Kai stood there for a moment and looked around. The guilt hit him for hurting these guys like he did. He knew he had to fight them, but he didn't have to melt one of their faces off and freeze the other so cold he wouldn't unfreeze for a few weeks and by then be dead. He didn't want to be mean or evil, but the look Hayden, of all people, gave him for what he said to Kara made him feel worse. He didn't want to hurt people that couldn't defend themselves to the innocent. These men are far from innocent, and their victims might have wanted something like this to happen to them, but Kai didn't want to be the one to issue it. The man on the floor slowly drew his last breath and Kai felt the pressure of killing someone. He didn't want to be a killer, but that's what he was now. He unfroze the other man as he left, but he fell to the ground. He could heat him up, but he seemed to have froze him so cold his body wouldn't recover. He left the cabin, a new person, because he now had guild playing in his mind. I have killed two people. He shuffled through the woods, seeing Hayden and Kara in the distance but made no effort to catch up. He wasn't in the mood right now to deal with Hayden's jealous eyes or Kara's pretty face. He knew he would blow up at Hayden if he said anything and knew he didn't deserve to see Kara. So he just walked.

Hayden carried Kara to the house and set her back down on the bed. "Now please Kara, stay in bed, you shouldn't be up yet." He looked into her eyes but they were staring blankly at something that wasn't there.

"Kai is mad at me..." Was all she said.

Hayden felt his heart clench. That's what was causing this? Did Kai's opinion of her matter that much to her? He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms but she was unresponsive. She just repeated. "Kai is mad at me..."

Kai walked into Shala's house and looked at the room Kara and Hayden were in. He sighed and just walked into the nearest bedroom. He wanted to be okay, to be fine. Even to just pretend to be okay, but he couldn't it hurt him too much. Those people will never see the next sunrise or eat another pastry. Yeah they won't be able to rape another girl, but maybe they had family. He sat in the dark room wanting to go back and not let his feeling for Kara fuel him into murdering them.

Kara saw Kai walk passed and for some reason she didn't want him to see her with Hayden like that, she shoved him away and headed after him. When she got to the room she noticed how he was acting. "Kai...? What's wrong...?"

Kai looked down, away from Kara. He didn't want to blame her, it wasn't all her fault. But she had had a hand in it. "Nothing. I want to be left alone." He said. He looked at his hands, knowing the power that lies underneath. He thought that he was good and that these powers were given to someone who would do good. Now he wasn't so sure.

Kara didn't leave, instead she sat down in front of him. "Is it because of those men?"

Kai finally looked at her. Her eyes somehow sparkling with only the light from the doorway. He didn't want her to know of the pain he felt from killing those men to save her. Instead he just shrugged. She would feel bad if he knew and he didn't need that too. The pressure he was dealing with was enough right now.

Kara looked at him for a long moment, then she reached up and pulled him down off the bed into a tight, comforting hug. "It's ok..." She whispered. "Let it out..."

Kai gave her an empty eyed stare, not hugging her back. "I-" He sighed, he had to tell her. The pressure was going to be too much. The words 'You're a murder' kept playing in his head. "I killed those two guys." He had is knees up and he laid his head on them and wrapped his arms around his head, covering his face, ashamed.

Kara's eyes widened momentarily in surprise and she sat there for a moment watching him, then, silently, she crawled over next to him and wrapped his arms around him. She didn't say anything. She didn't say he was a murderer because it wasn't his fault, he didn't say it wasn't his fault because it was his fault. She didn't say it was ok because it wasn't, and she didn't say she was sorry because that wouldn't do anything for him, so she just held him silently. Letting him know she's there for him.

Kai felt Kara's warm arms around him and yet he didn't shrug her off. He sat there thinking about what he's done. People often say water benders always think first act second, but he didn't. He let his emotions get in the way. He wanted to tell Kara that he didn't love her and that he didn't want her treating him like he was anything special, but he couldn't. It would almost be like loosing a part of him and he needs all he can get to combat this weight that threatened to crush him.
How could he have killed someone? He knew that it was going to happen someday, he was a warrior. He wasn't looking forward to the day, and he thought that the people that would die at his hand would be people attacking him and innocent people with elemental powers. He killed two men who didn't stand a chance. Yes, they were bad, but at this point it wasn't the people he killed, it was because of how quickly he let that happen.
He didn't decide to kill them, he was too in the moment. Instead, he allowed himself to use his powers to the extreme. He says he has mastered his powers, but it seems he hasn't yet. In a way, this gift makes him like the fire bender he looks like. He is ruled by his emotions.
Kai looked at Kara, happy she was so willing to help him. "I can't love you Kara. Not with you in danger so much and another guy breathing down your neck. I'm not in control like I thought I was and I don't want to hurt you or Hayden or anyone without considering it first. I just can't, not with what is going on."

For some reason Kara felt tears prick her eyes at this statement. Why? Why did it hurt so much for him to tell her he couldn't love her? She shook her head to get rid of the tears and gave him a small smile. "I understand..."

Kai saw the tears and he frowned. He still hurt, but knowing he was preventing himself from killing again helped, but seeing Kara cry added to the pain. Kai untangled Kara's arms from his. He hoped she would not allow him to give up on her, he was wrong. It was how it needed to be for him to keep everyone safe. He needed to stop allowing for himself to think he had a shot with her.

Kara felt her heart break a little as he pulled away from her. She looked at him for a moment then chuckled sadly. "It's weird right? Though I understand it kinda hurts..." She shook her head then stood up and looked down at him. "I'm sorry... don't mind me, it's your decision if you want me or not, I can't influence it..." She turned her head away, to hide her tears. "If you need anything I'll be in my room." She headed out the door and back to her room.

Hayden was in the room waiting for him and looked up at her as she walked in. "How is he?" But then he saw her tears, he got up and wiped them away. "How are you?"

"Kai is pretty beat up, turns out he killed those men... I'm fine..."

Hayden knew not to push her and just guided her back to bed. "Here, if Brisa doesn't come back we'll look for her all over again once everyone is better, ok?"

"Ok..."

Kai looked at Kara confused. He could tell she was about to cry or crying. He didn't understand why she was so sad about it, he didn't even know about how they felt until yesterday. Kai wanted to go and comfort her but knew he shouldn't if he really wanted to stop loving her. He didn't dwell on it, he wouldn't allow himself. Instead he crawled onto the bed, and went to sleep.

Kara allowed herself to be sat down on the bed and just looked down sadly.

Hayden looked at her, his eyes pained. "What happened?"

Kara looked up at him not wanting to hurt him but needing someone to confide in. "Kai told me he couldn't love me anymore..."

Hayden looked at her, his heart breaking and leaping at the same time, finally he just sat down next to her and said. "Am I no good?"

Kara looked at him for a moment then shook her head. "No, that's not it..."

"Then please." He said cupping her face gently. "Let me make you fall for me. I'll do anything to make you happy, I'll make you fall for me and I'll make you happy. I don't mind that you don't love me yet. I just don't want to lose you to someone who will give you up."

Kara stared at him for a long moment then she nodded.

Hayden looked back at her then slowly leaned in, but seeing her eyes squeeze shut almost fearfully he moved the kiss up and kissed her forehead. "Now sleep, I'll be here when you wake up."

Hours later, after everyone was asleep. Kai found himself in a nightmare consisting of him killing people he knew. He killed River, Brisa, Hayden, Rain, William, Lucy, Sapphire. He couldn't take it. He didn't want to kill them and he tried to stop it, but his body just continued. Finally his last victim came up to him and tried to fight him. It was Kara, he simply laughed at her feeble attempt before hitting her with water and slowly boiling it until her face was unrecognizable. When he finally had control of his body, he looked down at what he had done. He held her body crying, wanting her back.
Kai woke up with a start, tears stained his cheeks. He jumped out of bed and ran for Kara's room. He opened the door gently, not wanting to wake her up. Kara was on the bed and Hayden was on the floor. Kai ignored the happy feeling he got from that and tip-toed over to Kara. She looked to be okay in her sleep.
Kai was so relieved, he didn't want to kill any of them, but Kara's death hurt the worst. He was sad that he still felt so strongly for her. He thought that once he told her that he couldn't be with her his feelings for her would turn off like a faucet. They didn't which is going to make thing a little tough until he pushes them down enough.
Kai stood there for a second looking at her. He held his hand above her hair, wanting one last feel. He almost gave in, but dropped his arm at the last second. That would only make things worse. He sneaked out of the room before his will power diminished and do something more than an innocent touch of the hair. He went back to his room shoving down the idea of kissing her down.

The next morning Kara awoke to find that Hayden was in fact still in the room with her and she slowly sat up, she had had a dreamless sleep last night, which was probably for the best seeing as she couldn't get her mind off of Kai when she was awake. She got up and headed for the bathroom.

Kai was up, staring at the ceiling. He heard stirring but didn't move. He just continued to look at the ceiling. The covers had fallen off his bare chest earlier and he was getting cold. He didn't want to move to cover himself up. He just laid there, motionless, on the bed.

As Kara was coming back from the bathroom she saw Kai in his room, she silently walked in, covered him back up, and left, heading back to her room.

Hayden was up and had just started to panic when Kara came back in. He sighed and hugged her close. "I was worried something happened to you."

"I was just in the bathroom." She said.

Kai noticed Kara come in. He didn't look her way, just continued to look at the ceiling. She covered him up and left. He has counted the tiles once there was enough light to see by. There were seventy-two. He had counted them three more times. Once he finished he just looked at one spot on the ceiling and on occasion...he would blink. He didn't feel anything, he didn't allow himself to. He pushed all of it down and was working on building up a wall. He just needed time. He would be as good as new soon.

Hayden nodded. "Alright. Do you need anything? I could get you something too eat, you need to eat Kara."

Kara sighed, she didn't have any appetite but she knew that she had to eat and not pass out again. he looked up at him. "I guess I can have some fruit..." She said.

Hayden smiled at her. "Fruit it is, I'll be right back, don't move." He laid her back down on the bed, kissed her forehead and left.

Kai finally go up and started to stretch. He needed to exercise if he didn't want to hurt himself with anything. He finished warm-ups and left the room, to take a short, close jog in this world that Shala had brought them to. He took a few laps, feeling his muscles ache from not being used. Once he was finished with that, he went back inside. He checked that Hayden and Kara were still there and okay by glancing at the room. Kai then went to his room and did some push-ups and sit-ups. He needed this and it helped him feel better.

Kara ate the food that Hayden brought slowly, reluctantly, but she managed to finish it all.

"Hey... Do you need anything? I could get you a book to read or..."

"I would like to go outside..." Kara said standing up.

Hayden quickly hurried over to her. "What for? You need to rest."

"I want to earth bend..."

"... Ok..." He walked her outside.

Kai got up, sweat on his face. He took a drink of water and decided he needed a shower. He went and did that. Steam filled his room once he was done. He went out in the hall and into Kara and Hayden's room. He heard Kara say from the hallway she wanted to earth bend. He wanted to watch and walked into the room, planning on following them out.