Trial by Fire

Chapter Five: A Tale of Two Uncles, Part 1

It was clear that Akira had been crying. She dabbed furiously at her red eyes, angry to be caught looking weak, and glared at the two children as they tiptoed down the hallway.

"Who gave you permission to enter my house? Oh, of course; it was my brother, Katashi, wasn't it. He's always looking for ways to upset me or undermine me. Well, he has no absolutely no authority here. This is not that terrible prison he runs. I want you to leave. Mai's had enough commotion for one day." She stood up tall and straight, smoothed down her elegant robes and straightened her hair. Her expression was haughty now. She was the boss as long as Hoshi wasn't home. And she was letting them know it.

"But, but, I promised Mai that I would visit every day. She'll be sad if I don't show up." Ty Lee had always been quick to weep, a trait that she despised. She often wished that she could be cool and collected like Mai. But, she wasn't and couldn't be. Such behavior simply went against her nature. Fat tears had already formed and they rolled down her round cheeks.

Zuko put a hand on her arm, a small gesture of sympathy and support. In return, the acrobat gave the prince a feeble smile and used her sleeve to dry off her face.

"Stop sniveling, for Agni's sake. Mai's got the rest of her life to see you. She won't be doing anything else anyway. Now, I'm asking you once again to leave." The woman's arms were crossed now and she gazed down at them, doing her level best to look intimidating.

It didn't work well enough. "No," Zuko stated simply. He puffed out his chest, crossed his own arms and glared back. "I want to see Mai. I'm the Prince of the Fire Nation and I have authority over you. If you don't let me and Ty Lee see your daughter, I'll, I'll get you in trouble. I mean it."

"Well, I never," Akira huffed. "Fine; do as you please, Prince Zuko." She gave a little bow. "I wonder if you'll still visit once those bandages come off." She gestured toward the stairs, dismissing them now.

She watched as they mounted the wide staircase and followed them with her eyes until they were out of sight. Zuko could feel her stare. It made his shoulders twitch.

"I hate her," both the prince and Ty Lee blurted out as soon as they reached Mai's room.

The acrobat giggled and even Zuko smiled.

Growing serious all of a sudden, Ty Lee blurted out, "Why is she so mean? Why doesn't she like Mai? What did Mai do wrong?"

"I don't know," the prince shrugged. "I think maybe Mai doesn't act like a noble girl. I mean, she throws knives." His voice was full of admiration and a bit of pride too. Mai was pretty cool and she was his friend. She liked him.

"Oh, but that's stupid. She's their daughter." Shaking her head, Ty Lee knocked on the door and waited for Mai to reply.

They were surprised when Mai actually opened the door herself. She smiled at her friends and let them in, closing the door tightly behind them. "Hi," she greeted them, letting her gaze linger a little longer on Zuko. She no longer wore sleep clothes, but was dressed in plain black pants topped by a burgundy tunic. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail rather than the little buns she usually wore.

Zuko thought she looked pretty. He gave her a shy smile. "You're out of bed, Mai. That's good. Are you feeling better?" He shifted from one foot to the other and chewed on his lip.

"I guess," the girl mumbled. "Did you see my uncle?"

Ty Lee gave a nod. "He left when we were waiting on the steps. It looked like he was really upset."

"Yeah," Mai replied dryly. "You could say he was upset. He and my mom don't get along, mainly because he takes my side most of the time."

"We heard them arguing," Zuko added. "It sounded pretty bad. He told us to go on in and see you but your mother didn't approve. I used my prince card like you suggested." He grinned proudly at Mai then. "It worked."

"Told you," she smiled back. "Um, do you want something to eat or drink? I can ring for a servant." Mai sat on the edge of her bed and gestured to a single chair. "Ty, you can sit with me. Zuko, you'll have to use the chair."

"Oh, yeah, of course," Zuko said and took the chair.

Ty Lee hopped up onto the bed and edged closer to Mai. "I'm kind of hungry, Mai. I usually have a snack when I get home from school."

"School," Mai intoned. "I won't be going back there." She stared off into the distance for a moment and then pulled the cord that hung from the wall near her bed. A servant came a few minutes later and Mai ordered tea and biscuits and fruit. "Is that okay?" she asked her friends.

"It's fine," Zuko answered and then, as usual, wondered what to say next.

Ty Lee was a natural chatterbox, though, and talked about this and that, everything from school to her family, to her acrobats to food to the weather. Mai and Zuko could nod and add the occasional word, but remain silent other than that, sipping their tea and nibbling their food. They were grateful for the grey eyed girl. No one mentioned Mai's burn.

"So, uh, are you allowed outside?" Zuko put down his cup and folded his hands in his lap. "It's nice out; maybe we could go for a walk in the garden."

Mai thought for a moment. "Well, the physician never mentioned not going outside, so why not? We can sneak out the back, so my mother doesn't see. She'll think my burn will get infected or something." The girl rolled her eyes, then flinched a bit. The movement stretched the tender skin beneath the bandages and sent a jolt of pain along the site. It reminded her all too clearly of the severity of her injury. Sometimes, when she was reading or scribbling in her journal, she could almost forget that Azula had burned her. But then she heard students walking to school or walking home and remembered that she was supposed to be with them. She saw the worry on her mother's face and remembered.

"Your mom is strange, Mai," Ty Lee remarked. "You've got bandages on."

"Yeah, I know, but she's kind of, I dunno, being really weird about everything." Mai sighed and slid off her bed. She opened her door and stuck her head outside, looking and listening for any signs of her mother. "We should be okay; let's go." Waving them forward, she stepped out into the hallway and sped down the stairs. Zuko and Ty Lee followed, the acrobat finding it difficult not to laugh. Once they made it safely to the gardens, though, the girl began to giggle. She clapped a hand over her mouth and bent over, her entire body shaking with the now suppressed laughter.

"What's with her?" Zuko asked Mai. "She's weird." All girls were weird. He had thought that for years. But that didn't stop him from liking Mai.

"Sometimes," Mai agreed. "But so are you." She smirked then and walked toward one of the benches.

With a contented sort of sigh, the eleven year old stretched her arms along the back of the bench and put her face up to the warm rays. Mai had never been a huge fan of the sun. She preferred the night or rainy days, just another thing that made her not fit, especially in a nation of firebenders who seemed to rise and set with the damned orb. But even she had to admit that sometimes it felt good and right then was one of those times. She had been stuck in her bedroom for three days. Somehow a self imposed confinement was all right, but when others told you, "Mai, you must stay in your bed and rest," it was restraining and she roiled against it.

A breeze played with the wispy bits of black hair that had escaped her pony tail, blowing them about her face. It tickled and Mai smiled. Zuko and Ty Lee squeezed beside her on the bench, the acrobat tapping a beat out with her feet and Zuko fiddling with his knife.

"I see you kids made your escape while my sister's back was turned, eh?" Mai's Uncle Katashi, a large, imposing man of muscular build approached them from down the path. "I've been hiding out here for a few minutes. It makes a nice change from the prison." He glanced at the house and Mai smiled again. She adored her uncle. He got her, like no one else except maybe Zuko did. "Are you going to introduce me to your friends, Mai?"

Katashi stared at Zuko and Ty Lee. He didn't smile, but studied them carefully instead with his narrow amber eyes. He wasn't a handsome man. In fact, many a time he had been called ugly or unattractive or homely. That happened when he was younger. These days, no one dared to call him anything but 'Warden' or 'Sir'.

Zuko found it hard to meet the man's eyes. He wondered how in the world it was possible for Katashi and Mai to be related. Mai's features were delicate and lovely as were her mother's. But Katashi was all wide jaw and large mouth, broad nose and large forehead. The only similarity the prince could see were the high cheekbones that both Katashi and Mai possessed. He fidgeted under the man's scrutiny and wished that someone would say something.

"Uh, yeah, that's Ty Lee. She went to school with me. She's a really good acrobat and she's learning how to chi block." Mai paused and waited for her uncle to say something. He simply nodded at the girl.

"I can read auras too," Ty Lee chirped. "Yours is…" She stopped abruptly.

Mai had elbowed her in the ribs. Auras were definitely not something of interest to Katashi. "And that's Prince Zuko. He's well, he's the prince and he's a bender. Zuko likes knives too."

Mai's uncle made a small bow and nodded at Zuko as well. "Your sister did that to Mai. Why didn't you stop her? Mai told me that you were there with here when it happened."

"Uncle," Mai protested. "It wasn't Zuko's fault."

Katashi turned to look at his niece. She pleaded with her eyes, letting him know somehow that Zuko already felt enough guilt. And it was Azula who should be feeling it.

"It's okay, Mai. I should have done something. But I froze. I was weak." He met the warden's gaze head on this time. Self doubt, always present somewhere inside Zuko, began to whirl around his head with a vengeance. 'I was weak just like Azula and Father say I am. Maybe they're right. No, they are right. I'm useless and I should have protected Mai.'

"Well, at least you're honest. I can appreciate that. And you're here now. You haven't abandoned Mai, either of you. I appreciate that too." Katashi reached out and put a firm hand on his niece's shoulder. "Mai is strong but she needs help to get through this, this time in her life."

"I'll help," both Ty Lee and Zuko called out eagerly.

"That's what I like to hear," the warden grinned. The sight was more frightening than happy or humorous. "Now, if I know my sister at all, and I do, she'll be out here shortly looking for Mai. I think it's a good time for the two of you to go home." No one protested. "I'll walk you to the garden gate. You can leave that way. Say your goodbyes."

"Goodbye, Mai." Ty Lee jumped up from the bench and wrapped her arms around the ebony haired girl.

"Bye, Ty Lee. See you tomorrow?"

The ten year old beamed. "Of course you will, silly."

Zuko didn't hug Mai. He was shy about touching Mai and with her uncle there, shyness had become terror. "See you, Mai. I'll come by the same time tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Zuko." Mai managed another smile. "Thanks for coming."

Katashi guided the two away from the bench and along the garden path. "All right," he called back to his niece. "I'll be back in a few minutes, my dear." He let Ty Lee get ahead and then pulled Zuko aside. "I consider myself a good Fire Nation citizen. I follow the rules. I serve my country to the best of my ability. I respect my leaders. But, what Princess Azula did, there is no excuse for. And if any member of your family ever hurts Mai again, he or she will pay. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Zuko swallowed hard and gave the man a shaky acknowledgement. "Yes, sir."

"I just came in to say good night, Mai," Katashi said as he poked his head in the door. "Do you want to visit for awhile?"

Her eyes felt heavy and she wanted nothing more than to close them and head off into sleep. But time with her uncle was a rarity, so Mai fought her fatigue and flashed him her brightest smile. "Yeah, that would be nice."

The warden pulled up a chair. "How does that feel tonight?" He pointed to the bandaged side of her face.

"The special tea takes most of the pain away; it kind of itches now." Her pale fingers longed to pull the bandages off and tear into the tender flesh below. How much more damage could she do anyway? She would be hideous. Mai knew it. Everyone knew it. Her smile had been replaced by a wistful sort of look. "Do you think that no one will want me now? That's what Mom says."

"I can't say anything for certain, but I think that there's someone out there who won't judge you because of a scar. And if there isn't, you can still make your own life, Mai. You're a bright girl and you're already skilled with those blades of yours. Whatever you're thinking and whatever you're feeling, don't give up." He put his huge meaty hand over her tiny one and held onto it with surprising gentleness.

"Why does she say stuff like that?" Gold eyes looked to Katashi for an explanation.

"Let me tell you a bit about your mother. She didn't have a lot of choices. Her marriage to your father was arranged. Our parents didn't let her do much. She was their daughter and daughters sat quietly and listened. They didn't have ambition. They didn't talk back. Their mothers ruled their lives. That's all she knows, Mai."

"That's not an excuse," the girl replied.

"Maybe not and I know she can be cruel. Agni knows I've tried talking sense into her. But, despite what you believe, your mother does love you. She worries about your future and your well being."

Mai began to protest. "But….."

"I know, Mai. You're the only thing she's ever had any control over. It will be hard for her to give that up."

"She doesn't care about what I want or what I feel. All she wants is to marry me off. I don't want to get married off to some dumb boy I don't even know." Mai was getting angry now and she could feel her heart start to pound inside her chest.

"In this world…" Katashi looked about her room, "getting married to a good noble born young man is success. Your mother would be able to say with pride that her daughter married so and so. Then she would have done her job well; raise you and see that you're settled appropriately. I know that it's hard to understand."

"What if no one wants to marry me? What will Mother do then?" She couldn't help but think of Zuko. What would her mother say if she ended up marrying the prince? It wouldn't happen. Being friends with her was one thing, but….

Katashi chuckled. "That will be interesting to see. I think she'll look until she keels over. But I also think that you will find your own way despite your mother. And I'll help all that I can." He paused for a moment, and examined Mai's expression. "Do you like this Prince Zuko?"

Mai's blush was immediate and she let out an irritated sigh. Why did her body have to give her away? "I, yeah, I do."

"Hmm, well, he's already got a lot to prove in my eyes. I hope you can do better than him."

The girl couldn't help but laugh at the irony. "How can you do better than the prince?"

"I'm just not sure that I like him. I'm not certain that he's good enough for my Mai." Katashi leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Get some sleep now. It will help you heal."

Mai watched her uncle leave then settled herself against the pillows, finally letting her eyes slide shut. She dreamed of Zuko.