(Okay! So this is part 1 of a 4 part series, each depicting a member of Team Avatar with their mentor, I guess. It's Lin/Bolin, Iroh/Mako, Bumi/Asami, and Tenzin/Korra. Just so we're clear THESE AREN'T SHIPS. First off, Lin and Bolin, then Iroh and Mako.)
Underneath Pile of Rubble, Inside the Abandoned Beifong's Metalbending Academy
"Uh...is this where you train all your metalbenders, Miss Beifong?"
"No. Only the special ones. I train my officers elsewhere, but I have a feeling that you're not going to become just any old officer, Bolin. You have amazing potential. And call me Lin." She flashed a rare, warm smile at the teenager, and gave him a once over. With his build, and the right attitude, he would become something great.
"Amazing potential? Can't say I've heard that more than a few times..." Bolin mumbled, uncharacteristically humble.
"Don't sell yourself short, boy."
"Have you ever been able to metalbend before?"
"I'm afraid not Miss Bei-I mean, Lin. Mako's been able to bend lightning, but I can't bend metal." he answered, sheepishly.
Lin immediately realized something and smiled knowingly.
"I see what's going on here."
"You...do?"
"You have an inferiority complex. You feel inadequate. Don't compare yourself to Mako. This is exactly what's slowing you down. Earthbenders are comfortable in their own skin. They know who they are. I see that confidence in you. But it always falters when you're with your brother. You need to change that. I know you have something in you, something special. I wouldn't have offered to train you, out of the blue, otherwise. Do you know how my mother chose her first metalbending students?"
"No. How?"
"My mother, as you know, was blind. But as she constantly reminded everyone, she didn't think of it like a disability. She 'saw' things with her feet. She could sense movements a mile away, 'see through'layers of earth, and could feel the presence of a person and identify them just by memorizing their footsteps. Her 'seismic sense.' she taught it to me, but I never got as good as her. They say that when you lose one sense, all your others are heightened. She was marvelous. But I digress. She wore a metal bracelet on her arm. Made of space 'earth.' She noticed that sometimes, when she was out an about, the bracelet shivered slightly. But only when the people around her got very emotional. She figured out that only three people caused this. She figured that if these people could make her bracelet move, then maybe-just maybe-they could metalbend too."
"But these people must have been something special! Only three, out of a few million earthbenders."
"Not at all. They were a far cry from 'special.' First, a rather rotund boy, Ho Tun. He loved food, and had this idea that everything was going to end in doom. Next, a rich little girl with an unhealthy obsession with shoes, named Penga. She rarely used her bending before mom took her under her wing. Then last, but not least, some moody teenage idiot, called himself 'The Dark One.' Hated everyone and everything, because of his ridiculous name."
"What was his name?"
Lin flinched, and motioned for Bolin to come closer. She whispered it into his ear.
"Oh spirits! No wonder that guy hated everything! What were his parents thinking?"
"That's exactly what uncle Sokka said. But, as you can see, these people weren't very special at all. You've probably got years of experience on them. However, metalbending requires a traditional form of earthbending, not the modern style you used in the arena."
"I'm willing to learn...Lin."
"I realize that all your life, you've been taught to be quick on your feet. But for metalbending, you're stance needs to be solid, stubborn, and sure, just like the earth you bend. And keep your feet flat on the ground!"
"Yes Ma'am!"
"Good. Just like that. Now, press your hand against the wall. Metal is, in essence, just earth that has gone through pressure and pain, to become purified. But it is still earth. This wall has…chinks in the armor, if you will. Small, but detectable. You need to find these impurities, and bend them. Only then will you be able to manipulate the wall as a whole."
"But what if the wall has no impurities?"
"Good question. This particular wall is steel. It has imperfections, therefore, it's bendable. Platinum is an example of a very, very pure metal. No one has been able to bend it as of yet. Now, feel the wall. Sense the impurities, and manipulate them."
Bolin closed his eyes, as pushed his and into the wall. His could sense those imperfections that Lin was talking about, but not nearly enough to bend them. After much concentration, he realized that ever though his stance needed to be strong and sure, he couldn't keep looking at only one area of the wall. He rubbed his palm all over the wall, until he found a section that was bendable. Slowly, he sunk his fingers into it, as if it were some sort of clay, and twisted his hand, surprised at how pliable it was. He placed his other hand, and began to pull the wall apart, slowly, but surely.
Another smile graced Lin's face. Not just a small one, but an ear-to-ear grin.
"That was a very good first try, young pupil. I'm very, very proud. Yes, I'm sure you'll surpass the ranks of 'officer'very quickly, kid."
Bolin quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, um...what exactly do you mean by that? Are you saying that I could become Chief of Police?"
"Oh heavens no! That is a job that requires abiding by the law. Something that you don't seem to be good at. Don't fret, though. I don't have much regard for the rules either. Same with mom. We both preferred to function...Outside the Law. I imagine that you will become something much, much more important than Chief, Bolin."
"Thanks, Miss Lin. You're actually much cooler than I thought."
"And you're much more competent than I thought. And remember-it's just Lin."
Bolin smiled. "I'll choose to take that as a compliment, Lin."