"Alone?"
Jinora nodded. She gave the man a side glance before saying, "Aunt Lin, I've known you since I was a little kid." Lin took a step back. She knew her? Lin didn't know if she should be relieved or be afraid, of what, she doesn't know. She looked at Kier and saw him shaking his head. What's wrong with him now?
"When you say since you were a kid, do you mean," she stuttered in unexplained glee. "Like, for a long time?" Jinora nodded enthusiastically. "Who I really was?"
"Yes," the teen confirmed. She smiled at Lin to encourage, completely ignoring the man whose heart was beating fast, his hands wet and clammy, all for the reason of dread dawning upon him. He stood, clutched Lin's arm and snapped, "You're just a kid, what do you know?" He dragged Lin away from a shocked Jinora who witnessed how much has changed in the woman who she knew as a fighter, a real woman who basked in her magnificence at the power she held before.
Lin's confusion rose to another level. "Kier, what is going on?" He ignored her question and lead her to the main entrance of the apartment.
"Wait!" Jinora yelled and ran up to follow them. "You need to believe me," her voice was pleading. She grabbed Lin's other arm and pulled, concern for Lin's comfort unnoticed. "There are so many people who know you."
"Lin has had enough," Kier turned to her, scowling. "She has had enough for the past three years. Leave her be."
Jinora met his gaze and returned the scowl he freely gave her. She took a great deal of effort to match the intensity of his gaze and said, "She's needs to know her past and I can give it to her right now."
"I'm right here!" Lin snapped, turning a few heads to her direction. "Kier, did you even consider my input in this?"
"Lin, I just want what's best for you," he replied, his voice back in its caring tone. "I don't want you to get hurt in any way possible." His grip on her tightened as his mind explored the bitter possibilities he will encounter once Lin discovers her real past. "Let's get back to our room."
Jinora gasped at Lin's reaction. The woman just nodded and turned her heel in the sudden change of tone from the man. This is not the Lin she knew. This is a puppet, she thought. She watched them enter the doors of the apartment complex in shock, moving at the last bit to chase them. This is her chance.
She ran and caught them in the middle of the stairs to the second floor. "I know you Aunt Lin, really, I do. I wouldn't be standing her if I didn't and if you don't mean anything to me and my father."
Lin went on climbing, ignoring Jinora's words. "Aunt Lin," Jinora called out from below them as they reached the landing. The airbender followed. "Chief Beifong," she yelled and Lin's head snapped at her direction.
"What did you just call me?"
"I called you Chief Beifong," Jinora said softly. "That's who you were, three years ago: Chief of Police of Republic City, my family's hero."
"All made up lies," Kier interjected. Jinora almost forgot he was there. Jinora pursed her lips and crossed her arms in boiled up anger towards this destructive man.
"It's the truth and I can prove it."
Kier stepped between the two ladies and encased Lin in a tight embrace. "Lin, who will you believe, me or this child?"
Lin looked at Jinora over Kier's shoulder and smiled weakly. "I think you should go home." She turned around and walked from the young airbender and Kier smiled in triumph as once again, he was able to thwart the truth. But his moment of victory didn't last long.
"My father grew up with you," Lin heard as she reached the door to their apartment. "Maybe you remember his name, Aunt Lin. Maybe you remember your childhood friend, your ex-boyfriend."
Lin looked back, eyes questioning, heart beating. "Who?"
"Tenzin."
The time seemed to stop at the utterance of the name. Lin swore her heart skipped a beat with the name: Tenzin. The boy who was beside her watching the big city, it was his name. "Tenzin," she repeated. She recalled the dream, her best friend.
"Lin…," Kier started but stopped at her expression. She was looking at him, her face full of questions.
"Kier, they weren't lies," she whispered. He grabbed her hand in despair but she clutched it to her breast, slowly walking away from the man she used to trust. "All this time…"
"I just wanted you to be safe," he reasoned. "I don't know who this man is, I swear. I have never kept anything from you. Please, believe me."
Lin backed away slowly until she reached Jinora and Kier pressed on. "Kier, I need to meet this man."
"I'll go with you," he said but Lin's hand stopped him.
"No," she stated firmly. "This is about me and me alone." Jinora lead Lin down the stairs and out of the apartment complex, and in one final act of frustration, Kier punched the door down.
Lin fumbled with her hands as she got on the ferry toward Air Temple Island as her insides were filled with feelings of excitement and nervousness. She walked in front of Jinora in an endless cycle, ignoring the small talks of some Air Acolytes who recognized her.
When she and Jinora reached the ferry earlier, three acolytes immediately greeted her despite the shock on their faces. Lin smiled at the thought. Jinora was indeed telling her the truth about who she was and she regret she doubted the girl before.
Lin stopped from her walking in circles and turned to face Jinora, "I'm sorry if I doubted you earlier and for Kier's actions."
"It's alright," Jinora replied. "Although, that Kier man was quite getting under my skin."
"He's really like that," the older woman confirmed. A small voice in her whispers doubt to her but she dismissed it. "Don't judge him too quickly. He's a great man if you get to know him better." She frowned at Jinora's doubting expression. "Kier stood by me all throughout these three years, Jinora."
Lin looked ahead at the approaching dock on an island in the midst of Yue Bay and sighed. "I wonder what truths await me."
Jinora stood beside her as if to comfort but she didn't know how to, so she just placed a hand on Lin's shoulder. "A lot has changed when you were gone." Jinora paused after recalling the most miserable moment of her life when her father clutched the lifeless body of her mother. "We lost our mom in the Revolution."
Lin let out a gasp and held Jinora's hand to comfort the teen. "Oh, you poor child. I'm so sorry." Jinora exhaled slowly to stop the tears from coming and nodded at Lin's words.
"I'm okay." Jinora walked forward and hugged herself. "I just miss her so much. She has been really caring."
"I'm sure your mother is a great woman."
The ferry reached the docks and they disembarked. On reaching the temple steps, Lin met a familiar young woman who was gaping at her. Korra stood in the middle of the pavilion with her mouth open, her lychee juice spilled on the ground in front of her as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Oh my spirits," the Avatar mumbled and turned to an acolyte passing by. "Call Tenzin. Now!"
The duo approached the shocked Avatar and tried to act as if nothing major was happening. "Um, Korra," Jinora began and raised a hand to close the Avatar's mouth. "It's Aunt Lin."
Korra shook her head to try to recover and smiled. "Lin, it's so nice to see again."
"Hello," was Lin's simple reply. She looked at Jinora with a questioning look and Jinora chuckled.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Aunt Lin this is Korra, the Avatar."
"Oh," she gasped. "It's an honor to meet—" She did not finish her sentence as a daze of orange and yellow caught her sight. There, descending from the marble steps from the temple, was an airbender maintaining eye contact and never breaking free from her gaze. He neared her and her heart pounded in her chest.
"Lin," he whispered.
She smiled and bowed. "Hello, Tenzin. We meet again."
A/N: Hey guys! I just want to apologize for the long hiatus. I've been really busy and I haven't got that much time on the net to update stories. But don't worry, I'll try my best to update the other one soon since summer term is over. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and review or PM your thoughts.
I need to know because I write crappily. Like seriously.