CHAPTER 51: FAITH

(Crystal POV)

Lights filled the dark sky as the show began. Aang had spotted the first meteor as we were laying our mats out to sleep for the night. The meteor shower only grew as more balls of fire lit the sky. Toph pouted because she couldn't see it, while the rest of us watched. We'd seen a few meteor showers in the past, and I knew the sight before us had a possibility of causing damage.

As the meteors fell, I was anxious about the space rocks cruising across the sky. I recalled a time long ago when a similar shower happened at the South Pole. One of the meteors hit earth by crashing into the icy cliff ten miles from the village. I'd been secretly practicing my bending at the time when the meteor soared over me.

Staring at the water in front of me, I pouted as the stream I tried to pull up fell back into the dark pool. The light of the moon behind me lit the ice around me, and I wondered if my family noticed I wasn't in my sleeping bag yet. Everyone in the village would scold me if they learned a fourteen year old girl was venturing out in the middle of the South Pole alone every night. Thankfully, I knew my way back by following the water's edge.

"Come on…" I muttered, reaching for the water again. As I pulled the stream backup with my hands, my arms strained as I tried to separate the water into two. Staring at the line of liquid that reflected from the light of the moon, I started to pull the water apart. My concentration broke though as my water turned a tint of red from a new light. Dropping my water in shock, I turned my eyes to the sky.

A meteor flew past me, and I watched as the burning stone soared straight at a raised formation. The fire hit the snow covered mountain of ice and an explosion sounded around me breaking the dead silence of the night. A rumble followed after and the ice shook beneath me. Cracks formed beneath my feet and I gasped realizing what was happening.

The roaring of the avalanche sounded, and I turned, racing across the cracking ice back to safety. As hard ice broke from the cliff and snow tumbled down towards the flat of the South Pole, I felt the ground shake worse and worse with each step as the pressure nearby broke up the frozen water beneath me.

The ice started to give out beneath me, but I lunged over the cracks back towards the thick surface of the south pole. As soon as I hit solid land that would not crack, I dropped in the snow and tried to catch my breath. The ice broke and cracked behind me, and taking a glance back I watched as the surface I'd just been walking on drifted away with the current. My eyes shot back over to the peak that had been struck by the meteor, and I could see the fire of the burning stone was evident in the dark air.

Staring at the scene before me, I realized that I'd witnessed something rare and also terrifying all at once. I also realized I could tell no one about this, because if I did I would have a lot of explaining and worry to deal with.

Standing from the snow, I stepped back from the water that lapped before me. The disturbance from the falling ice and stone had unsettled the water before me, and it was slowly returning to its steady pace.

"This could be bad," I stated.

Sokka waved me off. "Relax. They're in the sky. They aren't going to fall on us."

Standing beside the others who were sitting and watching the shower, I bit my lip as each ball of fire flew by. "Something could go wrong and one of them could come towards us… We should be ready for anything…"

Zuko looked up at me from where he sat. "Meteor showers are common in these parts, Crys. I haven't seen or heard of one touching down on Fire Nation soil while I've been alive, so don't worry. Sit down and just enjoy the show."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "But it could happen… They won't hit water every time. And they can be dangerous if they do hit ear-"

"Alright, Princess. You get like this when you're not telling us the whole story," Toph commented from where she was leaning back against Appa. "Spill."

I grimaced. "I… I've just had experience in the past and they can be pretty destructive."

My brother and sister looked over at me with bewilderment. My brother asked, "When did that happen?"

Looking away from their prying eyes, I answered, "One night when I was waterbending at the South Pole."

Katara was curious. "What happened? Were you hurt?"

I grimaced from her worry. Shaking my head, I answered, "No. I thought quickly and booked it off the ice. The meteor hit a glacier and broke off large chunks of ice which hit the ground hard enough to break the surface. I was fine… Just a little shook up."

"The question we should be asking," Sokka began, "Is why the spirits you were out on your own in the middle of the night!"

Toph scoffed. "Well, she doesn't exactly play by the rules… You shouldn't be that surprised."

Zuko seemed disturbed by my tale as well. "Any other dangerous tales you're keeping from us?"

I glanced back at the meteors and then let out a sigh. "Probably… But you all don't need to worry about them. They are in the past, and I'm alive and kick-" My eyes widened though as I cut off my sentence. A meteor spiraled straight down towards the valley nearby, disappearing behind a mountain in the distance, and hit hard into the earth a moment later. A loud explosion echoed from the impact, and then an orange glow illuminated the smoke that started to rise towards the sky.

"Oh no!" Aang shouted in horror at the catastrophe starting to emerge. The others had jumped up, even Toph who had felt and heard the disturbance. "Crys! You were right!"

The smoke from the meteor's fire grew with more intensity and density as we watched the scene on the horizon.

"Come on!" Sokka shouted. "We have to go check it out!"

Katara agreed. "That fire could hurt someone! We need to go stop it!"

Toph sarcastically added, "Sure. Let's go towards the fire!"

We all quickly got back on Appa and flew down to the area where the fire was starting to take life from the meteor. An enormous crater had been formed where the meteor struck the earth, and fire was already feasting on the dry grass around the area.

Katara gasped when she saw the small community nestled near the disaster before us. "The fire is gonna destroy that town."

Aang shook his head. "Not if we can stop it." Aang pulled the rein and Appa shot towards the earth below. Once we were on the ground, we jumped off ready to do what we could to stop the disaster from escalating.

Katara remained on Appa though, taking his reins and stating, "There's a creek over here. I'll bend the water onto the fire."

I turned in surprise. "What? Wait!"

She took off though, leaving me with the others to watch her in disbelief.

My pride was a little squashed. "I could've helped," I muttered. "Not like I can do any good down here until she gets back."

Aang waved me off. "We got this, Crys. You all hang back. Toph, let's make a trench to keep the fire from coming any closer."

He and Toph rushed forward, but Sokka's question stopped them in their tracks. "What should I do?"

Aang looked back at him with uncertainty. Momo flew past at that moment though and landed beside us. Aang pointed at the little lemur who was staring at the growing fire with wide eyes.

"Keep an eye on Momo."

Sokka pouted, "So what, I'm just a lemur-sitter?" Momo hopped up on his shoulder as if to confirm his thoughts. Toph and Aang were already turning back towards the fire. Sokka sighed, patting Momo and stating sarcastically, "There, there. Feel better?"

As Toph and Aang went to create their trench to stop the fire from spreading towards the town nearby, Zuko took his own action as well. "I'm going to try and calm the flames long enough for Katara to bring the water over.

I watched him as he rushed forward towards the fire and stepped in its path. With concentration, he breathed in deeply and then exhaled with his hands extended towards the flames. The intensity of the fire dwindled as he controlled the element. As he did so, Aang and Toph bent a large trench to extend across the fire's path creating a barrier between the destructive element and the townspeople.

"Yes!" A piece of earth that was still burning had flown over at Sokka and I, and he quickly beat the fire out with his club feeling a sense of self-worth. Momo jumped around to the other burning pieces of earth and put them all out with his paws, to which I was horrified at the possibility of him being burned. When Sokka saw Momo did the rest he looked sour at the little guy.

Concerned for Momo, I picked him up and looked at his paws which he'd used to put out the flames. He chattered as I did so as if to tell me he was fine, and tried to wiggle from my hold. While I tried to check him for injury, scolding him for potentially hurting himself, a groan sounded in the sky.

Looking up, I was relieved to see Katara had come back with Appa and had a large orb of water trailing behind her. Placing Momo on my brother's shoulder, I told him, "Keep an eye on Momo. I'm going to help."

Rushing forward, I grabbed some water from Katara's orb while she sprayed at some of the flames in the area. Using my own water, I lifted the stream and circled it over some flames. Then I dropped the water down on the fire killing it into smoke. Taking more water from Katara's orb above I shot at another large patch of fire extinguishing the bright element. I continued this with a few more areas, shooting stream after stream to stop the fire. Zuko had returned to Sokka's side seeing the worst of the fire was gone and our water could handle the rest.

"Stand clear you guys!" Aang's order shot out from where he stood across the burning field, and I watched as he took the remainder of Katara's water and pulled the liquid into a giant sphere in front of his face. As he did so, Zuko backed up quickly while Sokka meandered and picked up Momo who had jumped off his shoulder at some point.

Aang let loose a blast of air through the water then, turning the element into a large wave of snow. As the snow came towards me, I bent the element around me so I wouldn't get hit with the cold slush. As the element settled though, I heard a grunt behind me and turned to glance back at my brother who was shoulder deep in a pile of snow. Momo sat a few feet away on dry ground.

Feeling sympathetic, I walked over and pulled the snow away from him so he could move again. He smiled weakly in thanks, but then slumped his shoulders. I could see something was bothering him. As the others walked over to the meteorite to check it out now that the fire was completely extinguished, I voiced my concern.

"You okay?"

He grimaced and crossed his arms. "How can I not be okay? I was on the sideline the whole time!"

"You didn't have a cho-"

"Forget it," Sokka muttered. He turned and headed towards the meteor. "You and the others will never understand."

I frowned and crossed my arms. I understood why he was upset, but he was being a little ridiculous. He knew how to swordfight better than all of us. Just because he couldn't help us put out the fire didn't make him any less of a fighter. I knew he wasn't in the mood to hear reasoning though, and instead I let out a deep sigh and followed him to the meteor.

The others were already beside the five foot tall snow covered ball of space rock, and I saw Katara and Aang were looking over it with excitement. Zuko looked more concerned about the damaged area around him from the fire we'd just put out. Toph was busy touching the rock to see how it differed from earth. While this happened, Sokka moped to the side kicking at a pebble that broke from the object.

Later that night, after the excitement of the meteor and saving the town cooled down, I voiced my concern about Sokka to Katara as we were getting in our sleeping mats. Sokka had gone to sleep before the rest of us. Katara waved me off. "He'll get over it, Crys. He gets like this all the time."

"Yeah… But he just seemed so upset… Maybe we could do something to cheer him up tomorrow."

My sister laid down and turned on her side. "He's fine."

Her lack of concern made me a little irritated. With a deep sigh, I decided to worry more about it in the morning.

The next day, just as I thought, Sokka was still pouting about not being able to help us the previous night. He barely spoke to us as we threw on disguises to head into town for a meal, and he plopped on the ground while the rest of us sat at a table eating our food.

People walked by us going about their days, completely oblivious to the disaster that almost took half their town away.

Aang commented as he ate his vegetables, "These people have no idea how close they were to getting toasted last night."

Picking up a dumpling, Toph added, "Yeah, the worst thing about being in disguise is we don't get the hero worship anymore. I miss the love."

Sokka scoffed. "Boo-hoo… poor heroes."

I sighed, putting my own dumpling back on my plate and looking down at my brother. "Sokka… Come on. You know you're a hero too."

He grunted.

Katara finally realized I was serious from last night and intervened. "What's your problem? You haven't even touched your smoked sea slug."

My brother let out a heavy sigh and shoved his plate aside. "It's just...all you guys can do this awesome bending stuff like putting out forest fires, and flying around, and making other stuff fly around. I can't fly around, ok… I can't do anything."

"Don't say that," I snapped. "You can do plenty!"

Katara nodded. "Yeah, Sokka. No one can read a map like you."

Toph muttered, "I can't read at all."

Aang added, "Yeah, and who keeps us laughing with sarcastic comments all the time. I mean, look at Katara's hair, right." He grabbed a lock of her hair. "What's up with that?"

A look of disbelief shot from Zuko over to Aang, while Katara panicked. "What? What's wrong with my hair?!"

Aang dropped the lock in surprise. "Nothing, I was just trying to..."

Zuko spoke up finally, "Aang. You should know better than to insult a girl's hair."

Aang grimaced, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

Sokka spoke up again. "Look, I appreciate the effort, but the fact is each of you is so amazing and so special, and I'm not. I'm just the guy in the group who's regular."

"Regular?" I began. "If you were regular you wouldn't be so good with your boomerang and other weapons. Just because you aren't a bender doesn't mean you aren't an important asset to this team. I mean, without you we would have never found Wa Shi Tong's library and learned about the eclipse."

Sokka shook his head. "All I did was read a map and turn a dial."

Katara finally had it with his negativity. "I'm sorry you're feeling so down, but I hope you know none of us see you that way." She got up from the table and knelt beside him. "I know something that's gonna make you feel better though."

My brother looked at her still bummed. "You do?"

Only a moment later we found ourselves at the entrance to a shop with tons of weapons. Sokka shouted with excitement, "Shopping!" He rushed in and we all followed in suit. He and Zuko both browsed through the different swords and spears, and as they did so, I walked over to a collection of leather pouches that were used for water. Picking one up, it had a belt similar to Katara's. My sister noticed my interest and handed me some coins. Once I made my purchase, I felt relieved to finally have something I could carry my element in for future battles.

"Ooo!" Sokka walked over to a sword inside a glass case. "That's what Sokka's talking about."

The shopkeeper who had just finished giving me change, looked over at Sokka ready to give detail on the sword that caught my brother's eyes. The rest of us gathered around the sword to get a closer look. The steel blade and firm wooden handle looked fine in detail and design.

"You have a good eye," the shopkeeper stated. "That's an original from Piandao, the greatest sword master and sword maker in Fire Nation history. He lives in the big castle up the road from here."

At the name Piandao, I quickly recalled a conversation Zuko and I had a long time ago back on his ship.

Sitting cross-legged on my cot, I stared across Zuko's room at the broadswords hanging on his wall. He was reading over some charts trying to figure out which way we needed to go to get a lead on Aang and my family. He let out a deep sigh every few minutes as frustration continued to come over him. My family was in the air, and he was on the sea. He knew the only way he could ever catch them was when they were camping at night to give Appa rest.

"Hey… What's the story behind those broadswords? Who taught you how to use them?"

Zuko jumped a bit when he heard my voice. We'd both been quiet for a good hour or so, and the interruption was unexpected. He looked back at me and then glanced up at the swords. Turning back to his papers, he stated, "It's not that interesting."

"Come on," I begged. Standing, I walked over to the swords with my arms crossed. "I'm going crazy in here without conversation. It's not like I can go up on deck. It's pouring."

"Go find Uncle. He can entertain you."

I pouted over at him. "I already tried that earlier. He's napping."

"Then nap if you're bored."

A deep sigh escaped me, and I looked back at the swords. "They look cool… The water tribe mainly has weapons made out of stone and bones." I let my finger trace over the steel. "Sokka would kill for a sword like this." I frowned at the thought of my brother. My heart ached as my longing for my family returned.

A warm presence appeared behind me suddenly, and a hand shot in front of me to one of the swords. Zuko grabbed the hilt and pulled it off the wall, while I stepped aside to give him room. He looked down at the sword with a look I couldn't decipher. He seemed to be lost in his memory.

"I was excited to learn how to fight…" He began. "My teacher Piandao was the best in the land. My father spared no expense to have him teach me how to be a fighter. Master Piandao was my teacher until I left my home to search for the Avatar. Those were the days life was good…" He narrowed his eyes, and his teeth grit. "The days I still had my honor."

He tightened his hold on the hilt of the sword.

"I'd give anything to be Piandao's student again. He made me feel I could do anything. He told me if I believed in myself, I could be the greatest Fire Lord in all Fire Nation history. He spoke similar to my Uncle in some ways... Some good his words did me: My father won't pass the throne to me now until I accomplish what he sent me out to do." He slammed the sword against the floor sending sparks, and I jumped back in shock. "An impossible task it seems with my luck so far."

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't realize asking would upset you…" My voice was quiet. It had only been a few days since we'd started talking to one another after the Kyoshi Island incident and I didn't want to anger him again.

He realized he'd overreacted, and he looked up at me with surprise. The grip on the sword loosened, and his tense shoulders relaxed. He let out a deep breath and lifted the sword. He looked at his reflection in the steel of the blade and then returned the sword to its holder on the wall.

"No… I shouldn't have gotten so frustrated. I guess I just miss the old days." He looked at me with an apology. "The swords were gifts from Master Piandao. He brought them to me when I was boarding the ship to leave the Fire Nation. He told me I was one of his best students, and that he still believed I would be a great Fire Lord in the future… he gave me hope…"

I smiled. "He sounds like a good man."

"Yeah… He is." Zuko turned and headed back to his table to return to his charts. As he did, I looked at the swords once more and imagined a younger Zuko full of thrill as he trained with his teacher.

"That's it!" Aang exclaimed, bringing me out of my reverie. "That's what you needed all along, Sokka."

Sokka glanced at him in question. "A sword?"

"Not the sword...a master." As Aang spoke, Sokka lifted the sword from the rack. "We've all had masters to help us get better. You should see if you can study with Piandao."

Katara grinned. "That's a great idea! I could've never gotten to where I am without Master Pakku. Everyone needs a teacher."

Zuko stared at the sword with shock, and I knew just what he was thinking. His favorite teacher was so near.

"I learned from badger moles." Toph spoke up since entering the shop. "They don't talk, but they're still good teachers."

Sokka examined the blade, and gave a nod. "It would be nice to be a master swordfighter… All right, I'll talk to him."

As Sokka went to get directions from the shopkeeper, Zuko stepped up to the sword that had been returned to its place. Stepping over with him, I said softly, "You should go with Sokka… see him again."

Zuko stared at the sword with longing, but he shook his head. "No… if I go he'll know Sokka isn't Fire Nation. It will be best for your brother to do this on his own…" He smiled. "I'm surprised you remember that detail about my past."

"It's my job to know about my fiancé."

"Hey. What are you two lovebirds chatting about?" Toph stepped over butting between us. "You already have swords, Sparky."

I grimaced at the interruption. "Nothing. We were just getting a closer look."

Toph sighed. "You are a horrible liar, Princess."

Eventually we arrived back at camp while Sokka made his way to Piandao's castle. The campsite was quiet without Sokka, and so we all tried to find a way to entertain ourselves. That came with watching Zuko teach Aang firebending.

"The key to bending is in the breath. Without the proper control you can lose your handle on the flame. Fire is something alive. It has a mind of its own- as you saw last night- but with the right control you can have the upperhand and make it do your will."

Aang stared at the flame Zuko hovered above his palm, and I could see the young Avatar was nervous from the sweat on his forehead. These last few days Zuko had taught him basic stances and moves. Now Aang would actually bend the element. As Katara and Toph fought back at camp like they usually did, I sat on the ground cross-legged watching with interest. Zuko had insisted on a waterbender tagging along in case the fire got messy. Katara wanted to stay back and look over our supplies, so I volunteered to be the backup fire extinguisher.

"Alright." Aang swallowed. "I think I got it."

He got into the stance Zuko taught him and closed his eyes. Taking in a deep breath, more sweat beaded down his forehead as he tried to spark a flame. With a thrust of his hand, he swung towards the air to get the force he needed for the blast. All that came out was smoke. Zuko shook his head.

"You're too tense. You have to have a firm stance, but you can't be so tight in the muscles. Your energy needs to flow freely Aang."

Aang grimace, returning to a standing position. "Sorry… I'm just nervous. Last time I firebended, I hurt Katara."

"I won't let you hurt anyone," Zuko promised. "Stop worrying about that."

Aang looked over at me, and I smiled with encouragement. He then glanced back at Zuko who stepped back to give him the floor.

"Just remember to breathe," Zuko coached. "Give your fire life."

He nodded. "Right… Breathe." He inhaled deeply as he got into his stance. This time he was much more relaxed. On his exhale, he shot his hand forward again and a small blast of fire appeared before his fist. When he saw what he had done, his face beamed with delight. "Look! I did it Zuko!"

Zuko kept a straight face, but I could tell he was impressed with his pupil. "Yes… You did Aang. Now I want you to do it ten more times."

Feeling confident in himself, Aang swung his hand out again but only smoke appeared. He was stunned.

Zuko shook his head. "What did I just say! Breathe!"

Aang grimaced. "Yes, Sifu Zuko."

Zuko was flustered by the name Aang gave him. He snapped, "And don't call me that!"

I giggled. "That's an honor, Zuko. Take it."

He shook his head. "No thanks. Zuko is perfectly fine." He then pointed at Aang again. "Ten more! Let's go!"

Some time later, after Aang was exhausted and done with his training for the day, we returned back to camp where Katara was pacing anxiously. When we arrived, she looked over at us with irritation. "Sokka still isn't back. What if he's been discovered and captured by the Fire Nation?"

Zuko shook his head. "It will be fine, Katara. I know Piandao… He may look scary on the outside, but he'd never turn over a young man trying to improve himself. Also, my Uncle told me that after I was injured and banished Piandao lost respect for the Fire Nation and that's why he keeps to himself. Sokka will be fine as long as he doesn't irritate the man too much."

My sister sighed. "I guess you're right." She stopped pacing and ran a hand through her hair. "So how was firebending practice?"

As Aang shot off all the moves and accomplishments he'd done, I stepped over to Zuko who was staring at his swords. They weren't the original ones that Piandao gave him, and I knew he missed those ones greatly. They'd sunk with his ship the day the pirates tried to kill us.

"You should ask Sokka to fight with you when he gets back. He could teach you some things he learned today from Piandao."

Zuko nodded. "I could do that... it would be good to get a refresher on his swordfight methods since it has been a while."

I reached down and picked up one of the swords which weighed much more than the sword I'd used back in Ba Sing Se. "I watched the warriors fight with swords a lot growing up. Only men were really taught how to use them, but the movements were always fascinating." Holding the sword out, I pretended to swing it at an opponent and the weight of the sword sent me stumbling forward a bit.

Zuko coughed a laugh, and I looked back at him with question. He shook his head in disbelief as he stood and stepped over to me. "First, you're holding it upside down."

I blushed at my rookie mistake.

"Also, you're gripping it way too tense." He grabbed the hilt of the sword and helped me flip the blade around. Then he moved my fingers around the hilt in a much more comfortable position. "And lastly, you're letting the sword take control instead of yourself." He came behind me and lifted my arm with his hand. He took my other hand and helped guide my fingers onto the hilt to overlap the hand already gripping the sword. Standing behind me, he wrapped his arms around me as he grabbed the hilt also over my hands. "And when you swing, you always want to think of the sword as an extension of you hand." We swung the sword, and this time my body stayed in place as the blade sailed through the air. Of course, my body wasn't going very far sandwiched between Zuko and his arms.

"There… Now you are a swordswoman," Zuko commented. He released my hands and I turned to hand him back his sword. He took it and placed it back down beside the other. "I can teach you, if you want to learn. You have your bending, but it could come in handy," he commented.

His offer surprised me. "Teach me?" I shook my head. "You already have too much on your plate with Aang. I don't want you to overdo it and get tired from all the extra lessons."

He rolled his eyes. "If training you on top of Aang is too much for me then I can forget about being Fire Lord." He brushed a strand of hair back from my face. "Besides, with that crazy assassin after you I'd feel better knowing you can defend yourself. Swordsmanship isn't just about using a sword. It's about agility and stamina."

I smirked. "Are you saying I'm not agile?"

"Well… You did fall off a ship into the s-"

Jumping at him, I went to tackle him. He was one step ahead of me though, and twisted to the side causing me to stumble past him. His arm wrapped around my waist as I passed and he pulled me back so that I was pressed to him with his chest at my back. His arms wrapped around me again so he could pin my arms to my side. I gasped and struggled at the sudden hold he had me in.

"What was that?"

I stopped struggling and pouted. "I was proving my agility."

Toph laughed from across the campsite suddenly and sat up from where she'd been laying for her nap. "What agility? You looked like a flopping fish."

Zuko tightened his hold and spoke over to Toph to defend me. "This is coming from the person who has been as agile as a rock all day."

She gave him a thumbs up. "I'm not ashamed of that. It just means I'm one with my element."

"Hey! Get a room you two!" Sokka's voice caused Zuko and I to glance over at him as he emerged from the woods. His sword swung on his side, and he beamed with delight as he finished his day one of training with Master Piandao.

"How did it go?" Katara stepped over with Aang following behind. They heard his voice and were excited to hear about his experience with his new teacher.

"You guys aren't going to believe this! He's legendary! His skills outmatch anything I've seen! And he's agreed to teach me for the next three days! I've already learned so much!"

Zuko released me and crossed his arms. "Wow… I can't believe he accepted you so quickly. What did you say to him?"

Sokka shrugged. "I basically told him I had a lot to learn, and he seemed impressed by my humble attitude."

Toph snorted. "Humble attitude? More like Grumble to me."

Rolling my eyes at Toph's comment, I asked Sokka, "So did you learn any exciting moves?"

He beamed. "Sure did! I'll show you!"

As he showed us all the exciting things his new sword master taught him, Zuko watched with reminisce. He probably recognized every move that Sokka acted out. As Sokka showed us his skills, I too watched his movements wanting to take note of them for future reference.

Another day came and passed for Sokka to train with Piandao. While he was away, Zuko and Aang continued their firebending training while I practiced waterbending some more with Katara. She taught me how to create arms like an octopus with the water surrounding me, and while I was only able to create five wavy arm-like streams I was proud of my progress. She was thrilled also, telling me that I was learning pretty fast for someone who hadn't been able to train for days on end.

It was around dinner time when Sokka returned from his second day with Piandao. When we saw his expression, we could all see he was much happier than the first day with his experience. When he explained why, we realized he was going to need our assistance.

"Master Piandao wants me to find material to make my own sword!" Sokka spoke, looking over at Aang and Toph. "I was thinking… That meteor from last night would be perfect material." He looked over at Zuko. "You could help me melt it down. Piandao said I can use his workshop to make it. He has to run errands in the morning, so I thought that would be the perfect time for me to sneak you all in there to help."

Zuko was surprised by this, and then he nodded in approval. "That would definitely be a grand sword."

Aang grinned. "Sure Sokka! Toph and I will help you get the meteor up the mountain to his place!"

Toph crossed her arms. "Hey! Don't volunteer me!" She then pointed at Sokka. "You owe me one!"

That next morning, after eating some breakfast and cleaning up the camp, we all headed over to the location where the meteor still stood. The ground around it was burnt up, and the crumbled charred trail the meteor left was a path leading to the giant space rock. While Aang and Toph helped move the massive piece up the mountain, the rest of us followed not sure what we could do to help.

After trekking uphill a good hour, we finally reached the enormous palace that Piandao had found his home in. The palace was golden and had beautiful carvings on the wall and gate that blocked it from unwanted guests. When we reached the doorway inside, I was stunned to see the symbol of a white lotus painted on the surface of the entrance. The image made my heart twinge at the thought of Iroh.

The large door opened suddenly, and to all of our surprise, a tall thin man in his late forties with a fine red outfit and sharp top knot opened the door. Zuko gasped and pulled his hood more over his face to hide his identity. I looked over at him with understanding, while Sokka stepped in front of the group realizing his mistake.

"Master Piandao! I thought you would be out?"

He looked around at the group with curiosity. His eyes landed on Zuko briefly, but he showed no sign of recognition.

"Briefly." He met Sokka's gaze. "Who are these?"

Sokka tried to cover up. "Oh, these are my friends. Just other good Fire Nation folks." A moment passed as Piandao took in our presence again. Then he nodded and gave a bow to us. Sokka rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Do you think we can make a sword out of a meteorite?"

Piandao was stunned, and his eyes shot over to the giant space rock sitting on his front lawn. He smiled though with intrigue. "We'll make a sword unlike any other in the world."

Only a few moments later we all managed to roll the meteorite into Piandao's enormous plaza. We wanted to use earthbending, but knew doing so would give away our identity. The rest of the day Sokka made his sword. Piandao did go to run his errands, giving us all space as some of us helped Sokka. While he was gone, Toph used earthbending to break a chunk of the meteor so Sokka could use it for his sword.

As he and Zuko went into the fine forgery building to melt down the material, I watched as Aang and Katara looked around the garden that Piandao decorated his palace with. While they wandered around, I sat outside the building trying not to lose my patience. I wanted to help Sokka too, but I knew nothing about making a sword.

"Hey princess," Toph began, plopping down beside me. "Just so you know, I think you would be one heck of a sword fighter."

Her statement took me by surprise. "Really? You just said not even a day ago I wasn't agile enough."

She scoffed. "You know I was messing with you. Anyone who can survive being a prisoner to the Fire Nation and the Dai Li all in the same year can handle a sword."

I sighed, listening to the sound of Sokka's hammer in the forgery. "I can still barely waterbend… Sword fighting is going to have to wait for now."

"Why? It would give you more alone time with Zuko. It's a good excuse."

I blushed, crossing my arms. "I don't want to be a burden to him right now… He's training Aang and worried about being Fire Lord when we defeat Ozai. He doesn't need anything else on his plate."

She frowned. "And what about you…? you'll be just as busy being his wife."

My shoulders felt heavy from her statement. I still was super anxious about the responsibilities I would have as Zuko's wife. All the new things I'd be required to learn… Customs… Fire Nation history… Etiquette…

"I'll be the laughing stock of the Fire Nation…" I muttered. "I know nothing about being a Fire Lady, Toph… What if we're at an important meeting about restoring peace to the scattered nations one day and I blurt out something stupid… I love Zuko, but I also don't want to be an embarrassment to him…"

A moment passed between us, and then she shook her head. "Do you really think Zuko will care about that? If he thought you were a burden he wouldn't have sacrificed everything to protect you back in Ba Sing Se. And…" she paused and her voice lowered. "i overheard him and Sokka talking the night after you were attacked by that crazy exploding man. Sokka was talking to him about you living at the Fire Nation Palace after the war is over… He's worried about the thought of you being so far from home, with so many potential enemies around you. Zuko promised that he'd look out for you though, and he'd do all he could to make you feel at home. He was sincere. So I really don't think he'll care if you mess up or do something non Fire Nation while at his side." She stopped, and smiled weakly. "He also mentioned if you two were to marry after Ozai is defeated, that he wouldn't mind having the ceremony at the South Pole if that was what you wanted… You're lucky, Crys. He really and truly loves you. He wants you to be happy."

I smiled too. "He'd really go to the South Pole just to marry me?"

She smirked. "Not the best place for your honeymoon though. You two would probably melt the place." She jumped up just as I went to swat her, and darted off. "Just saying!"

A few more hours passed, and Zuko finally came out of the forgery where Sokka remained. He was sweaty and dehydrated from the heat of the flames, and I quickly got him some water from the nearest pump. As he sipped it thirstily, I braved going into the forgery to bring Sokka some. My brother was still pounding away at the meteorite, but he and Zuko had melted it down enough to make it strong and flat for its sword shape. The hammering was loud, and so was the rage of the fire, but I managed to get Sokka's attention.

"Take a break. You need air," I insisted, seeing his face red and his whole body covered in sweat. He took the drink with gratitude, and handed the empty cup back only a moment later. "I can't stop… I have to finish this now."

"Sok-"

"I'm fine," he interrupted. He rested the hammer down, and then looked back at me. "This is something I have to do… I can't stop now."

Stepping forward, I spoke, "Just five minutes. Please... Piandao's buddy Fat is finishing up some dinner for us. Eat with us and then you can finish."

He went to reach for the hammer again, but then stopped and sighed heavily. "Okay…" He stood and looked down at the dark blade on the anvil. "Just a few minutes."

He followed me outside, wincing at the lowering sun. He'd been at it for almost 8 hours. As we all sat in a circle eating the rice and tuna that Fat gave us, Sokka ate his quickly, drank a bunch of water, and then rushed back into the forgery. I shook my head in disbelief, but knew there was nothing I could do to convince him to wait a few more minutes.

It was morning when Sokka finally emerged from the forgery with Piandao beside him. While we slept in rooms that Fat showed us to, my brother stayed up all night working on his sword to make it perfect. When we saw him come out of the building finally with his master, we saw in Piandao's hands a beautiful sword that was black as space with a fine golden handle. Zuko quickly lowered his hood as his old Master approached.

"Fat… Please take this and have it polished quickly." He handed the sword to his heavyset servant who took it and quickly rushed off. Piandao then looked at the rest of us. "While he polishes the sword, I would like you all to follow me."

Not sure what was happening, we all did as he asked following him and Sokka inside Piandao's enormous home into the open main corridor that overlooked the garden. "Sokka… Kneel where you are," Piandao ordered. The rest of us decided to stay back a bit and sit on our knees behind him. I decided Piandao had something planned in his wise brain.

Fat returned only a moment later with Sokka's sword more beautiful than before with a special sheath to protect it. Piandao took the center of the hall right in front of Sokka. He smiled and began to speak. "Sokka, when you first arrived, you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away…" He looked down at my brother with sincerity. "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."

Fat knelt beside Piandao and gave him the sword.

"No, it certainly wasn't your skills." Piandao continued to speak to his pupil, who I saw was slumping his shoulders which immediately had me questioning his gesture. "You showed something beyond that." He unsheathed the sword, showing its black blade. "Creativity, versatility, intelligence... these are the traits that define a great swordsman. Only one other of my pupils held these traits, and he was a prince." Zuko and I shot a glance at one another, knowing which prince he spoke of. "And these are the traits that define you, Sokka." He sheathed the sword back, and then knelt to hand the sword to Sokka. "You told me you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe that you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained."

Sokka spoke only a moment after Piandao finished. He had taken the sword, but seemed as if it was a great burden. "I'm sorry, Master. You're wrong. I am not worthy. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not from the Fire Nation. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe…" We all gawked at my brother in disbelief. What was he doing?! "I lied so that I could learn swordsmanship from you. I'm sorry." He extended the sword back to Piandao, who stared down at him with an emotion none of us could decipher.

Piandao sighed and turned away. "I'm sorry, too." However, not even a moment later Piandao unsheathed the sword he kept at his waist and swung it down at my brother. Sokka thought quickly and used the sheath of his sword to block the attack. He managed to get to his feet and back away from his attacker enough to unsheathe his sword. The rest of us prepared to have his back, Katara and I reaching for our water.

"No," Sokka spoke, looking back at us. This is my fight... alone."

My heart pounded as uncertainty fell over me. Before any of us could interject though, Piandao swung again at Sokka who quickly blocked once more with the flat of his blade. He then jerked from the blade and rushed out of the corridor jumping out of the opening onto the grass below, and I knew he was doing so to protect us from Piandao's wrath. Piandao followed behind, and as he passed us I saw determination.

"Sokka!" I went to go after him to help, but Zuko wrapped his arm around my front and pulled me back. Katara was being restrained by Aang's grip.

"No… Your brother's right. This is his fight." Zuko looked back at the others. "I know Piandao… He won't hurt him."

Fat gave no inclination that Zuko was correct, but instead told us we could observe the fight from the courtyard steps outside if we desired. We quickly accepted his offer, making our way out into the courtyard where Sokka and Piandao were in full swing. As my brother countered every one of Piandao's attacks, Zuko smiled beside me. I looked at him with puzzlement.

"Your brother is amazing," Zuko answered, not needing me to ask. "His agility and drive is better than any swordsman I've seen." He looked over at Aang, Katara, and Toph. "I think he's definitely got the blood of a chief in him."

Toph smirked. "Chief Sokka… Not too bad of a ring to it."

I grimaced. "As long as he survives today…"

Piandao lunged forward and began his attack again in the fighting ring they'd ended up in, striking four times at my brother. Sokka deflected the blows with swift movements and stabbed at Piandao. Piandao moved his head out of the way and stabbed at Sokka in return, who swayed to avoid the attack.

My heart pounded in my chest with great concern. The one time I felt this much tension was when Zuko was fighting Zhao. Instead of my life on the line though it was my brother's.

Piandao swept his sword at Sokka's legs, but Sokka jumped over it and lunged at Piandao again, thrusting his sword forward. Piandao deflected Sokka's blade easily and hit him with the butt of his sword's hilt. Sokka fell back several feet and slid over the floor. I gasped, and Katara sucked in her breath. Aang and Toph both stepped forward. Fat gestured for every one of us to calm down.

Sokka managed to regain his feet, grabbing the post of a small bridge over Piandao's koi pond to regain his balance. He climbed onto the post then and leaped to the other one just as Piandao thrust his sword at him. Piandao spun around and went to slice Sokka's foot, but Sokka jumped away to the other rail of the bridge to dodge. Piandao stabbed at Sokka again, but Sokka finally jumped off the post and rolled to the side. Regaining his balance again, Sokka returned to the bridge and hopped on the posts again to avoid another swing from the crazy man. As Piandao swung again, Sokka leaped away to the end of the bridge to escape.

Piandao called out suddenly, "Excellent! Using your superior agility against an older opponent...smart."

As the fight continued, I was surprised by his sudden comment. Then I looked over at Zuko who was watching the battle not with worry but interest. Zuko noticed my glance, and he met my gaze with reassurance. The others had made their way to another part of the stairs, so they didn't hear when Zuko spoke. "Don't worry," he said. "This isn't a brawl… It's just a test."

His words made me realize he was right. If Piandao wanted to hurt Sokka, he could've by now. As if the weight was lifted from my shoulders, I felt my breath return at last.

"Good use of terrain...fighting from the high ground."

At Piandao's comment, I looked back at the fight to see Sokka was scaling the top of a wall in the garden, swinging down at Piandao who easily blocked.

"So, he's not mad at Sokka?"

Zuko shook his head. "Far from it. He's proud of him."

The fight seemed to continue for another ten minutes, with Sokka and Piandao having at it in constant swings. While the others stressed, I watched with much more calm realizing Zuko was right. If this fight was to hurt my brother, Piandao would've had all of the opportunity to do so. However, as the two fought Piandao was cautious in his movements to not hit Sokka. There was one moment where I did catch the man hold back briefly when he saw my brother's grip on the sword waver.

Just as the fight had felt like it began, it abruptly came to an end. Piandao swung his sword in a large horizontal arc at Sokka, who avoided the blade but was hit in the chest by Piandao's arms. The force knocked Sokka on his back and his sword out of his hand. As my brother lay on the ground beside his blade, Piandao turned and pointed his sword at Sokka's head. The horror came back. We quickly rushed over to stop him. Zuko even looked anxious at this turn of events, and his uncertainty made my fears return.

As we entered the courtyard though, Piandao held his sword out to gesture for us to stop. We came to a halt.

"Excellent work, Sokka."

Sokka looked up at Piandao curiously, while the rest of us calmed at the sudden peace that fell over the yard. Piandao raised his hand and Fat flung the sheath of Piandao's sword towards him. Piandao turned and pointed his sword upward, letting the sheath fly right onto the blade without fail. The gesture was amazing.

Piandao then turned to look at all of us with a smile. "I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar."

We were all stunned by his comment. Aang asked, "How did you know?"

"Oh, I've been around a while. You pick things up." Piandao wiped the dirt off his face with a cloth he pulled from his robe sleeve. "Of course, I knew from the beginning that Sokka was Water Tribe. You might want to think of a better Fire Nation cover name. Try 'Lee.' There's a million 'Lees.'" Fat brought over a drink for Piandao, who took it and lightly sipped. At his comment, I smirked and looked over at Zuko who had taken on that name himself. Zuko rolled his eyes.

My sister spoke up. "But why would you agree to train someone from the Water Tribe?"

Piandao answered easily. "The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all." He walked over to Sokka's sword and picked it up. Sokka was on his feet now, stunned by this sudden turn of events. Stunned but relieved. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day you will become an even greater master than I am." He handed over the sword, and then his eyes shot over to Zuko. "As for you, Prince Zuko. Remove that ridiculous hood."

Zuko was stunned, but did so quickly and then bowed to his old Master. Piandao stepped over to his past pupil, and placed a hand on his shoulder forcing him to stand straight. "I barely recognized you with all that hair," Piandao commented. "But also from your newfound strength." He released him and stepped back to get a full look at the prince he once taught so long ago. "I've heard many tellings about your journey… I'm proud of the path you have taken. Your Uncle told me of your progress over these last few months."

Zuko frowned at the mention of his Uncle. Piandao noticed. "Don't worry… He's fine. Our spies informed me he will break out of the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse."

Sokka was astonished. "You know about the eclipse!"

Piandao nodded. "Don't worry. It is knowledge only you all and a few select people know. Your secret is safe." He then looked back at Zuko. "While I see your friends out, I wish to speak with Crystal and you alone."

I was surprised when he spoke my name, and so was the rest of the group. The others were hesitant to leave, but Piandao walked them out with reassurance. Only a few minutes later, Piandao had returned with something in his hands wrapped in cloth. Fat followed behind with something wrapped up in his hands as well.

"Prince Zuko… I heard you lost your broadswords when your ship was destroyed upon Zhao's orders." He stepped closer to his pupil. "I sent some of my men to the wreckage and they were able to salvage what was lost." He unwrapped the swords and I was amazed to see the very swords Zuko had once hung up in his room back on his ship so long ago. Zuko was stunned by this, and he reached for them as Piandao extended them to him. Zuko held the swords in his grip, and his eyes moistened at the familiar weight. "I don't understand… These were at the bottom of the ocean."

Piandao smiled. "You have your waterbender friends… I have mine. When your Uncle told me about the unfortunate event I was eager to retrieve the swords you lost. A man is nothing without his swords. They are extensions of you."

Zuko held up each sword in a hand, and I could see joy flow through him. He bowed quickly, holding the swords together to show his respect. "Thank you Master! You don't know what this means to me."

The older man frowned, and sympathy clouded his gaze. "For a prince who has lost everything but his heart, I will never be able to understand what this means to you. Use them well… You will be defenseless without your fire for the invasion."

He then looked over at me. "And Crystal… General Iroh's honorary Pai Sho opponent. I have long desired to meet the Southern beauty he spoke so highly of." He extended his hand towards me in greeting, and I took it with a blush. "I've heard of your grace and determination… And of course how you stole the heart of our young prince." He released my hand then and Fat unwrapped what he had in his hand. I was surprised to find it was a leather wristband with the white lotus embossed and painted in the material. "The White Lotus is an important symbol… Not only does it mean beauty, but also purity. It is your pure heart that makes you an important asset to this war, and that will make you an important figure at Zuko's side when he is Fire Lord. Fire Lady Ursa held the same characteristic, and she was loved by many before she was wrongfully banished from the palace."

I looked over at Zuko who grimaced at the thought of his mother. As I was distracted, Piandao placed the bracelet on my wrist and I looked at it with admiration.

"I pray it brings you just as much luck as it brings Iroh in his Pai Sho abilities."

I shook my head with a smile. "Tell me that you at least couldn't beat him, and I'll feel better."

Piandao laughed and squeezed my shoulder with assurance. "That man is unbeatable. You were better off playing that game with the cook if you truly wanted a chance to win."

Zuko spoke up. "No… She really can't beat anyone at that game. I tried to let her win once and she still lost."

My eyes widened. "Hey!" I smacked Zuko in the arm, but he found the gesture amusing. "You told me I was improving."

He grabbed my hand to stop me from any future swings.

I pouted. Then I became serious again turning back to Piandao. He was watching our playful interaction with amusement. I bowed to him in thanks, and told him I would treasure the gift he'd given not only to me, but to my brother.

"You gave Sokka a chance he will treasure forever. I don't think I've ever seen him so driven to succeed before. Thank you for taking him on as a pupil."

Piandao nodded. "Your brother will be a powerful leader in the future. I don't need a fortune teller to tell me that. Your father should be proud of the wise adults you have all become." He then looked back at Zuko. "And your Uncle is proud of the wise man you have transformed into, Zuko." He looked between us with sincerity. "I look forward to seeing how you young ones will change this world for the better. There will be challenges and pain, but I have faith that you and your team will succeed and return peace to this shattered world."

A few moments later, after saying goodbye to the man who had given us so much to think about, we met the others who were waiting eagerly for us outside. When we told them what the hold up was, Sokka and Aang immediately wanted to see Zuko's swords up close. Last time Aang saw Zuko's swords was when Zuko helped him escape Zhao's prison. They were at his throat so Zhao would let the two of them leave. When Zuko had told me that story I was horrified and bitter for an hour. Then I came to my senses and thanked him for saving Aang's life and letting him go.

"These are awesome!" Sokka exclaimed. "You have to let me try them out sometime."

Katara scoffed. "He just got them back Sokka. Give him a break."

Zuko smiled. "No. It's okay. Maybe you can train with me tomorrow and I'll let you try them."

Toph groaned. "All you men do is fight! Napping is so much better." She turned and started to walk off, and the rest of us followed amused.

"Wait!" Fat rushed out of the gate towards us and we stopped to see what was wrong. After catching his breath, the man said, "The Master wanted you to have this, as something to remember him by."

Fat gave a small, brown bag to Sokka. We all bowed as a farewell and Fat walked back to the castle Piandao had made his home. Sokka opened the bag curiously and pulled out a white lotus Pai Sho tile.

Sokka was stunned. "It's a Pai Sho tile."

Aang tapped his chin. "The white lotus. Just like Crystal's new bracelet. Hm…"

Katara asked, "What does it mean?"

Sokka shrugged. "I have no idea." He then gasped. "Ooh, that reminds me. Toph, I thought you might like this space earth as a souvenir."

Sokka pulled from his pocket a chunk of the meteorite used to make his sword. Toph beamed with delight and took it.

"Sweet! Check this out."

The space earth floated between Toph's hands as we walked back down the mountain to return to Appa and Momo back at camp. She shaped it into a swirl, then a star, and then some strange splatter shape.

"The first earthbender known to bend metal and now space earth. Pretty amazing, Toph," I complimented.

Zuko added, "Are we sure Toph isn't from space herself?"

The group was stunned by Zuko's joke, not used to him actually trying to be funny. Then Sokka laughed and smacked Zuko on the back. "You might be right on that one, Zuko!"

Toph scolded them. "Don't make me fling my space earth at the both of you!"

Katara thought out loud, "You know, I don't think there's such a thing as "space earth." If it's from space, then it's not really earth."

We all glanced over at her with disbelief, while Sokka asked, "Must you ruin everything?"

Aang spoke to Katara's defense. "She's got a point. We should call it something else… hm…" He snapped his finger. "Space stone!"

I rolled my eyes. "Or we could just call it meteorite like it is called."

Sokka added, "Or we could just call it Toph. Because it fell to earth from space like her."

Toph turned and stomped her foot on the ground. Sokka yelped as his foot was trapped in earth, stopping him from further steps. "Sorry Sokka." Toph spoke, heading along down the mountain again. "Since you figured out my secret you will be trapped on this mountain so my true identity is safe." Aang and Katara laughed, while Zuko shook his head in disbelief.

As they started to follow, I cleared my throat. "Toph… Let Sokka go."

She waved her hand up to dismiss my order, but she did release my brother, deciding not to waste anymore time. As soon as he was free he walked past me muttering under his breath. Rolling my eyes, I followed behind. As I went, I looked back down at the bracelet Piandao gave me. Staring at the White Lotus, I felt peace fill inside as Piandao's words returned.

"It is your pure heart that makes you an important asset to this war, and that will make you an important figure at Zuko's side when he is Fire Lord."

His words reassured me, and I looked over at Zuko with confidence. If Piandao, a complete stranger, had that much faith in me then clearly I was being too hard on myself. My hand took Zuko's, and he squeezed my own in comfort. I knew at that moment Zuko believed in me too.