Destiny and Metamorphosis

Destiny and Metamorphosis

It was just another day in the tea shop for the Fire Trio. They'd been working there for several weeks now and well business had been booming since their arrival.

Namely because of Iroh's amazing tea brewing skills, but the occasional performance that Zuko and Akiko had done hadn't hurt either. Either way, people from all over Ba Sing Se had to descend to the Lower Ring to this quaint little tea shop to just get a taste of Uncle Iroh's amazing tea.

Especially when he brewed his mystery tea which he had brewed today. Akiko and Zuko always put on a small show when he brewed that to add more kick and surprise to liven up the mystery.

Though today Zuko was slightly disheartened and didn't give it his all as he and Akiko did one of their old firerope jumping routines (without any firebending of course) when serving the tea to some people from the Upper Ring.

After finishing the routine they went back to busting a few other tables while one of the men they just served started talking to Uncle.

"So you're the genius behind this amazing brew! The whole city is buzzing about you!" the man was saying to Uncle.

"Thank you. Good tea is its own reward."

"But it doesn't have to be the only award. How would you like your own tea shop?"

"MY OWN SHOP?! IT BE A DREAM COME TRUE!"

and then their boss came in trying to stop the deal but when Uncle was told he'd get his own shop in the Upper Ring with complete creative freedom and get to name it the deal was done.

"Did you hear, nephew and my daughter?! This man here wants to give us our own shop!"

"Yes, young man you and your young cousin are moving in the world."

"She's not my cousin. She's girlfriend and I'll try to contain my joy," Zuko replied a sulking voice as he threw the tray hard on the table and stomped outside.

Akiko bolt out the door after her love knowing something was bothering him. After all, she had already sensed something was wrong when they'd been performing that his heart wasn't in it.

"Zuky, talk to me. What's wrong? Come on, tell me. You've been so moody and restless lately. I swear the last time you smiled is when we got invited to do that double date with that girl Jin and her boyfriend who come to the shop all the time.

Tell me what's wrong, please?"

"I'm sick of this life! I want to do more than work in a tea shop! This can't be my fate or yours to spend the rest of our lives serving tea! I want more from life! I want a better life this! I want to give you the best life possible!

You are the most beautiful and most special woman on this Earth! You're a Lady and the Fire Lily of a Prince! You deserve only finest! And I should be able to give you a better life than that of a common beggar!

I ought to give you the life you have always dreamed of! And we should be able to go home! I want to go home! It's been three years and I miss home!

I miss the warm breeze, the gentle quack of the turtleducks and the scent of cherry blossom trees! I miss watching the most amazing sunsets over the sea on the hillside! I miss eating our food! I just miss home!

I just want our lives to be what they are meant to be and they've got to be more than this! And I want to go home!" he finally confessed in a bitter tone as he scowled that was highlighted by his scar.

"Zuko..."

"Don't tell lie to me and say you don't feel the same way."

"I wasn't going to lie. You think after three years of being away from home I don't want to go home? That I'm not homesick? You think I'm completely satisfied with this life either? You think I'm not missing my mother and Xiaoying?

If you think that hasn't tugged at my heartstrings then you be dead wrong because it has. I burned my own house down the night I left the Fire Nation and began my quest to find you and Uncle.

I have no idea what happened to Xiaoying or what she did with my mother's grave. I only knew in my heart that my mother's grave and Xiaoying be untouched by my fire.

All I can say is something is right now what Xiaoying tell both of us if she was here."

"What would she tell us if she was here?"

"That there is a big difference, Zuko, between what a person wants and needs. The trick in life is figuring out the difference between what you actually need in life and what you only want," she informed him in a sage voice and Zuko didn't seem to find this helpful at all.

He only sighed and looked more depressed and replied gloomily. "Well, I don't see a difference because as far as I can see what we want and need are the same thing at the moment."

"Trust me there is a difference," she said reassuringly with her hand on his shoulder. "Look, since it's our last day working here I'm gonna go collect the last of our tips. At least look on the bright side, Zuko."

"What bright side?"

"I'm not gonna have to be a geisha anymore with Uncle owning his own shop. So you won't have to worry about any guys touching me in a way that will cause you reduce them to ash and cinders," she chuckled at that and then kissed him on his scar.

"Just laugh some and try to look on the sunny side of things. Think sunny thoughts," as she walked back inside leaving him outside.

Zuko sighed just depressed and moody. How was he supposed to think sunny thoughts after three years of nothing but storm clouds? Touching the spot she'd just kissed he thought how could he ever find a happy thought?

This scar on his face was always gonna be there. To remind the two of them of the greatest heartbreak. It would be the reason they weren't at home. The reason he couldn't give Akiko the life she deserved. He'd promised her so much when he gave her that comb.

And he was failing in that promise. He loved her more than the air he breathed and yet what could he really give her? He couldn't provide her with anything she really needed. Not with food, clothes or hell even a roof over her head. How was he ever supposed to live up to what Kazuo had done for Aiko if he couldn't even give his fire lily the basic things she needed in life?

After all the pain and suffering Akiko had been forced to endure all he wanted was for her to feel like a she was the most important person in the world. He wanted to shower her with all the luxuries as Prince he should be able to give her and then some.

This life they'd been living wasn't the life she deserved and he could feel in his heart their destiny had to be something far greater than just working in a shop. There had to be more in store for them the just this.

He was brooding and wondering what could he possibly do to finally get him what he wanted to give himself and Akiko all they wanted and needed when something dropped from the sky and landed on his head.

He looked up and saw hundreds of fliers falling from the sky and looked at the one that had fallen on his head. His eyes widen when he read it. It stated the Avatar was in Ba Sing Se and looking for his bison. Zuko quickly climbed the tea shop to see if he could spot the boy but no such luck.

His golden eyes hardened with determination and he clutched the flier so tightly he gave himself a paper cut so his hand bled a little. Zuko took a long way home so Uncle and Akiko were already home and packing when he got back.

Akiko was carefully wrapping a painting she had recently done of their family. And by their family that meant all the people who loved her and Zuko. So it was of Uncle, Lu Ten, Ursa, Xiaoying. She'd even painted her birth mother Sakiko and a perfect job of Uncle's late wife Kimana and then put them in it too.

"Zuky, where do you think we should hang this when we get to our new place?" she asked him as she paused in her wrapping.

He didn't say anything and Uncle then asked him a question of his own. "I was thinking of names for the tea shop and what do you think of the Jasmine Dragon?"

Zuko didn't respond to that question either and that's when they both knew something was up.

"Zuky? What's the matter? I mean don't you care about these things? Aren't these questions important to you? Or you gonna help us pack at all?" she asked cautiously.

He finally spoke and showed them what he was holding. "The Avatar is in the city and he's lost his bison."

"Zuko if you stir up trouble you're gonna ruin all the good things that are happening for us."

"No all the good things happening for you, Uncle. Not for me. Not for Akiko," he snapped at his Uncle.

"Zuko, please don't do this. Don't go after him!"

"Why?! And why didn't you tell me sooner he was here?! You said you could sense his spiritual energy!" he demanded angrily and Akiko actually cried feeling terrible as she trembled.

"Have you failed to notice that Ba Sing Se as like over ten thousand spirits alone living within its walls?!

Do you realize how much spiritual energy that is?! It's a vast ocean with so many fish it's impossible to pin down one spirit you're looking for!

And I'm still learning about this power and how to use it Zuky! I'm not perfect! I'm sorry!" she cried and hung her ashamed.

"Zuko! Apologize!"

"Sorry, Akiko, I shouldn't have said that to you. But don't you see? This is the answer to getting what we want and need."

"You still think your destiny is to fulfill Death's command and capture a 12-year-old boy?! Are you crazy?! I know we've been seeking out our destiny for a long time, Zuky, but I don't think this is the answer to what we're searching for!"

"Then what is?! Don't you want something better than an apartment and living this life?! I want to give you the world! I want to give you want I promised you three years ago when I gave you that comb!"

"And I want to be the Light of Hope and I still don't know what that means! And I want to go home too! But I don't feel right about kidnapping a child to go home!"

"It's what needs to be done!"

"If you felt what I felt you won't say that! I can't harm that boy! I can't even put a nick in his skin, not with a part of him living in me, Zuko! Please forget about this! Please!"

"Forget about our Promise?! Forget about everything?! Forget about what we rightfully deserve?! What should be ours?!"

"I can't talk to you right now! I've lost enough right now and I don't want to lose you to madness! Talk to me when you can see reason!" as she threw the painting at his chest and stormed out of the apartment and Zuko yelled after her. "I'm only thinking of you!" and went to the bedroom and slammed the door.

Iroh had been silent throughout the duration of the whole argument between his nephew and daughter when suddenly he said something that made him sound as if he'd been entirely oblivious to everything that had been going on.

"The Tea Weevil! No, that's just stupid."

Zuko and Akiko both didn't see or speak to each other for the rest of the day as it took them both that long to tame their inner fires. It was only when night had fallen and it was time to sleep that they went to bed together.

They didn't say goodnight to each other or do the normal terms of endearment that usually did. They simply laid down on their pallets pulled up the blankets and uses their firebending to extinguished the flames and drifted off to sleep.

About half an hour later when all was still and quiet did Zuko open his eyes showing he'd only been pretending to sleep. He slipped off his night robe and using his own mastery over feather walking got his duo swords and Blue Spirit Mask.

Before he slipped out the window he paused and went back over to Akiko and gently pulled back her hair and kissed her, then whispered in her right ear softly. "Please forgive me, Akiko. Just know everything I do in this world is for you because I love you." and with that, he crept back over to the window and tied the mask on and disappeared into the night.

As soon as Zuko rounded the corner Akiko opened her eyes and sighed, "Zuko, I love you too and forgive me for having to stop you. Because everything I do is because I love you. And I can't let you get yourself killed because of me!"

And in five minutes she was dressed in her Dragon Guardian outfit and mask with her Dragon Blade and out the window too and trying to track her lover who she knew would seek out the Avatar's bison in a crazy and desperate attempt to go home.

It was a mad pursuit as well as a game of cat and mouse that night as the two lovers both went after each other while they sought-after the Avatar's bison. It was anyone's guess really who'd find Appa first. Then what would come about when they did encounter the mighty creature.

It seemed all but inevitable that both found Appa and each other at the exact same moment. Almost as if there would be no other way the fates would've it. Other then them reaching him except at the exact same moment.

"What are you doing here?!" snapped Zuko to Akiko who snapped back at him.

"Making sure you don't get yourself killed! I don't want to lose you again, Zuky! I can't let you make a foolish mistake even if you're doing this because you love me! I cannot let you do this!"

"You and I both know its the only way!"

"There is always another way! There always another choice!"

"No, Akiko, we've never had choices in our lives! We've never had any options! There never been once in our lives have we been given a chance or a choice! We've had to beg, plead and bleed!

So we have no other options than to do this!"

"What?! Follow the orders of Death?! Like my mother had no choice but to go to her own death when Fire Lord Azulon took away her choice of freedom and that led to her death?!"

"Life unfair and sometimes you ain't got no choice but to do what you're told by others!"

"Even if its wrong?! What is happening to you, Zuko?! You know if you do this you are surrendering to Death and I can't let that happen! I can't let you believe you have no choice ever!"

"What choices do we have any more?!"

"Enough! Both of you need a good slap in the face and both of you need to hear something you should've heard a long time ago! Because neither of you has thought a lot of things through in so many years!" yelled a voice behind them and the whirled around and saw Uncle.

"Uncle?!"

"I love you both but I can't stand by and watch either of you fall any longer. It's time you both heard the truth and if I must be blunt so be it. Zuko you don't think through! Like at the North Pole!

You had the Avatar and then you had no place to go and if he hadn't saved your life you'd be DEAD!

Akiko! I admire you acted on your heart and feel things so strongly. But you're letting too many times your anger at the past and plenty of other emotions cloud your judgment!

It's time you stop trying to live a destiny someone else gave you and find your own destiny. I'm begging you Prince Zuko and Lady Akiko that it's time for you to look inward and began asking yourselves the big questions.

"Who are you? And what do you want?!"

And most importantly before you can any of that you must finally let it all go! Let the past go! You cannot move forward in life till you let go of the past! It's time you both let it go!"

They were so angry and screamed. "How?! How we are supposed to let it go?!" they demanded to their Uncle who sighed.

"I know this is extremely hard for both of you. Since I've seen first-hand the deep hurt and devastation that both your fathers brought to both your lives. That you've done some reckless things after being abandoned and wounded by the men who should've loved you the most.

But know this truth that you don't have to follow in their footsteps of irresponsibility. You both can be like your mothers who sacrificed so much to help you both survive.

I know that neither of your fathers understands how crucial a role that being a father is. But I assure I do understand that and I've done my best for both of you and I hope when the day comes and you both become parents you will do better then what your fathers did for you.

I want you both to be courageous right now and be able to walk away from the abandonment, neglect, and abuse.

So when the time comes and you're parents you don't make the same mistakes as the ones who wounded you. That you're involved in your children lives. That you both do more than provide for them. That you walk beside them and show them what it means to be people of honor and love.

Mothers and fathers should love their children seeking to win their hearts, protect, discipline and teach them what is right and wrong. Parents should teach their children to walk with integrity, treat others with respect, be responsible so they can live for what truly matters in this life and the next.

Some people don't realize too late or never at all that everything else in the world doesn't matter as much as the souls of your children. It's those who live for themselves and don't leave a legacy of love behind that are the most dishonorable and fools.

But again what I want for both of you, what I've always wanted all these years of seeing you both suffer? Is what I want you both to be able to do right now is.

To be able to regardless of the suffering your fathers put your through that you will find the strength in yourselves right now to let it go and walk away. Then mentor others who have no-one in their lives but desperately need help and direction.

That when you two finally do become husband and wife and have children that for your family and all future generations these mistakes and evils can finally be broken by both of you. I want to see you both guide all of us out of the darkness, I want to see you both break the chains of destruction.

I want you both right now to look inside your hearts and find the courage within you to finally let it all go. Let it out, let it go and walk away and start anew. Can you finally do that?" he asked in almost a breaking voice as he looked at his children.

To Iroh Zuko and Akiko had never been Ozai or Zhao's son and daughter. They'd been his son and daughter from the start because they'd been forsaken by both men and he couldn't see them like this anymore. And sometimes you just had to say the truth even when it hurt and let it set them free.

Both teens had dropped to their knees shaking and crying as Uncle's words penetrated their hearts and souls. It really struck them deeply what he was saying and what he was asking them.

They understood this was what they needed to hear and what they had to do. The question was could they do it?

Akiko rose first seeming to have reached the same epiphany as Uncle and turned to Zuko. "He's right you know. It's time we stop holding on the scars of the past and seeing ourselves through the eyes of others and started to see ourselves through the eyes that only see the truth."

"I can't see myself any other way. I don't know how."

"Then let me sing it too you and maybe that will help you, Zuky. And then maybe will both be able to finally let it all go and move on."

"A single thread in a tapestry though it's color brightly shines can never see its purpose in the pattern of the grand design.

And the stone that sits at the very top of the mountain mighty face. Does it think it's more important than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth? Or where your value lies? You can never see through the eyes of man.

You must look at your life, look at your life through the spirit's eyes.

A lake of gold in the desert sand is less than cool fresh spring. And to one lost koala-sheep a shepherd boy is greater than the richest king.

If a man loses everything he owns has truly lost his worth? Or is it the beginning of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man? In wealth, strength or size? In how much he gained or how much he gave?

The answer will come. The answer will come to him who tries to look at his life through the spirit's eyes.

And that's why we share all we have with you. Though there little be found. When all you got is nothing. There a lot to go around.

No life can escape being blown about by the winds of change and chance.

And though you never know all the steps. You must learn to join the dance. You must learn to join the dance!

So how do you judge what a man is worth? By what he builds or buys?

You can never see with your eyes on Earth. Look through the spirit's eyes. Look at your life. Look at your life, look at your life. Look at your life through the spirit's eyes!"

After she finished singing and doing a rather sexy dance too as she done it both she and Zuko seemed to have reached the same epiphany. Both of their hands were lit with their special firebending.

"I'll take the right you take the left and we'll free him that way," Zuko instructed as Akiko got on her side and they both swung their swords and their special firebending did the rest.

Appa was free and extremely gratefully Akiko shushed him as she got in front of him. Her right hand was on the arrow that was on Appa's head. The one that had inspired the airbender's tattoos.

"What are you doing?" asked Zuko to his love who had a look of intense concentration on her face.

"I'm finding Aang for Appa and telling him where to go. People who are bonded like us their spiritual energies are intertwined. I'm finding the link. But it's gonna take all my concentration to find him so please be quiet."

After a few moments, Akiko saw in her mind's eye where Aang was and that he was gonna be in serious trouble. "Follow the energy and it will take you to him. But hurry he's in terrible danger and will need you to defend him. Go! Be with the one you love once again.

Be safe and be blessed." as she kissed his forehead and he left and so did they before they're caught as well.

Once they're outside the Dai Li's secret headquarters Iroh turned to them both and said. "I'm proud of both of you. You've really come far on your journey of healing. You've really taken the first step in letting go."

"What's the second step?" they asked and he looked at the masks in their hands.

"If you wish to leave the past behind you must leave all traces of your past behind. Both the physical and emotional masks you've hidden behind."

Sighing then both walked over to the edge and tossed their masks into the deep water of Lake Laogai forever letting that part of their past die. Knowing they no longer could hide behind a pair of masks or conceal what they think or feel.

It must be as plain as their face that was truly shown. They had to be truly honest with themselves and the world about who they were and what they truly wanted and needed. And that what they're thinking about as they made their way back to the apartment.

They'd barely made it three steps in the door when it happened. Uncle was still talking but neither could hear a word he was saying. They just felt so dizzy as their vision was becoming blurry and the world started to spin.

Then both collapsed on top of each other breaking some pottery as they hit the ground falling into a comatose-like state.

"ZUKO! AKIKO!" cried Uncle as he rushed over to them and looked at them. Both were extremely pale with labored breathing and burning up.

Acting quickly he set up their sleeping pallets in the living room, then got them stripped down to the bare minimalist clothes and got them under some blankets and started to treat them.

They'd regain conscious now but both felt sick. Sicker then they'd ever in their lives and they're trying to find the other hand but just could, so Uncle had to make sure their hands were touching.

"You're gonna have to sweat this out for a while. Stay under the blanket and rest. Don't fight this."

"We're burning up, Uncle! Take the blankets off!" Akiko begged in a weak and hoarse voice but he wouldn't.

"I can't but have some water...Ahh!" as both yanked the ladle from him trying to get it and when that wasn't enough they both tried to drink like animals from the nearest buckets of water to try and quench the insatiable thirst.

But the effort to get the water caused to much strain on their body and the fever burned only hotter and both suddenly were no longer in the apartment.

Instead, they both now were sitting in the Fire Lord's chamber dressed as Fire Lord and Lady and Zuko's face was whole. Before they were faceless soldiers and servants and the fires around them were normal fire.

Just then a blue dragon came twisting down next to Zuko and became speaking in Azula's voice.

"Why don't you rest, Fire Lord Zuko? You should rest."

"I'm not tired. And my love and I still have plans for dinner tonight."

"Yes, we're not tired at all. We need to help the poor souls who have suffered. Then we're going to have dinner."

"Leave the Fire Lord alone, silly girl. The Fire Lord has no time for anyone else. He's got so many other more important duties. No time for something as unimportant as one who just meant to stand in his shadow.

You are just his shadow and not his equal. You have no greater part. Go away."

"You go away! Leave them be! Don't listen to the blue dragon, Fire Lord Zuko! You need Fire Lady Akiko! The Fire Nation needs both of you if it's to heal! Don't listen to the blue dragon's words!

You two are equally important and only together are whole!" snapped a red dragon in Iroh's voice on Akiko's side coiled around the other side.

"Either you rest Fire Lord Zuko or you get rid of Fire Lady Akiko or you both rest for all time! Just like Mother!"

Then out of nowhere, both saw an image of their mother crying out in the darkness "Zuko! Akiko! Help me!" and suddenly they fell into a pit screaming.

And suddenly they're shaking and shivering as they realized Uncle was there wiping their foreheads trying to bring down their fevers.

"What is happening to us?" Zuko coughed in a hacking way.

"I've never felt this way. It's like my own soul being twisted on the inside! That's how sick I feel! Ooh! This hurts!" whimpered Akiko as she curled up in a ball still holding Zuko's hand firmly.

"You both should know this is not a natural sickness, but a spiritual sickness."

"A spiritual sickness?" they managed to get out as their glossy eyes looked at their true father as he poured water into their mouths.

"Yes, when reached your epiphanies, then made the choice to free the Avatar's bison it conflicted so much with your own self-images, that you've perceived yourselves so long to be, that now your spirits are being reborn.

You're both going through a metamorphosis, my children. It will be a painful, unpleasant and even agonizing experience to endure. Nevertheless, I promise you both when you come out of it you'll both be the beautiful prince and lady you both were always meant to be.

Just as he finished saying that their fever spiked again and another vision overtook them.

At first, they're just in a place blacker then black could be still dressed as Fire Lord and Fire Lady when suddenly blood red and azure blue flames encircle them separating them and they seemed to burn hotter than the sun.

"Zuko!"

"Akiko!"

But their voices sounded so far away and the flames burned only higher and hotter as they tried to bring them down. And they tried to get through them it only burned them leaving them in agonizing pain.

Finally, they couldn't bear to be separate anymore and ran through blood red and azure blue flames even if they die. They met in the middle even if they're being burned alive holding each other and suddenly their gold and hot pink flames appeared and banished the evil flames and somehow healed them.

When they looked up again they found themselves dressed in simple pale red tunics and looked around they saw something they didn't understand.

They're standing in a barren wasteland of nothing but ash. In fact, the only thing living were two strange and unusual colored pink trees in front of them.

The trees didn't have leaves they'd glowing seeds hanging from them. One tree had seeds of gold and the other of jade green. They watched as two seeds fell from each tree and become one and then landed.

From where the seeds landed a small flower began to sprout. They watched as so much tried to kill the flower which continued to grow, flourish and bloomed into the most beautiful fire lily he'd ever seen despite all the adversity that tried to kill it.

When it fully bloomed the land around it became green and alive again.

As all this played out they heard voices they didn't recognize singing. They're all kinds of voices. Both young and old as well as man and woman. They seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

What they sang was this beautiful but haunting song.

"Come with me, I'll take you now
To a place that you fear for no reason why
Your heart has turned away from me
And I will make you understand

Everything will become clear to you
When you see things through another's eyes
Everything will become clear to you
Whatever's meant for you, you will find

Come with me, I'll take you there
To a place where you'll see
Everything you need to be the one you need to be
And all of those things that you feared
Will disappear from you in time

Everything will become clear to you
When you see things through another's eyes
Everything will become clear to you
Whatever's meant for you, you will find"

As the song ended they woke up feeling very groggy and weak. Uncle was asleep and they made their way weakly to the bathroom to clean themselves up some. But as they finished splashing water on their face they looked at their reflection and screamed.

Their faces weren't theirs but covered in Airbender master tattoos and then the truly woke up screaming and breathing hard. Both clutched their hearts tightly and also touched Zuko's scar as if to know what was real.

Akiko then kissed Zuko's scar and his breathing slowed down as he ran his fingers through her hair and clutched her comb to assure it was really there. Uncle was truly asleep and they're alright.

"Is it over? Have we completed the metamorphosis?" asked Akiko asked in a barely audible whisper.

"I don't know, my love. But let's just talk a moment about what those visions were about. And see if we can't make sense of them?"

"Alright," she started to say shakily. "The first vision was of us as Fire Lord and Lady with a blue and red dragon talking to us. One sounded like Azula and one sounded like Uncle."

"The blue dragon looked and acted like Azula. Cunning, manipulative, and deadly. Again wanting us to be apart."

"The red was noble and encouraging us to be together. Loving and supportive. Like Uncle."

"But I don't get what does it mean? What do two dragons of two people in our lives have to do with us?"

"Maybe it's about a choice? A choice we'll face or one of us will face? A choice between right or wrong or good and evil? Whether we stay together or fall apart?"

"Maybe. But what about the blood red and blue flames that were burning us alive and again trying to keep us apart?"

"It seems to me that means someone is going to try and break our bond. Or possibly foreshadows an attempt to break our bond or kill us. That our lives our on the line and we must find our inner fire and even if means running into the flames of death we can't let anything separate us."

"But what about that strange last vision or that song? Who could've possibly been singing it? And what could all that mean?"

"I'm not sure but I feel like that something we should already have the answer too. Like we were staring at the answer. Like something saying why to ask the question when you know the answer?"

"Well, there one thing I do have an answer too already, Akiko."

"What's that, Zuky?"

"That I made you a promise starting from that night three years ago. That if I never did anything for the rest of my life I do at least one thing right.

That I'm gonna hold you, look into your eyes until I'm so overcome that I cry. That I'm gonna love you more than anybody. Akiko there is so much I wanna do but I'm not gonna do anything without you."

Looking at him she could only reply. "There's no way I'll ever give up. There's no way I'll ever lose. If I have to sacrifice everything that's what I'll do.

Because I'm gonna hold you, look into your eyes until I'm so overcome that I cry. That I'm gonna love you more than anybody. Zuko there is so much I wanna do but I'm not gonna do anything without you."

As they were speaking their special firebending, of course, was acting up in the unique way of responding to their emotions as they got more amorously with each other.

"This is our dream as we live and breath," he replied as they're slowly regaining their strength.

"It's all we think about."

"This is the fire that burns in us that never gonna go out!" they shouted as they both watched as their special bending again was reflection their love and emotions as they hugged each other.

That we're gonna hold each other, look into each other's eyes until we're so overcome that we cry. That we're gonna love each other more than anybody. There is so much we wanna do but we not gonna do anything without each other.

We're not gonna do anything without each other!" and then kissed as a flaming golden heart with pink wings formed above them burning brightly.

Then again they passed out from a combination of the spiritual sickness and overall exertion of their special bending. But they're still closely embracing one another and it indeed seemed they truly become better and more beautiful people. Only time would tell if the metamorphosis was truly complete.