The heat was suffocating but Mai Ling was able to push through the smog, ignoring the irritation of the sweat lining her arms. She faced the building with big, expressive eyes. She could finally see it. She finally could touch it. It was there. It was hers. Despite the fact it needed a lot of TLC, she looked at the positives. Paint didn't cost that much and she could replace that wretched red with a more subtle color, perhaps a pale yellow? It had potential.
She felt a tug on her dress and she looked down at the small boy at her feet. He wasn't as fascinated with the building as he was with her, pleading to her with his innocent green eyes. She offered him a positive smile and knelt down, soothing his rosy cheeks with the glide of her thumb. He smiled at the gentle gestured. Mai was always kind to him. He adored her for that.
"What do you think, Jin?" She asked, picking up the toddler from under the arms to rest him upon the crest of her torso on her hip. "It's going to need a lot of work but we can do it, don't you think?"
The boy nodded, smiling widely at the older woman –although she was no older than eighteen –and clapped his hands excitedly. She giggled and leaned her forehead upon his, kissing his nose. He laughed and patted her cheek before clasping his hands around her neck, nuzzling his head into the crane of her neck. She patted down the back of his head, relaxed by the soft fuzz of midnight black hair that protected his pale skin from the merciless sun above them. Adjusting him on her hip, she advanced forward, holding him securely with one hand as she used the other to push open the door. Under the shade, she felt safe to set him down on his feet. With an awed expression, he started off, determined to explore every inch of the floor plan.
"Be careful, Jin," she warned him, watching him carefully. The young boy didn't escape her dark brown glare as he scurried about like a rodent. "Use your feet, Jin, not your hands," she ordered, prompting the boy to stand up and continue his investigation of the building.
She frowned about, looking at the bareness of the room. She laid a delicate hand on the table, spreading her slender fingers over the dust lining the surface and flicked it off on the skirt of her dress. More expenses, she thought disdainfully but covered it with a strained smile when she caught Jin looking at her from afar. He frowned, too, as he was more perceptive of her emotions. He understood her struggles but his short memory always assured him they'd get through it. They always had before. She would die before she let him down. At one point, she almost did but she pulled through.
Despite her petite frame, she was a fighter. She had to be. She had to protect him. No one else could.
"Mai," he spoke softly, stepping towards her and hugging her legs, rubbing his cheek against the soft fabric of her dress. "It'll be alright," he said, but his speech was hindered by his missing teeth. She smiled and rubbed his head, using her fingertips to message his scalp. He clung to the hems of her dress.
"I know, little bird, I know," she assured him softly, looking around. At least I'll be able to pay for it, she thought optimistically. It's not like I haven't taken risks before. I'll make it. I have to. If not, there's always Ba Sing Se. "How about you explore while I get the stuff from outside, okay? Be a good boy and don't hurt yourself." She knelt down and kissed his forehead. He nodded and wandered off to the back of the store. She hurried outside, rolling up her long sleeves to her elbow, prepared for the heavy lifting but stopped in her tracks as her dark eyes identified three figures looming over her mountain of trunks and bags, one having the audacity to actually scavenge through one of them. "What are you doing?" She commanded, startling them.
One of them narrowed his blackened eyes at the girl, grinning with amusement. He didn't expect such a loud, strong voice from a girl such as herself. She was very easy on the eyes for him with a slim waist tied with a glimmer green sash and a bow hanging off of her hip. The thin dress only skimmed over her knees, slowing off some porcelain skin before white fur lined boots covered the rest of her legs. His companions focused on her face, noticing she was of womanhood, much to their excitement. Her hair was loose of any bindings, letting her thick curls freely hand over her chest.
"Why, why," one of them began, eyeing her up and down, much to her disgust. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?" He winked at her, igniting her rage. He raised his palm up, showing a ball of fire. "We're just looking at a few of your things, you know, being pesky little neighbors."
"Well, you had a look, now shoo," she commanded them, glaring at them. The leader's face dropped.
"You're new so I'll explain the rules," he began, using his other hand to slick back his dark hair. "We're the bosses around here. What yours is ours and what's ours are ours," he smirked.
"I'm familiar with the philosophy," she snarled, stepping forward, surprising them but they weren't moved by her bold actions. Her muscles tensed and she could feel the ground beneath her vibrate. Hold it, she reminded herself. You just came here. Don't start making enemies now.
"So you won't mind if we take a look around," he returned to the bag but before he could dig his hand into its contents, she interrupted him for a second time, angering him.
"I do mind," she boldly stated, taking a defensive stance. He faced her, this time with rage instead of amusement as he had before. His lips curved into a snarl as he prepared a ball of fire in his hand. Too late, she thought, realizing there was no other option. She raised her head to face him directly, glancing at his friends grinning behind him. Okay, I can totally do this. I need to get rid of them first. She strategized, lifting her foot, and stomped. Before they registered what was happening, they found themselves flown backwards by the force of the boulder sent their way, smashing them into the wall. The leader gaped, utterly stunned by her audacity before he was delivered a retaliating blow, sending a blinding blaze of red her way.
She had seen it before and stomped again, erecting a slab of earth to shield her from the flame. As it crumbled by her own doing, she was able to glance at the Firebender's next move. Taking advantage of his intense focus, she shifted her foot, watching the ground below him crumble, throwing off his aim as he fell into the pit she directed. She watched as a line of fire was shot out into the sky as the unsuspecting thug landed on his back in the pit. As he was temporarily imprisoned, she returned her attention to his companions who were quick on their feet and lunging towards her.
She used the same technique on the Waterbender. He realized too late the trap he fell into but before he could leap out, she brought up another layer of ground to cover the opening, encasing him. His Earthbending companion struggled to decide who was more important, his friend or the girl. Ultimately he sought out his friend, opening the earth and reaching his arms in the pit to help pull his friend out from the pit. The Firebender was slowly climbing out of his own pit, clawing at the pavement.
Shoot, Mai cursed mentally, eyeing all three of them. Okay, so the Earthbender is probably the best opponent, so I have to take him out first somehow. Think Mai! You've done this plenty of times back at home. How'd you take the thugs down? She gulped. They smirked, as if they could smell her panic, not realizing it was all on her face.
"Not too confident now, are you sweetheart?" the Firebender taunted, stepping forward. She took another step back to keep the distance between them. He laughed. "Usually I like my girls fiery but you're starting to really tick me off."
"The feeling is mutual," she growled under her breath before firing another boulder at his face. He dodged it effortlessly. The grin on his face fell into another frown. As he prepared another ball of fire, he was suddenly caught off guard by the thundering pain in his head, falling back in a dizzy pain. He didn't realize that as he had advanced forward, she stayed in her position, rounding a round-house kick as soon as she realized he was close enough. The attack was so sudden, he feel prey to it within an instant. He collapsed onto the ground and passed out.
One down, two more to go, Mai thought, glaring at the duo. She focused on the Waterbender. The Earthbender erected a boulder from the ground and kicked it her way. She erected one of her own –a bigger one –to meet it halfway, causing them both to clash and crumble. She did this so it would not injure the building behind her. She didn't want to spend extra costs to repair it.
"That's all you got, sweetheart?" The bigger Earthbender taunted her, just like his fiery companion had only moments ago. She smirked behind her fists. He's asking for it.
She shifted her foot over the hard surface of the ground. The vibrations were supersonic and before the opponent could sense where they were directed, a wall of rock shot out from under him, specifically in between his legs, both stunning him with intense pain of the groin as well as sending him up in the air. As he began to descend, she erected another wall near him, cutting it at the bottom so it would topple over his body and conveniently over the Waterbender, too.
Just as the heavy platform of rock was about to crush their bodies, it crumbled around them, leaving them unharmed but paralyzed with fear. What the heck, she cursed in her head. He's more resilient that I would've hoped. She registered the footfalls of another presence to her left and she spun to her left, facing the new figure rushing into street. She narrowed her eyes at it, and then sent a wave of rock under it, hoping to trip it, but it leapt over it with ease, coming at her faster. She frantically erected a wall between them, crying out with it disappeared in front of her. Her eyes were blinded with red –a line of fire –heading towards her. She ducked and rolled out of the way, narrowly missing it, but could still feel the intense heat on her skin, electrifying her nerves.
She crawled out of the way, desperately stumbling onto her feet, ready to confrontation. From her peripheral vision she saw a little shadow lean into the doorway, with wide, green curious eyes. She opened her mouth to cry for him to get back but was cut off when a massive pain sent her tumbling backwards, where a boulder of rock rolled off of her and onto the sidewalk. She winced as she tried to get up.
"Mai," she heard a boy cry from a distance. "Mai, Mai!" It was hysterical and that vulnerability reminded her to get up, despite the aches throughout her body.
She struggled up, resting upon the wall for balance. As she searched around the premises, she caught the feminine form of her attacker. She raised her hands in a fist and punched the air, erecting multiple boulders, levitating them in the air until she could focus in on the right moment. The moment presented itself as the girl in blue approached her. She slammed two boulders to her left, so that the stranger would be forced to lean right to avoid them, and that's when she sent the final boulder. The trapped attacker fell victim to Mai's strategic planning as the boulder rammed into their shoulder, sending them tumbling backwards. A loud cry fell from their lips as they was tripped backwards from the small mound Mai erected from behind their feet, adding another injury to the previous one.
We need to run, Mai desperately wanted, glancing at the doorway of the shop where she last saw Jin. But, she second guessed, also catching the luggage placed outside the door. I need to defend our home, at any cost. That's all we have.
The figure jumped out, also in defensive stance, and the two coiled around each other, eyeing the other with critical eyes. Mai noticed the stranger was dressed prominently in blue –water tribe attire –and yet, she remembered this person wielded fire. Her thing eyebrows furrowed, confused by this. The stranger shared a similar expression, confused by the endurance and perseverance of the small woman, and the extent of her bending.
"Wait," the stranger spoke, lowering her fist, "I saw you. You were the one they were attacking…you were only defending yourself, weren't you?"
Mai nodded slowly, agreeing with the stranger's revelation. She waited a moment before lowering her own fists, after they silently agreed on a truce.
"I'm sorry," the stranger apologized, extending her hand out for Mai to shake. "I saw the fight and had to investigate and got caught up in the rush… You were really good out there. I'm Korra."
Mai smiled solemnly. "I'm Mai Ling. I just came here with my little brother and these goons," Mai nodded towards the exhausted benders stumbling over the rock to gather their fallen comrade. "These goons tried to steal my luggage. I just did what I could to prevent them from stealing what little I have left."
Korra smiled. "You did a good job in doing that," she acknowledged, watching them drag off his buddies. She looked torn from going after them or to talk to the exciting new stranger. "Do you want me to go after them?"
Mai shook her head. "As much as I want them gone for good, killing them would be no use. I don't advocate for that, especially not in front of my little brother. I don't want him to grow up believing killing is okay, no matter what circumstance. They learned their lesson and if they want to come back again, they'll be faced with something worse than what just happened today."
"Where did you learn to bend like that? I never seen such fighting before, not from an Earthbender I mean. You were amazing!" Korra asked excitedly. Mai nodded modestly, thanking her lowly before her eyes shifted back to the door where Jin was slowly emerging from. She smiled at the little boy and waved him forward.
"I grew up in a bad part of town in Ba Sing Se where crime is a common occurrence. I had to grow up and fight for what's mine, especially when my parents weren't home very often. I had to fend for myself and as the years passed, I learned from different people and places. It was a survival thing," Mai explained, shrugging her shoulders. "Korra, meet my little brother, Jin. Jin, honey, meet Korra."
Jin bowed his head respectively and hid behind Mai's legs. "I'm sorry. He's a little shy," Mai meekly smiled, embarrassed. "I have a question to ask you," Mai mused, "if that's all right."
Korra smiled widely. "Ask away!"
"You can bend fire yet you dress in Water Tribe clothing. Can you explain that contradiction for me please?"
Korra laughed and bent over, bowing slightly before straightening herself out to face Mai with a grin. "I'm the Avatar."
Mai raised a brow, skeptical at first. Korra realized this and proved it by erecting a small mound of earth at her feet, before pushing it back down, replacing it with fire, then extinguished it in her palm. Jin stared at Korra, gaping, awed. Mai chuckled at her little brother, rubbing his head. Korra was a little surprised by Mai's almost neutral reaction to it. She was very calm for someone her age. Jin broke out of his mold though and started bombarding Korra with questions.
"I think you just met your biggest fan yet Korra," Mai joked, smiling. "I would invite you inside but it's all empty."
"I could help you unpack," Korra offered, noticing the stack of trunks and sacks. "It wouldn't be out of my way, I promise."
"What do you say, Jin? Do you want her to help?" Mai asked her little brother, radiant with a smile as Korra held the boy in her arms. Jin nodded his head enthusiastically. Mai nodded. "I guess that's a yes, if you don't mind. I'd definitely appreciate the help."
Korra was taken aback by Mai's strength when she lifted a wide trunk on her own and carried it with ease and efficiency into the small condo, coming back within a minute for a second. Who knew the girl had it in her? Each and every second, Korra was more engrossed with her, so engrossed Korra couldn't resist asking as many questions as she possibly could.
"So, what was your family like?"
"Have you lived anywhere else other than Ba Sing Se?"
"Is Jin your only brother? Is he your only sibling?"
"What do you plan to do with the main floor?"
Strangely, Mai was very vague with her responses, and if possible, would avoid anything related to her distant family, leaving Korra clueless. The only hint she got was that they were rarely around and that she had to take care of Jin all on her own. Korra decided to give her some space. Obviously she didn't want anyone knowing about her past yet and that was completely understandable. But…Korra couldn't shake one question off her mind.
"How did you learn to bend like that? I know you told me you learned it to fend for yourself but what helped you learn? Was it from a person or did you watch from a distance?" Korra shot off again as they rested on the steps inside. Jin was sleeping upstairs quietly in his new bed. Mai –once again –shot Korra a worn look.
"I can't word it any differently Korra," Mai sighed. "I watched different people, experimented with different moves, until I felt confident with the results I was getting." Korra frowned, unsatisfied with the answer. "You probably learned in a very different way than I did, you being the Avatar. I had to learn out of need, not because I was gifted, but because my survival depended on it." She shook her head.
"Can you teach me?" Korra asked, inspired by Mai. Mai was taken back, widening her eyes. She pointed at herself for a second, in disbelief, before setting her hands down in her lap, knitting her eyebrows together in deep thought.
"I'm not sure how…I wasn't taught so I don't know where to start…plus, I bet you already know how to Earth bend. Why would you want me to teach you?"
"Because," Korra started, standing up to stretch, "while I was watching you bend, you took me head-on, something people try to do a lot but rarely succeed, but you, you took me on and you hit me, and you weren't scared to face it. I haven't seen that kind of determination and courage in a long time."
"Korra," Mai tried to explain. "It wasn't because I was brave. Trust me, I was anything but. If I could, I would've run with Jin to somewhere safe but because the situation didn't permit it, I had to stay and fight. I was not confident I would win. I was just hoping to hold you off and wear you down. I didn't anticipate striking you down for good."
"But you did," Korra exclaimed. "Don't undermine your abilities. You took on 3 separate benders at the same time, knocking one out and almost ending the other two." Mai narrowed her eyes at Korra, realizing she's the one that altered the rock to crumble the moment before it slammed over the thugs' bodies. "Then you sent me tumbling across the street. Do you realize how hard that is? How much energy that requires?"
"I was just protecting Jin," Mai dismissed it. "It wasn't anything special." Mai subconsciously looked upstairs for reassurance.
Korra smiled. "You really love that boy, don't you?"
"More than anything in the world," Mai confided. "He's my world, my purpose. Everything I do is for him. If anything were to happen to him, if I were to let him down…" Mai's bottom lip trembled, as a distant but painful memory made her wince. "He needs me and I can't fail him."
Korra frowned and took Mai's hand into her own to show her support. Mai nodded, acknowledging the sentimental motion and squeezed Korra's hand.
"He was only four when we left home. He doesn't remember any of it and I'd like to keep it that way. I was sixteen at the time, barely an adult myself. I wanted him to stay home with the others, where he was guaranteed a chance, unlike me, but he followed me, clung to me. I was the only one who cared for him emotionally and he knew that, so when I left, he was determined to go with me, for better or worse." Mai smiled as tears gathered in her eyes. She wiped them away with her finger. "We've been through some pretty tough situations but it's gotten a lot better. I'm starting my business –as tailor shop –where I'll hopefully make enough to give him the life he deserves."
"I'm sure it'll be a hit," Korra voted her confidence in Mai.
"Thank you Korra," Mai sincerely said. "I appreciate it." Mai looked out the window and the blackness of the glass. "It's getting late, Korra," Mai noticed. "You should head home soon or else your folks will get worried." Mai got up and dusted off her skirt and rolled her shoulders. "Feel free to stop by anytime. I'd love to chat with you again. You're a pretty nice girl. I'm glad we met, despite the circumstances," Mai added a laugh that Korra joined in. "Come around in the afternoon tomorrow? We should have lunch. You can show me around Republic City."
"I'd love to," Korra agreed, hugging Mai close. "Do you mind if I bring some good friends of mine?"
Mai frowned. "I wouldn't mind but Jin might. You saw how he was with you at first. He's extremely shy. I don't want to overwhelm him. I'd like to introduce him to the new setting slowly. I'm sorry. Is it okay if it's just the three of us?"
Korra nodded. "I completely understand! We can definitely do that. So I'll see you tomorrow!"
Mai waved to Korra as she exited the building and into the dark, blending under the cover of shade.
She closed the door behind her, locking it, blowing out the candle on the shelf and headed up the stairs, throwing off her dress as she prepared for bed, exchanging it for a thinner fabric for the hot night. As she slid under the covers, wrapping an arm over Jin's sleeping body. She counted his breaths, sighing in relief at his even breath. He was relaxed, and for that alone, she could sleep easily. Her eye lids enclosed her eyes, sending her deep into the blackness of her mind.
When she awoke that morning, she instantly felt for Jin, sighing in relief when her hand touched his warm skin. She pressed her lips to his temple and whispered a "good morning" to his ears, despite him not hearing her. She stepped out of bed and dressed herself hurriedly, not bothering to fix her hair, instead settling with a messy pony tail.
"Mai," Jin grumbled, slowly rising from the sheets. She turned from the mirror to him and shushed him, knowing how tired he still was.
"It's early, sweetheart," she said quietly, kneeling down to comb his hair with her fingers. "Go back to sleep, buddy. You don't need to wake up quite yet."
"You look really nice, Mai," he mumbled into his pillow. "You look like a princess."
She laughed and pushed back some of his hair.
"Thanks, little buddy," she whispered, pulling the covered up to his shoulders, watching his eyelids flutter.
"Where are you going?" He asked. "Please don't go without me."
She kissed his forehead. "Don't worry, little buddy," she assured. "I'm not going anywhere in a long time. I'm just going to broom the downstairs so it won't be so dusty, all right? Sleep in, kiddo." He nodded and fell deeper into sleep until his quiet snores assured her that he was deep in slumber.
She rolled up her sleeves again, slipping into flats, before grabbing a broom and sweeping up the dust from the wooden floors, coughing a bit as clouds of it surrounded her. Her eyes brimmed with tears from the irritation but they glowed with determination. She continued her work until the pattering of little feet distracted her. She stopped to look at the stairs where Jin approached her.
"Can we go to the store?" He asked. "I'm hungry."
"Of course," she submitted, resting the broom on the wall. She pushed back her hair with her hand and extended her fingers out for Jin to grab as they walked out the door. Mai locked it behind her and watched gratefully as Jin darted off stumbling over his feet but eagerly yipped cheerfully for Mai to follow him. She easily caught up to his energetic pace and watched him carefully as they made their way through the city.
She was proud that he was able to dress himself –usually she would have to deal with that –but now he was close to six, he gained a newfound independence, including dressing himself.
"Hey, hot stuff," she heard someone call from a distance. She spun around and glared at the mass of people around her, trying to locate the pervert but found it futile. She returned her attention to Jin before he could get lost in the crowd.
"Slow down, Jin," she warned him. Suddenly she felt a hand on her waist, pulling her back. She was thrown backwards, slamming into hard muscle. Instantly she looked up, angry with whoever surprised her, and fought against his grip, pulling away from him violently. She glared at the young man. He grinned obnoxiously as he eyed her up and down.
"Usually girls don't reveal that much of themselves out here," he began, focusing in on her bare, porcelain legs. "I can see why. They wouldn't compare to a beauty like you." She growled.
"Don't touch me again," she warned him, turning her back to him as she headed back to Jin who began to blend in with the mass of people. "Jin! Jin! Stop," she called out to him desperately. She felt her dress being tugged back again, making her stumble backwards into the arms that had trapped her in the first place. This time she didn't bother giving him a warning and with a sudden stomp, sent him flying into the air as the ground beneath him was tossed up. She watched him fall back into the crowd a couple of yards away but that was it for her, as she turned her attention in front of her where she last saw Jin. "Jin! JIN! Jin, honey, come here!" Her voice was muted by the roar of the crowd. Her heart began to beat rapidly, painfully within her chest as panic pumped within in her blood stream.
Jin realized too late he was separated from his guardian when he looked behind him and saw nothing but adults dressed in gray, not in a pale green he remembered Mai was wearing. He trembled and cried out her name but his voice didn't rise above their heads. He pressed himself against the wall, falling into a fetal position as he began to cry. The sun above him was blocked suddenly, prompting him to raise his head from his lap to whoever was obstructing the sun. He gasped when a broad shouldered boy loomed over him.
Instantly he closed his eyes, scared as memories flashed before him, igniting another set of tears. He was terrified and shied away further from the man.
"Hey, hey buddy, don't cry," the man soothed Jin, kneeling down. He extended his large palm to Jin. "I'm Bolin. Are you lost?" Jin raised his head and eyed the man wearily. He noticed many similarities between them. His dark, curly hair, the dimples on his face, his green eyes…
"Are you an Earthbender?" Jin asked meekly. Bolin grinned and nodded.
"Yes I am," he answered, picking the boy up, much to Jin's shock. At first he struggled violently, crying out loudly. "Hey, hey, quit squirming, I won't hurt you, see?" Bolin assure him, supporting him on his shoulder. Jin paused, noticing his new perspective over the crowd. "So, are you an Earthbender, too?"
Jin shook his head. "No but my big sister is. She's a really good Earthbender!" He boasted, holding Bolin's head for support as they pushed through the crowd.
Bolin grinned. "I'd love to meet her, bro. My big brother is a Firebender. It's kind of weird, being an Earthbender but I love him."
Jin agreed. "I love Mai, too. She's the best big sister anyone could have!"
"I bet. What about your Mom kiddo?"
Jin frowned but Bolin didn't see this. He patiently waited for Jin to answer and after a moment of silence, he spoke up. "My mommy died."
Bolin's face dropped, sympathizing for the kid. "I'm sorry buddy. I lost my parents, too, when I was little. It's just my brother and I. Is your dad still around?"
"No."
"I'm sorry, buddy. At least you have your sister. Were you with her before you got lost?"
Jin nodded. "I don't know where she is," he began to tremble with fear. Bolin felt him shake. "I lost her in the crowd. I'm scared I won't see her again."
"Don't worry, little buddy, we'll find her. I bet she's looking for her right now." Bolin assured him. "I didn't catch your name. My name is Bolin," Bolin repeated. "What's yours?"
"Jin," Jin announced proudly. "I just moved her yesterday."
"Where from," Bolin inquired to distract the boy as they continued to maneuver through the crowd.
"Ba Sing Se," Jin said. Bolin looked up, amazed.
"That's very far from here," Bolin realized, amazed. "Why'd you move?"
Jin shrugged. "I don't know. We've been traveling around a lot."
"That sounds like a lot of fun, Jin. Mako –my brother –and I have never left the city. You have to tell me about all you saw on your travels, okay buddy? Now, describe your sister so I can look for her, too, okay?"
"She's really pretty with a green dress," Jin described.
"You gotta do more than that, kid," Bolin retorted, eyeing the crowd. "No offense but there's a lot of pretty girls in green dresses." Jin scowled at Bolin.
"Nuh-uh," Jin protested loudly. "My sister is the prettiest!"
"Okay, I believe you buddy but that won't help me find her," Bolin explained. "What does she look like? Dark hair, long hair…?"
"Nuh-uh," Jin began. "She has light hair, and brown eyes, and pale skin, and she has a short green dress. She's wearing a pony tail, too."
"Much better, buddy," Bolin patted his leg while holding him on his shoulders so the boy wouldn't fall.
Mai was about to lose it. She was ravaging the crowd, shoving anyone who stood in her way as she navigated through the mass of people. "Hey, get out of my way," she demanded as she pushed past a couple of men. "Jin! JIN! Buddy, come on! Where are you?" She hysterically cried.
Suddenly, her frustration burst, as someone knocked her over. Staring at the ground, she narrowed her eyes and sneered, clawing at the pavement, getting a good grasp on the solid surface as she pushed herself up. Her banes fell over her face, covering her dark eyes. Suddenly the ground under her began to tremble. The tremors started the other pedestrians around her who looked around at each other frantically.
"Earthquake," someone yelled from the distance. "It's an earthquake! Quick! Everybody to safety," a few of them urged, pushing each other violently to shelter. They shoved against each other violently, pushing them down so they could gain the upper advantage. A woman tripped over Mai, crying out as her elbows scraped against the pavement.
"Miss," the young woman said as she pulled herself up, grabbing Mai's hand and pulling her up, too. Mai was in a daze, unaware of the chaos as her head rang from the trauma to her head. "Miss, we gotta go, it's an earthquake." As soon as the words left her ruby red lips, the tremors began to shimmer away into a dim memory. Everybody was still hesitant to believe it though and huddled together far from the street center, looking around wearily. "That was close. Are you okay? You took a tumble," the woman guessed, examining Mai for scrapes and bruises, only to conclude her unscathed. She sighed in relief. "Are you okay?" she asked again, noticing the distance in Mai's eyes and how she clutched the left side of her head. Mai shook her head, wobbling around until the woman took her into a hug, holding her up.
"No," Mai mumbled. "I-I need to find Jin. Where's Jin?"
"You're hysterical," the woman murmured, feeling Mai's forehead. "You don't seem to be running a fever. That's good. Come with me, we'll get you help. You look extremely pale. What's your name?" She inquired, guiding Mai along with the rest of the crowd to the sidelines.
"Mai," she mumbled, looking around with intense eyes, pulling away from the woman abruptly, startling her with her newfound strength. "I have to find Jin." The woman tried to pull her back but was shaken off by Mai's determination.
"It's not safe," the woman cried. "Come back!"
Mai didn't mind her and continued to walk forward. She was relieved the streets had been cleared, allowing a better perspective of the area.
Bolin rose from the ground but still kept Jin covered, protectively looming over him, prepared to take a blow from any possible falling debris. After a minute of waiting, he stood up, pulling Jin up and holding him close to his leg, not ready to let him go.
"That was…odd," Bolin murmured to him. "I can't remember ever having an earthquake before. Where's Asami? Okay little dude, let's go, we better find your sister and my friend, too. Things have gone insane in zero to five seconds. Grab my hand, okay?" Bolin extended his hand and pulled Jin onto his feet and held him in his strong arms, refusing to let the boy drop. "What's her name again?"
"Mai," Jin replied. "Mai," he cried out, using his hands to amplify his voice. It carried out in echoes unlike before. Bolin looked up, impressed. "Mai, where are you?"
Mai's head shot to left, hearing Jin's voice loud and clear. "Jin! I'm right here, buddy! Where are you? Jin! Answer me!"
"I heard her!" Jin screamed excitedly, almost falling off of Bolin's shoulder.
"Huh? I didn't hear anything."
"Jin!" Mai screamed hysterically, walking towards the direction of his voice.
"Mai," Jin shouted back, looking among the people sorting themselves out. His eyes searched desperately for her green dress. "Mai, Mai, I'm over here! Hurry, Mai!"
"I hear you buddy," Mai shouted back, still looking around frantically. "I heard you! I can't see you though! Where are you?"
"I'm over here!" Jin started to wave his hands furiously, in the direction of Mai's voice. She vaguely saw a motion like wings off in the distance but didn't think anything of it –seeing it was it was levitated and she didn't expect Jin –a boy barely up to her hips –could be up that high, until his voice resonated from that direction again. She stared harder at that direction, focusing on the tall man and the figure on his shoulders until it clicked into her mind, recognizing Jin's gray attire.
"JIN!" She yelled. She could hardly contain herself or the grin on her face. She practically flew towards them, her feet barely touching the ground, until she had to abruptly herself or else risk running into the burly man. She managed to slide for a few yards, pulling some threads on her flats but she didn't mind, too concerned with the younger boy.
"That's your sister?" Bolin asked in disbelief. All he caught from her furious sprint was the cute green dress waving in the wind and her hair bouncing behind her in a long train with expressive, beautiful brown eyes that captured his heart whole like a bird and a bow and arrow.
Jin cried out in joy and leapt off of Bolin's shoulders into Mai's arms.
The reunited pair spun around as she cradled his head into her neck, clutching him closely to her chest, mumbling sweet things into his ears. "Oh my spirits, you gave me a heart attack. Don't ever do that to me again…"
"Oh Mai," the boy began to sob into her shoulder. "I was so scared! I didn't know if I'd ever find you!"
"Well you did," she assured him, stoking his hair. "I won't ever let you out of my sights again. I was so worried. I practically destroyed the town I was so devastated at the thought you were hurt and lost." Jin giggled and clung to her neck, hugging her for dear life.
She was too caught up with Jin she almost missed Bolin completely but she caught a quick glance at his expression, taken off guard by his eyes. She didn't understand the reasoning behind the intensity of them. She just didn't realize he was star struck.
She was absolutely beautiful, just like Jin had described, with a free air around her, and a natural elegance in her voice and graceful steps.
"Uh…Hi…I'm Bolin…" He stuttered, wavering under her intense stare. She was hesitant to trust this man, narrowing her eyes at him and straightening her lips until Jin assured her otherwise by tugging on the collar of her dress.
"He's the one that protected me," Jin explained softly. Mai nodded, understanding. Her face relaxed within a moment, changing her stressed expression into a serene one that fit her features much better. She supported Jin with one arm and used the other to extend her arm out to Bolin.
"Hi Bolin, thank you for looking out for my brother," she said sincerely. "You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I will be forever in your debt. If you need a favor, I'd be happy to oblige," she declared honestly, making Bolin blush intensely. She gave him a smile. "I'm Mai Ling but please feel free to call me Mai."
Mai fit her, he thought. She was simple in her attire, wearing only single color of green and without a touch of make-up, she was stunning.
"How about dinner," Bolin began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Jin grinned mischievously as he identified Bolin's embarrassment. He had witnessed many boys trying to do the same but as expected, Mai would always shoot them down.
"I'm sorry Bolin but right now isn't a good time," Mai apologized deeply, shaking her head. Bolin's smile plummeted. "I have to go now," she bid him, bowing her head respectively. "Thank you for helping my brother again." She trotted off