Feels Like Home

Chapter 3

When Lin realized that her mother could only see her when she was touching the ground, a whole new door of possibilities opened to her. She felt a new mischief in her soul she hadn't previously experienced. When it was time for bed she often tried hiding out on their wooden balcony, but her mother was sharp. So sharp, in fact, that she always seemed to figure out Lin's hiding spots in a matter of seconds. The five year old was then punished, usually by means of being locked in earth shackles and told to bend her own way out.

There was one day when the two were playing hide and seek, which, in itself, was sort of a lost cause. There was really nowhere Lin could hide that her mother couldn't figure out. It was good training for Lin, her mother argued when she brought up the point. Maybe it could help her find her mother by sensing her through the earth.

Lin wasn't very good at it.

It wasn't until Lin decided to go out in the meadow and hopefully out of the range of her mother's feet that she thought of it. Before her was a large cherry tree, in full bloom. But it was beautiful to Lin for an entirely different reason.

Lin grinned wickedly.

From her place up in the tree's highest branches, Lin could spot her mother making her way through the meadow, silent, listening. Lin stayed as still and quiet as possible, lest her mother's keen ears hear her. But it appeared the older Beifong had not yet figured her out. Lin grinned eagerly at the prospect of finally winning.

After twenty minutes of searching, her mother took to calling for her. "Lin? Linny, c'mon. You win, all right? Where are ya?" But Lin felt an excited buzz in her stomach when she realized her mother really couldn't see her. For once, Lin was the sharp one. She was the winner.

So she stayed quiet.

"Lin? Oh, spirits – Lin!" The smile faded when her mother's voice became panicked. She rocked forward, planting her hand to the ground and feeling. When she didn't feel her daughter anywhere nearby, she became increasingly worried and fearful.

Lin decided this was enough and began making her way down, calling "Mommy!" to reassure her collapsing mother.

Toph's head turned towards her immediately upon the sound. "Lin?!" She seemed to sag in relief when Lin hit the ground, the familiar vibrations meeting her mother's feet. Toph ran for her, immediately falling to her knees and wrapping Lin tightly in her arms.

The two rocked back and forth. Lin felt ashamed. She should have come down the minute her mother called for her.

"I'm sorry, mommy. Are you very mad?"

Toph pulled away, gripping the child's shoulders. "Look at my face. I'm not very mad. I was just very scared. I can't lose you, too."

A strong hand guided Lin's head to Toph's shoulder once more.

"Mommy? Who else did you lose?"

Toph simply sighed. "I'll tell you when you're older."

"You say that about everything but you never tell me!"

"When you're taller, then."

"Mommyyyy!"

In the meantime, Lin mentally vowed to always stay on the ground.