Later that evening, with Kinara's help, Ervin and Kato teleported to Benville Hospital, where Kato's mother was being treated. As they approached her room, Kato braced himself, uncertain of what to expect.
When they entered, the sight before him matched what Dana had told him. Sitting on the hospital bed was his mother, awake but visibly thinner and frailer than he remembered. Seeing her like this brought tears to Kato's eyes.
Kato: Mother?
Korra turned her head slowly and once she saw her son, a huge smile appeared on her face.
Without hesitation, Kato rushed to her side, and they embraced. Then, he cried, overwhelmed with relief and joy after so long apart. At that moment, Kato pushed aside the questions about how she had woken up. None of that mattered now.
Kato: I… I thought I lost you mom.
Korra stroked Kato's hair as she smiled and held her son in her bosom.
Korra: I'm right here. I'm right here, Kato.
*******
Meanwhile, Ervin stepped out of the room to give Kato some time alone with his mother. He found Dana waiting in the hallway, her expression serious. She had something important to share.
Ervin: Alright, Dana. First question, how is she alive?
Dana: From the tests I've run, it seems her body has been trying to adapt to the shadow energy forced into her.
Ervin: Adapt? That shouldn't even be possible. She's human, right?
Dana: Yeah she is.
Ervin: So… does that mean she's become a full shadow, like us?
Dana: (whispers) NOT SO LOUD!!!!
Ervin: (whispers) Sorry.
Dana: (sighs) No, not exactly. I had to run more tests to figure out why she woke up and why she's still alive, and I think I've found the reason.
Ervin: Okay. I'm ready to hear it.
Dana: Her body was trying to adapt to the shadow energy because… well, because she mated with a shadow to have Kato. Carrying Kato—someone with 1% shadow energy—in her womb likely contributed. Her body adapted to handling 1% shadow energy back then, and that adaptation must've persisted even after Kato was born. That's probably what stopped her from dying immediately or turning into a shadow monster after being bitten by a Shadow Bug.
Ervin: For real? So she's awake now because her body has fully adapted?
Dana: No.
Ervin: I'm starting to get confused here.
Dana: At least let me finish!
Ervin: Sorry.
Dana sighed heavily and then continued.
Dana: Her body failed to adapt to the 99% shadow energy forced into her.
Ervin: Then how is she even conscious?
Dana: I suspect it's because of Kato's father.
Ervin's eyes widened..
Dana: He must have had a unique trait in his blood, something in his physiology that allowed him to adapt to foreign energies. By having a child with Korra, it seems some of that adaptability passed to her as well, which let her handle 1% shadow energy without dying. But she doesn't have enough of that trait to adapt fully to the 99% shadow energy now overwhelming her body.
Ervin: (scratches his head) Ugh… This is so complicated. If her body failed to adapt, how much time does she have?
Dana's face fell.
Dana: A few hours... Maybe less.
Ervin: (frowning) Why didn't you tell Kato?
Dana: Because… She said she wanted to tell him herself.
********
Meanwhile, back in the hospital room, Kato and Korra continued their heartfelt conversation, the quiet space filled with unspoken emotions, fragile hope, and the weight of everything they had endured together.
Kato: And that's how they accepted me into the Shadow Society, Mom.
Korra: (smiles) I'm so glad you were able to meet good people who saved and took care of you. When I regained consciousness, I was terrified you'd been captured by the HFA or, worse, killed. But seeing you here, alive and well, makes me so happy, Kato.
Kato beamed.
Kato: When Mr. Ervin and the others took me in, accepted me, gave me a place to stay, and trained me. They made me realize that not all of them are as bad as the world says. But… I wish I'd found out differently. Not like this.
Korra: I see. And how do you feel about all of this?
Kato: First, it was knowing you were going to die, and then me becoming a Shadow. Then finding out I'm the last descendant of the… (scratches his head) Hamorabi Clan, was it? And that I'd awaken the God Eye, which would make the Kaimi Daja come after me. At first, it all felt like too much to bear, but…
Kato paused, recalling his conversation with Mira and then also thought of Takimo, who had never given up on him.
Kato: The friends I've made and the fact that Takimo still believes in me, kept me going. It gave me strength and confidence to face whatever comes my way. It also made me determined to end the cycle of hatred that's been going on for so long so that no one else has to go through what I did.
Korra: Oh, Takimo. How's he doing? Have you heard from him?
Kato: Not really. I haven't seen him since that day… or when I snuck into school for graduation. He's joining the HFA to find a way to see me again. Sometimes I worry about him because of how dangerous their work is, but I have faith in him. (smiles faintly) He even gave up on his dream just to see me again.
Korra smiled hearing this.
Korra: There aren't many people out there like Takimo. Make sure you both look out for each other, okay?
Kato: Right, mom.
Korra sighed softly as silence filled the room for just a moment. Then she spoke.
Korra: Sometimes, I imagine this world as one big garden.
Kato: A garden?
Korra: Yes. I picture it as a vast, beautiful garden. The sky would stretch endlessly, painted with the colors of peace, and the trees in that forest would thrive under the harmony everyone shared. It would be a paradise. But… that paradise was taken from us. Disagreements turned to division, and now the sky is heavy with gray clouds, reflecting a broken world. The forest is tense, scarred, and burned by flames of war that haven't stopped for over 500 years. I used to wonder… Can we ever go back? Can the garden become beautiful and welcoming again?
For a moment, Korra and Kato both closed their eyes, imagining the garden Korra described. It was serene and full of life, but in the blink of an eye, it transformed and was immediately consumed by flames, choking on ash.
Kato: (clenching his fists) I'll bring it back, Mom. Like I said, I want to end the cycle of hatred, and I'm going to do it. Now that you're awake, everything is going to be fine. I'll protect you and keep you safe. I won't let the Kaimi Daja hurt you ever again. I'm getting stronger so I can make it happen. I will make it happen!!
Kato looked at his mother with fierce determination in his eyes. But as he spoke, he noticed her expression change. Korra averted her gaze, her face growing sorrowful. She looked down for a moment, then slowly raised her head to meet Kato's eyes.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
Korra: Kato, I don't have much time left…
Kato: Huh?