Chapter Text
By Tenzin
I was just finishing eating when I heard Korra, with an amused smile, ask a question that made me look up. “So, Zuka, what was it like when you were pregnant with Tenzin? It must have been quite an adventure, right?” Her nonchalant tone was in stark contrast to what I knew was coming.
Mom sighed deeply, as if bracing herself for something she hadn’t shared in a long time. I felt a slight uneasiness, a knot forming in my stomach. I didn’t know if I wanted to hear what she was about to say.
“Oh,” Mom began, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye before turning her attention back to Korra, “Aang was worried sick. You see, honey, I don’t know if Tenzin has told you, but… after I had Bumi and Izumi, I got pregnant again and had a miscarriage. It was a rough time.”
I could feel Korra’s eyes on me, but I kept my gaze down, swirling the tea around in my cup. Mom had mentioned that loss only on very rare occasions. Her tone was calm, but she knew how painful it had been for her and Dad. Especially since, from what I remembered from my childhood conversations, it had all happened when my aunt Azula tried to escape her prison.
“When Azula tried to escape her cell, I miscarried. Aang was devastated, and I… well, I had to stay strong, for my other two children and for him.” Mom spoke with a control I always admired in her, as if reliving that moment didn’t shake her.
Still, there was something in her gaze that revealed more than her words let on. Azula had always been a shadow looming over our family. Even locked away, her presence was still a threat.
“A few months later,” Mom continued, “I found out I was pregnant again, and this time we were terrified. We were so scared… On top of that, Tenzin didn’t move much. “He was already calm before he was born,” she said with a soft smile that made me feel exposed. It was strange to hear Mom talk about me like that, as if the calm baby he’d been was still here, in front of her.
“It was a rough few months,” she admitted. “But it was all worth it when I held him in my arms. Though it did come in a big way, causing me to go into labor when Aang had taken the kids to see Sokka and I was in the middle of a council meeting.” Her eyes lit up briefly, and the memory seemed closer than it should be for a woman her age.
I felt my face heat up. Korra let out a laugh, clearly enjoying the idea that my birth had caused such a chaotic situation. Mako and Asami smiled too, though they were trying to be more discreet.
“Mom...” I muttered, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of my story, but I’d always had a hard time imagining my mother in such moments of vulnerability. She had always been the strong figure, the one who kept the peace in the Fire Nation and in our family.
Mom just looked at me, her smile reassuring. “Don’t worry, Tenzin. It was a chaotic day, yes, but it was also one of the best of my life.”
I nodded, not knowing exactly what to say. I knew that to Mom and Dad, each of us, their children, represented something important. But hearing firsthand what they had gone through to have me, and even more so, the fear that accompanied them during those months, hit me in a way I hadn’t expected.
Korra, despite her smile, seemed to sense the weight of history. “Wow, I didn’t imagine all that behind you, Tenzin. And now you’re the one keeping the calm in the midst of chaos.” Her tone was kind, but I sensed the subtext of her comment. She had been through her own struggles, and she knew what it was like to carry the legacy of those who came before.
Mom nodded softly. “Tenzin has always been calm, even as a baby. But that calm… sometimes it comes from having seen and felt more than he lets on.” His words resonated deeply with me. I knew he was speaking not just of the difficult pregnancy, but of my life, of the pressures of being the Avatar’s son, of the times I’d had to take care of others when I might not have been ready for it.
We were silent for a moment, and as the bustle of the cafeteria continued around us, I realized how much Mom had endured to get here. For her, being Fire Lord wasn’t just a title, it was a role she’d played while also being a mother, a wife, and a survivor of her own traumas.
I felt more grateful than I could express, and though I didn’t say it out loud, a part of me wished Dad was here, so we could share this moment together.
“I’m so grateful to be here with you, Mom,” I said finally, my voice quieter than I expected.
She looked at me, and in her golden eyes I saw the love and strength that had always emanated."And I, having you in my life, Tenzin. Always.”