Chapter 7: A Secret Dream

SPLASH!

"What-where-who died?!" Mako immediately woke up and saw his brother and Asami laughing. Mako looked at his his cloths and saw that he was soaked and wet. He stared daggers into his friends "Very funny," he said with mush sarcasm. Asami's stomach felt like it would pop "I never knew pulling a prank would be this mush fun, ha, ha, ha, ha" Bolin nudged her arm with his elbow "See, I tolled ya" he said. Even though he was still annoyed about the prank, Mako couldn't help but smile at how well his brother had gotten along with Asami. He knew Bolin has never had the best of luck when it came to finding 'Miss Right', but something inside of him was saying that perhaps his little brother might have finally found someone he could really relate to. And that made him happy.

After drying himself off with a towel Asami showed her new friends the rest of her home "And this is the gym where I work out. It's kind of small considering I'm the only one who uses it" she said. Bolin's eyes sparkled at the training equipment, he had never seen anything like it. He then saw a punching bag and turned to Asami "Can I?" he asked. Asami nodded "By all means" she said. Bolin slightly giggled and started punching the thing, then he started lifting weights. He looked at Asami and smiled, in a way he was trying to impress her. For a moment Bolin got lost in Asami's eyes that he lost focus on what he was doing and fell backward with the heavy object on his chest. Asami and Mako gasped and lifted the thing off of the young earthbender "Well, that was a good work out" he joked.

Mako then noticed a picture on the wall "Hey Asami, who's that woman?" he asked. Asami looked at the picture Mako was pointing at; It was a picture of a beautiful woman with long dark hair just like Asami but her eyes were brown instead of green. She looked elegant but friendly all the same. Asami let out a sigh "That's my mom. Since I also use the gym for my dance practice I keep the picture there for inspiration" she said. Bolin looked at Asami "Where is she?" he asked. Asami lowered her gaze to the floor, it didn't take long for the brothers to understand "Oh, I'm sorry" Bolin apologized. Asami removed a stray hair from her face "It's okay. I was only ten. I wasn't even there when she died" Mako looked at hie friend in concern "If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" Asami took a deep breath and looked at both brothers "She and my dad went to the Twin Towers for their anniversary. I stayed at home with Yohan. He turned on the radio and I heard that there were a group of thugs there robing people. One of them, a firebender, killed her while she was trying to protect my dad" the room fell into silence. Bolin placed a hand on her shoulder "I'm really sorry. Mako and I lost our folks the same way. Mako said a firebender cut them down right in front of him. I didn't see it because he tolled he to hide. But even though I couldn't see it I could hear everything. I was six" Asami felt her heart break "I'm sorry. It must have been really hard" she said. Bolin then gave her a smile "Yeah, it wasn't an easy thing to forget, I couldn't sleep for almost a month and I cried almost every night. But after a while I realized that despite what happened, Mako and I couldn't keep wondering in the past we had to move on. And ever since I've tried harder to look on the bright side of things. Like our mom always said 'Best to go through a hard storm with a smile'"

"Than a sunny day with a frown" Asami finished his sentence "My mom use to say the exact same thing" she said. Both teens looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Bolin had never felt anything like this in his life, despite her luxurious lifestyle Asami wasn't spoiled at all; she was real, and different and she didn't judge him at all. He felt like he was free to be himself around her, little did he know Asami was feeling the exact same thing about him; Bolin was nothing like the rich and spoiled guys she had known for most of her life, Bolin had a free and unique spirit that made her laugh out loud and her heart skip a beat every time he smiled.

Mako simply stood there watching the whole scene; naturally he was the one telling others about his and Bolin's past but he decided to simply let Bolin take his job this one time. Asami and Bolin reminded him of himself and Korra, they had a special connection, they saw eye to eye even though they obviously have lived different lives. Mako lived a hard life in a world were nobody seemed to care what he said, Korra had an isolated life with everything decided and given to her, and felt like her words meant nothing to everybody else and the only way for them to truly fell free to speak was when they were singing. Bolin, despite his hard life, always tried to bring a smile to his bother's face, even if it wasn't always easy. Asami lived a life of glitz and glamor and was free to do anything she wanted but preferred to enjoy the simple things in life and have fun, just like Bolin. Maybe there was something to this whole Fairytale Romance stuff Asami seemed so interested in, maybe that's what Mako could have with Korra, and Asami with Bolin.

After a while of just getting lost in each other's eyes Mako coughed on air, he didn't want to spoil their moment but it had already been like, what fifteen minutes, since anyone said anything. He had to do something or they would stay like that all day, which probably wouldn't have been such a bad thing…but still.

Both teenagers blushed like mad, Asami was fiddling with her hair and Bolin stretched his arms casually "Soooo, what else do you do here?" he asked to try and break the awkwardness. Asami smiled "Well, I've got a pool and there's also a place were they test out new Satomibile. I usually use it to ride" she said. "No pools please," Mako said "I'm still trying to get the last bit of water out of my ear, thanks to you two!" he then stuck his finger in his hear for emphasis. Bolin and Asami laughed. "Okay, but before I show you guys anything else, there is one thing I want to share with you" said the young heiress.

The three friends, and ferret, were gathered once again in Asami's room, all three sat cross-legged on the floor. Asami opened a special wooded box that had been under her bed. Inside was a beautiful floating style lantern, the same kind they use during the FireLight that they hold every year. This was the first time it would happen during the same time as the 70th Anniversary of Republic City. Asami gently took it out of the box, it was very simple looking with lovely flower patterns painted on it, and it had Asami's initials on it "My mom and I did this together. I'm also not the best painter in the world but I'll admit I'm a genius when it comes to flowers and butterflies." She said. Bolin and Mako admired the lovely lantern "My mom always said that one day she and I would release this lantern one day from the highest peek of the Twin Towers. But ever since that night my dad swore he would never go back to that place. Even though it holds bad memories for him I still want to complete the promise my mom and I did. I want to release this lantern from the Towers in honor of her." Bolin and Mako smiled, they understood perfectly well and they admired how she was willing to go back to the place where her mother had died just to give a lantern to her. Bolin placed a hand on her shoulder "And you'll get the chance" Asami arced and eyebrow "What do you mean?" Bolin stood up from the floor "Because I will take you to the Twin Towers on the day of the FireLight festival where you can give the lantern to your mom" Asami's eyes sparkled "You'd do that for me?" she asked as she stood got up, the lantern still in her hands "You bet, it's the least we can do after everything you've done for us" said Bolin.

Asami let out a happy cry "AH! I'm finally going to the Twin Towers! Alright!" Both she and Bolin jumped for joy, Mako simply smirked. Asami stopped her jumping and cleared her throughout "Okay, okay, minus my lifelong childhood dream coming true aside, we still need to focus on the big picture here" Bolin and Mako looked at her confused "What?" Asami rolled her eyes "Hello, we still need to get Mako and Korra back together." Mako then rubbed his forehead "And just how do you plan on doing that?" he asked. The young heiress then gave them a sneaky grin, Bolin and Mako looked at her like she was crazy "I don't like that look in your eye" said Mako. Asami then walked to her night sand and pulled out a piece of paper and a ticket. Bolin read the ticket out loud "Republic City's very first 70th anniversary Pro Bending Competition, this saturday." Mako read the piece of paper "All benders from all over the world are welcome to compete in this once in a lifetime event. The winning team win thirty thousand yuans in reward money and are all are free to attend the after party at Town Hall, hosted by the Grand Council and the Avatar, where the winning team can receive their winning check" Asami nodded while Mako arched and eyebrow "What are you planning, rich girl?" he asked and Asami's smile grew wider "I'm planning that you go to that after party where lover boy here can get see his beloved Korra again and…" she then started doing some dance moves to emphasize her point "Dance the night away" Bolin had to admit it sounded like a pretty good plan "Mako this is great, it's the perfect plan!" then Mako slapped his brother upside the head "OW!"

"No it's not the perfect plan!" the firebender yelled. "First of all, the after party is strictly for the competitors and for people who purchased a ticket, nobody is allowed inside the arena or Town Hall without one and they've been soled out for weeks. And even though Asami's stinking rich, I highly doubt even she'll be able to get us in with just one ticket." Bolin lowered his shoulders "Oh, right. So what do we do?" he asked. Asami's smile stayed on her face "Maybe I can't get you guys tickets. But I do know another way you can get in." the two boys looked at the heiress curiously, "How?" they asked. "Well, the poster says that all benders are welcome to compete right? Champions, new comers from cities and kingdoms from around the world and win or lose they all get free passes into the party. So…what if you guys were one of those new comers?" both brothers dropped their jaws "Say wha?!"

"It's perfect!" said Asami "You guys enter the tournament win the money and, in the process, it's the perfect way for Mako to get Korra's attention and win her back at the party!" said Asami.

Bolin smiled excitedly "I love it! I've always wanted to see what it was like to be in a Pro Bending match."

"But it's probably too late to sign in" said Mako, Asami waved her hand "I'll take care of that. Truest me" Bolin jumped for joy "Alright! This is gonna be awesome!"

"NO! It's not!" said Mako, earning a groan from Asami "Why not? I though you wanted to see her again"

"I do, but there are at least three things wrong with this plan!" said Mako

"Like what?" Bolin and Asami asked in union.

"Well for number One; it's a tournament featuring some of the top Pro Bending teams in the world who have been training for months for this event, and even through Bolin and I are talented, it won't be enough to beat those guys and Second; there will no doubt be tight security and the cops will most defiantly recognize us!"

"Are you done?" Asami asked. Mako shook his head "And third, even if we could compete, the rules clearly state that each team is suppose to have the three elements; water, fire and earth, we only have fire" he pointed to himself "earth" he pointed to Bolin "and…" he pointed to thin air "Oh, wait….NO WATER!" Asami simply placed her hand on his shoulder "Relax, you just leave everything to me." she then walked to her night stand and dialed a number on her phone "Hello, may I speak with the manager please?"