Chapter 10 New Things Are Fun But Challenging
The journey after her conversation with Katara was a lot better after that. Katara taught her how to sew, normally she would think sewing or needlework was a fiddle thing to do but she saw how much skill it actually took and also a decorated book mark that Katara was making for Zuko and she thought she could make something useful for Aang.
Aang smiled when he saw that they were getting along and didn't say anything about it until they were alone when he gave her his thanks and a lingering kiss.
But now they had arrived at the South Pole and her mood was slowly dampening again. She couldn't do that much as Aang and Katara were busy helping the North Pole benders with making more houses. Walls had been put up a long time ago from the North Pole but a lot of construction was still needed as most benders went for war effort.
It was cold and she had donned her mother's specially made pale red coat and had two layers of gloves to warm her icy fingers. It was times like these that she thought that being a firebender would be helpful as she looked at Aang warming up his fingers using warmth from a small flame in his hands.
In the time she had been there she had spent a lot of time helping Katara's grandmother cooking for the tribe where she couldn't help but thinking that she would use these skills later on when it came to feeding her family and looking after the kids of the tribes where she noted not to have more than three kids.
They called her 'Jie Jie Mai Mai', big sister Mai, which she rather liked though sometimes she thought they were more annoying than her younger brother.
Still she found herself rather lonely as neither Katara or Aang could stay with her and other members of the tribes were quite a bit older than herself.
"Stop running around like that" she cried out as she tried to keep the kids away from the benders constructing columns. They all giggled and laughed, continuing to run in circles. She looked behind her and saw Aang coming for lunch but she was displeased to see the small group of girls that had come from the North Pole that crowded around him.
They were another down side, being water benders they could stay with Aang all day while she couldn't. She frowned unconsciously reminded herself to threaten them with knives later on.
"Don't worry about it" Katara said behind her. Mai turned around. She hadn't noticed the water bender before.
"He only has eyes for you" she told her smiling knowingly, "And he misses you to, but he has his duties as Avatar and all that"
Mai didn't smile though she felt a bit better after being reassured.
"Those girls still need to know to keep their hands off though" she said bitterly, she gathered the children and told them that they need to go back for lunch now. They all followed her and went towards Aang who had managed to get away from the fan group.
He smiled at her and she immediately felt a lot better than she did before. He hugged her in welcome and they continued to walk hand in hand.
"So are you going to take my offer of penguin sledding?" he asked, "I've got the afternoon off". Mai thought a bit, he had ranted on and on about penguin sledding and she had rejected him previously but she wanted to take every chance she got to spend time with Aang. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.
"It's really fun" he urged bringing her in closer. She pushed him back but smiled.
"Maybe" she told him and he beamed with accomplishment. They entered the new mess hall that had been built a few days ago and took their seats along a long dining table with pots and plates of food piled on them, plates and cutlery were passed around.
Aang dug into the vegetarian dishes that were place specifically around him and she took some of the dishes too. She was getting used to eating vegetables more and more since traveling with Aang as they always seemed to be apart of the menu. Still she was sure if she wanted to give up meat entirely and she took a portion of a traditional South Pole meat dish.
"There are three different types of penguins you can ride" Aang told her as they ate, "You've got the male ones that sometimes don't let you ride them but if they do they go faster than the others"
Mai passed a dish to Katara as Aang continued.
"Then there are the female ones who are pretty nice as long as they don't have a chick with them or anything but they aren't as fun"
She tried to take off the vegetables that Aang had piled onto her plate.
"Eat them, their good for you. And then there's the really crazy ones. You can tell them apart by the way they walk. They are a blast to ride, they do all these spins and zig zags but they are hard to catch- I mean really hard to catch"
Mai passed the vegetables which she couldn't rid of onto Katara's plate who passed them down again creating a sort of passing sequence.
"If I go with you will you talk about something else?" she asked and Aang's face lit up.
"You want to go?"
"Well, I managed to catch six kids today which is a personal record. I think I can handle it" she said and grinned.
"You're going to love it!" exclaimed Aang, "Penguin sledding is great, I think it will be a national sport one day!"
"Okay, okay. Let's talk about something else. What did you do today?"
Standing on the cliff Mai was having second thoughts about penguin sledding. Meanwhile Aang was trying to get her a penguin since she had refused to run around unladylike after a penguin (but really she still didn't feel like penguin sledding).
"Uh Aang are you sure this is safe?" she without any humor in her voice. Aang just beamed, looking like he was such a kid.
"Of course its safe!" he reassured her, "A kid can do it".
She looked off the precarious cliff again. She was fine with heights but this was an ice cliff and she had never done anything like this before. She was raised to be a proper lady, though she had her way with learning how to use throwing knives.
"I caught one!" Aang shouted out and he came to her lugging a penguin in his arms which was trying to get away.
"So I go straight down?" she asked.
"Straight down" he confirmed. The penguin went down it's tummy as Aang held it in place while she got on. Steadying herself she nodded to Aang to let go.
"Now what do I do?" she asked but suddenly she was speeding away and she could only hear Aang's laughter behind her.
She didn't scream or close her eyes but held onto the penguin for her dear life, it seemed she was so terrified she was absolutely silent. The penguin started to do zig zags as they zoomed downhill and she almost hit it trying to tell it to stop. She could she a ledge of ice and became still again as the penguin gracefully crossed the air landing again on the hard ice. It continued to move down starting more elaborate movements as it skated along the ice.
Mai felt her tummy do flips and adrenaline pump through her body but she was starting to get used to the feeling and even tried to steer the penguin a few times.
She saw an upcoming cliff and held on tighter ready to be swept into the air. She held her breath as they started falling but suddenly realised that there was no ice to catch them. Just a deep blue sea.
The water was icy and the moment she entered she could feel the penguin escape her grip. Water filled her nose and she choked as she pushed herself above the water again. Spluttering as the waves crashed at her she treaded water. She could see Aang faintly due to the salt in her eyes who was jumping to her rescue.
He took her around the waist and then flew them into the air putting her on the ice where she coughed up water.
"Not bad" he commented, "For your first time"
Mai wasn't amused but she let him water bending the water off her. Mai proceeded to wrap her arms around him to gain more warmth. She was freezing.
"Is this- what you think is fun?" she asked. Aang laughed as he started to warm her with his fire bending. He stroked her hair tenderly and she buried her face in his chest thankful that she was now dry.
"I think being with you is fun" he answered and Mai felt her face heat up but it added to her warmth.
They were silent for a while more as Mai regained her normal temperature but during those moment Mai had to admit.
Yeah, being with him was fun.
A/N: I've been obsessed with making a new outfit for Mai lately. I saw her old clothes again and I thought 'They don't suit the character I've developed' and so I started sketching. It's going to be a mix of orange and red.
I just found out about Avatar: The Legend of Korra, I want to watch it even though they do make it so Aang and Katara end up married (cries). It sounds like X Men though, no one likes benders anymore. I find it hillarious that it's set 70 or 100 years after. Poor Aang he would turn in his grave, he cleared up all this mess and just as he dies something else happens.
Oh well, I still think Zutara and Maing is the best. I actually like Maing more than Zutara now.
Besides it's no fun going a long with the canon shippings (sore loser)
So please just put the Legend of Korra in the bin while you read this and continue with my story! Cause of course Mai and Aang live happily ever after in my world!