The Avatar was dead and Republic City was in flames. In the sky the flying bison circled carrying air acolytes and Tenzin's family. They flew away from Republic City, their hearts and minds scarred forever. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Meelo, Jinora and Ikki were curled around Pema who was holding the newborn Rohan. Tenzin watched them from the reins. His eyes sad and distant. He set the reins down and walked to them, cloak billowing behind him and settled in with his family. They wept.

Mako, Bolin and Asami were on another bison, being directed by an air acolyte. The three of them sat together staring over the side of the saddle at Republic City. The Fire Nation was doing what they could, but Republic City wouldn't survive this war.

The Equalists were winning and the nonbenders were standing together against benders. Mako stared, eyes void of life, at the place he called home. To his right he heard Bolin fail at restraining a whimper and he moved. An arm reached around Bolin holding him while he cried. Asami's arm snaked around Mako's waist and together they shed tears in memory of Korra.

Naga raced through the streets of Republic City, heading towards the outer walls, but a squad of equalists came from nowhere. They tossed their cords, wrapping them around Naga's paws and shocked her until she fell down.

And standing tall in an airship, grinning beneath his mask, Amon stood and stared over his soon to be victory over Republic City.

Weeks passed and the people filtered through the streets again. The Fire Nation had left, realizing the oncoming defeat. They ran hoping to regroup and keep their bending until then. Nonbenders were all that was left in Republic City and the benders who hadn't been able to escape were kept in prison until the day they came face to face with Amon, who took their bending without empathy.

The city was in ruins but buildings were still standing and no one was turned away from a place to sleep in the days that followed. People were celebrating and they whispered to each other as they passed, "The Avatar is dead."

Rumors started about how it happened. Most of them say that Amon was the hero who saved them from the Avatar. Some of them say that he killed her while she was in the Avatar State and there would never be an Avatar again. Another version says that she sacrificed herself, hoping to end the war with her death. The people who believed this version of the story were laughed at for portraying the Avatar as a good-willed person.

A man walked through the marketplace listening to the whispers about the Avatar. Hands in his pockets and head facing the ground. He paused when some children ran in front of him before turning around the corner. The Avatar is dead? Something in him moved and he picked up his pace when he felt it.

The man hurried forward, his destination coming closer. He turned down an alley to find a kid sitting in front of the only door there. The kid looked up and smirked before looking back towards the ground. He held out his hand.

"Move it, Scoochy, I don't have time for this," the man said. Scoochy leered at him.

"Shut it. I know you can't do anything anymore so fork over the yuan or you're not getting in," the boy called Scoochy spat. The man narrowed his eyes and pushed a dark bang out of his face. He took his stance, feeling around him and moved. Scoochy responded to the oncoming water whip by throwing a rock wall between him and the waterbender.

"Y-your-" Scoochy stuttered, his eyes wide as he pushed the wall down into the ground again.

Tahno flipped his hair out of his face again and grinned, "Now let me in."

Scoochy nodded and opened the door. The earthbending boy still in shock.

"Where are we going?" Asami asked the air acolyte, who was called Yuta. Bolin and Mako were both asleep on the far side of the bison.

Yuta glanced sideways at Asami before saying, "We're going to the Western Air Temple. There's a small settlement of air acolytes there. We'll be able to see it any time now." Asami thanked Yuta and walked to the side of the bison. She stared into the distance searching for the air temple and trying not to think about all the things that went wrong. Her hand ached a little and she looked down at it, seeing that she was still wearing the equalist glove she pulled it off and was about to throw it over the side of the bison, but decided against it.

"Hey," Mako's voice said from behind her. He put his arms around Asami and she leaned back into him, "Are you doing alright?"

Asami took a deep breath, gathering her strength to answer him, "No," was all she said. "I miss her, Mako," Her breath shuddered and she felt herself about to cry again. She held it in though. She couldn't cry forever. Mako was warm, like a firebender should be, she thought.

Bolin's voice was heard from the back as a gasp and Asami focused her attention on the front of the bison again. The Western Air Temple was hanging, upside down, from the cliff ledge. It was a breathtaking sight and Asami gasped herself. There were a couple smoke trails leading out from the temple and leaking up over the ledge. It was a strange sight, the opposite of a waterfall, Mako thought.

"Where are we?" Bolin asked, crawling to where Mako and Asami were, he wasn't comfortable on the bison.

"The Western Air Temple," Asami said, staring at the incredible architecture before them.

The bison landed and they climbed off, Tenzin was talking to the resident acolytes while the rest of his family was congregated to the side. The three of them walked over to Pema and she hugged them.

They were shown their new rooms, Mako and Bolin sharing and Asami getting her own across the hall. They were given a time to be at dinner and the three tried their best to get used to the new surroundings. It was hard to forget that they were actually suspended from just a cliffside. Bolin reassured himself by telling himself that the cliff had held the Western Air Temple since before The Hundred Years War. So for at least two hundred years the temple had held. It wasn't as reassuring as it could have been.

"What are we going to do, Tenzin?" Pema asked her husband, holding the sleeping Rohan in her arms. Their other children were also asleep behind them.

"I don't know, Pema." Tenzin responded softly. He was staring out the window into the distance. The wind was blowing in giving tenzin a serene feeling of comfort.

"What's going to happen now?" She asked again.

"The other Nations will be here within the week. We're safe as long as we're not on Republic soil. We'll decide what to do then." He responded still staring out into the dark. He felt Pema standing close behind him and the silence thickened with the question he knew she was going to ask.

"What about Korra?"

He turned to look at her, then, his eyes red from crying and tears shining on his cheeks. "I don't know."

They held each other until the morning.

A month after they arrived at The Western Air Temple the leaders from the other nations had gathered. There were huge pavilions set up on top of the cliff creating an interesting sight from the sky.

Tenzin was constantly in meetings leaving Pema, Mako, Bolin and Asami waiting around for hours for any kind of news. Katara was there, and had stories to tell of the nights that her and Avatar Aang had spent with their friends there including how Sokka had defeated Combustion Man.

Time moved slowly, but the ache they all felt for Korra didn't leave. It hurt them to hear people refer to her as 'Avatar Korra' or 'The Avatar' because it only reinforced the fact that she was gone.

They spent the hours doing chores, helping the acolytes, and keeping themselves busy. It was a welcome distraction from reality. Tenzin finally called them together to talk to them.

"The other Nations have decided to provide sanctuary to any renegade benders or nonbender bender supporters from Amon's Equalist forces. They don't believe Amon will try to expand out of Republic City, he may be strong there, but against entire Armies no chi blocker force stands a chance. Sato's technology or not." He told them, his voice authoritative and strong. They listened to him, knowing exactly what he meant by the speech. "As Air Nomads and Acolytes Pema, the children and I will remain here at The Western Air Temple, but you three may go to wherever you like. An acolyte will take you on a bison if you wish to leave. You're welcome to remain here if you like."

Mako stood and stared at the ground for a moment before making eye contact with Tenzin, "I'd like to join the fight against Amon." He said quietly. Bolin and Asami both looked at him, their faces sad. Bolin stood and nodded his agreement.

"Me too." He said, placing a hand on Mako's shoulder. Asami stood as well, going to stand next to Mako.

"And me."

Tenzin looked at them, and though it was sad, he felt proud of the kids standing before him.

"Very well, then."