A/N: Hope you enjoy! Please review if you like what your about to read. As it boosts my self esteem. =) I also write free commissions too, so if you have an idea for a fanfic tell me in the comments or a PM to my page if you're so inclined. I always like new ideas so nothing is off limits as far as subject matter. Anyway here's the chapter.
"So no firebending." Sokka said to Zuko, now facing him both their blades drawn. Sokka with his straight sword and Zuko with his ox tail sabres in either hand.
"That's what we agreed isn't it?" Zuko said turning his swords in either hand one eighty degree then quickly reversed direction to make sure his wrists were loose. Toph had wanted to see the two warriors go at it since Zuko had been on their side. Now that the war was over, Team avatar was essentially a group of ambassadors looking for a way to heal the pain and scars of the last hundred years. Wearing the customary colors of each of their native nations.
So once more Sokka and Katara had started wearing their light blue summer outfits. They decided to visit Master Piandao's home and training grounds for the day, especially now that Zuko was with them it welcomed a match between two of the master's most prolific students. Everyone met in the main courtyard, the square with grass designating the boundaries had been raised an entire foot and a half and each of Piandao's students stood at either end, Zuko dressed in his short sleeve dark red cotton tunic and pants for ease of movement and Sokka in his black robes Piandao had first given him along with his meteorite blade.
"This should prove interesting how the two styles do against one another. Zuko is a master of stealth, agility and also has a keen sense of his surroundings. While Sokka has a style that is fluid and calm, focused… it somewhat reminds me of a waterbender, the way he fights." The master swordsman nodded to Katara. "Wouldn't you agree Katara, being a master waterbender yourself?"
Katara furrowed her brow thinking on the matter. "I've never thought about it like that Master Piandao, perhaps… yes he could be described like that." The times that the brother and sister had dueled, he would dodge and elude her attacks almost effortlessly, but to describe him as waterbender may be overstepping things a bit.
Zuko on the other hand, she mused as she turned her attention back to the two boys. He was a different story, never wanting to practice with his swords and always chose to firebend instead, she couldn't figure out why this seemed suspicious, but it did. Given this she was eager almost as much as Toph for this match to take place.
This was a welcome distraction; especially since Aang had decided to go speak with Avatar Roku somewhere in the dense brush of the nearby bamboo forest, though he was still in sight and sitting at least five feet back from the grand arena directly behind Sokka, but far enough away that should anything happen, he wouldn't be disturbed.
Katara could see the top of Aang's head glowing, obviously in the avatar state. The current rough plan he five of them decided on was a multicultural hub of the world. It would be a city where all benders and non-benders could live in peace, and collaborate on ideas to better not just one nation but united and working as a whole. Aang and company was still deciding on a name.
"Too bad Aang's going to miss this." Toph said as she sat on a log next to Katara, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Is it terrible that I don't know who to root for?" Toph asked as a matter of fact.
Katara began to explain, though truly she was glad they could have civil conversations now and enjoyed the young earthbender's company. "Not really each of them is a warrior of very high-."
"I wasn't basing it on skills…" Toph smirked devilishly. "But now that you mention it, I have been noticing how you look Sokka when we all do our free for all sparring." Toph just laughed knowing full well this wasn't true, while Katara was embarrassed but also angry, not knowing what sort of expression to hold on her face. Annoyed is what she settled on.
"Zuko came very close to burning Sokka, I was concerned." Katara debated.
"Even though you could have just healed him?" Toph knew she had the upper hand, getting Katara angry required almost no effort.
"Regardless of what you may think, Aang's my boyfriend." Katara said with an air of pride.
"Yes you remind us every night, I have yet to get a full night's sleep on this trip." Zuko chimed in, sounding somewhat disgruntled.
"Shut up." Katara mumbled.
"My thoughts exactly Sweetness, let's see what these two can do." Toph just punched Katara in the shoulder. Pointing at her eyes. Everyone just groaned, Katara doubly so as she rubbed her pained shoulder. Zuko turned back to his friend and current opponent.
"Silence." Master Piandao told them all firmly as he stood. "Zuko, Sokka." Piandao put his left hand and right fist together at his sternum, the thumb of his fist facing the sky and bowed to his two students, Zuko on his left and Sokka on his right.
Zuko just silently fitted his blades together into their deceivingly unified form with the blades facing the sky and bowed reverently in this same manner. Sokka did the same exact bow, the only similar characteristic of their training with Master Piandao, otherwise their fighting styles couldn't be more different. After bowing to their teacher, they bowed to one another. Piandao nodded in approval, watching how in sync they were when they bowed to one another almost on cue.
"Remember to listen, don't just watch your opponent, notice everything about him." The two boys nodded. Piandao, satisfied layed out the rules. "This will be a duel and evaluation of what you each were taught and how you've evolved beyond your training, Sokka of the southern tribe and Firelord Zuko." Piandao paused for a moment then continued. "The parameters of this duel are simple, no bending of any kind, everything else is permitted… simply use whatever means you have using your body and weapon as one to knock your opponent off the raised platform. Katara will supply any necessary healing either of you may require." At this Katara looked somewhat uneasy, as she was realizing one of them could lose a finger. "Am I understood?" Piandao finalized.
Sokka took his stance, his left foot behind his right and turned the left, the space between had to be a foot at least. His right hand held his sword at an almost lazy forty-five degree angle. Katara had noted this was his most effective stance during their one on one sparring matches. Sokka's chest was turned parallel to his front arm, making him a smaller target. The empty hand was making a simple open palm gesture to one side.
Zuko took a somewhat low stance parted his feet shoulder width apart, he bent his knees and put his back foot so that the big toe was lined up with the back heel of his front foot.
Zuko had one arm bent at the elbow with the inside of the curved blade facing him and the other blade was raised directly above his head with the inside curve and the crown of his head facing each other.
"Perfect, let's begin." Piandao started to step backwards still facing his students. And as soon as he took his final step off the two warriors clashed.
Sokka immediately charged Zuko closing the distance between them with ruthless efficiency. The firebender had simply put his swords together and dropped his head but beyond this he was unmoving and statuesque. Seemingly looking down at his cloth belt that held his scabbard, but the second Sokka thrusted forward Zuko simple turned his head the direction the sword was traveling with his chest parallel as well he outstretched his arms nailing Sokka in the sternum with the butt of one of his swords, knocking Sokka back, kicking up dust as he slide backwards at least fifteen feet.
"Damn, I guess I don't know who I'm up against." Sokka mumbled as he kicked his feet backwards over his head and his entire body followed suit into a backwards roll which put him into a crossed legged sitting position from which he quickly got to his feet by pushing down on either side of his ankles.
"Non-benders." Toph scoffed. "Always thinking they have the upper hand when we can't bend, not realizing our moves are easily used without even needing to bend."
But as he blinked to get his bearings back something happened, something he knew was impossible. Sokka blinked once and Zuko had somehow traversed from the far end of the square had occupied at the start, to the center of the left side without so much as the sound of a single footstep.
"How does he move so fast, I barely saw it sitting still?" Katara whispered to Piandao.
"Were your eyes watching his every move?" Piandao asked simply.
"I only looked away for a moment to see if Sokka was out of bounds." Katara asked, trying to make sense of what had just happened, even seeing it firsthand she had trouble with it.
"Oh come on! Hit him Sokka, he's open!" Toph yelled suddenly.
"That's all he needs, a single moment, a flash… watch again." Piandao directed her attention back to the arena with a turn of his own head.
Now fixated Katara surveyed Zuko, how he moved or didn't move rather. He was decisive and wasted no effort in each move he did. His face was blank too, unable to read what he was about to do next. Suddenly she remembered the rumors from a year ago when they were traveling through the earth kingdom to Ba Sing Sei. A warrior who you saw and then didn't, rumored to be just a mischievous spirit or someone's imagination playing tricks with the light of their campfire, that is until they noticed provisions missing.
In this moment Katara knew her brother wasn't fighting any ordinary fire nation noble who could have been trained by Piandao as part of his grooming for his eventual position as Fire Lord. Zuko did all his training in secret, so no one suspected him as the Blue Spirit!
A/N: Next chapter soon to come, check back in a day or so! Inspiration for this fic is Lifeline by Imogen Heap.