So, less than a month until Legend of Korra! ^_^

I don't have much of an intro for this so...Enjoy!

"How'd you like to make lots of money, fame, and happiness?"

Mako is a bit taken back by the offer, almost tripping backwards over his own feet, teetering into Bolin's body. However, his younger brother stabalizes him.

"I...uh...w-what?" Mako stumbles.

"I haven't seen bending like that in quite some time, especially from boys your age," the old man, who had just witnessed tem preform bending feats in exchange for a few coins, informs, a slight grin contourting his tanned face. "I work at the Pro-Bending Arena...you know Pro-Bending, don'tcha?"

Hurriedly, mouth agape, Mako nods 'yes'.

And the ever-out-going Bolin snakes around his brother's body, dimples framing his dazzling smile. "Of course! I always see the guys coming out of the arena and talking about how the benders go 'BAM!' and 'POW!'" Demonstrating even further, Bolin jumps into a horse-stance, firing a few rocks at the alley trash cans, where Mako was planning on salvaging their nights dinner from.

The old man laughs. "That's right." Turning his attention back to the slight and starving Mako, he speaks. "How'd you two boys like to play in the arena one day?"

"Really?" Mako asks, sounding bewildered and terrified at the same time.

"You mean it, sir?" Bolin practically shrieks.

The old man nods. "All I gotta do is talk to your parents about it. You kids, you got real potential."

And Mako feels them, his defensive walls coming up again, nearly impenitrable, like the walls of a far away city named Ba Sing Se. Tightly, he grips Mako's hand, frowning.

"Sorry, mister, we don't have any."

And with that, Mako turns on his heel, dragging his now whining brother behind him. Silently, he curses the old man, not for instilling hope in his brother, but reminding him. Reminding both of them of what they lost, what they'll never have, what their lives are destined to be like, forever rolling around in the slums with the drunkards.

"What?" the man asks, his long legs aiding him in catching up with the siblings. "Potential? Of course you do. I see it every day, after all."

"No, parents," Mako says harshly, his hands almost steaming. "We don't have any parents."

"Wha...oh," the man says gravely, scratching his balding head. He stands there a moment, watching the young Firebender drag his brother away. "Wait!"

Mako sighs, rolling his eyes as the man catches up with them. "Where're you kids staying tonight? I mean, if you don't have any folks then..."

Mako shrugs. "I'll find somewhere. This isn't the first time I've had to find us a place to sleep and it won't be the last."

"Spirits..." the man mutters. "How old are you?"

"Nine," Mako spits with such venom, the Pro-Bending man recoils. "My brother's eight." He tightens is grip on Bolin's hand. "Come on, Bolin. Let's go."

"Okay," Bolin sighs, acknowledging the old man with charismatic yet sad eyes as he passes by. Mako drags his younger brother around the corner, down a familiar brick and metal alleyway. Uneaten food sits in festering garbage bins. Mako sets Boling on the ground, grinning at him with a soft tenderness.

"Build us a shelter?" he asks of his brother, using the frayed edges of his sleeve to wipe away a bit of grime on Bolin's left cheek. The cild nods in response, erecting a sturdy earth tent for them to sleep under. Mako turns and sighs, facing the only provider he's ever had: trash. Slowly, he picks the restaurant's bin, amazed at how much the rich and sheltered can afford to waste. He pulls bits of untouced meat out, handing one to his brother.

"Mako, it smells funny," Bolin complains quietly.

"I know, bro," Mako sighs.

"Hey! Hey, there you are!"

They poke their tiny heads from the earth tent, as the Pro-Bending man jogs down the alley. Upon seeing the rank meats in their hands, he chucks the meal back into the dumpster. "Eating like that'll make you sick."

"That was our food!" Mako exclaims, watching, wide-eyed, as the meal tumbles off of the trash and into a murky puddle.

"Listen, kid, I- "

"No, you listen!" Mako shouts, pointing an accusatory finger at the man. "I take care of my brother. No one else; me. That was out dinner and now I need to find him more! Do you know how hard it is to find a decent meal around here? Most of the time, there's never enough, so I give mine to him..." Mako trails off, glancing at his trembling brother.

"How'd you like to spend the night with me, then? I live in the Pro-Bending Arena and have a spare room," the man proposes to the silbings. Of course, optimistic Bolin is on his feet, jumping excitedly.

"Yeah! Yeah! Can we, Mako? Can we, please?" Bolin begs, clutching at his brother's sleeve.

Mako's scorching gold eyes travel from his brother to the stranger. "We'd stay there the night?" he asks.

"Or longer, if you need," he replies. His large tanned palm juts out, a sympathetic smile on his face. "I'm Toza."

"I'm Mako," the Firebender introduces. "And this is- "

"Bolin!" the young Earthbender exclaims.

With a happy sigh, Toza nods. "Come on," he says. "How'd you kids like some quality food?"

Cautiously, Mako and Bolin follow behind Toza, Bolin still clutching his brother's arm. "Did you hear that, bro?" the boy whispers. "Quality food!"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard," Mako mutters back.

"Ah! Mako!"

"Bolin," the nine-year-old says firmly. "Go back to bed. It was just a dream."

"It was about mom and dad," Bolin said, on the verge of tears. Mako snuggled closer to his baby brother, patting is head.

"It's okay. It was just a dream, okay? Just a bad dream."

Slowly and hesitantly, Bolin's head sinks into the feathery pillow, and after mere moments, he is snoring once again. Mako, however, is still wide awake. He slips out of the covers, padding across the carpeted floor. There is a large chest at the base of the attic room, whose windows were golden. Cautiously, the firebender mounts the chest, pushing the loose window pane open. The sight of the glimmering city night captivates him as he leans on the window sill.

During dinner, her meditaes, Toza had said they could stay with him as long as they needed, whether it be a couple of days or until they were twenty. He also told them he could train them to Pro-Bend if they wanted.

Mako feels himself alone. Sure, his brother is in the room, though he is sound asleep.

So in his solitude, he allows himself to cry. At first, a few tears slips from is eyes before morphing into body-racking sobs.

Toza bursts through the door, carrying him away for the window, where a tired, chubby-cheeked Bolin rubs his eyes awake.

And as the two ask Mako what the matter is, he's too busy crying to reply.

Because finally, someone believes in him and his brother, someone has saved him from a devastating future in the slums.

Someone, among the dozens of strangers, finally cares.

This is my first LoK fic, so I hope you guys enjoyed it!

It's hard to predict things when they havent aired the show on television yet (though I watched the first two online). But anyways, please review! it'd make my day.

Peace, L.