After The Darkest Hour – Chapter One
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," began the voice from the radio, "today, republic city mourns for its people—both benders and non-benders. The supposed 'Peace Protest' against the equalists and the policies of the city police ended shortly and violently in the afternoon when equalists chi blockers started attacking the benders among the protesters. On Patrol, the republic city's local police attacked in the effort to ward off the equalists. In this event, many civilians and protesters were killed, and plenty were injured. As of now, there is a count of 56 people, men, women, and children, pronounced dead, 80 injured, and dozens missing. Although Avatar Korra was reported to arrive at the scene just moments after the riot began, there have been no sign of her since the streets cleared out when the equalists started to retreat. A few sources say that Amon had personally captured the young avatar. Amon and Avatar's whereabouts are still unknown."
One
KORRA
I wake up from a very deep and uncomfortable sleep. I find that a portion of my head is hurting as if someone had struck it—as indeed someone did, I remember. My right cheek is pressed down to the cold steel floor, and my arms and legs are numb beneath my body. As my hazy vision clears, I sit myself up and find Tenzin's children on the floor, sleeping. But immediately, I stir at the sight of a few bruises and scratches all over their arms and faces.
I hurriedly approach them, and try shaking them awake, "Jinora!" I start yelling aloud, "Ikki! Meelo! Wake up!" They aren't waking up. I watch the rise and fall of their chests—they're still alive! I try waking them up again, none of them seemed to respond. Just then, Meelo's mouth drop open, and he starts to snore and drool. I smell something bitter and sharp in his breath—they must have been drugged with heavy sleeping tonic. What kind of sick joke is this?
I look around to observe where exactly I am. It appears to be a jail cell made completely of steel. There is a small square window within the cell secured with bars of the same kind of steel. I can hear the crashing of waves, the chirping of the seagulls, I can smell the strong scent of the ocean air. Out the window, I look. It seems we are quite a few storeys above the ground, but only the waters and the skies are in view. We could be anywhere! The room was spotlessly clean and completely empty, save for the four of us locked in. And there is a door across the other side of the room that I could easily walk out of if it weren't for the steel bars that separates me from it. Even if I knew how to bend metal, it wouldn't matter. These walls must be made of some pure substance even Lin Beifong won't be able to move about.
Just then, a sudden pang of pain struck my head again, and the rest of my body started to hurt in all kinds of pain like a domino effect. One pang after the other, after the other. I notice every inch of my arms is bruised; there are burning cuts on my legs and my stomach, and I feel my back damp with...blood? What happened? What in the world happened? Anger started growing within me, and I began, without thinking, yelling aloud, "AAAHHH! LET US OUT OF HERE! SHOW YOURSELF!" I try bending the steel bars, even physically trying to break them or move them. I was desperate. I blasted fire at the damn things—nothing!
About five minutes of uselessness pass, and I realize there's very little I can do in this situation. Finally I settle down, and I break into sobs. The pain is overwhelming, and I start to cry. Someone, save me, I beg in my thoughts. I'm pathetic! The worst Avatar! I'm supposed to save the world! Now, I can't even… I turn to the sleeping children and I can't help but put the blame on myself for having them here—even though I have no recollection of ever taking them with me. Why are they here? How did I even get here? I think, trying to remember…
I arrived at the heart of the peace protest riot with Naga. Someone had frightened Naga that she had knocked me off her back, and then the chi blockers started attacking me. It was only about time when they'd had me as I was greatly outnumbered, and then the chi blockers had finally captured me—again. And there was Amon, standing before me. It was an uncanny scene that ended with yet another blow to my head. But this time, they took me along with them.
The steel door at the other side of the room swung open. "You're awake!" said a man. He stepped out from under the shadows, cloaked and masked. Amon.
"Amon! You scum!", I jump, grasping the bars to my chest, "let these children go at once! They're harmless and have done you no wrong! I'm the one you want! Not them!"
"Good morning to you too, Avatar!" he slimily reply, "but I'm afraid freeing the airbender children is not a viable option at the moment. I am still deciding what to do with them. Right now, I'm heavily considering taking their bending away. That way, I can easily reduce the chances of surviving the airbending lineage forever. Though there is that damned unborn child and that stubborn old monk…"
"NO! You wouldn't!" I cry out.
"It would be much easier for me, you know. After all they're still such harmless little children."
"YOU'RE A SICK FOOL, AMON!"
"Hahahahaha!" he lets out a laugh that disgusts me. "Now, what was it I came all the way here for? Oh, yes, of course. I came to tell you that you should say goodbye to your godforsaken bending powers, because tonight, my glory in your humiliation will be realized and will be especially broadcasted on the radio for everyone to bear witness! Then the entire world will finally see what non-benders can truly do.
"You benders will experience what you did to us non-benders. All those years of your oppression while we lived in fear, not anymore! Because tonight begins the reign of equality! Tonight will be a treat for all benders when I rid the world of their most precious Avatar. All will be gloriously aired on the radio for everyone to hear my message. Soon, your existence will deem useless to this world. Soon, bending of all elements will be extinct."
While I keep firm and composed, I'm already breaking inside in greater fear than ever before.
"I'll see you later, Avatar." Amon left the room, and the air was quiet again.
No, I thought and I turned again to the little airbenders once more. I'm sorry.
. . .
Author's Notes:
Hi there!
Though it seems that this is my first fan fic, I've actually written a few others before (somewhere), and it has been years since my last one. So the context of this story may read as stale and slow at some points, and no matter how much I edit it, it still ends up bland and boring. (hehe..) It may take a while for me to add more flavor and excitement into my narration, but for now, this is what this is.
I originally intended it to be a short Makorra fanfic, but I couldn't contain myself from holding back the details! oo Now, it's turned into this. But I still look forward to adding romance as a vital element to this, just not as the main focus.
Anyway, I had fun writing this. I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Criticisms are welcome. Compliments are favored good too.
Thanks for reading!
-Manila Vanilla