Chai kept her word and stuck with Mako, and the firebender knew it too seeing as Chai kept a firm hold in the back of his shirt.
The two finally arrived back at the car where Chai's attendants were waiting.
"Hello, my lovely attendants. Tait and Qui." Chai greeted
Mako raised a brow glancing back at the Princess.
The tallest of the two, Qui stepped forward.
"Hello, Princess, did you have fun? What did you find on this venture?"
"A lovely necklace. I also picked up a little something special." Chai smiled holding up a box.
"That sounds nice Princess," Qui said
"All right I've derailed us enough let's get this show on the road!" Chai said
The two attendants got in the car and Chai was about to follow suit but paused when she saw the incredulous look on Mako's face.
"Something wrong Mako?" Chai asked
"No, just...the way you treat them?" Mako questioned
Chai looked at Mako confused. "Is there something wrong with the way I treat them?"
"No, your just so casual and nice to them," Mako said
"To who? My attendants? Of course, I am. Just because they serve my family doesn't mean they're beneath me. Their people just like you and I," Chai said
Mako soaked the girl's words. He'd always thought royals would think of themselves as above others, but Chai seemed to be breaking all his preconceived notions he had.
"Now come on Mako lets go," Chai said
"Right."
The firebender walked over to the car and opened the door holding it out for Chai.
She smiled in delight. "Why thank you, kind sir. Your chivalry is greatly appreciated."
Chai giggled as Mako felt the side of his lips twitch ever so slightly. Chai only managed to get one foot into the car when a loud commotion from her left caused her to pause. She turned her attention out to the streets and Mako did so as well.
"Help! Someone please!"
An old man cried out, his fallen form trying to scramble up from the ground he had been knocked to. Two men, large hulking men, bore smirks as they ran off each one holding a large bag in their hands.
Mako glared seeing the two thieves run off with stolen goods, clicking his tongue at the pure idiocracy of the two committing a crime in broad daylight.
"Princess stay here I-"
Mako looked to Chai, but of course, she was gone. He looked back towards the robbers and almost choked when he saw Chai chasing after them. The princes booking it down the street, with the bottom of her dress bunched up to her knees, so she can go faster.
"Chai!" Mako shouted
He slammed the car door shut and took off after the three.
"Excuse me! Pardon me!"
Chai loudly apologized as she swiftly dodges everyone in the streets keeping up with the thugs. It wasn't too hard for the girl considering the thugs were just plowing down anyone and anything that was in their way. But Chai did have to jump over a few fallen people, apologizing as she did so.
The thugs turned a corner going to an alleyway and not a moment later Chai was rounding the corner as well.
"Hey!"
The thugs finally stopped and turned to the princess.
"Drop the goods and I may leave most of your bones unbroken."
Mako came to halt at the entrance of the alley, arriving just in time to hear Chai deliver her threat.
"What is she doing?" Mako hissed
Despite the prominent glare on her face, it was hard for Chai to look intimidating considering how dolled up she was. Makeup painting her face and donning her royal dress.
The two men only scowled at the Princess, angry for a varying number of reasons.
Mako went to make a move but was stopped by two arms blocking his path. He looked to see both of Chai's male attendants, Tait and Qui, holding him back.
"What are you doing the Princess is-"
"She is fine."
"It would be best to allow her to handle this."
Mako looked back and forth between the two men like they were out of their mind before he turned back to Chai.
The Princess stood proudly hands on her hips not backing down as the thugs attempted to intimidate her.
"So what's it going to be boys? You gonna give up peacefully, or will this need to be done another way?"
"Listen here. We take orders from no one, and we ain't starting today. Definitely not for some snobby little princess."
Chai pursed her lips as she hummed in understanding. "Okay. I hear you."
She smirked then cracked her knuckles and neck.
"We're gonna do things my way then. Let's dance!"
Chai whooped as she made the first move running at the men. The men clearly weren't taking the girl seriously and just jumped back hoping to stay out of the girl's range of her attack, but how wrong they were.
When she was close enough Chai planted her feet and turned her run into a spin. As she turned she reached into her robe and pulled out a whip. Using her momentum Chai throws her arm out, lashing out her weapon.
The two thieves were not expecting this and both were struck in the stomach and knocked to their backs.
"Ha! Wasn't expecting that one were you!" Chai laughed
"You little-!"
One of the men quickly got back to his feet dropping his stolen goods before charging at Chai. The Princess's smile didn't drop as she easily dodged each punch and kick the thug threw.
"If you keep throwing your weight around like that you're gonna fall," Chai said in a teasing manner.
The man just growled and threw another punch, Chai spun back and out of the way than using the heel of her foot kicked the man in the back of his knee. He cried out falling forward and due to his unbalanced weight from his incorrect fighting form he fell forward, his face smashing on the ground.
"Told you," Chai said
"Lim get up and fight!" The man from the ground shouted
Chai turned around to see the man, Lim, finally standing up. He moved his legs into a wide stance and lifted his arms.
"Chai!" Mako shouted
As her name left his mouth, Lim released a stream of fire.
"Whoa!"
Chai performed a series of back walkovers dodging the flames. She stood right up and her smile seemed to be even wider.
"You're a firebender. Oh, now this is gonna be fun!"
"Is she crazy!" Mako said
Tait and Qui just smiled use to the Princess, besides they knew what the outcome of this little scrimmage would be.
Chai glanced down to see the ends of her dress a bit singed and a small flame still dancing on the fabric.
"Haha! Whoo! You caught me by surprise, even caught a bit of my dress. This thing does always get in the way."
Chai grabbed the sash around her dress and undid it.
"What is she doing?!" Mako covered his eyes as Chai took off her dress.
"Much better," Chai said
Mako peeked through his fingers to see Chai was in nothing but a sports bra and some tights.
"Come at me boys!" Chai said, cracking her whip.
"I am so gonna get fired," Mako said
"Whoo! Missed!"
Chai did a one-handed cartwheel out the way of a stream of fire.
"Missed me again!"
The Princess laughed as she went into a backbend dodging a punch then did an airflare, kicking one of the men in the face.
"Wow, your guys' forms are terrible. Who taught you how to fight? Especially you." Chai gestured to Lim. "You're how old and still fling around your fire like a kid just learning to bend."
"What do you know!" Lim shouted, hurling more fire at Chai.
"I do know you're not gonna hit me. You are way off balance!"
Chai ran at Lim from an angle. She jumped on the wall next to him and kicked off flying over his head. Chai landed on the other side then swung her whip catching Lim's ankle then tugged back and the man fell to his back.
"See. If you were in a proper firebending stance I wouldn't have been able to pull you down so easily," Chai said
"You-"
"I think we're done here," Chai said
Chai gave a spin kick hitting Lim's temple, knocking him out. With Lim out cold Chai turned to the other thug.
"Your turn."
The man glared then ran at Chai. She smirked then dropped her whip and started running to him as well.
"Haaa!"
The man went in for another attack but Chai was most certainly ready. She hooked her body around the man and swung around him like an acrobat on a pole. Her legs ended up around the man's neck, and then she fell back with her hands touching the ground. With the momentum she had gathered from her swinging she was able to swing her legs up taking the man with her. The man's body arced up and over, and he was slammed on the ground.
Chai stood up, a satisfied smile on her face as she dusted her hands off. She walked back over to Mako and the others, and the tangerine eyed boy was gaping at the Princess. She was definitely not the kind of Princess he had pictured, but that wasn't starting to look like a bad thing.
"Here."
Chai paused when a jacket was presented to her.
Mako held out his coat so Chai could cover herself, considering he was no longer wearing her dress.
"Thank you but I can put my dress back on," Chai said
"No you can't," Mako said
"Huh? Sure it may be a bit dirty since I threw it on the ground but that doesn't bother me," Chai said
"No that's not it, you really can't. See that pile of ash over there." Mako said pointing in the alleyway.
"Yes," Chai said
"That was your dress," Mako said
Chai gasped hands over her cheeks before she whipped around to face her attendants. "Qui, Tait, please don't let Gram-Gram know I ruined another dress."
"Man what a fun day!"
Chai smiled as she jumped and threw herself on a plush bed. She bounced up a bit before settling in the bed.
"Fun she says," Mako mumbled
After Chai knocked out those thugs, she returned the stolen money to the poor man whose shop had been robbed. Then they finally managed to get to the President's office and Chai had her meeting. Afterward, Mako escorted Chai to her hotel.
"Thanks a lot, Mako. You were the best escort ever," Chai said
"Best escort-I lost you three times and let you get in a fight with two thugs!" Mako said
"Oh, before I forget this is for you," Chai said, holding up a small box.
"You-Wait? Wha?" Mako said
Chai opened the box and Mako saw two pendants inside, one had the symbol of the fire nation while the other had an earth kingdom symbol.
"They're cuff links. You see I got an earth kingdom one and a fire nation one because you said your mother was fire nation but your dad was from the earth kingdom," Chai said
"You...you remembered that?" Mako said
This little tidbit is something Mako had shared with Chai during some causal conversation when they were traveling back to Republic City after they got Korra's bending back.
Chai nodded her head. "Yeah. This is just a little gift for your hard work, I bet you wanted to do other policing things but I asked Lin if you could be my escort."
"You asked for me personally? Why?" Mako asked
"We haven't known one another for long but I can tell you're a kind person. I know I can be a bit different, my father says I'm just eccentric but others don't see it that way. You're actually the first officer escort who didn't snap and berate me. I don't tell Lin because I don't want them to get in trouble because I know I can be hard for others to handle and I don't blame them. But I like who I am and there's nothing I'd want to change about myself. So once again thank you for watching over me Mako, I greatly appreciate it."
Mako let the girl's words sink in, and he thought over the events of today. Sure Chai was wild and a bit crazy, but she had a kind heart and Mako would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed by Chai's combat skills.
"Thank you, Chai I'll take good care of these," Mako said
Chai smiled. "I'm glad!"
"Also I like you too," Mako said
"Huh?"
Mako's face went red when he realized what he had just said.
"I meant who you are. I like who you are too. You don't need to change. Yes, you are a bit much, and...eccentric, but you're a good person."
"Aw thank you, Mako. But you don't have to call me eccentric, I know I'm crazy. I hope this makes us friends?" Chai asked
Mako sighed "Yeah, we're friends."
"Yay!" Chai cheered
She jumped, throwing her arms around Mako pulling him into a hug. Mako stumbled a bit but caught himself, he sighed but then returned the hug, a small smile forming on his face.