"Come on! It'll be tons of fun I promise!" Akira yelled back to her companions. All of them were walking up a hill, some a little slower than others. A party shook the mansion at the top of the hill and Akira was determined to give her friends a full experience of a fire nation party.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Katara yelled up to Akira.
"Oh come on guys. You dragged me to that party in Ba Sing Se. Now it's my turn to show you the finer parts of the fire nation!" Akira responded as waited for her friends to catch up.
"Yeah. Pretty house. Now let's go." Sokka said as he turned on a heel and started back down the hill. Akira quickly ran back down the path and turned him around.
"Ha ha. You're not getting away that easily." She scolded Sokka as she dragged him back to the rest of the group. "Come on guys. Remember, we even made up that special yell or whatever that we can signal in case one of us gets in trouble! It'll be fine!"
"Yeah! Let's get this party started people!" Toph yelled, then sprinted the rest of the way up the hill to the house. The other three, with Akira's encouragement, slowly made their way up the rest of the path. When they reached the doors, Toph had already disappeared and Aang mustered up enough courage to run in and find her. Akira walked through the giant set of doors into a scene that was very familiar to her. With one last reassuring glance to Sokka and Katara she pushed into the nearest crowd and felt at home immediately. Looking around she saw some familiar faces from the beach earlier that day. Chan was working the crowd moving from group to group making small talk. Roun Jian was flirting with a dark haired girl who looked extremely bored with the whole thing. She looks familiar… Akira thought, but quickly dismissed it when she ran into something. A pair of strong arms held her steady so she didn't fall. Akira looked up into the face of a young man who looked about her age and had dark brown eyes. He was handsome with a soft expression on his face.
"Are you okay?" He asked with a smile.
"Yeah… Sorry, I have a tendency to run into cute guys. It's kinda a bad habit of mine." Akira replied, a small smile playing on her lips. The boy laughed and offered her his arm.
"Well my name's Koki, would you like to dance?"
"Sure, I'm Akira." Akira smiled. They danced for a couple of slower songs and then took a break. Koki and Akira chatted easily about general things while they danced and were becoming fast friends. Suddenly the music group started playing a popular fire nation song that involved all of the guests. Some of the people walked to the middle of the room and the girls went to one side and the boys the other. Akira told Katara and Toph that they didn't have to dance, but she was going to and they were welcome to join. Katara politely declined Akira's offer and Toph just shrugged and flopped down on the couch behind them. Akira laughed and ran over to the group of girls forming on the side. Once everybody was ready, the music re-started and the girls formed a small circle in the center of the room. The boys surrounded them in a larger circle and each lined up with one of the girls. Akira quickly looked around the room and looked over all of the different guys in the circle. Suddenly someone stepped up to her, making her give a little start. She looked into the face of Koki who smiled and said,
"I scared you didn't I?" He turned her in a circle and Akira noticed the playful look in his eyes.
"Yeah, I was just too busy looking at all the cute guys that I might get to dance with tonight. I didn't even notice you." Akira replied as Koki twirled her under his arm.
"I thought you said I was cute!" Koki joked with a pout written across his face. He brought Akira close to his chest but soon released her into the arms of the guy next to them as the circle turned.
"Yeah, well that was before I got to know you." Akira shot back with a devilish grin.
"Ooh. Ouch." The boy who Akira danced with laughed and spun her over to the next guy. The rotation continued and Akira caught glimpses of her friends casually chatting with some of the younger kids. There were ten girls and ten boys dancing and quite a few people that watched on the edges of the room. Akira made some small talk with some of the boys she danced with, but mostly danced in silence. Looking around the circle once again she realized that Koki was only a few more boys down the line from her. Suddenly a vaguely familiar voice broke her thoughts.
"Kimi?" Akira looked up into the face of Lee. She immediately recognized the scar that covered the left side of his face, but his hair was much longer than it was in the earth kingdom. He seemed, older. He was taller and the shirt he wore had a deep v cut into it, showing off his chest muscles. As they danced together Akira realized that her mouth was still slightly open and her eyes were still wide with surprise. She snapped herself out of it by shaking her head a little. Then she looked up into his eyes and was immediately pulled into the deep gold that seemed to swirl and reflect fire.
Kimi… Zuko thought as he brought her close to him. She wore a surprised expression, but didn't have a wrong step. Zuko loved the way they moved together. Never a misstep, they fit together perfectly, flowing through the dance moves flawlessly. His hand rested on her hip, and he twined her fingers with his in his other hand. Her dark chocolate hair was loose except for a small braid down one side, the same hairstyle as when they first met. The natural reddish highlights hidden in her hair stood out, bathed in the glow of the torches. When their eyes met, shivers crawled along Zuko's spine, causing him to inhale sharply. Her eyes were dark mahogany with shots of gold that sparkled in the fire light. She looks so much like… no. I'm not gonna think of Akira. This is Kimi. Not Akira. Zuko thought to himself. He wanted to bring Kimi closer to his chest, let her arms wrap around his neck and his own hands hold her around the waist. He wanted to feel her hot breath on his neck, and to run his fingers through her hair; to actually feel her lips pressed against his own. A guilty flash shot through him as he remembered Mai, but it was quickly dismissed when he felt Kimi's hand leaving his own.
"Lee." She whispered as she was passed on to the boy next to her. Zuko and Akira held their stare until Zuko managed to step on the feet of the girl that he was dancing with. She squealed in surprise and caused Zuko to stumble. He quickly apologized as he passed her over to the guy next to him. Akira let out a small giggle and then realized that she was in the arms of Roun-Jian. He gave a sly smile and twirled her fast. She matched his expression and with a quick turn her back was pressed against his chest and his arm wrapped around her front. He took a sharp breath in surprise, but quickly recovered. Akira felt his breath on her neck as leaned down and whispered,
"Did you know that you are one of the most beautiful girls here tonight?" Then he spun her away from him and back into the arms of Koki. Akira caught Roun-Jian's eye before looking back at Koki and found a smirk playing on his lips. She returned it by raising one eyebrow and then let a smirk of her own form. Akira broke the stare and looked up into Koki's face. He smiled sweetly and they danced for a minute in silence. Two couples moved away from the circle and danced alone. Koki watched them and then began to pull Akira away as well, but she stood her ground and quickly moved to the next boy. She received a confused look from Koki and his eyes revealed the hurt feelings that Akira had caused. She looked away, feeling a little guilty about hurting Koki, but she wasn't going to give up the chance to dance with Lee again. She slowly made her way around the circle and it seemed like she would never reach Lee. Slowly one by one, couples began to move out of the circle, causing the original circle to quickly diminish in size. By the time Akira had reached Lee, there were only four couples left in the small circle. Once again their hands joined and this time Akira stepped up close to Lee, and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. He pulled her closer to him and they danced in silence, absorbing each other's presence.
Oh Agni she's beautiful. Zuko thought as they moved together as one. Her skin was a shade darker than most fire nation royalty, and she had a deep tan that glowed in the firelight. As he studied her face, trying to memorize it, he noticed a scar hidden by her hair. It started just below her right ear, and it trailed down her neck, and then disappeared under the neckline of her shirt. He realized that it was a combination of a cut and a burn. The skin looked very much like his own scar but it had a white line down the middle, implying that she had been cut and that had healed and was now scar tissue.
Akira danced with Lee and felt like life could never be better. Koki was immediately forgotten as Lee held her smaller frame tight against him. She could feel him studying her and she looked up in his eyes. He was staring at her right ear and Akira realized that he spotted the scar that was hidden by her hair. She was embarrassed at first but the feeling disappeared as she looked in his face and saw the much more noticeable scar that covered his left eye. Finally their eyes met when he lifted his gaze to hers. Once again gold met mahogany and they started to lean even closer to one another. Suddenly the music changed and Akira was whisked away by a new hand on her arm.
Roun-Jian's smirk brought Akira back down to earth. They surprised each other with new and complicated dance moves, exchanging a series of expressions that ranged from smug to frustration. Soon the song changed again and Akira expected to find herself in the arms of Koki again, but instead she was in the arms of a short younger boy. He smiled politely, but to Akira's relief made no move to pull her away. She looked around and saw Koki dancing with another girl to the side of the circle. He gave an apologetic smile and she returned it with a look of reassurance that told him, she was fine. She danced with the younger boy a bit longer, amused by the nervous looks he kept giving the girl next to them.
"Don't worry, Roun-Jian's got no chance with her." Akira whispered to him. He looked up in surprise, but after he realized what Akira meant, he smiled in gratitude. Akira looked past him, over to Lee. Lee was dancing with the dark haired girl who Roun-Jian was flirting with earlier. Suddenly the girl leaned into him and kissed him on the lips. Unfortunately he didn't draw back like Akira had hoped, instead he deepened the kiss and pulled the girl close to him. Akira thought they would step out of the circle and leave her with Roun-Jian in a second, but when the music changed, Lee let go of the girl and pushed her to Roun-Jian. Confused, Akira let herself be passed to him, but this time she had her guard up.
When Zuko finally pushed Mai away, he had mixed feelings. He wanted to pull Mai out of the circle; after all, she was his girlfriend, but something stopped him. His reckless side begged to be let loose. Just this once, I'll take a chance. He thought as he felt Kimi step into his arms once again, but this time she wasn't so open and happy. In fact, Zuko could feel the anger and confusion come off of her in waves. He searched her eyes for any trace of the trust that was there before but all he could find was betrayal.
The longer Akira thought about it, she became less confused, but angrier at Lee with every step. You tricked me! I thought you liked me but you didn't! She wanted to shout at him. Actually she wanted to throw a couple fireballs at him for playing with her feelings. She kept her cold glare locked with his confused golden eyes. Akira could feel his eyes search her own for any sign of emotion, but she refused to let him in.
Fine you won't let me in, I won't let you bother me. Zuko thought stubbornly as he gave up on his mission impossible. I only want to know what's bugging you. He wanted to plead, but his lips wouldn't move. He vainly searched her expression one last time before giving up. They danced in silence, refusing to make eye contact. Slowly Zuko started to realize that the music hadn't changed yet. He took a quick glance around and found that they had been the last couple. Mai had been dragged off to a corner by Roun-Jian and almost everybody had found a partner to dance with. He tried to look into Kimi's eyes again, but she wouldn't even look at him. He gently took her chin in his fingertips and turned her face to meet his. Her eyes flashed as she smacked his hand away with her own. Zuko's hand burned. Agni she has a hard slap. He thought. He gave his hand a quick glance and to his surprise, found that it was actually burned.
"What was that for?" He asked.
"Don't touch me." She snarled. Zuko matched her glare and they stared at each other. Suddenly Zuko grabbed Kimi's wrists. She started to pull, but Zuko soon felt her give up and let him drag her along.
Stupid, arrogant, two timing bastard. Akira thought darkly as Lee dragged her along behind him, his harsh grip was pinching the skin on her wrist and she could already feel the bruises forming. She was pulled across the dance floor and out the door. They stood on a balcony that looked out over the ocean. Lee turned and slid the door shut behind him, blocking Akira's only escape. He finally released her wrist, leaving a red mark behind. Akira rubbed the twisted skin and continued to glare at him.
"Why do you all of a sudden hate me?!" He burst out.
"Why did you have to wrench the skin off my wrist?!" Akira shot back.
"Why did you have to burn my hand?" Zuko growled, shoving his hand in Akira's face.
"If you don't get your hand out of my face it'll become a lovely shade of black." Akira threatened, palm starting to smoke. Zuko withdrew his hand, but kept his scowl.
"You're avoiding my original question… Why did you suddenly decide to hate me?" He asked in a venomous tone, leaning in closer to her.
"Why did you just kiss that other girl?" Akira retaliated, her voice equally as poisonous. Zuko stepped back in surprise.
"Well… she's kinda… well, my girlfriend. Shit…" He stumbled though his response, finally smacking himself in the forehead for being so stupid. He had spent so much time worrying about Mai's reaction, he didn't even consider Kimi's response to the fact that he has a girlfriend. "Kimi…" He began.
"Save it Lee… if that's even your real name." Akira snapped before realizing what she had just said was extremely hypocritical. "Wait, I'm sorry. That was mean." She apologized.
"Yeah, well it's true." Zuko replied softly.
"What?" Akira gasped. "I… I don't understand."
"Lee isn't my real name and Kimi isn't yours." Zuko explained. "But to be honest, I'd rather keep it that way. I don't think I can take the pain of knowing your real name, because then you become real. I… I love you, but I can't be with you, so it's better if you're no more than a dream." He finished as he looked deep into her eyes.
"You're right. Kimi isn't my real name. But even if you wanted my real name I couldn't give it to you. You already know too much about me and I already know too much about you." Akira whispered. "Let's just keep it Kimi and Lee okay?" She smiled.
"Okay." He whispered as he pulled her into a kiss. His lips pressed against hers and her arms wrapped around his neck. His tongue ran across her bottom lip, begging for entry. She let him in and they were locked in a deep kiss that seemed to last forever. Yet; soon, too soon, they were forced to break apart for air. Akira ran her fingers through his hair and Zuko cupped her face in his hands. Suddenly Akira's fingertips brushed Zuko's scar and Zuko's hand covered Akira's scar. They stood still, foreheads pressed against each other, breathing as one. Understanding each other's pain and joy, their lips brushed again, but only for a moment. Akira turned her head and looked out over the ocean, away from Zuko's confused eyes.
"This is wrong." She whispered as she broke away from him and walked to the railing. Akira leaned on it and gazed across the sea. She could barely make out the lights from the main island on the horizon. The warm breeze tickled her face and blew her hair back. Salt and sand filled Akira's nose with their scent when she inhaled, and birds skimmed the ocean like shadows. Zuko appeared next to her, his arms leaning on the railing as well. They were silent for awhile, lost in their own thoughts, each trapped; forced to surrender to their own obstacles that kept them apart.
"Kimi, are you from the fire nation?" Zuko asked in a quiet voice, breaking the silence.
"Yes, well… not anymore… Why do you want to know?" Akira replied in an equally soft voice.
"I don't know. It feels like I know you, I mean really know you. I feel like I've met you before Ba Sing Se, but I can't figure it out." Zuko answered. He turned and leaned his back on the railing with his elbows holing him up. Zuko studied his feet for a minute before kicking the wooden deck. "Actually I'm just ignoring the truth. You remind me of a childhood friend. She was just like you, even looked like you. But… She's dead now." He whispered. A flash of pain crossed his face and Akira stepped closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I know how you feel though… you remind me of one of my old friends too. I don't know where he is now though…" She whispered. "Sometimes it's easier if you know the truth about them though."
Zuko wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him. She let him hug her for a moment before she let her arms slide around his middle and her head lean on his chest. They stood on the balcony, letting their old memories slip away and take in new ones. Zuko kissed the top of her head and gave Akira a squeeze before letting go. Akira stepped back and looked deep into his eyes. 'Why do you care so much? We only met yesterday you know.' 'His fist could do a lot of damage to your pretty little face.' 'I won't ever let anything happen to you.' Akira was lost in the golden eyes that spoke all of her memories and Zuko was lost in the mahogany eyes that reminded him so much of the girl he had loved. They didn't touch, but were only a half inch apart. The stars above provided a small amount of light, but the surrounding trees below them were lost in the darkness. Waves crashed against the shore, echoing along the cliffs. A bird let a shrill scream that was carried across the open ocean, riding on the waves to the shore. The party inside drowned out any other sounds that might have come from the beach. Akira looked away once again and leaned back on the railing.
"You know, your girlfriend could come out here any minute and catch you cheating on her." She remarked, stealing a glance through her hair to try to catch his reaction. Zuko let out a sigh and fell back to the railing. He flipped the hair out of his eyes and looked up at the star-filled sky.
"Yeah… I know." He admitted. "It's worth the risk though." He joked, giving Akira a tiny smile. She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a blinding light that engulfed them.
"What's going on here?" A voice asked sharply. A figure stood in the doorframe, the light blinding everything except her outline.
"Mai." Zuko whispered as he sat up.
"Mai?" Akira asked.
"Zuko..." The girl said as she slipped up to Zuko. She grabbed his shirt in her fist and jerked him closer to her. "Would you care to explain to me what you're doing out here with her?" A long finger with a sharp black nail at the end pointed to Akira's face.
"Wait. You're name's Zuko?!" Akira asked, looking past Mai's hand into Zuko's eyes. Zuko?!… It can't be. It has to be! "Zuko! I can't believe I didn't recognize you!" She exclaimed taking a step forward.
"Back off sweetheart. He's MY boyfriend." Mai snarled. Akira stepped back in surprise from the other girl's attack.
"I can't believe that I didn't recognize you either Mai. After all, you haven't changed a bit." Akira snapped back. She looked Mai up and down realizing what she said was true. Mai still wore dark clothes, depressing makeup, and even the exact same hair style. Akira would bet a lot that she had at least five knives hidden somewhere as well. She was forced to swallow another comment directed towards Mai when a yell echoed along the beach. Akira rolled her eyes recognizing Sokka's awful imitation of a warrior wolf call.
"Oh spirits… even I could do a better job than that." She muttered to herself. Mai and Zuko looked at her strangely, attempting to figure out what she meant. Akira gave them a cocky smile and jumped up on the railing.
"Well I'm extremely disappointed that we didn't get to finish our little introduction here but I happen to have other plans that I'm apparently late for." She explained as she casually paced back and forth on the railing. Then, with a genuine smile, she said; "And with a heavy heart I am forced to bid au' due." She gave them one last smile and a quick salute before stepping off the back of the railing. She felt the branches and leaves brush against her as she fell. Akira grabbed at the branches and snagged one in her fist. She hung from a tree for a second to judge her distance from the ground. She could hear Mai and Zuko arguing over something above her and it caused the grin that was already playing on her lips to grow. Their expressions were priceless; Mai's just downright mad and Zuko's lost and confused. She let a chuckle escape from her lips before dropping to the ground below. It's really is too bad that I'm not allowed to tell Zuko who I am. Then again… I have no idea how he would react. She thought. Well I guess having the fire nation army on the lookout for me would probably make it even more difficult to keep Aang a secret, so not telling them who I am was probably a good choice. Akira heard a soft whistle by her ear and looked up. A small silver knife was embedded into the bark of the tree in front of her. She stared at it for a second before her instinct kicked in; then, she ran. Akira pushed her way through the bushes and undergrowth desperate to escape the impending danger behind her. She tripped and fell to her knees. Akira swore as she picked herself up and kept running. Slowly the brush was thinning and Akira could pick her way through the undergrowth easier. She stopped behind a tree for a second and listened to the dark forest. She heard the bushes rustling along the path that she had just created. Akira looked back and caught glimpses of dark fabric weaving in and out of the trees. Suddenly it stopped. Akira closed her eyes and pulled her head back. She opened them to find another knife stabbing the tree only inches from her nose. She snarled as she pulled the knife from the bark. Oh yeah? Well two can play that game. She thought as she scanned the trees for any movement. When she didn't find any Akira moved on, silently picking her way around the bushes. The ground beneath her started to turn to sand and the pockets of sky above her began to grow larger. She kept up her silent run until there were hardly any more trees and bushes. The ground suddenly started to become rocky and large boulders replaced the few trees. Akira stopped to catch her breath and take in her surroundings. She realized that she wasn't standing on the top of a dune as she had hoped, but a rocky cliff side that dropped off to the beach below. Akira was trapped. Trapped by her own escape route. She turned and looked back up at the dark forest. Mai was up there; probably even watching her, and Akira had nowhere to go, no one to help her. Her friends had probably gone back to the house. Actually, it's probably a good thing that they aren't here. This might be easier alone. As Akira scanned the tree line her eyes caught a glimpse of something shine from behind one of the larger trees.
"I see you! Now come out and fight! Or are you too much of a coward to do that Mai?" Akira yelled. She waited for a response but found none. She growled and walked to the edge of the cliff. Akira peered over the edge, in an attempt to gauge the falling distance. Okay… slipping over the edge and falling to my death, not at the top of my to do list. Shit! The knife that Akira had in her hand slipped through her fingers and fell onto the beach below. Akira smacked herself in the forehead, but took a deep breath and remembered her other weapon, fire. I don't really want to use my bending… but, I guess I'm forced to. She scanned the wall for ledges and found one. It was a good size and about halfway down. A crack on the cliff edge above it marked where it was. With a smile Akira turned back to the tree line and found Mai with a ready knife pinched in her fingers. To Akira's surprise, Zuko stood behind Mai, eyes narrowed with determination to protect Mai written across his face. Akira started to gather her energy in her hands, but was cut short by a ball of fire that exploded in front of her. She looked up startled by Zuko's cold glare and his smoking fingertips. Mai walked up to Akira and Zuko followed her, ready to protect her at any cost.
"Who are you?" Mai hissed as she started to circle Akira.
"Why should I tell you?" Akira snapped, glancing at Zuko before deciding not to physically attack the girl.
"Because, like you said before… We never did get to finish our introductions, did we?" Mai said as she twirled the small silver blade between her fingers.
"Forget it!" Akira spat. "I'm not telling you anything." The two girls exchanged glares before Mai flipped the knife to Akira's throat.
"Are you sure?" Mai asked. Akira's eyes widened and she started to back up. She looked over her shoulder at the ledge rapidly approaching. She found the crack along the edge and stood on it. Akira brought her gaze back to Mai and did her best to make her eyes as fearful as possible.
"Okay Mai…" She started, a couple rocks were loosened by her step and clattered down to the beach. She looked back fearfully and realized that the distance, even to the ledge, was pretty far. Akira looked back up and into Mai's cold grey eyes. "Wait… Please don't make me fall… I'll tell you if you let me go." She said in a shaky voice. Akira had to bite back a smile when Mai's grey eyes flashed with anger.
"I want to know who you are." She snarled in Akira's face, pushing the knife right up to Akira's throat.
"Okay… Okay… don't be so pushy! I'll tell you if you ask nice." Akira said, a small smile beginning to play on her lips.
"What are you playing?" Mai asked, eyes narrowed.
Akira let the smug smile take her lips and she raised her eyebrow. "Or not." She stepped off the cliff pulling the same trick as earlier. Akira landed on the ledge and before she even came to a complete stop she jumped to the beach below. She hit the sand and started running. She felt the blood pump through her veins with each stride. Akira hadn't run this fast in a long time. The pure power that she felt course through her body was almost as exhilarating as firebending; almost. She opened her mouth to laugh, but instead a shout of pain came out. She tripped from the shock of the burning sensation in her upper arm and fell into the sand. Akira grabbed her arm and felt what was causing her agony, a knife. It punctured her arm and when she pulled it out blood welled up and out of the wound, soaking her sleeve. Akira threw the knife aside and gripped her arm, willing the pain to disappear. Suddenly her body was picked up and shoved against the cliff wall behind her. She let out a roar of pain as her injured arm was smashed into the rock.
"Who are you?" The same voice that haunted her childhood asked. Akira groaned before looking around. Mai stood with her arms crossed, staring at Akira. Zuko was the one who pinned her to the cold rock wall. Akira shut her eyes and let herself be pushed harder into the wall. Sweat dripped down her forehead and soaked her hair as Akira let her head hang loose in an attempt to regenerate some energy. "Who are you?" Mai tried again, in a voice so patient it was maddening. Akira snapped her eyes open, energy finally pulsing through her veins as her last nerve broke. She tried to lunge for Mai, but Zuko held her back by twisting her arm. Akira cried out in agony as the wound on her arm screamed in protest. She felt Zuko's grip loosen and when she looked him in the eyes the cold glare was gone and pity replaced it.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. Akira snarled at him, her eyes burning with hate. They turned to chips of ice when she looked up into Mai's face.
"You don't recognize me?" She spat, flames leaping from her mouth as she spoke. "You don't recognize me?!" Once again she tried to throw a fire ball at Mai's head, but Zuko held her tight.
"Stop it." He hissed. "I don't want to hurt you."
"A little late for that don't you think?" Akira seethed, her breath still hot, yet her energy once again starting to drain. He backed off a little, realizing that her arm was still bleeding and that he really was hurting her. Akira winced as he shifted his grip but soon forgot the pain. She took the opportunity and wrenched her good arm free from his grasp. Akira punched a ball of fire at Mai, delaying the inevitable rain of knives. Quickly, she turned her attention back to Zuko and by twisting her arm around behind him she managed to quickly switch they're positions. Akira kicked his legs out from under him, unbalancing him and then pushing his body up against the rock she quickly gained control of the situation. She roughly pulled Zuko away from the wall to re-administer her grip on his arms, then mercilessly slammed him face first into the already blood-stained rocky wall. Akira felt him go limp in her arms and she let him slump to the ground. He groaned and looked up at her pleading for mercy. Their eyes met and for a moment Akira felt sorry for him, and remembered the innocent twelve year old boy that he had once been. She didn't see the seventeen year old prince of the dreaded fire nation, she saw Zuko, her best friend. Akira was about to kneel next to him and admit everything to those gorgeous golden eyes when another sharp pain erupted from her side. Mai had recovered from Akira's initial attack and had sliced a clean cut into Akira's side with an expertly aimed knife. Akira looked up at the knife stuck in the blood painted rocky wall. Her eyes widened at the amount of blood she had lost already. This is not the time to think of that though. She disciplined herself. She shut her eyes and gathered herself together before turning and facing her attacker. Mai glared at Akira with narrowed eyes and threw another knife at her side. Akira deflected it with a side swipe of her hand just before it punctured her skin. Something inside Akira snapped and her fists erupted in flame. She roared and an inferno of power exploded from her lips. She snapped her teeth together cutting off the fire and whipped around to face Mai head on. Akira's eyes flashed as she whipped a flare at Mai. Mai leapt out of the way and shot a series of darts at the firebender. Akira kicked them out of the way with a spin and continued her restless attack on the other girl. Akira and Mai circled each other before Mai desperately tried another attack. Akira deflected it with a fire whip and let out another roar. She tackled Mai and pinned her up to the wall.
"You want to know who I am?! I am your worst nightmare." Akira growled, inches from Mai's alarmed expression. Smoke dance around them as Akira exhaled, causing a curtain to fall over the once clear ocean air. A breeze swirled it and cooled Akira's mind. She pushed off Mai, stepping back in the cool sand. Akira turned to Zuko and crouched next to him. She met his eyes and put her hand to his, locking her fingers in his own.
"I'm sorry, about everything. Just remember that I'll always love you no matter what." Zuko wore a shocked expression, but squeezed her hand anyways. Akira smiled, then stood up and took one last look at the grim scene around her. The sand was blackened where her fire had reached and her blood smeared the wall from where her arm had been. Akira took a breath and walked down the sandy beach towards the cottage. She walked until, even if she looked back, she wouldn't have seen Mai and Zuko on the beach anymore. Akira watched the moonlight dance on the ocean's surface and she finally knew that her past was behind her. The future was coming and fortunately it looked bright. Akira finally reached the cottage's beach. Climbing up the long set of stairs she realized that her new friends were there for her and that she could trust them with her life if she needed to. She wasn't alone anymore, and wouldn't have to be ever again. Finally, with one last look out to the ocean, she fell to her knees on the porch and fainted.
Katara heard a thump on the porch and decided to investigate. She cautiously peeked around the corner and found the blood soaked body of her friend on the porch.
"Akira!" A shout echoed thru the halls. Sokka and Aang came running and helped carry Akira to the living room. Toph popped up a makeshift table from the ground below and let them gently set Akira's unconscious form on it. Katara started to rip away the blood soaked cloth that surrounded the wound on Akira's arm. She washed the blood away and then started to heal it. The glowing water wove its way through the gash and slowly, the flesh started to heal. It worked along the edges and wove the skin back together. Soon, Katara released her hold on the water and it lost all its magic in an instant. She worked until all of Akira's wounds were healed and her skin glowed healthy again. Then, with a splash of water to her face, Akira woke with a start.
"What happened?" Katara asked with a concerned voice.
"Nothing that matters… It's over and done with." Akira replied softly. "You guys don't have to worry about a thing. It's done, and I won." She finished. Then with a sigh she drifted back into unconsciousness.