Just Like the Good Old Days

by Redbayly

This was the last thing either of them had expected. One minute they were on a boat, with Tarrlok putting the Equalist glove to the fuel tank, and the next they wake up in the South Pole. And not only that, why are they children again? And even more confusing, why is the Avatar a child as well? Rating may go up. Please review.

4. Teenagers

Just Like the Good Old Days

I don't own Legend of Korra.

Teenagers

Noatak's POV:

I don't know when or how, but my teenage years hit. And they hit hard. I'd already been through puberty once, and now I had to go through it all over again. The body changes, the desire to rebel against authority, and the strange new feelings. The first time I had gone through this it had been bad enough, I had been awkward around other people my age because of the Bloodbending thing and it didn't help that girls found me attractive at the Northern Water Tribe. Whenever the White Lotus let us visit Tonraq and Senna, at least three Southern Water Tribe girls would gather together and look at me and giggle. Then came the most awkward part of growing up, the man-to-man talk. Tarrlok hadn't hit puberty just yet, so it was just me and Tonraq for the whole thing. He looked as uncomfortable as I was.

"Okay, Noak..um...it's time we talked about when a boy becomes a man."

I wanted to sink into the snow and die. It had been bad enough hearing this talk the first time. Let's just say that you don't want your dad to tell you about sex if he is a former Bloodbending crime-boss named Yakone. I don't even want to go into the horror that scarred me worse than any Bloodbending lesson. So just don't ask.

"Now listen, Noak..um..well..you see..when a boy gets to be about your age..he well...he starts to get..certain urges-"

"Um, sorry to interrupt, Tonraq, sir, but I already know."

"You do?"

I nodded.

"Oh, praise the Moon and Ocean! Thank you! I am not sure I could have gone through with 'the talk'. I'm not even gonna ask. I'm not gonna look a gift ostrich-horse in the mouth, as they say."

"Don't worry about Tarro either, I'll tell him when the time comes."

"Oh, would you? Thank the spirits."

Needless to say it went better than expected. There is one downside to all this, though. I have, as of late, been having 'certain dreams' about a 'certain Avatar'. Do you have any idea how awkward it is to fantasize about your former archenemy, who is now your best friend, like this? To fear going to sleep at night because you're worried that you'll dream about what she'd look like with her hair loose and blowing in the arctic wind, her eyes gazing at you longingly, her hands tangling themselves in your hair...okay, those thoughts don't help at all. At least that was one of my more modest dreams. It's even more awkward when I stop being a reformed forty-year-old leader of an Anti-Bending revolution that has been sent back in time and restored to his youth, and start being just a hormonally-driven teenage boy who has just started to get his sexual urges. And it really doesn't help that Korra has 'become a woman', her figure has started to come in as well as certain 'assets' that I can't help but notice. It's not as though I hadn't noticed how attractive Korra was in that other life, but I was forty and she was seventeen. Matches like that haven't been made since before the ban on arranged marriages. I have been trying to force myself into repressing any and all sexual inclinations through self-denial, asceticism, meditation, and trying to stay as far away from Korra as I can when I've had the more explicit dreams about her.

Tarrlok's POV:

I couldn't believe it, again. Noatak goes from a care-free child to an angsty teen. I know that my 'reaching manhood' is just around the corner. I've started noticing girls more and more, though they usually only have eyes for Noatak, especially Korra. I don't know why, but seeing the way they look at each other makes me feel jealous. Why should Noatak get to be with Korra? He took her Bending in that other life! All I did was kidnap her and lock her in a metal box in an abandoned lodge. Okay, that didn't come out right. I just made myself sound like some kind of perverted old guy, and I was never a pervert. I was a lot of things, a liar, a sneak, a weasel-snake of a politician, a manipulator, an oppressor, a fear-mongerer, an all-out-jerk even. But never a pervert. I really need to figure out what my feelings are for Korra. Is it friendship? A crush? Lust? No, that's not right, I don't even have a sex-drive yet, I'm only twelve. It can't be full-fledged love, well I mean romantically speaking. Of course I love Korra, but is it in that sense? I really need to do some serious thinking. All I know is that whenever I see her practicing her Bending, no matter the element, I get these weird feelings like butterflies in my stomach, and her smile makes me feel dizzy, and I stumble over the things I want to say to her.

Korra's POV:

I hate this, I really do. Noak and Tarro have always been my best friends. They've been like brothers to me ever since Mom found them in that blizzard. How could this have happened? How did Noak become so...attractive? I have just kept telling myself that he's just a boy version of me, we even wear our hair in the same style, for whatever reason. We're like twins or something...yes, that definitely helps. I will not think about any dreams I've had of him. Nope, nah, never, no. Dang it! Stupid hormones! Alright, Korra, focus on your Firebending. That's it, get all the hormonal nonsense out by setting things on fire.

Noatak's POV:

Childhood has gone by too quickly. I guess having too short a happy childhood is better than having too long a miserable one. I'm nineteen, Korra's seventeen, and Tarrlok is sixteen. I've really become an excellent healer, thanks to Master Katara. I've respected that old woman since the day I met her, and my admiration has only grown over the years. My favorite story that she told us was about when she challenged the law in the Northern Water Tribe that forbade women from learning Waterbending. She is a real hero of equal rights. Instead of challenging every sexist custom of the Northern Tribe, she focused on a specific issue and the rest just fell into place. Ever since she overturned the discrimination against female Waterbenders in the Northern Water Tribe, the other injustices began to fall out of practice and now women have just as many rights as men in the North. Being taught by Master Katara has really opened my eyes to all the stupid decisions I made as Amon. In the end, I saw what I had been. A terrorist. An evil, oppressive, self-centered, cruel, heartless terrorist. No wonder my plans failed. The balance of the world rests on Korra's shoulders, not mine, not anyone else's. But that doesn't mean I can't help her carry the burden.

Korra's POV:

Oh my spirits. Was he looking at me? Please tell me Noak did not just see me totally mess up that Firebending form. Oh, who am I kidding? He's been watching my every move since practice started this morning, of course he saw that. Wait a second. Why do I care what Noak thinks of my Firebending? He doesn't care about Bending, all he cares about is that I'm Korra. It wouldn't matter to him if I was the Avatar or not, all he sees is Korra. I moaned inwardly. And that's exactly why I care about impressing him. No, Korra, you will not obsess over a boy. Especially with your big Firebending test coming up. After that, Master Tenzin will be moving here to teach me Airbending. And once I get that done, I will be a fully realized Avatar. Oh yeah! Who's the champ! That's right! This girl!

Oh, spirits. I did not just do the victory dance in front of Noak, did I?...

Am-on a roll here! Sorry, but I couldn't resist. I know, I hate puns too.