134 AG

"Mother, as I have to call her now, has for some reason agreed it would be a good idea that I learn high society etiquette in addition to earthbending!" Lin exclaimed laying down in the saddle with one foot up most rebelliously. Tenzin said nothing.

Once they reached the ruined city, they both slid off of Oogi. For the second time that night, Tenzin examined her, feeling more comfortable without the stares of everyone around them. She looked beautiful. Her grandparents had even gone ahead and pieced her ears. He noticed how strangely rigid the dress made her look. There most had been some sort of board or something around her torso that made her spine bend a certain way. Her breathing was restricted to the upper part of her lungs allowing her to only take short, shallow breaths. Her arms were bent at the elbows, hands clasped delicately in front of her body just below her waist. Her eyes hung low but her chin was held high. She couldn't look more miserable.

"I thought Aunt Toph hated etiquette. Why is she making you learn it?" Tenzin asked with furrowed brows.

"'It's a good thing to know', apparently. 'just in case!'" she shrugged as they continued on through the desolate ruins. "And I should be grateful I'm still allowed to earthbend!" Lin added throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

"I'm sorry-" Tenzin said. He couldn't think of what else to say. His parents taught him to be respectful to his elders and kind to his friends, but they were close. They didn't have to bow to friends at every meeting or call each other Mr. and Miss. It had been nearly two years since he last saw his best friend, and she couldn't even give him or Aunt Katara a hug. Then she got lectured for receiving a hug from Kya and Bumi that she didn't even initiate.

"...and avoiding them is not enough. Grandfather didn't believe me when I told him Avatar Aang had other children. He's such a narrow-" she slid her foot forward and hand taking an earthbending stance, splitting the road they were on right down the middle. "-minded-" she dropped it sinking it into the ground. "-little-" she turned her foot and punched with her other hand and repaired the road by bending a slab of earth out of the side of the gauge she just tore into the ground and walked on it smoothing her skirts again folding her arms in the wide long sleeves. "SHIT!" She took a deep breath, and sighed. "They'll kill me for ruining this dress that cost more than Air Temple Island cost to build, but I don't care," Lin replied.

"If it helps any, I think you look beautiful tonight-" Tenzin said nervously, looking down at her exposed neck and clavicle.

Her head snapped up and she frowned at him.

"I'm sorry-" he said quickly.

She turned away from him and looked forward again, her features softening a little. "Don't be, just don't ever tell them what you think of me. They'll view it as encouragement. To keep— changing me."

"I thought you didn't care what you looked like-"

"I don't-"

"Then what is wrong with wearing a dress? You know who you are, right? I know who you are. At least, I like to think I do. You're strong and brave, defiant yet loyal all at the same time. You're an incredible earthbender and a beautiful lady- it can't be so bad,"

"You think so?" She asked looking up at him with those frozen tears making her green eyes shine even brighter in the moonlight.

"Yeah!"

"I guess your right. The dress itself is not so bad. Maybe just how they feel the need to have to teach me how to wear it. Maybe it's just everything else that bothers me. Sitting up straight, not being to show any affection in public OR private... not that I have any affection for those people I have to call my grandparents," Lin sighed rolling her eyes. Her shoulders slumped slightly. She was loosening up.

"Can I help in any way? We could practice together!" Tenzin said jumping in front of her folding his hands like how he had seen dignitaries from Ba Sing Se do. "I've always wondered what it's like to be an Earth Kingdom Noblemen do!" He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Lady Beifong, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance this evening!" Tenzin said bowing low and clumsily.

Lin laughed. She laughed harder than she had in two years. "May I have this dance?" He asked extending a hand.

"You look stupid, Ten. First, you're not supposed to move so quickly when you bow. It's a slow movement meant to show respect- not just some wag of the head like the tail of an eel hound!" Lin scoffed at him demonstrating. "Like so!" She said bending at the hips slowly with her head down before rising again. "And secondly, there is no dancing among Earth Kingdom nobility apparently. Dancing is what peasants do after hitting the cactus juice."

"Thats horrible! It sounds like that Fire Nation town our parents went to when they traveled the world! The one where they threw a secret dance party in a cave for the students!" Tenzin exclaimed

"Exactly!" Lin exclaimed agreeing with him. "It is interesting. I've noticed so many similarities between Earth Kingdom court etiquette and the Fire Nation's. It is a wonder why they don't get a along. Even now though Grandfather tolerated Loban, his business partner for decades he still despised him."

"I thought noblemen weren't supposed to ever complain-"

"Quite the contrary! It is sport to them. They are all avid gossipers. The men and the women. It's silly that the men still think they're above their ladies, but they're just as petty!" Lin huffed blowing a tendril out of her face.

Tenzin laughed. He looked down at her again. Old Lin was starting to show through beneath the silks and face paint. She saw right through everyone's fakery. She was honest and good and when she was with him, she wasn't afraid to show her true feelings.

"So, lady training aside, how is earthbending. Have you started metal yet?"

Lin raised an eyebrow at him. "I mastered earth by eleven as was expected of me. Mom still hates my metalbending, but honestly, did anyone expect anything short of that from the inventor of metalbending? It is like I will never get it right according to her."

"I think you will!" Tenzin said putting an arm around her shoulders encouragingly. She leaned on his chest as they continued walking down the main street of the ruined city.

"I hope so. I don't have much time."

"Is there really a deadline?"

"Yeah. Mom wants me to have mastered metalbending before coming to the Police Academy when I am sixteen,"

"So it has been decided then? You're joining the police?" Tenzin asked.

Lin shrugged. "What else can I do? Become a florist? An herbalist?" Lin asked shrugging. "Disgrace my family?"

Tenzin sighed. He knew that feeling all too well. They had that in common. High achieving family.

"I am Lin Beifong, daughter of the Toph Beifong, the Greatest Earthbender in the world, and sole founder of Metalbending; and some dumb fuck that knocked her up fourteen years ago. And according to my grandfather, somehow I have to do something to redeem my family's honor after my mother slandered it by just helping to save the world from being engulfed in flames," Lin said sarcastically. She became sad again. "They HATE me," Lin sighed.

"Your grandparents?" Tenzin asked.

"Yes. They don't care if I have feelings or needs and desires. All they care about is their stupid reputation. I asked them one day 'why even bother training me. If I'm already a bastard and such a disgrace', do you really want me bearing your 'good name' and running your company?" Lin explained.

"What did they said?"

"-'Young lady, that's just how things are done.'-" Lin growled narrowing her eyes, focusing on some nondescript piece of dust on the ground.

"I'm sorry,"

Tenzin hugged her. She returned his hug inhaling the scent of his formal robes.

"I missed you soooooooo much!" she confessed gathering the back of his cape in her hands, letting some of her iron walls come down in his arms.

"I missed you more," Tenzin replied bending over to lean his head on her shoulder, trying to avoid her ridiculously impractical headdress.

Just then there was the sound of a beast grumbling, and the two young people broke apart.

"Oh no! It's Appa!" Lin said running to hide.

"Hey! My Dad's not going to be mad at you-" Tenzin said running after her casually.

"No Airhead! Look. He's not alone!" Lin replied in a panic, yanking him behind the pillar with her.

The avatar jumped off the head of Oogi and helped Lao Beifong from the saddle.

"Lin, honey, I know you're back there," Aang said with his inviting, and gentle voice walking slowly towards their hiding place as one would approach a wounded stray kitten.

Lin didn't move. She trapped Tenzin between her back and the wall not trusting him to not move if he were free, and possibly giving away their location.

"Your mother taught me seismic sense; I know exactly where you are, Linny," Aang said.

"Shit!" Lin whispered. "I forgot about that."

"Lin Beifong-" Lao called sternly.

Tenzin looked down and swore he saw Lin wince at the sound of her last name.

"Come on. It's getting late. I know how you guys love Makapu, but it's getting chilly out," Aang said.

"Just tell me where she is and I'll get her myself!" Lao said impatiently.

Aang sighed. "I've known Lin for a long time, she responds much better to kindness than anything." Aang said. "We have to be patient with her."

"It is not a lady's place to set the pace!" Lao yelled walking over to the direction that Avatar Aang was looking. He nearly fainted when he saw Tenzin backed against the wall behind the pillar and Lin's back pressed against his chest as if he would provide her protection.

"What—" He didn't even finish his sentence before grabbing her by her skinny little arm. "We are going to have a long and serious talk young lady WITH you AND your mother! We can't have you getting a bastard in your belly now-"

"GRANDFATHER! We are not even doing anything! He's my friend! Let go! Let go!"

"Mr. Beifong I can testify that my son is innocent. They've been friends since infancy and Tenzin would never do anything that would harm Lin or her reputation in any way!" Aang said with frustration.

"What happens behind closed doors, or stone pillars... matters not. People will be creative with what they see, and that creativity is where the true danger lies. This is why young ladies must grow up in very STRICT environments where NOTHING is open to interpretation!" La

Lin whispered as her grandfather dragged her towards Appa.

"Ten, you'll meet me at home okay?"

"Wait, Dad!"

"Yes?"

"Tell Lao about Bumi and Kya!"

"What about them?"

"He thinks I'm you're only son and chewed Lin out because they hugged her tonight."

Lin looked at him with pleading eyes. SHUT UP BALDY! Her face screamed silently.

"Lin cannot control the actions of others! You have no right to get mad at her for what my other son and my daughter did. They've been friends since before you even met your grandchild and they love each other like family!" Aang said.

Lin looked like she was going to have a panic attack or something. He felt the ground beginning to shake around him as fear consumed her being.

"Appa, yip yip!" Aang said. The older bison lifted himself off the ground and flew away.

"I'm sorry, Lin," Tenzin said to her shrinking figure in the moonlight. He found her shoes in the saddle of his bison. Maybe I should stop by the Beifong Estate to drop them off. Her outfit cost more than Air Temple Island? So the shoes must be worth something.

Toph opened the door.

"Hey Kid," she said informally.

"Hi Aunt Toph, I'm just returning Lin's shoes. They were in Oogi's saddle," Tenzin replied. Toph patted his bald head and took the shoes and tossed them by the side of the door, carelessly.

"Understandable. It's not like anyone can see if I'm barefeet under those stupid dresses. I'm surprised Linny didn't just tear off the soles." Toph sighed.

"Will she be okay? I think may have gotten her in trouble with Lao-"

"Lin will be fine. She's asleep now. She's a tough cookie, you know that. But I do appreciate your concern for her. She doesn't have many people she can call a friend," Toph said.

Tenzin threw his arms around the police Chief.

"Huh? What's this for?" She asked patting his back awkwardly.

"With Lin in Gaoling, I didn't really have a reason to come over here as often as before, and I guess I just missed you too!" Tenzin said.

Toph laughed.

"Jeez you airheads are mushy. Well, have a safe flight home Twinkletoes junior."

"Thanks Aunt Toph! Sleep well, tonight!"

"Eh! I gotta head back to the station soon, but nonetheless, goodnight!"