3Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar series or its characters.
When they had escaped the Boiling Rock, Zuko thought that everything might just work out after all.
Every day, he got closer and closer to being accepted by Aang and his friends. Helping save Sokka and Katara's dad at the Boiling Rock really helped him bond with Sokka and while it hadn't convinced Katara to fully accept him, it didn't make her hate him more and that was a win in his book.
Everyone had celebrated when they returned. Even Toph had smiled and given him a happy punch to the shoulder, despite the lack of meat he had brought back. They had a joyous meal around the fire with Hakoda being the center of attention.
It made him happy and a little jealous to see how Sokka and Katara clung to their father so adoringly. He wondered if that was how all Water Tribe families were, or just all families in general, except for him.
His mind wandered to family and Mai.
He dropped his head to his chest at the thought of Mai. She had risked everything to get him safely off the Rock. She may not have believed in what he was doing or what he was fighting for, but she still saved him. She always saved him.
And he left her.
Zuko grit his teeth. No, he was doing this for her. For the Fire Nation. For everyone.
Sure, she may be considered a traitor alongside him, but the worst that could happen to her was that she would be stuck in a cell. Since Mai's uncle was the warden, it was not like she was going to be treated badly.
He never would have left her behind if he thought anything was going to hurt her…
He shouldn't have left her behind.
It happened while everyone had been finishing up their dinner and Sokka was regaling them all with another tale of how he had hunted down the largest shark-whale known to man (with Katara assuring them it was really just an abnormally big tuna-shrimp). All of a sudden, Zuko felt flashes of panic strike desperately at his core.
He clutched at his heart, his empty plate clattering to the dirt floor, and tried to breathe in and out despite his throat feeling like it was closing up.
Toph noticed the change in his heartbeat before everyone else and she turned to him. "Zuko, what's wrong?"
Zuko gasped, falling to his knees from his seat and trying to curl in on himself. "Mai."
Sokka immediately left his father and sister and crouched in front of the prince. He slung his shoulder around the boy and tried to lift him up, but Zuko resisted. Zuko's hand moved from his heart to his wrist and he began to rub them. There was a tightening sensation and it felt like his hands were being tied with thick rope.
"What's wrong?" Sokka repeated Toph's question.
"I—" Zuko gasped. "Don't—" Another desperate inhale. "Know."
"It looks like a panic attack," Hakoda's strong voice came in. "Mai was that girl back at the Rock? The one who saved us?"
Sokka nodded in confirmation. "His girlfriend."
There were a few mutters of surprise at the idea of Zuko actually having a girlfriend, but it was mostly concern for the shaking prince.
Feeling his vision getting blurry, Zuko stuttered, "I think she's in trouble."
Another hand touched his shoulder, the one not held by Sokka, and Zuko heard Aang's calm and authoritative voice, "It's going to be fine, Zuko. First, we need you to take deep breaths."
"No," Zuko said, "It's her. She… She's in—"
There had only been one other moment in his life where he had been filled with this much terror.
One lash in.
Zuko released a loud yell and lurched forwards, his hands flat on the dirt floor and the tiny rocks and rubble digging into his palms. He felt a painful force on his back. It was a powerful strike and it tore into his skin.
Two lashes in.
This time, he was sure that the strike had drawn blood. Zuko bit down on his lip to keep from yelling, but found that he had made a pained sound anyway. Like a wounded animal, Zuko continued to tremble and flinch as each assault battered his body.
Seven lashes in and Zuko began to register the sounds of concern around him. Hands grabbed at him, trying to keep him still so he wouldn't accidentally hurt himself.
Zuko continued to twitch pitifully under their hold and small tears formed at the corner of his eyes. He was being whipped.
She was being whipped.
Each strike left a sharp sting and a burning sensation that left cuts and bruises he knew that only he would be able to see.
The lashes continued and Zuko lost count. He prayed that he would pass out.
Pain. Searing pain. His skin was burning, his back was being torn open, and his only thought was of Mai.
He didn't know who had carried him gently to the sleeping bags. He didn't know who had shook him, asking him what was wrong. All he knew was that he wanted to die. He wanted it to stop. He didn't want to feel anymore.
It was a blessing when he finally lost consciousness.
Once Zuko had finally stilled, his five friends gazed down at him in silence. Hakoda had gone off to see if he could find any medical help or news on what had happened to Mai and Ty Lee, leaving the kids to watch over Zuko for the time being. Sokka brushed the sweaty locks of hair that covered the prince's eyes away from his face and watched as he fitfully slept.
"What was that?" Toph asked bluntly.
Aang took a cautious seat at the edge of Zuko's bed and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He kept trying to clutch at his back," Aang noted seriously in a tone he rarely used.
Together, he and Sokka managed to turn him over to his side and Aang cautiously pulled up the back of his shirt.
At the sight, Aang gasped and backed away from Zuko's ravaged skin. "When did this happen? It- it wasn't like this before!"
Sokka and Katara exchanged confused glances. "What are you talking about?" Katara asked.
"His back is so bloody. Katara, help him!" Aang took a step closer to Zuko and pointed to his back.
Katara raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? There's nothing there."
"Those lines," Aang muttered; he studied the fire user's back, but was careful not to actually touch the injury at the risk of infecting the already weakened boy, "They look like whip marks. When was he whipped?" He glanced at Sokka, questioning what truly went down at Boiling Rock.
Sokka raised his hands. "Don't look at me. I don't know what you're talking about. His back looks fine to me."
"Mai," Zuko whispered pathetically in the throes of sleep. "Mai, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Mai." Aang tried to fit the pieces together. "His girlfriend who saved him at the Boiling Rock. Would they have punished her for trying to save you guys?"
"I thought so," Sokka said, "But her uncle is the warden and Zuko said she would be fine."
"But she also helped the traitor prince and a handful of prisoners escape," Suki spoke up, "That wasn't just some petty crime; it went against the Royal Family and everything the Boiling Rock stood for. The warden probably couldn't have done anything even if he wanted to."
"What are you talking about?" Katara demanded to know.
Aang bit his lower lip in thought. "The Monks used to talk about soulmates and the connections they shared. It was rare, but when soulmates are brought into the world, they have a spiritual bond that ties them together—mentally and physically."
"Physically?" Sokka asked.
"I think Mai was punished for her actions and Zuko shared in that pain," Aang explained.
"But we don't see anything," Katara noted, gesturing at Zuko's back, which to her eyes remained unblemished.
"Same," Toph commented off-handedly.
"Maybe it's cause he's the Avatar," Suki noted wisely.
"So you're saying that every time Mai gets hurt, Zuko also gets hurt and vice versa?" Sokka asked.
"Wow, that's terrible," Toph said at Aang's confirming nod.
Sighing, Katara took out her water pouch and began to administer her healing methods on his back. Her eyebrows scrunched in surprise. "Aang, you're right. I- I can feel something there. It—"
Zuko flinched from her touch, cold sweat running down the sides of his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Aang grabbed at Zuko to hold him in place, so Katara could continue to heal him. "If you get better, she gets better," Aang promised, "Do it for her."
Shivering, Zuko stilled and released a shuddery breath as he fell deeper into unconsciousness.
"He left his girlfriend in the hands of the Fire Nation?" Katara asked, using her healing hands to check for any places of infection.
Sokka grimaced. "He did it for us."
When Mai was punished for her treasonous acts against the Fire Nation, she realized that she would do anything for Zuko.
Her stupid, stupid boy.
She and Ty Lee were sent to the palace immediately following the escape and were then interrogated by low level soldiers on the whereabouts of the Avatar and the banished prince. Mai spoke honestly, admitting to the fact that she had no idea where they were.
Then Azula entered the scene, taking in Mai's situation. Mai was seated in the center of the palace prison cell with her hands tied behind her back with thick, scratchy rope that left tiny, annoying scratches every time she tried to move and adjust herself. Azula pulled out her knife and let it rest daintily on Mai's neck. Not enough pressure to draw blood, but enough pressure to create discomfort.
The princess continued the interrogation, but Mai still had the same answers.
She wasn't afraid. Like she had told her before, Mai didn't fear Azula. At least not more than she loved Zuko. She realized that even if she did know where he was, she would still not give that information up. Because she loved him.
Mai closed her eyes and thought to herself thatit didn't even matter if he didn't love her back the way she loved him. She would bear anything he had to bear. She would take any burden he had regardless.
Not getting the answers she wanted, Azula grabbed Mai by her hair which had fallen out of its usual style and pulled her head back, straining and exposing her neck. Digging the knife in harder, Azula sneered, "If you don't answer these questions the easy way, then we have to do it the hard way."
Mai did not respond to that threat and Azula made a loud groan of frustration before sending a fireball to the corner of the prison cell. "I don't want to do this! Why are you making me do this?"
She sounded so anguished, Mai almost believed her.
But Mai knew Azula better than that.
Sentenced to twenty lashes, Mai was then brought to the center of the arena where a post was set up. Ironically, and maybe even tragically, it was the same place where Zuko had his first Agni Kai.
Her hands were tied to the post and someone had come up behind her grabbing her clothes by the collar and tearing it in two, straight down the middle. With her pale, unblemished back now exposed to the Fire Nation audience, it was then that the reality of the situation had sunk in. Panic did not come close to the emotion she was feeling. Unbridled terror filled her system and Mai squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the one who was to administer the flogging enter the stadium.
Loud cheering overwhelmed the space when Mai heard the punisher administer a few test whips to the ground beside her. Since her back was to the man, she had no idea when the initial strike would hit her. It made waiting all the more terrible and it was almost a relief when the first lash happened. Almost.
The whip immediately left a red mark on her bare skin. The force of the whip and the resulting flinch of her body caused the torn clothes of her back to flutter and slip more off her body leaving a greater expanse of skin for the punisher to target. Mai promised herself that she wouldn't cry out when it happened, but the pain was too much. She choked on a sob, feeling absolutely humiliated and pathetic.
The audience surrounded her on all sides and right in front of her line of vision was her mother watching. Tears blurred her eyes, but Mai could almost picture her disapproving frown and could almost hear her voice her greatest worry, "Who would ever want to marry you now?"
The second lash left another burning red mark and the next ones crisscrossed over her skin. There was buzzing around her ears and her cries grew louder as if to mask the sound. She didn't know if she was screaming words, begging them to stop, or just making unintelligible noises.
The seventh lash felt different, almost as if it hurt less. Maybe she was just losing consciousness, Mai thought drowsily.
Then she felt something wet drip down her back as the whip finally broke through. Ah, she thought, I'm bleeding.
The lacerations continued to get worse and worse leaving torn skin and flying splatters of blood everywhere. The smell of iron was strong and Mai could feel bile rising in the back of her throat.
When the set of lashes were done, Mai did not feel relief. She was still awake, but on the brink of oblivion. She wished she could just fall down into it.
Mai was completely slouched forward, the only thing holding her up being the ropes that tied her wrists to the post.
Her punisher grunted and took a step closer to her so Mai could squint blearily and see his feet. Another smaller pair of footsteps joined the punisher's and Mai could see the two of them pointed her ways, studying and scrutinizing her.
The gruff voice of the punisher addressed the other, "It seems the girl might be telling the truth; she truly does not know where the Avatar is."
"I agree," Princess Azula's voice caused Mai to flinch and another useless tear ran down the side of her face. "She is useless to us."
"Hmm," the punisher said. "You must kill her."
"Of course, father."
The punisher left the stadium and little by little the audience had trickled out as well. Azula remained where she was standing beside Mai's broken form and when there was no one left, she called forward the healer who stood at the ready with a stretcher and soothing medicine.
As she was lifted onto the stretcher, Mai felt Azula haphazardly brush some of the sweat drenched locks of hair away from her face. Mai tried to turn her head and regarded the princess with a drained, yet bewildered look.
At that response, Azula scowled and her long nailed hand travelled to Mai's back where she dug her claws near one of the jagged red stripes. "Where did that love get you, Mai?" she asked tauntingly.
Mai didn't respond, too tired to feel the painful dig at her wounds. She was all out of screams and tears and pain. She wanted sleep to take her away.
"I warned you, Mai. You should have feared me more."
She should have, Mai thought. But she couldn't. After everything, her love for Zuko only grew. His kindness despite his circumstances. His determination and courage. His honor. Everything about him was so precious to her. Her love for him triumphed over her fear and her pain.
There was a moment of silence and Mai's eyes went from its half-shut position to fluttering all the way closed. The pain somehow faded for a moment and she felt a small sense of relief as a cool flood washed over her and sleep finally took her away.
Azula's voice sighed, her hand once again returning to Mai's hair to wipe away the sweat. "I would have protected you."
The next time Mai's eyes opened, news of the Fire Lord and Princess Azula's defeat had reached the hidden corner of the Fire Nation that Azula had taken her to. Zuko was to be crowned the next Fire Lord and the Avatar would serve by his side.
Mai smiled; they had won.
When Zuko and Mai finally reunited, they realized that they would do anything to never be separated from each other again.
He found her waiting for him in his room and she was quick to capture all his attention.
My beautiful, beautiful girl, Zuko thought fondly as she helped him put on his robe, being careful of the bandages and the wound from Azula's lightning (yet another thing that had kept her in bed). She had then given him a welcome back kiss, pouring her forgiveness and devotion into the action.
Zuko hugged her, never wanting to let go.
That night, they sat in bed together with their backs resting on a pillow that laid vertically against the headboard and indulged themselves in platters of fruit tarts that were spread all around the bedsheet. Once they finished eating and the silver platters were put away, Mai curled into Zuko, her head resting on his chest and hands hugging his torso. Zuko's arms wrapped around her, absentmindedly rubbing soothing lines up and down her body wherever he could reach, and their legs entangled together under the covers.
They talked and talked deep into the night with Zuko explaining his adventures with the Avatar and his gaang. He sang praises of Sokka and his battle expertise, he spoke fondly of Toph and her wild attitude, he chuckled at Aang's loveable personality, and he admired Katara's motherly persona.
"She was the one who healed me after the lightning bolt," Zuko recalled Katara's healing ability. "It helped a lot." She was also the one to heal him after Mai's public flagellation. Mai remembered the cooling sensation after she had been whipped and after she felt that lightning strike.
"Hmm," Mai rumbled into his chest, placing a soft kiss near the spot where the bolt had entered. She felt his heart skip a beat under her ministration and she smirked knowingly.
"Did it… did it help you too?" Zuko asked.
Mai nodded. "Yeah, I can't even feel it anymore. Lucky me," she joked in her usual deadpan voice.
Zuko frowned and stilled his hand on her waist. "I've hurt you so many times. I- I don't deserve you."
"Yeah, probably," Mai agreed jokingly. She lifted her head up from his chest and tried to look him in the eye, but Zuko avoided her gaze, looking away in shame. Refusing to lose his gaze, she used two fingers under his chin to push him towards her. Her knuckles rubbed gently on the underside of his jaw. "But I understand why you did what you did and why you had to. Sure, it took me a little while to get there…" Zuko nodded understandingly, his hands coming together to absentmindedly stroke at the scar on his right hand where the broken mirror had cut him. "But I understand now and I am so proud of you and all you've done."
The new Fire Lord shifted to hold her closer. "Yeah?" he asked as his chin rested on the top of her head.
"Everything you and I have been through… I hope we never have to experience it again, but it's something that is ours. Maybe it's a curse, maybe it's a blessing. But it's ours to bear."
Tilting his head down, he placed a tender kiss to the top of her head and moved the two of them to lie down on the bed. Mai fisted his robe in her hand and reveled in his natural warmth. Zuko's hand went to her back where he traced the memorized path of crisscrossed scars on her back through the fabric of her clothes.
They settled into the blankets nicely and just as they were both about to drift into a peaceful sleep, Zuko's voice muttered softly, "Your pain is my pain."
"And yours is mine," she echoed gently in return. "You and I will never be alone."
When Mai and Zuko brought a child into the world, it was as if the beauty in the universe had multiplied in the blink of an eye.
Everything Izumi did was perfect. She was perfect.
As the living embodiment of perfection, her father made sure that nothing in the world could ever hurt his precious girl.
The first few years of her childhood, everything was draped in soft feathers and padded pillows so the young princess could never suffer the tragedy of a scraped knee. She would never suffer from a hangnail or a papercut or anything that would bring tears in her eyes.
Then Izumi had started walking, which immediately led to sprinting down the palace halls getting into whatever mischief she could find. Zuko found her climbing a tree in the palace garden and had raced towards her before anything could happen.
The branch she was on snapped and Izumi screamed as she hurtled to the grass landing with a resounding "oof!"
Zuko picked her up, plopping her up on his hip and frantically looked her over to make sure that everything was in place. Izumi wriggled aggressively in his grip, demanding to be set down and brushed herself off.
"I'm fine, daddy! I wanna get the apple at the top!" She pointed to the tree she had just fallen from and the bright red apple that sat at the tallest branch.
The Fire Lord bent down and allowed Izumi to climb up to sit on his shoulder and when he stood, she was just tall enough to reach out and pluck the juicy fruit from its home. After he set her down, she ran to the fountain to wash it off.
He watched her adoringly and realized how grown she was now. At almost five years old, Izumi was strong like her mother and ready for whatever the world had in store for her. Zuko spent so many years trying to protect her from the world, when really, it was the world that needed to protect itself from the ball of fire that was his daughter.
Laughing, Izumi fell headfirst into the fountain and floated to the top. A few of the baby turtleducks waded up to her and Izumi immediately began to play with them, making loud quacking noises and flapping her arms like a bird. "Daddy, come play with me!"
He had a couple of hours in between meetings and he would be damned if he didn't spend that time with his most precious treasure. He jumped into the fountain with her and whipped his head back and forth sending water droplets flying everywhere. Giggling, Izumi scooped as much water as she could in her small hands and flung it at her father, which then resulted in a water fight.
After a few minutes, the servants caught sight of the Fire Lord and royal princess playing fully clothed in the fountain and ran outside appalled. "Sir!" they protested. "You're going to catch a cold!"
Izumi cackled and ran out of the fountain causing the three servants to chase her with a fluffy towel.
Watching amusedly, Zuko rested in the fountain with his hands on either side of him and knees facing up.
"We should really take her to the beach soon," a voice noted from beside him.
Zuko turned to find his wife sitting by the edge of the fountain, a small smile on her face. She caught his gaze and offered him a towel to dry himself off with. He stood and removed his shirt, letting it splat on the rocks nearby, then took the towel and began to wipe himself down. Climbing out of the fountain, the towel went into his hair and he rubbed quickly to remove the moisture.
He didn't expect to find delicate hands on his bare back and jumped at her sudden touch, but after a moment, he relaxed and leaned into the contact.
Her fingers began to trace the crisscross patterns of the scar on his back. The scar that no one else could see but them. "Sometimes I forget it's there," she muttered absentmindedly to his back. She took a step closer and hugged him from behind, the side of her face resting against the callous, scarred-over lacerations. "That you have it too."
He turned his body and embraced her once again. He leaned down so his forehead rested on hers. "Yours is mine." They gazed at the mirrored scar covering each other's face. Their burden. Their nightmares. Their pain.
The sound of their daughter laughing filled the palace atmosphere, bringing a light that was brighter than the sun. She was perfect. Their joy. Their blessing. Their happiness.
Mai smiled, standing on the tip of her toes to give her husband a small kiss. "And yours is mine."
Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed this Soulmate AU! Please leave a review if you did cause it feeds my amateur writer soul!
-Basil