He and the Moon had never had a connection.
Having lived all of his childhood in the Northern Water Tribe, Noatak knew that the Moon was no longer a capricious ancestral spirit, but the soul of a young woman without skills with the elements, but with more courage than all the waterbenders that had hidden behind the high ice barriers for almost a hundred years together.
When he was just six years old and was still not aware of his own ability, they had been visited by relatives of his mother. One night they had gathered by the fire, under a bright yellow moon, and one of their uncles began telling them about this white spirit for the first time.
He remembered the astonished and fascinated face of his younger brother when he heard how this ancient entity was responsible for teaching how to control water to benders.
Until then, his entire family seemed to be composed of non benders. Neither his mother nor his father were. Tarrlok was still small, but for the moment he showed no sign of being.
Noatak watched the full moon shining in all its splendor and wondered why he felt no more energy, more power or any connection with this divine entity. At that time he thought it was because he was not a master.
In his childish reasoning, it was unfair that the Moon had taught that gift only to some people, capriciously chosen, and not others. Not only because moving liquids with your body always sounded fun, but because water control was one of the most treasured customs by its community. He believed then that spirit deserved to have been replaced by a more just version, which considered everyone equally.
Later his uncle mentioned that this ability was linked to the spirituality of people, and Noatak concluded that his family was not spiritual enough, because it was the only explanation he could find as a child.
But then he discovered that he was apparently a water master. He still didn't know the traditional movements he had to use. His mother told him excitedly that she was going to ask his uncle to train him; his father remained aloof and reserved.
And Noatak decided that he didn't have to wait; that the spirit of the Moon existed and if others had learned from it, it could also teach him.
However, the night came, the spirit in its full shining phase rose in the colorful sky, but his power didn't seem stronger than the rest of the day and the Moon was nothing but a distant white spot in the sky which he could not connect was then that Noatak knew that his waterbending was different from that of others. That he didn't know how to stand to generate a small wave, but it didn't matter. Because he was sitting in front of the huge ocean and without even moving a muscle, the tide pushed and pulled at the whim of his thought. Because he closed his eyes and he could still see kilometers of rocking water, kilometers of frozen water, the bodies of the amikuk (*) and the kooshdakhaa (*) waiting under the sea, the bodies of wolves crouched in the forest, the bodies of the villagers, most of them dozing.
And the bodies of his family of non benders who, unlike Noatak, didn't have to worry because Yue is indifferent to them and something about him was wrong.
(*) Creatures of Inuit mythology-culture.