Mai's dark amber eyes gazed blankly at the sight in front of her as she leaned back against the sturdy fire-oak tree behind her. The two girls cartwheeling and pushing each other around were so unlike her- one a pink, bouncing ball of energy, the other extremely bossy and controlling. Her own calm demeanor contrasted intensely with the others', but she had disliked them the least out of all the other potential playmates her family had approved for her.

"I'm Princess Azula. But we're supposed to be friends now, so I will allow you to just call me Azula," the bossy one had said, when they first met. "I approve of you- you can have the great honor of being my playmate." She had a strong power emanating off of her eight-year-old being, and Mai had been drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

With Ty Lee, it was different.

The acrobat had been practicing a particularly challenging routine involving a mess of rope, a unicycle, and a hoop when Mai and her father walked in, unnoticed.

Ty Lee had a look of determination on her face as she tried to weave the many coils of rope through the hoop, all while balancing on the wooden unicycle. Mai had watched, transfixed as the girl worked to create a design within the large hoop. She eventually gave a frustrated cry and became a whirling blur- only to end up entangled in the rope, hanging from the top of the tent, upside-down.

Mai giggled at the sight, only to be met with a slap to her face by her father. She fell silent under his intense gaze, looking down at her feet.

"Do not giggle like that. How many times must I tell you? You do not want to be seen as a shallow, unsophisticated woman. You are stronger than that," he said sternly.

"Excuse me, hotman, but what does giggling have to do with strength? I laugh all the time, and I can lift several times my own weight. Oh- but I don't mean any disrespect. I'm sorry!" Ty Lee cried out again as she fell from the tangle of rope, landing with a thud on the ground. Mai's father had left then, disgusted.

"What's your name?" asked Ty Lee curiously.

"Mai."

"Ooh, what a pretty name! It's perfect for you," she smiled. "I'm Ty Lee. Pleased to meet you!" she threw her hand forward.

Mai cautiously extended her own arm and grasped the girl's hand, and faster than she could blink, was caught in an embrace.

"We're going to be the best friends EVER!" squealed Ty Lee.

Mai relaxed a bit and let a smile slip out onto her face.

"Yeah, I think we are."

Their friendships had held true for three years, and not much had changed. Ty Lee had joined an official circus, Azula was just as menacing and power hungry as before, and Mai was still…. Mai.

Her gaze drifted from the two girls arguing over whether Azula had cheated in their game or not, to the turtleduck pond on the other end of the royal garden. Sitting alone on the banks was Zuko, Azula's older brother by two years. He was looking out onto the calm water with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Mai quickly gazed back towards the girls, saw they were still bickering, and got up. She sneaked around the large tree and walked briskly toward the lonely boy. He didn't notice her approaching, apparently too caught up in his thoughts.

"Ahem," she tried, gently clearing her throat.

Zuko jumped up in shock, then composed himself and sat down with a sigh.

"Hey, Mai. You scared me."

"What's wrong? I mean, other than the usual, of course."

"What do you mean?

"Oh, you know, the economy, the state of the townspeople's' health, the usual. Answer my question, Zuko," she drawled.

Zuko let out a sigh and looked at Mai.

"I'm fine. Really, I am. Go back to my sister and Ty Lee, they're probably looking for you now."

"No, I can tell something is wrong. I won't leave until I find out what it is," she insisted.

Zuko's eyes darted from one side to the other, and then he focused back on Mai.

"You have to swear not to tell anyone," he cautioned her.

"I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Alright…. I made a mistake today in one of my father's war councils. I questioned a general's plan, and Father became furious. He demanded that I face the general in an Agni Kai tonight," Zuko said, quietly. "Azula probably doesn't know yet, if she hasn't told you and Ty Lee. Can we keep it that way?"

"She'll find out eventually," she pointed out.

"But-"

"But I won't tell her." Said Mai, with a shy smile.

"Thanks. Now, really, you should get back to Azula and Ty Lee."

Mai nodded and walked as inconspicuously as she could back to the girls, who had evidently noticed her absence by that point.

"Aww, you two are so cute together!" squealed Ty Lee, giggling.

"Shut up," Mai shot back, hiding a blush.

By the time the sun had gone down, everyone in the nation knew about the Agni Kai. Of course, Azula didn't waste any time, making fun of Zuko the whole time he was trying to meditate before the duel.

"... But I wouldn't have done anything as stupid as that. What were you thinking? You finally get the chance you've been waiting for- and what a great honor it was- to sit by Father in his private war meeting chambers, and you went and messed up. Typical, you can't do anything right. If that was me-"

"Go away, Azula, I'm trying to concentrate," Zuko let out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"I don't see why you bother. You stand absolutely no chance against your opponent," she said with feigned disinterest, giving the impression she knew something he didn't.

"I can take on a general! I'm the heir to the fire nation, for Agni's sake!"

Azula shrugged as she started walking out of the room.

"Whatever you say, Prince Zuko."

Zuko breathed out as the door closed, a puff of smoke coming out of his mouth. His past experiences with Azula made him skeptical of her claims, but a small part of him was jittery from her predictions.

"Azula always lies… Azula always lies…"

The next morning, Mai rose from her bed with a feeling that something was wrong. She had no idea what, but whatever it was, it stirred something deep within her that hadn't been touched for many years.

She stretched and gazed out the window- the sun was just peaking out from over the tops of the buildings in the royal plaza. There was a knock at the door of her bedroom, and Mai slowly rose from the bed and walked to get it.

She prepared herself for a lecture about how it's more ladylike to wake before the sun, before moving to open the heavy wooden door.

"Ah, Mai. It is wonderful to see you this morning," came the crackling voice of Iroh.

"Good morning, Iroh. What brings you here so early?"

"It's complicated. May I come in?"

"Of course."

Iroh shuffled into the room and looked around. Mai shut the door and followed him in. He turned around to face Mai, and spoke.

"You may want to sit down for this," he said quietly. Mai took a seat on her mattress.

"You know of last night's Agni Kai, yes?" Mai nodded. "It… did not turn out the way we had anticipated."

"What do you mean?"

"Zuko spoke out against the general, but he insulted his father's plan. Because of this, it was not the general that he faced-" Mai straightened her back even further in attention, "but his father."

"Is he alright?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you here?"

"Zuko refused to fight his father- you know that he is quite obsessed with keeping his honor. The Firelord took this as an insult, and decided to punish him. That is why I am here."

"What was the punishment?" asked Mai, with suppressed anxiety growing in her stomach.

"He has been scarred, very badly. The royal physicians have doubts that he will ever recover completely. In addition…" he trailed off, gave Mai a sympathetic look and continued, "He has been banished from the Fire Nation."

Mai held her composure, looking at the ground.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked with a quiet voice.

"I can see that you two have… a special bond. You may not feel it, but I know it is there. You deserve to be among the first to know."

Mai let her mask of indifference fall for a while. She was on the edge of tears, but did not know why.

"Is he ever going to be allowed to return?" she asked.

"He has been sent on a wild goose chase- to capture the Avatar."

"What? The Avatar doesn't exist anymore."

Iroh leaned in closer to Mai.

"That is precisely why that is his task. My brother knows that his son will never cease his search- even if he knows it is impossible. I know my nephew. He won't rest until he gets the respect and love he wants from his father."

Iroh patted Mai gently on the shoulder.

"I must go now. Make sure Azula and Ty Lee are good while I am gone."

"You're going with him?"

"I feel it is my duty to give him support, in a world where no one else will. Goodbye, my darling. I hope to see you again in the future."

With that, Iroh turned and opened the door, leaving the suddenly depressed Mai sitting on the bed.