Ch 26 bitter work
"Good morning, earthbending student." Toph said, as she exploded her own tent.
"Good morning, Sifu Toph." Aang said.
"How come you never call me Sifu Katara?" Katar asked, waking up.
"Well, if you want me to." Aang said.
"Here's the deal. Toph will teach you today, and I'll teach you tomorrow. We'll take turns every other day." Lin said.
"Why can't you both teach me at the same time?" Aang asked.
"Because we have different techniques of earth-bending." Lin said.
"Okay. So what move are you going to teach me first? Rockalanche? The trembler? Oh! Maybe I can learn to make a whirlpool out of land!" Aang said.
"I didn't get you past the basics. You're going to pull off some fancy techniqes out of your ass." Lin said.
"She's right. Lets start with move a rock." Toph said.
Toph, Aang, and Lin were standing in front of a boulder, as Katara watches from a rock outcropping nearby.
"The key to earthbending is your stance. What has Lin taught you?" Toph asked.
"I have to be firm like a rock." Aang said, assuming an earthbending stance.
"Good. Now the actual motion of this one is pretty simple." Toph said.
Toph lunged forward and punches. The boulder shoots forward, hitting the canyon.
"Your turn." Toph said.
Eyes narrowing, Aang copies the same move, but is sent flying backwards into Appa, landing on his face.
"He's still thinking like an airbender." Lin said.
"He'll have to get rid of that if he wants to learn." Toph said.
"I don't understand what went wrong. He did the same move like you did." Katara said.
"Maybe if I approach it at a different angle." Aang said.
"No, that's the problem. You've got to stop thinking like an airbender. There's no different angle, no clever solution, no trickity trick that's going to move that rock. You've got to face it head on. And when I say head on, I mean like this!" Toph exclaimed, and demonstrated by jumping head first into the boulder, destroying it completely.
No wonder I turned out the way I did. My mom killed her brain cells doing this shit. Lin thought.
"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." Katara said to Toph.
"Thanks, Katara. A gentle nudge. I'll try that." Toph said.
"Keep your knees high, twinkle toes!" Toph shouts, as Aang moves forward, struggling to carry a large boulder on his back. Losing his balance, Aang falls to his side, and dumps the boulder.
Next, Toph and Aang practiced their hand strength. Toph easily shoves her hands into a rock, as if it were sand. Aang tries the same thing, but only hurts his hand in the process.
Toph stole Sokka's club and handed it to Aang, who was wearing a blindfold. Toph then creates columns of earth to emerge close to Aang. Aang misses four of them, but hits the 5th one.
In a clearing, Toph raises her arms and two large walls rise on both sides of them. Toph then creates a line in the sand, and encase herself in rock armor. Toph slides forward with her earthbending at Aang. Aang pushes back against Toph and succeeds in pushing her across the line.
Aang is then standing on two tall pillars of earth, tossing a rock in the air and catching it. Toph approaches the pillars and sends tremors thru the structure at Aang.
"Rocklike!" She shouts.
Aang doesn't budge and continues the training.
Toph, Aang, Katara, and Lin were standing in front of a mountain, and noted a boulder at the top of the mountain, ready to roll down at any second.
"This time, we're going to do something different. Instead of moving a rock, you're going to stop it." Toph said.
"I'm going to roll that boulder down to you, and if you have the attitude of an earthbender, you'll stand your ground and stop it, like this." Toph said, demonstrating the move necessary to stop the boulder.
"Toph, are you sure this is the right way to train Aang?" Katara asked.
"Actually, there is a better way." Toph said, and yanked Aang's belt off and used it as a blindfold.
"This way he'll really have to sense the vibrations of the boulder to stop it. Thank you, Katara!" Toph said.
"Yeah, thanks Katara." Aang sarcastically said.
"I don't think you should do this." Lin said.
"Calm down, Lin. You'll have your chance to molest Aang tomorrow." Toph said.
"I won't be able to teach him, if he's dead." Lin dryly said.
Toph paid no attention to Lin's warning and pushed the boulder down the hill.
Aang jumped out of the way, just before the boulder hit him. Upon landing on the ground, Toph approached him, angry.
"I guess I just panicked. I don't know what to say." Aang said.
"There's 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 said, pushing Aang to the ground.
"I know, I'm sorry." Aang said.
"Yeah, you are sorry. If you're not tough enough to stop the rock, then you could at least give it the pleasure of smushing 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 earthbender?!" Toph asked.
"No. I guess I don't." Aang said, not meeting her gaze.
"You'll have start sooner, rather than later." Lin said.
"Aang, it's no big deal. You'll take a break and try earthbending again when you're ready. Besides, you still have a lot of waterbending to work on, okay?" Katara asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Aang said.
As they walked away, Lin spoke.
"For being prodigy at bending, he sure sucks at earthbending." Lin said.
"What do you mean?" Toph asked.
"He started waterbending as if it was second nature, and also the same with firebending. But earthbending has him completely stumped." Lin said.
"Air and Earth are opposites. He'll have to break thru his airbending mentality and training if he wants to learn earth." Toph said.
"So he'll be starting from ground zero, literally." Lin said.
"Okay. By the way, when did the two of you start yoga practice?" Toph asked, curious.
FUCK! Lin screamed in her mind, but kept herself calm.
"Started a few months back. Been doing it ever since." Lin said.
"You ever kiss him?" Toph asked.
Oh my god! I can't believe my own mother is asking me this question. And she's fucking 12!
"No." Lin said.
"You suck at lying, you know that? How many times did the two of you swap spit?" Toph asked.
Lin had to conceal her disgust and embarrassment, and she was sure that her mom was picking up on it.
"Only once." Lin said.
Toph raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, a couple of times." Lin said.
"You thought about doing more than kissing with him?" Toph asked, clearly enjoying see Lin squirm.
"No!" Lin all but shouted.
I can't believe my mom is embarrassing me like this!
"You're telling the truth on that one. Wait till Katara hears about all of this." Toph said.
Aang was sitting on a rock, deep in meditation. Toph appears with two items in her hands.
"Aang! I found these nuts in your bag. I figured you wouldn't mind. And besides, even if you did, you're too much of a pushover to do anything about it." Toph said, trying to goad Aang.
"As a matter of fact, I don't mind. I'm happy to share anything I have." Aang said.
"You know, I'm really glad you feel that way, because I also have this great new nutcracker." Toph said, brandishing Aang's staff.
Aang turned around, and saw Toph use the staff to crack some of the nuts open as Aang protested.
"It's a delicate instrument." He said.
"It's not the only delicate instrument around here." Toph mockingly said, as she then walked away, banging the staff against the rocks.
Annoyed, Aang continued to meditate when Katara interrupted him.
"Hey Aang, have you seen..."
"Meditating here!" Aang exclaimed.
"It's important. It's almost sundown and Sokka isn't back yet. I think we should search for him." Katara said.
"We'll be faster if we split up." Aang said.
Aang found Sokka first, as he was buried up to his chin inside a small hole.
"Aang! Thank goodness! Have you any meat?" Sokka asked.
"Sokka, you okay?" Aang asked.
Aang tried to pull Sokka out of the hole, but Sokka objected.
"Stop, stop! You're going to pull my fingers off and I don't think the rest of me is coming!" Sokka said.
"Maybe I can airbend you out of here." Aang said.
Aang attempted to use his airbending, but it did nothing.
"Aang, I know you're knew at this, but I could use some earthbending here. How about it?" Sokka asked.
"I can't. I can't do it." Aang said, forlorn.
"If you can't do it, get Toph, or Lin." Sokka said.
"That would be, uncomfortable." Aang said.
"Uncomfortable? Well, I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable." Sokka said.
"Thanks, Sokka." Aang said, sitting down.
"This whole earthbending thing really has me confused. There's so much pressure. Everyone expects me to get it right away. It puts me in a really awkward position." Aang said.
"Awkward position…I think I know the feeling." Sokka said.
"If I try, I fail. But if I don't try, I'm never going to get it. I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place." Aang said.
"How about that." Sokka said, motioning to a mooselion that appeared.
"Aang, this is my friend Foo Foo Cuddlypoops. Foo Foo Cuddlypoops, Aang." Sokka said.
"Aww, what a cute name for a little baby sabertooth mooselion cub." Aang said, lifting the young animal.
"He looks nothing like a sabertooth mooselion." Sokka said.
"It's hard to tell before their giant teeth and horns grow in. Whatcha doin' out here, little guy? Did you lose your mama?" Aang asked.
A roaring noise was heard, and the mother appeared. And she was pissed.
"Hey, there... we found your cub!" Aang said, putting the baby cub on the ground, and watches it run towards its mother.
"See? We have no problem with you! We're friendly." Aang said.
The mother stampeded towards the two boys, and Aang uses his airbending to lift the mooselion over them, just missing Sokka's head.
"This is really bad! Please, Aang! You have to earthbend me out, there's no other way!" Sokka frantically said, not wanting to be eaten by a mooselion.
Aang attempts some earthbending moves, but nothing happens. The moosselion charges again. In a move of pure stupidity, Aang jumps onto a rock outcropping away from Sokka and attempts to get the moose lions attention, by dancing.
The mooselion pays no mind, and charges Sokka.
At the last second, Aang jumps to intercept the mooselion and pushes it away with his airbending.
"Please, don't leave me again." Sokka said, terrified.
"I won't." Aang said.
The mooselion makes one final charge, but Aang stops it dead in its tracks, pushing it back with his airbending.
When the dust clears, Aang is still standing. Toph lightly claps, seeing the whole scene.
"What are you doing here?" Sokka asked.
"Enjoying the show." Toph said.
"What? You were there, the whole time?" Aang asked.
"Pretty much." Toph said.
"Why didn't you do something? Sokka was in trouble! I was in trouble! You could've gotten him out and helped us get away!" Aang said, pointing his finger at Toph.
"I guess it didn't occur to me." Toph said.
Toph tossed a nut to the ground, and raised Aang's staff, intent on breaking it open. As she brings it down to crack the nut open, Aang catches it.
"Enough! I want my staff back!" Aang forcefully said.
"Do it now." Toph said.
"Do what?" Aang asked.
"Earthbend, twinkletoes. You just stood your ground against a crazy beast, and even more impressive, you stood your ground against me. You've got the stuff." Toph said.
"But…" Aang started.
"DO IT!" Toph shouted.
Aang stomps on the ground and pushes his arms forward, causing a large rock to shoot off and crash into a ridge.
"You did it! You're an earthbender." Toph said.
"I can't believe it!" Aang said.
"Awe. This is real great and touching. So, could you get me out of her so I can give you both a big, snuggly hug?" Sokka asked.
"Sure thing, Sokka." Aang said, walking towards Sokka.
"Actually, you should probably let me do that. You're still a little new to this. You might accidentally crush him." Toph said.
"Yes. No crushing, please." Sokka said.
Toph walks up to Sokka, and stomps her foot on the ground. Sokka pops out of the whole and Toph pulls him out by the hair.
Meeting with everyone else, Katara runs to Sokka and hugs him.
"The whole time that I was in that hole, not knowing if I would live or die, it makes a man think about what's really important. I realized..." Sokka started, when Aang cut him off.
"Katara, Lin. Look what I can do!" Aang said.
Aang shoves his arms forward, and causes a large rock formation to break in half.
"You did it! I knew you would!" Katara said, then turned to Toph.
"You tried the positive reinforcement, didn't you?" Katara asked.
"Yep. It worked wonders." Toph said.
"Aang, we need to talk about our training tomorrow." Lin said, pulling Aang aside.
Toph had a mischievous smirk on her face.
"What's going on?" Katara asked.
"Nothing." Toph said, walking away.
"What kind of training?" Aang asked.
"Hand to hand with earthbending. You remember Azula?" Lin asked.
"I remember." Aang said.
"You need to be more prepared for her next time the two of you meet. I'll help." Lin said.