AN: Been a while since I updated. Sorry. I don't own Avatar blah blah blah, enjoy, please read my note at the end.
The next few days, Nathan continued his waterbending training with Katara. He was making steady progress, the only problem was that Aang decided he need to start working on his waterbending again.
"But Aang, you have to work on your earthbending." Katara told him sternly.
"I know and I am, but it's important to stay balanced." Aang pleaded with her, Nathan just watched, not really sure what to say.
"Fine" Katara said, finally giving in, she turned to Nathan, "I'm sorry, I'm sure you can find something to do while I work with Aang."
Nathan smiled, "It's no problem, and I needed a break anyway." He then walked away and back to the campsite. Nathan looked around and decided there was honestly nothing to do. He sighed, the past few days hadn't been that great. He loved spending time with Katara and learning to waterbending, but he also realized something sad, Katara was stronger than him. Every time he tried to pin her down or they tried some hand to hand techniques, she always beat him. Nathan needed to get stronger, and then it hit him. Toph.
Nathan walked to the rocky area he knew Toph would be at. When he arrived there, Toph was practicing her earthbending, back to Nathan.
"Can I help you daffodil?" She asked him, not even facing him.
Nathan shuffled his feet awkwardly, not really sure how to phrase the question without sounding like a wimp. He drew a blank, "Uh…"
"Well out with it! I'm busy!" Toph snapped.
Nathan sighed, "Do you think you could maybe train me and help me get stronger so I stop losing hand to hand fights?" He finally asked.
Toph stopped bending and turned to him, she then started laughing. Nathan turned bright red in embarrassment. Toph kept laughing, wiping tears from her eyes; finally she spoke in between laughs, "Hold on. You want me to train you so you can fight better? Against sweetness?"
Nathan turned even redder and objected, "Not just her! For any kind of hand to hand fight!"
Toph laughed harder, "You can't even beat her?"
Nathan sighed again, "I've never really been that strong…." He looked at his arms, they lacked muscle, when he flexed there wasn't much of a difference.
"Fine." Toph said, her laughing finally stopping. "I'll train you, but I'll train you with earthbending techniques."
Nathan smiled, but then confusion filled his face, "But what good will they do if I can't bend earth?"
Toph grinned, "Trust me; you'll not only be strong, but able to take down any earthbender. Except me of course. Now let's start!" She demanded. And with that statement, a large rock was chucked at Nathan.
Nathan trained with Toph all afternoon, carrying and lifting rocks up hills. Trying to dodge rock slides, and rock blasts while climbing rock pillars. At one point in the training session, Nathan got really hot and sweaty, he was dying to take off his shirt, but didn't want Toph seeing his scars. Then he remembered she was blind, and with that Nathan threw his shirt to the side and continued training. Another one of Toph's rules for their training was that Nathan couldn't wear shoes. When he asked her Toph explained.
"You see, first off your feet are weak, they need to be toughened. Second of all, when practicing, I want you to start picking up on the vibrations different objects. Even though you aren't an earthbender you can still get the basics of it down." Toph told him.
At the end of the training session, Nathan headed to the campfire, more sore than he had ever been in his life. Katara was at the campfire, preparing the food for dinner. Nathan collapsed on the ground next to her and looked up at her.
"You alright?" Katara asked.
Nathan nodded, "Just a little bit of training, nothing major. How'd it go with Aang?" He asked.
Katara sighed, "I swear it's like he forgot everything, there were so many times where I had to adjust his arms for him, I had to practically hold him the whole lesson." She shook her head.
Nathan laughed, "So what's for dinner?" he asked, his stomach rumbling.
Katara giggled, Nathan smiled , he loved her laugh. "We're having stew, same thing we do every meal." She answered.
Nathan grinned, "Just making sure." He sat up and watched the movements she used to bend the water in the stew.
"You wanna try?" Katara asked him.
Nathan nodded, "Sure" He took his hand and started moving it to mirror Katara's movements. The water splashed around as he stirred it.
"You need to be a bit more gentle with it. Like this." Katara placed her hand on his, guiding his movements. "Got it?" she looked at him.
Nathan looked back at Katara and took her free hand with his other one, caught up in the moment, looking into her eyes.
Katara felt herself blush as he held her hand, she looked up at him, his green eyes so mysterious, she couldn't read them. Nathan began to lean his head in, Katara felt her heart leap, she couldn't think straight. She had to remind herself to lean in too. Katara slowly leaned her head in to meet his. Their lips were inches apart; she slowly closed her eyes…
"Katara? Am I doing it right?" Nathan asked. "Earth to Katara."
Katara snapped out of her daydream, Nathan was still stirring the stew, his motions not quite right. Katara sighed, "You need to be more gentle Nathan"
Nathan loosened his hand and kept stirring, "Like this?" He asked.
Katara nodded, "Yeah….like that."
Nathan looked at her, "You okay? Something on your mind?"
Katara sighed, "Just a silly fantasy…."
Nathan gave her a strange look and shrugged, continuing to stir the stew.
That night everyone was sitting around the fire, eating and laughing. At one point Sokka brought up Nathan's name.
"I mean, Nathan, it just sounds so strange. I've never heard a name like it…" Sokka pointed out.
Nathan laughed, "I suppose so, but I've never heard names like yours, you guys have some weird names. Only other name I've heard like yours is my grandfather's…" Nathan sighed, his grandfather died when he was only five, he knew his grandfather was a kind man, his grandmother always spoke so fondly of him.
Sokka stroked his chin, "Alright Nathan, if you had a son then, would you give him a name like ours or a name like yours?"
Nathan thought, "If I had a son, I would name him after my grandfather…" Nathan said. His grandfather was Japanese and believed deeply in ancestors and spirits. Nathan didn't really have Japanese features, although he thought quite fondly of his hair.
"Well what was your grandfather's name?" Sokka asked.
"His name was Tenzin…" Nathan answered.
"Tenzin…." Katara said wistfully, "I like it!" Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Alright" Nathan said, "Aang if you had a son, what would you name him?"
Aang thought for a moment, "Bumi!" He finally said.
Sokka and Katara laughed remembering the crazy king. Toph smiled and Nathan nodded.
"Okay, Katara, if you had a daughter what would you name her?" Nathan asked.
Katara didn't hesitate "I'd name her Kaya, after my mother."
Nathan smiled, "Good one" He turned to Toph "And if you had a daughter?"
Toph scoffed "Why would I waste my time having a kid?"
Sokka answered "So your earthbending style and buttkicking heritage could live on."
Toph's face lit up with realization, "I could teach my daughter to kick butt? Awesome!"
Nathan laughed, "So what would you name her?"
Toph thought and then answered flatly, "Lin"
Everyone stared at her. "Lin?" Nathan asked.
Toph nodded, "Yup" She said, giving no farther explanation.
Nathan shrugged, "Alright then, your turn Sokka"
Sokka threw his hands into the air, "It's too soon to be thinking of kids!" he exclaimed dramatically. Everyone laughed and continued to eat.
At the end of the meal Nathan offered to clean up while everyone else went to bed. As soon as he finished with the dishes, he opened his duffle, pulled out a bottle of the earth kingdom alcohol, and uncorked it. It had been so long since he had a drink, Nathan felt his whole body relax as the drink went down his throat. He drank until he felt the sweet bliss he had missed for so long. Nathan felt his mind slow down, the world around him was gone and he smiled with sweet pleasure, putting the bottle away, he eventually passed out.
The next morning Nathan woke up with a killer hangover everything hurt and his head pounded. When Katara saw him she was instantly worried.
"Oh Nathan, you look awful, are you okay?" Katara asked, worry filling her voice.
Nathan shook his head, "No, I feel horrible, I don't think I can train today" he responded.
Katara nodded in understanding, "Just feel better" she said, kissed his forehead and with that walked away. Nathan grinned to himself and dozed off.
Nathan was awoken by a rock shooting him a few feet off the ground and landing on his face. "Owwww" he groaned, the pain being amplified due to his hangover.
"Time to train Daffodil!" Toph barked at Nathan.
"Not today Toph, I feel horrible." Nathan groaned.
Toph stormed over to him and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, dragging him to the rocky area. "You asked me to train you, this is part of your training!" With that Nathan began one of the most painful training sessions of his life.
By the end of the day Nathan could barely move, he didn't even eat dinner, instead he went straight to bed, learning an important lesson. Hangovers and training don't mix.
The next few days Nathan continued his training, sensing improvement in many ways. His drinking habits were also improving, he had to drink less than his normal amount, so the next day would be easier. He also felt himself growing stronger physically and as a waterbender, one day he even created his own technique.
Nathan was training with Toph and when his back was turned, she launched him into the air, high. Nathan flew for what felt like a long time and finally his body headed towards the ground, actually the river. As Nathan's body hurtled towards the water he prepared to catch himself, he bent a current of water to rise up and catch him, creating a pillar of water. He raised himself as high as he could until Toph was in sight, he sent his body towards her, taking as much water as possible with him.
Toph was unable to sense Nathan until he made impact, he hit her like a rock, water propelling him along. When his feet hit the ground Toph sent rock blasts at him. What he did next Toph wasn't expecting at all, he deflected them. Toph was a bit confused, she sensed objects in his hands he seemed to be using to deflect her rock barrage.
"Where did you get the swords?" Toph asked as she shot at him.
Nathan grinned; in his hands were two swords, made of ice. He had frozen the left over water from his attack and formed swords from the ice, using his waterbending quickly; he continually refroze and expanded it when needed. Nathan continued blocking Toph's attacks and began charging at her, the swords making it a much easier task.
Toph smiled, proud of Nathan for pulling such a skillful and original maneuver. Unfortunately for Nathan Toph was a master earthbender and he was only at an intermediate level of waterbending, as Nathan charged, Toph waited until the perfect moment. His swords stabbed at her and Toph raised up a wall of earth, his swords shattering against it, she then made a rock pop under his foot, causing Nathan to faceplant into the wall.
Nathan groaned in pain, he felt warm blood trickle from his nose, Toph laughed. "Well, that's all the training for the day." She waved and walked off. Nathan just laid on the ground in defeat and pain, but grinning like an idiot, excited for his new move.
Katara was walking along the river, collecting berries and fire wood when she noticed an interesting trail of water. The water trail led from the river towards the rocky areas Toph practiced earthbending at. Katara followed the trail until she reached Nathan, laying on the ground surrounded by shattered ice and various rocks.
"Nathan!" Katara dropped her items and ran to him, assuming the worst, worry filling her voice. When she reached him she saw blood coming from his nose. "Oh no! What happened?" She asked as she helped him sit up.
Nathan grinned, "I'm fine, really. I was just doing some training and ran into a wall…of earth." He said.
Katara gave him a look of disbelief, "Nathan, I'm serious."
Nathan laughed, "Really, it's all good." With that he walked off, leaving a very confused Katara.
The next few days passed smoothly, Nathan got some painting in, and everyone was getting along well. One day Aang made an announcement.
"Alright guys, I think it's time we have a vacation." He stated with a huge smile, everyone cheered. Everyone helped to pack up and they were out of the camp by noon. Nathan was really excited for a break from all his training, he felt himself becoming stronger and a better bender, but a break sounded nice.
As they flew Nathan wasn't the only one noticing his progress. Katara watched Nathan as he sat and realized Nathan had gotten a lot tanner from all his time in the sun. His skin was no longer that light tone that matched Aang's, it was quite a bit darker, not as dark as Sokka or Katara though. Katara also noticed that his arms weren't as skinny. Oh my, Katara thought, Nathan's buff.
After flying for a while, they landed to eat and take a break. Aang laid out a map for them to see. "Alright Katara, you get to pick where we go first." Aang told her.
Katara looked over the map and thought about where to go "Hmmm how about here?" She pointed at an ice block on the map.
Aang grinned, "Alright guys, let's head off!" He said excitedly.
Nathan smiled, he felt this trip would go extremely well.
Unfortunately Nathan was completely wrong.
AN: Alright, enjoy my little Korra reference? Yeah that will play a part much later in the story, teehee. Any way give your thoughts any and all feedback is great.
Also an important matter, as you know is now allowing covers to be posted for stories, so anyone who can suggest or even better create me a cover for my story will win my great thanks and appreciation, OH and a oneshot! Yay! I don't write anything dirty, and I like to keep the couples guy and girl, I don't write and slash or femslash, I just can't nothing against it. So yeah, reviews and ideas very helpful.