"Remember, Sokka, the sword is an extension of yourself, like–"
"–like an extra long, really sharp arm. I understand, master."
Master Piandao, the swordsman who lived in the castle overlooking Shu Jing looked at his fourteen year old pupil and smiled. Sokka smiled back, bowed, and then resumed his drilling in the rain with Piandao's butler, Fat.
When he had come here a few years ago, Sokka hadn't revealed who he was, but after a few days he felt guilty and told him. Piandao had fought him and won. He then explained that the way of the sword wasn't restricted by the borders of the four nations. Piandao had continued to train him throughout the course of the next few years. He had trained in downpours and blazing heat. He no longer looked like a child. His parents had noticed a very dramatic change in him during those years. He was known, however, to still elicit some childish qualities.
"Sokka!" Piandao shouted.
Sokka didn't look up, but shouted in reply, "Yes master?" as he dogged Fat's lunge.
"Remember to pay attention!"
"Understood!" Sokka said as he again knocked Fat's wooden sword out of his hand. Sokka brought the tip of his wooden sword up to Fat's neck. Knowing he had lost, Fat surrendered.
After seeing Fat surrender, Sokka faced Piandao and bowed. Piandao bowed slightly in return and took a sip of his tea.
"That is enough training for today, Sokka. You may return home. Tomorrow, we'll start something new."
"Um, master…?" Sokka began, and then stopped. He wasn't sure how this would go.
"Yes, Sokka?"
"Tomorrow's my birthday, and I was hoping to spend it with my family. I know that training is very important, but can we meet the day after tomorrow?"
Piandao smiled. "Very well, I will make an exception just this once. Enjoy you day tomorrow, but I want to see you an hour earlier the next day. I have a special project for you."
Sokka smiled in anticipation. "I can hardly wait. Well, see you in two days, master," he said as he picked up his gear and left.
Piandoa watched his pupil run off. He's a very good student, and a very strong and talented warrior, he thought as he sipped more of his tea. I have no doubt that there are great things in store for this young man.
Sokka ran home as fast as his legs could carry him. Even though he was tired, he was excited for tomorrow. He could hardly wait to get into bed.
"Good evening, Master Tatzu," Teor, his adoptive family's butler, greeted him as he entered the house. Teor was the only other person in the whole world who knew who Sokka really was, but still called him Tatzu when he was around. Sokka didn't mind, it was good practice.
"Good evening, Teor," Sokka replied as he handed his training gear to Teor. "How were things here today?"
"Same old, same old," Teor replied innocently. Sokka could see the amusement in his eyes, but decided not to push it like he usually did.
"Where's Mom and Dad?" he asked. He could now call them that without feeling as homesick as he had before.
"They're in the living room," Teor replied as he walked up to Sokka's room to place his gear away.
Sokka walked in, and sure enough, there were his adopted parents.
"Hey Mom! Hey, Dad!"
"Sokka, honey, come here!" Kiyo smiled as she beckoned to her adopted son. Sokka rushed to his mother and hugged her tightly.
"Oof! You're getting strong, Sokka. Soon, you'll be able to lift me, if you aren't able to already."
Sokka smiled.
"So, how was your day with Master Piandao?" Ryujin looked up from the scroll that he was reading and faced his son.
"Tiring, as usual, but he did give me the day off tomorrow because of my birthday!"
Ryujin and Kiyo looked at each other and smiled. "Oh? It's your birthday tomorrow?" Ryujin said sarcastically. "I forgot."
"Daaaad!"
"He's just kidding, Sokka," Kiyo said while Ryujin laughed at his own joke. "We've got a fun day planned for you tomorrow."
Sokka's eyes lit up with childish excitement, but he calmly asked, "Really?"
"Really. Now go and get ready for supper."
"Okay, Mom." He gave her a quick kiss than ran up to his room to take off his sweaty clothes. After a very satisfying pre-birthday dinner, he went to bed.
Clouds surrounded him as he hovered over the earth. He looked around, wondering where he was. Suddenly, the clouds blew away, and he found himself hovering on a large sheet of ice. He looked around. He recognized this place. It was near his old village in the Southern Water Tribe. Eventually he came to a point where the ice was melted.
He saw a boat. Inside was a single person wrapped in Water Tribe blue. As it came closer, he saw the face.
"Katara!" He shouted and waved as she passed him. She didn't seem to notice him as she passed. She looked like she was trying to waterbend something. Eventually he saw that she was waterbending a fish in a globe of water.
"Yes! I got one!" she shouted excitedly. She lowered the fish into the boat and continued down the stream. It was only then that Sokka saw the danger.
"Katara! Look out for the current!"
"She can't hear you, Sokka. This hadn't happened yet."
Sokka turned and found himself facing an old man. He was dressed in Fire Nation garb and was seated on a dragon.
"Get on, Sokka. You need to see this."
The dragon lowered its neck and Sokka found himself suddenly seated next to the old man. He felt the large beast rise and begin to fly.
"Who…who are you?" Sokka asked as he turned to the old man.
The man turned to him. "I am Avatar Roku."
Sokka gasped. He had heard his adopted parents tell him about the last Avatar. He bowed to the old man.
"I am honored to be in your presence," Sokka said, meaning it. Avatar Roku smiled, then turned his attention to the ground.
"Look," he said. Sokka looked at where Roku's hand was pointing. He saw that Katara had crashed her boat and was now clinging to a small chunk of ice. They moved in closer.
"Sokka, if you were here, I know what you'd say. 'Leave it to a girl to mess things up,' right?" She stood and clenched her fists. Tears came to her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Katara," Sokka said, tears forming in his eyes. He wiped them away quickly. "I would never say something like that now."
"Why!" she screamed. "Why did you leave! What happened that day! Mom and Dad won't tell me! It's just not fair!" She threw her hands back. Sokka saw that the water was beginning to move.
"Katara! Stop!"
"She can't hear you, Sokka. This hasn't even happened yet."
Sokka turned and watched as she threw her hands back again. A large wall of water flew up from the ocean and the iceberg behind her cracked in two. She gasped as it collapsed. A large wave came towards her. As Sokka watched she threw herself down and held on to the edge of the small iceberg she was on. Thankfully, the water settled down and she was able to stand up.
"What was that?" she asked herself.
Sokka smiled. "I always knew you were weird, Katara."
"Keep watching," Roku said.
His smile dropped when he saw what happened next. The ocean began to stir where the ice had sunk. Suddenly a large block of ice shot up from out of the water. The strange part was that it appeared to be giving off some sort of light.
"Whoa. What-" She stopped midsentence. Her eyes widened in amazement. Reaching behind her, she grabbed something hanging from a pouch hanging from her back.
"Hey, that's my boomerang!" Sokka said.
"Keep watching," Roku repeated. Sokka looked and saw her take the sharp end of the boomerang and start to hit the ice. Sokka finally saw what was inside. He gasped. It appeared to be a small human figure, a boy by the looks of it.
Suddenly the ice cracked. A blast of air hit Katara and threw her back. The ice cracked until the crack reached the top. A bright pillar of blue light shot up of the top of the iceberg. Sokka shielded his eyes from the intense light. Eventually it died down. When Sokka opened his eyes, he found himself standing on the iceberg staring down at the person who had been inside. Katara ran past him and rolled the person over.
The person was a child. He couldn't be older than eleven or twelve. He was dressed in some strange clothes.
Roku finally spoke up again. "I cannot tell you who this child is, Sokka. You'll find out eventually. All I can tell you is that when you meet this child, your true destiny will finally be revealed. All I can tell you is that you are to leave the Fire Nation three days from now and head northeast. There will be a ferry there on its way to Ember Island. Take it. Say your goodbyes and prepare for the journey."
"But…"
"You must do this, Sokka. If you don't, the war might be won by Fire Lord Ozai."
Suddenly the world began to spin…
"Ooof!"
Sokka found himself wrapped up in his covers on the floor of his bedroom. He had fallen out of bed. The sun shone brightly through his window. He could hear the waterfalls of the canyon near the edge of town.
"Are you sure it was Avatar Roku?" Ryujin asked at breakfast after Sokka had run down and told them who he dreamed about.
Sokka pointed over to the image of the previous Avatar that was hanging over their fireplace. "I'm almost positive of it," he replied, "the man in my dreams was that man right there."
Kiyo exchanged a look with Ryujin then looked back at Sokka. "What did you dream about?"
Sokka told them everything he had seen. "Was it just a dream? Or does it mean something else?"
Ryujin sighed. "The latter, Sokka. We were visited by Roku a few nights ago. He told us that we had to prepare you for a long journey."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sokka asked.
"We weren't sure if it was just a dream or a real message or not. We didn't want to send you away on something as ridiculous as a dream. But now that you've had a dream with Avatar Roku in it, we are sure." Ryujin stood and hugged his son. Kiyo did the same, even Teor, who had been standing there listening.
"We'll celebrate your birthday today, don't you worry, but tomorrow, you must begin packing. I will send a message to Piandao explaining our situation. I'm sure he will understand."
"I will go at once sir," Teor said, walking to get his hat.
"Teor, wait," Ryujin said. Teor stopped.
"It can wait until the day is over. You should come with us today."
Teor's eyes widened and Sokka could have sworn he saw a tear glistening in his eyes. "Thank you master."
The day was one of the best birthdays he had ever experienced. They went swimming, looked around some of the shops in town, even enjoyed a few of the local firebending displays.
"Best…birthday…ever…" Sokka said, exhausted as he collapsed on his bed. His adopted parents stood at his door and smiled at him. Teor chose that moment to come bursting into the house.
"Master Tatzu! Piandao has a message for you!"
Sokka sat up and looked past his parents. "What is it?"
Teor handed him a piece of parchment. Sokka opened it.
Come to my house tomorrow. There is something I need to give to you before you leave. Piandao.
"I wonder what it means," Ryujin pondered after he read it himself.
"I don't know," Kiyo said, "but Sokka, be sure to go."
"I will, Mom," Sokka replied.
The next day was spent packing as much as he could carry. He finished packing at around mid to late afternoon. He decided to head to Piandao's house.
"The master is expecting you," Fat greeted him when Sokka arrived. "Follow me please." Sokka followed Fat to Piandao's office. His master sat in his chair, writing something.
"Master Piandao?"
The old swords master held up his hand, motioning for him to sit and wait. Sokka went to one of the couches and sat. A few moments later Piandao finished writing and stood.
"Sokka, come," he said, not unkindly. Sokka stood and approached, confused as to what he wanted.
"You had something for me, Master?" Sokka asked.
"I do. One second, Sokka." Piandao grabbed his sword, which he also used as a cane and walked to a table. Sokka watched as he grabbed a package and walked over to Sokka.
"This is for you, Sokka. May it help defend you in your journey. You may open it now if you wish."
Judging from the shape of the box, Sokka immediately knew what it was. He gingerly unwrapped the paper and lifted the lid of the wooden box.
There, glistening with symbols from every nation in the world, was the sword he had made not one week before. He picked it up and drew it halfway. The black metal shined in the torchlight.
"This sword is the strongest sword I have ever seen made," Piandao said after Sokka sheathed it. "Take care of it, Sokka."
"Yes master," Sokka replied, bowing to his master. Piandao bowed back.
"Now hurry home. You have a long journey ahead of you," the old master said with a smile.
Sokka nodded and went home.
"That is quite a gift there son," Ryujin said when he saw the sword.
"Don't go poking your eyes out, you hear me?" Kiyo said with a worried tone.
"Mom, I'll be fine," Sokka replied.
"I know, I'm just worried, Sokka."
"Honey, there's nothing we can do. He was called." Ryujin stood and straightened his clothes. "Come Sokka. Let's go outside."
Sokka followed his father out and for half of the rest of the day they rigorously practiced every firebending trick they had learned, and Sokka showed him one he had learned on his own.
"I've heard of only one other person who can firebend like that, Sokka," his father said with a smile.
"So have I," Sokka replied, splashing water onto his face.
After washing up and eating dinner, an excited and scared Sokka went to bed. As he drifted off, a single thought was in his mind.
Tomorrow's going to change everything…