Ch 9 the waterbending scroll (part 1)

Aang frantically paced back on forth on Appa's saddle. Lin had half a mind wrap him with her cables and pin him to the saddle.

"Would you sit down? If we hit a bump you'll go flying off. What's bugging you?" Sokka asked.

"I have to master the remaining elements before the summer ends." Aang said.

"Lets see, you've already mastered air-bending, so you only got 3 elements left to go." Sokka said.

"Not helping, asshole." Lin sternly said, glaring at Sokka.

"I haven't event started waterbending, and it's weeks away from the north pole! What the fuck am I going to do until then?!" Aang exclaimed.

Katara pulled Aang down and talked to him.

"Calm down. If you want, I can teach you some of what I know." Katara said.

"You'd do that?" Aang asked.

"Sure thing. But we need to find water." Katara said, looking down on the landscape below.

"Maybe we can find you a puddle for you to splash around in." Sokka said.

Landing on the ground, they came eye to eye with a good sized waterfall. Appa swoops in overhead and lands in the water. Aang strips to his underwear and is about to jump in.

"Remember why we're here." Katara said.

Lin only grabbed a bar of soap and headed downstream to wash herself. She had her own methods of training Aang. And she had to train him soon, to get him warmed up for her daughter's brutal regime.

Funny. I'll be teaching Aang, and my daughter will be my co-trainer.

Putting the thoughts away, Lin washed herself and floated in the water for a minute, enjoying the silence.

"Aang!" Sokka shouts, followed by a tidal wave.

Or not.

Lin got onto the shore and hid behind a tree as the water flowed, taking their supplies down the creek.

"Nice one, Aang." Lin muttered.

In a village port, they headed thru the various shops and markets, loading up on their supplies. It reminded Lin of the shadier parts of republic city, though these people didn't hold a candle against the triads.

"I bought a bison whistle." Aang said, showing his friends. Aang blew into the whistle, producing a sound of rushing air.

"It doesn't even work. See, even momo's thinks it's a piece of junk." Sokka said.

"No offense, Aang. But I'll hold the money from now on." Katara said, taking the last bits of money.

Entering a pirate ship, they looked at the various merchandises on display. Lin opened an earthbending scroll and looked at the various beginner-intermediate forms. Lin put the scroll inside her armor and follows the group as they leave the boat.

"Hey, you! Get back here!" the pirate barker shouted.

"Well, well. Told ya the haggling would pay off." Aang said.

The pirate form up to fight Aang, weapons out.

"I don't think those pirates are here to trade with us!" Katara said, backing away.

Quickly observing their numbers, Lin fired fist sized rocks at the pirates in machine gun like patterns. The fast moving rocks knock the pirates on their feet and they run back to camp.

"I used to look up to pirates. But those guys are nasty." Aang said.

"I know. That's why I took this." Katara said, pulling the waterbending scroll out of her shirt.

"That makes both of us." Lin said, taking the earthbending scroll out of her armor as well.

"No wonder they were ready to hack us up." Sokka said.

"Yeah, and if it wasn't for my earthbending, ya'll would be dead." Lin said.

"You said I couldn't learn earthbending until I learned water." Aang said.

"Thought about it, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to have you train earth and water at the same time. One day, you'll learn water. The next day, earth. So on and so on." Lin said.

"Sounds like a good plan. I just want to try this one move, then it's all yours." Katara said.

They watched as Katara practiced the water whip, but failed to do so.

"Tomorrow, you can teach Aang waterbending. I'll start with his earthbending." Lin said.

Pulling Aang away from the water, Lin opened the scroll.

"First thing about earth-bending. You must have a firm stable stance." Lin said, demonstrating a horse stance.

"Right. Firm stance." Aang said, following Lin's pose.

Lin stood up and approached behind Aang. She grabbed his hips and slowly moved them up half an inch, and spread his legs more apart.

"Uh, Lin?" Aang asked, having never gotten this close to a teacher before.

"Trust me." Lin said, then backed off.

"Take your shoes off." Lin said, taking her metal shoes off.

"What for?" Aang asked.

"To learn earthbending, you need to have a connection to the earth. Being barefoot tends to help." Lin said.

Lin had Aang go thru the various earth-bending movements, then started some earth-bending. Lin moved a rock into position, stood in front of it, and pushed the rock a few meters.

"You try." Lin said.

Aang approached the rock and made the same move, only for Aang to be launched several feet backwards.

"You got it wrong. You have to face it head on. Earthbending is all about durability. Remember when I told you about neutral jing? Wait then strike?" Lin asked.

"Yeah. I remembered." Aang said.

"For neutral jing to work, you have to face your situations head on. After you endure it, you strike back when an opportunity shows itself." Lin said.

"Yeah. That's the problem. Since fire and water are opposites…" Aang started.

"Earth and air are also opposites. I have an idea. The two of us spar, right now. I'll stick with earth-bending, you can use anything and everything at your disposal. Airbending, earthbending, even the avatar state." Lin said, taking her armor off and putting aside.

"Lin, you sure this is the best idea?" Aang asked, assuming an earthbending stance.

"Think fast!" Lin said, and shot a medium sized rock towards Aang.

Aang dodged the rock and used airbending against Lin. Lin easily dodged the air slices and returned fire. Aang jumped high to avoid the rock projectiles and landed on a tree branch.

Lin only raised an eyebrow and earthbended a sharpened rock towards the branch, destroying the tree branch and Aang fell to the ground.

Lin grabbed Aang and pinned him against the tree, pressing against him.

"So, how did I win?" Lin asked.

"You're stronger, faster, more experienced." Aang said.

"If you had stood and fought, you might have had a chance against me. If you had done this shit with king Bumi, you'd be dead. You're lucky I was holding back." Lin said, and walked away.

As she walked away, Aang fired an airblast that knocked Lin down.

"You want a fight, I'll fight." Aang said, and fired another air blast. Lin dodged it and fired another medium sized boulder at Aang.

As Aang dodged the boulder, he felt a piece of earth wrap around his torso and throw him to the ground. Lin quickly straddled Aang and pinned his arms above his head.

"You still got a lot to learn." Lin said.

Aang attempted to get up, only for Lin to push him back on the ground, still straddling him.

"Lin, what are you doing?" Aang asked.

Lin didn't respond but turned her head to see Sokka walk through the brushes and saw Lin and Aang in a compromising position.

"What are you two doing?" Sokka asked.

"Uh, nothing." Aang said.

"Sure. We're burning daylight. Time to hit the hay." Sokka said.