A/N. I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Looking at the… training, Katara supposed Aang was feeling quite disappointed by his earthbending. He had been so excited to begin this, he had woken them all up early. She and her brother had tried to continue to sleep, but well… Toph had joined Aang, flying rocks everywhere. Aang had even called the blind girl Sifu. He never called her that. She didn't need it, but it would have been nice… After a quick breakfast, Sokka had gone hunting, because "I'm not staying here, my life can be ended by a pebble!".
He wasn't wrong. Earthbending was… different.
Each time Toph would demonstrate a move, the rock flew away, hitting a part of the canyon. And causing a landslide, but for the earthbender, that was just a sidenote. For Katara, it meant moving Appa around, and holding Momo, who seemed none too pleased with all the commotion. And when Aang tried… Well, the waterbender had heard the crunch of his fist against the rock. And had seen his face contort in a very painful way. Katara supposed that, at the end of the day, she would have to heal some cuts, bruises… Perhaps, even broken bones.
But the stone would not move. Everything Aang tried, but the rock would not budge. Katara stood next to Toph while Aang failed to earthbend.
"He did it exactly the way you did…" the waterbender said, trying to sound comforting. She had seen the dark look in Aang's eyes again. That look he got when he was brooding late at night.
"Maybe if I come at it from a different angle?" the Air Nomad said, gritting his teeth.
"That is the problem! Stop thinking like an airbender! There is no different angle, no intricate solution. Just face it head on. Like this!" With that, the blind girl jumped and split the rock in two… with her head.
Katara stood next to Aang, who sunk to his knees, holding his head in his hands. She turned, walked over to the blind girl.
"Hey… I've trained Aang for a while now… He responds very well to a positive training experience! Lots of encouragement and praise, If he does something wrong, a gentle nudge in the right direction." Yeah, that had worked very well with waterbending.
"Ah… a gentle nudge heh? I'll try that!" Toph sounded very sincere. But the smile was not. That looked like she was planning something wicked… Tui and La, what had she done?
Katara walked away, back to where Appa was laid under the only tree in the canyon, looking intently towards his master. Each time Aang would hit a rock, she heard the bison grumble. Momo, sitting on one of the horns, was just chittering excitedly at the display, now that they were out of harm's way.
Sitting down next to Appa, she put her back against one of his forepaws. The bison changed his position slightly, so that Katara was able to sit comfortably. He always did that with her, she had noticed.
"Well, boy, looks like it isn't going very well…" The bison blew a gentle current of air towards her.
"Yeah, I know, he will get it in the end. But it looks really… painful."
Toph was standing next to a boulder the height of Aang and pointed to it. Katara couldn't hear what was being said, but the airbender looked at the blind girl like she was crazy. Which she was. But Toph just shook her head and pointed again.
And just then, Toph pulled the rock up, and… Put it on Aang's back! No!
Quickly standing up, she could hear Appa growl behind her. A growl she had only heard once before. When Zuko had threatened Aang. Spirits, the bison was angry!
"Sshh boy, it is alright." She quickly padded the bison's nose and walked over the Toph.
"Are you crazy? He can't put that kind of weight on his back!" Katara whispered, enraged.
"Do you really think I'm not bending that rock? I'm helping him Sugar Queen. Earthbending is different. So, different methods! Don't worry, I'll not break your boyfriend, he'll still be able to show you a good time tonight." Toph said, while stomping her foot down from time to time.
Throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation, Katara stamped away. Stupid Toph, stupid earthbending!
Sokka was also coming into view, with empty hands. Sitting down next to Appa, she heard her brother speak.
"There is nothing in this Spirits forsaken place. I tried the lake, No fish big enough. I tried the woods in the north. Nothing. After lunch, I'm going to try the south. But I don't promise anything." He didn't sound really upset.
"I'm sur you'll find something. We still have provisions for two days, so it would not be the end of the world." She answered, while still seething from Toph's comments.
"What has you so worked up?" He asked, sitting down next to her.
"That b… girl. She makes Aang walk around with rock on his back. And then, makes inappropriate jokes about…" She stopped there. As much as Katara loved her brother, she didn't want him to join, joking even more than he already did.
"Joking about who is screwing whom? Yeah, I know. She asked me yesterday during the flight what I had done with the Water Tribe Princess. Apparently… There are rumours." Sokka spoke quietly, not looking at her. The waterbender knew full well what had happened between Yue and her brother. She also knew nothing physical, except some kisses, had happened.
"Don't take it personally." Katara tried to comfort him, but even though she knew how hypocritical it sounded. She was taking it way too personal.
"Yeah… She seems to think you and Aang are… ehm… You know…" Sokka's cheeks turned red. The waterbender felt her own face heat up.
"No! We are not!" She shrieked. Spirits, Toph… Why would she talk about that to Sokka?
"I know that! She asked, that's all! Spirits, that would be weird!" Her brother laughed, but he still blushed at the thought.
Not weird at all Brother. Not weird at all.
They began to eat lunch. Katara talked about how the training was failing, and Sokka agreed with her that Toph was maybe taking it a step too far. When they were joined by the others, the waterbender fumed again.
Aang hands were a mess of bruises, cuts and one broken finger.
While Katara was healing the hands of the airbender, she heard her brother berate Toph, who was just sitting there, nodding along. She wouldn't listen. But Katara had vowed to give her a day. One day. If Aang wouldn't have bent a pebble after that, Katara would sort the earthbender out. In another way.
"Thank you." Aang spoke quietly.
"Stop it. Just don't… you know. Break your finger again." She whispered back.
"Was not really planning to in the first place… But yeah, I'll take care."
Sokka went to the south, trying to find something to hunt, while Toph walked away with Aang. Katara followed them. She would not accept such injuries again.
"Instead of moving a rock, you are going to stop it." The earthbender pointed to a sort of slide, with the rock on it that Aang had carried.
"Ehm… Toph? Are you sure that this is the best way?" She asked, knowing that that boulder would squash the airbender in a heartbeat.
"Glad you said something!" Hope? "This is a better way." Pulling Aang's sash from his waist, he bound it around the airbender's head, blindfolding him. "Like this, you will have to sense the vibrations. Thanks, Katara." Toph smiled innocently.
"Yeah… Thanks Katara." Aang sounded very irritated.
He didn't stop the boulder. Toph came down and began to scold the airbender, but Katara put a stop to it.
"Break. Now. Come, you still have some waterbending to do." She said, while pulling him along.
"Yeah, go splash around." Toph sounded exasperated.
The small lake was filled with reeds, and was only knee-deep in the innermost parts, but still, it was a good place to train waterbending.
They hadn't really trained a full session since… Well, since just before the Cave of the Two Lovers. They had done some kata here and there, between travelling, eating and being kidnapped by Earth Rumble fighters. With the warmth of the last few days, Katara decided to, again… Train in her sarashi. It was something that wasn't really necessary. She could bend the water out of her clothes… But, for some reason, it was nicer to train like that, standing in the water, with the sun on her skin… And Aang in front of her.
The thought made her blush while she pulled her dress over her head.
The airbender was quiet while he pulled his boots off, and just unwrapped his tunic, revealing his chest. Katara averted her eyes quickly.
Wading to the middle of the lake, she bent a small quantity of water to pass to Aang. Their warm up routine was simple, yet efficient. But today, the airbender did it without enthusiasm, only looking at the ball of water. Not at her.
"You do know this block is only temporary, no?" She tried gently. The ball came towards her with a little more force than necessary. Katara bent it calmly back.
"I don't want to talk about it." His voice sounded angry. Like that time near Omashu, when they talked while caring for the child.
"You do know that's the problem, don't you?" She asked gently. The waterbender knew it was difficult to talk about some problems… But it was better to talk. Certainly, after their talk. She thought he would be more open…
"I know. I know! I KNOW!" The water shot up before falling in droplets in the lake. "I need to face it head-on! Like a rock! But. I. Can't! I don't know how to face something head on."
Yeah, she had guessed that. Aang always tried to find a way around a problem, or a different solution. Never just charge in and see where it got him.
"Aang, if fire and water are opposites, what is the opposite of air?" She asked. That was the root of the problem. She couldn't imagine bending fire. So how could an airbender imagine something so solid as earth?
"Earth, I guess." He sounded relieved, as if finally, someone understood what blocked him.
"You are working with your natural opposite. But I know you. You are going to figure it out. You've already done it a thousand times. So, what is once more?"
She also knew he needed to know that he was a quick student, a good student. Snapping a reed behind her back, she threw it at him. Without as much as a second thinking about it, he raised a wall of water, splitting the reed in two.
"Excellent, you have the reflexes of a waterbending master."
After that, they walked back to where Appa was laying lazily in the shade, and Aang walked over to Toph, determined to give it another go. Katara watched him walk away. Then, concentrating on the earthbender, she remarked the blind girl was holding Aang's staff. The one Gyatso had made for him. It was the first thing he had told her about before the iceberg, that day at General Fong's fortress…
Quickly shaking her head, she concentrated on other things. Sokka would be back in less than an hour. Or at least, judging the sky, he should be back soon. Walking back to where the bison's saddle lay, she took up Aang's chest. Opening it, she felt that twinge of intrusion she had each time the chest was opened. Of course, he had given her permission to use it. But still. It was the only things that belonged solely to him.
The scrolls which were written in a language she understood had been read long ago. But one had been of interest to her. It was a scroll, with a little legend for children written on it. And, she suspected, one Aang had used in his lessons. Because under the Air Nomad language was the translation into the common language of the Four Nations. She had used it to try and decipher some words. To try and learn some of that language.
She hadn't gotten very far, but she had managed to understand the word for night. Mitshum. Katara knew it wasn't much, but still, better than nothing.
She was still gazing at the scroll when the sky turned red. Looking up, she saw the sun set. But Sokka was still not back. He was usually very punctual. And didn't stay away a minute later than agreed. There were no Fire Nation soldiers in these parts… But Azula and her friends had been here. And Zuko and Iroh.
Standing up, Katara quickly put the things back in the chest, and ran to where Aang and Toph were sitting. Toph walked away, but she didn't care.
"Aang!"
"Meditating here."
"It is important! Sokka is missing!" That got him to move. Jumping up, he scanned to surroundings.
"Which direction did he go?" He asked her, matter-of-factly. Pointing to the south, she saw the airbender run past her, with only the speed he could muster. Well, at least he would cover some ground.
"What just happened?" The voice of the earthbender came from behind a boulder, surprised.
"Why? Aang just left." Katara answered.
"Yeah, but he felt… grounded. I could finally catch a glimpse of him, without having to concentrate. And then… poof. Nothing at all." Toph came from behind the rock, still holding the staff.
"He ran away, using airbending. And just one thing. If a splinter of that thing crack, I'm going to crack your head open." Katara wanted to warn her. Not a plaything.
"Why, it's just a piece of wood, no?"
"No. It was given to Aang. By someone very precious to him." The airbender had told her, in confidence she suspected, that it was Gyatso. She wasn't going to betray that trust.
"Oh… alright. I'll look out." Toph walked away.
Katara began to pace around, with Momo following her steps. After more than half an hour, she saw Aang reappear. With Sokka! Her brother looked tired, and quite spent. But alive! Toph walked behind them, whistling a little tune.
Running to her brother, she pulled him into a hug.
"You had me worried Sokka!"
"Believe me… I had me worried too. Especially after I found out who Foo Foo Cuddly Poops really was." He sounded delusional.
"Who?"
"Oh, he made a friend. A baby sabre-toothed moose-lion. Foo Foo's mother was none too pleased with Sokka." Aang grinned, clearly enjoying whatever had happened.
"The whole time in that fissure… stuck. Not knowing if I would live or die… it makes a man think. I…" Sokka was rambling, and before he could say more, he was cut off by Aang.
"Look what I learned!" She sounded very smug. Aang turned to a boulder, and with a move she had seen Toph perform, he cut it clear in two. Relief flooded over Katara.
"I knew you would!" She cheered. Thank the spirits, now, learning earthbending would be easier. He had got over the block. And still, they had nearly six months before the Comet. There was so much hope now!
Aang walked over, helping Sokka to Appa.
"You tried the positive reinforcement, didn't you?" She whispered to Toph.
"Eh… Yeah! Worked wonders!"
She spent the evening pulling small rocks out of Sokka's left leg and healing several bruises. Aang cooked and Toph helped with the cooking the meat. She wasn't a great cook. Not surprising.
When it was time to go to sleep, Katara hesitated. Her brother had been asleep for several hours already, and Toph had bent an earth tent.
They were alone.
Katara thought back at the night before last, after their talk… How good it had been to sleep next to someone. How good it had been to sleep next to him. The waterbender knew it would not happen again. But still, maybe… Just some kind of expression of the same thing?
"Hey…" She whispered, and Aang turned. Spirits, he was already bending a pebble between his hands, letting it jump from one palm to the other.
"Once you figure it out, it is quite… Satisfying." He laughed, shooting her that one-sided grin.
"Now, just the technique. And then, enough time to learn firebending." She answered, sitting down next to him.
"Yeah… We'll see." He said, quietly, letting the pebble fall.
Ah, the airbender was back. Avoiding the problem. He didn't want to fire bend after… last time. But that was a problem for another time.
"I'm going to sleep…" She said quietly. Hoping for him to say something like Hey, stay with me tonight!
But of course, he didn't. Katara hadn't expected it, but she still felt disappointed.
"Well… Good… Mitshum" Of course, she knew it sounded corny. She knew it probably was very mispronounced. But still. It was something from his childhood. And everyone needed that sometimes.
She got up, quickly walking to her sleeping bag, without looking back. But, before falling asleep, she noticed the airbender not returning to sleep next to Appa.
Answers :
CoyoteLemon : Yeah, I found it also very sweet!
Gabriela N. Gonzalez : Thanks! And yeah, Toph and Sokka teasing them together, well that is just writing that does itself!
Ashley Barbosa : Toph is just so easy to write, because some of the things she says, I would also do lol! And the Kataang awkwardness is just too sweet to pass on, in each chapter!