Hero Worship
It seemed that all the girls in Mai's class at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, along with the class above and the class below, were obsessed with the latest romantic play by famed writer and member of the Ember Island Players troupe, Ken Ikari. Each one of them carried a copy in their brown leather satchel and during lunch and recess recited the lines as if they were the star struck lovers themselves.
Mai, eleven years old and already a cynic, thought it was foolish and watched the commotion with a weary and jaded eye. She slouched by herself against the cold stone wall that surrounded the entire school, shaded by the large chestnut tree planted on the opposite side. Its foliage spread outward like a cooling green canopy, little bits of sunlight making their way through any gaps in the leaves. The shrieks and sighs and swoons seemed to fade into the background.
"Idiots," the girl declared in a bored voice, giving the red ribbon that hung from her hair a little tug.
Hidden inside her tunic, against the strict school rules, was a knife. Mai took it out and pressed its sharp tip against her finger before holding it in what she assumed was the proper way. At home, alone in her perfect room, designed for the perfect noble girl, she threw the knife against the perfectly papered wall. But here, at school, she couldn't throw for fear of being caught by either one of the many snitches, eager to get in good with the teachers, or one of the dried up old teachers themselves.
Mai hated school. It was nothing but an extension of home and she hated that too. Sure they were allowed a bit of martial arts training during the mandatory physical education period, but for the most part, the young ladies who attended the Academy, were expected to sit, and listen and then regurgitate boring, useless information about the March of Civilization or one of the Fire Nation's great inventions. There was no room for creativity or free thinking. There was no room for individuality. And there was certainly no room for throwing knives. They were widgets, who in a few years would be married to their male counterparts. Mai shuddered at the thought.
Looking about carefully, suddenly not worried about who saw, she threw her knife at a small palm that stood straight and solitary a few feet away. It landed in the tree's flesh with a satisfying smacking sort of sound. Mai smiled, jumped up and retrieved the blade, slipping it back inside her tunic.
"What was that, Mai?" Princess Azula, most important girl at the entire academy, the one person everyone there feared, approached Mai with arms crossed and a very teacher like expression on her face.
"Nothing," Mai lied. She brushed thick black bangs off her forehead and then put her hands behind her back, linking her fingers together.
"Oh, I think it was something but I'll let it go for now. Why aren't you with the other girls, swooning and moaning like a stupid, sick cow? You certainly do it around my brother."
Mai shrugged and stared down at the ground. She curled her tiny hands into fists, though, and felt the warm rush of blood in her cheeks. "I'd rather be here, by myself." 'Or with Zuko,' she mouthed, but did not say aloud.
"Well, I would rather be bending. Love is for sissies and fools." Azula adjusted her school uniform, smoothing down the wrinkles, and then straightened her brown hair, making certain not one strand was out of place. "Recess is over, Mai. Let's go."
The bell sounded seconds after and each girl entered the appropriate lineup. They walked forward, careful not to tread on the girl ahead and then disappeared inside the academy walls.
"Mai, did you hear?" A plain girl with wiry dark hair put her hands together and sucked in her breath. "Ken Ikari is coming to the Academy. He's actually coming here. Can you believe it? I'm so excited. I'm going to do my best to sit in the front row. Aren't you excited Mai?"
"No." Mai took out her calligraphy brush and got ready for the afternoon's first lesson.
"Geez, what's wrong with you? You're always such a downer." The girl huffed and quickly took her own seat, not bothering to look Mai's way again.
Their teacher, Mrs. Obuka, made the official announcement at the end of the day's classes. She was almost as excited as the girls, turning pink and wiping at damp eyes. "It's true, class. The esteemed playwright, Ken Ikari, will be at our school tomorrow afternoon. He will read excerpts from his latest play as well as take questions, well only specific questions, from the audience. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, girls. I expect everyone to be on her best behavior."
The girls erupted into loud chatter, huddling together in groups. No one noticed when Mai slipped from the room, left the academy and made her way home.
At dinner that evening, Mai's mother brought up the topic of Mr. Ikari. As far as Mai could tell, the entire female population of Capitol City, with the exception of Azula and herself, was besotted with the playwright.
"Do you know how lucky you are, young lady? Ken Ikari will be in the same room with you. Agni, he is so handsome and has the dreamiest voice. Remember when we saw that play last summer, Mai? It was incredible. I couldn't take my eyes off the stage."
Mai stared at her mother as if she had sprouted a third eye. "I fell asleep." The eleven year old bent her head and took another spoonful of soup.
"Sen, can't you do something with her. Why does she have to be so different from the other girls?" The perfectly coiffed woman turned pleading gold eyes on her husband. "She's so dour and depressing all the time. I'm sure that Prince Zuko never even looks at her. She has a real opportunity there and she needs to learn to act like a proper, happy young lady."
Mai's father glanced between the woman and the girl. He would have to live with his wife for many years to come. Mai might be gone in just a few years. He looked at his daughter sternly.
"What it is, Dad?" Mai sat up straight as the servant cleared the bowls from the table.
"Enjoy this actor, writer man, whoever he is, tomorrow. It means a lot to your mother." That was the end of the discussion. "And try to put a smile on your face for once. It won't crack you know."
Mai rolled her eyes and put her hands in her lap. She wanted to tell her father that she did smile; when she threw her knives or when Prince Zuko invited her to feed the turtleducks with him. But there wasn't much point. He never really listened anyway.
She thought about the next day and wished that she had the nerve to skip school. Sighing, Mai stabbed at a piece of beef. Taking her anger out on innocent bits of food would have to do for now.
Mai walked to school by herself now. The Academy wasn't far from her home and when she had turned ten, her mother and father decided she could brave the streets of Capitol City alone. Besides, Azula often passed by in her palanquin and ordered Mai along with their other friend, Ty Lee, inside. It happened the next morning.
"You should feel privileged that you get to ride in the palanquin with the princess of the Fire Nation," Azula admonished a sour looking Mai. "Do you have any idea what this will do for your status?"
"Everyone already knows we're friends, Azula. It's not a secret." Mai spoke with a little more vitriol than was normal for her.
The princess leaned back into a wall of cushions. "Well, someone's in a bad mood this morning," she sneered.
Ty Lee, ten years old like the princess, stared at the area around Mai's head. "Yeah, Mai, your aura is grimier than usual. Cheer up! We get to see Ken Ikari today."
"I know." Mai turned her face away from both girls and peeked out through the thick velvet curtains that hid royalty from prying public eyes.
Once the palanquin stopped in front of the ornate front gates of the Academy, the girls slipped out and onto the neatly swept stone street. Ty Lee skipped ahead, humming happily to herself, while Azula surveyed the school grounds and the students with a harsh eye. Mai looked too, at the chattering girls holding on to their books, and then took a step back. She took another step away from the gates, turned and ran.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" the princess shouted after her retreating figure. "You're going to be in trouble."
Mai didn't care and kept on running.
She wandered about the city furtively, keeping to shadows and dark corners. Truant officers roamed all Fire Nation towns and cities looking for rebellious children and dragging them back to the appropriate school. Unfortunately, Mai's uniform was a giveaway and there was nothing she could do about that. She would simply have to be very, very careful.
The adults of the city went about their business; they shopped, worked, gossiped with friends, took young children on outings or simply enjoyed the wonderful spring weather. No one seemed to pay Mai any mind. The black haired girl wondered what she should do with the rare freedom that she had stolen for herself. Strange how with freedom in her grasp, it was difficult to make a decision.
Mai had a bit of money and thought about having lunch later at one of those stands her mother never allowed her to buy food from. She thought they were unsanitary and disgusting while Mai thought that everything smelled intoxicating. Yes, that's what she would do, but first she would spend time in that weapons shop around the corner. Mother never let her go there either.
Heads swiveled around when she entered and Mai found herself under the curious scrutiny of one male shopkeeper and three male customers. She blushed and her palms began to sweat but she pushed forward anyway.
"If memory serves me right, little girl, today is a school day. What are you doing wandering around the city and why in Agni's name are you in my weapon's shop?" The store owner was kindly looking enough with his full head of grey hair and his warm brown eyes, but his expression was stern.
"I like weapons." That was the only answer Mai gave.
The shopkeeper shrugged and recalled his own years in school. He had skipped more days than he could count, and broken his mother's heart dozens of times. Who was he to judge? "Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"
"I like to throw knives. I'm good at it." Mai kept her eyes on the beautiful displays. Everything was so shiny and sharp looking. She wanted to take all the blades, swords, knifes, darts, all of them, down from the walls and shelves and touch.
"Well, well, that's an unusual hobby for a girl. Don't you like to write haikus or paint?"
"I hate haiku. I like knives. May I touch them?"
The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with his customers. Mai had officially been deemed weird in their eyes.
"All right then, which one would you like to look at?" He moved from behind the counter and stood beside Mai. He had the urge to pat her on the head. She was cute after all, lovely really, but he had a feeling that Mai would not appreciate it.
"Those." Mai pointed to a set of four bo shuriken with tiny cloth flights at their ends. They were polished and beautiful and sat in a box lined with red velvet. The girl could see that they were finely crafted.
"Nice choice." The man took the box down and handed it to Mai. "You can take one out, but be careful." He was enjoying himself now. Most of his customers took the weapons for granted while Mai's eyes shone with a rare delight.
Gingerly, Mai pulled out one bo shuriken and examined it closely, feeling the weight of it in her hand, wondering what it would be like to throw. "How much do they cost?"
"I only sell the best here. Everything is of the best quality. We even carry swords hand crafted by the great Piandao himself. In fact, the master is due to bring me a few today, any minute in fact."
Mai forgot about the shuriken as soon as she heard the name Piandao. He was a legend, a great swordsman, a man who had the courage to leave the Fire Nation army after years of brilliance, a man who fought off one hundred soldiers sent to bring him in. Piandao was not a bender, just like Mai, but he was one of the best soldiers ever produced by the Fire Nation and without a doubt the best swordsman in the entire world. Here was someone she was actually interested in meeting. Here was someone with talent and tenacity, someone who had worked hard to attain the level of skill he now had.
Mai's heart beat a bit faster in her chest and her palms began to sweat again. "P, Piandao is coming here?"
"So you do know who he is? Schools don't usually mention him because of that whole desertion thing. In fact, it's amazing that he's permitted in Capitol City at all. I suppose no one could stop him." The man leaned close to Mai then, took the shuriken from her hand and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Yes, he's coming. His swords, though very expensive, sell quickly. I'll introduce you. What's your name?"
"Mai."
"Okay, Mai, why don't you sit down over there and wait."
Mai nodded, took a seat and kept watch.
The bell over the shop door rang and a tall man with skin much darker than Mai's, warm hazel eyes and maroon robes trimmed with gold, stepped across the threshold. It was Piandao. Mai had read enough and heard enough about the man to get a general idea of what he looked like. She wanted to jump up from her seat, but resisted. Patience and restraint would be far better in this situation.
"Hideki, it's good to see you. I've brought along three swords today." Piandao placed the sheathed blades on the counter and then bowed respectfully to the shopkeeper.
Hideki bowed back and then proceeded to examine each of the new swords, exclaiming loudly each time he unsheathed one. "Beautiful, simply beautiful; your craftsmanship cannot be beaten, my friend. It is an honour to sell your work in my humble shop."
"Thank you, Hideki; we'll keep the ususal arrangement then?"
"Yes, the usual arrangement."
The shopkeeper's eyes were still trained on the blades and Mai was certain that he had forgotten about her. Boldly, she got up from the chair, approached Piandao, and bowed with more respect than she had ever given anyone. The swordmaster looked at the young girl curiously.
"Hideki, are you hiring young truants now?" His voice was filled with mirth and his kind eyes sparkled.
"Huh, oh, no, I didn't hire Mai. She, um, well, she came into the shop and was looking at some shuriken. She likes to throw knives apparently. I mentioned you and said that I would introduce her." Hideki finally managed to wrest his eyes from the swords. "I think that you are her hero."
"Hmmm," Piandao mused as he stroked his neatly trimmed beard. "Look at me, girl."
Mai raised her head and met the master's gaze. She cursed the pink that rose to her cheeks again and the tongue that felt all tangled up in her mouth.
"So, you like to throw knives?" Piandao was trying hard to start a conversation.
Finally, her tongue loosened and Mai could speak. "Yes, yes, I do. I love bladed weapons and I admire you very much."
"Thank you. I'm not an expert with knives but perhaps you could show me what you can do. We can use the courtyard out back. I'm sure Hideki won't mind." He nodded at Mai encouragingly.
Mai was thrilled, though it was difficult to tell. "You would do that for me? Thank you so much."
"Sure, why not? You don't smile a lot, do you? It's okay, you know, to show people that you're happy if you are."
Instantly, Mai was reminded of her father's words from the evening before. But Piandao's meaning was completely different than her father's had been. She did smile then, brightly, and the swordmaster let out a little chuckle.
"Let's go then; Hideki, hand me a set of knives, will you."
Mai was sent to her room as soon as she got home. Her parents were livid with anger, but Mai didn't care. She ignored the lecture about responsibility and decorum and propriety. She ignored her mother's talk about shame and disappointment. None of that mattered.
Curled up on her luxurious bed, pillows piled all around her, Mai recalled her brief time with Piandao. For those few minutes, what she wanted and what she desired and what she was actually good at mattered to someone. Mai couldn't wait to tell Zuko all about it. Pressing her face into a particularly plump pillow so that no one could hear, Mai laughed.