Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera

Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence

Author's Note: If any of you are Percy Jackson fans, I just uploaded a new Percabeth fic. For those of you aren't Percy Jackson fans - what are you even doing with your life? Just kidding...kinda

Chapter 5: Sokka's Master

'Cause it makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter

She failed everyone.

Katara slips and stumbles through the icy corridors, trying to find somewhere she can hide and think. Her back aches but she ignores the pain. She already has enough going through her brain.

She finds an empty room with a mat on the floor and sits down, tucking her knees to her chest and burying her face. The memory of what happened keeps going through her head, playing over and over and over again.

She was so stupid! She knows she shouldn't have tried to take on the Fire Lord alone and unprepared. But Azula got under her skin, pressed the right buttons. She shouldn't have; Katara has thick skin. But the imagery Azula planted in her mind just reminded Katara of all the grief that she's been burying deep inside her mind.

She's been awake from the ice for about a year now, give or take a few months. Since waking up, she's dealt with the pain of losing her family, being betrayed and imprisoned, emotionally manipulated, physically exhausted, and emotionally overwhelmed. She's fought sea monsters and enemy soldiers and allies that tried to use her. She lost people she cared about and ran into obstacles that she couldn't overcome. She's been chased every single moment, most times narrowly avoiding capture. And the entire time, she's also been babysitting her brother, two runaway kids, and more recently an exiled prince.

How is she supposed to deal with this all? She's a sixteen - or maybe seventeen now? Katara isn't even sure - girl who has lost everything. Nothing remains of her tribe, her home, or her family, with the exception of her brother. At least she still has him. But he's in constant danger as well.

And now she learns that part of her heritage has survived. It's overwhelming. Katara keeps thinking that things and people are lost, only for them to return unexpectedly. She's not sure how to handle it all.

Not to mention how embarrassed she is. No doubt Zuko told them about her failure against Ozai. She showed up, ready to fight, and after only a few minutes turned and ran. He was so powerful and she was nothing compared to him. Her strongest attacks were a mere nuisance to him. One shot from him nearly killed her.

She was stupid and careless and it almost cost the entire world.

There's shame, too. She's not just embarrassed because she failed; she's embarrassed because of Zuko. It's stupid and irrational, but she can't deny it. His grandfather wiped out the Water Tribes looking for her. Zuko nearly left her to rot in a cell. And now he's swearing that she won't fail again because he'll be there at her side. How do the other Waterbenders feel about that? About her close relationship with the descendant of the person who killed their families and forced them into hiding?

Katara wants them to like her. She wants them to approve of her. It's shallow and dumb, but it's true. And she knows that they don't approve of Zuko. It's not fair to him at all. He's come so far, worked through so much abuse and manipulation and brainwashing. But they don't see it that way. No one does. The others in their group don't even see it fully, and they've been with Zuko for weeks.

Then there's the ugly truth lying deep down. Something so twisted that she doesn't want to admit it. She didn't fail against Ozai because she wasn't strong enough; she failed because she couldn't access the Avatar State. And she couldn't access the Avatar State because she never opened up her seventh chakra - the one where she had to let go of Zuko and her feelings for him.

It's still complete bogus, having to let go of those she cares about, but now she sees that she has to if she wants to defeat Ozai. Just like she'll have to kill him, even though she doesn't want to. It's not about her anymore. Nothing is. Her duty as the Avatar comes before everything else.

Katara wishes now more than ever that her parents were here. Especially her mom. She has so many questions for her mother. Now she'll never get to have those conversations. What would her mom say about all this Avatar stuff? Katara knows she'd be proud, but would she agree that Katara has to give herself up for the world? It's the noble thing to do, but is it fair? Is it always right?

Katara reaches up for her necklace and her fingers touch smooth skin. She feels around her neck, but it's not there. Her heartbeat picks up as she frantically searches through her pockets.

Where is it? Where's her necklace?

She can't find it. It's not on her person. When did she last have it? She remembers tying the knot tighter before the invasion. Did she lose it down in the bunker when they were chasing Azula? When she was fighting Ozai? Or maybe she lost it on the way here, while she was unconscious.

She leaps to her feet and runs back through the hallways, trying to find Zuko. He's still in the room she woke up in, and she skids to a halt in front of him.

"Are you alright?" he asks her, his eyes skimming up and down her body before settling on her face.

"Where is it?" she demands, breathless. "Do you know where my necklace is?"

Any hope she had disappears when she sees the shadow cross over his eyes.

"Katara…"

Her eyes begin to sting, and she feels herself slowly backing away. "No," she whispers.

"I'm sorry, I know how it meant to you. I didn't have - "

She turns away, her tears spilling over. "That was the last thing I had of my mother! Now I have nothing!"

Her rage isn't fair, and she feels guilty when she sees the hurt look on his face. But she can't help it; she's lost everything, and now she's lost the only reminder of her mother. It's the last straw. Any strength she had dissolves and she can't hold on any longer. The dam inside her breaks and it all comes out. She slides to the floor, unable to contain the sobs any longer.

Zuko walks over slowly and sits by her. He doesn't try to touch her, which she's grateful for. At this point, she thinks she'd probably hit him - and then she'd feel super guilty about it later. She cries until she's exhausted and dehydrated. All her energy spent, she leans against the wall.

"I can't remember what my mother looked like," Zuko admits, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "I can't remember what her voice sounded like, or how it felt when she picked me up or hugged me. It's gone, just like her."

"I don't know what I'm doing," Katara admits. "It's too much."

"I felt that way right before I found you." Zuko turns his head and faces her. "If you can't have hope right now, I understand. But you're not alone. I believe in you. Sokka believes in you. Aang and Toph and Suki believe in you. And so do all your allies."

"What do I do now? I blew my only shot. We're hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. We're just children, lost children."

"Keep taking each day one at a time. We'll figure it out. Right now you just need to focus on healing."

She reaches up and wipes her eyes. "I'm tired, Zuko. Can I just rest?"

"Take as much time as you need."

It's dark when Sokka opens his eyes. He's not sure if it's the same night or if they all slept through the day, but he's also not sure that it matters.

He's laying on the ground by their smoldering campfire, staring up at the stars above. Something bright hurdles across the sky, followed by another.

"Woah," he whispers. He rolls over and shakes Suki awake. "Look!"

Instantly alert, she sits up and examines the area before Sokka pulls her back down and points to the sky.

"Is that a...meteor shower?" she whispers, a tinge of awe in her voice.

"It's beautiful," Aang says from across the fire.

Toph groans and shoves a pillow over her face. "You've seen nothing once, you've seen it a thousand times. Let me sleep."

Another meteor, brighter than the rest, flies across the sky. It's moving faster than the others, and it has a fiery blue fire as it plummets. Sokka sits up and stares with wide eyes.

"You've never not seen anything like this," he remarks.

The trajectory of the comet brings it closer and closer to the earth. It soars over them and crashes into the hills in the distance, a blue explosion and a slight shake to the earth following. Even Toph sits up now.

"What was that?" she demands. "It felt huge!"

"It was a comet of some sort." Suki stands. "Since we're all awake, we should keep moving. We need to get more food and medical supplies."

Sokka stabs a stick into the dying embers of the fire and stirs it around until the edge catches on fire. Then he uses the torch to illuminate his maps. "There's a village not too far from where the comet hit. It's over the border of the Fire Nation colonies, though."

"Then it should be on our way to the Fire Nation." Toph grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder.

"Does everyone still have their Fire Nation disguises?" Sokka asks. "We'll have to blend in again."

Zuko gets up and leaves Katara sleeping long enough to grab some food. He also needs a break to think.

He's never seen Katara so hopeless. She's always been so strong and resilient. Nothing could take her spirit away from her. Now he feels like their roles have been switched - he's the one trying to preach hope and determination while she's feeling lost and beaten down.

She's been through so much that he understands why she's breaking down. But it isn't like her to just...give up. Even when she lost everything, Katara still had hope. Even when she thought she had nothing in the world, she still found something to live for. When they were on the ship, before she knew she was the Avatar, she was trying to help Zuko. It was a nearly lost cause, but she still tried because that's who she is. She's a girl that does the impossible.

He's not sure what the trigger for her was - the necklace, or losing so horribly to his father. Or perhaps she's just cracking under the pressure of the Water Tribe survivors. Whatever the case, Zuko has to find a way to lift her out of this pit.

Zuko runs into Liana and Yudaro as he turns into the main cavern. During the day it serves as a mess hall, and during the night it serves as a sleeping quarter. The whole chamber is wide and tall, and he feels small and insignificant inside it. The looks Liana are sending him makes him feel even smaller.

"Liana told me that the Avatar is awake," Yudaro says as the pair approaches him. "How is she doing?"

"Not well," Zuko admits. "She's disheartened by her defeat."

"But she's come closer than anyone else has in the past hundred years," Yudaro says. "Surely she must see what that alone has done."

Zuko shrugs. "She's been through a lot. I think it's sinking in now, all at once. I think she just needs time to grieve."

"Is time something she has?" Liana asks. "The Fire Lord does not seem the type to let such a huge hit go unpunished."

"He thinks she's dead. A shot like that would have killed anyone else. And if not for the spirit water, it would have killed her." Zuko sighs. "But my father is still searching for me."

"Then you pose a threat to her by being with her." Liana's unerring blue eyes are locked onto his.

"Probably."

Liana's eyes soften slightly. "But she cares about you a great deal. Too much, if you ask me."

Part of Zuko wants to agree with that. He still doesn't understand how Katara can be with him after everything he did to her. The other part of him knows how fortunate he is to have her and doesn't want to dig too deep into the details.

"I think it's good," Yudaro says. "When you become the Fire Lord, it will be good if you have a close relationship with her. It will make the peace talks a lot easier."

"If he becomes Fire Lord." Liana crosses her arms. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Zuko feels defensive at her tone. "Katara is going to defeat my father. This war is going to end."

"I hope you're right."

As they walk away and Zuko continues his errand, he can't help but feel that he's the only one who believes in Katara. Who is Liana to criticize her when Katara's done more in the last month than Liana's done in her entire life? All the Waterbenders here are just hiding while Katara is fighting every single day for her life and freedom.

Katara is better than them. She's better than everyone. And if she needs to break down sometimes, then she deserves the chance. Zuko knows that deep down, she'll never give up. She's a fighter and she'll always be one.

Now he just has to remind her of it.

It's lunchtime when they enter the village. It took them an extra hour because they ran into a rogue Fire Nation rhinoceros that tried to trample them to death. Toph, Aang, and Suki had made quick work of it while Sokka had been chased around in circles.

The others sit around a table at a cafe, retelling the story. Sokka sits a few feet away on the steps, his plate of food gone cold. For the first time in his life, he's not hungry.

"Are you okay, Sokka?" Suki asks. "You haven't even touched your steaming sea slugs."

He sighs. "All you guys are so awesome. Toph and Aang can do this cool bending stuff and Suki, you're an amazing warrior. When we were attacked by the Sparky Sparky Boom man, you guys were the ones who did all the fighting. I just threw my boomerang around. And when that rhino showed up, you were the ones who fought it. I just ran around and tried not to get impaled. I'm useless, okay? I can't do anything."

He drops his head into his hands.

"That's not true," Suki says. "No one can read a map like you."

"I can't read at all!" Toph adds.

"Yeah, and who keeps us laughing with sarcastic comments all the time?" Aang asks.

"Look, I appreciate the effort, but the fact is, each of you are so amazing and special and I'm...not. I'm just the guy in the group who makes corny jokes and invasion plans that fail miserably."

Suki walks over and sits by him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "I'm sorry you're upset, and I know you're going through a lot, but I hope you know that none of us see you that way. The invasion plan was good. It really was. And your jokes are funny, even if we don't always admit it." She leans in and whispers in his ear, "I wouldn't be your girlfriend if your jokes weren't funny. Trust me."

"I know something that will make him feel better," Aang says.

Sokka turns his head. "You do?"

Five minutes later, the group is standing in the middle of the market. Sokka is surveying the stalls and stores all around him.

"Shopping!" he crowes, clapping his hands together in excitement. Behind him, Suki rolls her eyes.

He stops into a weapons shop first. "Maybe a little something to reinvigorate my battling," he says, scanning the rows of sharp and deadly objects. "How about these?"

He picks up a pair of nunchucks and whips them around his body - until he smacks himself in his face, stumbles into the shelf of spears, and falls to the ground, the spears clattering on top and around him.

Sokka tries out an array of other weapons after that, all of which end up in a similar disaster. It's only when he's using a sai to clean his teeth that a weapon in a display case across the room catches his eye.

A beautiful sword with gold and silver embellishments on the handle and sheath rests on a velvet pad. He walks over and feels the carvings on the sheath. "Ooh. That's what Sokka's talking about," he whispers to himself.

"You have a good eye," the store owner says, walking over. The others gather around to listen. "That's an original from Piandao, the greatest sword master and sword maker in Fire Nation history. He takes his summer holidays in the big castle up the road from here."

"That's it!" Aang exclaims. "That's what you've needed all along."

"A sword?"

"Not the sword, the master. We've all had masters to help us get better. I had Monk Gyatso. Katara had Master Pakku."

"I had Oyaji and the older Kyoshi Warriors," Suki adds.

"And I learned from the Badger Moles. They don't talk, but they're good teachers," Toph says.

"So you need to see if you can study with Piandao," Aang finishes.

"I think it's a great idea." Suki lays a hand on his shoulder.

Sokka thinks it through. "It would be nice to be a master sword fighter…" He runs his hand over the blade on the display again. "Alright. I'll talk to him."

The castle sits by itself on the edge of a cliff just outside the village. Sokka thinks it's pretty fancy as something used for summer holidays but hey, if you have the money, why not use it? He takes one of the brass door knockers - shaped like a dragon's head - and pounds it against the door of the outer gate.

Nothing happens. He takes one in each hand and knocks. Suddenly the door swings out, causing him to jump back in surprise.

A man with gray hair and a burgundy robe stares at him with an unamused expression. "Can I help you?"

Sokka straightens out his posture, clasping his hands behind his back. "I've come to train with the master," he announces.

"You should know the master turns almost everyone away," the man says. "What did you bring him to prove your worth?"

Sokka's feels his heart drop. He had to bring something? He pats his pockets desperately. "Well, uh…"

"Right." The man sighs. "Let's get this over with."

He steps to the side, allowing Sokka entrance into the courtyard. Sokka gazes up at the castle in front of him with awe. The doorman leads Sokka in and through halls lined with plush red carpets and ornate gold features.

They enter a long room with a low ceiling. A man with tanned skin and dark gray hair is seated at a desk in front of a set of large windows, dipping a calligraphy brush into black ink.

"Uh, Master? My name is Sokka, and I wish to be instructed in the way of the sword."

"Sokka," the man muses. "That's an unusual name." He doesn't turn from his canvas.

"Oh, uh, really? Where I come from - in the Fire Nation colonies - it's a pretty common name name! For Fire Nation colonials."

"I've come here every summer for the past twenty years and I've never heard it. But let me guess: you've come hundreds of miles from your little village where you're the best swordsman in town and you think you deserve to learn from the master."

Sokka breathes a sigh of relief over the man's overlooking of his name. "Well, actually, I've been all over the world."

"Yep. Here we go," the master murmurs.

"And I know one thing for sure." Sokka drops to his knees. "I have a lot to learn."

Piandao turns his head slightly. "You're not doing a very good job of selling yourself," he remarks.

"I know. Your butler told me that when I met you, I would have to prove my worth. But the truth is, I don't know if I am worthy."

"Hmm. I see." Master Piandao picks up a sheathed sword from the desk. "Well, then. Let's find out together how worthy you are." He walks to stand over Sokka. Sokka lifts his head. "I will train you."

Sokka can't help the huge smile breaking out over his face.

"How are you feeling?"

Katara looks up to see Zuko entering the room, a steaming bowl in each hand. He passes one down to her before taking a seat himself.

She picks at the food with her chopsticks. "I feel a little better," she says. "But I still feel embarrassed. I failed everyone. They were counting on me, and I let them down."

"You didn't let them down when you lost against my father. You're letting them down right now." Zuko points with a chopstick to her bowl. "Start by eating. You can't defeat my father if you're weak."

She stares at him, not quite believing what she's hearing. "Are you really Zuko? Prince of the Fire Nation?"

He smiles a little. "I'm Zuko, friend and companion of Avatar Katara. And she taught me to never give up fighting. She also taught me how to inspire hope in others."

She looks back down at her food, but she can't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "I see what you're doing, Zuko. You're trying to trick me into admitting that I'm not acting like myself."

"I'm not tricking you. I'm trying to do what you've always done for me and the others. Now, eat."

She takes a scoopful of rice and shoves it in her mouth, not taking her eyes off of him. Though she's still feeling down, she notices that it's not consuming her anymore. Now she feels surprise - and a bit of pride - at Zuko.

"I didn't think it was possible for people to change," she says, "but you've proved me wrong."

"I didn't think it was possible for me to change, either. But you did that." He sets down his bowl and stares at her. "Katara, you are capable of doing impossible things. Sometimes you're going to fail at first - it took me a few months and a second chance before I finally changed. But you still did it. Give yourself a second chance this time."

He's right. She knows it, even if she doesn't want to believe it. She survived the war, and so did all their allies. Some of them are captured, yes, but they're alive. She still has a chance to win.

She just has to be brave enough to take it.

"How long was I out?"

"The invasion was two weeks ago."

Two weeks. That's too long. She's wasted too much time already.

"Let's get our stuff together as soon as we can. We have a Fire Lord to defeat."

"The first thing you must learn is that your weapon is an extension of yourself."

Sokka and Master Piandao stand facing each other on the steps behind the castle. Piandao pulls out his sword and holds it in the air before demonstrating a few simple steps.

"You must think of it as another part of your body," he continues.

"Like a second head," Sokka suggests.

"Well...more like a really long, extra sharp arm." He twirls the sword through the air, stabbing it forward. "The sword is a simple tool, but in the hands of a master, it becomes the most versatile of weapons. And just as the imagination is limitless, so too are the possibilities of the sword."

Sokka's eyes widen. He can already think of a few possibilities.

The next lesson of their training takes place back in the room where Sokka had his interview.

"The warrior practices a variety of arts to keep his mind sharp and fluid," Master Piandao explains, spreading out a scroll on the desk's surface. "The first you will learn is calligraphy." He holds out a brush to Sokka. "Write your name."

Sokka examines the brush hairs. "Writing my name will make me a better swordsman?"

"When you write your name, you stamp the paper with your identity." Piandao takes the brush out of his hand and corrects his grip. "You must learn to use your sword to stamp your identity on the battlefield."

Sokka dips and brush in the ink and is about to start when his master speaks up.

"Remember, you cannot take back a stroke of the brush, or a stroke of the sword."

Sokka moves his hand to his face while he stares at the parchment, trying to decide how big to write his name.

"You are getting ink on your face," Piandao says.

"I am?" He wipes his chin. "I am! So this is about putting my identity on the page, right?"

Piandao nods sharply. Sokka grins before brushing ink all over his face and then stamping his face on the paper. He holds up the result proudly.

He isn't sure if Piandao is exasperated or is simply acknowledging his work.

Next he's in the courtyard again, this time strapped into armor and facing one of Piandao's other, more veteran, students with a wooden sword. Within the first five seconds Sokka is disarmed, his staff flying. He turns and runs as the student swipes at him.

Piandao watches expressionlessly.

"Landscape painting teaches a warrior to hold the lay of the land in his mind." Piandao escorts a blindfolded Sokka through a meadow. He stops him and rips off the blindfold. "In battle, you only have an instant to take everything in."

Sokka rubs his eyes before looking out. He jaw drops when he sees the fantastic waterfall in front of them. Before he can fully admire it, Piandao spins him around and sits him down, his back to the sight. "Now, paint it. And no peeking."

Sokka works hard at it. "I'm finished," he says, standing up and holding it out in front of his master.

Piandao examines it. "You added a rainbow," he says, surprised.

"Is that okay?" Sokka asks.

Piandao sighs and shakes his head. This time Sokka knows it's exasperation.

Back in the courtyard, facing off against the student, Sokka is able to hold his own. He expertly wields the wooden sword - until Piandao calls out his name. Sokka looks up and drops his posture, only to be kicked to the ground by his opponent.

"Concentrate on what you're doing," Piandao instructs.

Sokka throws up a thumbs-up while burying his face in the ground.

"Rock gardening teaches the warrior to manipulate his surroundings and use them to his advantage," Piandao says.

"Hm." Sokka glance around the garden. "Manipulate them to my advantage."

He runs forward and begins to work, rolling out rocks and moving blankets of moss. Piandao watches, one eyebrow raised, as Sokka creates a lounging couch for himself.

The butler appears behind Piandao's shoulder, only to stop and stare, stunned, at Sokka lounging.

"Hey, would you mind getting a cold drink for me?" Sokka calls out to him.

"I'll take a slice of lemon in mine, please," Piandao adds. The butler grumbles as he walks back to the house.

The next time Sokka is in the courtyard sparring with the other student, he's the one who disarms him and sets his wooden sword at the side of his neck. Then he turns and bows to Master Piandao.

He waves for the other student to leave before walking down and motioning for Sokka to sit cross legged with him on the ground. Behind them, the sky is turning orange as the sun begins to set.

"You've had a first good day of training," the master says.

"I have? I thought I messed up everything," Sokka admits.

"You messed things up in a very special way. You're ready for a real sword."

Sokka can't help the excitement bubbling up inside of him. He gasps out loud. "Are you giving me one of yours?"

"No. Your sword must be an extension of yourself. So tomorrow, you will make your own sword."

A new kind of excitement fills Sokka. His anxiety and worry over his sister fades to the background of his mind for the first time since the invasion and he begins to look eagerly forward to tomorrow.

"Choosing the correct material is the most important step in crafting a sword. You must trust your steel with your life." Piandao spreads out his arms, motioning at the bricks of steel laid out on the table in front of them. "Choose carefully."

Sokka picks a bar up in each hand, weighing them out. Then he picks up another one and shakes it. He gnaws on another one and closely examines a fourth. He's not entirely sure what he's searching for, but he knows it's not here.

"Master," he says, turning to Piandao, "Would it be possible for me to leave and bring back a special material for my sword?"

He smiles. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sokka returns to the others and finds them laying on the ground looking miserable. When they hear him approaching, they sit up.

"Hey, guys," he says as they jump to their feet. "What are you doing?"

They all run up to him, smiles on their faces, and hug him tightly. He's almost knocked over.

"You're back!" Toph exclaims.

"We missed you so much!" Aang says.

Suki reaches up and kisses his cheek. "It's so boring without you."

Aang jumps back. "Say something funny," he demands.

Sokka frowns. "Funny how?"

Aang laughs and Suki cracks a smile. Only Toph stands still, like a statue. He glances over at her.

"What's their deal?" he asks.

"I don't know," she says, turning her back and reaching up to scratch at the back of her neck. "They missed you or something. I didn't care."

"Thanks. That warms my heart." Despite his sarcasm, he knows that she really did miss him, too. But, in typical Toph fashion, she won't admit it. "Anyway, I need some help."

Aang uses his flying ability to locate the crater, Toph uses her earthbending to remove the metal from the earth and to keep it rolling, and Suki and him guide it as they move it toward the castle. Sokka has no idea if it will work, but it feels right.

They take it all the way up to the doors around the outer wall of the castle. Sokka pounds on the knockers and Piandao opens the doors.

"Who's this?" he asks, glancing at the group.

"These are my friend," he says. "You know, other good Fire Nation folks."

The others nod. Piandao glances around at all of them, but, as usual, his face gives nothing away.

"Do you think we can make a sword out of a meteorite?" Sokka asks, drawing his attention to the large boulder in front of the door.

"We'll make a sword unlike any other in the world."

They work hard all day. Sokka feeds the fire, chisels the metal out of the meteorite, melts it completely, pours it into the mould, waits for it to harden, then pounds it into shape. Piandao helps him when he needs it and supervises when he doesn't. Finally they shove the glowing sword into a bucket of cool water.

Sokka doesn't even realize that he had worked through the night. He doesn't feel tired, not even when Piandao calls him and his friends into the castle.

"Sokka," he says, standing over him. "When you first arrived, you were so unsure. You seemed down on yourself. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle and twice as big. As we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me. No, it certainly wasn't your skill. You showed something beyond that."

Piandao holds up a sheathed sword. No, not any sword; Sokka's sword. He pulls the gleaming black blade out of the sheath.

"Creativity!" he declares. "Versatility! Intelligence! These are the traits that define a great swordsman." Piandao sheathes the sword again and holds it on his palms as he kneels down in front of Sokka. "And these are the traits that define you."

Sokka accepts the sword, keeping his head bowed in respect.

"You told me you didn't know if you were worthy," Piandao continues. "But I believe that you were more worthy than any man I have ever trained."

Sokka keeps his head bowed. "I'm sorry, Master. But you're wrong." He swallows hard. "I am not worthy. I'm not who you think I am." His face grows red in shame. "I'm not from the Fire Nation. I'm from the Water Tribes." He offers up the sword again. "I lied so that I could learn swordsmanship from you. I'm sorry."

He waits for whatever punishment Piandao will deal out. He deserves it. Sokka feels like he went against everything his father taught him as a child. He just didn't realize it until Piandao was talking about all of Sokka's other good traits - all the traits he got from his parents.

"I'm sorry, too," Piandao says.

Sokka jumps back right as a blade swings past his face. He takes his sword out of its sheath and throws it up to block the next swing.

Behind him, the others jump to their feet. Sokka holds out his hand. "Wait. This is my fight. Alone."

The fight moves out to the courtyard. Piandao's butler and Sokka's friends stand on the porch, watching with concern. But Sokka is not distracted by them. His focus is on the fight ahead of him.

Piandao keeps up a continuous attack, moving him across the courtyard and to the garden. He pushes him onto the narrow bridge, where Sokka doesn't have much room to maneuver. He still finds a way, though, leaping on top of the railing and then back down when Piandao swings that way.

"Excellent!" Piandao praises, his sword still flashing through the air. "Using your superior agility against an older opponent. Smart."

The fight takes them to the stairs. Sokka gets stuck up against the wall, ducking and swerving to avoid being sliced in half. Then he uses the wall to kick off and to propel himself forward, leaping out of range of Piandao's sword and leaping on top of the opposite side.

"Good use of terrain!" Piandao slashes at his feet. "Fight from the high ground!"

Sokka catches Piandao's sword blade under his, holding it down with his feet. Piandao uses the position as a leverage, sending Sokka flying backwards into the bamboo trees. He barely climbs to his feet as Piandao emerges in front of him, slicing at his head. He ducks, and the cut slices through the bamboo stalks instead.

He turns and runs through the bamboo, slices it down so that it falls in Piandao's path as he chases him.

"Yes!" Piandao crows as he catches up. "Use your surroundings! Make them fight for you!"

Sokka bursts through the bamboo field back into the courtyard. He ducks under Piandao's blade, staring up at the reflective surface. As he runs out the other way, he sticks his blade in the dirt and flips it up, sending sand and dirt to fly into Piandao's face.

"Very resourceful," the master growls as he squints.

Sokka tries to creep away, but a twig snapping under his foot gives away his position. Piandao lunges, engaging his sword and sending it flying away. Sokka backs away from another slice at his stomach, tripping on his feet and hitting the ground. Piandao stands in front of him, his sword at his side. Sokka is at his mercy.

"Excellent work, Sokka," Piandao says. Behind him, Aang, Toph, and Suki skid to a halt in their run to his aid. Piandao sheathes his sword and wipes the sand out of his eyes.

"I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar's friends."

They all gasp.

"How did you know?" Aang asks.

"Oh, I've been around a while. You pick things up." He hands his sheathed sword to his butler while Sokka climbs to his feet. "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."

"But why would you agree to train him, then?" Suki asks. "You know that the Water Tribes were destroyed."

"The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belong to us all." Piandao picks up Sokka's discarded sword and returns it to him. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day you'll become an even greater master than I am."

They bow to each other. From the side, Aang, Toph,and Suki are smiling. As Sokka returns to them, Suki reaches up and kisses him.

"I'll train with you," she promises. "Maybe you can teach me a little bit."

They walk out together. As they step through the gate, the butler runs up to them. "Wait!"

Sokka turns. The butler hands him a small sack. "The master wanted you to have this to remember him by."

As the butler returns to the castle, Sokka opens up the pouch and holds up the content. "It's a Pai Sho tile," he says.

"A white lotus," Suki breathes.

"What does that mean?" Toph asks.

"It means he's an ally," Suki says, pocketing the tile.

"Ooh, that reminds me." Sokka pulls out a chunk of black rock. "I brought this for you, Toph, since you'll probably never have the chance to bend space rock again."

"Sweet!" She takes it and immediately begins to manipulate it under her palms. "Check this out!"

"If it's from space, then it isn't really earth, is it?" Aang asks.

Sokka sighs deeply. "Must you ruin everything?"

"Are you sure you can't help us?" Katara asks. She and Zuko are standing with Liana and Yudaro by the spirit oasis. Appa and Momo had been more than excited to see them again.

"We cannot risk it," Yudaro explains. "We are the last of our people. If we are destroyed, then the entire Water Tribe culture is also destroyed."

"You must swear to not tell anyone of our existence," Liana presses. "We must remain a secret until after the Fire Lord is defeated. Only then can we reemerge."

Katara is disappointed, but she's not entirely surprised. "Well, thank you for healing me. I know it wasn't an easy decision to reveal yourselves, even to just the two of us."

"It was not an easy decision because of him." Liana throws a look over at Zuko. "But I trust the two of you now. If you succeed in your quest, you will bring an unprecedented era of peace to the nations."

"You are just as important as she is, Zuko," Yudaro adds. "Without you on the throne, the Fire Nation will be taken over by a coup. You are the only one who can bring about lasting peace without further bloodshed."

Zuko nods. "I only want what is best for my people. And war is not that."

Liana takes Katara's hand in hers. "I hope we will see each other again," she says. "I know that our cultures were very different, but we are the last of our kind. We are family."

Katara squeezes her hand. "I understand why you hide, and I don't judge you for it. I'm just glad that I'm not the last Waterbender after all."

Yudaro helps them load the last of their supplies onto Appa's saddle. "Fly swiftly and safely. And bring justice for our people."

"I will," Katara promises. "And then I'll come and liberate you."

She climbs onto Appa's back. Zuko is about to follow when Liana's hand grips his arm like a steel brace.

"Protect her with your life," she hisses, quiet enough that Katara can't hear. "You owe it to all of us."

"Of course."

She keeps her eyes locked on him for another moment before releasing him. He climbs up Appa's without looking back.

Katara waves until they're out of sight. It's only once they've reached a steady altitude that she turns back to him and asks about it.

"She was just wishing me well for when I'm Fire Lord," he lies. He's not sure why he doesn't want to admit the truth.

"I can't wait to see the others again," she says, dropping the matter. "They're probably not getting enough sleep or food. Who's making sure that they're healthy?"

Zuko suppresses a smile. "I think that they're capable of handling themselves for a few days."

Katara nods. "You're right. Suki's there. She'll keep them in line."

And just like that, Zuko knows that she's back. Back and ready to take down the Fire Lord once and for all.