A thick blanket of snow covered the mountain range, leaving a picturesque and awe inspiring view. In the distance, tucked amongst the rolling hills of snow, the Ice Tribe village was nestled within the snowy peaks. The village homes were made up of wood, animal skin, and pelts, with colorful trim and warming hearths that filled the crisp air with comforting warmth and the scent of burning wood. Wooden poles held each tent upright, while blankets of snow covered everything in sight. Snowflakes covered the mountains like a white blanket, glistening in the sparkling sunlight and piercing the calming silence. In the largest abode, sat Zane and his family. Julian, a falcon formling like Zane, sat by the fire with his two sons. Both in which were adopted, but that didn't make any difference. He loved both of them dearly, and vividly remembered the moment he took in both of them. With Zane, the whole tribe gathered to discuss who would raise the child of the late Ice Emperor. The person wouldn't be seen as the new authority just because of the child, but this was to be done since Zane was far too young to go without a parental figure. Julian had volunteered to take him in and do everything in his power to protect him. Once the decision was finalized, he took the newly orphaned Zane back home. He was no longer an orphan after they stepped through the door.

Echo had been found by the river, left for dead by the Fire Tribe. The poor tiny child was nearly frozen solid, and it was a miracle that he was able to revive him. Now, Echo sat cuddled up against him in his lap, and Zane by his side.

"Ice Emperor, sir." Said a deer formling entering the tent. He had an urgent look on his face. "Fire Tribe. Approaching the village."

Tribes united or not, nobody trusted the Fire Tribe, and other than the strange exception, none of them had been around either. They seemed to avoid everyone like the plague; hidden away in their own territory. Zane found it strange that one had apparently been spotted heading towards them, but followed to check it out just in case. When he arrived at the edge of the village, he spotted them. A woman who dawned Fire Tribe armor and the insignia, wrapped in a cloak for protection against the cold of the mountain. She made her way toward the leader and the two guards that stood on either side of him. She looked ashamed, and almost on the verge of tears.

"What brings you to our home?" Zane questioned sternly.

The woman remained silent for a moment, still refusing to make eye contact. Finally, she spoke up. "I... I'm here looking for someone."

"Looking for someone?" Zane repeated curiously.

The lady nodded. "In the battle at Hiroshi’s Labyrinth. I saw someone that I thought I'd lost a long time ago." She hesitated. "My son."

Zane didn't know what to say- she couldn't think a boy of the Fire Tribe was living at the village.... unless?... The master of ice was suddenly hit by a flashback of the war.

"Don't worry brother, this time I swear I can help! I have Kataru with me!"
Before the Ice Emperor could scold his little brother, a snake attacked Echo. It pinned him down and hissed in his face. But the boy's eyes shimmered up at it. The warrior looked into the beautiful little eyes and froze. It whispered something in a feminine voice, then Kataru slashed it off of him and nosed Echo back onto his back. The Anacondrai shook off the impact and looked back up at the child who was bravely riding a bear out of all things into battle. She gave a light smile, but shook it off and slithered over to attack someone else.

Zane's eyes grew wide. "No..." This woman? Echo's REAL mother?! His actual, biological family!?... If so, then why was she here? She wasn't coming to.. TAKE him away.. was she? No, Echo belonged there- in the Ice Tribe village. Besides, he remembered how they found Echo in the first place. He was beaten, tied up, left to wither away in the cold.

"Mam, I apologize, but I'm not aware of what you're talking about." He tried to lie.

But the lady pressed. "He's my child, for years I thought he was dead, but I saw him, I know I did. Please..."

The master of ice sighed. If this really was his brother's true mother, then he had no right to deny him the opportunity to meet her. Reluctantly, he admitted to believing he knew what she was talking about, and led her to the house. Needless to say, Julian immediately didn't trust her, and trusted her even less once hearing what she had to say. His argument was the same as his son. He was left to die, so what right did she have coming back for him now?

The woman stared longingly down at Echo the moment the two made eye contact. The boy anxiously hid behind his adopted father as she knelt down. "Hello there little one. You might not remember me, but I could never forget you. I'm your mother."

Echo shook his head and hid away again. "Looks like he doesn't want to talk to someone who threw him away." Julian folded his arms and glared at her.

"No, you don't understand! I didn't do that to him, I swear! I would have never! Zane, the name I gave him at birth, was born very small. Not only that, but he was- special- compared to everyone else. The Fire Tribe had a rule that stated that all tribe members must be violent and willing to kill for their leader. But he didn't care about fighting. He refused to even harm a char-lizard. So they took him away from me, and they would do to him what they did to anyone else who didn't obey the laws... But somehow, some way, he wasn't executed like he was supposed to. He ended up here... alive."

Zane looked down at his little brother. Execution?! Just because he was a little different, they were going to kill him!? He didn't deserve to lose his head over that! Well, he was a little busted up when they found him, but nothing too bad.

"I wish I had answers, but I don't."  Sighed Julian. "I found him tied up in a basket by the river. That's all I know."

During this whole exchange, Zane stood there silently, looking at his little brother, who at that moment undoubtedly had no idea of what was going on. Finally, Zane spoke up. “I don’t think it’s fair,” he said to the woman. “My father and I have taken care of him ever since he was a baby.”

Julian interjected, his voice stern but heavy with emotion. 'We took him in as our own, we gave him the life and future we couldn't have done for ourselves. He has a family here. We're not just going to give him back!'

The woman clearly understood their feelings and nodded. "I know," she said softly. "And I understand that you don't want to let him go. But I..." She paused, her own emotions taking over. "I just want to get to know my child and give him the family he deserves. In his own tribe."

Julian and Zane glanced at each other, each filled with doubt, confusion, and overwhelming conflicting emotions. After a long debate, they finally agreed that the woman could take Echo, just to see how he would take it. He tended to get anxiety easily, so this would most certainly not be a long-term thing. The woman looked down at Echo like she felt guilty. After a while, the two left, and headed back to the Firelands. Kai was at the center of the village with a few other members of his tribe talking when the two arrived. Kai greeted them, but the moment he remembered Echo from the battlefield, he stepped back. When Kari had left to supposedly find her long gone child, Kai didn't actually expect to see her return with one. Let alone the little brother of the Ice Emperor. Ronin, who stood by Kai, seemed to be hit with a wave of uneasiness when he saw them. After explaining the story to Kai, he cautiously knelt down to Echo's eye level. "Hey kiddo, welcome back to your tribe. I swear, it's changed a lot since you were last here."

The boy just stood in silence. Clearly, he didn't know what to feel.

"You said he was supposed to be executed?"

Kari nodded.

"Strange."

After sitting in silence the whole time, Ronin finally snapped. "It was given to me, alright!? Ultraviolet was normally the one in charge of doing that kind of bloody thing, but she was busy, so Clouse told me to do the job. But... I COULDN'T! I looked into his eyes and had a moment of weakness, okay?! I couldn't do the final blow, so instead I just let the river take him away. I figured that if he lived, he lived, or if he didn't, so be it... I'm sorry."

Kai smirked and told him there was nothing to be sorry about. Clouse would've ended him if he found out that Ronin was too soft to kill a toddler. But they were glad he was, because now Echo was back; alive and well. He might have considered that weak before, but now Kai called it being brave and doing the right thing. After a few more minutes of talking, Kari headed back to her house and told Echo he was free to look around. Shyly, the boy walked off. The Fire Tribe houses were made up of rock and metal, and it was hot. Like, really hot there. He didn't like it, not at all. He wanted to go home, back to his brother and dad. But at the same time, Kari was his mother. He had always been sort of curious as to why he didn't have a mother like that other Formlings did, so now that he found his, why didn't he like it? She seemed nice enough? But he supposed he'd always imagined being in the Ice Tribe village with her and the rest of his family, not taken away so he could have her. However, Echo rarely ever talked, usually just more content to listen, so he had no idea what to say. By the time he snapped back into reality, he'd already wandered most of the town. He plopped down on a rock and hung his head. Just then, a voice broke the silence. "Hey kid. What's up?"

Morro, master of wind, stood above him, looking down. "Aren't you Zane's little brother? Is he here too?"

Echo shook his head. He wanted nothing more than to explain his problem, but words didn't form for him, no matter how hard he tried. He'd always had trouble with that. Julian and Zane would always reassure him that it wasn't his fault, and that was just how his brain worked. Alternatively, he'd find his voice when he most needed it. He took a deep breath and looked up at Morro. "My mom brought me back home here. But I don't like it. I like that I have her again, but this isn't home."

"Oh." Yeah, what was Morro supposed to say to that? "Well, if you don't like it, then say something."

He didn't even need to talk again, the expression on the child's face said it all.

"Look, kid. I understand that you don't want to hurt your biological mother's feelings, but personally, I think it was wrong for her to take you away from your tribe."

"But I was born here. THIS is my tribe?"

"Is it?" And with that, Morro walked away. That response rung in Echo's mind. WAS IT?

Later, he found his way back to his old home. Inside, his mother was waiting for him. She greeted him back and started telling him all the things she was planning to do the rest of the night. However, it was cut short when Echo burst into tears.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I... I don't like it... I want to go home!"

Kari knew exactly what was going on, and felt terrible. She felt guilty the moment they left the mountains. She knew what she did was wrong, but she had hoped it would turn out differently. Julian was right. Echo was a member of the Ice Tribe, and nothing could ever change that; not even where he originally came from. The next day, the two returned to the snowy peaks. The Ice Emperor and  Julian were standing at the front entrance waiting for them. Kari smiled as Echo rushed into Zane's arms.

"I'm sorry." The woman apologized. She apologized for minutes on end until she was stopped. Zane told her that she was forgiven, and not entirely in the wrong. He WAS her child, and had every wright to see him. Kari stayed for a while after that before leaving. Right as she turned to go however, Echo ran over and hugged her. "I'm glad I have a mother." He whispered while nuzzling her. She hugged him tightly and smiled. "I'm glad I have you. I'll come visit whenever you want. Is that alright?"

Echo's eyes lit up. "I'd love that!"