A/N: Originally written around November 2008. This story was way too much fun to write. The first horizontal line represents point of view change, the second horizontal line represents a short passage of time, and the third horizontal line represents another point of view change.

Disclaimer: Own Avatar? Me? Nope. Do I look like I own Avatar? Making money? Nope. Do I look like I'm using this story to earn money?

The Better Man

The morning sun shone through the prince's bedroom window in the Western Air Temple. Zuko stared longingly at every line, every smudge of the picture in his hands. It was amazing how much a simple coal drawing could reproach him; there were so many memories he wished he could crawl away from. Sighing, he flopped down on his bed and hugged the picture to his chest.

"I'm so sorry for everything, Uncle," he murmured. "I hope someday that you can forgive me." He was so lost in his bittersweet thoughts that he didn't know someone was there until he heard a throat being cleared.

Sokka involuntarily flinched as Zuko sat up and stood to meet him.

"Breakfast is, uh, almost ready," he managed to say.

"All right," Zuko replied. Sokka watched him cross the room and put what looked like a picture in his pack. His eyes were immediately drawn to the scabbard beside the bag.

"Is that a sword?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Yeah," Zuko answered, straightening up. Sokka couldn't take his eyes from the weapon. Was it sharper than his sword? How wide was the blade? And how well could Zuko use it?

"You wanna see them?" Zuko said finally. Sokka rushed in before Zuko could change his mind. He unsheathed the sword and yelped in shock as it fell apart in his hands.

"What, one sword isn't good enough for you?" Zuko took the swords from him with a chuckle.

"They're duel swords. There are supposed to be two—two halves of the same whole."

"And I suppose that definition came off the price tag," Sokka said with a scornful snort. He inspected the swords closely. "They're pretty good," he conceded grudgingly. "But they got nothing on my sword."

Zuko looked astonished. "You have a sword? How come I've never seen it?"

"I just got it recently. We've been busy since we left Ba Sing Se."

"So . . . are you any good?" Zuko said after a pause.

"Are you?" Sokka shot back. Zuko, reading the challenge in his eyes, grinned slowly. "We'll see who's the better man," Sokka declared.

Katara's sudden appearance in the doorway startled them.

"Breakfast?" she reminded them, glaring at them in irritation. "How long can it take to deliver such a short message, Sokka?"

"Sorry," said Sokka with an apologetic grin. Katara rolled her eyes and stalked out. "Right after breakfast," he amended, racing after Katara. Was he crazy, he wondered? He had actually challenged Zuko to a sword duel! Yet he was not afraid; he felt only the desire, the need, to prove himself by winning this fight.

Sokka impatiently squeezed the handle of his sword as Zuko reached over his shoulder and withdrew his own.

"Okay, rules. No Firebending-"

"I don't need Firebending to beat you," Zuko interrupted him smugly.

"No Firebending," Sokka reiterated more loudly, "no using weapons besides swords, and no cheating."

"Who do you think I am, the kind of guy that does anything to win?"

"Yeah, pretty much," he confirmed frankly.

"I guess I deserve that," Zuko said with a sigh. Ignoring this remark, Sokka raised his sword. Zuko imitated him and bowed. Surprised by his respectful gesture, Sokka bowed back, reluctant to show respect for Zuko or expose himself to his opponent. Then he charged forward with a wild war cry to begin the fight.

The first blow that he struck at Zuko's swords caused a vibration which left his hands numb. As he staggered back, Zuko jumped forward immediately to use his hesitation to his advantage. He brought down his swords so quickly that Sokka had barely a moment to block with his own sword. Metal rang against metal as he blocked Zuko's swift thrusts again and again. Finally, Zuko stepped back, panting, and Sokka grinned.

"Out of breath already, O mighty prince?"

Zuko snorted. "I'd worry more about yourself."

"Why? Are you worried that I'll beat you?" He stepped toward Zuko and put him on the defensive with a barrage of forceful swings. But each time he swung, Zuko deflected his sword with one or both of his own. Beating two swords, Sokka realized with frustration, was much harder than beating one. What surprised him the most was how quickly Zuko moved his swords. Had Zuko chosen to, he could have easily forced him to surrender by attacking him from both sides at once. Luckily, Zuko was either too dense or too noble to try it. Maybe the jerk was all right after all.

It was as Zuko stepped back that Sokka saw his opening. Zuko held one sword horizontally in front of himself and one sword at his side. Sokka knew what he was planning even before he moved. Zuko would force him to block the horizontal sword, while at the same time he would aim the other sword at his undefended torso or legs. It was a move that could have caused him to lose the battle, but Sokka had already figured out how to exploit it. He blocked the first sword just as Zuko had planned. But instead of holding his sword in place, he relaxed his arms so that Zuko fell forward and had to steady himself. He then turned his sword around and rammed the hilt against Zuko's wrist. Zuko dropped the sword at his side with a grunt of pain. Sokka swung his sword continuously, determined not to give Zuko a chance to recover. Even though Zuko fought valiantly with his remaining sword, it was not long before Sokka sent his weapon flying out of his hand. They both stared at each other for a moment before Sokka shouted in exultation. He had actually won!

"All hail Sokka, the sword master! I am the better man!" he crowed, watching Zuko collect his swords. "Well, Zuko, you put up a pretty good fight, but we both know that you didn't stand a chance-"

Zuko cut him off by twisting his wrist so that he dropped his sword and expertly sweeping his legs from under him. Sokka sprawled on his back and lay glaring up at Zuko, too winded to speak. Zuko smirked at him.

"Who's the better man now?"

"You're gonna pay for that, you jerk!" he bellowed, grabbing his sword, sheathing it, and staggering to his feet. By the time he regained his footing, Zuko was over a boat's length away. Sokka sprinted after him. He would wipe that smirk off Zuko's face and show him who was better! Spotting Toph ahead, he shouted, "Which way did he go?"

Toph pointed to her left without looking in his direction.

Sokka charged around a protruding corner of the air temple and almost collided with Zuko, who dodged his grasping fingertips just in time. With a roar of frustration, he gave chase again.

"Get him, Sokka!" he heard Teo shout from somewhere nearby. He ran faster, slowly closing the distance between them. When he was barely an arm's length away, he leaped wildly at Zuko.

"You're going down!" he howled.

They collapsed to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs, and Zuko immediately grabbed Sokka's arm and twisted it behind his back. Seal eyes, he was good!

"Let go, you gorilla bear!"

"Who's better?" Sokka could practically hear him grin.

Clenching his fist, he slammed his elbow as hard as he could into Zuko's stomach, and Zuko released his arm immediately. He grabbed a fistful of Zuko's hair and shoved his head into the grass.

"Me!" Sokka responded with a gleeful whoop. Zuko, however, would not be kept down for long. He sat up so quickly that their heads cracked together.

"Ow! Are all Firebender heads that hard?"

"No, just mine."

Blinking the stars from his eyes, Sokka wrapped an arm around Zuko's neck and yanked him back to the ground. Zuko elbowed him painfully, and Sokka aimed a kick at him in retaliation.

As they began to tumble down a steep slope, Sokka heard shouts above his own furious grunting. He barely had time to feel confused by Zuko's shocked yell before they were both falling through thin air.

Zuko screamed as he fell. In that moment, all of his regrets seemed to sear him like a tongue of the hottest flame. All he could think of was that he would never get a chance to apologize to his uncle now, never be able to tell him how sorry he was . . .

Then Appa was below them, and they slammed onto his furry back. He ran trembling fingers through the bison's white fur gratefully.

"Appa, you're the best!" he heard Sokka pant. "Thanks, Aang."

"What were you doing?" Aang wanted to know.

Zuko glanced at Sokka. What should they tell him? Dueling? Wrestling? Being stupid?

"Guy stuff," Sokka said vaguely.

When Appa landed, Zuko walked down his tail, while Sokka jumped to the ground. Katara was waiting for them, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What were you thinking?" she exploded when they were standing in front of her. "Didn't you hear us shouting? Are you trying to get yourselves killed? Sokka, you know the ground ends suddenly around here; why weren't you paying attention? And you!" she continued, rounding on Zuko, who cringed. "Why am I not surprised that you're mixed up in this?"

She blamed him for this accident. He was not surprised, just angry with himself for giving them another reason to mistrust him.

"Easy, Katara," Sokka began in an effort to pacify her. "It was an accident."

Now Zuko was surprised. Why was Sokka defending him?

"We were just fooling around, and it got out of hand. We were stupid, and it won't happen again."

"No, it won't," Zuko echoed. "I promise."

"Your promises are worth less than Arctic hen droppings," Katara muttered, her eyes scorching him with a vehement loathing that rivaled the hatred he had found in his father's eyes on the Day of Black Sun. "Instead of wasting your time falling off cliffs, why don't you two do something productive? Appa could use a good cleaning. Sokka, you can help me with that. And shouldn't Aang be starting his Firebending training?" she said with a pointed glance in Zuko's direction. Zuko nodded quickly, and to his relief she left, calling over her shoulder brightly, "Come on, Appa. Let's get you cleaned." Appa trotted happily after her.

When Zuko was sure that she was too far away to hear them, he leaned over and whispered to Sokka,

"Thanks for not blaming me." Sokka shrugged.

"It wasn't your fault. Anyway, I was saving my own skin as much as yours. You wouldn't believe how long she can talk when she gets on her soapbox."

Sokka started running to catch up with Katara. "Your cheap shot doesn't count, you know! I'm still the better man!" he called back.

Zuko sighed. The peasant-Sokka-had no idea how right he was, Zuko reflected as he watched Sokka match his sister's cross stride and put a placating arm around her shoulders. Sokka didn't have past wrongs that haunted him every day. He did not know which of them was the better swordsman-it hardly mattered. But Zuko knew exactly who the better man was.

*The End*

A/N: A swordfight between Zuko and Sokka-it doesn't get much better than that. Read and review if you have the time!