3: Night Terrors

Mako was ten and Bolin was eight and it was a stifling summer night in Republic City. Hot and sweaty, Mako was unable to fall asleep even though he had already extricated from his little brother's grasp and scooted as far away from him as their small shared mat would allow. All of a sudden Bolin was whimpering and tossing in his sleep in the midst of a nightmare. Mako debated as to whether or not he should wake him up; it would probably be fine, he really was getting too old to bend involuntarily like he sometimes had when he was younger.

Without warning Mako was toppled into the center of their mattress as an enormous wall of earth was raised around them. He cried out as a fragment of rock shrapnel hit the inside of his wrist, hard, and Bolin awoke with a start. Mako was swearing and bleeding, and Bolin was crying, and Mako didn't know it yet but he would have a scar on his arm for years to come.