Chapter 9: The First Pain

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The next morning dawned, but there were no windows to alert Mai to that fact. What did wake her up was the sound of the door's lock being undone. She rose from the couch and stumbled out the door. She redid her hair as she made her way down the hall with no particular destination in mind. She wanted an explanation from Zuko but was in no rush. She had no idea why he would lock her in the most boring room in the entire palace. Even though it made no sense, the note had come from him.

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That annoying servant girl was back. "Heat up some tea for you, my lord?"

Zuko looked groggily up at her, having been awakened from a dream… a dream that had been about Mai. "How did you get in?" he asked.

"The door was unlocked," the girl said with a coy smile.

Zuko had wanted the door unlocked for Mai, not for random servant girls who decided to earn tips. "Well, go away." He tried to go back to sleep.

The servant pouted. "I have to do something."

"I've got a good idea!" Zuko said, plastering a fake smile to his face.

"What is it?" the girl asked excitedly.

"You can go away! Now! Before I start throwing things at you!"

The girl hurried away.

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Mai found herself walking to Zuko's chambers. What she saw stunned her. A woman was walking out of the room. She had messy hair and clothes. Mai swayed a bit, feeling as if she might fall over.

The woman had seemed nervous and scared coming out of the room, but now, as she saw Mai, she straightened up and put on a smug smile. "Jealous?" she asked, and walked away, making sure Mai could see her sway flirtatiously. And she had just come out of Zuko's room. Which Mai had been unable to enter.

"What in the name of Agni…" Mai's voice went shrill.

Zuko emerged from the room, weary and irritated. At the sight of Mai, his entire aspect changed, a grin spreading across his face and his eyes lighting up happily. "Mai!" he extended his arms to her. "I missed—"

"Save it." Mai shot a few shurikens Zuko's way, and then disappeared down the hall.

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The door to Mai's room locked behind her just a few seconds before she threw herself onto her bed, sobbing convulsively.

"Mai! What's wrong?" Topekaia ran to Mai's side. "Are you hurt?"

"Yes!" Mai yelled. "I'm very hurt, if you must know! Look, there I go, I'm telling you how I feel, are you happy?"

"No. I'm not happy. But you know the reason for that. Why are you so upset?"

"I've only been married two days and already my husband has a mistress! I don't even know how long he's had one!"

"What?" Topekaia's voice went shrill. "When? Why? How do you know about this?"

"I saw her!"

Topekaia smoothed Mai's hair. "I swear, if he wasn't the Fire Lord, I'd kill him now."

"Not that you'd be able to," Mai said, trying to smile. It failed. "But I wouldn't be too happy if you did."

"I'll get to the bottom of this, Mai," Topekaia assured her, her mouth set.

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Zuko felt as if the world had fallen out from under him. He'd never been attacked by Mai without her laughing as she did it or after she did it. The look in her eyes had been full of so much pain. What could he have done? Maybe she was mad at him about last night? But he'd looked for her. She hadn't given him a chance to say so.

Aang found Zuko in a pitiable state, sitting on the floor of his room, staring at four of Mai's knives that he held in his hands as if they were sacred relics. "So, you saw Mai and she gave you those knives as some sort of mushy inside joke?"

Zuko looked up at Aang with abysmal eyes that were nearly empty. "No. She shot them at me and ran away when I tried to hug her."

Aang's jaw dropped. "Mai did that to you? I can't believe it!"

"I can't, either." Zuko's eyes stung. "I can't even figure out why!"

"Maybe she thought you should meet her last night and thinks you abandoned her?" Aang guessed.

Zuko looked down at the knives again. "That's probably it."

"Cheer up! You're newlyweds! Everything should turn out right!"

Zuko frowned at Aang. "Will you stop talking like that? It's not that simple." He stood up, resolved to go find Mai. He walked past Aang out the door.

"Maybe it would be if you tried to keep it that simple," Aang muttered under his breath.

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Topekaia had convinced Mai to get out of her room. That she'd agreed with. But sitting around in the throne room where there were random officials walking around? Not so much. All she wanted was to be hidden so she could be alone with her thoughts. Now she was sitting on the newly carved throne next to Zuko's, feeling like she was living a lie.

"How did you sleep, my lady?" asked Lord Wen.

"Fitfully. Thanks for asking." Mai did not make eye contact with the man.

Lord Wen blinked. "Something wrong, my lady?"

"Of course, something's wrong!" She had focused ferocity on this innocent man now, and was immediately embarrassed. "I'm sorry." She turned away again.

"It's not a problem." Lord Wen took a step closer. "Is it something I can help with?"
"No, it is not! Not unless you know some way of humiliating Zuko beyond recovery, or… never mind." She had wanted to say that he could find a way to kill Zuko's mistress, but admitting that such a girl existed would be shameful.

Zuko entered the room. "Mai, will you please talk to me now?"

Mai barely regarded Zuko. "No."

Zuko came closer. "Why not?"

No eye contact. If she looked at him, she'd probably weaken. "No reason I feel like expressing in public. Or in private."

Zuko grabbed Mai's arm. "I need to talk to you. Please, just come with me…"

"No!" Mai jerked her arm away from him. She rose to her feet and started to walk away.

"Stop!" Zuko pleaded, and grabbed onto her ankle.

"I won't!" Mai jerked him along as she tried to walk out of the room.

Lord Wen observed this interaction with a reasonable amount of embarrassment.

Sokka, Suki, Toph and Katara now entered the room, and, having just come from breakfast, they were still chatting. At the sight of Mai trying to escape Zuko, they did the most logical things they could have done: Sokka, Suki and Toph burst into fits of uproarious laughter, and Katara looked on in concern.

Zuko and Mai looked up in surprise, Mai using the opportunity to jerk her leg away and walk off in a huff.

"She got away!" Zuko moaned.

"What was she so mad about?" Katara asked, staring after Mai.

"I've been trying to figure it out." Zuko stood up, leaning against his throne for support. "I'm not sure what I did, but it's like I committed a horrible crime or something."

"Well, actually you have, Master Jerkbender, but we've already gone there."

Zuko glared at Sokka, some of his strength returning. "This is serious! My wife hates me!"

Some officials had been casually walking by, but they stared at Zuko as he made this statement. Some of them snickered, others shook their heads, and others bit their lips in concern.

"We'll figure it all—" Katara was cut off when the doors of the throne room banged open.

"If it isn't Fire Lord Zuko! I demand that you explain yourself!" Topekaia thundered.

Zuko's forehead creased. "Now what did I do?"

"You know exactly what you've done!" Topekaia stamped her foot. "It's time for you to answer for it."

"I'd be glad to, if only someone would explain!" Zuko threw up his hands.

Lord Wen discreetly excused himself.

Katara intercepted Topekaia. "What's the matter?" she asked calmly.

"That man," Topekaia aimed her finger at Zuko as if she meant to blast him, "has perpetrated a terrible crime against his wife! He has…" Topekaia pulled Katara over and whispered in her ear.

Katara's face turned several shades whiter. "No!"

"Yes!" Topekaia nodded.

Katara stamped her foot. "ZUKO!" She looked like an avenging mother hen.

"What?" Zuko put his arms out. "What did I do?"

Katara began sputtering her answer, so indignant that she couldn't keep her words straight.

"Hold on, don't anybody panic, I speak angry Katara-ese." Sokka took position in front of Katara, watching her as a scientist examines his specimens.

"You—that—how—why—two days! —woman—awful—why—mistress—hurt—last night—terrible—another—but—thinking—Mai—not even—despicable—room—dishonorable—sleep—her—!"

"Eew… Aang, there's no way to say this delicately, so get over here."

Zuko threw up his hands. "Urgh! Why won't anyone just tell me?"

"Wait a minute!" Sokka insisted before whispering to Aang.

"Zuko, you slept with another woman the night after your marriage?" Aang blurted.

Zuko's jaw dropped. In fact, he felt like his entire being was about to drop through the floor. "No, I didn't!"

"He's telling the truth!" Toph piped in.

Topekaia and Katara calmed down.

"Why would she think you were?" Sokka asked.

Zuko and Aang told the story of last night and the misunderstandings that Mai and Zuko had both apparently suffered under.

"Now I just need to talk to her and explain everything… but first I'd need to calm her down…" Zuko was lost in thought for a moment. Then he brightened and focused on Sokka. "Sokka! What's the dumbest thing you've ever done?"

"Huh?" Sokka quirked an eyebrow.

"I need to do something dumb to make Mai laugh. That will lighten her up and she'll start talking again."

Sokka smiled. "Well, you've asked the right guy. I've done a lot of dumb things. In fact, you could call me the master of doing dumb things. I'm so good at—"

"I get it. Let's just come up with something." Zuko tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. "What do you think the dumbest thing you ever did is?"

"Well, I tried to fight you once…"

Zuko laughed heartily. "Thanks, I needed to hear that…" Suddenly Zuko stopped. "That's a great idea!" he exclaimed.

"What is?" Sokka asked.

"We'll fight! We'll look so ridiculous…" Zuko's eyes fell on Suki. "And you'll convince Mai to come watch, and maybe try to put a stop to it?"

"I'll do it!" Suki threw up her hands in celebration.

Katara and Aang looked at each other.

"Do you think this will work?" Aang asked.

"I don't know, Aang," Katara shrugged. "But it's worth a shot if Sokka thinks it's a good idea."

"Either way it should be fun to watch, right?"

"Not if Mai gets even angrier. I don't know how she'll react."

"I think Zuko knows what he's doing," Aang said as he watched Sokka, Suki and Zuko go into a huddle.

"If Zuko knew what he was doing, he wouldn't be in this mess," Katara pointed out.

"Mai needs something to calm her down," Topekaia said. "If her husband thinks this will do it, then I'll trust him. Are you three ready for me to go get her?"

"Not yet, we have to get our weapons," Sokka said, before he and Zuko ran off in different directions.

"I don't think anyone has asked why this happened," Suki said.

Everyone became solemn.

"Why would someone want Mai to hate Zuko?" Toph wondered out loud.

"You mean: why would someone want to drive a wedge between the Fire Lord and Fire Lady that would keep them from being intimate at a time when they're under pressure to have kids?" A dark answer to the question Aang posed formed in the mind of each person around.

"You think the Order…?" Topekaia asked.

"It's possible, but I don't want to assume. Zuko was very adamant that he hadn't written a note to Mai yesterday. That means that the one she received was forged by someone intent on ruining the relationship."

A servant girl walked by. Seeing Aang's arrow tattoos along with Katara, Suki and Toph's foreign clothes, she stopped. "Anything I can do to help you?" she asked sweetly.

"No, thank you," Aang said politely.

"Nobody wants my help," the girl pouted. "I keep being asked to do things, but when I get to the Fire Lord, he wants nothing to do with me. Not even the Avatar pays any attention to me!"

"Wait, you were trying to wait on the Fire Lord?" Topekaia had started arranging the scene in her head.

"Yes. I was sent to talk to him, and hopefully spend some time with him. But all he wanted to do was sleep… He also wanted me to go find the Fire Lady for him." The girl was pouting.

"Who wanted you to talk to the Fire Lord?" Suki asked.

"Oh, just some governor. He paid me."

Topekaia was studying the girl intently. "If I paid you, would you tell me what they wanted you to do exactly?"

"Of course." The girl put her hand out.

Topekaia put a gold coin in the girl's palm.

"I was supposed to let the Fire Lady see me leaving the Fire Lord's room, and make her think… that I'd been there for awhile."

Everyone stared in disbelief.

Topekaia wanted her money back.

"Why would you do that?" Suki asked.

"Because I was paid, of course! Gosh, what more reason do I need?"

"Didn't it occur to you how much damage you'd be doing to their marriage?" Katara fumed.

"Of course it did." The girl shrugged. "But the guy was rich, seemed to have a plan, and was willing to pay me. Except… I failed, anyway, so it doesn't matter anymore."

"You didn't fail." Topekaia took a threatening step closer. "You convinced the Fire Lady that her husband was untrue. Now she's depressed, and her husband only now figured out what was wrong with her. You've hurt them both."

"None of my business," the girl said with a shrug, and walked away.

Aang stopped anyone from going after her. "She's not worth it. But we should let Zuko and Sokka try their plan… without letting Mai see us. We can intervene if things go wrong."

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"So, Mai, are you willing to come hang out in the courtyard with me?" Suki asked, poking her head through Mai's door.

Mai eyed Suki balefully. "I don't feel like it."

Suki walked further into the room. "I know you don't feel like it now, but it might do you some good! The fresh air, the sunlight…"

"I hate both those things," Mai said, looking away.

Suki laughed. "Sure you do! You're just saying that because you're in a bad mood!" Suki then reached down to grab Mai's arm.

Mai gave Suki a venomous glare. "Would you like sunlight and fresh air if you learned Sokka and Toph were kissing behind your back?"

Suki let go of Mai. "I see your point. But I think it would be healthy for you if you distracted yourself for a while."

"My husband just did the unthinkable, Suki! I am not going to—"

"For me?" Suki pleaded.

Mai let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. As long as you're not expecting me to like it." Mai grabbed a parasol and followed Suki out the door.

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"Are they coming?" Zuko asked Aang, who was perched by a window.

"Yep! Get in position!" Aang dove behind some bushes.

Zuko pointed his swords at Sokka. "It's time to start."

"Remember our agreement: no fire." Sokka looked timid.

"Yes, yes, I remember." Zuko rolled his eyes. He saw Mai and Suki walking nearby and signaled for Sokka to begin.

"Oh, no," Sokka said in a fake, halting voice, "It appears that we must fight now."

"Uh… yes! It does… seem that we must." Zuko looked at Sokka questioningly but followed along.

"So… get ready! Because I am about to… fight you." Sokka took a theatrical fighting pose.

"I am… ready!" Zuko shouted. For a brief moment, he made eye contact with Mai, which seemed to soothe him a bit, except that she went right back to staring distantly through him. He channeled his frustration into his parry of Sokka's weak jab.

"Oh, no." Suki laid a hand on Mai's shoulder. "It looks like our husbands have gotten into a fight."

"It would appear so. Theoretically," Mai said with a shrug. She had no idea what those two were up to, or why Suki was humoring them, but she wasn't going to condescend to asking.

"Don't you think we should stop it?" Suki asked. Mai's lack of reaction was beginning to worry her.

"They're big boys and they've fought before. I don't really care what they do."

Sokka bent over, giving Zuko a pointed look.

Zuko took the hint and harmlessly swept his swords over Sokka's head.

Sokka stood up when Zuko's swords were out of the way and turned around, his sword behind his back.

Zuko stared at Sokka's sword for a moment, and then slashed at it with both swords.

Mai raised an eyebrow. This was getting more and more ridiculous.

Sokka stepped forward and released his sword from Zuko's. He turned around quickly.

"What now?" Zuko whispered. "Mai is still way over there and I think she's decided not to care."

"Then let's make her care," Sokka whispered back. Then he swung his sword with actual force.

Zuko was surprised, but backed out of the way, trapping Sokka's sword again. "What are you doing?"

"Mai doesn't care because she thinks we're just playing a really dumb game, right? Well, even though we looked stupid, we also looked like we were having fun."

"How does this look like fun?" Zuko asked as he was forced to dance away from Sokka's sword. "I'm miserable!"

"Yeah, but it looks like I'm just trying to cheer you up." Sokka let out a yell as he put his whole body behind an attack.

"Really?" Zuko rolled out of the way. "To me it looks like you're trying to kill me!"

Mai came closer. Sitting underneath an apple tree, she closed her parasol.

"It looks that way to Mai, too, and right now, that's what she wants." Sokka swung his sword, pointing it at Mai.

Zuko noticed that now Mai was taking some interest. "Flattering," he muttered.

Sokka started to laugh, but turned it into another battle cry.

"How are you planning on getting her to interfere?" Zuko whispered as he took the aggressive role and forced Sokka to give ground.

"That's Suki's job," Sokka whispered back. "Watch it, will you?" he said louder.

"Stay on your toes, Peasant!" Zuko said loudly and with a smirk.

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Suki nudged Mai. "You know, since both of us are fighters, we could break that up."

"I wouldn't do that if I had the chance," Mai said with an amused smile. "It looks like the best entertainment I've had in a long time."

Suki frowned when Mai looked away. This wasn't going so well. "What if they hurt each other?"

"Then Katara will fix them up and give them each a good scolding," Mai said with a shrug.

Suki hadn't thought of that. "Well… What if they break something?"

"Zuko will pay to fix it."

"What if—"

"If you're trying to get me to intervene, you're out of luck. I don't care what happens to Zuko and Sokka won't die. So I may as well go now." Mai stood up.

"No!" Suki gripped Mai's shoulders tightly. "Zuko isn't cheating on you! I talked to the servant girl who made you think he was. She was paid to do it! The whole time Zuko kept asking her to go find you!"

Mai blinked several times. "Why should I believe that?"

"Because Zuko loves you. He's over there doing that because he thinks you enjoy watching him do stupid things."

Mai looked over at Zuko and Sokka, who had stopped moving, swords locked together. Both were watching her intently, Sokka with hopeful desire for his plan to work, and Zuko with pain and concern.

"Keep fighting," Mai said to them.

Zuko's face fell.

Sokka attacked.

Zuko felt his heart ache, as if Mai had decided to shoot it through with knives. He could feel his eyes stinging, too, and knew he shouldn't let anyone see him cry, but was afraid he'd be unable to stop.

"It's okay, buddy, just keep fighting." Sokka gave Zuko a sympathetic smile for a brief moment.

Zuko did keep fighting. Some fire escaped him, but he made sure it didn't get near Sokka. It almost hit Mai, though.

When Sokka and Zuko had gotten their swords locked together again, each was shocked when their swords were knocked from their hands. As their eyes followed the swords' flight into the trunk of a nearby tree, they caught sight of three flying daggers pushing them along.

"You're done fighting now," Mai said, opening her parasol and started to walk off.

"We're going to talk about this!" Zuko shouted, and chased Mai down. He grabbed her around the waist.

Mai dropped her parasol and stared at Zuko in surprise.

"I'm not cheating on you. Someone paid that girl to convince you that I was. Besides, she was the most annoying girl I've ever met besides my sister. I kept waiting for you, but you never showed up. I thought something terrible must have happened to you. Where were you sent?"

"Some dumb meeting room with no windows. It was stifling and boring. And I was locked in. I assumed you'd locked me in once I saw…" Mai's eyes watered, then overflowed.

"It's okay." Zuko stroked her cheek. "We can't let that tear us apart, Mai. If you'd like, we can go back to our room and make up for lost time."

Mai looked up at Zuko now. Had he just said what she thought he'd said? "Say again?"

"This is our honeymoon, remember? Now that we're talking again…" Zuko trailed off, but squeezed Mai slightly.

A slow smile spread across Mai's face. "All right. Let's do that."

Suki and Sokka cheered. As did Aang as he popped out of his bush, and Katara as she stood up in the pond, Toph as she jumped through the ground, and Topekaia as she jumped out of a tree.

Mai yelled in surprise. "What was—"

"You weren't supposed to do that," Zuko said to his friends, too happy to really put on a show of irritation.

"Oh, well!" Sokka laughed, putting an arm around Suki. "It worked!"

Mai sighed, putting on her apathetic mask. "These people…" She shook her head.

Zuko gave Mai a tight hug. "These people brought you back to me. I can't be annoyed by them," he whispered. Then he led Mai away by the hand.

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Our thanks to the reviewers, who have kindly taken the time to let us know that our work is appreciated: gloomy maiko lover, Kimjuni2, Millie, and Silvereyes12.