A/N: Hello everyone, I bring you a new chapter of this story.

I really love the reception I'm getting for this story, it really motivates me to keep writing.

This chapter was inspired by a pack of beers, a passed final exam and Shadow0Fire's fic "War for Peace", one of the best Avatar fics I've read and I highly recommend it.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5

Sword and Fire

The high mountain ranges that adorned the horizon, along with the city that sat in the valley, its elegant architecture dominated by the color green and gold, were enough of a clue for Percy to realize that he was not in the Fire Nation and that he was having one of his strange lucid dreams again.

He didn't know why he was having them, he never found a clear meaning, but... When had dreams ever meant anything?

He felt himself being pulled towards one of the houses that stood on the outskirts of the city. High walls protected the huge property, where there was a huge garden. The house, if it could be called that, obviously belonged to a very wealthy family or one with a very high social status.

Percy floated past the front gate, where he could see the huge symbol of a boar with wings above the double gates, guarded by guards who didn't even look at him as he passed over them. As he walked around the property, he saw that the garden was very well-kept, with water ponds and various outdoor pavilions where people could sit and admire the peaceful scenery. It was so beautiful that it rivaled the garden he had seen at the Fire Nation Royal Palace.

At the end of the garden, a two-story house stood majestically, surrounded by several houses made of solid stone. Through a round window, Percy could see a girl standing there. She was wearing an elegant, long, loose-fitting dress with wide sleeves, made of white and yellow silk with green details. Her black hair was neatly combed and tied in a large bun on top of her head, with two curls falling down the sides of her pretty face.

"Father, I wanna go play with those kids!" said the little girl, pointing to the window where a group of children were playing with a ball.

In front of her stood a man who appeared to be her father, dressed just as elegantly. In white and green silk robes. A small hat adorned his head, and a long, thin moustache fell down the sides of his mouth.

"I don't understand why I have to spend every single day locked up in this house!" the girl continued, small tears gathering in her eyes as she frowned sadly. "It gets so... so... lonely in here."

Her father looked at her with sadness for a few seconds before his features hardened, and he spoke with a firm voice.

"I'm sorry, my daughter. But this is just how it's done."

Percy didn't understand what the man meant, but when he noticed that the girl wasn't looking directly at her father, but was staring at a certain point and her eyes were clouded, he understood.

That girl was blind.

"This is impossible!"

A cry of frustration woke Percy. He opened his eyes to see Zuko standing up abruptly, grabbing the sheet of paper where it had been painted, angrily crumpling it, and then throwing it. The ball of paper bounced until it landed near Percy's feet, where he caught it and unrolled it.

"Not bad," Percy commented as he looked at the painting. "Although... What's that on the pond, floating poop?"

"It's the turtle ducks!" Zuko replied, sounding even more frustrated as he tore the paper away from him. "This is stupid!"

Percy sighed. He couldn't blame Zuko for his frustration and anger, he had felt the same way when his dad had drawn him at the beginning of his training to become a swordsman. He certainly hadn't thrown a tantrum like Zuko.

The two had met in the garden of the Royal Palace so that Zuko could begin his first lessons to see if he had what it took to become a swordsman. So far, Percy had shown him the first two lessons, calligraphy and painting. To him, it was not surprising that Zuko was good at calligraphy, considering he was a member of royalty and had received a top-notch education.

"Hey, don't get upset," Percy said. "You're doing fine. Certainly a lot better than I was when I started."

Zuko turned to look at him and raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Really? You?"

"Sure. The first time I picked up a brush to paint, I spilled all the ink on the table. And my paints were so horrible, a friend had to burn them to leave no evidence."

A snort escaped Zuko's lips, though his frustrated expression remained.

"Well, it's different with me. I am a member of royalty, the Royal Family of the Fire Nation. I should be able to master these simple exercises with no problem. Surely Azula would..."

"Azula... Your sister, right? Your father mentioned that she's a firebending prodigy."

"Yeah, she is a firebender par excellence. And everyone adores her," Zuko said, frowning. "My father said she was born lucky, and I was..."

He interrupted himself abruptly, which caught Percy's attention, but he decided not to dwell on it. From the brief interaction he saw yesterday, Percy could tell that the relationship between Zuko and his father was strained and distant, very different from the one he had with Piandao.

Zuko clicked his tongue in displeasure and looked away with an irritated expression.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this," he snapped. "It's not like you understand, you're just like her."

Percy blinked.

"What?"

"You're both prodigies. You don't know what it's like to fight for something and fail... over and over again. Everything always comes easy for you two."

"You... You think I don't know what it's like to fight for something?" Percy asked, sounding irritated. "I know all too well the frustration of setting out to do something and not getting it done."

Percy remembered the months he had spent with Lee practicing his fire stance. He remembered all too well the frustration he felt when he couldn't get a move right, or when he couldn't translate a basic firebending technique into his own fire stance. Lee always tried to comfort him, telling him to be patient when learning a discipline and to be proud of what he had accomplished so far, but that was not enough for Percy because he did not want to master the art of the sword for himself, but for someone else. He wanted to make his father proud. To be a worthy son of the best swordsman in the Fire Nation. Because if he didn't, if he didn't succeed in becoming a great swordsman, he wouldn't feel worthy of being Piandao's son, he would feel like a... failure.

"So don't give me that crap about not knowing what it's like to fight for something and fail," Percy growled, giving Zuko an intense look. "Instead of comparing yourself to others and being frustrated with your lack of progress, why don't you do something about it instead of complaining?"

Zuko's eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn't expected anyone to dare speak to him like that. For Percy, it would not be strange, considering Zuko was royalty, used to being treated with respect and showered with praise.

"Oh, Zuko, there you are."

They both turned to see a woman approaching. From her elegant attire, she was definitely a member of the Royal Family. Percy had only seen one person wearing such an elaborate headdress with the Fire Nation emblem, and that person was Prince Ozai.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Zuko asked.

Percy looked at who Prince Ozai's wife was, she was certainly a very beautiful woman. Although, her beauty was somewhat overshadowed by the slight frown on her face as she looked at her son.

"I have been looking for you, young man," she said. "Teacher Jia informed me that you were absent from class today."

The reprimanding tone in which she spoke caused a guilty look to appear on Zuko's face, and he lowered his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, mother... I forgot. I was busy with something else."

It was then that Zuko's mother became aware of Percy's presence, and a warm smile spread across her lips.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, young. My name is Ursa, I am Zuko's mother. It is so nice to see that my son has finally made a friend!"

"Perseus is not my friend, mother!" Zuko replied vehemently.

Ursa ignored her son's claim without looking away from Percy.

"Perseus? Is that your name?"

"Uh, yes. Nice to meet you... Your Highness," Percy said, bowing, remembering his manners at the last minute.

"The pleasure is mine, young Perseus," she nodded with a friendly smile. "And why are you here in the Royal Palace? I assume you are a guest of my son."

"Yes, I'm here to give your son some lessons in swordsmanship."

"A swordsman?" Ursa looked at her son with a raised eyebrow. "He didn't tell me that he was interested in learning how to use a sword. Let alone that he'd gotten a teacher."

Zuko shifted away from her gaze, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I... had planned to tell you as soon as Master Piandao officially accepted me as his student," he said somewhat hesitantly. "For now, I am in a... probationary period."

Ursa glanced sideways at the small wooden table and painting materials Zuko had been using.

"And your test consists of... Painting?" she asked, confused.

"It's a test that consists of capturing the scene in front of you on a piece of paper after looking at it for a few seconds. A swordsman must always have a clear picture of the battlefield in their mind," Percy explained with a shrug. "I know it sounds silly, but it's one of the basic lessons my dad teaches all his students."

Ursa looked at Percy curiously.

"Oh, so you're Piandao's son. I assume you're a swordsman like him."

A shy smile formed on Percy's lips.

"I hope to be one someday."

"Well, I'm glad you're teaching my son. The spirits know he could use the company of someone his own age. Unlike his sister, he has no friends."

"Mother!" Zuko complained, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Ursa just chuckled, amused by her son's reaction. Percy did too, finding Zuko's relationship with his mother endearing. Part of him wondered if this was what it was like to have a mother.

While waiting for Zuko to finish his lessons, Percy stayed in the beautiful garden of the Royal Palace, leaning against the same tree near the pond, ready to take another short nap.

Or at least he tried to.

Percy opened his eyes and felt something tugging at his pants. When he looked down, he saw a flock of baby turtle ducks pecking at his pants, stretching them.

"Hey, stop that," he said irritably.

He shook the turtle ducks off his pants, but some still clung to him. Loud quacking made him turn around just in time to see a larger turtle duck jump on him and start pecking at him.

"What the hell?! Get off me!"

Percy grabbed the turtle duck and pulled it away from him, though it still tried to peck at him as it waddled on its legs and kept quacking.

"What's your problem?"

The turtle duck continued to agitate, shaking its tiny legs and long neck. It was only when the smaller ducks went to the pond that he stopped pecking and started waving to go to the pond with them.

"Oh... you're their mom," Percy said,

He released her and the animal jumped right into the pool and walked over to her kids. When he saw that they were far enough away not to bother him again, Percy sat down at the foot of the tree where he had been sleeping and closed his eyes, intending to do it again.

After a few minutes, he finally felt himself falling asleep again when a voice stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

He opened his eyes and lifted his head, blinking to clear his vision. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and saw that there were three girls towering over him. Judging by the delicate and elegant clothes they were wearing, they were undoubtedly of a high social class.

The middle one, who seemed to be the one talking to him, frowned in annoyance with her hands on her hips and tapped her foot on the ground, waiting for an answer.

"Well?" she insisted impatiently.

"Isn't it obvious?" Percy said, stifling a yawn. "I was trying to have a nice nap. So, if you don't mind..."

He closed his eyes, ready to fall back asleep, as he put his sheathed sword across his chest and his arms behind his head.

A soft grunt of annoyance from the girl was a sign that he was not going back to sleep.

"I mean, what are you doing here in the Royal Palace," the girl said with obvious annoyance in her voice. "Who are you?"

"Relax, I'm just waiting for Zuko."

"Z-Zuko?" the girl on the right mumbled. "Is he here?"

She had a pale complexion and jet-black hair that was tied back with two red ribbons, giving her a bun. Her amber eyes looked around the garden with a slight nervousness.

"No, he's in class," Percy said, looking quizzically at the girl's nervousness. "We'll leave when he's done."

"Oh! So are you Zuko's friend?" asked the other girl.

Unlike the girl with the red ribbons, she had a more cheerful attitude, judging by the smile on her face. Her brown hair was braided and pulled up in a ponytail.

"Zuko with friends?" scoffed the girl in the middle. "What's next, that he's good at firebending? Don't be ridiculous, Ty Lee, there's no way Zuko has friends."

The girl, Ty Lee, just chuckled, looking a little embarrassed.

"Yeah... of course. You're right, Azula."

Percy blinked at the sight of the girl. He'd heard that name before.

"Azula... Zuko's sister."

She wrinkled her nose as she looked at him, as if he had insulted her in some way.

"Unfortunately," Azula replied with obvious disdain, "I'm surprised someone like you, who doesn't seem to have any manners, would know that."

"I can see the family resemblance," Percy replied. "You're both just as bad-tempered..."

Azula frowned in annoyance and opened her mouth to speak, but Percy cut her off.

"... And next you'll be demanding respect somehow just because you're Prince Ozai's daughter."

Azula's eyes widened in disbelief and surprise. Ty Lee and the girl with the ribbons tensed and looked at each other, then stepped back.

Percy had no doubt that Azula would lash out the same way Zuko had. And she would have, if not for the fact that Zuko arrived just then, accompanied by his mother.

"Zuko, look. Your friend Perseus has been waiting for you," Ursa said with a smile on her face.

"For the last time, mother, he's not my friend," Zuko said, sounding annoyed.

Ursa just smiled and looked at Percy.

"Young Perseus. It's a pleasure to see you again. I see you met my daughter Azula and her friends Mai and Ty Lee."

Azula crossed her arms and looked away disdainfully. Mai, the girl with the ribbons in her hair, gave a hesitant wave, while Ty Lee smiled at him and waved him hand animatedly in greeting.

"Oh, yes, I met them, just with the turtle ducks..." he muttered before looking at Zuko. "Well, are you ready?"

"Are you going to make me paint again?" he asked with the same tone of annoyance.

"Paint?" Azula looked at her brother with confusion and mockery. "I didn't know you were interested in painting, Zuzu. Though you may have more of an aptitude for it than firebending."

Percy snorted in amusement.

"Zuzu..."

"You shut up!" Zuko snapped at Percy before looking at Azula. "And I don't care about painting. It's part of my training to become a disciple of Master Piandao and a swordsman."

Azula snorted.

"You? A swordsman?" The skepticism and mockery was evident in her voice. "What makes you think you can be one? You're a mediocre firebender."

Zuko didn't find an answer, he just frowned in annoyance and lowered his head.

"Well, then, let's find out," Percy said, slinging his sheathed sword over his shoulder and drawing everyone's attention.

"And who are you to judge that?" Azula asked, turning to look at him.

"I'm the son of Piandao," he revealed to Azula's mild surprise. "All right, Zuzu. It's time for your last lesson. Let's see if you have what it takes to be a swordsman."

Percy saw Zuko's eyebrow twitch in annoyance at the ridiculous nickname, but his features hardened, and he nodded with determination.

"What's the last lesson?" he asked.

A smile formed on Percy's lips, making Zuko tense.

"Simple. You will face me in a sword duel."

Percy and Zuko stood face to face in the same courtyard where Percy had faced the firebender soldier a few days earlier. This would be the place where he would test if Zuko had learned the essentials of being a swordsman. If he had what it took to become one.

But he didn't expect to have an audience.

On one side of the courtyard were Ursa, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee, who had stayed to watch the duel with varying degrees of curiosity. Ursa had encouraged both boys, though she had warned them to be careful. Ty Lee looked excited. Mai was a little more reserved, but had said a few brief words of support to Zuko, though he didn't seem to hear her. Azula, on the other hand, had said nothing but kept a curious eye on the impending duel.

Percy could feel the pang in the back of his neck that he was being watched, but chose to ignore it in favor of the impending duel he would have.

"Curious choice," he commented, observing the swords Zuko had chosen for the duel.

He was wielding a pair of dao swords. He had obtained the double swords from the Royal Palace armory, and unlike Percy's own sword, Zuko's dao swords looked quite sharp.

"I have decided that these will be the swords I wield," Zuko said, brandishing both swords.

"It remains to be seen if you have what it takes to wield them," Percy said, unsheathing his own sword.

"What's the point of this? We both know I can't beat you in a sword duel."

"It's to see if you have learned anything from the previous lessons. Do you remember the main points of those boring exercises?"

"Yes. Keep the image of the battlefield in your mind, manipulate it, and use it to your advantage."

"Good, now I'm going to tell you the same thing my dad told me when I first started training," Percy said, catching Zuko's attention. "Your weapon is an extension of yourself. You must think of it as another part of your own body. 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."

In the distance, Percy could hear Azula snort in derision. He glanced sideways at her in annoyance, but then looked seriously at Zuko.

"On guard."

Percy took a basic stance. He would not use his fire stance, as this was only a duel to test Zuko.

Somewhat hesitantly, Zuko took his own stance, legs shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms outstretched as he held both swords. Percy looked closely at his stance. It was frail and full of slits, definitely not that of a swordsman, but rather that of a firebender. He could tell because he had spent months practicing extrapolating the basic postures and movements of firebending to the movements of a swordsman. And while he was far from an expert, he had a pretty solid base. His father had made sure of that.

They both stared at each other for a few seconds until Percy was the one who decided to make the first move. He quickly stepped up and made a chest-high thrust that Zuko blocked with one of his swords, while trying to hit Percy hard with the other, but he simply stepped aside and deflected Zuko's blade, causing him to almost lose his grip. Zuko continued to attack, trying to hit Percy with his dual broadswords in a frantic and wild manner, but Percy simply blocked all of his attacks with minimal effort.

When Zuko used both swords to attack Percy's head, he simply ducked and then aimed for his feet, performing a sweep with his sword, but Zuko managed to jump and then drop both swords in fury with the intention of overwhelming him, but Percy raised his sword and parried the attack with ease. Their blades quivered as they grappled until Percy pushed up hard, leaving an opening in Zuko that he used to slash through his feet with his sword, knocking him to the ground.

When Zuko tried to get up, he found Percy's sword inches from his neck.

"What are you trying to do?" Percy asked.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, frowning in confusion.

"I told you to put into practice what you learned in the previous lessons, but instead, you just attack in anger with the intention of overpowering me. This is not a firebender's fight, this is a swordsman's fight. So fight like one."

Percy removed the sword from his neck and waited for Zuko to get to his feet. When they were both ready, Percy attacked again with a series of slashes and thrusts. Zuko gritted his teeth as he tried to fend off the barrage of attacks, but he wasn't having much success.

A particularly hard blow to his leg caused Zuko to drop to his knees with a groan of pain. It would have been a fatal blow had the sword been a sharp blade. Zuko looked up to see Percy's sword coming at him and reacted in time, raising his own blades to parry, but his shoulders shook from the force of the blow. His position prevented him from reacting or defending himself as Percy kicked him in the chest, sending him to the ground.

A groan of pain escaped Zuko's mouth as he fell, but he quickly got up, though Percy did not relent in his attacks as he continued to press him, forcing him to give in when he defended himself or deflected his sword and went to the edge of the field. When Percy made a thrust at stomach level, Zuko used both swords to forcefully deflect Percy's blade, causing it to end up embedded in a tree trunk.

Slightly surprised by the maneuver and still holding his sword embedded in the tree, Percy was completely exposed, a situation that Zuko took advantage of by attacking with his dual swords. Dropping his sword, Percy spun around Zuko, dodging his blades and then kicking him in the back. Zuko regained his balance and then tried to slash Percy again with one of his swords, but didn't count on the fact that he had already removed his sword from the tree and used it to parry the attack.

Zuko looked at him with intensity as he tried to overwhelm him with both swords and his larger size, but Percy stood his ground. Using the advantage of having two swords, Zuko tried to slash Percy's legs with one of them, but he dodged it by jumping. That seemed to be what Zuko was hoping for, as he pushed him hard and managed to trip Percy on one of the tree roots as he landed. He didn't miss the opportunity in front of him as he delivered a scissor slash with both swords, but he didn't expect Percy to twist backwards and dodge the edge of his blades by inches. He fell to the ground, then spun backwards to put some distance between them, then quickly got up.

"Good," Percy nodded. "Use the terrain to your advantage."

Zuko didn't respond verbally, just narrowed his eyes and gripped the hilt of both swords tighter, as if evaluating his next move.

Then he did something that stunned Percy.

Lunging quickly, Zuko spun 360 degrees and swung both swords hard. Percy raised his own sword to parry the attack, but then something happened that stunned him. Zuko's dual swords were imbued with fire. The force of the attack, coupled with the destructive power of the firebending, caused Percy to grit his teeth as their swords clashed.

As the flames dissipated, Zuko stared in disbelief to see Percy still standing. Even as the flames gnawed at the sleeves of his clothes and his sword smoked slightly, he held his ground, not moving an inch and showing no signs of discomfort from the heat of the flames.

"How did you...?" Zuko murmured, looking perplexed.

With a quick movement, Percy used his sword to quickly disarm Zuko, sending their dual swords flying into the air before falling and embedding themselves in the ground several feet away. Zuko found himself at the end of Percy's sword, who looked at him in utter astonishment.

"That was... unexpected," Percy said, blinking in surprise and then smiling. "And amazing, too."

He lowered his sword under Zuko's puzzled gaze.

"But... I was using firebending," he replied.

"Yes, but you fought with the qualities that define a swordsman: creativity and versatility. Not only that, but you went beyond that and demonstrated... something else."

Percy grabbed the dual swords and offered them to Zuko, who looked at him a bit puzzled.

"Maybe you can be more than just a swordsman and a firebender. You can take the best of both disciplines and create something... unique."

Still looking stunned, Zuko grabbed the dual swords with a slight hesitation.

"You're ready," nodded Percy with a smile.

Zuko looked at his reflection in the swords, then at Percy, and a small smile formed on his lips as he nodded back. At that moment, Ursa, Mai and Ty Lee approached him and congratulated him on his skills.

Out of the corner of his eye, Percy noticed Azula standing off to the side, watching the scene with a frown on her face. Then she turned her gaze to him and gave him a cold, scrutinizing look that made Percy feel a little uncomfortable.

When Percy returned to the mansion where he lived with his father, he found him in the courtyard practicing various moves with his jian sword.

Even now, Percy was fascinated to watch his father train. All of his movements were smooth, graceful, and fluid. He could see the dexterity and finesse in them that even made it look easy. He wondered how many years his father had put into his training to be able to perfect his moves like that.

"Percy, you're back," Piandao said, noticing his son's presence. "How did it go with young Zuko?"

Percy grimaced bitterly, remembering his lessons with the temperamental member of the Royal Family.

"It was... good," he said. "Calligraphy is no problem for him, and although he's frustrated with painting, he's not bad at it. As for the duel with the swords..." He remembered the confrontation with Zuko and a smile stretched his lips. "He showed the qualities of a swordsman."

"I am glad. I can see that young Zuko has great potential as a swordsman."

"Yes, I could see it too. But I also see a moody, temperamental teenager who gets frustrated when things don't go his way."

"Give him time. He just needs someone to guide him with patience and understanding. He's a boy who just wants his father's approval. He reminds me of someone."

Piandao's not-so-subtle look was enough for Percy to know what he meant. Was that so? Were he and Zuko that much alike? Well, he could see similarities in their desire for recognition from their respective parents and their willingness to work hard for it. But Percy didn't see himself as cocky and moody like Zuko.

"Well, my son, you have come at the perfect time," Piandao said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "It's time to continue your training."

"My training? I'm going back to basic training?"

The annoyance was noticeable in Percy's voice. After showing what he was capable of in the duel with that firebender yesterday, he thought he had finally gotten out of basic training.

"No," Piandao refused, to his obvious relief. "The basic drills are important, but you'll practice them on your own later. What you need now is to master the stance you've created."

Slowly, an excited smile formed on Percy's lips as he listened to his father.

"Will you help me?" Percy asked excitedly.

Piandao smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course I will help you. As your father, there is no greater pride for me than to help you reach your full potential. And by your full potential, I also mean your other abilities."

Knowing what his father meant, Percy thought for a few seconds about his other 'abilities'. From the day he discovered them, he knew he was different, unique. Piandao and Fat had told him he had a gift, that he was special, but considering they lived in a nation where fire was the main and only accepted element, Percy's abilities only made him feel like someone who didn't belong and didn't deserve to be a citizen of the Fire Nation.

"You know how I feel about that, dad," he said, sounding reluctant. "Being a swordsman is the only thing I want to be. The only kind of master I want to be is a master of the sword."

Piandao's features crumpled in sad realization.

"It's all right, son."

Percy was grateful that his father wasn't pushing him. Perhaps because he understood his aversion to the subject.

"As for your sword training, you've made great strides in the past year. From what I can see, your fire stance is remarkable, but it still needs polishing," Piandao pointed out. "There are two ways to do that. The first is through combat experience, and the second is by practicing with a firebender. I can help you with combat experience, but as far as training with a firebender... Maybe you could ask young Zuko for help."

A sour face appeared on Percy's face at the thought of asking the moody and temperamental teenager for help. His father was right, though. To master his fire stance, he needed the guidance of a firebender. After all, he was basing his moves on the art of firebending, with the help of Lee, a novice firebender who had begun his training with him. He wondered how much he would learn from an experienced firebender.

He wasn't particularly excited about asking Zuko for help, though.

"I'll... think about it," he finally said.

"Good. Now, get ready. We'll practice until the sun goes down. Show me what the stance you've created is capable of," Piandao said, taking a stance. "I'll judge for myself how good it is."

Percy had a defiant smile on his face as he unsheathed his sword and then settled into his fire stance.

"Do you think you can keep up with me?" he challenged, excited to face his father for the first time and show everything he was capable of.

Well, almost everything.

Piandao didn't answer, just returned the defiant smile and attacked, starting the duel between father and son.

The next day, Percy walked through the main gates of the Royal Palace and greeted the guards, who simply nodded and let him pass, knowing him as the son of Piandao and, in their eyes, a friend of Zuko's.

Percy did not know even a tenth of the entire palace, but he remembered the way to the garden, where he would wait for Zuko and then go with all the candidates who had arrived today to become Piandao's disciples.

At first, Percy did not want to come as Zuko's escort, but he had considered the suggestion his father had given him. Zuko was a firebender and interested in becoming a swordsman; perhaps the two of them could help each other improve. Percy would help him with his sword training, and Zuko would help him master his fire stance by showing him the moves as firebender had trained for years. It would be a win-win situation for both of them.

When he reached the garden, he was pleased to see that no one was there. He could wait for Zuko to finish his lessons and maybe take a nap.

Percy reached the tree in front of the pond and leaned against it, ready to sleep. He didn't see the turtle ducks from yesterday, so he figured they wouldn't bother him again.

He lay there for a few minutes with his eyes closed, but he couldn't sleep, which was strange. The garden was quite relaxing, though, and he didn't mind staying there for a while. He thought about taking out his flute and playing a little, but the arrival of someone prevented him from doing so.

"So you're here again."

Percy looked up and saw Azula, Zuko's sister. She really did look like her mother, with her black hair pulled back in a bun and two curls framing her face. Her eyes were a golden color that he found pretty, if a little intimidating. Somewhat disturbing for a girl who looked only twelve years old. She looked at him questioningly, as if analyzing the best way to defeat him in battle.

"It's a nice place to take a nap," Percy said, settling into the shade of the tree.

"Is that all you do?" Azula asked, a slight annoyance creeping into her voice. "Taking naps?"

"Yeah, most of the time."

Azula frowned in annoyance and looked away.

"I can't believe you're just like me..." she muttered under her breath, though Percy could hear her.

"What do you mean, just like you?"

"Never mind. I'll test it myself."

Percy raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he saw Azula standing in front of him, looking directly at him with a seriousness that puzzled him.

"I challenge you to a duel."

...

..

.

And that's all for now, dear readers!

I hope you enjoyed the duel between Percy and Zuko, with Zuko showing a combination of swordsmanship and firebending that I will develop later.

We also saw the first interaction between Percy and Azula, which, as with Zuko, didn't get off to the best of starts.

I've tried to stay as true to the characters as possible, as it's too early for Percy to have a significant impact on them, as they're just getting to know each other.

I want to take my time to develop their relationship without it being too forced and out of place, so that their relationship is somewhat solid and believable, so that when they act a certain way, you can understand why they do it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought of it and what you think will happen next. I'm looking forward to your answers.

And with nothing more to say... A psychological hug and see you next time, my beauties!