still here. i rather enjoyed this one. it was better written than previous stories. anyway, read, review and enjoy.

Item: Lin loosing her bending

Pairing: Suyin and Toph

Prompt by: Guest

Su and Toph were seated in Zaofu's garden, sharing a cup of tea together, when Opal came running out to them with a radio in her hands. "Mum! Grandma Toph!"

"Calm down sweetie, we're not going anywhere." Su put down her cup of tea and motioned for her daughter to take a seat at the table. "Now what's so important it has you huffing and puffing?"

"Just listen!" Opal put the radio down on the table and turned up the volume.

This is the Equalist party, reporting on the successful liberation of Republic City and her benders. It is with great joy that I once again remind the people of the world that the metalbending police department has been disbanded and its benders have been wiped clean of their impurity thanks to our leader, Amon. Among them, Chief Lin Beifong has had her bending taken and she is now an equal member of our soc-

"I've heard enough." Toph stood up from the table and began to head back to the estate, only to have Suyin stand up and slam her hands on the table.

"We can't just sit around while one of our family members is sitting in a cell!"

"I will not risk ourselves in a place that has changed so much in the past two decades, where we will be outnumbered by a whole city, to save someone who will resent seeing us for doing just that. If what that announcer said is true and this Amon guy can take people's bending, then Lin will hate being around those who still have theirs. Imagine having something taken away from you and then having it thrown back in your face by those around you. I will not put my daughter through that feeling of helplessness."

Su's eyes narrowed as she tried to sound intimidating in front of her mother. "So you would have her stay in a cell, held captive by non-benders who would most likely try to take their feelings towards benders out on someone who represents all metalbenders? You're unbelievable."

"I'm being realistic!"

"You're being a neglectful mother!"

Silence surrounded the three women as what was said took its hold in their minds.

"Mum I-"

"Save it. I'm out of here." Toph stormed back to the estate, leaving her legacy behind.

Su collapsed back down into her chair and buried her face in her hands.

"Mum?"

"I'm sorry you had to witness that Opal. Please, I need some time to my self right now."

"Yeah, okay." Opal squeezed her mother's shoulder comfortingly before leaving to find her grandmother, which proved easy considering she has no seismic sense. She entered her grandmother's bedroom, to discover the woman packing a rucksack with a few belongings. "Grandma Toph! What are you doing?!"

"And I thought you were the smart one in this family. Look kid, I can't stay here. I feel like a caged bird with nowhere to go. I need to get out and explore the world again, where I don't have people telling me what to do."

"I- I understand."

"Hey now, you're not crying are you?"

"No." If the young girl's heart didn't give her away, then the sniffle sure did.

"Opal, you're a big girl now, you shouldn't be crying over something like this."

"I know. It's just, this family feels so incomplete without aunt Lin, that you leaving is like a nail in the coffin for my hopes, that this family will be complete one day."

A sombre smile crossed Toph's face as she pulled her only granddaughter into a tight hug. "I'm sorry kiddo. Just know that whenever you seriously need me, I will be there. I promise. What did I always say to you kids when you were younger?"

"You always know."

"That's right, I always know." Toph picked up her rucksack and slipped it over her shoulder. "Tell you're mother I said goodbye, we've never been very good at those."

"I love you grandma Toph."

"I love you too. Don't tell your brothers, but you were always my favourite." The seasoned metalbender closed the door behind her, feeling terribly guilty for leaving Opal to cry alone without any comfort.

"Alright Lin, time to bail your ass out for the fifth time this year and then I'm retiring."