Since the moment he gazed upon on her he felt a fire in her eyes. When she glared down at him, ready to fight, he felt it blazing to his core. His first few nights at the palace, she gave him her coldest stares. Yet the fire behind it could not be extinguished. When his enemy was defeated, the uncomfortable heat came down to a delightful warmth of respect that comforted him in a beautiful way.

The harsh heat always returned in battle but never again was it aimed at him. Their foes nearly cowered in fear at the sight and were always made to regret pressing on. Should an opponent ever get a hit in, a protective aura emitted from them that wouldn't die down until the fight ended and he was safely returned to the palace.

The sarcastic amusement he often saw in them would always light up his day, and when it was replaced with worry he felt an overwhelming urge to console her. He recalled the days when he was convinced that every inch of her being was made of stone, except those beautiful eyes. He knows better now.

When their allies turned away her pity washed over him like an intense flood, pouring out of her. When he allowed them to be captured, he saw something he hadn't seen in a very long time. Not since the beginning.

She gave him a look that was too easy to read. One of questioning, of confusion. He mentally kicked himself. She doubted him. He feared he'd lose her above all other things, and the painful visions of the past did nothing to aid him.

When she interrogated him, he didn't know how to guard himself and still give her a reason to let him go. He was losing her trust. It was then that he told her, driven by the fear of losing her. The fire in her eyes lowered, but her glare was ever-present.

She lunged and he braced himself for pain. It never came. He opened his eyes. He could feel every ounce of warmth from her eyes in her arms as they wrapped around him. He had never felt more comfortable, and more loved. When she left, he knew. This fight was no longer just to defend the people of China. Not even to save the world. He knew right then that this fight was to protect her, and he would do whatever he had to do.

He faced his enemy with a new strength, even at her persistent protest. The weapon fired. She was the last thing he heard. He woke up some place familiar, and yet so distant, the goat commanded him, and he listened.

He felt the pouring rain. He understood the world around him. He knew how his life began. He knew that he loved her. His teammates spoke briefly of his absence but he held on to one detail. How those beautiful eyes shed tears at the belief of his death.

When his friends were freed, and the masters had joined them, they fought side by side and when she was hit, he nearly broke down. If he failed today, not only would he never again see the beauty, the fury, the fire in those eyes, but the wonderful person behind them that he knew he couldn't live without.

He stood alone and she watched him. He tore away from those eyes and held on to the peace they brought him. The weapon fired. It flowed through him like water and he relished in the energy and power it gave him. He could do this. He could do anything.

Ships went down one by one and he could feel his enemy's fear. He watched the explosion and approached his foe. The peacock knelt before him. In awe. In shock. In pain. He warned of what he was doing to himself but he wouldn't listen. In the end, it was the death of him.

He returned to her successful, and her beautiful eyes praised him. He embraced her wholeheartedly but released her at the feeling of her discomfort. His friends congratulated him on his victory but only one person mattered. He knew what he had to do. He'd almost lost her once; that could never happen again.

They returned to the palace and the moment he had her alone he told her. He told her everything he had felt, and every realization he'd made along the way. She her look was a mixture of shock, disbelief, caution, and hope. When he finished she stared at him and all emotion fled from her eyes. He tried to read them for any sign of confirmation or rejection but he found none.

Finally she confessed to him. She poured her heart out as best she could and all he could do was listen, an ecstatic grin plastered across his face. When she stopped, they stared at each other with joy. He saw the happiness and hope and life in those eyes and he placed his hands on her cheeks and pressed his lips to hers.

Her initial shock was not surprising but her reaction was. She placed her hands over his where they were on her face and pressed deeper into him. He licked lightly at her lips and she opened her mouth and it was everything he'd dreamed it would be.

No one was surprised by their relationship, although the rest of the five never expected her to be so open about it. But she was confident and her love for him didn't change that. Their master was supportive and their love was strong.

One night things went further than they had ever gone before and he knew that with their job as protectors of the Valley, he had to cherish every moment he had with her. He was a selfless lover and her eyes showed it under a loving, lustful gaze in her eyes where she lay beneath him.

She had never thought much about the future but never in her wildest dreams had she pictured this. Her constant illness, swollen body, and inability to fight left her slightly resentful, but then she felt a little kick and he showered her with love and care and she found she couldn't be angry with him for very long.

Two more along the way and the life in her eyes never died. Of course they had their fights but one look in those eyes and he was on his knees, pleading for forgiveness. He couldn't stand it when she was upset and hated more than anything to be the cause of any darkness in her otherwise glowing eyes.

They never gave up on Kung Fu and they never gave up on each other. Their family was beautiful and perfect and they received nothing but love and support. They trained each and every day and watched as their friends' families grew in size as well.

Nothing lasts forever, and they both knew that. But the life they had together made it all worth it. They were each other's happiness. Life eventually comes and goes but with each day that came and went, they were all the other could ask for.

And 'til the day she died, the light never fled from those blazing eyes.