Although many voices may be of the same opinion, they aren't always the voice of reason.
Great revelation. Due to financial problems, Bolin, of the Fire Ferrets, was kidnapped by the Equalists led by the mysterious Amon. Investigating, Avatar Korra, former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano and firebender, Mako, infiltrated a rally where they were able to see in person the leader of the Equalists who demonstrated the uncanny ability to take away the powers of the benders forever. Although they managed to escape, the events of that night linger in the Avatar's mind.
It was a quiet night with a full moon. Korra was at that moment sleeping peacefully in her bed with the windows open, letting in a night breeze.
Suddenly, a mysterious figure was running out of the room, alerting the Avatar who quickly awoke just as an Equalist soldier leapt through the window, followed by two more soldiers who came through the door, breaking it in the process.
Korra jumped up to throw a horizontal fire wave at them, but they dodged it. She then proceeded to throw a couple of fireballs from her fists, but failed to hit any of them.
One of the equals tried to hit her with an axe kick, but she blocked it with her arm before throwing more fireballs at him which he dodged.
Unfortunately, while she was focused on one soldier, another approached her from behind and hit her repeatedly in the back, forcing her to let out a groan as she knelt on the ground.
It was then when, looking up, she saw Amon standing in front of her.
"After I take your bending away, you will be nothing." said Amon bringing his hand menacingly close to the Avatar's face who's eyes were wide with sheer terror.
"AH!" shouted Korra quickly waking up.
She took quick, deep breaths to calm herself as she looked to her side to see Naga licking her hand before resting her head in her lap.
"It's… it's all right, Naga." began Korra petting the polar bear dog. "I just had a bad dream." said Korra resting her head and arms on her.
Meanwhile, Ahsoka was in her room meditating.
After seeing Amon's abilities, she knew that things would end badly for everyone in the city and that would lead to a war that would affect many and that was something she wasn't going to allow, so she decided to use the Force to try to contact Anakin or any Jedi, since her communication device was destroyed.
She stayed in that state for a few minutes until she ended up sighing in defeat as she felt she couldn't contact anyone.
"Damn it. I must be too far away to be able to contact anyone." said Ahsoka before getting up and looking out the window.
It wasn't just the people in the city she was worried about, but Korra as well.
She was very worried about her ever since she had that vision where Amon had her at his mercy and now that she knew she could remove the benders' powers, she could sense what he was going to do to her.
She was the first person to treat her kindly even though she didn't reveal who she really was.
She didn't think it could happen with someone after what SHE did to her.
She had to protect her.
She had to protect her friend.
She wasn't going to let that man hurt her in any way.
The next morning, a Republic City council meeting was being held to discuss the main issue of the moment.
"There is a madman running around our beloved city, threatening to tear it apart. We need to create a task force whose sole mission is to find Amon and bring him to justice." said Tarrlok, one of the council members.
"Absolutely not. A move that aggressive would only further divide benders and non-benders." said Tenzin.
"Tarrlok, I'm inclined to agree with your proposal, but who would even head up such a task force?" asked a Fire Nation woman member of the council before Tarrlok stood up.
"It would be my honor and privilege to accept such a duty." said Tarrlok bowing respectfully.
"This is just another one of your ploys to gain more power, isn't it?" asked Tenzin banging the table a little hard, as he didn't trust the waterbender councilman.
"All I'm trying to do is help. Think back, forty-two years ago, Republic City was threatened by another dangerous man. Yakone. Your father wasn't afraid to deal with him head-on." said Tarrlok mentioning a deed done by the previous Avatar.
"This… is a completely different situation… and how dare you compare yourself to Avatar Aang!" asked Tenzin rising from his seat and pointing at the councilman, feeling offended.
"Amon is not going to stop with the bending triads. Eventually, he will come for all us benders. Our friends, our families. Vote for this task force and I will stop Amon before it's too late. All in favor?" asked Tarrlok raising his hand.
Soon after, the other three council members raised their hands and Tarrlok banged a gavel against a platform to signal the end of the vote as he gave Tenzin a smile of victory while he scowled at him.
That same night, on Air Temple Island, Korra was outside practicing her airbending moves while Ahsoka stood to the side watching as they listened to music from a radio station.
Suddenly, the music played static before a voice familiar to them could be heard.
"Good evening, my fellow Equalists. This is your leader, Amon. As you have heard, the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear." said Amon through the radio before Ahsoka turned off the radio.
"Korra, are you okay?" asked Ahsoka looking at Korra who had been staring at the radio with a panicked expression as beads of sweat ran down her face.
The togruta's question was enough to snap her out of her stupor and wipe the sweat off quickly.
"I-I'm fine. I just need to… keep practicing." said Korra before walking away.
Ahsoka could easily see that she was lying and that was what worried her.
"Listen, Korra." began Ahsoka causing her to stop. "You shouldn't let that worry you. It's just a method to scare people and get more followers. I've seen it before with the Separatists." said Ahsoka.
Despite her friend's words, Korra was still scared and didn't want to admit it, so she continued on her way.
The next morning, Mako was strolling through the streets of the city.
Looking ahead and in the distance, he saw several people getting on a streetcar, which must have been his transportation, because he started running quickly towards it.
Meanwhile, a girl on a motorcycle was racing by and suddenly, Mako stepped out onto the road in the middle of the motorcycle's path.
The driver was so surprised that she tried to brake, but failed to do so and ended up crashing into the firebender, knocking him to the ground.
The girl parked the motorcycle before quickly running towards him as he sat on the ground.
"Oh, no! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you." the girl said getting next to Mako and taking off her helmet.
"How could you not see me?" asked Mako rubbing his head in pain. "I mean I was ju-juu..." began Mako angrily before gawking and blushing as he had become spellbound by the girl's beauty. "Uh, I was... I- I… wow. *cough* I was... *cough*" said Mako unable to find words as the girl crouched down to his level, causing him to blush a little.
"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" asked the girl as she helped him up, much to his embarrassment. "Ugh, I'm such an idiot."
"Don't worry, I'm fine." said Mako to reassure her before brushing the dirt away from his clothes. "My brother hits me harder than that every day in practice."
"Wait, I recognize you. You're Mako, right? You play for the Fire Ferrets." said the girl.
"Yeah, that's me." said Mako.
"I am so embarrassed." began the girl before extending her hand. "My name is Asami." said the girl introducing herself as Mako shook her hand. "Let me make this up to you somehow. Uh, how about I treat you to dinner? Tomorrow night, eight o' clock, Kwong's Cuisine." said Asami before leaving.
"Uh, Kwong's? I don't have any clothes nice enough for a place that classy." said Mako.
"I'll take care of that." began Asami putting on her helmet. "All you need to do is show up." said Asami before putting on her glasses. "So… it's a date?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow night." said Mako.
After that, Asami started her motorcycle and set off, though on the way she gave the firebender a small smile.
As soon as she was out of sight, a goofy grin formed on Mako's face as floating hearts appeared around him.
Later in the evening, on Air Temple Island, Tenzin and Korra's family had gathered for dinner.
"We are grateful for this delicious food, for happiness, for compassion, and…" began Tenzin reciting a prayer when suddenly...
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" asked Tarrlok at the entrance to the dining room, interrupting and at the same time surprising the airbender.
"This is my home, Tarrlok. We're about to eat dinner." said Tenzin as the waterbender councilman entered.
"Good, because I am absolutely famished." said Tarrlok as Tenzin eyed him suspiciously. "Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?" asked Tarrlok as Tenzin sighed in defeat.
"I suppose." said Tenzin sitting down at the table.
Pema stood with her arms crossed and scowling at him.
Tenzin, realizing that, could only answer her with a shrug.
Tarrlok walked over to stand next to Korra.
"Ah, you must be the famous Avatar Korra. It is truly an honor." began Tarrlok bowing in respect. "I am Councilman Tarrlok, representative from the Northern Water Tribe."
"Nice to meet you." said Korra rising to bow in respect just as Ahsoka, cloaked and hooded, entered the room.
"Ahsoka, where were you? We were just about to have dinner." said Pema.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I had things to do." began Ahsoka before noticing the presence of the waterbender councilman. "I see we have a visitor."
Of course, she knew he was there and that's why she came in her disguise.
"Wow. I didn't know anyone else lived here. I'll introduce myself again, Councilman Tarrlok, council member of Republic City." said Tarrlok.
"A pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Ahsoka Tano." said Ahsoka bowing in respect.
"Mmm. A very unusual name." said Tarrlok.
"Right, because she comes from the…" began Meelo before Jinora covered his mouth to prevent him from revealing the togruta's true identity.
After that, the councilman, the Avatar and the togruta sat down at the table.
Soon after, Ikki leaned over, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Why do you have three ponytails?" asked Ikki before sniffing him a bit. "And how come you smell like a lady? You're weird." said Ikki.
"Well aren't you... precocious?" began Tarrlok trying to get the girl to like him before focusing on the Avatar. "So, I've been reading all about your adventures in the papers. Infiltrating Amon's rally, now that took some real initiative."
"Oh, thanks. I think you're the first authority figure in the city who's happy I'm here." began Korra recalling her first experience with the police chief. "But being humble, I didn't do it alone, I had Mako and Ahsoka helping me." said Korra pointing to her friend who nodded in response.
"If I may ask, why are you hiding your face, miss?" asked Tarrlok to the togruta.
"Oh, well… you see, sir, I was born looking different from the others and I'm shy to show it to strangers." said Ahsoka making up a believable enough story.
"Oh well, I hope that changes between us." began Tarrlok accepting the lie before focusing back on the Avatar. "Anyway, Republic City is much better off now that you've arrived."
"Enough with the flattery, Tarrlok. What do you want from Korra?" asked Tenzin.
"Patience, Tenzin. I'm getting to that." began Tarrlok receiving a scowl from the airbender. "As you may have heard, I am assembling a task force that will strike at the heart of the revolution and I want you to join me."
"Really?" asked Korra a little surprised.
"What?!" asked Tenzin very surprised.
"I need someone who will help me attack Amon directly, someone who is fearless in the face of danger. And that someone is you." said Tarrlok.
"Join your task force?" asked Korra as she began to think about what joining that force would entail or rather who she would meet. "I can't." replied Korra leaving the waterbender councilman and the airbender in shock.
"I must admit, I'm rather surprised. I thought you'd jump at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon." said Tarrlok.
"Me, too." said Tenzin.
"Yes, you're usually the type to attack before you think." said Ahsoka.
"I came to Republic City to finish my Avatar training with Tenzin. Right now, I just need to focus on that and other things." said Korra.
Ahsoka knew from the beginning that she was excusing herself from joining the task force and could understand why.
Which is why this opportunity is perfect. You would get on the job experience while performing your Avatar duty for the city." said Tarrlok trying to convince the Avatar.
"Korra gave you her answer. It's time for you to go." said Tenzin.
"Very well. But…" began Tarrlok as he stood up. "I'm not giving up on you just yet. You'll be hearing from me soon. It has been a pleasure, Avatar Korra." said Tarrlok bowing slightly in respect before leaving.
"Bye-bye, ponytail man!" said Ikki to the annoyance of the waterbender councilman.
Once she felt he had moved far enough away, Ahsoka removed her hood to uncover her face.
"You know? You don't always have to hide your face." said Korra.
"I know, but at the moment, I don't think it's the right thing to do." said Ahsoka.
"She's right. I don't know what Tarrlok would do if he knew about you and your abilities." said Tenzin.
"I can guess that you don't like him." said Ahsoka.
"No. He may want to protect the city, but his methods are quite questionable." said Tenzin.
"I have seen and met many politicians in my time in the Republic during the war and in that time I learned that there were three types of politicians." said Ahsoka.
"Which ones are they?" asked Jinora curiously.
"Those who wanted to settle things peacefully, those who wanted to settle things through force and violence, and those who took advantage of the situation to their advantage." said Ahsoka.
"And what kind of politician do you think Tarrlok is?" asked Tenzin curiously.
"Obviously the third one. And from the way he spoke earlier, it's clear he won't take 'no' for an answer." began Ahsoka before turning her gaze to Korra. "I'm afraid he's going to keep insisting until you agree and he might use any trick to do so."
Korra began to worry.
She had a real reason why she didn't want to join Tarrlok's task force and she didn't want to be found out, but if he came back to offer to join again, she could tell him 'no' again, but how long would that last?
The next day, in the evening, Mako was at the doors of Kwong's Cuisine, very nervous, as he thought he didn't come dressed enough for a place like that, but it was too late to back out now, so he went in.
"Ah, welcome to Kwong's Cuisine, Master Mako." said a waiter bowing respectfully to him.
"Uh, 'Master'?" asked Mako confused by the treatment he was receiving.
Later, the waiter helped the firebender by dressing him and combing his hair so that he looked very elegant for dinner, much to his delight.
Mako put on the scarf and the waiter looked at it funny.
He reached out his hand to take it, but Mako grabbed it before he touched it.
"The scarf stays." said Mako very seriously.
"As you wish, sir." said the waiter accepting the request as he bowed before gesturing for him to follow. "This way please."
Later, Mako found himself at a table with Asami, who was sporting an elegant dress.
"I am such a big pro-bending fan. I caught all of your matches this season." said Asami.
"All of them? Wow. Honestly, There were a few I wish you hadn't seen." said Mako.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, you're amazing. I can't wait to see you play in the tournament." said Asami.
"Yeah, well, ah, maybe next year." said Mako with a lowered look.
"What do you mean? You made it in." said Asami confused by what he said earlier.
"It just isn't in the cards for us right now." said Mako.
Asami sensed something was wrong and put her hand on his to comfort him.
"Tell me. What's the problem?" asked Asami with concern.
"*Sigh* We don't have the cash to ante up for the championship pot. So, it looks like we're out of the running." said Mako.
"That's not fair." said Asami feeling sorry for him.
Just then, a waiter approached them with two trays of covered food.
"Pardon me, Ms. Sato. Your main course." said the waiter leaving the trays on the table and taking off their lids before walking away, but Mako was surprised by what he had said earlier.
"Ms. Sato? You wouldn't happen to be related to Hiroshi Sato, creator of the Satomobile?" asked Mako.
"Yeah. He's my dad." said Asami, much to the firebender's surprise.
"Get out of town!" said Mako unable to believe it.
"I'm serious. You want to meet him?" asked Asami.
"Haha. Meet the most successful captain of industry in all of Republic City? Yeah, I'll take you up on that." said Mako.
The next day, in the middle of dusk, Korra and Ahsoka were sitting on the ladders while the togruta was stroking the belly of Naga who was lying on her back just as Bolin approached them with his hands behind his back and Pabu on his shoulder.
"Hello, fellow teammate!" said Bolin catching her attention.
"Hey, Bolin." said Korra.
"Hi. How are you feeling?" asked Ahsoka.
"Much better, thank you. Missed you at practice this week." said Bolin.
"Yeah, sorry about that." said Korra.
"Nah, that's all right. We're probably out of the tournament anyways unless some money miraculously drops out of the sky by tomorrow. Anyways, the reason I came by was to give you this." said Bolin approaching them before holding out his hands towards them revealing that he had a rose and a bag with a cupcake in it. "Ta-da!"
"Wow, thanks." said Korra accepting the presents.
"And I haven't forgotten about you, Ahsoka." said Bolin before pulling out another bag with a cupcake. "Ta-Chan."
"Thank you." said Ahsoka accepting the gift.
"What's this for?" asked Korra.
"Uh, oh I can't remember now. Oh yeah, now I remember. You saved me from Amon!" said Bolin.
"Oh, that? It was no big deal." said Korra.
"No big deal, are you serious? I was totally freaking out when he was coming at me with his creepy mask all, 'I will take away your bending forever.' I mean that is.. scary stuff; I still can't sleep well." said Bolin.
"I can understand that." commented Ahsoka before noticing how very nervous Korra was and before she could ask about it.
"Delivery for Avatar Korra!" began a messenger as he approached carrying a large basket full of flowers and other goods which he set down next to Korra. "Tarrlok sends his compliments and urges you to reconsider his offer."
"Tell him I haven't changed my mind." said Korra.
"Mhmm." said the messenger bowing before walking away.
"Who's this Tarrlok guy? Is he bothering you? Huh, 'cause I could have a word with him." said Bolin tapping his palm with his fist.
"Heh, no it's not like that." said Korra.
"Besides, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go 'talk' to a council member." said Ahsoka with a small smile.
"Ah, I think… I think I'll pass." said Bolin a little scared of the idea of pissing off a council member.
Ahsoka turned her gaze to the gift basket.
She knew Tarrlok would use tricks to lure Korra into his task force and if that was the first, she didn't want to imagine what would come next.
The next day, at the city's satomobile factory, Asami was making good on her offer to introduce Mako to her father, Hiroshi Sato, director, and founder of Future Industries.
"What do you think of my little operation here?" asked Hiroshi.
"It's very impressive, Mr. Sato." said Mako.
"Please, call me Hiroshi. So, I understand you're dirt poor." said Hiroshi.
"Uh, well..." started Mako not knowing what to say about that.
"Young man, it is nothing to be ashamed of. I too came from humble beginnings. Why, when I was your age, I was a mere shoe-shiner, and all I had to my name was an idea; the Satomobile." began Hiroshi showing one of the many satomobiles around the place. "Now, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who believed in me and my work ethic. He gave me the money I needed to get my idea off the ground and I built the entire Future Industries empire from that one selfless loan."
"Dad, stop bragging. Just tell Mako the good news." said Asami, causing her father to burst out laughing a little.
"What good news?" asked Mako.
"Well, my daughter passionately told me all about your hard-earned success in the Pro-bending Arena. And about your team's current financial stumbling block." began Hiroshi standing beside Mako with his hand on his shoulder. "Now, I'd hate to see you lose your chance at winning the championship just because you're short a few yuans. That's why I'm going to sponsor the Fire Ferrets in the tournament."
"Are you serious?" asked Mako in shock at the news.
"He's serious. My dad's going to cover your ante for the championship pot." said Asami.
"Tha-that is good news." said Mako very happy with the news.
"There's just one catch. You all have to wear the Future Industries logo on your uniforms." said Hiroshi.
"I'll tattoo it on my chest if you want, sir." began Mako, to laughter from father and daughter. "Thank you both so much." said Mako shaking hands with both of them. "I promise the Fire Ferrets will make the most of this opportunity."
Meanwhile, on the island, Tenzin and Ahsoka were approaching a luxury satomobile with a gift bow in which Ikki was in the driver's seat making starting noises.
"Out of the way Daddy, we're driving here! Beeeeeeep beebeebeeeeep!" said Ikki as her father shook his head in disappointment, as he knew who the gift was from, who it was for and why.
"Beep-beep." said Meelo who was in the passenger seat.
"This worries me, Master Tenzin." said Ahsoka.
"Me too. Tarrlok is beginning to despair of Korra joining his task force." said Tenzin.
"Not only that. Since we saw Amon I've seen her very quiet lately. She seems very nervous" said Ahsoka worried about her friend.
"In that case, I'll go talk to her." said Tenzin.
"I'll go with you." said Ahsoka.
Korra was at that moment training airbender steps on the octagonal platform.
"I see Tarrlok's gifts are getting more and more extravagant." said Tenzin.
"Yeah, that guy doesn't know how to take 'no' for an answer." said Korra.
"Korra, are you… doing all right?" asked Tenzin.
"Yeah, I'm fine." said Korra stopping her training.
Tenzin and Ahsoka sat down on the stairs and offered the Avatar to sit between them.
"Why don't you take a break?" asked Tenzin as Korra sat down.
"Are you sure you're all right, Korra?" asked Ahsoka.
"Of course I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" asked Korra.
"You just haven't been yourself lately. I may have only met you a short time ago, but I know you would have agreed to join a group whose goal is to stop Amon." said Ahsoka.
"It's just that I'm… very focused on training, nothing else." said Korra.
"Right. That's what you said. You know, it's okay to be scared. The whole city is frightened by what's been going on. The important thing is to talk about our fears, because if we don't, they can throw us out of balance." said Tenzin.
"That's true. In fact, there is a very famous and important piece of advice among the Jedi regarding the subject." began Ahsoka drawing the attention of the Avatar and the airbender. "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering. If you let those emotions control you, they will dominate your destiny forever."
Unfortunately, Korra looked away, feeling unable to admit her own weakness.
Tenzin rose from his seat.
"You can count on me if you want to talk." said Tenzin before walking away.
"And me too. You can rely on me for anything." said Ahsoka getting up and leaving.
Despite the words of her teacher and her friend, Korra couldn't see herself being able to admit that she was afraid or even accept it.
As they were leaving, the two stopped to talk further on the subject.
"She is clearly afraid." said Tenzin.
"Yes, I could see it in her look, but she refuses to admit it and I think I know why." said Ahsoka.
"Why?" asked Tenzin.
"Think about it, master Tenzin. She is the Avatar. People expect her to be able to bravely face any challenge and they expect her to stand up to Amon, but she is afraid that he will take her powers away from her, because they are part of her and that scares her more than anything." said Ahsoka.
"Then why can't she just say so?" asked Tenzin.
"Because she's also stubborn and proud. She believes that if people find out that she is afraid to face Amon, they will lose their faith in her and the Avatar. If she fails to overcome that obstacle within herself, I fear she may do something she will later regret." said Ahsoka.
"Yes, I fear that too." said Tenzin.
Later, Korra stood at the railings of the temple entrance with Ahsoka while Jinora and Ikki played majong.
"Avatar Korra! I have something for you." said the messenger entering the scene.
Korra had had enough of Tarrlok's gifts and decided to make the point.
"It doesn't matter how many gifts Tarrlok sends, I am not joining his task force." said Korra as she used earthbending to create underneath the messenger a platform that she spun and then kicked him away from her.
"It's not a gift, it's an invitation." said the messenger pulling out an invitation.
"What for?" asked Korra before going to grab the invitation.
"Tarrlok is throwing a gala in your honor. All of Republic City's movers and shakers will be there. The councilman humbly requests your attendance" said the messenger as Korra read the invitation.
Ahsoka could sense that this wasn't going to be a 'party' in honor of the Avatar.
"What are you going to do, Korra?" asked Ahsoka.
"Well, it would be rude not to attend, so I'll go." said Korra with a shrug.
"I'll just say I have a bad feeling about it." said Ahsoka.
Later in the evening, we found ourselves in a building where the gala party was being held, on the sides of whose front door were posters with pictures of Korra.
Korra, Tenzin and his family, who were dressed in gala costumes, entered the building with Ahsoka at their side, who was wearing a dress with a hood covering her face.
Shortly after they entered, Korra received applause from those present.
"I can't believe this is all for me." said Korra in amazement.
"We'd better keep our eyes open." said Ahsoka.
"She's right. I'm not sure what Tarrlok's plotting, but keep your guard up. It's not like him to throw a party just for the fun of it." said Tenzin suspicious of the waterbender councilman's actions.
"So glad you could make it, Avatar Korra." began Tarrlok approaching them. "If you'd excuse us, the city awaits its hero." said Tarrlok before leading her aside.
Tenzin and Ahsoka stared in the direction they were going.
"I will go with them. To make sure Korra is okay." said Ahsoka.
"Good." said Tenzin.
"By the way, you should take a look around." said Ahsoka pointing in a direction before leaving in the direction Korra and Tarrlok went.
Tenzin was confused for a moment until, looking in the direction the togruta pointed, he saw something that made an expression of pure horror form on his face.
"Meelo! No, that's not a toilet! Oh dear." said Tenzin before walking over to where his son stood embarrassed and with his hand on his head.
"Korra, it's my pleasure to introduce Republic City's most famous industrialist, Hiroshi Sato." said Tarrlok introducing the company director.
"Nice to meet you." said Korra receiving a slight bow from the company director.
"We're all expecting great things from you." said Hiroshi.
"Right, greatness." said Korra lowering her gaze, discouraged.
"Hi, girls!" both the Avatar and the togruta turned to the side to see Mako, Bolin and Asami, who was clutching the firebender's arm, causing Korra to scowl at her.
"This is my daughter, Asami." said Hiroshi.
"It's lovely to meet you. Mako's told me so much about you." said Asami.
"Really? Because he hasn't mentioned you at all." said Korra.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Sato." said Ahsoka being respectful.
"Likewise, and please call me Asami. You must be Ahsoka Tano. Mako also told me about you. I must admit that your name sounds exotic." said Asami.
"I get that a lot. What did Mako tell you about me, by the way?" asked Ahsoka looking at Mako who shook his head as a sign that he told her the whole story.
"Oh, just that you helped him and his brother when they were in trouble and I thank you for that." said Asami.
"You're welcome." said Ahsoka.
"How did you two meet?" asked Korra with her arms crossed.
"Asami crashed into him on her moped." said Bolin stepping to Korra's side before returning to his previous position.
"What? Are you okay?" asked Korra worriedly.
"I'm fine. More than fine. Mister Sato agreed to sponsor our team." said Mako.
"Hehe, isn't that great?" asked Bolin giving his brother a side hug with an excited smile.
"Then, you will be able to participate in the tournament. Congratulations." said Ahsoka happy for her friends.
"Yeah, terrific." said Korra without much encouragement and joy.
Just at that moment, Korra saw a person she didn't wish to talk to walk by.
"Chief Beifong!" began Tarrlok catching the attention of the police chief who approached them upon hearing the call. "I believe you and Avatar Korra have already met."
"Just because the city's throwing you this big to-do, don't think you're something special. You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this." began Lin before turning her gaze to the togruta. "I see we meet again, Tano."
"Honestly, I didn't think it would be under those circumstances." said Ahsoka with a shrug.
"Same here." said Lin before walking away with her hands behind her back.
Although Korra was angry at the police chief's comment, deep down she knew it was true what she said and it discouraged her even more.
Later, Tarrlok took the Avatar to the top of some stairs where, at the bottom, there were several journalists who started taking pictures and asking questions as soon as they saw them.
Tenzin and Ahsoka realized this and began to worry about it.
Tarrlok and Korra went down a couple of steps before stopping.
"If you'd be so kind, they just have a couple of questions." said Tarrlok.
"But..." began Korra before Tarrlok pushed her a little so she was in front of all the reporters.
"Avatar Korra, you witnessed Amon take away people's bending firsthand. How serious a threat does he pose to the innocent citizens of Republic City?" asked a reporter.
Korra let out a small throat clearing sound before deciding to answer.
"I think he presents a real problem." said Korra, bringing a hidden smile to the waterbender councilman.
"Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's task force? As the Avatar, shouldn't you be going after Amon?" asked another reporter.
"Well..." began Korra not knowing what to say before a camera flash forced her to close her eyes. "I..."
"Why are you backing away from this fight?" asked another reporter.
"What? No! I've never backed away from anything in my life!" said Korra annoyed by the question.
"You promised to serve this city, aren't you going back on that promise now?" asked another reporter.
"Do you think pro-bending is more important than fighting the revolution?" asked another reporter.
"How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?" asked another reporter.
All these questions were destroying the Avatar's patience and calm, to the point where she was holding back the urge to scream.
"Are you afraid of Amon?" asked another reporter asking the question that broke the camel's back.
"I am not afraid of anybody! If the city needs me then… I'll join Tarrlok's task force and help fight Amon." said Korra with firm resolve.
Ahsoka groaned in frustration as she saw that this was Tarrlok's trap.
Cornering her like that to get her to agree to join his task force without forcing her or anything.
"There's your headline, folks." said Tarrlok stepping to the Avatar's side before more pictures and questions were asked.
Tenzin lowered his head with his eyes closed in sadness.
Mako and Bolin looked at each other in surprise.
Tarrlok had a smirk on his face as he leaned his arm on Korra who looked away knowing she had made a mistake she couldn't back out of.
Soon after, Tarrlok was escorting Korra when Tenzin pulled him aside to talk to him privately.
"You had it all planned out, didn't you?" asked Tenzin.
"Tenzin, didn't you see? I didn't do anything. Avatar Korra simply did what's best for the city." said Tarrlok going innocent.
"What's best for the city or what's best for you?" asked Ahsoka approaching. "Listen to me, Councilor Tarrlok, if anything happens to my friend, it will be your fault and Amon won't be the only one you have to worry about."
Tarrlok shot a glance at the togruta before walking away, leaving them alone.
"Gah. I should have known this would happen! I shouldn't have let her come." Tenzin said guiltily.
"Don't blame yourself, master Tenzin. Tarrlok knew how to pressure Korra into agreeing in the end. I have seen that tactic many times." said Ahsoka.
"What will you do now?" asked Tenzin.
"For now, stand by her side and hope she doesn't make a decision even worse than this one." said Ahsoka.
The next morning, Korra, in uniform, had gone to a meeting with Tarrlok's task force, who was giving the members some information.
Although she felt she had made a mistake, she had to put it aside to concentrate on the meeting.
"My fellow task force deputies, tonight we will execute a raid on an underground chi blocker training camp located in the Dragon Flats borough. According to my sources, there is a cellar underneath this bookstore, where Equalists train chi blocking in secret." said Tarrlok pointing to a spot on the map.
Later in the evening, near the destined spot, a truck was passing by, with Korra and the task force members hidden and waiting for the moment to act.
When the truck stopped, Korra and the others got out of the truck and proceeded to carry out the mission, with Tarrlok among them.
Korra looked out a small window where she could see several people training to block the chi, but what caught her attention the most was a poster of Amon that reminded her of the nightmare she had that one time, causing her to let out a small gasp before focusing on the situation and looking at Tarrlok, who nodded his head.
Tarrlok made a couple of hand gestures, which caused a member of the task force to turn the compartment valve of a huge capsule the truck was carrying.
It turned out that the capsule was a container of water that the task force members, who were waterbenders, manipulated so that they each had a share of the contents.
Tarrlok was holding up his hand as a signal to stand by for the attack signal while Korra let out a small sigh of concentration.
Inside the training area, things were quiet until a large amount of water violently poured in through the windows.
The water caught some of the locals before it completely froze, encasing those it caught in ice.
Soon after, the rest of the wall exploded and in came a couple of members of task force earthbender who threw some debris, managing to knock down a couple of people.
One of them managed to dodge the debris, but the task force member used a large earth tile to push him into the wall.
Then Tarrlok and Korra entered with a large water drop at their side. Tarrlok hurled his water drop at one of the locals, covering his head with water before freezing his into ice.
A woman managed to escape as a man spun in the air before throwing a couple of cans that began to expel a green smoke, but Korra covered the cans with her droplet which she quickly froze into ice, preventing them from expelling more green smoke.
Though that helped the man escape as well.
"I'm going after those two." said Korra chasing after the only people who had escaped.
Korra started running down a hallway in search of the escapees, but unfortunately, she didn't see a tripwire in the middle of the path and ended up tripping over it and rolling a bit on the floor.
Suddenly, out of the ceiling came an Equalist soldier, forcing Korra to roll to the side to dodge him before lifting her foot to send a rock smashing him in the chest.
Another Equalist jumped behind her, who was sitting on the ground, with a bolas, but a drop of water hit him against the wall before freezing, encasing him in ice.
Korra glanced at the imprisoned soldier before turning her gaze to her rescuer.
"Nice timing. Thanks, Tarrlok." said Korra rising from the ground.
"We make a good team, Avatar." said Tarrlok.
"Yeah, we do." said Korra crossing her arms with a smile.
Later, a group of reporters began taking pictures of the task force (with Tarrlok and Korra posing) holding the prisoners in front of them.
Then they took pictures as they led the prisoners to the police van.
The next day, in the gymnasium of the pro-bending arena, Mako was reading a newspaper that had a picture of Korra and the task force on the front page while Bolin was carrying two earth disks with his bending.
"No Korra for practice again?" asked Bolin.
"Doesn't look like it." said Mako before Bolin threw the discs in frustration.
"Did I catch you at a bad time?"
The two brothers turned around to see Ahsoka, minus her costume, entering the gym.
"Hello, Ahsoka." said Bolin happy to see a friendly face.
"What are you doing here?" asked Mako.
"I wanted to see how you were doing after everything that happened lately." said Ahsoka.
"You mean Korra joining Tarrlok's task force and abandoning us?" asked Mako with annoyance.
"Come on, bro, I don't think so." said Bolin.
"He's right. Korra didn't even want to be in that task force." said Ahsoka.
"Then why is she? Because of her Avatar duties?" asked Mako.
"Because she's afraid of Amon." said Ahsoka.
"Afraid? Of Amon?" asked Mako confused.
"Well, I can't blame her. I mean, I had him in front of me and that thing about him being able to snatch my powers almost made me pee my pants." said Bolin.
"In that case, why didn't she tell us?" asked Mako.
"Because she doesn't want to admit that she's afraid and doesn't know how to act on that. I've tried talking to her, but she refuses to listen." said Ahsoka.
Mako and Bolin began to feel guilty for not seeing that their friend, who seemed brave and trustworthy, was now frightened by the events with Amon.
"I feel bad for not seeing it sooner," Bolin said with his head down.
"We've been so focused on the fact that we can now participate in the tournament that we didn't notice." said Mako.
"Don't feel bad. It's not your fault." said Ahsoka.
Meanwhile, in one room, Tarrlok stood behind a podium in front of a crowd of journalists, with Korra at his side.
"Avatar Korra has bravely answered the call to action. With the two of us leading the charge, Republic City has nothing to fear from Amon and the Equalists." said Tarrlok before the reporters raised their hands for questions.
"Question for the Avatar! Amon remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?" asked a female reporter.
"You want to know why?" asked Korra approaching the podium as Tarrlok stepped aside. "Because Amon is hiding in the shadows like a coward." said Korra before grabbing a microphone and holding it up to her face. "Amon, I challenge you to a duel! No task force, no chi blockers, just the two of us tonight at midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Let's cut to the chase and settle this thing, if you're man enough to face me." said Korra before putting down the microphone and walking quickly away.
What she didn't know was that the whole conversation had been overheard by Ahsoka and the two brothers.
"Dank Farrik." said Ahsoka.
That night, in the city park, Mako and Asami were taking a ride inside a car, with the engineer hugging the firebender's arm.
"I know it sounds weird to say this, but I'm really glad I hit you with my moped." said Asami, making the firebender chuckle a little.
"Uh, me too." said Mako.
"I forgot to ask. Why didn't you accept the new silk scarf I bought for you last week? You didn't like it?" asked Asami pointing to the firebender's scarf.
"No, it was really nice, but this scarf was my father's. And it's all I have left of him. I just feel like… Like it keeps me safe." said Mako.
"I'm so sorry. I lost my mother when I was very young." began Asami with her head down and a sad look on her face. Mako took her hand and they both shared a smile before Asami leaned against him. "I feel so safe with you." said Asami with a smile as they continued to enjoy the walk.
However, despite the tender moment between the two of them, Mako kept thinking about Korra and what Ahsoka had said about her.
He wished he could talk to her so she could admit her fears and go back to the way she was before.
On Air Temple Island, Korra had prepared for her confrontation with Amon, but as she was about to leave the temple, she ran into Ahsoka at the entrance.
"Challenging Amon to a one-on-one duel? I expected more from you." said Ahsoka seriously.
"I've let Amon run free for too long. I intend to end this now." said Korra pushing past Ahsoka to leave.
"Not until we talk." said Ahsoka turning around as Korra stopped.
"There's nothing to talk about." said Korra turning around.
"Korra, you aren't acting based on your duties as Avatar. You are acting based on the fear you have that you refuse to admit you have. If you don't stop now, you will go down a path you will never return from. There were many Jedi and soldiers who ended up that way." said Ahsoka.
"I've had enough! I'm tired of your Jedi advice and your commander experiences! You're neither one nor the other anymore, so you have no right to tell me what to do! Don't talk like you know what to do, because you're not the Avatar! I am!" exclaimed Korra angrily.
Despite that, Ahsoka remained with the same serious expression.
"You want to go fight Amon? Fine, go ahead, but then don't say I didn't warn you!" said Ahsoka before leaving.
After that, Korra refocused on the main topic and set off to face her masked foe.
Around midnight, Korra was on a boat, preparing to set sail for the island where she would have her meeting with Amon.
Of course, at that moment, Tenzin arrived in his glider to try to stop her.
"Korra, this is madness." said Tenzin.
"Don't try to stop me and don't follow me. I have to face Amon alone." said Korra without backing down from her decision.
"This is all your doing!" said Tenzin to the waterbender councilman.
"I tried to talk her out of it too, but she's made up her mind." said Tarrlok.
After preparations, Korra used waterbending to steer the boat quickly towards the island.
"We'll be watching the island closely. If anything goes wrong, I have a fleet of police airships ready to swoop down." said Tarrlok hoping to reassure Tenzin as he looked at the island.
Soon after, Korra was on the roof of the building on the island where the statue of Avatar Aang was located.
Suddenly, she heard a noise that caused her to quickly turn around with a bending pose, but there was nothing there before the chimes of midnight sounded, scaring Korra so much that she screamed.
Korra let out a sigh of relief that it was only the clock and, knowing it was time for the duel, she took a deep breath to prepare herself.
She waited and waited.
The hours passed and Korra sat down, beginning to grow impatient, as Amon hadn't appeared at any point.
She even went so far as to yawn from exhaustion and boredom.
"Guess you're a no-show, Amon." began Korra accepting the fact that her opponent wasn't going to show up. "Who's scared now?" asked Korra getting up from the ground and jumping off the roof to leave.
As she walked, she began to think about what she had said to her friend, feeling guilty about what she had said, since all she wanted to do was help her.
She hoped that she could sort it all out when she got back to the island.
Suddenly, as she was passing near an entrance, a bola wrapped around her legs, making her fall and dragging her inside the building as she screamed.
Korra was dragged until she was plunged into darkness, but freed herself from the rope by emitting fire from her feet as she spun around and landed on her feet, only to find herself completely surrounded by Equalist soldiers.
Korra launched a flare to illuminate the place, but bolas wrapped around her wrists before those in charge pulled on them to keep her restrained.
Several Equalist soldiers lunged at her from in front, but Korra pushed them back by launching a fireball from her foot before a pair of soldiers hit her repeatedly in the back, knocking her down.
A spotlight shone on Korra as a pair of Equalist soldiers grabbed her arms to lift her up a bit.
When Korra opened her eyes, she was stunned as Amon stood in front of her.
"I received your invitation, young Avatar." said Amon.
Korra froze in fear as Amon reached out his hand towards her face, for it was her nightmare come true.
She ducked her head and closed her eyes, expecting the worst, but suddenly, Amon stopped her hand and grabbed her chin to force her to look at him.
"Our showdown, while inevitable, is premature. Although it would be the simplest thing for me to take away your bending right now, I won't. You'd only become a martyr." began Amon before releasing Korra's chin. "Benders of every nation would rally behind your untimely demise, but I assure you, I have a plan. And I'm saving you for last, then you'll get your duel, and I will destroy you."
BZZZMMM
In the next instant, Amon stepped back quickly to avoid Ahsoka who landed right in front of Ahsoka with her lightsabers activated at the same time releasing a Force pulse that pushed all the Equalist soldiers around.
Unbeknownst to her, Korra had suddenly fainted.
After that, Ahsoka stood up and aimed one of her lightsabers at the masked one.
"Wow. I dare say I've never seen anything like you before." said Amon.
"Spare me the compliments, Amon. I didn't take you for a coward who breaks the rules of engagement by bringing in reinforcements when you're talking about equality." said Ahsoka.
"The Avatar made a mistake by underestimating me, I was simply teaching her a lesson. This was nothing but a message to all those who try to go against us." said Amon.
"The only thing you transmit is fear and if you continue on that path you will only bring suffering for all benders and non-benders. Believe me, I know what I am talking about." said Ahsoka remembering the people who suffered because of the war.
"All that suffering will be worth it once we have brought true balance to the world." said Amon like an apostle.
"You aren't going to bring balance, but war. I won't let you do that." said Ahsoka.
"You want to stop me? Go ahead, but the next time we meet, those glow sticks won't be able to protect you." said Amon as he retreated into the shadows along with his followers.
Once she felt they were gone, Ahsoka turned off her lightsabers and focused on her friend.
"Korra! Wake up!" said Ahsoka.
What she didn't know was that, while she was unconscious, Korra was having some sort of flashback that featured Sokka, Toph, Aang, a mystery man, and then she saw Aang launching into a fight with someone.
After that, Korra began to open her eyes.
At first, she could only see blurred, but then her vision cleared and she saw Ahsoka looking at her with small concern.
"A… Ahsoka?" asked Korra regaining consciousness.
"Thank goodness. You're fine." said Ahsoka as she helped her sit up just as Tenzin came running to the spot.
"Korra! Ahsoka! What happened?" asked Tenzin kneeling down beside her.
"Amon ambushed her. Luckily, I got there in time to stop him from going any further." said Ahsoka.
"Did he…" began Tenzin turning his attention to the Avatar. "Did he take your bending away?" asked Tenzin cautiously.
To check, Korra managed to create a flame in her hand before clenching her fist and extinguishing it.
"No, I'm okay." said Korra.
"Are you sure, Korra?" asked Ahsoka.
Not being able to take it anymore, Korra burst into tears as she rushed to hug the togruta who was a little surprised before hugging her back to comfort her.
"I was so terrified, I felt so helpless." said Korra shedding tears as she cried.
"Calm down. The danger is over." said Ahsoka.
"I'm sorry, Ahsoka! I'm sorry for what I said to you!" began Korra pulling away from the embrace. "You and Tenzin were right! I've been scared this whole time. I've never felt like this before and… I don't know what to do!" said Korra before hugging the togruta again.
"Admitting your fears is the first and most difficult step in overcoming them." said Tenzin putting his hand on her to try to comfort her.
After that, the three returned to Air Temple Island where Ahsoka escorted Korra to her room and helped her sleep.
After that, she and Tenzin met in a secluded room.
"How is she?" asked Tenzin.
"Sleeping peacefully," said Ahsoka.
"I don't know how to thank you for being there to save her." said Tenzin.
"It's nothing, but after tonight, it's clear that Amon isn't going to sit still." said Ahsoka.
"I know." said Tenzin.
"Master Tenzin, I have been thinking about it and I have come to a decision. I would like you to call a press conference tomorrow." said Ahsoka.
"What for?" asked Tenzin in confusion.
"It is time for me to show my face to the world." said Ahsoka in a very serious tone.
The next morning, thousands of people gathered in front of city hall, including photographers and journalists.
On stage were Lin, Tarrlok and the rest of the councilors while Tenzin stood in front of the podium with microphones.
"People of Republic City, I have called this press conference in regards to recent events regarding the challenge that Avatar Korra issued to Amon. However, it won't be me recounting the details, but a very close friend of the Avatar." said Tenzin before stepping aside to allow Ahsoka, in her costume, to take his place.
"Thank you, master Tenzin." began Ahsoka before addressing the crowd. "As you said before, I am a friend of the Avatar. You are probably wondering who I am or why I cover my face. Well then, it is time for me to tell you the truth about me." said Ahsoka before grabbing her cloak and throwing it away, revealing her true face to all.
The entire crowd gasped in shock as photographers began snapping pictures.
Needless to say, Tarrlok and the rest of the councilors were shocked as well.
he only ones who weren't were Tenzin and Lin, since they knew about her secret.
"My name is Ahsoka Tano and I come from outer space." began Ahsoka as the crowd began to comment and murmur amongst themselves and before the reporters could ask questions. "I know many of you have questions and I will be happy to answer them later, but there are more important matters to deal with now. I myself witnessed the duel between Avatar Korra and Amon. She declared that it would be an even one-on-one match, but Amon attacked her from behind with an army of his soldiers. Fortunately, the Avatar is unharmed. Amon claims to bring equality, but what he wants to bring is war to this city."
In the gymnasium of the pro-bending arena, Mako and Bolin were listening to their friend's speech over the radio.
"I myself witnessed the war on the front line for years in my home and believe me when I tell you that it will bring benefit to no one." said Ahsoka over the radio.
At Future Industries, Asami and her father were also listening to it over the radio.
"In that duel, Amon intended to send a message of fear to all citizens, but if we let fear fill us, it will turn into hatred and end up controlling our lives." said Ahsoka over the radio.
Korra, who had woken up, was also listening to her friend's speech over the radio, but she lowered her head, knowing that she herself made that mistake.
"Amon wants to divide us, but if we fight united, both benders and non-benders, we can defend ourselves against him." said Ahsoka over the radio.
"So, Amon, if you are listening, know that Avatar Korra and I will find you and stop you with the intention of protecting this city and the balance that Avatar Aang wanted to create with this place." said Ahsoka.
Seeing that the speech was over, reporters began bombarding her with various questions as photographers snapped pictures non-stop.
"Do you really come beyond the stars?" asked one journalist.
"Will you end up with the Equalists alone or will you go after the triads as well?" asked another journalist.
"What is the status of the Avatar?" asked another journalist.
"Will you collaborate with Chief Beifong or Tarrlok's task force?" asked another journalist.
"Please, gentlemen, one at a time. I will answer all your questions." said Ahsoka.
For an hour or so, Ahsoka was telling everyone her life story, how she was trained to be a Jedi, how she learned to use the Force, how she became a commander in the Republic army during the Clone Wars, and how she arrived on the planet.
Once she finished, she walked off the stage and into the town hall.
"I didn't think you'd tell it all." said Tenzin.
"Well, I didn't want to tell it several times, so you might as well all find out at the same time." said Ahsoka.
"Amazing." the two turned their heads to see Tarrlok approaching them with his usual smile. "I truly would never have imagined something like that. I hope that, when Avatar Korra recovers, you and she will join my task force. Surely between the three of us, we can take down Amon."
"I'm sorry, Tarrlok, but Korra is resigning to remain in your task force." began Ahsoka speaking for her friend. "And I don't intend to join your task force when what happened to Korra was partly your fault."
"My dear, you offend me. I only want what's best for the city." said Tarrlok.
"All you want is to get more power and move up in the council. Well let me tell you something then." began Ahsoka before approaching the waterbender councilman. "I have seen many politicians like you during my time in the Republic and they all ended very badly."
After that, Ahsoka left with Tenzin at her side.
In a secret hiding place were Amon and the lieutenant, who had been listening to Ahsoka's speech and story over the radio.
"What do we do now, Amon? That… alien is clearly a threat to our plans." said the lieutenant.
"It certainly poses a change to our plans, but luckily we have special allies too, don't we?" asked Amon turning his head towards a corner shrouded by shadows.
From the shadows, a teenage boy emerged wearing black clothes, gloves and boots, short reddish hair and a metal mask covering his face from nose to chin.
"I would never have guessed that someone like her would get here too, but don't worry, Amon. Now that we're going to the next level, neither the Avatar, nor that Jedi will be able to stop us." said the boy.
AN: How strange. I don't remember that guy from the canon. Do you?
Of course I don't.
Because he's an OC I created for this story.
You better get ready for the next chapter, because it will be an original chapter that will show things you wouldn't expect.
See ya!