"That may be the case, but I have something to say to you," I countered. My mother's shoulders tensed, and her gaze remained on the ground. "What have I done? I pressed faintly.
My mother growled incoherently and lurched to her feet. "I don't want to talk about this," she dismissed.
"Hey!" I shouted after her, "We are going to talk about this so that you can snap out of whatever mood you're in."
"Why won't you let this go?!" my mother retorted, spinning about to give me a cold look, "Because I obviously can't ever understand."
It had fallen silent around us, and I regarded my mother with sad eyes. You can't understand… I blinked rapidly to keep my eyes free of tears, but to no avail. "Is that what you think?" I murmured, "That I don't need you because of something I said? Mum, Korra needed you- we couldn't afford to lose. Iroh need me, and I couldn't leave him behind."
My mother's hands clenched into fists at her sides, and her eyes narrowed to slits. "What kind of mother would I be if I let you go off alone, in your condition?" she vented, "Did you not think of how I would feel if something had happened to you- if you died?! I can't lose you again- I nearly lost you at that damned peak. I can't fail you again."
Halfway through her confession, I had begun to cry. "You're my mother- I will always need you," I announced tremulously, and regarded her sadly. I wiped the tears away and rambled, "I-I am so sorry, Mum, I didn't think-"
My mother pulled me into her arms and held me fast. "Enough," she soothed, speaking into her hair.
I wrapped me arms around her and pressed my cheek into the warm metal of her uniform. The ball of lead in my chest softened, and fell away. Everything was going to be all right.
"I like when Mum and Aunt Lin make up better," Wei began.
"Yeah, a lot more bending," Wing argued.
"Boys!" Su chided.
My mum tightened her arms around me, and I exhaled loudly. "Easy now," I warned, "Not as thin as I used to be."
My mother's eyes drifted down my body to rest on my stomach. "How…How do you feel?" she asked softly.
"Tired," I confessed, "But that could be from all the fighting." One of her hands twitched and she looked confused; I reached out and slowly brought her hand to my swell. Her entire body stiffened and she looked at me wide eyes. "It's okay, Mum," I assured her, "The baby won't bite."
"Yet," Su warned, shooting a look at Opal.
"Iroh, we need to go back to the Fire Nation to bring the orphans back to Republic City."
"About that," Iroh began, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his neck, "It seems that the people of the Fire Nation have expressed great interest in adopting them."
My heart rose and fell at the thought of Ephraim being adopted; that little boy had captured my heart, and so it wasn't difficult to learn that he had done the same for another. "All of them?" I inquired faintly.
Iroh's smile grew and the dimple on his right cheek made its appearance. How I loved that dimple- focus. "All but one…a little boy named Ephraim, who refuses to leave because a certain Fire Nation princess promised she would come back for him," he explained.
I smiled brightly and took a seat beside my husband. I took hold of his hand and met his gaze; I had to convince Iroh that Ephraim was going to be a part of our family. "Iroh, when I met that little boy…" I confessed, trailing off when I was at a loss for words, "He needs a home as much as I ever did, and I-"
Iroh cupped my face and kissed me soundly. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and his topaz eyes were glowing as he regarded me. "Kailyn, I know, and I think that you are right. My mother has written to me about Ephraim, and I would like to meet him."
I threw my arms around him as I beamed. "When can we go home?" I inquired.
"In order to make it to Varrick and Zhu Li' wedding, it would probably be best to leave tomorrow. Do you need anything?"
"Not a thing- but someone," I answered. I rose to my feet and wandered out into the gardens of the island. I found my mother looking out at the city- free of her uniform. I came up to her side, and rested my head on her shoulder.
"Korra has changed the city time and time again," my mother murmured.
"She has, and we've been through it all," I agreed, idly catching one of the falling blossoms from the lotus trees around us. "Mum, will come to the Fire Nation with Iroh and me?"
"What business would I have there?"
"I know President Raiko made you take time off, and…" I caught my bottom lip between my teeth.
"And?" my mother pressed.
"And there is someone waiting for me in the Fire Nation that you need to meet," I finished.
"Oh?" my mother wondered, and I could feel her quirked brow without even having to lift my head from its perch.
"Will you come…please?"
"Of course."
"Look, it's your escape partner?" Iroh teased, eyes to the sky to regard the dragon overhead.
"How did you find out?" I groaned as I straightened up from the railing, and wiped the corners of my mouth with a damp cloth.
Iroh's hand came to rest on my stomach and he looked at me, clearly concerned. "Are you sure you're all right?" he pressed.
"Just mother's sickness…so how did you find out Druk helped me?"
"You flew on Zuko's dragon?!" my mother demanded.
"Well, it wasn't my original plan, but Druk kept trying to take me back to the palace," I protested weakly.
My mother shook her head, and looked up at the great drake circling around us. "Convinced a dragon, sounds like you," my mother chortled under her breath.
"I am your daughter," I quipped.
My mother rolled her eyes, but she shot me a proud smile. I looked out at the horizon to take in the Capital's landscape. This was how my mother would have arrived years ago; this was how it should have been.
Iroh's free arm wrapped around my waist, and he murmured, "My mother said she would be waiting for us at the harbour."
I leaned into and smiled as the dragon gate was lowered to permit the ship into the harbour. My mother chuckled when I leaned up on the railing to peer out at the awaiting procession at the top of the dock's stairs. Izumi stood centre with Zuko, and I beamed when I saw a familiar figure dancing in place at the former's side.
"Hold still, you're as bad as the kid," my mother chuckled, which caused Iroh to laugh and for me to blush. My stomach rolled unpleasantly when the ship came to a rolling halt, and Iroh flashed me an apologetic smile.
The moment the walkway hit the dock, Ephraim was sprinting down the steps towards us. "Princess Kailyn! Princess Kailyn!" he called out.
I darted down the plank with a smile so big, my cheeks ached. Ephraim crashed into my legs, and I pulled him into my arms without a moment's hesitation. His arms folded around my neck and my vision blurred with tears when he snuffled the column of my neck. "Hello," I murmured, "Did you have a good time?"
He faintly nodded and announced, "You were gone a long time…and your stomach is hard and round. And everyone left, but I stayed here…why?"
"I have a baby in there," I answered, nodding my head down to the aforementioned, "And it's only going to get bigger." I threaded my hand through his curls and slowly explained, "All the other children found a new family that took them home."
"But why didn't anyone want me?" he wondered tremulously.