The Good and the Bad: Kainora

Chapter 4: Getting Closer

It would take almost half a day to reach Ba Sing Se, so everyone retired to the spacious common room, excited to have at least attracted one new airbender. A generous dinner was served, but Jinora wasn't very hungry. She set her bowl down and quietly slipped to the sleeping quarters of the airship. But when she got there, she realized that Kai hadn't been with the group at all while they were eating. Prowling the corridors, she tried to look for him, but the search came up empty. Just as she was turning around to rejoin the others at the table, she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. 

"Kai!" She jumped and turned around. He chuckled. "Seriously, that's not funny!" She punched him in the arm.

"I didn't see you at dinner," Jinora said sternly.

"I noticed that you came looking for me," Kai responded. Jinora felt herself blushing. "Is there something that you wanted to say? It must be important if you were trying to find me." For a moment, Jinora was at a loss for words, something that had never happened to her, as she lost herself in Kai's blazing green eyes. She wondered what it would be like to spend warm, summer days with just Kai, the two of them lying under a tree, hidden from the prying eyes of the others. They could see Republic City and watch the sun set. And-

"Jinora?" A boy's face suddenly came into focus. "You okay?" He waved a hand in front of her.

That snapped her out of her daydream. "No! I mean, yes! Everything's fine." She took step back, a light blush on her face. "I was just wondering if you wanted to, you know, go to the top deck."
"Sure, that'd be cool. Show me the way." She beckoned him to follow her to the stairs. They later emerged, with Naga and Oogi sleeping contently in front of them.

"Whoa, what are those?!" Kai asked her. 

"That's a polar bear dog," Jinora replied. "She's Korra's pet. Her name is Naga. The other one is a flying bison, regarded as the first airbenders. This one is Oogi. He's my father's." Kai approached Oogi and ruffled his hair. 

"Hey there big guy." Oogi snored in reply. Jinora smiled to herself. Kai didn't seem like the bad guy he was made out to be in the beginning. 

Growing a little bolder, she sat against Oogi and motioned for Kai to sit down.

"You sure about this? What if Oogi wakes up?" 

"Are you scared?" Jinora asked sarcastically. 

"What? No! I'm not scared. I just don't want to wake up our big friend here." Jinora giggled.
"Trust me, he won't wake." Kai slid down next to her. He leaned against Oogi and closed his eyes.
"Hmph, nice fur." 

"Yeah, flying bison fur is exceptionally soft." They sat like that for a few minutes, shoulder to shoulder. 

OH MY GOSH HE'S RIGHT NEXT TO ME. 

LIKE, HE'S RIGHT NEXT TO ME. 

Well, do something about it! He's not gonna stick around just to sleep. Jinora cleared her throat. 

"So...what is your backstory?" She ventured. 

"It's not something that I want to talk about." 

"You can trust me." She turned and faced him. "I'm here if you want to get something off your mind."
Kai turned and faced Jinora. "Remember how I said my parents died protecting my village from a band of outlaws?" Jinora nodded. "Well, that part was true." Her eyes widened. 

"I'm sorry Kai, I didn't-"

"-it's okay," Kai replied. "I didn't have any relatives that lived in the village, and the ones that I did have were too far away." Kai leaned back and squeezed his eyes shut.