A Stolen Future
Chapter Four: Trust
"So. . . It's been awhile." Kya said as she sat a the table with one hand supporting her head and the other putting down a cup of tea.
"Four years." Lin replied. "You should visit once in a while. Your parents miss you."
"Yeah, I suppose I should, it looks like I've missed a lot." Kya said, looking at the scar on Lin's cheek.
Lin did not respond. Her demeanor became stiff and she tightened her grip on the teacup that sat on the table. She knew what Kya was referring to, but it was something that she would rather not discuss -especially with Kya. Lin did not hate Kya, they had grown up together and she cared for her a great deal, as she did with the rest of Tenzin's family. The problem with Kya was that Lin never really knew where she stood with her.
For as long as Lin could remember, her relationship with Kya had been volatile. There were times when Kya treated her with sisterly love, she was fun, kind, caring and empathetic. In those moments young, naive Lin loved her and wished that they were sisters; however, when Kya's jealousy of Lin's relationship with her father flared up she used her empathy as a weapon and cut Lin down with only a few words. It was for that reason that Lin was weary of confiding in the older woman and now found herself in a standoff.
"Yes." Lin finally replied. "A lot can happen in four years."
Kya's eyes narrowed as she looked at the younger woman with newfound curiosity. Lin knew what was coming and steeled herself for the two way interrogation that was about to begin as Kya dropped all pretense of subtlety.
"How'd you get that scar?" Kya asked.
"Work." Lin replied curtly.
"Care to be a little more specific?"
"No. Why are you here?"
"To see my family. How's yours?"
"Fine." Lin answered curtly.
She had tried her best to remain impassive, but the look in Kya's eyes told her that the woman knew she was getting on the right path.
"Why'd you get so drunk before coming here?" Lin asked, hoping to distract Kya.
The question seemed to catch Kya off guard. She was quiet for a moment as she stared at Lin with her lips parted slightly. She looked down at her tea and lifted the cup to her lips, taking a sip and putting the cup back on the table before looking back at Lin.
"You know me, Lin, I'm always getting drunk." Kya replied casually with a fake smile that failed to reach her eyes.
"Not like this." Lin replied. "This was different."
"You haven't seen me in four years, Lin, things change -like your hair!When did you cut it?"
"Last year, now don't-"
"-I bet Tenzin didn't like that." Kya interrupted. "He's always been obsessed with your hair -is that why you cut it? Did you two have a fight?"
Lin knew that Kya was trying to bait her into dropping the topic of her drunken rampage. Despite being genuinely concerned about Kya's alcohol abuse, Lin was willing to let the topic drop for now. She knew that Aang and Katara would speak to her about it when they had a chance, and right now she really just wanted to keep the conversation off the topic of her family. If it meant talking about her hair and Tenzin's "obsession" with it, then so be it.
"No, I cut it for work."
"Oh, is short hair a requirement now?"
"No, I just thought it would be practical."
"Are you growing it back?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I didn't like it."
"In other words, you missed Tenzin playing with your hair."
Lin's face turned red.
"That is not-"
"-Oh come on, Lin, we both know that it's true! Even when you were toddlers he loved touching your hair -and let's not even get started on when you were teenagers, I caught you two making out way too many times."
"Are you done?" Lin asked in the tone of annoyance.
"No, not yet." Kya said with a smirk.
Lin rolled her eyes and took a sip of tea. Kya was clearly having too much fun torturing her, but Lin stilled preferred this conversation to the discussion of her scar and family.
"Does he still stroke your hair while you two read?" Kya asked.
Lin stared at her with a blank expression and blinked.
"Your fascination with your brother's displays of affection is disturbing."
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Kya said with a smirk, causing Lin to scowl as her cheeks turned red again. "Oh lighten up, Lin, I think it's cute! And just think, when your hair grows back it'll be easy to hide hickeys again!"
"That was one time and I never should have confided in you!" Lin snapped, finally losing her calm.
"Only once?"
"Yes."
"Have you and Tenzin ever-"
"-No. We're waiting until we're married."
"Wow. I guess that I shouldn't be surprised that you've held out this long -considering how strait-laced the two of you are- but with the way you two went at it as teenagers-"
"-We were not that bad!" Lin said in exasperation. "You make it sound like you caught us with our clothes off -which we both know never happened, so I better not hear any wisecracks about it!"
"Hey, remember that talk my parents insisted on having with you guys before you started dating?"
"Unfortunately." Lin grumbled.
"Oh, that was great!" Kya laughed.
"You weren't even supposed to be there, you were meant to be watching Su!"
"I was an adult, I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to -plus I had to take notes for Bumi. Oh, we still have a good laugh about it whenever we meet up!"
"Don't you two have anything better to talk about?"
"Plenty, but nothing quite as funny."
"Glad we could be of service." Lin muttered sarcastically, before taking a sip of tea.
"You know, we still can't decide which was funnier; Tenzin's reaction when he thought you were making a vow of eternal celibacy or when your mom gave you permission to get pregnant!"
"Yeah, nothing funnier than a mother who doesn't care about her fourteen-year-old's well
being."
"Oh don't be such a sourpuss, Lin, she knew you wouldn't do it." Kya said in a dismissive tone as a she took a sip of her tea.
Lin looked down at the teacup gripped, tightly, in her hand. She bit back a bitter comment and tried her best to pretend that the topic of her mother did not bother her. It was a pointless endeavor, Kya could see the tension in her hands and the way her chest expanded as she subtly tried to take a deep breathe.
"How is your mother doing, anyways?" Kya asked.
Lin's head snapped back up as she looked at Kya with barely concealed anger. She had given Kya the chance to drop the subject, but it seemed that she was determined to get answers that Lin was not willing to give. If Kya would not drop the matter, then Lin would strike back with a question that she knew would turn the tables on Kya. She straightened her back and looked Kya in the eyes.
"Considering retirement." Lin replied. "How's Tai?"
"Don't know. I left him in a prison somewhere. How's Su?"
At the mention of her sister, Lin felt her poker face crack. It was only a split second, but she could tell by the look in Kya's eyes that she knew she had struck a nerve. She could not let Kya have the upper hand, so instead of answering the question she struck back with one that she knew would catch Kya off guard.
"So those weren't his ashes in the urn?"
Kya's eyes widened in shock and Lin knew that she had gained the upper hand.
"YOU WENT THROUGH MY BAG?" Kya exclaimed, losing all semblance of calm.
"You were covered in vomit and your mother asked me to get you a change of clothes."
Kya continued to glare at Lin, with her fist clenched and her chest heaving as she breathed heavily.
"Did you tell anybody about it?" She asked, quietly.
"No, I figured that I'd let you tell us when you're ready, but seeing as you want to catch up so badly, I thought that we may as well talk about it now."
The two women became locked in a staring contest. Lin's pale green eyes were hard and unflinching, while Kya's blue eyes held anger and a touch of fear. This was Kya's final chance to back down and if she didn't take it, Lin would be merciless in her questioning.
"So, do you want to tell me who's in the urn or would you rather go back to talking about my hair or something equally frivolous?"
Kya seemed to deflate and was about to answer when something seemed to click in her mind. Her eyes darted around the room before resting back on Lin.
"It's quiet." Kya said in surprise.
"So?"
"Where's Su?"
Lin's eyes narrowed.
"Who's in the urn?" Lin asked.
"There are only three futons in our room, she's not here is she?" Kya asked.
"Who is so important to you that you would be carrying their ashes everywhere you go?"
Kya's eyes began to water at Lin's question, but she blinked back the tears.
"Lin, why isn't Su here? She loves this trip. She begs to go even when my parents aren't going."
Lin ignored the question, but had difficulty hiding the anger it brought.
"Whats going on with you, Kya? You show up here unannounced and drunk, with an urn in your bag and no explanation."
"What's going on with you, Lin? The last time I saw you, everything was fine -now you have a scar on your face, your attitude is worse than usual and your sister is missing! What happened? Where's Su and who did that to your face!"
"That's none of your business!" Lin snapped.
Kya looked at Lin in shock. She suddenly reached across the table and grabbed the younger woman's hand.
"Of course it is, Lin! We're family!"
"No we're not. You made that abundantly clear." Lin snapped as she pulled her pale hand out of Kya's grasp.
Silence fell between the two women. Kya looked down in shame while Lin found herself unable to look at her and turned to the window.
"I'm sorry, Lin." Kya finally said. "That's- uh- That's actually part of the reason why I came here. . . I wanted to apologize."
Lin scoffed and continued to look out the window.
"It's true, Lin. Look- I know that it's long overdue, but I do owe you an apology."
"And why should I believe you!" Lin demanded angrily as she finally turned to face Kya. "Why should I believe that this apology is any different from all the other ones! It's always the same with you -You apologize, I believe you and trust you again, and then the moment you get angry or jealous you use that trust to hurt me!"
Kya sighed and dropped her face into her hands. Lin turned her head to the side once again and stared at the window as she tried to drown out old memories.
"I almost came home after leaving Tai," Kya admitted, "I stopped by Kyoshi for a week, to help take care of Suki. . . and while I was there. . . I changed my mind. I decided to keep traveling the world and see if I could find myself. . . I didn't like what I found."
Silence fell again. With her peripheral vision, Lin could see that Kya's head was no longer bowed and that she was looking at her, but Lin did not want to look at her and kept her head turned away. She heard Kya take a deep breathe before speaking again.
"The urn. . . I -I had a miscarriage a few months ago. . ."
Lin's eyes widened in surprise at Kya's confession, as well the sobs that she tried to choke back. Lin finally turned her head to face Kya, wanting to gauge her sincerity. She was shocked at the sight in front of her, never in her life had she seen Kya looking so pitiful -her head was bowed, and despite her best efforts, a tear managed to escape her eye and fall into her tea.
"I was. . . terrified when I realized that I was pregnant. . . I thought that I was officially the screw up of the family. . . and that my parents. . . I thought that they would be so -so ashamed of me. . . and that they. . . they wouldn't want anything to do with my baby. . ."
"Kya. . ."
"And then I thought of you." Kya said, finally looking up at Lin.
"Me?" Lin asked. "Why would you. . . Oh."
"Your mother wasn't married and yet. . . they never cast her aside. They may not have agreed with her choices, but they helped your mother through the pregnancy and helped raise you. . . more importantly -they love you. They've always loved you like you were one of their own -maybe even more."
Lin averted her eyes for a moment and took a deep breathe. Kya's words brought back old memories that came with a wave of guilt and anger.
"Why don't you just get off our island and get your own dad!" Preteen Kya yelled angrily and at six-year-old Lin.
As a child, Lin had not understood why Kya would say something so cruel. As she grew, she came to understand that those words came from a place of anger, jealousy and neglect. She knew that Kya was jealous of the unconditional love and attention that Aang showered on Lin and Su. She understood that pain all too well, especially after the incident that had left her scarred for life. . . but she would never apologize for it. No matter how much she understood or how guilty she felt, she would never reject the love and care that Kya's parents gave her -even when it came at the expense of their elder children. Aang was the only father figure she would ever have, and he and Katara provided the love and care that her own mother could never give. She would never give that up, even if it hurt Bumi and Kya.
Even in Kya's pitiful state, Lin could not bring herself to apologize for the hurt her very existence had caused the other woman. She looked down at the cup of lukewarm tea that was gripped in her hands as she tried to find the words to reassure Kya of her parents' love for her. Thankfully Kya did not give her the chance to speak.
"I'm not angry at you anymore, Lin."
Lin looked up in surprise as Kya continued to speak.
"Remembering how much my parents love you and how involved they've been in your life. . . it actually comforted me."
"How?"
Kya gave a weak smile.
"Because I knew that they would treat my child the same way. I found myself thinking that if my parents could give my baby the same love they gave you and if I could be a good mom. . . Maybe she wouldn't notice that her father was missing and everything would be okay. . . but then I also remembered how other people treated you. . . more importantly I remembered how I treated you."
Lin remained silent and averted her eyes again. She wished that she could tell Kya that it was fine and it was all in the past, but that would be a lie that neither of them believed, so instead she let Kya continue speaking.
"Lin. . . the things I said to you were. . . cruel, and the thought of somebody saying those things to my child. . . it was unbearable. . . You didn't deserve that, Lin."
"We were kids." Lin said.
It was not much, but it was the closest that Lin could get to words of forgiveness, and she had no idea what else she could say.
"You were a kid." Kya corrected. "I was old enough to know better -I did know better, but I resented you so much that it didn't matter."
Kya suddenly reached out and grabbed one of Lin's hands. She gave a small tug, signaling that she wanted Lin to look at her. Lin complied, whether out of pity or feeling worn down, she did not know.
"I never should have taken my anger out on you, Lin. There's no excuse for it. My problems are with my Dad and you were just an innocent kid-"
"-No I wasn't." Lin interrupted.
Kya looked at Lin in confusion.
"What makes you say that?" Kya asked.
She did not sound angry or upset, like Lin would expect. Instead she sounded like a mother, trying to understand why her child was upset. . . Just like when they were kids.
"I knew why you were angry at me, Kya, but I never did anything to help you."
"And what do you think you could have done?" Kya asked.
"I could have chosen not to go on those trips with your dad and Tenzin, or I could have asked to bring you along. I could have insisted that he didn't attend my school events, tournaments, performances, birthdays and other events. I also could have chosen to spend more time at my own home when I got older-"
"-And then you and Su would have been alone."
Lin fell silent at the mention of her sister.
"Look, Lin, even if you had done all those things. . . I don't think it would have helped. You're not the reason my Dad neglected me. That's all on him. He could have brought me on those trips, he could have made more time for me, and he is the one who should have realized that he needed to put effort into our relationship -he thought that just because I was his real daughter he didn't need to put in as much effort, and that was on him, not you and Su -and I never should have put that on the two of you."
"But I saw how much it was hurting you and I never did anything to stop it. Even now -if you asked me to leave, I wouldn't do it."
"I won't ask you to." Kya said. "Like I said before, I have a whole new perspective on the matter. Even though you're an adult now, you're still a kid with no dad. . . and not much of a mother either."
Lin looked down at her tea again. She felt Kya squeeze her hand, and looked to the hand she held before looking back up at her face. There was an earnest smile on it now.
"How about we just both agree to do better at sharing, okay?" Kya asked.
Lin thought about it for a moment before giving a small smile of her own.
"I suppose that I could do that."
"Good, I get the feeling that we're about to be sisters soon, so it's about time we started acting like it again!" Kya cheerfully proclaimed.
Lin was suddenly overcome with feelings of discomfort and panic. Without thinking, she pulled her hand out of Kya's grasp and accidentally knocked over her cup of tea. Thankfully, the tea was now room temperature and did not burn Lin as it spilled over the side of the table and onto her lap.
"For Yangchen's sake!" She muttered irritably, as she grabbed a clothe and began sopping up the mess.
Lin was so distracted by the thoughts swirling through her head and the mess she was trying to clean, that she did not even notice Kya calling her name. It took her by surprise when Kya ripped the clothe out of her hand and used her waterbending to gather the spilled tea into a cup.
"It's fine, Lin. Spills are pretty easy to clean when you have a waterbender in the room." Kya said in an attempt to calm her down.
Lin stared at her for a moment before suddenly standing up.
"I need to change." She announced, before walking towards her room.
"Lin!" Kya called as the younger woman quickly walked away. "Lin!"
Lin slid the door to her room open and was about to enter when she felt a hand close around her wrist.
"Lin, stop!" Kya demanded.
"I need to change," Lin said without looking back, "my clothes are wet."
"No they're not, I pulled the water out." Kya reminded her.
Lin was about to respond when she noticed that Kya was right; she was dry, but had been too disoriented to notice. Lin let out a sigh, slid the door closed and rested her head against it. She felt Kya let go of her hand and rest it on her shoulder.
"How about we sit down." Kya suggested, before leading a reluctant Lin to the cushioned bench in front of the window.
Lin leaned against the back against the window and stared straight ahead, looking at nothing in particular.
"Sorry about freaking out." Lin said. "I just. . . ."
Kya sighed.
"Lin, there is obviously something bothering you. I get that it may take some time for you to fully trust me again, so I won't pressure you -but if you would like to talk to me about it, I'm willing to listen. The only thing I ask is that you at least tell me what's going on with Su."
Lin's fists began to clench.
"I know you don't want to talk about it, but can you at least tell me if she's okay? She's family and I'm worried."
"Su is gone." Lin finally said.
"Wha-" Kya gasped. "You don't mean-"
"No, not like that. . . She left Republic City seven months ago. Mom sent her to live with our grandparents, but for all I know, she's run off and joined a circus by now!"
"Lin. . ."
"Can we talk about something else?" Lin asked quickly, as she clenched her hands in her lap.
"Fine." Kya agreed. "When's the wedding?" She asked cheerfully.
The question jolted Lin and snapped her attention away from her hands. She instantly turned her head to look at Kya.
"Wedding? What wedding?" She asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Your wedding. . . to Tenzin." Kya said. "I thought the plan was for the two of you to be married and have at least one kid by now."
"It was," Lin replied as she looked down again, "but. . . things came up and we decided to postpone it."
"What kind of things?"
Lin was silent as she looked down at her hands clutching the green fabric that covered her legs.
"Lin, what happened?" Kya asked.
"The same thing that always happens!" Lin burst out.
"Your family?"
"Of course it was my family! It's always my family!"
"What happened this time?" Kya asked.
Lin sighed and slumped her shoulders before replying.
"Su started acting up when I joined the police academy. . . It didn't seem like a big deal at first -she was just moodier than usual- but by the time Tenzin got back from his trip around the world. . . she was staying out late, slacking off at school and hanging out with delinquents. . . and Mom refused to do anything about it."
"You postponed your engagement to take care of Su." Kya said in realization.
Lin nodded as Kya began to rub her back in a gesture of comfort.
"You're a really good sister, Lin. Not many people would make that kind of sacrifice for their siblings."
"It didn't matter." Lin replied.
"Of course it did!" Kya argued.
"No, it didn't. If it had, then she wouldn't be gone!"
"It's not forever, Lin. She'll be back someday and-"
"-She's not coming back." Lin said.
"You're being dramatic."
"No I'm not. She can't come back and even if she did, I wouldn't want her to!"
"You don't mean that, Lin." Kya said.
"Yes I do."
"Look, you two obviously had some kind of fight before she left and you're still mad about it -I get it, I've been there- but trust me when I say that in a few years you'll barely barely remember it and-"
"-I'll never forget." Lin said as she touched the scar on her cheek. "She made sure of that."
"I thought you said you got that on the job."
"I did."
Kya's eyes widened in realization.
". . .I-I don't. . . What was Su doing there?"
"Driving a getaway car for the Terra Triad."
Kya was silent for a few moments as she absorbed this new information.
"Your mom covered it up and sent her away."
Lin nodded while still looking down at her lap. Kya sighed.
"Well look on the bright side, there's nothing stopping you from marrying Tenzin anymore!"
Lin was silent for a few moments, still looking down at he hands, which were once again clutching the the fabric of her tunic.
"I'm not sure if I should marry Tenzin." She finally said.
Kya's eyes widened in surprise.
"What? Why?" She asked. "You two have been in love since you were children! Why would you say that?"
". . .Su insisted on seeing a fortune teller years ago. . . She told Su that she would be separated from Mom and I. . . I told her that it was nonsense and that I would never let that happen."
"So? What does that have to do with you and Tenzin?"
Lin let out a deep breathe.
"She told me that I had two paths in front of me. . . One would be filled with love and new life, and the other. . . would be filled with heartbreak and that I would lose everything I care about."
"So choose the path of love and life, Lin!" Kya said, as if it was an obvious answer.
"She said that I had already taken the first step."
"Yeah, down the path of love and life." Kya reiterated.
Lin shook her head.
"I lost Su-"
"-Yeah, but the fortune teller said that would happen anyways."
"It's not just Su! You and Bumi left, Suki and Sokka left, their kids have gone too, Shu Fang and her family moved to Ba Sing Se, Mom and I barely talk, and. . . Rina. . . Rina was killed."
"Wha- Rina?" Kya gasped. "When- Wha- How-"
"She was killed in the line of duty, back in December."
"Lin. . . I'm sorry." Kya said as she hugged the younger woman close.
"I was supposed to be with her," Lin said, "but I was sick, so Mom sent me home."
"Lin don't-"
"I should have stayed."
"You can't blame yourself for this Lin!"
"Yes I can! If I had stayed she might still be alive!"
"Or we might have lost you too! It wasn't your fault, Lin, and if you were feeling bad enough for Toph of all people to send you home, then you probably would have been more of a burden than help."
"Maybe it would have been better that way."
"Don't say that!" Kya said sternly. "You have so many people that love you, Lin, we'd be devastated if we lost you -especially Tenzin!"
"At least he'd be safe." Lin mumbled.
At that, Kya released Lin from the hug and looked at her with critical gaze.
"Why would you say that?"
"That fortune teller said that I would lose everyone I care about. I didn't believe it at first, but I lost Su, just like she said I would! Then everybody started moving away, and I thought that was all she meant -then Rina was killed."
"What does that have to do with Tenzin?"
"If I'm going to lose everyone I care about, then it's only a matter of time before I lose Tenzin! You know that Tenzin would never abandon the Republic City or Air Temple Island-"
"-Or you, which makes the whole thing a load of bison turds!"
"He could die." Lin said at Kya, with tears beginning to form in her eyes. "And if we have children, I'll obviously care about them and they might die too!"
"You're being ridiculous, Lin!"
"If she was right about Su, then she could be right about this -and if she is, then how could I risk Tenzin's life like that?"
"She said that there were two possible futures and one is a happy future -with new life, come on Lin, she's obviously talking about all the cute babies you and Tenzin are gonna have!"
"She said that I'd already taken the first step, Kya. Look at what's happened so far."
"People move, Lin, it happens -and it's not for good, I came back, didn't I?"
"For how long?"
"I-I don't know."
"Exactly. Suki is dying, and I doubt that Sokka will come back after she's dead. Bumi is in the military, he's putting his life at risk on a regular basis -and Su. . . Su isn't coming home." Lin said as she looked down in her lap again, "If I marry Tenzin, I'll be putting his life at risk. . . not to mention the Air Nation."
Silence fell between the two woman as they thought about the unfortunate situation.
"Lin," Kya said gently, "What if we could prove that you'll have that happy future with Tenzin?"
A puzzled expression crossed Lin's face as she looked up at Kya.
"How could we do that?"
"The only reason you're worried is because of something a fortune teller said. We're in Makapu Village, where some of the world's best fortune tellers live, why don't we go to one of them?"
"I-I don't know." Lin said.
"Come on! It would clear your mind of all these worries, and you and Tenzin would be able to get on with your lives!"
"But what if they're frauds and they just tell me what I want to hear?"
"Isn't the whole reason we're having this conversation, because you believe a fortune teller?"
"Because she was right about Su, and seems to be right about my future as well!"
"Well then, it's a good thing that I'm familiar with this village and it's fortune tellers. I've spoken to the locals and gone to a few fortune tellers myself, so I happen to know who the most accurate fortune teller in town is -and believe me when I say that she doesn't just tell you what you want to hear -so how 'bout it?"
"I-I-"
"Perfect! Let's go!" Kya declared as she stood up and pulled Lin along with her.
Kya led Lin out of the inn and through the streets of Makapu where the residents were setting up for the festival in honor of Avatar Aang. Eventually they came to a stop outside a building with an ornately carved, circle door. Kya reached out to knock on the door, but was stopped when Lin grabbed her arm.
"Stop, Kya, this is ridiculous."
"How?" Kya asked. "The only reason you're worrying about this is because of a fortune teller."
"So I'm supposed to see another one."
"Yes, she can tell you you're on the right path and then you can marry Tenzin with no worries and give me a bunch of nieces and nephews!"
"And what if I'm on the wrong path?"
"Then you can talk to Tenzin about it and get back on the right path together."
"That doesn't make any sense. If I'm on the wrong path, wouldn't it be too late?"
"You can always change the path you're on, Lin."
"What's the point of a fortune teller if you can just change the future?"
"Our future is shaped by our choices, Lin." Kya explained. "Most fortune tellers can only see one path -the one that we're currently on. But there are some, like the one you saw, that can see multiple paths. They see the paths that we can forge by making different choices, sometimes we end up continuing on that path, but we can also make the choice to create a new path -and a fortune teller can give us clues so that we can know when to make the choice that matters."
Lin glanced towards the door as she thought of the choice that lay in front of her now. She could choose to ignore the dismal prophecy she had received, take a risk and marry Tenzin; but was it really her risk to take? What if it was all nonsense and Aunt Jun had simply made a lucky guess about Su's departure? What if it was real? What if this fortune teller was just a charlatan?
"Why this fortune teller?" Lin asked.
"Most of the villagers swear by her. I've seen her myself and swear by her too. She told me that I would have to travel the world to find myself. I almost gave up on my journey when Tai was arrested, but then I remembered her words and they inspired me to keep going. I visited her again a little over a year ago to ask if I should go home, and she told me that I would know when it was time."
"That seems rather vague." Lin pointed out.
"That's what I thought at the time, but it turned out to be true. If I had come back earlier, I would still be the same old, bitter Kya that I used to be and we wouldn't be having this conversation -come to think of it, she told me that I'd be bringing a friend to see her the next time I visited -there ya go, more evidence!" Kya cheered happily as she slapped Lin on the back.
Lin looked at the door in front of her, still feeling unsure about whether or not to go in.
"Look," Kya said getting her attention again, "you don't have to see her. You could accept that life will never be perfect and that you're just going through a rough patch and keep moving towards the life that you want; but if you're really that worried then you can go inside and ask."
Lin mulled over Kya's words in her head. Maybe she was being silly. It was posssible that she was just going through a rough patch. Everybody went through those. . . but could she really take that chance with Tenzin's life -not to mention the future of an entire civilization? She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe before as she thought about the decision before her. She opened her eyes as she released the breathe, stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Sorry it took so long to write this chapter. When I first envisioned this story I imagined it to be a pretty short and simple chapter, but as I studied Kya's character it became far more complex. I know a lot of fanfiction writers like to write Lin and Kya as being close friends, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that there would have been tension between them due to Lin's close relationship with Aang (Tenzin did say that Lin and Aang got along famously) and Tenzin (who Kya loved to torment). This chapter ended up becoming longer than I wanted and I finally had to admit that I'll have to cut into two parts. . . also my life is hectic, I'm lazy and as anybody who looks at my profile will see, I keep getting other ideas that I need to get out of my head (I haven't published even half of them).