The bedroom was silent except for the clicking of the ceiling fan over head. Despite the temperature in the room being on the cool side- all of the blankets were kicked off. He rolled onto his side- his hands grasping in vain in his sleep at something he couldn't reach.
A porcelain mask danced in his vision. Hard eyes burning into him. Cheater. Oppressor. Unworthy. He was suddenly back in the ring of the arena. But it was just the two of them. The screams of the patrons echoed in their absence as the cloaked man took a step forward.
His arrogance was showing as he pulled the water to his hand but it splashed to the ground. Tahno's icy eyes looked to the ground as the water began to cover his feet.
Fire shot through him as Amon grabbed his throat- squeezing with more power in his hand than any man should ever have. The water bender's hands came up, gripping the wrist clawing at his arm- desperately reaching for any water he could but none coming to him.
In his desperation to get free his eyes flicked to the side. There- at the other end of the ring were his partners. Their hands behind tied behind heir backs, on their knees facing away from him. He couldn't see their faces but he could hear their cries. Their begging.
A stone feeling settled in his chest as he heard them begging not only for their bending but for their lives. Silence filled the arena as the two chi blockers in front of them, the Equalists with their burning insignias, grabbed the heads of his comrades. Screams rang out as their bodies went rigid- blue lightening flashing and tearing over their bodies before they went limp. He couldn't call out to them- his voice stuck in his throat right below Amon's hand.
He watched in worthless helplessness as their bodies were dropped, left to fall like trash, into the water below. Tearing his eyes back to Amon, the fear sunk into him. He was next.
"Please.." His voice cracked- betraying his pride, forcing his dignity into submission in the most humiliating of ways. The man didn't wavier as he released his neck.
Frantically he tried to get away- crawling on hands and knees but getting no where. He was forced to the ground- writhing on his stomach like a worm as Amon reached down- his hand tangling in Tahno's black hair. Forcibly jerking his head back he glared at him but there were no eyes there- only the mask taunting him with its perfect lines. "now, you'll know how we feel every day."
The man's words echoed in their falsity as he dropped his hair forcing him with some unseen force to his knees. He couldn't move. His arms and legs were frozen in place and fear had completely silenced his pathetic attempts at bargaining and begging.
That gloved hand reached out- and he could feel the burning begin before the man even touched him. His body jolted and lurched as the contact finally came. Searing tremors surged through him. He could feel part of him hot and cold at the same time as his bending was wrenched from him- as if his very skin were being slowly wrenched from his body.
A pain, unlike any he could have ever even imagined, tore through him bringing a strangled cry from his throat. Suddenly- that contact was gone- ripping the very essence of his being out of his body.
Sitting up with a scream, he looked at the wall straight ahead of them. Cold sweat was trailing down his face and his entire body was coated in a film of fear. His heart pounded violently in his chest as the trembling started. He could still feel the ripping and the tearing, could still fell the victorious grin looking down at him from carved features.
A shaking hand came up to hold his forehead as the tears started burning down his face. What was he now? He was nothing.