"I assure you, there is plenty of space available in the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Izumi will have everything ready for you by the time the ship reaches the capital," I explained to the headmistress of the orphanage.
"Princess?" a soft voice asked, and I felt a hand tug on my breeches. I looked down and found a little boy gazing back at me; my heart fluttered in my chest when he looked terribly similar to one of the most important people in my life. Topaz eyes, fair skin, but curly black hair where there should have been straight…he looked like Iroh. "Where are we going?" he asked, and the worry in his mind caused his eyes to mist over.
He was so brave, despite being so small and so afraid. I held out my hands, to which he mirrored, and I pulled him onto the shelf of my hip. I carded my hand through his curls, and smiled tenderly at him. "The city won't be safe for a while, so I am sending you all to my home," I told him, "And when it's safe again, you can come back to the city."
"We have to leave?" he whimpered.
"Hey, hey, hey," I cooed, and tilted his head so that our eyes met. "I promise you, there will be people to take care of you. My home is the safest in the entire world- it's guarded by a dragon who loves to have his scales tickled… What's your name?"
"Ephraim."
"Ephraim, listen to me, I am not sending you away because I want to- but because it's my job to keep you all safe. Do you understand?" He nodded his head, but I could tell he wasn't thoroughly convinced. He had been abandoned before, whether the choice was intentional or not, and he didn't want to feel that way ever again. "Ephraim, can you give something to Fire Lord Izumi for me?"
"Really?"
I freed my hair from its plait and placed the metal clasp in his tiny hand. "I want you to give this to her, and ask her to look after you for me. Okay?" I smiled when he nodded eagerly, and he wiggled out of my arms. "Ephraim, I will come to the palace and bring you all back home," I promised. I watched the little boy hurry to his threadbare knapsack to safely tuck the hairpin inside. I had a vow to fulfill, and I refused to fail that child.
"Kailyn," my mother announced from the doorway, "It's time to get everyone out."
We watched the tense workers usher the children out of the orphanage. A familiar figure broke away from the queue, and wrapped his arms around my legs. "You will come get me, right?" he worried.
"I promise, Ephraim, this is my mum…you know Chief Beifong, right? It's our job to keep everyone safe."
"You're her mum?" Ephraim wondered.
My mother cocked a brow at the little boy and folded her arms across her chest. "That's right…"
"You keep her safe- promise?"
She seemed at a brief loss of words as she regarded the boy, and the corners of her lips twitched. "You have my word. Now get back in line, kid."
"Remember to find Fire Lord Izumi," I urged, and waved in farewell. "Mum, you need to work on your patience with children…that was just a taste," I chided, and smiled at her incredulous glare.
Her eyes fell to the faint swell that my hand rested on; those peridot orbs took on a strange light before they returned to their stoic glint. She walked out without saying a word.
"Right," I sighed, and followed her out.
"Is there any way I can get you to reconsider staying on Air Temple Island with President Raiko and me?"
"Not when Iroh will be out on the front lines," I reminded her. My mother rolled her eyes and growled softly as we walked to the car. I watched as United Force soldiers stationed themselves throughout the city, and knew I needed to get to Korra and Iroh. "I will see you when this is over," I told my mother, and trotted down the small set of stairs.
"Kailyn," she called after me. I felt the ground shift beneath my feet, pulling me back to her, and I found myself embraced my familiar arms encased in metal. "Be careful," she murmured, "And, please, don't get yourself hurt."
"You do the same," I returned, and embraced her fiercely. I left my mother and headed for the first line of defense against Kuvira on the outskirts of the eastern side of the city.
"Kailyn," Korra greeted me, surprised, as I ducked into Iroh's tent.
I kissed Iroh's cheek as I took my place at his side to look over the map laid out on the table. "What is the plan?" I asked softly.
"President Raiko is hoping to be able to talk Kuvira down before the fighting gets started," my husband explained.
"But we all know that Kuvira won't let that happen," Korra contined, "Kailyn, Kuvira has a legion of mecha tanks- can you do some damage to lessen those numbers?"
"With the help of the twins, I think it can be done. But what about that spirit weapon?"
"That is strapped to a colossal mecha tank," the Avatar informed me, "But maybe…if it comes to it- Lin and Su could hack away at it."
I poured over the map with the two of them for what felt like seconds before I felt the vibrations of what could only be a great leviathan awakening from its slumber. I was the first to raise my head, but Korra soon followed. The mountains seemed to shudder at their foundations as the great mecha tank strode into view.
"Positions," Iroh ordered as we stood in the mouth of the tent.
"Kuvira, this is President Raiko. I order you to stand down. Turn your army around and leave," Raiko transmitted over the radio behind us from his base on Air Temple Island.
"You're in no position to give orders," the self-proclaimed Great Uniter dismissed.
"Stand down- or we will attack!" Raiko challenged.
I could feel Kuvira's smirk in her words and I tensed beside Iroh. "I don't think you understand the power I possess," she remarked idly, "Let me make it clear."
The mecha tank raised its right arm, bearing the weapon, and took aim. A reverberating blast shook my bones, and Iroh instinctively tucked me behind him. A jet of violet issued from the barrel, decimating the United Forces' fleet docked throughout Yue Bay; they cleaved like butter under a hot knife, and my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
"Kailyn," Iroh murmured as the cannon shifted to take aim at our defenses. He went to the radio and asked urgently, "Mr. President, do have your order to engage?" Kuvira said something simultaneously, and I did not hear her.
"Stop! We surrender. Republic City is yours," Raiko announced.
"Good. Turn your army and the Avatar over to me, and give Bataar your location," Kuvira repled.
Iroh slammed the microphone onto its received, and I placed a hand between his tense shoulders. "Iroh," I began softly.
"I'm not surrendering!" Korra protested.
"Get Kailyn back to the city before she sees either of you," my husband instructed.
"I am not leaving," I argued.
One of his hands cupped the back of my neck and he pulled us close so that our foreheads touched. "And I will not have you and our unborn child locked away in another prison camp. Find a way to beat that thing, and stay safe. Find your mother," he murmured. He pressed his lips against my trembling ones, and gently pushed me in Korra's direction. "Korra, keep her safe and beat that thing," he finished.
"I will," the Avatar promised. I followed her lead as we retreated to the city. I hopped onto the back of her glider, and she carried us out of Kuvira's sight. "We need to get to Varrick's warehouse and come up with a plan," she said to me. I hummed my agreement, and we pressed on. "Just like old times, right?" she joked.
"I don't want today to end with me being blasted off another mountain," I grumbled, and Korra shot me a wry grin.
It was strange, to be the only occupants visible amongst the streets of the city. Air Temple Island came into view, and my thoughts drifted to my mother. Would Bataar Jr. take her into custody with the president, whilst his fiancée captured Iroh?
We burst into the warehouse through the double doors, and all eyes fell on us. "Raiko surrendered, it's down to us," Korra explained.
Bolin looked frustrated to the point of being terrified. "How are we supposed to fight an entire army, a mecha giant, and that crazy weapon?!" he exclaimed.
"We can't fight it," Asami explained, "But maybe we can cripple it." She turned to Zhu Li and asked, "Zhu Li, when you were spying on Kuvira, did you learn anything about that metal monster?"
Before Zhu Li spoke, I could sense her answer was going to be grim. "I had no idea they were even building it," she confessed.
"Guess Bataar Jr. is a better inventor than I thought- don't tell him I said that!" Varrick growled.
"That's it," Korra cried, cerulean eyes blazing bright, "Bataar Jr. built it- he'll know how to take it down! I say we capture him, and get him to talk."