Chapter 6: The Peacekeeper
Femke's POV
A few days went by and I didn't hear anything from Tarrlok. I assumed it had to do with our disagreement so I went to his office the day before the big finale of Pro-Bending, hoping I would find him there and I did. Buried in his paperwork.
"How much paperwork can one man have?" I asked jokingly after I had knocked on the door and a voice had called 'come in'
"Enough. So I'm sorry, I can't go to the Finals with you tonight." Tarrlok said as he looked at me.
"That's not why I'm here. I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn't have assumed you wanted to come with me because of your powers. And I also shouldn't have pressured you into giving up your entire life." I said as I sat down near him.
"You came to apologize?" Tarrlok asked me as his secretary quickly left the room, in case it would come down to screaming and fighting.
"I was a harsh on you. I was just so excited to meet a fellow fairy from another dImension that i forgot this is where you grew up and have your home and job." I said.
"You kind of were. Maybe I could go see your world for a day when I'm free. I am curious." Tarrlok smiled.
"Who wouldn't be?" I smiled as I used my magic to show him some images of Magix, at which he looked smiling a little.
"Looks great. When I have a free day I will sure come to visit and is that Sato mobile flying?" Tarrlok asked as he looked at the floating car with an incredulous look on his face, since that wasn't something they had here.
"It's levitating with magic." I smiled as I showed him some more things about magic. We stayed like this until it was almost time for the Finals.
"You sure you don't want to come along?" I asked by the door as I put my jacket on.
"Yes. I'm already behind as it is. Go. I will see you afterwards." Tarrlok smiled at me, which made me smile back before I headed to the stadium. Smiling I went to the dressing room of the Fire Ferrets first, since there was still some time before the match started.
"Are you guys ready for the big match?" I asked smiling as I leaned against the doorpost.
"Yes. We might be the underdogs but we will give them a worthy fight." Mako said as he smiled at Asami, with whom he rubbed noses lovingly.
"Good luck everyone. I hope you win. Take the smirks of those bastard Wolf Bats." I said.
"We will. Thanks for your support, Femke." Korra smiled at me.
"But where have you been? I haven't seen you for some time." Korra said as she gave me a worried look.
"I was trying to get Tarrlok to come with me to Magix. It didn't work." I said, which made Korra sigh.
"Femke. That man can't be trusted. I told you to stay away from him." Korra said as she looked at me angrily.
"He is a lot but no one is completely good or completely evil. There is always good in someone. I told you that before as well. Besides, you would have been rid of him if he were to come with me to Magix." I said with a smile on my face.
"So that was what you were up to? Get him to leave with you so this world will be rid of him?" Korra asked smirking.
"And in the end save everyone." I smiled as I showed her my magic but just as she wanted to give a reply I heard a cheering crowd.
"We will discuss the rest later, Korra. First you have some Wolf Batt heads to knock the grin off." I smiled as I nodded to the arrived elevator, at which Korra and the others nodded and went on, smiling I waved them off wishing them good luck before I went to sit down in the arena as well and look at the match. At first they were doing great, and it even looked like they were going to win but in the end and thanks to some very strange decisions of the referee the Wolfbats won.
'That's just great. Those cheaters won. Now they will never leave Korra and her crew alone.' I thought as I watched the three of them make an extra round threw the area, making me huff in annoyance.
"Showoffs." I muttered as Thano proudly proclaimed.
"I barely broke a sweat. Anybody else want to scrap with the champs? " As he raised his hand in the air, making many people cheer for them. As everyone did so, I saw a few benches before me someone put up a mask, knowing what this meant I got up from seat and carefully made my way to the place Tenzin and Lin were standing, just as one of the Equalists popped up behind them.
"Tenzin! Lin! Watch out behind you!"I called as I made an earth wall between Lin and the equalist, dropping them to the ground.
"Thanks." Tenzin muttered as he looked at me shocked, as I fought a few more Equalists as I heard Amon's speech in the background, which gave me the shivers.
"I believe I have your attention, benders of Republic City." Amon said as I managed to finally fend off the last Equalists and went to the front railing that separated the stadium from the water and the arena, a chill running down my spine as I looked at Amon.
"So once again, the Wolfbats are your Pro Bending champions. It seems fitting that you celebrate three bullies who cheated their way to victory." Amon said as he pointed to the audience. "Because every day you threaten and abuse your fellow non-bending Citizens just like the Wolfbats did to their opponents tonight." He said as he pointed at the Wolfbats climbing out of the water below the stadium looking battered.
"Those men were supposedly the best in the Bending world and yet it only took a few moments for me to cleanse them of their impurity. Let this be a warning to all of you benders out there; if any of you stand in my way, you will meet the same fate." Amon said, which made another chill go down my spine
"Now, to my followers, for years the Equalists have been forced to hide in the shadows but now, we have the numbers and the strength to create a new Republic City! I'm happy to tell you the time for change has finally come." Amon said as he looked at the audience, and in particular to the people who followed him "Very soon the current tyrannical bending regime will be replaced by fair minded Equalist government. You and your children will no longer need to walk afraid." Amon said as I looked around with a frightened look in my eyes.
'Where is korra? We need you, Avatar Korra.' I thought as I looked around with a panicking look, smiling when I spotted her below the area with Mako and Bolin.
"It's time to take back our city. For centuries, benders possessed an unnatural advantage over ordinary people. But thankfully, modern technology has provided us with a way to even out the playing field. Now anyone can hold the power of a Chi blocker in their hand. My followers and I will not rest until the entire city achieves equality. And once that goal is achieved, we will equalize the rest of the world. The revolution has begun!" Amon said as he raised his fist in the air, I looked at him, shocked, before I quickly made my choice, using my bending to swoop myself on the stage as well, I took a gulp before I approached Amon.
"Amon." I said firmly just as the Equalist leader wanted to step on the lift that would get him out of here. "My name is Femke, Fairy Princess of Scheffield. I want to speak to you." I said loudly, so everyone could hear it. Amon just inclined his head.
"That's a lot of names for someone like you. Especially since that sort of magic doesn't exist." Amon said firmly as he looked at me, which still made me shudder on the inside, while on the outside I was trying to keep calm in order for this to work.
"It does, since I am here and I want to talk to you." I said, sounding more confident then I felt "You claim to be the hero of the non bender revolution but all you have done is create a war between the benders and the non benders without even considering a peaceful way." I said calmly as I looked around.
"Benders and non benders lived together in harmony for years and years after the end of the hundred year war. There have been problems, yes people died but they weren't always non benders and they didn't always die at the hands of benders. You're putting the blame of the deeds of a few of us on the shoulders of every bender including the ones that want to have nothing to do with oppressing benders. Maybe even benders who suffered losses at the hands of non benders." I said firmly.
"I know what you are doing is what you think is for the best for the world but starting another war is too far. So I'm here to offer you another solution. Meet me and the members of the Council tomorrow at noon. Then we will talk this out. No Task Force, no extra security. Only the Councilmembers and me." I said as I looked at Amon with a calm look and as I did so a strange image struck me, an image of a young brown haired boy with piercing blue eyes and a ponytail looking down at a younger looking boy in the middle of a snowstorm as the young boy was seemingly in a lot of pain.
'What the heck was that? The young boy looked like Tarrlok. The other one must have been Noatak. Why did I see that?' I thought as I shook it off quickly. I had to find out what that meant another time. Now I had to focus on Amon.
"How can I be sure you will keep your word?" The Masked leader asked me as his men got their weapons.
"Because I have an agreement with Councilman Tarrlok not to. I got him to talk this out instead of fighting." I said.
"Very well, I will be there tomorrow. But if this turns out to be a trap you will regret it." Amon said before I was struck in the back by something that shocked me, before I passed out.
Normal POV
"Femke? Femke answer me." A voice called from the distance, getting Femke to groan and sit up, looking around, dazed, only to see Tarrlok look at her with a worried expression on his face.
"What happened?" Femke asked, moaning as she placed a hand on the side of her head and looked at her friend.
"You were stunned. Are you okay?" Tarrlok asked as he looked at Femke worriedly. Femke nodded, then realized what she had just managed to do and hugged Tarrlok around her neck.
"I did it. I managed to get Amon to come to City Hall tomorrow and talk. I was so scared, but I did it." Femke said as she held Tarrlok close.
"You did what?' Korra asked as she looked at Femke angrily, making Femke look up since she hadn't even seen the young avatar just now.
"I talked to Tenzin and the rest of the Council and we agreed to try and talk this out before we start a complete war." Femke said as she got up with the help of Tarrlok, who smiled at her as he did so.
"Are you the Avatar all of a sudden? I thought you were just here to collect your fairy friends, then get back to your own duties. Not completely replace me and act like you own the place." Korra said angrily.
"I'm not, Korra. I just wanted to help. I'm a peacekeeper as well, you know!" Femke shouted, swallowing another 'If you were more like Aang you would have understood.' On advice of Tarrlok.
"Good luck then, Avatar Femke. I'm out of here." Korra said angrily, making Femke sight and look down sadly.
"I'm not the Avatar and i never will be but as a fairy it is my duty to keep peace between all the worlds, including this one." Femke said as she looked at Korra with a sad look. "If I fail, there is far more at stake then just one world. Darkar will destroy all dImensions if I don't bring the Voortrix back together," Femke said as she looked at Tarrlok.
"Then do that and keep your nose out of this world's business." Korra said firmly.
"You don't get it do you? These kind of affairs that threaten the balance of all worlds concern me just as much as they concern you. I want to help you Korra. That's all I want." Femke said desperately as she looked at Korra with a sad look.
"You know how you can help? By realizing that you're not part of this World. That having one Adventure and then leaving and returning after more than fifty years doesn't mean you have the right to act like you know this place better than the people that actually live in it. That we're not kids incapable of taking care of our own problems without the Almighty Femke having to hold our hands and dictate what we should do. You can help by staying out of our way and let US take OUR world since we live in it. We know it. And we don't need an outsider's help." Korra said firmly, before she walked off, leaving Femke to look after her sadly.
"Leave her be, Femke." Tarrlok said as he looked at me with a smile on his face.
"I just... I want to be free to move between the worlds. Have adventures all through the many galaxies. I never expected things to get so complicated." Femke said as she smiled at Tarrlok, then looked up at the sky.
"You will come tomorrow?" Tarrlok asked.
"Of course. I promised, didn't I?" femke smiled as she raised her thumb at Tarrlok who smiled back at her widely, happy she would be there tomorrow.
Femke's POV
The next day in the afternoon I was standing next to Tarrlok as we waited for Amon to show up. I gulped as I looked at Tarrlok every now and then since I was nervous even if this had been my idea.
"Don't worry, you'll do great." Floxy whispered in my ear as he sat on my shoulder and looked at the door.
"But we promised we only would be with five people here today. So make sure you're hidden before he..." I started my line, but stopped as the door opened and the masked leader of the Equalists came in. His Lieutenant close behind him.
"Amon." I whispered as I gulped, happy when I felt Tarrlok squeeze my hand in a reassuring way as he gave me a small smile to keep me from panicking.
"Awesome." I heard Floxy whisper as he duck in my ponytail to avoid Amon would see him.
"Welcome, Amon. Thank you for your time." I said as I gave a small but polite bow.
"Good of you to be here. Let's start. The non benders of the city feel oppressed and abused by the benders and no one does anything to help them." Amon said.
"Doesn't the republic city police everything to roll up criminal gangs who attack the non benders?" I asked since I had heard other stories from Tarrlok. "Because I heard that Chief Beifong does everything in her power to roll up these bandits." I said as I smiled at Tarrlok who nodded.
"Yet she fails to see it aren't only bands of bandits that oppress non benders, that the entire System of Law is out to oppress Non Benders. What does she do about that?" Amon challenged.
"I know there might be people who do that but like i said there are also non benders who threaten and oppress benders." I said as I looked at him.
"Why do you think this is true? I heard you have been gone from this world for quite a while, little fairy." Amon said, which made me gulp and look at Tarrlok, who nodded smiling as he got next to me.
"Because I have been back for quite some time now and studied everything that has happened while I was gone with the help of Tarrlok." Femke smiled.
"So you've read about the things me and my people lived. So what were you planning on doing about the state the non benders based on your. studies, little fairy?" Amon asked with a mocking tone in his voice as he spat the word 'fairy'.
"Well, the police should maybe be more alert on smaller cases of power abuse as well and maybe have a special line on the phone to report it when you suspect or see abuse." Femke said as she rubbed over her chin in a pondering way.
"Clever ideas. Keep going." Floxy whispered in my ear in an encouraging way.
"And i'm sure there should be a lot more ways to resolve these problems between the two groups without the need of a all out war over the backs of the people that don't want to have anything to do with these things." I said as I looked at Tarrlok, who smiled and nodded.
"No. The benders of the city should have thought more about the non benders of the city before. Now there is no way back. The world will be Equalized." Amon said with a solemn voice as his lieutenant suddenly got his weapons, having a feeling where this was going I grabbed Tarrloks hand and gave it a small squeeze, nodding when he looked at me.
'Let's protect everyone.' I tried to tell him with my eyes as I carefully brought my hands together. Just as i saw the lieutenant wanted to charge in and strike I called "Enchantix voortrix!" before I changed in my fairy form.
"Great!" Tarrlok smirked as he looked at me as I flew up to avoid the charging lieutenant then bent some giant boulders at him. The lieutenant was quick and headed for Tarrlok this time, knowing he couldn't fly up and get away.
"No!" I exclaimed as I flew in to help but Tarrlok was faster and somehow managed to blast him with the same radiant light he had used before.
Normal POV
"Good going! Now let's take them out." Femke called as she dodged the lieutenant and managed to bend some more Equalists away from the Council members, who held their own.
"How? There's a lot of them. Watch it!" Tarrlok said as he pointed to the Equalist popping up behind Femke as she spoke.
"Did your mother never learn you it is rude to interrupt someone when she is talking? " Femke called jokingly as she kicked the Equalist away before another one managed to hit her.
"Femke!" Tarrlok called as he waterbent the Equalist off his friend then moved at her side.
"We have to try and head them off." Femke groaned as she watched from the corner of her eye how Tenzin got stunned as well.
"How? There is too many of them and we don't have the element of surprise in our favor like last time." Tarrlok said as he helped Femke stand.
"Just like last time! Together!" Femke called as she kicked a few Equalists away then made her way towards Tarrlok, locking hands as a radiant light spread through both of them, knocking the Equalists off their feet and into a wall, before the two fairies fell on the ground.
"We will be back. And you will fall." Amon said, before he and the lieutenant were gone, soon followed by the rest of the Equalists.
"That was a close one." Tenzin sighed as he watched Femke and Tarrlok, whom were still on the ground, Tarrlok was out cold while Femke was struggling to stay conscious.
"A little too close for my liking." Femke groaned as she sat up and carefully shook Tarrlok.
"Come on, come on. We made it." Femke said as she shook him more violently in the hope of waking him up.
"I'm fine. I'm fine." Tarrlok groaned as he stirred then sat up as well.
"Your plan failed, Femke There is no reasoning with Amon." Tarrlok said as he looked at Femke, who looked down sadly.
"I had hoped he would at least try and negotiate but it seems I was wrong about him." Femke said as she looked down sadly, since she had hoped that she would have been able to stop a war.
"You did well to try and offer some peaceful solution. You were brave for trying this." Tenzin said as he placed a hand on the back of the brunette, who smiled in return.
"Thanks, Tenzin." Femke smiled as she looked up at the older man.
"But it didn't work." Tarrlok groaned as he got up and dusted himself off. "I'm sorry Femke but it seems we have no other option left now then war." Tarrlok said as he looked at Femke worriedly.
"He is beyond reasoning as it seems. I'm against it but you can do what you think is best to defend the city." Femke said as she looked down sadly. She had hoped to bring peace but now they were about to engage in war. she wasn't such a good peacekeeper as she thought she was.
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And with that I end the chapter! I hope you all liked it.
A/N:
I used some scenes in this episode and the last one that are taken from the real series, all rights and characters are with Nickelodeon.
Korra got mad at Femke for wanting to do her job to protect the city. But i'm not intending to make Femke a second avatar next to Korra. Korra is and will always be the Avatar. Femke just has an ability in common with her and for the rest nothing.
Amon was planning on ambushing the Council and not actually try and negotiate. Femke's naïve nature made that she actually believed that Amon wanted to find a peaceful resolution. I think this won't be the last time we see this side of Femke despite the harsh lesson she learned today.
That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed it. And don't forget to thank paranoidgirl for doing such a awesome job as beta reader and adviser so far. Maybe check out her stuff.
Please leave a review!