Tension in the palace only worsened since that night. Little was said or done and little was acknowledged. To say it made Ursa sad was an understatement. For once her children were finally getting along but it seemed that never lasted more than a lucky string of months. Of course, she didn't blame Azula for being angry. She had every right to be, but the amount of silent rage that the princess had was scary. There were times Ursa caught Azula trembling simply because of the anger in her heart and the inability to properly express it.
What's more, Zuko and Mai weren't on speaking terms and Ursa suspected it had to do with Zuko's callous discovery about Azula. The only person within the palace and Ursa's family who didn't have a bone to pick with someone was Kiyi.
"So, at school I have this project," Kiyi ventured, snapping Ursa from her thoughts as they all ate a very awkward and very silent dinner, "and I was wondering if one of you could help."
"What's it about?" Zuko asked.
"So I have to come up with an experiment, and science isn't really my thing," Kiyi blushed, "so...any experiment ideas?"
"That's kind of vague," Mai noted, her brow furrowing in thought. "You have to make an experiment. Just any kind? About anything?"
"Yep, but I want it to be the best and the most interesting," Kiyi decided. "So, please give me your ideas so I can steal them."
"At least you're honest about stealing," Ikem teased, earning a playful side eye from his daughter.
"You could always do a social experiment," Zuko suggested. "I read that the presentation of food helps determine whether people will eat it or not. You could make the same meal but present it in two different ways and see which one people are more likely to eat."
"Not a bad idea," Kiyi noted, "any other ideas?"
"Explosives," Mai smirked.
"Uh," Kiyi worried, "I don't think mom will let me play with explosives."
"That would be a correct assumption," Ursa mused.
"You could see how likely it is for history to actually repeat itself," Azula muttered, not making eye contact.
"Woah," Kiyi gasped, "that sounds awesome! How would we do it though?"
"I can show you," Azula promised, pushing her food around with her fork.
"Great!" Kiyi grinned, wiggling excitedly in her seat.
"I guess that's that then," Zuko noted.
Once again a heavy silence settled over the table. Azula was the first to leave and she gestured for Kiyi to follow. The youngest sibling was happy to do so. She matched Azula's pace as they headed to the library.
"It'll be an extensive project but I won't mind helping," Azula promised, "you'll have to make a timeline and take a lot of notes but I guarantee this will win whatever award you're looking for."
"I don't doubt it," Kiyi smiled, following Azula into the large library.
Shelves upon shelves of scrolls and books decorated the walls and interior of the room. It was any avid reader's paradise. "Where do we start?"
"As far back as we can," Azula explained, venturing to the farthest section of the library where a thick layer of dust covered the shelves and scrolls. "We start at the beginning."
After a half hour of looking, Kiyi and Azula sat at a table piled high with books and scrolls. Each had paper and ink to take notes with and the silence that had once been awkward was now comfortable.
"Azula?" Kiyi ventured, shifting nervously in her seat.
"Hm?" Azula asked, not looking away from her book.
"Um, if it's any consolation to you, I think you're pretty brave," Kiyi muttered, "you know, to still love Ty Lee even after all you've been through. Most people would've given up but you didn't and I admire that."
Kiyi sat still, holding her breath and waiting for the inevitable fall out of her remark. None came. Instead, Azula let out a long sigh and spared her younger sister a small glance.
"Thank you," Azula whispered, her demeanor shifting ever so slightly. She was more relaxed now, less tense and angry looking. "But, it's not-it's not brave and it's not something to admire. Don't fool yourself into thinking that, Kiyi."
"That's just it though," Kiyi continued in a burst of courage, "it is! Maybe you've fooled yourself into thinking that it isn't? You can't possibly be the only one whose had to experience these things. Other people have too, and they would-they would rally behind you in an instant. I guarantee it."
"Thank you, Kiyi, I'm relieved you don't see it the way others do, but the world isn't that simple and I'm not trying to demean you but your outlook is naive," Azula explained, her voice becoming stern as if she were scolding her younger sister. "There's a reason people like me keep secrets. There's a reason you don't see others like me out and about doing whatever they want with whoever they want. Because the people who are normal far outway those of us who aren't and that is a terrifying thought I'd rather not think about."
"You could help them though," Kiyi mumbled, "You could show them it's okay."
"Or I could be killed, disowned, banished, etc. Just...don't get involved with it Kiyi. At least for your own good. I can't have you getting into trouble by defending me," Azula replied, her expression softening as she noticed Kiyi's crestfallen gaze.
"I just care about you," Kiyi sighed, "that's all."
"I know," Azula smiled faintly. "You're a good sister."
— — —
It was Kiyi's project that kept Azula sane over the next two weeks. It distracted her from her anger, her pain,  and her loneliness, but it also gave her an opportunity to know Kiyi more than she ever had before. Unfortunately, Kiyi was a painful reminder of the one person Azula wanted to see more than anyone else.
Like Ty Lee, Kiyi hated sitting still longer than necessary. Like Ty Lee, she asked silly questions one moment and deep thoughtful ones the next. Like Ty Lee she always found a way to make light of a boring situation. Like Ty Lee, Kiyi was cheery, curious, kind hearted, silly, and all around the kind of girl people would fall head over heels for.
"How's the project coming along?" Ikem asked, sidling over to the table Kiyi and Azula had claimed some time ago.
"Fantastic!" Kiyi grinned, currently laying across the table with a book in her hands. "I'm learning a lot but it's also kind of like a puzzle or a big game of connect the dots."
"Fascinating," Ikem smiled, tickling the bottom of Kiyi's bare feet.
"Daddy! No!" Kiyi laughed, rolling off the table and landing with an 'oof.'
"If you kill her I'm telling mom," Azula replied dryly which only made the other two laugh.
"I'm fine," Kiyi promised, simply making herself comfortable on the floor.
"Ikem?" Ursa called, poking her head into the library. Something about her tone made Azula nervous. Kiyi sensed it too because she sat up to peek over the table's edge. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Of course," Ikem nodded, leaving Azula and Kiyi alone.
"I don't like the sound of that," Kiyi worried.
"Neither do I," Azula agreed.
Both girls waited impatiently for some sort of news but none came. At last, Kiyi clambered to her feet and ventured into the hallway. Azula didn't follow. She figured that if it pertained to her they would tell her. If not, there was no reason for her to be worried.
Then came the dreaded, "Azula?"
The princess glanced up from her work to see her mother taking the only other open seat across from her.
"What?" Azula asked.
"I got word from Katara in Republic City. There was...an explosion at the courthouse. We haven't gotten word from anyone about casualties. We do know that the avatar, Toph, Sokka, and Ty Lee were inside."
"What?" Azula asked again, only this time her voice was incredibly small.
"Chances are things are fine considering Aang was there, but Katara suspects that a group of separatists or a local gang are responsible," Ursa continued.
"She'll be okay right?" Azula asked, feeling like the wind was knocked out of her.
"I don't know," Ursa admitted.
"Does Zuko know?" Azula worried. "Is he sending help? The entire courthouse was full last time I was there. There's going to be people that are hurt and-"
"He knows," Ursa promised, "but he's not sending help. It won't get there in time to be of use. For now we just have to wait."
"Right," Azula nodded, swallowing tightly.
"Are you okay?" Ursa asked.
"Yeah," Azula insisted, but the book she was holding began to smolder, and her knuckles were turning white from gripping it so hard.
— — —
"Is Twinkle Toes still out?" Toph asked, her arms beginning to shake from holding the rubble up.
"Yeah," Sokka worried, using his overcoat to compress a nasty gash on Aang's head.
"We gotta get word outside," Toph worried.
"There's unfortunately no way out," Sokka replied.
"I can try squeezing through the gaps," Ty Lee offered, noticing the fear in the other ambassador's faces. There were dozens of people relying on Toph so they wouldn't be crushed by tons of debris.
"You sure you can fit?" Sokka asked, eyeing the narrow gaps amidst the rubble.
"I'm flexible," Ty Lee promised, "I'll make it work so long as Top can keep things steady."
"I've done it before. Nothing like round two," Toph grunted, but Ty Lee still worried. With Aang out like a light, Toph had no help in supporting the weight of the rubble.
"Right. I'll be back with help," Ty Lee assured, stepping over people, hands, arms, and legs until she reached a sizable hole. Sucking in a sharp breath, she wedged herself through the gap and disappeared from sight.
It was dark to say the least, but there were thin beams of light that allowed her to see even if it wasn't much. Practically tucked in on herself, the acrobat shifted onto her back and scooted backwards through a crevice feeling the rough stone against her skin. Shimmying out the other side, she  crawled slowly over a massive chunk of stone and slipped down through a gap on the other side.
It was a rough, narrow, dark, and deadly maze. Sweat coated her in a thick film, and dust began to stick to her like a second layer of skin. Coughing to clear her lungs, Ty Lee searched about for the next gap.
This one was far smaller than all of the others, but with a set jaw she raised her arms overhead and wriggled through the first half only to have to change directions half way through. If she didn't, she'd get stuck between the gap and a large bit of stone.
Grunting, she arched back, and grasped blindly at the large stone above looking for some form of purchase. Her palms were becoming raw and her knees were already scraped. Clutching at a small handhold, she pulled her legs up through the first gap and continued to wriggle through the second.
As time passed, she grew increasingly tired, sore, and scraped up. At one point a pice of metal sliced along her hip sending blood running down her leg.
Despite this, Ty Lee continued, and after an eternity she saw an exit. A small cry of relief escaped her and she tumbled out of the final crevice not gloriously as some hero but rather pathetically.
"Holy shit!" Someone yelled, and the acrobat was vaguely aware of someone pulling her to her feet.
"You okay?" It was Katara.
"Worry about that later. Aang's unconscious and Toph's holding that whole place up. Everyone's grouped together and I only got out through some gaps," Ty Lee explained in a rush of breath and words.
"Right," Katara nodded. "Do you think you can give a rough layout of things so we don't accidentally crush anyone?"
"Yeah, give me some paper," Ty Lee nodded.
She did her best to roughly sketch out what the interior of the collapsed building looked like, and hoped that the other earth benders on scene could pull off a rescue mission without accidentally squishing everyone.
— — —
Azula did her best not to seem worried. She did her best not to pace or to be anxious but that wasn't as easy as she thought. She didn't have the slightest clue what was going on in Republic City and for all she knew anyone inside that building was dead.
Hours passed, the sun began to set, and still no word had come. Azula didn't sleep that night. She couldn't. Her thoughts were running wild and she could only imagine worst case scenarios. What was more, Azula couldn't really recall the last time she'd been able to hold the acrobat's hand or to see her smile or to hear her laugh and the thought of not experiencing any of that again frightened her.
It made her sick.
And when the sun rose the next day her worry was still there and her fears lurked around every corner. It was hard to think or to acknowledge those around her and it was hard to comprehend the passage of time.
All she could do was wait impatiently for some news, some letter saying everything was okay but that never came. Not the second night, and not the third morning.
Frankly, it was driving her mad. To anyone else she looked like a ghost, or a shadow, an empty shell and not much more. She was too absorbed in her own thoughts.
And then, finally, the universe gave her a break. A message came.
"Everyone's alright," Ursa informed," Toph managed to keep the building from collapsing. People's wounds are being treated as we speak."
"Good," Azula nodded, letting out a small sigh. "That's good."
"I'm not sure when she'll be home but it'll be soon," Ursa insisted, though there was no way of knowing if she was right.
So Azula had to wait yet again, but this seemed even worse than before. She didn't know if Ty Lee was hurt or if she was okay or if she was even out of the rubble yet. There were too many possibilities to think on and too much time to do so.
Only Azula didn't know how complicated things would become. Because, while she wanted to see Ty Lee more than anything in the world, Ty Lee didn't know what had transpired within the palace while she was away and Azula dreaded having to explain it to her.
And all the while she could feel Zuko's watchful gaze. He was studying her for some reason and she hated it. Did he want her to react a certain way? Did he expect her to be behaving any differently than she was? What was she doing that warranted his attention?
"Here." Azula jumped in her seat at the table where she'd been sitting since breakfast. Mai handed her a charred piece of paper. "I found this outside. I think it's one of yours."
"Oh," Azula nodded, taking it carefully. "Thank you."
"Of course," Mai nodded, smiling faintly. "I didn't see any others."
"It's alright," Azula sighed, "don't worry yourself over it they're just papers."
"You and I both know that's not true," Mai shook her head, "they matter to you so they matter to me."
The sentence, although simple in nature, surprised Azula. She regarded Mai carefully before deciding that Mai was being honest. "I...appreciate it."
"SHE'S BACK!" Kiyi yelled loud enough to startle both Mai and Azula who instinctively stood up prepared to fend off some unseen threat. "SHE'S BACK! I'M SO EXCITED!"
"What the hell?" Mai frowned in confusion. "How does she know?"
"She got a telescope a few birthday's ago, she's been spying on the docks," Ursa informed, trying to hush her youngest daughter but it wasn't working in the slightest.
Kiyi jogged in place waiting impatiently until a familiar pink clad figure ventured into the room and suddenly she bolted. Kiyi nearly knocked the acrobat flat from the force of her hug but Ty Lee managed to regain her balance. "I missed you so much! You're alive! That's great! How's everyone else? Was it scary? Was it cool? What happened? Did you-"
"Okay," Ursa interrupted, "Kiyi, let her breathe."
"It's alright," Ty Lee promised, but she looked tired and worn. "I'll answer all your questions tomorrow. I'm really tired."
"Awwwe okay," Kiyi groaned, but she wasn't truly disappointed.
"It's good to be back," Ty Lee sighed, giving Ursa a light hug, then wandering over to Mai and giving her a hug too. "You're not taller are you?"
"Yeah," Mai rolled her eyes, "no, I'm not. I stopped growing a long time ago you dork."
"Hey Zuko," the acrobat smiled tiredly, but he wasn't paying much attention to her. Instead, he was watching Azula closely with a look of mild irritation. "Am I missing something?"
"I don't know," Zuko shrugged, "are you?"
The remark made Azula bristle but she held her tongue. Sure, she was glad Ty Lee was okay, despite the bandages on her arms and torso, and she wanted to smother the acrobat in a hug and maybe cry a little too but not here. Not now.
"Zuko," Mai sighed.
"I'm just trying to understand why you're acting like nothing's changed. Everybody knows. You don't have to be so stoic," Zuko stated, seeming to ignore Mai's warning.
"Don't start," Azula glowered. "Please."
"It just doesn't make sense," Zuko continued, "I'd expect you to be elated, excited, I don't know...actually greet her."
"Yeah," Ty Lee frowned, "I missed something. What's going on?"
"Don't look at me," Zuko held his hands up in front of himself, "ask her."
With venom in her eyes, Azula took Ty Lee by the hand and pulled her off to the side hopefully out of sight from the others.
"'Zula, what happened?" Ty Lee asked, her expression softening. Taking a shaky breath, Azula did her best to explain what happened.
"I just...I don't know. I don't want things to change from how they were. I liked it when they didn't know because they didn't expect anything. They didn't expect me to act a certain way or to do certain things and I just-they didn't know," Azula worried, pulling anxiously at the hem of her shirt.
"Then things don't have to change," Ty Lee promised. "I'm sorry this all happened. It's not fair and you have every right to be angry-"
"It wasn't just my privacy though," Azula glowered, "it was yours. I'm used to having my privacy invaded but the fact that he just-it's not right."
"It happened though, and we can't change it," the acrobat sighed.
"And I don't want it to seem like I'm unhappy you're back. I'm glad you're okay. I was worried and I couldn't sleep...but I didn't know how to react," Azula admitted. "I just want to be alone with you and act like nothing happened. I just want to rest but now anytime we're alone together they'll-they'll assume things and-"
"Then that's their issue," Ty Lee smiled faintly. "Don't worry about them. You don't have to. And frankly Zuko's lucky I'm tired because I kind of want to beat him up."
It was the first time in a while Azula laughed, and she very carefully pulled the acrobat into a hug. She nestled her face into the crook of Ty Lee's shoulder and a sense of relief washed over her. In fact, just standing there quietly was enough to remind Azula how tired she truly was.
But what Azula didn't know was that her family could see everything that transpired and for Ursa it was nice to see Azula laugh again. It was nice to see her smile and even cry a little. She was beginning to realize that Azula and Ty Lee brought the best out in each other. There was nothing wrong with that. There was even something soft and sweet in their relationship that Ursa hadn't noticed before. It was an understanding amongst them that others would never be privy to.
But for Zuko it was strange. He hated the idea of his sister being so dependent on someone else. He hated the idea that someone else could change Azula so much that she became some sort of stranger to him. It was foreign and uncomfortable for Zuko to see. Why? He wasn't sure, but he didn't stick around like the others. He didn't want to.