chapter five

x

Mai had another dream about Ozai.

She was on a date with Zuko, one from years ago. It was horrible and boring and she hated it, but her subconscious remembered it well enough to recreate a distorted version. Zuko bought her a pastry and they walked somewhere secluded near the pier—in reality and in the dream—and Mai kissed him and he returned it with passion.

Mai pressed her thigh between his legs and felt the throbbing insistence too quickly. On the real date, they stopped there. In the dream, the pier caught fire and as it collapsed around them, Mai let Zuko tear off her clothes.

Amongst the chaos, Mai slid her hand down towards his cock and when he briefly met eyes with her, they were Zuko's but not Zuko's. The man pushing her onto her knees was not her former boyfriend but the former Fire Lord.

She wanted to comply, and woke with a very uncomfortable memory of a war criminal getting acquainted with her throat. The heat between her thighs made her tear her blankets off and stand up, and she could not remember a time in her life when she got out of bed quickly.

It could not have anything to do with Ozai himself. She just was not having much contact with the opposite sex and her body was lacking it.

Mai needed to find a boyfriend, or at least a one night stand.

She would take anyone who could fog a mirror and did not look anything like Zuko and his father.

That level of desperation depressed her.

x

Ty Lee woke from a dreamless sleep with Azula on her mind. She did not know how she was supposed to conquer the gargantuan task of saving her love. Azula did not want her help, but that would never deter Ty Lee from trying. She had to help Azula if it was the last thing she did.

When Ty Lee got her tea and walked to Azula's room, the princess said, "You exhaust me," with an exasperated expression.

Ty Lee beamed, somewhat savoring Azula's bitterness. It meant the princess was feeling at least some defeat. Perhaps she was realizing that Ty Lee would never cave in.

Maybe this was not entirely futile.

"I love exhausting you." Ty Lee blushed when she realized the accidental innuendo. Azula smirked, clearly hearing it as well. "Not that way. Maybe that way. Not that way right now."

"I would never allow you into my bed. Don't worry." Azula stood up.

Ty Lee noticed her for the first time, maybe because of the words on her mind. Azula was in a robe with her hair hanging around her like a curtain, undone from the messy bun it was in while she was ignoring her old flame. Brushed out too. Ty Lee doubted Azula did it herself, but it was a step in the right direction.

The combed hair made Ty Lee very happy. Then she looked at Azula's legs and stopped feeling so pleasant. Why did she look at her legs? Why? That was really not making any of this easier. It was going to be hard to get that image out of her mind.

"I might change your mind about that," Ty Lee whispered, her heart pounding and her palms sweating and how could Azula still make her feel this way?

"After I poured tea on you?" Azula inquired, crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't change, do you?"

"I guess not." Ty Lee scratched her forehead and averted her eyes. "You look pretty, princess."

"I always do," Azula replied. Ty Lee thought of a few snappy remarks but kept them to herself. She was willing to push boundaries with Azula after coming into her own, but she was not stupid enough to jeopardize her entire operation.

"Do you want to go on a date?" Ty Lee asked.

"I'm not going out in public," Azula spat, which Ty Lee half expected.

"We can have a date in the palace," Ty Lee suggested, feeling smart until she saw Azula's pitying expression. It always made her feel like a moron.

"I would like to see that. Leave my room now."

Ty Lee did as she was told.

x

"Any progress on that kidnapping?" Zuko asked his ex-girlfriend. It was awkward, beyond awkward.

"My life has been fine," Mai replied, answering the real question. That made Zuko blush. "I don't really care enough to ask about yours."

"But really about the kidnapping. It's important," Zuko said, to which Mai sighed. She knew it was her job, even if she did not care if those people resurfaced or even lived.

"I'll see your father today," she said begrudgingly. Facing Ozai was going to be difficult after last night, but she would manage. "I can try to make more progress."

"You're making more than anyone else would," Zuko said, meaning it to be a compliment.

"Don't say that," Mai said, a little too fiercely. She calmed herself and regained her composure. "I'd rather not be reminded."

Zuko stared at her for some time. She looked away and did not meet his gaze again.

"How did we become so broken?" asked Zuko.

"We were never whole," answered Mai.

She left the palace after that.

There was nothing more to say to him.

x

Mai walked to the prison, scenarios flickering through her head. She knew it would be difficult, but she did not know how much she would regret every single step. All she wanted was to turn around and run from this problem, but she was going to find out about this kidnapping.

More importantly, she was going to prove to herself that the dreams meant nothing. Dreams never did, no matter what Ty Lee always said about magical vibrations or her plethora of interpretations. Mai did not believe in that. Most things in this world were meaningless, and the only people who thought they did were stupid and those who made up the meanings were charlatans.

When Mai got to the prison, she demanded a record of Ozai's visitors for the past two months. The new girl at the front struggled to find the pages in the rough, unstable book. Mai rolled her eyes as she waited.

Finally, she had it in her hands, and she arrived again at his cell. He almost looked like he was waiting for her.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Ozai asked.

Mai considered running. Instead, she picked up the book and handed it to him.

"Tell me about these people," she ordered, which she knew he would not take well. Royalty never could handle being ordered around.

He opened it to the page she had her thumb in moments ago.

"They all are either crazy or I slept with them or, most likely, both," he said, trying to hand it back. Mai crossed her arms. He held it out for a few moments longer before setting it down at the desk that he absolutely did not deserve.

"You sleep with visitors?" Mai asked.

"Why? Are you interested?" The way he looked at her almost made her slit his throat with one of his stupid pens. She swallowed her reaction and kept stony-faced. "I take that as a yes, but I think it might be a conflict of interest. You don't have any other exciting jobs lined up, now do you?"

"I don't need a job. I'm doing this because I'm bored, and I could find other hobbies," Mai replied, every word honest. "Let's discuss that little book."

He studied her for a moment, and at last ran his finger down the names.

"None of these people were very interesting," he said. "One of them probably is that kidnapper, but it isn't as if I asked."

"I'm not leaving here until you talk." Mai sat down on the floor.

She did not move.

He did not speak.