The scene cuts to Zuko in his office, the night before Katara's birthday. He hasn't heard from her since they parted ways, unlike with Aang and Toph (I'm curious about Sokka and Suki, though). He's quite upset that Katara hasn't responded, and wonders if she even tried to send him letters, as well as if it's a sin to love her. On the other hand, he understands if she hates him for leaving, because he hates himself.
Zuko points out that he was married off to Mai to preserve the Fire Nation's safety, since hers is the most powerful family in the Fire Nation apart from the royal family (it's a bit odd that apart from the Bei Fongs and the Satos, none of the powerful families in the series have names). Mai's family, while wealthy, didn't seem all that powerful as far as Fire Nation nobility went; one would think Mai's father would have a more prestigious job than governor of the captured city of Omashu. Of course, all this is to give an excuse for why Mai has Zuko's hand in marriage, while Katara has his heart.
As Zuko thinks of how Iroh knows how he feels, Iroh comes in with an important matter to discuss. Zuko complains about Iroh calling him "my lord," forgetting that in canon, Iroh called him the relatively formal "Prince Zuko" most of the time.
Iroh brings in a dead ringer for Suki, whose expression looks almost exactly like Suki did when Sokka first laid eyes on her during his infiltration of The Boiling Rock, but she's traced as though she's kneeling. But she turns out to be Lin, one of Mai's maids, and has disturbing news for Zuko about "our Fire Lady" (I don't think it's ever canonically stated what the title for the wife of a reigning Fire Lord- a gender neutral title- is). It's mentioned in passing that Mai wanted to talk to Zuko personally about something (although I could be wrong), but Zuko needs to hear Lin out.
Lin says that while cleaning Mai's apartment, she found some things that belong to Zuko. Iroh, forgetting Zuko's request to not call him "My Lord," then says that this discovery essentially shatters Mai's credibility. Zuko, possibly impatient and wanting Iroh to get to the point, asks why Iroh is saying ths . Iroh then says that Mai had tried "to keep the last three years of (Zuko's) history a secret" by hiding letters from Katara to him.
Lin insists she didn't read the letters, but she knew, from the seal, that they weren't for Mai. Knowing that all letters go directly to him, Lin went to Iroh, then apologizes again- I have to wonder whether it's compulsive for servants to constantly apologize to their masters when they do anything more audacious than saying "Yes, master/mistress".
To Zuko's credit, for all of his unhappiness with his marriage to Mai, and how poorly he takes the news, he doesn't take it at face value, and asks why Mai would betray him, as well as to see the letters. Iroh tells Zuko that he has the letters, and that the news is worse than he thought. One letter, sent three years ago, is more important than the rest, and will force Zuko to make an important decision that will change his life and the future of the Fire Nation.
Iroh says that Katara stopped sending Zuko letters because Zuko never sent her any, and Zuko was unable to hear from her because Mai has been intercepting Zuko's mail. After a fair amount of buildup, Iroh delivers the most devastating news- "Lady Katara was pregnant with child... your child..."
The scene cuts back to Katara and Toph. Since the sun was setting and Katara visited Kuzon's grave the day before her birthday, I have to wonder when this is. Katara is lost in thought about what she will do if Zuko shows up for her birthday, as Toph is talking about having her dress made (one would think that it would take longer than a day to make a dress, or that they'd get it made longer in advance). Toph gets Katara's attention and then recommends a blue dress, the Water Tribe colors.
Katara then asks Toph if she got in touch with the rest of the guests, which includes the rest of Katara's family. Apparently, this birthday is more significant than most, as Katara is becoming Crown Princess of the Water Tribes. It means a great deal of responsibility, but most of all, that Katara is parting ways with Toph. Katara says she'll miss the calmness of the estate and regrets not being able to help Zuko, but offers to visit when she can. Toph jokes about how she won't have anyone to help her.
The conversation turns back to Zuko, with Toph asking Katara what she'll say to him (almost as though she can read her mind), but Katara is unsure. Katara then asks Toph what she'll say to Aang if he comes to visit (apparently, Aang had to be paired with someone other than Katara, although he's better off than Mai).
Toph apologizes for not talking about Aang, but wants to keep the memories of him alive in her head. She says that Katara's the only person she can confide in, and that she loves Aang, but doesn't think there's any future for him in the Earth Kingdom. He's too busy watching the world and regrouping the Air Nomads (what part of "The Last Airbender" doesn't the author understand?), and she believes he no longer cares for her the same way she did for him.
Toph reminisces about her time with Aang, and how she was "completely vulnerable" and unlike herself, and waxes in Purple Prose about how he took her up to the sky without her leaving the ground, and how she could "see" him with her heart. This is one of the difficulties in realistically portraying a tough Badass like Toph. There are times when she she's less confident than usual, and she does have more affectionate moments, like her crush on Sokka, but it doesn't go this far.
Toph's reminiscence ends, and she says resignedly that it was a long time ago, and people change, but she does still miss Aang. Katara expresses sympathy, and Toph says that Katara's story is sadder, though. They thank each other for being good friends, and hope the party will be a good time.
The scene returns to the Fire Nation, when Zuko walks in on Mai having her hair done, not unlike how Azula was when Zuko confronted her about why she let him take credit for "killing" the Avatar. Of course, Mai is far more worried about how things will go, and her maids cleary take note of the mood, freezing in terror and running out as Zuko orders them out.
On a side note, take a look at Mai in this scene
. Her skin has a greenish gray tint to it. Compare this image
◊, in which she has a more healthy skin tone, and it becomes clear that the author is trying to make her ugly.
Zuko then asks if what he heard is true, threatening to behead Mai if she lies, but Mai pleads ignorance. Zuko then angrily accuses Mai of lying, demands that she call him by his title and throws her to the ground, insisting that he saw the letters. From what I heard, this sort of beahvior would make him the villain in the Lifetime Movies of the Week that this comic emulates. On a more minor note, I have to wonder how Mai was supposed to know what he was accusing her of, since it would be more suspicious if she reflexively responded to it by saying, "What letters?" or worse, "I thought I ripped up that note about Katara being pregnant!" But in any case, Zuko rectifies his mistake by saying, "I SAW THE LETTERS!"
Zuko accuses Mai of nearly causing a war between the Water Tribe and Fire Nation. Mai responds to his argument, saying that she did all this to protect Zuko and his country. She's fairly up front with her jealousy over Katara taking Zuko's place at her side, but also gives a fairly compelling reason not to let this happen; that the Fire Nation Senate will not allow a child of a Water Tribe member to sit on the throne, and that he should be making an heir with her instead.
Canonically, it's never established how taboo the idea of a child of a Fire Nation-Water Tribe marriage taking the throne of the Fire Nation would be. But in this fic,the idea has been proposed before by the relatively credible Sokka and Toph (and it's implied that this is also influencing Katara's actions), making it clear that perhaps it would be a good point if someone other than Mai (who casually throws out a number of insults regarding Katara to make herself seem worse) said it. Since it's later revealed that Zuko established the heretofore-unknown Fire Nation Senate, he has only himself to blame for any possible blowback that comes from his relationship with Katara, and the author has only herself to blame for setting up this situation.
Of course, Zuko won't hear any of it, yelling "ENOUGH WITH YOUR LIES!!! I NEVER LOVED YOU!!! !!!" He claims that he always knew Mai would do this, making one wonder why he was originally skeptical about Iroh's claims. He accuses Mai of doing this out of pure selfishness, and of hating Katara since she first saw her (canonically, Mai never saw Katara as more than an adversary to defeat, and never took things personally), and says she's a traitor, making a few Rouge Anglesof Satin mistakes in the process.
Mai then says that Zuko is the selfish, lying traitor, who's had eyes for Katara since they parted ways, and, in one of the most infamous quotes of the comic, calls him a "chard monster". In spite of it being mis-spelled and Zuko's scar not being as much of a sore spot, he finds it a grave insult, which make the entire thing a hilarious piece of Narm. Zuko gets the final word, saying that he wasn't with Mai at the time (although he was dating her while in the Fire Nation), and that she's a far worse person than he could ever be, despite the fact that he doesn't show some of the self-loathing tendencies that he did at times in canon, and that he can no longer love her. He then tells her that she's being stripped of her title and made to leave the palace, and that she can no longer talk to him as though he knows her. The chapter then ends.
What I liked
- "CHARD MONSTER!"
- Touching friendship moment between Toph and Katara.
What I didn't like
- A lot of Wangst
- The Rouge Angles of Satin mistakes are getting more frequent.
- Various plot holes, from not ordering Katara's dress earlier to Zuko expecting Mai to automatically know what he's accusing her of.
- Mai has more of a point than she's supposed to, but too much petty jealousy to be intentionally sympathetic.
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