It had been a full week since the darkness overcame the Fire Nation and it's people were beginning to panic. There was no fire bending going on and no sign of this darkness ever ending. The royal family was especially worried. Fire Lord Tingzhe's nerves about the nation's current state are starting to wear down on him and he has begun taking to bed earlier each night. Fire Lady Wen has gone sick with worry for her husband's well being, and for the time Zihao has taken over council meetings in the War Room.

"Other nation's will begin to suspect soon enough. If we don't have this problem solved soon, we're liable to an attack."

One General states obviously, while the others in the room nod in agreement. Another General, across from the first suggests, "Perhaps we should call on Avatar Kuruk, he might know of an answer."

"No." Zihao cuts in, "The Avatar most likely already knows what is happening, if he cared he would've been here by now, but he's not. He most likely isn't coming. We need to figure out a solution on our own."

"My Lord," cuts in Da, "Perhaps we should consult the symbol of Ri, the fire spirit. I believe the eternal flame resides in the town in which your wife, princess Xia, once lived. Since she has a connection with the spirit, she might be able to find out what is happening with the spirit."

Zihao rubs his forehead for a long moment, contemplating Da's idea. After a while of thinking, and seeing no other solution, he slowly nodded his head to let the council know that the plan was accepted.

"Da, please ready a carriage and an escort for my wife and I. It seems we'll be visiting my in-laws."

Standing up and leaving the room, Zihao quickly makes his way to his room, where he hopes to find his wife. Luckily, Xia is in the room and so her husband doesn't have to go on a wild goose chase for her. Xia smiles to her husband when she sees him walk in and hands Peizhi to a maid that was standing near by. Walking into Zihao's arms, Xia asks, "Any progress?"

"A bit. It was suggested that we need to ask the sun spirit for advice, or something along those lines. So we'll be leaving for your old village today. Da thought maybe you'd be able to converse with the spirit since, well, since—"

"Since I was saved by Ri in the past."

"Right."

The couple was silent for a while longer, while Xia processed the news. Finally, she asks, "Will we be taking Peizhi?"

"Do you think he's ready to travel?"

"No, but I don't want to leave him. I suppose this moment had to happen sometime, though, right?"

Instead of responding, Zihao merely tightens his hold on her.

Soon Zihao and Xia were off inside of a carriage drawn by a couple of camelephants and made their way to the birthplace of the princess. They arrived at her parents house about three hours later. After the initial greetings, which included many hugs and kisses, the two royals headed out towards the shrine along with their guard. The walk over all took about thirty minutes, by the time they reached the base of the shrine, Zihao was panting with exhaustion.

"Zihao," Xia teases, "Are you that out of shape? Do I need to take up my old position as your master and begin your training all over again?"

"Oh, yes, master Xia."

He mumbles against her lips before kissing his wife softly on her lips. Xia blushes brightly at his words, and laughs soon after. They begin to walk into the shrine, hand in hand, when Xia gasps at the sight of the eternal flame of Ri. It is hardly staying alight and flickering dangerously. Zihao grabs Xia's hand and he slowly walks them over to the flame.

"What does this mean?" Zihao mutters.

"Ri's dying."

Shocked by this statement, Zihao looks over to his wife, eyes wide. The light in Xia's eyes are gone, and seem to be clouded over, as if in a trance. Cautiously, the princess takes a step toward the flame, her hand outstretched. The closer she gets, the stronger the flame seems to become, and the dizzier Xia starts to feel. With her hand almost touching the flame now, Xia's legs begin to feel week, her breathing becomes uneven and ragged. Zihao notices the change immediately and swiftly grasps her hand and pulls her away from the flame, which instantly dies down.

"Xia!"

Looking around her, surprised, Xis asks, "What happened?"

"Nothing. We're leaving. Come."

Zihao drags her out of the shrine all the way back to her parents house, while Xia stares round her, confused. When the reach the house, Zihao takes her aside into the room they will be sleeping in and sits Xia down on the bed.

"Xia, do you know what just happened back there?"

She looks up at him and blinks several times before answering simply, "No."

The prince signs and kneels down in front of his wife. "This was a bad idea. We never should have come here. Xia, we're leaving tomorrow—"

"—what about my parents?"

"They can accompany us, it doesn't matter. Xia, listen to me, I don't want you going back to the shrine."

"Why?"

"Something was happening to you in there. You were in some sort of trance. I—I didn't like it. Please, Xia, promise me you won't g back there."

"I—I promise, Zihao."

Zihao lets out what feels like the biggest sigh in his life and kisses Xia on the forehead. Playing with a strand of her hair, he leans in to kiss her, pushing her back onto the bed.

"I do believe your parents are out right now. We're all alone."

Xia blushes darkly at what he's implying. Not trusting her voice at the moment, she simply nods and leans up to kiss her husband.

0o0

"Xia, Xia wake up. Please Xia, I need you to listen to me!"

Xia opens her eyes and stills for a moment, confused by her surroundings. Where was she? Last thing she remembers was falling asleep in Zihao's arms. Now, however, she's surrounded by white smoke and can't seem to distinguish anything around her.

"Xia!"

"Whose there?"

"Xia, don't you know who I am?"

Staring blankly out in the direction of the voice. Then it dawns on her, "Ri?"

"Yes, my child. The time has come, and I need your help."

"How can I help?"

"I gave you life as a child, and now that my own life is flickering, I need that life back."

Xia's brows scrunch together. Was Ri asking what she thought he was? Surely not.

"You...you want me to die?"

"Sadly, yes. Listen to me, child! I would not ask you unless it was necessary. I am dying, and if I die then so does the sun. Do you understand? There will be no more fire benders. Worse still, if the sun is gone then everyone will die. The world itself will cease to exist. I am not asking you out of selfishness, girl! I need your life to save thousands. The life of your husband, you people, you son...they all rest on your sacrifice."

Xia sits in the smoke motionless for what feels like and eternity. "What do I need to do?"

"What you almost did earlier today. Return to the shrine and touch my flame. It will be painless, I promise you."

The princess nods sadly, thinking back to Zihao's words and the promise she made him earlier. Seems like she won't be able to keep it after all.

0o0

Xia wakes in the bed with a start. The sun-that-isn't begins to rise and the prodigy looks down at her husband, still asleep with his head on a pillow. Brushing a few stray strands away from his face, it takes every ounce of self control Xia has to stop herself from crying and thus waking her husband. She wishes they had brought Peizhi along so she could say good-bye to him, at least. Then again, seeing her child's face would most likely break her resolve.

Pulling on some clothes, Xia makes her way out of the home in which she grew up. After sending the guard at the house entrance off for some trivial task, the prodigy made her way back to the shrine, praying that no one saw her. It seems her prayers were answered, which was a bittersweet feeling, because she made it to the shrine with absolutely no complications.

Walking up to the flickering flame, Xia takes a shaky breath before reaching her hand out and placing her hand into the fire. Feeling a pull inside of her, Xia's sight began to blur. She thought, longingly, that she heard Zihao calling her name right before everything went dark and her body fell to the floor.

"Xia! No!"

Zihao yelled, dropping down to his wife's body. Picking her up, he rocked back and forth, tears threatening to fall.

"Xia, Xia, no, please, please come back. Come back, come back."

Eventually the guards came in and touched the prince on his shoulder. A gross sob erupted from Zihao's mouth before he stood up, Xia's body tucked neatly in his arms, and walked out of the shrine. Hissing in pain and closing his eyes, he feels blinded by the sun's brightness. The guard to Zihao's left lets out a statement, "It's the brightest day in Fire Nation history, I suppose."

"No." Zihao responds bitterly, beginning to walk back towards his in-laws house with his dead wife. "It's the darkest."

A/N: Sad day, Xia's dead but the fire nation lives on. Well tell me what you think. I'm glad I finally finished this story. I took long enough, didn't I?

Pastry~