Redux
*Based on the idea that Mai and Zuko had an encounter in Omashu.*
Mai crept out of her bed fully dressed and donned a dark cloak. She glided through the rooms, a ghost, careful not to awaken her parents or little brother. She'd been warned not to wander off into the city amongst the Earth Kingdom citizens. Many weren't happy with the Fire Nation takeover and a rebellion grew in steady increments. Mai suspected that none were happy with the takeover. Some were just afraid to speak out. Still, the resentful, bitter stares said plenty. But none of that was her concern. She was just the new governor's daughter, powerless and nameless, dragged along because there was nothing else to be done with her.
She refused to be jailed in the luxurious apartments afforded the governor and his family, however. It was pleasant enough. The food was good. She'd brought books to last her months. But she craved something more. So out she went, no one the wiser, out into the night, looking for danger or excitement, anything to relieve her boredom.
~~~~0000~~~~
Mai walked as though she had a destination in mind, her steps purposeful and sure. No one took any notice of the lone girl. The streets were empty for the most part, empty and silent. Omashu, now New Ozai, was a city subdued and cowed. A curfew was in effect, her father's attempt at control. Mai got a perverse thrill out of breaking it herself. The few citizens she saw skulking in doorways, their faces shadowed, probably got the same thrill. She felt a momentary kinship with them. The troops she spied marching about in pairs, Mai avoided them with quick darts down alleyways or by crouching behind some structure or other.
Built in ascending tiers, each level of New Ozai housed different types of people. The wealthiest, the politicians, doctors, lawyers, business owners, lived at the top. Craftsmen and artists lived in the middle while the workers lived nearest the bottom. It made her think of Ba Sing Se, the great walled city that she had studied in school. It seemed that people separated naturally into their own groups. It was all about money, she supposed. And it was the same everywhere, perhaps not so blatantly done, but done nonetheless.
It was chilly out and Mai pulled her cloak tight around her body. Her breath was visible, a thin white mist, and she shivered. Perhaps her sojourn was not such a great idea. She looked at the houses and businesses as she made her way down; everything was neat and clean, pretty even. Candles burned in windows, tiny pinpricks that broke up the darkness. She gazed up at the sky; heavy clouds had amassed, obscuring moon and stars.
Despite herself, Mai looked for Zuko too. It was never intentional. She did not say 'Tonight I will look for Zuko.' But she was away from the Fire Nation and so was he. There was a chance now, no matter how miniscule. She'd always hoped, faintly, that she and Zuko would meet again. Now hope grew and flourished. Mai fantasized and constructed scenarios in her mind. Perhaps Zuko would hear news of Omashu. Perhaps he'd been living here for months already, disguised as one of the natives.
"Perhaps not," Mai breathed. It was a lovely dream, one she could savor later when she curled beneath her covers. She needed to be alert now.
~~~~0000~~~~
Rounding a corner, Mai didn't see the figure, dressed in black like she was, a sword slung across his back, scarf around the lower portion of his face. They collided hard, then flew apart, both of them startled, both of them excited too. Neither said a word and neither took a step. Mai pulled her hood back, needing to see better, to look into those eyes. It had been so long, but something tugged at her memory, pulling and teasing.
The young man stared back. Recognition dawned. One eye widened. The other eye, damaged, surrounded by angry red, was only a slit. Azula hadn't lied about that. But it didn't matter. None of that mattered. Zuko stood in front of her. The Earth Kingdom, such a vast continent, so many cities and towns, so many people, and he was here in New Ozai with her. It was almost too much to bear.
Then he turned away, ashamed perhaps. Or maybe he'd put her out of his mind forever and she was just a phantom now, a vaporous girl from his past, not one he wanted to confront in his present.
"Don't." She wanted to add that their meeting was miraculous, that she still grieved his absence, still missed him, still dreamed about him. Instead she touched his shoulder, her fingertips resting lightly. "Don't"
"I'm not the same, Mai."
"I'm not the same either."
"I'm a traitor."
"I don't care."
"I was nearby. I heard about your father. I wanted to see you, just see you once more."
"How?" He indicated his clothing as if that explained it all. "Peek in my window, like some creepy voyeur?"
He shuffled a bit, staring down at his shoes. "I guess."
"I'm here now. Look at me." Mai took a step forward, bold and in charge.
"I….I…"
Very slowly, as if calming a wild animal, terrified that he would bolt, she tugged the scarf away. "Look at me, Zuko."
Mai wondered if it was a mistake. A brief taste, a quick look and then what? She'd lose him all over again. Could her heart take it? Would she fall into that dark abyss of despair like she had after the Agni Kai? Or would she hold onto this moment, this tiny sparking, a regeneration of their relationship, hold it tight and close, the most valuable of treasures?
Zuko looked. Mai reddened as the intensity of his gaze grew. But she did not flinch and did not look away.
"You're beautiful."
"So are you," she replied.
"No…."
"Yeah, you are. And you're an idiot for sneaking into the city. There are guards everywhere. You should leave."
Zuko scoffed. Mai waited for him to ask, ask her to go with him. He didn't. Her face did not register the disappointment.
"There are rebels and you're out," he retorted. "I can walk you back." It was the best he could offer.
She didn't need his help but she took it anyway. "All right."
Side by side, they climbed upwards, sticking to the edges of curved streets. Each snuck glances at the other. Mai noticed how tall the prince had gotten, how well formed he was, how he moved with grace. She felt his eyes on her hair, the curves tucked under her cloak, her own lithe strides. Neither said anything. All that yearning and all those thoughts remained unspoken. Neither wanted to release them into the world just yet; they clung to their dreams and their longing, hoping that by so doing, they would survive until another meeting.
Mai watched as he turned from her, ready to descend. He took a few steps before she cried out, heedless of soldiers or guards or rebels.
"Wait!"
Zuko stopped but did not turn around. Was that it? She needed something else, something to sustain her. She ran, covering the distance between them. Resting a hand on his cheek, she stood on her toes and kissed Zuko. Their first kiss years ago had been shy and tentative, a quick meeting of lips. This one was bittersweet. It tasted of anguish and of possibilities.
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Mai."
He sounded so sad and so regretful and Mai's heart shattered again. This time she let him go.