A/N: This is a fairtale!AU, based off of Cinderella :D
Bolin sat in his room up in the attic listening morose to the sounds coming up from downstairs. The stepsisters were getting ready to go to the ball, but it sounded more like a rodeo. Shouts and crashes echoed he felt bad for his brother, who was stuck down their helping them. "You know you could go," Korra said sympathetically.
Korra and Asami were his Fairy Godmothers; they had come into his life when he and Mako began working in this terrible place. They were very helpful to have around, and made this experience slightly less…horrible. "I couldn't go, I'm just a peasant, plus they would recognize me," Bolin explained.
"We could make you a prince, plus it's a masquerade ball, no one will see your face," Asami said waving her wand for emphasis. Bolin snorted, even if they changed his appearance he'd be instantly recognizable because of his lack in knowing anything fancy.
"It would be great, cause you could to the ball meet some people, you'd love it Bo, but you'd have to be back by midnight," Korra persisted. Asami and Korra were looking at him with wide eyes; it seemed they wanted him to go more than himself. He smiled, and stood up.
"Alright, it sounds like fun, make me a prince," Bolin agreed. Both girls squealed in excitement, and then started getting him outfit ready.
An hour later, Bolin snuck out the back and into the garden. A sudden chattering noise made him jump. He looked up to see his pet ferret, Pabu, sitting on one of the lampposts. "Oh hey Pabu, you won't rat me out right," Bolin asked the ferret.
"Nope he won't because he's going with you," Korra informed him. Bolin looked at her like she was crazy. Rolling her eyes, she waved her wand at Pabu. In seconds the tiny ferret became a large, white stallion with a blond mane.
"Looking good Pabu," he complimented, climbing onto his back.
"Alright remember Bolin, be back by midnight and do not take of your mask," Asami instructed. Bolin shook his head in understanding.
"Midnight, leave mask on, got it," Bolin repeated.
"Oh wait, one more thing," Korra piped in. A gold chain necklace appeared in her hand, and she wrapped it around Bolin's neck. He looked at it with interest.
"Is this like some magic necklace, to hide my identity or something," Bolin asked curiously.
"No. I just thought it would look good with the outfit," Korra shrugged.
"Okay good luck, Bolin, and have fun," Asami said. Pabu trotted out of the garden, he waved goodbye to the two girls.
"We make the most beautiful princes," Asami sighed wistfully. Korra nodded, and smiled proudly, watching as Bolin took off out of the garden.
Bolin arrived at the castle in a matter of minutes. He hopped off Pabu. "Stay here, I'll be back soon," he instructed.
Pabu whinnied, and he couldn't help but smile. Warily he walked inside, his slight nervousness taken over by the amount of excitement he felt. He worked his way through the crowd, so many people dressed in fancy costumes and extravagant masks.
Bolin was stopped by a young girl dressed in lots of pink, and she began dancing. After a few minutes, she left, leaving him with a man in purple. Soon he caught on, dancing with one person for a couple of minutes before going to another person. By the time the music ended, Bolin was left with a man dressed in red; his clothing was certainly the fanciest he's seen yet.
"Hello," the man said. His eyes were a bright gold through the mask, and Bolin couldn't help but stare.
"Oh, uh, hello," Bolin answered.
"Come with me," the man continued. He took Bolin's hand in his, causing Bolin to blush at the contact. The man led him out of the ballroom and into a sparkling garden.
"Wow," he whispered. The man gave a smile, and he found his heart skipping a beat.
"It is beautiful isn't it," he asked. Bolin shook his head; he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He spent the rest of the night with the man, talking and laughing. Bolin had never had so much fun in his life. "That flower, is it glowing," Bolin pointed out.
"Ah yes, it is a different kind of flower, I've always enjoyed its glow, would you like to have one," the man asked. He turned behind him and gently pulled it from the bush, then handed it to Bolin.
"Wow, thank you," Bolin answered. He looked up from his flower, to see that he was face to face with the man. Their noses almost touching and their breath mingling, Bolin closed his eyes and began to lean in. Bolin jumped backwards as the first chime echoed in the air. Looking up at the towering clock, he saw that it read midnight. Oh no, he thought.
"I-I've got to go," Bolin stammered. He stood and dashed out of the garden, then down the steps. His clothes began to return to rags, and the gold chain around his neck fell off. Bolin hurried onto Pabu's back, not daring to look back at the man, who was calling after him. The last chime striking midnight seemed to echo in his mind all the way home.
Iroh held the golden chain in his hands, twirling it around his fingers. This was the only thing he had left of that wonderful man he'd met at the ball; he didn't even know his name. "Brother, you can't just sit here and sulk for the rest of your life," his older sister, Ursa, chastised.
"Who says I can't," Iroh began, "I know, Ursa, I just wish I had asked him his name, and then maybe I wouldn't feel so bad." Ursa gave him a sympathetic looking as he continued to twirl the chain.
"How about we go look for him, he came on a horse right," Iroh nodded, "Than he can't live that far." So, he and Ursa went out into the village going from door to door to find his prince.
After a few hours of searching, Iroh and Ursa stopped at the market in town. Iroh bought some fruit, and as he purchased the pieces of fruit he noticed a familiar style of black hair out of the corner of his eye. He turned to the younger man dressed in ratty clothing. "Do I know you," Iroh asked.
The younger man jumped, looking at him with wide eyes. "No, I mean, well you couldn't possibly, I'm just a peasant, and you're a prince, well, um I need to go," he stammered.
As he turned the other way, Iroh wondered why the voice was so familiar. Shaking it off as the heat getting to him, he got back on his horse and set off with Ursa.
"And he almost recognized me, but I told him no, even though I knew it was the same guy," Bolin rushed. Korra and Asami listened intently.
"For a prince, he sure is pretty oblivious, like this," Korra said, swinging a hand over her head. Before he could answer, he heard a knock at the front door.
Mako watched as Prince Iroh walked into the house. Both of the stepsisters attached to his sides. So, this is the guy Bolin was gushing about for hours on end, he thought smugly.
The prince explained his story about how he was looking for the person the necklace belonged to. "Ooh, I bet it would fit me," Anna, annoying stepsister number 1, gushed.
"No it won't, it would fit me though," Brea, annoying stepsister number 2, exclaimed. The two began arguing, pulling at each other's hair like usual.
"Actually it's not a princess I'm looking for, more like a prince," Iroh interrupted, looking at him. The girls stopped fighting, and ran out of the room, screaming in frustration. The prince's eyes never left him though.
"Ah, it wasn't me, but I have a feeling I know who it was," Mako explained quickly. He dashed upstairs, dragging Bolin out of his room.
"Go get him tiger," Mako encouraged, pushing him in the direction of Iroh. The two immediately locked eyes.
"You were the young man I saw at the market," Iroh said. Bolin blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah, and I was the man at the ball last night," he explained. Iroh smiled, grabbing his hand.
"Well, it's nice to see you again, I'm Iroh by the way."
"Bolin."
Iroh wrapped his arms around Bolin's waist and pulled him for a kiss. He'd finally found his prince. He felt Bolin's hands sneak into his pocket and pull out the gold chain.
"Oh, and thanks for returning my necklace."
A/N: I don't know how this even fits in with the prompt, besides Korra's one line in the middle, but ya know. This prompt was a pain in the ass trying find something to write, so I hope you enjoy. PLEASE R&R!