Subtitled: What the episode should have included if Nickelodeon wasn't Dickelodeon
When Kuvira awoke, the other side of the bed was cold. The sun had barely risen, but she shrugged off her blanket nonetheless. The rhythmic buzz of saws droned on, reminding her that as long as they worked, she worked.
Baatar was hunched nearby, surrounded by pages after pages of designs and calculations. "Good morning Kuvira," he said wearily.
"Did you sleep well?" Kuvira gazed over the shoulder of her disheveled fiancé. "Or at all?"
"I just need to fine-tune the operation of the core. Today we'll start building, but it needs to be perfect, lest we want a nice spirit vine sky display." He chuckled tiredly at his wit.
Kuvira frowned. "You can't perfect your work when you're so close to passing out on your table. Get some sleep; I'll pass the diagrams to the rest of the engineers."
Baatar stood, and kissed her on his way to the bed. He always got more affectionate when low on sleep. "You think I'm tired now, but just wait until we have actual kids. This is excellent training for crying baby nights. And I thought growing up with Wing and Wei was bad enough… ah well, it'll be well worth it. We'll make great parents." He settled into covers, and was snoring instantaneously. He had a small smile at his lips that made Kuvira's stomach clench.
Nevertheless, she gathered the papers, attempting to focus on the task at hand. If it was not about the Earth Empire's welfare, it was not relevant at the moment.
Kuvira stood perched at the base of the great Banyan-grove tree, keeping a careful eye out for any unruly spirit vines. Yet her mind wandered to albeit one-sided conversation with Baatar.
Do I even want kids? Of course they'd have conversations of their future together, but she was always shying around conversations of children by saying the Earth Empire was their first, and largest child at the moment. That they ought to dedicate their energy on healing its wounds, setting up a brighter, stronger future. However, their conquest was near completion, and she couldn't imagine caring for anything other than her nation.
Kuvira heard a shrill shriek in the distance. Alarmed, she scanned the area to see a small girl in the distance. She immediately took off, still screeching.
Kuvira's eyebrows knitted together, and followed the child. She hadn't realized this swamp was inhabited by anyone, lest a girl far too young to be left on her own. She caught another glimpse, the girl stumbling away far too quickly.
"Wait! I'm here to help you!" Kuvira cried, leaving fallen vines in her wake. "Stop!"
Surprisingly, the girl did stop, dead in her tracks. Her screams decrescendo into loud sobs.
"Where's my mom? I have to find my mom!" she cried, knuckles in her eyes. Kuvira surveyed the child apprehensively. She was covered in mud and bruises, hair heavy with swamp water, with tears cutting through the filth on her face. How long has she been left alone?
"Wait! There she is!" The child took off again, and Kuvira followed, inwardly sighing.
They reached the young woman, long hair braided neatly down her back. She did not turn around to receive her daughter. "Excuse me, but I believe this is your child?" No response. Kuvira cautiously tapped the woman's shoulder, sinking feeling in her stomach. "Can you hear me?"
The woman glanced her way, and Kuvira drew back as she had touched flame, a strangled sound erupting from her throat. Unblemished, fair skin, shadowy hair, moss eyes cold and downcast, enveloped by dark lashes. She donned a simple tunic, a long skirt filled with creases. From when she clung to it. From when she begged her not to leave.
Everything was frozen. Heat rushed to her face, and she felt her lips moving. "How could you leave?! Why are you here?!" She choked out the words.
When Kuvira looked back, her mother was gone. She touched her face, surveying the dirt and wetness. She felt a dam breaking, and a painful sob rising in her throat.
When she walked in the tent, Baatar was still rousing himself. However, he leapt up upon seeing her. "Kuvira? What happened? Were we attacked?"
"No." She continued smoothly. "I scouted the area."
Baatar frowned, doubtful considering her condition. He had always read the famous stories of hallucinations found in this very swamp, but decided not to pry. "Are you alright?"
"I'm just dirty. Nothing water won't fix," she answered, searching the room for a towel.
"…If you want to talk about anything, I'm here for you," his voice was gentle, like treading on ice.
She resisted the urge to glare. How could he read her so easily? "…I was just thinking about what you said earlier today. About starting a family." She turned face him. "I want kids. I want us to have a family together, but not yet. Perhaps a lot later down the line than you thought, but I'm just not ready yet. Our focus should be on the Earth Empire, even after we're married."
Baatar looked relieved. "Of course. It's your choice to when we have a family. All I want is for you to be happy. A family can wait."
She hugged him, and Baatar wrapped his arms protectively around her. "I love you Kuvira."