Ursa's necklace

Maiko

One-shot

A/N: First off, if you would like to complain about how much you hate me, or Maiko, please go be emo elsewhere. I don't bash Zutara or what ever you like, so leave me out of your petty wars.

After I started writing about this, I thought about how Ursa's necklace was way too much like Katara's mothers necklace and I decided to twist up the story some more. (It's based around this necklace that my grandmother gave me a few years back that I wear almost every day. It's just like a silver ring with a little red rectangle that has black flames lightly brushed onto the red stone. Very fire bender.) I basically decided that I wanted to also have Mai talk to Iroh, I sort of have a soft spot for the man, and I figure he has to be thinking about Zuko in some detail.

Sorry that Zuko's so emo/depressed early on, I just figure he'd be a little upset with himself for betraying uncle … again. - Keep doing that Zuko it totally works! (Kidding)

(this was hell to edit. It took me like 2 hours to get rid of proofs??? Or something. I ended up having to past it to an aol document and then transferring it back after throwing a defeated fit over it. So if you like this be happy please.)

(yuck, and in my opinion the editing really hasn't helped the story hold very well. Plus the spacing between the dialogue is crappy. Sorry.)

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar. : Shrugs: maybe you could convince Ty Lee to try and get it for you.

(In the underground prison)

Azula passed by the cells, being followed by Ty Lee. Zuko and Mai stride just behind her as they passed Iroh's cell. Mai peered over at Zuko for a moment and watched his eyes drop to the floor in shame. She sighed aloud and shook her head.

"Our victory over this town is finally arriving, soon the rest of my troops will have occupied the city and the whole world will be under fire nation rule." Azula's smirk beamed among Mai and Zuko's dark expressions. "Father will be so proud… Zuko… you should be proud too."

He just shrugged. The words 'I betrayed Uncle' continued to loop through his mind.

Ty Lee smiled, hoping that the two of them would cheer up, "This is wonderful Azula! Isn't it Mai?"

Mai shrugged, " I guess." Her mind when back to Zuko who's pace had slowed significantly. Iroh's cell was taking forever to pass; it was a large almost ballroom sized cell, made to give him freedom of moment, with no possible way out. (This made it easier to contain him if something happened where Azula's soldiers needed to capture him.)

"I turned in my own uncle…" Zuko whispered to Mai. He cursed himself for sounding desperate.

Her eyes quickly flashed to him. He was openly speaking to her, he hadn't ever started a conversation with her, let alone really spoken to her for anything, and now he was telling her something that Azula would full well shout 'treason' at him for. Mai looked up at Azula and Ty Lee, "Hey."

The Two of them stopped, along with Zuko when Mai spoke.

"Zuko and I are going to stay down here and see if we can't interrogate some of the prisoners for more information on the rebel leaders." It was a command, not a request.

Azula nodded, favoring the idea; "Ty Lee and I will take to planning out the next few waves of battle while you two do that." Azula spun on her heel and continued walking. "I'll see you at dinner!"

Ty Lee smiled brightly at Mai who in her opinion had made a bold move. "Have fun!" She sent a teasing smile at her friend.

"You were saying?" Mai asked, turning to Zuko when Azula was out of hearing range. Zuko just lowered his head. "… Then apologize." She could read his expression. To make things easier, Azula had been doting on his betrayal to his uncle as a victory for the fire nation. "The prince has proven his loyalty." She would say.

"I can't just say I'm sorry and make something like this better." Zuko muttered.

"Fine then." Mai took a step over to the cell, "Hey, Uncle." Mai brushed off calling him 'Uncle' for the moment.

Zuko looked up quickly, casting a worried gaze at Mai, "Wait!"

Mai looked over her shoulder, "Why don't you go make him some tea? He'd like that. …and make sure you don't steep it too dark, alright?"

Zuko paused for a minute at her crack at his tea making skills, then remembered that he really wasn't that good, "Alright." He said softly, and walked off for a moment.

"You there?" Mai asked quietly.

There was a deep sigh from within the prison then Iroh stepped forward, looking tired and …well… old. "It's been a while since I've had a visitor." He spoke softly, "I would have thought that maybe another guard had come to heckle me, or Azula had come to tell me of my failure again."

Mai shook her head.

"If you don't mind my asking-" Iroh started.

"Zuko's fine, I told him to go get you tea… he'll be back in a minute." Mai let her expressions soften. This man before her had so often been kind to her through her childhood, and though she would not crack a smile, he understood fully. "…he's… sorry."

"Thank you…" Iroh was silent for a moment. Mai nodded and Iroh started again, "So, have to two spoken much?"

Mai beamed a little, looking at Iroh noticing him smirk, "A little…"

Iroh shook a finger at her, "You should try igniting the conversation. Although he has a very bold air to him, Zuko can tend to be a little air headed at times."

Mai smirked at the airhead remark.

"My nephew won't be willing to take the first step, so don't be afraid to take charge. His mother might have been the only submissive woman in the entire fire nation, but even she had to let my brother know that there were standing affections toward him on her side of the gates too. Though you do remind me a good amount of Ursa, don't forget that you have the fires of a warrior in your heart."

Mai paused and then opened her mouth shortly, "Wait, does Zuko-"

"I'm back." Zuko walked over muttering silently, handing Mai the tray with the tea on it. Mai looked at him, then down at the tea.

"Iroh?" She asked handing a cup to him through the bars.

"Thank you." Iroh took the cup and reluctantly took a sip. After confirming that his nephew had not utterly destroyed the tea he drank happily, "You're getting better at this Zuko." He laughed.

Zuko shrugged and focused on his shoes. "I guess so."

"You two should really visit me more often." Iroh joked, "You can't just leave an old man down here like this. They say if you leave your elders alone long enough that they'll come back to haunt you. Azula's already on my list."

Mai smiled at the old man. Iroh knew full well that the presence of his nephew allowed her to open up more, "So unc… gener… Iroh." Mai fumbled over names for him. She had called him uncle when she was younger; not knowing any better then the older man that was kind to her was called uncle only by Azula and Zuko. And when Azula had grown, she would commonly call him 'the general' out of respect to Azula and less for the idea of his standing in the army. "Have the guards been treating you alright?" Mai tried to make conversation hoping that Zuko would pop in at any moment.

"Eh." Iroh shrugged, "I suppose so, though they really aren't that chatty. It's quite boring down here." Iroh looked over at his nephew, "So how is your sister treating you?"

"Ok." Zuko mumbled, trying to not let his regret show. Mai softly placed a hand on his shoulder, which caused him to look at her for a moment, then back to the ground. "Better then before." He forced out.

Iroh nodded, "That's good. So have you decided when you're going back to the fire nation?"

Zuko shrugged, Mai took her hand off his shoulder, and Zuko looked up a little more, meeting his uncle's eyes some, "When she occupies the city."

Iroh nodded, "She seems to be handling this well." Iroh looked at Mai who had now become completely lost in her own thoughts, he figured about Zuko, "So Mai, what ever happened to that necklace that Ursa had you watch for her all these years?"

Mai's eyes quickly went to Iroh's and Zuko's head quickly turned, "Oh…"

Iroh smiled, "That's a very special necklace you know." Mai nodded silently, feeling her nerves shatter at Iroh's revealing that she had some connection with Ursa.

"…My mothers necklace?" Zuko bugged. "Why did she give it to you?"

"Well," Iroh butted in, "It's not as much your mothers as it is the fire nations." Mai loosened her collar and unclipped a circular metal ring from around her neck. She moved her bun as to not catch onto it.

"Here…" Mai showed the silver steel band with a long rectangle pendant to Iroh. "Any reason you ask about it?"

Iroh smiled, "The flames on it are still as bright as ever." He shook his head, "It's a wonder that my father gave this to him to pass down. Then again as of late the fire lord seems to be favoring the second born over the first."

Zuko prodded into their conversation, being fully caught up in why Mai had his mothers… no… his countries belonging in her possession. "What's this about?"

Iroh smiled, "The water benders have their engagement necklaces, the earth benders give one another flowers, and the members of the fire nation wear crowns. This is how we identify those connected correct?" Zuko nodded. "Well, about a hundred years back, the women of the fire nation established a rule that this necklace would be passed to the women who would sit beside the fire lord and rule." Iroh cleared his throat for a moment then went back to his lecture, "To make a long story short, your mother gave this necklace to Mai so that she would protect it from your sister and give it to you. …This basically gives you a better chance at being fire lord." Iroh took a sip of his tea and sighed. "She knew Azula would rule the Fire Nation just as my brother did. She was wise enough to realize the kinder ruler when things started off."

Zuko looked at Mai who was now lightly clutching the necklace to herself. "…My mother trusts you."

Mai nodded, realizing that it was more of a question then a statement, "It was about a month before the Agni Ki." The room remained silent for a moment then looking the other way; Mai shoved the necklace into Zuko's possession and sprinted off.

Iroh and Zuko stood silent for a moment till he rubbed his eyes and sighed, "I have to go get her…"

Iroh nodded, "I'll be here if you need someone to talk to." There was a pause and then Iroh chuckled.

Zuko looked at his uncle, "I'm sorry uncle."

"Hey, Don't worry about me." Uncle pointed down the hall, "Go check on her, she seems a little stressed out. Though I have no idea where that outburst came from." Zuko nodded and ran through the crystal corridors after her. Iroh smiled, "And she has your mothers whit too Zuko." Iroh nodded realizing she had repaired what she could of Iroh and Zuko's relationship. "The spark that lights the fire."

Mai slid behind some of the crystals that had overgrown in the prisons and sighed. She looked around for a moment then rubbed her neck slightly. "Oh well." Her hands missed the cold silver ring from her younger days, but knew full well that it wasn't hers to keep. It was meant for Zuko and not herself. She sat down on the dirt ground, annoyed by its dusting her clothes for a moment.

"Hey." Zuko stepped beside her. "Can I sit down?"

Mai shrugged, "I don't care." I wasn't running from you… her mind trailed.

Zuko grabbed her hand and looped the necklace onto it, "Here…"

For a moment Mai's scattered thoughts about Zuko and Iroh working things out, her actual confronting Zuko on her infatuation with him, and what Azula would have the cook prepare for dinner dissipated. "…" her mouth opened to say something then shut to only let out a little breath of air.

"She wanted you to have this…" His eyes wandered, "She trusted you with it… so I'll trust you with it."

Mai nodded a smile sliding across her features.

"If it comes down to me needing someone next to me on the throne, I'll consult you first." He seemed to command a response from her. His eyes met hers for a moment, then he broke away.

"Alright." She paused for a moment, then looped the ring back around her neck, and adjusted it in plain sight.

Zuko stood up, and reached his hand down to her, "Come on."

Mai smiled at him taking his hand, "You realize that Azula has no idea what this is right?" Mai allowed him to slightly heave her upward to her feet, slightly caching her by the arm. Her mind pondered it for a moment too, would he allow her to wear the engagement necklace of the fire nation with meaning?

"Yeah?" Zuko made sure she was on her feet and then tugged her along by the hand back toward his Uncle and the exit of the prison.

Mai obeyed, smiling at his leading her like she was a child, "Yeah… Ty Lee will catch on first."

Zuko nodded letting a smile spread across his face for a moment, "Then that's ok I guess."

As they passed Iroh's cell and headed up the stairs toward the normal quarters of the earth nation palace he barked out to them, "You Two Owe Me! I want TEA every day at noon!"

A/N: Ugh. I couldn't think of a way to end this one. -- this story got to ticking me off. Mai got too lose and Zuko was whiney. -- BLLLECCHHHH. I'll write a better one soon. I'll do fluff next time too. (Once I get my scanner, I'll also have them up online. Woo. They're not up yet, but they will be hopefully after about jan 07 thesilenttrowabarton. seems better after I edited it about 3 times.