Elementary School #48, Republic City
0 AB (160AG)
Mako sat ridged and stoic at his desk. His outward appearance gave no clues as to what he was thinking, but what he wanted more than anything was to hurry home and practice his firebending with his mother. School was nearly over for the day. He just had to hold on for a few more minutes. His teacher droned on about the evils of bending and how they should all stay vigilant and report and suspicious activity to the authorities. It was the same speech every time, ever since bending had been outlawed, and it had only gotten more extreme since the attack on the president's home.
"In this year, zero After Bending," Mako perked up at the words signaling the end of the rant and of the school day, "we the people of Republic City pledge to rid the world of the menace that is bending. Rise!" The teacher ordered with a bark that sounded more like a military commander than an elementary school teacher.
They all stood, "we do pledge!" They chorused in unison.
"Salute President Sato," said their teacher and his hand shot to his temple. The rest of the class turned on their heals to face the image of the president their teacher was saluting and did the same. "We pledge, this day, and all days to come, to rid the world of bending, and bring balance and equality to all. All hail our great republic!" Mako and his classmates recited the words from memory. They had very little meaning to him. He didn't understand why the people of the city hated bending so much. It was so much fun, but he knew he had to keep it a secret. That was all he knew. He wondered how many others were like him, hiding in plain sight. He was his mother was a bender, too, it made him feel less alone.
"Dismissed."
Mako smiled at that magical word. He wanted more than anything to run from that room, but he knew that would fall under the label of "suspicious activity" and that had to be avoided at all cost. So, he gathered his things slowly and made his way out of the classroom amongst his peers, always striving to be in the middle in all aspects of his life. He didn't want to stand out and put his family at risk.
As he exited the school grounds, still in the middle of a large group of children, he saw an all too familiar procession. A group of older children dressed in military uniforms with RCY patches on their left arms were marching through the streets. It seemed to Mako that the Republic City Youth League was everywhere these days. The boy at the front of the group held the flag of Republic City on his shoulder. It was flapping wildly in the snowy air. "Salute the flag!" He yelled.
All of the kids cheered and saluted the flag as it went by, and the RYC saluted them back with intimidating stares. Mako didn't cheer, he just saluted back with as excited a look as he could muster. The RCY scared him. His parents had told him stories of their members hunting down benders and doing all kinds of unspeakable things. He was certain his parents hadn't told him everything, too. He figured they'd told him just enough to scare him into silence about his abilities. After the RCY passed by Mako separated from the group and walked home alone. He shivered as he walked, it was much colder than he had ever remembered it being. Once he got home he knew he could use his firebending to warm his body, but until then he would just have to be cold.
He reached his house and sighed with relief. It was a gorgeous two story home in one of the nicer areas of the city. Mako placed his hand on the doorknob when he felt the ground tremble. He held onto the knob tightly, but the tremor faded before it became large. He was very confused. He'd never heard of an earthquake happening in Republic City, but he shrugged it off and opened the door.
He placed his school bag by the kitchen table and looked around the ground floor. No one was there. "Mom!" He yelled out questioningly.
"In your room, sweetie!" She called down from above. Mako finally let himself run in his excitement. He bounded up the stairs on all fours to make better time and flung open the door to the room and him and his brother shared.
"Mom!" He yelled as he ran into the room, "can we practice now?" He knew better than to use the word bending.
"Not today, sweetie," she said focusing on her other son. She placed a cool towel on Bolin's forehead. Mako looked at his little brother. His cheeks were a bright shade of crimson and his breathing was shallow and labored. Mako walked up and touched the side of Bolin's face and gasped. He was burning up and now that he was closer Mako could smell the sweat on his brother's body and sheets, Bolin had clearly taken a turn for the worse while he had been at school.
"Is he going to be okay?" Mako asked fearfully, he'd never seen anyone look so sick.
"Of course he is," Naoki leaned over and stroked Mako's cheek. He could see the worry all over her face and her words didn't reassure him. Bolin groaned and turned to his side. The wet towel fell from his head and Mako picked it up and gave it back to their mother.
"Thank you." She said taking in from his small hands. Bolin looked very uncomfortable and fell into a fit of coughing. Naoki held Bolin until his coughing fit died down.
"Mom, we need to take him to the hospital!" Mako said in earnest.
"You know we can't do that." She said giving him a serious look.
"Why not? He's not a bend-" As if on cue Bolin took a deep breath and let out a huge sneeze. Mako was shocked such a loud noise could come from such a small child and the ground shook again. Mako understood. "He's an earthbender..." Mako's voice was hardly above a whisper.
"Mako!" His mother said angrily, then lowered her voice, "you know to never use such words. You never know who could be listening. Do you understand?"
"Yes..." Mako said lowering his head.
"Now go downstairs and do your homework. We don't want you catching whatever your brother has." Mako didn't want to leave his mother's side. Not after what he'd just witnessed. He met his mother's hard stare. Her features softened and she stood up, coming around to the opposite side of the bed where he stood and kneeled down next to him. She pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't worry about your brother. I'll take good care of him.
"Okay," he said nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck. They held the hug for a long moment and then Mako released his grip on his mother.
"Now go on," she said as she turned him toward the door, gave him a playful spank on the bottom, and winked. He smiled and left. She always had a way to make him feel better.
...
Mako was still obediently at the table when his father came home. He had finished his homework a while ago, but he didn't want to go upstairs and bother his mother again. He had felt a couple more small shocks when Bolin sneezed, and each time a tingle of fear ran down his spine. He hopped no one else in the neighborhood was feeling them. They seemed pretty small, but there was still the chance someone would feel the tremors and report them. When Mako heard the lock on the front door snap shut he ran to greet his father. San ruffled the boy's hair and gave him hug.
"Hi, Mako. How was school?"
"Boring," Mako answered honestly and his father laughed.
"None of that now, you must work hard in your studies," his father looked around, "where are your mother and brother?"
"Upstairs. Bolin is still feeling sick."
"Oh really?" San said with concern as he set his briefcase down and took off his coat and scarf and hung them on the rack by the door.
"Yeah, and" said Mako as he waved his father down to whisper in his ear, "Bolin's an earthbender."
San stood back up with a start, "what?" He charged up the stairs and Mako turned to fallow him. When he reached the top he turned to face his son, "stay downstairs, I need to discuss something in private with your mother." Mako gave his dad a pouty face. He's already been shooed away by his mother, and now his father, too.
"But, Dad..."
"No buts, mister, I'll be back down soon. Dont't go anywhere."
"Fine," Mako sighed and walked back down the stairs and sat back down at the kitchen table. He crossed his arms on the table and laid his head on them. He was annoyed. It was all Bolin's fault that today was so bad. He didn't get any firebending practice and now his mother and father weren't even paying attention to him. He was usually a very obedient child, but enough was enough. He stood back up and quietly tip toed up the stairs. He could hear their voices coming from inside his and Bolin's room. He continued to creep closer and held his breath as he leaned his body as close to the wall as he could. They were talking so quietly. If he risked placing his ear on the keyhole they might hear them, but he was not worried about any possible punishment now. He just wanted to know what was going on. When he leaned his ear to the keyhole he could just barely make out their voices.
"-now an earthbender, too?" It was his father. He had picked out what he was saying mid-sentence. "And he clearly has no control over his bending. You've been able to help Mako with his firebending. But, I'm no bender. If he can't learn to control his bending he'll easily be discovered."
"If only we had fled the city when bending was first banned...banning bending in the city. It seemed like it was just a safety measure. I never thought things would get this bad, and this quickly."
"I'm sorry. It was my ambition. I was finally starting to make something of myself here. I wanted to make a better life for all of us, and now you're all in danger."
"Don't say those things, darling, we wanted to stay here with you. But now, I think it's best if we go. And soon."
"How soon?"
"Tonight, I know some people in the resistance movement-"
"You what?"
"I had to have a back up plan. I'm a bender, too, after all. Don't worry, the police aren't aware of my activities. What else is a housewife to do while her children are in school?"
"Tonight is too soon. We need to sell the house, prepare for the journey, there are so many things that need to be done."
"There's no time for that. The bending resistance can help us with the necessary supplies we need. There's no telling how many people have felt the tremors Bolin is causing."
"But-"
"Plus, he needs medical attention. His fever is out of control, if we don't get him to a doctor soon he could die! We can't take him anywhere in the city, if he sneezes he'll be outed as a bender. The resistance has doctors who can help him." Then there was silence.
Mako's heart pounded. His brother was dying? At a time like this, he didn't know why the would possibly be fighting. They need to take Bolin to a doctor, like his mother had said. He didn't know what this resistance was that his mother was talking about, but if they could help Bolin, they needed to go to them. The silence persisted and Mako couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He removed his ear from the keyhole and peaked inside.
He saw his father sitting on the bed, his hands covering his face. His mother stood before him with a hand on his shoulder. "Please, darling..." She begged, breaking the silence.
"Alright, let's get some bags. We have to pack light. I hope your friends in the resistance can help us as much as you say..."
"They will! We can-" She was cut off by the ringing of their door bell. Mako fell backward from the door in surprise and ran quickly downstairs. He didn't think his parents had noticed him. He was at the front of the door by the time his parents stood at the top of the stairs. Mako looked out the window and saw two young men, both police officers.
"Who is it?" His father asked from the top of the stairs.
"The police," Mako answered, "two of them." San's face turned pale and he looked back at his wife. He walked down the stairs, taking several deep breaths. Some of the color had returned to his face when he reached the ground floor.
"Say nothing to them," San whispered to Mako, "and if you must speak, just repeat what I say." Mako nodded. He pulled his shoulders back and put on a brave face. There was a hard knock this time. "Coming," yelled San. He opened the door.
"Evening officers."
"Hello," the one on the right greeted, "I'm Captain Murphy and this is my partner Officer Pike."
"Captain Murphy," his father extended his hand to the man, "Officer Pike," he shook his hand as well. "What can I do for you?"
"We've been getting reports of strange tremors. We believe there may be a bender in the area. Have you noticed anything strange?" Captain Murphy filled San in on the details of the reports.
"I'm afraid I've only just arrived home from work. I haven't felt any tremors."
"About how long have you been home?"
"Hmmmm, I'd say about twenty minutes."
"I see," Captain Murphy said while jotting down some notes on a small yellow pad of paper. "Is there anyone else who has been home longer than that?"
"My wife and sons. My wife has been home all day. My youngest is feeling unwell and didn't attend kindergarten today. My older son has been home since school ended, so maybe about two hours." The officer leaned over and looked at Mako.
"Hello, young man."
"Hello..." Mako said looking down. He'd already lost his courage. He would do his best follow his father's lead. But there was nothing to follow, his father had said he hadn't seen anything since he wasn't home. Mako guessed the truth would be best. Not about, Bolin being the cause, but about the tremors.
"Did you feel anything like an earthquake?"
"I'm not sure," Mako said, "I've been doing my homework and was really focused. I might have felt something, but whatever it was, it was really small."
"I see," and more writing.
"Do you mind if we speak to your wife and youngest son."
"My son is really very sick, it would probably best if you didn't expose yourselves to his germs." San said trying to deter them from entering the house.
"You neededn't concern yourself with that, this is our job, if we get sick that just comes with the territory."
"Very well, this way" San pointed up the stairs. Both officers entered and removed their caps, placing them under their arms. "Follow me," He did his best to keep his voice even, but he faltered a bit. Officer Pike eyed him for a moment before following him up the stairs behind his captain. Mako brought up the rear. They entered the boy's room and Naoki was tending to Bolin who had thankfully fallen asleep. Naoki looked completely calm when they entered.
"Hello, ma'am, sorry to intrude, but we've gotten some strange reports about this neighborhood today. Can you tell me if you noticed anything strange?"
Naoki took a moment, seemingly pretending to think, "There were a few tremors, but I just figured we might be experiencing some small quakes. I know it's unusual, but maybe Mt. Makapu is acting up?"
"That very well could be ma'am," said the captain as he wrote on the yellow paper again. Mako couldn't believe how much the man was writing down. He thought being a police officer seemed like a boring job. Just asking lots of questions and writing a lot of stuff down, it was not nearly as exciting as he had imagined. Captain Murphy looked at Bolin and then back to San. "You weren't kidding about your boy, he looks like he's in bad shape. Would you like us to escort him to the nearest hospital. We can afford to lose any future Equalits."
"That won't be necessary," San said trying to lead them back toward the door, "is there anything else you need from us tonight?"
"No, that'll be all. We still have a lot more homes to investigate. Thank you for your tim-" Suddenly Bolin stirred. He started crying. Mako ran to his side to try and help calm him down.
"It hurts, it hurts!" He screamed. His high pitched childish voice piercing the night. Then, it happened, he sneezed. The ground shook. It was the largest tremor yet. The officers turned back toward the bed. Officer Pike drew two long knives from his belt, but Captain Murphy didn't seem to have any weapons on him.
"How old is the boy?" The captain asked. His kind demeanor was now gone. No one answered him. He took a step closer and fire erupted from his hands.
"He's six," Naoki answered him.
"And the older one?" He said looking at Mako.
"Eight," Naoki answered again.
"Is he a bender, too?"
"No," again it was Naoki answering. San seemed to have lost his ability to speak.
"You're in luck," said the capitan, "any benders found aged six and under are spared. But we have to take him, and from now on your family will be carefully monitored." He pulled out a different note pad, this one was white and appeared to be a form of some kind. Officer Pike still stood behind him, weapons drawn, though it was clear they weren't use to people resisting them. Captain Murphy handed San the filled out form. "You and your family are to report to city hall tomorrow morning. You need to register as the family of a bender. You'll be able to see your son again soon, but for now, we must take him."
San fell to his knees between the bed and the officers. "Please, don't take my child. Just let us leave the city,"
"I'm sorry we can't do that." The captain took another step forward, but San wouldn't move to make way for him.
"You will not take my child," Naoki said approaching the captain with fire in her eyes. "Mako," she said looking over at her son. "How about some practice now?" Mako felt his stomach drop. He had never fought other people, but he didn't have much choice now. His mother charged forward lighting pulsing through her body. Mako was on her heals. A battle cry escaped his lips. In moments the room was filled with the smell of burning flesh.
Author's Note: Yes, finally Mako and Bolin. They are still kids sure, but we are getting closer to them growing up. I hope you all liked my representation of their mother. I just always imagined her as a bad ass firebending chick. There will be one more Mako/Bolin centered chapter before moving onto Korra (finally)! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, favorites/follows/reviews/etc. are always appreciated.
One more thing, I realized I didn't put my community in the correct place. It's now labeled under Cartoons-Legend of Korra where it should be, so again if you like AU stories, check out "The Best of Legend of Korra AUs"
That's all for now!