A.N. So I was totally wrong Part II is eleven chapters but it couldn't be helped, so I'm going to grieve the uneven chapter number. This is just a sweet fluff chapter with a side of plot.

Hope you all enjoy it! Leave me a review and let me know your thoughts/theories. Also thanks to the newest favorite, I appreciate it!

Part II Revelations

Chapter Six

Years Before…

Raiso didn't have an easy life, he was raised in a country that glorified war; and as the son of a sympathizer and deserter things were rough. But good came out of it, the reunion he had with his father as an adult. Meeting his wife in the colonies and the birth of his daughter Lein, and then, of course his granddaughter Akira.

And while his life had prepared him for the people who came after him, and he had never found an issue he couldn't talk or if it came down to it fight his way out of. Nothing prepared him for this, his sweet granddaughter surrounded by flames her small hands clenched at her sides as angry tears ran down her face. Leaves fell from the flaming bushes in clumps spreading the fire to the other bushes.

Sadly, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened, and Raiso was beginning to worry for the four-year-old. He knew she didn't mean to let this happen, that she didn't know how to conceptualize her grief. And he understood fully what it was like to feel rage like that, because it threatened to eat away at him every day.

His Eri, his light, his wife…he would spend every day missing her, but Akira couldn't understand that yet. All she knew was her grandmother was gone and she wanted her back, and she displayed her grief in the only way she knew how; flames. Raiso reached a tentative hand towards her and the girl sniffled watching him carefully. After a moment her face crumpled, and she ran into his arms.

Raiso caught her easily smoothing down her soft curls and quietly humming to his granddaughter, kissing the top of her head as she cried. She pulled away tears trekking down her face, "I don't mean to be bad papa." She mumbled rubbing circles in her eyes, he smiled and gently moved her hands from her eyes taking them into his own.

His large warm hands enveloped hers, "I know you don't Kira." Her eyes widened suddenly serious, the reddish hue gleaming out from the brown as she eyed him carefully. "I don't know why it happens, papa." She paused, "Do you think mama knows why?" She whispered so painfully quiet; it broke his heart.

He paused for a moment as he began to wonder, did Lein know? She was always tight-lipped about Akira's father and he had his assumptions…but he needed to know now, his granddaughter was at stake now.

He spoke finally smiling down at Akira reassuringly, "I don't know my love, but we'll figure this out." He straightened from his crouch holding his hand out to her before nodding to his butler on standby with buckets of water. With a sharp nod hit butler doused the bushes successfully extinguishing the flames. He gently turned Akira towards the still smoking hedges the flowers completely blackened from the flames.

He watched her eyes widen before tilting her head all the way back to look at him, tears beginning to fill her eyes again. "No Kira don't cry. The flowers will bloom again but remember my love your fire is very real. We must take heed." He said gently touching her nose with his finger a smile spreading on his face as she laughed.

She nodded suddenly solemnly before turning back around and reaching up for his hand. He took it smiling and led her back to the house from the gardens. "Papa." Akira stopped suddenly, Does your hands fire too?" Raiso laughed at that shaking his head, "No, but that's because you're special. The first firebender in three generations."

He kissed the top of her head and watched as the smile grew on her face, and for the rest of the day, his sweet and calm Kira returned. But at the back of his mind worry began to gnaw at him, he was aware of what followed Fire Benders. The curse of the gift was an aggression and rage that was hard to handle. And he couldn't bear to watch that happen to his granddaughter.

Akira

Akira let out a punch the bag swung precariously from the force, but she was not one to relent. She continued, the solid sounds of her fist hitting the bag satiated the fire burning in her veins. Sweat beaded down her forehead as she continued her relentless descent on the punching bag before her; as images began to flash in her mind.

Her mother's face was the first her smooth expressions and sharp tone as she told her to rein in her anger. But it morphed switching instead to her upturned nose, and disappointed glare after returning with Reli.

She punched harder her breath rasping; another image came into mind sharper than the last her holding the radio in her hand as she told her mother everything, she made her feel. Her last words to her ringing in her ears, "Maybe in time, but until then we have nothing."

Her punches disturbed the silence she felt the skin of her knuckles screaming for her to relent but she was beyond that now as the last image burned so hot she thought she could see them as if they were directly in front of her. Reli Ito's sneer and his searing touch as he tried to whisper away in her ears like he could manipulate her into submission. And then Shin Ito, his severe stares and his sharp grip on her body as he threatened everything she had.

Akira raised her leg kicking the punching bag with so much force fire escaped her feet, the bag exploded in a flurry of sand. She brought down her leg as sand rained down on her and the gym floor. Akira sputtered and spit the sound out of her mouth, as one of the many servants in the Sato mansion peaked his head in the door of the gym. Akira watched the man's face fall at the sand in every crevice of the gym.

She smiled sheepishly, "I am so sorry, I can clean this up. It won't happen again." The man raised an eyebrow at her, causing her cheeks to flush in embarrassment. It wasn't the first time Akira had broken open a punching bag and she felt terrible each time. He ignored her apology and got to cleaning, Akira tried hard to clean but he kept dismissing her claiming it was his job.

Akira had none of this arguing to no avail, and soon after when Mako entered the room a different scene greeted him. Akira and the butler were both chatting as they swept the sand off the floor (he conceded after she offered to speak to Asami to get him a week off). Akira wasn't aware of his presence until he spoke, "Did you explode another one of Asami's punching bags?"

Akira smiled sheepishly; she did order Asami another four punching bags not that she had asked her too. "I have no idea what you're talking about, it happens all the time in gyms," Mako smirked at that as he stepped towards her. Thinking it a good time as any the butler mentioned that Akira and Mako should enjoy other areas of the mansion, getting the message Mako took Akira's hand leading her out of the room through plenty of protests.

Akira held Mako's hand firmly in hers as they walked through the expansive space of the Sato estate. It had quieted significantly since Mako and Bolin's extended family had left, leaving only Asami, Korra, and Akira. It reminded her vaguely of the period after her grandfather's death, how empty and large the halls seemed without him.

Mako squeezed her hand bringing her back to the present before looking at her concerned. "What happened today?" Akira sighed heavily letting go of Mako's hand as she sat down heavily on one of the cozy chairs decorating the home. Mako followed her lead sitting beside her as he waited patiently for her to speak.

"I don't know why the Ito's are targeting me. From my understanding, it seems that Shin has been keeping an eye on me since the gala. Part of me thinks he was one of the many flings my mother had, and she pissed him off, but I don't know now. It's like he finds enjoyment in the game, he wants me to submit to him and..." Her voice broke and Mako reached for her, abandoning the couch cushion and kneeling beside her.

"I am so angry." Her voice came out so soft and controlled, she could see the surprise in Mako's face. Akira wondered if he was afraid of her or for her, but as soon as it was there it was replaced with understanding. His hands enveloped hers as he gently urged her to her feet, "I think I have something that can help."

Akira frowned but allowed him to lead her from the corner of the estate, he told her to change to a swimming suit and she met him downstairs in the pool. It was silent save for the soft sounds of water splashing against the tile. Mako stood a little aways from the water before opening a door she hadn't noticed before.

She raised an eyebrow eyeing the room suspiciously as Mako inclined his head. She furrowed her brow before entering the room to find it enveloped in steam. A grin spread on her face as she dropped off her towel, her muscles already beginning to soften at the warmth.

"I love Asami." She sighed before sitting down on the wooden chairs of her friend's sauna! Because of course, Asami Sato had a sauna, Akira smiled to herself as she closed her eyes enjoying the steam. Mako chuckled before sitting next to her, she peeped open an eye to see he had opted for shirtless rather than a shirt.

She watched as he crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes with a sigh. Her eyes trailed the swirl of pink flesh from his scar beginning at his bicep before merging into the rough skin of his hands all converged in the same scarred skin. She never thought of it before, but Mako seldom touched her with that hand, as if he still got phantom pains from it.

She would catch him sometimes staring down at the burned flesh clenching and unclenching his fists as if he was afraid it wouldn't happen. Her eyes trailed to his chiseled chest and the defined muscles that contracted as he exhaled. She hadn't realized that she was doing it but she found herself inching closer to Mako her hands itching to trace his scars.

Mako opened his eyes and smirked at Akira, she felt a hot flush along her body although she wasn't quite sure if it was the sauna or his eyes on her. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked his eyes never wavering from hers, she gently reached for his scarred hand. Mako uncrossed his arms from behind his head, and let her take it flinching slightly as their skin made contact.

"Does it hurt?" she whispered her hand hovering over his hand fear making its way into her eyes. He shook his head giving her a half-smile, "Just…I forget sometimes." He trailed off not meeting her eyes, Akira put a finger under his chin until his molten eyes met hers. She asked permission with her eyes alone and he gave a brief nod. She started at his bicep trailing her fingers down the lines trailing and tracing the marks before slowly reaching the scarred skin. It was rougher than his other hand, the skin was puckered in some spots from where she imagined blisters used to be.

He watched her silently as she continued the journey on his arm before looking up at him. Steam traveled around the two of them and for a moment it felt like they were producing it on their own. Akira trailed her hand from his arm to his neck. Mako watched waiting for her to make the next move, she could feel his heartbeat thundering beneath her fingertips.

Akira removed her hand, instead taking his scarred one into both of hers and pressing a kiss on the palm of his hand. She watched his fingers twitch before looking back his face, a soft expression was there. He opened his mouth as if to say something but snapped it shut his cheeks flushing. Although Akira wasn't quite sure if it was the heat in the room, or from whatever crossed his mind.

"It doesn't bother me," Mako whispered as Akira put his hand in her lap still trailing the swirls of scarred flesh. "It reminds me of my purpose, and I forget it sometimes." Akira nodded in understanding not meeting Mako's eyes. It was why she was drawn to Mako in the first place, he understood so well what it meant to be lost.

"C'mon," Mako said rising from the wooden bench his skin gleaming from sweat and trailing down his hard-muscled body. Akira felt a flush rise to her cheeks as she stared, Mako smirked down at her offering his hand. She took it as he led her out of the sauna and to the pool, the blue shimmered against the walls making it look like they were already underwater.

"How do you feel about swimming pools?" Mako asked carefully, she shrugged a wicked smile stretching across her face. "I just don't like the unknown and you know the never-ending depths part of the ocean. But pools…" She shoved Mako forward and he yelped as he crashed into the water, Akira laughed watching him shake the water out of his hair.

"Alright payback." He launched himself out of the water and Akira squealed running around the pool. The both of them laughing hard as Mako finally reached her wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her to the stairs slowly walking into the water before carefully splashing her.

"That was the sweetest payback." Akira laughed pushing her hair back from her face. Mako's eyes crinkled his eyes sparkling like gold gems. He stalked forward as Akira paddled backward before his hand encircled her ankle pulling her closer to him. Akira felt a flush line her cheeks as he stalked forward her only option to hold onto to him to stay afloat as her feet could no longer touch the floor.

Mako smiled down at her his warm hands circling around her thighs as he gently pressed her against the pool walls. Mako leaned his head down capturing her lips in a dizzying kiss, she felt her head spin and her heart pound at the sensation. Suddenly he was peppering kisses down her neck causing a soft sigh escaped Akira's lips as she relished at the feeling of their skin touching. The heat was intense around them and it only seemed to grow as their hot bodies touched one another. He pressed another kiss against her neck causing a groan to escape her mouth, she felt a hot flush line her body as he trailed searing kisses from her jaw to the juncture of her neck and collarbone. She felt a smile against her neck as more gasps escaped her, she scowled down at Mako her face hot.

"Don't stop on my account," Mako mumbled pressing soft kisses into her shoulder, Akira fought hard not to make more sounds before gently pushing Mako's face from her shoulder and cradling it in her hands. And when their eyes met she felt a heat bubble in her stomach, Mako held her tighter against his body, trenching through the water and back to the shallow. His hands holding her firmly to him until they reached her bedroom doors…

Akira blinked at the daylight that streamed through the window, Mako's warm arm wrapped around her waist. The tension in her shoulders had been eradicated from the sauna; among other things… She watched Mako's pale face set aglow from the morning light, and it felt like her heart was being squeezed in her chest. Mako's eyes opened and the pools of honey greeted her, Akira's smile spread wider as she laid a gentle hand on Mako's face.

She knew now, if last night was any consolation but also because he could make her forget what troubled her. Or at the very least he could bring her mind off of it or help her through it. Maybe it was because of the three months they were inseparable, but Akira felt compelled to say it.

The words bubbled in her throat and she had to stop herself from uttering it.

I love you.

And it was true, it wasn't just because of the events that night. She was truly head over heels, helplessly, hopelessly, and totally in love with Mako. And it terrified her, she could feel the fear begin to choke her. Because things were changing so fast around her it was dizzying, she had Shin Ito breathing down her neck and knew that it was going to make matters worse. It was only a matter of whether she wanted Mako to bring him down with her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Akira hummed in response not realizing that Mako was trying to get her attention. He gently cupped her cheek in hand his thumb caressing her sharp cheekbones.

"I'm scared, Mako."

Mako pulled her closer wrapping his arms around her his steady heartbeat made her feel safe and she held on like he'd slip through her fingers any second. "Everything is going to work out." Mako murmured in her hair, and she held him tighter nodding into his chest.

"It will."

She wanted to believe that.

But she didn't.