𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕

𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒈

Chapter twenty one
Elora

"Alright, pupil Flame Head," Toph began, her voice carrying the weight of experience, "the key to earthbending is your stance. Rock's a stubborn element, so if you're gonna move it," she emphasized with a push, "you've gotta be like rock yourself. You've gotta be stubborn."

Aang chuckled, reminiscing, "Oh, Elora's stubborn alright. One time, it took me eight months of begging to convince her to try seaweed." He observed from the sidelines as Toph initiated my first earthbending lesson.

"Now, the stance for this one is pretty simple," Toph continued, her confidence palpable. With effortless ease, she sent a sizable rock hurtling towards the rocky wall, the impact echoing through the canyon.

Feeling emboldened by her demonstration, I mimicked her movements, exerting all my strength. However, my rock budged only two inches, neither more nor less, leaving me feeling thoroughly embarrassed, a blush painting my entire body.

"Ha! Rock beats Avatar!" Sokka's laughter echoed from the sidelines, where he lounged comfortably in his sleeping bag.

"Zip it, nut brain!" I retorted, unable to suppress it, my frustration mounting.

Unbeknownst to me, the force of my foot stomping sent tremors rippling through the ground, causing my rock to shudder and quake in its place.

"Interesting," Toph murmured, her sharp eyes gleaming with amusement as she observed the unintended consequence of my outburst.

After enduring countless earthbending lessons, I managed to navigate through them with flying colors, but with each passing session, my frustration simmered beneath the surface. Toph seized every opportunity to berate, scold, and insult me, claiming it was part of the process, though it felt more like a test of endurance. Despite her harsh methods, I persisted, fueled by stubbornness and pride.

Now, facing a massive boulder hurtling towards me, fear and anxiety threatened to overwhelm. But as Aang had said, I was stubborn, and I had my pride—I refused to back down. Summoning every ounce of determination, I thrust my arm forward, managing to slow the boulder's momentum, but it continued to push me backward relentlessly.

As the boulder finally ground to a halt, I released a heavy sigh, removing my blindfold to assess the aftermath.

"I don't know what I did wrong"

Toph approached, her expression a thundercloud of anger, and I braced myself for her critique.

"Here we go," I muttered under my breath.

"You blew it. That's what you did wrong," Toph snapped, her words sharp as stone. "You had a perfect stance, perfect form, but when it came right down to it, you lacked the strength."

"Then how do I fix it?" I pleaded, frustration bubbling to the surface.

"There's no fixing it, Lora," Toph retorted, her tone uncompromising. "There aren't different angles and solutions to things. Stop thinking like an airbender. If you're not tough enough to stop the rock, then you can at least give it the pleasure of smushing you instead of getting dragged by it like a pathetic rag doll. Now, do you have what it takes to face that rock like an earthbender?"

"According to you, I don't!" I shouted in frustration before storming away to find Aang and Sokka, craving their comfort and understanding.

Arriving at our campsite, the voices of Katara and Aang greeted me.

"Hey, Aang, have you seen—" Katara began, her voice tinged with concern.

"Sorry, Katara, but meditating here," Aang interrupted, his tone serene and focused.