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Mai peered out over the edge of Appa’s saddle, gripping the sides of it so hard that her knuckles turned white. She was not nervous about flying at all; her and Aang had been traveling together for five months now, and she was just as comfortable in the air as on the ground. She was, however, a little anxious about their destination.
“Omashu ahead!” Aang called out, pointing to the ostentatious series of cones that made up the Earth Kingdom city. Mai’s grip on the saddle tightened, and Aang’s smile faded as he moved from Appa’s head to sit next to her.
“I’m fine,” Mai cut Aang off before he could ask. “I told you, it’s fine.”
His face softened, unperturbed by her snappy tone. “I know you have some bad memories from there—”
“You mean like when my family overthrew the king and took over?”
“The Fire Nation army took over the city, and your father was placed in charge,” Aang corrected her firmly. Mai frowned and turned her face away from him. “And that was a long time ago, and the city has recovered since then.”
Mai kept silent, not wanting to argue with Aang about this anymore. They both knew that he was biased, that his love for her prompted him to try to assuage the guilt she felt over her part in the colonization of Omashu. It was something she had managed to avoid thinking about for the past decade, and now they were flying into the city to meet with the king she had helped imprison.
Aang worked one of her hands away from the saddle so he could intertwine his fingers with hers. She let him, even though she still refused to meet his eyes. “Thank you for coming with me,” he murmured, his voice somehow carrying over the rushing wind. “I haven’t seen Bumi in a few years. He’s doing okay, as far as I know, but he is over 120 years old.” Aang trailed off, the reality of his oldest friend’s age, unpreserved by an iceberg, hung in the air. “Besides, it’s not all bad,” he said brightly. “That is where we first met.”
Mai sighed, shifting so she could nestle back against Aang’s chest. Aang let go over her hand to wrap his arm around her stomach, pulling her in close to him. “Are you really going to count that as a good memory?”
She could feel the rumble of his laughter against her back. “Come on, it’s a classic love story. I saved your life, and you tried to kill me.”
“To be fair, I thought you were trying to kill me first.”
“I mean, you could have asked me.”
“I was also really bored.”
“Hmm. Well, either way, I forgive you.”
Mai laughed, and Aang kissed the top of her head, clearly pleased with himself that he had managed to cheer her up. “It’s going to be fine,” he reassured her, mumbling into her hair. “You won’t even have to go into the palace. I’ll meet up with you after I see Bumi, and we’ll spend the day together. How does that sound?”
Though Mai still had her misgivings, she said, “That sounds nice.”
They landed just outside Omashu, Appa having found that he preferred the open meadows to the cramped interior of the city. The walk up to the city gates seemed to take forever. Mai resisted the urge to cling to Aang’s arm like a frightened girl, instead walking just behind him on the narrow path. She kept her eyes downcast as they made their way through the city, using her bangs as a protective shield against the attention that Aang inevitably drew. The Avatar didn’t do anything to make them less conspicuous; he would wave and shout greetings to familiar faces in the market.
At the steps of the palace, Aang slowed. “I’ll be done in about an hour, I can meet you out here then.”
On their journey up to the palace, Mai had been mulling over a different plan, and while she still couldn’t decide if it was a good or bad idea, she spoke up. “I’m coming in with you.”
Aang hesitated, the concern clear on his expressive face. “Are you sure? You don’t have to do that.”
“I think I do. Unless you think the king is likely to strike me down the second I set foot in the palace.”
“No, of course not. He wouldn’t do that.” Mai raised an eyebrow at his poorly hidden apprehension. Sensing that he was making things worse, Aang forcibly brightened up, hooking their elbows together. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
You’re a terrible liar, Mai thought sourly, but there was nothing else she could do. They were already being escorted into the cool interior of the palace, to a throne room draped in green and gold. King Bumi sat proudly on the throne, appraising them with sharp eyes. His face was a little more gaunt than Mai remembered, but otherwise he looked the same as he had ten years ago, when her family had stolen his city from him.
“Aang, what a pleasant surprise!” the king boomed, standing up and holding out his arms in invitation. Aang laughed and ran the length of the throne room, ignoring the guards, to embrace his old friend. Mai remained where she was, struggling to swallow past the lump in her throat. She was not ignored for long.
“And you brought a friend.” The king was looking at her now, and she knew that he recognized her instantly. He didn’t sound like he was angry with her, nor did he sound pleased. Aang’s glance shifted back and forth between them, sensing the tension in the air. Mai shook her head imperceptibly at him, warning him not to break the silence. She would have to do that herself.
Using every bit of her training as a noblewoman, Mai smoothly got down on her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground. “King Bumi,” she began, her voice steady despite her ratcheting heartbeat. “My name is Mai, I am the daughter of Governor Ukano, who claimed your city for the Fire Nation and imprisoned you ten years ago.” She pulled herself up and sat back on her ankles, carefully evaluating the king’s reaction. He continued to fix her with that eerie glare of his, cold and unblinking.
“I know that my father has never tried to make amends or undo the damage that he did here. I am here to apologize on his behalf. And my own.” Aang opened his mouth to defend her and she shot him a threatening glare. Though he didn’t look happy about it, he obeyed. “The colonization of the Earth Kingdom is not a crime that can be easily forgiven, but I am deeply sorry for my part in it. If there’s anything I can do to right those wrongs, I am at your service.”
Her piece now spoken, Mai waited for judgement. The king was smiling now, but somehow she didn’t find that comforting. Despite his age and hunched posture, he made an impressive, towering figure.
“The physical damage done to my city by the Fire Nation has long since been remedied.” Bumi spoke slowly, leaving no room for misinterpretation. “The other kinds of damage are still being healed, but there is little you can offer that will alleviate that pain.”
Even though Mai was expecting something along those lines, hearing the words out loud still hurt. She waited for him to banish her from the city.
“But your kind gesture is appreciated,” Bumi continued, folding his gnarled hands in front of him. “I accept your apology on behalf of the city of Omashu.”
Mai took a deep breath, suddenly light-headed with relief. The frightening king, often rumored to be completely insane, was looking at her with warmth and amusement glittering in his mismatched eyes. He beckoned for her to rise to her feet, and she hesitantly obeyed.
“Thank you, King Bumi.”
He waved away her formality. “Many in the Fire Nation would like to forget their part in the war. It took a lot of courage for you to return here.The only thing I ask from you is that you keep our friend Aang on his toes.” Here, the king patted Aang on the back, hard enough that the airbender yelped as he sank into the stone floor up to his knees. “He can be a bit of a stick in the mud.”
Mai burst out laughing as Aang struggled to bend himself out of the ground, apparently fighting against Bumi to do so. She clapped a hand over her mouth at her impropriety, but both the king and Aang were laughing with her. Aang finally freed himself from the floor and hugged Bumi again, whispering something in his ear. Both men turned to give Mai an unreadable glance, then the king began to cackle.
“Oh, very well. But first, a feast!”
Aang’s arrival had obviously set the kitchens into motion, because there was already a banquet laid out in an adjoining room. Dazed, Mai followed Aang and the King to the table, still in disbelief that she was here, in Omashu, and not waiting with Appa outside the city gates. King Bumi, having forgiven her, had reverted back to Aang’s kooky childhood friend, freely guffawing and snorting at Aang’s stories. Though her instinct was to stay silent and fade away into the background, Aang urged her to speak up, insisting that she describe their latest pirate adventure. The tale was stilted and clunky, but she grew more comfortable the longer she spoke, until she was gesturing for dramatic effect with one hand. The other hand was clasped in Aang’s under the table, the firm grip grounding her.
The meal wound to an end, with Aang agreeing to stay in the city an extra day so they could visit with Bumi tomorrow.
“Well,” Bumi announced abruptly. “I think it’s time for me to meet with all of my city guards. Get their weekly reports, and whatnot.” He threw an exaggerated wink to Aang, who grinned back.
“What’s all that about?” Mai whispered to Aang as they left the palace.
“Have you seen the Omashu delivery system?”
Mai was not a coward by any means, but she did have a healthy sense of self-preservation, and that sense was yelling at her not to get into the mail cart with Aang. “This seems like a terrible idea.”
“It’s fine, I’ve done it tons of times,” Aang wheedled, holding out one hand to try to coax her forward.
“And nobody’s gotten hurt?”
“Well…” Aang trailed off unconvincingly. “Mostly nobody.”
“That is not encouraging at all.”
“What do you want me to say? It’s the truth!”
“I don’t know. Lie to me, then.”
“Fine.” Aang plastered on a big, fake smile. “It’s perfectly safe and slow and nothing has ever gone wrong, ever.” She rolled her eyes, and he chuckled. “Come on, Mai. Would I ever let anything bad happen to you?”
Of course, that got her. However much her instincts scolded her not to get in the cart precariously balanced at the top of the chute, she trusted Aang. With her life, with her heart, with everything. Sighing, she accepted his hand and climbed into the trolley, settling in front of Aang, between his legs. He helpfully bent a handle into the rock on either side of her, which she immediately wrapped her hands around.
“Ready?”
Mai looked over the edge of the cart, at the near-vertical drop they were about to hurl down. As an added safety measure, she tucked her ankles under Aang’s. “Ready.”
With a loud whoop, Aang used both arms to fling them forward with a gust of wind, and then they were falling. One of his arms went around her waist, the other he threw up in the air. Someone was screaming, and it took Mai a moment to realize that it was her. The cart swerved to the left on the track and her stomach flew up into her throat. With the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the rushing wind in her hair, Mai began to laugh. Though there was no way that Aang should be able to hear her, his arm around her tightened and he pressed a quick kiss behind her ear. His lips were smiling against the sensitive skin there, leaving an imprint even when he pulled away.
As they zoomed down the chute, something ahead of them brought Mai’s fear rushing back. They were quickly gaining on cart loaded up with fruit, their airbending assistance making them much faster than the uninhabited wagon.
“Aang, look out!” Mai shrieked, ducking further down into the cart as though that would help them at all.
“Got it, hold on!” he shouted cheerfully. With a sweep of his free arm, the trolley flew out of the chute, accompanied by Mai’s shouting as her body began to fly out of the cart before Aang pulled her back down. They were in free fall for what felt like an hour, but was probably only a few seconds, before they landed on another part of the track. Mai could hear Aang giggling in her ear, and realized that she had let go of one of the stone handles to sink her nails into Aang’s leg, holding on for dear life.
Their cart slowed to a halt at the bottom of the chute, where they were greeted by a pair of incredibly unamused earthbenders who had been expecting goods to unload. Aang’s grip on Mai loosened, and she was able to pry her hand free of his leg.
“So, what did you think?” he asked as she rotated to face him. His eyes sparkled with glee and his face was flushed with exhilaration, and she suspected that she looked similarly wind-swept. Instead of answering, she threw herself forward, flinging her arms around his neck so that she could kiss him. He laughed as they fell back into the cart, but he kissed her back, his arms enveloping her back, warm and safe. She savored the taste of him, the way kissing him felt like flying, sharp and terrifying and wonderful.
A disgruntled cough from one of the mail workers reminded Mai of where they were. With a huff, she broke the kiss and climbed off of Aang, out of the mail cart. He followed suit, giving a mock salute to the earthbenders as they walked away.
“Do you want to go again?” he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
Mai considered. “Sure.” A thought crossed her mind and a wicked gleam appeared in her eye. “I have a really bad idea.”
Aang grinned conspiratorially. “Lay it on me.”
In the years that followed, Mai still considered the invention of Omashu Super Slide Archery to be one of her proudest accomplishments.