I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! I was at camp for two weeks until Friday (which equals no internet) and then I spent the weekend dropping off my sister at college. Now my tennis season has started up, and school starts in a week. I promise I'll update as often as possible! Here's the longest chapter of the story!

A few mornings later, Ling woke up at daybreak. Looking over at the still sleeping Korra (who offered to share her room with Ling, as it seemed unfair to put someone else in Jinora and Ikki's room while she had her own), Ling couldn't help but wonder if this was really a good idea. Korra, after all, had a negative first experience with Republic City's press. And she had spent most of her life training to bend the four elements. What were the few weeks of airbender training that Ling had compared to that? Yes, Tenzin had assured her that she was making remarkable progress, but that didn't calm her nerves.

She heard a yawn across the room, and saw Korra sit up, stretching her arms. "Morning," she said sleepily.

"Today's the day," Ling told her.

Korra's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot."

"I'm just so scared," Ling admitted. "What if I mess up? What if I can't airbend right? What-"

"Slow down there, tiger seal," Korra said. "Worrying won't solve anything. C'mon, let's go eat."

They sat down outside with their breakfasts to watch the sunrise. Ling felt like she couldn't hold anything down. Air Acolytes passing by gave encouraging smiles, and though Ling smiled back, thoughts of what could go wrong were still racing through her head.

Finally, Tenzin walked down to them. He was holding little Rohan, who was drinking from a bottle. "Pema will be down in a moment," he told them. "She and and the kids wanted to come wish you luck. Anyway, we're leaving in a few minutes. Are you ready?"

She nodded mutely. Korra was coming along with them, as was Bumi. This would be the "big reveal," when there's a press conference to clarify that, no, this new airbender is not Tenzin's long lost illegitimate daughter. Bumi was going to have to fend off a lot of questions from reporters wanting every detail for their gossip columns.

After waving goodbye to Pema and the kids, the four were boarding the ferry to the mainland. Bumi smiled at his daughter. "Why the long face?"

Ling raised her eyebrows. "Hmm, I wonder why I'm so scared," she said, the sarcasm evident in her voice. "There's clearly no logical explanation."

"Hey, don't sweat it. What's the worst that can happen?" he asked. "They'll make up rumors about you? You should have seen what they said about me, Tenzin and Kya, with our relationships growing up: Me and Princess Honora, Tenzin with Lin Beifong, and Kya with her various teenage flings. The fact that her significant others were female didn't help her with the press. Anyway, the point of my story is that nobody in this family has had too much luck with Republic City's press. Even Tenzin."

"There's another thing to worry about," Ling said. "My family. Old family, I guess. I haven't spoken a word with them since I left, and it just seems so weird that maybe they'll see an article in the newspaper about this press conference or someone will mention in passing that there's a new airbender out there. I feel like I've abandoned them."

"You know what, kid?" Bumi said. "There might be some truth to that. And I'm pretty much to blame. But does your village have a telephone?"

Ling nodded. "Not our house, since it was situated a bit far from the main part of town. But I know of a few people in town, mostly shopkeepers, who have phones. I even remember one of the numbers."

Bumi clapped his hands together. "Great, because I happen to know that Tenzin has a telephone in City Hall, where this whole press conference is going to be."

"You mean-"

"Yup, a phone call to your family. Of course, this will only work if someone at the shop picks up, and can get the phone to someone in your family, and if they want to talk to you, but let's not think of all of those variables."

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll call them," Ling decided, feeling invigorated. She had no idea how they would respond, or if they would even want anything to do with her. But they deserved some foreknowledge of her debut to the world as an airbender.

Soon enough, the four had reached Tenzin's office City Hall. After he quickly instructed her on how to use the telephone, which was higher tech than anything in her village, Tenzin, Korra and Bumi left the room, giving her time to speak with them alone.

As she dialed the number, Ling couldn't decide if she was hoping if she would be able to finally speak with the family who raised her again.

"Hello, Pin-Wu's family market-"

"Pin-Wu!" Ling exclaimed, relieved to hear the familiar voice of the man who owned the produce shop. "It's me! Ling!"

"Ling?" Pin-Wu asked, incredulous. "Is that really you? I thought you were all the way in Republic City-"

"I am," she interrupted. "Listen, I have something really important happening soon, something you'll probably hear about. I don't have time to explain. Is anyone from my family nearby?"

"Yes!" he said. "Kin-Li was just here a moment ago, buying some vegetables. I guess it's his job now that you're gone. I'll go get him."

A minute later, Ling heard the voice of her younger cousin. "Ling?" Kin-Li asked, sounding as disbelieving as if he were speaking with a ghost. "Is this really you?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, Kin-Li, it's me. It's really me."

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "We all thought you we never coming back. Like, never ever."

She smiled. "Well, here I am, speaking with you. How's everyone?"

"Good, but it feels weird without you. Grandmother's been quiet, and when she does talk it's about you a lot of the time."

"Really?" Ling hadn't thought that her absence would make much of an impact with her family members. Maybe on her young cousins like Kin-Li, who, at barely ten years old, was now the oldest. But certainly not on her harsh grandparents.

"Yeah, but I can't wait to tell them that I talked to you. When are you coming back?"

"Whoa, slow down there," Ling said. "I never said anything about coming back. Well, at least for good. Maybe I'll come visit sometime."

"Yeah!" Kin-Li said with enthusiasm. "You can show us your new bending moves."

"Speaking of that," Ling began. "Have you guys told anyone that I'm an airbender?"

"No, Grandmother and Grandfather forbid it. We just said that your dad took you to Republic City, which really isn't a lie."

"Well, the thing is, is that it's starting to get out that I'm an airbender. So today, there's going to be a press conference where I announce who I am. Tell everyone to tune into the radio in about an hour. I don't want you guys to be out of the loop."

"Okay, got it," Kin-Li answered. "But I think everyone's going to start wondering where I am pretty soon. I better head back."

"Okay," Ling said, and after a moment, added, "I love you."

"Love you too," Kin-Li said. "Alright, gotta go. Call soon!"

She hung up the phone. It was funny, telling her cousin that she loved him. It's not like it was never said in her family, but its use wasn't particularly common, either.

There was a knock on the door. "Ling?" Korra's muffled voice called out from behind the wall. "Can we come in?"

"Yes," she answered, and a moment later the three had entered the room. "We have to get going to the stage outdoors," Tenzin announced. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ling answered.

"How'd it go with your family?" Korra asked.

"Good. Better than expected, actually. I managed to talk to my little cousin. He sounded like he missed me."

Bumi smiled. "That's a good sign," he said, ruffling her hair.

"Hey!" Korra interjected.. "Pema fixed her hair this morning!"

In spite of her nerves, Ling laughed. To be worrying about something as mundane as out of place hair strands seemed comical when faced with speaking and bending in front of the relentless Republic City press.

"For over one hundred years, the world thought that there was not a single airbender in existence," Tenzin began his speech. "That all changed seventy years ago when my father, Avatar Aang, was discovered in that famous iceberg. For many years he was the sole airbender alive, which all changed with my birth, and later, with the birth of my children. Unknowingly, fifteen years ago in the Earth Kingdom, a child was born. She stands here today as one of the few airbenders in the world, as my brother's daughter."

Gasps could be heard from the audience. Whatever the reporters had been told the press conference would be about, this was not what they had been expecting.

Tenzin moved away from the podium. "Ling, Commander Bumi's daughter, would like to speak for a moment."

Taking a deep breath, Ling took a step towards the podium, and forced a smile. "Hello, Republic City. My name is Ling, the daughter of the late Suna, an Earth Kingdom woman from the village of Kanlin, and her husband, Commander Bumi, the son of Avatar Aang. Recently, my father came to visit me and discovered my bending. And here I stand today, part of a new family of airbenders. I'm still learning exactly what being an airbender means. But under the teaching of my uncle, Master Tenzin, I am learning more about my abilities, my culture, and my new family."

This was her cue to take a step back and take an airbending stance. The day before, Tenzin had ordered large banners be placed between poles on the perimeter of the square. Ling directed the wind towards them, and the strings holding them down broke off. Soon, all of the banners were flying through the air, moving in unison. They fluttered in her wind, and soon gained speed, streaking around the square. Ling was beaming as she directed them through the air. She hardly noticed the gaping expressions of the reporters below. Then, she moved the banners towards the stage, where they nimbly landed, one on top of the other.

There was silence for a moment. Then, applause. Thunderous applause. Ling stood there, stunned; they weren't attacking her. They didn't berate her airbending skills. Maybe they were in shock, but Ling could only smile and enjoy the moment.

Cameras began flashing once the reporters remembered what they were here for. Questions started being shouted out, about where she had been all along and why hadn't anyone known. Tenzin took the microphone and said, "Thank you, no time for questions, there will be an article explaining more published in the Republic News tomorrow morning."

As the four walked off the stage, Ling heard one voice over the din: "Commander Bumi, are you aware that your daughter is a harlot?"

Both Bumi and Ling turned on their feet. Towards the front row of the reporters (most of whom were now shouting questions at Tenzin) stood a smarmy looking man holding a camera in one hand and a notepad in the other. "This young girl was seen late at night it the company of-"

"My name," Ling began, her voice seething with anger. "Is Ling. Not 'this girl.' And tell me, why is it such a crazy idea for a teenaged girl to be hanging out with friends once in a while?"

The man opened his mouth to say something more, but this time Bumi cut him off. "Listen here, you creep. How dare you call my daughter-"

"Dad, I can handle this," Ling told Bumi. They both looked at each other for a moment. Without even thinking about it, Ling had called her father "dad," and he addressed her as "my daughter." Maybe they were getting used to being a part of each others' lives.

Bumi smiled. "Do what you gotta do, Ling."

She turned around and made her way to the podium, and whispered something to Tenzin. He glanced and her, and after a moment's consideration, nodded. He backed away, and Ling lowered the microphone to her height.

"People of Republic City," she began, realizing she didn't know where she was going with this. It hadn't been rehearsed like her original speech had been. "My name is Ling, as you already know. And I've just shown you that I am an airbender. But some of you here don't see me as someone with an ability that few people have. Many of you don't even see me as a teenaged girl. What you see is some sort of harlot who's seen around town in the company of pro-benders. But why is that a bad thing? Is hanging out in a park with friends some sort of crime now? Had I been a boy, would you write scandalous stories about it? Call me 'a seductress?' No, you wouldn't. So what I'm asking for is that you see me as a person, before you see me as an airbender, grandchild of Avatar Aang, or especially some sort of, I don't know, harlot. And I hope you extend that thinking to everyone you judge. They're people, too."

Before she could judge the crowd's reaction, Ling stepped quickly offstage. Thoughts of how stupid that idea was were circulating around her mind, of how embarrassed and ashamed her family would be once they heard that broadcast. Everyone in the village would comment on it. Now she could never go back.

Ling ran to a secluded corner backstage, and, hidden by large crates, tears began rolling down her cheeks. Soon she was uncontrollably sobbing, realizing how foolish she had been. Now nobody, not her family, Korra, and especially Bolin, would want to talk to her.

"Ling?" she heard Korra's voice. "Are you over there?"

"Go away," Ling said, sniffling. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

"Why?" Korra asked, coming into view. "That was brilliant! You really stood up for yourself."

"Yeah, but I made a fool of myself," she said. "Can you imagine my family's reaction? I shouldn't have let that reporter get to me."

"No, you really told him off. You should have seen the look on his face!"

Ling smiled at the mental image. "I just feel like everyone's going to hate me for saying things like that. Especially…" she trailed off.

"'Especially' who?" Korra asked. "Bolin? Really? You think so? C'mon, he loves gutsy girls. You remember us saying that we went on a date when I first got to this city, right?" Korra continued after she saw the already-miserable expression on Ling's face intensify with that reminder. "Don't worry, the whole thing ended when he caught me kissing Mako. Anyway, the point is is that he was impressed by my boldness, joining up on the Pro-Bending team and everything. He'll think you're even more amazing for doing this."

"I hope you're right," Ling said. "I really do."

This time, Ling had nothing to worry about.