Bumi and Iroh's paisho game soon turned into a full-blown drinking session, and the two have long since stepped out of the house to spirits-know-where. Lin was glad for the silence, as she curled up on the big couch and nursed her feet which had gone tender and sore from being confined in high heels all day.

The twins were asleep in their crib, which she had brought out earlier, no doubt tired from the day's celebrations. Lin could only imagine how irritating it was to be passed around into one unknown hand after another; how strange must it be to hear unfamiliar voices all day! No wonder her usually docile and quiet baby girl was so difficult to lull to sleep that night.

"I should've gone to our room so I wouldn't have to wake you when I carry you," she whispered. "Poor things – the whole day must've been so stressful! I am so sorry, my darlings."

The record was still playing, there were actually quite a few songs on it but Lin found herself playing the same two songs over and over again.

I've forgotten how long it has been

Since the last time I heard you

Tell me your favorite story

I have thought for a long time

I started to panic

Wondering if I had done something wrong again

It was a quarter to midnight, and still, beyond the soft music from the gramophone, Lin could hear the sounds of merriment outside. Her mother was still probably entertaining Team Avatar with her antics – probably, Bumi joined in on the fun as well. Lin, meanwhile, was feeling her eyelids grow heavier by the second. Sure her mother would forgive her for falling asleep, right?

"Ten minutes," she sighed.

She had hardly dozed off when she heard her mother's voice.

"You told me you're gonna wait 'til midnight, pup!" she exclaimed. "Nice song! What's it called?"

I'm willing to become the one in the fairy tale
The angel that you love
I extend this pair of hands
and turn them into wings to protect you
You must believe
Believe we will be like we are in a fairy tale
Where blessings and happiness is the ending

Lin yawned. "I think it's called Fairy Tale," she replied. "Come on, mom – let me sleep. I've been moving about all day."

Toph slapped her daughter's cheeks lightly. "Oh, last time I checked, I wasn't the one asking for a sign – also, I wasn't the one who said some nonsense about midnight," she rambled on. "Get up, pup. I'll fix you something to wake you up."


Tenzin breathed a sigh when he saw the glittering lights of Gaoling sprawled before him in the distance. The town seemed to be aflame – Tenzin could see the bright reds, oranges and yellows from thousands of paper lanterns that illuminated homes and streets.

He patted the sky bison's head. "Come on, Oogi – just a few more miles and we'll be there."

He just realized how important it was that they reach the Beifong mansion before midnight – like many places in the Earth Kingdom, the citizens of Gaoling would most likely light up some fireworks and send them flying into the night sky. Tenzin knew how Oogi felt around fireworks, and he most certainly wouldn't want to get caught between a thrashing sky bison and airborne flames. He slowly guided Oogi into a lower altitude, confident that they would reach their destination on time even if they slowed their pace down.


"This is coffee, Mom," Lin said as her mother handed her a steaming mug.

Toph shrugged. "I watered it down with lots of warm milk, meathead – heh – watered down, with milk – get it? I said watered down," she laughed.

"You should get some sleep," Lin chuckled as she sipped from her mug.

"No one sleeps on my watch," Toph replied.

She rested her head on her hands. "You know what - I've been noticing something lately."

"What?"

"It's like – I don't know – are you up to something, Mom? I mean, you've been really secretive lately. Sometimes, when you talk to me, you wear this weird smirk on your face – like you know something I don't. So what's up?" she asked.

"I don't even know what a smirk looks like," Toph replied. "I'm just really happy for you, badgermole."

"You're lying," she smiled. Sometimes Toph forgets that her best students were her daughters. Suyin was a master at metalbending, but it was definitely Lin who had her mother's "truth-seeing" abilities down pat.

Before Toph could reply something snarky at her daughter, Aang ran into the kitchen. "You should come out – the fireworks have begun!"

"Oh that's great – tell the blind woman to come see fireworks," Toph deadpanned.

Lin pulled her mother by the hand. "You're gonna love the explosions, at least."


Everyone else was gathered at the viewing deck by the time Aang, Lin and Toph made it outside.

"Su, where are the babies?" Lin asked as she sat beside her sister.

"Oh – I had one of the servants watch over them. Don't worry," Su replied.

A grandiose pyrotechnic display marked the end of the second day of the Spring Festival, and Lin realized, much to her dismay, that it also meant that midnight has come. Soon enough, fireworks would cease to light up the sky and the people of Gaoling would head off to bed.

Teary-eyed, she looked up as the sky was illuminated by fiery bursts of color. This is it. Midnight has passed – Tenzin is a no-show, so you gotta move on, Lin Beifong.

Lin felt her mother pulling on her hand. "Mom?"

"Keep quiet, Lin."

"Why?"

Toph beckoned her to come closer. "Check on the babies," she whispered into Lin's ear. "Something's not right."

It didn't take much prodding from Toph for Lin to leap into action – the mere mention of the word "babies" was enough to make Lin's mind tick, and for her senses to go on survival mode. Could someone have broken into their home, incapacitated the servants, and taken the babies?

Quietly, she slipped out of the gardens and into the dimly-lit mansion.


A/N: The last chapter's coming tomorrow morning! :D