132AG

"Lin, Su, as you have probably heard, we have finally identified a major crime boss in the city that has only been getting stronger in the past few years," Toph said to her daughters.

"Yakone?"

"Yes. If the rumors are true about what he is, then none of us, especially you two are safe in Republic City,"

"Mom, just spit it out already."

"I am sending you two to Gaoling. You'll stay with your grandparents until this is all over. I am so sorry it has to be this way." Toph said with tears in her eyes.

"They aren't the nicest people in the world, but if you just do as they say, life will be easier there than here for the time being."

"What about Tenzin and Kya and Bumi?"

"They'll go to Ember Island and stay with Fire Lady Mai. Zuko is coming here to help with the case." Toph replied.

"Why can't we go with them?" Lin asked remembering all of the horrible stories her mother told them about her childhood.

"Because Lin, you and Su are my entire world! I know I may not act like it most of the time, but I love you, and I want you to be safe more than anything. Aang doesn't realize the numbers this guy Yakone has at his command. I am the Chief of Police. I have killed some of his most capable hit men, and he is angry with me. If he gets to you for revenge, I know I would not be able to cope, and I would never forgive myself. Ember Island is not far enough away for me to be assured of your safety from his gang. Believe me, if there was another way, I would have found it by now, but this is our only option. I'm sorry," Toph said hugging her twelve and six year old daughters with tears in her eyes.

The three donned coats and hoods and went to the train station first thing the next morning. "Before you go," Toph said pulling some stuff out of the pocket of her coat. She put a dark meteor bracelet on each of their left arms, and steel cuffs on their forearms. "Protect each other, alright?" Toph ordered kissing them each on the head.

"Gaoling is about fourteen hours away by train. I've packed you guys some dried ramen for a snack, but you'll have to buy food on the way. I booked a first class cabin for you two so you can have privacy. Don't speak to anyone on the train, except the conductor, do you understand?"

Both girls nodded.

Toph pulled out two green and gold passports with the golden seal of the flying boar.

"Don't loose these, and don't let anyone but the conductor see. And when you arrive in Gaoling, either Lao Beifong or, Yongbo Xu will receive you, got it?"

"Yes, Mom," Lin said stowing hers and her sister's passport in the pocket of her coat.

"Protect each other," Toph ordered with one hand on each daughter.

"Mom?" Lin asked.

"Yes?" Toph replied with tears in her unseeing eyes.

"Be safe," Lin begged her mother. Toph nodded and held held each of their faces against her body for a few minutes each before the conductor blew his whistle.

"LAST CALL FOR THE 8AM TRAIN SOUTHBOUND FOR GAOLING!" the conductor yelled. Toph metalbent him by his belt buckle to her side. She lifted her hood just enough to reveal her murky green eyes and her black headband that bore the emblem of the Police Force.

"Chief Beifong?"

"Yes." Toph replied standing up taller, speaking with a harder, colder tone of voice than she had used only moments ago. "These two will be sitting in first class, and your job is to make sure nobody knows they are on this train. Do you understand?"

"Yes,"

"They get off at Gaoling."

134AG

"Mom! You said Lin was coming back today!" Tenzin said linking his arm with his mother's as they entered the ballroom. It was the Four Nations Celebration commemorating the end of the Hundred Year War. Tenzin could not have been more excited. Two years had passed since the last time he saw his best friend. They had all been separated so abruptly when it became known that Yakone was a bloodbender, able to control people on every day of the month except on full moons. Their parents took two years to apprehend him, his second and third hand in command, and enough of the gang's leadership to dissolve it and return the city to relative peace once again.

"Look! There's Chief Beifong!" Tenzin said pointing at the original metalbender.

"She's still wearing her uniform? Really?" Katara sighed in disapproval as they approached the original metalbender.

"Sugar Queen, Junior," Toph said bowing her head to each of them.

"It's been so long!" Tenzin said hugging the Chief while Katara smiled.

"Yep! It has!" Toph said planting her large hand firmly on his bald head removing him from her body without returning any form of affection while Katara smiled. "Linny won't be happy with you,"

"Why?" Tenzin asked, fear consuming every cell in his body.

"Because you're taller than her now," Toph replied, the ends of her mouth curling into a smile. Katara and Lin laughed as Tenzin let out a sigh of relief.

"Ahhh if only you could hear you son's heart racing Sugar Queen," Toph said rubbing her unseeing eyes through tears of laughter.

"That's not funny!"

"That you like her?"

"I don't-" Tenzin began defensively.

"It's okay, Tenzin. It is a perfectly normal feeling. After all, you are fifteen now. These feelings are natural." Katara said placing a hand on Tenzin's shoulder.

"Where is Lin anyways, Aunt Toph?" Tenzin asked.

"Her grandmother wanted to change her dress for the fifth time this evening. I'mm blind! I don't care about what I wear!"

"Is that why you're still in your uniform?" Katara asked with a knowing smirk.

"Hey! At least I changed my underclothes, so I shouldn't smell as badly as I normally do!" Toph said. "Now if you excuse me, I heard Snoozles was going to be here and I am looking forward to beating his ass in our annual cactus juice drinking contest," Toph said punching her right fist into the palm of her left hand with a devious grin.

"Toph! What kind of example setting for the children?!" Katara asked.

"I am Chief of Police, not a school teacher/child wrangler," Toph said shrugging as she walked away.

"But you're still a Mom!" Katara called after her.

"Whatever," Toph said waving.

Katara sighed. "She is a grown woman and she gets her job done," Katara whispered to herself as a form of reassurance that everything will be okay.

"Master Katara, Mr. Tenzin," a voice said. They both looked forward to see a young fourteen year old girl dressed in green, creme silks robes accented with little pink flowers and a cumbersome but elegant looking headpiece that displayed short chains of pearls, emeralds, morganites, opals, peridot and onyx beads. Her delicate heart shaped face had been dusted with a fine nearly white colored powder and makeup had been brushed over her eyelids, and her lips, painted a glossy pink. She stood with the saddest, expressionless face they had ever seen. It was as if she were being weighed down by heavy iron chains like a prisoner.

"L-Lin?" Tenzin asked, completely stunned by her appearance. Her neck looked longer, but Toph was right, they were no longer the same height. This difference gave him a whole new view of his best friend who now had to look up at him to meet his eyes.

She gave him a small smile, glad that he was able to recognize her after her miserable transformation.

"I'll leave you two to catch up," Katara said to Tenzin before taking her leave to go mingle with other social elites at the celebration.

Before Tenzin could say something more intelligible. Lin was nearly knocked over by Kya and Bumi who sandwiched the girl in a bonebreaking hug while her eyes widened in terror.

"Lin! It's so good to see you!" Kya said kissing Lin on the side of her forehead after a short-lived fight with Lin's beaded headdress.

"How's our favorite little grumpy pebble?" Bumi asked.

"You look different, Lin" Izumi said calmly approaching the group of old friends. Being the Princess she was, she never made public displays of affection especially at such important formal gatherings as this.

"Yeah! Did your Granny's closet barf on you?" Kya asked.

"Or did you you trip and hit your head, stepping off the train from Gaoling?"

"Hit your head or something?"

"Maybe she did! She hasn't even punched me yet! So, how was your stay with your grandparents?" Bumi asked clapping her on the back. Lin winced as if it actually hurt which had Bumi concerned. her left hand flew to her mouth, and her right hand pressed on her diaphragm. Usually Lin would just hit Bumi right back and call him an idiot for being Bumi, but this time, she remained silent. Only then did Tenzin see just how small her waist was behind her billowing silk sleeves as she struggled to catch her breath after Bumi's playful strike.

"It... hasn't ended." She said quietly once she had recovered enough air to speak. She turned around to face her grandfather with apologetic eyes as he looked down on the group with disdain.

"A word, Lin," Lao Beifong said. She looked like she was in trouble. "Please excuse us, children."

"I am sorry, Grandfather," she said following him from the hall.

"Sorry, Lin. I didn't mean to get you in trouble! Please don't get mad at her! She can't control me!" Bumi begged the Earth Kingdom Nobleman.

"You all stay away from my granddaughter!" Lao growled at Bumi.

"Does he know who we are?" Kya asked standing beside Bumi with her hands on her hips.

"Who does he think HE is?" Izumi asked with disbelief.

"I don't know, but I don't like him," Bumi said folding his arms, tapping his foot on the marble. "Hey Tenz, you wanna get some punch?" Bumi asked changing the subject.

Tenzin punched his brother this time surprising all of his friends with such uncharacteristic airbender behavior.

"What were you thinking hugging her in FRONT of her grandparents?!" Tenzin yelled.

"Hey how was I supposed to know Old Man Beifong was such a stiff bigot?" Bumi asked innocently raising his hands.

"Didn't you listen to ANY of Dad's stories?" Tenzin asked boiling with rage.

"Most of them were so damn boring that I gave up listening a long time ago." Bumi replied.

"You guys are such- UGH!" Tenzin yelled storming off. He ducked into the hall and hid behind a pillar, getting ready to strike if necessary to protect his best friend from her family.

"I am sorry, Grandfather. I will try to dodge them next time," Lin promised her grandfather, to try to appease him.

"Trying isn't good enough. Those vagabonds have no right to come within ten feet of you, and even then, they should fall on their knees before you. You are above them. You and your mother both claim to be able to sense people's presence with your feet. You can avoid them," Lao sneered.

Lin's lip twitched in fury, and Tenzin could feel the ground begin to quiver slightly.

"Those vagabonds are my friends and you have no right to call them that! Three of them are the children of Avatar Aang and Master Katara and the other girl is the FIRE PRINCESS!"

"I thought Avatar Aang only had once son, Tenzin. At least he seems polite enough," Lao said.

"You've been misinformed, Grandfather!" Lin snapped.

Tenzin could see tiny fissures forming in the granite tiles of the hall.

"Lin, we are only enforcing these rules for your best interests. If you are going to boast our name in the world, you must be able to present yourself honorably and properly avoid these embarrassing interactions."

Lin scoffed and folded her arms, pouting. "I don't boast my last name. I don't care about my last name. It's just a stupid name! Take it away if you're so embarrassed to be related to me. If this is what it mean's to be a Beifong, I'm fine giving it up. Let Suyin carry your precious reputation. I can go gamble in the Fire Nation and become the next Runaway!" Lin growled walking away from Lao, cracking a tile with each step. Tenzin held his breath, hoping she wouldn't notice. As she passed his pillar, she reached over, grabbing him by the front of his dress robes out of City Hall.

"L-Lin?" Tenzin asked nervously tripping over his own feet to keep up with her pace as he kept glancing back at Lao Beifong who didn't even bother to pursue his grand daughter.

"Call Oogi," she demanded releasing him once they were on the front steps of the building.

"We're just going to leave?" he asked pulling out his bison whistle. "Not to the Fire Nation I hope?"

"No, I would never leave my Mom like that. I just- need time to think, and breathe," she said struggling against the confines of her dress, her hands on her waist again.

Tenzin looked down at her body as he blew the whistle. She still looked very much like a girl, but her limbs were longer, and her torso sloped inward to her waist then outward again over hips that he never noticed before. Then he looked over her shoulder to see her forming chest rising and falling with every labored breath. She was typically bound nearly flat, but he could still see the movement of her lungs in her body.

"Are you crying?" Tenzin asked.

Lin turned to face him. In the moonlight, he could see tears weighing down the lashes on her lower eyelids, but he knew they wouldn't fall. They would remain frozen there until they crystallized into a residue that she could wipe away dryly. Even before she left for Gaoling, she had never cried as long as he knew her. "I can't breathe in this STUPID dress! They say it is the latest fashion in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se and that it will help my marriageability prospects or SOMETHING!" Lin ranted finally as Oogi landed in the courtyard before them.

"Wait what? You're only fourteen! And they're trying to marry you off already?!" Tenzin asked. He had to admit, it hurt him to hear such a thing. He always assumed he would be the one to- oh, they were still young.

Lin kicked her shoes off and chucked them into Oogi's saddle. She lifted her skirts and looked down at her aching feet, curling her toes into the dirt before stomping, commanding the earth to launch her into the saddle.

"Take me away from the hell I'm living in!" Lin begged him holding onto the railing. Tenzin jumped onto Oogi's head with a little, swirly tornado, and took his bison's reins.

"To Makapu, old boy. Yip yip!" he yelled as the bison groaned and began their moonlight ascent.