"I know you tried to cry, but your nerve endings wilted away. I'll haunt you in your sleep."- I'll haunt you in your sleep- Optimist Park.

It was miserable outside, the rain pounding against the pavement so hard that the dark haired figure couldn't even hear himself think. Not that he wanted to hear the thoughts in his head anyway, so perhaps that was the reason he stood with his hands jammed in his pockets, staring at the empty streets. His dark violet eyes were glassy and lifeless and his once prided hair hung limp and straight over his them.

Had he even ever noticed how miserable this city is?

The once promising streets he prowled seemed blank. Like all those people before him, he had his moment in time, his flash where he was brighter than everyone, but like the lightning, was faded and replaced by someone else.

He hadn't even won the match. He was to be forgotten after an unfinished round of pro-bending and man with haunting eyes searching for vengeance behind an expressionless mask. His dreams of being written in history books as the greatest Pro-Bender of all time were ripped from his grasp in the cruelest way possible.

This is how she found him. She didn't go looking for him, she didn't even want to see him when she spotted the dark figure just standing in the rain. She owed him nothing, they weren't friends, hell, they didn't even have enough time to really become enemies.

She wasn't thinking about going over to the young man, but she had a hard time believing it was him. Maybe that wasn't it, for after what happened, she should have known he'd be like this. It was more of an impulse- she's always been impulsive- and there was something about the situation that didn't appeal to her, but called for the avatar and she could not deny that part of her.

She walked up to him slowly, as if he'd be startled and disappear. She was sort of hoping he would, so she wouldn't have to face him, but she had never backed down from anything before and she sure as hell wasn't going to start with Tahno.

He noticed her approaching and prayed to the spirits that she be struck by lightning. That she would face some ending right now that was more sticky and painful than the fate of fading into gray that was set before him. Still, he couldn't muster the strength to glare, so he simply turned his lifeless violet eyes to her face hoping that the blank look would persuade her to leave. He should have known the spirits wouldn't grant him any favours.

She had never seen him without an expression- they always made his face seem so sharp and weird, his creepy sinewy smile made her shiver- and it seemed to intrigue her. He almost seemed handsome, with a straight nose, high cheek-bones and square jaw. But perhaps she was just picking up on Mako's appeal since he shared these features with the dark teen in front of her. But, maybe he would have been attractive in his own right if it weren't for the empty expression did nothing to hide the malice she could see behind it. It sort of flowed off him in dark waves that he hoped would pierce her.

"Hey." She stated, feeling dumb for starting out with such a lame response. More than anything, it was there game of wits that had caused them to become rivals. He was snarky and she was proud and those two things clashed into some wonderful word battles. Hell, it was almost beautiful the way he could come up with these comment that would undermine her and get right into her skin.

"Really, that's what you started with." He snorted, turning his pale eyes back to the rain. "I can't contain my excitement for such a riveting conversation." Just leave. He thought. I can't even look at you.

It was then she notice, he was paler than usual, his voice flatter and his hair was stringy. She caught herself holding back a snort that she looked better than the guy who spent much too long curling his hair.

"Well, it's better than how you look right now." She smirked, eyeing up the soaked teen. To her dismay there wasn't even a flash of embarrassment across his face.

In fact, it was as if he hadn't heard her at all. He just kept staring into the rain.

She hated to be ignored.

After a long moment, he turned his glassy eyes towards her, his expression still as blank. With a slow inhale he stared straight into her eyes.

"Just leave."

His voice was so flat she couldn't tell if it was a demand or a plea.

He was just the shell of the annoying boy she'd met in the restaurant, flaunting around while his deep raspy voice made her blood boil.

But what really struck her as she stared at the teen, refusing to leave just to annoy him, was that he was here because of the same reason she was.

Well, sort of.

She was out in the rain, standing next to the lifeless teen since she couldn't stay any longer on Air Temple Island. After another sleepless night with the picture of dark, haunting eyes from behind an expressionless mass, gleaming as hands reached for her with cruel words keeping her up, she felt as if she couldn't breathe and had to leave the stuffy room. Now, as it was nearing dawn she found herself next to the very boy who lived her nightmare.

Nervously she hugged herself, staring out into the rain beside him. How could she stand here and antagonize him when he had been through her greatest fear, faced the only person who made her feel like a weak little girl. If anything, a whisper echoed in her head he's stronger than you are.

The sun had risen now, that she was sure of, but it could not be seen behind the thick clouds of rain. The two teens stood side by side, though worlds apart, long before any of the members of Republic City began to wake for their duties.

After a heavy, long moment, she glanced back up at him. "At the match, I couldn't help but realize that you are an amazing waterbender." She admitted, not knowing what she hoped to accomplish by flattering the boy whose ego is the size of the City itself.

Maybe what she was hoping for was the emotion that flickered behind his face. Pure anger quickly died out to pain, which gave way to bitter resentment in a matter of seconds.

"Was."

"Pardon?"

"I was an amazing waterbender." He closed his eyes, his head hanging even lower. "None of that matters now. If you came to dazzle me with your pathetic attempts at small talk, forget it Avatar. Find someone else to preach to. I could really care less about what you have to say."

She didn't doubt that. He wasn't really one to lie. Gloat, brag, insult and taunt, but not lie.

"You are an amazing waterbender. Those things can't be taken away. Bending can be taken away, but the spirit behind it, the skill, the memory of how it felt rushing through your veins; Amon can't take those things away from us." She shivered alongside him at the sound of his name, and both looked around as if he'd spring into the morning down pour and take them both down.

He did not brighten at her words though.

"Who are you trying to convince? I'm sure your dear Fire Ferrets need the pep talk more than I do." He growled, looked away into the rain again.

To that she had nothing to say.

Sighing, she turned around to head back out into the rain. She didn't even knew why she had tried to cheer him up; why she had come over here in the first place. They were worlds apart, and nothing she could say would fix anything. There was nothing broken to begin with. There was nothing even there. They were simply two strangers, and the only thing they had in common- Pro-Bending- was now lost to them together. She had taken but one step when suddenly a voice that sounded nothing like her own whispered across her mind.

"If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"

Stopping in her tracks she turned back towards the teen. He lifted and eyebrow at her sudden change of mind, the expression almost reminding her of the teen she had met briefly before.

"I'm scared of him too." She whispered, casting her bright eyes to the ground. "He terrifies me. The way he seems to haunt every dream, seems to lurk in every corner."

She had no idea why she had said this to her would-have-been rival when she could hardly admit this weakness to her caring, airbending master.

Perhaps, because he could relate. They were to only two who had any sort of private conversation with the monster.

"But, although I wish I never have to see him again, it is my job to protect the people of Republic City and bring balance to the world. Although I don't know how to give you your bending back Tahno, I promise you I'll avenge you because of it."

He clenched his fists at her words but once again remained silent. His eyes were unreadable and were still focused on the damn rain. Grunting, she turned from him again.

She felt her eyes water in rejection, which she found wholly ridiculous. She didn't care what he thought, but just for a fleeting moment, she thought she had broken through, that she had made a friend.

Since coming to this city, Korra realized she's really bad at making friends.

"No you won't." His voice was clear as it cut through her, interrupting her thoughts.

"Excuse me?" She snapped. For spirits sake she just said she'd avenge him and he doesn't believe her.

"No. You. Won't." He repeated, making each word its own sentence as if it would help her understand. Unbeknownst to the avatar, something had begun to creep back into his voice.

"You think I'm lying?" She screeched.

"No. With your mediocre waterbending, you won't get a chance to avenge me. I'll be heartbroken when you can't make good on your promise. So to save myself from the agony, maybe I'll lend you a hand." He smirked, the creepy pointed smile returning to his face. Korra's had gone red as she glared at him, reading to turn the rain into a river to drown the jerk.

"Are you insulting me?" She growled, and if it were anyone else, they might have cowered.

"Yes. But I'm also giving you another chance to take me up on my offer. You, know, to show you how a real pro bends."

"What are you saying?" She snapped, letting him get to her again with his clever words.

"I'm offering to help you improve, dumb-dumb. I am an amazing waterbender after all." He now fully sneered at her, but she was so damn awestruck that he had offered to help her that she couldn't lift her jaw off the ground.

"Really?" She questioned, not wanting to fall for some cruel game.

"Did I stutter?" He rolled his eyes and started to saunter towards the restaurant where they first met, hands on his hips as he crossed the street.

He turned back to the girl who was still standing dumbstruck on the opposite side of the road, the girl who had stood for the longest time in the pouring rain beside him on some sick avatar duty to make him feel better.

He really didn't like her, but hell, the girl is the only chance he has at making the masked jerk pay for what he did to him, and she could use all the help she could get.

"Hurry up!" He called back, "You're Sifu is hungry and you're buying him breakfast." He almost laughed aloud at her enraged expression but noticed that she dutifully crossed the street after him.

He ran his hand through his hair and re-popped his soaked collar, bringing back the champion she had seen before.

Smirking he enter the shop as if he hadn't been standing the rain at all. Even if he had to lower himself to work with the good-for-nothing Fire Ferrets, like hell Tahno was going to let that mask bastard take away his chance at glory. He'd make those history books one way or another.

Just my idea of what would happen if Tahno gets his bending taken away and Korra takes pity on him. I think they could relate with their fear of Amon. Besides, I think he'd become a great character in their group whose miserable and snarky, making Mako and Bolin's blood boil.

Thinking about continuing it, Maybe? Thoughts my dearies?