Note: Another long chapter for you guys. I hope it's to satisfaction. Sorry if you realize there are plot holes once you finish this chapter, they are all unintended- and I will try to mend them somehow. Until then, I thank you guys for the follows and reviews.
Korra walked to the docks with a satchel of tea and some papers she had gathered. She forgot which newspapers Noatak usually read. So she decided to buy all of them much to the delight of all the newspaper boys. When Noatak got off the ship, Korra ran up to him and hugged him. She always embarrassed him like this. Not because Noatak didn't like being embraced by his fiancée but because it always incited the calls of his shipmates.
"Korra… Wait until we get home," Noatak said.
"Sorry, I just missed you," Korra said.
"Well, Noatak, you best be getting home quick, you can't have your lady waiting," Sirmiq said.
Nanuq and Sirmiq followed behind Noatak, laughing. Sirmiq had enjoyed the time joking about Noatak's romantic life ever since he found out. Nanuq, on the other hand, could only shrug at Sirmiq's jokes.
"Actually, if you two aren't busy tomorrow, Nigaq has a big dinner planned, and I promised her that I would invite you two over," Nanuq said.
Noatak looked at Korra who thought about it for a moment.
"Of course we would love to come over," Korra said.
"Nigaq probably would have dragged you two over if you said no. So it's better that you said yes," Nanuq said.
"I'll bring the usual bottle of fire ice," Noatak said.
"Thanks Noatak. I'll tell Nigaq," Nanuq said.
Noatak and Korra waved goodbye to Sirmiq and Nanuq as they walked back to Noatak's home. They chatted about their respective days as Noatak searched for a couple bottles of wine to buy for the night. They went to the same store that Noatak always went to- even when he was a young man.
"I forgot to tell you, I went to Councilwoman Qilaq's office the other day. Actually, I saw Councilman Ingyu as well. We had a chat about some things," Korra said.
Noatak inspected a glass of wine. It came from the Earth Kingdom. He had this particular vintage before, he noted.
"And?" Noatak said.
"They were surprised at my suspicions of a councilman being involved with the Black Squalls," Korra said.
"I'm not surprised," Noatak said.
"What do you mean?" Korra said.
Noatak placed the bottle down and picked up a different year.
"I mean that no councilman would ever admit to that activity- even in the slightest like bribes. What else did you talk to them about?" Noatak said.
"About Councilman Hahn and the anti-United Republic of Nations sentiment. I didn't know that was a thing," Korra said.
"You wouldn't. Before here, you lived in Republic City and before that the Southern Water Tribe. The Southern Water Tribe is the only nation that benefits from the United Republic besides Republic City. So there wouldn't be that kind of talk there," Noatak said.
"Are you against the United Republic?" Korra asked.
Noatak paused and picked up another bottle of wine.
"Not any more than most people here," Noatak said.
"So you don't like them?" Korra said.
"Hm… I didn't say that. I have reservations about them. Besides, I'm on less than friendly terms with them," Noatak said.
"That's an understatement."
"What did Qilaq and Ingyu say?"
"I think they feel the same…"
"It's a fairly popular opinion here. No matter which side you take."
Noatak gave Korra the bottles of wine to hold. He needed to find a bottle of fire ice for the next evening. He searched for his wallet in the front of his jacket and opened it to see the crisp Yuans that lined the inside. He would definitely have enough until he got paid.
"I see your tastes have changed Noatak," a voice said.
Noatak looked to his side. Councilman Ingyu stood by with a bottle of fire ice in his hands. Noatak smirked. Korra looked horrified. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding at the sight. She almost dropped the bottles on sight.
"But yours hasn't," Noatak said.
Ingyu shrugged and picked another bottle of fire ice.
"Old habits die hard, they say," Ingyu said.
"Some of them anyway," Noatak said.
"It looks like I need to explain something to your girlfriend," Ingyu said.
"Please don't tell my uncle!" Korra said.
"I wouldn't worry about that," Ingyu said.
Ingyu laughed as he placed a hand on Korra's to steady them. As he took away his hand, he let the sleeve of his shirt ride up enough to reveal the tattoo on the inside of his wrist that Korra never noticed in the office. It would have been hard to notice if she weren't so close to him. The faded black-blue of his tattoo was small and discreet. She recognized the symbol. She had seen many times when she was in Republic City. The Equalist insignia.
"You were an Equalist?" Korra said.
Ingyu and Noatak both laughed now.
"I noticed you commandeered my symbol, Noatak. You should have given credit where credit is due," Ingyu said.
"Sorry… I wasn't exactly in the position to do that," Noatak said.
"True, true. Well, let's go to my home. It'll be nice to catch up in a more private place," Ingyu said.
Ingyu lived not too far north from Noatak, which surprised Korra. She had seen nicer homes in the northern end of the district bordering one of the richer districts. Noatak told her that the owners of the fishing boats often lived in this area. Ingyu's home was in the heart of the district and sandwiched between similar looking brick houses. Inside his home, Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe art adorned the walls, along with grainy photographs. Korra and Noatak sat on a plush burgundy velvet sofa while Ingyu telephoned a local restaurant. He went to his kitchen and grabbed wine glasses before he returned to open the wine and settle into matching chair.
"I hope you don't mind the wait. I'm normally better prepared for guests," Ingyu said.
Ingyu poured the wine out for the three of them. He sniffed the wine and set the glass back onto the table.
"This is much better than the fire ice I would have drank tonight," Ingyu said.
"Well, it's our pleasure," Noatak said.
Noatak placed his arm around Korra. He rubbed her back a little to relax her. She was overly nervous. Noatak knew he should have been more nervous than her, but he wanted to wait to hear what Ingyu had to say.
"You'll have to forgive me. I'm not used to abetting fugitives," Ingyu said.
"You don't have to make any excuses for me," Noatak said.
Korra cleared her throat and sipped on the wine.
"So… how do you two know each other?" Korra said.
"We were in the navy for a spell… right after they stopped conscription," Ingyu said.
"Well, when you're poor, it's not like you have a choice anyway," Noatak said.
Ingyu chuckled and drank more of his wine. He rested back in his chair and closed his eyes like he could go right back to those days.
"Then we went to university together, and you left for Republic City," Ingyu said.
"I did…" Noatak said.
"I never blamed you for leaving. Atka's death really left a mark on you," Ingyu said.
"You could have come with me. You would have been good in the movement. You were always good at persuading people," Noatak said.
"Well… I used that skill for a different purpose as you can see. Besides, it sounded like you were good on your own," Ingyu said.
"You knew it was Noatak all along?" Korra said.
"You can hardly forget a voice like his. I had visited Republic City to go to a United Republic council meeting, and I heard one of Noatak's broadcasts. I swore I almost had a heart attack hearing it. It sounded like a ghost from my past," Ingyu said.
"Your voice does that a lot," Korra said.
Noatak shrugged and took his glass of wine.
"So why did you never bother to tell anyone?" Korra said.
"If I lived in Republic City, I would have been on the front lines with him. Though I don't think all benders are terrible. I just think there should be more protection for non-benders. Besides, I see Noatak as my brother, and that means more to me than the United Republic," Ingyu said.
"You still see me as your brother?" Noatak said.
"Don't you?"
"Always."
"I feel terrible saying this to you, but I'm very glad things didn't go your way. The man I read about in the newspapers wasn't the man that I called my brother. The man in front of me is. Besides, that power doesn't suit you well."
"I can hardly take offense when I know you're probably right."
"Besides, it got you back here. It's been too long. Though… I have seen you around. With the Avatar no less… I won't ask how that happened or why, but it makes Qilaq happy. So I have no issues with it."
"We don't know why it happened either, but he's the only person that gets me," Korra said.
"The Spirits like to play games like that," Noatak said.
"You two look good together anyway. It helps that Noatak hasn't aged like myself," Ingyu said.
"Yeah… the council here hasn't done you any favors," Noatak said.
Ingyu laughed as he finished his glass of wine. He topped off the glasses of his guests and resumed drinking his.
"You'd look like this if you had to do deal with Hahn. He thinks your girlfriend is a prize for the tribe and that we should treat her so," Ingyu said.
"I met him recently…" Noatak said.
"I'm surprised you let him get so close to you. He was close to Tarrlok," Ingyu said.
"I know… I made a mistake," Noatak said.
"I talked with Chu about it," Korra said.
"Chu as in Commodore Chu?" Ingyu said.
"The very one. He's my cousin's fiancé," Korra said.
Ingyu nodded and looked at Noatak tense up. Some things had never changed for his friend. He was still serious and constantly nervous. Ingyu never understood why Noatak had been so nervous in their youth. It wasn't until the demise of Amon and the reveal of his identity that Ingyu finally understood why Noatak was nervous all those times when they were young.
"I don't think Councilman Hahn recognized you from what Chu said. I think he was just hoping you looked like someone else," Korra said.
"You don't look like Tarrlok to me," Ingyu said.
"You know about Tarrlok?" Korra said.
"Only from the newspapers. Noatak never mentioned his younger brother by name," Ingyu said.
"Then you know Noatak is a waterbender?" Korra said.
"I've always known Noatak was a waterbender… and a bloodbender. That was never a secret. That's why Atka wanted him so much," Ingyu said.
"Atka? She's the girl that you were with. Isn't she?" Korra said.
Noatak nodded and looked to the wall. He pointed to a picture on the wall in a silver frame.
"You've kept that picture for a while," Noatak said.
"Of course I did… Avatar Korra, if you want to know what Atka looked like, take a look at that picture," Ingyu said.
Korra walked to the wall and stood in front of the picture. The small sepia toned picture showed a very young Ingyu with pitch-black hair and grinning widely in a fur-lined coat and knickerbockers. Next to Ingyu was Noatak in similar attire looking as serious as she imagined he would be. His hair was shorter than it was these days, but he looked just as handsome. Korra imagined she would have been just as enamored with him if she were there when that picture was taken as much as she currently was. Beside Noatak was a beautiful woman with short dark wavy hair and eyes that made her look like a fox. She wore a long belted coat that cinched around her tiny waist where Noatak's hand rested. Featured prominently on her neck was a betrothal necklace. Korra couldn't quite make the detailing of the necklace, but she knew that it was probably as intricate as the necklace she owned.
"Atka wanted to start an anti-bending revolution. She died before she had the chance to," Ingyu said.
"She knew that Noatak was a bloodbender?" Korra asked.
"Yes. She needed me because she heard of the old stories about other bloodbenders being able to remove bending as a form of punishment," Noatak said.
"And Noatak fell hard for her. I did too… but now when I see it, she was a bad person. No other way of putting it," Ingyu said.
"I wanted to believe that she loved me back. So I did anything for her. Even reinvent myself," Noatak said.
"So how did she die? Noatak said she died because of the Black Squall," Korra said.
"That's part of it. The other part was that we needed to test out Noatak's special little gift, and we thought the Black Squall would be a good place to start. But we were young and dumb, and we went heads blazing. No one's bending was removed, and Atka was killed when one of the Black Squall's bloodbenders choked her to death. She was always on their radar…" Ingyu said.
"Then Ingyu and I parted ways," Noatak said.
"Didn't you two want to be around each other?" Korra said.
"To be honest, no. That was a very hard thing for us to go through. Noatak wanted me to go with him to Republic City, but I really wanted to just stay here and think about what had happened. Next thing I know, I'm the councilman for this district, and I've got my own battles to fight," Ingyu said.
Korra took another look at the picture and pointed at Atka.
"Ah… I guess that makes sense… oh… Noa, I wanted to say… I didn't know you were engaged to her," Korra said.
Noatak took Korra's hand and held onto it tightly.
"That was a long time ago. Besides…I like us much better," Noatak said.
Ingyu snorted and tapped on the frame.
"Oh, Ingyu, may I use your bathroom?" Korra said.
"Yeah… Down the hall and your first right," Ingyu said.
Korra nodded and skipped that way leaving two old friends together alone for the first time in over twenty years. They stood in front of that picture of their old selves, bright, young and naïve.
"You've been here for a while," Ingyu said.
"Just two years," Noatak said.
"You could have said hi. I'm upset at you. It was never your fault she died," Ingyu said.
"I know. I just didn't know if you wanted to see me," Noatak said.
"Why wouldn't I? Besides, you were always taking the fall for my mistakes. I was the one who got Atka pregnant, but you were the one who proposed."
"You weren't ready for that. I thought it was mine even though I knew it wasn't. She'd never have a child with a man who bends."
"Do you want to know what's funny?"
"What?"
"When I finally got married, I married someone who was a non-bender. She was Water Tribe and Fire Nation, and our first kid was a firebender from the get-go. Jung-soo nearly set the whole house on fire…"
"What happened?"
"This city. She got sick and died… My in-laws took Jung-soo and left for the Fire Nation where it isn't so bad… I haven't seen him since he was five. He's got to be like sixteen now. Crazy…"
They stood there in silence until Korra came back. Noatak saw the picture of Ingyu and his son right beside the picture of Noatak, Ingyu, and Atka. Ingyu let his fingers touch the picture, right over to his son. Noatak patted Ingyu's back, a gesture that Ingyu long since forgotten. They were always going to be friends, Ingyu thought.