A big thank you to 'GodSaveTheKings' of all your help. You're awesome.

By the age of sixteen, Bolin had been having the same nightmare for years now. This horrid dream had played out before him in his sleeping mind so often- even more so than the grusome death of his parents- that he could probably recite the words from memory.

It was always on an airship. Always with Mako, and Korra and Asami and people he had yet to meet. He figured out it wasn't a dream, but a premonition, by the time he was fifteen. And no matter how hard he tried to fight against it, it seemed fate was going to hand him a bad deck of cards- or maybe not, if he could keep this horrible sacrifice from happening.

It was like his life was on one end of a bomb; his years, and months, and days all leading down to this moment.

"We come up through the valley, scale the side of the mountain, and take them off guard," Lin explained, dragging her finger across the map. "That could work."

He saw in his dream before him Chief Beifong talking to who he now knew was her sister.

"And give them the high ground?" Suyin protested. "No, if their lavabender spots us, he'll melt the mountainside and us with it."

"It's not like we have many other options," Lin stated. Before long, Suyin countered with a point of her own, and they were once again lost in argument. It had been hours since they had started debating, and yet nothing had been accomplished. The situation was, as always, grim. Dozens of captured airbenders. Four anarchists with unbelievable power. One ultimatum. And no clear options.

This was the part where he came in, and it always proved to make him stomach twist in knots. He watched his doppleganger in the dream; his green eyes gazing out the window.

It was all Bolin could think about as he stared out the great window of the airship, watching the grey skies pass by slowly. The rocks and wind were unbroken by the turmoil consuming them in the flying metallic prison, and he tried to channel their serenity to clear his own, turbulent thoughts. It was a futile effort; even if Suyin and Lin could stop fighting long enough to work together, and even if Asami would stop pacing around the room, sending off shock waves as her boots clanked against the hard steel floor, and even if the chatter of every earth kingdom soldier would cease, he would never be calm. Because, he knew. He knew that even if they agreed to a plan, it would hardly matter. Zaheer would realize they were plotting against him, he would kill the airbenders, and they would fail.

"It's not going to work," he muttered along to the words his dream-counterpart was saying. "We can't save them. It's pointless."

As he talked, the room became still, unmoving like the rocks and wind.

"Bolin, don't talk like that," Suyin said poignantly. "We have to save them. Opal is trapped with them. I'm not leaving my daughter behind."

"Of course," Bolin said regretfully. "But there's only one way to save them, isn't there? We can't attack without endangering them, so-"

"No, that's not an option," Mako forcefully interjected. "We'll figure out another way. There's always another way. You told me that, right?"

Bolin sighed, watching the inevitable argument unfold before him.

"That was a long time ago," the Avatar sighed. "Look, I've been thinking about this for a while. We don't know if we can beat Zaheer, even with all of us put together. If I give myself up, we can guarantee that the airbenders will be safe."

"You actually trust Zaheer to keep his word?" Asami asked, startled. "He's an absolute monster. The second you give yourself up, he'll kill the airbenders anyway."

"No, I don't think so," said Bolin. "I can't be sure, but I have this feeling that he won't do anything to betray us. He wants me in chains, and he knows that if something goes wrong, I could easily escape. He won't betray us. I'm sure of it."

"Even if he is going to keep his word," said Mako, slamming his fist against the table, "you can't honestly expect us to just give you up without a fight."

Bolin gimanced, weariness in his eyes. The worst part was coming next.

"Mako, I need to do this," Bolin said breathlessly. Everyone stared blankly at him, stunned into silence. He sighed, and crossed his arms over his chest, defeated. "The world has been thrown out of balance for over one hundred and seventy years. The airbenders would restore that balance. The most important thing to do is to keep them safe. I'm in charge of maintaining balance in the world. It's my responsibility to do this."

"Not alone," Mako moaned. He turned away sharply, unable to look his brother in the eye.

"Yes, alone," Bolin clarified. "I know none of you want me to do this, but I have to. Let me do this. Please."

Say no, he begged silently, as if somehow that would change the already predetermined events. Please, say no.

Silence

Always silence. Bolin thought it was something he wanted, but now, sitting in the thick of it, he realized that the silence was a poison, and the prolonged emptiness clutched at this throat, intent to squeeze the determination out of him. Yet, without warning, the silence as broken, as a dead, unimpressed chuckle filled the room, and the eyes and attentions of all turned towards the Chief of the Republic City Police Department.

"You always have to be the damned hero," he said quietly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"You always have to be a damned hero, don't you, Bolin?" she said dryly. "Fine. If you are really sure you want to do this, I'll support you. When has it ever come back to hurt us before?"

"Lin, you can't be serious," Mako said dejectedly.

She is, Bolin thought. This is my fate.

"No, my sister is right," Suyin said suddenly. "This is Bolin's decision. If he thinks it's the best way to save my daughter, I'll follow him."

"If it's what you want," Asami added, "I'll be there, too. You can count on me."

Mako through up his arms in disbelief. "I can't believe any of you! You're willing to send him to his death. There has to be another way."

"There isn't another way," Bolin said desperately. "Mako, I know it's hard-"

"No. Just don't even talk to me right now," Mako said angrily. Without warning, he stormed away from the table, his form passing through Bolin's watchful spirit like he was nothing more than a ghost. Bolin shivered, watching his brother march through the door to the front of the ship.

And as always-just like every time before-Bolin did not hesitate to chase after him.

It always ended like this. The first few times he had woken up breathing heavy, chest heaving and a cold sweat coating his back.

By the forth time, he had learned not to call out his brother's name.

But something else happened this time. Instead of waking up, he followed his dream-self after his dream-brother.

Before he could say another word, he found himself sprinting through the corridors of the massive airship, hunting down his distraught brother. When he finally caught up to the firebender, he had forced himself into one of the spare bedrooms, and was sitting on the side of mattress, his body slumped over and his eyes locked to the floor. Bolin hesitantly walked over and sat beside him. Mako did not glance up as he began to speak.

He hovered by the door, causiously. This had never happened before. He needed to find out what his brother had to say to him before he went off to what very well could be a very painful and slow death.

"Do you remember when we were younger," he started, "and you tried to steal an apple from that cart in town square? You couldn't reach it, and you didn't want me to reach it for you, so you made me get on my hands and knees so you could crawl on top of me."

He nooded, before realizing that no one could see him.

"Yeah," Bolin said softly. "The clerk caught us because I was digging into your hips and you were making too much noise. We got chased around the entire city."

"Back then, you couldn't do anything without me," Mako said quietly. "And now, look at you. Saving the world almost every single day. My little brother."
Mako clenched his fist tightly, and Bolin instinctively wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Don't worry about me," Bolin insisted. "I'm the Avatar. I can handle Zaheer."

"I know you can, but still..." Mako sighed. "I've been with you for almost my whole life, and now, I'm just supposed to sit back and watch you go out there all by yourself. You can't even stand on my shoulders properly."

Well, now I can, Bolin thought, trying to lighten the mood.

It was then that Bolin noticed something he had never seen before: a moist reflection in Mako's cheek. Bolin had never seen Mako cry before. In fact, he was fairly confident that Mako could not shed tears. He was tough, brave, and loyal. He grew up in a rough life, and refused to get so easily pushed around by the world. Even when their parents were taken from them, Bolin never recalled seeing Mako shed a tear, because Mako was the strong one. But now, alone on the airship, faced with the concept of losing the only family he had left, something inside him broke. The tears were few and came out silently, rolling down his cheeks without so much as a sob. But each one pierced through Bolin's heart, and he couldn't bear the sight. He wrapped his powerful arms around Mako's slender frame, and pulled him into the tightest hug he had ever given.

'You better come back, Bolin," Mako wept softly. "You better come back to us."

"Of course I'll come back," Bolin said with a weak smile. "Nothing could keep us apart, bro."

Bolin pressed tightly against his brother. Of course, he would come back. They would save the airbenders, defeat Zaheer, and bring balance to the world.

They had to.

Just then, Bolin felt the dream around him disolving, blackness clouding his vision. He woke up with a start, his head pounding at the energy spent with his spirit out of his body.

For the first time since Bolin had first had that dream, he felt a sense of something stir inside him. Something like hope. For years now he had been dreading this fateful battle, knowing his death was soon to come.

But now...now he felt like he could do this. He wasn't going to give up. He was going to live. Not just for Mako, or the world, but for himself, too. He was going to stare death and fate in the face and give them both a big middle finger.

He was the Avatar. But more importantly, he was Bolin. And Bolin was strong.