YES!
The next morning they woke up and had breakfast and just like the day before everyone went out leaving only Suyin and Lin. Kya had gone out with her nieces and nephews to fulfil her promise of teaching them water bending. Meelo, as always wanted to be first so she threw him in the water and bent the water to bring him a few feet into the air then froze it, his sister’s laughed hysterically alongside their aunt and Rohan even let out a chuckle.
Kya had taught people waterbending before, she was the daughter of master Katara and Avatar Aang, everyone wanted her to teach them but normally she would teach actual waterbenders. When they were all kids she used to teach Su, Lin and Izumi some waterbending moves, even Bumi would join in sometimes but Tenzin was always busy so it stood to reason that the kids wouldn’t know any waterbeanding.
Kya began with the very basics, the moon and its connection to the water and by extension waterbenders. “You guys know about the moon and the water, right?” They all nodded indicating they understood and Ikki added, “I’ve heard about Uncle Sokka and the moon lady.” Kya laughed at the storey she’d heard so many times. “Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe,”
She chuckled fondly recalling the time Sokka had tried to draw a picture of Yue and Toph tore it up saying it sucked before stomping the ground causing a lifelike statue of Yue to form from the dirt to which Kya responded ‘hot’ and high-fived her uncle making him form a proud yet goofy look on his face whichToph then slapped in a truly on-brand moment for the three of them.
“Aunt Kya! Aunt Kya! Teach me how to do your water whip!” Ikki says looking up at the older woman with puppy dog eyes.
“It’s not Kya’s water whip she didn’t invent it,” Meelo says grumpily as he airbends the water off himself.
“She may as well have, no one does a water whip like Aunt Kya,” Jinora says smiling proudly at her Aunt as she receives a loving stroke of her hair from Kya.
“It’s true, one time I broke your Uncle Bumi’s ar- actually never mind you guys don’t need any ideas.” Kya laughs at the group in front of her knowing someone is bound to get hurt by the end of the day and it’s probably going to be Meelo’s fault.
Kya began teaching them by showing the kids the basic techniques used, how to stand, where to put their feet, if they need their backs to be straight or flowing like the water and what to do with their hands. Ikki was surprisingly good, picking up the moves before even Jinora as she progressed to using water within the first few hours.
Meanwhile, Su and Lin were at home preparing to spar. “We really should figure oy a way to have deep conversations without sparing you know,” Su says as they both wrap their hands.
“But it’s more fun throwing boulders at you, I don’t think you know how much self-control it takes not to hit you with a rock every time you speak let alone when you’re making fun of me for liking Kya.”
“Ha, you admit it you like Kya.” Su says smirking at her sister, “Knew it!”
“I hate you.: Lin says rolling her eyes and flicking a pebble in Su’s direction.
“weak,” She scoffs before messing up her sister’s hair as she says, “you love me, you big ass.”
“Come down here and say that to my face!” Lin shouts from the bottom of the stair ready to step onto the sparring grounds.
Su laughs jumping down the stairs landing directly behind her sister causing the ground to shake as she smirks. Lin turns with her guard up as she readies to throw her first hit but before she can sewing Su is coving her first with earth and throwing a punch directly to Lins’s head. Lin shifts the ground beneath her own feat effectively side seeping as she lands a hit to the side of Su’s jaw.
“Huh, nice,” Su says rubbing the side of her face before she kicks some rocks up towards Lin which she weaves and dodges with gymnast like precision. “Staying flexible for Kya are we?” Su teases as she throws more sharp rocks towards Lin.
After landing from Su’s final attack Lin brings a chunk of earth out of the ground colliding it with Su’s side causing the younger Beifong to fall. Lin instantly bring another rock to hit Su’s other side but she jumps back onto her feet and sends it flying into a wall. When Lin goes to throw an even bigger chunk of rock Sulifts a wall of earth to block it then sends the wall speeding towards Lin. Lin jumps onto the wall and breaks it into chunks leaving only the piece she’s standing on and throws the rest towards Su in dagger forms.
“Seriously Lin we need to talk about this, you all came here for my birthday but all I’ve ever wanted for my birthday is for you to be happy, you could be happy with Kya,” Su says stopping the dagger inches from her face to have a serious moment.
Upon hearing her sister’s words Lin drops the earth daggers letting them fall in front of Su as she steps closer to her sister. “Su, I’m happy with the way things are now.” even as the words leave her mouth Lin knows she doesn’t mean them, last night was the happiest she’d felt in a very long time -maybe ever- she just isn’t ready to accept that yet.
“Oh my spirits, Lin Beifong I have watched from afar for almost forty years as the two of you idiots have been in love with each other but too scared to do anything, I’ve seen you hug Tenzin while you look at her, I’ve seen her pretend to be happy for you, I watched her almost sink Air Temple Island after finding out he dumped you and I have had to watch you look a Kya while she kisses her new girl of the week wishing it was you. For forty years Lin! Ever since I learnt what love is I’ve known it’s you two! You came for my birthday because you knew last year I wished for us to be a happy family but we can’t be happy unless you are and you’re happy with Kya so just be with her for Spirit’s sake! Su shouts as she grabs her sister by the shoulders shaking her as if to say ‘Wake up to your self stupid!’
“Do you really want me and Kya to be together as your birthday gift?” Lin asks looking directly in her sister’s eyes.
“Yes! Yes Lin, more than anything!” Su shouts jumping like a little kid on Christmas, or Su at any Christmas regardless of the fact she’s almost fifty.
“More than chocolate?” Lin raises her eyebrow in question, knowing her sister’s love of chocolate.
“Yes… but only slightly more.” Su adds upon further reflection.
“Okay, then I’ve got a secret to tell you,” Lin smirks about to reveal a surprise that will blow Su’s mind.
“Ooo, tell me, tell me, tell me!” She jumps excitedly.
“Last night…”
“Yes!”
“Kya and I…”
“YES”
“We kissed…”
Meanwhile, the Airbender kids were struggling to learnt waterbending, Ikki had got it and was now practising in the water to ‘submerge herself in the element’ as she had so gracefully phrased it. Jinnora was starting to get mad as Ikki was already in the water and Meelo wasn’t far behind but she just couldn’t seem to get it.
“Ugh!” she shouted in frustration airbending herself onto a rock bordering the river. “Aunt Kya, I’m never gonna get waterbending!” she sounded more like Ikki or Meelo than herself, she was so mature that sometimes Kya forgets she’s still just a kid.
“Nice rock you got yourself there Kiddo,” Kya says leaning against the boulder as she slaps it twice in mock appreciation.
“You know when I first started waterbending I was horrible at it, people couldn’t believe I was your Grandpa Aang and Grandma Katara’s kid, some older kids even bullied me but eventually I got good at it and now I’m, well you’ve seen me, you know I’m amazing.” Kya laughs as she playfully hits Jinoa’s leg dangling over the rock as she waits for a response.
“yeah, you are pretty amazing.” the young Airbender says proudly.
“Damn straight, now are you gonna get your Airhead butt down here and teach me some airbending or do I have to come up there and water whip you!” Kya laughs joking with the girl in a very fun aunt way.
Eventually, she comes down and they all teach Kya airbending moves and decide to go for a swim before they call it a day. “Did you really used to be bad at waterbending AUnt Kya?” Ikki asks as she swims up next to the woman.
“Oh Spirits no I was always the best at waterbending, even better than your Grandpa Aang, I just said that to make Jinora feel better, sometimes we lie a little to make the people we love feel better,” Kya explains pulling the Airbender close.
“So we can lie if it helps someone we love?” She questions.
“Yes… don’t tell your parents I taught you that but yes, sometimes an occasion calls for lying.”
“I don’t know why J was upset, she’s soooo good at airbending, she doesn’t need waterbending to help her, I just wanted to learn waterbending to be better at airbending like she is, and to know waterbending like you and Gran.”
“I think she was just jealous of you for being so good, she’s used to being good at bending but when she saw you beating her it upset her plus you’re her little sister, how would you feel if Meelo was better than you at something like this?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Damn right I am, I’m always right and you should tell her that you think she’s that good I’m sure she’d love to hear it.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” She says moving away from her Aunt to talk to Jinora.
“Always am!” she shouts back before turning her attention to little Rohan happily splashing in the shallow waters.
“Come here Ro, you got this you can swim over!” She encourages him knowing his natural swimming talent, she taught him herself after all. He leans forward as if he is about to swim the short distance towards her but instead the water in front of him begins to move rapidly.
“Kids! Who’s airbending the water in front of Rohan, you know he could get hurt!” Kya shouts in her best Mom voice but the children just stop their splash fight and look over at the water with shocked expressions.
“It’s not us aunt Kya, promise!” Ikki says as they all hold their hands up in surrender.
“What if it’s hunted!” Meelo shouts airbending himself onto Kya’s shoulders.
“Kids, I think your baby brother is a waterbender!” Kya shouts excitedly pulling the three of them into a bone-crushing hug.
“Yay! Another waterbender!” Meelo shouts.
Followed by Ikki’s “About time the rest of our family’s Waterbenders were getting old!” to which she received one of Kya’s famous water whips before saying “sorry aunt Kya I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Woah does that mean you can actually teach one of us waterbending now Aunt Kya?” Jinora asks exited for her aunt.
“Huh, I guess it does! Come here, little guy!” Ky says as she excitedly scoops the newly discovered waterbender up taking him to dry off as the others follow suit.
“Your Dad is going to be so mad! I can’t wait!” Kya bounces as she rounds the roops readying to tell Tenzin.