Author's note: Alright. I never imagined it'd take this long to update this story. Well, lots happened and I was quite busy. However, I managed to write enough material to present you with TWO chapters as an apology :). Oh; and I'm sure you noticed that I changed the cover pic ^^. I hope you like it.
Fight 48: At sword's point
Aang, Sokka, Katara and Toph were lying on a makeshift stone roof covering Appa and staring up at a meteor shower flying across the night sky. Katara voiced her amazement, and Sokka that it made you realize how insignificant humans were... and they felt even more so when a meteorite fell in their direction and passed over their heads. They turned to watch it crash in the distance in a huge explosion. When they saw smoke rising from an orange glow, they all looked to each other nervously. There was no smoke without fire. They boarded Appa and went to check. Fire filled the large crater caused by the fall of the object... and just a bit ahead was a town nestled in the mountains and at risk of being burned down.
Appa landed close to the fire. Aang, Toph, and Sokka jumped off while Katara slid onto Appa's head, took the reigns and flew off. She would bend the water from the nearby creek onto the fire. Aang and Toph decided to make a trench to keep the fire from coming any closer. And Sokka... dejectedly asked what he should do. It was not like the club he had brought could be of any use in this case. When Momo flew past them and chirped, the Avatar had the idea of making Sokka keep an eye on him. Aang and Toph pushed the fire back with earthbending. Flaming embers fell around the two onlookers. The boy frantically stamped one out with his club while the lemur put all the others out before returning to his caretaker. Sokka looked back, saw there was nothing left for him to do, and gave the animal a sour expression. Katara and Appa came back with a huge orb of water above them that the waterbender used to quench most of the flames. Toph bended a large rectangular slab of stone and rolled it over, stomping out more flames. The non-bender and pet watched it pass them by. The Avatar took the rest of the water from Katara and told Sokka to stand clear. The warrior disappointedly obeyed, but not fast enough. Although Momo took off in time, the warrior was caught by surprise and washed away by the wave. In the same time, Aang exhaled a gust of wind and bended a globe of water with strong pressure. The orb grew out from the center and exploded. The fire was put out. Appa landed and the benders joined up.
"Good work, everybody." The airbender dusted his hands with a satisfied expression. Only Sokka didn't look the slightest bit happy.
Inside his cell, Iroh was leaning against the wall, eyes glazed over and drooling, when Warden Poon entered. The jailer dropped a bowl of mush on the floor in front of the cell and kicked it over to the prisoner, spilling it. Iroh scrambled at the food, desperate and gasping. He fell face first into the mush and began to slovenly shovel it into his mouth.
"Look at you. You're just a fat, disgusting old man. You do nothing, you say nothing. You just eat and roll around in your own filth like a pig. You're a disgrace." The disdainful guard disparaged, spat on the floor, and left. The former general smiled and flicked the stray strands of his hair back before picking up the bowl and eating again in a much more dignified pose. His act of the old man losing his mind and humanity was obviously a success. After the meal he did series of sit-ups. But he wasn't the only one into calisthenics. So was Chenlian in her own cell... stretching, strenghening her body, gradually increasing the difficulty of the exercises... but although she had perfectly balanced and tailored her regimen, averted eyes could tell she was overstraining and not resting enough. As usual, she was tapping into her willpower to overcome her body's limits. Her time in Ba Sing Se had lulled her into a false sense of peace and made her complacent, and neglectful. She had failed there. And that shame wouldn't allow her to rest. Inactivity was inadmissible. It was then the Warden ceremoniously brought her her meal: poached salmon, brown and red rice, a yogurt and fruits salad with mint.
Meanwhile, in the small and pretty Fire Nation town of Shu Jing situated in the mountains next to a cliff overlooking a river – and that had narrowly escaped being burned down by a fire caused by the fall of a meteorite – Aang and his friends were seated at an outdoor table at a local restaurant, each with a tray of food. The Avatar noted these people had no idea how close they had been to getting toasted last night. Toph complained that the worst thing about being in disguise was that they didn't get the hero worship anymore. She missed the love.
"Boo-hoo, poor heroes." Sokka gloomily and sarcastically replied. He was sitting at the edge of the floor by himself, a tray of steaming smoked sea slug next to him. His sister asked what was wrong with him. He hadn't even touched his food. "It's just... all of you guys can do this awesome bending stuff... like putting out forest fires, and flying around, and making other stuff fly around... I can't fly around, ok!? " He explained, upset and a bit testy. "I can't do anything." He concluded sadly. Katara denied him. No one could read a map like him. The blind girl remarked that she couldn't read at all. The airbender added he was the one who made them laugh all the time with his sarcastic comments. That wasn't nearly enough to cheer him up though. "Look, I appreciate the effort, but the fact is each of you is so amazing and so special, and I'm not. I'm just the guy in the group who's regular."
"I'm sorry you're feeling so down, but I hope you know none of us see you that way." Katara went to sit next to her sibling and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know something that's gonna make you feel better."
"You do ?" He inquired hopefully.
"Shopping!" The warrior clapped his hands excitedly some time later as they were all standing in the doorway of a weapons shop. He ran inside and started examining the various weapons on display. "Maybe a little something to reinvigorate my battling..." He pondered and tried a nunchaku. Its handling proved too difficult though and he accidentally hit himself in the head and fell over, knocking over a few poles weapons on the rack and making Toph flinch. Katara, who was fitting on a pair of gloves, was called by Aang. The child had donned an extremely (overly) stylized and complex suit of heavy, shiny armor. He found it pretty slick but the waterbender didn't look too convinced. And indeed, the heavy suit fell over, with the boy still inside. It was really hard to move around in that thing after all, so the monk decided to just stick to what he had. Next, Sokka tried more weapons, a guandao, an enormous metal club, dual swords, a spear, a chain, a sai... but none of them seemed to quite fit. Suddenly, something caught his eye. He rushed to a gorgeous straight sword framed and positioned above the others. A dragon was depicted on the scabbard. "Oooh. That's what Sokka's talking about." The Water Tribe boy examined the sword very closely, feeling the scarbard. The shop keeper praised his good eye and informed him it was an original from Piandao, the greatest sword master and sword maker in Fire Nation history who lived in the big castle up the road from here.
"That's it. That's what you needed all along, Sokka." Aang intervened. "Not the sword... a master. We've all had masters to help us get better. You should see if you can study with Piandao." He advised as his friend pulled the sword off the rack. Katara agreed and admitted she could have never gotten to her current level without Master Pakku. Everyone needed a teacher. Even Toph had learned from others. The badger moles didn't talk, but they were still good teachers.
"It would be nice to be a master swordfighter. All right, I'll talk to him." Sokka made his mind.
Piandao's castle was located on top of a large bluff with a single path leading to it. Sokka tapped the knocker against the large front gate. At the third attempt, the butler, Fat, finally opened the right door and apathetically asked if he could help. The frightened boy composed himself, assumed a more mannered persona and replied he had come to train with the Master. Fat warned that the Master turned almost everyone away and inquired what he had brought to prove his worth . Since he had nothing, the butler shook his head disappointedly but nonetheless let him in... to 'get this over with'... clearly certain that this guy ignorant of the ways of the world was going to be turned down too. They crossed the courtyard and headed to the tallest tower. Sokka entered the highest room. It was spacious, with a red carpet and tall windows giving a view of the valley. Piandao was sitting at a small table in front of the windows, and doing calligraphy. He had dark skin and was wearing a black cheongsam.
"Master, my name is Sokka, and I wish to be instructed in the way of the sword." The boy greeted. Piandao noted it was an unusual name. "Oh, uh, really? Uh, where I come from, the Fire Nation colonies, it's a pretty normal name, for Fire Nation colonials." He lied nervously.
"Let me guess. You've come hundreds of miles from your little village where you're the best swordsman in town. And you think you deserve to learn from The Master." The swordsman inferred knowingly. Every single person that came to him was like this after all, arrogant youths who, in fact, were nothing but frogs in a well that didn't know the ocean. Sokka admitted he had actually been all over the world. "Yep, here we go." The master continued with the same tone.
"And I know one thing for sure." The teen got down on his knees and hung his head. "I have a lot to learn." The boy confessed. That made Piandao glance back at him. Now that was unusual. He noted that Sokka was not doing a very good job of selling himself. "I know. Your butler told me that when I met you, I would have to prove my worth. But the truth is... I don't know if I am worthy."
"Hm, I see. Well, then..." The swordsman smiled and picked up his weapon. "Let's find out together how worthy you are." He offered. Sokka looked up as Piandao's shadow passed over him. "I will train you." The master declared. A huge smile spread across the teen's face.
Sokka and Piandao were standing in a sword fighting ring in front of the building they were in earlier, with the pupil wearing an almost identical outfit to his master's. The first lesson was that your weapon is an extension of yourself, another part of your own body, like an extra-long, really sharp arm. The sword was a simple tool, but in the hands of a master it became the most versatile of weapons... just as the imagination was limitless so too were the possibilities of the sword. The teacher performed in front of the student who smiled excitedly and nodded in understanding.
The stone slab/door opened in Chenlian's cell and Linshen entered. Dai Lis placed down a water basin, towels, and a small wooden pot of sorts and left. The girl raised an eyebrow and eyed him suspiciously but Linshen just grinned innocently. She sighed, and just a moment later, he was gently washing the dirt and dry blood off her back. Indeed, sometimes, her impatience-caused overexertion made cracks appear on the skin of the scar. Even so, a prison cell was not the best environment for someone to recover from such injuries.
"You're planning on leaving as soon as possible, right?"
"Of course. I don't want to be a burden to them, so as soon as I feel I've gotten strong enough to protect myself, and to protect them..."
"The Avatar is planning an invasion on the Fire Nation capital the first day of august during the eclipse. The Southern Water Tribe will take part as well as Earth Kingdom soldiers. It wouldn't be too late for you to wait until then and escape in the confusion, and join them." The young man sounded really worried about her condition.
"You know I'm not one to just wait to be rescued. If they're planning an invasion then all the more reason for me to be there before that... since thanks to a certain someone, we won't get the Earth King's support." Chenlian glared back at him.
"But now, the Earth King can learn about the world. That can only make him a better ruler. Also, I'm in contact with Katara's and Sokka's father, Hakoda, and we're calling out to people of interest... well, actually, it's people who've met the Avatar's party and want to fight for them... strange waterbenders from a swamp, earthbenders who used to compete in an underground arena, soldiers and villagers freed from a Fire Nation brig... and inventors, father and son, who had taken refuge at the Northern Air Temple. The son, by the way, asked about you. That one might be fighting for you. We haven't finished rounding everyone up though." He smiled again and started applying ointment on her wound. Chenlian sighed again.
"But without the Earth King's regular army, we'll be lacking penetration force during the invasion itself, and defensive power once the eclipse is over. That's why I need to be there. If Katara helps treating me, I can recover faster. So that when the day comes, I'll stake my everything to make up for the firepower we lack... I will redeem myself." The prisoner curled her fists. Her voice and will were so strong.
"Isn't it going to be difficult? When the eclipse starts, it will affect you too. And you no longer have your precious partner..." He moved to face her and touched the area of her solar plexus where her scar was. He was really worried, he didn't want her to overdo it and suffer the drawbacks.
"His consciousness might be gone but he's still here with me. He's in this blood, this chi, this life, this energy... I'll fight for him too, I'll use the life he's given me to the fullest to accomplish my goal. I can feel it... with him, even during the eclipse, I'll be able to firebend. It kills me that this was exactly what Ozai wanted but if anything it should be nice to use the very power he sought against him..." Her lips were curled into a feral smile, and her eyes were seething fiercely, intently. Linshen felt a rush of heat. The air seemed waver, vapor was rising from her and the water basin, her energy was almost visible. Although her body was still in bad condition, she was actually overflowing with power. She wanted to hurry and become able to use it.
Whether it was Guang's influence or not was a mystery but she seemed to turn more and more into a dragon... her majesty and ferocity, her overwhelming power and the awe she inspired... And you couldn't keep a dragon caged. Linshen grinned in anticipation. She was really the only one after all... the only one that could stir his heart and make it pound against his chest like this, the only one that could make his blood boil in excitation and rouse his spirit like this... After hearing what she had done at the North Pole, he had always regretted not being present to see her cloaked in fire like a dragon but now... he was going to have a chance to see her soar into the sky. Of course he was worried about her and wanted her to be safe, but on the other hand, he also wanted to see her fight, see her struggle like a human. He wanted to see the blinding radiance of someone who fought while putting their everything on the line. She was a great blaze. And her power was to light a fire in people's hearts. Such a complicated feeling...
"Besides, I'm sure you can think of a number of ways to help me anytime." Chenlian smirked.
"Indeed... but what about Iroh?"
"We'll ask him later."
"And Zuko?"
"...If he doesn't take my hand by the time I take my decision, then..." The girl trailed off. The young man sighed. So she still hadn't given up. Even though she had been wounded, trampled and denied to this extent, like she had been pushed off a cliff, she still desperately held on, believed, hoped. At this point, it should be mostly out of habit though. After all, even she should understand that she couldn't simply justify what Zuko did with something like 'don't worry, you simply lost your mind for a moment there, that's all, it was nothing'... There was no way he could be forgiven so easily. Well, she should realize soon enough...
Meantime, Aang, Toph, Katara, Appa, and Momo had returned to the countryside. The humans were lying on their backs in a circle. Momo joined them. They were bored and had no idea what to do since Sokka had been in charge of schedules. And it was so hot today too. Katara tried to crack a joke about it and failed. Apparently, jokes didn't run in the family.
"The warrior practices a variety of arts to keep his mind sharp and fluid." Piandao and Sokka were standing in front of a table on which was a calligraphy stationary. "The first you will learn is calligraphy. Write your name." He instructed and delicately handed a brush to Sokka, who took it, messing the bristles up with his thumb. The teen was clearly skeptical. The master took the brush and positioned it correctly in his pupil's hand. "When you write your name, you stamp the paper with your identity. You must learn to use your sword to stamp your identity on a battlefield." He added. Holding his sleeve, Sokka prepared to write his name. "Remember, you cannot take back a stroke of the brush, or a stroke of the sword." He warned the boy who started quivering and sweating nervously, too scared to write. Sokka scratched his head, the tip of the brush on his chin, thinking hard about what to do. "You are getting ink on your face." Piandao noted. This gave Sokka an idea. He smiled, brushed ink over his face, pressed his face onto the paper and rolled his head around. Then he showed the paper to his teacher, grinning cheerfully. On the paper was a large inkblot which vaguely resembled a face. Piandao simply closed his eyes in response.
Some time later, under the Master's watch, Sokka and Fat were facing off in the sword fighting ring, both wearing training equipment and holding wooden swords. The pupil lunged at the butler/assistant and thrust his sword, only to be disarmed in a second. He ran away and was chased by Fat who kept whacking him in the rear with the wooden sword.
Next, a blindfolded Sokka was guided through the countryside by Piandao who explained the new assignement. Landscape painting taught a warrior to hold the lay of the land in his mind. In battle, you only had an instant to take everything in. He stopped Sokka, turned him to and removed the blindfold. Before the apprentice spread the majestic view of a mighty river flowing into a series of waterfalls that dropped into a canyon. His eyes widened and he smiled with excitement and amazement. But then, the instructor grabbed his head and turned him the other way, making him sit in front of a table with a piece of paper, paint, and paint brushes... and ordered him to paint what he had seen. The teenager gaped in disbelief. Piandao stopped him from peeking and walked away to let his pupil focus on his painting. The finished product was a very childish and colorful representation of the landscape, including a rainbow and a sun with a smiling face. When the teacher noted the additions, Sokka worriedly asked if that was ok. Piandao sighed and shook his head.
Back at the sparring area, Sokka fared much better this time. He was distracted though when his Master called his name, giving Fat the opportunity to circle behind him and kick him in the back, making him fall to the ground. Piandao ordered him to concentrate on what he was doing. The boy frowned, dropped his head, and gave Piandao a half hearted thumbs up. After Sokka changed, they went to stand at the top of a stairway leading down to an empty, tiled area surrounded by grass and rocks and a single tree. Small statues of lion turtles were also planted here and there. The master told him that rock gardening taught the warrior to manipulate his surroundings and use them to his advantage. Sokka pondered the issue and had an idea.
Piandao watched with worry as his pupil ran down the steps, rolled a huge stone across the ground that he brought close to the tree, then found a sheet of moss that he took and threw over the huge stone before lying down on it, sighing in relaxation. So it was 'to his advantage' to make himself comfortable on a chair... Fat returned, also properly dressed and suddenly gasped in shock at the mess of stones on the floor... and THAT GUY shamelessly relaxing. Sokka waved at him and requested a cold drink. The butler gasped in disbelief and turned to his employer, obviously expecting him to say something about that person's behavior. When Piandao asked for a slice of lemon in his drink, Fat could only groan in resignation and go fetch the drinks. After the break, Sokka and Fat dueled once more. This time, the boy fought even better, and even ended up winning... to the butler's displeasure.
After upside down crunches, Iroh decided to do push ups on his knuckles, clapping his hands together at the apex of each push. However, not far in the hallways, Warden Poon, who was sitting and eating a piece of bread, heard the clapping and went to investigate. Though when he looked inside through the barred window of the door and asked what was going on in there ; the prisoner was sitting against the wall and lazily clapping his hands side to side with a delirious expression. The jailer dismissed the crazy old man and left. The former general clapped a few more times and smiled once sure that the warden is gone. He stopped clapping and pushed back a few strands of hair that were hanging over his face.
At the Avatar party's campsite, Aang and Katara were argueing over a map. They couldn't even agree on which island they were.
"You noodle-brains don't know what you're doing. I miss Sokka." Toph spoke. She was resting next to them. Katara made another attempt at joking, and failed again.
"You've had a good first day of training." Piandao voiced his opinion. He and Sokka were sitting cross-legged and facing each other in the middle of the fighting ring.
"I have? But I thought I messed up every single thing we worked on." The pupil acknowledged his shortcomings.
"You messed things up in a very special way." His mentor clarified. "You are ready for a real sword." He added. Looking very excited, the teenager hoped to be given one of his revered teacher's swords. "No." The master replied in a deadpan manner, causing him to slump down and groan disappointedly. "Your sword must be an extension of yourself. So tomorrow, you will make your own sword." The swordsmaster and swordsmith declared. Sokka instantly perked up and grinned.
This night, Chenlian was doing her usual stretching when Zuko entered. She sighed. She couldn't believe he was still coming here. He said he had brought a special infusion with high healing properties. The surprise caused her to miss her movement and fall. She couldn't believe he was still bringing such things... even though she had told him she didn't want anything. But after all, he wasn't one to listen to her, and she couldn't stop him from doing anything. What she couldn't undertand though was why he was still concerning himself with her. The boy chose to ignore the question whose answer he didn't know.
"Actually, I'm leaving soon for Ember Island with the others so I won't be able to come here for awhile." He reported.
"Oh? Have fun then, and forget about the people fighting and suffering all over the world because of your beloved father. Well, you should have never come here in the first place. This is the life you fought so hard to reclaim. This... this is what you wanted. So treasure it more and don't stupidly put it in jeopardy by needlessly coming to see people you've already discarded."
"You said the very opposite last time! Who's the real you?! What do you actually want me to do?!" Zuko shot back, causing Chenlian to recoil slightly. "If you have even just a bit of guilt, regrets, or doubts... regarding what you've done... if you do love me, I hope that you will take my hand, and we'll live this place together..."
"...That... that doesn't matter, does it? If it did, we wouldn't be in this situation, would we? What about you? You already made your choice, right? Then why don't you protect what you have? If you already have everything you want, why do you keep coming here? Who's the real you? The one who's with Mai... or the one who keeps coming back to me for no real reason? You keep calling me a traitor, using that as an excuse, but do you really think so?"
"You betrayed the Fire Nation by allying yourself with the Avatar! You betrayed me!" He accused her. No, you're the one who betrayed her! He heard his own conscience accuse him.
"So, do you really think your father is always right? Do you really think this war is justified? Do people become traitors for speaking the truth? Do they become traitors for speaking against injustice? Was I wrong to refuse to become a tool for mass slaughter? I have never betrayed the Fire Nation, only the Fire Lord... because he has betrayed his own people by trying to ruin this world. Sharing the greatness of the Fire Nation? Just where was the need for that? Just how many of our people have died for that? How many have lost their family? Don't the other civilizations have the right to live in peace? Haven't you seen enough of people suffering? Haven't you heard their screams and their resentment? A king's power is meant to protect, not to destroy. If you ignore them, then you have no right to be king. Can't you believe my words? Then what is it that you believe in and fight for? Is it the honors, your father's orders? If that is true, I will truly become your enemy. If I am your enemy, will you kill me, just like you condemned all those people, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko?"
"I... I... I just wanted my father to love me and accept me! What's wrong with that?!" The prince bellowed, bringing his arms down in extreme frustration, causing fire to shoot down from his fists and bounce up into a column. Why was she cornering him like this?! He was feeling just like he had been when he was chasing the Avatar and she kept getting in his way, and their words, their feelings couldn't get across. In truth, he just couldn't bear for her to be on the other side... on anyone's side but his.
"But as someone who's in a position to rule a country, you should know that's not enough, right? A ruler must think of the people before his own happiness. You don't have the right to be selfish. Enough people died on both sides. But mark my words, your father WILL use Sozin's comet to burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground. Your father and sister won't stop until the other side is completely annihilated and there's nothing left. You know they won't. Their ambition won't let them. If you want to keep living like this you must harden your heart. You've already discarded me and Iroh, now you must be prepared to have the lives of tens of thousands people on your conscience... But if you don't want that, if you can't bear that, if you're different from them... Zuko, won't you take my hand? You know how despised the Fire Nation is. But if we stop this war, if our nation plays a key role in the reconstruction, if we contribute to creating a new era of peace and kindness, we will no longer be the hated Enemy but one of the four pillars supporting this world... So let's get away, Iroh, you, and me. Let's stop this together." She extended her hand to him, looking at him so expectantly, so desperately and so passionately but in the same time she was so fearful. And, bewitched, captivated, he almost took her hand. But in the end, he was too scared, scared of her resolve, of his feelings for her. He tore himself from her.
"NO! Why do you keep doing that?! Why do you keep cornering me?! Stop trying to confuse me! Stop trying to beguile me and make me a traitor like you!" He raged, bolting upright. No! You know that's not it! He innerly berated himself. Why did he keep saying things he didn't mean, things he knew were wrong, things that hurt her? But he just couldn't help it.
"... Because even now, even if it's the height of foolishness, even after everything, even if you no longer care about me... even if you don't want me to, I still care about you and I want to save you." Chenlian replied calmly. And unable to withstand the sadness, the sincerity and tenderness of her gaze, Zuko ran away.
He ran away from her... from his own heart that ached so much from seeing her like this, and only being able to throw such hurtful words at her... even though he could tell she still loved him even now, and that deep down, he knew she was right. But he just couldn't admit it, because if he did, he couldn't stay here anymore. If he didn't blame her, he wouldn't be able to bear looking at himself in a mirror. He finally had his father's love, recognition, and acceptance, and he couldn't lose them now! But he still needed Chenlian too. However, as the crown prince, as his father's son, he had responsibilities... if he did not call her traitor, if he did not speak to her with hostility like this, he could not come to see her, because that would make him unable face his father, or Mai... and he could not truly face Chenlian after the choice he had made! He had no right to love her and take her hand! Even though no matter how much he denied it and pretended not to, no matter how much he tried to forget or to change those feelings, his thoughts, and his steps always made him return right back to Chenlian, and he still loved her!
The deserted girl fell back on the ground. As her eyes moistened, she rolled and punched the ground.
"So even after I spell everything out for you, you're still gonna wimp out... you stupid wuss..." She gritted her teeth.
He annoyed her. While actually being scared of his father and sister and knowing deep down what kind of people they really were in all of their cruelty and their falsity... yet still believing and clinging to the past, to his memories, to something he sensed no longer existed... desperately doing things all to be loved... that was so stupid... And yet she was just the same. She still clung to that past where they were laughing, to those memories, and she desperately tried to make him turn to her, even though she knew he'd never choose her over his family... really, so stupid... Because she loved Zuko, she could not dedicate her entire self to the Avatar and the world. And because she wasn't selfish enough, she couldn't abandon the Avatar and the world for Zuko. That was because she had a weakness in her heart. She was still too naïve, too soft on herself... and too arrogant. She had believed that if it was her, it would be alright, she could obtain both Zuko and the accomplishment of her goal without any sacrifice. Just like Zuko had believed he could have both her and his father. How naïve... so naïve it was disgusting. With these overly spoilt hands, she couldn't grasp anything! And she threw herself into training again with even more strength and determination. She had to regain her best condition as fast as possible...
But... there were things you couldn't protect or grasp with power alone. There were people who couldn't be saved, nor could you touch or forcefully get hold of someone's heart. Still, power was the only thing she had. Then it was really simple. She just had to do what she had always done. She had to protect herself, because no one would do it for her. Not even Guang was there now... he was gone... because of him. She could not rely on others. That was something she was supposed to have learned. If something could become her weakness, she had to discard it. If she was weak, she would be killed. She had nearly died in fact. If feelings or people made her weak, she'd cast them off. She had to accomplish what she had set out to do. For that, she had to be ready to make the necessary sacrifices, just like Zuko had done. If she couldn't hold everything she wanted in her arms, before they spilled, she had to discard things. She didn't need anything but strength, the strength to accept and overcome loss when necessary, the strength to keep walking forward and defeat her enemies, whoever they were. And by keeping on living and winning, she would prove that she was strong.
Later, the two were standing before several bricks of steel. Choosing the correct material was the most important step in crafting a sword, since you trusted your steel with your life. As he had to choose carefully, the teen handled the bricks in different ways, weighing, sniffing, biting, but wasn't satisfied, so he asked permission to bring back a special material. His master rejoiced: he wouldn't have had it any other way. When Sokka returned to the campsite, his comrades cheered and welcomed him VERY warmly and gave him a group hug. They had missed him so much, though Toph pretended the opposite (and blushed when no one was looking). He thanked them but he needed some help. They went to the crater where the boulder-sized meteorite was.
Sokka, Aang, Katara, and Toph pushed the meteorite up to Piandao's castle gate. The disciple knocked and his master opened almost immediately, stepped out, and questioned him about the people with him. Sokka replied they were his friends, just other good Fire Nation folks and asked if it would be possible to make a sword out of a meteorite . The swordsmith examined the object and reassured him. They were going to make a sword unlike any other in the Piandao's watch, and with Fat's help, Sokka toiled hard and long through day and night, breaking the meteorite apart and making a fire hot enough to melt it, molding the blade and hammering it. The master regularly came to check his work and instruct him. Sometimes, the blade had to be dipped in cold water, making it boil, steam and hiss. And finally, the sword was done.
"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. No, it certainly wasn't your skills." The master began. His pupil was seated in front of him. The other teens sat behind Sokka who looked down in shame. Fat knelt to Piandao and gave him the sword. "You showed something beyond that." He unsheathed the sword, showing its black blade. "Creativity, versatility, intelligence... these are the traits that define a great swordsman. And these are the traits that define you." He sheathed it back, knelt and handed it to his disciple. "You told me you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe that you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained."
"I'm sorry, Master. You're wrong. I am not worthy. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not from the Fire Nation. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe." Sokka admitted. His comrades gawked in disbelief. "I lied so that I could learn swordsmanship from you. I'm sorry." He held his sword up for his teacher to take. Piandao frowned and turned away.
"I'm sorry, too." Suddenly, the swordsmaster, turned back around and swung at his pupil who stood up, avoiding the first attack, before blocking the next one with his sheathed sword. Aang, Katara, and Toph got up to help Sokka but he stopped them. This was his fight alone.
Poon gave Chenlian her food: lettuce with tomatoes and eggs, some roast duck with mixed vegetables, a cup of nonfat milk, water and an apple. Later he would bring her a kiwi milkshake with various nuts as a snack. When she was done eating, she resumed image training, enacting her movements during a swordfight. And then it would be all the bending forms she had learned, followed by some meditation, and back to stretching and strengthening exercises. After her, he went to Iroh.
"You used to be the pride of The Fire Nation, our top general, the Dragon of the West. Now, look at you." Warden Poon dropped the tray he was holding on the floor, spilling the food. Like a dog jumping on a bone, Iroh grabbed a fruit from behind the bars. "Look what you've become." The jailer left after the usual disparagement. The old man stood up, the fruit in his mouth. He removed his shirt and a thick, folded sheet that had been covering his belly fell to the floor. He was using the sheet to hide the fact that his physique had changed. All his fat had melted, revealing his toned muscles. He started eating the fruit and doing one handed pulls ups at the same time. After that he would do hand-stand push-ups.
But not long after that, Zuko, shaken by Chenlian's words and feelings that wouldn't leave his mind and heart, and unable to talk about that conflict inside him with anyone else, entered his uncle's cell to consult with him.
"Uncle... about Chenlian... I REALLY don't get her! No matter how many times she's beaten and broken... how can she still be so hell-bent on siding with the Avatar?! ...And she still says she cares about me?! How can she still be so... so..." Absurd? Contradictory? No, that wasn't it... sweet? Mesmerizing? When she was pleading him like this, when she'd look straight at him so earnestly, with so much love and sadness, aside from this stabbing and burning pain in his chest, he'd feel something else... something that was swelling from the deepest part of him and breaking, tearing... things... like a layer of solidified lava breaking under the pressure from below due a rise of fresh lava. How could she still look so strong and beautiful despite being beaten down like this and dragged through the dirt? How could she still shine so brilliantly, like a ruby in the mud? That terrified him. "I... never met someone with such absolute conviction."
"...Chenlian wants to create a peaceful world and is determined to protect those who fight their backs against the wall. She lives single-mindedly on that path. That's why she doesn't compromise, and why she has the confidence to overcome any hesitation. She knows the weight of life and has the resolve to bear it. It is also that weight that keeps her steady and that responsibility that won't allow her to waver. At least, that's how she is now..."
"Now? What do you mean?"
"In order to be able to bear that weight, she had to be strong, truly strong... but really strong people tend to be the complete opposite at heart. There's always doubt swirling about, and she fought with all she had to shake that feeling off. I said she knows the weight of life, that means having a kind and compassionate heart that feels for others. Those with kind hearts agonize about this and that. They make lots of mistakes, and take a long time to get strong. After being robbed of her family, her future, of everything she had believed in until then and having her existence denied by her own country, by other nations, and by you... what do you think she had to do to survive and keep her sanity? How long do you think it took her to overcome that? Do you think she's truly over it? I believe those who possess true strength are those with a warm heart. And I believed that you had that kind heart too. But Zuko, the reason and truth behind her strength, I thought you had seen already, was I wrong?" Iroh stared at his nephew who hung his head, his mind flooding with memories. That day, in that oasis, he had seen her scars, her strength, her beauty, she had told him about herself... And Zuko recalled his own words...
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the hurtful things I said and did to you."
"I love you. I want to be with you. I want to know more about you."
"I promise I'll grow stronger, I won't let you suffer like that again..."
The feelings he had at that time were still so vivid... but now their intensity was that of a white hot blade cutting into him. Ah, the swell had grown again. How long would he be able to keep it contained? Could he stop it from overflowing? He clutched his head and violently shook it. He had to! He had his father's love... he had the life he wanted... and Mai! Hesitations, doubts, regrets... he couldn't have them now after he had come this far! But the fact that he was having those thoughts, those feelings, didn't that mean it was already too late? He was already doubting, regretting... because he was far too deep into her.
Sokka and Piandao were squaring off in the sword fighting ring. Aang, Katara, Toph, and Fat were watching from the upper part of the main building. The children had rather anxious looks. The master attacked first, and after a few thrusts and parries from both, he was also the first to land a hit, albeit with his hands. Sokka was knocked back and slid several feet over the floor before flipping himself backward and grabbing a post of a small bridge to regain his balance. He quickly climbed onto said post and leapt to the other one just as Piandao thrust his sword at him. The teen kept jumping around on the railing to avoid being stabbed, or having his legs sliced. The master praised his cleverness, using his superior agility against an older opponent. They moved to a flight a stairs. Sokka ended up cornered against the wall, though he managed to evade all the blows. He used the same wall to propel himself against his opponent but his retaliation failed too, he climbed the wall onto the high ground. Piandao complimented his good use of terrain. And indeed, this allowed the boy to pin his master's sword under his foot. The old teacher could not pull his sword free so he changed tactics and managed to throw his student off. The teenager stumbled back into a tall stalk of bamboo and his friends winced at the sight. The one with the advantage here was clearly not him!
Sokka fearfully looked up, strands of hair falling over his face. Piandao raised his sword and slashed at him. His disciple ducked and only the bamboo was cut. The fight moved into the bamboo forest, Sokka sliced through the surrounding stalks as he ran so they would fall on his pursuer. Though that wasn't nearly enough to slow his master down and Piandao skillfully cut through the bamboo. The boy desperately ran and turned around a thicket grabbing a stalk and pulling it. He let it go just as his opponent caught up, causing the bamboo to whip back at him... and be effortlessly cut up too. The master attacked again, and again, his pupil deflected and ran off, grabbing two bamboo stalks, and letting them go... and the bamboo were sliced again. Piandao appreaciated his use of the surroundings, his way of making them fight for him. Despite the praise though, Sokka was really just running away and doing whatever.
Sokka returned to the fighting ring, screaming in terror, closely followed by his master. When he glanced back, Piandao had disappeared, but when he looked back ahead, he almost ran straight into his opponent's sword. The boy leant back just in time, thus avoiding being beheaded. He stumbled forward, stabbing his sword into the ground to stop his fall, and using his momentum, he swung his sword back around, flinging dirt and dust at his teacher, blinding him. Piandao spun around and positioned his sword behind his back. Far from being angered by the child's underhandedness, he seemed rather happy to have such a resourceful pupil. He turned his head and listened for any sounds. Sokka nervously raised his sword defensively and slowly tried to sneak away... but he wasn't careful enough and stepped on a twig, snapping it. Piandao attacked accurately but his disciple parried the attack. However, the master caught Sokka's blade with his own, and after spinning it around twice, the teen lost his grip and the blade flew out of his hands. Piandao slashed horizontally. To avoid it, the teen jumped away, but tripped and fell on his back. A second later, his teacher was holding him as sword's point.
Aang, Katara, and Toph all jumped down and ran towards the duelists, obviously planning to help their friend. But to their surprise, Piandao withdrew his blade and praised Sokka for his excellent work. The boy was clueless. The swordsfighter signalled to Fat who tossed the scabbard of his master's sword towards him. Still blinded, Piandao turned and pointed his sword upward, letting the scabbard fly right onto the blade. However, the children were still wary and thus ready for combat.
"I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar." The swordsmaster voiced his opinion. The benders eased up and looked at each other in surprise. How did he know ? "Oh, I've been around a while. You pick things up." He wiped the dirt off his face with the tower his butlet had brought him. "Of course, I knew from the beginning that Sokka was Water Tribe. You might want to think of a better Fire Nation cover name. Try 'Lee'. There's a million 'Lees'." He advised, sipping his drink, also brought by his faithful servant. Katara wanted to know why he had agreed to train someone from the Water Tribe . "The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all." He handed his weapon to Fat. After appearing to ponder something for a short time, he spoke again. "A long time ago, I taught a girl with mahogany hair. At first, she was just your typical firebender, arrogant, self-centered, aggressive, impulsive, and overly direct in more ways than one. Although she seemed too straightforward, more than anything, she had that unsatable hunger for learning and absorbed everything. Soon, she showed remarkable adaptability and openness. As she was already exceedingly sharp in all senses of the terms, her wit, her instinct... and especially her personality, she mastered the straight sword in a record time. Constantly trying to find new challenges, she quickly grew into a highly skilled and adaptable fighter able to mix firebending, martial arts and swordsmanship. It seemed she had her grandfather to thank for that, as he had taught her about the other bending arts..."
"Chenlian!" Aang, Katara and Sokka exclaimed happily after a time. Girl with mahogany hair, firebender, swordswoman, martial artist, that personality, a grandfather who taught her about the other bending disciplines? It couldn't be anyone but Chenlian! The Master nodded with a smile.
"It might have been a request from friends of mine but the real reason I taught her was because of her eyes. They had the strength and purity of diamond. And they say eyes are the mirror of the soul. And her body and abilities were like steel. It was like she was just waiting to be tempered and polished to become a masterpiece. And because of her purity, I was confident that she would become a person who wielded her sword for others, and for justice. Still, the teacher always only opens the door. It is up to the student whether to walk down that path or not. She went in head first. I have yet to see someone who can surpass her. And last year, it was a woman who returned for a short time. She asked me to help her recover her strength and told me she was going to join with people who she believed shared similar dreams, hopes, and ambition to hers. Then I heard she had effectively joined up with you. And I must say, when I learned of your identity, I was expecting and hoping to see her too... is she not with you?"
"It was my fault... At that time, if only I didn't..." Aang started, looking down with intense pain, guilt, and frustration. Even though he was looking fine on the outside, his wounds were still there.
"No Aang, it was MY fault..." Katara intervened. "We were in Ba Sing Se, Azula and Zuko had cornered us, and she stayed to cover our escape... And because of us... we don't know for sure, but she must have been captured again... Even though, just a few minutes before, I had ascertained that Zuko loved her... he still betrayed her... betrayed us... And Avatar Roku told Aang that Azula had shot her down with her lightning..."
"I see... but I don't think either of you has to feel guilty, or rather, I don't think she would want that. She would say that staying had been her own choice, and getting captured had been due to her own carelessness. She would tell you to focus on what you can and should do now instead of dwelling on a past that you can't change. So what is it that you can and must do now?"
"Get stronger, so we can save her and protect her." The Avatar and siblings looked at each other and replied assertively, perfectly synchronized, making Piandao smile and nod.
"Since the Fire Lord wants her alive and close at hand, she must be kept in the prison near the Fire Nation capital. Her condition might have prevented her from contacting you and returning to you but it's still Chenlian we're talking about, and it's very likely that she will manage to return to you before you can get to her." The master smiled more reassuringly. On that note..." He went to pick Sokka's sword and give it back to him. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you want to be able to save Chenlian and protect your friends, you must at least become her equal, and try to surpass her. If you keep walking that path, I know that one day you will become an even greater master than I am." His vow of faith deeply touched the teenagers who all smiled warmly. The master and disciple bowed to each other.
As the Avatar and his party were leaving the castle, Fat ran up to them. The Master wanted Sokka to have something to remember him by, and gave him a small bag. They bowed as farewell and the butler returned inside. Sokka opened the bag and pulls out a white lotus Pai Sho tile. His sister wondered what it mean t, but they were all clueless about it. That was then the Water Tribe warrior remembered he had something for Toph, a chunk of 'space earth'. She probably never had a chance to bend something like this before. The earthbender rejoiced, made it float between her hands, and gave it various shapes.
"You know, I don't think there's such a thing as 'space earth'. If it's from space, then it's not really 'earth'." Katara damped his enthusiasm, which was usually HIS role.
"Must you ruin everything ?" He replied, stealing her line.
"I can't believe I missed you."