It only took a few seconds for Katara to fill the lock with water, freeze it, then kick it until it shattered and the door swung open. The two startled guards posted outside were quickly incapacited by a flurry of ice shards to the face and a punch in the gut, respectively. Mai swiftly ran her hands down the body of the man who was groaning and clutching his stomach, coming up with a wickedly sharp dagger the length of her forearm. Not perfect, but better than nothing. She glanced over at the man that Katara had knocked out, but didn't have time to search him as well. Katara was already on the move, climbing up the side of the shipping container they had been kept in. It was a good call; from the ground, they could only see the blank, corrugated metal walls of other containers, with no real sense of where they were or how many people were guarding them.
Mai flew up the ladder after Katara, cursing when she realized exactly where they were. The shipping yard near the rim of the dormant volcano that housed the capitol was used to load and unload the metal containers that were transported by train to the harbor. It was about a mile from the palace, too far to shout or run to get Zuko's attention.
A yell came from the ground, drawing their attention to the most immediate problem, which was the retinue of rebels that Daichi had left to watch over the captives. Mai was a little honored that they were considered dangerous enough to warrant so much attention, but it would make getting out of here that much harder. None of the other shipping containers were close enough for them to run from one to the other, probably to discourage exactly that. They would have to climb back down and fight their way out.
"I really hate it here," she muttered dryly as she went back down the ladder. On the ground, Mai thought they could use the confusing maze of shipping containers to their advantage. "We should run," she said as Katara lightly jumped down next to her. "They'll split up to look for us, and we can take them out a few at a time."
"Good idea," Katara agreed, darting off and leaving Mai to follow behind her again. They almost immediately ran into three of their guards, who had come around from the back side of the container that had been kept in. Katara swirled her hands in the air and drew out enough water to coat her fingertips, which she froze and threw at the closest person. Mai threw her newly-acquired dagger then ran after it, the knife driving into her target's leg only seconds before she kicked the new injury, causing the man to collapse with a pained groan. She went to retake the dagger and was intercepted by flames; the remaining insurgent was a firebender who was aiming for Mai's hands. The fire sputtered across her fingertips and Mai jerked her hand back, the sudden sharp pain leaving her light-headed. The firebender smirked and moved to burn her again, when a leash of water curled around his neck and dragged him backwards. Mai had just enough time to shoot a grateful glance at Katara as she retook her knife, wiping the blood on the still-whining man's shirt and dutifully ignoring the pain in her hands.
After their near miss, Katara wordlessly allowed Mai to take the lead. She kept an ear out for the muffled communication between the people that were trying to track them down, trying to avoid them while still moving in the direction of the palace. They encountered a few more of the mutineers and dispatched them as quickly and quietly as they could. Katara was mumbling about their slow progress, but there wasn't much else they could do. They weren't near any big bodies of water, so Katara was fully reliant on whatever moisture she could pull from the air. Mai was frustrated to find that none of the people they took down had weapons that she could easily throw, and she was stuck with the large dagger. She was slowly losing her razors, and having to rely more on hand-to-hand combat, which resulted in a shallow cut on her leg and a throbbing migraine from a blow to her head.
Time was slipping away from them, and every second they spent sneaking around was time that Zuko and Aang would be talking themselves into surrendering. However Aang felt about her, Mai knew that he didn't have the political savvy to leave anyone he cared about in the hands of the enemy. And Zuko, for all his years of experience as Fire Lord, still had his bleeding heart. Both women were aware that they needed to make contact, fast, before the Fire Nation was put in the hands of these renegades.
The dark maw of an open shipping container caught her attention, and she froze, flinging out an arm to stop Katara as well. Mai chewed on her lip, debating. The blackness of the container could be housing an ambush, but there could also be any number of helpful things inside: water, weapons, an escape war balloon. Her curiosity won out and she whispered her plan to Katara. The two of them crouched down and ran over to the open door. Pressed against the side of the container, Mai took a deep breath then peered inside.
The good news was, it wasn't a trap. The bad news was that it was full of unopened identical wooden crates, with no indication that they contained anything they could use.
"Nothing," Katara spat, having joined Mai in the open door. She kicked the nearest box viciously, before turning back. Either the sound of her voice or the thump of her kick alerted their pursuers, and Mai heard one of them call "Over here!" She sighed, ready to begin running again. Her eyes drifted down to the crate that Katara had attacked, noting that the bright red text on the side read 'FLAMMABLE.' She pried the lid off the box to find that it was full of fireworks.
Mai had a really terrible idea, but she needed help. The next person to attack her was a wiry woman wielding an axe. Mai pulled one of the small razors from her pocket and threw it into the back of her hand, causing her to howl and loosen her grip on the weapon. Quick as a flash, Mai grabbed the handle of the axe and wrenched it out the other woman's hand, then kicked her hard enough in the knees to make her drop to them.
"Are you a firebender?" Mai inquired conversationally, pinning the woman's wrists behind her back. The woman spat at her, and in one movement Mai brought the stolen dagger against her throat.
"I asked you a question," she said, her voice dangerously soft. The woman's throat bobbed, but she gave a miniscule shake of her head. Without another word, Mai rapped the handle of the dagger down on the woman's head, knocking her out. Mai looked around and saw Katara had a young man flat on his back, a knee in the middle of his chest holding him down. He was unarmed.
"Wait!" Mai called. Katara glanced up, confused, though she never fully took her attention off her quarry. The man was definitely no longer in fighting shape; one of his eyes was swelling up, and his face and hands were covered in cuts from Katara's water whips. "Firebender?"
Katara tilted her head in confusion, but nodded. There were more footsteps approaching; Mai had to work quickly. "Bring him over here, quick." Mai thought it a testament to how much they had bonded in captivity that Katara obeyed without question, dragging the firebender over to Mai's open crate of fireworks. She pulled out five of the small rockets and lined them up so they were pointed straight into the sky.
"Light them," she instructed, nodding for Katara to release one of their captive's hands. The firebender looked at her in terror, but she didn't even have to threaten him with the knife before he used one shaky hand to light the fuses. The fireworks screamed into the sky, so loud that Mai fought every instinct to keep from clapping her hands over her ears. The fireworks exploded above them, loud and bright and beautiful. She didn't allow herself to marvel at them for too long, instead lining up another five on the ground. "Again," she ordered, and the firebender complied. She didn't even have to give the command for the next set.
Katara was still next to her, staring open-mouthed at the sky. "What's all that for?"
Despite the burns on her fingertips, gash on her leg, and her increasingly aggravating headache, Mai grinned. "How good do you think the boys are at reading signals?"
Blankness, then a gasp of comprehension. "You're insane."
Mai shrugged. "I've heard that before."
The thrill of her plan's success was short-lived; a new cluster of insurgents skidded into view, unleashing a whirlwind of fire. Katara shot her a feral grin, dropping the firebender to the ground and rushing back into the battle. Mai was about to follow when an arrow pierced her sleeve, pinning her to the fireworks crate. Momentarily shocked at the role reversal, Mai was greeted by the sight of Aiya bearing down on her, bow drawn.
To Daichi's credit, he recovered from the shock of the fireworks quickly. Zuko spun his dao blades out in front of him, each one sending out a surge of fire that Daichi dispersed with his hands before returning with his own fireball. Aang paused, blinking in surprise, at the revelation that Daichi was a firebender. He probably should have expected that, but in their past encounters he had never once fought back, preferring to have other people do his fighting for him. On that note, Daichi's backup leapt into action, fearlessly stepping between their leader and the men that he had been antagonizing. Though a few of them had left to presumably try to contain Katara and Mai, they still heavily outnumbered Aang and Zuko. It wasn't long before they were on the defensive, working to avoid blasts of fire as well as spears, swords, and daggers. Aang punched down into the ground and drew up a rock wall to shield him and Zuko, then shoved it so it slid forward into the rebels. Between the cries of alarm as they hurried to get out of the way, Zuko grabbed Aang's arm.
"He's getting away," he hissed, his golden eyes focused on the retreating figure of Daichi. Though the exiled councilman hadn't stooped low enough to run in terror, he was striding away from the battle, content to let his people deal with it.
"I'll distract these guys, you keep Daichi around." Though Aang ached to confront Daichi himself, he was a far more distracting opponent than Zuko. Aang allowed the rock wall to sink back into the ground and whirled his glider until a tornado formed around him, one that ripped fire blasts to shreds and tore weapons from people's hands. The insurgents circled around him, confident when they were fighting together but individually hesitant to attack. Aang flung out his own wave of fire, causing everyone to duck their heads. In the confusion, Zuko slipped away, ducking down a side alley to cut off Daichi. All of Aang's attention went back to the fight.
Despite mastering all four elements, Aang was first and foremost an airbender, which meant that he preferred to be fast and evasive, and keep his enemies at a distance. Unfortunately, he only had two eyes, and he was surrounded. As he shifted to deflect yet another flash of fire, someone behind him threw out a chain, thin but heavy, that tangled around his outstretched arm. Aang cried out as the chain was snatched back, wrenching his arm with a painful pop and sending his staff rolling out of his grip, out of sight. His head clashed against the cobblestones as he was yanked off his feet, and he saw stars. He threw out his free arm in a feeble attempt to ward off his other assailants, but the breeze he shot out barely managed to extinguish their flames. As his vision blurred and his movements slowed, he wondered if this was the last thing Katara and Mai had seen before they were abducted. He wondered if any of the people bearing down on him were the ones to take them from him.
The brief, blinding glow of his tattoos stunned his attackers. Revitalized by the raw power of his past lives, Aang grabbed the chain around his arm and flung it forward, sending its owner flying into the others. The man let go of the chain as he bowled over a firebender that had been been midstrike, both of them tumbling into the ground. Aang whipped his new weapon around him, flames licking along the chain as it whistled through the air. The Phoenix Authority were now on the defensive, scrambling out of Aang's newly-extended influence. A firebender moved to strike, and Aang lashed out with the chain, letting it go as it wrapped around the man's arms, cinching them tight to his body. Gracefully flowing into his next kata, Aang pulled a boulder out of the road and hurled it into the group of three that were now sprinting towards him. The boulder knocked back two of them, but the third elegantly avoided it and engulfed Aang in fire. Still in the Avatar State, he just barely registered the pain as the flames burned through the fabric of his clothes and danced along his skin. He turned the earth to sand beneath her, swallowing her up to her neck before he allowed it to solidify again.
A burst of fire in the distance caught Aang's eye. Zuko had managed to circle around Daichi and was pushing the other firebender back towards the main battle. Daichi was doing a decent job of holding his own, but Zuko's ferocity was unmatched. Grim-faced and wielding his flaming swords, Zuko pressed forward, forcing Daichi to lose his ground again and again. The rebels were now trapped between the Fire Lord and the Avatar, but Aang was starting to flag. No matter how often he trained, the Avatar State was never meant to be a long-term solution, and he could feel the damning weight of his exhaustion pressing on him. He began to feel pain again, the stinging along his arms and torso where he had been burnt, and the dull throbbing in the shoulder that had been dislocated by the chain.
As Daichi rejoined what remained of his followers, they encircled him, diverting Zuko's attacks. Aang couldn't believe that they were still so loyal, even after he had abandoned them. It was terrifying, to think of someone like that with such faithful and dangerous subjects in charge of the nation. Sensing Aang's weakness, Daichi and two other firebenders turned on him, simultaneously unleashing a firestorm that Aang could just barely block with his arms. He dropped fully out of the Avatar State and wavered, struggling to stay on his feet. He could hear Zuko shouting his name, but he was locked in his own battle and unable to help.
Daichi smirked at him, and opened his mouth to say something that Aang was sure would be pompous and self-important. Instead, he grunted in pain as an arrow sank into his shoulder. A thunder footsteps behind him was Aang's only warning to stumble out of the way as Mai leapt off the back of an ostrich-horse, wielding a Yuyan bow.
Mai unceremoniously ripped her sleeve to free it from the arrow, keeping her sights on Aiya the whole time. The other woman regarded her coolly, apparently waiting for her to break first. Dread slithered up Mai's spine as she recalled the archer's threat when she had been tied up.
I look forward to killing you.
In a move that she was not particularly proud of, Mai ran.
Taken aback by her unexpected disappearance, Aiya didn't follow Mai for a few seconds, allowing her to get enough of a head start to melt into the shadows of the shipping crates. Mai's heart was pounding in her ears, making it even more difficult to track her silent hunter. Unlike the others, Aiya didn't curse or yell for backup. She simply trailed after Mai, her foreboding shadow the only indication that she was nearby. Mai ducked and weaved, inwardly raging as she realized that Aiya was herding her away from the city, deeper into the shipping yard. She didn't have time for this.
She rounded a corner and bit back a shriek as she came face-to-face with a set of brilliant blue eyes. Katara pressed a finger to her lips and looked at her pointedly. The nonverbal question was clear: what do we do?
Mai had no idea how Katara had found her so quickly, but it gave her an idea. Aiya would only expect to deal with Mai, which meant that Katara could sneak up and surprise her. Mai indicated for Katara to follow her and they crept along the side of the nearest shipping container until they got to a ladder. Mai pointed up the ladder and Katara nodded, disappearing up and over the lip of the container. After a few seconds, Mai deliberately kicked the side of the container and gasped, loudly.
The slowly creeping shadow of the Yuyan archer sped up as Aiya came around the corner, already shooting. Mai struggled to dodge the arrows without moving too far away from the container, fully aware that if she messed up now it would be the end of her. Aiya stepped closer and closer, the red tattoos on her eyes turned black in the shadows. Mai tried to run but suddenly Aiya was right there, an arrow nocked inches from her face.
Rather than release the arrow, Aiya's hand on the bow slackened, and Mai took the opportunity to knock it away from her. To her amazement, the bow clattered to the ground, the arrow with it. Aiya choked, and closer examination revealed that her nose and mouth were covered in water, cutting off her oxygen. In those precious moments while Aiya tried to figure out what was going on, Mai punched her in the forehead. The towering woman crumpled to the ground, out cold.
"That was terrifying," Mai remarked as Katara clambered down from the top of the shipping container.
"That was way harder than I thought it would be," Katara countered, and Mai noticed that the waterbender was trembling slightly and covered in a sheen of sweat. "Turns out when you put water on someone's mouth, they just want to swallow it." She turned her attention to the unconscious archer. "Is she…"
Mai placed one hand above Aiya's mouth, holding it there until she felt the warmth of an exhale. "She's alive." Mai started to straighten up, but reached around Aiya's shoulder first, removing the quiver of arrows from the fallen woman's back. She picked up the bow as well.
"We need to get to the palace," Katara reminded her anxiously, straining on her tiptoes as if that would allow her to see past the shipping yard and the mile of city between them and Zuko. With a long-suffering sigh, Mai once again began to run. Katara fell in beside her, and soon they were out of that dreadful yard and into the city proper.
"We'll never get there in time," Mai panted, one hand going to the stitch that was already forming in her side.
"You're right." Katara was also breathing heavily, and slowed her pace to a steady jog. Mai slowed down as well, though her mind was screaming at her to keep sprinting. She adjusted the quiver of arrows that was slung across her back, acclimating to the new weight. She scanned the neighborhood for anything that would help them get to the palace faster.
Both her and Katara saw the ostrich-horse at the same time. The stable was attached to an apothecary, who likely used the creature to deliver herbs and medicine around the city.
"Should we?" Katara hesitated, chewing on her lip. "It's part of their livelihood, they need it."
It took everything Mai had not to roll her eyes. "You're the richest person in the city, buy them ten ostrich-horses tomorrow," she said brusquely, stretching over the door of the stable to unlock it.
"Of course you're fine with it, it's not the first ostrich-horse you've stolen." Mai looked up sharply, but Katara was grinning, clearly teasing her about her wedding shenanigans.
"That was mostly Aang's idea," Mai defended herself as she quickly saddled up the ostrich horse.
"I guess he's rubbing off on you." The second the words were out of her mouth, Katara flushed a deep enough red that Mai could see it through her dark complexion. "I didn't mean it like that, I swear."
"Don't worry about it," Mai cut her off before she could begin babbling. "It's been a weird fucking day." She stepped back to examine her work; she was by no means an ostrich-horse expert, but she thought they would at least make it to the palace.
Katara exhaled in relief, as though she expected Mai to pick a fight with her over her poor choice of words. "No kidding." She effortlessly pulled herself onto the ostrich-horse, taking the reins. "I can lead, you can cover us with the bow." Mai nodded and joined Katara on the beast, squeezing her knees to keep herself upright.
"Ready!" The word wasn't even all the way out of her mouth when Katara urged the ostrich-horse forward, racing full speed down the middle of the street. Mai's free hand flailed in front of her until she grabbed the back of Katara's tunic, steadying herself on the galloping animal. She somehow managed to keep a hold of the Yuyan bow in her other hand, pressing it to her chest to keep it from getting ripped away by the wind.
Mai heard the battle before she saw it; the roar of firebending clashing with the metallic clang of swords and spears. Katara clearly heard it as well, digging her heels into the ostrich-horse's flanks and urging it faster. The combatants came into view, both Zuko and Aang holding off more people than should be possible. However grim the situation was, Mai's heart soared at the sight. They had gotten the message she had sent with the fireworks, and she was grateful that there was still a fight to be had.
Her knuckles turned white around the stolen bow as, in slow motion, Aang was engulfed in flames. The arms he crossed defensively in front of his face disperse the brunt of the attack, but the Avatar looked completely drained. His clothes were scorched and he swayed back and forth, but he shifted into a fighting stance, ready to go again. Mai was overcome with a fierce protectiveness and, in a flash, she pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and loosed it towards Daichi. Her aim was good, considering she was on the back of a moving ostrich-horse, and the arrow struck his shoulder, stunning him.
"Go help Zuko," she instructed Katara, then swung her leg around the back of the ostrich-horse and jumped off before the waterbender could argue. She stumbled as she hit the ground, but a hand with a blue arrow steadied her.
"You're okay," Aang murmured, his eyes bright with relief. His grip tightened, as though confirming that she was, in fact, standing in front of him. "You're alive."
There was so much she wanted to say, but now was not the time. She put one hand over Aang's and squeezed, reassuring both of them that they were okay, before selecting another arrow and shooting one of the firebenders that had been momentarily stunned by her unanticipated arrival. His cry of pain as the arrow pierced his thigh brought everyone back to the present. Aang's attention snapped back to Daichi and the remaining firebender. Daichi's composure had completely disintegrated. His teeth were now exposed in a furious snarl, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. They moved in, too close for Mai to use the bow, and released another blast of fire. Mai ducked under it and kicked out, catching Daichi's accomplice off guard and bringing him to his knees. One more kick to the side of his head rendered him unconscious.
The split second she took her attention off Daichi, he struck. Not towards Aang, but to her, ripping the quiver off her back. The next thing she knew, her back was pressed against his chest, his elbow locked around her windpipe. His other hand came up to the side of her face, and she closed her eyes against the sudden burst of light. She turned her head away from the flames that singed the hairs on her cheek, just barely far enough away to keep from burning her. Aang stilled, his nostrils flared and his hands clenching uselessly at his side.
"That's enough, Avatar," Daichi growled, his eyes darting back and forth, searching for backup. It was not forthcoming; the rest of Daichi's people were held up fighting Zuko and Katara, who moved together effortlessly as a single terrifying force. "This isn't over yet. My mistake was trying to do this respectfully, and it is not one I will repeat." While he talked, Mai's hand inched into her pocket, then stopped. "I will be crowned Fire Lord over your charred remains, you—fuck!" He swore as Mai jammed the last razor from her pocket into his stomach behind her, vindictively twisting it into his flesh. The fire in his hand went out as he instinctively pushed her away from him, and she took her cue to run. Aang jerked his hands up, there was a rumble of earth, and Daichi was encased neck-to-toe in a stone prison.
"Aang, I'm fine," Mai complained for the millionth time as the palace healers finally left her alone.
"Yeah, yeah, what do you know?" Aang was standing next to her examination table in the infirmary, having long ago escaped from his own table. One of his hands would periodically skirt along her arms and legs, despite the healers' assurances that Mai hadn't sustained any serious damage. The other hand was firmly holding onto hers. If she were truly annoyed, she could have pulled her hand out of his grasp.
She did not.
"Katara, please tell him I'm fine."
"Sorry, I have my own to deal with." Katara had insisted on healing Zuko first, and since then he had had his arms wrapped around her waist, chin perched on her shoulder, following along behind her like a turtle-duckling. "Spirits, you guys are clingy." Aang couldn't help but notice that Katara was also not trying very hard to escape.
It was surreal, how quickly and anticlimactically everything had ended. Once Daichi was out of commission, the rest of the Phoenix Authority had wavered long enough to be brought down. Then it was just a matter of the palace guards rounding up all the rebels, both from the street and the shipping yard. Aang and his friends had little else to do but limp back to the palace, Katara directing them straight to the infirmary. The only serious injury was on Zuko, who had been swiped across the stomach with a sword at some point during the altercation. Aang had no memory of that happening, and even Zuko admitted he had no idea he had been hurt that badly.
In spite of Mai's protestations, Aang couldn't bring himself to let go of her, either from the irrational fear that she would vanish if he did, or the sheer relief that she was back. The grip on his hand tightened as she insistently tugged him forward until he was standing in front of her. She pulled him even closer, until they were nose to nose.
"I missed you," he confessed, quiet enough that only she would hear.
"I missed you too." She also spoke barely above a whisper. Unable to bear the separation any longer, Aang leaned in to kiss her. He hummed in disgruntled surprise when she bent back before his lips could touch hers.
"So," Mai began, louder now. "Katara said something interesting while we were tied up."
"Oh?" Aang shot Katara a shrewd glance. Katara, who was pretending that she wasn't eavesdropping, quickly looked away. "What did she say?"
"She said that you were in love with me."
"Did she now?" Aang leveled a glare at Katara, who had the decency to at least appear guilty before she headed out of the infirmary, Zuko still clamped around her.
"She did," Mai confirmed. "Which is interesting, because you said that you liked me, which is one thing, but love is something entirely different."
"Uh huh." It was maddening that he couldn't read anything in her expression or her voice. "Very different."
"And now the question is, is it true?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On how you feel."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. If you don't feel the same way, then it's just Katara trying to besmirch my cool guy reputation."
Mai considered that. "No, you have to say it first."
Aang groaned. "You won't tell me anything? Not even a little hint?" Mai shook her head. "Fine, but just remember that I had a very emotional, stressful day—"
"I was drugged and kidnapped today, but go on."
"—and my heart is very sensitive right now."
"I'll keep that in mind."
He had thought it would be more difficult to say to her for the first time. He had struggled so much saying it to himself, to Suki, to Katara. But the words fell out easily, as though he had already told her a thousand times. "I love you."
She waited just a fraction too long, just enough for panic to begin to curl in his stomach, before she broke out in a radiant smile. "I love you too."
Mai set off her second fireworks show of the evening, this time in his chest. Elated, he cupped her face between his hands to kiss her, and this time she let him. He could feel her smiling through the kiss but he didn't care, he knew he was smiling too.
Aang was watching her mess with the Yuyan bow, aiming at the target that they had placed in a tree in the palace garden. Mai had decided to keep Aiya's weapon after the archer had been arrested, both out of spite and a genuine interest in learning a new skill.
"I'm leaving tomorrow." He spoke just as she loosed her arrow, causing her to jerk and send it up into the branches of the tree.
"Oh," was all she could say. She wasn't entirely shocked by Aang's proclamation, since he had been moody and fidgety all afternoon. It had to happen sooner or later; all the members of the Phoenix Authority had been taken into custody almost a week ago, and peace had once again descended on Caldera City. It didn't need the Avatar anymore.
Aang walked over to her, taking the bow from her hands and gently pulling her down until they were both sitting on the grass. His solemn expression only made her more anxious, her heart rate suddenly tripling. They had skillfully managed to avoid talking about their future for the past week, and Mai had been happy keeping it that way.
For once, Aang didn't beat around the bush. "Come with me," he said earnestly, folding her hands between his. "Maybe it's selfish, but I don't want to leave you here waiting for me, and I'm tired of traveling alone."
She bit her lip. "I want to go…"
"Great!" he beamed.
"But," she continued, shooting him a reproachful glare. "I'm...nervous."
Aang frowned. "About what? What do you think will happen?"
"You'll get bored of me. You'll find someone better. You'll dump me in the middle of nowhere with a broken heart." Articulating her fears out loud for the first time was terrifying, and she was unable to meet his eyes.
He drew back. "I would never do that!" he protested, sounding offended. His demeanor softened and he leaned in, so their faces were inches apart. "I promise, for as long as you'll have me, I'll be with you."
Mai gave a sad smile and reached out, brushing her thumb across his cheek in the tender way he often did to her. "You can't promise that."
"Of course I can," he argued, stubborn. "Why won't you believe me?"
"I've known you a long time," she replied delicately. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she knew she had to be honest.
"I'm...that...that's not fair, Mai," he scowled, and Agni help her the petulant expression on his face was unfairly adorable. "I'm not some flighty, indecisive child. I'm not going to suddenly change my mind." He paused, examining her face, perhaps trying to make her believe him with the intensity of his gaze. "You don't really think I'd do that to you, do you?" It was so quiet she could barely hear it, and the childlike hurt in his tone made her breath catch.
"I guess not," she sighed, and laid down on her back in the grass. The lawn had been watered recently and the moisture from the soil seeped into the back of her clothing. Aang laid down next to her, putting his hand next to hers, fingertips brushing. She took his hand, intertwining their fingers together.
"Please, tell me," he whispered, and she didn't think she had ever heard him sound so earnest.
"I'm scared." It was much easier to have this conversation with neither of them looking at each other, just staring straight up into the cloudless blue sky. "That I like you too much, and I'll drop everything to travel with you, and then you'll break my heart."
Aang was silent for a moment. "Would it help if I told you I worry about the same thing?"
Mai finally turned her head so she could look at him, but he was still staring straight up. His face was so open and expressive, so unlike hers, that she could tell that he was being sincere. "Really?"
"Of course," he flopped his head down and the bright, instinctive smile that lit up his face when he saw she was already looking at him made her heart stutter. "I could take you away and you could decide that you don't want to be with me. Or you'll meet someone you like more, and I have to pretend that I'm okay with it because I'm the Avatar. Or you'll snap and kill me in my sleep." His grin widened when Mai chuckled at that, and he squeezed her hand encouragingly. "But I'd rather take a risk than think about everything that could possibly go wrong. Life's too short to always play it safe." Mai wondered how much of that was purely Aang, and how much of that was the Avatar and the last airbender.
"I think everyone knows that you like to take risks," Mai said, deflecting. He was right, of course. There were no guarantees for the future; if she ever wanted to get out of her stasis, she was going to have to take some kind of risk.
"And I know you do too. That's why I love you." She had heard the phrase dozens of times over the past week, and it never failed to send a shiver up her spine. "How about this," he rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his elbow. "I can say, with absolute certainty, that I will love you today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and even the day after that. Do you feel the same?"
Mai rotated her entire body so she was also on her side facing him, still holding onto his free hand with hers. "I suppose so," she replied slowly, unsure with what he was getting at.
Aang broke into a wide grin. "So that gives us four days of knowing we'll be together. Is four days enough time?"
She laughed, because it was ridiculous, and he was ridiculous, and she knew that he was worth the risk, because he was the savior of the world and also her favorite person in it. "Are you proposing that we plan the rest of our lives only four days at a time?"
He pursed his lips, thoughtful. "Why not? Honestly, that's further ahead than I usually plan anything."
"I guess I can make that work." In one swift move, she rolled herself onto her back and jerked his hand towards her, so that he fell on top of her with a shout. Propping himself up on his elbows so that his arms bracketed her head, Aang brushed her nose against her's.
"So is that a yes?" he breathed.
Mai could feel the goofy smile spreading across her face, and for once she had no inclination to try to hide it. "Yes," she answered, and then he was kissing her, warm and solid and safe. She draped her arms around the back of his neck, pulling him into her, questioning when exactly the familiar weight of his body on hers became so comforting. She giddily thought that four days of this, with him, would be more than enough for her, and anything beyond that was extra.
They were rudely interrupted by a shock of cold water. Mai was mostly shielded by Aang, but the airbender was completely drenched. They both gawked up at Katara, who was standing over them and dusting her hands together, satisfied with her work.
"Enough making out, you'll have plenty of time for that later. Mai, you promised you'd do some target practice with me today," she instructed, ignoring how they were gawking at her. She turned on one heel and marched away, clearly expecting Mai and Aang to follow her. They exchanged a baffled glance before they both sat up, Aang thoughtfully bending the water out of her clothes and then doing the same to himself.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, flinging the water in the grass next to them and shaking his head. "After all the times I've walked in on them groping each other."
"You know," Mai said slowly. "I bet the two of us could take her."
"You think?" Aang replied doubtfully.
"Yeah. We have the element of surprise."
Aang snickered and climbed to his feet, staring after Katara's retreating form. "Well, I've never turned down a suicide mission before, no reason to start now."
Mai was not aware that the Fire Lady knew so many swear words, all of which she impressively unleashed at once when Mai and Aang tackled her to the ground.
The day Mai left the Fire Nation was a perfect day: sunny, clear, with just a hint of the coming autumn chill in the air. Aang was even more energized than usual, literally bouncing back and forth between their room, the grass lawn, and Appa's saddle to pack and secure all of their things. Mai was more subdued, fully taking in the reality of her major life change. She had been surprised by how little she wanted to bring with her; the decadent clothing, jewelry, skincare, and makeup that made up most of her possessions seemed frivolous, weighty things now. She had her knives, her new Yuyan bow, her most comfortable clothing with plenty of pockets. She had the earrings that Aang had made for her, retrieved from Daichi before he was locked up in prison. Aang had laughed and said she didn't need to wear them all the time, and she had responded that he better make her something else to wear, then.
She had already resigned from the museum and said goodbye to everyone there. Her family was next, peppering her with questions about when she was going to actually marry Aang even as they hugged her goodbye. Her farewell with Tom-Tom was the most difficult, and in fact she almost changed her mind right then and there. He had clutched her around her neck, sniffling in her ear, not soothed by her reassurances that she would be back in a year or so. It only slightly ruined the emotion of the moment when he asked her to make sure to come back with a present for him.
The last stop on the way out had been to see Azula in her treatment facility. Aang had come with her for that, though he waited outside the door until he was sure he would be welcome. It was hard to get a read on the princess; when Mai told her she was leaving, Azula had shrugged her shoulders and said she wouldn't notice much of a difference, since Mai hadn't been to see her often anyway. Mai had rolled her eyes, but didn't miss Azula's sad smile, or the way she softly said, "Good luck."
Mai had no idea how the meeting between Aang and Azula went. She had invited the airbender into the room, and Azula had looked him over and said, "I'm sorry I killed you." Aang had replied in an equally unaffected voice, "That's okay, better luck next time." They both laughed, and Aang and Mai left.
And then, she was done. The smallness of her life that made it so easy to leave was humbling. It had been safe, but she had never wanted to spend the rest of her life being safe. She observed Aang dangling off the bison's side, his feet hooked into the saddle and his hands scrabbling for a pack of food from one of the palace servants. It was just barely out of reach, and he fearlessly let go with one of his legs to drop another few inches, taking the pack and using his airbending to swing himself back up into the saddle. He caught her watching him and smiled, bringing his fingertips to his lips to dramatically blow her a kiss. Aang was definitely not safe, she thought, but he wasn't exactly unsafe either.
The Fire Lord and Lady came down to see them off, walking with their arms loosely draped around each other's waist. Zuko went straight to Mai and embraced her, wrapping her entire body in a hug so tight that she couldn't breathe. "If I cry, will it freak you out?" he mumbled into her hair.
"Yes, suck it up," she replied, smiling into his shoulder, her own eyes suspiciously wet.
"What about if I tell Aang that he better take care of you, or else?"
"It sounds like you already know the answer to that one too." Mai finally pulled back, oddly touched at how hard Zuko was taking her departure. "Stop being so dramatic, I'll be back within a year."
"Right, a year." He gave her a soft smile, and a surge of affection for him swept over her. He had been her first everything: first boyfriend, first love, first heartbreak. She had not wanted to forgive him, at first, the final time they had broken up. She was glad that she had.
Next to them, Katara and Aang finished their goodbye, and Aang nudged Mai out of the way so he could tackle Zuko in a dramatic bear hug. That left Mai facing Katara. Mai hesitated, unsure of the type of farewell one gave to their ex-boyfriend's current wife after they had recently faced a harrowing life-or-death conflict together. Katara solved the dilemma by giving her a hug, so warm and sweet that Mai at last understood why so many people claimed that Katara was a mother figure.
They stepped back, and a number of empty platitudes came to Mai's mind; I'll miss you, and take care, and thank you. Before Mai could say anything, Katara winked at her and cheerily said, "Have fun!"
"We will!" Aang stepped in, sweeping Mai up into his arms and jumping up to Appa's saddle before she could protest.
As the bison began to ascend into the sky, Mai leaned out over the side of the saddle to wave to Zuko and Katara, who were still looking up. Soon enough, the courtyard, then the palace, then the city disappeared from view.
Mai went to sit on Appa's head next to Aang, who obligingly scooted over to make room for her. He lifted one arm so she could tuck herself against his side, the comforting rhythm of his heartbeat resounding against her chest.
"So, where are we going?" he inquired.
Mai thought about where they could get to in four days. "You said something about pirates the other night."
"Ooh, good idea! I know just the place!" Aang tugged on one of the reins until they were headed east. The world spread out before them.
A/N: Thank you everyone who stuck with this story and enjoyed it! I can be found on tumblr praetorqueenreyna if you want to chat more!
