Chapter Text
Say what you would about the Fire Nation, but they knew how to throw a party. It had been ages since Ursa had seen such grandiose displays for the sake of it. (Somehow, she thought, the fire-rimmed chocolate fountain of her son was a little too grand. The endless wine, however, was just the right touch.)
She craned her head above the sea of people before her, their tables overflowing with enough food, plum wine, and flowers to cover the Southern Water Tribe, to where she could just spot Kiyi flitting between the crowd with a few other children. Ursa still didn’t know how she felt about Kiyi’s new friends being the result of her kidnapping, but her daughter seemed to enjoy their company...and that was all that mattered, right?
“She’s fine,” a soothing voice said beside her. She turned to her husband and smiled.
“I know,” she said. “I just like to keep an eye on her.”
“Zuko used to be such a terror at these things when he was younger,” Iroh piped up on Ursa’s left. “Do you remember?”
The three sat at an absurdly long head table in front of the other guests alongside the (currently absent) firelord, Avatar, and plenty of his advisors. Zuko, the “child” in question, had mysteriously disappeared from the table with Aang after the meal was served. Ursa remembered the way he’d turned beet red the moment he sat down after being introduced, when she’d leaned over and told him how handsome he looked. She swore he’d transformed once again into that little ten-year-old boy she’d known once...it was still so much fun embarrassing him, even if he wore the firelord’s headpiece now.
“Oh, I remember,” Ursa mused, swilling her wine. “One year, I think he was about four, we had to put him to bed three hours early because he kept throwing food.”
She tried to keep herself from laughing to no avail. “I believe it all ended up on Firelord Azulon’s robes.”
At that, even Noren barked out a laugh trying to imagine the look of further displeasure that would have no doubt been etched on the past firelord’s face.
“It’s not funny,” Ursa said, her own laughter betraying her. “I was so embarrassed. I avoided everyone for weeks afterward.”
“Where did Zuko run off to?” Noren asked, craning his neck to get his own look at the party.
“There,” Iroh pointed past a few tables to the outskirts of the courtyard where Zuko was gathered with his friends. Ursa noticed the two Kyoshi Warriors kept glancing around at the guests every few seconds. Old habits die hard, she guessed, but even Mai looked like she was keeping a watchful eye on things as she stood practically shoulder-to-shoulder with her son.
“Do you see who he’s standing next to?” Iroh asked.
“I do,” the former firelady remarked nonchalantly. Of course she’d seen. She’d clocked Zuko walking over to his friend group about five minutes after he’d gotten up, and she’d continued to watch when he sidled up to the raven-haired girl as if he’d been looking for her all night.
As she took another sip of wine, the brass gleam of a tsungi horn caught her eye. “And it looks like the dancing’s about to begin.”
“Let’s go,” he said. He stood abruptly from the table, taking his own wine glass with him. He turned back to Ursa, eyes gleaming with mischief. “And remember, if you make it too obvious you’ll owe me extra silver pieces.”
“You wish!” Ursa laughed again and it occurred to her that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed this much. After being caught in the balance of two lives for so long it felt good to finally feel like herself again.
“Where are you going?” Noren asked.
Ursa downed the rest of her wine in one gulp and kissed her husband on the cheek.
“To have some fun.”
***
As Hiromi cracked open the door to the palace larder, she thought (not for the first time) how simple of a task sneaking into the gargantuan building was. Maybe she’d gotten lucky; after all, she had rekindled an old friendship with Rina, a servant she’d known back in school who just so happened to share her resentment for the new firelord. That had, quite literally, opened the door for her to sneak in the first time.
But she didn’t care if she was lucky anymore. She’d spent all afternoon painstakingly recreating her father’s special poison and thoroughly coating her weapons in it; she would be damned if any guards or even Firelord Zuko himself tried to stop her. She would succeed, and she didn’t care who she had to cut down to do so.
The larder door shut behind her, plunging her into darkness. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see the sliver of light that led to one of the kitchens at the other end of the room. She tiptoed closer, steadying the quiver of arrows and the knives in her waistband to keep them from making too much noise.
The way she saw it, the Firelord had gone to extremes first when he’d decided to put all of the New Ozai Society in prison on some silly whim. Why shouldn’t that be met with equal force? They’d taken everything from her, but not for much longer. It was time to get even.
“Hiromi,” a nearby voice hissed. Hiromi looked to see a sweaty-looking Rina with a tray of food.
She sauntered over and realized that the tray Rina had been carrying through the party was a komodo chicken that had been picked clean by the rich partygoers. Typical.
“What took you so long?” the servant girl asked, moving with the fluidity of a practiced dancer as she unloaded the eaten komodo chicken and put a fresh one on with spiced garnishes. “The party is in full swing.”
“Don’t worry,” Hiromi said. “I’m right on time. May I?” She indicated toward the closest servant entrance. She could just make out the sounds of laughter and glasses clinking beyond the curtained doorway and couldn’t keep her curiosity at bay.
Rina nodded and Hiromi peered through to the courtyard. She watched as various gentry and members of the royal family flitted past, not noticing the girl who waited in the shadows, and a strange thrill went through her.
They have no idea what’s coming, she thought.
“I still don’t understand why you insist on passing through the party when there’s a back way where no one will see you,” Rina said. “What if all of the melodrama isn’t worth it, hm? What will you do then?”
Hiromi turned back to Rina to see her tying her hair back from her face. She walked back over to her friend.
“Don’t tell me you’re losing your nerve now,” she said. Rina shook her head, but Hiromi could see the girl’s reservation in her eyes.
“Good. Now where’s that extra uniform you stowed away for me?”
Rina, who had now taken to fanning herself to keep cool, pointed back toward the larder Hiromi had come through.
“Near the left corner.”
Hiromi located the red robes from Rina’s hiding spot and ducked back into the larder to change.
“Besides,” Hiromi said as she dressed. “What’s a master plan without a little bit of risk?”
“An unnecessary risk if you ask me,” Rina muttered. Hiromi pretended not to hear.
She cinched the tie around the uniform, double checking that her knives were still intact underneath her clothes, and brought her bow and quiver out into the kitchen. She approached Rina and handed her one of the knives from her waistband.
“You’re gonna need this. Remember, just like we practiced,” she said, imitating a few of the swishes and jabs she’d taught the other girl a few weeks ago. Rina gulped, but took the knife nonetheless.
“Don’t be nervous,” Hiromi told her. “Everything is going to go according to plan.”
Hiromi picked up a nearby empty tray, placing her bulkier weapons on the platter underneath its golden cover. What was it her father always used to say? Revenge is a dish best served hot? Well, this one was certainly ready to serve.
She beamed at Rina as her friend hefted her own platter up near her shoulder, preparing their entrance into the crowd. Hiromi plucked a roasted eggplant piece off of the new tray and popped it into her mouth.
“Now let’s go have some fun.”
***
“Now will you tell me what happened on Kyoshi Island?” Zuko asked.
“No,” was Mai’s automatic response.
After their tea time had been interrupted, Mai had walked with him to greet their friends. After all, it had been almost seven months since she’d seen Katara and Toph, and she hadn’t wanted to wait until the party to say hello. Just before they’d rounded the corner where the group was dismounting Appa, Zuko had grabbed her arm so earnestly that it made her stomach drop. She’d tried not to react when she noticed the equally as earnest look on his face.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he said, his voice low so as not to draw attention to themselves. She could hear Sokka cajoling his sister to carry his things, and she knew Zuko was trying to hold onto these last shreds of privacy. “Why did you go to Kyoshi?”
What was she supposed to say? As if admitting “because I’m still in love with my ex-boyfriend” to her closest friend hadn’t been humiliating enough, now Zuko wanted a confession? No way.
Besides, she hadn’t quite gathered the courage to say it to his face yet. She could hear Ty Lee’s voice pointing out that this was just another form of running away, but she tried to quiet it as best as she could.
She would tell Zuko...when the time was right.
“I’ve always wanted to ride the Unagi,” she’d said.
“Fine,” he’d said good-naturedly. “You don’t have to tell me right now, but you can’t keep it from me forever.”
Now, it seemed that he was trying to make good on that statement.
“Why not?” he asked, inching closer to her.
“Because we’re at a party,” she said. “It would be impolite.”
“I thought you hated parties,” Zuko whispered in her ear. She shivered next to him and hoped he didn’t notice.
“Only when she’s asked to speak in your honor,” Toph crowed from the other side of the circle.
Mai scowled. “Are you eavesdropping?”
“No, Sparky just talks really loud, even when he whisper-flirts.”
“I do not!” Zuko hissed. Mai knew without even looking at him that he was already blushing.
“And stop calling me that. We’ve talked about this.”
“Sorry, Sparky, but I have selective hearing,” Toph responded, pretending to clean earwax out of her ear.
Mai smiled and wished, not for the first time, that Toph would hang around the Fire Nation more often. Out of all of Zuko’s friends, she was the one Mai had bonded with the most, much to her surprise. When she’d first met everyone, she was sure Katara or Sokka would’ve warmed up to her, but that wasn’t the case. (Not that she was complaining, although she’d grown to enjoy the Water Tribe siblings’ company as well.)
Mai turned toward Zuko to see him smiling and laughing at Toph’s needling, and she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her own face. It made her happy to see Zuko relax around his friends. He’d been so wound up during tea time earlier, but now that the more stressful parts of the festivities were out of the way, a new Zuko was emerging. Here’s to hoping he stuck around.
“And for the record, I don’t hate parties,” she said to him. “I hate royal gatherings. There’s a difference, despite one being marginally less boring than the other.”
“And what might that difference be?” a woman’s voice asked from behind them. Mai turned to find the former firelady and General Iroh approaching their group.
She could feel everyone’s eyes on her as Ursa waited for her response. Mai had only spoken to Zuko’s mother a handful of times, but she knew the former firelady had a sense of humor. She cleared her throat.
“Zuko’s speeches,” she deadpanned.
She watched the initial shock register on everyone’s face and panicked slightly (Did she really just say that? In front of his mom ?!), but then Ursa smiled and Zuko chuckled and Mai knew she was in the clear.
“She’s right Zuko,” Aang snorted from the other side of their circle. “Your speeches are really boring.”
“Yeah, you just go on and on ,” Sokka piped up. “It’s like who gave you the headpiece and made you Firelord?”
“That would be my fault I’m afraid,” Iroh said sheepishly. “I--”
“Oh, enough, Iroh!” Ursa chided. “Let’s make this royal gathering more of a party, shall we?”
She turned and gracefully motioned to the nearby quartet to start playing, to which they happily obliged. As soon as the lively notes of the string players started up, people were out of their seats and pairing up.
Mai clocked the knowing look Iroh and Ursa exchanged. She looked around at the rest of her friends, but no one seemed to notice. She watched Ty Lee get swept away by a gentry member while the rest of the couples took to the floor, save for Toph, who slunk back toward the food table.
That just left her and…
“Shall we?” Ursa asked her son. Zuko smiled at his mother and showed her to the dance floor, and Mai let go of the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
Was she imagining things?
Not everyone is Azula, she told herself for the hundredth time. Not everyone is out to get you.
Still….a lifetime of sitting quietly in the corner at her father’s political soirees had taught her a thing or two about body language. Those two were definitely up to something, and the scheming was starting to get old.
“Would you humor an old man?” Iroh asked, extending his hand.
The band started a traditional Fire Nation waltz, and as soon as Mai fell into step next to Iroh, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
“I know what you’re up to,” she said.
“Oh?” Iroh responded, raising an eyebrow. “And?”
“And...why?”
“Is it so hard to believe that people would like to see the two of you happy again?”
“It’s not the believability I’m worried about,” Mai said.
“Then what?”
Maybe it was the glass or two of plum wine talking, or maybe it was just easy talking to Zuko’s uncle in general, but the answer came spilling out faster than she expected.
“It’s the possibility of things ending up the same way. What if we’re just not right for each other?”
“I wondered what the hesitation was,” Iroh said. “But, Mai, you can’t dwell on those kinds of questions. You’ll drive yourself mad.”
Seems like I’m doing that anyway, she wanted to snap, but she bit the quip back. Whatever sage advice Iroh had to give, perhaps it would finally help her move forward.
“Loving someone is something you choose to do every day, not just when it’s convenient or easy. It takes patience and grace...it’s like your aunt tending to her flowers or a farmer to their crop. Without the hard work, it yields nothing.”
Iroh turned Mai to the side, and they stood shoulder to shoulder watching the rest of the dancers. She now had a clear view of Zuko and his mother, and when their eyes met, Zuko's subsequent blush was almost enough to undo her. Here she was, falling through the air, bracing herself for when she hit the ground.
“But what about…” Mai trailed off, unable to bring herself to finish the sentence.
She thought of every awful thing they’d lobbed at one another in the heat of an argument, how sometimes she wanted the words to sting when she was riled up enough. How many times had she watched an angry Zuko firebend himself into a frenzy that she ended up walking away from? Would it always be like that?
Plus, she’d made a vow to herself. Becoming putty in someone else’s hands was nothing but a guarantee of getting torn apart. She didn’t know if she had the emotional strength to potentially pick up the pieces of another broken heart. But still…
Still, still, still. Whether she walked away or stayed, it was going to hurt just the same, wasn’t it?
“Sometimes there are missteps, yes,” Iroh said, smiling at her gently. “But I believe there is always a way to find common ground again. I know heartbreak is never easy. There is no promise of not getting hurt again. It can often feel like you’re stumbling around in the dark, but love is the hand that will help guide the way. And it is always worth it.”
The music stopped, and the two joined in the applause. As the next song started up, Iroh turned to her.
“It takes true courage to try again. Either path requires a different kind of bravery, but I know you have the stomach for it. Whatever path you choose, choose the one that makes you happiest.”
“Thank you,” Mai told him. “Truly.”
“Anytime, my dear,” Iroh said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I see a fresh table of hotcakes. Best to get there early before the others descend.”
Mai murmured in agreement and watched him go. She craned her head to see her circle of friends reforming around Toph at the dessert table, but before she could move back to join them, Zuko let out a low cough behind her.
Mai turned back to find him holding out his hand to her, an invitation. She thought back on Iroh’s words a moment before hesitantly taking it. She slipped closer to him, their bodies fitting together so easily as if it were a dance they’d practiced a million times.
“Your uncle is scheming,” Mai said, trying not to think of how lovely it felt to have her hand in his.
“So is my mother it seems,” he replied, his eyes crinkling around the edges as he smiled. “They’re not very subtle, are they?”
She shook her head, chuckling.
“You should’ve seen Ty Lee on Kyoshi. You’ll have to ask her how close one of my knives got to her face. I think I nicked some hair.”
“You’re ruthless.”
“I apologized! She now has permission to chi block me whenever she wants.”
“I highly doubt Ty Lee is going to take you up on that offer.”
“I know,” Mai flashed a wicked smile before catching herself. “I really did feel bad though. My temper got the better of me a few times.”
“I may not know what happened over there, but l do know that you left one way and came back...different.”
His eyes widened suddenly.
“But a good kind of different!” he stammered.
“I guess I did,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain it…”
And it was true...it was hard to explain what had happened to her. Catharsis? Epiphany? Revelation? It didn’t feel quite as big and grand as any of those things. It wasn’t the chrysalis hatching a bold, beautiful new creature, but it was still a transformation of sorts. How was she supposed to explain that to Zuko, or anyone who hadn’t been there for that matter?
Putting emotions into words wasn’t her strong suit, so instead, all she said was, “Kei Lo and I broke up before I left and I had to get away. I didn’t know what else to do...I just had to clear my head.”
Zuko nodded as he digested her answer. In that moment, Mai knew that he understood, and something like relief flooded through her. Of course he understood. If there was anyone she didn’t have to explain herself to, it was him. Besides, hadn’t he done the same to her once?
I’m sorry you have to find out this way, but I’m leaving…
Perhaps they were even now...maybe this was a sort of common ground.
As they swayed through the throng of partygoers, it was clear that they would continue to dance around one another until one of them did something about it, all scheming aside. Either one could leave as many times as they liked, but they would always come back to continue spinning, and that was fine by her. She would happily stay here all night if it meant being near Zuko.
Without realizing it, the two of them had moved closer together, and Mai found it impossible to tear herself away from his honey-colored eyes; it was like they had their own gravitational pull. Zuko moved his hand from her lower back to her waist and a familiar warmth spread through her chest, one she only ever felt when she was in his arms.
“Well,” Zuko whispered, “I’m glad you came back.”
“Me too,” she said. “Although I kind of had to.”
Their noses were practically touching now. She knew people would be talking about their little display come morning, but she didn’t care. She was suddenly and inexplicably gripped with the feeling that if she didn’t tell him now, she would explode.
“Why’s that?”
“Because,” Mai tightened her grip on him. “I had to tell you that--”
“Ooph!” Zuko cried.
Before Mai knew what was happening, Zuko had knocked into her, their foreheads bumping together painfully.
“Ow!”
“What in the--? Are you okay?” he asked her, pressing his palm to her head. They’d stopped dancing, and Mai was vaguely aware of the other couples staring at them.
“Apologies, Firelord,” a voice said from behind Zuko. Mai peered around him to see a servant carrying a golden-covered tray. The girl couldn’t have been older than fourteen or fifteen, though with her long, dark hair pulled back she looked much older. Her golden eyes fixed the two of them as she adjusted the tray in her hand, which clanged together noisily. “I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s...alright…” Zuko watched the girl trail off through the crowd with a curious expression on his face.
“What?” Mai asked him, rubbing the tender spot on her head he’d bumped with his face.
Zuko continued to stare after the girl, his eyebrows knitted together stonily. Mai wasn’t really the jealous type, but even she had to admit it was a little unnerving.
“Zuko,” she murmured, placing her hand on his shoulder and gently squeezing. “What is it?”
The music came to a ceremonious halt, and the crowd erupted into cheers as the tsungi horn soloist took her bows. The noise seemed to break Zuko out of his daze and he joined in the applause with the rest of his guests.
“It’s probably nothing,” he said, offering Mai his arm as they left the dance floor and returned to their circle of friends. “But don’t you think it’s a little odd that the tray didn’t sound like there were any dishes on it?”
Before Mai could respond, Sokka threw his arms around Zuko as he regaled the rest of the group about the knife-throwing lesson Mai had taught on Kyoshi Island. (Suki had been very nice and told her it was entirely up to her after her little outburst, but Mai hadn’t minded. Plus, it had been kinda fun.)
“I don’t think you realize how lucky you are that Mai hasn’t thrown one of those stars at you,” Sokka said. His eyes were slightly glassy, and Mai guessed he’d had his share of the bottomless plum wine that was going around.
“Oh, believe me,” Zuko said, sharing a conspiratorial look with Mai. “I know, Sokka.”
“Can you pick locks with the knives?” Aang asked from across the circle.
“Sure,” Mai said. “Sometimes it depends on the lock, but I usually can.”
“Man!” he cried, turning to Sokka. “Where was she a few weeks ago when we locked ourselves in the basement of the metal bending academy?”
“I had to freeze the lock,” Katara explained to Mai. She rolled her eyes. “Toph was mad because one of her students had worked really hard on it.”
“It was their metal bending breakthrough!” Toph shouted from Suki’s left. “They had to start over! They were so disappointed.”
“Don’t you start with me again!” Katara countered. Aang put a comforting hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder before things could escalate.
Zuko turned to Toph. “Any chance I can get your students to make more of those locks for my office? Apparently I need them.”
“Oh, yeah, we heard about your little break-in Sparky,” she said, grinning. “What do you guys use as locks around here, volcanic rock? Or are you just sitting around waiting for a jailbreak?”
As the group laughed, Mai noticed just how still Zuko had become out of the corner of her eye.
“A jailbreak…” he murmured. She looked up to find his face suddenly drained of all color. He turned to her, gripping her shoulders tightly. “It’s a jailbreak!”
Then, he took off without another word.
Mai was very aware of the rest of the group’s eyes on her as she gaped after Zuko.
“What was that all about?” Katara asked, sharing a quizzical look with her brother and Aang.
“I...don’t…” Mai began. She watched his swishing cape become smaller and smaller until finally she couldn’t stand it anymore.
As soon as Mai took her first steps after Zuko, the rest of the crew fell in step wordlessly behind her. She just hoped their little domino effect didn’t attract any unwanted attention from the partygoers. The last thing any of them needed right now was some nosy advisor poking around in their business.
“Zuko!” She hissed. “Come back!”
The group followed him away from the party and into the depths of the palace halls at a dizzying pace, twisting around columns and staircases until Mai finally caught up to Zuko on their second flight of stairs.
“I don’t know how I didn’t realize it before,” he was muttering to himself.
“If you run away again, I will throw something at you,” she panted. “Do you want to explain what’s going on?”
“I just need to check one thing,” he said, throwing open the door to the hall. Zuko led their little assembly all the way to his office, where he started furiously shuffling through the papers and scrolls littered across his desk.
“You know, I’d say this is the craziest I’ve seen you act, but I’ve seen crazier from you, buddy,” Sokka remarked. They gathered around Zuko in a semicircle as he continued to sift through the unintelligible mess.
“It’s not here,” he said in a strained voice. “It’s supposed to be here.”
Everyone looked at one another uneasily. Ty Lee and Suki immediately jumped into action, rushing to guard the door from any unwanted visitors.
“There are guards at the end of the hall, but they’re just standing there,” Toph said. She repositioned herself near the Kyoshi Warriors. “Nothing out of the ordinary. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
Mai wasn’t necessarily one to panic, but she couldn’t stop the dread that was blossoming in her stomach. Aang, Katara, and Sokka were imploring their friend to tell them something, anything, and it made her want to scream. Didn’t they know Zuko at all? He wasn’t going to. He was going to keep it all close to his chest until he imploded and then blame himself when he couldn’t carry the weight of the world by himself. But not if Mai had a say; she’d had enough of this.
“Zuko,” Mai snapped, reaching across the desk to firmly grab his wrists. Zuko must’ve recognized the serious expression on her face because he stopped his shuffling and, honestly, looked a little terrified. Good.
“It’s not funny anymore,” she said sternly. “We want to help you, so you need to tell us what’s going on. Right now.”
He nodded numbly, then looked around the room, seemingly realizing that all of his friends had followed him to his office to make sure he was okay.
“It’s the blueprint for the third block of the prison,” he explained. He locked eyes with Mai again, and she was suddenly aware of the fact that she hadn’t let go of Zuko’s wrists yet. She tried to banish the memory of how his hands had easily slipped into hers a few weeks back before she’d left for Kyoshi, or even a few moments before as they’d danced and tried not to feel too disappointed. There would be more time for them to talk after they figured this mess out.
“It’s the same block where the New Ozai Society was placed just a few weeks ago.”
At that, Mai dropped his hands. “You think someone’s trying to break them out while everyone is distracted.”
“Definitely. And I know who’s planning it, too.”
Mai remembered the servant girl’s piercing gaze and Zuko’s strange reaction.
“The girl at the party?”
He nodded.
“She’s the one who stole the blueprint from my office, I’m sure of it. I don’t know if she’s planning on breaking everyone out, or if it’s just a few key organizers, like—”
“Like my father?” Mai finished for him.
“Do you want me to alert the guards?” Suki asked.
Zuko nodded again. “Tell them it’s block C, rows two and four,” he said.
Once the Kyoshi Warriors had gone, he turned to Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Katara. “Will you go alert my uncle? Don’t draw any attention to yourselves, but tell him where I’ve gone. He’ll understand why I’m not there. He’ll be able to keep the party’s spirits up.”
“What about me?” Mai asked, a little indignant.
“I want you to come with me,” he said. “You’re the leader of the investigation, aren’t you? I’m guessing you brought your knives to the party?”
Warmth rushed through her like an egg yolk breaking open. He could’ve asked any of their friends to join him, but he hadn’t. She tried not to feel too giddy considering the bleak circumstances they were under as she followed the group out into the hall, quickening her pace to keep up with Zuko as they broke off from the Avatar.
“You really had to ask?” She lifted her sleeve slightly to show Zuko the gleaming hilt hidden beneath her robes.
His laugh had Mai practically soaring down the hall.
***
The prison block door clanged open, and Hiromi shivered as she entered the cool, dank hall. So this was where they’d thrown her father. She doubted former Firelord Ozai’s prison cell looked anything like these fowl, disgusting, squalor-laden things that stood before her.
She could feel the fury reaching up her throat, threatening to spill out in a torrent of tears, but reminded herself why she was here. She started moving through the cell blocks, searching the darkened corners for a familiar face.
“Father?” she whispered, peering through the bars. “Father it’s Hiromi, where are you?”
“Hiromi? Is that you?”
The voice had come from the end of the cell block, and she sprinted toward it.
“Father! I’ve missed you so--what?”
In the place where she expected her father to be standing was their neighbor, Mr. Yu. The air seemed to leave the room in a single rush, leaving Hiromi’s veins ice cold. No, this couldn’t be. He was supposed to be here. She hadn’t planned for this.
“Where is he?”
Mr. Yu’s gangly form shifted uncomfortably from the corner of his cell. He couldn’t meet her gaze.
“Mr. Yu,” she said more forcefully. “Where is my father?”
“I don’t know,” he said sadly. “The guards moved him and a few others weeks ago. No one said where, but the guard who brought our food tipped us off that they might be in the South block. How did you even get in here?”
“I have my ways,” Hiromi said. She rummaged around in her pocket for the copy of the key Rina’s servant friends had slipped her in the market. “Do you know your way to the South block?”
Mr. Yu nodded.
“Good,” she said, fumbling for the lock. “I’m going to get you out of here and then we’re going to find him, okay?”
“Not so fast,” a voice said from behind her. Before Hiromi could turn around, a stiletto zipped past her arm, nicking the thumb and forefinger on the hand that held the key. The key clattered to the floor, echoing throughout the prison block.
Hiromi felt her stomach drop just like the iron piece now lying on the floor as she turned to see the unmistakable face of Firelord Zuko and his ex-girlfriend (although considering the way she’d seen them dancing and the way Mai currently stood slumped nonchalantly against the Firelord while twirling her knife, Hiromi figured it wouldn’t stay that way for long).
“Now,” the firelord said, stepping into the chamber’s firelight. She hated to admit it, but his scar really was something to behold. “Are we going to finally talk about this like adults?”
He turned proudly to the girl standing with him. “Ha! Sokka would be jealous that I got to say that. He usually always does it first.”
The remarkably beautiful girl rolled her eyes, but didn’t dignify him with a response. Instead, she turned her stony gaze to Hiromi.
“Whatever you’re up to, it isn’t as noble as you think it is,” she said. “Trust me.”
What did she know, this girl who had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth? What did she know about struggle?
“This isn’t about being noble, it’s about loyalty. You’d know a thing or two about that, wouldn’t you?” Hiromi sneered.
Mai turned to Firelord Zuko.
“People are still touchy about that one, huh?” she said.
“Apparently.”
“Enough!” Hiromi shouted. She rushed for the key, but the Firelord sent a blast of fire her way.
She rolled out of the way just in time and stood, quickly nocking an arrow and letting it fly.
She felt triumphant for a moment as she watched it whiz past the Firelord’s head, but the feeling disappeared as she watched a throwing star cut the poison arrow in half. It fell to the floor with a pathetic clink.
No matter. She’d known from the beginning that this wasn’t going to be easy.
“A few arrows aren’t much of a challenge,” the girl said. “There’s no way you did this by yourself. Where’s the rest of your crew?”
“Right here, unlike yours,” came Rina’s voice from the shadows.
Hiromi watched proudly as her friend emerged, brandishing the knife just like she’d taught her. Hiromi was also pleased to see a handful of other armed servants had followed her. Based on how their fight had started off, reinforcements would be necessary.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said another girl’s voice. Hiromi inwardly groaned as Toph Beifong, the Avatar, the Water Tribe siblings, and two Kyoshi Warriors ran into the prison block. Hiromi didn’t need to count heads to know that she and her group were now outnumbered.
What was with this group and never going down without a fight? Weren’t they tired of meddling into other people’s business?
Rina looked at Hiromi nervously, but she jerked her head at her friend, signaling for the group to take the fighting stances she’d taught them.
“Whatever it takes,” she said.
Hiromi moved alongside her crew as both groups fanned out as best as they could in the skinny hall. As they advanced, Hiromi noticed her key positioned between her and the Avatar’s girlfriend.
“This feels unfortunately familiar,” the Water Tribe boy piped up as he drew his boomerang and took his fighting stance. “Except this time we’ve got Mai and Ty Lee on our side.”
“Enemies and traitors make good allies, I think,” Firelord Zuko said, joining the boy in his own warrior’s stance with one arm outstretched, the other tucked in close to his chest.
“As much as I’d love to stand around all day chatting, I have better things to do,” Hiromi said.
Then, she lunged for the key.
***
Mai wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline, but there was something about the frenzy of battle that made everything seem slower, each moment able to fit inside the blink of an eye.
Blink, blink, blink.
Hiromi, the girl, snatched up the key.
Katara slung water at her hands to stop her.
Hiromi’s friend drew a knife, the gleam catching Mai’s eye in the dim light; she quickly pulled her own weapon out and flung it across the room, catching the fabric of the girl’s clothing and pinning her to the wall.
Then, everything sped up.
The few palace servants that knew Firebending jumped into action, leaving Mai, Ty Lee, and Suki to handle Hiromi and her friend. As the two girls parried back and forth with the trio, Mai had to admit that they were better prepared than she’d initially thought. Clearly, Hiromi had been planning this for some time.
Another arrow flew by Mai’s face, and she watched as it snagged the sleeve of Ty Lee’s uniform. Instantly, the fabric started to disintegrate.
“They’re poisoned!” Ty Lee shouted. “Watch out for the arrows.”
Mai whirled around to face the young insurrectionist in front of her. Not only had Hiromi been planning this for some time, she was out for blood. What had happened to this poor girl?
She couldn’t dwell on the thought, though, because the friend was lunging at her with a dagger. Mai quickly disarmed the girl, sending the weapon flying. They both watched it soar through the air, and Mai deftly caught the blade in the same breath that Suki came up from behind and chi blocked the girl to the floor.
“Told you you should’ve been a Kyoshi Warrior,” Suki said, winking.
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
Mai turned to find Zuko and Sokka battling it out with Hiromi and two more servants. She could see Toph, Aang, and Katara taking care of the other members of Hiromi’s army, with Toph trapping them into individual rock formations and the Avatar wrangling the others together nicely with a sweeping current of wind.
She caught Zuko’s eye as she joined the duo in combat.
“How’s this for a boring royal gathering?” he laughed, burning another one of Hiromi’s arrows in mid-air.
“I’ll tell you what,” she said as they stood back-to-back. “If they ended like this one, I’d probably show up to more of them.”
She’d forgotten how good it felt to fight alongside Zuko. She didn’t miss a beat as he warded off the three girls with his bending, hitting all of her marks and making sure the injuries were minimal. It was the perfect give and take.
As relentless as Hiromi was, it was clear that her team hadn’t had as much practice as she had. The group had mostly been dealt with when the royal guard burst through the cell block doors, all straight rows and clipped steps.
Seems about right, Mai thought wryly.
“Halt!” one of them shouted, “In the name of Firelord Zuko!”
“No wonder you hired the Kyoshi Warriors,” Hiromi said. “This is pretty pathetic.”
Zuko and Mai exchanged a look.
“She’s not entirely wrong,” he said, shrugging.
“Of course I’m not wrong,” she said, seething, “it’s you who’s wrong. You sit in this enormous palace while the rest of us fight for scraps. My father was the only worthwhile person in my life and you took him from me without a second thought. If you truly cared about your citizens you wouldn’t do something so cruel.”
As she readied another arrow, Mai and Zuko prepared to jump into action. But before she could release it, Sokka’s boomerang flew across and smacked her in the side of the head. She instantly crumpled to the floor, where the guards surrounded her.
“Nice job,” Zuko told Sokka, shaking the hair out of his face. He turned to Mai. “Hopefully no one at the party will hear about this.”
“Well that’s a shame. You know how much I like being the center of palace gossip.”
He regarded the girl’s small form on the ground, and Mai knew he was thinking about what she'd said.
“Look, you did what you had to do,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t realize you’ve turned your back on someone until it’s too late.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t end up turning my back on my people if I wasn’t so insistent on solving problems alone. I just hate feeling like I failed someone who needed my help.”
“I know,” Mai said. Then, “You don’t think she’s too far gone?”
“No,” he said firmly. “Do you?”
Mai thought about it. Hadn’t she once been an angry sixteen-year-old hellbent on burning the world down so she could protect someone she loved?
She opened her mouth to respond, but movement just behind Zuko caught her eye. She moved to see Hiromi, unbeknownst to the guards, fumbling to nock one last arrow in her bow, the tip pointed perfectly at Zuko’s back.
Had there been time to think, perhaps Mai would’ve just shouted for help, but considering there was no time, she jumped into action, and the adrenaline slowed everything down once more.
Blink, blink, blink.
Hiromi pulled the bow string back.
Mai grabbed Zuko’s arms, using all of the force she could muster to push herself in front of him.
“Wait, Mai, stop!” Toph cried from the other side of the room. But it was too late.
The arrow was let loose and flew across the room, directly into Mai’s stomach.
She almost didn’t feel it at first, if she was being honest. But once the poison started to spread, and she couldn’t feel her legs, she started to panic. What had she just done?
The room tilted and she realized rather slowly that she was on the floor. She thought she could hear people shouting, but everything sounded muffled now, like she was at the bottom of a well.
“Mai? Mai! Mai look at me!”
Was someone calling her name? All she could think about was how tired she was. There was a heavy blackness blanketing itself over her, threatening to pull her under, and she thought she just might let it when Zuko’s face came into view.
“Mmm?” she murmured. The heaviness was insistent now, but she knew whatever he had to say was urgent. He looked so worried. She tried to fight it off, but everything was swirling around her in such a haze she found it hard to even focus on Zuko, let alone hear him.
A thought tickled at the back of her mind...wasn’t there something she wanted to tell him? It had seemed important earlier, but all she could think of was sleep. Yes, sleep...that was what she was going to do now.
She closed her eyes.
“No, no, no, stay with me, okay?” Zuko was saying. His hands were supporting her neck and she was faintly aware that they were wet and sticky. “Katara is going to try and heal you, but you have to stay awake.”
“Can’t,” she mumbled.
“KATARA. HURRY.”
He looked back down at her and Mai could see tears forming in his eyes.
“Why are you crying?” she asked, reaching up to swipe a stray tear.
“Don’t,” he choked out. His hands were on both sides of her face now. “Don’t do this, please.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but the blackness returned like a heavy hand forcing her down into the depths of the unknown.
“Zuko…?” she called out.
But this time, she couldn’t stop it as it pulled her under.
TO BE CONTINUED...