The Flames of the past (Avatar: Zuko love story)

Chapter 38: Sokka's Master

The stars were falling, and the five were looking up to them. Mia remembered her time in the Fire Nation capitol, lying with Zuko on the roofs of the palace, watching the stars. Mia was wondering what he was doing right now. Probably being very 'emo' with Mai, kissing and hanging around, complaining about everthing. Mia also thought of Iroh... who is probably rotting away in a dungeon or prison. But he is smart, he will figure out a way to escape. Mia thought of it and she took a deep breathe, trying to forget that.

"This is really amazing to watch." Katara said amazed. "Kinda makes you realize how insignificant we are." Sokka said like in a very professional way. "Nah... You have seen nothing once, you have seen it a thousand times." Toph said. Suddenly, high out of the sky, a big light bowl shot out, getting closer to earth. "Well, you have never seen this in your life!" Sokka said and all four they stood up. It flew over them, and crashed down in the earth behind the hill. Mia immediately started to run. "Where are you going, maybe it's dangerous!" Katara yelled angrily. "Yeah, for that town that lies beyond that hill, daft bimbo!" Mia replied and ran towards it, followed by Katara, sadly. 

On Appa, Aang, Sokka and Toph followed too and before Katara was about to take action and looked to Mia. "What should we do?" He asked. "Katara, fly over that creek on Appa and spread the water over the fire, Aang and toph, make a trench so the fire can spread any further to the town. I will try to collect the fire and turn it into energy." Mia startedb and they all took action. "What should I do?" Sokka asked hopeless. "Keep an eye on Momo!" Aang said. For it took a bit to long, Mia bend Katara's water and spread it over the last flames, while Aang blew on it. The place turned into a lake of ice, with snow falling down. "Good work, everybody." Mia said and smiled brightly. 

~

"These people have no idea how close they were to get toasted." Aang said when he brought a plate full of food and sat down at the table in a random restaurant in the city. "Yeah the worse thing about being in disguise, is that we don't get the hero worship we usually get." Toph said.
"Is that were you are worrying about? It's about the thing we do for the people next to us, no matter who we are." Mia said with her mouth full. "Still, I miss the love." Toph said and she shrugged. 

"Boohoo," Sokka said who was sitting all alone, at the reiling of the restaurant that was build on a cliff, "poor heroes."
"What's your problem?" Katara asked confused, "you haven't even touched your smoked seaslug."
"It's just, all you guys can do this awesome bending stuff, like flying around, making other stuff fly around... I can't fly around okay. I can't do anything." Sokka said slowly. "That's not true," Katara said a bit unsure and she started to think, "no one can read a map like you."
"I can't read it all!" Toph said happily and Mia had to smile about that sentence. 
"Yeah, and who keeps us alive with all those sarcastic comments all the time?" Aang said. 
"You are Mr. Boomerang!" Mia said happily.

"Look guys, I really appreciate this but the fact is, each of you is so amazing and so special... and I am not. I am just the guy in the group who is regular." Sokka said. Mia stood up and sat down next to him. She grabbed his hand and squeezed in it. "I think you are very special," Mia said and Sokka looked up at her, "in your own way. Your amazingly schedules we don't keep on, your plans that are too crazy for words but always succeed. What we need to do is to go to an armory, and find something were you can specialize yourself in." 
Sokka looked up at Mia and smiled. "Thanks." He said. Mia gave him a pat on the shoulder and stood up, off to the armory.

Mia tried on some gloves and tried a bow and arrow, that went pretty good. Sokka tried several dangerously weapons. A spear, ax and those two sticks connected with a chain, which he hurt himself with. He also grabbed Dao swords, and Mia did not look at him swinging with it, for it reminded Mia horribly to Zuko. Sokka's eye went to a sword, that hung up a wall. "You have a good eye Sokka." Mia said, "that's an original from Piandao, I believe." Sokka looked at her. "This is what I mean, you always KNOW!" He said and Mia laughed. "He is the greatest swordmaster in Fire Nation history. He made Zuko's Dao Swords." 

"She is right," the owner said who walked up to them, "he lives in the big castle up the road from here." The man walked away and Mia blew a string of hair out of her face. "That's what you need Sokka!" Aang said after a big moment of silence, and Mia made a little jump for she didn't see that coming. "A sword." He asked confused. "No... a master," Aang replied, "we had masters to get better, you can see it you could study with Piandao."

"That's a great idea!" Katara said and Mia thought of the idea that Katara had the same good idea as Mia, which didn't happen for a while. "I couldn't have been anywhere without Mr. Pakku. Everyone needs a teacher." Katara said. "I learned from the badgermoles, they don't talk but they are still good teachers." Toph said. Mia took a deep breathe. "My mom learned me to kill with fire, but Iroh taught me the peace and energy of it, without him I'd have been lost." 

"I would be nice to be a master swordfighter." Sokka said. "I am sure you can do it." Mia said with a big smile. 
He looked at Mia, and looked back to his sword, "all right, I will talk to him." 

~

The other four were at the camp, lying on the ground, for it was very hot today. Sokka has been gone for several hours now, and they all started to get bored. "What should we do today?" Aang asked. "I have no idea." Katara said. Mia sat down up straight. "I am going into town, drink some tea at that teahouse. Or I can go and juggle some. Maybe I can juggle in that teahouse..." Mia said, thinking out loud. "Why would you juggle with this weather?" Katara asked depreciatingly. "Why would be complain about everything and everyone in this weather, do something useful." Mia histed back at her. 
"Well, you complain all the time!" Katara yelled.
"Why don't you just SHUT UP!" Mia yelled back and she stood up, walking off to town.

At the town, she bought the ingredients she needed to make dumplings, that she would make tonight. The gang oved her dumplings, and so did Zuko and Iroh. Mia walked to the next shop and bought some healing herbs (she does not want Katara to heal her), some Jasmin, Ginseng and Green tea. The next shop was a jewelry shop, and she saw a beautiful, jade hairpin. "How many?" He asked the shopowner.
"140 goldpieces." The owner replied.
"140? Have you lost your marbles?" Mia replied and walked away.
"70, for the beautiful lady!" He said and Mia stopped.
"35." Mia said. "But miss...." He stuttered. "35 or I will walk straight away!"
"Fine..." The man said slowly and Mia nodded. Mia gave him 40 goldpieces and walked away, back to the camp. 

When she arrived, Sokka was there. "Sokka!" Mia yelled happily and she hugged him tight.
"Say something funny!" She said quickly and hopeful.
"Funny how?" He said drily and Mia laughed.  "I have missed you, how was it?" 
"Great. But I need your help." Sokka said. 

They walked to that meteor and looked down. "I might make a sword out of this. We need to get this to the castle." Sokka said. And so they did. Mia ws a bit afraid to go to Piandao, for he might recognize her and snitch her. They brought it to the front door and Sokka yanked on the bell very hard. "Can we make a sword out of a meteor?" Sokka asked and Piandao nodded. "We will make a sword unlike any other in the world."

The whole need Sokka had spend to made his sword. He almost didn't sleep, and was working really hard. The next day, the sword would be finished, and in honour Sokka would receive it. When Piandao gave Sokka the sword Sokka was in doubt. "I am sorry master, you're wrong. I am not who you think I am. I am not from the Fire Nation, I am from the Southern Watertribe." Mia stared at him and facepalmed herself. 
"I lied so I could learn swordfighting from you, I am sorry." Sokka said and Piandao frowned. "I am sorry too." He said and he drew his sword. Mia was about to take action but Sokka shook his head. "No this my fight." He said and they started to fight, on the courtyard.

They started to figth and Mia was biting of her fingernails. "This more worse than Agni Kai." She stuttered and followed all Sokka's moves. Piandao hunt Sokka all the way through the coutrtyard, but Sokka was very good. When Sokka fell down, Mia wanted to take action, but instead of Piandao chopping Sokka's head of he stood still. "Excellent work, Sokka." He said. "I think I am a little bit to old to be fighting the Avatar, and Mia Li Feng." He said and they al looked up surprised. 

"I knew from the beginning Sokka was watertribe and that Mia Li Feng would travel with the Avatar, and two people from the watertribe. I pick things up." Piandao said. "Why would you train someone from the Watertribe?" Katara asked. "It's not about nation or ancestory, but it's about skills." Piandao replied. They all thanked Piandao and they walked out of the gates. A man ran up to them from the castle. "I had to give you this." He said to mIa and laid a little sack in her hands and ran away. 

Mia opened it and looked to the small thing. "It's a Pai Sho tile." Sokka said with a smile. 
"A white Lotus." Aang said.
"What does it mean?" Katara asked confused.
"That we are not alone." Mia replied with a smile and she put it in her bag.