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Ty Lee scaled what must have been hundreds of steps. Even for an acrobat like her, the high palace that she now stood before was perhaps a bit too high-up, as her knees ached. She had wished she could have called some kind of carriage up, but, unfortunately, the only vehicle up was a litter, and she hadn't thought to get one. She didn't mind too much, however, she actually enjoyed the exercise. She made her way to the front gates, and knocked against them with all of her remaining might.

At the same time, Mai was seated in the throne room of the Palace, attending to her duties as FireLady in her husband Zuko's absence. Her role was not quite as busy as it was tedious. Every day, the same people broached the same sort of issues with her, and she addressed, remedied, or resolved these issues as best she could.

However, she was taken aback when she heard her old friend had suddenly returned, exhausted and disheveled.

"I got your invitation!" Ty Lee huffed, hands on her knees, almost bowing, but certainly not intentionally, "I'm glad you could have me stay here! Kyoshi gets boring after a little while, and I'm so glad to have that makeup off my face, it makes me itchy."

She looked around the throne room, only vaguely remembering the ornate decorations scattered across it. She missed it a little, but not too much.

Mai smirked at the acrobat's ever-energetic and bubbly demeanor. "Well, it is good to have you here. It can actually get a little lonely around here with Zuko away so much."

She then took Ty Lee's hand. "But enough about that. I've brought you here for something very important."

"That's what you said in the letter!" Ty Lee said, somewhat impressed at herself for remembering something she read almost two weeks ago, "It was... uhhh... really vague. Still is, actually! So, what is it?"

She had crossed so much ground, so she wasn't exactly sure if she remembered it right... Maybe Mai did say what was so important. She wasn't reading's biggest friend, she might have skimmed it.

"I'll explain on the way to my chambers," said Mai, leading Ty Lee along, almost like a mother would her child.

"You see, ever since Zuko ascended the throne, there has been pressure on him to sire an heir. He and I would both like to have a baby. In fact, we've already decided on names; Iroh for a boy, Izumi for a girl. Alas, I am not currently with child, and Zuko will not be back for some time. Be that as it may, I would like to do all I can to prepare for whenever that blessed day arrives." By then, they had reached Mai's bedroom.

"And... you want me to help with this? I uhh.. I hate to break it to you, but I SUCK with kids," Ty Lee responded, following Mai, of course, she had no choice but to, with that kind of vice-like grip, "I dunno, maybe you should talk with an actual mother, or a nanny, or something. Say, is Azula's old wet nurse still alive? I'm sure she'd know something!"

Ty Lee beamed, thinking that she had been of at least some help to her friend.

Truthfully, Mai would have loved to consult Lady Ursa, but there still has been no sign of her in the longest time. As such, she would have to result to other means to gain experience.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," she said with a wicked grin, "I didn't call you here for advice or assistance in childrearing. I brought you here so that I could build up some firsthand experience in that field. Case in point, you would be my test subject. Oh, and that's not a request."

"Test subject? Drugs don't make you a better parent, they let you access the spirit realm! I tried them once. Let's just say the ones I met would be AWFUL with parenting advice, and I'm never, ever going to trust someone calling herself a witch EVER again... for the most part," Ty Lee's rambling story spiraled along with her confusion. She had no idea what Mai was proposing, but, she was certainly curious, "So, uhhhhh, what exactly do you mean by firsthand experience?"

Mai continued to smirk as she then snapped her fingers, which was the signal for her maids to swoop in and restrain Ty Lee. "I thought that was obvious. From now until I have my first child, you are going to be my baby in every way. And I mean EVERY way. Consider yourself stripped of your adult privileges and freedoms from this moment onward."