I am at last moving on to episode 29 "Bitter Work"! You know, I almost didn't update this chapter on time because I wasn't inspired to write *wink wink-nudge nudge*. Also, I plan to make this story follow the episode timeline, but I don't want it to follow the plot line too closely. I've already thrown Lanse into the mix and have planted seeds between her and Zuko(this doesn't necessarily mean romance), but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions how Lanse can change the story line even more. I'll try to make this chapter longer like the last one, and I hope you enjoy!
I don't own Avatar! =P
Lanse ran down the dark alley, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She glanced back behind her, seeing the wall of fire quickly approaching. She pumped her tiny legs faster, shoe-less feet slapping painfully against the cold stone. She panicked, trying desperately to get away from the approaching flames, but knowing beep down that it was no use, that the flames would eventually reach her.
She turned a corner and saw the end of the alley ahead of her and she quickened her pace, reaching for the last hope that she had. As she broke free of the suffocating walls she had to stop short, nearly falling of the ledge that appeared in front of her. She looked down, expecting to see an ocean of water, but cried out in terror as she instead saw a sea of flames. She turned around, trying to find another way to run, but froze when she saw that the fire had escaped the alley as well, leaving no means of escape. She stepped back as the fire came closer, she kept creeping backwards until she felt the ledge at her heels. She let out another cry, realizing she was trapped; trapped and alone, knowing that no matter how hard she tried to escape the pain would come, the fire would reach her.
"Today's the day! Can you believe it? After all that time searching for a teacher, I'm finally starting Earthbending! And this place, it's perfect, don't you think? Sokka?" Lanse shot upright, being pulled from her nightmare by Aang's sudden burst of talking. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eye, trying to hide the after effects of her dream….make that nightmare.
"Goooood morning, Earthbending student!" Toph yelled, erupting from her earth tent.
Lanse groaned and lay back, pulling the blanket over her head. She knew she wouldn't be able to get to sleep again, but she really did hate the noise this early in the morning.
"Good morning, Sifu Toph." Aang said bowing.
"Hey," Katara said, disappointed, "You never call me Sifu Katara!"
"Well, if you think I should…."
Sokka rolled over in his sleeping bag and glared at them, grumbling.
"Sorry snoozles, we'll do our training as quietly as we can." Lanse peeked out from under her blankets as she felt the ground rumble a little. She saw some rocks pop up out of the ground and fling Sokka into the air. Lanse tried to suppress a laugh as Sokka jumped back up off the ground, still in his sleeping bag, and grumbled before hopping away. Lanse thought about following his lead and began to get up, but was stopped by her foot being incased in Earth.
"Oh, no you don't," Toph said, releasing her foot and sending her falling forward, arms pin-wheeling. "I saw you in that fight before, all you were doing was dodging. You need to get back into fighting condition!"
Lanse groaned, she had to admit, it had been awhile since she was in a fight, and her skills become kind of dull. Alright, who was she kidding? Lanse had been kicking herself on this inside after almost drowning in a fight with Firebenders, and not being able to hold her own in the last fight.
"Fine," she groaned, turning her back and standing there until she had to move.
"So, what are you going to teach me first?" Aang asked enthusiastically. "Rockalanche? Trembler? Oh! A whirlpool out of land!"
"Let's start with…move a rock."
"Sounds good, sounds good!" Aang yelled as Toph walked over to Lanse, about to drag the taller girl along by her collar. She had thought that Lanse was daydreaming and didn't know she was there, so she was surprised when Lanse suddenly ducked forward and stepped back right under her arm.
"I'm not that rusty!" She yelled over her shoulder as she turned and ran away from Toph, sticking her tongue out.
: Scene Change! :
While the others went to watch Toph and Aang, Lanse wandered through the canyon they were staying in until she found a small pond. She stripped down to her underclothes found a long, strong reed before stepping into the water. She liked training in water because it made everything harder. As she went through the familiar movements with her make-shift staff she had to use twice the effort, making her faster when she moved on land.
She was just beginning to shift into a more difficult stance, her muscles screaming in protest when she felt a sudden weight on her back and a loud chattering in her ear. She let out a yelp and fell back on her butt with a splash. She sat up and pulled her now soaked hair out of her face, and saw Momo, desperately trying to cling to her knee and stay out of the water. She glared at the lemur for a moment before giving up and laughing, something she didn't do very often. She joked around a lot and would…chuckle, but not often laughing outright.
She picked up the little creature fondly and carried him over to dry land, scratching his head before turning back towards the center of the pond. However, before she could start wading through the water her reflection caught her eye. She reached down and touched the scar on her left hip, it started just above her shorts and ended just below her mid-thigh. She looked at it sadly, remembering the day she had been burned…
"Hey, Lanse!" Lanse gasped and turned around, sitting, more like falling, into the water; soaking herself again and hiding her leg.
"Hey, guys!" She said awkwardly, ignoring the strange looks they gave her, "What are you doing here?"
"We were going to work on Aang's waterbending, so he could take a little break." Katar said, stripping to her white underclothes.
"Ah, how's the training going?" Lanse asked, trying to distract them from the fact that she was still sitting in the water.
Aang just grunted, taking off his shirt and stepping into the water.
"Ah, bad," Lanse mumbled to herself.
While Katara and Aang passed a blob of water back and forth, Lanse decided to entertain herself by sitting between them, beneath the blob, so she could look up and follow its movements. She didn't care that this seemed childish, it entertained her and she couldn't get up anyway.
"You know this block you're having is only temporary, right?" Katara asked, breaking the silence.
"I don't want to talk about it." Aang mumbled.
"You do realize that's the problem, don't you? If you face this issue instead of avoiding it…"
"I know, I know, I know! I get it, all right? I have 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 interrupted her.
"Aang, if fire and water are opposites, then what's the opposite of air?" Katara asked patiently.
"I guess it's earth," Aang mumbled.
"That's why it's so difficult for you to get this. You're working with your natural opposite!"
"She's right," Lanse said, making them jump because they had almost forgotten she was there.
"It's like Appa and an Ostrich-horse. When Appa's flying his movements flow and are smooth, but an Ostrich-horse's movements and sharp, strong, and rhythmic. And, not matter how you look at them, that's just how they are, and all you can do accept it. Stop fighting it and adjust the rhythm of your body and movements of your body to match the movements of each creature." Katara and Aang stared at Lanse in awe, surprised by the sudden words of wisdom from the sarcastic girl, and amazed that, as she spoke she had seemed to be moving with the blob of water, matching the rhythm of her body to it.
"Think fast!" Katara said suddenly, throwing a grass missile at Aang. Lanse, caught in its path, threw herself to the side, while Aang brought up a blade of water, slicing the grass down the center.
"Excellent. You have the reflexes of a Waterbending master. And don't worry Aang, you'll figure it out. I know you will."
"Thanks, Sifu Katara," Aang said affectionately, bowing. Katara bowed back and Aang made his way towards the shore. "And thanks Lanse! Your advice really helped!" he called back.
"No problem!" Lanse called, waving to his retreating figure.
"You can get out of the water now." Katara said when Aang was gone.
Lanse opened her mouth to make an excuse, but Katara cut her off before she could say anything,
"I know about your scar."
Okay so it's not as long as the last one, but it's late and it was such a good place to stop! Special thanks to my 5 wonderful reviewers:
My fanfiction Mommy- IrkenRuler13
I-Love-Avatar
Anonymous the Third
PrettyKitty24 –I'm not sure if I'm going to put Lanse X Zuko in it. I know! People should let me know if they want me to pair Lanse with anyone in reviews!
NaruGirl –I'm sorry, but it will still be awhile yet until it's revealed where she got her scar. At least this gave a bit more information, confirming it's a burn scar.
Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed. I will update soon. Flames will be used to fuel Aang's determination to move that rock! Please review! They help me write!
