I must admit that I'm excited about the next few chapters. They're kind of like a story within a story. I'm posting a few times this week because I went on a typing spree this past weekend. I wanted to do a little more dealing with Ursa Jr and Zuko. Two chapters posted tonight.

Just the ramblings of an over active mind, I own nothing…

Sweet 16: Getting Ready

The citizens of the Fire Nation Capital watched in puzzled curiosity as the two teenagers and a little girl ran towards each other down the Royal Plaza. Kya and Ursa launched themselves into the air in the usual way as little Lin launched herself into the air on a boulder she'd pulled from the ground. They embraced in the middle and floated down on Ursa's now blue flame. When the steam cleared Kya and Lin had encircled the young Fire Princess and were telling her "Happy Birthday."

.~.

The next day was Zuko's baby girl's sixteenth birthday. He couldn't believe that the day had come already. His daughter, his precious little flame had come of age and he had to step back and let her make her own decisions.

Ursa was excited about her upcoming birthday celebration. She could care less about all the high class muckatty mucks who had been invited out of duty. She was excited to have her friends all in one place, but most of all she was excited to be coming of age. She was officially an adult now and her father had to admit it to the world. No more treating her like she was still five years old. He had to admit, in front of everyone that she was a young woman now.

He was beginning to show signs of lightning up. He told the seamstress that she was allowed to have any kind of dress she wanted from then on. He also made it a point to tell her that she could invite anyone she wanted to, including boys. Although he kept a stone face while he said it, the words burned in his throat. The thought of some little bag of hormones being near his baby girl irritated him to no end.

As much as he hated it, she was sixteen now and he had to let go.

"Hey old man." Aang teased as he walked up to Zuko on the morning of Ursa's birthday, "How's it feel to have a grown daughter?"

Zuko flinched, "You'll know soon enough, Kya's not too far behind."

"True." Aang conceded, sitting next to the Fire Lord by the turtle duck pond, "So. Why are you out here pouting?"

"Just thinking." he said, "She isn't my little baby anymore, I have to let her go."

The Avatar was shocked, brooding Zuko was the Zuko that he knew how to deal with, but touchy-feely Zuko was something that was rarely seen by anyone. "Did you think you were going to be able to hold on to her forever?"

"I hoped so." Zuko admitted.

"Well, you never know, when you give her her options she may decide to stay."

"That would be ideal, but I know Ursa, she'll take the journey."

"But she'll be back when she's done. We traveled the world when we were younger than her."

He looked at Aang, "And look at all that we went through. I hope you're not trying to make me feel better."

Aang laughed, "What I'm saying is things are different now. If a group of kids can make it through what we made it through, the Ursa will be fine."

"I know, but I don't have to like it."

.~.

"You guys are going to love them." Ursa said excitedly as she led her friends to the room that she'd turned into a top secret workroom for the seamstress, "I had something special made for all of us."

The youngest of the group spoke up, "But I already have something to wear." Lin said, "My Grammy Poppy got me a dress just for tonight."

"But these clothes are one of a kind, and they have meaning." she stood at the doors and turned to her friends, "These are special."

She threw the doors open and the children were less than thrilled with what sat before them. Six dressing dummies with clothing on them that were obviously old and slightly dusty. They looked at the clothes and then at each other with confused faces.

"Um, Ursa," Kya said, trying to think of how not to hurt the princess's feelings, "these clothes are kind of…antique."

Ursa laughed, "No, we aren't wearing these." the kids let go a sigh of relief, "Don't you know what these are?" she looked around at her friends and they all shook their heads negatively.

"These are the clothes our parents wore when they went undercover in the Fire Nation. I found them in some of my mother's things."

"Oh wow," Bumi breathed as he walked up and reached out to touch the school uniform his father wore as a child, "Your mom saved these?"

"Yeah. She had a room filled with all kinds of stuff. And she wrote little notes that say what everything is." She looked around at what each of her friends were touching, "Boom, Uncle Aang wore that, he had to go to school because that's an old academy uniform," she turned, "Kya is standing at what Aunt Toph wore, she knocked the bottoms out of the shoes so she could see." she pointed to Tenzin, "Uncle Sokka wore that," and to Lin, "and my mom wore those. And this was my dad's and Aunt Katara wore those."

The seamstress just stood back and smiled at the children's amazement over the old things. Then she and her assistant quietly stepped forward and pulled back the curtain that was behind the dressing dummies to reveal the new garments.

One by one the children looked up at the glimmering new cloths. They were all dressy, updated versions of what their parents wore all those years ago. Each carried symbols representing the nations that the children descended from and the colors of those nations. Then they noticed there was a sixth dummy.

"Why is there an extra one?" Kya asked, "Is somebody dressing as Uncle Zuko?"

"Yes, my friend Kyu is."

.~.

Kyu and Ursa met in school and it was hate at first sight. He thought she was a stuck up little princess who didn't need anyone, and she thought he was a bratty general's son who was nothing more than a dumb jock.

One day, three years earlier, Zuko invited Kyu and his family to dinner in an effort to try and make the two children get along. The night ended in Ursa being kidnapped by her grandfather and Kyu going on his own to save her.

Needless to say, they became friends after that ordeal.

.~.

"Kyu, huh?" Kya smirked.

Ursa blushed and looked at her, "No, no, it's nothing like that," she denied, "he's just a friend."

"If you say so. So where is your 'friend'?"

"Right here," the young man said as he stepped into the room in his custom made suit, "How do I look?"

Kyu turned slowly, showing off his crimson suit with golden flames licking at his wrist and hips, his long dark hair pulled up into a top knot. The tall seventeen year old cut a rather handsome figure.

"You clean up nice." the princess said to her school friend.

"Yeah," Kya said, then she whispered to Ursa, "Since you don't want him, save him for me."

"Not a chance." Ursa whispered back, "Okay, the rest of us need to get dressed and get our hair done. We have to be ready when they announce us."

Tenzin rubbed his head, "But I don't have any hair."

They laughed, "Well Tenzy, maybe you can get a spit shine." Bumi joked, causing his little brother to scowl.

"Just get dressed Tenzin." Ursa said, then patted her little friend on the back, "Kyu will keep you company until we get back."

Kya, Ursa, Lin and Bumi went and had their hair cleaned, combed and styled. Bumi protested the styling, but the girls threatened not to spar with him for a month, so he caved in.

They returned to the work room to find Tenzin scowling at Kyu. "My name is Ten-zin." he asserted as his siblings and friends returned to the room.

"Sorry little man, your friend called you Tenzy, I thought it was your name." Kyu apologized.

"That's my brother, and he does it to annoy me."

"Yep, I sure do," Bumi said proudly, "You look good Tenzy Wenzy. Let's check you out."

After giving Tenzin the once over they stepped behind changing screens and got dressed themselves. The seamstress smiled at the sight of the six young people in her newest creations. They were an impressive sight.