"AHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Toph, will you stop screaming? I'm trying to focus!" Aang said, barely keeping a frightened Appa on course.
Toph didn't stop screaming. Aang sighed and steered Appa over to a clearing in the middle of a lush green forest.
Toph jumped off of Appa as soon as they landed, groaning with pleasure because she could finally 'see' again.
Aang, Katara, and Sokka unloaded their stuff.
Katara gasped as she realized something. "Toph, you didn't bring anything! Do you want some of my clothes?"
"Nah, I'm good," Toph said, and spit onto the ground.
Katara looked disgusted. "Okay."
Aang walked over to Toph.
"Whatcha want, Twinkle Toes?"
"When will we begin earthbending lessons, Sifu Toph?"
Katara glanced over at Aang. He never called her Sifu Katara.
"Now is fine. C'mon," Toph said, already walking into the forest.
Aang jogged after her, looking excited. His first earthbending lesson!
"What will we do first? Move a mountain? Create a series of underground tunnels?"
"Just move this rock," Toph said, tossing a fist-sized stone at him.
Aang caught it and flipped it over. "Is this exercise a super cool earthbending secret?"
"Nope. Just move the rock."
Aang tried to move the rock. He reached deep into his chi, trying to feel the energy coming from the rock.
He hit a wall. The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back, panting like crazy.
"You have a block," Toph said, picking her nose.
"Well, obviously!"
"I meant an emotional block, stupid! Your feelings are all over the place. Your feelings have to be like a rock--stable and unmovable."
"My feelings can't be stable when I don't know how Katara feels about me!" Aang said, going red when he realized what he had said.
"You loooooove her, don't you?" Toph teased.
"Yes. No. I don't know."
"Yup, that's your problem. Until you sort out your feelings with Katara, you won't be able to earthbend."
"Well, I can't go up and say 'Katara, I love you', now can I?"
"Yes, you can. But there is another way to fix your little block."
"What is it?" Aang asked eagerly.
"Ask Sokka how Katara feels about you. He knows her better than anyone," Toph said.
Aang groaned. "No."
"Why not?!"
"Just no."
Toph sighed. "Well, good luck learning earthbending with all your rollercoaster feelings."
Aang sighed. "Fine. Tell Sokka if you must."
Toph clapped her hands. "Finally, we're getting somewhere."
--
Aang and Toph walked back to where Katara and Sokka had made camp.
Katara walked up to them. "How'd earthbending go?"
"Great," Aang lied, gritting his teeth. He hated lying to Katara but he was too scared to tell her what really happened.
"Awesome! Can you show me?"
Aang was saved from answering as Toph intervened. "Sorry, Katara, Aang shouldn't be earthbending too much right now. It could wear him out and set him back."
Aang nodded dumbly. How did Toph come up with this stuff?
He asked her just that as they walked away.
"It's true, Twinkle Toes. I don't lie."
Aang was dumbfounded. Bending too much could set back your training? He wanted to ask how but didn't want to sound dumb.
Toph told him to wait at the edge of the forest while she went to get Sokka.
Aang paced nervously back and forth. What if Sokka got mad at him? Or worse told Katara?
By the time Toph returned with Sokka, Aang was a nervous wreck.
"Is he okay?" Sokka asked.
Toph elbowed Aang. "Yup. Tell him, Twinkle Toes."
Aang couldn't speak without fear of vomiting, so he nodded weakly.
Sokka didn't look convinced by his poor display of okayness.
"Sokka, I have to tell you something," Aang said quickly, afraid of chickening out.
"Okay. What is it?"
"I--I think I'm in love with Katara."
"WHAT?!" Sokka shouted, causing birds to screech and take flight all around them.
Aang winced. Things were already going badly.
Luckily, Toph intervened. "Look, Sokka. The only reason he needs help with his relationship with Katara is so he can earthbend. He and Katara may not even end up together. We just need to keep his emotions stable."
Aang flinched when Toph said that this might end in him and Katara not being together. She really needed to work on her pep talks.
Sokka seemed more inclined to help Aang now that Toph had explained what might happen. He was about to speak when Katara ran up to them.
"Is everything okay? I heard Sokka scream."
"Everything's fine, Katara. Can you go back to camp? Aang and I have some guy stuff to talk about," Sokka said.
"Then why is Toph with you?" Katara asked suspiciously.
"Cuz, she's basically one of us, right, Toph?"
Toph nodded. "Totally." But when Katara turned to head back, she earthbent a sharp stone so it hit the sensitive part of Sokka's foot.
Sokka went red and it took all of his self-control not to scream.
It took Sokka a few minutes to calm down. When he did he started to speak.
"So, what is my part in all of this?"
"You will help Aang get together with Katara. Or help Aang realize that Katara will never like him and that they will never ever be a thing."
"Wow, Toph, I didn't know you could give a pep talk." Aang said sarcastically. He tried to act all calm but he was freaking out inside.
What if Katara doesn't like me? Then what will I do?
Aang barely listened as Toph and Sokka thought of ways to get Aang and Katara to confess their feelings to one another.
"Okay!" Sokka said, clapping his hands once to get Aang's attention. "Let's get Katara and Aang together!"