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Description
Hardshelled
LinxKorra
Part One
Rated PG-13
-
Lin stood from kneeling in front of Korra who had just restored her connection to the earth, to the elements.
Feeling the power flow, she reached deep under the ice and extracted 6 pillars of buried stone and set them erect upon the ground.
Turning the face Korra she bowed, displaying appreciation as she only knew how.
" Thank you Avatar Korra."
She had called Korra the Avatar before, but she had meant it mostly as a title, never as a "compliment", now there was an inflection of sincerity behind address.
Tenzin stepped in front of her as she turned to descend down the steps.
" What will you do now Lin?" he asked promptly.
" I'll return to Republic City as soon as I can to restore order. Everyone has a purpose and a job to do and mine is there."
Korra came up to Tenzin pushing past her family and friends, beaming proudly of her new ability and connection with the Avatar State.
" Now what are we gonna do Tenzin?"
" Well Korra as the Avatar, I think you should go back to Republic City and help restore those who had their bending taken away by Amon. Lin should help you in your new quest since she intends to become chief of police again. She should be in prime position to help you congregate all the people who had their bending taken away.  "
Korra looked at Lin, but Lin's expression was sternly neutral as always, neither agreeing nor declining the proposed idea.
" Well, alright then" Korra smiled, hands on her hips, turning about, " Looks like were going back to Republic City guys!"
-
Korra sat outside after dinner meditating on strengthening her connection with the previous avatars when she heard booming sounds in the background.
She walked over a hill, her boots crunching over the flecks of ice, to where the sounds came from. She knelt at the ledge of cliff when she saw it was Lin embracing her resurrected ability, earth-bending blindfolded, simultaneously metal-bending.
Korra crouched there on the icy hillside watching Lin bend, enthralled by her power, ferocity, and agility, a cocky smile plastered on her face.
The ground under her stomach shifted as she was lifted into the air by a column of ice and rock.
" I see you up there Korra." Lin called
Korra flipped off the floating rock and landed in front of Lin, softening her descent with a cloud of air.
" How did you know I was there?"
" A little thing my mother taught me, a little trick that all metal benders know."
Korra stood, wiping bits of snow and dirt of her pants. " Aren't you cold?" Korra hinted.
" Not at all " Lin responded.
" Hmm, alright show me how its done." Korra scoffed throwing off her overcoat.
Lin shifted her bare feet on the ground, hands on her hips unperturbed.. " It's the key to earth-bending and metal-bending, I don't know if you could handle it."
Korra looked down. " Would you teach me metal-bending? Toph was Aang's earth-bending teacher, you should teach me! I should learn it, being the Avatar and all." Lin looked over Korra. " Perhaps Korra... - but I don't think you could handle it."
Korra scoffed. " I can handle anything you can throw at me."
Lin shot a boulder at Korra before she could finish her sentence. Korra propelled herself out of the way using her fire-bending. Her reaction was great, but her landing was less graceful.
" Hmm, we'll see."
Korra braced for combat as Lin adjusted the blindfold back over her eyes.
" Okay Avatar, show me what they taught you in this frozen wasteland."
Korra fire-bended two blasts directly at Lin. Sensing no retaliation, Korra wondered if maybe she had been a little overzealous with her in her initial attack. Lin appeared from the ground and whipped out two metal wires at Korra's body.
Korra slid to the side and used water-bending to freeze the the wires mid-air. Lin demolished the small pillars of ice, extracting her wires with limb severing speed.
" Is that the best you can do Korra?"
" I've gotta admit, you're pretty good for an older lady."
Lin brought two columns of rock out of the ground and slammed them both toward the Avatar.
Korra back flipped and fired a jet of flame above Lin.
"Just how old do you think I am?"
Korra landed, shooting another flame toward Lin. " How young do think I am?"
Korra used air-bending to blast her body toward Lin for close combat.
Lin swiped at Korra, Korra dodged, ducking down and tackling her on the ground.
Lin embraced Korra's momentum and threw her over her own body, flipping Korra into a pile of snow a ways from her.
Korra grunted and shook the snow off her head. " Yeah, well you're lucky I gave you back your bending!"
Lin smirked. " Yeah, and you're lucky I'm going easy on you."
She walked over and helped the disgruntled Avatar out of the snow pile.
" Alright Korra, I'll teach you." Korra defeated attitude changed immediately. " Really!? You'll teach me?"
" Is that not what I said?"
" Wow! I can't believe it, I'm so excited! Thank you, thank you!" Korra lunged toward Lin for a hug, but Lin held a powerful hand out in front of her, stopping Korra in her tracks.
" There's no need for all that affection Korra."
Korra looked down her enthusiasm swept from under her. " Um, okay!" She continued still ecstatic. "Well thanks for being willing to teach me, I can't um...-wait to start." Lin watched as Korra shuffled off, knowing that Korra would be an excellent student. " Excellent indeed."
-
Later That Night- Early Morning Hours
-
Korra's eyes shot open, but her mind rested easy upon realizing she was alone. " There's nothing to worry about..."
But upon further inspection she noticed that the door to her room had been opened just a crack and she knew by that tiny error caused her to know that someone had been there a moment ago, someone had been watching her...
She sat up, throwing the covers off her body. " Hello?"
She peeked her head out of the door and scanned both edges of the hall way. The door leading outside was also open, swaying ever so slightly with the evening wind. Korra grabbed her coat and boots, and walked out the door. Hugging her jacket tightly around her abdomen, she ventured forth out into the night, not surprised to see freshly printed foot falls before her laying on the cobblestone path. She followed the trail to the meditating chamber on the base.
As she walked up the steps into the temple, she expected to find some evidence of who was before her but there was none. She opened the door, taking a deep breath, even though she knew it wasn't an intruder.
" Who is here?"
Sitting in the middle of the floor, head bowed inhaling deeply was none other than her new teacher Lin.
-
" Why am I not surprised you'd find me here Avatar Korra?"
Korra laughed softly, " Just Korra is fine, and I woke up cause you were watching me ."
" I passed by your room Korra, nothing more. Now, if you'll excuse me."
" I should've known she know. I shouldn't have checked on her." Lin closed her eyes and attempting to resume her meditating.
" Why are you in here this late..-early?"
" As Tenzin would say, it is never too late, or too early to meditate."
Korra came and knelt next to Lin placing her hands firmly on the ground as she did.
"What are you doing?"
Lin sighed loudly eyes still closed, obviously wanting Korra to take a hint, but Korra steadfastly remained.
" I'm feeling the vibrations of the earth, I'm remembering what it felt like... what it feels like.
Before I lost it..."
Korra placed a hand tentatively on the ground. " I don't feel anything."
" Don't feel just with your senses. Focus on the motions, the land is alive and through every being is amplified, feel them through your bending. See what goes on around by seeing what goes on beneath you.."
Korra closed her eyes and spread her hands upon the floor.  She felt a tendril of movement at first like the ding of a small bell, followed by a  tremor comparable to larger bell of heavier resonance .
She took deep breath, inhaling as much as her lungs could hold, she strained to deepen her connection. Exhaling she felt the ground become a wave of vibrations of energy, emotion, and life. She shirked her hands away from the ground overcome by the onslaught.
" It can be overwhelming at first, but this connection is the key to becoming an metal-bender."  Korra flashed a look of worry over to Lin. "-and a better earth-bender."
" This is what your mom taught you?"
Lin smiled. "' Yes but her reasons for developing the skills were under more stained circumstances." A loose tear fell from Lin's face as she choked on the last word. Its appearance had been so abrupt and indistinguishable that Lin hadn't noticed it until it had fallen.
"Korra felt the tear splatter onto the polished floor, a faint drop in the silent room. " Lin? Are you okay."
Lin turned her head away from Korra., not daring to wipe her face like some child. " I'm fine. Now if you please, I wish to be left alone." Korra scooted until she was in front of Lin. " Hey I know we're not friends and all, but you saved me, and you took a lot of damage for me. I don't really know how to repay you."
Lin snickered. " It was my duty Korra...-nothing more."
" I don't believe that."
"It's not my place to convince you otherwise."
Korra fumed at the dissuaded retaliation. " What I'm trying to say is thank you."
" Your thanks is not necessary, you're the Avatar, I should protect you."
"Protect me?" Korra whispered.
Lin adjusted her eyes to see Korra's  grim shocked expression. " All my life, that's all everyone ever did was protect me. I didn't want it when they watched me here in the South Pole and I didn't want it when I came to Republic City. Coming there that was my goal, to let the world know that the Avatar didn't need protection! But I guess fighting Amon and all the Equalists, I was wrong in the end. Wasn't I?"
Lin reached for Korra's had, pushing the amount of affection she dared show. " Korra, no one ever doubted that you were strong enough to handle yourself against Amon, or the Equalists. But just because your duty is to the world doesn't mean you can't have help protecting it."
" Just like Aang had your mom right?" Korra sniffed.
" That's right, everyone needs an ally sometime, everyone needs a friend. Imagine how the world would be if Aang hadn't had Sokka, Katara, or my mother there..."
Korra wiped tears away from her eyes, " You never told me about your mom. I mean I know she was the greatest earth-bender that ever but..."
" She was more than greatest Earth-bender, she was the greatest mother that anyone could've asked for."
Lin retracted her hand. " ...-my father was never around and I didn't really care to know him, my mother was my idol... When I was younger I spent a lot of time on Air Temple Island with Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya when they weren't in the South Pole because my mother was busy building the Police Force with the growing city. She didn't take me with her and I understood it was her duty to fight the  "bad guys". Things changed after she passed, but I knew she would want me to be strong so I followed her footsteps and became the new Chief of Police..-"
Throughout the monologue, Korra could feel pieces of Lin's outer frame breaking.
  Korra reached out and squeezed Lin's hand apprehensively . " You don't have to tell me anymore, but let me tell you something. You're the greatest bender ever, even better than me, You do so much and give so much of your time to save a city that others would've given up on a long time ago. When the Equalists came, you were on the front lines against them, you stood up for the sport that kept the city together when the other council members wanted to get rid of it.. I don't know if anyone else have ever told you this and meant it, you are truly wonderful, and if anyone else deserved to be the Avatar, it's you Lin Bei Fong. I guess I know why Aang and your mom were lifelong friends... and that's not only cause I know him personally."
Without a second thought, Lin wrapped Korra into her arms, aching for those words, needing that embrace and Korra was surprised to find Lin's lips upon her own.
It didn't feel wrong but it felt needed.
Lin pulled away from Korra, her moment of weakness over.
She sat back on her knees from Korra. " Thank you Korra, now if you'll excuse me..." and with that the Chief of Police walked out of the meditation chamber, hand clenched into a fist, heart thudding fast.
She would have to try hard to never let that happen again, but in the crevices of her mind, she knew there much more between her and the Avatar to come.
-

Description
Hardshelled
LinxKorra
Part One
Rated PG-13
-
Lin stood from kneeling in front of Korra who had just restored her connection to the earth, to the elements.
Feeling the power flow, she reached deep under the ice and extracted 6 pillars of buried stone and set them erect upon the ground.
Turning the face Korra she bowed, displaying appreciation as she only knew how.
" Thank you Avatar Korra."
She had called Korra the Avatar before, but she had meant it mostly as a title, never as a "compliment", now there was an inflection of sincerity behind address.
Tenzin stepped in front of her as she turned to descend down the steps.
" What will you do now Lin?" he asked promptly.
" I'll return to Republic City as soon as I can to restore order. Everyone has a purpose and a job to do and mine is there."
Korra came up to Tenzin pushing past her family and friends, beaming proudly of her new ability and connection with the Avatar State.
" Now what are we gonna do Tenzin?"
" Well Korra as the Avatar, I think you should go back to Republic City and help restore those who had their bending taken away by Amon. Lin should help you in your new quest since she intends to become chief of police again. She should be in prime position to help you congregate all the people who had their bending taken away.  "
Korra looked at Lin, but Lin's expression was sternly neutral as always, neither agreeing nor declining the proposed idea.
" Well, alright then" Korra smiled, hands on her hips, turning about, " Looks like were going back to Republic City guys!"
-
Korra sat outside after dinner meditating on strengthening her connection with the previous avatars when she heard booming sounds in the background.
She walked over a hill, her boots crunching over the flecks of ice, to where the sounds came from. She knelt at the ledge of cliff when she saw it was Lin embracing her resurrected ability, earth-bending blindfolded, simultaneously metal-bending.
Korra crouched there on the icy hillside watching Lin bend, enthralled by her power, ferocity, and agility, a cocky smile plastered on her face.
The ground under her stomach shifted as she was lifted into the air by a column of ice and rock.
" I see you up there Korra." Lin called
Korra flipped off the floating rock and landed in front of Lin, softening her descent with a cloud of air.
" How did you know I was there?"
" A little thing my mother taught me, a little trick that all metal benders know."
Korra stood, wiping bits of snow and dirt of her pants. " Aren't you cold?" Korra hinted.
" Not at all " Lin responded.
" Hmm, alright show me how its done." Korra scoffed throwing off her overcoat.
Lin shifted her bare feet on the ground, hands on her hips unperturbed.. " It's the key to earth-bending and metal-bending, I don't know if you could handle it."
Korra looked down. " Would you teach me metal-bending? Toph was Aang's earth-bending teacher, you should teach me! I should learn it, being the Avatar and all." Lin looked over Korra. " Perhaps Korra... - but I don't think you could handle it."
Korra scoffed. " I can handle anything you can throw at me."
Lin shot a boulder at Korra before she could finish her sentence. Korra propelled herself out of the way using her fire-bending. Her reaction was great, but her landing was less graceful.
" Hmm, we'll see."
Korra braced for combat as Lin adjusted the blindfold back over her eyes.
" Okay Avatar, show me what they taught you in this frozen wasteland."
Korra fire-bended two blasts directly at Lin. Sensing no retaliation, Korra wondered if maybe she had been a little overzealous with her in her initial attack. Lin appeared from the ground and whipped out two metal wires at Korra's body.
Korra slid to the side and used water-bending to freeze the the wires mid-air. Lin demolished the small pillars of ice, extracting her wires with limb severing speed.
" Is that the best you can do Korra?"
" I've gotta admit, you're pretty good for an older lady."
Lin brought two columns of rock out of the ground and slammed them both toward the Avatar.
Korra back flipped and fired a jet of flame above Lin.
"Just how old do you think I am?"
Korra landed, shooting another flame toward Lin. " How young do think I am?"
Korra used air-bending to blast her body toward Lin for close combat.
Lin swiped at Korra, Korra dodged, ducking down and tackling her on the ground.
Lin embraced Korra's momentum and threw her over her own body, flipping Korra into a pile of snow a ways from her.
Korra grunted and shook the snow off her head. " Yeah, well you're lucky I gave you back your bending!"
Lin smirked. " Yeah, and you're lucky I'm going easy on you."
She walked over and helped the disgruntled Avatar out of the snow pile.
" Alright Korra, I'll teach you." Korra defeated attitude changed immediately. " Really!? You'll teach me?"
" Is that not what I said?"
" Wow! I can't believe it, I'm so excited! Thank you, thank you!" Korra lunged toward Lin for a hug, but Lin held a powerful hand out in front of her, stopping Korra in her tracks.
" There's no need for all that affection Korra."
Korra looked down her enthusiasm swept from under her. " Um, okay!" She continued still ecstatic. "Well thanks for being willing to teach me, I can't um...-wait to start." Lin watched as Korra shuffled off, knowing that Korra would be an excellent student. " Excellent indeed."
-
Later That Night- Early Morning Hours
-
Korra's eyes shot open, but her mind rested easy upon realizing she was alone. " There's nothing to worry about..."
But upon further inspection she noticed that the door to her room had been opened just a crack and she knew by that tiny error caused her to know that someone had been there a moment ago, someone had been watching her...
She sat up, throwing the covers off her body. " Hello?"
She peeked her head out of the door and scanned both edges of the hall way. The door leading outside was also open, swaying ever so slightly with the evening wind. Korra grabbed her coat and boots, and walked out the door. Hugging her jacket tightly around her abdomen, she ventured forth out into the night, not surprised to see freshly printed foot falls before her laying on the cobblestone path. She followed the trail to the meditating chamber on the base.
As she walked up the steps into the temple, she expected to find some evidence of who was before her but there was none. She opened the door, taking a deep breath, even though she knew it wasn't an intruder.
" Who is here?"
Sitting in the middle of the floor, head bowed inhaling deeply was none other than her new teacher Lin.
-
" Why am I not surprised you'd find me here Avatar Korra?"
Korra laughed softly, " Just Korra is fine, and I woke up cause you were watching me ."
" I passed by your room Korra, nothing more. Now, if you'll excuse me."
" I should've known she know. I shouldn't have checked on her." Lin closed her eyes and attempting to resume her meditating.
" Why are you in here this late..-early?"
" As Tenzin would say, it is never too late, or too early to meditate."
Korra came and knelt next to Lin placing her hands firmly on the ground as she did.
"What are you doing?"
Lin sighed loudly eyes still closed, obviously wanting Korra to take a hint, but Korra steadfastly remained.
" I'm feeling the vibrations of the earth, I'm remembering what it felt like... what it feels like.
Before I lost it..."
Korra placed a hand tentatively on the ground. " I don't feel anything."
" Don't feel just with your senses. Focus on the motions, the land is alive and through every being is amplified, feel them through your bending. See what goes on around by seeing what goes on beneath you.."
Korra closed her eyes and spread her hands upon the floor.  She felt a tendril of movement at first like the ding of a small bell, followed by a  tremor comparable to larger bell of heavier resonance .
She took deep breath, inhaling as much as her lungs could hold, she strained to deepen her connection. Exhaling she felt the ground become a wave of vibrations of energy, emotion, and life. She shirked her hands away from the ground overcome by the onslaught.
" It can be overwhelming at first, but this connection is the key to becoming an metal-bender."  Korra flashed a look of worry over to Lin. "-and a better earth-bender."
" This is what your mom taught you?"
Lin smiled. "' Yes but her reasons for developing the skills were under more stained circumstances." A loose tear fell from Lin's face as she choked on the last word. Its appearance had been so abrupt and indistinguishable that Lin hadn't noticed it until it had fallen.
"Korra felt the tear splatter onto the polished floor, a faint drop in the silent room. " Lin? Are you okay."
Lin turned her head away from Korra., not daring to wipe her face like some child. " I'm fine. Now if you please, I wish to be left alone." Korra scooted until she was in front of Lin. " Hey I know we're not friends and all, but you saved me, and you took a lot of damage for me. I don't really know how to repay you."
Lin snickered. " It was my duty Korra...-nothing more."
" I don't believe that."
"It's not my place to convince you otherwise."
Korra fumed at the dissuaded retaliation. " What I'm trying to say is thank you."
" Your thanks is not necessary, you're the Avatar, I should protect you."
"Protect me?" Korra whispered.
Lin adjusted her eyes to see Korra's  grim shocked expression. " All my life, that's all everyone ever did was protect me. I didn't want it when they watched me here in the South Pole and I didn't want it when I came to Republic City. Coming there that was my goal, to let the world know that the Avatar didn't need protection! But I guess fighting Amon and all the Equalists, I was wrong in the end. Wasn't I?"
Lin reached for Korra's had, pushing the amount of affection she dared show. " Korra, no one ever doubted that you were strong enough to handle yourself against Amon, or the Equalists. But just because your duty is to the world doesn't mean you can't have help protecting it."
" Just like Aang had your mom right?" Korra sniffed.
" That's right, everyone needs an ally sometime, everyone needs a friend. Imagine how the world would be if Aang hadn't had Sokka, Katara, or my mother there..."
Korra wiped tears away from her eyes, " You never told me about your mom. I mean I know she was the greatest earth-bender that ever but..."
" She was more than greatest Earth-bender, she was the greatest mother that anyone could've asked for."
Lin retracted her hand. " ...-my father was never around and I didn't really care to know him, my mother was my idol... When I was younger I spent a lot of time on Air Temple Island with Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya when they weren't in the South Pole because my mother was busy building the Police Force with the growing city. She didn't take me with her and I understood it was her duty to fight the  "bad guys". Things changed after she passed, but I knew she would want me to be strong so I followed her footsteps and became the new Chief of Police..-"
Throughout the monologue, Korra could feel pieces of Lin's outer frame breaking.
  Korra reached out and squeezed Lin's hand apprehensively . " You don't have to tell me anymore, but let me tell you something. You're the greatest bender ever, even better than me, You do so much and give so much of your time to save a city that others would've given up on a long time ago. When the Equalists came, you were on the front lines against them, you stood up for the sport that kept the city together when the other council members wanted to get rid of it.. I don't know if anyone else have ever told you this and meant it, you are truly wonderful, and if anyone else deserved to be the Avatar, it's you Lin Bei Fong. I guess I know why Aang and your mom were lifelong friends... and that's not only cause I know him personally."
Without a second thought, Lin wrapped Korra into her arms, aching for those words, needing that embrace and Korra was surprised to find Lin's lips upon her own.
It didn't feel wrong but it felt needed.
Lin pulled away from Korra, her moment of weakness over.
She sat back on her knees from Korra. " Thank you Korra, now if you'll excuse me..." and with that the Chief of Police walked out of the meditation chamber, hand clenched into a fist, heart thudding fast.
She would have to try hard to never let that happen again, but in the crevices of her mind, she knew there much more between her and the Avatar to come.
-