TITLE: Learning To Believe
SUMMARY: "I was a rich only child; whom got whatever I wanted. As long as I behaved. I sat still. I didn't speak unless spoken too. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about." Mai had lived her childhood to her parents' wishes. She never even considered disobeying her mother – she fully knew that her parents would hate her if she had destroyed her father's dreams.
Now that she had stood her ground against Azula at the Boiling Rock – all that has changed. Mai didn't stop Azula from capturing Zuko because of her love for him. No; her love was for another person. The enemy. Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.
As Mai learns to strive forward with her buried emotions – Aang has to come to realize that Katara was never meant for him. But; he hasn't lost her heart to Zuko; as he had feared from the very beginning. But to another woman. Can Aang come to grips with the heart ache, and be able to still prepare himself to defeat Fire Lord Ozai?
CATEGORY: Friendship/ Family/ Hurt/Comfort/ Drama/ Romance/ Comedy/ Suspense/ Crime/ Spiritual/ Angst/ Tragedy
RATING: T
PRELUDE
"I'm sorry that I can't be high strung, and crazy like the rest of you." (The Beach)
"You know Mai. You and I can finally team up and finally claim what we truly want." Ty Lee looked to the right at the side of Mai's impassive face. "Now that we no longer are under Azula's control."
"I'm not sharing Zuko." Mai said in a bored tone. "Sides he really truly doesn't like you."
"So you really are going after Zuko after all." Ty Lee's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Mai." She threw her arms around Mai's body; and hugged her side tightly. "I just knew you truly wanted me to be happy!"
Mai had stiffened up when Ty Lee's body crashed into her own. But after a small pause she relaxed into the hug. As she always did whenever Ty Lee hugged her. "Sokka bores me. Sides Suki isn't that all that great to fight with."
Ty Lee's body stiffened as she stopped dead in her tracks. Eyes wide as she stares in front of her. Her jaw line feeling the hard, steel line of Mai's. "Oh." She softly stated. Brightening once more she gives Mai one last squeeze before pulling away once again. "So my original thought had been correct. I'm so happy; because it would just feel so wrong without you."
Mai took a long torturous deep breath. "Why are you even here Ty Lee? I never asked you to prevent Azula from exacting her revenge against me."
"Azula would have killed you." Ty Lee seriously said. "Your friendship was more over powering than Azula's terrorism." She breathed. "Just as you stated that your love for Zuko was stronger than your fear of her."
Mai's head quickly twisted so she could steely stare into Ty Lee's wide brown eyes. "I'm not going to confide in you. So Azula's plan to gather more evidence against me has failed." She smiled thinly. "Perhaps she'll allow you to join her now – than later."
"You don't want anything from me. Not one single thing." Ty Lee softly replied. "You could tell me apart from my sisters. From the very first moment you saw me when we were four. You didn't pause for one second when you looked me straight in the eyes; and said my name."
"Why did you save me?" Mai asked in steel; but soften voice. "I was prepared to die."
"If you died than whom else could protect –"
"Enough!" Mai stormed as she quickly got to her feet. Rapidly walking away from the bench; she turned suddenly. "Don't ever even think along those lines again!"
Ty Lee smiled. "I'm glad to see that I was right."
Mai's fists clenched at her sides. She wished she had her knives. She just wanted one so she could shoot it straight at Ty Lee's throat.
"You picked right Mai. She's worth death to love." Ty Lee calmly said as she slowly stepped towards her tall, and thin best friend. Her only true friend. "You love her; so I will love her also. Just think," stopped in front of Mai. Leaning forward so her hot breath could hit Mai's neck. She grew hot herself just seeing how Mai's pores opened up due to her hot breath. Her eyes lifted to meet Mai's slightly dazed ones; "What fun we will have teaching our little innocent peasant water bender girl to over whelming joys of exotic love practices." She gently nibbled Mai's right lobe. "Sooner we break out of here; the sooner we'll get to our …" Her breath was cut off as she felt Mai's hand tighten around her neck.
"I warned you." Mai hissed.
"I'll protect her with my dying breath." Ty Lee looked straight into Mai's soul.
Mai's steel eyes searched for the lie … finding none – slowly softened. "You are a true friend."
Ty Lee's right hand rose, and gently pulled Mai's hand from her neck. "I'm glad that you finally accept it." She softly smiled.
Mai returned the smile.
Ty Lee pulled Mai gently into her – and a tear slid down her right cheek as Mai wrapped her arms around her, and pulled her into herself. This was the first ever hug that Mai, herself, had initiated freely herself. "I love you Mai."
"I love you Ty Lee." Mai whispered.
Pulling away after a long silence. "So do you think your Uncle can help us get out of here?" Ty Lee looked over her shoulder as she walked back to the bench.
Mai shook her head, "No Azula blames him also for Zuko's escape. There's no way he's still the warden here. He may even be a prisoner." Shaking her head, "No, Azula wouldn't be that generous with him. Considering that he is my Uncle. No. He's still working here. As a guard." Mai frowned. "No we are alone here."
"You Uncle can still protect you." Ty Lee nodded her head. "He'll make sure you aren't harmed."
Mai sighed, "What about you?"
Ty Lee lifted her hands. "I can still cut off the tendons. Azula didn't see fit to break all my fingers."
The cell door opened. "You won't remain here long enough for anyone to think of attacking you."
The two young women swung their heads around.
"Princess Azula may have demoted me. But she doesn't run Boiling Rock. I still have loyalty with all the staff here. I may no longer be the warden. But; I'm still fully in charge." Mai's Uncle stated.
"I'm glad Uncle." Mai smiled.
"Now that I know that Prince Zuko isn't your soul mate; Mai; then I'm actually pleased that he was among the first to ever escape Boiling Rock." Mai's uncle tightly smiled. "We need him to be Fire Lord to finally the world back to balance. A peaceful balance. Only he and the Avatar can achieve this feat!"
"Are you going to tell my parents?" Mai frowned darkly. "Now that they have Tom-Tom they no longer need me." Shrugging, "So this should be the answers to their prayers."
"Your parents love you very much, Mai. They just had the wrong way of showing it too you." Her uncle said in a soft voice. A voice that no one – not even his most loyal guards knew that he had. "They will love your choice of happiness."
"I'm not her happiness. She has chosen another." Mai shook her head. "All I can do is love her from afar. Now that I'm free of Azula – I can protect her more than I had been able too for these past months."
"What about Zuko?"
"What about him?" Mai shrugged. "He has already guessed the truth. When he returned to the Fire Nation he told me that he could best protect both of us; is to make Azula believe that we loved one another." She smiled. "He told me that he was going to turn against his father in the end; I just didn't know when. But she's safe from Azula now. Zuko can protect her in my place."
"Once I get you out of here, Mai, then you can protect her yourself." Her uncle replied. "You are going to be leaving the Boiling Rock behind you in a half-hour' time. I suggest you two make your way to the granolas."
Mai bowed in respect towards her uncle. "Thank you Uncle."
Her uncle bowed back. "I'll join you once this war has ended."
Ty Lee held out her hand for Mai to take. "Come on Mai." She said excitedly.
"Time to join the right team." Mai nodded as she walked passed Ty Lee out of the cell. She smiled as she thought of the future that was no longer bleak.
END OF PRELUDE