Chapter 20: The Mask Falls Away

"Zuko!" Katara ran over to him.

"Kya, what is it?"

"Can I talk to you about something important?"

"Sure."

Katara took a deep breath. "What I want to say is I haven't always been truthful with you. And I'm sorry for that. But I'm not going to hide anything from you. What I'm trying to say is—"

"There you are!" Ursa came over to the young couple. "What do you think you're doing? It's time to announce the engagement! Come along, no time to waste." She ushered the shocked couple toward the balcony overlooking the city.

The Fire Lady smiled and went out on the balcony. She began her address.

"You were saying?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, what I wanted to tell you was that my name—"

"And now, I present to you my son's betrothed, Kya!" Ursa turned back toward them.

Katara was about to protest but Iroh came up behind her then and pushed her out onto the balcony. Her blue eyes widened as she took in the entire city's population staring up at her. "Yikes."

Mai stole into Azula's secret chamber.

"You're back!" the fire princess rushed over. "Perfect timing! Everyone's busy with the engagement announcement. Now's our chance! We'll never get a better shot at this coup d'état. Give me the teapot!"

Mai looked into Azula's eyes and smirked. "No."

"Wha?! Give me the teapot, Mai! Don't underestimate me! I won't hesitate to kill you."

"No, don't you underestimate me!" the goth retorted. "Why should I give you the teapot and settle for being second in command when I can keep it and have the power all for myself? And in the bargain get everything I desire."

"You ungrateful!" Azula advanced on Mai.

Mai grinned and rubbed the teapot. "You know the rules. I'm the genie's master now."

Toph appeared. "What do you need, Twinkletoooooooooooooooooooooo—you're not Aang. Why do you have the teapot?"

"Shut up," Mai snarled. "I'm your new master and you'll do whatever I say, got it? If I say jump, you ask how high. I rubbed the lamp, and you have to grant me three wishes. My first wish?"

The dour girl glanced over at Azula and smiled darkly. "I wish to rule on high as the Fire Lord!"

"No!" Azula shouted.

The day, once sunny, abruptly clouded over. Darkness cast its gloom over the city and everyone looked up at the rumbling clouds overhead. Murmurs of worry and confusion spread over the crowd.

"What the? What's going on?" Ursa asked before she began to rise off the ground.

"Mom!" Zuko shouted and watched in horror as her royal robes vanished.

Mai appeared then in a puff of purple smoke, wearing the robes that had graced Ursa but moments before.

"You! What's going on, Mai?" the prince demanded.

"What does it look like? I'm the new Fire Lord. You bow to me now."

"We'll see about that!" Katara retorted and reached inside her coat for the teapot. Until she remembered that she had left it with her brother and Aang.

"Looking for something?" Mai asked with fake sweetness.

"No." the waterbender looked up at the goth with horror. She couldn't…

"Finders keepers."

Toph appeared and gave Katara an apologetic look before using her earthbending to raise the palace up.

"Toph! What are you doing?! Stop this!" the waterbender ran over to the railing. "Don't help Mai!"

The earthbender turned to her friend with tearful eyes. "I'm sorry, Katara. I have a new master now."

"No! Stop it!"

"Now, what will be my first order as the Fire Lord?" Mai mused. "I know! I order the former royal family to bow before me! No, kowtow to me!"

"Never!" Zuko snarled.

"We'll never bow to a charlatan like you!" Ursa said proudly.

The kunoichi's face twisted with rage. "Fine." She whirled toward Toph. "Genie! I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!"

"NO!" Katara grabbed the genie's arm and tried to keep her from using her magic. "I won't let you!"

"Sorry, Sugar Queen." Toph obeyed Mai and her green magic caught the kunoichi up. Swirls of light whirled around the dark girl before she settled back on the ground.

The waterbender whistled for Appa and ran for the railing, leaping off into Appa's saddle.

Mai turned her attention back to the royals before her. "Where was I? Ah, yes!" She flung a hand out toward them. Zuko and Ursa were caught in her powers and helplessly flung themselves to the ground. "That's better."

Iroh charged out but Mai caught him easily with her powers and he was turned into a child.

Katara came swooping in, her water trailing behind her. "Leave them alone!" She swung her whip down toward the power-crazed goth.

Mai laughed and countered with a whip made of her new found magical powers. The waterbender tumbled down to the balcony and slid along her side.

"Kya!" Zuko tried to free himself to help her.

"You mean you haven't told him yet?" the dour girl asked.

"Haven't told me what?"

"Oh, Zuko, there's someone I've been dying to introduce you to," Mai said in a sing-song voice, tilting his head up with a touch of her finger.

"Get your hands off of him!" Katara pushed herself to her feet and charged the goth.

The dark girl turned lazily and launched into a taunting song.

"Princess Kya, yes it is she,

But not as you know her." Mai captured Katara in her magic and yanked her down to the balcony.

The waterbender tried to break free as Mai continued singing.

"Read my lips and come to grips with reality!" She beckoned the lovers toward one another. In her hands they were mere puppets dancing to her own pleasure. She grabbed Zuko's arm when he faced her, releasing him from her spell only to whirl him around to face Katara.

"Yes, meet a blast from your past," Mai whispered in a haunting, melodious voice in his ear.

"Whose lies were too good to last." She let him go briefly to lean over to mock Katara with a melodramatic hand to her heart. She came back over to Zuko, who leaned away from her.

"Say hello to your precious—" One zap of magic and Katara's braid came unlooped, falling down her back as it had when she was on the streets.

"Princess—" Another blast and her outer robe, sash, and shoes vanished.

"Kya!" One last spell and the princess was gone. All that remained was a street rat, breathless with shock. She looked at her clothes for a moment before raising her tearful eyes to Zuko's.

He stared at her, open mouthed in shock.

Azula stepped onto the balcony. "Or should we say Katara?" she asked with a wry smirk.

"Kya?"

"Zuko, I can explain!" Katara stepped toward him. "I-I tried to tell you! But—I kept getting interrupted! I was going to tell you today, I swear!"

Mai stepped between them, shoving them apart.

"So Kya turns out to be merely Katara," Mai resumed her song. She flicked her wrist and the magic on the elephant came undone, leaving only a very confused flying lemur.

"Just a con, need I go on?

Take it from me." She summoned up Ty Lee, Aang, and Sokka in puffs of smoke. Then wrapped her magic around the trio and Katara and manipulated their position in the air until they were hanging upside down.

"Her personality flaws

Give me adequate cause." Mai grabbed Katara's nose and used it to shake her head. She stopped after a couple shakes and slapped her cheek.

Katara blinked back fresh tears as Mai began to sing faster.

"To send her packing on a one way trip

So her prospects take a terminal dip!" The sorceress flung the group to the highest tower of the palace.

"Katara!" Toph and Zuko shouted. Appa let out a low and went after his master.

"Her assets frozen, the venue chosen

Is the ends of the earth—whoopee!" Mai threw a kunai with an magical exploding tag into the base of the tower. The tag exploded on impact, turning the tower into a rocket. The emotionless girl truly smiled for one of the first times in her life. "So long—"

"Goodbye, see ya!" Azula interjected.

"Ex-princess," Mai did a little finger wave goodbye to the rapidly disappearing tower.

"Kyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Toph turned away, tears streaking her face as her boyfriend and friends vanished into the sky.

Mai finished singing and broke down into bone-chilling laughter.

A/N: Honestly I spoil you too much. But then is it really spoiling if it takes me forever to post a new chapter then I put out another the same day?