*Your POV*
After a night of actual rest, I woke up refreshed the next day, and Aang was just as excited as I was today to learn earth bending. Well, I was less excited and more worried that I could possily mess everything up. But you thought it over in your mind, trying to gain inner peae and sensefor the element.
Aang: Today's the day.
He leaps in the air as he lands next to me.
Aang: We finally get to learn earth bending, isn't that amazing (Y/N)?
Y/N: . . .
Aang noticed you were a bit spaced out as he wave his hand in your face to snap you out of it.
Y/N: Hmm?
Aang: You okay?
Y/N: I just had a very weird dream, but it felt like reality, it's weird. But of course, I'm just happy I get to actually become a little more useful.
Sokka grumbles in his sleeping bag at the noise of us talking. I guess he still needs more sleep.
The earth shakes as Toph's tent erupts.
Toph: Good morning earth bending students.
Aang: Good morning Sifu Toph.
Katara: Hey, you never called me Sifu Katara.
Aang: Well, if you think I should.
Sokka grumbles more at the ongoing conversation.
Toph: Sorry snoozles, we'll do our earth bending as quietly as we can.
She kicks the ground with her heel causing Sokka to get launched into the sky. Luckily he landed safely on the ground. He hops off in his sleeping bag mumbling to himself in clear frustration.
Me and Aang gather with Toph as Aang asks what we're gonna learn today.
Aang: So what move are you gonna teach us first? Rockalanche, the Trembler, oh, maybe you can teach us to make a whirlpool out of land.
Toph puts her hand on Aang's chest to stop his overactive thinking.
Toph: Let's just start with 'Move a Rock.'
Toph sets us up in front of our own boulder as she explains the basics of what it was we were doing.
Toph: The key to earth bending 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.
Aang: Like a rock. Got it.
Toph: Good. Now the actual motion of this one is pretty simple.
She then slams the rock against the canyon wall.
Toph: Okay, you ready to give it a try?
Aang goes first.
Aang: Okay, I'm ready.
Aang takes a deep breath, focusing his power as he goes to move the boulder but instead is forced flying back into Appa.
Sokka: Rock beats air bender.
Sokka says with a slight chuckle.
Toph: *sigh* This is gonna be a long day. Now you try (Y/N).
I nod as I take my stance and tense myself up. I go to move the boulder the way Toph showed me. A simple, easy motion of ust moving it. I focus myself and find my center as I drive my fist into the side of the rock to move it, but instead the boulder completed shatters into pebbles.
Katara claps her hands as if I did something successful. But I didn't feel too successful.
Katara: That was great (Y/N).
Toph puts her hand over Katara's chest to stop her congratulations.
Toph: It was good, if his goal was to destroy the rock. The goal was to move it, not obliterate it.
Katara: Well, I don't understand, I mean they did the same thing you did.
Aang came back after being launched into Appa.
Aang: Well what if we came at the boulder from a different angle.
Toph grabs Aang by his shirt.
Toph: That's the problem. You've go to stop thinking like an Air bender. There's no clever solution, no different angel, and no trickety trick that's gonna move that rock. One thing Fancy Dancer did that you have to start doing is face it head on. As for you.
She points her finger in my face catching me off guard for a moment.
Toph: You may have to think a little less with destructive power, and focus more on moving it. Destruction isn't something that's always in earth bending.
Toph begins to walk away as Katara rushes after her, stopping her from walking off.
Katara: I've been training Aang for a while now. He really responds well to a positive teaching experience. Lots of encouragement and praise. Kind words. If he's doing something wrong, maybe a gentle nudge in the right direction. And seeing how (Y/N) is, he might respond the same way.
Toph: Well I can't focus on the both of them. Aang's takes priority for now. (Y/N) has to learn to be. . . more gentle. His destructive power and strength is fine, but he needs more finesse. In the meantime, I'm taking Twinkle Toes here and whip him into true earth bending shape.
She drags Aang away as I am lead away by Katara.
Y/N: I don't get why this is so hard. If I can already break boulders like it's nothing, then moving them shouldn't be a problem.
Katara places her hands on my shoulders.
Katara: Well, maybe there's something that's keeping you in a 'destructive' mindset. Maybe there's something keeping you so on guard from your past?
Y/N: Is this the part where I tell you about my past?
Katara: I'm not trying to fore it. But, I just think it would help in your problem. Let's start with, what's the biggest thing you can move with your bending?
Y/N: Not sure. I don't know really. MY bending is weird. It seems I can over things bigger than myself, but, smaller objects don't bend to my will so easily. The most "finesse" I have is this.
I place my hands on the side of the cliffs and climb the cliffside, my hands and feet seemingly sticking to the side with no effort. Much to Katara's amazement.
Katara: How are you doing that?
Y/N: My mom taught me. She's the best earth bender in the world, but don't tell Toph that. It's a type of magnetism. It allows me to sneak in quietly.
You leap down landing softly onto the ground.
Y/N: That's all the finesse I have. I just need to go relax and focus. There's a lot in my head that should be worked through. I'll be back later.
Katara: I'm here if you ever need help. I can help any way I can.
*A bit later*
You walked off through the canyon as you went over the thoughts in your head on what your problem was. Time went by as you seemed to just be meandering around until you eventually came up and saw Toph and Aang training. Katara also noticed the training and joined to see what was happening as well.
Y/N: So, what's the lesson right now?
Toph: Glad your here to see this. Now Twinkle Toes, I'm gonna roll that boulder down at you. If you have the attitude of an earth bender, you'll stop it dead in its tracks.
She points to the top of a boulder on a cliffside. This was a bit much since Aang couldn't even move a rock.
Katara: Uh Toph, don't you think there's a better way to do this?
Toph: Actually I'm glad you said something Katara.
Toph takes Aang's belt and wraps it over his eyes.
Toph: This way you'll really have to feel the vibrations in the earth to sense the rock. Thank you Katara.
Aang: Yeah, thanks Katara.
Aang said with understandable attitude.
Toph goes up the cliff and pushes the boulder down. The tension and stress is thick in the air as it comes rolling down. You and Katara watch with fear if Aang can even stop it. Suddenly, Aang jumps over the boulder causing it to ram into another cliff.
Toph ran up to Aang and was clearly irritated with the way he handled that lesson.
Aang: I guess I just panicked. I don't know what to say.
Toph: Theres 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!
Toph jabs Aang in the chest as he falls down.
Aang: I know. I'm sorry.
Aang looks down disappointed.
Toph: Yeah, you are sorry! If you're not tough enough to stop the rock, then you can at least give it the pleasure of smashing you instead of jumping out of the way like a jelly-boned wimp! Now, do you have what it takes to face that rock like an earth bender?
Aang looks down with a defeated look.
Aang: No, I don't think I do.
Katara goes to comfort Aang and offers to practice water bending to take his mind off of his failure.
Y/N: So Toph, is there anything you can teach me now?
She sighs.
Toph: Well there isn't anything I can teach you yet, at least not that I can think of for now. I've never seen a problem as specific as yours. Usually with issues like that, there's some blockage you've got to release. So, go release it then I can help you better.
What she said did make sense, especially for the issues you faced at hand. IT took you a moments thought as you came up with an idea.
Y/N: Thank you so much Sifu Toph.
You walk up to her and hug her, lifting her off the ground as she manages to shove you off, pointing her finger in your face.
Toph: Never do that again, if you wanna hug something go hug a tree.
She storms off still a bit red in the face which confused you a bit, but you had your on agenda at the moment.
Y/N: I will never understand people. I thought friends do that. Am I doing something wrong? Hmm, whatever, for now I just need to unblock some blockage.
After that, you decided to put your mind in a state of calmness. A way to better search through your memories and thoughts in your on form of meditation. You walked far into the canyon until you found a spot, to sit, and think. To sit and remember. To sort out your mind.
. . .
Time felt slower and I couldn't do it properly, at least I thought. I just cant sit there and just think about why I can't earth bend.
Y/N: 'If Aang were here, this might be easier.'
I still tried to maintain my focus on the earth around me. I felt nothing at all. No energy, no life. All I could feel was the slight breeze and all I could hear was my own heart beat. I walked through the thoughts in my mind, but nothing yielded any sort of blockage I could possibly have.
My heart beat rose slightly as I felt the sensation of being watched. I wanted to ignore it, but the more I tried, the more the anxiety built up. I heard some metal clanging together until I opened my eyes and jumped out of the way.
A chain lashed where I was previously sitting. I looked to the source to see a man in similar clothing to what my mother described my father's clan to where. He even had a blood moon sigil on his chest.
Man: Looks like the intel was right on the money. You're Huojin's second brat, all grown up and alive.
I didn't speak because I was on the defensive. How dis he even know who I was? No one from my fathers clan should know that I'm even alive, and least of all what I look like. The last few people I ran away from thought I was mom, but what changed?
Man: You know, its rude not to speak to your elders, didn't your mother ever teach you that?
I felt my blood boil, but I was afraid and angry at the same time. Something must have happened to mom for that information to be known.
Y/N: How do you know who I am?
Man: So you finally speak. Well, to be honest. The info came from the last person you ran away from and barely escaped. They could tell you weren't your mother. But they heard you scream at one point. When the lightning hit. That's when she knew it was you.
He's clearly talking about my sister. But this information is bad. That was over six months ago when she struck me with lightning, so she's known for that long. The only thing is, they have no idea what mom looks like right now since she changed her appearance so drastically.
Y/N: So what sick order did my father give you? Are you here to kill me? Or maybe you want to torture me into telling you where my mother is? Maybe even both?
Man: You're right about the latter. But your father would rather me bring you back to the Fire Nation alive and as unharmed as possible, as for your mother, she has to face judgment.
You take a fighting stance.
Y/N: Over my dead body!
Man: Your sister said you'd say that. Which is why she gave me the orders to kill you if you resist, and anyone you know.
Y/N: Then come and try me. I promise you'll be the one dead after this.