Redeemed (Sokka x O.C.) ‐ Finished- Trigger Warning In Discription

44: White Lotus Tile

Piandao smiled, calling out, "Yes, use your surroundings! Make them fight for you!"

Sokka let go of the stalks. They whipped around at Piandao, who sliced through them like cutting butter. Sokka ran out of the bamboo and back towards the sword fighting ring, screaming in terror, Piandao not far behind.

Fear was painted on Sokka's face as he glanced behind him. Piandao wasn't in his line of sight anymore.

By the time Sokka looked ahead, Piandao was already in front of him and pointing his sword out in front of Sokka, so he would run into it. However, Sokka leaned back.

The scene seemed to be in slow motion as Tu Cho watched as Sokka slid under the blade in the most tense moment of the fight.

Sokka stood back up and stumbled forward, stabbing his sword into the ground to stop his fall. Using his momentum, Sokka swung his sword back around, flinging dirt and dust at Piandao.

The dirt hit him in the face, blinding him. Piandao spun around and positioned his sword behind his back to defend any sneak attacks. "Very resourceful." Piandao turned his head and listened for any of the smallest sounds.

Sokka nervously raised his sword defensively. He then slowly tried to sneak away, careful not to make any noises that would give away his location. Too bad for Sokka, there was a most unfortunately placed twig. He stepped on the lone twig, snapping it.

Piandao turned his head towards Sokka when he heard it. He twirled his sword around into an offensive position and charged forward. Sokka took a step back as Piandao closed in and stabbed at him. Sokka parried the attack, but Piandao caught Sokka's blade with his own. He pushes Sokka's sword around in two quick circles and flung Sokka's sword out of his hands. Sokka watched as the sword stabbed into the ground several feet away.

Piandao swung his sword in a large, horizontal arc at Sokka. Sokka was not cut by the bade, but was instead hit in the chest by Piandao's arms, knocking him on his back. Sokka looked up fearfully as Piandao turned and pointed his sword at Sokka's head.

Aang, Katara, and Toph all jumped from the building to the ground and run towards Sokka and Piandao but Tu Cho already knew Piandao wouldn't be hurting him.

Piandao swung his sword away from Sokka, halting Aang, Katara, and Toph. "Excellent work, Sokka." Piandao raised his hand and signalled to Fat. Fat flung the scabbard of Piandao's sword towards him. Still blinded by the dirt, Piandao turned and pointed his sword upward, letting the scabbard fly right onto the blade. "I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar."

They bender dropped their stances and looked at each other in surprise.

"How did you know?" Aang asked.

Sokka stood back up as Tu Cho joined the group on the ground. Fat walked up carrying a drink and a white cloth.

"Oh, I've been around a while. You pick things up." Piandao wiped the dirt off his face with the cloth. "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 sipped his drink.

Katara asked, "But why would you agree 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." Piandao gave his sword to Fat. He pulled Sokka's sword out of the ground and gave it back to Sokka. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day you will become an even greater master than I am."

Aang, Katara, Tu Cho, and Sokka all smiled warmly as Sokka and Piandao as they bowed to each other.

It wasn't long before the group was headed to the camp for the night. Just after leaving, Fat caught up with them. "Wait." Everyone turned to him. "The Master wanted you to have this, as something to remember him by." Fat gave a small, brown bag to Sokka. They all bowed as a farewell and Fat walked back to the castle.

Sokka opened the bag and pulled out a white lotus Pai Sho tile. "It's a Pai Sho tile."

"The white lotus," Aang said. "Hm.'

"What does it mean?" Katara asked.

"I have no idea." Sokka and Aang looked back at the closing doors but they were too far away to see the lotus design on the doors surrounding the Fire Nation symbol. "Ooh, that reminds me. Toph, I thought you might like this since you've probably never had a chance to bend space earth before." Sokka pulled a chunk of the meteorite used to make his sword from his pocket.

Toph took the black space rock. "Sweet. Check this out." She formed the rock into multiple shapes with ease.

They started down the trail again but only a few moments into walking Katara said, "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."

"Must you ruin everything?" Sokka asked.

"I can't believe I missed you!" Katara yelled.

~~~

Sokka smiled, placing an arm around Tu Cho's shoulder as they watched the sun set from their slightly hidden place where the group couldn't hear them. "I almost forgot. I finally found the perfect nickname for you."

Tu Cho had dreaded this moment. What kind of nickname could he have come up with? She smiled anyway. "What is it, Sokka?"

Sokka kissed her cheek. "Tu Cho."

"Sokka... That's already my name. It's not a nickname."

"No it isn't," Sokka said. "Your name is Kija Rei. There is far more to be said about what you choose to be called than the name you were given. You are redeemed. You are Tu Cho."

"Sokka..." Tu Cho smiled widely and tears welled in her eyes. No one had put it so simply. "I love you." She looked up and placed her lips to his.