-Fireside Tales Part 1-
It had been a long day.
The entire Team was feeling it. The sun had gone down at the end of what seemed like a never-ending day. Watching their city become rubble under the feet of CHAOS that morning, that seemed like a year ago. Most of the Team caught up on some much-needed sleep while they soared over the trees slowly on the back of Oogi. As they slept, Korra informed Lin and Tenzin of the dire situation at hand.
Korra refused to sleep. Her eyes were peeled open as she scanned the sky, looking for more of Qu's men and, more importantly, looking for Solomon and CHAOS. She knew she would not see him. CHAOS was somewhere submerged deep in the ocean. The sun going down reflected across the sky, making it turn a bright red as if it was on fire.
Soon, it just might actually be…, Korra thought, sadly. It was such a beautiful sky, or at least it would have been had it not reminded her of the world's impending doom.
"What is going to happen to us?" Tenzin had asked. "How is he going to end it?"
"When CHAOS reaches the memorial in the Si Wong Desert, he'll revive an army called the SPORE who will start collecting souls. This will create a channel between the Spirit World within CHAOS and the physical world. It basically is going to start leaking out of the beast and overtaking this dimension. After a long time, everyone will become nothing but a sea of energy, Spirits will escape through CHAOS and roam the planet, bringing down any remnants of the human race, any survivors will be killed. When the Spirits who created this world escape from CHAOS, they will start building their new world, and the sea of cosmic energy that the human race becomes will give them the power to do this, to create another new race."
"So, then there will be a time period between Solomon reviving these "SPORE", and when they've actually dismantled this planet?" Tenzin asked.
"Once they start, the Spirit World will begin leaking out into this one. The line between the two dimensions will become…fuzzy, but yes, it isn't an instantaneous process. Why? Korra asked"
"It's good to know how much time we have. At least if we cannot stop Solomon before he reaches the desert, all hope won't be lost. We will still have our composition after that time before the world comes to an end."
"True, but after he reaches the Memorial, he'll have an army of Spirits on his side."
Tenzin stroked his beard, thinking about what Korra was telling him. He was about to conclude something but noticed that Oogi was getting tired. He wanted to rest. Tenzin steered Oogi down into the woods where the Team made a small camp and allowed the bison to sleep for the night.
A small fire was made. The team was re-energized after their naps and gathered the wood to make the fire. O-Ren taught the team how to start a fire without using bending, since it was going to come in handy if they succeeded. Tenzin gave Bolin a blanket, and he put it around Sydeny, who was thankful for it. The two sat very close to each other, and Sydney was happy to have someone as caring as Bolin in these difficult times. Korra pulled her knees up to her chin as she silently and solemnly watched the fire burn. It all reminded her of destruction, and she was sad. The army that she was going to Metro to try and recruit had just tried to kill her earlier that day. How would they be of any help to her? Did they know the danger the world faced? Was Qu just keeping it all a secret and blaming it on her?
"So, after this long day of almost dying and pain and world ending talk, how about some nice campfire stories we can all enjoy before starting back up on our journey tomorrow?" Bolin said, trying to reintroduce some comic relief, as he was prone to doing.
"What is bothering you, Korra?" Tenzin asked.
"In addition to the fact that the world might end?"
"Or not," Bolin said, sadly. Korra looked at him, annoyed but apologetic. She couldn't get her mind off of all this. She had so many questions. What she thought was a clear direction suddenly became so cluttered and confusing when she thought about the magnitude of the decision she would have to make. She was only one person, and finding the support she needed would be one thing. The world after the potential end of bending was a whole other issue.
"I understand the pressure of that. That is not what I am asking. I mean what is holding you back from going through with this? Why do I get the feeling you have doubts?"
"Well…" she didn't want to mention to any of them her unfortunate fate if she succeeded, but that was not the only thing that bothered her,
"It's just…first of all, I am not sure of our chances of succeeding. They could be so low that this isn't even worth it, you know? If we somehow got the help we needed and were able to stop the Spirits, what then? We would all lose our ability to bend."
"But it's that or we all die, Korra," Mako said.
"Yes…I know, but who am I to decide that the whole world loses their bending? Who are we to make a decision for millions of people? There are obviously those who would kill for their bending. Does that mean we should find another way? Another way so we don't lose our bending? What is important to these people?"
"It's either bending or our lives," Lin said.
"And that is another thing, how do I know we'll even survive if we succeed? What if bending is what keeps us alive? Will we be able to function and survive without those who can bend? It's all we've ever had. This world has turned to it to solve their problems. They've turned to me. The Avatar. But what are they going to do when they don't have that anymore? Are these kinds of tyrannical governments going to continue ruling and tear people apart?"
Korra stood to walk off her frustration. She walked to the edge of their lit campsite and looked blindly into the darkness of the woods. The bright moon shine through the trees, connecting all water benders to the Spirits, allowing them to bend.
"I'm wondering if bending is the reason this is all happening," Korra said. "I'm wondering why we still have it. Aang told me we couldn't get rid of it, there are people who depend on it, but the Spirits who gave us the power to bend did it so that we could survive. But it's been centuries, surely we can survive without it by now. But the Spirits think otherwise, and who knows what the population thinks. It's obvious that Qu's men see the value in it."
The Team sat in silence, anxiously watching korra as she thought. No one knew how to respond. The question was tough. Not only would killing the Spirit be hard, but they were not sure what would happen after.
"My father…he spoke to you?" Tenzin asked. "What did he say?"
"He said that bending was important. Too important to go away. He just didn't want me to kill Daya to solve this. He said doing so would implant permanent strife in the connection between the physical world and the Spirit World. I know that is true. I know it wouldn't be good, it wouldn't bring the necessary balance. But I've been thinking that there has never really been a balance. The Spirit World has mingled in human affairs for as long as we have existed because of bending. That is their constant intervention in our lives. If only there was some way for them to see that. If only they could see that…they just need to let us live on our own. Without their help. Had they done that, had they let us advance without their help, I don't know if this all would be happening. I wish Aang were right. I don't want to kill Daya, I want her to see that what she is doing is wrong. That the cycle needs to end. But how do I know that? How do I know what is best? What do the humans want? If it were up to them, how do I know they wouldn't choose to keep their bending, that they would rather find some different way so that they could keep bending even if it meant risking their lives by delaying a solution?"
"You have a lot on your mind, Korra," Tenzin said. "You need to take a deep breath and take it one step at a time. This isn't something one person can deal with alone. Not even the Avatar." One thing Korra had said in all this seemed to have passed over everyone else's head except his. The world would no longer have an Avatar to turn to if Korra were to kill Daya. Tenzin wondered what killing Daya would mean for Korra's existence. He could see she was holding back some of the facts, but he didn't want to press on while she was in this rather unstable state. "Korra, I think you would be surprised. Aang has told you that people rely on bending, that changing things would disrupt our existence, but Aang lived in a different time. Things have changed since he was here."
Korra pouted. "I want to see proof of that. I want to see what this world has become. I want to go to Metro and see the people we are saving. I don't want to save a world if the people are just going to end up destroying it. I'm not going to turn my backs on them, but if I am going to go after CHAOS, I want to meet these people, I want them to know what I am doing for them. It isn't for pride. It's so that they are prepared. It's so they know Qu and his regime are the true villains. It's so I know what bending truly means to them, to everyone, and we can make our decision, to go after Daya, or find another way to end this. I'll leave it up to them. I just have to know. I just have to know what bending means to them. I have to know that Graft wasn't correct, that bending is held as more important than anything else. That love and humanity haven't been sacrificed by these people for bending. For power." She threw a stick into the fire. "That is my campfire story, Bolin. My plight."
He was silent for a while. Korra didn't mean to be mean to him. She knew he was just trying to lighten the mood.
"Anyone else want to go?" He said, depressingly. No more energy in his voice.
~O-Ren's Tale~
"Sure," O-Ren said. "I have a story to tell. Maybe, it can give you a little insight. Maybe…it can be of some help to you, Korra, as you try and make your decision.
"A lot of what I have told you guys about myself is a lie. I never grew up with some bipolar disorder. I was one healthy boy who knew how to earthbend pretty damn well. I lived with my family, my biological parents, the foster part was a lie, but I only realized that recently. My dad actually was an engineer at the Cabbage Corp. He couldn't bend, but the work he did and the ideas he conjured were, in my opinion, much better than anything I could do with bending. I admired him for everything he did. I figured I could never be as smart as he was. I looked through his designs for motors and they were all so complicated but he was renowned at the Cabbage Corp for his energy saving models. I could go on about how much I looked up to my dad for being so damn smart, for acquiring so much by using his brain and following his ambition.
"Following his ambition. That was something he was able to do. That was how he was able to survive and raise others like myself. He started with nothing but ambition, and that ambition drove him to learn, to better himself to the point where he knew how to build better technology. Where he knew how to bring us into the future. He was an epitome of human power.
"I looked up to him, but I didn't want to be what he was. I could never be that smart. But he was able to do what he did because he lived in a world that was free. Free such that when he had an ambition, a vision, and the drive to fulfill that vision, he had the tools and capabilities to do so. His hard work would get him to where he wanted to be, and nothing like government or Spirits would stop him from doing what he loved and bringing to us a world that was better. From leaving behind a legacy. So instead of help him, my dream was to protect this kind of world. To protect the idea of a free market where people who wanted to be something could do it through hard work. Protecting this idea from tyranny and dictators who would rip that right away from us in an instant.
"Early on in my life, I wanted to protect this concept of free will, and to do so I figured the best option would be to join the United Forces. That way, I would be on the frontline, fighting against any army that would dare threaten the freedom of the Republic of Nations. I cared about that the most. But when I thought the threats to this idea were external…well, I was wrong.
"Finally, I had proven myself and I was off to boot camp. Off to start my dream. To do what I wanted. To fulfill my vision and help protect the new society we would advance toward. But the threat was never on the outside. It was right under our noses.
"I was "selected" one day for advanced training. Randomly, I guess. My eager self was excited. I knew it was no random act. I had learned all the drills perfectly, I could disassemble a gun and reassemble it in seconds. I could earthbend like a master and no one stood a chance in a brawl against me. I walked happily to my advanced training. I was told I would be put on a mission. A mission! In case you don't realize, I thought I was nowhere near done my training, but they were already considering me for duty. I felt so accomplished you see?
"But something weird happened. They took me to this place for testing. Just standard testing they said, but it wasn't. It was being directed by a man named Solomon, only it wasn't Solomon, it was Graft assuming Solomon's identity. And there was another one there as well. He called himself Colonel Milan. General Milan was a big earth bender with long hair. That was the first time I saw Graft. Can you guess the tests they were doing? Clasma testing. Testing his newest Clasma's ability to establish a controlling mechanism between soldier and general. General gives a command, and the soldier does what he is told. They had somehow created a new strand of Clasma that was moldable once it was implanted into its host, so they must have molded it to influence its host, myself, to accept any commands from Graft or Milan. And these tests were only for the best soldiers. Like creating robots. Colonel Milan must have had a high standing in the United Forces. He allowed it. He formed some kind of partnership with Graft. They had not been doing this testing for very long before I got there and screwed everything up.
"So I get to this "pre-drone" experiment as I will call it. They tell me it is standard procedure to inject this "vaccine" that will protect me against chi blocking. Really, it was just Clasma. Clasma that would disrupt my whole inner structure. Then they would tell you a few things. Colonel Milan would almost hypnotize you. I suppose this was their way of molding the Clasma. Generate new personality traits, change your object of loyalty from anyone else to them. Most of their subjects had positive results to the Clasma. They left feeling almost no different except that their loyalty to Milan shot up tenfold. My only conclusion is that they had weak minds.
"Well anyway, my reaction was not so great. They tried to tell me to be loyal to them, to die for them no matter the circumstance, but the combination of this and the Clasma made my mind think some weird things. It interpreted the message differently, and I started thinking that Colonel Milan was my father. But my memories of my real father rejected this. So I was confused, and they could tell it was failing. Graft ordered Milan to end the test, calling it a failure. Milan refused to do so. He would not have me ruin his chances of getting an army of robots like the others, but there was nothing he could do. He screwed up with me. The Clasma told me Milan was my father and that I had to do his will, but of course my drive, my reason for being there, was powerful enough to fight against these lies. So in the end, these two different ideas of my identity, of my loyalty, caused me to become bipolar in my memories and attitude, but only when I was around Milan.
"So coming out of there, I was very confused. I had two different ideas of who I was, of where I came from and what my upbringing was like. I suddenly felt like I never had a father because my brain told me I was not loyal to my actual father but to someone I couldn't remember, and I couldn't remember because the part of my brain that fought against the Clasma suppressed the memory of Milan poisoning me. It was all very weird, and I wanted answers, but Milan and Graft disappeared, and the forces discharged me for mental instability, as per Milan's request.
"I should have been distraught at this, but I couldn't recall the burning passion I had for joining the army. I returned to Republic City very confused about who I was. I couldn't find work anywhere because every job just thought I was crazy. I began thinking I was a bad seed or something. Like I was a criminal and had done something wrong. I saw my father again, but I was sure he was not my real father.
"Anyways, soon Lin found me and put me on the force. I felt good. I felt like I had a purpose and was slowly finding myself again. Helping people. That made me feel good, and so I stuck with that. I became happy again. I liked Lin. She was a great leader, and I figured I could do some great things working for her. Believe it or not, I saw a better side of humanity as a cop. I saw people who gave their lives for others. I saw people who stood up for others to stop an evil. I saw people die so that others could live peacefully. The experience as a cop truly affected me.
"Well as you all know, Amon's little skirmish really changed things around Republic City. Lin felt she had to install a metal bender as chief, which you didn't by the way, you were more than capable of doing it, but whatever. So she puts this guy, Qu, in charge. And soon I can't think straight. I can't remember why I am doing anything important. And I lose my purpose and sense of identity again. I suddenly suck at my job and Qu immediately throws me out. Just gets rid of me. That was when I found a job at the factory and met Mako. That was also when I witnessed the rise of Graft, and I swore I knew him from somewhere. He invoked a memory of something, deep within me, and eventually I rediscovered my drive to protect the freedom of people like my father, who work hard for their rewards, and Mako and I did the only things we could think of: we tried convincing the people that what Graft was doing was fundamentally wrong and an attack to human justice. We did that through vandalism. Yes that was us…
"It wasn't until I was in Graft's presence that I remembered more about what he did to me. He knew I thought of Colonel Milan as my father but I'd get sick when I was around him. Colonel Milan had agreed to let Graft do those tests on his advanced soldiers to try and create the perfect soldier that would die for Milan without a second thought. The first step was finding a way to control them, but my failure drove Graft away from the United Forces. He said it was too risky, so they needed to start somewhere that was not so strictly watched. He thought Republic City was a safer place to operate. Rather than working under the noses of strict generals who could see the unethical things he was doing, he could operate in secrecy in the city, be seen as nothing more than a rising business, and when the time came use the wonderful results of his experiments to win over the government and the people he believed to be so dumb. He needed help. He needed someone on the inside, someone that would help him build an army of Clasma-induced super-soldiers. Milan was willing to do it once again. Milan craved for the power that Graft was striving for. He had no concern for the people he subjected to these tests, so long as he rose.
"Graft's words to me suddenly clarified to me the reason I was feeling sick again. Milan had come to the city, my fake father, and shaved off his hairy head and took the name Qu to be named chief by Lin. To be named the chief who would have the loyal police force at his disposal for more testing, and the only person smart enough to discover his intentions was hated by the entire force," He looked at Lin.
"so that is my little tale of Qu's origins. Qu the one who believes bending and power and control are more important than human lives. Who took from me my inspiration which had driven me to become the person I was. Which would have driven me to become a great soldier but instead I became a lowly factory worker.
"Yes, Qu is evil. He is Graft's ideal demonstration of the man who would let the world die if it meant he could keep his bending. The reason Graft felt so confident that he was bringing a better world because people like Qu exist. They do exist Korra. There will always be those who throw away love and respect for power. That is the way the world is and it is sad but it will never go away. But I have seen the ones who are the opposite. I have seen those who would gladly give up their power for their humanity.
"I cherish the people I meet that do not place their hunger for power over the ones they love. I have seen these people. They are my father. They are the victims I have seen cry and plead with the Spirits after losing a loved one, the victims I have witnessed during my time as a police officer. People who give up their own lives for the lives of their children. People who forego the opportunity to gain power because they believe stopping something unethical is more important. Because the well-being of others is not something that can be ignored in our quest for power. These people are each and every one of you, as well I believe.
"I will give you this advice: people like Graft and Qu will always exist. Qu demonstrated to Graft a man who gave up his humanity for power. To me, Qu is no longer human. He no longer possesses the human spirit, the drive to better ourselves, the drive to build relationships with others, to advance the world and leave a legacy. He seeks to destroy and kill. To keep the world down as he rises. To regress the world back to a state where we depend on bending and on those who can bend. Depend on those who have power, because in his world, bending will be the only idea of power left to attain. But don't let these inevitable people keep you from thinking this world is worth saving. Don't let these people who have forsaken their humanity blind you from the millions of people who embrace it and have helped to bring a beautiful world of knowledge and love."
~Lin's Tale~
Lin poked at the fire with her sword, adjusting the wood so it would burn brighter.
"I have a story to tell. Perhaps you might find it useful as well, Korra. My story is the death of my mother, Toph Bei Fong."
"You might all be wondering why Rong's near-death experience affected me so. Well, maybe by the end of this story you'll know. Toph raised me until I was about fifteen and went to live on my own. I matured rather quickly under her guidance. Living with Toph as her daughter was…interesting to say the least. She was a good mother. She tried. But unfortunately, because I was an earth bender, she wanted to train me to be as good as she was. She became my teacher, and it was hard at times to tell whether she was my mother or my master. I knew she loved me, but she seemed to treat me just like her other students, and that can be confusing for a growing girl like I was. Not knowing how to interpret the way your mother is raising you. Was I her daughter or her student?"
"I don't want to place Toph in a bad light, though. These were the thoughts of a girl going through adolescence a little earlier than others. They were undoubtedly influenced by hormones and what have you. Toph gave me a home. She fed me and took great care of me. Even as her job as chief gave her so much stress, she still strived to be there for me while I was growing up. It must have been so hard for her as a single working mother, having to deal with criminals ruining the city, then holding the responsibility of my well-being. I remember her coming home on the days when she was struggling to get Yakone behind bars. I heard her curse and yell and break things. I was probably about seven then. The whole event scared me, but she assured me it was okay. She assured me that she wouldn't let the bad people run free for much longer. They'd go down, and she would make sure of it. She would make sure that no one ever touched me.
"I looked up to Toph, she was a very kind mother, but when I turned ten, and my earth bending started improving quickly, something seemed to change about her. I learned to metal bend, and this excited her. She trained me rigorously. She said I would be the next chief. I am not sure what I wanted then. I wasn't sure I wanted to hold the job she had. It didn't appeal to me like it did for her, and the constant stress of the job was affecting her, even physically. My mother began looking much older for her age.
"Toph's training was brutal. She would yell at me when I failed as a means of encouraging me, I guess. I would have to train all day so that when she got home from work I would be ready for whatever she threw at me. I feel that a carefree, normal childhood was evading me. I grew up quickly, and I was starting to forget Toph was my mother. She was never pleased with my improvements, at least to me. I always wanted to impress her. That would last throughout my life. But something was always bothering her. Soon, she never seemed to be happy. I wasn't sure why, I thought maybe it was her job, another criminal on the loose. She was always upset about something. Then I thought it was me. Maybe I was failure to her. Her dreams of me being as great as she is becoming lost. She never told me that, not once did she says she was disappointed in me, but also, not once did she say she was proud. It could have been a number of things. A good probability that she felt scared as she grew older. I didn't know then what I know now about what was really disturbing her. Something from deep within her finally taking effect…
"So I was about fifteen, but I looked to be in my twenties. Toph had me added to the police force, gave me my own uniform, gave me a team to work with, and this was good because I needed money, but also it pleased her to see me working there, to be using my bending for the good of Republic City. Whether I wanted the job was unclear to me, but what was clear was that I wanted Toph to be happy with herself and with me. Me being around seemed to ease her stress more than when I wasn't. I was always trying to impress her, but I wanted to be there for her, too, to make her "feel good" about herself. I was starting to worry about her. Perhaps in that stage of her life, she was starting to feel she had not done enough, that she had raised me badly and was not a good person. I wanted to be around for her to show her she had not failed.
"Those were a good few years, I will admit," Lin tried not to look over at Tenzin. It was obvious that she was referring to the time she spent dating him. "I never left the force. I was too much apart of it, and I knew one day Toph would make me chief. I grew to care too much about the safety of the citizens to care whether or not the job was for me. And I cared about the well-being of my mother. I think I was happy, if not with my job, with the other things I had in my life. I felt complete. And I felt that Toph was really proud of me and herself. Something about me wanted her approval so bad. To say that I was a great metal bender. The times I wasn't working I spent improving my metalbending. Perfecting it. Knowing every kind of attack, reading the eyes of an enemy and predicting exactly how he would strike. I would be a perfect soldier…"
"Things started to change. My presence in the force no longer seemed to act as a stabilizer for Toph. She became sick. She no longer had the energy to continue on as chief. There were even reports of her passing out on the job. She looked much older than her age, now. And so did I. I remember looking in the mirror and seeing my gray hairs. My beautiful long hair starting to fade in color and wither. The wrinkles in my once smooth face. It saddened me. I had lost my youth so quickly. Was it the stress of the job doing this to me and Toph? I knew my mother needed me, so I had renounce her position as chief, to retire, and let me take her place so the stress would no longer deteriorate her. She didn't agree, but I did it anyway.
"I told Toph to move out of the city. To find a place on the outskirts and rest. Relax. I went to visit her every other day. I called a doctor to watch after her, but Toph wouldn't have it. She drove him away upon every visit. I didn't know what was happening, but I was worried. I went to visit her. She was always frustrated and upset. She wasn't even working anymore, so I never knew what was causing her this stress. Soon she was unable to walk straight, then stand on her feet. She became very lethargic and had trouble eating. She was just deteriorating. I didn't know what I had to do, but I made sure I was there as much as possible. I was worried sick.
"Toph spent her days sitting in her chair. In her room. She could barely walk, now. I would visit and feed her and give her medicine which did nothing. Doctors couldn't tell me any kind of diagnosis. She spent years like this.
'Mother, how are you feeling today?' I would ask.
'Lin, I need to go back to work. I'm the chief remember?'
'Mother, it's been years since you retired, remember?'
She never did. She was delusional. Her memory was failing her. It got worse. I'll never forget the day I went there and…
'Mother, I'm here. Are you feeling alright?'
'Who is here? Where is Lin? Where is my daughter?'
'It's me, Lin,' I said. I walked over to her and she felt my face which was strange. My voice should have been indication enough for her keen ears.
'You are not Lin. Where is my daughter? I want to see her.'
She did not remember me. She refused to believe I was Lin. The memory she had of me was a younger voice, smoother skin. Mine had become so withered and old, but my age disagreed with my appearance. My own mother was forgetting me. Every day I saw her, and every day she would ask where her daughter was. I took care of her for years and she never believed that I was ever the one there. She thought I left her, hated her, and would not even come to see her on her deathbed.
'Lin never visits me. She hates me. And I deserve it. I was a horrible mother. I am ashamed of how I raised her. She never asked for that life. She never wanted it. But she hates me so that she won't try to contact me? She won't even accept an apology? Why can't she come here and settle things with me? I want to tell her what I really feel. Doesn't she know I am dying? Doesn't she know she may never have the chance again? She is going to ignore me forever? She hates me that much…' She would cry and say these things to me each night. I tried to tell her, but she would never reveal how she felt for me unless she believed Lin was there.
I almost broke down. 'Mother, I am here! I am your daughter and I am here for you. I always have been! I've never left your side.'
But she wouldn't remember. She would cry out for me, and I was right there, but to her I was gone forever, and she hated it. She hated that I "never visited". She said I renounced being her daughter. She became depressed that her only daughter never showed. Toph admitted to being a harsh mother, but she refused to believe that she deserved this. She allowed the sickness to overcome her. Her condition got worse. She tried to move each day, but now moving resulted in excessive shaking. Seizures. Loss of breath. She spoke in grunts and moans.
Near the end of her life, I came to her house to see how she was doing, now semi-immune to hearing her plead for her daughter to make contact, but Toph was scared when she heard me walk in one day.
'Who's there?'
'It's me. Lin. I've come to see how you are doing, mother.'
'Lin?' she said. I had hope that she remembered, but then she said, 'I know no one by that name. Have you come to kill me, then?'
'Mother, I am your daughter.'
'I don't have a daughter.'
"My mother was dead to me, just as I was to her. I continued to watch after her while she condemned me each day for "breaking into her home" because I was a stranger now. She had forgotten me, and did not remember anything I had ever done for her.
"I'm sorry for being the way that I am, I know I am not the nicest person around, but something changed in me over the years as I watched my mother, the woman whose love and acceptance I worked so hard to get, completely forget me, and in the end of her life cry in sorrow because she believed her loving daughter had abandoned her. I would never abandon her, but she told me to my face that I didn't exist to her. I knew she was sick, but nothing can really match the depth of the blow to my heart when she said those things. It was like all emotion was ripped away from me, and nothing really mattered anymore.
"I always wondered what had happened to her, and no answer really showed itself until I met O-Ren, who occasionally suffered from panic attacks, seizures and muscle lock-ups when he overused his bending. That was why seeing Rong squirming in pain was so hard for me. To me, I saw my mother slowly dying because of her overuse of metal bending.
"It's my belief that metal bending is what slowly killed Toph. A few more similar events have confirmed this for me. Rong put years away training so that he could overpower me. When people put so much time into it, it affects them badly. Metalbending requires a high demand for cosmic energy within a person. Humans were not exactly meant to bend metal. The logical explanation I have been able to come up with is that since it is so demanding on our chi paths, metal bending disrupts our internal structure. The overused chi becomes saturated with energy that its flow is irregular. And with all the memories and attributes chi carries, such a disturbance can have devastating effects on humans. Not to mention its influence over the acceleration of one's age."
"I've felt it," Korra said. "When people metal bend, their chi paths become so hot. Like they are boiling with the energy that is needed to do something so difficult like bend energy. Too much of it would be deadly. A number of different effects can come about."
Lin looked sadly into the fire. No one in the Team had any words. Korra had never heard a story so depressing. She knew why Lin was the way she was. Lin had not told that story to anyone, not even Tenzin, who looked at her in shock, now knowing the reason she had changed when they were younger and seeing each other. She had no longer cared for anything unless it was objectively, as her job demanded of her, and Tenzin could tell, back then, and it was not his desire to continue with her. She was going in a different direction, and he never felt that she wanted him to come with her. She did not want his help, and when Pema came into his life, he saw someone who possessed what Lin had lost. Lin did not hate Tenzin for what he did. She knew he was happier than he would have been with her miserable self, and that made her happy, too.
Lin looked at Korra. "Korra, if there is something to be learned from Toph's death, it might be this: humans may not be meant to hone these god-like powers. The power of bending. For if it has the power to backfire and kill its user, to completely disrupt them from the inside, and there is nothing they can do, then does it make sense at all that we should have these abilities? We as humans are driven to push ourselves beyond our limits. Metalbending is the result of Toph's drive, and it ended up being the cause of her death. If we are restricted in the limit we can reach because the powers we are given by the Spirits begin to hurt us, to dismantle our internal structure as we continue to use it, then why should such a thing exist at all?"
/* I love Toph. She is my favorite character from ATLA. Korra is my favorite character from LOK. I plan to finish this story before the next season starts :D*/
