Four Sokka's Master
Meteors burned across the nighttime sky, many fizzling out, turning the sky into a majestic twinkling map.
"You were right, Zuko. This is amazing to watch." Katara said. The entire group was laying out on an earthbent roof that protected Appa.
"When I was a kid, I used to stay out the whole night to watch meteor showers." Zuko commented. "It was always worth staying up."
"It kind of makes you realize how insignificant we all are." Sokka stated in subdued tones.
Toph bit her nail. "Eh, you've seen nothing once, you've seen it a thousand times."
A humongous comet burning a fierce, cold blue soared overhead, the air roaring as it passed. Everyone save Toph sat up.
Sokka nudged Toph. "You've never not seen anything like this."
"That's incredible." Katara whispered.
"What is?" Asked Toph. When no one immediately answered, she frowned. "I'm blind, people!" The meteor crashed, and Toph jumped to her feet. "Okay, that was impressive." She commented. "And it landed close, too."
Zuko turned to Aang. "There's a village over in that direction."
Appa swung in over the fire, roaring. The gang leaned over the side of Appa's saddle. "Spirits, look at the size of that crater!" Zuko called out.
"I'm more worried about the fire." Sokka replied. He pointed to the massive pyre blazing outward from the center of the crater.
Katara clenched the saddle. "The fire's going to destroy that town."
"Not if we can help it." Aang twitched Appa's reins, and the bison swooped around the land close to the fire. Everyone save Katara jumped down.
Katara took the reins. "There's a creek over there." She gestured. "I'm going to bend the water over here."
"I'm going to face the upwind of the fire." Zuko announced. "I'll push it back as much as I can."
He ran off and Aang turned to Toph. "Let's make a trench to cut the fire off, in case it gets away from us."
"What about me?" Sokka asked, toying with his club.
Aang paused. He pointed at Momo. "Take care of Momo."
"Great." Sokka sighed. "Now I'm just a lemur sitter." HE scractched Momo's ears. "There, there. Feel better?"
Momo looked up at him, chirping.
Sokka watched as Aang and Toph forced a fissure behind Zuko, ripping the earth even deeper to form a trench. Zuko quite literally seemed to be pushing the fire back, but broke off when a firestorm began. He dove in the thickest rain of sparks, and struck, dissipating them.
Some sparks flew over to Sokka, and he frantically beat one out with his club. When he turned to the others, Momo had snuffed them out. Sokka favored the lemur with a disgusted glare.
Katara swooped low on Appa's back, water scattering like a thick rain behind, and she went back for more water.
Toph lifted a wide, flat panel of earth, and brought it down, flipping it along the flames to smash them out.
Aang bent the water Katara brought when she returned around himself, and got ready. "Sokka, watch out!"
"Right." Sokka grabbed Momo, starting to trudge off, when Aang let fly with water and airbending.
Snow scattered all across the area, smothering the fire and coating Sokka. Momo had flown off just before the snow hit, and it came sliding in front of Sokka, playing in the ice and snow.
"Good job, everyone!" Aang called cheerily.
Iroh had been leaning back against the wall, eyes glazed over and drooling, for several hours. He was beginning to get stiff, but the guards had been watchful. Finally, their shift ended, and they left.
Iroh remained as he was, and soon, heavy footsteps approached his cell. Warden Pyun dropped a bowl to the floor. His face pressed to the bars.
"Look at you!" He snarled, disgusted. "You used to be the pride of the Fire Nation." He kicked the bowl, and it wobbled into the cell, spilling.
Iroh jumped on it, gobbling sloppily and greedily. "You're just a fat, disgusting old man. You do nothing, you say nothing. You just eat and roll around in your own filth. You're a disgrace."
Pyun spat on the floor, and walked out. Iroh waited, freezing in place until Pyun's familiar footsteps faded completely. He smiled, and sat up, brushing back his hair. He resumed eating, taking his time as he thought about his situation.
They were all seated in a wide-open restaurant. "You know, this town is really beautiful." Katara commented. The town was nestled in the mountains, on a cliff that overlooked a wide river below.
"Yeah." Aang replied. "And they have no clue how close they came to getting torched last night."
"That's the thing about being in disguise." Toph commented. "We don't get aqny hero worship. I miss the love."
"It wouldn't be love here." Zuko replied.
Katara turned to Sokka. He was sitting on some steps, his food sitting next to him untouched. "Is something wrong? You haven't even touched your roast sea-slug."
Sokka hung his head. "Well…its just…you guys can do all this amazing stuff, like fighting a forest fire, or flying around, or making other stuff fly around. I can't fly around, okay? I'm the guy in the group who's just…normal."
"That's not true!" Katara protested. "No one can read a map like you!"
"Toph can't read at all." Zuko said, teasing the blind earthbender.
"And you keep us all laughing with sarcastic comments, all the time." Aang added. He grabbed Katara's hair. "I mean, look at Katara's hair, right?"
Katara grabbed her hair away, blushing. "What's wrong with my hair?" She asked defensively.
Zuko covered Aang's mouth before he could make a bigger idiot of himself. "Your hair is fine…especially with it bound up like that. Aang was just trying to make Sokka feel better, right?" He let go of Aang.
"Sure." Aang said, embarrassed.
"Thank's for the effort." Sokka told them. "But I'm not special like each of you. I'm just plain ordinary."
Katara sat next to him. "I hope you know no of us see you like that."
Toph and Zuko snorted, and Katara glared at them. "Okay, Aang and I don't see you that way." Katara brightened. "I know what's going to make you feel better."
"You do?" Sokka asked, hope shining pasrt the depression.
Sokka stood in the doorway to the shop, clapping excitedly. "Shopping!" He ran to the closest rack of weapons.
"Maybe something to reinvigorate my battling." Sokka picked up some nunchaku. "What about these?" He began to twirl them. "Hoy ya! Smack-a-dack-a-doo!" Sokka swung, and hit something…sensitive, and dropped the nunchaku.
Weakly, he spoke. "Maybe not…"
Zuko browsed as well. He toyed with a few oddly balanced knives and daggers, shaking his head.
He started to look for the others, then something caught his eye behind the counter. It…it can't be. Those were lost at the apartment in Ba Sing Se.
The owner followed Zuko's look, and set the broadswords on the counter. "Like these, huh? My nephew is part of the occupation force in Ba Sing Se. He found these in some fancy apartment, just lying there."
"How much?" Zuko asked. The shopkeep quoted a very low price. "Why so little?"
"They're used. Besides, who trusts Earth Kingdom steel, huh? You're a soldier, you know that."
Zuko nodded. "Sure. But I served in the Earth kingdom." He counted out the money. "I didn't have a chance to get a souvenir before I left.
"Good, take em. I'm glad to get rid of them." The shopkeep said, taking the money. Zuko gently picked up the broadswords, and inwardly smiled. They were like Sokka's boomerang, somehow always coming back.
"What did you find?' Katara asked as Zuko came walking up. Zuko proudly showed her the broadswords.
"Believe it or not, but these are mine. I carried them through most of the Earth Kingdom." Zuko told her.
"Hey guys, how do I look?" Aang asked, clanking toward them.
He was dressed in incredibly complex, polished armor, flags and weapons bristling all over him.
"All I need is a wind sword to complete the outfit." Aang grinned.
"A what?" Katara asked.
"You take a sword handle, and bend the air through it." Aang demonstrated, making whoosh noises. Aang began to tip back, and before either of his friends could catch him, Aang fell onto his back.
"Maybe I'll stick with what I have."
Sokka had toyed with nearly every kind of weapon in the store. None of them felt right. He was about to give up and go back to moping when he spotted a rack of long, thin swords, one prominently displayed above the others.
Sokka inspected it, eyes riveted. The hilt was inlaid with gold, and a delicate golden dragon danced along the scabbard.
"I see you have an eye for weapons." The shopkeep commented, polishing a mysteriously dirtied sai. "That's an original from Piandao, the greatest swod master and maker in Fire Nation history. He lives in the estate up the road." He walked off, and everyone crowded around.
"That's what you need." Toph proclaimed. "A master."
"That's a great idea." Katara smiled. "We've all had masters to teach us. We wouldn't be anywhere without them. You should see if this Piandao will teach you."
Sokka inspected a sword. "It would be nice to be a master swordsman. Okay…I'll talk with Master Piandao."
The sun finally rose high enough for a shaft of light to wash over Iroh's face. He opened his eyes, and glanced at the door. The guard wasn't there yet.
Iroh folded his hands behind his head, and began to do sit-ups, grunting slightly. He only had a few minutes to do so before they came again.
Sokka raised the knocker, and slammed it down. He waited, but no one responded. He frowned, and grabbed both knobs and slammed them repeatedly, until the gate opened, and a very fat man was standing there.
He gazed at Sokka, disinterested. "Can I help you?"
Sokka composed himself. "I've come to train with the master."
The fat man blinked. "You should know the master turns nearly everyone away." He held out a hand. "What have you brought to show your worth?"
Sokka blanched, and patted his clothing for anything. The Fat man shook his head. "Let's get this over with."
Sokka followed the man through the garden, up to the main house, and to a large, open veranda.
Piandao sat facing away from them, working on something set before him
Sokka approached, but knelt, bowing a distance away. "Master, my name is Sokka and I wish to be trained in the way of the sword."
"Sokka." Piandao didn't turn around. "That is an unusual name."
Sokka swallowed. "Oh…uh…really? Where I come from…the Fire Nation Colonies…it's pretty common."
"Hmm." Piandao remained focused on his calligraphy. "Let me guess. You've traveled hundreds of miles from your village, where you're the best swordsman, and you think you deserve to learn from a master."
"Actually." Sokka considered. "I've traveled all across the world."
Piandao nodded knowingly. "Here it comes."
"And I know one thing." Sokka continued humbly. "I have a lot to learn."
Paindao glanced over his shoulder. "You aren't doing a good job of selling yourself."
Sokka hung his head. "I know. When you butler let me in, he told me I'd have to prove my worth. But I don't know if I am worthy."
"I see." Piandao rose, and planted his sword at his feet. "Let's find out if you are, together."
Sokka looked up, surprised. Piandao smiled. "I will train you."
They stood out in a wide-open training yard. "The first thing you must learn is the sword is an extension of yourself." Piandao unsheathed his sword, and ran through a graceful form. "You must think of it like another part of your body."
"Like a second head?" Sokka asked.
Piandao stopped. "Well, more like a really long, extra sharp arm. The sword is a simple tool, but in the hands of a master, it becomes the most versatile and elegant of all weapons." Piandao executed another form. "Just as the imagination is limitless, so too are the possibilities of the sword."
Sokka grinned wide, nodding in understanding.
"What should we do today?" Aang asked, laying out under the sun with the others in the old campsite.
Momo gave up chasing bugs, and settled down for a nap close to Katara. The waterbender absently scratched his ears. Toph sighed.
"I'm all tapped out. I've already picked my toes twice."
Aang turned his head. "Twice?"
"Once to get them clean, then again just for that sweet picking sensation." Toph replied, stretching out.
"Sokka's been in charge of the schedule lately, so who knows what we should be doing." Katara stated.
Zuko chimed in. "I could start Aang's firebending lessons."
All eyes (and ears) turned to Aang, who sat up. "Lessons?" He asked. "Um…should we really be doing that? What if someone sees us?"
Zuko sat up, and waved around. "Out here? Come on, Aang, you have to start learning sometime."
"Yeah…maybe." Aang replied, unsure. "How would we start?"
"The warrior practices a variety of arts to keep his mind sharp and fluid." Piandao explained, leading Sokka to a table covered with calligraphy stationary." He carefully handed Sokka a brush, who immediately crushed the bristles with his thumb.
"So, writing my name will make me a better swordsman?" Sokka asked, incredulous.
Piandao corrected Sokka's hold on the brush. "When you write your name, you stamp the paper with your identity. You must learn to use your sword to stamp your identity on the battlefield."
Sokka took a hold of his sleeve to keep it from the paper, and prepared to write. "Remember, you cannot take back a stroke of the brush, nor a stroke of the sword."
Sokka frowned, and tapped the tip of the brush on his chin, thinking. Piandao coughed politely.
"You are getting ink on your face."
Sokka looked at the brush. "I am?" He smiled. "I am! This is about getting my identity on the page, right?" He looked at Piandao, who nodded. Sokka rubbed the brush all over his face, and then rolled his face across the page.
He lifted it up to Piandao, revealing a smeared, featureless face. Piandao closed his eyes in response.
After that, Sokka, wearing padding, faced the butler, whose name was apparently Fat, in the ring with a wooden sword.
Fat easily knocked the sword from Sokka's hands, and then chased him around, trying to club him.
Sokka stared in awe at the amazing panorama his master had shown him. Where Sokka and Piandao stood gave them a majestic view of a mighty rivers that fell in a series of waterfalls into a canyon.
"Amazing!" Sokka exclaimed.
Piandao gestured at the paint and paper on the ground. "Now, paint it."
Sokka turned to stare at the waterfalls, but Piandao turned him away. "No peeking."
Sokka frowned, and began to paint.
"I'm finished." Sokka announced later, snapping Piandao out of his meditation. Sokka held up a messy work that vaguely resembled the scenery, but it included a big, smiling sun and a rainbow.
"You added a rainbow." Piandao observed.
"Is that okay?" Sokka asked, worried. Piandao sighed, and shook his head.
Then it was back to the sparring ring. Sokka attacked Fat, who blocked, then struck back.
Sokka parried, and was about to attack again when Piandao, sipping a cup of tea, called out. "Sokka!"
Sokka looked up, and Fat snuck around, kicking him in the back. Sokka groaned as he got up, and Piandao continued. "Pay attention to what you're doing."
Sokka gave a thumbs up.
Sokka followed Piandao down a flight of steps that led to a large rock garden. Piandao gestured at the garden. "Rock gardening teaches the warrior to manipulate his surroundings and use them to his advatage."
Sokka stepped forward, and scratched his chin, thinking. He chuckled, and started, first pushing a large, hollowed boulder under the shade of a tree. He tore up a large patch of moss, and ran back, draping it over the boulder.
Sokka lay down, sighing in relaxation. Fat appeared, and gasped in shock, staring a the mess of rocks Sokka had created. Sokka noticed him. "Would you mind getting me something cold to drink?"
Fat started to reply, when Piandao spoke up. "I'll have lemon in mine." Fat hung his head, and padded off.
Iroh's knuckles were raw, but he blocked out that minor pain. He pushed himself all the way up, and then brought his hand together, clapping loudly before he caught himself, pushing back up. It was only a matter of time before someone came to see what was happening, and Iroh meant to make the best of it.
Outside the cell, Warden Pyun was trying to eat, ignoring the claps, but finally he snarled in anger, tossing his food down.
He stomped to the door, and looked through the small port. Iroh was leaning in the same spot he'd been since the morning, clapping idly and laughing.
"What's going on in there?" Pyun barked. He saw the delirious look on Iroh's face, and shook his head. "Crazy old man."
He walked off, and Iroh eventually stopped clapping, his expression sharpening once more as he ran his hand through his hair.
Toph and Katara sat close to the firepit, the map spread out between them. Aang and Zuko were seated nearby, eyes closed in meditation.
"We're here on this island." Katara said, mostly to herself. She frowned, and tapped a different spot. "Or…maybe here?"
"Noodle Brain." Toph laid back on the ground. "You don't know what you're doing. I miss Sokka."
Katara's frown deepened as she glared at her friend. "If you miss him so much, why don't you marry him?" She snapped.
A groan came from Aang and Zuko's direction, and Katara turned on them. "What?"
"Nothing." Aang responded quickly. He muttered the next part, but the wind carried his words. "Jokes must not run in the family."
Zuko laughed at that, and both boys paled when Katara started their way.
Sokka was seated across from Piandao in front of the main house. Piandao smiled at him.
"You've had a good first day of training."
Sokka looked confused. "I did? But I thought I messed up on everything."
Piandao's smile was gentle. "You messed things up in a very special way. You are ready for a real sword."
Sokka's heart skipped a beat. "Are you giving me one of yours?"
"No." Piandao replied swiftly. Raising an eyebrow at Sokka's despondent look, he continued. "Your sword must be an extension of yourself. So, tomorrow, you will make your own sword."
Sokka looked up, surprise and eagerness in his eyes.
"Choosing the correct materials is the most important part. You must trust your steel with your life. Choose carefully." Piandao warned.
Sokka moved through the smithy, carefully inspecting various ores and materials, sniffing some and biting others. He frowned, thinking, then turned to Piandao. "Master, would it be all right for me to leave and bring a special material back for my sword?"
Piandao nodded proudly. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"You aren't even breathing right!" Zuko voice carried across the meadow to where Toph and Katara were.
"I'm trying, Zuko!" Aang responded.
"I can't sleep with all this yelling!" Toph growled. She sat up suddenly. "Hey, Sokka's coming!" She turned to the direction the boys were. "Hey, Sokka's coming back!"
"Finally!" Aang vanished, and Toph assumed he was in the air.
Moments later, Sokka came walking up the path. "Hey guys, what's all the yelling about?"
"You're back!" Aang grinned. "Say something funny!"
"Funny how?" Sokka asked, confused.
Aang fell over laughing, and Sokka turned to Toph as Katara and Zuko shook their heads. "What's with him?"
Toph faced away to hide her blush. "I don't know. He missed you or something. I didn't care."
"Thanks. That warms my heart." Sokka declared. "I need some help."
They pushed the meteorite up the hill toward the mansion, Toph bending the stone forward when she could.
Sokka ran ahead to the doors, and pounded the knockers. Piandao answered the door personally within moments. He looked at the others curiously. "Who's this?"
"Oh, these are my friends. Just other good Fire Nation folk." Sokka replied. Piandao bowed. "Master, do you think we can make a sword out of a meteorite?"
Piandao touched the stone, inspecting it, then look up, eyes narrowed confidently. "We'll make a sword unlike any other!"
Sokka shoveled in the coal, stoking the flame so hot it made it hard to breathe. The meteorite sat behind him, waiting to be broken down. Sokka heard footsteps, and turned to his master and Fat, who were bringing the sledge hammer.
Sokka held a chisel in place, and Fat swung the hammer, the meteorite's dense, hard surface resisting the blows, but it finally cracked. Sokka picked up a smaller hammer, and worked on the crack, expanding it until a chunk of the meteorite finally fell free.
The work continued, Sokka keeping the forge stoked, until the entire meteorite was broken down.
Fat loaded the ore into a stone bucket, using tongs to set the bucket directly in the flames. Sokka frowned. Now came the hard part.
Aang stood with Piandao outside, checking on the sleeping Sokka. He was sitting close to the forge, knees drawn up to his chest. "He's dedicated." Aang commented as Sokka got up and manned the billows.
"Yes, he is." Piandao replied proudly. "Sokka will make a fine swordsman someday."
The time had come, and Piandao waited as Sokka picked up some tongs, locking them in place on the stone bucket. Sokka lifted it, carefully watching the molten metal within.
Sokka poured it into a mold, and stepped back as Piandao lifted tongs and a hammer, watching the metal carefully.
After a while, he pulled the hardening metal free of the mold, and while it was still red-hot, beat on it, sparks flying as Piandao tempered the blade.
Piandao worked quickly, reheating the blade many times, each time setting it in a basin of water to slow the cooling process.
Finally, Piandao left the blade in the water, letting the liquid hiss and cool as it drew out all of the heat, and lifted out a black sword blade.
Sokka sat before Piandao, his friends behind him. Fat came up and waited behind Piandao, Sokka's sword in his hands.
"Sokka, when you first arrived you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion-turtle, and twice as big. And as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me." Piandao took the sword from Fat. "No, it certainly wasn't your skills."
Sokka looked down, embarrassed. Piandao smiled. "You showed something beyond that." He slid Sokka's sword from of the scabbard, the black metal ringing. "Creativity, versatility, intelligence…these are the traits that define a good swordsman, and these are the traits that define you."
Piandao sheathed the sword, and knelt, offering it to Sokka. "You told me you weren't sure if you were worthy. I assure you, you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained."
Sokka looked at the sword in his hands, and looked away from it, guilt shadowing his face.
"I'm sorry, master. I'm not worthy. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not from the Fire Nation. I'm Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. I lied so I could learn from you." He held the sword up.
Piandao frowned, and turned away. "I'm sorry, too." He spun, his unsheathed blade slicing toward Sokka, who rolled away.
He thrust, and Sokka caught the sword on his scabbard, drawing his own sword. The gang stood up to help, but Sokka waved them back. "No. This is my fight…alone."
Warden Pyun walked into the cell, carrying a tray of food. He looked disgusted at Iroh, and dropped the food, most of it spilling. A green fruit rolled close to the bars, and Iroh grabbed it, greedily stuffing it in his mouth.
"You disgust me." Pyun sneered. "You've not only fallen from grace, you've rolled in the dung at the bottom of the hill. You sicken me."
Iroh watched him storm out, slamming the door, and stood up. He undid the sash on his ragged robe, a bundled up blanket falling free, revealing the fruits of Iroh's secret training.
He jumped up, grabbing the overhead bars with one hand, and used the other to hold his fruit, taking bites of it as he lifted himself up.
The gang and Fat stood on a balcony, watching Sokka and Piandao in the training field below.
Sokka and Piandao faced each other, watching carefully for an opening.
Piandao lunged forward, striking rapidly, and Sokka moved, blocking the slashes. He stabbed forward, and Piandao moved his head, Sokka's blade stabbing wide. The old sword master stabbed back, Sokka leaning back to avoid it. Piandao swung for Sokka's legs, and the boy leapt over it, thrusting.
Piandao blocked it, and smashed the hilt of his sword into Sokka's chest, sending the boy flying back.
Sokka pulled himself up with the post of a small bridge, jumping onto it and to another as Piandao moved in, slicing swiftly. Sokka rolled from his spot, Piandao's strike scratching the stone, and then dove under another slash. Sokka blocked Piandao's next attack before jumping back on top of the bridge.
Piandao swung widely, and Sokka jumped to the end of the bridge. "Excellent! Using your superior agility against an older opponent…smart!" Piandao proclaimed, chasing after his student.
Sokka was forced up a large stairway, parrying and deflecting Piandao's strikes. He caught the last one, and it forced him into the wall. Sokka yelped, and sliced with his sword, sending Piandao's blade up. Piandao struck again, and Sokka slumped, the blade slicing just above his head.
Piandao swung widely, and Sokka cart wheeled out of the way, Piandao's sword just missing him.
Sokka spun around, and hoped up, pushing against the wall with his blade extended. Piandao knocked Sokka's blade aside, and the boy rolled across the stairway, jumping to the top of the rails.
"Good use of terrain…fighting from the high ground!" Piandao struck again, Sokka dodging the blows, then stabbed, and Sokka slammed his foot down, trapping Piandao's blade against the stone.
Piandao tried to wrench his blade free, but couldn't, opting instead to lift his blade, throwing Sokka off balance and back into a tall bamboo plant.
Sokka looked up, his face fearful, hair falling across his eyes, and Piandao charged, slicing, his blade cutting just above Sokka's head as Sokka rolled away, running into the bamboo thicket.
As Sokka ran, he sliced through bamboo spouts, running ahead. Piandao followed, slicing at the plants that fell toward him.
Sokka leapt free of the thicket, grabbing several stalks and bending them back. As Piandao followedl, Sokka let them fly, gasping when the agile old man sliced them to pieces.
"Yes! Use your surroundings!" Piandao called. "Make them fight for you!" He struck, and Sokka blocked the strike, running off toward the training ring.
Sokka looked back over his shoulder, and barely ducked under Piandao's sword, sliding past his master before finding his footing and running again.
Sokka stumbled, and stuck his sword out to slow his fall. He spun, slicing through the ground, sending dirt flying in a spray to blind Piandao.
"Very resourceful." Piandao closed his eyes, waiting. Sokka moved slowly, trying to avoid making any sounds, but was so focused on Piandao that he didn't see the twig until he had stepped on it, the snap alerting the older swordsman.
Pianao surged forward, stabbing, and Sokka swung his sowrd, blocking it. Lightning quick, Piandao spun his blade around Sokka's and flicked the boy's sword away.
The black sword stabbed the ground several feet away, and Piandao swung his sword. Sokka, seeing not other alternative, leaned in, and Piandao's arms smashed into his, sending him flying to the ground.
Piandao pointed his sword at Sokka and the boy cringed,waiting for the final blow. Aang, Zuko, Toph and Katara jumped down from the balcony, and Piandao moved his sword out, away from Sokka.
"Excellent work, Sokka." Piandao said proudly, and everyone halted, confused. Piandao raised his hand, and Fat threw the scabbard. Piandao spun, and stabbed his sword into the scabbard, moving it behind his back. "I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar and his masters."
Aang looked at the others, surprised. "How did you know?"
As Sokka rose to his feet, still unsure, Fat walked out, carrying a clean cloth and a drink.
Piandao took the cloth, wiping at his eyes. "Oh, I've been around a while. You pick up a few things. Of course, I knew from the beginning Sokka was Water Tribe. You might want to try a better Fire Nation cover name. Try 'Lee.' There are a million 'Lee's." He took a drink.
"But why would you agree to train someone from the Water Tribe?" Katara asked.
"The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation." Piandao replied. "Knowledge of the arts belong to us all." Fat took his sword, and Piandao pulled Sokka's sword from the ground, returning it to his student. "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."
They bowed to each other.
"What happened to your old clothes?" Katara asked, tugging at the robe Sokka had worn while training.
"What?" Sokka asked. "I like these clothes."
They walked away from the gate, following the other three down the path.
"Wait!" Fat called, chasing after them. He caught up, breathing heavily. "The Master wanted you to have this as something to remember him by." He dropped a bag in Sokka's hand, and walked back up the path to the mansion, shutting the door behind him.
Zuko started at the symbol on the door, but looked away, hoping no one noticed his reaction.
Sokka opened the pouch. "It's a Pai Sho tile." He said.
"The White Lotus?" Zuko asked.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Sokka replied curiously.
"Lucky guess." Zuko answered. "We should get moving."
Sokka reached into his pocket. "I almost forgot. Here, Toph, I saved you a piece of meteorite. I didn't think you would miss a chance to bend space-earth."
"Sweet." Toph toyed with the stone, making shapes. "Check this out." She smirked, various shapes twisting from the piece of rock.
"You know, since its from space, I don't think you an call it earth." Aang commented, walking down the path.
"Must you ruin everything?" Sokka asked.
"I can't believe we missed you." Katara told her brother.