A little something for my girl Kelly, I hope this makes her smile.
This is rough, if there are any errors please point them out to me.
***
The Fire Ferrets were going up against the Black Badger Moles in an impromptu exhibition match with a hefty pot for the winner. But there was something a little different about this match. The Black Badger Moles only had two members, the Almagam Sisters. The Almagam Sisters were famous for their unique ability to bend two elements each. Other than the Avatar, being able to bend more than one element was simply unheard of. And even after the Almagam Sisters proved it could happen it couldn't be replicated, no one else had been able to bend another element in the seventeen years the girls were alive and they like it like that.
"So what's with these girls again?" Korra asked as they strapped on their gear.
"They're twins, Akemi and Keiko. Akemi can bend fire and earth and Keiko water and earth. They only have two people on their team because of that but it also puts them at a disadvantage," Mako explained.
"It means we have one less person to knock off the platform," Bolin added. "Oh hey Pabu."
"They have a fire bending dad, waterbending mom, and are some great descendants of an earthbender," Mako went on.
"That's impossible, no matter how many people say it I can't believe that these girls can bend more than one element. Only I can do that!" Korra exclaimed.
"Believe it," Mako said. "We've watched them bend. They're good."
"Really good," Bolin added.
"I bet they're not that good," Korra said arrogantly, Mako just shook his head at her as he pulled his last glove on.
"Let's get going, the match is about to start."
The Almagam Sisters were already on the platform matched in black gear but that's pretty much as far as their similarities went. Akemi was the fire and earth bender with long brown curly hair tied back and tan skin and green eyes, slightly shorter than her sister with a goofy smile on her face. Keiko stood with her arms crossed looking bored as her golden eyes focused on Korra. Her bright red curls were tied back like her sister's but her skin was paler with a tinge of pink from being in the sun too long.
Korra, Mako and Bolin reached their first zone and faced the sisters. The referee took his place on his stand and the buzzer sounded for the start of the match.
Perfectly in sync the sisters stomped down with their inside foot and all four plates rose from the earth dispensers. Korra had drawn up water from the grates but not in time to stop all four clay plates that were thrown at her. Korra was thrown flat on her back and into zone two. A buzzer sounded and the twins laughed. "She might be the Avatar, but she's no pro-bender," Keiko still shook with laughter. She was so focused on the Avatar that she didn't notice the stream of fire Mako sent at her, but her sister did and quelled it with a sweep of her foot. Stepping in front of her sister and glaring at Mako.
His face remained stoic as he sent another blast at them. Akemi dispersed that one too while Keiko stepped out from behind her to try and send Korra back another zone but Bolin shot a disc at Akemi nearly sending her back a zone if Keiko hadn't caught her hand and pulled her back.
Blows were given and dodged but in the end Keiko sent Bolin back another zone, winning the sisters the round. Everyone moved back to zone one to start the second round, the girls looking smug but not cocky.
The buzzer sounded and Mako instantly sent a wave of fire at Akemi while she was focused on Korra. The fire singed through her pad and her sleeve and sent her stumbling back a zone with a cry of surprise. "You okay?" Keiko asked her sister.
"Fine." She ground out. There was enough heat in that flame to sear her skin if she hadn't been wearing pads. Mako was pissed, and now so was she. The Avatar was in no better mood as she tried to drown Keiko with a wave of water. A whistle was blown and Korra was given a yellow fan. A water blast cannot exceed one second. She grumbled something and moved back a zone. Keiko glared at her through sopping wet bangs. "Keiko," her sister started to warn but it was too late. Keiko had already kicked up a disc and aimed it at Korra's face plate. Akemi was the one who broke it mid-air. "Keiko!" Her sister barked over the whistle. Everyone looked to the second yellow fan given in seconds. It was illegal to shoot anything other than water at another player's head.
Keiko glared and huffed out a breath before moving back a zone to stand beside her sister. This allowed Mako and Bolin and Korra to all move forward into the Black Badger Moles' zone one. Akemi tried to catch her sister's eye but it was trained on Korra. Now she understood. This was personal for Keiko and Mako had already caught wind of that, Bolin was oblivious and Korra hadn't the slightest inkling of why Keiko was picking on her so much.
Akemi rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated huff. Keiko and Mako had been – involved in the past and Akemi knew her sister's feelings hadn't changed towards the firebender and now she was taking it out on Korra, the new girl in Mako's life.
She didn't bother saying anything, she knew her sister wouldn't listen so she focused on the task at hand. Korra was coming at Keiko with a vengeance leaving Akemi to deal with the brothers alone. Despite all that was going on Bolin smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back. She swallowed up Mako's flame and shot a disc at each of the brothers. There wasn't much time left in the round, if the sisters didn't move forward they would lose the round.
Akemi felt it before it before she saw it, not the fire blast aimed at her leg, but her sister being thrown off the back of the platform. She had been fighting blindly, all offense no defense and left herself wide open to Korra's attacks. Akemi felt her sister's frustration but had to push it to the back of her mind. If she was blown off the platform they would lose the match and that was unacceptable. She had to focus and stay in her zone. So for the last forty-seven seconds she was on defense, but she still managed to knock Bolin back a zone. However, the Fire Ferrets still won the second round.
Keiko was allowed back on the platform, and she was radiating anger. She took her place next to her sister, glaring. Then Korra said, "For not being a pro-bender it was pretty easy to knock you off the platform."
"Korra!" Mako snapped but it was too late, Keiko started at the Avatar but Akemi caught the back of her uniform and pulled her back forcefully.
She stepped fully into her sister's path, "Stop it! Deal with her later, right now we have a match to win. Focus!" she shoved her sister again and Keiko pushed past her, purposely shoving her shoulder, to assume the starting position. Akemi went to stand next to her mumbling obscenities under her breath. "You good?"
Keiko didn't reply but Akemi knew the answer. They wouldn't lose the round.
Three minutes later the round was called at a draw, kissing your sister. Both teams stood heaving in their respective first zones. In the event of a tie a face off would occur between one member of each team. The two benders would face off in the center ring of the platform and the first to fall off would lose. The referee came onto the platform with a yuon in hand. Since the Fire Ferrets were technically the home team they would call the toss and the winner of the toss would choose the element that would be fought with.
"Captain call it."
"Heads," Mako said clearly.
The coin landed in the middle and everyone crowded around to see it. Heads.
"I wanna go," Korra said.
"No," Mako and Akemi said at the same time. Akemi knew that if Mako chose Korra to face off she'd have to go against Keiko. Players only ever did a face off with the same element. And Akemi wasn't entirely sure Keiko would stop after Korra was knocked off the platform, and she couldn't have her sister killing the Avatar.
"I'll go," Mako said.
"That means I'm up," Akemi said and felt her sister's hot glare on her back. She turned with a raised eyebrow and her sister's expression softened a fraction. She gave a short nod, a goodluck and stepped back. The others followed suit and the platform separated so only the center circle remained. The firebenders bowed to one another and the buzzer sounded.
For a moment nothing happened, just a shared look. Then the fire came. There were no zones in the circle so they were free to move around. Flaming fists and feet were everywhere, neither losing balance even once. There was no time limit in a tie breaker, this could last all night. But Akemi didn't have the patience for that. She felt the heat of the flame on her bare arm where the fabric had torn and quickly grew pissed when she remembered that Mako had nearly burned her, on purpose. In the close proximity with all the fire she had begun to sweat profusely, she tore off her helmet and in Mako's brief moment of confusion she aimed a double fisted attack at his chest he stumbled back and swung a roundhouse kick at him but he recovered fast enough to catch it and twist her foot so she nearly fell off the platform
One of her legs dangled over the ledge but she threw her weight back onto the circle. Unfortunately for her this gave Mako an advantage. He brought a firey foot down but she rolled out of the way sending up blind flames for a distraction. She quickly rolled to her feet and threw a flame at him. He dodged the first one but not the second, perfectly aimed one. It hit his left shoulder then the next on hit his right. The third, a kick, hit him in the stomach and sent him teetering on the edge. Akemi smirked as she delivered the final blow a fire clap sending a blaze over Mako and he went tumbling into the water.
The rest didn't matter to the sisters, they were announced winners and given their prize money and Akemi dragged her sister away before words could be exchanged with the Fire Ferrets.
But back in the locker room Korra had plenty to say, "— I mean what is her problem? She was attacking me like it was some sort of personal vendetta. And she was so snarky, what an attitude!"
"You didn't help Korra!" Mako nearly shouted at her. Bolin and Korra stared at him.
"She started it!"
"Why are you acting like you're five! You're supposed to be the Avatar!" he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Mako, is this because of—"
Mako cut off his brother before he could finish, "No."
"Because of what?" Korra looked back and forth between them. "Someone fill me in here."
There was a moment of silence before Bolin answered, "Mako and Keiko used to … date. It didn't end well."
"What do you mean it didn't end well?" Korra pressed.
"We met in the Triads. It was never going to work anyway," he said hollowly. "I'm going outside to get some air." Then he was gone.
"I screwed up didn't I?" Korra asked, staring at the spot Mako had been.
"Only a little," Bolin shrugged.
"I have to go after him," she said, pulling off the rest of her pads.
"Suit yourself," Bolin shrugged, used to his brother's moodiness. "Pabu? Where are you?"
Korra went out the back exit of the Bending Arena. The alleyway was empty, faintly glowing from the lights from surrounding buildings. Mako was crouched, leaning against the wall across from the door. He was staring at the ground, either he didn't hear Korra or he was ignoring her. Korra was betting on the latter. "Uh, Mako?"
He didn't look up.
"Look Mako, I'm sorry alright? I – I didn't know. I still don't know, not really, anyway." She scuffed a boot on the ground and looked down the alley, towards the lights.
"Wanna go for a walk?" Mako asked, he followed her line of sight but didn't look at her.
"Sure." Mako rose from his crouch and started down the alley. They reached an empty courtyard, it was late and most people had gone straight home after the match. It was circular with a fountain in the middle and smooth stones with lotuses carved into them. They hadn't even made it to the fountain when a dozen motorcycles rode in at full speed.
Korra and Mako recognized them in an instant, they were Amon's people. The motorcycles circled around them and both benders immediately fell into their stances. Two men hopped off theirs with lightning rods in hand. They were outnumbered, the fight didn't go well.
The pair managed to dodge the lightning attacks but the chi blockers snuck up behind them. They had only managed to take out four out of twelve men and neither of them could bend anymore. Mako and Korra stood back to back as they closed in. "What now?" Korra asked.
"Shout for help?" he suggested half heartedly. Then two figures came hurtling off the roof of the arena. They landed hard, denting the ground and sending half of the remaining men flying by throwing the ground from under their feet. Akemi and Keiko.
"No need to shout," Akemi started.
"We're right here," Keiko finished.
The twins were out of their gear but still dressed in all black, and went on the fight the remaining henchmen. Keiko pulled water from the fountain and shot it at two men while Akemi was able to produce long blasts of fire to keep them at bay. Unfortunately the chi blockers were fast and not so easily defeated after they got over their initial shock. But the sisters worked seamlessly together and were fast enough to avoid all chi blocking. One of the lightning rod men still remained and shot at Akemi but she redirected it down her sisters water stream that was soaking three other men, the water conducted the lightning all the way down and the sisters were careful to stay on the dry stones because the lightning continued to conduct to three other men. Leaving only one.
Akemi ran at the last man standing, he aimed a lightning rod at her but she was faster. She gripped the metal rod, pushing back all the electricity and metal bending the rod around itself into a pretzel shape. He whipped out a fist but it stopped mid-air. Akemi turned to find her sister holding perfectly still one hand tucked in close to her side and other held out with four fingers straight together and her thumb folded over her palm. She moved her palm to the side then pointed her fingers towards the sky and the man stood at attention.
"Listen carefully," Akemi said. "You run home and tell Amon that if he wants to mess with the Avatar or any other bender he'll have the Amalgam Sisters to deal with. Got it?" He still couldn't move, but his eyes never waivered through his mask. "Now get lost."
He didn't move. Akemi turned around and raised an eyebrow at her sister. All at once Keiko released a breath and lowered her hand. The masked henchman clamored back onto his bike and rode away. Akemi faced Korra and Mako while Keiko pulled up the earth around the remaining chi blockers, locking them to the ground.
"Thanks but I don't need your protection," Korra said.
"Sure you don't," Keiko mumbled.
"We were perfectly fine before you came," the Avatar went on. "We could have handled it."
"Yes because you handled those chi blockers so well. Tell me, how's your bending?" Keiko drawled. Akemi went into a coughing fit that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Keiko smirked.
"Why are you such a jerk?" Korra asked her.
"Korra!" Mako spoke for the first time since the twins arrived.
"What? She is she has a major attitude I don't care if she is your exgirlfriend!" Korra exclaimed. Mako and Akemi's eyes widened. Keiko's face went blank then before Korra or Mako could react she took a bending stance and pointed two fingers at Korra. But Akemi had anticipated her sister's move and caught her wrist.
"Don't you dare blood bend the Avatar," Akemi ground out so low Mako and Korra couldn't hear. "You're not even supposed to know how to do it." She threw her sister's arm down and turned back to the others.
"If you don't want our help, then fine. We'll leave, and I don't care if you are the Avatar you insult my sister again and I won't stop her from pummeling you into the ground." Then Akemi took her sister's arm and walked away.
"Fine!" Korra shouted after them but she received no acknowledgment.
"This is all too much," Mako rubbed his hands over his face.
Meanwhile the twins were back at their apartment, only a block away from the arena. Akemi went into their shared room and changed into a baggy shirt and shorts then went to the bathroom. When she came back and opened the door there was a solid wall of earth there. Their entire apartment building was made of stone, that's half the reason why they picked it. Keiko might as well have stamped 'LEAVE ME ALONE' on it. Akemi sighed and went to the kitchen.
The fridge was depressingly empty but there was some Komodo sausage and leechi nuts so she put the nuts in a bowl and heated the sausage and put a kettle on to start some tea. She hummed to herself in the silence that usually would have been occupied by Keiko. Akemi knew her sister liked to deal with things in her own unique way, and she had long since stopped trying to change that. She just hoped her sister wouldn't break anything this time. Once her food was done she poured two cups of tea but the sausage on a plate. She took a round plate out of the stone wall for a makeshift tray and put everything on top. Instead of going to the one chair living room she veered to the short hallway and sat in front of the bedroom door.
She laid the tray down in front of her and sipped her tea. She leaned back against the stone wall and continued to hum. It was an hour before Keiko came out, the stone wall slid back into the floor and Akemi fell backwards onto her sister's feet. "Hey Sissy! I made you tea!"
Keiko shook her head, "You're a dork."
"Thank you," Akemi smiled. Keiko stepped over her sister and sat on the floor across from her. "So, you ready for the Championship Tournament next week?"
So I know it's kinda an abrupt ending but if I didn't end it there I would have kept writing.
Soooo, did you like it? TELL ME. Did you hate it? TELL ME
A/N
Keiko means strong girl
Akemi means bright child
When I wrote that Akemi was humming I kept picturing her humming the Harry Potter Theme:)
The Twins are my OCs and I love them!
Oh and here are the official rules of probending - .com/wiki/Pro-bending
And here's a vid of Bryan teaching it! - .com/post/19586633139/bryan-konietzko-creator-of-a-tla-and-the-legend