This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

The world still needs you in it.

The Light

Kai just didn't seem the same. It was like when his mother left she took a part of him with her this time. The first time she left, she stole a struggle free future from him. This time, she'd stolen his smile.

He seemed to act as if he were so alone in the world. When Jinora squeezed his hand, he squeezed back, but there was no warmth in his lips or his eyes. The world seemed to have reverted back to some kind of dreary state where even she couldn't get him to see the color anymore. It was torture to see him like this, so often now upstairs just on his computer. Not even doing anything, just finding things to look at since it didn't seem he had much better to do. When he did do something, it almost seemed half hearted.

There was no joy in his movements. No real life.

No laughter like the love she'd come to know.

Even Mako felt terrible. Kai told him that it was okay. That it was even really appreciated because, of course, he knew that Mako only did it out of love. But still, it didn't make the situation any better and Mako was about as worried as Jinora at this point.

It'd been a couple weeks since Hebimi left. Even at school, Kai was for lack of luster, his friends asking him what was wrong from time to time. A part of her knew that what had happened with his mother had to be done, but Jinora also regretted it. Perhaps it would have been better to do it privately. Maybe not.

She couldn't stand this though. Her every touch had little effect on him and he seemed to be stuck in his own head all the time. Like…

Like he was reliving the moments where his mother left him again and again.

The weekend came and, perhaps, without the stress of having to buckle down on school now that the end of the year was coming around the corner faster and faster with each day, she could sit down and talk to him. She could only pray that her words reached him.

"Kai?"

She knocked gently on the doorframe as she came in, settling on the bed with him where he was sketching something. Clearly unsatisfied with it, he moved it aside and went back to his laptop. He glanced up at her. "Hey."

"Hey… you okay?"

Kai shrugged. "Fine," he said passively. "Just tired."

Jinora pursed her lips, putting a hand on his arm. "Love… I'm sorry about what happened. I really am. I… don't know what else to say."

He sighed, as if just talking about that made him even more tired. His eyes closed and his demeanor deflated. Lately, it was like he'd been put into this perpetual stupor. Nothing could get that cloudy, exhausted look from his eyes.

He just seemed so… done in the worst way. Emotionally. Mentally.

"It's not your fault," he told her quietly. "If anything, it's mine. You warned me."

"Kai-"

"You know, I still can't believe that I just let her back into my life? I really thought-" He suppressed a choking noise. "I just really thought this was it. She was the last piece."

"Love, it's not your fault. She-"

"Isn't it? You warned me, didn't you? I just- I always do this. I can't ever really help any situation. I mean, she wasn't exactly wrong when she said I was a mistake."

Jinora shook her head and put her hand under his head to make him look at her. "That is not true."

"Yes, it is!" He got up and began pacing around the room. "Not only was I not a planned pregnancy, but I damn well wasn't a wanted one either and you know it."

"That doesn't mean you were a mistake, love. It's not the same. Your mom… she doesn't know what she did. What she threw away. You two could have had such a good life."

Kai finally turned to her, miserable. "Yeah, well, she apparently didn't think so. Never thought so from the day I was born apparently. You don't get it, Jinora." He paused, his jaw tight. "She used me. Always. From the day I was born, she used me to get to my- my father. I was going to be what got her back her lavish lifestyle and, if not that, then a whole bunch of money. But you know what? He's filthy stinking rich and if there's anything I do remember from what she told me a long time ago, it's this: Old money is dirty money. He paid someone to make her go away probably."

Jinora blinked at him. "I…" Her brows furrowed. "I don't understand."

"She needed me because I protected her. Maybe she thought he would come around if only he knew that his son was living on the streets. Maybe he'd take her back. I… foster parents do similar things. Like, use the kids they foster for money. Not all of them. Just the ones I got. I just ended up with a shitty deck of cards and all the good, caring foster parents I did get couldn't keep me because there were too many kids already in the house or somebody else younger maybe needed my space or something. The system in this city is just really messed up and not right and... my mom was like one of the bad ones. She needed me and when she didn't-"

"Kai-"

"My dad got married when I was about four. She used me. He ignored me. It's fine, Jinora. It's just… my reality. The way my life works."

"No," she said fiercely. "That is not how your life works. Because I love you and Mako and Bolin love you and Korra and all your friends and… we all love you."

She could see him biting the inside of his cheek. "Maybe you shouldn't. If my own mother didn't want me, Raava only knows why you all do. I mean, I just…" He looked at her and sighed again, sitting back down on the bed. "I'm trying to make sense of all this, babe. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said, hugging him. "I don't know what it's like to feel exactly like you feel. Not the way you feel it, at least. You're hurting and I get that. All I want is for you to be happy and not fall into this. Don't fall into a pity party. You're still you."

"I'm not falling into a pity party. Nothing else makes sense to me, okay? That's the only conclusion I can come to! I-"

"What's going on in here?"

Jinora's father stood at the doorframe, a mildly perplexed but aware look on his face. She pursed her lips. Kai and her father were on much better terms, but that still didn't mean that Kai was all that ready to share feelings like that with him. And certainly not feelings this sensitive.

"Nothing, dad," said Jinora. "We were just talking about… Kai's room. It's kind of a mess."

Ouch. Maybe not the best thing to use even if it was mildly true. He hadn't seemed to be in the greatest mood to keep it very clean as of late, something her parents let slide quite easily considering the fact that Kai usually helped around the house. Especially if her mother asked him for a favor.

"Ah, I see," said her father, wading into the room. He came to a stop in front of them. "It is a little in bit out of sorts, I suppose. Not a big deal though. You've seen Meelo's room. This is immaculate compared to his."

"Yeah, I just… haven't had time," Kai said weakly.

Her father nodded slowly. "It is busy for you all."

"Don't think that I don't appreciate you and Mrs. Gyatso letting me stay here though. I promise, I'll get it tidied up. Today even. I just… I'm tired is all. Been sleeping a little rough. Stress. From school, you know? I'll fix it up though. Swear."

There was a pause between the three of them. Her father looking down at Kai, Kai looking away and off somewhere in a tiredly distracted manner. Anywhere except in her father's face. It was too much to look at a man who'd thought him unworthy of Jinora's time not too long ago. In his mind, she knew, he was feeling as if all those things were actually true.

Spirits, what a mess his mother had made him.

"I hope you know that you're allowed to take up space, son."

Kai ducked his head. "Yeah, I know. I really mean it. Thanks for letting me stay her-"

"No, I mean… in the world."

Both Kai and Jinora looked up at her father shortly into soft grey eyes and a weak smile that was maybe a little sad. Her father got down on one knee. A tall man, he met Kai at near eye level.

Kai watched him like a cat deer caught in the headlights.

"You are not a mistake," said her father, putting a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Or a fluke. Or a problem or anything like that. Your mother being unable to love you isn't your fault. None of it is. In reality, she's probably unable to fend for anyone but herself. Perhaps she doesn't even know how. But that has nothing to do with you and it never has. You're allowed to take up space in the world. You're not a mistake. You're Kai Fong and people love you just for that. We're glad you're in this world."

Kai's mouth dropped open as if he didn't know what to say. Her father only smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"It's okay," he said and stood up. "You'll see. It's all going to be okay."

He made to leave the room, but before he could leave Kai felt for Jinora's hand in his own and said, "Mr. Gyatso?" He called, his voice quiet. "Um...thanks. I mean it."

Her father nodded. "I also meant that I said."

And, strangely enough, that was that it seemed.

There wasn't much else to say afterwars and, in fact, Kai didn't say much else for most of the day. He did kiss Jinora before getting up to head out for work. When he came home, there was a certain peace to his actions. He talked and listened at dinner. While he wasn't exactly his normal self right away, she could see the glimmer of hope in those green eyes.

That was all she was really hoping for, in perfect honesty, a glimmer of hope.

It was all Kai needed.

A couple weeks passed and Kai slowly pulled the pieces of himself together. Little by little. Day by day.

His art reflected that and one day he showed her a sketch of a character he'd come up with in class.

"She's not just a tale of heartbreak, see? Her hurt doesn't define her," He smiled fondly, glancing at Jinora as they laid in his bed one relaxed Saturday. "It's a story of healing and finding herself and… forgiveness."

Jinora smiled at him and laid her head on his shoulder. "...are you ready for that?"

Kai was quiet for a moment, pausing for thought. "If we're being honest… I guess that I've been thinking and, well, I feel like she probably has a story." He said. "It doesn't make what my mom did to me okay. Doesn't make it not hurt, but… I guess it helps me understand it. I don't know. It makes me able to deal with the hurt better. I'm here. If that makes any sense."

She nodded. "It does."

He chuckled. "Does it? I kind of don't know what I'm saying."

"It hurts, but you're making it." Jinora leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "That's all you can really do, love. I'm proud of you."

"Yeah?" He put aside his sketchbook and rolled onto his side so that they were facing each other.

Mirth mingled with her heart when he leaned his forehead against hers, his skin warm and cool all at the same time. Comfortable. "Yeah."

On Monday, an envelope came for Kai. No address.

She brought it to him where he sat on the couch, sharing a plate of snacks with Meelo and Rohan as they were prepping for a movie evening. His face was unreadable when he opened it.

Inside was a card with an armadillo lion on it. There was nothing written inside or outside. At first, Jinora didn't understand it and when she asked Kai what he thought it was about, his silence was her answer. He just stared at it.

That night, he put the card on a shelf among some of the other things that he happened to keep. Little trinkets from Mako or Bolin, a space where he kept his better pencils for sketching, a usb drive for numerous references he liked to keep that he never actually quite used and a business card from the gym just in case he needed it. Other little things lined the shelf as well. Buttons, an old detention slip, a little decal he still hadn't put on his motorcycle.

All things a part of his life. For good and for bad. Some neither.

Now a card with an armadillo lion sat on it as well.

He looked at it's place on the shelf alongside all his other bits and pieces of his life and nodded. Watching from the door frame, Jinora let a smile curve her lips.

It was going to be okay.

-:-:-:-

Nerves shook Jinora and she wished she could be holding Kai's hand when they called her name. She walked across the stage, the open air and the sun bright being merciful as hundreds watched her walk across that stage. The grass was perfectly green.

But she only searched for Kai's eyes among the group of students numbering in the hundreds sitting in front of her all dressed in their maroon gowns.

She got to to the podium and took a deep breath.

"Students, families, friends," Jinora began, her voice echoing across the field. "If I were being perfectly honest, I was not looking forward to this speech. I guess I just wasn't sure what to say, but at the end of the day I'm glad I'm up here. I don't have a lot to say, but what I do have to say I think is something everybody should know. We're graduating. That you already know. But what maybe you don't know is that this last year of high school was probably the hardest year in my life so far. There were times I didn't know how to breathe under all the pressure. The pressure was killing me and I didn't even think I was going to be standing here in front of you today, but you know what?" She glanced at her family in the stands, her aunt and uncle there waving at her, her siblings smiling and her parents watching proudly with tears as they clutched each other. "I had a lot of people who told me it was going to be okay. And here's my advice to you for a better future: find those people. Because, here's a secret, you can do it alone and no one says you can't, but why should you? You're going to fall sometimes. A lot of times. And that's fine. You'll get up and learn."

"Don't listen to anybody else who tells you what you're all about or what you should be all about. The people who really love you will do whatever they can to do what's best for you, even if you don't like it, but they'll tell you it's also going to be okay. The people who love you will do what people who love you do: stand by you. Don't think about the future as if that's all you are. You're not your past or your future. You're the moment right now where things are okay and, if it's not, then you're the moment where it's going to be okay. And I'm telling you right now that you will be okay. And from okay comes good. And from good comes great. Take steps when you can't take leaps. Have patience. Find love. Cherish the love you already have. Life is hard, but that's okay. Tell yourself that whenever it gets hard. Find that person you love who's going to tell you that. You're going to be okay. Start from there. And that's what I really needed to tell you all. When you go into the world, if there's one thing I've learned in all my years on this earth, is that the word okay is underrated. Okay is the beginning of great. The journey is an up and down process, but it's made that much easier, that much more enjoyable, with people beside you. Good luck and congratulations, graduates. I, and everybody who's here to see you, believe in you."

The crowd applauded her, and she stole a glance at a grinning Kai who was among those whistling her on. Jinora made it to her seat without collapsing and, when the signal for the final ceremony, the principal put her fist against her palm and bowed. The students returned the gesture, bowing back and, coming up back, threw their caps into the air.

The band music blared and the air was all laughs and cheers while Jinora searched for her cap. She was breathless as she looked around and not in a bad way either, her nerves all gone and shot with happiness.

"Well, well, well." Kai melted out of the crowd, two caps in his hand as he approached her. "Those were some wise words, Miss Gyatso. I knew you'd nail it. Told you, didn't I?"

She grinned, her eyes stinging from all the emotion coursing through her. Kai walked up to her with that trademark grin of his. "Yeah, I guess you did."

"Mm-hmm, in fact, I think I told you directly that it was going to be okay." He let the caps fall between their feet and took her hand in his, a thumb sliding over her promise ring and his other hand against her back."Didn't I?"

She nodded and giggled as he rocked her back and forth, dancing to the joy in the air. "I guess you did, didn't you?"

"Yeah." HIs eyes were soft as he stared down at her, soft and full of all the mirth and love in the world she'd come to fall head over heels for. "Of course, you lived all those words."

"We both did."

"We did, didn't we? Just you and me a lot of those times... " He smiled. "I need you to know that I'm staying right here by your side. And I want to thank you right now for being the love of my life."

She laughed. "If only I can thank you for being mine."

"Man, we're so corny," he said, leaning down to her.

"And I love that about us, don't you?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "That I do… I love you."

"I love you too."

Then, there was only the laughs and the music and the cheers that sung in the air. The warmth of him against her was all she needed right now. Just right now. She shrieked with laughter as he spun her around in their little dance of delight.

I don't really have much to say here right now since I'm posting both final chapters at once, but I do want to remind everyone that the hotel Hebimi stayed at was The Lion's Den. That is all. Onto the final chapter!