This is the last chapter in this particular story. I hope everyone who's been following it has enjoyed it and I hope anyone who stumbles upon it after does too. Thanks to those who have been reading and sending lovely reviews. And for those that like my Avatar writing, don't worry. I'll have more coming along. Thanks again and enjoy this last bit!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Final note: This chapter is in Korra's POV, to eliminate any confusion.

It is a joyous day for Korra. She has finally connected with Aang, and Aang has given her back her bending. She did not think it possible. But Katara and the others tell such stories about Aang. And now that she has met him, she knows they must be true. The stories of his bravery and kindness and cleverness. Aang is a soothing presence. He seems very level-headed to Korra, which she likes. And she can see the immense kindness in him. After getting her bending back and telling Mako, she reconnects with him. She wants to talk to Aang at length. She sends Mako back to Katara's house. She asks him questions. How did he give her bending back? Turns out there's a thing called energy bending that Aang used to end the war. You can bend it both ways. You can take away bending, like Aang had to do in some instances. He speaks of these occasions with a grave sadness. But you can also give it back. He tells her how to do it so she can restore bending to everyone who lost it. How did Amon take away bending anyway? It's supposed to be a skill only the Avatar has. Aang says he's not sure, but speculates that it was a form of chi blocking made much more intense by the fact that he was a bloodbender. Aang tells Korra he suspects that Amon figured out how to block chakras with bloodbending. Not that it matters much, Korra reasons. Amon is gone and Korra can restore bending. Even though Aang has told her that things might not be as resolved as she thinks, as far as Korra is concerned, the problem is fixed. Korra grins.

"Thank you, Aang. You have no idea how much it means to me to have my bending back."

"You're very welcome, Korra," he grins widely. "But if you don't mind, I have a few favors to ask of you."

"Oh? Sure, I'll do whatever you need!" Korra agrees, wondering what in the world the great Avatar Aang could need her help with.

"It's just some messages I want you to relay. You're the only one who can connect with the Spirit world quite like this. See, we in the Spirit world can see the goings on in your world. But it doesn't work the other way around except for you."

"Sure! Let me write it, though. I might forget," Korra smiles sheepishly.

"I had to do the same thing. Katara used to give me to-do lists and I always forgot about it," Aang grins, scratching the back of his neck. "Maybe it's an Avatar thing. Although, I don't think Kyoshi was like that, so maybe not."

"Who's Kyoshi?"

"Oh, don't worry about her. You'll meet her later," Aang says quickly and nervously. Korra patiently listens to the messages Aang gives her, and writes them down. There aren't too terribly many.

"Thank you, Korra," Aang tells her sincerely. "And if you ever need help, you know where to find me."

"Yes! Thank you! Bye, Aang."

Korra takes the messages back to Katara's house and reads them aloud.

"Sifu Katara, Aang wants you to know that he watches you all the time. He says he loves you and that he's always right beside you and that you're still his...forever girl? Yeah that's what he said."

Katara chuckles warmly with sparkling eyes. "Yes, that's right."

"Tenzin, Aang says he watches you, too. And that he's so proud of how you handled everything these last few months. That you handled it like a true Airbender. He says you've done him proud and that he loves you."

Tenzin nods, trying not to show how affected he really is.

"Jinorra, Ikki, Meelo? Your grandpa Aang says he's so impressed with your airbending and so proud that you fought off a band of equalists by yourselves. He says he wishes you could've met him, but that he's met you and thinks you're all so wonderful and that he loves you."

Jinorra nods gravely. Ikki jumps up and down and squeals, "Aw, Grandpa Aang seems so sweet!" Meelo is asleep. Korra shrugs and resolves to tell him later.

"This is for Sifu Katara again. Sokka says that he loves you and that he saw you drop and break that pot last night and can tell you're still as clumsy as you always were."

"Sokka, you couldn't just leave it at 'I love you' could you?" Katara rolls her eyes, but Korra can see the smile tug at her lips all the same.

Korra shrugs.

"L...wait where's Lin?" Korra asks. Everyone looks around, realizing that Lin is not there. Katara shakes her head.

"Who knows? Tell her later, child. It can wait."

It is an hour later and Korra is sitting alone, watching Mako and Bolin play a game with the children while Asami giggles at Bolin's faces on the opposite side of the room.

"Come with me, child."

Korra follows Sifu Katara out of the house.

"Yes, Sifu Katara?"

Katara points a ways across the tundra.

"Lin is in there. I don't need to know what the message says. Go give it to her. And make sure she's alright. She's been in there for a while."

"Yes, Sifu." Korra stands awkwardly for a minute.

"What is it, child?"

"Well, there was one more message for you. But I didn't give it because I wasn't sure if you'd be mad. Aang said you wouldn't be mad, but I don't know. It's not from him, I don't think."

"Well Aang wasn't always the best judge of what would and would not make me mad, but I'm sure whatever it is is fine."

Korra knows she's made an error when Sifu Katara's eyes fly open as Korra slugs her squarely on the arm, just as she was told to do. She doesn't do it hard enough to hurt her whatsoever, but Aang was adamant that she do it anyway. He explained that it was from a friend and that Katara would know what it meant. But Sifu's eyes are still very shocked and wide Korra panics for a minute.

"Sifu, I'm sorry-"

But Katara cuts her off with a loud, long laugh. She is obviously pleased with the message.

"I miss you too, you idiot," she says to thin air, and Korra knows she's addressing whoever the message is from. "Go ahead, Korra. Thank you for the message."

Korra is highly confused, but she trudges towards the earthen structure that Katara points to anyway. She wonders where she is as she passes the large boulders and climbs the stone steps into a dim, circular room. But she finds Lin there, leaning against a stone dais in the middle of the room, eyes closed.

"Chie-I mean, Lin?"

Korra hopes she is not remiss to call her by her first name. Lin does not open her eyes. Korra notices that her feet are bare.

"Yes, Korra," she sighs. Korra is not sure she's ever heard anyone sound so weary.

"Can I sit with you for a minute?"

Lin does not respond for a moment. Korra is about to leave when she speaks.

"I suppose."

Korra sits next to her and twiddles her thumbs for a moment.

"Where are we? What is this? This looks very Earth Kingdom to be in the South Pole. I've always kinda wondered what it was, but never went in."

Lin's eyebrows furrow in what looks like sadness.

"My mother is buried here, Korra."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's alright. I'm not angry."

"Why is she here? I figured she'd have been buried in the Earth Kingdom?"

"She died here. We flew her here to see if Katara could heal her. She died protecting me."

"Oh," Korra says again, and the thought makes her so very sad. She has both her parents, whole and happy. And so many people she knows do not. She hangs her head. She wishes she could change it and she knows she cannot.

There is another brief silence before Korra speaks again.

"I wish I had met her."

Lin chuckles. Korra thinks it's the first smile she's ever given her.

"She would've liked you."

"Really?" Korra asks, excited at the prospect.

"Oh yes. She would've thought you were a bit reckless, but then again, she was too. She would've admired your drive. You two would've gotten along. She likely would've wanted to pull pranks on me and Katara with you. She loved pestering us more than anything."

"Cool," Korra grins. "I always hear stories about her and Aang and Sokka and Katara. She sounds like she was fun. And like she was pretty extraordinary."

"You have no idea," Lin sighs, shaking her head with a very soft smile before she continues. "What do you want, Korra?"

Lin's tone is not abrasive. Just direct and tired.

"Two things. First, I have a message for you. I connected with Aang earlier."

Lin finally opens her eyes.

"Really? He has a message for me?"

"I don't think it was from him. But he didn't say. It wasn't very long."

"Well, go ahead and tell me."

Korra pauses for a moment before she speaks, treading carefully. But she says the message clearly.

"You did a good job, Lin."

Korra watches Lin pause, and then close her eyes again and put her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry, that's all it said," Korra scrambles, thinking Lin is angry with her. But when Lin removes her hands, Korra can see tears in her eyes and the widest smile on her face Korra thinks she's ever seen on Lin. Lin does not speak for a moment. It is clear that she has temporarily lost the ability. Korra wonders what the message means and why it has affected Lin so devastatingly. But she does not ask. She waits until Lin speaks.

"That's all it needed to say. Don't worry, Korra, you did fine. What was the second thing?"

"Oh, well." Korra grins. "I thought you might want your bending back."

Lin stares at her, almost blank.

"What?"

"Aang kinda sorta taught me how to give people's bending back."

"I-" Lin doesn't say anything else. Korra doesn't think she can.

"I'll take that as a yes, Korra, I'd like my bending back," she says cheerfully. "Come on, let's go out here."

Korra's not sure how all these people got out here. She guesses Katara told them all to come. She's not sure whether they're there for her or for Lin. But everyone has left Katara's house and is standing at the bottom of the steps. Korra asks Lin to kneel down. She's never done this, but she does exactly as Aang taught her. She knows she's done it right as Lin smiles. She knows Lin can feel it. Every element hums when it speaks to you. Air whirrs lightly, water sings rhythmically, fire buzzes, especially lightning, and earth purrs and rumbles as it hums. And she knows Lin can feel the earth humming beneath them. Lin stands up and hefts every boulder around them in the air with ease, a look of utter peace on her face. When she puts them down, she turns to Korra and says the most sincere "thank you" Korra thinks she's ever heard. Korra sees Lin do one last thing before she turns to listen to what Tenzin is telling her. Lin looks forward into the air, into blank space, bare feet pressed against the stone, and smiles and she whispers an imperceptible, "Thank you, Mother." At that moment, Korra swears she feels a laughing, tenacious sort of presence around, as if someone were standing next to them. Korra realizes who the message was from, can feel her around them. And Korra can't help but smile too as she looks to Lin's face and sees in the relaxed set of her normally tense shoulders and in the easy smile that she wears, that Lin feels it just the same. Warm, strong, brave, brash, and grinning in the hum in the earth under their toes.

Thanks again for reading! If you all have any thoughts on this final chapter, or on the completed story in general, please do drop by and leave a review! Thanks again for reading and for the lovely feedback, everyone. Until next time!

~Belmione