The Avatar Aang Memorial Statue had become an iconic to Republic City towering over Yue Bay, a gift from the Firelord. When Aang died the people wept laying banquets upon banquets of beautiful flowers at the stone feet. People came from far and wide to just catch a glimpse of its beauty and a memorial had been built inside depicting the story of the Hundred Years' War.
Lin Bei Fong didn't need a history lesson. She'd been lulled to bed by stories of her mother and the Avatar's adventures and knew the tale much better than any historian did, but the thought of a delinquent vandalizing it made her insides boil angrily like most of the citizens of Republic City.
"You're in a lot of trouble Miss-
"Sera," the teenager replied slumped over in the metal chair toying with the handcuffs that'd been tightly fastened to her skinny wrists, "just Sera."
She couldn't be much older than fourteen perhaps, pale skin, with stingy unwashed dark hair, a petite frame with long gangly limbs and tattered clothing. Malnourishment was evident in her gaunt cheeks and the way her clothing hung on her body, a sure sign of a kid who raised herself on the streets.
"Mind telling me why you did what you did?" Lin inquired pulling the empty chair back and plopping into it. Sera's heartbeat was racing rapidly. She was terrified, nervous, and anxious all at the same time, something was eating away at this kid.
Sera had been nearly five years old when Lee and Zora had told them that they were adopted. The kids in their neighbor complex had been teasing them, repeating most likely what their parents had been saying in hushed whispers about the elderly Fire Nation couple couldn't possibly have two young children who both appeared to be of Earth Nation descendant. Zora had been sobbing, repeatedly interrupting Lee telling them that she loved them with all of her heart and that they were a blessing.
She was nearly six years old when she was orphaned. Lee had caught the Pox that'd been spreading throughout Republic City like wild fire leaving scores of people dead. The healers simply couldn't keep up with the demand of the sickly and Lee succumbed in his sleep. Zora the healers said died of a broken heart, leaving her and Mai Lee to fend for themselves in the city. It wasn't easy. There was a hierarchy between the street urchins, the best alleyways to sleep in where taken by the ones who'd been there the longest, the ones who knew how to swindle, but they learned. They crawled, kicked and fought their way towards the top.
"I wanted to speak with you Ms. Bei Fong," Sera said softly gazing upon the chief for the first time.
She had pretty facial features underneath the dirt and grime, Lin mused to herself. Sera possessed a thin narrow face and grayish blue eyes framed by long eye lashes, with a little upkeep and food her beauty would show.
"You vandalized Avatar Aang's Memorial just to speak with me?" Lin inquired, "did you ever perhaps think of stopping by."
"You're quite a busy woman Chief Bei Fong," Sera replied, "and it required drastic measures to acquire your attention."
"Well do tell,"
Sera heaved in a deep breathe, "my sister, Mai Lee, she's ill."
Lin snorted, "I'm no healer."
"We don't have any money to go to a healer, she'll die soon. She's withering away…..,"
"Why did you come to me? Why not go plead your sob story to a healer? They'd surely be able to help you."
"Because I think you're our mother."
A lump formed in Lin's throat as she hoarsely whispered, "why would you think that?"
"About fourteen and a half years ago, you went away on sabbatical for a year, that year 156 correlates to our birth year and I'm presuming councilman Tenzin is our father, I'm an airbender and Mai Lee she's an earthbender….," Sera trailed off.
His eyes, her dark hair, his pale skin, her mother's small body frame and his gangly limbs, everything about this child screamed here look I'm proof of that you and Tenzin had twins.
A/N: There's a few stories about Tenzin and Lin having a kid, but I thought hey why not put a twist and make them twins? Thus came Mai Lee and Sera. Please let me know if it's worth continuing.