Chapter Four

Azula couldn't think straight in the campsite, what with her brother tied to a tree (No doubt staring at her. She could feel his presence even in the dark.) and the snores of her exhausted companions distracting her. A nearby hill laid out against the starry sky called to her, and after alerting Mai and Ty Lee of her intentions, she set off to be alone.

A blush from when she had grasped the prince's arm still filled Mai's cheeks. A feeling, so alien to her after three years, filled her heart with a tingling and longing. She was thankful for the darkness that concealed her emotions from Ty Lee (who was asleep anyway), and most especially from Zuko. At the same time she wished for the day to come and reveal his face to her. She had missed that face.

Sleep evaded her. Should she say something to him? Azula was gone and Ty Lee was asleep. This was her chance! Mai's thoughts circled endlessly, growing more and more outrageous. Maybe she could free him and they would run away together and join the Earth Kingdom. Sure, he might not be in love with her and he might try to kill her once she untied him, but that was the adventure she had been looking for!

Soon Mai began thinking about her days in the Fire Nation, too, and all the feelings she had had for Zuko. He was the cutest boy in the whole country! His gorgeous face and silky hair. Spying on his training sessions, his school lessons, watching him walk around the palace. Mai had been quite the little stalker.

Zuko wasn't always nice to her and had mostly ignored her; in fact, he had never talked to her at all, but that really hadn't mattered to the small girl. Personality wasn't a factor in her attraction to him. He was her prince charming anyway.

Zuko thought it best to take his incarceration in stride, wait till the time was right. Then he could escape. But the more he thought about it, the more hopeless it all became. He would never be without guard, and never be without chains. His only hope was if Iroh decided to come back for him, and even then, could the two stand up to Azula's mastery of firebending, Ty Lee's knowledge of pressure points, and Mai's hidden weapo…

Mai. His dream returned to him. Why would Azula have been so anxious to have him knock Mai into the fountain? Why not Ty Lee? The answer was simple. To inflict pain on as many people as possible, that was why Azula did everything. Mai would have been supremely embarrassed after that incident. He remembered how Mai would never look him in the eye when he had known her, how she always blushed and got quiet. She liked him!

How had he not seen that? It was obvious to him with a maturer retrospect. Zuko was a bit embarrassed himself. No one had ever felt that way about him before, and come to think of it, Mai was very, well… she was beautiful. And so quiet and thoughtful, never annoying like Ty Lee. She was a very talented warrior.

Zuko was flattered. Mai seemed out of his reach, and yet she liked him anyway! Was it possible that she could be in love with him? After all, he wasn't the most pleasing thing to look at. She had probably gotten over him long ago… but wait! She had not seen him after the Agni Kai, after he got his scar! There may be a chance that she still… but it would be so hard to… It was his only hope.