Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; Last Airbender. I don't own any popular series, actually. But hey, congrats on Mike and Bryan for making not one, but two good series about people using the elements around them with one that can control all four saving the world. Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? Clearly they haven't met these two or a skilled fire bender.

January, 87 AG

"... And then the warrior and the maiden lived happily ever after." Ursa finished, closing the book and smiling to her three children sitting on her bed with her. She felt like doing something special for them, and reading a story she herself loved in her childhood during this evening was a great choice in her eyes. It obviously worked for Zuko if his beaming smile was any indication. Aizen was smiling also, and while not as big as Zuko's his was still just as beautiful in her eyes. Azula... her baby girl had a small smile, but for some reason Ursa couldn't see it as completely innocent.

"That was great, momma." Aizen said, Zuko nodding with his younger brother, "I really liked Shou and Biyu." The warrior and the maiden certainly interested him. Shou, a tenacious young man who began as just a farmer yet found his inner fire, and Biyu, the daughter of a merchant family who supplied and helped Shou become such a great warrior, stopping a dragon from destroying a village. Zuko didn't notice, but with that amount of natural skill, Aizen figured Shou was kinda like him and Azula, natural prodigies with fire bending, even though he was born from a non bending family. He also appreciated that because there was nobody else who knew who to fight and that he had such powerful flames, he became a warrior to protect. Zuko had loved that part, especially because he had still trained hard despite being a natural with fire bending.

"Shou really was such a good person." Zuko said with a smile. Azula looked up at her eldest brother and let out a tiny scoff.

"He's not that good." Many would be shocked to hear a child of only a year and a half speak so well, but Azula was a prodigy in many ways, so she learned the basics of linguistics easily. She didn't know the complicated words, but to speak full sentences anyway was impressive. Zuko, however, didn't appreciate that little fact because his little sister had just insulted Shou in his eyes.

"Why not?!" He questioned, raising his voice slightly. Azula looked at him and smiled.

"Momma didn't say it all, Zuzu." She says cheekily, using her version of Zuko's name, which gets Zuko mad because she never does that with Aizen.

"Why do you say that, Azu?" Unlike Azula, Aizen uses the nickname out of affection when addressing his sibling. Azula replies-

"Momma lied about how he beat the bad guys. He didn't knock them out. They are dead." Ursa gasps. What was Ozai teaching that girl?! A child shouldn't know about death, let alone about murder.

"Azula, please..." she starts, but stops as Zuko curiously asks-

"What's 'dead'?" Azula looks at her eldest brother. Tilts her head to her side. And smiles again.

" Zuzu, 'dead' means no more heart beating. No more seeing that person. They go in the ground to rot in the ground or have their body burned to ashes." She knew the word 'cremated', but it just sounded better to spell it out to Zuko. Zuko's eyes widen.

"'Dead' sounds horrible!" Zuko cried. Aizen sees Azula about to laugh and puts a finger to her lip in response, quieting down his little sister who gives him a glare in response, yet she doesn't do anything like bite his finger. Never has, probably never will.

" Zuko, 'dead' isn't truly a bad thing. There's something called an 'afterlife' from what the sages say." Ursa looks at her second son sadly. Azula, though a baby, she knew was under Ozai's direct influence. He made sure to tell Azula such horrible things. But Aizen? She wished he didn't have to. At least he also listened to the Fire Sages and not just his father, but...

"But, if someone's dead, they can't talk to everyone else, right? So, what about family?" Zuko says quietly while looking deep in thought. Ursa sighed. If Zuko was going to learn about death so early because of this, she'd tell him straight instead of having Ozai fill his head with horrors.

"Baby, 'death' is natural. We move on. But in the afterlife, when we all pass on, we'll be with each other forever. Just... for someone your age, you don't have to worry about it. It won't come for many, many years." She told Zuko before hugging him. He goes into her embrace sadly, but he feels the love.

"But what about ah-sash-in-at-!" Azula tries to say a word that her dad said before Aizen puts the finger to her lips again.

"Not in front of Zuko and momma, okay?" He says quietly. Dad's lessons were weird, but he learn't them with her. He just also knew mom and Zuko didn't like them. So he'll keep it to himself and Azu. Azula glares at him again but nods. Aizen then grabbed her hand and pulled her over to himself and hugged her. She relaxed into him quietly and, showing herself to still truly be a baby despite it all, falls asleep.

Ursa saw this as well and felt something inside of her she probably shouldn't. She just puts her free arm around Aizen and hugs him too along with Zuko, Azula still being in Aizen's arms. She loved her children. They were so kind. They'd always be her angels. She'd protect them as long as she could.

Her beautiful sons...

Author's note: A one and a half year old talking like Azula is probably horrible writing of character, huh? I can't write kids... unless I make them like Zuko. And Azula definitely ain't no Zuko.

Also, since two of the four reviews I got so far asked, yes, I got the name Aizen from Bleach. If any random character appears in the future with a name of another popular fiction character, they're probably one offs and I used a name of a character I liked. Oh, and Aizen definitely is not gonna turn out like Sosuke Aizen, because if he did, Aang and co. probably would be dead.

Thanks for viewing, especially the six of you who followed and/or favorited this story so far even with just the first two chapters! Leave a review if ya feel like it. I read them all.