Mako supervised the boys while they did target practice with stone dummies. He had to admit, Ryu's Firebending had come a long way since he'd started taking his training seriously. It was no longer the mess it was when he'd first sparred with the teen so many months earlier. Every one of his fire punches was hitting the target. He still had a long way to go before being a "master," but he was off to a good start.
Koji practiced alongside Ryu. Even though he wasn't a Firebender, he had incorporated the moves into his own style. With a firm stomp of his foot, he bent a rock up from the ground and punched it. The rock sailed through the air and pegged the boulder's "head." The technique wasn't too dissimilar from pro-bending which was where most of Mako's knowledge hailed from.
"Careful there, Koji. If this was a pro-bending arena, you'd be flagged for an illegal headshot," Mako joked. "But your follow-through and accuracy are looking good. That goes for you too Kid."
"Thank you, sir," Koji sheepishly replied as he rubbed the back of his head..
A pleased smile fell across Ryu's face but his need to keep his "tough-guy" persona overrode his acceptance of any praise.
"This is easy. I told you I knew how to Firebend, Chief," Ryu scoffed.
"Sure, Kid," Mako replied with a smirk.
Meanwhile, Mari watched from her camp chair with her knees pulled up to her chest. She was trying to hide how jealous she currently was. Not only because it seemed like Papa was spending more time with the boys, but also because she'd had the bad luck of being born a non-bender. She knew it wasn't right to feel this way. At the same time, she couldn't help it. It just wasn't fair. Juji playfully head-butted her from where he sat on her shoulder as if to cheer her up. The bird had been left in her care while the boys trained. She didn't mind, but it made her feel like all she was good for lately was bird-sitting.
While Mako was watching the boys, he happened to notice Mari sulking out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't like her.
"You two keep at," he instructed, then left to check on his granddaughter. Juji gave him an angry hiss and moved to Mari's far shoulder when he arrived. He'd learned that generally, the bird was all bark and no bite.
"Are you okay sweetie?" he asked.
Mari let out a sigh.
"Why couldn't I be born a bender?" she pouted as her tail flicked beside her.
He crouched down by her chair. "We've talked about this. Sometimes that's just how things work. It's the same reason you were born a Fetchling while none of your cousins even have fangs. I know Riley was jealous." When he was a child, the older of Kazumi's twin boys would often run around with a fake tail strapped to his waist. It was entertaining to watch him wag it around as he tried to imitate Mari.
"I know…" Mari frowned and hid her face behind her knees.
It was an odd matter of chance that out of his two children, and four grandchildren, only Mari shared all of his traits. The only other one that even came close was his son, Mari's father, who had been born with a white stripe of fur down his spine and eventually had fangs. It made him wonder what might happen generations down the line.
"How about, when we get to Zaofu, we do some Fetchling training. Just you and me," he offered.
Mari's head popped up.
"Really?"
"You've already started using your tail and horns to fight. I'll teach you what I've learned," he said.
"Thank you, Papa!" Juji flapped into the air when Mari threw her arms around him.
"Wait. We're going to Zaofu?" Koji asked. The boys stopped practicing when they heard the news.
"That's right. I think it's time Ryu start Earthbending properly," he replied.
"Finally. I thought I was going to have to have Koji teach me and he sucks!" Ryu said, hazing his friend.
"Hey! I'm definitely a better Earthbender than you!" Koji retorted and gave Ryu a firm shove.
It wasn't an actual argument as they were both deliberately poking at one another. Mako had learned that it was just part of their relationship as friends.
"Well, this is going to be a chance for both of you to improve your Earthbending," he interrupted the pair. And he already had the perfect teacher in mind.
The afternoon sun reflected off of the silver shells that encircled the towering buildings of Zaofu. The teens looked wide-eyed out the windows as they drove towards the large metal structures.
"While we're in Zaofu, I want you to stick to Earthbending, Kid," Mako explained as he drove. "No need to be showing-off that you're the Avatar."
"Yeah, whatever," Ryu said dismissively as he pet Juji. "Will I learn Metalbending here too?"
"You can try," Mako replied. "Korra could Metalbend, and you can even try your hand at Lavabending if you want. That goes for you too Koji."
"Lavabending?" Koji scoffed from the backseat. "My dad says Lavabending is a myth. Nobody can actually do it."
A confused expression covered the teen's face when Mari chuckled next to him.
"You'll have to see for yourself once we get into the city," Mako told him through the rearview mirror.
A short while later, he brought The Rampage to a stop in front of a large estate. A stout man with grey hair, a patch of beard on his chin, and a solid belly, came out of the main building to greet them. He was dressed in green robes, accented by metal plates, and a blue scale swung from a string around his neck. His green eyes went wide as he approached.
"Mako!" he said as soon as he saw the Fetchling. "It's good to see you bro!" He opened his arms wide and the pair exchanged a brief hug.
"Hey, Bolin," Mako replied with a smile. "These are the boys I called you about, Ryu and Koji. Boys, this is my younger brother Bolin."
"Younger brother?" Koji repeated incredulously while Ryu snickered beside him. The latter probably thought it was funny to poke at Mako's age.
"When are you going to catch-up with me, Mako?" Bolin teased as he ran his fingers through his solid grey hair. It was a stark contrast to the only partially grey that Mako had.
"Don't start that," Mako huffed. Seeing his younger brother looking so much older was enough of a reminder of his aging difference. He didn't need it to be rubbed in.
Fortunately, the conversation shifted when Mari came around the vehicle.
"Great-Uncle Bolin!" She happily smiled as she raced to him for a hug.
"Mari! You've gotten so tall," the man said as he embraced her. "The last time I saw you, you were barely at my waist. You need to tell your grandpa to visit more often."
A simple smile was Mari's reply.
"Everybody come on in," Bolin said as he gestured to his home. "Opal's making dinner and we can all put our feet up and relax until then."
The teens trotted ahead, Mari leading the way, while Bolin fell in-step with Mako.
"So, which one's the you-know-who?" he whispered.
Mako had informed Bolin that he was bringing the Avatar to Zaofu for some training. However, he deliberately neglected to tell the his brother the boy's name.
"You know what bro? I'm going to let you figure that out for yourself," Mako replied with a sly smirk.
After dinner, Bolin put the group up in one of the Beifong family's guest houses. They were the progenitors of Zaofu and, since he had married into the family, it gave him access to everything in the main dome where they lived.
The house had plenty of space for the group and the teenagers quickly made themselves at home. They were probably relieved to have normal lodgings after nearly a year of roughing it. The other advantage of coming to Zaofu was that he and Mari didn't have to hide their appearance. As long as they stayed near the Beifong's main estate, nobody would make a fuss about The Fetchling being in the city. His family knew his secret, and he trusted they wouldn't reveal he was here with the Avatar.
"And how's the Avatar doing today?" Shouma asked as he stepped into the room. Bian was slumped over a table full of ledgers as his tutors went on about the latest economic exchanges with Soggy Bottom Swamp. Despite not being the actual Avatar, the young man had a knack for the political rigors that came with the position.
"Sorting out Soggy Bottom's ledgers from the last trade agreement," Bian replied. "How did the Earth Republic allow them to become a sovereign nation? These are a mess."
"That's a question for people higher up the food-chain than me I'm afraid," Shouma said with a jovial smile. "I'm just a lowly assistant." His humble assistant line was all a facade. He knew more about the current state of Soggy Bottom's, and the Earth Republic's, politics than he chose to share. Such information was how he'd amassed his "small" pocket of wealth. It also didn't hurt being the liaison to the Avatar. How fortunate that he had discovered the young man in one of the Earth Republic's wealthiest families. He continued to smile as he thought about his "good fortune." That smile faded when one of the tutors pulled him to a separate room with a beckoning nod.
"We need to talk about his bending," the tutor began once they were alone. "More and more people are getting suspicious due to the fact that he's only able to Earthbend. It's been four years; it won't remain hidden forever."
So much for his good fortune. Shouma grumbled to himself as he thought about the problem and an idea slowly occurred to him. The Fetchling had taken a sabbatical from his position as Chief to "commune with the spirits." At least, that was the official statement released from the Republic City Police department HQ. He knew it was an excuse for the man to runaway with the real Avatar, but there was no reason he couldn't do the same thing with Bian. That should appease the critics.
"We'll send Bian away," he hastily explained. "Someplace no one will go looking for him and say he's training with spirits or some-such nonsense. Then, once I have the real Avatar…well, the world is a dangerous place." He wasn't above removing two Avatars from the equation if it meant he got to keep his position and wealth. Why, he might even be lucky enough to find the next Avatar. The smile returned to his face.
"Shouma?" A young woman's voice came through the door. "There's a call for you on your private line. They say it's urgent."
Shouma straightened his coat. "I trust you'll make sure the matter is taken care-of accordingly." He slipped a small stack of Yuans into the tutor's hands as he strut past them on his way out the door.
The phone receiver was waiting on his desk when he arrived in his personal office. "President assistant Shouma speaking," he politely said.
"It's Sonata. Rumor has it that The Fetchling is here in Zaofu. He was spotted entering the Beifong estates," the voice over the line stated.
"Zaofu?" A scowl fell over his face. Zaofu was a fortress and, after the Great Uniter's coup, they redoubled their security measures. He was able to get an informant in the city, but getting one near the Beifong family had proven impossible. It was highly unlikely even his assassin would be able to breach that inner circle.
"Very well. Gather whatever other information you can. I'm sending one of my contacts that way," he stated.
"Will do," the voice replied before the line went dead.
With that bit of bad news finished, he pulled a key from his breast pocket and unlocked the drawer in his desk. The papers that greeted him were quickly shuffled aside for what was beneath them; a secret pocket covered by a false bottom. Once the innocuous board was removed, he pulled out a brown file. Inside was all the information he currently had on The Fetchling. Mostly it was articles from old newspapers: his stint as a pro-bender with his brother, his rise to Chief of Police, his marriage, birth announcements for his two children. All of it largely trivial. Much like Zaofu, The Fetchling's private life was hard to breach.
"What are you doing in Zaofu, Chief Mako?" he pondered to himself as he rifled through the papers. It couldn't be chance that The Fetchling ended up in the most fortified city in the world and under what was essentially their royal family. Unfortunately, his papers didn't have the immediate answer. He'd have to look into the matter later. In the meantime, he had a call to make. He pulled the receiver back to his ear and dialed. After several moments, the other end went live, but there was no voice. Only breathing, accented by a slight gurgle sound, came from the speaker.
"I'm sending you to Zaofu, but tread carefully," he quietly stated. "This isn't some smudge on the map. Be patient and engage only if the opportunity presents itself."
A long, labored sigh came from the other end. That was all the confirmation Shouma needed and a frown covered his face as he hung up the phone. This game of cat and mouse was getting frustrating.
The next morning, Mako lead the teens outside to one of the large training arenas on the main estate. Chunks of metal rested on pillars, ready to be used for Metalbending practice. They varied in type from aluminum and brass, all the way to iron and steel. The boys scanned the area in awe.
"Alright. I'm leaving you two with Bolin," Mako began. "I want you to give him the same respect as…" he paused. The boys had proven to be a handful more than once on this little excursion. Especially Ryu. "… more respect than you give me," he corrected himself.
Both boys gave him affirmative nods.
"Mari. You come with me and I can show you some techniques," he said as he flipped his tail into view. They were going to be doing Fetchling training, as promised.
"Yes, Papa," Mari beamed excitedly as she followed him to a different training area. One far away from the Earthbenders.
Once his brother was gone, Bolin addressed the two boys.
"So, which one of you is the," he lowered his voice, "you know what?"
The two boys exchanged mischievous smirks. They were willing to play the game.
"Not saying," Ryu smiled as his iguana parrot paced along his shoulders.
"Yup. The Chief said we shouldn't be showing off," Koji added.
"Alright, but I'm going to figure it out," the elder Earthbender confidently grinned. "In the meantime, why don't you both show me what you know."
Koji started the demonstration and stomped his foot into the ground. Several small stones popped into the air which he punched into a distant target. They weren't bullseyes but all the stones hit near the second smallest ring.
"Nice execution," Bolin noted. "Looks like Mako's been giving you a few tips." The moves were very reminiscent of their pro-bending days. "What about you, Ryu?"
Similar to Koji, Ryu stomped his foot into the ground. Unlike Koji however, a large pillar of stone emerged in front of him. He punched at the pillar which broke into chunks that hurtled towards the far target. What he lacked in accuracy he made up for in size. The target was decimated by the oversized fragments.
"Ummm…Also nice," Bolin said, with a little more concern than he had with Koji. The boy could do some serious damage if he wanted. Ryu responded with a proud grin.
"What about Metalbending and Lavabending?" Ryu asked. "The Chief said we could learn those while we're here too."
"Sure can," Bolin replied. "Although…I…I've never been able to Metalbend."
"That's because you lack finesse, Dad."
They were interrupted by a middle-aged woman dressed in the metal-accented uniform of Zaofu's security force. She had short hair and glasses over her green eyes. Although she resembled her mother, the way she presented herself was more like Mako; serious and straightforward.
"Good morning, Aiyeka." Bolin's jolly demeanor shifted in his daughter's presence. Almost as if he was afraid of her.
"Are these the two boys I heard about?" she asked as she looked down her nose at the teens.
"Yup. This is Koji and Ryu…"
He was interrupted by a loud squawk from Ryu's pet.
"…and Juji," he added after the stern reminder. "Mako brought them here yesterday along with Mari. Did you get a chance to talk to them?"
"I saw Uncle Mako briefly this morning," Aiyeka answered curtly, as if talking to her father was the most exhausting thing in the world. "I figured I should check-in here to make sure nothing was going wrong."
"Nothing's going wrong," Bolin stated defensively. "We were just getting into some additional bending techniques."
"So I heard," Aiyeka said with a dismissive sigh. "Since my father can't Metalbend, I'll be the one to show you how to begin."
The boys traded a wary glance at the way the woman was inserting herself into their training.
"You don't have to Aiyeka," Bolin said anxiously. "I can get someone else to help. I know how busy you are and—"
"Please, father," Aiyeka scoffed. "You know I'm the only one that can be trusted to do it. I'm sure you can find something else to amuse yourself in the meantime." She finished with a dismissive wave of her hand.
A sad frown fell across Bolin's face, and he hung his head as he slunk off at his daughter's dismissal.
Aiyeka then turned her attention to the boys.
"I honestly do not care which one of you is the Avatar," she began, casually dropping the title as if it weren't meant to be secret. "If you're here to learn, I expect both of you to follow my each and every instruction to the letter."
The boys' wariness quickly turned to concern.
Mako took Mari to a small park hidden amongst the family estate. It was unoccupied and the perfect place to train. Although he and Shizu had trained her since she was little, this would be the first time teaching her how to properly utilize her tail in combat. It wasn't something that had occurred to him earlier but, with Toadman still out there, and Mari's willingness to use her Fetchling features to fight, it now seemed warranted.
"Alright," Mako began as he positioned himself across from her. "I want you to use your tail to attack me."
"Right." Mari confidently nodded. She turned around and swung her tail at him. In response, he gave her a good shove and knocked her face-down into the grass.
"Hey!" she snapped over her shoulder. Clearly, she had been caught off-guard by the attack, which was the point.
"You're a smart girl Mari. What just happened?" he asked. He knew it would come to her and waited while she thought about it.
"I turned my back to my opponent," she replied when she realized her error.
"That's right." He stood still and brought his tail around to help her to her feet before he continued. "Our tails are about as long as our bodies. If you minus the centimeters it takes to reach around our backs, you still have a good meter plus to work with. That's longer than any of your other limbs."
Mari experimented by stretching out her own tail and comparing it to her arm. It was definitely longer.
"It's something you can easily use to your advantage. Especially against an unaware opponent."
Mari yelped when she found herself suddenly flat on her back. As a demonstration, he had tripped her with his tail without moving any other muscles. Instead of getting upset however, like Ryu would have done, a look of sheer determination covered her face. He was showing her exactly what she wanted. She got to her feet and quickly brushed herself off.
"I understand, Papa. I'll try again."
This time, she attacked without turning her back to him. He blocked the swing with his own tail and saw her wince. He wasn't expecting to hurt her and immediately dropped his guard when she suddenly gripped her tail.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm okay…" she replied as she held the limb. "That just stung a little."
"Let me see."
She handed over her tail and he took a quick look. None of the scales appeared to be damaged. He started to pinch up the limb and stopped when she grimaced.
"I think it's only bruised. Maybe the first thing we need to do is toughen up your tail." Although Mari's scales were as thick as his, apparently more had to be done to build up the muscles beneath. "Think you can do that?"
Mari nodded again, the determination still there.
"That's my girl," Mako smiled. He didn't know exactly yet how best to build up her tail, but he was sure they could come up with something.
As evening approached Mako and Mari returned to the guest house. They were surprised to find the boys collapsed on the living room furniture. Ryu was stretched out on the couch while Koji was flopped sideways on an overstuffed chair with his bare feet dangling over the armrest. The pair looked completely exhausted. Even Juji looked tired as he rested on Ryu's chest.
"What happened to you two?" Mako asked. He didn't think his brother would push them so hard.
"Your niece is strict," Koji managed to answer.
"Yeah," Ryu added with a huff. "She's worse than you."
"My niece?" It took Mako a moment to register what had happened. "Aiyeka showed-up didn't she."
"She's terrible!" Ryu sat-up on the couch. "She had us doing Earthbending forms all day! If either of us messed-up one step, she had both of us start all over!"
"I think I have blisters on my feet that have blisters," Koji remarked. He kicked his marred feet over the armrest which caused Mari's face to scrunch up in disgust.
Mako let out a heavy sigh. He had mentioned to Aiyeka how he had brought the boys to Zaofu for some Earthbending training, but he didn't think she would take control.
"I'll talk to her, and Bolin, and get this all straightened out," he told the boys.
Bolin's house was the first stop on his list. His brother gave him a sheepish smile from the entryway.
"Oh, hey Mako," he said nervously. It was likely he knew this talk was going to occur.
"What happened bro?" Mako asked with an annoyed twitch of his tail. It wasn't intentional as it often reacted of its own accord.
"You know…I was talking to the boys, about to show them the ropes, when Aiyeka showed-up. She kind of started doing her thing and I got out of the way," Bolin answered nervously. He moved aside so that they could continue the conversation in the house.
"Bolin. I know it's hard but she's your daughter. You need to talk to her," Mako stated.
"I've tried to tell him that," his wife Opal said as she joined the conversation.
"It is hard," Bolin stated. "Whenever I try, she pushes me away. She thinks I'm nothing but a big screw-up." A frown fell over his face as he plopped onto his couch. It disappeared a second later. "Wait, I know! Since you're here, you can talk to her Mako," Bolin suddenly suggested. "You know how to deal with difficult kids."
A sneer came across his face as was unsure how to take that remark. It was true he'd had to deal with some relationship issues with his own kids but, like his aging, he didn't need them pointed-out to him. Besides, he couldn't keep fighting Bolin's battles for him.
"I plan on talking to Aiyeka next but you need to address whatever problems the two of you have with each other," Mako firmly stated.
Bolin's frown returned as he slumped back into the couch.
"Yeah…alright…" he sighed.
Once Mako was done with his brother, it was on to his niece. The nice thing about Zaofu was that the family houses were close to one another. It was only a short walk to Aiyeka's residence. When he arrived, he knocked on the front door and patiently waited for her to answer.
"Uncle Mako. It's late. I was just getting ready to turn-in for the night. Please make it quick," she stated once she saw him.
He was taken aback by her stern attitude but composed himself.
"I wanted to discuss what happened with the boys today," he said.
"Did they tell you I was too hard on them?" she began. "Frankly, I think you've been too soft, Uncle. And leaving them in the care of my father? They're not going to learn anything from him. I'm going to teach them proper form and technique. I would think someone in your position would appreciate such discipline."
It was true he took pride in his routines, but there were limits. "They're only kids Aiyeka," he countered. "If you push them too hard they're likely to—"
"You don't need to worry, Uncle Mako," she interrupted, speaking as if she were addressing a child. "I can handle a couple of teenage boys. I'll make sure they're properly trained. Good night." Then, she closed the door in his face.
For a moment he couldn't move, dumbfounded by her directness. No wonder Bolin had a hard time talking to her. She refused to listen. Her attitude vaguely reminded him of Lin Beifong, which made sense since that was her great-aunt. However, that wasn't entirely a good thing.
With the door literally closed on the conversation, he started his walk back to the guest house. Hopefully, she'd be more receptive to his concerns later.
Mako woke the next morning to knocking from the front door. His tail slapped the floor as he grumbled into his cushion. Even for him it was early, and he knew exactly who it was. He rolled off his cushion to answer it.
To his surprise, Mari was standing in the living area, still in her nightgown. The noise had apparently woken her as well.
"Who would be coming here this early, Papa?" she asked through a yawn.
"Go back to bed Mari. Apparently I need to have another talk with your cousin," he hastily replied. Mari went back to her room while he went to stop the incessant knocking.
As he suspected, standing outside in the early haze of dawn, was Aiyeka. She was already in her uniform and set for the day.
"I've come for the boys," she stated. "They should already be awake and ready to go."
She tried to step into the house, but Mako braced his arm firmly against the doorframe to block her.
"The boys are still recovering after what you put them through yesterday. I'll wake them up when I think they should be ready to go," he replied. In the end, they were his responsibility.
"Come now Uncle. Certainly you don't mean to let them sleep all morning." She ducked under his arm and wedged herself into the house. "Koji. Ryu. Time to get moving!" She clapped her hands as she called through the house.
Before she made two steps, he grabbed her arm with his tail. She gaped in shock at the limb restraining her.
"Look, Aiyeka," he stated insistently. "I appreciate that you want to help, but I'm going to have your father train them. If it turns out either of them can Metalbend, then we'll call you."
"You can't be serious?" she replied incredulously. "My father can't teach them. He'll mess it up. Let me handle it." She tried to pull her arm free but he held it tight.
"I'm telling you 'no' Aiyeka," he firmly stated.
"You're really going to trust my father to train the Avatar?" she scoffed.
"I'd trust your father with my life," he responded. It wasn't an exaggeration either. Back when they were both with Korra as part of "team Avatar," they had saved each other's skin more than once. Then, after he'd been cursed, Bolin was always there for him. He'd never once turned his back on his half-spirit brother.
"Oh please, Uncle." Aiyeka gently pulled his tail off her arm. "Let me prove it to you. Meet me on the west training grounds and I'll show you why I'm the best one to train the Avatar."
He was stunned. Was she really suggesting what he thought?
"I'm not going to fight you, Aiyeka," he stated with a firm flip of his tail.
"Certainly the great Fetchling isn't afraid of losing to his niece," Aiyeka said sarcastically.
"That isn't—"
"Good. Then I'll give you time to get dressed and see you on the training field." With that, she was out the door.
"Urrrggh," he growled between clenched fangs. She just wouldn't listen. The frustrated grumble was apparently louder than he intended and brought the teenagers from their rooms.
"You're all awake?" he noted.
"Who can sleep with all this yapping out here," Ryu replied with an annoyed scowl. Juji concurred with a loud squawk.
"I couldn't get back to sleep either, Papa," Mari added.
He turned expectantly to Koji for his excuse. The Earthbender was the least likely to be awake at such an early hour.
"I heard you out here too, sir," the boy said with a nonchalant shrug.
"So, what's this about a fight?" Ryu asked excitedly.
That was the most likely reason that the boys were awake. They wanted to see him fight.
"You're not really going to fight her are you, Papa?" Mari added, her face full of concern.
"I don't want to, but she's not giving me much choice," he replied. "I promise I'll be careful."
"Careful?" Ryu scoffed. "Aren't you supposed to be the best Firebender in the world or something."
"It's not that simple, Kid." This was his niece, not some criminal he could just let loose on. Plus, there were also other concerns that the boys didn't really know about. "I want you three to stay here. Maybe I can still talk some sense into her."
"What?! You can't make us stay here!" Ryu grumped.
Mako spun around and got face-to-face with the teen. Ryu glared at him as he spoke.
"Stay. Here. That's an order." He didn't want the boys around if things turned ugly.
"Whatever!" Ryu huffed, and slammed the door behind him as he returned to his bedroom.
"Ugh…You mean I got out of bed for nothing," Koji groaned. That was proof that he was only awake to see a fight.
"Then you should be glad you can go right back to bed," Mako stated. He watched the boy trudge back to his room. All that was left was Mari. Her tail was wrapped tight around her ankles as she worriedly rubbed her arm. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"I'm going to be fine. I promise," he said.
"Alright, Papa," she replied, but she didn't sound convinced. He gave her a gentle horn bump, then she disappeared behind her door. With all three teenagers back in their rooms, he went to get dressed. He had a fight to attend.
Dawn had given way to morning by the time he arrived at the training field. Aiyeka was already there, launching stone projectiles at a dummy while she was waiting. She stopped as soon as she noticed him.
"There you are Uncle. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show," the woman stated.
"I said before that I don't want to fight you," he began. "But I also can't have you driving the boys like you did. I'm going to ask you again to step aside and please let your father handle the training."
"It's infuriating to me how you think my father is better suited to train those boys. We both know—"
"You don't know anything Aiyeka because you refuse to listen!" he interrupted her. "Let it go!"
"I will not!" She stomped her foot on the ground, bending a stone into the air, and punched it at him. It careened past him as he dodged to the side. Now the fight was on.
Bolin and Opal were still in bed when they heard pounding coming from outside. The man grunted when his wife poked him with her elbow.
"Someone's at the door," she mumbled, still half-asleep. He opened one eye to peek at the clock on the nightstand. Five forty-three softly ticked back at him.
"Who could be coming here so early," he practically whined. A yawn escaped his mouth as he sat-up on the mattress.
"Uncle Bolin?" The voice was muffled, but unmistakable.
"Is that Mari?" Opal asked now very much awake.
Bolin quickly tossed on a robe and hustled out of the room. There had to be a good reason their great-niece was at their house so early. He threw open the front door to see Mari standing with Koji and Ryu. The worried expression on her face spoke volumes.
"Mari? Is everything okay?" he asked.
"It's Papa," Mari answered while she anxiously wrung her tail. "Aiyeka came to the guest house this morning and challenged him to a fight. He was going to meet her at the western training grounds."
"What? He shouldn't be fighting Aiyeka," Bolin stated.
"He knows, but she wouldn't listen," Mari confirmed.
"I don't get what the big deal is. The Chief can handle himself," Ryu commented.
"He'll tell you he can but in reality, there are some things he just shouldn't do," Bolin stated as he threw on his boots. "Opal, honey. I need to go stop Mako from being an idiot."
"Okay." The word had barely left Opal's mouth before he was out the door.
Aiyeka launched a salvo of stones through the air. Mako deftly dodged the projectiles and the ones he couldn't dodge, he swatted away with his tail. He countered with a series of fire punches which Aiyeka blocked with a solid pillar of stone. Even if he was supposedly the "greatest Firebender in the world," his niece was no slouch. She was a skilled Earthbender, and Metalbender, who was part of Zaofu's security team. He wasn't about to underestimate her.
Her Metalbending prowess was on display with her next attack when she sent a series of metal slats hurtling at him. These were easier to deal with than the stones. Washes of blue fire from his hands, melted the metal before they could reach him, and the slag chunks fell harmlessly at his feet. He followed the move with a wave of fire from first his leg, followed immediately by his tail. Aiyeka shifted her stone pillar around to block the flames again, but this time Mako was expecting the barrier. He caught her off-guard when he smashed through the stone with his horns. It wasn't his preferred method of fighting, but when it came to Earthbenders, close quarters was his best option. Once he was through the barrier, he grabbed her arm with the intent being to twist it behind her back. In a surprise reversal, she took his arm, flipped herself over his back, and shoved him away with her palm.
"You forget Uncle, I'm a trained officer as well," Aiyeka firmly stated. She launched several more stones that shattered against his back causing him to stumble. Fortunately, his scales took the brunt of the blows, but it wasn't pleasant. While he had his back to her, he lashed out with his tail and bent another wave of fire at her. Aiyeka was too close this time. The flames hit her full in the chest and sent her tumbling across the ground.
Up until now, Aiyeka had been handling the fight with level-headed confidence. Her trip in the dirt caused that shell to crack. An angry scowl covered her face as she bent a large chunk of stone from the ground.
Mako's eyes went wide as the boulder flew towards him. No way he could block something that large and come out unscathed. His boots scuffed the dirt to get purchase as he scrambled to run out of range. Dust blanketed him a second later when the stone suddenly shattered in mid-air.
"You two need to stop right now!" Bolin appeared on the battlefield along with the three teenagers.
"Bolin?"
"Dad?" Aiyeka stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her father. Mako was just as surprised to see the man.
"I'm sorry, Papa," Mari interjected apologetically. "I was worried you were going to get hurt."
Bolin marched straight up to him and swatted him across the back of the head. "Seriously. What were you thinking?"
"Hey!" Mako rubbed his head. "That's no way to treat your older brother."
"Well, I look older so it counts!" Bolin countered.
"Why did you interfere Dad? Uncle Mako doesn't need your help," Aiyeka stated, exasperated by his sudden appearance.
"He may not need my help, but I'm always going to have his back." Bolin shot a dirty look at him. "Especially when he doesn't think he needs it."
Mako looked to the ground as he was scolded. Unknowingly, it was almost the same expression as when Ryu did it. Bolin then turned his attention to Aiyeka.
"You know that I love you Aiyeka, but you need to stop with all this…this…arrogance," the man berated her.
"Wha—?" Aiyeka was taken aback. She probably wasn't used to being admonished by her father.
"Do you have any idea how close you came to seriously injuring your uncle just now?" Bolin continued.
"Oh please, Dad…" Aiyeka brushed him off with a flick of her wrist. "I'm sure Uncle Mako can handle a few stones. He is The Fetchling after all."
"And it's because he's a Fetchling that he can't, and he knows it," Bolin looked to his brother again. "I'm going to tell her Mako."
"Bolin. Wait—" His protest went ignored as Bolin went back to Aiyeka.
"Your uncle has osteoporosis. He's had it ever since he was cursed," Bolin stated. There was the slightest hint of sympathy in his voice. It returned to scolding when he shifted his focus back to his brother. "That's why he shouldn't be fighting an Earthbender. Especially not one as skilled as you Aiyeka."
The woman stood silent while she processed the information.
With the secret out, both boys looked to Mari for an explanation. The girl's tail was tight around her ankles as she stared sadly at the ground.
"Osteo—what now?" Ryu asked.
"I think my grandma has that," Koji added.
"Osteoporosis," Mari echoed with a sad frown. "Normal humans aren't meant to have horns or scales. As Fetchlings, in order for our bodies to compensate, extra minerals are taken from our bones making them brittle. That's why we drink that powder every day. It's bonemeal meant to help mitigate the disease."
The expression on Mako's face was almost identical to Mari's, confirmation that what she was saying was true.
The girl let out a heavy sigh before she continued. "I don't have it yet, but our doctor says it's only a matter of time."
The boys traded a sympathetic glance. Because of his connection with Korra, Ryu had some idea about the Chief's condition, but he had no idea it was because he was a Fetchling, or that it extended to Mari.
"I didn't know…" Aiyeka began, her voice barely a whisper.
"Would it have made a difference?" Mako challenged with a flip of his tail.
"I…" Her hesitation made it clear it wouldn't have.
He wasn't insinuating that she should have gone easy on him because of the disease or was her uncle. However, the fact that she hadn't even considered their relationship before fighting him, was a clear sign that family didn't matter. She had a point to make and she was going to make it, no matter what the cost.
"Listen to me, Aiyeka. I've known your father a lot longer than you have. I know you think he's a screw-up, and I can tell you first-hand that he's made mistakes." He gave Bolin a slight smile which was returned with annoyed frown. Then, he turned back to his neice. "Despite those mistakes, I know I can count on him no matter what and that he'll always be there for me.
"No one's perfect, Aiyeka. Not him, not me, and as hard as you try…not you. That's why I wanted your dad to train the boys. You're too rigid and lack compassion. Something he has in spades."
Aiyeka stood silent, cowed by the scolding.
"Aiyeka?" Bolin tried to pull her attention.
"I'm sorry Dad, Uncle Mako…I need to think…"
They all watched as she walked off the training field.
"I'm sorry, Bo. I wasn't planning on confronting her but she's so…headstrong," he said. "I didn't see any other choice."
"I know…She gets it from Opal's side," Bolin replied with a smirk. They both knew how proud and stubborn the Beifong family could be.
Later that afternoon, Mako brought the teenagers back to the training grounds where Bolin was waiting for them.
"Did you get things sorted out with Aiyeka?" Mako asked once they arrived.
"I don't know," Bolin replied with a shrug. "She came by the house and said 'I'll try' and just left."
Mako gave his brother a reassuring pat on the back. "Just give her some time. I'm sure she'll come around."
"You're not going to make us do forms all day are you?" Ryu interrupted. Juji added a low gurgle, sharing his concern.
Bolin looked back at them in surprise.
"What? Forms?" he echoed. "Nah…Let's say my training methods are a little more…"
"Nonexistent," Mako joked.
"Relaxed. I was going to say relaxed," Bolin corrected.
The boys seemed relieved to hear that.
"I'm going to leave them to you then," Mako said as he prepared to leave with Mari. "By the way, Koji doesn't believe that Lavabending exists."
"Oh really?" Bolin smirked. "Then I guess I don't need to show them that."
"What? No way!" Koji blurted.
Bolin swung his arms and both boys' jaws dropped when the ground suddenly erupted into fragments of rock mixed with magma under his command.
"How'd you do that?"
"Can you really teach us?"
The teens spouted excitedly.
"I don't know. I mean…since Lavabending doesn't exist," Bolin remarked coyly.
Mako could hear both boys begging as he and Mari walked into the distance.
The boys were in much better shape when they returned to the guest house that evening. This time, Mako and Mari had arrived before them. He was on the couch enjoying a book while she was stretched out on the floor with her journal in front of her.
Mari looked up from her writing when they entered. "How did it go?" she asked.
"Great!" Ryu replied while Juji happily chirped on his shoulder. "Your brother is way cooler than you, Chief. I think he should be the one to train me from now on."
"Oh, really?" Mako replied with an amused grin.
"I'm going to call my dad!" Koji interjected excitedly. "He's never going to believe I met an actual Lavabender."
"Remember that you're traveling with The Fetchling and you're supposed to be on a spirit expedition," Mako shouted after the teen as he raced for the phone. Couldn't have any slip-ups that he was actually training with the Avatar.
"Can you Lavabend or Metalbend now?" Mari asked.
"Not yet," Ryu answered as he plopped onto the chair. "But Aiyeka did come and show us some Metalbending things. She's okay when she's not torturing us." He shifted Juji from his shoulder onto his lap. "Where did you two go anyway?"
"We were sparring," Mari answered happily. "I may not be a bender, but I can fight too." She snapped her tail onto the floor and scars marred the wood from her unintentional attack. "Whoops…Sorry Papa," she said.
"Don't apologize to me," he corrected her. "Apologize to your Uncle Bolin. He's the one letting us stay here."
"Okay…" she replied. He and Shizu had taught her to take responsibility for her mistakes and she was usually pretty good about it.
"You should both come watch us tomorrow," Ryu continued. "I want to see the amazed expression on your face Chief when I become the first Lavabending…" He glanced at Koji who was still on the phone. He was probably too far to hear him, but he decided to play it safe. "…you know."
"Not that I don't trust you boys, but as you learned today, Earthbending and Fetchlings don't exactly mix," Mako replied.
"Oh…right…" A disappointed frown fell over Ryu's face.
"Tell you what, Kid. We'll come and watch tomorrow," he said. Clearly it was important to the teen. "From a safe distance."
Ryu's face instantly brightened. "Thanks Chief!"
Mari was excited too as her tail happily wagged behind her.
He would risk a few rocks if it made Ryu happy.