The Turtleduck Mother {ON HOLD}

Chapter 1

A mother turtleduck swam with her babies in the pond, quacking, shaking their little turtle shells and fuzzy duck heads. Ursa smiled and held out a crumb of bread. A little one swam forward cautiously and plucked it from her hand.

“This is how Azula feeds turtleducks,” Zuko said, picking up a loaf of bread and throwing it at a young swimmer, causing it to be fully submerged.

“Zuko!” she cried. Her son was generally a sweet kid, but kids were kids and sometimes they made mistakes. “Why would you do that?” Then, the turtleduck mother swam forward, quacking angrily. Surging forward, she latched her beak onto Zuko's ankle. Ursa reached forward and patted the turtleduck so that it fell back into the pond.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Tears prickled at his eyes. “Why would she do that?”

“Oh, Zuko. When you mess with a mother's baby, she'll come back to bite you.” She squeezed his shoulders, holding him in a tight hug.

That had been just days ago. Now, everything was about to fall apart. She didn't know what to do....what could she? Ozai, her husband, had asked Azulon, the Firelord and her father-in-law to revoke his older brother's birthright. Iroh was to be Firelord when his father died, but he was greiving the loss of his son. Azulon had grown angry with Ozai for wanting to inflict more hurt on Iroh in such a time. But Azulon was not in his right head. In the spur of the moment, Azulon had punished Ozai. A horrible punishment...

But Ozai would do as his father instructed. He wanted the throne that bad. And he would kill his own son to get what he wanted. Ursa couldn't let that happen.

She had no choice. She had to do it. She had to save her son, her beautiful, beautiful boy.