Yet another song-fic. However, this one is a little different than what I usually write. . . Just as a fair warning, there is attempted suicide in this. I know, weird coming from me, huh?
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One Day I'll Fly Away from Moulin Rouge
She had been a bit envious of the Air Benders, and their ability to fly. Even sometimes she wished she could take a ride on the Avatar's bison, and see the view from up high. But alas, that could never happen.
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It had been gray and cold all day, the wind picking up speed as it got later. Mai was standing alone on a small cliff, looking down at small view of the Earth Kingdom. Now that Ba Sing Se had been taken over, the Earth Kingdom was slowly crumbling down to it's total defeat. The four of them, Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and now Zuko, had stopped in a fairly large town; Kan Shi.
Azula loved terrorizing the citizens, and Zuko and Ty Lee only did what they were told. Mai, however, was thoroughly bored with harassing people for the fun of it, and found no point in doing so.
She sighed, and pushed her hair out of her face as the wind gained speed and howled through the dark evening.
I follow the night
Can't stand the light
When will I begin to live again
Mai had been a gloomy person her whole life, that's just who she was. She had faced her worst depression not that long ago. Mai had taken Prince Zuko's banishment worse than he had, and he was the one that was not allowed to return to the Fire Nation.
It was silly, really. Mai had been upset because she wouldn't be able to see the prince ever again. It had started as a childhood crush, until she saw Zuko again, and realized it never went away. But of course, Zuko was much too awkward around girls, and most likely didn't enjoy affection, meaning that he wouldn't return whatever feelings Mai still harbored for the prince.
The wind died down a bit, and Mai stepped slightly closer to the edge of the bridge, bit still having plenty of space.
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
What more could your love do for me
When will love be through with me
Why live life from dream to dream
And dread the day when dreaming ends
Mai's life had always seemed boring. Nothing really every seemed exciting to her, it was all bland.
She shivered as it became windy again. But the cold felt good, and her she shivered once more as the wind swept up through the sleeves of her shirt.
She closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply and letting everything out.
Taking another step closer, Mai had this longing to jump off the edge of the cliff, and start all over again. It wasn't exactly death that she wanted, just to start fresh, and forget everything. Forget Zuko. She wished she had never developed that silly old crush on him when she was nine. It would have made things so much easier. She probably wouldn't be standing a foot away from the edge of a cliff on a cold, gray, windy evening.
It had been Mai's dream, especially when she had been younger, that when Zuko became Fire Lord she could be the Fire Lady. But that dream came to a crashing halt when he had been banished. And even if both of them are working with Azula, the princess would never allow it.
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
Why live life from dream to dream
And dread the day when dreaming ends
Now, dangerously close to the edge, and goose-bumps all over her arms and legs, Mai took one look back. She looked down at Kan Shi, and the small palace that she had been living in for the past week, and the Earth Kingdom, and the towns people Azula had been terrorizing. One more look. She would have liked to take at least one more look at Zuko, once more before she forgot about him.
But now, Mai could leave everything behind when she started anew. She would forget all of her feelings for the prince, her boring life, her best friends Ty Lee and Azula, everything. And that's what she wanted.
Mai hesitated, though, and thought, "Is this really what I want?" Her life seemed meaningless, if she was going to spend the rest of it chasing after the Avatar, knowing full well that he and his friends would escape Azula's clutches as they always do.
"Mai," A voice called from behind. Mai slowly turned her head, and saw that Zuko was standing just a few feet behind her, holding a black cloak.
"Come on, it's freezing out here." He said, his face straight and almost emotionless as it usually was, aside from anger.
Mai was unsure of what to do now. Had he known she was here? Was he stopping her? She closes her eyes, and heavily breathed in the crisp air. Brushing her hair out of her face again, she slowly took a step back, knowing full well that the prince was probably annoyed with her dawdling. But Mai wasn't dawdling, she was merely taking her time, unsure if she was making the right decision.
She heard him sigh quietly, and she smiled to herself.
"You must be cold." Zuko said, handing the cloak to Mai. She nodded, and took the outer clothing, her hand brushing against his. Her already pink face, from the wind, grew slightly warm and reddened a little.
One day I'll fly away
Fly, fly away. . .
Yes, one day Mai would fly away, but that day wouldn't come for a long time.
And as she walked back into the town, Zuko walking closer than usual next to her, his left arm outstretched with a flame in it, Mai neither knew nor cared which choice would have been the right one.
Mai thought that Azula had sent Zuko to look for her, because Zuko would probably had never noticed that she was gone.
But that thought came to an end when Mai felt Zuko's hand grazed against hers, as when she was accepting the cloak, and not leaving her touch.
Mai looked at him, wondering whether he knew that their hands were actually touching, and saw that the banished prince's face had even turned a slight shade of red.
Smiling for the first time in a while, Mai tried keeping her concentration on the fire and staying warm through the rest of their walk to the palace, but couldn't help but keep glancing at Zuko, now knowing that she wasn't quite ready to fly.
Mai's life wasn't boring after all, and she was glad that she still harbored those silly feelings for the prince.
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday. . .
They arrived at the palace, the streets completely empty, the sky darker and gloomier, and Zuko put out the fire in his hand.
"Thank you," Mai whispered.
Zuko merely nodded, and Mai caught a glimpse of a small smile that was so rare to be seen upon his face.
Mai was now blushing deeper as Zuko led her in the building, his hand fully entwined with hers, but neither of them were making note of it. It was surprising, really, how this usually angered prince, who was also awkward around girls aside from his family, could be showing physical affection with a straight face. Or how the usually bleak nobleman's daughter could actually have something- someone- worth living for.
Fly, flay away. . .
Ha, I found some more things in here that needed to be fixed. That, and I had forgotten to put a warning at the beginning about Mai almost killing herself.
