BY THE FORCE OF ARMS
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar: The Last Air Bender's characters, design, original plot etc. I do own Ren and Sora, Yuan and Tahmina.
With special thanks to my dearest friend Bahar
CHAPTER ONE: A FRESH BEGINNING
Outside, the midday calm of the great and glorious city, dancing under saffron light with its many bloodshot cupolas; inside, lassitude could be simply noticed upon the watchful eyes of eaglets hovering above.
Zuko, now fire lord Zuko, was sitting by the turtleduck pond. He was notably silent, not denying the fact that he was merely dawdling. Presently in his own palace, though conceding he was like a perfect stranger here; he had been a stranger to the Fire nation nobility since his own mother was banished. As time elapsed, Zuko grew more and more unfamiliar to the place. He felt someone's substantial presence right behind, under the tall massive tree.
"Still gawking at the turtleducks, huh?" Mai said, her words strongly indicating her growing boredom.
Never satisfied, never changing.
Zuko thought. The last time he came to this pond, Azula was slapping him with her soft yet harsh words; trying to abolish the fake honour he had thrust upon him. Mai was different. If she was there, it had not been because she was eager to mock the freshly crowned Fire lord; she was there every time he was on the horns of a dilemma. In fact, she was the only one Zuko could feel convenient close by; only if he had not lost himself due to her astonishing features.
"Speaking with someone could make you feel all better, Zuko." She said in a deep tone, her smoky grey eyes flashed. She came to sit beside him carefully afterwards. Previously, her manners were solely manacled to her high-class position caused by her father's political career. Nowadays, Mai had space to move. She had a bit of what others called "freedom". Strangely though, she had an effortless grace as she moved, which was as Zuko deemed "intoxicating".
Zuko's guilty conscience perpetually haunted him. How could he leave someone with just a letter? Someone who cared for him this much. The old loyalties had sheared away though.
"What is it on your mind?" She asked calmly, maintaining her composure.
"I just guess becoming the new Fire lord was too much to take at once. It wasn't what I really wanted." He said, his gaze still fixating on the centre of the pond.
Then why on earth did you overthrow Ozai and Azula like that? You idiot!
Mai was angry and she could not fathom the reason. It must be because of exhaustion and fatal boredom, she finally decided, continuing to regain her sang-froid.
"Then what was it you really wanted back then?" she asked, in no way resembling her uncle interrogating a prisoner, not even thirsty for answers. Zuko very occasionally hid the facts from her and that was mostly because she would eventually find out.
He looked down at his own hands, tugging at the grass around his lap.
"I don't know. You remember the time we went to the Ember Island? I said I was angry at myself and couldn't distinguish right from wrong. I'm lost. I mean what if I'm not a good Fire lord? I can't think of all the responsibility!"
"Zuko," she said with a momentarily pause in her calm voice. It was somehow awkward for her to call him the "Fire lord"; he turned back to face her. Mai looked him straight in the eyes.
"Everything is not as hard as you imagine. You're just too conscientious. I don't think there's any other explanation."
She simply stated level-headedly. Zuko averted his eyes and hesitated for an instant. Apparently, he was comprehending what the girl in the maroon robe had just mentioned. The intention of protest flared up, but it was bewildering why that simple statement had appeared so convincing. It had obviously due to compelling traits of Mai.
"Don't try to protest me." Mai said smirking with victory. She had finally silenced him.
"Try to strengthen your resolve, Zuko" She whispered as raising herself up.
Performing a kowtow, never assuming she would be the one to do it in front of Zuko someday, Mai showed courtesy.
"My Fire lord "She muttered asking for dismissal. Either sarcasm or pompousness could be noticed in her last word.
"Stop right there!" said Zuko loudly, demanding her to wait. She was a little baffled.
"Are your parents all right?" He suddenly asked in a soft tone; to Mai it seemed as if he had intended to do something else, such as accusingly charging her with a crime, but instead, had swiftly diverted the subject.
"They are; your sincere consideration is greatly appreciated."
Her parents were appointed to a new post, ruling a city somewhat close to the capital. In order to get to her new home, commute was inevitable somehow.
"Make sure you have everything prepared for this lady's journey."
"I didn't come here to bother you. Just got some business to take care of. I shall go on my own."
"That would be impossible. "
"I don't need any protection, Zuko. You admitted that in the Boiling Rocks, remember?"
Zuko did not have a word left. She always caught everyone off-guard keeping record of whatever she noticed, heard or came into contact with.
"All right then, if you insist."
He said, escorting her to the gates of the palace. Mai carried her weaponry with her at all times, even if it did not flatter her figure; he was well aware.
Before mounting her black horse, which was a bizarre trait of her to select an animal as a vehicle, she decided she would tour the local market for a while. This was of course, once more triggered by boredom.
Almost half an hour passed, she was there. Mai kept ambling freely, highly aware of the fact that her beautiful elaborate robe with golden embroidery across the sleeves, disclosed where she belonged to. The sky was shining yellow, announcing the dusk's arrival. A man selling beautiful fashionable accessories partly attracted her. There was a necklace; with a golden chain and a ruby at the centre etched with designs of the element "Fire" which she suddenly found impressive, informing the man as a result.
"Sir, could I see that more closely?"
After tossing and turning it over and over in her hand, Mai finally decided to purchase it. She was undeniably finicky. It was then when she decided to step into an alley from which there were sounds of shouting and swearing.
"Leave my daughter alone! I will prepare the money, just don't harm her." A young woman was shouting as well as pleading. She was holding on tightly to her young infant. Three armed men had surrounded her, another kind of a coercion perhaps.
"You'll pay for this" one of them ignited a fire in his hand.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Mai said, standing tall with her now intimidating grace, her arms crossed. Her grey eyes gleaming similar to her infinitely shiny black locks of hair.
"You might want to avoid this, lady as long as you don't want the Fire nation nobility to find your corpse."
"Touch me now and I'll make you wish you'd never been born." She sternly stated, dragging a sharp stiletto from her robe with considerable agility. She had been driving everyone crazy all day long, like a thirsty wolf deciding whether a fight with a deer would be worth its trouble in meat; she was thirsty for "fighting".
"That is what you desire, then let it be!"
The three men got ready to attack her, the fire in their hands flaring up. They blew the fire at her simultaneously, where she smartly dodged, somersaulting backwards, soon cast her sharp stilettos with deadly accuracy at their clothes incapacitating them without much effort. They were neither harmed, nor any scratch showed up upon their skin. The young woman looked at this teenager with awe.
"I really don't know how to thank you my lady!" she said, landing a peck on her infant's cheek.
"I'm not getting into the details. "Said Mai in an apathetic tone.
"Just make sure you'll fill in the sergeants of the palace."
She quickly added, leaving the place. Having found something to do, yet being in complete control of the situation made her feel content for a while.
Her horse had been tied a few alleys ahead and it was getting dark. She needed to hurry in order to reach "The Fallen Angels" on time and not to predict how many unforeseen dangers were waiting for her on the way. Mai suddenly felt a dark figure nearby, adrenaline entering her bloodstream. She decided it would be best to choose her Sai this time. After drawing her favourite weapon, she carefully concealed it in her hands, long sharp fingernails of which had been polished gleaming black. To her it seemed as though the stranger turned around her in numerous circles several times, in the black shadows. When she was fairly certain she targeted the pursuer and came very close to them as well, she jolted backwards, holding her Sai right in front of his neck. He was completely hooded with a cloak.
"Who are you? And why were you tailing me?" she questioned with a taste of venom in her voice.
"Oh, Lady Mai. It's you we should be talking about, I suppose."
"What do you mean?" She asked sharply, not surprised at the fact that the man knew her. Spies were present everywhere in the Fire nation, she pondered; supremely now that quite many opposed Zuko.
"I was just let's say walking by, when I happened to see this fatal combat styles of yours. Would you be willing to let go of that for a moment?"
"Never! You had better proceed." She stipulated threateningly, the knife not withdrawing a single inch.
"And I was just thinking you would make a perfect assassin, Mai."
Assassin?
Her heart stopped pumping, her breath was caught in the middle of her throat. She jolted her head to her left, looking downward to consider the option; her target could not flee anyway. Being an assassin was such an exciting occupation. She would never be bored and would be integral in God knows how many events that altered the flow of power. Finally, she had found a place where her identity would belong to. However, she had to be careful about where her loyalties lied. What if they decided to finish Zuko one day? She gasped but quickly erased the thought.
"Who do you work for? I'll have to know whether you're a liability."
The man gave a vicious laughter.
"I cannot tell you that, but you could join us in the training section. Interested?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Ah well, in case you had a change of heart, here's a small present. Now, you might want to allow me pass."
Mai took a step back, sheathing the Sai in her robe. The man placed a black dagger in her hands, bowed and left. She would not be capable of analyzing it carefully, therefore quickly traced her horse, took the place on the saddle, making her way to the Fallen Angels. Night had already arrived and people were dismissed.
Mai reached home about twelve o'clock at midnight; fatigued and short of breath. She told the servants to announce her arrival but they had done so without her needing to hint. Her parents rushed over to the gates of their luxurious mansion which resembled a palace, even more sumptuous than the one in the formerly "New Ozai". The baby Tom-Tom burst with childish laughter and began his babblings as soon as he caught sight of his sister.
"Mai, dear. We were starting to worry. Your mother has been weeping all day long. We were about to send Fire lord Zuko a messenger"
"Don't you know the rules? I had told you a young lady of the nobility does not travel alone by herself. You will be punished Mai; you will be severely punished. " Her mother said, her voice shaking with fury and sadness; tears filling her eyes.
"Oh, really? What are you going to do? Not giving me candies anymore? Or locking me in a self-established quarantine for a month? Even maybe having everyone not speak to me, huh?" she said, officially scoffing at her mother's statements. The girl who never spoke unless spoken to, simply did not approve of her mother's way of upbringing. Her childhood experiences had forced her to hold a slight grudge against her own parents for always suppressing her. She regained her composure, lowering her tone to a considerable extent.
"I do apologize. As you can see I'm fine and I shall not cause you great worry like this once again, making sure I'm travelling under escort. It is so considerate of you to care about my safety, mother."
Hoping that would soothe them. Quickly after, she got prepared to enter her own room.
"I know, but right now you have to behave yourself, as the current ruler of the Fallen Angels is your own father."
Mai nodded quickly and perhaps reluctantly; her mother's anxiety had already assuaged. She was truly grief-stricken, realizing her mother cared about the way she behaved rather than her safety and even if she was alive or lifeless.
Eventually reaching her own room, she closing the door with endless patience. Bright red candles placed within crystalline lanterns, illuminated the walls; small daggers of reflected light pointed at her from all directions.
She plummeted on the edge of her own bed, running her cold fingertips on the silken rose sheets. There were many things on her mind, having been needed to deal with. Mai took out the beautiful necklace she had purchased in the capital, examining it carefully. The etched fire sign made her cogitate deeply. It reminded her of someone, someone like "Azula". Zuko had not informed her where she was being held, only once mentioning she had been incarcerated somewhere infinitely remote. Mai gave a soft sigh, not certain how she was feeling. That did not provoke any surprise, Zuko once overshadowed by his younger sister, always plotting and standing out by her excellent unique "blue fire bending", could not sleep comfortably a single night unless he was well aware that Azula was incapable, in terms of wielding power of any sort. Even though thousands of guards were posted outside her cell and with her not being able to fire bend or lightning bend, in addition to prohibiting any single being from visiting her, he still would not be able to rest. Azula, the converse, was thirsty for ruling and power; utterly willing the three other nations have complete submission to her and the Fire nation. She would never forfeit; as long as she shall live, she would keep plotting and plotting; furthermore, she always had a hand in sabotage and that was certainly what perturbed Zuko.
Absolutely, the entire segments lead Mai to ponder her entanglements with the formerly soon-to-be-crowned princess once more. Zuko had arrived by her coronation and with a little particle of "cheating", got his hands on the royal throne. Of course he was never as perfect as his younger sister and had it not been for Katara's water bending, he would have been dead by that shattering thunderstorm of Azula's in their so-called duel of "Agni Kai". Mai had not witnessed any of this; she was confined in the prison under Azula's orders left to "rot" all that time. All these impressive fluff or better to say "memories" had been passed to her by Zuko in Ba Sing Se; it really could not be referred to as vacation but it may have been a freshening restart. Her mind rapidly switched to the Boiling Rocks. Although her uncle had been in charge of that prison, rarely did she find a trip to the prison enjoyable; not until the time during which she discovered the jerk who dumped her was being held in the same place as a "traitor", by sheer coincidence.Even a lot more accordingly, Azula had planned to pay a visit to the Boiling Rocks as well. It was there where Mai was instrumental in Zuko's escape. When Azula asked her why she commited this reckless act even though she had been aware of the consequences, Mai had rigidly commented
"You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you."
Azula's face lost colour, fury running across her face. She was obviously taken aback, never taking the possibility of her childhood friend betraying her into account. This was a serious breakdown, she got ready to deliver Mai a fatal blow with her lightning and Mai had quickly answered the challenge, taking out a shuriken, ready to defend her choice of double-crossing her. If Ty Lee had not intervened by temporarily taking away her mobility as well as bending, she would have definitely not made it so far. She had chosen to sacrifice her own life to see Zuko alive rather than living in a world where Zuko was not.
Now was the time when she was more rational than any, she was contemplating her actions. Did she make the right decision? Should she have chosen to fight for Zuko instead of Azula? Should she have avoided her infatuation and watched Zuko fall to his death? Something deep in her heart told her that even if Ty Lee had not chi-blocked her, she would not kill Mai like that; she was certain. After all, the three of them were childhood friends; they had attended the royal fire academy together. It would be a lie to say Azula did not resemble her father, the formerly Fire lord Ozai, in terms of heedless massacre and racism (thinking the blood of the Fire nation is superior); though Azula was a girl at the first place; and girls are emotional, often being involved in a deep emotional relationships with even their friends. Mai then tried to think about Zuko; Zuko, his name repeatedly rolled in her mind; causing her heart race a bit. After what happened at the Boiling Rocks, after Mai tried to help him escape, being confronted by Azula… it wasn't like she expected it from him; but, he did not even turn his head to catch a glimpse of the whole sight, seeing what Azula was doing to her. He did not care about her life and left her behind once again just like that.
Mai realized her fingers were trembling; they trembled whenever she thought of Zuko, overwhelmed by a chain of mixed and at the same time "vague" emotions. She soon concealed the dagger given to her by the assassin in a place that no one could ever imagine. Soon, pushed all the thoughts back and after being robed in the pearl white nightgown, she went to her bed not visualizing any picture, not hearing a single sound.
A/N: So what do you think? Mai is offered a job as an assassin; there is a flashback of the boiling rocks and the way Zuko treated Mai as well as a passing mention of Azula. Is there something on Azula's mind? Will Mai break up with Zuko or just strengthen the bond? Will Mai become an assassin? I assume answering the questions at the end of each chapter in your reviews and your predictions and guesses would make it very exciting as well as a substantial collection. Please review even if it's one word;-)
Replies to Reviews for A Fresh Beginning:
Dear lionfart:
I really appreciate your review as you dedicated your precious time to review my fanfic. You're absolutely right, I like things from Mai's point of view; as the original cartoon shows her as a somewhat "minor" character, but I do suppose she has much more to offer than a simple knife wielding bored girl.
About spelling errors, feel free to tell me about ANY of them. I would really be grateful; you know I become so engulfed in the story that I almost forget about everything.
Dear Moonlightgeeky:
Thank you, dear. I'm absolutely updating. I would like to hear you guy's predictions and guesses as well as suggestions;)
