The following story is what I imagine happening after the short cliffhanger comic Rebound and the 3 trilogies. My facts for the story are:

1. All the characters will be the same age as they were at the end of the last official trilogy, The Rift: Zuko is 19; Mai, Suki, and Sokka are 18; Azula, Ty Lee, and Katara are 17; Aang and Toph are 15; and Tom-Tom is 5.

2. Aunt Mura will be Mai's maternal aunt, the older sister of both the warden at the Boiling Rock and her mother, Michi.

3. In the United Republic of Nations, besides the capital Republic City, all of the states, cities, and towns are still called by their original colony names, such as Yu Dao.

4. There won't be any spirits involved, whether in the human world, like the koi fish, or in the Spirit World that Aang, as the Avatar, can go to.

5. There are 5 Imperial Firebenders of the Royal Procession guarding the palace wall, while the rest of them work in the palace.

6. The prologue starts the first evening after Mai escapes with Tom-Tom and takes him to her Aunt Mura at the flower shop, who is his temporary guardian.

Feel free to give me a review of what you think of my story.

Prologue

Mai knocked on the door, awaiting entry. It had taken all day to come to this decision, but after taking one last look at her baby brother before her aunt had closed her flower shop and had taken him upstairs to bed, she had made up her mind. She stood silently, listening for anyone inside the house. Mai finally heard soft footsteps coming closer, and she braced herself.

The front door creaked open, and her mother appeared. "Mai! It's so good to see you again. I've been worried sick about you and your brother Tom-Tom and how you've been getting by."

"It's good to see you, too."

Without giving her daughter time to say more, Michi continued, "Your father said that after Fire Lord Zuko broke up with you, you've been babysitting your little brother and other children to earn some pocket change. You know, you're always welcome to come back and live with us." Mai's mom looked around. "Where is Tom-Tom?"

"Why don't you ask Dad?"

"Mai, what's going on?" her mother asked, concerned.

"Is Dad home? We need to have a chat."

Mai's mom stepped aside and let her daughter enter, her anxiety growing as she glanced once more at the doorway for her son before closing it.

The two women walked through the house to the master bedroom, where Mai's father was reclining against his headboard, reading a book.

"Hello, Father," Mai stated in a menacing tone.

"Mai!" the man exclaimed in surprise, dropping the novel in shock. "H-how nice to see you! How have you and Tom-Tom been doing?"

"Don't play dumb, Dad. I think it's time you told Mom the truth about last night. The truth about everything."

"What are you talking about, Mai?" her mother asked. She turned to her husband for clarity. "Honey, what's going on?"

Mai's father refused to answer, unwilling to give up the secrets of the New Ozai Society. Although she kept her anger hidden with a perfect poker face, just like her parents had taught her to, it was burning a hole inside her. Staring at her dad, she remembered Zuko keeping his secret of meeting with his own father. I guess all men have secrets that can break your heart, Mai thought.

"Why don't you tell Mom where Tom-Tom is?" She waited a few minutes, but her father remained silent, so Mai continued, "I suppose I'll have to." She turned to face her mother. "Dad created an organization called the New Ozai Society. Its main objective is to overthrow Fire Lord Zuko and put Ozai back in power. He might even be plotting to have these Ozai loyalists kill him so Zuko can never reclaim the throne. He had one of his young, male loyalists take me out on a 'date' as a ploy to show me their underground base and encourage me to join, but I refused."

Mai paused, letting her mom process all of this knowledge. "And he's been lying to you on two other crucial issues. Zuko didn't break up with me—I broke up with him. He was merely attempting to get you to dislike the Fire Lord enough to agree with his plan if you ever found out about this society.

"And you want to know where Tom-Tom is? When I wandered into their headquarters, I found my little brother there. I couldn't believe Dad had done that, placing a child in the midst of people who would eventually brainwash him into hating Zuko. Tom-Tom was surrounded by traitors who were armed and ready to fight to the death. I managed to safely rescue him. Now he lives with Aunt Mura and me, and I have a job at her flower shop."

Mai's mother looked horrified as she learned this. She stood petrified for a few minutes. "Ukano, is this true?"

He didn't bother responding and simply glared at his daughter.

"Why, Ukano? Why did you do this? And how in the world could you keep Tom-Tom from me? I am his mother. I can't trust you... And you're going to try to kill the Fire Lord? Why...?"

"Because, Michi, Zuko is the true traitor. He helped our nation lose the war. We need to replace him with Ozai as the real Fire Lord—Ozai would never have let that happen."

"I cannot believe you would do something like this...," Mai's mom said. "Even though we lost the war, he is still the Fire Lord, and this is not what I would expect from you." Her eyes began to water. "And you took Tom-Tom—our son—to this dangerous underground base where there are many other traitors...? I can't trust my own husband... That's it—I'm leaving you and going to live with my sister and children."

"No, Michi—don't go!" Mai's father shouted.

Mai's mother quickly grabbed a few robes in her closet and began walking away from him. He did not try and stop her. Mai followed her, and both turned to look one more time at her dad. "Good-bye," her mother said. The two women then turned sharply and began their walk to the flower shop.

© 2015 imaginator1