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When the cell door slammed shut in Mai's face she saw red. Anger wasn't an emotion she was overly familiar with - disappointment, irritation, and discomfort being more common to her - but now it boiled under the surface.
For years, she had tried to do right by her family despite her own desires but now it was clear her family had miscalculated. An arranged marriage with Prince Zuko had been the worst decision they could have made.
It wasn't the first time she had thought it, as unkind as the feeling was, but this was different. This was a personal betrayal. They were supposed to play their parts and move on but Zuko always was a poor actor and air would be the one to suffer the consequences - again.
It thankfully didn't take long for the door to be opened by another guard but by then Zuko had already gained ground.
When she reached the courtyards there was chaos, but Mai's cool exterior had always thrived in the unpredictable even as it struggled against the blinding rage racing through her blood.
Below her the prisoners fought each other while above Zuko and a collection of other prisoners were escaping on a gondola. Mai could see her uncle hanging out the window and slowed her run to a walk as the lines were ordered to be cut. A quick glance over the scene showed Azula and Ty Lee headed away from the gondola.
Mai saw it before anyone, maybe even Ty Lee, did.
Ty Lee glanced back and her face softened into a painful heartbreak. Mai had seen it before and had long known Ty Lee desired her betrothed. Her friend hadn't been lying when she told Zuko she knew him. Ty Lee likely knew him best.
However, Mai knew Ty Lee best.
Ty Lee's fist landed on the back of Azula's uniform, below the armor. It wasn't a paralyzing blow but the one that followed was.
Mai rushed forwards then and caught her friend as Ty Lee kicked the lever free and rushed back up the lines. There was a moment where their eyes connected and an understanding passed through them.
They were best friends but their hearts lied in equal and opposites. Ty Lee would go with Zuko and whatever engagement Mai had with him would be officially severed.
Mai wasn't going anywhere as she tightened her arms around her first friend and her only love.
The rage simmered down into a more manageable disappointment and with Ty Lee out of sight in the gondola, Mai lifted Azula from the ground and carried her to her uncle's quarters.
To the side of the room was a lounge that her uncle often took naps on when he was supposed to be working. Mai laid Azula down as comfortably as she could.
Their eyes met, as that was all Azula could currently move.
"They got away," Mai said, knowing she'd let them go. Azula knew it too and the truth burned in her eyes alongside Ty Lee's betrayal. "I'll take care of you."
If anything Azula's irritation and suspicion grew but that was fine. Mai had already expected it and told herself she didn't care.
Something much darker and heavy weighed Mai down as she tended to her friend and she almost wished for the anger to return as pain radiated from her chest outward.
—
Mai had laid low after that.
Azula mitigated the failure of Mai and Zuko's union for her and Ozai allowed her continued presence as an apology for his son's disrespect. Mai didn't know his real reasons even if she knew what he said was a load of komodo dung.
It was the only thing Azula had done for or with her since they returned even as Azula kept her close. The dark and heavy feeling stayed between them and Mai was sure Azula knew it too. They were at an odd standstill, Azula trusted her more than anyone else but Azula didn't actually trust her.
It was a painful distance to keep but one Mai wasn't dumb enough to break even if she really wanted to.
Her days of pretending not to care ended at the Boiling Rock, where every emotion she had slammed into her at once. She just wished caring didn't take so much energy as with the comet's approach, Azula's frenzy and paranoia reached new heights and Msi had no idea how to cool the fires.
As Azula's emotional turmoil boiled within her, so did Fire Lord Ozai's zealously. Mai wondered if the comet perhaps had such a strong effect on the royal family as to drive them mad.
It was a lesson taught in schools, one of the first lessons, that the royal family was spirit blessed, chosen and born to the role no other could properly lead. Maybe the comet was more attuned to them than others but Mai couldn't believe that was a good thing.
She kept that thought to herself, knowing her opinion wouldn't be appreciated right now.
Still, the idea burned deeper into her the morning of the comet. Mai had stayed back at the palace, knowing she wouldn't be of much use compared to the comet, so it wasn't until Ladies Lo and Li came to get her that Mai learned of what happened.
She approached the throne slowly, careful to take stock of her friend before speaking. Mai sighed at the mangled mess Azula had made of her hair.
"You should have called for me," Mai started. "I would have done your hair for you. Something fitting for a coronation."
"And let you near my neck with a pair of scissors?" Azula scoffed.
"You have let me get a lot closer with things a lot sharper," Mai replied, stepping forward. It went against all protocol for Mai to walk up the steps leading to the throne but Azula never followed such rules with Mai and Ty Lee before.
"Leave," Azula barked out, glaring up at Mai.
A streak of blue fire blew past Mai's face close enough for her to feel the heat. The force of the blast ruffled the loose parts of Mai's hair but she held firm.
"I'm going to fix your hair first," Mai replied, matching Azula's glare with her own cold gaze.
"Why?" Azula snapped. There was a sharp and unnerving look in her eyes. "So you can take me out before I take my rightful place?"
"No, because it looks stupid," Mai deadpanned.
Azula leaned back in her throne stunned by that response though there was nothing out of the ordinary to it. Mai didn't bother thinking of why her typical response had such an effect and instead used Azula's lapse to move closer.
She didn't have scissors on her but a knife did the job just fine as she evened out Azula's new bangs and cut the rest to just above Azula's shoulders. The top layer was pulled into a top knot, smaller than Azula usually wore it but it would be a while before her hair was long enough again for a full top knot.
"Why?" Azula asked again, her voice breaking in a way Mai never wanted to hear again.
Mai dropped a kiss on the top of Azula's head and politely ignored the other girl's gasp.
"I know I don't look like someone who cares," Mai said, pulling away from Azula's back and settling into place at her right, "but I do. I don't really believe in the whole glory to the Fire Nation stuff like you do, but I believe in you, so I'm here. Don't be weird about it."
Azula watched her face but if she found anything in Mai's designed blankness she didn't say anything.
Instead she sat up straighter in her throne and nodded before standing. "My coronation starts soon, we will need to head to the hall."
Azula swept out of the room, not seeming to care one way or the other if Mai was following. Mai knew better though and was able to catch the falter in Azula's steps as Mai fell in line to her right.
A bison flew overhead as Mai watched Azula be crowned. Azula's head snapped up and in her eyes, Mai could see a deep seeded rage boiling to the top. Under that was a rationality Mai had not seen since the prison escape.
Mai placed a hand on her shoulder and didn't hesitate to hold Azula's cloak as she stood to face the Avatar's mount.
Whoever was on that bison, likely her hot-headed ex-fiance, wasn't going to find an easy fight here.
Mai was kind of looking forward to it.