Turtle Ducks

"Move!" Aiti shouted down from Appa's saddle. "I'm gonna jump!"

"No your not!" Sesi shouted back. "Just slide down like everyone else!"

"Yes I am!"

Sesi sighed and stuck her hands on her hips. Her baby sister could be so stubborn at times – it was ridiculous. With dad taking things into their rooms and mom taking care of her other younger sister, she was left dealing with her mischievous little brother and her dare-devil of a sister.

"Come on, Aiti! I don't want – "

"Move!" Aiti yelled again.

"No! Everyone else came down normally."

"Not-uh! Kyra threw up and then fell off . . ."

Sesi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Thanks for the vivid description . . ."

"Which I think is weird 'cause she's rode Appa a bunch of times! Dad's an airbender – why would she get air sick?"

"I don't kn – "

"Hey Aiti! On this side! Hurry!"

Sesi turned to see her little brother leaping around Appa's tail.

"Torran!" she scolded, dashing around Appa's nose to get to the other side before her little sister could jump down to the ground. Sesi wasn't as confident in her sister's airbending abilities as everyone else seemed to be, especially from such a height.

She skidded to a halt when she saw instantly that neither her brother or her sister were waiting for her and threw her hands up exasperatedly as she heard Aiti giggle from the side she had just come from

Little siblings . . .

She came around just in time to see Torran bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet, waiting to see his sister's magnificent airbending feat. Sesi dashed forward just as her sister jumped, pushing air out under her so that she hovered for a moment, smiling triumphantly at Sesi. And then she heard uncle Sokka's voice behind her and watched with lack of surprise as her little sister looked up, waved, and went plummeting down. Sesi held out her arms, crashing down into the ground as Aiti collided with her, knocking them both into Torran who had just started to laugh. When Sesi pushed herself up onto her hands, she glared at Aiti through her bangs before reaching out to grab a retreating Torran by the ear.

"Next time I think I'll just slide down." Aiti mumbled, brushing herself off.

Sesi sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you do that."

"Well, that sounded painful." Toph said behind them as Sesi gripped Torran's arm. "I didn't even need the vibrations to take a guess at what happened here."

"Auntie Toph!" Aiti squealed, leaping into her aunt's arms with the help of her airbending.

Toph hugged her. "Good to see you too!"

She scrambled down then and lunged herself at Sokka. "Sneak Attack!"

Sokka pretended to fall and acted surprise before grabbing her by the middle and tickling her. She squealed in delight, unsuccessfully trying to push him away when she was picked up from behind by her father.

"You're just causing all sorts of trouble, aren't you little lady?" Aang chuckled as she squirmed in his grip. "C'mon, let your Aunt and Uncle unpack, your mother says its time for a nap."

"But I'm not tired!" Aiti pouted, going limp in his hands.

He tightened his grip and pulled her up onto his shoulders as she flopped over his head, going into "silent mode" for the moment.

Sokka stood and dusted himself off and exchanged a quick, one armed hug with Aang before looking up at the pouting girl.

"Don't worry, the adults have to do boring political stuff anyway."

When her eyes welded up with tears, Sokka's face twisted and he looked at Aang sheepishly.

"Or I could . . ."

Aang raised an eyebrow.

"But how can you say no to that?" Sokka whimpered.

Toph joined them then and gripped his hand. "And you wonder why our kids only listen to me."

Sokka blinked. "Yeah. They fear you."

"Hey, they learned quickly who's boss. Faster then you did . . ."

Aang laughed as Sokka gaped at her, indignantly pointing at himself. "I'm the Chief of the Southern Water tribe! I have lots of bossly duties! I'm – "

"Talking too much. Come on, Snoozles, I'm sure Aiti will be able to boomerang-bend later."

Aang shook his head, watching them head up the stairs to the Fire Nation palace. It had been a long time since they had seen Zuko. They'd exchanged a lot of letters, but since Aiti's birth, travel had been cut down. Everyone had been preoccupied with family, especially him and Katara. The little, pouting girl that was currently giving him the silent treatment had given them both quite a scare when she first arrived . . . at the memory he brought Aiti down into his arms and held her to his chest, feeling her tiny heartbeat against his shoulder. It hadn't been that long ago that it was once so faint that he feared it would be gone forever, that he'd never feel it again. She had been small when she was born, so much smaller than any of her siblings. And she was still tiny now, but Katara had said she would be fine.

He chuckled at the glare he was receiving from his little daughter.

"I've never even seen the Fire Lord! I want to see him!"

"You will." Aang promised. "But we have to go to a very important, adult meeting . . . it'll be very boring."

"What if I wake up and you guys are still busy?"

"You and your sisters' room are right next to the courtyard and that's where your siblings and cousins will be."

She sighed and gave in as Aang carried her up the steps. And then a new thought struck her.

"Daddy does . . . does mister Zuko have any kids?"

Aang nodded. "Two sons, ones only a year older than you actually. I'm sure they'll be out with the other kids . . . when you wake up."

She smiled simply and remained quiet when he brought her down the extravagant halls, taking in the brilliant shades of red and gold that adorned the palace. She had seen her dad practice firebending and tried mimicking his moves, but there was a precision with it she still couldn't seem to grasp. Maybe here she could get lessons! She clung to her father's robe excitedly, nestling her head in the crook of his neck.

They came to a room at the end of the hall and in it, she saw her second older sister sleeping, a fresh, clean bucket by her bed. Aiti wrinkled her nose as Aang placed her down on her own bed.

"Why do I have to sleep next Kyra? What if she throws up or something?"

Aang shook his head with a sigh. "I'm sure your sister is doing better. Just let her rest and you'll both be up and running in no time."

Aiti complied with a grumble, sliding herself under silk sheets. She rubbed her face against the silky pillow covers and smiled, letting her father tuck the sheets around her. He bent down to kiss her forehead and she giggled. He smiled.

"I'll see you again soon. Sleep well."

"I will!" she promised. "These sheets are really comfy!"

He winked at her and left quietly. She laid in silence for a moment and waited until she heard his footsteps fade until she threw off the covers and jumped to the cool, stone floor. She tiptoed to the door way and peeked out, only to jerk back when she saw a woman walking down the hallway. But the woman passed her room silently, not even paying it the least bit of attention. Aiti peeked out after her and then snuck out of the door way, her bare feet quiet along the stone floor.

She felt a warm breeze kiss her face as she followed the woman down a small stairway and into an outdoor living space. Beyond it was a walled in garden area, green and blossoming with a pond and large trees surrounding it. Without realizing it, she quietly stepped up close to the woman, standing on tiptoe to look over the tall, elegant structure that separated them from the red marble stairs. Aiti took in a deep breath, smiling at the warm smells of flowers and fresh air. But what was the lady looking at? Aiti strained to stand up taller and then huffed when she failed to do so.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" she finally asked.

The elegant woman hardly looked surprised at all to see her there. In fact, her face seemed completely emotionless. She had very light skin, something Aiti thought Sesi would call "porcelain . . ." whatever that meant. Her eyes were dark and alluring and her glossy black hair was tied back into stylish bun. Silky, red and black robes lined with gold framed her tall form. Her face, as emotionless as it may be, was sharp and defined, a face of someone no one sensible would want to run into.

Aiti was hardly daunted.

"My son." The woman said simply in a soft tone.

Aiti turned away from her and squatted down, peering through the slats in the railing. She gazed hard and long until she saw the hunched frame of a boy sitting near the pond, as still and silent as a rock. She stood back up, now aware of the sound of other children, her siblings included, laughing and joking – she heard Sesi scream. They must be on the far end of the big garden. Why was he all alone?

Now even more interested, Aiti took a deep breath and when she blew it out, she propelled herself up onto the railing and sat down, cross legged. The lady offered her a slight grin and narrowed her eyes.

"And you must be Aiti. Aang's daughter."

"Yep!" Aiti said proudly. "My daddy says that the Fire Lord has two sons . . . if that's your son, does that make you the Fire Lady?"

The woman let out a small sigh. "I suppose it does."

Aiti nodded approvingly and crossed her arms. "Miss Fire Lady – "

"Call me Mai."

"'Kay. But why is your son sitting all by himself? Is he sad?"

Mai turned her attention back to the boy in the grass and her tiny smile faded. She stayed quiet, her tall, elegant frame illuminated by the afternoon sun. A stray hair fell to the side of her face and Aiti flexed her fingers, waiting for a response.

"I think he's a little sad." Mai finally said. "He closes up when something's wrong, he's hard to talk to. A lot like his father in that respect."

Aiti stood up precariously, but Mai seemed hardly worried about the little Airbender's balance, her long slender fingers resting now on the railing as she studied her quiet son.

"Why is he sad?"

Mai looked at her, her eyebrow raised until she motioned her head toward the boy.

"Why don't you go and see?"

Aiti shrugged and jumped down onto the other side, now completely involved in her "mission." She ran quietly down the steps and through the grass. She stopped halfway there. He still hadn't noticed her, obviously completely wrapped up in his thoughts . . . that or he was ignoring her. Hesitantly now, she looked back to where Mai was standing, still and quiet, her eyes never wavering. Aiti snuck around the side of tree that was situated on the other side of the pond and peeked around from behind it. He was staring intently at the grass, plucking at the earth distractedly. It was then she realized she didn't know his name.

Oh well . . .  to late to go back and ask now.

She bit her lip, trying to figure out a way to get his attention. With a quick hand gesture, she threw a soft ball of hair towards him and smiled as it hit him in the face, knocking his hair loose. But he did nothing other then move a few strands of hair from his eyes. Her face dropped in disappointment. Crossing her arms, she gazed above her and there was a tree branch just in her reach. She grinned and jumped to grab onto it, swinging there for a moment, waiting for him to notice her.

Finally though, she had had enough of his silence.

"Hello!" she said shrilly. "Whatcha doin'?"

His hand froze and she smiled broadly. Slowly, he turned to look up at her, his expression reflecting a bit of surprise that quickly turned to annoyance. He turned his attention back to the ground. Aiti glared and dropped back down to the ground gracelessly. When she stood up, she placed her tiny hands on her narrow hips and determinedly strolled to the edge of the pond.

"Hey, I said Hello!"

He continued to ignore her. So, she sat down in the grass and leaned down low to look at his face. He flicked his eyes up to hers and held them stoically. She smiled and he blinked.

Finally, he gave a quiet. "Hi."

Pleased that she got a response, she sat back up.

"What's your name? I'm Aiti."

He dug his fingers into the earth and didn't say anything. She crossed her arms and then found her attention immediately taken by some strange little creatures floating across the water, their round black eyes regarding her curiously. She reached out to touch one, her fingers gently stroking the soft feathers and the hard shell that surrounded its body before it swam from her. She giggled and looked up to see the boy was watching her.

"What are those?"

He sat up a little bit, his eyes cautious.

"Turtle ducks." He said softly.

"I like them." She proclaimed.

She saw him smile a little bit and she took this as an invitation to join him. He looked at her warily as she plopped down next to him, but her attention was on the little family of turtle ducks that had come out, looking at the two of them expectantly. Tiny babies swarmed towards her feet and she stuck her fingers out to touch them, but they swam away quickly. She giggled again and looked at the boy next to her.

"Do you like turtle ducks? Is that why you came to sit out here?"

"I guess."

"You don't talk much, do you?"

He gave her a reproachful look and turned his attention back to the grass. She stared at him quietly for a while and then mimicked him, digging her fingers into the soft earth.

"Since you won't tell me your name I think I'll you T.D. 'kay?"

He gave her a strange look.

"It's short for Turtle Duck!" she exclaimed, bursting into a fit of giggles as his face screwed up even more in confusion.

At her laughter though, she saw his cheeks color slightly and she calmed down. She leaned into him so that she was looking up at him. Bright, glassy amber eyes, narrow features, pale skin . . .

"You look a lot like your mom. I look like my mom too."

He swallowed slightly but gave her another small smile.

"Everyone says I look like my dad."

"Maybe you look like both." She reasoned.

They sat in silence for a while and she was surprised when he pulled out a small sack and handed it to her. She took it and peered inside. She pulled a few bread crumbs out curiously. Was this what kids ate in the Fire Nation as a snack?

"It's for them." T.D. said, seeing the look of confusion on her face, pointing at the now alerted turtle ducks. One gave an excited quack.

She pulled a few pieces out and threw them onto the water and instantly, the little family propelled forward, eating the bread crumbs just as quickly as she could toss them out. She laughed and squealed with delight as a tiny, fluffy baby came up to her feet, blinking at her. She pulled out a large crumb and held it out to it, giggling when it proudly took it from her fingers and, head held high, swam to the opposite end of the pond with it. She looked over to see T.D. watching her contentedly.

"I love turtle ducks! I want some at our home, right outside the temple." She exclaimed.

"You live in a temple?"

"Yeah, you know. The Air Temple?"

He blinked at her. "You must be the avatar's kid."

She nodded proudly. "Yep! I'm also the only airbender, 'sides my dad."

"I wish I could bend air." He said sullenly, poking at the ground again. "Probably a lot easier than fire."

"You can bend fire?" she said excitedly.

He gave her an offhanded glance and seemed to be chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"Kind of." He said with a sigh. "I'm nearly as good as my brother though. Dad get's frustrated with teaching me sometimes."

"Oh . . ." Aiti said. "Well, maybe you're just a late bloomer. My mom says that about me; that I'm not as tall as my other siblings because I take a little longer to grow. Maybe it's the same with your firebending."

He shrugged. "What if I'm never as good as my dad or my brother? What if I embarrass him?"

Aiti automatically shook her head. "My daddy says that if you try your hardest, that's all a parent can ask for. He also says that Fire Lord Zuko had a hard time learning firebending too. Did you know that?"

T.D. seemed generally surprised at this information. "My dad never said anything like that. I wonder if my uncle Iroh knows . . . Sometimes dad comes and tells me he's sorry if he gets mad. I know he loves me, but I know my brother's always going to be better."

"So?" Aiti said.

T.D. looked at her.

"I'm not that great of a firebender either." Aiti said finally, settling back on her hands. "But you don't see me complaining about it, do you?"

He gave her a strange look. "But . . ."

Before he could finish his statement, she grabbed his hand and hauled him up with her. He stumbled beside her.

"You're really strong for being so little!" he exclaimed.

She giggled again and he smiled. "It's 'cause of my earthbending practice."

"Why do you practice earthbending?"

"'Cause I want to know everything!" she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Don't you?"

He smiled. "My Uncle Iroh would like you. You should talk to him while you're here."

She crossed her arms and looked up at him and his smiled faltered. "What?"

She grinned and gripped her hands behind her back. "You look really nice when you smile."

His cheeks blossomed and she reached out and snatched his hand again, tugging him forward.

"Where are we going?" he asked as she led him to a large, open space.

She didn't say anything for the moment, stopping him in the center of the large expanse. She pushed him into position, grabbing his legs and arms and arranging them how she wanted. He watched her with a mix of amusement and anxiety.

"There." She said, pleased with the stance. "Now, copy me."

She reflected the stance she had put him into and moved in slow, deliberate motions. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"What are we doing exactly?"

"You said you wished you could airbend right? Well, I'm showing you what I learned when my daddy started teaching me!"

He laughed and dropped his stance. "Aiti, I'm not an airbender . . ."

"Well you won't earn your arrows with that attitude!" she scolded, pulling his hands back into place.

With a shake of his head, he gave in and obediently followed her instructions, following her quick and flowing movements. After a while, he seemed to grow more relaxed and she grinned at him.

"See? You'd make a great airbender."

"It's really . . . calming." He said. "Dad says with firebending, you have to be in complete control – everything is so precise."

"I don't know what percise means but airbending lets you "adapt to it as it adapts to you." Or at least that's what my dad says. I just like it the best 'cause there isn't just one way to do something."

T.D. smiled at her. "I think we'll be good friends."

Aiti nodded. "I think so too. So are you not sad anymore?"

He shook his head.

"Good!" Aiti surprised him with a tight hug and then jumped back. "'Cause I want to try somethin' and it involves you firebending."

His eyes went wide and uncertainty took over his features.

"Oh don't look like that!" she huffed. "It's a good idea, trust me!"

Somehow "trust me" and Aiti didn't seem to merge well together in the young Prince's head and he started to nervously scratch at his ear.

"I don't . . ."

"Come on, all I need is a tiny spark." She grabbed his other hand and made him look at her. Like a practiced performer, she jutted out her lip and lowered her chin, widening her vivid blue eyes. "Please?"

His grimace turned into a sideways smile and hesitantly he nodded and gave something that sounded like a garbled. "Mmkay."

She clapped her hands and spun in a circle before taking a low stance straight in front of him. "Now just make a little flame, right over my hands, kay?"

Biting his lip, T.D. firmly rooted his feet and opened his hand inches above her tiny ones. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and calmly let the air out through his nose. He was silent a few moments longer, concentrating until a small ball of fire formed between his palms. Sweat lined his forehead as he carefully opened his eyes, keeping the pulsing, little flame going, surprised when Aiti backed away, only to confidently come back with a series of swirling hand movements until she forced as much air as she could under his hands, sending his tiny flame into a much larger, twirling blaze.

He gazed up in wonder as the air sent it spinning into the open sky, watching it until it dispersed into nothingness. Aiti's grin stretched from ear to ear.

"It worked!" she exclaimed.

T.D. looked at her warily again. "What worked?"

"My experiment!"

His face seemed to blanch. She giggled.

"Well you were so sad about not being a great firebender and I really want to learn how to firebend so together – We make such a good team, see?"

He slowly nodded.

"My daddy says that air feeds fire and makes it bigger so I thought if we put our bending together we could do something really neat!"

"Your kind of a scary, you know that?"

She snickered. "Well you worry too much!"

He grinned and she smiled charmingly at him, grabbing his hand to pull him down onto the grass. He quietly allowed this, seeming to become more confident with her presence.

"So, are you going to tell me your name or am I going to call you T.D. for the rest of your life?"

The young Prince laughed, his amber eyes dancing into the afternoon sun before he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I've never had a nickname before . . ."

"Fine then!" she stated. "You'll be T.D."

"Yep." He said, plucking at the grass. "You're very own turtle duck."