Fandom: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Disclaimer: Jinora, Korra, Mako, Lin, Tenzin, Pema, and Bolin all belong to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Well, everybody here belongs to them, except for Jet Beifong, who is mine.
Story Title: Transcendent Wings
Chapter Title: Childhood
Notes: This fanfic is slightly AU and sometimes a bit OOC, but it's slightly acceptable considering it watches Jinora growing up and is extremely biased by her. This story is set in a universe where the Equalists were taken down in Episode 6 and never escalated to anything beyond that and Lin was still in contact with the family during the time. I heartlessly don't mention the Equalists at all because that would be a bit too complicated. Also, Lin and Tenzin have a nineteen-year-old son, who was born seven months after the breakup nineteen years ago.
Chapter Summary: Jinora's interactions with Lin as she's growing up.
Chapter Quote: "You seemed in a terrible rush to get away. I've never seen our esteemed Chief of Police make such a hasty retreat."
Please enjoy!
Childhood
Dinner
There are things that Jinora won't question, and she tries her best to not meddle in her parents' affairs like a mature, obedient child. But whenever Pema tries to "forget" to ask Lin to dinner on the weekends, Jinora is always the first to obnoxiously pipe and inquire, "Is Lin going to come today?"
Roses:
Lin is like a rose to Jinora: breathtakingly beautiful and even more deadly. Although Lin uses metal cables in place of thorns, Jinora is sure that this rose will always be there to ensure Republic City and Tenzin's family is safe.
Jinora ignores the fact that roses eventually fade away.
Fairy Tales
Whenever Lin is over babysitting Meelo, Ikki, and Jinora, she, without fail, always tells them a bedtime story and tucks them in good night. One night, Meelo asks her if the fairy tales she recounts are true, if the prince always gets together with the princess and what not.
Jinora can hear the slightest pause before Lin answers quickly, almost too quickly. "Of course they're true dear," she says as she plants a gentle kiss to Meelo's temple. "Would your Auntie ever tell you a lie?"
"No!" Meelo and Ikki squeal with laughter. Soon Jinora's two younger siblings are rolling on top of the normally stoic police chief, giggling their heads off as they pin Lin onto the bed. But the normally enthusiastic Jinora just can't join in this once.
It's the first time Lin ever tells the three of them a lie. In Jinora's eyes, Lin is the princess, forever waiting for her prince to turn around and come back to her. Jinora knows that Lin's lying because if fairy tales were true, Jinora would be Lin's daughter, not Pema's.
Perfection
Lin Beifong wasn't the hopeless romantic or the irritatingly motherly type: to Jinora, she is a completely different type of woman. She is strong, unyielding, and yet, she has her moments where she knows how to bend and compromise better than Tenzin ever did. Auntie Lin is the embodiment of perfection: intelligence, power, and compassion rolled together to create the chief of police, a waterfall of compassion and capability. Jinora wishes that she was an earthbender, just like Lin, in order to emulate the woman she holds in such high esteem.
But no. Jinora has to be as flighty as the air she bends, forever wishing and wanting but never receiving.
It's only when Lin tells her that she is perfect that Jinora feels so.
Bento
Once, Jinora and her other siblings had to stay over at Lin's because their parents and the rest of the acolytes had to perform some covert ceremony for a week. None of them really expected Lin to even make them a bento; they were just grateful that Lin was there ushering them into school. But every day, tucked in each of their bags was an adorable bento that made them the envy of their entire classmates for the entire week.
Not even Ikki was brave enough to ask Lin how she made it. But all three of them knew that she somehow managed to find the time to do it.
Hands
Lin's hands are gigantic, worn with calluses, compared to Jinora's flimsy, weak ones. But when Jinora voices her concern, Lin merely laughs and presses their palms together. "See how they're still the same?"
Music
Jinora isn't sure when or where or how she found the old piano in the back storage room, but she is sure that she was the first one to find it. When she starts banging on it in the middle of the night, Jinora is surprised to find her father and Lin standing in the doorway, exchanging glances. Tenzin gestures for Lin to join Jinora at the bench, to which Lin reluctantly proceeds to do.
"Teach her how to play," Tenzin suggests, softly, quietly, as he touches Lin's shoulder. "For old time's sake."
Lin just shakes her head sadly and brushes him off. However, she still takes Jinora's small hands in hers and shows Jinora how to bring the piano to life.
Apparently, Jinora discovers, music was the second love of Lin's life, and Jinora brought it back from its nineteen-year slumber.
Holding Back
A couple of girls at school gossip about how Lin is being such a bitchy ex to Tenzin. Every. Single. Day. Lin is the only reason why the entire group isn't air bent into kingdom come. She already warned Jinora that if she got called to the headmaster's office one more time because of some girl's mindless chatter, Lin would personally incarcerate Jinora for life.
Arguments
"Why do you always spend time with Lin?" her mother demands one day, one hand carrying Rohan while the other is at her hip.
Jinora shrugs, scuffing her shoes on the ground. She refuses to return her mother's heated glare.
Maybe it's because she understands me. Maybe it's because she's the one who will hold me close and wipe away my tears. Maybe it's because she'll be a better mother than you'll ever be.
Her father bails Jinora out that day.
"Pema," he croons evenly, "there should be no issue. Jinora just likes Lin's company. I, for one, was always found at Toph's house when I was younger."
Yeah, you were always at Toph's house, Jinora thinks ruefully. That was only because Lin was there.
Tea
"You drink the same tea as my father," Jinora comments airily, tracing patterns on Lin's wooden table. "Why is that?"
She hears Lin's normally even breaths hitch in the police chief's throat. Jinora glances up, noticing how Lin bites her bottom lip so it begins to bleed. Her striking green eyes reflect some inner whirlpool of conflict before Jinora's idol decides on the most neutral response.
"We just…agree on tea, that's all," Lin finally answers. "Always have, always will."
Jinora knows there's something more to that, but she won't pry. She loves Lin too much to challenge her.
If it was Pema, however, Jinora may have had a few choice words for her.
Lies
Lin is a very good liar, even when she doesn't want to be. Jinora can never differentiate the truth from fantasy anymore because the white lies that Lin weaves into the web are on the border of truth. And Jinora always forgives her for it.
Wounds
When Lin romps into the air temple, fresh from a mission, and says, "I'm fine" one weekend, Jinora and the rest immediately believe her.
It's only when Tenzin that takes her hand after dinner and pulls her into a private room that Jinora can smell the familiar metallic tang of blood in the air.
Lin technically is fine, spiritually; hanging out with Tenzin and the family always makes her smiles a bit less darker than usual. But physically… Jinora shudders as she recalls the blood seeping from Lin's wounds underneath that armor.
Physically, Lin is broken.
Kiss
It's during a Council Meeting that Tarrlok "accidentally" bumps into Lin so her lips accidentally collide with Tenzin's. The two of them immediately break away, faces flushed to the roots of their hair, stammering apologies to each other. Lin is uncharacteristically looking unsure of herself, like a schoolchild caught red handed. Meanwhile, Tenzin's face is between embarrassed and almost…elated.
Jinora amuses herself by watching Pema storm out of the room and Tarrlok's immediate retribution by the two of them. She and Korra share a quiet chuckle in the back of the Council Room, talking about it for days on end.
The consequences of it? Pema doesn't talk to Tenzin for over a week while Tarrlok ends up in the hospital for five days after Lin and Tenzin are finished with him.
Smile
Lin doesn't smile often in the Police Headquarters. Ever. However, when she's around Ikki, Meelo, and Jinora, she is unrecognizable: too cheerful and too playful to be the Chief of Police. Jinora likes to pretend the grins Lin sends her way are special, different from the one the others receive.
When Jinora asks why one day, Lin ruffles her brown hair affectionately with that same affectionate smile.
"You're like the daughter I've never had," Lin chuckles.
Compare
Lin was everything Pema was not. While Pema was soft spoken, Lin knows how to be loud and assertive. Where Pema's words have soft curves, Lin's have jagged, angular edges with a layer of control. Lin was dependent on no one and no how; Pema meanwhile…. Jinora shudders. She has no intention of ever growing up like her mother.
Whenever the two of them are standing beside each other, Jinora cannot help but compare the two and always think that Lin is better.
Love
"Do you love Lin in the same way you do mom?" Jinora snaps at Tenzin.
Her father's eyes widen, soft grey eyes closing for a brief second before opening again. "No."
"No?" Jinora feels her heart breaking as she hears the familiar stomps of Lin approaching the temple.
Tenzin's serious eyes meet hers, his hand reaching for Jinora's, his thumb running against hers.
"No. I loved her much more."
Earth
Pema and many others believe Lin and Tenzin's relationship is volatile, mercurial, and full of ups and downs and sideways. Jinora knows that Lin and Tenzin's relationship is like earth herself: sometimes changing but the fundamentals remained the same, passionate, violent, and gentle all at the same time. That part never changes, just like the earth, because the earth, no matter what form it's in, is always there.
Air
Jinora has her quirks, her smiles and her actions as free and unrestrained as the air itself. But while an airbender, Jinora just needs Lin in her life in order to bend. The air and earth might be opposites, but Lin tethers Jinora to the ground and makes sure the little airbender doesn't fly away.
Door
Jinora's heart hurts every time Lin gets kicked out of the house by Pema whenever her mother feels Lin has stepped too much on her turf. It's only after all three children threaten to follow Lin's suit that Pema never dares to do it again.
Snow
Meelo and Ikki shriek when snow begins to fall in the wintertime, dragging Lin into the yard to play in the precipitation. Jinora follows at a more mature pace, air bending a group of snowmen that resembles their montage family. Korra, Bolin, Asami, and Mako are all piled on top of each other, all of their smiles over a mile long. But what Jinora wants Lin to notice is the part where Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Lin and Pema. The snow Jinora has her arms wrapped around the snow Lin's neck, her eyes gazing up adoringly at the snow police chief.
When Lin does get the chance to see the snow family, she stops playing with Meelo and Ikki and turns to crush Jinora in a heartwarming hug. Pressing her full lips to Jinora's forehead, Jinora, looking up at Lin's face decorated in snowflakes, realizes that there is more than one kind of 'snow angel.'
Words
Rohan's first word is "Lin," much to Tenzin and Pema's surprise. They blame Meelo recounting the time where Lin launched herself off Oogi to buy them time to escape, but in reality, it is Jinora's fault. She had been whispering stories about Lin and her achievements ever since she had been charged with taking Rohan to bed.
To no one's surprise, baby Rohan's favorite person is Lin.
Rush
Pema bustles about in the kitchen, forcing Lin to aid her whenever Lin's rudimentary culinary skills. Lin doesn't say anything, but the moment Pema no longer requires her, Lin slips out of the backdoor and collapses on a bench in the garden. Jinora's father joins her, settling himself comfortably beside Lin.
"You seemed in a terrible rush to get away," Tenzin chuckles, placing a fallen flower in Lin's hair. "I've never seen our esteemed chief of police make such a hasty retreat."
Lin growls at him, lips curling back into a snarl, but Tenzin just keeps laughing.
Step-brother
One day, a handsome nineteen year old arrives at the steps of the Air Temple, politely inquiring to Jinora if he could speak to Tenzin.
"I'm Jet Beifong. I'm Lin's son," he explains in a collected voice. I'm Tenzin's son.
"Lin never mentioned you," Jinora begins, eyes narrowing as she peers at him more closely. He is Tenzin and Lin's son, Jinora admits. Jet has Lin's jade eyes but Aang's stately face with beautiful ebony tresses.
"Jinora, right?" the nineteen year old inquires, extending a hand. "My mother always mentions you."
"She never mentions you," Jinora replies tersely, trying to quell the feelings rising up from her stomach. On the outside, Jinora is calm, but inside, Jinora's heart beats at the news. Begrudgingly, she takes Jet's rough hand, shaking it firmly. For some reason, they remind him of Lin's, minus the tenderness.
"You're kind of down to earth for an airbender," Jet chuckles, narrowing his eyes, smile widening.
"And you're kind of flighty for an earthbender," Jinora replies, raising an eyebrow, as her hackles begin to rise.
The two of them are prepared to go at it, but they are stopped by a distance shout. Jet and Jinora turn to see Lin making her way up from the docks, waving at them with a brilliant grin breaking out on her stoic face. Lin sweeps the two of them into her arms, gripping them tightly.
The argument is forgotten in an instant.
"Come on mom," Jet complains with a wry grin, wrapping an arm around Lin. "Get off!"
Jinora also returns the hug, wondering if this is what having Lin as a mother would be like.
She could get used to this.
Sharing
Jet, for all his sardonic remarks about his mother, is incredibly protective of his mother and hates sharing her with anyone. Jinora, meanwhile, loathes Lin's attention diverging from her. The two of them both don't like each other and aren't afraid to show it. After silently spending a good week and a half "socializing" in Jinora's room just so they could argue quietly about who deserves Lin more, Lin finally has enough. Storming in, Lin orders them to knock off fighting about "who knows what" and make up. They both wish that they didn't have to split Lin, but after a death-glare from her makes them realize that they might just have to.
Leverage
Jinora feels Lin's power emanating in the streets, the wind whipping around her, metal armor singing with every step. Though Lin might only be a child of earth, Jinora thinks that she has much more influence over the other elements than she might think.
Her suspicions are confirmed when a falling baby somehow drifts easily into Lin's arms before Lin even has time to shoot out metal cables.
Adolescence
Lin describes her adolescence as "challenging" with so many expectations and legacies to uphold. She mentions that she hopes Jinora's will be full of laughter, fun, and tight knit friendships.
Jinora never tells her that her entire life had those three things ever since Lin waltzed into it.
School
Jinora loathes school- not because she doesn't like the classes, but because every hour in school is just another hour away from Lin.
Changes
The police force has gone massive changes the past few months. It's now accepting nonbenders, waterbenders, firebenders, and airbenders in addition to the metalbenders. Lin is looking more harried than ever as more and more people begin to report to her, barely able to fit dinner with Tenzin on the weekends.
But she always manages to, Jinora notes with a smile. And that always means the world because it shows how even with all the changes, Lin will always remain the same.
Forever
Jinora nearly walks in on Tenzin and Lin drinking some sake at the kitchen table, but instead of bursting in and ruining the moment, she leans her ear to the door, straining to listen for every hushed whisper.
"Did you mean forever?" Lin murmurs, lowering her face to look at the table. "When you said, 'Baby, you're my forever girl'?"
Tenzin throws his head back, letting every drop of alcohol roll on his tongue. He pulls Lin close, lips nearly touching. His raspy voice responds gently, "Of course I meant forever, Lin."
With that, he closes the distance between them to place a small, chaste kiss on Lin's lips.
Jinora notices forever in every pointed glance, every pained smile, and every word exchanged between the two. She doesn't know how they ever "fell out of love" because, in her eyes, Jinora thinks that those two are the most in love people she'll ever meet.
Everyone knows that both of them are meant to love each other forever; the world just hasn't realized it yet.
Hair
Lin's hair is grey, but not because of the stress of being the Police Chief. In reality, she put some sort of powder in it to make it appear grey for some undercover duty, and between work and family, Lin really hasn't had the time to wash it out.
But one day, she manages to find the time during a gala, revealing her beautiful tresses to all. In a black silk dress, Lin's demeanor is out of character as she walks around making light talk with people. She almost seems…nervous and diffident, as if unsure of herself in such feminine, seductive garb. She looks younger than her fifty years, her appearances screaming Pema's thirty-five or something.
Many people always give her svelte figure a second double take, peer over their shoulders, and practically beg her to dance before they realize who they're talking to and quickly bustle away. Only a few brave ones dare to make more than small talk with her, flirting shamelessly only to be eventually driven away.
To Jinora's immense relief, Tenzin takes Lin by the hand and leads her away from the clamoring crowd to the dance floor. No one dares to disturb Lin after that.
"The Chief's fifty, right?" Mako enquires to Korra, wrapping an arm around her.
"Yeah," Korra whispers, snuggling closer to Mako. "And still saving the world with seventeen year olds."
"Too bad," a stranger comments. "But if the figure underneath that dress is saying anything… I swear, fifty or not, I'd still tap that."
Jinora's death glare is enough to send the man scurrying.
After that incident, Lin always puts powder in her hair just to avoid that situation. Pema is relieved, and Jinora is partly disappointed, mainly because Lin in that state proved a point to the world: women could be capable, strong, and intelligent while being beautiful at the same time.
Lessons
"How did you get your scars?" Meelo demands at bedtime.
Lin tucks him under the blankets, brushing her nose with his. "It was meant to teach me a lesson."
"Of what?" Jinora interjects, pulling herself closer to the two of them. "What lesson did you need to learn?"
Lin falls silent, closing her eyes wearily, and wrapping an arm around Jinora. Jinora can smell the faint whiff of Lin's perfume, the scent of plum blossoms lingering on Lin's armor, light but intoxicating.
"A lesson that, even when a person says they'll always love you, sometimes forever can't happen."
Conception
"So how did you guys make Jet?" Korra demands, lips curling into a predatory smirk. "Huh? Miss Chief of Police? Mr. Heartbreaker?"
Lin's lips pursue, immediately wiping the smug smile off Korra's face. "I found out I was pregnant after Tenzin had broken up with me."
"Oh." Korra blushes, looking at the table, the ceiling, the floor, and anywhere the young avatar can't see Lin.
"And my mother didn't want to interfere with Tenzin's happiness," Jet says mockingly, face hardening. It's uncharacteristic of the light hearted, joking Beifong to become serious, but then again, perhaps it wasn't, Jinora thinks. If it involves his mother, Jet is all business, and one can see how he won his spot on Lin's metalbending squad.
"So, my mother raised me herself," Jet continues. "Without my deadbeat father's help."
"Jet!" Lin snaps, glaring at him sharply with her piercing eyes. "That's enough."
"No," Tenzin sighs. "The boy is right. I am a terrible father."
"Well," Jinora interrupts, attempting to alleviate the mood, "you can't be that bad because you raised me."
Tenzin's smile is slightly forced as he laughs, "I think that's because Lin had something to do with that."
A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Either way, please, please, please take the time to comment and review in that little cute box below this author's note. Even anonymous reviews are better than none!
I hope you enjoyed this story. And don't worry, there's still more to come as Jinora becomes an adult.
Please review!
