Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Chapter 15: Training
The next day...
"Okay," Toph said, as soon as everyone was up and had eaten breakfast. "I'm going to need an explanation."
Zuko sighed. "Its kinda a long story. First, my name is Zuko, not Lee, and I'm the former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Azula is my sister. And I time traveled."
"Normally, I would say you're crazy Sparky. But, I can feel the vibrations in a person's heart, and tell if they're lying. I'm like a living lie detector. And you're telling the truth." Toph said, shrugging.
Zuko smirked. "I know."
That made Toph do a double take. "How did you know that? I haven't even told anyone that yet."
So, Zuko told her. About Sozin's Comet and how he was sent back in time by Roku. How he joined the Gaang at the Fire Temple, and helped them. About the Siege of the North and Yue's death. About their time in the Foggy Swamp and arriving in Gaoling.
"Wait, is that how you knew who I was?" Toph interrupted. "And that I would be Twinkle Toe's earthbending instructor?"
Zuko nodded. "You were before, and you're the best earthbender in the world."
"See, this guy gets it." Toph said, grinning.
Zuko shrugged. "You invented metalbending by being trapped in a tiny box. If that doesn't say that you're the best earthbender, I don't know what does."
"This is a story I gotta hear." She said, leaning foreword.
Zuko smiled. "I'll get to that."
Zuko continued, telling Toph about everything in the future that happened before. How he and Uncle arrived in Ba Sing Se at the same time they did. About corruption with the Dai Li and Long Feng. About Appa going missing and Zuko freeing him below Lake Laogai. About Toph's invention of metalbending. About Jet's death, and Azula's takeover of Ba Sing Se, and Zuko's betrayal. About how they journeyed through the Fire Nation and the failed invasion on the Day of Black Sun. About Zuko's betrayal of Ozai and joining the Gaang at the Western Air Temple. And finally, about everything that went wrong on the day of Sozin's Comet.
"That was one crazy tale." Toph said, leaning backwards, as soon as Zuko was finished. "Well Sparky, it looks like we have our work cut out for us. So, I'll start training Twinkle Toes, and you can train Snoozles over there."
Sokka jumped up. "Is this when Zuko teaches me swordbending?"
"Swordbending?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sokka nodded enthusiastically. "Of course. Its the only type of bending I can do."
"Just follow me." Zuko said, shaking his head.
Aang bounced over to Toph, before turning around to look at Katara. "What will you do? We're not near any water, so you can't practice your waterbending."
"I'll be fine." Katara said, waving him off. "I can go through some of my katas while the rest of you train, and I do need to fix everyone's clothing from the fight yesterday. Go learn earthbending, Avatar."
Aang grinned and ran after Toph, while Zuko handed the sword that they had bought from the market, which seemed like an eternity ago, and handed it to Sokka, before grabbing his own swords.
"Try to swing at me." He told the other boy. "I want to assess your skills."
Sokka's eyes darted to Zuko's dual daos. "But you have two swords. Isn't that a little unfair?"
"They're two sides of the same sword." Zuko said, pulling them out of the sheath. "You can't fight with one without the other. My uncle would always say that they represent the duality of ourselves. We can't have just a good side or an evil side. We always have both, working together. Its what makes us human, and without both sides, we'd be out of balance."
Sokka nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Your uncle is pretty smart."
"Oh I know." Zuko said, grinning. "Now, spar with me."
Sokka darted foreword, his sword raised, as Zuko raised his to block the strike. Grunting, he swung back, aiming to knock one of Zuko's swords of his hand. But the technique backfired, as Zuko knocked his sword out of his hand and sent it flying into a nearby bush. Sokka rushed foreword, attempting to kick Zuko's legs out from under him, but with one kick, Zuko unbalanced him and Sokka went sprawling on his ass, as Zuko pointed the sword at his neck.
Sokka groaned. "Why are you so good?"
"Because I've been practicing since I was eight and had a master," Zuko said, reaching his hand down to help the other boy up. "You on the other hand, have not."
Sokka walked across their makeshift training grounds, retrieving his sword from where it had gone flying. "Do you remember when we bought this sword?" He asked, brushing the dirt off of it. "And how the merchant said it was cursed."
"Yeah." Zuko said, cleaning his own swords. "What does that have to do with this?"
Sokka looked up at him. "Does this have something to do with your time travel shenanigans?"
"I think so." Zuko told him. "Its the same sword that you made at Master Piandao's, from the meteorite. And since the merchant said that the sword has been cursed by Roku, I think he was messing with people so that only you can get the sword. I wouldn't put it past my grandfather."
Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell Aang that Roku's your grandfather. He'd have a field day with it."
"Believe me, I'm not." Zuko said, chuckling.
Sokka smirked. "Well, it seems I have blackmail on you. Don't test me jerkbender, or Aang might just find out the extent of your family connection."
"Less talking, more sparing." Zuko told him, pulling his swords out, and pointing them at Sokka, who just grinned.
"How was your day?" Katara asked, hours later, as Toph, Aang, Sokka, and Zuko all walked back into the camp.
Aang groaned, collapsing onto the ground. "Toph beat me up with rocks."
"And my back is sore." Sokka complained, dropping down onto his bedroll.
Katara rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to give you a healing session?"
"Yes please." Sokka begged, rolling over.
Aang raised his head to look at Zuko. "You should have told me that Toph would be like this."
"I didn't?" Zuko asked, sitting down. "Well, I had fun training Sokka."
Toph grinned. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Sparky."
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