Old Wounds

Chapter 4: The Metal Clan, Part 4

After Dinner:

Lin sat alone in the parlor of the guesthouse, reading the Zaofu Newspaper. Her armor lay discarded carelessly in the corner of the bedroom. Her boots were the only metal on her that remained. The headlines of the Zaofu paper were even fluffier than those in Republic City. It seemed everything in Zaofu was plated with platinum or gold. "The Flying Boar Dance Troupe of Zaofu bests the Badgermoles of Omashu", "Varrick of Varrick Industries teams up with the matriarch's husband Baatar to revolutionize trains", "New metalbending school opened by former student of Suyin in the south neighborhood", "New Trade Deals struck with the Formerly Nomadic Sand Bending Tribes of the Si Wong Desert!"

Huh, didn't know the sandbending tribes had anything to trade. Last time I checked, they didn't which is why they had to loot the trains to Ba Sing Se to make their living. Lin thought to herself as she turned the page with a frown on her face and one foot planted firmly on the ground. She looked up and folded the newspaper down even before her visitor knocked on the door.

"What do you want now, Korra?" Lin demanded as the young Avatar entered the room slowly.

"I— How'd you know it was me?"

"Think my mother let me get past the age of four without being able to see with my feet?" Lin replied sarcastically, not turning, but resting her hands on her knees and looking down.

"Sorry," Korra said.

"Why are you here? I was about to go to bed," Lin said dropping the newspaper down on the table in front of her, still not looking at the Avatar.

"I just brought someone who wants to talk to you," Korra said nervously as Opal hesitantly entered the room behind the Avatar.

"You want to talk? Then talk," Lin growled folding her arms and legs.

"I'm sorry being here has been so hard for you. When you showed up, I was so excited to get to know you. I heard so many great things about you from mom and Grandma Toph. So, I guess I was kind of sad you didn't want to know me. Believe me, I know my family can be a little crazy and overwhelming some times, but—"

"You don't know anything about our family," Lin said quietly.

"What?" Opal asked, a little shocked.

I should have let her finish. There is no turning back now. Best remove myself from the situation before things get worse. Spare her the pain. She doesn't need to know what happened years ago. "Get out."

"Sorry, did I say something wrong?" Opal asked stepping back with her hands up, open palmed, innocently.

"GET OUT!" Lin snapped .

Tears formed in the young airbender's eyes as she ran out of the guesthouse.

"What's your problem? Don't get mad at Opal! I asked her to talk to you because I thought it would help you snap out of whatever funk you're in. But I guess I was wrong," Korra yelled at Lin.

"Why don't you focus on fixing the world and stop trying to fix my family?" It has been broken beyond repair.

"Su's right. You're never going to change. You're always gonna be a bitter, lonely woman."

Maybe you're right, but you should know life is never easy once you hurt me. "You should choose your words carefully, Avatar, or else people won't be as willing to help you the next time you start a war."

"I don't—didn't—" Korra stammered.

"Get out," Lin ordered.

"You can't—"