Patience was supposed to be a virtue, but it was nearly impossible for Azula to keep her cool as she waited along with the rest of the gang until his brother finally arrived. He seemed to have a knack for being late on every single appointment, despite the fact that she sent him a messenger to let him know this meeting would take place at noon. The same messenger had delivered the words to the rest of the group, and they were already waiting in the room Azula had summoned them to, but the Fire Lord was still absent.
"This is really unbelievable" grunted Azula "How many times does he plan on making us wait for him? Does he think he has the right to do this just because he's the Fire Lord?"
"D-don't give him such a hard time" said Sokka, smiling clumsily "I'm sure he's only late because he's busy doing Fire Lord stuff!"
"He overslept" said Mai, cutting off Sokka's attempt to defend his friend
"What?" asked Azula, her eyebrow twitching
"That's the reason why he's always late" said Mai "There are days where he can't sleep, and then there are others where he sleeps too much. You can beat him up for it if you'd like to, I won't stop you"
"Such irresponsible behavior…" said Azula, frowning
"Can't you cut him some slack…?" asked Aang
"Nah, don't cut him anything" said Toph "Just start without him, we'll explain everything to him later"
"We can't do that, Toph" said Katara "Zuko is as involved in this as the rest of us, so we'd better wait for him"
"Besides, if you guys were to explain, you'd probably leave out important things!" said Sokka, nodding in a very silly manner
"Why would we?" said Toph, confused
"This is a fairly complicated test" replied Azula "As a matter of fact, it will be hard to explain properly even for us"
"This doesn't sound good…" said Aang, gulping
The door of the room flew open and Zuko ran inside, his robes disheveled and his hair untidy.
"It seems you were completely right, Mai!" said Ty Lee, smiling "He did oversleep!"
"I-I didn't… I-it wasn't my fault!" he said, trying to recompose himself "I was hard at practice yesterday, I needed some rest!"
Azula exchanged a look with Mai, who didn't seem to support this theory. Azula smirked and shrugged
"Stop making up excuses and sit down already, Zuzu. We don't have any more time to waste with your blabbering" she said, standing up now.
Both her and Sokka were at one end of the room, several scrolls were hanging on the wall in the form of a flipchart, just as Sokka had organized his presentation while explaining the Invasion plans to the troops back in the old days. The rest of the group sat across them, in front of a short but large table with golden and red details all over it. Zuko sat between Mai and Aang, trying to keep himself from snapping at his sister. He was Fire Lord Zuko; he wasn't to be ordered by her ever again! But no matter how many times he tried to find the determination to stand up against her, something else would happen that wouldn't allow him to stand his ground…
"Very well, now that we're all here, we can begin" said Azula
"Thanks for coming, guys!" said Sokka "You're finally about to be enlightened! Yes, it's been a tough week for you, and it's been really tough on us as well, but after giving it a lot of thought, the best thing we could do right now was explain it all right away! So yeah… where to start…?"
"As you know, the Avatar will undergo a test, just as I suggested, with the purpose of certifying his mastery of all four elements. Sokka and I have been planning a very complex trial, which will be held on the Earth Rumble Arena in Gaoling. As for the rules, there are plenty of them, and I'm sure you won't be enjoying them much"
"Why wouldn't we…?" asked Aang
"Why would we?" muttered Toph "Rules are the worst thing ever!"
"Well, I figured you'd react like this" said Sokka, smiling in discomfort "Anyhow, let's start with the basics: Katara, Toph and Zuko will fight Aang at the same time, but by following all the rules we'll point out now"
"First of all" said Azula, approaching the first scroll that hung on the flipchart, where the stage had been drawn "The stage is divided in six sections. Three of them will be the Avatar's territory; the other will belong to the three masters, at least, at first. The goal of this test is to push your rival all the way to the back of the ring and knock him out of the stage; knocking him off the sides doesn't count, you can only push him off by the back. Is that clear enough?"
"It seems dumb enough" said Toph "What's the difficulty in that?"
"Rules, rules, Toph" said Sokka, smirking "There's more to come! First of all… Each time you push back your rival one zone, you'll be allowed to take the territory he vacated as your own, but you can't be on the same zone at the same time. Also, you always have to advance if you push your enemy back, you can't stay on the zone you were on previously"
"Meaning Aang will always be slightly away from us" said Zuko "Why?"
"Because this way we'll make sure he won't get ambushed by you three" said Azula "It's a way to make this fairer for him"
Aang raised an eyebrow, not understanding yet how fair would it be for him to get beaten up by three masters of the elements of the outstanding skills of his three friends, but he decided to keep quiet while the explanation continued.
"Still, I don't see how he could win at all" said Toph, smirking "I could take on him alone on those conditions"
"Yeah, yeah, you probably could" said Sokka, shrugging "But what if you're only allowed to bend the earth disks that Haru's manufacturing now?"
"Easy, I'll just de-compress them and I'll bend earth in the way I always do" said Toph
"That goes against the rules" said Azula "So I suggest you forget about it"
"What? Why would that be against the rules?" asked Toph, frowning "You seriously only want me to bend earth disks?! That's extremely lame!"
"And… where will those earth disks be at?" asked Aang, raising an eyebrow
"See the stage?" said Sokka "This small circles on each zone are the places where the rock disks will be stacked within. Oh, and the water you'll be allowed to bend will be inside the grates that divide the stage in sections…"
Azula took the first scroll and rolled it back, and a more specific drawing of the stage was revealed. The grates and the circles where the rocks and water would lie were better drawn and much more visible now.
"Can you see it clearly now? The borderlines that divide the stage are where the water will be held" said Azula
"And do I get to bend lava or something of the sort?" said Zuko, confused "If you're supplying the earth and water, are you supplying the fire as well?"
"How can you be so dumb?" asked Azula, rolling her eyes "It should be obvious we're not supplying the fire. Unless, of course, you have no inner fire left, in which case I'd be glad to take your place and test the Avatar myself"
Zuko frowned and Mai took his hand below the table. The touch calmed him slightly, and the two expositors continued talking
"Very well, now onto the specific rules concerning each element" said Azula "First, water. Every strike you execute with water mustn't exceed one second in duration"
"Wait, WHAT?!" asked Katara "That's ridiculous! How am I supposed to fight with a one-second blast?!"
"Cool off, little sister" said Sokka "That's not even all there is to it…"
"You can only bend the water within the grates of the Zone you're in, be it the front or back grate. You can perform headshots with water, that is legal, but you cannot use water on any state other than liquid"
"Meaning… no ice?!" asked Katara, completely puzzled
"Well, that's harsh" said Aang, astonished "Why not?"
"It's unnecessary" said Azula "The plan is to have you bend water in the fairest way. Ice could make the Avatar slip, steam would affect his eyesight, and Sokka said he could perform both of them adequately. The only thing we need to see him bend is water"
"Well, if you say so…" said Aang, although Katara didn't seem as permissive as him.
"The rules of fire aren't too many" said Azula "But you're not allowed to do headshots, it'd be too dangerous. Oh, and the shots are also limited, fire blasts can't exceed one-second in duration"
"W-what?!" asked Zuko "Wait, but that's just…"
"That's just fair" said Sokka, nodding
"And naturally, you're not allowed to bend lightning" said Azula "But it's not like I expected either of you to do it anyways, you're not even that good at it yet"
"I guess we're not as good as you, but we're getting it" said Aang, folding his arms
"Good, good, now that's settled let's talk about earth" said Sokka
"Wait, wait, wait…" said Toph "You're saying there's even MORE rules about earthbending?! Come on! Cut me some slack here, will you?!"
"Just as with fire, you won't be allowed to strike your opponents' head with an earth disk, and as you know, that will be the only earth you'll be allowed to bend" said Azula "I also believe I mentioned no metalbending will be allowed, so don't try anything fancy, Bandit"
Toph stared at Azula with clear irritation, not amused with all the rules she'd have to abide.
"You can only bend the disks within the zone you're in" said Azula "You can't break or dissolve the earth that composes the disks, or else you'll be flagged for cheating. Fortunately, you can have the disks rebound against the ropes that will secure the sides of the ring, they're bound to be flexible, and so you can perform surprise attacks in that manner"
"And do I get to bend only one disk at a time?" asked Toph, with all the sarcasm she could muster
"Not really" said Sokka "I think you can bend several disks… right?"
"I guess she can" said Azula "She's been limited enough as it is"
"Thank you!" said Toph, finally relaxing a little
"Any other restricting and horrifying rules we need to know about?" asked Katara
"Well, there's the fouls, of course" said Sokka, thoughtful "Stepping on a line would be a foul, and you'll be forced to fall back one zone"
"Also bending something at the stands or the referee, in this case, Sokka, would be another foul and you'll be sent to the next zone as well" said Azula
"You can't knock intentionally a player off the side of the ring either" said Sokka "And for doing that you'll…"
"We'll fall back a zone, we get it" said Zuko
"And I don't believe this to be necessary, but you can't hit the ceiling of the arena with bending, let alone end up on the ceiling" said Azula, staring at Aang "Just so you don't forget you're not allowed to airbend"
Aand sighed and nodded, not very enthusiastic about all the rules they'd have to follow.
"There's something I don't like about all this" said Katara, frowning
"What is it?" asked Azula, staring at her defiantly. Despite Katara's conversation with Sokka, the relationship between both girls was unchanging; they'd never ever get along.
"Why did you create so many restrictions? Why make so many limitations? How does that prove mastery of the elements?" asked Katara
"It seems to me that people tend to mistake the concept of 'mastery' with being able to bend something immense" said Azula, who had been expecting this question to come at some point "A master isn't one because he can create pillars of fire, or freeze oceans, or create mountains: a master can bend in the most dire and complex situations, despite how limited his resources may be. A true master would be able to fight and prevail while obeying every rule we've told you about, no matter how complicated it may seem at first. Therefore, if any of you believe this test is beyond your skills, speak out now and we'll look for another bender to take your place"
"You think you'll find a finer earthbender than me?" asked Toph, smirking "Fat chance for that to happen"
"Anyway, did I answer your question?" asked Azula, staring at Katara, who nodded a little
"Well, that's pretty much all there is to it!" said Sokka "So… what do you think? Will you do this?" he asked, staring at the four benders.
Aang, Zuko, Katara and Toph remained silent for a minute while thinking of their answer to Sokka's question. Could they put up with such complicated test? Would they be able to follow so many strict regulations? It seemed like Azula had been trying to make it as complicated for them as possible, and she had accomplished her goal. One-second shots, only bending earth disks… how could they accept such conditions? But her reply to Katara's question made them curious, eager to find out if they were skilled enough to get by such difficult test…
"I'll take it" said Aang, staring at both Azula and Sokka with determination
"Great! Thanks, Aang!" said Sokka, beaming
"I'm not a fan of bending lame disks only" said Toph "But I'll put up with it if that's what it'll take to have the spicy princess see how much of an earthbender master I am"
Azula raised an eyebrow at the nickname Toph had given her, which Sokka seemed to find hilarious
"Spicy…?" asked Azula
"That makes it two!" said Sokka, grinning happily "And… good one, Toph!"
"I'm here all week!" said the girl, smiling
Azula stared inquisitively at Sokka, who seemed a little nervous after having approved of Toph's crazy nickname, but it definitely fit Azula perfectly.
"So… what about you two?" asked Sokka, staring at Zuko and Katara
The firebender and the waterbender exchanged a look. Despite Toph's annoyance at bending disks only, a one-second shot was way too harsh a rule in comparison.
"Can't the length of the shots be broadened a little?" asked Katara
"I don't think that's a good idea" said Ty Lee "It could be dangerous to shoot for much longer than that, Aang wouldn't be able to fight back too well"
"I guess not" said Katara, sighing "Well… the only thing I'm glad about is that you bothered to make this very secure. Hopefully no one will end up hurt after it's all done… so I guess I'm in as well"
"If everyone else goes along with it…" said Zuko, shrugging
"Yeah!" said Sokka, jumping enthusiastically "Then we'll just go to get the Mechanist and get the designs to him, so that we can get this finished as fast as possible!"
"We should get a messenger hawk to him" said Azula "But first… do you have any questions?"
The rest of the group remained quiet, and Azula nodded
"Then you're all dismissed. We'll contact you again whenever we have a set date for the bending test"
"Sounds like a plan" said Katara, nodding
"You know, calling this a test sounds lame somehow" said Sokka to Azula's surprise, as the two of them walked to leave the room
"What do you want to call it, in that case?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow
Sokka seemed in very deep thought until he squealed
"I've got it! It'll be called Pro-Bending!" he declared proudly
"Pro-Bending…?" muttered Azula, and as they left the room, their conversation became more difficult to hear for the rest of the group
"Pro-Bending?" asked Mai
"It does sound like something Sokka would choose" said Toph, smirking "Anyway, I'm off to train some more. Seems like I have to learn to battle with the stupid disks…"
The group vacated the room slowly, but not everyone left. Aang remained seating in his spot, in deep thought while pondering this test. He knew how much he'd have to train, but he barely had any confidence in himself…
"Are you okay?" asked Ty Lee, the last one to leave before Aang
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine" he said, smiling a little "Just thinking a bit…"
Ty Lee sat down next to him for a moment, staring at him with concern
"Is there something wrong? Don't you like the test? But you just said that…"
"No, the test seems perfectly planned" said Aang, sighing "But… how am I going to pass it? I know I'm very powerful, and with more practice I could get to be ever better, but how could I even think of defeating the three of them at once? It's nearly impossible…"
"Oh, don't be silly!" said Ty Lee "I know they're all really powerful, but you're amazing! Besides, they're not unbeatable. There are many things you could do to get an advantage over them"
"Such as…?" asked Aang, raising an eyebrow
"Study them!" she said, smiling "See their movements and think of how to counter them! It's what I do on most of my fights! Know your enemy, and you'll know how to beat him!"
"I guess that makes sense" said Aang "But I do know them, and I know how difficult this is going to be. Zuko's firebending has improved greatly over the years, he's as good as Jeong Jeong by now… Toph's always been amazing, and she seems to be even tougher now, and I can't even get started on how talented and awesome Katara is as a waterbender! So… how could I possibly defeat them?"
"Didn't your monks tell you to take things slowly and to be patient?" said Ty Lee "You only need to wait for the right moment! You must be quick and swift, and your movements must be perfectly accurate! But you know what…? Why don't I help you out with that?"
"Huh?" said Aang, surprised "Why would you help me?"
"Because you look desperate, and I think I could have you train on something a bit more useful than the usual bending you've been learning" she said, smirking a little
Aang stared at her in disbelief
"Y-you'll teach me how to chi-block?"
"Maybe" said Ty Lee, smiling innocently now "But there'll be much more to that training than you think!"
"Wow…" said Aang, amazed "I'm much more of a bender than a fighter, I'm not used to fighting with my bare hands or anything… do you really think this will work? I don't think direct physical blows will be allowed on the test…"
"That's not the point of the training I have in mind, but you'll see eventually!" said Ty Lee "Train with your three masters as you always do on the mornings, and you can train with me on the afternoon! What do you say?"
Aang frowned while thinking about what Ty Lee had just proposed. It did seem like a good idea to learn other forms of fighting aside from bending, but… would they be of any use? He had no other choice but to give it a try.
"I hope you know what you're doing" said Aang, smiling a little "I'm in"
"Great!" she said, jumping up in happiness "Let's start tomorrow, shall we?"
"Okay" said Aang, nodding as Ty Lee left the room, almost crashing against Katara, who had returned to find Aang
"What's going on, Aang?" she asked, as he stood up "Why didn't you leave? I was sure you'd be right behind us…"
"Oh, I just…" started the Avatar, and then a spark showed up on his eyes "It's nothing, really! Let's just go practice right away!"
Katara frowned, not comfortable with his evasive answer, but she knew that if she didn't return with Aang right away, the others might get worried. She'd ask him later, she would make sure he didn't get out of this without explaining properly, no matter how many explanations she'd heard today.
As for Aang, he was both thrilled and scared of what would happen the next day when he snuck off to learn from Ty Lee, but he couldn't wait to get started. He got along quite well with the Kyoshi Warrior, and he was certain she'd teach him many things that would prove useful when facing this Pro-Bending challenge…
My writing's pretty peculiar at times, I don't know how it might work for others, but I don't control everything as well as one might think… and why am I saying this? Because Ty Lee pretty much decided to train Aang without my knowledge of it! Normally I see what'll happen beforehand, but this took me by surprise completely! I had no idea something like this would come up so suddenly! xD Anyways, get ready to see some strange chi-blocking training on the next chapter! ^^