How could he do this to me? After all the years we've spent together, to throw it all away for some primitive Water Tribe hussy is just utterly detestable. The anger churned and boiled in Mai's stomach, deepening with every step away from the abhorrent scene that was permanently scorched into her memory. Sometimes her rage was invaded by dizzying nausea; other times it was mixed with a suffocating sadness. But whatever emotions waxed and waned, the seething anger remained constant and ever strengthening. He would not get away with this; one way or another, she would make him pay. A dragonhornet buzzed up from the grass, disturbed by her feverish strides, and hovered in front of her face to express its frustration. Without the slightest flinch, she smacked it away angrily; it would think twice about stinging her today if it knew what was good for it.

She finally came up behind the boulders in the rear of the beach house and rounded the corner to the pathway in front, nearly colliding with Sokka, Suki, and Toph. They frantically parted to make way as she blew past them, leaving the three friends to gawk at each other uncertainly. After a brief bewildered hush, they turned their eyes back to the somber girl hastening by.

"Hey," Suki cried out, "is everything okay?" Her question was not met with so much as a backward glance, leaving her to look nervously at Sokka.

"Mai, what's wrong?" he called after her. No response. The three friends raised a wary eyebrow to each other as they watched Mai hustle down the path toward the opposite end of the beach house.

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Aang was standing on the other end of the path, brushing the burrs out of Appa's coat when the concerned voices caught his attention, causing him to look up instinctively to see Mai waving the others off as she stormed past them, ignoring their inquiries. The pace at which she approached him made him shrink back apprehensively.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"I need to borrow Appa," she erupted.

"What? Why?"

"I caught them, Aang." He felt himself go pale as the blood drained from his face, his mind instantaneously racing through a thousand different scenarios. He prayed that she did not mean what he feared. "Zuko and Katara – I found them kissing in a cavern behind the beach house."

Kissing. His throat suddenly felt dry and dusty. He wanted to speak out, he wanted to scream, but the words refused to come. He simply stood staring at her, blinking in sheer disbelief, speechless. His eyes darted past her to see the anxious group of friends eyeing them questioningly, trying to understand what all the commotion was about. Toph appeared particularly distressed, one hand pinching the bridge of her nose, her eyes squeezed shut, the other arm wrapped around her waist. She looked as though she were trying to block out a bad dream. She knew.

"I'm going back to the palace to get my things and get out. I don't want to speak to him, I don't want to listen to him, I don't want to see him ever again. It's over. "

Aang slowly dropped to his knees, resting his hands on his thighs to support the rest of his weight. His body seemed to have gone suddenly weak; he looked cut down, like most of his life force had just been sucked out of him. "I can't believe this," he said hopelessly. He stared at the ground with a despondency his friends had never before seen in him. "Are you certain you saw what you think you saw?" He wanted desperately not to believe that Katara would do such a thing to him.

"I know what I saw, Aang," she said sharply. "Now, is it okay if I borrow Appa?"

He continued staring at the ground in shock, but nodded vaguely to her question. Mai did not waver or wait for any further response; without delay she climbed deftly up on Appa, grabbed the reigns and situated herself hastily in the saddle.

"Yip, yip!" she hollered as the large bison took flight toward the faint mountain crater of Caldera City in the distance.

As Mai and Appa grew smaller in the sky, Sokka, Suki, and Toph ran up to Aang and stood around him, concern painted clearly on their faces.

"Aang, what's going on?" asked Sokka, beating the others to the question. They could hardly bear the suspense of not knowing what had so disturbed their friend any longer.

The shock in Aang's expression began to transform into sheer anger, the wrath on his face making the others recoil slightly. They glimpsed over at each other and then back at Aang, fearful of what to expect.

"You wanna know what's going on?!" he roared, his arms slicing through the air as he took to his feet suddenly. "Katara's been cheating on me with Zuko, that's what's going on!"

Sokka and Suki both blinked in surprise while Toph cringed as though she had just tasted something vile. "Whoa, Aang, hold on," Sokka said as calmly as he could muster. "I don't think my sister would do a thing like that."

"Actually, Sokka," Toph cut in, feeling all eyes turn to stare at her, "I hate to say it, but you're wrong."

"Wait a minute, what do you know about it?"

"The sparks have been flying between them for months now, it's been kinda obvious." She looked over at Aang apologetically. "I'm sorry, Aang."

"So the 'feelings for two people at once'…" Sokka muttered in disbelief, "…that was Zuko?"

"Oh my gosh, Aang," Suki said, placing a consoling hand on the boy's shoulder, "I am so sorry."

She gasped and flinched when he suddenly tore himself away from her touch. "How could you have known all this time without telling me, Toph?!" he exploded.

"Aang, I'm sorry, I didn't wanna upset you. I was hoping that maybe it would just blow over. I didn't think you'd even believe it coming from someone else."

"But you didn't even try, did you?!" He shook his head and glared appallingly at the blind girl. "Some friend," he scoffed, his voice lowering to a dejected murmur. "Thanks a lot." He slammed open his glider and took off, leaving his friends in a cloud of bewilderment, wishing there was something they could do.

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Zuko and Katara wound their way back to the beach house reluctantly, trying to sort through all that had just happened – what they had confessed to each other, the implications of that confession, Mai's discovery of them and the repercussions that would undoubtedly ensue. The glow of the early evening sun bathed the hills in a golden radiance, casting a dreamlike aura over the island. It seemed absurdly unbefitting to the scandalous predicament in which they found themselves.

Zuko knew it would affect more than just his inner circle. He had been expected to marry Mai, sooner rather than later. But it had been no secret to anyone that the two of them had serious compatibility issues. They were much too different and were constantly bickering. One moment their engagement was on and the next it was off. His royal counselors would be none too pleased with this new development; they had been pushing him to marry and produce an heir since shortly after he had been crowned Fire Lord. That was nearly two years ago, and it was two years too long as far as they were concerned. An arranged marriage might be the next and only course unless Mai were able to find it in herself to forgive him. Even if she did, which he found impossible to believe, neither of them would ever be happy. She would never be able to trust him again, and he would spend the rest of his life just trying to sift through what could have been. In the end, he knew all the what-ifs in the world would have been of no use to him then. He has his doubts that a marriage to a Water Tribe woman, princess or not, would go over well with the counselors, but it was a battle he was willing to fight.

He would cross that bridge when he came to it. At the moment, the two of them needed to focus on coming up with a short term interim plan to deal with the upheaval that Mai had unquestionably caused upon her return. Facing Aang and Mai again would be dreadfully hard, but they could not discount the backlash they would receive from the others as well. But once they had dealt with all of that turmoil and after things had hopefully calmed down, they could concentrate on what to do next in regards to their relationship. Katara could not help feeling guilty for not being upfront with Aang and the fact that he would find out about it second-hand. She was dreading having to face him again knowing she broke his heart, but she tried to remain optimistic.

"I know they will be upset, and they have every right to be. We shouldn't have gone about it the way we did. But I think in time they will see that it's better this way than to live in a lie for the rest of your life."

Zuko was far less confident. "You don't know Mai," he said uneasily, his eyes fixed downward, watching his feet swoosh through the grass. "She can be incredibly loyal and devoted when she wants to be. But when if you cross her, she can also be one of the most malicious, unforgiving, vengeful people you'll ever meet." He finally looked over at Katara gravely. "I'm not certain at all that we won't have to deal with that side of her before this is all over."

They finally came to a stop as they reached the familiar boulders behind the house, staring at them silently, knowing they were a few strides away from the point of no return. "Well," Zuko said, taking Katara's hand in his, "we're gonna have to face them sooner or later." He smiled faintly and the two of them rounded the corner toward the front of the house.

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

The first thing Katara saw when they arrived at the house was Sokka standing in the center of their path with his arms crossed along his chest, glowering and shaking his head. Toph and Suki were sitting on the front steps of the beach house fixed intently on the scene unfolding. Toph stared with a solemn yet eager expression, leaning forward with her arms resting on her knees, absorbed in the drama playing out before them. Suki gazed on with a look of both disappointment in and concern for the pair.

Sokka grabbed hold of Katara's arm and wrenched her from Zuko's grasp, dragging her several paces away from the firebender.

"Ow, Sokka!" she cried out in protest.

He let go of her arm and glared at Katara in a way that was foreign to her, making her feel uneasy. "How could you do this, Katara?" His voice was low and condemning, his eyes narrowed in disgrace, causing her to avert her eyes in shame. "What on earth would possess you to betray Aang like that? That boy loves you, he would do anything for you! At the very least you could have had the decency to stab him in the front instead of going behind his back." He shook his head again, staring disdainfully. "How could you do this…" he repeated himself, at a loss for words, "…and with him?!"

"Sokka," Zuko objected, "it wasn't all Katara's fault."

"Clearly," Toph snickered under her breath, smirking at Suki. Suki did not return the earthbender's banter; she was too filled with grief for the situation to leave any room for joking.

"I'll get to you in a minute, lover boy!" Sokka cut him off sharply, holding one hand up in the air haltingly. Looking back at Katara, his voice softened ever so slightly but his expression remained rigid. "I think it's time we went back home for a while."

"What? No!"

"You need to get away from this place for a while. Being back in old familiar surroundings with family and friends will be good for you."

"No, Sokka, I'm not going! I'm staying right here!"

"Katara, do you realize how incredibly selfish you're being? This is serious! The two of you have single-handedly wrecked the lives and ripped out the hearts of two people simultaneously – people who love you. You need time to think about what you've done and what it is you really want."

"Sokka! Listen to me. I know what I did was wrong. But I also know what it is I want and I've made up my mind. I'm staying with Zuko."

Sokka's gaze shifted from his sister to the firebender, letting his glare linger just long enough to make him shift nervously, then rolled his eyes back to Katara. "If Dad knew what you've done, you can be sure he'd come get you himself." Katara crossed her arms and cast him a look as if to say, Maybe you missed it, but I'm not a little girl anymore. He sighed then, closing his eyes as he rubbed the back of his tense neck. His shoulders finally relaxed slightly in a gesture of concession. "Alright, fine. Just be glad I'm not Dad. But you two owe Aang and Mai an explanation. You can't just leave them hanging like this. It's the least you can do now."

He turned his attention fully to Zuko then, coming to stand within a few inches of him. "And you!" he said, pointing a threatening finger into his chest. "I'll be watching you, buster. And if you ever do anything to hurt my baby sister, the Fire Nation will have to find themselves a new Fire Lord. Understand?"

"It probably isn't such a good idea to just get up and leave in the middle of this anyway," Toph chimed in to lessen the tension, rising from her place on the steps and walking down to stand on the ground. "We should probably wait here together until Aang comes back… or in case he doesn't. You know how he can get when he's really angry; we should be here in case we need to go out and search for him."

"Well, he has Appa with him, doesn't he?" Katara asked. She expected Aang to be upset, but the fact that he had taken off without wanting to face her first made her nervous.

Suki stood and descended the steps to join the earthbender. "Unfortunately, no. Mai borrowed Appa to go back to the palace so she could gather her things." She paused, looking over at Zuko with a mix of disapproval and sadness. "She was pretty upset."

"She was livid," Toph expanded.

Zuko glanced down tensely. That did not sound good. He knew that Mai was infuriated, but he had not expected her to storm off the island and leave everyone else so abruptly. And knowing that she had gone off alone, with no one there to talk her down from her fury, made his stomach clench with apprehension. This is a recipe for disaster, he thought, and Mai's got the cauldron on the fire.

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Dark clouds were beginning to creep in on the setting sun as Mai arrived at the palace. The fiery orb was slowly disappearing beneath the horizon, and it appeared that a storm was moving in to take its place. From the look of things, she knew it would be upon the city in little more than an hour. The wind had picked up, bending the trees beneath its force as she climbed down off of Appa. On the trip back, she had decided that after retrieving her belongings she would make her way back to her parents' home in Omashu. She wanted to escape this place immediately, tonight if possible, and she needed Appa to make that trip. She hoped that Aang would understand. A servant met her at the gate to lead the bison to the stables to be cared for while she prepared. She would need to hurry if she wanted to beat the storm.

As Appa was led away, Mai took in her surroundings in an entirely new light for the first time. There was not a single area her eyes could wander that was not haunted by the ghost of a memory, playing out before her like a dream. The memories made her suddenly aware of the cool touch of gold that hung around her neck. She clutched at the necklace and drew it out to glimpse upon it again. At the end of the gold chain dangled a ruby stone in the shape of two firebirds intertwined with an inscription in the center – 永遠の愛 (eternal love). Zuko had given her the necklace as a betrothal gift years ago, even before he had been branded with the mark of a banished prince. She had never taken it off, not even during the years of his banishment when she had thought she would never see him again.

With the trauma of the day and the pressure that had building over the past months, she was somewhat surprised to notice the absence of the sting of tears in her eyes. She wanted to cry; she felt that she should cry. But all she could feel was a cold numbness as a renewed sense of bitterness welled up within her. With a wail of anger and frustration, she tore the chain from around her neck and hurled the necklace to the ground. She turned to walk inside through the colossal palace entryway as a few solitary raindrops fell from the sky.

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

A low, muffled roll of thunder grumbled in the distance from within the ominous clouds that were building in the sky. Jiao watched from the shadows of a nearby building as the tall, raven-haired girl dismounted the giant bison and handed over the reins to an elderly manservant. He had been watching her and her friends for three days straight, and intermittently over the last several months. He had followed her back to the palace at a safe distance off the coast of Ember Island. Though dusk was descending quickly, he had a clear view of her amidst the multitude of lanterns that were glowing throughout the city. She appeared utterly distraught as she paused outside of the palace gate; the tension in her stance, the rigidity of her movements, and the absence of her betrothed confirmed what he already knew. She would be vulnerable, and probably desperate. The timing could not be more perfect.

After several moments, he watched as the girl ripped something from around her neck and threw it to the ground violently as she turned and walked brusquely away. The flicker of light from the lanterns occasionally caught on the discarded item, causing a subtle glint of red to flash up from the ground sporadically. He waited until he was sure no one was watching and then emerged from the shadows and ascended the grand stairway leading up to the palace gate. He bent down and picked up the trinket, rotating it between his fingers as he inspected it. He discreetly stuffed the necklace into his hooded cloak as he descended the flight of steps and began making his way toward the outer edge of the city. A closer, more confident roll of thunder rumbled overhead as several foretelling droplets began to patter around him. The timing really could not be more perfect, Jiao thought to himself, the shadow of his hood concealing the smirk on his face.

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Ozai scowled through the bars of his prison cell, glaring menacingly into the eyes of the provisional guard who had entered with the evening meal. The regular guard, Jiao, had been granted a leave of absence for a couple of days and he was filling in for him. He was a young man, probably in his late twenties, with a lean athletic build and keen features. He was not terribly intimidating, but he held himself with an air of confidence that exuded its own strength. He stood tall and stared down the former Fire Lord challengingly before he finally slid the evening meal between the bars and kicked it toward the prisoner, the shrill screech of the tray on the cold stone floor echoing in the confined, gloomy space.

Ozai's upper lip quivered in frustration. The way that boy looked at him made his blood boil, like he was challenging some once ruthless animal, now caged and powerless to strike back, stripped of its former terror. He felt like a majestic lioneagle that was injured and lying on his side. His pride was wounded and he was struck down, but far from defeated; his amber eyes still burned with a ferocity that spoke of the fight he still had inside him. He had been such a king of beasts, but now the birds of prey had descended and were devouring him and the world he worked so hard to create. To end up alone with nothing left, stripped from everything that made him the man he was, and to be dethroned – he never imagined that he would come to know such things. If he ever managed to escape this cell, he would make sure that the last thing that boy ever knew was just how ruthless he could be.

Just as the young guard had taken his leave through the large, heavy wood door that blocked his cell off from the prison corridor, Ozai heard a voice ricochet off the desolate walls of the passageway outside. "The warden says you're dismissed. I'll take over from here." His lips curled into the faintest smirk. Jiao had returned.

A few moments passed in silence as Jiao waited outside for the boy to disappear from sight and then the massive wooden door opened once again. Jiao finally stepped inside and his tense form relaxed as he turned to face the prisoner.

"What did you find out?" Ozai asked him, careful not raise his voice beyond a low murmur.

"I have confirmed what I suspected to be true these recent months. Zuko has catastrophically fallen for the waterbending peasant of the Southern Water Tribe, who also happens to be the betrothed of Avatar Aang."

"Interesting… That's just what we had been counting on."

Jiao had managed to visit him in secret shortly after Ozai's incarceration; he had surreptitiously declared his unwavering loyalty to the "true" Fire Lord and had pledged his service to him. All he asked in return was that, once he had reclaimed the throne, Ozai would grant him an early retirement with ample means to care for his ailing wife, and Ozai had agreed. It had been a risky plan, far from fail proof, but the rewards outweighed the risks to both of them. It was a chance worth taking.

Jiao had a cunning wit and within months had been able to manipulate the system so that he had been charged with the sole responsibility of guarding the cell of the most feared man in the world. It had all been a painstaking process, but Ozai was able to be patient when he knew it played to his benefit. One wrong move and everything would be destroyed. Timing was of the essence.

"But there's one more thing, and I think you'll find it plays to our advantage. We may be able to execute our plan earlier than first thought. Your son's illicit affair was discovered earlier today by none other than his fiancée herself. Mai has permanently sworn off her engagement to Zuko, and I have reason to believe that she intends to leave the city for good. If we're going to use this new development, I suggest we jump on it post haste."

"This is just too perfect," Ozai simpered. "She is pitted against Zuko, who is in love with the little water peasant, who in turn belongs to the Avatar. I could not have planned this better myself," he chuckled maliciously. "There is no fury known to man like a woman scorned. And Mai, like any woman, will surely jump at an opportunity to exact revenge. We only need to provide the proper lure and encouragement."

It had been a plan nearly two years in the making: find a way to blackmail the Avatar into giving him back his firebending and then wait for the perfect moment to free the former Fire Lord from prison. If the Avatar could take it away, he could surely give it back. And it seemed the long-awaited time had finally arrived. He was determined, by any means necessary, to rise to power once more and reclaim the throne that was rightfully his. And with this new development, Mai could provide the necessary means to get his pathetic son, that shameful disgrace of a Fire Lord, out of the way. Zuko would not be able to stop him from capturing the girl or from ascending to the throne after his victory over the Avatar.

"Perhaps this will do," said Jiao, pulling the necklace from within his cloak. "She discarded it at the palace, but judging from her demeanor I assumed it's connected to her relationship with your son."

Ozai recognized it after a moment and nodded in affirmation. "Send her a letter immediately. She and I need to have a little talk. It's been so long… we have some catching up to do."

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Mai whipped fervently around the bedchamber that she shared with Zuko as she gathered her possessions, trying not to focus on the many items in the room that screamed out memories to her. The thunder had grown closer and more frequent, more foreboding; the idea of being forced to stay the night to wait out the storm was becoming a very likely possibility, much to her frustration. All she wanted was to escape any reminder of Zuko, but that was probably all she would be surrounded by tonight.

A knock at the door interrupted her progress and she cursed under breath as she walked briskly to the door. A servant woman stood there, holding out a small piece of paper rolled up and bound with a string. "It's for you, my lady. A messenger hawk arrived with it just now."

She took the letter from her and closed the door. For a moment she hesitated. It was probably from Zuko, a pathetic apology letter or something of the sort. There was no one more likely to have sent it considering the timing of everything. She clenched the rolled up paper in her hand and was about to tear it up when curiosity began nagging her. She could always tear it up after she read it, she conceded. Finally she sighed as she uncrumpled the paper and rolled the letter open.

The unexpected note coupled with the signature at the bottom caused her heart to stop momentarily.

Dear Mai,

I have something that I believe may be of great value to you. It would be to your benefit to visit me without delay. It seems ages since our paths last crossed. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Ozai

Mai struggled for breath as she read the letter over again. What did he want? She crumpled up the letter once again and this time threw it into the waste bin in the corner of the room. She stood motionless for a moment, trying to decide what she should do. Her eyes clenched shut and she rubbed her temples as a frustrated groan escaped her throat. She knew that the prospect of beating the storm was hopeless now; she would be stuck in the city overnight either way.

She had had no contact with the former Fire Lord since he had been imprisoned, much to her conflicted relief. She knew that if he was contacting her now, it might be worthwhile to at least look into it. There would be no palanquins tonight; she needed to go in secret. If she was caught visiting Ozai people might think she was planning something. Reluctantly she slipped on her heavy hooded cloak to ward off the winds and rain and prepared to set out for Capital City Prison.

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Mai arrived at the prison soaking wet, but thankfully protected from the rains underneath her cloak. Visiting hours were over, but her status as the Fire Lady-to-be allowed her to pass through with ease. She was determined to take advantage of it while she still could before her breakup with Zuko became public.

She was escorted down a long, gloomy corridor by a stocky guard with a gruff voice who made a hopeless attempt at small talk. Mai kept her responses curt and seldom, and finally the guard gave up and the two of them walked in a silence, their out of sync footsteps reverberating in all directions along the corridor.

Finally they were met by another guard, taller and moderately handsome. He appeared younger, probably in his mid-thirties she guessed; his bronze eyes had a vivacity to them that was yet untouched by age. His chocolate colored hair was worn shorter than most men in the fire nation, flowing freely in ragged edges to the where his neck and shoulders met. He watched impassively as the two approached and only nodded recognition to the stocky guard before turning his attention to Mai. "My name is Jiao," he said flatly, no sign of emotion amidst his cool features. "I'll take you from here."

He gestured wordlessly with his hand for her to follow him as the other guard turned and walked back down the dimly lit walkway from whence they had come. Mai followed Jiao around a corner where the corridor finally dead-ended in front of a very large solitary wooden door; it looked solid and heavy, added for extra security, undoubtedly a cell reserved for the most dangerous prisoners. Jiao unlocked the heavy iron bolt and pulled open the door, the harsh groan of the iron hinges amplified in an echo against the stark stone walls. He gestured for her to walk inside, and closed the door behind her, leaving it only slightly ajar so that she could exit at her discretion.

"Mai… it's been so long," an oh-so-familiar voice crooned.

A recognizable form sat against the far wall behind the prison bars, looking up at her as she entered. A grin splayed across his face as his golden eyes studied her features, reading her.

"You're looking as crestfallenly lovely as ever." The familiarity in his voice and that signature smirk made her stomach churn. Instinctively she crossed her arms in front of her chest, as though to protect herself, scowling a warning at him.

"What do you want, Ozai?" she cut him off sharply, with a note of distrust in her voice. "If you think you can seduce me with that silver tongue of yours, you can forget it. I may have nearly succumbed to that before, but it won't happen again. Those days are long since over and you know it."

He chuckled derisively. "Don't flatter yourself, my dear. This is far beyond the realm of you and me."

Her eyes darted down to the side, scowling at the way he controlled the conversation. It was so typical. "Then get to the point," she demanded, grudgingly making eye contact with him again.

Wordlessly he held up the necklace, the delicate gold chain dangling between his fingers. A horrified gasp escaped Mai at the sight of her own necklace suspended from the hand of Zuko's father.

"Where did you get that?!"

"I have my ways," he sneered, toying with her.

"Well it's mine, give it back!"

"Yours?" he scoffed. "From what I understand, you threw it away. What could it possibly matter to you now?" He paused and grinned at the conflicting emotions on her face. "Unless of course, it matters more than you'd care to admit."

Mai was silent and glared down at the stone floor, focusing on the natural fissures on its surface, the dirt that was caked between the square slabs, anything to avoid looking up at him and risk revealing her true emotions.

She was beginning to crack, he could tell. She was breaking down, and if he played his cards right he would soon have her in the palm of his hand. All he needed to do was get her talking about it, release the floodgates of her emotions, and lend a listening ear, not because he cared but because he needed her to believe he did.

"He's hurt you, hasn't he?" he began at length, softening his tone to a degree he hardly recognized. "I know all about it. How betrayed you with that paltry water bender, and intended to keep it from you as long as you didn't find out."

It did not take long before her resolve began to waver and the sudden flood of emotion seemed to suck the strength from within her. She sunk to her knees on the cold hard floor, her lip quivering with anger or sorrow or both, still refusing to raise her face to him.

"He doesn't deserve you, Mai. My son was a fool beyond compare to think you were not enough for him; we both know that's a lie."

Her body became tense and trembled slightly before she suddenly snapped her head up; her brows quaked, jaw tightened, as her face contorted in passion. The tears that had been so noticeably absent before were now welling up, on the brink of overflowing. "Stop it! Why are you telling me this?! I know this isn't why you called me here. Just tell me what it is you want!"

"I want you to help me get out of here. You have the authority and the access to obtain the key without raising suspicion."

She froze briefly as the full realm of implications to his suggestion dawned on her. The shock halted the tears as her eyes widened. "No… way! There is no way I'm risking my neck to release history's most fearsome and notorious tyrant. You've earned every minute you spend in this prison cell, Ozai. The world doesn't need your devious and disturbing psyche lurking free again." She stood up swiftly then, turning to exit through the heavy door.

"And what if I told you that I could get rid of the water bender for you?" His rebuttal stopped Mai in her tracks. He smiled, knowing she was within his grasp. "You could have Zuko entirely to yourself to deal with him any way you see fit – reconciliation or revenge. Either way the obstacle between you would be eliminated."

Her rigid shoulders loosened in acquiescence as Mai turned around slowly to face Ozai once again, bitterly enticed by his proposition. "I can help you, Mai," he accentuated his point, "but only if you are willing to help me first."

He had her now, there was no turning back. His plan was falling into place. Soon he would have the water wench within his clutches and the Avatar would be at his mercy. He knew that the girl's affair would undoubtedly complicate things, but he was certain that that sentimental whelp of an Avatar would not sit idly by if her life were threatened. That little boy would return his firebending or suffer the consequences. Either way the coin landed, he would make him pay, there was no mistaking that.

Mai stared at him for several moments with a cold, vengeful expression. At last she took a step toward the prison bars again and descended to sit at eye level with Ozai. Finally she spoke.

"What's your plan?"

A/N: Thank you to 101 Pretty Kitty and BananaSwirl for the reviews so far! It means a lot to me to receive honest feedback on my work, and as I'm sure you all know it provides much needed inspiration to keep on writing the story =) So all of you compulsive story-favoriters/alerters out there – which I appreciate as well – if you wouldn't mind taking a moment to leave some feedback – what you liked, loved, didn't like, would like to see, could be improved, etc. – I would be eternally grateful. I know it's easier just to "favorite" it or "alert" it and move on, but it would mean a lot to me. =)

永遠の愛 is the kanji for "eternal love" in Japanese. Jiao (狡) means "cunning" in Chinese.