So maybe staying up way past midnight was not the brightest idea, Bolin thought, groggily. He was almost falling asleep at the breakfast table and barely following the conversation.
-Hey, has anyone seen Chief Beifong?- Mako asked, worriedly frowning down at the contents of his plate. Despite the woman's prickly exterior, Bolin knew his brother had formed a strong bond with his boss.
-I think she's still sulking in her room.- Frustratingly to him, Korra didn't seem even half as tired as he was, though mabye she was just good at hiding it.
Suyin was scowling at the very mention of her sister -I know she has a problem with me, but she had no right to yell at Opal last night.- Bolin remembered Opal's tearstained face last night and how he and Wei had to comfort her. His heart ached for her. She seemed to value family very highly. He could get behind that. Especially after finding his and Mako's in Ba Sing Se.
The door opened and the twins rushed in. Which one of them was Wei, he couldn't tell, he realised with a certain twinge of guilt. Well, neither of them seemed tired, either. Bolin stated to wonder if he really was the only one affected by the sleepless night. Suyin smiled at her youngest, bright eyes crinkling at the edges. -All set for your power disc game, guys?- One of the twins eagerly took some fruit from a nearby basket.
The other snatched a particularly ripe looking apple from his brother's hands, before answering their mother -Yeah, all set to kick Wei's butt.- ah, so this was Wing.
Wei playfully smacked his brother's stomach in retaliation for the apple theft, muttering -I wanna power disc your face.-
Bolin tried to commit him to memory, the way he moves, the way he parts his hair from right to left, the jewellery he wears.
Wei turned to look at him and Korra and maybe Bolin was just imagining the unique twinkle his moss-green eyes had that Wing's didn't. -You two should go play with us.- He offered brightly, and Bolin's stomach tied itself into a knot. He could not metalbend. He could not play power disc with Wei. And he probably never would be able to.
Thankfully it was Korra who turned the idea down - Um. I don't think I'd be much competition, since I can't metalbend.-
Wing's hopeful expression fell, but Wei kept his eyes on Bolin, who desperately tried to ignore him.
-Really. Lin never offered to train you?- Suin asked Korra, regarding her curiously.
-Nope. And I guessed I never thought to bring it up because I was learning to airbend, then there was the pro-bending, then I got tied up fighting Equalists. It was a busy few months.- He'll agree with her on that one. Thankfully, Wei gave up on waiting for Bolin's answer, in favour of whispering something to Opal, putting a hand on her shoulder with a surprisingly soft expression on his face. Bolin wondered if they were talking about last night.
Suyin and Korra's conversation suddenly became very interesting to him. -As the Avatar, you should have mastery over all the elements. I'd be happy to show you the basics.- the woman offered, much to his friend's exitement.
-Really? That would be great!-
Wei and Opal interrupted their conversation for her to smile at Bolin and suggest -You should try it, too.-
Frick. He scrambled for an excuse
-Uh, nah. I'm more of an earth guy. The dirt, rocks; y'know, maybe some light gravel. That's kinda where my heart is.- Thankfully, Opal simply shrugged her shoulders, going back to eating breakfast.
Suyin smiled at him warmly, and he could see where her kids get their charm. -Okay, Earth Guy. Well, let me know if you change your mind.-
He remained silent, feeling quite guilty, though his ruse seemed relatively successful. Everyone moved on with their meal. Everyone that is, except for Wei who eyed him curiously, with one raised eyebrow and Bolin worried he'd been found out. Wei opened his mouth, but closed it when his necklace was pulled towards the exit by an invisible force. Not just his necklace, the entire family's jewellery was affected. The cutlery too, shaking and literally flying off the table, having everyone scrambling to get out of the way.
The source of the strange pull appeared to be a weird, metal suit that the flying objects hurtled and stuck to.
And of course the person in the suit was Varrick. -It worked! Zhu Li, mark it down. Magnet suit test successful. Power down!- As Zhu Li unplugged the suit, everything clattered to the ground. -On to phase two: Zhu Li cleans up this mess. -
Poor Zhu Li.
Okay, so he lied. He really, really, desperately even wanted to learn how to metalbend. But he'd tried and tried his entire life and never made any progress. Still, he hoped to pick up something from Su and Korra's lesson. And that's why he was currently hiding in the bushes, along with Pabu, like a creep. He watched Su show Korra around her meteorite garden -These meteorites are perfect for beginning metalbenders. The metals have a unique property, making them easier to bend.- maybe there's hope for him yet.
Su formed different shapes from the space rock, the fluidity of her movements almost hypnotising him. Korra voiced his thoughts. - That's amazing!-
Suyin passed Korra the meteorite - Here, try it!-
Korra sounded unsure as she got into a bending stance -Okay.-
With bated breath, Bolin observed his friend do a whole lot of nothing. Still, she had the courage to try and that was what counts in the end. 'I shouldn't be here.' he thought, starting to back off. And, right when he thought he did something honourable, the Spirits decided to punish him, and he stepped on a twig. He dove behind a rock, hoping they didn't notice him.
-Bolin? Is that you?-
Ah, frick -No!- well, that wouldn't work, now would it?
-What are you doing?- The jig is up. He stepped out from behind his pathetic hiding spot, mind scrambling for some sort of excuse.
-Oh, hey ladies. Just uh ... I was just looking for Pabu.- he hoped they bought it, calling out for his 'missing' pet- Pabu!-
Korra did not buy it in the slightest -He's on your shoulder.-
Bolin looked to where she was pointing to indeed see Pabu who chirped innocently. -Oh, look there you are! - the fire ferret looked at him, confused. Traitor.-You know, I thought something was chewing on my ear. Probably need to get a shot. Pabu has sort of a ... a venom.- Well, if he was found out, he might as well seize the opportunity .-Anyways, so what are you guys doing? You metalbending over here or something?-
Suyin gave him an encouraging smile. -Want to give it a shot?- Curse her kind openheartedness. At this point Bolin felt like throwing up.
-Nah, it's okay. I mean, only like one earthbender in a hundred can metalbend.- He repeated what he would tell himself everytime he tried and failed the discipline. Suyin placed a hand on his shoulder.
-Well, don't believe everything you hear. The only thing limiting you is your attitude.- for a moment, he wondered if this was the way she talked to her children. He wondered if this was what it was like to have a mother. He had almost forgotten.
Bolin's apprehension melted away. -Well, maybe I'll just ... I'll just stay and watch.- he rested on a self-made earth stump as the two women continued their lesson.
-Try to focus on the fine pieces of earth within the metal.- Suyin advised. Korra furrowed her brows and focused on the meteorite again.
And...
It moved. Ever so slightly, but it moved.
Something in his heart leapt up into his throat. But he couldn't be upset, not with Korra's abject joy -I can't believe it! I'm metalbending!- she cheered, repeating the movement. She was the prodigy, after all.
-Wow, you picked that up really, really quick.- he hoped Korra wouldn't pick up on his regretful envy -Guess you're that one in a hundred.-
Trying to avoid anything to do with metalbending was much more difficult in a city of metalbenders than it was back home. Bolin found his feet taking him back to Power Disc arena. The area was alive with the sound of metal hitting metal and the twins' laughter. They made it seem so easy.
For a moment Bolin's eyes roamed between the two. Secretly trying to pinpoint which of them was Wei. He decided it was the one with a band on his left arm and his suspicion was confirmed when the Beifong caught him staring and smiled brightly, offering a small wave. Bolin felt all his jealousy evaporate as he returned the gesture. Unfortunately, this turned out to be Wei's downfall, as Wing fired the disc straight past his distracted brother and into the net. He cheered, jumping up and down in exitement, before acknowledging Bolin's intrusion with a loud 'Hi'.
With a flick of his wrist, Wei created stairs in the metal wall for Bolin, as he turned to untangle the dic from the net. A bit of that ugly jealousy crept back into Bolin's heart as he carefully walked down the stairs. Wing ran up to him, as if he were an old friend. Bolin wondered if Wei had told his twin of the night before. - Hey! How's the metalbending lesson coming along?- Wing asked casually, taking a long sip of water from one of the two water bottles that lay discarded at the side of the arena.
Bolin should probably start getting used to how every single time someone asked about metalbending his stomach tied into a knot.
- Ah I didn't, I mean, I wasn't learning, Korra was.- he hoped that would be the end of the conversation, but Wing looked confused, cocking his head and lifting one brow.
- I thought I saw you going to the meteorite garden, though.-
Just then Wei, thank Spirits for him, jogged up towards them. -Alrighty, arena's cleared up and we're free!- his eyes darted between his twin and guest. As if he sensed Bolin's discomfort, he came to the rescue by changing the subject.- Hey, Bolin, I know mom showed you guys around the estate, but have you seen the city? We'd be happy to give you a tour. Right, Wing?- his brother noded, seemingly forgetting all about their earlier conversation.
Huh, maybe a tour of Zaofu could get his mind off things.
The three of them took the Monorail downtown. The twins showed him around, pointing out their favorite stores. Sometimes people would recognise and warmly greet the sons of their leader.
Bolin couldn't help but look up at the towering statue of Toph and feel as if he had disappointed her somehow.
- What're you thinking about? - he almost jumped. Wei had discreetly joined him, smiling up at the likeness of his grandmother.
-Just wondering what Toph was like as a grandma.- he lied, despite actually being genuinely curious.
- Grumpy!- exclaimed Wing, approaching them with Pabu riding his shoulders. Wei nodded fondly as his brother continued. -But really, that's how she showed her affection. Truth is, I don't remember much of her. She left to travel the world when we were just six.-
- She always did tell us stories of her adventures with Avatar Aang. I think maybe she missed not being tied down by anything. She reminds me of Opal in that regard.- Wei added, an uncharacteristically wistful look in his usually bright eyes. The two Beifongs fell quiet, a melancholy silence falling upon them all, wrapping around them like an uncomfortably thick blanket.
Wei stretched and his clear voice easily cut through the awkward atmosphere. - Well, it's best to remember the good times we had with her.- he smiled, bumping Wing's shoulder with his. - Though I sometimes wonder if I would have ever started bending without her help.-
This caught Bolin's attention.
- What do you mean?- he asked and Wei laughed awkwardly, shuffling his feet and looking down at the ground.
- I guess you could say I was a late bloomer when it comes to bending.- he fiddled with his necklace, a slight pink playing at his cheeks. - Huan and Wing had both shown signs of being a bender at about four or five, and I didn't. Everyone thought I'd be a non-bender, like Baatar Jr and Opal. Well, not Opal anymore. - he chuckled wryly, before once again meeting Bolin's eyes. -Somehow grandma knew that I had potential though, and she kept trying to teach me. And she was right. Soon after I lifted my first rock, she was off on her travels.-
- Huh. I never took you for someone who had difficulty bending.- Bolin said, not thinking. He quickly realised how that could be misconstrued and rushed to reassure - I.. I mean you just make it seem so natural and graceful, the way you bend and play power disc and stuff... you just make it look so...-
His cheeks were burning.
'You make it look so easy' his mind whispered, but he didn't say that.
Wei placed a calming hand on Bolin's shoulder, laughing a little. It was a joyful, lovely sound.- It's ok, I know you didn't mean it like that. I'll take it as a compliment.- Bolin placed his hand over Wei's, rarely as serious as he was now.
-You should.- he said earnestly. He decided Wei deserved compliments.
This time the silence that followed was comfortable.
Until Wei seemed to realise something and quickly snatched his hand back. - Ummm, I think I've ran out of books to read. Can we swing by the bookstore?- he quickly asked no one in particular, turning on his heel and averting his gaze. Bolin felt his heart sink a little for some unknown reason. His hand felt weirdly cold without Wei's in it. He wondered if he'd done something to offend him.
Wing chimed into the conversation, saying Baatar Jr needed a new notebook, suggesting they buy one as well.
So off to the bookstore it was.
The bookstore ended up being a lovely, cozy little spot with plenty of places to just sit down and read. Bolin browsed the encyclopedias, waiting for the twins to complete their purchases. To his left, Wing held up a book that contained a detailed drawing of a fire ferret, comparing it to Pabu. He flipped the page to see a flying bison. -I've always wanted to see more of the world, and that includes the animals.- he mused and Wei, who had just paid for the books, huffed a laugh.
- I know, right? I think I've only ever seen fire ferrets and so in picture books. Imagine my surprise when I first met Pabu!- Wei petted the little red creature who purred contently and jumped onto his shoulder.
Bolin just had the best idea.
- If you guys think Pabu's exotic just wait untill you see Naga.- he remarked out loud, unable to keep the glee out of his voice. The twins regarded him with almost identical looks of curiosity and excitement.
- Who's Naga?- asked Wing, returning the book back to its shelf, regarding Bolin almost suspiciously.
- She's on the airship. Come on, follow me!- He laughed, grabbing Wei's free hand running out of the store, followed closely by Wing.
The airship was where they had left it, and Bolin practically skipped up the ramp, Wei's hand still in his. He couldn't wait to see their faces. Korra and the rest of the team had agreed to keep Naga on the airship, in case she frightened any of the locals. The polar bear dog was, of course, upset to be kept away from her mistress, but stayed put patiently.
Letting go of Wei's hand (and once again missing it's warmth), he opened the door to the lounge with a flourish. Naga burst out from behind it and immediately began licking at his face. He laughed at her display of affection as the twins stood there, dumbfounded.
- OH- started Wing
- MY- added Wei
- SPIRITS!- the both finished together.
Bolin laughed even harder. -Oh, your faces!- he teased, practically in stitches at this point. Wei playfully elbowed his side in retaliation, as Wing began carefully approaching Naga, still in disbelief.
- A polar bear dog?!-
- Yup. Naga is Korra's animal companion. Apparently every Avatar has one.- he said, as Naga curiously sniffed Wing's outstretched hand.
- Like Aang had Appa the flying bison.- Wei exclaimed suddenly. He shrugged when Bolin looked at him questioningly- Grandma would tell us stories about him.-
Naga seemed to have decided that the twins were trustworthy. She jumped and pinned them both down, licking at their faces with reckless abandon. Through his laughter (and a whole lot of polar bear dog slobber) Wei pointed at Bolin accusingly and gasped -You knew this would happen, didn't you?-
Bolin averted his eyes innocently -Did I?- the three of them were practically rolling with laughter.
They heard a sound coming from the hangar of the airship, and Naga immediately bounded towards it. The three, for lack of anything better to do, followed her to find Asami, precariously hanging by a harness, as she worked on something technical, blowtorch in hand.
- Oh hi, Bolin- she waved airliy, powering down her blowtorch - I'm just working on the engine. It has some minor damages from the run in with the Dai Li.-
- the Dai Li?- Wing prompted, crossing his arms as he craned his neck to look up at her. -what were you guys doing with those creeps?-
- Well..- Asami started- We were looking for airbenders in...AAAAH!- she shrieked, as the metal plate her harness attached to gave way and she plummeted towards ground.
- ASAMI!- Bolin screamed in horror, as he rushed to somehow, hopefully break her fall. But she never hit the ground. He looked up, to see his friend, safe and sound, the metal plate floated above Bolin's head, Asami having safely landed upon it.
Oh, right, metalbenders...
Wei and Wing, their arms outstretched in the same, practiced pose, lowered Asami down, only relaxing when she had safely stepped of the metal plate. She placed her hands on their shoulders and squeezed, gratefully. - Thanks, guys. I thought i had that one secured properly. - she grimaced, stepping back and looking down at the metal plate with disapproval. - That would be an embarrassing way to go, with all we've survived.- they all processed the height again - If you two hadn't been here I don't know what would have happened. -
Yeah, Bolin thought, if Wei and Wing hadn't been there...
Back in Suyin's garden, Bolin held the meteorite and focused. He tried. Really tried.
He thought of how much he wanted to metalbend.
About Toph Beifong, his hero.
About his frustration when Korra picked it up right away.
About Asami as she fell and that the twins were the only thing that could save her.
But the stupid space rock just wouldn't budge.
-Hey, Bolin.- He jumped, hiding the meteorite behind his back.
-Opal!- he squawked, looking down at the smiling girl, her big green eyes boring into his soul. -Oh, wow, you ... really know how to sneak up on someone.- 'Just like your brother', he thought, must run in the family. Opal looked him up and down, almost inspecting him.
-What are you doing?-
-Oh nothing, you know, just ... -he struggled to come up with an excuse as he tried to stealthily put the meteorite back in its spot -just thinking about my body and mustaches that I might have in the future.-
The uncooperative meteorite fell off the pedestal. Opal frowned in confusion. -You're acting weird again.-
-Sorry. - he apologised hastily. They had agreed, no acting weird. -I wasn't really thinking about all my mustaches. I'm just frustrated.- he took a deep breath before confessing his shame. -I've been trying to metalbend and I can't figure it out. Don't tell anyone, okay?- 'Especially Wei' something sang in his head for some reason, but he didn't say that part out loud.
Opal furrowed her eyebrows, visibly baffled. -Why not?-
-Because it's embarrassing.- he explained, but she still had that puzzled expression on her face. Awkwardly he tried to explain further. - This isn't the first time I've tried, and I've been wanting to metalbend ever since I heard about Toph. Your grandmother is my biggest hero!-
Spirits, he felt so pathetic.
Opal gently placed her hand on his shoulder. - My mom grew up learning from Toph. Just go train with her. - she urged and added: -Stop being so scared.-
-You know what? Maybe I am scared.- a small part of him felt a bit defensive and tried to push back. -But what about you? I know that you want to go to the Northern Air Temple to train with Tenzin, but you haven't done it, because you're afraid too!- he immediately regretted that little outburst.
-You know what?- for a moment he thought Opal would yell at him, but she suddenly deflated -You're right. I don't want to leave my family and disappoint my mom.- she sighed heavily. Remembering Wei and Wing's similar longing for the outside world, Bolin wondered if Wanderlust was part of the Beifong experience. For a moment he entertained a fantasy where he took them all for a trip around the world.
Instead, he blurted out: -Look at us! Talking about our feelings, supporting each other.-
She hugged him, he had to lean down to put his arms around her-It's nice.-
Maybe Opal really is Bolin material, just like Mako said.
-Congratulations. You're the first metalbending Avatar.- was the first thing he heard as he aproached Su and Korra. Well, that put the pressure on. But, no backing out now. He had promised Opal after all. He squared his shoulders and walked towards his hero's daughter.
-So, umm, I've been thinking, and I'd like to try to learn metalbending.- Suyin smiled and walked up to him. Uncertainty gripped his heart.- I mean, I'm sure you have a waiting list or something of a couple years so...-
She gently cut him off -Let's get started.-
All the exhilarating joy he felt immediately dissolved as the earth beneath their feet cracked and broke. One of Su's meteorites fell and split in two. The source of it was Lin, panting and sweating. She looked paler than usual and tired almost sick. Oh, and she was absolutely pissed.
Bolin backed off, until he was nearer to Korra. This seemed like a family matter. -I think Lin is mad about something.- he whispered and the Avatar nodded, uncharacteristically worried.
At first the two women simply argued, speaking of their youth, which Bolin gathered may have been troubled. That was until Suyin rolled out the 'No wonder Tenzin ended things with you years ago.' and Lin absolutely lost it. The chief of police attacked her sister, and Suyin answered in kind. Bolin couldn't help but notice, as he and Korra retreated into the nearby pavilion, that Lin's movements were unusually sloppy, lacking her regular agility and awareness.
-Should I stop them?- Korra asked, worriedly clouded eyes following the two women.
Bolin thought of all the times he's fought with Mako and how that usually let them get whatever grievances they had with each other out. -You don't have any siblings, fighting is all part of the healing process.-
Most of Su's family quickly joined them in the pavilion. Wei leant over the railing beside him, exitedly exclaiming -Go Mom!-
Bolin smiled at him, endeared and amused. - Aren't you just enjoying this just a little too much?- he asked playfully and Wei shot him a gleeful smile.
- Nah, fighting's all part of the healing process.- he answered airily
-might as well enjoy the show.- added Wing, slinging an arm around his brother and they both winced as Huan's sculpture became the first and only casualty of the fight.
As the fight progressed, it visibly took a toll on Lin, though her anger didn't seem to subside one bit. Suyin was still quite put together deflecting her sister's haphazard blows methodically.
-You've got it out of your system?-
-Not quite yet!-
At this point the two began getting out of hand, and Opal, bless her heart, intervened, her airbending blowing both women apart from each other. Bolin had never seen her this angry before. -What are you two doing?! You're sisters! Why would you want to hurt each other?-
Both Su and Lin were too tired to reply, trying to catch their breath.
Without warning, Lin went limp. With a cry, Korra rushed to the chief, catching her before she hit the ground.
A large portion of the rest of the day was spent worrying about Lin. Aiwei had explained that he pointed Lin to an acupuncturist to relieve her building stress. He added something about her not completing the session or something and that being the reason for her state. Plenty of rest and she should be fine, he assured. Despite this, Mako insisted that he would stay at his boss's side. He was joined by Su, whose guilt was evident, and Pabu who fell asleep on Lin's bed. Korra and Asami had ran off somewhere together. Probably the airship.
The sun was barely peeking out from behind the horizon and Bolin was out exploring. Despite having already been shown around, Su's estate was so big, that he still found himself discovering new and interesting rooms. One of those rooms turned out to be a huge dance studio, with mirrors on every wall. In the fading sunlight two dancers practiced a routine that involved bending a large sheet of metal between them. With a start he identified the two as Wei and Wing. Bolin wondered if they had picked this hobby up from their mother. As was his habit by now, he tried to distinguish which of them was Wei. He felt he was starting to get pretty good at it.
It was mesmerising to watch them dance.
Their shifting, practiced movements, when one seemed to push, the other would pull, they mirrored each other perfectly.
As it glistened in the dying sunbeams, the metal seemed to move so smoothly it was almost like a fluid.
Had Bolin not known any better he would have thought the two in front of him were waterbenders.
Though, maybe he's had enough of waterbending twins for an entire lifetime.
He decided to stop remembering and just focus on Wei.
As the two finished their dance, reaching their hands towards the heavens, the metal slid down their bodies, pooled around their feet, and Bolin thought that maybe he should clap. At the same time, he felt that making noise of any kind would break the strange spell that seemed to have settled upon the studio. He suddenly realised he was breathless.
Wei and Wing quickly bent the metal prop into a small cube, and pushed it into the corner. Bolin cleared his throat and they both jumped, relaxing as they noticed him.
Wing waved at Bolin but, bizarrely, just pushed Wei in his direction, who offerred a surprisingly feeble wave of his own, before approaching.
- How's Lin?- he asked, crossing his arms.
- She fell asleep. Aiwei said she's just been under a lot of stress lately and that with the proper rest, she'll recover quickly.- Bolin answered, before looking the studio up and down curiously. -You and Wing, uh, practice here often?-
Wei's cheeks turned a lovely rosey color -Only when we're working on a routine. Mom would sometimes bring us along for her practice, and we learnt to dance by copying her.- he answered quickly. Bolin couldn't shake the feeling that Wei was embarrassed of this hobby, somehow.
- I think it's really cool.- he assured, wanting to alleviate the other boy's tension.
- Really?-
- Really. You look beautiful when you dance- that last part sliped out unintentionally and Bolin rushed to distract from it. -Do you two perform anywhere? - he asked hurriedly
Thankfully, Wei didn't seem to pay this blunder any mind -Not really. We just join in on Mom's shows as backup dancers, extras and the like.- Bolin wondered if Su was having any shows while they were in town. Probably not, he surmised, not without disappointment.
Wei smiled up at him, giving Bolin's shoulder an affectionate shove. -speaking of my mother, I heard you asked her to help you learn metalbending. I can't wait to play power disc with you!- he proclaimed. His exitement was infectious and Bolin quickly found himself exited for his potential metalbending future.
- Yeah, Opal talked me into it, but now Im really pumped about it.- he thrust a fist into the air. But then the doubts came crashing back down. -I just hope I can do it. I mean, only one in a hundred earthbenders can actually metalbend...-
Wei looked genuinely confused. - Who told you that nonsense? -