Of Fire

Chapter 9 – Just a Game

Mid afternoon, as the sun started its descent down the sky, found a three year old lightning bender setting up a Pai Sho table in the main garden. The northern winds blew down a cool breeze, making the summer day warm and nice. White thin clouds dotted the otherwise clear sky. It was perfect day, but Detia was exhausted. Surprisingly, it was Ty Lee's training before lunch that had her worn out. The acrobat had woken earlier than normal and wanted to start training just a little early. Detia agreed eagerly, feeling confident and smug considering how well her bending training was going.

It was really her own fault. She should have listened when Ty Lee told her not to try bending that way. The results were less than acceptable, a torn muscle in her shoulder and a stern chastising from her mother for not listening. This little impromptu game she was about to play with her mother was something of a punishment, at least in Detia's mind. Azula had informed her that it wasn't a punishment but an excellent time to test how well Detia strategized while exhausted, that many a diplomat – including Azula herself – had to deal with these types of situations. Even still, Detia wasn't sure she believed her mother. It sure felt like some kind of cruel and unusual punishment.

She nudged the strap of the sling away from her neck, still unable to believe they made her wear one. Ty Lee had smoothed most of the pain away, unblocking chi paths while explaining how to do so. It felt marvelous and her apparition of chi blocking had increased greatly. The acrobat had informed the doctor that she had unblocked the chi and that Detia would more than likely be fine but just to be safe they put Detia's right arm in a sling, to help the muscle in her right shoulder – the one she tore – heal properly.

It was a useless gesture in her opinion. Even if she was still exhausted and could use a nap, she didn't need a sling. Detia forced back a yawn; a nap would be really nice. The smirk on her mother's face came to mind when Azula challenged the child to a game. Stubbornness and pride had prevented her from backing down. She really hated that stupid look her mother gave her, the one that dared her to say no and give up. Azula knew the effect it had on Detia, which is probably why the princess used it. One day Detia would be immune to that look, at least Detia hoped so.

With one hand Detia dumped the tiled Pai Sho pieces on the wooden board, quickly finding her favorite. The White Jade tile; harmonized with the Lilly and the Rose tiles and unlike all the other pieces disharmonized with none. At one point, not too long ago, she had tried to make her own White Jade tile and got so frustrated with it that she gave up. It was still her favorite, though. With a White Jade in her hand she began separating the tiles, one set for her mother and one set for herself.

"Well, hello there," the voice startled her, so focused was she on her predicament that she didn't notice the voice approach her. The thoughts were just like all the others, a dull ache that she ignored. Detia turned quickly to the intruder and recognized him instantly. Iroh, her mother's uncle, stood in front her a warm, inviting smile on his lips. "I don't think we've ever been properly introduced." He stated as he kneeled to her level.

It was true; they had not been properly introduced. And though many people, including Zuko and Iroh, blamed Azula for them not meeting it was Detia who avoided her great uncle. Ever since she could remember she avoided meeting new people, her great uncle was no exception. The incident when she was two did not help matters in that manner either. She watched him carefully as he did the same. Listening to his thoughts told her how odd he thought her hair was and that she looked exactly like a young Azula. After that she really tried to stop listening, but he was such a loud thinker. "Do you know who I am?" he finally asked.

Detia nodded. She had seen him around the palace enough to know what he looked like and that's all Lu Ten would ever talk about when Iroh was around. If she judged correctly, he came home at least six times a year. More so this past year because of the birth of the twins, but Lu Ten and Ursa loved him. Sometimes, and no one knew this, jealousy would bubble dully in the little lightning bender whenever she saw Iroh play with her cousins. Watching the way they embraced and laughed together, knowing that she would never have that. Of course when these thoughts entered her head Ty Lee – with the psychic power only a mother has – would kindly prove her wrong, killing the feeling instantly.

He bowed to her as best he could from his kneeling position. She returned the gesture out of respect for his age and nothing more. Zuko and Lu Ten were always praising the older man before her and though she tried she couldn't see what was so great about him. So what if he could divert the path of lightning or throw a child 'like fifty feet' (it was more like five) into the air? Her mother could do all that and more.

"What happened to your arm?" He questioned, bringing the child from her musings by almost touching her arm. She pulled away just in time to stop him, making him frown mentally. His question remained unanswered, not that Detia was capable of answering it even if she wanted to. "So the rumors are true, you cannot speak."

'Only verbally.' She thought.

But he didn't hear her, only smiled at the cross expression she gave him. Iroh's expression softened as he stood, looking over to the Pai Sho board. "Do you play?" Detia nodded and watched as he picked up a White Lotus tile, his thoughts telling her that there was something significant about it. "I am very good at this game." He boasted, not that Detia cared really. "Would you care to play a game or two?"

Detia shrugged, making him chuckle. In a gesture of familiarity, one he used very often with Lu Ten and Ursa and sometimes even Ezra when she allowed it, he placed a hand on Detia's left shoulder and jerked back almost violently. A thin listless line of white electricity connected the two for only a second, sending a small jolt into Iroh's hand. The jolt surprised him more than anything. Honestly, it didn't even hurt – only a tad bit stronger than static shock. He shook his hand out of habit and looked at the unapologetic look on his great niece's young face. The need to roll his eyes at how much like look reminded him of his niece was barely suppressed.

For her part Detia set in one the seats, placing the White Jade tile down on the board, her first move made. Taking the hint Iroh set in the seat opposite and placed the White Lotus tile in the exact middle. The game began. By the time Azula showed up the game had been going on for a little more than thirty minutes. Iroh was eyeing the board in deep concentration. Detia was staring off into the endless blue sky, fighting to keep from nodding off. Azula's chuckle gathered the pair's attention. "Azula" Iroh acknowledged.

"Uncle," Azula acknowledged back, vaguely wondering why Iroh always called her by her name but mostly called Zuko 'nephew'.

'It'd be weird to say 'niece' all the time,' Detia offered, glad for the distraction to keep her awake. 'Besides if someone called me niece or nephew all the time I'd think they forgot my name.'

Azula smiled, patting her daughter's head as she set down to the left of her uncle. "How's your shoulder?" Azula asked, ignoring her uncle though he was watching the exchanged with much interest.

'It's fine.' Detia huffed. 'This sling is stupid.'

Azula's smile widened as she assured. "It's a necessary evil, I'm afraid."

'You're enjoying this.' Detia accused with small thin finger pointing, earning a smirk from her mother.

"Maybe a little." The princess admitted. "I'm more surprised you didn't listen. You've never done that."

The little girl sighed in embarrassment, 'It didn't look hard. I wanted her to be proud of me.'

A perfect eyebrow lifted. "Everything Ty Lee does looks hard and this is Ty Lee we're talking about. I don't think there is anything you could do that would make her not proud of you."

Iroh remained silent as this conversation went on, deducing what it concerned with only hearing one side of the conversation. He had heard that Ty Lee and Azula could hear their mute child, but he didn't believe it until now. Having witnessed the exchange in person changed his opinion greatly. Clearly, Azula wasn't speaking to herself. Not with the way the toddler was reacting. What amazed him more was the affection he heard in his niece's voice and saw in her eyes. It was an expression he honestly never thought he would see or hear coming from a child of Ozai. 'Small miracles,' he thought as his attention turned to the little girl in front of him, her golden eyes bearing into his with a depth and knowledge a three year old should not have.

"So," Azula's tone cut through his thoughts like a knife. "How is the game going, uncle?"

He laughed lightly, "It seems that Detia is a very good Pai Sho player."

'His thoughts are easy to read.' Detia admitted easily, making her mother smile.

Iroh watched his great niece carefully before placing a tile. She countered quickly and mercilessly, surprising Iroh. Azula had done something very similar when she was young, not as young as Detia but still young, and he played against her. Iroh studied the board again. He looked at the white haired child across from him as she visible perked up, Azula not even bothering to look at her daughter as her eyes remained on the board. The older man turned in the direction that Detia was looking in as a servant entered the garden, looking tired and worn. In her arms was the one year old princess of the Fire Nation.

The little girl's dull golden eyes brightened slightly at the sight of her cousin as a broken 'De-ta' issued from her lips. The female servant came up to Detia with a sigh as the little girl in her arms struggled to get away, the dark circles under her eyes and lines on her face giving away how exhausted she was.

"I am so sorry to disturb you, princess." The servant started.

Detia nodded but it was Azula who responded even though she was still examining the board. "She understands. You can leave Ezra with us."

The servant sighed in relief and set Ezra on the ground, watching her toddle unsteadily the two steps needed to get to Detia, before leaving the royal family with a respectful bow. A little hand reached up to her older cousin, the other gripping an old white kitten owl with no wings. Detia looked at her mother who exhaled in annoyance as she picked her niece up only to place her in Detia's lap. The one year set happily for a moment before her attention was drawn to the pretty pieces on the table. Detia handed a piece to the infant, who promptly stuck it in her mouth.

"Detia," Azula warned lightly.

'She won't swallow it.' Detia promised, with a roll of her eyes. 'She just wants to chew on it. Her teeth are coming in and her gums hurt.'

Azula nodded her approval, though she was still scowling. Iroh set in stunned surprise as he watched his youngest great niece chew on the wooden tile. The infant's dull golden eyes focused on him, eyes that were too cold for any child, better less one her age. Almost a month after their birth was the first time he had ever seen the younger twin, her hard eyes staring up at him from her crib in a manner unbefitting an infant. The lack of innocence in her eyes startled him but neither Mai nor Zuko seemed to mind or even notice. So, he dropped the subject and never brought it up.

She was a quiet baby, who didn't cry much. Ezra was nothing like her happy twin sister and more than her exact opposite. Ursa seemed to need attention all the time while Ezra was content sitting outside looking into the sky – as if contemplating the meaning of life. The older twin was what everyone classified as a normal baby and was loved by everyone who ever met her, which was everyone because Ursa was just that type of baby who had to know every single person and/or thing. Ezra didn't care for many people, only allowing Iroh to hold her for a little more than a minute before trying to squirm away. Zuko assured Iroh that he had done nothing wrong, that Ezra didn't even let her own father hold her for long. Mai and Detia were the only ones granted the privilege of hold the younger twin. Sometimes Ty Lee was also granted this privilege but only because she was Detia's mommy.

Of the two Ursa was the first to take her first step and to say her first word. Mai informed Iroh that Ezra was like Detia, in that she was quiet but intelligent. The Fire Lady even laughed when she explained why Ezra started walking. Detia was napping on a couch in the play room that day – worn from her training – and Ezra wanted her but the lightning bender was too asleep to hear Ezra calling. So, the little princess stood and toddled to her cousin, falling a couple of times but started again undeterred. Ursa's first word was dada and was said when she was barely seven months. The older twin was known to jabber incoherently for the longest time, but her vocabulary was still larger than her sister's. Ezra could only say a few words verbally; no, Mama, Dada, Ten, De-ta, Ty, and Zula (of all things). But she could sit with Detia and have a conversation for hours, a silent conversation that no one else could hear entirely but a conversation none-the-less.

At the moment, the one-year old seemed almost happy. At least happier than Iroh had ever seen her. "Don't let her hurt your arm." Azula remarked, mostly as an afterthought.

Ezra scowled cutely, the image made even more adorable by the tile sticking out of her mouth. Iroh chuckled at the expression, his smile growing when a small arm pulled back. Azula caught the stuffed toy that was thrown at her, a toy that use to belong to her daughter. Even now, the toy still vaguely smelled like Detia and no doubt helped Ezra sleep in her own bed. Though, now that Ezra could stand up and walk the infant found herself in Detia's room most nights – sound asleep with her cousin and the kitten owl.

Placing the toy on the table Azula smirked at her niece, impressed with force behind the throw. Of all of her brother's children Ezra was the one she liked the most and yes, Azula did show favorites. Tolerating the child's presences was the biggest show of favoritism. In Azula's mind, there was no child better than her own and other children were merely tolerated because there was no way they could even get close to being as fantastic as her little monster. "Well, uncle." Azula drawled, gaining Iroh's attention. "I believe you have a game to play. Please continue. Detia needs to take a nap."

Iroh nodded, placing a tile down, as he looked the white-haired child over. Without breaking eye contact Detia pulled the tile from her cousin's mouth and placed it on the board, giving Ezra another one before the infant could even make a noise in disagreement. "I can see you two get along very much." Iroh remarked in a thinly veiled form of distraction – placing another tile down.

He was talking to Detia but Azula answered again, "She likes to say that Mai had twins so that she and Lu Ten could each get one."

Iroh snorted before chuckling. 'It sounds logical to me.' Detia defended, not the least bit perturbed at being made fun of – anger did not come easily to the lightning bender.

Azula smiled at her daughter as the girl placed a tile on the board. "I know it does. Finish this game quickly now," Leaving unspoken that she wanted Detia to rest.

Vibrant golden eyes turned to Iroh, a slight tilt of her head enough to inform him that it was his turn and he should hurry. The older man looked down at the board, tallying up his harmonies and disharmonies versus hers and sighed. He knew a losing game when he saw one. Before he even verbally forfeited Detia slipped from the chair, Ezra clinging to her good shoulder. With little effort Detia pulled the tile from Ezra's mouth and offered it to Azula, 'Trade you.'

Gingerly Azula took the tile, barely suppressing a cringe at the saliva clinging to it, and handed Detia the stuffed toy. Ezra grabbed it before Detia could and crushed it to her. Both Detia and Azula thinking that it was a good thing the toy was stuffed and not a real animal. The lightning bender sighed heavily to mask her yawn. Of course Azula noticed and leaned down just slightly, but enough so that Detia wouldn't have to stand on her tiptoes to kiss her cheek. Detia did just that, kiss her mother's cheek, before heading inside.

"You're daughter is very" he paused "unique." He finished.

Azula only nodded, her very nature telling her that his comment was a slight against her daughter. She fought that part of her nature, choosing instead to ignore the comment. "Would you care to play?" she changed the subject smoothly.

Iroh eyed his niece but her mask was well placed and he could see no negative intentions – not that she had any. It appeared to be an innocent enough request so he nodded. Azula took her daughter's seat, reclaimed all her tiles, and smirked deviously as she set one down.

TBC