Almost done! Only one more chapter after this.

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Enjoy!

Silence of the Sound

Chapter 8

Eri arrived quickly, running down the stairs into the cellar ahead of Weyoun as he took them slowly behind her. Her eyes skimmed over the scene in shock. Late morning sunlight was streaming in through the gaping holes where Ku had used Lin's bending to bring the walls down and, though the dust had settled, the damage was still new and stark.

"Master Tenzin!" She gathered herself quickly, picking over rubble to come to his side as hurriedly as she could.

He had taken a seated position on the floor and raised Lin into his arms. She was leaning heavily against his chest, more aware of her surroundings now than she had been a few minutes before, but neither were making any movements to stand just yet. Tenzin looked up, lifting his face from where he had nestled it against her dirty hair, and watched Eri approach. Lin ignored her.

"What happened?" she asked, breathless with astonishment as she knelt beside them and saw Rala's body by the heap of stone. Her face paled and she swallowed, trying to concentrate. "Are you all right? Is Master Beifong -"

"She needs a bit of care, I think," Tenzin said softly, looking down at Lin again with concern.

"I'm fine," Lin started to argue when Eri opened her pouch of water and pulled it out, using her bending to ignite the healing properties. But she stopped disagreeing when the younger woman pressed the coolness to her face, bringing it down her neck, over her shoulder and arm, ending to find the new cut that needed to be fully closed. She moved her hands over Lin's abdomen, checking for internal injuries and finding none. There truly wasn't much that needed healing.

Eri brought her arms back, crossing them tightly across her stomach as she looked at Rala's body again. The copper piping was still wrapped around him, leading to the logical conclusion that the only Metalbender among them had taken his life. "What happened?" she asked again, not meeting Lin's eyes.

"Rala decided to dabble in things he should have left alone," Tenzin explained succinctly. "Chief Beifong did the only thing she could do to keep us – and you, Eri, your entire town – safe."

Lin shifted uncomfortably as they spoke and started to extract herself from his arms, trying to stand for the first time since she regained consciousness. He immediately reached out to help her, but she smacked his hands away. "I'd like to get this going, if you don't mind," she grumbled, balancing herself against his shoulder grudgingly.

"What's going on now?" Eri asked, glancing between them in confusion.

Tenzin looked up at Lin, seeking her permission before saying anything else. She just shrugged listlessly and broke his gaze. He nodded and got to his feet as well, running quick hands across his robes in a useless attempt to remove loose dirt.

"Lin can feel remains under this basement. Rala hurt many people before we understood what he was doing, a very poor choice he made many years ago. We're going to give them all a proper burial." Eri almost seemed as if she were going to cry as his words sunk in, and Tenzin crouched again to place a hand on her shoulder. "Lin is going to bend the earth away to find as many of them as she can. If you don't want to leave, you can have a seat by Weyoun on the stairs."

She stood and went shakily to the stairs, dropping down by the old man. He patted her on the back and she smiled thinly at him in return.

"Hello," Ku said softly. He had reformed himself beside Weyoun, his figure becoming larger and stronger the longer he remained whole. Eri raised a hand in greeting without paying much attention, only glancing at him after she did so. As soon as her eyes landed on the spirit she yelped, jumping off her stair toward the wall. Weyoun reached out toward her, calming her down enough to sit again.

Tenzin turned away from them, back to Lin. She had her jaw clenched as she scuffed her exposed feet across the dirt floor. "There are at least fifteen bodies here," she muttered, trying to decide where to start. "Some are merely bone now."

"And the others?"

She grimaced. "There is potential for some rather foul smells soon, depending on how exactly he treated them during burial. We're going to need space for this, room to lay everything out as I pull it up."

"Oh, yes, of course." He stepped back and looked around. The destruction was becoming clearer as the sun rose higher in the sky. With the back wall and much of the foundation uprooted the house itself was certainly unstable by this point. They would have to keep people out for their own safety in case the structure began to collapse, which it likely would without much more effort. Most of the debris was near where they were standing, where the back wall and center base used to be. Water from Rala's self-constructed streams was leaking out into the rest of the basement, but the area near the stairs was mostly clean and clear.

Tenzin gestured in that direction, touching Lin's arm to get her attention. "Will that space work?"

"It's good enough," she consented with a nod. "I'll try to keep the ones in the worst shape encased in rock."

The work was slow, with only Lin to do it with Weyoun chipping in as he could, and after a little over an hour she had unearthed the remains of eighteen people. Four had decayed to bone, their bodies giving way back to the earth where they were left. The others were in various stages of decomposition, the last three nearly fully intact. Eri, through stunned tears, recognized two of the last women as visitors everyone assumed had moved on from their town weeks ago.

Including the three Lin and Tenzin were called there for, Rala had claimed the lives of twenty-one victims through his manipulation of Ku's spirit half.

Many villagers came to help move the bodies from Rala's home to their little cemetery outside town once they were prepared. Lin took the responsibility of carrying Rala herself, refusing Tenzin's offer of assistance. The cemetery was lined with neat stones and prayer ribbons, tugged on their strings in the wind. Tiny bells hung from the branches of the solitary tree inside the gate, their chimes calling softy to carry the souls of the departed to their afterlife.

Lin led the small procession, finding a patch of unused ground large enough for the dead to be interred side by side. She set Rala down, and then she and Weyoun went about bending open the earth for each one. As they were ready, a body was lowered and covered respectfully. The smell of dirt was strong around them, the sound of the bells subtle, and the sun bright.

Rala was last. By then the other people had left, wanting to find consolation amongst themselves as they discussed what Tenzin had told them about the unfolded events of the morning.

Lin took a deep breath, pausing for a moment at the last grave. This one was set aside from the others, enough to give deference to his victims, and releasing the air from her lungs slowly, she and Tenzin lowered him into the ground. Childhood bully, controlling in his adult life. If she had known he would grow up to be a murderer…but there was no way to predict the future.

She stepped back and moved the earth over his body, covering him forever, as Tenzin said a quiet prayer for his soul just as he had for every other one they had buried.

"I never meant to kill him," Lin whispered as Tenzin returned to her side.

"I know you didn't," he told her firmly, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing it tightly. "And you are not the one who took his life, Lin. He made his choice the moment he split Ku's soul. Spirits cannot be controlled like that."

She swallowed, not pulling her hand away. He threaded his fingers through hers, feeling her guilt and sorrow as his own. "I was able to see it," she murmured, "as he died. I hadn't…hadn't left yet. I was screaming inside, Tenzin, even as I allowed Ku to use me that way. I saw the moment the light left his eyes because Ku would not look away. I have killed before, but never like that."

"Lin -"

"I'm sorry I shoved you," she interjected before he could console her. She wasn't ready for that yet, the wounds still too fresh and raw. The admission was all she could handle for now. "Not the first time, when I was doing it to protect you from Ku, but that second time when he did it to you with my arm. That must have hurt."

Tenzin chuckled, following her guidance and not bringing the conversation back to where it had been. "Yes, well, seeing as it wasn't necessarily you who threw me against the wall that second time, I suppose I can find it within myself to forgive you despite the numerous bruises."

She smirked and bumped her shoulder into his for the imaginary jab. "Thanks, so much."

"Let's go." He tugged her hand, leading her toward the gate and away from the sweetly chiming bells. Oogi was grazing nearby, Weyoun sitting on the bison's fluffed tail as he waited patiently for them to return. They had already arranged to go back to his home, and he was more than happy to keep them for a few more days until Lin was ready to travel back to Republic City. She didn't even complain about the extra time, testament to what she had been through even if she wasn't bemoaning any aches or pains.

She rebuffed Tenzin's assistance onto Oogi's back, instead leaving him to lift Weyoun into the saddle beside her. It was only minutes later that they had taken off toward his home.

Hours, really, were all that had passed since they had left there early that morning. It felt like another lifetime to her.

xXx

As soon as Tenzin and Weyoun began to fuss over preparing something warm for lunch with growling stomachs, Lin slipped quietly from the kitchen. Neither noticed her disappearance, and she dragged herself up the stairs on aching legs. She let her hand run across the wall, mindlessly letting the house speak to her through the clay, taking it in like a part of herself. The movement of feet in the room she had just left, the scraping of chairs across tile, the running of water through metal pipes. Familiar and different at the same time, comforting.

Ever since Amon had forcefully taken her bending and Korra mercifully restored it, the energy moving through her body had felt different, in a way. Stronger, with more presence. She was able, now, to feel the currents of power as they passed along her chi, running as electricity along the pathways, through her arms and legs, fingers and toes. It was pleasant, stirring – something she had not felt before it was suddenly gone and returned like life-giving air.

Bending, whether earth or metal, had always been a solace for her. It was even more so now, able to take in the motion of energy as she was. She wanted to lose herself in that motion, the energy, her bending, rather than think about everything that had happened that day. Unfortunately she was far too tired, and she was sure Tenzin would realize and grow curious if she went outside to start throwing rocks around when she desired to be left in peace.

Lin noticed him coming just before Ku swooped up the stairs beside her as she neared the top landing.

"Hello," he greeted her, gravelly voice cheerful.

She raised one hand in a halfhearted wave, not bothering to speak in return. He followed as she entered the room Weyoun had given her, looking around unenthusiastically as she thought about what to do first. She decided on removing her armor, taking it off piece by piece to let it clang to the floor. That, certainly, would get someone's attention from downstairs, but she couldn't bring herself to care any longer. All she wanted was to fall into bed and sleep for the next few hours. Or days.

Ku lowered himself to hover over the heap of armor, inspecting it with interest. "You wear metal," he observed without necessarily wanting her to respond. He reached out and brushed one emerging finger across the edge of her hauberk. "How fascinating. Your other half does not wear metal. He wears cloth. Why does he not wear metal like you?"

"Other half?" Lin looked at the spirit wearily, wishing he would leave her be. "Do you mean Tenzin? Of course he doesn't wear metal, he can't bend it like I can. He'd put it on and be stuck in it forever. Though," she added with a tired chuckle perhaps brought on by exhaustion, "that might be quite amusing to see."

"You humans have such an odd sense of humor."

She shrugged and sat heavily on the side of the bed to remove her boots. "What do you want?"

"I want to check on how you are feeling." Ku landed on long, thin legs in front of her, his bright green eyes widened with concern. "Ordeals like yours are quite traumatizing to some."

"Do I look traumatized to you?" she snapped, glaring at him without amusement.

"I suppose not."

"Look," Lin irritably interrupted what she felt was about to turn into incoherent rambling. "I don't like you. Go away."

Ku's inhuman face fell at her words and he frowned with his shapeless lips, truly confused. "Do not like me? Why do you not like me? I like you very much. You should like me, too."

She rolled her eyes, turning away to adjust the pillows at the top of the bed in an effort to keep herself grounded outside the situation. She wanted to go to sleep. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to think about this anymore. "You forced me to kill someone," she explained simply, the statement holding anger she was trying very hard to keep tamped down. "You invaded my body and killed me in the process. Is that not enough of a reason for you?"

"I do not understand you," Ku said, spinning once to come back around to stare at her. "You gave me permission to do those things."

"Only because I had no other choice!" Lin yelled as she rose to her feet again, incensed despite her efforts.

"Because you wanted to save your other half."

"Would you stop calling him that!" She clenched her fists and released her breath through her teeth, releasing her anger with it to bring the rage down to a horrible frustration that held her chest tight. "Is it only because he asked you to bring my soul back, is that why? He couldn't stand to let me die and so you think we're – we're some kind of pair?"

Ku shook his head slowly, sensing her emotion without a true understanding of how deep it went. "He asked no such thing," he said factually. Lin just opened her mouth and closed it again, surprised, and the spirit continued without noticing her falter. "He was far too upset, I do not think he even realized it was a possible request. No, I call him your other half because it is true. Humans," he scoffed, touching her metal armor again. "Unable to see what is right there in front of them. Your souls are bound together, little Earthbender. They have been for a long time."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," Lin muttered, fully intending to discount the truth behind it – especially since she had known something of this for a while herself. Having it said out loud just made her more certain it should be ignored.

"I do apologize," Ku said, coming to hover in front of her again. "I did not wish to harm you. The half of myself that did those vicious things did not have any control, and could only see the end through destruction."

Lin shrugged again, hearing his apology yet not ready to accept it. She knew Rala was the one who should be held accountable, who now could not with his death. But Ku had been used to take the lives of so many people at his hands, and that was not sitting well with her. It likely never would.

There was a hesitant knock at the door. Both she and the spirit turned toward it as Tenzin peered inside. He gave them a small, cautious grin. "I heard yelling," he said, looking to Lin where she was standing near the bed. "Is everything all right?"

She crossed her arms and angled herself away from him. "Fine. Would you leave now?" she asked Ku, "Or do you have more to rub in?"

"Rub in? What does that mean?" He cocked his head to the side, watching her with perplexity.

"Just go!" she barked. She pointed toward the door to give more emphasis when he hesitated.

"Farewell!" Ku raised his hand as he had seen her do with a smile before floating away, passing through the wall beside Tenzin.

Lin sighed and took a step back to sit on the bed again. She lowered her head into her hands, not giving Tenzin her attention even as he came into the room to take Ku's place. He sat beside her, trying to bring her awareness to him and away from her spiraling thoughts by taking one of her hands, letting his inner arm rest against hers on her leg. She turned her face slightly, enough to glance at him.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," she admitted, her upper back slumping just a bit. "How am I supposed to feel right now?"

"You're alive," he pointed out gently. His throat was tight as he said it and the words were pinched. She squeezed his fingers in agreement, for both the statement and the sentiment. Not sure what else to do, Tenzin leaned to the side to lower his head to her shoulder. "You're alive, Lin. That's important."

She pressed her head against his in return, letting out the breath she realized she'd been holding. "Yes," she murmured. "How are you doing, Tenzin?"

"I'm frightened."

"That's not the answer I was expecting, now that everything is over." She could feel the emotion through the beating of his heart, though, where their skin touched, and knew he was telling her the truth. "What's wrong with you, Airhead?"

"You were really gone, weren't you?" he asked, his question quiet. If he weren't right beside her, she wouldn't have been able to hear him. She didn't respond and her silence was all the answer he needed. "Please don't do that again."

"Do what? Die?" She chuckled, the hilarity of the situation out of proportion with how tired she was. "Not sure I have much control over that part of my life, despite how much I control everything else. Sorry."

Tenzin leaned away again to see her face. She turned her eyes down, uncomfortable, and he used two fingers under her chin to raise her gaze to his. "You still took that final blow for me. Again, I should add. Why did you do that? I never expected you to."

"Don't ask me that, Tenzin." She covered his hand with hers and drew it away. "Just think about it for a second and you shouldn't have to."

"Lin -"

"You're my friend. Did you really imagine for a second that I would ever let anyone hurt you? Please." Ku's words from before were still ringing in her ears, but she swallowed, pushing them to the back of her mind as irrelevant. Tenzin truly was her friend. Her heart was confused and torn in so many different directions, though that friendship would never change. Feeling the tension between them shifting as he continued to stare at her, she hurriedly added, "Look, I'd really like to lie down, so…"

"Oh! Oh, of course you would." He reluctantly started to stand, untangling their arms and fingers. "Would you like anything? Something to drink or eat?"

She pushed him the rest of the way off the bed with her feet as she pulled them up onto the mattress, finally stretching and letting out another long sigh. "No," she replied after a moment. "Just quiet, please. My body feels as if it ran three consecutive marathons and then swam across the Bay. I hate being this tired. Do I look that bad? Like I died and came back to life, and all that?"

"No," he told her honestly. "You look the same as you always do."

"Good." She swung her arm up over her eyes. "Close my door on your way out. And please, for the love of the Avatar, keep that bloody spirit away from me."

Tenzin took a few steps back, ready to do as she asked, before pausing and turning around again. Her breaths were deep and measured, her body relaxed on top of the blankets she hadn't bothered pulling over herself, and she almost appeared to already be asleep. It was startling to think how hours before he had been holding her, dead, in his arms. The memory made him cold.

"Lin?"

She hummed her response without opening her eyes.

"Can I sit in here with you for a while?" he asked without shame, anticipating a negative answer and not caring as he returned to her bed and sat beside her again. He wanted to be near her while the memory of that morning was still so fresh. Truthfully, he was having a difficult time imaging being parted from her at all and he wanted to be with her for as long as he could while they were here – before they returned home. And this way, he knew, he would be able to reach out and touch her whenever he saw her lifeless face behind his closed eyes.

Lin shifted her arm away from her face, lips pulled down in a frown. "Really, Tenzin? I'm going to be dead to the world in here. Sorry, sorry," she rushed when she saw his horrified expression, "poor choice of words. You know what I mean. But come on, do you think I'm going to die again or something if you're not here? I hardly think this is necessary."

"Please, Lin?"

His voice was so soft, so entreating, that she exhaled harshly and closed her eyes, understanding without him needing to say it that fearing for her safety by this point was far from his mind. All he wanted, she was certain, was simply to be with her. The revelation made her both happy and extremely sad.

"Fine. Just be quiet." She bent her leg and pushed him away firmly with her foot like before, intent on keeping space between them now. "And go find a chair. You're not sleeping in this bed with me, that's where I draw the line."

Tenzin did as she asked, sliding the chair from the writing desk to her bedside. He reached out for her hand, and she gave it to him willingly after the briefest of pauses.