"I like the moon," Zuko declared one night as he got ready for bed. His father scowled, but the young boy didn't notice. He never would; at least, not until Azula developed and rapidly improved her ability to firebend.

"Why is that?" Ursa asked.

"Because it's really pretty."

His mother smiled, glancing through the window at the moon. "Yes, she is isn't she?"

Zuko cocked his head to the side. "She?"

"Yes, 'she'. Legends say that the moon was a woman, and the sun a man."

Ozai rolled his eyes, knowing his wife was about to corrupt their son with another one of her crazy stories. The young prince sat up eagerly, excited to hear a story before bed. Ursa merely smiled wider, reading her boys' reactions and knowing what they wanted and expected.

"People say that, long ago, the spirit of the moon and the spirit of the sun were mortals like you and me. Though they lived in a time before bending existed," – Zuko's eyes widened as he tried to imagine such a thing – "there was still war, and they were still opposites.

"But the Sun and Moon met and fell in love. It went against everything their cultures believed, and they didn't want to disappoint their people. But feelings aren't something that can be controlled" – Ozai scoffed – "And their feelings of love were no exception."

"What did they do?" Zuko asked eagerly. He had never been told love stories were girly, so he didn't hesitate to show his interest.

His mother smiled sadly. "They hid, keeping their love secret. Unfortunately, the war cut their relationship short. The Moon was of a royal family, like us, which made her a prime target for assassination."

"You mean... she died?"

"Yes. And the Sun was very upset. When he found out, he cried and yelled, screaming to the world about the cruelty and injustices of war. Everyone heard and mourned over the tragedy, agreeing to stop their fighting."

"But, how did they get into the sky?" Zuko asked, confusion and curiosity evident in his expression.

"There are different explanations, but most say the Sun died of grief, and that the gods let him and the Moon share the sky."

"But they're always apart!"

"Not always. There are moments when they are together, usually during an eclipse. Their time together may be brief, but they cherish every moment they can share."

Zuko thought about this for a moment. Seeming to decide it was a sufficient explanation, he lay back on his pillow, eyelids becoming heavy with sleep. Ursa gave him a kiss on the forehead, then walked to the door, where her husband was already waiting.

"Mom?" She turned, waiting for him to continue. "Is the Sun and Moon happy now?"

She smiled. "Yes. They are very happy."

When Zuko fell asleep that night, he had pleasant dreams of suns and moons and pretty waterbenders.


Author's Notes: Little!Zuko is fun to write. He's just so cute and innocent.

Anyway, I sort of made this story up off the top of my head. I mostly based it off the tale of Oma and Shu, as you can probably tell.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.