The Gaang (plus a sleeping Iroh and unconscious Zuko) head for a place that Aang can begin his earthbending training with Toph. The sun begins to set as Sokka flies Appa toward a canyon perfect for the training.

Aang wasn't able to fall asleep from the physical strain of the last few hours. He had been unaware to the fact that he was staring at Toph. Aang noticed the setting sun reflect a cascade of shades on to Toph's pale green eyes. He always thought, at least for the little time she'd been in the group, that she was a little cute.

When Sokka landed the huge sky bison he quickly fell off of Appa's head asleep before hitting the ground. Aang and Iroh carried Zuko to the ground and Toph built an earth tent for him and herself as she began to drift into her dreams. Iroh slept on one of Appa's legs as did Aang, while Katara was on his tail.

Only a hour or so from dawn did the training begin.

Sokka and Iroh stayed asleep until midday.

Katara entered Zuko's earth tent with her guard up. He was unconscious still or at least in deep sleep, either way she began the healing that he desperately needed. Every know and again he would stir and that would make Katara's heart rate quicken and her mind race but after a half hour she stopped. She knew from her teachings that if the body had too much healing done at once it's homeostasis would shift and that could cause serious harm.

Aang had been beaten and, figuratively, burned by the intense training. The constant drills, exercises and stances left him so sore and broken. It was about midday and Katara took Aang to do some waterbending.

Aang was bending a bundle of water back and forth between Katara and himself."Aang, I know you never had this kind of trouble with waterbending like you do with earthbending when we started with Master Pakku. But this all makes sense."

Aang responds confused,"What do you mean?"

"Well think about it Aang, if water and fire are opposites than what's the opposite to air?"

"Earth I suppose."

"Exactly, now you'll be able to work through this block if you jus-" Katara was cut off by an abrupt Aang yelling back.

"I know I need to face it head on, like a ROCK! UGH!" Aang jumped out of the pond that Katara and him were practicing, he needed to cool off.

Since noon Sokka had been hunting for food. But his dumb self got himself stuck in a thin deep hole perfectly encapsulating his shape. He nothing left to do but pray and hope for some miracle to save him before he truly went vegan only.

Aang had been looking for a good comfy spot to meditate, once he came across a slightly secluded flat space he sat down. But before he could empty his mind a screeching Sokka scream come from the forest nearby.

Aang ran over to Sokka, still in his deep thin hole, a spider had come close and it was on Sokka's head. Aang carried it on his hand to a branch in the tree just a few feet away. Sokka's new cub friend had run away from the scream. He made a call in the woods that his mother responded to with a charge to her cub.

"Aang, I know your kinda new to it buddy but I could use a little earthbending for my current predicament."

Aang scratched his head awkwardly,"Yeah about that, I'm not so sure I could-"

ROOOOOOOAR! The mother saber toothed moose lion came to exterminate the threat to her baby, unluckily enough that was Sokka and Aang.

For every charge the mother attempted Aang followed basic airbender tactic, evade and avoid.

"Aang, running out of the way isn't gonna do anything! I really need some earthbending!" Sokka yells so loud other small animals scurry away.

Aang put himself in the horse stance, took a deep breath and airbended the saber tooth moose lion away and on the ground. The mother and cub turned around and ran back to their home.

Aang and Sokka were both silent until Toph began her clapping.

Aang inqardly cursed, understand he as a monk almost never does this. "You were there the whole time?!".

"Yeah, so what of it Aang?"

"Sokka was in the ground, we...we were getting attacked. You could have helped! AAA, I want my staff back!!!" Aang grasped his staff before it could crush another nut.

"Earthbend Twinkletoes."

"What?"

"You just stood your ground against a huge beast, and even more impressive, against me. So earthbeand!"

"But-"

Toph shouts back uncaring to Aang's opinion,"NOW!" As Aang hurled a boulder to a cliff his mind filled with joy and excitement."You did it Aang, you did it."

"Hey guys, I'm really happy that your happy but can you pull me out of the ground now." Sokka smiled back half sarcasrtic and half HELP NOW!!

Aang ran over to his water tribe friend but before he could assume a stance Toph shoved him out of the way."Your still a little new to this Aang so let me do this, I think most of us would rather not have Sokka devoured by earth crevices, most of us." Toph smiled to her companion as she rudely and ungracefully yanked and tossed Sokka out of the ground.

Aang ran over to Appa and Momo content with his newfound glee, he wanted to show them his newly aquired skills but was greeted with saliva thick licks from Appa. Katara and Toph discussed about the positive reinforcement and how it

From all the commotion and ruckus Zuko had woken up.