Korra came running into the healing house, Mako at her tow, to find everyone where she left them. Heads bowed, and deep in thought.
"I got it back?" Korra yelled. "My bending is restored!".
Tenzin's head shot up. "What?!". He exclaimed. "Ho- How?".
Korra happily told them the story of her spiritual awakening, and how Aang restored her bending. As proof, she bent a flame on her left palm, lighting everyone's faces with delight.
She then took a sweeping look around the room. "Lin, I can restore your bending". She said trying to find Lin. But Lin was not in the room. The seat she was standing next to when Korra left was empty. "Beifong?!"
Everyone else in the room took notice of Lin's absence as well. Katara stood up and left the room to check the other areas of the house.
"Kids, did you see chief Beifong leave the house?". Korra asked Jinora and Ikki, who were huddled together next to an already asleep Meelo. "No!" Came their sleepy response. Tenzin stood up. "If she did, she couldn't have gone far. I'll check the neighbourhood". He said walking out into the yard.
Lin was not in the house. However, Katara found her Armor and boots in a heap in the guest bedroom. She has apparently left the house as soon as Korra stormed off, quietly without anyone noticing. Tenzin could not find her either. She was not seen by anyone in the area. It was like she just disappeared into thin air.
Two hours later, they all sat in the living room, trying to figure out what to do. Tenzin suggested they should immediately send a wire to Republic City, alerting the force that Chief Beifong is missing, and to contact them immediately if she were to show up in the city.
"But she has not taken any departing ships". Katara confirmed. "I assigned someone to get the information. And Lin was nowhere near the docks, or on the ships within last two hours".
"She must be on South Pole". Korra said. "She probably needs some alone time to process what happened. It was devastating for me. Must be even worse for Lin".
"Let's wait for a little longer for her, and if she still does not return, we will have to alert the others". Katara suggested.
"Did anyone notice that Naga's missing too?". Bolin asked suddenly. "Could Chief Beifong has taken Naga out for a stroll?"
Korra stared. In the chaotic few hours that passed, she had forgotten to check on Naga. "She was with me when I went to the cliff side earlier. Must have scared her off when I bended the four elements after Aang restored my bending". She wondered out aloud. "Let me check the Paddocks. She might be hiding there".
Korra walked towards the polar bear dog paddocks, careful not to make any sudden noises so that she would not startle Naga. She peeped around to see Naga's usual sleeping place to check if she was there.
Naga was indeed there, sleeping. But what surprised Korra was a flock of black hair between Naga's snowy white fur. Someone was curled up in Naga's embrace. Their face was just below Naga's neck, resting on the beast's chest. Their hand was placed just above Naga's rhythmically beating heart. Their legs were folded up to their torso and Naga's paws were protectively wrapped around their sleeping form.
Korra stared. She has never seen Lin so much as pet Naga once before. But there she was, cuddling Naga, sleeping peacefully. Korra, very carefully, bent down and took a closer look. Lin was wearing a travelling cloak that looked too big for her. Probably something she fished out of the cupboard in Katara's guestroom. Lin's hair was dishevelled. Her lips were slightly parted, her expression was pained, yet showed to have finally found some comfort. There were stains of dried tears down her scarred cheek.
The only explanation Korra could think was that Lin must have been hiding in the paddocks, crying her eyes out, and Naga, when she came into the paddocks, had seen Lin, and instinctively had gone to her and cuddled her. Korra knew this from experience. Naga has always been a great comfort whenever Korra had to go through difficult times. Naga would always walk up to her and cuddle her just like this and would not let go until Korra was rocked to sleep by the sound of her steady heartbeat.
Korra's heart ached for Lin. She could not imagine been unable to turn to friends or family for support in a time like this. Lin looked so small, frail, and lost as she lay sleeping between Naga's front paws. Imagining how lonely Lin must have felt after finding out that there was no hope of restoring her bending, the only connection she had left with the world that was not strained or severed, was unfathomable to Korra.
She felt two tears roll down her own cheeks as she continued to watch the former Chief sleep in her polar bear dog's arms. Korra sighed. Though she could not wait to tell Lin the good news, she decided to let Lin sleep on for now, shielded from all the pain, from all the anguish, from heartache and loneliness, from the crushing responsibilities.
As Korra sat next to Naga's belly and leaned against the furry beast, Naga beadily opened one eye and blinked in acknowledgement, and closed her eye again. Looks like she knew that Lin needed an uninterrupted sleep as well. Soon her own eyelids felt heavy, and sleep overtook Korra's tired self as well. For now, they both could use a real friend's unyielding support. A friend who is there for them with no judgement, no apology or gratitude, and no questions. A friend that offers an open heart and a warm embrace. Korra knew Lin and she were not there yet, but Korra could learn from Naga how to be that friend for Lin someday. The friend Lin unknowingly is for everyone else.