Hello everyone! Welcome to the next chapter of "The Light in the Flames"! I hope you all are having a great day so far as Thanksgiving comes around and I hope you all enjoy spending time with family and friends. Now on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Chapter 25: Eve of the Fall

(A few days after sneaking into Ba Sing Se)

The sky and sun shined brightly above the Earth Kingdom as the people moved through the large structure to their next destinations. Prince Sora managed to immerse himself in the crowd with his green cloak to avoid being pointed out as an outsider and he had his hood down since he didn't resemble someone from the Fire Nation, so his lineage came in handy in enemy territory, so he could move freely unless a lot of guards were around.

He spent most of the time getting used to the layout of the Earth Kingdom and searching every nook and cranny of the buildings to find his brother and uncle, but he's had no luck in finding them so far. What's worse was that even if he did find them, he had no way of sending a message to Azula or where to find them in the castle without being arrested as a thief by the guards. Essentially, he was running out of ideas.

"Did they have to make this place so big?" Sora asked himself, leaning against a nearby wall to rest and come up with a new idea.

"Hey, have you been to that new tea shop in the kingdom? That old man sure is a genius with his craft." A nearby man said, getting Sora's attention.

"Yeah, I hope he and that kid get more business. All of Ba Sing Se should hear about him." Another man spoke up. Interested, Sora approached the two men at a quick pace to learn about the shop.

"Excuse me, would either of you be able to tell me where this tea shop is?" Sora asked. The men gladly pointed out the direction of the shop and Sora thanked them as he walked further into the city. Eventually, he reached the upper ring of Ba Sing Se where he found a large, green, building settled in between the small houses, nearly blending into the Kingdom if it weren't smaller.

"Wow, looks like uncle found a good place for tea." Sora said, walking into the shop. The interior consisted of a large, open dining room, a small working area, and a wide kitchen at the back of the building, and in the middle of the floor was a large green rug with two dragons emblazoned on it.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. Are you with a group or by yourself?" One of the hostesses asked him.

"Oh no, I'm not here to dine. I'm actually looking for a couple of people. One of them is an old man with a beard and the other is a young man with black hair. You must see the old man a lot, he's probably a regular here." Sora asked.

"Oh, you must know the owner here and the lead waiter. They look like the people you're looking for." she said.

"The owner?" Sora asked, confused.

"Uncle, table five needs a jasmine green tea and lychee!" Sora heard a familiar voice call out. He took a look behind the hostess to see his older brother standing next to the kitchen entrance and his uncle standing next to several brewing teapots. Zuko was dressed in a dark green robe with light-green lines running across the edges, dark brown pants and he held a tray in his hands. Iroh was dressed in similar clothes, but he had yellow pants instead of brown and a yellow, round hat settled on his head.

"Going as fast as I can, nephew." Iroh said with a wide smile on his face. Sora had to blink twice to be sure he was seeing this image correctly. Zuko was actually helping Iroh in serving tea, and he seemed to be enjoying it.

"Excuse me, sir. Did you want me to tell them about you?" The hostess asked, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"Huh, oh no thank you. I can do it. Thank you for your help." Sora said. The hostess bowed and walked back to the entrance as the boy walked closer to his family members, who hadn't noticed him yet due to the brewing tea.

"Zuko? Uncle?" Sora asked. The two froze up and turned around to see the young prince standing behind them. Smiles quickly broke out on their faces as they dropped their things rushed Sora.

"Sora!" Zuko yelled.

"Nephew!" Iroh yelled as they both embraced him, making Sora laugh as he hugged them back. The customers in the shop clapped upon seeing the heartfelt reunion of the family members, not even knowing their full history.

"We were so worried about you." Iroh said.

"I'm glad you're here, brother." Zuko said.

"Me too. I'm happy you guys are safe too." Sora said to them.

"Oh, we must celebrate! I'll get a pot of tea ready just for us." Iroh said, running back to the kitchen.

"So, h-how did all this happen?" Sora asked.

"It's kind of a long story." Zuko replied as he directed his brother to a table.

(Later, in the tea shop)

"Wow, that is a long story." Sora said, sipping his cup of tea.

"Indeed. It's amazing what can happen in a few days." Iroh replied, taking a sip of his tea after talking about the boat ride, getting a job as tea makers, Zuko fighting off a kid named Jet, them tracking and freeing the Avatar's bison, and Zuko going through some sort of metamorphosis, as Iroh called it.

"And you got sick after you freed the bison?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, it was…odd. But I feel like a better person now." Zuko said with a smile.

"Your brother has certainly lightened up, Sora. And he enjoys working here in the Earth Kingdom." Iroh said, patting Zuko on the shoulder. Sora smiled but still had a look of confusion on his face when one of the workers asked for help with a pot of tea. "Looks like they need my help. I'll be right back, nephews." Iroh said, walking away.

"Can't wait to have you working here with us, Sora. The customers are nice." Zuko said.

"Zuko, are you sure you're ok? And not still sick?" Sora asked, concerned.

"Of course. I'm enjoying life here in Ba Sing Se. Uncle's business is taking off and I'm happier than I've ever been." Zuko replied.

"Yeah, and that's great brother, but…what about our plan with Azula? About the city?" Sora whispered to avoid any eavesdropping. Zuko looked down in thought at his brother's suggestion before he spoke.

"I know Sora but look at what Uncle and I have managed to carve out of the city. We have a nice place and make good money here." Zuko said, smiling at all the happy customers.

"Zuko…what about going home and regaining your honor? We did all of this for you." Sora said.

"And I'm appreciative of that Sora, but maybe this isn't what I want anymore. I gotta get back to work." Zuko said, collecting his tray and standing up from the table.

"But Zuko…what about Azula? She's already in the city with Mai and Ty Lee." Sora whispered making his brother stop and sit back down. "That's how I got in. We ran into the Kyoshi Warriors again and the Avatar's bison. The bison got away but we captured the Warriors and sent them to prison. Azula and the girls disguised themselves as the Warriors and that's how we snuck in. They went to meet the Earth King while I went off to find you guys. Zuko, we can still do this-I'm sure Azula is already thinking of another plan." Sora said.

"She probably is, I'm not sure if I want to be a part of it." The older prince replied, stepping away from the table.

"Zuko- "Sora said, but it was too late as his brother started taking care of the customers. Sora shook his head and drank the last of his tea, almost slamming it against the table and stepping out of the tea house.

"Is everything alright with Sora?" Iroh asked Zuko with concern.

"Yeah, I think he just needs some time to himself. To figure things out." Zuko said. Uncle nodded and went back to work.

(Outside with Sora)

The sun had fully set as the night sky and stars shined brightly above Ba Sing Se as Sora stomped his way down a small alleyway.

"How could he just?! Everything for him and he just-"Sora rants, kicking an empty barrel over and causing a loud racket. He sat down on a nearby crate and ran his hands through his hair to calm down as a single question bounced around his head.

"What now?" Sora asked, tapping his foot. Suddenly, an outline of a person obscured the alleyway, and he looked up to see a figure covered in shadows standing at the path, blocking Sora in. The prince took a closer look but couldn't see anything unique about the person other than the outlines of the clothes they were wearing.

"Oh, um, sorry. I didn't mean to cause a lot of noise; I was just frustrated at something." Sora replied. The figure didn't reply, but instead started shuffling closer to him as if one of its legs were broken, putting Sora on edge as he stood up from the cart. "A-are you okay?" Sora asked. Again, there was no response as the figure got closer to him, making Sora's eyes widen and his pupils shrank in fear.

The person's body and clothes were completely black with purple crack-like veins running across their figure, their hands now had black, ethereal claws covering their fingers and their eyes were now completely yellow with no pupil to see. The figure let out an unearthly, ear-piercing screech as they lunged for Sora, but he quickly ducked out of the way and jumped over the shadow figure, getting out of the alleyway. He looked back to see the figure turning around with a sickening twist. Sora got into a fighting stance but stopped when he saw people standing around the small space watching when they heard the commotion.

"Drat, I can't expose myself in front of them. Not against…this." Sora said. The figure suddenly sprinted at him with a loud screech. Sora grabbed a nearby stick and used it to bat off the figure's claws and whack it on the head a few times.

But the shadow was relentless and eventually cut the staff in half and tackled the prince to the ground, making him wince in pain as he was pinned to the dirt. The creature bared its teeth at him as he moved his head away to avoid its fangs.

'Well, didn't want to do this, but-'Sora said, about to ready his ice when suddenly the shadow figure was pushed off him by something small and black. Sora quickly got up to see the figure thrashing and scratching the walls it was restrained to. The prince looked closer to see several small stones stabbed into the figure's clothes, pinning it against the wall for now.

"Are you ok, young one?" Sora heard a voice behind him, and he turned to see three men walking up to him and the figure. They were all dressed in dark green robes and round hats and when the boy looked closer he could see stone gloves and boots on their hands and feet.

"Uh, yeah I'm fine. Thanks. Who are you guys?" Sora asked.

"We are the Dai Li. The elite security force of Ba Sing Se. Leave this matter to us." One of the agents said as the others worked to restrain the frantic being.

"What is that thing? A…person?" Sora asked as the being was wrapped in chains.

"We cannot tell you that. What we can tell you is if you see any glowing cracks nearby, please stay away from them. They seem to be what's causing people to become so rabid." The Dai Li agent replied. They soon got the being contained in chains and started leading it away as it thrashed and pulled heavily, making the agents struggle to keep it steady.

"This is the fourth one today." One of the agents remarked. The rest of the agents followed suit, leaving Sora by himself, more confused and concerned than before.

"Glowing cracks? That thing used to be…a person. But that could only mean-"Sora realized, looking around the rooftops and walls of the Kingdom, searching for any sign of his dark counterpart. He saw no sign of Vanitas anywhere, which made him worry even more.

"I need to find Azula! But where-hmph!" Sora said when suddenly someone grabbed him from behind, covering his mouth as he was moved behind a nearby building. Sora quickly reacted and bit down on the kidnapper's hand, making them release him as they let out a screech of pain.

"Ouch! Sora, that hurt!" a familiar voice said.

"Ty Lee?" Sora asked, as he turned to see the athletic girl standing next to him still dressed in her Kyoshi Warrior disguise, though now with a hood to cover her face, and holding her fingers in pain. "Oh, my Agni, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!" Sora said, holding her hand to see the damage. There was no blood or permanent damage, but a few of her fingers were red and throbbing from the pain. The prince made sure the coast was clear as he cast a cure spell on her.

"Much better. I'm gonna get you back though." Ty Lee said flexing her hand out.

"What are you doing here? Did you guys already meet the Earth King?" Sora asked.

"Yup, and to be honest, he's kinda underwhelming." Ty Lee whispered.

"Really?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, he wears glasses and has a bear with him at all times." Ty Lee said.

"What like a Polar Bear? Or a panda bear?" Sora asked.

"No, just a regular bear." Ty Lee replied.

"You're right, that is underwhelming. Anyway, what else happened?" Sora asked.

"Well, he set us up with a house nearby and Azula's been brainstorming for the last few days and I've been looking for you for the most part." Ty Lee said.

"Hopefully, I wasn't too hard to find." Sora said.

"You were. But I was in the area, and I heard the commotion with that dark figure and you. I waited until the Dai Li left so I could get you." Ty Lee said.

"Yeah, those guys were weird. What's the story behind them?" Sora asked.

"You'll have to wait until we get back. Azula can explain it better back at the house." Ty Lee replied.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get going." Sora said, putting his hood back on while Ty Lee did the same.

"By the way, did you find your Uncle and Zuko?" Ty Lee asked, making Sora look down.

"Yeah, I did. I'll tell you when we get back." Sora said, quietly. Ty Lee nodded and embraced the boy in a sideways hug, making him smile, until suddenly, she lightly punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Sora exclaimed, rubbing his arm.

"Got you back." Ty Lee said with a smile.

(Later, in Azula's Earth Kingdom room)

Ty Lee led Sora to a small building in the Upper Ring where Azula and Mai were awaiting them. Azula already had her Kyoshi makeup off while Mai was in the process of wiping hers off. Azula embraced her brother in a big hug after seeing that he was ok, and he returned it as they started exchanging stories.

"So, you found Zuzu and Uncle, then?" Azula asked, as she paced back and forth.

"Yeah, they have their own tea shop here in the kingdom. Uncle was alright and excited about the shop, but Zuko…seemed different." Sora said, making Mai stop and turn to look at him.

"Different how?" Mai asked.

"Well, he seemed happy about the tea shop and contempt. He seemed like he wasn't interested in taking over the Kingdom anymore. It kinda freaked me out a little." Sora replied.

"That sounds…concerning. If we wish to continue with our plan, we'll need all of us on board if we wish to conquer this stubborn kingdom. What else happened?" Azula asked.

"I left the tea shop cause I was getting a little frustrated at Zuko and then I had a run-in with a shadow creature." Sora said, making everyone gasp in shock. "And what's worse is that it used to be a person. Vanitas has released this dark energy into the kingdom and if anyone gets close to it, they'll become corrupted by the darkness." The prince replied.

"That's awful and…scary." Ty Lee replied.

"What happened next?" Mai asked and Sora took a breath.

"I was eventually going to start fighting back until those weird Dai Li guys arrived and restrained the creature, saying that it was the fourth one so far today." Sora said. Azula stopped pacing and placed a hand under her chin in thought.

"Zuzu and Uncle are in the city, we know the Earth King's plan to invade the Fire Nation this summer-" Azula said.

"Wait, seriously?!" Sora asked.

"Yeah, he plans to attack during the solar eclipse." Ty Lee said.

"Though I think he was too stupid to come up with that plan. The Avatar must've come to him with that plan already in mind." Mai said, wiping away the rest of the makeup while Azula kept thinking.

"Vanitas is in the kingdom with these dark beings, and the Avatar is here too. I believe we have stumbled upon an incredible opportunity." The princess replied.

"What's that sis?" Sora asked.

"We're in a position to conquer the entire Earth Kingdom." Azula said, looking out the window, and making everyone turn to listen to her. "For one hundred years, the Fire nation has hammered away at Ba Sing Se from the outside. But now we're on the inside, and we can take it by ourselves." Azula said.

"Gosh, you're so confident. I really admire that about you." Ty Lee said, with a hint of admiration.

"But how are we going to do that? It's just the four of us. Six if you count Zuko and Uncle and I hate to say it, but I doubt they'll partake in this plan now." Sora asked.

"Oh, so short-minded, little brother." Azula said, poking him on the nose, making him wave her away. "All we have to do is organize a coup and overthrow the Earth King. The key is with the Dai Li agents. Whoever controls the Dai Li controls Ba Sing Se." Azula said.

"But how are we going to convince them to join us? From what the Earth King described, they seemed loyal to this Long Feng guy." Mai said.

"Who's that?" Sora asked.

"He is or was the advisor to the Earth King. Now's he locked up in prison, at least I think so." Ty Lee said, while the boy nodded in understanding.

"It's simple, Mai. We show the Dai Li what true power means and that they've been withheld from their true potential for too long by that short-sighted simpleton. Once they've come onto our side, everything else should fall into place." Azula said.

"What about the Avatar? And Zuko and Uncle? What about Vanitas?" Sora asked.

"The Avatar and Vanitas are both wildcards. We'll just have to deal with them when they turn up. As for Zuko and uncle, we'll have to find some way to convince them to join us. Uncle may not be open to it, but…from what you described, Zuko seems to be at a crossroads of where he wants to go. I'll just have to talk to him first. For now, we all should get some sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us. Sora, I'll need you to head back to Uncle's tea shop and keep an eye on things. If anything, important happens, come back to the palace. Either Mai or Ty Lee will be at the entrance to let you in." Azula said.

"Ok, I'll let you know if anything happens." Sora said.

"Mai, Ty Lee, the three of us are going to pass a message to the Dai Li and ensure our leadership to this elite force. Then we will make our move." Azula said. Mai nodded and started getting ready for bed while Ty Lee clapped and got on her hands, slowly stepping away, leaving the two siblings alone.

"Did Zuzu really seem disinterested in our plan?" Azula asked.

"He did. It was weird, it was like talking to a different person." Sora said.

"I see. Leave Zuko to me. When we get everything in motion, I'll send a letter to Uncle's tea shop and invite them to the palace, where I can talk to them both." Azula said.

"Would you want me there?" Sora asked.

"If you're able to. I can plan everything out, but I can't predict what Vanitas will do." Azula said.

"Just be careful. If you girls see Vanitas at all, don't fight him! I'm the only one who can beat him and the last thing I want is to see one of you corrupted by him." Sora warned.

"That depends on much he irks me." Azula replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Azula!" Sora begged, taking her hand in his.

"Very well. I shall leave him for you, brother. But know that I will be there to help you take him down. And hopefully, Zuzu will be there too." Azula said.

"I know he will. Just have to have faith." Sora said. Azula smiled and embraced her brother in a hug as the night came to an end.

(Next Day, Earth Kingdom Palace)

Mai and Ty Lee were sitting at the stairs that lead to the Earth Kingdom Palace with several large pillars surrounding them. Ty Lee was working on her acrobatics while Mai sat on the stairs, bored out of her skull. To the girls, awareness, two Dai Li agents were clinging to the top of a couple of pillars, spying on the two girls.

"I'm tired of wearing this girly disguise. I don't know how anyone could fight in this." Mai said loudly for the agents to hear while pulling at her Kyoshi disguise.

"Maybe that's why it was so easy to beat the Kyoshi Warriors and take their clothes." Ty Lee replied, throwing a practice punch.

"How much longer do we have to serve the Earth King? If I have to clean up one more pile of bear poop, I'm going throw up." Mai replied.

"Princess Azula promised we would return to the Fire Nation as soon as we captured the Avatar. We have to be patient." Ty Lee said, walking on her hands.

"Shush up! Do you want the whole palace to know we're Fire Nation?" Mai asked, standing up in fake urgency. The Dai Li agents smiled at each other and retreated up the roof of the palace, leaving the girls alone. Once they were gone, Azula stepped out from behind one of the pillars and walked up to Mai and Ty Lee.

"Good work, girls. I'm sure the Dai Li will deliver the message. Now, all we have to do is wait." Azula said, with a confident smile on her face.

"The perfect time for me to step in." a familiar voice said, making the girls stand back to back.

"That voice! Is it-" Ty Lee asked.

"Yes, it's him!" Mai responded.

"Do not engage. Sora warned me not to." Azula said. Suddenly, a portal opened up behind them and they turned toward the main passageway to see the dark counterpart of Sora step out from the swirling mass with something small clutched in his hands.

"Hello ladies, having fun conquering the Earth Kingdom?" Vanitas asked with what Azula could only imagine was a smirk behind that mask.

"You have about a second to get out of here before I reduce you to ashes." Azula threatened, sparking some lightning on her fingers.

"Oh please. Even if you didn't know how powerful I've become, I'm sure our brother has told you not to fight me. Put the lightning away, little girl." Vanitas replied. Azula grunted at the name but put the lightning away. "Besides, I'm not here to fight, just wanted to talk." Vanitas said, walking closer to them.

"So, talk, then beat it!" Mai replied. Vanitas chuckled and walked past them as they moved out of the way to avoid him, allowing him to see the kingdom.

"Look at this place, it was supposed to be a haven in this world. Where one could escape the chaos of war and build a home. But what would they end up finding instead…a city of lies, imprisonment, and brainwashing by their own supposed protectors. The advisor Long Feng and the Dai Li promised security and protection to these people, but instead, they decided to use their power to profit and used the king as a figurehead to play with." Vanitas said.

"Just get to the point, you freak!" Ty Lee yelled out.

"Why are you all wasting your time with a city that has been lost for a long time. It's now just a rich cesspool of negative energy and emotion and it's allowed me to grow in strength and gather my own set of followers." Vanitas said, his body glowing with a dark aura.

"The dark beings you mean?" Azula asked.

"Indeed. I'm guessing my brother has already encountered one of my followers for you to know. This is exactly what I was hoping for, my brother growing stronger by fighting my creations and eventually matching me in strength." Vanitas said.

"Just what on earth do you want with Sora?" Mai asked, making the masked boy turn to face them.

"Honestly, I want to meet my brother again in battle. But a battle where we are both at our strongest. One side of light, one side of darkness, a perfect union. And when we fight again, we'll join into a complete being, where he could become his true self." Vanitas replied.

"Listen here and listen well, you imbecile. Whatever plan you have for my brother, will fail, not while we are here. Ba Sing Se will be ours to conquer, not yours." Azula replied. Vanitas chuckled to himself as he started tossing the item in his hands, revealing it to be the athletic figure necklace that Sora gifted to Ty Lee, making the acrobat gasp in shock.

"What?! Wait, h-how did you get that?!" Ty Lee asked, running her hand over her neck.

"The camp where you left this behind was very easy to get into, especially when I convinced the guards to let me in." Vanitas said, making the girls glare at him. "And if what you said is true, then that just means I'll have to kill every one of you that are connected to him. That'll be the perfect motivation for Sora to fight me." Vanitas said, suddenly crushing the necklace in his hand, making the metal pieces clatter to the ground. Ty Lee's eyes widened in shock as tears started forming and flowing down her face. Her face then contorted into anger, as she directed her gaze at the masked boy.

"You'll pay for this!" Ty Lee yelled, charging at Vanitas, but Mai managed to grab her and hold the acrobat in a firm grip.

"No, Ty Lee." Azula said.

"If you're so insistent, I'll leave you all to your conquering. Till next time, ladies." Vanitas said, opening a portal of darkness and walking backwards into it. The portal soon closed as Mai let Ty Lee go, letting the girl fall to the ground and gather the broken pieces together.

"I'm sorry, Ty." Mai replied, placing a comforting hand on the acrobat's shoulder.

"We…we have to stop him! We can't let him hurt Sora!" Ty Lee said, wiping her face of dried tears.

"We won't. I'm not gonna let him get away with this." Azula said with a determined glare in her eyes.

(Meanwhile, at the Jasmine Dragon)

Sora sat outside on a small bench next to the tea shop with his hood up, watching a lot of people walking in and out with wide smiles on their faces. Sora had to admit that Uncle's tea shop was getting amazing business and couldn't but feel happy for his and Zuko's success in the Earth Kingdom.

But he just couldn't understand why his brother wouldn't prioritize the takeover of the city over the tea shop. Was serving tea more important than regaining one's honor, redemption, and a chance back home? Maybe it was because Zuko had a choice in the matter instead of being forced into these situations. In any case, though, Sora knew that they were well and truly in a place where a choice had to be made now. It was either take this chance and claim the Earth Kingdom or live a false life in the city.

"What do you say, Momo? A cup of tea before we get back to the king?" a familiar voice said near him. Sora looked up slightly, but not all the way, to see the Water Tribe girl, Katara holding a rolled-up script in her hand and their winged lemur walking into the tea shop.

"Oh no." Sora whispered. Not even a minute passes before Katara comes running back out of the shop with the lemur gliding not too far behind as they make their way to the palace. Sora panicked as she got closer to him and quickly covered himself in his cloak to avoid detection. Thankfully, she ran right past him, without noticing him and when she was far enough away, the prince got up from the bench and trailed after her, being sure to keep his hood down the whole time.

Eventually, Katara and the lemur reached the palace and ran straight into the throne room with Sora following them and hiding behind a pillar as she ran toward Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee who were still dressed in their Kyoshi uniforms.

"Thank goodness you're here, Suki. Something terrible is going on. The Fire Nation infiltrated the city, I just saw Prince Zuko and his uncle! We have to tell the Earth King right away!" Katara exclaimed.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be sure to let him know." Azula said, walking up to Katara. The Water Tribe girl quickly recognized Azula's golden eyes, making her eyes widen in shock while the lemur screeched in fear. Before she could even attack, Ty Lee flipped over and jabbed Katara in the shoulder, blocking her chi and making her fall to the ground, while water spilled out of her small jug.

"Well done, Ty Lee." Azula replied. Sora stepped out from his pillar, making the girls smile in response.

"Thank goodness you girls were here and not the king." Sora said as Ty Lee pulled him into a hug, to which he gladly returned.

"He said he had to attend to something about his bear." Mai replied. Sora nodded and turned his eyes towards Katara, who weakly glared back. Sora stared her down until he saw a shape fly overhead and he looked up to see the lemur flying away. He quickly fired an ice blast at the lemur, freezing it in place and making it fall to the ground. Sora picked it up and walked back to his sister.

"What are we going to do with them?" Sora asked.

"Hold them where the guards and king won't find them. At least until we assume control of the Dai Li." Azula said.

"And then what?" Ty Lee asked.

"No doubt, the Dai Li sent word to their leader, Long Feng about our activities. I will handle the rest of the negotiations with this former advisor. I'll also send word to Zuko and uncle. Ty Lee and Mai, I want you to stay close to the king in case of any updates. Sora, your on-guard duty for the peasant and the lemur." Azula said.

"Fair enough. Any updates on Vanitas?" Sora asked. The girls looked down at the mention of the boy, making Sora worried. "Did something happen?" He asked.

"He came to talk to us earlier when we tipped off the Dai Li." Ty Lee said, looking down.

"Just talk? He didn't attack or anything?" Sora asked.

"No, I think he was trying to convince us not to go along with the conquest and let him engulf it in darkness. He wants to fight you again so that he could become a perfect being." Azula said.

"Uh great. I need to find him soon." Sora said.

"I think you mean we will. That guy's antagonized us for the last time." Mai replied. Ty Lee picked up the lemur while Sora and Azula picked up Katara by both of her arms.

"How are Zuko and uncle?" Azula asked.

"They were safe when I went after her." Sora replied.

(Back at the Jasmine Dragon)

A royal messenger stood in front of Zuko and Iroh at the entrance to the tea shop with a rolled-up scroll in his hands.

"A message from the Royal Palace." The messenger said, passing the scroll to Iroh. They both bow as the messenger leaves and Iroh opens the scrolls. He reads the contents, making him smile brightly in response.

"I…I can't believe it!" Iroh said.

"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko asked, curious.

"Great news, nephew! We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!" Iroh said, running to the back to prepare his best tea. Zuko smiled and continued sweeping the floor. What neither of them noticed was the messenger's eyes glowed with a dark aura before disappearing into the crowd.

And that is the end! I'm so sorry about the wait everyone! I've just been very busy with work and other things as the year comes to an end! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and I hope you have a great Christmas and New Years. Now for this story, I wanted to let you all know that I'm putting this story up for adoption. I'm sorry, it's just I'm not feeling as passionate about this story as I did when I first started it. It's open for whomever wants to continue where I left off or restart and write it your own way. Now onto, the reviews:

Indomiraptor: Not too long, just after this chapter. I just won't be in charge of that anymore.

Althea Sirius: The only issue I had was getting notifications about reviews or anything like that.

Guest1: Thank you glad you enjoyed it. I hope whoever takes over for this story writes that out for you.

Guest2: Oh thank you. If the crossover sounds like a great idea, I'll take it into consideration.

I hope you all are staying safe and sound and continue to take care of yourselves as 2024 comes around. Still can't believe that. I'll add the note of the adoption to the story so that anyone can take over from where I left off. If you guys enjoyed the story and want to see how it ends, you can always PM or leave a review so I can answer you. I'm sorry everyone but this is just how I personally feel. I hope I don't let any of you down and I hope I can inspire you to become a writer. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years.