"Are you sure that the earth kingdom is safe enough for me to return?" Prince Wu asked Tenzin, Raiko and Lin. The boy then decides that reenacting his great aunt's death was the necessary thing to do. Lin shared a look with Tenzin as if to say really. It was a few days until he was to be crowned king of the earth kingdom.
"I assure you, Kuvira has the earth kingdom pretty much stabilized." Raiko told the Prince.
"Define pretty much?" Wu asked unsure.
"Well, the bandits have mostly been dispersed." Tenzin told him.
"Mostly?" Wu asked, sounding concerned.
"Don't worry kid, the changes of you being assassinated are almost zero." Lin said with just the right amount of sarcasm to get past the prince.
"Almost?" He squeaked.
When Lin was 20 she had thought both Tenzin and Izumi were bad when it came to politics. Then when she became Police chief at 31 she had thought Tarrlok and the firebender Zhuo were infinitely worse. At 50 she thought she'd finally seen the most insufferable politician when Raiko became president. That was until she met Prince Wu, who was easily worse than all of them combined. Wu was 22 and acted like he was 8. He liked the finer and pompous that came with the throne rather than the actual act of ruling. He was someone who had never lifted a finger in his life and as her mother would put was in desperate need of an ass kicking to get his head back into orbit. She had genuinely felt bad for Mako. To be stuck with Wu 24/7 was a fate she wouldn't wish upon all but her worst enemies. Still the boy was the rightful ruler and Kuvira wasn't exactly much more appealing in Lin's mind. But he was to be crowned and Leave to Ba Sing Sa in a matter of days, which as far as Lin was concerned wasn't coming soon enough.
Korra too, was supposed to be arriving with Tonraq later today. The kids were excited about it, especially Meelo who was convinced that he had grown so much that she would recognize him. Tenzin was more excited than he let on about Korra coming back. Lin knew he thought about her as a daughter to him. He had written to her soon after she left for the south polar, but Korra had never written back. Lin had told him that she was still processing what had happened to her and to give her time. In truth Lin too would be happy to see the girl back on her feet.
The past few years had flown bye for her. She had settled into life again at air temple island with Tenzin and the kids around most of the time. Jinora and Ikki were now old enough to leave to do humanitarian aid missions in the earth kingdom. Tenzin usually stayed behind whenever possible to take care of Rohan and Meelo, although Meelo was more or less self-sufficient now. On her end, the city was in good shape all things considered, the gang wars had died down after the spirit wilds had been created, giving a physical turf barrier to the triads and monsoons. Kuvira had stemmed the flow of earth kingdom immigrants to Republic city as well. Korra's absence was not missed in the city outside of it however it was and Lin would be happy to have someone other than Kuvira handling things again. When Tonraq did arrive, He was surprised to find Korra not here.
"I'm worried about Korra." Tenzin said as they lay in bed that night. "I can't believe she disappeared like this."
"I know, but you have airbenders everywhere one of them is bound to find something." Lin told him, tracing patterns on his chest.
"Still, it's been three years and she's never written or reached out to anyone here." Tenzin said worried.
"Tenzin, she was tortured and had to learn to walk again. That takes time, maybe Republic city and everyone here was just a reminder of what she had lost." Lin told him
"I suppose." Tenzin finally gave in.
"Good, go to sleep, we both have to get up early tomorrow." Lin said tiredly.
Whatever Wu's incompetence, Kuvira was another matter. Lin had had a sneaking suspicion that she wouldn't be thrilled with handing over power. Lin had supported the idea of her taking over temporarily if only because someone had needed to do it weeks before. When the earth queen was first killed. Years of corruption had left the earth kingdom weak, the main source of employment outside farming being the army and government. When that was gone there were thousands unemployed and nothing to keep chaos from reining. Nothing two years ago had suggested, Kuvira would be what she had become. Everything Lin had heard about her was that she had proven herself a capable leader, that ruled with an iron fist. She was singularly driven to unite the earth kingdom and bring it back to order. At first Kuvira had been great, she had somewhat compassion and more charisma than even Su had thought possible. Kuvira had often shown benevolence to people who really didn't have any other option than to steal to survive. She had Varrick revolutionize the train system and developed the lower ring in Ba Sing Sa. Somewhere there had been a shift. More and more often it was said that criminals were being conscripted into service regardless of what they wanted. Rumors of reeducation camps for those who didn't fall in line. She was increasingly less tolerant to anyone who questioned her. Iroh, Zuko's very elderly uncle, had once told the kids that, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is what had happened to Kuvira, the desire to prove herself worthy had turned into a need for control, that was consuming her. Watching Kuvira now, refusing to yield her power there was no doubt in Lin's mind that that was what had happened.
After the debacle that was Prince Wu's coronation. Her and Tenzin headed back to air temple island.
"I can't believe it." Tenzin said to her as Oogi flew over the bay. "Well, I can believe it but it's still not good." he amended.
"Yeah, not good is an understatement." Lin grumbled.
"I'm going to send the kids after Korra. We don't need them here and Korra needs to come back now more than ever." Tenzin told her.
"All of them?" Lin asked with a raised eyebrow. "You think they'll actually get along long enough."
"They better anyway, who else can I send? Almost everyone else is gone and they know Korra." Tenzin said tiredly.
"I agree and Opal is going with Su." Lin told him as they landed. "Shall we tell them now?"
"Minus well." Tenzin agreed. "Kids!"
Ikki and Meelo came running up already seeing the bison. "Yeah dad."
"Where's your sister?" Lin asked them.
"I'll get her." Ikki volunteered. "JINORA!" she screamed loud enough to make both Lin and Tenzin wince and hold their ears.
"Really?" Lin asked sarcastically, sending the teenager a mild glare and getting only a sweet look in response. Lin's relationship with all of them had grown greatly over the past few years. She now had an equally close relationship with all of them. Ikki had been the last to come around but they were now as close as her and Jinora.
"What, Ikki? Jinora groaned coming out to the group.
"I have a mission for all of you." Tenzin told them.
"A mission finally!" Meelo cheered. Both Ikki and Jinora looked excited as well.
"We need to find the avatar. Can I count on you guys to bring her home?" Tenzin asked the kids.
"You can count on one of us. I don't know about them." Meelo said pointing at his sisters. Ikki punched him in the arm for that and Jinora crossed her arms and glared at her baby brother. Both Tenzin and Lin rolled their eyes.
"When do we leave?" Jinora asked.
"As soon as you're ready." Tenzin told her. The kids all ran off to prep. Later that afternoon they were ready to go.
"You got everything you need?" Lin asked, while Jinora and Ikki threw bags up onto pepper.
"Yeah I think so." Ikki said, jumping down off of Pepper.
"Be safe, kid don't do anything your father wouldn't do." Lin told her.
"Then we wouldn't leave the city." Ikki said cheekily.
Lin laughed while Tenzin mildly glared at the dig. "Then don't do anything I wouldn't do." Lin amended. Ikki jumped at her, throwing her arms around Lin's neck. "You're getting big for this." Lin mutters hugging her back. Jinora hugs her when Ikki lets go.
"Good luck and be careful!" Tenzin reminds them for the hundredth time. "And Jinora's in charge."
"I answer to no man or girl." meelo said with his nose up. Lin rolled her eyes and Tenzin sighed. He pulls Lin to his side as they watch the kids fly away.
"They'll be fine." Lin reminded him.
"I know, I just worry." Tenzin sighed. Lin wasn't overly worried about them for one Jinora was more than capable and Ikki was almost a master herself. Meelo had a knack for getting out of as much trouble as he got in. They would be fine. The trick would be finding Korra before Kuvira does something really bad.
"It's a good thing air benders are bald cause otherwise you wouldn't have hair with all that worrying." Su joked walking up to them. Lin laughed agreeing with her sister's assessment. "An acolyte said you were here." Su told them by way of explanation.
"Su, how are you? I know this must not be easy for you." Tenzin asked her.
"No" Su threw her hands in the air. "My son is marrying a tyrant, a tyrant who I raised only to stab me in the back." Su ranted, throwing her hands in the air.
"I know I have major concerns about Kuvira as well. Some of the rumors I've heard…" Tenzin trailed off.
"Well, I'll find out cause she's marching on Zaufo." Su said, angry.
"What! when did you find out?" Lin asked, concerned.
"Today I went to talk to her after," Su paused waving her arms and trying to find words. Whatever the hell that was" She settled on. "She all but told me she was going to occupy Zaufo. The city that brought her in!" Su said, heated.
"I can't believe it. I'll try to talk Raiko into sending help if need be. I'll see if there is a diplomatic solution as well." Tenzin told her.
"I won't be on that." Su scoffed. "I'm leaving now, I just need to vent to someone before I destroy something." Su said, running a hand through her hair.
"Yes I've seen what an angry Beifong can do to this island and I appreciate your restraint." Tenzin said. Getting a smirk from both sisters at that remark
"I'd join you but Raiko ordered both of us to stay in case she tries something here." Lin said, putting her hand on her sister's shoulder.
"I know. Thank you," Su said, hugging her before taking her leave.
"This is a mess." Lin groaned once her sister had left.
"Yes this is most certainly a mess." Tenzin agreed, stroking his goatee as they walked inside.
"Rohan's napping right?" Lin asked, pausing as they reached the living room.
"Yes why?" Tenzin responded.
Lin grabbed him and kissed him hard. "Because when was the last time we had a house without kids." She smirked as Tenzin eyes darkened. He kissed her again before practically picking her up and heading for the bedroom.