~Celestial Bodies~

3.4

[3.4]

More Family Problems

The next morning, both Rae and Iroh slept in, missing breakfast in the process. They woke up with their bodies entangled, holding each other close, as if someone would snatch them away at any time.

When Rae finally decided to step out of her room, long after Iroh had already left to get changed, she interrupted Korra's Metalbending lesson. She didn't ask questions about it, even though she was confused as in why Korra randomly decided she wanted to metalbend and sat quietly on the stairs that led to the estate. She enjoyed the practice, using her seismic senso to see with her bare feet.

Bolin and Pabu joined the class and soon, Iroh sat down comfortably next to Rae, a little closer than usual, making Bolin stare at the two weirdly.

Their moment of relaxation was interrupted by Rae's head raising hurriedly.

"Is that my mom?" she asked in a whisper, making Iroh look in the direction she pointed.

He didn't have time to answer before Lin sent an earthquake towards Su, making the rocks and metal plates on the ground shake and rise.

"Su," started Lin panting, "it's time we talk."

Rae frowned and rose to her feet before advancing towards the two women. She placed herself at equal distances of both of them, but not in the middle, not wanting to be hit with something if ever things went wrong.

"After thirteen years, you're finally ready to talk?"

"When we were in mom's office that day, you could have taken responsibility for what you did, but instead you stayed quiet and let mom throw away her whole career."

"Mom didn't throw her career away," argued Su, "she retired the next year, she was a hero."

"You think she wanted to retire? She was so guilt ridden about what she did to protect you, she didn't feel worthy of her badge."

Rae listened to the argument carefully. She had heard both sides of the story, the three sides of the story if you count Toph's, and she understood her mother's point of view. But still, she felt like the grudges were kept too long. But, as much as she understood Su's views too, the woman's next words stuck her hard.

"You're the one who hasn't changed. You're still a bitter loner who only cares about herself. It's a surprise how poor Hiiro put up with your attitude for so long."

At the mention of her former husband and Rae's father, Lin became furious. Rae stood there, hardly breathing, feeling as if someone had stabbed her in the back. She didn't react when Lin attacked Su and didn't even try to stop the fight. She just stood there with an angry scowl on her face while Korra debated if she should end things between the older women.

Su's husband and her youngest boys approached the fight. They stared wide eyed as the two women threw stones at each other. "Aren't you going to stop it?" asked Baatar after he approached Rae.

The Guardian shrugged. "I want to see where it goes," she said bluntly, making Iroh look at her worriedly. "She didn't mean it," he whispered to her, making the woman sigh. "I know," she muttered back, "doesn't mean it didn't hurt."

The fight went on. But when Su slammed Lin on the stairs of the small pavilion, Rae's eyes widened, and she started running towards her mother.

"You got it out of your system?"

"No quite yet!"

Opal flew in between the two women and, using her airbending, made both of them drop the big boulders they were meaning to throw at each other.

"What are you two doing? You're sisters! Why would you want to hurt each other?"

Before anyone could answer, Lin started feeling lightheaded. Right when Rae approached her, she limply fell. Quickly, even before Korra, Rae rushed to her mother's side, catching her upper body before her head hit the ground. With a worried expression, she rose her head towards the Avatar.

"Get a physician. Quick!"

~

The ticking of the clock was becoming insufferable.

After spending the whole sixteen hours outside of her mother's room, waiting for her to wake up, Rae started feeling exhausted. Korra and Asami tried to convince her to get some rest, but the woman wouldn't budge, and she ended up sleeping on the floor of the hall.

Even Su tried, after an endless apology. As much as Rae wanted to be angry at her aunt, she couldn't. But it didn't mean Su had the deceptions skills to trick her into leaving her seat by the door of her mother's room.

It took Iroh immense effort to convince the woman to have some food. At first, she agreed, but only if it would be brough to where she was sitting. Iroh had to debate with her for over twenty minutes, and he only won her when he started using soft and sweet words.

Rae was sitting at the dinner table with Iroh by her side. He was pushing food plates in front of her every now and then before grabbing her hand and squeezing it, not too hard so the bandaged cut wouldn't start hurting. His eyes were plastered on the old cut on her face.

"It will scar, won't it?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. Rae nodded slowly, putting a mini croissant in her mouth.

The door opened and both of them stopped moving. At the same time, they turned to the door, only to see Lin dressed in Zaofu clothes with a well-rested face.

"I'll leave you two now," whispered Iroh to Rae as he got up. After placing a soft kiss on her head, the man left, his strong gaze falling on the Chief, and he nodded.

After he was gone, Lin walked to her daughter and sat next to her. Rae looked at her weirdly. "What happened?" she asked.

"I feel better," said Lin, "like I finally found peace."

Rae stared at her mother with a dull look. "Sixteen hours ago, you almost threw a rock my size at your sister," she said as she narrowed her eyes, "and now you're telling me you found peace?"

"I had some rest and it changed by perspective."

"...You had an acupuncture session, didn't you?"

The older woman nodded before her expression turned into a frown and she tilted her head to look at her daughter, "How did you know?"

The Guardian sighed and shook her head. "I had one too," she started, "once. Didn't work very well. Unlike you, I didn't find peace."

Lin thought a few moments of her daughter's words before she sighed. "I'm sorry you had to see that," she said, taking her hand to comfort her.

"I didn't see anything mom," she said with an amused scoff. A small smile engulfed her features. She squeezed back her mother's hand and said, "just make sure you talk it through with Su and Opal."

Lin sighed but nodded, nevertheless. Rae's smile grew and she gave the woman a short hug before rising from her seat. The young Guardian left the dining hall, feeling as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She felt the change in her mother's being, and she knew that the problem with Su wouldn't last as long now.

~