Helplessness seemed to be a reoccurring theme that the group had to endure. From Korra losing her fire, water and earth bending to Mako losing his bending. Then Lin lost her bending and Tenzin lost his beautiful wife. Asami lost contact with her father and decided to stay back in Republic City. And Iroh had lost contact with the group when he had to leave to get reinforcements. As Amon took hold of Republic City, the group consisting of Tenzin and his children, Korra, Mako, Bolin and Lin quickly took to Oogie, Tenzin's bison, and fled to the Southern Water Tribe. Once there, the children were dropped off with Katara who failed to find a way to return Korra or anyone else's bending. Katara, like Tenzin, suggested Korra try to air bend and try to reach a spiritual state of mind. Not before long, the group continued to the Western Air Temple. In the air, no one seemed eager to strike up conversation; even Bolin had failed to bring a smile to the group's face. While he hadn't lost something like bending or a loved one, he still felt rather helpless, unable to do much for his brother or friends. He felt longing for his home in Republic City, he felt frustration that he hadn't been able to save anyone and he felt lost because no one had an idea of what to do next. They only knew that hiding out in the Western Air Temple would buy them some time to figure things out. With most of them without bending, Bolin knew he would need to step up his own training and try to be a bigger part of Team Avatar.

Bolin leaned over Oogi's harness which kept everyone inside so he could get a better look at the sight coming into better view. He looked back toward Korra who seemed to have kept to herself. He then looked to the bald monk, Tenzin who probably knew more about the temple than anyone else because his father was the previous Avatar. He supposed Lin may know a thing or two about it as well but he didn't really feel man enough to approach her. There was just something about the ex-chief of police that Bolin couldn't put his finger on. He then looked to his brother, well Mako wasn't his brother by blood but they clicked just like any typical brother duo might. Bolin had been adopted by Mako's family as a baby. Bolin had no idea who his birth parents were and his adoptive parents said the one who put him up for adoption wished to never be contacted about it so the files were lost to the winds of time. From time to time, the earth bender could find himself wondering about his history, about an alternate life he might have been able to lead. Clearly at least one of his parents was an earth bender, in his mind, it was his father. Perhaps his father was a strong man who could have trained him in some of the riskier arts of earth bending while his mother was a sweet woman who would patch up his scraped knees and other booboos.

He could imagine himself maybe having a cute sister, younger or older but he would prefer younger. He wouldn't mind having an older brother too. Then he could play with either sibling. When he would be done training for the upcoming pro bending match, Bolin would stare off, pretending he was someone else, somewhere else. He would imagine training with his older brother in earth bending while their younger sister would watch and cheer them on. She of course was an earth bender too but would be too young to train with them. Then their mother would call them in for dinner and they would all swap stories about the day they had. Their father would return from work and they would laugh and everything would be so nice. Of course once Mako would call out his name about a half a dozen times, Bolin would snap back to reality. It wasn't that Bolin didn't love Mako or the life they had together, but he always felt like he had something missing, a hole he could see but never fill. The cute button nosed male wanted to meet a blood relative some day. He just felt he had to. His life with Mako was one he didn't take advantage of though. He and Mako grew up in a fairly decently situation but it was cut short when they were just six or seven when some crazed fire bender mugger killed his adoptive parents. This changed Mako more than Bolin who was older and had to become a more parent to Bolin until they grew up. Looking back on all the loss Bolin had suffered, he was really happy. He knew he could have a depressing outlook on life overall but he refused to let the death of his parents and the fact that his real parents didn't want him bring him down.

In a way this was a nice challenge for him to overcome and get stronger. And one of the best things to happen recently was their pro bending success, while they didn't win, he was still happy to have made friends with Korra in the process. Korra was an amazing girl, he felt quite privileged to meet her. And they had the same sense of humor which Mako seemed to frown upon, and they also liked the same food. And as it later turned out, she was good at earth bending like him. But sadly Mako and Korra had developed something and more hurt had been inflicted upon Bolin but he refused to be a victim, he tried hard to look on the bright side. He tried hard not to hate his brother or friend and just pushed the scene of them kissing out of his head, it didn't belong there. "Wow, will ya look at that?! It's amazing!" He shouted as he looked back to the Western Air Temple as Oogi landed on one of the platforms. Most of the buildings were upside down under the cliff but some were designed for non air benders which Bolin was happy about. He could probably bend something to make the buildings better for the gang but he knew it might be impolite and could lead to disaster. The last thing he wanted to do was to put the others through anymore pain. All of them were hurting, in some way or another. Bolin hopped off and patted the large bison. "Thanks buddy." He said, feeling a bit more like himself now that they were safe for the time being. "Is this place really safe?" He questioned, mostly asking about the structure itself rather than the remote location they were at. He could sense the earth was sturdy but he didn't want to be be asleep one minute and be falling to his death the next.

Her life hadn't been easy, that was for sure. Lin Beifong had one heck of a mother to deal with. She had to deal with the reputation that also came along with being the daughter of a famed and wealthy blind bender. Lin's mother Toph didn't spoil her, didn't treat her any easier. In fact, Lin was treated with a bit more harshness since her mother was who she was. Was Toph motherly? Not always but so was by no means a strict uncaring woman who belittled her daughter. Lin's relationship with her mother vastly improved when she grew older. Toph trained Lin for many many hours every day until Toph decided it was Lin's turn to take the reigns. Lin developed her mother's metal bending and pasted the teaching onto her own police force when her mother passed and left the job for her to fill. At first, Lin was quite against being seen as just a replacement Beifong but over time, Lin made her own name for herself and got a lot of recognition on her own. As she did grow up, prior to becoming the chief of police, she spent a lot of time with Tenzin and his family. Lin got along well with Aang which surprised some people because Lin was a bit snotty and cocky as a little girl while Aang was easy going, a bit passive in nature. He seemed to accept Lin as herself and often complimented Toph's parenting, which was another surprise to the group of benders, Sokka included. Somehow in their young age, Tenzin and Lin began to hangout outside of the usual meetings of the old group.

While Tenzin and Toph weren't under their parents' tutelage, they did manage to spend time together. Lin and Tenzin, while different in personality as well as bending technique, did get along well. She managed to pull him out of his shell while he could pull her back in if ever necessary. Lin would be honest in saying that Tenzin was the first guy she fell in love with, and perhaps the last too. She didn't shower people with praise or sweet nothings, but she did care deeply for Tenzin. And when they hard reached a young adult hood and discussed their future, they found they didn't want the same things and much to her heart break, they split up. For a while, Lin avoiding him partly out of shame, partly out of anger and party out of just depression. She did end up sleeping with one or two random men she met at the local bar and it was with one of them that she found she had gotten pregnant. She then made a note to not see Tenzin ever again and she was able to for an entire year while she carried her son and soon gave him up for adoption, not wishing to look at her failure as a person every time she looked into his cute green eyes. The adoption agency agreed to keep things discrete and Lin went back to the police force and soon took over after her mother's death. Lin never told Tenzin about this accident. How could she? Why would she? It would only bring up pain and regret and she couldn't go through those emotions again. Pema came into the picture much more often and the two grew apart.

On one occasion, Lin did try to throw Pema in jail but it was in jest. No one else saw it that way. Overall, Lin had been through a lot more in recent times. Ever since Korra came to Republic City, her life had become much more busy and distressing. The memory of how she got injure and was told the injury wouldn't allow for any future pregnancy kept flashing in her mind more often than before. She couldn't help but get slightly wistful as she watched Tenzin fret over Korra and her two new male comrades. It made her wonder, what might have been between them. Lin felt a bit sick and closed her eyes. They were almost to the Western Air Temple and yet she still couldn't look Tenzin directly in the eyes. Thankfully he was driving, er piloting Oogi at the moment. So she was stuck with the brooding Korra, Mako and Bolin. Had Pema survived the kidnapping Amon had executed, perhaps Pema would have been among them. Lin had no idea what to tell her old friend, had no idea what words of comfort she could possibly offer to the now widowed air bender. She really did feel for him, she could feel the sorrow in his heart and she knew she couldn't do anything to help ease his pain. She also knew Korra and Mako were in pain. The air around everyone was stiff and the mood barely lightened as the earth bender gasped at their new temporary home. Lin watched Bolin closely and looked away, not enjoying the feeling she got when she looked into his eyes. They reminded her of the baby she left. She didn't want anymore pain. She lost her bending, she lost her son, she lost the love of her life.

She got off of the bison and felt the earth carefully. Some of the stories Aang and the others told came back into her memory. "It feels sturdy enough." She told Bolin.

"Enough? What's enough?" He pouted, his concern increasing but she waved a hand at him and he looked off.

"I suppose first thing is first, we need to inspect the area for any traps or intruders." Lin said, for now acting as the leader of their depressed group. She couldn't count on Tenzin, nor did she wish to burden him with any responsibility at the moment. Mako hopped off and seemed to look off into the distance, as if trying to spot the large city they just left days ago. Mako's fire bending would have been useful for exploration but now the only two elements they had at their disposal were air and earth and Lin didn't think either element could help them much at the moment as they struggled to survive.

"I think we should try to pair up..." Mako finally lifted his voice.

"Oh! Good idea!" His brother nodded as Pabu let out a cheer of its own. "Um hey Korra, how about you and me?"

"I can go with you." Mako said to Lin who looked to Tenzin.

"You can stay here if you'd like." Lin offered gently to the air bender.