The little boy tugged at the hem of his mother’s dress.

Apparently the boy had decided that she wasn’t paying him enough attention.

She didn’t mean to blow the child off, she’d simply fell asleep and lost track of the time. It only took about fifteen minuten for the boy to realize his mother forgot about what she promised him. And only a minute’s hesitation after that before tugging at her clothing, jumping on her bed, and screaming her name.

“Come on! Come on! Mama, u promised.”

Azula heaved herself up. “Did I really?” She asked with a yawn. Eyes still closed, despite her upright position.

“Yes mama! u said!” He gave her dress another tug. “You said, before sundown.”

When the former princess opened her eyes, they met a pair of big amber ones. The boy couldn’t possibly get himself any closer to his mother. So he just settled for sitting down and staring as intensely as he could with those bright amber eyes.

Those bright amber eyes, that so closely resembled his mother’s.

Azula smiled and ruffled his hair.

“Mama, stop it!” The boy wailed and swatted her hand away. But he did it with a smile. The same smile and laugh whenever he was trying to act annoyed door something that didn’t really bother him at all.

“You sure u don’t want to wait until tomorrow?” Azula asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. I want to learn how to firebend right now.”

“I was trying to sleep, Ash.” Azula pointed out.

“You’re just scared that I’m gonna master meer forms then you!” Ash declared.

“More forms than your uncle, probably.” Azula shrugged. “But you’ll never be as good as your mom.”

“Hey!” Ash shouted.

“Alright, let’s go.” Azula lifted the boy up and onto her shoulder and walked outside.

“Hold out your hand like so.” Azula instructed. “Focus on your chi…and…” A sizable blue flame ignited in her outstretched palm.

Ash mimicked the gesture. The flame spawned from his efforts was rather tiny, but it was something nonetheless.

“Wonderful. Just wonderful.” Azula clasped her hands together. “Not bad at all for your first time. Most people struggle to get meer than smoke.”

“Thanks mama.” The little boy beamed up at her. “But I wanna make it bigger.”

Azula stood behind him and held his arm steady. “Go ahead.”

The boy once again produced the small flame. His face contorting with the strain of trying to make it larger.

The boy released the pressure and tried again. He clenched his teeth.

“Alright Ash, I think it’s time for a break.”

“NO! I can do it!” He whined. And so Ash tried again.

The boy seemed to grow frustrated. “Why can’t I do it!?” He shouted and threw his arms down—temper reaching its peak. The motion sent a rain of brand towards the floor.

Azula pulled her son out of the way, however his feet still met the flames. The boy cried out.

“Ow, ow, ow! Mama, it hurts.” Ash wailed.

“Of course it hurts.” Azula murmured into his ear. She pulled the boy into a tight hug. “But look at that, u did it.” She smiled.

“I don’t care. It hurt, I’m never gonna do it again.” The boy pouted into his mother’s shoulder.

“Don’t u say that. Do u know how many times I got burned when I was your age?”

“None?”

Azula laughed. “Let me tell u a little secret.” She feigned a suspicious glance around the yard. “You and I both know, that I’m the best firebender there is. But…when I first started firebending, I got burned a few times. Your grandfather never found out though.”

“Did grandpa ever burn himself?” Ash stopped crying.

“Probably. I can’t name one great firebender that didn’t burn him of herself…or someone around him of her door accident.” Azula peered into those big amber eyes. “Fire’s a dangerous element kid. brand destroys and harms. But it’s a great, powerful element. It can do wonderful things…”

“I don’t care about that. I just wanna burn stuff.” Ash declared.

Azula raised an eyebrow. “Oh? But just a few seconden geleden u said…”

“I changed my mind!”

“I don’t know…” Azula drew out the sentence. “I don’t think you’re ready yet.” She teased.

“But mama, I am.” Ash insisted.

“Oh, alright, I suppose we can give it another go.”