Not Here.
–-
"Mai. I have to leave."
Mai's head swivelled lazily, coming to rest on Sokka.
"Oh? Why?"
"There's something going on in this town, out West. No one's really sure what's what, but they want me to investigate."
"What's going on there?"
Sokka shrugged, dislodging Mai a little.
"It's just weird, apparently. People disappearing, no one in the town comes out to trade any more. Might be a cult or something. Anyway, they want me go have a look-see, and they've assigned me a partner."
Mai stirred at this.
"Any idea who?"
"Nope. I suggested you come along, but that didn't go over all that well. Grandpa doesn't like anyone he doesn't know, and Jeong-Jeong backed him up."
"It was sweet of you to try, though. I am seriously cut up that I won't have the opportunity to suffer great discomfort just to help of a bunch of old men feel important."
"...You know, I can't even tell what you're trying to tell me by that."
"What makes you think I'm trying to tell you anything?"
"Besides, if it was on the behalf of a bunch of old men, I would have quit by now. We're doing good work- it's sort of like what Aang is doing, except without the PR. Besides, when people see a Water Tribes guy stick up for the Fire Nation when they need it, it sticks in the mind some."
"I wasn't really listening there, but I'll have you know there was a joke in there, and if I were feeling more energetic I would have made it."
"You know, people think you're mature. It's amazing."
"Really? Who?"
"Aang. Maybe Toph. I used to."
"It's amazing what people think when you don't talk much."
"I wouldn't know."
"I figured that out myself, you know. So, when are you going?"
"Tomorrow. First light."
"Oh."
"I know. I'm not looking forward to it, you know."
"You could have mentioned this earlier."
"I was going to. But I got distracted."
"Yeah."
A few realities of time management dawned on Mai, as they had done on Sokka a few minutes ago.
"You're leaving now, aren't you?"
"I don't want to."
"Good. How long are you going for?"
"Three days. They're being careful now- all we're doing is going there for two evenings, looking around, and leaving."
"I see."
"But if I'm going to make the trip in three days, I have to get up early."
"I guessed as much."
"Cool. So... do you have any idea where my shirt is?"
Mai, with not a little difficulty, raised her head a whole six inches and peered around the dim room.
"Oh, wait, there it is. ...How did it get up there?"
–-
This wasn't so bad. After all, now she got a little more alone time.
Sokka wasn't bad- he was certainly entertaining- but he got... clingy, sometimes.
She supposed that was her fault- at first, for some reason that she couldn't quite put her finger on- she had indulged him, and he was far too at ease around her now.
She might need to do something about that at some point. She still had her barriers, you know.
–-
Wow.
She'd forgotten quite how dull her life was, in the last month-and-a-half.
"Mai! Mai!"
She sighed.
"What is it, Tom-Tom?"
"Play ball!"
"No."
–-
He should be back some time today.
Not that she was waiting, in particular, but there really wasn't much else to do.
"Play ball?"
"No."
--
He was a day late.
Perhaps this was a good thing. It would give her an excuse to be irritated with him, and re-establish a few boundaries.
Yes. That was what she would do.
--
Two days now.
She was babysitting.
"...Play ball?"
She sighed.
"Fine. How does one play ball?"
Tom-Tom beamed, and threw a red ball at Mai. She caught it.
"That's all? How droll."
She threw it back.
"Ow!"
Tom-Tom started crying.
Mai sighed, and covered her ears.
--
Three days late.
It was starting to irk her how little there seemed to be to do around here. It was actually worse than she remembered.
Dad had told her three times to stop walking around the house so much.
Well, she wouldn't if there was something to do. It was really his fault for having such a boring house.
--
Four days. It had been a week since he left.
Okay, this was getting ridiculous.
Fortunately, she knew who to talk to. At. Whatever.
"Mai! Play ba-"
"No. I have to go out now."
"Oh."
--
Mai stalked to the palace, ignoring any signs that thanked her for getting appointments, and breezing past security guards by claiming diplomatic immunity from paperwork. It was a trick she had seen Dad pull a couple of times. Generally he just slipped away while everyone tried to work out if diplomatic immunity worked that way.
Outside the throne room, she paused.
Someone else was already in there, and they were shouting.
"Four days, old man. Four days with no word. Where are they?"
It looked like someone was busy stealing her thunder.
"We don't know."
"Why not?"
Wow, this guy was pissed.
"Enough games. Tell me where they are, Bumi. I will go myself."
"Do you think that is wise? To go alone? Do you have any plan at all?"
"I-"
Mai walked in.
Bumi was sitting on his throne, being harassed by a tall young man with a bow.
"Oh, Mai! How you doing?"
"I do have ears, you know."
"Oh." Bumi looked comically disappointed. But then Mai always found the disappointment of others amusing. "I was hoping you might pretend."
"Look, I just want to know what's going on," Mai reasoned. "Who is this guy?"
"Oh, haven't you been introduced? Mai, meet Longshot. Longshot, Mai."
The man bowed, stiffly. He still radiated frustrated anger.
"So, I guess this is about Sokka and his little trip," Mai said.
"You guessed right. I must say, that was impressive, if you really were guessing."
Mai groaned. She had forgotten what Bumi was like.
"Look, we all know where this is going, so let's cut to the chase. You tell me where Sokka has gone, and I don't put a knife through some semi-vital organ."
Bumi considered her words.
"Deal."
--
Mai headed for the stables. The Avatar was usually there at this time of day, she had been told.
The bowman was following her. So far, he hadn't said a word.
Well, that was fine with her.
Aha. There he was. With his usual menagerie.
"Avatar."
He looked up, surprised.
"Mai! ...Is there a problem?"
"Saddle up. We're going on a trip to," she checked the name she had been given "a place called 'Jijing-Ling'. Sounds cheery."
--
This is actually a setup to a short fic I plan to write at some point, in case that wasn't already obvious. I'd had the idea swilling around for a while, and now it's solidified. As a Maikka, apparently, which wasn't something that was in the original script, but I'm not complaining. No, I won't be writing it before I finish Gentlemen. Mainly because I actually want to finish Gentlemen.
Anyway, the tentative title is 108 Battles. Probably to be put up sometime around Christmas.
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