To Lose or to Gain
Iroh's Child

The feeling was foreign, yet felt good.

If someone were to ask Zuko to describe the feeling, to say where exactly it came from let alone why he felt the way he did after visiting his grandfather to show how he'd progressed in his Firebending and select a gift for the baby his mother and father—former father, were expecting. The Tiger Monkey sat next to the stuffed dragon on his bed, waiting every night for him to return, yet he didn't feel bad for having the toy on his bed.

Azula would have made him feel bad, yet her lack of presence made him feel safer to be himself if that were even a thing as he didn't feel as if he knew who he was. "Maybe though, I am making progress with my Fire Bending, even if it's not the same as her, but I wonder how she'd feel about me getting to pick out the gift that grandfather is going to give the new baby."

"Furious," Akira laughed. "I mean, not that I'd want to be around when she found out if she ever found out, but that's obviously how she'd react."

"Definitely wouldn't want to ever meet her," Hideki muttered. "I'm glad I haven't met her."

His time spent with his friends and everything else felt super different from his life under Ozai's roof, but as time progressed he saw a change in his mother. He didn't say anything lest he stress his mother out, yet Iroh laughed. "That would be the pregnancy. It's a very complicated, but wonderful thing."

"Why?"

"Well, when you're with someone you love..." Iroh froze his face twisting.

"I don't think father and mother love each other, but I don't see why anybody would want that. Plus, Lu Ten never—whatever it is," Zuko's face scrunched up. "Do I really want to know?"

"Maybe when you're older, but if you ever do start taking an interest in someone, anyone—you'll be sure to tell me, right?"

"I guess."

"Ozai's relationship with your mother isn't how things normally are?"

"How do you know?"

"Because…" Iroh responded. "That's not how things were with me and Lu Ten's mother. I loved my wife very dearly, and…" He let out a laugh. "Despite the fact I can be quite exasperating at times, I know she loved me as well."

Zuko mulled over what Iroh said, before replying with, "I still don't think I'd want to be with anybody like that."

"That's I think understandable at this point, but I guess what you need to know is women go through changes when they're pregnant, but those changes mean it's getting closer to when the baby is going to be born."

This was definitely happening, but his mother, despite seeming anxious about Ozai and Azula as much as Zuko was seemed quite happy about the new baby growing inside of her, which in Zuko's mind was equally odd—and was something which baffled Akira and Hideki when he brought it up and something he learned was normal, a part of life progressing and things balancing out.

He was with them when the news came.

Iroh was there with the servant sent to fetch him because Ursa was giving birth, the announcement that she was pregnant having been announced about a month before—according to Azulon, he did this to relieve Ursa's stress, another thing Zuko didn't understand any more than the painful screams which in his mind made him wonder why any female would want to go through the process of giving birth if it caused that much pain.

The way Azula smirked was unsettling, and Zuko looked at his uncle who glared at her, yet Ozai—his former father, was nowhere in sight as Azula continued smirking. He took a deep breath, glancing over at Azula. "Is the only reason she here because she enjoys hearing mother be in pain?"

She noticed him watching and smirked, saying, "I don't know why you're here. After all, that's my mother-"

"Azula," Iroh snapped. Azula's smirk left her face as she stared at Iroh, surprised someone called her out for what she said, but then—normally she simply kept her words between herself and Zuko. Something, for some reason, made her openly say what she did despite the fact Iroh could hear her.

"Indeed."

Zuko glanced up, his mouth twisting into a smile upon seeing the Fire Lord who arrived before even Ozai as he glared at the youngest of his grandchildren—although Azula wouldn't hold said title much longer. "Grandfather."

Azula gave Azulon a rather strange look, one which seemed a mix of disgust and leeriness on her part, while Azulon's attention remained on the child named after him. "That is not how you speak to your older brother, and despite the fact, Zuko is now Iroh's son, he is still your brother, Ursa was still his mother, and that infant is most definitely his sibling as well. The only thing you don't share anymore is that horrid father of yours."

"Father." Iroh shook his head. "That last part isn't something you should say to a child."

"She needs to hear the truth about Ozai, that he is not someone to be admired."

Which—they look on Azula's face indicated she was rather pissed off at what Azulon said, let alone his presence. She opened her mouth, only for Ozai to clear his throat.

"After all, his place right now is here with his wife, not where ever he currently is."

"Whatever."

"You shouldn't speak to your grandfather like that," Iroh sighed. One of his hands reached up and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

"What's is that?" Azula asked, which was when Zuko noticed the music box in Azulon's hands, his attention having been focused on Azula.

"This is my traditional gift for the newest member of the royal family, but Zuko picked it out for me," Azulon responded, glaring at his granddaughter. "And I'd better not hear of said gift ending up destroyed, damaged, or disappearing, but I will be keeping tabs to make sure it does not."

Zuko flinched, remembering he'd told Azulon about Azula destroying his toy. Even stranger was seeing Azula receive a dressing down from someone other than their mother.

"I've sent the invitations out," Azulon said, his attention turning towards Zuko.

"What invitations?" Azula perked up.

"It is the tradition when a new addition to the royal family arrives to give out the toys not selected to other children."

"So, a party?" Azula asked.

Azulon glared at her as if he wanted to say something in response. Iroh sighed, speaking quickly as if to keep Azulon from saying something which—Zuko knew how Azula could be set off, although going off on the Fire Lord seemed like one of the stupidest things she could do. "Something like that?"

"Do I get one?"

"No, as you're of the royal family who's giving out the gifts," Azulon snapped.

"Then do I give out the gifts?"

"That honor is Zuko's."

"Why?" Azula muttered. "I'm the better…"

"Know your place."

"Father."

Azulon let out a sigh while Azula glared at Zuko. "It's a matter of Zuko being eldest, simple as that, but it also has to do with his position as the Esteemed Prince and direct heir to the throne."

"I'm the Fire Bending prodigy," Azula glared at Azulon.

"Power, Princess Azula, is not everything in life, and while it is true you may be a skilled bender, you've yet to be declared a master and even if you were declared one there are many other things in which you are lacking in. This conversation is closed, but I expect yourself to behave yourself."

Zuko glanced over at Iroh, who let out a sigh, almost as if he were relieved, though looking at the way Azula's face twisted around he found himself wondering if they should be relieved. Any thoughts went out the window, as someone stepped out the room announcing the birth of a new princess and that Ursa was ready to see them.

At that moment, Zuko realized the sounds of pain from his mother had stopped, replaced by the sound of something else crying out. He glanced at his grandfather who nodded his head indicating he could go on into the room, while Azula simply got up and walked in as if she were the most important person in the room.

The moment he saw his mother, and the small thing in her arms Zuko suddenly felt he knew who the most important person in the room was even though Azula was standing there as if she were. He stepped forward, awestruck at such a small thing held in his mother's hands, how breakable his youngest sister looked. "She's adorable."

Azula fidgeted, watching as Ursa's focus remained on the infant in her arms. "Her name is Kiyi."

Zuko stepped closer, the thought of protecting the child racing through his head. His hand reached out and he hesitated.

"Would you like to hold her?"

"Yes," Zuko responded to his mother's question, but there was a look on Azula's face as if she wanted to protest. Whatever she planned on saying in front of their mother, uncle and grandfather were put aside, her mouth snapping shut as if she realized that wasn't a good idea.

"Hold out your arms."

Zuko held them out, listening carefully to his mother explain how to properly hold a baby while Azula fidgeted, listening as well. He smiled, looking down at Kiya, quite happy until-"

"I want to hold the baby!" Azula reached out to grab Kiya from Zuko's arms, reminding him of how she'd grab things from him in the past.

"Princess Azula!" Azulon snapped, making Azula freeze. "That is not how you treat an infant, but Ozai…" Zuko glanced up to see his father was in the room. "Perhaps you'd like to show your oldest daughter how to properly take an infant from someone. It's the least you can manage, being late like you are."

"I was—"

"You could have sent a message if something delayed you," Azulon snapped.

Ozai glowered but reached out for Kiya. Reluctantly, Zuko handed her over, unsure of how Ozai would treat the princess, but then Ozai held Kiya out to Azula. When she reached out to grab Kiya before, Ozai said, "Remember what we discussed, Azula."

She hesitated, her facial features twisting into a deep scowl, but then her trademark smirk returned. "I remember. I'm to be a good older sister."

Zuko frowned, thinking something off about the exchange, yet brushed it aside after Azula took Kiya from Ozai's arms, sticking her tongue out at him. "She's just being Azula and father is just playing the role expected of him, one not to anger grandfather any more than he did. I mean, should anything happen to the baby-"

Something made him think Azulon might actually act everyone expected the Fire Lord to act, with Ozai being on the receiving end. Why he thought that thought at that moment, he did not know, but there was another thought that his father would be foolish to make a move which might direct such ire from the Fire Lord onto his head.