Author's Notes: Yay! My third fic! I think this one turned out pretty well. Hope you like it!! Cookies to anyone who reviews!

I (heart) 3VAD127. She's my beta:)

Disclaimer:I do not own Avatar. Period.

The Price of Love

Knock, knock, knock

"Coming," Mai said in her usual monotone voice. She opened the door to find a royal messenger.

"Princess Azula requests an audience with Lady Mai," the messenger told her.

"Tell her I'll be there in a minute," she sighed as she closed the door. "I wonder what she wants now. This is so annoying."

She hurriedly got dressed into an outfit more suited for meeting royalty, dreading having to speak to Azula again. She walked outside to see a palatine waiting for her. "Oh, that was nice of Azula," she said sarcastically. Climbing into the palatine, she took the short ride over to the palace. Mai got out of the palatine and stood in front of the magnificent palace doors. "Another day, another boring meeting." Mai sighed again. Climbing up the stairs, Mai entered the palace and immediately ran into Azula.

"Hello, Mai, took you a while. I was getting worried. Follow me."

Azula lead her through several winding hallways that she didn't even know existed. Finally, they came to a secluded library that she doubted anyone outside of the royal family knew of. In the dim light, she could see Azula smile that wicked smile that she seemed to have perfected.

"Mai, I need you to do something for me."

"Yes, Azula?"

"As you may have noticed, Zuzu has been gone frequently lately." Hesitantly, Mai nodded. "It has come to my attention that he has been sneaking out to plot with my uncle." Azula stopped to let it all sink in. "I've been requested by my father to have Zuko taken out. And who better to do it than my most trusted assassin?" Mai's eyes widened just enough for Azula to be able to see. "Is that a problem?"

"N-no, of course not," Mai barely whispered.

"You know, Mai, to love is to be weak. You're not weak, are you?"

"No," she said rigidly, pushing all emotion from her voice.

"Good, I'm glad. You'll find Zuzu in his room. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you." Azula said as she waved her hand to dismiss Mai. Stiffly, Mai bowed. As she walked out of the door she considered her options. She didn't have to kill him, but that would mean both of their deaths at the mercy of Azula. Mai shuddered. That wouldn't be good. Suddenly, Azula's words came back to her. You know, Mai, to love is to be weak. You're not weak, are you? No. No, she was not weak. She had to go through with this. But every step seemed like a mile, every minute like an hour until she was finally at the Fire Prince's door. Mai knocked, desperately hoping that Zuko wasn't in there. Much to her dismay, he was.

"Yes?" Mai heard the familiar voice ask.

"Zuko, it's me,"

"Oh, Mai, come in," she heard his voice lift slightly.

She slowly entered into his room and closed the door behind her. Zuko got up from where he was meditating at his desk.

"Are you OK?" he asked, seeing her pained expression.

Walking up to him, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Slightly taken aback by her sudden emotion, he hugged her back. Zuko looked down at Mai and gently pressed his lips against hers. Slowly, Mai took a dagger out of her sleeve. She couldn't take it anymore. She broke off the kiss.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his ear. Before she had time to think, she plunged the dagger into his back. She felt his arms loosen around her and the warmth of his body fade away as he fell, lifeless, to the floor. She looked down at his body, and the severity of what she had done crashed onto her all at once.

"What have I done?" she moaned. She had just killed the only one that had ever cared about her. It was then that she realized she actually loved him. She moaned again. Azula always lies…

To love was not to be weak. All of the sudden, life was not worth living. There was no reason left to fight. She looked at the dagger in her hand, still dripping with Zuko's crimson blood. Suddenly she didn't want to live anymore. She raised the dagger up to her chest. Life isn't worth living anymore, she thought as she plunged the dagger into her heart and fell lifeless right next to Zuko.

For without love, how can you really live?