As I stated before, the other chapter was immensely short. This one will be much longer. Good things come to those who wait. Constructive criticism is wanted, but if you're just going to whine about length, then please, don't make it sound as if I've gipped you. I tend to make up for shorter chapters with longer ones the next time around.
Cutting it off at Zuko's sentence was merely to make way for a flashback of sorts. He doesn't remember all this, but you'll find out later how he knows all this.
Again, won't be this diligent with updating in, about, a week. o3o
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar and Company.
Zuko shoved Toph against a farther wall, glowing fists pressed firmly against the rock on either side of her head as he leaned his head down closer to the Bandit's ear, "I was in a meeting, Mai was…
Outside the Fire Nation Palace, in the courtyard, the Fire Lady played with young three-year-old Keiji. Mai sat beneath a cherry blossom tree, regal in her royal splendor, while her son played a few feet away at the pond. A soft smile lit upon her features as the child fed the turtle-ducks with bits of stale bread. Unlike his father, however, Keiji didn't harass the water-born creatures and, in fact, had a nice relationship with both the turtle-ducklings and the mother. The mother even went as far as to be lenient with Keiji in petting her beloved babies.
It was a beautiful, warm day. A light breeze started to blow, causing ripples on the pond that rocked the turtle-ducklings slightly.
Yet, no amount of beautiful days could stave off disaster.
And disaster did indeed strike in the form of a lightning bolt.
The pond was a sudden tidal wave of soggy bread, algae, and turtle-ducks and Keiji was it's target. Mai screamed for her son and rushed to his side as soon as she saw the water rise in a threatening wall. A rush of coldness engulfed them both, yet both son and mother came out of it with only sputtering coughs. The Fire Lady held her baby boy to her chest and snapped her head back and forth, eyes narrowed as she sought out the threat to her baby.
From behind, familiar laughter erupted, and Mai spun around, quickly standing despite the fact her drenched clothes were now weighing her down. She pressed Keiji behind her, hoping to hide the child from the view of his insane aunt.
"Well, isn't this a sight to see!" cackled Azula, "Little Zuzu and his girlfriend - or should I say wife? - have had some offspring!" She threw her head back as another peal of laughter flew from her lips and filled the courtyard.
Mai remained quiet, knowing that any provocation in this circumstance could lead to more electricity being thrown her way. Where were those idiot guards? They all weren't in that blasted meeting. Someone had to be protecting the current Fire Lady and the future heir of the throne! Her grey eyes darted back and forth at the entrances around the courtyard, yet no help seemed to be coming to her aid. What was going on? Behind her, Mai felt Keiji grip at her kimono's skirt and lean to glance at the woman.
"Don't bother looking, Mai. All your guards are indisposed of," Azula's grin broadened as Mai slowly turned her eyes back to the insane princess. It was obvious the Fire Lady wanted answers from the stern expression painted across her face. Azula simply smiled and stated, "It's funny, what kind of warriors you can find in a forest."
It was then that Mai noted the shifting of the shadows; suddenly, the sense that she was being watched all around erupted into her mind. There were a handful of others with the exiled princess, and they were all blending into the shadows quite well, even on this sunny day. And, there she was, all alone with only her son. Not even Zuko would be able to get there in time to help her.
"You mean like spirits?" squealed the Fire Nation Prince from his post behind his mother's knees, interrupting his mother's stream of worried thoughts.
"Hush, Keiji." snapped Mai, pushing the boy behind her again lest the aunt feel the need to test her accuracy.
"But, mama! She has forest spir--"
"Hush!"
"Now, Mai! That's no way to treat your own flesh and blood, now is it?" purred Azula as she waltzed closer to the two. A swift movement from the Fire Lady and the sound of something sharp splitting the air caused Azula to somersault out of the way of two kunai, which pierced the spot where her feet would have been if she hadn't caught the glint of the sun off the metal.
"Don't come any closer, Azula," growled Mai, poised in a fighting stance despite the heavy cloth that was wrapped around her thin frame. Keiji watched with wide, awe-struck eyes at his mother. He had never seen her fight, so much as throw her pretty sharp things that she kept in her sleeves! A little frightened, the young prince stumbled backwards, away from his mother whom was starting to take on a more sinister form than 'mama'.
However, a dark figure charged out from behind a pillar and snatched the young boy up into his arms as soon as Keiji was far enough from the Fire Lady. Keiji gave a shriek of dismay, causing his mother to turn on her heels to see what was wrong with her baby. With eyes glinting as dangerously as her kunai and heart pounding in fear, the woman flung her daggers at the retreating opponent's legs. Maternal instincts blossomed up in the Fire Lady; forming her into a metaphorical 'mother bear'. No one touched her baby, no one made her baby cry, and no one hurt her baby. No one.
The fabric of the kidnapper's pants became nailed to the pillar he had once hid behind, no matter how much the man moved. A yelp of surprise left the man's lips as he dropped Keiji on his rump and attempted to rip his pants away from the hindrance. More daggers came raining at him, catching the loose bits of his clothing and keeping him trapped against the stone.
Mai swooped down upon her crying tot, gathering him up into her arms and cooing familiar words of comfort to the boy. Yet, Keiji continued to squirm and sob. Hot tears flooded his cheeks, leaving salty paths upon his pale skin. It wasn't every day that a child watched as thirteen kunai came rushing at you. And, in her attempt to calm her boy and in her relief to have him back in her arms, Mai had forgotten the others. Even Azula.
At least, until a firm grip on her upper arms forced Mai up from her kneeling position. The hands squeezed hard enough to coerce her hands into dropping Keiji into the waiting arms of his auntie. Mai jerked and thrashed, screaming and yelling at whoever held her that she would kill them. That she would gouge their eyes out and that if Azula so much as singed her baby boy's hair, that she'd see to it the exiled princess became a lot worse off than simply insane.
"Let go of me, you idiots!" Snarled the Fire Lady, desperate to break free, desperate to get to Keiji. Yet, the large hands that held Mai in place had equally large, very muscular, legs that didn't even jerk beneath the force of her kicks. Instead, the two henchmen shoved Mai up against the pillar, where she had nailed the previous kidnapper. However, the kidnapper was now free, and holding the kunai she had thrown at him menacingly.
All through the struggle, however, Azula bounced Keiji up and down on her hip. The picture almost seemed sweet, if it wasn't for the slightly maniacal glint in the ex-princess's eyes. Her golden eyes moved from her nephew to Mai, a slow smile curled across her lips as she faux giggled to Keiji, "Your mama is so funny, Keiji. Isn't she?"
Keiji remained quiet as he stared with large grey eyes at the woman who held him. His heart was flopping roughly around in his chest and his bottom lip quivered as he heard the background of his mother fighting. But, this woman who held him was smiling, that had to mean everything was alright, right? The boy laughed nervously, and glanced to his mother, trying to gauge how he should feel. However, what he saw wasn't his nonchalant mother, but a wild woman, screaming obscenities and giving at least three men a harder time than was probably thinkable for someone of her body type. Confused, hurt, and unable to think straight, Keiji pressed his face into Azula's shoulder, letting tears roll down his cheeks. That woman wasn't his mother, but neither was this one. But this one, at least, was smiling.
"Keiji! Keiji, get away from her! She's not good!" cried out Mai as she realized how futile her struggle was. Tears were starting to form at the brim of her eyes. No matter how hard she fought, how much she wanted her baby back in her arms, Mai became aware she wasn't going to be able to do anything, "Keiji, sweetie, please! Get away from he--"
"Shut up, you're not my mama!" screamed Keiji, unable to take it all. This woman wasn't his mother. She wasn't! His mama was always there with a small smile. She always was sweet, and gentle, and didn't overreact! That woman, whose wet hair was a mess from struggling, whose face was red with anger, who bitterly screamed and yelled and bit, was not his mama.
Those words struck Mai hard. Her breath left her, the tears on the brim of her eyelids stopped, and she stared wide-eyed at her son. The Fire Lady tried to form words, but the lettered creatures escaped her. The tears slid down her eyes like droplets of rain, masked against the sweat and the water that already speckled her skin.
Accomplished, Azula turned away and handed the still squabbling boy over to her nearest accomplice. They cradled Keiji lovingly, before running off into the shadows of the courtyard. With the boy out of the way, Azula turned to the three men that held Mai in place, and nodded her head. A malicious grin curled over her plump lips as the men stabbed the Fire Lady through the arms, the hands, the sides, the legs, with her own kunai that had previously been used against them.
Agonized shrieks filled the air as blood spattered the green, green grass of the courtyard.
Then, there was the crash of lightning.
And then?
Then, there was complete and utter silence. Except for the cries of the little turtle-ducklings as they crowded around the still form of their mother, whose shell was broken and seared from a bolt of lightning.
Sadly, it was still a beautiful day.