Thanks to the reviews from last chapter! Especially Attila1987. You made me think about my plot, and Mai and Zuko were rather *ahem* jerky. So I added this. Hopefully it makes them *ahem again* a lot less jerky than they were last chapter. So yeah. Enjoy!
And read and review c:
That night, Zuko and Mai lied in bed, awake, with the two babies sleeping nearby.
"Zuko," Mai whispered. "How do you think it happened?" He turned to face her.
"How what happened?" he grumbled. He was still stinging from before.
"Azula and the baby," she said.
"I don't know," he admitted.
"Do you think it was forced?" she asked. "Or was it done willingly?" Zuko sighed.
"How should I know? I don't really care anyways."
"Zuko!" Mai snapped. "She's your sister. Even if she is a monster…" He nodded. Despite what he said, he did feel pity for his sister. Even after what she had done.
"I don't think it was willingly," Zuko said. "I know Azula wouldn't give in for a thing like that." He paused. "Do you think it was one of the prison guards?"
"Who else could it be?" she replied.
"What should we do?"
"We won't be able to find out exactly who did it. We should just leave it as it is, not to stir up any more trouble." Zuko nodded, pity still in his heart for his sister, who had to go through such a terrible thing. He sighed. Of course his life couldn't be simple.
She rolled over. "What should we name her?" she asked, her voice muffled by the blankets. He kept silent, gazing over to the two cribs where Honora and Azula's daughter were sleeping peacefully. "Arya is a pretty name," Mai ventured.
"Sounds good to me," he said with a yawn. He closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep after a long day. He began to drift off, dreaming of his younger years
"And remember," she suddenly said, waking him up again. "We treat her like her like our own." He nodded. Maybe he would forget about her ties with Azula, and treat her like Honora. But probably not.
The next morning
A baby's cry woke him. Zuko grumbled, and sat up to get the baby a bottle. Then another cry started, this one more mature. Suddenly he stiffened. Mai and I haven't had two kids! His mind was filled with confusion. Then he remembered. Azula's daughter. Arya. He groaned as he slowly stood up, but he saw that Mai was already up and giving a bottle to Honora, and then leaning over to give one to Arya.
"Let me help you with that," he said as Mai lifted Honora out of her grib. The one-year-old giggled. "Mommy!" Zuko smiled, but was again filled with dread. So her firebending still hadn't come. For normal fire-bending babies, they had shone signs of bending at six months, or even earlier. As much as he loved Mai and appreciated her as a nonbender, he was saddened that his daughter hadn't even produced as much as a spark. He turned to Arya.
Azula's daughter had opened her eyes, and he saw that they were the gold of Azula's and his eyes, the common Fire Nation eye color. Good. She wasn't exactly an Azula clone. Yet. He lifted the day old baby from the crib, and realized she was remarkably light. Her mother must not have been getting good enough food in the prison. He would have to talk to the warden. He carried Arya over to wear Mai was playing with Honora on the couch. He sat down on the couch, and slowly began rocking her.
Treat her like your own…Mai's words echoed in his mind. He smiled at Mai as she held her daughter's tiny hands.
"Ow!" she suddenly screamed, immediately drawing her hands back. Zuko looked up in concern. She examined the palms of her hands. "They're burnt!" It was true. Her palms were red and were already starting to blister. He glanced at Honora, who had tiny orange flames dancing in her hands. Tiny orange flames dancing in her hands. Zuko smiled, a small tear of relief in his eye. Mai had gotten up to put ointment on her hands.
"My daughter," he said happily. "My daughter can firebend!" He laughed, and Honora laughed alongside him. And strangely, Arya giggled too.