The Order of the White Dragon

Chapter V

Mai was fuming.

Throughout lunch, this Jin girl managed to ask out Zuko to see some fountain lanterns a couple of blocks from the restaurant. She was nothing but persistent. Zuko, of course, didn't think anything of it. He was shy and rambling. It was probably one of the first times he has spoken to a girl, not as Prince Zuko but as 'just a normal teenager' Zuko. 

Mai felt sick. The food from the restaurant was nothing short of delicious and mouth-watering. She could easily throw up all that food to waste. 

It was sunset, the orange glow of the dying daylight seeped into the infrastructures. They have been walking for a while now. Jin walked in front with Zuko, leaving a smirking Suki with a grumpy Mai.

"Look, we really need to head back." Mai grumbled to the pair in front of her. "It's sundown, we still have to catch the train."

"Oh, but we're so close! Please, a couple more blocks. I really want to show Lee the lanterns by the fountain!" Jin reasoned as she barely looked back at Mai. Mai thought the girl was despicable, her undivided attention was all on 'Lee'. She barely acknowledged the two girls with him. Disgusting. How obvious can she get?

Mai shot Suki a murderous look, begging her to back her up. However, Suki just smiled weakly and shrugged.

"It's ok, Mai. We'll head for the train station right after we see the fountain." Zuko reassured her with a smile. Mai's features softened with a look from Zuko.

"So, Lee." Jin tucked a hair behind her ear. Mai's features immediately soured once again. "If you need to catch the train to go home, would that mean you live in the Middle Ring or Upper Ring?"

"Uh, yes." Zuko cleared his throat, "We do."

"Aw, that's amazing! I heard the houses and land are much bigger, and it's not as crowded." Jin sighed. "I've never been anywhere but here." She said softly.

"Well, maybe you can go with us! You showed us around, maybe we can show you around in return!"

Mai sent Suki a panicked look, which the Kyoshi Warrior shared.

"You mean it?" Jin expressed happily, grabbing on to Lee's sleeve.

Reflexively, Mai grabbed Jin's wrist and parted the duo. "No." She said firmly. Mai faced Zuko, "We can't bring her with us! It's nearly night time. We have to go home, and she does too."

Jin pulled her wrist from the girl, "Well, I'm actually living alone right now! My family was visiting our hometown when the Fire Nation overtook the city. They haven't returned yet." The shine on the girl's eyes dimmed for a second. Jin shook her head and her eyes found Zuko's. "Also, maybe I can just share a room with your sisters!"

There was a pregnant pause. Mai's eyes twitched. "Are you that dim? Do we look alike at all?" Mai's voice pierced through the night, oozing with annoyance.

"They're not my sisters." Zuko quickly defended.

"Yeah, and I work for them." Suki's head nodded causing her short strands of hair to bounce.

Jin scratched her head, "So if you have servants, you must be pretty well off, huh?"

"I guess?"

"Then who's she?" Jin pointed to Mai.

"She's my... uh..."

Mai blushed furiously, slightly embarrassed. Zuko certainly knows how to make a girl feel special. "Where is this fountain you're talking about anyways? We're wasting time." Mai quickly averted the subject.

"We're here."

Crickets. In front of them was a dark square, on the equator was a fountain. The sun was already resting, and so were the occupants of this town. The square was empty and was nothing like what Jin described.