Mei's Discovery
Mei knew the moment she entered the room that something was wrong.
She hesitated at the doorway, hand reaching out to grip the doorjamb. Dark eyes flicked back and forth, searching for the source of her unease. Flexing her other hand she felt the cool touch of metal as one of her throwing knives slid into her grasp.
Still, she could not bring herself to enter the room. A sixth sense whispered in the back of her mind, warning her that the moment she crossed the threshold of her room, things would change. She could taste it on her tongue, feel it hovering over her like a dark cloud.
Disgusted with her own unease, Mei snorted, then strode into the room, though she did not relinquish her throwing knife. Steps light, she slowly entered the room, dark gaze flicking back and forth. When she found nothing out of the ordinary she frowned, slipping the knife back up her sleeve. Rubbing her temples, she flopped down onto her bed. "What are you doing Mei. Stop being so stupid."
Staring up at the soft felt drapes of her bed, she allowed a soft smile to touch her lips. She and Zuko had spent the whole day together, just sitting next to each other, talking. It was a dream come true, one she'd almost given up.
Mei sighed. When she was younger, she'd always had feelings for the Fire Prince. She had done everything possible to keep her feelings from both Azula, knowing the mean spirited girl would make it her mission in life to torture them both for it. She still did even to this day.
But now that didn't matter. She and Zuko were together, and that was all that mattered. Still smiling, she reached up to lay a finger against her lips. And she had to give the boy credit, he was certainly a good kisser.
She was still smiling when she rolled on to her stomach, coming face to face with a piece of paper. Sitting up, Mei was overwhelmed with another moment of wrongness, a silent cry that something was horribly wrong. Reaching out with a hand that trembled minutely, she picked up the piece of paper, taking in the words painted across the vivid white in gleaming strokes of black.
Slowly, she began to read.
As her eyes devoured the words on the page, her jaw clenched, pain etched in the corner of her eyes as she fought the urge to cry. Her other hand gripped the soft comforter as she anchored herself against the words that were slowly ripping out her heart.
Once she was done, she let the paper slip from her grasp, watching absently as it fluttered to the bed. Then she darted off the bed in a flurry of movement. Face set in a grim mask, she sprinted from the room, hair flying out behind her in two dark streamers. She ignored the startled looks on those she passed by, darting and ducking as she blew by them, uncaring of the sounds of battle she could hear in the distance.
As she ran her mind raced with the implications of what she'd just read. Her heart thudded against her breast bone in a painful combination of exertion and fear, anguish and fury. Zuko couldn't have done this, couldn't have decided to leave. It was a joke, an awful, sick joke of Azula's. Mei had to believe that.
Racing around the corner, she almost plowed right into a platoon of guards, all bearing weapons and covered in grime from battle. She tried to swerve around them, but the leader grabbed her arm, hauling her back. "My lady, you must run. The palace is under attack."
Scowling at him, Mei jerked her arm free. "I know that. I can take care of myself."
"But my lady-"
Mei lifted her chin, affecting what she had come to think of as her Azula face. "I am companion to Princess Azula. Do you honestly believe that I am incapable of handling myself. Now if you don't mind, stop being so troublesome and let me continue." Without waiting for the soldier to agree she sprinted past him ignoring his shouts for her to stop.
He didn't understand. She couldn't stop. She had to know. Had to be absolutely sure before she allowed her heart to shatter into millions of pieces. Because if it did shatter, she didn't know if she would be able to find all the pieces again. Not when it was Zuko.
The sounds of battle rippled and twisted through her ears, sounding distorted as they drifted through the window. She could hear the screams and blasts, the giant whooshes that was bending at its most vicious. Mei had never needed bending. She'd known others who had been jealous of those gifted with bending, and Mei had only thought them fools. A person didn't need bending to be dangerous, something she proved on a daily basis. Only fools relied on bending for everything.
She raced by a row of windows that viewed the outside courtyard, and the destruction beyond. Glimpsing it out of the corner of her eye, she was unable to resist the impulse to stop. Skidding to a halt in front of a window, she took the last steps needed to bring everything into full view.
Smoke billowed as bombs exploded overhead, raining down smoke and debris. Men raced back and forth; weapons clashing, and bodies colliding. Screams of pain and fury carried over everything, audibly heard over the grinding of rock, the swish of water slicing through the air. She did not hear the familiar sizzle of fire. Dark eyes flicked up to the sky, viewing the black moon surrounded by the corona of the sun.
It was ironic that something so beautiful could be so dangerous for her people.
Soon even the battle below wasn't enough to hold her, and she once again sprinted down the hall. Every second seemed to stretch out before her, lengthening the amount of time it was taking her to navigate the endless halls. Her feet thumped over the soft carpets and marble floors, echoing the endless beat of her own heart.
It couldn't be true.
It just couldn't be true.
Finally she slowed, her breath slow and even. Without pausing she shoved open the door, uncaring of the way it banged against the wall. She strode into the room, searching for a familiar presence. "Zuko!"
Only silence greeted her, wrapping around her with its cold embrace. Mei stood in the middle of the room, feeling forlorn and alone, unable to deny what she now knew to be true.
Zuko was gone.
Then the rage descended, blinding in its intensity, strangling her even as it invigorated. It raced through her veins like a wild fire, and Mei wondered if this was what it felt like to fire bend, with all that rage and pain crackling at her fingertips. With a snarl she whirled around, hurling several of her blades at the wall. She hardly heard the sound of them hitting the wall, consumed with the pain that flashed through her, tearing at her insides until all she wanted to do was scream.
But even as she pain sliced through her into soft flesh, her face remained stoic. Even as tears streamed down her face in gleaming trails, her face remained a blank mask.
With a twist of her wrist another blade slid into her grip. Lifting it she stared at the gleaming surface, her pale face reflected in the shining metal. "Why did you do this Zuko? Why now? When everything is going so good."
Still staring at the blade, she bowed her head, her bangs falling to shade her eyes.
"Zuko."
Dear Mei,
I'm sorry that you have to find out this way,
but I'm leaving.
I've decided that being the Fire Prince
isn't in my destiny.
My uncle tried to get me to understand,
But I wouldn't listen.
It's probably too late,
but if I don't act now, I truly will have no honor.
I'm sorry.
Zuko.
A/N: I was watching the last season of Avatar today when this little one shot idea came to me. Mei is my favorite character, and I thought it would be nice to give her a moment.