Azula wondered why her day had started out this way, but she knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Her little brother came to her about their friend's father tied up in one of his many store rooms after a torrid night of drinking—Raizu was so desperately in need of other friends their age—and some very vocal opinions on the quality of the royal family's rule. One of her brother's agents found Ukano, but it was their friends that told them the rest of the story leading up to the drunken night. Mai and Ty Lee had been following him for several nights already and overheard many conversations of the not so good kind. Mai didn't ask for anything, only offering the truth. It was 'not treason', was what he was very decided on calling it.

Since Mai's father's life hung on the line here.

"So," she said, "let's start with the bad news."

Her stoic friend's face was not its usual cool mask. Next to her was Ty Lee looking just as worried, with all three of them hand in hand. Mai's grip tightened against hers. Ty Lee insisted they all held onto each other no matter the outcome. Raizu simply said alright and went off to do whatever it was he needed doing, then saddled her with the responsibility of the aftermath.

"Your father will be reprimanded for disturbing the public. And he will be reassigned to Raizu's staff so he can keep an eye on him. His friends, at least the ones named so far, will be placed under surveillance, and we will need to keep you and your family safe while we figure things out."

She squeezed Mai's hand in a way she hoped was reassuring. The same way Zuzu had done for her when she'd first realized how fragile life was. Turtle ducks might not have been people, but they were alive all the same.

Mai squeezed back. Ty Lee pulled them all tighter together. Their friend took a deep breath and nodded.

"The official story is I will be inviting you and your mother for an extended vacation in Ember Island while Rai and Uncle figure out how safe the situation is. Ty Lee, it would be really nice if you can go as well. Zuzu and Toph will be coming with us as well."

Mai scrunched her brows. "That's the bad news?"

It was but a slap on the wrist, all things considered. Raizu pulled a lot of strings to make it as if this never happened. And as someone relatively high up on the hierarchy, Ukano could have received a lighter sentence without it impeding his work in the palace. Though it would have limited his options if he wanted a higher position.

But it was still different to be on the side receiving bad news. Her brother understood pain. And so did she. It had been a year already since he showed her part of what their mother was doing behind closed doors. It hurt. But she was glad Mother was happy. She just wished it didn't have to come at the cost of her big brother's.

Even then, kindness helped.

Azula didn't know how to smile like Zuko. So she looked her friend in the eyes and stood her ground. She wasn't soft like her brother. But she was still Mai's friend.

"The good news," Azula said, "is you won't be alone."

Mai, Ty Lee, and Toph were excused from the academy with the reason of fulfilling their duties to the royal family—Raizu was really good with coming up with excuses like that—and her and Zuko greeted them aboard the royal airship to their destination. Father came with them to keep them safe, while Mother stayed behind to continue her work. Raizu was cleaning up the mess Ukano had made and would decide together with Uncle and Grandfather their next moves.

Lu Ten was elsewhere taking care of something Uncle needed him to do, that only he could do as the heir to the throne. She didn't ask what he was doing or where he was going, she only knew he had to go there with as few people with him as possible.

There were big things moving behind the scenes, all behind the curtains and where the shadows were at their darkest. Raizu wasn't convinced the same Admiral that challenged Grandfather before was the only one involved with whatever plots there were. And he wasn't sure where best to look for them. But she trusted he would.

Azula found herself sitting by the beach and under the bright noon sun. It had been just a short two weeks since they'd arrived, and her brother had been keeping them updated with his timely reports. And the concerning thing was how they found nothing too important. The meetings of the group had stopped once Ukano started working for him. And on the bright side, at least this group's plans so far had not yet leaned towards violence.

It was a small mercy, but still one nonetheless.

"Zula," Toph said. She was buried up to her neck in the sand. "Has Crazy ever tried bending with just his face?"

Her friend, as it turned out, was just as curious as her little brother—though thankfully she wasn't as crafty. But she had her moments too, but most of those involved her insights to her element. Her question however, got her thinking.

"I don't think he ever has." Looking back at her memories, her brother didn't really bother too much with the smaller, finer details. He was always more focused on the bigger things, like the flames that different emotions produced or how lightning could be better used by other benders.

Toph snorted. "That's one point for me then."

She brought her chin up and shot upwards from the solidified sand, no longer buried.

"He can breathe fire though," she offered. "Learned it from Uncle."

Toph brought a hand to her chin. "Okay. That does sound pretty sweet."

"Feels weird though." It was a bit like shouting without sound. And it was also really difficult to put any force into the form so it was really only good as a distraction while one's hands were occupied. Its suddenness was pretty much all it had going for it, but she wasn't about to burst the fantasy.

Her friend took a seat next to her. Mai, Ty Lee, and Zuko were playing by the water while Father stayed in the house. They had other guards in beach wear walking around here and there too for added protection.

"You know, you don't have to be so tough all the time."

Azula sighed.

"You're too high strung," Toph continued. "You also need to relax."

She scooted closer to the earth bender. The contact was nice. Zuko had spoiled her rotten with his softness. It was starting to rub off on her.

"Mai needs someone she can look at and see that everything's fine." Mai and Ty Lee came to her first. They trusted in her.

"And you want to be the one they can lean on. I get it. But you don't have to beat yourself up over it."

Azula sighed again. "I just don't want her to feel bad."

Toph put a hand to her arm. "Maybe it's time you told Zuko about that?"

She brought her knees up and hugged them close. Again for someone so blind she saw through things so clearly. Toph had a particular gift with the truth, and more than that she was also so aware of everything around her. It was as much as blessing to her condition as it was a curse. She saw too much. Had seen too much. Toph held her arm the same way when she found out about Mother.

"Look, Raizu's a pretty okay guy about ten thousand things and more, but he absolutely sucks at getting people to like him."

In the distance Zuko jumped up into the air propelled by flame and landed with a big splash against the two girls who were throwing great splashes of their own. Unnaturally large splashes. They threw around the same kind of splashes as when waves crashed against the rocks. Her brother was very liberal with spreading the knowledge on Chi and the Chakras. And she too had been able to work on getting the others open as well.

Some just took naturally well to the methods.

"Sure people believe in him and follow him, but most of the people on his payroll put up with him since he's their boss. It's okay to admit he could have been there more for you. For both of you and Zuko."

"But he's already doing so much."

"He's just doing what he wants. But he can't ignore that he has responsibilities to his family as well. That includes his siblings." Toph stretched her toes out into the sand and brought her face up to the sky. "Just because he thinks he's doing what's best for both of you doesn't mean he actually is."

"You too?"

Toph nodded. "My parents aren't perfect either. And yes, I'm happy Raizu has been providing me with the opportunity to do things on my own away from them. And that's fine to do with the people around him. But a real and proper family is about being together. Whether that's in eating or dealing with problems together. Him taking on the responsibility on his own is taking the easy way out."

Azula took a deep breath and laid back against the sand, letting the light and warmth of the sun wash over her. A warmth she hoped her family—not just Zuko—could've helped stoke. Toph had a gift with the truth, whether that was in seeking it out or laying it in the open.

"I preferred it more when you didn't point that out," she said.

"Too bad Chief, but I actually like this little outfit we got going on and I'm not letting you run yourself ragged."

Azula poked Toph's sides. The girl didn't even flinch.

She got a blanket of sand for her failure in response.