To Jinora, the best thing about Air Temple Island was how open it was.

She had seen what life was like in the city- in multiple cities- and had long since decided that it wasn’t for her. The buildings were built so close together that if she looked to the sky, she couldn’t see it all like she could when at the temples. During her short time at Zaofu m, she had been astonished by how they sky was blocked off at night, preventing the city’s inhabitants from ever seeing the stars. While Jinora understand the practicality behind the mechanism, it pained her that the people of Zaofu lived without seeing the stars. To her, it seemed like living without air to breath.

Even when inside one of the small temple libraries, Jinora felt as if she was able to take in vast sky above. She had opened the window on the far side of the room and let the soft breeze filter through the cotton curtains, a soft reminder of the summer afternoon outside. What seemed like hours ago, she had brought in a cup of tea, now mostly empty and significantly cooler. The book she had initially sat down to read was now close to being finished, her annotation notebook almost completely full. She would have to look into buying a new one. For a moment, despite the coming storm that was Kuvira, Jinora could allow herself to be at peace. It was easy to drift off into a dream, or at least a memory easily mistaken for one.

Jinora didn’t know the last time she had cried so much. It had to have been a long, long while because it seemed that now, she was crying out every tear she had left in her. She would keep crying until she was empty. It was all she could do.

After everything she had done, Jinora had failed. It was Korra’s job to protect the world, and it was her job to protect Korra. And she hadn’t protected Korra- the Avatar had fallen and Jinora could do nothing about it. It had terrified her more than anything else had in Jinora’s entire life, but the sting of failure stung deeper, like the burn of a whip.

Jinora had to keep reminding herself that there was nothing she could do. Airbender’s couldn’t heal, and for the first time in her life she wished she possessed a different element, for only this moment alone. If she had the gift of waterbending, maybe she would be able to help Korra the way Korra had helped her. It was the first time Jinora had ever considered her element- an element she loved with all her being- a curse, simply because of what it lacked. Korra did not need fresh air. What Korra needed was actual healing, healing Jinora couldn’t provide.

It hurt her to think about.

They had all been injured in the fight- wounds raging from minor bruises to lava burns to broken bones from the fight. The battle had taken its toll on all of them, even Jinora. It seemed only weeks ago she had helped Korra defeat Vaatu during Harmonic Convergence- Jinora realized that it had been only weeks ago- but nothing about that battle had hurt as much as this one did. They had all been physically hurt, a brutal reality cemented in sweat and blood and bruises. Jinora herself had bruises all around her wrists from the metallic restraints, bruises matching every other Airbender. Her aunt and uncle were both on crutches after falling from the temple’s cliff side. Her father had been near beaten to death. It all hurt to think about.

Jinora didn’t open the library window. She didn’t open the door. Outside some of the acolytes were talking about the demand for healers and how ‘if you know any waterbenders please send them our way, we need all the help we can get’. Jinora didn’t know any waterbenders who weren’t already here or on their way.

Only a few doors down the hall was Korra, staying in Jinora’s room. (A long, long time ago, her father had let her move into the office adjacent to this particular library) She had gladly offered up her bedroom when they had taken Korra home. She needed the extra space, away from the acolytes and the other airbenders and everyone else.

“She’s alseep now, I don’t know for how long.” Someone outside the library door whispered. Jinora recognized the voice as belonging to the healer that had come to fix Korra. The man was from the Northern Water Tribe and spoke in an accent Jinora didn’t recognize, an accent different from Korra’s or her aunt Kya’s.

“Is she making any progress?” Another person responded- Korra’s father, Chief Tonraq.

“It’s hard to say.” The healer responded. “She doesn’t seem to be affected by the poison anymore, which is good, but she definitely took a beating during that fight- how high did you say she fell from?”

“It’s hard to say. They were... they were fighting midair.”

“Of couse they were fighting midair...” the healer muttered. “I digress. Avatar Korra seems have to endured many injuries during the fight, but none of them untreatable. It’ll just take time.”

“I understand.” Tonraq replied. “You should go tell Tenzin the news.”

As the sound of the healer’s footsteps disappeared down the hallway, Jinora opened the door.

“Is Korra going to be ok?” She asked.

“Oh, Jinora. I didn’t realize you were there.” Tonraq bent down to make eye contact with the girl. “Korra’s going to be ok, but it’ll take time. You heard what the healer said.”

Jinora nodded, aware of the tears still in her eyes.

A knock sounded at the door, stirring Jinora out of her unpleasant memory. She would be lying if she said she didn’t welcome the interruption.

“Come in.” Jinora sighed, shifting in her seat to face the doorway.

The door was open, and Korra was standing in it. In the few days since her return, Avatar Korra had freshened up and donned a new outfit in her trademark blue. “What are you doing in a library when it’s so nice out?” Korra smiled.

Jinora sighed and pulled her feet onto the couch she sat on. She glanced out the window at the garden outside. Korra was right- it was a nice day.

“Who am I kidding, it’s you.” Korra sat down on the couch next to Jinora, causing the smaller girl to shift her weight slightly. “What’s weirder is that you aren’t knee deep in a pile of books. Are you doing alright?”

“I don’t know...” Jinora sighed. “I can’t stop thinking about everything. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen with Kuvira...”

“I can’t say I’m any different...” Korra sighed, leaning back on the seat. “I wish I knew what to do about her... it’s been so long since I’ve actually been up against a threat. I wonder if I’ve lost my touch.”

“I don’t think you have.” Jinora replied, putting a hand on Korra’s shoulder. “You just needed time to recover.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Korra sighed. “And what about you? What have you been thinking about?”

Jinora leaned back in her seat, imitating Korra’s movement. “I don’t know... it’s been rough since you’ve been gone. I don’t know... it felt like everyone was trying to do more since you were gone.”

“I’m sorry.” Korra looked at her hands. Jinora looked at them too- noticing new scars across her fingertips. When she looked at her own hands, they too had changed, not only adorned by tattoos but her own scars.

Jinora couldn’t help but start to cry. It had been a while since she had allowed herself to cry, but it had always been easy to around Korra.

Korra put her arm around Jinora’s shoulder. “Are you ok?”

“I... everything feels wrong.” Jinora stammered through her tears. “I should be happy that you’re back but everything feels so wrong! Nothing is the same as it used to be! I’m.. I’m scared!”

“It’s ok to be scared, Jinora.” Korra whispered, leaning down to comfort her more. “I’ll be there to protect you. I’m back now, you don’t have to be alone.”

“I’m scared for you!” Jinora pleaded, turning to look Korra in the eye.

Korra paused in thought. It was clear she didn’t know how to respond. “Jinora, I...”

“I don’t want you to get hurt again...” Jinora wiped away the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“You don’t have to be.” Korra sighed. “Look. I know it’s gonna be tough out there, but I’m there for you. And I won’t get hurt again. I promise.”

“You shouldn’t make promises like that.” Jinora whispered. “You might not be able to keep them.”

“I know.” Korra responded, her voice soft. “But I can try.”

Jinora looked at her hands- pale in comparison to Korra’s, the tattoo over her hand the color of the sky itself. “What are we going to do about Kuvira?”

“I don’t know...” Korra sighed. “But we aren’t going to loose again. I promise.”

Jinora couldn’t bring herself to respond, and instead let herself drift into the memory of a happier future, a future where she could enjoy this summer afternoon without shedding any tears.