Bolin was sitting on the couch, his hands together and his thumbs tapping each other. Mako leaned against the door way awkwardly, as if he wasn't sure whether to come inside or not.
"Hey," I said, looking from one brother to the next. My brothers. "Take a seat." When Mako came inside a moment later, he shut the door behind him and just leaned against the door. "Or not."
"We're here," Mako said. "What do you need to tell us?"
Mother came in the room with Oh following. His jaw fell to the floor, and instantly began shaking the two brother's hands. "It's an honor to meet you," He kept repeating. I swear I saw drool coming out of his mouth. "If only I could earth bend like you," Oh said to Bolin.
"Oh, you're an earth bender?" Bolin asked.
"How do you know my name?" Oh exclaimed, about to have a heart attack from excitement.
My hand smacked my forehead at the puzzled look Bolin gave me. I put my hand on Oh's shoulder, pulling him away from Bolin. "Bolin, Mako, this is Oh. Oh, this is Bolin and Mako," I introduced.
"Your name's really Oh?" Bolin asked as he began laughing.
"You know my name, oh spirits, this is the best day of my life." Oh just stared at Bolin as if he were the Earth King himself.
I began pushing Oh towards the door. "And Oh was just leaving." Mako moved out of the way. I said bye to Oh, who walked away stunned, and shut the door. When I glanced outside I noticed the sun almost done setting and night taking over. How far past noon did I wake up? "Sorry about that," I murmured, walking over to stand near my mother. "Mako, this is my mother."
Mako stuck out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Mother shook it and gave him a warm smile.
We all stood there, except for Bolin who was sitting, staring at one another in awkward silence. "Where's Korra?" I asked.
Bolin shrugged. "At Air Temple Island practicing air bending or something."
"Would anybody like some tea?" Mother offered.
We all mumbled in agreement and Mother left the room to make tea. Mako stared at his feet and Bolin kept glancing at the radio. "You can turn that up if you want to," I told him.
He did so, just loud enough to where he can hear it from where he crouched by the radio on the floor. Mako didn't look up. "There's something I have to tell you guys," I said. "I have six thousand yuans. I can give them to you guys to help with the championship."
"Really?" Mako asked, looking me dead in the eye in disbelief.
Bolin joined in. "Where did you get that many yuans?"
"I've saved since I was a kid for something important," I said.
"Why would you give us that?" Mako asked.
For some reason the question angered me slightly, even though it was reasonable. "Because I'm here to help. I don't expect anything from you two, except for you to understand I'm no short-term thing. I'm here for the long run."
A whistle came from the tea-pot in the kitchen. When Mother came in minutes later I was still standing with my hands balled into fists by my side, my glare directed straight into Mako's eyes, who stared back with the same fierceness. Mother paused in the door way, hesitating.
Bolin chuckled. "You two sure have the same temper."
Mother passed out tea as Mako took a seat on the couch. Bolin sat with his legs criss-cross on the floor still, staying near the radio. I was too upset for tea, so I placed it on the small table in the middle of the room. "Where should I begin?" Mother asked.
"I told Mako everything you told me last time," Bolin said.
She nodded. "Well, I suppose I should explain why I saw your mother a second time." She took a sip of her tea. "We agreed to never see each other again or speak about the fact she was the birth mother, that was our arangement. I asked no questions, until Shai was around two. She began showing some signs of bending, so I asked your mother about it."
"Wait," Mako said. "You didn't know our parents were benders?"
"I knew your parents were benders. She told me that your father was a fire bender and your mother is...or was an earth bender. That was why I was so surprised when I saw Shai-"
"Guys, listen to this!" Bolin interupted, turning the radio up.
"Good evening my fellow Equalists," the voice said through the station. "This is your leader, Amon. As you have heard the Republic council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending appressers stop at nothing to squash our Revelution. But we cannot be stopped."
I glanced at Bolin, his eyes focused on the radio. Are they hearing the same thing I am?
"Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear," he finished. After a few moments the music that was playing began again, and we all stared at eachother in disbelief.
No one knew what to say, and for a long time it was silent.
"Do you think it's true? That they are going to take our bending away?" I asked, my arms holding each other at the elbows.
Mother softly said, "Of course not."
"I thought you weren't a bender," Mako said quietly.
Sighing, I said, "I'm a bender. I just don't know how to bend."
"Earth or fire?" Bolin asked.
"Neither," I told them. "I bend water."