Archive of Our Own

As the icy cold wind blew through her hair, Mai wondered again if going on this mission had been a mistake. Or rather, if Zuko had made a mistake in sending her. It had sounded so reasonable when he'd explained it to her. They needed diplomats to visit the other nations, Fire Nation citizens who would show their true intentions were more than just pretty words. High ranking officials who spoke to world leaders of the other nations and listened to their concerns and grievances, who made small steps to help the world heal again.

Zuko had sold the whole idea pretty well, and now Mai was on her way to the South Pole, bundled up on the deck of a ship and shivering so badly her teeth rattled with each breath.

She should have refused, but Zuko had made it sound all noble and right. He'd somehow made it sound like she was the best person for the job. There was some truth in that. Mai wasn't the most diplomatic person out there, but unlike most other advisors and officials, she was blunt and honest about the Fire Nation's atrocities. Zuko had complained to her about general Shesu messing up a short visit to one of the Earth Kingdom's smaller cities by downplaying the hurt the Fire Nation had caused them. He'd been chased out of the city and the Avatar's intervention had been needed to smooth things over.

At least Mai was fairly confident she'd do better than that guy.

If she didn't freeze to death first.

Mai turned and headed back into the ship, seeking shelter from the wind. The Southern Water Tribe had been spotted in the distance, and Mai had intended to stay out on the deck while they docked. But after a few minutes in this wind, she already felt like she couldn't take it anymore. She would wait inside, even if it was possibly a bit rude.

Before leaving, she had asked Zuko how bad the cold was down here and he had reassured her, telling her about his experience traveling to both Water Tribes by boat with his uncle. He'd told her one got used to the temperature and it wasn't too bad if you put on enough layers. It wasn't until a week into her journey that Mai remembered Zuko and Iroh were both firebenders and probably capable of regulating their body temperature in ways she couldn't. She had cursed out loud, ignoring the strange looks her travel companions gave her. Mai rarely wished she was a firebender herself, but she would kill for some fire right now.

When, about an hour later, the captain of the ship announced they were arriving at the Water Tribe, Mai sighed. She could only hope it was slightly warmer there, though she had her doubts.

Mai wasn't the only diplomatic envoy to leave the ship, there was a small group traveling with her, but she hadn't talked to much to any of them on the journey. They all seemed strangely nervous about the whole thing for people who supposedly were more experienced than her. Even the supposed top Water Tribe cultural expert in the Fire Nation seemed on edge about the visit. When Mai asked him what it was like out there, he'd looked at her strangely and told her he hadn't ever actually been to the Water Tribes, like it was an absolutely ridiculous notion. Zuko had been right, this trip was definitely overdue.

The ship came to a shuddering stop and time seemed to freeze for a moment. The Water Tribe people standing at the docks looked at the Fire Nation ship with a sense of wariness, a wariness reflected on the deck of the ship. Mai could feel the tension radiating off the others. There was a silence that became more uncomfortable the longer it stretched and Mai briefly wondered if it wouldn't be best to turn the ship around. The last time most of them had seen a ship like this had probably been during an attack, and it was clear they still associated the metal hulls with violence and fear.

After a few more moments of excruciating silence, as the ramp lowered onto the snowy ground. There was a long moment where no one made a move, until Mai remembered she was in charge. Silently cursing Zuko, she stepped forward and started to walk down from the ship. her steps on the metal seemed louder than they should be, echoing strangely in the cold air.

Just as Mai realized she had absolutely no idea what to say— her rehearsed words having abandoned her — someone stepped forward to save her from her own social awkwardness. The crowd parted for a familiar face, and Sokka stepped forward with an outstretched hand, smiling like he couldn't feel the awkward tension. "Welcome! The people of the Water Tribe appreciate you making the long, difficult journey here in the name of peace and welcome you to our home."

Mai bitterly recalled that this was pretty close to what she had been supposed to say, but she didn't let her annoyance show. She took Sokka's outstretched hand, happy with his support as she stepped off the metal ramp and onto the icy dock. "Shit, it's even colder here," she muttered, the words coming out of her on their own volition and startling a surprised laugh out of Sokka. Thankfully, he was the only one close enough to hear.

Quickly, Mai straightened. She had a job to do. She looked at the crowd of wary Water Tribe people, forcing herself to meet their gaze. Then she spoke with a clear voice. "We thank you for your hospitality. Fire Lord Zuko is eager to make up for our past transgressions and take steps to heal the world, and we are honored to be the first to visit to strengthen the bonds between our nations." Near the end of her speech, her teeth had started to chatter. She closed her mouth tightly to stop it, feeling weirdly like it was disrespectful to these people to show how much the temperature of their home was bothering her.

There was a murmur in response to her words. It wasn't entirely approving, but it wasn't entirely disapproving either. Maybe Mai was imagining it, but she thought she felt some of the tension ease. From the sounds of footsteps behind her, she knew the rest of the delegation was also coming down from the ship. Mai didn't turn around to look, instead she focused only on Sokka's steady presence as they started to walk.

Over the past months, she and Sokka had sent letters back and forth regularly as they planned out this trip. They had known each other from before, but had never had much reason to work together. It had been a surprise to Mai how organized and smart Sokka was, sending her color coded schedules and witty jokes all in the same letter. She had started to look forward to his letters— not that she would have admitted to it. Seeing him in person now was strange. A mixture of familiarity and comfort and some awkwardness at seeing someone again after a long time. Mostly, Mai was glad for his presence.

"Where do we go now?" She muttered as they walked, unable to hide her teeth chattering now.

Sokka's expression was a mixture of concern and amusement. "You're staying with my dad— the chief. Are you alright?"

"I'm f-fine." Mai grit out. "Lead the way."

It was a relief to get away from the crowd, even if the village was still full of curious people looking their way. It was clear the Southern Water Tribe was in development after the war. Mai saw many buildings that were under construction, bigger and more complex than the older buildings already there. The village looked nothing like the small collection of huts and tents Zuko had described to her.

She had glanced over her shoulder to see that the other Fire Nation diplomats were being escorted by Water Tribe members. Though none seemed as friendly and chatty as Sokka. He kept up an uninterrupted stream of chatter as they walked through the town, explaining different buildings and places in town to Mai, who was only half listening. She was a little overwhelmed by her new surroundings, and still very much bothered by the cold. Mai wondered if any of the others were feeling it as much as she was, though she knew most of them were firebenders and probably fared a bit better in low temperatures.

They walked for a while, Sokka talking and Mai huddling more and more into her coat. The warm winter coat made in the Fire Nation especially for this trip now seemed flimsy, not to be up to the task of actually keeping her warm in this place. Anytime a cold gust of wind blew between two buildings, Mai swore she could feel it through all the layers of her clothing.

Sokka abruptly stopped walking, nearly making Mai stumble. He frowned at her. "I think we need a change of plans."

Mai frowned. She didn't know if she could speak with her chattering teeth, so she settled for raising a questioning eyebrow.

Sokka seemed to understand her meaning. "Look, you're clearly bothered by the cold. My dad's office is still a ways away." He gestured to a small hut between two bigger buildings. "My Gran Gran lives over there, you can warm up at her house."

Deviating from the schedule this early felt like giving up, especially when it was Sokka who had painstakingly made the schedule in the first place. Mai opened her mouth to protest, but Sokka quieted her with a look.

"Your lips are turning blue. Gran Gran usually has a fire going."

Well, Mai wasn't going to say no to a fire.

Sokka steered her towards the hut, then moved back to discuss this change in plans with the other diplomats and their escorts.

He was still busy talking to them when the door to the hut opened and Mai looked down into the stern, unimpressed face of the woman who had to be Sokka's grandmother.

"Well, you better come in," she said after taking in Mai's appearance for a moment. "There's plenty of space around the fire." With that, the old woman grabbed Mai's arm and unceremoniously tugged her inside.

Even though the hut was made of ice, the inside was surprisingly cozy and warm. Mai could feel the heat of the fire tingling against the skin on her face. She drew closer to the flame like a moth wasp and sighed in relief, relaxing into the warmth.

Sokka's grandmother moved past with a hurried gesture for her to sit down. She introduced herself as Kanna, but told Mai she could call her Gran Gran the way everyone did. Then she bustled around the hut, picking up things and tidying up. Mai didn't really pay attention, for a few moments her focus was only on the beautiful fire and the lovely warmth radiating from it. When she finally pulled her attention away from the heat, she saw the old woman watching her closely, her gaze unwavering even as her wrinkled hands moved in a practiced motion, folding laundry.

Mai sat down, wondering if she had overstepped some sort of Water Tribe boundary by not taking a seat. But sitting down didn't ease the frown on the woman's face. After studying Mai for a few more moments while her hands worked, she finally spoke.

"You look like a porcelain doll I saw at a market once."

Mai blinked.

Thankfully, she was saved from having to respond by Sokka, who groaned as he stepped inside. "Gran Gran, don't be rude to our guest." He said, stomping his feet to get the snow off his boots.

Gran Gran turned to him, hands on her hips. "I'm not being rude. I didn't say it was an ugly doll, it was very beautiful."

"It's still a weird thing to say— and where did you even see something like that? I've never seen a doll or anything made of porcelain at a Water Tribe market."

Gran Gran tsked, returning her attention to her work. "I never said it was at the Water Tribe."

"But when—"

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one. Did you really think I traveled all the way here from the North Pole without stepping foot in the Earth Kingdom? You know the story."

Sokka sat down with a sigh. "Right— I forgot."

"You came from the Northern Tribe?" Mai asked, her own question taking her by surprise. She had watched the interaction between Sokka and his grandmother with some bemusement.

They both turned their heads in her direction at once, clearly having forgotten she was there for a moment. Gran Gran considered her, then nodded to herself and stopped what she had been doing. She filled a cup from the kettle over the fire and handed it to Mai as she sat down next to her. "You're our guest and you need to rest. Have some tea. I will tell you my story."

Mai cast a furtive glance at Sokka, who just smiled slightly as he poured his own tea.

Her attention moved back to his grandmother as she started to speak. She talked about her childhood in the Northern Water Tribe, which seemed very different from the Southern Tribe even from the little Mai knew about the culture.

There was something soothing about listening to the story. The tea was fragrant and very different from what she was used to. As she listened, Mai's eyelids started to droop slightly.

Gran Gran's story had a familiar feel to it. Even though Mai had grown up in a completely different nation far removed from the Northern Tribe, the pressure of expectations was a familiar concept to her. If things had been different, she could have easily been tied to an arranged marriage as well. It was easy to picture leaving everything behind and traveling all the way across a war-torn world. Though Mai wasn't entirely sure if she would have had the courage.

"And after I got my boat repaired at Whaletail Island, I finally sailed down to the Southern Tribe. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I instantly knew I could make this place my home."

Mai put down her now empty cup, feeling slightly dazed from the warmth of the fire and the story she had been pulled into. She blinked slowly.

"You're very brave," she said in a quiet voice.

The old woman gave her a small smile. A kind smile. Mai thought of her own grandmother, who had never smiled at her like that. She had always frowned as she told Mai to sit up straight like a proper lady, saving her smiles for Mai's little brother.

Gran Gran's gaze lingered on Mai's face, a slight frown creasing her brow. "You should rest, girl. Sleep."

Sokka spoke up. "Gran, we were supposed to stay at dad's, there's a whole welcoming dinner planned with Water Tribe food and music and—"

She cut him off. "She needs to rest now, not go back out there."

Mai listened to Sokka and his grandmother argue back and forth a little longer, tuning out the actual words. She was tired, she realized. The fire and the tea had warmed her up to the point where she even felt a little hot now. The thought of going back out in the snow wasn't a pleasant one. A shiver passed through her at the thought.

She knew what the proper answer to this was. She had duties to attend to, a dinner in her honor, a schedule to uphold… but she suddenly felt so tired. Her eyelids heavy, slowly closing on their own.

Before she knew what she was doing, Mai laid down, pulling some of the furs closer to herself and curling up near the fire. The arguing abruptly stopped, and Mai looked up to see two pairs of identical blue eyes watching her. A small voice in her head was still arguing that this was improper, but Mai was too tired to listen to it.

"I'd like to rest," she mumbled.

Sokka's face softened, he got to his feet. "I'll let dad and the others know. I should be there."

Mai felt a pang of sadness at the thought of Sokka leaving, but she understood. He had worked so hard to make this visit a success. A part of her wanted to get up as well, to join him and to stick to the official plan. But she didn't think she could stand up, even if she tried.

Gran Gran bustled over and adjusted the furs to make Mai more comfortable. She muttered something to herself, something Mai didn't catch but apparently made Sokka frown in concern.

"I could stay," he said to his grandmother.

Gran Gran dismissed the notion with a grunt. "What good will you do here? Go make sure your fancy guests are fed and no one starts an international incident. I'll take care of her."

Mai wanted to argue and say she didn't need anyone taking care of her, but her mouth wouldn't form the words. The pile of furs was more comfortable than it had any right being, rivaling her bed at home. Mai's eyes were closing on their own accord. She heard Sokka leave, closing the door behind him. Then sleep took her.

The moment Mai opened her eyes, she knew she was ill.

It took her a few seconds longer to remember where she was and why she was lying on the floor of an unfamiliar home. The fire was still going and she could feel there were several layers piled on top of her, yet Mai still felt cold. A shiver went through her, and she curled up more with a groan.

"Ah, you're awake."

Mai lifted her head, blinking blearily up at the face of Sokka's grandmother.

"What—" she croaked, her voice giving out after the single word. Her throat felt dry as a desert.

"Let me get you some more tea." The woman said, but someone else was faster.

"I've got it, Gran." And suddenly Sokka was there, moving to Mai's side, a steaming cup of tea in his hand.

While a part of Mai wanted to bury herself under the covers instead of letting him see her this way, she allowed him to help her sit up. The room seemed to spin for a moment, Mai closed her eyes until she felt like it had settled.

"Here." Sokka's presence was solid and steady as he handed her a cup of tea. Mai took a sip, delighting for a moment in the way it soothed her throat briefly.

"I'm not making the best first impression," Mai rasped before coughing. A glance around the room made her realize more time had passed than she had thought, the hut was shadowed in darkness. Her sense of time was all messed up, it could be evening or the next morning. Judging by the stiffness of her muscles, she guessed it was morning.

Sokka's expression was a mix of concern and amusement. "You can't help being sick."

Mai grunted. "I never get sick."

Sokka just raised an eyebrow at her, Mai scowled in return before taking a sip of her tea.

There was a moment of peaceful silence while Mai drank her tea. Despite the furs and the still ongoing fire, Mai felt a chill that seemed to have settled into her bones. She shuddered. "I guess the climate defeated me," she said quietly, thinking of the many cold days on the ship before even arriving here. A thought occurred to her, and she turned to Sokka with a frown. "What time is it?"

"Nearly ten in the morning, you slept for a long time."

"You shouldn't be here."

Sokka blinked. "What?"

"Your schedule— there's a breakfast at your father's house right now with the delegation from the Northern tribe as well." Mai frowned. "You were supposed to be there."

Sokka frowned a little. "You're burning up with a fever and you still know the schedule by heart?" He paused, then smiled a little. "Did you memorize it beforehand?"

Mai lightly felt at her own forehead, it was warm, but she wasn't sure if Sokka was right about her having a fever. That felt a little dramatic. She didn't want to answer his question, knowing it would only amuse him more. She looked away and muttered. "It seemed like the least I could do— you put effort into it, it was color coded and everything."

For some reason, this made Sokka puff up with pride. "Finally, someone who appreciates my schedule making skills. I'm so telling Katara about this."

"Who said I appreciated it?"

"You memorized it!"

"I thought it was a bit excessive, if you wanted my opinion."

"What?! It's not!"

Mai let out a small huff of amusement. "Then why, if it's so important, aren't you sticking to it?"

Now it was Sokka who didn't seem to want to answer the question. He scratched his neck.

"He's been hovering over you like a mother arctic hen for hours now, I barely had time to wake properly before he barged in here to see how you were doing." Kanna interjected, her voice making them both jump guiltily.

"You're exaggerating, Gran Gran." Sokka said, though Mai noticed he looked a little uncomfortable. "And I decided there were enough important people representing us at the breakfast, I could skip this one to see how you were doing."

Mai sniffed and pulled one of the furs around her shoulders. She still felt strangely cold, her nose was stuffed, her throat was sore, and there was a slight chance she did have a fever even if she didn't quite want to believe it. "Well. Not great."

Her words had been meant jokingly, but Sokka looked increasingly concerned. Kanna clucked in annoyance as she got to her feet. "A sudden change of your environment is a shock to the system. It's not that strange you're feeling ill." She said reassuringly. "It's nothing some time and broth won't fix."

The old woman moved over to them, nudging Sokka as she passed him. "I'm taking care of her, give her some space."

Sokka held up his hands in defeat as he got up. "Alright, alright. I was just checking up on my guest. But I'll get out of your hair." He then made eye contact with Mai and winked.

His grandmother continued to mutter about him having better things to do and not needing to hover as Sokka grabbed his things and made for the door. But the moment he actually stepped outside, she turned to Mai with a proud smile.

"He's a good boy."

Mai couldn't help smiling back.

Kanna made up a proper bed for Mai and gave her some clothes thatMai guessed belonged to Sokka's sister. At first she felt weirdly guilty for wearing Katara's clothes, but the comfort and warmth of the proper Water Tribe clothing was so much better than her own that the guilt quickly disappeared.

The next few days were still mostly miserable, though. Mai's fever rose and she spent hours just lying on her bed, phasing in and out of a sleep like state that never seemed to make he feel rested. She had no appetite, but still forced down the various teas, broths and soups Kanna handed her. Her nose was always either running or stuffed and her throat felt like it was on fire no matter what she did.

And every day when Mai woke up from her restless sleep, Sokka was there. Sometimes on the pretense of doing something for his grandmother, sometimes just sitting next to where she slept. There was a part of Mai, a part that sounded a lot like her mother in her mind, that recoiled at the idea of anyone seeing her in such an unfit state. But for the most part Sokka's presence was a comfort. He kept her updated on the meetings, which seemed to be going well even without Mai's influence. None of the others got sick, which annoyed her unreasonably, and they were getting along surprisingly well with the Water Tribe people. There had been a few tense or awkward moments, but overall the mission was turning out to be a great success.

The whole thing made Mai feel incredibly useless. Zuko had been wrong, she was not needed for this at all.

The fourth day, Mai woke up feeling strangely… good. She wasn't better, she knew that immediately, but for the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe through her nose. Her head felt clear and she actually felt like she had slept.

Kanna was preparing food in the little kitchen and Mai's stomach growled at the smells coming from the pot. The woman looked up from her work and nodded in approval.

"You're feeling better."

"I am."

Kanna held out the kitchen knife she had been cutting with. "Help me out. Sokka said you're good with knives, have you ever filleted a fish before?"

Mai knew that she knew the answer to that. As a noble lady Mai had never prepared food for herself until she was on the road with Azula, and even then it had been minimal as they could usually get meals in towns they visited. "No," she said, taking the knife without hesitation. "Will you teach me?"

That was how Sokka found her half an hour later, her hands covered in fish juice but a proud smile on her face as she showed off her work. It had been surprisingly fun to help, even if she now felt a bit tired again.

"I should have known Gran Gran would put you to work the moment you could walk again," Sokka said, leaning against counter with his hip. "Those poor fish didn't stand a chance."

"I don't mind helping, and I'm learning something new."

"Somehow, I don't think this was the cultural exchange our dear Fire Lord had in mind when he sent you here."

Mai shrugged. "I honestly think he'd be delighted."

Sokka stretched a little. "If you're feeling well enough to gut innocent creatures, does that mean you can take a walk outside?" He asked casually.

"Does your schedule allow for that?" Mai asked mildly as she put away the knife. "Which color did you choose for casual walks?"

Sokka sighed. "You're never letting go of that, are you?"

Mai turned away from him with a smile. "Let me wash my hands first, then I'll join you."

The walk was mercifully short. Mai had been eager to get outside, but a few minutes of the icy wind was enough to make her long for the fire again. Once again, she tried to hide her discomfort. Once again, she clearly failed.

"We can go back if you're cold," Sokka said after they walked around the village for a few minutes.

"Who said I'm cold?" Mai said, clutching Katara's parka tighter around herself.

"You're teeth are chattering so loud the otter penguins outside town can probably hear it."

"Oh, shut up and keep walking," Mai grumbled.

Sokka snorted. "Alright, alright. I actually have a spot I'd like to show you."

Mai agreed with a small grunt, sticking close to Sokka. As they walked, she glanced at him sideways, silently marveling at his lack of reaction to the icy wind. Of course, it was what he had grown up in, what he was used to. But she wondered how he had felt when he had first traveled to the Fire Nation. Had he fared as badly as she was now? Succumbing to the heat? Mai somehow doubted it.

Sokka led her to the edge of the village, then helped her up some icy steps to the top of the wall surrounding it. Though as Mai looked down at it from the top of the wall, she had to admit 'village' didn't seem to be the right word for it anymore. The rapid growth of the settlement was clearly visible from here. Her throat constricted for a moment as she realized what her own country had reduced these people to, and how quickly they had managed to bounce back despite it all. For the first time, she felt a fondness for this place. It was beautiful in its defiance. Both of the war and of the inhospitable environment it had been built in.

She could feel Sokka's eyes on her as she took it all in. The view from up here was quite beautiful. Dusk was slowly settling over the town, and the last bits of light from the setting sun reflected on the icy roofs of the buildings.

Mai let out a soft breath. "It's beautiful."

"Right?" Sokka agreed quietly. "I love watching it all from here, it has really changed a lot over the past few years."

"With your help," Mai murmured. She remembered Sokka telling her in his letters that he had assisted in some of the building plans.

He lifted his shoulders a bit. "I guess I helped a bit, but I'm not the one raising walls out of the ice with a flick of my wrist."

"No, you're just the one helping decide where those walls go and stopping things from devolving into chaos," Mai said dryly, frowning a bit. "Do you always talk down your own accomplishments like this? It's kind of boring."

That made Sokka huff out a surprised laugh. He leaned back against the icy railing, rubbing at his neck. "Well, no. I guess this whole diplomatic mission is just messing with my mind a bit. I worked so hard to organize it all.. but I'm just not really good at this stuff— talking to important people, saying the right thing. I told you there had been a few… incidents. I didn't mention I caused most of them by trying to be funny."

It was easy to picture Sokka telling some sort of joke that rubbed the Fire Nation officials the wrong way. For some reason, the mental image made Mai smile.

"You seem fine talking to me," Mai said. "I suppose I'm not important enough?"

"No, you're just easy to talk to."

Mai blinked, the compliment giving her pause. "Really? That's news to me."

Sokka shrugged. "I suppose it comes from knowing each other a bit, from before."

"Most of our interactions before were me throwing knives at your face."

"And me dodging those expertly, I think it was a pretty good way to communicate."

Mai laughed despite herself. Sokka grinned, seeming all too pleased about getting this reaction from her.

"And I enjoyed your letters when we were planning this whole thing," he continued, looking back over the town.

Mai had felt the same way, Sokka's letters had been a bright point in the miserable slog that was planning and organizing this whole ordeal. It had taken a long time for them to write letters back and forth. Fire Nation messenger hawks didn't go all the way to the south pole, so she'd had to send them to one of the southern Earth Kingdom islands and wait until they were transported down to the Water Tribe village. But the anticipation for a response had been surprisingly nice. It had been something to look forward to.

"Me too," she said, deciding to be honest, she shivered as an icy breeze brushed past her, clutching her parka tighter around herself.

Sokka turned to look at her, a surprised smile on his face. Then he frowned as he noticed she was shivering. "We should go back, my Gran will kill me if you get sick again."

Mai grimaced. "I'm sure taking care of me has been inconvenient, I should apologize to her."

Sokka snorted. "No, she likes you." He took her arm and guided her back down the icy steps. They walked back to Kanna's hut in comfortable silence.

Over the next two days, Mai fully recovered. She enjoyed staying in the small hut and helping Gran Gran around the house. There was a part of her that felt guilty for shirking her official duties, but it was… nice. And she was learning a lot about Water Tribe culture. After she felt well enough she did start attending the official meetings at the Chief's office, which were surprisingly interesting. Meeting Sokka's father was nice, if a bit strange, and it was good to speak to other high ranking members of the Water Tribe. Mai was bemused to see that the other Fire Nation diplomats had fared well in her absence, better than she had anticipated. During the meeting they were chatting and laughing with the people of the Water Tribe, clearly at ease after a few days of staying here.

On the last day of the trip, the Water Tribe was organizing a festival for the visitors. It was a Southern Water Tribe tradition from before the war, and Mai was genuinely honored to be a part of it. Everyone in the tribe was clearly anticipating it, Mai heard excited talk about the festivities wherever she went.

The evening of the festival, the Water Tribe village transformed into something even more beautiful. Stalls were set up with games, wares for sale or delicious smelling food. Twinkling lights were strung between the stalls in various colors, the light reflecting off the ice and snow around it. The streets were full of people, and wherever Mai looked there was something new to see.

When she felt a steady hand on her arm, Mai knew who had joined her without having to look up. She smiled slightly. "Worried I'll get lost?"

"No, I kind of wanted to show you around," Sokka said, a slight hesitation in his voice. "You know, as part of my official diplomatic duties."

Mai turned to him with a slight smirk. "Is that on the schedule?"

Sokka put a hand to his heart. "I thought you memorized it," he said, fake wounded. He couldn't keep it up for long, a grin fighting its way onto his face after a few moments. "Did I tell you there's a dart throwing game?"

"Why didn't you lead with that?" Mai asked, looking around immediately. "Show the way."

"Only if you win me something," Sokka joked as he started to lead her to the right stall.

Mai knew it was probably a little unfair to participate in a game like this, but she only felt a slight tinge of guilt as she hit every target. The guilt disappeared entirely when she saw how ridiculously pleased Sokka was with the Turtle Seal plushie she won for him, showing it off to everyone who would listen.

They had a fun time at the festival. Mai watched Sokka try some fishing game he lost terribly, she ate food she had never tried before and watched a waterbending show that took her breath away. There was also a snowman contest Sokka tried to convince her to join with him— which Mai refused. They still enjoyed looking at the entries, Sokka muttering under his breath they could have made something nicer.

As the evening started to come to it's end, Mai felt a pang of sadness as she thought of leaving this place tomorrow. As difficult as the cold had been for her, she had enjoyed her time here more than she had expected. She was contemplating this quietly as she walked with Sokka, when she realized there were almost no people around them anymore. Sokka was leading her to a quiet part of town, stopping only when they were fully alone.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a moment," he said quietly. "I wanted to say something, and give you something."

Mai nodded, her heart beating a little faster.

Sokka cleared his throat awkwardly. "I— I already told you I'm not really good with words when it comes to important things, but I'll try. I just… want to say I really enjoyed our time here, even if you were sick for most of it."

Mai's mouth twisted slightly as she tried not to smile.

Sokka grimaced. "Not that I enjoyed you being sick, obviously. Eugh." He paused, then took a deep breath. "I just wanted to thank you. I made you something."

He held out a small carving, Mai guessed it was made out of some sort of bone. It looked very wonky, and she tilted her head as she looked at it.

"It's a fish. I thought of it when I saw you preparing that fish with Gran Gran, and it is kind of the only thing I know how to carve. It's a small thing, and I know it's not really that good, but I just wanted to…"

He trailed off as Mai put her hand on his, taking the carving from him. She said nothing, as she didn't know what to say either. The carving truly was ugly, but she still loved it more than any other gift she had been given in her life. Mai stepped forward, cupped Sokka's cheek with her gloved hand, then pressed her lips against his.

The kiss was quiet and wonderful,Mai tried to put everything she didn't know how to say in it. Sokka was warm and solid as he kissed her back slowly. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. For the first time since she stepped foot on the ice, Mai felt no cold at all.

"Thank you," Mai murmured as they pulled away slowly, looking up into his eyes. She wasn't sure if she was thanking him for the carving, the kiss, or something else entirely.

"Any time." Sokka said, and Mai knew he understood her.

The morning after the festival, the world seemed both brighter and colder than before. Mai had packed all her things neatly and then said goodbye to Kanna, who pulled her down into a tight hug.

"Visit again soon," she murmured next to Mai's ear. "For my idiot grandson, if nothing else."

Mai had nodded."I'll try,"

The gathering at the docks as the people of the Water Tribe saw them off felt entirely different than it had when they had arrived. The tension had disappeared, the faces of the people no longer wary or distrustful as they looked at the ship or at the Fire Nation delegation as they passed.

The rift between their nations was far from sealed, but the first steps had been made. Mai was proud of what they had accomplished, even if she herself hadn't contributed much. She walked with the group of Fire Nation officials, listening vaguely to the Water Tribe expert happily telling her he had bought a barrel of Sea Prunes to bring back home and that he couldn't wait to visit the Water Tribe again. Mai was happy for him, but she was too busy scanning the crowd to listen properly.

Then she spotted him and the world stopped for a second. Sokka was standing with his father and grandmother, a sad smile on his face. Their eyes met for a moment and Sokka winked. Then he mimed writing. Mai nodded, then walked on. The sound of her first footstep ringing ominously on the ramp was almost enough to make her turn around.

But she took another step and another. Soon enough, the ship was leaving. Mai watched the waving crowd below, waving back as they grew smaller and smaller until there was nothing to see of the Water Tribe. Mai stayed there for a little longer, looking into the distance.

Returning to the Fire Nation had been strange. Mai was happy to be back in the climate she was used to— the pleasant heat of the sun wasn't something she would ever take for granted again. But despite that, she still missed the Water Tribe. Well, if she was honest with herself, she missed one person in particular.

Mai strolled through the palace gardens after a meeting, taking a seat on one of the benches, she almost unthinkingly pulled the carved fish pendant hanging on a cord around her her neck from under her clothes. Quietly, she stared down at it, her thumb rubbing over the rough carving.

"What's that?"

Mai jumped, biting back a curse. Ty Lee and her ability to walk in full Kyoshi Warrior getup without making any noise would be the death or her someday. "Nothing," Mai said hurriedly, covering the carving with her hand.

"It doesn't look like nothing." Ty Lee said, leaning close to peer at Mai's hands. "Especially if you're hiding it," she teased in a singsong voice.

Mai huffed, reluctantly removing her hand from the carving. "It's just some ugly souvenir I got at the Water Tribe." She said, sighing. "Happy?" She then stuffed under her clothes again, forcing her usual neutral expression.

"Riiiight." Ty Lee said, straightening back up. The smile on her face told Mai she wasn't buying it. She wished her friend didn't know her so well. Ty Lee rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, clearly pleased. "And on a completely unrelated note, I have mail for you," she said, pulling a scroll with a blue seal from behind her back.

Mai held out her hand for it immediately.

Ty Lee giggled as she handed it over. "I'll leave you to read it," she said with a wink. Skipping away, she called over her shoulder."Say hi to Sokka for me when you respond!"

But Mai didn't hear it, too engrossed in the letter Sokka had sent her. As she read it, she pulled the carving out again, rubbing it with her thumb. An unconscious smile creeping onto her face.

Maybe she could convince Zuko to let her visit again soon. For diplomatic purposes.