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a twelve year old kicks our asses. ━CHAPTER TWO, mari.
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"SO, AANG, WAS IT?" Mari winced. Why am I so awkward? Is it because I've spent the past eight years of my life around Zuko? Is that it?
The Avatar looks at Mari. "Yeah, what's your name?"
Mari smiles at him from where she stands to the right of Zuko. "I'm Mari, this is Zuko."
The Prince turns towards Mari and he's positively fuming. "Why did you tell him who we are?" She rolls her eyes.
"Calm it, Koko, I was just being polite."
Zuko growls and snatches Aang's staff from one of the guards. "This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." Mari rolls her eyes. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks. Take the Avatar to the prison hold. And," Zuko shoves the staff in Iroh's direction, "take this to my quarters."
Zuko walks towards the railing and Mari pauses before walking towards him. She reaches his side and keeps some distance between them. She did this—does this—because Mari knows Zuko doesn't like to be touched. She sees it in the way he held himself, back as stiff as a board, hands held tightly behind his back, whole body tense. Mari knows Zuko, which is why she always came up to him on his right, where he could see her.
Mari knows Zuko, which is why she always spoke his name whenever entering a room, and if he didn't pay any notice to her, she stood on his right, back as stiff as a board, hands held tightly behind her back, whole body relaxed.
Mari remembers how Iroh picked up on her behavior a week after the banishment. Of course, Mari had always been like this (well, not always, but ever since she had to work closely with Zuko when they were younger—because now they were forced to grow up) because she understood his pain. And Iroh—call me Uncle, he had smiled—would smile gratefully at her, happy that someone else understood.
Zuko confronted Mari about it one day, when the crew and Uncle were having music night. Zuko knew Mari would be in her room—the room conveniently placed right next to his. Mari remembers how Zuko never knocked, he never does, but Mari always knows it's him. She had looked up from her book (The History Behind the Great Firelords of Our Nation—yes, I know, terrible title and terrible book, and you're right; I was reading it because maybe I'd be able to find something to use against Ozai when I kick his ass) and had smiled softly at him. Mari remembers Zuko telling her he never understood why she did that. Why she did any of this. Why she left her home (the Fire Nation is not my home) to follow him in his search for the Avatar and his honor. Why she was so kind to him, even after all was said and done.
