"The Ship of Dreams, they called it. And it was. It really was…" Over five days, the lives of Kai Wen and Jinora Gyatso became irreversibly entwined. But their adventure was not the typical love story, for the ship they met on was the RMS Titanic. From the moment the ship set sail from the Earth Kingdom in 177 AG, it was destined for disaster. [Kai/Jinora] Titanic!AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Korra, or any of its trademarked characters. I also do not own the plot of the movie Titanic: that belongs to James Cameron and his associates. I only own the story that you see written, and hope that you enjoy my spin on things.

Those in Peril on the Sea by boasamishipper

Epilogue

"Fifteen hundred people went into the sea when Titanic sank from under us. There were twenty boats floating nearby, all around us, and only one came back." Gran-Gran sighs shakily, tears springing to her eyes. Using her lace handkerchief, she wipes them away one by one. "Just one."

The room is completely silent at this point, save the sounds of the machines and turbines going down the hall. Ren forgets how to breathe. When Gran-Gran had begun to speak about the sinking he'd taken Miza's hand, and now she clutches his so hard that it cuts off his circulation. He doesn't care, though.

"Six of us were saved from the water by other boats, me included." She looks at them, as if she's trying to make the fatality percentage abundantly clear. Ren thinks he's going to be sick. "Six people out of fifteen hundred."

Ren looks over at Teishi, Jian, Feng, and the other crew members. It appears as though the reality of the events eighty-four years ago has finally struck them. Miza's eyes are red from crying. He suspects his are red too. In that one moment, with his grandmother's story fresh in everyone's hearts, Ren knows that the members of the URN Day-Ling expedition do feel like grave-robbers now. Even Teishi had stopped asking her about the necklace long before. He sits silently in a chair across from Gran-Gran, looking sick to his stomach. Jian and Feng had thrown up upon hearing the tales of how gruesome the deaths of some of the people on the Titanic had been.

"And afterwards," Gran-Gran continues, her voice quiet. Not one person moves or asks her to speak up. They don't have to. "Afterwards, the seven hundred people in the boats had nothing to do but wait. It was all one big poker game to them, except the stakes were higher than a number of lost yuans. There was no food, no water to go around. Nothing but whiskey and tea. The passengers had nothing to do but wait to die, wait to live, wait for an absolution in the form of the Carpathia, which came to rescue us after we waited for about an hour in the cold. Three people that had been rescued from the water died of hypothermia in that time."

Ren can't even imagine that. Being rescued from the water only to die just before further salvation can come. His grandmother and two others had lived after being saved from the ocean. Three people out of fifteen hundred.

He's suddenly filled with an immense hatred at the seven hundred people in the boats who hadn't lifted a finger to help those that were dying. Women, men, children. So much had been lost. How could they not help? All of those good people that Gran-Gran had described—Asami and Korra and Suyin—why hadn't they helped? Why hadn't they at least saved one life?

"I awoke in the infirmary of the Carpathia," says Gran-Gran with a shake in her voice, "and my doctors filled me in on what had happened. Everything. I asked about Kai, thinking it had just been a dream. But it wasn't." She wipes her eyes again. "I found out that Bulusi Simei had lived." It takes a second for Ren to remember him as the chairman of the White Star Line. "He had taken a spot that could have gone to Lin, or Qin's father, or Jaya's entire family. But he lived, and had to live with the accusing stares of widows and torn apart families for the rest of his life." She pauses. "I asked the doctors who had lived. I listed names. Names of first class people, names of people that I'd met in first class. Qin and her mother lived. Tahno didn't, and neither did Skoochy or my maid Penga or Ransik—not that I was too sad about LingShi's valet. Zhu Li did, though, and she named her baby after Varrick just as she'd promised."

This brings a small smile to Ren's face. He's glad that Zhu Li lived, at least.

"I never saw LingShi again. Nor did I care to. I didn't even want to breathe near the bastard who'd written off Kai like he was nothing." Ren's heart skips a beat at his grandmother's vehement tone. "But LingShi never looked for me either. He remarried and became a famous businessman, known all over the Four Nations. It wasn't all good for him, though. His wealth took a drastic dip in the stock market crash of 194 AG, and he ate a bullet that following year. His children fought over the scraps of his estate like jackal-hyenas, or so I read."

It's clear that it's the end of her story, but Ren doesn't want to say anything for fear of breaking the mood. He feels lost, like the ground itself had been taken out from under him. He can't even imagine what it'd been like for his grandmother to experience so much all at once, to experience one of the most famous events in history. And at the age of seventeen...only seven years younger than him now.

Spirits, it's all so sudden. And the fact that his Gran-Gran nearly went to her grave without speaking of her life story to anyone scares him more than anything.

"We never found any records of Kai, Jinora," Teishi says quietly, breaking the somber silence. "There's nothing written about him anywhere."

"No." She sighs, like it's exactly what she had expected. "No, there wouldn't be, would there? And I've never spoken of him until now." With a look at Ren, she says, "Not even to your grandfather, Ren."

Ren thinks about his grandfather for a moment. He remembers him as a kind, funny man who'd always treated Gran-Gran well. They'd always been so close, like best friends, practically, until his death ten years prior. He supposes that even best friends don't know everything about each other. (He certainly doesn't know everything about his.)

And yet…

He's the only one to know Gran-Gran's story out of his entire family. The thought shocks him a little. "Why did you never tell him? He would've understood."

Gran-Gran takes his hand in hers. "Sometimes there are things that you can't share with even the people closest to you. And would he, Ren? Would he really understand how I had given up my heart long before I met him?"

Ren shakes his head. "Probably not."

"Probably not," she echoes. "But now you all know that eighty-four years ago a man named Kai Wen saved me, in every way that a person can be saved." She closes her eyes, inhaling slowly as if savoring the memories. "I don't even have a picture of him. He exists now only in my memories."

The room is as silent as a graveyard. No one says anything after that, except for the occasional tissue being exchanged. Ren blows his nose and leans against his grandmother's wheelchair, feeling drained of everything. He doesn't know what to do with himself now.

Then Teishi stands up, cracking the joints in his back as he does so. "Let's get back on deck," he suggests. "It's...it's been a long day."

No one argues with him, and Ren silently wheels Jinora back up to the deck of the Day-Ling.

Up on the deck, a party for the expedition is in progress, held by the crew members who don't know any better that the investigation had failed more than words could say. A slow songs plays over the radio, the singer crooning something about her heart going on, and some of the crewmen are dancing to it. Feng is silent, holding a plastic cup of beer but not taking a single sip of it. Jian, in comparison, is downing cup after cup, like he'd been in the Si Wong Desert all of his life without drinking anything.

Teishi stands at the railing, looking down into the black water like he's pondering the secrets of the universe. Clearly Jinora Gyatso's story had struck him harder than they'd thought. He'd been so stoic down during the entirety of Jinora's story whereas Miza had been crying like a small child, listening to how her great-aunt and grandmother had saved so many lives. Jian and Feng will never let her live this down.

Not wanting Teishi to be alone, she and Ren come over to him, the latter offering him a beer, which the explorer refuses.

Miza puts her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Haru," she says softly.

Teishi sighs, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Yeah," he answers. "Me too, Miza."

Without a word, Ren suddenly starts running away as fast as his legs can carry him. Miza is about to ask what the matter is with him when she suddenly notices a familiar figure moving through the lights far down at the stern of the ship.

She curses. "Oh, shit."

Miza races down the deck with Teishi at her heels, shoving crew members out of the way so they can make it to the railing, where a nearly incomprehensible Ren is pleading with Jinora, who is actually standing next to it, her body leaning over the railing. How the fuck did she get out of her wheelchair? Miza wonders. And what the fuck is she doing?

"Gran-Gran," Ren begs, "get down, get down! Please!"

"Jinora!" calls Miza, panicked beyond belief. Spirits, this can't be a repeat of what had happened eighty-four years ago, can it? Jinora can't end everything now. Although why not? She's told everyone her story. The only things that are stopping her are her and Ren. "Jinora, wait—"

They all stop in their tracks as she turns slightly and shows them what she has in her hands. She's not jumping. She's throwing something away.

And that something is the Eye of the Sea, its dark blue diamond and silver chain shining in the moonlight.

"Son of a bitch," Jian says, appearing practically out of nowhere. His cup of beer has mysteriously vanished, even though Miza can smell it on his breath from where she stands ten feet away. "Rush her, Teishi!"

"Shut the hell up, you shmuck," Miza growls. If Teishi does rush her then it might send Jinora, him and Ren into the water, and that fall could very well kill Jinora. Besides, Ren will probably kill Teishi before he can try. "Haru, don't you move an inch."

Teishi doesn't listen to either of them. Instead, he moves forward slowly and nonsensically splutters, his hands twitching at his sides. Finally, when his voice returns, he says, "You—it—you had it this whole fucking time?!"

"Yes, I did," she says simply.

Now Teishi looks as though he's been hit in the face with something very heavy. "Then why...why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you sell it? Spirits, you could be rich now!"

"I thought of selling it many times, Mr. Teishi. Believe me, I was conflicted." Miza can understand why. Would she or Ren or Teishi or anyone have been able to profit off their bastard fiancé to survive? She thinks her need to live would have trumped her pride at one point. But Jinora obviously had done fine without it. "The hardest part about being so poor was being so wealthy. But every time I considered selling it, I thought of LingShi. And somehow I always managed to get by without his help."

Jinora holds the Eye of the Sea out over the water, tantalizingly close to letting go of the most expensive necklace in the world. Feng and a couple of the other guys had come up behind Teishi, Ren and Miza, each of them gasping when they'd seen what was in Jinora's hand. Miza has no idea whether she should intervene or not, but a piercing look from Ren tells her that this conversation is solely between Jinora Gyatso and Haru Teishi.

"Look…Jinora, I know it means nothing but bad things to you, b-but…I've been searching for that my entire life," Teishi pleads, his hands clasped together in a sign of begging. It's funny; she's never seen him beg for anything before. He hadn't begged her to join this expedition. He hadn't even begged her to stay with him after they broke it off. "It's a treasure…a priceless treasure. Ren's great-grandchildren could be the richest people in the Four Nations from that much money. And you—you're just going to throw it away?"

She shakes her head, looking melancholy with everyone. It strikes Miza for the first time just how old she looks. It's never hit her before, not even when she'd first seen the woman. Jinora simply looks…finished. "Life's too precious to throw it all away over problems that can be solved, Mr. Teishi," Jinora explains, sounding wise beyond even her years. "Jewels and treasure and the like; they aren't worth a yuan to me. Love, Mr. Teishi, is the greatest treasure of all."

With a small smile and what looks like all of her strength, Jinora tosses the Eye of the Sea over the railing and into the ocean below.

Teishi releases a strangled cry that sounds like it comes from the depths of his soul and rushes to the railing in time to see his life's dedication hit the water with a resounding splash and disappear forever beneath the waves.

"Great," Jian says angrily, looking absolutely pissed off as he looks toward Teishi for guidance. Apparently the idea to rush Jinora is making a reappearance. "Now how the hell are we going to get the money to pay back our sponsors, Teishi?"

Miza braces herself for Teishi to explode in anger, for the explorer to practically dive into the ocean himself looking for the Eye of the Sea. Ren takes a tentative step in front of his grandmother; ready to protect her if it comes down to it. His fists clench as Teishi moves closer to them.

"Haru?" Miza asks tentatively, standing next to Ren to protect Jinora from Teishi's possible wrath. "Haru? Don't…please don't freak out, okay?"

But Teishi doesn't freak out or start attacking anyone, much to everyone's relief. He starts to laugh until the tears of mirth come to his eyes, even going so far as to grab the railing for support. "Love," he mutters, wiping a tear from his eye. "Isn't that something? Love is the greatest treasure of all."

Looking completely confused with the sudden turn of events, Ren turns to Miza. "What just happened?" he asks. Obviously neither of them are sure what to make of it.

Miza also feels perturbed with the situation. "I think he's lost his mind," she says, nodding toward Teishi, who's still laughing his ass off by the railing. "And I think Jian is going to strangle someone. He owes gambling debts half the people on the Day-Ling and was going to use his salary to pay them off. Dumb bastard."

Ren laughs. "And what about you?"

"Eh. I wasn't really in it for the money anyways," Miza says, shrugging. It's true. "I got to hear the story of my great-aunt and my grandmother. I'd say that trumps whatever Haru was going to pay me." She smiles, and Ren smiles as well, like their emotions are linked together with puppet strings.

She wouldn't mind being linked to him for a while.

The classical music behind him reaches a crescendo, and something goes through Ren like a bolt of lightning. "Would you like to dance, Ms. Beifong?" Ren asks, holding his hand out to her just like Kai Wen probably had to his grandmother so long ago.

Miza grins at him and nods, taking his hand and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. He blushes furiously. "I'd love to, Mr. Siku," she replies.

As Ren leads Miza onto the makeshift dance floor, and they dance with their arms wrapped around each other, each of them wearing smiles bright enough to rival the setting sun, Jinora can't help but smile at her grandson finding happiness with Miza. He deserves it, she thinks.

"Oh, Kai," she whispers, tears coming to her eyes again. "I wish you were here to see this."

It doesn't matter, though. She'll see him again soon. She knows it.

The echoing sound of distant waltz music leads her down a familiar corridor like the hand of an old friend.

She emerges onto a grand staircase, lit by glowing chandeliers hanging from a sparkling glass dome. It is exquisitely beautiful. The music has turned vibrant, and the room is populated by men in suits and ties and women in gowns. She recognizes faces, one by one—Qin and her mother and father, holding hands. Skoochy and Tahno. Jaya and her family. Penga, her maid. Varrick and Zhu Li, holding their baby boy. Mako and Bolin and Korra and Asami. Lin and Suyin. Her mother, father and siblings are all there. And then there are others, the others that have become so important to her after her escape from the Titanic and high society. Her husband is there, as are several old friends that she has met over the last eighty-four years. Everyone smiles at her like they are greeting an old friend, and she wants to stop and chat with them, but she feels something pulling her forward.

Something inside her tells her that she will have time to talk with them later.

As she descends toward them, she realizes that she is wearing a dress, a lovely one that feels like soft satin. Her hair bounces in soft curls down her back. She feels warm and content, as though everything in her life has led to this one happy moment.

At the bottom a man stands with his back to her, but as she approaches him, he turns and the wind is forcibly pushed out of her lungs.

Kai.

Alive, and well, and handsome, with the green eyes she knows better than her own.

He holds his hand out toward her. Trembling, she takes it. "Hey," he says. Spirits Almighty, she has missed his voice so much over the last eighty-four years. "You made it."

"I did," she says. She is surprised how collected she sounds. "I've missed you, Kai."

"I've missed you too, Jin."

When they kiss, it feels like the first time all over again, like they're back underneath that newspaper on a bench on the deck outside. Her friends and family smile and applaud while the soft waltz music rises to a crescendo in the background, but it's just them now, Jinora and Kai, together again after so long apart.

There's so much she still has to tell him. She's sure that he has much to tell her.

But they have eternity for that.

Looking at the face of her one true love, she has never felt happier.

A year, six months, seventeen days, and over fifty thousand words later, and Those in Peril on the Sea is complete.

This doesn't mean that I'm done with Kai and Jinora yet, far from it. I'm planning at least three more Kainora stories, all of which will be released sometime this year. If you'd like to read more of my Kainora stories, Keep a Spur Handy and Spur of the Moment are complete and sometimes you hear the bullet receives pretty constant updates.

I don't have anything else to say except thank you to all of you. So thank you to the forty-three people who reviewed, the twenty-five people who favorited, and the thirty-five people who followed, and yes, even to my active lurkers. Your support led to a story that lasted much longer than I ever anticipated it would. This was an awesome journey for me, and I'm really glad that I took it.

Until next time, this has been boasamishipper, signing out.