I fixed up this chapter quite a bit. Context is the same like I said. Just was very messy.

Chapter 39: A Taste of Victory

Katara stared down at the letter with horror, reading over the contents in disbelief. She looked at me with question as the last two minutes sunk into her.

"Where did you get this?" She looked back down. "That's definitely an official seal."

Sokka had been petting Appa still, and pondering over our next steps, but he overheard our conversation and stepped over to Katara reading the letter over her shoulder. Zuko waited for someone to explain what was going on from where he stood a little off from the group. Aang and Toph stayed quiet in curiosity as well from where they were still beside Appa.

As Sokka read the letter, his eyes narrowed in fury. "What?! The Dai Li knew about Omashu and didn't do anything! What's wrong with these people?!"

At the name Omashu, Aang quickly stepped over and grabbed the letter from Katara. He read the contents quickly. His eyes widened when he heard the drastic plea from his friend Bumi through the words.

Gritting his teeth, he snapped, "Bumi asked for help and was ignored!" He looked at all of us with fury. "That's it! We're getting to the King right now! It's time we take Long Feng and his followers down." He turned and walked over to Appa. "Who's ready to break into a palace?"

Zuko was astonished by Aang's suggestion. He had no clue what was going on and was trying to understand. "What? We're breaking into the palace? Why?"

Sokka beamed with excitement, ignoring his question. "Bring it on!"

"Wait!" Katara exclaimed. "Long Feng is in control of the city. His conspiracy with the Dai Li is too powerful. I think we should just keep flying and leave this horrible place behind us. I don't think you can go on much longer anyway, Crys."

"I'm fine," I promised, trying to sound convincing. "The sooner we stop the Dai Li then the sooner I can rest. King Kuei needs to know about the war if we're ever going to get one step closer to winning."

"Yeah!" Aang jumped back in. "And now that we have Appa back, there is nothing stopping us from telling the Earth King the truth about the conspiracy and the war."

"See! Aang and Crys are onboard!" Sokka was pumped and ready for an ambush. "It's the whole reason we came here in the first place… we have to try."

Katara let out a heavy sigh. "Well, I guess if the Earth King knew the truth, things could change..."

Toph pointed her finger at Sokka. "I don't trust the new positive Sokka. Long Feng brainwashed you, didn't he!"

Zuko looked at Toph with surprise. I gave him a small smile, saying, "Don't take her seriously. She's kidding."

Toph nodded in agreement. "You'll learn, loverboy."

Sokka broke back in. "Enough chitchat! Let's get moving."

Zuko argued. "Wait! Can someone catch me up? Why are we breaking into the palace?"

Katara scowled. "No! He can't come! Last thing we need is him knowing our plans."

Aang argued. "Katara… I trust Zuko. I know you're not thrilled with having him in the group, but I can sense he really has changed. Give him a chance."

She huffed and turned her back on us, heading back over to Appa. I frowned with dismay, wishing there was something I could do to ease the tension. I knew this was something Katara and Zuko would have to work out over time.

Aang turned back to Zuko. "So… to get you caught up, we learned about an eclipse that will be happening a little bit before Sozin's comet. Your dad plans to use the comet to destroy the Earth Kingdom because it will give him and firebenders like you insane power. We're hoping if we get the Earth King on our side, we can get the reinforcements we need to stop the Fire Lord on the day of the eclipse."

Zuko was astounded. "How did you learn about all of this?"

Aang smirked. "A giant underground library in the desert."

"Wow… I'm impressed," Zuko said. "And I'm in. Let me know how I can help."

Just as the group was about to board Appa, Toph suddenly asked, "Wait… Katara does have a small point to her bitterness. Are we sure we should bring Zuko? How do we explain the Fire Lord's son being with us?"

The group looked at Zuko with sudden uncertainty, and then Aang had an idea pop in his head. "Well... technically Earth King Kuei doesn't have to know Zuko is the Fire Lord's son. He probably doesn't know who the Fire Lord is anyway. If it gets out Zuko's a firebender, and the King questions us, we'll just tell him that Zuko grew up in the Earth Kingdom and offered to be my firebending teacher." Aang smiled with pride from his plan. "He'll never know!"

Katara scoffed. "Right… Because Zuko's such a model citizen now."

I grimaced. I really wanted Zuko to be accepted by everyone, but I knew this wasn't going to happen in a day. I knew I would need to be patient with Katara, no matter how painful her spite was towards the man I loved.

"I think it sounds great," Sokka commented, trying to lighten the mood.

Zuko shrugged. "It's not a bad idea… but if you need me to reveal my identity, I'll do whatever I can… I'm here to help you all now."

Sokka was glad to hear. "Thanks, Zuko. But your main job in this group apart from being Aang's firebending teacher is to babysit my stubborn and rash sister." He jerked his thumb over to me when he said this.

I went to protest.

Katara cut me off. "Can we just get moving? We're wasting time." She turned and headed towards Appa.

From her tone, none of us argued.

As everyone climbed up on Appa, I took in a deep breath as if doing so would grant me one last burst of energy to get through the day. I was starving and parched, but I refused to complain. Once we got to the Earth King and revealed Long Feng's evil doings, then I could rest at last.

"Alright everyone. Hold on tight, because this is going to be a bumpy ride," Aang exclaimed.

All of us grabbed Appa's fur and prepared to take off. With a groan, Appa smashed his tail down and shot off the earth straight into the air. Aang sat on Appa's head so he could tell him which way to go, while Momo glided beside us glad to have his flying buddy back. As we soared over the city of Ba Sing Se, Zuko shouted over to me, "So we're about to storm into a heavily guarded palace… Are you all usually this rash?"

Sokka was the one to answer. "This is a usual adventure for Team Avatar. You'll get used to it."

Toph whined from beside me, "Can we get another saddle after all of this is over?! Riding bareback is terrifying!"

"We're almost there, Toph," Katara promised. "Just hang on a little longer."

"Easy for you to say! I'm totally blind right now!"

Appa continued through the air, passing over the Lower and Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se with ease. A few minutes later, we got above the Upper Ring and neared the palace that was at the center of the whole city. However, as we approached I started to fear things were going way too easy for us. I had a feeling we were about to find ourselves in a battle zone.

The palace stood golden and elevated in the center of a wall that circled around it. At the front of the palace was a large plaza that had a symmetrically marked pathway leading straight towards the entrance to the inner chambers. A moat was crafted horizontally across the edge of the plaza, separating the plaza from the steps of the palace. From the distance, I saw three bridges were stretched across the moat.

"There it is," Sokka stated. "That whole thing is the palace. The Earth King's chambers should be in the center."

"We have to be careful!" Katara cautioned. "Long Feng's probably warned the King we're coming."

I frowned. "Yeah… I don't doubt that at all."

Sokka snapped at the both of us, "Why would you assume that? If you ask me, I think we're just gonna sail right i-"

Appa jerked up suddenly and we all shouted as we were forced to grab on harder to Appa's fur.

In a panic, Toph cried, "What was that?"

Sokka answered, "Surface to air rocks! More incoming! Ahhh!"

From where I was positioned on Appa, I could vaguely see a large mound of stone shoot up missing us by a hair. As Appa dodged numerous attacks being shot up from down below by the palace guards, Zuko shouted, "Maybe we should land and fight!"

Toph quickly agreed. "I like Zuko's idea!"

Katara shouted back. "And I don't!"

"That's just because you don't like him, Sugarqueen," Toph snapped. "I for one don't want to get shot down from the sky!"

Katara argued. "Well how do I know he's not going to turn around and attack us once his hands are free?"

"Because he'll be dodging the boulders flying at him from the other people we should be focused on," Sokka broke in. "Stop being stupid, Katara!"

"I just don't trust him! He's only been with us for a few hours! He's still the enemy in my eyes!"

"You're not even giving him a chance," I cried, speaking up for the first time. "He just helped us save Appa!"

Katara snapped back at me. "He helped us save you!"

"Stop!" Aang ordered. "Let's do this later! I'm taking us down. Everyone get ready to fight!"

Aang shot Appa down towards the earth and jumped off before Appa landed. As Aang shot a blast of air towards some Earth Kingdom guards who brandished spears, Appa landed on the ground with a groan. Once we were grounded, the rest of us slid off Appa preparing our own weapons. I took some water from a fountain ten yards away and flowed it over to me. Then I prepared to fight, bringing the large floating stream in front of me. Sokka had his Water Tribe club in hand, and Zuko had a grip on both his broadswords, probably deciding not to reveal he was a firebender just yet. Toph beamed with delight as she regained her sight. Katara glared over at Zuko with suspicion as she wielded her own water.

"You kids are trespassing!" One of the guards stepped forward, tightening his fists.

Aang backed up so he was in front of the group, and he gripped his staff hard. "We want to see the Earth King, and this time we're not taking no for an answer!"

The guard who spoke was outraged by Aang's defiance and ordered his men to attack. The other guards immediately ran towards us with their weapons, while others shot rocks at us from afar. We all split up in different directions, although all of us kept moving forward to get closer to the palace. Hitting guard after guard with my water, I saw from the corner of my eyes Zuko and Sokka were fighting the guards who weren't benders. Katara and Toph were watching each other's backs as they used water and rocks to clear a path. Momo stayed on Appa, who was using his powerful tail to shoot Earth Kingdom guards across the plaza with air.

A shout sounded from behind me as a guard ran towards me with a spear. Whipping my water around quickly, I created a thick wall of ice and shoved it against the tip of his blade. While my ice cracked, his spear shattered. His spear had been made out of stone, and obviously hadn't been maintained properly. He stared down at the end of his spear pole in shock, seeing the tip was gone. As he was momentarily stunned, I jerked the molecules back into water and threw it hard at his abdomen. He yelped as he was thrown back and his body hit the earth hard.

The fight in the plaza didn't seem to sway, and Toph appeared to be getting irritated that we weren't making much progress towards the bridge. She shouted for Aang, who jumped and landed beside her with question. She pointed at the line of guards before us that seemed endless, and said something to Aang. He nodded, and the two of them raced forward in front of the group.

As they rushed towards the guards, Aang shouted back, "Follow us!"

Smashing another stream into a guard, I pulled my water back once the man was on the ground and raced forward after the rest of the group who were already moving. Appa followed behind us, groaning to intimidate the guards around us. As we rushed forward, Aang and Toph used earthbending to flip the stone under the line of guards and trap their lower bodies beneath slabs of earth.

As the guards were taken care of in the plaza, we rushed by them with relief towards the bridge that crossed over the moat. Dropping the water I carried, I raced in front of the group as two guards appeared on the bridge to stop us from crossing. Grabbing the water from below, I shoved a wave over the bridge and knocked the two men off into the water below them.

As we ran over the bridge, Aang shouted down below at the guards in the water, "Sorry! We just need to get to the Earth King!"

Zuko snapped, "Don't apologize to the guys who are attacking us!"

Sokka shouted over to Zuko in reply, "That's what I always tell him, but he never listens!"

A boulder shot towards me as soon as I stepped off the bridge, and Toph rushed in front of me stopping the boulder mid-air and shooting it back at the man who threw it. The boulder hit the guy at the foot of the stairs, and he was thrown back with a yelp. I stared at her back in shock, stunned by my moment of weakness.

"Watch yourself, Princess!" Toph snapped back at me. Then she turned her head towards Aang. "Let's take out the stairs Twinkletoes!" They both rushed in front of the group using earthbending to shift the stairs into a slide. As the guards on the stairs yelped and slid down towards us, Toph bent a platform beneath us and sent us sliding up the incline past the guards who shouted on their way down.

As we shot up towards the top where the King's quarters were, with Appa and Momo flying up beside us, Sokka grabbed my arm as I staggered from the movement. My exhaustion was starting to hit me, and my head pounded as my energy began to fade. "Stop trying to do everything," he ordered in my ear. "Let us handle the rest. You're exhausted. Just stay behind us."

"I'm fine," I spoke, pulling from his grip. "Don't worry about me. Just focus on the mission."

Zuko went to argue, stepping over to me, but stopped when he saw my look of plea to drop the matter. He let out a heavy breath.

We stopped up at the top, and the group started to head towards the entrance. As I stepped forward to follow, Sokka grabbed my arm again to pull me back. I looked at him again with frustration. "Sokka… please. Just focus. I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes. "I know you, Crys… You're too stubborn to listen to your own body. You always want to look out for everyone but yourself." He let my arm go, but his eyes burned into my own. "Let us do the rest. You've done enough. You're hurt and tired."

I was stunned by his plea and concern, but I didn't argue. Instead, I nodded to let him know I would. He let go of my arm once he got my compliance, and then the two of us rushed forward to follow the others.

The entrance had no door, being a large open corridor. The hall we entered was tall enough and wide enough that Appa easily stepped through with us. As we entered the palace chambers, we arrived at a four way intersection that led to different parts of the palace. A group of guards rushed towards us down one hall, and Toph stomped her foot on the stone floor sending the earth up from below them and pinning them to the ceiling.

"Toph, which way to the Earth King?"

Toph snapped back at Sokka, "How should I know? I'm still voting that we leave Ba Sing Se!"

Zuko spoke up then, giving some advice. "Usually the King's chambers are at the center of the palace." He pointed towards the hall in front of us. "We should head that way."

Aang beamed. "See! I told you all Zuko would be a great addition to the group! He has princely wisdom!"

Katara scowled, "Enough praise! Let's get this over with!" Katara took the lead, more out of spite than actual determination.

My heart stung at her hate, but I understood the feelings she had for Zuko. He was only an enemy to her eyes. Aang accepted him because the young Avatar always searched for the good in others. Sokka accepted him only enough to make me happy. I knew Toph's main reason was due to not being familiar with the history Zuko had with my family. I had a feeling it would take some time for Zuko to fully be accepted by everyone in the group.

As we made our way down the path before us, Sokka began to open doors left and right, searching for the Earth King. As he opened another door, Zuko snapped, "He's not going to be in a small room if he's a king!"

Sokka opened another door, while looking over at Zuko. "You never know!"

As he spoke, a shout came from inside the room he had opened and a woman cried, "Burglar!"

Sokka cringed shutting the door quickly while stating, "Sorry! Wrong door!"

Zuko let out a sigh of disbelief, as Sokka continued his door opening and shutting.

I smiled weakly, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Just let this run its course. Sokka does his own thing."

"Yeah," he muttered. "I see that."

Just as we headed onto another hall, Sokka stopped abruptly. We quickly stopped with him, and found ourselves in front of a giant double door entry with gold trim. "Now that's an impressive door. It's gotta go somewhere!" He then jumped towards it with a shout and lunged his foot at the stone giving it a kick. His kick had absolutely no effect on the sturdy structure.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Zuko was shocked by Sokka's foolish attempt. "Did you really think that would work?"

Sokka slammed his body up against the door and began to struggle with the heavy surface. Zuko covered his eyes in disbelief. I sighed knowing Sokka would get nowhere with his method, and looked back at Aang and Toph.

"Do something before he hurts himself," I begged.

Aang and Toph stepped up and moved their hands towards the door causing the massive frame to fall forward and crash on the ground. Sokka fell forward from the sudden movement of the door, landing on top of it with an 'oof.' He quickly pulled himself together and looked back at Aang and Toph irritated. "A little warning next time!"

We all entered the massive throne room then, while Toph muttered to him, "You're the one trying to be all macho and tough."

Arriving in the throne room, we were immediately greeted by a line of Dai Li that stood in front of the King. King Kuei sat on an elevated throne, and a giant bear in clothing sat beside him eating some fruit. The king was young, perhaps in his mid-twenties, and was embellished in a fine robe seated at a jaded and golden throne. On the brim of his nose were some small spectacles. He watched us with narrowed eyes as we approached. The Dai Li prepared to attack, and we prepared to fight back.

Aang stepped in front of the group, wielding his staff. "We need to talk to you!"

Long Feng appeared beside the king, and he quickly snapped, "They're here to overthrow you!"

I scowled, tightening my fists at the man's deception.

Sokka defended us. "No, we're on your side. We're here to help."

Katara spoke up as well. "You have to trust us!"

The Earth King rose with fury. "You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, break down my fancy door, and you expect me to trust you?"

Toph grimaced from beside me. "He has a good point."

He continued. "If you're on my side, then drop your weapons and stand down."

Looking around, I saw others in the group meet my gaze. Then once Aang gave the nod, everyone sheathed their weapons or backed from their stances. Once our weapons were away, we waited for the King to give us his trust.

"See," Aang reassured. "We're friends, your Earthiness."

However, friendship didn't seem to be on the King's agenda. With a wave of his arm, he ordered Long Feng to detain us. Just as Long Feng gave a victorious smile, and went to order his men forward, I pulled the scroll out between Sokka's belt and stepped forward. Sokka protested from behind, but I ignored him.

"Wait!" I stopped in the middle of the room, standing between my group and the Dai Li. The King was stunned by my bravery. "Please, your Highness. If you would just read this letter, you'll understand why we're here. The fate of the Earth Kingdom rests in your hands, and if you don't let us explain then all of us will fall. Your kingdom is in danger!"

Long Feng scowled. "Silence! You do not speak to the King so direct! You will be arrested immediately!"

I narrowed my eyes. I felt fury build inside me as I confronted the man that had hurt me so much in the last twenty-four hours. "Arrested again? Is that all you know how to do to keep King Kuei in the dark? Arrest! Brainwash! Beating up kids! Killing teenagers! You sound like such a coward Long Feng! Hiding behind your men and walls, doing nothing to stop the Fire Nation!"

"Crys," Sokka hissed. "You promised."

Ignoring him, I held the letter from King Bumi up for the King before me to see. "There is a war happening, King Kuei!" I stared into the man's eyes, who looked at me with surprise. "If you don't believe me, my friends, or this letter, then fine. However, the least you can do is go see for yourself."

"War…" The king stared at the parchment with shock. Long Feng was both bewildered and outraged by the letter in my hand. The King asked with total confusion, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"This is foolish," Long Feng snapped. He then ordered, "Detain the assailants! Make sure the Avatar and his friends never see daylight again!"

At the word "Avatar" the King's interest was even more peaked. He looked at the others behind me, and pointed at someone. "The Avatar? You're the Avatar?"

Following his finger, I looked back to see he was pointing at Sokka who looked stunned. He answered by pointing to Aang. "Uh, no, him." Aang waved at the King in reply.

"What does it matter Your Highness?" Long Feng snapped. "They're enemies of the state."

As Long Feng spoke this, I suddenly heard giggling from behind me. Looking back at Aang, I saw him laugh as the bear that once sat by the King was now licking his cheek. Zuko inched away from the bear, while Katara smiled at Aang's playful ways.

"Bosco seems to like him though." The King suddenly thought out loud. He then looked back at me turning serious. "I'll hear what you all have to say."

Aang approached, stepping beside me. "Well, sir, there is a war going on right now. For the past hundred years, in fact. The Dai Li's kept it secret from you. It's a conspiracy to control the city, and to control you."

The King was appalled by such information. "A secret war? That's crazy!"

Aang continued. "Long Feng didn't want us to tell you, so he stole our Sky Bison and kidnapped Crystal to blackmail us. And blackmail is the least of his crimes… he brain washed our friend!"

Long Feng scoffed. "All lies. I've never even seen a Sky Bison, Your Majesty. Frankly, I thought they were extinct."

I scowled. "Want to tell that to Appa?"

Long Feng was startled. "What?"

Turning to Aang, I said, "Why don't we bring Appa in and remind Long Feng of their history."

Aang smiled. "Sure! He's right outside the door we just smashed down!"

"Absolutely not! You can't allow a giant beast in here!" Long Feng stated to the king. "He could harm you! Frankly, he's too big to even fit in here!"

I smirked. "How do you know that if you've never seen him?" Long Feng stared at me in fury when he realized I'd just cornered him.

The King realized this as well. "That is an excellent question." He looked at Long Feng with narrowed eyes. "What is the meaning of this, Long Feng?"

He pointed at me. "Don't listen to this girl, your highness! She is nothing more than a criminal and traitor!"

My jaw clenched and my free hand went into a fist. I'd had it with Long Feng and his men. I was tired, and I couldn't handle anymore arrogance from anyone else. I'd been through enough in the last twenty-four hours and wanted nothing more than to curl up on a nice cot and pass out.

Stepping forward, I held the letter out towards the King staring him directly in the eyes. "Please, Earth King Kuei. You can believe Long Feng and arrest us if you want... All I ask is that you read this letter from King Bumi and look into what you've been told. We don't intend to deceive or hurt you… We just want the world to be safe again."

The King stared at me with bewilderment. Then he stood slowly from his throne and made his way towards me.

Long Feng intercepted him. "Sir! I strongly discourage this!"

King Kuei held his hand up to Long Feng to silence him. Long Feng scowled and stepped back with clenched fists. King Kuei then approached me and took the letter from my hand. Opening it, he read over the contents and as he did so his eyes widened in horror.

Long Feng tried again. "Sir! That letter could be a fake! Anyone can fabricate a letter written by some whacko king from some small run down city!"

The King stayed focused on the letter, seeing the frantic scribbles of King Bumi. He saw King Bumi's wax seal at the bottom as well. "King Bumi… My father was good friends with him when he was alive from what I remember…" He frowned. "I thought the man hated me and that's why we never crossed paths." His eyes met my own, and then he looked at the scar that stretched from my cheek to my collar bone. Looking back at the letter once he realized what he was doing, he asked, "So… The Fire Nation attacked Omashu?"

Nodding, I answered, "They have King Bumi as prisoner. The Avatar tried to get him back but had no choice but to retreat." I kept strong as I continued, although every part of me wanted to collapse. "Please sir… The world is in desperate need of your help."

"Your highness!" Long Feng stepped forward towards me, and I backed away in shock. He pointed a sharp finger at me. "This girl is not to be trusted! She is in cahoots with the enemy! She only wants to distract and confuse you!"

"That's a lie," Aang snapped. "Quit trying to blind the king!" He then said to King Kuei, "Crystal is an ally to the Earth Kingdom! She's the daughter of Hakoda, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe! She's speaking the truth, and so is the letter! You have to believe us. We can show you proof if you'll just give us the chance."

"Proof!" Long Feng scowled. "What proof could you possibly have?!"

"Me," a voice spoke up from behind. My eyes widened when I turned to see Zuko step up beside me. He pulled something from his pocket and I saw a leather sheath with the Fire Nation royal crest on it. "My name is Prince Zuko, crowned prince of the Fire Nation. I was once on the opposing side of the war, but betrayed my father by switching sides to help the Avatar." The king stared at the Fire Nation seal in astonishment. "I want to help you defeat my father and end this war once and for all."

"See your majesty!" Long Feng shouted in one final attempt. "They have brought the enemy in our midst! They are here to dethrone you!"

King Kuei stared at Zuko in bewilderment, and then over at Long Feng who looked ready to panic. "I see… They've brought the enemy in my midst... The very enemy you never told me about." He narrowed his eyes at Long Feng. "Let's take a step back." The king didn't look at all pleased. "If these children are enemies of the state, then why on earth was I not informed about them?"

Long Feng's jaw dropped, and he stared blankly at the king. He then snapped his mouth shut and grit his teeth. After a breath of frustration, he stated, "I found it not something to concern you with, your Highness."

Zuko spoke up again. "From a Prince to a King, I ask that you accept our council and proceed to look into this matter Earth King Kuei. Your advisor has been keeping valuable information from you. As a ruler of this city, it is your duty to look into such details that concern your people. You cannot rely on the word of your advisor alone."

Long Feng growled. "I strongly discourage you to listen to this young man! A simple leather sheath with some symbol shows no proof of royalty!"

"ENOUGH!" King Kuei snapped at Long Feng. "You're giving me a headache with all your shouting! I'm going to look into this matter immediately, and come to an understanding of all of this. Send for General How. I want his side of the story."

Silence fell over the throne room then as one of the Dai Li hesitantly left the room to go find the general, and Long Feng looked like he was being cornered by a giant saber-tooth moose lion. He then darted his gaze at me once more and his eyes burned into my own. King Kuei noticed his action, and raised a brow at him. "You seem greatly troubled by this young lady, Long Feng. I sense there is something you're not telling me."

He grit his teeth in fury as he continued to lose the King's trust. "No, your highness. I have nothing to share."

Sokka spoke up. "He's just probably wishing he still had her locked up in his secret layer under the lake." He stepped next to me and put his arm protectively around my shoulders. "Well sorry to say this Long Feng, but you messed with the wrong family."

"Secret layer," King Kuei muttered. He looked at Long Feng as if he were seeing a stranger. "Is there anything else I need to know before General How gets here?"

Long Feng stepped back trying to keep calm, but the panic in his eyes said it all. He realized he was losing control. "There is no secret layer! These children are just trying to deceive you, and you're foolishly falling into their trap."

King Kuei's eyes narrowed more, but his irritation was directed towards his advisor. "So I'm a fool now? Is that why you keep things from me! Is that why it's taken a couple of kids for me to see the truth?"

I could see Long Feng had reached his boiling point. "YES! You are a fool! You choose to listen to the enemy's son and allow him to waltz around the throne room as a guest!" He pointed at Zuko as he spoke. "Meanwhile this wretch," his finger moved towards me, "presents you with a letter that you don't question for a single moment. And above all else, you are completely ignoring the advice of your advisor just because the Avatar comes into your presence! I will call you a fool for such insanity! I didn't spend eighteen years keeping order in this city and the war out for six kids to come in and take it all away from me!"

His eruption had happened. He was outraged by his loss of control over the King, and he had officially cracked. I gave a small smile, tasting the victory. I saw Earth King Kuei was horrified by Long Feng's confession, and I also saw we had won.

The King's eyes narrowed again, and his fists clenched. "DAI LI! ARREST HIM!"

The Dai Li had a moment of hesitation from the King's order, but they finally gave in. Two Dai Li agents unwillingly stepped forward and grabbed their leader's arms. As they restrained him, Long Feng shouted, "You are a fool! I am your most trusted advisor! You can't believe these kids over me!"

The King jabbed his finger at him once more. "Get him out of here! All his shouting is making Bosco restless!" Glancing over at the bear, I saw Bosco didn't even seem to be paying attention as he licked his paw absentmindedly.

The Dai Li dragged Long Feng away, and the man struggled as he went. "I'll be back! You brats won't get away with this!"

Sokka smirked. "Looks like Long Feng is long gone!"

As Long Feng was removed from the room, and quiet fell over us, I saw the King return to his seat with a deep sigh. As he sunk down in disbelief, Aang stepped over to speak to him. While their conversation commenced, I blurred out everything as I focused on staying upright. My body was done. Since the danger was removed literally, and the fight had ceased, the adrenaline inside me was no longer pumping. I was spent.

"Very well. Once General How gets here I will go with you to the outer wall and see this drill you speak of, Avatar Aang. Then we will reconvene and discuss further action. First, I wish to meet the giant bison you speak of! I love meeting new exotic creatures!"

The King's words brought me back to present. He had stood from his throne and pet Momo, who sat on Aang's shoulder, with an inquisitive smile. I noticed Toph whisper something to Sokka. He looked back at me, and then spoke something to Zuko who was paying attention to the King and Aang with curiosity. At whatever Sokka spoke, Zuko nodded in reply.

Aang headed over to us, smiling with relief. "Looks like we did it! The king's on board! And better yet, since Zuko is part of the group now the King feels we may have an advantage to the war!"

Zuko stayed quiet, seeming to become distracted by his thoughts. He nodded though to let Aang know he was on board. I could tell by the troubled expression that he was nervous though. He was about to betray his family… From personal experience, I knew such an action wasn't easy. Stepping over to him, I placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. He smiled over at me with thanks.

"Oh. I also asked the King if we could rest here for the night. Seeing as Toph had a little too much fun with the wall at our place… He said it was fine and he would have someone make repairs," Aang spoke again. I was confused by his statement, but decided I'd ask later about the damage he spoke of.

Zuko smiled. "Looks like there are perks to being in the Avatar's group after all."

Katara scowled. "I still don't like having you in the group."

Toph smirked. "You'll get it over it SugarQueen."

Some time passed, and finally General How arrived in the King's chamber. During that time the King had met Appa, and also gotten information about the war from some of his council members. He was outraged by them all for not telling him about the war outside of his city, but calmed down when he learned they didn't do so due to Long Feng's threats. The more he learned about Long Feng, the more he realized he truly had been a fool to trust him.

General How was currently having a private meeting with the King. He was a very strong man, but raround my father's age. He seemed to have a lot of experience with battle as well. As he told the King about the war, we all sat around in the throne room eating some food that had been granted to us by the servants. The food was truly a gift after being famished for so long. Once King Kuei and General How returned to the room, the King told us he was ready to see the Drill we had destroyed upon first arriving to the city.

"Sure! We can get there on Appa!" Aang exclaimed.

The Earth King was thrilled at the thought. Toph, however, was horrified. "Um… You all go ahead. I'll stay here with Crys."

Zuko nodded. "Yeah. I'll do the same."

Part of me wanted to argue that they were forcing me to stay behind, but I knew from the pain and heaviness in my body that they were doing what was best for me. I hadn't slept in forever, and I would just slow everyone down if I went with them.

"I'll have someone take you to the area where you'll be staying for the night," the King spoke. A female servant approached at the wave of his hand, and gestured for us to follow her. As Toph and Zuko started to go, I turned to Sokka grabbing his arm.

"Come get me as soon as your back."

Sokka grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Chill out, Crys. The hardest part is over. Go rest with the other two before you collapse on me." I looked at him with uncertainty. There was still a feeling inside me that something was going to go wrong. Although we had Appa now, and the Earth King's attention, the Dai Li were still probably loyal to Long Feng. I had a feeling our work was just beginning.

With defeat, I turned and followed the other two as the servant led us out of the throne room and into the inner chambers of the palace. Arriving at a wooden door a few halls later, the woman opened it to reveal a large sitting area. There were cushions in the center of the room around a low wooden table. A green rug with yellow patterns decorated the floor, and paintings of Earth Kingdom scenes furnished the walls. Food and refreshments were on the low table with empty plates and cups. Past the elaborate sitting area was another set of doors that led to connected rooms. The woman gave us a small tour, opening one of the doors to reveal a large washroom and another to reveal a room with three fine cushioned sleeping mats on the floor.

"We will retrieve more sleeping mats for you all. The King is happy to have you as his guests. If you need anything, please ask," the woman spoke, bowing to us politely. She then turned and left the room to give us privacy. As soon as she was gone, Toph beamed with delight.

"Yes! Royal treatment at last!" Toph plopped down on one of the cushions in the room and grabbed a grape from the table. As she did so, Zuko watched her with amusement.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I ran a hand through my hair which was in desperate need of a brush. Zuko noticed my actions, and nudged me towards the washroom. "Why don't you go wash up first? You need it more than me."

I didn't argue. Giving a small smile, I headed into the washroom and shut the door behind. As soon as the door was shut, I let out a deep breath and leaned back on the door. Shutting my eyes, I tried to calm my thoughts which were racing from the events that passed in the last few days. Everything had come so quick at me, and I felt as though I was just beginning to register it all.

After a moment of silence, I walked over to the stone basin. Picking up a folded cloth, I pulled on the water pump which sent a stream of water into the container before me. Dipping the rag in the cool liquid once the basin was full, I pressed the rag to my face enjoying the moisture on my heavy eyelids. Tears started to soak into the cloth as relief hit me for the first time in weeks.

The King was listening to us. Long Feng was arrested. Appa was safe at last. Zuko was the great-grandson of Avatar Roku, had joined the Avatar, and was by my side again. Everything was going right for once in my life. I knew it wouldn't last with my luck, but I didn't dwell on that fact. Instead, I found the weight that bore me down for months was slowly lifted from my shoulders.

Third Person POV

Toph sat in silence as she felt the vibrations of Crystals light steps in the washroom. She had felt her fall back against the door for support, and knew from the way she was holding herself now that she was crying. Zuko sighed heavily across the room as he sat against the wall in exhaustion.

"Can't believe we actually convinced the King," Toph spoke, trying to make conversation and give Crystal some privacy. "I thought for sure we were getting chucked in the dungeon."

The young prince was surprised she was speaking to him. He hadn't conversed with her so directly before, and his social anxiety flared up a bit. He only knew about her from what little interaction he'd had with the group in the last few hours, and also from what Crystal had told him. He tried his best to be social and make conversation though.

"It surprises me he knows nothing about his city… As a prince, I was expected to learn about every inch of the Fire Nation," he muttered.

She fell back against the cushion behind her, resting her hands behind her head and shutting her eyes. "With Long Feng constantly keeping him in the dark, I guess I can see how he would be so blind." She frowned. "My parents tried to shield me constantly from the outside world, but I managed to slip away and learn on my own."

Zuko pondered over her words. He decided to give small-talk a try. Toph didn't seem like awful company. "So… You were born blind then?"

She nodded. "Yep. I don't feel blind though when I'm on the ground. My feet help me see just fine."

He gave a half-smile. "Crys told me about your ability. I can see why the Avatar picked you as his earthbending teacher."

She sat up and crossed her legs. "I was surprised when you agreed to be Aang's firebending teacher honestly. Everyone in the group said you seemed to be blind by the goal of restoring your honor and getting to go back home. What happened to change your mind? Finding out your related to Avatar Roku really had that much impact on you?"

Zuko's eyes shot over to the door that separated him from Crystal. He then lowered his eyes to his lap as he held the answer in his heart. "No. Finding out my ancestry did push me, but that wasn't the whole reason. The moment Long Feng tore Crystal away from me the other night, I forgot all about my father and honor. Losing her that night made me realize that I can't imagine my life without her. If I continue to be your enemy and chase after the Avatar, I know I can never fully have her. We'd just continue to be two worlds apart…"

A pause fell between them as Toph took this in. She then smirked. "You know… You and Princess are like those fairytales my personal tutor used to read out loud to me. They're going to write a tale about you one day. Maybe even have plays about you. Your story is going to be every lovers' dream."

Zuko blushed at her comment, crossing his arms. "After everything I did to her in the past though… I can't fathom why she still loves me."

Toph pondered over his words for a moment. Then she fell back on the pillow again shutting her eyes once more. "I want to say it's because of your good looks, but what would I know about that?" She then sighed. "No… Honestly prince boy… She saw the good in you before the rest of the group did. She told me that you're the one person she feels she can be herself with."

He let Toph's words sink in. The door to the washroom opened before he could speak, and Crystal stepped out. Her eyes shot towards his and she gave him a tired smile. "The king definitely likes to flaunt his wealth… I haven't seen a washroom like that since we were at the spa Iroh took us to."

Toph's ears perked up. "A spa! You never told me you partied it up with the prince!"

Zuko grimaced. "Wasn't much of a party… Azula showed up."

Crystal sighed heavily. "Yeah… That was our luck…" She then stepped over to the center of the room. "So I guess now we just sit around and wait."

Standing from where he'd been seated, Zuko ran a hand through his hair as he spoke once again. "I don't think the others will be back for a while. You should go get some sleep."

"I'm okay," she spoke. "I'll sleep when the others get back."

She went to sit near Toph, but was stopped by Zuko's sudden grasp. He'd walked over to her as she was speaking, knowing she was going to be stubborn.

"Hey!" She whined as Zuko pulled her back to her feet. He forced her away from Toph towards the door beside the washroom. "Zuko! I'm fine!"

Toph listened to it all with surprise and amusement. She didn't jump in though. She'd promised Sokka she'd help Zuko make sure Crystal got the rest she needed.

Zuko opened the door and pulled the struggling waterbender into the room. Then he released her arm and shut the door to block her escape. He knew she was going to be stubborn the moment she found out she wasn't allowed to go with her family to show the king the drill. He hadn't expected her stubbornness would show itself by her refusal to go to sleep.

"If I go to sleep now then I won't wake up later when the others arrive," she whined. "I know none of you intend to wake me up… I'm not stupid." She then muttered. "If anyone should sleep then it's you… You were up all night looking for me…"

Zuko was amused by her defense, but he kept composed. "I'm used to long hours of no sleep. I spent three years searching for the Avatar, remember?" He leaned back on the door with a smirk. "Are you really going to argue about this? Anyone in your position would be throwing themselves down on that cot right now."

She rolled her eyes. "Well I'm not anyone." She stepped forward to try and shove past him. He remained where he was and didn't budge when she tried to push him aside.

"No… You're stubborn." He watched as she backed away with defeat after trying to shove him aside and failing. "Don't make me tuck you in."

"Move aside and you won't have to," she tried. "Stop playing around Zuko… I'm too tired to argue." She went to shove him aside again, but this time he met her halfway and grabbed her around the waist. She was surprised by his sudden contact, and then gasped when he scooped her up into his arms.

"Hey! Zuko!" She tried to twist from his arms, but he ignored her. "Put me down!"

He smiled. "Okay." He hovered her over the cot on the floor and dropped her. She shrieked as she landed on the padded cushion below her. While she was momentarily stunned, Zuko turned and headed towards the door. Grabbing the handle, he looked back at her puzzled expression to say, "I will have Toph replace this door with a stone one if you try to leave. Behave and sleep." He opened it and stepped out, shutting the door behind. To his relief, she didn't follow him outside.

Crystal sat up on the cot and stared at the shut door with both surprise and understanding. She knew Zuko was worried about her health, but she couldn't believe he'd actually dragged her into the room to make her sleep. With a deep sigh, she fell back on the cot allowing herself to sink into the soft mattress. It had been the longest day of her life, and although she really wanted to stay awake to see her family get back, she was too tired to resist the thought of sleep.

"Fine… You win this time," she whispered. Rolling on her side due to the pain in her back from Long Feng's attack a few hours ago, she let out a deep sigh as she shut her eyes.

Toph smiled when she felt through the stone floor that Crystal's body had finally gone still on the mat. Zuko was still leaning against the door to make sure she didn't come out.

"It's all good prince boy. She's asleep," Toph promised.

Zuko gave a deep breath of relief and stepped away from the door. Walking over to the cushions in the room, he sat on one opposite of Toph. "She's so stubborn," he muttered. He rubbed his eyes which were heavy from exhaustion.

"Yeah… That is how she got captured by you originally though… She didn't listen to her brother and attacked you at the South Pole."

Zuko grimaced, remembering the first time he got a taste of Crystal's waterbending.

"I heard she got you good that day," Toph commented. "You must've been super embarrassed getting knocked down by a girl in front of all your men."

Zuko dropped his eyes feeling embarrassed by her comment. He could recall members of his crew laughing about the encounter months ago.

"Hey! I guess you could say Princess literally knocked you off your feet!" Toph beamed at her own pun. "Man, I'm good! Take that Sokka!"

She started to laugh, and Zuko was surprised by her joke. He smiled though, starting to enjoy the earthbenders company. Crystal had told him about Toph's playful nature. He had a feeling as he got to know her more she would indeed be the life of the group.

He was curious to see what the future had in store for him from this point on. One thing was for certain though…

He was elated to be back with the woman he loved.