Sinking Feeling- A Kainora Fanfiction

Finale

Across the sky, a new generation air-benders took to their gliders and kites. While the air temple stayed the same, the stairs seemed to get longer every year. Jinora waited at the base of the staircase for an old friend. "Need a hand Taffy?"

The old panda-chimp hobbled up to Jinora with his arms outstretched. Jinora picked him up and began the walk to Kai's tree. Picking up the scent of a juicy kwarva, Taffy tried reaching Jinora's pocket but his eyes had grown too cloudy to find it. "You can have it when we get to the top. Kai is waiting for us." The playful breeze tugged at Jinora's robes as it followed them up the hill.

It was another beautiful summer's day under the tree. Jinora put Taffy down on the ground and knelt. She held her quivering hand tightly and took a deep breath.

"Hey Kai. It has been too long"

Jinora placed a lonesome incense candle before the inscription at the base of the tree. 'To honour Master Kai and his selfless sacrifice for peace.'

Jinora reached into her pocket and placed the kwarva in front of Taffy. He eventually found it and put in his mouth but he was too old for this. He tried gumming the fruit but he was unable to hold it in his mouth. He sat there drooling, poking and prodding at the fruit on the floor. Jinora rustled a hand through his greying hair with a melancholy smile.

Jinora's meditation was interrupted by the scampering of feet behind her. A little boy and his older sister.

"Mummy. Mummy."

Jinora turned around a little surprised but welcomed the children in her arms. "Hello little ones. What's got into you?"

"We want to do more air bending." The older sister pouted.

"Why can't your big brother teach you?"

The little boy clutching onto his mothers arm said "He said he didn't want. He called us babies."

"We will show him won't we. Let me just finish meditating to someone."

Jinora's daughter was confused as no-one was with her mother. "Taffy?"

A gentle trail of tears ran down Jinora's face and along her smile. "No. This person was an incredible air-bender which I knew when I was your older brother's age. He was as kind as your father, as talented as your grandfather and as wonderful as Avatar Aang."

Thankyou one and all for reading SinkingFeeling. It has been a great book to write and I have been delighted to see thatyou enjoyed it. To be honest, I wasn't planning on finishing it. It was allbecause you guys demanded it. The fact that you guys care this much about mywork really touches my heart in a way few things have. I'm sorry but there willbe no sequel to this. While the ending maybe sorrowful it reminds us howbrilliant things were and will always be. The depth of the stygian valley that we tread remindsus how high the mountains we climbed together. While the great moments in life maybe fleeting, they live forever in our hearts. 

Thankyou and Goodbye.