A/N: I had started this story some time ago as an answer to a question I was asked. The question was basically would Amon/Noatak use his own child (if he had had one) as a tool to reach his end goal of equality? This is my attempt to answer that question and I'm happy to say that it is no longer on hiatus. Before I post new chapters however, I will be updating the existing ones as they do need some work.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic and be warned now that it will be a darker take on the events of book one. I do not own The Legend of Korra.

~Moon White Rose

Chapter 1

Winter was getting ready to strike with her freezing bite; the young girl could feel the fangs of the Cold Season being bared in the midnight hour of the late autumn night. She was cold, hungry; empty, and deprived of the most basic of needs as she trembled in the frigid darkness.

Yet she was so close to having them met. She was literally inches away from possibly a whole new life. As far as she was concerned however, she might as well have been on the other side of the world. What if this went wrong? Where would she go, back to the orphanage? The shiver that danced up her bony back had zero to do with the frosty temperature. Actually, she rather enjoyed the cold, but what was to be expected?

From her mother she had inherited the South and from… her father she had inherited the North. Both relished in the winter season and drew life out of its clawed, icy grasp, so this city was nothing. At least, it was nothing in regards to the temperature. Everything else about Republic City however… its coldness was a different entity than the one which her parents had told her of, the one that she knew in her heart and soul, even though she had not been born to either home of the family she had long since lost.

Or, nearly lost; the imposing mansion she stared at was like the carrot dangled in front of the working ostrich horse, offering the hope of reward. All she could do now was take a chance and hope it didn't suddenly morph into the whip waiting behind the back, ready to strike if the treat failed. Determined, the girl threw back her shoulders, ran a hand through her restrained waves, and made her way to the gate.

May Yue look on her kindly if this failed… for this literally was her last chance at life.

Councilman Tarrlok felt the last of his nerves fraying. Long nights were one thing, but going past midnight just to get caught up on paperwork for mundane issues because his Southern counterpart decided to take an impromptu holiday to the Southern Water Tribe left the thirty-five year old man beyond angry. In truth, a lot of things got on Tarrlok's nerves lately.

As the youngest member of the council, he usually got stuck with the grunt work. It didn't matter how passionate or charismatic he was; it made no difference that he was a born leader and they all knew it. He was still green in their eyes. The representatives from the Southern Water Tribe, the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom were all each decades older than him and had been in politics for over half their lives, and as for Tenzin, the Air Nomad representative….

Tarrlok sighed in annoyance at the thought of the man who he saw as his rival. Tenzin arguably had the most influence in the council, all because he was the son of the Great Avatar Aang; the ender of The One Hundred Year War and the founder of Republic City. Plus, he was a family man which made the people adore him. In fact, Tarrlok was the only council member without a family. No wife, no children, no one. Tarrlok was married to his work and was happy with the occasional random date if he desired female company.

"'You come across too strong at times Tarrlok. The others would listen to you with more interest if you would show that you are interested in what they have to say. This council is to be run by all of us, not just you." That was what Tenzin had told him when he had dropped off the stack of papers by Tarrlok's office that evening.

"'I am very interested in the others, Tenzin,'" he had replied smoothly so as to mask his disappointment at not having a peaceful evening free of work. "'What would ever give the idea that I don't value their opinion?'" The Airbender had not replied, other than to wish him a nice evening which has just rubbed Tarrlok the wrong way, both then and now. Faintly, he hoped that Tenzin's three year old son was keeping him up all night as he rubbed his eyes and began to read the next document. This one was mildly interesting at least. It had to do with petitioning more police force around the Dragon Flats at night; not because of any of the gangs known to call that area of the city home, but because of the new organization known only as the Equalists. Apparently they were causing more problems than normal….

A barely audible knock brought Tarrlok out of his reading, and he glared tiredly at the study door. Shang, his head servant, cautiously poked his head in. "I figured you could use this, Sir," he said quietly as he brought in a steaming cup of tea. Tarrlok relaxed at the offering, once again praising himself for hiring Shang. The man was almost as good at his job as Tarrlok was at his.

"Thank-you; just set it down and go get some sleep. I won't need anything else tonight." Tarrlok resumed looking the petition over as the cup was set on the edge of his desk… however, he was forced to look up again as Shang remained stationary across from him. He wouldn't meet Tarrlok's questioning gaze, and he began faintly tugging on the end of his sleeve. Tarrlok's eyes narrowed and he casually leaned back in his chair.

"What is it?" He demanded, softly, icily. Shang didn't answer and all of his patience went out the window. "Out with it!" he snarled as he rose. Shang took a step back. He hated being the one to inform the Master when something was wrong, but this was new ground entirely and the elderly man was not quite sure how to go on.

"Someone came to the door not too long ago, Sir," he began, "a young woman, fourteen or fifteen from the looks of her; definitely homeless and definitely Water Tribe. She is… demanding to see you." For a moment Tarrlok was silent as his weary mind tried to process what had just been said. A homeless girl was… was demanding to see him?

"Why, in all of the Four Nations… WOULD I CARE ABOUT WHAT SOME HOMELESS RUNT WANTS FROM ME?!" Tarrlok pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered incoherently under his breath. "Just get rid of her. Give her something to eat if you must and make it clear she'll find a home in prison if she ever comes back," he finally hissed. He expected Shang to obey, but the old man stood his ground. Tarrlok's eyes narrowed into a snake's glare. "Something else you want to say?" The tone Tarrlok possessed in that moment had the power to freeze someone to the core, but Shang managed to say the last bit of information without too much stuttering.

"I would do that sir except for one thing. This girl is demanding to see you because… because… Sir, she claims that she's your niece; your brother's daughter."

It was such an unexpected answer that at first nothing in Tarrlok's appearance seemed to change. As the seconds wore on though, the dark skin of his face seemed to pale, and a haunted look took over his eyes. Abruptly he turned away. "Bring her up; now. Go." Shang didn't question his master's sudden change in demeanor, even though he found it odd. His master had no siblings; he was an only child… at least that's what he had said. Had it been a lie? Either way, he was soon gone and Tarrlok was left alone with his thoughts.

'This cannot be real… it can't be… he died. Do you hear me brother… you died! You didn't survive that storm.' Tarrlok tried to find some comfort in that thought, but a nagging voice argued the claim. 'But a body was never found; no remains were found, remember? If anyone could have beaten the odds and lived, it would have been….' Tarrlok couldn't even think about his brother's name without his heart clenching in loneliness and admittedly, fear. Thinking about his brother made him think about his fath- sire.

He would never call that monster his father. He hadn't been a father at all. Suddenly, before his thoughts could take him to a dark place in his past, he heard the door to the study open then close, followed by tentative steps that treaded the fur rug. By this time, his back was turned to the door; he stared out the window behind his desk. For long, tense minutes not a sound was made. Finally, a soft, delicate cough broke the silence. 'Pull it together Tarrlok,' was the last thought he had before leisurely turning around, his face carefully crafted into a neutral mask even though he wanted to grab this unknown girl and demand she tell him how she knew about his dead brother.

Any such actions flew out of him the second he saw her. She was young and frail, brave and timid. She was her own person, and his brother, and his mother all rolled into one. Her looks screamed of his bloodline. His brother's hair, in both style and color, his mother's violet-blue eyes… somehow, someway, she was real, this was real. He was paralyzed, even though his face gave no indication of his inner realizations. Vaguely, it occurred to him that he must have looked imposing because tears pricked her eyes and she quickly bowed respectfully.

"C-councilman Tarrlok, I-I'm so-o-orry to intrude so late," she stuttered. "But-, I, well-,"

"What is your name," he cut off softly, trying to regain his neutral composure. Still, still this could be a trick. He had to know if this was true; if this was a game or if he was being haunted by his past in the most gut wrenching way possible. She wouldn't look at him now but he could still hear her as she answered his question.

"Noeya, sir," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse and it dawned on Tarrlok that she was shaking. "My name is Noeya; I was named in honor of my father, your brother, Noatak." She got the last part out in a rush.

A second later, she collapsed to the floor.

A/N: I should mention now that this chapter takes place roughly two years before the events of Book one, which is why Tarrlok and Meelo's ages were different. I'm using the ages given on the Avatar Wiki, so if I'm wrong, then I apologize. If you caught any mistakes I missed, please let me know. I hope you enjoyed this revised chapter.

~Moon White Rose