Mai had overslept on a chair right next to Tom-Tom's bed. She woke up to his voice which followed by a painful headache.
"Mai…?" The little boy called his sister out. "Where are you?"
"I'm right here baby." She got up and took him out of the bed. "You have gotten so big."
"Where are we going?" He asked and hold her tight.
"Your pre-school of course." Mai knew they were running late but didn't want to rush the already sleepy boy. She tied his hair in a knot and got him new clothes. The small apartment was given to them by her aunt after their father was sent to prison and their mother eloped with a perfect stranger. Mai didn't care much about it. She never visited her father and she didn't care much about her mother's new marriage. Perhaps her mother was truly happy now. She used to wonder if that was the case. Michi, her mother, had gotten married so young to a much older man, her father. It wasn't at all unusual for arranged marriages to take place back then. She was born to her 19-year old mother and her father must have been around his late thirties.
She must have been too young to understand love. She only cared for the riches that came to be married off to a Fire Nation noble and she wouldn't let anyone come between her husband's political career, even if it meant the well-being of her children. She loved us, I know of that, but I can't help to think it was the idea of the ideal family she was truly in love with it. The perfect and most loyal citizens of the Fire Nation. I still remember her voice echoing in my head whenever I spoke out of turn, voiced an opinion even if it was one of the most trivial of things. Or when Zuko was banished, I remember it being the most talked about subject at our family dinners. I couldn't stand the way they talked about him, father and his political friends. Celebrating their dear leader and his treatment of the prince. I couldn't stand it for one second. I stopped serving tea to those leering older men and said what had to be said. Zuko did nothing wrong.
Soon to learn that would be my teaching moment. Now it was I who had brought shame to my father, in his own home, in front of his so-called friends. Father was a former soldier and knew his only way of discipline. He excused us both and took me to his chambers. I expected him to say something to me, to warn me of this behavior and path I was going. It wasn't needed. His slap gave me the warning I deserved. I remember being on the floor with tears streaming from my eyes. The pain, it felt like needles sticking half my face, the ringing was unbearable, but I couldn't help to stop crying.
"Dad…" I let out, still on the floor. "Dad…"
"Stop it. Stop it now." He demanded. "Stop crying. You are not a baby." His voice was harsh and unforgiving. "Don't give me a reason to really make you cry."
I covered half of my face with my hand, too afraid to get up in his presence. I didn't dare to say another word to him, but I couldn't stop crying.
"You will not bring dishonor to me in this house, MY house." He got even more upset when he saw I wouldn't stop crying.
"I told you to stop crying!" He threatened to kick me if I didn't stop. "What is it mother and I always tell you? What is it we always remind you of?"
At this point I was too scared to speak.
"Answer me Mai!" He grabbed me by my arm and yanked me up on my two feet.
"Not… Not to… Speak out of terms." I said with a lump in my throat, trying to hold back my tears. "Only speak… when… when…"
"When what?"
"When I'm spoken to."
"Good. You see I have given you anything you ever wanted. Everything. Is this how you repay me? Your own father?"
"I'm so sorry." I let out slowly. "I won't do it again."
"Very well. I expected more from you. A Fire Nation noble behaving like an Earth kingdom peasant, like a Water tribe wilding." He was very upset. I never wanted him to be upset with me. I used to think I loved him dearly and knowing his hatred for me was unthinkable, it drove me to hysterics almost.
"Look at you made me do."
"I'm so sorry." I was about to cry again.
His glare was enough for me to stop. He ordered me to my room and when I didn't leave at the instant he shoved me out from the chambers and had be march to my room where I was left with no dinner.
I promised myself I was never going to give him the satisfaction to treat me like that ever again. Not even mother who had ignored my cries and didn't look after her beaten and hurt daughter. I looked around and I realized I had everything I ever wanted, the least I could do was to give them my silence. It was as beneficial for them as it was for me. I wouldn't speak, I wouldn't care. It helped me, and it did well for them. Or so I thought. I never cared about anything after that until Tom-Tom was born.
"Mai. Maaai." Tom-Tom tugged on her sleeve.
"Stop that." Mai ordered him. "Go brush your teeth." Mai followed the little boy to the bathroom.
Tom-Tom wouldn't stop tugging on her sleeve after numerous times of telling him to stop that. Reckless as it was she pulled away from the boy and with a thud, Tom-Tom fell on his bottom.
"Ow…Ow…" He let out. He had cut himself on one of Mai's shuriken's that was hidden under her sleeve.
"I'm so sorry Tom-Tom." Mai said as she noticed his bleeding hand and the tear in her sleeve. She hugged him, kissed his little fingers and cleaned his middle and index finger from blood.
"I don't want to go." He said and buried himself in her chest.
"You have to." Mai said and had him sit on her lap. "I have much to do, I can't stay with you."
"But I want to be with you." Tom-Tom said, his arms were around her neck, unwilling to let go off her.
"We don't always get what we want." Mai said and kissed his small cheeks. "That's just life."
"I hate it." Tom-Tom sulked and laid his head on her shoulder.
Mai let out a chuckle. "You're too young for that, kid. Wait until you've reached my age."
"Then I will really hate life." Tom-Tom said as they got up to brush their teeth. Mai rolled her eyes at her little brother's remarks. He was hitting to close to h
"Life is funny." Mai said and helped him to brush his teeth as soon as she was done with hers. "It can drag you around, kick you in the face and truth be told, it could kill you if you aren't careful enough."
Tom-Tom was listening to his older sister as she was bandaging his fingers.
"It's all about your attitude. Life has its way to bring the happiest and the strongest down." Mai continued. "Now flush."
"But you're the strongest person I know." He said as soon he was done. "You don't care because you'll fight it anyway!" The little boy said with pride about his big sister.
Mai laughed and hugged him tightly. "What I'm trying to say is that life can do that to anyone. You're too young but when life comes at you fast just give it your best shot. Even if it drags you through hell, give it your best anyway." Mai said as they were about to leave their home. "And for Spirit's sake, don't become like me when you grow up."
"Why not?" Tom-Tom asked her.
"Just be better. Do you want this fruit tart?" Mai asked him as they were heading out. "You haven't had your breakfast."
"I'm not hungry."
"Suit yourself." Mai said and took a bite. As they made their way through the busy capital Mai thought about the years before her parents' separation, the end of the war and hers and Tom-Tom's lives. She promised herself to do right by Tom-Tom. He deserved it. His life had changed drastically, and he was only 5 years old.
"When are we going to see mom?" Tom-Tom asked.
"I don't know."
"Where's dad?"
"On vacation." She lied.
"I'm hungry."
"Why didn't you eat the fruit tart?" Mai was getting annoyed but tried to hide it from her brother.
"I don't like them."
Mai let out a small groan as she led her little brother threw the busy streets of the capital. She was trying her best not to let her own frustrations out on him, but he had his special way to get to her.
"I hate walking." Tom-Tom let out and it was the final drop for her.
"I don't care!" Mai let out. She took one calming breathe. "Look, now. We are here now. I'm sorry I yelled at you." She got to her knees to embrace him. "Be good, kid."
"I will. Sorry if I'm annoying." Tom-Tom looked down on his small shoes.
Mai's heart was breaking for him. Life hasn't been easy for them lately since the years of the war. Their family had been staunch supporters of Ozai and since his fall their family had been struggling. Well, struggling didn't suit everyone. Father had gotten sent to prison, still, he had a roof over his head and somewhat edible food to eat. Mai didn't think often about him. He had gotten what he deserved. Mother however, hers was different. She remarried, a man whom was age appropriate for her. He was tall, with a perfect trimmed beard and conservative. They had never held a conversation together. He seemed to change around mother when Mai and Tom-Tom were visiting. He suddenly became aloof, reserved and didn't show the slightest of interest to his new step-children. Mai didn't care. She was after all what her friends would say stoic. If her step-father didn't speak to her, not a hello or how has your day been it wouldn't hurt. She had managed to live her whole life without people asking how her day had been and she had turned out fine, in her opinion. It was Tom-Tom that was really hurting. He often asked about their parents. He missed mother the most, at least he saw her time to time, but he really needed a father in his life. There's were their step-father should have stepped in. He wouldn't make any contact with Tom-Tom. Their mother Michi would have to remind her new husband that Tom-Tom was trying to talk to him.
"Look at my drawing!" Tom-Tom's face lighted up with a smile.
Nothing, no reaction.
"I made it for you." Tom-Tom tried again.
Nothing.
"Darling, Tom-Tom is trying to show you something." Michi said.
"Huh? Uh, nice drawing." That was the only thing he said, and he went on doing his thing.
Mai remembered it well. She hated seeing how Tom-Tom was being treated. Their step-father's silence wasn't the only thing he used to make them feel like nothing. When he didn't talk to Mai or acknowledged her feelings or emotions, he made sure he knew how he felt about her.
The dinner table made room for interesting conversations and out of his own boredom, step-father decided he wanted to blossom, verbally.
"So." He started saying and sip some wine. "What is that little game you do?" He asked me, quite mockingly.
I didn't feel like answering him but the nudge from mother came as a warning of what would happen if they didn't speak to him.
"It's not exactly a game…"
He wouldn't let me finish. "You throw knives at a target and hope you hit?"
"Not just knives. Shuriken, stilettos, arrows…"
"Basically, you throw darts. That sounds very much like a game to me." He fixed his napkin and smiled a perverted smile. He was set on humiliate and mock everything related to me.
"If you say so." I said and looked over to Tom-Tom who was too busy with finishing his plate.
"I do actually." He wouldn't let go. "I'm right also. Throwing darts is nothing. Anyone can do that." He continued and looked directly at me. "What do you do besides throwing darts and look depressed?"
"She has gotten a job at aunt Mura's." Mother said with an innocent smile. She was too blinded by the riches surrounding her to notice her husband's treatment of her children.
"Good. A real job but not that would amount to anything, yet it is better to tend to flowers than tending to that boy we now call Fire Lord."
"I think he is doing a fine job. He is new to it, but he hasn't failed yet." Mother said.
"A fine job? Letting a glorious nation to go to waste? Not that your daughter would have anything against it."
At this point I wanted to get up, say what was on my mind and leave but something compelled me to not doing so.
"Oh, darling. Mai has grown out of that."
"Are you going to grow from that terrible makeup and hair too?" He blurted out with a grin towards me. "No, no. I'm only joking. At least we can make jokes."
I said yet nothing. It was obvious he had too much of drink.
"It's not that we don't have personalities." He continued, trying to trigger something out of me.
Not a single word was said by mother who didn't want to upset her drunken husband.
"Don't I, your new father, deserve your words?"
I looked up at him. "I think you've had enough."
He started to chuckle. "Maybe I've had enough of your attitude."
Again, I decided not to say anything but to excuse myself from the table. Mother looked disappointed, not with her husband but with me. As I was making my way out of the room. He grabbed me by the wrist.
"Don't think so highly of yourself. When you act as nothing you'll be treated as such." He said and let me go as if I was dirt he had just touched.
Mai had no interest in re-connecting with her step-father and she had no desire to go to his house but sometimes mother would send invitations and she would only go for the sake of Tom-Tom. He was the most important thing on her mind.
His voice made her come down to earth.
"You are not annoying." She answered the boy after apologizing for his behavior. "You are so amazing in so many ways. Promise me to be good today. Promise me you'll always be good. Study well and one day perhaps you can see all the four nations." She said and kissed both of his cheeks.
"I'll be good. Like you Mai!"
"Be better." She smiled at his face with those rosy cheeks. "Also, if your teacher asks what happened to your hand…Uh, tell them you fell on sharp rocks."
She waved him off and watched him skip his way to pre-school. Her heart, some people would say it was dark and cold, was warming. She really loved her brother. She rarely cared about people and the few people she cared about were Tom-Tom, Zuko and Ty-Lee.
Suddenly a familiar voice was heard calling out her name.
"Mai! There you are."
Mai turned around to see the face of her longtime friend, Ty-Lee.
"Ty-Lee? What are you doing here?" Mai was surprised to see her.
Ty-Lee embraced her friend with hug. "Oh, Mai. You have the softest of soft clothes."
"Uhm… thanks. Ty-Lee…"
"Yes?" Ty-Lee kept snuggling up to her friend.
"The hugging… I'm still not used to it."
"Oh, but you have gotten so better!" Ty-Lee was happy to see her friend again and so was Mai, but she wasn't as hands on as Ty-Lee.
"Did the Kyoshi warriors disband?" Mai asked her as they went for a walk.
"No. I think you can say we're on vacation." Ty-Lee had the biggest grin on her face, as if she was sitting on a great secret she desperately wanted to tell Mai.
"What is it?" Mai looked at her with a concerned look.
"Just some great news." Ty-Lee said. "Let me tell you over a cup of tea."
"Sounds great." Mai said as they headed towards a teashop.
"What did you want to tell me?" Mai asked as they were seated with their teacups.
Ty-Lee looked as if she was about to explode. She really had something great to say, at least, according to herself.
"Are you ready?" Ty-Lee winked at her.
Mai shrugged. "I guess?"
"Are you?" Ty-Lee was teasing.
"Just spit it out."
"Suki has gotten engaged!" Ty-Lee almost yelled out. "Sokka made her one of those betrothal necklaces they have in the Water tribes and Oh! It was just fabulous, not the necklace, it wasn't that well made but everything else! It was beautiful!" Ty-Lee spoke with gusto and Mai could tell she was very happy for her friends.
The talk of engagements was a soft spot for Mai. She kept a half smile as Ty-Lee spoke, but she also had something to say.
"And what about you? Any news from you? I am so happy to be visiting home. The nation seems to do so much better now that Zuko is in charge." Ty-Lee said.
"Uh, yeah, Zuko is doing very well."
"I wonder how he is. It's been a long time since I saw him."
"Zuko is doing very well." Mai repeated herself.
"Really? Can't we visit him? I wonder if the palace has changed since we were kids. Have you seen it? Is it still red and… fire-y?" Ty-Lee asked so many questions Mai didn't know which one to answer.
"Look, Ty-Lee. I have something to say. You'll be the first one to hear this."
"What is it Mai? You can tell me anything you know that right? You're my best friend!" Ty-Lee was happy to see Mai again. She reached out and took her hand. "Anything."
Mai sighed and said; "Zuko… He…"
"He did what? Did you two break up again? Do you want me to paralyze him?"
"No." Mai said. "There's no easy way to say this but he asked for my hand."
"Your hand? What does he want to do with your hand? Ugh, what a naughty boy. They are all the same!" Ty-Lee said.
"My hand in… marriage." Mai finally said.
Ty-Lee looked shocked, but a big smile crept on her face. Mai was afraid she would scream or do something very drastic at any second.