Title: To Appreciate Wisdom
Summary: Bolin says thanks to the Spirits. Nobody else seems to think to say it, and with everyone else occupied, he does so properly. One-shot dedicated to Yongoroku
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Avatar: Legend of Korra, I make no money from writing this, I own no rights to the show or anything connected to it.
Warning: Spiritual, lightly sad, hinted at Irosami, Bumi/Lin, Makorra, Bolin completely alone.
Dedication: To Yongoroku at Deviantart as well as at Tumblr for answering my question of Amon dying and Bolin being there. I rock on for this artist and will not stop for a while. It's only fair, since there were four panels drawn for my one picture.
-:-
Don't try to wake up. Just go along until it is over. Don't be afraid.
-The Rose and the Beast: Wolf.
Dark glass that resides in high planes, miles above the heads of the populace, above the earth that is and always would be the night sky, dazzling and magnificent with stars that tried to mimic fireblight-flies and electric eel-butterflies and did so in magnificence. It made standing under it a colossal thing with the waves crashing against the beach and the figure of a young man staring out against the horizon where the moon hung low; admiring how Princess Yue of the Water Tribe presented herself.
There still resided debris along the beach of destroyed mechanical figures that had attempted to destroy Republic City as well as Air Temple Island, but Bolin—the young man that had left his brother, Korra, Asami, Iroh and the rest inside the Temple so they could rest and he could be alone with his thoughts—paid little attention to that. Never mind the attempt at destruction by a fraud that was a corrupted Warerbender, but pay attention to the candle he'd borrowed from the Airbenders' kitchen that he'd lit with the lamp hanging still in the dining room where Bumi and Lin were still talking, if somewhat drunkenly, but light-hearted.
This seemed appropriate, to be alone with fire in his hand, wind flowing gently enough that it wouldn't flicker the flame, but would still make itself present by weaving through his hair and clothes, water ebbing and flowing in crashing waves against the sandy earth all around the island.
He wouldn't think of earlier, he wouldn't think of later, he would just think of where he was in that exact moment, gaining—or trying to, anyway—words to say thanks after a victory.
"Okay…um, well, Spirits," Bolin finally spoke aloud, but hushed in reverence he supposed must try to remain respectful if he was going to do this right the first time, the candle in his hand wiggling its orange and yellow flame, "I wanted to say thanks for, you know, helping the Avatar keep the city safe. She's a really nice girl and I think that she'll be one of the best Avatar's ever when she figures out what you're trying to tell her while she's missing three parts of her bending. I know she'll need friends to help her through it, and if anything else, she can count on me and Mako and the others…"
He paused a moment, taking a breath and not noticing some wind picking up in the water so that it curved awkwardly into a hand stretched wide in greeting and then faded back into a wave; didn't notice the sand fifty feet to his right convulse under a wave like a muscle as the flame upon the candle sparked once so lowly that it could have once been a heartbeat.
He couldn't know that somewhere in an echo of a former state of being that people hardly noticed anymore (unless they were extremely aware of the nature of all things living and not or both at the same time) there was appreciation at his words by someone-something more substantial than human beings. Which was the entire point of his words entering the atmosphere with everyone else on the island (that wasn't a guard) asleep or (like Lin and Bumi) inebriated.
"I don't doubt you did all this for a reason," Bolin sighed, very carefully removing one hand from holding his candle, to make it so he could take a seat on the sandy beach and just stare up at the moon, thinking aloud more than anything. "I just hope she doesn't get angry about it all. Korra has always been more Firebender than anything else, as I'm guessing you all know," he rolled his eyes and some high winds graced the sand before flowing over his head and into the temple. The wind found some wind chimes and their clattering together (dried and ancient bamboo gutted out) made like hollow laughter of a giant lion-turtle from a past event. "So I know she'll get frustrated more than anything. Maybe she'll take it out on you," he waved up towards the constellations, "Maybe, she'll take it out on us…But, as long as she doesn't go it alone, I think she'll be okay."
The flame on the candle expanded less than four millimeters, and the ocean, one mile out into the bay gurgled bubbles. Either action could be dismissed as chance, but Bolin didn't take that opinion; smiling gently at the flame before raising the candle up like a toast to the stars for his last words. At least for that night.
"Here's to Benders and Nonbenders finding resolution in putting aside their differences, as well as finding common ground someday, hopefully soon. Here's to the glory of ancient ways and legends that might lead to understanding. Here's to the Spirits in their infinite wisdom…"
The sea gave onwards a wave that crashed to the beach and splashed sand and water onto his bare feet, leaving behind little designs as the wave stretched backwards, the wind going with it and ruffling Bolin's hair out of place so it swept into his eyes, the flame in his hand almost dying to an ember before allowing the placid Earthbender to finish, almost too quiet to be heard.
"Here's to Korra finding her way to being the person she needs to be, not who everyone wants her to be… To being her own Avatar that can do what needs to be done for everyone, including herself, the people and the Spirits. All whom granted her friendship, love, and the bending granted onto the people only because it was wished by the Powers that Be."
At that, Bolin inhaled and exhaled gently onto the flame, allowing it to go out easy. And for a moment he was left in the darkness of the night, with nothing but the sounds of the beach meeting his senses before his eyes adjusted to the light Yue provided and he lifted himself, pocketing the candle into his pants and he turned back towards the temple. He didn't intend to pop in on Korra and Mako snuggling on her bed, considering Naga was keeping an ear on them with Pabu snuggled into the skin of her neck and he was more concerned with accidentally waking the animals, rather than the Avatar and his brother who probably weren't sleeping, but rather kissing each other until they fell unconscious while still stuck together. Bolin also didn't intend to check in on Asami or Iroh whom he'd left in a room three hours ago playing cards together talking about days to come. And there was no way on earth he was going to look for the Tenzin and his family all sound asleep, nor Bumi and Lin who would both take his head off if he interrupted them in something adult oriented.
He'd put the candle back where he'd borrowed it and then he'd sleep in the room granted to him.
When he disappeared into the Temple, silent as he had left it when he went outside to say thanks to the infinite that he didn't deign to know up front, the wind cycled on a small point on the beach, picking up sand, leaves, bits of seaweed. It did this circular motion for just under a handful of seconds and when it stopped, all the debris dropped to the ground, leaving behind a shape that could mean something, or not when a person focused on it for long enough.
The sea continued to ebb and flow, in and out, but it never came near that shape of debris.