"Today's the day." Aang exclaims as he wakes up the entire camp including a little girl who begins crying.
"Thanks Aang. You woke her up now she'll be grumpy all day." Sying grumbles as she consoles the little girl.
"Sorry but can you believe it?
After all that time
searching for a teacher,
I'm finally
starting earthbending." He cheers as the crying calms down.
"And this place, it's perfect." Toph adds feeling around by stomping her feet.
"Don't you think? Sokka?" Aang adds looking at his sleepy best friend. "Oh, you're still sleeping, huh?" They earth benders move away from the group to start learning.
"Good morning, earthbending student." Aang bows.
"Good morning, Sifu Toph."
"So what move are you gonna
teach me first? Rockalanche, the trembler? Oh, maybe I can learn to make a whirlpool out of land." Aang bounces.
"Well, let's start with, move a rock." Toph deadpans.
"Sounds good. Sounds good."
"The key to earthbending
is your stance. You've got to be
steady and strong. Rock is a stubborn element. If you're going to move it, you've got to be like a rock yourself."
"Like a rock. Got it."
"Good."
Zuko grabs his daughter after listening in to the lesson. "Let's learn some fire bending! What do you say, darling?"
"Woohoo! Fire! Fire!" Izumi cheers as she juggles a white flame. The parents laugh at the little girl as Zuko and Izumi move away to practice.
"Okay first show me everything I taught you last time, baby." Zuko requests siting down to watch her.
She nods and stretches before going to show her father. She swirls her hands to create a tunnel like fire blast before turning on her heel to kick up small white flames. Finally she shows him the dragon she learned from a circus performer. She guides it with her and around her small body and over her head. It follows as graceful as waves on the ocean.
"Beautiful! That was excellent, darling." Zuko smiles at his baby girl, "Now let's learn a few more basics."
•••
"This time, we're going to
try something a little different.
Instead of moving a rock,
we're going to stop a rock." Toph states as Aang looks up at the giant boulder above him.
"Get in your horse stance.
I'm going to roll that boulder
down at you. If you have the attitude of an earthbender,
you'll stay in your stance
and stop the rock,
Like this." She shows him the proper stance as Katara glances that way worriedly.
"Sorry, Toph, but are you sure
this is really the best way
to teach Aang earthbending?" Katara wonders.
"I'm glad you said something.
Actually, there is a better way." She ties a blind fold to around his eyes.
"This way, you'll really have to sense the vibrations of the boulder to stop it. Thank you, Katara."
"Yeah, thanks, Katara." Aang says sarcastically.
The boulder is pushed down and at the last second Aang jumps over it.
"I guess I just panicked. I don't know what to say."
"There's nothing to say.
You blew it. You had a perfect stance and perfect form,
but when it came right down to it,
you didn't have the guts. This is why you're people died! They had no guts!" She yells with tears and runs away. Sying sees this and runs after her.
Sying follows the girl to the edge of a clief. Where Toph stands over it kicking rocks down to the edge to let them fall for what seems forever to the women. "Toph....it's okay to be sad and angry." Sying whispers wrapping her arms around the girl.
"I can't believe their gone. My mom and dad will never see me again. I'll never listen to mom fuss over me or dad walk in the gardens with me." She cries.
"I know it's hard but it'll get easier over time." Sying whispers holding the girl tight.
"I just want the emptiness to go away. I just want to fill whole again."
"I know but I'm here for you. We all are." Sying sighs as she whips the young girls tears.
"What's going to happen to me after all this?" Toph questions leaning in to the women.
"You'll live with Zuko, Izumi and I if you'd like that. You're apart of our family, Toph. You're Izumi's big sister after all." Toph laughs lightly as tears falls and leans into the Princess who will come to be a mother to the young girl.
•••
"Why did she say that, Katara?" Aang cries. Katara wraps her arms around the younger boy.
"Because she's angry. She just lost her entire family. She's in mourning Aang. Toph just took her anger of the Fire Nation out on you. It's nothing personal." Katara whispers to the upset boy.
"Will she be okay?"
"In time. But will you be?"
"In time I will. Thanks for being here, Katara." Aang whispers into her hair and the girl hums in response to the boy. Soon they hear footsteps approaching and release each other.
"I'm sorry." Toph states, "I shouldn't have said that about your people."
"I'm sorry too for not standing my ground."
"If you're not tough enough
to stop the rock, then you can at least give it the pleasure of smushing you instead of jumping out of the way like a jelly-boned wimp." Toph smiles slightly.
"Now do you have what it takes
to face that rock like an earthbender?" Sying asks.
"No, I don't think I do."
"Aang, it's no big deal.
You'll take a break and try
earthbending again when you're ready." Katara informs him.
"Besides, you still have
a lot of waterbending to work on, OK?"
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"Expect we don't have time for that." Yue pipes up as she walks towards them feeding Bubbles her turtle-duck.
"She's right. You'll learn Aang it might just take a little more time." Sying states. "Try working in more of the basics or start with stopping a smaller rock"
"I suppose we can do that. What do you say Tinkle Toes?" Toph asks the boy.
"I guess that'll work."
"By the way have you guys seen Sokka?"
•••
"You probably think
I deserve this, don't you?" Sokka asks the animal as he sits in a hole.
"Look, I'm sorry I hunted you,
but that's just the natural
order of things.
Big things eat smaller things.
Nothing personal.
But this time,
it didn't work out that way." The animal let's out a cute sneeze.
"I admit it, you're cute.
OK, you convinced me.
If I get out of this alive,
it's a karmically correct
vegetarian existence for me.
No meat, even though meat
is so tasty." He declares in sadnes thinking of the tasty meat.
•••
"You know this block you're having
is only temporary, right?" Katara states.
"I don't want to talk about it." Aang grumbles after he jumped over yet another rock even a much smaller rock.
"You do realize
that's the problem, don't you?
If you face this issue
instead of avoiding it..." Toph adds.
"I know, I know, I know, I know.
I get it, all right?
I need to face it head-on like a rock.
But I just can't do it. I don't know why I can't, but I can't."
"Aang, if fire and water are opposites, Then what's the opposite of air?" Sying asks as she watched the fire blast from her husband and daughter.
"I guess it's earth."
"That's why it's so hard
for you to get this. You're working
with your natural opposite.
But you'll figure it out." Katara states positively.
"Earth is the element of substance.
The people of the Earth Kingdom
are diverse and strong.
They are persistent and enduring." Zuko pipes up as he walks over with a tired Izumi on his shoulders.
"Air is the element of freedom.
The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns
and found peace and freedom."Zuko further explain.
"And Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love
that holds them together
through anything." Sying adds to further help Aang understand.
"It is important to draw wisdom
from many different places.
If we take it from only one place,
it becomes rigid and stale.
Understanding others...
The other elements
and the other nations...
Will help you become whole." Syng states with a smile.
Zuko laughs, "I guess Uncle really did rub off on us."
"I thunk I need time to think about all of this." He walks off away from them leaving them all to their own devices.
•••
"Hey, Aang, have you seen..." Yue starts to say but is cut off.
"Meditating here."
"It's important. It's almost sundown, and Sokka isn't back yet.
I think we should search for him.
We'll find him faster if we split up." Yue demands making the boy get up to look for her boyfriend.
Meanwhile Sokka continues to talk to himself. "OK, karma person or thing, whoever's in charge of this stuff, if I can just
get out of this situation alive,
I will give up meat and sarcasm, OK? That's all I got.
That's pretty much my whole identity. Sokka, the meat and sarcasm guy. But I'm willing to be Sokka, the veggies and straight-talk fellow. Deal?"
Aang jumps over a rock and spots Sokka. "Aang! Thank goodness.
Have you got any meat?"
"Sokka, are you OK?" Aang asks as he tries to pull him out.
"Stop, stop!
You're gonna pull my fingers off." Sokka whines. "And I don't think
the rest of me is coming.
Hmm, I bet I can airbend
you out of here." Aang tries but he only messes up the boys hair.
"Seriously, Aang, I know you're new at it, but I could use a little
earthbending here. How about it?"
"I can't. I can't do it."
"Well, if you can't earthbend me
out of here, go get Toph"
"I can't do that either." Aang sighs sitting down next to the teen.
"You can't? Why not?"
"It would just be really... Uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable."
Well, I wouldn't want you
to feel uncomfortable."
"Thanks, Sokka.
This whole earthbending thing
really has me confused.
There's so much pressure. Everyone expects me
to get it right away.
It puts me in a really awkward position."
"Awkward position?
I think I know the feeling." The teenager grumbles from his place in the hole.
"If I try, I fail.
But if I don't try,
I'm never gonna get it.
I feel like I'm caught between
a rock and a hard place."
"Hmm, how about that?
Aang, this is my friend,
Fufu Cuddly Poops.
Fufu Cuddly Poops, Aang."
"Aw. What a cute name for a little baby sabertooth moose lion cub." Aang smiles.
"Really? He looks nothing like
a sabertooth moose lion."
"It's hard to tell before
their giant teeth and horns grow in.
What you doing out here, little guy?
Did you lose your mama?" Aang questions.
An animal growls and the mother comes for her baby.
"Hey there.
We found your cub.
See? We have no problem with you.
We're friendly." Aang smiles nervously. The mother snorts at his words.
"Aang, this is bad.
You got to get me out of here." Aang fights the mother with light air Bending.
"This is really bad.
Please, Aang!
You have to earthbend me out. There's no other way."
"Hyah! Hyah!" Aang says some dust around and throws at the mother scaring her off.
"Yahoo-hoo! Look at me!" Aang cheers.
"Please. Don't leave me again."
"I won't." Aang states turning to see Toph standing there all smug like.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just enjoying the show."
"What? You were there the whole time?" Aang exclaims upset.
"Pretty much." Toph answers calmly.
"Why didn't you do something?
Sokka was in trouble. I was in trouble!" Aang proclaimsZ
"You could have gotten him out
and helped us get away."
"I guess it just didn't occur to me."
"Enough. I want my staff back."
"Do it now."
"What?"
"Earthbend, twinkle toes.
You just stood your ground
against a crazy beast.
And even more impressive,
you stood your ground against me.
You've got the stuff." Toph smirks with her hands on her hips.
" But..."
"Do it!"
He takes his stances breathing in and out before pushing his arms out with all his might sending the rock flying backwards into the he mountain.
"You did it!
You're an earthbender."
"I can't believe it." Aang declares in awe of himself.
"Aw. This is really a wonderful,
touching moment.
So could you get me out of here
so I can give you both a big snuggly hug?" They laugh at Sokka before Toph gets him out.
The end.
Not really.