The boat was scheduled to leave early the following morning. It would be a few days by sea until he would arrive at Shu Jing, a small island on the tail end of the Fire Nation's archipelago. The journey would be slightly longer than it would take their family to reach Ember Island, except this time it would just be Zuko and a small handful of Fire Nation troops whose sole purpose would be to protect him during the journey. His father was too busy with other affairs, and his mother would stay with Ozai. Zuko didn't care so much about Azula being too busy to come. She wasn't the playful, fun-loving sister he used to reenact the final duel of Love Amongst Dragons with, the play his family had always watched at Ember Island. It had been several years since then. The memory brought only sadness to him, so he shut it out.

He stood before the warship that would be taking him to Shu Jing, saying his goodbyes to his mother and sister. The sun was going to rise in a few minutes, so the air was cold and damp. His father couldn't make time to send him off.

"Well, good luck at loser camp," said Azula. "Meanwhile, I'll be mastering firebending like true royalty."

Ursa snapped at her. "Azula! You won't be seeing your brother for a few months. Are those the last words you want to say to him?"

"Hmm, I suppose not." She paused for a moment. "Zu-Zu, I hope you don't completely and utterly fail to learn Piandao's teachings, because otherwise you'd have nothing to live for. Is that better, mother?"

Ursa sighed. "Only slightly, but yes..."

The front of the warship opened up to create a pathway for Zuko to walk on. Not being the best at goodbyes, he just started walking up the stairs.

"Zuko," said Ursa.

"Yes?"

"I have something for you." She took out a short, metal sword. "This is a traditional Fire Nation sword. You'll need it to prove your worth to Piandao."

Zuko studied the blade. It was a Dadao broadsword with a long, straight hilt and slightly curved blade.

"I just want you to know that, whatever you do, I'll always be proud of you."

The words penetrated his heart. He felt grateful that he had his mother. If he couldn't be good enough for his father, it was comforting to know that his mother would always be there for him.

"Thanks, mother," were the only words that managed to say in reply. He studied the sword for a few more moments and attached the hilt before turning around and continuing up the rest of the steps. The front of the warship rose slowly and closed with a loud, metallic thud. Two, tall men wearing the official Fire Nation soldier's uniform met him in the hull of the ship.

"Welcome, Prince Zuko. We've been instructed to keep you safe until we arrive at Shu Jing."

Zuko sighed in his mind. Had it been Azula going on this trip, there wouldn't have been any guards. If anything bad were to happen, Zuko was certain he could handle it. He ignored the guards and walked up the stairs onto the ship's deck. The shore was already a ways behind them, the ship steadily gliding through the morning waters. He stood at the front, watching the ship's hull cut through the waves. It was going to be a long while before he arrived at Shu Jing.

Zuko spent most of his time in his private quarters, practicing his swordsmanship. It felt exhilarating to be using a real sword. He imagined what kind of devastation he could cause with such a sharp blade, and then decided to rest for a while after the thought. He waited in anxious anticipation to finally arrive at Shu Jing and to meet Piandao. He had heard so many legends about him, one in particular about him defeating one hundred Fire Nation soldiers in battle. Of course, the legends were exaggerated. But all stories contain a grain of truth.

They arrived a few days later. The landscape of the island was breathtaking. The little town was laid out over a vast expanse of grassy hills and steep cliff sides, waterfalls cascaded down from the large canyon that the town was built beside. Very few trees populated the area, as the landscape was very rocky and uneven in many places. The wind blew fast up and over the steep, mountainous hills. He walked through the town on the way to the castle, which was situated at a higher elevation, overlooking the vast landscape. The two Fire Nation guards still followed him through the town and up to the gate. Some weird looks were had from the quiet, simple townspeople. The gate to Piandao's castle was gold and red, with two lion heads on both sides of the door. He knocked three times on one of them. A tall man opened the gate.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

Zuko looked up at him. "I-I've come to train with the master. Master Piandao."

The man looked down at Zuko. "Master Piandao doesn't just train anybody who walks up to his doors," he replied, crossing his arms. "Have you got anything to prove your worth?"

"I have this," said Zuko, pulling the Dadao out from its hilt.

"Ahh, very nice. The single-edged Dadao. A very versatile weapon, but can you use it properly?"

"Of course I can," said Zuko. He was feeling cocky now.

"Alright then," replied the man. He grinned menacingly. "Prove it."

He escorted Zuko into the front courtyard and pulled out a Guan Dao, a large and heavy pole weapon with jagged, serrated blade.

"You want me to fight you, right now?"

"Are you worthy of being taught by Master Piandao?"

It was now apparent he had no choice in the matter. He had to fight this man to prove his worth. An eleven year old child had to fight a fully grown man. A fully grown man with a giant sword. Zuko took the first attack, slashing his sword towards the left with his right hand. The man blocked it with the body of his weapon and immediately spun it clockwise. Being off-balance from his attack, Zuko stumbled from the counter-attack and fell to his knees.

"You're going to have to do better than that. Now get up and show me you're worth something!"

The man's words filled his mind with rage. He rose from his knees and slashed again, this time from the left, putting his legs in a more spread out stance. The man counter-attacked once again, but was unable to knock Zuko off-balance, leaving an opportunity window for Zuko to make a move. He rolled to the side of his opponent and thrust his sword towards his unguarded abdomen. He stopped his sword only an inch from his body.

"Good, good. So you can learn from your mistakes. That's a quality not everyone has, but a must for a true swordsman. You have my permission to meet with Piandao."

He felt really cocky now. "So if I can beat you, does that make me the new guard?"

The man let out a deep belly laugh. "I was going easy on you, kid. We'll see who's better after you've completed your training."

"What's your name?"

"Fat," the man responded.

"Fat?"

"Do you have a problem with my name?"

"No, there's no problem."

"That's what I thought."

Fat led Zuko through the castle to Piandao's main quarters. The castle was very luxurious and peaceful. Their footsteps echoed around every corner.

"Master, there is a child here who wishes to learn the art of swordsmanship."

"Thank you. Come in, child."

Zuko entered the room. Fat closed the door behind him. Piandao was facing away from him, in front of a large window overlooking the town in the valley below them.

"What is your name?"

"Zuko."

"The Fire Prince? Why are you here to learn the art of the sword, when the element of fire should be your main focus?"

They had hardly started introductions, and already Zuko felt like he was being interrogated against his insecurities. He replied hesitantly, "I'm not so great at firebending."

Piandao paused for a moment. "Ah, so instead you thought you'd have a try at swordsmanship. You know, you're not the first little boy to come in here wanting to learn. Your type is a silver piece a dozen. Some kid who wants to learn how to beat up his enemies."

Zuko was getting frustrated. "I'm not just some kid," he replied sharply. "I want to learn the art of the sword, no matter what it costs."

"It's not about cost," said Piandao calmly, "it's about determination. Do you know the one thing in common with all the boys, and some grown men too, who come here and get sent away by me? You guessed it – determination. They all last a couple of days, and then they give up. What makes you any different?"

"I won't give up."

"Is that true?"

"Yes." Now he was really getting angered.

"How can I know that you are willing to put in the effort to learn?"

"I will!"

"How do I know you won't give up?"

"Because I don't know how!" His voice boomed throughout the empty halls of the castle, echoing endlessly. He really didn't know how. All of his life, he had persevered through whatever was thrown at him. He had tried so hard to be an excellent firebender, for so long. He would do anything to be the son his father wanted. But that didn't change who he was. No matter how hard he tried, no amount of determination could change himself. Zuko breathed heavily, while Piandao still sat peacefully, staring out the window. A few moments passed.

"Then I'll either teach you how, or you'll learn the art of the sword. Come, I'll show you where you'll be staying."