From the South Pole, the skies are the largest. The stars pepper the sky and they glow in constellations that Katara has been able to connect since she was just a little girl. While the horizon to horizon skyline in the south doesn't contain the miracle of light that appears in the North Pole, rippling across space, it's still beautiful because there is no light pollution that blocks out any of the stars. And Katara can see them all and she teaches them.
First to Aang, and Sokka, and Suki. Then later, to Kya, and Bumi, and Tenzin. Even later, after her brother and her husband and her sister-in-law have all passed on, and her children no longer have time to entertain their aging mother, Katara teaches the stars to her grandchildren. Jinora is easy: she is a mild, curious girl with a heart of gold. Ikki is harder and Meelo is impossible. But, when Rohan comes along, Katara is almost too old, but when she cradles her grandson under the light of the moon, and watches as his pudgy fingers reach for the sky, she finds peace.
As years pass, Rohan and Jinora learn all the stars from their grandmother and they search out places where they can get the best views, but the constant city lights of Republic City block out their favourite constellations and the siblings are forced to admire the more common and easily spotted stars. The trips to the North or South Poles are always accompanied by one night of stargazing. Katara always joins them, despite the crick in her hip.
One night, Jinora promises that she'll teach people about the stars to make up for Katara being unable to travel anymore. The Waterbender laughs. She married the Avatar, loved him, and he was an open book, but the spark in Jinora's eyes, and the reflection in Rohan's, is as true as any that lived in her late husband. Katara can only smile and kiss them each, thanking them.
Jinora watches the stars all through the chaos that unfolds around Harmonic Convergence. She anchors herself through them to the mortal world, but she also takes in the beauty that exists in the spirit world. Still, when she returns to her body and the spirits return to her world, Jinora's eyes wander up to follow the maps and reread the stories of the planetary beauty above her.
As the Airbenders start reappearing, her father campaigns for a new nation. Jinora joins them. She wonders if the stars look any different from the Earth Kingdom. Internally she doesn't think they do, but there's a nagging piece of her consciousness that tells her she might see new stars. In reality, she knows they'll be the same, but the mountains will restrict the skyline. She intends to stargaze when she has the time, but her new duties keep her far busier than expected.
Her first glimpse of the stars in the Earth Kingdom comes at an unexpected time, with an unexpected person at her side. Kai is new to airbending, and he is new to Jinora. She thinks he's cute and funny, but it's purely an accident when she stumbles upon him in the middle of the night. Even under the dim lighting from the moon, his eyes glow with excitement as he asks her what she's doing.
Jinora doesn't know how to explain her passion exactly, so she takes Kai's hand and she shows him. They stand on the highest open area of the airship and look up. From the height they're at, the mountains cast interesting shadows across the sky, but Jinora can still see all her stars. She sees them better here than at Air Temple Island because there are no flashing city lights to cut away their beauty. Jinora stands under the stars somewhere in the Earth Kingdom and she smiles.
Beside her, Kai decides that Jinora is as pretty as the stars she admires so much.
The world is weighing on her chest and Jinora can't breathe. Kai is gone and she doesn't know why and there is no air in her body. She paces and inhales large gulps of air, but her mind is still short-circuiting. Korra's hand falls on her shoulder, but the young Airbender takes no solace in it. Though it's been only days, Jinora is already so close to Kai. He's like her, but unrestrained, or that's what she thought.
She disappears from the hall as soon as Lin arrives. Kai is her friend, but the strong look from her father is enough to tell her that her input is not needed, not valued, and not helpful. She retreats to the yard and stares up at the sky: blue dotted with white fluff. It's the wrong kind of sky and Jinora fails to see the beauty in it. If it was the night sky, she reasons, she might be able to connect with Kai. He seems to like the stars as much as she does.
When Jinora uses her spirit projection later to search under the lake, she wishes it was dark out. It's easier to anchor using the stars, but she focuses on Korra instead. Still, her spirit is drawn in a different direction, but she has to refuse its call. When the lake proves a dead end, the Avatar suggests she look for Kai. Jinora feels stupid: why hadn't the stars told her to do so the night prior? It seems to obvious.
She finds him easily, and to her surprise, the summons she felt earlier were actually Kai. The room is tiny and cramped and dark. Still, she can make out his silhouette thanks to the hours they spent watching the sky with only nature's light to guide them. He looks at her and her artificial light reflects off his eyes and Jinora's never been gladder to see the colour green.
Later, they've left the Earth Queen's territory a little less than gratefully, but Jinora can breathe again. Still, the airship doesn't smell like home and Jinora longs for the fresh air that comes with her airbending so she disappears. There's a smaller balcony near the top of the ship that Asami showed her that gives Jinora a nice view of the sky. She leans her arms against the railing and retells the stories of the constellations in her mind as she identifies them one by one.
It doesn't take long for Kai to find her. Even in only a few days, he's already proven to be very good at finding her. He doesn't say anything, doesn't apologize more for running off. Jinora figures he's apologized enough and that he's rationalized his escapade as a way to discover the Earth Queen's stash of Airbenders. She doesn't argue with him and doesn't prompt him to explain. He's Kai and she lets him be.
Instead, Jinora just watches the stars at his side. She presumes he's equally bewitched by their beauty, as he hardly stirs even as the morning starts to draw near. What she doesn't see, is that every moment she watches the twinkle of soon to be, or now, extinct gas giants, he's watching the gentle sloping planes of her cheeks and the smoothness of her skin and the way the stars put the light in her eyes.
They split from the Avatar after Zaofu and head to the Northern Air Temple. She figures, since Kai easily took to her enthrallment with the night skies, he will also understand her culture simply, but it's not that easy. He's playful and sometimes obstinate, and doesn't really understand the focus of her father's lessons. Still, his airbending is to be marvelled at. For a beginner, he can nearly match the skills of Ikki and Meelo.
Jinora takes a special interest in watching Kai train, even as her father pushes them too hard and expects perfection with no level of understanding. While she hasn't particularly bonded with any of the other Airbenders, Kai is her friend, her best friend, and she wants to stick up for him. Still, she can't bring herself to face her father and tell him that he's wrong. He's the Master after all.
The temple has nicer views than the airship. It's higher up, and less restricted by massive amounts of metal in the sky. There is no pollution being actively generated and the temple produces little to no light pollution. The skylines are a little clearer and the skies are a little bigger, but it's still nothing compared to the poles. The air is clean and cold at night and it tingles when she breathes deeply.
As she's standing, observing, a shaky gust of wind summons her a flower and Jinora plucks it out of the air current and smiles. She doesn't have to turn to see who it is. He's been with her every night since the first. Even if her father wouldn't be mad about her midnight stargazing sessions, he would be, he would be furious that she attends them with Kai of all people. As usual, he doesn't say much, and whenever Jinora catches him staring at her, he just smiles.
Jinora starts torealize that Kai is caught looking at her more times than he is looking at the sky. And maybe she's caught looking at him quite a few times too.
The day after their misadventure with the baby bison, Jinora channels Kai when she asks her father for her tattoos. The gravity of his expression makes her think she has overstepped, but she anchors herself to Kai and their midnight secret in her stubbornness. Her father explodes and Jinora finally feels the rage that she's been trying to subdue. She flees, and to no surprise, Kai is at her side.
When he's freed himself from the cage, his next priority instantly becomes her, but she insists on the bison, but Kai insists on her. It's not a great plan and it goes wrong almost instantly, but when her father comes and he and Kai stop the truck, Jinora breathes easily. Maybe he'll finally say something that night, and maybe she'll find the appropriate way to say thank you.
In the evening, she settles on a warm smile and a seat next to her with a spectacular view. He takes it without complaint, and for the first time, he asks about them. He asks her about the constellations and where her knowledge came from and how long she's been worshipping the stars. Truthfully, Jinora can only say that she's loved them for as long as she could remember and for as long as she's known her grandmother.
From that subject, Jinora gushes about her favourite star locations and which ones you can see from anywhere in the world, and which ones are exclusive to the North and South Poles. There are certain stars that she can only see during certain times of the year from particular places in the poles thanks to the wide expanses of sky and seasonal rotation of the constellations. Jinora talks about the stars themselves for long enough that Kai nearly loses interest, but he pretends.
He nods and tries to listen, but Jinora's eyes are glittering and she's smiling and her hair is framing her face just right enough that Kai can't focus on anything but her. And what Jinora doesn't know, doesn't realize, won't hurt her, he reasons, so he continues to watch her.
The secret lessons continue. Kai's priorities shift, and so do Jinora's. She becomes more like him and he more like her. Still, they share the quiet moments under the open expanse of sky at night. Jinora tells the stories about how her grandmother, the previous Avatar's wife, and an incredible Waterbender of her own right, loved the stars so much that she attempted to impart her wisdom upon everyone she met. When Kai makes the comparison, Jinora is surprised.
She hasn't tried to teach anyone. Kai laughs and asks what she thought they were doing at night. Jinora bristles because she wonders if Kai is suggesting that she's forcing him to be here, but her anger dissipates when she sees his face because his green eyes are twinkling and he doesn't look malicious. Jinora knows he simply spoke with the poise of a child, something she has done in her life before as well, so she shakes her head at her friend.
They're there and no one is forcing them. The sky calls to them in its glory—Jinora to the night sky and it's extraterrestrial beauty and Kai to the blue of daytime and the freedom of flying. But, he's willing to listen to her and to learn, because she's Jinora and he's Kai and then, he knows he'd give anything just to spend a little more time with her.
Korra's warning comes too late and the panic that sweeps the Air Temple grips Jinora. Her father leads their charge for the exit, her siblings and mother as her sides, but they're cornered too quickly and fear swells through her chest. Zaheer doesn't harm them, but he corrals them and they are dumped with all the other benders and for a moment, Jinora is paralyzed because he's not there.
And then Kai is thrust towards the group and there's a scratch on his face and Jinora doesn't doubt there will be bruises, but her hand rests against his back and she anchors through him. Jinora is terrified and Kai's erratic breathing tells his own emotions plainly, but there's a fire in him that gives her hope.
And then her father attacks and she's instructed with a weight that she gladly shoulders and she ushers her fellow Nomads towards the exit, barely able to spare a terrified look back for her father and her aunt and uncle. Jinora leads and Kai falls to the back briefly, ushering the group out of the blasts from the combustion bender.
The air is supercharged with smoke and Jinora coughs with watery eyes as she leads towards the bison stables. Kai rejoins her and she wants to take his hand, but with the eyes of all the other scared Airbenders, Jinora knows it will not help. Her spine stiffens and she prepares to give the orders, but Kai steps out of cover carefully, testing for safety. Jinora's heart pounds.
He barely has time to wave his hand forwards before the air is thick again and the ground is exploding. Jinora's hands grab Kai's shirt as she hauls him back. He leans against the wall and the eyes of all the Airbenders and Jinora are on him. Pema voices her concern and Jinora prepares to tell everyone to run, but Kai's eyes wander down and he looks determined. Jinora swallows her words.
And then he's trying to leave and Jinora grabs his arm, but his brows are knit and she knows that look from the rooftops when he desperately tries to learn the constellations to impress her and her grip loosens enough for him to jerk away. He calls for them to retreat and Jinora's heart leaps into her throat. Still, she's too late to stop him and his distraction is already working.
Her fear is suffocating her, but Jinora still leads her people towards the bison to take advantage of her friend's sacrifice. Kai dodges one blast, two blasts, three, four, and then P'li isn't aiming for the lone Airbender anymore. They're done. And in the milliseconds before the attack fires, Kai does the unthinkable and just barely, barely, distracts her in time and the attack ricochets to another part of the temple.
And then Jinora's world stops spinning. Because the next shot sends him plummeting towards the ground after an ear-splitting crash with smoke and fire and his name is torn from her throat and her eyes sting with salt. The bison have fled and Jinora sinks to her knees because the Airbenders are now Zaheer's captives and Kai is gone, probably dead.
It's the first night Kai has spent alone since he joined the Airbenders and all he can think of is Jinora and her smile and her passion for the stars. And now she probably thinks he's dead and he pulls his knees into his chest. Lefty, the baby bison who helped him, is snoozing nearby and Kai looks up to the sky and thinks of Jinora and hopes that wherever she is, she is safe and that she can see the same stars he can.
As Asami unbuckles her cuffs, Jinora rubs her wrists and her gazes wanders to Bolin, and Mako, and Sue, and Lin, and then finally, to Kai. She stumbles to her feet and throws her arms around him. She's trembling against him and Kai's face dips into her hair as he hugs her back tightly. Her eyes are shining as she releases him, expressing her genuine shock at his survival. Kai just laughs and reminds her of his tenacity. Jinora slugs him, but their eyes are both shining with enough power to rival the stars.
Zaheer falls and with him falls Korra. The Airbenders played their part, and now Jinora deals with the guilt, the fear, the upset, that comes with Korra's fall. She faces it slowly and with only the company of her family. But while Jinora mourns Korra's loss, her father reveals her dream and she's going to become a Master. She wants to be happy, she does, but with all that's happened and the changes that have happened since she last requested her tattoos, all she can feel is dread that settles over her like an unbearable weight.
She runs.
In the end, she's not surprised by who happens upon her. It's dark enough and the first lights are creeping across the horizon. Jinora pulls her knees to her chest and stares down at the water of the cover, unable to look up at the sky. Kai sits next to her, close enough that she can feel his heat, but not close enough to touch. Jinora closes her eyes and exhales slowly.
"You're allowed to be happy," Kai tells her softly.
Jinora bristles. "How? How do I be happy with everything that's happened?"
The boy scoots a little closer and now they're touching. The side of his knees are brushing against hers and Jinora is suddenly hyperaware of his presence. He smells like earth, and fresh air, and a little bit of wood smoke too, but it's a familiar smell that Jinora has always associated with Kai. He's warm too and Jinora leans into him subconsciously. Kai drapes an arm around her and tilts his chin up to look at the stars.
"There's this girl I know," he says, "and I think she's amazing. She's an awesome Airbender and a good storyteller too, plus, she's got this really cool spiritual connection that I admire. She's very smart and she's more than just a legacy. I can't decide the best part about her though. She's just so selfless and kind and patient and wonderful and she's beautiful too. And she knows an awful lot about the stars. I don't want to try and count the nights I stayed up with her. And I don't regret even a minute of it."
Jinora feels a lot warmer. Whether it's from the blood rushing to her face and burning her ears, or whether Kai is just a human heating machine, she's not sure, but it's probably the former. She finally opens her eyes and looks up. The warm colours of the sunset are almost completely gone and Jinora picks out one of her first constellations. It's the Lovers of Omashu, and right now, it feels oddly fitting.
"Jinora," Kai continues softly. "Your ascension is long overdue and I'm sure Korra would agree. Don't give up hope yet either. She's stronger than any of us."
Jinora doesn't have the words to reply, so she doesn't. Instead, her hand finds his and she squeezes it reassuringly. They're okay. She's okay. She's going to be a Master.
Without her hair, Jinora feels too exposed. She's been anointed, but her hair is still gone and she mourns it. The tattoos are almost surreal and some days she almost does a double take when people refer to her as Sifu or Master. Her parents are proud, her siblings are secretly jealous, and Kai is excited enough for both of them. She still remembers the night after her ascension, they were looking at the stars, as usual, when Kai presented her with a gift: a book on navigation using only stars. Jinora had been speechless.
It's no longer sitting by her bedside table, but that's only because it's now packed with most of her other belongings as she prepares to disappear for a month or two. It's a rite of passage as an Airbending Master to visit the temples and to meditate and pray. She's leaving Air Temple Island and she's going alone. Her siblings have already said their goodbyes and her parents are seeing her off. Pepper, her new sky bison, is getting antsy, but Jinora can't leave yet.
She's waiting for him.
He finally shows up, right before she almost gives up hope, and he crosses the courtyard in the blink of an eye. Jinora spies her mother dragging her unwilling father away after beaming brightly at her daughter. When her family disappears from view, Kai receives her full attention. He looks a little shy, and it's unusual for him. Between the pair of them, Kai has always been the more outspoken of the two.
"So, I'm leaving," Jinora begins awkwardly.
The edges of Kai's lips curl up a little and he nods. He's awkward and she's awkward and it doesn't take long to figure out why. Jinora can't remember a time, besides during Zaheer's terror, that she spent more than a few hours away from Kai, and there's only one night she can remember, since she met him, that she's not been stargazing with him. Even though he wasn't big on it originally, he warmed to it, just as Jinora warmed to his rule-breaking ways. But now she's leaving for at least a month and she's leaving him behind. It's creating an invisible rift between them and Jinora swallows the lump in her throat.
"Hey Jinora," Kai says suddenly. "Even though you won't be here, I'm still going to watch the stars," he informs her. She blinks at him in surprise. She had figured that he would take the extra sleep instead. "I mean," he continues, "if you do the same, it'll be almost like we're still together because, you know, we're still seeing the same stars under the same sky," he proposes.
Jinora laughs. This boy, this crazy boy, who's not a genius and doesn't read well and can be a troublemaker at the worst times, is the most intelligent person she's ever met. Raava forbid she ever tell him that, so she settles for hugging him as tightly as she can, and as tightly as she dare.
When Jinora returns, her hair is finally growing back and she can almost twist the strands of his around her fingers. Kai's busier now, her father finally trusting him more, and Jinora hardly gets to see him, but they still meet every night to discuss the stars. Kai makes her laugh by describing new images he sees in the stars and Jinora tells him about the sunsets and rises from the Air Temples around the world. It's a fair trade, they reason, since they both never stop smiling.
And one night there's a pesky lock of hair that just won't stay, and Jinora has given up, but Kai hasn't even started. He brushes it aside as they're talking and the words die away because Jinora doesn't know when he got this close and his hand lingers at her cheek. Then they're both leaning in and maybe it's the moonlight's magic, but Jinora's kissing Kai and she feels as bright as the stars she worships.
Tenzin tears them apart. He doesn't know the truth that transpired between the young Airbenders, but there are missions that require their attention and Kai and Jinora are separated. After the first innocent kiss, their moonlight rendezvous were considerably more tame, as neither knew how to progress, so they didn't. But, now their destinations are completely different places as Kai is going to the Earth Kingdom with Opal, and Jinora's apparently not allowed to say where she's headed with her siblings.
Kai tells her to keep looking at the stars and he'll do the same so they're connected. "I'll write," he promises.
"We'd have more luck if I just projected to you," Jinora teases. Kai's writing is still subpar.
He perks up. "Jin! You're a genius! That way we could still watch the stars together!"
She smiles. His enthusiasm is charming and his smile is far cuter than she remembers, but she promises she'll project whenever they have the time.
"And if you can't find me?" he asks, right before they leave, both Pepper and Lefty ready for take-off.
"I'll always find you," she confesses. "We're connected." She gathers her courage and kisses him on the cheek before she runs off to Pepper to join her siblings. Ikki just smiles, but Meelo won't shut up until Ikki gives him a glare.
As Pepper takes off, Jinora watches Kai's figure grow smaller and smaller and she smiles. Same sky, same stars.
Kuvira's reign is terrifying. The Air Nation becomes instrumental and Kai and Jinora lose touch. Jinora never has the time or energy to project, and letters are too commonly intercepted, but still they watch the stars and know that somewhere else, the other is watching too.
In the end, their reunion is far too serious and under harsh enough circumstances that they barely can exchange words. The night before Kuvira's final gambit, they stumble across each other atop Future Industries' factory. No words are needed, and they understand. What they share transcends words because their connection is written in the stars.
After the blast, Jinora stumbles to the ground, unsure of the ending, her heart hammering in her chest. Everyone has reappeared, including Korra and Kuvira, except him and Jinora has never felt more terrified. Somehow, the rubble around her suddenly explodes outward and he scrambles out, collapsing, and she falls to her knees and cradles him. He's injured and she wants to kiss him again, but this isn't the time. She yells for a healer and focuses on him.
Somewhere during all the chaos of the last few years, Kai has become her anchor just as much as the stars are. She touches his face tenderly.
"Don't leave me yet," she whispers to no one in particular.
He pulls through. No one is surprised, least of all Jinora.
Kai himself is a little surprised when the next night he heads out to find Jinora—she's waited for him and smiles at him with the strength of her own star. They're still not sure where they stand, but under the night sky right now, they're alright.
Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding is beautiful and Jinora loves it as well as all the decorations around the island. It's so surreal that something so light, so simple, is finally happening after so many years of conflict. She doesn't dance, but she watches Ikki drag Huan onto the floor and watches her mother chase Rohan around before Lin steals her brother to let Pema and Tenzin share a dance too.
For a while, Jinora sits with Opal and the two girls talk small, trivial things, but Opal finally gets up to steal Bolin for a dance, leaving Jinora alone. Opal's chair isn't unoccupied long, as Kai slips into it only moments after Jinora's friend leaves. She smiles at him and he beams at her. Jinora's stomach swims with butterflies all over again.
"Hey Jin, do you want to dance?" he asks.
Jinora looks at him. He's still Kai—former thief and now Airbender—and she knows him well enough. He can't dance and doesn't particularly want to, especially with her father around. Jinora laughs at him. "Really, I'd rather just go for a walk. It's a beautifully clear night," she hints.
Kai stands up so fast he almost knocks his chair over which sends Jinora into another wave of giggles. Still, when he jokingly extends his arm to escort her, she links her elbow with his and drags him away from the party towards somewhere where they can really see the stars without interruptions.
A few years skitter by in the blink of an eye. Remnants of Kuvira's army, and rebels who support the Earth Kingdom Royals spring up and are quashed by either the Avatar herself or the Air Nation. Jinora and Kai both take part in many missions, but thankfully for them, they spend more time together than apart.
It's been seven years since Harmonic Convergence and the anointment of a new Master is long overdue, and Jinora couldn't be prouder at her father's suggestion. Before his hood falls and she can see him fully, she bends the smoke and imagines what they'd look like now, intertwined with the matching tattoos of success.
Then the cloth falls away and he rises. He's as tall as her father now as Tenzin gazes at him with the pride of a father. The boy grew like a weed in recent years and has been starting to fill Jinora thinks he looks strange without his signature hairstyle, but his tattoos are vibrant against his cocoa skin and he looks beautiful. He smiles and Jinora feels as light as she did during her own ceremony.
She's proud of him, and she'll tell him so when they meet on their perch to discuss the celestial bodies that dot the skies above them that night.
They've danced around their feelings for years. While their first kiss came just after Jinora's ascension and travels as a new Airbending Master, they shared more after that. Some were purely accidental, as Kai swore that he hadn't meant to trip and crash into her. Some were instinctual, like when they dodged around a corner one night on their way to stargaze in order to avoid Tenzin and were just drawn together.
Some were even purposeful, like when Jinora kissed Kai moments before his tattooing so he could think about other things. But still, they don't discuss their feelings. Whatever is between them blossoms, but they don't act and keep hoping that their friendship stays as strong as it is.
Jinora grows frustrated of the dance first. She's eighteen. Kai is nineteen and she's tired of waiting for the tension between the two of them to burst. In the end, Jinora breaks down and tells everything to Korra. The Avatar just listens carefully, and chooses her advice with caution.
"Jinora, have you told Kai any of this? Have you told him how you feel?" Korra asks.
When Jinora admits that she has not, Korra suggests she start small and tell Kai how she feels so that he doesn't feel like he's walking on glass around his own feelings. Kissing, Korra reminds, whether instinctual or purposeful, implies there are feelings present. She encourages Jinora not to be afraid of what she's feeling. The Avatar reminds Jinora of the kind of love that gets written in the stars—it's the same feeling that is distinguishable between Jinora and Kai.
Jinora bites her tongue. Apparently Katara, who also taught Korra, never fully explained that the only loves that ever get written in the stars are the ones which end in tragedy. She prays to Raava that Korra is both wrong and right; she wants to be with Kai, but she wants happiness. They fought hard enough as children for it, and that should be enough.
That night, Jinora is leaning against the rail, studying the constellation that is slowly becoming her favourite, the Lovers of Omashu. Kai's rambling about something he and Ryu did earlier, but Jinora's only mostly listening. She keeps getting distracted by Korra's words, or by Kai's lips and the way his hair is hiding most of his forehead tattoo. Eventually, she cracks.
Jinora's fingers brush aside the hair and touch the marking gently. Kai tenses and his words slow to a stop. Jinora can see him breathe and she can almost hear their hearts beating in time. He's studying her, and Jinora hasn't moved her fingers from his forehead. He's quite a bit taller and she takes a moment to gather her scattered mind. Eventually, she decides that it's a hopeless endeavour and she sends caution to the wind.
And under the stars of a summer night, Jinora rocks forward onto her toes and pulls Kai's lips to hers. Her hand slides to his neck and then to his collar. Kai's arms gather around her and pull her tight, one hand cupping her face so he can deepen the kiss. Jinora melts into his touch and feels the soft breeze caress them both. When she pulls back, they're both breathless, but Kai looks troubled. Jinora almost kisses him again, but Kai's neck is tense under her gentle touch.
"Jinora," he breathes. "I can't," he murmurs. She freezes.
Kai offers no explanation as he detangles them and steps away from Jinora, putting a safe amount of distance between them. He inhales deeply and looks like he's about to say something—explain—but he doesn't. He steps away again, back towards the temple. Kai's retreat continues until he turns and full out flees.
Jinora remains rooted at the railing, confused beyond belief as hurt and disappointment spike through her.
Jinora wakes with a cold sweat in the middle of the night. Her fingers are reaching for Kai even though he's not there and the scream dies on her lips. Her chest is heaving and she tries to decipher her dream—nightmare.
It was somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Kai and Yung were alone, fighting against a group of bandits, completely outnumbered, near a strange rock formation. Kai took a hit for Yung and Jinora's eyes squeezed shut as she remembered the next thing that befell the young Airbender. He didn't rise and Jinora felt tears prick at her eyes.
It was just a dream, she insisted to herself. Yet as the moonlight filtered in her window, Jinora struggles more and more to brush it off.
In the morning she rises a little later than usual, thanks to her awful dream. Kai is nowhere to be seen as she fetches herself some breakfast, and when Yung's table place is also empty, Jinora's heart sinks. Determined to prove herself wrong, she exits to the courtyard to find one or both of her friends.
Instead, she finds Opal and Ryu talking amicably and the shadow of a sky bison disappearing above them.
"Opal," Jinora cuts in abruptly. Ryu and Opal both glance at her. Jinora nods to both of them, but focuses her attention on the female. "Where are Kai and Yung going?"
Opal blinks. "They're going to Chi Tong. It's a small Earth Kingdom town. They were called to deal with a few bandits."
Jinora's heart sinks. "Why did no one tell me?" Her palms are growing clammy and there's ringing of panic in the base of her skull.
"Jinora, Kai said he wanted to tell you. That he would," she clarified.
Kai's strange behaviour suddenly makes a little more sense. Jinora's breathing increases. "Have you ever been to Chi Tong?"
"Yes," Opal says immediately, stepping closer to Jinora. "Are you alright?"
She ignores the question, her hands trembling. "Is there a strange rock formation just outside of the town?"
"Yes, they call it Raava's Rock."
"We have to go after them," Jinora blurted. She turns and head towards the stables, intent on fetching Pepper.
Opal's eyes widen. "Jinora, what are you talking about? Kai and Yung can take care of themselves."
Jinora pauses. Her eyes shut in reflex as she recalls her dream. Fear runs like ice through her veins and she breathes in deeply and out, but she's no calmer. Helplessness, dread, apprehension and many more feelings are in control as Jinora is fearful for his life and she has to go after him. "He's going to die, Opal. I had a dream."
The elder Airbender doesn't question the Master. They both know that prophetic dreams are not that unusual for Airbenders. Jinora sounds sure, and Opal doesn't doubt her. The Earth Kingdom native's face grows ashen. "Ryu, go tell Master Tenzin that Jinora and I have gone after Kai and Yung."
The scene is right out of her nightmare. As they're arriving, Jinora feels Opal tense beside her as she realizes that Jinora was not exaggerating at all. Jinora easily picks Kai out, and her heart pounds when she realizes which part of her dream this is.
Yung and Kai are back-to-back with no escape. Kai is doing a little better, but he's the more talented airbender. Despite this, he still looks very beat up. Jinora watches as he deflects a stone headed in Yung's direction which knocks him off balance. Jinora passes the reigns to Opal. Another rock catches Kai in the side when he isn't prepared. Jinora opens her wings. Kai stumbles and falls. Jinora jumps off Pepper and blasts air towards the bandits.
The projectile that had haunted her is deflected off course and she plummets towards the other Airbenders. Kai doesn't rise, but Yung blasts air to keep the bandits back. When they realize that Jinora is also a Master, they scatter, and she falls to her knees at Kai's side. Opal lowers Pepper to the ground, but Jinora ignores her and pulls Kai into her lap, brushing some hair out of his green eyes.
They're half-lidded, but he's staring at her with unbridled admiration and adoration. She feels something squeeze her heart. His hand gropes awkwardly for hers, but he takes it and to her horror, his is a little sticky with blood. Jinora scans him quickly and find the nasty gash along the side of his abdomen and Kai's eyes slowly drift shut. Jinora brushes a hand against his face in panic, willing him to stay awake, but he doesn't move.
As the sun begins to set, she can barely make out his mumbled apology.
"Sorry Jinora," he breathes slowly.
She's tired of him scaring the wits out of her. The healers call him a walking miracle. Most people wouldn't have survived what he went through, but he pulls through. It's a slower recovery than anyone would like, but he soldiers on. Jinora visits every day, but he still sleeps through most of the day, so he doesn't remember each of her visits and the tenderness with which she cradles his hand.
Jinora rests her head against the railing and exhales slowly. She's still terrified she's going to lose him. The healers have promised he'll be fine, but she can't rid the dread that has sunk in her stomach like lead. She loves him and she can't lose him now.
When a gentle hand touches her shoulder, Jinora freezes, but she lifts her head and meets his familiar green eyes in shock. He looks exhausted and is probably in a lot of pain, but he's standing at her side at their perch in the middle of the night. Jinora raises a trembling hand to make sure he's real. His skin is warm to the touch and her eyes wander from his face to his bare torso, decorated in the bandages that tell his story for him.
"Kai," she breathes.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs lowly. His voice is husky and Jinora almost melts and cries right then.
Neither say anything for a long moment. Kai's eyes never leave hers and Jinora can feel the connection between them. Finally, Kai brings his hand to cup her face like he has done so many times in the past and Jinora's breath catches in her throat.
"I couldn't tell you," he says. "I didn't think it would be dangerous, and once I realized how bad it was, I was so terrified I'd never see you again. I'm sorry."
Jinora runs her fingers over top of his against her face and shuts her eyes. "I don't want to lose you."
"You won't," he promises.
Another silence. Jinora's eyes flutter open again.
"Last time," Kai murmurs, "I was scared of losing you. I've never been loved like this before," he confesses. "I grew up alone and I never had a family. Now with you, and the other Airbenders, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
Jinora's hand mirror's his as she caresses his face softly. "Don't think, just feel," she advises. "Besides, we have everything we need right here."
Kai cracks first and kisses her hard. She tangles her fingers in his hair and meets him with equal vigor. After a moment, he flinches away from her, a hand ghosting atop his still-healing wound. Jinora tries to recoil, but Kai catches her waist and holds her in place.
"Sorry," she whispers.
"Don't apologize," he instructs. Jinora blinks. "Just let me kiss you again."
The stars reflect the world in Kai's eyes and Jinora knows that she'd rather be nowhere else in the world. She lets a tiny smile flicker on her face just before he kisses her again.
Maybe they're not perfect, but they'll grow old counting the stars together.
Author's Note: And another fandom draws me in to write. Gosh I fell in love with Kai and Jinora and I think writing for them has been long, long overdue. This story came to be when I recently rewatched the 3rd and 4th books of Legend of Korra. Excellent use of my time if I do say so. Anyways, there's most likely more Kainora coming this way soon.
-Nicole