Yeah, I decided to split Chapter 2 into two parts, because the second part will probably be longer. I never really knew how long it takes to write so much. XP

So here's the first part. Enjoy.

Chapter 2 Part 1: The Earthbender

The city of Ba Sing Se was one of the largest cities in the world and was certainly the largest in all of the Earth Kingdom. The next largest, the city of Omashu, did not come close. The capital was surrounded by an immense wall stories high, rivaling that of the Water Tribe capitals. These famous walls had held through every attack ever laid upon it, even against the armies of the Fire Nation led by the Fire General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, more than five centuries past. It was Iroh's only loss in his military reign.

The walls had stood all this time, refusing to bow to any opposing force. Even when the Earth Kingdom had fallen to the Fire Nation from corruption, the walls held. When the walls lay crumpled and in ruins, it would mean the absolute end for all Earthbenders. In a way, the wall preserved and was a symbol of the spirit of the Earth Kingdom, taking the force head-on and never backing down.

Although the walls were indeed magnificent, it was the interior that left travelers gawking. Ba Sing Se was a huge circle, miles across in radius; the wall a ring encompassing the vast land that was the city. Ba Sing Se was separated from here into three main rings: the Inner Ring, the Outer Ring, and the Rural Ring.

The Rural Ring was the largest of the three. Beginning from the outer wall, it spanned across for miles until it reached the edges where small building began to spot the country side. From atop the wall, the Rural Ring was a quilt patched with square and rectangular plots of multiple pale colors. The Ring was used a farmland to produce enough food to sustain living in the Outer and Inner Rings of Ba Sing Se. A city of its size could not possibly live only on the food supply traded with other cities and nations. No, the majority of the food filling Ba Sing Se came from within its own walls.

The farming in the Rural Ring was all government regulated. The homeless and poor in the Outer Ring were taken and brought to the Rural, where they would farm and work for food, money, and shelter. Once they saved enough money, they returned back to the city, where they could prosper by investing into businesses or starting their own. By returning to the city, it also allowed room for other needy to have the same chance as they.

This idea though, had been brought forth after the fall of Fire Lord Ozai. Earth Kingdom nobles from before the Fire Nation had sent out its troops ruled the courts through bribery. The corrupted politicians were under their control. The nobles paid no heed to the poor peasants; their only purpose to them was to swindle them out of what little money they had left through heavy taxes.

When the Fire Nation had taken over the Earth Kingdom, again the poor had been ignored. All the desired from the Earth Kingdom was its armies and resources. It was until after the Avatar Aang had defeated Fire Lord Ozai that the plans for the Rural Ring went into full effect. It was said that the Avatar Aang himself had come to the courts and threatened the politicians to help the poor, even entering the Avatar State and creating a mini tornado inside the King's court when they stubbornly refused.

The people of the Earth Kingdom had always been stubborn and conservative. They could teach rocks and make them move themselves out their way, literally. The stubborn streak really helped with earthbending.

The middle of the three Rings, the Outer Ring, included most of the city of Ba Sing Se. About forty-eight percent of the people in Ba Sing Se resided there, with fifty in the Rural and the last two in the Inner Ring. The Outer Ring was perhaps two-thirds the size of the Rural Ring. Here, was the true heart of the city. In the outskirts, lay hotels and apartments where travelers and tourists could stay and for those that lived in the city.

Further down into the Ring, small businesses and shops began to take hold. Around every corner lay another market, venders sporting their goods and restaurants wafting their sweet, delicious aromas onto the streets. Here, was a lawyer firm, for dealings with the law, and here, laid a small shop, selling everyday objects like baskets woven from wood. A tailor's shop displayed their clothing in the window, the tailor busy measuring the measures of some burly fellow.

The city lacked one thing that travelers who did not pay close attention, might miss. There were no clanging sounds of metal ringing in blacksmiths in the Outer Ring. The fact was, after Ozai's reign, as it had been called, the hero Toph, one of the greatest earthbenders ever, perhaps the greatest, had introduced the foundations for metalbending. Still, there were few earthbenders skilled enough to have the refined sense to be able to see the earth that still remained in steel.

Even so, the most talented had prevailed and wonders of metal were made. Metalbending had come far since it was first introduced by Toph. Those who could metalbend made works of art, with metal flowing in elegant arcs as if it were water. It had come as far as that the earthbender need not touch the metal to bend. Metal would swerve in every such way by the bender's hands, making abstract shapes or creating weapons for the army. Metalbenders were in high demand and because there were so few, all metalbenders would be sent to the Inner City, making fortunes. All those who earthbended wished they had the senses to metalbend as well; it was an instant ticket into success.

It was hard to make a fortune here in the Outer Ring though, with so many shops selling the same items. Guilds had been formed, to make sure that competition did force prices to drop so low that, most shops would go bankrupt from trying to match the lowered prices. Guilds also prevented monopolies, to try and give smaller businesses an equal chance.

The Outer Ring was also home to the primary up to third level earthbending lessons. They were located along the outskirts, where there was more land than buildings. Children were sent to these training spots in order to see if they were capable of earthbending. If so, they were sent to these earthbending schools, the lessons paid for by the government. Those who showed skill and talent were sent up into the second and then the third level after training. The third was located in the Inner Ring, to be even taught in more advanced earthbending skills. Those who were not up to the task remained and would be sent back to the Outer Ring, as soon as they showed mastery over what little earthbending they could do.

The final ring, the Inner Ring, lay at the center of Ba Sing Se. The smallest ring of the three, one could walk through the entire ring in one hour. What it lacked in size however, it made up in grandeur. The courts of the government and the King's Palace resided in the Inner Ring. The palaces were magnificent, shining in green and gold, with huge staircases and statues thrice the size of a human being. It had same slated roofed architecture seen throughout the world, with the tiles gleaming in the sunlight. The palace reeked of tradition and power, rivaling that of the Imperial Palaces of the Fire Nation.

The Inner Ring was given to nobles as well, their palaces, although not as grand as the King's, were still impressive. Some of the finer shops and restaurants were located here as well. Skilled tailors made beautiful gowns and robes of the finest silk and gold. The Green Mountain was notorious for its pricy foods, though it was backed up by the most delicious treats ever to touch the tongue. And then there was The Red Dragon, named by all those who had visited the finest tea shop in the entire world. Their tea was simply heavenly. A myth had been born from The Red Dragon; supposedly, it had been founded by none other than the Dragon of the West, Fire General Iroh, who had laid siege upon Ba Sing Se and failed. But this could not be true. Ba Sing Se guards could never have openly let that man through, not considering starting his own tea shop.

It was in the Inner Ring that Hitsumo wanted to be part of. The fame and fortune of living in the Inner Ring. Hitsumo wanted to be somebody, a person whom everyone looked up to and wanted to be.

"And instead, I live in the Rural, my only chance of getting into the Inner City is by being able to metalbend," Hitsumo thought bitterly.

Hitsumo pounded the stone and sand within the clay pot. The stone was easily broken by his hand. Hitsumo sighed and ran his hand through his jet black hair. The exercise he was currently on was just to pound stone into fine sand, without fear of getting his hands hurt. The will of an earthbender was expressed through this drill, to never back down no matter the danger or self-injury.

He continued to pound the stone, while thinking about his current situation. The exercise was juvenile. It was easy, it was simple, and it was completely below his level. Hitsumo wondered why he was still stuck in primary earthbending. Looking around, he saw the others in his class. Pathetic. They were striking the stone but did not have the will to break it.

Looking back down at his pot, he could see that the earth had already turned into fine sand. He grabbed a handful and watched the sand slip through his fingers and fall back into the pile.

"Very good, Hitsumo. At the rate you are learning, you will be in secondary school soon. As for the rest of you –"

Hitsumo stopped listening to Builder Renshi, a secondary level earthbender. He wanted to be advanced now to the Builder status, and wondered why she kept him in primary. The things he could do…perhaps he would show her today. He had been practicing.

Turning his head, he saw that class had been dismissed. His classmates had already left and Renshi was leaving as well.

"Builder Renshi!" Hitsumo called out, his adrenalin building. Today, would be the day, the day he was promoted. He could not be patient any longer.

Renshi turned around and walked back. "Yes?" She answered back, her long black hair whipping in the wind.

"I'd like to show you something." And with those words, Hitsumo slammed his hands onto the floor.

Nine mountains of earth rose around him, and one in the center, with a flattened plateau, rose under him, directly in the center of the nine. Raising his hands up with clenched fists, nine balls of stone rose around him as well, positioned between the center pillar and the nine pillars around Hitsumo. Hitsumo began to move his arms in quick strikes, weaving the balls around the nine pillars as if he were juggling them.

While maintaining the juggling, Hitsumo split the layer of the central pillar he was standing on. Jagged strikes began spinning the disc upon which he stood. He needed to see where each ball was going for his next move. Weaving the balls with his arms like complicated machinery, the balls began to contract, becoming harder. Then, Hitsumo struck. The balls collided into the pillars, still weaving in that same fashion. The pieces that were smashed collided into each other forming smaller debris. Even the center was obliterated this way.

Hitsumo began to sweat, panting hard. He had practiced this too often for him to fail now. The balls continued smashing into the pillars, debris seemingly suspended in the air at the speed they were going. One mistake, letting loose of one of the balls, could destroy buildings. It seemed to take an eternity, though it had only been a few seconds.

Then, as soon as all the pillars were smashed to pieces, Hitsumo brought his arms together into a tight hug. The debris in the air swarmed into a tight circle and began to form a shape. A badgermole emerged from the twister of earth, the animal symbol for all earthbenders. Spinning, Hitsumo let his arms fall and the disc landed lightly on its back, forming a saddle.

Hitsumo panted heavily. It had to be enough. It must be enough.

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The Builder Renshi stared. Her gawking had begun the moment Hitsumo had began his routine. To be able to control ten plots of earth at one time…, it was unheard of for a primary. And then controlling nine balls weaving in the same pattern all around, while maintaining a hold on the fallen debris, the boy had surpassed the level of any Builder. He was the making of an earthbending genius. She wondered how she could not have seen it before. Through his hard work, he would probably be able to metalbend in a short time with the right training.

Renshi shook her head. To think that this boy, a Rural inhabitant, would surpass even her at such a young age was impossible. A Rural had surpassed her! She needed to work harder.

She smiled slightly as she turned around, heading for an exit out of the training courtyard. Waves of disappointment emitted from Hitsumo. Renshi could feel it in the earth strongly. After walking halfway, she decided she had tested his patience long enough.

She turned her head, smiling. "Sleep well and eat hearty for tomorrow."

Hitsumo raised his head. He had been on the verge of tears. A pang of sympathy went towards him. Perhaps she should not have waited so long, but she liked to make happenings dramatic.

"You're headed for the Inner City. Congratulations."

The effect was magnificent. Renshi watched the boy that stood in front of her wearing ragged, torn robes turn from an expression of misery to one of sheer and utter amazement. Before she could react, he was in her arms, hugging her and sobbing with joy. Renshi smiled and hugged back. She opened her mouth, but left the thought to hang and instead patted Hitsumo's head comfortingly.

On the rooftops on the few buildings in the area, a figure clothed and veiled in black watched silently as the events unfolded before her green eyes.

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Hitsumo woke up bright and early that next morning. When he had left the training school grounds, he ran through the streets, shouting and hugging random people. He leapt through the air, jumping for joy. He had never been so happy in his life.

To get into the Inner City was like as if some God had just handed him the world on a silver platter. He would finally be recognized as he should. From there, he went into one of the train stations to find his way back to his home in the Rural Ring. The train system of Ba Sing Se was an architectural wonder. Arcs ran through every corner of the city, bridges high above the buildings that ran to each Ring. The system was free, paid for again by the government. The trains were fast and provided easy transportation.

Even through his joy though, Hitsumo did not stall in heading back home. It was unsafe to stay out in the streets during these times. Although Hitsumo did not know much and care for political affairs, he knew enough that Ba Sing Se would be soon on the verge of civil war if events between the nations continued to happen as they did.

The factions of the conflict were simple: pro-war and against war. The pro-wars, called the Badgers for their aggressive nature by many, were numerous and outnumbered those against war. Those who did not approve, called the Moles for their more peaceful methods, had the support of the King. Even though the government abided by the King's laws, the Badgers wanted revenge against the Fire Nation and war would give them that.

Fights in alleyways became a common happenstance, with Badgers teaming up on the Moles. There were also rumors of murders, although Hitsumo was sure it had not gone that far…yet. Many walked in groups now and wore colors to symbolize their beliefs. Gold/white for Moles and green/red for Badgers. Hitsumo looked at his ragged robes. White.

Hitsumo had arrived home safely, opening the door to the small, house sitting in front of a farm. He had then proceeded to shout at the top of his lungs, telling his entire family of his promotion to the third level training. His mother, father, and his three siblings ran in from the stairs, the back door and the other various places they had been, hugged him, and congratulating him. They were all so proud and his mother had almost started crying.

Hitsumo had remembered that night as the best night of his life. The mini-party they had thrown for him was so joyous and happy. He thought he could never be sad again. They had laughed and talked while playing fun games together to celebrate his promotion through the entire night.

Now, Hitsumo rose out of bed and went to change his clothes and straighten up. He had to look good if he was to head to the Inner Circle. He wore his best robes, though even they were a little shabby. Hitsumo gave off a small yawn and headed downstairs.

His mother was already in the kitchen, cooking up eggs and frying rice along with it, one of her specialties. The aroma wafted through the air, filling up Hitsumo's nostrils and clearing up his dulled senses.

Hitsumo was the oldest out of his three other siblings. At fifteen, he was the only one eligible so far for earthbending lessons, which began for adolescents at fourteen. The lessons started so late to ensure that the children were old enough to use earthbending maturely. Fooling around with earthbending could bring down buildings. His sister Shirai, at thirteen, would be able to take the lessons next year, and the twins, Naed and Dean, barely six each watched in envy.

The strange thing was though, neither of Hitsumo's parents, Nirein or Hishiro, could earthbend. Earthbending did not necessarily depend on genetics, but usually, if an offspring could earthbend, so could the parents. Perhaps it was due to the nature of their raising. Hitsumo's parents had both been raised in the Outer Ring since birth. It was only since Hitsumo had been born that they had been forced to recede to the Rural. Perhaps, by living in the Rural and living away from a more civilized Ring, they had gained spirituality, thus allowing them to earthbend.

"If that's true, it'll be the only good thing that's come of living here," Hitsumo thought wryly.

Hitsumo sat down to eat the breakfast his mother had made. As he ate, Hitsumo looked out the window next to him and saw that his father had taken his siblings out onto the farm to show them his daily routines. The laughs and shouts of excited children whispered through the confines of the house. Hitsumo looked upon the scene sadly. He would get them out of the Rural. Once he became a master earthbender or a metalbender if luck had it, they would all move to the Inner City. No more struggling to earn money. They would live comfortably without having to work so hard for the little wealth they earned. He would definitely get them out of this farm.

Hitsumo quickly consumed the rice and eggs his mother had cooked, thanked her while giving a hug and a kiss, and then headed out for the train once more. It was a nice day, the heat not unbearable and yet it was warm enough to feel good. Hitsumo smiled. Today would be great.

As the train approached, Hitsumo found an open seat and quickly sat down. It was pure luck to find an open seat; usually, the trains were so crowded, the majority of people would have to stand. This brightened Hitsumo's day even more.

The train rolled past building quickly, making many stops. His stop was the King's Palace as Renshi had told him. It was the only stop in the Inner Ring. Because the Inner Ring was so small and the King's Palace was dead center, anyone could walk from there on to where ever they needed to. From there, he was to head to the training facilities. It was a huge building and the only one made all from metal. He couldn't miss it, Renshi had told him.

The train slowed down and a loud booming voice seemed to come from no where at all. "The King's Palace," it shouted. Hitsumo rose, his legs a little wobbly. Here he was, finally in the Inner Ring for a purpose. As he walked out, he could feel the stares of a few passengers on his back. A Rural getting off at the King's Palace? It was absurd. Although he was wearing his best clothes, they were those of an Outer at best, and even then it was hard to classify it as that. He knew that a few of the passengers had remembered that he had got on at the Rural as well. Soon, though, they wouldn't think this strange of him. Walking out confidently, Hitsumo vowed to prove his worth to everyone and his place in the higher classes of Ba Sing Se.

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Hitsumo stood in front of the metal building. His brown eyes were wide in wonder. The building was unlike any he had ever seen. Instead of a slanted roof, all it had was a dome. It was a huge half sphere protruding from the ground. The sunlight struck its silvery sheen, blinding him for a moment. He looked away, blinking.

"Amazing isn't it? The wonders of what we can do with metal these days…"

Hitsumo looked in front of him. A man was directly in the sun, so he appeared as a black silhouette. Using his arm to block out the sun, Hitsumo saw that the man wore the black, gold robes of the Dai Li and gold pendant with the elemental symbol of Earthbenders, the pendant of an Earthbending master. The symbol was different from the emblem of the Earth Kingdom. While the emblem was a square inscribed with a circle, the earthbender's symbol was a isosceles trapezoid of sorts, circumscribing a trigram at the bottom and a spiral at the top.

Hitsumo dropped to his knees immediately. Never had he met and Earthbending Master, let alone talk to one. They were said to work wonders, creating mountains, recreating landscapes, and conjure earthquakes that could destroy entire armies. Hitsumo trembled slightly at the thought.

"Get up, get up. I don't need any of that yet. Class hasn't started and if everyone had to undergo formality with me even in public, I'd surely kill myself."

Hitsumo stood up slowly and saw the man was smiling and a little embarrassed. He wore his hair tied back into a long, black ponytail that was common of members of the Dai Li.

Kind brown eyes stared back into his own.

When Hitsumo had stood, the Dai Li spoke. "My name is Tao. In my class, of course, you shall refer to me as Master Tao or just Master. You must be the new student I am receiving, from primary. Hitsumo was it?" Hitsumo nodded. "You must have impressed Renshi very much. I know the girl and she isn't lenient on passing primaries even into the secondary level. Furthermore, there hasn't been a skip of the secondary level in generations, all the way back to King Bumi of Omashu. Perhaps you will show the class your routine."

Hitsumo just nodded again, unsure of what to say. Tao sighed again. People must be awkward around him a lot, due to his rank for him to be this way.

"Come on then, we might as well go in now. Everyone's inside already anyways."

And so they headed into the metal dome.

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Inside, the dome was not much grander. There was no floor at all, as Hitsumo could feel the soft, cold earth beneath his feet. All it was really was just a dome, a metal shield against the elements. They might as well have trained outside.

Upon going in, darkness took Hitsumo's vision. The dome was completely pitch-black. He realized then that the dome had no openings. Light could not pass through the metal dome, creating a void of blackness inside. Was there a purpose for there to be no openings to block out the light?

A whirring sound crept through the air, and rays of blessed light filled the room. Hitsumo looked up. The ceiling had some how receded and Hitsumo could see again. Looking around at his surroundings, he saw that Tao was standing next to a switch of sorts. It must have opened the ceiling up. He also noticed five other students standing near, all older than he, watching Hitsumo, studying him with attentive eyes. Hitsumo withered a little under their stares before standing straighter, proud to part of their level.

"As I have told you earlier, here stands your new classmate who goes by the name Hitsumo. Greet him and treat him as one of you. He will need support for the training to follow."

Need support? Just how hard would the training be? Looking back at the students, he saw some were looking at him with sympathy. Hitsumo began to sweat a little.

"Now, Hitsumo, would you please show us the routine you demonstrated for Renshi?"

"Yes, Master Tao" And with that, Hitsumo began his earthbending sequence, all the while wondering what it was he was getting himself into.

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With the badgermole complete, Hitsumo read the onlookers facial expression, in hope that he was good enough for the third level by actual third level students. His new classmates were all impressed it seemed, by their widened eyes and satisfactory smiles. Master Tao was expressionless though his eyes twinkled and gave away the stony look he had created.

There were whispers amongst them and Hitsumo strained to hear. He caught a few glimpses of noise.

"Very talented…he still had to look…"

"Training will be tough for him…"

"A primary at this level...But not refined enough…"

The whispers he caught confused him. Good, but not good enough?

"Very good, Hitsumo. You exert excellent control over the earth, and with our training, you may be able to metalbend. You have high potential," Master Tao said, while walking to the switch. Hitsumo was even more confused. Did the switch have more features? Could it do something else? Surely, there was need for light. The switch must be able to control the dome to do another wondrous act.

"Well, we might as well start now." The whirring sound started and darkness took Hitsumo once more.

And then, with no warning, pebbles pelted his back. Hitsumo yelped in pain and fell the floor. "What kind of madness is this? Is this training?"

Master Tao's voice echoed in the confines of the dome. "Have you realized it yet, Hitsumo? Have you realized what this training forces you to do?"

Another pelt of pebbles and another yell filled the air. Hitsumo tried to earthbend to attack the opposition, but he had no idea where Master Tao or his classmates were. He was blind and was helpless. Every time he tried to earthbend, – he was sure he missed, there were no cries of surprise from the others – another group of pebbles pelted him, now from all directions.

"You must learn, Hitsumo. Reckless earthbending won't get you anywhere if you can't harm us. Have you realized why, yet?"

Gritting his teeth, Hitsumo raised a wall of earth around him, to block out the pebbles. However, the earth sank beneath him and he was brought to another spot, where pebbles continued to rain upon him.

Hitsumo had to think. What was the purpose of the training? What were they trying to make him do? All this time, he had earthbended in the light, knowing where he was earthbending, knowing where the target was. Bending in the dark was near impossible for him.

"You have to sense the earth Hitsumo! This is what the training is for! You must feel the vibrations in the earth, sense where we are through our movements – we are moving, I assure you. Only by this, can you learn to fight in the dark. Only through this training, will you gain the refined sense to be able to see the earth still left in metal! This is the key in metalbending! Without this refined sense, you will never metalbend!"

The words rang through Hitsumo's head as if they were bells. It all made sense. The closed ceiling, the darkness. It was all to help shape the sense of an Earthbender so that they would be able to metalbend by sensing the earth in the metal. By doing this, they would also be able to earthbend efficiently in situations at night. No one would be able to sneak up on them and surprise would be on their side. It was perfect.

The stories had also said that the legend Toph was in fact blind. Hitsumo had always thought it was an exaggeration. How could a person earthbend without being able to see? And yet, now, Hitsumo was beginning to believe it.

Hitsumo calmed down and closed his eyes. If he was going to have to feel the earth, he might as well stop trying to use his other senses. Clearing all thoughts from his mind, he took an earthbending position but did not move the earth yet. He searched and searched, trying to feel the vibrations through the ground. At first it was, the images were fuzzy and nothing was clear.

Hitsumo concentrated harder. He had come too far to fail now. Hitsumo let himself go. It was as if he had shut off all other functions except to feel the earth. And in that moment, a crystal clear image appeared in his mind. He shot his arms and after a moment, a thud echoed in the dome. Hitsumo grinned in satisfaction.

The whirring sound occurred again and light shone. Blinking to adjust his eyes, he saw what he had done. Stuck in a raised stone wall, was a spear of earth, just inches away from Master Tao's face.

The other pupils were ringed around him, some gaping. Master Tao released the earth back into its natural state. Hitsumo saw that he was smiling.

"Excellent Hitsumo. You have far more talent than I had first thought. That has to be the fastest time yet. One hour was it?"

The others nodded. "The fastest so far was two hours by me, and then the next was by Ara, in two hours and ten minutes," spoken from a tall boy, with black, spiky hair. A boy with black-reddish hair, presumably Ara, nodded next to him.

Master Tao nodded. "Well then, you heard what Sasu said. You demolished the old record by an hour. Well done. As usual, lessons end when new pupils achieve their first true sensing from the earth. Class dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your day."

The students gave a cheer and then headed out in a pile, taking – Hitsumo thought it was more like dragging – Hitsumo with them. A boy named as Naru told Hitsumo, "Come on, we know a great restaurant to celebrate at. Your first day might have been hard, but it only gets harsher."

"Don't scare him, Naru," scolded a pretty girl, dressed in bluish robes. She smiled at Hitsumo and said reassuringly, "Don't worry. Naru always exaggerates, that loudmouthed idiot. I wasn't nearly as good as you, and I made it through fine."

Hitsumo nodded, not sure what to think of his first day at third level earthbending.

Yup, hopefully the second part will be up soon. I have some interesting plot twists in mind. XD

Oh and you can probably tell what Chapter 3 will be about when I get to it, by the titles.

Please review, review, review. D