Iroh, giving Korra a brief glance.

"Of course, when it is time," Iroh said, reassuringly. "Korra will take you back. Promise me you'll talk to your sister when you go back?"

"OK!" Lin grumbled moodily. "But Lin will be back."

Korra took a breath of relief. She didn't know how much time had passed. In the spirit world, time was a tricky thing. "Take my hand Lin," Korra said, offering her hand to the toddler. "We need to go now," she told Iroh as she stood up, holding on to Lin's small hand tightly. "Lin's body is getting weaker by the minute. I hope we are not too late."

Iroh nodded. He looked down at Lin and smiled fondly. "It was great to see you again little badgermole, remember, you are my favorite!"

Toddler grinned adoringly at Iroh. "Lin will come back!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"MOM!" Opal yelped, as Su finished her story. "No wonder she was acting that way."

"It was an accident," Su said defensively. "I never meant to hurt her. I tried to apologize several times, but your aunt never came around. She never wanted to talk about it."

"She must have been dealing with a lot of pent up pain and stress," Opal wondered. "I can't even imagine-"

But she didn't get to finish her say. Korra's body jerked and she opened her eyes. Su stood up and ran to Korra's side. "Did you find her?" she asked in a hurry. "Where is Lin?"

With a gasp Lin shot up and sat upright. The metal frame of the hospital bed twisted, making Opal yelp in surprise and Korra loose her balance. Su and Korra were thrown on to the floor as Lin panted on the bed. She eyed Su as a hawk, as Su got to her feet, helping Korra up. Lin got off the bed shakily and stomped her foot on the floor.

"Su, it's time we talk."