Title: Down, Down

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Character/Pairing: Ursa-centric, Ozai/Ursa, Azula and Zuko

Rating:PG.

Word Count: 819

Summary/Description: Ursa wants nothing more than to love and protect her children. It should be much simpler than this.

Warning/Spoilers:A bit creepy, I guess. No spoilers.

A/N: 31 days, February 5th: and hold there is no sin but ignorance. I've not watched the latest episodes yet; hopefully nothing I say here turns out to be stupid and false. XD But hey; go Ursa!

Disclaimer: I am not worthy of owning the sheer awesome that is ATLA.

Motherhood becomes Ursa. She glows and swells with love and pride for her new baby girl, even as her love and admiration for her toddling son grows by the day. Ozai visits the nursery room upon occasion, to kiss his wife's head and look upon his progeny with satisfaction. Otherwise, Ursa is left alone with her babies and a maid or two, and she would not have it any other way.

Zuko is fascinated by his baby sister. He stands next to the crib when she is being changed, grabbing at the bars and peering in. He stands at his mother's knees while Azula is being fed, clinging to Ursa's skirts and looking up at the suckling child. He likes to sit next to her and put one of his fingers in the palm of her chubby little hand, squealing in delight when she closes a tiny fist over it, again and again. Ursa can sometimes sit for hours and hours, simply watching her children; Zuko, with a smile so reminiscent of hers, and Azula, with her father's eyes. She watches them, feeling her adoration and pride grow hot in her chest.

One afternoon, when Zuko is three and Azula has just celebrated her first birthday, Ozai summons Ursa to his rooms. She is reluctant to leave her children for even a minute, but her husband is insistent. She leaves Zuko shaking a fire red rattle for his sister, making them both laugh gaily, and a young maid in charge.

She finds her husband in their bedroom, sitting at his desk. He looks a bit tense, but then, he has for the past few months. Ursa never misses the energy charged looks that he shoots at Iroh, nor the calculated looks that Fire Lord Azulon directs to both his sons.

Ozai gets straight to the point.

"Zuko will not be spending as much time with you from now on." He says it carelessly, while adjusting his coronet.

Ursa's stomach gives an ugly flip, but she retains her composure.

"Why not?" she asks simply.

"He is a prince; he will have to learn to comport himself like one soon." His voice is emphatic, yet calm. "Children need to be trained from young. From now on, Zuko will be spending time with me, as well as his grandfather. It will be interesting to see when he begins to display signs of Firebending."

Ursa blinks, and takes a deep breath. She knows that she must choose her next words wisely.

"But he is only—"

"I do not believe that I said anything that warrants an argument. That will be all, Ursa." He turns away abruptly, back to his desk.

Ursa grits her teeth, knowing that she is being bluntly dismissed. She makes a quick curtsey and leaves before the need to argue becomes too great to ignore.

On the way back to the nursery, the sound of crying breaks through her thoughts. The wailing is loud and piteous, and is obviously that of a child. Alarmed, Ursa picks up her skirts and runs back to the nursery, driven by the thought that one of her children needs her.

Upon arriving, her eyes immediately fly to the cot in the corner, where she left Zuko and Azula playing. Zuko is no longer on the cot; he is cradled in the maid's arms, crying and crying like his little world is ending. No matter how the maid cuddles and coos to him, he will not stop his tears. Azula, sitting upright on the cot, has the red rattle in her hands. She shakes it vigorously, looking at her brother, and giggles.

Ursa strides over to the maid, who looks immensely relieved to see her. Zuko reaches out for his mother, and she takes him, holding him to her breast, pressing kisses to his hair, whispering words of comfort into his ear. Slowly, his cries abate. Ursa looks at young maid in askance. The girl bows deeply, flushing.

"I'm so sorry, Princess Ursa, but Princess Azula… well, she grabbed the toy from him. Really very quickly; I didn't even notice when she did it. And then the Prince started crying, and he wouldn't stop. He wouldn't accept any other toy either, my lady. And well, the Princess… she won't let go of that one." She ends with another apologetic bow.

Ursa looks over at her daughter, who now has the rattle in her mouth. Her immediate thought is to go over and take the rattle from her, but then Zuko whimpers into her shoulder, quietly. Ursa closes her eyes and hugs her son tightly. The sudden need to protect him, to shelter him is so fierce and instinctive that it almost brings her to her knees. But… what is she protecting him from?

On the cot, Azula sucks contentedly on the rattle. She looks up at her mother with her father's eyes, and blinks.

A/N: Chibi!Azula is a bitch. :O

I have a feeling I might have trampled over canon with this entire fic. But I don't recall anything about Azula and Zuko as babies ever being animated, so. Tell me if I'm wrong?

Poor Zuko. His father takes an interest in him for a day or two, realises that he's useless, and then proceeds to spend time on his kickass daughter. Alas!

Comments very much appreciated. This is my first time doing Ursa! Actually, it's only my third Avatar fic ever, and the first was just a drabble. Feel free to critique my way of portraying the royal family.