1. Chapter 1

"Noatak!" Tarrlok's cry reached out into the blizzarding wind.

_I am such an idiot._ Thought Noatak. _What am I doing?_

Nevertheless, Noatak found himself moving on through the blizzard away from his brother, father, and village – the only life he had ever known. He couldn't take it anymore. His father had gone too far, and he couldn't take the pressure of being the gifted son. He was going to be his own person, but first he had to get out of this blizzard and away from the North Pole.

By the time an hour had passed, Noatak was making almost no progress. The wind was too strong and the ice pounded at his unprotected face. He looked around for options. He could barely make out a small cave up over to his left, but he decided to go for the little piece of shelter. Inside he was surprised to see an elderly man, huddled in a corner trying to keep warm. He had not been so prepared for the outdoors as Noatak had, and Noatak offered him a blanket from his hunting pack.

"Thank you," said the man in a scruff voice. "I don't think I would have survived if it hadn't been for you."

"No problem," said Noatak who was now huddling against the wall as well. The man noticed that something was wrong with Noatak. He seemed distracted when he spoke.

"Say, you need something?" asked the man.

"I need to leave the North Pole," Noatak replied. The man nodded.

"Hmm, it appears fate has brought us together. As it happens, I'm really an explorer from the Earth Kingdom. I came here to study the Northern Water Tribe's customs, but my trip is over now, and I'll be heading back to Ba Sing Se in a couple days. Care to join me?"

"I would love to!" said Noatak. "Thank you, sir!"

"Call me Lu Xing," said the man warmly.

The blizzard lasted through the night, and Lu Xing told Noatak of his travels to far off and bizarre places as well as his greatest role model and hero – Avatar Aang.

"He came to Ba Sing Se for the Trials. You know, when they had to try all of those crazy war criminals. And anyways, I saw him and Katara in the market when I was buying some bread to feed the turtle ducks at the pond, and I dropped a coin in the street. I heard someone behind me pick it up and there stood Aang! My hero! To this day I still have the coin he picked up for me," explained Lu Xing animatedly.

"Aang is pretty cool and all, but really? You kept a coin that he touched?" asked Noatak in disbelief.

"Yes. To me, Avatar Aang is the greatest person to ever exist," Lu Xing said, the memory making him smile. Noatak thought this guy was crazy, but Lu Xing was his only way out of here. Lu Xing eventually quieted down and the two went to sleep.

"Looks like the blizzard stopped! Well, it will take about a day to reach my boat, and then we'll head home. Personally, I'm very sick of all this cold weather. It's amazing you've lived here your entire life! I could hardly stand a week visiting," said Lu Xing in amazement. The two began to walk away from the cave. As they walked, Lu Xing told more stories. There seemed to be no end with this guy.

When they made it to the village where Lu Xing was keeping his boat, it was night, andthey got two rooms at the local inn to rest up a bit before the journey. Before wandering off to sleep, a thought occurred to Noatak.

"Lu Xing, this whole time you never asked me why I was leaving, told me I was too young to go, or even asked me my name," said Noatak.

"Yes," answered Lu Xing.

"Well, why?"

"One look at you in that cave told me you were leaving something terrible behind. Too young or not, I knew you had to go. Your name and past belong to you, and I don't need to know about them," was Lu Xing's answer.

"Thank you for that," said Noatak.

"You're very welcome. Everyone deserves a second chance for a good life."


	2. Chapter 2

Noatak hated Ba Sing Se. The crowds were huge, people were everywhere, and it was hot. He kept getting kicked out of shops and marketplaces. He sat by a fountain near the middle of town where kids made faces at his water tribe clothes, and he iced them where they stood in turn.

"Hey! You got no business here, troublemaker!" Before the policeman could get his metal whips around Noatak's hands, he fled, knowing better than to use his blood bending.

By the end of day one, Noatak found himself outside the city walls in what appeared to be a zoo. Animals of all types from all over the world were in natural cages an earth bender must have created.

"Sorry, son. We're closed for the evening. Come back in the morning," a scrawny, middle aged man said as he swept some trash from the pathway. Noatak's anger caused him to freeze the man with the water from one of the enclosures.

"Hey! What's your problem, bucko?" he yelled as Noatak walked away. Noatak unfroze him, but gave him a good water whip in the behind.

And so his journey began. It was one Earth Nation village after another. Freezing kids, mouthing off, and getting kicked out. After a year of aimless wandering, Noatak found himself on Kyoshi Island.

It was a small community with one telephone and two radios for the entire island. Girls up the hill studied chi blocking and warrior techniques. The market was a decent size for such a small place. Noatak felt at peace here. He almost enjoyed it, even if it was warm. He spent the majority of his days down by the sea, watching the elephant koi and every once in a while he would see the famed unagi. Still, even though he eluded from the village, people couldn't help noticing a strange water bender on the island.

"Hello, newcomer. May I sit with you?" the friendly voice belonged to a middle aged man with a gentle heart and firm build. Noatak had seen him in the village before, usually in the market buying cabbages. He didn't respond but instead skipped a stone across the water, using his bending to make it go far. The man sat on a boulder behind Noatak.

"You know, everyone goes through a rough patch, some rougher than others. But we must pull ourselves up and look on into our futures. We must find a purpose for our lives," said the man kindly. "Helping people discover their purpose is what I do. My name is Master Fui Shon." Noatak scoffed.

"I know what my purpose is; I don't need your help," he said harshly, turning towards the man. "It's been forced into my mind since I was very young." Fui Shon raised an eyebrow.

"And what is your purpose, Noatak?" asked Fui Shon. Noatak didn't even bother to ask how the man knew his name.

"I'm supposed to avenge my father. Take over Republic City. The whole shebang," he replied coarsely. Then he paused, taking on a softer tone. "But I don't want that." He looked away. Fui Shon nodded.

"That's very brave of you," said Fui Shon. "I can help you, Noatak, but you must be open to my teachings. Unless, of course, you would rather sit here skipping stones." Noatak stood up.

"No. It's about time I did something, but I refuse to do what he did," said Noatak. "He used his bending to oppress people. I want to help people who are oppressed by people like him."

"A noble and worthy cause," Fui Shon smiled. "You will begin training tomorrow at dawn. Meet me at the top of the hill."


	3. Chapter 3

"Uh, we don't train benders, so you're gonna have to leave," said the annoying girl in her pesky voice. Noatak was regretting yesterday's decision as he stood at the door of the girl's chi blocking room, everyone's eyes on him.

"What's this about not training benders, Ulani?" asked another girl who had just walked in. She was older, around Noatak's age with a lean, muscular figure with hair and eyes like his – a water tribe girl. The annoying girl named Ulani rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.

"Ida, you're kind of an exception," she pointed out loudly.

"Relax, Ulani. He's with me," said Fui Shon from behind. "Noatak is going to need some chi blocking training to help-"

"Hmm, let me guess, to help him find himself?" Ida asked. Fui Shon nodded.

"Precisely," he answered. All the girls were sighing now. No one wanted Noatak, but no one was about to question the obviously respectable Master Fui Shon.

"Alrighty then. You heard the man. Let's get to it," Ida said, clapping her hands.

The morning lesson was about basic chi blocking and its purpose.

"Chi blocking is used to deter a harmful bender from bending temporarily. It targets the muscles in a certain way as to stop the flow of energy for a period of time," Ida explained.

"Oooo! Oooo!" annoying Ulani raised her hand.

"Yes, Ulani?" Ida asked dully.

"Can you permanently take someone's bending away? Can you?" she asked.

"Only Avatar Aang is known to possess that ability, Ulani. He uses energy bending on one's forehead, which is the window into the mind. The mind is where one's connection to an element lies. Aang severs a bender's connection with the element through energy bending, as far as anyone can tell. Answer your question?" Ida asked. Ulani nodded. "Good. Now, everyone grab a partner and practice with the pressure points I showed you.

"Ooo! Ooo! I dibs Noatak!" cried Ulani.

Unfortunately, Noatak underestimated the pesky little girl's strength.

"Ow!" he cried loudly.

"Sorry," Ulani said, shying away. Ida came over and rolled her eyes.

"Alright, everyone keep practicing. Noatak, you're coming with me," she said as she took him by his good arm outside. She sat him down on a boulder while she got some water in a jug from inside. She began to roll glowing water over his wound.

"Hey, you really are a water bender!" Noatak said.

"I am not a bender. I'm just a healer," she said, concentrating.

"You…you can't bend?" Noatak asked, confused.

"No, I choose not to. I was like you once. I was mouthy and stupid, and then Master Fui Shon helped me come to my senses," she answered. "Bending gives me an unfair advantage, and I refuse to use it."

"Have you ever tried blood bending?" Noatak asked deviously. Ida was so stunned that the water splashed to the ground.

"That is illegal," she said, her brows furrowed.

"That's not an answer," Noatak replied with a cunning grin. She shook her head.

Noatak entered a new routine. He trained with the girls in the morning, learning chi blocking and other tactics. In the afternoons, he meditated with Master Fui Shon and thought about what to do next. Things were finally looking up.

One morning on his way to practice however, he knew something was wrong. No one was in sight.

"Hello? Anybody here?" he called to the empty room.

"There's no practice today," Ida said from a dark corner, a tear slipping from her eye.

"What's wrong? What happened?" asked Noatak with concern.

"Let's go for a walk," Ida said. The two headed outside. "We got the message late last night that Avatar Aang died. The whole town is closed down for the day."

"Oh," was all Noatak could say.

"Yes, it is tragic. Aang was a great hero," said Ida, looking down. "But you know what? I can't help but think. Somewhere a little baby girl or boy was born in the North or South Pole last night. In a few years they'll be a water bender, and in a few more, an avatar."

"That is encouraging," Noatak answered.

"I of course am hoping for South Pole. It's my native land, you know. Hey, I don't even know. Which one are you from?"

"North Pole," said Noatak.

"Oh," said Ida, slightly discouraged.

"But I'm rooting for the South Pole, too," there were too many bad memories of his father in the north.

"Cool," Ida said. "You know, sometimes I miss it out there. I miss the snow, the igloos, the ice, water bending-" and all of a sudden Noatak just pulled her close and kissed her in the sweetest way. When they pulled away, Ida just blushed.

"You know, that was completely uncalled for," she said, not really meaning it. Noatak walked her back to the training building.


	4. Chapter 4

"Really, Ida? We still can't have practice on the anniversary? It's been four years!" Noatak said as he stomped into the building.

"I know, but it's nice to remember this important day," Ida said, kissing him on the cheek. "And haven't you heard? Today is a celebratory day."

"What's today?" Noatak asked.

"The new avatar has been announced!" cried Ida with delight.

"But, they would only be…four years old. How is that possible? Avatars don't know they're the avatar until they're like sixteen!" Noatak yelled.

"She's from the South Pole like we hoped! Her name is Korra, and I guess she figured it she can bend other elements on her own. The White Lotus just confirmed, and we got a telephone message in last night," Ida said with delight.'

"Well, that's…wonderful," said Noatak, but his mind was elsewhere, thinking deeply. Ida could tell something was wrong.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I can't shake this strange feeling, like the new avatar is a sign. I think my time has come to help people. My training has come to an end here, Ida," he said, sadness in his eyes.

"I can understand. You've been meditating hard, so I know you would know if the time came," she answered. "I'm going to miss you." He held her close. "Will I see you again?"

"I don't know. But I love you Ida," Noatak answered. He kissed her for what he knew would be the last time. Then, he was gone faster than Ida could see.

"I love you too, Noatak."


	5. Chapter 5

"It's time," Noatak said as he slammed the door open of Master Fui Shon's home. Master Fui Shon seemed momentarily stunned, but then he got up from the mat where he was eating a bowl of rice.

"The announcement of the next avatar has led you to want to go. I agree that your time has come to fulfill your purpose," said Master Fui Shon as he walked into the next room.

"Master, I want to help non benders who are oppressed. I can't do that as a bender. I need to be something else. A symbol," said Noatak as he followed him.

"Yes I know. I've been working on this since I met you," said Master Fui Shon as he pulled something from a shelf in the room. It was a mask. "I knew you could never be Noatak, son of Yakone, a feared blood bender."

"How did you-" Master Fui Shon held up a finger to silence Noatak. Master Fui Shon handed Noatak the mask.

"I've been working on your new identity. This is your cover. You were a child in a small village growing up, and your face was burned by the blood bender that destroyed your home and parents. It explains the mask and why you don't have a family. It's also a general story most non-benders can relate to. You'll be accepted by it," explained Master Fui Shon.

"Wow, you certainly put a lot of thought into this," said Noatak, admiring the mask.

"Your new name shall be Amon for peace and equality. Your goal is to help the citizens of the Earth Kingdom and beyond. Use your training, use your skills, and most importantly, use your head. This mission requires you never to be Noatak again," explained the master.

"That's what I wanted," said Noatak.

"Than go. Your time has come."


	6. Chapter 6

Noatak, now Amon, left Kyoshi Island alone in a rowboat. He had no money, no supplies, and no farewell. The only thing to his newly found name was a change of clothes and a mask. Even though he had been training for years, he had no idea what to do or where to start. His master was gone and so was the only love he had ever had.

The mainland approached more quickly than Amon had thought. He put on his mask before docking. No one now could know who he really was. It saddened him, but in a way it almost made him happy. He didn't have to be who he had been anymore.

It didn't take long for Amon to find trouble. He walked out of the seaport town and into the country where he found a situation similar to his made up back-story. A fire bender was threatening a farmer.

"It's all we have!" cried the wife of the man.

"It's not enough! This isn't what I asked for!" shouted the fire bender. Just as he was about to destroy their land, Amon called out from the road.

"Hey, leave them alone," he said, his voice a little shaky from being nervous. The fire bender cocked his head.

"You wanna dance, mystery man? Let's dance!" The fire bender ran at Amon with full force, firing a huge blow from his fist. Amon stepped to the side, easily missing this thoughtless blow. He dodged every punch the man could throw. Finally when he wore down, Amon gave him a good chi blocking.

"Gah! What was that?" asked the man loudly.

"Don't worry, you're bending will come back to you…unfortunately," Amon said, turning towards the farmer and his wife at the door.

"Hopefully he won't give you any more problems," Amon told them. The man came out of the house.

"Thank you so much! He has been harassing us ever since we moved out here. How can I repay you, sir?" asked the farmer.

"I don't need payment. It's my goal in life to help people like you. I was once in your situation, and my family wasn't so lucky," the lie came out easier than expected.

"Let me help you," said the man bravely. Amon looked at him closely. His bushy black hair and long mustache covered a squared forehead and strong jaw. He was tanned from hard farming hours in the sun. He would be a good partner if Amon taught him to chi block and defend himself.

"I could use a second man, but what about your wife?" Amon asked.

"We were planning on moving in with relatives in town for our safety anyways. She'll understand and carry on with our original plan," he explained. Amon nodded.

"Very well. We should get going. I don't want anyone to have to go through what you were about to go through," said Amon.

"Yes," the man agreed. "Do you have a name at all?"

"Amon, for peace and equality," Amon answered him. "And you?"

"I don't really need a name," he said. "I'll just be your…lieutenant."

The two continued about the Earth Kingdom saving families of similar fate. They serendipitously gained more followers and monetary support. The group gradually started calling themselves the Equalists. Amon's heart changed from wanting to stop oppressive benders to wanting bending completely gone. After all, didn't every bender have an unequal advantage over everyone else? Some days, he even forgot he was a bender himself.

"We've done so much for the Earth Kingdom," said Amon to his lieutenant one night while they were alone. "Where else is there to go?"

"Republic City, of course," the lieutenant replied. Chills ran up Amon's spine. The only time he had ever heard of that place was when his father told he and Tarrlok that they were going to have to take it over for him one day.

"Is something wrong?" asked the lieutenant, sensing Amon's fear and hatred of the name.

"Uh, no. I just…I just hate big cities is all," he answered truthfully.

"It's where we have to go. Everyone must be equal. It's time for us to take Republic City," said the lieutenant.

"You're right. With all of my supporters, I won't have any fear. It is time to go. Everyone must be equal."


	7. Chapter 7

Amon really did hate big cities. He hated being cramped up in the top of the old, abandoned hotel the Equalists were using. His supporters wanted him to stay there while they scouted out the territory. Wouldn't want their great masked leader being seen yet. He finally couldn't take it anymore. Amon took of the mask, changed clothes, and went out as himself. No one would recognize him anyways.

Republic City wasn't as bad as Ba Sing Se had been. Sure there were still plenty of ostrich horses and people, but the streets were less cramped as they had been built much wider. He could get used to this place.

"Excuse me sir, but do you happen to be going about town tonight?" asked a man who appeared to be a few years older than he.

"Uh, well, I…I don't know," he answered dumbstruck.

"You can't wander about the glorious Republic City with shoes like that! Let me shine them for you!" said the man ambitiously. Amon had yuans to spare. He sat at the chair on the street while the man polished his shoes.

"Hiroshi! C'mon! Let's go see a show or somethin'!" called some boys across the road to the shoe shiner. They were obviously power plant workers who shot electricity to the city. Hiroshi's face fell.

"You guys know I have to work late tonight!" he called back. The other boys shrugged and left without a fight. Hiroshi sighed as he continued to polish Amon's shoes.

"You're not a bender, huh?" asked Amon.

"If I was, do you think I would be shining shoes on the street?" asked Hiroshi. "I have to work twice as hard to make the same kind of money. But one day… " Hiroshi's mind drifted off.

"You have a dream for your future?" asked Amon.

"Yes, but I don't see how I can make it happen. I can't spend time on it because of my wife and daughter, and I need to support them."

"How many more yuans do you need tonight?" asked Amon.

"It would be good if I could get twenty five more or so," Hiroshi answered. Amon dropped fifty in the pot. Hiroshi stared in awe at the cash.

"Hiroshi, share with me your dream."

The two started walking towards Hiroshi's home as he told Amon of his idea.

"These ostrich horses leave such a mess in the street, and they can be quite stubborn. I have an idea to make a cart like people ride in with ostrich horses only you won't need the ostrich horses! There will be an engine and steering and a fuel source. Traveling will be much more convenient. I would call my creation the Satomobile," he explained, excited to tell someone about his idea. When they got to the house, Hiroshi's wife and child were asleep. He took out some papers from a cramped corner and layed them out on the dining table. Amon got a good look.

"Wow, this…this could work!" he cried.

"Do you think so?" asked Hiroshi with hope.

"Yes, it really does," Amon said, looking more closely at the plans.

"Hiroshi, you have an amazing idea here that could really change how the entire city does things. I know that with your work ethic and abilities, you can make this happen," said Amon. "What do you think you could do with fifty thousand yuans?"

"I could probably build a few prototypes and get my idea off the ground," said Hiroshi, calculating.

"Done," said Amon, digging into his pocket. He had more money on him that he remembered. Hiroshi looked mesmerized.

"Sir, thank you so much! I can't thank you enough. I promise to make the most of this opportunity!" he cried as he hugged Amon. Amon gently peeled him off.

"What is your name? I must give you the first successful Satomobile as a gift," Hiroshi said, tears in his eyes.

"My name's Lu Xing," Amon said. He gave a few encouraging words to Hiroshi, and then he headed back to the apartment.

As he was walking up the stairs, Amon heard foot steps below. His Equalists were back! He quickly put on his mask. Just as he was doing so, his lieutenant walked in. Amon made a mental note to make up a fake scar for underneath just in case.

"Where were you?" asked the lieutenant. "We searched the whole place."

"I went out," said Amon. The lieutenant's eyes narrowed. Amon explained quickly. "But I covered my scar with a cloth so no one would know who I am."

"Oh. Do you have some cash on you? We need to do some grocery shopping," said the lieutenant.

"I gave what I had to a guy on the street," Amon said.

"What? You must have had like thirty thousand yuans!" exclaimed the lieutenant.

"Actually it was more like fifty thousand. I met a guy with a great idea. He's going to be useful one day I believe. Hiroshi Sato, remember that name," Amon said.


	8. Chapter 8

"Can you permanently take someone's bending away? Can you?" she asked.

"Only Avatar Aang is known to possess that ability, Ulani. He uses energy bending on one's forehead, which is the window into the mind. The mind is where one's connection to an element lies. Aang severs a bender's connection with the element through energy bending, as far as anyone can tell.

Amon awoke from his nap swiftly. Night was already here as far as he could tell from the little bit of light coming through the upper window in the basement he was at. He looked through it, seeing another Satomobile. It had only been a few months since his investment, and already Hiroshi had sold thousands. Amon decided it was finally time for Hiroshi to pay up.

"Amon, we found this fire bender torturing a little girl and her friends," the lieutenant said, dragging in a very scared looking man by his collar. "How would you like us to dispose of him?"

"Excellent," Amon said. "I have a special job for you, fire bender." The man breathed heavily, his eyes wide. "Tonight you will go to the Sato mansion. Kill the wife of Hiroshi Sato and his daughter. Make it look like a robbery. Do this and keep your life. If you should fail, my guards will bring you back to me, and I shall dispose of you. Do we have a deal?" The fire bender nodded vigoursly. "Than go!" Four guards and the bender ran off to the mansion. Amon anxiously awaited their return.

"What are you trying to do here, Amon?" the lieutenant asked.

"Patience, Lieutenant. Patience," was his only reply. After several hours the guards returned with the fire bender in hand.

"Well?" Amon asked.

"Amon, sir, I-I, I could only kill the wife. Hiroshi got out in time with the girl," he said, his head low. Amon burned with anger.

"You idiot! How dare you!" Amon yelled out in fury. He was beyond angry with this man. He was too angry to fight or take up a sword. Amon took his thumb to the fire bender's forehead and he just knew what to do when his chi blocking trained finger found the man's connection to fire bending. He did something he vowed never to do again. And the man fell to the floor.

"What…what did you just do?" the lieutenant asked. The man got up and tried to fight, but he was too weak.

"I took away his bending," said Amon as he walked out of the room. He walked outside, everyone too amazed to follow him. He kept going. He didn't know where his feet were taking him until he arrived at the Sato mansion. There was smoke and flames, but the place wasn't completely destroyed.

"Amon!" Hiroshi was calling to him from the yard, little daughter in hand. Amon hadn't even noticed him.

"Amon, you will never believe what happened to me tonight," he said, his eyes full of pain and sadness as he told the story, crying in the middle of it. Amon almost regretted doing what he did. Almost. "I need to join you, Amon. I need to help you stop people like that. I have gifts and abilities! I can create weapons, and together we can take these benders down!"

"Thank you, Hiroshi, for your generosity. Your contribution will be very crucial to our success. I'm very sorry for your loss," Amon said, keeping calm. Hiroshi nodded and walked away, tears in his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

"Healing Academy, Republic City Clinic, may I help you?" asked the secretary a little too enthusiastically into the telephone. Ida rolled her eyes and she made her way to the waiting room.

"Uh, Tahno?" she called out to the small group waiting for help. A depressed boy looked up at her, bags under his eyes and hair a mess. She tried to be friendly as he walked over to her. "Hi, I'm Ida. I'll be helping you today."

"What's with the Earth Kingdom getup?" he asked. As a water bender, she got this a lot, and it really was starting to tick her off.

"I'm from the Earth Kingdom," she answered back, trying her best to keep her cool. "Here's our room. Have a seat." Ida walked over to the basin in the room and dipped her bowl inside.

"You could just bend it, you know. That's what I would do, if I could," Tahno said brokenly. Ida decided this wasn't the best time to get into a conversation about how she had given up her bending.

"They told me you lost your bending when they assigned you to me. How did that happen?" she asked.

"Amon took my bending," Tahno answered. Amon, that name sounded familiar. "You know, the leader of the Equalists?" Tahno said, realizing she was having a hard time placing the name.

"Oh, right. He can take bending away?" she said in awe. She didn't believe it. Amon probably knew a good trick or something. Tahno gave her a look. "Um, let me just try to put some water over your ears here, see if I can get a reading from your mind." It was funny. She knew this kid could bend; she had heard some of his matches on the radio, but he felt just like a non-bender.

"Tahno, I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do. It would take being able to give non-benders bending abilities for me to heal you," she said, defeated.

"If you can't heal me, no one can," he said, with a hint of crying in his voice. "This is the last place I can go." He got up to leave. Ida made a motion to stop him, but he held his hand up. "I have a meeting with the council anyways. Thanks for trying."


	10. Chapter 10

They had just barely gotten away, and Amon had had to work so hard to keep his cover. He knew he shouldn't have underestimated his own brother. His own brother. It had been a shock to find Tarrlok in Republic City and as a council member, too! At least Amon still had the element of surprise; Tarrlok had no idea who he was.

Amon stopped thinking about his brother and started looking around. He was near the park, and his guards had scattered during their run in with the task force. He decided to head back to headquarters on the back roads as not to be seen, but something stopped him.

"Ida, just bend the water. No need to bend down and fill your jug. Oh, that's right, no bending for you!" Amon heard a girl say from the park. He ran towards her, hiding in the bushes.

"Stop, Umi. You're getting on my nerves." It was his Ida! The same wonderful girl from Kyoshi was here in Republic City. "I have to get back to help Nikki. Her arm got messed up pretty bad, and we've got a healing session tonight."

"Ida, you study too much. Take a break, go to the beach," the girl named Umi said. "That's where I'm going with Tivo tomorrow. Why don't you get yourself a date and come with?"

"Umi, you're trying my patience," Ida said, her hands turning to fists.

"Go ahead, throw some ice at me. Anyways, the real reason you won't go isn't because of your studies or any other stupid reason you could give me. You still think about that stupid Newatoke boy from Kyoshi all the time," Umi retorted.

"His name is Noatak!" Ida yelled. Umi laughed.

"Oh, Ida. Grow up already," she said as she left the park. Ida walked the other way, her jug of water on her head. Amon followed her. He waited until he turned the corner onto a back road and then swooped down. She whirled around, and in her shock, her jug shattered.

"Amon! No! Please! Don't take away my bending! I'm a good person who only heals others! Please!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. It nearly broke his heart, seeing her like this.

"Have you ever tried blood bending?" he asked her. Her face went beat red and her tears couldn't stop flowing.

"I'm not that person anymore. Please, I've changed!" she cried. Amon's eyebrows furrowed under his mask. Had Ida been a blood bender? Was that the horrible past Master Fui Shon had led her from?

"I believe your line is, 'that's illegal'," said Amon, trying to comfort her. Ida's face changed and she stopped crying.

"No-Noatak?" she asked in disbelief. "You're Amon?"

"It's good to see you again, Ida," he said warmly, reaching out to hug her. She pushed him away.

"What happened to you? Who are you?" she asked.

"Ida, I am ridding the world of bending. I am saving this place from the oppression and evil of benders. I am helping people. Ida, join me in this quest," he said to her. She shook her head.

"You have become the very thing you set yourself out to destroy. Noatak, you're breaking my heart!" she cried as she ran away from him, tears flowing.

"Ida!" he called, but it was useless. She was gone.

Ida raced down the street, back to the Healing Academy. The annoying secretary was long off to bed. She ferociously dialed the number to Kyoshi's only telephone.

"Hello?" said a bored and sleepy voice. It was Ulani sitting at the phone tonight.

"Ulani! Get Master Fui Shon!" Ida yelled, still crying.

"Ida, is that you? Are you alright?" Ulani asked, awake now.

"Get Fui Shon!" she yelled again. It took only minutes for Ulani to wake Master Fui Shon from his house three buildings away, but to Ida it took hours.

"Ida, are you alright?" he asked calmly.

"Master, you'll never believe this. Noatak is Amon!" she said.

"Yes, I know," said Master Fui Shon. "What of it?" Ida should have guessed that remote Kyoshi wouldn't have news of a horrible threat in Republic City. She quickly told him about what Amon had been doing.

"I see," Master Fui Shon said gravely after she was done. "I should have known he would got to extremes. His father had too much of an influence on him I'm afraid."

"His father?" asked Ida.

"Yes, his father Yakone. He forced Noatak and his brother to blood bend and hurt animals. Noatak found bending oppressive and wanted to stop bad benders, but I'm afraid his quest went a little too far," Master Fui Shon explained.

"Yakone's thirst for power transferred to him. This isn't about bending to him anymore, is it?" asked Ida.

"I'm afraid not," answered Fui Shon. There was a pause.

"Master, did you say Noatak has a brother?" asked Ida.

"Yes, Noatak told me about his brother Tarrlok in some of our sessions," explained Fui Shon. Ida's eyes grew wide.

"Tarrlok is on the city council," she said in a trance.

"Ida, I think it's time to become a bender again," said Master Fui Shon. "You can help Republic City. You have a gift."

"No! I refuse to bend again. I was a horrible person. I manipulated and controlled people. My purpose now is to teach young women to defend themselves from people who were like me," Ida explained.

"Ida, you used your blood bending to hurt, but now you can help with it. I trust you, and you can trust yourself. You are a superior blood bender," said Master Fui Shon.

"If Amon is Yakone's son, he is a far better blood bender than me," Ida explained. "Master, if Tarrlok is Yakone's son as well, he too has probably been overcome by his father's wish for power. When the two inevitably meet, everything will go badly. The best thing for me to do is get out of here." She heard Master Fui Shon sigh on the other end.

"Ida, your reasoning is correct. Besides, the girls miss you. It is about time you came home."

The two did eventually meet. The avatar girl got involved several times and eventually ruined his cover. No one thought he could be trusted anymore, but he completely believed in his cause. Of course, no one would believe this. He took that girl's bending, and unfortunately he also had to take his brother's. But they were safe now. They were getting away from it all.

"Now that we're together again, nothing can stop us. We can start a new life together. It's going to be just like old times," said Amon to his brother.

"Yeah, just like old times," Tarrlok answered.


End file.
