Ch 38 the painted lady
Lin looked in disgust as Appa trudged thru the filthy water. Sokka was trying to fish from it, and Aang was swimming in it.
"Sokka, all the fish are dead. Aang, get out before you get some incurable disease." Lin said.
"We might find some food in a nearby town." Katara said.
"In this shit hole, doubt it." Lin said.
"Are you always so pessimistic?" Aang asked.
"Count on it." Lin said, as they walked onto land and approached a dock.
"Why is the town in the middle of this filth?" Lin asked.
"Because we're a fishing town. At least that's how it was before the factory moved in. The army makes their metal over there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river. Now the town is struggling to survive." Dock said, as he gave team avatar a ride to the village.
"Jesus." Lin said, as they saw the conditions. People were dying left and right.
"We have to do something to help." Katara said.
"We can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own." Sokka said.
"How can you be so cold and heartless?" Katara asked.
"I'm being realistic. We'll do much more help when we take out the fire lord." Sokka said.
"Hey loudmouth, maybe you should shut it about taking out the fire lord." Toph hissed, covering Sokka's mouth.
The next morning, Lin was woken up to the sound of shouted.
"Appa's sick, that's terrible!" Sokka said.
"Wow, Sokka. I didn't know you cared." Toph said.
"Of course I care. I might as well throw away our schedule." Sokka said, earning glares from everyone else.
"And I'm concerned about my big fluffy friend." Sokka added, nuzzling Appa.
Aang pulled out Appa's tongue, and saw it was purple.
"Now that's odd." Lin said.
"This can't be good. Katara, can you heal him?" Aang asked.
"He needs medicine. We might be able to find it in the town." Katara said.
"If they can't fend for themselves, then I doubt they have medicine for Appa. Hell, he's been missing for 100 years. You think they'll have medicine for a flying bison, which have been extinct for a century?" Lin pointed out.
Still, they headed into the town and were surprised to see the people in a different mood. A more positive mood.
"Hey, Xu? What's going on? Why is everyone happy all of a sudden?" Sokka asked.
Xu finished his bowl of some strange drink, then answered.
"Something amazing happened last night. Food was delivered to our town by a mysterious and wonderful person. The painted lady." Xu said.
"The painted lady?" Katara asked.
"The painted lady. They say she's a river spirit, who watches over our town in need. Always thought it was a myth. Until now." Xu said.
"If she watches over the town in need? Why didn't she help you guys earlier? The truth. There is no painted lady. It's just superstition bought by people who've been bullshitted by the system." Lin said, earning a look by Katara, Xu, and Aang.
Arriving at camp, Aang pulled Lin aside.
"You really don't believe in the spirits?" Aang asked.
"No. They do exist, yes. I've seen it with my own eyes. But they don't help us at all. So in that regard, there is no painted lady, who would help them in need. Wake up, Aang. We're supposed to pay homage to the spirits, and they don't do shit for us. So they're just a bunch of sadists, watching us go thru hell while they sit up on their thrones, and do nothing. I've no use for that." Lin coldly said.
"But there's still good in this world." Aang said.
"There is good in this world, but it's brought by people. Aang, did the spirits stop the fire nation from killing your people? Did they stop Appa from being stolen? Did they stop the fire nation from killing Katara and Sokka's mothers? Did they stop the 100-year war from happening?! Hell, the moon and ocean spirits came to the mortal world, and paid the price for it!" Lin said.
Aang just looked at Lin.
"You have your beliefs, and I have mine. Just try and keep an open mind." Aang said.
"Right. Because that has worked well in the past." Lin bitterly said. She stood up and walked away from Aang, needing to collect her thoughts.
The next morning, she woke up to the sweet sound of yelling.
"I know you've been sneaking out at night. I know you've been lying about Appa, and I know you've been feeding him purple berries. Katara, you put our whole mission in jeopardy. We're leaving." Sokka said.
The sound of motor engines was heard in the distance. Everyone went to the ledge and saw jet skis heading towards the village.
"What did you do?" Sokka asked.
"I destroyed their factory." Katara said.
"You what?" Sokka asked.
"It was your idea!" Katara defended.
"Did you even think this through? The army is going to blame the villagers and attack them." Sokka said.
"What was I supposed to do?" Katara asked.
"Leave. Leave and do nothing!" Sokka said.
"No! I will never turn my back on people who need me! I'm going to the village to help." Katara said.
"Wait." Sokka said, stopping her sister. "I'm coming to."
"I thought you didn't care." Katara said.
"You're my sister, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Sokka said.
The plan was set in motion. Aang and Katara headed to the village to confront the soldiers, Sokka played the flute, and Toph slammed a large boulder onto the ground.
"It's working." Lin said, as she watched Katara stand against the fire nation troops, their resolve slightly shaken by the ominous appearance of the painted lady.
Katara destroyed two of the jet skis, and when the leader attempted to fight Katara, he was thrown into the murky waters, and Katara hovered over him.
"Leave this village, and never come back." She said.
"I can't believe that worked." Lin said, as they met with Katara and Aang at the village.
"How dare you act like our painted lady!"
"You're a water bender!"
"She is a waterbender but she was trying to help you! Because of her, that factory won't be polluting your river again, and the army is gone. You should be on your knees thanking her!" Sokka said.
"You bastards would rather die by poisoning than accept another chance to live?" Lin asked.
"Look, it doesn't matter if the painted lady is real or not." Katara said.
"She's not real." Lin butted in.
"Your problems are real. And this river is real. You can't wait around for someone to help you, you have to help yourselves." Katara said.
"And what she said, proved my point last night." Lin said to Aang.
"You're right. But what can we do?" someone asked.
Lin rolled her eyes in response.
"Maybe we should clean the river." Toph said, quickly appearing in the crowed, lowering her voice.
"That's right. We should clean the river." Xu said.
Lin watched as they spent the rest of the day cleaning the river, aided by Katara and Aang's waterbending. If only Tenzin was here, seeing her beliefs. She never did tell Tenzin she was an atheist.