"… It's a boy, my Prince. Extremely healthy as well."

Ozai took the baby wrapped in red blankets into his arms when handed to him by the royal doctor. His wife laid nearby in exhaustion from the birth, but smiling with happiness despite the pain she had just gone through. She was at least able to get through the experience quicker than the last time with his first son. Definitely better than Iroh's wife, who had died when giving birth to his son Lu Ten.

"He's beautiful…" Ursa spoke as Ozai quickly handed the boy back to her, not wanting to hold him more than necessary in front an audience. "Zuko will surely help him grow strong alongside himself, right Ozai?" She turned to her husband with a smile, one that Ozai doesn't return.

"Zuko…" His first son was turning out averagely. Averagely. A child of his shouldn't be average, but perhaps he shouldn't be too hasty. He hadn't seen anything when he was first born after all, but he was a fire bender. The boy was a year and almost two months, so he still had time. But for some reason he can't get his hopes up for him. This child, however…

"Have you come up with a name for him, my Prince?" The doctor asked the second son of Azulon. Ozai had let Ursa name Zuko, and he had planned on just naming his next child after Azulon in a form of flattery, but he decided to wait on that idea. He was originally planning on only two children, but Ursa's fertility made one more come earlier than expected. Perhaps three was the lucky intended number. He'd name his next child after his father, but this one…

"His name is… Aizen." He proclaimed, not even consulting his wife on the matter. But she smiles at the name and holds the newly named child closer.

"Aizen… my child." Ursa murmured sweetly while caressing her son in a motherly embrace. Aizen cooed into his mother's arm at the attention.

"Yes, Aizen…" Ozai contemplated. The name just came to him. It was a name that would barely hold any true meaning to anybody else, but when he was young, that was the name of his best fire bending teacher. He had also died in stopping an assassination attempt on his life while he was just learning a new form. It was one of the first time's he'd seen blood, though assuredly not the last. He had always held respect for one of the first men that not only taught him about bending, but also one who gave his life for his own.

"Aizen… he will be strong. He will be intelligent. Worthy of the royal blood in his veins." Ozai told his wife. She looks at him questionably but he examines his son in her arms once again. His child moved under his gaze, almost as though he could tell he was being observed despite not even being able to open his eyes yet. The tiniest of smiles greeted his lips, one that his wife and the doctor never noticed. Aizen was definitely more special then Zuko despite being just born. Perhaps it was just himself preferring his second son as a second son himself, but he knew it was more. Seeing the child move, he knew Aizen would meet his expectations.

Ozai holds onto the now six month old Aizen as he views his eldest son's current lessons with his fire bending tutor, yet again disappointed. His son hadn't had the 'spark' when he was born, so why was he surprised that when he did get revealed to be a bender, he'd be an inadequate one?

Ursa, her belly starting to show the third child prominently, walks as quickly as can currently could toward her eldest, helping him up and coddling him, making Zuko beam, a quick "Momma!" from his lips warming her heart but annoying Ozai.

"If he had that type of attitude towards fire bending, he'd be able to make more than tiny embers now." He spoke, his attitude showing no affection for Zuko, making the child have some tears appear at the edge of his eyes, making his wife glare at him yet again for showing his dislike of the child.

"He's trying hard, shouldn't that be enough? He's not even two yet, for Agni's sake!" Ursa complains, turning quickly to Zuko, "Zuko, honey, go get a treat from the chefs, tell them momma let you." She tells her eldest. He smiles at her before hurrying out the room. Ursa returns her attention to her husband. She's ready to reprimand more but a tiny cry from her second child in Ozai's arms causes her pause. She walks forward and takes her half-year old son into her arms.

"Why can't you show that type of affection towards Zuko as well as Aizen?" She says instead, her anger lessened but not forgotten. Ozai simply starts to walk, Ursa following him.

"Aizen is different. For one, he is not as needy even now as Zuko," He says, getting a huff from Ursa, "And two, the Fire Sages have already confirmed his fire bending potential is great." Ozai glances at his wife's stomach. "Perhaps our third child will turn out just like Aizen. Perhaps not. I personally hope for the former."

"You're not even noticing anything else besides bending," Ursa states. "Zuko is kind, polite, and very smart. If you'd just acknowledged him more with encouragement, he'd be happier and more well off." She speaks this argument for what may be the thousandth time, and like the other times, Ozai ignores her and notices his brother Iroh nearby, speaking to one of Azulon's senior generals over strategy. The 'Dragon of the West' was nodding and shaking his head at ideas being mentioned to him. Such is the right of the first son of the fire lord, the heir apparent, Ozai thought.

Another sound he hears from his second child makes the tiny smile appear again on his lips. Aizen, the second son of a second son. Better so far then the first could ever be. Such an irony.

Five months later, the cries of a newborn is heard again by Ozai and the royal doctor as Ursa gives birth to their third child. A girl this time, he is told. The eleven month old and his two year old brother were given to a servant to be watched as he was around Ursa as she gave birth to his third child, just as he had for the other two. The girl would make a great pawn in the future, indeed. Azula, a part of him remembers the promise to name his next child after his father. Her name was Azula, which he tells Ursa. Ursa just nods in acceptance while her daughter is held in her arms.

The Fire Sages were impressed when they saw the child. Another strong one, Ozai notes. His plan to have two strong children came to fruition after all, even if he had to have three to do it. He would train Azula efficiently as a tool for his own uses, keeping a close eye on her development to not let anything prevent her from reaching her true potential. She'd also be something else as well; A training partner for Aizen. With proper training given to both, they'd push each other far, perhaps even pushing Zuko to be more then average, though his hopes are not high for his first son. Better to focus on the successes, after all.

Author's Note: This is the first story I've decided to post. I hope it will turn out well.

Inspiration for idea: I had previously read another fanfic in Avater: The Last Airbender which involved a brother being born with Azula and Zuko as the middle child... though the similarities with that story ends with that concept alone, because in that story, the brother was a Nonbender. Aizen? A natural prodigy fire bender like Azula. This story will also focus on the relationship of the royal family, with Ursa, Iroh, Ozai, Azula, Zuko, and Aizen getting some spotlight each throughout the entire story. The story will also show some butterfly effect in how Aizen's birth and actions in the world will effect both his family and the future. How much? Read to find out.

Births and Date: I'm going to put the month and year each of the siblings were born for clarification, as well as to keep a placement in the timeline. It is as follows-

Zuko: The Firstborn Son. Born in June, 83 AG. Currently two years one month old.

Aizen: The Second Son. Born in August, 84 AG. Currently Eleven months old.

Azula: The First Daughter. Born in July, 85 AG. Currently just born.

Date is July, 85 AG as of now. Why no days? Cause I'm not good with specifics and don't want to have to choose a day. Why are they all having their birthdates in Summer? Because they're the Royal Blood of the Fire Nation. Of course they'd be born in the time when the sun is up the longest and fire is at it's most powerful.