They had committed treason and so their fate had been a kindness, at least that's what Ty lee told herself as they boarded the ship to the earth kingdom. Her hand gripped Mai's and she tried to smile for the both of them, despite her desire to cry. She would cry later but for now she would remain strong for Mai, if anyone deserved a good cry it was her but as usual she held it to herself. It hurt to watch, especially when all Ty lee wanted was to just cry for her, to know what she must have been going through…To loose her first love the way she did, so suddenly and permanently, to have her best friend aim to kill her and to be banished from her home and become a disgrace to her family right when she was sure she would make them proud. It was too much and far too unfair for words.
They were herded into a cell, Mai only visibly flinching when she heard the sound of the door shut behind him. "Enjoy the ride traitors," said the guard's woman gruffly, locking the door, "you should be dead, isn't the princess merciful to her very best friends. How very lucky you are being you"
Mai scoffed, "Yeah I just feel so very lucky right now," she said turning to stare the guard down with an icy glare.
The guard glared back, "you insolent brat!" she said, shooting a dart of fire at her through the prison bars.
"Mai!" cried Ty lee, terrified her only friend was about to be hurt.
Mai gasped and jumped back just in time, the guard smirked and Mai's face twisted into the slightest of snarls. With that she left and for the first time since before Azula issued the order they be banished they were alone. There was so much to say but the silence was deafening.
The ship creaked and groaned as it cast off, it was a nostalgic feeling being on a wooden boat, it was the sort of boat that Ty lee had escaped on to join the circus. She remembered being scared at that time and she was now too but then she had also been happy and now she was the very opposite. Ty lee opened her mouth to say something but closed her mouth, realizing she had no plan. "So…" she said at last, breaking the silence, looking down at her hands as she sat down, "some day huh?"
Mai just looked at her sideways and sighed, Ty lee tried her best not to take the disinterest personally.
"It's been awhile since I've been on a wooden boat,"Ty lee began, looking up at the structure around her, "wooden boats are a lot of fun because they're so creaky and bouncy have you ever-"
"Ty lee, I don't want to talk about boats." Mai said cutting her off.
"Well…okay, what do you want to talk about?" Ty lee asked with genuine curiosity, they definitely had a lot to talk about.
"Nothing, there's nothing to talk about," she said with an angry sigh sitting on the floor
"Um…yes there is," Ty lee insisted.
Mai scowled although Ty lee couldn't see it, "I don't want to talk to you right now."
That one had stung a bit, "what do you mean?" she begged, her voice betraying her pain. Ty lee had never been very good at masking her emotions, not like Mai had been.
Mai was silent and Ty lee just couldn't handle it, she had promised not to cry but tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes.
"That's-that's not fair," she said frantically, "Mai please, please I can't-I'm scared okay."
"You shouldn't have done it," said Mai, barely a whisper, still not looking at Ty lee.
"What?" she Ty lee confused, breaking out of her hysteria for a moment, "I don't understand."
"You know what I'm talking about," said Mai bitterly.
Ty lee racked her mind, trying to figure out what exactly Mai was talking about but she couldn't. Had she been mad about that one time she took the last tart at the banquette? Was she mad
that she had called her makeup depressing?
"You shouldn't have saved me," said Mai, frustration evident in her voice, it hitched and Ty lee became suddenly aware of the fact that Mai, emotionless as she seemed to be…was crying. Ty lee crawled over and sat in front of her, eyes wide, tears still glistening on her own lashes. Mai looked away with the bitterest expression. "I like you…you were the one person who I didn't want to see get hurt, you were the very last one and you-" her voice hitched and Mai began to sob in earnest. "I'm so done!" she cried, trowing her head back, Ty lee closed the distance and embraced her, the girls crying into each other's shoulders.
"He said he cared about me," she said, "he said it so many times…"
"I know," said Ty lee soothingly, "I know."
"And I threw it all away for him, everything, I didn't think I would miss it but god I do," she continued, returning the hug.
"You didn't throw everything away," said Ty lee encouragingly, she pulled back and smiled, "you still have me…I know I'm not much but we're best friends forever right?"
"Ty lee I love you," said Mai, "thank you, thank you for being my friend," No one had ever acted selflessly for Mai, not even Zuko but when she thought her life was over Ty lee gave her freedom, her friendship with Azula to save her. She couldn't have known that she would survive the encounter, she couldn't have known that they wouldn't be executed shortly after but she did it anyway. Ty lee was like that, not knowing what the future might hold she would do incredibly brazen things for people and for herself. Ty lee had given her more than anybody ever had before and it hurt her to see her hurt for it.
But here she was, smiling and despite the pain Mai felt as if something heavy had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt lighter, she felt happy although her expression wouldn't show it, "if I had to choose someone to get banished with me it would be you."
Ty lee giggled, "thanks? If I had to choose someone it would be you too."
Mai smiled, not terribly warmly but peacefully.
"So what do you think we should do once we reach the earth kingdom?" Ty lee asked, sitting cross-legged, "I think we should find a circus, you could perform a knife throwing act, I could help!"
Mai rolled her eyes, "yeah, no thanks, I don't perform."
Ty lee pouted, "you didn't even think about it!"
"I didn't have to," said Mai simply with a shrug, "if you want to join a circus again though…I won't stop you."
Ty lee shook her head, "not without you, we're partners in crime now."
Mai sighed, "I'm sure we'll figure it out then…hey Ty lee, what if we became actual criminals."
Ty lee raised an eyebrow, "did you really just say that? You? Mai who doesn't break the rules on purpose."
Mai shrugged, "I don't know, I guess I just want to try new things…do something different, exciting maybe?"
"Okay," said Ty lee earnestly, "so…do you want to rob a bank then?"
"A fire nation bank," whispered Mai, "in an earth kingdom colony, we can become terrorists."
"Well, they can't banish us for treason twice," said Ty lee with a smile, "let's do it."
"Really?"
"Mhm," she said with a contented yawn, the sky above had gotten dark, "Mai?"
"what?" she asked confused.
"You'll find the one," she said yawning as she crawled over to a cot, claiming it as her own. "Zuko may not have been it but you'll find someone."
"I don't need anyone," said Mai quietly.
"Maybe not…but you deserve someone…" with that the acrobat was out like a light, leaving the knife thrower to her thoughts. Did she deserve someone? She couldn't say, for now she had Ty lee though and that alone made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. They would reach the earth kingdom and she would embark on a brand new world and she couldn't be happier
to be doing it with her best friend.