"The sword master"

Zuko steeled himself as he walked up to Piandao's estate at the top of the hill, concentrating on the uneven ground at his feet. The grass in the fields all around him swayed with the wind. It was a calming presence. Unconsciously, he looked to the horizon for the sea, but Piandao's castle blocked his view. He gulped. For some reason, he felt inexplicably nervous.

He needed this. He had to prove himself to his friends. That thought pushed him forward.

His boots padded against the rocky path as he climbed the slight slope. As he neared the gigantic doors, he examined the design etched into the rock. It was a white lotus carved beautifully on the doors, made out of white stone but outlined in gold. For some strange reason, the design seemed to match the one on Aang's headband. As he approached the door, Zuko took a deep, calming breath, and raised his hand to the ornate gold knocker.

A sudden rush of wind took him by surprise, ruffling his hair and clothes. The next moment, Aang was there, skidding to a halt at Zuko's side. He was panting.

"I came here as fast as I could," Aang said, straightening. He patted his orange clothing, cleaning it of dirt and wrinkles.

"Why? What's wrong?" Zuko asked, his eyes narrowing in concern. Had something happened – ?

"Nothing's wrong. I'd also like to train with Master Piandao."

Aang's words rushed through his head like a gust of wind, clearing his mind of any other thought. Aang, the Avatar, wanted to learn how to wield a sword?

More importantly... he was taking it away from Zuko. Mastering the way of the sword was his way of helping his friends! It was supposed to make him unique and helpful. Aang could not learn it. It was the Way of nonbenders, like him.

"Why?" Zuko asked darkly.

Aang, apparently, did not expect this reaction. "I thought it would be helpful," he replied, giving Zuko a significant stare. It clearly said not to cross him. Without another word, Aang banged the knocker against the heavy doors.

It was opened by one of Piandao's servants right before Zuko opened his mouth to argue. "Yes?" the man asked. He seemed snobbish to Aang. However, he saw Zuko. "Ah, you must be the new student. You may come inside." Zuko smirked victoriously at Aang as he was let in.

"Wait – I'd also like to train under the Master," Aang said hurriedly. The butler sighed.

"Fine... Let's get this over with..."

The butler led the two down long, fanciful hallways, all of which depicted ornate white lotus designs or murals of ancient, long-forgotten lion-turtles. Aang peered at all of these curiously while Zuko spent the whole time glaring at him. The Avatar refused to look in his direction. Finally, the group of three stopped in front of another set of large doors.

"I think this goes without saying, but show respect to the Master," the butler yawned, pushing open the doors.

Both Aang and Zuko gasped at the sheer size of the room and a whole wall that seemed to be made of windows, overlooking the calm ocean below. Piandao stood at this window with his back to them, his hands folded behind his back, staring at the rising sun, almost at its zenith.

"Zuko, how good to see you," the sword master greeted, turning to face him. His eyes calmly wandered over to Aang – fixed for a moment on his white lotus headband – and then spoke again. "I see you have brought a friend."

Aang greeted him with a traditional Fire Nation bow. "My name is Aang. I would also like to learn the ways of the sword."

"Zuko, did you think I would take on a second student just because he was your friend?" Piandao questioned.

"No, Master," Zuko said, glancing at Aang. "I just found out he wanted to learn under you, too."

"I am curious as to why the Avatar would want to pick up a blade," he said calmly. "Is bending not enough for you? Swordsmanship is a much more delicate art." Aang's eyes widened – how was Piandao always able to figure out he was the Avatar before they even met?

To answer his question, Aang thought back to his dream the day before and incarceration in Bato's water-filled ice prison. He had nearly died – and bending had failed him. His own strength had failed him. He could not let something like that happen again... he needed to be prepared for all situations. He remembered how easily Sokka was able to use his sword to cut through ice and metal. And if one of his enemies wanted to fight near him in close quarters, a staff would not be enough. He was also interested to see how his bending could be augmented with a weapon such as a jian... and, like always, he was curious about something he had never done before.

The more he changed, the more he stayed the same.

Finally, Aang answered him. "Bending... It is a part of me. It's what I rely on," he said carefully. "But when it fails me... that's the worst feeling in the world. I almost died recently and I realized something – I cannot rely solely on my bending. I felt so helpless. I'm willing to do anything that will help me defeat the Water Emperor."

Piandao stared at him for a long time, as if trying to see if he was sincere. Aang did not falter under his scrutinizing gaze. "Very well," he said finally. He walked around his desk, putting both of his hands on each of their shoulders. "I will make you two into worthy warriors."

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They went to their training immediately – but very quickly, Aang decided that it was the strangest training he had ever undertaken. Aang and Zuko were to wear identical, black uniforms trimmed in gold, but otherwise, they were plain and loose-fitting.

They started with calligraphy. The students sat next to each other at their Master's desk, brushes poised over scrolls of parchment. Aang dipped it into black paint and pulled back his sleeve, preparing to write about several things, as they were instructed to. After mulling it over for a moment, he began with a short poem often recited to him by Monk Gyatso, and one he heard a few times by Iroh before he was killed. Unfortunately for Aang, he had not written any calligraphy in an extremely long time – probably since he was with the monks many, many years ago – but he remembered most of it and his writing was neat enough.

Zuko, evidently, was not educated much in the ways of calligraphy, which Aang noticed upon peering at his paper. He struggled with simple words and carefully held his brush straight. He knew Zuko was literate, because Iroh doubtlessly educated him and his sister, but he was still having trouble.

Next, they were told to arrange rock gardens outside. Apparently, it was supposed to teach one how to use their environment to their advantage. After Piandao gave him a strict warning not to use any earthbending (which Aang matter-of-factly replied that he did not yet know how), Aang and Zuko went to work.

Here, too, Aang had to think long and hard. He much preferred to have rocks revolving around him, ready to strike at his foes, but Aang pushed several tall rocks toward his side of the garden (because Zuko drew a line cutting right through the middle, strictly telling him not to go near his own side). After arranging his rocks as he saw fit, Aang had several spires shooting out of the ground, creating a wind tunnel effect. He proudly displayed it to Piandao, even shooting a long, continuous blast of air, which was greatly enhanced by the placement of the rocks. The Master seemed to disapprove of it slightly, but Aang dryly informed him that airbending was not against the rules.

Zuko ended with a measly pile of rocks and boulders, which he claimed gave him the high ground against his foes.

Aang smiled proudly. He was doing better than his friend, when he had no previous knowledge of swordfighting. Unnoticed by him, Zuko was silently fuming in anger at the Avatar.

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"Ugh," Azula moaned, "I can't believe the two of them left me to baby-sit you." Very much annoyed, the firebender lounged around in the camp with only Ty Lee for company. The acrobat was flipping around, constantly chattering about Zuko and steadily giving Azula a headache.

"Hey, I'm not a baby! And you're not sitting on me!" the other girl protested. "Why are you so grumpy lately?" She propped her head up on her elbows, stretching her feet around to scratch her forehead.

"Because I'm supposed to have a firebending master by now!" she said angrily, her fingertips smoking. "We should have left this place already. Knowing Zuzu, it'll take him months to master that piece of metal – if he even can. Honestly, it'll be up to Aang to train him so we can leave quickly."

"What makes you think Aang will master swordsmanship first?" Ty Lee pondered. "You seem to hold him in high regard."

"What? You don't think he can? He is the Avatar and he is not a bumbling idiot... most of the time," Azula said, waving her hand at the obvious.

"I don't think that's your real reason," Ty Lee said, edging up to her slyly. "You like Aang, don't you?"

Azula sputtered for a moment, which was something Ty Lee found absurdly funny. "What are you talking about? I don't like anybody."

"I dunno, Azula. You make it very obvious."

"Hah!" Azula scoffed, "You're about as perceptive as a child."

"You know, they always say children are the most perceptive..."

"Well, then you are a fool," Azula replied, examining her nails. "I'm done with this subject."

"Stop edging around it, Azula! This isn't like you. Do you want Aang to like you or not? I can get him to like you." When Azula didn't answer, Ty Lee continued. "I mean, I can see why you like him. He's pretty cute, if you get over how short he is. And he's noble. And strong and brave... He seems like the sorta guy for you."

"You said... you can get him to like me?" Azula asked, barely glancing up at Ty Lee. The girl's face broke out into one of the largest smiles she had ever seen.

"Of course! I'm a pro at that!" Acknowledging her victory, Ty Lee proceeded to give Azula some more boy advice.

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Zuko was fuming. He was so angry at Aang. Why would he want to learn how to use a sword? It didn't make sense to him, not when Aang was so talented already. Zuko wanted his own skill to make himself look better in his friends' eyes, but Aang was taking that away. Piandao noticed his frustrations as Aang walked off.

"You are jealous," Piandao noted, staring at Aang's back.

"Yeah," Zuko agreed, glaring at his friend.

"Dismiss it," the older man said. "A feeling such as jealousy is not helpful on the battlefield."

"But everything always comes so easily to him," Zuko said dejectedly. "The kid's so strong. And me? I'm just a failure. I always have been."

"Give yourself some credit – you were the one fighting so well in the tournament, not Aang," the master said to him. "Self-loathing is also not a useful trait to have on the battlefield."

"I know, but..."

Piandao cut him off. "I initially chose you as my student above all the other competition – not because you won, but because of your fierce determination and willingness to fight. You had much more potential than any other person there."

Zuko was stunned into silence, and Piandao's mouth curved. "Just think on that."

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Piandao was surprisingly lenient. After the rock garden arrangements, he allowed the two to have a break. The three of them were seated around a table in the swordsman's beautiful courtyard, the sun beating down on them warmly. They were served tea and small vanilla cream cakes by the butler. Aang especially loved the sweet dessert.

After that, they were finally handed practice swords.

Right in the back of Piandao's castle was an even square made of stone, which served as Piandao's personal practice ring. Zuko was fighting first in a duel against the butler, Fat, who was surprisingly a skilled swordsman. Both were in padded armor, fighting with dulled blades.

Zuko held up well against the butler, but once he was disarmed, Piandao immediately gave him critiques. He commented on Zuko's horrible footwork yet again, but noted his superior speed and advantage of youth. Zuko was fast at blocking and quick to resume the attack – he had skill with a sword, but it was not yet refined.

Zuko smirked at Aang as he passed, as if daring him to do better. The boy did not back down from the challenge.

He held the sword protectively in front of him in a clumsy stance, unused to the strange weight in his hands. When Piandao asked if they were ready, Fat and Aang nodded. When they did, Fat waited for Aang to attack.

The Avatar started off with a swipe to the man's midsection, which was very easily blocked. The butler slid his blade along his opponent's and sent it spinning out of his hand. It clattered to the ground.

Aang smiled sheepishly at Piandao.

"You've never held a sword in your life, have you?" Piandao asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope," Aang said truthfully. Zuko was snickering, but he ignored him.

"First, you've got to start on your grip. Second, watch your stance. It was horribly flawed and you would have fallen easily if Fat attacked you first." Piandao showed him appropriate offensive and defensive stances, which Aang copied until he memorized. Then, like a young child, Fat impatiently taught him easy blocking and attacking techniques, the correct way to hold his sword, and Piandao told him that it was his own duty to make a proper judgment in battle. Aang nodded, absorbing as much information as he could into his head.

Over the course of the training, Aang improved slightly, and Piandao noticed his vastly superior agility even without the use of his airbending (which, as before, he was forbidden to use. Piandao strictly told him not to use any bending). So far, Aang's only expertise was in his dodging.

"Don't think you're getting any special treatment because you're the Avatar," Piandao once said to him.

Finally, Aang and Zuko were paired up to duel each other. It was an event Aang had foreseen since the beginning of the training, and he was not looking forward to it. Zuko was still angry at him, but slightly arrogant because of the fact that he was a more experienced swordsman than Aang. The two took identical stances.

Before Piandao officially started the fight, Zuko and Aang attacked each other.

For them, it was more than just a friendly duel now. It was an all-out competition. It was a battle of honor.

Their swords met right in between the two, clashing with a flash of sparks. Zuko immediately brought his sword around to try and strike Aang's shoulder, but he was able to block it in time. Aang back-flipped away from him, getting distance, and then rushed toward his opponent again with his sword held high. Again, they met in the middle of their rushes, colliding with surprising force that sent quivers down Aang's arm.

Quickly, Zuko moved to attack Aang with several quick stabs, very few of which he managed to swat out of the way. Using only one hand to hold his sword, Aang jumped out of the way of Zuko's furious barrage. His opponent's sword followed him, and at that moment Aang realized the only advantage he had – his speed.

"Good, Aang. Use your advantages," Piandao said.

The boy used his reflexes to duck under Zuko's horizontal swings, to jump to the right of his vertical ones. He rarely used his sword to block, instead preferring to strike lightly where it would matter. Fighting one-handedly gave him more speed – two hands gave him power. As was usual, he preferred speed, so getting in quick bites with his sword suited his style. Aang was using the circular motions of an airbender, constantly revolving around Zuko in an attempt to confuse him.

"Make the right judgments," their master spoke.

Soon, Zuko figured out his pattern and cut off Aang's movements with a sharp stab of his blunt sword, then walked forward aggressively, backing Aang to the edge of the ring. Aang was forced to jump off of it and into the grass, but Zuko continued the attack, utilizing the high ground. Aang was able to block some of his swings, but was unluckily bruised on his sword arm when Zuko managed to hit him. He was being quickly overwhelmed and forced to fight defensively. He tried to parry once, but Zuko didn't fall for it.

"Zuko, go for the finish – Aang, nice try on the parrying."

With one last powerful swing, Zuko knocked Aang's sword out of his hand. The Avatar was defeated. Aang gracefully accepted the defeat, bowing to Zuko. The teenager returned the bow, as was custom.

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Azula would never have pictured this scene. She and Ty Lee continued to talk about herself and Aang, and the acrobat gave her tons of advice. First of all, she was expected to be nicer. Second, Ty Lee seemed to have a problem with her looks.

"You have so much hair, Azula. Let it be free. When your hair is up, you make yourself seem strict and intimidating. Boys don't like that. Be more laid back," the girl said. "Smile a bit more."

Now, Ty Lee was combing Azula's hair, freeing it of the knots and tangles she had acquired during her travels. Azula's golden headpiece was laid off gently to the side. As Ty Lee combed, Azula felt her eyes closing as she was comforted by the feeling.

It had been a long time since someone else had combed her hair.

She remembered, several years ago, how her mother used to comb it. It was so relaxing. Mother always said she loved her hair, thick and the darkest shade of black. Mother was always able to make it silky and smooth and Azula never figured out how.

Azula waited patiently as Ty Lee lathered her hair with some of her exotic products, rinsed it, and fashioned it as she saw fit. Once that was done, Ty Lee let it dry naturally. Next, the acrobat fished for a kit in her personal bag, pulling out a golden object.

"What is that?" Azula asked sharply.

In response, Ty Lee popped the top off of the object, revealing a ruby red substance. "Lipstick!" she replied cheerily. "We're going for something simple here, but the color fits you. It's gonna look nice."

"If you say so..." Azula said uneasily.

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"Now it's time for the two of you to make swords of your own," Piandao said, leading the two to his workshop. Once they entered the room, both sets of grey and gold eyes widened, seeing the numerous, expertly crafted swords hung on the walls and laid out in rows. The room was hot, dominated largely by a furnace used for smithing. "Actually, let me see your broadswords, Zuko."

Zuko did as he was told, unsheathing them and handing them to Piandao. "They are of a fine quality, and you are doing an excellent job taking care of them." He tested the weight. "Not my type of sword, but you are proficient in the use of these. I would say to keep using them. You will not need to forge your own."

"Thank you, Master," Zuko said with a nod, taking his swords back and sheathing them.

Aang's eyes roamed the