#meanwhile back at the capital aang in the avatar state
Escape
Mai: Why are you always looking at that scar?
Zuko: What?
Mai: The one on your chest. It doesn’t cause you pain- at least not physically. And every time you do, you smile. Why?
Zuko: It’s important-
Mai: Stop lying to me!
Zuko: I don’t understand-
Mai: The scar isn’t important. She is, isn’t she?
Zuko: I-
Mai: *Rolls her eyes* At least look me in the eyes.
Zuko: … *Sighs* She’s my friend Mai… Of course she’s important to me.
Mai: I don’t see why you care about her so much. She’s just a peasant. And I don’t know why you so easily offered her a place to stay here.
Zuko: She needed safety!
Mai: From her boyfriend? So what he had a temper tantrum-
Zuko: He could’ve killed her!
Mai: She doesn’t need to be here. If you won’t kick her out, I’ll just tell Aang where she is-
Zuko: Don’t. You. Dare. If you tell him she’s here, he’ll just guilt her into forgiving him.
Mai: She should forgive him. It’s not like anyone else would love a Southern Water Tribe peasant anyway-
Zuko: *Warning* Tell him where she is, and I’ll consider it an act of treason.
Mai: …
Zuko: *Realizes* What did you do?
Mai: *Smirks* I had to keep you distracted long enough for her to leave the capital. I doubt she’ll come back now that she thinks you were the one who sent him her location.
Zuko: How could you, Mai?
Mai:Pretty easily, it turns out. A few well placed letters, a quiet word of warning, and she scampered off like a frightened little rabiroo.
Zuko: Why? Why would you do that to her? She has never been anything my but-
Mai:Please spare me the righteous indignation. Was I supposed to sit by and watch my boyfriend pine over another woman and do nothing?
Zuko: I am not pining for her! Katara has never done anything to come between us! But if you think I’m marrying you after this-
Mai: Oh, I think you will. You see, Zuko, I was not the only person who noticed your little crush on the water peasant. Several members of your council saw it, and they want to put an end to it. They have spoken to me and they agree that the best thing for the succession is for you to marry a suitable woman as quickly as possible, and in a rare show of common sense, they have decided that I am most suited.
Zuko: They can’t make me marry you. I am the Fire Lord.
Mai: Yes you are! And if you want to stay the Fire Lord, you had better start sending out those wedding invites. Honey.
Zuko: No. If they want me to marry a Fire Nation woman, then I will, but it won’t be you.
Mai: I thought you might say that. That is why I have a little insurance.
Zuko: What do you mean?
Mai: Do you know where your little friend ran off to? I do
Zuko: What are you going to do with this information-
Mai: I have instructed a close confidant of mine to send a letter to the avatar of her whereabouts if you make me leave.
Zuko, gritting his teeth: What do you want?
Mai: Simple, once you formally announce our engagement, I’ll instruct my contact to destroy the letter. But if you don’t, I’ll make sure there’s nowhere she can hide where the avatar can’t find her. She’ll be living in terror the rest of her life, and it will all be because of you.
Zuko, Begging: Mai, please don’t do this. Hurt me? Fine. But she’s done nothing to deserve this. I’ll do anything.
Mai: Send the invitations. We’re done here.
It wasn’t as hard as he’d feared to find Katara, though it occurred to Zuko to be concerned at the ease. Katara didn’t seem surprised at the Blue Spirits sudden appearance at her window.
Katara: That took longer than I expected. What kept you?
Zuko: Y-you know who I am?
Katara:snorting How long did you expect Aang to sit on that? I’ll give him this, he did wait until you’d been with is for a few days.
Zuko: Oh…. Listen, Katara, I didn’t tell Aang where you were. I swear I would never-
Katara: I know it wasn’t you, Zuko.
Zuko: I didn’t- Wait, you know?
Katara: The letter I saw wasn’t stiff enough to he your writing. Your letters always read like you’re expecting to be graded.
Zuko:I-what? No, forget it. If you knew I didn’t send the letter, why didn’t you say anything? You just left.
Katara: Because Aang really is coming and it was better if you didn’t know where I was.
Zuko:throwing his hands up. Um… Bad news.
Sure enough Katara was right. Less than a week after they last saw each other, Aang arrived on his door step begging for his help.
“You have to help me. She’s my forever girl. She doesn’t know what she wants. If I just talk to her I’m sure I can convince her-”
Zuko groaned. “I don’t know where she is Aang.” It wasn’t technically a lie. He didn’t know where she was right now. But that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to find her.
Aang looked desperate. “But you’re the Fire lord! Can’t you use your resources? You can send a search party-”
“I’m not gonna send a search party and waste valuable resources on someone who isn’t truly missing.” Zuko was having a hard time keeping his voice level. “It’s like you said. She left. She wasn’t forced to. She left willingly and doesn’t want to be found. I’m not gonna force someone to show themselves when they aren’t in danger.”
“You don’t know if she’s not in danger though! She’s all alone with no one to protect her.”
Zuko was certain if he didn’t master his element, the room would be on fire. “She can protect herself. She never needed to protecting Aang.” Except from you. He almost added but held his tongue.
“I’m desperate.”
Clearly. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I have a responsibility to my people and,” his voice shook, “a wedding to prepare for. I can’t add this onto my list of pressing issues. Especially since this issue isn’t really pressing or even an issue to anyone but you.”
Aang looked genuinely surprised he wasn’t getting his way. “First Jun, and now you. What are you keeping from me? Why are you keeping her from me-”
Jun? Did he really… “You asked Jun to hunt her down like a lost pet?” Zuko barely held the anger in his voice.
“We’llclearly it didn’t work, she refused to help me.” Aang snarled. “Just like you are now. I thought we were friends.”
Aang was fuming. Zuko had offered him a room, but Aang was afraid if he stayed he’d reduce the palace to rubble. He stormed out towards the paddock where he’d left Appa. He’d find someplace to sleep for the night, then the next day, he’d get up early to continue his search. Katara was close. He was sure of it. He would find her. Make her see reason. Then..
He reached into his pocket and ran his thumb over the polished metal disk. Katara had told him she didn’t want it, but Aang knew it was just cold feet.
“Avatar Aang.” Aang let out an undignified yelp and spun around. Mai seemed to materialize from the shadow of the stables. There was a smirk on her face that sent a shiver down his spine.
“Oh, um…hi, Mai,” Aang greeted her.
“Are you leaving so soon?” She asked.
“Yeah. I was looking for-”
“I’m aware.”
“I got Zuko’s letter, and he said she was here, but just now-”
“He didn’t send the letter, ” Mai told him. “I sent it.”
“You?” Aang blinked in surprise. Mai sighed and shook her head.
“She was here and Zuko was never going to say. He can be so selfish that way. He thinks I don’t know…”
“Know what?” Aang asked in concern.
“Please understand, Avatar Aang, I don’t believe Zuko would cheat, but the way he looked at her…”
“The way he looked at who?” The concern was abruptly gone from Aang’s voice. His eyes narrowed sharply. Suspiciously.
“Katara,” Mai said sadly. “I could tell they were…a distraction to each other.”
“Distraction?” Aang repeated, outraged. “Did he touchher?”
“I couldn’t say,” Mai dropped her heand and shook it slowly. “I don’t think so, but they spent so much time together. I love Zuko. And that is why I wrote to you. You and your waterbender need to get back together. If she and Zuko are apart, they can both think clearly. And everything will be as it should.”
“I want to,’ Aang said. "I’ve been looking everywhere for Katara, but I don’t know where she is.” The corner of Mai’s lips curled up into a sharp smile.
“I think I can help you.”
“He thinks I don’t know, but once he figured out I sent the letter he squirreled her away to the country to keep her from you. He’s moved her several times, and I might be able to predict where she’ll be next.” Might as well put that network of spies she’d built up over the years to good use. Even Zuko’s intelligence network was ineffective compared to hers, and he was the Fire Lord.
“Why can’t you tell me where she is now?” Aang asked, sounding more like a petulant child than the keeper of world peace.
“She’s currently in transit, and I won’t know for sure where she is until she reaches her destination. She left the estate just last night - I got word of it right after Zuko returned from an ‘outing.’“ Mai stressed the last word, playing the part of the scorned lover.
“He knows where she is? He lied to me!”
A windstorm kicked up out of nowhere, and Aang’s eyes and tattos began to glow an unearthly white.
Katara was staying in the beach house at Ember Island. She knew Aang was coming. It was obvious he’d try to come to the Fire Nation eventually. Still, the fact it took him this long, just proved how little he cared to listen to her. Every fight they had revolved around building a home with roots. And soon those fights evolved into fights about the last time she felt truly at home and how it no longer was in the South.
At first she agreed but didn’t know why. Aang was convinced it was because her home was with him. But one day it just slipped out. Another fight about “home” and the words “Fire Nation” escaped her before she could hardly believe it herself.
It didn’t take long for her to realize it wasn’t the Fire Nation she saw as home. It was was him, Zuko. Home is where the heart is and after the north started to force their ideals on her homeland, her heart could no longer truly belong there.
“Katara?” Zuko whispered.
Katara’s shoulders relaxed at his voice. Of course he’d find her here. Not like she was hiding from him anyway. She wasn’t exactly subtle when she said she needed to ‘soak up the sun by the waves.’ Unlike Aang, Zuko always knew how to listen.
Zuko coughed lightly. She still had yet to say anything. “I’m here Zuko. Why are you?”
“I came to warn you-“
“No need, I know he’s here. I told you he would be.”
“Are you okay?”
That made her laugh. “Of course not. I’m running away from my ex boyfriend who refuses to accept our break up. And now I have you running around worrying about me when you should be focusing on your wedding.”
“Don’t remind me.” Zuko said bitterly.
Katara raised a brow at that. “What do you mean by that?”
“Forget it. It’s no big deal”
“You are many things Zuko, but a liar isn’t one of them… What’s going on? What do they have on you?”
Zuko sighed, “You…”
“What are you talking about?” Katara asked warily.
“I have to marry Mai. It’s the only way to keep you safe”
“What?” Katara’s voice cracked at his admission. “B-but… you said yourself you didn’t send the location-“
“She did Katara”
Katara froze, suddenly everything made a lot more sense… All this time she thought it was a radical Ozai supporter. But Mai make so much sense- too much sense. Mai must’ve found out about her feelings for Zuko. La, this is such a mess…
Zuko huffed before continuing. “And Mai didn’t just have your location at the time. She has a sample of your scent so that he could find you anywhere! Don’t you see…”
“How did she-“
“You’re right.” Zuko cut in. “I’m not a liar and I don’t break my promises. I promised to keep you safe and if this is the only way-“
“Buffalo-Bull shit! I will not let my problems leave you unhappy. You deserve love Zuko-“
“It doesn’t matter who I marry if it isn’t you!” Zuko’s eyes widened once he realized what he said.
Katara was equally shocked as the weight of his words crashed down on her. “Zuko…”
“Katara, please,” Zuko was quick to grab her hands in both a plea and a promise. “I gave up on marrying for love a long time ago. So please, be happy and find the love you deserve. You don’t owe me anything. You don’t owe me your affections, you don’t owe me your freedom. You owe yourself happiness. Don’t let my feelings stand in the way of that.”
