Zuko knocked hesitantly on the door to Mai's room on board the giant ship. He had never been in her rooms before, and he was slightly apprehensive. It was practically the middle of the night, but he was curious. He was curious about how her eyes crinkled up into little half-moons when she truly laughed, how she spun her knives around in her fingers when she was thinking; how the tops of her cheeks and ears turned pink when he had kissed her, and how she had placed her soft hand against his scared cheek. He wanted to know it all, but that could only happen if he talked to her.
It was late at night, long after the festival. They were still about a day out from the Fire Nation and Zuko couldn't sleep because of all of the thoughts whirling around in his brain. Mai probably wasn't awake, but Zuko thought it was worth a try.
The door to her room opened up softly and she poked her head out. She looked like she had just woken up and Zuko balked. He held up his hands in defense and started to stutter out an explanation. "Oh Mai! Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I didn't know what I was thinking I just-"
"Do you want to come in?" Mai asked, a small small adorning her face. She opened her door a little wider and beckoned him in with a nod of the head.
For some reason, Zuko felt his face heat up but he bowed out of nervousness and almost tripped over his feet walking into her room. "Umm, thank you...yes."
Mai's room was as bland as every room on this ship, but there were little personal touches here and there as some papers, knives and pens strewn over the furniture. Her bed was unmade and there was some makeup on a nearby vanity. Zuko stood awkwardly at the center of all of this, very unsure as to how to proceed. He folded his hands in front of him and tried to focus on breathing and not running out of there and down the hall to his own room. He really should go to sleep. This was a bad idea.
Zuko stood at the entrance of the room in front of Mai, twiddling with the ends of his robes, his eyes not settling in one place. He was reminded of their first night on the ship when both of them had been so annoyed by each other's presence. Now they sat in silence again, but this time it was because of nerves. Where did they go from here? Did they just kiss and boom: boyfriend and girlfriend? It had been a long day, and Zuko was running out of reasons as to why to pretend that everything was simple and unspoken. The sparks that accompanied Zuko flitted around his head, and danced down against his arm almost like they were dancing just for Mai. "Sooooo?" Zuko finally said, peeking up at her from under his bangs.
Mai looked at Zuko with a tired, yet amused expression. One eyebrow was raised and her lips were softly curved in the smallest of smiles. She gestured to one of the chairs in the room as she sat in one beside it. Zuko sat down very formally, keeping his knees at a 90 degree angle and his hands in his lap with his back too straight. "Sorry I woke you," Zuko said, barely louder than a whisper in volume.
Mai lounged in her chair, her body language tired but relaxed. She was in just a tunic, or Zuko guessed it was a night gown, and her hair was still down. Zuko had the urge to twirl some of the strands between his fingers, but he restrained that thought to the dark depths of his mind. One step at a time.
"I couldn't sleep, so don't worry," Mai said. She blinked her eyes slowly. "Couldn't sleep either?"
Zuko nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah," he said weakly.
"Anything in particular keeping you up?"
Zuko laughed nervously. He had a brief moment of courage and he glanced up at her looking from one side of her face to the other, unconsciously biting his lip before ducking his head down again. "Uhh… just thinking…"
Mai let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. Her cheeks were pink, but she remained outwardly calm as she looked over at Zuko with something in her eye that he could not name. "Thinking about what?" she continued with a raised eyebrow, taunting him.
"You," Zuko blurted and immediately turned beet red and began backpedaling. "I mean thinking about earlier...with you... at the festival… Sorry for dunking you in the water again."
Mai opened her mouth like she wanted to refute him, but she kept quiet. This led to Zuko running his mouth out of nerves.
"I just was worried that you might not...uh...like...me for making you fall into the water," he said, tripping over every other word.
"Like you in what way?" Mai continued innocently, the quirk in her lips betraying her.
Zuko sent a glare over at her in self-loathing. She knew exactly what she was doing. Zuko laughed, his cheeks hurting as he ducked his head in embarrassment. He whispered: "Like-like," as if he was twelve again.
Mai shifted in her chair. Zuko didn't look up, but he felt her lips against his cheek. His head popped up, his eyes wide. Mai gave him a shy smile that made her eyes crinkle. For that moment she looked just as nervous as Zuko felt. "I think that shows that I like-like you too," she whispered, her voice slightly rough as she lowered her voice.
Zuko closed the short distance between them, using his fingers to guide Mai's chin to him. He waited a hair's-breadth of a minute, waiting for her to connect their lips. Mai didn't hesitate, and her lips pressed against his. Unlike earlier, where their lips had remained stationary and merely touched, this time each of them started to move against each other. Mai's lips slotted between his and gently danced against his own. Both of them were unsure of what they were doing, but they kissed instinctually, following the cues of the little sounds that snuck out of their mouths.
Zuko panted when they finally parted, looking at Mai, starry eyed, feeling his heart warm like fire as she returned his gaze, a genuine smile adorning her face. "Does this mean you're my girlfriend?" Zuko asked dumbly.
Mai let out a huff of laughter and shook her head at him. "That would require you to ask me first," she said with a sarcastic lilt to her voice.
Zuko leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her cheek. He felt her eyes close at the sensation, her eyelashes fluttering against his cheek. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
He pulled back and looked at her as she was silent for a moment. Mai shrugged and looked like she was hiding something deeper behind her eyes, but she didn't voice her thoughts. "Sure," she finally said. With a surprising dominance, she pulled Zuko's mouth to hers with a hand curled in the collar of his tunic.
An Agni Kai. Something that only happened once every few decades, but never between royalty. Agni Kais were saved for generals who wanted to settle disputes, but not in a hundred or more years had there been an Agni Kai between royalty fighting for the crown. When Zuko had fought his father, that had been an anomaly in and of itself. It had been to settle a dispute and for Ozai to boast of his power over his son; it had never been about the throne. Since the war had started over one hundred years ago, the line of lineage had been set in stone, at least until Ozai. Even then, Iroh had let his brother take the throne without protest. An Agni Kai between siblings was even more rare. Seeing the plumes of flame in person scared Mai, truly terrified her. It scared her because she didn't know who would win.
Ty Lee caught her eye and there was an understanding in their gaze. Ty Lee yelled to the people around them, even calling to the Fire Nation soldiers around them. "The palace is going to burn down! Everyone! Get as many people out as you can. And you!" Ty pointed to the men in uniform. "Stall the fire as much as you can." They looked at her with confused glares, not immediately obeying her words because she wasn't their leader. Ty Lee yelled at them again. "Do you want the palace to burn down? Now to get to it!" she said with control.
Somehow, both the ex-prisoners and Fire Nation soldiers worked in tandem to help. Benders and non-benders alike ran inside to collect as many servants as possible and help them out of the burning palace. Others helped to quell the flames licking at the edges of every door frame. Mai split off from the others at one point, venturing deeper into the palace to find more people. There was one young maid struggling under a piece of burning lumber that had landed on top of her. Mai lifted the piece of lumber the best she could to help the woman out. Mai wrapped an arm around the woman and helped her move as fast as possible towards an exit.
However, when they reached the exit, they were met with even more flames. From the sidelines of the courtyard, they could see Princess Azula and Prince Zuko fighting to the death, blue and orange-red fire nearly consuming the entire courtyard. Azula's blue fire flew everywhere in large columns, destroying everything in its path. Zuko was standing his ground, cutting each and every volley of fire with his bare hands, swirling the fire back at his sister. The fight was awe striking and terrifyingly beautiful, and yet it made the hair on Mai's arms rise.
Mai hauled the young maid through the shadows of the courtyard, dodging the stray flames the best she could. Out of a side door, Ursa burst forth, carrying another young servant. She visibly balked at the sight of her children fighting on the courtyard. Mai hurried over to Ursa and looked at her grimly. "We need to get out of here," she yelled, over the sound of crackling flames. Ursa nodded wordlessly
The two of them hauled the other two servants towards the doors at the edge of the courtyard, trying to help them get out of danger. In of the corner of her eye, Mai noticed something she hadn't before.
At the corner of the courtyard stood the Avatar's waterbender. She watched from her hidden corner, but her hand was on a waterskin attached at her waist. The young girl could only watch, however, just as Mai and Ursa could only watch from afar. No one could interfere with an Agni Kai.
"What's wrong? No lightning today?" Zuko called over the roar of the fire.
Mai glanced back and saw Zuko's powerful pose, which was juxtaposed against Azula's maniacal cackling figure. Something was very wrong. Azula looked broken beyond repair, her hair out of place, and her eyes blank and too wide. The air went still as Azula's grin grew too big, her lips too red. Mai and Ursa stopped what they were doing, and instinctively reached out to the two siblings. Mai couldn't describe it, but she could just feel it in the air.
"You want lightning? I'll give you lightning," Azula purred.
"We have to get out of here," Mai whispered to Ursa urgently, glancing over to the two weak servants who were staring in glassy horror at the royal siblings. "Azula's not herself. She's going to do something."
Ursa looked frightened. In the little time Mai had known the woman, the expression was not a familiar one. She looked like she was going to argue with Mai but she sealed her lips, pressing hard enough that her lips turned white.
"Go," Mai urged, handing the youngest servant over. "We need to get out before something happens."
"They are my children," Ursa said, low and dangerously. "I'm not leaving them."
Mai couldn't reply. She didn't know how to.
There was a buzzing in the air, making the hair on the back of Mai's neck rise. She grabbed the servants roughly by their shoulders and pushed them to go faster. She knew what Azula was going to do. She couldn't watch, so she did what she knew she could do: protect those she cared about, and by extension those who Zuko cared for. She was going to get Ursa and the servants out alive and get the waterbender if she could. Mai didn't believe in spirits, but if Agni was watching she hoped he would protect Zuko. Zuko could redirect lightning, or at least that's what he told her once upon a time in the recesses of her bedroom. It was a secret that Zuko wasn't confident about, but now was better than ever to display the skill.
Out the gate, Mai pushed the servants and Ursa, but her gaze caught on Azula as she glanced back. Azula was forming lightning between her fingers with a wicked grin on her face. Zuko seemed to relax as he took a deep sigh and settled into a beginning fire bending stance. There was a shifty look in Azula's eyes. She looked from Zuko, to his stance, and looked beyond him. Her gaze rested on Mai and she grinned wickedly. Mai saw Zuko's body seize up, his eyes looking frantically to the side, his head turning back. Then Azula looked over to her left, right at the waterbender.
Mai's legs moved of their own volition. She ran towards the waterbender as quickly as she could, leaving Ursa and the servants behind. The waterbender was frozen in place, watching Azula complete her kata, the air sizzling with lightning.
Someone called her name, and another person screamed, but Mai only concentrated on running as fast as she could. She heard footsteps running beside her, and she stole a glance to the side. Time seemed to cease to exist in the moment. The waterbender was frozen, her eyes reflecting the light of the lightning. Mai hurtled towards her, hoping to get there in time to throw her to the ground, but she knew she wasn't going to make it. From the corner of her vision, Mai saw Zuko running too. If she were closer, she would probably hear his pounding heart and ragged breath, or see the terror tattooed in his eyes. Mai wouldn't make it, and neither would Zuko. Mai gritted her teeth and ran as fast as she could go, her hands making impact with a solid body, throwing them both to the ground.
There was no searing pain, no light following the veins of her body, but there was a scream and a flash of light. Mai whipped her head towards the scream and felt her blood run cold as she was blinded by the burst of light. She saw one figure; one small black figure with shaggy hair crash to the cobblestone ground with a sickening thud. The body twitched on the ground, the whole of his outline sparked with the remnants of lightning shocking his body. The waterbender under Mai let out a horrified scream, but Mai could only let out a shuddering gasp, not quite comprehending what had happened. Azula laughed, and Mai dragged her head up to look at her old friend.
"You always show up when you're least wanted," Azula spat. "Don't you ever get tired of it, Mai?"
Mai jumped to her feet in an instant, letting a blade drop into each of her waiting hands. "Aren't you tired of losing those closest to you?"
Azula growled, throwing a blade of lightning without warning towards Mai and Katara. The two girls leapt out of the way. Mai sent a blade sailing towards Azula, nicking her on the ear. Mai sent another one right after the first one, not caring where it landed as she ran to join Katara behind one of the many pillars that circled the courtyard.
The two girls panted, their shoulders pressing together as they leaned out of the way of the blue fire roaring around the edges of the column, weakening the stone. Katara took a glance around the column, her gaze calculating. "Do you know any healing?" The waterbender rattled off, taking a glance back at Mai.
Mai's eyes widened in surprise. Having not really spoken to the waterbender, she was taken aback at how quick the young girl was. "Enough. Are you sure you can handle Azula?"
Katara laughed sarcastically. "Of course not. I can heal Zuko, but can you handle Azula?"
Mai knew Katara wasn't trying to offend her with her lack of bending abilities, but it still hurt. She was no match for Azula, especially not with the comet. "I'll keep Zuko alive and help you if I can. Go," Mai urged. "Waterbending is a whole lot better than 10 little blades. If you can't take her down, wound her; something."
Katara grabbed onto Mai's forearm briefly. "Thanks," she murmured before running out from behind the pillar, running towards the water troughs at the edges of the courtyard, raising the water to her command. Mai, herself, watched from the sidelines waiting for the right moment to get to Zuko. Ursa and the servants had made it out, as far as she could tell, so her sole focus was Zuko and Azula. Mai saw her opening and ran, her legs screaming at her.
Mai ran to Zuko's side, falling to her knees beside him. He had his arms stretched out towards where she and Katara had been when the lightning had struck, his eyes hazy. "Zuko!" Mai said, her voice rough with emotion. Her hands raked his head and body, looking for where the lightning had entered his body. Blood was seeping through the front of his robes and his breath was ragged. He turned his head slowly towards her, his hand clutching at his stomach, groaning in pain.
"Mai?" he asked, pain evident in his voice. "What are you doing here?" He said with great effort. He tried to reach out to her, but his body convulsed and he cried out in pain. Light flashed around them, and they could hear Azula taunting Katara, but Mai tried to focus on them.
She put a hand against the side of his neck, feeling for his heartbeat. It was weak and seemed to skip every other beat. Mai ripped open his robes and gritted her teeth as she saw the gaping wound. She couldn't fix that. Mai ripped her own sleeve with impatience, pressing the fabric against the lightning wound with as much pressure as she could muster. "Stay with me Zuko. You don't get to die like this. You're too strong for that. Come on," Mai practically yelled at him, pressing down on the wound. His pulse was weakening by the second, and Mai didn't know what to do.
She leaned closer to him, brushing back his bangs. "Zuko, hey, stay with me," she demanded. "Keep your eyes open; can you do that for me?"
Zuko blinked up at her, his eyes seeing her, but not really comprehending that she was there. Mai glared at him, willing him to stay awake. His eyes fluttered, and he let out a puff of air, not taking another one in. Mai's fingers shook and her eyes widened. She didn't know what to do. She could barely feel a pulse and he was dying. He was going to die.
Mai remembered Ursa saying something about this passing, something that non benders could do to restart the heart. Mai took another string of fabric off of her robes and wrapped it around his middle, tying it tightly around his waist so that it might help clot his blood, or at least slow the stream of blood. It was unlike any wound she had ever seen. Mai then bracketed her hands together and sat up on her knees. With all of her weight and strength, Mai pushed on Zuko's chest up and down, counting under her breath. She felt a few of his ribs crack under her hands, but Mai could only focus on keeping him alive long enough for Katara to get to him. She could heal him with whatever magic she had.
Zuko still wasn't responding. Mai kept pushing on his chest, trying to restart his heart, but nothing happened. Mai pressed her mouth against Zuko's and breathed into his mouth, hoping it would help, but nothing seemed to help. So, Mai tried again. Mai cycled between pushing his chest, then transferring her breath into his mouth. There were footsteps beside her and a woman sat across from Mai in a heap, her hands full.
Mai glanced up at Ursa with a grim expression. "I think his heart's stopped, but I've tried and-" Mai explained, but Ursa cut her off.
Ursa pressed a leaf into Zuko's mouth and checked his bleeding chest. "You were quick to do the right thing, but these herbs will help."
Mai continued to do chest compressions, but this time with the aid of Ursa. They took turns pressing against Zuko's chest, with Mai pushing air into his lungs by force. A beam of lightning streamed above their heads, making both of them flinch.
Katara was holding Azula off, but streams of lightning were making it past her shield of water as Azula crept closer and closer to Zuko, Mai, and Ursa.
Mai wet her lips, weighing her options. She needed to help Katara. Azula was too strong with the comet. They needed to do something to trick Azula; that was the only way they could win this fight.
There was a cough, and Mai jumped. Zuko's head turned towards Ursa, coughing and gasping for air. He blinked warily, confused. "Mom?" he asked in such a quiet, raspy voice. Mai watched as Ursa brushed back his bangs soothingly.
"I'm here, Zuko. Relax; you're okay," Ursa said reassuringly.
Mai fiddled with the ends of her torn sleeves, looking over Zuko's exhausted face, and up to where Katara and Azula were on the rooftops of the palace. Zuko's breathing was still unstable, but he had a heartbeat. Zuko's head was curled up in his mother's lap, his eyes closed in pain. Mai looked up at Ursa. She reached over and squeezed Ursa's hand that was enveloped in Zuko's.
Mai leapt up and ran towards Katara's side, throwing a blade into Azula's shoulder, distracting her. Mai dodged behind a pillar in time before a lightning strike hit the place where she had been standing. She took a glance around the column, only to have to duck behind it again. Azula and Katara were getting closer. It seemed as if Azula was gaining more power by the moment as her lightning became faster and more precise. Mai watched from afar as Katara jumped out of the way and sent her own volley of water to counter and extinguish Azula's fire. Katara wouldn't be able to hold out forever.
Mai made a signal to Katara, urging her over before pointing to a new reserve of water from under a large grate. Hopefully Katara could do something special with water to capture Azula. They wouldn't be able to defeat her, but they could stall her.
Mai ran out from behind the pillar and threw blade after blade to get Azula's attention. She got it rather quickly, Azula snarling with a curled lip. "You can't fight me; you're no bender," she growled before laughing hysterically.
"You're right," Mai acknowledged. "I'm a non-bender. How terrible," she said sarcastically. "I'm not here to fight," she said simply.
Azula raised a delicately plucked eyebrow. "You're not?"
Katara jumped out from behind Azula and quickly wrapped ice around the princess before applying a pair of manacles to her wrists. "I am," Katara said with finality. Mai sunk two of her last blades into Azula's boot, pinning her to the spot. Azula lashed out, wrestling against the restraints. She took a deep breath and Mai called out to warn Katara.
"Watch her mouth."
Katara coated Azula's mouth with a spray of water, dousing her mouth and extinguishing her fire. Making sure Azula was bolted in place to the grate underneath her, Katara and Mai made a run towards Ursa and Zuko.
Zuko was unconscious, but he had a heartbeat; that's the only thing that mattered. Katara fell knees first beside him, coating her hands in water. "Can you tear away more of the clothing around his chest?" Katara asked, laying her hands against the exposed skin of Zuko's chest. Mai's eyes widened at the blue glow of Katara's hands, but didn't question it as she did what she was told. Mai sat back on her haunches, her fingers curled into fists by her sides, hidden by her robes, as she watched Katara begin to pull his skin back together.
The injury was disgusting, gaping at the sides and weeping around the edges. The wound was shaped like an angry star, like those that fly through the skies only to be obliterated. Mai patiently held Zuko's robes back so Katara had more access to the wound. First order of business was taking care of the blood that seemed to endlessly pour out of Zuko's chest. Katara ordered her to try and soak some of the blood up with extra clothing, hoping to stop the flow of blood. Mai watched on as Katara worked on him, Zuko's skin sewing itself together into a hard scar.
Katara was weeping, but her eyes were concentrated. "It's too deep," she murmured. "I-I don't have enough energy to heal it all," she admitted, casting a glance up at Mai in despair. "I'm so sorry I-"
Mai cut her off. "Do what you can. He's strong," Mai said sternly, trying desperately to keep her head in the situation. Although, inside her own mind she felt herself starting to shake. There was just so much blood. Mai didn't think herself too squeamish around gore and guts, and even death as it was was just a part of life. However, seeing Zuko made it hard. Mai couldn't fix it. She couldn't help him. She didn't have any mystic powers, she knew that. It didn't stop her from wanting to bend just this once so she could do something.
Katara took a deep breath and her shoulders sagged. She wiped her brow and closed her eyes, the water dripping from her fingers. Where the wound had been gaping open was a star-burst shaped scar that was angry, red and puffy. Zuko sturred, his eyelids fluttering. "Thank you," he rasped out, seeing Katara barely holding it together above him. He cast a glance over to Mai and his face eased; the tiniest of sparks flickering around his head, but they were weak. "Thank you," he repeated, but his voice was weaker.
Katara held in a sob and gave him a weak smile. "I should be thanking you," she murmured, her tears making it hard to speak. She glanced over at Mai. "Both of you," she amended.
Mai wet her lips and squeezed Zuko's hand that she had been holding. The squeeze held the same sentiment as Katara's words, but she could not find the words to articulate it. Zuko squeezed back. The strength in his hand reassured Mai that he was going to be okay; they were going to live.
Mai looked up as she heard a cry and a scream coming from Zuko's sister. Azula was shaking on the ground, held in her shackles, fighting consciousness as she spewed fire from her mouth. The screams she let out were devastating and it made Mai feel empty inside.
The sun beat down on their necks. There were clouds of smoke hovering over the palace, keeping them contained in a sort of smog. Zuko was looking at his sister as well. He had an unreadable look on his face as Azula screamed for their mother. Mai squeezed his hand again, and he squeezed back.
Mai and Katara slid an arm both around Zuko's waist and shoulders, helping him sit up and eventually stand up. He groaned at the pain in his chest, but Zuko worked hard to keep his face straight.
Out of the palace, two different groups of people rushed out. One set had large, red hats and long flowing robes with shocked faces. The other group was smaller, consisting of only two people. Even from a distance, Mai recognized Ty Lee. She could feel Zuko seize up beside her, but he rounded his shoulders, looking like the Fire Lord he now was. He stood up straighter beside his injuries and leaned into as much of a bow as he could muster at the coming Fire Sages. The Fire Sages were shocked as they looked between the two royal siblings. One of them stepped forward and surveyed Zuko slowly.
Zuko kept his head down and Mai, Ursa, and Katara followed suit. However, that didn't stop Mai from slightly glaring at the Fire Sages from under her bangs. They knew who won this Agni Kai. He may have been injured, but Zuko had won as soon as Azula broke the rules. An Agni Kai ends as soon as one of the participants is burned. The Fire Sage looked down upon Zuko, taking in the two women holding him up and then over to the shriveled Fire Princess.
"Rise….Fire Lord Zuko, may Agni grace your reign and our country," the Fire Sage finally declared with something akin to a proud look on the old man's face. The Fire Sage lowered his head and bent his knees, bowing before Zuko in the formalist of bows, reserved for only the utmost of respect. All of the Fire Sages behind him followed suit, lowering slowly to the ground with grave finality. People were peeking out of the smoldering palace, eyes wide with shock as they took in their new Fire Lord. First Ty Lee, then soon everyone in the courtyard bowed before Zuko, murmuring prayers to Agni.
Zuko looked up with a steady gaze, lifting his head high. Mai bowed her head as low as possible while still keeping Zuko upright. Katara looked around in wonder, and Mai saw her shoot Zuko a glimmering, and slightly wet smile. Zuko took a deep breath, his chest rising with the effort. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, but Mai only saw it because she knew him. To everyone in the vicinity, he looked like a leader.
Zuko bowed his head to his audience and murmured a word of thanks.
One Fire Sage raised his head slowly and addressed the new Fire Lord. "What is it you want us to do, Fire Lord Zuko?" He asked reverently.
Zuko cleared his throat. "The hundred-year war is over. I want you to announce our surrender at once," he declared. Zuko silently surveyed the smoldering courtyard around him. "I want you to make sure every servant is accounted for and is given medical aid if needed." He glanced over at his sister. "Please take my sister to the hospital wing, but keep her arms and legs restrained and fire contained. I, myself will require medical attention, but I need to meet with my council first," Zuko said, his voice steady.
"You are going to the doctor first," Mai spoke up, her voice firm, but quiet. Everyone's head turned towards her with varying degrees of shock. Mai ignored them in favor of looking Zuko in the eye. She wore her signature blank face on, but she looked at him honestly because she did not want to beat around the bush. "Your safety comes first. The Fire Nation is not going to get better if their Fire Lord dies because he didn't receive medical attention," Mai said stubbornly. "...My Lord," she tacked on at the end.
Zuko, Agni bless him, did not look shocked in the least. He simply looked like he had been reprimanded. He agreed with her even though he looked like he wanted to disagree. "Okay, I will, but let me address them first." Mai pursed her lips but nodded. It was as close as she could get to having him in the hospital wing as fast as possible. Zuko addressed the Fire Sages. "I will speak to my council. Once I am in the infirmary, Lady Mai will act as my voice until I am better or until my uncle returns." There was a murmur of agreements as the council was dismissed and Zuko pushed through the crowd with Mai and Katara holding him up.
"Hey!" came a voice from behind them. Zuko, Katara, and Mai spun around at the yelling and noticed a ragtag man standing at the entrance to the plaza, huffing and puffing as he came inside. It felt like Mai's stomach dropped as she recognized the slightly burnt, but still healthy and smiling Teddy. "Why didn't anybody pick me up? I thought I was important or something!"
Mai grinned and laughed, truly laughed for the first time in what felt like days. "Teddy!" She yelled. Ursa and Ty Lee, who had just come running into the plaza, looked up in wonder and excitement. "Teddy! You're alive!"
"Teddy?" Zuko cried in confusion. "That's my cousin!" With one of his hands, Zuko pointed at the man walking up to them. "You're supposed to be dead!" Zuko's voice cracked at the end of the sentence, but he still tried to hold strong.
Lu Ten laughed and put his hands on his hips. "I was gone for like five minutes and everyone gets ideas of grandeur. You think I could die?" He knocked on his head, which had hair sticking out from all angles. "Nah. You can't get rid of me."
Zuko kept staring at him in shock, not quite realizing the reality of the situation. "What happened to you, Ko? You look awful," Lu Ten said, his smile disappearing a little, but he reached out to Zuko and rustled his burnt clothing and reached up to rustle his hair. "You look like you got swallowed by a dragon whole before being spat out." He looked at Mai, as well as the others around them. "All of you do in fact. What the hell happened?" His eyes softened as he saw Azula nestled in Ursa's arms and lap. "Ah, I see…"
"You're alive," Zuko repeated in a whisper.
"You're alive too," Teddy whispered back.
Katara stepped away from Zuko and let Teddy take her place. She stared at Teddy for a moment, blinking rapidly. Mai let go of Zuko as well as Zuko hugged Lu Ten close. The two, practically brothers hugged, roughly patting each other's backs while murmuring things to each other.
Mai stole a glance over to Ursa and Azula. Azula seemed to be unaware of her surroundings at that moment, but she seemed quieter and calmer in her mother's lap. Ursa was petting her daughter's hair, but her eyes were on her son. A wistful smile on her face.
"Looks like everything is going to be alright," Ty Lee said, coming alongside Mai and Katara. She patted Teddy on the back. "Listen, you don't get to do this to us again, you understand? You don't get to come up with another name and die again, okay?"
Teddy let out a watery laugh. "Oh don't be so dramatic. I'm alive, aren't I?" Mai glared at him over both Zuko's and Ty Lee's shoulder. Teddy coughed. "Um, I promise I won't do it again," he amended. "Do you know where my father is?"
"Ba Sing Se," Zuko said. Zuko tried to stand on his own, but quickly started to stumble. Mai wrapped an arm around his waist and he leaned tiredly against her.
Teddy's eyes widened in shock. "Why is he there?"
"He's taking it back from the Fire Nation," Katara explained.
"The Fire Nation?" Lu Ten shook his head. "I was gone for too long. They don't tell us this stuff in prison," he said.
"Prison?" Zuko asked incredulously.
"Oh that was nothing, I'll tell you later," Lu Ten waved his hand, batting his cousin's worries away. "Right now you look like you need to visit the hospital wing."
"I'm fine," Zuko groused. "I need to see my council first. The war needs to end."
Teddy nodded his head, a proud look in his smile. "You've grown up well."
Zuko gave a proud smile and nod, looking unable to speak. He took a shaky breath in, but he looked strong. Zuko looked and acted so much older than he had only a few months earlier. Mai led him away, letting him lean on her as they left for the council room. The sooner Zuko met his council, the sooner Mai could get him to a healer.
Lu Ten, Ursa, Ty Lee, and Katara stayed behind, helping Azula get somewhere secure. There would be more time later for a family reunion.
Inside the War Council Room, the council was already assembled, and surprisingly so were many of the prisoners that Mai and Ty Lee had set free only an hour before. Everyone was shouting over each other, but surprisingly no one was injured or dead...yet. All of the squabbling stopped when Zuko entered the room.
The council stood up in a rush. With a cursory glance around the room, Mai recognized many faces, but mainly noticed the absence of Councilman Yi, the informant of the Phoenix King. However, Mai noticed the relaxed gazes of Councilwoman Sheishi and Councilman Chon standing up to greet their new Fire Lord with peaceful smiles. They were the only two council members to listen and support Mai back in the day. It seemed to be as good a sign as any. "Fire Lord Zuko," Councilman Chon addressed him with an incline of the head.
Zuko nodded his head, acknowledging them. "Councilman Chon, council," he nodded his head to the rest of the council. "I am here to address all of you as the newly appointed Fire Lord by Agni Kai, son of Lady Ursa and the previous Fire Lord Ozai."
There were murmurs that shook the room as the council bowed to him, some heads barely lowering, while others almost hit the table in front of them with their forehead.
"My first state of business is to initiate the end of the 100-year war. We are to call a truce with the other nations and bring back our troops as soon as possible and bring them home to their families," Zuko announced, his head held high.
Immediately there was an outroar of councilmen opposing the idea. Mai could see Zuko deflate a little, but he screwed his face into a stern expression and simply held a hand up to call attention to himself. The councilmen and women's voices petered off and they looked at him hesitantly as if they were prepared to have their head set on fire. Zuko cleared his throat. "One at a time, please," he explained.
There was a little bit of surprise in everyone's expression, but it quickly disappeared as one man quickly spoke up. "My Lord, our nation's economy is dependent on the war and restoring power to the world through the goodness of the Fire Nation. It would be impossible to just end the war. Our nation will fall."
"Where will we put the soldiers? There are no jobs," another pointed out.
There were murmurs of agreement. Zuko put a fist under his nose in thought. "I will consider these points, but I will hold firm on the idea of ending the war. We have no right taking over the world. We are no better than any other nation." Zuko looked from face to face, glaring at them intently. Mai felt a flame of pride inside her chest at how Zuko controlled his features, using what she had worked on with him not too long ago. Even though Zuko was strong at the moment, Mai could tell by the twitch of his fingers and the twist of his upper body that he was tiring fast. Mai subtly touched him on his shoulder, letting him know he could leave whenever he wanted to. He looked back up at her from the corner of his eye, and Mai saw a sliver of a tired smile.
"I'll stay here if you want me to," she whispered.
Zuko looked exhausted, but he tried to protest. "I can stay," he murmured, trying to focus on what his new council was saying. He was turning paler by the minute and Mai took a surreptitious glance down at where his wound was.
From across the room she saw Councilwoman Sheiyi smile over at them. She roared over the rest of the council, shushing them. "We can discuss this in more detail tomorrow. We need to speak with the other nations as well to solidify our stance. I agree with Fire Lord Zuko; ending the war is the only option." She nodded over at Zuko. "But right now our Fire Lord needs rest so he can best serve his nation. We can continue this discussion later," she said definitively.
When Zuko rose, so did the rest of the council. They bowed to him, and even though the nation was in a state of confusion, there seemed to be a feeling of understanding and reverence for the new Fire Lord. It was a good start.
Mai walked beside Zuko out of the room, his head still held high. However, as soon as they left the chamber, he collapsed into Mai's side. Mai tightened her hold on him wordlessly and waved over a guard to help her get him to his old rooms.
Zuko was uncharacteristically quiet when they got in his room, Mai tucking him into his bed. Mai didn't know what to say either. The whole weight of the world felt like it was on their shoulders and both of them were struggling to stay upright, however Zuko's wounds were making it more difficult for him.
While a servant went to grab a healer, Mai took a moment to just look at Zuko for a moment from the side of his bed. She reached out and tentatively pushed his sweaty bangs back. Little sparks glittered around his head and Mai felt her heart skip a beat. Her eyes were as tender as his when she pressed a kiss to his cheek and ran her hand down his cheek, letting it rest against his chin. Zuko's gaze was complex; so many emotions seemed to cloud his thoughts and he let Mai see all of it.
"Stay?" Zuko said, his voice sounding choked.
Mai wordlessly nodded. She pulled up a chair and sat as close to the bed as humanly possible without being on it. Zuko turned on his side with a little difficulty, but his face was less pained as he settled. One hand wrapped around her waist tightly, pulling her so close that she could feel his chest rise and fall against her stomach.
No words could be said in that moment. It felt like a stolen moment. There were so many things to do. Zuko needed to recover, then they had to end a war officially, crown Zuko officially, begin peace meetings and offerings, restore their nation… the list went on. Mai would need to act as Zuko in meetings until his uncle could return, and then she had to find Ursa and reunite Zuko with his family. Mai wanted to see her family, or at least her mother, but that would come in due time.
Sitting beside Zuko helped Mai relax. Being in the same space as him was a luxury that she hadn't realized she needed in her life. Mai hadn't thought about it for very long, not all at once, but she loved Zuko. She had missed him unlike anyone ever before, but she had never let herself think about it long enough to dwell on how much he meant to her. She had changed because of him. She had been inspired to see who she was and wanted a life for herself because of him, and because of that she would be forever grateful. Right now was not the time to think about how she had almost lost him. Now was the time to soak in his warmth around her. She opened her eyes to find him asleep already, his face relaxed. "...I love you…" Mai whispered into the darkness. Zuko didn't hear her, but he would someday. Maybe she would hear the words from him someday, but they had their whole life ahead of them. He had a country to rebuild, and she had a life to look forward to. Right now, that was enough.
Hello Readers! Sorry for scaring you about Lu Ten, but I promise everything will work out. He's gone through too much. This chapter took a long time to write and it has gone through many renditions because it is really hard to write action sequences, but I'm finally happy with it. I wanted to write a part for Mai and integrate her into the agni kai. I hope you liked it! Only one chapter left! Please leave a comment or a favorite if you would like. Until tomorrow, TTFN!