A/N: I started to like Tahno at the very moment in which Amon robbed him from his bending. Actually, I liked him even before that, but it's the loss of his bending that has turned him from a funny cocky character to a more interesting one. The difference between Tahno before and Tahno after Amon was striking to me. Yet, I believe that he's still the same old Tahno deep inside, and I NEED more interactions between him and Korra x)

So if you feel the same way that I do, I offer you this story :)

Chapter 1: Under the Stars

As long as the silver moon is out at night, her reflection shining bright in the seas, in the lakes, in every drop of water, as long as the night is not complete darkness thanks to her caring glow, as long as the moon watches on us, we will be safe. Under the watchful eye of the spirit of the moon, the most beautiful spirit of all, the balance of the world will not be threatened. As the first waterbender, the master of the tides, the moon brings help and gives strength to all those who were gifted with her art. The waterbenders. They grow more powerful at night, and the more the moon is shining, the greater is their strength.

However, some of her pupils got lost. Some of them were robbed from that unique gift they once had. And wasn't that ironical that one of them, one of her lost children, was looking at the full moon right now, feeling more powerless than ever? And yet he still felt something… Some invisible link, something inside… But he wouldn't be able to do anything with that now. He wiped the teardrop that tried to roll over his cheek before it even reached the edge of his nose. Once upon a time, he would have played with that tear using waterbending. When he was a child and he cried, his mom would comfort him by taking that tear from his eye with her own waterbending, and then she would bring it between her hands and make it burst in a dozen of little droplets. As bizarre as it may seem to someone else, for little Tahno it was funny. And later in life, whenever he would feel a tear forming in his eye, he would do the same trick. It never failed to bring a smile to his face and he would instantly feel better. No matter how old we are, the little gestures that remind us of those who made us feel safe when we were the weakest still have their effect later. But he will never be able to do that now. He will never be able to bend water again. Amon robbed him of his bending. Amon robbed him of his soul. Everything he ever knew, everything he ever does and everything he ever did was related to waterbending. Everything. Everything he was was waterbending. Waterbending was what had turned him into a star. And he was the best. He was the best waterbender in the world. That's what the newspapers used to say, at least… When he was still… Whole.

Tahno turns away from the river and starts to walk home. The last couple of days were the worst he has ever lived. And the upcoming days were not going to be any better. Maybe he will manage to sleep a few hours this night before another Amon-related nightmare wakes him up… He is close to his home now. He sees it, right in that street, behind the next corner. He reaches his apartment and opens the door. He enters a hall full of his pictures and cutouts from the newspapers. He smiles. His smile is weak, pained, but it's still a smile. Looking at himself was always one of his favorite things to do. A glitzy star, a powerful waterbender, a successful young man… The living room was even better: it had framed pictures of his most famous moments. For a couple of minutes, Tahno forgets that he has lost his bending. He feels alive again. He feels himself living amongst the old pictures of himself celebrating his victories. Celebrating his persona. In the room in which he sleeps are his even more eccentric portraits. His entries in the arena which were always recognizably flashy are there. His modeling pictures are there. There is also another room in his home, but since the moment he has lost his bending, he felt a terrible pain in the chest whenever he entered in that room. The other rooms were giving him comfort; they were proving that he was something, or… Or at least, that he used to be something. But that one room could now only wake painful memories.
It was his trophy room.

Feeling reassured enough by his own pictures, Tahno decides to go to sleep. He walks in front of his large make-up table topped with a huge mirror. Around the mirror were pictures of him advertising various products. Those paid well… And God, how different were those pictures from the reflection that he now saw looking back at him! Who would believe that the man in the mirror, the man with those dark circles under his eyes, with that skin on his face looking too heavy for his scull due to the lack of sleep, skin that one would expect to melt like wax at any moment, that man with that unkempt hair and terrible clothes, who would say that he was that same man who carelessly smiled on all those pictures advertising hair and body products?
How could he allow himself to walk around town looking like this? On the other side, did it even matter anymore? Who would care for him now, now that everything they've actually cared for about him just disappeared?

She saw me like this…

Tahno suddenly feels a sharp pain in his gut, as if someone was cutting through his stomach with a knife. She saw me like this, he thinks again. The Avatar… The Avatar saw him looking like this. At his worst. Helpless. Lost. Ugly. He brutally turns away from his reflection in the mirror and rushes towards the window.

The moon was bright. Full and bright. He feels her power in his body, but he knows that that power can't serve him now. And yet he feels it… He feels it! There must still be something... Deep inside… Tahno raises his hand. What is he trying to do? Even he doesn't know. He would like to produce a small wave… In a glass of water maybe! Maybe… If he had a glass of water… And… If he… If he tried to move the water in that glass… Maybe… Tahno lowers his hand. He keeps staring at the bright, bright moon. Then his eyes wander through the night sky. There is no cloud in sight. He can see the stars. Thousands of millions of stars. Shining. Like he did. He too was shining… He too was a star… Once.

He directs his gaze towards the moon once again. The moon couldn't help him anymore. Yue was just as afflicted by the loss of her waterbenders as they were by the loss of their bending, but there was nothing she could do to help them from where she was.

However, there was someone who could. Someone who could and who would help him. She promised him. She will help him. She will avenge him.

The Avatar…

Tahno manages to crack a smile. He was looking at the majestic night sky peppered with stars and this time, his smile wasn't pained anymore, or weak. This time, he felt stronger. For there is one thing that will always be stronger than Amon. It's the Avatar. And she was on his side this time! The Avatar is strong! Stronger than the Equalists, stronger than anything! And she will stop Amon.

Feeling something other than miserable for the first time in a couple of days gave Tahno new hope. The fear in him fell asleep and Tahno thought that he'd better do the same. He readied himself for bed and crept into it. Tonight, no nightmare will disturb his dreams.

He glanced at the moon one last time before falling asleep, and strangely, had the impression that he just saw the moon wink to him.

A/N: This story was sitting on my computer for a while, I didn't want to start publishing it until I outline every chapter... Well... Or at least make some basic outline, so I know where I'm going xD

That also means that I already progressed with the second chapter too, which in turn means that I will post again soon :)

Love you all, and of course, feedback is always much appreciated, so drop me a little review when you pass by!^^