A/N: And here it is. The final part of their date. I hope you guys enjoy!

After the unplanned, yet refreshing nap, the two teenagers were ready to continue with the rest of their date.

"So have you planned anything for the day?" Orora asked as they walked towards the small town that also served as a marketplace for the visiting patrons. Zuko had pulled on his hood again, to avoid anyone recognizing him. It would be easy to spot him in the crowd should she loose him. Though that would be impossible since he was holding on to her hand like he never wanted to let go.

"It's a rough draft. And a work in process." He replied honestly with a shrug of his shoulders. "Not like I've done anything like this before." The Prince added, allowing some of the nervousness he felt to slip into his tone as he continued. "I should warn you, because I don't want you to be disappointed." He paused in their walk so he could face her. "Don't expect to be swept off your feet or anything. That's not how I do things."

Zuko didn't believe in grand gestures. Whenever he had the chance to encounter anyone who would go up and beyond to please the person they loved, he figured they were making up for some mistake they had made, or compensating for something.

Letting out a rather unattractive snort of laughter, which Zuko admitted to himself he found adorable, Orora reached under his hood to ruffle his hair. "You don't have to worry about that Zuko. Because what I do know, is that whatever you have planned, or will plan in the future." She gently tapped his shirt, the area under which his heart was beating, steady and sure. "It'll come from here."

Smiling and pressing a fond kiss to his scar, the Waterbender began to walk down the path. Unaware of the effect she had on her boyfriend, who stared at her with just the barest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

He may have the advantage of making her blush when he flirted with her, Orora, however, had the power to make leave him flustered and unsure, in a good way, about what to do next, with her faith and belief in him.

It took a few more steps before Orora realized her boyfriend wasn't following her. With a playful roll of her eyes, she marched back, grabbed his hand and began to tug him forward. "Come on! I'm starving! Those candies and fire flakes were hours ago."

With a smile that could only be described as smitten playing about his face, Zuko followed her lead.

Since the usual time for dinners at restaurants started after sunset, and the two of them were more then an hour early, they got the best seats. Right by a window, overlooking the beach. "You know I had only ever been to a restaurant twice before I left the Water Tribe." Orora commented, once they had given their orders to the polite server. She was looking around at the beautiful decorations that made up the interior of the restaurant. Sitting on the floor across from her, Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Because the Water Tribe didn't have many restaurants?" He teased, prompting Orora to shoot him an annoyed look, which he grinned at.

"No." She defended. "More like the women in our family were meant to stay home like the good obedient wives and daughters they were meant to be." The anger in her voice was evident, as was the glimmer of it in her ice blue eyes. Thinking that maybe having her talk a little about it would help her let go of her anger, Zuko decided to prod further. "And what were the two occasions when you went out to a restaurant?"

The girl shrugged. "One was an invitation from the Chief himself. A celebration for some achievement my oldest brother attained." The dismissive tone had Zuko smiling slightly as he pictured Orora trying to get through a dinner by having to be polite and quiet. The arrival of their drinks had both teenagers pausing briefly in their conversation. Orora took a refreshing sip of the mango juice she had ordered, smiling at the sweet taste coating her mouth. Smacking her lips, she set her glass down and turned her gaze back to Zuko who was still sipping on his watermelon juice.

"And the second was when my father secured a marriage proposal for me."

Her revelation had Zuko inhaling sharply while he drank, prompting him to cough, the juice getting caught at the back of his throat. Orora winced as she leaned forward, the concern obvious in her eyes as she said. "Are you alright?" With one final thump to his own chest, and another sip to help settle his throat, Zuko nodded. "I'm fine." He replied, his voice a little hoarse as he wiped the corner of his eyes where they had started to water from coughing so hard. "I forget you were almost engaged to someone." He admitted, a dark frown creasing his brow, as if the very thought of Orora being with someone before he had even met her offended him.

She waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "It's not as if anything came of it. I ran away before the official betrothal necklace was given to me, so technically, I wasn't engaged to him." And a good thing too. Orora had no desire to have any links to her past, because lets face it, there was nothing there that appealed to her.

Well, maybe except her Mother. Only because she felt pity for her, and not out of the love she had for her.

Not like Zuko, she thought to herself, casting her boyfriend a look that had him raising an eyebrow in question. She shrugged. "Nothing, I guess I'm just a little envious of relationship you had with your Mother." She admitted. "I figured you weren't close to her." Zuko said, thinking back on how she barely mentioned the woman. "Was it because she forced you to follow the rules, or something else?" Unconsciously, his hand slid across the table to cover hers in a comforting grip.

Orora pursed her lips. "More like, she stood by and did nothing." The girl sighed, a sad lilt in her voice as she continued. "My grandmother, my mother's mother, used to say I reminded her of her daughter when she was younger. That I had the same fire she had. But I never saw that. I only ever saw a woman who would bow her head and quietly obey whatever her husband and sons demanded of her." Her gaze flitted to the view outside the window, where the sun had begun to set, casting the it's light across the ocean as the waves broke against the beach. "I guess." She continued, her voice soft and low. "Whatever spirit she had left was leeched out of her, a long time ago by my Father."

Silence followed her words, as they both sat there, staring out of the window, their minds racing, thinking and pondering on just how different and yet similar their family lives had been. The one thing they had bonded over so long ago beside that lake, during their time as refugees.

"You know, considering the family you had, it's amazing you turned out the way you did." Zuko commented, to which Orora scoffed and rolled her eyes. "If we're going to do that comparison, then you win in the depraved and demented family department. Minus, yourself, your Mother and Iroh, of course."

The mention of his Uncle, had Zuko's heart twinging with guilt as he retracted his hand from Orora's and clenched them in fists. "I'm still so ashamed for what I did to him in Ba Sing Se. And the things I said to him when he was in prison." He admitted, his voice breaking slightly as he spoke.

The length of the table between them was an empty space she didn't like. She was too far away from him. Which was why Orora rose from her place, and in two strides, was sitting down cross-legged beside Zuko. She took his hand, much like he had taken hers a few minutes ago and tilted her head down so she could meet his gaze from where he had his head bowed in shame.

"You made a mistake Zuko. That's all it was. And you made up for it by turning against your family and your entire Nation to help us fight the war. And since you've been with us, you've done so much. You've helped Aang with his firebending. You helped Sokka rescue his Father and Soulmate from prison. You helped Katara finally come to terms with her Mother's death. And you're the perfect victim when it comes to Toph's teasing." The last one had an involuntary laugh falling from his lips, as he tilted his head upwards to, unable to help the smile she coaxed out of him.

"Besides." She continued. "Once we win this war, you and I can go on a little trip ourselves and try to find him. I'm sure Aang will let us borrow Appa." Zuko squeezed her hand, drawing comfort from the warm softness. "That's what scares me. What if we find him, and he doesn't forgive me for what I did. Not that I deserve it." He muttered the last part to himself, which earned him an eye roll from his girlfriend.

As well as a slap to the back of his head. "Hey!" He protested, his hand lifting to rub the tender area. He turned to shoot her a look, but thought better of it when he caught her glaring at him instead. "You even think of going down that self-pitying, 'oh I'm worthless and never to be forgiven for what I did' road, and I swear Zuko I will leave you here right now." She claimed, already pushing herself on her knees to stand up.

"No, wait! I'm sorry. I won't go there." Zuko mirrored her movement, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently guiding her to sit back down. The girl crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "Do you really think your Uncle won't forgive you? I've only known him a few months Zuko, and I know that he loves you so much that he wouldn't even have to think about it."

Silence followed her little proclamation. Zuko sat there, his heart feeling light for the first time in weeks. All because of what she had just said. Somehow, so far, whatever Orora had claimed and deduced about him, had always been true.

She was still glaring at him. And no matter how much he liked seeing her riled up, with that glint in her ice blue eyes, and the way she looked like she would have no qualms about hitting him again, Zuko had no desire to be beat up by his girlfriend in public.

"I did think that, but I'll take your word for it and hope that he forgives me." He finally said, watching as Orora nodded in satisfaction. "Good to see your skull isn't as thick as it was when I met you." She playfully knocked against the side of his head with her knuckles. Chuckling, Zuko pushed away her hand, the remnant dark clouds hanging around his head dissipating as he smiled at her.

Suddenly, Orora laughed softly, prompting Zuko to look at her quizzically. "What?" He asked smiling, though he had no qualms about her laughing because in his opinion she didn't laugh enough. The girl shook her head. "Nothing. It's just...this morning, I was thinking how we already knew one another's trauma and demons and we wouldn't have to go into all that bad stuff, and yet here we are." She gestured between them. Zuko shrugged. "At least we're never bored." He offered as a positive to which Orora nodded. "No." She admitted. "And I doubt we will ever be bored and tired of each other."

No, he thought silently to himself, his warm gaze never once wavering from her pretty face. Reaching out, he pushed back a loose tendril of her white hair, tracing the shape of her ear with the tip of his finger as he did. "I know I won't ever get tired of looking at you." He admitted, watching as her eyes widened in happy surprise, as a shy smile pulled at her lips. Her lips parted, as if she were about to say something, but she paused.

Unable to find the words, and not liking the way how his eyes were glowing with the triumph over the fact that he her rendered her speechless, Orora playfully pushed him away with a shove to his chest. He caught himself before he fell, laughing as he did.

Luckily, the food arrived before he could retaliate, which averted both their attention as they dug in.

During the remainder of her meal, Orora didn't return to her seat across the table.

The rest of the dinner was spent conversing over lighter topics and eating their fill. Halfway through the spice had started to get to Orora, prompting her to order two more mango drinks. She was getting used to the spice though. Zuko was actually proud of her for trying the broth he had ordered for himself. It was extra spicy, and she only took a few spoonfuls of it.

By the time they emerged from the restaurant, the sun had set, and the lamps were lit all along the streets. People were walking around, the shops were still open, and the scent of the food various vendors were cooking masked the smell of the ocean nearby. Not that Orora minded that smell.

"So, where to next?" Orora asked, watching Zuko adjust the hood of his cloak from where it had begun to slip. He had worn it throughout their dinner. She wished they could go somewhere he could take the hood off, so she could see his face properly.

Zuko smiled, tugging at her hand, which he had taken the moment they'd stepped out of the restaurant. "There's this traveling performers who put up plays, and I heard they're doing Love Amongst the Dragons tonight." He told her, trying his best not to let his own excitement show. Orora nodded as she smiled. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I have an expert on that play as my boyfriend who can explain it to me if I get lost." She teased him, to which he rolled his eyes at her. "Come on. If we get there early, we'll get good seats."

"Oh yes. You-I mean I wouldn't want to miss a single word by sitting in the back."

And they did get good seats, right in the center of the small temporary set up that served as the seating area in front of the stage. It wasn't a grand set up by any means, but the play made up for it in more ways then one.

From the moment the lights dimmed, the chatter fell away, and the first actor stepped on stage, Orora was entranced. The story played out just as Zuko had told it the previous day, yet the actors brought the characters to life in ways she had never thought possible.

She barely uttered a word as the play progressed, emotions rising and falling like the waves she loved to watch so much. Zuko, who had seen the play in the past on several occasions, found his gaze torn between what was happening on stage, and the plethora of emotions that was playing out across Orora's face as the play progressed. Though she was more open with what she was feeling then in the past, Zuko always found her to be too guarded at times.

This was the first time in a long while there was no metaphorical veil for her to hide behind. Her emotions were free and unrestrained, just like his feelings for her, he thought to himself as he smiled.

Orora wasn't ashamed to admit that she teared up when the two lovers reunited in the end. Neither did she object to Zuko wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her close halfway through the play.

As the two lovers embraced one final time, the audience rose to applaud the performance, with the two Soulmates joining along.

"I enjoyed it more then I thought I would." Orora stated, sounding a little surprised herself. Honestly, she had thought it wouldn't catch her attention, but in the end the actors, the story and the characters captivated her just as much as ice sculpting did.

Zuko, glad that she had enjoyed it just as much as he had, smiled. "Well your boyfriend has good taste." He stated, sounding a little too smug for her liking. "More like an obsession." She muttered, before darting out from his range as he tried to pinch her in retaliation.

"Alright now that we've done an activity you liked-"

"Which you also enjoyed."

"-yes, yes. Which I also enjoyed. It's my turn!"

"What did you have in mind?"

The bush rustled as it spoke.

"Move over! I can't see!" In a distinctly feminine voice.

"You don't need to see." The bush responded to itself, now in a masculine voice. "You're blind!"

"I meant move your feet." The female voice came again. The voice was followed by two heads popping out of the bush, hair full of loose leaves and twigs.

"Would you two stop fighting." Aang appeared beside Sokka and Toph. "I can't hear them!" He trained his ear in a general direction, using his airbending to pick up familiar voices.

Katara's head poked out beside Aang. "I think I heard them say something about a game as they passed earlier." She said, eager to share her knowledge.

Suki, who was the last to emerge from their leafy hideout, raised an eyebrow at Katara. "I thought you said we shouldn't do this."

Never one to let an opportunity to berate his sister go, mostly because she did it to him on a daily basis, Sokka nodded. "Yeah! And now you're the one more invested then all of us."

Rolling her eyes, Katara picked a few leaves from her hair. "Well call me curious or nosy, I don't care. I'm just hoping they finally kiss and stop mopping about it."

Her brother shuddered. "And stop giving each other those disgusting looks. Bleh." He gagged.

Toph poked him painfully in the shoulder to get his attention. "You do realize that will only increase after they kiss?" She reminded him, while Aang nodded.

"Not to mention we'll probably catch them kissing more then once." He added, his grey eyes flitting to his Soulmate almost unconsciously before he went back to try and listen in on the conversation happening several feet away.

"Argh! Why can't they just be in love and not kiss?" Sokka pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as he did. Suki gave him a look. "Really? So would you not want to kiss me then?"

While the other three giggled at Sokka's obvious slip up, the Water Tribe boy turned to his girlfriend with a panicked expression. "I didn't say that!" He exclaimed.

Aang, who had suddenly caught wind of two very familiar voices, panicked. "Monkey Feathers! Hide!"

Heads popped back into the bush, minus Sokka who was looking around confused.

"Wha-why? AH!" He was pulled into the bushes by an annoyed sister and disgruntled Soulmate.

"How long have they been following us?" Zuko asked casually, throwing the ball in the air and catching it as the two of them began to walk down the path again. Orora giggled, her peripheral vision allowing her to see Sokka and Aang duck out of sight behind a stall of watermelons. "Since the play. I'm surprised they didn't find us earlier." She said, walking a few paces ahead and holding her hands out, indicating Zuko to throw the ball at her.

He did, smiling when she caught it deftly and began to juggle it from one hand to the other. They'd stopped at a little game stall, where Orora had cheated the already cheating vendor by using her waterbending to knock down the water containers that were nailed to the floor. The aim of the game was to hit them with a ball to make them fall and since that wasn't about to happen, Orora had decided to take slightly drastic measures.

Especially when she had seen a little girl on the verge of tears after loosing twice.

She'd won the girl a doll, and had taken another prize. A ball that she'd given to Zuko with a grin.

"I have a way we can loose them." Zuko suggested, approaching Orora and ignoring how Katara, Suki and Toph were trying their best to hide behind a stand of jewellery, just a few feet away from them.

Orora grinned. "What did you have in mind?" She asked.

Zuko grinned.

"Why are they separating?" Suki muttered to Aang as the two of them huddled behind a flyer that barely hid them. The boy peaked over the paper, eyes following the retreating figures of Orora and Zuko.

As they walked off in the opposite directions.

Katara, who had taken to wearing a mask she'd purchased from a vendor, frowned. "I thought the date was going well." She mused, glancing in her brother's direction, who was also supporting a mask. Albeit one that was utterly ridiculous and drew attention rather then make him discrete. "Let's split up and follow them." Aang suggested as Toph joined their little impromptu meeting, supporting two sticks of meat in each hand, not even bothering to hide herself.

Sokka grabbed Suki's hand and raced off after Orora, while Katara and Aang decided Zuko's trail.

Toph, feeling them walk away, sighed before shaking her head.

Turning where she stood, the girl made her way to the final destination she knew they would reach.

And sure enough, at the very edge of the town, Toph sat atop a boulder and enjoyed the food she'd bought. The first to arrive, were Katara and Aang. The two stubbornly idiotic Soulmates stared at Toph. "What're you doing here? Where's Zuko?" Katara asked, looking around as Aang checked behind the boulder to make sure they had covered all their basics.

"They were on to us Sugar Queen." Toph revealed, just as Sokka and Suki joined them. "I heard Zuko tell Orora about the hidden paths they could take and give you guys the slip." She finished off her food, unaware of the annoyed and disgruntled looks her friends were giving her.

"You could've told us." Aang muttered under his breath, annoyed at having the fun cut short. He'd been enjoying spying a little too much.

Toph grinned. "What? And miss the expressions on your face?"

"You can't even see!"

"A minor detail."

Laughing as they raced down the well hidden path that led them into the wilderness of the island, the two Soulmates came to a halt.

"I think we lost them." Orora gasped out, her lips pulled into a wide smile as she glanced over her shoulder. Zuko shook his head. "This is their first time on the Island. They'll never be able to find this path." He reassured her, adjusting his hood, missing the way Orora's blue gaze traced the outline of the offending item with disdain.

She frowned. "So you're saying, not a lot of people know about this path?" She asked, to which he nodded. "The locals do, and even they barely come along here." He admitted.

That was all the assurance Orora needed.

In a stride she was standing in front of her boyfriend and was untying the hood from where it was fastened just under his chin.

A little taken aback by her close proximity, the Prince blinked. "Wh-what're y-" He didn't get the chance to voice his question, as Orora pushed the cloak from his shoulders, the hood of it slipping from his head and falling to the ground with a dull thud.

At the sight of his face, unobstructed by the shadow of the hood, Orora smiled. "That's better." She spoke softly, fingers running through his always messy hair. "I missed seeing your face." The girl admitted, her expression just as tender as her voice, the fingers trailing down from his hair to trace his cheek and jaw.

If she saw the blush that suddenly streaked across his face, Orora made no comment of it.

They just stood there for awhile, lost in one another. Blue against amber.

"I want to show you something." Zuko said, finally finding the words he'd been lacking as he gently took her hand, not noticing the way their strings tangled together, glowing bright and steady. He began to lead, with Orora following his request.

The trust that burned in her heart, was unlike any she had ever felt.

And for someone who had to rely on herself, it was a rather nice feeling.

An understatement, but then in that moment, as she followed Zuko deeper into the wilderness, nothing else came to mind.

The last time he had walked along this path was when he had come with his family. The small discovery had been one of pure chance, and was one meant to be shared with the world.

And yet he never mentioned it to anyone.

He'd come back to it several times as a child, but this would be the first time he would be coming back to the location.

He hoped he still remembered the way.

"Where are we going?" Orora asked, a little confused to see the determined expression on her boyfriend's face. He came to a halt, his eyes focusing on a rather familiar looking rock formation. "This is it." He smiled, his ears picking up the sound that had become so familiar to him all those years ago. "Come on!"

"Zuko, what..."

Whatever she had been about to question her Soulmate was lost as the rounded the rocky structure and were met with a truly gorgeous sight.

The clearing was surrounded by towering palm trees and other manner of tropical foliage. But all that was nothing compared to the several small waterfalls pouring out from the rock formation, trickling down into the pond that snaked away into the trees somewhere. Several smooth rocks were jutting out of the water, looking as if they were stepping stones, leading to the waterfalls themselves.

The clear waters seemed to shine under the light of the moon, and the sound of the falling water was soothing, almost like a gentle hum a mother would sing to her baby to help go to sleep.

"What is this place?" Orora whispered, afraid she would break the tranquility of the moment if she spoke loudly. Standing next to her and watching her react exactly how he had hoped, Zuko smiled, slowly leading her towards the edge of the pond. "I found it when I was a kid. I guess it's one of the places that are still undiscovered on this island."

Still mesmerized by the sight that was in front of her, Orora missed the way Zuko's amber gaze spotted something. He dropped her hand to pick it, before returning to her side.

He tapped her on the shoulder, prompting the girl to turn to him with a smile, only to gasp in delight at what he held out for her.

"I realized I've never given you one." He admitted, smiling softly as he watched her take the Fire Lily from his fingers, and bring it to her nose to inhale the sweet scent. "Thank you." She said, her gaze turned up towards him. After a moment, the girl placed the flower behind her left ear.

Unbeknownst to either of them, when someone placed a flower behind their left ear, it was to indicate that the person was taken.

And in that moment, Orora had never been more taken by Zuko.

"It looks beautiful." Zuko said, tucking the flower more securely, allowing his hand to linger in her hair as his eyes glowed with the feelings he had for his Soulmate.

"You're beautiful." He admitted, his voice just as ardent as he regarded her with a look that had her stepping even closer then she already was. "When we were separated." She said, referring to those months of pain and suffering they had both spent. "I had a dream about you once, promising me that you would come back to me."

Their hearts beat as one. Their breaths mingled. Their souls sang.

And their strings?

They flared with color.

Bright and incandescent.

Hers red.

His blue.

The world had fallen away.

There was only him.

There was only her.

Just as Fate had meant for them to be.

Together.

The sound of multiple cheers was what brought them back to reality.

Reluctantly, Orora pulled away, her eyes fluttering open, heart melting at the expression on Zuko's face. One of complete and utter tranquility.

The shouting and cheering seemed to crescendo as he opened his eyes. Not wanting to pull away just yet, Zuko pressed his forehead against hers, sharing her breath.

"Is playing in the water gonna be a foreplay thing for you guys?" Came Sokka's voice amidst the cheers. Suki thunked her boyfriend on the head, though her attempt to punish him was halfhearted as she grinned at her friend. Toph was smiling from ear to ear. "Don't let me catch the two of you in secluded spots like these two!" She jerked a thumb in Suki and Sokka's direction, the latter of whom protested loudly.

Aang's gaze drifted from the embracing couple to Katara, who seemed to be glowing with happiness at the prospect of her sister getting her happy ending. He hoped, one day, she would look at him, the way Orora was looking at Zuko. He turned his attention back to the couple still standing in the water, completely missing the way Katara's gaze slid in his direction, hope and yearning evident in her blue eyes.

Across the pond, Zuko couldn't help but sigh in disappointment at having the moment being cut off quickly. Orora soothed him with a quick kiss to his lips.

"The first of many." She promised him, before pulling away. The Prince nodded, raising the hand that still held hers and brush his lips against her knuckles.

"The first of many."

With that mutual promise, the two teenagers stepped out of their little bubble to the relentless teasing of their little family.

A/N: I hope you guys liked the chapter! Lemme know what you think! Till next time - Hestia28