To Fall
ACT I: To Fall
CHAPTER THREE: Walls
"Curve up there – there you go, good job Kai. You already have better penmanship than Ikki."
Kai smiled at her. "Thanks Jinora, although… Is that much of a compliment?" If the girl was only eight, how well could she actually write?
Jinora giggled. "Considering Ikki's writing looks like pig-chicken scratch, maybe not. Still, you've improved a lot in just two weeks. Not just in your writing, but also with your airbending. You'll be sparring Uncle Bumi tomorrow, before we get to Ba Sing Se."
Wow, his first sparring match. And from seeing Bumi train with Jinora, he was confident he would win it, too. Being younger, more nimble – and in Kai's humble opinion, already getting a few moves that Bumi was still struggling with, he felt his assumption was fairly accurate.
"Now, finish writing that last word, and we'll go through some forms, alright?"
Carefully and still unsure that he was completing the word properly, Kai did a bold brushstroke down to end it, and looked up at Jinora. She nodded, beaming.
"Alright, are you ready for some airbending?"
"Of course," Kai said. They stood up together from the table in the main room and started making their way to the lower deck. "I can't wait to start using a staff and glider!"
"Once we get to the Northern Air Temple, you'll get to start training with it. Gliding for the first time can be pretty scary though," she warned.
"I'll be fine," he assured her and she cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Let's just wait and see," she said, chuckling, remembering how terrified she had been the first time. They stepped out onto the deck. Nobody else was around, except for Pabu who was sleeping in a patch of sun off to the side. "Now, starting position. Stay on your toes," she reminded him.
Taking a step back as he went through form number one and two flawlessly, puffs of air jetting out of his palms, she felt proud of her pupil. She was his Sifu, after all.
"How was that Jinora?" Kai asked, glancing at her as he finished forms three and four.
"It was pretty good, but keep your elbows closer to your centre. It's a consistent, circular motion." She demonstrated the move herself, showing the advantages of her critique. "See?"
Kai did the forms again, using her advice. He looked up at her again. "Yeah, it is better. Thanks Jinora."
Luckily she had gotten better with controlling her blushing, but her heart still skipped at beat as he grinned at her.
"Sifu Jinora," she corrected, half-teasing. "Remember?" He laughed lightly.
"Alright fine – thanks Sifu-oh-her-mightiness Jinora," he joked, still chuckling, his eyes full of mirth.
She giggled, and he couldn't help but find it adorable. "And don't you ever forget it." Her usual teaching tone returned as she said, "Now, go through with forms five and six."
Kai seemed to roll his eyes, but was grinning, and still did as she said.
"So all the airbenders were really raised by monks?" Kai asked. After training, and lunch, they were sitting in the main room at the table, a small stack of history books around them. Although Jinora had waited until Kai could read and write better – there was still a lot of improvement to be made, of course – it was high time he started learning Air Nomad history, so she had started with the basics.
She nodded. "Yeah. Grandpa Aang was raised by Monk Gyatso. They're guardians, of sorts, until an airbender's all grown up. At the Eastern and Western Air Temples, nuns raise the girls, of course."
"So... none of them were raised by their actual parents?" He found he had a hard time believing that. How could none of the airbenders want to keep their own children and take care of them?
"It was a personal choice. Many chose to give their children to the monks because it was hard to travel with a young baby, or because they were so accustomed to the practice of it. Some of the airbenders were orphans as well, so the temples also served as a sort of orphanage in a way. However, some airbenders raised their own children. Many Air Nomads didn't live permanently at any of the temples, being total nomads and raising their families like that," Jinora explained.
"And Avatar Aang was the youngest to get his tattoos ever, right?" If his memory served correctly, anyway. They had only been going through the culture for half an afternoon, and his brain already hurt. There was so much to learn. The only good thing was seeing the way Jinora's face lit up and how passionate she sounded when she talked about it.
"Correct, at approximately a month after his twelfth birthday." Jinora smiled at him. "But I think that's enough for today, we can pick up from here later."
Kai couldn't help but feel relieved. "That sounds good."
"Hey guys!" a voice said. Bolin had poked his head through one of the deck's doors. "We can see the wall!"
Jinora led the way out of the door. She had heard and read so many things about Ba Sing Se - especially how magnificent the city's massive walls were. Her eyes scanned the horizon, over the vast expanse of desert and bright blue sky. Even very far away, the walls look large, and she could only imagine how big they were up close.
"I've always wanted to come to Ba Sing Se," she told Kai, the two both leaning on the railing of the airship. "It's so full of history, and has the best university in the world."
Personally, Kai didn't see the appeal in choosing to do more years of school, but it was obvious Jinora had a real love of learning. "You want to go to university?" he asked.
She nodded and then looked towards him. "Hopefully someday, once I'm done traveling of course. Still want to find that Lion Turtle, after all. What about you?"
The very thought of him going to university was ludicrous, and he chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think that's for me. I'm fine with just learning how to read and write."
"Fair enough," she agreed, smiling.
"Look Mako look! We're almost there - where dad grew up!" Bolin dragged Mako out onto the deck, the firebender smiling a little at his younger brother's excitement.
Out of everyone, Bolin was the most anxious to get to Ba Sing Se. Which made sense. If Kai had the chance to learn more about his parents, he would be excited about it too. Although he would probably want to start by learning their names... He cast a furtive look over at the brothers. They were lucky that they had had their parents as long as they did. They were lucky that they had each other, even, on the streets. Although he didn't know any different, Kai was sure that being alone on the streets was much, much harder than always having someone who'd look out for you...
I know exactly what you're all about, because I've been there before. Like Mako knew what it was like to be alone. Taking care of Bolin surely wasn't easy, but they also helped each other out. But he - he had had no one.
Kai did his best to try to push down those thoughts, and the resentment, which he knew was unfair, but he couldn't. His throat went dry.
"Kai, are you okay? You look like you zoned out," Jinora said gently. Her big brown eyes were full of concern.
"I'm fine, just a little tired," he lied easily. He had never been more thankful for the skill. Lying to police was easy, but somehow, lying to Jinora was harder. Or at the very least, it made his heart leap into his throat and made him feel bad. "I think I'm going to rest in my room."
She nodded almost uncertainly, still looking concerned, but didn't say anything as he exited the dock and walked to his room. Kai sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands.
Did he really have a home here? Or was this simply another temporary fixture? How long would it be before he was alone again? Part of him knew that these doubts weren't grounded, and were silly, but the past doesn't get erased after a week or two. Should he open up to Jinora?
You have a home here, and you're not alone, she had said. If you ever wanna talk, I'm here okay?
The idea of having someone to confide it was strange and foreign. He had never voiced his fears to anyone before. Jinora was his friend, though, wasn't she? His very first friend. It brought him a little comfort. Maybe he would tell her what was bothering him. That's what friends did, right? Jinora had confided in him, and it must go both ways.
Okay, he would. Later, though. He didn't feel ready right now. (A little part of him wondered if he ever would.)
Despite the fact she was still a little worried about Kai, Jinora couldn't wait to get to Ba Sing Se. Like she had said, the city was rich were history, specifically of the Avatars, and the Dai Li. Although once corrupt centuries after being formed by Avatar Kyoshi, Grandpa Aang had straightened out the organization as quickly as he could. They were now loyal to the ruler of Ba Sing Se, or the Earth Queen Hou-Ting in this case.
She had never met an Earth Kingdom monarch before. She would have to write it all down in her diary, once she got back to the airship.
If the walls were any indication, Ba Sing Se must be truly magnificent, she decided. After staring for some time, she finally turned away from the walls, thinking hard…
Should she check on Kai? He had seemed a little upset. Or he actually could have just been tired. The thought of him lying her to made her heart ache. Had she done something wrong, somehow? Why wouldn't he be honest with her?
She sighed and decided to go curl up somewhere with a book. Reading was a great distraction, and offered her solace like nothing else.
Jinora headed towards her room and scanned her bookshelf. Half of what she had brought with her into the airship had been books, and even then there were still some at home. Pema had promised to bring them though, once she arrived with Ikki, Meelo, Rohan, Aunt Kya and the other new airbenders at the Northern Air Temple. It would be her new home, now.
The thought filled her with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, but she brushed it aside and pulled a thick book, one of her favourites, from the shelf. Taking a couple more for good measure, she carried them in her arms as she left her bedroom.
Jinora walked all the way up to the tiny platform where she and Kai had watched the stars two weeks before. Sitting down, she propped the book up on her knees and laid the other two beside her thigh. The airbender was already almost a quarter through when someone coughed lightly at the entrance to the platform.
She saved her place in the book, hoping it was Kai. Her heart sank when she saw it was Mako, but she smiled anyway. "Hey," she greeted.
"Mind if I join you?" the firebender asked, looking slightly awkward.
"Not at all," she assured him, patting the space beside her. Mako sat beside her.
"Where's Kai, I thought for sure he'd be with you. You've been practically inseparable, you know." Mako smirked, an almost knowing look in his eyes.
"He said he was tired, so I figured I'd leave him be. It's been a big couple of weeks for him, after all… So, why are you here? Not that I don't always love your company, but there is a reason right?"
Perceptive as always, Mako thought. "Yeah. I was, uh, wondering if I could borrow a book?"
Jinora's smile grew, perking up immediately. "Sure. Anything in particular?"
He chuckled softly. "Surprise me."
After Jinora had looked through her books with Mako waiting outside, they had come back to the platform and had read until Bolin came to tell them it was time for dinner.
As they walked down the staircases and corridors on their way to the main room, Mako asked, "Do you really think Kai is just tired?"
The question caught Jinora off guard, and it took her a few moments to answer. "I think he's upset about something, maybe. I'm not sure though; we're still getting to know each other, right, so… I'm not sure. I'm not going to push him though. I'll let him tell me – if he wants to tell me – on his own time."
Mako nodded slowly. "You're pretty wise for a kid." And it was important for him to keep tabs on the boy, anyway. Turning over a new leaf or not, he didn't entirely trust Kai, with good reason.
"I know," she said happily, causing him to truly laugh.
And when Kai took his usual seat next to her at dinner, back to his normal self, and seeing Jinora smile widely, Mako felt glad.
A/N: Hi guys! This is the last chapter before the events of the Earth Queen take place. Unlike the prologue, it will not just be rehash of the events. I'll be going in-depth with emotions, possibly motivations for actions (namely Kai's) and filling in the tiny spaces of the episode.
And Avatarwiki is my new best friend, now. :P
Also: Jinora and Mako friendship is beautiful. Mako, I think, would see her as a little sister. Protective of her, but less obvious about it than Tenzin.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows! I'm so, so happy you're all loving this story.
