Azula spent several days pondering her situation with Sokka. Even after two weeks of deliberation she was still unsure as to what to do now. Should she drop him as her gladiator and seek out someone more suitable to her interests? She rather doubted she would find anyone better, though, something she only acknowledged once her anger started to fade away. Ever since their first encounter she had known Sokka would be a handful, and he had proven she had been right to think so. This was one of the reasons why she had grown to appreciate him as her gladiator as much as she did: he exceeded anyone's expectations, all the same as she did.
But that strange bond between them was growing weaker as it became strained due to their conflicting views on the world. She hadn't even noticed that she had hoped to find in him an ally rather than a subordinate, but the better she got to know him, the more she realized those aspirations would never come true. He wasn't what she needed or what she had wanted him to be, it was as simple as that. But damn, he had been so close to her ideal gladiator... so close that she didn't think she would find anyone more suitable for the role of her gladiator than him. It didn't matter where she looked, she was completely certain that nobody would outmatch Sokka.
But what was she supposed to do about this predicament, then? He was almost what she needed, almost... yet he had ruined everything. How could she keep him around after being thoroughly disappointed by him? She had succeeded in using him to get rid of Chan, but after their two arguments she was certain that the other purpose she kept him around for was something she couldn't fulfill through him. It was somewhat sad that they'd had such a short run as sponsor and gladiator… but she couldn't care less anymore, or so she wanted to bring herself to believe. She had always used other people to reach her ends, and when they weren't useful anymore, she discarded them. She would simply do the same with him.
After reaching this conclusion, she decided to take off to the Grand Royal Dome. Surely other people would think it odd that she'd withdraw her gladiator after only two fights, but nobody would bother questioning a Princess's decision. She was perfectly entitled to do as she pleased with her life and the lives of whatever slaves she had in her power, regardless of what anyone else might say about it.
Still, her firm determination wavered as soon as the boy behind the counter identified her when she walked towards him.
"Princess!" he exclaimed, smiling broadly. Azula felt slightly uncomfortable at the strange familiarity he seemed to have developed towards her.
"Good day, Shoji," she muttered when she reached the counter, feeling somewhat uneasy as she acknowledged she was about to take a grand step to change the current course of her life… and she had no clue if it would be for the better or the worst, but she sure hoped it'd be the former. "I wanted to…"
"Wait, wait!" said Shoji, turning around as he searched for something within some drawers.
Azula frowned and folded her arms across her chest, wondering what on earth could be so important that Shoji would keep her waiting like this. Was he about to hand her over a love letter or something of the sort? Seeing how he was searching through stacks of paper, she figured he might. Would it be too cruel to burn said letter in front of him if he actually handed her one? She rather doubted it.
"It was right about… damn, I knew I had to keep these organized, but I dozed off and I forgot…" he grunted, still going through several papers as he gritted his teeth, still searching.
Azula let out a groan of exasperation, rubbing her forehead as she tried to search within her soul for the patience she already knew she didn't have. What was she doing? Why was she even waiting for him as he had requested?
"Shoji, would you quit rummaging for a second and listen to what I came to…?"
"Here!" squealed the boy, ignoring her, to her utter annoyance.
But to Azula's interest, he had a piece of paper in his hand that had nothing to do with a love letter. It was a gladiator challenge.
"Someone wrote this for you yesterday," said Shoji, grinning. "Here you go."
Azula took the paper when the boy handed it to her, and she frowned as she read the name of the challenger.
"The Blind Bandit," she muttered, thoughtful. "That rings a bell."
"It does because she got signed up just a little after you were done with your procedures," said Shoji, smiling. "Remember that man with the black and sleazy hair? He was very buff, and he looked pretty stupid to me…"
"Yes… I recall them," said Azula, thoughtful. "Then… was that little girl his gladiator?"
"Yeah, she is," said Shoji, gulping. "And she's a handful, I'll tell you that. She's already fought five times, and she's aced every fight. Knocked out every opponent she has faced off against."
"Really, now?" said Azula, growing interested. "Then I assume she's not actually blind… that doesn't sound like something a blind person can do."
"It doesn't sound like it, that's true," said Shoji, shrugging. "But she looks blind to me. I have no idea how she fights or how she walks without running into walls, but she's managed to win so far, and that says a lot about her. She's not the type of fighter anyone should underestimate."
"I see," said Azula, tapping her chin with a finger. "What position is she in?"
"So far, she's the 427th," said Shoji. "She doesn't have much value yet, but I think she'll earn it eventually. She keeps acing fights, so I wouldn't put it past her…"
"And my gladiator's position…?"
"403rd," replied Shoji, grinning. "I think it'd be a worthwhile fight. According to what some of the Arena's analysts have calculated, both your gladiator and the Blind Bandit are the most promising newcomers of the latest batch of rookies. It would be interesting if they were to fight one another, I think…"
Azula read the challenge once again, thoughtful. The Blind Bandit's sponsor proposed a bid of 20,000 yuans, and the fight was to be held in the Grand Royal Dome. The date the other sponsor had set was two weeks from now, which made Azula frown.
"I don't agree with the date," she grunted. "I don't think I'd be ready for a fight in such a short time span."
"Seeing how he set most the conditions, I rather doubt he'll mind if you ask for a different day," said Shoji, grinning. "You can send him a response with another date and he'll likely agree to that."
"If that's the case, send…" she started, stopping on her tracks as she spoke. Hadn't she come here to write herself out of the League? What was she doing? She couldn't accept a challenge if she was going to drop her gladiator…
But truth to be told, it felt like such a waste… he had said he was sorry, after all. Maybe giving him another chance wouldn't be such a bad idea. She sighed as she struggled to figure out what to do, as one side of her mind asked her to forget about this entire endeavor while the other encouraged her to see this through to the end.
But what did 'seeing this to the end' mean, though? According to what she had decided earlier, this was the end. She was here for the sole purpose of dropping her position as a sponsor. She hadn't come expecting a challenge, nor had she been interested in seeking a new fight for her gladiator… she had come to put an end to this matter. And she wanted to end it… at least, she had wanted to do it before. But her determination was shaking, as she wondered if it wasn't such a bad idea to take one last shot at the Gladiator business. She folded her arms again, deep in thought, as Shoji eyed her with confusion and interest, completely unaware of the squabble within Azula's mind.
"What… do you want me to send?" he asked, with fear of interrupting her.
Azula sighed and shook her head. She was truly a fool, wasn't she…?
"Let the Bandit's sponsor know that I will only fight him in four weeks, no less. I will agree to the other conditions."
"Great!" said Shoji, grinning as he began scribbling in a piece of paper Azula's response to the Blind Bandit's sponsor. "Uh… was there something you wanted to say before, though?"
The boy looked up at her again and beamed at her in a very friendly manner. Azula felt sick at the sight.
"No, not particularly," she lied, her hands on her hips. "That's all there is to my visit today. I'll see you later, Shoji. If the sponsor doesn't agree to my conditions, send a messenger hawk to the Palace and let me know."
"I will surely do so, Princess!" said the boy, enthusiastic. "See you!"
Azula turned around and allowed herself to release a very deep sigh. She was already regretting her decision and she knew she'd find herself regretting it more as time passed her by… but this was the final stretch. If Sokka didn't keep to her expectations, she would throw him away. If he refused to fight the Blind Bandit because of some pretentious ideals of his once more, she would have nothing more to do with him and she would seek a method to reach her goals that wouldn't involve a savage who didn't understand what his place in this world was…
Piandao been practicing his calligraphy for several hours when he heard somebody knocking on the door. Fat headed to the gates while Piandao allowed himself a small smile, knowing already that the new arrival could be none other than his current pupil. He continued dipping the brush in ink while holding his long sleeve out of the way with one hand, and he drew several words elegantly on the paper as he waited for Fat and Sokka to come to him.
He hadn't planned on stopping his motions when Sokka entered the room, but he had no choice other than to do so when his student dropped to his knees in front of him, looking defeated. Piandao looked at him in surprise, the ink on his pen dripping on the paper he had been writing on.
"Sokka?" he asked. The Water Tribe man seemed to have gotten a few wounds out of his last match, but Piandao didn't think they were the cause of his downcast demeanor.
"Master…" muttered Sokka, with a sigh. "I'm back."
"I can see that," said Piandao. "Yet you look as if you'd returned from a war you'd lost."
"I might as well have," said Sokka, still not looking up at Piandao.
The sword master frowned as he attempted to unravel the mystery in front of him. There could be several reasons to explain why his student had returned looking miserable and defeated… and all of them pointed towards the same direction.
"What did she do to you now?"
Sokka didn't even seem surprised upon Piandao's ease to identify his problem. He looked up at him, not knowing where to start.
"I just… did something pretty stupid, I guess," he muttered. "And she got really mad at me. She even threatened to kill me off and all…"
"Did she, now?" asked Piandao, wincing. "And what exactly did you do, Sokka?"
"I just… offended her, I guess."
Piandao wanted to keep a positive mind about this, but doing so proved far more difficult than he expected it to. It was very hard not to misinterpret Sokka's words, and he suspected he might not be misunderstanding at all. All clues seemed to add up… had Sokka tried to make a move on the Princess?
"What did you do, Sokka? Please don't tell me you…"
"I… what, sir?" asked Sokka innocently. Piandao gritted his teeth. Sokka would never dare to try anything lowly with the Princess… or at least, he hoped he wouldn't. He was too clueless and naïve in some regards to attempt anything of the sort, wasn't he?
"I'd rather you spoke clearly, instead of having me conjure explanations that might be completely off-base, if you don't mind," said Piandao, gulping.
"Well… you see, I kind of messed up in my fight," he muttered.
"You lost? Is that it?"
"No, no… in fact, I won," replied Sokka, to Piandao's surprise.
"Then why is she upset?"
"Because I could have lost," said Sokka, sighing. "I had the victory in the bag, pretty much… and I nearly threw it to waste because I refused to fight halfway through."
"You refused to fight?" asked Piandao, frowning.
"S-she never told me my opponent would be a girl!" yelled Sokka, folding his arms. "It was really her fault if you think about it! I was doing fine until I realized I was going against a girl! I mean, if she had told me before…"
"Wait," said Piandao, confused. "I don't think I understand. What do you mean, that you had the fight 'in the bag' until you realized you were fighting a girl? Didn't you see she was one from the start?"
"The thing is, she didn't look like a girl," said Sokka, sighing. "I saw her and I was certain she was a boy, but later she yelled at me that she was a girl, and… and I just refused to fight. I pretty much won because those judges are crazy, to be honest."
"Perhaps they realized you were far more talented than your opponent," suggested Piandao, shrugging.
"Maybe," said Sokka, crossing his legs in front of him. "Still, nobody thought I'd get the win, but then I did… and Azula said I had ashamed her with this whole mess, pretty much. And she was really mad because I refused to fight a girl."
"Indeed, I imagine she must have been very displeased by that," said Piandao, placing his brush on the table as he focused on Sokka.
"Still… wasn't it the right thing to do?" asked Sokka, grimacing. "I mean… I was always told not to hurt girls. Is it really wrong to avoid hurting them? Or is she the one who's wrong again, as I suspect she is…?"
Piandao sighed and stood up, turning to Fat.
"Would you be so kind to fix us a cup of tea, Fat?"
"Of course, master," said Fat, bowing curtly as he headed to the kitchen.
"Sir…?" asked Sokka, gulping.
"This is a very tricky matter, Sokka," admitted Piandao. "And I'm not entirely certain of how to address it. So I believe we should meditate about this at length."
Sokka didn't care much for meditation, but still he nodded, relieved to know his master was willing to help him out in this predicament.
Half an hour later, they both sat in the garden while watching the sunset, their cups of tea firmly gripped in their hands. Piandao noticed Sokka hadn't done much more than look at his beverage.
"Drink up, Sokka. It will help clear your mind," he said, and Sokka obeyed him unwillingly, taking a small gulp. "Now, please explain the situation clearly to me."
"What else is there to explain?" said Sokka, sighing. "I was fighting that girl without knowing she was a girl, and when I found out she was one, I refused to continue because I didn't want to hurt her. I won because apparently I was far more efficient a fighter than she was… so the judges gave me the victory, but Azula was completely against it. When I was out of the sand pit, she asked me why I'd done that. I told her what I already said to you, that I was taught to be careful with girls and never hurt them, but she took it all the wrong way…"
"Did she, now?" asked Piandao. "What other reaction did you expect from her, though?"
"W-what do you mean, what reaction did I expect from her?" asked Sokka, blinking blankly.
"You thought a powerful woman like herself would think your decision was right? To say you wouldn't hurt women… I can only imagine how angry she must have been."
"But why was she angry? I just don't get it!" said Sokka, sighing in exasperation.
"Listen, Sokka. Princess Azula is one of the first females born to the Royal Family in a very long time. In past times, each and every princess with the obligation of becoming the heir to the throne has been forced to marry a nobleman of high standing, and said man would become Fire Lord while the Princess is relinquished to the position of Fire Lady. Why do you believe this happens?"
"W-well… because it's tradition, I assume," said Sokka, shrugging.
"It is. But why do you believe said tradition exists?"
"Okay, sir… I'll let you know I'm no use with philosophical matters like this," said Sokka, grimacing. "So it's easier if you just get to the point…"
"It's because females, since the beginning of time, have been forced into mundane and frivolous tasks that men consider themselves too superior to undertake. Women have been considered inferior for no apparent reason… probably only because men felt the need to control everything. Women didn't fight back, surely thinking such a quarrel was pointless, and ever since they have been neglected and disdained."
"Wait… what?" said Sokka, even more confused.
"A female heir will be the last possible successor to the throne," said Piandao, drinking his tea. "Doesn't that mean anything to you, Sokka? Doesn't it enlighten her situation in the slightest?"
"W-well…" muttered Sokka, frowning. "Maybe."
"She has always wanted to prove her worth, to demonstrate she is above the limitations others have imposed upon her solely because of her condition of being a woman. If she were a man, most her troubles would be out of the way. She would be the absolute heir, her father would have declared so by now, and there would be nobody to force her to take a husband, a difficulty she probably has endured already."
Sokka frowned as he took in his master's words. Azula had been engaged to Chan against her will, and she had been forced to resort to the gladiator business to shake off that arrangement. It seemed there were a lot more pressures on being a woman in a position of power, far more than Sokka ever imagined there would be.
"I recall the first time I met her," Piandao said, thoughtful. "She was a very determined little thing, set on proving she could outdo anyone if she so wished. She was around four-years-old at the time, I believe, but within her childish ways there was also a certain spark I don't recall having seen in anyone ever before. She strived to prove herself worthy of my teachings… yet her mother didn't allow her to learn from me."
Sokka nodded, recalling Azula had already spoken to him about this particular episode in her life.
"Her very own mother," said Piandao, sighing. "One would believe she would want her daughter to follow her calling, yet it seemed she didn't. Fire Lord Ozai, who was only a Prince at the moment, was willing to let his daughter learn the ways of the sword. He encouraged her far more than he ever encouraged her brother Zuko, which I thought was quite unusual. But his wife… she refused to hear of it. She insisted that her daughter had no business getting involved in the darker side of the world, that learning fighting arts was something a Princess shouldn't be involved with. Some women have grown so used to the position they are in that they don't see that nothing makes them inferior to men, nothing forces them to stay home knitting rather than taking a weapon to head out into battle, other than themselves. The main problem, though, is that they don't care about it. They don't mind being labeled and settled into a role someone else imposed upon them. They are comfortable enough, so they don't mind their situation at all."
"Is that really the case…?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow. "I mean… I always thought men were stronger than women… and that's why they fight each other and use their strength to protect women. It's what I was always told, I guess."
"Do you truly believe yourself to be stronger than Princess Azula?" asked Piandao, making Sokka choke up in his cup of tea.
"No… of course not," said Sokka, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "That's why I… why I didn't refuse fighting her back when I first met her. I mean… I don't know what came over me back then, but I just forgot all about my usual ways when facing off against her. Maybe it was the urgency of what I had to do… maybe it was that, upon the opportunity of taking her as a hostage and using her to our advantage, I didn't care at all about her being a woman… or maybe it was my hatred for the Fire Nation that blinded me, so I would ignore all circumstances completely. She was the enemy, so I had to fight her no matter what…"
"And don't you consider your fellow gladiators to be your enemies too, in a way?" asked Piandao, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I… I don't know," admitted Sokka, sighing.
"Considering women as people who need to be protected… it isn't completely wrong, yet it isn't right," said Piandao. "There are women who might need and want protection, but there are many who can stand up for themselves and who would rather fight their own battles. You should simply respect women, above everything else. It isn't a matter of protecting them, it's a matter of respecting them."
"But… but I don't want to fight girls, sir," said Sokka, grimacing.
"What makes it so different from fighting men?" asked Piandao, raising an eyebrow.
"I… I don't know, but they're girls," said Sokka, sighing. "I just don't like the thought of damaging people overall. And if it's girls… I'm sorry sir, but this is actually my way of respecting women. By refusing to fight them."
"Then I suppose you will never get on the Princess's good side," said Piandao, shrugging and making Sokka wince.
"W-wait… what?"
"Princess Azula is not simply a girl, Sokka. She is far more than that. She isn't only a Princess either, she is also a warrior. She is a woman destined to rule… yet she has never been truly respected. They might fear her, since her fighting prowess is beyond anything seen in this nation for a very long time, but they still look down upon her because she is a woman. Prince Zuko has been banished for almost ten years now, yet if you ask almost any common citizen, you will find that the people of the Fire Nation have been waiting for him to return with the Avatar so that his father will reinstate his birthright. They have almost taken for granted that he will become Fire Lord, and that the Princess has no opportunity to earn said position. And why is that? Because she is a girl. There is no other reason than that. Yet you didn't seem to mind that she was a girl back when you first met her, and that might have been the reason why she seemed to trust you would become the best gladiator for her to sponsor. What do you believe she must have felt when the very man who stood up to her and fought her, even though he knew he would lose, suddenly claims that he refuses to hurt women because his moral code forbids him to do so?"
"I don't… I mean, I think I get that, but…" said Sokka.
"Princess Azula has an ulterior motive to get you to the top of the ranking, does she not?" said Piandao, taking another sip from his tea.
"Apparently," said Sokka, gulping. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing in particular," replied Piandao, smiling and making Sokka frown. "Very well, then. The important part in this is that you know that distinguishing between men and women by claiming the latter are to be protected is a foolish thing to do, Sokka. I would bet my finest sword that if you attempt to protect the Princess against her will, she'll strike you with a fire fist that will ensure you'll never attempt to protect her ever again. Some women don't seek protection… they seek the means to prove their own worth, just like most men do. Bringing them down by treating them as weaker or inferior… that isn't a swordsman's way of living."
"I guess not," said Sokka, sighing.
"There are many women, not just the Princess, who might end up taking your life if you so much as hesitate to fight them. Female warriors deserve just as much praise as any man, no matter if they are gladiators, benders or soldiers. And it is part of the honor code of warriors to respect your opponent by fighting him or her to your very best. Lowering your fighting level to theirs is also considered as disrespectful as refusing to fight overall. You must understand, Sokka, that your honor binds you to fight anyone who goes against you, and you mustn't hold back no matter what. You might end up killing your rivals again, which would truly be terrible, but slaying a man after giving him the fight of his life is a far more dignified action than holding back to make the combat more balanced, all so you can protect your rival. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I… I guess I do," said Sokka, sighing. "Still, I'm not comfortable with fighting girls. But I guess I have no choice other than fighting them if that's what I'm supposed to do."
"Don't think of it as fighting girls, Sokka… think of it as fighting a worthy gladiator," said Piandao, nodding. "They are in the Superior Gladiator League for a reason, aren't they?"
Sokka blinked and scratched his head in slight confusion.
"Well, you're right about that part, I guess…"
Piandao grinned and looked over at Sokka, raising an eyebrow.
"You haven't drunk your tea…"
"Oh! Uh, yeah, I'll get to that now!" said Sokka, flashing him a guilty smile as he downed the liquid with a single gulp.
Piandao patted him on the shoulder when Sokka was done with wiping his mouth.
"Are you feeling better now, Sokka?"
"I'm still… troubled, I guess," said Sokka, sighing. "Though in a way, I guess it had to come to this. Back when she stormed off on me, I felt like I should apologize even though I wasn't quite sure what I would have been apologizing for. At least now I know why I would say sorry. Do you really think she's got such a big conflict going on, though? Do you really think she's struggling because she's a girl?"
"I've watched her carefully enough to believe so," said Piandao. "And you would notice it too if you paid more attention, Sokka. I understand your life has been very turbulent and difficult… but even though she doesn't seem to have suffered through any of the issues that have plagued you, the Princess has a fair share of problems of her own. It would do your relationship good if you took that into account while dealing with her."
"Our… relationship?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow.
"You are her gladiator, aren't you?" asked Piandao. "There is a bond between the two of you, a bond that I can hardly fathom, and only the two of you can grasp its true meaning. You aren't enemies, yet you aren't friends. You are allies, yet surprisingly often it seems you stand against each other. Still, she seems to think highly of you, or at least, she did before your latest argument. It would actually seem to me that she thought of you as her equal, in some form… well, at the very least, she seems to believe you have the potential to uphold her expectations. And I believe she is absolutely right to think this way."
"Wait, how could you possibly know what she thinks of me?" squealed Sokka, surprised.
"Oh, just call it an old man's intuition," said Piandao, beaming.
"But you're not even that old!" squeaked Sokka, making his master laugh as he stood up.
"You have a long road ahead of you, Sokka," said Piandao, still grinning. "But I'm certain you are on the right path. You will likely see the results of your hard work eventually if you keep this up."
"Wait, what?" said Sokka, completely baffled. "What are you talking about now, master?"
Piandao simply smiled as he walked away, taking his empty cup to the kitchen. Sokka glared at his shrinking figure as he sighed in irritation.
So… it seemed he had been on the wrong side of the discussion this time. He didn't like being wrong, but he couldn't help it if he was. He still didn't like the thought of hurting girls, but then again, he simply didn't like the thought of hurting others. He had been faced with no choice but to kill his opponents in the Amateur League, and he had done it even though it felt like he was allowing his identity to be destroyed through those murders. But he was still himself, wasn't he? He had changed slightly over time, but he was still Sokka of the Water Tribe…
He smiled to himself at the thought. It had been a long time since he had thought of his identity in such a proud manner. Indeed, he was still himself, despite all the pain he had been put through. Said pain had actually helped him become a better man… perhaps this particular matter could help him in the same way.
Maybe his Tribe's ways weren't entirely wrong, and protecting others wasn't such a bad thing to do… but he had learned a valuable lesson: he had to respect his enemies just as much as he respected his allies. And this didn't mean ignoring the circumstances of his opponent… it meant that he had to acknowledge them instead. A woman who had the courage to stand up for herself in a world that would seek to bring her down was truly worth respecting, and if she sought out a fight with him, he would give her the best combat he could muster. He would do his best not to kill anyone else, though… but regardless, he would fight. He had found his own resolution as a swordsman.
Piandao was pleased when he caught sight of Sokka again during dinner. The gladiator seemed to have been relieved from plenty of the troubles that had clouded his thoughts this time. He surely had come to open his mind and now he could understand a little more about the ways of a truly noble warrior…
Sokka spent the next days training without breaks. Piandao was once again impressed over his progress, since now he struggled a lot while fighting against Sokka on even terms. The Water Tribe man was a lot more serious nowadays than he usually was, probably still worried about his situation with his sponsor, but he had come to the firm decision that, as soon as he saw her, he would apologize and promise he would fight properly from now on. He had no idea if that would be enough to normalize their relationship, since Azula had been mad enough to curse at him as she had, but it was the least he could do…
Azula arrived in Shu Jing several weeks later, dreading the moment when she would face her fighter once again. Fat opened the gates just as she had started thinking she should simply turn around and run away from the mansion as fast as possible. She hadn't seen him for quite a long time, yet once again she had found herself unable to keep him out of her thoughts for longer than an hour. She felt like a fool for holding on to that single word he had sent to her through Mai and Ty Lee, 'sorry'… all she hoped for was that said apology had been truly heartfelt. And she was just about to find out if it had been when she told him about his new opponent…
But her mind became completely blank when she caught sight of Sokka once again.
No, he wasn't inappropriately shirtless this time, which relieved and disappointed her at the same time. On this occasion, he was fighting Piandao…
And he was winning.
Sokka's stabs were extremely fast paced, and his form had no openings. His defense seemed completely flawless. It would seem that the fight was to be determined by whoever gave up first.
Piandao found himself besieged; keeping his footing wasn't an easy feat to accomplish. Sokka's jabs were overwhelming, they didn't relent no matter how Piandao attempted to push him away. To Azula, it seemed they were both around the same level of skill… yet Sokka could use his superior agility and strength to overcome his master.
And after several more clashes of their swords, Sokka managed to twirl Piandao's silver blade away with his black one, rendering him weaponless and forcing him to surrender when the tip of Space Sword was touching the man's neck in a dangerous fashion.
"That's three out of five now, master," said Sokka, smiling smugly. "How about it?"
Piandao grinned as Sokka placed his sword in his scabbard again.
"It would seem you have accomplished the unthinkable… surpassing your master in a matter of months. I have no idea if I should feel proud of you or disappointed in myself. Perhaps I've lost my touch."
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, sir," said Sokka, chuckling.
It was then that he turned around and saw the Princess standing at the house's balcony, watching them both with an unfathomable expression on her face. Little did he know that she was in fact thoroughly impressed, that her heart was actually beating a little faster than before now that they had made eye contact. Anxiety began making itself known within her, yet she attempted to keep a completely calm façade… to her utmost pride, she managed to achieve said goal.
"Az-…" muttered Sokka, feeling a dreadful pit opening up in the middle of his chest. He had been waiting to meet her again, but now that she was standing only a few meters away from him he realized he didn't know what to say.
"That was… unexpected," was Azula's claim before she turned to Piandao. "Is he really this skilled or is old age getting to you already?"
"You are as subtle as ever, Princess," said Piandao, wiping the sweat off his brow with a towel. "I cannot say for certain if I've grown weaker over time, but I can assure you that your gladiator has progressed to the extent that he can battle me on even terms and defeat me when he has his mind set upon it."
Azula looked at Sokka again, her eyes growing cold as she studied him. She didn't want to believe Piandao's words, they would simply make it more difficult for her to let go of the illusion of having such a talented warrior as her personal gladiator. Regardless, it wouldn't hurt to believe in said illusion… for now, at least.
"I hope your assertions are correct, sword master," said Azula, dropping a bag of money on the floor. "I'm not here to chat carelessly, however. The slave has a new fight."
"Right," said Sokka, gulping. Piandao had been looking at the bag in the floor with some displeasure before realizing Sokka was already starting off behind his sponsor.
"Sokka… wait," he said, startling both his student and the Princess.
"Is something wrong?" asked Sokka, taken by surprise.
"I merely wished to… to let you know you truly are the most talented man I have ever trained," said Piandao, smiling kindly. "You will certainly become a far more skilled master than I am and in a far shorter time span too, if you keep true to your honor as a warrior. Do not forget who you are, Sokka, and don't forget all the circumstances that have molded you into the man you are today. You are truly remarkable in many ways. You can achieve anything as long as you put your mind to it."
"Uh… right," said Sokka, surprised at the man's speech.
"Also… don't be too hot-headed," said Piandao, chuckling. "If certain urges strike you, you shouldn't submit to them until you have assessed them completely. You have the potential that not many men hold to turn this world into a better place… yet it's unlikely that you will accomplish this through conventional means. You might have to step out of certain boundaries to do so, and you must think it thoroughly before taking risks of any sort. Promise me you will do so."
"W-what?" said Sokka, blinking repeatedly in surprise. "Uh… I don't really understand what you want to make me promise, but… okay. I promise."
Piandao smiled at the cluelessness of the man and prompted him to go after Azula with a jerk of his head. The Princess hadn't stopped to listen to whatever Piandao's advice to Sokka was, already on her way to the doors.
"See you later, master!" said Sokka, running after her.
Azula was already outside the main building by the time Sokka managed to reach her. He had the feeling that calling out her name might be a bad idea… so he simply placed a hand on her shoulder when he was close enough to her.
The Princess frowned instantly at his touch, and Sokka retrieved his hand quickly, realizing too late that touching her might have been out of bounds, too. Azula stopped and turned around, still glaring as coldly as ever.
"Uh, Azula…" muttered Sokka, gulping as he tried to find the right words in his head.
"What do you want?" grunted the Princess, clearly annoyed.
"I just wanted to say… that I'm sorry," said Sokka, bowing down to her. Azula couldn't conceal her surprise at this gesture. "What I did back then… I didn't understand what was at stake. Even now, I'm not entirely certain of what it meant to you when I refused to fight a girl, but I can assure you that won't happen again. I've come to terms with some big realizations after this, and I will make sure I don't stray from the right path this time."
Azula frowned and folded her arms across her chest.
"Oh, really?"
"I meant every word I just said," muttered Sokka, nodding as he lifted his head.
"Such a noble gladiator," said Azula, still not lowering her guard. "Then I assume you won't mind to be fighting another girl this time, or will you?"
Sokka was taken aback by this sudden claim. He frowned at the Princess.
"Another…?" he muttered, before shaking his head. "Not a problem. I will fight her. You can count on it."
"You'd better," said Azula, glaring at him. "Because I've decided this is the last opportunity you'll get to prove your worth. To be honest, I have no idea where my generosity outbursts towards you have come from, but you are getting another chance to make things right. Make sure you don't waste it."
"I won't," said Sokka, still as stern and serious as before. His unusual demeanor was putting Azula off slightly.
"Very well, then," she said, walking off towards the door again, with him at her heels. "Although… I did forget to say that your opponent is handicapped."
"What?" said Sokka, frowning.
"She's called the Blind Bandit," said Azula, making Sokka jump.
"Huh?! She's blind?! B-but… wait. You challenged her because she's really high in the ranking and you thought it'd be interesting to fight her… right?"
"No," said Azula, curtly. "She's even below you in the ranking."
"But in that case, why am I fighting her?!" asked Sokka, shocked "Did you do this to test my resolve or something…?"
"Not at all," said Azula. "The Bandit's sponsor was the one to send out the challenge for us. The girl has a perfect victory streak, and she has fought more times than you have. I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you."
"But… how can she fight if she's blind?" asked Sokka, confused.
"I have absolutely no idea, but you'll find out when you're facing her," said Azula. "Also, she's an earthbender."
"Earthbender…" said Sokka, thoughtful. "I've never fought one of those before."
"And it was about time you did…" said Azula, as he opened the gates and they both walked outside Piandao's mansion while they both kept discussing Sokka's next fight.
Piandao watched them walk away from a hall that provided him with a perfect view to the mansion's doors. He found himself sighing, yet smiling as well. Once they were out of sight, he re-read the paper he held in his hands, a letter that had arrived only a few days before.
"Everything is ready, sir," said Fat, walking into the room. "When will we depart?"
"At midnight, Fat. Take a break for the time being; we must avoid being seen by anyone when we take our leave."
Fat bowed and left the room, and Piandao sighed again. He would most certainly miss this place. He made his way to another room of the mansion, the messiest one in the entire house: it was Sokka's room. Piandao slid his hand inside his long sleeve to pull out a small, circular wooden item. The flower pattern drawn over it had a very deep meaning that Sokka wouldn't understand just yet, but it was the sole thing Piandao dared leave behind as a message for him.
He placed the White Lotus tile on top of Sokka's nightstand before turning around and leaving the room, knowing this would be his last day in the mansion he had called home for a long time…
A/N:
Sorry for the extremely long delay on this particular chapter, I think many of you had been waiting on the edge of your seats and I took waaaay longer than usual with this, but here it is at last! The next chapter, hopefully, will be up sooner even though it's bound to be extremely long… anyways, sorry for the delay, hopefully it won't happen again!
Also, I wanted to invite you all to take part in the Sokkla Week, which will span out from June 24th to the 30th, you can go on tumblr and participate there, search for the Sokkla tag and you will find all guidelines there. Any fanarts or fanfiction would be deeply appreciated! Thanks in advance for your collaboration!