The guards were trying to set Princess Azula on her feet, but she couldn't stand—she wobbled stiffly, like a statue, and then toppled to the ground once more. Mai might have laughed, but before she could Ty Lee squeaked with terror beside her as a guard snapped her cuffs into place.

Azula screamed; a jet of smoke blasted from her mouth and Mai felt it scald her before the guards seized her by her own cuffed arms and dragged her backwards into the fort. But her eyes met Azula's for one more moment—

Let them rot!

Then a door closed between them and Mai was in a small, dark room. Two guards held her by the arms.

"Check her—she's probably got some hidden weapons,"

"That's the warden's niece, be careful!"

"She's a traitor now."

Mai filled her eyes with the door as the guards undressed her, put her into prison clothes. "Look at this, she's got knives sewn into every inch of this vest!" "Take her hair down; I bet there's some in there, too," "You're right!" "Here, put these clothes on, Lady Mai."

But she didn't move, so a guard pulled the scratchy tunic over Mai's head. The other ran her hand roughly through Mai's tangled hair one last time, then they dragged Mai out again, through a different door—Azula's screams faded as they withdrew deeper into the fort—their feet pounded loudly in the echoing metal hallways—"This isn't about you, Mai!"—A guard seized her by the upper arm and guided her down the stairs. "I'm here to protect you."— They stopped before a cell and the door before them opened silently to receive her. "Step into the cell, please, Lady Mai."—a flash of fire; one man moved toward her, the other away— She didn't move.

"Lady Mai?" "She's just a prisoner now." "But she's the warden's niece." Get off of me! "Just push her!"

Hands shoved her in the small of her back and a thin cot tripped her feet. Mai hit the floor with a soft thump as the metal door slammed shut behind her.

They put food in through a tiny flap at the bottom of the door but Mai's body lay still on the cot, her hands behind her head and her eyes staring vacantly at the darkness above her. The food was taken away and replaced, then taken away and replaced again. Their faded words fell upon her ears and fell away unremarked:

"She hasn't eaten anything!"

"We can't open the door; we're on lockdown."

"How long is it gonna last?"

"Until the new prisoner shipment is processed. They couldn't stop the transfer after…the escape—so the Warden's being extra-careful."

"Who are they?"

"Buncha Earth Kingdom girls, by the looks of them—they can't be more than twenty years old, I think."

"Is it just me, or are we getting more and more kids in here?"

"Doesn't matter how old they are; they're all criminals."

This isn't about you! he snapped.

"I dunno...who'd attack a bunch of teenage girls?"

Thanks, Zuko, that makes me feel all better.

The darkness was absolute. Even the tiny scrap of light when they opened the door flap hurt her eyes. They pushed more food in, and stayed to watch. Mai did not oblige them.

"She still hasn't eaten anything?"

"Look in—is she moving?"

Only his scar was visible, the scar filling her window as his narrow eye looked at her and looked away, as he jumped into the sky and left her behind, left her in prison, left her in darkness.

Her body breathed, but Mai did not move.