w00t! My first FANFICTION OnEsHoT!! If any of you like my writing, I write on under the same name. Well, this is a Maizu (Maiko) OnEsHoT. I LOVE MAIZU!!! It's perfect!! Well, hope you likey!!

"Thank you for meeting me today girls." Azula said flauntingly. Mai and Ty Lee sat by Azula on a meeting room in the Fire Nation ship. The ship was set for the Fire Lord, after the victory at Ba Sing Se.

"So, what is this about Azula?" Ty Lee asked excitedly. Mai sighed. It was probably something stupid and pointless. But, then again, everything was stupid and pointless.

"You two have proven yourselves worthy." Azula said. "It's time I tell you the plan."

Mai and Ty Lee looked at each other. "Plan?" Mai asked. "What plan? We already captured Ba Sing Se, and your Uncle, and Zuko's on our side now, so what else is there to do?"

Azula smiled. "Well, here's the part I was really looking forward too." She said wickedly. "See, my Father will not accept Zuko, whether or not he helped claim Ba Sing Se. The moment he enters the Fire Nation palace, he will be arrested and, hopefully killed."

Ty Lee looked shocked. Mai's face held nothing, but her heart was beating. Fast. She would never have come if she knew…..Hurt Zuko? Get him killed?

"Mai." Mai's head snapped up and stared Azula in the face. "Whatever feelings you may or may not have for my brother, leave them. If you disobey me, I will kill you both." Azula thought for a moment. "And don't think your family would be safe from my wrath either."

Mai sat in stunned silence. "I understand, Princess Azula." She said finally.

Mai walked as carefully as she could down the narrow passage way. For the thousandth time, she cursed the boat and her inability to have sea legs.

Suddenly, the boat gave a particular nasty drop, causing the lanterns to hit the walls and break, shattering glass everywhere, and causing Mai to lose her balance. She teetered momentarily before plunging backwards.

"Oh, hey!" Mai felt strong arms catch her as she fell. She looked up to see Zuko. Her face felt hot. "Th-thanks." She mumbled quickly hiding her feelings.

She'd learned long ago that feelings got in the way of everything. She could hide them, but not from herself.

"Are you alright?" Zuko asked. Mai nodded slowly. No she wasn't though. The glass had shattered all over her. Even now small shards were sticking to her sleeves and biting into her palms.

Zuko saw the glass and gave a small smirk. "Geez, you have glass all over you." Zuko said, helping her up.

"Like I haven't noticed." Mai said. Suddenly, she froze. God, insulting him. Not a good idea.

Zuko didn't seem to notice though. Mai quickly took a step away from him and brushed the glass from her sleeves.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. Zuko watched her. "You still have glass in your hair." He commented. He reached out a hand and brushed it away. Mai stood stock still.

"What are you doing here?" She asked again. Zuko looked a little surprised.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. Mai scowled.

"This hallway only serves one purpose. To go to the prisoners. I patrol it."

Zuko looked like he had just been caught in the act of doing something he wasn't supposed to do. Anger and guilt crept up into his face.

"I-I, I guess I'll just go then."

'He wants to see his Uncle.' Mai thought suddenly. She felt a twinge in her heart. She wanted to let him see his uncle…but if Azula found out…. 'Azula'll never know.' Mai finally thought. She ran forward and grabbed Zuko's hand.

"You want to see your Uncle." She said. "I have the keys. I can let you."

Zuko stared at her for a moment, scrutinizing her. He seemed to decide she wasn't trustworthy, because he suddenly pressed her form against the wall and held her arms above her head.

"This is a trick isn't it?" He growled. "A ploy, so Azula can lock me up or worse."

Mai felt her heart race. Zuko's face was merely centimeters from her own. She could feel his hot breath on her pale face. Her throat was unusually tight

"No." She said. "I want you to see your Uncle. Do I honestly look like this kind of person who'd trick you?" She snapped.

Silence.

"Don't…answer that."

Zuko let go of her wrists and stared at her for a moment. "Why would you help me?" He asked.

Mai stared him in the eye. She gave herself a mental pat on the back. She'd never would've been able to do that before.

"Because I'm not Azula's pawn." She said finally. "I do what I feel is right when I feel like it."

Zuko crossed his arms and stared at her in a way that reminded her that he was a prince. "And this is the right thing for you to do how?"

Mai shrugged. "I'm bored." She said. In the faint broken, swaying lights, she could almost see Zuko smirk.

"Alright." He said finally. "I'm trusting you…..Mai…" He said.

Mai's face turned an impossible red as Zuko brushed past her. He was trusting her…

'I won't let you down Zuko.'

They stood on the side of the ship, watching a smaller Fire Nation boat pull up to their own and take a prisoner to the prisoner camp on the other side of the Fire Nation.

Zuko's head hung. His Uncle was being loaded onto that boat. There was nothing he could do.

Mai stood next to him. Her heart beat with sorrow for him, yet none of it showed on her face. As they watched Iroh bored the ship, Zuko's head hung low.

Possessed by a power not her own, Mai made a simple movement. Simple really, but it meant the world to her. She reached out her hand and gently put it on Zuko's, for a passing moment, like it was an accident.

But he had felt it, and she had felt it, and that's all there was to it.

Mai looked at Ty Lee and Azula. Ty Lee's eyes looked watery and scared, Azula looked triumphant.

Things just couldn't get worse.

Oh wait, they could.

"There's been a change of plans." Azula told Mai and Ty Lee latter that night. Mai sighed. "Another change? Jeez Azula, you sure know how to keep life interesting." Mai huffed sarcastically.

"What's the new orders boss?" Ty Lee asked.

Azula smiled. "Tonight, the boat that carried off my uncle will be back for Zuko. He'll be brought to the same camp and be out of our hair for good."

Ty Lee and Mai looked at each other. Mai couldn't breathe. Someone, or something, had squeezed her chest tight. It was only when she realized she was holding her breathe did she breathe again.

"I don't…I don't want to." Ty Lee said. Azula shot her a malevolent glare.

"Excuse me?" She asked in a dangerous whisper.

Ty Lee stood up. "I, I don't want to Azula. I'm sorry, but this was not what you told me when you took me from the circus. And to be honest, I never wanted to leave the circus and join you. I'm sorry, but I won't."

Azula glared at Ty Lee for a long, deathly silent moment. In a sudden movement, a blue streak left Azula's fingers and hit Ty Lee in the shoulder. She screamed and fell to the ground, grabbing her profoundly bleeding shoulder and twitching in pain. Her tears were mixing with the blood on the ground.

"Ty Lee!" Mai cried, breaking her apathetic state and rushing to her friend.

" Don't touch her Mai." Azula said softly. Mai jumped back, eyes wide.

"Guards!" Azula called. Two guards rushed in. "Take Ty Lee to the prison hold. Two nights there should remind her who she works for." The guards nodded and dragged Ty Lee from the room.

Mai stared at Azula. Who was this monster? Azula sighed. "It's good to see you've chosen my side Mai." Azula said effortlessly. Mai put her mask on and nodded.

"You may go. Oh, and Mai?" Mai turned around and looked into Azula's cold copper eyes.

"I won't go so easy on the next person who betrays me. You're excused."

Mai walked silently down the echoing corridors. Her footsteps were loud and echoed like she was in a cave. Her mind was so full………….

"I'm trusting you…..Mai…" How could he trust her now?

"Whatever feelings you may or may not have for my brother, leave them. If you disobey me, I will kill you both." Azula thought for a moment. "And don't think your family would be safe from my wrath either." She didn't care so much of her own life, but she did worry about his. And it's not like she hated her family. They just bored her to tears. She'd never condemn them to death!

"I'm trusting you…..Mai…"

Mai sighed again and leaned up against the cold wall. Life was to confusing. Outside, the wind howled. A storm was coming. She took a knife from her pouch and examined it closely.

'I've lived a full life.' She mused, running her finger over the sharp edge, irritating her skin

'Yes, a very full life indeed.'

Zuko was sitting on his bed. Clothes from the day still on, he watched the flickering candle make dancing shadows upon his pale hands. He listened to the howling winds and made a very clever conclusion.

Life sucked.

His head snapped up at the sound of pounding on his door. He slowly walked over and opened it.

"Hello-?" A figure burst into his room and shut the door quickly. On a closer inspection, he saw it was Mai.

"Mai?" He asked, bemused.

"You have to get off this ship. Now." Mai said in a rushed voice. Zuko looked at her. Her apathetic state was broken. Her eyes were wide and her breath uneven.

"Get off the ship?" Zuko repeated. "Why?"

Mai shook her head. "Azula…..she's planning to betray you. The ship that took your Uncle is coming back for you. Tonight. We don't have much time."

Zuko shook his head. "Why should I believe you?" He asked.

Mai was anxious. She could hear Azula talking to someone on the deck. The waves were crashing unnaturally hard against the side of the boat. They were here.

"Why shouldn't you believe me?" Mai asked. "Please! Look, when Azula told us about this an hour ago, Ty Lee refused. Azula shot her with her lighting and ordered her to be put in the brig for two days. I won't watch you get hurt. Please." She added.

Zuko's eyes were misgiving. "Why would you help me?" He asked.

Mai listened to the footsteps on the deck. They didn't have time.

"Oh God. We don't have time for this!" Mai cried. In a last attempt to get Zuko to trust her, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Zuko held her kiss in shock for a moment that felt like an eternity. His fingers brushed her cheek lightly

Mai's first thought was; 'Oh. My. God! I'm actually kissing him!'

Her second thought was; 'Zuko is a great kisser!'

Her third thought was that she'd put this off for way to long.

Against her will, Mai slowly pulled away. "C'mon." She whispered hurriedly. She grabbed Zuko's arms, but he turned and walked towards his bed.

"What? Please, Zuko-!" Mai head footsteps getting closer. Zuko turned back around, eyebrow raised, with two swords in his hand. Mai didn't even begin to wonder where he'd gotten them. She grabbed his arm again and led him out the door.

"Where is he!?"

"I-I'm not sure your highness!!! He-he-he wasn't in his room-"

"Well find him!"

Azula turned an angry scowl to her brother's room. Suddenly, a thought occurred.

"Soldier! Fetch Lady Mai from her room at once!"

"But-Princess Azula! It's midnight! She'll be sleeping!"

There was the sound of lighting zapping through the air and a cry of pain.

"WAKE HER THEN!" Azula thundered.

The guard ran off. Little did Azula know that her brother and her friend were miles away already. Out of her reach, and out of her trust.

Water slapped against the side of Azula's ship. Mai opened the hatch as quickly as possible while Zuko set the ship in place.

"Okay, so you should be able to get out of here without Azula noticing, and I can probably sneak back to my room in time…" Mai turned to Zuko.

"Please, Azula threatened to kill my family. Can you…..please go to Omash- er- New Ozai and warn them? Please?"

Zuko looked deep into her colorless slivery eyes and nodded slowly.

'Why is she doing this for me if she knows her family is at stake?' Zuko thought. His eyes locked onto Mai's once more and suddenly he understood.

Mai turned to go. "Good luck Zuko. I-" She felt a firm hand grasp her upper arm. She turned slowly and came face to face with Zuko. His eyes were masked, except for a glint of hopefulness.

"Mai, come with me." Zuko whispered. Mai stood stock still. "Please." Zuko added.

Mai stared at him, eyes wide. "Why would you want me to come?" She asked. Footsteps were heard above their heads. They needed to hurry.

Zuko refused to break his gaze from Mai's. "Because." That's all he could say.

He pulled Mai's arm sharply towards him. She fell onto him, but he caught her, bringing his face to her own. His burning mouth pressed against her. Mai once again felt pure bliss. She opened her mouth, granting him access. Her hands latched themselves around his neck as his hands supported her on her lower back.

They broke apart after what seemed to be hours. Zuko pressed his forehead against hers.

"C'mon. We need to go." Mai swallowed and nodded.

As the ship headed for Omashu, Mai felt two tears snake down her cheeks. Her apathetic mask had broken.

Shattered like glass.