~Chapter 15~

~ Lightning in the air~

Sozza sat on her sofa looked at the blank piece of paper in front of her, taunting her. She had been attempting to write her cousin for two days now, and so far hadn't written a single word. She loved Izumi; she had been her big sister growing up, like her uncle had been her father. Sozza did not want to hurt Izumi but as she looked down at the paper it was clear she had to tell Izumi what was going on. The letter to Chief Tonraq had been easy.

I'm worried about your daughter; she seems indifferent to the events going on around her, which is not prudent at the moment. I fear the events from six years ago have had a profound negative affect on her. It's possible that you or your wife should come and visit her in Republic City, remind her of her good nature and how much she cares about her fellow man.

Easy as pie to write. The letter to Izumi, however, was not. Sozza bit her pen just as the front door opened and Lin stumbled in laden down with bags. "Can I get a little help here?"

Sozza jumped up to help her with the bags while Mako walked in looking guilty he couldn't help. Sozza kissed him on the cheek.

"Hi sweetie welcome home."

"Hi mom, uh can I help at all?"

Lin shook her head. "You heard the doctor Mako, you aren't supposed to lift anything heavier than a spoon. Now why don't you go up to your room and rest? Your mother and I can handle the bags."

Mako sighed but did as he was told.

Sozza pulled a bag over her shoulder and kissed Lin hello. "Good trip?"

Lin nodded. "Yes, the roads were mostly empty. Not really a surprise. When a terrorist starts to threaten your city people tend to decide it's the best time to take holiday."

"Well I can't blame them. I've been thinking of something similar."

Lin pursed her lips. "We just can't up and leave Sozza, we're needed here."

"I know my love I know. I was thinking for the boys sending them to your sister in Zoufu or to my cousin Lu Ten II on Kiyoshi Island. They'd be safe there."

Lin rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I haven't spoken to my sister in almost 20 years, you can barely stand your cousin Lu Ten and from what I've seen of his son I know why. I'd rather we keep the boys close. We can protect them better than anyone else."

Sozza looked at her wife sadly. "A month ago I would have said the same thing but our eldest just had his hands reattached, both our places of work were bombed and one of my best agents…my own family, switched sides." Sozza was shaking. "Amon has got me rattled and I fear for our lives and our sons' lives. I just don't want to take that chance."

Lin put the bags she had down and hugged Sozza. "Look, I'm scared too. I don't want to let Mako or Bolin out of my sight. Maybe sending them to Kyoshi is best. Put an ocean between Amon and them but they aren't going to like it."

Sozza tapped her chin. "No, but we can tell them it's for Mako's health. In Mako's condition he can't argue with us, and Bolin will take care of him. They'll look out for each other like they always have. "

.o.

Up stairs, out of eyesight but not out of earshot, Bolin listened in frowning. He pursed his lips and made his way to Mako's room. The room was huge with red walls and gold accents. Sozza and Lin spoiled their sons giving them large rooms full of the finest things money could buy. Bolin was always surprised how his brother was able to stay as humble as he did. Bolin loved the luxury while Mako seemed unaffected by it which knowing Mako was a surprise. Mako was lying on his back in the middle of the orient carpet staring at the ceiling.

Bolin looked down at Mako. "You ok bro? You know you have a perfectly good bed ten feet over there."

Mako pouted. "I know."

"So why camp out here?"

"Because good people deserve beds, I am not a good person."

Bolin raised an eyebrow. "Okay? Why are you a bad person? Because your arms? Because you're not a bad person for that."

Mako shook his head. "No, it's not that. I-I kissed my ex and now I feel so guilty because of Asami."

"Which one?"

"The last one."

"Oh, the one you kind of rebounded into Asami, that one."

Mako looked like he was going to break down crying. "I'm a horrible person! What kind of guy makes out with his ex when he's got a beautiful girlfriend?!" Pabu wandered into the room sniffed Mako and then went to jumped onto the bed and curled up. "I'm not even worthy to be Pabu's pillow!"

Bolin rolled his eyes. "How much medication are you on?"

Mako was quiet for a moment. "I think 7 different pills…maybe 8?"

"Do you think they're making you a bit emotional?"

Mako bit his lip and nodded. "Maybe…but they don't cause me to make bad life choices! Asami's going to kill me!"

Bolin sighed and helped Mako to his feet. "She's not going to kill you because you kissed your ex but maybe you shouldn't tell her…that would be a bad idea."

"I'm a bad idea!"

Bolin rolled his eyes. "Dude, I really think you need to get some sleep. You're not a bad idea, just maybe shouldn't have kissed your ex."

"He kissed me! But I kissed back so I'm just as guilty! I just miss him so much and…" Mako fell face first in to his pillow and screamed.

Bolin patted Mako on the back hoping that soon one of the moms would be here to take care of this mess. He was going to tell Mako what he overheard but his brother really wasn't in a state to hear that. For all Bolin knew Mako could take the news as his mothers were so disgusted with him they wanted to ship him off and never see him again.

"I'm sure it will all workout. Just take a nap we can talk about it later."

.o.

~And now to our latest story. Cabbage crop has been shut down upon suspicion of backing Amon. More on this story as it-~

Korra shut the radio off unable to deal with the current situation. Asami smiled and patted her arm. "Hey smile, could be worse, Iroh could be dead."

Korra gave her friend a weak smile. "Thanks Asami." She looked around the beautifully decorated room. "And thanks for inviting me over this place is amazing! I've never seen a place so nice outside of the Fire Nation capital."

"Thanks, my mom had the whole place decorated to be as classy as a royal palace."

"Well, it is definitely close to the Royal Palace." Korra looked at herself in a mirror. She had opted to wear one of Iroh's white shirts and some pants; she'd never be allowed to wander around the palace dressed like this.

"You've been there?" Asami giggled. "Of course you have you're the avatar! I bet you know Fire Lord Izumi and prince Iroh personally."

Korra laughed. "Well yeah, prince Iroh and General Iroh are the same person."

Asami hit the side of her head. "Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot so much happened that night I think I hit my head in the explosion."

"Don't worry about it." Korra smiled. "It's really just a minor detail, Iroh's a lot more than a prince and like you said a lot happened that night…actually I don't remember telling you he was the prince."

"You didn't it was Mako's mother who told us. Well one of them…I'm still kind of surprised about that. Did you know?"

Korra shook her head. "I knew Iroh's aunt had a wife but I didn't know that Mako and Bolin were their sons. Small world."

"And it keeps getting smaller." Mr. Sato walked up to her. "Avatar Korra, what a pleasant surprise. I thought you were being held captive on Air Temple Island."

Korra smirked. "I was able to slip my shadow, poor Lu Ten I wonder how long he'll think I'm actually in that shower?...probably a while he does have a sister." Korra shrugged. "Sorry, I babble, you're house is lovely."

"Thank you. Will you be joining us for dinner?"

"Uh, I actually hadn't planned that far."

Asami grabbed Korra's arm. "Yes, she'll be joining us and Bolin might come over too. Is it ok if he joins us for dinner?"

"I don't see why not. Well I'll leave you girls to your own devices I'll be working in my office and don't want to be disturbed."

Asami nodded. "Don't worry, you'll hardly know we're here." Asami waited for Mr. Sato to leave the room before tugging on Korra's arm. "Hey! Before Bolin gets here I've got to show you something!"

Suddenly Korra was pulled down the hall out of the house to a test track where two beautiful new racecars sat. Korra looked at them with her mouth slightly open. "Wow, how fast can they go?"

Asami patted one. "I can get this one up to a blistering 75 mph. Do you want to go for a spin?"

Korra nodded. "Yeah! But I can't drive….at all."

"Don't worry, you can sit behind me in this car." She handed Korra a helmet. "Prepare to be amazed!"

The wind rushed past Korra at an alarming speed as the car raced around the track. The machine was seemed to glide of the track with Asami's graceful handling. The car finally came to a stop near a cheering Bolin. He ran over to the girls.

"Oh my gosh! That was awesome! I've never seen anything go that fast! How fast where you going?"

"I almost got her up to 80 miles pre hour." Asami bragged pulling off her helmet. "So who wants to go hit the pool?"

Bolin raised his hand practically jumping. "Oh oh! I do! I'll go change!"

Before either of the girls could say anything the earth bender had already run off. Asami chuckled. "I wonder if that's why Lin has gray hair?"

Korra laughed. "Could be. Hey is there another bathroom I could use?" She grabbed her bag from where she had left it.

"Yeah, It's up the stairs, turn left second door on your right."

"Thanks!"

.o.

Korra looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a typical Fire Nation two piece bathing suit, which roughly translated to 'bikini like swim fashion'. Korra pulled one of Iroh's over sized shirts over her head as a cover up. She has heard that Republic City fashions were a little more conservative and she rather not wonder through a friend's house in something akin to underwear. As she walked out of the room she heard someone talking frantically on the phone.

"No, no! No, I assure you, everything is going exactly as planned."

Her curiosity peaked Korra made her way slowly towards the voice.

"Uh-um, yes ... Luckily, the Cabbage Corp investigation has bought us enough time. Trust me, by the end of the week ... we'll be ready to strike!"

Korra's eyes widened. Mr. Sato? Was he an equalist too? The man hung up the phone and Korra quickly retreated to the direction of the pool. She was stopped at the bottom on the stairs.

"Avatar Korra!" Heroshi Sato called out.

She turned to face him. "Yes?"

The man held up her bag. "You left this in the hall."

"Oh…I guess I must have dropped it." She ran up the stairs and took the bag. "Sorry. Thanks for grabbing it."

"Oh not a problem Miss." Korra's eye twitched, she didn't like being called 'Miss'. "I'm happy to help. Very happy, I just learned a very lucrative investment is about to pay off."

"Oh really?"

"Yes! I just got word that trade negotiations with the Fire Nation are going to pay off. I'll be able to strike a great deal with the Fire Nation navy at the end of the week!" His smile broadened. "To day is turning out to be a great day!" He started to walk away. "I think I'll open up a bottle of wine tonight at dinner."

Korra shook her head. Of course it was some type of business deal. Heroshi wasn't an Equalist he was a businessman. I can't start seeing equalists everywhere. She bit her lip and started to walk to the pool. Just because Iroh's one doesn't mean every non-bender is. It's this paranoid thinking that's just going to cause more problems.

.o.

Korra left the manor later than she had expected. "Tenzin is going to kill me." She muttered under her breath as she signaled for a cab. She was ready for the lecture coming in to Tenzin's house but found it surprisingly absent. The Air bender just gave her a look and told her that tomorrow's lesions would start at 6am. Korra groaned but didn't fight it.

She walked into her room and immediately froze. Some idiot had put a vase of Fire Lilies by her bed. Covering her nose and mouth Korra walked over to the flowers and gave a sigh of relief when she found they were silk flowers.

"But who would send me silk Fire Lilies?" Korra spied a card and opened it. "Oh, that's who." She pulled out a gift certificate to the Blue Dragon spa with a time and date scrawled on the back. "Ok, Honey I can tell you want to meet but don't be surprised if I punch you right in the nose."

A/N: Hey guys thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Comment or Question if you feel so compelled! And for anyone who was curious as to why Mako didn't join his brother at Sato Manor he's still healing and couldn't swim anyway. I don't think that's a really big plot point but that's why he wasn't there.