Healing Akiko's nightmares 3

Katara and Akiko continued their quest through the world that made up Akiko's heart and mind. They'd been journeying for a long time and Katara had seen and helped Akiko come to terms with many past events of her life. Helping her realize she wasn't alone and unloved. But there was one event they kept bypassing. 

Katara could sense this event had a lot of energy around it and was one thing that had scarred Akiko the most and she kept the journey around her life going around it. But finally Katara said enough was enough. She said they had gone through so many events of her life and helped her confront all her worst fears and helped her heal from all of them. 

But if she was constantly avoiding the one she had closed off the most she'd never been fully healed and they never wake up and her nightmares haunted her forever. So it was time for them to confront this last terrifying memory that Akiko didn't seem to want Katara to see. For whatever reason Akiko had been doing her best to shield it from Katara but no there was no choice in the matter. If she was gonna be able to heal and move on she had to deal with it and let it go. And not just the way she had done on the day of the eclipse either.

"Promise me you won't let anyone else know what you're about too see and feel when I show you the worst day of my life. The day I received my scar. Please, Katara promise me," Akiko begged the waterbender who promised her she wouldn't but wasn't sure what this meant. 

She saw first it was sunrise outside Akiko's old home and Akiko was in her garden out back by a beautiful shrine which Katara realized was her mother's grave. She was talking with her mom about how today was a special day. How it was eight years to the day she met her true love and felt her destiny was unfolding. 

Then she heard someone sneak up behind her and she playfully began to fight back and Katara watched as Akiko and Zuko playfully did a dance of sorts which involved actually dancing then firebending and finally sword fighting before they fell to the ground laughing happily. She hugged him happily and was crying tears of elation. 

It took Katara moment to realize Zuko didn't have a scar on his face and Akiko was happier then she had seen her in a long while. 

Zuko was clutching a small red silk bundle in his hand and sweating. Akiko took him over to the grave and both talked quietly to Akiko's mother and Zuko then seemed to ask Akiko if he could have a moment alone with her mother and to wait for him by the pond for a second. She did as she was told and he was talking very quickly and Katara swore the gravestone words glowed as if to approve of whatever Zuko was asking as he smiled and bowed to it and whispered "Thank you I promised to take care of her with all my heart and soul" 

It was then she watched as Zuko gave Akiko the Fire Lily hair comb she always wore above her right ear and she was crying and they're speaking if they're too young to make such a vow but they promised each other the Promise of the Fire Lily then Zuko said Uncle Iroh said the only one to make it real and seal the promise was with True Love's first kiss. 

So Katara found herself uncomfortable as she watched what was Zuko and Akiko's first kiss which was very romantic and passionate They truly seemed lost in a moment of happiness and in their love. 

Then this happy moment changed and the happiness and love was shattered as they're standing in a crowed room full of people. Katara didn't know who all these people where or what was going on. But she saw Akiko was surprisingly standing next to her father who of course didn't acknowledge but Iroh and Azula were nearby. 

Azula was smiling sadistically like whatever was going on was better then her birthday. Iroh looked horrified and upset and Akiko was paler then snow and her expression was terror and she looked like she was frozen in fear and unable to move. 

Katara and the Akiko with her looked at the stage in the center of the room and Katara then witnesses something that she realized why this was the worst day of Akiko's life and why she had never wanted to deal with this memory and why she said when Zuko was scarred she got scarred too. 

She watched the horrible, cruel and abusive scene for herself as a 13 year old boy who she realized just the day before had pledge forever love to the girl of his dreams was now pleading with his father for forgiveness and then crying in utter agony as he was burned deliberately on his face and she then realized what emotions where inside Akiko at this moment. 

She was standing helplessly and yet she was raging. There was a whole room of people and yet no-one stop this. This was clearly an act of child abuse and shouldn't have happened at all and in a room full of people everyone stood by and did nothing as a child was scarred and burned by his own father. 

She then watched further as Zuko's banishment was given to him and Akiko and him didn't even get to say goodbye before he was sent away on what was a fools quest by all accounts and now Akiko had lost the one person she had loved and loved her back. Zuko had lost the one who gave him hope and reason to fight and they didn't get to say goodbye to each other.

They had just had their first kiss they'd been planning a future together. They're in love and happy and now for no real reason other then cruelty of a beastly man they're torn apart never to see each other and both now had this day scarred on them in two ways. On Zuko's face, Akiko's mind and both their hearts. 

It was raining the night after Zuko's banishment as Akiko let the rain fall on her as she stood by her mother's grave crying and asking her mother what she to do without the man she loved? Where was the hope in life now?. The grave flashed again and Akiko seemed to have heard something. 

She ran up to her room and quickly gathered a few things as the rain cleared and the moon came out. She started to leave but then turned and used her firebending to burn her home down before fleeing the Fire Nation. 

Katara now truly understood Akiko in a way she had never understood her before and now she realized what that comb meant to Akiko and why Zuko and Akiko meant so much to each other and what they really had been through. 

Katara and Akiko sat down in the garden of her memories by her mother's grave and had a very long talk about this day and her emotions about this day and what had led her to where she was now. 

Finally the whole world was aglow with golden light and Katara says she's done healing Akiko and they can return to the real world now. Before they return both girls hug each other now truly friends.

They break their spiritual connection and awaken and everyone glad they're okay. Katara more or less confirms that what Aang suspect was what was going on. Akiko leaps into Zuko's arms and kiss him then cries in his arms. Zuko looks at Katara who merely smiles and nods and he mouths "Thank you" 

and now they can get down to the business of ending the war.