I Do Not Own Miraculous or Avatar.
Twelve. The Blind Bandit. Part One.
The goals of the day were fairly simple. Find Aang a Earthbending teacher and get Rin clothes that weren't Fire Nation. Of course, like all shopping trips, they got sidetracked. Aang found himself a cool conical hat. He got one for Rin too of course, but he just really liked conical hats. Now they were standing in a shop around a green bag. Sokka was contemplating whether or not to buy it, constantly seconding guessing himself over it. His sister was getting visibly annoyed.
"It's pricey… but I really do like it." Sokka said in doubt.
"Then you should get it. You deserve something nice."
"I do, don't I? But no! It's too expensive, I shouldn't."
"All right, then don't." Katara said blandly. She motioned for them to leave the shop, they still needed to get Rin better clothes and Sokka was bound to spend all their money if they kept letting him buy special 'gifts' for himself. Aang and Rin happily stood to follow her, before they were fully away from the store, Sokka immediately turned around and bought the bag. After that Katara confiscated his share of the money.
They continued through the city searching for a good clothing shop when a man with a flyer approached them.
"Hey! You kids love Earthbending? You like throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy!" The man said happily, handing them a flyer. Aang eagerly read the flyer.
"Look! There's a coupon on the back! The first lesson is free." He said excitedly, "We should check it out after we finish shopping."
"Who knows? This Master Yu could be the Earthbending teacher you've been looking for." Katara said in encouragement.
"Yeah, I doubt it." Rin said, "People who make you pay to learn an art that is common in this Kingdom seems unlikely to, what did Bumi suggest? 'Listen to the Earth.'"
"Maybe, but he could be the one. We should try him anyways. Now! This way! I saw a clothing store over there!" Aang said, dragging Rin eagerly behind her. After a few hours, Rin looked like a Earth Kingdom girl, with a green and black gi, a conical hat, and brown gauntlets. She'd taken out her pigtails, but informed everyone that the pigtails and Fire Nation uniform would return the second she transformed.
They then headed out to the Earthbending teacher's dojo. There, they outfited him with a school uniform and had him stand up in front of another kid who was probably three to four years younger than he was.
"Okay! Take your stances!" Master Yu ordered, "Now! Strike as if you're punching through your opponent's head!" He demonstrated. The kid in front of him lifted up his rock, before Aang could react, it slammed into him and through him into a vase on the other side of the room. Yu approached him with a wide smile.
"So, are you ready to commit to more lessons? If you pay for the whole year in advance, I'll bump you up to the next belt!" Yu promised with a wink. He sighed, returning to his friends.
"Yeah Rin, you were right. He's not the one."
"That's okay, we can keep looking don't wor- Hey!" To of Yu's older student's shoved past Rin, knocking her down. Aang found it hard to believe someone so acrobatic was as clumsy as Rin was, but she could." The two boys didn't acknowledge her at all.
"I think the Boulder's going to win back the belt at Earth Rumble VI." The first boy said.
"He's gonna have to fight his way through the best Earthbenders in the world to get a shot at the champ." The second boy pointed out.
"Excuse me, but where is this Earthbending tournament, exactly?" Aang asked.
"It's on the island of Noneya… 'None ya' business!" The first boy said. They walked off. Sokka knelt down to help Rin, laughing at the joke.
"Oh, I've gotta remember that one!" Katara gave her brother a glare before turning to Aang.
"I'll take care of this." She promised before running after the boy's, "Hey strong guys!" Moments later she returned with a sly smile on her face.
"Are you ready to find an Earthbending teacher? Because we're going to Earth Rumble V!" She announced.
"Woah! How'd you get them to tell you?" Aang asked. Once more Katara smiled slyly.
"A girl has her ways." That night, they found themselves at the arena. Sokka proudly lead them to an empty row of seats.
"Hey! Front row seats! I wonder why no one sits here." They all sat down, just as a giant boulder crashed next to them startling everyone, especially poor Rin who nearly fainted due to nearly being crushed.
"I guess that's why." Sokka decided, once more helping Rin up. Aang had noticed that Rin didn't act as cocky or confident outside of her Fire Nation costume. She was also insanely clumsy with everything. He was confused as to why Rin behaved that way. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. At that moment he was more concerned about the announcer that came into the arena.
"Welcome to Earth Rumble VI! I am your host, Xin Fu!" Xin Fu announced.
"This is just going to be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other, isn't it?" Katara sighed.
"That's what I paid for." Sokka said happily.
"I'm actually a little excited about this. I haven't seen very many Earthbenders in action since I left Paris. I find Bending pretty fanciating." Rin admitted.
"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win! Round one: The Boulder vs. The Big Bad Hippo!" The two opponents appeared. The Boulder raised his hands. Hippo justy roared.
"Listen up, Hippo! You may be big, but you ain't bad! The Boulder's gonna win this in a landslide!"
"Hippo mad!"
...And they all seemed to only speak in first person. Great. The Hippo stomped his foot, sending rocks at The Boulder. The Boulder fired a few rocks at The Hippo. They crashed into him, but The Hippo remained unfazed, even catching a rock in his mouth and spit it out after chewing it up. He then jumped, literally tilting the arena, causing the Boulder to lose his balance.
"Unbelievable! Ladies and gentlemen! Hippo is rocking the boat." Xin Yu said. The Boulder almost fell out of the ring. He caught himself and threw a rock slab at The Hippo. It hit the Hippo in the back. The Hippo turned around in surprise, only to be thrown out of the ring by The Boulder.
"The Boulder wins!"
"How about he Boulder?" Katara asked.
"I don't know. Bumi said I need a teacher who listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles. What do you think, Sokka?" Sokka of course had become the Boulder's instant fan and was cheering loudly for him.
"You're probably right Aang." Rin encouraged.
"Next match… The Boulder verus Fire Nation man!" This Earthbender was a Fire Nation colonist dressed in red clothes and waving a red Fire Nation flag. He attempted to sing the Fire Nation national anthem, but was throughout the ring immediately. The team watched as one Earthbender after another was beaten and throughout the ring by the Boulder. He was good, but Aang still didn't want him as a teacher. It didn't seem right. Finally, the time came for the Boulder to take on the Champion.
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The Boulder versus your champion: the Blind Bandit!" Everyone watched as a tiny girl in green appeared behind Xin Yu. She was showing off her championship belt. Two woman took the belt and cap she wore as she stepped into the ring.
"She can't really be blind. It's just a part of her act, right?" Katara asked. Aang looked at the girl's unfocused, milky green eyes.
"I think she is." Aang admitted.
"Well I think she is… going down!" Sokka cheered. He was getting way too into this.
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl." The Boulder said.
The Blind Bandit pointing at him in a mocking manner.
"Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder."
"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings and is now ready to bury you in a rock-alance!"
"Whenever you're ready, the pebble!" She said with a laugh. Aang's expression slackened. Her laugh matched the one the girl in his vision had. No… It couldn't be…"
"It's on!" The boulder roared as the match began. The Boulder let out a yell, stepping forwards. She opened her arms and moved forwards. Her rocks put him into a perfect split that caused him to cry out in alarm. Everyone went silent. She made a chopping motion with her right hand. She used three giant rocks to eject him for the ring. Her stance relaxed and she offered the crowd a evil smile. They all went wild.
"Your winner and still the champion, the Blind Bandit!"
"How did she do that?" Katara asked. Aang smiled.
"She waited, and she listened."