Avatar: Mai & Cub

Credit goes to: Mai-fags of /co/



>>>>INTRODUCTION<<<<

>Male Narrator: (voice over) Air... Water... Earth... Fire.

>Male Narrator: (voice over) When I was a child, our world was at war. The Fire Nation, my homeland, consumed by its own greed and pride, sought to make the world bend its knee to our leader, the Fire Lord. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, managed to stop us.

>Male Narrator: (voice over) The Avatar and his friend, Fire Prince Zuko, sought to transform our shattered world into a place where all Four Nations could live and thrive together in peace and harmony.

>Male Narrator: (voice over) But peace, like steel, can only be forged in fire.

>>Male Narrator: (voice over) My sister Mai taught me that...




>>>>> Mai & Cub/Legend of Mai SEASON 1 GUIDE <<<<<<


>Episode 1

--New Beginnings--

After helping the son of a blacksmith against a group of thugs at a restaurant, the transient Mai and her little brother, Tom-Tom, are given a place to stay at his family's house and shop. While there Mai is given a tour of the father's sword collection and learns much about the philosophy behind the forging of weapons. But Mai's comfortable stay is soon interrupted when the punks she trashed come back for revenge.

>Episode 2

--Fresh Scent--

Mai's father hires June to track Mai and her brother down and bring them home. Can Mai keep the mercenary's pet shirshu off her trail or is her journey already over before it's even begun?

>Episode 3

--Fatal Attraction--

While traveling the open road in the Fire Nation, Mai catches the eye of a young nobleman as he passes her by in his carriage. Inviting the two to his country home for a lavish dinner, he soon reveals his plan to make Mai the new member of his harem, with or without her consent.

>Episode 4

--The Flood of Memories--

On an unusually cloudy day, Mai and Tom-Tom stop to find food near the edge of a river. As Mai tries to catch supper, Tom-Tom's playful behavior stirs up old memories of her own childhood.

>Episode 5

--A Whiff of Defeat--

Mai's running short on money. Desperate to make her ends meet, she tries her hand at bounty hunting, but finds it hard to do with Tom-Tom strapped to her back all the time. To make matters more difficult, June is in town and just happens to have Mai and her bounty on her own hit list as well.

>Episode 6

--Pitfall--

Mai takes a short cut through the Fire Nation wilderness, but the stress of trying to overcome dangerous plants, animals and terrain causes her to lose patience with the impetuous Tom-Tom.

>Episode 7

--The Fire Sage--

While on her way to the coast, our heroine meets a Fire Sage who says he's been waiting a long time for Mai to accompany him on his pilgrimage to a mountain shrine. Intrigued by the old Sage's statement and since visiting the shrine is close enough to her destination, Mai decides to be his companion, for a small fee. Along the way, the Fire Sage probes Mai with questions that cause her to reveal more of her own spiritual beliefs. Adding to his own unusual character, the Sage starts to prove quite adept at reading Mai's thoughts.

>Episode 8

--Lost Treasure--

Mai and Tom-Tom find a baby abandoned in the woods. Mai reluctantly decides to take care of the child until she can reach the nearest town. But if she's been having trouble taking care of one child, taking care of two at the same time will not be any easier and it's not helping that the child's presence is making Tom-Tom jealous or that since finding it Mai and her brother have been followed by someone

>Episode 9

--The Smell of Fear--

After narrowly escaping capture by June once again, a very exhausted Mai and Tom-Tom receive help from the sole resident of an old mansion. But something feels very off about the quiet, black haired woman who has taken them in. Mai will have to learn the hard way that appearances can be very deceiving.

>Episode 10

--Tempering Flames--

When Mai's knives and katana sword begin to dull, she asks some local villagers where she might find someone to sharpen them. They point her out to Master Piandao, but the old sword-maker refuses his services to her. Normally, Mai might not care, but she finds herself oddly dead set on proving her blades really are "worth repair."

>Episode 11

--The Dragonfly--

Mai loses Tom-Tom in the big city after he is distracted by a dragonfly. Now she must use every ounce of her adrenaline in scaling the rooftops, avoiding town guards and dodging moving carriages as she tries to catch her danger prone and incredibly absent minded sibling.

>Episode 12

--The Cook--

Mai finally reaches the coast, but is short on money for her boat trip. Luckily, it so happens the eccentric owner (and only cook left) of a local seafood restaurant is looking to hire someone to help his failing business win the city's annual cook-off and Mai and her exceptional skills with a knife are just what he needs to win his restaurant back the medal. But although Mai can dice fish and veggies with the best of them, she still has a lot to learn about the "mystical secrets" of flavor.

>Episode 13

--Hook, Line and Sinker

Mai's boat ride was going well until it caught the eyes of a ship full of pirates*. Now, unless Mai wants to remain a hostage or end up dead, she must save herself and the other passengers before its too late. Good thing their captors aren't the brightest bunch sailing the high seas.

*same group of pirates from ATLA

>Episode 14

--Cold Hearts and Hot Springs--

After Mai's boat makes a brief stop at Ember Island, Mai and Tom-Tom use the opportunity to take a well deserved rest, but Mai can't help but feel restless as she loses herself in her memories of Zuko and her family. And June spending her own vacation time on the island pestering her isn't helping.

>Episode 15

--Sore Losers--

After arriving in the Fire Nation colony of Yu Dao, Mai takes Tom-Tom to see the sights the city has to offer. Quickly finding herself bored, Mai participates in a local knife throwing contest. But when one of the contestants, a certain Freedom Fighter known as "Smellerbee," has trouble accepting defeat, Mai ends up locked in an almost never ending game of challenges with she and her companions, Longshot and Sneers.

>Episode 16

--The Path That Lies Ahead--

Just when Mai was beginning to feel comfortable in the city, a Yu Dao branch of her father's New Ozai Society nabs Tom-Tom, forcing Mai to rescue her brother and flee the city. However, Mai finds herself at a crossroads as she considers a choice between seeking help from Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko, who have just arrived in the city, or continuing out on her own.

>Episode 17

--The Samurai--

Stopping to spend a couple nights in one of the other Fire Nation colonies, Mai meets a wandering samurai who takes it upon himself to be her sparring partner. Mai finds herself attracted to the very calm and stoic traveler, but their friendship is short lived when the youth later reveals he's been hired by a certain spoiled nobleman with a grudge and a scarred face to take Mai's life.

>Episode 18

--The Circus of Dreams--

Mai saves Tom-Tom from falling off a cliff, but knocks herself unconscious in the process. Now, her mind has become stuck in a web of dream worlds, all tied together as attractions in an imaginary circus whose ringmaster is none other than Mai's old friend, Ty Lee. As Mai keeps finding it more difficult to know where the dreams end and reality begins, she starts to lose hope she'll ever wake up, or to know when she's really awake.


>Episode 19

--Brothers--

Mai hitches a ride with a merchant caravan through the colonial territories. Among the other travelers in the caravan are an older boy and his baby brother who, like Mai and her own sibling, also seem to be running from something, or someone.

>Episode 20

--The Convict--

Mai and Tom-Tom stumble upon the camp of an Earthbending hermit who, while friendly enough at first, doesn't seem all that right in the head.

>Episode 21

--A Sweet Aroma--

Mai & June find themselves on the bad side of the now discharged Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos

>Episode 22

--The Toll--

Former Fire Nation soldiers have taken control of a mountain pass, exacting heavy tolls from weary travelers with the threat of death. When Mai refuses to pay, she ends up having to run through the mountains for her life!

>Episode 23

--The Songstress--

Mai meets a singer who is being held against her will to perform and earn money for the owner of a theater. When Mai decides to help her escape to a women's shelter, the girl's owner hires members of an infamous ninja clan to retrieve her.

>Episode 24

--The Feast--

In a rare act of charity on her part, June invites the hungry Mai and her little brother to join her for dinner at a reunion with some of her mercenary friends.

>Episode 25

--Shadow War: Part 1--

After Mai defeated the ninja of the dreaded Ravenhawk Clan when rescuing her songstress friend, the clan's leader decided to make our heroine the new personal target of the organization. However, Mai has not been made a target for assassination. Instead, the clan hopes to recruit her into Ravenhawk Ninja. Kidnapping Tom-Tom and threatening to kill him if she doesn't comply, the grand master forces Mai to become his new apprentice and assist him in his diabolical plot to take advantage of the disarray and confusion caused by Fire Lord Zuko's acquisition of the Fire Nation throne to create his own "new world order."

>Episode 26

--Shadow War: Part 2--

Mai endures the brutal training of the Ravenhawk Clan so that she might be able to see and perhaps escape with Tom-Tom, but with her body and spirit becoming weakened by strenuous and bone crushing training exercise and the denial of food, her will also begins to fade, her mind slowly succumbing to the twisted philosophy and iron will of the deranged grandmaster. But fate smiles on Mai once again when there appears to be growing dissension in the ranks of the Ravenhawk clan and Mai soon finds that the Ravenhawks' history of kidnapping and extortion to recruit new members is nothing new, with more than one member of the clan having suffered as Mai has been. Can Mai find a way to use the frustration in the clan her favor?

>Episode 27

--Shadow War: Part 3*--

Assisting a coup against his authority, Mai, with help from her new allies and the unexpected but welcomed arrival of June & Nyla, finally confronts the Ravenhawk Clan's grandmaster for a showdown to win back she and her brother's freedom. But the ninja master has not earned his title by mere chance and has a few more tricks up his sleeve for when the rebels arrive. Mai's skill, conscience and willpower are about to be tested more than they've ever been!

*season finale



>>>> DIALOGUES <<<<

--From Episode 1:New Beginnings--

>Mai: Here.
>Blacksmith: Keep it. I got plenty more.
>Mai: I'm no good with swords...
>Blacksmith: Ha! Tell that to the guys you sent to the town hospital. Besides, a toy like that's hardly a sword at all. I'd probably have thrown it out sooner or later anyway since only an idiot would buy THAT generic piece of junk, much less try to use it in a fight like you did.
>Mai: Gee, thanks.
>Blacksmith: But, hey, when those kitchen knives of yours weren't cuttin' it, out of all the weapons in my shop, you chose that one and still showed those punks who's boss! That says somethin' to me.
>Mai: That they weren't as tough as they thought and this was the only thing I could reach at the time?
>Blacksmith: No! That it was meant for you! That the reason I've been keeping it this whole time instead of melting it down into something more useful was so YOU could use it as you found it
>Blacksmith's Son: Dad always says each sword has its own character, its own spirit, just like each swordsman. But both their spirits are incomplete until the right swordsman finds the right blade and they become whole. When the man--or, uh, woman-- and the sword are cast from the same mold, they bring the best of one another. Right, dad?
>Blacksmith: Right! No two blades will ever have the same effect on the same man... or woman-person thing. Same goes for axes, spears, even knives. At least that's the way my old man taught me. Eh, maybe I'm just too old fashioned...
>Mai: ...
>Blacksmith: Or maybe, just maybe, you're the one who can bring out that's thing's true potential, more than I ever could. It could do the same favor right back, heh? *wink*
>Mai: ...
>Blacksmith: OR if nothing else, it'd make a cool decoration.
>Mai: This whole thing sounds stupid...but thanks again...I guess.
>Blacksmith: No problem, missy.
>The Son: If you're ever back in town, feel free to stop by the shop!
>Mai: Maybe, if I'm feeling bored. *smirk*

--From Episode 2: Fresh Scent--

>JUNE: So what's the matter, kiddo? Daddy take away that big allowance of yours so now you want to run away because nobody understands the hormonal rage burning deep down in your tormented soul?
>MAI: *pant* *pant*
>JUNE: *sigh* You noble punks are all the same, posers and drama queens. Doesn't matter which nation you are. Chip a nail and suddenly the whole world's crashin' down around you.. But hey, it's none of my business, I'm just here to earn a quick sacka gold. Don't pay any attention my opinion.


--From Episode 3: Fatal Attraction--

>NOBLEMAN: I'm a charitable man, after-all. The world is already full of so much needless suffering, so much pain and loneliness. It's the responsibility of we nobles to provide for those less fortunate than ourselves, to give them a...helping hand to out of the mud this cruel world has kicked them into and women are always kicked the hardest.
>MAI: I suppose.
>NOBLEMAN: Indeed, and what better charity could I give the poor, defenseless women of the world, so broken and hopeless from their ordeals, than that of sanctuary from the evils life has been dishing out to all of such low rank. What better gift could there be than a roof over their heads, hot meals every morning and evening and gardens of delight where they may frolic to their hearts' content?
>MAI: Sounds...okay.
>NOBLEMAN: What I offer is much more than "okay," my lady. What I offer is a paradise on earth! Here, in the tranquil mountains of our most exalted nation, I have created a retreat that most thought only possible after death. A land of milk and honey where a young lady such as yourself can live in endless peace and bounty. A place where sorrow is obliterated from the deepest depths of every woman's heart and where dreams become reality! And you, Miss Mai, you are cordially invited to join those select souls upon whom I have chosen to bestow such grace.
>MAI: Thanks...but no thanks. No offense to your little "paradise," but me and Tom-Tom are heading towards the coast and, to be perfectly honest, you and this whole place are starting to give me the creeps. So, I think I'll just wait until I die to see the Pure Garden, if that's where I'm supposed to go. Later.
>NOBLEMAN: Hmph, I see it'll take a lot more than words to save this wretched soul. But that's okay. Sometimes, if you don't want someone to fall off a ledge, it's not enough to tell to them to watch their step, you have to give a little tug in the right direction. *snap*

--From Episode 4: The Flood of Memories--

>flashback
>MAI: Hey Savi.
>SAVI: Yes, sweety?
>MAI: Sometimes I wish you were my mommy.
>SAVI: Mai, honey, you shouldn't say things like that.
>MAI: Why?
>SAVI: Because, you wouldn't want your mommy saying she wished some other little girl to be her daughter instead of you, would you?
>MAI: No, but mommy isn't as fun as you are
>SAVI: You don't have fun at all the parties they take you to?
>MAI: No, the other kids are mean and mommy and daddy just talk to old people.
>SAVI: Well, you know the reason your mommy and daddy take you with them is so they can show everyone that big beautiful smile of yours, right? So you shouldn't frown or look bored. You should show everybody how happy you are so they all see what a good little girl mommy and daddy raised
--------

>flashback
>MAI'S MOTHER: I've never been so embarrassed in my life! My husband'll be lucky if he's put in charge of a komodo-hen house, much less a colony
>SAVI: Really, madame, I don't know what got into her.
>MAI'S MOTHER: Oh, don't you?
>SAVI: Pardon?
>MAI'S MOTHER: Savitri, with all due respect, it seems to me that Mai's...rambunctious behavior lately has been due to YOUR influence.
>SAVI: I've done nothing different from what I've done with the other children I care for and you agreed that my record was impeccable. Also, if I may speak freely, madame, I don't think a five year old should be made to feel like she's disgraced a whole generation just for behaving like a child. Children make mistakes, my lady, it happens.
>MAI'S MOTHER: Mai isn't another one of your peasant children, Savitri! She has a responsibility to uphold the virtues of the Fire Nation nobility, to speak and act with QUIET dignity, not just run around like a wild animal let loose from the zoo. That may be well and good for the rabble you people keep at the orphanage, but not my child! And if I can't expect you to teach my daughter the proper values, then perhaps I should find someone else who can!


--From Episode 5: A Whiff of Defeat--

>JUNE: Looks like this detour was worth the effort after-all. You all done playing runaway yet, princess?
>TOM-TOM: Look Mai, it's the pretty weasel lady!
>JUNE: Well, aren't you the little charmer. *blows kiss*
>MAI: What do you want?
>JUNE: Hmm, let's see, a town with a crook worth a ton of gold that's also where the girl whose dad is paying me a fortune to drag her back home happens to be, hmm...Oh yeah, that's right, I wanted to watch the sunset! Care to join me?
>TOM-TOM: But it's night-time now.
>MAI: *scoff* Alright, I get it. Dumb question.
>JUNE: Very. *whip crack*


--From Episode 6: Pitfall--

>TOM-TOM: Mai.
>MAI: ...
>TOM-TOM: Mai, are we there yet?
>MAI: ...
>TOM-TOM: Mai, that Tigerdillo was scary, wasn't he? Does your back still hurt?
>MAI: ...
>TOM-TOM: And the Puma-goat! Remember the Puma-goat, Mai?
>MAI: ...
>TOM-TOM: Hey, Mai, remember when you fell in that bush and got all itchy? That was funny! Are you still itching? You were real itchy. And thirsty too. Those peppers weren't berries. Ooh, ooh, remember when you found berries and your mouth got all purply? Your tummy was all "RAAARGH!" Remember, Mai? Huh, Mai? MAI!?
>MAI: Shut up! For spirits' sake, can you just shut up for one second, you stupid, annoying little elephant-rat!? How am I supposed to figure a way out of this hedge-maze if alI I keep hearing in my head is you TALKING! Just SHUT UP!
>TOM-TOM: ...
>MAI: Um, *cough* *cough* actually what I meant was-
>TOM-TOM: *sniffle* *sniffle*
>MAI: Huh? W-wait, Tom Tom-
>TOM-TOM: WAAAAA-AAA-AAH!
>MAI: *groan* This whole place is just...just...UGH!


--From Episode 7:The Fire Sage--

>MAI: I don't have a destiny.
>SAGE: What makes you say that?
>MAI: *sigh* Because that would imply my life has purpose.
>SAGE: I think we both know that isn't true.
>MAI: Whatever...
>SAGE: If you didn't believe you had a purpose, you wouldn't be here speaking with me.
>Mai: ...
>SAGE: No...the very reason you set out on this journey of yours in the first place was because you wish to know the purpose it is for which you exist, not because you don't believe it is there.
>MAI: You don't know anything...None of you Sages ever did...
>SAGE: I know you feel alone, trapped, forgotten. Like you're just the left-over residue of the cosmos, a disposable tool to be used by others and then replaced or cast aside without a second thought. I know you feel unimportant and I know that you're greatest fear is dying without anyone to bring an offering to your grave because you left no impression on anyone's heart. That is why you left, that is why you are running now.
>MAI: No, it's not! I had to leave because of my father! That's the only reason!
>SAGE: And what stopped you from going to see the Fire Lord after that squabble with your father? If the young Prince Zuko would have given protection or aid to anyone, it'd have been you, Mai. Afterall...were you not his-
>MAI: H-how do you know I know Zuko? Who are you?
>SAGE: I already told you. I'm just a pilgrim. Nothing more.
>MAI: You're lying. My dad sent you, didn't he? He hired you to find me and bring me back home like he did that girl with the giant ferret. Admit it!
>SAGE: We both know as well that your father has nothing to do with our meeting. So you can put that knife of yours away.
>MAI: Shut up!
>SAGE: ...
>MAI: ...

-----

>MAI: ...Fire Lords, Fire Sages, nobles...why can't you people just leave me alone!? All anyone's ever done is treat me like a doll or some piece of furniture! And you Sages, all you ever did was stand in your temples and lie and put idiots and psychos in charge of everyone else's lives! In charge of MY life! I don't care about your "Spirit Emperor," or ANY other weird spirit you pray to! They don't even know I exist, so why should I even bother? And Zuko...stupid Zuko...he can't even take care of himself, but he's supposed to be take care of this country? He's supposed to take care of me!? What does he even need me for? It's not like the great Fire Lord is short on girls to keep him company or anything. I...I hate that idiot! Him, his dad and his crazy sister! This is all their fault! I'm sick of these royals and their countries! I'm sick of these nobles and all their rules! I never even asked to be a part of their system or this world, so I don't know what you or anyone else expects from me. My parents...
>SAGE: Mai, you're confused, I understand. But you haven't been forgotten. Whether you choose to believe it or not, you do have a destiny. I have foreseen it, and this journey you've set out on will show it to you as well. But unless you let go of all the rage and fear you have bottled up inside in your heart, you'll be lost forever.
>MAI: You keep saying I'm afraid... Well, I'm not afraid! I want everyone to forget about me! I WANT to disappear! Maybe then I won't have to deal with all you morons and your nations. And don't get me started on that Avatar! Not just him, but ALL you benders get on my nerves! If it's anyone's fault this world sucks so much, it's yours! One day, I hope someone, somewhere gets rid of every single one of you just so I don't have to deal with you anymore! Maybe then this world be a little less annoying, if that's even possible!
>SAGE: ...
>MAI: Benders, nonbenders...I hate them both...I hate everyone. I hate...I hate myself...
>SAGE: And that child you carry with you? Do you hate him as well?
>MAI: I-I don't...just leave me alone already...please...



--From Episode 8: Lost Treasure--

>WOMAN: I don't know how we could possibly thank you, miss. Without you, our little boy would be dead.
>MAI: It's really no big deal...
>WOMAN: Please, you don't have to be so modest. You have your hands full taking care of your own son and I feel so bad already that you had to watch over mine.
>MAI: Yeeeaah...about that...
>WOMAN: I feel terrible that our family feud had to inconvenience a young, struggling mother such as yourself.
>MAI: Mmm...
>MAN: I don't understand what's happening to this country anymore. It's like ever since the war ended, everyone's started eating each other alive.
>WOMAN: If soldiers haven't turned to criminals, they're knocking on our door, asking us "who we're loyal to."
>MAN: And the Ozai loyalists have been trying to swallow every other family now that Fire Lord's stopped patronizing them.
>MAI: Believe me, I know...
>WOMAN: Everyone around here's really worried. There's even rumors going around that the Avatar is planning on breaking up the country and selling part of it to the Earth Kingdom.
>MAI: I...don't think you have to worry about that.
>MAN: Who even knows anymore? Pretty soon, we won't have the colonies anymore and once that happens, things are only going to get worse.
>MAI: Well, the Fire Lord isn't very bright...
>MAN: Pfft! You can say that again.
>MAI: He's also pretty stubborn and doesn't ask for help even when it's right in front of him.
>WOMAN: Wasn't he the one that was banished for speaking out of turn in Fire Lord Ozai's presence?
>MAN: That's what I've always been told.
>MAI: Yeah...but...the Fire Lord has a good heart and I think he just wants what's best for the Fire Nation and for all us in it. He probably needs more time to get used to being Fire Lord and not having to feel so alone all the time. And...I think right now, the best thing we can do to help him is try to keep from killing each other over land we're all supposed to share anyway.


--From Episode 9: The Smell of Fear--

>MAI: I think your shirshu's going to be okay, June. I made sure I didn't cut any vital spots.
>JUNE: Just get away from us! *sob*
>MAI: ...
>JUNE: Please, Nyla, stay with me! Please, don't...don't leave me...don't be like all the others. Nobody else's stuck with me as long as you have! Not..not since since dad died!
>MAI: ...
>TOM-TOM: Hey.
>JUNE: W-what do you want? *sob*
>TOM-TOM: If Mai says everything's going to be okay, then it's going to be okay! Mai never lies!
>MAI: That spirit...it was upset 'cause it felt alone and neglected its whole life, because everything it cared about either died or abandoned it. So it just walked these grounds for decades, waiting for someone to bring it offering.
>JUNE: What's your point?
>MAI: Nothing, I was just thinking...Walking around with no one to care for or to talk to...crying over all the stuff you lost...It sounds pretty boring.

--From Episode 10: Tempering Flames--

>PIANDAO: Your style reeks of self-teaching. Yet, judging by your facial features, I'd say you are descended from a branch of one of the 12 noble clans. Very odd that someone of your birth would be traveling alone in the countryside or would wield a weapon without being formally trained in any of the 7 High Dojos or the Royal Academy.
>MAI: I always skipped Phys-Ed. at the Academy, the instructors at there were way too dull.
>PIANDAO: Hm, while I agree the Academy's teachers lack a certain...charisma, and your skills seem to have progressed quite well without their influence, you still lack refinement, especially with a sword, which, after observing your movements, is clearly something you only recently picked up, as you still tend to wield it like it were one of your knives. But, if you wish to combine any two styles of combat, you must first learn and understand what makes each style and weapon unique, only then will you achieve proper balance and synthesis. Every weapon you wield, you wield the same as the last, ignoring their unique capabilities, thus limiting your technique...
>MAI: Geez, could you be anymore talkative? Just answer me yes or no, are you going to fix my stuff or not?
>PIANDAO: I was also about to say you need to learn to take advice from your elders. *clash!*


--From Episode 11: The Dragonfly--

>MAI: What are you doing!?
>GUARD: We're on the look-out for a young woman with sharp nails, wearing a long robe with jet-black hair tied up in ox-horn buns who caused a komodo-rhino stampede in the marketplace. I'm going to have to ask you come with us.
>MAI: Let go! You don't understand! I'm trying to catch a baby chasing a bug!
>GUARD: I don't see any baby around here!
>MAI: He's right over there you blind--Uh, well, he WAS over there, but now I have to try to find him all over again! Thanks a lot!
>GUARD: I don't have time for games kid! If you didn't trash anyone's property, we can clear it up at the station! But right now, I'm taking you in!
>MAI: I said let GO!

>*Mai kicks the guard straight in the nads and dips*


--FROM EPISODE 12: THE COOK--

>COOK: *gasp* Young lady! DO THAT AGAIN!
>MAI: Do what?
>COOK: What you did with that ocean kumquat just now!
>MAI: Hm? You mean this? *chops kumquat*
>COOK: YES, that! Magnificent, never in my life have I seen such superb cutlery skills. Well, other than my own, of course. But that's besides the point. Yes, it appears I was correct in my assumption that the first customer I'd have in four months would be a special one. But I never expected such a customer would possess a level of utensil expertise so very close to my own talents. Yes, yes! I knew my luck would turn out once I switched to fifty offerings a day. The saints have finally accepted my penance and granted me safe passage out of Naraka! Anyway, young lady, I was wondering if--HEY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?
>MAI: Huh? Oh, while you were busy talking to yourself, we finished eating. Money's on the table.
>COOK: Madame, wait!
>MAI: What?
>COOK: Look, I don't know if you've noticed, but despite this establishment's excellent cuisine-
>MAI: Eh, it was okay.
>COOK: In spite of the FACT that no other restaurant this side of the coastline can compare to our own hibachi grill, this place has been dead as tomb for months. It's such a shame! This was once the most popular restaurant in town, now look what's become of it!
>MAI: Is there a point to your sob story?
>COOK: *cough* Oh, yes. Your knife skills have convinced me that you have the potential to be a great chef yourself. Which is why I have decided to give you the honor of becoming my apprentice!
>MAI: Sorry, not interested.
>COOK: HUH!? WHY NOT!?
>MAI: Look, your food was good and all, but I'm assuming by how empty this place has been that an apprenticeship here isn't exactly a paying job. So, unless you have enough ban for the boat, I can't be wasting my time
>COOK: Listen! With our combined efforts, we could earn you enough money to BUY your boat! And it would only take less than four days!
>MAI: ...Go on.


--FROM EPISODE 13: HOOK, LINE & SINKER--

>MAI: So the captain gets three eighths of the haul while the rest of you split what's left between yourselves? Sounds kinda stupid to me...
>PIRATE A: Hold yur tongue lass, unless ye be ready to lose it!
>MAI: Look, all I'm saying is that you guys have been doing all the hard work this whole time, tying us up and taking our stuff. I figured the captain was more generous than that. But, whatever, I'll shut up now.
>PIRATE A: Why ye-
>PIRATE B: Hold on...what do ya mean by "more generous?"
>MAI: You're the ones down here doing all the hard work, I haven't seen the captain do much except bark orders and rub that pet iguana parrot of his. So, why give him so much?
>PIRATE A: He's got seniority. The captain's always done alright by us and been the brains of this here outfit way 'fore most of us joined the crew.
>MAI: Seniority, right. So you give him loot you work your butts off for just cause he's old? I thought this was a pirate crew, not a nursing home.
>PIRATE B: Fine, since you're so smart, what do ya suggest?
>MAI: Easy, ask the captain for a bigger share and split the work evenly. Everyone gets the same haul for the same amount of work, you guys and the captain, but the captain can't make you give him any extra.
>PIRATE A: Bah! Don't listen to her, she's just tryin' to trick ye!
>PIRATE B: And what if he did try to make us?
>MAI: Pfft, okay, yeah, there's, like, what? Thirteen of you and only one of him? What's he going to do if you all want the same thing? Throw you overboard? The only reason he's able to force you right now is cause you're already giving him extra and guys like doofus over here do whatever he says cause they hope he'll throw them a few extra scraps
>PIRATE A: HEY!
>MAI: But if you all get the same share, he can't buy any of you off, unless wants you to have more than him.

--FROM EPISODE 14: COLD HEARTS AND HOT SPRINGS--

>*flashback
>AZULA: Hey, new kid!
>MAI: Huh?
>AZULA: Give me that!
>MAI: Hey, that's mine!
>AZULA: Don't worry, you can have it back when I'm done with it.
>MAI: Who said you could play with it?
>AZULA: Uhh, my dad's the FIRE LORD? So, that kinda makes me the boss around here.
>MAI: I'm telling the teacher!
>AZULA: Go ahead, won't do any good.

-----
>JUNE: Relax, I'm just here for a soak.
>MAI: Yeah, pardon me if I don't exactly take your word for it.
>JUNE: *shrug* Think what you want, but I'm not going to ruin my vacation chasing you in circles around this island, least not without my clothes on.
>MAI: Mmm...
>JUNE: So...if you don't mind my asking, why did you run away? That old man of yours seemed pretty choked up.
>MAI: Whatever, he only cares about himself.
>JUNE: That so?
>MAI: The only reason he wants me home is so he can use me to get back at my old boyfriend...
>JUNE: Sounds like a lotta drama.
>MAI: My ex was...sort of the Fire Lord, so yeah, kind of the big deal.
>JUNE: Whoah, whoah, hold up. You're telling me your old squeeze was Prince Why-Can't-I-Hold-All-This-Angst with the charbroiled face?
>MAI: Yeah, so what?
>JUNE: *tries to contain laughter* Hahahahaha!
>MAI: Hey, w-what's so funny?
>JUNE: Oh, nothing, just feels like wherever I go these days, I keep getting pulled into that kid's problems. Seriously, I don't know why I respond when he calls for me. *sips tea*
>MAI: W-wait a minute, what's your deal with Zuko?
>JUNE: Wouldn't you like to know? *smirks*
>MAI: Hmph! I was...just curious, that's all. *crosses arms*
>JUNE: Calm down, it's nothing like that. Besides, personally, I like older men better.
>MAI: R-right...
>JUNE: Your boyfriend's had me look for a few people. Before I took the job to catch you, I was helping him find out where his mom ran away to, but the trail went cold.
>MAI: His mom? He..He never told me he was still looking for Ursa...
>JUNE: What was that?
>MAI: ...Nothing.
>JUNE: Why'd you two split up anyway? You find out about that Water Tribe girl he's got or something?
>MAI: Huh?

--FROM EPISODE 15: SORE LOSERS--

>SMELLERBEE: Hold up! We're not done here!
>MAI: I think we are.
>SMELLERBEE: What? You afraid you can't keep up your winning streak?
>MAI: Look, you obviously have issues with Fire Nation people that you still need to work out if you think you have to keep challenging me to prove to yourself that we aren't stronger and better than you.
>SMELLERBEE: Erg! That's-
>MAI: I can't say I blame you, we probably did a lot of things we shouldn't have. But you should stop trying to over-compensate and take on so much weight yourself. Just 'cause you fail a few times doesn't mean you've dishonored your nation. You're good, okay? I said it. Happy? Now leave us alone.
>SMELLERBEE: ...
>MAI: Oh, one more thing. If you ever to use my lay a finger on my little brother for one of your sports again, you won't have to worry about your hand going stiff in anymore knife contests, trust me on that.
>*Mai leaves*
>*Sneers and Longshot look at each other.*
>SNEERS: Little brother? Huh, I thought-
>SMELLERBEE: Come on, let's get out of here.


--FROM EPISODE 16: THE PATH THAT LIES AHEAD--

>TOPH: Wait, you're leaving?
>MAI: I can't stay here anymore. Those New Ozai goons aren't very tough, but if they tell my dad I'm in Yu Dao, he'll probably hire somebody a lot better.
>TOPH: Why don't you ask Aang for help? He just got here this morning. If we go to him, he can help you.
>MAI: I can't. Sorry.
>TOPH: Why not?
>MAI: You wouldn't understand.
>TOPH: You're right, cause this doesn't make any sense. You keep saying you're alone and stuff when you have plenty of friends here to help you. If you'd just go to Aang and Katara and tell them what's going on, they could-
>MAI: I don't need any friends, okay? And I don't need the Avatar or the Fire Lord to help me with my problems when they can barely handle their own. Everyone's got along fine pretending I don't exist...
>TOPH: Look, I get it. Your parents aren't that great and things haven't been working out for you. But the way you're acting, you'd think the whole world was against you.
>MAI: Maybe it is.
>SMELLERBEE: Mai, the least you could do is make sure your brother is safe. Running away from bounty hunters and uprooting yourself everytime you get too comfortable, never knowing for sure if you're gonna be able to feed him the next day. Is that really what you think is best for him?
>MAI: I'm what's best for him! Without me, he'd be dead or made some kid soldier for my father. So why don't you all mind your own business and let me go my own way already.
>TOPH: ...Alright, if that's how you feel, it's not like we can force you.
>KORI: Take care of yourself.
>SMELLERBEE: I hope--well--we hope everything works out for you
>MAI: Thanks...Toph, could you do me a favor?
>TOPH: What is it?
>MAI: Please don't tell Aang or any of the others that I was here.
>TOPH: You serious? What about-
>MAI: I don't want to inconvenience anyone by making them think they have to come find me.
>TOPH: ...Sure, I guess.

--FROM EPISODE 17: THE SAMURAI--

>SAMURAI GUY: Human beings are a bit like cherry blossoms, you know.
>MAI: How do you mean?
>SAMURAI GUY: For many, the fall of cherry blossom petals is a most beautiful sight to behold. Perhaps one of nature's most pleasant.
>MAI: They're...kind of nice
>SAMURAI GUY: Yes, but let me ask you, do they serve any purpose beyond that?
>MAI: Huh?
>SAMURAI GUY: *sigh* Sure, I suppose some insects acquire sustenance from them, but that's not the reason we plant them nor is such nourishment something only these flowers can give. We cultivate them for no other reason than their seasonal beauty, to gaze with admiration as their petals fall and dissolve into the earth each year. And once the new season begins and the flowers of the old are gone,  the branches sprout the same way again. Honestly, there's nothing special about any particular season. Once you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. And if the tree is tended well enough, each season's quality's the same as the last, the previous one forgotten by men as a new dance of petals takes it place.
>MAI: ...
>SAMURAI GUY: Quite A LOT like us, actually
>MAI: I don't know, maybe.
>SAMURAI GUY: ...The Emperor Spirit is a gardener himself, and cultivates man like any other, not because he has any need of us, but only because he admires the passing beauty of our slow descent to the ground from which we sprang, where we return to dust and so soon are replaced and forgotten by a new generation that is the same in appearance and character to ourselves, a generation that'll also just run the same course.
>MAI: Sounds depressing.
>SAMURAI GUY: The truth is seldom anything but depressing from my experience. But that's why we have our imaginations, to embellish cold, hard reality and make thing seem more special than they really are.
>MAI: You know, a couple years ago, I'd probably agree with you. But now...I think each petal has something unique about it that we can't always see with our eyes
>SAMURAI GUY: It's possible.
>MAI: Maybe some of them hide what that is on purpose too...just we'll think they're like all the rest...huh?
>SAMURAI GUY: ...
>MAI: ...But even if we can't see it, we can still feel that something else is there.
>SAMURAI GUY:*walks away* ...Tonight at the bridge. Don't keep me waiting, Mai.
>MAI: Right.


--FROM EPISODE 18: THE CIRCUS OF DREAMS--

>TY LEE: Come one, Come all! Impatient problem children, snarky teenagers and all you old people with weak bladders! Anyone with the love for adventure and magic! Gather around to see the most exciting, spectacular and fantasterrific show to be done at any circus on this or any other side of the known world. You will be dazzled and amazed as you witness death defying stunts, rib tickling humor and compelling drama from our very own-
>MAI: Ty Lee? Ty Lee, is that you?
>TY LEE: Huh, *gasp* oh wow, you're finally here! Great! I was worried we'd end up starting the show without you. Come on, we have get you to your dressing room. There's not much time left before the first act.
>MAI: Wait a second, where am I? What's going on? And why are you wearing that mustache?
>TY LEE: Ho-ho, ever the funny gal, but take my advice, madame, leave the jokes to the clowns.
>MAI: Madame?
>TY LEE: Now, we have to get you dressed and in the ring as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'll never live this night down.
>MAI: The ring? Look, Ty Lee, I don't what kind of weird game you're playing, but...Hey, where's Tom-Tom!?"



--FROM EPISODE 19: BROTHERS--

>MAI: I don't get it. Why would you go back after going through all that trouble to avoid them?
>OLDER BROTHER: There's nothing more exciting than a path where every twist and turn has some new obstacle to throw at us. Sometimes we even start trying to prolong the journey just cause we like the challenges that come as we keep moving forward. But every journey has to end eventually, no matter how long we try to force it to continue for whatever reasons.
>MAI: What about your brother? I thought you said you wanted to give him a better life than you had. So, what's the deal? You don't care anymore, is that it? Wasn't there any point to you leaving?
>OLDER BROTHER: You know, I think I already have given him a better life than I had. I've shown him a whole new world, filled with all sorts of things neither of us ever thought we'd see, and he'll take all the knowledge he has with him now wherever he goes. In fact, I think we both can take what we've seen and learned on our adventures and use it to make our old home and our country a better place. If you ask me, if we didn't bring anything back to share with others and we just kept running until we left everyone but ourselves behind, that'd actually be a very pointless journey, wouldn't it?
>MAI: I don't know how to answer that..


--FROM EPISODE 20: THE CONVICT--

>MAI: What the heck is wrong with you!? You could have killed us!?
>HERMIT: Your shapeshifting abiliy had me fooled at first, but you'll have to do better than that half-baked disguise, Commander!
>MAI: Commander?
>HERMIT: I don't know how you were able to revive yourself after our last battle, but I can't help thinking the pixie girl you're in cohorts with managed to retrieve the lost healing scroll from the frozen plum drop kingdom.
>MAI: You're insane!
>HERMIT: Are we back to that old static again, Commander? "He's mad. He can't tell what's real from what isn't. Lock him up before he hurts anyone else!" Tell me, Commander, if I was really as insane as you say, would I have had enough sense to launch the rainbow rocket into the mouth of the flying fox spirit that was spreading the seed of your clones across the Earth Kingdom?
>MAI: ...You know, I'd say yes, but I get the feeling that'd just encourage you.
>HERMIT: I'm the hero of this story, Commander! Not you! With these fists and the blessing of the talking albino badger mole, I will defeat the Fire Lord and return the world to order! You had your chance to join us, but you preferred the friendship of the six-armed demon spirit! This time, you'll pay!
>TOM-TOM: Mai, he's scaring me!

--FROM EPISODE 21: A SWEET AROMA--

>COLONEL MONGKE: You two are going to pay for what you did today.
>MAI: You're so pathetic. A once celebrated Fire Nation colonel reduced to robbing shepherds and old people just to scrape a living? How low can you get?
>COLONEL MONGKE:  The payoff's not as great, this is hardly any different than my previous line of work,. But we'll be back on our feet in no time, ready to retake our country and the colonies back from that sorry excuse for a Fire Lord!
>MAI: Oh, great, more of you guys. Don't any of you get it? The war's over! Ozai's finished! There's nothing left for us to do except move on.
>COLONEL MONGKE: It has nothing to do with Fire Lord Ozai. It has to do with our pride as soldiers. We sacrificed too much to just throw in the towel and give up everything we fought and died for. The royal family's dishonored a century's worth of service and death on our part, and if Ozai or that son of his can't restore our honor, then it's up to us real warriors to install a new dynasty that can.
>MAI: Meaning you, right?
>COLONEL MONGKE: *sneer* Possibly. Who can say? It's the strong who rule, afterall.


--FROM EPISODE 22: THE TOLL--

>MAI: *sigh* And who gave you idiots divine right over this place?
>SOLDIER A: If you know what's good for you and your kid, girl, you'll shut that smart mouth of yours and pay up. Unless you want to us to get rough.
>SOLDIER B: Hey, boss, maybe she enjoys a little rough housing, heh? *wink*
>SOLDIER C: Yeah, say girl, if the problem's you don't got any extra coin on ya, we can work out a different payment plan. You're not half bad lookin' so maybe we can...
>MAI: Back off...

--FROM EPISODE 23: THE SONGSTRESS--

>YUKI: It's... it's hard to explain. But the way you move -- the way you fight, without any fear or hesitation, is beautiful. It becomes an art, the way you chose to express yourself to the world. That's what I wanted my singing to be. But, in the end, it has brought me nothing but misery and sadness. I guess I... When I saw you, so brave and fearles and--and free, I... I envied you.
>MAI: Wow, I can't go a single day without a fight, and you envy me?
>YUKI: ...
>MAI: ... If you want to be free, to sing, just do it.
>YUKI: Huh?
>MAI: Do it. Sing.
>YUKI: F-for you?
>MAI: No. Sing.
>YUKI: ...

------
>YUKI: Th-thank you so much, Mai, for everything.
>MAI: No problem...
>YUKI: I feel terrible that you had to put yourself and your brother in danger just for my sake. We barely know each other, yet you risked everything so I could have a chance to be free.
>MAI: Yeah, l said don't worry about it.
>YUKI: You know, I've been a prisoner for so long that I was beginning to think my voice only brought out the worst in people. That is, until you came along.
>MAI: ...
>YUKI: You proved to me my voice doesn't have to be a curse. You've shown me that it can bring out the best in people who hear it and that it can soften a person's heart. Now I don't have to feel scared or ashamed anymore when I sing for others. I never really wanted to just sing for myself, you know, I always wanted to share my voice with other people and help them feel good and maybe become better people, but...when all it did was make people fight over me and care about how they could use it to make money, I lost hope it could ever do anything else. But you gave me that hope back. That means much more to me than my freedom and maybe a music spirit must sent you to me so my singing could have hope again!
>MAI: I don't know if any spirits had anything to do with it. I just don't think you should only sing when some over-weight slob tells you to...But if you can sing with hope now, that's good too, I suppose. *smile*

--FROM EPISODE 24: THE FEAST--

>YOUNG ROGUE: Hey June. Who's the sleepy-eyed chick? She your new partner?
>JUNE: Something like that. Why do you ask?
>YOUNG ROGUE: Oh, I was just thinkin', you know, maybe I could...*licks upper lip*
>JUNE: Heh, go right ahead. Doubt you'll get any kinda rise out of her.
>YOUNG ROGUE: Please, June, you're dealin' with a professional! No woman's been able to resist this face and this charm.
>*Rogue walks over to Mai*
>MAI: ...
>YOUNG ROGUE: *cough* *cough* Excuse me, beautiful.
>MAI: You mind? You're in my light.

----

>YOUNG ROGUE: ...So anyway, as I was saying, maybe you and I could go for a little stroll later and just get to know each other a little better. I'm sure it's hard travelin' all by yourself and everything. I'd hate to see a nice girl like you feel like she has to spend another night alone without a man's arms to hold her tight.
>MAI: ...
>YOUNG ROGUE: So, what do ya say? If you're still a little shy, that's okay. We can just take things real slow at first and then maybe pick up the pa-
>TOM-TOM: Hey, mister why does your hair look like that?
>YOUNG ROGUE: Uh...who's this?
>MAI: Oh, hey, Tom-Tom. You finish your nap?
>TOM-TOM: Yeah, I had a dream dad came and everybody was happy again.
>MAI: That's nice...
>YOUNG ROGUE: Whoah, whoah, whoah! Hey, I'm-I'm sorry! I didn't know you had a kid! I really just thought you were all alone here and needed some company!
>MAI: ...
>YOUNG ROGUE: Look, m-maybe I should go, let you spend some time with your boy and everything! Just forget I was here! Please, I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility! *flees*
>MAI: *pats Tom-Tom on the head* ...Good boy.




--FROM EPISODE 25: SHADOW WAR PART 1--

>NINJA MASTER: I see, so you were forced to reveal your Waterbending.
>APPRENTICE: Yes, but I'm afraid it proved pointless, master. We lost one comrade and were forced to retreat upon the death of our employer. Please, forgive me.
>NINJA MASTER: Interesting, that one young girl could push even you into a corner, Pana.
>APPRENTICE: ...Yes, sir.
>NINJA MASTER: Tell me, in your opinion, having dealt with her so personally, do you think that her talents might be useful to our cause?
>PANA: I think she's talented, but lacks training. An...an amateur at best, master! Certainly no one our clan desperately requires or can't eliminate.
>NINJA MASTER: And yet this "amateur" bested your entire squad and cheated you out of your payment, out of your tribute to me. Perhaps she lacks training in some areas, but such drive and raw potential with the right attention could be forged into a fearsome weapon of justice.
>PANA: Master, if I may, this girl killed one of my best men and stood directly in the way of our objective to serve you and our order. Are you truly suggesting we welcome her into the clan as a sister?
>NINJA MASTER: The code of this clan requires us to put aside personal attachments, Pana, I would have thought you learned that simple truth when I first brought you here. Your brother knew the risks in pursuing our cause and accepted them. When you brandish any weapon with the intent to take a life, you must be prepared to give up your own and if you lose it, there is no one to blame but yourself. Or have you forgotten that lesson as well?
>PANA: N-no, master.
>NINJA MASTER: Very good, my son. Now, I take it that since the death of our unfortunate comrade, you've been tracking the girl's movements, no doubt waiting for your chance to take your revenge.
>PANA: ...
>NINJA MASTER: Good, see to it that you bring her back here.
>PANA: Yes, master.
>NINJA MASTER: Alive and unspoiled, Pana. Are we clear on that?
>PANA: ...*nod*


---FROM BOOK 26: SHADOW WAR PART 2--

>NINJA MASTER: Yes, that's it. The rage flows through your veins with each new pulse. For years, you've kept it inside, buried beneath a grey aura of apathy, but with pain as our key, we have finally opened those gates. Now your heart truly beats for the first time.
>MAI: You're...*pant* really getting on...*pant* *pant* my last nerve. AAAAH!
>NINJA MASTER: You've seen what's become of this world in the last hundred years, all the chaos and disorder. All the misery, poverty and death with so many trapped in pointless conflict. Surely, you've seen how your own nation has become and asked yourself "Why? How?" and been unable to answer either. The Clan, however, knows the why. And The Clan IS the how. And through our strength, we will finally bring order to the chaos where the Avatar, after a thousand lifetimes, has failed.
>MAI: *pant* Cut the ninja's burden routine. *pant *pant* What you're doing right now, kidnapping, stealing, killing anyone for the right price...ERGH! You're just creating more suffering. You're not helping anybody!
>NINJA MASTER: Unfortunately, suffering is something that can never truly be eliminated from this world, but it CAN be controlled and directed towards a far more just end. Only after great pain and adversity can Heaven be reached and suffering minimized, and only those who have the strength of will to perform the lesser evil may hope to achieve the greatest good. Through this way, our way, we shall unite the nations under single flag and put an end to all borders and the oppressive constructs of nobility and peasant so pervasive within them...ADD MORE WEIGHT TO HER LEGS!
>HENCHMAN: Yes, sir.


--FROM EPISODE 27: SHADOW WAR PART 3--


>NINJA MASTER: Though I knew bringing another child into this clan would stir my children's emotions, I never thought so many would prove themselves so ungrateful.
>MAI: Quiet!
>NINJA MASTER: Certainly, you have proven the most defiant. But nonetheless, the rapid progress you've made has left me feeling proud and this little rebellion you have helped the others stage is but proof that I was wise in choosing you. Even if I die this night, I can still rest in peace knowing the fate and leadership of the Ravenhawk Shinobi has been entrusted to you.
>MAI: You've got it all wrong. I'm not interested in leading anyone's nation or clan. Once I get my brother back, we're out of here and the rest of these Ravenhawks can take care of themselves and leave me out of it.
>NINJA MASTER: So you say, but we shall see. You have shown me the rage within your heart. And whether you choose admit or not, it is only because of the gifts of mind and body I have given you that you have made it this far. You've already taken your first steps towards being my successor, Mai. It is a destiny you cannot escape.
>MAI: You want to know something? You're too annoying for your own good.