Fic: Finding A Way (NC) Part 2, Ch 1
Title: Finding A Way
Author: dark_malignity
Rating: NC16
Main Characters: Mai, Zuko, Azula
Supporting Characters: Ty Lee, Iroh, the gAang.
Pairing: Mai/Zuko
Pairings:Katara/Aang, Sokka/Suki. Absolutely minute traces of Zuko/Katara if you squint like mad and turn your head sideways.
Warnings: Spoilers to the end of the series. Occasional foul language.(highlight to reveal) Graphic foreplay, dry humping, oral sex, concubinage, implied S/M, relatively graphic birth sequence.
Summary: Zuko wants to get married, but Mai is reluctant because all signs point to a possibility of her being barren. Her rejection hurts and baffles him until she eventually comes clean. Together, they embark on an extensive, five-year search for a solution that would involve everything from concubinage, to ritual superstition, to rediscovering lost fire bending lore.
============
Chapter 1
Zuko tapped his fingers nervously on the low mahogany supper table, as he waited for his wife to show up. It was not like Mai to keep him waiting like this, but then again, today was no ordinary day.
It was exactly a year ago that the whispers had started, evil little rumors condemning her as a witch: pronouncing her as the kind of wayward woman that would willfully deprive her womb of life. The rumors were not true - of course they were not true - but still, the people on the street had begun to believe.
They had started to look at her differently. Far from being a pillar of support that she was to him, they painted her as a wily vixen, greedy for political standing, ever lustful for power: why else would she seek to dominate the firelord and lure him into her bed with her cunning smile?
And the firelord himself? - A mere puppet to this femme fatale.
The stories took on a life of their own: how she could control him with her eyes, how she marked his body with cuts from her knives, how he was powerless against her kiss...
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. How right they were - and how wrong! For they did not see the love. All they knew was that she had bewitched him, and wondered what poisons she whispered into his ear in the dead of the night.
For ten months, the people had frowned and gossiped, but in the thirteenth month of their marriage, a delegation had come forth to re-propose the prospect of concubineship. For awhile, Zuko had protested, but what choice did he have? It had become blindingly clear to everyone that a royal heir would have to come from some other source.
Mai herself was surprisingly quiet on the matter. Much to his confusion, she had not kicked up a fuss. She had not seemed angry either, and if she had merely resigned herself to her fate, she did not show it much. On the contrary, once the ground rules had been laid out - no kissing, no licking, no sucking, and no tongue - she began to take a particular interest in planning his schedule for him.
At first, Zuko had been more than ready to oblige her. After all, it was the least he could do for putting her through such an uncomfortable arrangement. It bugged him, however, to lie with a woman who had been handpicked by his wife, and so, after awhile, she let him to his own devices. Even then, she had seemed contented enough, secure in the knowledge what while he would do his “work” with other girls, only she held the keys to his heart.
And so they had fallen into the steady rhythm of concubinage. Every evening, they would meet and share a quiet supper after a long day apart, and cuddle while exchanging notes on the latest developments at court. Once the plates were cleared, they would sit down to plan out the next day together, before retiring to their separate rooms. He would then undress, complete his toilet, and then get into bed with the full knowledge that a familiar stranger would be there waiting for him. And he would be gentle with her, and slightly awkward, but he’d always fulfill his responsibility and get the job done.
Except on Wednesdays. He loved Wednesdays. He loved making fierce, passionate love to Mai on Wednesdays. He loved feeling her twined around his body, loved the taste of salt and cum against her skin. He loved the desperation, the raw animal thrill of dominating and being dominated, of hurting and being hurt. He loved the fight. He loved the blood. And always, he loved the tenderness that came afterwards.
And they had been happy, in their own way.
And then - oh Agni! - the news had broken: one of the concubines was pregnant, and in an instant, everything had changed.
He had never realized the thinness of the ice beneath his feet until it had cracked, and now he had no idea how to face Mai. What should he say? What should he do?
And now she was late for supper. She had never been late before. Did she know already? And if she did, what would she be thinking? Could she be avoiding him because of that? For goodness sake, what does one do in this kind of situation? What should one think?
To make things worse, Aang and Katara had shown up at his doorstep that very evening, with utterly unexpected... uh... developments. It was like rubbing salt into an open wound.
Just as he was about to give it up as a bad game and retire for the night, the doors burst open and Mai flew in. She settled down at her usual spot by his side, and with hardly a nod in his direction, proceeded to fill his bowl with dishes from the table before filling her own.
Zuko cringed. This was bad. She usually fed him the first dish. Oh well, at least she wasn’t ignoring him completely. She couldn’t possibly be that upset, could she?
Hesitantly, he picked up his chopsticks and helped himself to the food in his bowl. A part of him felt like he should say something, but he had a feeling that the last thing she wanted to hear now was the sound of his voice.
Carefully, Zuko selected a succulent piece of prawn and held it up to her mouth. It wasn’t much by way of offerings, but at least it was a peace token. And at least it would show her that he still treasured their small intimacies. The gesture surprised Mai enough to make her look his way, but then she quickly averted her eyes, and it seemed the moment was lost.
Sighing, Zuko set down his chopsticks and moved closer. When he laid his hands on her shoulders, she shuddered and tried to pull away from his touch, but he drew her to him all the more firmly.
“That’s why I wanted us to be married,” he said quietly. “So that no matter what happens, you’d know you’re still important.”
Instead of calming down however, Mai tossed her hair. “And what about Katara?” she laughed bitterly. “You saw her at dinner. It was all I could do to keep a straight fucking face. I hate her!” Eyes afire, teeth clenched, and lips pursed thin, she grabbed her wineglass and flung it into the fireplace, sending tongues of flames dancing.
“Mai, don’t!” he snapped, and made a wild grab for her before she could send more crockery flying. She struggled to free herself, but he quickly caught her by both wrists, forced her to face him, and then gasped when he saw her face. Sheer hatred burned in her eyes. It shocked him, and hurt him, and made him angry.
“Don’t you act like it’s all my fault,” he growled, burying his guilt beneath righteous indignation, but Mai merely sneered and glared accusingly back at him.
At that, he completely lost his head. “You were the one who gave me the go-ahead,” he growled, rising to his feet. “You were the one who would enforce the damn schedule. And you never once said a damn thing against it. So why the hell are you so angry!”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Zuko --”
“No!” he interrupted. He was pacing now, and shouting, his confusion too great to listen to what she had to say. “Why did you lie to me?” he shouted. “For eight months, you act like nothing’s wrong. Just one word, Mai, one word, and it would have been over. But no, you keep quiet all this time, and now,” he kicked the table so violently that both their bowls overturned. “Now you show that you’re not happy,” he cried and smashed the table’s one remaining vase of flowers. “Now when it’s too fucking late?!”
“Zuko!” she screamed at him, and something in her voice made him pay attention. “I’m not... fucking... angry!” she hissed through gritted teeth.
Zuko threw his hands in the air, then gave in and rubbed his face with his hands. “Then what?” he said tiredly. He was in no mood for games. To his surprise, Mai shrugged and rubbed her arms as if she were cold.
“I don’t know,” she said at last. “I feel awful. And I don’t know why. I mean… I’m not a petty person. At least… I don’t… think that I am…”
“You’re not,” he sighed again, and settled back on the floor beside her, then thought better of it, and lay back with his hands tucked under his head. “And you’re not a damsel in distress either.”
“No,” she agreed, poking at her food.
“But if… lets say… we were to pretend that you were...” he continued, tentatively, “what do you think you might… feel?”
He could see Mai’s muscles tense, but before long, she set her chopsticks down and shrugged, then let her head drop into her hands. “I would feel very afraid,” she said at last, her voice muffled.
Biting his lip, Zuko reached out and stroked her back reassuringly, urging her to continue. “I’d be scared that... you - he - wouldn’t want me anymore. Why would he?” she breathed, and stretched out beside him. “Silly, old Mai. Bitchy, crabby, barren Mai.” She bit her lip and curled up against him. “Who would want someone like her?”
Zuko smiled, a bit sadly, and cradled her for what seemed like an eternity, before she finally stirred. “It’s Saturday,” she said at last, noting the disruption to their schedule. She sounded odd; faint and weary, like a warrior who had given up hope.
“No,” he lied. “It’s Wednesday.”
Mai laughed. “Nonsense,” she chuckled, and Zuko noted with relief that her voice was a lot stronger. With a smile that could almost be a smirk, she snuggled comfortably into his chest.
“Of course it is,” he grinned back, making her laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of his statement. “Every day is Wednesday,” he continued, and kissed her. “For as long as you want it to be.”
======
It was a shame to wake up the next morning and find herself in an empty bed, she thought, as she entered the women’s hall. There was nothing too surprising about that though. There was always too much to do. She had been lucky he even stayed the night, she told herself, and brushing aside her thoughts, she quickly settled into her own established routine. There was always too much to do here - women’s work, that went beyond simple cooking and cleaning, to encompass such crucial matters as food storage, tax collection and even the exchange of diplomatic gifts. And of course, the god-forsaken needlework.
There was always too much needlework to do. Every banner, every pillowcase, every damn item of clothing issued and used by the royal household had to be hand-sewn by the women. Mai had almost sobbed in relief when she learnt that one of the privileges that came with her title was the right to offload most of her manual work onto her servants, but even then, there was always so much to supervise that she hardly ever had time to herself.
And so it was almost evening before she finally had the chance to slip away. Knowing without being told, she made her way to indoor arena, and sure enough, all three friends were there: Aang and Zuko were engaging in a friendly sparring competition, while Katara sat by the side and watched them. Not wanting to disturb the match, Mai slid in quietly and settled down.
It was good to see Zuko struggle to win. He had gotten a lot better over the years, and had already surpassed many of his own trainers, so it was nice to see that Aang was not going easy on him. It had been months since he last had to push himself this hard.
Still, she could not help a nagging sense of jealousy that crept in. She could never spar properly with Zuko; their fighting styles were just too incompatible. In close combat, he could easily break her arms out of sheer brute strength, and so he always stayed his hand. When it came to hitting a moving target however, her knives far outshone his blocking, and so she always stayed hers as well.
Aang and Zuko, on the other hand, were a perfect match. Thrust, duck, parry, dodge... it was the same dance they had always done, but sleeker, faster, and ever more thrilling, until the dinner chime sounded to signal the meal’s approach.
Grinning broadly, both men shook hands and were just starting to hug when Zuko winced and pulled back, rubbing his upper arm. Instantly, Katara was at his side, reaching for her bending water.
Mai cringed. It was odd how she could brazenly stomach the idea of Zuko laying with an entire host of faceless women, but the very thought of Katara’s hand on his skin made her burn with rage.
“Excuse me,” she snapped, glaring pointedly at the water bender. “My husband,” she declared, a bit too coldly for comfort, but Zuko merely chucked and beamed as proudly as if she had loudly proclaimed her love. Embarrassed, she frowned and swatted his chest, hoping he would stop, but instead, he caught her by the waist and kissed her so deeply she felt her bones melt.
She wished the kiss would last forever, but as soon as his lips left hers, she swallowed down her swoon as best as she could and turned her attention back to his bruise. Slightly breathless, she tugged at her overlarge sleeves until the fabric bunched in her hand, huffed on the ball of cloth until it was hot with her breath, then pressed the hot cloth firmly against his swelling flesh.
He winced at the uncomfortable pressure against his bruise, but made no move to pull away. Every few moments, she huffed on the ball again to keep it heated, then rubbed it hard against his arm, until at last, the swelling subsided.
“Wow,” Aang broke the silence. “I didn’t know you were a fire healer.”
“What are you talking about,” Zuko grinned, mistaking Aang’s words as a joke. “There’s no such thing.”
“Of course there is. We just flew over an abandoned temple on the way here...” he began, but trailed off as understanding dawned. “They were always a rare breed, but Sozen must have affected them the way he affected the dragons.”
Mai raised an eyebrow suspiciously. She had heard about how Firelord Sozen had purged the Fire Nation of sages who would not shift their allegiance to him, and so she could readily believe in the existence of lost fire bending lore. Fire healing on the other hand, sounded ludicrous.
“No,” Zuko protested. “We would have heard about something like that. An entire nation doesn’t just spontaneously forget something because their ruler tells them to.”
“Then how would you explain that?” Aang said, pointing to Mai’s now-rumpled sleeve. “That’s fire healing.”
“No it’s not, everyone knows to rub a bruise until it burns. It’s common knowledge,” Mai stated.
All three turned to Katara, who held up her hands and shrugged. “Don’t look at me,” she said. “We never had anything like that back in my village. When Sokka bumped his head, we used an ice pack.”
“You see!” Aang said excitedly. “It’s only common knowledge amongst you guys, cos once upon a time, you had real fire healers amongst you. There were never many at a go, but they existed. I’ve heard stories! They could use fire and lightning to restore balance to the human body.”
“Like the yin and yang?”
“Yes! Like cold and hot. If you were born hot then you needed to cool off to be normal, and if you were born cold, you needed heat put in.”
“Mai needs heat put in her,” Zuko teased cheekily. “She’s always so cold.”
“Yeah, and Zuko’s so hot-headed he could do with some cooling off,” Mai grinned and bit him affectionately.
Instead of laughing however, Aang turned to her in concern. “It’s not good to be too cold,” he stressed. “It interferes with the... um... female functions. It makes it difficult to have babies.”
For a moment, the sheer unexpectedness of his comment silenced her, but then she turned to Zuko, and saw a now-familiar look in his eye. She could practically sense the cog wheels turning in his mind.
“No,” she said quietly, jolting him out of his excitement. When he faced her, flabbergasted, she pursed her lips and frowned. “Enough already,” she breathed. “We’ve tried everything, and nothing worked, so what makes you think this is going to be different?”
Much to Mai’s disgust, however, he merely shook his head and smiled indulgently, as if she had been making a joke. Well, she hadn’t, she thought angrily.
Before she could retaliate however, Aang knelt down and laid one hand on the ground, and then closed his eyes. Even from where she stood, Mai could see his tattoos begin to glow as he connected himself to the pulse of the world. After awhile, the Avatar opened his eyes and turned, rather sheepishly, to face them.
“Um… Actually, I’ve never actually met a fire bending healer before,” he said apologetically. “So I don’t really know what to look out for. Even if I saw one, I probably won’t be able to recognize him. Or her.”
And although Mai rolled her eyes, Katara laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “But what does your heart tell you?” she said gently.
“That there’s someone out there?” Brimming with tender affection, Aang enveloped Katara’s hand in his and smiled. “Yeah. There definitely is.”
=======
Dear Aang,
Thanks for keeping me updated! I never realized just how intricate the web of Fire Sage temples really is. It must be difficult to find a fire healer, given that we’ve got almost nothing to go on.
How’s Katara coming along? It can’t be easy for her to keep traveling this way. Are you sure you don’t want to take a break? We’ll be more than happy to let you hole up here for the winter.
Your friend,
Zuko
Dear Zuko,
Thanks for the offer. I’ll ask her. It’s quite a shame though, I’d love to carry on the search - it’s so exciting to think that we’re hunting down lost knowledge! - but I have a feeling she wants to have the baby at home, amongst her people. It’s such a shame though, there’s so much that I’m learning from the fire sages. Zuko, I feel like I’m getting closer. I can’t explain it, but I just know we won’t have long to wait!
Say “hi” to Mai for me!
Cheers,
Aang.
p.s.: I just checked, she does want to go home. Guess the search will have to wait till summer. Haha! Wish us both luck!
Dear Zuko,
Great news! We found him! We were on our way back, but we stopped to set up camp for the night, and guess what, there he was! And he’s taught me lighting! I can bend lightning now! How cool is that?!
It’s a bit far from the capital though, and he’s really old, so I guess we’ll just leave it for now and we’ll all drop by as soon as the snows thaw? Don’t worry, Zuko, you’ll have Mai pregnant in no time!
Cheers,
Aang.
Dear Aang,
You lucky avatar bastard! I’ve given up trying to learn, I don’t think I’ve got it in me. I think lightning’s like any other form of bending: some people have got it, and some people just don’t. And yeah, the royal family usually gets born with a natural affinity, but I guess I’m one of those misfits who didn’t.
And thanks a lot! Really! I can’t say much more, because as usual, there’s too much paperwork clamoring for attention. See you soon! And give your little one a kiss from me, when it arrives. Say it’s from Uncle Zuko. Man, this is so exciting, I can hardly wait! Promise you’ll write to inform me when your baby is born.
Your friend,
Zuko
Dear Zuko,
“Uncle Zuko” indeed! I showed Katara your letter, and she laughed too. She says you’re cute.
The baby’s here. She’s three weeks early, so she’s tiny like anything, and we have to keep a fire going all the time, cos she can’t keep warm on her own. She’s so beautiful! Zuko, wow, I’ve never felt anything like this before, I can hardly believe this is all real.
I don’t think we can make it in spring though. Katara’s not too good. It’s not bad, so she’ll be okay, but I don’t know what’s really going on. I mean, the women didn’t say much, and I don’t want to bother Katara yet cos she needs her rest, but she didn’t tell me anything, so I guess I just have to take it on faith that all is fine and the women know what they’re doing.
So yeah, she won’t be fit for traveling, and I don’t like the idea of leaving her alone with the baby just yet.
I’ve written to the fire healer, though. His name is Master Cheung, and he doesn’t mind traveling to see you on his own. I put my seal on his letter too, so your people will know to let him in when he does arrive.
Well, until next time!
Cheers,
Aang.
Return to Main Page || Chapter 2
Author: dark_malignity
Rating: NC16
Main Characters: Mai, Zuko, Azula
Supporting Characters: Ty Lee, Iroh, the gAang.
Pairing: Mai/Zuko
Pairings:Katara/Aang, Sokka/Suki. Absolutely minute traces of Zuko/Katara if you squint like mad and turn your head sideways.
Warnings: Spoilers to the end of the series. Occasional foul language.(highlight to reveal) Graphic foreplay, dry humping, oral sex, concubinage, implied S/M, relatively graphic birth sequence.
Summary: Zuko wants to get married, but Mai is reluctant because all signs point to a possibility of her being barren. Her rejection hurts and baffles him until she eventually comes clean. Together, they embark on an extensive, five-year search for a solution that would involve everything from concubinage, to ritual superstition, to rediscovering lost fire bending lore.
============
Chapter 1
Zuko tapped his fingers nervously on the low mahogany supper table, as he waited for his wife to show up. It was not like Mai to keep him waiting like this, but then again, today was no ordinary day.
It was exactly a year ago that the whispers had started, evil little rumors condemning her as a witch: pronouncing her as the kind of wayward woman that would willfully deprive her womb of life. The rumors were not true - of course they were not true - but still, the people on the street had begun to believe.
They had started to look at her differently. Far from being a pillar of support that she was to him, they painted her as a wily vixen, greedy for political standing, ever lustful for power: why else would she seek to dominate the firelord and lure him into her bed with her cunning smile?
And the firelord himself? - A mere puppet to this femme fatale.
The stories took on a life of their own: how she could control him with her eyes, how she marked his body with cuts from her knives, how he was powerless against her kiss...
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. How right they were - and how wrong! For they did not see the love. All they knew was that she had bewitched him, and wondered what poisons she whispered into his ear in the dead of the night.
For ten months, the people had frowned and gossiped, but in the thirteenth month of their marriage, a delegation had come forth to re-propose the prospect of concubineship. For awhile, Zuko had protested, but what choice did he have? It had become blindingly clear to everyone that a royal heir would have to come from some other source.
Mai herself was surprisingly quiet on the matter. Much to his confusion, she had not kicked up a fuss. She had not seemed angry either, and if she had merely resigned herself to her fate, she did not show it much. On the contrary, once the ground rules had been laid out - no kissing, no licking, no sucking, and no tongue - she began to take a particular interest in planning his schedule for him.
At first, Zuko had been more than ready to oblige her. After all, it was the least he could do for putting her through such an uncomfortable arrangement. It bugged him, however, to lie with a woman who had been handpicked by his wife, and so, after awhile, she let him to his own devices. Even then, she had seemed contented enough, secure in the knowledge what while he would do his “work” with other girls, only she held the keys to his heart.
And so they had fallen into the steady rhythm of concubinage. Every evening, they would meet and share a quiet supper after a long day apart, and cuddle while exchanging notes on the latest developments at court. Once the plates were cleared, they would sit down to plan out the next day together, before retiring to their separate rooms. He would then undress, complete his toilet, and then get into bed with the full knowledge that a familiar stranger would be there waiting for him. And he would be gentle with her, and slightly awkward, but he’d always fulfill his responsibility and get the job done.
Except on Wednesdays. He loved Wednesdays. He loved making fierce, passionate love to Mai on Wednesdays. He loved feeling her twined around his body, loved the taste of salt and cum against her skin. He loved the desperation, the raw animal thrill of dominating and being dominated, of hurting and being hurt. He loved the fight. He loved the blood. And always, he loved the tenderness that came afterwards.
And they had been happy, in their own way.
And then - oh Agni! - the news had broken: one of the concubines was pregnant, and in an instant, everything had changed.
He had never realized the thinness of the ice beneath his feet until it had cracked, and now he had no idea how to face Mai. What should he say? What should he do?
And now she was late for supper. She had never been late before. Did she know already? And if she did, what would she be thinking? Could she be avoiding him because of that? For goodness sake, what does one do in this kind of situation? What should one think?
To make things worse, Aang and Katara had shown up at his doorstep that very evening, with utterly unexpected... uh... developments. It was like rubbing salt into an open wound.
Just as he was about to give it up as a bad game and retire for the night, the doors burst open and Mai flew in. She settled down at her usual spot by his side, and with hardly a nod in his direction, proceeded to fill his bowl with dishes from the table before filling her own.
Zuko cringed. This was bad. She usually fed him the first dish. Oh well, at least she wasn’t ignoring him completely. She couldn’t possibly be that upset, could she?
Hesitantly, he picked up his chopsticks and helped himself to the food in his bowl. A part of him felt like he should say something, but he had a feeling that the last thing she wanted to hear now was the sound of his voice.
Carefully, Zuko selected a succulent piece of prawn and held it up to her mouth. It wasn’t much by way of offerings, but at least it was a peace token. And at least it would show her that he still treasured their small intimacies. The gesture surprised Mai enough to make her look his way, but then she quickly averted her eyes, and it seemed the moment was lost.
Sighing, Zuko set down his chopsticks and moved closer. When he laid his hands on her shoulders, she shuddered and tried to pull away from his touch, but he drew her to him all the more firmly.
“That’s why I wanted us to be married,” he said quietly. “So that no matter what happens, you’d know you’re still important.”
Instead of calming down however, Mai tossed her hair. “And what about Katara?” she laughed bitterly. “You saw her at dinner. It was all I could do to keep a straight fucking face. I hate her!” Eyes afire, teeth clenched, and lips pursed thin, she grabbed her wineglass and flung it into the fireplace, sending tongues of flames dancing.
“Mai, don’t!” he snapped, and made a wild grab for her before she could send more crockery flying. She struggled to free herself, but he quickly caught her by both wrists, forced her to face him, and then gasped when he saw her face. Sheer hatred burned in her eyes. It shocked him, and hurt him, and made him angry.
“Don’t you act like it’s all my fault,” he growled, burying his guilt beneath righteous indignation, but Mai merely sneered and glared accusingly back at him.
At that, he completely lost his head. “You were the one who gave me the go-ahead,” he growled, rising to his feet. “You were the one who would enforce the damn schedule. And you never once said a damn thing against it. So why the hell are you so angry!”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Zuko --”
“No!” he interrupted. He was pacing now, and shouting, his confusion too great to listen to what she had to say. “Why did you lie to me?” he shouted. “For eight months, you act like nothing’s wrong. Just one word, Mai, one word, and it would have been over. But no, you keep quiet all this time, and now,” he kicked the table so violently that both their bowls overturned. “Now you show that you’re not happy,” he cried and smashed the table’s one remaining vase of flowers. “Now when it’s too fucking late?!”
“Zuko!” she screamed at him, and something in her voice made him pay attention. “I’m not... fucking... angry!” she hissed through gritted teeth.
Zuko threw his hands in the air, then gave in and rubbed his face with his hands. “Then what?” he said tiredly. He was in no mood for games. To his surprise, Mai shrugged and rubbed her arms as if she were cold.
“I don’t know,” she said at last. “I feel awful. And I don’t know why. I mean… I’m not a petty person. At least… I don’t… think that I am…”
“You’re not,” he sighed again, and settled back on the floor beside her, then thought better of it, and lay back with his hands tucked under his head. “And you’re not a damsel in distress either.”
“No,” she agreed, poking at her food.
“But if… lets say… we were to pretend that you were...” he continued, tentatively, “what do you think you might… feel?”
He could see Mai’s muscles tense, but before long, she set her chopsticks down and shrugged, then let her head drop into her hands. “I would feel very afraid,” she said at last, her voice muffled.
Biting his lip, Zuko reached out and stroked her back reassuringly, urging her to continue. “I’d be scared that... you - he - wouldn’t want me anymore. Why would he?” she breathed, and stretched out beside him. “Silly, old Mai. Bitchy, crabby, barren Mai.” She bit her lip and curled up against him. “Who would want someone like her?”
Zuko smiled, a bit sadly, and cradled her for what seemed like an eternity, before she finally stirred. “It’s Saturday,” she said at last, noting the disruption to their schedule. She sounded odd; faint and weary, like a warrior who had given up hope.
“No,” he lied. “It’s Wednesday.”
Mai laughed. “Nonsense,” she chuckled, and Zuko noted with relief that her voice was a lot stronger. With a smile that could almost be a smirk, she snuggled comfortably into his chest.
“Of course it is,” he grinned back, making her laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of his statement. “Every day is Wednesday,” he continued, and kissed her. “For as long as you want it to be.”
======
It was a shame to wake up the next morning and find herself in an empty bed, she thought, as she entered the women’s hall. There was nothing too surprising about that though. There was always too much to do. She had been lucky he even stayed the night, she told herself, and brushing aside her thoughts, she quickly settled into her own established routine. There was always too much to do here - women’s work, that went beyond simple cooking and cleaning, to encompass such crucial matters as food storage, tax collection and even the exchange of diplomatic gifts. And of course, the god-forsaken needlework.
There was always too much needlework to do. Every banner, every pillowcase, every damn item of clothing issued and used by the royal household had to be hand-sewn by the women. Mai had almost sobbed in relief when she learnt that one of the privileges that came with her title was the right to offload most of her manual work onto her servants, but even then, there was always so much to supervise that she hardly ever had time to herself.
And so it was almost evening before she finally had the chance to slip away. Knowing without being told, she made her way to indoor arena, and sure enough, all three friends were there: Aang and Zuko were engaging in a friendly sparring competition, while Katara sat by the side and watched them. Not wanting to disturb the match, Mai slid in quietly and settled down.
It was good to see Zuko struggle to win. He had gotten a lot better over the years, and had already surpassed many of his own trainers, so it was nice to see that Aang was not going easy on him. It had been months since he last had to push himself this hard.
Still, she could not help a nagging sense of jealousy that crept in. She could never spar properly with Zuko; their fighting styles were just too incompatible. In close combat, he could easily break her arms out of sheer brute strength, and so he always stayed his hand. When it came to hitting a moving target however, her knives far outshone his blocking, and so she always stayed hers as well.
Aang and Zuko, on the other hand, were a perfect match. Thrust, duck, parry, dodge... it was the same dance they had always done, but sleeker, faster, and ever more thrilling, until the dinner chime sounded to signal the meal’s approach.
Grinning broadly, both men shook hands and were just starting to hug when Zuko winced and pulled back, rubbing his upper arm. Instantly, Katara was at his side, reaching for her bending water.
Mai cringed. It was odd how she could brazenly stomach the idea of Zuko laying with an entire host of faceless women, but the very thought of Katara’s hand on his skin made her burn with rage.
“Excuse me,” she snapped, glaring pointedly at the water bender. “My husband,” she declared, a bit too coldly for comfort, but Zuko merely chucked and beamed as proudly as if she had loudly proclaimed her love. Embarrassed, she frowned and swatted his chest, hoping he would stop, but instead, he caught her by the waist and kissed her so deeply she felt her bones melt.
She wished the kiss would last forever, but as soon as his lips left hers, she swallowed down her swoon as best as she could and turned her attention back to his bruise. Slightly breathless, she tugged at her overlarge sleeves until the fabric bunched in her hand, huffed on the ball of cloth until it was hot with her breath, then pressed the hot cloth firmly against his swelling flesh.
He winced at the uncomfortable pressure against his bruise, but made no move to pull away. Every few moments, she huffed on the ball again to keep it heated, then rubbed it hard against his arm, until at last, the swelling subsided.
“Wow,” Aang broke the silence. “I didn’t know you were a fire healer.”
“What are you talking about,” Zuko grinned, mistaking Aang’s words as a joke. “There’s no such thing.”
“Of course there is. We just flew over an abandoned temple on the way here...” he began, but trailed off as understanding dawned. “They were always a rare breed, but Sozen must have affected them the way he affected the dragons.”
Mai raised an eyebrow suspiciously. She had heard about how Firelord Sozen had purged the Fire Nation of sages who would not shift their allegiance to him, and so she could readily believe in the existence of lost fire bending lore. Fire healing on the other hand, sounded ludicrous.
“No,” Zuko protested. “We would have heard about something like that. An entire nation doesn’t just spontaneously forget something because their ruler tells them to.”
“Then how would you explain that?” Aang said, pointing to Mai’s now-rumpled sleeve. “That’s fire healing.”
“No it’s not, everyone knows to rub a bruise until it burns. It’s common knowledge,” Mai stated.
All three turned to Katara, who held up her hands and shrugged. “Don’t look at me,” she said. “We never had anything like that back in my village. When Sokka bumped his head, we used an ice pack.”
“You see!” Aang said excitedly. “It’s only common knowledge amongst you guys, cos once upon a time, you had real fire healers amongst you. There were never many at a go, but they existed. I’ve heard stories! They could use fire and lightning to restore balance to the human body.”
“Like the yin and yang?”
“Yes! Like cold and hot. If you were born hot then you needed to cool off to be normal, and if you were born cold, you needed heat put in.”
“Mai needs heat put in her,” Zuko teased cheekily. “She’s always so cold.”
“Yeah, and Zuko’s so hot-headed he could do with some cooling off,” Mai grinned and bit him affectionately.
Instead of laughing however, Aang turned to her in concern. “It’s not good to be too cold,” he stressed. “It interferes with the... um... female functions. It makes it difficult to have babies.”
For a moment, the sheer unexpectedness of his comment silenced her, but then she turned to Zuko, and saw a now-familiar look in his eye. She could practically sense the cog wheels turning in his mind.
“No,” she said quietly, jolting him out of his excitement. When he faced her, flabbergasted, she pursed her lips and frowned. “Enough already,” she breathed. “We’ve tried everything, and nothing worked, so what makes you think this is going to be different?”
Much to Mai’s disgust, however, he merely shook his head and smiled indulgently, as if she had been making a joke. Well, she hadn’t, she thought angrily.
Before she could retaliate however, Aang knelt down and laid one hand on the ground, and then closed his eyes. Even from where she stood, Mai could see his tattoos begin to glow as he connected himself to the pulse of the world. After awhile, the Avatar opened his eyes and turned, rather sheepishly, to face them.
“Um… Actually, I’ve never actually met a fire bending healer before,” he said apologetically. “So I don’t really know what to look out for. Even if I saw one, I probably won’t be able to recognize him. Or her.”
And although Mai rolled her eyes, Katara laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “But what does your heart tell you?” she said gently.
“That there’s someone out there?” Brimming with tender affection, Aang enveloped Katara’s hand in his and smiled. “Yeah. There definitely is.”
=======
Dear Aang,
Thanks for keeping me updated! I never realized just how intricate the web of Fire Sage temples really is. It must be difficult to find a fire healer, given that we’ve got almost nothing to go on.
How’s Katara coming along? It can’t be easy for her to keep traveling this way. Are you sure you don’t want to take a break? We’ll be more than happy to let you hole up here for the winter.
Your friend,
Zuko
Dear Zuko,
Thanks for the offer. I’ll ask her. It’s quite a shame though, I’d love to carry on the search - it’s so exciting to think that we’re hunting down lost knowledge! - but I have a feeling she wants to have the baby at home, amongst her people. It’s such a shame though, there’s so much that I’m learning from the fire sages. Zuko, I feel like I’m getting closer. I can’t explain it, but I just know we won’t have long to wait!
Say “hi” to Mai for me!
Cheers,
Aang.
p.s.: I just checked, she does want to go home. Guess the search will have to wait till summer. Haha! Wish us both luck!
Dear Zuko,
Great news! We found him! We were on our way back, but we stopped to set up camp for the night, and guess what, there he was! And he’s taught me lighting! I can bend lightning now! How cool is that?!
It’s a bit far from the capital though, and he’s really old, so I guess we’ll just leave it for now and we’ll all drop by as soon as the snows thaw? Don’t worry, Zuko, you’ll have Mai pregnant in no time!
Cheers,
Aang.
Dear Aang,
You lucky avatar bastard! I’ve given up trying to learn, I don’t think I’ve got it in me. I think lightning’s like any other form of bending: some people have got it, and some people just don’t. And yeah, the royal family usually gets born with a natural affinity, but I guess I’m one of those misfits who didn’t.
And thanks a lot! Really! I can’t say much more, because as usual, there’s too much paperwork clamoring for attention. See you soon! And give your little one a kiss from me, when it arrives. Say it’s from Uncle Zuko. Man, this is so exciting, I can hardly wait! Promise you’ll write to inform me when your baby is born.
Your friend,
Zuko
Dear Zuko,
“Uncle Zuko” indeed! I showed Katara your letter, and she laughed too. She says you’re cute.
The baby’s here. She’s three weeks early, so she’s tiny like anything, and we have to keep a fire going all the time, cos she can’t keep warm on her own. She’s so beautiful! Zuko, wow, I’ve never felt anything like this before, I can hardly believe this is all real.
I don’t think we can make it in spring though. Katara’s not too good. It’s not bad, so she’ll be okay, but I don’t know what’s really going on. I mean, the women didn’t say much, and I don’t want to bother Katara yet cos she needs her rest, but she didn’t tell me anything, so I guess I just have to take it on faith that all is fine and the women know what they’re doing.
So yeah, she won’t be fit for traveling, and I don’t like the idea of leaving her alone with the baby just yet.
I’ve written to the fire healer, though. His name is Master Cheung, and he doesn’t mind traveling to see you on his own. I put my seal on his letter too, so your people will know to let him in when he does arrive.
Well, until next time!
Cheers,
Aang.
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