"Tarrlok? What? How are you—Oh…dreaming…yeah…"

"Yeah…last night I was dreaming…and you came back home…told me you'd stay…only if I didn't wake up…"

"That's sweet, Tarrlok. For all it's worth, I'm sorry I left you…"

"Me too…"

"…"

"Who's that girl? Why is she sleeping with us in a cave?"

"That's Korra. She's in my dream too. She found me under an avalanche."

"So why's she in my dream too? I don't know her."

A long silence passed between the brothers.

"Tarrlok?"

"Yeah, Noa?"

"I don't think we're dreaming."

"WHAT?!"

…

"Mmm, Korra, yeah, that's it. Riiiiiight there. Yeah. Mmm, yeah…OH! Yeah, yeah, FUCK! Just like that! Fuck! You're so hot, hmm, that's good, just like that…you're so good! Oh! Korra, I'm gonna—"

"CUT YOUR LIMBS OFF AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR ASS!"

"Wha—Mako? Wait, Noatak? G'morning—oh shit."

"Why. Is. Tarrlok. Here? How did you even get to him? How do you know who he is, or where we live, or anything? Who are you?"

"I can explain!"

"Go ahead!"

"Okay, I can't explain."

"Good, now I can—"

"Noatak. Don't. I don't know who she is. I don't know how she got here. I don't know how she got me here. All I'm sure of is that she brought me to you. Through a blizzard. That's something."

"Tarrlok! Be sensible! She's probably working with Dad!"

"Maybe, but until she proves herself untrustworthy, I don't want you to lay a finger on her."

"Tarrlok…don't be weak."

"For me?"

"…FINE! But at least let her explain how she found you."

"Some people have secrets, Noa. We do too. You have secrets that I don't know; I have secrets that you don't know. And I'm not about to tell you mine, either."

Korra's eyes darted from Noatak to Tarrlok. First, she was pissed, because she was woken up early. Then she was pissed because she was woken up early from a rather wonderful dream, which involved a giving a little oral action to a certain firebender. Then, she was confused, because, how could this young boy, not even a teenager yet, have the kindness to defend her now, and grow up to be the politician that would do such sick, twisted things to her? It didn't fit. And when things didn't piece together, she didn't like it. Nope. Not one bit.

"I don't have secrets."

"And Yakone was a loving father. Come on, Noa, you're not fooling anyone."

"You little—"

And now he was acting like Yakone. This deeply disturbed him. I'm not Yakone, I'm not Yakone, I'm not Yakone, he chanted over and over, like a mantra.

"Whatever. It's too early for this. If you're here, you stay, and you should make yourself useful. Mom taught you how to cook stuff, right? Do that, I need to talk to Korra. We will be leaving as soon as the blizzard clears up."

"Bro, you promised…"

"I did. And I'm not breaking it either."

…

"How?"

"I can't tell you. Drop it."

"Drop it? DROP IT?! You leave in the middle of the night, during a snowstorm, and kidnap my sleeping brother, who I have barely told you anything about, and, and…how?"

"Look, I know what happens to kids who grow up in that kind of household, they go mad. Remember Princess Azula? Even Firelord Zuko was prepared to become a relentless killer to do his horrible father proud."

"That still doesn't explain how you found him."

"I was actually looking for quite a while. Then I heard screaming, and I heard you're brother's name, and he looked enough like you…then I saw your father."

This part, at least, was true. So if Noatak had some secret bloodbending trick to tell if she was lying, then Korra would be safe.

"I still don't fully believe you, I hope you know that. But for my brother's sake, I'm going to trust you. And as he said, Korra, if you step out of line—"

"You'll bloodbend the life out of me. Got it."

"Shut up. I'm never bloodbending again."

Ha! If you kept your word, I wouldn't be in this fuckery, she thought.

…

It was unsettling to see how normal they were. It was really very scary, because she'd seen them grow up to be monsters, and here they were, Noatak sleeping in, and Tarrlok trying but failing miserable to start a fire. He gave up, and sat across from her seat on the cave floor, picking at her nails.

"My brother likes you."

"Excuse me?"

"If he didn't, he'd kill you by now."

"That proves nothing. In any case, I'm not too attracted to your brother. And why would he like me? Don't give me that 'opposites attract' stuff either."

Tarrlok may have been oblivious to most things, but he wasn't that naïve. He saw how quick Korra was to defend herself, how fast she talked. And of course, her erratic heartbeat, which meant she was lying.

"Oh, I won't. Because you two are exactly the same."

"We are not."

"Yes you are!"

"Hey, what's with all the noise, can't a guy get some sleep around here?"

"Sorry, Noa, Korra and I were just talking. She was telling me about her family and stuff."

"Really? Y'know, I never thought to ask, where are you from? And why did you happen to be trekking in that blizzard the day you found me?'

"Okay, if this is another interrogation…"

"It's not. Just curious."

"I'm from the Southern Water Tribe, and my father hails from the North, so I came to visit my uncle, and walking to the city from the docks my ship arrived at, I got lost."

"Ah. So tell me about your family in the Water tribes, then." Even if Korra were blind, she'd be able to sense his shit-eating grin. She could practically hear it in his drawl.

"Uh, yeah, I live with my mom and dad, they're both waterbenders. Tonraq and Senna. And my uncle, Unalaq, is my dad's older brother."

Shit! I shouldn't have said the names! They'd probably know about Dad and Uncle, Granddad was the chief of the tribe!

But the boys didn't catch it.

"But you're a nonbender?" Noatak asked her, a bit amused.

"That's right…"

"And you're parents are talented waterbenders?"

"Very."

"It's a shame that you'll never be able to live up to that, yeah?"

Tarrlok's eyes widened almost comically. But there was nothing truly hilarious; he knew a fight when he saw one.

"You little bastard! I may not be able to bend, but I can whoop your ass without it!"

"Yeah right, I'd take you with just one water whip."

"Cannot!"

"Can so!"

"Cannot!"

"Can so!"

"WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP? IT'S EXTREMLY HARD ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT I'M THE YOUNGEST, WHILE YOU TWO TEENAGERS ARE GOING AT IT LIKE FOUR YEAR OLDS!"

"It's not my fault I happened to be rescued from that blizzard by a complete bit—"

Korra slapped him hard, right across his face, leaving a handprint on his cheek, and a bit of blood trickling from his nose.

"And that same bitch will throw you right back into that blizzard too!"

She stormed off into the corner of the cave.

Once she was out of earshot, Tarrlok swiveled to face his older brother.

"Noatak!"

"She's crazy! She slapped me!"

"You provoked her!"

"That's beside the point…but now…now, I'm gonna get her."

Tarrlok saw the look in his eyes, the eyes that were like his fathers, that bloodthirsty, hateful look. It was enough to give the eleven year-old nightmares for a week.

"Noatak, you wouldn't!"

"You yourself said, if she did anything suspicious, we'd get rid of her."

"You'd do the same if you were Korra!"

"Would not!"

"You're turning into dad!"

That might have been too far. Nevertheless, it was completely and fully true, and that was what hurt Noatak the most. Seeing that look of fear in his little brother's eyes, the same helpless, pleading, vulnerable, tortured look...it was the same face that plague his own nightmares the first few nights after he escaped his father.

"I am nothing—nothing!—like that man." Still, he sat down, he didn't go after Korra, and Tarrlok thought he knew why. He didn't dare ask Noatak anymore, but his theory was right, anyways. Walking towards the back of the cave, where Korra sat cross-legged, using a stone to make patterns in what little dirt was there.

"He only made fun of you because he's jealous."

"Go away."

"I'm serious!"

"Why would he be jealous of me?"

"He thinks…or at least, I think he thinks this, but if he didn't have his bending, our dad couldn't turn him into a ruthless killing machine. He's convinced himself of that, and, you know what? It's probably true."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I think…I think you saved him from himself. If he were healthy, he would have fought you on the spot. And if my brother's one thing, it's smart, smart enough to not fight a battle that he might lose. And I…I trusted you…because…I see you in him. I've said it, you guys are really similar. It's kinda scary, having two Noataks…but don't leave. You could change him, you could…I don't know. But he's not too far gone, not yet."

Korra pondered this for a moment. Well, it was more like a few minutes, and Tarrlok plopped down next to her, patiently waiting. She tilted her head to face him.

"And you're only eleven, you say?"

They both laugh.