This came to me after watching The Legend of Korra because I wanted more Toph and Lin.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra or it's characters.
It had been a rather slow day at the station and Chief Lin Beifong was left alone all day. Which she actually preferred. No one to bother her or get on her nerves. Just peace and quiet.
The day was soon over and after locking up the station, she started her way home. She was making her way to her apartment when a small, dragonfly like spirit flew up to her. Now that the spirit and human worlds were connected, spirits and vines filled the city. Lin didn't mind. As long as the spirits minded their business, she would mind hers.
But today was different. This pesky little bug was following her no matter how many times she told it to go away or try to walk faster to escape it. It was flying around her incessantly, trying to get her attention.
"Okay fine! What do you want!" She yelled angrily.
"You need to follow me quickly." It hummed.
Lin glared. "Oh so now you can talk. And why do I need to follow you? It's been a long day and I want to get home." Although she was kinda lying about it being a hard day, she just didn't want to deal with someone else's problems.
"Please, you must come with me!" It kept repeating itself over and over and Lin eventually got fed up.
"Fine! I'll go! Just shut up!" The spirit buzzed happily at her reply and sped off in the direction of the mysterious location.
Lin raced off after it. "Slow down will you!" She hollered after it.
Soon she realized they were heading in the direction of a swamp.
"Why are we going to a swamp!" She asked, confused. The spirit didn't answer her and just kept flying.
After running for another hour to an unknown location, Lin was starting to get seriously pissed. She was tired and just wanted to sit in her apartment and be at peace. Not run on some wild goose chase through a muddy, smelly swamp.
After what seemed an eternity the spirit stopped in front of some vines, blocking both their views from what's beyond them. Lin stopped a short distance from it, panting even though she had used her earth and metal bending to keep up.
"Something is wrong." It whispered so quietly, Lin almost missed it.
Raising her guard at the spirit's words, Lin crept forward and past the vines. "I'll be the judge of that." And that's when she saw it, or rather who.
Her eyes widened in shock then narrowed in anger. She saw someone that she had tried to not think of for years… her mother.
The spirit was right… and she's the wrong. Her mother was meditating on a rock, facing away from her and for a split second Lin started to sneak away before a vice caught her attention.
"Hello Lin." Toph said. Lin raised an eyebrow. Her mom's voice didn't sound anything like she remembered, although neither did her body. The imposing force her mother used to be was gone. Although she still had a strength about her, she looked old and skinny, not at all the Toph she remembered.
"Hello mother." She said with venom in her voice.
Toph sighed. "Why are you here?" She asked.
"Beats me, a pesky spirit dragged me here. Anyways, I'll be going now." Lin turns to leave, wanting nothing more than to ignore her problems, but Toph's voice stops her.
"Wait. I can feel your anger from here. At the very least say what's on your mind. Yell at me if it'll help you."
Lin felt her pent up rage boil up within her. "Fine! If you really want to know how seeing you makes me feel, I'll tell you! I hate you for always choosing Suyin over me! She never got in trouble, while I was always the one to blame! Not to mention that you never paid any attention to me! You never cared about me! I was only ever a burden and I bet you wish I had never been born! I hate you and I wish you would just die so I'd never have to see you again!" Breathing hard as she finished her rant, she thought she saw her mother flinch and something fall from her cheek but ignored it.
Toph sighed once more before composing herself, pushing back the lump in her throat. Her daughter's comments had cut deep. Deeper than she'd ever admit. She was doing everything in her power not to show any weakness. "If that's how you feel, then I won't stop you from leaving and you'll never have to see me again." Toph remained faced away, her blind eyes fixed on nothing.
Lin huffed and stormed away, with full intentions of heading back to the city… but something kept nagging at her. Maybe it was the way her mother's voice sounded weak or when she seemed to be shaking. No, she wouldn't entertain any ideas or doubts. Her mother was fine and it wasn't like she cared... It was just her imagination or hallucination conjured by her tired mind.
Speaking of tired, she was exhausted after running after the spirit for so long and she just wanted to sleep. Not wanting to walk all the way back to her apartment, she earthbended herself a tent, much like her mother had done many years ago and went to sleep.
That night, she was haunted with the memories of herself, her sister and her mother. She desperately tried to run away or fight them but they just came back stronger. Waking up in a cold sweat, Lin let the walls of earth fall down and was bombarded by the sun.
Why am I having these memories now! Ugh, I have to get out of this stupid swamp now! Getting up, she proceeded to stomp off in the direction she thought was home, only to find herself back in front of those familiar vines.
Fuck this! She starts off in the opposite direction once more only for her to wind up in the same spot minutes later.
"You win forest! I'll go!" She yelled at surrounding trees and rocks. She walked forward, expecting to see her mother in the same position as before but she was nowhere to be seen. Spotting a cave a few feet away, she moved to the entrance. That's when she heard coughing coming from further back.
What the-? Despite her best efforts, Lin began to get worried and her body moved on its own. There she saw her mother, shivering and breathing heavily on her makeshift bed of rocks and leaves.
"Mom!" She couldn't stop herself from calling out and going over to her.
Toph was unconscious and feverish, which Lin soon discovered after placing a hand on her mom's forehead.
Was she like this yesterday and I was too selfish and blinded with anger to realize it? Thinking back, she realized she had ignored all the signs and now it had escalated to this. Guilt threatened to overwhelm her, but she pushed it back.
Lin, get a hold of yourself! She chastised. Toph was practically on fire and Lin knew if she didn't get her fever down fast, things could take a turn for the worst. Looking around the cave, she spotted a bowl of water. Unbending out of her metal armor, Lin tore off a piece of her shirt and soaked it in the water before placing it on her mother's head.
Her mom seemed to relax slightly but neither her shaking nor her breathing got any better. She wished she had waterbending healing right about now. Toph began moving in her sleep and before Lin could react, Toph opened her eyes. Lin froze like a deer in the headlights, before remembering that her mother was blind...but then realized she could 'see' anyways.
Her mother's voice was weak and hoarse when she spoke. "Who are you? What do you want?" She tried backing away but couldn't muster the strength.
"Mom, it's me. Lin." Lin tried to help her remember.
"I don't know any Lin's! Stay away! Sokka! Aang! Katara! Where are you!" She called out, before dissolving into a coughing fit. Her body shook with the force and by the end of it, she was gasping for breath. She tried to move again but suddenly passed out.
Lin was in shock. She had no idea what to do and she was beginning to panic. Her mom was sick, they were stuck in the middle of a swamp... and…. and she could die! She knew the fever had to be pretty high to hallucinate and even higher to forget someone. Not to mention her mom had just fainted in front of her. The Toph Beifong had just fainted.
Worry was consuming her and she began to regret everything she had said the day before. She had told her mom she hated her! Never had she regretted such words because even when she hated her mom, she loved her and that's why she was always so angry when around her. Because as much as she'd like to deny it, she loved her mom...so much it hurt! So she shut herself down and acted emotionless as a way to stop it.
But now, she was regretting every fight she had ever had with her family and regretting even more never seeing her mom in the past 20 years! 20 years! Also she told her mom, she wished she would DIE! She couldn't believe how stupid she was and looking at her mom's pained face, she thought her wish might come true.
No...she couldn't afford to think like that. Her mom would be fine. Besides, her mom always told her Beifongs were invincible. So she would be okay….right.
Getting back to the task at hand, she picked up the cloth from where it had fallen and placed it back on the metal bender's head.
"Mom, you'll be fine. Don't let a little fever beat you. You're way too tough for that" She whispered before leaning against the cave walls, intently watching her mom's breathing.
The day passed into night and Toph was only getting worse. Lin had started cradling her mom's chest and head in her lap as an attempt to keep her shivering at bay. Well, that was half the reason. The real reason was she just wanted to be close to her mom and maybe if she held on, her mom wouldn't leave.
She was currently staring out the cave at the moon when she felt the person in her arms stirring. Looking down, she saw blind eyes staring up at her.
Feverishly, she started spouting nonsense, before she began crying. She didn't seem to realize there was someone there as she started talking, deep in a dream. "Lin! I'm sorry I failed you as a mother! I know a wasn't the greatest but I never meant to cause you pain or hurt you! I tried my best and did what I thought was right but maybe I was wrong! I never wanted you to hate me… but you do hate me...maybe if I was gone forever, it would bring you peace…" Her voice drifted off and Lin was suddenly painfully aware that her breathing was weaker than before.
Could this have been what mom was thinking about yesterday? Why didn't she just tell me?...but would I have listened? What was equally as alarming was her mother's tears. Never once had Lin ever seen Toph cry, not ever when Aang died. Or maybe she had never cared enough to see. Spirits, she hated herself! For everything she had ever said or done! Now her mother was dying and she'd never get a chance to apologize!
As the night went on, Toph's condition worsened to the point where she was still except for her barely noticeable breaths. Her fever was ravaging her system and Lin was powerless to stop it. Lin felt as helpless as a child. She was clutching her mom tightly to her chest praying to all the spirits she knew.
Tears threatening to fall, she stared at her mother's now serene face. Wait...no! She tried to feel her mother's heartbeat but found nothing. No, No, NO! This can't be happening!
"No! Mom please! Don't go! Don't leave! I didn't mean it! Please don't die! You can't!" She wailed like a child. She received no response. "Spirits please! If you're there, please don't let her die! I take it back! I take it back, so please...don't make her leave…" She was sobbing now, near hysterics, screaming at the top of her lungs, begging someone, anyone to save her mom.
A few seconds passed and Lin bagan to lose hope, when suddenly Lin's ears picked up a heartbeat. It was faint at first but quickly began to gain strength. Lin looked down at her mother's face and her eyes widened in astonishment, when blind eyes met her own ones.
"Hello Lin." Toph greeted the same as before.
But this time Lin's response was much different. "Mom!" Lin cried, hugging her mom as tight as she could.
"Lin-Lin you're crushing me." Toph choked out. Lin let go immediately before touching the elder bender's head.
"Your fever… it's gone! And you're alive! How?" She said, getting over her initial shock.
"Ha, you can't get rid of me that easily." Toph smirked. Instead of laughing, Lin began to cry.
"I thought I was going to lose you and I would never get to apologize for how awful I've been to you!" Toph embraced her daughter, who buried her head in her chest. "I'm so sorry!" She choked out between sobs.
"Shh, it's alright." She comforted, before placing her hand under Lin's chin, lifting her head up to look her in the eye. "I should apologize too. I know I haven't been the greatest mother and I'm sorry for that. As long as you can find it in your heart to not hate me...maybe that's enough."
"I love you mom."
"I love you too kiddo."