A/N: Wow! What a great response! I was a bit worried you guys would think this wasn't good (and rightfully so, like all the other Amorra fics out here are way better), but I'm glad many of you enjoyed it! I promise to keep working hard on this! Thanks mi amigos :)
Okay, just need to clarify something! Because I failed to notice Tarrlok did indeed give the age gap between him and Noatak, so it's only right I adhere to that, right? So for the final ages (as of this chapter and the rest of the story officially) :
Amon: 23
Tarrlok: 20
Korra: 17
Also, sorry if updates are infrequent or irregular ^^" Truth is it's my holiday so that's when I'm most active in fic writing, but I'm also trying to revive previously "on hiatus" fics that I own that I feel bad about neglecting because so many people enjoyed them :( I'm a horrible writer, so I'm sorry guys! Rest assure, I'm working hard on updating all of my fics! You haven't been forgotten!
Thankyou, and I hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to tell me what you think by clicking the little review button! :)
The Promise
Chapter Two
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He was age 23 when he finally met her again.
Many years had passed since their fated parting, and so much had changed during that time. The boy from the Northern-Water Tribe who had become Amon had grown and changed during his time away from the South Pole and the little girl with the big blue eyes; his form taller, his chin sharper. His once boyish face had gradually become that of a proud young man's, and his once lanky body had become that of well-muscled (yet not overtly), towering form. By now he had evened out to become the epitome of what a real Water-tribe man should look like. Many may have even agreed he was rather attractive.
But as well as that, other things had changed too.
His ice blue eyes, which his mother had always loved about him so much, had become void of warmth, as cold and as distant as the North itself. And the aura he exuded... it was terrifying. Amon may have been loved by his followers, but above all, above anything, no matter how many people spoke nothing of it, always remaining just beneath the surface, he was feared.
But that didn't matter, now that he wore a mask.
The idea of the mask had been one that had lingered at the back of his mind ever since he had first left Korra and had sought a new life in Republic City. He knew that no matter what he and the Avatar would cross paths indefinitely, but in order to avoid any chances of anyone uncovering his true identity and possibly exploiting it, Amon need anonymity. When he found the mask, discarded and abandoned in an idle rubbish bin, Amon knew - this was his new identity. And so, severing his ties with his family and the Avatar (possibly the hardest thing he'd ever had to do), Amon finally cast away the life that was Noatak and the life where he was actually a friend of the Avatar, and slipped into the charade that was Amon, the Equalist Leader.
He had never looked back since.
As soon as Amon had stepped into the City, seven years ago, the young man could instantly feel the repercussions that were the result of Benders' injustices. Citizens being bullied into submission, being forced to pay extortion lest they want their families and businesses to end up in flames, orphaned children, corrupt and malicious triads... everywhere Amon looked he could see and feel the effect of Benders misusing their undeserved power, the non-Benders' sorrow resonating throughout the very city itself, every wall and every street practically breathing it.
Amon knew this was the place to begin.
And so slowly, the revolution began, taking shape and drawing power. At first, the revolution consisted of a few men he had managed to persuade into joining his cause simply spreading whispers like currents through the crowds, but soon word spread, and the revolution grew - soon, people who were sick of oppression, sick of inequality began to rise up, to listen to Amon's words and his truths. Greedily, the crowds began to lap up every one of Amon's words, began to worship every truth he exposed, every step he took. Within time the masses of people became the Equalists, looking to the man with the mask for hope, for change.
Amon had never felt more powerful.
There had been reports circulating around the community now that the Equalists had begun to become the victims of abuse and attacks from furious Benders, and for a while the Equalists began to become subdued, afraid. By then the Equalists were of an adequate size, achieving their means by verbal protests and generally peaceful yet big-scale movements. But as the charismatic former Water-tribe man drew in the followers, so too did his adversaries come too. Chaos erupted as Benders and non-Benders engaged in fights, the non-Benders severely outnumbered and disadvantaged. The people were beginning to lose hope once more.
That was until Amon changed his battle tactics.
"People of Republic City," he had called his followers, battered and beaten down, light eyes sweeping across the faces of the hopeless non-benders, "I know that following the path of an Equalist is difficult, that many of you who have already suffered so greatly have continued to be the victims of the oppressive powers that belong to the Benders. But our time is now," Amon spoke, voice rising as he gestured to all of them, "our time for equality, for change, is now. For centuries we have allowed Benders to misuse their powers, to cause wars and end families. For years we have suffered in silence. But that time ends now. Now, we will no longer sit and wait. Now, we will rise up and fight back. The revolution has begun!" Amon exclaimed, raising a fist in the air as the crowds cries and cheers followed along as well.
"But how?" one of his loyal followers suggested, not quite convinced, "how on earth do we have any hopes of defeating them? They're Benders, for spirit's sake! How can we possibly defeat someone who can set us on fire in the blink of an eye?" the man exclaimed, followed by angry shouts and agreements as dissent arose amongst the crowds.
"My brothers and sisters," Amon instantly assured them, his sweeping voice calming the crowds to a tense silence, "non-benders have failed in their endeavours in the past to achieve equality because they have done exactly what we have been doing - nothing. But now, my fellow Equalists, now we can fight back," Amon spoke, his voice growing louder, "because now we have the means to fight back.
My brothers and sisters," Amon finished, everyone in awe and disbelief, at this man, this God, "I have the solution.
I am the solution."
Amon then went on to explain how he was planning on offering lessons on Chi-blocking, an age-old yet powerful art sure to disable the Benders' for sure. He even provided demonstrations in future rallies, the crowds roaring with delight as they watched their greatest enemies fall like flies. He had attained the information on how to do so when he had encountered a fellow non-bender who had become his greatest second-in-command; the lieutenant. When the lieutenant had explained Chi-blocking had been an art practised before in disabling the great Avatar Aang himself, Amon had wasted no time in attending to any scrolls or books he could find about it, learning the art and mastering it as if it were as natural as Water-bending to him. Amon had figured that if he were to ever engage in combat, chi-blocking would be a useful addition to his arsenal. Especially since bending was out of the question.
Amon had never revealed his true abilities to anyone, and had no intention on doing so. To reveal his true identity would be to destroy the very foundations of the Equalist movement itself. If anyone were to discover his shameful status as a Bender, his cause would be in ruins. The consequences would be innumerable. Amon's secrets were a delicate subject, handled with the utmost of care.
Everything from the little brother left waiting back in the North to the little girl with big blue eyes left hoping in the South were nowhere else but in his heart.
And so, the lies began.
The revolution, born from truth, built from lies. Time and time again, people would dare to venture into the subject of his past, where the young man would promptly shut down. People began to assume Amon was keeping more secrets to himself than he should. People grew restless.
The lies took full flight as the memories lost all meaning.
It was when an incredibly frustrated man who had lost his wife to a Bender stormed up to him in front of hundreds, the man stomping up on stage and staring him right in the eye that Amon let go of everything.
Let go of Korra.
"You," the man babbled hysterically, accusingly, "why should we listen to you? We know nothing about you, nothing about what you have to gain from this, and you expect us to follow you blindly? We may be desperate, but we're not stupid! What have you lost, huh? What makes you so special?!" The man shouted angrily, as the crowd erupted into disorder once more.
The seconds stretched on as everyone watched with bated breaths, all of them watching, watching him.
Watching to see if the mask would crack apart.
"My brothers and sisters," Amon started calmly, turning away from the man to address the sea of faces, as his mask threatened to fall apart and shatter, his quest for equality at stake, "I suppose it has been rather unfair of me to withhold my story of why I'm here today. You all deserve the truth," Amon recited carefully, shutting his eyes as he tried to black out the big blue eyes of his brother and the girl from the South from haunting him and ruining his mission, "so now I will tell you. For years, I was ashamed, I was apprehensive in telling the horrors of my past, but now because of you, my brothers and sisters, I have grown strong enough to step out of that shame, that fear..."
the crowd whispered in hushed tones as they stared at the man in the mask eagerly, awaiting the great truth behind their great leader.
Amon's eyes remained shut. And then, he spoke.
"My quest for equality began many years ago..." Amon began, taking on an empty, vacantly blunt tone to his voice, as he tried not to think of the little brother he loved and the little girl he had learnt to.
And just like that, the lie had set root.
Amon had become Amon.
Noatak was gone, far, far away, and with him, the big blue eyes of the children from the lands of the snow and seas.
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Korra had waited for six years for him to fulfil his promise.
And still, he had yet to keep true on his word.
It wasn't like she thought about him everyday purposely... the 17 year old's life was crammed with things to do, occupied with things to think about, like how to improve her already near-perfected training forms or her purpose in the universe. But somehow, when she would have quiet, brief moments to herself, between stances or during meditation, he would suddenly flit in, and there he was again: back in her head. No matter how hard she tried to rid her thoughts of him, he would crawl back in, the handsome boy with the light eyes and a stony face that had more secrets than she had words. Amon had always seemed burdened by something... Korra only wished she could have asked him before he went away, before he had left her with nothing more than painful thoughts and a forgotten promise.
She wondered how he was going now; how his mission was doing. He had promised to return to her once it had been fulfilled. Korra's eyes suddenly fell to the ground as she clenched her arm. Never had she anticipated back then that it would take this long, that she would be suspended in constant worry for so many years, as if held prisoner. She had changed a lot since then. Had he changed too?
Korra shut her eyes as she tried to imagine him. He would be around his early 20's by now... was he handsome, a real ladies' man with the girls back where he was? Korra couldn't help but scowl as her cheeks flushed at the thought. What if he already had a girl? What if he had already carved his betrothal necklace for someone other than her, and had forgotten about her completely?
It made Korra far angrier than it should.
She turned her thoughts to something else. Had he grown into a kind, caring man? Or had something awful happened to him that made him become wicked and destructive? That made Korra fill with worry. She hoped nothing happened to Amon. She didn't know what she'd do if something horrid happened to him. She would never forgive herself.
She wondered if he'd changed, if he'd evolved from the reserved yet thoughtful, distant boy he was. Part of her wished he hadn't, that he'd remained the same as the last time she'd laid her eyes on him. But she knew that was unlikely. Even she, as loud-mouthed and as defiant as she always was had changed. Muscled yet curvaceous, powerful but still a little vulnerable, Korra had grown into a young woman over her years waiting for his return. Change was a part of nature.
She just hoped he hadn't changed too much.
The truth was, she felt utterly foolish for allowing the strange boy fill her mind the way he did. They'd only known each other for a brief amount of time during their very different lives, but never had Korra anticipated his presence in her life having such an impact the way it did now.
She missed him.
"Hey, Naga..." Korra greeted weakly, as the now oversized animal licked her palm in comfort, giving low, soft whines to soothe the girl. Even Naga, who existed only because of Amon, was a painful reminder that sent her thinking longingly, wistfully about the young man.
"Amon..." Korra sighed, withdrawing her hand from the beast's fur to rest her chin on her palms, staring out the window hopefully, bleakly,
Do you ever think about me as much as I think about you?
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"Korra," the aged Waterbender asked gently over her bowl of sea prunes, "what's wrong?"
Sifu Katara, Korra's mentor and one of her closest allies had arrived to share dinner with the young girl as she usually did when she was around. However, the Master Waterbender was quickly disheartened to see the young Avatar so dispirited and put-out. The usually loud and boisterous young girl was subdued and quiet as she picked at her own bowl of sea prunes, something which greatly troubled the older woman.
"It's nothing, really," Korra replied tonelessly, refusing to make eye-contact, "just thinking about things, that's all."
Katara frowned in response, the creases in her face becoming more apparent. "Is it your Airbending again that's troubling you?"
Katara knew of the great difficulty Korra experienced in mastering Airbending. Having only just recently perfected her Firebending, Korra had wasted no time at all in trying her hand at tackling Airbending independently. However, Korra's attempts were all in futility as she failed to produce even one puff of air. Whilst Katara's late husband revelled in Airbending and struggled in Earthbending and Firebending, Korra was naturally proficient in all the elements with the exception of Air. The realisation of her inability to bend Air had come as a crushing blow to the proud Avatar, her troubles with Airbending often the reason for her sudden sullen moods. Katara couldn't help but eagerly await for her youngest to come as soon as possible just for Korra to overcome her problems with it.
"No, it has nothing to do with that," Korra sighed, pushing aside her bowl. "It's just... do you ever get tired of waiting, Sifu Katara?" Korra suddenly asked, looking exasperated. Katara blinked in surprise.
"Sometimes," Katara replied, "but patience is a vital part to mastering inner-peace, Korra. Without patience, all our actions in haste would lead to folly. If not for peace, your previous Avatar would have never become the great Avatar he did," Katara spoke, smiling fondly at the memory of her late husband.
"I know, I know," Korra responded, "but sometimes I just get sick of it. Sick of waiting to get out of here, to fulfil my path as the Avatar," to have stupid Amon fulfil his promise, Korra thought begrudgingly. "I mean, the Avatar's purpose is to get out there and help others, right? How can I do that if I'm holed up in here?" Korra asked, looking desperately at her mentor.
Katara merely regarded Korra with a thoughtful, sympathetic look, before formulating her next answer. "Patience, Korra," Katara smiled gently, placing her hand over Korra's own, "patience is what you need. You are well on the path to achieving your destiny, Avatar Korra. All we must do now is be patient, and wait for Tenzin to arrive."
Korra looked doubtful, but then gave a sigh, settling into a smile. "I guess you're right, Sifu. Patience. Okay, I guess I can wait for a little while longer," Korra nodded to herself, as Katara's heart felt lighter.
"Good, good. Now why don't you finish up on your sea prunes, hm?"
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Once again, Korra stared out from her spot on the cliff towards the sea of blue and white, knees drawn to her chest as Naga lay beneath her, dozing off peacefully. Once again, she was stuck waiting. Waiting. It seemed like all she ever did in her life.
Patience was no longer an option.
The day had begun positively with Tenzin arriving, along with prospect of her finally beginning her Airbending lessons. But that hope was quickly cut short when Tenzin gravely confirmed that he was in no position to teach her, his being concerned with problems back in Republic City. Korra had retaliated with a plea to go along with him, back to Republic City where she could finally immerse herself amongst the very people she would be helping one day, but Tenzin refused. Republic City was no place for the Avatar.
That left Korra in a horribly bitter mood.
She was the Avatar! Not some defenceless little girl who couldn't look after herself! She was ready to be out there, living and fighting amongst both Benders and non-benders! Korra scowled, feeling the sudden urge to torch something on fire. All her life, she had been doing what others wanted her to do, waiting for her time to make her own decisions.
Well, Korra decided snappily, as she prompted Naga to rise, her time had come.
Her time was now.
Leaving the South-Pole was harder than she had anticipated; nonetheless, she did it all the same. Her heart had ached terribly at the thought of never seeing her parents' faces again for a long, long time, and parting with Katara's wisdom and kind words was hard enough as it was. But in the end, she'd done it, and she'd never felt more free in her life. Whether anyone was going to stop her or not, Korra was going to pursue her dreams and find her own path as the Avatar.
And find Amon along the way too.
Korra quickly shook her head as she and Naga bounded across the snow, the stars being their only friends in the dark night. No, thinking about Amon was stupid and childish. He was just some boy she met long, long ago. As the Avatar, Korra had bigger things to think about. Some boy and his promise, no matter how much it meant to her, were not one of them.
"I guess we're finally doing it, huh, Naga," Korra muttered to her loyal companion, stroking the beast's white fur as they settled into the ship that would take them to Republic City, the polar bear dog giving another nuzzle in return as Korra shifted against the mammal her, using her big warm body as a pillow, "this is it..."
And as Korra's eyes shut tight, the image of a boy with light blue eyes and a sad, hard smile drifted into her mind as she slipped into slumber, his haunting eyes echoing unfulfilled words and endless heartaches.
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"Amon sir," a voice behind him prompted meekly, as the masked man continued his endless stare into the wall, back against the intruding person, the perfect personification of inner-calm and stoicism. Often, the Equalist leader would find himself occupying much of his time staring into the wall, thinking. It was an odd quirk to his officers, but he didn't care. It was often during these times that Amon came up with the best ideas, struck the best of epiphanies.
Like how to finally rid the world of Bending.
Nonetheless, despite his overwhelming sense of accomplishment in uncovering the secret, Amon allowed himself to break his concentration as he attended to his subordinate. His gaze remained focused on the wall as he opened his mouth.
"What is it?"
A second of silence. And then,
"Amon sir, the Avatar is here. She's arrived at Republic City, our sources say roughly two hours ago."
Now that Amon was not expecting. Swiftly, without missing a beat, the masked saviour turned around, his gaze sharp and penetrating despite being shadowed by his mask. His Equalist comrade, obviously nervous enough as he was, gave a yelp of surprise as Amon ploughed on, paying no heed to it as he continued.
"And you are certain?" Amon asked, sharp and eerily intense, his voice and eyes demanding an answer that the Equalist had no choice but to supply.
"Y-yes sir! The Lieutenant even confirmed it himself!" he squeaked in response, as Amon shut his eyes for a moment, allowing himself a brief moment's thoughts.
So she was here. Granted, Amon had known they had to cross paths one day, he'd even sworn they would in that ill-advised promise he had made to her... but not this soon. Certainly, the revolution was more than ready for her, he himself seeing to that over the last six years, but was he ready...? The swimming head and the conflicted emotions rushing through him for the first time in what seemed like years was answer enough, he realised with a dry tone of dread.
But Amon was not willing to accept it.
"How should we proceed, sir?" the tense Equalist inquired weakly, as Amon finally opened his eyes once more, arms carefully folded behind his back. So the Avatar was here... well, whether he was ready (which he assured himself he most certainly was) or not (something he could not even bear to think about), their long-awaited meeting had finally arrived.
It was time to put an end to a long-forgotten story about a boy and a girl, as memories of friendship and camaraderie finally sank into the dust.
It was time to set the record straight.
"Let the revolution know," Amon began, calculating and cutting as always, his words decisive, intention precise, "that if the Avatar has arrived to stay, we welcome her, with open arms. Let your fellow brothers and sisters know, and tell them there is nothing to fear: if the Avatar has come looking for a fight, rest assured, the revolution shall not hesitate to rise up and greet her openly."
And with one last inspired "yes sir!" from his subordinate, Amon was left back in his idle solitude, his eyes turned back to the wall.
And yet, despite the revelation that he had just uncovered moments ago, before news of the young Avatar had reached his ears, the young man could not return back to his previously, probably more pressing matters as he gazed into the monochrome emptiness of his wall.
Staring into the wall, all Amon could see now filling his mind were the blue eyes of a young girl; so lost, so breathtakingly broken.
And a promise that had mournfully, almost regrettably, been fulfilled.