Zuko closed his eyes. And instantly regretted it because images of Mai kept running through his head. Her sad face when he told her he was banished. The tears she cried because of his scar. Zuko shoved himself off the bed in anger. He'd hurt her; his father had banished him until he could find and capture the Avatar. The mission seemed impossible even to him. But he had to try. If he ever wanted to see Mai again he was going to have to try. Until he could see her again, he would live off of his memories of her. Those stolen moments that made him see there was another side to the distant girl his sister called a friend.
He thought back to the time when they were children all he'd have to do was walk into a room or say hi to her and she'd begin to blush. He thought to when he began noticing her.
Mai was training with her knives like she did everyday. Zuko walked out onto his balcony, in search of fresh air and the calming influence of outside. He sat observing her train. He noticed that she moved with a grace that she didn't have when she was a child. He then noticed something else she had developed shapely curves since their childhood. Sure they'd seen one another nearly everyday since Azula and her became friends but this was the first time he'd noticed how she'd grown up. It didn't help that she wore a pair of black khakis that hugged her frame and a black halter top that left so little to his imagination. She moved with agility and speed. She would surely kill him if she found out that he'd been watching her, but even with that knowledge in mind he couldn't pull himself away from the sight.
"Ty Lee make it more of a challenge for me." He overheard Mai say. Ty Lee, Zuko knew, had a great talent for immobilizing her opponent; she was an asset to the Fire Nation and that was more than likely the only reason Azula considered the girl a friend. Zuko left the seat and walked over to the railing to get a better view. This was going to be one heck of a fight. Ty Lee got up and walked over to her. Azula sat looking on. With a small nod in their direction, Ty Lee lunged forward. Mai dodged every blow Ty Lee tried to land easily. The faster Ty Lee moved, the faster Mai dodged. Then suddenly it was over. Ty Lee was pinned to a tree, by her sleeves and pant legs. Ty Lee started to pout, Azula clapped. Zuko sat down in amazement. Even he couldn't get past Ty Lee's hits that well.
"Umm. Mai can you get me down?" Ty Lee asked looked at herself. Mai chuckled quietly-the only hint to her amusement was the slight shaking of her shoulders-and walked over and pulled them out one by one. "Thanks." Ty Lee said, after landing back on the ground.
Azula looked at Mai then asked, "Hey Mai, I just got a good idea, why don't you spare with my dear brother Zuko? I'm sure he would prove somewhat harder." Azula said. Zuko nearly blanched at the idea of being dear to her. "I'll go get him." Azula started off. Zuko ran into his room and pretended to be busy reading the war scroll that his uncle gave him. "Oh, dear brother!" Azula called. "I was wondering if you would spar with Mai. She needs a bit of a challenge." She said now to the place where he sat. "If you don't agree I'll tell dad and Mai that you've been watching us again." Azula threatened. Knowing that she would and that he would surely be punished for it, Zuko got up and followed her to where Mai and Ty Lee sat. They looked as though they'd been in heavy conversation about something. When Zuko approached the spot the girls sat, he noticed that Mai blushed but Ty Lee just smiled at him. Mai stood up. Zuko took off his shirt. His lips twitched when Mai looked shocked and Ty Lee's mouth fell open. "Oh regain yourself girls! He's just my older brother. It's not like hot or anything." Azula snapped at her friends. Ty Lee continued to stare. Mai shook her head and got ready for the spar. Ty Lee and Azula watched as Zuko made the first move. He tamed his fire greatly as he sent a blast her way. She easily slide out of the way and while doing so threw a knife that he dodged but not without complication. Azula and Ty Lee sat up straight. Mai moved out of the way as fire came at her every time. Zuko was the only one who didn't notice what she was doing. She was moving closer to him with every flame. Azula and Ty Lee looked at one another both at the time thinking the same thing, he wasn't really concentrating on what she was doing he was more of as concentrating her. Suddenly as if reading their minds, Zuko realized what she was doing and began moving back and her advances became more and more profound as he began concentrating on her movements and not just her. Mai was fast but he was just a bit faster. Mai shocked them all when at the last moment she dodged an on going flame by flipping herself right on top of Zuko.
"Let me give you a bit of advice Zuko. Don't underestimate your opponent and don't assume anything about the person you are fighting. They become your opponent they are no longer your friend. Especially if it's an Agni Ki." Mai expressed. Her eyes boring into his. Azula and Ty Lee sat dumbfounded at the fact that their friend would be as bold as to do that. Her voice, Zuko noted, was so passionate on that subject. Mai climbed off of him and faced her friends. "Oh and Ty Lee you owe me money now." She said with a smirk looking at Ty Lee.
"You guys made a bet didn't you?" Azula asked with amusement. Ty Lee nodded while Mai just quirked an eyebrow almost disinterestedly. "Let me guess Mai bet that she would win the spar match and Ty Lee bet that Zuko would win the match. Now tell me Ty Lee did you think that the reason Zuko would win was because he is a firebender or is there something else that you want to tell Mai?" Zuko and Mai both saw what Azula was doing she was trying to turn Mai and Ty Lee against one another. Mai and Zuko both knew that nothing about Azula was ever innocent questioning.
"I just thought that Zuko would win because he was a firebender. I have nothing against Mai and personally I think that she is excellent in her sport. Who did you think would win?" Ty Lee asked, tilting her head at Azula. Mai and Zuko looked at one another for a brief moment.
"In all honesty I didn't think my brother would win. Mai and he are evenly matched when it comes to fighting for now." Azula said. "I intend to change that." She said before shooting fire at Zuko and Mai both. Mai and Zuko both jumped of the way at the same time. They stood opposite one another, both glaring at the older girl. "Quick reflexes," Azula mocked with a devious smirk.
Zuko could never really understand why Mai hung around with Azula and why she still did. Worry for her bubbled up within him. He knew Azula would use Mai and Ty Lee for anything that tickled her fancy. He knew that, to Azula, Mai was expendable. He clenched his jaw and wished once more that he could talk to her, make sure she was okay.
'Zuko and his uncle were walking out of the palace leaving with the sound of drum behind them. Every beat mocked him; every beat matched the pulse of pain in his heart. He was leaving behind the only home he had ever known. He clenched his jaw and kept his head held high. He wasn't going to show any weakness. He wasn't going to-his thought stopped short for there at the end of the dock stood Mai. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest; no expression graced her face, but Zuko could see all he needed to know if her eyes and her actions. Zuko noticed that there were unshed tears in her eyes. He could read all she wanted to say in her eyes and he was moved by those silent words. Zuko, uncaring of the few people that gathered to say goodbye, pulled Mai into a hug. He whispered into her hair, "We'll always be friends, Mai. There's nothing that could make me forget you." His heart skipped a small beat as he felt her hands on his back. She curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt and buried her face into his shoulder. He felt the slight tremor of her shoulders and knew that she was suppressing tears. He swallowed. He knew he should let go. He knew he needed to leave before the soldiers at the gate forced him too. He forced his arms to fall from around her. Reluctantly, Mai let him go. Her hands skimmed over his shoulders as she pulled herself away. For a long moment, they looked into one another's eyes. Uncle Iroh cleared his throat, trying to hurry his nephew along before the guards grew impatient. "Bye, Mai," Zuko forced the words out of his mouth before stepping onto the ship with his Uncle not far behind. His shoulders were so tense he could already feel them cramping. He wanted nothing more than to turn back and run to her. Instead, he settled for watching her from the boat. She still stood in the spot where he'd left her. He noticed that her shoulders were shaking at the ship sailed away.
Zuko had never thought that he'd live to see the day that Mai cried. But she cried the day he left. Only now did he wonder if that meant that she felt something more for him than just friendship. Only the reason to capture the Avatar faster. His resolve was set. He wouldn't stop until he got the Avatar, until he was back with Mai.
(A/N: I had to edit this. I was going back and reading some of my other stories, deeming which were worth editing and which ones weren't. [I know that sounds horrible, but I'm a realist. Some of my older stories can only be saved by deletion.] I noticed that the characters-mainly Mai-were entirely too out of character. I hope you all enjoy the newer version of the story.)