-62 Days-
(An Avatar: The Last Airbender Fan Fic) By Selena Anuri
[A/N: I was inspired by NinjaMai's Fic Letters and I wrote my own 'letters that no one ever reads' fic. Here it is. Takes place during Mai and Ty Lee's imprisonment after they turn on Azula in Boiling Rock Part II.]
[Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, the storyline, the characters, or the scene at the end. All i really own are the letters that Mai writes.]
Drip, drip, drip. A steady leak in Mai's cell created the monotonous clock of her life. She listened to it halfheartedly as she reread Zuko's letter. She had it memorized. The dark girl knew every word by heart. When she closed her eyes the characters would be there on the back of her eyelids. They were burned into her skin like a scar she would carry for the rest of her life. Slowly the weapons mistress folded the precious letter and slid it into her robes close to her heart. It rested there where she could always feel it. Calmly she picked up the brush the guards had given her and began to write.
Day 2 in Hell
Dear Asshole,
She paused and scratched out the last line.
Dear Bastard Traitor,
I hate you so much right now. If you come back to break me out I won't go.
I'd rather rot in this cell than see your face again.
Your X-girlfriend
Mai
Day 5
Dear Jerk-face,
Prison is boring. The guards' mindless chatter is boring. Treachery is boring.
Ty Lee's complaining is boring. These four walls are boring. Nightmares are
boring. Staring up at the same patch of sky for hours is boring. Listening
to the prisoners is boring. Hating you is boring.
The girl who's going to slit your throat
Mai
Day 9
Dear Zuko,
Coming up with names for you is boring. Coming up with titles for me is boring.
Mai
Day 15
Dear Zuko,
I don't understand why you hate this country so much. You told me in the
interrogation cell that the way you see things you're saving your country.
The Fire Nation is spreading its greatness and prosperity to all the people
of the world. Why are you against that?
Mai
Day 19
Dear Zuko,
I forgot to tell you in my previous letter how boring life is in this prison. It's
always hot and humid and loud. The guards are always flirting with Ty Lee
and the prisoners are emotionally dead. I also forgot to tell you I hate you.
Mai
Day 26
Dear Zuko,
I meet a man from the Northern Water tribe who was captured during the
siege last year. You were there if I remember the report correctly. He told
me his story. It was boring. It rained today. That was boring too.
Mai
Day 32
Dear Zuko,
I meet an Earth Kingdom soldier today named Sensu. He told me about
his family and their farm back home. He has a little brother like I do. His
name is Lee. Sensu said he worries about his little brother every day.
His story was boring. This place is boring. Life is boring.
Mai
Day 34
Dear Zuko,
I am starting to understand why you left. I hear so many things in this
place that I never would have learned before. In school we were taught
that the Fire Nation was helping the inferior people. In this prison I have
learned the horrors of what we have really done. I think about all the
other prisons in the Earth Kingdom filled with Earthbenders whose only
crime was their birth.
Mai
Day 40
Zuko,
I dreamed you were dead last night. I woke up in my cell shaking. I'm
still shaking now because that dream could so easily be real.
Mai
Day 44
Zuko,
Thinking about all the stupid ways you could get yourself killed before I
see you again is boring. Thinking about all the reasons why I will never
be able to see you again is boring. Thinking of all the terrible things Azula
will do to kill you is boring. Staying up all night to avoid the nightmares is
boring.
Mai
P.S. Don't die stupid!
Day 48
Dear Zuko,
My mother sent me a letter. Her naïve rambling about your betrayal was
boring. Her stories of TomToms first words that I missed were boring. Her
stories about the Fire Nation's success was boring. Missing you is boring.
Prison food is boring. Dreams are boring. Living is still boring. Dying would
be even more boring I suppose.
Mai
Day 52
Dear Zuko,
It's been over a month since I last saw you and even longer since I last told
you I love you. I want one more minuet with you so I can say those words.
Sill yours
Mai
Day 60
Dear Zuko,
I want to give up. It's been two months as of today. There is little chance
you survived for this long. The comet will come soon. Please be careful and
don't try to fight Azula on your own. I know you. I know how stupid and proud
you can be. Don't try and take her alone. She will kill you. I have this feeling
you wouldn't listen to me if you could hear me. I don't want to think about that.
I don't want to think about you dying. I want to give up hope that you'll be ok. I
want to give up hope we'll see each other again. Hope is painful.
Always have been and always will be yours
Mai
Day 62
She stood in the doorway holding her breath, trying to believe her eyes. All the hurt and fear melted away from her heart and the worries cleared. He was there, safe and alive, before her. Zuko stood in front of the large windows his chest bare and bandaged, his strong arms hanging at his side. Dark hair fell in a familiar halo around his head. She watched unable to move or speak for a moment as he slid on his red and gold robe. Mai jumped when he winced at the movement and then smiled.
"You need some help with that?" she asked him calmly finally stepping into the room. Zuko turned around quickly. His eyes filled with disbelief and surprise.
"Mai," He called in that familiar voice. She couldn't help but feel lighter inside hearing that. "You're ok!" He exclaimed with relief. He accepted her help watching her with eyes that almost didn't believe she was real. "They let you out of prison?" He asked in confusion.
"My uncle pulled a few strings," she smirked, "And it doesn't hurt when your boyfriend is the new Fire Lord." The dark haired girl explained playfully as she wrapped the tie around his waist and secured it.
"Does this mean you don't hate me anymore?" Zuko asked her turning to look her in the eye. Mai looked down for a moment and a blush bloomed across her cheeks.
"I think it means I actually kind of like you," She told him holding his face in her hands. She could see all the happiness come back into his eyes. She hadn't realized how much she missed seeing that. It had been so long since he was truly happy. Bending down he kissed her gently. Mai felt her heart jump as if lightning had run across her lips and she was kissing him back. When they broke apart Mai remembered the letter tucked in her robes pressing against her heart.
"But," She said sternly, pulling back, "Don't ever. Break up with me. Again." She said firmly poking his shoulder hard with each word. A guilty look filled his face and then he faked a grin. She knew he was agreeing. Somehow she knew that he would never put her through that again. Life will never be easy with Zuko, she realized as he pulled her into a warm embrace. But it will never be boring, she thought to herself resting her head on his shoulder contently.
The End
[AN: hope you liked it ^^]