Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my OC.
The Six Rules:
Rule Number One: Alec won't warn the Gaang about things in advance or solve their problems for them, with a few rare exceptions.
Rule Number Two: Only Alec has the right to tell people his true origins, and he will mostly limit this to group members. He will tell new group members his secret as soon as they join the Gaang.
Rule Number Three: There are some changes Alec wants to make, and he will use his knowledge of the future to make those changes.
Rule Number Four: Sometimes, to make a change, Alec will act in a way that doesn't make sense. If that's necessary, he'll tell the Gaang "I need you to absolutely trust me." After he says that, the Gaang has to either do whatever he asks or leave him to do what he needs to do.
Rule Number Five: After a change happens, Alec will tell the Gaang what happened in the original story, in the interest of transparency.
Rule Number Six: If a major change happens that Alec doesn't expect, the Gaang will have a meeting ASAP. In this meeting, Alec will break Rule One and tell them all relevant information that will help them figure out how to respond to the change.
Chapter 42:
Weapon Masters and the Question
Alec POV
We spent the day flying to Shu Jing. In the saddle, Suki was fussing over her katana. "What's wrong?" Sokka asked.
"It's chipped," Suki complained. "It must have happened when Mai and I were using our weapons to make noises."
We looked closely at it. It was pretty bad. The blade was chipped along its entire length, and I even saw a few cracks in the spine of the blade. I wouldn't use that weapon in a fight, if I were her. "Sorry about that," Sokka said.
Suki tried to brush it off. "It's okay," she said.
Toph tried to offer help. "Maybe I could fix it," she suggested.
Suki shook her head. "Not likely. It's too damaged. You'd have to shorten the length, which would throw off the balance, or you'd have to make it thinner, which would make it more unstable." She sighed. "It's fine. I fight more with my fans, anyway."
Sokka looked like he wished he could do something, but he said nothing.
That night, we arrived at Shu Jing and made camp on the other side of a group of hills, close to the city, and, more importantly, Piandao's castle. Then something happened that the others didn't expect to see.
The meteor shower. I wasn't expecting our timeline of events to line up so closely with the original story after all that had changed. We lay outside, watching the streaks of blue across the starlit sky.
"Wow, this is amazing to watch," Katara said with awe in her voice.
Sokka felt philosophical. "Kind of makes you realize how insignificant we are."
Toph shrugged. "Eh, you've seen nothing once, you've seen it a thousand times."
Then, one of the meteors started getting closer. Much closer. Sokka stood up and his eyes widened. "Oh man, you've never not seen anything like this!"
The rest of us, except Toph, stood up next to him. The meteor flew over our heads, so close that I could feel the intense heat radiating off it. Once it passed by us, it flew over the mountain.
BOOM!
A loud crash rang in our ears and shook the earth. A massive blue fireball announced the impact of the meteor. A few seconds later, we could see an orange glow and a column of smoke on the horizon.
Aang looked at us. "We need to check that out," he announced.
We hopped on Appa and flew over to the impact site. A large crater with an orange inferno blazing in it, only a few miles from the city. "The fire is gonna destroy that town!" Katara cried.
"Not if we can stop it!" Aang declared.
We landed next to the crater, and everyone but Katara and Suki jumped off Appa. Suki moved to Appa's head and took the reins. She pointed. "There's a creek over here. Katara, bend the water onto the fire." She cracked the reins and Appa took off.
Aang turned to Toph. "Toph, let's make a trench to stop the fire from coming any closer." He looked at me. "Alec, Azula, Zuko, do what you can to hold the fire back and keep it from spreading so we can put it out."
"Mai and I will stay with the dragons," Ty Lee suggested.
"What should I do?" Sokka asked.
Aang noticed Momo flapping around. "Keep an eye on Momo."
"So what, I'm just a lemur sitter?" Sokka asked. He pet Momo on the head. "There, there, feel better?" he snarked.
Aang and Toph took stances and stomped, creating a fissure in the ground between us and the meteor. Azula, Zuko, and I got into position. We held our hands out, trying to hold the fire back with our bending. All three of us groaned. This was a lot bigger than any campfire we'd ever put out, and much hotter. The flames were almost fighting against us. Just when we thought we were about to lose the fight, Appa flew over with a massive blob of water trailing behind him. Katara rained water onto the fire, dampening the temperature and the size of the blaze, making it much easier for the three of us to control. Toph bent a large slab of earth and used it to stamp out large chunks of flame.
Aang decided it was time for the coup de grâce. Appa flew down low, and Katara passed the globule of water to Aang. "Everyone, stand clear!" he shouted.
Azula, Zuko, and I let go of the fire and joined back up with the others. Aang threw the water and breathed out a huge column of air, turning it into an explosion of snow. The fire snuffed out, and the snow flurries fell down over the crater.
Aang looked around at all of us. "Good work, everybody."
Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee looked around. "What is this?" Ty Lee asked with wonder in her voice.
"This is snow," Suki said, hopping off Appa. "Haven't you seen it before?"
Ty Lee shook her head. "I lived in the Fire Nation for most of my life. Even when I was in the circus, we didn't go far from the hot places during cold months." She looked around and smiled. "It's beautiful!"
"Maybe I could take you to the South Pole sometime," I offered, taking her hand in mine. "You'll have to dress warmer, though."
She pouted. "But I like the way I dress."
"You'll have to dress warmer there if you don't want to freeze to death," I said. "If you're worried about looking good, don't be. You look beautiful in anything."
She smiled and kissed me.
The next morning, Zuko and I were preparing to go and meet with Piandao, while everyone else was eating breakfast. Sokka was barely poking at his food. He only did that when he was upset. "Sokka, what's wrong?" Suki asked.
Sokka sighed. "It's just that, all you guys can do this awesome stuff like putting out forest fires, and flying around, and making other stuff fly around." He looked down. "I can't fly around, okay? I can't do anything."
"You're not the only nonbender here," Mai pointed out.
"Yeah, but you can pin a fly to a tree at a hundred yards, Ty Lee can knock anyone out with one finger, and Suki's the leader of the greatest group of warriors on the planet," Sokka said sullenly. "I don't have anything."
"That's not true," Katara said. "No one can read a map like you."
"I can't read at all!" Toph added.
"You're the best strategist the Water Tribe has ever seen," I offered.
"Yeah, but I wish I was a better fighter," Sokka said. He turned to Suki. "I know you've been training me a lot, but I wish I had something…more."
"Maybe you can," Zuko said thoughtfully. "Come with Alec and me to meet with Piandao. Maybe he'll agree to train you to fight with swords."
"You think he will?" Sokka asked.
"Maybe," Zuko shrugged. "You won't know until you ask."
After breakfast, Sokka, Zuko, and I walked from our camp to the other side of the hill. We saw the crater from last night, and the small city only a few miles away. On a cliff overlooking the city was a walled castle that was even bigger than the Beifong's estate. The three of us began walking towards it.
Sokka looked at me. "What do you know about this guy?" he asked.
I frowned. "Not much, other than what he did in the events of the story," I admitted.
"I can tell you a little," Zuko said. "He's a master swordsman, and he's…retired from the army."
I looked at Zuko with a raised eyebrow. "I heard the hesitation there. I'm guessing there's a story?"
"Piandao didn't officially retire," Zuko explained. "One day, he just left the army. After traveling around the world for several years, he came and settled here."
I was surprised. "Azulon just let him do that?"
Zuko shook his head. "No, he sent a group of a hundred soldiers to arrest him for desertion."
Sokka turned to Zuko. "Then how is he still here?"
"Piandao defeated them all at once," Zuko replied.
Damn. "Azulon didn't want to throw away any more soldiers to deal with one man, so he and Piandao came to an understanding," Zuko continued. "Piandao would never be bothered again. In exchange, he would agree to train any member of the royal family who wished to learn from him."
"So that's how he got you as a student," I said.
"Yeah," Zuko said, looking down. "And my father even told me that I wasn't worth Piandao's time. That the only reason I got to learn from him was because I was royalty."
Put another bullet point on the 'Reasons to Hate Ozai List'. Zuko smiled. "But Piandao told me that he was honored to have me as a student, and he meant it. That made me feel better."
"Sounds like a good man," Sokka said. He swallowed. "Do you think he'll train me?"
Zuko nodded. "I think so."
"Just be yourself," I added.
We made it to the door of Piandao's castle. It was certainly impressive. Deep red, with gold accents, knockers in the shape of lion turtles, and the gold accents formed a lotus symbol on the door. I took a breath. "Here goes nothing."
I knocked on the door three times. Nothing happened after several seconds. "Try again?" Sokka suggested.
"Give it a minute," Zuko countered. "It's a big castle."
A few seconds later, a man opened the door. He was a little taller than Zuko, had gray hair in a topknot, and large sideburns. He wore a dark cheongsam and had a noticeable belly. "Can I help you?" he asked, slight annoyance in his voice.
I pulled my White Lotus tile out of my pocket and held it up. "We need to speak with Master Piandao."
His eyes widened slightly. "I see," he said. "Come in."
He opened the door fully and ushered us in. He closed the door behind us and turned. "It has been many years, Prince Zuko."
"Yes, Fat," Zuko said, "It has."
Sokka stared at Zuko with open-mouthed shock. "Don't be rude!"
"Fat is my name," Fat said irritatedly. "My mother was very vindictive."
Sokka's mouth clamped shut. We made our way through the stone courtyard and into the castle proper.
Fat led us through the castle up to the tallest tower. We ended up in a large room with a red carpet and tall windows, giving us a view of the beautiful valley outside. Rows of lit candles stood on both sides of the windows. A man was sitting at a small table in front of the windows. He had dark skin, even darker than Sokka or Katara. Like Fat, he wore a black cheongsam and had his hair in a topknot. He had a sword with an immaculate sheath next to the table, and he seemed to be working on calligraphy.
Fat stepped forward and placed my White Lotus tile next to Piandao's ink tray. Piandao stopped his calligraphy and turned to face us.
He was old, but younger than Iroh. The main thing I noticed were his eyes. They were gray, and piercing. Most of the time, Iroh looked like a kind grandfather who you would never guess was dangerous. Piandao, by contrast, didn't hide how dangerous he was. I could tell that if he wanted to, he could end us easily.
Piandao focused his gaze on one of us in particular. "Zuko," he said simply. I noticed the lack of title. I figured the only titles that mattered in their relationship were 'Master' and 'Student'. Piandao picked up his sword. "Think fast!"
CLANG!
Before Sokka and I could react, Piandao closed the distance between himself and Zuko and slashed at the exiled prince. Zuko somehow managed to draw his own dual broadswords and block in time.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A series of rapid thrusts, slashes, and parries occurred so quickly that I could barely follow them with my eyes. Sokka drew his boomerang, but I put my hand on his shoulder.
He looked at me like I was crazy. "What?!"
"I think it's a test," I said.
Suddenly, Piandao stopped and nodded. "Excellent, Zuko," he praised. "You've improved since we last met."
Zuko smiled. "Thank you, Master Piandao."
Both sheathed their swords. Piandao took notice of me and Sokka. "What brings you here? And who are they?"
"These are my friends, Alec and Sokka," Zuko replied. "And we're here because we need your help."
"Is this regarding your plan for the eclipse?" Piandao asked. "I recently received a dispatch from The Source about it."
"Kind of," Zuko replied. "See, we're out of food and money," he admitted sheepishly.
"What happened?" Piandao asked.
"We gave it to a starving village," I explained. "We were hoping you could give us enough supplies to tide us over until the eclipse, if it's not too much trouble."
"Also, we have a new student for you," Zuko added, indicating Sokka.
Piandao gave Sokka an appraising look. "I see. And what makes you think you are worthy to learn from me?"
Sokka thought for a minute, then his expression turned sad and he knelt down on the floor. "To be honest, I'm not sure that I am worthy," he answered.
I saw the ghost of a smile flash across Piandao's face. "I see. Well then, let's find out together how worthy you are. I will train you."
A huge smile spread across Sokka's face. Piandao turned to Zuko. "If I'm going to train one of you, I think it's best if you and your friends stay here until you need to get to the rendezvous point. I have enough food and rooms in this castle. It's been too long since I've had guests."
All three of us gave Piandao a deep Fire Nation bow. "Thank you, Master Piandao," Zuko said. He turned to me, "I'll go outside and give the signal."
Piandao turned his attention to me. "Tell me, Alec, was it? What are you planning to do during the eclipse? Are you planning to fight?"
I nodded. "Yes, I am."
Piandao raised an eyebrow. "I hope you have something other than firebending to rely on, in that case."
Shit! Somehow that completely slipped my mind! My face fell. "I fell out of practice with weapons once I started learning firebending seriously," I said, ashamed at my blunder.
"Fell out?" Piandao noticed. "What weapons did you know?"
"I was pretty good with clubs, and decent with spears."
"Better than decent," Sokka said. "You could reliably hit a man-sized target at thirty feet, and you were the best spear-fisher in the South Pole."
"Master Piandao!" Fat suddenly exclaimed with what sounded like genuine glee. "If he wishes it, may I train him with spears?" Fat had a broad smile on his face. He was acting completely opposite to what he was like at the door.
Piandao chuckled and nodded. "Yes, Fat, if he wishes." Piandao looked at me. "Fat is as skilled with spears as I am with swords. You will find no better spearman in the world."
I bowed to Fat. "I would be honored if you would teach me."
A few minutes later, we all joined Zuko in the courtyard. "Did you send the signal?" I asked.
Zuko nodded. "Yeah, I reflected the sunlight off my sword three times, just like we agreed." He noticed a cloud moving towards us. "There they are."
The cloud set down in the courtyard and dispersed, revealing Appa and the others. Azula looked around. "Where are the supplies?" she asked.
"Change of plans," Zuko replied. "Master Piandao has invited us to stay here until we need to leave for the rendezvous point. He's agreed to train Sokka, too. Come down and introduce yourselves."
All the humans disembarked the bison. Introductions were fairly polite, and enlightening. It turns out, Piandao had traveled over the world quite frequently, and had even seen Ty Lee perform at the circus one time. He had also met Mai's father, Ukano.
"I hope you won't hold that against me," Mai deadpanned.
Piandao chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't."
He was thrilled to meet the dragons in person as well. He pet Druk on his head gently. "I'm honored to see the dragons return to the world."
Fat showed us to our rooms. There were enough for each one of us to have our own, but Ty Lee and I wanted to share. Sokka and Suki decided to do the same thing, as did Mai and Zuko. Aang and Katara didn't share. For one thing, he was still twelve. For another, he and Katara were taking their relationship slower than the other couples. So, that left Aang, Katara, Toph, and Azula each with their own room. Piandao had a stable that he hadn't used in years. Luckily, it was large enough for Appa. The dragons stayed with their respective…owner? Partner? I wasn't really sure what the proper word was.
The rooms were large, and very red. Red carpets, red curtains, red sheets. The bed was a four-poster that looked like a king-size. The room had a desk with a few candles, and the window gave us a magnificent view of the valley.
Piandao gave us the day to settle in. Tomorrow morning, Sokka and I would begin our training. That night, Piandao invited us to dinner. We had a great meal prepared by Piandao's staff, who, as it turned out, were in the White Lotus as well. When we joined him for dinner, Zuko had removed his makeup.
"There's no reason to hide my face here," he explained.
Piandao gave Zuko a critical look. "I can't help but notice that the swords you have are not the swords you made here after you trained with me," Piandao said. "What happened to those blades?"
Zuko looked down. "I lost them last winter. Admiral Zhao blew up my ship, and the swords were lost at sea. I got these off someone in the Earth Kingdom."
Piandao nodded. "I see."
The dining room had a wall of windows, which gave us a view of Piandao's garden. It was beautiful, with flowers of all shapes and colors. What captured my attention, though, was a tree in the center of it. The tree was almost taller than the exterior wall of the castle, and it was thick. The branches were thicker than some tree trunks I'd seen. What really struck me was its color. The wood was the color of blood, and the leaves on the branches were black.
"Master Piandao, what kind of tree is that?" I asked, nodding my head towards it.
"That's a unique tree with an interesting story," he said. "I don't know of any others like it. When I built this castle, I chose the location partially because of that tree."
"What kind of story?" Ty Lee asked.
"It goes back to the Dragon Hunts," Piandao said sadly. "That spot is where a dragon fell."
He took a breath. "During the Dragon Hunts, there was a dragon that lived here. He was mighty, but he was slain. Not by a single firebender, but by a group of over two dozen fighters armed with weapons."
Azula's face contorted into a snarl. "The Dragon Hunts were supposed to be one-on-one firebending duels, not a group of brigands ganging up on one dragon. As wrong as the Dragon Hunts were, that's even worse."
Piandao nodded. "As the dragon lay dying, enraged by their lack of honor, he told them that a tree would grow in that spot, in defiance of those who would hunt dragons. He said only true fire could ever fell the tree, and it would stand as a reminder that man's fire had become weak." He shrugged. "That's what the legend says, anyway. I just know from the actions of a few students of mine that the tree is special."
"Special how?" Sokka asked.
Piandao smirked and turned to Zuko. "Zuko, take your swords and try to cut down the tree," he instructed.
Zuko raised an eyebrow, but stood up and left the dining room, going outside to the garden. The rest of us gathered around the window to watch. Zuko lined up his swords against the tree trunk and swung with all his might.
CLANG!
Sparks flew. The swords shattered. The tree didn't even have a scratch on it. Zuko looked at the shattered remains of his swords and his mouth gaped open. I glanced at Piandao. He was grinning broadly. Zuko came back in the room and gave Piandao a glare. "You knew that would happen." It wasn't a question.
Piandao nodded. "I can't have my student walking around with inferior steel, now can I? You'll make replacement swords before you leave."
We sat back at the dining table, still coming to terms with what we just witnessed. "That's some tree," Toph said.
"Indeed," Piandao agreed. He turned to Azula. "A thought occurred to me. Are you going to be fighting during the eclipse, and do you have a weapon if you are?"
Azula shook her head. "I'm not going to be fighting during the eclipse."
That was a surprise. Suki gave Azula a curious look. "Why not?"
"The longer we can go without my father knowing I'm still alive, the better," Azula said. "If he knows, he'll change tactics from his normal preferred strategies. When I reveal myself, I'll do it when it's too late for him to do anything about it."
Piandao nodded. "I see. Sokka and Alec will begin their training tomorrow morning. Zuko, I suggest you brush up on your training as well. I have practice swords that you can use."
Zuko frowned. "I'm busy training Aang."
Azula grinned. "I'll take over his lessons while we're here."
Aang paled and his eyes widened. Zuko didn't see. "Okay, as long as you don't hurt him," Zuko agreed.
Aang was either going to become the greatest firebender the world's ever seen, or he was going to be scarred for life.
The next morning, Sokka and I stood in the courtyard outside the dining room, near Piandao's garden. They had given us cheongsams to wear as training uniforms. I made sure to stretch after breakfast. Ty Lee was excited to finally have some 'alone time' with me last night, and I needed to get the soreness out. Zuko was in another section of the courtyard, drilling through some katas with two wooden swords he borrowed from Piandao. Suki and Mai were sparring hand-to-hand, under Ty Lee's instruction. Azula, Katara, and Toph were training Aang in a three-on-one spar. The dragons were enjoying the sunshine, making sure to stay below the height of the castle walls. Piandao and Fat stood across from Sokka and me. They told us during breakfast that some of our lessons could be learned together. Fat had a long spear in his hand. The tip must have been at least a foot long, and combined with the haft, it was easily over six feet in length.
Piandao drew his sword. "The first thing you must learn is that your weapon, sword or spear, is an extension of yourself." He performed a fluid series of elaborate movements. "You must think of it as an extension of your own body."
Sokka nodded, getting it. "Like a second head!" Then again, maybe not quite getting it.
Fat facepalmed, but Piandao just sighed. "Well, more like an extra-long, really sharp arm. Swords and spears are simple tools, but in the hands of a master, they become extremely versatile." He sheathed his sword. "Fat, take Alec and teach him some basics. I'll do the same with Sokka. We'll meet back up here at lunchtime."
Fat bowed to Piandao and motioned for me to follow. He led me to an empty part of the courtyard, and turned to face me. He had a smile on his face. "Tell me what you know about spears," he instructed.
I rubbed the back of my head. "Stick 'em with the pointy end," I said sheepishly. "That's about all I know."
Fat's smile fell slightly, but he nodded. "While correct, that is but a fraction of what spears are capable of." He picked up his spear and demonstrated a rapid series of thrusts, slashes, and twirls. Oberyn Martell had nothing on this guy. "That is what a spear can really do," he said.
I was in awe. "You can teach me that?" I whispered.
He nodded. "Finally, I can impart my knowledge to someone else."
I raised an eyebrow. "You never had a student before? Why?"
He frowned. "Do you know a lot about stories of heroes who fight with weapons?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I know more about stories of previous Avatars," I admitted.
He nodded. "Let me ask you something. In stories where the heroes carry weapons, what do you think the most common weapon is?"
If the stories in this world were anything like mine, there was only one answer. "Swords?" I guessed.
He nodded. "Swords are the most common weapon a hero carries. I could probably count the number of heroes who carry spears on one hand." He shook his head. "Even though you're more likely to see spears in a pitched battle."
"So, what, nobody asked you to train them because spears don't get the respect they deserve?" I asked.
He nodded. "Something like that." He held up his spear. "Now, simply put, there are two main types of attacks that spears can do: stabbing, and slashing. Most spears are designed for one or the other. Which do you think this was made for?"
I looked closely at the spear tip. It looked almost like the blade of a gladius. "Slashing?" I guessed.
Fat nodded. "Correct. The tip of this spear is long, the edge is sharpened, and the taper is a bit of a curve. A tip shaped more like an arrowhead is better for stabbing. Sometimes, the tip will have lugs or extensions on the sides to prevent the tip from penetrating too far, or preventing a desperate enemy from impaling themselves further so they can get in range for an attack." He shook his head. "But I digress. I will teach you how to use both, and the spear you will forge at the end of your training will be suitable for both."
He grabbed a wooden training spear from a rack on the edge of the courtyard and tossed it to me. "Now, let's begin."
"Your thrusts are too wild," Fat corrected from the sidelines after I messed up a sequence. "You want to keep the motions strong, but controlled and precise. Don't overcommit. If a thrust is blocked, you want to be able to transition to another thrust immediately."
I tried the sequence again. Feint high, sweep low, thrust. Fat nodded. "Good. Again."
After a few hours of thrusting and slashing and a quick lunch, it was time for Sokka's and my first joint lesson. Piandao and Fat led us to Piandao's study, where they had set up two desks. Each desk had parchment, a few brushes, and an ink tray. "The warrior practices many arts to keep his mind sharp and fluid," Piandao said. "The first you two will learn is calligraphy."
Sokka and I were each handed a brush by our respective master. "Write your names," Fat instructed.
Sokka gripped his the wrong way and messed the bristles up with his thumb. I gripped mine the right way. "Writing our names will make us better fighters?" Sokka asked skeptically.
"When you write your name, you stamp the paper with your identity," Piandao explained, correcting Sokka's grip of the brush. "You must learn to use your weapon to stamp your identity on a battlefield."
"Most famous, or infamous, fighters are known by their favored weapons or techniques," Fat added. "Sometimes, even a single battle can give someone notoriety."
A flash of realization crossed Sokka's face. "Like Alec with his hand-slicing thing!"
I groaned and facepalmed. "I literally did it to two people. Two! And now I'm stuck with a nickname that sounds like something a two-ban assassin uses to try to sound scary," I complained. "I mean, seriously! I've cut off more heads than hands at this point."
I could swear I heard Piandao and Fat chuckle. I rolled my eyes and dipped my brush in the ink tray. Sokka did the same. As we hovered our brushes over the paper, Piandao gave us another warning. "Remember, you cannot take back a stroke of the brush, or a stroke of your weapon."
I thought about it. Most of the time in this world, my handwriting looked like absolute shit. I had been trying to make it look pretty and kept failing because I…overdid my strokes…
That's it!
I used short, precise motions to write my name on the paper. It looked a lot better than any writing I'd done in this world so far. Fat nodded without even looking at the paper. I think he was judging my technique more than the result.
"You're getting ink on your face," I heard Piandao say.
I turned around. Sokka was tapping his brush against his chin, trying to figure out how to approach the task. He had an ink splotch on his chin. "I am?" Sokka asked, looking at the brush. "I am!" he realized. He turned to Piandao. "So, this is about putting my identity on the page, right?"
Piandao nodded. I suppressed a laugh, knowing where this was going. Sokka brushed ink all over his face, then faceplanted on the paper, rolling his face on it. He held up what looked like a poor man's Shroud of Turin. Piandao closed his eyes, but didn't say anything. Fat facepalmed.
Days passed, and everyone continued training hard. Piandao and Fat insisted that Sokka and I take a day off at least once a week. During our first day off, Piandao allowed us to use his private pool. Most of us were swimming. Even Toph was splashing her feet in the water. We were all wearing our various swimsuits. Ty Lee had bought me a pair of loose red trunks with gold accents during her clothing shopping spree with Mai. Just about everyone was wearing their swimsuits from the show. I was about to get in the water and join the others, but I noticed someone was missing. "Where's Ty Lee?" I asked, sinking into the shallow edge of the pool.
"She wanted to make an entrance," Azula said cryptically.
SPLASH!
I turned my head towards the deep end, which was right against the castle wall. Had Ty Lee jumped into the pool from there? That wall was at least twenty feet up! She burst out from the water. She swam over and started walking to me as soon as she got to the shallow part. I saw what she was wearing and I was suddenly very glad that my lower half was underwater.
It was a white bikini.
The white bikini. The white top was held together in the front by a brooch with the Fire Nation symbol. The white skirt was so short that it would have been scandalous if not for the red pair of boy shorts she wore underneath it. Rivulets of water ran down her body, drawing even more attention to her flat stomach, hourglass figure, and perfect breasts. I was mesmerized. My mouth ran dry. I couldn't speak. I could barely think.
"I think you broke him," Suki said with a giggle.
Ty Lee smiled at me. "Mission accomplished," she teased. She sat sideways in my lap and stroked my cheek. "You in there?"
I blinked and snapped out of it. "You look amazing," I breathed.
Azula shook her head. "I don't get it," she said. "They've already seen each other naked, so why did that fluster him so much?"
Ty Lee grinned over her shoulder at the princess. "There's a reason lingerie exists, Azula."
Azula shrugged. "Fair enough."
I gave Ty Lee a knowing look. "Were you teasing me?" I asked playfully.
She tried her best to look innocent. "Maaaaayyyybeee."
I used the cover of the water to sneak my hand down her leg. "You know, it's not a good idea to tease someone who knows your weaknesses," I warned, still playful.
"Oh really?" Ty Lee challenged. "What weaknesses?"
My hand reached my target and stopped an inch away from the bottom of her foot. "I know one thing about you from our nights together," I whispered. I leaned so close to her that our noses were almost touching. I smirked. "I know that you, my darling, are ticklish."
Her eyes widened. Before she could react, I wrapped my arm around her legs so she couldn't kick free. I took my other hand and began dancing my fingers along the soles of her feet. Immediately, she started giggling and squirming uncontrollably. I knew she liked it, though. Instead of chi-blocking me to free herself, she held me close to keep from falling into the water. After a few seconds, she had enough.
"Okay…okay…" she got out between giggles. "Stop…I give up!"
I stopped and let go of her feet. "I love hearing you laugh," I whispered.
She smiled back. "And I love you."
During the next day of training, Piandao and Fat blindfolded Sokka and me and took us outside his castle walls, leading us by grabbing our shoulders.
"Landscape painting teaches a warrior to hold the lay of the land in his mind," Piandao said.
Suddenly, we stopped, and they took off our blindfolds. We rubbed our eyes to adjust to the sudden light.
"In battle, you only have an instant to take everything in," Piandao said.
My eyes started working normally, and I was blown away by what I saw. It was a huge, multi-tiered waterfall running through a small canyon. I tried to put aside my admiration for its beauty so I could focus on memorizing its shape.
After a few seconds, Piandao and Fat spun us around and sat us down in front of a parchment and paint set. "Now, paint it!" Piandao instructed.
"And no peeking!" Fat added.
Luckily, I had a plan for this test. I ignored the colors for now and started painting with black paint, using it to create the outlines of everything that I saw while my memory was still fresh. Once I finished the outline, I filled in the colors. The black outlines were a bit thick, but all the shapes were there.
Sokka took a different approach. "I'm finished!" he announced while I was still working. I took a glance at his painting. There was no waterfall in his. What he drew was two mountains, a cloud some grass, two birds in the distance, a rainbow, and a sun with a smiley face. It was the kind of painting that your kid makes. The kind that you hang up on your fridge until your kid begs you to take it down years later when they finally realize how shitty it is.
Piandao raised an eyebrow. "You added a rainbow."
Sokka got a worried look on his face. "Is that okay?" he asked in a small voice.
Piandao sighed and shook his head.
A few minutes later, I was ready. "Done!" I announced.
Fat looked at my painting. He frowned. "Why are there black outlines around everything?" he asked.
"I drew the outlines with black paint while I still remembered them," I said. "I figured the shapes were more important than the colors in terms of situational awareness."
He smiled and nodded at me.
The training continued for several weeks. I learned more and more about spear fighting. I was lasting longer and longer in spars against Fat. He seemed to approve of my progress. He taught me new moves. I learned how to thrust, slash, parry, and dodge. Sokka was improving with his sword skills as well, and now he sparred regularly against Zuko.
On one of my days off after lunch, I found myself walking through Piandao's garden with Ved flapping his wings beside me. He was getting bigger. Close to nine feet in length, and his head was about the size of a beach ball. His wingspan was large. He and Druk probably wouldn't fit in the saddle much longer. Also, the dragons were shedding scales every so often. Azula assured me and Zuko that this was normal, especially in the summer months. Zuko and I had to be sure to pick up after them.
Today, I noticed that he dropped another scale. I went to pick it up from the ground. This was a big one, shaped like a teardrop, and about the size of a large chicken egg. I turned it over and noticed something I hadn't noticed before.
While the top side was black, the underside was pink and reflective. And when the light hit it at just the right angle, it reflected the light almost like a rainbow. It was beautiful! Maybe I could use it for something. I pocketed the scale. I looked at Ved, who was looking at me. "Maybe I can make it into a gift for your mommy," I said.
Ved gave me a curious look.
That night, while Ty Lee and I were cuddling in bed, she said something interesting to me after a long kiss.
She smiled. "I want to stay like this forever," she sighed.
I raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like, in this bed?" I asked.
She giggled. "No, I meant me and you, together forever," she said.
I was a little surprised. I knew she loved me, but that was quite a statement. "I'd like that," I said after a few seconds.
"Together forever." The thought wouldn't leave my head. I got an idea. But was it worth risking making our relationship awkward? After she fell asleep, I got out of bed and walked over to the desk. I took a piece of parchment and the dragon scale from my pocket and started to draw a design, using the scale for size reference.
After I finished drawing, I took a knife out of my bag of supplies and started carving the scale.
The next day turned out to be a very special day for us. Piandao and Fat sat Sokka and me down. "You two have made excellent progress," Piandao praised.
Sokka frowned. "I know Alec has, but what about me?" he said glumly. "I've screwed up every single thing we worked on."
"You screwed things up in a very special way," Piandao replied. "You're ready for a real sword."
"And you're ready for a real spear," Fat said to me.
"Are you gonna give us yours?" Sokka asked excitedly.
"No," both masters said simultaneously.
"Your weapon must be an extension of yourself," Piandao said. "So you will make your own. And Zuko will make swords to replace the ones he lost."
Oh, this was gonna be good!
While Piandao led Sokka to the castle's outdoor forge, Fat pulled me aside. "You both must choose which metal to use, but you also have another choice to make," he said.
I looked at him quizzically. "What's that?" I asked.
"What's the weakest part of a spear?" Fat asked.
"The haft," I said.
"Correct, you also need to choose the kind of wood that you use for the haft. I have samples of different kinds. You need to pick something lightweight, and durable," Fat answered.
I got an idea. "That won't be necessary," I said. "I know what wood I want to use."
"Oh, really?" Fat asked with a raised eyebrow.
We went to the yard and stopped in front of the red tree. "This would be perfect," Fat admitted. "But nobody has ever been able to cut down a single branch from this tree, or set it on fire."
I smirked, "Wanna bet?"
I jet-stepped my way up to one of the thinner branches. I found one that was perfect. Perfectly straight, and would be the right thickness once I removed the bark. Here's hoping this worked. I made a fire dagger and swung. The branch cut. Interestingly, the wood showed no scorch marks. I jet-stepped back down and carried the branch with me, whittling the offshoot branches and leaves off with a fire dagger as I went. I landed in front of an astonished Fat.
"Shall we?" I asked.
Fat collected himself. "That is a very good idea, but you need to remember, you need to debark it and make it smooth, exclusively with your firebending. None of our tools will work."
I grinned. "Do you have a lathe? I have an idea."
It turns out, you can replace the tools in a lathe with a fire dagger if you can keep your firebending consistent and hold completely still. After we were done, the blood red wood was lacquered. Now it shined in the light.
After we were done, we joined Sokka, Zuko, and Piandao in the forges. Sokka was standing at a table, frowning over a series of metal ingots. "What's up with him?" I asked Zuko.
"He can't decide what metal to use for his sword," Zuko said.
"Have you decided?"
"No," Zuko admitted. "Last time I made swords, I just picked a random piece of steel. I want it to be different this time."
I raised my voice so Sokka could overhear, "Maybe we need to think outside the box…"
Sokka turned to Piandao. "Master, could I leave and bring back a special material for my sword?"
That's the ticket. "I wouldn't have it any other way," Piandao agreed with a smile.
Sokka turned to us. "Let's get Toph and Aang."
Zuko saw where he was going with this. "I think that's a good idea."
While we walked over to the training area, Sokka noticed the haft I was carrying. "Is that from the red tree out back?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yep."
"How'd you cut it?" Zuko wondered.
"Only true fire can cut the tree, so I used a fire dagger," I said.
Sokka chuckled. "I can't believe nobody ever tried that before."
"Maybe they did," I said, "but the story said 'true fire'. I learned the true meaning of firebending from the dragons. I doubt any other firebending would work. I mean, Zuko, Azula, Aang, and Iroh could also cut it, but that's about it."
We got to the training area, and saw the others starting their morning routines. "Aang, Toph, can you help us with something?" Sokka asked.
The two of them turned. "What's up?" Toph asked.
"We need to bring that meteor up here from the crash site," Sokka said.
"Why?" Aang asked.
"Because we're gonna make weapons out of it," Zuko replied.
Toph grinned. "Cool!"
"This is gonna be awesome," Sokka said, rubbing his hands together.
"This sucks!" Sokka exclaimed. "Why do we have to push it?" he whined.
"It's not that bad," I grunted. "We're just pretending to push it." We weren't putting any real weight in our pushes.
"But why?" Sokka complained.
"Just in case someone from the village sees us, they won't suspect that Aang and Toph are earthbending it," Zuko said. "Hey, Alec, can I get some advice?"
I grinned. "You know, if you keep asking for advice before you start officially paying me, I might need to ask for back pay," I joked. "But sure, go ahead."
"I want to get Mai something nice," Zuko said. "I want to show her how much she means to me. Do you have any ideas?"
"A sharp, pointy weapon," I said.
Zuko frowned. "I was being serious."
"So was I," I said. "What do you think she would prefer? A bouquet of flowers, or something she can stab someone with?"
"You've got a point," Zuko admitted.
"You know, I'm gonna do something nice for Suki," Sokka said.
"What do you have in mind?" I asked.
Sokka looked at the meteorite thoughtfully.
When we arrived back at Piandao's castle, Sokka knocked on the door. Piandao opened the door up almost immediately. Fat was there as well.
Sokka gestured at the rock. "Master, do you think we can make weapons out of a meteorite?"
Fat's eyes widened like he'd won the lottery. Piandao smiled. "We'll make weapons unlike any seen before in this world." He turned to Fat. "We need to light the forges." When Fat turned, Piandao reconsidered. "Wait, I have an idea."
Fat turned around. "What are you thinking?"
Piandao turned to us. "Instead of lighting the forges with charcoal, why don't we light them with dragon fire?"
I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds cool, but what's the difference?"
"Weapons forged in dragon fire have a reputation for being sharper, and never losing their edge," Piandao said with a grin. "It's not just a legend. One of my former students had a sword forged in dragon fire that was an old family heirloom. At least, he used to. He once dropped a single strand of his hair on the blade and the hair split."
My eyes widened. While I was processing the possibility of what weapons made in dragon fire could do, Zuko noticed Piandao's choice of words. "You said he 'used to' have one," Zuko said. "What happened to it?"
Piandao shook his head. "He tried to cut the red tree. The sword shattered."
I winced. "Oof," I said. "I bet his family loved that."
"The looks on their faces when he told them were priceless," Piandao said. "Enough reminiscing, let's get to work."
Zuko and I retrieved Druk and Ved and brought them back to the forges with us. Piandao had Sokka hold a chisel while Fat took a sledgehammer and they began breaking the meteorite down into pieces. "I can't believe how lucky we are to forge meteorite metal," Fat mused between strokes of the hammer.
"It's been done before?" I asked.
"Yes," Fat answered, taking another stroke. "During Avatar Roku's lifetime, the Fire Nation discovered that meteorite metal was unbreakable when forged. They started collecting all the meteorite metal they could find."
"Then how come we haven't seen any before?" Sokka asked. "We've never come across a Fire Nation tank that we couldn't break or blow up."
"The metal was stolen before the war," Piandao answered. "Nobody really knows who was responsible. The Fire Nation blamed the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. Others suspected that a spirit was responsible."
"Huh," I said. "So, do we have enough for all three of our weapons?"
"More than enough," Piandao said. "This meteorite is quite pure. We could supply every one of your group with a weapon and we'd still have half a meteorite left."
Sokka brightened. "Master, can I go get something from my room?" he asked Piandao.
Piandao nodded. "Certainly. Alec, take the chisel."
I held the chisel for several minutes while Sokka was away. He came back holding Suki's katana. "Master, could we forge a new blade for this?" he asked.
Piandao drew the blade from its sheath. "Katanas are more complex to forge, but it should be possible. We have to take care to match the dimensions of the original blade."
Zuko spoke up, "Master, I was wondering if I could forge a dagger for Mai. Something that's deadly, but make it look nice, too."
Piandao nodded. "I think we can add some gold inlays along the flat of the blade. I have a design for a dagger around here somewhere."
The mention of gold got my attention. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a drawing I made. "Master Piandao, if you have gold, do you have enough to make this?" I asked.
Piandao unrolled the drawing and looked at it. "I've never made jewelry before. Is this drawing the exact size?"
I nodded. "It is, I've already made the center part, I just need the gold to set it in. And something high-quality for the necklace."
Sokka looked at the drawing and his eyes widened. He looked at me. "Alec, you know what that means in our tribe, right? Are you sure you want to do this?"
I nodded. "I'm sure."
Sokka grabbed my shoulder. "I hope it works out for you," he said kindly.
"So do I."
"There's a problem," Zuko said. "If we're making gifts for our girlfriends, and they know we're in the forge, how can we keep them from seeing them when we're working on them?"
A thought occurred to me. "Give them something else to look at," I said with a mischievous grin. "Something that they don't want to look away from."
Sokka and Zuko looked at me questioningly. I rubbed my hands together. "Here's what we're gonna do…"
I went back to the training yard and found Azula leading Aang through a complex sequence of moves. After they stopped I approached the princess. "I need a favor," I said.
She looked interested. "What is it?"
I lowered my voice to be sure we wouldn't be overheard. "Sokka, Zuko, and I are forging our weapons, but each of us is also making something for our girlfriends," I said.
She nodded. "You want me to keep them away from the forge?"
I shook my head. "No, that's the beauty of it. We want them there, we just have something that will keep them from noticing what we're working on. We need you to tell them something specific."
She raised an eyebrow. "What do you need me to tell them?"
I leaned over and whispered my plan into her ear. She pulled back and gave me a flat look. "You're joking," she said. "You really think that'll work?"
I smirked. "I think it will."
She sighed heavily. "Fine, I'll do it."
I smiled. "Thanks, Azula. I need to get back to work."
Azula POV
I couldn't believe I was doing this. Then again, some of Alec's stupider plans had worked. I shook my head. I couldn't believe that I fell for a dick joke in a letter that he sent. He wanted to piss me off and I played right into his hands back then. Well, that was then, and this is now. I beckoned Shul to join me, and then I went into the dining room where Mai, Suki, and Ty Lee were eating lunch. Shul had gotten bigger lately. She couldn't ride on my shoulder anymore. She was about the size that Druk and Ved were when we arrived at the castle.
The servants had set up a buffet on the main table. I sat down, grabbed myself a plate, and started filling it up, getting a plate full of bacon for Shul as well.
"Hey Azula!" Ty Lee greeted with a smile. "What's up?"
Here it comes. "I just walked by the forges," I said. "I saw something interesting there."
"What did you see?" Suki asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Alec, Sokka, and Zuko are making their weapons," I said.
Mai raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"They're shirtless," I said, still not believing I was playing along with this scheme of Alec's.
Ty Lee abandoned all her table manners and ate her food as quickly as possible. Suki did as well. Mai managed to keep her dignity, but I saw her start to eat faster, too. In less than five minutes, the three were gone.
I shook my head and looked at Shul. "I can't believe that worked," I said.
I swear Shul rolled her eyes.
Ty Lee POV
Mai, Suki, and I practically ran to the forges. We sat just outside the roofed area and stared at the delicious display in front of us. We noticed Druk and Ved breathing fire under a group of five ceramic crucibles with chunks of black rock inside it. But what really drew our attention was the fact that Alec, Sokka, and Zuko were pumping bellows to add some air to the flame.
Just like Azula said, they were shirtless.
And working up a sweat.
"Yummy," I said out loud before I could stop myself. I didn't even care what they were working on, all my attention was on my boyfriend.
"You said it," Suki agreed.
Mai didn't say anything, but I could hear her breathing heavily.
Alec POV
I turned my back on our audience so they couldn't read my lips. I grinned at Sokka and Zuko. "See, I told you it would work," I muttered so only they could hear.
I turned to Piandao and Fat, who sat observing the metal in the crucibles. "So, what do we do once the metal has melted?" I asked. "Do we just pour it into a sword or spear shaped mold or something?"
Piandao and Fat looked almost appalled. "Casting? Why would we cast a sword or a spear?" Fat asked as if the concept were blasphemous. "No, we're going to cast individual ingots today, then tomorrow the dragons will heat them up again and you will hammer them into shape," Fat said.
"Is casting bad?" Sokka asked.
Piandao nodded. "Casting is fine for cookware, or if you need to mass-produce something quickly. But forging and hammering metal into shape produces much better weapons. Forging them removes the impurities."
I looked at the dragons. "I hope this metal melts soon," I said. "I don't want them to overexert themselves."
"Their fire is much hotter than a normal smelter," Fat said. "The metal should be ready to form into ingots before dark."
I looked at Fat. "Master, what kind of spear are we going to make?" I asked. "One for slashing, or one for stabbing?"
Fat smiled. "I've spent years designing a spear that can excel at both. I think we can use that design here." He showed me to a workbench with a schematic on it.
My eyes widened. That design was awesome!
Sure enough, the metal melted well before dinner. We poured the liquid metal into molds for ingots. After we finished for the day, we made sure to give Ved and Druk plenty of food and rest for a job well done. We would need them tomorrow, as well.
The next day, we got to work right after breakfast. Sokka, Piandao, and Zuko began forging their blades immediately. Our girlfriends watched us intently during the process, but seemed more focused on us than the metal. Fat led me over to the three ingots we set aside for me.
Forging the spear was a long, tedious process of hammering, forging, beveling, grinding, heat-treating, and tempering. Still, it was extremely satisfying. While I was waiting on the heat-treating process, Piandao came over and handed me a wax mold and a lump of gold ore. I looked over my shoulder at the girls. They were still focusing on us, not the metal.
I pulled out the design I'd come up with, along with the now-carved dragon scale. "Call me Celebrimbor," I thought, "because I'm about to make some jewelry."
After we finished our forging tasks, Piandao dismissed us until the next morning. I got butterflies in my stomach. Tomorrow could either go very well, or very badly.
The next morning, Piandao and Fat summoned us to Piandao's study. Zuko, Sokka, and I knelt in front of our teachers. They each put a box in front of us. Sokka's was fairly long, Zuko's was smaller, and mine was the smallest. Our gifts for our girlfriends. Piandao and Fat stood in front of us, while the other members of Team Avatar stood off to the side. Piandao had two sheaths in front of him, while Fat held something wrapped in a red cloth.
"Zuko," Piandao began, "You've changed much since we first met. You've grown from a nervous, sensitive child looking for his path into a firm, decisive, young man that I'd be honored to call my Fire Lord." He drew a pair of dual broadswords out of one of the sheaths. The blades were black as night. He swung them experimentally. "The Fire Nation will be lucky to have you leading it." He sheathed the swords and handed them to Zuko.
"Thank you, Master," Zuko said quietly, touched by Piandao's confidence in him.
Piandao moved on to Sokka. "Sokka, when you first arrived, you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle, and twice as big. And as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me." He picked up the other sheath and glanced to the side. "No, it certainly wasn't your skills," he said, making Sokka pout a little. "You showed something beyond that." He drew the sword, revealing a black-bladed Jian. "Creativity, versatility, intelligence…these are the traits that define a great swordsman." He sheathed the sword and handed it to Sokka. "And these are the traits that define you. You told me that you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe you are among the most worthy students I've ever trained."
Sokka beamed. "Thank you, Master."
Fat stepped forward in front of me. "I waited a long time to train a student of my own," Fat said. "At first, I was even a little concerned that I was lowering my standards by accepting the first student who seemed even a little interested." He smiled. "I've never been so happy to be wrong." He started unwrapping the item in his hands. "You're a fast-learning, eager student, and you are more than worthy to carry this."
He finished unraveling the cloth and revealed the spear in all its glory. It was about seven feet long. The haft was the glossed blood red wood of Piandao's tree. The butt spike was the shape of the Fire Nation's flame symbol. The tip was where the real fun began. The main portion of the tip was a deadly triangle with a razor-sharp edge. On four sides of the spear were up-pointed spikes with sharpened outer edges. This spear wasn't just a weapon, it was a work of art.
Fat handed me the spear. I tested the weight. As expected, it was perfectly balanced. I smiled broadly at Fat. "Thank you, Master."
He smiled back. Piandao cleared his throat. "Normally, we would fight against you as part of a final test, but extenuating circumstances make that unwise."
Sokka raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"We tested these weapons against other steel weapons we made," Piandao said. "This dragon-forged meteorite steel cut through other weapons like butter. We don't want to risk our own weapons against them."
I'd been tempted to run my finger parallel to the edges of my spear, but I decided against it after hearing that.
"Wait, if those are their weapons, what are in those boxes?" Suki asked, pointing at them.
Sokka turned to her and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, we made some gifts for You, Mai, and Ty Lee," he explained. "We hope you like them."
"When did you have time to make those?" Mai asked.
"The same time we made our weapons," Zuko replied.
Ty Lee looked confused. "But we were watching you the whole time."
I grinned. "Were you watching what we were making, or were you watching us?" I asked.
Ty Lee blushed. Suki laughed. Mai groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I fell for that."
Sokka stepped forward and handed Suki the box. She opened it, and then she looked confused. "It's my katana?" she asked. "But why?"
"Draw it," Sokka urged.
She drew the blade and she gasped. "You made a new blade for it?!" she exclaimed. "It's amazing!" She sheathed the blade, and pulled Sokka into a kiss. "Thank you," she whispered after they broke apart.
Something occurred to Sokka. "We also have some leftover chunks of the meteor," he said, reaching his hand into his pocket, pulling out a chunk of black rock. "Toph, I think you might like this, since you've probably never had a chance to bend space earth before."
Toph took it into her hands. "Sweet!" she cheered, immediately bending it into a bunch of different shapes.
Zuko stepped forward, holding out his box nervously, fully in 'awkward turtle duck mode'. "This is for you," he said quickly, almost shoving the box into Mai's hands.
Mai opened box and her mouth opened slightly. Inside was a dagger with a black leather sheath, black leather on the grip, and a pearl in the pommel. She drew the dagger, revealing a black blade, with a gold inlay separating the flat of the blade from the edge. She said nothing for several seconds.
Zuko took it the wrong way. "Oh no," he groaned. "You hate it. I'm sorry, I…"
He didn't get another word out, because Mai flung her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She pulled back after they were done. "I love it," she said huskily. "And I love you."
I swallowed. I looked at Ty Lee nervously. "Can I give this to you in private?" I asked.
She looked a little puzzled, but she nodded.
Ty Lee POV
Why would Alec want to give me a gift in private? And why was he so nervous about it? I guess I was about to find out. He led me back to our room. After we entered, he closed the door behind us.
He took a deep breath. "You said you want us to be together forever," he said. "Did you really mean that?"
I smiled at him. "I did, and I still do."
He took another breath. "In that case, I have something for you." He handed me the box, and I opened it. The contents took my breath away.
It was a necklace. A beautiful necklace. The cord was made of soft leather, with a gold clasp in the back to fasten it securely. The centerpiece of the necklace was a gold, teardrop shaped amulet. In the center was some kind of pink stone, with the symbol of the Fire Nation carved into it. As I moved it around in the light, It reflected the colors of the rainbow.
"It's beautiful," I whispered. "Why were you nervous about giving me this?" I asked.
He rubbed the back of his head. "You see, in the Water Tribe, when a boy gives a girl a necklace, he also asks her a question."
My eyes widened. Did he mean?! His aura turned purple, the color of pure love. He got down on one knee. He did mean it! My hands flew over my mouth.
"I know we can't officially announce this until we're both sixteen," he said, looking up at me. "But I already know what I want. I want to be with you, forever." He took a breath.
"Ty Lee, will you marry me?"
I felt a few tears forming in my eyes. My knees felt weak. My heart pounded in my chest. I finally gathered enough of my wits to answer him.
"Yes," I whispered. "Yes! I'll marry you! I love you! I love you so much!"
He smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen from him. He took the necklace and fastened it around my neck. Then we kissed. It was a deep, sweet, gentle kiss. I knew I made the right choice.
Alec POV
This was easily the happiest moment of my life so far. I helped Ty Lee wipe the tears from her eyes. "I love you," I whispered.
She smiled. "I love you too."
"It's almost lunch time," I said. "Should we join the others and tell them?"
She nodded. "Yes!"
We made our way to the dining room, hand in hand. We sat down at the table and joined the others, who were currently eating. Suki noticed Ty Lee's necklace. "Nice necklace," she complimented. "Did your boyfriend make that for you?"
Ty Lee smiled and beamed at me. "He's not my boyfriend anymore," she said. "He's my fiance."
All chatter stopped around the table. Why did this feel familiar…oh shit! "Brace for impact," I whispered to Ty Lee, but it was too late. Katara and Suki shot up from their seats and wrapped us in bone crushing hugs.
"Congratulations!" Katara squealed.
"I'm so happy for you!" Suki gushed.
"Katara, Suki," I got out in a strangled gasp, "I'm happy that you're happy, but you're crushing us!"
"Please!" Ty Lee added.
They let go. "Sorry," Katara apologized. She looked closely at Ty Lee's necklace. "What's that centerpiece made of?" she asked.
I grinned. "One of Ved's shed scales," I answered. "I noticed how the underside was pink and reflected the light, so I decided to use it for the necklace."
"I'm happy for you," Aang said warmly.
"I knew she'd say yes," Sokka said with a grin.
"You knew?" Katara asked.
"I saw a drawing of the necklace Alec made," Sokka replied. "I figured he was going to ask her."
Toph nodded. "Good for you two."
Zuko smiled and nodded at us.
Mai smiled at Ty Lee. "You seem happy." She turned to me and her smile dropped. "You'd better keep her happy, or I'll have someone to test this new dagger of mine on."
I knew by the look in her eyes that she was half-kidding. "You know, it was easier to get the Southern Water Tribe to approve of a firebender than it was to get you to approve of my relationship with her," I snarked.
She smirked. "I have high standards."
Azula smiled and nodded at us. "That should at least drive off some of the prospective brides. Once you're both sixteen, a formal engagement announcement will drive off the rest of them."
"Well, that's a relief," Ty Lee said.
The next morning, we packed our bags to leave for the Sacred Island. "I've packed enough supplies to last through the eclipse," Piandao said. "Fat and I will take my boat and meet you at the rendezvous point in four days."
Sokka nodded. "Thank you, Master Piandao. We'll see you there."
Aang and Katara spun up some cloud cover for us. "Appa, yip yip!" Sokka said, cracking the reins.
Third Person POV
The mercenary was annoyed. After he made it to Jang Hui, he did some investigating to try to discern if the Avatar had been involved with the spirit that destroyed the factory. He found a campsite near the village, along with some white fur. That seemed promising, if what he'd heard about the Avatar's bison was accurate. He followed a trail of fur to the southwest, but ran into a problem when the trail ended at the ocean. He knew what direction they were going, but there were so many islands southwest of Jang Hui that he would have to investigate all of them to pick up the trail.
He spent weeks searching, to no avail. By the time he came to Shu Jing, he'd almost given up. Finally, he found the trail again. It seemed to lead to a castle on a hill. Were they there? When he got to the walls of the castle, he noticed another trail. This one looked newer, and it led away from the castle. A fresh trail. He was close.
They wouldn't escape him.
AN: Here's some clarification as to what the weapons look like: Sokka's sword is the same as the show. Suki's katana is the same size and shape, but the blade is black. Zuko's dual broadswords are the same size and shape, but the blades are black. Mai's dagger looks like Mehrunes' Razor from Skyrim, if you put a gold inlay between the flat part of the blade and the edge, and the blade is pure black, and the pommel stone is a pearl, not whatever black stone it was in Skyrim. Alec's spear looks like the Spear of Bitter Mercy from Morrowind, but the spear tip is black, and the butt spike is shaped like the Fire Nation symbol, and there aren't any daedric runes on the spear.
Next time: Sparky Sparky Boom Man!
