Three years later...

Mai positioned one of her blades at an angle and dragged it across the sharpening stone. The shrill sound of the two surfaces grating against one another would set any other person's teeth on edge, but to Mai, it was extremely soothing. She considered the shurikens an extension of herself, and she needed to be as sharp and deadly as possible in order to keep up her reputation.

Mai finished sharpening the red-tinted blade and began to work on the tip of one of her darts. Her thin eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she ground down the sides of the metal. There was a knock on her door and quickly concealed the dart and blade in her robes again. She pushed the sharpening stone behind her desk and spun around just in time for her mother to walk in.

"I've received word that the princess is coming to find you. I think it would be wise of you to make yourself findable."

Mai nodded and waited for her to walk out and shut the door. Then, she heaved a sigh and walked to the washroom, where she began to make her hair presentable enough to leave the house. She put on a heavy maroon robe and tied the sash around her waist. Mai listlessly walked over to the full-length mirror, decided she looked decent enough, and left her room.

She wondered what Azula wanted. Mai's father was the new governor of New Ozai- what was once the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu. In Mai's opinion, it was the most boring place she had ever been to, let alone lived in. Considering this was Mai, that's saying something.

She stepped out into the plaza and was greeted by a patrol guard.

"Good afternoon, Lady Mai." He said, bowing.

"Good afternoon," she said politely, and began to continue her walk. The guard gave a light cough, and she turned hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I… don't think it would be wise for you to go out into the city today," he said quickly.

"Why not?"

"Well I-" All of a sudden, there was the sound of a pair of heavy boots on the pavement, coming from the governor's home.

"Lady Mai, you must come inside immediately," said the large man as he approached the girl and the guard.

"May I ask what this is about?"

"You'll get an explanation soon."

Due to the sudden epidemic of pentapox (Mai had never even heard of the disease) Mai's family was stuck in their home for the rest of the day. To prevent the spreading of the infection, her father had ordered the guards to drive the sick from the city. It was later that night that someone finally noticed that Tom-Tom was missing.

"How is this my fault?" Mai asked, trying to keep a steady tone as her father yelled at her.

"You should have been watching your brother! Now the Resistance has him, and there's no way we can get him back!"

"Why me? I'm only fifteen, Dad, have you forgotten? I was trying to keep calm while the sick were being herded out of this horrid place. How could I be expected to keep track of an infant as well?"

"You weren't struggling to keep calm! You were eating fire flakes!"

That was true. Maybe she shouldn't have appeared so cold in that situation?

"Fine. But we still have to get my brother back, and I have an idea. Are you willing to hear me out?"

Mai told her father about her plan to trade Bumi for Tom-Tom, and at first he was hesitant. But he looked out at Mai's sobbing mother again, and gave in.

"All right, we'll do it. I'll send a messenger hawk as soon as possible." With a huff, he strode off.

"You're welcome," Mai grumbled, and retired to her room to work on her knives again.

The next morning, Mai awoke and began her usual morning routine; washing her face, applying the "totally depressing" (as Ty Lee would put it) makeup around her eyes, and dressing herself in her robes. She left her room and was intercepted by a guard.

"Good morning, Lady Mai. You are free to leave your home now- everyone has been herded out of the city."

Yeah, I know, moron. You released the entire Resistance. Good job!

"Thank you," she said, and continued on her way. She walked down the steps again, and noticed an imperial palanquin coming up the road. She stared blankly at it, knowing who was inside. What she hadn't been expecting was seeing Ty Lee walking alongside the box.

As Azula stepped out of the palanquin, Mai clasped her hands together and gave a dramatic bow to the princess.

"Please tell me you're here to kill me," she said with a straight face, only half joking.

After an awkward moment of silence, Mai smiled, and Azula laughed.

"It's great to see you, Mai." She said, with a rare genuine smile.

Ty Lee pounced on Mai, giving her a bear hug. She explained to Mai that Azula had called louder than the circus had. The universe apparently gave her hints that she needed a change in career (in the form of flaming safety nets and wild animals- but she didn't mention that until Azula was out of earshot) and stepped back, allowing Azula to explain her presence.

"I have a mission for you both."

"Whatever it is, count me in. Anything to get me out of this place."

"Mai will handle the negotiations, so you don't mess that up too," Azula ordered sternly to the governor. Mai's face twitched into the hint of a smirk at seeing her father trembling as he bowed before the 14-year-old. Seeing her father kneeling on the hard, stone floor of the throne room was a welcome change. The three girls turned in unison and walked out of the room, leaving the rest of Mai's family on the floor.

After being persuaded by Azula that the trade was unfair and calling it off, Mai was now facing the water tribe girl and her brother, gripping the hilt of her three-pronged blade, concealed in her sleeve. They exchanged a few blows, but Ty Lee made quick work to block the chi of the waterbender. Mai darted forward to strike with her blade.

Just as she was coming down to hit the defenseless girl, her brother threw his boomerang to knock it out of her hand. Mai shot a glare at him, and reached back into her sleeve to draw another blade.

The flying ox-beaver-insect monstrosity that the Avatar rode around on landed on the platform and slammed its paddle-like tail onto the unstable platform, sending Mai and Ty Lee flying off of it.

"Oww…" Mai groaned. She picked herself off of the ground and brushed off her robes, looking at the red patches on her skin in disgust. "I thought that water is supposed to be soothing!"

"Well, I learned from the more experienced performers in the circus that the move she used on you is called a water whip- apparently it hurts quite a bit if done correctly."

"Really? I didn't notice," Mai said dryly.

"We should go find out where Azula and the cute bald kid went."

They eventually met up and left the city. Azula began to explain the mission to Mai.

"It'll be nice to see Zuko again, won't it, Mai?" Ty Lee said, nudging the solemn girl.

Mai turned to hide her blush, and continued walking down the road.