?: Hehehe... *smiling* Michael and Bryan own Avatar; Last Airbender. Please support the official release. Jayden would tell you this himself, but he's, ah... busy. *giggles* So the opening and closing of this chapter belong to me.

December, 87 AG

A tired Ozai and Ursa finally enter the palace again after a long day of politics, or more accurately, dealing with nobles who were trying to pull the wool over the Royal Family's eyes by trying to make them give money for basically nothing. In their home, Ozai finally let his shoulders slump the tiniest bit. A servant hastily came to the prince as he took off the cape his outfitter, for some reason, had decided was a good day for a cape to be worn.

"Run the baths..." He muttered tiredly. Normally, while nobles wore him out, it was never to the point of actual exhaustion. But his father had the bright idea to send him to deal with the situation AFTER a full three and a half hours of grueling training sessions he does to keep in peak physical form. His father knew his schedule well, so he couldn't say it was a coincidence. Perhaps it was about what he had brought up in the monthly dinner required between his father, his brother, and himself?

"Separate beds tonight, Ozai?" His wife asked him.

"Indeed." It was a standard question in their relationship. When he had... needs to be fulfilled, they shared a room but otherwise their sleeping arrangements were on opposite sides of the palace. After today, all he wanted was to sleep after the bath, so his wife would go to her normal room.

Which, coincidentally, her room was on the same side of the palace of their children.

The servant sent away came with a bow. "Sir, your bath is ready."

"Excellent." Ozai barely looked at his wife as he followed the servant. "Good night, Ursa." He said as an afterthought before disappearing.

"Good Night..." Ursa muttered with nobody around. She sighed. Now was a good time to go to sleep as any, she guessed...

Until a servant came that seemed rather familiar came towards her. She tried to place the face of the young woman and remembered that she was the one Aizen bothered for her school experience before continuously bothering her until the point they basically decided to just make her Aizen's personal maid since he had taken a liking to her. She still didn't remember the young girl's name, however.

"E-excuse me, lady Ursa," the servant bowed her head. "S-sorry to intrude, but I came to inform you that Aizen is still up currently, and, ah..." she paused. Ursa tilted her head, prompting the girl to continue. "He's, ah... s-stargazing, milady."

"Stargazing?" Ursa wouldn't put it past her curious Aizen to study anything he finds interesting, but... "it's a school night. What made Aizen curious enough to stay past curfew?"

The servant blushed. "I, ah, may have mentioned I had an interest in it when I was younger, milady. He said 'no time like the present!' and, um, stayed up tonight to study them himself."

Ursa sighed. She didn't blame the servant for anything. She was probably used to Ozai correcting her for saying anything he deemed 'unnecessary' to Aizen. He'd fire her, but that would just make Aizen go to somebody else.

"Please, take me to my son, miss..." Ursa purposely left the sentence unfinished, the question obvious.

"O-oh. H-hinata. It's Hinata." She bowed and blushed, before standing back up and walking towards where she left Aizen, Ursa putting a hand to her lips to keep herself from letting out a tiny laugh. Such a shy young woman. Probably the reason Aizen decided to bother her even more then the other servants.

Around two minutes later they are in the royal gardens, an area with a giant pond and tree inside the palace, the roof opened as too let the sun- or in this case the moon - shine inside. It was a beautiful area. She spent her time her feeding the ducklings that landing in the pond. She was going to eventually show her children this spot of the palace, but it seems Aizen already found it.

Aizen saw Hinata and waved at her before noticing his mom right behind her. "Hey mom! Hinata brought you here, huh? Such a tattle-tail for one so shy, huh?"

Hinata blushed again. Ursa looked at her son. "Aizen, you know it's past your bed time. School is tomorrow. You even have a test."

"One I'll ace with flying colors, mama." He spoke before pointing at the sky. "You ever notice the night? I didn't pay any mind until Hinata mentioned it, but... it's kinda awesome."

Ursa went to her son, prepared to pick him up herself, but he kept talking as she was right behind him. "All the teachers at school talk about the sun because we get our power from it, but why can't they just admire the rest around us, you know? Everything's got something special about it, so why forget about the rest?"

Ursa put a hand on his shoulder. Aizen continued. "I noticed it in the classroom and didn't comment to anyone but Mai, but they kept painting the other elements as 'weak'. Kinda putting down one history to raise another. It's weird. We all got unique stuff about us, right? Zuko has some stuff, dad has some stuff, Azu does as well..." He turns to Ursa. "Oh. Momma, what did you do before you met dad?"

Ursa froze. "I never asked you, and you don't really tell us stuff that isn't recent, so I didn't think about that until now." Aizen smiled as he turned to his mother, but when he saw the look of pain and fear on her face, he was confused. And a little scared. "Momma?"

Weddings are said to bring the most joy to beautiful maidens, to be wedded too a loving man. Ursa was supposedly even luckier, marrying a prince, something that no commoner has ever done. It's supposed to be a day to never forget.

They were only half right. It was unforgettable... but not because it was joyful.

There was cheer, music, and many smiles from the onlookers as Ozai and Ursa walked down the aisle. She saw her Mother and father, Jinzuk and Rina, in the crowd, smiling at their daughter with love. She could make out that her mother had cried earlier despite all she had done to cover it up with make up. Nobody else from her village was there though, not even... Ikem.

The thought of never seeing him again was truly painful. Too know that all she had been engaged for only a day before the Royal Family announced she was married to Ozai... Atleast she had been able to cry in private when she was in the palace.

And all because Fire Lord Azulon decided to follow a prophecy from fire saves that said uniting the Royal blood with the descendant of Avatar Roku would bring a powerful lineage of warriors for the Royal Family.

Ozai took that time to mke her suffer more with a smug smile as he leaned in and whispered, "Be happy that your father and mother showed up and wish them well. You won't get another chance after tonight, as is the rule."

The rule in question making the woman married into the Royal family focus ONLY on the Royal family, leaving anything from their previous lives behind. She would only get one more chance after the ceremony to speak to her parents again... And never again with Ikem.

But she wouldn't cry again... She wouldn't cry...

She wouldn't...Cry...

"M-Momma, I'll go to bed now, j-just stop crying!" Aizen could handle many things, impressive considering his age, but having his Mom cry (or any family member for that matter) reveals his age rather quickly, turning into a panicking child who is shaking his mother's hand to snap her out of whatever was happening.

Hinata stood awkwardly in the corner, feeling ashamed for somehow indirectly causing the Fire Lady to cry. She would try to comfort the woman but... That's be both a breach of status and futile endeavor because she couldn't comfort her about something she didn't know the cause of.

Ursa slowly comes back to reality by the worried voice of her son and his insistent shaking. She touches her face, the tears she had cried feeling warm on her cheeks. She tries to distract herself and Aizen by running her hand through his hair. "Aizen, it's alright..."

Aizen looks up to his mom. "B-but you were crying. How are you okay now?" From what he'd seen at school, people didn't stop crying quickly.

Ursa just picked him up, letting Aizen lean into her neck as she hugs him. "Just a sad dream I remembered, sweetie..."

She turns around and walks out the garden and towards their bedrooms, Hinata following quietly from the distance in case she needs something. Ursa quietly reflects once more.

"I love you, Ursa. Will you marry me?"

"Just a sad dream..." she mutters again.

?: Hehe, such a good chapter. Would have been out sooner if Someone decided to continue writing instead of focusing on a stupid exam that will decide his entire future and collage plans and stuff. Stupid Jayden. *giggles*

?: A shout out to all 29 of the followers of Middle though for enjoying the show enough to be invested though. You guys will be fun to talk to. I'll be taking over every other chapter for the disclaimer and Author's notes from now until further notice. Wanna know my name? *laughs* Some of you may know me, but many won't cuz I'm not from Avatar, but my name is Nui Harime, and I'm one of the many fictional characters that drive Jayden insane.

Nui: *laughs again as she blinks her one eye adorably* See you next time!