Disclaimer: I only own this plotline. Not Avatar, not my sister's iPod…though that'd be nice. :D

Man, don't you just love plot bunnies? I got this idea from "Zuko Alone" when Azulon died.


"You were husband of Ila, now passed…"

Fire Lady Ila was the wife of Azulon. How did she die? How did she come to marry one of the most powerful men in the Avatar world? What is her story?

Here is my take on the story of Zuko's grandmother.


"Oma, wait!" cried 4-year-old Zuko, pulling 12-year-old Lu Ten behind him.

"I will, don't worry," Fire Lady Ila smiled and waited for them to catch up to her.

"Follow me." She led them to a little turtle-duck pond and sat down. "Son, will you get me a cup of tea?" she said to a passing Ozai. There was a quick flash of irritation on his face and then he smiled.

"Of course, mother," he said smoothly. It would not do well to ruin his image of a worthy heir and Fire Prince by dishonoring his mother. He hurried inside and called for Iroh.

"Now, my little grandchildren," she said. Lu Ten smiled. He wasn't little. "Who would like to hear a story?"

Zuko looked questioning. "Whas da stowy abouh?"

"Oh, just some family history," Lu Ten groaned. "But it's not just a list of 'Fire Lord Sozin, husband of Fire Lady Anla, was the father of Fire Lord Tungsten and Fire Princess Sanya' and all that boring stuff. I think this will be interesting for you," she smiled, the gesture lighting up her wrinkled face. "And afterwards I'll show you some fireworks…"

Zuko clapped his hands with delight and his cherubic face mirrored his grandmother's. Lu Ten sighed. "Fine," he said. "But they better be some pretty good fireworks."

"Only the best for a future Fire Lord," she said, still smiling. Just then Prince Ozai walked out and handed the tea to his mother. "Mmm, that smells good. Thank you, son." He bowed and left. Ila sipped the tea before continuing.

"Alright, here we go. I'm going to tell you a little bit about my life, and how I got here."


20-year-old Mei Lin screamed with pain as her daughter came into the world. "Breathe with me," the midwife said. "In, out. In, out. You're doing fine. In, out. Oh, this is a beautiful baby girl! She's just healthy as can be. In, out. In, out. Just keep breathing. Have you thought of a name yet?"

"Ila," Mei Lin gasped out. "Her name is Ila."

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl! Are you ready to take her yet? I've washed her and it looks like she's falling asleep."

"Yes. I want to hold her." She looked calmed down and reached out for her daughter. "Oh, she is beautiful. My beautiful daughter." A sad look crossed her face. "But my husband won't be pleased. He wanted a son."

"Well, he's got what he's got, hasn't he? I think you're healthy enough to produce many more healthy children."

Mei Lin smiled at the nurse's comforting chatter. "Yes," she said, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep. The nurse smiled at her and gently pried the baby away from her, setting little Ila into a crib nearby. Then she called some servants in to move Mei Lin into a more comfortable bed and got to cleaning up the exhausted girl.


Princess Ursa walked into the garden, holding 2-year-old Azula. "What are you so interesting in?" She said to Zuko and Lu Ten.

"I'm just telling them some stories that I thought they might like to hear," Ila said.

"Oh, do you mind if I join?"

"Not at all. But you have to let me hold my little granddaughter first."

After a minute, Azula started getting squirmy and the Fire Lady handed her back to her mother. Her happy face turned sad as she thought of what story she would tell next.

6-year-old Ila cringed as her mother screamed again. She was awaiting her third sibling, and this time she had a bad feeling. So far, Mei Lin had had all girls and the Nobleman Qin (her husband) was not happy. Ila just hoped that her father had not somehow killed her mother and that this one was finally a son.

Suddenly the house was deathly quiet. The silence was only punctuated by a six year old's sob as she realized what had happened.

---

"Taken from the mother's dead body, you say?" was the whisper of servant as they talked about the new baby boy. Ila sighed, no longer an innocent child. She ran up to the room she shared with her sisters. Nobody had ever said anything about how her father could easily afford to have one or two of the five bedrooms in their house filled, but today she needed the comfort of her two small siblings. They cried and hugged together as the realization came that mother wasn't there anymore.


So how do you like the first chapter? Tell me what you think!