Wattpad can't upload the pic 😭. And it's a really good pic. Anyway, only the melon lord was lucky to see it bc I sent it to her insta. So.... enjoy.
It started uploading my pics again. Finally.
They landed outside the huge metal city. Bolin and Opal were the first to dismount.
" All right, let's do this ! Saving the Beifongs and saving our love, because I vow to repair the rift that has grown between us and make us whole again ! " Bolin declared staring at Opal.
Kitiara grimaced. Last thing she wanted, was for Korra to use such words to her.
Lin, who had enough during the whole ride, walked between them and separated them by giving Bolin a shove. " You. Zip it. Now. I had enough of your babble on the way in. "
" Yes, ma'am. " He looked at the ground, intimated by tbe Chief's cold statement.
They walked to the edge of the mountainside, taking cover and looking over Zaofu.
Opal frowned. " Kuvira tore down all the domes. Why would she do that ? "
Lin pulled out a spyglass, her eyes were working well but she needed some help to examine each detail of the City. " She's got a whole battalion of troops stationed there. There's no way we'll be able to spot anything useful from here. We'll have to go in for a closer look. "
Kitiara gazed at the City for a long moment before she heard a voice from behind.
" Don't bother. All the prisoners have been moved. "
Opal and Lin froze as Kitiara and Bolin turned to look at the old lady.
Kitiara smiled politely at her. " How can I help you, miss... ? "
The woman smiled back at her, thing which was considered to be strange because she was not used to be so polite and welcoming.
" You can call me Toph. Toph Beifong. "
***
Kitiara was shocked. The old lady's words replaying in her mind.
Toph, Toph Beifong.
Toph Beifong.
Beifong.
Beifong.
Toph Beifong.
She swallowed hard staring at the woman who ended up being her grandmother.
The grandmother that she never got the chance to meet.
The grandmother who never cared to see how her young granddaughter was doing.
The kyoshi warrior did not know how should she be feeling at that moment.
Should she be angry and turn her back at the older woman, or should she run to hug her and finally get to know her ?
Her grandmother wouldn't be a face for her to imagine and shape according to her wishes, anymore.
Kitiara titled her head noticing Toph's height. She knew that she was short, but not that short.
Lin stood behind her daughter and slowly messaged her tensed shoulders.
Kitiara relaxed immediately at her mother's touch. She leaned against her mother's body half seeking for comfort and half for guidance.
" Uh... hey, Chief. " Lin spoke awkwardly, her hands not leaving Kitiara's shoulders.
" Hey, Chief. " Toph reciprocated with a nod.
Opal smiled, she run and hugged her grandma tightly. " Grandma Toph ! "
" You were only up to my waist the last time we were together. " The original Beifong patted her back as she grinned at her. At least one of her two present grandchildren were excited to see her.
Bolin's eyes widened watching his idol. " Oh, man ! Ohh, I can't. This can't be happening ! "
" What ?! Do you have to pee or something ? " Toph asked raising an eyebrow. Opal giggled in the background.
Kitiara turned to her mother, shocked. Lin's eyes narrowed at her as they locked eye contact.
" So, we got our irony and annoyance from her ? " Kitiara inquired.
Lin glared at her for a second.
" No... well, now, maybe. You're my hero ! My name is Bolin. I'm dating your granddaughter, I mean, kind of. I may have screwed that up, but that's why I'm here and you're my hero ! Oh, I said that. Can I have a hug too ? " Bolin questioned with pleading eyes.
Lin stepped back shaking her head at Kitiara's words.
" God blessed me with two granddaughters... Lin wouldn't allow Kitiara to date such a stupid guy so I guess that you are dating Opal. " Toph remarked.
" Hey, I'm not stupid ! " Bolin defended himself; he was slightly offended.
" Yes, you are. " Opal chuckled.
Toph returned to Lin's direction. " What's up with him ? "
Lin sighed. " He's an actor. So, you already checked the city for Su ? How did you know she was captured ? "
" I've been living in the swamp and keeping watch on Zaofu through the vines. " Came Toph's response.
" Wait... So you mean that you also kept an eye in Republic City ? And watched over Kyoshi Island ? " Kitiara questioned, her shock was escalating more and more.
" Yes, there are vines in both locations. You were quite an obedient child... unlike you mom. " Toph replied with a smirk.
Lin shot her a death glare but did not say anything to oppose her mother.
" Sure, okay, makes sense. Keeping watch on Zaofu through some vines. Can happen to everyone. " Bolin noted.
" By the time I got here, they were gone. I snooped around town and heard that they were taken away to some nearby prison camp. " Toph preferred to ignore him.
Opal turned to Bolin frowning. " Where would that be ? "
Not sure about its location, Bolin's eyes went to Kitiara silently pleading for support.
" There's a factory and reeducation facility not too far away. I think... " Kitiara's voice trailed off.
After her argument with her mother, the kyoshi warrior wasn't paying much attention to what was she doing before her escape.
She and Lin hadn't talked about their argument yet.
They focused mainly on Kitiara's physical health and a plan to free their family.
Although, Lin was ready to support her no matter what.
" You think ? Wait, how do you know that ? " Toph questioned and then turned to Bolin. " You are uncomfortable, you knew that too. "
" Bolin and Kitiara used to work for Kuvira. " Opal informed her.
Toph's eyes widened. " My granddaughter worked for that piece of shit ? And you, how did you end up dating the kind of dipstick who works for Kuvira ? "
" USED TO ! " Bolin pointed out.
" It's... complicated... " Kitiara played nervously with her hands.
Toph raised an eyebrow waiting for a more detailed explanation.
But Kitiara, even if that woman was her grandma, did not know her. And whenever she was facing a stranger, she was never willing to reveal more than the necessary information or anything about her personal life, her decisions, her motives etc.
So, Toph was waiting for an answer that never came.
Lin gave Kitiara some time. She could have replied for Kitiara but decided against it.
If Toph wanted to hear the whole story, she should have stood by the kyoshi warrior as a right and loving grandmother, not being absent.
' 𝑺𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒘 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍. 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻'𝑺 𝑳𝑰𝑭𝑬. '
- 𝑨𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝑲𝒚𝒐𝒔𝒉𝒊
Understanding that Kitiara would not give her an answer, Toph pointed her index finger at Bolin focusing at the fact that he worked for Kuvira as well.
" It's not his silver tongue, I can tell you that. " Lin replied to her earlier question and she started to walk away.
Kitiara, Toph and Opal followed her.
" Please tell me this attitude isn't hereditary. " Bolin commented as he fastened his pace to catch up to them.
***
The group walked to Opal's Bison.
Juicy was eating some grass peacefully while waiting for them to return.
Smelling Opal's scent, Juicy happily flew toward his owner and landed lightly on the ground in front of her.
He licked Opal's face to welcome her and to show hedher how happy he was with her coming back.
" Ummm. Grandma, this is Juicy. " Opal hugged the animal's neck.
Toph grimaced in disgust. " And I thought Appa was smelly. Why would you choose this leaky, nasty thing ? "
Kitiara gasped. Hearing someone using such harsh adjectives to describe an innocent and friendly sky bison was... shocking.
Especially her own grandma.
If someone had spoken like that for Momo, Kitiara would immediately challenge him into an Agni Kai.
The gasp was silent. Only a well-trained ear would notice it.
Toph picked up the sound but did not react somehow.
The original Beifong mentally slapped herself.
Her relationship with Kitiara was non-existent, if she continued like that... Maybe Kitiara's hatred toward her would be far more than Lin's.
But the worst part was...
That they would be totally right for hating her.
Toph thought that Lin wanted no interaction with her, she was so wrong for not at least trying like Suyin to reach her granddaughter.
Toph surrendered with no fight.
Meanwhile, Opal patted Juicy's head. " You don't choose your bison. He chooses you. And once he chooses you, you can't change. Believe me, I checked. "
Kitiara sighed in disappointment for her cousin's words.
An air bender saying such a thing for his sky bison...
Unbelievable.