Chapter 12-Mai
TW: explicit injuries, blood, gore, mention starving, mental illness, and mentioned alcohol problems.
Angel Wraith Edit Notes: Hope you all enjoyed my edits from the prologue all the way to this chapter. Its been fun revising this story.
'Why am I still awake?'
Mai sits up in her silk covers bed hair hung across her shoulder. 'This is what I get for trying to be caring girlfriend, sleep deprivation while my famous boyfriend babysits his psychotic sister.'
Mai turns in the sheets the red fabric wrapping her slim body. Boredom is something she knows greatly. Between being stuck in Omashu with her awful family to being trapped in a prison cell, Mai knows boredom and hates it personally . Her boyfriend is a busy man, runs a nation, is friends with the avatar, has a crazy sister he needs to watch but the least he can do is come to bed before she falls asleep.
Mai is about to call it quits and go to sleep when her room door opens. Zuko stands in the frame shaking his head slightly. He walks into the room completely oblivious to her and goes into the bathroom. Mai rolls her eyes and sighs before laying back down to go get some rest. Seconds later the bathroom door slams open and Zuko charges out his shirt only half on because he is changing while walking. He starts pacing around the room muttering incoherent words to himself. When he shows no signs of stopping Mai decides to do something to catch his attention.
"I'm pregnant."
Zuko freezes jaw dropped to the floor "B-but h-ow, w-we."
"I'm kidding, your pacing around the room like a freak, what's wrong ? " Mai asked, clearing things up.
Zuko takes a deep breath in relief. He gathers his thoughts and meets Mai in bed. He pulls the covers on top of him and plants a kiss on her forehead "Don't do that, I almost had a heart attack."
Mai just shrugs before laying down. Zuko follows suit turning to meet his girlfriends face. Their noses inches away from each other.
"What's wrong Zuko, you seem stressed, more so than usual." He turns on his back facing straight up at the high beamed ceiling. "Talk to me Zuko , don't keep these feelings bottled in what's wrong? "
A light chuckle from Zuko, was Mai talking about not bottling feelings, he fears he might be losing it too. Mai leans in cuddling next to Zuko. This is all it takes for Zuko to break.
"It's Azula "
Mai's caring expression turns to a frown. "What did she do this time ? " Mai sits up crossing her arms.
"It's not her, well it is but..." Zuko takes a breath his thoughts hammering into his head at once. He sorts through the word before finally forming his sentence " Mai, she's different there's something wrong with her."
"Of course, there is its Azula, she's cruel, selfish, and doesn't understand how to calm the hell down." Mai said in exasperation.
"I know she's mean and evil but we talked after dinner and she seemed almost understanding."
"Azula understanding, you're kidding."
"I'm not Mai, it's concerning me something happened to Azula, she's not herself anymore."
"Zuko, have you ever thought that maybe it was the treatment, you say Azula is more understanding then the treatment at the hospital must have worked." Mai came up with a simple explanation.
"Well I guess that makes sense." Zuko shrugged.
"No, it makes perfect sense. Azula's fine, your nations fine, everything is fine."
Zuko smiles softly sadness still in his eyes. Mai cups his chin locking eyes with him.
"But if you don't lay down right know and go to sleep I won't be fine and we don't want that to happen do we ? " Mai said slyly.
He shook his head his smile returning fully. "Good now sleep." She pushed him back into his pillow and twisted so her back faced him. Zuko stared at her back before wishing her good night. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Zuko tosses and turns in his sleep kick Mai furiously. Her leg recoils with each hit before she has had enough. Mai gets out of bed slips soon her robe and walks to the bathroom. Water trickles down from the faucet her cupped hands underneath it as liquid pools and her fingertips. She brings her hands to her face splashing the cold water on her. It covers her face before falling backing the sink. Small streams still streaking down her neck. She grabs a scarlet hand towel dabbing the excess away. She rubs at her eyes trying to push the sleep away.
There is only a few hours till dawn and she is hoping to get some time to read before the circus that is her day begins. Mai moves to the velvety red couch grabbing a book of her shelve. She turns on a small lamp and starts to flip through the pages of her book.
Boy meets girl, girl falls in love, boy is overly complicated and has trust issues blah blah blah. Mai knows exactly how this book ends. In fact she is pretty sure she has read it before. That's all Mai used to do. Read books, sigh, and be bored. Now she is living at the palace with her loving boyfriend, who happens to be the Firelord, but she stills finds times like this where she sits just top sit, on reads just because. Mai use to hate these moments but now they seemed more like peaceful times. Sometimes she would hold a book just to pretend she is reading when really she is just there, her mind completely empty. Much like now Mai was normally wake at this time, right before dawn, just sitting, relaxing.
Mai contemplates whether to get back in bed or to simply sit but her thoughts are broken when a shattering sound is heard from down the hallway. She honestly feels the urge to stay seated but her body gets the better of her. She lifts herself from the couch and makes her way out of the room, carefully slipping out in order to let Zuko remain asleep.
Mai walks down the hallway trying to pinpoint where the sound came from. 'No one else seems to be around or woken up so it must have been close by.' Mai makes her way a bit further down before stopping in front of Azula's room.
Sigh. She doesn't have time to put up with Azula's rage. Well she does technically have the time but she isn't in the mood. 'We probably left a Water Tribe bowl or something for her to be mad at.' Mai turns to leave when she hears a sound unlike anything she has heard before.
A small curse is heard from inside the room. Mai can't help but find herself wondering what made that sound. She presses her ear against the door to get a better idea. Small swears or muttering is coming from inside.
Regardless she couldn't give up this chance to see whatever embarrassing accident her former friend has gotten herself into. 'Probably something stupid like a stubbed toe.' Mai couldn't help but chuckle darkly at the thought of the mighty princess Azula cursing at her pinky toe.
She used to be friends with Azula and remembers her cursing at all sort of stupid things. One time Azula was feeding turtle ducks with Ty-Lee. Mai was sitting under an apple tree to avoid the sun. Azula was bragging about her fire bending when a turtle duck snapped at her. She swore so much Mai wasn't sure if she was the princess or a drunken sailor. Whatever the reason Mai isn't going to miss a chance at humiliating the once great Azula.
She reaches for the door handle turning it as slowly and quietly as she could, careful not to ruin the natural reaction of her former friend. The door was pushed open and Mai swung the door open hoping to see Azula pointing yelling at her toe in raw rage. But Mai didn't find that at all. In fact she was sure she had found the complete opposite. The room was completely empty, no Azula. All she found was a shattered something made of glass. Mai looked down to examine it closer when she heard mumbling somewhere in the room. Mai leaned in to observe the damage when she saw a horrific sight.
A trail of crimson blood from the pile of glass to door of the bathroom. Mai followed the trail generally worried about her ex-friend. The mumbling got louder and Mai was able to place that the mumbles her small hiccups, 'in-between curses and light hearted swears,' she prays. How wrong she was, Mai reaches out for the bathroom door turning it quickly to uncover what has happened.
" Azula...are you okay ? " Mai nervously asked as she approached the bathroom door.
The door flies open and Mai drops her jaw at the sight.
Azula, Princess Azula, was huddled next to the sink. Her back pressed firmly into the stone , her head raised ever so slightly to the roof. Her legs pressed against her chest, her thin frail arms hugging to the point that they could practically merge into one appendage. Mai took a step back her hand clasped tightly over her mouth. She had never been this shocked before. Her face, or what was visible of it, matching the shock she was feeling. Her emotionless mask dropped to the floor shattering like whatever glass had been outside the room.
Mai felt queasy like she was going to throw up. She leaned into the doorframe catching her self with one hand, keeping the other pressed against her mouth. Azula must have not noticed her and if she did she wasn't going to acknowledge it. After a few seconds of taking in the nightmare of a sight the distress of the situation comes crashing down on her. The mirror above the sink is shattered glass all along the sink counter. What is left of the mirror is covered in streaks of blood, most resembling a dragged out handprint. The floor and walls are also marked with a few of these awful symbols.
That isn't even the worst of it. The trail of blood she had been following into the bathroom thickened while only a bit. The drops of blood turned into small pools leading up to the most horrific sight of all.
Princess Azula.
She was covered in cold sweats, her whole body shaking unable to keep still. Her arms and legs look bruised, no wait, that was even more blood. Azula's face was soaked in tears as she sobbed uncontrollable. This was the first time Mai had ever seen the girl cry and she prayed to Agni she would never have to see anything even half like this ever again. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse she was proven wrong. Among the other damages Azula had faced the worse was the thing sticking out of her lower leg, and left arm. Two twin spikes of glass stuck straight out of her blood seeping from the wounds they had caused.
Mai moved forwards, she forced herself to. As much as she didn't like Azula for all the times she treated her like dirt, she couldn't let her bleed out. She couldn't let her old friend die like this.
The shards of glass didn't look too deep to cut anything important though the sight was disturbing all the same. Mai reached forward to Azula reaching her hand out like a human to a dog-mouse. It's only then did she notice Azula was rocking herself, and saying words actual words. Mai kneels down to Azula's level trying to understand what she is sputtering.
"I-I almost had her." Her voice cracks. "I was so close to e-ending this." Azula choked back her tears. "W-why did you listen to her, it was only a whisper wasn't it. Or was it a scream like she does to me." Azula broke down sobbing.
'Was this how she was during Sozin's Comet ? And was she...trying to kill herself ? ' Mai wonders to herself in horror, trying not to startle the crying girl. The tears and blood on Azula's face mixed together and Mai realized how horribly disgusting her appearance was. Her hair was disheveled in her mouth and stuck to her face. Whatever small amount of makeup she had on at dinner wasn't washed off but streaking down her sickly face.
Mai never realized how pale she had gotten. Or how much skinnier she looked.
But worse of all she smelt disgusting. Like sweat and was that alcohol ? That's when it hit Mai. The glass that was broken was sticky and smelled a lot like fire whiskey.
'She's fifteen ' Mai realized. Mai was 16 and year older than Azula and a year younger than Zuko. 18 is the legal age of alcohol consumption in the Fire Nation but since Zuko was Firelord and Mai was his noble girlfriend she had tried some rice wine and fire whisky before. But at most a couple of sips, but this broken bottle was completely empty. Mai knew of Ozai's strict diet for Azula. To maintain the perfect warrior body she wasn't allowed sweets or many carbs at all.
Now that she thinks about it she remembers certain times Azula use to not eat when traveling. She always thought it was due to lack of time but maybe that wasn't the case.
Mai shakes her head, realizing that she doesn't have time to be thinking about that and gets to work.
" Stay here Azula " Mai said obviously, not like Azula was going anywhere.
She went back into Azula's room and started ransacking the drawers, before finally finding a fully stocked medical kit. Mai remembered that Azula was always liked to be prepared and kept some medical supplies in her room just in case of some training mishap. She quickly went back to the bathroom, where she was not surprised that Azula hadn't moved at all.
She took out the tweezers to remove the shards of glass, some stitches to sew up the wounds and bandages to cover them up.
Mai touched Azula's face moving the hair from her eye causing Azula to look at her in fear. She whimpered at the touch but Mai's gentle with it.
" Hey, hey, its okay...I'm going to help you " She whispers to Azula "This is going to hurt."
Mai carefully pulled the shard of glass in Azula foot out with the tweezers causing Azula to scream in pain. Mai clamps her mouth shut before she can make too much noise and awake the other people in the palace. Last thing she needs is for people to start asking questions, she can't answer. For right know she has to help Azula. Mai was always the one who would help clean up the injuries for her friends when they were searching for the Avatar so she has a pretty good idea of what to do.
Azula's cuts weren't to deep nothing lethal though it was probably extremely painful. Mai clamped down on the wound with her hands blood trying to make its way out into the open. Azula was holding back screams of agony as her dagger wielding savior proceeded to help her, removing each and every shard of glass that was stuck in her limbs.
Once she managed to pick all the glass out, Mai pulled a sterilized sewing kit from the medical bag and skillful stitched Azula's cuts closed. The crying girl only letting out a few flinches as Mai tried to get this done as quick as possible. After all the stitches were in place, she bandaged up the wounded areas so they could heal properly.
' She still smells though...' Mai couldn't just leave her smelling like a buffalo.
Mai continued her aid by drawing a bath for Azula. After heating the water so it wasn't to warm despite Azula being a fire bender, she helped the still silent Azula up on her feet and got her to strip down to her chest bindings and underwear, knowing the princess would be unhappy if she was fully undressed infant of her. She carefully guided Azula into the bath making sure she didn't slip. Once Azula was situated she went to get her a pair of clean cloths. She pulled out fine red pajamas and laid them out on her bed.
Mai got to cleaning Azula off, feeling like a weird big sister as she washed Azula's her hair gently and lightly rubbing the blood and sweat off of Azula's skin. Once the bath water turned a brownish rouge, and Azula looked a bit better she helped her climb out of the tub. Mai watched as she dried off to insure she didn't open any of the stitches. Once , Azula was dry, Mai changed her bandages again and helped her slip into her clothes and got into bed. The sun still wasn't going to be up for another few hours but neither of the girls cared.
Azula was exhausted and Mai was certain the princess hadn't had any sleep that night. Once Azula was comfortable in her bed Mai returned to the bathroom to clean off the glass and blood from the floor. Azula had watched her slip in and out of the scene waiting for her to come say something to Azula.
When Mai was finished cleaning she heads straight for the door, not even bothering to ask for a thank you or anything. Mai stops right before she exited to see is there was anything left to do. When she was sure there wasn't, she reaches for the door handle twisting it softly, when she hears a cracking voice of Azula call her from behind. Mai stops dead in her tracks to hear what the princess is going to say.
"Mai " Azula manages to rasp out "Please don't tell him."
Azula didn't even bother with the name. Mai knew exactly who she was talking about. Mai looked down at her feet before leaving the room completely.
But not before heading a quiet "thank you" in a voice so small she isn't sure if Azula meant to say it out loud.
She glanced and saw Azula sunk into her bed shutting her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.
Mai walked quietly down the hall. The sun was going to be up in a few hours and the other workers were bound to wake up soon. She makes her way back to her room and slips in quietly. Zuko lays infant of her in a light sleep. He is going to have to get up soon so she decides a few hours with her boyfriend can't hurt.
Mai slips in the covers next to him and hugs him tightly. She doesn't want to remember anything that has just happened but she also can't forget. She has to do something.
She hadn't asked Azula any questions because she could she that she was in pain but so many thought raced through her mind.
'What happened?Who did it ? Did she do it to herself ? Was it an accident ? If not, then why ?' Her head was pounding and all she wanted was to cuddle up with her boyfriend and sleep.
But unfortunately said dreams, didn't come true as she couldn't fall asleep. Her mind too occupied thinking of what happened to Azula.
Soon Zuko woke up turning to his restless girlfriend who he thought had been with him the whole night. Zuko embraced her in a hug squeezing her close.
"Good morning, what do I owe the pleasure or this act of emotion and affection."
Mai didn't lift her head instead she tucked it into his side even more. Zuko held her when he realized that she was crying
'She never cries.'
Zuko is confused utterly confused.
'Was it something I did?'
He's not quite sure so he just does the most rational thing her can think of.
"Are you ok?" Zuko asks before feeling like an idiot.
'Of course she isn't, look at her, heck just listen to her.'
Mai looks up at him red swollen eyes shining with tears. Zuko grabs her by the shoulders and gives her the worried look of a parent while also the caring look of a boyfriend.
"Mai?" She sniffles in. "W-what's"
Mai dives head first into a hug. Zuko is completely starstruck. The two stay quiet for some time just letting the other hold them. Finally Mai pushes back staring into Zuko's eyes. Her tears have dried and her voice is clear.
"Zuko, we have to talk about Azula."
Notes: Without a doubt my favorite chapter. Tell me what you guys think. I had to go back and add a trigger warning. Sorry if it was kinda dark but that's where this first part is heading, part 2 and 3 will be more like bittersweet but this one is going to be dark and have some horror. Anyway tell me how y'all are liking it and please I love critics they help me get better. Love y'all. Next chapter coming soon.
Angel Wraith Editor Notes : Yeah, this chapter has definitely been my favorite since it has Mai helping Azula work through her stuff.
