Winding Legacies: A 'The Legend of Korra' Rewrite

Epsiode 3: The Revelation Part 1

"You wouldn't happen to have a secret Avatar bank account overflowing with gold, would you?"

Pulling out her empty pockets with a sympathetic frown, Korra softly said, "I got nothing. I've never really needed money. I've always had people taking care of me."

Picking up the ball they were practicing with and placing it in a bag, Mako muttered, "Then I wouldn't say you have nothing."

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

Bolin waved his arms in front of him. "No, it's alright. It's just that ever since we lost our parents, we've been on our own." Korra's guilty eyes melted into a compassionate look as she lightly squeezed Bolin's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"How could you?" Bolin patted her hand with a smile and moved to help Mako in tidying up the gym.

Pressing his eyes tightly together at the mention of their parents, Mako let out a quick breath and zipped the last bag they had. He picked them up and swung them over his shoulder. "Nevermind that right now. How are we gonna come up with the money?"

"Oh, oh, I got it! I got it!" Bolin dipped down to encourage Pabu to move into his open palms and held him up for the other two to see. "I've been trying Pabu to do circus tricks. Now people would pay good money to see that!"

"You cannot be serious."

Sighing, Mako said, "Come on, Bolin. We need serious ideas to make this money."

"I was serious." Pabu chittered softly as he said that, Bolin pulling him close with a downcast pout.

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out. I always do, right guys?" Mako gave Pabu a light scratch before ruffling his brother's hair with a strained smile. He strode out of the gym, Korra eyeing him with a pained look as Bolin rumbled over his thoughts with a determined look.

In Central City Station, Bolin's rumbling thoughts came to fruition as he sat at the base of a Fire Lord Zuko statue, donning a flashy jacket and a fake mustache. Waving his arms excitedly behind Pabu who stood patiently on a can in a lime green jacket, Bolin tried to appeal to the passersby in the station. "Come one, come all. See Pabu the fantastic fire ferret as he crosses the Ladder of Peril upside down!....psst, psst," Bolin whispered frantically to a preoccupied Pabu who was simply licking his paws. At the signal, Pabu jumped onto a small bridge plant that Bolin had strategically set up and started walking across it on his front paws. Cheering him on, Bolin encouraged, "Big finish, buddy. Stick the landing. Tada!" Pabu flipped off and landed on only one of his front paws, a singular coin being found into a cup that Bolin had placed in front of their demonstration.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! You are too kind! Seriously, too kind! You can come back here and put money right in this- Oh, okay, that's fine, that's fine. One yuan down, twenty-nine thousand nine-hundred and ninety-nine more to go." Shaking his cup and hearing barely anything dampened his spirits, and Bolin threw his head back in frustration as a red car pulled up beside him and rolled down its window.

"Bolin, is that you?"

Dejectedly, Bolin answered, "Oh, hey there, Shady Shin."

"Heard you're a big-time pro-bending player now. Not bad." Shady Shin stepped out of his car, walking over to Bolin with a hunched back and his hands in his pockets.

"Uh...thanks?"

Coughing deep in his throat and chucking out a bit of spit, Shin turned to Bolin with a slack jaw. "So listen, I got an offer for ya: Lightning Bolt Zolt is lookin' to hire some extra muscle."