Just Like the Good Old Days
Redbayly: Hey, folks! Sorry about the delay. I've been very busy with some other fanfics, namely my Harry Potter fic that I started over the summer. Now, however, I am back at college and I have a very busy schedule so I won't be able to update all the time.
Sokka: Did you ever? And shouldn't you be working on that project of yours?
Redbayly: Sokka?! What the…how the…? What are you doing here?!
Sokka: *Sarcastic* Nice to see you, too, Red. I was just sort of puttering through the fics and I stumbled across this. *Stares intently* You sick, sick person.
Redbayly: Aw, shut up, Sokka.
Sokka: It's not like you've been using character commentary in any of your other works anymore. I mean, seriously, the public loved it the last time. Remember when you were going over reviews for 'Long Lost' and someone said that even though they liked the story they thought that it was the character commentary that made the fic.
Redbayly: Well…I did have a lot of fun doing character commentary; especially because I don't have real people to talk to.
Sokka: Yeah, I thought you were gonna get over that this year?
Redbayly: I'm working on it! I'm shy, okay? Writing is the only thing that lets me be me.
Sokka: Hmm, I noticed that a lot of other fanfiction writers use that same excuse.
Army of Fanfiction Writers: Shut UP, Sokka!
Redbayly: Anyway, seeing as how I'm starting up the character commentary for stories again, could you please give us the disclaimer, Sokka?
Sokka: Fine, but after this I've got a date with Yue.
Redbayly: I thought you and Suki ended up together in the end?
Sokka: Pfft! Not according to the fans. Most of them have it in their heads that I should've ended up with Toph. Seriously, there were thousands of fanfics and fanart in that genre. If I can get away with being paired with a twelve-year-old and not look like a pedophile, then dammit I can go on a date with Yue! Of course, knowing your shipping preferences I would currently be on a date with a certain psychotic Fire Nation princess.
Redbayly: *Grins sheepishly*
Sokka: *Sighs* Whatever. Redbayly does not own either Avatar the Last Airbender or the Legend of Korra. And you can all thank your lucky spirits that that is the case.
The Great Escape
Noatak's POV:
The first thing that passed through my head as I felt myself slowly regain consciousness was: Oh, this is so not good. Unfortunately, my brain hadn't managed to send those precise words to my mouth and it came out more like: "Please pass the seal jerky." When I finally managed to shake myself out of my stupor, I realized that I was secured rather firmly to a chair in a darkened metal cell and my chances of escape seemed to be nil. Through a subtle use of Bloodbending, I was able to detect two Equalist guards outside. Now, I could easily have escaped from this cell, were it not for the fact that a) I swore never to actively use Bloodbending to control someone ever again, b) using Bloodbending to escape would lead me to have to kill the guards, something I would prefer not to do, and c) if I use Bloodbending and don't kill the guards then it would cause a huge mess of trouble that one of the Avatar's friends is a Bloodbender.
"Hey, I think he's awake by now," said one of the guards.
"Check on him," replied the other.
The door creaked open and I was slightly blinded by the bright light the permeated the dark cell. The figure of the chi-blocker was a dark silhouette against it.
"Yep, he's up."
"Should we take him to Amon?"
"No. We were instructed to wait for Amon to arrive in person. We can't risk the boy escaping."
"Watch who you're calling a 'boy,'" I snapped, though it sounded groggier than I had aimed for.
"Hmph, you better watch your mouth, Bender," the first guard sneered. "Our leader will be here soon, and he doesn't take kindly to backtalk."
Have you ever had one of those weird moments when someone talks about you to your face without them realizing who you actually are? Well, that was exactly what I was going through. I waited anxiously; all the while desperately trying to keep my heartbeat even. I tried to distract myself and meditated. I remembered the happier times with Korra and Tarrlok back at the Southern Tribe.
A six-year-old Korra was trying and failing to tie up the laces on her boots. I had knelt down in front of her to help her.
"It's not that hard, Korra; here" I took one lace in each hand as I remembered what my mother used to say when she helped me tie my shoes the first time. "The two hunters cross paths as they march up the hill," I said as I wove the laces through the holes. "Then they meet and join forces." I crossed the laces over. "They chase the snow elk around the hill." Around. "One makes a lasso while the other drives the snow elk closer." Loop and around again. "They pull the lasso tight and bring home their catch. See, Korra? Now you try."
I'll never forget the smile she gave me when she did it herself. It was so innocent, so full of gratitude. I hadn't known then that this was the girl I would fall in love with. How blind I must have been.
"Hey, you!" shouted one of the guards. "You're gonna answer some questions."
"Gee, I am sooo looking forward to it," I retorted sarcastically.
"Well, it's nice to know that you intend to cooperate," someone replied dryly.
I went stock-still. Glaring down at me from behind the mask that haunted my memories was my older self. Amon. I tried to think back to what I was like when I was him. Seeing a younger version of myself would probably make me very suspicious and likely cause a number of bad memories to resurface.
"So, you are one of the Avatar's friends?" he, or rather I, said.
I refused to respond. I simply tried to stay detached. I tried not to look into his eyes. I remember Tonraq once told me not to show your enemy that you are afraid; they will exploit that and use it to tear you down. I chose to keep my mind on something else. I decided to think about Waterbending forms and how you move through each one.
"I asked you a question."
"And I'm ignoring you," I said, failing to keep back a smirk. "Don't I have the right to remain silent? Oh, wait, that only works if you're working legally rather than for a group of psychotic terrorists."
I could feel the anger radiating off my older self. In a perverse sort of way, it felt like I was getting back at my father. The other me, I'm ashamed to say, was as much like Yakone as I had striven not to be. For whatever reason, speaking to myself like this made me more confident. Of course, I probably wasn't in any real danger as I could easily ward off his/my ability to "take away Bending." Unfortunately, I knew this conversation was far from over.
"Leave us," he/I instructed the guards.
The door slammed shut and the only light in the room came from a single light-bulb dangling overhead. There was a tension in the room as thick as a snowstorm on the tundra; and I should know all about that.
"Tell me who you are." I stayed silent. "I said tell me." I had never known just how much like my father I sounded when I spoke in that low, icy tone.
"You want to know who I am?" I said sharply, losing some of my control. "Fine. My name is Noak. I am a friend of Avatar Korra and have been since we were children. My brother and I were taken in by her family when we were lost in a blizzard."
I noticed him/me hesitate ever so slightly before he leaned down to look me right in the eyes. It almost felt like he could read my thoughts; wow, I never realized just how unnerving that could be.
"So, you and the Avatar are very close." It wasn't a statement. "Perhaps you know where she is, then?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"This morning, Councilman Tarrlok announced that my chi-blockers attacked City Hall and abducted the Avatar. However, as you can probably figure out, that is not the case."
"Well, your lackeys were busy kidnapping me last night, so I wouldn't put it past you."
"Be very careful how you speak to me, boy. You do know that I can take away Bending."
"Is that supposed to be a threat? Because, really, it was quite pathetic. Either you're just trying and failing to get that evil dictator quality or you were just always the big bully on the playground."
Well, that certainly ticked him off as he kicked the chair and knocked me to the ground. I couldn't believe it; was I always this much of a jerk?
"This is your last warning, boy. If you start being insolent again then I will take away your Bending."
I stayed silent. I knew that my older self was probably enraged just by looking at me; I was a reminder of a horrendous childhood that had come back to torment him.
He yanked the chair upright, causing my neck to kink uncomfortably.
"Now, are you going to cooperate?"
"I don't know where Korra is," I lied smoothly, "and even if I did I wouldn't tell you. I would never betray her like that."
"Fine," he said softly. "Then answer some questions about yourself." Ah, here it comes. "Who are your parents?"
"I don't even know anymore." That part was truer than I would have ever cared to admit. "Korra's mother found me and my little brother lost on the tundra during a blizzard."
"What were you doing out there?"
"How should I know? I was seven when it happened."
"Hmm." He turned his back to me. "The men who brought you here searched you. Do you know what they found?" He pulled something out of his pocket; a smooth stone that dangled from a blue ribbon. I recognized it as the betrothal necklace I made for Korra. Oh, crap!
Tarrlok's POV:
It hadn't taken long for me to find Naga; or, rather, for Naga to barrel into me and begin licking my face excessively. As I managed to get her to back down, she began to whimper and I knew she was out here trying to track down Korra.
I heaved a sigh.
"Well, girl, looks like it's up to us."
While I already knew where we were going, I also knew that it would take about a day and half to get there without a car. Naga may have been fast, but not that fast; plus, she would need to rest after a few hours. I wish Noatak was here to help me, but I'm sure by now he knows what's going on and will meet me there. I hope.
Korra's POV:
Why didn't I listen to Tarro? If I had then I wouldn't be in this metal box after having been Bloodbent by a sociopath. Tarrlok is not going to be letting me out of here anytime soon. I curled up against one side of the box; why does Tarrlok even have this thing anyway? I hated to admit it, but I was scared. It's dark, and cold, and I am all alone in a confined space. Do you have any idea how much that gets to a person? What's worst is that, if I don't get out of here, I'll never be able to tell Noak how much I care about him. I stared up, imagining I could see the moon, and thought back to a happier time.
I was ten. It was the annual Festival of the Wolf in the Southern Water Tribe.
My Tribe traditionally has seven sacred festivals in the year, eight if you include the Glacial Spirits Festival that was introduced by the Northern Tribe. The Festival of the Wolf commemorated the trials and tribulations of the early settlers of the South and the hardships of their struggle against not only the unfamiliar terrain but the evil spirit Hakidonmuya. It is one of my tribe's most important festivities.
Anyway, I was ten years old and we were at the festival. Noak held my hand as we walked about the festivities. I remember that my favorite part was when the Shaman and the Prophetess, our spiritual leaders, retold the story of how Avatar Setna vanquished Hakidonmuya and sent her back to the Spirit World. After the storytelling, a Waterbender and a Wolf Warrior would perform a ceremonial dance to reenact the event. I used to get into arguments with Noak about who won the battle. I always insisted that Setna won because she banished Hakidonmuya; Noak, however, replied that Hakidonmuya may have lost the fight but she achieved a victory of her own when she bit Setna's son Catori and placed the Curse of the Snow Wolves on him.
As I focused more on the memory of the festival, flashes of other memories came to me. Memories not my own.
It was Aang. I was getting visions of Aang.
Noatak's POV:
I have to get out of here. It's been two days since I was brought here and I know my older self is getting ready to go look for Korra right now. What advantages do I have? Let's see, he/I decided I wasn't enough of a threat to keep tied up. I was transferred to a more open cell with bars rather than a door. Only two guards in front of my cell and others are patrolling. Hmph, too easy.
The guards clearly didn't realize that I knew chi-blocking; evidenced by how I quickly and easily disabled them while their backs were turned to me. I reached through the bars and managed to find the keys to the cell on one of them. Using the skills I acquired in the years before I became Amon in the other life, I managed to sneak out of the detainment facility undetected and made my way to the loading dock.
I managed to overhear that my older self and a team of chi-blockers would be going in a specific vehicle to search for the Avatar. I incapacitated a chi-blocker, swiped his uniform, and managed to sneak aboard the truck with no one the wiser. My older self was clearly too focused on the task of capturing Korra to perform a security check. I admit that I had been rather careless that day in the other life. Before I knew it, we were speeding away, getting closer to where Tarrlok was keeping Korra hostage.
Korra's POV:
It was unbelievable. I managed to get through to Aang's memories of Yakone's trial. There is no further doubt in my mind; Tarrlok is Yakone's son. That's how he was able to Bloodbend me without a full moon. While this information is all well and good, it doesn't exactly help me with my current situation, or my long-term goal of defeating Amon. C'mon, Aang, I need more help here! I may be your reincarnation but I'm not a freaking mind-reader!
Well, someone's certainly impatient.
It was a female voice, deep and calm and oddly familiar.
"What? Who's there?" I said aloud.
If you can't work out on your own how I was able to respond to your thoughts, then perhaps you're not ready after all.
"Come on, I'm only seventeen. Just tell me who you are."
Let's just say that you're making progress with your spiritual connection. As for who I am, I have a feeling we will meet soon enough. However, I'm sure you'd much rather know how you're going to get out of here.
"That would be helpful."
Tell me, Korra, what do you know of the concept of jings?
"Positive jing when you're attacking, negative jing when you're retreating…"
Very good, and the third?
"Wait, three jings?"
Oh, honestly, what has that White Lotus organization been teaching you? Really, they'll let anyone into that group these days. It's times like this that really make me wish that you could see some of Avatar Aang's memories of King Bumi of Omashu. Now there was a guy who knew about jings.
"Okay, okay, I get it. What's this third jing?"
Neutral jing. That's when you do nothing.
"Yeah, that's real helpful," I replied sarcastically.
The voice in my head seemed to sigh in frustration.
Kids these days. Take my word for it, Korra, all you can do is sit and wait for the right time to strike. I will be seeing you sooner than you realize, Korra. Until then, farewell, young Avatar.
"Gee, thanks?"
Little did I realize then that the mysterious voice in my head would turn out to be right.
Noatak's POV:
The truck pulled up outside the cabin. The snow was coming down like tiny shards of glass. While my older self led the chi-blockers inside, I lingered. Once they were out of sight, I pulled off the disguise; it was a good thing I still had my coat on because the temperature was getting lower by the second. I discarded the hated uniform; I couldn't bear to look at it anymore. I managed to dodge behind a nearby tree just as my older self emerged with the older Tarrlok. Then, just like before, Korra burst out of the building.
As my older self moved in to attack, I propelled myself over so that I stood in front of her.
"Noak!" I heard Korra shout in surprise.
I didn't turn around, though. I stared down my older self.
"This is your first and only warning, Amon," I called out. "You ever even touch her, and I will end you!"
I quickly grabbed Korra's hand and managed to make a snowboard out of ice and got us down the hill just as my older self tried to pursue us. As if by sheer luck, we met my brother and Naga at the bottom of the hill.
"Guy!" he called out to us.
"Tarro," Korra said in a tired voice; she sounded very weak. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to rescue you." He then looked in my direction. "I guess someone beat me to it, though."
"Actually, she rescued herself," I said. I turned to look at Korra, she really seemed to be in bad shape. She had some cuts and bruises, undoubtedly she was hungry and possibly even dehydrated. I noticed she began to shiver so I pulled off my coat and put it around her. "Here, you need this more than I do. Come on, let's get out of here."
Tarrlok took the reins while I held Korra; she seemed too tired to keep herself upright on her own. Soon enough, we managed to get back into the city where we were met by Tenzin and the others. I knew that trouble would be coming, but I wouldn't stop protecting Korra no matter what comes to be.
Redbayly: FINALLY! I finally got this chapter done.
Sokka: You sure did. I have to admit, this was way better than your earlier chapters.
Redbayly: Ugh, I know. If my readers didn't like this story so much I would have deleted it ages ago.
Sokka: Hey, Red?
Redbayly: Yeah?
Sokka: What is a Bloodbender's favorite drink?
Redbayly: What?
Sokka: A Bloody Mary. Eh? Eh?
Redbayly:*Blinks once*
Sokka:*Pouts* Shut up.
Redbayly: Well, until next time, see ya, folks!