Before anything else, I own nothing but the original characters, and content therein related to them. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nickelodeon, and any mentioned creator's work belongs to them, and them alone.

Author's note.

Don't worry I didn't die, I just had to take an inconvenient 4 day camping trip. This was originally supposed to be posted Saturday.

Chapter 2 By the sword...

Sokka sat on the steps of the village the team was visiting. He and… His friends, being Aang, Toph, and Katara, all of whom had saved said village from a raging fire created by a fallen meteorite the night before, were eating breakfast. He meanwhile was mopping.

"What's your problem?" Katara asked. "You haven't even touched your smoked sea slug."

"It's just that, all you guys can do this awesome bending stuff, like put out forest fires, and fly around, and make other things fly around… I can't fly around… I can't do anything." Sokka said, mostly to himself as he looked out over the valley, adjusting his short musket on his shoulder.

"That's not true…" His sister said. "No one can read a map like you."

"I can't read at all." Toph added at her own expense.

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

"I appreciate the effort guy's but… All of you are amazing, and special and… I'm not." Sokka said glumly. "I mean… I used to be boomerang guy, then I was the guy with the gun, but… Now…" Sokka saw a man on a dragon moose ride by, musket over his shoulder. "Now that's almost anybody… I'm not even good with this thing." Sokka said, slipping the weapon off his back and holding it in his arms.

Katara got out of her seat, and sat by her brother. "I'm sorry you're feeling down, but I want you to know none of us see you that way…" She said, before putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know what'll cheer you up." Sokka looked over at his sister.

"SHOPPING!" Sokka said, clapping three times as he entered the local armory with his friends.

"Didn't you check out a weapon shop in the last town we were in?" Toph asked.

"That was different, I didn't actually look around. Maybe I'm just missing something. Maybe something new I haven't seen before." Sokka, before browsing and testing a few of the many weapons for sale.

While the others looked around, Sokka's attention was finally caught by a sword on display near the counter at the back. "OOOOOH. That's what I'm talking about."

"You have a good eye. This is an original from Piandao, the greatest sword master and maker in Fire Nation history." The store owner said as he approached the group. "He actually lives right up the road in that castle on the hill." Satisfied with his sales pitch, the store owner got back to acting as if he was sweeping.

"That's it." Aang said, coming to a realization. "That's what you need."

"A sword?" Sokka asked. "I've never really used a proper sword before."

"I mean, yeah a sword would be cool, but I mean a master." Aang said, as Sokka took the Piandao sword off the wall. "We've all had masters to teach us. You should see if you can study with Piandao."

Katara was aglow. "That's a great idea Aang. I could have never gotten to where I am without Master Pakku."

"And I learned how to earth bend from badger moles." Toph said. "They don't talk a lot, but they're good teachers."

"Badger moles talk?" Aang asked his earth bending instructor.

"Not talk talk, they sort of communicate through the earth with vibrations." Toph shrugged.

Sokka looked over the sword in his hands. "Alright… I'll talk to Piandao."

With Sokka gone the entire day, learning the way of the blade and all the lessons it carried, the rest of the gang was left to entertain themselves. It started out with attempts at humor, before Katara and Aang devolved into trying to read one of Sokka's maps.

"We're here." Katara said, pointing at the wrong island.

"No, we're over here, I've been to The Fire Nation's eastern Island's before, Katara." Aang argued, also pointing at the wrong island.

"That was over one hundred years ago." Katara said.

"The geography's not going to change that quickly." Aang said.

"It's a volcanic archipelago, it's actually the most likely place for the geography to change in less than a century." Toph interjected as she laid down in the dirt beside them. "You're both terrible at this… I miss Sokka."

Katara smirked. "Oh, I got one… If you miss him so much, why don't you marryhim!" Katara said, smiling, waiting for either Aang or Toph to chuckle at least.

"Don't tempt me sugar queen." Toph said, rolling onto her side to face away from Katara.

When Piandao sent Sokka away in the morning to retrieve the materials he would need to make his sword, he wasn't expecting the boy to return with three friends, a meteorite, and a pistol. "What's this?" He asked, as Sokka held the pistol up.

"A hand cannon… I'm assuming you've seen them around?" Sokka asked Piandao.

"I've heard of them." Piandao said. "They are not my specialty, but a good bladesmith understands that there is more to a weapon than it's edge."

"Have you ever tried making one?" Sokka asked.

Piandao raised an eyebrow at this.

Connor sat in his bedroom, absently staring at the ceiling. Since he'd come back to the Fire Nation, he'd found himself bored. No work, no day to day danger, he wasn't even being forced to attend self defense lessons any more. Nodding off, Connor closed his eyes.

Briefly, Connor found himself dreaming. Standing in a ruined courtyard, a sword in hand. Azula standing opposite of him, her hair left down and in tangles. Behind him, The water tribe girl he'd fought before, knelt over Zuko, who clutched at his chest.

"This is what you wanted isn't it?! A real fight?!" She asked, before beginning to circle two fingers extended and joined in a wide arc, as blue electricity crackled around her. "I'll give you a real fight!"

The sound of something hitting the floor woke Connor. Looking over to his day pack, seeing it having fallen over, he huffed. "I need something to do."

Sitting up, and taking his pack with him, Connor made his way into the city, and walked right up to one of the forges he'd visited before. The first master smith who he'd worked with in the rearmament of the Fire Army was there, and looked away from his work once Connor opened the sliding door. "Connor." The smith said with a smile.

"Fire up your coals, Mr. Wong, because I have a big order to fill." Connor said, as he stepped into the forge.

The hours drove on, Connor beat hot steel into shape, forcing metal to curl in on itself, lands and valleys forming in the sheet of purified earth. Mr. Wong looked over Connor's shoulder. "What sort of pistol barrel is this?"

Connor struck the hot steel one last time, and held the tube up. "A rifled one." Connor set the barrel down, and looked at Mr. Wong. "And I need another."

Sweat dripped off of Sokka's brow as he shoveled more coal into Piandao's forge. While the hard labor was being done by him, the master bladesmith reviewed the schematics Sokka had drawn out. "Can you make it?" Sokka asked.

Piandao looked over his shoulder. There was a moment where he paused. "Yes. I believe I can."

Over the course of the next few hours, as day became night, Sokka hammered the basic shape of the hot metal into the form of a blade, as Piandao pulled apart the pistol Sokka had brought him. "This barrel is far too wide to fit." Piandao said, catching Sokka's attention. The boy looked downtrodden. "We'll need to make a smaller one."

As Connor carved out a grip for his new gun from a walnut log, Mr. Wong brought him something, setting a lock plate on the table.

"What's this?" Connor asked, picking up the metal.

"Cap lock. The War Ministry came up with them about two months ago." Mr. Wong said.

"There's no striker, no powder pan, no flint. How's it work?" Connor asked, holding out the lock for Mr. Wong to take back.

Mr. Wong held up a small copper cup, smaller than even a thimble, before he placed it on the nipple of the lock. He pulled the hammer back, and then released it. The hammer fell forward, and there was a small pop. Connor sniffed the air, then chuckled. "Fulminated mercury." He said, remembering the British chemist who'd first invented it in his world a few short years ago. "You're using one explosive to ignite another." Connor smirked. "That's impressive."

Sokka quenched his blade in the barrel of oil so that it would harden, and once free from the liquid, passed the weapon held by tongs to Piandao, who looked over the edge of the blade and smiled slightly.

It was now only the fit and finish that needed to be applied to the weapon.

Only a few hundred miles away, Connor screwed the locking plates in on his new weapon, and then pulled a hammer back, finding that it clicked in three separate positions. Trying with the other hammer on the other side of the weapon, he received another three clicks. With a nod, Connor pulled the two triggers simultaneously, and both hammers fell in sync.

"A fine pistol if I ever did see one." Mr. Wong statered. "State of the art percussion fired locks, two rifled barrels sitting over one another, and a retention arm for the ram rod. She'll be heavier than a normal pistol."

Connor stood up, and slipped the large .50 caliber pistol into the hand crafted leather hip holster that he'd had made in the meantime. "Ay, but I can kill a man twice if need be."

"Hunting Phoenixes then?" Mr. Wong asked jokingly.

Connor started walking back over to the forge. "Something like that…" He tossed a few more lumps of coal in the fire and looked at Mr. Wong. "Now we just make more."

As Sokka sat on his knees before Piandao, his friends behind him, he prepared to receive his sword, before his master spoke.

"Sokka, when you first arrived, you seemed so unsure. You were even down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw the heart of a lion turtle. Brave, and strong, but compassionate. And as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me. No, certainly not your skills…" Sokka frowned at that. "It was something beyond that." Piandao said, as Fat passed him the hinged box containing Sokka's blade.

Piandao opened the box, and lifted the weapon free. He pulled the sword from its unorthodox scabbard, and let the straight black blade and gun barrel on the right side of the sword's fuller. The two weapons as one, gleaming in the light of the sun that shone through the open door of the great room. Piandao pointed the tip of the gun sword out towards the sky, and held a finger against the trigger of the mounted side gun. "Creativity, versatility, and intelligence. These are the traits that define you, and your sword, unlike any other." Piandao stowed the blade into its scabbard, and knelt as he presented the weapon to Sokka.

"You told me you didn't know if you were worthy…" He continued, as Sokka took his sword. "But I believe you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained."

As Sokka held his weapon, resting the scabbard on his thighs, he looked down. "I'm sorry master… But I'm not worthy…"

Sokka had gone and done it. He'd confessed to being an imposter, and admitted he was from the Southern Tribe. And now, he stood across from Piandao, a master far surpassing him in the way of the sword, prepared to fight him one on one, without the assistance of his friends.

Piandao made the first move, stepping forward, trusting his blade at Sokka, who only narrowly raised his own to parry, before ducking out of the way of two more attacks, and jumping over a third.

Attacking now, Sokka made an aggressive thrust, before being shoved away by his master. Rolling over on his back, before standing Sokka stepped away from the master swordsman. "Your blade is unbalanced with too much weight near the handle. In gaining the lethality and range of the gun, you've sacrificed your sword's maneuverability." Piandao critiqued, as he advanced forward.

Sokka backed up unto the bridge that went over the castle's interior pond, and deflected an attack before jumping up and away onto the walkway railing, and again to the other side before dropping off the other end of the bridge. "Taking advantage of your agility against an older opponent. A good start."

Piandao rushed towards Sokka now as the water tribe boy backed away towards the steps up to the castle. Sokka blocked an attack, Piandao ground the edge of his sword down towards Sokka's hands, only for the enlarged cross guard, (required to protect the trigger and lock of the sword's gun barrel,) to halt the attack. "Your sword's unorthodox design provides a greater defense against slashes than conventional hilts would. Innovative, however needless if you were a superior swordsman."

Sokka broke the bind, and backed up onto the steps, avoiding and parrying more attacks, before side stepping left, and jumping up onto the ledge of the staircase wall. "Excellent use of the terrain. But fighting from the high ground in a duel… A Common mistake." Piandao with the advantage in reach now swept at Sokka's legs, but Sokka jumped back from the attack, and took off into the bamboo growth behind him, as Piandao climbed up to meet him.

Slicing the thin wood around him, Sokka left a trail of debris and shrubbery in his wake, as he ran through the small forest. Piandao effortlessly cleared the trees as they fell, and caught up with Sokka, who pulled on a leaning bamboo stalk, and let if fly free behind him. His master ducked below the attack, before having to block a strike from Sokka who'd circled around him in the woods. "Yes, using your surroundings. Making them fight for you."

Sokka took off sprinting out of the bamboo forest, screaming, as Piandao caught up to him. Ducking under a swing aimed for his head, Sokka stumbled forward, and drove his sword into the stone patio. Spinning, he ripped his blade free, and threw a cloud of dust and dirt at his opponent's face. Piandao spit out a small rock, before screwing his eyes shut. "Deprive a foe of his senses. Resourceful."

Seeing his moment, Sokka, rather than press a charge, slipped his free hand into his pocket, and pulled out a paper cartridge that he'd intended to test his weapon with. Ripping the paper tail away with his mouth, and loading the side gun, Sokka held his weapon out straight as Pando stepped towards him. "Stop right there." Sokka said, pulling the hammer all the way back from half cock, the paper tail still in his mouth.

Piandao smirked. "Your blade's second function as a gun has proven its use." Piandao rubbed the dirt from his eyes with his free hand, as he lowered his sword. "Well done Sokka. The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Had you loaded that thing before our duel, I would have passed you sooner."

"You… You what?" Sokka sputtered.

"I would have passed you sooner…" Piandao said, as the others came down from the deck. "Of course I was going to pass you anyways after that little display. It's not every day that the Avatar's companion enters my home."

"You know?" Aang asked. "How?"

"I've been around for a while. I knew right away that Sokka was Water Tribe, but I didn't realize he was one of the two people who'd been traveling with The Avatar until I met you, and your friend here." Piandao said, holding his hand out towards Katara.

"You aren't gonna rat us out are you?" Katara asked.

Piandao smirked. "Oh quite the contrary."

"Sure was nice of him to give us a little bit of money for our trip." Katara said, as everyone walked down the pathway from the castle toward town.

"The Pai Sho tile was a nice touch too." Sokka said.

"I'm just glad he's not going to tell anyone I'm alive. That's a gift all it's own." Aang said with a huff.

"Oh, speaking of gifts, Toph, I kept a piece of the meteorite. I figured that since you might never have a chance to bend space earth again, this would be a good keepsake." Sokka said, handing a lump of black stone to the blind girl.

Toph instantly squished the material in her hands and created a five pointed star. "Wow, it's so malleable."

"It's not technically earth at all if it comes from space though, right." Katara said as the team kept walking.

"If it's not earth then how come I can bend it?" Toph asked with a smirk.

"Well, you can bend metal too, and that's not earth." Katara said with an eye roll.

"Space earth, Earth earth, whatever it is, I can bend it for some reason." Toph shrugged. "Though I guess it's not really space earth though, since it is super metallic."

"Do you want the scientific reason, or the spiritual reason?" Sokka asked.

"Spiritually, whatever rock becomes a part of the Earth is earth that can be bent." Aang interjected.

"And scientifically, it's because our world's probably made of the same stuff as all the other heavenly bodies are. So whatever impurities are in the space metal, are the same ones that would be in Earth metal."

"Earth metal?" Katara asked. "Now you're just making things up."

Sokka shrugged. "It's what I do best."

Azula had heard from her father that Connor had apparently been working on something in secret with the master smiths who kickstarted Fire Nation musket production. She was intrigued enough to wander around Caldera in search for him, and was none too surprised to find him working in a forge. Azula let her shadow fall into the room from the entrance, and the master smith,Mr. Wong turned and bowed to his superior.

"Princess Azula, thank goodness you're here." Mr. Wong said, as he held his hand out to Connor, who had his back turned to the room, as he hammered away at something. "Sir. Connor has been acting strange."

"Strange how?" Azula asked as she approached Connor, seeing that on the table next to him were roughly 4 pistols in various stages of completion, all of them sporting two barrels in one configuration or another. She froze for a second, remembering her nightmare from a few days prior.

"He hasn't left the shop in nearly two days. Not to sleep, not to eat... I believe he's ill of mind." Wong said.

Azula shook her head, dispelling her transfiction. "Connor!" She said sharply, just as the young man in question brought the hammer in his hand down one last time, and looked over his shoulder. Azula nearly cringed, though held her composure. Heavy bags had formed under Connor's eyes, and his face looked a little paler than usual from his apparent lack of eating. "Might I ask what you're doing slaving away in a dirty smithy?"

"Is there anywhere else I need to be?" Connor asked, as he returned to his work.

Azula stepped around Connor, and saw that he was curling another pistol barrel into shape. His white cotton shirt was soaked through from the heat of the forge. She couldn't help noticing he'd rolled up his sleeves, exposing his arms as he swung his hammer in a steady rhythm. Azula felt her heartbeat quicken, before she swallowed, and fanned her own face. "Preferably somewhere better ventilated. When was the last time you bathed?"

"Look, Azula, I just needed... I'm fine, alright. two days isn't the longest I've gone without food or sleep... I just needed something to do. Figured your dad might appreciate a new pistol design for his officers." Connor said, ponting the head of his hammer at the table with the double barreled guns.

"I'm sure he would..." Azula said, before a thought popped into her head. Connor wanted something to do? Azula could arrange that. "Please, get some rest, and perhaps dinner."

Leaving the forge, Azula returned to the palace, finding her father in his study. She knocked on the door lightly, before hearing her father's permission to enter.

"Father." Azula said with a bow. "If I might ask a favor of you?"

"A favor? What could I possibly give you that you cannot already obtain for yourself?" Ozai asked, as he signed a letter with a brushstroke.

Azula held her hands behind her back. "Permission for Connor to accompany myself, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee on our upcoming vacation to Ember Island."

Ozai paused his signing, for a moment, before completing his mark. "Azula, dearest, I don't know if that's such a good idea. Your friend Ty Lee is already enough of a bad influence. It's not that I don't trust you to make wise decisions, I simply worry. The last thing I need you to be tempted by is a foreigner." Ozai shivered lightly.

"Then you have no reason to worry, father. I simply believe Connor deserves the same compensation as my friends for his service." Azula said, plainly.

Ozai looked down at his desk for a moment. "I do suppose it would only be fair. He did kill the Avatar... And Lo and Li will be there to keep an eye on you. Alright, Connor has my permission to travel with you to Ember Island..." Azula smirked. "But, in exchange, I'd like for you to mingle with some other kids your age on the island." Azula's smirk faded.

In the day's following Governor Chun Lou's assassination, The city had fallen under martial law. General Fuji was charged with controlling the city's inhabitants. Curfews had been set. The city's old separation of the social classes was once more being enforced. A number of suspected resistance fighters had been arrested for the murder of the governor, with many charged, and imprisoned, with two awaiting a scheduled public execution.

General Fuji was present for the execution. He'd expected the masses to see the example being made of a man in his thirties, and the elderly woman, but he was not prepared for just how rowdy the crowd would become, throwing shouts and insults. As the firing squad prepared their guns, and the security around the execution began to push the crowd back, a rock from somewhere in the crowd struck an executioner in the back of the head. Incidentally the soldier fired his gun into the air, and in a frantic rush, the crowd pushed forward, as the security began to fire without orders on the civilians.

General Fuji turned and shouted at his men to cease their fire, before a single boy, no older than thirteen, bearing a great resemblance to the man prepared for execution, rushed past the soldiers with a single short and thin Dao.

General Fuji, a skilled fire bender, though since out of practice, held his left hand up, before throwing his right first forward, and dowsing the teen in fire. To the general's complete shock, the boy didn't stop his charge. Stepping back a pace, as the now burning child was upon him, The General was knocked over by the boy. As he held his hand up to shield himself, the teen shouted, bringing his blade down.

Author's note.

The gun sword is indeed a real historical weapon, with the last serious attempt at one being a prototype 1913 Patton Saber being made as a sort of long bayonet for the M1911. Sokka inventing one is not that far fetched, it's a pretty rational concept for the tech of the era.

The inspiration for the pistol model Connor made is a gun that's actually from a few years after Connor would have disappeared, but the concept isn't new to him, so we'll hand wave that.

And well would you look at that, what Connor said about Ba Sing Se was accurate. "Taking this by force, and keeping it… That would be impossible."