After all this time, she beat him. But she had lost her bending in the process. She could still airbend, but the other elements? Even Katara couldn't restore them.
The Avatar pulled her legs up to her chest and let out a choked sob. She was perched on a cliff, looking down at the ocean below her. Naga rested nearby. Korra had run away from her friends and family to be alone to cope with this loss. She heard a crunch in the snow nearby, and she turned her head.
"I thought I said I wanted to be alo-" Her pale blue eyes widened when she saw an all too familiar man standing a few feet from "Tarrlok?"
"Korra." Tarrlok gave her a genuine smile. "You're a hero now, I am so happy for you, Avatar."
The previous councilman's hair was still a shaggy mess, his suit tattered and worn out, but the smile he wore was true and warm. He nodded to Korra, "But I'm afraid that our reunion will have to be short. I apologize, however, I don't have much time left. Please, come with me." He didn't wait for an answer and walked away. He didn't put effort in his stroll, as if he was a leaf in the wind.
Korra blinked and opened her mouth to ask him what he meant before he walked away. She got to her feet and followed after him, but she lost sight of him.
"Tarrlok?" She called. Korra looked around and saw two figures by the shoreline. Her eyes widened and she hurried down to help. "Hey! Are you guys okay?"
As the Avatar neared the shore, two figures grew in detail. The first body was unrecognizable, and it was freshly charred from head to toe. The only indication that said that the body was of Tarrlok's was the council badge that the other man held in his hand.
The second body was barely alive, suffering from recent scars and burns that covered half of his back, down to his left leg and right ankle. The man's short brunette hair danced against the waves rolling by, and the badge he was holding nearly washed away if it weren't for his outstretched arm, wrapped around Tarrlok's corpse.
The man was Noatak, and he was barely breathing.
Korra's eyes widened. No... She had just seen Tarrlok and he looked bad, but he was alive! Then there was Noatak. Amon. Would she help him? How could she, after everything he'd done? He took her bending! She should walk away!
But she walked over and sighed. She was still the Avatar and she couldn't leave him. Korra touched a spot that wasn't burned. "...Amo- Noatak?" She said gently.
Noatak's face cringed at the mention of his previous known title 'Amon'. Amon had died once Noatak fell into the ocean after the struggle between him and Korra. He couldn't hide anymore, the jig was up.
When he started to come to, the ex-Equalist leader groaned with his eyes slowly fluttering open. Noatak shifted and felt for his brother's badge in the sand and looked up, catching a glimpse of a figure beside him but his vision was still clearing, however, he could recognize his brother's blurred detail over his saviour's shoulder and he reached out. "B-brother... don't-argh."
Noatak collapsed, and blacked out again.
Korra turned her head to see if Tarrlok was really behind her and she saw an image fade. Tarrlok was gone. His spirit wanted her to find his brother and save him.
She carefully wrapped an arm around Noatak and lifted him to his feet. Since he was unconscious, he was dead weight in Korra's arms. "Naga, come!" She called and her animal companion came to her. The Avatar pulled Noatak onto Naga's back before climbing on to steady him as Naga took them back to the Katara's home.
Approaching the entrance to the Water Tribe village, Howl grew cautious and alert when he recognized the figure on Naga's back with Korra. Amon, or better yet, Noatak. To Howl, this could mean trouble but the White Lotus guard opened the gates and went down to help the Avatar with Noatak.
"Inform councilman Tenzin and chief Beifong." He said to the other guard, "And ready a bed. I will get master Katara."
Korra nodded her thanks to Howl. "Can you send someone down to the shore to get Tarrlok's body? I want to bury him..." She murmured as Naga slowed to a walk beside the White Lotus guard.
Howl nodded to the third guard who jumped down his post and took off in the general direction of the ocean. Howl assisted Korra in carrying Noatak into the infirmary and laying him down on his front there. He excused himself to get Katara as Tenzin and Beifong entered.
"I don't believe it." The councilman looked at Noatak's unconscious form. Tenzin frowned. "I never thought I would see him again, yet here he is. Korra, where did you find him?"
"He was washed up on the shore with Tarrlok's body... Tarrlok's dead, Tenzin... And Noatak is almost dead... I'm still the Avatar, so I can't, in good conscience, let him die..." To her, Noatak was still a monster. But he wasn't always that way. He couldn't have been.
Maybe they could help him...
"And I don't disagree with you saving him, but where he should be after he's been healed is prison." Tenzin commented, rather harshly. Of course he would. He loved his children and to have Noatak almost take away his children's airbending nearly shattered him. He would never forgive the man, unless otherwise. But right now Tenzin was still fuming.
Lin crossed her arms, glaring at the man. "Korra, I won't sugar-coat. You should have left Amon where you found him." She was still angry at the loss of her own bending, and that Amon had captured Tenzin and his family.
Korra sighed. "Yeah, I know, but I couldn't... He... He lost his brother, he probably won't be okay enough to hurt anyone else... He could have stayed and fought me, but he ran away..."
"There could also be a chance of someone else finding him, and although what you suggest is very persuasive Lin, I'd have to side with Korra." Tenzin glanced back to Noatak. "We can't afford Amon escaping just as Yakone had."
"If you want to punish him, you-" Korra was cut off by Katara.
"You can wait until he has been healed. Aang allowed Zuko, who had been his worst enemy once, a second chance to be his friend. And as you know, Tenzin, those two were the best of friends. Maybe Amon, or Noatak, will be Korra's Zuko. He just needs the chance." Katara joined Korra at Noatak's side and began to heal what she could.
Tenzin made a face, "When you say it like that mother, I'm thinking of considering Lin's suggestion." But he knew better than to argue, and just kept quiet. He stepped to the side to let his mother through.
After a while, Katara pulled away. "I cannot completely heal the burns, but since they were fresh, I managed to make them smaller..."
Korra sat vigilant at Noatak's side. She wanted to keep a close eye on him in case he tried anything else. "I'll let you know when he wakes up... Go see Howl and bury Tarrlok."
"Thank you mother, now let's get you out of here." Tenzin placed a hand behind Katara and guided her away from the Noatak's bed. He turned to Lin, "I'm sorry for asking any more favors but Lin, if you would be so kind to watch over Korra? I'll return when I take mother home."
Lin waved a hand and kept her gaze fixed on Noatak. "You don't even have to ask me to stay and look after her. Especially with that monster lying there."
Korra bristled when Lin referred to Noatak as a monster, but she said nothing. She even thought that, but he hardly looked it right now.