Chapter 24: Revelation

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Zuko stalked through the halls, the rest of the group trailing behind him. Eventually, a servant girl scrubbing tirelessly at a corner of the wall caught Zuko's attention. She had long black hair that she allowed to fall freely over her shoulders, hiding her face. There was something about her that caught his attention, though, and he wasn't sure if it was the paleness of her hands, which contrasted with the other servants around, or the glimpse he'd gotten of the lower half of her face. She looked so familiar.

"Mai?" he whispered.

The girl didn't even stop scrubbing.

Zuko walked up to her, reaching for her shoulder.

"Are you sure about that, Zuko?" Katara cautioned.

Zuko nodded, still fixated on the girl. He touched her shoulder lightly. "Mai," he said again, hoping he was right.

The girl jumped at his touch. She turned to him, looking terrified. She jerked away from him, stumbling as she lost her balance. "What was that?" she asked in a nervous, wavering voice.

Zuko looked at her sadly. Her voice was too high, too full of emotion. It didn't sound like Mai at all. Apparently he'd startled a stranger. "I'm very sorry." He straightened up. "You can go back to—" He caught sight of the girl's eyes. She was trying not to look at him, but the way she was doing that involved bowing her head to hide behind her fringe of bangs. Impulsively, he tipped her chin up to make her look at him.

As he'd expected, silver eyes met his, but they were more fearful than before.

"You are Mai!" he exclaimed, and hugged her tightly. It was such a relief to finally be holding her.

"Sir," the girl's voice wavered, "My name is Lin Qiang. I don't know who Mai is, and I don't know who you are. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Her words stung Zuko. He was shocked into letting her go.

Lin quickly ducked down and collected her brush and bucket, running past Zuko's friends.

Topekaia, seeing the certainty in Zuko's eyes, stepped in front of Lin. "Mai, don't you remember anything?"

Lin glanced up fearfully and then looked away, but, as their eyes met, Topekaia was sure that they had found Mai. "You know me, Mai. What's happened to you?"

Lin ducked around Topekaia. "I'm sorry. I don't know any of you! Goodbye!" She ran off.

Zuko stared after her, his arms still out. "That was Mai. Didn't you all see it?" He looked to his friends for someone to agree with him.

Topekaia nodded decisively, although she looked more than slightly confused. "That was Mai."

Zuko was relieved that someone agreed with him. "What are we going to do? Something's happened to her, but I can't tell what it is! It's like she's a completely different person! How could she not remember me?" Zuko looked down at his empty arms, as if he could find the answers there.

"She wasn't wearing her necklace," Suki said, thinking out loud.

Zuko whirled to look at Suki. "What do you think that means?" he asked, a slight warning tone sneaking into his voice.

Suki shrugged noncommittally, hoping that would make Zuko calm down. "It's just— what if the people here are making her forget somehow? It looks like she's been robbed, at least. Maybe she's being threatened?"

Zuko's whole body twitched. "Threatened? With what?"

Suki shrugged again. "I don't know. But it would have to be something serious."

Zuko clenched his hands into fists. "I think it's time we talked to the master of the house again. He's going to give Mai back to me."

Sokka had been deep in thought. Suddenly, the answer came to him and he snapped his fingers in victory. "I've got it! Mai has been brainwashed! It was earthbenders who took her away, right? Well, you haven't been able to locate the last of the Dai Li, have you, Zuko?"

Zuko's mouth fell open. "You think the Dai Li are behind this? How can we know if they have the ability to—"

"They did it to Jet," Katara said, the lights finally coming on and pushing away the confusion in her mind. "It's like they damage the person's brain and put whatever they want into it. They must have mostly taken things out of Mai's brain."

"The brainwashing theory does explain everything," Topekaia interjected.

Aang gasped. "She's another Joo Dee!"

Zuko shuddered. He had met Joo Dee. Azula had left her in charge of Ba Sing Se. She was disturbing. At least they hadn't made Mai act like her. "How are we going to fix Mai's brain?" he asked desperately. He looked to the people who'd dealt with this sort of thing before.

"Some healing water should help, if I can get near enough to her for long enough—but judging by her reaction to you, I don't have a chance."

Zuko gritted his teeth. "Anything else? I don't really feel like tying her down while you bend water around her head."

"Jet snapped out of his trance when I mentioned his being a Freedom Fighter," Aang said thoughtfully.

"I'm hoping I mean more to Mai than the Freedom Fighters did to Jet. But I couldn't wake her up." Zuko crossed his arms and stared at the door Mai had run through.

"Jet attacked me." Aang shrugged. "Maybe this has more to do with words than faces and feelings."

Zuko sighed. His muscles relaxed in defeat. "Then what do we say to her?"

Aang shook his head. "Maybe we could talk to her about the Fire Nation?"

"But we're in the Fire Nation," Suki pointed out. "I doubt they've allowed her to remember anything outside these walls."

Toph had also been thinking hard. "Why doesn't the Angry Lord just kiss her and see what that does?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Did you see how scared she got when I touched her shoulder? I might make her faint if I even look like I'm thinking about kissing her." His voice weakened, indicating that he really missed kissing her.

Toph flinched.

"Don't feel bad, Toph. Zuko is just really stressed—" Katara started.

"It's not that. He's right." She paused and then announced, "Someone's coming, and it isn't Sunshine."

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It was Governor Katsorou. "How are my guests liking the manor?" he asked smoothly, a slippery smile on his face.

"We would like to learn a little more about your… management, shall we say?" Topekaia hissed.

"I'm interested in your servant girl, Lin Qiang," Zuko said, putting on a cool overtone. He hoped Mai would have been proud of his performance.

"That one again? Nothing remarkable about her. She's very dull. Flighty, too." The governor shook his head. "What did she tell you?"

"She mostly said, 'I'm sorry, I don't know you,' " Toph stated. "But it isn't important what we talked about."

"What's more important," Zuko said, slowly unlocking his ire, "is that I recognize her as my wife. You did a good job brainwashing her."

The governor laughed. "Seeing your late wife everywhere, are you?"

Zuko snapped. "She's not dead!" he yelled.

Guards appeared.

Topekaia lit her hand. "Exactly what is it you are trying to do? I told you before not to toy with us." She menacingly stepped into a fighting stance.

"Let's not get testy. I would hate to fight the Fire Lord and the Avatar." The look on the governor's face implied there would be no such regret involved if he managed to kill the whole group.

More earthbenders and firebenders entered the room, lining up against the walls.

"Just give me Mai," Zuko said.

"Lady Mai of the Fire Nation is dead. She died of depression. It was only a matter of time, if you ask me."

Zuko roared, and fire shot from his mouth and fists, aimed right at the governor.

The guards along the wall sprang into action, attacking Zuko. Aang, Katara, Topekaia, Toph, Sokka, Suki and Zuko struck back. A full-out fight formed.

A sharp intake of breath from an open door caught Toph's attention. "Hello, Sunshine," she called.

Sunshine? Zuko's mind switched gears immediately. He fended off attacks coming his way, but turned in the direction Toph had called Mai's nickname.

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Lin stood in the doorway, watching utter chaos brewing in the very chamber she'd cleaned a few minutes ago. She stared, twitching. Earthbenders and firebenders were so messy.

"Lin Qiang! How dare you come here?" the governor growled at her. "Go to the kitchens, now!"

An order. And a specific one. She had to obey, but she didn't have to following his meaning, only his words. She ran off, excited at the prospect of not only disobeying, but of possibly escaping.

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Zuko watched Mai run away from him again and got angrier with every step she took. "How dare you reduce her to that?" he roared.

"I didn't change her a bit. I told you she was flighty."

"I will not accept that answer," Zuko said, "and if I have to fight a better one out of you, then so be it!"

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Many thanks to our faithful reviewers: gloomy maiko lover and Kimjuni2.