The Only Hope

The Epilogue: Part 1

Then

"My dearest darling, oh how I miss you. I still see your face in the clouds and hear your calls in the night. Our time together, was meant to be a life time and never did we dream it would be cut so short... You were my best friend, the one being in the world who never leaves me. Unfortunately, fate had other plans... there was so much left to say, to do, but in the blink of an eye you were gone. My dear, sweet little girl... All those years- I thought you needed me. I found you, I saved you, without me you... you would be alone... but now I see..." A violent sob from deep within my aching chest cut my voice off, "that it was really I who needed you. You found me, you saved me... and without you... I'm left to be alone...Thank you for choosing me and I'm so sorry- so sorry- I couldn't protect you like I should have." I looked up into the sky, a breeze picking up, "but I know one day we will be reunited, and so until then I release you to the sky but keep your memory in my heart."

My hands shook, as I tried to remove the lid to the jar that held Leza's ashes, but I wasn't able to get a grip. From behind me, where everyone else stood, Tenzin step forward. Without saying a word, he offered his hands. Closing my eyes, I looked away as I handed off the Urn. Opening my eyes after he took it, I watched him walk to the edge of the cliff, and slowly tip the Urn. The grey ashes flew out into the wind, taking their final resting place within the ocean and beyond. When there was nothing left, when my little girl was fully gone, Tenzin returned to me. He turned, and begun to push my wheel chair through the crowd that had gathered on the island to say good bye to my bison. She had been given a proper Fire Nation style burial, but released back to the earth to match our air bending side.

Everyone I knew was there, even Korra and Asami despite their planned departure for the spirit world that night; my former students, the air acolytes and even Varrick and Zhu Li- they postponed their honeymoon by a day to be here... It was touching. I knew they didn't know or care for Lisa as I did, but to have their support was much needed. It had been a tough week.

Varrick's Wedding, Leza's Funeral, news about my healing back and the deportation of Kwon.

That last one had been the second hardest, after Leza of course. I had met him at the docks; I had been waiting for his escorts to arrive. He arrived in a typical, criminal fashion- jail suit, chains on his wrist and ankles, an officer on each side. They went to the nine yards with him, not that I didn't blame them. As they pushed him forward, he kept questioning them, wanting to know where he was going. He only stopped talking when he spotted me; there was a mixture of emotions on his face- from hatred to pity. I didn't want or need his pity! He glared at me in the end, the guards stopping him a few feet from me.

"What do you want?"

"On behalf of both King Wu, and the Republic City Police Department, I'm here to spell out your sentencing."

"What? What- sentencing?"

"You sir, Kwon Beu have here by a jury of your not so peers have been found guilty of treason against the following: The Earth Kingdom Crown, and the people of Republic City. You are here by banished from the Earth Kingdom and shall face another within your home Nation. AKA the Fire Nation... You, my darling, are being deported. And then you get look your parents- your friends- every single person who mourned your death in the eye and face them. You can tell them of all the horrible deeds you have done within the past year. You'll have to deal with the guilt and the pain- and all within a prison cell because I highly doubt the Council won't find you guilty of treason against the Fire Nation Crown." He frowned at me.

"You don't know that." I narrowed my eyes at him, wishing I could stand. "Oh but I do. Guards- you can take him now." They began to pull him away but he begged them to stop, looking at me. With a single raise of my hand they stopped.