Family (Thursday, September 27th, 2012): Semi-AU. Set after the original Korra series, both Tarrlok and Amon are caught before Tarrlok can destroy their getaway boat. Korra takes them both under her wing, a little morbidly fascinated with their backgrounds. She extends them both a full pardon much against the wishes of her friends and mentors, though only because she assures the Council that they are her full responsibility. For the first anniversary of their attempted escape, Korra finds their mother, and a tearful reunion ensues.
This was written for the fourth day of Amorra Week, based on the prompt of Family.
The aftermath of the battle was little more than disastrous; Korra and Mako returned to their friends soon after Amon's identity had been revealed, Korra's loss of bending apparent from the look on her face. "There is a piece of good news, however," Lin spoke as she strode towards the group, her eyes locked on Korra. "We managed to subdue both Amon and Tarrlok before they escape in their getaway boats."
"How? Didn't Amon just blood-bend whoever was sent against him?" Tenzin spoke while Korra reacted in a dazed stupor, Mako's arm around her shoulders tightening its grip slightly.
"Apparently not. I heard they were caught by angry chi-blockers and mecha tanks before they could get their boat out of the dock," Lin replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "As far as I know, they're both unconscious, and we've recruited a couple of the chi-blockers to keep Amon from using his bending. They're in the basement of your Temple, Tenzin," Lin finished with a slight smirk on her lips, her hand resting on her hip.
"Wait! They're actually staying there?" Korra looked up and intervened, her tone the slightest bit crazed.
"We can't exactly put them in prison, considering it's currently compromised and filled with poisonous gas," Lin answered grimly, Korra's eyes falling to the ground.
"Don't worry, Korra. They won't hurt anyone ever again," Mako promised with a small smile, Korra's eyes finding his reassuringly.
The original plan to take Korra to Katara concerning her lost bending was changed to reflect Amon and Tarrlok's sudden appearance in the Air Temple; Tenzin had sent the White Lotus after his mother on Oogie, the lone Councilman remaining in order to keep chaos from spreading too far in Republic City. Amon and Tarrlok remained under heavy guard, Tarrlok the first to awaken though staying sullenly silent.
Korra had no desire to see either of them anyway; until Katara arrived and gave her some non-depressing news, Korra would be irritable and generally unhappy. That, however, did little to dissuade Bolin, Asami, and Mako from pushing her outside and interacting with both people and their animal companions, Pabu and Naga. Korra tried terribly hard to appear constantly depressed or unhappy, but before long, a smile had taken residence on her lips. The thought that followed it was a happy one; even if she did lose all other bending but air, she would be happy if her friends were still there, all of them as a family.
Pema called them in hours later when dinner was ready, Bolin the first through the door as food was mentioned; the remaining three laughed at his enthusiasm, but walked in his footsteps mere moments later. The meal was a lively affair, complete with Rohan's loud wails, Ikki's inappropriate questions and remarks, and Tenzin's sighs every so often. Korra couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much at one time.
The group dispersed afterwards, Korra managing to wander off without attracting anyone's notice; she was a little surprised at that, but she wasn't about to complain about getting a little alone time. It seemed she hadn't had any since before Amon had openly attacked the city, and while she was certainly social and sociable, she did require some time in which to reflect, to think.
Blinking back into reality, Korra realized after a moment that she'd wandered downstairs, the brothers' makeshift prison not far away from her current position. If she squinted her eyes hard enough in the dimness, she'd be able to see Tarrlok and Amon sitting quietly, a few men outside the cell watching and waiting vigilantly.
"Avatar." One of the guards stood a little straighter as she took a few steps closer, Korra looking over his shoulder and spying the long, loose locks of Tarrlok's hair. "You are here to question the prisoners?" The man's voice was tense, full of repressed anger. She found she couldn't really blame him for that; if she thought too hard about her battle with Amon, she began to shake from fury.
Stepping closer, Korra noticed that neither of the cell's occupants had lifted their heads when the guard had spoken, her eyes instantly narrowing as she stepped closer. "Not exactly." Her voice seemed to do the trick; Tarrlok's neck practically snapped up, his eyes a bit crazed though still altogether his own. At one time, Korra had honestly hated him; the whole mess of throwing her friends into prison and the subsequent fight had more than soured their pseudo-friendship, but his revelation of Amon's origins made him more pitiable. She offered him a small, half-smile, one which he attempted to mirror though it failed miserably on his face.
While Tarrlok's back was pressed against the back of the cell, Amon had either been thrown into the cell with little regard and stayed the way he landed, or he was sleeping. His back was to the hallway, his legs bent close to his chest.
"Then why are you here, Avatar?" Amon's deep voice was highly unexpected, and Korra flinched when she heard it, the brunette hardly able to keep herself from taking a few steps back in an effort to put more distance between her and Amon.
"You know, it's rude to talk to people without looking at them," Korra shot back at him in a reprimanding tone, her lips curling into a snarl unconsciously. The look on Tarrlok's face was so conflicted Korra would have laughed if the situation didn't feel so tense.
"You'll pardon my lack of decorum," Amon began, his hand pressing against the stone floor before he pushed himself upright. "Have you come to mock me?"he then wondered aloud, his head turning to view her at long last.
Still wholly unaccustomed to Amon's face, Korra could do little but stare for a moment; "No," she finally responded after a moment, her tone imitating how ridiculous the question was. "Where would you have gone, if you'd gotten away?" Korra then asked, the avatar unsure where the question came from and if she cared either way.
The query met with silence. Korra waited a few minutes, her hand on her hip; she was never especially patient, and Amon's lack of answer was beginning to annoy her. "I didn't expect to come back alive," Amon finally murmured, his eyes down-turned.
Tarrlok extended a hand and gripped Amon's shoulder in what Korra assumed was a brotherly sense of affection, though she was admittedly surprised when Amon didn't try to shrug it away. At one time, Korra had been angry enough to want Amon dead; now, though, she wasn't so sure. She may have been the avatar, but did she have the power to determine fate? The thought made her stick to her stomach, and she traipsed away from the blood-bending brothers in silence.
Her initial conversation with Tarrlok and Amon, while impromptu, turned into a regular, almost daily occurrence. Amon was reticent more often than not, but Tarrlok volunteered to fill in some gaps Amon would leave when speaking about his past or something just as sensitive.
Korra could never tell if Amon begrudged his brother doing so, but she assumed she'd never get to see it if he did; he was a ridiculously private person, and she had only begun to scratch the surface of what promised to be an incredibly complex, if a bit mentally unstable, person.
"So, I know all about your father, but what happened to your mother?" Korra had avoided asking this particular question since it referred to Amon's departure from his childhood home, and as predicted, Tarrlok was the first one to speak.
"I don't know," Tarrlok answered in a miserable tone. "I left home several years after Yakone died, but she was still alive then," Tarrlok paused for a moment, his memories apparently overwhelming him. "I used to send her letters, but after joining the city's Council I lost track of time. The last letter she ever sent me was from five years ago."
"Haven't you tried looking for her?" Korra then wondered aloud, Amon intercepting the question in Tarrlok's stead.
"Do you have any idea how vast the Northern Lands are, avatar? If she's still alive, she's doubtlessly moved on somewhere less physically demanding, and it would take considerable time to track her down," Amon finished, Korra's lips pursing in thought. It was only after a moment's reflection that Korra noticed how passionate Amon had sounded when answering her question; she hadn't heard his voice quite like that since the rally at the end of the battle. "Do not waste your time hoping for things that will not happen." He turned away from Korra and Tarrlok to indicate his finality with the topic, Korra looking to Tarrlok curiously though he merely shook his head.
She nodded grimly at that, and stood to leave. "Avatar Korra." Tarrlok's quiet voice stilled her movements, blue eyes turning to view him. "My brother will never say this, but being able to speak with you...I think it calms his turbulent mind. Thank you." He spoke in a hushed tone, apparently not wanting Amon to overhear.
"Sure. See you later."
It was that evening the White Lotus arrived with Katara, the elderly woman grasping one of the men's hands as she slid down Oogie's tail. "Hello, mother," Tenzin greeted her with a warm smile, her eyes immediately falling to a gurgling Rohan in Pema's arms.
Korra waited for the family to get reacquainted before announcing herself, Katara offering her a sympathetic smile before leading her away from all the others. She had honestly forgotten about her lack of bending, but now that it was being thrust back into her face, the same melancholy settled over her as she sat where Katara indicated.
Inhaling deeply, Korra's eyes closed as Katara moved her hands expertly, the water gliding over Korra's shoulder and settling over her mid-back. The small, minuscule gasp Katara released was what cinched everything; tears pricked the corners of Korra's eyes as she got up, the avatar not waiting for Katara to give her the bad news.
By the time Korra made it to the cliff overlooking the bay and the Republic City skyline, tears had cascaded down her cheeks, her teeth biting her lip in an effort to keep them at bay. Hatred of Amon suddenly filled her chest, her hand clenching into a tight fist. What about your mother? Korra suddenly recalled the conversation she'd had a few hours previous, the hatred beginning to smother under her sympathy. A tool of Yakone, Amon had grown up with ridiculously high expectations on his shoulders, and had thought he'd thrown it all away when he'd run away from home. The price of leaving Yakone was leaving his mother, whom Korra suspected was very much alive and probably looking for her sons.
"Hah. I can't even hate somebody right," Korra then mumbled, her legs giving out underneath her. Burrowing her head into her arms, Korra jumped when a hand touched her shoulder, startled, blue eyes lifting. "Aang." Korra was suddenly breathless, her mouth ajar as she blinked several time in succession to ensure he was there.
He did not speak, but his lips formed a soft smile; You have dealt your enemy the most mortal blow conceivable, Korra. You listened, you sympathized, you understood. No greater power exists that is greater than the one you have shown. Aang then disappeared in a burst of light, Korra's lips opening in a silent gasp as she fell forward.
Standing, Korra turned to the cliff's edge, glowing eyes opening slowly. The waves beneath her began to crash against the rock before heightening into a tower of water and falling dramatically.
"Avatar Korra, really! You can't expect us to agree to your terms." The new Councilman from the Fire Nation was a shrewd and manipulative man, not unlock Tarrlok at his prime.
"They are, and you will, Councilman." Korra's voice was steel: unyielding and incomprehensibly strong.
"Avatar Korra has a point," Tenzin didn't particularly like Korra's solution to Amon and Tarrlok's continued existences, but he liked it more than what the other council members were proposing.
"Fine, Tenzin. We will drop all charges against Amon and Tarrlok, but they are your responsibility, young avatar. If they step so much as a toe out of line, it will be on your head." The smile Korra wore at the admission outshone the sun itself; turning to Tenzin, Korra asked, "Is she here yet?"
"Yes, Korra. She's been escorted to the police station until you're ready to take for to the Air Temple," Tenzin replied, Korra nodding before darting out of the Council room quicker than lightning.
"She's well-adjusted to the city, Tenzin. Your influence, no doubt?" The new female representative from the Earth Kingdom smirked at the airbender who merely threw up his hands in defeat.
"Momma, Korra's coming!" Ikki grasped Pema's arm and pointed at the ferry gliding atop the water, a few other pairs of eyes lifting to survey the scene.
"So she is, Ikki. Now, please. Go give Oogie his food before he tried to catch flying lemurs again," Pema instructed with a small smile, Ikki groaning aloud before stomping off in the air bison's general direction.
"Quite a precocious kid, that one," Tarrlok couldn't help but comment with a slight smile, Pema's exasperated expression disappearing with a few chuckles.
"Isn't that what you said at dinner that one night? I think it was prefaced by 'pony-tail man'," Pema teased, Tarrlok blanching at the memory.
"'Pony-tail man'?" Amon lifted an eyebrow at his brother who shook his head in a tacit way of saying 'Don't ask'.
The White Lotus had argued against allowing Amon and Tarrlok free access to the island, but Korra had eventually talked them down, especially after taking Amon's bending away. It had been a bittersweet case of irony, but Amon had allowed it without argument.
"Hey, do I have a surprise for you two!" Korra waved as she ran towards them, her voice a little distorted from the wind though still audible.
"Surprise?" Amon wondered aloud, an eyebrow lifting casually.
"I doubt you guys know this, but it's been exactly a year since the...well, since you came to live here," Korra rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly before turning on her heel and looking backwards.
A silhouette appeared on the horizon, Amon's eyes widening as his body tensed and stiffened; it couldn't be her. There was no way...
The soft smile on her lips was just the same: calm, patient, and so full of love Amon suddenly felt like a child again. She came upon Tarrlok first, his hands trembling as he reached for one of hers and held it between both of his own. He swallowed back what Korra could only describe as a sob, his mother reaching forward with her other hand and pressing it to his cheek. "There's no need to cry, sweetheart," she murmured, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.
Her eyes caught sight of Amon, and in that moment she, too, froze; her first son, the one Yakone and Tarrlok had said perished in the hunt, was suddenly alive: flesh and blood, her flesh and blood, standing so close she could nearly touch him. Her bottom lip quivered before she strode towards him and pulled him into an embrace, the crown of her head barely brushing his shoulder. "I thought we lost you so long ago, Noatak," she murmured, tears pouring silently down her cheeks.
Jaw clenching, Amon's arms rounded her delicately when she spoke his true name, her cheek pressing against the top of her head. "I'm sorry, mother," the word was hoarse in his throat, Korra finally realizing she should probably allow the family some privacy before creeping away silently.
"I have no words for you, avatar." Amon was standing in her bedroom doorway, Korra looking up from her bed with a bored expression.
"I never asked for any," she returned with a sly smile, Amon allowing a few chuckles to flow from his lips.
"True, though I feel I owe you."
"I took your bending; I'd say we're even," Korra waved off his words, the avatar swinging her legs over the bed until her feet hit the floor. He didn't respond to that for a while, instead choosing to clench a fist and stare the floor into submission.
"I began that cycle, avatar," Amon admitted, though Korra would be hard-pressed to receive an apology from him.
"You did at that," Korra then looked up at him, Amon staring down at her, silently wondering what she was thinking.
Sighing, Korra tossed her bangs aside before grasping Amon's wrist and tugging him down to her level; their lips collided almost painfully, but Korra poured some feeling into the touch before Amon could recoil from her touch. "Don't look so sad. You just got your mother back." Korra strode past him, her lips in a smirk as Amon remained rooted to the spot, his eyes wide.
"I have more to be thankful for than I knew," Amon finally muttered under his breath, his head shaking and his lips twisting into a smile before he rounded on his heel and followed Korra into the other room.