HOME | DD

Description
They threw me down roughly on my knees, my energy drained and my body aching from the electricity that had coursed through my body not too long ago. The rain came thundering down on me, soaking me wet until my hair stuck to my face. I felt so defeated, so weak, so pathetic...My pride was crushed by being defeated and forced to kneel before this monster. And yet, I found the strength to look up at my enemy through the pouring rain.

"Tell me where the Avatar is and I'll let you keep your bending."

I glared at him, not daring to look away in fear for that wasn't the way I was raised. I wasn't raised to cower against fear or by those who have a greater power than me. I was raised to be a Beifong.

"I won't tell you anything, you monster!"

"Very well."

He walked around behind me and I closed my eyes slowly, relishing for what may be my last moments as a bender. And with the last few moments I had, everything fell silent to my ears as he placed his hands on me and my eyes shot wide open when my stomach lurched like I was falling a thousand feet into a bottomless pit. I could feel it leaving me. My earth bending, my metal bending...everything...

And like that, my world went dark.

"Lin..."

Where am I?

"Lin..."

Am I...dead?

"Damn it Lin, wake up!"

I snapped my eyes open and at first my sight was blurry but came into focus. A gasp had escaped my lips when I found myself lying on the ground with a woman towering over me.

"Mother?"

She grinned and offered her hand to me which I took, still in shock. How can this be? My mother was dead. How can she be here with me now? Did that mean that I was dead too? Before I could even utter a question, she pulled on my arm and hugged me like she used too when I was just a child. She felt solid, like a real human being. Nothing like a ghost or something transparent.

"I'm so proud of you..." she whispered.

If i was dead, I thought as I hugged her back, then I would be fine with that if this was what heaven was. I rested my forehead on her shoulder, gritting my teeth as tears threatened to fall. I would not cry. Not even in front of my mother.

"But I failed...he took away my bending."

"You did it for the Avatar," she said, breaking our hug and resting her hands on my shoulders with a smile. "You saved Tenzin and his family and protected the Avatar! So what if he took away your bending? You're still going to kick his ass! Don't tell me you're giving up!"

"Of course not!" I answered, surprised that she would even think that I would surrender.

"That's my girl!" she cheered, patting me hard on the shoulder. "Never give up Lin, keep fighting until the very end. That's what I did and along the way I achieved many things, and you can too. Bending or not, you're still my daughter who can kick ass like her mother!"

For what seemed like it had been a long time, I smiled. I smiled like never before ever since my mother died and felt warmth rush through me and happiness brighten my dark thoughts of doubt and failures. I was with my mother, and nothing else could make me happier. But then my heart sank and shock came back to me when I saw her fading away.

"Why are you fading?!" I asked, grasping her shoulders as if it would help to make her stay.

"Well, I can't stay here forever Lin. I'm dead, remember? This is the longest time I could hold my presence just to be here with you and now my time is up."

I knew that it would be childish and selfish to beg her to stay no matter how much I missed her. So I accepted the fact that it was time for her to go even though it was hard for me to do so.

"I love you," I whispered as she hugged me one last time.

I could feel her smile even though I couldn't see it. Her hand stroking my hair gently as I shut my eyes while the rest of her finally faded along with her last fleeting words that echo until they grew faint.

"I love you too, Lin."