31_days | [February 15] [Avatar: TLA] Reunion

Title: Reunion
Day/Theme: February 15; The denotation of your words, the connotation of your affection.
Series: Avatar: TLA
Character/Pairing: Zuko, Toph, Mai, Ty Lee hint of Zuko/Mai
Rating: G
Notes: slightly AU, Toph got her field trip, Mai and Ty Lee escaped from prison

AN: I wrote this, then watched Boiling Rock Pt2 realized I got half the details wrong and tried to revise it appropriately. I don't like this very much but I'm sick of messing with it. Someday I will attempt a better try at a decent Mai Zuko reunion.

Toph paused suddenly, grabbing Zuko's arm to halt him as well. "Someone's coming," she announced digging her feet into the dirt. Zuko fell into stance and waited."I know who it is," Toph announced, "It's them!"

"Who?" Zuko asked but before Toph could reply two familiar figures walked into view. Toph shifted and instantly the earth rose up to enclose them. Mai allowed herself to caught, not even attempting to doge. Ty Lee performed a graceful flip landing unscathed a few paces away. "Look Mai, it's Zuko!" she called out happily, giving him a wave.

"I can see that." Mai's replied in her usual monotone. Despite the fact she was completely helpless at the moment, Mai looked like her normal self, bored by everything.

There was a tense moment while everyone waited to see who would make the next move. Zuko knew that Mai had saved him back at Boiling Rock, but he didn't know where her current loyalties lay or what Ty Lee's were. It was Ty Lee who broke the silence by announcing, "We aren't here to fight."

"We attacked Azula at boiling rock. We're traitors now too," Mai added. Zuko processed this information. Mai had fought Azula and survived? And Mai had said "we." What was Ty Lee up to? Why did she switched sides?

"They're telling the truth." Toph informed Zuko unaware that he could see it with his eyes. Both girls looked as if they'd recently been in prison. They wore simple prisoner's garb and their hair hung limp, greasy and in need of a decent shampoo. Toph moved her arms and the earth that surrounded Mai receded.

Mai glared at Zuko. He searched for the worlds to apologize, "Mai, I never mean for-"

"I didn't do it for you," Mai snapped cutting him off. Zuko knew Mai was lying. Why else would she have stopped the guards from cutting the lines, if not to save him?

"You're lying!" the Toph accused.

Mai glared at earthbender for a moment (not that Toph could see it) before turning her glare back to her ex. "Fine, I didn't want you to die," she admitted. "It doesn't mean I've forgiven you." Zuko tried to meet Mai's eyes but she stubbornly averted her gaze. "Come on Ty Lee, we have a lot of ground to cover."

"Bye Zuko! Bye earthbender girl!" Ty Lee gave another friendly wave and rejoined Mai. They stared moving away toward the forest Toph and Zuko had just come out of.

"Wait-" Zuko called, but the two girls ignored him, disappearing into the trees

"Sorry Sparky," Toph gave him a punch on the shoulder, "she wasn't lying that time."